October 31, 2007

Ladies in Waiting

Hillary Clinton heads tomorrow to her alma mater, Wellesley College, and NBC/NJ campaign reporter Athena Jones said she can expect to be greeted by an enthusiastic crowd at the school's alumnae hall.

Amy Bisno, a 19-year-old political science major from New York, said today that she supports Clinton and "everything she stands for."

"I think her health care plan is on target, and I also love that she's from Wellesley," said Bisno, a sophomore.

Clinton and other famous alums are a source of pride for students - but that doesn't mean the campus is a lock for the senator, Jones reports.

"We're definitely really excited that one of our alums is running for president," said Shelly Anand, 21, the college government president, a position Clinton held during her last year in school. "I think it's fair to say, though, that students have their own political opinions. I've definitely seen Barack stickers roaming around and Ron Paul stickers. So I wouldn't say that there's a clear mandate that Wellesley is going to vote for Hillary, but we're definitely proud of her."

Alan Schechter -- Clinton's former politics professor, thesis adviser and long-time supporter -- said Wellesley prepared Clinton and her cohorts well to be leaders.

"There's something about the air around here that encourages women to achieve," he said.

Posted 10.31.07 09:27 PM | Comments (2)

AFSCME Hearts HRC

The endorsement release:

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Endorses Clinton

The Clinton Campaign today announced the endorsement of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). AFSCME is the nation’s largest public sector union, representing more than 1.4 million workers.

“As our President, Hillary Clinton will help rebuild America’s middle class and make sure that everyone shares in our country’s prosperity. She has a record of leadership, of bringing people together for more than 30 years. Hillary Clinton inspires our members. She sparks the flame we need to win,” said AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee.

McEntee said after 10 months of polling and interviewing members and scrutinizing candidates’ records, Clinton stood out from the pack.

“We had the most talented and diverse field of Presidential candidates we’ve seen in years. But when all was said and done, among our members Hillary Clinton clearly emerged as the best candidate to take back the White House for America’s working families,” he said

AFSCME said it would activate a 40,000-member volunteer army to mobilize its members, and launch an unprecedented GOTV effort in Iowa, where it represents 30,000 workers.

“I am honored to receive the support of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees,” Clinton said. “In my administration, America’s working families will again have a partner in the White House.”

Clinton has been endorsed by other leading national unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, National Association of Letter Carriers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and the United Transportation Union.

Posted 10.31.07 05:36 PM | Comments (2)

NH SEIU Shenanigans, Endorsement Discontent Abounds

Sen. John Edwards won the influential endorsement of the New Hampshire Service Employees Association by a slim margin Tuesday night – but only after an initial vote went to Sen. Barack Obama and a later tie vote was broken by the group’s president, a loyal Edwards supporter.

NBC/NJ campaign reporter Aswini Anurabajan reports that Edwards has Rodney Woodill to thank for the win. If Woodill, who represents 900 county and municipal employees, hadn’t received a call from his wife Tuesday night asking him to come home to care for his sick two-week-old baby instead of heading to Concord for the vote, Obama would likely gotten the association’s nod.

The board voted without Woodill, who obliged his wife and returned home. The final count was an eight-to-eight tie between Obama and Edwards. Local 1984’s president Gary Smith cast the deciding vote, handing the support of the 10,000 member union to Edwards.

“If I had gone straight to the meeting, there wouldn’t have been an endorsement for John Edwards last night,” Woodill said in an interview today.

The tight vote was indicative of a union leadership split between the two candidates and revealed a process fraught with internal politics.

The three leading Democratic candidates had lobbied intensely for the committee’s vote. President Clinton called members of the board on his wife’s behalf. Obama showed up to personally make his plea. Edwards also met with the board.

Last Monday the group’s political education committee made a 10-to-five decision to recommend Edwards for the union’s endorsement. But the organization’s board of directors bucked the committee, and in an unprecedented move, ditched its recommendation. Instead, members of the board voted seven-to-five to endorse Obama. But then, in an equally inexplicable move, they failed to formalize the endorsement.

Smith called the Obama campaign the next day to tell them their candidate would have the union’s support.

But when the Board met again on Friday evening, Smith moved for another vote. But Woodill, a board member, was having none of it. He said that holding another vote violated a union rule that all board votes are binding.

At an internal stalemate, members decided that a straw poll, to be taken at the state convention in Nashua over the weekend, would decide things.

Edwards won the straw poll by 23 votes to Obama’s 19. Perhaps a mark of their discontent, 50 members voted not to endorse any candidate, either Republican or Democrat, according to Woodill.

When the board met last night to ratify the straw poll and make a final decision, Woodill was home with his baby, and Senator Edwards squeaked to a victory.

Woodill says both he and the state and county employees that he represents are furious. Calling himself a union man through and through, Woodill says that the process was too convoluted and that the international union would “find itself eating crow” because the candidate they most oppose, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, will end up becoming the Democratic nominee.

While New Hampshire’s SEA is known to be politically effective, under current rules, only states that have also endorsed Edwards can send volunteers and resources to New Hampshire.

Edwards has received 12 endorsements from state SEIU chapters. The international union, under President Andy Stern, decided not to endorse a candidate in the primaries. Obama has received the endorsements of five state chapters. Clinton has not been backed by any of the state chapters.

Posted 10.31.07 05:31 PM | Comments (0)

Quote Of The Day

From today's Hotline:

"I-- Katie Levinson -- have a better chance of becoming president than he does."

-- Giuliani comm. dir. Katie Levinson, on Joe Biden, release, 10/30.

Posted 10.31.07 12:40 PM | Comments (0)

Iowa Surprise?

With an earlier Iowa caucus date, the Des Moines Register will be moving its all-important debates to December 12th and 13th. With apologies to MSNBC, the back-to-back debates (the GOP goes first) in mid-December are probably the most important of the cycle. They represent the last word for candidates in the final weeks before the Jan. 3 caucuses. Expect the CW to be tossed out the window and for surprises to start brewing.

(NBC/NJ's CARRIE DANN)

Posted 10.31.07 12:13 PM | Comments (0)

HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7

Nebraska -- Jordan on Politics

West Virginia -- Lincoln Walks at Midnight

New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ

California -- The Roundup

Missouri -- JohnCombest.com

Illinois -- Capitol Fax

Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog

Florida -- SayfieReview.com

Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor

Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com

Wisconsin -- WisPolitics

Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report

Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest

Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com

New York -- The Politicker

New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com

Posted 10.31.07 10:13 AM | Comments (0)

Morning After Talk

It was their feistiest face-off to date. The Democratic presidential candidates didn't disappoint last night at Drexel U in Philly. In their seventh outing, they did indeed go after the frontrunner, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton was hammered hardest by former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, not Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, as expected.

HRC held up relatively well, save two awkward and dodgy answers to questions about the transparency of National Archives records of her time as First Lady and whether she would back Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Both responses, however, provided fodder for her opponents -- and critics at large -- who have charged she is overly calculating, scripted and engages, as Edwards said last night, in double speak. Clinton, on defense most of the night and lacking some of the humor she exhibited in previous debates, saluted Spitzer's proposal for its practical purposes but then pointed out she hadn't actually endorsed the plan. Losing some of her trademark cool, she chided Tim Russert of NBC for playing a "gotcha" game by even asking the license question.

Clinton also faced relentless criticism in the first third of the debate for her Iraq war vote and for voting with three-quarters of the Senate recently to declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist threat. Her opponents stressed that the Iran vote showed HRC hadn't learned from Iraq, that she was making the same mistake in giving President Bush a powerful reason to engage in military action with Iran.

HRC said she does not believe in a "false choice" between doing nothing and going to war.

"I prefer vigorous diplomacy," she said. "I happen to think economic sanctions are part of a vigorous diplomacy."

Edwards, meanwhile, stepped up where Obama faltered. Looking ever the dogged trial attorney to Obama's sometimes meandering and long-winded law professor, Edwards scored points against Clinton -- chastising her for the Iran vote, for not setting a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq and for not being the change agent the country needs.

With all eyes on Obama entering the contest, he failed to make a strong case either for his candidacy or against Clinton's. He even balked on question one of the evening from NBC's Brian Williams, urging him to draw clear distinctions between him and the senator from New York. Obama said last night's match-up was over-hyped. He did, however, seize on Russert's questioning about the National Archives docs. Clinton's non answer about whether they'd be made public exemplified how difficult it will be for the country to start fresh under a second President Clinton, Obama said.

"Not releasing the records at the same time, Hillary, as you're making the claim that this is the basis for your experience is, I think, a problem," he said. "Part of what we have to do is invite the American people back to participate in our government again."

With all the hoopla surrounding the top three Dems, however, the best line of the night -- and the most overlooked performance -- came from Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. In a slam worthy of yucks from a late-night television crowd, Biden took it to Rudy Giuliani. When asked about Rudy's recent rant that Clinton lacks relevant leadership experience, Biden went after the former New York mayor, not the Democratic frontrunner.

"Rudy Giuliani, probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency," he said, " ... There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, a verb and 911. There's nothing else."

Biden's quip might have smacked of sucking up, a premature play for the veep spot perhaps should she win the nomination, but it was nothing compared with Gov. Bill Richardson's blatant move for Hillary's affections. With Hillary on defense on Iran and Iraq, Richardson jumped to her side.

"I'm hearing this holier than thou attitude towards Senator Clinton, and it's bothering me because it's pretty close to personal attacks. ... We need to be positive in this campaign," he said.

Richardson said it's important that the Democrats save their ammunition for the GOP. Sound familiar?

Dennis Kucinich might have offered a spate of thoughtful positions on gas prices and trade and health insurance, but all that will be remembered from his performance last night was that nutso admission that he did indeed see a U.F.O. over Shirley MacLaine's house. Not sure what was worse, his admission or that Russert actually asked about life on other planets.

Sen. Chris Dodd had a decent outing, but is still having trouble losing that Senate speak. I sponsored this, I drafted that ... He did jump in on the license question and was the one of two people onstage (Mr. U.F.O. was the other) to say ok to legalizing marijuana.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Posted 10.31.07 09:59 AM | Comments (0)

Hotline After Dark -- Here's Ron

Coming in today's Hotline -- all your post-debate analysis, but first, Ron Paul was on the "Tonight Show" last night:

Jay Leno started off by asking him about his career as a doctor, including how many babies he's delivered. Paul: "About 4,000."

Leno: "Two noble professions -- Armed forces, doctor, how did you get into the sleazy one -- politics?"

Paul: "I got fascinating by studying economics and I figured we were on the wrong course."

Asked if he wants to abolish the IRS: "Yeah, that's a good idea."

On Iraq: "It was a mistake to go in. ... I still believe we should follow the Constitution." More: "We made a mistake. We should change it. We should admit it."

Asked his chances of winning: "I have my short comings but the message has no short comings." More: "There probably is a risk I could win."

Asked if he'd take the VP slot: "I probably wouldn't be offered one. It would be real hard for me to accept a vice presidency in an administration I didn't believe in" (NBC, 30). [EMILY GOODIN]

Posted 10.31.07 09:35 AM | Comments (2)

October 30, 2007

NH SEIU for Edwards

After intense lobbying by the top three Democratic presidential candidates, John Edwards' campaign announced tonight that he won the endorsement of the NH SEIU, reports NBC/NJ campaign reporter Aswini Anburajan. The group's backing brings key money and volunteers to Edwards' campaign in the first-in-the-nation primary state. This is the 12th state SEIU nod for Edwards, including Iowa and California.

Posted 10.30.07 11:51 PM | Comments (0)

P.S.

Stay tuned for more debate analysis, spin and coverage tomorrow ...

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Posted 10.30.07 11:45 PM | Comments (0)

Unmasked

And in a final turn of debate madness, Obama was asked about his Halloween plans.

One daughter will be a witch, he said, and the other a mad professor. The senator, however, is pondering wearing a Mitt Romney mask.

"It has two sides to it. It goes in both directions at once," he said.

Posted 10.30.07 11:34 PM | Comments (0)

Unidentified Flying Objects

Is this getting long and a bit loony or is it me? Yes, Russert actually asked Kucinich if he did indeed see a UFO over the actress Shirley MacLaine's house, as she has recounted. And yes, the congressman did see one, he said tonight. And then Kucinich had the good sense to mention that the sighting has not inspired him to move his campaign office to Roswell.

Obama, asked by Russert in a continuation of this other-worldly line of questioning if he believes in E.T. life:

"What i do know is that there's life here on earth," the senator said. "And that we're not attending to life here on earth."

Posted 10.30.07 11:25 PM | Comments (1)

Driving Mrs. Clinton

Russert to Clinton -- Are you supportive of Gov. Elliot Spitzer's proposal to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants?

A dodgy HRC said it's a matter of probability. "We have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally" and accidents happen, Clinton said.

But then she bobbed a bit, adding that she did not say she supports the initiative but that she recognizes that Spitzer is attempting to address a broader immigration issue.

Dodd was having none of it. Driving, he said, "is a privilege, not a right."

Obama and Edwards seized the moment as evidence that Clinton is disingenous or prone to waffling. Both went after her for not giving a clear yes or no answer about the Spitzer plan.

Posted 10.30.07 10:58 PM | Comments (0)

No Osama here, No worries

Obama says that he's not worried that Republican Mitt Romney recently twice in the same day referred to him as Osama.

"I have confidence in the American people, and I don't pay much attention to what Mitt Romney has to say," Obama said. "... There's no doubt that my background is not typical of a presidential candidate. i think that everybody understands that."

Posted 10.30.07 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

Biden on Rudy: "He is genuinely not qualified to be president."

In the only rant, er answer, to win laughs so far this evening, Biden said he's looking forward to running against the former New York mayor. His answer -- further evidence of the burgeoning and premature veepstakes -- came in response to a question about whether Clinton has the experience to be president.

"Rudy Giuliani, probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency," he said, " ... There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, a verb and 911. There's nothing else."

Posted 10.30.07 10:40 PM | Comments (1)

Standing by his ... president

The veepstakes is on in earnest apparently. Gov. Richardson steps up, much as he did when he filed his candidacy papers in Concord today, to defend Clinton from the JRE and Obama attacks.

"I'm hearing this holier than thou attitude towards Senator Clinton, and it's bothering me because it's pretty close to personal attacks. ... We need to be positive in this campaign."

Richardson insisted he has differences of opinion with HRC -- he wants out of Iraq, would get rid of NCLB and thinks Clinton's Iran vote was wrong.

"But I think it's important that we save the ammunition for the Republicans," he said.

Posted 10.30.07 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

Of tooth fairies and the status quo

Edwards, seizing on Obama's smack, said that Clinton is the candidate of the defense industry and of the drug companies, not a change agent as she pitches.

"Will she be the person who brings about the change in this country?" he said. "I believe in Santa Claus. I believe in the tooth fairy but i don't think that's going to happen. ... If people want the status quo then Senator Clinton is your candidate. That's what I believe."

Clinton said progress was made in the 1990s -- until the Supco "handed the presidency to George Bush."

"Change is just a word if you don't have the strength and experience to actually make it happen," she said.

Posted 10.30.07 10:23 PM | Comments (0)

Those pesky archives...

And about that White House experience... Russert asked HRC if she would be willing to release the archives of her communications with her husband during their time in the White House. So that people could evaluate the experience she touts on the campaign trail.

"The archives is moving as rapidly as the archives moves," she said, eyes darting about. "There's about 20 million pieces of paper there. And they are moving and they are releasing as they do their process, and I am fully in favor of that."

Right.

Obama said that answer exemplified "not turning the page."

"Not releasing the records at the same time, Hillary, as you're making the claim that this is the basis for your experience is i think a problem," he said. "Part of what we have to do is invite the American people back to participate in our government again."

Obama, rolling along, said one of the reasons the GOP is eager to fight Hillary is because it's a familiar battle.

"That's a fight they're very comfortable having," he said. "It is the fight that we've been through since the 90s."

The country doesn't need "eight more years of bickering," Obama added.

Game on?

Posted 10.30.07 10:08 PM | Comments (0)

Smirking but strong

Asked by Russert to respond to Rudy Giuliani's recent assertion that she hasn't the experience, the leadership chops, to be president, HRC cited her 35 years working for children and families, her time in the Senate and the White House as proof she's ready for the job.

"In a perverse way I think that the Republicans and their constant obsession with me demonstrates clearly that they obviously think that i'm communicating effectively about what i will do as president," she said.

She added, her speech quickening: "We've got to turn the page on George Bush and Cheney. In fact we have to throw the book away. This has been a disasterous period in American history."

Posted 10.30.07 10:00 PM | Comments (1)

Edwards, The real Rocky?

Seeking to draw attention away from the teased Obama/Clinton showdown, a well prepared and dogged Edwards says that Clinton refuses to impose a timetable on troop withdrawal in Iraq. He, on the other hand, will get combat troops out of Iraq by the end of his first year in office. There is, he said, "a clear difference" between his position and Hillary's.

Posted 10.30.07 09:48 PM | Comments (6)

Red line

Because of Clinton's vote last month allowing the Bush administration to declare Iran's 125k Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization, talk of Iran is dominating early debate questioning.

"I am not in favor of this rush for war," Clinton said. " I am also not in favor of doing nothing. Iran is seeking nuclear weapons."

Sanctions and diplomacy are the way to go, Clinton said. Make no mistake about it, though, she will do everything she can to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.

Sen. Joe Biden said he "will never take my eye off" the Iranian nuclear threat but that an "out of control Pakistan is a bigger threat."

"It's not close," he said.

Sen. Chris Dodd agrees. Pakistan is the "more immediate problem."

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he would go a step further, signing a non proliferation treaty. "We must lead the way. We must have a president who understands the danger of these nuclear weapons."

Obama injected some sense into the conversation: "I think all of us are committed to Iran not having nuclear weapons."

Posted 10.30.07 09:32 PM | Comments (0)

No GOPer, No rush to war

Clinton's response:

"I don't think the Republicans got the message that I’m voting and sounding like them," she said. "If you watch their debate last week I seem to be the subject of much conversation and consternation."

HRC said the Republicans are waving their "sabers" for war.

"I want to prevent a rush to war," she said.

Posted 10.30.07 09:28 PM | Comments (0)

'Over-hyped' -- 9:01 p.m.

Question one from Brian Williams to Obama ... What would come of Obama's get tough on HRC promise to the NYT ... Not so much.

"Some of this stuff gets over-hyped," Obama said, adding that their rivalry was exaggerated.

Obama went on to say, however, that Clinton has been sounding awfully Republicanesque -- for NAFTA before she was against it, for torture before she was against it, for the war in Iraq before she was against it.

"That may be politically savvy, but I don’t tink that offers the clear contrast that we need," Obama said.

Posted 10.30.07 08:43 PM | Comments (0)

Drama at Drexel?

If you’re listening to the media reports of the day, tonight’s Democratic presidential debate at Drexel University in Philly promises a bloodbath.

It is, the pundits say, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s moment to leave a floundering field of also-rans behind, to show, as her campaign has pitched again and again, that she has the strength and experience to be president.

Those same marketers of conventional wisdom assert that if Illinois Sen. Barack Obama doesn’t step up tonight with a firm and convincing argument for his candidacy, and with a meaningful critique of Clinton (see Iran or health care or her Iraq vote or the fear of a Bush/Clinton cyclical dynasty), he’s through. He is under enormous pressure to draw tangible distinctions, to get tough, to show his supporters (and funders) that he’s in the fight. Politics of hope, be damned. We’ll see.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, meanwhile, has so struggled to make headway in the polls that he, too, despite a solid following in Iowa, faces a growing challenge in defining how an Edwards presidency would actually differ from a Clinton or Obama administration. Talk of public financing of campaigns and Clinton’s special interest cash just hasn’t jazzed voters.

But with all the build-up, the candidates have only to look back four years to see that sometimes patience alone, coupled with a steady message of electability, wins out -- even if the on-fire frontrunner once seemed invincible. Frontrunners have a knack for fumbling.

Ask Howard Dean.

But a relentlessly-disciplined Clinton enters the Drexel face-off with undeniably strong national poll numbers and a growing lead in New Hampshire. According to a survey released late last week by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, HRC has a 21-point lead over Obama. And her team is prepping for those anticipated attacks, which could be levied by second tier candidates as well.

“Does the’ politics of hope’ mean launching attacks on one candidate?” wrote Mark Penn, Clinton’s chief strategist, in a memo posted on the campaign’s Website. “Or does it mean laying out a vision for the American people? Does it mean questioning a rival’s integrity? Or does it mean talking about the change we need?”

The debate – the Democrats’ seventh – will be hosted by NBC’s Brian Williams with questions from Tim Russert.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Posted 10.30.07 08:36 PM | Comments (0)

Quote Of The Day

From today's Hotline:

"The government of the United States is not a place for a president to be an intern."

-- Mitt Romney, on Hillary Clinton's experience, "Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 10/29.

Posted 10.30.07 12:41 PM | Comments (1)

HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7

Nebraska -- Jordan on Politics

West Virginia -- Lincoln Walks at Midnight

New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ

California -- The Roundup

Missouri -- JohnCombest.com

Illinois -- Capitol Fax

Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog

Florida -- SayfieReview.com

Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor

Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com

Wisconsin -- WisPolitics

Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report

Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest

Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com

New York -- The Politicker

New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com

Posted 10.30.07 10:18 AM | Comments (0)

Hotline After Dark -- Bringing Back The I Word

Mitt and Ann Romney sat down with FNC's Hannity:

M. Romney, asked what he thinks of HRC: "I'm sure she's a lovely person. I just think she would take America in a course towards Europe, which would lead us to be a weaker nation. We'd get a weaker military. I think we'd have a weaker economy. I think our family structure would be weaker. And on all those bases, I think America would not remain the great nation it has always been if she were the leader." More: "I think the greatest drawback, beyond the direction she'd take us, is that she's never run anything. She's never had the occasion of being in the private sector running a business or, for that matter, running a state or a city. She hasn't run anything. The government of the United States is not a place for a president to be an intern. You need to have experience actually leading and running things."

A. Romney, on the Mormon issue: "I have been in the perspective where a lot of people are, where they're not familiar with the faith. And I can understand how people would have questions or reservations, because I've been there. I know where people are coming from. ... I think that they don't understand it's a faith based on Christ, and it's a faith based on very Judeo-Christian principles."

M. Romney, asked if he'll give a JFK-type speech on his religion: "John F. Kennedy really gave the quintessential speech on religion in this country. There's not a lot to add to what he said. I make it clear that, like him, I would consider my oath of office and the promises you make to the country as you put your hand on the bible and become an elected official, those are the highest promises you've made to God. And I'm not sure there's a lot I can add to what JFK said, but the time may come. One thing I think is very important to say at the same time, and that is that I don't want to distance myself at all from my faith. I believe in my church. I try and practice the tenets of my church. At the same time, I strongly believe in people being able to follow their own conscience and follow their own faith."

A. Romney, on the other candidates' wives: "They've been portrayed poorly, I think, by the media, and it's not fair. I
don't like it. I don't like to see that. And you know, all of them are really good women, and they're all standing by and helping as much as they can in their campaigns" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 10/29).

DECEMBER ISN'T JUST THE START OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Chris Dodd played "Hardball" last night:

On IA poll numbers: "Four years ago, John Kerry was behind by 20 points on December 23 in the contest in New Hampshire, and two or three weeks later won it. People are just beginning to focus on this."

Asked if he'll bring in Ted Kennedy like John Kerry did: "I'm knocking on that door, but he's waiting a while here to see how things develop, and I don't blame him. I understand that. But at some point here, I'm out there a lot and people are clearly moving. Let me tell you this; 82 percent -- we have called about 75,000 ... of the likely caucus attendees; 82 percent are undecided. I'm telling you, it's a very different feel out there."

Asked when voters start to decide: "I think probably around 1st of December or so. That's been history, what people tell me. Tom Harkin, who knows this better than anyone, says it's the last 10 days. I mean, John Kerry said the same thing to me."

Asked if pundits will get the week off between Christmas and New Year's: "Not this year. Not this year" (MSNBC, 10/29).

He was also in the "Situation Room":

Asked if the reports that the Banking Cmte is hurting because of his WH run are fair: "Absolutely not. We have adopted 17 pieces of legislation, had 33 hearings. I'm not going to rush on these Federal Reserve appointments. One of them is for 17 years here. ... We want to take it carefully. ... We have passed out the same number of bills, the same number of hearings that my predecessor, the Republican chairman, who did a very good job, Dick Shelby, did. So we're right on track, doing a good job, getting a lot of cooperation. ... The committee's doing good work."

CNN's Blitzer: "So, you're saying you can do two things at the same time?"

Dodd: "Absolutely" (CNN, 10/29).

CHRIS SAYS ...

MSNBC's Matthews: "Here's what I think Obama should say starting tomorrow night at the big MSNBC debate in my hometown of Philly. Quote, 'This country's in a rut, a rut that leads to endless war in Iraq, that leads to inevitable war with Iran. The American people, and not just the Democrats, want to get our country out of this rut. The great majority of them want this election to take us to a new place, not just led by someone smarter along the same rut. I promise to take us to that new place. Senator Clinton is smart. She's hardworking. She's serious. But every vote she has cast, every word she has spoken says yes to the status quo. She voted to approve the war with Iraq. She just voted with the hawks to target Iran. She always seems to choose the safe boat that leaves this country in the same rut, the rut of fearful politics and endless war. I promise change. I promise a new approach. I promise deliverance from the rut of endless war in Iraq, inevitable war in Iran. So there you have it. It's for you, my fellow Democrats, to decide. If you think Bush's policies would have been succeed if they were better executed, then go with Senator Clinton. If you think the Bush policies were wrong, dead wrong, I'm with you.' Well, that's what Senator Obama would say if he wants to really challenge Hillary Clinton for the leadership of the Democratic Party" ("Hardball," 10/29). [EMILY GOODIN]

Posted 10.30.07 09:40 AM | Comments (0)

October 29, 2007

Rudy And Hillary: Going International?

Browsing the news today, one cannot help but notice a few interesting parallels between U.S. politicians and their int'l counterparts.

This a.m., Israeli PM Ehud Olmert announced that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and will be undergoing surgery "over the next few months." Olmert, as reported by the AP: "I will be able to carry out my duties fully before the treatment and within hours afterward. ... My doctors ... informed me that there is a full chance of recovery and there is nothing about the tumor that is life-threatening or liable to impair my performance or my ability to carry out the mission which has been bestowed upon me."

Ironically, as NBC/National Journal's Matthew Berger points out, Rudy Giuliani began airing a new radio ad in NH this a.m., "using his prostate cancer experience to drive home his healthcare message." Giuliani, in the ad: "My chance of surviving prostate cancer, and thank God I was cured of it, in the United States, 82%. My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England, only 44% under socialized medicine." And today, Giuliani again finds himself engaged in a fierce political battle with Hillary Clinton -- just as he was seven and a half years ago (almost exactly to the day) when he first announced his diagnosis.

Meanwhile, on the same day that Giuliani and Olmert are sharing an ironic twist of fate, it is impossible to ignore the parallels presented by the 10/28 election of Argentinian Pres.-elect/First Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the first woman elected president in Argentina. Kirchner shares various common threads with HRC -- but as a First Lady, as well as a veteran atty and senator, even Kirchner's resume alone invites the comparisons. Could this possibly be a foreshadowing of things to come in the U.S.?

And although these parallels are mere coincidences, they cannot help but further the perception that the current WH race is, nationally at least, something of a two-man race. Giuliani's primary strategy has centered on presenting himself as the strongest general election candidate against HRC, while many in the media are giddy over the prospect of revisiting the '00 NY SEN street-fight-that-almost-was. So when HRC and Giuliani's storylines somehow find their way into even the int'l news, you have to wonder, how much hope is there for anyone else to really break through? [MAURA O'BRIEN].

Posted 10.29.07 04:24 PM | Comments (0)

Dancing Candidate

Barack Obama appeared on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" this afternoon. And yes, he danced, making his entrance to Beyonce's "Crazy in Love."

The interview wasn't news-making or ground-breaking. Obama danced for a few minutes with host Ellen DeGeneres, made a "surprise" phone call to an "Ellen" viewer and talked about his wife and kids. Some highlights:

DeGeneres, on his dancing: "You got some moves."

Obama: "For a presidential candidate."

DeGeneres: "You're the best dancer so far of the presidential candidates."

Obama: "It's a low bar but I'm pretty sure I've got better moves than Giuliani."

Obama, asked if he'd known he was related to VP Cheney: "We had kept it hidden. He's the black sheep of the family."

DeGeneres: "Maybe you could be him for Halloween."

Obama: "I was thinking about that."

Asked if he feels the pressure, possibly being the first African-American POTUS: "Just being the president, that's pressure enough and so I spend most of my time just thinking about how can I communicate a message of change."

Asked if he would considered HRC for a running mate: "I am just thinking right now about how do I get through the primary. But Hillary Clinton a terrifically accomplished woman. And she is going to be, I think, a formidable candidate during the primary, but she's just a terrific public servant. But, right now, my job is just to make sure I just get through this primary and get the nomination. And to make sure that my wife and kids don't forget who I am during the process."

On gay marriage: "What I would do is immediately set up a civil union that is equal in federal rights so that all the rights conferred by the states are the same. ... In terms of marriage I would say that each religious denomination would make their own decisions."

More Obama: "I do hope I start a trend with the presidential candidate dancing."

DeGeneres: "We have this on tape to taunt them."

And at the beginning of the show, DeGeneres noted: "I haven't paid a lot of attention to the presidential race. I like my politics like I like my men." More DeGeneres: "I have invited all the candidates on the show, including the Republicans, but so far none of them have returned of my calls. So I thought well maybe I need to give them some incentive. So that's why today I'm announcing for the first that the first Republican to appear on my show will get this big basket of Halloween candy." [EMILY GOODIN]

Posted 10.29.07 03:26 PM | Comments (2)

Quote Of The Day

From today's Hotline:

"You never point your gun at the carcass of a dead animal."

-- Mike Huckabee, CNN's "Late Edition," 10/28.

Posted 10.29.07 12:57 PM | Comments (1)

Sunday Snapshot

There was a lot of discussion about the situation with Iran and the federal response to the CA wildfires on the Sunday shows this past weekend. But here are are the political highlights:

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

Chris Dodd was on "Meet the Press":

Asked if the Senate vote on the Iranian Guards was a de facto vote for war with Iran: "I think it gives a justification for it. That's my concern with it here. Much as you saw back in '02, 2002 in October, the resolution which I supported at the time, said the president ought to look at diplomatic approaches in that language, but clearly had no intention of doing that as we've subsequently learned. And it gave them the argument that the Congress gave overwhelming support, almost by the same vote, I might add. ... Seems to me that's why that vote was such a bad one, and I think Mrs. Clinton, my colleague from New York, cast the wrong vote on that issue, terribly so."

NBC's Russert: "You voted for the war, you voted for funding for the war. You were against timetables for withdrawal of troops. Then you became a presidential candidate, and suddenly it was about oil and you were against the funding and you were for timetables."

Dodd: "I did vote for funding along the way because the argument was we were trying to get a decent conclusion to this here. And then a year ago when I was there and came back, drew the conclusion, as many others have along the way here, that this is just not working here. And my view was, at that point and is today, that Congress has one responsibility. If the policy has failed and it's not working, that we ought to terminate the funding for it here. Clearly the administration doesn't want to do that, not likely to do it, so it's up to the Congress to achieve that result."

Russert: "And no political expediency?"

Dodd: "No, none at all, Tim. I think this is a process here you go through as you make decisions what you think is right on this thing here."

On his Banking Cmte experience: "Coming out against hedge funds doesn't require any great leap of understanding. Doing what's right and responsible on the issue is critical. I've been on this committee for a quarter of a century. I know these issues very, very well. No one has fought harder against the credit card industry, no one's fought harder against the predatory lending and the housing issues, no one's fought harder against the defrauds that went on in the student loan business. There's a long history. I've also stood up where I thought the financial services sector was doing the right thing. Having someone running for the presidency as a Democrat who understands these issues is not a liability, it's an asset."

On polls showing him at zero percent: "We've got a lot of room to grow."

More: "The more important question may be why aren't these leading candidates, who get all the attention every single day, why aren't they doing better?"

Asked if the WH campaign doesn't work out, if he'll seek re-election to the Senate: "I haven't made that decision yet, and I'm counting on this working out" (NBC, 10/28).

HE AND BOB DOLE ARE NOT GRUMPY OLD MEN THE SEQUEL

John McCain was on "This Week."

ABC's Stephanpoulos: "Mayor Giuliani has said he can guarantee that Iran would not get a nuclear weapon under his watch. Can you make the same guarantee?"

McCain: "I can say that we cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. But I do believe that to start talking about specifics, a bombardment or something like that, I think would be a terrible mistake. In January of 1981, Ronald Reagan was sworn in, on that date, as president of the United States. On that day, the hostages came home from Tehran. Now, it's not exactly comparable. But the Iranians would know when I'm president, they're facing somebody who's not going to let them have it. But I'm not going to make a lot of empty threats that I can't carry out."

Asked about the memo from his campaign that Giuliani's nomination would have "devastating results" for the GOP: "I think that it's hard for me to accept the fact that we would nominate someone who has fundamental disagreements with one or more of the principles."

Asked about it again: "I'm hoping that whoever is the nominee of our party that we will support that nominee. But it's hard for me to imagine that someone who holds the views on some of these issues and a record of it would be at the end of the day the nominee of the party."

Asked to explain Giuliani's lead in the nat'l polls: "I think because he is deservedly a popular individual who was -- his performance after 9/11 was very excellent, and he rallied the country. I think as people begin to examine the candidates, their positions, but most of all their ability to lead this nation in the transcendent challenge against radical Islamic extremism. I have a consistent, conservative, reliable record. And polls today show that I am most likely to be able to beat Senator Clinton in a head-to-head matchup."

Asked if he has problems with Giuliani's performance post-9/11: "Everything I saw, it's fine."

Stephanopoulos: "What do you say to Republicans who are concerned -- they are worried that, you know, you're going to have to take public financing, and if you do that, even if you get the nomination, you're going to be handicapped for that long period between February likely and the conventions in August?"

McCain: "We won't have the same problem that Bob Dole had. That's what we look at. Because there will be a strong party involvement, individual involvement as far as state and local parties and national parties, if we do that. But we haven't made the decision yet. I have never won a campaign on money. I almost beat obviously in 2000, we were outspent 10, 15, 20 to one. The nature of campaigning in South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa, as you know, is the townhall meetings, the interface, the retail politics. Thank God. It's good for America, but it's also very good for my campaign. And I see increased enthusiasm. I see increasing support, and I think we're going to do very well. And whatever we do, I think we'll have enough money to be competitive" (ABC, 10/28).

DON'T MESS WITH A MAN WHO HAS CHUCK NORRIS IN HIS CORNER

Mike Huckabee was on "Late Edition":

On suggestions he has no foreign policy experience: "People sometimes forget that while governors may not be on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, governors actually deal head-to-head with CEOs of multinational corporations, and the heads of state as we sign trade agreements and multicultural agreements. We travel extensively as governors on trade missions. And we deal with governments. So it's not that we have no experience. And I would also remind people that Ronald Reagan came into office with a criticism, that he just didn't know enough about foreign policy. Within 10 years of his being sworn in, there wasn't a Soviet Union, the Berlin Wall was down and this was a better, safer world because he had convictions and character."

Asked if Giuliani is a conservative: "Compared to the Democrats, absolutely. Compared to me, that's why I'm in this race. I can give folks a hardworking, consistent conservative with a strong record having run a government in a conservative way. But let's not attack Rudy in the sense that there are some issues with which he and I disagree, particularly on the social issues. But Rudy has a good record in terms of fiscal conservativism. And I think it would be dishonest or disingenuous on my part to try to paint him as something other than that. That's a good record."

On the attacks against him: "The fact is, yesterday, I went pheasant hunting in Iowa. Something I've learned about hunting, you never point your gun at the carcass of a dead animal. You only take aim at something that's alive that you want to put on the wall. So in a way, I'm kind of enjoying, as it were, in a sort of wicked kind of way, the fact that all these attacks are coming, whether from the left or from the right. It proves that, like the pheasant being flushed out of the brush, I'm flying. And people see it. The money that is coming into our campaign in the last six days is more than we've raised in the first three months of the campaign, and that's just online. People are resonating with this message. They're realizing that they have a genuine, authentic conservative in the race. Different kind? You bet I am. But I'm the kind that I think America is looking for, not mad at everybody. I don't want to go in and burn the place down. I want to build this country up, and that's what I think this country needs and is looking for in its leader."

Asked if he thinks abortion is a holocaust: "I think it is. When you think about millions and millions of completely innocent unborn lives that have been terminated before they ever had a chance to live, I don't know what else you can call it. It's really a horrible thing when you realize that we have allowed millions of what could have been our fellow citizens that never saw the light of day."

Huckabee: "I've got the endorsement this week of Chuck Norris. Now people are going to be afraid not to support me" (CNN, 10/28).

THE FLOTUS CLUB

Laura Bush was on "Fox News Sunday" and was asked if being FLOTUS qualifies a person to be POTUS:

Bush: "I don't know. I mean, who knows? ... There's no doubt about it that you know everything about living in that house, for instance. And the other thing you know is you know how things are going to happen that you're not going to expect, that you better be prepared for. And I would certainly say September 11th is the example that -- the most, you know, obvious example of things happening while you live there that you don't expect, that you have to deal with. But on the other hand, I think one thing about the American political process, especially running for president, is it's so difficult. It requires such endurance, both physical endurance as well as mental and, you know, emotional endurance to run for president, that what happens is we usually see the people who are experienced enough get the job just because they can live through the campaign and work -- do that hard work through the campaign."

FNC's Wallace: "You have supported qualified women for big jobs -- secretary of state, Supreme Court justice. Are you at all torn by Senator Clinton's candidacy?"

Bush: "No. Not really. I mean, I'm looking forward to voting for a Republican woman, whenever that is, but I'll be supporting the Republican."

Wallace: "So the fact that she's a woman doesn't matter?"

Bush: "No, it doesn't matter to me. And I hope it doesn't matter to other people. I hope that people will choose the candidate that they think really has the views that they want, you know, that they believe in, and that represent them in the way that they want to be represented" (10/28).

ROUNDTABLE ROUNDUP

The "This Week" roundtable discussed the economy.

The "Fox News Sunday" roundtable discussed the Dem '08ers and Iran and the CA wildfires.

The "Late Edition" roundtable discussed Obama getting tough with HRC and how the candidates are doing in IA [EMILY GOODIN].

Posted 10.29.07 08:51 AM | Comments (0)

HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7

Nebraska -- Jordan on Politics

West Virginia -- Lincoln Walks at Midnight

New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ

California -- The Roundup

Missouri -- JohnCombest.com

Illinois -- Capitol Fax

Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog

Florida -- SayfieReview.com

Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor

Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com

Wisconsin -- WisPolitics

Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report

Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest

Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com

New York -- The Politicker

New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com

Posted 10.29.07 08:49 AM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2007

Quote Of The Day

From today's Hotline:

"Let's go Rockies!"

-- Giuliani ex-wife Donna Hanover, WOR radio, 10/25.

Posted 10.26.07 12:51 PM | Comments (0)

Hotline After Dark -- Just Google It

TV once again, was heavy on the coverage of the CA wildfire. However, there was a little political news:

ABC's Tapper joined Fred Thompson on the campaign trail in FL for "Nightline":

Thompson, on his campaign: "I do things my way. I don't feel like I have to come out and explain to the national media every time I make a decision as to how, when where I want to campaign."

More: "You can't live as much life as I have lived, not just in length but in quality and in terms of things that I have seen, and remain exactly the same person. ... I've had the worst thing that can happen to a father and the best thing that can happen to a father. It gives you a sense of perspective and it frees you up in some ways."

On wife Jeri being one of the most searched terms on Google: "That's one of the things I'm most interested in, too."

More on Jeri: "She refused to behave like a candidate's wife until her husband became a candidate but she refused to go out and refused to go out and defend herself from against being a 'trophy wife' or whatever it is they decided to called her."

Asked if she wanted him to run: "Not that's not a fair characterization of it. She wanted me to do what I felt like I ought to do. She thought that I could do some things for the country and I probably ought to step forward."

Thompson: "I think that when a man has been through the heights and depths of life, and when he's had the tragedies and the blessings of life, as I have, I think you develop an even greater sense of what's important and what's not" (ABC, 10/25). [EMILY GOODIN]

Posted 10.26.07 09:22 AM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2007

Brownback Still Plays Coy After Giuliani Sit-Down

Refuting rumors that an endorsement was imminent, Sen. Sam Brownback declined to pick a horse in the GOP presidential primary this afternoon after an hour-long meeting with Rudy Giuliani in his senate offices. Just a week ago, Brownback told reporters after his speech at the Values Voters Summit that the Republican Party was a pro-life party, which would not nominate a pro-choice candidate and Giuliani was pro-choice.

Today, however, Brownback refused to call Giuliani pro-choice, instead allowing the mayor to explain his own stance on abortion.

“I oppose abortion,” Giuliani said. “I would like to see a society in which there’s no abortion. I think you have to get there by changing people’s minds and hearts. I’m not in favor of changing the law or the rights that presently we give. But I do think that I’m in favor of everything else that would limit the number of abortions, that would increase the number of adoptions and that would move us in a direction of many fewer abortions and if we could get to no abortions based on people’s decisions…I would be in favor of that.”

Brownback didn’t officially confirm whether he would endorse any candidate in the GOP field, but he did say that he was open to meeting with any presidential candidate who was interested in meeting with him.

Given Brownback’s past public criticism of Mitt Romney and his discomfort over Giuliani’s stance on abortion, Fred Thompson is the only other candidate competitive in the national polls who might succeed in gaining an endorsement out of a meeting with Brownback.

“Don’t assume that we’re not [setting up a meeting with Brownback],” said a spokesman for Thompson’s campaign. The Thompson campaign would not confirm if it has tried or will try to arrange a sit down.
[ADAM AIGNER-TREWORGY]

Posted 10.25.07 09:23 PM | Comments (0)

Quote Of The Day

From today's Hotline:

"I have a lot of trouble growing a beard. I don't have a lot of facial hair. He lives in a cave."

-- Barack Obama, on how he differs from Osama bin Laden, NBC/National Journal, 10/24

Posted 10.25.07 12:53 PM | Comments (0)

HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7

Nebraska -- Jordan on Politics

West Virginia -- Lincoln Walks at Midnight

New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ

California -- The Roundup

Missouri -- JohnCombest.com

Illinois -- Capitol Fax

Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog

Florida -- SayfieReview.com

Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor

Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com

Wisconsin -- WisPolitics

Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report

Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest

Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com

New York -- The Politicker

New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com

Posted 10.25.07 12:39 PM | Comments (0)

Hotline After Dark -- So Far, It's A Red Sox Nation

TV, once again, was mostly coverage of the CA wildfires:

Duncan Hunter played "Hardball" last night:

Asked how he accounted for the differences between the people evacuated by the CA wildfires and those evacuated by Katrina: "I went in with rescue task force into New Orleans almost immediately after the hurricane, and when we went to, for example, to the refugee shelters in Houma, Louisiana, which is right next to New Orleans, you had mountains of clothes. They had hot meals. They had good medical care being given right there. And people, in fact, they had a big sign that said, Don't donate any more clothes, we're full up. So sure, you had the downtown disaster scenes that have been played over and over again, but as I went around to the rescue centers and as I was inside the city helping out there, I saw lots of neighbors helping neighbors. But I'll just tell you, in San Diego, we're used to taking hits like this. We're optimistic folks. One of the amazing statistics coming out of this major fire is this. There have been almost no incidents of looting. You have places that have been left open, a lot of them unlocked, and you've got neighbors taking care of neighbors. And you know, San Diegans are optimistic. We're going to rebuild. That's the spirit of this community."

Asked if having Nat'l Guard in Iraq is hurting the fire fighting efforts: "When you have these fires coming off out of these sagebrush flats and canyons, pushed by winds up to 60 miles an hour, you don't put a bunch of bodies in front of them. You try to choke them off at chokepoints, and you try to get your planes and your choppers into the air. So this idea that somehow Afghanistan and Iraq are keeping us in forest fires is nuts" (MSNBC, 10/24).

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA): "FEMA is out ahead of this. I had them in my office yesterday along with the head of National Guard. And I think just everybody is working together and I cannot over state the bravery of the firefighters from every level of government and also they're coming in from all over the country."

More: "Let me say the issue of the National Guard in Iraq is a whole other subject. I think that they are being worked to the bone and it's very tough. But why the issue came up is because I've been told, it is a fact that 50 percent of the equipment that we should have in California, for the National Guard, is not there any more. Some of it is in disrepair, some of it is in Iraq. I wrote to the secretary of the Army, who wrote back and said that he couldn't give me that much confidence that in a major disaster we would have all the equipment. So I did two things about it. One I called ahead of the National Guard, he came to my office. And he said he's getting equipment from all over the country and I'm satisfied that he's done that. Secondly, I asked my colleagues to help, they also have problems being down on equipment, in the National Guard. It's tied together, but I have to say at this point I'm convinced that they gotten enough equipment from other states to help us" ("Tucker," MSNBC, 10/24).

More Boxer, on the Nat'l Guard situation: "Actually I wasn't complaining. I was asking my colleagues from other states to really help us with assets, because 50 percent of our equipment that the National Guard normally has is gone. It is in Iraq. And the secretary of the army wrote me just about a week or two ago and said that he was concerned in terms of a major disaster if we would have enough assets. I met with the National Guard. They've moved in various planes from other places, and we're very hopeful we'll have enough assets here" ("Situation Room," CNN, 10/24).

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), on the difference between CA and Katrina: "I don't want to knock anybody, but I think we learn from those mistakes" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 10/24).

More Schwarzenegger: "The people are very happy about the fact also that not only celebrities are coming, but there is a celebrity governor that is following through. That when he says you will be taken care of, they will be taken care of" ("AC 360," CNN, 10/24).

Dem strategist Jamal Simmons: "If the people in New Orleans looked like the people in Malibu, the president may have acted a little bit sooner."

Asked if he's saying racism is involved: "It could be race. It could be class. What we know is that there were poor black people who were stranded in the city of New Orleans who were not being tended to. And that's not what's happening right now" ("Situation Room," CNN, 10/24).

AND FRIENDSHIP NEVER ENDS FOR EX-HOTLINE EDITORS WHO LOVE SPORTS

NBC's Chuck Todd: "As Dodger fan, I hate the Rockies. I hate these new teams. My friend Vaughn Ververs is a Rockies fan. I don't want him to experience a World Series victory. So damn him, go Red Sox" ("Tucker," MSNBC, 10/24). [EMILY GOODIN]

Posted 10.25.07 08:53 AM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2007

A Hairy Situation

Chris Dodd is up with a new TV ad today, highlighting his ability to achieve results.

The 60-second spot, which will run in IA and on nat'l cable networks, introduces John and Jesse -- two barbers at Jim's in Winterset, IA -- who are engaged in a debate over how Dodd's hair got so white.

Full script, "Jim's":

BARBER #1: "You know he was in the Peace Corps. Served in the military, too." BARBER #2: "Is that when it started?" DODD: "No, I didn't get the white hair from the Peace Corps or the military." BARBER #1: "You know, as a senator, Chris Dodd personally helped to negotiate peace in Central America and in Northern Ireland." BARBER #2: "That'll give you some white hair." DODD: "26 years on the Foreign Relations Committee? Oh yeah, that'll do it." BARBER #1: "And it was Dodd who passed the Family and Medical Leave Act. You know, it took gettin' Democrats and Republicans together to get that done." DODD: "I got a lot of white hairs from that one." BARBER #2: "It seems like he's more interested in getting results, not just ... fighting." BARBER #1: "And if he got nominated, we'd have a Democrat who could win. Plus, I figure he'd make the best president of them all." BARBER #2: "Iowa firefighters back him, right?" DODD: "Yep, that's right." [Dodd enters the barber shop] KID: "Hey, it's Chris Dodd! We were just talking about you." DODD [voice fading off]: "Nice to meet you. Looks like I'm up, guys. How much are these haircuts?" ANNCR: "Chris Dodd. Results for a change." DODD: "I'm Chris Dodd, and I approve this message."

The ad follows the same argument that Dodd has been making for months: that he is the experienced candidate who has actually produced results. This serves as a hit against Hillary Clinton, whom Dodd has criticized repeatedly for failing to produce results with universal health care when she had the chance in the '90s. Dodd, in recent interviews and campaign appearances, has made this a centerpiece in his attacks against HRC. He has criticized her for failing to speak about her past health care failures as more than a mere personal failure -- it was also failure with consequences for millions of uninsured Americans.

However, one cannot help but wonder if there is also a subtle dig at John Edwards in the new ad. At the conclusion, as Dodd enters the small-town IA barber shop, which serves as the ad's setting, he asks: "How much are these haircuts?" I'd be willing to bet, a lot less than $400.

Posted 10.24.07 12:47 PM | Comments (0)

Quote Of The Day

From today's Hotline:

"If you don't have any self-control, we can deal with that."

-- Bill Clinton, to a "heckler" who claimed 9/11 was a fraud, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10/24.

Posted 10.24.07 12:34 PM | Comments (1)

HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7

Nebraska -- Jordan on Politics

West Virginia -- Lincoln Walks at Midnight

New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ

California -- The Roundup

Missouri -- JohnCombest.com

Illinois -- Capitol Fax

Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog

Florida -- SayfieReview.com

Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor

Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com

Wisconsin -- WisPolitics

Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report

Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest

Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com

New York -- The Politicker

New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com

Posted 10.24.07 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

Hotline After Dark -- Fire Coverage Burns Bright

Lots of coverage of the CA wildfires last night:

CNN's Henry, on Pres. Bush's trip to CA: "This administration burned so much by Hurricane Katrina, the slow response, they obviously want to show that they have learned lessons, that they want to get a firsthand look, that they want to get as much federal help to the scene as quickly as possible. ... And White House spokeswoman Dana Perino acknowledging that all of this in part sparked by Hurricane Katrina."

More Henry: "Barbara Boxer is jumping on the fact that the California National Guard may not be fully up to speed with all of its equipment because some of its equipment is in Iraq. Dana Perino acknowledging this is a time of war, that's a reality, but she is insisting that the president will make good on his promise to get all the federal assets to California as quickly as possible" ("Situation Room," 10/23).

Duncan Hunter, on Boxer's allegation: "Listen, this is a big stretch and I can tell you I've been chairman of the Armed Services Committee for the last four years. We got 2.5 million people under arms. We got less than 8 percent of those people in the war fighting ... in Iraq and Afghanistan. ... You get a 60 mile an hour wind hitting tender dry sage brush, you can put the entire U.S. Army in front of it and you are not going to stop it and the proof of that is this. ... You simply don't throw a wall of bodies up against an incoming wall of flame that is coming with high winds behind it" ("Live with Dan Abrams," MSNBC, 10/23).

Interior Sec. Dirk Kempthorne, on how this is different from Katrina: "It is a new situation. It is different people that are working this. Last night, I had a personal conversation with Governor Schwarzenegger. Many of the federal officials have. The military is also included in this, NorthCom, as well as General Blum with the National Guard bureau, everybody working, everybody communicating. Last night, it was very important, where we have these Americans that are evacuees now, that there was a FEMA presence that was in place, that federal officials are in place. We have nearly 2,000 individuals that are firefighting, a community, that are now in there from the federal government. California has some of the best firefighters anywhere in the world" ("Situation Room," CNN, 10/23).

CA LG John Garamendi (D): "I've got some doubt about the value of President Bush coming out here. How many times did he go to New York or to New Orleans and still, made promises but hasn't delivered. We have the Terminator out here, Gov. Schwarzenegger is doing a good job, and we'll see."

Asked if Bush's trip is about PR: "Of course it's public relations. The actions taking place by the hard working firefighters, the men and women and the police that are out there on the line, and the community that's pulling together to support wach other, that's where the action is taking place. I know, okay, President Bush comes out, we'll be polite, but frankly, that's not the solution. How about sending our National Guard back from Iraq, so that we have those people available here to help us?"

Asked if Bush's visit will distract from fire fighting efforts: "Absolutely, no doubt about it. The president goes some place, you've got a huge entourage, you've got secret service all over and all the chaos that comes with whenever the President arrives, wherever the President happens to arrive. But listen, what we really need are those firefighters, we need the equipment, we need, frankly, we need those troops back from Iraq. We'll get on here, whether he comes or not, that's not really the issue. I just hope if he does come, he brings more than he brought to New Orleans" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 10/23).

CA First Lady Maria Shriver, on the federal response: "My husband spoke a couple of times yesterday to the president. And he told me that he had been very solicitous and said anything you need, we will make it available. Secretary Chertoff flew out here last night. He's on the ground today. We have gotten some help from Marines at Camp Pendleton. San Diego is a military community, as you know. So, so far, the federal government has stepped up. And I think they'll be ask to step up in many ways. They've declared the state a disaster area. And, as you know, that helps with FEMA after the fact" ("Situation Room," CNN, 10/23).

LADIES NIGHT

CA First Lady Maria Shriver was in the "Situation Room" to talk about her conference:

On why she brought the spouses together: "I think that that is really a window into who that man or that woman is, when you understand who they are married to. Some pollsters have told me that they think the spouse is irrelevant. Others have told me that particularly women make up their minds all the time about someone's family and how they make those choices in their lives. So, I think that these women that you are seeing every day out there on the campaign trail have a tremendous and will have a tremendous impact in this race."

More: "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. And they don't need advisers to say, don't say this and don't say that. And they are not shy about saying that they have influence and that they are involved in the strategy of the campaign. And I think that's good" (CNN, 10/23). [EMILY GOODIN]

Posted 10.24.07 08:53 AM | Comments (2)

Patrick Steals The Show At Obama Rally

BOSTON, MA -- Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick endorsed Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency on a warm, gusty autumn night in Boston Tuesday.

Several thousand people had gathered on Boston Common to hear Obama speak but it was Patrick who stole the show. He zealously delivered Obama’s message of national reconciliation, while slamming Senator Hillary Clinton without once mentioning her by name.

“A lot of the Democrats are feeling heady these days – we’re sensing victory. We feel like we can reach out and grab at the White House again,” Patrick told the crowd, before warning, “but I’m asking you to beware my friends. Beware because this discontent with Republicans is not enough to ensure a Democratic victory, nor should it be. I believe the challenges before us transcend party partisan politics. We don’t just need a Democrat – we need a leader.”

Patrick took Obama’s message of the need for political change in this election and turned it into a referendum on character and values.

“For once I want a campaign that’s not about the candidate, but about us. Not about a resume, but about character. Not about connections and convenience, but about conviction. Not about smearing the competition, but about lifting us all up,” Patrick said.

“I don’t care whether the next president is the first black president or the first woman president or the first whatever. To tell you the total truth, what I care about is whether the next president has moral courage and a political backbone and the humility to admit what he doesn’t know and the wisdom to learn from others,” he added.

Despite the veiled criticisms towards Senator Clinton, Patrick’s tone was positive but had the edge needed to draw clear distinctions between Obama and her. In repeating Obama’s call to bring the country together, he articulated an expediency of the present moment, saying that the country faced its greatest challenge in a generation, and it was only through the willingness of the assembled crowd that the vision for the liberal utopia he laid out could take shape.

“Now you know, this will not be easy. You know that the status quo is a powerful, powerful force. A lot of people like things just the way they are, thank you very much. And would rather not have anybody rock the boat. It’s hard to make change – it’s hard for some to accept that change comes only through struggle.”

Patrick called on the crowd to step up and volunteer, knock on doors and make phone calls to voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. His push for volunteers underscored the potential impact that Massachusetts residents could have in making a grassroots push in neighboring New Hampshire.

In making his argument for the need for the assembled crowd to become greater civic participants in this election, Patrick evoked the history of the greatest generation, saying that America had once been on its “social and economic knees before,” but the power of strong leadership and a willing people had created a legacy that Americans still benefit from today. [ASWINI ANBURAJAN]

Posted 10.24.07 07:38 AM | Comments (0)

October 23, 2007

McCain Files In NH: "I'm Baaaack"

CONCORD -- John McCain has a message to New Hampshire voters -- "I'm baaaack."

That's what the Arizona senator wrote on the notice of elections poster as he filed for the first-in-the-nation primary in Concord 10/23. Eight years after he won the contest, McCain, vowed to do everything he could to preserve the primary tradition, adding that nomination process is "badly broken."

Last week in New Hampshire, McCain hit Mitt Romney on the question of who was a more reliable conservative. Today, he moved the debate to a question of experience, and he put his national security credentials up against the executive backgrounds his main rivals.

"I think it's great to have been mayor of a big city. I think it's great to have been governor of a state," McCain said. "I think it's important that I've been part of every national security issue since. ... My qualifications I think make me far more qualified. I'm not saying anyone's disqualified, I'm saying I'm more qualified."

Also back in New Hampshire after a hiatus was the "Straight Talk Express." On board, McCain expanded on his critique of Romney from Sunday night's debate, in which he said the former governor was trying to fool voters. "He spent about a year fooling people about his record, I'm not gonna let him fool people about my record," McCain explained. "That was a strong statement because a big part of my legitimacy is my consistent, conservative, reliable record. … He has changed his positions on virtually every issue."

McCain also noted that returning to file for the primary was "a little bit like a Twilight Zone episode." And he reaffirmed his commitment to waging a true New Hampshire campaign. "That's the only way I can win an election," he said. "In New Hampshire, people watch commercials and they all read signs, but they expect to see you at the town hall meeting. … They expect to question you, not listen to what you have to say."

After filing for the Granite State primary, McCain visited with workers at a local granite quarry. Joining him was state Rep. Dan Hughes, who had previously signed on to Fred Thompson's campaign in the state when he first came as a candidate in early September. Thompson hasn''t come back since, something that in part precipitated Hughes' decision to change.

"When we started out I was told that he would run a full-blown campaign up here. And it became obvious that they were not gonna do that, and they were running more of a token campaign, and I didn't want to be the token chairman of a token campaign," he said. "I want to campaign with the candidate who's going to fight to win." [MIKE MEMOLI]

Posted 10.23.07 04:39 PM | Comments (0)

Thompson Loses NH Supporter To McCain

Fred Thompson's campaign lost the support of a key GOP operative in New Hampshire, a state he hasn't visited in over 6 weeks. Former Thompson supporter Dan Hughes, a US Marine Corps veteran who served in the White House under Gerald Ford, was announced as the new Vice Chairman of John McCain's New Hampshire leadership team.

The Thompson campaign did not immediately comment on the effect of Hughes' departure to its success in New Hampshire, nor did it release any information on when it plans to file for the NH primary. Tomorrow the campaign travels to South Carolina. Then, after two days with no public events, Thompson heads out west with events planned through Oct. 31, which is cutting it close to New Hampshire's Nov. 2 filing deadline. [ADAM AIGNER TREWORGY]

Posted 10.23.07 04:31 PM | Comments (0)

Giuliani Goes On Tax Offensive In NH

CONCORD, N.H. - Rudy Giuliani continued to take on his Republican rivals, saying he was the only presidential candidate in either party who has lowered taxes.

Speaking to Lincoln Financial Group staffers, he said his experience helps him understand that lowering taxes will bring more money into the government.

"There's a big difference between all of the candidates and me on taxes," he said. "None of them have ever lowered taxes. Some of them have voted for lowering taxes, some of them haven't. But none of them have ever done it. I actually did it."

Giuliani continued to highlight his executive experience as a contrast to the Democratic WH candidates, but also to some of his Republican opponents, most notably John McCain.

"One of the reasons why American people select more often governors and executives for president of the United States and not legislators is because we've had the experience of having to control a government," he said, adding that controlling spending needs to start at the top.

"I never remember a commissioner walking into my office and saying, 'Mayor, I want you to cut my budget," he said, adding legislators often don't cut budgets.

Giuliani said as president he would look to all cabinet departments to cut their budget from five percent to 20 percent, with the exception of the military, which he has urged a spending increase. [MATT BERGER]

Posted 10.23.07 04:28 PM | Comments (0)

Edwards To Do List: Visit 99 Counties, Check

With a community meeting in Coulter in Franklin County on Saturday, John Edwards will become the first Democratic candidate for president to visit all of Iowa’s 99 counties. Tommy Thompson, the Republican former governor of Wisconsin who dropped out in August, had also visited every county, as has Josh Romney, the third son of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

Edwards will celebrate the milestone with a “99 County, 50 State Path to Victory” event at Drake University on Saturday [TRICIA MILLER].

Posted 10.23.07 04:25 PM | Comments (0)

Quote Of The Day

From today's Hotline:

"I am well aware this is 'pile on.' I used to play touch football with my brothers and my friends, and I am on the bottom and they are piling on."

-- Hillary Clinton, Des Moines Register, 10/23

Posted 10.23.07 12:28 PM | Comments (0)

HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7

Nebraska -- Jordan on Politics

West Virginia -- Lincoln Walks at Midnight

New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ

California -- The Roundup

Missouri -- JohnCombest.com

Illinois -- Capitol Fax

Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog

Florida -- SayfieReview.com

Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor

Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com

Wisconsin -- WisPolitics

Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report

Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest

Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com

New York -- The Politicker

New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com

Posted 10.23.07 09:53 AM | Comments (0)

Hotline After Dark -- Eternal Plame

Lots of coverage of the CA wildfires on TV last night but here are highlights from last night's political news:

Valerie Plame Wilson continued her TV rounds, appearing on "LKL" last night:

Wilson, on the CIA editing out large chunks of her book: "The agency has taken the position that I'm not permitted to acknowledge my agency affiliation prior to January 2002. And I can tell you it has nothing to do with national security and everything to do with continual political payback."

Wilson, on why she wrote the book: "I wrote it because I think it's a cautionary tale of the consequences of speaking truth to power. And we are living, I think, in some perilous times. And it's very important that we hold our government to account for its words and deeds" (CNN, 10/22).

And Bob Novak was on "Hannity & Colmes" to talk about her book:

Novak: "She was well known in many parts of the town, that she worked for the CIA. She had not been a covert agent for some time. She wasn't really an agent ever, of course. She was covert at one time. ... What she doesn't have in the book is the fact that she was brought back from an overseas assignment, according to my sources, because the CIA feared she had been outed many years ago by the agent, agent Aldrich Ames. And when I talked to the CIA before I mentioned her name, officially, they told me that it was highly unlikely she would ever be given another foreign assignment."

More: "She was classified. Almost everybody who works over at the CIA is classified. ... Here is a woman who drives every morning from her home to the Langley, to the CIA headquarters. If she really very much of a secret agent? Do you think, really, that our adversaries in this town who keep an eye on everything are that stupid?"

Novak: "If you read the book, it reads much more like she is doing analysis, rather than operations. She said she was operational. But sometimes, that line is difficult to cross, what is operational and what is of analytical" (FNC, 10/22).

RITES OF PASSAGE

MSNBC's Matthews: "I believe if you don't have a rite of passage in your life, some early event, whether it's Dianne Feinstein keeping San Francisco together or fighting in war, or Roosevelt dealing with Polio, something early in your life that says this is who I am, your right of passage. Otherwise, you look like a pol with a flat-line career that's pretty boring. Bill Clinton never had one of those, really. It hurts" ("Hardball," 10/22).

New Yorker's Lizza: "Mitt Romney does have a version of this. ... He's got the Olympics, and the turn-around guy. It's not as stirring or as inspirational. But it is a guy who says, you know, I went into these institutions that weren't working well; I fixed them. That's not showing the perseverance of being a captive in a POW camp. But in the age of Katrina and Bush mismanagements, a basic level of competence isn't the worst thing to be selling."

CHAOS THEORY

MSNBC's Matthews: "I have a theory that this is going to be following. That Huckabee is going to surprise everybody in Iowa. McCain is going to pull an upset over Romney in New Hampshire. Thompson is going to pull an upset in South Carolina. And this whole crazy thing is going to go all the way through next year to Minneapolis, when they meet in September and try to pick a candidate for president" ("Hardball," 10/22).

WashingtonPost.com's Cillizza: "As a political junkie, I would say, I'm whole-heartedly in favor of your theory. I think that would be amazing. We have not seen an extended primary fight in a couple of elections. It would be nice if it even got to February 5th, frankly, from my perspective. But yes, I think there's a real possibility. I guess I'm more skeptical about Iowa, because I think Romney has enough organizational strength there. But even if Huckabee came in second there, I think he wind up being the story there. I do think John McCain remains a real presence and has a real chance to win in New Hampshire.