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:
Iowa Independent, Marc Ambinder, TalkLeft, Slog, Stumper, You Decide 08!, Taylor Marsh and TPM Election Central
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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 …
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 …
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 …
Discussion:
CNN, Firedoglake, The Raw Story, Captain's Quarters, Chicago Sun Times, Open Left, TPM Election Central, Salon, Washington Post, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, Outside The Beltway, Political Punch, The Carpetbagger Report, CommonDreams.org, Left in the West, MyDD, All Spin Zone, Wake up America, Weekly Standard, Comments from Left Field, Taegan Goddard's …, JustOneMinute, Booman Tribune, Shakespeare's Sister, Deadline USA, The Democratic Daily, michellemalkin.com, Blue Hampshire, PSoTD, VodkaPundit, The Moderate Voice, ABCNEWS and Pew Research Center
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 …
Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Candidates Offer Final Messages to Iowa Voters
Candidates Offer Final Messages to Iowa Voters
Discussion:
The Politico, IowaPolitics.com Caucus …, Immigration Chronicles, Opinions You Should Have and truthout
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.
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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, Captain's Quarters, Hot Air, Wake up America, BlueOregon and Redstate
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Dick Polman / Dick Polman's American Debate:
My caveats about Iowa — In this calm before the storm, as we gird ourselves for the first measurements of actual citizen sentiment in the '08 campaign, let us pause briefly to contemplate the state that remains secure in its status as first in pork, first in corn, and first in the presidential sweepstakes.
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Brent Baker / NewsBusters.org:
NBC Highlights ‘Life-Long Republican’ Caucusing for Obama, But... On Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, Andrea Mitchell showcased “a lifelong Republican, who twice voted for George Bush, now canvassing for Obama” as a “precinct captain” in Iowa. In an interview two months ago, however …
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Matthew Yglesias:
The Independents — John Judis and Ruy Teixeira take a look at the demographic and ideological characteristics of self-described independents and their potential role in the presidential election. It's clear that the post-partisan rhetoric from Barack Obama that's annoyed a lot of bloggers …
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
COMING FLUFFTACULAR — I flagged this in today's TPMtv episode and posted a reader email on it yesterday, but if I had my choice, John McCain would not be the candidate I'd want the Democratic candidate to face in November. He's got lots of liabilities, on a whole number of fronts.
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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.
Ross Douthat:
My Mitt Romney Problem (And Yours?) — Watch this ad: — “In the next ten years, we'll see more progress, more change, than the world has seen in the last ten centuries." — Mitt Romney is an immensely talented and accomplished figure. In many ways, he looks like an ideal antidote to George W. Bush …
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) …
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Iowa Caucuses — Prediction Time! — After all of the waiting and anticipating, Iowa caucus day is here! — The Fix will be writing a constantly updating news story throughout the late afternoon and evening on washingtonpost.com, which we will be cross-publishing in this space.
Vanity Fair:
Karl Rove — A principal architect of the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush, Karl Rove, 57, has charted a long course from the internship he landed with the Republican Party in Utah almost four decades ago. Here, the president's former deputy chief of staff reflects on his fear of going broke …
Election Projection:
Iowa predictions — Ok, I know I said the caucuses are too close to call. But I just can't help myself. So here are my predictions for tonight's battle in the heartland. — Republicans
Discussion:
Comments from Left Field, Right Wing News, The Anchoress, VodkaPundit, Macsmind, Confederate Yankee and Sister Toldjah
Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Today's Must Read — The eight year Constitutional law seminar that is the Bush Administration continues! — Today's lesson: the pocket veto. — Last week, the president claimed to have sunk Congress' defense authorization bill by pocket veto. Now Democrats are saying he can't do that.