Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates
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“Barack Obama inspired thousands of new voters in my state of South Carolina to get involved in our democratic process, and I am proud to announce my endorsement today," he said in a statement released by the campaign. "With Barack Obama as our nominee, we can bring more and more new voters out to become involved and have their voices heard. Obama has worked his whole life to unite people from all backgrounds and walks of life for change, he has done that in this campaign and he will continue to do that as President. I am excited to join his campaign today.”
]]>Trouble Ahead?
The national poll of registered voters, taken April 30-May 3, shows enthusiasm for McCain within the GOP is lagging. Just 34% of GOP primary voters said they would back him enthusiastically, while 42% said their vote for McCain would be, at base, a vote against the eventual Dem nom. In our February survey, 50% of Repubs polled said they'd support McCain enthusiastically, and 30% said their vote for him is a vote against the Dem candidate.
Obama, meanwhile, has seen his support among Inds suffer as his party's fight for the nom trudges on. Just 44% of Inds said they have a favorable opinion of the IL Sen, white an equal number have an unfavorable opinion. In March, his fav/unfav was 49%/40%.
McCain's Ind fav/unfav, by contrast is 57%/29%, a likely sign that he has to some degree maintained his trademark "maverick" image and his long-time appeal to moderates. Also, in a head-to-head with Obama, McCain wins out with Ind voters, 44% to 33%.
We Still Heart You Guys
Obama and Hillary Clinton's support among Dem voters hasn't waned dramatically -- despite the protracted fight for the nom. Obama's backing has remained steadier, with 56% of Dems saying they'll vote for him enthusiastically, compared with 55% in February. Clinton's support is not quite as solid, with 50% saying they'll vote for her enthusiastically. In Feb, 59% said as much of HRC.
Mano A Mano
Both Dems trump the likely GOP nom. Obama leads 47% to McCain's 43%, while Clinton has the edge, 46% to 43%.
Interestingly, among non-whites, Clinton fares better against McCain than Obama -- a sign that her edge with Hispanics could help in the general. Non-whites surveyed edged 66% for Obama, 20% for McCain. But 80% of non-whites backed Clinton, compared with 21% for McCain.
The female vote edges Democratic, meanwhile, no matter who emerges victorious. Obama has a 51%/37% advantage over McCain with women, while Clinton's edge over the GOPer is comparable, 52%/37%.
And for whatever this is worth in the homestretch of the Dem primary contests -- Obama leads Clinton, 48% to 37%.
Note: The survey of 803 registered voters has a 3.5 percentage point margin of error.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
]]>And, he added, if age is a legitimate issue, so are a few things about his likely opponent.
"Every issue that the American people want to be an issue, and it's part of their discussions, it's fine with me," he said in reponse to the question about his age.
Not missing a beat, he added the controversial statements of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor, onto that same list.
Obama, McCain noted, "has said that [Wright] is a legitimate topic of discussion."
"'If that's what the American people want to discuss, that's fine," he added.
McCain also told reporters that the recent complimentary remarks for Obama by a Hamas spokesman are also fair game for debate. Prefacing his comment by saying that he believes that it's clear that Obama "shares nothing of the values or goals of Hamas," the presumptive GOP nominee added that the Palestinian organization's favorable assessment of Obama's candidacy is "a legitimate point of discussion."
"That's of interest to the American people," he said. "And that is something that needs to be discussed."
McCain said that he was not offended by Obama's assessment that he is "losing his bearings," a comment interpreted by some observers – including campaign biggie Mark Salter – as a swipe at the older McCain's mental sharpness.
During the morning press conference at Liberty Science Center in Newark, NJ, the senator was flanked by Sen. Joe Lieberman and former NJ Gov. Tom Kean, Lieberman was quick to jump to McCain's defense.
'I just want to report that this morning I personally checked John McCain;'s bearings," said the 2000 Dem veep nom. "He has not lost any of them. They are all in really great shape."
(NBC/NJ's CARRIE DANN)
]]>WV votes Tuesday.
]]>“I am endorsing Barack Obama today because throughout this process I have seen him show a judgment and character that we need in our next president," Espinoza said in a statement released by Obama's campaign. "From day one he opposed the Iraq war and has a plan to end the war in a responsible way and bring our sons and daughters home. He has shown he has the character to lead our great nation, from his choice to spend his career serving people in the poorest communities in Chicago to his commitment to speaking truth to the American people, even when it isn’t politically convenient to do so. To unify the country at this time in our history we need a president who has these qualities, and that is why I am proud to endorse him today. My good friend Bill Richardson, who backed Obama some weeks ago, knows what it takes to lead, and I trust his judgment in this decision as well. I look forward to working with this great movement to bring victory in November.”
Also, Rep. Donald Payne, a NJ superdelegate who supported Hillary Clinton, has switched his allegiance to Obama. And Rep. Peter DeFazio today became OR's third Democratic congressman to endorse Obama.
]]>SUNDAY:
Meet the Press hosts Chris Dodd and Clinton chair Terry McAuliffe, and a roundtable with Washingtonpost.com's Chris Cillizza, CNBC's John Harwood, NPR's Michele Norris and Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib.
Face the Nation hosts John Edwards, McAuliffe and Politico's Jim VandeHei.
This Week hosts Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid and McCain Victory chair Carly Fiorina, and a roundtable with Cokie Roberts, Sam Donaldson, George Will and Washington Post's Ruth Marcus.
Fox News Sunday hosts Obama strategist David Axelrod and Clinton comm. dir. Howard Wolfson. The "Power Player" is Ben Stein.
Late Edition hosts Reps. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez (Ret.), Iraqi Amb. to the U.S. Samir Sumaidaie, and a roundtable with CNN's Ed Henry and CNN's Jessica Yellin.
See other weekend shows after the jump (KATHERINE LEHR).
]]> OTHER WEEKEND SHOWS:Washington Week features Washington Post's Dan Balz, Politico's Jeanne Cummings, Time's Karen Tumulty and NBC's Michael Viqueira (PBS, FRI, 8pm).
Political Capital features Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)(Bloomberg, FRI, 7:30pm).
Saturday Night Live features host Shia LaBeouf and musical guest My Morning Jacket (NBC, SAT, 11:30pm).
This Week in Politics features Dem strategist Steve Elmendorf, CNN's Candy Crowley, GOP strategist Rich Galen, Salon.com's Mike Madden, CNN's Ali Velshi and CNN's Bill Schneider (CNN, SAT 6pm, SUN 1 pm).
Newsmakers hosts Chris Dodd. He will be questioned by New York Times' David Herszenhorn and Wall Street Journal's Damian Paletta (C-SPAN, SUN, 10am/6pm).
Road to the White House features John McCain's speech at Wake Forest Univ. in Winston-Salem, NC; Hillary and Chelsea Clinton at a Mother's Day celebration in NYC; and a town hall with Barack Obama in Bend, OR (C-SPAN, SUN, 6:30pm/9:30pm).
Chris Matthews Show features NBC's Ron Allen, BBC's Katty Kay, New York mag's John Heilemann and New Republic's Michelle Cottle (NBC, check local listings).
Reliable Sources features New York Times' Kate Zernike, Time's Karen Tumulty, Townhall.com's Amanda Carpenter and Chicago Tribune's Clarence Page (CNN, SUN, 10 am).
Roll Call TV with Robert Traynham features GOP strategist John Feehery, Dem strategist Jarvis Stewart and Roll Call's Erin Billings (CN8, The Comcast Network, SUN, 10 pm).
]]>Why, as an Illinois state Senator, did he vote “present” over 130 times instead of “yes” or “no” on difficult issues like abortion, crime, and guns?
On fiscal responsibility, how he intends to pay for over $660 billion in his new spending proposals and whether he can do it without raising taxes on families and small businesses?
Why he voted against funding for our troops after promising not to use them as pawns in a war funding debate?
Why did he tell donors in San Francisco that the economy has driven small town voters to “cling” to guns and religion?
And here's the accompanying project vid, a very creepy piece. The party turns "Yes We Can" -- Obama's mantra on the stump -- into a dark, dismal, zombie-like chant.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
]]>Here's a snippet of the interview, which you can hear today on National Journal On Air:
LD: So, many reporters have been seeking your views because you are one of the top members of the House leadership and, of course, are African-American as well, and we often ask you to weigh in on these ticklish issues of race that have been raised in the campaign along with other things. So, starting off on that subject, let me ask you this question – Hillary Clinton has been continuing to campaign today, yesterday, throughout West Virginia and the other states that she is seeking to win, making the argument that she wins with certain kinds of voters – blue collar voters, Catholic voters, and Obama does not.
Do you think that as she continues to press the case that he can't win, that she's doing damage to him as a candidate?
CLYBURN: Continuing to press the case seems to me to be in search of a self-fulfilling prophecy here. You know, we all know anything that continues to be reinforced in the minds of voters, tends to take on a life of its own. I would hope, as I have said before, that the candidates will continue to press their case on their own behalf. I don't know why it's necessary to talk about anybody else's shortcomings, just talk about your own attributes and what you bring to the table, and it seems to be that that's the better way to go. As I've said before, if we continue to raise these extraneous issues, we can and we will do irreparable harm, not just to our party but to our country. And it would seem to me that we ought to be about bringing this country together. We are fighting an international war on terrorism. We cannot afford for this country to be divided on any front – gender, race, ethnicity, no matter what. This country has to come together, and the extent to which all of our candidates running for office would carry that kind of positive message of unification, I think the better off we are.
]]> LD: Well, just one more question on that subject – she was quoted today in USA Today describing her strengths against his weaknesses, and she said about herself, quoting from a news article, she was talking about a news article, but Senator Clinton said the following – that Senator Obama's support among working, hard working Americans, white Americans is weakening again. And whites in both states who have not completed college were supporting me. There is a pattern emerging here, she said. What's your reaction to that quote?CLYBURN: Well, I don't think that carries any more weight than anyone who will argue that the fact that she only got 8 percent of the African-American vote in North Carolina indicates that she cannot get African-American votes in the general election. It's one thing for us to measure these two Democratic candidates against each other. It is totally something else, again, for us to measure a Democratic candidate against a Republican candidate. Those are two different things – apples and oranges, and I do believe it is a stretch for us to consider otherwise. If we buy into that and we buy into the conventional wisdom that no Democrat wins the presidency getting only 8% of the African-American vote, then what does that to say for her prospects in the fall?
So I think that we have to be very, very careful with all of this. And I really believe that this is the kind of stuff that I had been talking about with tamping down the enthusiasm of young people, because scores and scores of non-black young people have gotten involved in this campaign this year. They are very excited about Barack Obama, for whatever reason. A lot of it, nobody can really fathom, but it's happened. And I think we would do well, as Democrats, to welcome the support, welcome the reactivation of African-Americans, welcome the re-involvement of young, White Americans, welcome all of these people into our fold and give them some positive messages to carry forward and not keep talking about what may or may not be the other person's drawbacks. I saw a Gallup poll today, I saw the results of it anyway, that said that Barack Obama at this very moment, is exactly where Kerry was at this point with White voters as well as with Black voters. Now, what does that mean? That means, if he maintains that, and he does it in a state like Colorado -- that's the difference between winning and losing. Any one of those states -- Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, that had been carried by Kerry would have delivered the presidency. Not to mention these other states – Virginia, for instance. If you look at the white vote that Obama got in Virginia – it was extraordinary. And the same thing, over 40 percent in Indiana – extraordinary. And so I think that we all really ought to just dial back some of this rhetoric and let's start talking about what makes us all good Democrats.
LD: Well, so I have to ask you Congressman, because you are an uncommitted, one of the most famous and closely watched uncommitted superdelegates -- it's been said by many, and I think it's pretty clear, actually, that the only way that Obama, who appears to be on his way to getting the nomination, can get there is with the help of superdelegates. You certainly sound like you are leaning in his direction, why not just endorse him?
CLYBURN: Well, because I'm still House Majority Whip, Nancy is still Speaker, Rahm Emmanuel is the Chair and Steny Hoyer is the leader, and we've all decided to maintain neutrality. Now, I think part of the problem that people have with some of what I've been saying, thinking that it's not really the expressions of neutrality, there's a big difference in being neutral in this race and being proud of one's race. I'm very proud of what Barack Obama's done. When I sat in those jails back in the 60's in South Carolina – dreaming about growing up, dreaming about becoming an adult, dreaming about having children, and grandchildren – I now have a 14 year old grandson, and he is very proud of Barack Obama. I'm not going to sit down and watch anybody marginalize my grandson's dreams and aspirations. And I'm not going to see anybody go out and just absolutely nullify the energy and time that my daughter, youngest daughter, put into Barack Obama's race.
This young lady started going to his office at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, every day after work, staying there to 11, 12 o'clock at night, and apologized to me for having to follow her heart for fear that it might disrupt my neutrality. So when I look at this daughter of mine, I look at this grandson of mine and see the pride in their faces -- I'm just not going to have anybody just tamping that down, and so that's why I spoke up. Because I'm going home on weekends, and I go to these College campuses, as I will be this weekend, I'm going to Voorhees and do the Commencement there, I'm going to Tuskegee in Alabama and do Commencement there on Sunday. These young people are looking at me saying, are you graybeards in this party getting ready to go into some room somewhere and nullify everything we did in this campaign? That's why I started speaking out. I kept saying, let's lower our voices – Bill Clinton, please chill out. Stop saying things that will upset the most loyal constituency that this party ever had, African-Americans.
LD: And do you think that there is any way that Hillary Clinton can get the nomination at this point without doing something extraordinary such as convincing superdelegates that she's the most electable?
CLYBURN: Well, it would be very, very, very difficult for that to happen. Is it possible? Yes. It's possible. Is it probable? I don't think it's probable.
LD: So what do you think should bring this to a close?
CLYBURN: Well, I think that to run out the time. I've been saying to everybody, I don't think that either one of them ought to drop out. I think they ought to keep schedules. They ought to go to West Virginia, they ought to go to Kentucky, go to Oregon, go to North Dakota, go to Montana, go to all of these places because we've got down ballot races. We've got people who are running for Congressional seats, for legislative seats, and the more Democrats that we can get to vote in our primary, the better off we are in the general election. I'm afraid that if everybody just cancels out their schedules and go home, then those people who have been turned on to this process and are waiting for our candidates to show up in their states, they may stay at home as well, and that's not good for us. So I think we ought to stay engaged, but stay engaged in conversations about yourself, about your record, about your party and about the other party and why we are better than they are.
]]> In his first nat'l interview since the 5/6 primaries, Obama spoke with CNN's Blitzer.
Obama, on the Time cover declaring him the "winner": "I don't want to be jinxed. We've still got some work to do. ... Senator Clinton is a very formidable candidate. She is very heavily favored to win West Virginia. She'll win that by a big margin. She's favored in Kentucky. We'll probably split the remaining contests so she's going to be actively campaigning."
On Mitt Romney saying he is inexperienced and being POTUS "is not an internship": "Yeah. Well, the contest didn't work out so well against John McCain suggesting that John McCain as a senator hadn't done what Mitt Romney had done. And yet here we are and there Mitt Romney is. Look, when it comes to national security, I think that what people are looking for is good judgment."
On McCain's comments that Hamas favors him for POTUS: "This is offensive and I think it's disappointing, because John McCain always says, well, I'm not going to run that kind of politics and that engages in that kind of smear I think is unfortunate, particularly since my policy toward Hamas has been no different than his. ... And so for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination. We don't need name calling in this debate."
More after the jump (KATHERINE LEHR).
]]> Obama, on whether he would pick Hillary Clinton as his VP: "As I said before, Time magazine notwithstanding, we haven't wrapped this thing up yet. At the point where I'm the nominee I'll start going through the process of figuring out ... who my running mate might be. Senator Clinton has shown herself to be an extraordinary candidate. She is tireless, she is smart. She is capable. And so obviously she'd on anybody's short list to be a potential vice presidential candidate."Blitzer: "A quick question on this Mother's Day weekend. Your mother raised you. She was on food stamps at one point. Single mother. If she were alive today and she saw ... the point that you have reached right now, what would she say to you?"
Obama: "She'd say don't let it get to your head, just keep on working hard. But I think she'd be pretty proud" ("Situation Room," 5/8).
Obama also sat down with NBC's Williams.
Obama, asked if he's had any discussions about declaring victory on 5/20: "That will be an important day. If, at that point, we have the majority of pledged delegates, which is possible, then I think we can make a pretty strong claim that you know, we've got the most runs and it's the ninth inning. And we've won."
Obama, on what his mom would say about the Time cover: "She'd like that picture. She always encouraged me to smile more."
Obama, asked if Clinton meets his criteria of a running mate: "Well, there's no doubt that she's qualified to be vice president, there's no doubt she's qualified to be president. Obviously I think I can be a better president, otherwise I wouldn't' be running. But she's a very capable, very smart person. And anybody who's been in a political contest with her, can tell you that she's no pushover" ("Nightly News," 5/8).
Politico's Simon, on Obama acting humble about being the "presumptive" Dem nominee: "He should keep up with the humble thing. I think it would be a mistake for him to declare victory after the last contest because the last contest gives him a very meaningful metric, the most pledged delegates, and that will give him the nomination, in the end" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 5/8).
FNC's O'Reilly caught up with McCain. "O'Reilly Factor" aired part one of the two-part interview last night.
McCain, on Barack Obama's main weakness: "Inexperience. I think inexperience and lack of judgment, and
a record that shows that, whether it be showing a desire to sit down with the president of Iran, who has articulated his country's commitment to the extinction of the state of Israel, to wanting to raise people's taxes. ... So I think it's inexperience and judgment and vision."
McCain, asked if he voted for Pres. Bush in '00: "Of course. I mean, that's a ridiculous question."
O'Reilly: "So [Arianna Huffington] lied?"
McCain: "Frankly, I do not read Huffington Post. I spare myself from having that experience. ... I voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004. ... And not only that, far more important than a vote, I campaigned everywhere in America for him" (FNC, 5/8).
CBS' Couric also conducted a two-part interview with McCain. McCain's 96-year-old mother, Roberta McCain, also joined them.
McCain, on enlisting the Chinese to help with the situation in Myanmar: "I would start putting some pressures on ... appealing to them to have this junta -- at least allowing aid to care for these people. This is a very bad government. And right now I think that we should ask the other countries in the region, as well as China, that they have close ties to, to really put some pressure on them for humanitarian purposes."
The rest of the interview will air tonight ("Evening News," 5/8).
On the "Situation Room" last night, CNN's Henry broke the news about HRC supporter/Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein threatening to cut off contributions to cong. Dems unless Speaker Nancy Pelosi embraced his plan to finance revotes in FL and MI.
Henry: "CNN has learned Speaker Nancy Pelosi had an explosive phone call with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein late last month according to three officials briefed on it. Weinstein, a key backer of Senator Hillary Clinton, threatened to cut off campaign money to congressional Democrats unless Pelosi embraces his new plan to finance a revote in Florida and Michigan. The three officials told CNN, Weinstein appeared determined to buy Clinton more time by pushing for the revote which may be her last chance of catching Barack Obama. One official said Pelosi refused to give in, telling Weinstein, 'Don't ever threaten me again.' Though she would not discuss the matter after CNN broke the story."
Pelosi: "No. I think enough has been said about that phone conversation."
Henry: "Weinstein vehemently denied any threats to cut off campaign funds telling CNN, 'I told her people felt there would be a disenfranchisement of voters unless leaders came up with a remedy for Florida and Michigan.' Another person familiar with the call said Weinstein also warned that powerful Democrats may turn to Republican John McCain if the problem is not fixed. Pelosi, however, insists the long primary battle is not dividing the party."
Pelosi: "Me, I like combat, you know. I think the best training for campaigning is campaigning. So I think that as they have campaigned, the support in our country has grown for a Democratic message. This is all very healthy" (CNN, 5/8).
Clinton chair Terry McAuliffe, asked if he wants to react to the Weinstein/Pelosi story: "The first I've heard it. No one should be threatening anybody. We all agreed Michigan and Florida can't be disenfranchised and people go about arguing in different ways. It's the first I heard about it" ("Situation Room," CNN, 5/8).
Also, check out the interesting collection of national co-chairs for the massive door-knocking extravaganza, think Melissa Etheridge and Dave Matthews and Usher, among others.
]]> Vote for Change National Co-Chairs
U.S. Representative John Barrow, 12th District, Georgia
U.S. Representative Melissa Bean, 8th District, Illinois
Anna Burger, Chair, Change to Win
Maria Elena Durazo, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Melissa Etheridge, Musician
Billy Frank Jr., Chairman, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
Reverend Joseph Lowery, Chairman, Black Leadership Forum
Dave Matthews, Musician
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri
Secretary Norman Mineta, Former Secretary of Transportation
Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts
Usher Raymond IV, Musician
U.S. Representative Linda Sanchez, 39th District, California
Kerry Washington, Actress
]]>
"I am not the candidate," she told Curry.
Here's a clip of the interview, circulated by the DNC:
DNC Chairman Howard Dean pounced on McCain's statement. "What is John McCain trying to hide?" Dean said in a statement released by the party. "Throughout this campaign, he has acted like his own calls for openness and accountability apply to everyone but himself. Now he thinks he can bring that same double standard to the White House. Whether he is skirting the FEC, withholding his tax returns, or stocking his campaign with the same Washington lobbyists he attacks on the campaign trail, John McCain is showing that he doesn't respect the voters enough to be honest with them. John McCain may not like it, but the American people have a right to know about the well documented links between his political career and the McCains' business ventures. John McCain's refusal to meet the standard of every other candidate seeking the office is one more reason he's the wrong choice for America's future."
]]>The Delegate Working Group -- Sen. Carl Levin, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, Debbie Dingell and Ron Gettelfinger -- signed off. The group believes the solution "splits the difference between the January 15th results supported by the Clinton Campaign, which would create a delegates allocation of 73-55, and the 50-50 split supported by the Obama campaign, which would create a 64-64 allocation of the delegates."
MI Party Chair Mark Brewer: "This resolution meets the main criteria that we set forth for a resolution. It is a negotiated solution that recognizes the results of the January 15th primary while taking into consideration that Obama's name was not on the ballot. This proposal seats a full Michigan delegation and gives all delegates the same voting power. This is a good step toward a solution that unites Democrats and ensures that our state will not face a McCain presidency and four more years of the failed Bush trade and economic policies that have devastated our state."
The will be filed as a formal appeal to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee. No comment yet from the DNC.
]]>David Bonior, a former congressman from Michigan, called 2008 a "watershed year in politics" and said this could be a big year for change, like 1932, 1960 or 1980.
"The American people want a new direction and want some fundamental change, big change I think," he said on a conference called hosted by the campaign.
He said Edwards' campaign was about putting people first and that Obama had proven he could bring the necessary change to Washington and would improve the lives of working families by standing up to Wall Street lobbyists and special interests.
The former congressman cited Obama's work as a community organizer in Chicago. He said the Illinois senator had inspired a movement, drawing new people into politics. "He's the first candidate that has brought a movement with him," Bonior said, adding that this election could be "transformational" and "history-making."
He also said Obama had shown courage in opposing the war in Iraq.
Bonior waited until now to endorse because he was "waiting for Sen. Obama to show me the fight that I wanted to see because it's gonna be a difficult" campaign with John McCain.
]]> He said he had spoken recently with Edwards but that the former North Carolina senator would make his thoughts known when he was ready to do so.When asked about Obama's difficulties winning working class votes, Bonior said the candidate had improved with that group as he moved from Ohio to Pennsylvania to North Carolina and Indiana and cited his support for the Employee Free Choice Act and on matters like a living wage and workers' compensation programs.
"I'm confident we're gonna have a champion for workers when Sen. Obama's president of the United States," he said.
Obama backer Tom Daschle, former Senate majority leader from South Dakota, hosted the call and began by saying Tuesday was a critical day in the race and Clinton did not get the big wins she needed.
"We feel very good about the momentum and the unique pivotal moment we find ourselves in now," Daschle said.
Daschle noted there were six contests left and he expected the race to continue through them all and said the long primary season "had been far more helpful than hurtful" for the party because of the enthusiasm that had been engendered and the "double and quadrupling of participatory levels in states" and the organizations that had been set up.
(NBC/NJ's ATHENA JONES)
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