Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Democratic Senator Ben Nelson Announces Retirement - a move, that shakes up the already tight 2012 election battle for control of the Senate. The Nebraska race. already considered a toss up, now leans to the Republican side. Liberal Democrats are happy Nelson, a moderate, is retiring. However, a Republican winning the seat now becomes a possibility. TPM.com has more here.

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Paul and Romney At Top of Latest Iowa Poll - the latest Public Policy Poll has Ron Paul on top with 24% and Mitt Romney a close second at 20%. TheHill.com has more here.

The Iowa caucuses are set for next Tuesday. Keep in mind, caucus voting is different than voting in a polling booth. The voting is public with potential of several rounds of voting at each caucus until a caucus chair determines the final vote. During the voting, individuals can change their votes. So, polls are not necessarily a true barometer of the outcome. Stay tuned...

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Emily's List Releases Scorecard On Republican Presidential Candidates - it scores the candidates on issues of importance to their organization. Former house speaker Newt Gingrich ranked the worst. RollCall.com has more here.

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Obama To Ask For 1.2 Trillion Hike in Debt Ceiling - this, a result of the last negotiated agreement in a raise of the national debt ceiling. The 1.2 trillion is expected to cover the expenses of the government through the 2012 election. As, part of the earlier negotiated agreement, if Congress votes disapproval on the request, President Obama can veto and a two-thirds vote in Congress would be needed to over-ride the veto, which won't happen. This sets up more political drama at the end of this year. The Washington Post has more here.

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Obama To Nominate Two for Federal Reserve Board of Governors - proposing the two empty seats be filled by a economist and a banker. One a Democrat and the other a Republican. The economy remains a work in progress, with unemployment at 8.6%. Reuters.com has more here.

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Obama Administration Developing "Triggers" for Iran Strike - Talks are underway between Israel and U.S. officials to determine "triggers" which would result in a strike against Iran. This comes as Iran continues to move forward in the nuclear arms program and refuses to allow international inspectors. You can read more here.

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Religious Discrimination Toward Women on Display In Israel - an interesting development to the casual observer. Strict social codes by ultra Orthodox zealots toward women has come to a raging boil in Israel. You can read more here.

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