memeorandum: Huckabee Is No Ronald Reagan; There Is No Reagan in the Race (RushLimbaugh.com)

8:30 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: Marc Ambinder, TalkLeft, Iowa Independent, Slog, Stumper, The Democratic Daily, Captain's Quarters, Sister Toldjah, You Decide 08!, TPM Election Central, Taylor Marsh and The Washington Note

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: Iowa Independent, Wonkette, Taylor Marsh, Donklephant and TPM Election Central

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, Pollster.com, The Newshoggers, RealClearPolitics, Open Left, Taegan Goddard's …, Wonkette, Deadline USA, Pajamas Media, The Moderate Voice, The Democratic Daily, Weekly Standard, Middle Earth Journal, Hot Air and Booman Tribune

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 …

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: michellemalkin.com, The Corner, The Campaign Spot, Captain's Quarters, 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

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 …

Discussion: Power Line, The Corner, Crunchy Con, National Review and Publius Endures

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

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

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, IowaPolitics.com Caucus …, The Politico, Immigration Chronicles, 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

Matthew Sheffield / NewsBusters.org:

Bush-bashing ‘Republican’ Henry Lowenstein, NYT's Favorite — The quickest way to get the liberal media to pay attention to you is to claim to be a Republican who hates Republicans. It's an almost infallible public relations strategy that of late has worked well for “Republican” Monica Green.

Discussion: The Corner and Redstate

Brent Baker / NewsBusters.org:
NBC Highlights ‘Life-Long Republican’ Caucusing for Obama, But...

Discussion: Obama'08 and Moonbattery

Pareene / Gawker:

MySpace Primary Winner Ron Paul Will Boost Your Traffic! — Have you heard of Ron Paul? He is running for president. He has a blimp. He would like to abolish the government and bring back the gold standard. His internet fans are legion, and they are also nuts. Did we mention that they got him a blimp?

The New Republic:
The Huck Channels Ron Paul

Discussion: LewRockwell.com Blog

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

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

CNN:

Romney: 'Don't touch the hair' — (CNN) - Republican Mitt Romney joked Thursday that his opponents are welcome to throw all they've got at him, but when it comes to his perfectly coiffed hair, they'd better back off. — The former Massachusetts governor's comments came at an Iowa event …

Discussion: Hotline On Call and Cliff Schecter