Iowa: Edwards surges, Huckabees bubble bursts  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — John Edwards has clawed his way into contention to win Iowa's caucuses on Thursday in the first vote for the Democratic presidential nomination, gaining strength even as rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have lost ground, according to a new McClatchy-MSNBC poll.

The Times Adds an Op-Ed Columnist  —  William Kristol, one of the nation's leading conservative writers and a vigorous supporter of the Iraq war, will become an Op-Ed page columnist for The New York Times, the newspaper announced Saturday.  —  Mr. Kristol will write a weekly column for The Times beginning Jan. 7, the newspaper said.

Bipartisan Group Eyes Independent Bid  —  First, Main Candidates Urged To Plan ‘Unity’ Government  —  New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a potential independent candidate for president, has scheduled a meeting next week with a dozen leading Democrats and Republicans …

Warning of Threats, Clinton Sells Clinton  —  Ex-President Emphasizes Wife's Experience  —  NASHUA, N.H. — Former president Bill Clinton yesterday delivered in stark terms a version of his wife's central campaign message: that her experience in Washington better prepares her to “deal with the unexpected.”

Did McCain call Romney a 'pig'?  —  DOVER, N.H. — As Senator John McCain rolled down a New Hampshire highway today in his “Straight Talk Express” campaign bus, he listened to a description of the latest attack on him by his chief rival in this state's primary, Mitt Romney.

A Moderate MLA  —  The Modern Language Association frequently helps out its critics with provocative session titles and left-leaning political stands offered by its members.  At this year's annual meeting, in Chicago, some MLA members have worried that the association was poised to take stances …

The great fall of China  —  Revised GDP calculations show that Beijing isn't the giant we thought it was.  —  The most important story to come out of Washington recently had nothing to do with the endless presidential campaign.  And although the media largely ignored it, the story changes the world.

Bhutto's Successor  —  Benazir Bhutto's son has been anointed her successor, the slain former prime minister's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) confirmed today.  A senior PPP official had told TIME late Saturday that Bhutto's 19-year-old son, Bilawal, would likely be named as her political heir and the new party leader on Sunday.

2007 DMN Texan of the Year: The Illegal Immigrant  —  He is at the heart of a great culture war in Texas - and the nation, credited with bringing us prosperity and blamed for abusing our resources.  How should we deal with this stranger among us?  —  He breaks the law by his very presence.

Thompson: ‘Not particularly interested in running for president’  —  (CNN) — Republican Fred Thompson has long faced criticism he lacks motivation to be President of the United States, but the Tennessee Republican's latest comments Saturday are likely to spawn fresh heat.