Donkey Dilemma [Janet Hook, Los
Angeles Times]: "More than two decades after presidential
candidate Walter F. Mondale called for tax increases--and lost the White House
in a landslide--the Democratic Party is on the verge of a major political
gamble: Some of its leading members are proposing an array of tax hikes on
wealthier Americans. Some party strategists say calling for upper-income tax
increases does not pose the political risk it once did because of wide public
concern, particularly among Democratic voters, that the gap between rich and
poor is growing."
Donkey Dilemma Dos [Perry Bacon Jr. and Anne E. Kornblut, Washington Post]: "Until Tuesday night, the Democratic presidential candidates had largely ignored the subject of illegal immigration. … But after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) struggled to answer a question during Tuesday's debate about whether she supports a proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, the topic burst into the forefront of the primary campaign and exposed a quandary for Democratic candidates, who broadly embrace immigrant-friendly policies."
Sneaky Senate [Matthew Mosk, Washington Post]: "The Senate appears deadlocked over legislation that would require members to file their campaign finance forms electronically--the method used by their House counterparts, presidential candidates and the majority of state lawmakers. The practical result is that it can take months for Senate campaign filings to become publicly available. Names of donors to a particular campaign often will not be known until long after Election Day has come and gone."
Painless Ploy [Kenneth P. Vogel, The Politico]: "Barack Obama and John Edwards, aiming to contrast their clean-government bona fides with those of Hillary Rodham Clinton, are trumpeting their refusal to accept contributions for their presidential campaigns from political action committees and lobbyists. But passing on PAC cash, in particular, may be more rhetorical device than financial sacrifice."
Thompson Talks to Tim [Sam Youngman, The Hill]: "Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) will undergo a presidential campaign rite of passage fraught with both peril and potential positives when he appears this Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." Thompson has appeared on Tim Russert's famed Sunday morning news show nine times, his campaign said, but this will be his first time as a candidate."
Colbert Canned [Katharine Q. Seelye, The New York Times]: "Stephen Colbert's nascent and satirical presidential campaign came to an abrupt end on Thursday when the Democratic Party in South Carolina decided he was not serious and turned down his application to get his name on the primary ballot."
--Josh Patashnik