More oh-eight (D): Biden and Dodd out
Posted: Friday, January 04, 2008 9:26 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
Democrats
BIDEN: The candidate ended his campaign last night. And he later released this statement: “I am not going away. I’m returning to the Senate as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and will continue to ensure that we protect the nation’s security and show our country that Democrats know how to keep America safe, keep our commitment to our troops and restore our country’s respect in the world.”
DODD: After the results came out last night, Dodd dropped out of the president race. During his campaign, in which he moved his family to Iowa, Dodd “played up his experience in the US Senate and strongly criticized the Bush administration over what he called an assault on civil liberties during the war on terror, but his campaign never caught fire, overshadowed by the better-financed campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in particular.”
EDWARDS: Per NBC's Lauren Appelbaum, it looks like Edwards has his eyes set on Obama, not Clinton, sort of. Rallying the troops early this morning, Edwards told supporters the Democratic contest is now a two-man race --including just the candidates for change. "As New Hampshire voters make that decision over the next four days, there's one thing that's clear," he said in Manchester. "What is clear, is that they are not interested in the status quo; they are interested in change. They want to see a candidate of change."
"And so they now have two choices in making that decision," Edwards continued. "And this choice is somebody who will fight for the change that makes America what it is capable of being."
But Edwards used an analogy that's usually reserved for candidates who realize their back is against the wall. In Edwards' case, it was actually Elizabeth who came up with the analogy. "It seems to me the perfect metaphor for this race right now is Seabiscuit," Elizabeth said at a rally in Manchester this morning to the crowd's approval. "The thing is, the war eagle cannot count on any broken legs. This man doesn't make mistakes."
"I have to admit, although Elizabeth came up with it, I kind of like Seabiscuit thing," John Edwards said later during the rally to laughter.
NBC's Kevin Corke got a senior staffer to concede that if Edwards doesn't finish second or better in New Hampshire, things are... um...
A senior staffer saying, "We beat the machine that had the name, the money and spent 6-times as much as we did-- that's saying something." But the staffer also conceded they've got to do well here Tuesday. Second place or better? I asked, to which he replied, "pretty much."
RICHARDSON: The candidate released this statement last night: "We made it to the final four," Richardson said. "My staff and volunteers worked their hearts out to get us here. Now we are going to take the fight to New Hampshire."
“I’m glad I made the final four,” he added on Morning Joe. But Richardson also said that he has to do well in New Hampshire, “and that means finishing in the top three.”
