Top Items:
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.
Discussion:
Blue Crab Boulevard, Flopping Aces, Macsmind, Democratic Strategist, Cameron's Corner, Hot Air and The Corner
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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.
New York Times:
Republican Presidential Debate — REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE PARTICIPANTS: — FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR RUDOLPH GIULIANI FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY FORMER TENNESSEE SENATOR FRED THOMPSON FORMER AMBASSADOR ALAN KEYES MODERATOR: CAROLYN WASHBURN
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.
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:A Debate in Name Only — JOHNSTON, Iowa - In a debate …
Discussion:
Democratic Strategist
Klaus Marre / The Hill:Kucinich booted from Iowa debate
Discussion:
MSNBC, Boston Globe, The Swamp, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, CNN Political Ticker, Booman Tribune and Cliff Schecter
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:
Ben Smith's Blogs, CNN Political Ticker, The Daily Dish, The Huffington Post, Hotline On Call, The Politico, Taylor Marsh, the talking dog, Salon, The Anonymous Liberal, The RBC, Daily Kos, Donklephant, The Newshoggers, Blue Crab Boulevard, Spin Cycle, JunkYardBlog, New York Daily News Blogs, TPM Election Central, Gawker, MoJoBlog, Captain's Quarters, Hot Air, The Caucus, MyDD, Firedoglake, New York Observer, Riehl World View, The Carpetbagger Report, Truthdig, RIGHTWINGSPARKLE, Roger L. Simon, Political Machine, Marc Ambinder, Comments from Left Field, New York Times, CNN, The Opinionator, Oliver Willis, Outside The Beltway, The Heretik and The Swamp
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Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Clinton Aide Sees Problem for Obama — DES MOINES — A top adviser to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that Senator Barack Obama's admission of illegal drug use as a young man could threaten his electability and be seized on by Republicans if he won the Democratic presidential nomination.
Discussion:
Ace of Spades HQ
AlterNet.org:
The Cartoon Mitt Romney Doesn't Want You To See [VIDEO] — Posted by Oliver Willis, Oliver Willis.com at 4:32 AM on December 12, 2007. — That it's got over 500,000 views on YouTube can't help someone like Mitt Romney — I don't know enough about Mormon theology to know if this bit …
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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:
MSNBC, James Wolcott's Blog, The Caucus, The New Republic, Fred File, Spin Cycle, The Corner and Power Line
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
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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.
Discussion:
New York Times, Redstate, The Politico, Weekly Standard, The Crypt's Blogs, Blue Crab Boulevard and Wake up America
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Dems cave on spending — Senate and House Democrats backed down Wednesday from a spending showdown with President Bush. — The Democrats' capitulation Wednesday on the total domestic spending level is the latest instance of Bush prevailing on a major policy showdown.
Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
Pelosi buys $16K worth of flowers — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has spent $16,000 on flowers since taking office, one reason why she spent 63 percent more in her high-profile inaugural year than her low-key predecessor did last year. — Pelosi (D-Calif.) spent a little more than $3 million …
CNN:
Muslim helps Jews attacked on New York subway — NEW YORK (CNN) — A Muslim man jumped to the aid of three Jewish subway riders after they were attacked by a group of young people who objected to one of the Jews saying "Happy Hanukkah," a spokeswoman for the three said Wednesday.
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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 …
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report
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Michelle Malkin:
Scrooges on the Hill: Saying no to Christmas resolution — From the office of GOP Rep. Steve King: — Congressman Steve King reacted this morning to the nine "NO" votes on his resolution to honor Christmas and the Christian faith. The vote shocked Capitol Hill observers because votes …
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Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:
MORE ON THE HUCK....Ross Douthat has more on the fact that Mike Huckabee is basically just making stuff up as he goes along and plainly doesn't have clue about most of the things he's asked about. Economic policy? How about a 30% sales tax? Foreign policy?
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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.
Discussion:
Wake up America, The Huffington Post, Buck Naked Politics, Scared Monkeys and Weekly Standard
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