On the this day in 1991 11 of of the 12 Soviet republics signed an alliance known at the Commonwealth of Independent States, a move signaling the end of the Soviet Union. Also on this day in 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Scotland. Now for today's top election stories. starting with a look at the first year of the Democratic Congress:

"Republican Unity Trumps Democratic Momentum" (Carl Hulse and Robert Pear, New York Times) After a year of political wrangling in Congress following the Democrats' takeover, things have not turned out the way many expected. Republicans are surprised by their success, although await anxiously the reaction from voters when Democrats try to pin the obstructionist label on them next year. Democrats, however, have accomplished very little of what they promised in 2006, and their disappointment has led to internal squabbling.

"Poll: Obama Makes Gains, Is Even With Clinton in N.H." (Susan Page, USA Today) Seriously, could this be any more dramatic? In the new USAT/Gallup poll, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are tied (32-32) in New Hampshire -- which makes the momentum from an Iowa victory all that more significant. Meanwhile, John McCain -- summer's dead duck turned winter's phoenix -- has moved to within single digits (34-27) of Mitt Romney in the state he needs to win. Which means that right now Mike Huckabee's biggest Iowa fan is John McCain.

"McCain Says Allegations That He Did Favors for D.C. Lobbyist Are Untrue" (Howard Kurtz, Washington Post) After Drudge splashed the news across his front page yesterday, John McCain was forced to confront allegations that he did political favors for lobbyists. McCain denies the charges, and compared them to "what happened to us in 2000" -- a reference to the South Carolina primary where McCain accused the Bush campaign of dirty tactics.

"Obama Laments Negative Tone of Campaign" (Philip Elliott, Associated Press) And speaking of all this mudslinging, Obama is having none of it. The direct way the Clinton campaign has gone after Obama has allowed the Illinois senator to take something of a high road and accuse his rival of attacking his character.

"Romney Backpedals on Statements - Again" (Glen Johnson, Associated Press) Hit with media requests to cite evidence that his father marched with Martin Luther King, Mitt Romney had to backtrack a bit and say it was a "figure of speech."

"Ex-President Supportive to a Fault?" (Mark Barabak, Los Angeles Times) Bill Clinton, once seen as his wife's biggest asset, has had a number of gaffes since joining the campaign full time. Some wonder if, as an ex-president, Bill should be a little more statesman-like in his support.

"Women Voters Could Drive Democratic Choice" (Marcella Bombardieri, Boston Globe) With women voters expected to make up over 60% of the Iowa Caucuses, it's no wonder that both Obama and Clinton are trying to capture them. A poll earlier this week showed that, like most polls with these two, they are tied with women's support in Iowa.

"Lower GOP Activity Reflects Uncertainty" (Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register) Iowa Republican leaders are seeing a lower level of excitement among their members than they saw 8 years ago, or that they see in the Democratic field. While it's a sign that GOP voters aren't as excited with their field as Democrats, it's also the case that the GOP candidates are spending more time in other states than the Democrats.

"Thompson Is Running Low on Options" (Jonathan Martin, The Politico) Low on cash, Fred Thompson has moved into his campaign bus as it travels Iowa, hitting radio stations and local newspapers for a bit of free publicity.

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