Attack ad decision cost Huck $150K  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — 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: Neck-and-neck 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 …

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.

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.

GOP base scatters to rival camps  —  No one has been able to assemble a coalition, as Reagan did.  The breach, evident in Iowa, could hobble the nominee.  —  DES MOINES — The long-standing coalition of social, economic and national security conservatives that elevated the Republican Party …

Readership of major liberal blogs declined in 2007 while conservative blog readership increased  —  It has long been understood that the largest liberal blogs have generally produced more web traffic than the largest conservative blogs.  But I have noticed a general trend over the past few months …

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

Team Hil: We'll mind your kids!  —  Meet Hillary Clinton's secret weapon in Iowa: baby-sitters.  —  In Thursday's caucuses, it all comes down to getting out the vote.  And Clinton is going to the extremes, even lining up baby-sitters and day care centers for caucus-going moms.

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.”

Did A Hi-Tech Laser Beam Kill Benazir Bhutto?  —  Here are two important stories related to Pakistan.  First, allegations have surfaced that sophisticated laser beam technology was used to eliminate Benazir Bhutto.  Second, Pakistan's general election has been postponed until February 18.

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 …

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?