Hillary Clinton Embraces Her Husband's Legacy  —  After months of discussion within her campaign over how heavily she should draw on her husband's legacy, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is closing out her Iowa and New Hampshire campaigns in a tight embrace of Bill Clinton's record …

Why Inexperience Matters  —  The AP takes a look at the political development of Barack Obama, and it's hard not to look at it as an apprenticeship.  His position changes don't count as flip-flops in the same sense that a teenager's infatuation with radical politics changes with some maturity.

Why Rudy Giuliani loves Norman Podhoretz  —  When Norman Mailer died in November, it was hard not to feel a twinge of melancholy and nostalgia for the vanished world of the New York Family of intellectuals.  In the past decade, many of its most colorful members have passed away …

9/11 Panel Study Finds That C.I.A. Withheld Tapes  —  WASHINGTON — A review of classified documents by former members of the Sept. 11 commission shows that the panel made repeated and detailed requests to the Central Intelligence Agency in 2003 and 2004 for documents and other information …

The Eggnog Factor  —  Often, I will describe the success or failure of a candidate in terms of the “beer factor” — whether voters would want to have a beer and a conversation with a contender or not.  This measure transcends partisanship.  I'd rather have a beer and a chat with Bill Clinton …

FBI Prepares Vast Database Of Biometrics  —  $1 Billion Project to Include Images of Irises and Faces  —  CLARKSBURG, W. Va. — The FBI is embarking on a $1 billion effort to build the world's largest computer database of peoples' physical characteristics, a project that would give …

A Request for Clemency Leads to a Political Issue for Huckabee  —  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — It took a jury less than 15 minutes to convict Eugene Fields of driving while intoxicated, his fourth such conviction in less than five years.  Mr. Fields, whose pickup crashed after he drank 12 beers …

Gen. David Petraeus, Man of the Year  —  Time magazine got it wrong.  —  I remember the excitement.  It was the week before Christmas a year ago, and I had lazily picked up my copy of Time magazine.  And there it was: Time's Person of the Year for 2006 is “You."  —  Wow!

The “Myth” of Welfare Queens  —  In one of his slew of Republicans-are-racist posts earlier in the year, Paul Krugman wrote, sarcastically: … Of course, there couldn't be a third option - like, say, that Reagan was indulging in his typical fondness for using vivid Reader's Digest-style anecdotes …

Guest Voice: Huckabee's Smart Strategy Is No Accident  —  This is a Guest Voice column by Michael Reagan, Ronald Reagan's oldest son, who is also a popular radio talk show host.  Guest Voice columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Moderate Voice or its writers.  —  Smart Strategy is No Accident

“Media Matters"; by Jamison Foser  —  For much of the past week, MSNBC's Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson have been in high dudgeon over former Sen. Bob Kerrey's recent reference to Barack Obama's middle name.  —  Kerrey said during an event announcing his endorsement of Hillary Clinton that …

Huckabee: Gitmo is too nice  —  Remember this one from Romney during an early GOP debate? … Download (50) |  Play (73) Download (117) |  Play (24)  —  Mike Huckabee, that Christian leader who doesn't see crosses, only bookshelves told CBS News that (h/t Charles):

Poetic Political Commentary: “If” For 2008 Presidential Candidates  —  Here's a special original 2008 presidential campaign poetic commentary by TMV's favorite poet, Michael Silverstein, aka Wall Street Poet.  —  If Kipling's poem, “If,” were addressed to 2008 presidential candidates, it might go something like this...

TNOYF Exclusive: Ahmed And The Chipmunks Sing “Sharia Don't Be Late”  —  With Islamic Rage Boy and his sidekick Mini Mullah acting as producers, TNOYF proudly presents Ahmed and The Chipmunks with “Sharia Don't Be Late.”

Time to Cover Up?  —  Is Time magazine's “full” and “complete” transcript of its “Person of the Year” interview with Vladimir Putin a fraudulent cover up?  It appears so.  A glaring factual error was apparently edited out of the transcript in an attempt to spare top executives embarrassment …

an open letter to president bush: end the era of earmarks  —  Porkbusters is proud to be a signatory to the open letter to President Bush below.  If your organization or publication would like to be listed as supporting this effort, please email bear -at- truthlaidbear -dot- com.  —  Mr. President:

Understanding US Election Issues & Presidential Candidates  —  People living outside America find it difficult to get a clear picture of the issues and candidates in the US presidential election 2008 as a majority of the US media and the blogs seem to have become rather emotive (and partisan? …

Policy Implosion  —  Bush backs Moscow's fueling of Bushehr.  —  PERHAPS THE ONLY THING more disappointing than Moscow's shipment this week of lightly enriched uranium to fuel the power reactor at Bushehr in Iran was President Bush's endorsement of it.  “If the Russians are willing to do that …