Ron Paul: Trouble back home  —  While Texan Ron Paul's stock is soaring nationally, there is trouble on the home front.  In September, Paul finished third in a straw poll of 1,300 Texas Republican activists who had been delegates to recent Republican conventions.

Clinton: No illegal immigrant licenses  —  WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday came out against granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, after weeks of pressure in the presidential race to take a position on a now-failed ID plan from her home state governor.

Queen Hillary's disruptive court  —  The press corps finally wakes up to her waffling and evasions.  Plus: Norman Mailer's largely forgotten legacy and our disappointing lesbian icons!  —  The mainstream media have been in a breathless tizzy about how Hillary Clinton waffled, tripped …

4Barack  —  "DON'T DO THIS!" a friend wrote, a friend who never uses allcaps, a friend who cares genuinely about what's good for me, and who believes that what's good for me depends in part upon how easily I can talk to the next administration.  "He is NOT going to win.  She has it sewed up.

Anti-Bush Sign Has Bridge World in an Uproar  —  In the genteel world of bridge, disputes are usually handled quietly and rarely involve issues of national policy.  But in a fight reminiscent of the brouhaha over an anti-Bush statement by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks in 2003 …

The Insanity of Bush Hatred  —  Our politics suffer when passions overcome reason and vitriol becomes virtue.  —  Hating the president is almost as old as the republic itself.  The people, or various factions among them, have indulged in Clinton hatred, Reagan hatred, Nixon hatred …

Krongard Recuses Himself from Blackwater Investigations  —  Howard "Cookie" Krongard said he's just learned that his brother is on Blackwater's advisory board and has formally recused himself from investigating the company.  —  Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) asked when Krongard learned his brother …

Sensitive Guantánamo Bay Manual Leaked Through Wiki Site  —  A never-before-seen military manual detailing the day-to-day operations of the U.S. military's Guantánamo Bay detention facility has been leaked to the web, affording a rare inside glimpse into the institution …

Friendly Fire in the White House  —  This post has been updated.  —MTF  —  Criticisms of the White House press corps come fast and furious in MediaLand and Blogistan.  (From accusations like they're 'an extension of the Clinton spin machine' to its 'meekness' in covering the Bush presidency.)

Poll: Clinton has large lead in Nevada prior to debate  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton has a large lead over her rivals among Nevada Democratic caucus-goers, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday.  —  The New York Democrat is the top pick of over half …

American Patriotism Crushed By Republican SUVs  —  The actual retail price of the Bush Wars: $1.6 trillion, according to a congressional report released yesterday.  And this generation of (civilian) Americans has never been asked to sacrifice a single damn thing in order to help ameliorate …

Buffett Tells Congress to Keep Estate Tax  —  "You'd have to attend 200 funerals to be at one" where an estate tax was owed, Buffett told the Senate panel today.  (AP)  —  John Godfrey reports on taxes.  —  For years, Warren Buffett has been urging Congress to keep the federal estate tax.

Engineer group not amused by online spoof of levee review  —  By Mark Schleifstein and Sheila Grissett  —  A long-simmering dispute about whether a leading engineering organization whitewashed the role of the Army Corps of Engineers in the failure of the levee system during Hurricane Katrina …