* PACs and lobbyists aided Obama’s rise

* A.F.L.-C.I.O. Sidesteps Endorsements � for Now

* CLINTON ON RISING HOME FORECLOSURES

* Romney: Giuliani’s NYC ‘Sanctuary’ for Illegal Immigrants

* Giuliani adviser left Nevada GOP in rift over Minuteman fliers

* Giuliani skips poll, but is still keen on Iowa

* McCain: Hizballah threat must be removed

* Romney has a little geography glitch

* Romney launches new ad in Iowa

* Brownback Won’t Let Up on Romney

* Fred Thompson’s Webmaster Doesn’t Know Dmoz

* Ad for Paul debuts in Iowa

* TRUTH-SQUADING THE DEBATE

* US Republicans start to smell blood

* Presidential hopeful Obama �promotes� PM to president

* Primary Shifts Complicate Leading Candidates’ Plans

Sorry to jump on Senator Barack Obama tonight but just one more thing. During the debate last night he referred to the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper as President of Canada. Story in the Edmonton Sun. Doesn’t help with the foreign policy credentials.

This comes from the Associated Press:

The government of embattled Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Thursday it may impose a state of emergency because of “external and internal threats” and deteriorating law and order in the volatile northwest near the Afghan border.

Tariq Azim, minister of state for information, said some sentiment coming from the United States, including from Democratic presidential hopeful Barak Obama, over the possibility of U.S. military action against al-Qaida in Pakistan “has started alarm bells ringing and has upset the Pakistani public.”

Now the article is quick to point out:

But it appeared the motivation for a declaration of an emergency would be the domestic political woes of Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism who took power in a 1999 coup.

His popularity has dwindled and his standing has been badly shaken by a failed bid to oust the country’s chief justice _ an independent-minded judge likely to rule on expected legal challenges to the Musharraf’s bid to seek a new five-year presidential term this fall.

It is an important reminder to Senator Barack Obama and all the candidates this political season that whatever America does and whatever American leaders say can quickly be turned around into the kind of “propaganda” Hillary Clinton warned about during a debate when she said she wouldn’t promise any meetings with combative world leaders.

I am sure all of the campaigns including Obama’s will be quick to spin this.

This has been an amazingly confusing primary season and now the latest from South Carolina:

South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson will announce that he is moving its primary date ahead of Florida’s Jan. 29 vote, to reclaim his state party’s “first in the South” presidential-nominating banner. But he will do so in New Hampshire, home of the first-in-the-nation primary. And he will be joined by New Hampshire’s longtime Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who alone has the power to set that state’s date for both parties, now tentatively Jan. 22.

If both were to move their dates up, that likely would force Iowa — always protective of its party caucuses as the first nominating contests of any kind — to consider moving its date from next Jan. 14 into pre-Christmas December.

Found via DailyKos. Mitt Romney, a large supporter of the Iraq war, was asked by a woman in Iowa why none of his five sons, all eligible for military service, are serving the nation. His response?

“My sons are all adults and they’ve made decisions about their careers and they’ve chosen not to serve in the military and active duty and I respect their decision in that regard. One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I’d be a great president.“

Ouch, that really isn’t a good response by any measure.

The Associated Press asked Rachel Griffiths if she was satisfied with the answer to her question.

“Of course not. He told me the way his son shows support for our military and our nation is to buy a Winnebago and ride across Iowa and help him get elected.”