2008
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli and NBC's Abby LivingstonGRAFTON, W.V. -- In the week since disappointing results in the Indiana and West Virginia, Hillary Clinton’s stump has focused not so much on her policies, but on both her gender and the words of encouragement she’s received as she tries to rally new support in the few remaining contests.
Today, this was evident as she held a “Mother’s Day Celebration” in this town, the so-called “Home of Mother’s Day.” Clinton told the crowd that she drew inspiration from the example of women who came before her, be they historical figures like Harriet Tubman and Sally Ride or her own mother and grandmother.
“Women have been standing up for what we believe in, defying convention and going forward for a long time,” she said.
She also acknowledged that women, including herself, have “experienced a moment along the way when your own sense of limitless possibility collided with a harsher reality.”
“Women face a lot of barriers, some visible, some invisible,” she said. “And in 2008, it’s really important we recommit ourselves to making sure that our daughters and our sons have an equal chance to lead and serve in the future.”
Twice during her remarks, she cited e-mails she has received from supporters, most of them women, encouraging her to fight on. She said her favorite was from a woman named Angela who urged her to “keep strong.” “It’s not over until the lady in the pantsuit says it is,” Clinton said, quoting the letter.
Clinton closed by asking the supportive crowd to join the “tens of millions” of Americans who have already voted in this election.
“I am asking for your support, so that I can continue to fight for you, fight to finish the work that we have started,” she said, before quoting yet another message she received.
“Happy Mother’s Day,” the woman wrote to Clinton. “Hopefully I’ll be wishing you one next year as president. You have already succeeded at the world’s hardest job, being a mother. The second hardest job should be a breeze for you.”
From NBC/NJ’s Carrie DannNBC NEWS has confirmed that another
McCain aide, Doug Davenport, has resigned because of his lobbying ties to the Myanmar government’s military junta.
"Mr. Davenport has tendered his resignation and we have accepted it," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers writes.
The
Atlantic's Ambinder reported: “Doug Davenport, the regional campaign manager for the mid-Atlantic states, founded the DCI Group's lobbying practice and oversaw the contract with Myanmar in 2002. …He joins former DCI Group CEO Doug Goodyear, who resigned yesterday from the post of convention CEO after Newsweek reported that DCI was paid more than $300,000 to represent Myanmar's ruling junta.
“Goodyear and Davenport were recruited by McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, who has been accused by some current and former McCain advisers of take insufficient care of McCain's reformer brand by appointing lobbyists to key positions. Ironically, as Newsweek reported, Goodyear was asked to become convention CEO after Davis's lobbying firm partner, Paul Manafort, was nixed because of his own close ties to foreign governments and controversial companies.”
From NBC's Domenico MontanaroObama has pulled within two of taking the lead in what was once
Clinton's formidable superdelegate lead in the NBC News count. Today, the Illinois senator picked up the endorsement of California superdelegate Crystal Strait, a Young Democrats of America board member.
Strait is the first superdelegate to endorse this Sunday, but is Obama's sixth pick up this weekend. Clinton gained one yesterday, but lost two for a net of negative one in the NBC News count.
The NBC NEWS delegate counts:PLEDGED: Obama 1,590, Clinton 1,426
SUPERS: Clinton 276.5, Obama 275
TOTAL: Obama 1,865, Clinton 1,702.5
From NBC/NJ’s Mike MemoliHUNTINGTON, W.V. -- Hillary
Clinton, traveling press corps in tow, started her Mother's Day trip through West Virginia with a stop at church, where the pastor's sermon urged the faithful to think of themselves as more than a "comma."
"Maybe you've been a comma at some time in your life," Pastor Paul Russell said. "People don't really listen to you. People don't really value you. Listen -- there is one who listens to you. There is one who values you. What a great thing to know that you and I are not commas to God."
The message seemed appropriate as the New York senator seeks to remain part of the storyline, as
Obama begins to look ahead to the general-election match up with
McCain.
Clinton arrived at the First United Methodist Church late, but was greeted with a gift of cookies as she and daughter Chelsea sat in the second pew. They listened as Russell read the Pentecost story from Acts Chapter 2, and also noted the secular holiday.
“Sometimes being a mom is a thankless job,” Russell said. “That's why we honor them in a special way today. Mother's Day is an opportunity to say a much-deserved, ‘Thank you.’”
Clinton did not speak at the service, but stood with Russell after it ended, greeting the worshippers. She will also mark this day with a visit to the home of Anna Marie Jarvis, who founded Mother's Day, and with a "Mother's Day Celebration" in Grafton.
From NBC's Domenico MontanaroObama picked up the endorsement of Arizona congressman Harry
Mitchell. Mitchell is the fifth superdelegate Obama has picked up today.
Clinton today gained one, but lost two for a net of negative one.
The NBC NEWS delegate counts:PLEDGED: Obama 1,590, Clinton 1,426
SUPERS: Clinton 276.5, Obama 274
TOTAL: Obama 1,864, Clinton 1,702.5
From NBC’s Domenico MontanaroThe
McCain-picked Republican National convention head resigned today after a Newsweek report revealed the man’s lobbying ties on behalf of the military Myanmar government.
AP: “Doug Goodyear resigned as convention coordinator and issued a two sentence statement: ‘Today I offered the convention my resignation so as not to become a distraction in this campaign. I continue to strongly support John McCain for president, and wish him the best of luck in this campaign.’ Goodyear is chief executive of DCI Group, a lobbying firm that Newsweek reported in a story posted online was paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent Myanmar's junta.”
From NBC/NJ’s Mike Memoli and NBC’s Cherelle KanteyNEW YORK -- Think Hillary
Clinton is giving up? A look at her schedule suggests otherwise.
Clinton said last week that all she wanted for Mother’s Day was a day off. But on Sunday she’ll be making at least three campaign stops in West Virginia, a state she has called a “test” for herself and Barack
Obama.
Today, Clinton marked the holiday by appearing with Chelsea at a low-dollar fundraiser in Midtown Manhattan. And she talked about the epic campaign, joking that it seems like it began “a 100 years ago.”
“People ask me all the time, ‘Well don’t you get tired?’” she said. “Well physically, of course. It’s grueling, and it’s demanding. But I never ever get tired of meeting people and hearing their stories and listening to what they hope our next president will do.”
She told the mostly female audience that their support has “sustained” her throughout her effort, and said the campaign has been “a joy.”
“Now I know that may be hard to believe,” she said. “But if you would just take the advice that I give to my own mother, and that is just turn off the television, you will really enjoy this experience. Because what I hear and what I see is all about how we’re going to finish this nominating contest, which we will do. Then we will have a nominee, and we will have a unified Democratic Party, and we will stand together, and we will defeat John McCain in November and go on to the White House.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico MontanaroObama picked up an Ohio add on,
AP reports: “Ohio labor leader Dave Regan, who was selected as a superdelegate Saturday, told the AP that Obama is ‘the candidate that can unite the country and move beyond the divineness and gridlock that we have today.’ Regan recognized that Clinton won the Ohio primary March 4. ‘But that was two months ago. I think as the campaign has unfolded, Obama is looking like a stronger and stronger candidate,’ Regan said. ‘I think it's very likely he will be the nominee.’”
The campaign confirms Regan as well. Regan is the fourth Obama has picked up today. Clinton today gained one, but lost two for a net of negative one.
The NBC NEWS delegate counts:PLEDGED: Obama 1,590, Clinton 1,426
SUPERS: Clinton 276.5, Obama 273
TOTAL: Obama 1,863, Clinton 1,702.5
From NBC/NJ’s Athena JonesBEND, Ore. -- This election year has already broken fundraising and voter participation records, but it could also break the mold for how campaigning is done during a general election.
Think of hand-to-hand combat, but with words, something akin to a rhetorical duel on policy that plays out right before voters’ eyes, in state after state, without the interruption of pesky journalists asking questions about issues the candidates believe are not important. This time they would be in control.
It could happen.
Politico reported that Republican strategist Mark McKinnon has suggested the two candidates agree to campaign in some states together, to attend joint town hall meetings and debate each other without a moderator. McKinnon called the town hall meeting
McCain’s “best format” and said joint campaigning would test
Obama’s “claims that he wants a clean fight on the issues.”
McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said, “John McCain has repeatedly encouraged these types of appearances with his opponents in the past, but in order to extend all due respect to Sen.
Clinton, we will look forward to welcoming the arrangements when the Democrats have actually chosen their nominee.”
Obama said Saturday that he was open to the idea, should he become the nominee.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico MontanaroObama picked up two Virgin Islands superdelegates who were previously supporting
Clinton, the campaign announced. They are Kevin Rodriguez, who had publicly endorsed Clinton, and Carol Burke, who had been privately considered for Clinton before today. Obama won the Virgin Islands contest overwhelmingly, and Clinton supporters there have been facing increasing pressure to go with Obama.
So far today in the NBC NEWS count, Obama has a net of three to Clinton's negative one. Also expected today are one more add on from Massachusetts and two add ons from Ohio.
The NBC NEWS delegate counts:PLEDGED: Obama 1,590, Clinton 1,426
SUPERS: Clinton 276.5, Obama 272
TOTAL: Obama 1,862, Clinton 1,702.5
* This leaves 246.5 superdelegates undeclared. Nearly 50 are not yet named. Most will be this month.
* Obama needs 163 to reach 2,025 needed for the nomination.
