April 30, 2008
Union Leader: Endorsed HRC, Said Nation Needs A Prez With "Testicular Fortitude"
PORTAGE, IN - Hillary Clinton's campaign has worked hard of late to portray her as the fighter in the race, someone with the determination to see her plans through no matter what the obstacles.
In North Carolina yesterday, Gov. Mike Easley raised some eyebrows when he said Clinton was so determined she made "Rocky Balboa look like a pansy." Well, this afternoon, a local labor leader introducing Clinton pushed the envelope further, saying the nation needed a leader "that has testicular fortitude."
While defending Bill Clinton's role in the passage of NAFTA, Paul Gipson, president of a steelworkers local, said that union members need to support a leader who can work to change and improve the trade agreement.
"I truly believe that that's going to take an individual that has testicular fortitude," he said. "That's exactly right. That's what we gotta have."
Clinton, standing behind Gipson, smiled sheepishly before breaking into a nervous laugh.
Gipson then slammed unnamed "Gucci-wearing, latte-drinking, self-centered, egotistical people that have damaged our lifestyle," before endorsing Clinton.
The New York senator had some fun with Gipson's remarks.
"I must say, Paul, I appreciate that endorsement. It means a lot to me," she said. "I do think I have fortitude. Women can have it as well as men."
Many in the crowd roared their approval.
Clinton's remarks focused heavily on trade issues; she offered hearty praise for the role of unions in American history.
"No state needs a president more who understands the importance of manufacturing and the significance of the labor union movement than Indiana," she said. "We've got to fix our trade laws, it's overdue, and we've got to get tough on China. But you can't just make speeches about it, you both have to have a plan to do it, and then you've gotta have the follow-through, so that when we get back to the White House in January 2009, we're going to hit the ground running and we're going to start fixing the economy again."
The event took place after Clinton's much-anticipated interview with FNC's Bill O'Reilly was taped. She referred to it in passing while discussing her plan on taxes.
"I just taped an interview that will be on Fox tonight with Bill O'Reilly," she said, drawing some jeers. "Hey, I'm running for the toughest job in the world," she joked.
"We got into a little back and forth ''cause he said, 'You're going to raise my taxes, aren't you?'" she said. "I said, 'I sure am.' If you make more than $250,000, you're gonna go back to pay the tax rates you paid in the 1990s. Because frankly, I'd rather cut taxes on all of you, and that's exactly what I'll do."
(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)
Posted 04.30.08 04:35 PM | Comments (3)
Hotline TV: Superdelegate Shuffle
Posted 04.30.08 03:44 PM | Comments (1)
Border Crossing
Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL) is organizing a bus trip to Indianapolis this weekend to campaign for Barack Obama and Rep. Andre Carson. The IN-bound group will meet Saturday a.m. at Wallace's Catfish Corner, 2800 W. Madison Street, Chicago, according to a release sent from Davis' campaign office.
Posted 04.30.08 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
She Hasn't Pumped Her Own Gas In Years
SOUTH BEND, IN -- Barack Obama wouldn't debate Hillary Clinton in a flat bed truck. But there she was today, sitting shotgun in one, driving home the argument that her rival doesn't share her concern about the average Joe Six-pack when it comes to fuel prices.
When Clinton's traveling press corps was told late last night that the candidate would be "commuting" to work with a "typical" Hoosier, the questions came rapid-fire. When was the last time Clinton pumped her own gas? When's the last time she even drove? And, most to the point, what was a stunt like this going to prove?
The message of the week, in both North Carolina and Indiana, has been Clinton's plan for a gas tax holiday. So the bit of showmanship was a creative way to keep reporters talking about it -- even as the story line and tepid back-and-forth grew stale.
And like all publicity stunts, it was transparent. The worker, Jason Wilfing, belongs to a union that has endorsed Clinton (though he maintained he is undecided). Rather than Clinton meeting Wilfing at his home, he came to her hotel to pick her up. Wilfing actually lives outside of South Bend in the town of Plymouth, 45-minutes away. Perhaps best of all, he wasn't even driving his own car. He had to borrow the pickup of his supervisor so that Secret Service could come for the ride, too.
"How could I say no to that?" Wilfing said of the invitation to drive the former first lady.
Clinton met with Wilfing's nuclear family - wife, daughter and two sons - at the hotel. Bobbie Wilfing talked about how gas prices have impacted their lives, from the extra costs of driving kids to school to possibly canceling an annual summer trip to Lake Michigan. Who's to blame? Wilfing said, "100 percent George Bush."
"We're ready?" Clinton said after bidding adieu to the wife and kids. The Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup was idling outside, with about a quarter-tank of gas waiting for refueling. Clinton buckled up right away, then drove along with Wilfing, 33, on residential roads, chatting and laughing as they went.
The logistics of the enterprise presented a challenge. Driving ahead of Clinton was a dirty-green GMC truck, with its rear doors lashed open. One network cameraman, shooting for all national outlets, joined local cameraman, two still photographers, and a couple print reporters crammed into the rear to chronicle it all from afar.
Meanwhile, all other outlets huddled outside on the chilly morning at the Marathon station (with some smarter reporters choosing to wait it out inside the mini mart). The campaign had the fill-up choreographed to a T, all the way to which specific pump they would use so that cameras could be in position when they arrived. Within the shot for many was the large sign displaying the $3.75-per-gallon price tag.
After the entire motorcade pulled up, Clinton waited inside just a few moments as Wilfing got out of the passenger side and started the pumping process. With cameras mobbed together, Clinton hopped out of the truck without incident and joined Wilfing at the pump. She seemed very interested in the actual set up, acknowledging later that she hasn't pumped her own gas in years.
For some reason, Clinton chatted with Wilfing so quietly it was as if they were at a library and not an outdoor fueling station. Eventually, a reporter shouted out a question, prompting Clinton to turn and launch into her stump on how the impact of high gas prices has impacted prices across the board for consumers.
"I think it's important we start trying to focus our attention on taking care of people like Mr. Wilfing and his family for a change," she said. "That's my passion in this campaign and going forward, we've gotta start getting our priorities straight. And this is a big wake-up call."
A few more questions followed, with Clinton staying on message, referring occasionally to Wilfing, who stood silently to her side. "This is a very complex problem that somebody needs to start unpacking, and begin to answer questions for people like Mr. Wilfing."
Clinton then shuffled off to go and pay her "exorbitant bill." While inside, she stopped at the coffee machine, struggling a bit to get it working before pouring a French Vanilla cappuccino. She handed the clerk $5 for the $1.23 drink, asking for her support at the same time.
Then back to the car for the final leg of their journey. This time, Clinton got on the phone to do a local radio interview, as Wilfing kept his focus on the road. Later, the car stopped to meet Wilfing's parents, who were waiting on the side of the road. They invited Clinton to check out the house the senior Wilfing had helped build. Clinton asked for a rain check, but said she did want to see some of their "pigs and chickens."
After another short trip, Clinton and Wilfing finally got to work. There, she spoke more at length about her plan to lower gas prices, take on big oil and begin taking steps to pressure OPEC nations to stop manipulating the oil market. She also paid tribute to the sheet metal workers standing alongside her in another pitch for the blue-collar vote.
"These are the people who make it possible for you to live in your homes, go to your workplace, actually live the way that we've gotten used to living in our country, the people who do the hard work," she said. "I don't think we're spending enough time recognizing the contributions of this kind of hard work."
(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)
Posted 04.30.08 02:53 PM | Comments (42)
Expect Another Super D For Obama ...
On Call has learned that Barack Obama's camp will announce another Super D endorsement later today. From California ... Lois Capps.
Capps is, of course, Obama spokesman Bill Burton's mother-in-law. What took him so long to convince her? Or, more likely, she's part of the camp's rainy day Super D stash ...
Posted 04.30.08 12:37 PM | Comments (2)
Obama On MTP This Weekend
Barack Obama gives Tim Russert a full hour of his time this weekend for an interview broadcast live from NBC affiliate WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, IN. Obama's last appearance on the program was December 30, 2007, when the show was broadcast live from Des Moines, IA.
Meanwhile, an interview with Obama and his wife, Michelle, will air tomorrow on Today as part of the "Today on the Trail" series. An excerpt from the interview, conducted by Meredith Vieira, will also air tonight on "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" and on MSNBC.
Posted 04.30.08 12:29 PM | Comments (2)
IN Super D For Obama
Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN), who represents Indiana's 9th District, endorsed Barack Obama today.
"Some have advised me to be cautious, to wait and see which way the electoral winds may blow," Hill said in a statement released by Obama's campaign. "I confess that I have listened to those voices and been tempted by their reasoning. But, the stakes are just too high. We cannot continue to pursue the same politics of personal destruction we have engaged in for a generation, some never-ending “groundhog day” endlessly playing out the cultural wars of forty years ago.
Hill is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Posted 04.30.08 12:21 PM | Comments (1)
Obama Camp Files FEC Complaint Against ALP
Barack Obama's campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against the American Leadership Project, a pro-Hillary Clinton group running an anti-Obama ad in Indiana. Obama's lawyer called the organization "Swift Boat wannabes."
Obama's Chief Counsel Bob Bauer said the group has violated the law by failing to register with the FEC as a political committee so that its donors are disclosed.
Bauer compared ALP to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which in 2004 tarnished Sen. John Kerry's record as a war hero. Bauer said the campaign's FEC complaint aims to curtail the actions of such groups, calling it the first shot against the continuing "Swift boat saga."
He said he hopes the FEC would enforce the law "to send the ultimate message" to other organizations that this kind of action won't be tolerated.
Bauer said any legal defense of the organization would require a great deal of creativity. There is no evidence, he added, that the group's purpose is anything other than to raise money for pro-Clinton efforts.
Bauer did not offer proof that the group is coordinating with the Clinton campaign, but suggested an investigation would determine if or to what extent that has taken place.
If the FEC does not investigate the allegations, Bauer added, he said he hoped the matter would be referred to the Department of Justice.
The ALP, which the Obama camp calls a "so-called 527 political group led by Jason Kinney, the son of one of Hillary Clinton’s Indiana state co-chairs" is airing an economy-focused ad that uses images of worried people with bills, houses with a "For sale" sign in front. The ad asks viewers to call the senator and tell him to "give Hoosiers a real plan to fix our economy."
(NBC/NJ's ATHENA JONES)
Posted 04.30.08 11:07 AM | Comments (1)
AFL-CIO Mailer Hits McCain, Drops In PA Today, Targets Reagan Dems
The AFL-CIO is dropping a tough mailer in PA today noting that while John McCain's war service is admirable, his political views -- on the Bush tax cuts, NAFTA and overtime pay, in particular -- are out of sync with the needs and values of working Americans.
"John McCain? War hero? Absolutely," the mailer reads. "Voice for working families? No way."
The piece has been sent so far this cycle to more than 400,000 swing voters, notably those much-courted Reagan Democrats living in OH, WI, MI and MN. The mailer features a photo of Jim Wasser, a Navy vet who served with John Kerry in Vietnam and was active in 2004 in countering efforts to muddy the Democratic nominee's war record.
Wasser, a resident of Saint Anne, IL, has been a member of IBEW 176 since 1970. He's an IBEW contractor with Ruder Electric Inc. in Kankakee.
"That's me, and I'm telling the truth," said Wasser, 61, who is retiring this year. "I'm concerned about what is happening to my brothers and sisters that I'm leaving behind, and I mean all working people, not just union people."
McCain, Wasser said, is "not for working men and women. No ma'am, I can't take another eight years."
Wasser said he's not worried that other vets will see his vocal opposition to McCain as traitorous. "That war was 40 years ago," he said. "You'll never forget where you've been, but we have to go on and look at the issues of today. This is about his views on working men and women. It's certainly not about his service. I would never go after a man's service."
Wasser did a lot of press for Kerry in 2004. He was also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, where he read his state's roll call votes for Kerry. Wasser was in the Navy for four years, completing three tours in Vietnam. He was the first leading petty officer on Kerry's swift boat.
"We broke Kerry in," he said.
Karen Ackerman, the AFL-CIO's political director, said Wasser's views of McCain are shared by many in the union community.
"Jim Wasser is echoing a sentiment we're hearing more often from working people -- we respect Sen. McCain's service to our country but on the issues that really matter to our families, he's not standing with us," Ackerman said. "Sen. McCain has chosen to side with lobbyists and corporate interests and against working families on important issues like health care, jobs and trade. That's just not the kind of leadership America's workers are looking for to turn around our failing economy."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.30.08 11:07 AM | Comments (2)
"Maya"
New Hillary Clinton ad features celebrated poet Maya Angelou. The 60-second spot will run in NC. It is special, by anyone's measure. And it poaches a key element of Barack Obama's message, that Americans have more in common than not.
"She intends to help our country become what it can become," Angelou says in the ad. "She dares to say human beings are more alike than we are unalike."
Full script after the jump.
"Maya"
TV :60
Maya Angelou: Hillary Clinton is a prayer of every American who really longs for fair play.
Working men and women have had their jobs snatched from underneath them, their homes snatched away from them. And what we need, I think, is a person, a President who can make a difference in our country.
She intends to help our country become what it can become. She dares to say human beings are more alike than we are unalike.
I watched her become interested in public health and in education for all the children.
And I watched her stand.
I have found the person I think would be the best president for the United States of America.
Hillary Clinton: I'm Hillary Clinton and I approved this message.
Posted 04.30.08 10:50 AM | Comments (5)
One For Me, One For You
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each snagged another Super D today.
Bill George, a PA Super D and president of the PA AFL-CIO, is backing HRC.
“Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience to jumpstart the economy and rebuild the middle class,” George said in a statement released by the Clinton camp. “Working families in Pennsylvania overwhelmingly favored her in last week’s primary, and I feel that she is our strongest candidate to carry Pennsylvania in November and win back the White House.”
Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) will endorse Obama during a 2:30 p.m. call with reporters.
Posted 04.30.08 10:21 AM | Comments (0)
A Folksy Bill Moment
"I once cracked a joke that being president is like managing a cemetery. You got a lot of people underneath, but nobody's listening."
--Bill Clinton today in Apex, NC
Posted 04.30.08 10:13 AM | Comments (1)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates
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 04.30.08 09:51 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- The Breaking Point
Talk of Rev. Jeremiah Wright continued. Last night's TV focused on Barack Obama's presser. Obama: "In some ways, what Reverend Wright said yesterday directly contradicts everything that I've done during my life. ... I do not see that relationship being the same after this" (mult.).
CNN's Brown: "It has been 43 days ... since Barack Obama first attempted to dampen the whole Jeremiah Wright scandal with his race speech. In an election year, 43 days is a lifetime. And some say the fact that it took Obama so long to emphatically denounce his former pastor shows just how difficult this decision must have been for him" ("Election Center," 4/29).
Roll Call's Kondracke, asked if Obama's criticism helps put Wright out of the picture: "It depends partly on whether Reverend Wright gets out of the bathtub like the famous woman in 'Fatal Attraction' for the last stabbing. ... The idea that he's going to go and have a face to face interview with Kim Jong Il when he has been in this guy's church for 20 years and can't size him up, I think that's naive" ("Special Report," FNC, 4/29).
NBC's Todd, on whether Obama had to "divorce" Wright: "I think he had to, and ... look, you can't divorce politics from this. I mean, clearly, they saw some movements, some problems in the campaign, whether it's Indiana, North Carolina. And he had to look like he could stand up to his pastor. I mean, let's remember we're electing a commander-in-chief. If you can't stand up to your pastor on views you don't agree with, are you going to stand up to another world leader?" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/29).
Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tucker: "Note that Senator Obama in today's press conference repeatedly used words like 'performance' and 'spectacle.' After Reverend Wright's decision to go on tour over the weekend and further inflame the controversy that had already ignited over his previous remarks, Senator Obama had absolutely no choice to do what he did today and to go further than he had in the past" ("NewsHour," PBS, 4/29).
After the jump, more Wright and Bill O'Reilly prepares for his interview with HRC (KATHERINE LEHR).
CNN's Crowley, on Obama's presser: "It was really personal. ... The room was very tense. It was very interesting to me. And this is a very cool guy. He rarely shows emotions. Sometimes, he's a little snippy with the press corps, but, beyond that, you hardly ever see him break a sweat, as they say. Today, he was alternately just looked really devastated by this, particularly when he was asked, well, what's your relationship now. ... But he was also really angry. You could almost see him seething" ("AC 360," 4/29).
Karl Rove: "What I thought was interesting was Senator Obama drew three statements out that he found particularly unattractive about Wright: AIDS, Farrakhan, and terrorism. And yet ... all of those statements had been made in the past, some of them in multiple times in different variations by Reverend Wright over a course of years. And yet, Senator Obama took umbrage at their repetition yesterday. Did he not take umbrage the first time that Reverend Wright talked about those things years ago?" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 4/29).
MSNBC's Matthews, on whether Obama denounced Wright fast enough: "He was a little slow on the trigger but he did it today, conclusively. ... The damage between them is real, it's personal. ... I don't think he could have gone much further, but I think he could have been a little faster" ("Verdict," 4/29).
LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS
Meanwhile, CNN's Brown caught up with John McCain, and asked him about the latest comments by Wright and Obama.
McCain, asked if Rev. Wright is a legitimate political issue in this campaign: "I believe that that's a subject between Senator Obama and the American people. I have made it very clear that I don't believe that Reverend Wright reflects the views of Senator Obama, and I don't have anything more to say about it."
Ex-Romney nat'l press sec. Kevin Madden, on McCain remaining "tight-lipped" about Rev. Wright: "There's an old saying in politics that if your opponent is about to commit suicide, whatever you do, do not murder him. So, you know, I think the Republicans right now have to just sit back and let Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright be the story on its own. There's not a whole lot of need to put any fingerprints on this" ("Election Center," CNN, 4/29).
THE FUN FACTOR
On last night's "O'Reilly Factor," FNC's O'Reilly asked Karl Rove what he should ask Hillary Clinton in his upcoming interview with her. The interview is set to air tonight and 5/1.
Rove: "I'd first ask her ... when you went to the United States Senate, you made a deliberate effort to reach out across party lines and work with Republicans on issues, particularly in the Armed Services Committee where you served. Why did you let Senator Obama begin his campaign and make a central element of it, his desire for bipartisanship and remain silent about your efforts at bipartisanship?"
O'Reilly: "That question is way too smart for me. ... I have really stupid questions, but they're fun" (4/29).
Posted 04.30.08 09:09 AM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2008
WJC: On Offense, Defensively
BOONE, NC -- In the North Carolina college town that is home to one of football's greatest upsets, Bill Clinton was quick today to paint his wife as an underdog, and as a defensive player.
"Most of what people have said in this campaign is wrong, including who's been more positive and who's been more negative," said Clinton in an address to over 2,000 at Appalachian State University. "She's talked relentlessly about the solutions. She won in Pennsylvania after being hit with negative ad after negative ad after negative ad, and negative letters. And all she did was respond."
Clinton opened his remarks with a shoutout to the school's football team, which famously defeated the University of Michigan in a stunning 2007 upset.
"I think it will have special meaning here if I begin with a line I always say today," he said. "Whenever somebody tells you you can't win, it's because they're afraid you will."
(NBC/NJ's CARRIE DANN)
Posted 04.29.08 07:08 PM | Comments (3)
"Trouble"
New Hillary Clinton spot up tonight in NC and IN hits Barack Obama for being unwilling to suspend the gas tax this summer.
Posted 04.29.08 07:03 PM | Comments (1)
Return Of The Mack
A trail note of interest to those counting the lobbyists and former lobbyists in John McCain's orbit:
Former U.S. Sen.
According to the official site of the Florida Legislature, Mack is registered in 2008 to lobby for Prestige Health Choice, a Florida company. The co. is "filing to become approved by the state of Florida as a Provider Service Network," and according to a company release dated Nov. 16, 2007, "Prestige will first provide Medicaid managed care services to Florida residents."
So, wait, let's review: McCain held an event today to roll out his health care policy during which he was introduced by a former U.S. Senator, and friend, who is now a lobbyist for the health care industry.
The McCain campaign lobbied On Call feverishly to tank the post. Spokesman Tucker Bounds said this item "borders on ludicrous, absurd and ridiculous."
“Breaking news Hotline readers, former U.S. Senator Connie Mack introduced colleague and friend John McCain today at the non-profit Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, where just-so-happens, Senator Mack chairs the board of directors," Bounds said in an email. "Holy smokes readers, On Call on the case!”
But it seems suspect to us that McCain, who is already struggling to counter the image that he's too cozy with lobbyists, wouldn't think twice before allowing a health care lobbyist to introduce him on the very day he debuts his health care proposal. Let Mack sit quietly in the audience -- or, heaven forbid, pick another location for the rollout.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.29.08 05:01 PM | Comments (1)
Hotline TV: Swingers!
Posted 04.29.08 04:54 PM | Comments (0)
Obama On Wright: "He Doesn't Know Me Very Well"
Barack Obama today, seeking to counter the statements made yesterday in Washington by his former preacher, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright:
"His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the Black Church," he said. "They certainly don’t portray accurately my values and beliefs, and if Rev. Wright thinks that’s political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well, and based on his remarks yesterday, well, I may not know him as well as I thought either."
Posted 04.29.08 04:49 PM | Comments (2)
Chandler For Obama
Another Super D for Barack Obama. Rep. Ben Chandler of KY endorsed the IL Sen today.
"Today I am pleased to announce my support and to offer my endorsement to Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States," Chandler said in a statement released by the campaign. "I have listened to this man, I have met with him and like many of you, I am inspired by his message of change and of hope for our future. But more importantly, I am convinced Barack Obama will provide the steady hand and leadership we need to chart a new path for our nation."
Posted 04.29.08 03:01 PM | Comments (3)
"What Will The Edwardses Do?"
The New York Times asks the question today -- and in so doing suggests that Elizabeth Edwards is firmly in Hillary Clinton's camp.
Edwards family endorsement scenarios, as posited by the NYT:
Joint endorsement
Split endorsement -- one for HRC, one for Barack Obama
John Edwards is holding out for a veep offer (On Call Aside: v. unlikely)
JRE is holding out for a Cabinet offer (On Call Aside: much more likely)
He'll endorse after there's a nom
He wants to know first that his pick to be loser-proof
More:
"Many of Mr. Edwards’s supporters in North Carolina have been quietly pressing him to endorse Mr. Obama, and a large group of them, led by Ed Turlington, his campaign chairman during the last presidential race, came forward publicly last week to support Mr. Obama.
"On the other hand, Mrs. Edwards, her husband’s closest and most trusted adviser, has made it clear that she favors Mrs. Clinton; aides said she had recently tried to persuade Mr. Edwards to do the same.
"Even if he remains neutral, Mrs. Edwards’s endorsement would carry weight, some voters suggested. "
Posted 04.29.08 11:08 AM | Comments (3)
Too Chicken To Debate?
INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Those cries by Hillary Clinton loyalists for a Dem debate in the May 6th states haven't died down, as evidenced last night by a report on the local news.
With a band of like-minded area Clinton supporters, Dannie Chandler rented a yellow limousine, attached a chicken head to its roof and parked the avian display in front of the Obama office field office.
"He's just a chicken if he doesn't want a debate," Chandler, 64, said when reached via phone.
About 10 volunteers stood outside Obama's office for an hour and a half yesterday in the pouring rain, holding signs that read: "Too Chicken To Debate?" and "Running Scared In Indiana." Chandler and his poultry brood had to wear yellow parkas to protect themselves from the pouring rain.
"And we kinda looked like chickens, too," he chuckled.
(NBC/NJ's ASWINI ANBURAJAN)
Posted 04.29.08 10:36 AM | Comments (10)
And McCain Answers ...
With a new health care spot running in Iowa. In it, John McCain says his approach to health care policy can be characterized "by choice and competition, affordability and availability." He promises a $5K refundable tax credit so that people can cross state lines to find "the insurance policy that suits them best."
Script For "Health Care Action" (:60)
JOHN MCCAIN: The problem with health care in America is not the quality of health care, it's the availability and the affordability. And that has to do with the dramatic increase in the cost of health care.
Let's give every American family a $5,000 refundable tax credit so that they can go out across state lines and get the insurance policy that suits them best.
I can characterize my approach on health care by choice and competition, affordability and availability.
We need community health centers. We need walk-in clinics. We understand that emergency room care is the most expensive in America.
There's many, many solutions to this problem. I think we can address them. The fundamental problem is not the quality of health care; it's the cost of health care. So health care must be made affordable and available.
I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
Posted 04.29.08 10:28 AM | Comments (0)
SEIU Slams McCain's Health Care Plan In OH/DC Ad
In a new ad called "Feeling The Pain," the SEIU slams John McCain for opposing measures that would mitigate rising health care costs.
"Like President Bush, John McCain won't stop rising health care costs," a narrator says. The ad notes McCain's opposition to allowing seniors to buy prescriptions through Medicare and mentions his support for Bush's decision not to renew the children's health insurance program known as SCHIP.
The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, criticized Barack Obama for not denouncing the SEIU spot. “Barack Obama’s wishy-washy position on special interests is the sort of ‘old politics’ voters are sick of," said party spokesman Alex Conant. "What happened to the candidate who used to denounce these sorts of independent political attacks?”
McCain is in Florida today talking about his health care policy. Meanwhile, SEIU, as On Call readers know, has 1.9 million members and is the largest health care union.
Posted 04.29.08 10:15 AM | Comments (3)
Gov. Easley Makes It Official
RALEIGH, NC – Gov. Mike Easley made his endorsement official this morning, saying that Hillary Clinton is a fighter who “makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy.”
“There’s a lot of ‘yes we can’ and ‘yes we should’ going around,” he said. “Hillary Clinton is ready to deliver. That’s the difference.”
Clinton said she was honored to have Easley’s endorsement, calling it “politically very meaningful.” But more, she said the example Easley had shown in his two terms as governor that he “gets it” as well, and in his administration has shown how state governments “truly are the labs of democracy.”
And she quoted former Gov. Mario Cuomo’s famous line, that you “campaign in poetry but you govern in prose.”
“I think that’s pretty descriptive,” she said. “Because when the lights are gone, and the cameras are off, and the speeches are over, what you want is somebody who delivers results. And sometimes that’s not very glamorous, and it takes a lot of work, and some false starts, and frustration. Bringing everybody together doesn’t necessarily mean they will all agree. It takes a leadership to set a vision, to put forth the goals and the strategies. That’s what Gov. Easley has done in North Carolina. That’s what I will do as your president. And I am honored to have this endorsement today.”
Easley and Clinton toured a biotech lab earlier today on the campus of North Carolina State University. Clinton credited Easley’s administration for policies that have put it third in the nation in the field.
“We don’t need any more postition papers we don’t need any more commissions," she said. "Work is being done in states, a state like North Carolina. We just need to bring it to scale for the United States, and I will do that as president.”
(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)
Posted 04.29.08 10:10 AM | Comments (2)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates
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 04.29.08 09:53 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- Wrighting A Wrong?
Last night's TV was dominated by talk of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's public appearances, and whether they will hurt Barack Obama.
Washington Post's Dionne: "The biggest problem for Obama is that he has wanted to transcend the old racial divide in the country. And the Reverend Wright controversy kind of pulls us back to the late '60s or early '70s" ("NewsHour," PBS, 4/28).
Bill Richardson: "I think Senator Obama dealt with that issue. I don't believe that Reverend Wright deserves the coverage that he seems to be getting and the controversy that he's generating. ... We should just push him aside and focus on the differences between the two candidates" ("Situation Room," CNN, 4/28).
Newt Gingrich: "I thought the most devastating thing [Wright] said today at the National Press Club was that he actually prayed with the family in the basement just before the announcement. And the reason I thought it was devastating is that it's clear that Senator Obama can't decide what the relationship is. Is this somebody he's proud of and he wants next to him or is this somebody who he can cut loose from?" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 4/28).
Obama strategist David Axelrod, on Wright's appearances: "Well, I must say, it wouldn't be my first choice. ... I think Reverend Wright felt that he had been done a disservice in the process, and he decided to go public and he did. And, frankly, the news media was very eager to accommodate that. He had three hours on the cable stations last night, full coverage this morning and so on. So he's gotten himself quite a platform. ... Obviously, you know, it isn't helpful, and I don't think it necessarily meant to be helpful" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/28).
After the jump, more Wright and HRC's endorsement in NC (KATHERINE LEHR).
Axelrod, asked if Obama is going to speak out and separate his views: "I think where appropriate, he'll do that. I don't think we're going to spend the next week talking about Jeremiah Wright. ... We would really be doing a disservice to the people of Indiana, North Carolina and this country if we allow ourselves to get drawn into this side show for the next week. We're not going to let that happen" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/28).
Mike Huckabee: "What he's doing is making it awfully difficult for Barack Obama to convince people that sitting in that pew for 20 years, hearing stuff like that, didn't have some impact on him. He's taking ... an election that was rising above race and has turned into an election that's nothing but race. And it's really unfortunate. I think Reverend Wright has gotten a taste of the limelight, he's enjoying it, he refuses to leave the stage, someone needs to turn off the lights, grab the hook and tell him it's time to go back to Chicago and pass out food to people" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 4/28).
There was also talk of John McCain's reaction to the Wright coverage.
Axelrod: "Senator McCain has always held himself out as someone who is above all of that. And he's really leaped in with both feet. This ad that's running in North Carolina is under the auspices of the Republican Party there. He's the leader of the Republican Party. If he didn't want that ad to run, it wouldn't be running. So, he's really defining himself through this period. And I don't think people are going to see that as consistent with the kind of person and the kind of politician that he purports to be" ("Election Center," CNN, 4/28).
FNC's Cameron: "Don't expect McCain to fire at will. For now, he's happy to let Hillary take the shots and save his own ammunition for the general election when aides say the Wright issue will be very much alive if Obama's the nominee" ("Special Report," 4/28).
Jimmy Carter, on whether McCain will use it against Obama in the general: "He might, but I think that's going to be old history by the time the general election comes around" ("LKL," CNN, 4/28).
CAROLINA ON HER MIND
And Hillary Clinton will receive the endorsement of NC Gov. Mike Easley (D) later today.
Newsweek's Alter: "I just frankly don't know what Easley's organization is like in North Carolina. But it's obviously, you know, a good pickup for Hillary Clinton. She's in good position in the expectations game there because almost everybody else in North Carolina and the congressional delegation, even the old Edwards folks are on the Obama team. So, this is something that she needed if she wants to be competitive there" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 4/28).
CNBC's Harwood: "He's a conservative Democrat. He speaks to a lot of the target voters that she's trying to get to. He's also urged Obama to debate. ... This is a very good thing for Hillary Clinton. I don't think it's worth 10 or 12 points, though, which is what she needs" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 4/28).
Posted 04.29.08 08:54 AM | Comments (3)
April 28, 2008
FDR Would've Expected More
Marketing exec. Jim Hannagan last month founded Florida Demands Representation (FDR for short), a grassroots group formed to petition the DNC over its decision to ban the FL delegation. FDR volunteers have already collected about 100K signatures en route to their goal of 1.5M. The organization held rallies in eight cities on 4/25, and, tomorrow, 10 busloads of disgruntled Floridians will picket Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington.
Hannagan is so passionate about his cause that he's donated more than $10K of his own money to FDR. He even flew down from his second home in MA just to vote in FL's 1/29 primary. "[American colonists] fought in blizzards, without shoes, with bloody feet ... for a principle," he told the St. Petersburg Times last month.
Well, so much for principles: the Times reported this weekend that there's no record of Hannagan voting. No record of him at an early voting site or his Palm Harbor precinct, no request for an absentee ballot or required signature in the voting book. "The records are wrong," he insisted.
(Hotline staff writer CHRIS BODENNER)
Posted 04.28.08 09:17 PM | Comments (1)
Obama On Wright: "He Does Not Speak For Me"
WILMINGTON, NC -- In a hastily-arranged press conference next to the whirring engine of his 757 Monday afternoon, Barack Obama spoke about his controversial former pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Wright is back in the news today after delivering a fierce defense of himself and the ideas he has put forth in which he argued that mainstream America did not understand the black church.
Obama did not address the content of Wright's remarks to the National Press Club in Washington today, instead restating his view that he found some of the pastor's remarks offensive but that the man whose church he has attended for 20 years haa a right to speak his own mind.
"He does not speak for me," Obama said. "He does not speak for the campaign, and so he may make statements in the future that don’t reflect my values or concerns," the senator told reporters who strained to hear him on the loud tarmac.
Obama said he would remain focused on the issues voters ask him about, such as how to deal with lost jobs and high gas prices. He said voters had not mentioned Wright to him. He argued, as he did earlier today, that his rivals were trying to distract the American people and make this election about him.
"Obviously, what people like John McCain are now doing is, not being on the strong side of the issues, have decided they're gonna try to make this campaign about me," he said.
He said voters could separate him from his associates.
"I think people will understand that I am not perfect and that, you know, there are gonna be, you know, folks in my past, like Rev. Wright, that may cause them some concern but that ultimately, you know, my 20 years of service and the values that I've written about and spoken about and promoted are their values and what they're concerned about, and that's what this campaign has been about and what its going to continue to be about," he said.
Obama also reacted to a Supreme Court ruling today that would allow states to require that voters show a valid photo ID at the polls, arguing that it discourages turnout and that there was no evidence of voter fraud to justify requiring such measures.
"There are a lot of seniors who don't have photo IDs," he said. "There are a lot of low-income people that don't have photo IDs. The fact that they may cost money means that some people will choose not get them and are less likely to vote. I disagree with the decision, but we're going to do everything that we can in our campaign, and I trust that not only the Democratic Party but fair-minded Republicans are gonna do whatever they can at the state levels to make sure that people are able to exercise the franchise. "
(NBC/NJ's ATHENA JONES)
Posted 04.28.08 06:00 PM | Comments (5)
AP: NC Guv Easley To Endorse Clinton
A person close to NC Gov. Mike Easley told the AP this afternoon that he will endorse Hillary Clinton. Easley, a Super D, "would be just the second superdelegate from North Carolina to endorse Clinton," reports the AP. "Six of the state's 17 superdelegates have endorsed Obama."
NC votes May 6.
Posted 04.28.08 05:13 PM | Comments (0)
HRC: "If You Had My Life, You'd Be Tough, Too"
SALISBURY, NC - Hillary Clinton used her latest proposal to tackle raising oil prices to portray herself as the fighter in the race, telling a few hundred people at a local train station that she'd be their champion in the White House.
Clinton unveiled a plan this morning to tax oil company "windfall" profits to pay for a gas tax holiday, which she said would provide needed relief for working class Americans struggling to pay their bills. Here, she also discussed plans to create new jobs in a push to move toward energy independence, while outlining tough tactics she'd employ against oil producing countries to keep prices in line.
"None of this is easy to do, but I don't think we have a choice," she said. "We can continue to be at the mercy of the ... oil countries, which will mean that our standard of living will continue to decline. We will not recognize America. We will not recognize the American middle class. So we can either say, OK, fine we'll just kind of go along and, you know, elect somebody who's nice or elect somebody who's gonna continue the Bush policies. Or we can elect somebody who's gonna fight for you. That is the choice in this election."
Amid cheers, she said she's that fighter.
"Now, I know there are some people who say, 'Oh my goodness she is tough,'" she said. "Well, if you'd had my life you'd be tough, too."
Clinton urged those in the crowd to vote early, before Friday's deadline. And in closing, added one last dig at her Democratic opponent.
"I wish it were true that you could go to Washington and say, 'I want everybody to come together and just agree with me, and then let's just make these changes, because we all know we're supposed to do it,'" she said. "I wish it were that simple. Because, boy, we sure could make change in a hurry."
(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)
Posted 04.28.08 04:59 PM | Comments (3)
RNC Calls On Cable Nets To Pull DNC's "100" Ad
Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. Duncan called today on CNN and MSNBC to pull a new Democratic National Committee ad criticizing John McCain's support for the Iraq war, saying it was coordinated with the Democratic candidates' campaigns. The RNC also asserted that the spot misrepresents McCain's comment about troop occupation in Iraq for 100 years.
"Clearly, this ad is just another attempt by the DNC to mischaracterize and distort Senator McCain’s positions and statements," Duncan said in a statement. "It is unquestionable that the DNC is deliberately misleading the American people about what Senator McCain actually said. I hope that any network would consider their responsibility to protect the American people from deliberately false and misleading content."
DNC chairman Howard Dean flatly denied the charge of coordination with the campaigns. In a conference call a few moments ago with reporters, he said he hasn't spoken with either candidate or their teams about the ad. He also said the party "deliberately used John McCain's words" in the spot so there would be no question about the spot's veracity.
"We simply don't believe the American people want to stay in Iraq for 100 years whether it's as a peacekeeping force or at war," he said. "... Sen. McCain said what he said he said -- we should be in Iraq for 100 years. I think that was a very foolish position to take."
As for the RNC's threats to sue, Dean said, "Let them do it. I understand the RNC thinks it's illegal to criticize John McCain."
DNC General Counsel Joe Sandler said the spot was offered to FNC, too, and that he's gotten "no indication at all from the networks that they have any intention at all of pulling down this ad."
The RNC, meanwhile, has posted an online petition urging the nets to yank the spot.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.28.08 04:19 PM | Comments (4)
Fueling The Gas Tax Feud
WILMINGTON, NC – Barack Obama spent much of his speech at a town hall here on the Carolina coast focusing on economic issues, but he launched his talk by urging voters to hit the polls early. As early as today, in fact.
"You don’t have to wait until Election Day to vote," he said. "You can vote right after you leave this rally. You don’t even have to be registered yet. You can go and register and vote all in one stop and you can do that before Saturday."
Polls show the Illinois senator leads Hillary Clinton in the Tar Heel State. But exit polling from the contests he lost in PA and OH also reveal he is having trouble making inroads with blue-collar voters and those without a college degree, voters who are concerned about the kitchen-table issues his rival has emphasized.
Over the weekend in IN, Obama talked extensively about gas prices, lost jobs, healthcare and paying for college. Today in NC, he spoke about Americans who are working harder and harder to get by, who are struggling to pay for food and college. He said many people feel like the American Dream is slipping away. He also said that when he talks about the need to change the way politics is done in Washington, he is "“being very specific.” It’s another favorite line of his rival, one Clinton uses to paint him as more rhetoric than action, a criticism he has increasingly sought to address in his stump speech.
Obama also hit back at John McCain for criticizing him for not supporting a gas tax holiday the Arizona senator has proposed.
"He had the gall yesterday to tell me that obviously because I didn’t agree with his plan I must not be sympathetic to poor people,” Obama said. “That’s what he said. This is at the same time that he is proposing hundreds of billion of dollars of more tax breaks for corporate interests, to the wealthiest Americans, and he doesn’t explain how it is that we are going to replace the highway trust fund. That’s where your gasoline tax goes to rebuild roads and bridges and put people to back to work right here in North Carolina. So but, you see, here’s the thing, that’s typical of how Washington works.”
The McCain camp was quick to respond.
"It’s clear Barack Obama’s not strong enough to provide immediate relief at the pump, and it shows he doesn’t understand our economy or have the ability to deliver for hardworking Americans," McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said in an email. "Senator Obama’s arguments against John McCain’s gas tax holiday are complete fiction, and the reality is that he used to support a gas tax holiday before he was running for President."
Negativity in the campaign
The senator said his opponents were trying to raise questions about him and his values.
"Sometimes we get sucked into this whole negative thing,” he told the crowd. "You know people throw elbows at you, you start feeling like ‘Oh, I gotta throw an elbow back.’ So I noticed over the last several weeks, I told this to my team, you know, we – we – we’re starting to sound like other folks, starting to run the same negative stuff. You know, And – and – and it shows, you know, that none of us are immune from this kind of politics. But the problem is that it doesn’t help you.”
He promised to focus on voters for the next nine days, the months between now and November, and even over the next nine years, to laughter and applause.
An 82-year-old woman in the audience seemed to agree, eliciting thunderous applause during the Q+A portion of the event when she urged Obama not to attack his rival.
"Don’t hit on Hillary, (it) brings us all down," she said. "Let her do that stuff. Leave her alone. You don’t need to do that. You are higher than that. Bring us up higher than that."
The senator spoke for about 38 minutes and then spent about 45 minutes taking questions on topics ranging from foreign policy to how to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina to his faith and patriotism. He entered the stadium to loud cheering and chants of ‘Yes we can’, but no music, a bid to tone down the “rock star” feel of his events in order to make it easier for him to connect with voters.
(NBC/NJ's ATHENA JONES)
Posted 04.28.08 03:50 PM | Comments (3)
Hotline TV: The Wright Effect Down Ballot
Posted 04.28.08 03:24 PM | Comments (3)
Bingaman For Obama
NM Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a Super D, endorsed Barack Obama today, saying that he has the ability to help the country find "common ground" on a number of pressing issues.
“Our nation faces a daunting number of critical challenges: reasserting America’s leadership in the world, meeting our needs for energy independence, addressing global warming, making healthcare accessible and affordable, positioning our economy to effectively compete globally, and extricating ourselves from the war in Iraq, to name a few," Bingaman said in a statement released by the campaign. “To make progress, we must rise above the partisanship and the issues that divide us to find common ground. We must move the country in a dramatically new direction."
Posted 04.28.08 03:15 PM | Comments (3)
A Folksy Bill Moment
President Clinton campaigning in Carmel, IN, today gives us the first installment of 'A Folksy Bill Moment' ...
"I don't know if you heard Gen. Petreaus, our military commander. He came a few months ago to the Congress and to the president and said, 'Give me more troops. I will take the level of violence down, I will create for them the space they need to make those hard decisions.' ... This time he comes to the Congress, and his testimony is, 'I got the troops, I took the violence down, I made them space, and they didn't make the decisions. There's no end game here, but you guys just have to hang in there, and we'll see what happens.'
"Her position is they will never make those hard decisions until it's clear that the blank check they've been given is coming to an end. Think about your own life. Most people don't make hard decisions until they have to, right? How many times do you wait for the night before an exam before you start studying? Just think about why they always try to get you to agree to the next appointment before you get out the door of the dentist office. Just think about it. Now, I'm 61 years old. I still don't like anyone sticking a needle in my gums. And that's a lot easier than the decisions the Iraqis have to make."
Posted 04.28.08 01:50 PM | Comments (3)
"Blowing Smoke"
A Center for American progress conference call held today about John McCain's healthcare proposal featured Elizabeth Edwards, who has said McCain's plan would not cover cancer survivors like her.
On ABC's 'This Week' two Sundays ago, McCain said he would establish a "special Medicaid trust fund set up to help take care for those people who have preexisting conditions." He said five chronic diseases account for more than 70 percent of the healthcare costs in America, but he did not specify if his "trust fund" would cover related costs.
During today's CAP call, Edwards said that the costs associated with McCain's proposal would be "enormous."
"If he's talking about expanding Medicaid to cover chronic conditions...he is talking about the most radical expansion of government healthcare that has been proposed that I know of," Edwards said.
She added that if McCain does not plan on expanding Medicaid, than such a fund would demand drastic cuts in the services provided to current Medicaid recipients. But neither option seems feasible, she said, and McCain's plan amounts to "blowing smoke."
Noting that McCain, who is in FL today talking about health care, has been covered most of his life by Naval healthcare, Edwards said that McCain "has never been out in the market he's talking about." She said that "there are a lot of Americans who are out in the market...and what they're finding out is that health insurance is unaffordable."
McCain's plan involves - as he often says - letting "families make the decisions" on healthcare, which means that he favors an open market solution that is intended to allow competition to drive prices down.
(NBC/NJ's ADAM AIGNER-TREWORGY)
Posted 04.28.08 01:14 PM | Comments (1)
AP/Ipsos: Clinton Has Better Shot At Besting McCain
A new AP/Ipsos survey shows Hillary Clinton defeating John McCain by a wider margin than Barack Obama.
HRC leads McCain, 50% to 41%, while Obama remains virtually tied with McCain, 46% to 44%.
Posted 04.28.08 12:42 PM | Comments (5)
Of Flag Pins And Reverends
Barack Obama's Dem and GOP rivals were asked today to comment about two matters that continue to dog him on the trail: the flag pin controversy and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Both issues, of course, have provided fodder in the past for Obama's critics, who charge he is not patriotic, that he doesn't love his country enough to be its commander-in-chief.
Here's John McCain today commenting about the pin, pre NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy:
"A lot of times I like to wear one when I'm in a state that there's pins that have the state flag and the American flag together. It's kind of a nice thing to do. A lot of times I do not. I think that it's a good thing to wear and display the American flag in any way we can to show our patriotism, but I don't criticize Sen. Obama for not doing it."
Doesn't mean the GOP won't criticize the IL Sen plenty in the general for his bare lapels.
Here then, per NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli, is Hillary Clinton not taking the bait today when asked if her campaign will make an issue of Wright's latest appearances. She also jabs McCain for not doing more to sink the NCGOP's "Extreme" ad:
"Well, I have said that that was a personal decision of his. I answered one question about it. That made it clear I would not have stayed in that church under those circumstances. But I regret the efforts by the Republicans to politicize this matter. And I believe that if Sen. McCain was serious he would do more than send a letter. He is the putative nominee. I think he could very clearly tell the North Carolina party, tell the Mississippi party that he would not tolerate those kinds of advertisements and I am waiting to see whether he does that."
Posted 04.28.08 12:23 PM | Comments (1)
Preening
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright spent an hour this a.m. at the National Press Club answering questions about his sermons, political views and most famous parishioner. With each new appearance, he must know he's hurting Barack Obama, who is working feverishly to connect with the white working class in NC and IN before those states vote. Wright was interviewed last week by Bill Moyers and spoke at the Detroit NAACP dinner this weekend.
It's hard to know if Wright's re-emergence is evidence of his vanity or a sincere desire to address questions about his character and the mission of his ministry. Probably some combination of the two. Still, his disposition this morning -- cocky, glib -- was of man enjoying his more than 15 minutes, and little concerned about how his media tour could affect Obama's campaign.
A moderator asked Wright if he understands that many people view his sermons as unpatriotic. "How do you feel about America and about being an American?" she said.
"I feel that those citizens who say that have never heard my sermons, nor do they know me," he said. "They are unfair accusations taken from soundbites and that which is looped over and over again on certain channels. I served six years in the military. Does that make me patriotic? How many years did Cheney serve?"
Fair points. Wright also defended his decision to speak out -- even if he is viewed by Obama's campaign as a detriment to the senator's cause.
"On Nov. 5 and on Jan. 21, I'll still be a pastor," he said. "As I said, this is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright. It has nothing to do with Sen. Obama. It is an attack on the black church, launched by people who know nothing about the African American religious tradition."
Wright showed today, as he did in the Moyers interview, a seething disdain for the media -- and an obvious personal distancing from Obama.
"If God intends for Mr. Obama to be the president then no white racist, no political pundit, no speech, nothing can get in the way because God will do what God wants to do."
Tough. Or, in a twisted way, might this remark help Obama? For the church-going public, who backed Hillary Clinton in PA, are there points to be scored in deferring to God's will?
Certainly Wright's expression of his affection for Louis Farrakhan can only hurt Obama as he struggles to win friends in the Jewish community.
We might not know the totality of Wright or his work, as he suggested today, but with each new glimpse of the man, we see intelligence, sure, but terrible arrogance, too. We see a man more concerned with righting his public standing than electing his friend to the White House, more interested in reaffirming his standing within the black community than finding points of commonality between us all.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.28.08 12:00 PM | Comments (8)
Another Monday, Another John McCain Tour Launches
John McCain launched his "Call to Action Tour" today in Miami with a health care roundtable. He travels Tuesday to Tampa for a speech at the Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. During the week, he'll also hit PA, OH, IA and CO. This is McCain's third themed tour since becoming the presumptive GOP nom.
As the Dem race chugs on, McCain is bound to launch another tour of impoverished towns and swing state hamlets. That said, here are On Call's suggestions for McCain tours to come:
The Call To Inaction Tour: McCain, bored with the opponentless campaign, retreats to AZ (via Cindy McCain's corporate jet) to retool family grilling recipes. Stops include McCain's backyard grill and patio, kitchen and porch swing for post ribs nap.
The Hillary I Know Tour: McCain criss crosses the Hoosier State reminding voters that HRC once drank him under the table -- even if she showed herself to be a shot sipper during a recent stop in PA. If IN voters want a real fighter in the White House, he'll advise, they'll throw another monkey wrench into the Dem contest and give HRC a much-needed March 6 win.
The Swing State Vacation Tour: McCain and fam decamp to Lake Winnipesaukee. From there, they head to Aspen, Virginia Beach and Miami. This running for president stuff is such hard work.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.28.08 11:03 AM | Comments (3)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates
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 04.28.08 10:04 AM | Comments (0)
April 27, 2008
Read All About It
Elizabeth Edwards writes in today's NYT that the media focuses too much on the money race and daily campaign nonsense (bowling scores) and not enough on substance (health care plans): "I am saying that every analysis that is shortened, every corner that is cut, moves us further away from the truth until what is left is the Cliffs Notes of the news, or what I call strobe-light journalism, in which the outlines are accurate enough but we cannot really see the whole picture." As I write this, EE's op-ed is the sixth most popular piece on the NYT Web site.
Meanwhile,The Washington Post's Jonathan Weisman offers some sympathy for the suffering campaign staffs of both Dems. Spouses and children live in other cities, personal belongings sit in storage and a Passover seder gets performed on the fly.
And in a piece titled "Desperately Seeking Street Cred," Maureen Dowd writes today of Vampiress Hillary, who, with a boost of post PA energy, seems to be sucking the life out of her rival. "Hillary grows more and more glowy as Obama grows more and more wan. Is she draining him of his precious bodily fluids? Leeching his magic? Siphoning off his aura?"
Posted 04.27.08 12:26 PM | Comments (6)
ICYMI: Another Super D For Obama
AZ Democratic Party First Vice Chairwoman Charlene Fernandez, a Super D, endorsed Barack Obama for president last night.
“Senator Barack Obama is strengthening the Democratic Party by bringing in new voters, young and old, into the process," she said in a statement released by the campaign. "I believe Senator Obama has the best ability to win the White House in November and lead this country forward.”
The campaign says that by its count Fernandez is Obama's 241st Super D endorsement.
Posted 04.27.08 10:29 AM | Comments (2)
Nope
And here's a snippet of Barack Obama's interview on FNS today, answering that the HRC camp's call for a Lincoln-Douglas-style debate ...
CHRIS WALLACE: Why are you ducking another debate with Senator Clinton?
BARACK OBAMA: I'm not ducking one we've had 21 (laughs) and so what we've said we're two weeks, two big states we want to make sure we're talking to as many folks possible on the ground taking questions from voters, you know we will -
WALLACE: No debates between now and Indiana?
OBAMA: We're not going to have debates between now and Indiana.
Posted 04.27.08 10:26 AM | Comments (10)
Don't Hold Your Breath
Here's that letter from Maggie Williams to David Plouffe requesting a 90-minute Lincoln-Douglas debate between the Dem candidates ...
April 26, 2008
David Plouffe, Campaign Manager
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
Dear David:
The attention, excitement and energy around this presidential election is unprecedented. The stakes could not be higher for our country and the American people. The economy is sliding into recession, our men and woman in the Armed Forces are fighting two wars abroad, and our country is reeling from the harsh legacy of the Bush-Cheney Administration. The American people are choosing a direction for their children and families. They have a right to hear from those who want to be their leaders. Our Democratic primaries reflect the keen interest of the American citizenry in this election. Our primaries have brought millions of new people into the political process and invigorated a national conversation about the best solutions to meet our challenges.
Senator Clinton believes deeply that political debates are a vital part of our democratic process. It is the American way to place our would-be leaders side by side to hear them articulate and defend their ideas; to challenge each other on their visions for the future; to answer the tough questions about their plans, their records and their judgments; and to celebrate their achievements.
Senator Obama has declined the invitation from CBS and the North Carolina Democratic Party to appear for a debate at North Carolina State University tomorrow evening. Senator Obama has apparently declined the invitation of the Indiana Debate Commission to appear for a debate in Indiana next week. Senator Obama has not responded to Senator Clinton’s challenge to debate in Oregon. Will there be no debates in other upcoming states? The American people, of course, deserve more. They deserve debates before casting their votes. They deserve debates just like the states who have participated in this invigorating process before them.
I understand that Senator Obama has raised the point that there have already been more than 20 debates this election cycle. However, only four of those have been between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. We can all agree that many important issues have received scant attention during previous debates, including such important topics as education and the energy crisis.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, a series of public debates across Illinois where two candidates put their ideas, their visions, and their values before the American people. I have no doubt that Senator Obama, who hails from that great state, understands how valuable and vital these national conversations were to the heart of America. We can surely meet the standard our forbearers did. Our final two primary candidates to date have had three fewer debates than Lincoln and Douglas held in single state over 60 days in 1858.
And if we debate, Americans will come. Recent debates have attracted record numbers of viewers – more than 10 million for the last one. And a great number of voters in recent primaries have said that the debates in their states were important to their decision.
Senator Obama himself suggested the last debate in Philadelphia did not provide enough opportunity to talk about issues that “matter[] to the American people.” A Lincoln-Douglas style debate would certainly provide that opportunity. There would be no questions from the media. There would be equal time and equal opportunity to grapple with the important policy questions we are facing today. As Douglas put it, the two candidates would meet “for the purpose of discussing the leading political topics which now agitate the public mind.”
In the spirit of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, we make this proposal:
Senator Clinton and Senator Obama will participate in a 90-minute debate in an open public forum. Just the two of them -- no questioners, no panelists, no video clips. One candidate would speak for two minutes, then the other, alternating back and forth all the way through the debate. Their discussion – not any pre-set rules – would determine how long they spend on one subject before moving on to another. Such a debate would range across all of the challenges, large and small, we face as a nation or it could focus on the most significant issue we face today, -- the economy.
We can readily agree on a host, a place, a date, and a broadcaster or series of broadcasters.
Both of our candidates are making history. Let us continue to do so. Let’s debate.
Sincerely,
Maggie Williams
Campaign Manager
Posted 04.27.08 10:22 AM | Comments (5)
"100"
Finally, the Democratic National Committee takes a meaningful whack at John McCain for supporting the Iraq war -- and for suggesting that the United States could keep troops in the country for 100 years, if necessary. Interspersed with on-the-ground footage of burning cars and explosions, the ad notes the $500B cost of the war, the 4,000 dead. It ends with a photograph of President Bush and McCain, the president's arm slung warmly around the AZ senator's shoulder. A narrator asks, "Is John McCain the right choice for America's future?"
The spot will begin airing on cable networks nationally next week. It is the second DNC ad to start shaping the Dems' message about McCain -- that he's supported the president's failed foreign and domestic policies. It's a super spot. Scary, effective. Suggests that McCain is no maverick but a Bush Administration flunky. But take note ... It ends with a plea for cash to help fund the ad. While the GOP is flush, the Democratic Party is in a tough financial spot. And as the Dem candidates slug it out in remaining state primaries, $$$ could be the party's problem moving forward, as it seeks to do the work the inevitable Dem nom has not.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.27.08 10:02 AM | Comments (1)
April 25, 2008
Romney To Speak At NV GOP Convention
Just to keep the veepstakes watchers abuzz ... John McCain's campaign announced this evening that Mitt Romney will headline the Nevada State Republican Convention "on behalf of John McCain." Tomorrow in Reno ...
Posted 04.25.08 07:34 PM | Comments (3)
"Cost"
Hillary Clinton launched a new TV ad in IN today that pushes the gas tax issue. She, too, will suspend the gas tax this summer. (All the candidates are doing it. Seems like the teeny tiniest of band aids to a whopper of an energy crisis.) In the spot, a narrator says Clinton promises to investigate the oil companies "for price gouging and collusion."
Following is a script for "Cost Indiana"
Announcer:
These days, it costs fifty bucks to fill up the tank.
How can Indiana families afford that?
Hillary Clinton knows it's time to act, take some of the windfall profits of big oil to pay to suspend the gas tax this summer, investigate the oil giants for price gouging and collusion.
Make the oil companies invest in new clean energy sources to free us from foreign oil and bring gas prices down to earth.
With gas this expensive, talk is cheap.
It's time for leadership.
Posted 04.25.08 07:29 PM | Comments (6)
Calling All Rules And Bylaws Cmte Members
Michigan and Florida (and for that matter, HRC) decision day hath arrived ...
MEMORANDUM
TO: DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee Members
FROM: Alexis Herman & Jim Roosevelt, Jr., Co-Chairs
DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC)
SUBJECT: Meeting Announcement–May 31, 2008
DATE: April 25, 2008
Realizing that members have very busy schedules, we wanted to notify you as soon as possible that the RBC will meet on Saturday, May 31, 2008 in Washington, D.C. We are asking members to arrive on Friday, May 30, 2008 in time for a private informal dinner with us. While we expect the RBC meeting to last most of the day on Saturday, we are asking members not to make their departure plans until Sunday.
The main item of business on the Committee’s agenda will be the consideration of two pending challenges.
We hope you are able to attend this very important RBC meeting. Further information, including meeting agenda and meeting logistics, will be forwarded to you in the near future.
Please note that this is an official meeting of the RBC. Therefore, we would like to remind members of the attendance requirement established in the Bylaws (Article Two, Section 10.(g)). Members who miss three consecutive RBC meetings are deemed to have resigned from the Committee. Registering a proxy, while important for establishing a quorum and assuring your vote is represented, does not count for the purpose of attendance at a meeting.
In the meantime, should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact either of us directly. You may also contact staff in the DNC Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection – Patrice Taylor at 202/863-8046 or via email at taylorp@dnc.org, or Alecia Dyer at 202/863-8055 or via e-mail at dyera@dnc.org.
As always, thank you for your time and effort as a member of this Committee. We look forward to seeing you on May 31, 2008.
Posted 04.25.08 03:42 PM | Comments (2)
Hotline TV: McCain's "Forgotten America" Tour, Forgettable?
Posted 04.25.08 03:37 PM | Comments (0)
Wishing And Hoping
The North Carolina Democratic Party is asking Vice President Dick Cheney, scheduled to make an appearance in Raleigh Monday for a state party fundraiser at a private home, to renounce that NCGOP ad featuring the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
NCDP chairman Jerry Meek said in a statement that, "Republicans have shown a clear lack of leadership on this issue."
"Since John McCain can't seem to reign in his own Party, Vice President Cheney should give it a try," Meek said. "Despite Cheney's favorable ratings in the low twenties, North Carolina Republican leaders obviously expect to raise money from Cheney's visit to North Carolina. The vice president should demand that State Republican leaders withdraw this ad, or refuse to come to North Carolina on the very day this ad begins to run."
Brent Woodcox, a spokesman for the state GOP, said Cheney is indeed expected to attend the NCGOP's "Victory Fund" event. The state Dems note that Cheney's event will raise $$ for down-ballot GOPers helped by the "Extreme" ad.
We're thinking Cheney is probably not the guy to take a stand on the matter. Just a hunch.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.25.08 03:25 PM | Comments (2)
Oh, Gehrke!
ABC News' Jake Tapper today ribs DNC Research Dir. Mike Gehrke for cracking wise -- on his Facebook page, of all places -- about John McCain's age.
Gehrke, whose Facebook photo is ...
... lifted a yuck from Jay Leno: "You know what you call someone who digs up dirt on John McCain? An archeologist."
DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney told Tapper that Gehrke "has been reprimanded." Gehrke tells On Call: "From now on all the jokes I steal will be on background."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.25.08 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
Obama: "I Was Raised With Far Fewer Advantages" Than HRC & JM
INDIANAPOLIS -- The question Barack Obama must answer as he campaigns in Indiana, and to a lesser extent North Carolina where he is the favorite, is how he can overcome his weakness with working class and non-college educated voters. He addressed the issue today in a press conference about gas prices.
The campaign also held a conference call to highlight its national voter registration drive, set to launch May 10th, and to set the bar for Hillary Clinton's campaign in NC, a race Obama's team believes is a must-win for her.
When pressed about the challenge he faces with blue collar voters, the Illinois senator said he believes voters in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania may have preferred Clinton in the primary but would be more than likely" to vote for him in the general election against John McCain.
"I don't think that there's a huge difference between black working class, white working class, suburban, urban, rural, I think people want to see the country make progress, and so what I'm going to continue to do is to present those issues that effect people's bottom lines, the issues they're talking about around the kitchen table," he told reporters outside Joe's Junction gas station. "I think that when they see what our plans are particularly in a general election compared to the approach that Sen McCain is taking, I'm confident that Americans are gonna want to move forward instead of having 4 more years of the same politics that got us into trouble in the first place."
He joked that he had on a ''pretty standard suit" when asked how he could fight the perception being put forth by his opponents that he was a "GQ"-style elitist, adding that he had four pairs of shoes and that he had just one suit when he met his wife. He acknowledged he would need to focus in the next several weeks on educating voters about his background.
"I was raised with far fewer advantages than either of my two remaining opponents," he said.
Obama also spoke about his work as a community organizer and noted that he and his wife financed their educations through student loans.
"I was raised in a setting with my grandparents who grew up in small town Kansas where, you know, the dinner table would have been very familiar to anybody here in Indiana - a lot of pot roast and potatoes and Jell-O molds," he said. "And, you know, so on the one hand I don't want to go out of my way to sort of prove my street cred as a down to earth guy. I'm gonna be fighting as hard as I can to make sure that you know, people understand why I got into this race in the first place, how I got to where I am today, and when they understand that, I think they'll recognize themselves and that my struggles are theirs and together we can change the country."
The press conference also touched on topics in the news today: an interview his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright had with Bill Moyers that airs tonight on PBS; news that North Korea helped Syria build a nuclear reactor, which Israel destroyed in an airstrike last year;.and the verdict in the Sean Bell shooting in New York.
Obama said he was "deeply disturbed" about the evidence that North Korea may have helped Syria build a nuclear weapon.
"Keep in mind that a lot of this activity happened during a period of time when the Bush administration was not engaged in North Korea, was not engaging in direct talks with North Korea, and that's why I have consistently said it is better for us to speak directly not just to our friends but to our enemies," he said, adding that the six-party talks must insist on a full accounting of North Korea's proliferation and enriched uranium activities and not just their plutonium.
Wright, Bill Clinton
Obama said he had "commented extensively" on Wright and that the pastor was free to express his own opinions.
"He is obviously free to express his opinions on these issues. I've expressed mine very clearly. I think that what he said in several instances were objectionable and I understand why the American people took offense and, you know, and as I indicated before, I took offense.
He said he did not agree with South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn's remarks that Bill Clinton may have irreparably damaged his relationship with the black community because of various statements he has made that have offended many blacks.
"You know I never believe in irreparable breaches - I'm a big believer in reconciliation and redemption," he said. "So, look, this has been a fierce contest - I am confident, I've said repeatedly that come August, there are gonna be a whole bunch of people standing on the stage with a lot of balloons and stuff, confetti raining down on the head of the Democratic nominee and people will be excited about taking on John McCain in November."
Sean Bell verdict
The acquittal of the three police officers involved in the Bell shooting in New York has stirred some concern about protests in the city. Obama said there was need for violence to erupt as a result of the verdict.
Obama joked about the pick up basketball game planned for tonight and about his bowling skills – allowing that while there was no excuse for his gutter balls, the press had been unfair in reporting his score of 37 as if he's bowled an entire game when he had not. The 3-on-3 basketball game, planned for after a town hall in Kokomo, will include two volunteers and WNBA player Alison Bales.
"I'm a little concerned because apparently there are at least two high school guys who are Division One prospects, so um, my goal will be to pass...as much as possible," he said.
(NBC/NJ's ATHENA JONES)
Posted 04.25.08 02:39 PM | Comments (11)
NBC News: Hillraiser Jumps Ship
From NBC's Chuck Todd
One of the things that both Dem campaigns are always nervous about is defectors. In particular, Clinton is more vulnerable to this problem since she's the candidate that is trailing. Well, NBC News has learned that a major fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, former Amb. to Chile Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon is leaving the campaign to join up Barack Obama's campaign.
Officially dubbed a "Hillraiser," Guerra-Mondragon raised nearly $500,000 for Clinton's campaign, according to some estimates. He has been informing people inside Clintonworld this week in what's been described as some tough conversations. A formal announcement of a role for Guerra-Mondragon on Obama's national finance committee will be made next week.
Among the reasons for Guerra-Mondragon to defect, according to one informed source, was he was uneasy with the tone of the Clinton campaign and was beginning to worry about what this would mean for the general election.
It's unclear if this defection will lead to others; the Clinton camp has been particularly effective at getting folks to keep their powder dry.
For Obama, this comes at a time when his campaign is trying to re-convince insiders that the math indicates he has the nomination virtually wrapped up. In addition, Guerra-Mondragon's defection could serve as a tipping point with some key Hispanic Democratic leaders that Obama is ready to start making a bigger effort to court Hispanics.
Posted 04.25.08 02:37 PM | Comments (1)
Obama Camp: We Were For NC Debate Before HRC
As Hillary Clinton pushes for a Dem debate in the Tar Heel State, On Call reminds readers that Barack Obama agreed March 13 to a North Carolina face-off. The campaign's release:
OBAMA ACCEPTS INVITATIONS TO DEBATE IN PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTH CAROLINA
CHICAGO -- Today, Barack Obama accepted invitations to nationally televised debates with Senator Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia on April 16th and in North Carolina on April 19th.
The Pennsylvania debate will be hosted by ABC News and held in the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 16. The North Carolina debate, hosted by CBS News at a location to be determined, will be hosted by CBS and moderated by Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer.
“Senator Obama welcomes the opportunity to openly debate Senator Clinton on the issues important to Americans in North Carolina and Pennsylvania and hopes that she will accept these invitations as well,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.
So, knowing that, Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan turns the tables on the debate-demanding HRC:
"While Senator Clinton is focused on debating debates - except, of course, for the one in North Carolina that Senator Obama accepted and she didn't, or the previous 20-plus debates they've already had - Senator Obama is focused on finding real solutions for our families like making energy more affordable and securing our energy independence," he said. "The difference in this election couldn't be more clear."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted 04.25.08 01:53 PM | Comments (10)
Weekend Lineup
Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:
SUNDAY:
Meet the Press hosts DNC Chair Howard Dean and a roundtable with Washington Post's David Broder, Slate.com's John Dickerson, PBS' Gwen Ifill, NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Newsweek's Richard Wolffe.
Face the Nation hosts Obama strategist David Axelrod, Clinton strategist Howard Wolfson and ex-CBS corr. Roger Mudd.
This Week hosts Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and ex-Senate Maj. Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD).
Fox News Sunday hosts Barack Obama.
Late Edition hosts Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI), Clinton foreign policy adviser Jamie Rubin, Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice, and a roundtable with CNN's Joe Johns, CNN's Gloria Borger and CNN's Jessica Yellin.
See other weekend shows after the jump.
(KATHERINE LEHR)
OTHER WEEKEND SHOWS:
Washington Week features Slate.com's John Dickerson and CNN's Gloria Borger on WH '08, Politico's Jeanne Cummings on the state of the WH '08 money race and ABC's Martha Raddatz on the nod of Gen. David Petraeus to become the sr. Middle East commander of U.S. forces (PBS, FRI, 8pm).
Real Time features blogger Arianna Huffington, comedian Garry Shandling, TV personality Phil Donahue, and Real Time corr. Matt Taibbi (HBO, FRI, 11 pm).
Political Capital features Treasury Undersec. Robert Steel (Bloomberg, FRI, 7:30pm).
This Week in Politics features CNN's Jessica Yellin, Time's Rick Stengel, GOP strategist Benjamin Ginsberg, CNN's Donna Brazile, Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Mike Luckovich, CNN's Ali Velshi, Earth Policy Institute pres. Lester Brown and CNN's Bill Schneider (CNN, SAT 6pm, SUN 1 pm).
Newsmakers hosts NIH Nat'l Human Genome Research Institute Dir./Dr. Francis Collins. She will be questioned by Washington Post's Rick Weiss and Balitmore Sun's Jonathan Rockoff (C-SPAN, SUN, 10am/6pm).
Road to the White House features Michelle Obama at a rally in Fort Wayne, IN, and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) at a rally in Fort Wayne, IN (C-SPAN, SUN, 6:30pm/9:30pm).
Chris Matthews Show features Time's Joe Klein, Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cynthia Tucker, New York Times' Patrick Healy and MSN