In addition to their endorsements of Hillary Clinton and John McCain, the Des Moines Register editors have posted another article with their assessments of the other candidates. They nail Rudy Giuliani perfectly:

Also of concern: his long association in government and private business with his former police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, who’s been indicted on corruption and tax-fraud charges, raising questions about Giuliani’s judgment. New York media also complained of secrecy and lack of transparency in his administration.

But we’re most troubled by his over-heated, fear-based approach to foreign policy. He frames today’s world as us versus them, summed up by this pledge from his Web site: “I will keep America on offense in the terrorists’ war on us.”

Rudy is down in Iowa, down in New Hampshire, and in third place in Florida, which he was counting on. Is he toast yet? The LA Times says: [more....]

Buzz is that the odds are that they will endorse a candidate (maybe even 2, one Dem, one GOP) for President. Maybe even tonight. And it might even matter. Though the DMR endorsee has lost the last 3 contested Iowa caucuses.

Snark off. Will it be Clinton? Obama? Edwards? Why not Biden?

In the immortal words of Samuel Goldwyn, nobody knows nuthin'

As Jeralyn wrote up previously, Bill Clinton discussed the Presidential race last night. Obama responds in Iowa:

In response Obama told a press conference Saturday that Clinton himself had said in 1992 when he ran for president that a candidate can “have the right kind of experience or the wrong kind of experience.” But unlike Obama, Clinton had been a governor for more than ten years, a reporter reminded Obama.

Obama cites 'over a decade' of experience
“And I’ve be involved in government for over a decade,” replied Obama. The Illinois senator said he had the right kind of experience to “bring people together.”

. . . He added, “I understand there’s a history of politics being all about slash and burn…. I recall what the Clintons themselves called the ‘politics of personal destruction’ -- which they decried. My suspicion is that that’s just not where the country is at right now. They are not interested in politics as a blood sport; they’re interested in governance and solving problems” such as job creation and product safety.

I think this response is a mistake by Barack Obama. First and foremost, I can not imagine why Obama wants to get into a direct tit for tat with the most recent Democratic President, overwhelmingly approved by Democrats everywhere. Second, Obama has just allowed the discussion to be returned to the issue of "experience," a conversation that Hillary Clinton would prefer to have.

For once, Obama's general instincts to avoid political combat would have served him well. One final thought, the reference to "politics as bloodsport" may be appreciated by the Beltway Media, but base Democrats remember what the VRWC was and is. Silly of Obama to play to it. All in all, round to "the Clintons."

Via MYDD, Mike Huckabee stirs thing up:

American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out. The Bush administration’s arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad.

This patently obvious fact is sure to make the Right Wing heads explode. Let's enjoy the moment of course, but also understand something about the politics - there is some method to Huckabee's madness it seems to me. There are certainly a significant segment of the GOP primary electorate who agrees with what Huckabee wrote. Now they have a viable candidate. As long as there is a multicandidate race, I think this move by Huckabee can make good sense. Even better, if Huckabee captures the nomination, he then is well positioned to not be shackled to Bush.

More.

Bill Clinton was the hour-long guest on the Charlie Rose show last night. Video should be up on the site soon, but Marc Ambinder has some quotes:

Bill Clinton said Americans who are prepared to choose someone with less experience, are prepared to "roll the dice" about the future of America. "It's less predictable, isn't it? When is the last time we elected a president based on one year of service before he's running?"

On John Edwards: "He is great, Edwards is really good..."

On who else has the experience to be President: Richardson, Biden, Dodd. What Obama has: good skills.

On change, he adds (from the transcript on Lexis.com, not Ambinder):

I think by far the most important question in this day and age for the next American president is, who is the best agent of change, not the best symbol but the best agent? Who has proven the ability to make positive change?

Hillary starts her five day, 99 Iowa county "hill-a-copter" blitz Sunday.

This is really too funny. From Jim Dwyer at the New York Times:

In a debate among Republican candidates this week, Mr. Giuliani was asked what promises he would make about running an open White House.

“I would make sure that government was transparent,” Mr. Giuliani said. “My government in New York City was so transparent that they knew every single thing I did almost every time I did it.”

Really? As Dwyer points out:

That was a daring claim, considering that prying information out of the Giuliani City Hall required teams of lawyers with the persistence of mules. To cite three of the most prominent examples, he tried to block the release of different batches of public records to the city’s Independent Budget Office, to the city’s public advocate, and to the state comptroller. He was sued on each occasion. He lost every time. He appealed each decision. He lost every appeal.

Openness from Rudy? And the check is in the mail.

The January 8 issue of Ebony Magazine has an interview with Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson on their crime and punishment agendas if elected President. It's not yet available online, but can be read at Lexis.com.

Joe Biden isn't interviewed. I'm surprised he didn't take the opportunity to push his new election-year omnibus crime bill, that like his 1994 bill (pdf), mass-federalizes a host of crimes that are and should continue to be prosecuted at the state level. His new bill, S. 2237, introduced October 25, just in time for him to campaign as your toughest law and order Democrat, proposes spending billions on 1,000 new FBI agents, 500 new DEA agents, and 50,000 more police officers, increasing prison sentences and locking up more disadvantaged youths by branding them gang members. (On the plus side, it has some prevention funding and it equalizes crack and powder penalties at the current powder ratio, although he ties the reduction to increased salaries for drug prosecutors and agents. There are better crack-powder bills and on the whole, Biden's bill should be strongly opposed.) As of today, the only co-sponsor of Biden's bill is John Kerry.

By contrast (and in some cases, seemingly in agreement) here's what the other Democratic candidates are advocating. (The Ebony interview covers a lot more topics such as civil rights, jobs and education, so be sure to either check their site for when its available free online or pick up a copy at the newstand.)

[More...]

During a speech in Iowa today, a voter asked John Edwards why Iowans should vote for Edwards over Obama. Edwards gave two reasons, one he called substantive and one political.

As president, Edwards said, he would be more successful in fighting the powerful corporations and interests that he says control America’s health-care system and other important areas.

Obama, he said, would take a more conciliatory approach. “He talks about bringing drug companies, insurance companies, oil companies, etc., to the table and working with them and negotiating and compromising,” Edwards said. “I just think that’ll never work. If that would work, it would have worked years ago. If that worked, we’d have universal health care. We don’t.”

....we need somebody who’s ready for this battle.”

On the political side, Edwards said he's more electable. [More....]

Anyone who watched Rudy's appearance on MTP saw how his rote answer to Russert on electablility, in light of the fact that he is a distant also ran in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina was "Florida." Yes, the Florida firewall. Uh oh:

Rudy Giuliani’s plan was to accept defeats in the early states and come back strong on January 29 in Florida and in many large states on February 5. The latest Rasmussen Reports polling in the state of Florida suggests that Giuliani might need to work on a “Plan B.’ Mike Huckabee now leads in the Sunshine State Primary with 27% of the vote. He is trailed closely by Romney at 23% and Giuliani at 19%.

Ha!

Bump and Update: Live-Updates on Democrats debate here:

Last question: What do you carry away from Iowa? All give moving, personal statements. Richardson is funny. This was a nice ending touch, they all seemed so human and humble. (The only one who lacked emotion in his response was Obama, but maybe that's not his thing, I don't mean it as a criticism, just an observation.) This was the best, most real part of the debate. If you get to watch a recap, just watch the last two minutes.

There were no bombshells, no fights, no digs at each other. In fact, they supported each other. Hillary changed her message a bit, moving from her experience to how hard she will work as President. While she focused on change, I don't think this began today. She just usually blends her experience in with change and didn't do that much today. Obama doesn't own the change theme in my opinion. Edwards has used it from the beginning too. Obama's original themes were hope and optimism -- themes Chris Dodd emphasized today. Biden's theme today was action. Signing off now, typos will be fixed later.

****

What is your New Year's resolution? Clinton: On a personal level: Spending time with my family, exercise. Run the best campaign she can and go into white house with support of American people behind her. Edwards: No child will go to bed hungry. No family will go to emergency room and beg for health care. Dodd: Regain moral authority in world, optimism. Spend time with family. And wish that Iowans caucus correctly on Jan. 3. Richardson: Lose weight, same as every year. End the dysfunctional relationship between Congress and the President. End torture. Stay positive. Biden: Remember where you came from. Obama: Be a better father and husband. Remember this is not about me. Not get distorted by fears of losing. My participation needs to have an impact on others besides me.

More....

The Republican candidates are tripping over each other in their quest to become the toughest on immigration. Mitt Romney has released his first attack ad on immigration while Rudy Giuliani now says he wanted to deport New York City's 400,00 undocumented residents. the undocumented deported from New York City. And now, the Minutemen have endorsed Mike Huckabee.

The founder of the Minuteman Project, the anti-illegal immigrant group, endorsed Republican Mike Huckabee on Tuesday....At a news conference hastily arranged to cope with a crippling ice storm, Huckabee brought out Minuteman head Jim Gilchrist, whose private group patrols the Mexican border on its own to keep out illegal immigrants.

"For months now, I've been searching for a candidate to support for president of the United States," said Gilchrist. He said he settled on Huckabee as the candidate whose plans were most likely to halt "this illegal immigrant invasion problem."

Ryan Lizza in the New Yorker explains why this Republican anti-immigration strategy may backfire and cost them the election. It's a long article, but here are some snippets:

The Washington Post released results from a new presidential poll today.

Among all Republicans and GOP-leaning independents, Giuliani's national lead is as low as it has been since the campaign began. And among likely Republican voters, 25 percent now back Giuliani, while 19 percent back Huckabee, whose support jumped from 9 percent last month. Romney ranks third at 17 percent, with Thompson at 14 percent and McCain at 12 percent. In the new poll, Giuliani is at his lowest level to date among conservatives, down nine points over the past month to 19 percent.

For the Dems:

The Democratic race has changed little nationally, according to the new poll, with Clinton now enjoying the support of 53 percent of likely Democratic voters to 23 percent for Obama. Edwards remains in third with 10 percent. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Joseph Biden Jr. (Del.), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) registered in the low single digits.

These are national numbers and don't reflect the much closer numbers in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.