1st votes counted in New Hampshire  —  DIXVILLE NOTCH, New Hampshire (CNN) — Voters in two New Hampshire hamlets cast their ballots Tuesday just after midnight in the state's first-in-the-nation presidential primary, hours before the rest of the state's polling places open.

The Woman Who Changed the World  —  With Barack Obama's meteoric rise topping the news these days, many people have forgotten the bizarre series of events that paved the way to his stunning ascendance.  It's especially interesting given that some personal and minor details …

A Candidacy's Prose and Cons  —  CONCORD, N.H. — Hillary Clinton may have unintentionally written the obituary for the Iowa and New Hampshire phase of her presidential campaign, and perhaps her candidacy, when she told voters on Sunday: “You campaign in poetry, but you govern in prose.”

Dartmouth Students Walk Out on Bill  —  HANOVER, N.H. — About thirty minutes into Bill Clinton's nearly two-hour stop here at Dartmouth College, a steady stream of students started walking out of the venue.  —  Moments later, Clinton — his voice hoarse, sometimes cracking …

Bush Admits Economy Faces Challenges  —  CHICAGO — President Bush, in a marked shift from his usual upbeat economic assessments, conceded here on Monday that the nation faces “economic challenges” due to rising oil prices, the home mortgage crisis and a weakening job market.

Video: The obligatory “iron my shirt” post; Update: Radio show stunt?  —  The plant rumors are a-swirlin', but given that it's derivative of a viral 'Net meme it's probably just a couple of kids looking to earn immortality in the jackass hall of fame.  —  You know what the most compelling evidence is that it was pre-planned, though?

Romney's Challenge To Obama  —  BEDFORD — First, the crowds.  —  It was one of Mitt Romney's largest events in New Hampshire.  800 residents packed into a middle school here in this wealthy, mostly Republican suburb, with many more turned away.  Cars were parked a half a mile down the road.

Obama's Surge Deflates Forum and Talk of a Bloomberg Run  —  NORMAN, Okla. — He arrived here for what seemed like it could be a big moment.  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, eyeing a third-party presidential bid, joined Republican and Democratic elders at a forum to denounce the extreme partisanship …

Bush of Arabia  —  This U.S. president is the most consequential the Middle East has ever seen.  —  It was fated, or “written,” as the Arabs would say, that George W. Bush, reared in Midland, Texas, so far away from the complications of the foreign world, would be the leader to take America so deep into Arab and Islamic affairs.

Seriously, Is Matt Lauer Serious?  —  This morning, theToday Show host interviewed Mitt Romney with hostility and Hillary Clinton with protective understanding.  He asked Mitt if he's a liar buying the election and he asked Hillary about her emotions, both aired near the top of the show, Romney was live, Hillary was taped.

See No Good  —  AT SATURDAY'S New Hampshire debate, Democratic candidates were confronted with a question that they have been ducking for some time: Can they concede that the “surge” of U.S. troops in Iraq has worked?  All of them vehemently opposed the troop increase when President Bush proposed …

Why It's Suddenly Okay For the World To Feel Good About the U.S. Again  —  Howard thanked for visiting “Austrian” troops in Iraq  —  I covered eight presidential campaigns as a reporter and editor and am now involved in yet another as a blogger, but I have never seen a global explosion …

Clinton Braces for Second Loss; Union, Senators May Back Obama  —  NASHUA, N.H. — With Barack Obama strongly favored — even within Hillary Clinton's camp — to win a second straight victory in today's New Hampshire Democratic primary, both rivals are looking to the next battle grounds.

Obama's Other Life  —  One of the more extraordinary stories of the Obama campaign has been playing out behind the scenes over the past week as the candidate has been working on a daily basis to try to calm things down in his father's homeland and his grandmother's home, Kenya, where a contested election has led to riots.