Here is a very different view of Benazir Bhutto as compared to the glowing tributes we heard both before and after her death. Meanwhile, Bhutto's husband, described as a divisive figure in this New York Times story, has taken charge of her party, despite the fact that her 19-year-old son was named as Chairman. The other once-exiled former Prime Minister and opponent of the current regime, Nawaz Sharif, is calling on President Musharraf to step down. Pat Buchanan says we are impotent when it comes to influencing events in Pakistan. The Washington Times is reporting that the government in Pakistan is expected to announce that the elections will be postponed. In the end, the only people served by the instability created by the assassination of Benazir Bhutto are the Islamists, whether they call themselves Taliban or Al Qaeda or something else. This does not mean that I completely buy into the story that it was the Islamists who killed her. It seems clear to me that the government is trying to muddy the waters as to the manner in which she was killed. Recent video seems to confirm that a man walked up to her car and fired three shots at her as she stood up waving to the crowd through the sunroof, and the video shows she fell into the car just a moment before the suicide bomber detonated his device. The video I have seen makes it pretty clear she was killed by a bullet, not the bomb. As to why the government would want to point the finger at the bomber rather than the shooter is beyond me. In both cases, the assassins managed to get very close to the car, which would seem to bolster criticism that Bhutto did not receive adequate security. In any event, whether it was the Islamists or someone else who ordered the hit, Pakistan is on the verge of implosion, which is very bad news for all of us.

The latest poll from Iowa (courtesy of the Des Moines Register) shows Obama taking a lead over Clinton and Edwards on the Democratic side, and Huckabee with a slim lead over Romney on the GOP side. Adam Nagourney, writing in the New York Times, wonders what might happen if Iowa doesn't settle anything. Meanwhile, Ralph Nader endorses Edwards. Dean Barnett has this analysis of the state of the race. As we head into the caucuses on Thursday, it seems pretty clear that three contenders will come out on the Democratic side, all with some claim of victory (only Hillary's will seem a bit strained, as she was the front-runner for most of the year). For the GOP, if Romney can come back and beat Huckabee, that will be a big boost for him coming into New Hampshire, where he needs to fend of McCain's surge. The big loser early is Giuliani, who could find himself finishing a distant third or fourth and could quickly lose any relevance as the battle boils down to Romney, Huckabee and McCain.

Walter Russell Mead says the world needs the U.S. to continue to act as policeman for the Persian Gulf.