Hunting Season: [Alexander Mooney, CNN]: “The Republican National Committee is out with an ad titled ‘Hillary Clinton: Long on rhetoric, short on answers,’ that edits together several different Washington pundits expressing criticism of the New York Democrat's answers at Tuesday's debate.”
Millionaires’ Club: [Nicole Brennan, The Hill]: “With former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) spending millions on his White House bid, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are weighing the possibility of adding a ‘millionaire’s amendment’ to presidential campaign finance reform measures. … The millionaire’s amendment, as it applies to Senate races, states that if a candidate exceeds the statutory threshold by 10 times, then the cap on the amount of money other candidates can accept from a single donor can be raised.”
Looking Ahead: [Jason Clayworth, The DesMoines Register]: “Mitt Romney--the Republican presidential frontrunner with a large lead in recent Iowa polls--is sharpening his Democratic criticisms rather than focusing on his own party’s challengers, voters and political observers note.”
Veteran’s Affair: [Liz Sidoti, AP]: “John McCain, a Vietnam war prisoner, argued Friday that his top rivals for the GOP nomination aren't qualified to deal with issues like torture--or to be president in wartime--because they never served in the military.”
Dirty Money?: [Barry Massey, AP]: “Democratic presidential candidate and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has tapped into a pipeline of campaign cash from those who lobby government in his home state. … Critics say the contributions raise questions about whether Richardson has used his leverage as governor to help fund his presidential aspirations, and whether his presidential campaign has become another avenue for state lobbyists to curry favor.”
--Ben Crair