Top Items:
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Attack ad decision cost Huck $150K — DES MOINES — 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.
Michael Levenson / Boston Globe:
More of Romney's fortune is plowed into campaign — Candidate has outspent all GOP rivals in Iowa — Mitt Romney with his wife, Ann, Saturday in Altoona, Iowa. Romney said he was unsure of the amount he had put into his campaign during the past three months. (John Gress/Reuters)
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 …
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.
Real Clear Politics:
Romney Leads GOP Narrowly 30% To 28% For Huckabee — McCain Moves Into Third — Obama Leads Tights Democratic Race With 32% To 29% For Edwards And 27% For Clinton — Strategic Vision, LLC, a public relations and public affairs agency, announced the results of a three-day poll in Iowa …
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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, Think Progress, Emptywheel, Connecting.the.Dots and The Heretik
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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.
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NY Daily News:
Team Hil: We'll mind your kids! — Meet Hillary Clinton's secret weapon in Iowa: baby-sitters. — In Thursday's caucuses, it all comes down to getting out the vote. And Clinton is going to the extremes, even lining up baby-sitters and day care centers for caucus-going moms.
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Andrew Malcolm / Los Angeles Times:
Breaking news: Edwards' Iowa Express bus breaks down
Breaking news: Edwards' Iowa Express bus breaks down
Discussion:
michellemalkin.com, New York Times, TownHall Blog, Weekly Standard, QandO, Des Moines Register and Jules Crittenden
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.”
Jad Mouawad / New York Times:
Oil Hits $100 a Barrel for the First Time — Oil prices rose above the symbolic level of $100 a barrel for the first time on Wednesday, a long-awaited milestone in an era of rapidly escalating energy demand. — Crude oil futures for January delivery crossed the $100 threshold …
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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 …
Rasmussen Reports:
Partisan Trends — Number of Republicans in U.S. Increases in December to Two-Year High — The number of Americans who consider themselves to be Republicans jumped nearly two percentage points in December to 34.2%. That's the largest market share for the Republican brand in nearly two years …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, michellemalkin.com, Betsy's Page, Wake up America, Outside The Beltway, Macsmind and New York Times
Michael M. Phillips / Wall Street Journal:
What Kucinich Saw: Witnesses Describe His Close Encounter — Candidate's Pals Recall Three Throbbing UFOs; Outed by Shirley MacLaine — The 2008 presidential race has raised many questions about the candidates' personal histories. Will Barack Obama's past drug use preclude a White House future?
Discussion:
The Corner, The Swamp, The Huffington Post, Wonkette, The Caucus, Blue Crab Boulevard and TIME: Swampland
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.