Des Moines paper registers its vote: It's Hillary and McCain

The suspense had grown with each passing day. Candidates lobbied hard. Other media covered the newspaper's quandary, and influence, most recently The New York Times in a major piece today -- which wondered if the fact that the three top slots at the paper were held by women would have any impact.

Perhaps it did. For the Des Moines Register, in editorials for its Sunday edition, endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain in the upcoming caucuses in Iowa. This could prove to be a lifesaver for Clinton, who has had a miserable week, and McCain, who has been a longshot in the race. The paper said its two main criteria were: "competence" and "readiness to lead." For more: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003686030