Thompson may drop out, back McCain  —  DES MOINES, Iowa - Several Republican officials close to Fred Thompson's presidential campaign said they expect the candidate will drop out of the race within days if he finishes poorly in Thursday's Iowa caucus.  —  Thompson's campaign …

Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Daily Tracking Poll: Obama Moves Into Lead Followed by Edwards; Huckabee Lead Widens  —  Clinton, Romney dip as Ron Paul gains  —  UTICA, New York - Democrat Barack Obama continued his upward momentum through the evening before the Iowa caucuses, capturing the lead ahead …

Political Field Is Panned by Bloomberg  —  With unusually dismissive language, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg offered tart assessments of his potential presidential rivals at a news conference on Wednesday, suggesting they are offering meaningless bromides rather than serious answers to the problems confronting the country.

Manhunt for Father Suspected of Killing Teen Girls  —  IRVING, Texas — Police continued searching for a man suspected of shooting his two teenage daughters, including one who called 911 about an hour before officers found them dead in his taxi, police said.

Late Night TV Hosts Back After 2 Months  —  NEW YORK (AP) - Late-night TV hosts returned to the air Wednesday after a two-month hiatus, showing support for their striking writers, plenty of creative stretch marks - and at least two scruffy beards.  —  David Letterman walked onstage amid …

Get your post-caucus spin now  —  With this guide, you can analyze any result — before the Iowans gather  —  DES MOINES, Iowa - In a matter of hours, following the results of the Iowa caucuses, a contest will begin.  It will take place among the slew of national media trying to determine exactly what happened.

Press, political pressure helped ‘lose’ Fallujah, report says  —  A secret intelligence assessment of the first battle of Fallujah shows that the U.S. military thinks that it lost control over information about what was happening in the town, leading to “political pressure” …

Seven Questions: Gen. David Petraeus on Winding down the Surge  —  By the end of July, 25 percent of American combat troops are due to withdraw from Iraq.  FP sat down with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, to find out how he plans to draw down without leaving chaos behind.

ROCK MAKES THE GARDEN HOWL  —  RAUNCHY stand-up Chris Rock had Madison Square Garden in stitches Monday night, when he kicked off his six-month tour performing for a sold-out New Year's Eve audience of 20,000 fans who gave him a midnight standing ovation.  —  The comic from Bed-Stuy proclaimed …

A WORD FROM PHILIP ZELIKOW  —  Philip Zelikow is the fomer executive director of the 9/11 Commission.  Before returning to the University of Virginia, he served most recently as counselor of the United States Department of State.  Among his academic degrees is a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

McCain boosted by surge - in Iowa  —  URBANDALE, Iowa — Hundreds of Iowans and scores of reporters squeezed into every corner, and spilled out of, John McCain's suburban Des Moines headquarters for a final rally tonight before tomorrow's caucuses.  —  Heartened by the senator's resurrection …

The Short, Fast Ride: My 30-Day Crash Course In Presidential Politics  —  The Short, Fast Ride:  —  My 30-Day Crash Course In Presidential Politics  —  Before I announced that I was going to work for the Huckabee campaign, the news broke on NRO's The Corner.

Iowa: The future starts here  —  It's the most expensive, unpredictable and crucial presidential race in modern US history.  And today, in one small state, people start to cast their votes  —  The phoney war is over.  Tonight, in school rooms, church halls and private homes across …