Top Items:
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Attack ad decision cost Huck $150K — DES MOINES, Iowa — Mike Huckabee's last-minute decision to pull the plug on an attack ad against Mitt Romney has been the talk of Iowa in recent days. — But it turns out there is more to the story than Huckabee explained at his now-famous, had-to-see-it-to-believe it news conference Monday.
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Sridhar Pappu / Washington Post:
As Huckabee Pulls Ad, Rollins, For Once, Must Pull a Punch — DES MOINES — “The negatives feel good,” says Ed Rollins, the onetime wunderkind of the Reagan White House and now, at 64, the national campaign chairman for upstart Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.
Human Events:
Iowa Caucuses — Iowa voters tomorrow night will go to their local precinct caucuses to cast their lot with a presidential candidate. The winner is hardly guaranteed his party's nomination — in fact, it's possible that neither Iowa winner will come out as the favorite for the nomination …
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
Novak: In Iowa It'll Be Obama (Clinton Third) And Romney
Novak: In Iowa It'll Be Obama (Clinton Third) And Romney
Discussion:
The Swamp
Associated Press:
Mukasey: Criminal inquiry begins into CIA tapes — CIA said last month it had destroyed recordings of harsh interrogations — WASHINGTON - The U.S. Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes, and Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey …
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New York Times:
Stonewalled by the C.I.A. — MORE than five years ago, Congress and President Bush created the 9/11 commission. The goal was to provide the American people with the fullest possible account of the “facts and circumstances relating to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001” — and to offer recommendations to prevent future attacks.
Discussion:
TPMmuckraker, Make Them Accountable, Emptywheel, Connecting.the.Dots, Think Progress and The Heretik
Looseheadprop / Firedoglake: DOJ Opens Criminal Probe On CIA Tapes Plus Obstruction of Investigation
CNN:
Poll: Neck-and-neck in New Hampshire — (CNN) — With six days to go until the New Hampshire primary, there are ties in poll results for the top candidates in both parties. — With roughly a quarter of those polled in both parties saying they won't make up their mind until the election …
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Joseph W. McQuaid / New Hampshire Union Leader:
With gloves off, Romney distorts — ONE of the reasons this newspaper has endorsed U.S. Sen. John McCain over former Gov. Mitt Romney has become clearer in recent days: When the campaigning gets serious and the gloves come off, McCain sticks to the facts; Romney plays loose with them.
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
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 …
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Peter Fenn / The Hill:
Edwards: Too Cute by Half — John Edwards may very well win Iowa. He has a strong organization, four years in the making, and a message that goes to the anger and frustration of many voters. — His central theme is that Washington is corrupt. Lobbyists and money control the process.
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Simon / Bloggasm:
Readership of major liberal blogs declined in 2007 while conservative blog readership increased — It has long been understood that the largest liberal blogs have generally produced more web traffic than the largest conservative blogs. But I have noticed a general trend over the past few months …
John Hawkins / Right Wing News:
The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes Of 2007 … Also see, — The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes Of 2006 — The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes For 2005 — The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes For 2004
Michael J. Totten:
A Plan to Kill Everyone — “War, children, it's just a shot away, it's just a shot away” - The Rolling Stones, from “Gimme Shelter" — FALLUJAH — A sign on the door leading out of India Company's Combat Operations Center says “Have a Plan to Kill Everyone You Meet.”
Los Angeles Times:
GOP base scatters to rival camps — No one has been able to assemble a coalition, as Reagan did. The breach, evident in Iowa, could hobble the nominee. — DES MOINES — The long-standing coalition of social, economic and national security conservatives that elevated the Republican Party …
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Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Deign or Reign? — Edith Wessel, an 80-year-old white-haired retired nurse, moved slowly up the aisle with her walker after listening to Hillary make her pitch. — She told one of the Hillary volunteers that she had “great admiration” for the senator, but also great doubts about whether …
Discussion:
Shakespeare's Sister, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Corrente, Whiskey Fire, bustardblog, MSNBC and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES
Swaraaj Chauhan / The Moderate Voice:
Did A Hi-Tech Laser Beam Kill Benazir Bhutto? — Here are two important stories related to Pakistan. First, allegations have surfaced that sophisticated laser beam technology was used to eliminate Benazir Bhutto. Second, Pakistan's general election has been postponed until February 18.
Discussion:
Daily The Nation, The Australian, Huliq, Confederate Yankee, The Strata-Sphere, Reuters, Fausta's blog and The Glittering Eye
Ben Smith / The Politico:
The Krugman wing vs. Obama — The partisan Democratic bloggers have always been suspicious of Obama for the same reasons as Paul Krugman: his resistance to partisan confrontation, and his willingness to go after his rivals from the right on domestic policy.