Dems Pal Around in Iowa

At Forum debate, Hillary's pink; Obama's on the brink; Edwards, Richardson stink

(NEWSER) - All of the Democrats who appeared at last night’s gay rights forum touted their support of sponsor Human Rights Campaign—but it was Hillary Clinton who aced the tightrope test, according to Time’s Mark Halperin. Hillary managed to oppose gay marriage without playing defense, all the while supplying “major doses of Clintonesque eye contact.” More»

NM governor raises $7 million and his profile in 2nd quarter

(NEWSER) - Democratic contender Bill Richardson raised $7 million in the second quarter of this year, beating his first quarter take, the AP reports, and giving him a solid fourth place in the competition for funds. The New Mexico governor, who has benefited from clever advertising, has also gained in polls in early states Iowa and New Hampshire. More»

Candidate overrules senior aide's advice to snub Hawkeye caucus

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton rejected a top adviser's plan to bypass the Iowa caucuses, the New York Times reports, and she'll visit the state this weekend. An internal memo suggested focusing money and time on February 5's 20-state Super Tuesday instead of the January 14 caucuses. All but one of the last 14 nominees have won Iowa, New Hampshire, or both. More»

Post 's Cillizza pegs Iowa as most likely to flip

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are bragging about which states they might flip. The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza has a top-10 list, ranked in order (only New Hampshire and Minnesota appear headed red):

1. Iowa: The Democrats get “HUGE” points for their diligence in primary season, while John McCain was AWOL.
2. New Mexico: It’s all about savvy Bill Richardson’s influence. The Land of Enchantment is always a virtual tie.

With caucuses looming, candidates add foreign policy to Iowa fracas

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton says she wants a probe into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, blasting current Pakistani President Musharraf and, by extension, US support for his regime. "I don't think the Pakistani government at this time under President Musharraf has any credibility at all," the Democratic presidential candidate said today in Iowa. "I am calling for a full independent international investigation." More»