memeorandum: Idaho Senators Block Bush's ATF Pick (Matthew Daly/Associated Press)

8:15 AM ET, December 13, 2007

Top Items:

Fred Wins, Iowa Loses — Why Carolyn Washburn should keep her day job. — HERE WE WERE on Wednesday, a nation of political junkies gathered around our televisions to watch the candidates debate each other one last time, and we had as a moderator one Carolyn Washburn, the editor of the Des Moines Register.

Discussion: The Campaign Spot, Don Surber, Telegraph Blogs, Captain's Quarters, Flopping Aces, michellemalkin.com, Democratic Strategist, Blue Crab Boulevard, Macsmind, Right Wing News, Hot Air, Cameron's Corner and The Corner

Rick Klein / ABCNEWS:

ANALYSIS: Huckabee Shines in Lackluster Debate — Last Chance GOP Debate a Missed Opportunity for Would-Be Iowa Contenders — The GOP Des Moines Register debate was lackluster but good news for front-runners Mike Huckabee, of Arkansas and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker, Hot Air, Time and Eunomia

New York Times:

Republican Presidential Debate — REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE PARTICIPANTS: — FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR RUDOLPH GIULIANI FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY FORMER TENNESSEE SENATOR FRED THOMPSON FORMER AMBASSADOR ALAN KEYES MODERATOR: CAROLYN WASHBURN

Discussion: Power Line and LewRockwell.com Blog

Michelle Malkin:

Digging deeper: The enviro-nitwit-ization of the GOP — Well, fun was had by all yesterday covering the stultifying Schoolmarm and the GOP candidates in Iowa. Fred Thompson earned his gold medal for refusing to follow Schoolmarm's order for a show of hands on an inane global warming question.

Discussion: Power Line, Weekly Standard, Right Wing News and Hot Air

Paul Waldman / American Prospect:
The Plutocrats v. The Theocrats

Discussion: Eunomia

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
A Debate in Name Only — JOHNSTON, Iowa - In a debate …

Discussion: Democratic Strategist

Eric Kleefeld / TPM Election Central:
Election Central Debate Roundup

Discussion: The New Republic

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Dems cave on spending — Senate and House Democrats backed down Wednesday from a spending showdown with President Bush. — The Democrats' capitulation Wednesday on the total domestic spending level is the latest instance of Bush prevailing on a major policy showdown.

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere and Wizbang

Ed Henry / CNN:

Deal would give Bush victory on war funding — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democratic lawmakers and staffers privately say they're closing in on a broad budget deal that would give President Bush as much as $70 billion in new war funding. — The deal would lack a key provision Democrats had attached …

Discussion: Salon, Open Left and The American Street

Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:

Democrats Bow to Bush's Demands in House Spending Bill — House Democratic leaders yesterday agreed to meet President Bush's bottom-line spending limit on a sprawling, half-trillion-dollar domestic spending bill, dropping their demands for as much as $22 billion in additional spending …

Discussion: Dr. Sanity

Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
Pelosi buys $16K worth of flowers

Discussion: RealClearPolitics, Wake up America, Redstate and Say Anything

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Pelosi backs down in spending battle

Discussion: Redstate, New York Times, The Politico, The Crypt's Blogs, Weekly Standard, Blue Crab Boulevard and Wake up America

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

Clinton Aide Sees Problem for Obama — DES MOINES — A top adviser to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that Senator Barack Obama's admission of illegal drug use as a young man could threaten his electability and be seized on by Republicans if he won the Democratic presidential nomination.

Discussion: Ace of Spades HQ

Philip Elliott / Associated Press:

Clinton Camp Targets Obama's Drug Use — CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A top adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said Wednesday that Democrats should give more thought to Sen. Barack Obama's admissions of illegal drug use before they pick a presidential candidate.

Discussion: Craig Crawford's Trail Mix and Telegraph Blogs

Wyocwby / stephenbainbridge.com:
Personal Presidential Elimination Process: The Case Against Mike Huckabee

Discussion: Ross Douthat

The Washington Post / The Trail:
Clinton N.H. Official Warns Obama Will Be Attacked on Drug Use

The Politico:
HRC troubles may pose problem for Giuliani

Discussion: Betsy's Page, The Swamp, New York Observer and The Moderate Voice

AlterNet.org:

The Cartoon Mitt Romney Doesn't Want You To See [VIDEO] — Posted by Oliver Willis, Oliver Willis.com at 4:32 AM on December 12, 2007. — That it's got over 500,000 views on YouTube can't help someone like Mitt Romney — I don't know enough about Mormon theology to know if this bit …

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Brilliant at Breakfast and Clayton Cramer's BLOG

Alex Mooney / CNN:
Huckabee apologizes for comments on Mormons

Discussion: L.A. Times and The World Wide Rant

CNN Political Ticker:
Huckabee apologizes to Romney for Mormon comment

Discussion: The Politico and Jonathan Martin's Blogs

Henry Kissinger / Washington Post:

Misreading the Iran Report — The extraordinary spectacle of the president's national security adviser obliged to defend the president's Iran policy against a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) raises two core issues: How are we now to judge the nuclear threat posed by Iran?

Discussion: Power Line

CNN:

Muslim helps Jews attacked on New York subway — NEW YORK (CNN) — A Muslim man jumped to the aid of three Jewish subway riders after they were attacked by a group of young people who objected to one of the Jews saying "Happy Hanukkah," a spokeswoman for the three said Wednesday.

Discussion: Unqualified Offerings and THE LIBERAL JOURNAL

James Rowley / MiamiHerald.com:

General won't say waterboarding violates Geneva Conventions — WASHINGTON — A U.S. military legal advisor wouldn't rule out the possibility that statements by suspected terrorists subjected to waterboarding, or simulated drowning, could be used at hearings being conducted at Guantánamo Bay.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Think Progress and Rising Hegemon

Matthew Daly / Associated Press:

Idaho Senators Block Bush's ATF Pick — Idaho's senators are blocking President Bush's nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, saying the agency has become overly aggressive in enforcing gun laws. — Republican Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo placed separate holds …

David Schraub / The Moderate Voice:

Attackers Shouted "This is a Christian Country" — ...before the ten of them started beating up a group of Jews on the Q train in New York City. — 2 Comments for the post: Attackers Shouted "This is a Christian Country" — Entropy said, — And the point of this post is? — Idiosyncrat said,

Discussion: The Mahablog, Liberty Street and Neptunus Lex