Republican presidential candidates have debated thirteen times on national TV, leaving less than three weeks for the grassroots campaigning that’s traditional before the Iowa caucuses. We hear about last night's final goldfish-bowl confrontation and what's coming next. Also, Congress averts a government shutdown, but the payroll tax is still uncertain. On Reporter's Notebook, Christopher Hitchens, the radical leftist who shocked friends and readers by supporting the War in Iraq, has died at the age of 62. We hear from an old friend about his work and his personality.
Banner image: Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney chat after finishing the Fox News Channel debate at the Sioux City Convention Center on December 15, 2011. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images