Top Items:
The Politico:
Fred Thompson may drop out — DES MOINES, Iowa - Several Republican officials close to Fred Thompson's presidential campaign said they expect the candidate will drop out of the race within days if he finishes poorly in Thursday's Iowa caucus. — Thompson's campaign, which last spring …
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Peter Robinson / The Corner:
Late-Breaking Surge for Thompson — The latest news from Iowa? According to Zogby's latest—and I quote: “Sen. Fred Thompson...has seen a late-breaking surge." (Rich notes the same poll below.) — What's going on here? My guess is that there are whole lot of Iowa Republicans …
Rick Klein / ABCNEWS:
Clinton Camp Pre-Spinning Possible Bad News in Iowa — Campaign Insists Even a Third-Place Finish Would Not Be Disappointing — As the presidential candidates engage in furious pre-caucus spin, one of Sen. Hillary Clinton's most prominent Iowa supporters said Wednesday that she's already accomplished …
The Corner:
Fred Thompson, Reagan Conservative — By the sheerest of coincidences, these two emails came in back-to-back. The first, from a reader: … The second email, from my old boss in the Reagan White House—the man who hired me into the speechwriting shop—Ben Elliott.
Matt Apuzzo / Associated Press:
Criminal probe opened over CIA tapes — WASHINGTON - The Justice Department opened a full criminal investigation Wednesday into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes, putting the politically charged probe in the hands of a mob-busting public corruption prosecutor with a reputation for being independent.
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Mary Clare Jalonick / Associated Press:
Burns no longer part of Abramoff probe — WASHINGTON - Former Sen. Conrad Burns is no longer part of a federal investigation of jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the Justice Department said Wednesday. — Burns, R-Mont., narrowly lost re-election to a fourth term in 2006 after Democrats …
Associated Press:
Manhunt for Father Suspected of Killing Teen Girls — IRVING, Texas — Police continued searching for a man suspected of shooting his two teenage daughters, including one who called 911 about an hour before officers found them dead in his taxi, police said.
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Rasmussen Reports:
As Campaign Season Begins, Only One Presidential Candidate is Viewed Favorably by Majority of Voters — One impact of the long run-up to Election 2008 can be seen in public perceptions of the leading Presidential candidates. After a year of campaigning with no votes actually being cast …
Christopher Hayes / The Nation:
Return of the Swift Boaters — More than three years after John Kerry's bitter defeat, at the dawn of what looks like a far more promising campaign cycle for the Democrats, the party is still haunted by the specter of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Once upon a time, “Swift boat” …
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John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Chris Dodd stands by his supporters. Will not be part of an auction — Here's another reason to like Chris Dodd. Andrea Mitchell wanted to know who Chris Dodd would support for the presidential nomination because she said there were reports that other candidates who are not considered to be in the top tier are cutting deals.
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Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Rush: Huck ‘not a conservative’ — Rush Limbaugh devoted a large portion of his first show since the holidays to criticizing Mike Huckabee's candidacy and offering a disapproving bottom-line assessment of the former governor. — “Ladies and gentlemen, Gov. Huckabee, mighty fine man …
Discussion:
Human Events, Marc Ambinder, The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, New York Times, Stop The ACLU, BitsBlog, Reason Magazine, TIME, GreenMountainPolitics1, PunditGuy, race42008.com and Macsmind
Michael Joseph Gross / Vanity Fair:
A Vast Right-Wing Hypocrisy — Richard Mellon Scaife, billionaire bankroller of conservative crusades, spent heavily to expose Bill Clinton's “Troopergate” misbehavior. Now Scaife's divorce from his second wife, Ritchie, is providing another unsavory saga—adultery! addiction! assault! dognapping!?!—as both parties let loose to V.F.
Discussion:
Cliff Schecter
Satyam / Think Progress:
Jim Talent: Romney will stop ‘the militant gays.’ — Today on MSNBC's Hardball, former senator Jim Talent, now an adviser to Mitt Romney, discussed Romney's record on gays. Talent maintained that Romney has never been inconsistent on gay rights and has “always” wanted to stop the influence of “the militant gays":
Paul J. Gough / Reuters:
Former “Dateline” reporter blasts NBC — NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - A former “Dateline NBC” correspondent claims that in the aftermath of September 11, the network diverted him from reporting on al Qaeda and instead wanted him to ride along with the country's “forgotten heroes,” firefighters.
David Nakamura / Washington Post:
Attorney For D.C. in Gun Ban Case Fired — Counsel Was Set To Defend Law Before High Court — Acting D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles has fired the city lawyer who had been preparing to defend the District's longtime ban on handguns before the Supreme Court this spring, a move that some city officials fear could harm the case.