On this day in 1903 the Wright Brothers took to the air at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Also on this day in 1843, Charles Dickens published "A Christmas Carol." On to today's top stories:

"Ron Paul Becomes $6 Million Man" (Kenneth Vogel, The Politico) Breaking his own record set in November, Ron Paul raised over $6 million yesterday, bringing his fourth quarter total to over $18 million (and counting). You can watch the total increase live at Paul's Web site.

"McCain Gains Unlikely Backer" (Joseph Curl, Washington Times) News spread quickly yesterday that John McCain would add to his growing list of endorsements Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, the erstwhile Democrat who switched parties after losing the 2006 primary to Ned Lamont. Despite Lieberman's independent status, Democrats were not pleased with his choice.

"In '08 Race, the Other Clinton Steps Up Publicly" (Patrick Healy, New York Times) Like the Davie Bowie song, Hillary Clinton wants everyone to know that her campaign is all about "changes." The focus reportedly is coming straight from Bill Clinton himself.

"Island Tax Havens Factor Into Romney's Business Success" (Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times) An investigative report into how Romney used shell companies in offshore tax havens to entice investors without paying U.S. taxes.

"Thompson Seeks Popularity Boost in Iowa" (Liz Sidoti, Associated Press) Having already moved his entire campaign to Iowa, today Fred Thompson kicks off a five-day bus tour through the state to boost low poll numbers and lackluster fundraising.

"Candidates Scrambling to Cope With Rise of Huckabee" (Michael Cooper, New York Times) Even if many pundits still doubt that the GOP would nominate him, the Huckabee surge is real and has forced more establishment candidates like Mitt Romney and John McCain to reassess their strategies in the early primary states.

"Obama Confronts Rumor He Is a Muslim" (Boston Globe) The headline is a little misleading -- Obama hasn't really addressed those pernicious rumors since they first broke months ago. What he did do was go to church and talk about his Christian faith.

"Edwards Offers Middle-Class Pitch" (Beth Fouhy, Associated Press) While Thompson is just beginning his bus tour, Edwards is finishing up his, appealing to Iowa voters with his populist message against big business and Washington corruption.

"New Clinton Campaign Out to Show Her Likability" (Jill Lawrence, USA Today) While also stressing her "change" credentials, Clinton's campaign is moving to neutralize another Obama strength: Charisma.

Get these and today's other election stories at RCP's Politics and Election page.