McCain closing gap with Romney  —  In N.H. poll, Obama inches ahead of Clinton  —  Senator John McCain of Arizona, whose bid for the Republican presidential nomination was all but dead this summer, has made a dramatic recovery in the Granite State 2 1/2 weeks before the 2008 vote …

Edwards and Romney Highlight Parties' Views of Wealth  —  A fascinating NYT profile shows how John Edwards and Mitt Romney became very wealthy circa 1984 and drew very different lessons from it. … Now, in fairness, the two men came from very different social backgrounds to begin with …

In Britain, A Respected, If Rowdy, Holiday Ritual  —  LONDON — Just before midnight, the well-dressed, 25-year-old financial trader arrived by ambulance at the makeshift hospital tent pitched at a train station in central London.  Blood oozed from his scalp, staining his elegant pink-striped shirt.

Romney should not be the next president  —  December 22.  —  If you were building a Republican presidential candidate from a kit, imagine what pieces you might use: an athletic build, ramrod posture, Reaganesque hair, a charismatic speaking style and a crisp dark suit.

International Brigades  —  I had sort of guessed that this “war on Christmas” business was one of those only in America things, but according to Polly Toynbee you've got the same BS over in the UK, where the Rev Jules Gomes explains that: … As I've said, I'm not a huge fan of Dawkins' work …

Times Democratic caucus endorsement: Hillary Clinton passes the test  —  Hillary Clinton passes test after test after test.  This Clinton arrived for the caucus campaign with much, much more experience than the first Clinton to stump across Iowa.  In campaign speeches and in an interview …

A Résumé Can't Buy You Love  —  WE can only imagine what is going on inside John McCain's head when he contemplates Mike Huckabee.  It can't be pretty.  No presidential candidate in either party has more experience in matters of war than the Arizona senator …

How the Queen got well connected  —  In a bid to appeal to the internet generation, the royals launch their own YouTube channel  —  The Queen has taken a bold stride into cyberspace by launching her own channel on the video-sharing website YouTube.  The Royal Channel launches today …

It's about Hillary, stupid  —  Something was bugging me, but I couldn't figure out what it was.  Then it hit me.  While I was reading about the campaign, the realization came like a thunderbolt: I'm tired of Bill Clinton.  —  Tired of his half-truths and full lies about where he stood on Iraq.

Savior or Saboteur?  —  Once it was about Hillary, but now, of course, it's about Bill.  —  Our ubiquitous ex-president is playing his favorite uxorious game, and it goes like this: Let's create chaos and then get out of it together.  You ride to my rescue or I ride to yours.

Iran Cited In Iraq's Decline in Violence  —  Order From Tehran Reined In Militias, U.S. Official Says  —  The Iranian government has decided “at the most senior levels” to rein in the violent Shiite militias it supports in Iraq, a move reflected in a sharp decrease in sophisticated roadside bomb attacks …