Top Items:

New Questions Arise in Killing of Ex-Premier — LAHORE, Pakistan — New details of Benazir Bhutto's final moments, including indications that her doctors felt pressured to conform to government accounts of her death, fueled the arguments over her assassination on Sunday and added to the pressure …
Discussion:
The Swamp, Agence France Presse, Captain's Quarters, CNN, The Newshoggers, Hot Air, PBD, Macsmind, Jules Crittenden and Sky News
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What Bhutto Was Worried About — The assassination of Benazir Bhutto followed two months of urgent pleas to the State Department by her representatives for better protection. The U.S. reaction was that she was worried over nothing, expressing assurance that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf would not let anything happen to her.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters

Bhutto ‘blocked from hiring US bodyguards’ — Benazir Bhutto was so fearful for her life that she tried to hire British and American security experts to protect her, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. — But the plans collapsed because President Pervez Musharraf refused to allow …

Opposition Parties Vow to Proceed With Jan. 8 Election
Discussion:
Voice of America, ThreatsWatch, Guardian, A Blog For All, PoliGazette and Matthew Yglesias


In Iowa, Bubba is back — CHEROKEE, IA — Before he was a silver-haired elder statesman, ex-president, and globe-trotting do-gooder, Bill Clinton was Bubba. — And out in rural Western Iowa, Bubba is back. — The ex-president, in a nice gray suit, spoke to packed rooms in three …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters
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Thunder in the Heartland — PERRY, Iowa — In the state …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters

With New Poll Results, Candidates Scramble for Edge in Caucuses
Discussion:
truthout

Thompson Makes His Move — On the Internet as of sometime this afternoon, Fred Thompson's closing argument to the people of Iowa. — Whereas Romney is saturating the airwaves with attack ads, Thompson pays the voters the courtesy of speaking calmly, and in detail—the video runs to just over 15 minutes.
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Looking at America — There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture of prisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators …


ANTI-MILITARY LAWYER DAMAGES MARINE'S CAR ON EVE OF DEPLOYMENT — This ought to make your blood boil. And this Marine should receive a commendation for not kicking the living crap out of the guy...seriously. — Marine Sgt Mike McNulty is on activation orders to Iraq (second tour).

The Great Divide — Yesterday The Times published a highly informative chart laying out the positions of the presidential candidates on major issues. It was, I'd argue, a useful reality check for those who believe that the next president can somehow usher in a new era of bipartisan cooperation.


France stands up to Syria — No scarf for Sarkozy as he suspends diplomatic relations — over the Lebanese elections. — Nicolas Sarkozy — L'Americain — continues to show more courage in his little pinky than the Democratic Party combined when it comes to the War on Terrorism.
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Ron Paul's War Chest Swelled in 4th Quarter — Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul may lag behind in public-opinion polls. But after raising about $19 million for the final three months of the year, he is now among his party's front-runners in the race for campaign cash.

Bloomberg Moves Closer to Running for President — Buoyed by the still unsettled field, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City is growing increasingly enchanted with the idea of making an independent presidential bid, and his aides are aggressively laying the groundwork for him to run.


Huckabee's double-edged faith — Religion helped him as governor, he says. Some saw it as a hindrance. — ARKADELPHIA, ARK. — Five days after the tornado tore through the state, this city of 10,000 lay in ruins. The cyclone destroyed an office building, a bank, a pharmacy and 70 other businesses.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Carpetbagger Report, Riehl World View, Liberal Values, The Raw Story and race42008.com
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Aksa Martyrs Brigades calls for Fayad's assassination — Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, on Sunday called for the murder of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad for “collaboration” with Israel and the US. — This was the first time the group has openly called for Fayad's assassination.

Lender Lobbying Blitz Abetted Mortgage Mess — Ameriquest Pressed — For Changes in Laws; A Battle in New Jersey — During the housing boom, the subprime industry succeeded at more than just writing mortgages. It also shot down efforts by some states to curtail risky lending to borrowers with spotty credit.

What's It All About? — As usual with calls for less partisanship and more moderation, the striking thing about this new initiative is its vacuousness. There are two kinds of thing a centrist movement might reasonably stand for. One would be a middle-ground approach to issues …

McCain's Unlikely Ties to K Street — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took a break from the presidential campaign trail in March to fly to a posh Utah ski resort, where he mingled with hundreds of top corporate executives assembled by J.P. Morgan Chase for its annual leadership conference.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report