Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Clinton [Greg Wasserstrom, Wonkette]: "Seems that at least one president of the United States I can think of is going to have an awkward Christmas dinner with his parents. Out on the stump for Hillary, Bill Clinton said yesterday that he and George Bush Sr. will go around the world cleaning up Junior’s mess as soon as Hillary becomes president. Poppa Bush has been silent on the issue, so we have to assume that he said he’d do it. Only the RNC issued a statement saying something along the lines of, 'Get serious. There’s going to be a Republican president in 2009 who will continue to fuck up the world.'"
Eyes On the Surprise [David Yepsen, Des Moines Register]: "Proof of Edwards' uptick and Obama's jitters about him came Monday in Spencer, when Obama told a crowd: 'Senator Edwards, who is a good guy, he's been talking a lot about "I'm going to fight the lobbyists and the special interests in Washington." Well, the question you have to ask is: Were you fighting for (citizens) when you were in the Senate?' (Edwards has changed his position on several issues since leaving the Senate, and his rhetoric has become a lot more populist than his voting record was, especially on the Iraq war. Obama, who likes to fashion himself as Mr. Positive, wouldn't be attacking him like that if Edwards was road kill.)"
Big Business for Small Business for Rudy [Steve Forbes, Pajamas Media]: "To our nation’s small business owners, 'economic freedom' means the
freedom to invest more of their hard-earned money back into their
businesses rather than turning it over to the government to pay
burdensome taxes. It means the freedom from excessive regulation that
stifles ingenuity and opportunity. And it means the recognition by
those constructing our economic policies that the business owner – not
the government regulator – best understands the actions that will give
that business the greatest possible chance of success."
Independents' Day [Ed Kilgore, The Democratic Strategist]: "[A]re swing voters really 'vanishing?' ...the differences between Democratic and Republican candidates are a lot sharper than in 2000, meaning that John McCain and Barack Obama aren't in direct competition for undeclared voters, as McCain and Bill Bradley appeared to be in 2000. Moreover, the Democratic contest is the real indie-magnet this year. For that very reason, McCain's own staffers admit that the universe of undeclared voters they are trying to attract is smaller than in 2000."
1992 Clinton Can Out-Bench the 2008 Field Combined [Ed Morissey, Captain's Quarters]: "[Ron] Fournier uses the Charlie Rose appearance to talk more about Bill Clinton's past than Obama's present. He even provides a rather cheap shot by claiming that Clinton spoke about Obama condescendingly, as 'a boss condescends to a scrappy new intern.' Gee, that phrase certainly has no baggage when used in conjunction with Bill Clinton, does it? And what did Bill say that set off Fournier? He called Obama an 'enormous talent' -- somewhat gracious for his wife's political opponent."
--Dayo Olopade