i use the surly crosscheck which is a cyclocross bike but intended to be used as a light touring bike. i don't cyclocross, but it's a beast when it's not loaded. super fast when commuting, i was faster on it than a road bike i had. i have fenders installed. it's also fine for putting weight on it. for the front derailleur (compact), i added one more ring to make it a triple. but when i did that, i had to change the rear derailleur and the bottom bracket as well. it set me back about a $200 for the labor and the change. i use the bike for commuting primarily, and bike camping / touring.
if you're doing a 12 mile commute i would just go with a touring bike - or go for something like my bike (both a cyclocross and a touring bike) if you want to do more than "cruise" for exercise. i'm guessing you don't need a racing cyclocross bike.