Top Items:
Redstate:
Who Won & Who Lost — First Take — THE GUY WHO WASN'T THERE AND ADVANTAGE MCCAIN — John McCain won. Let's not dance around this. Mitt Romney shined, he stood out, he did well. Rudy Giuliani imploded. Rudy totally and utterly self-destructed tonight.
RELATED:
Michelle Malkin:
The 1st GOP debate — Man, is it crowded. — HA thread here. PJM reaction coming Bear are at the Reagan Library. Power Line coverage here. Heading Right live-blogging here. — Rich Lowry: "They're all talking too fast..." — Can't blame them. What do they have each— 6 minutes total?
Alex Johnson / MSNBC:
Republicans walk tightrope over war in Iraq — In first debate, 2008 hopefuls say conflict mismanaged, but worthwhile — Presidential contenders Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback and Ron Paul line up Thursday on stage before the first Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Dean Barnett / Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog:
A Quickie Debate Recap — Okay, the Opening Day equivalent of the race for the Republican nomination has come and gone. You want to know how everyone did. I have the answers. — THE TOP TIER: — 1) Mitt Romney - Romney was clearly the class of the field. I know, I'm biased, blah, blah, blah.
Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:
An Incomplete Field — First impressions of the GOP's 2008 candidates. — They stood earnestly in a row, combed, primped and prepped, as Nancy Reagan gazed up at them with courteous interest. But behind the hopeful candidates, a dwarfing shadow loomed, a shadow almost palpable in its power …
Discussion:
Eunomia
Deacon / Power Line:
SOME IMPRESSIONS OF TONIGHT'S DEBATE. . . before Dallas and Golden State tip off. — 1. The format was poor. You can't have a good debate with this many people, but at least you can have serious questions and an opportunity to discuss them. The questions from Politico's readers …
Discussion:
The Anonymous Liberal
Ryan Sager / New York Sun Politics:
Who Won? Who Lost? — Well, my first thought is just how much more substantive that debate was than the Democratic debate, in terms of both specificity and grappling with deep, philosophical questions. — But, now, to name the winners and losers. Off the bat, let me stipulate …
Discussion:
Ross Douthat
Dale Carpenter / The Volokh Conspiracy:
BUSH TO VETO EXPANDED HATE-CRIMES LAW: The bill passed the House today, 237-180. It goes on to the Senate. A statement released by the administration says that Bush's senior advisors will recommend a veto. That's not quite the same as saying he will veto it, but it's pretty close.
Discussion:
Balkinization, Bradford Plumer, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, The Daily Dish and Sister Toldjah
RELATED:
Richard Esposito Reports / The Blotter:
Barack Obama Gets Secret Service Protection — Richard Esposito Reports: — Jake Tapper contributed to this report. — Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama was put under the protection of the United States Secret Service Thursday, the earliest in an election cycle that the Secret Service …
Discussion:
The Democratic Daily
RELATED:
CNN:
Obama placed under Secret Service protection
Obama placed under Secret Service protection
Discussion:
The News Blog, The Carpetbagger Report, Outside The Beltway, Oliver Willis and Raising Kaine
Elana Schor / The Hill:
Reid defends his 'presidentials,' takes jab at Edwards
Reid defends his 'presidentials,' takes jab at Edwards
Discussion:
Riehl World View
SilentPatriot / Crooks and Liars:
Who Doesn't Believe in Evolution? — A show of hands please... Let me remind you this is the only top vote-getting question asked. — Download (5831) | Play (9544) Download (2783) | Play (7141) — (That's Brownback, Tancredo and Huckabee with their hands up.)
CNN:
Military: New Iraqi school had bombs built in … BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — American soldiers discovered a girls school being built north of Baghdad had become an explosives-rigged "death trap," the U.S. military said Thursday. — The plot at the Huda Girls' school in Tarmiya was a …
RELATED:
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
It's All About Al-Qaeda Again
It's All About Al-Qaeda Again
Discussion:
Power Line, Confederate Yankee, Firedoglake, Gateway Pundit, mediabistro.com and The Corner
Gene Johnson / Seattle Times:
McKay made firing list in March '05; was Wales killing a factor? — Former U.S. Attorney John McKay's name was on a list of federal prosecutors to be fired in March 2005, 18 months earlier than previously reported, according to a document released by the House Judiciary Committee today.
RELATED:
HillaryClinton.com:
From the Senate: Hillary Statement on Deauthorizing the War — Washington, DC — In remarks on the Senate floor, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that she and Senator Robert Byrd will introduce legislation to end authority for the war in Iraq. The legislation will propose October 11 …
RELATED:
Lawrence F. Kaplan / New York Post:
CONGRESS' WILLFUL IGNORANCE ON IRAQ — WHEN Nancy Pelosi confessed last year that she felt "sad" about President Bush's claims that al Qaeda operates in Iraq, she seemed to be disputing what every American soldier in Iraq, every al Qaeda operative and anyone who reads a newspaper already knew to be true.
Hotline On Call:
Anti-Escalation Group Buzzes GOP Debate — Those small planes circling over the Reagan library were rented by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq — They're bearing two banners: "Republicans, Mission Accomplished?" and "McCain, Mission Accomplished?" — Unless the folks …