Ron Paul - Out Foxed?

Rep. Ron Paul and supporters of his presidential bid are in an uproar over what they believe is his exclusion from a televised debate on Jan. 6, two days before the New Hampshire primary.
While campaigning in the Granite State on Saturday, Paul called Fox News, one of the debate's sponsor, "scared of me." They "don't want my message to get out, but it will," according to The Boston Globe's Primary Source blog.
"They are propagandists for this war and I challenge them on the notion that they are conservative."
Kent Snyder, Paul's campaign chairman continued in a statement: “Given Ron Paul’s support in New Hampshire and his recent historic fundraising success, it is outrageous that Dr. Paul would be excluded.”
A joint Boston Globe-University of New Hampshire poll from a week ago has Paul in 5th place in the state, pulling 8 percent of the vote.
Jesse Benton, a campaign spokesman, said they haven't heard directly from Fox that Paul is excluded; and if so, why that happened. "We've called Fox six times and have not had our calls returned," he said.
Calls and emails to Fox News spokespersons by the Tribune were not returned Saturday evening.

Read the article at The Baltimore Sun. Be sure to comment on their site as well! Just a note that anonymous comments will not be posted on their site.

Huckabee launches attack on Romney

OSCEOLA, Iowa — In a stark change of tone just days before the Iowa caucus, former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas on Saturday unleashed a barrage of attacks on the credibility of his chief rival here, former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.
“If a person is dishonest in his approach to get the job, do you believe he will be honest in telling you the truth when he does gets the job?,” Mr. Huckabee said at a campaign stop in Osceola, Iowa, adding that he was escalating his attacks on Mr. Romney in part because of his disparagements of a third Republican rival, Senator John McCain, “an American hero.”
“It is enough to attack me but now to attack John McCain, it is like Mitt doesn’t have anything to stand on except to stand against, and I am saying enough is enough,” Mr. Huckabee said.
One of Mr. Huckabee’s latest ads in Iowa echoed similar themes.
“If you love negative campaigning, you’ve gotta be loving the last few days of this election. But if you love our country, you’ve got to be thinking, ‘Enough is enough,’” he says in a new spot, before calling ads released.

Read about it at the NYTimes Caucus Blog.

Warren Buffett - Bond Rescue Plan to help cities

December 29, 2007 -- Warren Buffett is renting out his gold-plated name to cash-strapped cities across America so they can now borrow under his protec tive wing - and, of course, pay him dearly for the lifeline.
As the financial serv ices industry remained mired in turmoil over its own shaky credit woes, Buffett yesterday launched a new insurance company to help municipalities find insurance for backing up their bonds - of which they sell hundreds of billions to investors to finance operations.
Many major bond insurers that traditionally dominated the $2.5 trillion municipal borrowing world are on the ropes, wracked by their own credit problems and cash-flow troubles, causing cash sources from investors to dry up for many municipal and state governments.
The launch of Buffett's well-timed venture shook up the industry, and sent shares tumbling for two major municipal bond insurers - MBIA, which fell 17 percent, and Ambac Financial, down 15 percent.
Buffett's new company, Berkshire Hathaway Assurance Corp., will carry a rare, triple-A credit rating, allowing him to borrow cash more cheaply and easily than Wall Street firms, and put it to work at a much higher premium.
Even if Buffett's new company charges higher premium rates due to his "stronger and more pristine standing," hard-pressed cities and towns will benefit because they'll be able to convince investors they're safer under Buffett's umbrella which has enough cash to pay back all investors.

Read the interesteing article over at the NYPost.