November 2007 - Posts
EDITOR'S NOTE: First Read was on scene for Obama's speech and would have posted earlier had it not been for the hostage situation at the Clinton campaign office in Rochester, N.H.
From NBC’s Abby Livingston Obama’s attacks on Hillary flew over the heads of his audiences. Using her name in his stump and addressing her personally at debates were watershed moments in his campaign. Today at the DNC fall meeting, again, he did not mention her name. He did not have to. The audience comprised of the party insiders, candidate supporters and political junkies, caught each and every one of his Hillary allusions.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray column today blasted Obama's health-care plan, as well as the candidate's recent statements on it. "What seems to have happened is that Mr. Obama’s caution, his reluctance to stake out a clearly partisan position, led him to propose a relatively weak, incomplete health care plan. Although he declared, in his speech announcing the plan, that 'my plan begins by covering every American,' it didn’t — and he shied away from doing what was necessary to make his claim true."
But, channeling the Washington Post's Ruth Marcus , Krugman didn't always think so poorly of Obama's plan. Almost six months ago, in a June 4 column, he mostly praised it -- although he did criticize its lack of a mandate.
The substance of Krugman's two columns is essentially the same. The tone, however, is not.
Below is the second half of his June 4 column , which discusses Obama's health plan.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Samantha Mehrotra, Liberty Matias, Lindsay Garfield Biden addressed the DNC today, trumpeting his foreign policy expertise and his ability to lead the country out of Iraq. Despite looming obstacles, he promised results and a definitive exit strategy. “Iraq is like a boulder in the middle of the road -- it denies us the credibility to lead the world and the flexibility to solve our problems here at home,” he said, later adding that he will end the war on the first day of his presidency.
The Democratic contender also pledged to restore moral authority in Washington. He argued that Republicans have often replaced morality with ideology, supporting policies that favor tax cuts to higher-income families and legislation that inhibits access to education.
If he becomes the Democratic nominee, Biden said, he looks forward to competing against his Republican opponents. “I cannot wait to debate Romney or Thompson, and I can hardly wait for Rudy… We will eat these guys alive -- on national security, on domestic security…”
In a sentimental closing, Biden said the election is about reconnecting with voters’ needs -- speaking to both their hearts as well as their mind.
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum Clinton and Edwards signs -- and no Obama signs -- line the path. At the door, Clinton supporters fight to be noticed among a lone Kucinich supporter, who wore a peace sign and attracted attention. Before any of the candidates slated to speak this afternoon (Kucinich, Biden , and Clinton), Howard Dean announced Clinton would not be addressing the DNC because of the hostage situation. The area reserved for the candidates' supporters emptied out a bit, going from a standing room only crowd to a comfortable crowd with some open seats.
Kucinich was the first presidential candidate to speak after lunch. He attempted to get as much material as possible into his 10-minute time slot. Speaking like an auctioneer, Kucinich discussed his plans for universal single-payer health care and for helping every American own a home because it is "a fundamental right in a democratic society." He took advantage of the opportunity to take a jab at Biden, saying the Delaware senator's call for Bush's impeachment if he goes to war with Iran "would be a little bit late, with all due respect."
Before ending his speech, Kucinich sent his good wishes toward Clinton and her campaign staff. "We're in solidarity with Hillary at this moment when we think about what she's going through." He then went on to express his sadness that some people can only express themselves through violence.
From NBC’s Samantha Mehrotra Edwards appealed to Democrats, asking party members to join him in the fight to oust a rigged political system that continues to consume Washington. “There’s a wall…and we need to take that wall down,” Edwards said, adding later, “For decades, politicians without convictions and powerful interests gathered their bricks and their stones and their mortar, and they went to work.”
Edwards centered his speech around “the wall” today, blaming the partition on economic divides, expanded health care costs and a struggling education system. The candidate also addressed the War in Iraq, calling for increased diplomatic initiatives.
The presidential hopeful reminded Democrats to make a conscientious choice this election and to elect a candidate with fervor: “Every single day, you have a choice in this election….We can settle for baby steps, half-measures, incremental change…Or we can have some backbone, courage and strength….’”
From NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Romney now is emphasizing in appearances another line of attack against Huckabee instead of sticking mostly to immigration -- his spending record.
Romney’s campaign has been pointing to Huckabee’s record as governor on the matter for a while now, but in appearances, Romney’s criticisms of Huckabee have been limited largely to the former Arkansas governor’s past support for giving in-state tuition aid to the children of illegal immigrants.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Samantha Mehrotra, Matt Panichas and Kimberly Kaplan Richardson made his 10 minutes on the podium count this morning. He started out with a jab about his lack of exposure during the debates. “Today, I was told I have 10 minutes,” he said, earning some audience laughter. “Of course, Wolf Blitzer tells me that before every debate.”
His speech today concentrated on jobs and working Americans. “If we want to earn votes of hard-working Americans, we have to prove we’ll work hard for them,” Richardson said.
Richardson specifically highlighted his record on job creation in New Mexico, where he created 80,000 jobs and invested state money in local businesses. He emphasized his plan to create jobs across the nation, saying his approach is the most comprehensive of the candidates.
CONTINUED >>
BREAKING NEWS Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester, police said," per WMUR-TV .
Clinton is in DC today for the DNC fall meeting. Per NBC's Lauren Appelbaum, the Democratic National Committee has announced that Clinton will not be addressing the DNC fall meeting because of this situation.
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC’s Andrea Mitchell and Domenico Montanaro
“By choosing to forgo a mandate, it’s not universal,” said Neera Tanden, Clinton’s policy director. “It will leave 15 million Americans uninsured. Even with a generous subsidy, millions of Americans will not get health insurance.”
The campaign doesn’t supply data to support the 15 million figure, but cites independent analysts, specifically studies published in the Inquiry Journal . One such study on mandates and health care from the journal was authored by Dr. Jeanne Lambrew, who told First Read in an e-mail that she is an informal adviser to Clinton. Lambrew, a public affairs professor at the University of Texas and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, also served as a health policy adviser in Bill Clinton’s administration from 1997 to 2001. In a memo on health care costs , the Clinton campaign footnotes an article Lambrew co-authored with John Podesta, Bill Clinton’s former chief of staff.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Matthew E. Berger Giuliani refused to take questions here today about allegations that travel expenses were picked up by obscure city offices when he was mayor of New York City.
“We’ve already explained it,” he said, walking past reporters after a town hall meeting.
Giuliani, who is normally friendly to reporters, bristled past them, and campaign staffers were unusually physical in keeping the press away. Several campaign aides told campaign reporters to return to the press area, and some of his security detail manhandled reporters. On other occasions, reporters have been free to video Giuliani as he is shaking hands and signing autographs after events, and he often informally takes questions from reporters.
Giuliani is holding a similar town hall meeting in Boca Raton, FL, but traditionally does not hold a press availability after town halls.
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli Biden campaigning yesterday in New Hampshire, where he said that he would move to impeach Bush if he unilaterally attacks Iran.
QUESTIONER: “I have a great fear that say you’re elected as the nominee of the party. Next August sometime during the summer, Dick Cheney and George are going to bomb Iran."
BIDEN: "Legitimate concern."
QUESTIONER: "What can you do about it?”
BIDEN: “I am not one, who if you’ve observed me for some time, I am not one who’s engaged in excessive populist rhetoric. I’m not one that pits the rich against the poor. I’m not one who’s gone out there and made false threats against presidents about, and god love him he’s a great guy, I’m not Dennis Kucinich saying impeach everybody now. But let me tell you, I have written an extensive legal memorandum with the help of a group of legal scholars who are sort of a stable of people, the best-known constitutional scholars in America, because for 17 years I was chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
"I asked them to put together [for] me a draft, which I’m now literally riding between towns editing, that I want to make clear and submit to the Untied States Senate pointing out the president has no authority to unilaterally attack Iran. And I want to make it clear, I want it on the record, and I want to make it clear, if he does, as chairman of the foreign relations committee and former chair of the judiciary committee, I will move to impeach him."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg met for breakfast this morning, an unexpected encounter that was publicly announced around 3:00 am ET.Giuliani frequently stops in, and President Carter also has made a visit.
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro
***
Closing argument time: Back in early February, almost 10 months ago, the Democratic presidential candidates all spoke at the DNC’s winter meeting in DC. And in a way, each of them made their opening arguments there. Clinton played up her anti-war credentials. (“If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president, I will.”) Obama said it was time “to turn the page,” and he talked about the politics of hope. (“We've had a lot of plans, Democrats. What we've had is a shortage of hope.”) And Edwards preached that silence “is a betrayal.” (“This is not the time for political calculation. This is the time for political courage.”) Today, the candidates once again speak to the DNC -- this time in Northern Virginia -- where they get to make their closing arguments with just 34 days to go until Iowa. Richardson, Edwards, and Obama (in that order) speak in the late morning, while Kucinich, Biden, and Clinton (in that order) take their turns in the early afternoon.
*** Another round of forums: But that isn’t the only forum these candidates will address in the next two days. Saturday afternoon, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Kucinich, and Obama -- appearing separately -- speak at the Heartland Presidential Forum in Des Moines, IA, where they will discuss issues like agriculture, health care, and immigration. Then, beginning at 8:00 pm ET later that night, all eight of the Democratic candidates will participate in the “Iowa Brown & Black” presidential forum, which will focus on issues important to Latinos and
African Americans. NPR’s Michele Norris and PBS’s Ray Suarez moderate the forum, and it airs on HDNet TV. (If you thought the audience was small for last night’s Cowboys-Packers game on the NFL Network, we’re pretty sure even fewer people will have access to watch this forum -- never mind this is occurring on a Saturday night.)
***
Scrutiny time: With Iowa getting closer and closer, the media’s coverage of the top Democratic candidates is getting tougher and tougher. While many focus on Obama’s coffee with Michael Bloomberg this morning, Obama aides and supporters have to deal with a Washington Post piece that resurrects the Hopefund PAC story and a Paul Krugman column that excoriates Obama on health care (with some amazingly harsh language; will he be this harsh of an Obama critic if he's the nominee?). Clinton doesn’t get off easy, either. The Post today emphasizes the media’s frustrations with the Clinton campaign, and the Boston Globe suggests that New Hampshire has become a firewall for her. (Is this a good thing? Raising expectations like this for New Hampshire?) And Huckabee gets a little bit of scrutiny today, too.
***
Bill’s back: Bill Clinton returns to campaign in Iowa on Saturday. And as
WHO-TV's Dave Price notes, it will “be a battle of the Clintons” in the Des Moines metro area that afternoon. “Hillary will take part in the Heartland Forum in downtown Des Moines at 4:40 pm ET, while Bill speaks at 4:30 pm ET at Norwalk High School. Price asks: Does the press cover Bill or Hillary?”
***
Biden says the “I” word: Biden made news by saying yesterday that Bush should be impeached if he unilaterally attacks Iran. The liberal blogosphere will love it. But this is striking language from the guy who may want to be the next secretary of state. (Will this come up at his confirmation hearing? Doesn't this put the nail in his coffin for running mate consideration?) Ironically, a call for impeachment by Foreign Relations Committee Chair Biden would have garnered more headlines than a call for impeachment by presidential candidate Biden.
***
Security detail vs. Kerik indictment: Isn't it interesting that this story about Giuliani’s billing records and his security detail while mayor has received more play and put Giuliani more on the defensive than the actual Bernie Kerik indictment? (We'll let others decide why the one affair is more intriguing to the press than the other affair.) Giuliani spent the entire day on the defensive over this story, but the big question is whether this is going to spur more reports about this period in Giuliani's political life. Is this the start of a rough couple of weeks or simply another Kerik-like speed bump?
*** On the trail: Elsewhere today, Dodd -- who isn’t attending the DNC meeting -- campaigns in Iowa; Edwards heads to Des Moines after speaking at the DNC confab; Giuliani speaks at a town hall in South Carolina and then one in Boca Raton, FL; Huckabee, in New Hampshire, addresses the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce; McCain stumps in South Carolina; Romney attends a series of events in Iowa, including an Iowa Christian Alliance house party; Tancredo is in New Hampshire; and Thompson, along with wife Jeri, appears on CNN’s Larry King Live.
Countdown to Iowa: 34 days
Click here to sign up for First Read emails.
As for the Brown & Black forum tomorrow night, the Iowa Independent reports that "concerns have emerged about the way it is being organized. The forum, which is the oldest minority-focused presidential debate in the country, is one of the great traditions of the Iowa Caucuses, but local activists and campaigns have been frustrated by this year's planning and execution."
Mainly, one Obama supporter believes the current chief organizers of this event, Wayne Ford and Mary Campos, are too aligned with Clinton. Reached for comment Thursday afternoon, the two organizers denied any allegations that they were favoring one candidate over others. "I don't think that question needs an answer," Ford said. "I am a little insulted that people would even think that," continued Campos.
BIDEN: The
Nashua Telegraph : “Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden warned that if the Bush administration goes to war with Iran, Congress should impeach the president. The Delaware senator said under current circumstances, the president lacks Constitutional authority to attack Iran. He also criticized Republican and Democratic presidential candidates for their ‘fixation’ on what he called Iran's limited nuclear weapons capabilities.”
CONTINUED >>
In his latest National Journal column, NBC political analyst Charlie Cook raises this point: "With the economy clearly weakening, many top economists fear a recession. Even if the economy doesn’t reach that point, they predict a slowdown in the annual growth rate to perhaps 1 percent. Given this, will the focus on national security and terrorism give way to greater concern over the economy? And will that put the ball in Romney’s court, where his managerial competence as Massachusetts’ governor and in business could trump national security worries?”
More from Cook: “A shift in focus to the economy would certainly give this contest a new twist. On October 9, Republicans held a debate in Michigan, ground zero in America’s economic war zone, yet the candidates hardly addressed the anxiety over the economy that many voters had been expressing for months.”
The L.A. Times examines how the phrase "sanctuary city" became such a dirty word, er, phrase, in the GOP race.
Reporting on Wednesday’s GOP debate, NBC’s David Gregory said on Nightly News that “the immigration debate has become the core of the fight for the GOP nomination.”
CONTINUED >>
The Los Angeles Times delves into the conservative blogger angst over how Democratic partisans were allowed to ask questions in the debate. "A review by the Los Angeles Times of the debate sponsored by CNN and YouTube four months ago found that the Democratic presidential candidates also faced queries that seemed to come from the conservative perspective. At least two of the citizen-interrogators had clear GOP leanings."
McCain ripped CNN for the questioner who asked about gays in the military and who is part of a Clinton steering committee. "I think that should have been revealed," McCain said per the New York Post . "I think that should have been made public if this individual was a member of another . . . campaign. Then people would, obviously, have a better way of judging the quality of the question."
The Washington Post : "CNN Admits Holes in Screening of Questioners."
Meanwhile … “ABC News and WMUR-TV have announced back-to-back Democratic and Republican candidates' debates on Jan. 5. Fox News and the New Hampshire Republican Party plan a GOP debate Jan. 6. But New Hampshire GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen raises the prospect of Republican candidates skipping the WMUR debate in favor of the Fox event, both to be held at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown.”
From NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike Romney will return to New Hampshire Monday for a two-day swing through the state, where he often focuses on fiscal issues. But just ahead of this visit, the Log Cabin Republicans have released a new
radio ad in the state that criticizes the former Bay State governor on his record on taxes, saying he's "Mitt-flopped."
“Mitt Romney’s record doesn’t match his rhetoric on taxes and almost every other issue,” Patrick Sammon, the group's president, said in the release about the ad.
Giuliani's camp has also attacked Romney for his record on fiscal issues, but Romney returned with the claim on Monday that he cut taxes 19 times while in office, and the campaign later provided supporting documents.
"He raised taxes on some New Hampshire residents who worked in Massachusetts, taxing their income and their pensions. That's a Mitt-Flop," an announcer says in the ad, before charging that despite Romney’s claim to have close loopholes he did raise other taxes.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller DES MOINES, IA -- Citing "very substantive policy differences" between his health care mandate and those of his leading opponents,
Edwards began a press conference by reiterating his charge that
Obama's health care plan is "not universal." Obama has been facing off with
Clinton over their health care mandates the last few days.
"[Sen. Obama's health-care plan] does not require that everyone be covered," Edwards said, "and as many as 15 million Americans would be without coverage. And I've seen an estimate that up to 90,000 Iowans would be without coverage."
The former North Carolina senator also continued to differ with Clinton on the issue, largely repeating his campaign's charge from yesterday. "Sen. Clinton's plan, which came out in September, is very similar to mine that came out in February. But I have not seen any specifics about how her mandate would work or how she would enforce her mandate," he said. "I've laid out exactly how my mandate would work and we have a way to make sure it's enforced."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
Another day, another
Clinton campaign knock on
Obama on the issue of health care. Today, the Clinton campaign released letters from health-care professionals across Iowa criticizing Obama's health-care plan.
Below are the letters...
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann DES MOINES, IA -- For
McCain's sake,
Sam Brownback wishes he was Babs.
"I wish that he had glitzier people up here to represent him," the former candidate told an audience of Iowa county officials as he stumped for McCain here this morning. "I'm not Barbra Streisand. I'm not Oprah."
"I wish I were," he added.
The often straight-laced conservative senator cocked his head and reconsidered the remark as the crowd chuckled. "Okay," he conceded with a smile, "But I wish I could sing like that."
Brownback, who dropped out of the presidential race in October, is now stumping full force for Senate colleague McCain here in Iowa. The McCain campaign hopes to harvest support from former Brownback supporters, many of them Christian pro-life conservatives.
And no one can say that the man from Kansas doesn't have a sense of humor about it. "Many candidates enter and few leave Iowa," he told members of the Iowa State Association of Counties. "I should know. I'm one of them."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones Everybody knew
Bill Clinton could be both a blessing and a curse for
Mrs. Clinton in her quest to become America’s first female president, and it doesn’t seem like her campaign has quite figured out just what to do with him. He’s there one minute -- stumping for his wife, taking the blame for the failure of “Hillarycare” in the 1990s a few weeks ago, or rewriting history on his position on the Iraq war this week -- and gone the next.
While
Obama has been playing up the future campaign stops to be made by his most popular surrogate, Oprah Winfrey, Clinton campaign staffers aren’t saying anything about when Bill will hit the road for his wife again -- or whether they’ll be appearing together at campaign events any time soon. (Then again, the Clinton camp is notoriously tight-lipped about even minor details when it comes to schedules.)
“The “We-ness”, or the Bill Clinton factor, has been dicey from the beginning. There’s no road map for this,” said Barbara Kellerman, a professor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and an expert on the presidency and women in politics. “It seems to me that they’re figuring it out as they go along. My impression is this is very short-term planning.”
At the moment, that seems to be the case. On the stump over the last week in Iowa and South Carolina, Hillary's mentions of her husband and her use of the word “we” have been on the rise. For months, the senator has been bringing up Bill in talking about the budget surplus he left at the end of his term, and saying that President Bush has squandered that money, but she is spending more time lately talking about him and about her involvement in his administration.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Andy Merten
Although
McCain showed his signature dry wit during a press conference in St. Petersburg, FL this morning while answering questions about last night’s debate, he reserved some serious candor when he revisited last night’s discussion between himself and Romney on waterboarding.
“If we’re not better than our enemy,” said McCain, “then it’s very hard for us to maintain and keep the moral high ground in this ideological struggle that we’re in against radical Islamic extremism.”
He went on to say Romney “should at least get better briefed,” adding of the torture technique, which is banned by the Geneva Conventions: “I would also hope he would not want to be associated with a technique which was invented in the Spanish Inquisition, was used by Pol Pot in one of the great eras of genocide in history, and is being use on Burmese monks as we speak.”
But the Arizona Senator earned a couple chuckles from the group of reporters when he expressed happiness with his performance last night, saying, “My staff don’t show me the bad reviews, only the good reviews, so I’m exhilarated. Last time they showed me a bad review, we didn’t see them for a while.”
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy As if
Thompson's YouTube-style video from last night's debate wasn't receiving enough attention, the campaign is now releasing an extended version of last night's video entitled "Revolution," featuring hits on all three of his major opponents. Dubbed by the Romney team as this campaign's first "attack ad," the video that aired last night featured old clips of Romney and Huckabee supporting abortion and tax increases respectively.
Well, the two-minute extended version posted on Thompson's website during the debate and released to media outlets today includes one more line of attack. The video opens with a message that reads, "During the Republican Revolution, Fred Thompson was leading as a proud conservative." Then after the clips of Romney and Huckabee shown last night, the extended video includes two clips of a younger-looking Giuliani announcing his endorsement for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in New York, Mario Cuomo, and saying that the NRA goes "way overboard, it's almost what the extremists on the other side do."
The fact that the campaign decided to exclude the part about Giuliani last night in favor of the two candidates closer to Thompson in the polls seems to indicate where the campaign feels its opposition resources are best spent. And although the campaign has said it will not be buying any television time for its new video, it is sure to cause something of stir with the chattering class.
From NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike On the heels of last night's Republican debate, the
Romney campaign announced that the former governor has scored another important endorsement from conservative activist David Keene.
According to the campaign's statement, Keene explained, "As this race began, I intended to
remain neutral both because there was no conservative consensus candidate and because I know and admire several of those running for the Republican nomination who I believe could win next fall. In recent months, however, Governor Romney has emerged as the single candidate most worthy of conservative support."
Keene is the chairman of the American Conservative Union and has worked with numerous presidential candidates -- though in failed campaign runs, including Reagan's and George H.W. Bush's initial attempts, and Dole's 1996 race. He also worked for Spiro Agnew.
One thing absent from the campaign's release is Keene's involvement on the National Rifle Association’s board. Given the ruckus that Thompson made recently on Second Amendment rights that made some waves with other top GOP candidates, it seems to be an interesting omission.
From NBC's Mark Murray Giuliani's new TV ad in New Hampshire and Boston...
And Hillary's new TV ad...
It almost feels like a general election back-and-forth, doesn't it? Of course, Rudy's ad also mentions Obama and Edwards.
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike ST PETERSBURG, FL --
Romney made the cable news rounds this morning at site of last night's YouTube debate here.
From his appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, it became even clearer that Romney considers his two biggest threats to be the two candidates he was sandwiched between last night:
Giuliani and
Huckabee . In his interview with the Morning Joe team, Romney criticized the two candidates on a range of issues, including immigration, spending, their records, and tactics. But
McCain and
Thompson never came up.
At the top of the interview, discussing the immigration scuffle with Giuliani that kicked off the debate, Romney used his own situation -- which Giuliani called his "sanctuary mansion" -- to emphasize his call for an employee verification system. He reiterated that he didn't know some of the workers hired by the group he contracted to work on his lawn were illegal immigrants.
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro A big night for Huckabee : At a debate where many voters were looking at him in a different light, thanks in large part to his rise in the polls and the dramatic increase in attention the press has given him, Huckabee delivered. Big time. Unlike previous debates, he didn't open with a joke but instead sounded very presidential in his first answer. He had his share of one-liners -- the best being the one about Jesus would never have run for higher office -- but he seemed to balance the funny with more presidential rhetoric. Huckabee definitely stepped up his game last night. Surprisingly, he didn't get attacked too much. Romney took a shot at him on immigration, but nothing too harsh (Iowa nice, right?). Most
important for Huckabee, he'll likely be declared the winner of this debate by every member of the Amtrak Corridor media elite, and that should get him some serious buzz. The question for the rest of the field: When will others begin to take him as a more serious threat? And how happy will Romney and Rudy be once December 12 passes and there aren't anymore debates where Huckabee will once again overperform before Iowa?
***
Sanctuary mansions? Giuliani was not at his best last night. He started off slow as his "sanctuary mansion" line, which was not delivered very well, seemed to fall flat. (How many viewers realized that Rudy was talking about illegal immigrants working on Romney’s yard? It took us a while to notice that’s what he was referring to.). Also, someone in his campaign should help him learn to give a MUCH shorter answer when talking about guns. The best part of Giuliani's performance was his YouTube video; it was the funniest of the bunch.
VIDEO: NBC's Political Director Chuck Todd discusses the nature of the disagreement between Giuliani and Romney, and the overall results of these Republican debates.
*** Mitt the lightning rod: Romney had an uneven night as well. At some moments -- like
in his first exchange with Rudy over immigration -- he was outstanding. And at other times -- on the Confederate flag, black-on-black violence, and waterboarding -- he was just awful. It was THAT uneven of a performance. He seems to be struggling with getting very aggressive against Giuliani and trying to softly jab at Huckabee. It’s not easy position. What also isn’t easy is how Romney seemed to take flak from all the other candidates. Rudy went after him on “sanctuary mansions”; McCain blasted him on torture; Fred went after him on his shifting abortion views; and Huck even whipped out the class card during their showdown over college scholarships for illegal immigrants. Mitt has certainly become a lightning rod in the GOP field, somewhat reminiscent to Dean in 2004. Can he withstand all the slings and arrows? And is Romney any current presidential candidate's second choice for the White House?
*** McCain makes an impression : The other candidate that certainly made an impression was McCain, thanks to his sobriety. It's interesting, Huckabee-McCain would be a fascinating ticket because Huckabee likes to be the sunny good cop, while McCain seems to be getting comfortable becoming the (sometimes) pessimistic bad cop. McCain was strong,
but bordered on angry too many times to make us think he's going to play well in Iowa (a place that he needs to start getting some traction). That said, if you were trying to pick which candidate looked “presidential” last night, McCain would probably be your choice.
***
Best supporting actor? Thompson seemed more comfortable in this debate than in his first two outings. But just because he was comfortable doesn't mean he had enough great moments. He seemed like a supporting member of the cast -- rather than a centerpiece of the debate. His shots at Giuliani and Romney were probably lines that sounded better in his head than when he delivered them. Still, Thompson's more comfortable appearance seemed to make a good impression with the chattering class.
***
The rest : Paul does a pretty good job of sounding rational when posed with somewhat irrational questions. His trilateral commission answer didn't sound conspiratorial even though the whole premise of the question is just that: conspiratorial. And regarding Hunter and Tancredo, they really don't belong on stage anymore. Guys, it's time to go. The other six have proven viability; the two of you haven't. And if it weren’t for the debates, you'd have no platform. Frankly, many people probably forgot the two men were still running since it had been so long since the Republicans last debated...
*** Good news, bad news : On the Democratic side, the good news for Team Clinton is that last night’s debate has overshadowed Bill Clinton’s remarks on the Iraq war. The bad
news for them is that there’s very little coverage of Hillary’s tough speech on health care yesterday, which was aimed squarely at Obama. Will today’s news in the Washington Post -- a former Condoleezza Rice aide, who claims that Bill Clinton told Rice’s team that he supported the invasion -- overshadow Hillary’s interesting appearance at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church today? By the way, Clinton today hits Obama again on health care, so this is clearly something that they don't plan to let up on even if the media aren’t that interested in covering this spat. Of course, that's what paid media is for sometimes, right? It won't be a shock if the first "contrast" paid media from Clinton involves doing a health-care coverage scorecard comparing all of the Democratic candidates.
*** On the trail : Elsewhere today, Biden campaigns in New Hampshire, where he speaks at a town hall meeting on Iraq; Edwards, in Iowa, speaks to the Iowa State Association of Counties and later the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council; Huckabee appears on Hardball; Kucinich holds a rally and then a fundraiser in New York; McCain has a media avail in St. Petersburg, FL; Obama holds a fundraiser/rally at the historic Apollo Theater in New York City; Richardson has a meet-and-greet at the International Immigrants Foundation in New York; Romney raises money in Florida; Tancredo is in New Hampshire; and Thompson hits a fundraiser and then holds a media avail in Phoenix, AZ. Also, Michelle Obama stumps in Iowa.
Countdown to Iowa: 35 days
Click here to sign up for First Read emails .
The
Washington Post calls the YouTube debate “the most spirited debate of the 2008 presidential campaign.” More: "The clash between the two [Rudy and Romney] was only the start of what resembled a raucous family argument, stoked by sharp questions that touched on the most contentious issues in the Republican contest: immigration policy, abortion, gun control, same-sex marriage, race and the Confederate flag."
The
New York Times used the word "slashing" in its lead to describe this debate. "The debate also reflected a new reality in the Republican race: Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, played a central role, demonstrating how he had come from behind to show strength in several recent polls of Iowa caucusgoers."
The Boston Globe : "The debate - the eighth major face-off for the Republican candidates - reflected a GOP primary race that has become more unsettled and more negative. The strong showing in recent Iowa polls by former governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas - once dismissed as an affable also-ran - has Romney, Giuliani, and McCain on edge, as they try to figure out how to keep Huckabee from upsetting what was becoming a three-person race."
CONTINUED >>
NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike reports from the post-debate spin room: The way the Romney
campaign put it, Giuliani attacked him personally on the immigration issue. Several representatives said that he got "nasty." Romney counsel Ben Ginsberg also said that he thought the debate had too much of a focus on social issues, and that CNN spent too much time on gay marriage.
Both Ginsberg and communications director Matt Rhoades called Thompson's YouTube video the first "negative attack" ad of the race. Ginsberg said his reaction was "extreme puzzlement."
Spokesman Kevin Madden addressed the Confederate flag question, and said that both South Carolina residents and Romney consider the issue to have been dealt with, and the campaign's understanding is that voters want to hear about kitchen table issues, so that's what they would rather spend their time on.
Moreover, as Huckabee had a live shot with a network, an older reporter -- we don’t know who it was -- was trying to push his way through to ask some questions. A Huckabee campaign aide kept saying, "Easy, easy," but the reporter knocked him over, causing him to fall to the floor.
Huckabee saw this and said, "Did he hit my guy? Get security. Get him out of here." About four security guys came over and tried to get him to leave, but he resisted a bit. He finally was escorted out but was not arrested.
A new Clemson University South Carolina poll has Romney at 17%, Thompson 15%, Huckabee 13%, Giuliani is at 9%. About 28% say they are still undecided.
In another poll , Romney maintains a 14-point lead in New Hampshire, and Fred Thompson is at a stunning 2%. Here are the numbers: Romney 34%, Giuliani 20%, McCain 13%, Paul 8%, Huckabee 7%, and Thompson 2%.
GIULIANI : The big non-debate news from yesterday came from the
Politico . “As New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons, according to previously undisclosed government records.”
The
New York Post's headline : "Rudy's Hidden Love-Nest $$: Billed City 500G for Trips to Judi's.”
CONTINUED >>
A new Clemson University South Carolina poll shows Clinton slipping and Obama pulling within a statistical tie. Clinton is at 19%, Obama 17%, and Edwards 12%. But about half say they are still undecided. When the poll was last taken in August, Clinton held a double-digit lead and stood at 26%.
In New Hampshire, Clinton holds double-digit lead in a new poll . Here are the numbers: Clinton 34%, Obama 22%, Edwards 15%, and Richardson 9%. The same poll in June showed Clinton with an 18-point lead.
BIDEN : At his town hall speech on Iraq today, Biden will say, according to excerpts his campaign released to First Read: “Security in Iraq is better, though it remains an incredibly dangerous and violent place. That's great news and it is due in no small measure to the extraordinary skill and bravery of our troops. They will accomplish any mission we give them. Over and over again, they've done their job in Iraq. The problem is, the President has not done his. Remember, the stated purpose of the surge was to allow Iraqis to come together politically. There is no evidence – none – that that has happened.”
More: “There is only one path to a durable political settlement in Iraq and it's the one I proposed more than a year ago and that 74 other senators recently endorsed: decentralize power; give Iraqis local control over the police, jobs, education, services; keep a limited central government to distribute oil revenues; and bring in the UN to oversee this political settlement.”
CONTINUED >>
NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli reads
"Granite Status" in the Union Leader so you don't have to!
-- Donna Brazile will support a full Democratic delegate slate from New Hampshire when the state requests a waiver from the sanctions.
-- Obama’s camp says PAC donations to state Dems are entirely legal.
-- John Edwards “wouldn’t take a swing” when asked about Obama’s PAC contributions. "I don't personally know enough about what the PAC has done and what its ongoing connection to Sen. Obama is. That's the unease I have about commenting about that," he said, adding, "I think that for today, I'm going to stick to the positive thing I'm trying to do."
-- Campaigns aren’t sure if the Iowa bounce will be stronger with only a five-day gap between Iowa and NH.
-- Richardson “is pouring it on” with direct mail.
-- Former state Senate President Arthur Klemm will endorse Rudy.
