Welcome to the 44th of our weekly round-ups from the Lib Dem blogosphere, featuring the seven most popular stories according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (16th-22nd December), together with a hand-picked quintet you might otherwise have missed.

An end to Lib Dem leadership speculation, at last… Here are the top-rated stories in descending order:

1. Mail on Sunday sleazy journalist Clegg funding scandal complete nonsense on Pete Dunphy’s Party Political PLC blog.
Tabloid hack in ignorant questions shock. (Nothing in today’s online MoS that I can see.)

2. I’m actually very sorry, but I did say it would happen on Nich Starling’s Norfolk Blogger blog.
How Iain’s hopes of filling Anne Widdecombe’s hole in Maidstone were dashed.

3. Live Blog – leadership announcement on Paul Walter’s Liberal Burblings blog.
Who needs Sky News when you’ve got Paul Walter?

4. Our new leader on Jo Anglezarke’s Jo’s Jottings blog.
“So lets all embrace the new leader…and hope the MPs don’t give Chris or Nick too much grief…” Amen to that.

5. Mark Littlewood’s advice to Nick Clegg and the future of Chris Rennard on James Graham’s Quaequam Blog!
Don’t ditch Chris, urges James – but it’s time for ‘Rennardism plus’.

6. In defence of the unknown researcher on James Graham’s Quaequam Blog!
Whose fault was the ‘Calamity Clegg’ Politics Show briefing? And did it impact on the final leadership result?

7. The New Lib Dem Front Page on Gavin Whenman’s The Whiskey Priest blog.
Gavin will be disappointed – the old front page is now restored.

And here’s another five well worth reading between bites of port and sipping mince pies:

8. Christmas Fairy Tale, 2007 on Lynne Featherstone MP’s Parliament & Haringey Diary.
A modern day morality tale courtesy the Lib Dem blogosphere’s favourite Christmas fairy.

9. Women bloggers: O for doors to be open on Alix Mortimer’s The People’s Republic of Mortimer blog.
Bigging-up the Campaign for Gender Balance’s blogging awards, with a dash of analysis for flavour. Have you nominated your faves yet?

10. The N-Word Versus the F-Word on Alex Wilcock’s Love and Liberty
Offensive, or not? And either way should The Pogues Fairytale of New York be censored? (Recommended reading especially for Nick Clegg.)

11. Day 2543: Nick Clegg: His Hand on My Bottom on Millennium Dome, Elephant’s, Very Fluffy Diary.
How could I not choose a story with that headline?

12. Tony Blair does the Vatican Rag on ‘Bernard Woolley’s’ Clowns to the Left of Me blog.
On the BBC’s absurd decision to make Blair’s conversion to Roman Catholicism its lead story… and a Tom Lehrer video, which guarantees inclusion in the Golden Dozen.

That’s it for another week. Happy festive blogging!

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