Big Fire Fighters Union Backs ... Chris Dodd
Ben Smith reports that the International Association of Firefighters has decided to endorse Chris Dodd for president, rather than one of the current frontrunners. Dodd authored the 2000 FIRE Act, channeling federal money to local fire departments. This is definitely a major coup for the Dodd campaign's hopes of moving up into the first tier.

Report: Obama Considered Voting For Roberts — Ultimately Didn't, Over Politics
A new Washington Post feature story on Pete Rouse, a longtime Washington hand who became Barack Obama's chief of staff in 2005, contains this interesting piece of information: Obama was strongly considering voting to confirm John Roberts as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. And then, the paper reports, Rouse reminded him just what the political ramifications of such a decision would be:

And then Rouse, his chief of staff, spoke up. This was no Harvard moot-court exercise, he said. If Obama voted for Roberts, Rouse told him, people would remind him of that every time the Supreme Court issued another conservative ruling, something that could cripple a future presidential run. Obama took it in. And when the roll was called, he voted no.

Edwards Says Cabinet Would Include Republicans
Sounding a conciliatory note, John Edwards told a New Hampshire crowd that the prospective cabinet he has "already made" would include Republicans and that he would work with the other side "in a principled way." Edwards declined to name his hypothetical Republican cabinet members for now in order to prevent hurt feelings, telling an interviewer "I don't want people who are not chosen...I don't think it's fair to them."

Edwards Criticizes Clinton's Lobbyist Ties At Cancer Forum
John Edwards derided Hillary Clinton for accepting contributions from health care groups at the Democratic forum on cancer today in Iowa. Clinton defended her decision by pointing to her record on health care, which includes her famous effort to create a national healthcare system in the early nineties. "I believe in working with everybody and being influenced by nobody," she said of her relationship with lobbyists. Edwards countered that special interests should be left out of the debate: "I think if you give the drug companies, insurance companies and their lobbyists a seat at the table," he warned the audience, "they'll eat all the food."

Bill Clinton Defends 1990's Health Care Drive
In an upcoming book on philanthropy, entitled Giving, defended the failed 1993-94 health care initiative, in which Hillary Clinton was deeply involved, saying the effort was "killed by politics, not the plan's particulars." Furthermore, the former president writes, "Since 2000, all the cost and coverage problems have worsened," meaning the country may be ready now for a major overhaul of the health care system.

Rudy Defends Record On Illegal Immigration
At an Iowa campaign stop, Rudy Giuliani defended his policy of not actively enforcing immigration laws when he was mayor of New York City. "I reduced crime, created more security. I created a much greater increase in quality of life than anybody in America in the 1990s," Giuliani said, before further into just why he felt he had to look the other way on immigration law. "If you don’t allow illegal immigrants to report crimes and the federal government has let 400,000 illegal immigrants in your city, you’re not going to be able to reduce crime for everyone else."

Florida Governor Standing Firm On Primary
Governor Charlie Crist (R-FL) is refusing to back down from his state's January 29 primary date, despite threats by the national parties to strip some or even all delegates from the state. "It's important to keep the primary right where it is. I think Florida being in the forefront is exactly what we need to do." Crist also communicated his thoughts about the national parties' threats: "I think it's silly. It is. What matters is people. The people's vote, the people's will is what these candidates care about."