memeorandum: Be Nice to Your Ombudsman, Or She Will Not Correct the Record … (Kathryn Jean Lopez/The Corner)

4:20 PM ET, December 15, 2007

Top Items:

Bill Clinton, on 'Charlie Rose' Show, Suggests Obama Not Ready — And Would Be a 'Miracle' If Hillary Won Iowa — NEW YORK In a surprisingly frank interview with Charlie Rose on his PBS show late Friday night, former President Bill Clinton declared that his wife was not only far better prepared …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Hot Air, Open Left, THE REACTION, TPM Election Central, PSoTD, The Belmont Club, Pressing Matters and Boston Globe

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Time to Move On...From Hillary — And from the Clintons' brand of politics. — The defining moment of the Democratic presidential campaign so far came during the Des Moines Register debate, December 13, at 2:10 P.M. Central time. … As are we all. What we are not looking forward …

Discussion: Riehl World View and Power Line

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

Obama Showing New Confidence With Iowa Sprint — WATERLOO, Iowa — Senator Barack Obama is striving to seize on a moment of opportunity in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses to challenge Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's long dominance of the Democratic field, even as he faces intensified questions …

Marc Ambinder:

Bill Clinton ... Well, He Just Puts Everything On The Table. Read It. — In a hard-changing interview with Charlie Rose tonight, Bill Clinton said Americans who are prepared to choose someone with less experience, are prepared to "roll the dice" about the future of America. "It's less predictable, isn't it?

Discussion: TalkLeft, Commentary, Riehl World View, Instapundit.com, Political Punch, Washington Times and The Trail

Washington Post:

Clinton Library Got Funds From Abroad — Bill Clinton's presidential library raised more than 10 percent of the cost of its $165 million facility from foreign sources, with the most generous overseas donation coming from Saudi Arabia, according to interviews yesterday.

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, The Strata-Sphere, Publius Pundit and Daily Pundit

Charlie Rose / Real Clear Politics:

Interview With Bill Clinton — Charlie Rose: I am pleased to have President Clinton back at this table. Welcome. — Bill Clinton: Thank you, Charlie. — Charlie Rose: Nice to see you. — Bill Clinton: Good to be back. — Charlie Rose: Tell me about Giving. What have you learned about it?

Discussion: TIME, Taylor Marsh and Don Surber

Tom Curry / MSNBC:

Obama fires back at Bill Clinton — Democratic contender counter-punches ex-president on experience issue — Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama calls on a reporter at his news conference before a rally in Waterloo, Iowa on Saturday. — WATERLOO, Iowa - Former president …

Discussion: TalkLeft and Liberty Pundit

Los Angeles Times:
Air of inevitability escaping Clinton

Discussion: New York Times

Dan / Charlie Rose Redirect: An hour with former President Bill Clinton about his book Giving …

Washington Post:
So Many Candidates, So Little Time Left

Discussion: The Caucus and New York Times

Libby Quaid / Associated Press:

Huckabee Sees WH 'Bunker Mentality' — CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Mike Huckabee, who has joked about his lack of foreign policy experience, is criticizing the Bush administration's efforts, denouncing a go-it-alone "arrogant bunker mentality" and questioning decisions on Iraq.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Associated Press, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, The Moderate Voice, Right Wing Nut House, PoliPundit.com, Flopping Aces, TIME: Swampland, Hot Air, The Strata-Sphere, The American Scene, Right Voices, Daily Pundit and Foreign Affairs

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Fading Romney targets Huckabee — CARROLL, Iowa — Seemingly resigned to his new role as an Iowa underdog, Mitt Romney said Friday that he would use the remaining three weeks before the caucuses to draw bright-line differences with Mike Huckabee. — But he also acknowledged …

Discussion: The Corner, New York Times and Washington Post

Mitt Romney For President News:

Judge Robert Bork Endorses Governor Mitt Romney — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — CONTACT: Romney Press Shop (857) 288-6390 — Boston, MA - Today, noted conservative jurist Judge Robert Bork endorsed Governor Mitt Romney for President of the United States. — Joining Romney for President …

Discussion: Stop The ACLU, Captain's Quarters, Macsmind, Gateway Pundit and race42008.com

Deacon / Power Line:
IS ROMNEY BECOMING THE CHOICE OF MAINSTREAM CONSERVATIVES?

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Political Machine and Detroit News

Kenneth Anderson / Weekly Standard:
Mormons, Muslims, and Multiculturalism

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics and PoliGazette

Mary Beth Schneider / Indianapolis Star:

Congresswoman Julia Carson dies — U.S. Rep. Julia Carson died at home this morning following a battle with lung cancer. She was 69. — Carson's death comes just weeks after she announced the cancer, which she had beaten before, was back with "terminal vengeance."

Discussion: MyDD and Blue Indiana

CNN Political Ticker: Congresswoman dies following lung cancer battle

Todd Beeton / MyDD:

Huckabee Rips Bush Foreign Policy, Calls It "Arrogant" — It's been interesting to see Huckabee rise in the polls despite the utter contempt in which the corporatist Republican Party establishment holds him. Now he aims to alienate the very serious neocon wing of the party as well.

Discussion: Washington Wire, TalkLeft, Captain's Quarters, BLACKFIVE and race42008.com

Deborah Howell / Washington Post:

Catching Up With the Complaints — Does the ombudsman sometimes procrastinate on complaints? Sure. Here are a couple of examples: — Several Rush Limbaugh fans complained about an Oct. 20 Style story by Neely Tucker about a dust-up between conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh …

Kathryn Jean Lopez / The Corner: Be Nice to Your Ombudsman, Or She Will Not Correct the Record …

John Shiffman / philly.com:

Videotape shows Sharpton cutting a deal — With a hidden FBI camera rolling inside a New York hotel suite in 2003, an unsuspecting Rev. Al Sharpton, Democratic candidate for president, spoke candidly. — Sharpton offered to help Philadelphia fund-raiser Ronald A. White win …

Matt Apuzzo / Associated Press:

Judge urged not to ask about CIA tapes — WASHINGTON - The Bush administration told a federal judge it was not obligated to preserve videotapes of CIA interrogations of suspected terrorists and urged the court not to look into the tapes' destruction. — In court documents filed Friday night …

New York Times:
Delay Is Sought by Justice Dept. on C.I.A. Inquiry

Discussion: Mercury Rising

Charlie Savage / Boston Globe:

Control sought on military lawyers — Bush wants power over promotions — WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is pushing to take control of the promotions of military lawyers, escalating a conflict over the independence of uniformed attorneys who have repeatedly raised objections …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, The Carpetbagger Report, The Mahablog and Talking Points Memo

David Cay Johnston / New York Times:

Report Says That the Rich Are Getting Richer Faster, Much Faster — The increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans, data in a new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows.

Discussion: Think Progress