<><>2008/CONGRESS<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Old Tensions Test Congress
Democrats Seek A Political Center To Avoid Stalemate

By David Rogers
Wall Street Journal
December 3, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Congress returns today to face a pile of unfinished work, little time and many White House veto threats. With the budget process at risk of collapsing for the second time in as many years, there is a sense that lawmakers are back to where they started after the 2006 election: divided by Iraq but chasing the dream of a political center from which to govern…

<><>DEM<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

THE FIELD

Democrats Talk Diversity During Forum in Iowa

By Jackie Calmes
Wall Street Journal
December 2, 2007

DES MOINES -- Critics of Iowa's influence in picking presidents have long complained the state is too homogenous to be representative: The minority population in the state whose caucuses kick off the nominating process is about 8%, less than a third of the nation's proportion of non-whites. Yet for the Democratic candidates competing here, Saturday in Des Moines was all about diversity…

Though Caucuses Loom, Democrats Tone It Down

By Patrick Healy
New York Times
December 2, 2007

DES MOINES, Dec. 1 — Markedly shifting their tone of recent weeks, the Democratic presidential candidates had a largely friendly exchange Saturday night at a debate devoted to black and Hispanic interests, though they expressed some differences over Cuba, drug sentencing and health care…

Abundance of Warmth At Democratic Forum

By Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post
December 2, 2007

DES MOINES, Dec. 1 -- Could former senator John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama be considering a truce?

Democrats Gear Up For Final Appeal to Undecided Iowans

By Peter Slevin and Shailagh Murray
Washington Post
December 2, 2007

CARROLL, Iowa -- Work hard for Hillary Clinton and get an invitation to visit with her in the Sac City fire station before a rally…

Black Leaders Torn Over Endorsement
For Many, the Focus Is Electability

By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post
December 1, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- When it comes to endorsing a candidate for president, Joe Reed is a pragmatist first, and he is betting on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as the Democrat to beat…

CLINTON

Housing to the Fore: Clinton Urges Freeze on Foreclosures

By Christopher Cooper
Wall Street Journal
December 3, 2007

WASHINGTON -- In a sign that the housing crunch is increasingly resonating on the campaign trail, Sen. Hillary Clinton is expected to call today for a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures, as well as a five-year freeze on the rates of adjustable mortgages, an idea the Bush administration is already considering…

The Buddy System
By Patrick Healy
New York Times
December 2, 2007

A "Take Your Buddy to Caucus" event featured Hillary Rodham Clinton in spirited pitchman mode…

Campaign Soldiers on the 'Front Lines'
N.H. Hostage Standoff at Clinton Field Office Highlights Role of Young Organizers

By Alec MacGillis
Washington Post
December 2, 2007

ROCHESTER, N.H., Dec. 1 -- They are the foot soldiers of the presidential race, the young field workers who toil long hours for little pay to man the storefront outposts in small cities and towns like this one, far from the state headquarters where the campaign colonels sit. They are anonymous, often forbidden to speak with reporters, lest they say anything out of step with the campaign message…

EDWARDS

Edwards Wins a Key Iowa Backer

By Jeff Zeleny
New York Times
December 2, 2007

A congressman courted by three Democrats has made his decision…

OBAMA

Obama's Gains Show Volatility Of Iowa Contest

By Jackie Calmes, Monica Langley and Christopher Cooper
Wall Street Journal
December 3, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A month before Iowa holds the first contest of the 2008 presidential campaign, a newly energized Sen. Barack Obama has opened a narrow lead here, but many Iowans in both parties say they could change their minds in the next 30 days about which candidate to support…

The Oprah Party Wants You

By Katharine Q. Seelye
New York Times
December 2, 2007

For the first time, the queen of daytime talk has endorsed a presidential candidate, bestowing her blessing on Senator Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat…

Looking for the Oprah Effect

By Marjorie Connelly
New York Times
December 2, 2007

Will Oprah Winfrey’s appeal translate into votes for Senator Barack Obama?

Obama Urges Iowa Undergrads to 'Prove Them Wrong'

Washington Post
December 2, 2007

The quadrennial effort to lure college students to the Iowa caucuses has been complicated this time around because the Jan. 3 vote is occurring while most colleges are on holiday break. So Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrat who has made strong appeals to young voters a focus on his presidential campaign, is taking action now before students go home for the holidays…

Feminist Pitch by a Democrat Named Obama

By Robin Toner
New York Times
December 2, 2007

Senator Barack Obama’s campaign argues that the best candidate for women may, in fact, be a man…

Obama: Hopefund is not a 'slush fund'

By John McCormick
Chicago Tribune
December 2, 2007

DES MOINES – Sen. Barack Obama this morning defended the use of money from his political action committee to back political candidates who happen to have endorsed his presidential bid…

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HUCKABEE

Republican 'Regular Guy' Rises Fast
Huckabee's Populist Message Resonates With Conservatives Concerned About the Economy

By Laura Meckler
Wall Street Journal
December 3, 2007

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Mike Huckabee, the little-known, fast-surging former governor from Arkansas, is throwing another curve into the tumultuous race for the Republican presidential nomination, touting an economic populism more common to Democrats…

Lonely No More, Huckabee Faces Hurdles

By Adam Nagourney
New York Times
December 3, 2007

Mike Huckabee has emerged as a force in the Republican field, but a surge now may not translate to success later…

Huckabee’s Stature Rises, Mobilizing Tax Critics

By Leslie Wayne
New York Times
December 2, 2007

As Mike Huckabee rises in the Republican presidential polls, fiscal conservatives have been raising alarms about a series of tax increases he oversaw while governor of Arkansas — new taxes on gasoline, nursing home beds and even pet groomers…

Insight on Huckabee from one who's watched him awhile

Los Angeles Times Top of the Ticket
December 2, 2007

Deja vu for an Arkansas journalist…

Huckabee: 'a different kind of Jesus juice'

By Richard Fausset
Los Angeles Times
December 2, 2007

The Republican's idiosyncratic agenda in Arkansas -- a health plan, taxes for parks -- was always driven by faith, he says…

McCAIN

McCain Gets the Union-Leader Endorsement

By Marc Santora
New York Times
December 3, 2007

The endorsement of Senator John McCain by New Hampshire’s largest newspaper is an undeniable boost for his campaign…

PAUL

Foot soldiers for the Ron Paul revolution

By James Rainey
Los Angeles Times
December 1, 2007

The freewheeling tactics of his supporters have made the GOP candidate an Internet sensation and an unlikely phenomenon…

Ron Paul: 'Isolationism isn't what I advocate'

By Mark Silva
Chicago Tribune
December 2, 2007

Ron Paul may not be reeling from that criticism that John McCain unloaded on him at the Republican debate the other night, but he found himself explaining it today on the same cable network that hosted the debate…

ROMNEY

Romney Plans to Address Concerns About His Faith

By Michael Luo and Michael Cooper
New York Times
December 3, 2007

Suspicions about Mitt Romney’s Mormon beliefs, which many conservative Christians consider to be heretical, have dogged him through his campaign…

Mormons and the Bible, Every Word

By Michael Luo
New York Times
December 1, 2007

One moment that drew particular attention at Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate was a video questioner’s asking whether the candidates believed every word of the Bible…

Romney Plans Speech on His Mormon Faith

Washington Post
December 2, 2007

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) has decided to give a speech directly addressing his Mormon faith, much as then-candidate John F. Kennedy did about his Catholic faith before the 1960 election…

Wonkish Romney Turns Up on the Trail

Associated Press
December 1, 2007

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Mitt Romney loves statistics. The former venture capitalist pores over charts and grafs. He analyzes situations and data from every angle. It's little wonder, then, that as he campaigns for president, the Republican sometimes shows his wonkish side…

The fateful prison release of 'pure evilness'

By Tomas Alex Tizon
Los Angeles Times
December 2, 2007

The judge, a Romney pick, says she used guidelines when she freed Daniel Tavares Jr. But he was quick to kill again…

Romney ready to address religion: At Bush library

By Mark Silva
Chicago Tribune
December 2, 2007

Mitt Romney is ready to talk about his religion…

THOMPSON

Thompson Bid, Criticized as Sleepy, Is at the Least Unconventional

By Marc Santora
New York Times
December 1, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 29 — Fred D. Thompson promised even before formally announcing his candidacy for president that he would not run a customary campaign. He was not kidding…

Thompson touts bedrock conservatism in Southland visit

By Phil Willon
Los Angeles Times
December 2, 2007

Addressing O.C. retirement community, the Republican presidential candidate vows 'adult leadership' to cut taxes and secure the borders…

<><>FIRST CONTESTS<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Candidates Battle Iowa Weather And Hecklers from Out of State

By Jackie Calmes
Wall Street Journal
December 2, 2007

DES MOINES -- Presidential campaigning intensifies daily in Iowa for its pivotal Jan. 3 caucuses five weeks away, but politicians — unlike postal carriers — can be stopped by the kind of winter storm that shut down roads and airports in the Hawkeye State Saturday…

Des Moines Is Ready for Its Close-Up

By Adam Nagourney
New York Times
December 3, 2007

A political reporter finds once desolate streets now bustling…

Democrats Punish Michigan For Scheduling Early Primary

Associated Press
December 2, 2007

Democratic leaders voted Saturday to strip Michigan of all its delegates to the national convention next year as punishment for scheduling an early presidential primary in violation of party rules. In spite of the vote, some party leaders and officials said they believed the delegates would eventually be seated at the convention…

DNC Punishes Michigan For Early Primary Date

By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post
December 2, 2007

Democratic National Committee members voted yesterday to strip Michigan of its delegates to next year's national convention, making it the second state to be punished so severely for holding a primary election earlier than the national party allows…

Hey, Iowa and New Hampshire! Read this!

Los Angeles Times Top of the Ticket
December 2, 2007

A new study shows Californians can actually be the first to cast primary ballots, starting this coming Friday…

<><>2008/PRESIDENT<><><><><><><><><

Business Lobby Presses Agenda Before ’08 Vote

By Robert Pear
New York Times
December 2, 2007

Lobbyists are racing to secure a wide range of health, safety, labor and economic rules before President Bush leaves office…

<><>NATIONAL POLLS<><><><><><><><><><><><><

Iowa Poll? What Iowa Poll?

By Julie Bosman
New York Times
December 2, 2007

Even John Edwards couldn't resist talking about the much-buzzed-about Des Moines Register poll that came out this morning…

Iowa Poll Puts Huckabee and Obama Out Front

Washington Post
December 2, 2007

A poll released by the Des Moines Register confirmed the shift in the presidential race over the last month, as Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is ahead of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). And in an even more surprising result, former Gov. Mike Huckabee has vaulted ahead of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, long the leader among the Republicans…

Obama Hits Stride and Leads Clinton In New Iowa Poll

By Chris Cillizza
Washington Post
December 2, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa -- As The Fix trekked back and forth on ice-slicked roads to a series of Democratic presidential forums today one thing became very clear: Barack Obama is hitting his stride…


<><>WAR/TERROR<><><><><>><><><>

Will the Security Improvements in Iraq Endure?
U.S. Presses Baghdad For Progress in Aiding Once-Restive Areas

By Yochi J. Dreazen and Gina Chon
Wall Street Journal
December 3, 2007

JURF AS SAKR, Iraq -- Sheikh Sabah al Janabi led the Sunni tribal fighters that helped U.S. forces reclaim this one-time militant stronghold, which has been violence-free for weeks. But over tea with a visiting U.S. military delegation, Mr. Janabi made clear he was in no mood to celebrate…

Rove's Version of 2002 War Vote Is Disputed

By Peter Baker
Washington Post
December 1, 2007

Former White House aide Karl Rove said yesterday it was Congress, not President Bush, who wanted to rush a vote on the looming war in Iraq in the fall of 2002, a version of events disputed by leading congressional Democrats and even some former Rove colleagues…


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

How New MPG Standards Could Crimp Your Ride

By Mike Spector
Wall Street Journal
December 3, 2007

The vehicles Americans drive got steadily bigger, faster and less fuel efficient for more than two decades, thanks to cheap oil and Washington's hands-off approach to regulation. If Congress passes the energy bill it is now considering, that trend would be jammed into reverse…

Social Security in crisis? Hardly.

By David R. Francis
Christian Science Monitor
December 3, 2007

Despite doomsayers' predictions, the program is solvent, effective, and highly likely to continue that way…