Oh-eight (D): Bill, Hillary and Magic
Posted: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 9:09 AM by Domenico Montanaro
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Democrats
BIDEN: In response to Robert Bork’s endorsement of Romney over the weekend, Biden -- who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee that rejected Bork’s Supreme Court nomination -- issued this statement: “In my view, his endorsement of Gov. Romney is not something to tout; it’s a damning portent of the judicial philosophy Romney would promote as President. The last thing we need after eight years of the Bush Administration’s policies of eavesdropping on Americans, extra-legal renditions, and refusal to define waterboarding as torture, is another eight years of recklessness with our constitutional rights. If Gov. Romney is serious about leading the United States, I urge him to repudiate Judge Bork’s narrow view of the Constitution and acknowledge our privacy rights as individuals.”
CLINTON: The New York Times uses the Magic Johnson/Clintons event to note she's on a "warm-and-fuzzy" tour. "Now another major question faces the Clinton team in Iowa: Did it wait too long to try to humanize Hillary? The presidential caucuses are little more than two weeks away, Mrs. Clinton’s negative poll ratings remain high, and some of her advisers wanted to accentuate her personal side earlier."
The New York Daily News writes calls Bill Clinton a “Bill in a china shop. And Tuesday, he went on a minirampage, grabbing unflattering headlines and hogging the spotlight at an event with Magic Johnson while stumping for his wife in Des Moines.”
The Wall Street Journal profiles Clinton's Iowa chief, Teresa Vilmain, who is legendary in her ability to organize the state.
The Washington Post's Kurtz does the Clinton media bias story, and he quotes one reporter who attempts to speak for other reporters -- claiming reporters are not rooting for her to come back. Of course, it's hard for one reporter to speak for an entire press corps, but look for this quote to get plenty of play.
Speaking of journos who aren't Hillary fans, here's Maureen Dowd’s latest on Camp Clinton’s new strategy: "The public still has no idea of what part of her is stage-managed and focus-grouped, and what part is legit. It’s pretty pathetic, at this stage of her career, that she has to wage a major offensive, by helicopter and Web testimonials, to make herself appear warm-blooded."
EDWARDS: The New York Times looks at Edwards final sale to Iowans. "[H]e is issuing a defiant pledge to fight big business, to voters in a state that has been buffeted by national and global economic forces and is still reeling from the closing of Maytag plant in Newton in October. He is accompanied on some of his stops by one of the 3,900 Iowans who used to work there, and points to the closing as evidence of the damage that trade agreements have done to the middle class. In his speech here, he used the word ‘fight’ about a dozen times in 25 minutes. And in nearly every appearance, he tells the story of the schoolyard bully, complete with his father’s salty counsel."
Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne sang for Edwards in New Hampshire yesterday.
The bickering over 527 groups and their advertisements is now well underway in Iowa. On Monday afternoon, the Richardson campaign blasted out a press release criticizing a TV ad that a 527 group called Working 4 Working Americans -- which is financed by the pro-Edwards Carpenters union -- is now airing in the Hawkeye State. And the Richardson campaign, which hasn't engaged in many dust-ups so far in the Democratic presidential race, didn't hesitate in whacking Edwards over it.
“Iowans who are now making up their minds about who to support in the Democratic caucuses do not need these shadowy 527 groups coming in with half-truths and distortions,” said Richardson Iowa state director Robert Becker in the release. “This ad ignores the role played by a certain hedge fund in the closing of the Maytag facilities in Newton, IA, which cost 1,800 Iowans their jobs… Can John Edwards be a champion for jobs in Newton, Iowa when he works for and invests in a hedge fund that helped eliminate those same jobs?" The Richardson campaign here is referring to Edwards' work at the hedge fund Fortress Investments, which owned stock in the company Whirpool that closed the Maytag plant.
The 527 ad, which began running in Iowa last week, discusses the recent plant closing in the state, and notes that Edwards wants to end tax breaks for companies that move their jobs overseas. "Tell John Edwards he's right," the ad concludes. Adam Shapiro, a spokesman for Working 4 Working Americans, tells First Read that the pro-Edwards advertisement is just one ad in a larger campaign assailing free trade.
Of course, 527 groups can’t coordinate with campaigns, and plenty of other groups -- Emily’s List, AFSCME -- are helping other candidates in Iowa. The Edwards campaign has also pointed out in the past the stock Fortress owned in Whirpool was a tiny, tiny amount.
OBAMA: Obama opened his statement at a foreign policy forum in Des Moines yesterday by addressing – as he did at last week’s debate -- a perceived weakness in the advisers he had assembled around him, NBC/NJ’s Aswini Anburajan reports. "I was asked how I plan to change our foreign policy, even as I'm advised by members of previous Administrations. I'm thankful to be joined on this stage today by two of those advisers -- Tony Lake and Susan Rice..." Obama went on to say that he wouldn't demand an "ideological or loyalty" test from his advisers. Calling the answer to that question "simple," Obama answered it in this way:
"There are moments in history when it is not enough to fall back on conventional ways of doing things, because the threats we face are unconventional. There are moments when we're called to stand up for what is right even if it's not popular, because that's what makes us stronger and safer. There are moments when new challenges demand new American leadership. This is one of those moments; I am running for President to offer that leadership; and I welcome the support of all who will help me chart this course."
The Des Moines Register’s Yepsen reviews Obama’s foreign-policy speech. “Using former Bill Clinton advisors in a campaign against Hillary Clinton was a neat tweak of his foe. They were also effective counters to the argument that experience is needed in the White House and that he would lack it. Obama argues a little judgment is important too.” More: “Obama hit just the right tone with the address. He was able to criticize Clinton and Edwards without sounding too negative about it.”
Not to play conspiracy theorist here, but since one of the big Democratic endorsement gets -- Ted Kennedy -- is still on the sidelines, one can't help but wonder if the timing of this leak -- a YouTube of Obama in '03 calling Ted Kennedy "old" and spineless regarding Kennedy’s support for the Medicare prescription drug deal -- is insurance because of speculation that Ted may be leaning Obama?
Also, wouldn’t most Democrats – including Obama’s Dem rivals -- argue that the Medicare prescription drug deal (at least at the time and right afterwards) was a bad idea, as was the No Child Left Behind that Kennedy also championed?
A new California poll shows that Obama's early state surge is starting to show up in later states, as he's cut Clinton's lead in half. Clinton still leads by double-digits, though.
RICHARDSON: The campaign, in a last attempt to get some mojo, is up with a new ad that attempts to emphasize the differences between himself and the three front-runners on the issue of Iraq. Of course, as we've been writing about this week, does Iraq resonate as great as it did six months ago with Iowans?
