Top Items:
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Losing Ugly — There's losing. There's losing honorably. And then there's John Edwards. — Mike Huckabee is not going to be president. The loss in South Carolina, one of the most highly evangelical states in the union, made that plain. With a ceiling of 14 percent among nonevangelical Republicans …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Betsy's Page, Blue Crab Boulevard, Riehl World View, democracyarsenal.org, Fausta's blog and Redstate
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Zogby:
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: Obama's Lead Shrinks in SC — Edwards continues to advance, nips at Clinton's heels — UTICA, NY - Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's lead over New York Sen. Hillary Clinton narrowed yet a little more in South Carolina with just two days to go before the primary …
Roddie A. Burris / The State:
Exclusive | Edwards rises in S.C. polls — Palmetto State native might be in striking distance for 2nd-place finish — Watch John Edwards. — With only a day left before Saturday's S.C. Democratic presidential primary, the former U.S. senator from North Carolina and S.C. native is making a move, tracking polls suggest.
E. J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
The Ideas Bill Forgot — It was a remarkable moment: A young, free-thinking presidential hopeful named Bill Clinton sat down with reporters and editors at The Post in October 1991 and started saying things most Democrats wouldn't allow to pass their lips. — Ronald Reagan, Clinton said, deserved credit for winning the Cold War.
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Power Line, The Field, Ben Smith's Blogs, Democratic Strategist, Commentary, Sister Toldjah, Betsy's Page, TIME: Swampland and Marc Ambinder
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John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Was that a whisper in Romney's Ear? — What's a debate without a little blogging fun? During the GOP Presidential Debate on MSNBC, a very curious thing happened during a Tim Russert question to Mitt Romney. You can hear what seemed like an on air-whispered answer directed at Romney …
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NEWSRADIO - 1290 WJNO:
Bizarre Whisper During Romney Debate Answer — Whisper: Raise taxes Romney: I am not going to raise taxes. — Tim Russert: Governor Romney, you are a big fan of Ronald Reagan. — Mitt Romney: Uh-um — Russert: Will you do for Social Security what Ronald Reagan did in 1983? — [whisper] raise taxes
Discussion:
Shakespeare's Sister
New York Times:
Primary Choices: John McCain — We have strong disagreements with all the Republicans running for president. The leading candidates have no plan for getting American troops out of Iraq. They are too wedded to discredited economic theories and unwilling even now to break with the legacy of President Bush.
Discussion:
TPMmuckraker, MSNBC, NewsBusters.org, NY Daily News, The Jawa Report, Ankle Biting Pundits, The Corner, The Campaign Spot, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Trail, The Strata-Sphere, Macsmind, DownWithTyranny!, IMAO.US, The Politico, Pandagon, Shakespeare's Sister, Wonkette, TownHall Blog, Time, Pat Dollard, LewRockwell.com Blog, Hot Air, Gateway Pundit, The Huffington Post and Truthdig
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Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do — We begin, as one always must now, again, with Bill Clinton. The past week he has traveled South Carolina, leaving discord in his wake. Barack Obama, that “fairytale,” is low, sneaky. “He put out a hit job on me." The press is cruelly carrying Mr. Obama's counter-jabs.
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, Captain's Quarters, QandO, The Strata-Sphere and Blue Crab Boulevard
The Hill:
Weldon will not seek reelection — Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) announced Friday that he will retire from Congress at the end of this session, citing a desire to return to his medical practice. — “I want to thank my wife Nancy and my kids for all the support over these many years …
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Pew Research Center:
An Even More Partisan Agenda for 2008 — Election-Year Economic Ratings Lowest Since '92 — Summary of Findings — With the economy slowing and the stock market reeling, there is greater agreement among Republicans and Democrats that strengthening the nation's economy should be a top priority …
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Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
In Senate, a White House Victory on Eavesdropping — WASHINGTON — A White House plan to broaden the National Security Agency's wiretapping powers won a key procedural victory in the Senate on Thursday, as backers defeated a more restrictive plan by Senate Democrats that would have imposed more court oversight on government spying.
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Joe Milicia / Associated Press:
Democrat Kucinich Quits White House Race
Democrat Kucinich Quits White House Race
Discussion:
Pam's House Blend
Charlie Savage / Boston Globe:
Bush plan for Iraq would be a first — No OK from Congress seen; Constitutional issues raised — WASHINGTON - President Bush's plan to forge a long-term agreement with the Iraqi government that could commit the US military to defending Iraq's security would be the first time such a sweeping …
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Chris Bowers / Open Left:
Bloomberg's Favorable Rating Is Teh Suck — Michael Bloomberg is the great rich hope for elite media types everywhere. He promises to be able to do something no mere non-billionaire can: dispense with voters, activists and political parties altogether. As he said yesterday:
Discussion:
D-Day
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Michael Mandel / Business Week:
How Real Was the Prosperity? — We're just beginning to figure out how much of the nation's recent growth was the result of a credit-induced frenzy. Here are some guideposts — Mark it down. Clear the slate. Get it all behind us. That's what the big banks are trying to do now.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Edwards: ‘Grown Up’ — Edwards' new ad uses his rivals' pettiest moments in the recent debate, and Edwards' scolding. — “This is not about us personally — it is about what we are trying to do for this country,” he says. — A radio ad (.mp3) (script after the jump) touches the same theme …