Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and Congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.

Washington Post national political reporter reporter Lois Romano was online Thursday, Jan. 3 at 10 a.m. ET to discuss the latest in political news.

The transcript follows.

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Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts

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Lois Romano: Good morning everyone, and thanks for joining us. As most of you know, this is a significant day in American politics: Finally real voters will have a chance to express their preference in the presidential race. The Iowa Caucuses are today, kicking off an intense and short primary season that might yield a nominee as early as next month. We're looking forward to your questions. Today, I'm in Manchester, N.H.-- site of the first primary on Tuesday -- and it's very cold!

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Faber, Va.: What time do the Iowa Caucus sites report their results? Is there a time limit, or do they debate until the weak of heart leave and then vote? I have looked at the DNC site and found only the starting time.

Lois Romano: The caucuses report late. I'm not sure if there is an actual time limit but caucusgoers generally are efficient in their deliberations. We're starting to see reports that candidates who suspect they might not make the 15 percent threshold of support already are instructing their followers where to throw their second choice support. If so, that should make the process fairly streamlined. Complicating it, however, could be reports that many first-timers will be participating, which could slow down process.

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Faber, Va.: Thanks for that answer. ... No deadline and yet still efficient? Can we hire these folks? Given that immigration is such an issue, what are the credentials necessary to vote at a caucus? What ID will be checked at the door? What happens if the crowd overwhelms the living room of the meeting home?

Lois Romano: I said I wasn't sure about time deadlines. Voters have assigned places to go.

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Pittsburgh: Good morning. I'm fascinated by the media's sense that we really don't know what will happen/who will win tonight's Iowa caucuses. In such an environment, is there a risk in placing too much stock in who finishes first? And a second question ... in such an environment, isn't it critical for the media to offer critical analysis of not only what happens tonight, but what comes next? Thank you!

Lois Romano: Good questions. Tonight's analysis will in part reflect the expectations game. Everyone will look at not only who comes in first but who was expected to come in first. In the past few weeks, you've seen the people around Hillary Clinton trying to bring down expectations -- suggesting she was never expected to do well in Iowa. That way, if she comes in third, they are able to say that's acceptable. Of course, the media and pundits would not agree. In her case, she is expected to do well. An Obama victory would be portrayed as besting Hillary Clinton. Yes, it's critical to look forward. Everyone will look to New Hampshire the second results are posted in Iowa.

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Potomac Falls, Va.: The biggest 2008-Presidential-news over the next 7 days will come from (choose one): a. Iowa, b. New Hampshire, c. Oklahoma. I choose "c." Whaddya think ... will he do it?

washingtonpost.com: New York Mayor Bloomberg says he's not a presidential candidate (Reuters, Jan. 3)

Lois Romano: We have to take the mayor at his word -- he's not running. His greatest hope is that no clear winner emerges from the GOP side and he's recruited to step in, but that is very unlikely -- the process usually works.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I know that Dennis Kucinich told his supporters to caucus for Obama as their second choice tonight. Have any of the other also-rans announced who they've instructed their supporters to pick as second choices?

washingtonpost.com: The Trail: Kucinich Throws His Support to Obama (washingtonpost.com, Jan. 1)

Lois Romano: There is some buzz in blog world that Biden and Richardson may do the same.

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St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Lois -- Thanks for taking my question/comment. Yesterday I heard several pundits commenting on how great Hillary "looked" in her "closing argument" video for the caucuses -- her hair, makeup, etc. (Roger Simon commented that she looked "fantastic," and Chris Matthews readily agreed.) Fair game? I don't hear the same analysis of the male candidates, or is it out there and I'm just missing it? Once again I feel like she's getting far greater scrutiny about things that have nothing to do with her policy views -- or it is just me?

washingtonpost.com: Channel '08: Hillary's Two Minute Ad (washingtonpost.com, Jan. 2)

Lois Romano: She does get greater scrutiny. She is the first truly viable woman to run for president -- which is historic -- so people will look at more than policy. But Clinton's policies do get scrutiny -- as much or more than her competitors. She is a formidable candidate.

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Kansas City, Mo.: Why isn't Joe Biden doing better in the debates and polls? He is the total package for this country, but somehow all his credentials appear to mean nothing in the time of thought of change.

Lois Romano: Good question, and I'm not sure anyone can answer it. Joe Biden is qualified to be president, but for whatever reason he didn't catch on. The general feeling, however, is that he ran a good campaign and will come out okay; he may even be in line for a high-level cabinet post when it's all over.

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Greenville, S.C.: Lois -- Happy New Year. Has there ever been a Congress with lower approval ratings than the current one?

Lois Romano: Hard to imagine. I think I read that theirs was the lowest in history.

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Arlington, Va.: Lois, how does the Justice Department's decision to look into the CIA torture tapes really help, as they're using an internal investigation instead of an independent council? Seems like it's just business as usual at Justice. Why isn't there an independent investigation?

washingtonpost.com: Criminal Probe on CIA Tapes Opened (Post, Jan. 3)

Lois Romano: Attorney General Mukasey yesterday named a federal prosecutor from Connecticut to lead the investigation -- which is start, as John Durham is not at main Justice.

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New Boston, N.H.: As I'm from New Hampshire, you can assign my question to the sour grapes department if you like, but it seems to me that the Iowa caucuses have no more intrinsic value than the Iowa August popularity poll since no one actually votes. My question: Is the Iowa phenomenon entirely media ensconced?

Lois Romano: Probably. A lot is said and written about whether a candidate will get a "bounce" from Iowa -- whether New Hampshire voters will in some way be swayed by the results. Historically, that has not been the case. New Hampshire voters are very independent-minded.

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Dallas: Do you think Huckabee is getting his approval with his approach in Iraq? I think he is the only candidate that will not "stay the course"; as this is such a hot topic with voters, could this be the reason that he is in the lead?

Lois Romano: I don't think Huckabee's lead is attributable to Iraq. He's a Christian conservative in a state where Christian conservatives vote. He comes across as sincere and folksy, and people like that.

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Washington: I just read on The Post's Trail page that Clinton dropped by the press bus to drop off coffee etc. and was met with cold silence. Wow. Even after 15 years, why is there so much press hostility towards the Clintons? If it turns out to be McCain vs. Clinton (my current guess) in the general, the difference in press coverage between these two is going to be as staggering as it is depressing.

washingtonpost.com: The Trail: Clinton Joins the Girls on the Bus (washingtonpost.com, Jan. 2)

Lois Romano: I was struck by that as well. I have covered Hillary Clinton off and on for 15 years and I've never seen anything that stark happen. While there is a tense relationship between Clinton and the media, I'm not sure why the reporters on the bus wouldn't have tried to take advantage of her appearance and ask some good questions. All she could do is refuse to answer them. It's not for the press to be hostile to Clinton -- it's the media's responsibility to cover her.

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Boston: "Have any of the other also-rans announced who they've instructed their supporters to pick as second choices? Lois Romano: There is some buzz in blog world that Biden and Richardson may do the same."

"The same" meaning telling their supporters who to pick as a second choice, or "the same" meaning telling their supporters to pick Obama as their second choice?

Lois Romano: Yes.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi, Lois. Cold here in Washington, too. With the three leading Democrats all bunched up in a very close race, what happens to the dynamic going into New Hampshire if there is no clear winner, if two or even three candidates end up within a point or two of each other? Happy New Year, and thanks for your great reporting.

Lois Romano: It means an exciting race. New Hampshire right now is very competitive between Clinton and Obama, so I'm not sure it could get anymore intense. But if Edwards does well in Iowa, New Hampshire voters might take another look at him.

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Raleigh, N.C.: When I read that a particular candidate, lets say Romney, is particularly well-organized, what exactly does that mean? What kind of special organization helps a candidate win a caucus?

Lois Romano: It means he has ample staff and volunteers available to get people to the caucuses tonight, that he has identified people who have committed to show up and that he has enough staff to follow up with them, that he has prepared for weather contingencies, etc. Everyone tries to do this, but not everyone has the resources to do so. Mike Huckabee, for example, doesn't have that kind of organization in place. He knows people suppo -rt him- but he can't be sure if all those people will show up to tonight.

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Lois Romano: Sorry for the delay everyone -- our system had a glitch. Thanks so much for joining us. See you in two weeks!

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