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Michael Luo / New York Times:
Romney Leads in Ill Will Among G.O.P. Candidates — TAMPA, Fla. — At the end of the Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire this month, when the Democrats joined the candidates on stage, Mitt Romney found himself momentarily alone as his counterparts mingled, looking around a bit stiffly for a companion.
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RushLimbaugh.com:
Let's Hear Some Straight Talk — BEGIN TRANSCRIPT — RUSH: A new California poll taken just after Fred Thompson's withdrawal from the Republican primary shows Mitt Romney as leading big over McCain in California when it comes to which candidate best represents the Republican Party.
Steven Stark / Real Clear Politics:
Who Said Freddy's Dead? — The Republican race is coming into focus. Well, sort of. If John McCain can win the Florida primary on January 29, he'll be the clear front-runner heading into Super Tuesday a week later. — But Florida is hardly a sure thing for McCain.
Chuck Todd / MSNBC:
Let the sunshine in — If the other GOP candidates don't stop McCain now, they never will — Republican presidential hopeful John McCain bites his tongue as he answers reporters' questions during a campaign stop in Orlando, Florida. — GOP hopefuls brace for debate
MiamiHerald.com:
Poll: McCain rising, Giuliani fading
Poll: McCain rising, Giuliani fading
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Washington Post:
Some in Party Bristle At Clintons' Attacks — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign aired a new radio ad here Wednesday that repeated a discredited charge against Sen. Barack Obama, in what some Democrats said is part of an increasing pattern of hardball politics by her and former president Bill Clinton.
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The Politico:
Obama pulls punches vs. Clintons — All the talk about how rough the Democratic presidential race is becoming is absurd. Considering that Hillary Rodham Clinton is running to restore the personalities and policies of the 1990s to the White House, it is astonishing how gentle the debate has been.
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Jay Rockefeller's unintentionally revealing comments — (updated below - Update II) — As the Senate takes up “debate” today over granting the President new warrantless eavesdropping powers and granting immunity to lawbreaking telecoms, the individual who joined forces with Dick Cheney …
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Courage Campaign:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's amendments to FISA — by Robert Cruickshank, for the Courage Campaign — The Feinstein “Compromise” Amendments — 1. There is no chance that Bush and the Republicans will agree to any compromise short of complete immunity for telecoms - making compromise impossible.
Robert Novak / Real Clear Politics:
Business as Usual GOP — WASHINGTON, D.C. — When House Republicans convene behind closed doors today (Thursday) at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.V., they have a chance to make two bold moves to restore their reputation for fiscal responsibility.
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Zogby:
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: Obama's SC lead slipping but still wide — Edwards makes gains amid shifting voter preferences — Utica, NY - Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's lead over New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has shrunk by four points overall and by nine points among black voters …
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Azi Paybarah / New York Observer:
Source at Fund-Raiser: Edwards Calls McCain ‘Crazy’ and Says Hillary Thinks There's More on Rezko — Before John Edwards let David Letterman mess up his hair on the Late Show last night, the former Senator was at a private fund-raiser in midtown Manhattan, also attended by Kevin Bacon …
C.J. / Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Franken didn't exactly leave 'em laughing in Northfield — Franken apparently had more fun than senior history major Peter Fritz. — Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Al Franken didn't exactly leave 'em laughing in Northfield. — Earlier this month Franken was at Carleton College …
Donald J. Boudreaux / Christian Science Monitor:
THE FOOLISHNESS OF ECONOMIC ‘STIMULUS’ — Do we really want to risk prolonging a bad economy? … A consensus is building that America's economy is sliding - perhaps plummeting - into recession. In December the unemployment rate jumped to 5.0 percent, up 3/10ths of 1 percent from its November level.
Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:
Anti-Bush campaign planned — WASHINGTON - A liberal advocacy group plans to spend $8.5 million in a drive to make sure President Bush's public approval doesn't improve as his days in the White House come to an end. — Americans United for Change plans to undertake a yearlong campaign …
Sarah Harris / Daily Mail:
‘Three Little Pigs CD’ banned from Government-backed awards for offending Muslims and builders — A story based on The Three Little Pigs has been rejected by a Government-backed awards event because it might offend Muslims... and builders. — The digital book, retelling the classic children's tale …