On this day in 1776 George Washington's Continental Army defeated the larger Hessian force at Trenton, New Jersey, giving Americans their first real, if small, victory in the Revolutionary War. On to today's top Christmas hangover stories:

"Iowa Races Entering the Home Stretch" (Mark Barabak and Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times) Amidst all the holiday cheer, you might have forgotten that the presidential race in Iowa is coming down to the wire. Reporters Barabek and Mehta are here with a story to remind us all about the state of the race, with a little more than a week to go before the first votes are cast.

"Same Party, Different Styles" (Laura Meckler and Elizabeth Holmes, Wall Street Journal) Considering that Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are neck-and-neck in Iowa, it's surprising just how different both really are on policy and style. Reporters Meckler and Holmes contrast the two candidates to show that for Iowa Republicans there really is a choice to be made.

"In Race's Final Days, Clinton Will Emphasize Experience" (Thomas Beaumont, Des Moines Register) While limiting expectations of victory, Hillary Clinton's closing argument to Iowa voters had come full circle back to her "experience" argument.

"Courting Students, And Hoping They'll Actually Cast Votes" (Jose Antonio Vargas and Shailagh Murray, Washington Post) With the Iowa Caucuses set on a day many students will still be enjoying their winter break, it's an open question whether the youth vote will actually show up. In 2004, when Howard Dean was riding a wave of youth-heavy enthusiasm, just 4% of 18-to-24-year olds did.

"Edwards Gets Demerits for Tardiness on the Trail" (Julie Bosman, New York Times) Apparently, John Edwards' tardiness to Iowa events is so well-known that the Times felt obliged to write about it. Major issue? Maybe not, but with the Iowa polls the way they are, it doesn't seem wise to keep potential supporters waiting.

"Huckabee's Illegal-Alien Record Hit" (Stephen Dinan, Washington Times) On the trail, Huckabee touts his record as governor cracking down on illegal immigrants. But as reporter Dinan reports, there are some questions whether the record matches Huckabee's rhetoric.

"Ready, Set, Go: Events that Will Shape the Race for President" (Susan Page, USA Today) Reporter Page gives us a handy scorecard for the upcoming months, showing which events mean the most to which candidates.

"Democratic 'Also-Rans' Not Giving Up" (Helen Kennedy, New York Daily News) Do Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden have a shot at Iowa? Probably not, but perhaps one of them might surprise with a better-than-expected showing on Caucus night. It's happened before, and with the race the way it is, it could happen again.

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

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