According to this morning's New York Times, the change in the intelligence assessment of Iran's nuclear activities was made after the discovery of a journal which indicated the Iranian military was frustrated with the decision to halt the military nuclear program in 2003. The estimate says that other information corroborates that journal. I smell a rat.

Why do I smell a rat? Because the political implications that follow from the new assessment result in an unqualified victory for the Iranians. New sanctions are now all but impossible. Military action is off the table, as well. Why, after all, should Iran be punished economically or militarily when they already have halted their pursuit of nuclear weapons?

Some people, though, don't trust the Iranians. Others, like former UN Ambassador John Bolton, don't trust our intelligence community to come up with an unbiased analysis. I'm with them on both counts.

John Distaso analyzes the most recent New Hampshire polling information. The key, in my estimation, is the volatility of the electorate, especially on the Republican side. An astounding sixty percent of Republicans say they could still change their minds, with 30 percent saying it is likely they will change their minds. This with only a few weeks to go. While Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney still hold the lead in their respective parties here, expect the Iowa results to have a major impact. Meanwhile, Ron Paul continues to raise a lot of money but, according to this Washington Post story, his campaign lacks organization, if not enthusiasm. He remains a wild card in the race. Bob Novak has some thoughts on the decision by the Romney campaign to address the issue of his Mormon faith in a speech today at the George H.W. Bush Library in Texas.