memeorandum: 2 Newcomers Jolt Parties' Status Quo (Patrick Healy/New York Times)

9:40 AM ET, January 4, 2008

Top Items:

The Two Earthquakes — I've been through election nights that brought a political earthquake to the country. I've never been through an election night that brought two. — Barack Obama has won the Iowa caucuses. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel moved by this.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Whiskey Fire, Crunchy Con, Vox Popoli, eyeon08.com, Gawker and Althouse

New York Post:

CLINTONS NO LONGER THE LIFE OF PARTY — DES MOINES, Iowa - Awaiting her coronation here last night, Hillary Rodham Clinton instead faced a seething revolt within her own party. — More than 70 percent of Iowa Democrats rejected her bid to get back into the White House.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Right Wing News and Betsy's Page

CNN:

Huckabee, Obama leave Iowa as front-runners — DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) — Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have claimed victories in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses. — With all Democratic precincts reporting, Obama had the support of 38 percent of voters, compared to 30 percent for John Edwards and 29 percent for Hillary Clinton.

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

Obama Takes Iowa in a Big Turnout as Clinton Falters; Huckabee Victor — DES MOINES — Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, a first-term Democratic senator trying to become the nation's first African-American president, rolled to victory in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday night …

Discussion: The Politico, The Trail, The Swamp, The Huffington Post, CNN, Associated Press, The Nation, Prairie Weather, normblog, HorsesAss.Org, Captain's Quarters, Washington Wire, Immigration Chronicles, American Power, TPM Election Central and Outside The Beltway

Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:

Out With the Old, In With the New — Obama and Huckabee rise; Mrs. Clinton falls. — And so it begins. — We wanted exciting, we got exciting. — As this is written, late on the night of the caucuses, the outlines of the decisions seem clear: Barack Obama won.

Discussion: Macsmind, alicublog, The Anchoress, Pam's House Blend and Pajamas Media

The Politico:

GOP race in total disarray — DES MOINES, Iowa — Mike Huckabee's startling, not-even-close victory over Mitt Romney and the rest of the GOP field in the Iowa caucus means the Republican Party is in for a wildly unpredictable ride in the weeks ahead. — Here's what's certain …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg, Tammy Bruce, DownWithTyranny!, The RBC and Spin Cycle

John Distaso / New Hampshire Union Leader:

John DiStaso's Granite Status: Several candidates see Tuesday as a must-win — SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE. Campaign consultants and candidate handlers can spin all they want, but it's clear: — Tuesday's New Hampshire primary is a must-win for several candidates and a potential last stand for others.

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard, Don Surber and The Campaign Spot

Steve Holland / Reuters:

Clinton and McCain lead in New Hampshire — MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain hold leads in New Hampshire four days before the state's presidential nominating contest, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Friday.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Chris Bowers / Open Left:
A New Generation Takes Charge Of The Democratic Party

Discussion: Reason Magazine, Firedoglake, eyeon08.com, Daily Kos and MyDD

Reuters:
Dodd and Biden drop out of White House race

Discussion: Firedoglake, Captain's Quarters, THE REACTION and Washington Post

The Corner:
Over the Hill — Peter and Rick's posts ought to be read together.

Discussion: Whiskey Fire and The Volokh Conspiracy

Deacon / Power Line:
A BIG NIGHT FOR HUCKABEE

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, Weekly Standard, Althouse, Hot Air, Wizbang and Ground Game

Washington Wire:
Beginning of the End for Romney?

Discussion: TownHall Blog, Deadline USA, FactCheck.org, Hotline On Call and Macsmind

Patrick Healy / New York Times:
2 Newcomers Jolt Parties' Status Quo

Discussion: Washington Post, The Politico, Weekly Standard, Crunchy Con, Associated Press, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Trail, Wonkette, The New Republic, Washington Wire and The Heretik

Washington Post:
Huckabee Wins Iowa's Republican Caucuses

Discussion: Flopping Aces and No Left Turns

David Schoetz / ABCNEWS:
Huckabee Takes Iowa; Romney in 2nd

Discussion: New York Times, The Swamp, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, The Politico, RealClearPolitics, TownHall Blog, The Moderate Voice, ComMITTed to Romney!, TPM Election Central, QandO, Middle Earth Journal, AlterNet.org, The Caucus and michellemalkin.com

The Politico: Obama victory leaves Clinton scrambling

The Board:

Report from Iowa: Democracy It Ain't — The next president will serve 300 million Americans. The process of selecting the president, however, starts off in a state of 3 million, in which fewer than 300,000 people are expected to caucus. Because the media attention on Iowa is so intense …

Discussion: Publius Pundit

CNN: Democratic caucus turnout shatters record

GM's Corner:

Just Give Me A Corner To Die In — England's NHS (National Health Service) is considering the rationing of health care. This is nothing new and has been talked about numerous times as the Democrats and their leftish friends push for a National Health Care policy in these United States.

Discussion: Doug Ross

Matthew Yglesias:

Delivering — I think the manner of Barack Obama's win is pretty impressive. I can't be the only one who was a bit inclined toward a cynical roll of the eyes at the idea of winning on the back of unprecedented turnout, mobilizing new voters, brining in young people, etc.

Discussion: Obsidian Wings

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

Bush Ponders Move to Bolster Economy — WASHINGTON — President Bush said Thursday that he was considering whether to propose a stimulus package to shore up the economy, the clearest indication yet of a growing concern inside the White House over rising oil prices, the subprime mortgage crisis and the possibility of recession.

Discussion: michellemalkin.com and Political Machine

Jeannine Aversa / Associated Press:

Jobless rate hits 5 percent, 2-year high — WASHINGTON - Hiring practically stalled in December, driving the nation's unemployment rate up to a two-year high of 5 percent and fanning fears of a recession. — Employers last month added the fewest new jobs to their payrolls in more than four years …

Discussion: JammieWearingFool and AMERICAblog

Kirk Johnson / New York Times:

With Few Options, Colorado Considers All-Mail Vote — DENVER — Colorado's crash course in how to hold an election has begun. — With less than year before the November balloting, and the current system mostly in shambles after testing by the secretary of state last month found problems …

Eric Kleefeld / TPM Election Central:

Entrance Poll: The Second-Prefs Winner Was ... Edwards — So how exactly did those much-coveted second-choice votes in the Iowa Caucus work out — did they deliver a victory for Obama through all these mysterious deals? The answer is actually pretty surprising.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, TIME: Swampland and BlueOregon