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February 29, 2008
Morning Buzz
Posted: 06:38 AM ET

Morning folks, it is FRIDAY!!! AND only four more days until we know who the Democratic nominee will be…or will we? Polls are close in the two big states, Texas and Ohio, but most show Hillary with and edge in Ohio. So check out Raw Politics for all the latest… In our Top Stories this morning, the United Kingdom has decided to pull Prince Harry out of Afghanistan…how was this kept so secret for so long? And is there more being wasted money in Irag? We are Keeping Them Honest… PLUS, are Victoria Secret models getting TOO sexy? I will take the fifth on that one…. So grab your coffee and take a long at today’s headlines….

Top Stories
U.K pulls Harry…
Prince Harry is to be pulled out of Afghanistan immediately amid fears for his safety after news of his deployment was made public, the British defense ministry said Friday.

Media kept Harry assignment quiet, why?
Prince Harry has been fighting on the front lines in Afghanistan for 10 weeks, his presence there kept secret until Thursday in a remarkable deal between the British military and news media.

Chemical Ali to be executed…
The Iraqi presidency has approved the execution of Ali Hassan al-Majeed who earned the nickname “Chemical Ali” for his role in a chemical weapons attack on on Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s, a member of the Iraqi parliament told CNN on Friday.

Deadly toxin found…
Police in Las Vegas, Nevada, are investigating the discovery of ricin at a hotel room on Thursday

Raw Politics
GOP decries use of “Hussein”
Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan formally denounced on Thursday the Tennessee Republican Party’s use of Barack Obama’s full name in a recent news release questioning the Illinois senator’s commitment to Israel.

Bush takes swipe at Obama…
Setting aside his stated reluctance to enter the presidential campaign, President Bush on Thursday strongly criticized Barack Obama’s expressed readiness to meet with foreign leaders cast as tyrants, warning that such discussions “can be extremely counterproductive” and “send the wrong signal.”

McCain’s birth place called into question…
Senator John McCain said Thursday that he had no concerns about his meeting the constitutional qualifications for the presidency because of his birth in the Panama Canal Zone. A Democratic colleague said she wanted to remove even a trace of doubt.

Campaign cash…
Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton each had a record-breaking month of fund-raising in February, bringing in more than $80 million combined, but with Mr. Obama again far outraising Mrs. Clinton.

Huge voter turnout expected in Texas…
Anita Dawkins has never voted early. But there she was Wednesday, a 48-year old homemaker, or “domestic engineer,” as Ms. Dawkins called herself, lining up outside the Barbara Bush branch Library in this fast-growing northern Houston suburb “to beat the crowds” and cast her primary ballot for Senator Barack Obama.

Texas Republicans for Obama?
One of Sen. Barack Obama’s surest applause lines comes about halfway into his standard stump speech. It goes like this: “They whisper to me. They say, ‘Barack, I’m a Republican, but I support you.’ And I say, “Thank you. Why are we whispering?”

Crime & Punishment
The softer side of Drew Peterson?
Before appearing on NBC’s “Today” show Thursday, Drew Peterson had a conversation with his recently hired publicist: Maybe it was time for the public to see another side of Drew.

International fugitive caught…
An international fugitive accused of killing his wife in New Zealand, stuffing her body into the trunk of a car and then abandoning the couple’s 3-year-old daughter at a train station last year has been captured in the U.S. state of Georgia, authorities said.

Keeping Them Honest
Dead police officers still on the payroll…
Iraq’s government has spent millions of dollars on “phantom” police officers who left the force or died, but whose names remained on department payrolls while others illegally pocketed their salaries

Blood thinner linked to more deaths…
Amid indications that more people may have died or been harmed after being given a brand of the blood thinner heparin, federal drug regulators said Thursday that they had found “potential deficiencies” at a Chinese plant that supplied much of the active ingredient for the drug.

What YOU will be talking about TODAY
Victoria Secret TOO sexy?
Maybe it was the lusty mannequins in its stores, the massage oil on its shelves or the overabundance of cleavage on the glittery runway of its annual TV fashion show. But yesterday, Victoria Secret chief executive Sharen J. Turney acknowledged that the chain had gotten “too sexy.”

Man dies while rescuing cat from tree…
A 27-year-old man died Wednesday afternoon when he fell 35 to 40 feet from a tree while trying to rescue his neighbor’s cat, according to the Orange Fire Department.

Staying in Iraq to help…
The request is familiar to American ears: “Bring them home.” But in Iraq, where I’ve just met with American and Iraqi leaders, the phrase carries a different meaning. It does not refer to the departure of U.S. troops, but to the return of the millions of innocent Iraqis who have been driven out of their homes and, in many cases, out of the country.

10 Comments
10 Comments
Cindy   February 29th, 2008 9:23 am ET

I guess they have no choice but to pull Harry out now after his whereabouts was told. Every nut over there would be looking for him. I hope that they get him out like today!! Any more time over there could get him killed.

It is a shame that this was leaked in the first place! I am surprised the “secret” lasted as long as it did though. Some people will report anything to sell their papers or to get traffic on their blogs.

It’s about time that they executed “chemical Ali”! It should have been done long ago for the atrocities that he committed!

Cynthia, Covington, Ga.

CCSurfer   February 29th, 2008 9:25 am ET

Observing our current president criticizing Barack on his “idea” that one should talk with your enemies: I’m remembering the president and his Saudi visitors to his ranch in Crawford, Texas!!! What hipocrisy this whole election debacle has presented. So as Barack goes forth, should he ignore the opinions of his detractors as our present president did during those visits. And as far as Barack not having enough experience, consider the amount of experience that Washington now holds in it’s political hands, and look at where we are now!!! Maybe experience is not all that it is cracked up to be. In my opinion, Intent trumphs Content. Stay focused Barack, Yes we can.

Wayne, Wentzville MO   February 29th, 2008 9:54 am ET

I’m really hoping and praying that the Obama campaign can go ahead and deliver a KO next tuesday! It’s about the only thing that can put a finality to the divisiveness that we’ve seen the past few weeks. If it turns out to be less than a KO, then Hillary will not go away quietly, it’s as simple as that.

robert a. sanders   February 29th, 2008 10:11 am ET

the news media know as well i know, iraq replaces iran in the area. the united states have no plans to leave iraq. that’s the new iran for the american plotters. america is still mad at the iranian, for kicking the shar out. their puppet.

Marie (Nevada)   February 29th, 2008 10:51 am ET

I am getting tired of the bashing of seniors in this race. Calling them “old folks” and making fun of John McCain’s age is and should be off limits. Obama needs to be stop that, no one is out there standing up or showing respect for senior citizens. I hope this will stop, Hilary has not done this and I thank her for that.

Jim Hollerbach   February 29th, 2008 11:26 am ET

Call this crazy but here we go.
Would it be to much to ask that this country be repaid for it’s loss of life’s and the repayment of billions of dollars it has cost this country to defend and fight for the freedom of the people of Iraq with oil.

we should have takers lined up loading what we so much need right now due to the worl market demandas and opec’s oversights and greed as well as our own oil companies.

Time we got some payback from someone

Susan   February 29th, 2008 12:44 pm ET

UK pulls Prince Harry:

The Drudge Report was most reckless in the reporting of the Prince’s location in Afghanistan. They will be getting an e mail from me, when I get home from work today. As if Matt Drudge would care about me.

I hope that Prince Harry will not have any problems when he get’s back to the U.K. As reporting that I have seen says that the population of radical Muslim’s have been growing in the U.K. over the past years.

McCain’s Birthplace:

Senator McCain was born on a military base in the Panama Canal Zone A. I thought that children born on a US military base ( wherever it may be ) to US citizens were indeed US citizens.

I just this is much to do about nothing. It has already been dealt with when the Senator ran last time. Old news!!!!!!!!

How can the US Virgin Islands ( a territory ) vote in our elections for President? Do you not have to be a US citizen to vote?

Susan
Phoenixville,PA

John - Spokane, WA   February 29th, 2008 1:08 pm ET

President Bush hasn’t been all that shiney in his Administration but he is SPOT ON in his recent summary of Obama’s statements of how he would handle Cuba & Iraq. You have to keep in mind you represent the people of The U.S. and you cannot “Shoot from the hip” on crucial issues like Cuba. Obama has failed the Military and Diplomatic stategic test !

Maggie C   February 29th, 2008 3:19 pm ET

Raw Politics ~ Hussein

I do believe the use of Sen Obama’s full name was used initially to bring about discourse. I think the “gentleman” who introduced McCain was no gentleman, and dared to take it upon himself to utter words that he felt everyone wanted to hear. He was wrong.

Ones middle name is just that ~ a middle name. As far as I know Hussein is somewhat of a common name and possibly this was for King Hussein, not Saddam Hussein.

Don’t be ashamed of your name unless you have some seriously questionable relatives. Just so you’ll know I am not an Obama gal, crush or otherwise. I’m still putting my money on Hillary, if I have to write it all over my ballot.

Cheers!

Maggie

Dee Stevens   February 29th, 2008 7:05 pm ET

You forgot today is leap day in a leap year of 366 days in the universe of the vernal equinox from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. Good coverage last night of Prince Harry in Afghanistan.

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