I'm Not Running for President, but ...  WATCHING the 2008 presidential campaign, you sometimes get the feeling that the candidates — smart, all of them — must know better.  They must know we can't fix our economy and create jobs by isolating America from global trade.

William F. Buckley Jr. Is Dead at 82  —  William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind to elevate conservatism to the center of American political discourse, died Wednesday at his home in Stamford, Conn.

ROAD MAP  —  Hopefully, everyone can now see the McCain strategy for running against Barack Obama.  Yes, we have some general points on taxes, culture wars and McCain as war hero who can protect us in ways that flash-in-the-pan pretty boy Barack Obama can't.  —  But that's not the core.

McCain's Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries About Whether That Rules Him Out  —  WASHINGTON — The question has nagged at the parents of Americans born outside the continental United States for generations: Dare their children aspire to grow up and become president?

RNC scolds Tenn. GOP on ‘Hussein’  —  The Republican National Committee this afternoon scolded the Tennessee Republican Party over their use of “Barack Hussein Obama” in an official press release and warned the state party that they will be denounced by the national committee if they use …

Air Force Blocks Access to Many Blogs  —  The Air Force is tightening restrictions on which blogs its troops can read, cutting off access to just about any independent site with the word “blog” in its web address.  It's the latest move in a larger struggle within the military over the value — and hazards — of the sites.

Christmas!:  Barack Obama Cuts A Campaign Ad... For John McCain  —  I thought this was going to be a negative ad against Barack Hussein Obama.  —  It is.  It's just that he made it himself.  —  Big props to the Real Revo for this ad.  I hate swiping vids usually (except from Hot Air …

Obama Makes Gay Ad Buys in Ohio, Texas  —  The Obama campaign is lavishing some of its cash advantage on the LGBT community with targeted ad buys in Ohio and Texas leading up to the critical March 4 primaries in both states (Rhode Island and Vermont also vote that day).

NYT's Greenhouse Takes Buyout Offer  —  NEW YORK — Linda Greenhouse, who has covered the Supreme Court for The New York Times for 30 years, said Wednesday that she has accepted a buyout package from the newspaper.  —  Greenhouse joined the Times in 1968 and started covering the court in 1978 …

The Times Plagiarizes the Miami Herald  —  A PAGE ONE STORY LIFTS TWO LINES ABOUT AN ILLICIT DRUG.  —  The hell wrought on Argentina by the illicit drug “paco” has already become a journalistic staple.  The Christian Science Monitor visited the topic on April 5, 2006; the Miami Herald on Aug. 12 …

OBAMA'S SILENCE ON KADDAFI  —  Can we ignore Sen. Obama's silence about Muammar Kaddafi?  —  We know that Louis Farrakhan has said positive things about Barack Obama.  And he's not the only one.  This is the same Louis Farrakhan who has travelled to Libya to meet with and say positive things …

Hamas and Israelis Trade Attacks, Killing Several  —  JERUSALEM — In a sudden surge of violence, an Israeli civilian was killed Wednesday in a rocket attack by Hamas militants from Gaza, the first such fatality in nine months, and at least eight Palestinians, militants and civilians …

24% Have Favorable Opinion of New York Times  —  Just 24% of American voters have a favorable opinion of the New York Times.  Forty-four percent (44%) have an unfavorable opinion and 31% are not sure.  The paper's ratings are much like a candidate's and divide sharply along partisan and ideological lines.

COLEMAN SUPPORTERS DEFRAUD LOCAL PAPERS WITH CAMPAIGN DISTRIBUTED MATERIALS  —  On January 25th the Minnesota Daily published a letter to the editor from Abul-Rahman Magba-Kamara, chairman of the UMN College Republicans.  The letter's a bit too long to post in the body here …