Hillary Grabs the Lead in Iowa

Three months before the Iowa Caucus, Hillary Clinton has opened up a commanding lead among likely voters, a new poll by the Des Moines Register finds. The poll shows 29% preferring Clinton, 23% John Edwards, and 22% Barack Obama. In the paper's last poll in May, Edwards led with 29% to Obama's 22% and Clinton's 21%.

Hillary was viewed in the new poll as the strongest on more key traits than her opponents—including leadership, experience, toughness, intelligence and electability, the Register notes. On the GOP side, Mitt Romney still leads with 29% of likely voters, but Fred Thompson has taken second place with 18%, and Huckabee and Giuliani are tied for third, at 12% and 11%. (More Iowa caucuses stories.)