Late-Breaking Surge for Thompson  —  The latest news from Iowa?  According to Zogby's latest—and I quote: “Sen. Fred Thompson...has seen a late-breaking surge."  (Rich notes the same poll below.)  —  What's going on here?  My guess is that there are whole lot of Iowa Republicans …

Clinton Camp Pre-Spinning Possible Bad News in Iowa  —  Campaign Insists Even a Third-Place Finish Would Not Be Disappointing  —  As the presidential candidates engage in furious pre-caucus spin, one of Sen. Hillary Clinton's most prominent Iowa supporters said Wednesday that she's already accomplished …

Criminal probe opened over CIA tapes  —  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department opened a full criminal investigation Wednesday into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes, putting the politically charged probe in the hands of a mob-busting public corruption prosecutor with a reputation for being independent.

Rush: Huck ‘not a conservative’  —  Rush Limbaugh devoted a large portion of his first show since the holidays to criticizing Mike Huckabee's candidacy and offering a disapproving bottom-line assessment of the former governor.  —  “Ladies and gentlemen, Gov. Huckabee, mighty fine man …

As Campaign Season Begins, Only One Presidential Candidate is Viewed Favorably by Majority of Voters  —  One impact of the long run-up to Election 2008 can be seen in public perceptions of the leading Presidential candidates.  After a year of campaigning with no votes actually being cast …

Return of the Swift Boaters  —  More than three years after John Kerry's bitter defeat, at the dawn of what looks like a far more promising campaign cycle for the Democrats, the party is still haunted by the specter of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.  Once upon a time, “Swift boat” …

Lewisville cabdriver sought in slayings of 2 teen daughters  —  whundley@dallasnews.com  —  Area police continue to search for a man who they believe killed his two teenage daughters and left their bodies in a taxi at an Irving hotel.  —  Police sealed off a street and surrounded …

A Vast Right-Wing Hypocrisy  —  Richard Mellon Scaife, billionaire bankroller of conservative crusades, spent heavily to expose Bill Clinton's “Troopergate” misbehavior.  Now Scaife's divorce from his second wife, Ritchie, is providing another unsavory saga—adultery! addiction! assault! dognapping!?!—as both parties let loose to V.F.

Jim Talent: Romney will stop ‘the militant gays.’  —  Today on MSNBC's Hardball, former senator Jim Talent, now an adviser to Mitt Romney, discussed Romney's record on gays.  Talent maintained that Romney has never been inconsistent on gay rights and has “always” wanted to stop the influence of “the militant gays":

Chris Dodd stands by his supporters.  Will not be part of an auction  —  Here's another reason to like Chris Dodd.  Andrea Mitchell wanted to know who Chris Dodd would support for the presidential nomination because she said there were reports that other candidates who are not considered to be in the top tier are cutting deals.

Lantos, stricken with cancer, to retire at the end of the year  —  (01-02) 12:07 PST Washington - —  San Mateo Rep. Tom Lantos, the 79-year-old Holocaust survivor who became House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman last year, announced today he will retire at the end of this year after learning that he has cancer of the esophagus.