DEMS HOLD FIRE ON HUCKABEE; SEE 'EASY KILL' IN GENERAL ELECTION  —  Democrat party officials are avoiding any and all criticism of Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, insiders reveal.  —  The Democratic National Committee has told staffers to hold all fire, until he secures the party's nomination.

Liberal views could haunt Obama  —  When Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was seeking state office a dozen years ago, he took unabashedly liberal positions: flatly opposed to capital punishment, in support of a federal single-payer health plan, against any restrictions on abortion …

MINUTEMAN FOUNDER ENDORSES HUCKABEE  —  Proven Leader.  Authentic Conservative.  — Contribute  —  In Iowa today Minute Project Founder Jim Gilchrist endorsed Governor Huckabee.  We will have a press release on today's big endorsement shortly.

Bush: I Didn't Know About CIA Tape Destruction  —  ABC News' Martha Raddatz Reports: In an exclusive interview with ABC News President Bush said Tuesday he did not know about the destruction of CIA videotapes of detainee interrogations.  —  The President said he was told just a few days ago.

House Democrats Pull Budget Offer  —  The GOP Is Negotiating In Bad Faith, Obey Says  —  A Democratic deal to give President Bush some war funding in exchange for additional domestic spending appeared to collapse last night after House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) …

U of I prof heckles Clinton  —  Iowa City, Ia.  — A University of Iowa professor dressed as a robot interrupted Bill Clinton at a campaign stop here late Monday, screaming for an apology before security escorted him from the building.  —  The professor, Kembrew McLeod …

Abolish the CIA  —  DESTROYING THE INTERROGATION TAPES AMOUNTS TO MUTINY AND TREASON.  —  It seems flabbergastingly improbable that President George W. Bush learned of the National Intelligence Estimate concerning Iranian nuclear ambitions only a few days before the rest of us did …

Teen girl in critical condition after alleged dispute over hijab  —  A 16-year-old girl is in critical condition after being choked by a man believed to be her father, apparently after a dispute with her family over her refusal to wear the hijab, the Islamic headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

What's Working In Iraq  —  A reader writes:

Ex-Pentagon Aide Says U.S. Abandoned Quick Iraq Transition  —  A former top Pentagon official blamed the Bush administration's top official in Iraq for abandoning a plan for a quick transition to Iraqi leadership in the summer of 2003 and instead keeping the U.S. government in control of the country for more than a year.

Group Says Iran Resumed Weapon Program  —  The Iranian opposition group that first exposed Iran's nuclear-fuel program said a U.S. intelligence analysis is correct that Tehran shut down its weaponization program in 2003, but claims that the program was relocated and restarted in 2004.

Road to Damascus  —  Jonah: I have pretty much decided for Ron Paul myself.  I am sympathetic to many of the reservations you have posted, but every piece of serious policy analysis I read confirms to me that our country has gone too far down a wrong path—a path that leads to nothing I recognize as conservatism.

Huckabee does a flip-flop on Cuba  —  The GOP candidate now supports a trade embargo against the island nation, a stance sure to satisfy hard-line Cuban exiles.  —  MIAMI — As governor of Arkansas five years ago, Mike Huckabee joined a bipartisan chorus of politicians who concluded …

Labor Unions Support WGA, Fire Union Busting Consultant Chris Lehane  —  SEIU Local 99 in Los Angeles — education workers who include teacher's aids, cafeteria workers and crossing guards — have fired former Clinton spokesman Chris Lehane from a consulting contract in support of the WGA .