TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Continued coverage of the importance of -- and difference in -- independent voters in the primary elections below. Personally I was happy to see Obama and Huckabee win the Iowa caucuses because I think it shows, in Obama's case, an effective ground operation that is pulling new and independent voters, and because it lays the basis for the voters, not the party establishment, to have our say in this election. Ron Paul did well and I think that also supports the independent movement's growth. Let's work to build a long-term strategy for power to the people from the momentum of this year's election.

• Will New Hampshire stay blue: Independent voters crucial (Fosters Daily Democrat)
• Big turnout in Iowa caucus is big deal for New Hampshire (By Thomas Beaumont, Des Moines Register)
• Iowa shows pros don't know much (Albor Ruiz, NY Daily News)
• Hopefuls go after the independents-Obama likely to get those leaning to vote Democrat (By Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press)
• Who's in 1st? They all are-Presidential hopefuls press on optimistically to next round (By David Beery, Chicago Daily Herald)
• Tuesday could be independents' day-Paul, rivals target unaligned voters in New Hampshire (Bennett Roth, Houston Chronicle)
• Picking a party at the polls (Union Leader NH)
• Inside Obama’s Dream Machine-An icon of hope, he won't 'kneecap' his foes. But Obama knows what it takes, and how to win. (By Richard Wolffe, NEWSWEEK)

The ABC Dem debate last night discussion of foreign policy suffered in the absence of Kucinich.

• Kucinich Campaign: ABC is violating public interest and endorsing 'chosen' candidates (American Chronicle)

Independents speak out on local and state status

• Pennsylvania fails its independents (Mike Joseph, The Thin Man, Centre Daily Times)
• Independents have great power (LETTER to the Arizona Republic)

If you'd like to know what The Hankster thinks about the potential run for president by now-independent Mike Bloomberg, see my article on OpEdNews from last week "Bloomberg Inching/Voters Itching" .....An electorate that's becoming independent because they feel that divisive partisanship is increasingly dangerous to the future of the country is dangerous to partisan politics......

• Possible 3rd Party Candidate Rumors Whirl-Bipartisan Okla. Caucus Aims To Influence Current Candidates, But What If It Doesn't Work? (CBS News)
• Reform Party USA Elects Executive Director (Third Party Watch) Note: MacKay has been giving away the independent store for a long time in New York... (see Hankster OpEdNews piece above)

POLLS

• NH Primary 2008 (R): McCain 34.8%, Romney 29.7% (Angus Reid Global Monitor)
• Ron Paul at 14% in New Hampshire, John McCain Leads - Rasmussen Reports (Transworldnews)