Andrea Mitchell
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
One of the Obama campaign's informal Middle East advisers, Robert Malley, confirms to NBC NEWS that he has resigned from any role in the campaign because critics have tried to make an issue of his meetings with Hamas. The Times of London called him about it this morning, and has posted a story online. As a result, he called Obama's campaign today and took himself out of any future role.
Malley's paid job is with the International Crisis Group, which, he says, requires him to meet with Hamas and others. Malley worked for six and a half years at the Clinton National Security Council under Tony Lake and Sandy Berger. Lake is now one of Obama's top foreign policy advisors.
Speaking to NBC NEWS, Malley said, "I decided based on the fact that this was becoming a distraction that it was best that I remove myself from any association with the campaign."
Malley added, "My job with the International Crisis Group is to meet with all sorts of savory and unsavory people and report on what they say. I've never denied whom I meet with; that's what I do."
Malley said he always informs the State Department in advance and briefs them afterward.
He said this morning he got a call from the London Times, asking about his meetings with Hamas. So he called the campaign and said he thought it best to take himself out of what was a very informal relationship to begin with.
He added that people have been attacking him on the Web (here and here and here) for some time. (Huffington Post had an item on "Smearing Rob Malley." Another defense of him here. For more background, this Jewish Daily Forward piece.)
Malley added that he and Obama went to law school together, but he said he has not played any role in the campaign other than as a very informal advisor. But, he added, "once it hits the Times of London it becomes too much of a distraction, especially since the McCain campaign seems to want to make this an issue."
McCain has brought up on more than one occasion that a Hamas spokesman had complimentary things to say about Obama.
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
NBC News has learned that in her remarks today, Clinton will call for a cabinet-level "poverty czar," apparantly similar to what the King family has been requesting.
Here's an excerpt from Clinton's expected remarks:
"When I say solutions, I mean finally addressing the scourge of poverty that continues to afflict so many of our families in this country. I mean appointing a cabinet level position that will be solely and fully devoted to ending poverty as we know it in America, a position that will focus the attention of our nation on this issue. That's the kind of solution I'm talking about, a solution for which Dr. King's son, Martin, has been such a passionate and effective advocate."
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
When asked how Hillary Clinton could consider Barack Obama to be her vice president if she does not think he's qualified to be commander in chief, Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson said on a conference call today that she does NOT think he has passed the commander in chief test yet, but there is a long way between now and the convention, and that she has not ruled out selecting him as a vice president.
(So far, he has not taken follow questions about the obvious fact that Obama is ahead in both popular vote and delegates.)
VIDEO: Mar. 10: Rejecting the idea of being Hillary Clinton’s running mate, Barack Obama says, "I don't know how somebody in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is in first place."
Wolfson and Clinton foreign policy advisors scheduled the call to emphasize points made by the New York Times on Sunday about Obama's lack of a long legislative record in the senate and to again underscore Samantha Power's comments to the BBC last week indicating Obama might not withdraw from Iraq on the timetable he's laid out as a candidate and senator.
Specifically, Wolfson was asked: "Can you explain how the senator would consider having Barack Obama as a running mate if she does not think he's qualified to be Commander-in-Chief? Wouldn't that be the first qualification for anyone that she would consider to be on the ticket? Since she and the president over the weekend -- she Friday, again and the president on Saturday did suggest that that was certainly in their thinking?"
CONTINUED >>
In an on camera interview with NBC's Andrea Mitchell, Rep.
John Lewis -- one of the most influential African-American members in Congress -- has said he will support
Obama as a superdelegate. Congressman Lewis had endorsed
Clinton last year, but says that Obama's candidacy is a "movement and something in American politics that cannot be ignored."
Lewis has said his decision to change from Clinton to Obama was harder then his march across the bridge in Selma 43 years ago when he was beaten and bloodied by Alabama State Troopers. Lewis tells NBC's Andrea Mitchell he has put a call into Senator Clinton but has not yet informed her of his decision and has not yet told Senator Obama.
Adding one to Obama's superdelegate total, and subtracting one from Clinton, the superdelegate count is now Clinton 255 and Obama 201.
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Despite Clinton's comment yesterday that she would abide by party rules and NOT campaign in Florida, aides still say the campaign is considering "all options" regarding Florida -- based on their claim that Obama's national cable TV advertising buy constitutes "campaigning" in Florida markets.
Whether or not that is just a "pretext," as critics say, Clinton is seriously considering expanding a private fundraiser into a public event.
Florida is generally considered to be better turf for Clinton than Obama, and some people believe Clinton campaign is looking for an excuse to campaign there (even though the Obama campaign says it consulted the South Carolina Democratic Party before running the cable ad).
The leading Democratic candidates had pledged to bypass Florida -- except for private fundraising -- because the state jumped the party's official primary calendar rules.
BREAKING NEWS
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Sen. Obama has ESCALATED his criticism of Hillary Clinton -- taking it to political defcon three -- in an exclusive on-camera interview with NBC News.
It is a lot tougher than what he said in the debate -- or in the Iowa newspaper interview yesterday.
During a stakeout outside his senate office, Obama said in part:
"I think what is irresponsible and naive is to have authorized a war without asking how we were going to get out -- and you know I think Senator Clinton hasn’t fully answered that issue.
"The general principle that I was laying out is that we should not be afraid as America to meet with anybody."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Obama has been in to see Colin Powell, as Powell confirmed on Meet the Press. However, both Giuliani and McCain have also been in to meet with him to discuss issues. Powell aides say that staff and advisers to Mitt Romney are also in touch with him, and he has discussed foreign policy with Chuck Hagel.
According to a Powell aide, "He meets with any of the candidates who ask to meet with him to discuss issues. But he is not an "adviser" to anyone's campaign."
That said, in replying to NBC's Tim Russert yesterday, Powell pointedly did not rule out for the first time supporting a Democrat -- or even an independent.
