DEMS TOP GOP IN NEWSWEEK PRESIDENTIAL POLL

Newsweek has a new poll out on a wide range of issues, including presidential preferences for 2008.

The poll has a series of one-on-one matchups involving the top three candidates from both parties - Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards for the Dems and Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney for the Republicans.

The Dems win eight of the nine matchups, with Edwards the only Democrat to come out on the losing end in one matchup - by one point to Rudy Giuliani.

Clinton and Obama top McCain by six points, while Edwards finished 4 points ahead of the Arizona senator.

All three Democrats trounce Mitt Romney, with Edwards polling the strongest against the former Massachusetts governor. Edwards beats Romney by 34 points.

Giuliani puts up the stiffest fight against the top three Dems, losing to Obama and Clinton by three points and defeating Edwards by 1.

Just FYI, the current holder of the office has an approval rating of 30 in the Newsweek poll.

CLINTON WOWS 'EM IN IOWA

Clinton made her first campaign visit to Iowa today, and from the reports you'd never know she was fourth in the polling there behind Edwards, Obama and favorite-son candidate Tom Vilsack.

Clinton played to an enthusiastic, overflow crowd at a "town hall" appearance at a local high school, where, according to The Politico's Roger Simon, she ducked a question about Iraq.

Clinton met with a few dozen Iowa politicos separately as well, an event open to only one "pool" reporter - in this case The Wall Street Journal's Jackie Calmes. In that meeting, according to the report, Clinton didn't repudiate her 2002 vote to authorize President Bush to use force in Iraq. But hinted she'd like to have that one back.

“I’ve taken responsibility for my vote. But there are no do-overs in life. I wish there were. I acted on the best judgment I had at the time. I said this was not a vote for preemptive war. The president took my vote, and others’ votes, and basically misused the authority we gave him.” -- Sen. Hillary Clinton in Iowa

COOLER RECEPTION FOR RUDY IN COLD NEW HAMPSHIRE

The other presidential candidate from New York, Rudy Giuliani was in New Hampshire today where he addressed about 500 Republicans at a party convention. (George Pataki doesn't count because virtually no one takes him seriously and Mike Bloomberg would count except he keeps insisting he won't run).

Hotline described the reception as "subdued," though I saw a clip on TV and there seemed to be some enthusiasm in the room. Giuliani continued to insist he hasn't made up his mind about running yet.