1. Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama remain in Iowa, John Edwards campaigns in New Hampshire, as does John McCain; Rudy Giuliani has fundraisers planned for tomorrow, and Mike Gravel apparently has come down with the flu. And Ned Lamont kind of told us so. Here are the latest Gallup numbers.
2. Hillary Clinton is endorsed by Georgia's two black statewide elected officials, Attorney General Thurbert Baker and Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. But in October, Obama touted Baker's endorsement....."I believe John Edwards can win," Iowa first lady Mari Culver said today.......A teary-eyed BFF of HRC's, Betsy Ebeling, introduced her in Johnston this way: "She's our friend and I'm going to have to share her with the rest of the world, but right now I'll share her with Johnston. I introduce you to my very special friend, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton" ..... Obama's new ad in Iowa is titled "Candor" -- a response of sorts to the Des Moines Register:
And HRC touts her DMR endorsement:
3. In 1998, Mike Huckabeeequated liberal environmentalism with homosexuality, and homosexuality with necrophilia...At Beverly Hills press avail, Huckabee takes questions almost entirely on events in his past......Rep. Jack Kingston formally endorses Mittt Romney for president....in South Carolina radio ad, Sen. Lindsey Graham says McCain is the only candidate who is ready to be Commander in Chief from "day one..."
4. The number of times Hillary Clinton's name appears in the earmarks section of the omnibus budget act: 50 times. The number of times Barack Obama's name appears in the earmarks section of the omnibus budget bill: 22. The number of times John McCain appears: 0.
5. McCain's manager, Rick Davis, sends out a fundraising appeal entitled "We're gonna win..." A McCain aide confirms that the campaign has secured a line of credit to fund itself through the early part of the primaries, and has put up hard assets -- and not the promise of federal matching funds -- as collateral. That means that McCain can still opt out of the federal financing system for the primaries providing he does not begin to use federal matching funds.