rob confuses farva with larva, and other news.
- From: Vindris@xxxxxxxxx (The Unifarva The Unoriginal ***)
- Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:13:39 -0400
Romney made a slip of the tongue when talking about Osama bin Laden
Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? It was only a slip of the tongue, but it's hard not
to notice when a presidential candidate is confused for the mastermind
of the 9/11 attacks.
Giving a speech before the Chamber of Commerce in Greenwood, South
Carolina Tuesday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney invoked Illinois
Sen. Barack Obama's name when he apparently meant to say Osama bin
Laden.
â??Actually, just look at what Osama ? Barack Obama said just
yesterday," Romney said, according to the Associated Press. "Barack
Obama calling on radicals, jihadists of all different types, to come
together in Iraq. That is the battlefield."
Romney campaign spokesman Kevin Madden called the remarks a "brief mix
up."
â??Gov. Romney simply misspoke," he said. "He was referring to the
recently released audiotape of Osama bin Laden and misspoke when
referencing his name."
Meanwhile, Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama, said, "Apparently, Mitt
Romney can switch names just as casually as he switches positions, but
what's wrongheaded is continuing a misguided war in Iraq that has left
America less safe.
"It's time to end the divisiveness and fear-mongering that is at the
heart of Gov. Romney's campaign," he added.
In January, CNN made the same mistake, accidentally displaying a graphic
that said "Where's Obama?" during a report on bin Laden. Massachusetts
Sen. Ted Kennedy also made the same slip in a 2005 speech.
? CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, South Carolina
Posted 10/24/2007 06:10:07 AM | Permalink
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After long absence, Thompson returns to South Carolina
Thompson last appeared in South Carolina on September 10th.
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) ? On Wednesday, former Sen. Fred
Thompson will make his first trip to South Carolina since his
presidential campaign debuted here more than one month ago.
The visit comes at a crucial time for Thompson. Though he continues to
lead polls here along with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, the
state holds special meaning for Thompson, the only leading candidate who
is a southerner. That heritage helps Thompson in South Carolina, but it
also puts extra pressure on Thompson to do well in the primary, whose
winner has gone on to win the Republican nomination in every election
since 1980.
It doesn't help matters that he is also having trouble gaining traction
in New Hampshire. On Tuesday, Dan Hughes, one of Thompsonâ??s top
advisors there, said Thompson is running a "token" campaign in the
Granite State and announced he was defecting to Sen. John
McCainâ??s campaign.
Thompson also needs to recapture some of the momentum here from his
debut appearances in early September. By most accounts, his two campaign
stops in South Carolina after formally entering the race were far more
raucous and well-received than those in Iowa and New Hampshire. But some
Republicans here say that in taking more than a month to return to the
early voting state with his strongest support, Thompson may have missed
a chance to cement a stronger lead.
Thompson will meet with supporters at a restaurant in the coastal town
of Mount Pleasant in the morning, then head south for two
meet-and-greets in Bluffton.
It's Thompson's first visit to South Carolina's Lowcountry since he
entered the race.
? CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby
Filed under Fred Thompson, South Carolina
Posted 10/24/2007 06:09:31 AM | Permalink
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CNN Political Ticker AM
For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout
the day on the CNN Political Ticker http://www.cnn.com/ticker. All
politics, all the time.
Making News Todayâ?¦
Richardson to deliver foreign policy speech in California
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? As California battles raging wildfires, New Mexico
Gov. Bill Richardson heads to Los Angeles today to unveil his plans on
how to improve America's diplomatic relations with Latin America.
Saying that the fires have "ravaged the national consciousness,"
Richardson will discuss fair trade and immigration from Latin American
countries. He also will criticize President Bush for his "short-sighted,
clumsy diplomacy" and say his experience will help him deal with rogue
leaders like Hugo Chavez.
"He seems to think that Latin goodwill towards the United States is
something we can take for granted," Richardson will say, according to
prepared remarks. "He seems to think that the fact of our geography
guarantees the fitness of our relationship. And he continues to believe
that region will somehow follow a nation that refuses to lead. They will
not. In the absence of principled leadership from us, they will turn
elsewhere, anywhere, to whoever steps up."
Richardson announced Tuesday he will donate $10,000 from his campaign's
war chest to the Red Cross and send firefighters from his home state to
help fight the California wildfires.
?CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich
***
Day Job Pulls Senators off the Campaign Trail
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? John McCain had been scheduled to be in New
Hampshire Wednesday morning, campaigning for president, but a crucial
vote back in Washington is keeping the Republican senator from Arizona
off the campaign trail and on Capitol Hill.
The Senate is expected to vote on the confirmation of a controversial
judicial nominee. The person in the spotlight is Leslie Southwick.
He was nominated by President Bush to serve as a federal judge on the
U.S. 5TH Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Texas, Louisiana and
Mississippi. The seat has been vacant for nearly three years, and
Southwick is the third person tapped to fill it. If confirmed, the
57-year-old former state judge would be based in Mississippi.
Race has played a role in the president's controversial efforts to fill
this particular seat. Each of the three nominees, including Southwick,
are white, and each has been accused of racist views or insensitivity to
civil rights.
No African-American has ever been nominated from Mississippi, despite
the state's 37 percent black population, highest OF all states.
Currently five women, three Hispanics, one African-American and five
white males make up the 14 active judges on the New Orleans-based court.
The Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly approved Southwick's nomination
in August, with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, providing the
deciding vote.
Political and legal analysts said McCain could be seeking to score
points with Southern conservative voters by leaving a crucial early
primary state to voice his support for the judge. McCain is scheduled to
get back on the campaign trail Wednesday evening in Iowa, the state that
kicks off the presidential primary season.
With Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas dropping out of the race for the
White House, McCain is the only remaining Republican from the Senate
still in the hunt.
The Democratic presidential front runner, Senator Hillary Clinton of New
York, also cancelled an early campaign event in Iowa Wednesday due to
Senate votes. But Clinton plans to make it out to Iowa later in the day.
Senator Barack Obama of Illinois was scheduled to campaign all day
Wednesday in New Hampshire. He's changed his plans as well due to Senate
votes and now will not make it up to the Granite State until later in
the day.
Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut were not scheduled
on the campaign trial Wednesday.
? CNNâ??s Bill Mears and Paul Steinhauser
===========================================================
Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the
country)
Compiled by Lindsey Pope
CNN Washington Bureau
CLINTON ON BUSH ADMIN: â??THERE WERE A LOT OF ACTIONS WHICH THEY
TOOK THAT WERE CLEARLY BEYOND ANY POWER THE CONGRESS WOULD HAVE GRANTED,
OR THAT IN MY VIEW THAT WAS INHERENT IN THE CONSTITUTION,â??:
Senator Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the Bush-Cheney administration
had engaged in a â??power grabâ?? and that she would
consider relinquishing some of that executive power if she followed it
into the White House. New York Times: Clinton Plans to Consider Giving
Up Some Powers
TANCREDO WANTS SENATOR'S EVENT RAIDED: Representative Tom Tancredo of
Colorado, a Republican presidential candidate whose fierce opposition to
illegal immigration is the center of his campaign, contacted the
immigration service yesterday demanding that agents raid a
senatorâ??s news conference. New York Times: Candidate Calls for
Raid on Immigration Bill Event
THOMPSON: "TAXPAYER MONEY SHOULD NOT BE PROVIDED TO ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANTS,": Fred Thompson yesterday became the first major
presidential candidate to embrace attrition as the solution to illegal
entry, saying the government should deny illegal aliens a hiding place
by cracking down on the businesses and sanctuary cities that shield
them. Washington Times: A call to end illegals' refuges
NO AMNESTY FOR FRED: Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson
yesterday staked out one of the toughest plans on the campaign trail to
curb illegal immigration, trying to reignite the issue among the GOP
faithful who rose up in revolt against a more moderate approach in
Congress earlier this year. Boston Globe: Thompson stirs rivals with
immigration plan
RNC TAKES FLACK FOR THREATENING TO PUNISH THE GRANITE STATE: Sen. Judd
Gregg has pulled out as a host of a fund-raiser tonight for the
Republican State Committee because the featured guest, national GOP
chairman Mike Duncan, has agreed that New Hampshire should be punished
for holding its first-in-the-nation primary earlier than party rules
allow. New Hampshire Union-Leader: Gregg rips national GOP chairman
UNIVERSITY THAT REGARDS MORMONISM AS A CULT, OFFERS SUPPORT TO MITT:
Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has been embraced in a most unlikely
place: at Bob Jones University, the influential Christian college that
teaches that his Mormon church is a cult. Quad City Times: Mormon Romney
Finds Christian Support
CLINTON'S WHITE HOUSE YEARS FARE WELL WITH VOTERS: Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton has neutralized the political fallout from some of the most
difficult moments of her eight years as first lady, with Democratic
voters looking favorably on her failed effort to revamp healthcare and
either supporting or having no opinion of her decision to remain loyal
to an unfaithful husband, a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll shows.
LA Times: Clinton's White House years become a boon
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES PUT MORE INTO IOWA THAN GOP
COUNTERPARTS: Democratic candidates for president have wagered vastly
more on Iowa than their Republican counterparts, a sign the state's
caucuses are seen as more pivotal to the Democrat nomination. USA Today:
Democrats invest heavily in Iowa
BIDEN TOUTS UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN IOWA: Democratic presidential
candidate Joe Biden unveiled at a campaign stop in Des Moines today the
details of his plan to move the nation toward universal health care. Des
Moines Register: Biden unveils health plan in Iowa
JESSE JACKSON JR. ON OBAMA: â??ONCE, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTED FOR MY
FATHER, AND SENT A STRONG MESSAGE TO THE NATIONâ?¦NEXT YEAR, YOU
CAN SEND MORE THAN A MESSAGE. YOU CAN LAUNCH A PRESIDENT.â??:
Barack Obama began airing radio ads in South Carolina today featuring
Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., son of the prominent civil rights
leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Chicago Tribune's The Swamp: Jesse
Jackson Jr. cuts ad for Barack Obama
â??IF IT DOES COME DOWN TO HILLARY VERSUS RUDY, IT IS AT ONE LEVEL
A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE ICONOGRAPHY OF MATRIARCHAL WOMANHOOD AND THE
COWBOY RIDING TO THE RESCUEâ??: On its current trajectory, the
race for president in 2008 may turn voters into children of divorce
â?" forced to choose between Mom and Dad. Politico: Voters' choice
in 2008: Mom versus Dad
NEW POLL SHOWS CLINTON "SOLIDIFIES" FRONT-RUNNER STATUS: Two New Yorkers
dominate the 2008 presidential race: Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani.
Bloomberg News: Clinton, Giuliani Overshadow Field for 2008 Race, Poll
Shows
"UNDERAGE GIVERS" FILLING CANDIDATES WALLETS: Elrick Williams's toddler
niece Carlyn may be one of the youngest contributors to this year's
presidential campaign. The 2-year-old gave $2,300 to Sen. Barack Obama
(D-Ill.). So did her sister and brother, Imara, 13, and Ishmael, 9, and
her cousins Chan and Alexis, both 13. Washington Post: As Campaigns
Chafe at Limits, Donors Might Be in Diapers
EDWARDS: "I WANT TO BE THE PRESIDENT WHO IS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE ABOUT
ENFORCING OUR LAWS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN,": Democratic
presidential hopeful John Edwards told high school students yesterday
that the United States has a moral and legal obligation to treat women
as equals to men. AP via New Hampshire Union-Leader: Edwards promotes
women's rights in Merrimack visit
"I'M THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE [FOR PRESIDENT] WHO'S BEEN GIVEN AN
`A´ RATING BY THE NRA": Lauding the National Rifle Association is not
usually an applause line for a Democratic presidential candidate, but
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson ? knowing his audience ? was
cheered when he brought the issue up in gun-friendly Nevada. Boston
Globe: Richardson touts his NRA credentials
GOSPEL SINGER REACTS TO ANTI-GAY ACCUSATIONS: Gospel music superstar
Donnie McClurkin says he was surprised to wake up Tuesday morning to a
media firestorm. Chicago Tribune's The Swamp: 'No crusade' to cure gays,
says Obama's gospel star
CANDIDATES' SPOUSES SPEAK ABOUT LIFE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Fifteen
years after Hillary Clinton made her then-controversial comment about
being a career woman and not staying home to bake cookies, the wives of
five contenders for the White House gathered in California Tuesday to
discuss their involvement in their husbandâ??s presidential
campaigns. CNN.com: '08 wives talk candidly about their roles
COLBERT POLLS BETTER THAN RICHARDSON: He's been "in" the race for less
than a week, and already faux-pundit Stephen Colbert has surged ahead of
longtime candidate Gov. Bill Richardson in one national poll gauging the
race for the Democratic nod for president. And watch out Joe Biden!
Editor and Publisher: Stephen Colbert Moves Ahead of Richardson, Closes
in on Biden, in National Poll!
REP. DAVIS MAY ANNOUNCE RETIREMENT: Veteran Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), who
has been seen as a leading candidate to replace retiring Sen. John
Warner (R) in 2008, may now be just a day away from announcing his own
retirement from Congress. Roll Call: Davis May Opt for â??08
Retirement
REPUBLICAN ACCUSES DOJ OF TARGETING DEMOCRATS: Richard L. Thornburgh,
attorney general in the Reagan and first Bush administrations, charged
Tuesday that political reasons motivated the Justice Department to open
corruption investigations against Democrats in Mr. Thornburghâ??s
home state, Pennsylvania. New York Times: Democrats Were Targets in
Inquiries, Panel Is Told
REPUBLICANS FEEL SECURE ABOUT SOUTHWICK CONFIRMATION: A hands-off
posture by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and promises from
key Republicans to help smooth the way for deals on outstanding
appropriations bills appear to be the right recipe for the Senate
confirmation this week of controversial appellate court nominee Leslie
Southwick. LA Times: Deal Struck on Southwick Vote
TRAVEL UP FOR CONGRESS DESPITE NEW "RULES": Despite new House travel
restrictions, lawmakers accepted free trips worth nearly $1.9 million
during the first eight months of this year â?" more than in all of
2006, records show. USA Today: Limits don't slow trip perks for U.S.
lawmakers
COBURN'S TIGHT-FISTED EARMARK BATTLE: Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom
Coburn has established himself as the chamberâ??s earmark sheriff
â?" breaking with the traditional comity in the Senate by
criticizing and trying to kill the extraneous spending carved out of
appropriations bills for the pet projects of individual lawmakers. DC
Examiner: Oklahoma senator goes hunting for earmarks
DEMS TO "PATCH" ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX: The Bush administration and
Republicans on Capitol Hill are warning that the Democratic leadership's
failure to confront the alternative minimum tax could affect nearly 50
million tax filers, causing a potential "filing fiasco" and holding up
as much as $75 billion in refunds next year. NY Sun: Democrats Slowing
Action on Tax Issue, GOP Warns
DNC DONATES HSU CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCHOLARSHIP FUND: Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clintonâ??s (N.Y.) not the only one playing hot potato with
campaign donations from Democratic fundraiser-turned-political pariah
Norman Hsu. Roll Call's Heard on the Hill: Dirty Sexy Money
WILDFIRES IN LAWMAKERS' BACK YARD: Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) woke up
at 2:30 on Tuesday morning to see the hillside behind his house glowing
with fire and flames shooting as high as 50 feet in the air. He then
watched as the fire ran to the top of the ridge of the hill and raced
back down the other side. The Hill: Wildfires get personal for lawmakers
VIRGINIA GOP: â??THE PRESIDENT MAKES OUR JOB HARDER, BUT
WEâ??RE USED TO HARD WORK.â??: Virginia Republican
legislative candidates admit George W. Bushâ??s poor popularity
ratings harm their campaigns but downplay the presidentâ??s impact
and believe they can overcome the disadvantage with strong
get-out-the-vote efforts. DC Examiner: Va. GOP candidates devise
strategies to deal with unpopular president
AFTER DEFEAT, JINDAL GETS LOUISIANA'S HIGHEST JOB: When Bobby Jindal
lost his first Louisiana governor's race four years ago, some experts
told him that white people here were not ready to elect a dark-skinned
son of Indian immigrants. LA Times: Ethnicity is no bar to Jindal's
dream
LA ATTORNEY GENERAL LOOSES PRIMARY: Louisiana Attorney General Charles
Foti doggedly pursued high-profile prosecutions against people involved
in two of Hurricane Katrina's most heartbreaking tragedies. Now
he's out of a job. USA Today: Katrina cases' backlash hurts La. AGÂ
KUCINICH'S UFO ENCOUNTER: Democratic presidential candidate Dennis
Kucinich has seen a UFO, writes Shirley MacLaine in her new book,
"Sage-Ing While Age-Ing." Cleveland.com: Kucinich sees UFO, new book
claims
===============================================================
On the Trail:
* Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, gives a lecture at the Carrie
Chatman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University in
Ames, Iowa.
* Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson has breakfast with supporters at
Alex's Restaurant in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Later, Thompson
heads to Bluffton for a meet and greet at the Sippin Cow Cafe and at Sun
City Retirement Community.
* Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards kicks off a four-day tour
through Iowa with town hall meetings in Glenwood, Sidney, Shenandoah and
Red Oak.
* Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani holds a town hall meeting at
the Mississippi Valley Fair Grounds in Davenport, Iowa.
* Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, delivers a speech at the International
Relations Forum 6 in Des Moines, Iowa.
* Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, meets with local residents at the
McConnell Center in Dover, New Hampshire.
* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney meets with local residents at
the Donut Man in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Later, Romney hold a
press conference at Philadelphia International Airport.
* Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, holds a reception with American University
students in Washington, D.C.
* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson delivers a speech on his Latin
American policy at UCLA Campus in Los Angeles, California.
* Elizabeth Edwards delivers the keynote address at the Girl Scouts
Patriots' Trail Council's annual Leading Women Awards in Boston,
Massachusetts.
* The Senate Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook
* The House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook
Filed under AM Political Ticker, Uncategorized
Posted 10/24/2007 06:08:13 AM | Permalink
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October 23, 2007
'08 wives talk candidly about their roles
Jeri Thompson, Michelle Obama, Ann Romney, Elizabeth Edwards, and Cindy
McCain put aside the competitiveness of the campaign trail on Tuesday to
talk about being political spouses.
(CNN) â?" Fifteen years after Hillary Clinton made her
then-controversial comment about being a career woman and not staying
home to bake cookies, the wives of five contenders for the White House
gathered in California Tuesday to discuss their involvement in their
husbandâ??s presidential campaigns.
The wivesâ?? discussion with moderator Maria Shriver, wife of
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, began with Shriver pointing out
that the gathering was historic. â??Never before,â?? Shriver
said, have political spouses, â??gathered together to talk about
their lives, to talk about the campaign trail, to talk about what
itâ??s like when someone from your family gets up and runs for
president.â??
And talk they did. Shriver asked Barack Obamaâ??s wife, Michelle,
what she had feared or worried about in the early days of her husband
contemplating a run for the White House. â??You always worry about
your life getting sucked out from under you,â?? Mrs. Obama
responded. â??Iâ??m very practical, I have to know how is
this going to play out.â??
For her part, Jeri Thompson, wife of Fred Thompson, sought to dash
persistent reports that she has a prominent, strategic role in her
husbandâ??s presidential campaign. â??I have a
one-year-old,â?? Thompson said. â??And, I have a
four-year-old. Thatâ??s my main role,â?? Thompson said.
â??Other than that, I do what I can to help when he asks
me.â??
Elizabeth Edwards was not as modest as Jeri Thompson in explaining her
involvement in John Edwardsâ?? campaign. â??We do know our
husbands best. Sometimes if we think heâ??s being misrepresented
or misserved by something, itâ??s our jobs as wives to say,
â??you know, I donâ??t think thatâ??s really the best
thing,â??â?? said Edwards.
Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain and a veteran of a past White
House run, brought a different perspective to the discussion.
â??My boundaries changed from 2000 to this race,â?? she
said. â??I have now myself learned to say noâ?? to some of
the demands of a presidential campaign.
Mitt Romneyâ??s wife, Ann, spoke about the pressures of being a
political wife. Gesturing towards Elizabeth Edwards, Romney rejected the
assumption that statements or stances taken by the women always
originate from their husbandâ??s campaigns. â??You have to
be who you are. You have to have the flexibility and the luxury of
expressing yourself for who we are as individuals,â?? said Romney.
The discussion was part of the 2007 Womenâ??s Conference, a
non-partisan annual event put on by Californiaâ??s governor and
first lady for the last twenty years. In an interview with CNNâ??s
Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday, Shriver said former President Bill Clinton did
not participate in the spousesâ?? panel because of a scheduling
conflict and that Judith Giuliani, wife of former New York City Mayor
Rudy Giuliani, â??declined to attend.â??
? CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart
Filed under Ann Romney, Cindy McCain, Elizabeth Edwards, Jeri Thompson,
Michelle Obama
Posted 10/23/2007 11:14:11 PM | Permalink
6 Comments | Add a comment
New radio ad: Obama carrying Jesse Jackson's legacy
A new radio ad from Barack Obama says he "has taken up the torch" from
Jesse Jackson.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) ? Sen. Barack Obama launched a new
radio spot in South Carolina Tuesday declaring that he is following in
the footsteps of Jesse Jackson, who ran for president in 1984 and 1988.
The ad is narrated by Rev. Jackson's son, Illinois congressman Jesse
Jackson, Jr., who says in the scrip that "Barack Obama has taken up the
torch" from his father.
Jackson won the South Carolina Democratic caucus in 1988.
The 60-second spot suggests that Obama has a stronger connection to the
black community than other Democrats.
"A lot of politicians call themselves our friends," Jackson Jr. says in
the ad. "But Obama has a heart that beats for our community. And
heâ??s dedicated his life to the struggle."
In September, the elder Jackson told a South Carolina audience that
Obama was "acting like he's white" in responding to the Jena 6 case.
Jackson has since reaffirmed his support for Obama.
The radio ad is Obama's third here, and it will run on 36 gospel and R&B
stations across the state. His chief rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton,
launched her first radio ad here last month, which is also targeted at
African-American voters.
While Obama and Clinton are running radio ads, no Democratic
presidential candidate has purchased television airtime in the state.
? CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby
Filed under Barack Obama, South Carolina
Posted 10/23/2007 08:32:15 PM | Permalink
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Thornburgh: Justice department engaged in political prosecution
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Former attorney general and prominent Republican
Richard Thornburgh Tuesday accused the Justice Department of an improper
political prosecution in indicting one of his clients, who was then a
local Democratic official in Pittsburgh.
In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Thornburgh was
praised by Democrats and criticized by fellow Republicans when he told
the panel that Cyril Wecht, the former elected Allegheny County coroner,
was indicted by a federal prosecutor whom he believed was "trying to
curry favor" with the Bush Administration.
A grand jury indicted Wecht in 2006 on 84 counts of wire fraud, mail
fraud and theft. The prosecution in the case accused him of cheating the
citizens of Allegheny County and the clients of his private forensics
firm.
Thornburgh, who served as attorney general under the first President
Bush, raised broader doubts about the fairness of the Justice
Department, saying the department must act "without actual political
influence or the appearance of political influence."
"Unfortunately, that may no longer be the case," Thornburgh said.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under Uncategorized
Posted 10/23/2007 08:30:47 PM | Permalink
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Huckabee looks to make waves in New Hampshire
Watch how Huckabee is making noise in the Granite State.
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) ? Coming off a strong performance at
the Value Voter's Summit earlier this week, former Arkansas Gov. Mike
Huckabee is drawing praise with social conservatives.
Is it enough to lead to success at the polls? CNN New Hampshire Producer
Sareena Dalla takes a look at Huckabee's efforts in New Hampshire and
how he continues to surprise potential voters.
Filed under Mike Huckabee, New Hampshire
Posted 10/23/2007 06:00:27 PM | Permalink
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Hillary opens up on romance with Bill
Sen. Clinton said she is 'really happy' she made the decision to stay
with husband Bill.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Former President Bill Clinton is quite the romantic
husband, according to wife Hillary.
The Democratic presidential frontrunner discusses her relationship with
her famous spouse in the latest issue of Essence Magazine, describing
how the former president often showers her with gifts when returning
from trips abroad.
"He's so romantic. He's always bringing me back things from his trips,"
the New York senator told the magazine. "He brought me a giant wooden
giraffe from Africa. Oh, he bought me this watchâ?¦I had dental
surgery, and he said it reminded him of teeth.â??
Clinton adds she is "really happy" she decided to stay with her husband
following the news of his affair in 1996 with then-White House intern
Monica Lewinsky.
"Obviously we've had challenges as everybody in the world knows," she
told the magazine. â??But I never doubted that it was a marriage
worth investing in even in the midst of those challenges and I'm really
happy that I made that decision."
"Again, not a decision for everybody," she continued. "And I think it's
so important for women to stand up for the right of women to make a
decision that is best for them.â??
Clinton also describes her first impressions of the future president
when passing him by chance at Yale Law School in 1971.
"I thought he was very attractive. I mean, he was tall. At the time he
had long hair and a red beard. His hair was much more red-gold, and it
was curly, and he had a vikingesque beard."
? CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton
Posted 10/23/2007 05:05:41 PM | Permalink
161 Comments | Add a comment
Thompson outlines immigration plan
Watch Thompson discuss his immigration plan Tuesday.
(CNN) ? Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, who in recent
days has taken on his opponents over immigration, called for federal
funds Tuesday to be cut off for cities that donâ??t crack down on
illegal immigration.
Thompson, surrounded by police officers at a roundtable in Naples,
Florida, outlined his first proposals on immigration reform.
Thompsonâ??s plan would address increased enforcement by adding at
least 25,000 border patrol officers, doubling the number of Immigration
and Customs Enforcement agents, and finishing a wall on the US/Mexico
border.
The former Tennessee senator also called for action against so-called
â??sanctuary citiesâ??. He said discretionary federal
funding should be eliminated for states and cities that donâ??t
report illegal immigrants and said, â??We need to tell them, if
youâ??re going to have sanctuary cities in violation of the law,
youâ??re not getting federal money."
Thompson has directly criticized former New York City mayor Rudy
Giuliani for his handling of immigration while in office, and accused
former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney of not speaking out against
sanctuary cities until recently. But rival campaigns returned the favor,
attacking Thompson on the issue.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under Fred Thompson, Immigration
Posted 10/23/2007 05:00:33 PM | Permalink
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Giuliani shocks Yankee fans; backs Red Sox in World Series
Watch Giuliani explain why he is backing the Red Sox in the World
Series.
(CNN) ? It may be politically popular in the heart of Red Sox Nation,
but that probably didnâ??t make the admission any easier for
Yankee fan Rudy Giuliani.
The former New York City mayor acknowledged at a Boston news conference
Tuesday he is rooting for the rival Red Sox to win the World Series.
â??Iâ??m not saying that just because Iâ??m here in
Massachusetts,â?? the Republican presidential candidate said to
applause and laughs. â??If Iâ??m in Colorado in the next
week or two, you will see I will have the courage to tell the people of
Colorado the same thing.â??
He said that, as an American League fan, he always backs the team from
the Yankeesâ?? league.
Giuliani was in Boston to pick up the endorsement of former state
treasurer Joe Malone, in the backyard of challenger Mitt Romney ? the
former governor of Massachusetts.
? CNN Political Desk Managing Steve Brusk
Filed under Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani
Posted 10/23/2007 03:45:37 PM | Permalink
5 Comments | Add a comment
Richardson sends help, donates funds to fight wildfires
Bill Richardson
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson announced Tuesday
that he will donate $10,000 from his campaign's war chest to the Red
Cross, and send firefighters from his home state to help fight the
California wildfires.
"These fires have been a tragedy for the entire state and my sympathy
and concern goes out to the victims and their families," Richardson said
in a statement. "We have offered the state of California the full
assistance of New Mexico's resources and stand ready to help any way we
can."
Richardson is sending two strike teams of firefighters from New Mexico
to help protect structures in California. He said they will head to
Chino Tuesday night and stay for two weeks.
"New Mexico is fortunate to have no major fires and have the resources
available," said Richardson. "Neighbors should help neighbors in their
time of need. So, Iâ??m ordering two strike teams to
answerâ??s Californiaâ??s request and help fight this
unprecedented fire.â??
? CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich
Filed under Bill Richardson
Posted 10/23/2007 03:30:41 PM | Permalink
0 Comments | Add a comment
Thompson loses key supporter in Granite state
Watch Hughes on why he left Thompson's campaign.
Concord, New Hampshire (CNN) ? Former Sen. Fred Thompson's absence
from the Granite State is taking a toll with at least one supporter.
Dan Hughes, one of Thompsonâ??s former New Hampshire top advisors
announced
today he is joining Sen. John McCainâ??s, R-Arizona, presidential
campaign.
"Senator McCain understands the value and purpose of New Hampshire's
first-in-the-nation primary and the importance of building a strong
grassroots organization in the Granite State," Hughes said in a press
release.
Hughes who accompanied Sen. McCain on his run through the state Tuesday,
later elaborated on his decision outside a granite factory in Concord.
â??I was involved with the Thompson campaign. When we started out
I was told that we would run a full-blown campaign up here. It became
obvious that they were not going to do that and they were running more
of a token campaign and
I didnâ??t want to be the token chairman of a token campaign. I
donâ??t think you can win without campaigning.â??
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under Fred Thompson, New Hampshire
Posted 10/23/2007 03:19:02 PM | Permalink
0 Comments | Add a comment
Giuliani files in New Hampshire and seeks hint on primary date
New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner showed Rudy Giuliani
the dotted line as Giuliani filed his paperwork to be put on the ballot
in the early primary state. Watch this clip.
CONCORD, New Hampshire (CNN) ? Just three and a half hours after Sen.
John McCain, R-Arizona, filed for the New Hampshire primary, former New
York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani followed suit.
Giuliani while being instructed by New Hampshire Secretary of State
William Gardner on where to sign, said jokingly, "If I sign there, can
you sign here?" ? pointing to the blank date on his application.
Giuliani later turned to Gardner and asked "Can you give us a hint?"
"Not quite," Gardner responded.
Giuliani did note the significance of keeping New Hampshire the first
primary state and later told reporters he would not "get involved" with
any Republican National Committee penalties against the state.
On Monday Republican Party leaders recommended punishing New Hampshire,
Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming for pushing their contests
ahead in the calendar. The penalty would strip these five states of half
their delegates.
? CNN New Hampshire Producer Sareena Dalla
Filed under New Hampshire, Rudy Giuliani
Posted 10/23/2007 02:50:47 PM | Permalink
0 Comments | Add a comment
Stark apologizes for saying troops die for Bush's 'amusement'
Watch Stark's apology on the House floor Tuesday..
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Rep. Pete Stark, D-California, apologized Tuesday
on the House floor for his recent comments saying troops in Iraq were
getting "their heads blown off for the president's amusement."
The apology came shortly after House Republicans failed in their effort
to formally censure Stark for the remark.
"I do apologize, and for this reason, I think that we have a serious
issue before us, the issue of providing medical care to children, the
issue of what we do about a war that we are divided about how to end,"
Stark said. "I hope that with this apology I will become as
insignificant as I should be and that we can return to the issues that
do divide us, but that we can resolve in a better fashion."
Democrats successfully blocked a resolution by a 196-173 vote to censure
Stark for "personally abusive language toward the president and members
of the House" and "despicable conduct."
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Stark "dishonored our
soldiers" and said the House can't "afford to let these kinds of remarks
go unanswered."
Stark made the controversial comments during a debate over President
Bush's veto of children's health care legislation last week.
?CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich
Filed under Iraq, Pete stark
Posted 10/23/2007 01:30:31 PM | Permalink
42 Comments | Add a comment
Obama takes heat for link to McClurkin
Obama is taking heat for his link to Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A gay rights group on Monday urged Barack Obama to
cut ties with a gospel singer who it says spreads false information
about homosexuality being a choice.
Donnie McClurkin is among several gospel singers scheduled to raise
money for the Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate at
a concert in South Carolina this weekend.
McClurkin has drawn attention from gay rights activists for his views on
homosexuality.
"I don't believe that it is the intention of God," McClurkin said Monday
in a telephone interview. "Sexuality, everything is a matter of choice."
McClurkin said he does not believe in discriminating against
homosexuals. "What people do in their bedrooms and who they are as human
beings are two different things," he said.
In a statement, Obama said he believes gays and lesbians are "our
brothers and sisters" and should be afforded the same respect, dignity
and rights granted all other citizens.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under Barack Obama, South Carolina
Posted 10/23/2007 01:08:34 PM | Permalink
135 Comments | Add a comment
Shriver: First ladies should influence husbands
Watch Wolf Blitzer's interview with Shriver in the Situation Room.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Maria Shriver, wife of California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, told CNNâ??s Wolf Blitzer Tuesday she hopes
political spouses influence their husbandsâ?? decisions and
strategies.
â??Do they influence their husband? I hope so. I hope so,â??
California's first lady said. â??I hope that that is the kind of
marriage that political leaders have, where they listen to their wife or
to their husband.â??
Shriver, who is hosting a joint discussion Wednesday in Long Beach,
California with the spouses of the leading presidential candidates, also
said she believes first ladies are taking on more substantive roles than
in the past.
â??I think the days of the ceremonial first lady are over. These
are independent women. Several of them have had professional lives long
before they found themselves in this situation,â?? she said.
â??And they don't need advisers to say, â??Don't say this
and don't say that.â??â??
"And they are not shy about saying that they have influence and that
they are involved in the strategy of the campaign," she added.
Of the presidential candidate's spouses, only Judith Giuliani, wife of
Republican Rudy Giuliani, and former president Bill Clinton, husband of
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, are not slated to attend Shriver's event.
Both cited scheduling conflicts.
? CNN Producer Xuan Thai
Filed under Maria Shriver
Posted 10/23/2007 01:00:13 PM | Permalink
6 Comments | Add a comment
McCain files for the second time
McCain's second time on the New Hampshire ballot
CONCORD, New Hampshire (CNN) ? Walking up the steps of the statehouse
Tuesday, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, filed as a candidate in the New
Hampshire presidential primary for the second time.
"Great to see you again, you haven't aged a bit since we did this in
2000," McCain said as he drew laughs from New Hampshire Secretary of
State William Gardner.
When later asked by a reporter about his age, McCain compared his
qualifications against those of his competitors, former New York Mayor
Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
"I think it's great to have been a mayor of a big city, I think it's
great to have been governor of a state. I think itâ??s important
that I have been involved in every national security issue since 1980,"
he said.
Giuliani who arrived three and a half hours later to file his own
paperwork responded to McCain's words with praise.
"John has lots of credentials. Heâ??s a close friend of mine and
he's someone I admire very very much. John has every right to argue his
credentials and put them in front of the American people."
He then added, "A long time ago I was once asked to do a negative ad
against John McCain and I said no how, no way."
Video: Watch John McCain file his paperwork in New Hampshire
? CNN Ticker New Hampshire producer Sareena Dalla
Filed under John McCain, New Hampshire, Rudy Giuliani
Posted 10/23/2007 12:42:29 PM | Permalink
0 Comments | Add a comment
Bush deploys homeland secretary, FEMA chief
President Bush
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? President Bush sent Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff and FEMA Director David Paulison to southern California
Tuesday, as the federal government moved to help the fire-ravaged state.
â??All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who
have lost their homes and the many families who have been evacuated from
their homes," Bush said at the beginning of an address to the National
Defense University. "We send our prayers and thoughts for those who have
been affected and we send the help of the federal government as
well.â??
The president spoke late Monday with California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, and early Tuesday morning Bush declared an emergency for
seven counties in the state. He said the order â??opens up the
opportunity for us to send federal assets to help the governor and those
who are fighting these fires."
Bush also said he is sending Chertoff and Paulison to "listen, develop
an inventory of supplies and help we can provide."
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under President Bush
Posted 10/23/2007 12:00:09 PM | Permalink
20 Comments | Add a comment
Obama aims fire at Clinton over Iran vote
The Obama campaign sent out a postcard, above, criticizing a recent
Senate amendment Clinton supported.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is
stepping up his effort to differentiate himself with rival Hillary
Clinton on the issue of Iran Tuesday, sending a postcard to Iowa voters
criticizing those who supported a recent Senate amendment that he claims
"raises the risk of war with Iran."
The September 27 amendment in question, sponsored by Sens. Joe
Lieberman, I-Connecticut, and Jon Kyl, R-Arizona, calls for labeling the
Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Clinton voted for
the amendment while Obama missed the vote. But the Illinois Democrat has
repeatedly said he is against the idea.
"Barack Obama is the ONLY major candidate for president to oppose both
the Iraq War from the very start and the Senate amendment that raises
the risk of war with Iran," the postcard states. "While other Democrats
voted for the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment, Barack Obama opposed another Bush
foreign policy fiasco."
Obama is also quoted in the postcard saying, "Why is this amendment so
dangerous? Because George Bush and *** Cheney could use this language
to justify keeping our troops in Iraq as long as they can point to a
threat from Iran. And because they could use this language to justify an
attack on Iran as a part of the ongoing war in Iraq."
The campaign would not reveal the number of postcards it is sending.
The other two Senate Democrats running for president, Chris Dodd and Joe
Biden, voted against the measure.
Clinton has denied the terrorist labeling could increase the risk of war
with Iran, arguing it instead allows for tougher sanctions.
? CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton, Iowa, Joe Biden
Posted 10/23/2007 10:20:35 AM | Permalink
14 Comments | Add a comment
Biden to unveil universal healthcare plan in Iowa
Biden is set to unveil his healthcare plan later Tuesday in Iowa.
DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) ? Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden is
set to announce a universal healthcare plan in Des Moines Tuesday that
will include provisions to fight discrimination based on genetic
information, according to details provided to CNN.
The Delaware senator is expected to call for prohibiting employers and
insurance companies from obtaining or using genetic information when
making hiring decisions, providing health coverage, or pricing insurance
policies.
Biden's proposal?dubbed the "CARE" plan?is expected to include four
"essential steps to lay the foundation for universal healthcare," all of
which fit into the acronym CARE: "Cover all children, access for adults,
reinsurance for catastrophic cases, and encouraging prevention and
modernization."
Also expected in his plan: a provision to require the government to
cover a majority of "catastrophic health costs."
According to the campaign, this federal reinsurance plan would reimburse
employers, insurers, or associations for up to 75 percent of health
costs that exceed $50,000 per individual.
? CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch
Filed under Iowa, Joe Biden
Posted 10/23/2007 09:35:21 AM | Permalink
14 Comments | Add a comment
Rangel: Giuliani 'embarrasses us'
Watch Wolf Blitzer's interview with Rep. Rangel.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? New York Rep. Charlie Rangel, a prominent supporter
of Hillary Clinton, sharply criticized Republican presidential
frontrunner Rudy Giuliani's personal life Monday, highlighting the fact
that the former New York City mayor and his wife have each been married
three times.
"Two people, six spouses. It's a little complicated if you're not
religious, especially if you're running against a Mormon," Rangel told
CNN's Wolf Blitzer in a reference to Giuliani's chief rival, former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. For the record, Romney has only been
married once.
"I think America has to look at all these things, and there are enough
moles on this man that embarrasses those of us who have sought public
life," the 19-term New York congressman added. "When we get involved in
public life, it means we're in a goldfish bowl. It would seem to me,
with all the breaks the mayor had, being involved with his personal
problems, he would thank God he's gotten as far as he did go without
making the politicians get involved in his personal life."
Rangel brushed aside the notion that criticizing Giuliani's personal
life exposes Hillary Clinton to similar criticism. The former first
ladyâ??s own marital troubles have been well documented.
"You can say it over and over and over again. This woman got married
[and] stayed married [to] the same husband. When they had problems, she
stuck with him. You tell me what in her personal life is something she
should be ashamed of, and I want to talk about it."
Contacted by CNN, Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella said, "This kind of
ugly, personal attack isn't even worth a response."
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
? CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, The Situation
Room
Posted 10/23/2007 09:31:16 AM | Permalink
74 Comments | Add a comment
Is it time for Obama to attack?
Perhaps it's time for Obama to say "No more Mr. Nice Guy" when it comes
to Clinton. Watch Bill Schneider's report.
(CNN) ? From the beginning, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, promised to
run a different kind of campaign. But, he continues to trail rival Sen.
Hillary Clinton, D-New York, in national polls. Is it time for Obama's
gloves to come off? Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider has this
report.
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Filed under Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton
Posted 10/23/2007 08:30:35 AM | Permalink
11 Comments | Add a comment
The state of the GOP race for the White House
Watch John King's report about the race for the 2008 Republican
presidential nomination.
(CNN) ? After the second Republican debate that included former Sen.
Fred Thompson, R-Tennessee, Chief National Correspondent John King takes
a look at where things stand between the top contenders for the GOP
presidential nomination.
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Filed under Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Rudy
Giuliani
Posted 10/23/2007 08:25:29 AM | Permalink
12 Comments | Add a comment
Mrs. Edwards visits the Situation Room
Watch Elizabeth Edwards explain why her husband should win the White
House.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential
contender John Edwards, D-North Carolina, was in the Situation Room
Monday. She discussed healthcare, what it's like to be a candidate's
spouse, and two of her husband's White House rivals ? Sen. Hillary
Clinton, D-New York, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, R-New
York. Watch Wolf Blitzer's interview with Mrs. Edwards.
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Filed under Elizabeth Edwards, Healthcare, Hillary Clinton, John
Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, The Situation Room
Posted 10/23/2007 08:00:03 AM | Permalink
10 Comments | Add a comment
CNN Political Ticker AM
For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout
the day on the CNN Political Ticker http://www.cnn.com/ticker. All
politics, all the time.
Making News Todayâ?¦
Massachusetts governor to endorse Obama
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? It may be a bit overshadowed by World Series fever,
but Tuesday evening at the Boston Common in the heart of Beantown,
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will officially endorse Illinois Sen.
Barack Obama for president.
Patrick says Obama has the best chance to inspire Americans to take a
greater role in government, and their civic duties. His endorsement
could come in handy in neighboring New Hampshire, the first state that
will hold a presidential primary. Obama trails Sen. Hillary Clinton,
D-New York, by double digits in the most recent Granite State polls.
Patrick is the stateâ??s first black governor, and only the second
African-American in the U.S. ever elected governor. Obama is trying to
become the countryâ??s first black president.
The Massachusetts governorâ??s endorsement may also help Obama in
the battle for black voters, a crucial voting bloc in the Democratic
Party. So far, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said he is endorsing Obama, while
Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis, who marched along Martin Luther King
Jr. during the civil rights movement in the 1960â??s, recently
endorsed Clinton.
The New York senator has the brand name on her side and her husband,
former President Bill Clinton, was once honored by the Congressional
Black Caucus as â??the nationâ??s first black
President.â??
In the most recent CNN-Opinion Research Corporation Poll of national
voters, Clinton led Obama by 24 points among African-Americans.
Thatâ??s up from 17 points back in April.
? CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
***
Giuliani and McCain to make it official in New Hampshire
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and
Arizona Sen. John McCain make it official in New Hampshire Tuesday, when
the two Republican presidential rivals file the necessary paperwork to
be on the Granite Stateâ??s primary ballot.
New Hampshire holds the first-in-the-nation primary, and filing the
paperwork in person at Secretary of State William Gardnerâ??s
office is a time honored tradition.
Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee have
already signed up to participate in New Hampshireâ??s Republican
primary.
? CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich
***
House Democrats to tout accomplishments
WASHINGTON (CNN) â?" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic
leaders are launching a new communications effort to mark the one year
anniversary of their party taking control of the House of
Representatives.
Pelosi and her top lieutenants circulated a letter to all Democratic
offices on Friday telling them that "The 110th Congress has a great
story to tell." And the Democratic leadership is calling on rank-and
file Democrats to tout the majority partyâ??s accomplishments over
the upcoming holiday recess.
â??We need your help telling this story,â?? the California
Democrat and the other party leaders wrote. â??At a time when many
of us and many Americans feel our country has been moving in the wrong
direction, it is critical that we help Americans learn where we stand
and what we have accomplished.â??  Full Story
? CNN Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh
===========================================================
Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the
country)
Compiled by Lindsey Pope
CNN Washington Bureau
REPUBLICANS THINK DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES ARE ADRESSING ISSUES MORE THAN
GOP CANDIDATES: Democratic voters are considerably more satisfied than
their Republican counterparts that their partyâ??s candidates are
addressing the issues they most care about, according to the latest CBS
News poll. New York Times: Democrats Like Whatâ??s Being Said
MCCAIN CAMPAIGN MANAGER FIGHTS THROUGH TOUGH SUMMER TO LAND TOP JOB:
When Rick Davis won a brutal struggle within the McCain campaign this
summer, his reward was what would be one of the toughest jobs in
politics: the organizationâ??s campaign manager. New York Times:
Savior or Machiavelli, McCainâ??s Top Aide Carries On
RNC TO PUNISH STATES FOR EARLY PRIMARIES: Republican Party leaders on
Monday recommended punishing five states for shifting their nomination
contests earlier, moving to strip New Hampshire, Florida, South
Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming of half their delegates to the Republican
Convention. AP via USA Today: 5 states may lose half of GOP delegates
NEW HAMPSHIRE NOT FAZED BY RNC THREAT: State Republican Chairman Fergus
Cullen yesterday shrugged off a national GOP panel's decision to
withhold half the state party's delegates to the Republican national
convention next summer. New Hampshire Union-Leader
THE ROLE OF FIRST RUNNING MATE CAN BE A SLIPPERY SLOPE: During the 1992
presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton stepped out as the
unabashed career-driven wife ? and paid a high price for it. This all
leaves the current crop of feisty spouses teetering between dutiful mate
and accomplished professional as they try to adapt an archaic stereotype
to fit contemporary times. Washington Post: Running Mates
THOMPSON DISCUSSES PERSONAL TRAGEDY WHEN ASKED ABOUT SCHIAVO CASE: In
his public life, former Senator Fred D. Thompson has long refrained from
speaking about the death of his daughter from an accidental drug
overdose in 2002, an episode that friends and colleagues say played into
his decision not to seek re-election to the Senate in 2002. New York
Times: Thompson Finds Reason to Discuss Schiavo Case
DOES FRED REALLY WANT TO BE PRESIDENT?: After a bumbling entrance as a
White House hopeful and a month in which he has barely bothered to shake
a voterâ??s hand, Fred Thompson ambled back onto the campaign
trail yesterday with one question hanging over him: does he really want
to be President? The Times of London: Senator turned actor strolls back
onto campaign stage
DEAN STRATEGIST STEERS EDWARDS CAMPAIGN IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION: Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton may have a widening lead in the race for the
Democratic presidential nomination, but John Edwards is not about to
give her a free ride. Washington Post: With Trippi's Rise, Some See a
New John Edwards
EDWARDS TRIES TO FIND HIS PLACE IN A CAMPAIGN OF FIRSTS: For many
Democrats, the 2008 presidential campaign is a celebration of those who
once only dreamed of gaining power, with "you go, girl" cheers for
Hillary Rodham Clinton and black pride in Barack Obama. LA Times:
Edwards says he's most electable, butâ?¦
OBAMA STILL TAKING HEAT FOR SAYING HE WILL MEET WITH LEADERS OF ROGUE
STATES: Sen. Barack Obamaâ??s presidential campaign is continuing
to make a virtue out of necessity following what many still view as a
gaffe he committed during Julyâ??s YouTube debate when he said
that as president that heâ??d meet without preconditions, with
leaders of rogue states hostile to the U.S. Chicago Tribune's The Swamp:
Obama still tries to put best light on perceived gaffe
OBAMA: "PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF A GOVERNMENT THAT ISN'T LISTENING? THAT
DOESN'T THINK THAT THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IS TO GIVE PEOPLE A LITTLE
HELP": Sen. Barack Obama told cheering supporters at a State House rally
yesterday that he is the candidate of real change, ready to stand up to
special interests. New Hampshire Union-Leader Sen. Obama says he is the
candidate of real change
LOOKS REALLY DO MATTER SAYS NEW POLL: Candidates campaign on the issues,
but new research shows some people are swayed by looks alone. USA Today:
Do voters take politicians at 'face' value?
TRAILING CANDIDATES HOPE IOWA CAN BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO STRUGGLING
CAMPAIGNS: Far ahead in national polls and with more ready cash than any
rival, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton would appear a prohibitive favorite
for the Democratic presidential nomination next year. But a far
different race comes first, in Iowa, where many candidates hope
Byzantine caucus rules and arcane traditions level the playing field.
Wall Street Journal: Dark Horses Run Hard in Iowa
"IT'S A CLEAR SIGN THAT WE ARE SUCCEEDING IN IRAQ BECAUSE PEOPLE GOT
VERY TIRED OF AL-QAIDA TAKING THEIR YOUNG WOMEN, KILLING THEIR YOUNG
WOMEN, KILLING THEIR PEOPLE, AND ACTING IN THE MOST BRUTAL FASHION THAT
THEY ARE.": Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said Monday that
a new message from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in which he scolds
his followers in Iraq proves that U.S. efforts there are succeeding.
Quad City Times: McCain: Bin Laden Reveals U.S. Success
PARTIES GEAR UP FOR 2011 REAPPORTIONMENT: According to census estimates
for 2010 tabulated by Polidata, a firm that provides analysis of
political data, New York and Ohio are slated to lose two Congressional
seats each, while Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New
Jersey, Missouri, Iowa, Louisiana and Illinois are each poised to lose
one. Roll Call: Parties Recruit for Endangered Jobs
GOP USES IMMIGRATION TO CHALLEGE DEMOCRATS: When Republican Jim
Ogonowski launched his long-shot bid for Congress, he prepared for an
upbeat campaign in his Democratic, working-class district of
Massachusetts, based on a winning résumé: affable hay farmer,
former Air Force lieutenant colonel, and brother of an American Airlines
pilot whose hijacked plane slammed into the World Trade Center on Sept.
11, 2001. Washington Post: GOP Finds Hot Button in Illegal Immigration
CLASSROOMS BENEFIT FROM COLBERT'S CAMPAIGN: Stephen Colbertâ??s
fake run for the presidency â?" in South Carolina â?" is
producing real results for the Palmetto Stateâ??s schools. The
State: Colbert making big bucks for schools
CALIFORNIA BALLOT INITIATIVE REVIVED BY GOP: Veteran Republican
consultants said Monday that they were relaunching a drive to change the
way California allocates its electoral college votes, aimed at helping
the 2008 GOP presidential nominee capture the White House. LA Times: GOP
retools drive to change electoral votes
CRAIG PAYS LAWYER WITH CAMPAIGN CASH: Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) has
used $23,000 in campaign funds to pay the top Washington ethics lawyer,
Stan Brand, who is fighting his case before the Senate ethics committee,
according to Craigâ??s latest filing with the Federal Election
Commission. Politico: Larry Craig uses campaign funds for legal fees
ROCKEFELLER RECIPIENT OF PHONE COMPANY DONATIONS: Executives at the two
biggest phone companies contributed more than $42,000 in political
donations to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV this year while seeking his
support for legal immunity for businesses participating in National
Security Agency eavesdropping. NY Times: Companies Seeking Immunity
Donate to Senator
DEMS TO FIGHT POOR RATING WITH MEDIA BLITZ: Nearly one year after
recapturing control of Congress, House Democratic leaders will embark on
a publicity blitz starting in November to combat a dismal 25 percent
approval rating. The Hill: Pelosi to launch PR blitz to beat â??08
media frenzy
FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR URGES LAWMAKERS TO GO AGAINST THE
ADMINISTRATION: Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton is urging
GOP lawmakers to oppose the Bush administrationâ??s recent
agreement with North Korea to end its nuclear programs, according to
House Republican sources. The Hill: Bolton lobbies on N.K. deal
STATE DEPARTMENT THE VICTIM OF INTERNAL REPORT ON IRAQ SECURITY
CONTRACTORS: A pair of new reports have delivered sharply critical
judgments about the State Departmentâ??s performance in overseeing
work done by the private companies that the government relies on
increasingly in Iraq and Afghanistan to carry out delicate security work
and other missions. New York Times: Audit Assails State Dept. Role on
Iraq Security
===============================================================
On the Trail:
Compiled by Lauren Kornreich
CNN Washington Bureau
* Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, holds a rally at the Lawrence Street
Mall in Denver, Colorado.
* Former New York City Rudy Giuliani starts his day in Boston,
Massachusetts, with a press conference at Umbria Ristorante. Later, he
heads to Concord, New Hampshire to file paperwork to participate in the
Granite State's primary election. After, Giuliani holds town hall
meetings at Lincoln Financial Group in Concord and at Lebanon High
School in Lebanon.
* Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announces he's officially backing
Sen. Barack Obama's, D-Illinois, presidential bid at a rally in Boston.
* Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, files paperwork to participate in New
Hampshire's presidential primary. Later, he meets with local residents
in Concord and tours Thompson Center Arms in Rochester. In the evening,
McCain holds a town hall meeting at Hampton Academy Middle School in
Hampton.
* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney heads to South Carolina and
delivers speeches in Greenwood and Greenville. Later, he holds "Ask Mitt
Anything" town halls in Columbia and Summerville.
* Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, holds a press conference in Iowa City,
Iowa.
* California First Lady Maria Shriver moderates a first-ever joint
discussion with the spouses of most of the leading presidential
candidates from each party in Long Beach, California. Elizabeth Edwards,
Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain, Ann Romney and Jeri Thompson plan to
address the conference.
* The Senate Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook
* The House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook
Filed under AM Political Ticker
Posted 10/23/2007 05:52:38 AM | Permalink
0 Comments | Add a comment
October 22, 2007
House Democrats to tout accomplishments
WASHINGTON (CNN) â?" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic
leaders are launching a new communications effort to mark the one year
anniversary of their party taking control of the House of
Representatives.
Pelosi and her top lieutenants circulated a letter to all Democratic
offices on Friday telling them that "The 110th Congress has a great
story to tell." And the Democratic leadership is calling on rank-and
file Democrats to tout the majority partyâ??s accomplishments over
the upcoming holiday recess.
â??We need your help telling this story,â?? the California
Democrat and the other party leaders wrote. â??At a time when many
of us and many Americans feel our country has been moving in the wrong
direction, it is critical that we help Americans learn where we stand
and what we have accomplished."
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under House Democrats, Nancy Pelosi
Posted 10/22/2007 08:07:03 PM | Permalink
16 Comments | Add a comment
Thompson defends campaign style
Thompson says he's running for president his way.
CELEBRATION, Florida (AP) ? Defending his campaign work schedule,
Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said Monday his strategy
is working and "I'm going to do it the way I want to do it."
His absences in early-voting states have been noticed. Thompson hasn't
been in South Carolina in more than a month, he scrapped a recent trip
to New Hampshire and then canceled a news conference Saturday in
Florida.
"You can name a lot of places that I haven't been, and you can name a
lot of places that I have been several times," Thompson said in an
interview with The Associated Press.
"I've been to Florida three or four times," he said. "The mainstream
media, with all due respect, likes to concentrate on the process game on
a daily basis, and I can't get caught up in that. I'm going to do it the
way I want to do it."
Thompson pointed out he comes in second among Republicans in most
national polls and has more than 100,000 contributors, despite making
decisions that defy conventional wisdom.
He addressed the same issue at Sunday night's Republican debate in
Orlando, answering a question about whether he is lazy. Thompson
described his trajectory from teenage father to factory worker to
federal prosecutor to Watergate counsel and senator, saying, "If a man
can do all that and be lazy, I recommend it to everybody."
Filed under AP, Fred Thompson
Posted 10/22/2007 05:00:15 PM | Permalink
17 Comments | Add a comment
Martial arts TV star picks presidential candidate
Will Norris' star power help Huckabee?
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? It could be the latest so-called Chuck Norris fact:
The American people don't choose presidents, Chuck Norris does.
The cult hero of â??Walker Texas Rangerâ?? fame said Monday
heâ??s backing Republican Mike Huckabee for president.
â??Though Giuliani might be savvy enough to lead people, Fred
Thompson wise enough to wade through the tides of politics, McCain tough
enough to fight terrorism and Romney business-minded enough to grow our
economy, I believe the only one who has all of the characteristics to
lead America forward into the future is ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike
Huckabee,â?? Norris wrote on the conservative Web site World Net
Daily.
â??Mike is also a respected and fearless leader, and he does not
cower to the cries of any majority or minority,â?? Norris added.
â??He doesn't abandon his values for what's expedient. Like our
Founding Fathers, he's not afraid to stand up for a Creator and against
secularist beliefs.â??
Huckabeeâ??s campaign has not responded to a request for comment.
TIME.com: Huckabee's Bid for the Christian Right
? CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under Mike Huckabee
Posted 10/22/2007 03:15:58 PM | Permalink
338 Comments | Add a comment
Obama jokes of Cheney relation
Watch Obama make light of his distant relation to Cheney Monday.
CONCORD, New Hampshire (CNN) ? After filing for the New Hampshire
primary Monday, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, addressed a large crowd
at a rally outside the statehouse. There, he criticized the Bush
administration, while highlighting genealogical ties to 'cousin,' Vice
President *** Cheney.
Last week, in an interview with MSNBC, Lynn Cheney said that her husband
and Obama shared an ancestor from eight generations ago.
"Let's face it. All across America people are tired of George Bush. They
are tired of this administration. They are tired of my 'cousin' ***
Cheney. We had been keeping this under raps. Everybody's got a black
sheep in the family," Obama said.
?CNN New Hampshire producer Sareena Dalla
Filed under Barack Obama, *** Cheney
Posted 10/22/2007 03:15:27 PM | Permalink
24 Comments | Add a comment
Obama makes it official in New Hampshire
Watch Obama make it official in New Hampshire.
CONCORD, New Hampshire (CNN) ? Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, was 30
minutes late from his planned arrival at the state Capitol, but he still
had plenty of time to make his presidential bid official in the Granite
State.
Upon entering New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner's office,
the Illinois Democrat bowed his head and offered a playful "good to see
you."
"I'm taking the plunge right here, I want to make my official
presentation," said Obama as Gardner thumbed through his filing
documents. "Want to make sure we got everything in order."
"You're all set," Gardner responded.
After filing his official paperwork, Obama held a rally outside the New
Hampshire statehouse.
? CNN New Hampshire Producer Sareena Dalla
Filed under Barack Obama, New Hampshire
Posted 10/22/2007 03:10:59 PM | Permalink
8 Comments | Add a comment
Richardson declares in new ad: I brought hostages home
Richardson is touting his experience in hostage negotiation in a new
ad.
DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) ? Democratic presidential candidate Bill
Richardson is up with a new ad in Iowa and New Hampshire Monday that
touts a hostage situation in Iraq "that then Congressman Richardson was
called upon to defuse," the campaign said in a statement.
The 60-second ad, entitled "Only One," is a testimonial given by Bill
Barloon and the late David Daliberti and wife Kathy Daliberti. Both
Barloon and David Daliberti were hostages of Saddam Hussein in 1995.
"We were accused of being spies," David Daliberti said in the ad.
Barloon continued, "Then Congressman Richardson came and spoke with
Saddam Hussein."
Richardson puts a twist on the traditional finish of campaign ads by
closing with, "I'm Bill Richardson, and I am honored to approve this
message."
Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, is seeking the Democratic
presidential nomination.
? CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch
Filed under Bill Richardson, Iowa, New Hampshire
Posted 10/22/2007 02:30:13 PM | Permalink
26 Comments | Add a comment
RNC moves to punish states for shifting primaries
New Hampshire is among the five states the RNC says it will seek to
punish for shifting its primary date.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republican Party leaders on Monday recommended
punishing five states for shifting their nomination contests earlier,
moving to strip New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and
Wyoming of half their delegates.
At least one state, South Carolina, is considering legal action in an
effort to keep its delegates to next year's Republican National
Convention.
Iowa, which plans to hold Republican caucuses on Jan. 3, would not be
penalized because, technically, the caucuses are not binding on
convention delegates. Nevada, which plans to hold its caucuses on Jan.
19, would not be penalized for the same reason.
"It's very important that our party uphold and enforce the rules that we
unanimously voted into place at the Republican National Convention in
2004," said Mike Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee.
(Watch CNN's Tom Foreman report on the Primary Calender chaos)
The rules ban holding votes before Feb. 5.
Wyoming is scheduled to hold its nominating conventions on Jan. 5.
Michigan will hold its Republican primary on Jan. 15, South Carolina on
Jan. 19 and Florida on Jan. 29.
New Hampshire has not yet set a primary date, though it is required by
state law to hold its primary at least seven days before any other,
raising the possibility of a December vote.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under New Hampshire, RNC, South Carolina
Posted 10/22/2007 02:20:15 PM | Permalink
20 Comments | Add a comment
Obama calls himself 'an underdog'
Obama says he's making strides in New Hampshire.
CONCORD, New Hampshire (CNN) ? Sen. Barack Obama sought to portray
himself as an underdog in the fight for the Democratic presidential
nomination Monday, but he did declare his campaign is making strides
with informed voters.
"We actually are further ahead than I expected to be," Obama responded
when asked about his standing in national and New Hampshire polls. The
Illinois Democrat made the remarks after he filed his paperwork for the
state primary.
"When we started this campaign, here's one thing I was certain of, that
a 46-year-old African American named Barack Obama would be an underdog
in a presidential race. But as people got to know me and my ideas, they
would be confidant that I would be fighting for them."
Obama reiterated that among voters "paying careful attention," his
campaign was doing "extremely well." However, he noted that "For the
casual voter, many of them are still going to be parking their vote with
Sen. Clinton because that's a familiar brand name."
Clinton, a New York Democrat, is the frontrunner for her party's
nomination with Obama coming in second, polling shows.
Obama later added, "But when they start paying attention, I think that
will only be to our advantage."
? CNN New Hampshire producer Sareena Dalla
Filed under Barack Obama, New Hampshire
Posted 10/22/2007 02:19:15 PM | Permalink
12 Comments | Add a comment
Bush wants another $42 billion for wars
President Bush said Monday he is requesting billions more for the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? The Bush administration on Monday requested an
additional $42.3 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing
the 2008 request for total war funding to $189.3 billion.
The administration made the initial supplement request, which lawmakers
have yet to approve, in February.
Bush urged Congress to act on both requests during a statement from the
Roosevelt Room at the White House.
Full storyÂ
Filed under Iraq, President Bush
Posted 10/22/2007 02:00:43 PM | Permalink
111 Comments | Add a comment
Republicans get heated
Watch CNNâ??s Dana Bash report on last nightâ??s debate.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? CNNâ??s Dana Bash reports last night's
presidential debate often got heated as the candidates compared their
conservative credentials.
Related: Candidates tout conservatism at GOP debate
TIME.com: Who came out on top in last night's debate?
Filed under Presidential Candidates
Posted 10/22/2007 12:00:34 PM | Permalink
34 Comments | Add a comment
Dozens of Capitol Hill protesters arrested
Protesters block the entrance to the Cannon House Office Building on
Monday.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Police on Monday arrested dozens of protesters who
blocked the doors and streets outside congressional buildings near the
U.S. Capitol.Nearly 60 were arrested on various charges, including
unlawful assembly, said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, spokeswoman for the
U.S. Capitol police.
Police handcuffed a female protester dressed in a black pullover
emblazoned with "Blackwater" and the U.S. security contractor's paw
print symbol.
? CNN Producer Paul Courson
Full story
Filed under Capitol Hill
Posted 10/22/2007 11:55:38 AM | Permalink
52 Comments | Add a comment
Colbert on presidential run: I am serious
Colbert insisted he's serious about getting on the South Carolina
ballot.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Is Stephen Colbert serious when he says he wants to
run for president in South Carolina?
Yes, according to the fake-news host himself who appeared on
NBCâ??s Meet the Press Sunday after the very-real presidential
candidate Barack Obama.
â??I think a lot of people are asking whetherâ?"they say is
this, is this real, you know? And to which I would say to everybody,
this is not a dream, youâ??re not going to wake up from
this,â?? Colbert told host Tim Russert. â??Iâ??m far
real-er than Sam Brownback, let me put it that way.â??
â??I donâ??t want to be president,â?? he added.
â??I want to run for president. Thereâ??s a
difference.â??
Brownback, a Republican senator from Kansas, dropped his bid Friday
after disappointing fundraising and low placement in most polls.
Colbert acknowledged his presidential campaign wouldnâ??t extend
past his home state of South Carolina and said he will consider it
successful if he just captures one state delegate.
â??Itâ??s proportional voting on the Democratic side ? all
I need is enough votes on the Democratic side to get one delegate, and
Iâ??ll feel like Iâ??ve won. Because if, at the Democratic
National Convention, somebody has to stand up and say, â??The
proud state of South Carolina, the palmetto state, the home of the
greatest peaches and shrimp in the world, casts one vote for native son,
Stephen Colbert,â?? Iâ??d say I won.
Colbert has said he will seek to be a candidate in both the Democratic
and Republican primaries in the Palmetto state. On his show Wednesday,
he signed paperwork for both ballots. But as The Ticker reported last
week, it remains to be seen whether the State parties will allow that to
happen.
But Colbert, who didnâ??t break from his conservative-TV host act
during the entire Meet the Press interview, gave plenty of hints he
might not be too serious after all, including the revelation that he
would consider embattled Idaho Sen. Larry Craig as his running-mate.
Though the Comedy Central host refused to say if heâ??d met
â??in the same roomâ?? with Craig to discuss the potential
ticket.
â??Sorry, my lawyerâ??s telling me to say no more,â??
he said.
? CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under Stephen Colbert
Posted 10/22/2007 11:30:16 AM | Permalink
115 Comments | Add a comment
Obama puts up a new ad in New Hampshire
In new ad Obama calls for Americans to end conventional thinking
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) Â ? Sen. Barack Obama,
D-Illinois, launched his third television ad in the Granite state
Monday, in which he calls for an end to "conventional thinking" and
pledges to restore "American leadership in the world."
Obama returns to New Hampshire Monday for three days of campaigning and
will officially file his paperwork for the state's primary.
? CNN New Hampshire producer Sareena Dalla
Filed under Barack Obama, New Hampshire
Posted 10/22/2007 11:00:36 AM | Permalink
38 Comments | Add a comment
GOP rivals defend their conservative credentials at debate
The GOP candidates on stage in Orlando.
ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) ? The leading Republican presidential
candidates intensified their fight over who has the true conservative
credentials in sometimes contentious debate Sunday night.
A more aggressive Fred Thompson compared Rudy Giulianiâ??s social
positions with Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, and implied Mitt
Romney once held more liberal stands than Senator Ted Kennedy.
Asked if Romney and Giuliani has convinced him they were consistent
conservatives, the former Tennessee Senator said, â??Well, we've
got an hour and a half. Maybe they can work on it.â??
Giuliani tried to turn the tables on Thompson, saying, â??you
know, Fred has his problems, too. I mean, Fred was the single biggest
obstacle to tort reform in the United States Senate. He stood with
Democrats over and over again. â?¦Fred Thompson, along with very
few Republicans, blocked tort reform over and over and over again. That
is not a conservative position.â??
Defending his own record a day after finishing near the bottom of a
conservative voters straw poll, the former New York City mayor, said,
â??I think it was good conservative record. I think, in every
case, you can always find one exception or two to someone being
absolutely conservative or absolutely this or absolutely that, but I
think I had a heck of a lot of conservative results.â??
In another skirmish, Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, blasted Romney for
claiming to be the only real Republican in the field. He said,
â??Governor Romney, you've been spending the last year trying to
fool people about your record. I don't want you to start fooling them
about mine. I stand on my record. I stand on my record of a
conservative, and I don't think you can fool the American people. I
think the first thing you'd need is their respect.â??
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under Florida, GOP debate
Posted 10/22/2007 08:35:07 AM | Permalink
132 Comments | Add a comment
Brownback ties record
Brownback became the fifth presidential candidate to drop his bid this
election cycle.
WASHINGTON (CNN) ? Not a single vote for president has been cast, but
the path to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is already littered with a record
tying number of casualties.
On Friday, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, became the fifth declared
Presidential hopeful to abandon his White House bid. Brownbackâ??s
decision to drop out of the race tied the record set in 2000, when five
candidates bowed out before the Iowa caucuses, traditionally the first
test of candidate strength.
Of course, this doesnâ??t take into account candidates who toyed
with the idea of running, but never filed papers with the Federal
Election Commission.
So, who has dropped out so far? Brownback; Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh;
former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore; former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson;
and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.
In 2000, you may remember, the early casualties included former
Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander; former Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Dole;
then-Ohio Rep. John Kasich, former Vice President Dan Quayle; and
then-New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith.
â?" CNN Polling Director Keating Holland
Filed under Sam Brownback
Posted 10/22/2007 08:30:10 AM | Permalink
22 Comments | Add a comment
CNN Political Ticker AM
For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout
the day on the CNN Political Ticker http://www.cnn.com/ticker. All
politics, all the time.
Making News Todayâ?¦
GOP rivals defend their conservative credentials at debate
ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) â?" The leading Republican presidential
candidates intensified their fight over who has the true conservative
credentials in sometimes contentious debate Sunday night.
Fred Thompson, more aggressive than he's been in some recent
appearances, compared Rudy Giulianiâ??s social positions with
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, and implied Mitt Romney once
held more liberal stands than Senator Ted Kennedy.
Asked if Romney and Giuliani have convinced him they were consistent
conservatives, the former Tennessee Senator said, â??Well, we've
got an hour and a half. Maybe they can work on it.â??
Giuliani tried to turn the tables on Thompson, saying, â??you
know, Fred has his problems, too. I mean, Fred was the single biggest
obstacle to tort reform in the United States Senate. He stood with
Democrats over and over again. â?¦Fred Thompson, along with very
few Republicans, blocked tort reform over and over and over again. That
is not a conservative position.â?? Full Story
â?" CNN Political Desk Managing Editor Steve Brusk
***
Brownback ties record
WASHINGTON (CNN) â?" Not a single vote for president has been cast,
but the path to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is already littered with a
record tying number of casualties.
On Friday, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, became the fifth declared
Presidential hopeful to abandon his White House bid. Brownbackâ??s
decision to drop out of the race tied the record set in 2000, when five
candidates bowed out before the Iowa caucuses, traditionally the first
test of candidate strength.
Of course, this doesnâ??t take into account candidates who toyed
with the idea of running, but never filed papers with the Federal
Election Commission.
So, who has dropped out so far? Brownback; Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh;
former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore; former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson;
and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.
In 2000, you may remember, the early casualties included former
Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander; former Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Dole;
then-Ohio Rep. John Kasich, former Vice President Dan Quayle; and
then-New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith.
? CNN Polling Director Keating Holland
***
Romney wins straw poll at Values Voters Summit
WASHINGTON (CNN) â?" Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney
narrowly won a straw poll of mostly Christian conservative voters at the
Family Research Council's Values Voters Summit held this weekend in the
nation's capital. The former Massachusetts governor won almost 28
percent of the 5,776 votes cast, edging out former Arkansas Gov. Mike
Huckabee, who finished 30 votes behind him.
The totals included ballots cast online by people who paid $1 to vote.
Voters in the convention hall who had actually heard the
candidatesâ?? speeches chose Huckabee over Romney by a margin of
better than four-to-one. Full Story
? CNNâ??s Paul Steinhauser and Xuan Thai
***
Thompson stumps through the Sunshine State
WASHINGTON (CNN) â?" After participating in his second Republican
debate last night, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson tries to build
support for his presidential bid with a two-day campaign swing through
Florida.
Thompson, a well known actor who starred in the NBC drama â??Law &
Order, came in a distant fourth place in a straw poll conducted by the
Family Research Council this past weekend. He makes stops in Kissimmee,
Tampa and Lakeland.
? CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich
===========================================================
Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the
country)
Compiled by Lindsey Pope
CNN Washington Bureau
GOP CANDIDATES TURN UP THE HEAT IN FLORIDA DEBATE: The Republican
presidential candidates sharply escalated their attacks on each other
last night, clashing over who is the most conservative, most experienced
and most electable in a debate one of them likened to a
â??demolition derby.â?? New York Times: At Debate, GOP Race
Becomes More Personal
CLINTON, AGAIN IN SPOTLIGHT AT GOP DEBATE: Arguments over who is the
most conservative candidate took center stage last night, as the
Republican presidential candidates sparred in their ninth and perhaps
testiest forum so far. Wall Street Journal: Clinton is Focus of Debate
REPUBLICAN DEBATE TURNS PERSONAL: The leading Republican presidential
candidates staged their most contentious and personal debate of the long
campaign season here Sunday night, clashing sharply over abortion,
immigration, tort reform and their readiness to challenge Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in a general election. Washington Post: Attacks
Sharpen Among Party's Principal Rivals
WHO'S THE REAL CONSERVATIVE?: Republican presidential candidates seeking
support in the pivotal state of Florida clashed Sunday over one of their
party's most basic questions: Who is the most conservative? USA Today:
Republican Hopefuls Spar Over Who's the Real Conservative
FRED'S SHORT SPEECH LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED AT FLORIDA GALA: Rudy
fired up the crowd. John had them chuckling. Mitt spun family yarns. And
Fred left them wanting more. Miami Herald: GOP hopefuls get fired up
RANGEL BASHES GIULIANI AS "CHEATING GOD**** HUSBAND": Rep. Charlie
Rangel, D-N.Y., the dean of the New York congressional delegation,
chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, longtime political
booster of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and a member of the steering
committee for "Veterans and Military Retirees For Hillary" has joined
another co-chair of the Clinton campaign, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack,
in attacking the personal life of Republican presidential candidate Rudy
Giuliani. ABC: Key Clinton Backer Rips Giuliani's Personal Life
SOUTH CAROLINA COULD BE GIULIANI'S BIGGEST CHALLEGE OVER SOCIAL ISSUES:
At a recent Republican Party barbecue, Dennis Jones and state Rep. Garry
Smith greeted each other like old friends. They chatted about dessert
recipes. They joked about being Smith and Jones. They lamented
Washington's big-spending ways. But when the conversation turned to
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, Messrs. Smith and Jones
were more like Messrs. Hatfield and McCoy. Wall Street Journal: Social
Issues Dog Giuliani
ROMNEY SAYS HE ISN'T THE ONLY FLIP-FLOPPER: Faced with increasing
criticism over his shifts in position on core Republican issues, Mitt
Romney is trying to turn the tables on his opponents. NY Sun: Romney,
McCain Lock Horns Over Shift in Position
BIDEN RIPPS GOP CANDIDATES, EXCEPT MCCAIN, FOR LACK OF FOREIGN RELATIONS
EXPERIENCE: Sen. Joseph Biden (Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee and candidate for the Democratic presidential
nomination, said the Republican White House contenders, with the
exception of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), â??know virtually nothing
about foreign policy. The Hill: Biden: GOP Candidates, Except McCain,
Know "Virtually Nothing" About Foreign Policy
OPRAH TESTING" POLITCAL WATERS WITH OBAMA ENDORSEMENT: Oprah Winfrey can
get people to read Tolstoy, sell millions of magazines and turn a
mail-order canvas bag into a hot item just by naming it one of her
favorite things.
To get Americans to vote for her favorite presidential candidate,
Democrat Barack Obama, though, she'll have to twice prove conventional
wisdom wrongâ?¦ USA Today: Oprah Becomes Test of What an
Endorsement Means
BARACK BATTLES IMMIGRATION IN PUSH TO ATTRACT LATINOS: Barack Obama
dived into California's most contentious policy debates Saturday at an
East Los Angeles appearance where he defended immigration reform and
affirmative action and criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of a
measure to extend college scholarships to students in the country
illegally. LA Times: Obama Courts Latino Voters in L.A.
CLINTON RIVALS QUESTION HER ELECTABILITY: Steve Valdez, a retired high
school history teacher, is keeping an eye on the presidential campaign
and wondering about Sen. Hillary Clinton's chances. Chicago Tribune: can
Hillary Clinton Win?
CANDIDATES SPEND CAMPAIGN CASH AS SOON AS THEY GET IT: If campaign
spending is any measure of political activity, then Hillary Rodham
Clinton, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are all in a race to see whose
wallet is open the widest. New York Times: As Coffers Expand and
Contract, Strategies Emerge
GORGETOWN RESIDENTS GENEROUS WITH POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS: The
well-heeled residents of the 20007 Zip code, which encompasses
Georgetown and the surrounding neighborhoods, have contributed more to
political candidates than any other local Zip code. DC Examiner: G'town
tops when it comes to political purchasing power
'08ERS RAISE MORE THAN $1 MILLION ABROAD: London has become a cash cow
for US presidential candidates seeking to fund their 2008 White House
bids, with almost half of all overseas donations coming from the
capital. The Times of London: London Swells War Chests for US
Presidential Rivals
OBAMA'S BUNDLE GROWING: A list quietly posted late Saturday or early
Sunday shows Sen. Barack Obama's network of big-money fundraisers
continues to expand and more than 300 people have now each raised at
least $50,000 on his behalf. Chicago Tribune's The Swamp: Obama now has
300-plus bundlers
RICHARDSON CHALLENGES CONGRESS TO BIPARTISAN COOPERATION ON IRAQ, SOCIAL
SECURITY AND THE DEFICIT: Democratic presidential hopeful Bill
Richardson wants to link congressional and presidential pay raises to
deficit reduction, though he acknowledged Sunday that the idea would
never see the light of day. Quad City Times: Richardson Campaigns in New
Hampshire
COLBERT: "I DON'T WANT TO BE PRESIDENT. I WANT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT.
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE": Comedian Stephen Colbert insisted on Sunday that
his announcement that he's running for president was no joke ? then
joked he would consider disgraced Republican Sen. Larry Craig as a vice
presidential running mate. Reuters: Colbert says his U.S. presidential
run is no joke
CLINTON FEELS THE PRESURE IN IOWA: Hillary Clinton, during a three-town
swing through Iowa on Saturday, said her strategy is to reach as many
Iowa voters as possible in an effort to shatter negative perceptions
about her. Des Moines Register: Clinton tries to curb negative
perceptions
HILLARY ON IRAN VOTE: "AFTER THE PROBLEMATIC LANGUAGE WAS REMOVED, IT
WAS CLEARLY A VOTE FOR STEPPED-UP DIPLOMACY, NOT MILITARY ACTION": With
the President and vice president ratcheting up the rhetoric against
Iran, a defensive Sen. Hillary Clinton is trying to convince Iowa voters
her recent vote on Iran doesn't mean she is backing the administration.
NY Daily News: Embattled Hillary defends her vote on Iran
CLINTON MAKES FRIEND OF AN OLD FOE: As Senator Barack Obama prepared to
give a major speech on Iraq one morning a few weeks ago, a flashing
red-siren alert went up on the Drudge Report Web site. It read,
â??Queen of the Quarter: Hillary Crushes Obama in Surprise
Fund-Raising Surge,â?? and, â??$27 Million, Sources Tell
Drudge Report.â?? New York Times: Clinton Finds Way to Play Along
With Drudge
SOCKS DUMPED BY THE CLINTONS: AS THE â??first petâ?? of the
Clinton era, Socks, the White House cat, allowed
â??chillyâ?? Hillary Clinton to show a caring, maternal side
as well as bringing joy to her daughter Chelsea. So where is Socks
today? The Times of London: Ouch! Hillary Clinton's softer image is
clawed over dumped cat
"BODY LIKE OBAMAâ?¦": Those of you who remember the 1980s and
1990s R&B group Salt-n-Pepa probably recall its hit â??Whatta
Man.â?? Now, the duo has a reality show on VH1 that documents its
efforts to reunite. In last weekâ??s episode, the two (Cheryl Wray
and Sandra Denton) went over the lyrics to â??Whatta Manâ??
and tried to bring them more up to speed. DC Examiner: Salt-n-Pepa
update lyric for Obama
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES TAKE LESSON FROM DEAN DOWNFALL: There has never
been a Democratic national chairman with as much firsthand knowledge
about running for president as Howard Dean. Boston Globe: A Cautious
Howard Dean Emerges From the Political Ashes of 2004
VALUE VOTERS NANCY'S, HARRY'S AND HILLARY'S "WORST NIGHTMARE": To travel
down the escalators of the Hilton Washington this weekend was to enter a
secure sanctuary, a world protected from interlopers and would-be
haters, from those who would destroy America's Christian culture.
Washington Post: Looking For a Candidate to Call Their Own
RICHARDSON, MCCAIN ONLY CANDIDATES TO NOT REFUSE IMUS INVITATION: Only
two major presidential hopefuls said Sunday they would go on the air
with radio cowboy Don Imus if he returns to the airwaves in December. NY
Daily News: McCain, Richardson would go on Imus after his radio return
MICHELLE OBAMA REACHES OUT TO PARENTS: Michelle Obama, wife of
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, said yesterday life is
becoming more difficult for families in America. New Hampshire
Union-Leader: Michelle Obama speaks to parents
FIRST LADY OF CALIFORNIA DISHES ADVICE FOR CANDIDATES' SPOUSES:
California first lady Maria Shriver is all too familiar with the often
terrifying high-wire act that comes with being a political spouse. San
Francisco Chronicle: Shriver Gathers Presidential Hopefuls' Spouses for
Conference Talk
JINDAL, FIRST INDIAN-AMERICAN GOVERNOR: The first words from Bobby
Jindal to his supporters after he won the Louisiana governorâ??s
race on Saturday night were not about his victory, but L.S.U.â??s
triumph over Auburn the same day. The message could not have been
clearer: Iâ??m one of you, a normal, red-blooded football-loving
Louisiana guy. New York Times: In a Southern State, Immigrants' Son
takes Over
HOEKSTRA: TELECOM COMPANIES DESERVE IMMUNITY: America has not been
attacked since 9/11, not because al-Qaeda has not tried, but because we
have prevented al-Qaeda from succeeding. Immediately after 9/11, the
president prevailed upon people to do everything necessary and legal to
keep America safe. USA Today: Opposing View: Shield The Phone Companies
By Peter Hoekstra
PLAME DETAILS HER SIDE OF THE STORY: Mothers who are spies, it turns
out, face the same juggling act as other working moms. Washington post:
Valerie Plame, Telling the (Edited) Inside StoryÂ
DEMS SPENDING BILL AIMED AT "AVERAGE AMERICANS": House and Senate
Democrats finally have a strategy for dealing with the
presidentâ??s threats to veto spending bills, and they hope it
will serve as an extension of their successful public relations campaign
on the State Childrenâ??s Health Insurance Program. Roll Call:
Democrats Set Approps Plan
===============================================================
On the Trail:
Compiled by Lauren Kornreich
CNN Washington Bureau
* Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson starts a two-day swing through
Florida with a roundtable with women that own small businesses at Water
Town Florist in Kissimmee. Later, he tours the Port of Tampa and holds a
private fundraiser in Lakeland.
* Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, campaigns through Iowa with stops at the
public library in Leon and the Junction Cafe in Bedford. Later, Biden
meets with local residents at the Depot Deli and Lounge and attends a
house party in Shenandoah.
* Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, attends a rally in Fresno,
California. In the evening, Clinton addresses the Washington State
Democrats' 14th annual Warren G. Magnuson awards ceremony and auction in
Seattle, Washington.
* Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, meets with local residents at Hillside
Country Store and Deli in Pelham, New Hampshire.
* Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, are
guests on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
* The Senate Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook
* The House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook
Filed under AM Political Ticker
Posted 10/22/2007 06:34:32 AM | Permalink
4 Comments | Add a comment
October 21, 2007
Cheney: 'We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon'
Vice President *** Cheney.
LEESBURG, Va. (AP) ? The United States and other nations will not
allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, Vice President *** Cheney said
Sunday.
"Our country, and the entire international community, cannot stand by as
a terror-supporting state fulfills its grandest ambitions," Cheney said
in a speech to the Washington Institute
for Near East Studies.
He said Iran's efforts to pursue technology that would allow it to build
a nuclear weapon are obvious and that "the regime continues to practice
delay and deceit in an obvious effort to buy time."
If Iran continues on its current course, Cheney said the U.S. and other
nations are prepared to take action. The vice president made no specific
reference to military action.
"We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," he said.
The U.S. and some allies accuse Iran of secretly trying to develop
nuclear weapons and have demanded it halt uranium enrichment, an
important step in the production of atomic weapons.
Oil-rich Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes including
generating electricity.
At a news conference Wednesday, President Bush said suggested that if
Iran obtained nuclear weapons, it could lead to a new world war.
"I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III,
it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from
having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," Bush said.
Bush's spokeswoman later said the president was making not making any
war plans but rather "a rhetorical point."
Filed under AP, *** Cheney, Iran
Posted 10/21/2007 10:15:50 PM | Permalink
149 Comments | Add a comment
Huckabee: Next terror attack may come from Pakistan
Huckabee said the next terror attack on the U.S. could originate in
Pakistan.
(CNN)?GOP Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee says America needs to
remain enagaged with Pakistan, because the next terrorist attack against
the United States could come from there.
Appearing on 'Fox News Sunday', Huckabee was asked by Chris Wallace to
respond to criticism that he lacks the foreign policy experience that
would prepare him for the presidency.
Wallace asked Huckabee how he would approach relations with Pakistan.
Huckabee said "we need to keep our eyes on Pakistan. I think we've sort
of taken a view that everything is OK there, and it's not OK there," he
said. "Let's not forget, it's somewhere in the caves of Pakistan where
Osama bin Laden is hiding. The next missile bomb that maybe comes our
way, the next terrorist attack, is probably going to be postmarked
Pakistan."
Huckabee is scheduled to appear in a debate with his fellow GOP rivals
Sunday evening in Orlando, Florida.
On Saturday, he finished a close second in total votes, to former
Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, in a straw poll of conservative
voters at the Values Voters Summit, sponsored by the Family Research
Council in Washington, D.C. The total numbers included participants both
present at the event, and online. Huckabee scored a decisive victory
over his rivals, based on votes cast by voters physically present at the
summit.
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
? CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford
Filed under Mike Huckabee, Race to '08
Posted 10/21/2007 10:10:00 PM | Permalink
86 Comments | Add a comment
GOP candidates battle over conservative credentials
McCain said he is "far more conservative" than any of the other leading
candidates.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)? Republican presidential candidates clashed Sunday
over who is conservative enough to defeat Democratic front-runner
Hillary Rodham Clinton, ahead of an evening debate in Florida.
"Look at my record and listen to my vision," Arizona Sen. John McCain
told reporters while campaigning in Kissimmee, Fla. "I am far more
conservative than any of the leading candidates, and I am, according to
recent polls, the one conservative who could beat Sen.
Clinton."
The GOP candidates were meeting for a 90-minute debate, the seventh of
the 2008 campaign but only the second since actor-politician Fred
Thompson joined the race. It was held during
the deciding game in the American League baseball championship series
between the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians.
McCain, in saying he has a better chance of defeating Clinton, borrowed
a frequent claim by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who leads the
Republican field in national polls. Yet even as McCain stressed his
conservative voting record, he said he would consider Giuliani, who
favors abortion rights and gay rights, to be his running mate.
"I think Rudy Giuliani is a fine man who led this nation and New York
City after a terrible, terrible tragedy," McCain said of the Sept. 11,
2001, terror attacks.
Former Massachusetts Mitt Romney, who narrowly won a straw poll of
conservative voters on Saturday, was targeted by McCain and other rivals
as a very recent convert to conservatism.
Romney narrowly won the straw poll by the Family Research Council,
although former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who was close behind, won
overwhelmingly among voters who were present and not voting online.
Huckabee mentioned a 1994 video of Romney, while debating Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy, defending a woman's right to abortion, saying he would support
letting gays in the Boy Scouts and distancing himself from former
President Reagan.
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under AP, Florida, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt
Romney, Race to '08, Rudy Giuliani
Posted 10/21/2007 07:34:41 PM | Permalink
27 Comments | Add a comment
Clinton: I'm no frontrunner in Iowa
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, campaigned in Iowa Saturday.
DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) ? Democratic White House hopeful Sen. Hillary
Clinton, D-New York, said Saturday that she looks at her campaign as if
she were "ten or twenty points behind."
Clinton?ahead in the latest national polls by as much as 30
points?made the comments to reporters when asked if she considers
herself the frontrunner in Iowa, a state where she holds a much smaller
lead.
"No," Clinton said. "I consider myself someone who's working as hard as
I can everyday to earn the support of Iowans, and that's what I'm going
to keep doing."
"I'm well aware that no one has voted. No one has caucused. We have a
long way to go before that happens and I don't take anything for
granted."
In the latest Des Moines Register poll among 399 likely Democratic
caucusgoers Clinton was in the lead in the Hawkeye State with 29 points.
Former Sen. John Edwards, D-North Carolina, sat at 23 points, and Sen.
Barack Obama, D-Illinois followed closely with 22. The margin of error
was plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
-CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch
Filed under Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Iowa, John Edwards, New
Hampshire, Race to '08, South Carolina
Posted 10/21/2007 08:38:22 AM | Permalink
160 Comments | Add a comment
Louisiana elects youngest governor
Jindal, at 36, will take office as the nation's youngest governor
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) ? U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal easily defeated 11
opponents and became the state's first nonwhite governor since
Reconstruction, decades after his parents moved to the state from India
to pursue the American dream.
Jindal, a 36-year-old Republican, will be the nation's youngest
governor. He had 53 percent with 625,036 votes with about 92 percent of
the vote tallied. It was more than enough to win
Saturday's election outright and avoid a Nov. 17 runoff.
"My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American dream.
And guess what happened. They found the American dream to be alive and
well right here in Louisiana," he said to cheers and applause at his
victory party.
His nearest competitors: Democrat Walter Boasso with 208,690 votes or 18
percent; Independent John Georges had 167,477 votes or 14 percent;
Democrat Foster Campbell had 151,101 or 13 percent. Eight candidates
divided the rest.
"I'm asking all of our supporters to get behind our new governor,"
Georges said in a concession speech.
The Oxford-educated Jindal had lost the governor's race four years ago
to Gov. Kathleen Blanco. He won a congressional seat in conservative
suburban New Orleans a year later but was widely believed to have his
eye on the governor's mansion.
Blanco opted not to run for re-election after she was widely blamed for
the state's slow response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
"My administration has begun readying for this change and we look
forward to helping with a smooth transition," she said in a prepared
statement. "I want to thank the people of Louisiana for the past four
years, though there is still much work to do in my last few months as
your governor."
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under AP, Bobby Jindal
Posted 10/21/2007 08:36:32 AM | Permalink
50 Comments | Add a comment
Romney wins in conservative voters poll
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
WASHINGTON (CNN)? Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Massachusetts, won the
FRCAction straw poll.
The announcement came Saturday during the Values Voter Summit. Romney
garnered 1,595 votes and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee coming in a
close second with 1,565 votes. A total of 5,775 votes were cast online,
by mail, and at the event.
Only members of the political arm of the Family Research Council could
vote. During the voting period, the organization saw an increase in
membership from approximately 5,000 members to approximately 8,500
according to Tony Perkins, President of FRCAction.
When the announcement was made, there appeared to be loud audience
support for Huckabee and less audience support for Romney.
The number of people who voted in person at the conference was far less
than the number who voted online or by mail. Huckabee was the clear
winner of the in person votes with 488 of the 952 votes. Romney received
only 99 in person, on site votes.
The top four finishers were Mitt Romney with 1,595 total votes, Mike
Huckabee with total 1,565 votes, Ron Paul with 865 total votes, and Fred
Thompson with 564 total votes.
Related: Romney wins straw poll at Values Voters Summit
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
? CNN Producer Xuan Thai
Filed under Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul
Posted 10/21/2007 08:35:06 AM | Permalink
65 Comments | Add a comment
Huckabee likens abortion to a holocaust
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
(CNN)?Speaking before a gathering of Christian conservative voters,
GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said legalized abortion in the
United States was a holocaust.
"Sometimes we talk about why we're importing so many people in our
workforce," the former Arkansas governor said. "It might be for the last
35 years, we have aborted more than a million people who would have been
in our workforce had we not had the holocaust of liberalized abortion
under a flawed Supreme Court ruling in 1973."
Huckabee also spoke adamantly of the need for conservative lawmakers to
show no compromise on fighting for a constitutional amendment that
defines marriage between a man and a woman. "I'm very tired of hearing
people who are unwilling to change the constitution, but seem more than
willing to change the holy word of God as it relates to the definition
of marriage," he said.
Huckabee, spoke before the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit
in Washington, D.C. Saturday.
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
? CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford
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