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Democrats Trim Back Spending Requests

By David Rogers
Wall Street Journal
December 17, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Eager to go home, Democrats unveiled a year-end spending bill that is a pale imitation of Congress's springtime budget but still puts their imprint on government priorities ranging from climate change to homeland security and education…

The crux of U.S. budget battle: How to pay?

By Gail Russell Chaddock
Christian Science Monitor
December 17, 2007

The federal budget is on an unsustainable path, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office…

Dems mull strategy, leadership after setbacks

Associated Press
December 17, 2007

Congressional Democrats will have plenty to ponder during the Christmas-New Year recess. For instance, why did things go so badly this fall, and how well did their leaders serve them?

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THE FIELD

Bill Clinton Says Obama Isn’t Ready

By Patrick Healy
New York Times
December 16, 2007

The former president made an unusually direct attack Friday night on one of his wife’s leading rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination…

CLINTON

In ’08 Race, the Other Clinton Steps Up Publicly

By Patrick Healy
New York Times
December 17, 2007

Bill Clinton is not running his wife’s campaign, but he has become the most powerful force in her political operation besides the candidate herself…

Clinton Advises, ‘Stay Tuned,’ Despite Campaign’s Recent Rough Weeks

By Kate Phillips
New York Times
December 15, 2007

DES MOINES — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday would not rule out running campaign advertisements that criticized her opponents by name, telling journalists to “stay tuned” to what her campaign had planned…

As N.H. race tightens, Clinton goes door to door

By Maeve Reston
Los Angeles Times
December 16, 2007

She promises a 'new beginning' as she drops in on homes along Montgomery Street…

Air of inevitability escaping Clinton

By Peter Nicholas
Los Angeles Times
December 15, 2007

The Democratic presidential front-runner is stepping up her efforts as she appears to be losing traction…

EDWARDS

Not-So-Dark Horse
Edwards Stays Close in Iowa

By Christopher Cooper
Wall Street Journal
December 15, 2007

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- With the two top Democratic candidates going after each other in recent weeks, it has been easy to forget the Hawkeye state remains a three-way race for the party's presidential nomination…

Who’s on the List, Mr. Edwards?

By Adam Nagourney
New York Times
December 16, 2007

John Edwards said he already has a list of possible running mates -- but he's not telling…

OBAMA

Obama Showing New Confidence With Iowa Sprint

By Jeff Zeleny
New York Times
December 16, 2007

Senator Barack Obama is threatening Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s long dominance even as he faces intensified questions about his vulnerabilities…

Obama gets at least one sweet Iowa endorsement

Los Angeles Times Top of the Ticket
December 16, 2007

Norma "Duffy" Lyon likes the Illinois senator for president -- and wait till you read what else she does…

Obama is hitting his stride in Iowa

By Mark Z. Barabak
Los Angeles Times
December 16, 2007

The candidate once criticized for lacking specifics now peppers his speeches with policy proposals -- and confidence…

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GIULIANI

Giuliani, Very Open? There’s Always a First Time

By Jim Dwyer
New York Times
December 15, 2007

A few years back, a man named Russell Harding held a City Hall patronage job that came with a government credit card, which he used to steal more than $250,000…

HUCKABEE

Huckabee Taps Renewed Fervor Of Evangelicals

By Laura Meckler and Valerie Bauerlein
Wall Street Journal
December 17, 2007

Evangelical voters, dispirited with their options in the Republican presidential field for much of the year, are feeling new energy and intensity as they flock to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. And with their support, Mr. Huckabee's campaign is soaring to heights that seemed unimaginable just a month ago…

Candidates Scrambling to Cope With Rise of Huckabee

By Michael Cooper
New York Times
December 17, 2007

The chaotic nature of the Republican race was on display over the weekend as Mike Huckabee’s sudden rise to the top tier rippled across the field…

Huckabee Draws Support of Home-School Families

By Paul Vitello
New York Times
December 17, 2007

Evangelical proponents of home-schooling form a kind of miniature political machine, and they appear to be backing Mike Huckabee…

Huckabee Chides Bush Over His Foreign Policy

By Michael Cooper
New York Times
December 16, 2007

In an article for Foreign Affairs, Mike Huckabee sharply criticized what he called the “Bush administration’s arrogant bunker mentality.”

Huckabee Faces Old Queries in New Spotlight

By Leslie Wayne
New York Times
December 15, 2007

When Mike Huckabee became lieutenant governor of Arkansas in 1993, he complained of being burdened by college tuition bills for his son, the expenses of two residences — one in Texarkana and the other in Little Rock — and the cost of commuting between the two…

Huckabee Camp Shifts Focus for New Hampshire

By Paul Vitello
New York Times
December 15, 2007

CONCORD, N.H. — Mike Huckabee, who surged in Iowa polls with an appeal to religious and social conservatives, returned Friday to New Hampshire, where he is still an also-ran for the Republican presidential nomination, and opened a newly focused campaign for the votes of working people and economic conservatives…

McCAIN

Lieberman will endorse John McCain

Los Angeles Times Top of the Ticket
December 16, 2007

One-time Democratic vice presidential nominee decides his Republican colleague is the best in either party…

Lieberman to Endorse McCain

Associated Press
December 16, 2007

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Sen. John McCain, trying to build momentum toward a reprise of his 2000 New Hampshire primary victory, is piling up high-profile endorsements, including one from another political maverick, Sen. Joseph Lieberman…

PAUL

Reinventing the Revolution

By Marc Santora
New York Times
December 16, 2007

Ron Paul’s supporters hoped to raise $10 million on the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party…

The man behind Paul's fundraising curtain

By Dan Morain
Los Angeles Times
December 16, 2007

Trevor Lyman, who had never voted, used his Internet savvy to bring in millions in pledges for his candidate…

ROMNEY

To assess Romney, look beyond the bottom line

By Bob Drogin
Los Angeles Times
December 16, 2007

He created jobs, closed factories, made enemies and inspired colleagues…

A look at Mormon theology and practice

By Stephanie Simon
Los Angeles Times
December 16, 2007

Since he entered the race, Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney has faced questions about his Mormon faith. Last week, the former Massachusetts governor said the questions had gone too far…

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Iowa Paper Endorses Clinton, McCain

Associated Press
December 16, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Des Moines Register's editorial board is endorsing Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton ahead of the state's Jan. 3 presidential caucuses, contending they top the field in competence and readiness to lead in a time of dissension at home and distrust and peril abroad…

Even Iowa Voters Get a Holiday Break

By Jeff Zeleny
New York Times
December 16, 2007

How do candidates keep momentum alive during the holidays without alienating — or annoying — voters?

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Who’s Advertising on the Tube

By Farhana Hossain
New York Times
December 16, 2007

Mitt Romney mounted the costliest early advertising push in a presidential campaign…

Candidates Collect Endorsements in Final Days in Iowa

By Katharine Q. Seelye
New York Times
December 17, 2007

John McCain, a Republican, planned to announce the endorsement of Joseph I. Lieberman, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000…

In Iowa, Coveted Newspaper Endorsements for Clinton and McCain Campaigns

By Jeff Zeleny
New York Times
December 16, 2007

The Des Moines Register’s editorial board called Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain the candidates who were the most competent and ready to lead…


The Latest Reality Show: Die-Hard, Freeze-Frame Politics With a Life of Their Own

By Alessandra Stanley
New York Times
December 16, 2007

Primary debates have become the raw footage of political discourse, with highlights culled from hours and hours of material and showcased on television and the Internet…

Ohio Elections Official Calls Machines Flawed

By Bob Driehaus
New York Times
December 15, 2007

CINCINNATI — All five voting systems used in Ohio, a state whose electoral votes narrowly swung two elections toward President Bush, have critical flaws that could undermine the integrity of the 2008 general election, a report commissioned by the state’s top elections official has found…

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Bush Nears a Victory Over Spying Powers

By Siobhan Gorman and Evan Perez
Wall Street Journal
December 17, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The Senate appears poised to hand the White House another victory with a measure that would make permanent an expansion of government spy powers and shield phone companies from liability for assisting government eavesdropping…

<><>OTHER NEWS AND VIEWS<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Bush troubled by Mitchell Report findings

By Deb Riechmann
Christian Science Monitor
December 16, 2007

The former Texas Rangers owner says steroids have 'sullied' baseball…