March 03, 2008
Sunday Snapshot
There were a lot of campaign surrogates on the Sunday shows this weekend:
Obama adviser David Axelrod and HRC adviser Howard Wolfson were on "This Week" this weekend:
Axelrod, on HRC saying she and McCain have experience while Obama has a speech: "I mean, it's obviously not true. Senator Obama brings 20 years of experience in public life here. But on the most important question ... that Senator Clinton has had to deal with in foreign policy, the red phone moment for her, the vote on the war in Iraq, she gave the wrong answer. Senator Obama gave the right answer. ... He also has led the fight in the U.S. Senate for arms control, joined with Senator Lugar from Indiana to pass the Lugar-Obama Arms Control Act to try and corral loose nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe, which are the greatest threat in terms of terrorism. So he has a long record, and he's shown good judgment. And I think judgment is what people want in the next commander in chief."
Wolfson, asked if HRC's Iraq vote was her "red phone" moment: "Look, you don't get tested at 3:00 a.m. with a phone call like that unless you're the president. So you look at what the person has, a lifetime of experience and judgment that they bring to the job. Now, we've been endorsed by nearly 30 generals and admirals. These are people who have served with Senator Clinton in her capacity on the Armed Services Committee, they know that she has good judgment, they know that she will be the kind of person who will protect this country, who will use both force when necessary and diplomacy when required."
Asked if he can point out a crisis HRC has handled, Wolfson: "I don't think anybody going into that office can say, if you're not the president, oh, I've gotten a call at 3:00 a.m. and something terrible has happened in Russia. You look at a person's totality of experience, the kind of judgments they've made, who has supported them, what kind of support that they've had, and that's how you make a judgment."
Axelrod: "You know, Senator Obama's been endorsed by Secretary Danzig, who was secretary of the Navy during the Clinton administration, by General McPeak, who ran the Air Force during the first Gulf War, by Tony Lake, who was the national security adviser under President Clinton, and a host of others. ... So, I think if we're going to judge by our associations and what people say, I think there is a fair amount of evidence that Senator Obama has very strong support."
Wolfson: "Senator Obama could give a powerful speech, and that speech in many ways is a metaphor for his career. He gave a powerful speech. He was against the war. He came out against funding. And then he went to the Senate, and what did he do? He didn't do anything to try to stop the war until he began running for president. He said that his position was the same as George Bush's in 2004. ... So, yes, a powerful speech, powerful words, backed up by no action."
Axelrod: "The first thing that Senator Obama did when he became a senator was to question Condoleezza Rice at her confirmation hearing and demand some sense of where we were going to go. ... He made a speech in 2006 and fought for the notion of a phased withdrawal from Iraq that became something that the commission, the Baker commission embraced."
Wolfson, on Tony Rezko: "How many fund-raisers did Mr. Rezko throw for Senator Obama? What did Senator Obama do for Mr. Rezko? Did he write letters for him? What projects of his did he support? How many business meetings did he attend where Mr. Rezko had business associates there? What are the -- one more important one -- what are the full details of this very unusual real estate transaction that Mr. Rezko and Mr. Obama entered into? What I would suggest to my friend, David, and he is my friend, they should put out all of the information regarding that real estate transaction -- all of the e-mails, all of the correspondence, all of the letters, every single piece of information -- so that the public can really look at this and say, what's going on here?"
Axelrod: "There have been 255 stories done on this issue, many by the Chicago media, others by the national media. All these questions have been asked. All these questions have been answered." More: "There has not been one -- as the Associated Press said in their summation of this thing, there has been not one bit of evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Senator Obama in this or any other matter. And Howard knows that. Look, we are at the end of a campaign. Senator Clinton has lost 11 primaries in a row. Last week, the New York Times said she would throw -- that the campaign's plan was to throw the kitchen sink at Senator Obama to try and stop him, and this is what this is all about. And I think people will see it in those terms."
More Axelrod: "Tony Rezko hasn't raised a dime for this presidential campaign."
Axelrod: "But here's my question back to you, because this came in response to our request and our point that Senator Clinton continues to refuse to release her tax returns, as all the other candidates have. She refuses to release the documents from the Clinton Library, related to her time in the White House, which is the fulcrum of her argument on experience. There has been a refusal to release the Clinton -- the donors to the Clinton Library, despite stories that have surfaced about some of those. Now, why don't you answer those questions?"
Wolfson: "I will. I will. The tax returns are going to be released around tax time, around April 15th. ... All of the tax returns that are not currently in the public record will be released on or about April 15th. ... Now, with regard to the White House records, there was a very good article in yesterday's Washington Post, that I would recommend everyone to it. Basically said, this is a made up issue that the Obama campaign has been pushing. The records were related to Senator Clinton's schedule as first lady were given over to the president's representatives for review. That review has been completed. We've given the records back over to the archives. They are now back in the archives hands. Our say in the process is over, and I assume that they will be releasing them very expeditiously."
Asked if he agrees with Mark Penn's prediction the two candidates will be tied in delegates after 3/4, Wolfson: "What I'm saying is, we're going to have a great day on Tuesday. We're going to win this nomination. This nomination fight is going to go forward after Ohio and Texas. We're going to go to Pennsylvania, where a lot more Americans are going to vote, and we're going to be the nominee in Denver" (ABC, 3/2).
WHO'S MANNING THE SENATE?
HRC supporter Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Obama supporter Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) were on "Face the Nation":
Bayh, asked if the the 3 a.m. ad is "fearmongering": "No, I don't think it's fearmongering." More: "I do think it's fair. We're hiring someone to do the toughest job in the country. And a big part of that job is being commander in chief."
Dodd: "I've served on two committees with Barack Obama. I spent a year and a half campaigning with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, of course, for the presidency itself. So I had a chance to see Barack Obama up close, watch him carefully. ... This is a person eminently qualified here. And the issue probably comes down to the judgment question here. Many of us here voted to support that authorization in 2002 that brought us to war with Iraq. ... That was a critical judgment call. So, it's not, as they say, just who picks up the phone. But what do you say at the other end of that phone when that problem arises?" (CBS, 3/2).
HRC supporter Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Obama supporter Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) were on "Fox News Sunday":
Feinstein, on HRC: "Yes, I believe she is ready for a 3:00 a.m. phone call, and I don't believe Iraq was a 3:00 a.m. phone call. Iraq was essentially a considered judgment that was made, rightly or wrongly. It was a considered judgment. It was discussed on the floor of the Senate. It wasn't a missile on the way to the shores of the United States at 3:00 in the morning."
Durbin, asked if the 3 a.m. was "fearmongering": "Well, it does, of course, strike a note of concern and fear about what might happen. And you know, the basic question is not whether the president can wipe the sleep out of his or her eyes and think clearly, but the judgment that they'll use once that phone call is understood. And I think that Senator Obama has met that test. I remember one of those moments in the Senate. It was almost 2:00 a.m. on October 11, 2002, and that's when we were called on to vote as to whether to authorize President Bush to invade Iraq. There were many senators who decided at that time to give the president the authority. Barack Obama said clearly he would not. His judgment was right at that critical moment in history. And I think it's judgment that people are looking for. So if you're asking me whether I want him to be there in a position to take that call and to use his judgment, I think he's been tested, and I think he's proven that he's used the right judgment on one of the most important foreign policy decisions in recent history."
Feinstein, asked if there is "gender bias" in the campaign: "I do. I do. I read the newspapers. I read a lot of newspapers. I read a lot of columns. I'm amazed at the number that are spent on really picayune things about Senator Clinton -- her hair, her suits. And I think some of this just drives toward the insecurity of having a woman running for this office. ... I read a lot of stuff which is really irrelevant to the kind of president she will be, and I think some of it is driven by the fact that it's easy to hit at a woman."
Durbin, asked if there is a gender bias: "In terms of whether Senator Clinton has faced some bias because she's a woman, of course she has. All of us who have worked hard to bring women into politics ... know the struggle that they faced even with other women in convincing people of their fitness. But secondly, understand that African Americans have also faced many, many burdens and obstacles, and Barack Obama has been facing that during the course of this campaign. Some of the rumors ... about Senator Obama are vicious and negative and totally false. And they are abounding across the Internet. Many of them leak into some of these reports and the like, these blogs, and even journalism that should be more discerning. ... And if there's ground to be gained, it has to be gained by Senator Clinton if she's going to move toward the nomination. She's 161 delegates behind going into Tuesday. How many of those delegates will she make up on Tuesday? After Tuesday, only 611 elected delegates remain to be chosen. And if she is going to win after Tuesday, she needs extraordinary percentages to be the winner and nominee -- almost 62 percent of all the remaining delegates, if, in fact, there's no measurable change on Tuesday. That's an extraordinary hurdle. ... I just hope ultimately she makes an honest appraisal of her chances."
Durbin, asked if party elders will ask HRC to drop out after 3/4: "There won't be pressure on Senator Clinton because all of us respect her and her family and what they brought to America and to the Democratic party. But I hope that there's an honest appraisal of her chances to win the nomination after Tuesday. And having made that appraisal, I hope that -- and only she can make this decision. I hope she'll understand that we need to bring our party together and prepare for a victory in November, which is the ultimate goal" (3/2).
TUESDAY IS D-DAY
Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) was on "Face the Nation":
Asked if he's going to endorse: "Well, not right now. ... And I'm legitimately torn. I had a long history, a positive history with both Clintons. Senator Obama, you know, he inspired me as I was running against him. He's got some unique qualities. ... I think Tuesday is going to be an important day. And by the way, I may still endorse before Tuesday, or I may not. But I just think that D-Day is Tuesday. We have to have a positive campaign after Tuesday. Whoever has the most delegates after Tuesday, a clear lead, should be, in my judgment, the nominee. I think we've got to be ready for a very strong John McCain. Republicans are united right now. They don't have a divisive primary. It looks like the tone of our campaign is heading much too negative. And I want to see us after Tuesday basically come together and see where we are and move on to the general election."
Asked if he's getting pressure from HRC supporters to endorse her: "You know, there are a lot of calls that come in. And there are some people in the Clinton administration, the old administration, that think that I owe the Clintons, because I was appointed to two great jobs. I do have a sense of loyalty to the Clintons, but you know, I did run against Senator Clinton. I think there are broader issues. I paid them back with my loyalty to them."
More Richardson: "I believe, though, that, after Tuesday, if there's a clear indication of a solid lead and delegate count, by voters, not super delegates -- and, by the way, I think there are too many super delegates, 800 of them. They should reduce that number for the next election. It should be voters that decide, based on primary results in various states. But I think, after Tuesday, we, as a party, nationally, voters, leaders, have got to see whether it makes sense to continue a very divisive primary between now and Pennsylvania and then the convention."
Asked if a GOV would make a good VP: "Governors have been the ones that are elected presidents. We haven't elected a senator in over 40 years. I guess we're going to this time. But again, I just think that it should be based on who can be president, not who can get you the most votes" (CBS, 3/2).
TALK OF THE TOWN
There were several other politicos making predictions and talking WH '08 this weekend:
Obama supporter Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), asked if HRC should drop out after 3/4: "Well, that's obviously a decision that the Clinton campaign would have to make under those circumstances. And none of us are going to, you know, suggest what decision she ought to make. But I think the bottom line is, you have to measure the realities. The reality is that Hillary Clinton has to win a big victory in both Ohio and in Texas. It's not just winning a little bit. In order to close the gap on the pledged delegates, she's got to win a very significant victory. I think the Obama campaign -- I know the Obama campaign takes nothing for granted here. This is a fight. These are close races. What the average of those polls tell you is that this is going down to the wire. You have to go out and fight for every vote, and it's going to be that kind of a fight right up until the polls close on Tuesday night."
Kerry, on HRC's 3 a.m. ad: "Hillary Clinton has never received a 3 a.m. in the morning telephone call as a senator or as a first lady. And secondly, when asked, when her campaign was asked, well, what crisis has she ever faced in which she's made a difference in foreign policy, they really couldn't answer. They tried to say, well, she made a speech in China or something like that. The fact is that she had a red phone moment, as Barack Obama said. Her red phone moment was on the war in Iraq, and she chose the Bush course, the wrong course" ("Late Edition," CNN, 3/2).
Karl Rove, on how McCain should campaign against Obama: "What he needs to do with Obama is treat his words as serious. She's been dismissive of his words. McCain needs to treat them as serious. And he needs to not point just to the thinness, but he needs to point to the values, views and actions that those words would lead or have led Obama to. Second of all, he'd need to draw attention to the gap between the rhetoric and the reality. Obama makes two very important claims. He appeals to the desire of Americans to see their leaders in Washington come together in bipartisanship, but he's not done that in the three years that he's been in the Senate" ("Fox News Sunday," 3/2).
Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL), asked if the Dem delegates should be seated: "I think it's very important, though, that those delegates are seated. And I'm hopeful that the national Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee, comes to the conclusion it's the right thing to do. Every vote must count. Every vote should count, and for the Republicans as well. They're not counting half of ours."
Asked if FL should do another voting round: "Well, my preference is, you know, the people of Florida already voted, as you know. ... And I think, you know, their vote should count."
Asked if he would take the VP slot if McCain asked: "Well, he hasn't done that, so I haven't had to answer the question. ... I don't deal in hypotheticals. I have to deal with the here and the now, and what's happening in Florida" ("Late Edition," CNN, 3/2).
DNC Chair Howard Dean, asked if he'll be worried if there's no nominee soon: "The voters are going to do what the voters do. I would like a nominee after the last primary's over, and I think we'll get one."
More Dean: "I don't think I've ever said that if it goes into March and April I'd be worried that we are going to lose. What I have said is if we have a divided convention, then we're really going to have a problem. But look, John McCain is a flawed candidate. Here's a guy who has a typical situation ethicist. He runs on his integrity, but he doesn't seem to have any. We're familiar with the fact that he got on the ballot in Ohio with what now turns out to be false pretenses. He qualified because he was taking public financing, and now he says he's not going to. He doesn't have the permission of the FEC to do that. And just this week, he refused to denounce and reject John Hagee, a militant, anti-Catholic right-wing pastor. John McCain has a history of doing what it takes, regardless of what the ethics of this are. I think he's going to be a flawed candidate. I don't think people want four more years of what essentially is George Bush."
Dean, on superdelegates: "The reason superdelegates are there was not to have a bunch of cigar-smoking people slapping each other on the back choosing the next nominee. It was so that elected officials and party activists could get to the convention without having to run against their own people and push them out of the way. If you're a United States senator and you run an election to be a delegate, you're going to win that. And your own base is going to be disenfranchised by that. We've had conventions where hardly any elected officials have come, and that's why there are superdelegates. If somebody after this convention wants to change the rules and say there should be no superdelegates or fewer superdelegates, that's not a problem. But you can't change the rules. Everybody knew when we came into this campaign that 20 percent of the delegates were superdelegates, and you can't change the rules any more than you can change the rules on Michigan and Florida."
Asked if the FL delegates can be seated at the convo: "We're very willing to listen to the people of Florida. It wasn't their fault that this got done. It was their political leadership, and if they would like to fix that problem so that we could seat Florida without any problems, of course, we'd like to seat Florida" ("Late Edition," CNN, 3/2).
ROUNDTABLE ROUNDUP
The "Fox News Sunday" roundtable discussed WH '08:
Weekly Standard's Kristol, on HRC's 3 a.m. ad: "I think she made the right move strategically. I mean, she has to raise the question of whether Democratic primary voters are comfortable with Barack Obama as commander in chief. And she has a claim that on foreign policy she knows more, she's more experienced, and I think she won't say this more -- she probably should say this more explicitly -- she's more hawkish. I mean, that's the real subtext. And I guess they're just scared to say that in a Democratic primary."
The "Late Edition" roundtable discussed WH '08:
CNN's J. King: "The delegate math is secondary almost to the simple question: Can Senator Hillary Clinton stop Senator Barack Obama's momentum? He has now won 11 in a row. If he can somehow win Ohio and Texas, then there will be a lot of pressure on her to acknowledge the reality that he keeps winning. So, her big, big, big, big challenge right now is simply win those big states. She hopes to add Rhode Island as well. She pretty much concedes Vermont to Obama. If she can win Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas, she resets the race. The delegate math is still difficult. Then we'll start getting into the brokered convention and the superdelegate scenarios. But she'll deal with all that down the road. She needs to stop his momentum first."
The "Meet the Press" roundtable discussed WH '08:
HRC supporter/Dem strategist James Carville: "If she wins in Ohio, and she wins in Texas, President Clinton is right the tenor of the race changes, she has a compelling narrative. She's come back.
GOP strategist Mike Murphy: "There aren't enough delegates. I mean, I'll make a cash money bet right now on Obama."
Dem strategist Bob Shrum: "You know that conference call the other day sort of typified what's gone on. They're putting out this ad with the ringing phone at 3 in the morning, and someone from Slate, I think it was, asked Penn, or asked the whole group of them, 'Can you name a crisis that she's had to deal with, an international crisis?' And there's this long, awkward silence. And you'd think people would have thought in advance that that question might be asked. And the answer finally comes, she's on the Armed Services Committee. Well, you know, the only crisis on the Armed Services Committee is when John McCain loses his temper. It's not an international crisis."
The "This Week" roundtable discussed WH '08:
Dem strategist Donna Brazile, on HRC's 3 a.m. being like Mondale's: "Democrats are big on recycling. Don't forget that. Look, I think at this last hour they're hoping that there's some buyer's remorse out there."
George Will, asked how McCain becomes the candidate of change: "I don't think he can" [EMILY GOODIN].
Posted at 08:43 AM
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