Attack ad decision cost Huck $150K  —  DES MOINES — Mike Huckabee's last-minute decision to pull the plug on an attack ad against Mitt Romney has been the talk of Iowa in recent days.  —  But it turns out there is more to the story than Huckabee explained at his now-famous, had-to-see-it-to-believe it news conference Monday.

Poll: McCain, Romney tied in New Hampshire  —  (CNN) — With six days to go until the New Hampshire primary, there are ties in poll results for the top candidates in both parties.  —  With roughly a quarter of those polled in both parties saying they won't make up their mind until the election …

Stonewalled by the C.I.A.  —  MORE than five years ago, Congress and President Bush created the 9/11 commission.  The goal was to provide the American people with the fullest possible account of the “facts and circumstances relating to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001” — and to offer recommendations to prevent future attacks.

Edwards: Too Cute by Half  —  John Edwards may very well win Iowa.  He has a strong organization, four years in the making, and a message that goes to the anger and frustration of many voters.  —  His central theme is that Washington is corrupt.  Lobbyists and money control the process.

The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes Of 2007 … Also see,  —  The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes Of 2006  —  The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes For 2005  —  The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes For 2004

Partisan Trends  —  Number of Republicans in U.S. Increases in December to Two-Year High  —  The number of Americans who consider themselves to be Republicans jumped nearly two percentage points in December to 34.2%.  That's the largest market share for the Republican brand in nearly two years …

Dem camps doubt some poll figures  —  The Des Moines Register's final poll before Thursday's Iowa presidential caucuses prompted sharp reaction Tuesday about how many politically independent voters are expected to attend the Democratic caucuses.  —  As candidates worked New Year's Day crowds around Iowa …

Romney Leads GOP Narrowly 30% To 28% For Huckabee  —  McCain Moves Into Third  —  Obama Leads Tights Democratic Race With 32% To 29% For Edwards And 27% For Clinton  —  Strategic Vision, LLC, a public relations and public affairs agency, announced the results of a three-day poll in Iowa …

A Plan to Kill Everyone  —  “War, children, it's just a shot away, it's just a shot away” - The Rolling Stones, from “Gimme Shelter"  —  FALLUJAH — A sign on the door leading out of India Company's Combat Operations Center says “Have a Plan to Kill Everyone You Meet.”

FRED THOMPSON: Too sane to be President?  Quite possibly. … I think he's right.  Thompson is running the kind of campaign — substantive, policy-laden, not based on gimmicks or sound-bites — that pundits and journalists say they want, but he's getting no credit for it from the people who claim that's what they want.

What Kucinich Saw: Witnesses Describe His Close Encounter  —  Candidate's Pals Recall Three Throbbing UFOs; Outed by Shirley MacLaine  —  The 2008 presidential race has raised many questions about the candidates' personal histories.  Will Barack Obama's past drug use preclude a White House future?