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Bush Regains His Footing — It may seem perverse to suggest that, at the very moment the House of Representatives is repudiating his policy in Iraq, President Bush is poised for a political comeback. But don't be astonished if that is the case. — Like President Bill Clinton …
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Broder: George Bush Has Regained His Political Footing — Washington Post columnist David Broder points to President George Bush's press conference and concludes what yours truly did when he watched it as well: — Bush seems to have regained some of his political footing. The key Broder paragraphs:


A Hard Right Punch — Michelle Malkin's Conservative Fight Has Others Coming Out Swinging — Michelle Malkin has seen her head electronically grafted onto a photo of a bikini-clad body. — She had to cancel a Berkeley book signing in the face of 200 shouting protesters. — YouTube banned one of her videos.
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White House Is Reported to Be Linked to a Dismissal — A United States attorney in Arkansas who was dismissed from his job last year by the Justice Department was ousted after Harriet E. Miers, the former White House counsel, intervened on behalf of the man who replaced him, according to Congressional aides briefed on the matter.
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The New Enemy? — Bush blames Iran's Quds Force for a spike in anti-American violence in Iraq. Who are they, and how tight are their ties with Tehran? — Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps march in remembrance of the Iran-Iraq War — President Bush officially anointed …
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Dems Risk Image Woes Over Iraq War Moves — WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats face a host of risks as they move toward more substantive steps to tie President Bush's hands with funding restrictions on the Iraq war. — Leaders are wary of allowing the more intense anti-war activists define the party's image.

GOP is losing ground in party-affiliation polling — Republicans' inherent advantage in Electoral College math might be gone — WASHINGTON — Last month I wrote a column suggesting that "the Republican brand" had been damaged over the last year, and I quoted several Republicans who agreed with that proposition.
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Potential Support for McCain and Giuliani Plummets
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The Huffington Post


Why I had to quit the John Edwards campaign — During my brief tenure as blogmaster for a Democratic presidential contender, I experienced the right-wing smear machine firsthand — As one of the thousands, possibly millions, of bloggers out there holding forth on everything from cooking to politics …
Discussion:
The Y Files, Majikthise, Pottersville, QandO, Althouse, Unfogged, Riehl World View, protein wisdom, Stubborn Facts, Wizbang and Pandagon

Anti-evolution memo stirs controversy — The Anti-Defamation League is calling on state Rep. Ben Bridges to apologize for a memo distributed under his name that says the teaching of evolution should be banned in public schools because it is a religious deception stemming from an ancient Jewish sect.

Iraq Troop Boost Erodes Readiness, General Says — Outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker said yesterday that the increase of 17,500 Army combat troops in Iraq represents only the "tip of the iceberg" and will potentially require thousands of additional support troops and trainers …

The Banker's Candidate — Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd has two big jobs. He is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, and he chairs the Senate Banking Committee. — They are proving to be a lucrative combination. Among Democrats, Dodd's $5 million campaign nest egg …


The 'Get 'er Done' defense of escalation. — During today's Iraq debate, Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) explained her support for sending tens of thousands of U.S. forces to Iraq by quoting that "wonderful saying" — "Get 'er done."
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report

January Weather Hottest by Far — WASHINGTON (AP) - It may be cold comfort during a frigid February, but last month was by far the hottest January ever. — The broken record was fueled by a waning El Nino and a gradually warming world, according to U.S. scientists who reported the data Thursday.

Antarctic temperatures disagree with climate model predictions — COLUMBUS , Ohio - A new report on climate over the world's southernmost continent shows that temperatures during the late 20th century did not climb as had been predicted by many global climate models.
Discussion:
Andrew Olmsted, Flopping Aces, The Strata-Sphere, small dead animals and Brutally Honest


Viewers Fast-Forwarding Past Ads? Not Always — People with digital video recorders like TiVo never watch commercials, right? — Add that to the list of urban — and suburban — myths. — It turns out that a lot of people with digital video recorders are not fast-forwarding and time-shifting as much as advertisers feared.