Hillary without tears  —  Why it's time to close the book on the Clintons — and herald the Obamas!  Plus: Iran war hawks, Russian drag queens and the genius of Zeppelin.  —  As her husband has dragged his numerous female play objects before her and has humiliated her on the public stage year after year …

2005 Use of Gas by Blackwater Leaves Questions  —  WASHINGTON — The helicopter was hovering over a Baghdad checkpoint into the Green Zone, one typically crowded with cars, Iraqi civilians and United States military personnel.  —  Suddenly, on that May day in 2005, the copter dropped CS gas …

McLead in SC  —  Rasmussen has McCain jumping ahead of Huckabee for the Jan. 19 South Carolina primary...  Romney is at 16 percent, Thompson at 12, Giuliani at 6, Paul at 5.  If Romney drops out after Michigan, does that suddenly make Thompson viable?  Does it give Huckabee or McCain a boost?

For U.S., The Goal Is Now ‘Iraqi Solutions’  —  Approach Acknowledges Benchmarks Aren't Met  —  In the year since President Bush announced he was changing course in Iraq with a troop “surge” and a new strategy, U.S. military and diplomatic officials have begun their own quiet policy shift.

The Surge Worked  —  It was exactly one year ago tonight, in a televised address to the nation, that President George W. Bush announced his fateful decision to change course in Iraq, and to send five additional U.S. combat brigades there as part of a new counterinsurgency strategy and under the command of a new general, David Petraeus.

Britain backs new nuclear power plants  —  LONDON - The British government on Thursday announced support for the construction of new nuclear power plants, backing atomic energy as a clean source of power to fight climate change.  —  Business Secretary John Hutton told lawmakers that nuclear power …

Romney's Fishy Delegate Claim  —  Why is the former Massachusetts governor telling folks that he leads in delegates?  —  In Boston today, Romney told supporters, “we have more delegates than any other Republican candidate running for president."  —  Here's the ABC News GOP Delegate Estimate:

New Estimate of Violent Deaths Among Iraqis Is Lower  —  A new survey estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died from violence in the three years following the U.S.-led invasion of the country.  Roughly 9 out of 10 of those deaths were a consequence of U.S. military operations, insurgent attacks and sectarian warfare.

Hillary's Free Pass  —  MANCHESTER, N.H.  —  Whatever your politics, people, you have to admit this is one great presidential race.  What next?  Fred Thompson takes Florida on a sympathy vote from retirees?  (They like a leader who's really, really rested.)  John Edwards finds a new emotion for South Carolina?

Dems push ‘uncommitted’ option  —  Party leaders want Obama and Edwards backers to take a stand on the primary ballot.  —  LANSING — Top Michigan Democrats made another plea Wednesday to coax supporters of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John Edwards to vote “uncommitted” …