Top Items:
David Brooks / New York Times:
Road to Nowhere — The most impressive thing about Mitt Romney is his clarity of mind. When he set out to pursue his party's nomination, he studied the contours of the Republican coalition and molded himself to its forms. — Earnestly and methodically, he has appealed to each of the major constituency groups.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Networks cut debate fields, angering Paul backers — NEW YORK (AP) — ABC and Fox News Channel are narrowing the field of presidential candidates invited to debates this weekend just before the New Hampshire primary, in Fox's case infuriating supporters of Republican Rep. Ron Paul.
Discussion:
The Caucus, Hot Air, Flopping Aces, The Volokh Conspiracy, JammieWearingFool and Daimnation!
Matthew Yglesias:
The Possibly Not Coming Storm — Ross Douthat previews the next great conservative crack-up: … To which I say: Maybe! — Seriously, I sometimes do think that'll happen. Alternatively, maybe Romney gets the nomination and Romney gets beaten pretty badly.
Washington Wire:
Paul Supporters Target Fox News
Paul Supporters Target Fox News
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, New York Observer, Shakespeare's Sister, Cliff Schecter, Wake up America and Talking Points Memo
Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Jumping The Gun? — Ron Paul's supporters are seeing red …
Jumping The Gun? — Ron Paul's supporters are seeing red …
Discussion:
Stop The ACLU, Outside The Beltway, Balloon Juice, Los Angeles Times and New Hampshire Union Leader
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
GETTING STINGY WITH DEBATE INVITATIONS....After having watched …
GETTING STINGY WITH DEBATE INVITATIONS....After having watched …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Sideshow, The Caucus, Angry Bear, Tennessee Guerilla Women and MSNBC
Paul Steinhauser / CNN:
Poll: Ties in Iowa but many still undecided — DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) — With two days to go until the Iowa caucuses, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll out Tuesday shows both the Democratic and Republican presidential nomination races tied at the top. — But with a quarter …
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Zogby, Des Moines Register, The Fix, The Trail, HillaryClinton.com, Marc Ambinder, Sister Toldjah, Taegan Goddard's …, BitsBlog, HillaryClinton.com, Taylor Marsh, The Page, The Carpetbagger Report, On Deadline, Ben Smith's Blogs, Weekly Standard, MSNBC, PoliGazette, TalkLeft, The Heretik, Donklephant, New York Observer, MyDD, Democratic Strategist, TIME, TIME: Swampland, Pollster.com and New York Times
RELATED:
Tony Leys / Des Moines Register:
Edwards' ‘Mudcat’ gives tasty dish on Clinton
Edwards' ‘Mudcat’ gives tasty dish on Clinton
Discussion:
Hotline On Call
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Clinton errs on Pakistan — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was praised in the wake of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto for demonstrating her command of the players and the issues at stake in Pakistan, even as another candidate, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee …
RELATED:
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Joe Trippi: Sit and Spin — Joe Trippi breezed into a restaurant back room last night filled with several tables full of journalists and grabbed a chair. — “Obama is slamming Gore and Kerry,” he said at a volume nobody could have missed before even taking his seat.
RELATED:
Digby / Hullabaloo:
Divisive Dems
Divisive Dems
Discussion:
Eschaton, Whiskey Fire, Daily Kos, Open Left, The Nation, Des Moines Register and Political Punch
John Tierney / New York Times:
In 2008, a 100 Percent Chance of Alarm — I'd like to wish you a happy New Year, but I'm afraid I have a different sort of prediction. — You're in for very bad weather. In 2008, your television will bring you image after frightening image of natural havoc linked to global warming.
Andy Sullivan / Reuters:
Romney says Bush mismanaged Iraq war — JOHNSTON, Iowa (Reuters) - Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said on Tuesday the Bush administration mismanaged the Iraq war, distancing himself from his party's unpopular president two days before Iowa's first-in-the-nation presidential contest.
Discussion:
The Corner
RELATED:
Marc Ambinder:
Kucinich Urges Supporters To Choose Obama On Second “Ballot” — On Thursday, Rep. Dennis Kucinich might actually swing the results of the caucus, which is why I'm passing this along. — Kucinich's supporters could help Obama in non-liberal precincts where the two or three Kucinich supporters …
RELATED:
Jerome Starkey / The Sun:
Our Boys blitz Taliban bash — On patrol ... British soldier in Helmand province — BRITISH commandos launched a devastating blitz on the Taliban - as the evil terrorists held a party to celebrate Benazir Bhutto's murder. — The dawn raid was staged after messages were intercepted …
Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:
Poll: Clinton, McCain lead in NH — From NBC's Domenico Montanaro — With exactly a week to go until New Hampshire, McCain has pulled ahead of Romney and Clinton has opened back up a double-digit lead in New Hampshire, according to a 7News/Suffolk University poll.
Richard Cohen / Washington Post:
The Mendacity of Hope — John Edwards lied about the cost of his haircuts. Fred Thompson lied about lobbying for a pro-choice outfit. John McCain insists that the United States was founded as a “Christian nation." Mitt Romney concocted the story about how his father marched …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The Newshoggers, The Carpetbagger Report, Washington Monthly, The Sideshow, AMERICAblog and The Corner
Hindustan Times:
Pak Govt makes U-turn on cause of Bhutto's death — In a dramatic U-turn, Pakistan government has “apologised” for claiming that former premier Benazir Bhutto died of a skull fracture after hitting the sunroof of her car during a suicide attack. — Caretaker Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz Khan …
Jerusalem Post:
Olmert says Israel must internalize divided J'lem — Israel needs to internalize that even its supportive friends on the international stage conceive of the country's future on the basis of the 1967 borders and with Jerusalem divided, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has declared to The Jerusalem Post.
Discussion:
Israel Matzav
Washington Wire:
Huckabee: What Ad Ploy? — Alex Frangos reports from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, on the presidential race. — Mike Huckabee's curious move yesterday to ceremoniously pull a negative television advertisement seems to have played well with his supporters. That's despite criticism he took …