Hillary's Firewall Sees Shadow, Hibernates Until February 5 [Peter Nicholas, Los Angeles Times]: "Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is anticipating that she will not have to wait long to become the Democratic presidential nominee, privately telling campaign donors in California that the race "is all going to be over by Feb. 5."
Who Takes the Des Moines Register Cake? [Mark Ambinder, The Atlantic]: "The audience is undecided Democratic caucus goers. Who stood out? Who was different? Who seemed most presidential? Who parlayed their strengths? Who gave people reasons to believe in the negative stereotypes about them? On balance, Clinton and Edwards.... Why them, and not Obama? Because Clinton and Edwards repeatedly wove their answers into a larger argument, and Obama generally kept his answers to his answers. He did well though. No calls, Chicago. No calls."
Clinton Eats Crow, Surrenders Liquids at Airport [Katherine Seelye, New York Times]: "[Clinton aide William Shaheen's] comments drew a huge outpouring of anger toward the Clinton campaign in the blogosphere, particularly by and on behalf of African-Americans, who perceived a racial insinuation that blacks deal drugs. Mrs. Clinton personally apologized to Mr. Obama when they essentially ran into each other this morning at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., as they both headed back to Iowa for this afternoon’s debate."
Obama Cash Rides in on a White Horse [Greg Sargent, TalkingPointsMemo]: "Camp Obama has just sent out an email to supporters trying to raise money off the fight. 'The only way to stop these kinds of tired, desperate attacks is to demonstrate very clearly that they have a real cost to Senator Clinton's campaign,' reads the email, from Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. 'If 5,000 people donate in the next 24 hours, we can show their campaign that we reject this kind of divisive politics. Make your donation of $25 now.' "
Edwards, Parents, Take the Turnip Truck [Chelsea Conaboy, Concord Monitor]: "The people responsible for [the John Edwards] platform, his parents, Wallace and Bobbie Edwards, were in New Hampshire yesterday. In Concord, they mingled with campaign staff and volunteers, talking less about their son's policy and more about their own experiences with health care or job loss, the beauty of the North Country or Bobbie's pecan pie recipe, a family recipe the campaign sold to contributors for $6.10 in honor of John Edwards's June 10 birthday."
--Dayo Olopade