Morning Buzz: Jan. 11, 2008

The six candidates for the Republican presidential nomination sparred last night over economic and national security issues during a 90-minute debate in South Carolina. The debate, sponsored by Fox News, was a relatively tame affair, with substantial policy disagreement but few personal attacks. One notable exception: a tit-for-tat between former Sen. Fred Thompson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. At one point, Thompson warned that Huckabee, if elected, would take the country in the direction of "liberal economic policies." Huckabee responded: "The Air Force has a saying that if you're not catching flak, you're not over the target. I'm catching the flak. I must be over the target."

President Bush is in Kuwait today attempting to corral Arab support for the new Mideast peace plan that the administration has helped cobble together. He is expected to meet with the Kuwaiti emir, Sheik Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, to ask the leader to pressure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to take a harder line against internal militants.

Former U.S. track and field star Marion Jones, who was formally stripped of her five Olympic medals for doping violations this year, will be sentenced today by a New York court for lying to authorities about her use of steroids and for her role in a check-fraud scheme operated by the father of her son, Tim Montgomery. Jones has asked the court not to assign her jail time, but recent remarks by the judge indicate that today's sentencing may involve incarceration.