this is the cbs evening news. good evening, i am anthony mason, with just three days to go before the first primary of this election year in new hampshire, the republican candidates are gearing up for a 1-2 punch of televised debates. round 1 is tonight in manchester, with all eyes on the front runner and the rivals who hope to block his path. jan crawford is in manchester tonight, good eastern, jan. tonight and tomorrow we have it all here in new hampshire, a front run whore is looking to cement his status, we have the surging challenger trying to grab the lead and a couple of former front runners who are fighting to get back in. it is setting the stage for what is shaping up to be let s say a real melee in manchester. desperate to stop an early mitt romney knockout, newt gingrich is pummelling the former massachusetts governor. i think there is a remarkable difference between a reagan conservative and a massachusetts moderate. ron paul is jabbing at a surging ri
go before the first primary of this election year in new hampshire, the republican candidates are gearing up for a 1-2 punch of televised debates. round 1 is tonight in manchester, with all eyes on the front runner and the rivals who hope to block his path. jan crawford is in manchester tonight, good eastern, jan. tonight and tomorrow we have it all here in new hampshire, a front run whore is looking to cement his status, we have the surging challenger trying to grab the lead and a couple of former front runners who are fighting to get back in. it is setting the stage for what is shaping up to be let s say a real melee in manchester. desperate to stop an early mitt romney knockout, newt gingrich is pummelling the former massachusetts governor. i think there is a remarkable difference between a reagan conservative and a massachusetts moderate. ron paul is jabbing at a surging rick santorum. he brags about being for the balanced budget amendment, never did anything
caucusgoers in iowa have not made up their minds. the des moines register puts mitt romney at 24%, ron paul 22% and rick santorum continuing his late surge is third at 15%. our chief political correspondent jan crawford is in coin council bluffs, iowa, with the romney campaign. jan? good evening, jeff. half of iowa republicans in this poll said they consider mitt romney the most electable, and listen to this, 78% of them say they would be very enthusiastic or okay with it if he were the nominee. happy new year to you, too. reporter: republican front-runner mitt romney is hoping 2012 brings him a one-two punch in iowa and new hampshire. i do not want to radically transform america. i want to restore the principles that made america great, andly do it. how are you? . reporter: riding atop voter opinion polls in both states, the former massachusetts governor and businessman is staying focused on his message, that he can turn around the american economy and lower t
axelrod: good evening, i m jim axelrod. for even the most hardened of procrastinators time is running out. just two days after a consumer report poll found that 25% of americans had not started their shopping yet, it appears most of the last-minute shoppers were jamming the stores today. tony guida is on the front lines. found it! reporter: twas the night before christmas and all through the mall, holiday shoppers who didn t want to be here at all. my mother made me come out here, i didn t want to do it, but she made me come out. reporter: there was the occasional exception. i think it s more fun last minute shopping. really? yeah. reporter: but exceptions usually prove the rule. i would be willing to bet that last year you said, next year no more last day. did you say that? yes, i did. reporter: tina moore at j.c. penney s in midtown manhattan was shopping for her mother and her cousin and thought she may pick up something for herself. similar intent
the last u.s. combat troops left iraq without incident today, leaving the country to continue its own course towards democracy. the american convoy left camp adder south of baghdad during the night bound for kuwait, and our jim axelrod traveled with them. reporter: for the first time in eight years, eight months and 28 days, the u.s. has no troops fighting in iraq tonight. the last convoy out of iraq rolled across the kuwaiti border at 7:37 local time this morning, capping a drawdown that saw the u.s. go from 50,000 troops in iraq as late as august to zero. i just wanted to say hello. reporter: the top u.s. general in iraq, lloyd austin, called the final drawdown, the military s largest, most complex logistical undertaking since world war ii. he stopped by with good wishes for the soldiers making up the final convoy as the military met its deadline of having all troops gone by december 31st. i m very hopeful that things will continue to move in the right direction. it