Mitt Romney weighed in on the argument between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama over whether to hold direct talks with rogue nations, saying diplomacy on a lower level should occur, but that having the president meet with leaders like Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would be “as ill-conceived as having Speaker Pelosi go to Syria.” (NYT)

Bill Richardson says he would place Iowa in the top ten (Rocky Mountain News) on Homeland Security’s list of potential terrorist targets, thereby increasing the state’s federal funding for terrorism prevention.

In a letter to Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he agreed that planning the end of the war in Iraq is “essential.” Earlier, a defense official sent Clinton a letter implying that her demands for a plan for troop withdrawal were aiding anti-American propaganda.