Links to the News

St. Petersburg Times, January 30, 2008 Newseum Image

January 30, 2008: An excerpt from a column in the St. Petersburg Times:

McCain, Romney left standing in GOP race

By ADAM C. SMITH

Who are the big winners in Florida? It's easier to see the losers.

It's now a two-man race for the Republican nomination, with John McCain the front-runner. Florida Republicans effectively cleared Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee from the field.

But neither McCain nor Mitt Romney leaves the Sunshine State looking dauntingly strong. In the first state primary where only Republicans were allowed to weigh in on the GOP nomination, nearly two thirds preferred someone else.

The increasingly venomous McCain vs. Romney contest heads into "Super Tuesday" next week with a McCain advantage because he leads in such delegate-rich states as California, New York and New Jersey. The prospect of a Giuliani endorsement of McCain would be a huge boost, but McCain still lacks the money that multimillionaire Romney has at his disposal.

And day after day, McCain has conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and George Will trashing him as a disaster for the GOP. That a lavishly funded Republican like Romney can't beat someone widely loathed by much of the conservative base says at least as much about Romney's weakness as a candidate as it does about McCain's resiliency.
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The Tampa Tribune, January 30, 2008 Newseum Image

January 30, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Tampa Tribune:

Clinton Hails 'Vote Of Confidence' Over Rival Obama

By BILLY HOUSE

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won Florida's Democratic primary Tuesday, a contest diminished by a clash between the state and national parties that left no delegates at stake and caused the candidates to mostly stay away.

Clinton won by a double-digit margin over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, but the difference was below the point spread in some recent polls that had her up by as much as 24 to 27 percentage points.

Despite the circumstances of the primary, Clinton declared Florida to be a big win for her headed into next week's Super Tuesday voting in more than 20 states.

"I am thrilled to have this vote of confidence," said Clinton at a rally in Davie in Broward County, a nationally televised event intended to project her restored momentum after last week's lopsided loss to Obama in South Carolina.

"I could not come here in person to ask you for your votes, but I am here to thank you for your votes today," she added.
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The Miami Herald, January 30, 2008 Newseum Image

January 30, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Miami Herald:

McCain cements hold on GOP lead

By BETH REINHARD and CASEY WOODS

John McCain's decisive victory in the biggest state to vote so far turned him into an instant front-runner and delivered a ''take-that'' message to naysayers who question the iconoclastic Arizona senator's acceptance by the Republican establishment.

''An all-Republican primary!'' were the triumphant first words of his victory speech in Florida, alluding to previous victories in states where independent voters pushed him over the top.

After weeks of polls that showed a race too close to call, McCain defeated his chief rival, Mitt Romney, by distorting his position on the war in Iraq and savaging him for changing positions on abortion and other issues.

Their acrimony overshadowed one-time front-runner Rudy Giuliani, who bet his entire campaign on Florida but came in third and is now expected to throw his support to McCain. Mike Huckabee, the charismatic former preacher and governor who ran a shoestring operation, came in fourth.
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The Washington Post, January 29, 2008 Newseum Image

January 29, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Washington Post:

Bush Touts Iraq Progress, Economic Plan
State of the Union Reflects New Focus on Money Matters

By MICHAEL ABRAMOWITZ and DAN EGGEN

President Bush told the American people last night that his strategy to stabilize Iraq is achieving results "few of us could have imagined just one year ago," even as he sought to reassure the public that his new stimulus plan will stave off a recession that threatens to hobble the nation's economy during the final year of his presidency.

Appearing before Congress for his seventh and last State of the Union address, Bush claimed vindication for his controversial decision a year ago to send a "surge" of about 30,000 additional troops to Iraq. "The enemy is still dangerous, and more work remains," Bush acknowledged, but with a decline in the number of high-profile attacks, sectarian violence and civilian deaths, he said, progress is unmistakable.

"Some may deny the surge is working," Bush said, "but among the terrorists there is no doubt. Al-Qaeda is on the run in Iraq, and this enemy will be defeated."
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The Salt Lake Tribune, January 28, 2008

January 28, 2008: An excerpt from a story in a special 10-page section of The Salt Lake Tribune:

Gordon B. Hinckley: A lifetime of faithful service

By PEGGY FLETCHER STACK

A portrait of Brigham Young hangs over LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley's desk, and, it is said, from time to time Hinckley looked over his shoulder and wondered: What would Brigham do?

After all, Hinckley, the astute and energetic president who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 until his death Sunday, was much like his pragmatic predecessor.

Both were dynamic kingdom builders whose bold initiatives were tempered by realism. Each tinkered with every aspect of Mormon life, from clothing styles to architectural details, buildings and bureaucracy, quorums and quirky teachings.

But Hinckley's life spanned the 20th century, a time marked by LDS global outreach and technological advances. He saw his church evolve from a tiny sect in the Intermountain West to a respected religious movement with more than 13 million members worldwide. He embraced each new communication device, from radio to satellite to YouTube, as a chance to spread the Mormon word.
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Kompas, January 28, 2008 Newseum Image

January 28, 2008: The Jakarta, Indonesia newspaper, Kompas, reports on the death of former president Suharto. Here is an excerpt from a story on the BBC Web site:

Suharto buried in state funeral

Former Indonesian President Suharto, who died on Sunday at the age of 86, has been buried in a state funeral.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono oversaw the ceremony at the Suharto family mausoleum near the city of Solo.

Suharto, who ruled Indonesia for more than three decades, was credited with leading his country from poverty to relative development.

But he was dogged by allegations of corruption, political repression and serious human rights abuses.
Hundreds of thousands of suspected communists were killed as he rose to power in the 1960s.

He was ousted by mass protests in 1998 and in recent years suffered from poor health - one of the reasons why he never faced trial.
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The State, January 27, 2008 Newseum Image

January 27, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Columbia, South Carolina newspaper, The State:

Obama rides record turnout in landslide

By JOHN O�CONNOR

Barack Obama left the Democratic field in his red clay dust Saturday, easily winning South Carolina�s first-in-the-South Democratic presidential primary.

In an election tainted by bickering and complaints about the focus on race and gender, black voters proved decisive for the U.S. Senator from Illinois.

According to exit polls, African-Americans accounted for more than half of Democratic voters, with four of every five of those voters, men and women, choosing Obama.

After spending much of the week fending off jabs from the Hillary Clinton campaign, Obama again tried to rise above the fray in his victory speech.

"It�s not about rich versus poor; young versus old; black versus white," Obama said. �This election is about past versus future.

"Out of many we are one. While we breathe, we hope," he said, referencing the state motto and his own campaign slogan.

The win rights the Obama campaign after two close losses in New Hampshire on Jan. 8 and Nevada on Jan. 19 and sets up what could be a decisive day of voting Feb. 5. More than 20 states cast votes on what has been dubbed "Tsunami Tuesday."
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The Sun News, January 27, 2008 Newseum Image

January 27, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina newspaper, The Sun News:

Illinois senator's huge take astounds

By ZANE WILSON

COLUMBIA --The margin of victory for Barack Obama and voter turnout in the S.C. Democratic primary Saturday were both astounding, said a former Democratic National Committee chairman.

"It was a good victory for him," said Don Fowler, also a former state Democratic chairman, who slumped tiredly in a chair at the party's media center, sporting a large Hillary for President button.

Obama took 55 percent of the vote, compared with 27 percent for Hillary Clinton and 18 percent for John Edwards, in complete but unofficial returns.

Horry County was the only county that Clinton won, in a primary that saw 25,768 votes, three more than in the Republican primary last week. Georgetown County voters gave the nod overwhelmingly to Obama, more than two to one over Clinton, with Edwards in third.

It was Obama's biggest win so far and was closely watched nationwide because of South Carolina's large proportion of black voters.

"This unquestionably helps him," Fowler said of Obama, though he also predicted that Clinton could still pick up the pace in the round of primaries Feb. 5.
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Link, January 25, 2008 Newseum Image

January 25, 2008:
The Hampton Roads, Virginia newspaper, Link, features a Page One photograph by Gordon Parks.

The photo is from an exhibition of Gordon Parks' photos and films at the Chrysler Museum of Art.


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An-Nahar, January 24, 2008 Newseum Image

January 24, 2008: The  Beirut, Lebanon newspaper, An-Nahar, and the Tel Aviv, Israel paper, Yedioth Ahronoth, report on the fallen Gaza/Egypt wall. Here is an excerpt from a story on the BBC Web site:

Gazans flood through Egypt border

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have surged into Egypt from the Gaza Strip after masked militants destroyed parts of the border wall.

Gazans rushed to buy food, fuel and other supplies that have become scarce because of an Israeli blockade - aimed at stopping rocket attacks from Gaza.

Egyptian police took no action to stop people crossing.

Yedioth Ahronoth, January 24, 2008 Newseum Image

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak says he allowed Gazans in to buy food, but Israel urged Egypt to restore security.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya called for urgent talks with Egypt and his Palestinian rival, President Mahmoud Abbas, on border crossings.

"We do not want to control everything, we are part of the Palestinian people," Mr Haniya said, apparently in response to an offer from Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayad to control Gaza's borders - so far rejected by Israel.

Hamas has controlled Gaza since last June.
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The Courier-Mail, January 23, 2008 Newseum Image

January 23, 2008: An excerpt from a column in the Brisbane, Australia newspaper, The Courier-Mail:

Great cleansing after 20 years

By TERRY McCRANN 

This is the great cleansing.

Every 20 years or so we need one to hose away all the crud that's built up in the market - the excess, the over-ripe values built on sand and fantasy - to de-spiv, albeit inevitably and, sadly, only temporarily - the financial system and to teach another generation of young masters of the universe that greed and slickness do not add to substance and sustainability.

We had the de-crudding in one day back in 1987 after the tsunami rolled in overnight from across the Pacific. This time, we've pre-empted Wall St.

In these days of globalised real-time trading, our market's 7 per cent drop yesterday was in anticipation of the Dow opening 500 points down on its Friday close and then going who knows where. Or feared.

More pointedly, this big one-day point loss yesterday came after the market had already gone down 18 per cent in barely two months.
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DNA, January 22, 2008 Newseum Image

January 22, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Mumbai, India newspaper, DNA:

Stay calm; no liquidity crisis: FM to investors

NEW DELHI -- Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday sought to calm investors panicked by a meltdown of over 2,000 points on Tuesday morning leading to suspension of trading, saying that enough liquidity would be provided to market players.
   
"I am assured by RBI and all the banks that enough liquidity will be provided to brokers and market players. Liquidity will not be an issue," Chidambaram said.

Ahead to his visit to Davos for participating in the World Economic Forum, Chidambaram exuded confidence that investors would return to market as fundamentals of the economy were strong.

"Worries of western world should not be allowed to overwhelm us... our economy is very different from some economies of developed countries. Our economy is a strong economy and corporate sector is very strong," he said after the exchange authorities suspended trading within minutes after the bourses witnessed a sharp plunge.
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Las Vegas Sun, January 20, 2008 Newseum Image

January 20, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Las Vegas Sun:

How Clinton hit pay dirt
The keys to her Nevada victory: a huge wave of new voters

By J. PATRICK COOLICAN and MICHAEL MISHAK   

If you want to know how Sen. Hillary Clinton won a convincing victory in Saturday's Nevada caucus, look back to a meeting Dec. 15 at William E. Orr Middle School in Las Vegas.

There, Robby Mook, Clinton's state director, told 600 of the campaign's most committed volunteers that he wanted to enlist many more supporters to caucus for the candidate -- more than twice what he asked for in August.

It was a startling move coming nearly a year into the Nevada campaign -- and just five weeks before the caucus. It also was a strategic risk because it would divert resources.

Mook's colleagues in Clinton's Iowa campaign paid no attention to his move. Turns out, they should have.
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The State, January 20, 2008 Newseum Image

January 20, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Columbia, South Carolina newspaper, The State:

Arizona senator's push pays off
McCain prevails in S.C., beats Huckabee

By GINA SMITH

U.S. Sen. McCain confidently strode onto the stage in Charleston Saturday night as the crowd chanted, "Mac is back!"

South Carolina may have dashed his presidential hopes in 2000, but this time, the Arizona maverick successfully edged out a jumbled field of competitors in the first-in-the South primary.

"It took us a while, but what's eight years among friends?" McCain told the cheering crowd at The Citadel. "It just gave us the opportunity to spend more time in this beautiful state, to talk with you and listen to you, and to come to admire all the more the deep patriotism of South Carolinians, who have sacrificed so much to defend our country from its enemies."
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The Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2008 Newseum Image

January 18, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Wall Street Journal:

Default Fears Unnerve Markets
Bush, Democrats Rush to Roll Out Stimulus Plan

By SARAH LUECK, JOHN D. MCKINNON and MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS

WASHINGTON -- President Bush and Congress, driven by the worsening economic outlook, a tumbling stock market and Americans' growing sense of financial insecurity, are speeding toward agreement on a package of measures to stimulate the economy.

The president is expected to lay out the principles of his stimulus plan today, but without getting into specifics. Privately, the White House has discussed its support for a tax rebate of as much as $800 for individual taxpayers, more than double the $300 rebate featured in a 2001 effort to spur economic growth.

The administration also signaled it would accept a stimulus bill that didn't include an extension of Mr. Bush's tax cuts -- a centerpiece of his economic agenda -- removing a potential hurdle to bipartisan support for the legislation.
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The Philadelphia Daily News, January 17, 2008 Newseum Image

January 17, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Philadelphia Daily News:

McCain surges, Clinton sails

By DAVE DAVIES

Pennsylvania is Clinton country among Democrats and McCainville among Republicans, and it's a state where voters worry about the economy and yearn for national health-care reform.

Those are the findings of the latest Daily News/Keystone Poll, conducted after wins by U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain in the New Hampshire primary last week.

The poll, by the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College, found Clinton leading U.S. Sen. Barack Obama by a margin of 40 percent to 20 percent, with former U.S. Sen. John Edwards at 11 percent.

On the Republican side, McCain has overtaken former front-runner Rudy Giuliani, leading the former New York mayor 30 percent to 14 percent, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in third at 12 percent.

"But remember, there are plenty of undecideds, and nearly three out of five Democrats who have a preference say they could still change their minds," said poll director G. Terry Madonna. "So this thing could change on a dime."

Madonna noted that McCain's rise and Giuliani's fall mostly reflects national trends in the GOP, since the candidates haven't been buying ads or campaigning in Pennsylvania.
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The Detroit News, January 16, 2008 Newseum Image

January 16, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Detroit News:

Romney blasts GOP race wide open
Michigan native's victory re-energizes campaign

By GORDON TROWBRIDGE

Mitt Romney's victory Tuesday in the Michigan Republican presidential primary has put the economy on the nation's political map and Romney back into a turbulent fight for the GOP nomination.

Romney becomes the third different winner in three major early-state contests, and his victory brings dramatic confusion to a GOP race that gives new meaning to the word "unsettled."

"Republican voters just have not locked in," said Craig Ruff of Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based government think tank. "I don't think it's purposeful, that people in Michigan decided tonight to defy New Hampshire. But that's the consequence."

Romney, the Oakland County-reared son of a popular Michigan governor, led McCain by a margin of 39 percent to 30 with nearly all the state's 5,385 precincts recorded. Mike Huckabee had 16 percent. Romney's unexpectedly large margin suggested that critics would find it difficult to dismiss his win as mere home-state loyalty.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton won a marginalized Democratic primary in which she was the only major contender on the ballot -- fallout from the controversy over Michigan's move to an early primary in defiance of both parties' rules. Clinton was headed to a large and expected victory, though her opponents already were pointing to a large "uncommitted" vote as a sign of weakness.
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Detroit Free Press, January 16, 2008 Newseum Image

January 16, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Detroit Free Press:

Romney makes it anybody's race
GOP winner: Breakthrough is 'victory of optimism' in native state

By TODD SPANGLER, KATHLEEN GRAY and CHRIS CHRISTOFF

Mitt Romney breathed new life into his faltering campaign for the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, winning Michigan with strong support from conservative Republicans, those who favor deporting illegal immigrants and voters who consider the economy the most important issue facing the country.

It is the first significant victory of the political season for the former Massachusetts governor who grew up in Bloomfield Hills, and it gives him a glimmer of hope at a time when a defeat could have doomed his chances following losses in the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary.

Now the race is wide open, with three candidates winning each of the three major contests headed into this weekend's Nevada caucus and South Carolina GOP primary, to be followed by the Jan. 29 primary in Florida.

"Tonight is a victory of optimism over Washington-style pessimism," Romney told cheering supporters in Southfield.
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Die Tageszeitung, January 15, 2008 Newseum Image

January 15, 2008: Page One from the Berlin, Germany newspaper, Die Tageszeitung, and a story from the BBC:

'Blade Runner' handed Olympic ban

Paralympic 400m star Oscar Pistorius has failed in his bid to compete at this year's Olympic Games in Beijing.

The IAAF, athletics' governing body, ruled his prosthetic limbs give him an advantage over able-bodied opponents and contravene rules on technical aids.

A scientific study revealed that Pistorius, nicknamed "Blade Runner", used 25% less energy than able-bodied runners to run at the same speed.

The 21-year-old South African said last week he would appeal against any ban.

"I feel that it is my responsibility, on behalf of other disabled athletes, to stand firm," he said. "I will appeal [against] this decision at the highest levels, while also continuing with my quest to race in the Paralympic Games and hopefully the Olympic Games."
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The Daily Al Bayan, January 14, 2008 Newseum Image

January 14, 2008
President Bush's trip to Dubai is described in the United Arab Emirates newspaper, The Daily Al Bayan.



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The New Zealand Herald, January 11, 2008 Newseum Image

January 11, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Auckland, New Zealand newspaper, The New Zealand Herald:

Hillary 'best shadow to live in' - mountaineer

By EDWARD GAY 

New Zealand was lucky to have a man like Sir Edmund Hillary as an icon to aspire to, a fellow climber has said.

Mountaineer Guy Cotter has climbed Everest four times and is a director of Adventure Consultants - a mountaineering guide company that lead expeditions to Everest.

Speaking after news of Sir Edmund's death in Auckland this morning at the age of 88, Mr Cotter said the man who first conquered Everest had used his achievement to help others.

"I think what is great is we're given the opportunity to celebrate the life of a mountaineer that finished the right way and that is dying of old age," Mr Cotter said.

"A lot of our Sherpa staff that we work with today are recipients of the services that he and the Himalayan Trust put in place," Mr Cotter said.

He said when Sir Edmund first went into the Khumbu on Everest reconnaissance in 1951 he saw people who were extremely poor but friendly and forthcoming and wanted to give something back to the people of Nepal.

"The efforts that he went to, to go around the world, talking and using his Everest summits - not to help himself but to help other people - is amazing," Mr Cotter said.
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Globes, January 10, 2008 Newseum Image

January 10, 2008
The Rishon Le-Zion, Israel newspaper, Globes, reports on President Bush's trip to the Middle East.





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Concord Monitor, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the New Hampshire newspaper, the Concord Monitor:

Democrats pick Clinton

By SARAH LIEBOWITZ

Buoyed by female voters and registered Democrats, Hillary Clinton eked out a surprise victory against Barack Obama in New Hampshire's primary yesterday.

The win capped a roller-coaster five days, during which the conventional wisdom swung from predicting a tight race to a decisive Obama victory, and came as some pundits were all but writing Clinton's campaign obituary. The results - however narrow - may boost Clinton as the presidential race becomes increasingly national in scope, with contests in large, delegate-rich states less than a month away.

"Over the past week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice," Clinton told supporters at a victory party in Manchester shortly after 11 p.m. "Now, together, let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me."
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Union Leader, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Manchester, New Hampshire newspaper, the Union Leader:

The Republicans: Romney and McCain waged an epic battle

By DAN TUOHY

Sen. John McCain claimed his second New Hampshire primary victory yesterday, defying convention and denying Mitt Romney a comeback in his back yard.

"Mac is Back! Mac is Back!" supporters chanted. But McCain won by never really leaving when his Republican rivals invested time in Iowa.

It leaves Romney scrambling for political survival, despite two second places and winning the Wyoming caucus. With his repeat primary gold, McCain cast himself as the Republican standard-bearer, a position he will have to defend Tuesday when Michigan holds its primary.

"Tonight we sure showed 'em what a comeback looks like," he said. At 71, he joked he's past the age to be called a Comeback Kid. "When the pundits declared us finished, I told them, 'I'm going to New Hampshire, where the voters don't let you make their decision for them.'"
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The Telegraph, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Nashua, New Hampshire newspaper, The Telegraph:

Clinton, McCain reign

By KEVIN LANDRIGAN  

ONE INSURGENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE � Republican John McCain � coasted to a New Hampshire primary victory while the other � Democrat Barack Obama � got rocked after Hillary Rodham Clinton pulled out a narrow surprise win.

Clinton, 60, defied all the late polls and stopped Obama, who had been riding a wave of momentum following his Iowa caucus victory only five days earlier.

"We came back tonight because you spoke loudly and clearly. You want this campaign to be about you because there is so much at stake for our country," Clinton said at a raucous victory rally on the campus of Southern New Hampshire University.Indeed, the New York senator became the real comeback candidate in winning an improbable battle hours after her own top advisers confirmed that a New Hampshire loss would lead to a campaign shakeup.

Meanwhile, McCain, a longtime Arizona senator, rolled up a comfortable win against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to complete his own unlikely return to the winner's circle, dealing Romney's presidential hopes a serious blow in the process.

"Tonight we have taken a step, but only the first step, toward repairing the broken politics of the past and restoring faith of the people in our government," McCain told hundreds of cheering supporters at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nashua.
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The Washington Post, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Washington Post:

With Echoes of Clinton '92, Another 'Comeback Kid'

By DAN BALZ 

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan. 8 -- New Hampshire proved to be the political firewall that the Clinton campaign long had hoped for. Just as New Hampshire voters saved Bill Clinton's candidacy 16 years ago, they revived Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's faltering presidential campaign Tuesday night.

Clinton's battle with Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) now moves to Nevada and South Carolina, then to almost two dozen states, including California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois, that will hold contests on Feb. 5. Both campaigns are ready, and with two well-liked, well-funded and determined candidates, Democrats face a battle almost unlike any they have seen in a generation.

Tuesday's outcome defied the final poll results, which had shown Obama heading toward a handsome victory. It provided a huge psychological boost to the Clinton campaign, just as the results Tuesday buoyed Republican John McCain, and instantly deflated the almost giddy sense of anticipation inside Obama's headquarters.
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The New York Times, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The New York Times:

Clinton Is Victor, Turning Back Obama; McCain Also Triumphs

By PATRICK HEALY and MICHAEL COOPER

MANCHESTER, N.H. � Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York rode a wave of female support to a surprise victory over Senator Barack Obama in the New Hampshire Democratic primary on Tuesday night. In the Republican primary, Senator John McCain of Arizona revived his presidential bid with a Lazarus-like victory.

The success of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. McCain followed their third- and fourth-place finishes in the Iowa caucuses last week. Mrs. Clinton�s victory came after her advisers had lowered expectations with talk of missteps in strategy and concern about Mr. Obama�s momentum after his first-place finish in Iowa. Her team is now planning to add advisers and undertake a huge fund-raising drive to prepare for a tough and expensive fight with Mr. Obama in the Democratic nominating contests over the next four weeks.
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The Detroit News, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Detroit News:

Romney loss heats up Michigan race

By GORDON TROWBRIDGE and DEB PRICE 

Mitt Romney will return to his native state today, fighting for the life of his presidential campaign against a resurgent John McCain, whose victory in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary means crucial momentum headed into Michigan's Jan. 15 primary.

"We celebrate one victory tonight and leave for Michigan tomorrow to win another," McCain told supporters in New Hampshire, promoting chants of "Michigan! Michigan!" McCain won a stunning upset in Michigan in 2000 and hopes to cement his political comeback here in 2008.

McCain campaigns today in Grand Rapids and Oakland County, and has an intense schedule of appearances leading up to the primary -- as does Romney. The Michigan native and former Massachusetts governor has invested millions of dollars and hundreds of hours in the campaign's earliest contests, but now desperately needs a Michigan victory to keep his once-promising campaign alive. But neither man can count out Mike Huckabee, who said Tuesday he will advertise and campaign seriously in Michigan.
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Newsday, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in Newsday:

Candidates now look to Super Tuesday

By DAN JANISON

Now that the major parties have produced one winner each in two key early primary states, the trek resumes to make-or-break Super-Duper Tuesday in less than a month.

While different in crucial ways, last night's "comeback" victories for Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) underscore how early in the primary process it all remains.

Just last week, in Iowa, the stars of the moment were Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Republican Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. Obama landed second and Huckabee third, just ahead of Rudy Giuliani and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

Before the month is out come the Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina and Florida contests, all a runup to the "super" day on Feb. 5 that New York, California, Illinois and other major states go to the polls.
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Daily News, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a column in the Daily News:

Hillary Clinton back from almost-dead

BY THOMAS M. DeFRANK

WASHINGTON - Can Barack Obama be stopped? Of course.

Overnight is a lifetime in politics. Like Tuesday night.

By every yardstick, Hillary Clinton was supposed to lose badly. Every poll had her trailing Barack Obama, most by double digits.

Even some of her most die-hard loyalists admitted it was beginning to smell like the Last Days of Pompeii around the Clinton bunker.

"It's over," one of them said the day before the balloting.

With Clinton's unexpected win, that same Hillaryista was still nervous about the future but nonetheless exulted:

"It's a real race now."
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New York Post, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the New York Post:

GIRL POWER FUELS HER WIN

By KENNETH LOVETT 

BOW, NH - Women returned to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in New Hampshire yesterday, helping her eke out a comeback victory over Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic primary.

Clinton beat Obama among female voters by 47 percent to 34 percent, according to exit surveys conducted for The Associated Press and a media consortium.

That was a big turnaround from last week's Iowa caucuses, in which Obama edged out Clinton among women.

Obama last night took 55 percent of the slightly more than half of voters who cited bringing "change" as their major candidate priority - compared with 28 percent for Clinton. But among the 20 percent who said "experience" was most important, Clinton slammed Obama, 71 percent to 5 percent.
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Boston Herald, January 9, 2008 Newseum Image

January 9, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Boston Herald:

Romney revs up fund raising drive in Boston

By MARIE SZANISZLO     

After disappointing losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, former Gov. Mitt Romney gathered hundreds of supporters in Boston today for a new push to revitalize his presidential campaign.

In the cavernous third floor ballroom of the Boston Convention and Exhibit Center in South Boston, Romney urged on volunteers running a massive phone bank to raise money for his campaign, saying he will win the Michigan primary.

"We're getting ready for Michigan," Romney said, referring to the next primary scheduled for Tuesday. "We have done it before (in Wyoming) and we are going to do it again."

But the Massachusetts Republican who lost to Arizona Sen. John McCain in New Hampshire yesterday acknowledged that challenges lay ahead.
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The Advocate, January 8, 2008 Newseum Image

January 8, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Baton Rouge newspaper, The Advocate:

LSU takes second BCS title with 38-24 win

By SHELDON MICKLES
 
NEW ORLEANS -- Four years ago, it was Victory for LSU. With those stirring final words of the school's fight song putting a fitting exclamation point on the Tigers' first national football title in 45 years.

On Monday night, it was History for LSU.

Playing in the same city and stadium where the 2003 LSU team claimed the BCS crown with a 21-14 victory over Oklahoma, the Fighting Tigers helped make history as LSU became the first school to collect two titles in the 10-year existence of the Bowl Championship Series.

No. 2 LSU's 38-24 thrashing of top-ranked Ohio State before 79,651 fans in a rocking Superdome denied the Buckeyes, who won it all in 2002, their chance to become the first school to win two BCS titles.

It was the second straight loss in the championship game for Ohio State, which dropped a 41-14 decision to Florida in 2007 in Glendale, Ariz.
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The Lima News, January 8, 2008 Newseum Image

January 8, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Ohio newspaper, The Lima News:

BCS breakdown

By JIM NAVEAU
 
NEW ORLEANS -- This year was going to be different.

Over and over, they promised they would get it right this time.

But, unfortunately for Ohio State, they got it a lot like last year when they were beaten 38-24 by LSU in the BCS national championship game on Monday night in the Superdome.

Ever since the Buckeyes got a chance to redeem themselves for last year's 41-14 loss to Florida in the BCS title game, they said they had learned a lot since then.

Most of what they learned on Monday night was that they had been manhandled again by a Southeastern Conference team on college football's biggest stage.

Those Buckeyes fans who seethed for a year while they heard about the splendor of the SEC and how overrated Ohio State was had better prepare themselves for a bumpy ride. It's only going to get worse.
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The Des Moines Register, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The Des Moines Register:

Historic turnout: 346,000 Iowans caucus

By ABBY SIMONS

More than 346,000 Democratic and Republican Iowa caucus-goers turned out Thursday night to support their favorite presidential candidate, and in doing so, set historic participation numbers for Iowa's first in the nation caucuses.

The unprecedented turnout was due largely to the huge numbers of first-time caucus-goers. Barack Obama, who won the Democratic caucus, drew thousands of new participants, including a sizeable number of political independents. In addition, the Iowa Republican party estimated that as many as 30 percent of their caucus participants were new registrants.

The Register's Iowa Poll published Tuesday forecast the perfect storm that apparently hit Thursday night. The poll showed 60 percent of Democratic caucusgoers would be attending for the first time. It also indicated that 72 percent of Obama's support would come from first-time caucus-goers.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Iowa Democratic Party officials reported 234,000 caucus attendees, compared to 124,000 in 2004. With 93 percent of GOP precincts reporting, 112,349 Republicans had participated in their caucus, up from the 87,666 who participated in 2000.

There were no seats and little standing room available for Republican caucus-goers at Berg Middle School in Newton, said Norman McDonald, of rural Jasper County.

"I left without voting because the crowd was too large," he said. "I'm 80 years old and I couldn't stand up for as long as it was going to take."
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The Gazette, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa newspaper, The Gazette:

Major leap forward for Barack Obama

By ROD BOSHART 

DES MOINES -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, making his first foray into presidential politics, scored an insurgent victory last night over Democratic rivals John Edwards and Hillary Clinton in Iowa's record-setting first-in-the-nation 2008 precinct caucuses.

Lackluster showings by Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut knocked them both out of the Democratic race Thursday.

Obama, 46, took a major leap toward becoming the first African-American U.S. president by rallying support beyond his Democratic base from young, independent and even Republican Iowans with a message of hope and change en route to winning Iowa's most grueling caucus cycle.

"They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose. But on this January night at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do," Obama told his cheering supporters.
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Quad-City Times, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Davenport, Iowa newspaper, the Quad-City Times:

Huckabee gets lift from Iowa GOP

By DAN GEARINO 

DES MOINES -- Iowa Republicans gave Mike Huckabee an improbable caucus victory Thursday night, propelling the former Arkansas governor over a series of better-funded opponents.

With 86 percent of precincts reporting, Huckabee had 34 percent of votes cast, topping former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who had 25 percent.

"Tonight, what we have seen is a new day in American politics," Huckabee said, addressing an overflow crowd at a downtown Des Moines hotel.

Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee and U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona were virtually tied at 13 percent, with Thompson ahead by just a few hundred votes; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was fifth with 10 percent; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was sixth with 4 percent; and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California was seventh with less than 1 percent.

An estimated 120,000 Republicans participated, which is a record high.

Huckabee displayed the glow of someone who has strained for months for a prize, and against long odds, won.

"Tonight, we prove that American politics still is in the hands of ordinary folks like you across this country who believe that it wasn't about who raised the most money, but who raised the greatest hopes, dreams and aspirations," he said.
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Iowa City Press-Citizen, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Iowa City newspaper, the Iowa City Press-Citizen:

Local high turnout mirrors state

By HIEU PHAM 

Johnson County residents turned out in droves in Thursday's caucuses, stuffing meeting rooms, school gymnasiums and other buildings.

While the higher than expected turnout delayed the release of official results, county Democratic and Republican party officials estimated that twice as many people took part in this year's caucuses compared to four years ago.

State projections showed a record turnout with participation from 236,000 Democrats compared to 124,000 in 2004. Republicans reported about 114,000 caucus goers statewide compared to 87,666 in 2000.

Johnson County Democrat Chairman Brian Flaherty said some precincts ran out of voter registration cards and long lines formed at many others.

"I think it's because there is a real desire out there in the county of really wanting a change in America, on health care, in Iraq," he said.
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The Washington Post, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a column in The Washington Post:

In Precinct 70, the Numbers Tell the Story

By DANA MILBANK 

DES MOINES, Jan. 3 -- And so, after a year of campaigning and tens of millions of candidates' dollars, it came down to this: 600 people packed into a gymnasium at Merrill Middle School ("Home of the Mustangs!") and a burly man on a stage, perspiring heavily.

"I've been sweating since 3 o'clock," said the man, caucus chairman Jeff Goetz.

For good reason. Goetz's precinct, Des Moines's 70th, is believed to be the largest in Iowa. Both the Clinton and Obama campaigns held it up as a test case that would indicate who would prevail in Iowa. Here, as elsewhere across the state, Hillary Clinton's superior campaign organization would battle Barack Obama's passionate, but young and unaffiliated, supporters.

On paper, it looked like a rout. Brendan Comito, the Obama precinct chairman, said he had commitments from 270 people to support his candidate. But, Comito hastened to add, "that doesn't mean they're all gonna show up."

By contrast, Clinton precinct chairwoman Margi Weiss had 120 "ones and twos" on her clipboard -- firm commitments to caucus for Clinton. But, she added, "we have some very seasoned people."
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The New York Times, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in The New York Times:

Call for Change Shakes Up the Democratic Field

By JEFF ZELENY

DES MOINES -- They rolled the dice.

Whether it was because they were eager to leave behind the bitter divides of the last two decades or because they wanted to send a message that a small white state could transcend the issue of race, Iowa voters handed Senator Barack Obama a victory here Thursday and supported his improbable candidacy in defiance of those who warned he was too inexperienced in world affairs.

Instead, what seemed to drive them was the idea that Mr. Obama would present a new face for America in the world, with a coalition of Democrats and independents dispelling skepticism and flooding caucuses in all corners of the state to support a man who came to Washington only three years ago.

"We are one people," Mr. Obama said. "And our time for change has come."

It was only a year ago that Mr. Obama, 46, a first-term senator from Illinois, formally decided to seek the Democratic nomination, which even some of his closest advisers feared could diminish his long-term potential. As he learned to become a presidential candidate on the fly, seasoned political hands worked to build an organization here unlike any other, which ultimately helped to nearly double the turnout from the caucuses four years ago.
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Newsday, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in Newsday:

Obama win rocks Clinton, Edwards

By GLENN THRUSH

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Barack Obama rocked the political world with a decisive victory in Thursday's Iowa caucus -- with Hillary Rodham Clinton finishing in third place fractionally behind John Edwards, a staggering blow to a candidate once viewed as her party's inevitable choice.

The freshman senator from Illinois, riding a generational wave of dissatisfaction with the political status quo, captured 37.6 percent of the Democratic caucus vote, with all caucus precincts reporting. Clinton trailed John Edwards 29.8 to 29.5 percent.

Obama's victory marked the first time an African-American candidate has won such a vital primary or caucus, and the candidate emphasized the historical nature of that achievement last night.

"Years from now you'll be able to say 'This was the moment when it all began,'" Obama told hundreds of giddy, chanting supporters at a Des Moines sports arena. "This is the moment when we finally beat back the politics of fear and doubt and cynicism."
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Daily News, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Daily News:

Barack Obama wins the Iowa caucuses over Hillary Clinton, John Edwards

By MICHAEL McAULIFF, MICHAEL SAUL, JO PIAZZA, KENNETH R. BAZINET, and HELEN KENNEDY

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's once-inevitable campaign juggernaut went off a cliff Thursday night when rookie Sen. Barack Obama won the Iowa Democratic caucuses - making history as the first black candidate to win an overwhelmingly white state.

Obama's inspirational message of unifying America and "turning the page" on the toxic partisanship crippling Washington resonated strongly with Iowa Democrats and independents, who decided to take a flier on the eloquent young senator and gave him an 8-point victory.

"They said this day would never come," Obama said in a rousing victory speech. "But on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do.

"We're choosing unity over division and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America," he said, as giddy supporters broke into a chant of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"
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New York Post, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the New York Post:

ALL DOWN-HILL FOR NO. 3 DEM
OBAMA ROMPS, EDWARDS 2ND IN CAUCUS VOTE

By GEOFF EARLE 

January 4, 2008 -- DES MOINES, Iowa - Barack Obama scored a monumental win in the Iowa caucuses last night, sending Hillary Rodham Clinton to a devastating third-place finish.

In a historic bid to become the country's first black president, Obama grabbed 38 percent of the vote. John Edwards had 30 percent and Clinton 29 percent, with 100 percent of the votes counted.

Trying to put the best face on a stunning defeat, Clinton hailed a "great night for Democrats" and said the strong turnout pointed for sure to the election of a Democratic president in November.

"We're going to keep pushing as hard as we can," she said.

In a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released, Clinton and Republican John McCain lead in New Hampshire, but the polling was done before Iowa's contest, and did not include a predicted bounce for Obama as a result of his Iowa victory.

All the major candidates fanned out across New Hampshire for political events, ahead of back-to-back debates in Manchester on Saturday night and the state's primary contest on Tuesday.
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Chicago Tribune, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a column in the Chicago Tribune:

Obama, Huckabee win in Iowa

By MICHAEL TACKETT 

DES MOINES -- In the end, Iowans voted for a smile.

They chose conciliation over combat, personality over pedigree, hope over fear. They voted for the new, with fervor.

Whether that sets a tone for the campaign to come is far from certain -- in fact things could get harsh in a hurry. But at least on this cold night, there was a powerful suggestion that voters were intrigued by a different kind of politics, particularly independents who increasingly say they are weary of the old partisan fights.

It can be a mistake to make too much about the candidate anointed "President of Iowa" by the quaint and quirky precinct caucuses. Ask George H.W. Bush in 1980 or Bob Dole or Richard Gephardt in 1988.

In the case of Barack Obama, though, it also could be a mistake to make too little of it. History isn't always apparent in the moment. No other figure in modern American politics has had such a swift rise, built on such thin experience, who at the same time could inspire such a sense of the possible. The country had never seen the serious prospect of a non-white president, or watched such a powerful portrait as Obama and his wife, Michelle, as a potential First Couple.

Now it has.
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Chicago Sun-Times, January 4, 2008 Newseum Image

January 4, 2008: An excerpt from a story in the Chicago Sun-Times:

Obama, Huckabee sweep to Iowa victories, new front-runners in 2008 presidential campaign

By ABDON M. PALLASCH

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Yes, it appears you can inspire people who have never caucused before to turn out on a cold Iowa night.

They came out in droves for Sen. Barack Obama -- young first-time caucus-goers, college students returning from Christmas break early, independents and perhaps even a few Republicans.

"On this January night at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do," Obama told a crowd of wildly cheering supporters.

"You have done what the state of New Hampshire can do in five days. You have done what America can do in this new year 2008. In lines that stretched around schools and churches in small towns and big cities, you came together as Democrats and Republicans and independents to say that we are one nation, we are one people, and our time for change has come."
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Remember to take a look at Jeremy Gilbert's Poynter Online story: "Iowa Caucus Front Pages"
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Gulf News, January 1, 2008 Newseum Image

January 1, 2008: An excerpt from a Page One message from the Dubai, United Arab Emirates newspaper, the Gulf News:

Hopes & Fears

As we begin a new year hoping it will bring peace and prosperity for everyone, we also reflect on 2007.

The past year witnessed major events that will undoubtedly influence 2008 and beyond.

Many of these issues have made their impact on the lives of Gulf News readers. Locally, people could not stop worrying about the rising rents and spiralling cost of living.

Surprisingly, traffic worries were pushed back, and the talk of the town centred on salaries and the dirham's peg to the dollar.

On the Middle East, our readers carried on with their hopes of stability. In the past few months the security situation in Iraq improved, but readers believe it will be a long time before the war-torn nation can recover fully.

....While the majority of Gulf News readers expressed pessimism in their overall outlook for 2008, they do see a glimmer of hope and would like to see an end to conflicts in the world.