This week's Mailbag has questions on voting in Texas, as well as a note about our many, many words.

The standoff at Clinton's New Hampshire campaign office is over. The suspect exited the office, took off the bomb, and was quickly arrested by police.

So the Republican free-for-all came and went — excuse me, I meant "debate;" I've been reading too much Washington Post — and if you Tivoed it to check out the best Republican brawls, just start watching it from the beginning. It's all there.

Boy, am I glad that the Rudy/Romney mudfest got heated over the weekend; that should make tonight's Republican YouTube/CNN debate all the more interesting.

In closing this mini-series on giving thanks during this holiday season, I can't help but consider that we are a scant few months away from picking the Democratic Party's nominee for President of the United States of America. We are then not many more away from deciding our new course as a country for the next four to eight years, and hopefully reestablishing our country's founding principles that have been lost sight of at times over the last eight years.

You know Republicans are starting to get a bit desperate for traction in the discussion over the conflict in Iraq when they have given up on their standard talking points and are now trying to paint Democrats as the "firing employees during Christmas" party.

OK, there are only 15 minutes left in CNN's debate countdown — time to start the liveblog! Today's debate will determine whether Clinton's weaknesses in the last debate will be significant roadblocks that may sidetrack her nomination or merely road bumps on the way to a shoo-in.

Yet another Democratic candidate debate will be held tonight, this one in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Central on CNN — which we will, of course, be liveblogging. One person who probably won't be following along on our liveblog? Representative and Senate candidate Rick Noriega, who will instead be attending as a guest of the Democratic National Committee.

Newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey hasn't even been at the AG position long enough to have gotten his ceremonial swearing in, but already the Justice Department is looking much different than when Gonzales headed it up. Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility has received clearance to reopen the investigation on the administration's warrantless wiretap program.

Sam Brownback has officially endorsed John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination. A week ago, this would clearly have been a boost for the flagging McCain campaign, as it could potentially encourage the as-of-yet undecided religious conservative faction of the GOP to pick the Senator as their guy. Now, however, the endorsement may be too little, too late.

That is because earlier this morning, Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson officially endorsed Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the nomination.