Obama Tries New Tactics To Get Out Vote in Iowa  —  DES MOINES — In Sen. Barack Obama's Iowa headquarters, young staff members sit at computers, analyzing online voter data and targeting potential backers.  They zip one e-mail to an undecided voter and zap a different message to a firm supporter.

New Questions Arise in Killing of Ex-Premier  —  LAHORE, Pakistan — New details of Benazir Bhutto's final moments, including indications that her doctors felt pressured to conform to government accounts of her death, fueled the arguments over her assassination on Sunday and added to the pressure …

My heart bleeds for Pakistan.  It deserves better than this grotesque feudal charade  —  Six hours before she was executed, Mary, Queen of Scots wrote to her brother-in-law, Henry III of France: “...As for my son, I commend him to you in so far as he deserves, for I cannot answer for him.”

Thompson Makes His Move  —  On the Internet as of sometime this afternoon, Fred Thompson's closing argument to the people of Iowa.  —  Whereas Romney is saturating the airwaves with attack ads, Thompson pays the voters the courtesy of speaking calmly, and in detail—the video runs to just over 15 minutes.

ANTI-MILITARY LAWYER DAMAGES MARINE'S CAR ON EVE OF DEPLOYMENT  —  This ought to make your blood boil.  And this Marine should receive a commendation for not kicking the living crap out of the guy...seriously.  —  Marine Sgt Mike McNulty is on activation orders to Iraq (second tour).

Looking at America  —  There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country.  Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture of prisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators …

France stands up to Syria  —  No scarf for Sarkozy as he suspends diplomatic relations — over the Lebanese elections.  —  Nicolas Sarkozy — L'Americain — continues to show more courage in his little pinky than the Democratic Party combined when it comes to the War on Terrorism.

Bloomberg Moves Closer to Running for President  —  Buoyed by the still unsettled field, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City is growing increasingly enchanted with the idea of making an independent presidential bid, and his aides are aggressively laying the groundwork for him to run.

Lender Lobbying Blitz Abetted Mortgage Mess  —  Ameriquest Pressed  —  For Changes in Laws; A Battle in New Jersey  —  During the housing boom, the subprime industry succeeded at more than just writing mortgages.  It also shot down efforts by some states to curtail risky lending to borrowers with spotty credit.

The Great Divide  —  Yesterday The Times published a highly informative chart laying out the positions of the presidential candidates on major issues.  It was, I'd argue, a useful reality check for those who believe that the next president can somehow usher in a new era of bipartisan cooperation.

Aksa Martyrs Brigades calls for Fayad's assassination  —  Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, on Sunday called for the murder of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad for “collaboration” with Israel and the US.  —  This was the first time the group has openly called for Fayad's assassination.

Ron Paul's War Chest Swelled in 4th Quarter  —  Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul may lag behind in public-opinion polls.  But after raising about $19 million for the final three months of the year, he is now among his party's front-runners in the race for campaign cash.

What's It All About?  —  As usual with calls for less partisanship and more moderation, the striking thing about this new initiative is its vacuousness.  There are two kinds of thing a centrist movement might reasonably stand for.  One would be a middle-ground approach to issues …

OLD HABITS  —  How the Giuliani method may defeat him. … Though he is not especially funny, Rudy Giuliani likes to begin with a joke.  “Did you know that I'm running for President of the United States?” he asked at a recent house party in Windham, New Hampshire.  “Did I tell you that?”

Huckabee's double-edged faith  —  Religion helped him as governor, he says.  Some saw it as a hindrance.  —  ARKADELPHIA, ARK. — Five days after the tornado tore through the state, this city of 10,000 lay in ruins.  The cyclone destroyed an office building, a bank, a pharmacy and 70 other businesses.