On this day in 1865 Congress approved the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. Also on this day too-often-forgotten Founding Father Gouverneur Morris is born. On to today's top stories:

"Accusations Fly at Republican Debate" (Cathleen Decker and Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times) There were certainly moments in last night's GOP debate when you wondered if it was a good idea to seat the candidates on a ledge, as Mitt Romney appeared about ready to toss John McCain over. Not that Romney wasn't justified in his frustration, since McCain didn't exactly back down from his contention that Mitt favored -- or something -- a "timetable" -- of some sort -- in Iraq.

"A Scramble for Edwards and Giuliani Fundraisers" (Matthew Mosk, Washington Post) With two high-profile campaigns over, the rest of the field is fighting like hyenas for the scraps -- pardon the expression. Combined, Rudy and Edwards raised $100 million last year and it wasn't on charm alone. They both had competent fundraisers working their operations, and now those same fundraisers will be in high demand as the primary season grinds on.

"Romney Issue: How Many More Trips to the Well?" (Michael Levenson, Boston Globe) McCain derided Romney last night for the latter's willingness to pump his own fortune into his campaign. But it's a serious question for Romney, who has relied on his own wealth when the money just wasn't coming in. So far, Romney has not run any ads in Feb. 5 states, but even when Romney does fall back on his money, the results aren't so good (e.g., Florida, Iowa, South Carolina).

"The New Race: Four Candidates, 24 States and One Hectic Week" (Adam Nagourney, New York Times) So here we are: Two parties, each with two formidable candidates, all careening toward one penultimate day. Remember the law of Thunderdome: Two men enter, one man leaves.

"Schwarzenegger Likely to Back McCain" (Mark Barabak and Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times) It was mostly an open secret anyway, but yesterday Gov. Schwarzenegger made it official. Once a GOP superstar, Arnold has upset the base, outside of his own state, lately with very non-conservative ideas, the kind of ideas that make McCain a problem for conservatives.

"Obama Faces Task of Filling Gaps Among Whites, Hispanics" (Gromer Jeffers, Dallas Morning News) Barack Obama certainly hasn't done poorly with white voters, even in South Carolina, where Clinton just barely edged him out. But he'll have to grow his support and at least grab a few Hispanic voters if he has hopes of winning of the nomination.

"Clinton, McCain Likely Gain Most From Dropout Candidates" (Steven Thomma, McClatchy Newspapers) Even though Edwards sings a far-left populist message that at first glance appears more in line with Obama, his share of voters in the primary states signals that an Edwards voter might be more like a Hillary voter. On the GOP side, Rudy's supporters will probably take their candidate's endorsement of McCain to heart.

"Obama Says Clinton Would Be a Step Back" (Nedra Pickler and Mike Glover, Associated Press) A great back-and-forth occurred between Obama and Clinton yesterday that will surely make tonight's debate one to watch.

"Nader Says He's Considering a New White House Run" (Kristin Jensen, Bloomberg) He has his fans of course, but wouldn't Ralph help his cause more just barking from the sidelines?

Get today's other election stories at RCP's Politics and Election page.