Blog Archives: January 2008

Blog: Veracifier

Shorter Freedom's Watch: Let Bush spy or it's 9/11 all over again

Bradley Blakeman, Freedom's Watch CEO and former top White House aide, uses the death of his nephew on 9/11 to argue in favor of granting telecommunications companies immunity from lawsuits for illegally spying on Americans (from my inbox):I lost my nephew Senior Court Officer Tommy Jurgens on Septe

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John McCain just can't win

The Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain say the Republican presidential frontrunner is the Manchurian Candidate, and now Robert Greenwald and Arianna Huffington are calling him General Buck Turgidson, a la Dr. Strangelove:That's OK, Sen. McCain - I hear that Huff Post's Living section is going to d

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Giuliani to help overcome McCain's money malaise?

Alright, we know that John McCain is broke. And even if he's got momentum, some conservative pundits are already speculating that it's not going to turn into money. To boot, a lot of Rudy Giuliani's supporters don't appear ready to open up their checkbooks again, says the Wall Street Journal, even

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Why Are There No Black Republicans in Florida?

More from our Ground Hounds and The Uptake... Today, U of MN Professor John Logie interprets the meaning behind Florida exit poll metrics for both Republicans and Democrats; e.g., are there no black Republicans in Florida? Prof. Logie also comments on the Clinton strategy of trying to seat Florida

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Super Tuesday Southern Fried Tour

We're taking it to the streets. Or the highways, at least. The UpTake's Chuck Olsen, one of our enterprising Ground Hounds, is launching a Southern Fried Road Trip in honor of Super Tuesday. What's the best way to know what's going on in this country? Ask the people on the ground. He'll be talki

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It's All About Control: Hillary Says She Can Handle Bill

Hillary takes responsibility for Bill's Comments. Here's the whole interview. In my mind, the central dichotomy of Hillary Clinton's campaign has been its renowned calculation and discipline versus the perception of 'wild' Bill as maverick attack dog, shooting from the hip despite a questionable

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James Kotecki Rounds Up the CA Debates

What's better than McCain and Romney taking it to the weeds?  James Kotecki singing about it.  Great political round up, but where are the pencil puppets? [source: The Politico] 

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The "Layoff Cackle"

At last night's Republican debates, John McCain explained why he thinks Romney's business experience doesn't prepare him to be Commander-in-Chief... Romney cackles back.  A cackling President?Really?

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Question of the day

On the Fox News morning program "Fox and Friends," the following bump was just offered up prior to a set of TV commercials: Should illegal immigrants get tax rebate checks if they pay income tax? If a soldier is under 21, should he be able to buy a drink? My understanding of these mor

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Giuliani to Endorse McCain

While the other GOP candidates gather for the last Republican debate before Super Tuesday, Giuliani will be packing up his presidential candidacy bags and heading home. On the way, he's lending his support to McCain: As was the plan even before Rudy Giuliani's Florida firewall turned to ash,

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John Edwards Formally Ends Presidental Campaign

 It's official. Former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina who ran for president on a platform of progressive populism has dropped out of the presidential race today. Making his announcement from the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, where his campaign began, Senator Edwards reiterated the im

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New York Post Backs Obama

 From the New York Post: January 30, 2008 -- Democrats in 22 states across America go to the polls next Tuesday to pick between two presidential prospects: Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. We urge them to choose Obama - an untried candidate, to be sure, but preferable to the junior senator f

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CNN Says Goodbye To Edwards, So Do We

As CNN says goodbye to Edwards, they're probably wondering who they'll turn to next to be the Democratic punching bag. From the 400 dollar haircut on, he's been at the mercy of American's TV Personalities (clearly the brainiest people around, right?) from Drudge to The Hill. Taylor Marsh reacts:Hi

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What Do You Think?

What do you think? Assuming he doesn't quickly endorse one candidate or the other, who does Edwards' exit help? There are some number crunching arguments that it helps Hillary -- with the three candidates to split delegates in states where they're alloted by district, the highest vote getter gets ma

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Bill and Hillary's Florida Win*

In Iowa, when the caucus was called for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton made the choice to give a victory speak rather than a courteous yet rallying concession. In South Carolina, Bill and Hillary Clinton made the choice to not only belittle the accomplishments of Barack Obama but in so doing diminish

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Has FOX Forgotten Ron Paul?

In their two hours of primary coverage, FOX didn't mention Dr. Paul once... meanwhile, Giuliani, who's been behind Ron Paul in recent primaries, has been the talk of the town. With the recent Edwards pull-out, will Paul gain some speed? OpEd News thinks so:This has been a tough week, with, first D

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Edwards to drop out

John Edwards is expected to end his Presidential campaign this afternoon.  He'll make the announcement in a speech in New Orleans, where he announced his candidacy last year.  CNN reports that he is not dropping out due to his wife's health.  He will endorse neither Obama not HIllary at this time

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Slight apology?

Josh pointed out this caged/slight apology for Bill Clinton's behaviour in South Carolina, on CNN tonigh. 

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McCain: Front Runner

ABC calls it- tomorrow Giuliani drops out and endorses McCain. In his victory speech McCain invoked Reagan and speaks highly of his oponents. One question- if McCain is the GOP front runner going into Super Tuesday, is this good or bad for Obama? I think good for Obama- dems think that a divisive fi

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Giuliani speaking- out/not out?

Is he going to quit tonight? Sounds like it.. lots of past tense, "I want to congratulate my opponents... you young people should be very proud..." (Weird dis of Ron Paul)UPDATE: Hmmm.. guess not out yet, but certainly sounded like it. Rudy says he is proud that he ran a campign that was uplifting,

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Networks calling it for McCain

A narrow win for McCain. Unsurprising a nice senior turnout for him. So- will we see Giuliani in LA tomorrow? Probably endorsing McCain rather than debating..

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Giuliani tanks

The limp sad ordeal that was the Giuliani campaign looks to be ending tonight. If you didn't see our vid. of Rudy's morning show round robin, here it is again. (In memorium).

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Obama loses beauty contest?

Looks like Hillary is the hands down winner in Florida, with HC planning a major victory rally tonight. A good way of putting a spanner in the Obama-rama-mentum of the past week. All this means 0 delegates, but is this a good barometer of Super Tuesday? CNN just pointed out that if Obama does as

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3% in, McCain and Clinton lead

Giuliani7,59218%Clinton25,11658%Huckabee7,35318% Edwards7,15117% McCain12,09329%Obama9,07221%

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Official Mascot of the 2008 Election

 Lee Stranahan has created this hilarious vid for TPM. Enjoy 

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Obama Tops Gawker

There's news coverage, and then there's Gawker. And currently topping its blog is Barack Obama, proving that Obamarama has taken everyone by storm except Daily Kos fans in Michigan. So if you too find yourself stuck with a case of Obamania, Super Tuesday may provide the salve: you, too, can cele

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Richardson Being Pressured to Endorse; Plans to Announce Friday

The Washington Post is reporting that Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico is planning on endorsing a presidential candidate on Friday. Richardson was the last democrat to drop out of the race, besides Dennis Kucinich and is very popular in the Southwest. Senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and

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Republicans WANT Racial Polarization

In the event things hadn't gotten nasty enough, FOX brings us to the next level: Republican strategist Rich Gallen says, coming out of South Carolina, he hopes voters will break along racial lines.  Because "as a Republican, I think that'll be fine."    

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Targeted & Effective

You might have read that President Bush's State of the Union speech was uninspired and trite. Au contraire; it was targeted and effective. He announced significant new policy, affected public opinion in advance of coming policy fights in Congress and gave the Republican Party a pep-talk in advance

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Uninspired

Sorry.  I'm just calling it like I see it.At the very end, with President Bush autographing his way up the aisle, he was praised for doing a good job.  "I enjoyed being up there," he answered."You looked like you did," the complimenter added.Yes, you did like hearing the sound of your own voice on

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State of the Union Livewire

Ooooh, the President almost gave Cheney's copy of the speech to Pelosi. Bad start for the Vice President - he would have been very cross if the national secrets in his folder had gone to a Congressional Democrat.You see, the crack about the IRS taking checks and money orders is funny because poor p

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Pre-gaming the State of the Union

The journalists have all seen the excerpts and the White House has already told us not to expect any surprises, so how are you going to get through this thing?  You'll get by with a little help from your friends.  These are my friends over here on the right, and the seal on my new bottle was just

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SOTU Preview: Bush to Order Agencies to Ignore Earmarks

Despite a pledge to bring earmarks under control, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid saw 11,331 earmarks passed in 2007 - a 426% increase - second only to 2005's more than 13,000 earmarks. But if President Bush has his way, those are the last 11,331 earmarks in American history.The White House has announc

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Live Blogging SOTU

Or, The Sitting Duck QuacksJoin us tonight for live blogging with our newest writer, Michael Roston, during Bush's seventh and final State of the Union address. Expect to hear about the economy (don't worry, it'll be fine), the surge (we're winning!), prevention of terrorism (tapping phones of bad

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Senator Edward Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy Obama Endorsement

 The speech this morning at American University in Washington DC. 

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Obama's "Slum Landlord" Friend, Rezko, Arrested

At last week's debate in South Carolina, Hillary Clinton called out Obama on his shady dealings with Tony Rezko, developer/alleged-extortionist/"slum landlord." Bad news for Obama: Rezko just got arrested. He's been on bail in a trial on charges of business fraud and influence peddling. According

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Live Blogging Obama's Address at American

We're live blogging today from Barack Obama's address to the American University community in Washington, D.C. Check back for updates!When I arrived at Tenleytown this morning at 9 a.m., I was greeted by an unfamiliar site: a seemingly endless crowd lining the streets of American University. Thi

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Ground Hounds: Congressional support for Obama

Representatives Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Gwen Moore of Wisconsin are big Barack Obama supporters. They were both in Minneapolis Saturday night firing up Minnesota Democrats for victory in November. They both shared their thoughts on what Obama's South Carolina Primary victory means.

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Never Underestimate the Power of Denial

The scene on MSNBC Sunday night was almost too surreal for words. For reasons I cannot even begin to explain, I sat in my living room on a Saturday night (about a bottle of wine deep), watching Joe Scarborough and his oracle pals mindlessly unpack Barack Obama’s domination in South Carolina. All a

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Hillary on Transparency: Let's Put Bloggers in Government Agencies

Now there's an idea we can really get excited about.  I'm envisioning something along the lines of the set up Matthew Lee has at the United Nations.  Hillary's talk of having bloggers reporting on government agencies in real time is so intriguing that you almost forget about the wacky qu

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Monday Morning Must-Reads

Surge in Early Voting Shifts FL Races [NYT]  A surge of early voting by Florida Democrats and Republicans has startled officials here and injected additional complexity into the state’s presidential primaries on Tuesday.  Democratic candidates are not overtly campaigning here because of the Demo

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A President Like My Father

Caroline Kennedy's Op-Ed in Sunday's New York Times:OVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am support

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"Yes We Can," Obama Supporters Revel in Victory Speech

With 55 percent of the vote, Obama's got it signed, sealed, delivered in South Carolina just like his campaign slogan sings.  And tonight at his victory speech, he addressed in elated crowd of supporters and reaffirmed their choice.  "The kind of change we seek will not come easy," he told the cro

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Caroline Kennedy Endorses Obama

First daughter Caroline Kennedy endorses Obama in a NYT Sunday Op-Ed as he takes the stage at his Victory bash in South Carolina.  More to come when the Op-Ed goes live.

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Obama gains speed with huge win in SC

It certainly didn't have the last-minute drama that last week's GOP primary did, but for sheer decisiveness, the Obama campaign's big win in the Democratic primary on Saturday in South Carolina is dramatic enough, if not downright historic.Usually when the national media starts projecting winners in

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Bill Addresses Crowd

Now that Hillary's congratulated Obama, it's time, once again, for her husband to take the stage.  "He won fair and square.  We went there, asked the people to vote for us, he won there.  Now we go to February 5, where millions of Americans finally get in the rack," he told the crowd. Bill Clint

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Taking on SC Economy and Media

Check out with the newest Ground Hounds video: an interview with Tim Kelly of www.crackthebell.com - Tim, a native of South Carolina, shares his thoughts on the effects of the economy and mainstream media on the South Carolina primary.  For more video like this, visit our partners TheUptake.org.

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Florida Governor for McCain

Shaking things up on the Republican side, hard-to-get Florida Governor Charlie Crist tonight endorsed John McCain. In fact, he did a live press conference, interrupting what could have been still-returning democratic primary results.  The news coup isn't as big as the political one.  Crist, a form

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Obama Sweeps SC

 With only three percent of precincts reporting, the South Carolina primary has already been called for Barack Obama. He'll win a majority of the delegates from Charleston to Columbia, and CNN projects that Hillary will pull 14 of the 45 delegates in the state. Moreover, Obama is winning 52% of n

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Dispatch From the Trail

After starting her day on Friday at Benedict College with a Town Hall Meeting, Senator Hillary Clinton made appearances in Rock Hill and Columbia, South Carolina, before ending the day with an election eve rally in North Charleston.     The rally was held in the tastefully decorative environs

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More from SC: race not a big issue

It never fails to amaze us how out of touch and gullible the national media are when it comes to the South and race. Based on the coverage from the Washington Post, NY Times, MSNBC, CNN and FOX, you'd think that South Carolina is still operating like it was 187o with lynchings and crosses burning on

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Is Hillary prepping for a defeat in SC?

No one is talking about the weather this week as Democrats go to the polls for their primary today, but a lot of people are talking about whether Hillary Clinton has already conceded South Carolina to Barack Obama. When she left the state earlier this week for a few events in Florida, most folks fig

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SC Dems Get Out the Vote

This time last week, and reports of failed voting machines were already rolling in. But today, the only news from South Carolina is seamless voting and high turn-out. From The Sun News' PoliTick-Tock blog:  As the first ballots were cast at 7 a.m. this morning, Horry County officials

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New Segment: Ask Veracifier a Question

Here at Veracifier we’re working on a new idea. On a daily basis we receive questions and ideas from viewers, both here on the site and on our youtube page. Usually we answer these questions on an individual basis, but we are going to start taking interesting questions and answering them on the bl

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Barnstorming Breakfast: Hillary in the Morning

Because nothing says politics like Goodmorning America, Hillary took on today's morning shows. 

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Barack Does the Top Ten on Letterman

Barack Obama was on the Late Show with David Letterman. It's good Dave has his writers back. Watch Barack do the Top Ten.  

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Immigration Policy Confusing?

It can be for us, too. A new video from The UpTake's Corrine McDermid takes an on-the-ground look at America's immigration problem: five days in grueling desert conditions with no water, to start. For more information on where the candidates stand on immigration: Hillary Clinton on immigration: I

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Where Art Ron Paul?

Ron Paul came in second in the Nevada caucuses and has outshown Rudy Giuliani every step of the way... so where are all his supporters?  Turns out, some of them were at a Giuliani event (heckling).  Meanwhile, Ron Paul advocated the dissolution of the income tax on MSNBC.   When we're talking ab

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WMD's Went to Jordan? Huck's Hand at Foreign Policy

Mike Huckabee thinks that Saddam's missing WMDs probably went to Jordan, even though Jordan, whose largely pro-western policy is a breath of fresh air in that neighborhood and whose cooperation in the last middle east peace process shouldn't be forgotten.  But with Huck's evangelical, zionist philo

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NYT Endorses Clinton, McCain

The Gray Lady has made her electoral move, the AP reports: The New York Times editorial board has endorsed Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain in the presidential primary race. In editorials posted Thursday on the newspaper's Web site, the board argued forcefully on Clinton's behalf,

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Kucinich Is Out (We'll Miss His Wife)

For more coverage of Dennis Kucinich, go to the Openers blog. It's official, Dennis Kucinich is "transitioning out of the Presidential campaign."  He told his hometown paper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, he'd make the official announcement at a press conference on Friday.  I'm not sure what makes

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FOX Claims Firefighters Against Rudy are Dems

If they don't like Rudy, they must be dems?   Non-partisan (supposedly) Bill Sammon must think so, because he's convinced the Firefighters Against Giuliani are just an "arm of the Democratic party."  Apparently he can also read the mind of every firefighter from 9/11 - you know, all those happy o

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Bill Can't Stay Out Of The Kitchen

When Hillary told Chris Matthews "if you  can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen," she probably never imagined that her husband would soon be in it - and making fires. Gapper says he's risking his "global brand" - but maybe what's at risk is Hillary, not Bill.   

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On The Trail With Barack Obama

   As Barack Obama carves a path through the state of South Carolina, he leaves behind thousands of college co-eds who are “fired up and ready to go!”  Earlier this week, the Democratic candidate made a stop in Greenwood, South Carolina, the home of Lander University, where he was wel

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Rudy Lowers Expectations for Florida as McCain Leads in Polls

I knew things were looking bad for Rudy Giuliani when he appeared on This Week with George Stephanopoulos wearing more eye make-up than Liza with a Z.  Note to Rudy:  The mascara does open up your eyes for the camera, but it also makes you look kind of crazed in a Fellini Satyricon sort of (bad) w

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Al Gore Declares Support for Gay Marriage

Former Vice-President and environmental leader Al Gore has released a video on the Current TV network, where he serves on the board, endorsing full marriage equality for gays and lesbians. Its not clear why Gore has chosen this particular time to come out in support for marriage rights or if he is t

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Bush Administration’s Lie Count: 935

Huffington Post is reporting that according to a study by two journalistic organizations, the Bush Administration told 935 lies and false statements in the two-year period between September 11, 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003.Click here to read the article.

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Hillary Clinton’s New Negative Attack Ad

Hillary Clinton has released a radio ad attacking Barack Obama on his comments about Ronald Reagan and the GOP. Check it out:  

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New York Observer Endorses Barack Obama

The New York Observer has endorsed Illinois Senator Barack Obama today over New York’s junior senator, Hillary Clinton. Calling him the best hope for “restoring and reinvigorating American democracy,” the endorsement is not a rebuke of Hillary Clinton but rather a powerful enumeration of the n

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Muscling Their Way Into Another 8 Years?

Are Hillary and Bill muscling their way into another eight years?  "They're doing it methodically, ruthlessly, and with enormous energy," reports  Newt Gingrich, otherwise known as the Biggest Clinton Fan Since Dick Morris.   

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Are Hillary and Edwards Talking Strategy?

When I tuned in to watch the democrats debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Monday, I was expecting a big night for Barack Obama.  I just felt it in my gut.  After all, he’s ahead in the polls, which we have already forgotten not to trust.  And I had already laughed myself sore earlier in the day wa

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From sizzle to fizzle. Thompson out.

Live by the Shamble, Die by the Shamble As you can see, Fred Thompson is now officially out of the GOP primary race. You can read his statement here. I thought it was worth pointing out though how hilariously Fred has managed to have his departure be as lackadaisical and delayed as was his entr

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RoboCall: Can You Trust Her?

The new Robocalls are on the loose in South Carolina: and these are getting nasty.  The latest call is an anti-Hillary anthem from Robert Morrow, but who is he anyway?  From TPM:We've gotten reports from two TPM readers in South Carolina that they received a negative robo call this morning about H

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Hannity "Honors" MLK

Al Sharpton wants to celebrate MLK Day by talking about how we've closed the racial gaps, Sean Hannity calls respected Harlem preacher and activist Rev. Calvin Butts a racist.  [After he endorsed Clinton, no less.]     

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Hillary and Obama Duke It Out in Dixie

Never underestimate the capacity for Democratic infighting.  It's how we define the partyline, after all.  And, as every headline this morning reads, last night  in South Carolina, Obama and Clinton proved the stereotype to be no less true in this campaign than any other.   

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Giuliani: "Our Strategy Has Kinda Worked Out"

He's gone from "I'll win Florida" to "we'll get a strong showing." And he's been beat by Ron Paul two times already. Proving that, at the very least, the Texas M.D. should take a shot at Gracie Mansion.

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Lights Out in Gaza

From the NYT: JERUSALEM — Israel’s closing of its border crossings with Gaza remained in effect Sunday, and Gaza’s only electricity plant shut down because of a shortage of imported fuel needed to run it. Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, ordered a temporary halt on all imports in

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Barack Strikes Back!

Barack Obama says he's ready to take on the ex-president, whose involvement in his wife's campaign Obama finds "troubling." And he said so on Good Morning, America. "You know the former president, who I think all of us have a lot of regard for, has taken his advocacy on behalf of his wife to a l

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Monday Morning Must-Reads

Don't Concede Issues of Ethics and Clean Government to McCain  [My DD]      Leaving aside a debate over whether John Edwards would be the strongest Democrat to go up against John McCain in a general election, I'd like to focus a bit on Edwards' language here. I don't mean to pick on Edwards bu

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Winning in the West... The New Frontier?

And what happened in Nevada, anyway? Is the West the new frontier for the Democratic party? Nevada's Democratic Party Rhair, Jill Derby, talked to Ground Hound Corrine McDermond about why Nevada was chosen to be one of the early states in the nominating process. And, in light of the two-winner p

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"If We Go to Vegas, We've Got to Have Something that Lights Up!"

Forget Rocking the Casbah, this guy is Baracking the Caucus: Another great Ground Hound report from Royce D'Orazio as he talks to the man with with the plan... or the van... well, er, actually it's a truck, rolling around supporting Obama around the nation

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Ground Hounds in Nevada: Hillary Wins!

Ground Hound Royce D'Orazio caught up with some Hillary supporters in Nevada after her victory speech last night... certainly thrilled with her victory, they extoll the New York Senator's virtues - including her sincerity. Meanwhile, not everyone was so thrilled. Especially the Minutemen that he

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Vote for Cousin John McCain!

 Forget the Des Moines Register, the New York Times or the Washington Post…The Finn Valley Voice has officially endorsed John McCain!The Finn Valley Voice is not a paper from South Carolina or even Florida. It’s located in Ballybofey, a small town in County Donegal, in the North-West of Ireland

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McCain Addresses The Citadel; Huckabee Says Almost

Ah, the adoring crowds of the Citadel for a military king. The best way to celebrate a victory (if you're McCain). And Huckabee takes second:

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The SC Wrap-Up

In what has to be somewhat of an emotional vindication for John McCain, the Arizona senator finally was able to exorcise the nasty ghosts of 2000 when he was slimed by the Bush machine and is on his way to a win over Mike Huckabee in the South Carolina Primary on Saturday night.We're waiting for M

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Celebrating at the Citadel

97 percent of the votes are counted and John McCain's celebrating at the Citadel (with an equally pro-military crowd). With McCain and Romney now tied with double wins, Huckabee's left to play catch-up and the road to the GOP pick is beginning to look clearer. (Unless, of course, Giuliani takes Fl

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On the McCain Win

In what has to be somewhat of an emotional vindication for John McCain, the Arizona senator finally was able to exorcise the nasty ghosts of 2000 when he was slimed by the Bush machine  and is on his way to a slim win over Mike Huckabee in the South Carolina Primary on Saturday night. We're waitin

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McCain Victory

CNN has joined the ranks of those calling it for McCain, and the AP says: Sen. John McCain won a hard-fought South Carolina primary Saturday night, avenging a bitter personal defeat in a bastion of conservatism and gaining ground in an unpredictable race for the Republican presidential nominati

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NBC Calls it for McCain, Last Minute Counts

There are just a few counties left to report in and right the unofficial results show McCain holding onto a 3% lead with about 80% of precincts reporting. Two counties remaining that could be the difference are Aiken County -- the home turf of Strom Thurmond and Darlington County, which is near Flor

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Delegates or Direct Vote? Nevada Center of New Drama

So much for a smooth win for Clinton.  In a near-microcosmic repeat of the 2000 election, Barack Obama seems to have won the most delegates in Nevada, while Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.   From The Nation:The Obama Campaign is now pushing hard to promote this delegate victory. The campaig

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78 Percent: Still Three Points Difference

McCain is still just three points ahead of Mike Huckabee with more than three quarters of the votes in... while we're still waiting on a winner in South Carolina, one thing is abundantly clear: the GOP still hasn't found It's Candidate.

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Update: McCain Lead Slipping, Cable Babble Increasing

UPDATE 9:01 p.m. I'm so ready for the talking heads on cable news to go away. They're really starting to get annoying. Pat Buchanan is talking about his sister's thoughts on Immigration on MSNBC and Juan Williams and Fred Barnes on FOX NEWS have mentioned Ronald Reagan four times in the past 20 minu

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McCain May Take Greenville Co.

UPDATE 8:50 p.m. Here's a shocker. It appears McCain is going to take Greenville County, which is smack dab in the  middle of the highly Evangelical center of the state's Upstate. Huckabee is leading in every other Upstate county, including the No. 4 population center, York County, but right now, M

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McCain, Huck Still in Dead Heat

34 to 30 isn't much of a lead, but with 52 percent of precincts  reporting, it's the current percentage lead McCain has on Mike Huckabee. 

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McCain Looks Strong in Population Centers

With just about a quarter of the results in, John McCain's numbers are looking good in Columbia and Charleston, two of the top three largest population centers in the state. McCain holds a 6-point lead, with 25% reporting, over Mike Huckabee who, as expected, is polling strong in Greenville, the cen

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22 percent, McCain Still Leads

McCain is still securely in the lead at 36 percent, with Huckabee following at 28 percent and Thompson at 15.  Romney is tied with the former Tennessee Senator but ... surprise, surprise ... Giuliani's only got two percent of the vote.  If he's been pushing in Florida and counting on that win - it

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McCain, Huckster

With 3 percent of precincts  reporting, McCain currently holds 38 percent of the vote in South Carolina with Huckabee trailing at 24 percent.

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AP Says SC Too Close to Call

While CNN is still reporting that McCain is in the lead, the AP says that his race with Huckabee is too close to call:COLUMBIA, S.C. - Republicans John McCain and Mike Huckabee were in a tight race in South Carolina's GOP presidential primary Saturday as polls closed.Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson al

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McCain Leads SC

With early votes just arriving, CNN reports that McCain leads South Carolina with 33 percent of the vote.

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Voting Machine Problems Plague SC

As many as 90 percent of the machines in one coastal Carolina county didn't work when polls opened this morning, the AP reports. And things in Myrtle Beach weren't much better:  Lisa Bourcier, a spokeswoman in Horry County, which is home to Myrtle Beach, said 80 percent of the roughly 400 machi

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More News Out of SC

UPDATE 5:20 p.m. Looks like the McCain camp is not too pleased with the performance of the Horry County election people. Several McCain officials are calling for the firing of officials in charge of the voting machines in Myrtle Beach and are pressing the state to keep the polls open past 7 p.m. I

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Waiting for Results, McCain Heads to Movies

There will be blood! Especially if he's not the winner.But while he waits, McCain is doing the only logical thing on a rainy Saturday in the Southland... no, not watch reruns of Tiger football games. He's heading to the movie theater. With the wealth of news to report (the teen suspected of Ben

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McCain trying to get polls to stay open later in SC

After reports of voting machine trouble in South Carolina, with potential GOP voters being turned away from polling stations, the McCain campaign is seeking a judge to keep polls open later tonight. Full story here. Polls are due to close at 7pm

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Hillary wins Nevada

4:05pm CNN is calling Nevada for Hillary. With 2% reporting Hillary looks to have about 52%, Obama 44%.

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SC Primary Special Report

Let's talk about the Weather:Everyone is all a twitter today with predictions that the nasty weather is going to somehow have an affect on turnout. As usual with the mainstream media, whenever there is anything but blue skies on an election day, most TV reports are focused on the cold rain in the Mi

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More Dirty Tricks in Nevada?

The Obama campaign has released a tape of calls taking place in Nevada accusing Obama of being in bed with Washington lobbyists. TPM got a copy, though it is currently uncorroberated. Note the repeated use of Barack's full name "Barack Hussein Obama".

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Voter suppression

You have been hearing the Clinton camp's complaints about union intimidation, TPM snagged this recording of Bill Clinton saying he had personally witnessed voter suppression.

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Hillary and Obama

With the doors about to closed at in Nevada, coming up is a look at Hillary and Barack- last night our intrepid ground hounds Royce and Corrine attended rallys for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in Nevada Here is Corrine's video from the Hillary rally

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Paul rising, Rudy tanking

2.20pm: With just about everyone saying Romney has won Nevada, and with 1% of precincts reporting, could we be looking at a Ron Paul second finish, and Guiliani last? There is quite a fight for second place lining up:McCain is polling 16% of the vote, Ron Paul 15%, Thompson 11%, Huckabee 9% and Giul

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Obama Rally

Intrepid Ground Hound Royce D'Orazio went to an Obama rally last night. Feel the Obama excitement! 

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Breaking: AP calles Nevada for Romney

1.33pm: The AP calls the Nevada Republican Caucus for Romney. See story by AP's David Espo here. Vegas being hit by economic down turn. Vegas looking for Romney's Bain experience to turn around the US economy?

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Ugliness continues on Caucus day in Nevada

By now you may have heard that last night Obama supporters aired Spanish-language advertisments charging Clinton was "shameless" in not respecting the community. The Clinton campaign denounced the ads as desperate, last-minute falsehoods.As a Las Vegas Review-Journal poll showed Clinton leading the

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CIA Names Pakistani Militant in Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

CIA Director Michael Hayden has said named fighters working for Baitullah Mehsud and al-Qaeda in the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. This confirms similar claims made by the Pakistani government that were made shortly after Prime Minister Bhutto was killed. Click her

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Do Candidates Overlook the Poor?

“Screw the middle classes, I will never accept them”. This election cycle, that line from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Evita” has been running through my head – not because I think the middle class crunch is unimportant, but because there’s another segment of society that seems to have been

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President Bush to Enact Tax Relief

With the subprime mortgage crisis, a sagging economy and talk of recession, President Bush today has called for 5 billion in tax relief to stimulate economic growth. With Vice President Cheney standing behind him, President Bush said that while the “Economy has solid foundation there are areas

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ACLU Suing Ohio Over Paper Ballots

AP is reporting that the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state of Ohio the county of Cuyahoga for attempting to switch to a paper ballots for the Ohio primary on March 4th. The ACLU is concerned that paper ballots would not allow voters to correct errors.

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Rich Getting Richer, Poor Getting to the Polls

The rich are still getting richer and the poor are still getting poorer; and while you're forking out at the gas pump and noting the sudden change in the price of milk (just be glad you're not in Saudi), chances are that you've known this long before the NYT had to tell you. But my guess is you h

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Romney Gets Testy With Press in S.C.

Mitt Romey's obviously been looking at the polls out of South Carolina, and in the face of another impeding loss to John McCain or Mike Huckabee it's just not that easy to hold it together.  Especially when members of the press refuse to sit at his feet at the Staples in Columbia, S.C. and

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Confederate Flag Waves at Huckabee

"I'm proud to be a Southerner."Actually, I am.  But I don't need the Confederate Battle Flag to show it.  Mike Huckabee does, though,  or at least those who want it to remain plastered on their pickup trucks, bikini tops, and needlepoint accent pillows in the sun room think Huck's the man to for

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Mathews apologizes

On Hardball Chris Mathews gave a long apology for comments he made about Hillary Clinton's success coming from her role as the victim of Bill's infidelity. Here is our original clip of what Mathews said: 

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'Hil-arious'

On MSNBC's Morning Joe this morning Hillary Clinton joked around with the press corps aboard 'Hil-Force 1'. I know she is trying to be funny and good humored, but this is a little creepy. 

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Leahy Endorses Obama

Hillary Clinton must be feeling the heat - or at least the cold shoulder - as Senate Judiciary Chairman and senior Senator from Vermont Patrick Leahy lends his support to Barack Obama today. Politico reports:Two sources familiar with the senior Vermont Senator's plans say Patrick Leahy will be en

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Johnson Did Help to Give Life to King's Dream

We frequently turn to Taylor Marsh for her quick wit and sage political commentary, and today she's hosted Michael Fauntroy to blog on the Johnson-King effort that's been all over the news in the wake of the latest Clinton-Obama scuffle.  It's a must-read today if you haven't already:Hillary Clinto

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Reprise of South Carolina Nastiness

David Kurtz at our partner TPM is reporting that Robocalls in South Carolina are accusing McCain of supporting experiments on unborn babies. More to come.

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Endorsements, Endorsements, Endorsements, and Dick Morris

With just days until the South Carolina primary, republicans are scrambling for another victory march and, on the way, are collecting endorsements aplenty. The Charleston Post and Courier and The Rock Hill Herald both lent their support to Senator McCain; no real surprise there, the Senator is si

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Race or Base? FRC Says Unity In, Rudy Out

We're not the only ones confused about what's happened to the GOP Base: the Christian Conservatives are, too. Or at least Tony Perkins is. The Family Research Council (host of the Values Voters Summit we attended in the fall) today issued a press release detailing the split we feel from the outsid

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Hil: 'We Need a Hands On President'

In an interview on Bloomberg news this afternoon Hillary went out of her way to criticize Obama's recent claim that voters aren't looking for a "chief operating officer" in a president. She again battered Obama over his experience, that the difference between the two seems one of inspiration vs.

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Obama: Does He Want to Switch Parties?

Barack Obama says Ronald Reagan changed America, but Bill Clinton didn't.  Reagan - the godfather of America's neoconservatives - being praised by a Democrat?  What has happened to this election? 

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Michigan GOP: Congrats, McCain!

... we mean Romney. Oops.Last night, the Michigan GOP sent out its standard congratulatory note to the primary's winner, only it seems they got the wrong guy. From the AP:The Michigan Republican Party mistakenly sent out a news release Tuesday night congratulating John McCain for winning the state

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When Wingnuts Attack (Each Other)

Are the smear artists down in South Carolina who are smearing John McCain trying to sully the good name of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth? Believe me, this one takes a few moments to explain. Paul Kiel gets to the bottom of it here.

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Women Are Never Front-Runners

All this talk of Hillary today reminds me of an op-ed in last week's New York Times that one of my friends passed along to me - one by Gloria Steinem. If you haven't read it yet, take this opportunity to do so. While we're busy throwing around terms like the "race" and "gender card," it's importa

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Hillary and Tyra: Together At Last

“What’s up girlfriend,” will be Hillary Clinton’s new mantra as she appears on the Tyra Banks Show on Friday. Perhaps looking for that Arsenio Hall Show moment, which gave Bill Clinton such a political boost in 1992, it marks a dramatic departure from the usual for both Hillary and Tyra. Tyr

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Bye Bye, Gender Card; Hello, Race Card

Hillary Clinton must have a full deck. First she was playing the "gender card." Now it's the "race card." It's amazing we haven't seen a Joker yet. Or is that Bill? We know they're shrewd politicans, but according to former Clinton advisor, Dick Morris, Bill and Hillary are dragging out the "ra

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Huckabee Vows to Put God in the Constitution, Comes in Third in MI

“Thank God!”  That was my reaction to the news out of Michigan on Monday that the Rev. Mike Huckabee was telling audiences there that the Constitution should be amended to reflect the word of the Lord.  Whose lord?  You know whose!  Brother Huckabee’s, of course!Here’s a choice bit from

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Where's the Base?

"Romney helped by GOP base in Michigan," the AP reported this morning. But when Romney pulls in the Michigan republicans who are typically Reagan conservatives concerned about spending (and remember his daddy), is it really the base that's shown its support? In Iowa, that base went for social-cons

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Michigan Exit Polls: Genders Split on Politics?

With nearly all the votes tallied, it's a clear win tonight for Clinton and Romney, but in looking at the returns, I noticed something interesting: 56 percent of Democratic voters were female. 44 percent were male. And for the Republicans the statistics were exactly reversed, according to C

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Meanwhile: Blogging the Debates

While we wait for the Michigan returns to roll in, the Democrats are duking it out with Tim Russert at the Nevada debates. Luckily, Josh Marshall is blogging live: NEVADA DEBATE BLOGGING Mittmentum! Okay, wrong party. Back to debate blogging. 9:13 PM ... Russert gets self-righteous and tries

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CNN Projecting Romney, Clinton Win

With thirty percent of the votes tallied, CNN is reporting that Romney and Clinton will be tonight's likely winners. Clinton has pulled in a staggering 60 percent of the vote, while only 34 percent of Michigan democrats have registered their votes as "uncommitted" - as Obama and Edwards encouraged

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Clinton, Romney Lead Michigan

With results just starting to come in, Clinton and Romney are in the lead in the Michigan primary, with Clinton holding 62% of the Democratic vote and Romney 35% of the GOP's. Watch out though, McCain's just a few points behind... with only 4 percent of the votes tallied, we sure to see some chan

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Michigan: Lots of Snow and a Very Tight Race

 With nearly half a foot of snow on the ground and four hours left to vote, Michigan residents across the state are making their way to the polls, ID's in hand.  In addition to being a suddenly-contested primary, this is also the first time that Michigan will require its voters to present photo id

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Too much race and gender

There’s been a lot in the news lately about Obama’s race and Hillary’s gender, two attributes that absolutely no one on the planet has any ability to chose or change.   Is Obama black enough?  Is he too black? Will being black help him?  Oh, a black President would be so inspirational!  

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Nevada Shifts Caucus Locations to Workplace

Nevada is switching caucus locations to the work place so that shift workers can vote - and someone affiliated (or not?) with Hillary Clinton has decided that's a bad idea.  And he's suing.Tim Russert asked Clinton why she's trying to stop a bill that would allow shift voters, typically pressed out

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He's Not a Candidate (He's Just Feeling Out the Field)

Michael Bloomberg is getting annoyed by all the questions. And now he says that any speculation of a presidential run is flat-out "ridiculous." In a press conference yesterday, a frustrated New York Mayor told reporters, "I've said this before. You would think that people would get tired of the

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Meeting in Michigan, Mitt and McCain Battle it Out, Dems Voting "Uncommitted"

They’ve been vying for control of the Michigan polls for months, but tomorrow, Mitt Romney and John McCain will be battling for first place in the state’s presidential primary.It wasn’t too long ago that polls indicated Romney had a firm grasp on Michigan – as well he should, it’s his home

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BET Founder Defends Clintons, Slams Obama

Hillary's comments on LBJ and the civil rights movement. Only a few weeks ago, the pundits were crowing about the conspicuous absence of race in the country’s first presidential contest in which a black man stands a good chance of winning the democratic nomination.  Dan Rather even got all misty

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Monday Morning Must-Reads

POLL: Transformed by Iowa and N.H., '08 Kicks Off as a Free-for-All [ABC]     Iowa and New Hampshire have transformed the 2008 presidential race into a free-for-all, vaulting John McCain past longtime frontrunner Rudy Giuliani in the Republican contest and fueling a strong challenge to Hillary C

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Ode to Obama, Kenya Style

 Two great scores in one day for the man from Illinois: the first political, he won the endorsement of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, one of America's few female governors; the second score, by contrast, is entirely musical.The Kenyan band Extra Golden has dedicated a song to Obama on their latest

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Cavuto to Albright: Skip the Memo

Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright was the guest on Neil Cavuto's FOX show last night, where she spent the entire segment being blasted by Cavuto for her latest book, "Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership."Cavuto, outraged that Albright dare of

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Head Interrogation Officer at Abu Ghraid Walks Free. Why?

    The officer in charge of Abu Ghraib interrogations when the abusive photos broke has been cleared of all charges. Lt-Col Steven Jordan was cleared in August of mistreatment charges, but at that time convicted of disobeying orders not to discuss the inquiry. Now that conviction has

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Kucinich Wants Recount

Dennis Kucinich, the Democrat who won less than 2 percent of the New Hampshire vote, wants a recount, the AP reports. The Ohio congressman cited "serious and credible reports, allegations and rumors" about the integrity of Tuesday results.The state Democratic party is willing to oblige, but if he

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Latest Blackwater Scandal in Iraq: A Condemnation of How this War is Fought

The New York Times is reporting that the U.S. defense contractor Blackwater used a riot-control gas, called CS gas, in May of 2005, dropping it from a helicopter on both United States military personal and Iraqi civilians.  While no one was injured, the gas, which is a highly controlled material, u

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Obama Linked to Indicted Political Fixer

They say nothing’s pure, and I believe it; don’t have a problem with it. And the grown-ups in the room have known for a while that it was only a matter of time before something dirty would surface about Obama: Not drugs or avarice or women, just some thoughtless moment of taking an easy way or

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Blue Candidates Going Green? At Least Some of Them

Or: Why I Just Spent Paying for Barack Obama's Carbon FootprintThey jet across the country in private planes with the frequency of regular pilots. They drive gas-guzzling, pollution-emitting busses across our nation while they pander for votes. And they tell us Global Warming Matters.And only

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Primary Coverage written up by NewTeeVee

Jackson West over at NewTeeVee has written up our coverage of the primaries. He highlights the great work the Uptake did in providing and coordinating our ground hounds coverage. Are we replacing CNN? Or a bunch of amateurs with handy cams? Post in the comments below or on our forum. Thanks for the

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Richardson Out

After finishing fourth in both New Hampshire and Iowa, Bill Richardson is pulling out of the democratic race for president. An announcement is expected at some point today, the AP reports. His campaign never picked up more traction - an inconvenient reality for the Democratic party, which stood

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Hannity and Rivera: Give War a Chance

Sean Hannity and Heraldo Rivera want war, or at least they wish that the recent incident in the Straight of Hormuz had gone violent.  "I would have blown those ships right out of the water!"   And the latest conclusion about Iran: "They're just jerks trying to pull our chain!" 

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Kerry Backs Obama

 Barack Obama has won the support of Senator John Kerry, the AP reports this morning. While I'm sure Barack is thrilled to have the endorsement of the guy that couldn't beat Bush, I'd be holding out for someone who, say, actually has won office.Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, plans to announc

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US Federal Judge Rejects Request for Separate Inquiry Into CIA Tapes

   A request to open a separate inquiry into the destruction of CIA tapes has been turned down by a US federal judge. The tapes were destroyed five months after Judge Kennedy ordered any evidence regarding abuse of detainees at Guantanamo be preserved. The CIA, meanwhile, has claimed the t

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Bush in Israel: Yea, I Almost Forgot About Him Too

With Condoleezza Rice admitting she sees little hope of peace in the Middle East or even compromise, I'm quick to agree with President Bush's referral to his first visit to Israel as "historic."Having mocked the efforts of President Clinton in trying to negotiate a settlement during his second term

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Fixin' to Head to Low Country, Y'all

Now through the New Hamshire loop, John Edwards, South Carolina's "Native Son," and the other candidates still in the race are making their way down to South Carolina. With a primary on Jan. 19, this battleground state will be hosting not only the campaigns but also a Republican debate Thursday org

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"Tear-Gate"

Obama's national campaign co-chair, Jesse Jackson, Jr., just went on MSNBC and appeared to question Hillary's tears, which he called "tears that melted the Granite State," adding that those tears "moved voters." He went on to skirt dangerously close to saying Clinton's tears were affected.

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What kind of revolution, Ron?

Back before Ron Paul became an internet favorite, he was quite a newsletter mogul, publishing newsletters under a few different titles since the late 1970s, consistently featuring paranoid, racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic bigotry. James Kirchick over at The New Republic found old copies of his new

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SCOTUS Hears Lethal Injection Case

Although it might have gotten lost in all the election coverage, yesterday the Supreme Court heard arguments in Baze v. Rees, the Kentucky case hyped as a challenge to the constitutionality of lethal injection. The center of attention: the Eighth Amendment protection against “cruel and unusual p

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Richardson Still In

As Clinton takes a day of rest in Chappaqua and Barack Obama prepares to greet fans at a Jersey City baptist church, Bill Richardson is figuring out how to move forward. But that's the one thing he knows for sure - he's moving forward."We head out West and the fight goes on, and we will continue.

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Iran claims US released video is falsified propaganda

On Sunday there was a stand off between American warships and Iranian speedboats. The US released video footage as evidence of the incident, and Iran declared today that the US video is 'fabricated.'Watch the video here:As you can hear, an Iranian voice says, "I am coming at you, you will explode."B

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Clinton Embraces Win, Supporters

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Obama Says Yes, He Still Can

He might not have it signed, sealed, and delivered like his background music suggested, but Barack Obama has pledged to carry on after the disappointing New Hampshire primary results.

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Dispatch from New Hampshire: Round-Up

Today was a beautiful day in New Hampshire.  It was beautiful on two counts: First, we had a sunny, unseasonably warm day with temperatures reaching into the sixties. And second, today I had a chance to vote. I love waking up on an election day knowing I will be heading to the polls to cast a v

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John Edwards: Staying In

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Hillary Wins!

Clinton upsets Obama in NH; McCain wins By DAVID ESPO and PHILIP ELLIOTT Associated Press Writers CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Sen. Barack Obama and resurrecting her bid for the White

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Edwards Accepts Third, Guarantees A Fight

In his typical manner, Edwards championed the working class of America and challenged the 99 percent of America yet to vote to make their voices heard in the coming weeks in his speech tonight in New Hampshire.  He guaranteed a fight to the finish - all the way to the convention - and made clear th

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How is this Happening?

Earlier today on PBS political pundit Mark Shields said of how democrats and republican pick their nominees: “Republicans fall in line but democrats fall in love.” Well, its only 10:15 but it seems as if the Democrats are falling in love with the Clintons all over again. With polling released ve

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Romney Addresses Supporters After McCain Win

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Clinton, Edwards Taking Cities, College Towns Pose Threat

CNN is reporting that Clinton and Edwards are coming in first and second in Manchester and Nashua, with Obama pulling in Third.  Durham and Hanover, New Hampshire's big college towns, are still waiting to be counted - 7,000 plus votes up for grabs.  With Obama swinging the youth vote, will he be a

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Ron Paul, Giuliani Fighting It Out for Fourth

Ron Paul and Giuliani are fighting it out for fourth... while Clinton and Obama are just 3,500 votes apart. 

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FOX Focus Group Happy with McCain Win

As McCain addressed a crowd of supporters to celebrate his victory, FOX's hotly contested focus group looked on with approval. 

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More on the Ground

A great video from Debate Porridge  as they introduce us to Dr. Michael Yannetti and talk politics with the people of New Hampshire whose voices are just now being heard. 

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Romney, Huckabee Congratulate McCain

CNN is reporting that Romney and Huckabee have already called McCain to congratulate him. A big win for McCain - one he's already celebrating on his website - will this carry him through Super Duper Tuesday?

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Clinton Still in Lead, Romney Stomaching Loss

16 precincts are reporting in, and Hillary is at 40% with a four percent lead on Obama.  Romney is expected to soon address supporters - and presumably tell them he's fighting through to Michigan?  He's got the money for the long haul, but can he do it?  He's a Michigan boy, so it may be his chan

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CNN, FOX, MSNBC Calling it for McCain

 With twelve precincts reporting, major news outlets are already calling the GOP race for John McCain. Conclusion? If Mitt doesn't take Michigan, he may be on his way out.

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Clinton, McCain in the Lead

The polls have just closed and as results begin to pour in, Clinton and McCain enjoy the lead. While a sweep by Obama was widely predicted, the results are still too close to call. Stay tuned to Veracifier throughout the night for the latest news on the ground coverage from New Hampshire.  Thank

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Can the Nation Handle Another New York Mayor in the Race?

...  And is he even running?It’s the question on everybody’s minds since New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hinted to the NY Sun in 2006 that a bid for the White House might be in his future.The anti-establishment mayor’s non-campaign had its moment of glory yesterday, too, at a forum on �

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We have sock puppets!

As the early results from New Hampshire come in, the Uptake has given us sock puppets.  

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Ground Hounds: New Hampshire McCain Rally

Ground Hound Lynn Smith got out to Concord to check out one of John McCain's final stump speeches in New Hampshire. After the rally, she met some Orthodox Jewish protesters who are opposed to Zionism.    

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New Hampshire voter- Kathy Rush, part 1

Our hounds caught up with Kathy Rush, a passionate New Hampshire voter, shares her thoughts on the primary.    

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Obama, McCain Lead in Early Polls

John McCain and Barack Obama are leading in the earliest polls out of New Hampshire, the Canadian Press reports.  While most polls had to wait until daybreak to open today, towns with fewer than 100 residents were allowed to open their doors at midnight, and the small towns to the North seem to hav

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Don’t Cry for Me, New Hampshire

Or: Big Girls Don’t Cry (And Neither Did Hillary) It’s the winter of her discontent: the caucuses are against her, the media’s against her, and now, she’s got the anti-emotion lobby on her case. Hillary Clinton wants to make the world a better place. What a sissy. There’s no crying in ba

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New Hampshire Field Trip

Surrogate ground hounds Debate Porridge caught up with a class field trip to New Hampshire this morning. With this year being the first time it seems the youth vote might have a significant impact its interesting to see the kids' responses to this year's (and presumbly their first) election. 

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Bill comes out swinging, faults press for Obama 'fairy tale'

This morning Bill Clinton was scathing of Obama having an easy run at the hands of the media, who have allowed a perpetuation of his fairy tale mythology. TPM got the vid. 

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Ground Hound Steve Garfield. He's Mobile!

With all of us scrambling to get blanket coverage from New Hampshire, famed video blogger Steve Garfield gives us a quick insight into his live mobile streaming.

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Clinton Camp Not Panicked: Expects Nomination Despite Early Losses

As news of Hillary’s momentary display of emotion grabbed headlines yesterday, the Clinton camp faced forward with a stiff upper lip. The rationale differs depending on who’s doing the talking, but the central message is clear: Even in the likely event of a loss in New Hampshire today, Hillary

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Keeping Up With The Jonses: NH Edition

With all the talk of change and groundswells sweeping the media (extending even to the talking heads on the Sunday morning shows), it's easy to forget that elections are something of a hassle. For New Hampshire, this is no exception. As a frenzy of last minute campaign activity snarls traffic, k

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Hillary Gets Emotional on Eve of New Hampshire Primary

With Barack Obama ten points ahead of her in recent polls, Hillary Clinton became tearful this morning on ABC News when asked about the difficulties of campaigning. Senator Clinton responded candidly and emotionally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire saying about America, “I just don’t want to see us

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(un)Fair, (un)Balanced, and Thoroughly (un)Credible

FOX News has been caught planting an actor in their supposedly "random" focus groups of Republicans assembled to give feedback to tonight's debates, Rogue Government reports.The credibility of Fox News is pretty much close to zero. It was bad enough that they refused to allow Ron Paul in their NH de

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Ground Hounds: Ron Paul Takes the Radisson

You may have heard about Ron Paul supporters spontaneous march on the Radisson hotel in Manchester this weekend in protest of Ron Paul's exclusion from Fox's debates. It was on the front page of Digg at time of writing. As you would expect, our ground hound Corrine was there. Here's the vid:

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Viggo Mortensen and Dennis Kucinich on media and change

In our latest vid from New Hampshire Viggo Mortensen spent a day campaigning with Dennis Kucinich campaigning around New Hampshire. They discuss the media, the burgeoning desire for "change" in this election and what change really means. Viggo also comments on Mike Huckabee's celebrity proxy Chuck N

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New Hampshire Blanket Coverage Begins!

All today and tomorrow our venerable ground hounds from our partner the Uptake will be sending in videos from New Hampshire. Stand by for our live feed. In the meantime Noah and Corrine, still groggy from a long drive, grab some first impressions of New Hampshire and the charged atmosphere of Manche

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Who will win Pakistan?

Pakistan has been volatile since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and parties on all sides of the conflict are debating the best course of action. Al Qaeda is reportedly flooding the disrupted country, hoping to influence the elections set for February 18 by recruiting new extremists and threate

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Monday Morning Must-Reads

Obama: No Cash From Denzel, Spike, Motown, Despite Oprah Backing  [FOX]   Oprah Winfrey’s backing of Barack Obama for president hasn’t influenced a lot of other heavy hitting black celebrities to join her yet.  Her two most favorite authors, Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, have not opened the

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Debate Porridge: Exclusions in NH

 A great video courtesy of The UpTake from the New Hampshire debates on Saturday.  Excluded candidates' supportes were out en masse - especially Ron Paul's.  And while they had a lot to say, Gravel watched the debate on TiVo... and noted other candidates' stances on Musharraf as "drivel" - probab

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Dispatch from New Hampshire

 Before I get started I would like to introduce myself: My name is Steve Dennis and I live in the small town of Kingston in southern New Hampshire. I was asked to cover the New Hampshire primary,  so here I am. This will be Part One of my coverage, with Part Two coming after the New Hampshir

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Dodd's Loss is the Party's Gain

First off, major kudos to the household pictured above for correctly identifying the outcome of the Iowa caucuses. We all stand in awe of your omniscience. Now, onward, to brief wrap-up of my account of the first leg of the nomination process. Naturally, the Dodd campaign was disappointed with the

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Iowa Caucuses Open Up the Race for a Popular Election

 The Iowa Caucuses aren't a popular vote. There's no secret balloting. And it doesn't even reflect the rest of the nation in any meaningful fashion - economically, geographically, or demographically. But this three million resident state has come to be the nation's first bellwether for presidential

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A Soldier Left Behind: A Disturbing Death and Failure of Justice

The Washington Post today featured the horrifying story of Pfc. Hannah Gunterman McKinney, a 20 year-old mother stationed in Taji. McKinney is now dead, as the result of Sergeant Damon D. Shell. One night Shell decided to drive a Humvee around to the towers where some of the women soldiers were s

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"I'm a Republican, Now I'm Voting for Obama"

With the dust settling on Obama's victory in Iowa, the Uptake's Chuck Olsen talked to a life long Iowa Republican who had decided to caucus for Barack Obama.

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"They Said This Day Would Never Come. . ."

Barack Obama's Victory Speech in Iowa.

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Huckabee: "Tonight I Love Iowa A Whole Lot."

Mike Huckabee's Iowa Victory Speech.

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Huckabee, Obama Winners

From the left:With 94% reporting, Obama has won Iowa. Hillary and Edwards fighting out for a tight second place spot. From the right: Within an hour of caucusing, Huckabee has been declared the winner with only 25 percent reporting so far- Huckabee had 35 percent, Mitt Romney had 24 percent an

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Ground Hounds: Down with the regular folks in Iowa

As we mentioned before, you may have woken this morning to see every morning show worth its salt from "a regular diner in Iowa". So Ground Hound Chuck Tomlinson went to talk to a diner owner. As you might guess business as usual is destroyed to allow "us" to see "business as usual". Also, check

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More from the Ground Hounds in Iowa

Hot on the heels of Chuck Tomlinson's great Ground Hounds reports, we also have a report from Chuck Olsen, who covers the John "Cougar" Edwards rally: Meanwhile The Uptake's Noah Kunin files an interview with Chase Martyn from the Iowa Independent. Enjoy!

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Huck and Obama projected winners

NBC reporting Huckabee and Obama as the projected Iowa Caucus winners.

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What is a Caucus?

Two hours to go and our friends to the west will be caucusing… but what does that even mean? A caucus isn’t like a primary, where you get to walk into the booth and cast your private vote. It’s more like an old American town hall meeting – discussing politics and your opinions openly wit

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Obama and Hillary Pre-Caucus rallys. With a Tucker Carson cameo.

Hounds from the Uptake at Hillary and Obama rallys. A cameo from Tucker Carlson at the Obama rally and some people going topless at the Hillary event. Who would have thought it. Here are the vids.  

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Iowa Ground Hound Video: Chuck Norris

 We'll have our ground hounds and our partner the Uptake sending in videos all today from Iowa- so watch this blog. Our Iowa blogger Jonathan Backer caught up at a Chuck Norris Huckabee event last night.  

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Huckabee to Leno: I Like Barack!

Mike Huckabee spent part of his last day before the Iowa caucuses flying out to L.A. to tape an appearance on the Tonight Show.  So what if he missed the fact that he would have to cross a picket line of striking writers to get there--he's a republican, after all.  Huckabee drew cheers f

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Let the games begin!

Today is Caucus day. Feel the excitement! Like us you probably woke up this morning to see a string of newscasters reporting in the midst of the Iowa masses trying desperately to get to work without being accosted by someone connected to a campaign or the media- invariably in a diner, often with the

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Kucinich: If Not Me, then Obama

 It's Caucus Day in Iowa, and if you're a Kucinich supporter, you may be putting your two cents in for Obama tonight. That's because the Ohio representative has endorsed his rival to the West: "I hope Iowans will caucus for me as their first choice this Thursday, because of my singular positions o

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Criminal Investigation launched into destruction of CIA tapes

This afternoon Mukasey released a statement announcing that there will be a criminal investigation into the destruction of CIA tapes. Following a preliminary inquiry into the destruction by CIA personnel of videotapes of detainee interrogations, the Department’s National Security Division h

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Can A Woman Be a Good President? The Kids Don't Think So

2007 is beginning to look a lot like 1977. At least that’s what you’d think if you logged into Facebook this morning and were presented with a poll asking if a woman can be as effective a president as a man. Out of the 69,388 people who clicked and answered by midday, 21 percent said, “No,

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Huckabee Stands By Latest Attack Ad

Huckabee explained why he pulled his latest Romney attack ad on Hannity & Colmes - but showed it to a group of reporters anyway. Huckabee: Well, we didn’t run the ad, Sean. What we did–we pulled it. I knew that if we said that we had made one and didn’t reveal that it existed then there w

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Bhutto planned to meet with Specter and Kennedy day of assassination

Benazir Bhutto had plans to hand over an intelligence document last Thursday after the political rally where she was assassinated. The document allegedly showed Pakistan's intelligence agencies were planning to rig the upcoming elections in favor of Musharraf. Bhutto chose to meet with Sen.

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48 Hours and Counting...

The Iowa caucuses are just around the corner now, and while the media circus is abuzz with what may be, our Iowa blogger Jonathan Backer has been on the ground talking to real voters about what they think. Look for more of Jonathan's coverage here at Veracifier and stay tuned for updates as the sit

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Retail Politics Come Down to the Wire in Dubuque, Iowa

Dubuque, Iowa is a small city separated from Illinois and Wisconsin by the Mississippi River, with a large Irish-Catholic population. With two Irish-Catholic candidates in the Democratic caucus – Senators Biden and Dodd – a piqued battle for fourth place has picked up steam in the campaign’s f