memeorandum: Harman Warned against Destroying Tapes in 2003 (Paul Kiel/TPMmuckraker)

9:05 PM ET, January 3, 2008

Top Items:

John Harwood / The Caucus:

Is Obama a Plan B for Richardson Voters? — Barack Obama's drive to win tonight's Iowa caucuses is getting a boost from two of his putative rivals. After earlier winning the support of Dennis Kucinich, Obama's campaign has reached an agreement with Bill Richardson for the second-choice votes …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Marc Ambinder, Iowa Independent, Slog, Stumper, Sister Toldjah, The Democratic Daily, Captain's Quarters, You Decide 08!, TPM Election Central, Taylor Marsh and The Washington Note

Zogby:

Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Daily Tracking Poll: Obama Moves Into Lead Followed by Edwards; Huckabee Lead Widens — Clinton, Romney dip as Ron Paul gains — UTICA, New York - Democrat Barack Obama continued his upward momentum through the evening before the Iowa caucuses, capturing the lead ahead …

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Captain's Quarters, Heading Right, Pollster.com, The Newshoggers, Open Left, Taegan Goddard's …, RealClearPolitics, Wonkette, Deadline USA, Pajamas Media, The Democratic Daily, The Moderate Voice, Weekly Standard, Middle Earth Journal, Hot Air and Booman Tribune

Shailagh Murray / The Trail:

A Biden-Obama Deal? — DES MOINES — Sen. Joseph Biden wants to beat New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson tonight. And Sen. Barack Obama could help him do that. — A source close to the Biden campaign described a possible arrangement, now under discussion between the two camps …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Wonkette and TPM Election Central

Chase Martyn / Iowa Independent:

Richardson set to send Obama second-choice support — The story gets significantly more complicated, as more evidence of a two-way deal in select counties or precincts emerges. Click here for the updated story. — [Exclusive] Gov. Bill Richardson's campaign is expected to direct …

Chase Martyn / Iowa Independent:
Obama-Richardson Deal Goes Both Ways in Certain Precincts and Counties

Discussion: Open Left, Norwegianity and Donklephant

Lynda Waddington / Iowa Independent: Biden, Dodd & Richardson to Iowans: Make your own decision

doj.nh.gov:

MCCain and Romney PUsh Poll Complaints — Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte is requesting the public's assistance in identifying who employed Moore-Information of Portland, Oregon to conduct a poll in New Hampshire, in November 2007, which has been alleged to be a push-poll.

Discussion: The Campaign Spot, michellemalkin.com, Captain's Quarters, The Corner, Hot Air, Washington Times, Wake up America, BlueOregon and Redstate

Philip Elliott / Associated Press:

N.H. doubts it will ID push poll culprits before vote — CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's attorney general has identified two companies involved in a series of phone calls that targeted Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith while praising John McCain. But Attorney General Kelly Ayotte …

Discussion: Mitt Romney For President News, Talking Points Memo and Hot Air

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Iowa Caucuses — Prediction Time!

Discussion: Rolling Stone, The Campaign Spot, Hullabaloo and Comments from Left Field

John McIntyre / Real Clear Politics:
What the Major Campaigns Need Tonight

Discussion: Los Angeles Times and TIME

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
New Hampshire Identifies Firm Behind Anti-Mormon Calls — But Not Their Sponsor

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report

CNN:

Supreme Court Justice Bill Clinton? — WASHINGTON (CNN) — It is a title that would be sure to bring either fear or cheer to many Americans, depending on your political leanings: Supreme Court Justice Bill Clinton. — That provocative possibility has long been whispered in legal …

Discussion: Moonbattery and Wonkette

Carrie Budoff Brown / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Bill, Hillary and expectations in Iowa — Former President Bill Clinton tried to lower expectations today for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, suggesting at a Starbucks here in Des Moines that Iowa was not make-or-break for her presidential campaign. — “I didn't win a race until …

Discussion: Cafe Hayek, MSNBC, Spin Cycle, The Democratic Daily and TIME

Roger Simon / The Politico:

Inside Iowa — Fuzzy math, Iowa-style — I just bumped into David Axelrod, Barack Obama's chief political strategist, and told him about my earlier blog item in which Tom Vilsack said: “Hillary Clinton has 5,000 people prepared to give rides this time." — “Sure, she has 5,000 drivers …

Discussion: Boston Globe and MyDD

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Candidates Offer Final Messages to Iowa Voters

Discussion: TPM Election Central, The Politico, Immigration Chronicles, IowaPolitics.com Caucus …, Opinions You Should Have and truthout

Atrios / Eschaton:

So Absurd — Tweety: … So if Hillary gets 33 percent “she's been rejected here in Iowa by two-thirds of the Democratic Party." — What of Saint McCain? … If McCain is rejected by 82% of caucusgoers he's a “big hero." — Tweety just repeated the Clinton/two thirds crap on Hardball just now.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Salon

Media Matters for America: Matthews: “[L]ow 30 percent” …

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:

Harman Warned against Destroying Tapes in 2003 — The CIA's initial defense for destroying the videotapes showing interrogations of Al Qaeda detainees was that they'd briefed members of Congress about their intention to do this long ago. — To which, Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) …

Discussion: Think Progress, The Lede and Emptywheel

FactCheck.org:

Huckabee's Attack Ad Runs After All — His attack ad appears on three Iowa stations. We find it somewhat misleading. Another ad makes misleading claims about tax cuts. — The ad Huckabee said he decided not to run has now appeared at least three times in Iowa anyway.

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, The Corner, Political Radar, Althouse, PoliGazette and Fact Checker

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Open thread: Raucous caucus! Update: Early results coming in; Update: Beware the entrance polls — Iowans are en route to their precinct meetings as we speak. Things get going in earnest at 7:30 p.m. ET, as the Democratic assemblies are called to order, and then the hard business begins at eight.

Discussion: Political Radar, Taegan Goddard's …, michellemalkin.com, JunkYardBlog, Betsy's Page and Open Left

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Dodd may drop out — Sen. Chris Dodd, who moved his family to Iowa in an effort to make a strong showing in the caucus, has told Fox News that he would be “going to Hartford tomorrow” if he doesn't finish stronger than fourth place tonight, my colleague Martin Kady II reports.

Discussion: The New Republic and MyDD

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:

Can Edwards Do It In Iowa? — The Mellencamp concert for John Edwards last night was a huge success for the campaign. It was well attended (easily twice the size of the Huckabee “Huck'n'Chuck” rally the night before), the crowd was enthusiastic and responded to his message.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Open Left, Crooks and Liars and TalkLeft