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Rick Klein / ABCNEWS:
ANALYSIS: Huckabee Shines in Lackluster Debate — Last Chance GOP Debate a Missed Opportunity for Would-Be Iowa Contenders — The GOP Des Moines Register debate was lackluster but good news for front-runners Mike Huckabee, of Arkansas and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.
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Michelle Malkin:
The Iowa GOP Debate: "A little snappier, gentlemen! ;" Update Fred Thompson's not playing the "hand show;" Update: Aggghhh! The GOP candidates are all turning green; Update: Where's the Hucka-pile-on? ; Update: Keyes the hijacker; Update: New Year's resolutions; bottom line: DUD.
Marc Ambinder:
First Take: The Final Republican Debate — The headline is that no one laid a glove on Mike Huckabee. And that Mitt Romney had a hell of a good afternoon. He seemed more sinewy than usual, less programmed, quite (dare we say) presidential, and even-tempered.
Discussion:
The Caucus, James Wolcott's Blog, Political Radar, The New Republic, Fred File and Power Line
Dean Barnett / Weekly Standard:
Fred Wins, Iowa Loses — Why Carolyn Washburn should keep her day job. — HERE WE WERE on Wednesday, a nation of political junkies gathered around our televisions to watch the candidates debate each other one last time, and we had as a moderator one Carolyn Washburn, the editor of the Des Moines Register.
Klaus Marre / The Hill:
Kucinich booted from Iowa debate — Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) is being excluded from this week's Iowa presidential debate because he has not rented office space in the Hawkeye State, his campaign said Wednesday. — The Des Moines Register informed the campaign that Kucinich is not invited …
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:A Debate in Name Only — JOHNSTON, Iowa - In a debate …
Discussion:
Democratic Strategist
The Washington Post / The Trail:
Clinton N.H. Official Warns Obama Will Be Attacked on Drug Use — Bill Shaheen, Clinton's New Hampshire co-chair. (AP). — DOVER, N.H. — Billy Shaheen, the co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire, raised the issue of Sen. Barack Obama's past admissions of drug use …
Discussion:
The Politico, The Newshoggers, MoJoBlog, Captain's Quarters, CNN Political Ticker, Salon, Firedoglake, Spin Cycle, Hotline On Call, TPM Election Central, CNN, The New Republic, New York Observer, JunkYardBlog, Gawker, MyDD, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, The Carpetbagger Report, New York Daily News Blogs, RIGHTWINGSPARKLE, DBKP, Roger L. Simon, New York Times, Political Machine, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, Outside The Beltway and The Heretik
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Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:Clinton Campagn Attacks Obama On Drugs
Discussion:
The Opinionator, Comments from Left Field, New York Daily News Blogs and TPM Election Central
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Pelosi backs down in spending battle — In the face of stiff opposition from powerful fellow Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) has abandoned a proposal she supported less than 24 hours ago to eliminate lawmakers' earmarks from the omnibus spending package.
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Ed Henry / CNN:
Deal would give Bush victory on war funding — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democratic lawmakers and staffers privately say they're closing in on a broad budget deal that would give President Bush as much as $70 billion in new war funding. — The deal would lack a key provision Democrats had attached …
Discussion:
Open Left
Zev Chafets / New York Times:
The Huckabee Factor — Mike Huckabee walked into the lobby of the Des Moines Marriott at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 3, deposited an armful of dirty laundry at the desk and checked to make sure he was being credited with Marriott Rewards points toward his next stay. Then, accompanied by his wife …
Discussion:
Ross Douthat, The Daily Dish, Captain's Quarters, Power Line, Weekly Standard, Mike Huckabee for President, Associated Press, Eunomia, Redstate, HorseRaceBlog, God-o-Meter, PoliBlog (TM), Matthew Yglesias, Taylor Marsh, Political Machine, Daily Kos, The Swamp, Examining Presidential …, Cameron's Corner, Corrente, Hot Air, Shakespeare's Sister, Boston Globe, The Campaign Spot, Sadly, No!, Commentary, The Carpetbagger Report, Salon, The Corner, The New Republic, CNN Political Ticker, TPM Election Central, Washington Wire, Sister Toldjah, PoliGazette, The Agitator, Political Punch and Riehl World View
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Satyam / Think Progress:
Rep. King Decries 'Assault On Christmas,' Calls On Americans To 'Stand Up' And 'Worship Christ' — Rep. Steve King recently (R-IA) introduced legislation recognizing the "importance of Christmas and the Christian faith," despite previously opposing resolutions recognizing the Muslim celebration of Ramadan and the Hindu Diwali.
Discussion:
Arkansas Online, Crooks and Liars, The Carpetbagger Report, The Mahablog, Shakespeare's Sister and Naked Politics
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David Schraub / The Moderate Voice:
Attackers Shouted "This is a Christian Country" — ...before the ten of them started beating up a group of Jews on the Q train in New York City. — 2 Comments for the post: Attackers Shouted "This is a Christian Country" — Entropy said, — And the point of this post is? — Idiosyncrat said,
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Amanda / Think Progress:
Sen. Kit Bond: Waterboarding Is Like 'Swimming' — Yesterday on PBS's Newshour, host Gwen Ifill asked Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) whether waterboarding constitutes torture. Bond replied that the technique is actually more like "swimming": … Watch it: — Conservatives have repeatedly tried …
Wyocwby / stephenbainbridge.com:
Personal Presidential Elimination Process: The Case Against Mike Huckabee — In my continuing quest to decide which (if any) of the GOP candidates to support in the 2008 Presidential primaries, we come back to the case of Mike Huckabee. I've joked in the past about never giving Hope …
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Update on Ratings of Bush, Congress — Thirty-seven percent approve of Bush, 22% of Congress — PRINCETON, NJ — A new Gallup Poll, conducted Dec. 6-9, finds 37% of Americans approving of the job George W. Bush is doing as president, an improvement from his recent scores in the low 30s.
The Politico:
Boehner admits GOP money situation 'sucks' — One of the best things that can be said of Rep. John A. Boehner's leadership is that the head of House Republicans is no Newt Gingrich, no Tom DeLay. — The Ohio lawmaker has an affable, understated style and runs a team that has the long knives …
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Novak's non-scandal — So remember all the hubub and rapid-response that ensued when Robert Novak floated a mystery scandal about Obama? … Two sources tell me his column, which runs tomorrow, will report that the "scandalous information" in question arrived in the form of the attack on Obama's PAC as a …
Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
C.I.A. Chief Admits Failure to Inform Congress — WASHINGTON — Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, acknowledged on Wednesday that the C.I.A. had failed to keep members of Congress fully informed of the facts that the agency had videotaped the interrogations …
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