And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...
With Friends Like These
An Obama campaign staffer has enraged the left with an email insulting some of the president's most outspoken liberal critics.
The Huffington Post reports an Organizing for America state director attached an article he said, did a great job of explaining the debt ceiling deal. That article called columnist Paul Krugman a political rookie and slammed the -- quote -- "firebagger lefty blogosphere."
The campaign has distanced itself but one blogger wrote -- quote --"This smacks more of narcissism and personal vendetta than any sound political 'strategy.'"
Krugman says the Democratic establishment responds to complaints by quote -- "...lashing out at the base, with a bit of bearded-professor bashing on the side."
Island Time
While many Republican candidates are stumping in key states like Iowa and New Hampshire, Newt Gingrich is working hard for the "Aloha" vote.
He'll talk to local activists in Hawaii Saturday and speak to students there Monday.
Never mind the Hawaii caucuses are a week after Super Tuesday and the state traditionally votes Democratic.
In other news, Gingrich and his wife, Callista, are celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary. The couple has previously vacationed in Hawaii and Gingrich has said he eventually wants to retire in Maui.
You'll remember key members of his staff resigned earlier this year after Gingrich took a break from campaigning to go on a cruise with his wife.
Misconception
And finally, Egyptian state media say an Israeli official whom they accuse of being a Mossad spy was part of an elaborate plot to use imported hair products to damage Egyptians' fertility. The story was reported by an Israeli paper.
You may remember last December, an Egyptian conspiracy theory blamed the Israeli spy agency, Mossad for a string of shark attacks in the Red Sea.
And in January, Saudi Arabian authorities detained a vulture tagged with the words "Tel Aviv University" that they said was also an Israeli spy.
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