memeorandum: Leading Senator Assails President Over Iran Stance (Mark Mazzetti/New York Times)

2:05 PM ET, January 20, 2007

Top Items:

Clinton Announces Step Toward '08 Bid — Six years after making history by winning a United States Senate seat as first lady, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced this morning that she was taking the first formal step to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Booman Tribune, Outside The Beltway, Think Progress, Patrick Ruffini, Gothamist, A Blog For All, PoliBlog (TM), The Washington Note, The News Blog and PoliPundit.com

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Sen. Clinton Launches 2008 Campaign — New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) today announced she will establish a presidential exploratory committee, launching a 2008 campaign that could make her the first female president in history and the only former first lady to succeed her husband in the White House.

Discussion: Obsidian Wings, Blog P.I., QandO, BobGeiger.com, The American Street, Hotline On Call, The Swamp, The Heretik, TalkLeft, Liberal Values, The Impolitic, On Deadline, Rox Populi and AMERICAblog

Kevin Drum / Political Animal:

HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT?....So Hillary's in. John Podhoretz must be breaking out in a cold sweat right about now. Her decision to make the announcement on her website on a Saturday, rather than at a traditional press event on a weekday, was interesting, wasn't it?

Associated Press:

Clinton launches 2008 White House bid — NEW YORK - Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton embarked on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House on Saturday, a former first lady intent on becoming the first female president. "I'm in and I'm in to win," she said on her Web site.

Discussion: First Draft and Democratic Underground

CNN:

Hillary Clinton launches White House bid: 'I'm in' … WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton jumped into the fray as a 2008 presidential candidate with the words "I'm in" posted on her Web site. — "And I'm in to win," she added in a statement, announcing she has set up an exploratory committee …

Discussion: the talking dog

Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:

Richardson plans to take first step toward White House run — WASHINGTON (AP) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson intends to take the initial step toward the Democratic nomination, hoping his extensive resume will fuel an insurgent campaign to become the first Hispanic president.

Discussion: MyDD

Nedra Pickler / ABCNEWS:

Richardson to Launch Presidential Bid — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson Plans to Take First Step Toward 2008 White House Run — After years of freelancing his diplomatic skills from the unlikely position as governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson is taking the first step toward a bid …

Discussion: State of the Day

Taylor Marsh / The Huffington Post:
Clinton Announces for '08 on Web

Discussion: The Fix and Taylor Marsh

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
Stop The Presses — Hillary Announces!

Discussion: Blogs of War

Washington Wire:
The Early Line on '08 — Democrats are poised to retain …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys

hillaryclinton.com:
Hillary Is the Democrats' Best Shot

Discussion: Dick Polman's American Debate

James Gerstenzang / Los Angeles Times:
McCain's war stance alienates many

Discussion: The New Republic and The Carpetbagger Report

Political Insider: Clinton Campaign Memo

Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:

Leading Senator Assails President Over Iran Stance — The new chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Friday sharply criticized the Bush administration's increasingly combative stance toward Iran, saying that White House efforts to portray it as a growing threat are uncomfortably reminiscent …

Discussion: Prairie Weather, DownWithTyranny!, The Carpetbagger Report, Dr. Sanity, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES and Townhall.com Blog's …

Scott W. Johnson / Weekly Standard:

How Arafat Got Away with Murder — The State Department covered up his responsibility for the 1973 slaughter of two American diplomats. — Twenty years before he joined Bill Clinton and Yitzhak Rabin in Washington for that famous handshake—and proceeded to become Clinton's …

Discussion: Power Line

The Big Trunk / Power Line:
SCENES FROM A MISCARRIAGE — Thanks to John for his kind words …

Discussion: US Department of State

George W. Bush / White House:

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2007 — A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America — America was founded on the principle that we are all endowed by our Creator with the right to life and that every individual has dignity and worth.

Discussion: BobGeiger.com

Benjamin Hufbauer / New York Times:

Archives of Spin — SINCE Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the first federal presidential library — actually an archive and history museum — in 1941, each president has had a hand in developing his own memorial. The National Archives and Records Administration now oversees 11 presidential libraries …

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org:

Let's Go to the Video: When and Where Did Hillary Tape 'I'm In' Announcement? — If the timing came as a bit of surprise, nothing could have been less unexpected than Hillary's "I'm In" announcement of today. — But have a look at the video of her announcement.

Discussion: Hot Air, Reason Magazine, The Political Pit Bull, TPMCafe blogs, The Hillary Spot and No More Mister Nice Blog

David Litterick / Telegraph:

Democrat backlash against US oil industry — The oil industry faces a $14bn (£7.1bn) bill over the next 10 years after the US House of Representatives agreed on measures that would strip the industry of tax breaks and force it to make larger royalty payments.

Discussion: Tim Worstall and Daimnation!

Larry Wheeler / Associated Press:

Republicans elect Martinez to party's top post — WASHINGTON — Looking to rebuild after November's stinging midterm election losses, the Republican Party turned Friday to a Cuban-American senator from Florida to carry their message into the 2008 presidential election campaign.