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.
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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
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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
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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.
From NBC's Chuck Todd Big night for Mike Huckabee. On a night when many voters were looking at
him in a different light thanks to the dramatic increase in attention the media's been giving him, he 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, but he seemed to balance the funny with more presidential rhetoric.
Huckabee stepped up his game tonight. The rest of the field better be glad that the GOP debates end on Dec. 12, a full three weeks before the Iowa caucuses and that's enough time for his potentially dominant debate performances to fade from voter memories. Surprisingly, he didn't get attacked too much. Romney took a shot, but nothing too harsh (Iowa nice, right?). Most importantly 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.
Two other candidates stood out simply because they seemed to dominate most of the conversation: Romney and Rudy. If someone was watching this debate without knowing the standing of the candidates in the polls, one would easily assume the two frontrunners were Romney and Rudy with no one else really a close third.
Giuliani was not at his best, really started off slow as his "santuary mansion" line was not delivered very well; Al,so, 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.
Romney had an uneven night as well, at some moments, he was outstanding
and at other times, 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. He's not in an easy position.
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 me think he's going to play well in Iowa (a place that he needs to start getting some traction).
The other major candidate, Fred Thompson, seemed more comfortable in this debate than in his first two outings but just because he was comfortable doesn't mean he 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.
As for the rest of the field: 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 Hunter and Tancredo 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 wasn'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.
A final thought on the editorial content of the debate. CNN probably didn't win over any conservative viewers who tuned in to find out if the network was friendly toward conservatives. The abortion questions were questions that Planned Parenthood and NARAL would have posed to pro-life candidates, not what Republican voters would have posed to these Republican candidates. Ditto with some of the gun question and the gay rights questions. The candidates probably weren't happy that CNN chose to linger on the retired general who asked about gays in the military.
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum Many of the Republican candidates took advantage of the opportunity to draw parallels to Ronald Reagan during the debate, but did so in much more veiled instances. McCain casually mentioned a "an old veto pen that Ronald Reagan gave me," while Giuliani drew a specific comparison when talking about cutting federal spending -- "across-the-board spending cuts the way Ronald Reagan did" and reminded the audience he was "the third-ranking official in the Reagan Justice department." Discussing education, Paul referenced the former president -- "Ronald Reagan used to talk about that." Even Hunter joined in the act, telling the audience he "came in with Ronald Reagan in 1980 to cut taxes." Romney, not to be outdone, said he would "follow the pathway Ronald Reagan blazed."
From NBC/NJ's Matt Berger Giuliani got hit a bit at the beginning and at the end. But he definitely looked the best among the front-runners, simply because he wasn't attacked as hard -- and from as many fronts -- as Romney. Issues like torture and gays in the military that Romney got beat up on could have just as easily tripped up Giuliani. But Rudy was able to make a strong case for some of his more moderate positions, and didn't seem to let the hostile audience effect him.
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum Giuliani -- 16:38, during 20 times
Romney -- 13:18, during 19 times
Thompson -- 12:16, during 12 times
McCain -- 11:00, during 12 times
Huckabee -- 10:00, during 11 times
Paul -- 7:43, during 9 times
Hunter -- 5:06, during 7 times
Tancredo -- 3:49, during 7 times
From NBC's Mark Murray
It wasn't until the last question -- over Rudy's support for the Red Sox -- that the candidates seemed to have fun with the debate and the format.
Are there broader implications for a Republican Party that's not comfortable with this medium? Perhaps, when you consider fundraising and debate venues like this one.
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike A Romney spokesman addressed the flag issue in April: From a
NY Sun article, April 12, 2007: "A former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, has rarely faced the flag question on the campaign trail so far, but a campaign spokesman confirmed yesterday that Mr. Romney believes it is a state issue."
Romney just said the flag "should not be shown," certainly a much more forceful rebuke.
How will that play in South Carolina?
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro How will Romney's versus Thompson's responses play in South Carolina? Romney seemed uncomfortable answering it. Thompson said not everyone who flies the flag is racist, and managed to not condone it.
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy Thompson, who often brags that he is the only candidate in the race who has come out with a Social Security plan, and Anderson Cooper gave him the perfect opportunity to keep bragging about his plan. He said that Social Security is not just a "fiscal issue it's a moral issue," and he got the chance to talk about one of his favorite issue. But he did say that the fiscal problem for future generations was more important than all the other issues we hear on the news, which might open the door for some criticism.
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike There's a big difference in Mitt Romney's performance from the first half to the second half of the debate.
In the first, he was on fire -- firing away at both Giuliani and Huckabee on immigration and spending and striking blows.
During the second half, he's looked far less sure of himself, hesitating on the question about the Bible, twisting the question to fit his answer on black-on-black crime and trying to talk his way around whether gays should serve openly in the military.
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy The Thompson email count is now three sent out regarding Huckabee, two regarding Romney, and only one about Giuliani. The crowd has thinned her in VA, and they have stopped listening to the commercial break campaign conference calls (the most recent of which featured self-proclaimed Thompson "cheer leader" Rep. Zack Womp), but as one watcher said as he walked out this door, this sure has been a "feisty" debate.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Most who serve are conservatives, Hunter said. And it would be against their principles to serve with openly gay soldiers. He cited "unit cohesion."
Huckabee: It's about "unit cohesion."
Romney: It's not the right time for Don't Ask, Don't Tell to be repealed. Cooper asked if Romney still believed that he'd look forward to the day when gays could serve openly. He didn't answer directly, instead saying that he'd listen to what military officials would recommend. But does Romney want people to be questioning what he really believes?
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy This is the first time Thompson has ever really talked about his selection criteria for a vice president with any sort of specificity. He said that he would like a vice president who was experienced in foreign relations and with the law because a big part of the next president's responsibility will be to appoint new supreme court justices. Thompson uses that line a lot, any chance that some of the older justices take offense that Thompson is predicting their retirement?
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum Here are our counts for how long each candidate spoke during the first part of the debate
Romney -- 7:03, during 9 times
McCain -- 5:09, during 4 times
Giuliani -- 5:08, during 9 times
Thompson -- 4:38, during 4 times
Huckabee -- 4:14, during 5 times
Paul -- 3:27, during 4 times
Tancredo -- 2:20, during 4 times
Hunter -- 2:16, during 3 times
One note -- Huckabee did not get a chance to speak until 26 minutes into the debate, and Paul did not get his chance until more than a half hour into the debate.
From NBC/NJ's Matt Berger Anyone else notice that Duncan Hunter keeps referring to our moderator as "Cooper?"
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro McCain is tough to compete with when it comes to the issue of torture. That's not something Romney wants to get into.
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger On the Bible, like on guns, Giuliani takes the more liberal approach than the others in the room, but likely gets more followers from the T.V. audience.
He's definitely had opportunities to give red meat to the party faithful and its conservative base. He hasn't taken the bait, and is definitely sticking to the long-term game plan.
From NBC's Andy Merten Romney's YouTube video was just a recut of his recent campaign ads. Why didn't the campaign use the free air-time opportunity to put out something memorable and new, and not just a revamped version of something caucus-goers and primary voters are already seeing?
From NBC's Mark Murray Finally... a candidate has a little fun with his YouTube video. It featured King Kong, snow, and Hillary Clinton.
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy Thompson firmed up his stance on abortion, saying our "number one" concern in judicial appointments should be overturning Roe v. Wade. He has said that he believes in states' rights when it comes to abortion in the past, but this makes it sound like he is in favor of a litmus test on judicial appointments. Would he really only appoint a judge that would overturn Roe?
From NBC's Mark Murray
And when Rudy initially paused when he was asked if he believes every word in the Bible is true, Huck butted in: "Do I need to help you out on that?"
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike Romney's campaign is squarely focused on Giuliani. Thompson is evenly divided between Romney and Giuliani.
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike Romney has a tendency to pivot to his belief that "all kids need a mom
and a dad" whenever he's faced with questions about issues affecting
the African-American community, be it welfare or crime. He did it again
tonight. That line actually serves his appeal to social conservatives,
because its basis is that he disavows gay marriage and supports a
federal marriage amendment. But he doesn't often address some of these
issues head-on, just as he didn't in his answer tonight. It was his
first non-direct answer of the night, which has been off to a very good
start for him.
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger Not surprising that an NRA question goes to Giuliani.
His
thoughts on "reasonable regulations" for gun owners may have gotten
boos in the audience, but probably will make sense to people watching
on television.
After being attacked by Thompson, he
explains the difference between the D.C. and NYC gun control laws. But
people will likely walk away from that exchange believing 1. Giuliani
supports the second amendment and 2. Giuliani wants more restrictions
than other Republicans. And that he doesn't own a gun.
From NBC's Mark Murray So if you're an African-American kid, standing besides his father. And you ask a question on black-on-black crime... Would you be offended when the candidate -- Romney -- responds first how happy the kid is that his father is around?
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy After lots of clapping in the beginning of the debate, the crowd
here in Arlington was relatively quiet until the airing of his YouTube
style campaign video. Thompson's video showed clips of both Huckabee
and Romney talking about the income tax and abortion respectively.
Fred's line that he "thought he would give his buddy's a little extra
airtime," got a big laugh and the crowd here was like Cooper's
decision to let Thompson respond first. Was Romney's line that he
didn't recognize that young guy in the video a joke that hits too close
to home?
Huckabee's line that when they're kicking you in the
rear it just means you are still out front also got a good laugh.
Supporters here are not listening to former Senator and presidential
hopeful George Allen give some talking points against Rudy and Romney
on immigration.
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger Anderson Cooper steps out of the format and asks Giuliani about the
Politico story. What could have been bad for Rudy actually helps him
out because it gets him out front of the story.
"They
took care of me and they put in their records and they handled them the
way they handled them," he said. "I had nothing to do with the
handling of their records, and they were handled, as far as I know,
perfectly appropriately."
Probably better for the
campaign to have that out there than to wait for Giuliani's next public
appearance, on Friday, and the image of reporters chasing him down to
get a comment.
From NBC's Mark Murray McCain's video was pretty similar to Tancredo's -- on Hillary. I guess we're going to keep our expecations low, because the videos haven't been put together as well as the Dem ones were back in July.
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike Romney has said time and again that he changed his mind on abortion, but this was the most impassioned he's been.
But
he started with his pointed, "I was wrong," before explaining what he
did as governor, having "come down on the side of life" when a bill
came across his desk. He made it less about the administrative aspect
and more about his being wrong. Even though he said he doesn't know how
many more times he can say it, that was one of the most forceful
answers he's given on the issue recently.
Also of note, Romney was the only candidate who clapped during Tancredo's Hillary-bashing video.
From NBC's Andy Merten
None of the Democrats' videos did in their debate back in July, but that was early in the campaign and before candidates started taking swipes at each other. In fact, it was the last debate of this format that promted the first real spat on the Democratic side -- that between Obama and Clinton on meeting with foreign leaders. It'd be interesting to see if the Democratic version of this debate were held today, what kind of negative videos those candidates might submit.
From NBC's Mark Murray Tancredo's YouTube video was brutal... Did his 16-year-old nephew make it? If anything, he did get the first shot at Hillary Clinton in the debate. "Now he's ready to take on Hillary," the video began.
On the biggest political news of the day, CNN slipped in a question on that Giuliani expenses story.
Giuliani said it was "not true. I had 24-hour security in my eight years as mayor. They followed me everywhere I went" because of "threats," Giuliani said. "They were handled perfectly appropriately."
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy Thompson got a good chance to tee off on one of his favorite
subjects: government waste and entitlement spending. He said that he
would like to take on all 100 programs listed as wasteful by the Office
of Management and Budget, but was referencing the OMB over the heads of
some non-politicos. And did Ron Paul take a subtle shot at Thompson by
saying he would cut the Department of Homeland Security, a department
that Thompson was integral in creating by acting as the Republican
floor manager for the Homeland Security bill?
From NBC's Mark Murray
Paul: "I am not an isolationist," he responds to McCain's jab for supporting isolationism -- which McCain argued got the US into World War II..
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy Although Thompson hasn't had the chance to take a shot at his closest
competitor in many recent polls, Mike Huckabee, but his campaign did
send out an email after the last question "setting the record straight
on Huckabee's immigration claims."
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy Thompson found a way to hit both Rudy and Romney on the issue of
immigration by saying that everyone has probably hired some people that
"in retrospect were a bad decision," hinting at Rudy's decision to hire
Bernie Kerik. He also hit Romney by saying that he used to support the
Bush immigration proposal, but "surprisingly" he has now taken a
different position. The people here in VA loved it.
From NBC's Mark Murray Question on the national debt... "We've got to stop it and stop it now," he said regarding the increased federal spending.
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike Thompson's comment that Romney supported Bush's immigration policy
hasn't gotten as much traction as a flip-flop as maybe they would have
liked. Romney at one point called the policy proposals "reasonable."
And Romney's got to love the question to Huckabee: It was the basis of his first attack on the former Arkansas governor.
From NBC's Mark Murray He counters Romney on immigration by playing the class card. It's the first jab he's taken in a debate with his new standing in the polls. And he jabbed back.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Huckabee gets a negative question on his record on illegal immigration. But it's 25 minutes in and he is speaking now (and the topic is still illegal immigration).
Romney went back at Huckabee, equating him to Massachusetts liberals. He then turned to him and said, "Mike, that's not your money, that's the tax payers' money."
Huckabee wrote in response, "We're a better country than to punish children for what their parents did." That was an effective line. But Romney hit back and he has shown some backbone in this debate so far.
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy Thompson found a way to hit both Rudy and Romney on the issue of immigration by saying that everyone has probably hired some people that "in retrospect were a bad decision" -- hinting at Rudy's decision to hire Bernie Kerik. He also hit Romney by saying that he used to support the Bush immigration proposal, but "surprisingly" he has now taken a different position. The people here in VA loved it.
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger The Giuliani campaign just quickly came out with the Boston Globe story on the "sanctuary mansion." But the damage is done. And
Thompson just made an implicit reference to Kerik, saying that we all
have people we have hired that "in retrospect is a bad decision."
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger Romney’s direct questioning of Giuliani brought the most flustered
reaction of Rudy I have seen in months. While the sanctuary mansion
line got good laughs, Romney’s explanation and questions left Giuliani
without an answer.
From NBC's Mark Murray He received an initial round of boos, but has gone on to give an earnest defense of his support of comprehensive immigration reform. "We tried and we failed."
From NBC's Mark Murray Another debate, another round of boos? Rudy just got booed by the audience for going on too long.
From NBC's Mark Murray As Chuck Todd speculated on Hardball today, Romney is really trying to get under Rudy's skin. Trying to bring out Rudy's anger?
From NBC's Mark Murray
Rudy fires off sanctuary cities in MA...and a "sanctuary mansion" -- ie, Romney's home.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Romney has gone after
Giuliani on illegal immigration and this question opened up the back and forth. Romney went after Giuliani saying he did run a sanctuary city and cited his undocumented workers being welcome in New York quote from the 1990s.
Giuliani said Romney's house was a "sanctuary mansion," that he employed illegal immigrants. Romney took umbrage and shot back.
It was definitely the most fiery we've seen the candidates at a debate.
Also, is this a replay of the Democratic debate... where the two front runners dominated going after each other and then were booed off to move on?
From NBC's Mark Murray
*** Update *** Well, it wasn't the first question...but the first YouTube addressed to the candidates.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Giuliani said NYC was "not a sanctuary city." Is this Romney's opening?
From NBC's Mark Murray The camera just showed him...
From NBC/NJ's Matt Berger I couldn’t help noticing that Rudy and Romney shook hands off the bat. Wonder how often that photo will be used tomorrow morning?
From NBC's Mark Murray No GOP candidate received more applause than any other as the candidates were introducted...
From NBC's Mark Murray The debate is about to get underway, and when moderator Anderson Cooper announced this GOP YouTube debate received more YouTube submissions than the Dem one, the crowd hollered.
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
The campaign is using the debate tonight to unveil it's new internet phone banking program, which allows supporters to sign onto the campaign's Web site, download a list of phone numbers of voters in key early states like Iowa, South Carolina or New Hampshire, a script on what to say to them and what questions to ask to determine which issues are important to those voters and then volunteers can make calls from anywhere in the country in support of Thompson. The volunteers can enter in data about the calls online to be sent directly back to the campaign's headquarters, or they can fill out forms to send in later.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro The pre-debate buzz here has been the
Giuliani expenses story. It was awkward, to say the least, to see members of the Giuliani staff watching CNN's report on the issue in the press spin room, particularly as members of the press approached and called over and over to get the campaign on record to clarify.
For the record, Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella told First Read and told reporter after reporter who asked, "This is completely common. NYPD has the responsibility for the mayor's security, round the clock."
CNN reported longtime Giuliani adviser Tony Carbonetti saying, "These were all legitimate expenses."
Rep. Peter King (R-NY) also said he is confident neither the NYPD or Giuliani did anything wrong.
From NBC's Mark Murray Edwards campaign -- which is proud to beat its chest that it introduced its plan first -- joined the Clinton -vs.-Obama spat over health care.
“Barack Obama’s plan leaves out 15 million people. The truth is that some people will choose not to buy insurance even though it’s affordable, knowing that the rest of us will pay for their emergency room visits," Edwards said in a statement. “But it is just as bad to say that everyone will have insurance without a plan to get there. Hillary Clinton says her plan will cover everyone through a ‘mandate’ but does not provide even the most rudimentary idea much less a detailed plan of how this ‘mandate’ would work. To get fundamental change in our health care system, we need a fundamental change in our politics. That starts with being clear and direct about what we are going to do and how we are going to do it.”
A campaign press release goes on to describe how Edwards' plan would cover all Americans:
From NBC's Mark Murray The Democratic National Committee just issued this press release: "'Due to the uncertainty created by the ongoing labor dispute between CBS and the Writers Guild of America, the DNC has canceled the December 10th debate in Los Angeles. There are no plans to re-schedule,' said DNC Communications Director Karen Finney."
From NBC contributor Jenny Anzelmo and NBC's Lauren Appelbaum LYNCHBURG, VA -- After Huckabee delivered an address at the evangelical Liberty University here, he picked up an endorsement from Jerry Falwell, Jr., the son of the school's late founder. “My father supported Huckabee before he was number two in the polls,” Falwell said. “We’re just proud, honored to have you here.”
Falwell was not expecting to endorse Huckabee today, but when put on the spot, he did. “He’s my choice, yes,” Falwell said to cheers from students and a smile from Huckabee. While Falwell called Huckabee his “close friend,” he also said Thompson would have been good choice.
While this is a personal endorsement and not an endorsement from the university, it is valuable as Huckabee’s campaign continues to grow momentum heading into tonight’s debate. Huckabee’s poll numbers have tripled since July, and the latest Washington Post/ABC poll shows him at 24% in Iowa, just behind Romney's 28%.
In terms of endorsements, Thompson has the nod from National Right to Life, and Giuliani has Pat Robertson’s support. Huckabee, who is running on the Christian conservative platform, now has this endorsement to add to the mix.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Andy Merten and Mark Murray Clinton went after Obama on the issue of health care. "You know, among the Democrats, all of us except Senator Obama have universal health care that have put fourth a plan. Senator Richardson , Senator Edwards , Senator Dodd -- we've put fourth universal healthcare plans because we know if we don't cover everybody, we're going to leave millions and millions of people out. It's a substantive and important difference, because if you don't start with the goal of covering every American, you will never get there."
She added, "And I'm proud that Senator Edwards agrees with me, Senator Dodd agrees with me, Governor Richardson agrees with me. Congressman Kucinich has a different approach, but he gets everyone covered to have universal health care. If we don't have universal health care, then we will be betraying the Democratic Party's principles. And it's important that those who will caucus on January 3rd understand this difference. Senator Obama's plan does not, and cannot, cover all Americans. He has called his plan universal, then he called it 'virtually universal,' but it is not either. And when it comes to truth in labeling, it simply flunks the test."
And: "He's been saying there's no difference between our plans. But his plan would leave at least 15 million Americans uninsured, including more than 100,000 people right here in Iowa. So why don't we just say everybody against the wall, you don't get insurance. We're very sorry, but we're just not going to have a plan that covers you."
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- First Read is on the ground here in this 80-degree, February 5th state, where the CNN/YouTube GOP debate will take place tonight at 8:00 pm ET. Look for our liveblogging throughout the night.
There has been a lot that's gone on since the last Republican debate. Rudy-Romney has picked up, Thompson has seen his poll numbers in the early states decline, and Huckabee has seen his rise. Giuliani and Romney have been going after each other on everything from immigration and taxes to crime and health care. Thompson , meanwhile, has hit Giuliani on guns, and Huckabee's record is starting to be examined more closely now that he shows second place in Iowa polling -- and even one Florida poll out this week.
With all that and the GOP race so fluid, tonight's debate is set up to be a pivotal one. Expect the attacks to come and go in all directions, as each candidate vies for the spotlight. Rudy and Romney will likely take some pointed shots at one another.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan Obama said that he would “fine parents” in order to enforce the mandate in his health insurance plan that all children be covered.
“I would sign them up in school in the same way they would get inoculated. I would fine parents if form some reason they refused. I am happy to very clear on how we would enforce the mandate,” Obama said. He went on to say that he believed that the vast majority of American parents wanted to ensure that their children did receive health coverage.
Obama once again questioned Clinton’s health-care plan, saying that her criticisms of own his plan, which does not mandate health insurance for all Americans, overlook the costs of health care. And he criticized her for not explaining how she would mandate coverage. “Unfortunately she hasn’t told anybody how she would enforce this mandate,” Obama said.
“Until she clarifies what she would do to enforce this mandate, is she going to fine people or take other steps to enforce this? It’s more of a political point she’s trying to make a than a real point,” he added.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike Yesterday in Florida,
Romney lashed back at
Giuliani for taking him to task on his tax record, saying that the former New York mayor's comments were unfounded. "I cut taxes 19 times," he told reporters. But that claim raised eyebrows in the Giuliani campaign, causing the team to wonder just what those 19 tax cuts were.
Last night, the Romney camp started circulating papers documenting the tax cuts.
Indeed, there were 19 tax cuts, according to the campaign's documents, but they are listed in a couple of different categories. Ten were "filed by governor and enacted" -- three of which were the BioTech Job Incentive Payment Credit, the Fire Sprinkler Accelerated Depreciation, and the Senior Circuit Breaker Expansion.
The other nine were "not filed by the governor but enacted by the legislature." And a few those were the Home Heating Oil Deduction/Energy Efficiency Credit and the Job Incentive Payment Expansion.
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy CHARLESTON, WV -- After accepting the endorsement of West Virginians for Life on her husband's behalf, and holding her first solo press availability here on Monday, Jeri Thompson sat down with NBC/National Journal for a candid conversation about her husband's presidential campaign and her role in it.
A big part of feeling comfortable with her position in the campaign, she said, was participating in Maria Shriver's forum of candidates' wives in California last month. Although she was already entrenched in the campaign process, she said that being able to interact onstage with women who had so much more experience in the political spotlight helped her to see how much other wives were involved in the process.
"I came away really imbued with a sense of community from them, from both sides," she said. "Elizabeth Edwards was the first woman who defended me when some folks were, I would say, mischaracterizing me, and I will forever be grateful to her for that. There's sort of a funny side to this and that's that what I didn't realize is some of these women have been in this 20, 25 years doing this with their husbands as governors, or definitely in the limelight. Frankly, I've been sort of the grassroots, sort of behind-the-scenes girl.
"What I learned from these women is that they all participate at a great level in the campaigns in as much as they care about the issues as much as their husbands. And they care about their husbands' schedule and how the campaign is working and they have a lot to say about how it works. And if they didn't, wouldn't that be the story? If we didn't care about our husbands or didn't care that they were being overworked and underfed and over-whatever else you do on the campaign trail since I'm not there all the time. Wouldn't that be the story?"
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray After breaking the
news of
Bill Clinton claiming -- briefly -- that he had opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, the AP's Ron Fournier runs
this column about Clinton campaigning on the trail yesterday. Some excerpts:
-- Bill "was unscripted, in-depth and generous. He also was long-winded, misleading and self-absorbed. 'Good Bill' and 'Bad Bill' (his nickname among some aides) returned to the public arena Tuesday as Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton brandished her double-edged sword of a husband to fend off rivals in the Jan. 3 caucus fight."
-- "'Ladies and gentlemen,' Clinton told 400 Iowans at the start of his three-city swing, 'I have had a great couple of days out working for Hillary.' In the next 10 minutes, he used the word 'I' a total of 94 times and mentioned 'Hillary' just seven times in an address that was as much about his legacy as it was about his wife's candidacy."
-- "Clinton's stump speeches have always been remarkably accessible despite their length and complexity. One reason is that, while he talks without notes, Clinton's remarks are organized like a neat classroom outline... What he left the crowds with was the assurance that his wife understands their plight. For a man who convinced so many voters that he felt their pain, this may be his most powerful calling card Clinton can leave to Iowa crowds and his wife."
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike Romney also played in a flag football game here with his five sons and a handful of his campaign staffers.
After one play, Romney ran down the field yelling, "This is not tackle, this is not tackle!"
Covered in sweat, he was swarmed by reporters before leaving the game about halfway through. He explained that it "makes all the difference" on the trail if he can have his wife, Ann, or even one of the five sons with him. He's got the whole family in tow for tonight's debate, and they will be seated in the front row-ahead of Giuliani's family. "Ann is really the one who keeps me from going off the edge of the road. She's the guardrail in our family," he said.
When most of the players thought the game was over, it was Romney's oldest son, Tagg, who kept reminding them all that they still had the second half to go. But before the sons re-took the field without their father, they spoke with reporters and talked Iowa. "The five of us will each take turns being there a lot in the next few weeks," Tagg said.
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and several top Romney staffers played in the flag football game, including Carl Forti and Ben Ginsberg. Communications Director Matt Rhoades was told he was kicked off his team to make room for the much taller mayor. Who didn't play in the game? Kevin Madden. He is in town for the debate but was nowhere to be found at the game.
From NBC's Joe Laliberte Richardson mailing to New Hampshire voters, entitled "Protecting Our Sporting Heritage." Its cover photo features Richardson hunting with a man and a young boy, all of them holding shotguns.
The mailing goes on to say, “Bill Richardson protects 2nd Amendment rights. Americans have a long and proud sporting heritage, and that heritage is strong here in New Hampshire. It’s a heritage Bill Richardson shares, and as a gun owner and outdoorsman, it’s one he’s worked to protect... And as a candidate for governor, Richardson was endorsed by the NRA in 2006." It concludes, "Bill Richardson will never support legislation that would compromise 2nd Amendment Rights of Responsible Gun Owners…”
The mailing also refers to his community Web site for sportsmen, www.SportsmenForRichardson.com . Yet while Richardson has never backed away from his support of gun rights -- in fact, as First Read has mentioned before, Richardson is the NRA's favorite presidential candidate in either party -- this particular site doesn't appear on his campaign's main Web site . While the main site links to communities such as Veterans for Richardson and Native Americans for Richardson, it doesn't mention Sportsmen for Richardson.
From NBC/NJ’s Tricia Miller Edwards campaign launched americabelongstous2008.com, where voters can pledge to not support a Democratic presidential candidate who “accepts campaign contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.” The campaign hopes to sign up 1 million “voices” by Feb. 5, 2008, the day the primary process hits critical mass as more than 20 states hold their primaries.
In a morning conference call with reporters, senior adviser Joe Trippi, deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince, and communications director Chris Kofinis insisted that the new campaign is intended as an effort to change the system, not just to elect Edwards. “Clearly, anybody who signs the pledge -- the push or what we’ll be talking to them about as we get more isn’t about John Edwards,” Trippi said. “This is about changing the system. Obviously, one of the other things we will do is communicate to them about why John Edwards has been leading that fight.”
The campaign used the issue to draw a distinction between Edwards and Clinton , who defends a broken system in Washington, according to the Edwards camp. Asked how the pledge would affect Obama , who has taken lobbyist money in the past but has pledged not to in his presidential campaign, Prince replied, “This isn’t a punishment… This is about ending the stranglehold lobbyists and their corporate clients have on our government.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Dodd -- won't be joining them. "With barely more than a month left to caucus night, Senator Dodd will be taking his case directly to the people of Iowa instead of attending the DNC Fall Meeting," a Dodd spokesman says in a press release.
Per a Dodd campaign official, the thinking behind this move is that the coverage payoff for the campaign will be minimal, and it allows it to play the insider-vs.-outsider card. "We are in Iowa talking to the voters, they are all [in the Washington area] talking to themselves," the official tells First Read.
From NBC's Mark Murray Pegged to tonight's GOP debate, the Democratic National Committee has unveiled its "
FlipperTV ," a video collection of campaign speeches by the leading Republican candidates. "The idea behind FlipperTV is simple: let the American people hear directly from the Republican candidates unscripted and in their own words, and let them decide if they want four more years of Bush's failed policies or a Democrat who will bring change to the White House," DNC chairman
Howard Dean said in a release. "This video will come directly from the campaign trail, letting voters see who they truly are, not who their campaigns want them to be."
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Julia Steers Let’s get ready to YouTube : It was ridiculed -- Romney said “the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman" -- and later postponed, which sparked plenty of discussion that the Republicans treat the Internet as if it’s a tax increase or a liberal judge. But tonight, the GOP CNN/YouTube presidential debate finally takes place. It comes more than a month since the last Republican debate, and at the very time the GOP race is truly heating up. Romney and Rudy are grappling over immigration, crime statistics, and which of them more resembles Hillary Clinton. Thompson is piling on Giuliani for his position on guns. McCain has just come back from Iraq, while Paul -- whose supporters were inspired by 17th-century revolutionary Guy Fawkes -- has raked in millions of dollars in the last few weeks. And Huckabee, despite a lack of money and organization, now looks to be a serious player in Iowa.
*** The skinny : Eight Republicans -- Giuliani, Huckabee, Hunter, McCain, Paul, Romney, Tancredo, and Thompson -- will receive plenty of questions on these issues and others, with help from various questioners (including that snowman ?) via YouTube videos. The debate airs from St. Petersburg, FL beginning at 8:00 pm ET, and it’s moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Just in time for tonight’s showdown, a CNN/Opinion Research poll has Giuliani leading Florida at 38% -- followed by Romney at 17%, McCain and Thompson at 11%, Huckabee at 9%, and Paul at 5%. A new Insider Advantage/Majority Opinion poll also has Rudy in the lead in Florida at 26%. But the rest is different: Huckabee is in second at 17%, McCain is third at 13%, Romney is fourth at 12%, and Thompson is fifth at 9%.
***
Huck’s rise and challenge : That last poll shows that Huckabee is even gaining momentum outside of Iowa. Indeed, besides Hillary Clinton going on the offensive against Obama, Huckabee’s rise in the polls could very well be the biggest political story in the last couple of weeks. But starting at tonight’s debate, Huckabee will receive more scrutiny about his record in Arkansas (especially when it comes to taxes and immigration). Oppo from various rival campaigns is now circulating, and needless to say, folks, these stories are coming. Can Huckabee deflect them? Also, perhaps the most fascinating piece of the day comes courtesy of a longtime Arkansas political columnist,
John Brummett , who seems to credit Huckabee's media skills to his VERY early days as a radio DJ. Brummett contends that Huckabee's true genius is his use of the media and notes he's been media savvy in every position he's held, from his Baptist preacher days to governor to presidential candidate.
*** More Clinton vs. Obama : A day isn't going to go by between now and January 3 (or perhaps January 26) when there isn't a significant back-and-forth between the two Dem front-runners. Today, the issue is health care -- again. The Clinton campaign is driving this and driving it in Iowa. Perhaps they see this as an opportunity to play up what has been a strength in polling that she's more credible talking about health care than on any other issue. More importantly, even though talking about health care brings up 1993, that seems to be OK with Camp Clinton because in '93, Obama was just a few years out of law school, so it also provides subtle experience contrast. But the Obama camp is now getting just as aggressive on this issue, trying to push back on this mandate issue, claiming that in 1994, Clinton wasn't always pro-mandate. Clinton folks vehemently deny that this hit has any merit. Bottom line: another day, another back-and-forth on health care with Clinton doing the attacking. Interestingly, Obama's attempting to do on health care what Clinton successfully did on Iraq -- blur the distinctions between the two.
*** Bill vs. Ron Fournier : Meanwhile, another day of Bill Clinton on the campaign trail results in another apparent misstep by Bill. Yesterday, the former president declared that he had been opposed to the Iraq from the beginning, although the record seems to suggest otherwise. The reporter who caught the misstep was none other than the scribe who might know Bill the best: the AP’s Ron Fournier. What's more interesting about Bill's claim? He was very careful not to repeat it at other stops -- subtlely changing his speech text from "opposed" to "opposes." The double-edged sword of Bill on the trail: Everyone wants to listen to what he has to say, and every reporter tries to find some contradiction. And so far, he has delivered something to help his wife and to help reporters tracking him.
VIDEO: Chuck Todd offers his first read on Clinton's claims and Dems' renewed attacks on heath care.
*** On the trail : Elsewhere today, Biden, in Des Moines, addresses the Iowa Association of Counties; Clinton also is in city, where she discusses health care; Kucinich remains in New Hampshire; and McCain, in South Carolina, holds a town hall at Clemson University before tonight’s debate. Also, Brownback stumps for McCain in Iowa, and Michelle Obama also is in the Hawkeye State.
Countdown to Iowa: 36 days
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The Wall Street Journal previews tonight’s GOP debate: "With six weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses, the stakes in this debate are higher. The eight men haven't debated in a month."
The New York Daily News’ curtain-raiser: “With former Mayor Rudy Giuliani riding atop national GOP polls - but rival Mitt Romney ahead in the critical early battlegrounds of Iowa and New Hampshire - the two have spent weeks slapping each other over immigration, abortion and gay rights.”
The Des Moines Register , meanwhile, now has a debate quorum for its 12/12 GOP debate, as Giuliani is now a go.
GIULIANI : The
New York Times front-pages Giuliani’s VERY short Senate campaign versus Hillary Clinton in 2000. "But the 12 months leading to Mr. Giuliani’s departure [from the race] are as instructive today as they were riveting then: a blistering year of mental gamesmanship, piercing attacks, contrasts in personalities and positions, and blunders, played out by two outsize political figures in a super-heated atmosphere. It was a year in which both Mr. Giuliani and Mrs. Clinton gained many of the political skills the nation is seeing now as they campaign for president. It was a time in which they took a measure of one another as opponents. And it was a shared chapter in their lives that offers a window into what a 2008 White House contest between these New Yorkers might be like, should they each win their party’s nomination."
CONTINUED >>
BIDEN : Biden does his turn with CBN's David Brody , who writes: “Joe Biden is not a big fan of all the macho tough war talk coming from Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and the other Republican candidates. As for Giuliani, well that's another matter. When I asked Biden in my one on one interview if he believed there was a global war on terror, he responded yes. I mentioned how Giuliani likes to get on the Democrats because they don't like to use the words ‘Islamic Terrorists.’ Biden responded this way. Watch above. Read below.
Brody: Some Republicans like Giuliani and others said that some Democratic candidates refuse to talk about a global war on terror and Islamic terrorists. Do you believe there is a global war on terror?
Biden: Sure there is, but with these guys, he knows so little about foreign policy he confuses terrorists cells and organizations with countries. There was no al-Qaeda in Iraq before this war. Al-Qaeda became a Bush-fulfilling prophecy. It didn't exist until Bush went to war. Even our own intelligence community says that. But these guys buy into this silliness that if you don't fight them in Baghdad you're going to fight them in Boston. Give me a break…. I can hardly wait to debate these guys. The only guy on that side with any knowledge about foreign policy is John McCain.”
CLINTON : It's probably fitting that on a day when Bill Clinton promised that Hillary Clinton would bring America "back to the future," that longtime Clinton reporter,
Ron Fournier , was on the road covering the ex-president. And leave it to Fournier to catch Clinton on Iraq. "Showing inconsistency on an issue that has dogged his wife, the former president also told Iowa Democrats that he ‘opposed (war in) Iraq from the beginning.’” More: “He has not clearly opposed the war from the start. Like his wife, the former president has been critical of the Iraq war in recent months, but at one time he gave President Bush the benefit of the doubt. ‘I supported the president when he asked for authority to stand up against weapons of mass destruction in Iraq,’ he said in May 2003, the same year he was quoted praising Bush's handling of the war.”
CONTINUED >>
A new Pew poll should give supporters of the Iraq war some hope that the public could actually be persuaded that the Iraq war wasn't a total debacle. More people believe the military effort is going well; more believe we're making progress defeating the insurgents. But -- and this is a BIG but -- Bush's job approval on Iraq hasn't improved; the public still has no patience for keeping troops in the country; and the country is still divided about whether we'll eventually succeed or fail.
Bottom line: The public may simply be reacting to the current improved climate, but it is still not ready to change its mind on the overall verdict it has issued on this war over the last three years.
The Washington Post examines the phenomenon that despite the military progress, the war hasn't become more popular.
Al Hubbard, President Bush’s top economic adviser, is leaving the White House, the Wall
Street Journal reports. “The resignation …, to be announced as soon as today, reflects how Mr. Bush's second-term agenda has stalled, particularly since the 2006 elections that put Democrats in charge of Congress. Already this year, Mr. Bush has seen the departures of his top political adviser, Karl Rove; communications chief Dan Bartlett; and budget director Rob Portman.”
Nevada political guru Jon Ralston interviewed Nevada Rep. Jon Porter (R)…
Ralston: It's the middle of the campaign. You get a phone call. It's the president on the line saying, Jon, I want to come into the district and help you campaign for re-election. Are you going to say stay out or are you going to say come on in Mr. President?
Porter: I think it depends on the time of the year, when it is. The president is the president of the United States. I don't always agree with him, but I'm also in a campaign.
Ralston: He might be a liability. Jon Porter would not jump in and say come on in Mr. President. That's what you're saying.
Porter: I tell you. It depends on the time, whether I'm even in town. But I have a campaign to run. There are a lot of folks who do agree with the president. I don't agree with him all the time, but a lot of people do.
From Aswini Anburajan and Carrie Dann Clinton campaign since January to request an interview with the senator.
He finally heard back this past weekend, the day after a well publicized appearance by Obama in the region and a prominent story in the New York Times commending the Obama campaign's outreach to local weekly and daily newspapers, as also noted at The Rural Blog , of the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues.
Referring to the phone call he received from the Clinton campaign as a "breakthrough," Beaudoin said that he found its timing to be "rather odd."
"The timing [of the interview] seems to be working in their favor,” Beaudoin said. “The New York Times piece gave Obama good press about how his people are handling weekly papers. She dropped in the polls recently… We've offered her front-page space for the past 10 months -- just like all the other candidates. It's always time constraints and one person gets the message and the other person doesn't get the message.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Obama campaign was this: "I spoke with Prime Minister Olmert today, and assured him of my strong support for this effort and my unshakeable commitment to Israel's security as a core principle as negotiations move forward.”
Here’s the full release:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan PORTSMOUTH, NH -- There were at least two lifetimes worth of foreign policy experience on stage with
Obama at an international affairs panel held here today.
The campaign debuted two new policies and introduced the brain trust that has helped shape Obama's views on Iran, globalization, terrorism, the military, and America's place in the world. Over the course of three hours, Dennis McDonough -- Obama's chief foreign policy adviser and a former adviser to former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle -- led a panel of Rhodes Scholars, former Clinton Administration appointees, and former military officers in a discussion of why Obama is best suited to lead the United States at a critical moment in the nation's history.
"On January 20th 2009, the world will give us one brief second look to see if they can work with us," Susan Rice a former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President Clinton. She said that Obama would fill that role because of his international background, his pragmatism, his call for unity, and the judgment he displayed in not supporting the Iraq War.
Her points, and much of the panel's, were reiterations of the same arguments the campaign has already laid forth on why Obama is qualified to be president. However, the weight of their resumes added a layer of gravitas to the claims that Obama has arguably struggled to convince voters of by himself. Nothing underscored that point more than when Obama joined his advisers on stage. Seated in between them -- taking questions on foreign policy and deferring to his advisers on certain answers -- the scene was Roosevelt-esque.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum Once again, Edwards joined the striking Writers Guild and other union members in solidarity, after marching with the the WGA members in Burbank earlier this month. Although he spoke for less than four minutes, the union members rallied around the presidential candidate, yelling out encouraging words.
"The truth is, [unions are] crucial for the future of America," Edwards said in New York City's Washington Square Park. "It is why, when I'm president of the United States, when you're out walking the picket line, nobody will be able to walk through that picket line and take your job away from you. You're going to have a president who actually stands with you, when you're working, when you're collectively bargaining, when you're standing up for workers, yourself, and fellow workers across this country."
Before leaving the rally, Edwards had a message for the union members on strike. "I'm proud to be with you; stay strong," he said to an increasing amount of cheers. "Stay strong. Stay together. You're doing the right thing. Continue to do the right thing."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Obama has Oprah. And now Hillary has ... Barbra Streisand. The Clinton campaign just announced that the famous singer and star of Funny Girl, Prince of Tides, and Meet the Fockers has endorsed the New York senator.
"Hillary is a powerful voice for change as we find our country at an important crossroads," Streisand said in a statement. "Under her leadership, our country will regain its respect within the global community. She will prioritize issues of global climate change, universal health care and rebuilding a strong economy. After eight long years, the public will once again have faith in their government."
In other words, we guess, "the way we were..."
From NBC/NJ’s Carrie Dann
Two new pieces of direct mail in Iowa. One is a
large color 8-by-14-inch piece (.pdf) from Team
Edwards that advertises he’s “Fighting for American Families.” Pretty bread-and-butter: the text outlines his opposition to NAFTA, promises that he’ll “end special treatment for CEO pensions when workers are cheated out of theirs” and rails as usual that “The system in Washington is rigged.” The mailer features photos of Regular Iowans -- two elderly farmers in their respective cornfields, and one dad with a young girl in his arms.
Slightly more noteworthy is a
fundraising letter from the Richardson campaign (.pdf) that, for all his play-nice appeals, appears to take some very veiled shots at Hillary Clinton. In asking for donations, Richardson invokes the “Swift Boating” of Kerry and warns, “We can’t nominate a candidate that Republicans can successfully poison for a majority of voters.” Later: “The outcome of this election is NOT inevitable … It IS possible to elect the most qualified candidate, not just the one who is the most well-known or well-funded.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum and Mark Murray The
Thompson campaign has launched two new 30-second television advertisements in Iowa. The first, entitled
"Service," touts his record of public service. Starting out with black and white photographs of Thompson's career as a federal prosecutor, the ad then shows video of his work during Watergate and video of Thompson serving in the Senate. "Fred Thompson -- a consistent conservative in the US Senate, a 100% pro-life record, voting for three major tax cuts and fighting for conservative judges." The ad concludes, "Fred Thompson -- true conservative for president."
The second ad,
"Marie," discusses Thompson's integrity and features Marie Ragghianti, former Chair of Tennessee Pardons and Paroles, who lost her job for being a whistleblower. "That's when I turned to Fred Thompson," Ragghianti says in the ad. "I was convinced he had the courage to take on my fight. And I was right. The governor went to prison and I got my life back. Fred is a man of genuine integrity." Interestingly, a
1985 movie starring Sissy Spacek -- "Marie" -- was made about Ragghianti's whistleblowing, and it was that movie in which Thompson made his first film appearance, playing himself.
From NBC/NJ’s Carrie Dann Biden's new "
Joe is Right" ad features complimentary
quotes from six of the senator's seven rivals. The missing candidate is
Kucinich , whose peace platform doesn't leave a lot of room for agreement with the measured policies of the Foreign Relations chairman.
Kucinich noticed. And he's mad as hell.
Per a release issued by his campaign, "Deliberately - and revealingly - missing from the political cast of characters in Biden's approving/adoring love-fest among the Democratic candidates is Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich. …The Congressman has the utmost respect for Senator Biden and his years of service to the nation. He just happens to be wrong on some very major issues; and, if the other candidates agree with him, then they're wrong, too.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Huckabee climbing to second place there and Fred Thompson dropping into single digits. Giuliani retains the top spot at 26% in the Insider Advantage/Majority Opinion poll ; Huckabee is second at 17%; McCain is third at 13%; Romney is fourth at 12%; and Thompson is fifth at just 9%.
Huckabee picked up 11 percentage points and Thompson dropped 10 from the same poll a month and a half ago. Huckabee and Thompson are largely going after the same voting bloc -- Christian conservatives -- and Thompson has touted his potential geographic advantage in the South. Giuliani has led in Florida polling, but Thompson has been locked in a tie, if not in first, in South Carolina. But it will be interesting too see where he will be when newer polling comes out.
Romney dropped four points -- slightly outside the 3.8% margin of error -- from the last poll and McCain saw a three-point boost.
Insider Advantage/Maj. Opinion
11/26
10/3
Giuliani
26
29
Huckabee
17
6
McCain
13
10
Romney
12
16
Thompson
9
19
+/- 3.8 %, 675 Republicans
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike and NBC's Mark Murray ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- At an availability with reporters here, Romney answered questions about today's report suggesting that he would not appoint Muslims to his Cabinet. "No, that's not what I said. His question was, Did I need to have a Muslim in my Cabinet in order to confront radical jihad, or would it be important to have a Muslim in my Cabinet?' And I said no, I don't think you need a Muslim in the Cabinet to take on radical jihad any more than we needed a Japanese American to understand the threat that was coming from Japan or something of that nature."
Romney continued, "It's something I rejected, number one. And number two, point out that haven't given a lot of thought to the people I would have in my Cabinet. I don't have boxes I check off in terms of ethnicity, and it's not that I need a certain number of people representing ethnic groups. Instead, I would choose people based on their merits... I'm open to having people of any faith, ethnic group. But they would be selected based on their capacity and capabilities and what they could bring to the Administration, but I don't choose people based on checking off a box."
What sparked this story was a op-ed in today's Christian Science Monitor by Mansoor Ijaz, who wrote: "I asked Mr. Romney whether he would consider including qualified Americans of the Islamic faith in his cabinet as advisers on national security matters, given his position that 'jihadism' is the principal foreign policy threat facing America today. He answered, '…based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration."
*** UPDATE *** From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones Clinton brought up the issue of wounded soldiers losing their signing bonuses at an endorsement event here Tuesday.
“I’m in a new fight now with the administration,” she said. “Let me tell you our latest fight. They’ve been giving signing bonuses to recruit young people to join the military. Nothing wrong with that; it is an all volunteer military after all and a lot of young people can use that financial help they and their families would receive. But all of the sudden we learned they had a policy that if you were wounded, you lost your signing bonus (gasps, murmurs and whispers of “What?” in the crowd); my reaction exactly. What are they thinking? A young man or woman goes to Iraq or Afghanistan, gets hit by an improvised explosive device or sniper fire, can’t complete his or her tour of duty and we’re asking for the money back. That is your government at the moment. Now there’s nothing wrong with the American people. What’s wrong is the Bush administration.”
There has been some confusion over whether people were really being required to repay enlistment bonuses as a matter of policy. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski noted recently that this was, in fact, against army policy.
A Clinton spokesman said the senator knew of at least three people this had happened to in New York.
From NBC's Mark Murray
We have a feeling
this story might get some play today: "Former Massachusetts Gov.
Mitt Romney , asked about putting a Muslim in his presidential Cabinet, said that he 'cannot see that a Cabinet position would be justified' based on the percentage of Muslims in the U.S., according to an Islamic businessman who asked the question at a fundraising reception.
"Kevin Madden, Romney’s national press secretary, told Politico: 'At this point, we're not focused on what Gov. Romney's Cabinet might look like. But the governor does not believe that in order to effectively fight radical jihad you need to have Muslims serving in the Cabinet.'"
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Obama and Clinton on the Democratic side and Romney and Huckabee on the Republican side are in dead heats in Iowa, according to a new poll out conducted by Strategic Vision, a Republican pollster.
First Read got a look at some of the numbers, and they show Romney at 26%; Huckabee at 24%; Giuliani at 14%; Thompson at 10%; McCain at 7%. On the Democratic side, Clinton and Obama are tied at 29%; and Edwards is slightly behind at 23%.
The poll was conducted from Nov. 23 to 25 with a sample size of 600 likely caucus goers from each party and has a margin of error of +/- 4.5%.
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
“Over the last nine months, the Romney campaign has spent $2.4 million on ads at WMUR ($2,401,360, to be exact). That's about 75 percent of all Republican presidential ad buys on that station during this calendar year. In other words, Mitt has spent three dollars in ads for every one dollar spent by the rest of the field, all year long.”
On the Democratic side, Obama was on the air most this month. “From October 30 through November 26, Obama spent just over half a million dollars ($505,595, to be exact, Cosmo) on 502 ads. Some of these were 30-second spots, others one minute in length. (The senator from Illinois likes the60-second ads.) Put another way, Obama has spent about $125,000 a week throughout this month to air 120-135 ads, or about 18 or 19 a day. That's a large buy by Democratic standards -- but not by Mitt Romney's standards.”
From NBC/National Journal's Athena Jones SPARTANBURG, SC --
Clinton received the endorsement of a group of South Carolina ministers, the vast majority of them black and from the upstate region, here on Tuesday.
About 60 male and female ministers stood behind the New York senator on stage when the announcement was made.
The black vote is especially important in this early voting state; they made up about half of primary voters in the 2004 Democratic primary. The endorsement announcement will likely be spun as a blow for Obama for the simple reason of race. But the Clintons have long been popular in the black community across the nation, and some black voters have expressed concern that Obama cannot win the general election.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Julia Steers *** What if we’re just three weeks out? Romney and Rudy are butting heads over crime in Massachusetts, Giuliani’s views on social issues, and Romney’s health-care record. Clinton and Obama, meanwhile, are duking it out over experience, health care, and campaign finance -- with Edwards also jumping into the fray. And Bill Clinton (today) and Oprah (in early December) are hitting the campaign trail for their respective candidates. It all seems like Iowa is just three weeks away, not five. And, in a way, that’s right: With the caucuses encroaching on the Christmas holidays -- many voters might be starting their vacations as soon as December 19 -- time is running out even faster than the expedited calendar suggests. Perhaps that’s why Obama is bringing out Oprah on December 8 and not the 19th or the 29th. None of the campaigns are clear about who will be listening to them after Dec. 19, so are we in closing argument stages? Will there be time for a trailing candidate on December 19 (in either party) to fix their plight by January 3?
***
Bill’s back: And perhaps that's also why Bill Clinton finds himself stumping for his wife in Iowa. It's his first time back on the trail since he made plenty of news earlier in the month -- first lumping the criticism Hillary received after her debate performance in Philly with the Swift Boat and anti-Max Cleland campaigns, and then saying the health-care failure in the 1990s was more his fault than his wife's. Today, he will likely make more news when reporters ask him about this Obama line from yesterday: "There is no doubt that Bill Clinton had faith in [Hillary] and consulted with her on issues, in the same way that I would consult with Michelle, if there were issues. On the other hand, I don't think Michelle would claim that she is the best qualified person to be a United States senator by virtue of me talking to her on occasion about the work I've done."
*** Main Street vs. Wall Street: Also stepping into the spotlight today is Edwards, who appears at a rally with striking workers in New York City before holding a press avail there to discuss his economic policies. Per his campaign, he will talk about how his economic policies benefit regular people on Main Street, rather than the bottom line on Wall Street. It's an interesting exercise to think if Edwards' populist message right now would be resonating louder -- or if his poll position would be different -- if his high-priced haircut hadn't shown up in his campaign's FEC report, or if he hadn't earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from a New York-based hedge fund. But as several Democratic thinkers and strategists noted to the Huffington Post , perhaps the biggest reason why Edwards’ populist message has been overshadowed so far is due to Clinton’s and Obama’s celebrity candidacies, as well as the fact that those candidates (in varying degrees) have co-opted that message.
*** Just asking: Did the Clinton camp get so few takers on its campaign finance challenge yesterday to Obama -- over his campaign's questionable use of a leadership PAC -- because many reporters didn't know how to do an Obama story without also delving into Clinton’s campaign finance issues?
*** A looming court battle in Mississippi? Part of the fallout from Trent Lott’s resignation from the Senate is the timing of the special election in Mississippi to replace him. Gov. Haley Barbour (R) said that under the law, he was setting the special for November 2008, after waiting a period of 10 days from the vacancy. But the Mississippi Democratic Party believes the special has to be held within 90 days of the seat being vacated, assuming Lott vacates the seat before the end of THIS calendar year. It looks like it's going to take a court to decide the date. By the way, in case you are wondering why Democrats want a snap election and why Republicans want more time, here’s your answer: the popularity and name recognition of the leading Democratic candidate, former state Attorney General Michael Moore. Republicans worry that in 90 days, they can't properly make the negative case against Moore since their likely nominee won't be as well known.
*** The first test for the Dem nominee? Still, shouldn't Democrats be careful what they ask for? Think about the calendar: 90 days falls somewhere in late March (or early April, depending on the exact date of when the call is made). Well, by late March or early April, the Democratic Party will have its presidential nominee, creating the first test of just how much the top of the ticket will affect downballot races. There would be all sorts of gamesmanship regarding whether the Democrat would invite a Clinton, Obama, or Edwards to come and campaign for Moore (or whomever the Dem candidate is). Is this something the national party wants? What if the nominee proves to be a drag? Then again, it could be deadly for the GOP because what if the nominee proves NOT to be a drag? For political junkies and analysts, there's little we would want more for Christmas or Hanukkah than for this spring special election to happen!
*** On the trail: Biden, in Iowa, holds a press conference and stumps throughout the state; Clinton stumps in South Carolina; Dodd has a book talk in Ames, IA; Giuliani raises money in Pennsylvania; Huckabee is in Florida; Kucinich is in New Hampshire; McCain spends the day in South Carolina; Obama holds a foreign policy summit in Portsmouth, NH; Richardson rolls out his agriculture policy in Council Bluffs, IA; Romney campaigns in St. Petersburg, FL; and Tancredo stumps in New Hampshire.
*** Another Super Tuesday: And for more on those events -- and much, much more -- tune into MSNBC’s all-day Super Tuesday political coverage, beginning at 9:00 am ET. Much of the focus of today’s Super Tuesday is the politics of immigration. Given that, the Los Angeles Times looks at the political tale of Tom Selders, the one-time mayor of Greeley, Colo., who spoke out against an immigration raid at a local meatpacking plant -- which ultimately cost Selders his job last month.
Countdown to Iowa: 37 days
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The Washington Post uses the announcement of Oprah stumping for Obama and Bill Clinton campaigning today in Iowa for wife to pit Oprah versus Bill. "Both are legendary communicators, perhaps the two greatest in their generation. Both helped build an ethic of empathy, turning the public confession into a rite of passage. Both are world-renowned -- one for being a former president, the other for a TV show usually identified just by her first name."
Among the many back-and-forths Clinton and Obama had yesterday was this one: “‘If she wants to tout her experience of having visited countries, that's fine,’ Obama said. But, he added, ‘I don't think that Madeleine Albright would think Hillary Clinton was the face of foreign policy during the Clinton administration. But maybe she'll disagree with that.’”
“Later in the day, Albright released a statement through the Clinton campaign saying the former first lady ‘had represented American interests and values during her visits to more than 80 countries" and would ‘be ready from the very first day to lead our nation in a dangerous and complicated world, which is why I am supporting her candidacy.’”
CONTINUED >>
BIDEN: Yesterday, the Delaware senator issued this statement: “Yesterday's attempt by John McCain and Rudy Giuliani to defend the Bush-Cheney troop surge in Iraq totally misses the point -- and is misleading to the American people. Security in Iraq is better, thanks in no small measure to our troops. But there is no evidence -- none -- that the surge is succeeding in achieving its stated objective: to allow Iraqis to come together politically… There’s only one possible path to a durable political settlement in Iraq and it’s the one I proposed and that 74 other Senators endorsed: decentralize power and give Iraqis local control over their daily lives.
We bet there's nothing the Biden and Dodd campaigns hate more than
stories that compare the two candidacies.
CLINTON: The
New York Times examines Clinton's focus on wooing older women voters. "Many young women have been enthusiastic supporters, but Mrs. Clinton, of New York, has shown particular pride in the women in their 70s, 80s and 90s at her events. She spends extra time with them on the rope line and repeats their stories to audiences… In interviews with 20 women in their late 70s and 80s, most said they supported Mrs. Clinton based on qualities they saw in her -- intelligence, confidence and capability -- rather than her positions on issues. Many also said that her qualities would help her cope with challenges.”
CONTINUED >>
The Washington Post has been combing through the submitted questions for tomorrow's CNN/YouTube debate, and it finds one of the toughest questions could be one of the shortest: "What does the word 'Republican' mean to you?" "The period for submitting questions via YouTube video ended yesterday, and almost 5,000 were offered up as fodder for the debate. The videos are as diverse as the questioners themselves, coming from all ages and backgrounds, and from Republicans and Democrats alike. In one, a black woman from Dallas, soon to be out of college and lamenting that she needs to learn Spanish to secure a job, asks how the candidates feel about non-English-speaking immigrants. In another, a middle-age man from Tucson, sitting in his wheelchair, asks about stem cell research. A gay Republican from Atlanta asks: "How can we make the Republican Party a more large, open tent?"
The New York Times adds that the GOP CNN/YouTube debate was postponed in summer in part because one of the candidates, Mitt Romney, thought the Democratic debate was demeaned when CNN showed a video of an animated snowman asking a question about global warming. Mr. Romney eventually relented. A new snowman video has been submitted for the Republicans. Will it be shown? ‘Tune in and see,’ said David Bohrman, CNN’s Washington bureau chief and executive producer of the debate.”
CONTINUED >>
The San Francisco Chronicle examines recent polling data from the Democratic polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner to look at the potential potency of unmarried women for Democrats. “A quarter of all eligible voters - 53 million - are unmarried women, according to an October study by the influential liberal polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, but 20 million did not vote in the most recent presidential election. ‘They have the power to reshape American politics further, if they vote,’ according to the Greenberg Quinlan Rosner study. ‘Unmarried women have the potential to emerge as the 'Democrats' Evangelicals.'"
The New York Sun wonders if Michael Bloomberg has found his Condi -- following up on reports that Bloomberg is being briefed on foreign policy issues by Nancy Soderberg. "Soderberg is considered a centrist who supports using international institutions to further American interests abroad. In television appearances, she has spoken out about the war in Iraq, saying it has been botched from the beginning."
Not surprisingly, many reports this morning use the Lott resignation to reinforce the CW that the Republican chances of winning back either the House or Senate is getting more remote by the day. Just when the Congressional Republican leadership thinks their retirement roll call has come to an end, another sneaks up on them.
Even before Sen. Trent Lott (R) officially announced his resignation yesterday, speculation abounded over when a special election would take place to replace him. Would it be 90 days, as it seemed to indicate in Mississippi law, or would it be November 2008? Mississippi law reads that the governor sets a special election to replace a resigning member of Congress within 90 days, unless it takes place in the year of a statewide general or congressional election, according to an official in the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office. Gov. Haley Barbour (R) interpreted that this way: Since this is a statewide election year (with the gubernatorial election), and Election Day has passed, the election to replace Lott would take place on Election Day 2008 (Nov. 4).
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan Radio Iowa reported today that former
Gov. Tom Vilsack scoffed at the idea that Oprah would sway Iowans or draw huge crowds in Iowa. "According to Vilsack, not many Iowa women get to watch daytime television because they're working. Winfrey made her support of
Obama public earlier this year and hosted a fundraiser at her home in California, bringing in $3 million for Obama's campaign."
So just how popular is the queen of daytime talk in the Hawkeye State? According to KCCI, the station that airs Oprah in the Des Moines/Ames region which covers central Iowa, about 40,000 people watch her show daily. The Oprah Winfrey Show is more popular than the prime time viewership of either the ABC (39,000) or NBC (38,000) affiliates in the same media market.
Also, more people watch Oprah than the morning, noon or 5 p.m. newscasts of the NBC affiliate in Des Moines, and more watch her than any of the any of the newscasts on the ABC affiliate.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray this : “Violent crime and murder went up while [Romney] was governor, and I think that that is something that talks about not just an isolated mistake, it talks about a series of mistakes.”
Was Giuliani right about the crime statistics under Romney? Yes and no.
According to the FBI, murders (and manslaughter) in Massachusetts increased from 175 incidents in 2005 to 186 in 2006 . Robberies also rose from 7,615 in 2005 to 8,047 in 2006. *** UPDATE ***
But, overall, violent crimes (which include murder and robbery, but also rape, assault, etc.) decreased in the state -- from 30,196 in 2003 , which was Romney's first year as governor, to 28,775 in 2006 , which was his last year.
YR
Murders/Manslghter
Per 100K
Robbery
Per 100K
2003
2004
2005
142
169
175
2.2
2.6
2.7
7,985
7,467
7,615
124.1
116.4 1 19.0
2006
186
2.9
8,047
125.0
YR
Violent Crimes MA
Violent Crimes per 100,000
2003
30,196
469.4
2004
29,437
458.8
2005
29,237
456.9
2006
28,775
447.0
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan and NBC's Mark Murray Clinton and Obama is over campaign finances. A Washington Post article reported today that Obama's leadership PAC Hopefund, doled out "more than $180,000 ... to local Democratic groups and candidates in the key early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro and NBC/NJ's Erin McPike
He instead peppers the 30-second spot -- running in Iowa and New Hampshire --with veiled shots at multiple opponents as an announcer touts Romney’s record as governor of Massachusetts. “He said no to driver's licenses for illegals” (one for Clinton and other Dems); “no to in-state tuition; fought for English in the classroom” (there are a couple for Huckabee). “The only candidate with a proven record of fixing the big problems” (zing, Giuliani -- who said 9/11?).
Romney and Giuliani got into a volley in the Granite State this weekend over spending issues and judicial appointments, but they've been bickering even longer over who had the less impressive record fighting illegal immigration during their respective years in office.
Here’s the full transcript of the ad:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Christina Jamison, Mark Murray and NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli Hillary Clinton accepted the endorsement of New Hampshire's first lady, Susan Lynch.
Lynch said with the exception of her husband, she rarely publicly gets into politics. But, she added, "Hillary and I share a lifelong commitment for fighting for a very important goal, and that is health care for children and families. And I believe Hillary is the candidate who can finally succeed in this area."
Clinton cited Lynch's experience as a pediatrician and praised her for her work to promote health care and prevent childhood obesity. "It's really time to promote prevention and that's what Susan has talked about."
Gov. John Lynch (D), who was re-elected last November with a whopping 74% of the vote, will remain neutral in the primary race. "He respects [his wife's] decision to endorse, but the governor will remain neutral," said Colin Manning, the governor's press secretary. "He is focused on being a good host for the primary."
Also today, Clinton picked up the endorsement of Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette (D), who has become the House Democrats' point person on embryonic stem-cell research. "Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience we need in the next president of the United States," DeGette said in a statement. "Under her leadership, we will finally provide quality, affordable health care for every American. These challenging times call for a leader with Hillary Clinton's ability to hit the ground running on her first day in the White House."
From NBC’s Andy Merten Romney had another chance to repeat his criticisms of Giuliani -- during a radio interview today.Hillary Clinton on most of those social issues.”
Romney also defended his decision-making process in choosing judges -- something Giuliani brought into question this weekend, citing the ruling of a Massachusetts judge Kathe Tuttman, who was appointed by Romney and later released a convicted murderer who went on to kill again. “He came after me this weekend on that, which, I frankly thought he’d was the last person who would raise that kind of issue because of course with Bernie Kerik,” said Romney. “Now we know this person’s been indicted 16 times, has plead guilty to crimes in state court –- that shows such a remarkable lapse in judgment.”
*** Update ***
From NBC’s Carrie Dann
"If I weren't so darned wonderful myself, I'd be supporting Joe." So reads a new Biden print ad in seven papers here in Iowa, including the Des Moines Register and Quad City Times.
The
full-page ad (.pdf) features quotes from all six of his Democratic rivals (sans Kucinich) agreeing with the Delaware senator. This is Biden’s first print ad in the state. Per his website, the buy required about $50,000 in fundraising to get placed. The web video montage, which birthed the idea, now has 42,000 hits on
YouTube .
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli LITTLETON, NH -- Even Oprah can only do so much for
Barack Obama’s candidacy, the candidate himself said today.
“People will certainly come to an event to see Oprah, and that means that I’ve got access to more people,” Obama told reporters after a rally in the local high school this morning. “It helps to create the event. Ultimately, though, I’m going to have to make the sale to the people to support me.”
Asked how Oprah compares to Bill Clinton , Obama conceded that he’s “a great surrogate for Hillary ” as well. “And so, if he wanted to endorse me I’d take it. I don’t think he will,” he added.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Edwards went up today with a double-pronged TV ad effort in South Carolina and Iowa. In the ad in South Carolina, his birth state, he tries to find common ground with working class voters harking on his father’s mill-worker experience, corporate greed and Washington corruption. He vows to “fight for people like the ones I grew up with….”
He takes the “fight” out of the Iowa ad and instead stresses family. “What we want to make certain is true is that our children have a better life than we've had,” Edwards says at the top of the spot. He talks again of corruption and changing the system. “And if we're not going to do it, we're going to have to be willing to look our children in the eye and say we're going to leave this mess for you,” Edwards says as the camera zooms to a close-up on the face of a boy.
Here are the full transcripts for both ads:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller BOW, NH --
Edwards put his game face on -- as well as a suit -- for Day Two of a swing through New Hampshire. Instead of his usual jeans and button-down shirt, Edwards showed up today to his first town hall (after an interview with New Hampshire Public Radio) in a black suit and red striped tie.
It was the first day of his "America Belongs to Us" week, and Edwards delivered prepared remarks behind a podium, a move usually reserved for policy speeches. He reiterated that New Hampshire voters should look for a candidate they can trust to tell them the truth and to go after the corporate interests he says have corrupted the federal government. “I will not play by the Washington establishment rules because I believe that they’ve twisted the rules beyond recognition, and they’ve rigged the system on behalf of the few at the expense of the many," he said. "I will not compromise with powerful special interests."
Following his 12-minute speech, a woman with shaggy white hair asked Edwards to name a president who had wielded the kind of power he was talking about to rein in corporate interests within the constrains of the government. “Teddy Roosevelt did it -- he did it very clearly. And he did it, I might add, at a time when there was a huge concentration of wealth at the top,” Edwards answered. “There are a lot of similarities where we are today and where we were then. And he stood up and fought and brought the American people behind him. They made real changes.”
From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell Scott McClellan's forthcoming book with the president, and Perino said President Bush "has not and would not knowingly pass false information."
In the yet-to-be-published book, McClellan's publisher says the former press secretary claims five White House officials -- including the president and vice president -- were responsible for McClellan passing incorrect information on the CIA leak case. As White House press secretary, McClellan had stated that officials including Karl Rove were not involved in leaking the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson .
Evidence at the Libby trial showed that Rove had discussed war critic Joe Wilson's wife and her CIA employment with two reporters. Ari Fleischer did so as well, according to court testimony.
From NBC/National Journal's Matthew E. Berger BEDFORD, NH -- For weeks,
Giuliani has been followed around New Hampshire by a man in a Rudy mask, carrying a sign that said “Free Bernie.” But today, outside the Politics and Eggs breakfast here, the masked man was joined by a friend -- a man in a mask closely resembling Bernard Kerik.
The Kerik impersonator took the “Free Bernie” sign, while the faux Rudy carried one that said “Best Friends Forever.” They waved at passersby, and were quick to hug each other when the cameras started rolling.
When asked to identify themselves, the two men pointed to photos of Giuliani and Kerik.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Julia Steers Another red-hot day : If it's possible to shift into another gear after what was an incredibly contentious run-up to the Turkey Day holiday, then the campaigns did just that beginning on Saturday and Sunday. And today is another red-hot political news day. From the Oprah tour announcement to the Rudy-Romney fight, things are moving fast in the presidential race. NBC News kicked off the busy day with our report about Trent Lott's resignation. Let’s get it started…
*** Romney vs. Rudy : Clinton vs. Obama may be the media’s glamour fight, but Romney vs. Rudy right now is a pretty good show as well. Romney did a media avail yesterday to take on Giuliani and respond to some recent attacks by his campaign: "He has a real problem with facts. He’s now done this time and again, making up facts that just happen to be wrong, and facts are stubborn things. The truth of the matter is that during my administration, the FBI’s crime statistics show that violent crime was reduced in Massachusetts by 7%. So he’s wrong again on the facts. He needs to go back to school and look at the facts and add the numbers up properly, and the truth of the matter is the in Massachusetts, violent crime went down." Rudy counterpunched on Morning Joe this morning, telling MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough that Romney “lives in a glass house” for comparing Giuliani’s views on social issues to Hillary Clinton’s. “He has had every position Hillary has had.” How soon before Giuliani echoes Ted Kennedy's "multiple choice" line when going after Romney?
*** Another week, another debate : Just as this Romney vs. Rudy fight is breaking out -- with Thompson also taking swings at Giuliani over guns -- the CNN/YouTube GOP debate takes place on Wednesday. While the YouTube format was somewhat restrictive when the Democrats debated back in July, it's likely that the pressure Romney, Rudy, Thompson, McCain and Huckabee are all feeling will mean we have a lively debate in store for us come Wednesday.
*** The Dem showdown over health care: The Republicans weren’t the only ones trading jabs over the weekend. As they did at the November 15 debate in Las Vegas, both Clinton and Obama fought over the issue of universal health-care coverage. Could the fact that Massachusetts is having a difficult time mandating that all of its citizens have health insurance aid the Obama camp on this issue? Also, Bill Clinton hits the trail for Hillary in Iowa tomorrow…
*** Fighting after Turkey Day : For more on all the candidate jabs and counterpunches over the weekend -- Thompson firing off on guns (and Fox News too!), Romney criticizing Giuliani on New York’s budget , Rudy firing back at Mitt , and Obama and Clinton sparring over health care -- be sure to check out First Read’s reports on those back-and-forths.
*** No Chuck Norris this time : Meanwhile, welcome to the first tier, Mike Huckabee. Thompson and Romney seem comfortable unloading on the former governor in Iowa. And the Huckabee campaign has a much more serious ad to follow up its Chuck Norris spot that got its share of free media coverage -- but also seemed to cause Huckabee a gravitas problem. The new ad opens with a hat tip to his Christian background, with these first words on the screen: "Christian leader." Huckabee's speech at the Values Voter Summit is excerpted throughout the 30-second spot. It's the most overt attempt ANY Republican has made at social conservatives. Speaking of TV ads, don't miss the latest one from John McCain and ask yourself if the script isn't one either John Edwards or Barack Obama would like to use.
*** Another Old Bull out the Senate door : Outside the presidential race, the biggest news today is that GOP Sen. Trent Lott plans to resign before the end of the year. NBC News has learned that Lott in the midst of informing close allies that he plans to resign his Senate seat before the end of the year. And a formal announcement is expected to take place in Mississippi today. Getting back into leadership was a vindication of sorts for Lott, after he was forced to step down as the GOP Senate leader a few years ago. This is another GOP old bull -- along with Craig, Domenici, and Warner -- that is leaving the Senate. With rumors that Ted Stevens is leaving (though who knows for sure), that's a lot of experience walking out the GOP Senate door. As for Lott’s seat, it’s unclear whether Gov. Haley Barbour (R) will appoint a caretaker or someone who can get a leg up for November. Chip Pickering has been considered the heir apparent for sometime, but not every Republican in Mississippi may see things that way. And don't assume Democrats will just rollover on this one. Ex-Attorney General Michael Moore and former US Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy will be the Dem names floated first.
*** On the trail : Biden is in Iowa; Clinton campaigns in New Hampshire; Edwards also stumps in the Granite State, as does Giuliani and Kucinich; McCain travels through South Carolina; Obama, in New Hampshire, attends a roundtable with undecided voters before holding a rally there; Richardson is in Iowa; Romney conducts interviews in Boston; and Tancredo attends a town hall in New Hampshire. Also, in Charleston, WV, Jeri Thompson participates in a West Virginians for Life press conference and later holds a press avail with state legislators there.
Countdown to Iowa: 38 days
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The
Washington Post's Balz sets the scene of what we also followed over the weekend. "With Rudolph W. Giuliani looking to spring a surprise against Mitt Romney in the state hosting the nation's first primary, the race for the Republican presidential nomination took a sharply negative turn here Sunday as the two candidates traded accusations about taxes, crime, immigration, abortion and ethical standards. The rhetorical volleys underscored the growing stakes here in New Hampshire, where Romney leads in the polls but Giuliani now believes he has a chance to derail the former Massachusetts governor's campaign before it can build the kind of momentum that could make him unstoppable."
The
New York Times also covers the heated post-Turkey day weekend of back-and-forths between Rudy and Romney -- this article with the point of view of Giuliani taking and delivering the heat. "The attacks on Sunday — some of the toughest of the campaign — were the culmination of a back-and-forth that consumed much of the long holiday weekend. First Mr. Thompson questioned Mr. Giuliani’s history of support for gun control, which is unpopular with many Republican voters, and Mr. Giuliani shot back that Mr. Thompson was attacking him because he had no record of his own to talk about. Then Mr. Romney questioned Mr. Giuliani’s fiscal stewardship of New York, leading Mr. Giuliani to attack Mr. Romney for appointing a judge who this summer freed an inmate who was arrested last week, accused of killing a couple in Washington State. That opened the door for Mr. Romney to bring up Mr. Kerik on Sunday."
“Using some of the toughest language of his campaign, Giuliani, in an interview with Politico , slammed Romney on health care, crime and taxes. At the same time he portrayed the one-time moderate as a hypocrite on a host of social issues who lives ‘in a glass house.’ It was easily the most sweeping attack Giuliani has delivered against Romney in this campaign.”
The New York Post headlines the back and forth as “Rudy & Mitt in New Slamshire.”
CONTINUED >>
On Sunday, the New York Times ran a CW-setting piece about the mandatory Massachusetts health-care plan, championed by Mitt Romney. But the piece appears to be geared at comparing the Dem candidates' plans for health-care coverage with how things are playing out in Massachusetts. Namely, the report raises questions on the idea of a "mandate" to force folks to get health care, a key part of Clinton's plan and one of the points of dispute between Clinton and Obama on this issue. From the piece: "But the reluctance of so many to enroll, along with the possible exemption of 60,000 residents who cannot afford premiums, has raised questions about whether even a mandate can guarantee truly universal coverage.”
Look for the Obama folks to trumpet this piece and use the above fact as a key rebuttal to Clinton's criticisms.
The Los Angeles Times and the AP chronicle the weekend back-and-forth between Clinton and Obama on health care.
CONTINUED >>
Real Clear Politics' Reid Wilson writes on the official calendar order on the Dem side, and notes the opportunity Nevada has to have a real role in this race.
The New Hampshire Union-Leader breaks down how many times the candidates have been to the Granite State. But the paper writes it’s quality not quantity that matters.
The
Sunday New York Times : “As violence declines in Baghdad, the leading Democratic presidential candidates are undertaking a new and challenging balancing act on Iraq: acknowledging that success, trying to shift the focus to the lack of political progress there, and highlighting more domestic concerns like health care and the economy… [T]he changing situation suggests for the first time that the politics of the war could shift in the general election next year, particularly if the gains continue. While the Democratic candidates are continuing to assail the war — a popular position with many of the party’s primary voters — they run the risk that Republicans will use those critiques to attack the party’s nominee in the election as defeatist and lacking faith in the American military.”
NBC News has learned that Trent Lott in the midst of informing close allies that he plans to resign his Senate seat before the end of the year. It's possible a formal announcement of his plans could take place as early as today. Lott's office initially denied that he would step down, but subsequent requests for information about his plans went unanswered.
While the exactly reason Lott is stepping down before he finishes his term is unknown, NBC’s Ken Strickland reports, the general speculation is that a quick departure immunizes Lott against tougher restrictions in a new lobbying law that takes effect at the end of the year. That law would require Senators to wait two years before entering the lucrative world of lobbying Congress.
VIDEO: NBC's Political Director Chuck Todd offers his first read on Lott's resignation
Also unclear that this point is how Lott's seat would be filled. One Lott supporter in the know said he hoped GOP Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour would appoint Rep. Chip Pickering to the post, keeping the seat in the hands of Republicans, at least in the short term.
CONTINUED >>
NBC News has learned that Trent Lott's in the midst of informing close allies that he plans to resign his senate seat before the end of the year. It's possible a formal announcement of his plans could take place as early as today.
From NBC/NJ’s Athena JonesCLINTON WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK PERRY, IA, Nov. 25 –
Clinton talked about how her experience as First Lady helps qualify her for the job as President, said the troop surge in Iraq had not led to a political solution and bashed
Obama’s health care plan again today at her first press conference in about two weeks.
She also said she didn’t put much faith in polls, in response to a question about the recent Washington Post/ABC poll that put her behind her chief rival, Obama, in Iowa.
When asked how her experience as First Lady made her more experienced than her opponents on matters of foreign policy and economic issues, the senator seemed to dodge the question at first.
"That’s for the voters to decide,” she said, “but I think that I bring unique experience, 35 years of experience, including the eight years in the White House, where I was very actively involved in issues both here at home and around the world, and I trust the voters to sort out all of these credentials and qualifications, and I’m proud that former Secretary of the Treasury
Bob Rubin is supporting me for president.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Joseph Laliberte
LACONIA, NH -- As
Thompson traveled here Friday -- amid
at least one report
that members in his own staff are questioning his motivation -- a small
crowd of less than 50 also seemed to lack an enthusiasm for the
candidate. Throughout the roughly 20-minute speech, largely centered on
national security, Thompson stopped several times for applause, yet
there were only uninspired responses from the crowd. As Thompson
entered the rustic VFW hall, the crowd had to be prompted to applaud by
his campaign staffers in back of the room.
Phil Spencer, 79, was unmoved by the appearance. After meeting the
former senator from Tennessee, he concluded that he was most likely
going to vote for
Huckabee in the New Hampshire primary.
“I think he would be a good fiscal conservative,” he said referring to
Huckabee. The Thompson campaign and the Club for Growth have tried to
prove otherwise.
Linda Teagan, a Republican from North Conway, NH, was one of the
stronger Thompson supporters. “He is the only Republican in the race
who is the consistent conservative,” she said sitting next to her
husband Robert, a Vietnam veteran. “If people get to hear him, he is
the New Hampshire type conservative.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-TreworgyTHOMPSON WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK WASHINGTON DC --
Thompson’s appearance on Fox News Sunday this morning was billed by his campaign as an opportunity to rollout a new tax reform proposal, but after talking about taxes for less than three minutes, Thompson shifted the conversation towards the tax benefits of his Social Security plan. Host Chris Wallace then took that as a cue to discuss various criticisms of Thompson’s campaign made by his rivals and Fox’s own conservative pundits.
In discussing his tax reform proposal, Thompson laid out seven points: (1) making the Bush tax cuts permanent; (2) permanently repealing the death tax; (3) “eventually” repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax; (4) reducing the corporate tax rate to 27%; (5) permanently extending expense allowances for small businesses; (6) updating depreciation schedules to account for rapid improvements in technology; and (7) expanding taxpayer choices to include a simplified “flat tax code” that individuals could opt into.
The first four parts of Thompson’s proposal are pretty much in line with what many of his opponents are saying, but the last proposal is the most interesting of the seven, as it makes Thompson the only candidate to embrace a flat tax.
Huckabee has aligned with “FAIR tax.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann and Athena JonesCLINTON WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK DES MOINES, IA -- The pews at Grace United Methodist Church looked pretty much the same as they do on any given Sunday. Except, that is, for the forest of tripods sprouting in the front row of the church's balcony seating, where the national press corps assembled to (inconspicuously, of course) cover church-goer
Sen. Hillary Clinton .
Clinton Iowa co-chair and church member Bonnie Campbell said the campaign hoped not to be disruptive to worshippers. But it was clear Clinton's visit was a big deal to many churchgoers, who stopped to chat and pose for photos with the senator at the 10:15 am service.
The senator's presence was only briefly mentioned, but the sermon wasn't completely empty of politics. The service, which featured a special children's reading, focused on social responsibility for children and families. The Rev. Jill Flyr mentioned the plight of uninsured children, and she highlighted the mission of the Children's Defense Fund, frequently mentioned by Clinton when she speaks about her commitment to public service. (She worked for the group as a young lawyer.)
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Tricia MillerEDWARDS WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK ROCHESTER, N.H. -- Edwards unveiled his plan to make home heating available to more Americans at The Governors Inn here this afternoon. After an introduction from freshman Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, Edwards lamented the rising cost of heating homes during the Bush administration and then laid out his four-point plan to combat the problem.
“One is, you know we have an oil reserve that the country maintains which the president can release from,” he said, “and my view is the president should, given the high cost of home heating oil.”
The other three points are to fully fund the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, double assistance for national weatherization programs and offer low-interest loans to families making the choice that otherwise might put heating cost on high-interest credit cards. Following his stump speech, during which he waxed nostalgic about the World War II generation and called for universal health care, Edwards fielded questions on free trade agreements, the people he would appoint to the Cabinet as president, how he would reduce the Pentagon budget and how he would reduce poverty.
From NBC/NJ’s Matthew BergerWEEKEND GIULIANI CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK WINDHAM, N.H.-- It is not exactly a plant, but Giuliani seems to have at least an overzealous campaigner who asked pretty easy questions at campaign stops both yesterday and today.
Richard Florino, a 52-year-old attorney who identified himself as the co-chair of Giuliani’s campaign in Windham, asked Giuliani Saturday at a Nashua town hall why liberal Democrats were not strong on defense.
“What makes the liberal Democrats so wrong about the threats this country faces?” he asked.
Then at a Sunday house party, clad in a New England Patriots sweatshirt, Florino was the first person called on again. He asked Giuliani this time about eliminating the alternative minimum tax and about Romney’s lack of support for Ronald Reagan’s economic principles.
Surrounded by reporters after the event, Florino said he was a longtime political supporter, but said he had no interaction with Giuliani or campaign before asking his questions.
“I raised my hand,” he said. “If I’m there, I get called on.”
From NBC/NJ’s Matthew BergerWEEKEND GIULIANI CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK HUDSON, N.H. --
Giuliani got a few tough questions when he stopped at Suzie’s Diner Sunday morning on the second day of his inaugural bus tour. Among those wanting to shake his hand and get his autograph was at least one man who wanted to know how Giuliani would get U.S. troops out of Iraq.
Roger Latulippe, 67, didn’t like Giuliani’s standard answer about seeking victory and a stable Iraq. “I know, but our young men are dying over there,” he told Giuliani.
“Ask them,” Giuliani replied. “Ask them what they want to do. They want victory in Iraq.”
Latulippe said he understood what Giuliani was saying. “We would like victory too, but I want it sooner,” he said, chuckling. Giuliani said people used to say similar things during the Civil War, but Latulippe then cut him off, saying he “went through the Vietnam War” but believed American troops were dying “because we decided this was going to be a political war. And it shouldn’t be."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-TreworgyWEEKEND THOMPSON CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK LADSON, SC -- Continuing his courtship of second amendment voters,
Thompson visited the Land of the Sky Gun Show here Saturday morning, walking the aisles for almost an hour admiring merchandise and meeting customers. Several of the gun show’s attendees stopped to ask the candidate a question or two mostly concerning illegal immigration, gun rights and Thompson’s national security plans.
But Copper Welch of Monk’s Corner, S.C., was concerned about the increasing role of religion in politics. Cornering Thompson for four questions on his way out of the fair grounds, Welch -- an agnostic herself -- asked the presidential candidate about the church’s position in government.
“I believe in the separation of church and state,” Thompson said, drawing a distinction between church and religion. “I don’t think the church as a church ought to have a position in government… I didn’t say religion I said the church, so that’s a different -- that’s a different kind of thing. I mean our founding fathers -- I mean whether you’re talking about, you know, what’s written in the Supreme Court or the United States Senate or opening prayers or anything like that -- our founding fathers, of course, would never have separated religion totally.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Aswini AnburajanOBAMA WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK AUDUBON, IA -- Obama can't seem to escape the smoke of his youthful indiscretions wafting after him on the campaign trail. Just four days after he told a group of high school students that he had experimented with drugs in high school, Obama had to admit to it again at a town hall here.
When a voter asked Obama if he was for the legalization of medical marijuana, Obama said that he wasn't in favor of legalization without scientific evidence and tight controls. Citing his mother who died from cancer young, Obama compared marijuana to morphine saying there was little difference between the two.
"My attitude is if the science and the doctors suggest that the best palliative care and the way to relieve pain and suffering is medical marijuana then that's something I'm open to because there's no difference between that and morphine when it comes to just giving people relief from pain,” Obama said. “But I want to do it under strict guidelines. I want it prescribed in the same way that other painkillers or palliative drugs are prescribed.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones CLINTON WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK SIOUX CITY, IA --
Hillary Clinton used the first stop on a two-day, post-Thanksgiving swing through Iowa on Saturday to lay out a $700 million a year plan to help people affected by autism. The money would be spent for research and provide support for families and teachers dealing with the disorder, as well as for autistic children and adults.
The senator said autism diagnoses had risen dramatically in the last 15 years to some 25,000 each year, affecting 1.5 million Americans and their families and costing the country at least $35 billion a annually. She talked about spending time with a child with autism while living in Little Rock and her work on behalf of children with disabilities over the years.
Clinton said not enough was known about what she called one of the most urgent and least understood challenges facing the nation and not enough services were available to deal with it.
“I think it’s time we had a government and a president who recognized the seriousness of autism and addressed it head on,” Clinton told the crowd at a local Boy’s Club. She said she was at the club because of the work the organization does to provide services for children with autism.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Athena JonesCLINTON WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK Clinton took another dig at her main opponent Obama , criticizing his health care plan for not covering everyone and urging all her Democratic opponents to put forth plans that do. She also suggested putting diplomatic pressure on Iran was working.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Aswini AnburajanOBAMA WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK DUNLAP, IA --
Obama got a warm welcome and a standing ovation at a packed town hall held in cattle auction this afternoon. The crowd was mostly older -- filled with the grey heads and boomer voters who are traditionally among the most reliable of caucusgoers. But as the youthful senator accepted knit hats, a sweatshirt and a jacket that read Dunlap Valley Auction from the auction’s owner and emphasized the importance of the youth vote, many voters weren’t looking to him to find a candidate to caucus for.
Instead, as one group chatting about his speech afterwards said, they wanted to come to see Obama to assure themselves that they would support him if he did win the nomination.
“We have a wonderful choice of candidates to pick from this year,” Kathy Winther from Missouri Valley said, before adding that she was committed to
Edwards . Winther was not alone. A group of these voters have met and seen Edwards numerous times, like his working class message and feel he’s their choice. But should he not win the Iowa caucus and the nomination, David Bringman of Logan, who said he’s still uncommitted said, “I would have no problem supporting him for the nomination if he were to receive it.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Aswini Anburajan OBAMA WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK Obama said that Hillary Clinton "didn't have enough confidence in the American people" when she was trying to pass health care in 1993.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Matthew Berger GIULIANI WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK Giuliani supporters accused the Romney campaign Saturday of trying to change the subject away from a judicial controversy and towards Giuliani’s fiscal record. Between stops on the Giuliani bus tour, former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci and Massachusetts state Treasurer Joseph Malone came aboard the press bus to defend Giuliani’s fiscal record and attack Romney’s as governor of Massachusetts. The rhetoric was not new, but the suggestion that Romney was trying to steer attention away from his appointment of Judge Kathe Tuttman was.Bernard Kerik , the former New York City police commissioner and Giuliani confidante that was recently indicted.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Matthew Berger ON THE GIULIANI CAMPAIGN BUS NASHUA, N.H. - There is a noticeable difference between the
Giuliani campaign with a bus and the same campaign without one. For several months, we’ve essentially been flying by the seat of our pants. Schedules got changed at the last second and the national media almost seemed like an afterthought as the campaign scheduled rallies around their hefty fundraising schedule.
But today’s events have a whole new dynamic. In addition to the wireless Internet-capable bus and the campaign-high seven events in one day, we were given a thorough schedule of the day in the morning, and instructions before every stop as to where to stand. Campaign surrogates like former Massachusetts Gov.
Paul Cellucci and Manchester Mayor
Frank Guinta have come to talk strategy or policy. And even Giuliani himself delivered Thanksgiving cake to the hungry press corps.
The numbers of reporters have ballooned. In addition to the regulars, all of the New York City tabloids are here, as are several national newspaper chains and numerous still photographers. Even Australian and Danish press made a cameo. For a campaign that never had a formal launch, this weekend almost seems like an unveiling.
The crowds, however, don’t seem to have gotten the message. A rally for Giuliani in front of Manchester City Hall garnered only a few dozen supporters. Backers of Ron
Paul and Dennis
Kucinich almost seemed to match them in numbers. Giuliani generates healthy crowds at town hall meetings, but they are not all loyalists. When it comes to rallies and events where partisans are expected in droves, Giuliani’s crowds disappoint. And the mainstream media has started to notice.
From NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike AMHERST, N.H. –
Romney dialed up his attack rhetoric a notch this morning at a town hall forum at Souhegan High School here. Just a few minutes into his speech, he set his sights on Giuliani, calling him a good friend first before launching into his attack.
“I know he did a good job as mayor of New York City,” Romney began, “but on spending and fiscal matters, there was a problem there, because when he came in, there was a budget gap, but when he left, he left a budget gap twice as big as the one he inherited, over $3 billion.”
He went on: “And Mayor Bloomberg has said he’d never leave a deficit like that to the person that follows him. And by the way, that $3 billion deficit doesn’t include the costs associated with 9/11.”
Giuliani also is in New Hampshire today for a bus tour of the state, but it wasn’t just the former mayor who took hits from the state’s Republican primary front-runner.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy LACONIA, NH -- Fred
Thompson kicked off what he called the “fourth
quarter” of his campaign on Friday with a stop at Skip’s Gun &
Sport Shop in Bristol, NH. Combined with his visit to the Thompson
Center gun factory on his last trip to the Granite State earlier this
month, Thompson has now held two gun-related events in New Hampshire
since announcing his candidacy for president, which he admitted
yesterday was not an accident.
“I’ve had some good relationships with gun-owner organizations over the
years and supported [them] when I was in the congress,” Thompson said,
“and I think it’s kind of a forgotten issue right now. In this primary
we need to remember that those [second amendment] rights are always an
issue, and some of my opponents have bad records and no records, and I
have a solid record in support of the second amendment, and I’m not
embarrassed to remind anybody of that.”
Thompson was also not afraid to point out which of his opponents he
feels are especially weak on gun owners’ rights, saying that the
starkest difference exists between himself and
Giuliani .
*** UPDATE *** The Giuliani campaign responds.CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro With the announcement of the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary, First Read took a look back and found that the five days between New Hampshire and Iowa this election cycle is the closest the two contests have ever been.
IA
NH
DIFFERENCE
1976
1/19
2/24
36 days
1980
1/21
2/26
36 days
1984
2/20
2/28
8 days
1988
2/8
2/16
8 days
1992
2/10
2/18
8 days
1996
2/12
2/20
8 days
2000
1/24
2/1
8 days
2004
1/19
1/27
8 days
2008
1/3
1/8
5 days
From NBC/NJ’s Mike Memoli New Hampshire voters now have something else to thankful for tomorrow -- the primary date has been set.
Secretary of State Bill Gardner has just announced that the first in the nation primary will be held on Jan. 8. In prepared remarks released to NBC/NJ and then made at press conference, Gardner said:
"On the eve of Thanksgiving, a uniquely American tradition, I am pleased to announce that another unique and important American tradition will endure," Gardner said. "New Hampshire has held the first presidential primary in the nation since 1920. The tradition has served our nation well as decades of candidates and presidents have said."
"Under the authority given to me by New Hampshire law, today I am setting Jan. 8 as the date of the New Hampshire primary."
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan Obama says he's more of "clean up" guy than the cook in his family at Thanksgiving.
"You know when you have a mother-in-law, I'm not going to say that I cook better than her," he said this morning, as he stood in an assembly line of workers and put bottles of juice and fresh vegetables into boxed meals for families at New Horizons, a local food pantry and soup kitchen here. He added that he thought the few times he's taken the lead role in the kitchen, though, that what he stewed up was pretty good.
Obama also faced a line of at least two dozen cameras and took questions from reporters on his family and what he's thankful for this year. Obama said he most looked forward to eating on this holiday and that it was a tradition in his family to have their extended relatives over for Thanksgiving dinner.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Andy Merten radio ad that addresses the issue.
“In every town hall I heard from you that climate change was real and was a serious threat to our environment,” McCain says in the ad, adding. “I think the time is past when we argue about whether climate change is real or not.”
Although McCain does go on to cast the need for energy independence in a national security light, saying, “It’s not just a greenhouse gas issue; it’s a national security issue,” he remains the only Republican to not shy away from asserting the reality of climate change -- a tactic that may win him favor among some New Hampshire Republicans and Independents, but could fail to resonate with the party as a whole.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Clinton issued a sharp critique of a U.S. Army policy in a letter from her Senate office, requesting “the immediate reversal of an Army policy that requires repayment of enlistment bonuses by medically discharged wounded soldiers.”
The letter is in response to a local TV news report in Pittsburgh yesterday. She calls the policy “outrageous,” that “soldiers have earned their bonuses” and “it shocks the conscience that the Army could demand that wounded soldiers return their enlistment bonuses.” The letter continues, and touts her work on the Armed Services Committee.NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski explains to First Read that it is actually already “against Army policy to require repayment for enlistment bonuses from soldiers wounded in service,” said Miklaszewski, NBC News' Pentagon correspondent. “The incident that popped up in a local news story in Pittsburgh, on FOX and on MSNBC last night was the result of bureaucratic confusion over the soldier's wounded status and an incorrect determination of his discharge. The decision to request repayment was in error and has since been reversed.
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli and NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike Romney announced that it's a special day for him because his son, Matt, and his daughter-in-law, Laurie, are due to give birth to a boy this afternoon. This will be Romney's 11th grandchild and Matt and Laurie's fourth child, and he gave the news before packing up some groceries for a Thanksgiving donation.
Romney ended his trip by grocery shopping at a HY-VEE grocery store in Iowa City and dropped off the goods at the Hawkeye Area Community Action Center in a suburb of Cedar Rapids. He weaved through the aisles of the store picking up an assortment of non-perishable food items and stacked them neatly and methodically into the cart -- in much the same way he takes care of his schedule and treats his campaign.
"Where's the Captain when you need him most?" Romney asked aloud of the cereal Captain Crunch. "There he is," he said, adding two regular and two peanut butter boxes into his cart. In addition to many more boxes of cereal (including plenty of Frosted Flakes -- "You can never have too many Frosted Flakes," and Froot Loops -- "Everybody loves Froot Loops"), he piled jars of apple sauce, cans of Tuna, boxes of Stove Top and several containers of maple syrup -- both regular and light.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Abby Livingston Leading Democratic presidential candidates might not just be boycotting Fox News debates this cycle. Now CBS is possibly on the do-not-debate list. Early this afternoon, Clinton sent out a press release announcing she would not participate in a CBS Democratic presidential debate if there is no resolution to an impending strike within the ranks of the network’s news department.
“The workers at CBS News have been without a contract for close to two and a half years," she said. "It is my hope that both sides will reach an agreement that results in a secure contract for the workers at CBS News but let me be clear: I will honor the picket line if the workers at CBS News decide to strike.”
Never one to be outdone in the union cause, 22 minutes later, Edwards followed suit. When asked on a conference call if he planned to do the same, he said, “I do.” Will Obama and the others do the same?
*** UPDATE *** *** UPDATE 2 ***
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy
Thompson was just warming up, as he went on to imply that Huckabee’s surge may be short-lived. “Well he is, he’s kind of new to the first tier I guess you might say, and so they probably don’t know him as well as they know some of the rest of us,” Thompson said. “But that’s a situation that will be cured shortly. That’s the reward you get for doing well in a poll. You start getting attention, and I’m sure that’ll happen with regard to him as it’s happened to all of us.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike Romney discussed the media with a voter and seemed to reveal his TV preference: FOX News.
"There are channels like FOX that give a different perspective," Romney told the older woman.
The woman had asked what can be done to stop the media from attacking the president, and the FOX line was part of the answer. He suggested talk radio and Internet as other options, as he's done before when asked about alternatives to liberal media, but he expanded that answer to include FOX this morning.
Earlier in the morning during the event, a voter questioned Romney's "organization" for saying that Iowa's for picking corn, whereas New Hampshire's for picking the president.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/National Journal’s Erin McPike Romney sharpened the sell for his health care plan here at Des Moines University. For the first time, he gave a time frame on its follow-through, and he provided a bit more context about his own background on the issue before touring the Skiff Medical Center in Newton.Clinton or Obama once in his remarks at the school. (He did later, however, in Newton on stem cells). Instead, he lauded the fundamentals of the health care system in the United States and gave a veiled warning: “Don’t jump in in a way that you blow it up. Walk with care.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger and NBC's Lauren Appelbaum introduced his third ad for the New Hampshire market in a week Wednesday. The new 30-second spot focuses on New York City's transformation from before Giuliani's mayoral stint to after, and uses George Will's proclamation that Giuliani led a successful conservative government.
During the first part of the ad -- "The world's 17th largest economy. Swimming in red ink. Record crime. Runaway taxes. A million on welfare. That was New York" -- pictures of despair in New York City are shown in rapid fire succession. The announcer then says "Until Rudy," and the mood changes -- with cheerful music and pictures more pleasing to the eye.
The terminology in the ad, entitled "Challenges," is telling: "In America's most liberal city, Rudy delivered. And he can do it again, in a place called Washington, D.C." It is almost mocking the politics of the city Giuliani ran for eight years, but could be very well-received among the Yankees-haters in the Boston market.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro A special get-away edition of "First Read" where we leave you with some things to both be thankful for and to ponder while you sit in a security line or a traffic jam or simply to dream about after your turkey dinner puts you to sleep. Then when you wake up, make sure to check out First Read all weekend to check up on the campaigns.
*** Plenty of thanks to go around: The day before Thanksgiving, it’s worth noting that all the candidates -- no matter where they stand in the polls -- have things to be thankful for as we head into the sprint to Iowa. For Clinton, it’s an impressive campaign team, the numerous debates (in which she’s been the toughest person on stage), an unpopular George Bush (which, for her, makes change easier to sell), and Bill. For Obama, it’s the opportunity that Iowa presents, the idea that many Democrats want more change than Clinton might provide, and that many still remember that speech he gave in July 2004 (despite the bruises he’s received and missteps he’s made on the campaign trail). For Edwards, it’s also Iowa's opportunity, the fact that this isn’t his first rodeo, and it’s a family that’s together and full of hope. For Richardson, it’s his impressive resume and the fact he’s the only governor in the field and that he's the only candidate not attacking (doesn't the Des Moines Register editorial page reward the nice guys?). For Biden, it’s the debates (that have allowed him to shine). For Dodd, it’s the liberal blogosphere (that has given him rave reviews). And for Kucinich, it’s this great country -- and the political process that comes with it -- that allows a backbench congressman to run for president twice.
*** Thank you, thank you: On the GOP side, For Giuliani, it’s giving thanks for the image many Americans still have of him after 9/11, the division among social conservatives, the fact that oppo-researchers haven’t yet begun the onslaught that will eventually come, and Hillary Clinton. For Romney, it’s his presidential looks and business acumen, the support he’s beginning to receive from Establishment conservatives, and his deep, deep pockets (let's hear it for stock options!). For Thompson, it’s the South, his TV/movie image, the fact that many Republicans want someone other than Rudy or Mitt (and George Allen). For McCain, it’s New Hampshire, some progress in Iraq, and that Congress is no longer debating immigration. For Huckabee, it’s Iowa, the debates, as well as the establishment media who have somehow fallen in love with this "pro-life liberal" as Thompson likes to call him. For Paul, it’s the overwhelming movement he’s inspired (or latched on to) and all the money he’s raised over the Internet (Paul would be an afterthought without technology).
*** Major endorsement watch: With just over a month to go before the Iowa caucuses, it's remarkable the number of big-time endorsers that are still sitting on the sidelines, particularly on the Dem side. Look for the Clinton campaign to roll out as many folks as they can before Iowa while Obama is burned by the Howard Dean experience and can only hope all of those folks who said, "yeah, I'll endorse," will actually do so if he wins Iowa. The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza had a great list of key endorsement shoes to drop in the coming weeks, including the Des Moines Register and New Hampshire Union Leader nods. Others that will be big: Ted Kennedy (he was a real shot in the arm to both Gore and Kerry when they needed it in Iowa). Of course he goes with the Clintons? He loves dynasties, right? Then again, we bet he loves the Obama speech rhetoric and the whole passing a torch to a new generation? Al Gore, no doubt, has learned his Howard Dean lesson and will wait until after Iowa. Is he in Obama's "If I win Iowa" back pocket? How about John Kerry? Again, another shoo-in for Clinton, right? No way he goes with an upstart over the experienced candidate? Maybe he sticks by a longtime senate colleague like Joe Biden? In fact, don't be surprised if some folks decide to follow the Firefighters' lead and endorse either Dodd or Biden, safe establishment picks that won't get folks in trouble with either of the frontrunners.
*** When we get baaack: On the GOP side: there are LOTS of folks still on the sidelines, including Iowa's Chuck Grassley, who appears happy staying unaffiliated. Jeb Bush would be a big get but one gets the sense he, too, wants to stay out of the fray. Ditto with his presidential brother and father. Is Arnold Schwarzenegger more interested in supporting Michael Bloomberg more than the eventual GOP nominee? The Doles, as a couple, could be a good one-day story for someone should they decide to pick a candidate. The NRA, if they truly put their political muscle behind someone, would a real difference maker. Like the Doles, Nancy Reagan would be a nice story for a candidate, particularly if she decided NOT to endorse John McCain. But since the Reagan library is hosting another GOP debate in January, she'll likely be on the sidelines. Frankly, the biggest "gets" will be when the two eventual frontrunners (whoever they may be) start fighting over the big-time dropouts.
*** Biggest surprise so far? So for all of our Beltway friends, how will you answer those questions from out-of-town friends and relatives who are convinced you know something they don't when it comes to this campaign? Can she really be stopped? No way she can get elected, right? Is there something we don't know yet about the Clinton marriage? Who is this Mike Huckabee; he seems like a nice guy? Why don't folks take Biden or McCain more seriously? When's Giuliani going to lose his temper? How can the party of family values support Rudy? Why is this campaign taking so long? The country's not ready to elect a guy named Obama, right? This Romney guy seems too perfect; what's wrong with him? Why are the Democrats so inept? Of course, the best thing to do with any of these questions: turn them around and simply ask "what do you think?"
*** On the trail today: Biden, Dodd, Romney and Thompson are all in Iowa. Clinton is home in New York; Edwards is in North Carolina; Hunter is in San Diego; Kucinich and Obama campaign in New Hampshire; McCain is in DC; and Tancredo stumps in Texas.
*** A final note: This is our final dispatch this week as we begin heading out of the office to get an early start on the Thanksgiving weekend. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving, and we’ll see you first thing in the morning on Monday, November 26. Below is a schedule.
*** Iowa gives thanks (and so do we)… for a break! For Thanksgiving, Biden is with his family…in Iowa; Clinton is home in Chappaqua with her family; Dodd celebrates in Iowa with a supporter’s family and his own; Edwards is in North Carolina; Giuliani has breakfast with 9/11 families at the ESPN Zone in New York; Huckabee is home in Arkansas; Hunter is with his family in San Diego; Kucinich is in New Hampshire; McCain will be in Iraq with Sen. Joe Lieberman; Obama is in Chicago with his family; Richardson is in New Mexico; Romney is in Massachusetts; Tancredo is in Colorado; and Thompson is home with his family in Virginia.
*** OK, it’s a short break: Biden attends a house party in Iowa; Edwards remains in North Carolina; Kucinich campaigns in New Hampshire; Obama remains in Chicago; and Romney remains in Massachusetts. And it’s back to the grind over the weekend (and this is just what we know so far). Many of the candidates spend this weekend in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Biden, Clinton, Obama and Richardson stump both days in Iowa; Giuliani, Kucinich, Richardson, and Romney spend the weekend in New Hampshire; Huckabee and Thompson (although only on Saturday) stump in South Carolina; and Edwards is down in North Carolina on Saturday and spends Sunday in New Hampshire.
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan CONWAY, NH-- In response to Clinton’s dig at his foreign policy credentials (and a similar shot by the RNC), Obama struck back.
“And, of course, both the Republicans in their talking points as well as Sen. Clinton said we don't think that what Sen. Obama did when he was 10 years old is relevant to our national security. I didn't say that. She went on to make up the point, that some of the Republicans have made that she's met with all these world leaders. I was wondering which world leader told her that we needed to invade Iraq because that is the conventional thinking that we're going to have to break."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan The Obama campaign will launch its first television ad in South Carolina tomorrow, on the heels of Edwards' first statewide buy earlier this week. The ad, entitled "Hope and Change," is a 30-second spot narrated by Obama, highlighting his years as a community organizer and civil rights attorney in Chicago. Obama has aired several biographical radio ads in the state and featured Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr ., an early endorser of Obama's.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Clinton supporter and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack say on MSNBC of Hillary Clinton, “there’s no question that she was the face of the administration in foreign affairs."
So we went back and checked. Sure enough, he did say that. Vilsack had been asked how and if Hillary Clinton’s time as first lady qualified as “experience.”And there’s no question that she was the face of the administration in foreign affairs.
“And the first four years of the Clinton administration, she was an advisor to president Clinton. She was intimately involved in the discussions and details of that administration I’m sure. There’s no question having been inside an administration, she has the knowledge and experience to get started on Day One being president of the United States.
*** UPDATE *** Bill Clinton said, "In my first term, Hillary was, in effect, the face of America" and they pass along this video .
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From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
Many former Iowa caucus-goes may be returning home today to find a new piece of political mail waiting in their mailbox.
The first direct mail piece from the Thompson campaign
(.pdf format) should be hitting Iowa mailboxes sometime today, and
according to one campaign source it is going out to "a wide universe"
of people likely to caucus for a Republican in January.
The
mailer is called "Believe," and it is seen by the campaign as an
introduction to Thompson's record. At the top it says "What if…" there
was a candidate who had a 100 percent pro-life voting record, a
consistent plan to secure the borders and a history of fighting to keep
government spending under control, "Would it make you believe again?"
Beneath that question, at the center of the
red, white and blue page, big letters read: "Don't settle, don't
compromise, don't lose faith. You can believe in Fred Thompson!"
At a campaign stop today Thompson was hesitant
to say exactly which of his opponents might be a "compromise" for Iowa
voters, instead jokingly saying, "Anybody but me."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Athena Jones and Domenico Montanaro Clinton has questioned Obama’s experience. Yesterday it was on the economy, today on foreign affairs.
"Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face,” Clinton said, calling in to a waiting audience at a fire house here this morning to apologize for missing the event due to her plane being diverted because of foggy weather.
“I think we need a president with more experience than that. Someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to and has confidence in."
The Clinton campaign then adopted the language in a press release e-mailed statement, italicizing the above statement to make sure reporters didn’t miss it.
*** UPDATE *** Clinton questions Obama's foreign policy credentials on camera
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Matthew E. Berger Giuliani is making gains in a state few thought would be an open race: Arizona. A new Rocky Mountain Poll suggests the former New York City mayor is leading Republican voters in the state, 20% to 18%, although that's within the poll's margin of error of plus-minus 3.5%.
Giuliani’s potential success in the state may come from a closed primary. The poll found that 29% of Republican-leaning independents, who cannot vote in the primary, favor McCain . Giuliani actually comes tied for fifth among indies -- also trailing Thompson (13%), Huckabee (10%) and Newt Gingrich (7%). Romney and Giuliani both received six percent.
It is an interesting statistic, especially since Giuliani has been perceived as a favorite among more moderate Republicans, who would be more likely to register as independents.
From NBC/NJ’s Aswini Anburajan and NBC’s Domenico Montanaro today talked to a group of high school students in New Hampshire about his adolescent drug use, drinking alcohol and being a “goof off” in high school. It is certainly not the first time Obama has spoken on the subject of his drug use, but it is the first time he has discussed it on the campaign trail. Obama wrote at length on it in his best-selling memoir, Dreams from My Father .
VIDEO: Barack Obama tells a study hall room at Manchester, N.H.'s Central High School that he "got into drinking and experimenting with drugs" when he was in high school.
He was asked by the principal of the school to “Give us a human side,” talk about his favorite subject, what subjects he struggled with and what clubs and sports he participated in.”
“I will confess to you that I was kind of a goof off in high school as my mom reminded me,” Obama said. “I went to high school in Hawaii, so there’s a lot of opportunity to goof off because the weather is really good all the time. I did well in school, but I didn’t really apply myself. I did what I needed to, to get into college, and it came fairly easily to me, but I never worked as hard as I should have.
*** UPDATE *** Giuliani weighs in.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy and Domenico Montanaro Thompson acknowledged he has to finish in the top three in Iowa in order to remain a viable candidate.
In an interview with the NBC Sioux City affiliate, Thompson was asked, "You still have some ground to cover here in Iowa; polls show you fourth. Come Jan. 3, will you be happy to be in the top three or do you have to win Iowa?"
“Neither,” Thompson said. “I probably don't have to win, but I have to do better than [fourth], and I'm planning on doing better than that. …We're about where we need to be right now. We haven't spent as much time out here. We didn't get in the race as early as some others, but we're going to make up for lost time.”
The latest polling in Iowa shows Thompson at 10% and in fourth place. This is down from 16% in his one-time second-place showing in late September, a couple of weeks after his official entry into the race.
Something has to give in the Hawkeye State. Romney has consistently polled atop the state, but second place has been a different story. Giuliani has been there; Thompson made it just that once; and, more recently, Huckabee sits in second. Giuliani and Thompson both say they need a top-three finish. If neither does, what will that mean for their bids? Will Giuliani be able to recover in Florida or Thompson in South Carolina? Either way, both would like the positive coverage third would give them as opposed to fourth.
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From NBC's Mark Murray Clinton TV ad , in which a moderator talks about the "Republican attack machine" and why it's gunning for Hillary. A Dodd spokesman just issued this statement: "It's an interesting admission from Senator Clinton -- that if she's elected we're headed for four more years of the partisan warfare, Washington dysfunction, bitter divisiveness and gridlock that have marked the last 15 years, at a time when all Americans are desperate for real solutions to real problems."
Is the Dodd camp helping Obama here?
From NBC's Pete Williams
The court makes it clear today that it intends to address what the 2nd Amendment really means -- surprisingly, the court has never said before what the right to bear arms actually means. Here's the way it frames the question: "Whether [DC's gun laws] violate the Second Amendment rights of individuals who are not affiliated with any state-regulated militia, but who wish to keep handguns and other firearms for private use in their homes?"
From NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike Romney's campaign is taking a page from Clinton's : The team is using her ad attack to showcase its own candidate's viability.
"Senator Clinton’s newest television ad takes aim at Governor Romney ,” according to the campaign, “essentially highlighting the worry that Senator Clinton possesses when it comes to facing off against someone with Governor Romney’s vision, experience and values in a general election."
Clinton's ad begins with screen grabs of several leading Republicans and charges that the GOP's attack machine is at it again. It's a message she's been using over and over -- that Republican attacks on her are a perverse form of flattery because they assume she will be the nominee.
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From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro this morning . But we think this news release from the Huckabee campaign speaks for itself…
NEWS RELEASE Ric Flair: "Mike Huckabee is the Man, Whooooo!" Former World Heavyweight Champion 'Nature Boy' to Officially Endorse Huckabee on Saturday before Clemson-Carolina Game
Little Rock, AR – Former Arkansas Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee announced today the endorsement of professional wrestling legend "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, the former 16-time World Heavyweight Champion known worldwide for his "stylin' and profilin'" personality and his signature "Whooooooo" with which he ends interviews.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Mike Memoli 6 pm News: First Commercial Break: Second Break: Third Break:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/National Journal’s Aswini Anburajan Obama unveiled an ambitious $18 billion plan to expand public education from
Calling education "the currency of the Information Age," Obama stressed the need for expanding public programs to help American competitiveness with other nations. He said that a child in Boston now needs the training to compete with the kids getting an equal or better education in Bangalore or Beijing.
"In this kind of economy, countries who out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow,” Obama said. “Already, China is graduating eight times as many engineers as we are. By 12th grade, our children score lower on math and science tests than most other kids in the world."
*** UPDATE *** The Edwards campaign responds.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Edwards campaign announced that a new 30-second TV ad -- with a Thanksgiving message -- will go up in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina beginning tomorrow.
In it, Edwards says: "For two parents who worked so hard to give us a better life. For thirty years with one amazing woman. And for four wonderful children. For 231 years of America. For the hopes and determination of a nation filled with the most optimistic people on Earth. And for all of you, who have welcomed us into your homes and hearts. Thank you."
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
“Iowa’s always been a competitive race,” Penn told MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski this morning. He finds it “very funny” hearing “we slipped” because “our vote is staying exactly the same. He’s [Obama’s] moving within the margin of error.”
He implicitly questioned the poll’s accuracy, citing that the last one in July also showed Obama ahead. “It’s the only poll to do so,” Penn said.
Obama was ahead of Clinton and Edwards in that poll 27%-26%-26%. Obama was also leading in a late September Newsweek poll 28%-24%-22%.
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Hillary and Iowa : The biggest news in the new Washington Post/ABC poll isn’t necessarily Obama’s lead over Clinton (yet within the margin of error) in Iowa. Rather, it’s some of the numbers buried inside the survey. Only 50% said Clinton is willing enough to say what she really thinks, while 45% said she is not sufficiently candid. That's probably why we saw the Clinton campaign yesterday unveil an ad featuring a man (whose son needed a bone-marrow transplant) who said: “Now her opponents are saying that Hillary can't be trusted. I trusted this woman to save my son's life and she did.” On the other hand in the poll, her numbers are MUCH better among Iowans who consider strength and experience their most important issues/factors. Will a day go by in the next 44 days when Clinton doesn't utter the word "experience"?
*** The Clinton message blitzkrieg : The last 48 hours may offer a glimpse of how intensely the Clinton camp can ratchet things up. Yesterday, Clinton has flashed her foreign policy creds (along with their still new anti-war position) by appearing in Iowa with Wes Clark. A few hours later, she spoke on the economy questioning Obama's experience (using the phrase "on the job training"). Her campaign also unveiled a new health care TV ad that's designed to fix the "trust" issue she has in Iowa (referenced above). Later in the evening, Clinton talked about unity (not long after arguing that it’s time to “turn up the heat” on Republicans). And now this morning the campaign unveils a new TV ad attacking the "Republican attack machine."
*** Pluses and minuses : Phew. Where is this going? Does all of this fit under the "experience" umbrella, meaning she has the experience on foreign policy, economy, health care, and withstanding GOP attacks? Or with the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, is this simply a time to experiment with messages? But there are downsides to all of these different messages. It could clutter the message matrix, or one or more of these message pushbacks could backfire. For instance, doesn't the new GOP attack ad remind voters of her polarizing past to those critical New Hampshire independent men? Yet all of this also shows that Clinton still has the ability to dictate the debate. What do you think we’ll be talking about today -- Obama’s education rollout or Clinton’s ad on the GOP attack machine? As far as dictating a news cycle's debate, Clinton's camp seems to be the more pro-active campaign while Obama's been more reactive.
*** Pulling a Dean : At this point in the 2004 cycle, Howard Dean was a safe bet to win the Democratic nomination. And then not long after the Thanksgiving holiday, nothing seemed to go right for the former Vermont governor -- whether it was the controversy over the release of his gubernatorial records, his Dem rivals ganging up on him, the report by NBC’s Lisa Myers over Dean’s past statements about the caucus system, and then, of course, The Scream. With the tight Clinton-Edwards-Obama contest in Iowa or the GOP field pitting a national front-runner (Giuliani) versus an early state front-runner (Romney), we’re bound to see a Dean-like collapse or two. Who will it be? Is it Romney (who also reminds some of Phil Gramm, circa '96) because he's all money and no message? How about Giuliani? Is he all buzz and no base? Then there's Obama, who seems to talk about campaign process as much as Dean did in '03. And there’s Clinton. Could her poll leads be a house of Dean cards? Once she shows vulnerability, her national support collapses?
*** On the trail : Two days before Thanksgiving, Iowa remains the political epicenter: Biden holds a press conference on energy and the environment in the Iowa City area; Clinton is in Shenandoah, Creston, and Des Moines; Edwards campaigns in Grinnell; Romney talks about health care in Des Moines; and Thompson appears in Orange City, Le Mars, and Sioux City. New Hampshire also is a busy place: Obama gives a policy speech in Manchester before making three other stops in the state; Kucinich is in Concord; and Richardson stumps in Nashua, Derry, and Merrimack. Elsewhere, Giuliani holds a press conference in Chicago; Huckabee is in Florida and appears on Meet the Press; Hunter campaigns in Michigan; Paul raises money and holds a rally in Reno, NV; and Tancredo visits Texas. Also, Michelle Obama is in South Carolina; Barbara Richardson is in New Hampshire; and Ann Romney is in Florida.
Countdown to Iowa: 44 days
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The new Washington Post/ABC poll isn’t the first survey in Iowa to show Obama ahead, but it's the latest. "The results are only marginally different from a Post-ABC poll in late July, but in a state likely to set the tone for the rest of the nominating process, there are significant signs of progress for Obama -- and harbingers of concern for Clinton. The factors that have made Clinton the clear national front-runner -- including her overwhelming leads on the issues of the Iraq war and health care, a widespread sense that she is the Democrats' most electable candidate, and her strong support among women -- do not appear to be translating on the ground in Iowa, where campaigning is already fierce and television ads have been running for months."
More: “Clinton retains a comfortable lead among Iowa voters who consider strength and experience more important. She is supported by 38 percent of Democrats, compared with 19 percent for Edwards, 18 percent for Richardson and 12 percent for Obama, according to the new survey.” But: “She appears more vulnerable on questions of character. Thirty-one percent found Obama to be the most honest and trustworthy, about double the percentage who said the same of Clinton. While about three-quarters credited both Obama and Edwards with speaking their mind on issues, only 50 percent said Clinton is willing enough to say what she really thinks. Forty-five percent said she is not sufficiently candid.
The Des Moines Register talks to local Democrats who are concerned about the increased nastiness of the Dem contest. Will Iowa Nice prevail and punish a candidate or two, or do Dems want to see how these candidates take a punch?
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times’ Zeleny notes that Biden he intends to spend Thanksgiving volunteering to help serve meals at the Machine Shed Restaurant outside Des Moines… Dodd will not be in Connecticut, but rather in his newly adopted home in Iowa, where he has moved for the presidential campaign… Senator Barack Obama of Illinois will spend the day with his family in Chicago, while Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in New York.”
BIDEN: It's not surprising, but the Biden campaign made it official yesterday: It is indeed accepting matching funds .
CLINTON: NBC/NJ's Athena Jones and NBC's Christina Jamison report that Clinton seemed to focus more on the theme of uniting people than she has in recent weeks. “I want to set some goals for our country. But they’re not only goals for our next president, not only goals about what I will try to do, but they’re goals that I hope bring our country together and find ways for every one of us to contribute,” Clinton said yesterday at a town hall in Vinton.
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times’ Zeleny on where the GOP candidates will be on Thanksgiving Day: “McCain … will travel to Iraq, his seventh trip since the war began… Huckabee … is scheduled to spend the day with his family in Little Rock, and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts will be at home with his family in Belmont, Mass. Rudolph W. Giuliani will return to New York, where he and his wife, Judith, will hold a breakfast for the families of emergency workers who died on Sept. 11.”
The Los Angeles Times looks at the health-care proposals of the leading GOP candidates. "If the arguments against the Democratic presidential candidates' healthcare plans include higher taxes and greater government involvement, then the Achilles' heel of the GOP plans is their dependence on the private market, which often rejects applicants with health problems."
GIULIANI : Newsday notes that Giuliani's 9/11 resume took two hits yesterday. The first was when 9/11 Commission co-chair Tom Kean endorsed McCain. The second was the press conference 9/11 families held in New Hampshire. "The firefighters and families held a town hall meeting at Dartmouth University in New Hampshire, where they accused the former mayor of failing to prepare for the attacks and bungling the response."
CONTINUED >>
The three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate were announced yesterday. The first one (on domestic policy) will take place Sept. 26 at the University of Mississippi. The veep debate will be on October 2 at Washington University in St. Louis. The next one (a townhall with Internet questions -- snowman questions anyone?) will occur on Oct. 7 at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. And the last one (on foreign policy) will take place on Oct. 15 at Hofstra University. For the non-town-hall debates, candidates will sit at a table with a single moderator, and will answer questions on eight, 10-minute “issues” segments. The debates will be 90 minutes long and will begin at 9:00 pm ET. Moderators are not picked yet; they’ll likely be picked during the summer of 2008.
The New York Times notes that New Orleans “took offense” to not being selected, “with a leader of one Louisiana advocacy group saying she had been told that the city had not recovered sufficiently from Hurricane Katrina to act as host of such an event. New Orleans was one of 16 finalists and has attracted major conventions since the hurricane devastated much of the city more than two years ago.”
NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli put together some good bullet points on the latest CNN/WMUR poll showing Romney leading in New Hampshire with McCain and Giuliani in a virtual tie for second.
Will Bush ever benefit from news like this? The New York Times front-pages that security in Iraq has improved -- but that many Iraqis still haven’t returned to their homes. “The security improvements in most neighborhoods are real. Days now pass without a car bomb, after a high of 44 in the city in February. The number of bodies appearing on Baghdad’s streets has plummeted to about 5 a day, from as many as 35 eight months ago, and suicide bombings across Iraq fell to 16 in October, half the number of last summer and down sharply from a recent peak of 59 in March, the American military says… By one revealing measure of security — whether people who fled their home have returned — the gains are still limited. About 20,000 Iraqis have gone back to their Baghdad homes, a fraction of the more than 4 million who fled nationwide, and the 1.4 million people in Baghdad who are still internally displaced, according to a recent Iraqi Red Crescent Society survey.”
But is the public listening? Is the negative verdict of the Iraq war and Bush's decision to fight it up for re-negotiation with the American public?
A new Gallup poll has Congress’ approval rating at 20%; Bush’s approval rating is 32%.
Some congressional trivia from our friends at The Almanac of American Politics and National Journal:
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy KENNER, La. -- As airports and highways began filling up with people headed out of town for the holiday, Thompson made his first visit to Louisiana, talking to a small group of 75 supporters at the Airport Hilton outside of New Orleans. The room was set up to hold more than 200 Fred-heads, but it appeared that most of Thompson’s supporters in southern Louisiana had headed out of town a bit earlier than the campaign had expected.
Thompson began by saying that while other candidates pour money into early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire, he wanted to visit the south because he’s “got a feeling before it’s over Louisiana’s going to have a big say in this” election. (Louisiana’s primary is Feb. 9th.)
He went on to talk about the importance of adhering to conservative principles in order to prevent the “keys to this country” from being turned over to the Democratic Party, who Thompson said, “are apparently planning for careers in NASCAR. It’s a turn constantly to the left. They will soon wind up back where they started. And some of them are going faster than the others, but they’re all going in same direction in a not very perfect circle.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller Edwards' first event of the day here at Davenport North High School this afternoon.
The two artists have a long history of political activism. In the 1970s, they were among the founders of MUSE, which opposes nuclear power. And in 2004, they headlined the Vote for Change Tour with Keb' Mo', urging concertgoers to oppose President Bush's re-election.
Here in Davenport, Raitt and Browne played a four-song set, starting the event nearly an hour late. The set included "World in Motion," "Angel from Montgomery," "I Am a Patriot," and "Thing Called Love."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Andy Merten Tom Kean Sr ., the former New Jersey governor and co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, today endorsed McCain , citing the Arizona senator’s success in pushing recommendations of the 9/11 Commission's report through the Senate. “This is the first time in 20 years I’ve endorsed anyone on the national level -- usually I stay out of these things. This is an endorsement, frankly, of conscience.”
He continued, “Sen. McCain was the one who spearheaded the efforts in Congress that produced the most significant reform of the nation’s intelligence gathering and defense capabilities since 1947. To the extent that we’ve been less vulnerable to attacks that we suffered on 9/11, it’s in a large part due to the extraordinary leadership of John McCain.”
Kean also compared McCain to a Republican president of the past -- and not named Ronald Reagan. In a Republican nomination contest in which most GOP contenders have been invoking the name and quotes of the 40th president, Kean instead likened McCain to Dwight Eisenhower. “Ike brought an honorable end to what appeared to be an endless stalemate in Korea, and he did it on terms that were favorable to human freedom,” he said.
While reporters at the press conference repeatedly pushed Kean to criticize McCain opponent Giuliani’s success in running post-September 11th New York City -- given his position on the 9/11 Commission and proximity to the city -- the New Jersey governor did not take the bait. Instead, he spoke of McCain. “This is a man who has all the qualities, when put together, to lead our country." Kean also joked, “What I did was take your question, which is negative in its content, and made it positive.”
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
Presidential: Friday, September 26: University of Mississippi , Oxford, MS (focused on domestic policy)Tuesday, October 7: Belmont University , Nashville, TN (town meeting format with questions from audience members on stage with candidates and additional questions via the Internet)Wednesday, October 15: Hofstra University , Hempstead, NY (focused on foreign policy)
Vice presidential debate: Thursday, October 2 Washington University , St. Louis, MO (domestic and foreign policy)
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Christina Jamison and NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton stressed at crowded gymnasium here today the importance of having a strong leader who doesn't need "on the job training" to deal with foreign dependence on oil, rising heating and fuel costs, and falling consumer confidence.
"The next president will be a steward of our economy at a time when the bills from eight years of neglect and mismanagement are coming due." She also took another apparent shot at Obama, saying that "Change is just a word without the strength and experience to make it happen."
At a press conference in Fort Dodge, IA, Obama was asked about Clinton's questioning of his economic experience, and he replied: "If a voter asks me the question, then I'll address it. If Sen. Clinton or her campaign spin team asks me the question, then my response is to say that our economic plan and our approach on these issues, I think, has been superior to hers, and that is one of the reasons I'm running for president."
He added in response to a follow-up question: "My understanding is that she wasn't Treasury secretary in the Clinton Administration."
From NBC's Mark Murray Mike Ferguson (R) announced today that he will not seek another congressional term. Ferguson, a four-term congressman who is 37 years old, barely won re-election last year, beating Democrat Linda Stender , 49%-48%.
According to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, Ferguson becomes the 17th congressional Republican to announce that he/she will not be seeking another term (compared with four for the Democrats).
"My wife, Maureen, and I have four children, the oldest of whom is 9 years old," Ferguson said in a statement. "Since first being elected in 2000, I have strived to balance my responsibilities to my family and to my constituents. I am indebted to Maureen, whose love, selflessness and patience allow me to meet my obligations to my constituents -- from votes in Congress that extend past midnight to multiple trips each week between Washington and New Jersey and back again. Being a representative in Congress is more meaningful than I had imagined, and I know that now is the right time to step away from public life to focus more on family life while our children are still young."
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan Obama's mailing to New Hampshire voters contains references to GOP Sens. Tom Coburn and Dick Lugar . Indeed, on the campaign trail, Obama likes to tout his record with working with Republicans on key pieces of legislation to prove that he's really a candidate who can cross the partisan divide. He frequently mentions Coburn (R-OK) and Lugar (R-IN), having worked with them on two separate pieces of legislation.
Regarding Coburn, Obama usually says that he's a man he has little in common with, but Obama was able to work with him to pass legislation that created a public database to disclose how federal monies were being sent. Regarding Lugar, Obama frequently says he admires Lugar a great deal, and he even mentioned him at Thursday's Democratic debate in Las Vegas.
But despite the warm words and relationship, Senator Lugar's office had no idea that the Obama campaign was sending out a mailer. According to Lugar's press secretary, Andy Fisher, Obama and Lugar traveled together to Russia in 2005 to work on nuclear non-proliferation issues where they first developed a close relationship. But Fisher wouldn't say if Obama's public embrace of their relationship was a good or a bad thing with Lugar's Republican base.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray and Chuck Todd
First Read has obtained a copy of Obama's first major mailing to New Hampshire voters, which hits mailboxes today. Click the photo at left for a larger version (pdf format).
Among other things, the 13-page mailing:
-- begins with these words: "You can tell a lot about a person by the life they have lived ... and the choices they have made."
-- mentions Obama's journey from Indonesia and Hawaii to Columbia University
-- quotes Laurence Tribe calling Obama the most amazing student he has had in 37 years of teaching law at Harvard University
-- emphasizes Obama's talk to Detroit automakers about the need for higher fuel-mileage standards, and his opposition to the Iraq war
-- contains references to two Republican senators -- Tom Coburn (saying Obama's first law was passed with the Oklahoma Republican) and Dick Lugar (saying that Obama worked with the Indiana Republican "to pass a new law to help keep the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of terrorists")
-- provides excerpts of Obama's 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention
-- and concludes with this line: "Real change. New Hampshire change."
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
DES MOINES, Nov 19 --
Clinton brought out
Gen. Wes Clark , onetime presidential hopeful himself, in Iowa. Clark appeared with the New York senator at an unscheduled stop at Drake Diner -- part of the campaign's efforts to shore up support among voters in a state where the race for the Democratic nomination is far closer than in the rest of the country.
Clinton introduced the general and chatted with a handful of voters who worked at a children's hospital and with a man who asked about housing issues.
"I'd love to have your support," the senator said at one point; one of the diners said she would have his. Clinton then settled in at the counter to chat, before the cameras, with Clark and former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack about the challenges of campaigning over the holidays.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller
Six days after
Edwards released his controversial ad on health care in Iowa, he released the same ad today in New Hampshire.
“When I’m president I’m going to say to members of Congress and members of my administration, including my cabinet: I’m glad that you have health care coverage and your family has health care coverage," Edwards says in the ad. "But if you don’t pass universal health care by July of 2009 -- in six months -- I’m going to use my power as president to take your health care away from you. There’s no excuse for politicians in Washington having health care when you don’t have health care.”
Opponents have protested that the president doesn’t have the power to withdraw the health insurance coverage of members of Congress and Cabinet members. Edwards spokesman Dan Leistikow said the point of the policy is not necessarily to take away members’ health care but to motivate them to pass universal health care.
CONTINUED >>
From Domenico Montanaro and Lauren Appelbaum went up with a new health care ad in Iowa and New Hampshire over the weekend, featuring a man who says he asked for Clinton's help when his insurance company would not cover a bone marrow transplant for his son. She came through, he says, and adds, "Now her opponents are saying that Hillary can't be trusted? I trusted this woman to save my son's life. And she did."
But compare those numbers to her leading rivals. Among all voters, 51% said Obama's "honest and straightfoward," 17% did not. Among Democrats, his numbers spike: 75% gave him good scores versus just 10% who did not.
*** UPDATE ***
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Julia Steers The battle for Iowa:
For the next 45 days, until the caucuses take place there, the Democratic presidential race will be all about Iowa. Their campaigns will spend millions of dollars, air countless TV ads, campaign for hundreds of hours, and knock on thousands of doors -- in a state with a population of less than 3 million and where 93% of the residents are white. Indeed, the top Democrats are all in Iowa today. Clinton campaigns in Knoxville, Waterloo, and Vinton; Edwards stumps with Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt in Davenport, Iowa City, and Cedar Rapids; and Obama visits Clarion and Fort Dodge.
*** Stepping it up: The reason this has become the central battleground in the Dem contest: It’s the only place where Clinton isn’t leading by a substantial margin. And her campaign, as the New York Times wrote over the weekend, seems to be worried: It has doubled its staff, is increasing its advertising in the state, and promises that rarely a day will go by without either Clinton or that OTHER Clinton stumping in the state. One of two things will happen in Iowa on January 3: Either Clinton wins, and she steamrolls through the primaries on the way to the nomination. Or she doesn’t, and the candidate with a majority of the advantages -- in polls, in endorsements, and with the most famous last name in the Democratic Party -- looks vulnerable and it becomes a two-person fight to the finish with the candidate who wins Iowa.
*** Rudy's new focus on Iowa:
Clinton isn’t the only New Yorker who is stepping things up in the Hawkeye State. So is Giuliani. Is it now two races in the GOP contest for Iowa: Romney versus Huckabee for first, and Giuliani versus Thompson versus McCain for third? What is Rudy up to here? Is this about killing off Thompson in Iowa to get him out of the way in South Carolina, a state the Giuliani folks believe they can win if Thompson isn't a factor? Remember, Dukakis used a third-place finish in the '88 caucuses to claim "victory" and prove viability outside of the Northeast. There is good news for Romney in Giuliani’s stepped-up activity -- it'll make a victory there worth more. But it also puts more pressure on him to win.
*** Is Obama letting folks see him sweat? What a difference a week makes. Last Monday, everyone was buzzing about Obama's stellar J-J performance. But after Obama’s less-than-stellar debate performance late last week, one can sense another one of those momentum switches. His campaign screamed to the top of its lungs after Bob Novak reported that the Clinton campaign was sitting on allegedly scandalous material on Obama. Then Obama got into a spat with an Iowa voter -- which he rarely does -- over national security and illegal immigration, which is one of those "looks worse on video than in print" stories. About the only good news for Obama this weekend is that the spat over the Novak story did appear to change the subject from the debate. That debate (at least for now) looks like a three-day story. By comparison, the Philly debate turned into a two-week-plus story. By the way, there's no truth to the rumor that the Clinton research shop has nicknamed its Obama war room: "The Barack Study Group." But it is a joke making the rounds of unaffiliated Dems...
*** Huck’s Delta Force:
So you’re Mike Huckabee. Your poll numbers begin to soar in Iowa, and the media start paying attention to your campaign. What do you do? You air your first TV ad in Iowa (at a buy of $60,000), and it features Chuck Norris. The ad is certainly buzz-worthy; after all, no one represents toughness -- and fitness -- better than Chuck Norris. But for a candidate desperately trying to be taken seriously as a potential president, does using Norris in your FIRST TV ad, convey enough seriousness?
*** Roger and me : NBC/NJ’s Matt Berger reports Giuliani gave a hearty laugh on Sunday when asked if his campaign is receiving preferential treatment from FOX. "Roger [Ailes] is a close friend of mine, he's been a close friend of mine for a very, very long time," Giuliani said. "I don't receive -- gosh, all you have to do is look at it and you can figure out I don't receive any different treatment there than any place else. The reality is that you have a lot of friendships, and to suggest you get preferential treatment because of them is just not right.” Interesting that Giuliani didn't dispute the closer relationship he has with Ailes. Is that something that will bug the rest of the GOP field? If Ailes is providing even "Kitchen Cabinet" type of advice, it's more advice than he's giving any of Rudy's opponents.
*** Rove the writer:
Nothing is going to be more fun than attempting to read between the lines of Karl Rove's Newsweek columns. His inaugural piece has a fascinating anecdote about Hillary Clinton and a West Wing mirror, and he uses it to paint her toughness and make the case that Republicans shouldn't just assume that simply running against her is a campaign message. What is Rove proposing exactly? Run on issues that Democrats usually run on, including the economy and health care. But the most fascinating thing about Rove's column is what he didn't write about: Bush. Not a single mention of his former boss’s name. An accident? Unlikely. The subtle message? The GOP nominee cannot run on Bush (but it appears Rove isn't ready to concede that the Republican has to run against Bush). Or is that for a later column?
*** On the trail : Elsewhere today, Giuliani holds a fundraiser and press conference in McAllen, TX; Huckabee raises money in Ohio; Kucinich, in New York, also raises money; McCain delivers a speech in New Hampshire and then holds a press conference in Boston before heading to Philadelphia; Paul is in Nevada; Richardson campaigns in New Hampshire; Romney is in Boise, ID before traveling to Seattle; Tancredo hits a fundraiser in the Dallas, TX area; and Thompson is in Mississippi.
Countdown to Iowa: 45 days
So was Obama simply trying to change the subject from the Thursday debate? Or does the campaign believe that anytime they can paint Clinton as a "Washington" politician, it's a good day for them? Or are the Obama folks simply pressing and therefore a bit testy?
The San Francisco Chronicle reached Bob Novak and asked him about the item he wrote over the weekend, which asserted that the Clinton campaign is sitting on some type of scandalous story about Obama. "Novak would not reveal the source of the item but said the information did not come directly from the Clinton camp. "(It) was said to Democratic sources ... by people inside the Clinton campaign," he said. "It was not specified what it was, and it was said to a Democratic source. Clinton would not reveal it because she is such a good person."
Novak told FOX this morning, “There were no Republicans involved in my reporting on this.”
CONTINUED >>
In case you are wondering, the Democrats will debate three times in 13 days in December. On 12/1, they'll participate in the Black/Brown forum of Iowa; 12/10 is the final DNC sanctioned debate in Los Angeles; and then on 12/13, there’s the Des Moines Register afternoon debate.
BIDEN : The Delaware senator kicked off "women for Biden" in Iowa and got 100 folks to show up.
CLINTON : On Sunday, the New York Times did a CW-setting analysis of the new push Clinton is making in Iowa. The entire piece shouldn't be missed, but here's what we learned:
CONTINUED >>
Could Giuliani being moving to far to the right? This Des Moines Register piece indicates that some Iowa GOP moderates seem to be turned off a bit by the wooing of conservatives.
GIULIANI : Clinton isn’t the only New Yorker who is stepping things up in Iowa. The New York Times’ Nagourney notes the Giuliani campaign has stepped up his radio ads, phone calls and mailings to the state in an effort, apparently, to be competitive. "The moves have come at a time of growing uncertainty in the Iowa Republican contest, with Mr. Huckabee and former Senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee stepping up their spending and organizing. And there are growing signs that it will be largely fought over illegal immigration… The developments pose a particular threat to Mr. Romney, who has spent more time and money here than any of the other Republican candidates. A loss or a shaky win here could weaken him going into New Hampshire; his strategy is based on winning both states."
Giuliani is going up with a new TV in New Hampshire (and Boston). “I believe I’ve had the most leadership experience of anyone that’s running,” Rudy says in the ad. “It’s not just holding executive positions, like Mayor of New York, or United States Attorney, or 3rd ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department. It’s having held those positions in time of crisis. I’ve been tested in a way in which the American people can look to me. They’re not going to find perfection, but they’re going to find somebody who has dealt with crisis almost on a regular basis and has had results. And in many cases, exceptional results. Results people thought weren’t possible.”
CONTINUED >>
You can tell Iowa's getting closer because reporters are starting to do profiles of specific towns in the state. The Los Angeles Times looks at Mason City's role in the caucuses. "Mason City, like the state of Iowa itself, is a place of disproportionate importance in the election. Historically, the number of people who take part in the caucuses is vanishingly small. During the last election, only about one in 20 of the city's registered voters showed up to caucus. In the state as a whole, the numbers were somewhat better: Close to one in 10 came out to caucus."
Could the 1/19 Nevada caucuses play a role in the Dem primary ? Possibly, thanks to the fact that it will be the only game in town between New Hampshire on Jan. 8 (the assumed date) and South Carolina, set for Jan. 26.
The Washington Post's Peter Baker looks at how things seem to be looking up for Bush, but... "In many ways, the shifting political fortunes may owe as much to the absence of bad news as to any particular good news. No one lately has been indicted, botched a hurricane relief effort or shot someone in a hunting accident. Instead, pictures from Iraq show people returning to the streets as often as they show a new suicide bombing. And Bush has bolstered morale inside the West Wing and rallied his Republican base through a strategy of confrontation with the Democratic Congress, built on the expansive use of his veto pen.”
“Yet none of this has particularly impressed the public at large, which remains skeptical that anything meaningful has changed and still gives Bush record-low approval ratings. The disconnect highlights his dilemma heading into the last year of his administration: Can anything short of a profound event repair an unpopular president's public standing so late in his tenure? Can tactical victories in Washington salvage a wounded presidency?"
One other theory on why Bush isn't benefiting from the fact that there has been an absence of bad news: The country has already issued its verdict on Iraq and the Bush presidency, so there’s little he can do to change things.
From NBC's Bethany Thomas NBC News has learned that Tom Kean Sr. will endorse McCain tomorrow. There is a 2:30 p.m. press conference in Boston scheduled to officially make the announcement. Kean is a former governor of New Jersey and chair of the 9-11 Commission.
NBC News has also learned that McCain will "likely" be headed to Iraq for Thanksgiving. Details are still in the works but the campaign is 95 percent sure he will be there Wednesday through the weekend.
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann Obama criticized the Clinton campaign's slow response to a claim yesterday by syndicated columnist Bob Novak that the Democratic front-runner is sitting on “scandalous” information about the Illinois senator.
Asked about his uncharacteristically strong preemptive response to the report, Obama said that his campaign won’t tolerate “slime politics,” and said that it took “three iterations” of the story (referring to the press release war that ensued between the two camps yesterday) for the Clinton camp to deny the story outright. He added sarcastically that it “would have been nice” if her campaign had been more forthright in its denial.
Obama said that his quick response to the rumor was intended to “nip it at the bud” before it circulated further, invoking the damaging innuendos that derailed the campaign of John McCain in 2000, as well as the “Swiftboat” attacks against John Kerry in 2004.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy HOLLYWOOD, FL -- In a dining hall full of roughly 500 influential Florida Christian conservatives here on Friday night, Fred Thompson gave a candid biographical speech about his conservative upbringing and the trials of his adult life.
The Florida Family Policy Council invited Thompson to their annual fundraising dinner before the founder of the group's parent organization, James Dobson of Focus on the Family, criticized Thompson in a private email leaked to the Associated Press earlier this year. So in an effort to improve relations between himself and a voting group often seen as still searching for a candidate in the GOP presidential primary, Thompson avoided politics and focused on his conservative experiences growing up in Tennessee.
"I want to, to share a few thoughts with you tonight about my growing up, I guess maybe in more ways than one over the years, in order to make a point or two," Thompson began, going on to tell the audience that as a child, "we were in church at least three times a week, unless there was a 'meeting' as we called it, and then it was much, much more than that."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger WASHINGTON -- Giuliani reaffirmed his commitment to appoint strict constructionist judges Friday before the Federalist Society, and called on the Senate to change its advise and consent rules to require a vote on judicial nominations.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum With energy becoming a big topic on the campaign trail, a book by Bill Richardson on the topic hit shelves last week. Although he emphasizes this issue needs presidential leadership from whomever wins, Richardson attacks his fellow candidates right off the bat.
"I don't provide much fluffy rhetoric in this book," Richardson writes in "Leading by Example: How We Can Inspire an Energy and Security Revolution." "I leave that to other candidates. This one is about real issues facing the country, issues that desperately demand forceful and focused attention. I am willing to gore some oxen, because I know there can be no sacred cows. I try to provide solutions, not just descriptions of problems."
While the New Mexico Governor complains about the lack of action, his book is bursting full with optimism for the future. In a book that is easy to read for people not well versed with energy issues, his laid-back yet direct personality shines through the book, as he alternates between personal anecdotes about his experience in New Mexico and specific policy proposals. Richardson relates how energy issues affect middle and lower class Americans and compares his ambition to that of Franklin D Roosevelt and John F Kennedy, promising to rally the Congress in a bipartisan manner.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann DES MOINES, Iowa -- State Representative Ralph Watts, a Republican from Adel, Iowa, received one of the anti-Romney/anti-Mormon "push poll" phone calls that have been in the news lately. Watts got the call on his land line at home. On
Radio Iowa , Listen to Watts describe the call
here .
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy PENSACOLA, FL -- Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico on the newly completed Plaza De Luna here today,
Thompson was optimistic about the situation in Iraq, but said that America needs to rededicate itself to improving the military.
"I see a scenario now where we can indeed see our folks start coming home as a part of a success scenario not a defeat scenario, and that's what we're all looking for," Thompson said. He went on to talk about the Dowds and the Ledeens, two families with children serving in Iraq that he and his wife Jeri keep in touch with. Michael Ledeen is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a contributing editor to National Review.
"One family's got two who have re-upped in Iraq, and the other family's got one who has and they come back, we get to talk to them once in a while, but mainly we talk to the parents," Thompson said. "They all know what they're doing. They're all committed. They all know that they're doing something for the safety and ultimate interest, freedom of their country. And now we see that that commitment…is rendering success."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike Since some of
Romney’s advisers are against him giving a speech on his faith, his adversaries are ready to give it for him.
AP reported this morning that calls are circulating in New Hampshire regarding Romney’s faith, and NBC’s John Boxley reports that Romney responded to the news by calling those attacks “un-American.” He also raised some eyebrows with his charge that the
McCain-Feingold legislation opened the door to such attacks by allowing the identities of those behind the push polling to stay hidden. And Boxley reports that the candidate found it ironic that McCain is now the one to be calling for an investigation.
Romney spokesman Matt Rhoades issued the following statement: "Whichever campaign is engaging in this type of awful religious bigotry as a line of political attack, it is repulsive and, to put it bluntly, un-American. There is no excuse for these attacks. Governor Romney is campaigning as an optimist who wants to lead the nation. These attacks are just the opposite. They are ugly and divisive."
*** UPDATE ***
*** UPDATE ***
*** UPDATE 2 ***
*** UPDATE 3 ***
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ’s Tricia Miller In a conference call with reporters this afternoon,
Edwards’ staff and supporters expressed their concern over
Clinton’s response to a NAFTA question at last night’s Democratic debate. “For us, for me, this is not a laughing matter. We lost over one million good-paying manufacturing jobs in this country,” began former Michigan Rep. David Bonior, who serves as Edwards’ campaign manager. “John Edwards understands this instinctively because he grew up with this.”
In the debate, Clinton responded to moderator Wolf Blitzer’s question about NAFTA with a chuckle. “Sen. Clinton, all of us remember the big NAFTA debate when your husband was president of the United States,” Blitzer said. “A lot of us remember the debate between Al Gore, who was then vice president, and Ross Perot. Ross Perot was fiercely against NAFTA. Knowing what we know now, was Ross Perot right?”
“All I can remember from that is a bunch of charts,” she replied. “That, sort of, is a vague memory.” Clinton went on to call for the enforcement of current trade agreements, including environmental, labor, and corporate provisions within them.
Joining Bonior on the call were Edwards endorsers Rep. Michael Michaud of Maine, Roger Tauss of the Transport Workers Union International and Leo Gerard of United Steelworkers International. They used the call to push Edwards’ opposition to the Peru free trade agreement, which recently passed the House, and to tie Clinton to what they saw as her husband’s failures during his administration. “There’s no question that Bill Clinton gave us the North American Free Trade Agreement, and it was his administration that failed to give us universal health care,” Bonior said.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The Biden campaign tries to capitalize on it with an improved version of an earlier "Joe is Right" video. This one is set to music: "You've got a friend in me" and includes text on the screen: "Not so much parsing, but certainly piling on." (References to videos from the Edwards and Clinton camps, respectively.) Then, there's a montage of the candidates agreeing with Biden.
"Sounds like they agree," appears on screen. "Joe is Right. Find out why: JoeBiden.com."
From NBC/National Journal's Mike Memoli John
McCain’s campaign will deliver a complaint to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office this afternoon seeking an investigation into the source of push polls in the state.
The Associated Press reported this morning that voters in NH and IA began receiving phone calls raising questions about Mitt Romney last weekend. The calls specifically called attention to Romney’s Mormon faith and draft deferments he received. The calls also refer to McCain’s service in Vietnam, sources say. McCain’s campaign denies any connection.
“These tactics are repugnant and despicable and there is no place in New Hampshire politics for push polling or any other negative tactics that engage in personal attacks,” said former Rep. Chuck Douglas, McCain’s New Hampshire vice chair, in a statement released by the campaign. “It is especially shameful that those responsible would hide behind a push poll to impugn a candidate's faith."
*** UPDATE ***
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro post-debate videos , splicing moments from last night. And, of course, there's a Contribute link.
Here's a quick overview of the videos:Video 1: Clinton hitting Edwards with her "mud," "Republican playbook" and staying positive comment.
Video 2: Clinton hitting Obama on Obama's health care plan. They leave out Obama's response.
Video 3: Clinton saying she's not "exploiting the gender card," she's "playing the winning card." But then she repeats her "kitchen" comment and then, what's not seen, is Clinton going on about how happy women are to see her running for president.
Video 4: Clinton talking about how she's running to be "president of the entire country" and talks about working with Republicans. Just a thought, then why is her new slogan "Turn up the heat" on Republicans, as she said at the Iowa JJ Dinner?
From NBC's Ken Strickland
The bill, already passed by the House, would have required the president to begin a phased redeployment of troops within 30 day and would have established the goal of having most troops out of Iraq no later than December 15, 2008.
Presidential candidates Clinton , Obama , and Biden voted for it; Dodd voted against it.
The House bill also states that all people interrogated by the US government be subject to techniques consistent with US Army field manual. This provision was designed to explicitly prohibit the CIA from waterboarding since it's believe by Democrats that the prohibition of waterboarding only applies to military personnel.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Obama camp clearly sees Social Security as a winning exchange for them last night. In fact, they released a letter to Clinton from Maquoketa high school teacher Tod Bowman, who writes, in part, "I think it’s important for candidates to draw substantive contrasts on where they stand. But I just don’t understand how you can like an idea one day and then turn around and criticize it the next. It just gives the impression that you’re not being straight with people about where you stand."
Bowman, the AP reported on Oct. 27, "tried to pin down Clinton during a debate in Iowa earlier this month on whether the government should tax workers' earnings above the present cap of $97,500 to help pay for Social Security benefits.
"Clinton sidestepped the question in public, telling Bowman privately afterward that she didn't want to put an additional tax burden on the middle class, but would consider a "gap," with no Social Security taxes on income from $97,500 to around $200,000. Anything above that could be taxed. Her answer was overheard by an Associated Press reporter."
Here's the letter:
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
LAS VEGAS -- If last month’s debate in Philly was the moment when Democrats and reporters realized that the Clinton coronation -- with a crown of diamonds and pearls? -- was postponed, last night’s will be remembered for Clinton effectively fighting back, Obama sticking to his guns, and the gap between those two and everyone else widening. The Clinton vs. Obama spat exposed the true fissure in the Democratic Party: generational and ideological. Edwards found himself on the outside of this fight; he was hurt especially by the fact that Clinton and Obama were standing next to each other, while the former North Carolina senator was off to the side.
*** Dr. No : Clinton ducked the drivers’ license controversy that has dogged her since Philly, because all she had to utter was one simple word: "no" (that she didn’t support giving illegal immigrant drivers’ licenses). Indeed, she didn't have to answer why she waited more than two weeks to give a definitive answer or why her “no” seemed inconsistent with her past statements. Meanwhile, the theatrics between the moderator and Obama over whether he was answering "yes or no" on the issue gave Clinton the moment on immigration her campaign was looking for. Will this be the Clinton YouTube moment they push around? We'll see. On the flip side, Clinton’s about-face on NAFTA from what she said about the trade deal just one year ago was striking (and perhaps something reporters look into). Nobody on stage jumped on it -- but it's perhaps a bigger flip she'll have to answer for than the war.
***
A swing and a miss : As for Obama, he did fine. But early on, he missed a major opportunity, which displayed his inexperience at debating. When Clinton hit him early on health care, Obama simply defended himself from the attack, rather than deflect the attack and counterpunch with the 1993 health-care reform failure. It was an easy hit for him, and he missed. Clinton is winning on "experience," not because of the practical experience she has as a former chief executive (she's never been one), but the experience she has as a politician, as a debater. Clinton would not have missed a similar opening. But Obama got his YouTube moment when he got to challenge the moderator on the issue of being a pessimist. Look for THAT in an email box near you VERY soon.
*** Those boo-birds : A final Clinton vs. Obama point… Hillary really benefited from the audience responses. An organizer for the debate told First Read that each campaign received 22 tickets, while the state party and UNLV invited the rest. But just how many of the rest were Clinton supporters? Because their booing when Edwards or Obama confronted Clinton was distracting to the candidates and threw them off. The audience was supposed to play a role via the questions they asked; instead, they played a MAJOR role in helping Clinton have home-field advantage.
*** First impressions count : As for Edwards, he just wasn't at his best tonight. His attempts at hitting Clinton early on fell flat. That little "planted question" line was out of place.
What's interesting is that Edwards seemed to get it, and went back to his comfort zone and ended the debate a lot stronger than he started. Of course, first impressions are everything and Edwards didn't make a strong first impression at this debate. David Yepsen's declaration this morning is not helpful to Edwards, but he also warns Clinton to not bury Edwards too quickly or else face the possibility of a stronger Obama who unites the anti-Clinton vote.
***
The rest: As for the rest of the field, Biden -- again -- had a good night. He keeps doing well at these debates; we'll see if he can use this to propel himself in Iowa. Richardson, by the way, had one of his better performances, possibly his best. But his response that he has always Yucca Mountain will likely give him headaches from Nevada reporters. Dodd didn't get a lot of time, but when he did speak, he seemed to be on message.
*** Enter Lou Dobbs? There is some speculation today that Lou Dobbs might run for president. Seriously. Writes the Wall Street Journal’s John Fund: "After months of telling reporters that he ‘absolutely’ would not consider leaving his highly-rated CNN show in which he crusades against free trade and illegal immigration, Mr. Dobbs posted a commentary on his Web site last week predicting a surprise new presidential candidate in 2008. The mystery candidate is an ‘independent populist . . . who understands the genius of this country lies in the hearts and minds of its people and not in the prerogatives and power of its elites. Friends of Mr. Dobbs say he is seriously contemplating a race for the first time, although it's still unlikely. They spin a scenario under which the acerbic commentator would parachute into the race if Michael Bloomberg, the New York billionaire and favorite of East Coast elites, enters the field as an independent."
*** On the trail : A day after last night’s debate, Nevada continues to be the center of attention: Clinton hosts a discussion on renewable energy before holding a campaign rally in Reno; Edwards tours a Henderson, NV hospital with SEIU nurses and then holds a press avail with them; Romney is also in the state, where he attends a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce roundtable; and Hunter stumps in the Silver State. Elsewhere, Biden campaigns in Iowa; Edwards heads to California to picket with striking Writers Guild members; Giuliani addresses the Federalist Society in DC; McCain campaigns in New Hampshire; Romney later hits a fundraiser in Provo, UT; Tancredo is in New Hampshire and Vermont; and Thompson stumps in Florida. Also, Bill Clinton campaigns for his wife in New Hampshire before addressing the Young Democrats of America National Fall Conference in the Granite State.
Countdown to Iowa: 48 days
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The Las Vegas Review-Journal: “As expected, Sen. Hillary Clinton's rivals once again came out swinging at Thursday night's Democratic debate, but this time, Clinton swung back… For the first time Thursday night, Clinton descended from her pedestal to find fault with her opponents. Whether that was a sign of strength or weakness will be debated as the night's events are hashed out in the coming weeks.”
The
New York Times: “The most striking change from the seven previous debates was that Mrs. Clinton no longer stayed above the fray, and instead addressed her rivals by name, criticizing their positions, and rebutting them as much as the moderator would allow.” More: “Much of the debate had a confrontational edge and freewheeling tone, with the leading candidates trying to draw sharp contrasts with pointed language. Mrs. Clinton even said she was wearing an ‘asbestos’ pantsuit, while Senator Christopher J. Dodd worried about ‘a shrillness to the debate.’”
The Boston Globe : “The New York senator's pointed criticisms of her opponents - unusual for a front-runner seeking to remain above the fray - followed two shaky weeks for her campaign. She had been forced to defend herself against charges that she had changed positions on key issues, that she had played the gender card, and that her staff had planted friendly questions at campaign events. But Clinton appeared to regain her footing last night, responding to attacks from her foes with a blend of humor and counterpunches, and firmly defending her positions on Iran, immigration, and Pakistan. Her performance in the 10th Democratic debate since April came at a critical juncture in the race, less than two months before the first primary ballots in Iowa and New Hampshire."
CONTINUED >>
Newsweek's Fineman : "Better rested and more relaxed, Clinton raced to the center of the ring throwing punches at Obama, claiming that his health plan would leave 15 million people uninsured, and that his Social Security plan would require a ‘trillion dollar tax increase.’ Obama counterpunched, but the point is that he was backpedaling for a change." The Des Moines Register's Yepsen: "Give Thursday's debate to Hillary Clinton... Barack Obama had only an average night, and on a couple of questions he seemed flummoxed... John Edwards should have stayed home... Ironically, Edwards' poor performance may be bad news for Clinton in Iowa. That's because Clinton, Edwards and Obama are in a
statistical tie for first among caucus-going Democrats here. If either Obama or Edwards should fade in Iowa, his supporters may move to the other candidate, making that man the leading anti-Clinton candidate."
CBN’s Brody : “‘What happens in Vegas will not stay in Vegas’ and that's good news for Hillary Clinton because her performance here Thursday night was just what she needed. I'm sure her advisors want all of America to see the show Hillary put on in Vegas Thursday. It was the night she fought back after a rough few weeks. I don't know who was better, Hillary or Wayne Newton after piling through the buffet.”
CONTINUED >>
Following the debate, the Democratic presidential hopefuls rallied 2,200 Nevada Democrats at the Clark County Jefferson Jackson dinner, NBC’s Christina Jamison reports. The headline: Clinton spent her time going after Republicans, while Obama spent his time going after her. Obama, in fact, used a good portion of his allotted seven minutes taking thinly veiled shots at Clinton, repeating much of what he said last weekend at the Iowa J-J dinner. "It is not enough to just run the old textbook Washington campaign" and "telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of what they need to hear just won't do. Poll testing our positions because we're afraid of what Mitt or Rudy might say about us just won't do." He went on to say America needs the Democrats to be "a party that doesn't just focus on how to win, but why we should; a party that doesn't just offer changes of slogan, but offers real and meaningful change."
Clinton -- despite answering a question at the debate over how she planned to bring the country together -- used her time to attack Republicans, saying: "We're gonna draw a stark distinction with the Republicans" and "we have to undo the damage of the Bush years, but then we have to have a positive agenda." She also energized the crowd, tapping several times into her "Turn up the Heat.” Edwards, meanwhile, stuck close to his traditional stump speech and refrained from attacking Clinton and Obama.
The Clinton supporters easily doubled those of the nearest rival, Obama’s. On a lighter note, Sens. Dodd and Biden must be sharing speechwriters... Both joked that they got seven minutes to speak, which, they said, was more than CNN gave them. Unfortunately for Biden, he spoke right after Dodd.
But as NBC's Lauren Appelbaum notes, Biden's critique didn't make sense, since he received a robust 10-plus minutes of time, on par with Edwards.
Bloomberg News fact-checks some of the tax cut and spending cut proposals by all of the major GOP candidates.
GIULIANI : The Boston Globe throws some cold water on Giuliani’s New York record. “As a presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani recounts his eight-year stint as mayor of New York City as an era of tax-cutting and welfare-slashing, one long fight to tame the city's
bureaucratic behemoth. That's basically true, but Giuliani and his campaign exaggerate some facts and ignore many others to hone the point.”
One of Iowa's most conservative GOP officeholders, Rep. Steve King, "
warned Thursday that the conservative underpinnings of the Republican party platform would be ‘sacrificed’ if Rudy Giuliani becomes the Republican presidential nominee." In addition, he ‘said he also fears the nomination of Giuliani would spur a third-party candidate on the right who would ‘sink’ GOP chances of winning the White House."
CONTINUED >>
In a new Iowa poll , Clinton’s lead has shrunk and it shows a statistical three-way tie between Clinton (27%), Obama (25%) and Edwards (21%). Richardson gets 10%.
OBAMA :
New York Times’ Paul Krugman does the Clinton campaign a favor by hitting Obama for calling Social Security a crisis. "Inside the Beltway, doomsaying about Social Security - declaring that the program as we know it can't survive the onslaught of retiring baby boomers - is regarded as a sort of badge of seriousness, a way of showing how statesmanlike and tough-minded you are... In fact, the whole Beltway obsession with the fiscal burden of an aging population is misguided... Which brings us back to Mr. Obama. Why would he, in effect, play along with this new round of scare-mongering and devalue one of the great progressive victories of the Bush years?”
“I don't believe Mr. Obama is a closet privatizer. He is, however, someone who keeps insisting that he can transcend the partisanship of our times - and in this case, that turned him into a sucker."
But here’s what Obama told MyDD’s Jonathan Singer on the issue. “[Social Security] is a long-term problem. I know that people, including you, are very sensitive to the concern that we repeat anything that sounds like George Bush. But I have been very clear in fighting privatization. I have been adamant about the fact that I am opposed to it. What I believe is that it is a long-term problem that we should deal with now. And the sooner the deal with it then the better off it's going to be.”
CONTINUED >>
There was Stephen Colbert, now
Lou Dobbs ? “John Fund, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, explored the possibility in a commentary posted yesterday on the Journal's website. ‘Friends of Mr. Dobbs say he is seriously contemplating a race for the first time, although it's still unlikely,’ Fund reported. Those friends play out a scenario under which New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg enters the race as an independent, then Dobbs jumps in as a fourth-party candidate.”
In his National Journal column, NBC political analyst Charlie Cook writes that the Dem and GOP races have startling differences. “Some party members believe that the nomination of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is virtually inevitable; others believe that resistance to her is too strong for her to prevail.”
“The divisions on the Republican side are much more complex and interesting. The GOP debate is over whether Iowa and New Hampshire will determine the nominee. If the first two state contests are what matters most, then former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has a huge advantage. But if 2008 turns out to be a historical anomaly in which former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has the strength and star power to rebound from a few early losses, the outcome could be very different. Then there is former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has been the Rodney Dangerfield of this race, with no money, few endorsements, and little organization. Yet, by many accounts, he is the most naturally talented contender. Is he really catching on, as he appears to be doing in Iowa? Wow, what a race!”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
LAS VEGAS -- Richardson was the first person I spotted in the spin room after the debate, and he was defending his statement that he has always opposed storing nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain. "Always voted against it," he said. When a reporter -- I think it was the Las Vegas Journal-Review's political reporter -- pressed him on the issue, he still maintained than he had strong votes against Yucca Mountain. "You know that," he said.
Then there was Edwards adviser Joe Trippi, who was emphasizing to reporters Clinton's laugh when asked about NAFTA and Ross Perot -- her response that all she could remember were the charts. Trippi said it isn't a laughing matter when there are people in Iowa and other states who lost their jobs due to NAFTA. He said that her answer is "really going to come back to hurt her."
Meanwhile, Clinton chief strategist Mark Penn stressed Obama's answer to the question over what was more important: human rights or national security? He said Obama was "at best ambiguous." He added that Clinton was unequivocal in answering national security. "That was a critical moment. There is no ambiguity."
Obama adviser David Axelrod was defending Obama's response to the drivers' license issue. "Let's solve the immigration problem, so we don't have undocumented workers." He added that the entire drivers' license issue was a "sideshow" -- mainly because Clinton's answers on it were mercurial." "The difference is that [Obama] has said the same thing."
From NBC's Chuck Todd If the last debate was the moment where Democrats realized that the Clinton coronation was, at least, postponed, this one will be known as the debate that seemed to sharpen the contrast between Clinton and Obama and create a gap between the big two and everyone else. The sparring between Clinton and Obama on a number of issues is likely to set the tone for some time. Edwards was hurt, partially, by the fact that Clinton and Obama were next to each other, while Edwards was off to the side.
This debate was about Clinton effectively fighting back, Obama sticking to his guns and separation between those two and everyone else.
As for Edwards, he just wasn't at his best tonight. His attempts at hitting Clinton early on fell flat. That little "planted question" line was out of place. What's interesting is that Edwards seemed to get it and went back to his comfort zone and ended the debate a lot stronger than he started. Of course, first impressions are everything and Edwards didn't make a strong first impression at this debate.
As for Obama, he did fine but, early on, missed a major opportunity. Obama showed his inexperience at debating. When Clinton hit him early on health care, Obama simply defended himself from the attack, rather than deflect the attack and hit back at her over the '93 health care reform failure. It was an easy hit for him, and he missed; he didn't even swing; got caught looking. Clinton is winning on "experience," not because of the practical experience she has as a former chief executive (she's never been one) but the experience she has as a politician, as a debater. Clinton would not have missed a similar opening.
Clinton ducked the immigration controversy that dogged her at the last debate because she only had to utter one simple word on the driver's license issue: "No." She didn't have to answer for the fact that she waited a few weeks to give a definitive answer. Meanwhile, the theatrics between the moderator and Obama over whether he was answering "yes or no" on the issue gave Clinton the moment on immigration THEY were looking for. Will this be the Clinton YouTube moment they push around? We'll see. (BTW, Clinton better be careful on NAFTA; her about face on the issue from what she said about the trade deal just one year ago is striking. No one tagged her on it tonight but don't be surprised if reporters pounce.)
Obama got his YouTube moment when he got to challenge the moderator on the issue of being a pessimist. Look for THAT in an email box near you VERY soon.
One final Clinton v. Obama point. Clinton really benefitted from the audience responses; I'd love to know who got tickets for this debate, whether one campaign was allowed to get more tix than another. Because the booing by the Clinton supporters when Edwards or Obama confronted Clinton were distracting to the candidates and did throw them off every now and then.
As for the rest of the field, Biden, again, had a good night. He keeps doing well at these debates; we'll see if he can use this to propel himself in Iowa. Richardson, btw, had one of his better performances, possibly his best. Dodd didn't get a lot of time but when he did speak, he seemed to be on message. Still, I bet the Dodd folks are lighting up CNN over the lack of face time.
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan The Democrats on stage all appear to believe in a litmus test for abortion rights vis a vis the issue of privacy.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's Mark Murray LAS VEGAS -- The Clinton campaign does its own fact-checking on Obama's position on Social Security
First, Sen. Obama said, regarding Social Security that everything was on the table and he didn't want to lay out his preferences beforehand. From
ABC on May 17, 1007 :
STEPHANOPOULOS: You've also said that with Social Security, everything should be on the table.
Then, Sen. Obama took raising the retirement age and benefit cuts off the table. From an October 27, Obama release : Obama said he would strengthen Social Security by opposing any effort to create private accounts, raise the retirement age or cut benefits
But this month on Meet the Press , Obama put everything back on the table again:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann DES MOINES, IA -- Less cheering than one might expect from this very vocal pro-woman crowd for Biden's comment that he'd appoint a woman to the Supreme Court. That might be because the crowd is starting to thin out after two commercial breaks, or that people were still shuffling in and getting resettled in their seats. But it might also indicate that their enthusiasm for Clinton's "You Go Girl" attitude might be more about Hillary herself than about women in positions of power in general.
From NBC's Mark Murray LAS VEGAS -- The Biden camp just sent out this release:
The Biden camp's research for the claim...
NOW: Richardson Advocated 12 Month, Responsible Timeline. During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Bill Richardson said, “There is a political solution, and I believe that solution can happen. If we use the leverage of our withdrawal responsibly over a 12-month period, but push the United States diplomacy.” [FOX, Fox News Sunday, 11/11/07]
July 23, 2007: Richardson Said “I’ve Been Very Clear: Six Months.” At the CNN/YouTube Debate, Gov. Richardson said, “I’ve been very clear: Six month, but no residual forces.” [CNN/YouTube Debate, 7/23/07]
August 2007: Richardson “One Point Plan” on Iraq is “Get Out.” At the YearlyKos presidential forum, Richardson said, “I have a one-point plan to deal with Iraq. Get out. Get out. Get out.” [YearlyKos Presidential Forum, 8/5/07]
August 2007: Richardson Said Military Experts Agree With 6 Month Timeline. At the ABC This Week debate, Richardson said. “Well, Anthony Cordesmann from ABC News, a distinguished military expert, many generals agree with me that we can complete this withdrawal within six to eight months.” [ABC “This Week” Presidential Debate, 8/19/07]
October 2007: Richardson Said Get Troops Out “Within Eight Months to a Year.” Appearing on MSNBC’s Countdown, Richardson said, “This is why I am for getting all of our troops out, every single one. No residual forces. Within eight months to a year, as rapidly as possible according to what our military believes is most effective and safe for our troops.” [MSNBC, Countdown, 10/12/07]
From NBC's Chuck Todd I was tough on CNN for the format early on but I'm glad to see that they allowed things to go over 10pm ET.
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
I don't always take note of when she mentions it or her exact wording, but it generally goes something like (this is paraphrased), 'And they say to me, 'I was born before women could vote and I'm going to live long enough to see a woman president.")
Here's just a sampling of the last few times, according to my notes:
-- Oct. 25: New York City (Clinton"s 60th birthday bash at the Beacon)
From NBC's Mark Murray LAS VEGAS -- She said, "Social Security was on a path to being solvent into 2055," when talking about the fiscal situation Bush inherited -- and then squandered -- when he took office. But again, we must make this point: A 2001 Social Security Board of Trustees report , released just a couple of months after her husband left office, said the program would remain solvent until 2038, not 2055. And now, Social Security's solvency is 2041, per the Trustees.
Also, she said that raising the income cap on Social Security taxes would amount to a trillion-dollar tax increase. Yet the AP overheard Clinton last month telling a voter that she might consider such a hike on that cap, if there was a gap in protecting those making less than $200,000.
From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller All rhetoric, no substance on racial profiling? It's safe on both sides of the aisle to say you want to end racial profiling in airports, but who has a plan to make that happen? And what is that plan?
From NBC's Mark Murray
The statement contained a chart -- "the chart that matters" -- listing that about 1 million jobs were lost due to NAFTA.
From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller Like this UNLV audience, audiences who hear Edwards talk about the Bush administration declaring the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a "proliferator of weapons of mass destruction" are always shocked. Edwards has refused to answer questions about whether he actually believes the "state militia" is a terrorist organization. Instead he tells his crowds that he agrees with Dodd and Biden's vote against declaring the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization (a play for their caucusgoers in precincts where they're not viable) and rails against Clinton for her vote, through which he says she sided with the "neocons."
From NBC's Chuck Todd
*** UPDATE *** Bryan said . "He was faithful to the policies of the Clinton administration."
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan Obama actually admitted that missing the vote on Iran was a mistake. Previously he has dismissed the fact that he wasn't there, saying you miss votes as president. In fact, if you go back to previous press conferences, he treats the question with a great deal of irritation. Admitting it was a mistake may mean that his campaign thinks that they are still open to attack on this.
He was, at the time, campaigning in New Hampshire.
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum We noticed, of the people commenting here on First Read, grumbling about Clinton and Obama dominating the beginning part of the debate. Wolf Blitzer promised Kucinich and some of the other candidates they would have their opportunity to speak later on during the debate.
So, how long did each candidate speak during the first half of the debate? Here are our calculations:
Obama: 11:19 (during 11 times)
Clinton: 10:55 (during 10 times)
Richardson: 8:12 (during 7 times)
Edwards: 7:50 (during 7 times)
Biden: 5:01 (during 5 times)
Kucinich: 4:42 (during 5 times)
Dodd: 3:24 (during 5 times)
Will the candidates who have had less opportunity to speak have their chance during the second half of the debate?
From NBC's Mark Murray
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Clinton looked utterly ready to get up, step forward and address the questioner -- remember the praise McCain got for doing just that at a debate over the summer when others before him didn't stand and move toward the questioner?
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC's Chuck Todd Nevada's political guru,
Jon Ralston , flashes via email this missive on Richardson regarding Yucca Mountain.
Richardson: "All my life I opposed the site"
Ralston: "Need I tell everyone, again, this is a flat-out lie. I am still waiting for his campaign to produce one statement from Richardson when he was DOE secretary that shows he was against the dump as he moved it along, testified before Congress that it was progressing and did not answer Nevada governors' requests to disqualify it when he could."
More Ralston: "Truth is: All his life he supported Yucca Mountain.... until he ran for
president."
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
From NBC's Mark Murray
But then she said, "I am thrilled to be running as the first" women to be president. As my colleague Domenico Montanaro just said, isn't that playing the gender card? A least a little...?
From NBC's Chuck Todd Since the Richardson partisans think I'm rarely saying good things about their guy, I think I owe it to them to point out that he's having one of his better nights. He seems more a part of this debate and more relevant than he has in previous get-togethers.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Obama echoed that sentiment on the nuclear waste topic, telling Blitzer, "Don't be so pessimistic" on energy independence. Just interesting. Are they playing the optimism deflection card?
In fairness, Obama's follow up line that he's running because he believes "he can" encapsulates his campaign theme doesn't it?
From NBC's Chuck Todd Obama gets a nice moment for his campaign to replay by attacking the premise of the moderator's question regarding whether something can or can't be done.
From NBC's Mark Murray
And in a follow-up by Wolf, "I reject the notion we can't beat our energy challenges." Wolf is giving Obama tough follow-ups on his questions.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's Chuck Todd Clinton says NAFTA is a mistake and reiterates her "time out" for all trade agreements. She continues to move left on trade; not very long ago, Clinton said positive things about NAFTA.
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC's Mark Murray
When Wolf followed up, Edwards said he regretted his vote.
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Richardson answered yes when Blitzer asked him if human rights are sometimes more important that America's national security. That is a big problem come general election time. That may have crossed him off the veep list. Giuliani, Romney and the rest are sitting at home licking their lips at that red meat.
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann DES MOINES, IA -- People here are literally shouting at the screen over Obama's hedging on drivers licenses for illegals. They're sensing that he's teetering on the edge of the same trap that Clinton fell in last time on this tricky issue, and they're loving it.
This is a well-read crowd that loved Blitzer's "Would you support the nominee?" question to Edwards." They immediately caught the reference and cheered at the critique of Edwards' refusal this week to say he'd support Clinton if she wins the nod. And massive groans for his canned response: "Is that a planted question?"
From NBC's Chuck Todd Clinton got what she wanted from the round of immigration questioning. She said as little as possible, never had to respond to her belated statement coming out against drivers' license for illegal immigrants. Blitzer kept pressing Obama to answer yes or no and he'd answer yes and then explain but Blitzer kept pushing back as if Obama hadn't answered yes or no. Meanwhile, Clinton didn't have to say anything on immigration other than "no." The RNC is one unhappy group of folks tonight.
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC's Chuck Todd Looks like Wolf Blitzer just did the Clinton campaign a favor by telling Obama he should simply answer yes or no to the driver's license question.
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
So what is the real difference between Obama and Clinton's health care plans? Like Clinton and Edwards, Obama would subsidize care for those Americans who cannot afford it; unlike the Clinton and Edwards plan, Obama would only require mandatory health coverage for children.
Obama has pledged, repeatedly, on the stump to pass universal healthcare by the end of his first term in office. He promises to do so through a mixture of bravado, “If Harry and Louise get up on TV, I’ll dip into my campaign fund and run my own ads saying Harry and Louise are wrong;” and by running an open process in which every party will have a seat at the table.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Chuck Todd It took nearly 15 minutes to get to an issue question. If it wasn't for Clinton bringing up health care in the beginning of the debate, there would not have been any issues talked about in the first 15 mins. (Note: the debate started about 15 mins late; an earlier post indicated that it took 30 mins to get to an issue question; by the clock on the wall, that's correct but not the clock for the debate; my apologies).
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann DES MOINES, IA -- This Clinton crowd appreciates Biden's humor. There was an outright guffaw when CNN's cameras caught Biden shaking his head and rolling his eyes. They liked his line about the "three people who get to talk." And that mock-dejected "Yeah, you're right," when Blitzer cut off his answer had people literally clutching their sides with laughter.
This is smart on Biden's part -- he's not making any enemies and he might be solidifying a second-choice position among those who can't be too thrilled with the negativity in this debate.
From NBC's Chuck Todd Check out Richardson with his "with all due respect" to Clinton... He took a direct shot at Edwards and a direct shot at Obama and then apologized before attacking Clinton. Little does he know that there are many in the Clinton camp who are nervous about Richardson as the VP.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's Chuck Todd Didn't CNN do anything about the audience? They are very distracting and completely take away from the debate. It's eating into the candidate time.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's Chuck Todd Clinton seemed better prepared to attack Edwards with the "out of the Republican playbook" attack and the "throwing this mud" line than she was hitting Obama. Lucky for her, Obama didn't take the health care opening.
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann DES MOINES, Iowa -- Huge laugh for Blitzer calling Obama out for his accusation that Clinton is "triangulating... whatever that means." And a gleeful chuckle at that shot of Obama gesturing to respond to her tough slam on his universal health care plan. But Hillary's "asbestos" line only got a quick giggle in comparison.
From NBC's Mark Murray
But I'm still amazed her opponents haven't brought up Clinton's failure from the 1990s....
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC's Chuck Todd Did Clinton really want to open up her first shot at Obama with health care? Isn't she providing an opening for him to hit her right back re: '93 health care fight? And yet, Obama got defensive about his own plan but didn't hit her back, fascinating.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Clinton rebutted, "I hear what Sen Obama's saying. He talks alot about stepping up. He chose not to support universal health care coverage."
Obama responded, "I have a universal health care plan that covers everyone."
Clinton is ready for a fight and seems to want one tonight. But she walks a fine line. The crowd was roudy, wanting a debate -- Edwards got a shot; Biden wanted to jump in.
From NBC's Mark Murray
Obama: "I do provide universal health care." Which isn't necessarily true... even Obama has admitted that. Surprisingly, Obama didn't mention Hillary's health care failures from the 1990s.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Clinton issued this warning with raised eyebrows: "This pants suit is asbestos tonight."
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann DES MOINES, IOWA -- At the Varsity Theater in Des Moines, a crowd of Hillary Clinton supporters are munching on popcorn and eagerly awaiting Clinton's performance in tonight's debate. Before the start of the show, state campaign officials unveiled the much-touted "Caucusing is easy" how-to-video to great applause and laughs from the 200 or so supporters seated in front of the big screen.
One thing that's telling about Clinton's campaign philosophy -- it's all about making Hillary fans feel special. When I arrived, I was greeted by throngs of Clinton volunteers cheering for me and for each new arrival at the end of a long red carpet. They even had some faux paparazzi taking the pictures of each supporter as he or she strolled in the door. So a lot of elderly Iowan ladies have already felt like Beyonce tonight, and the debate has barely begun.
Stay tuned for crowd reaction from this theater full of Clinton diehards.
From NBC's Mark Murray
From Abby Livingston While the first three candidates introduced shook each other's hands, Sen. Clinton broke that trend by not shaking Sen. Obama's hand after being introduced right after him. And the rest of the candidates followed suit.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Do they not have enough questions? Previewing the debate DURING the debate?
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Are these candidates graduating or debating? We're three minutes in and we've INTRODUCED four candidates? This is a very slow way to start.
From NBC's Chuck Todd What's with the ridiculously long introductions? Is this about CNN or is this about getting the most amount of time for candidates to debate? For the record, at all NBC debates, we do the introductions before the show starts and get right to questions. Note to viewers: I respect my colleagues at CNN but this is a ridiculously long introduction and I'd expect them to criticize us if we did something silly like this as well.
From NBC's Mark Murray
From NBC’s Andy Merten Since leaving the White House and doing the Sunday morning show circuit, Karl Rove’s take on the 2008 presidential election seems to have changed little. He still believes Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee next year and considers her to be a “fatally flawed” candidate. But he’s upping the ante on the criticism.Edwards and Obama have been,” Rove told C-SPAN’s Steve Scully today during a live question-and-answer session with students at three different universities across the country. As if to poke at the fire that in the pending Democratic nomination process, he continued, saying, “They’re both going to give her some scares; she’s going to lose some thing along the way, possibly starting with Iowa.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Chuck Todd
Yesterday, the liberal watchdog site,
Media Matters , posted a fascinating list of "Don'ts" for tonight's CNN debate moderators. Why was the list fascinating? Because of what Media Matters chose to bring up for
Obama and
Edwards compared to its suggestions for how to address
Clinton . Their "don'ts" read more like facetious attacks on Edwards and Obama -- right out of the oppo shop of either the RNC or, say, opponents of Edwards and Obama. By repeating these things, isn't Media Matters doing Clinton or other opponents of Edwards and Obama a favor?
Just putting links in their facetious questions isn't enough to somehow distance themselves from looking as if they are more interested in repeating the personal negatives of Obama and Edwards than, say, any personal negative regarding Clinton.
By the way, since they have so many questions, we have one for them, Don’t they need to fully disclose their relationship with Hillary Clinton? After all, at the YearlyKos Convention in Chicago on Aug. 4, she touted her involvement with the group:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
LAS VEGAS -- The scene here, now less than five hours before tonight's Democratic debate, is both surreal and fitting for a city that prides itself in chance and non-stop fun. On Tropicana Ave., in front of the debate site, are approximately 100 campaign volunteers waving Clinton, Obama and Edwards signs -- not too far from the enormous Luxor, Monte Carlo, Paris and Venetian casino/hotels in the background of the UNLV campus.
But the real game tonight will be inside the Cox Pavilion (next to the Thomas & Mack Center, where the UNLV Runnin' Rebels play their basketball games), where the Democrats will debate beginning at 8:00 pm ET. I will be live-blogging from the press filing center here, while Chuck and Domenico will live-blog from DC.
Game on.
From NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike has been getting hit hard today from all of his top rivals, including
Giuliani , for his health care plan in Massachusetts, where residents have until today to pick a plan or face a tax penalty.
In response to Giuliani's remarks that effectively "congratulate" Romney for abandoning the idea of health care mandates on a nationwide basis, Romney spokesman Kevin Madden criticized Giuliani for "not having the fundamental understanding that health care markets work on a state-by-state basis." He added, "He's never had to because he's only been a mayor and never been a governor."
Madden followed up via e-mail, stressing: "That statement by Rudy provides the perfect example of the contrast between a mayor who has no clue as to how health care reform works or is achieved and Governor Romney, who has vision and a record of accomplishment on health care reform."
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Obama is set to begin airing an ad on education in New Hampshire, called, “Chances I had.” While the central focus is on education and bullet points key parts of his plan, he begins the 30-second ad saying, “ My parents weren't rich. My father left me when I was very young. The one thing I was able to get was a great education.”
Many educators say the most important variable to a good education is good parenting, and Obama tries to drill home that point in his close. “We need parents to turn off the television and instill in our children a sense of excellence,” he says. “We've got to ask more of ourselves if we want the kind of world education that they need.”
One point, Obama could get attacked for this ad in a general election. Obama says, "The one thing I was able to get was a great education." But Obama went to an elite prep school in Hawaii -- not a public school. Can't you just hear Republicans in a general election, "You
did get a great education... at a prep school, which is why we should be for vouchers."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger TAMPA - Giuliani said Romney had learned from his mistake about health care mandates. "Gov. Romney does not want to do for America what he did for Massachusetts," Giuliani said. "He has abandoned the idea of doing mandates for the entire country, and why did he abandon it for the whole country? Because it's not a good idea."
He called it a "good object lesson" that mandates are a mistake, but didn't attack Romney for supporting the plan as governor, despite a press release from the Giuliani campaign tying him to it. Giuliani instead congratulated him for recognizing it was a mistake.
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
A new poll coming out tomorrow will show Rudy
Giuliani leading the GOP in Florida. The former mayor of New York City has the lead with 31% while the margin of error of 5% causes a basic four-way tie for second, according to Strategic Vision, a Republican poll. Those tied for second are Fred
Thompson 13%; John
McCain 13%; Mitt
Romney 12%; and Mike
Huckabee 10%.
On the Democratic side, Hillary
Clinton commands the lead with 47%. Barack
Obama has 27% while John
Edwards is polling at 8%. The margin of error for this poll is 4.5%. The poll was conducted Nov. 9 to 11.
From NBC's Mark Murray and NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
About a week ago, we
chronicled all of
Clinton's responses to the drivers'-licenses-for-illegal-immigrants issue, and we concluded that Clinton was actually consistent in her answer -- but also consistently not answering the question. That consistency seemed to change yesterday.
Here's a timeline of what she has said on the matter.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mike Viqueira J. Dennis Hastert (R) will be delivering what amounts to a farewell address on the House floor today at 2:30 pm ET.
It's been reported that he will be stepping down before his term ends, likely at some point early next year. He is NOT expected to provide us with any more specifics today during his talk.
The appearance in the well of the chamber will come after a private lunch with current Speaker
Nancy Pelosi .
*** Update ***
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum Huckabee , wife of presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, stumped for her husband in South Carolina yesterday. She described to a group of supporters how she plays a support role for her husband and said policy questions were "off-limits."
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Vegas, baby, Vegas: Seven Democratic candidates -- Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Kucinich, Obama, and Richardson -- will appear on stage together here in Las Vegas. The two-hour debate airs on CNN beginning at 8:00 pm ET, and it's divided into two parts. The first hour is moderated by Blitzer, with additional questions from Campbell Brown and John Roberts. The second hour will consist of undecided registered voters asking the
candidates questions, with help from Suzanne Malveaux. (By the way, who will be the first candidate to make a "planted question" crack once we get to this part of the debate?)
*** A lot of ground to cover: It's been just a little more than two weeks since the last
debate. But that, of course, is an eternity in this presidential cycle. Among the events and issues since that night in Philly: the "politics of piling on" versus the "politics of parsing"; Plant-gate; Obama's speech at the J-J dinner and his performance on Meet the Press hours later (which was the basis of McGovern's criticism); Edwards refusing to say he would endorse Clinton if she wins the nomination; Dodd's shot at Edwards' seeming anger, as well as his criticism of Bill Clinton for lumping reviews of Hillary's past debate performance with the Swift Boat ads; and Biden's phone conversation with Musharaff. That's all in just in two weeks.
***
She said what? And the latest twist and turn in the Dem field, as we mentioned above, is Clinton's new position on the issue that became the climax of the last debate. On the very day that Eliot Spitzer announced that he was abandoning his plan to give illegal immigrants drivers' licenses, Clinton -- who had stated, for the most part, that she generally supported Spitzer's plan -- said yesterday in a statement: "As President, I will not support drivers' licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration." Come again? If that's the case, why didn't she say that when she was originally asked the question? Of course, as is the Clinton way, they have embraced her new position and even begun attacking Edwards for now being the only one of the Big Three not to have taken a definitive position on this. Actually, the Edwards indecision is surprising. Most rank-and-file labor folk are probably against the idea of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Actually, so is a large majority of the country.
VIDEO: NBC's Political Director Chuck Todd discusses Senator Clinton's recent decision to not support giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses, and why it may be damaging to her campaign.
*** Enter the Silver State: Tonight's debate also has inspired today's papers to look at the state's relevance on the primary calendar. The up side is that Nevada will be the only game in town between New Hampshire and South Carolina, and the pols here are very excited about their January 19 contests. But how level is the playing field? The state's politics is dominated by various power centers, much more so than other states and the early decision by Harry Reid's son to back Clinton spooked a lot of the other campaigns.
***
Mass. action: Today's date not only marks tonight's Democratic debate. It also marks the deadline that Massachusetts residents have to sign up for health insurance or face possible penalties -- the requirement that Romney signed into law when he was governor. And to mark the day, the Thompson camp today sends out this email: "Mitt Romney says his government-mandated health care plan is one of his most important accomplishments as governor. But what does his plan really accomplish, and is this the kind of health care plan YOU would want to be forced to pay for?" The email ends up hitting Romney's plan for allowing cheap abortions and then Thompson touts his own pro-life credentials.
*** On the trail: Before tonight's debate, Biden holds an event at his Las Vegas HQ. And afterwards, all the Democratic candidates attend the Clark County Democratic Party's Jefferson Jackson dinner. Elsewhere, Giuliani stumps in Florida; Huckabee is in Washington State, where he tours Microsoft; McCain hits fundraisers in California and Colorado; Romney also raises money in California, as well as hosting an "Ask Mitt Anything" town hall in Burbank, CA; Tancredo campaigns in New Hampshire; and Thompson holds a media avail in New York City.
Countdown to Iowa: 49 days
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The Las Vegas Journal-Review previews tonight’s Democratic debate: “It's fight night in Las Vegas. The jabs will fly. The contenders will duck and weave. They hope they land their punches and don't leave with too many bruises.”
The Washington Post says the debate “will provide a rare moment in the spotlight for Nevada, a state that entered the election cycle expecting to enjoy a boost in stature but has struggled to draw attention from both presidential candidates and potential caucus-goers.”
The New York Times : “Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton heads into tonight’s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas with an opportunity: to try to erase the unflattering image that her chief rivals, and her own mistakes, have helped create. Yesterday, in an attempt to neutralize one possible threat at the debate, her campaign announced that Mrs. Clinton would not support driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants as president. It is the latest formulation of her position, which has shifted since it became a tripping point in the last televised debate on Oct. 30.”
CONTINUED >>
The Los Angeles Times looks at the evolving evangelical movement. "A fundamental shift is transforming the religious right, long a force in presidential politics, as aging evangelical leaders split on the 2008 race and a new generation of pastors turns away from politics altogether."
"The result, in the short term, could be a boost for the centrist candidacy" of Rudy Giuliani. "Over the longer term, the distancing of religious leaders from politics could prove even more consequential, denying the GOP one of the essential building blocks it has used to capture the White House in five of the last seven presidential races.
GIULIANI: Getting to know Tony Carbonetti, one of Giuliani's chief political aides, has been fun for many in the press corps. The
Washington Post profiles "Carbo." "He is the affable final buffer between an exacting, edgy politician and the world. He knows what the candidate wants to eat, when he sleeps (rarely) and what will set him off like a Fourth of July rocket. And he can take the heat. It was Carbonetti who, as the New York mayor's chief of staff, famously relieved Giuliani's then-wife Donna Hanover of her duties as the city's first lady during the public spectacle of Giuliani's extramarital affair."
CONTINUED >>
Bloomberg News has a spending fact-check story on the leading Dem candidates. It notes the Big Three "are promising new domestic programs, tax cuts for the middle class and a return to balanced budgets. One problem: Their numbers don't add up. ... All propose more than $150 billion a year in tax breaks for middle- income earners and new federal spending on health care, energy and education. They also pledge ‘fiscal responsibility,' a phrase Clinton used seven times during an Oct. 30 debate."
This story will be fodder for the RNC; expect to see this clip come up again and again -- no matter who is the nominee.
David Broder looks at two issues which could derail the Dems: immigration and the shadow of Bill Clinton (assuming Hillary Clinton is the nominee).
The
Washington Post has a news analysis noting that both Obama and Edwards are adopting more partisan tones to contrast with Clinton.
BIDEN: The candidate
nabbed the support of another Iowa lawmaker yesterday, his 13th so far. “State Rep. Mary Gaskill, D-Ottumwa, announced she is backing Biden… Gaskill said Biden is sincere and the best candidate the Democrats have.”
CONTINUED >>
Michigan Democrats said yesterday that they will stick with Jan. 15 as the date for their primary. Yesterday was an important deadline though there is also a lawsuit in the state that could end up scrapping the primary completely. Party officials on both sides of the aisle tell us that the state legislature will fix any problems the court finds if they lose an appeal.
Meanwhile, no word from New Hampshire yet, but Jan. 8 is now more probable than ever with the Michigan Dems reaffirming Jan. 15.
When, oh when, will New Hampshire decide on its date? “Wednesday afternoon, Gardner said the Michigan action ‘is moving it along a little bit,’ but said, ‘We need some final resolution.’ Asked if he expected to decide New Hampshire's date this week, he said, ‘I don't think so, no.’”
Per the Des Moines Register , universities around Iowa are trying to decide whether or not to spend the cash to keep a handful of dorms open after the New Year to allow students to come back and caucus during winter break. So far, the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State have committed to keep a building of rooms open for dedicated youth caucusgoers, while Drake University and the University of Iowa have indicated that they won't.
From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller When
Edwards became the first Democratic candidate to make a major ad buy in South Carolina today, his campaign took the opportunity to showcase his efforts there. Edwards won the Democratic presidential primary with 45 percent of the vote in 2004 to silver medalist John Kerry's 30 percent. Al Sharpton finished third with 10 percent.
"We base almost everything on how we won in 2004," explained Teresa Wells, Edwards' spokeswoman in South Carolina.
Today's 30-second ad, which is running statewide, features Edwards in front of Robbins Mill, where his father famously worked and where Edwards himself cleaned out ducts and looms fastened to the weaving room floor while he was in high school. The son sounds his populist theme by appealing to voters' work ethic.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Matthew E. Berger ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa -- After speaking briefly at a restaurant,
Giuliani walked outside and decided to see the neighborhood. So he took a peek next door at a
local business and decided to poke his head in, as he does sometimes on the trail. Apparently, he didn't know that Curves is a gym for women.
He saw one woman in a sweatsuit on an aerobic machine, said hello and quickly walked out to his waiting car.
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones After weeks of giving a less-than-clear answer on the topic of how she felt about giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants,
Hillary Clinton came out today in support of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan... to
end his quest to do just that.
"I support Governor Spitzer's decision today to withdraw his proposal," Clinton said in a statement. "His difficult job is made that much harder by the failure of the Congress and the White House to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
"As President, I will not support drivers' licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration including border security and fixing our broken system."
For several days after the Democratic debate in Philadelphia, reporters pressed Clinton on this issue and her rivals accused her of refusing to answer what some saw as a "yes or no" question -- Should undocumented workers have licenses?
*** UPDATE *** We point you to our timeline of her statements on the issue, which we put together last week -- from her Oct. 16 meeting with the Nashua Telegraph editorial board to her performance at the debate and more.
*** UPDATE 2 ***
*** UPDATE 3 ***
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
The Clinton campaign is up with another
humorous video -- making fun of Bill's exercise (and eating) habits and Hillary's lack of singing ability. The purpose of the video is to tell Iowa voters how easy it is to caucus -- just "sit there and be counted."
Men and women, old and young, of various backgrounds, explain the caucus process in an effort to let newcomers know the process "usually takes about an hour" -- "over early enough to get back to your favorite TV show."
"You want to put Hillary in the White House?" a man asks. "First you have to caucus."
"You don't have to be registered or even be a Democrat," another man says. His wife adds, "You can register at the caucus that night."
Others instruct viewers to circle Jan. 3 on the calendar, look up your precinct caucus location on hillaryclinton.com, and arrive arrive before the doors close at 7pm. The video ends with an older woman telling the viewers "playing bridge is hard but caucusing is easy, I think" -- and Bill giving in to that urge... and eating the burger.
From NBC's Chuck Todd and Domenico Montanaro
Huckabee will be going up on cable in Iowa next week with the first TV ad of his campaign, according to Republican sources. The buy is estimated at about $60,000 so far. This comes on the heels of new polling which shows the former Arkansas governor in second place in the Hawkeye State behind Romney.
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
New York Gov. Eliot
Spitzer announced today in DC that he is scrapping his driver’s license plan for illegal immigrants. It comes on the heels of public opinion polling showing two in three New Yorkers do not support the plan.
Several statements were released on the plan by presidential candidates
Romney ,
Giuliani ,
Dodd and New York City Mayor Mike
Bloomberg .
Romney used it as an opportunity to take a shot at Clinton. "Unlike Senator Clinton," the statement reads, "I oppose driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. As president, I will adopt policies that discourage states from turning into sanctuaries."
Giuliani said in Iowa the plan would have been "a very big mistake." "[Giving licenses to illegal immigrants ends up creating an obstruction to the ability of the United States government to enforce the immigration laws," he said.
Dodd calls the program "unwise" and touts that he was the only one at the debate who said "he would not support such a plan."
Bloomberg said, "[T]here comes a time when the wisest move is to focus on different challenges.... Washington's failure to come up with an immigration policy is what's really hurting us."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy As previously reported in
First Read , in a statement to the Washington Times this morning, Paul Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation and a Mitt
Romney -supporter, speculated that the National Right to Life Committee’s endorsement of Fred
Thompson for president yesterday could have been motivated by a bribe.
“I think in all probability the Thompson people were engaged with the National Right to Life people in a financial dealing,” Weyrich told the Times.
In response, Thompson campaign spokesman Todd Harris released a statement criticizing Romney for being “new to the pro-life movement” and “spreading money around to anyone who will take it.”
"Gov. Romney is new to the pro-life movement and his campaign clearly has a few things to learn about it," Harris writes. "First, they should understand that despite their campaign's every effort, groups like the National Right to Life Committee's PAC (NLRC-PAC) cannot be bought. … It is unseemly for the Romney campaign and its supporters to suggest that NLRC-PAC's coveted endorsement is based on a bribe. Second, this unfounded accusation is as outrageous as it is ironic, given the Romney campaign's long history of spreading money around to anyone who will take it.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro No Amnesty ." Also, today New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced he is scrapping his driver's licenses for illegal immigrants plan.
In the ad, Thompson is sitting at a diner counter and reading the newspaper before he gives his take on immigration directly into the camera. “And most of us have a good idea about how to start fixing it-secure our borders, and enforce the law,” Thompson says. “Giving up, by granting amnesty is not the answer.” He calls the immigration problem “a matter of national security.”
Here’s the transcript:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
Are the
Clinton surrogates now going after
Obama ? And is this telegraphing what Hillary might say at tomorrow night's debate?
Clinton supporter Rep.
Jim McGovern (D) writes at
Huffington Post : "Senator Obama has been trying to use his early opposition to the 2002 authorization to use military force as a way to bring attention to his campaign. And that's fine -- that's politics. I have great respect and admiration for Senator Obama. But he should be more careful, because his record doesn't always line up with his rhetoric.
"That became clear when Sen. Obama appeared on Meet the Press last Sunday, Tim Russert reminded him of comments he made about Iraq during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Talking about how he would have voted on the '02 authorization, Mr. Russert flashed a quote from then-State Senator Obama on the screen that said: 'I'm not privy to Senate intelligence reports. What would I have done? I don't know.' In response, Senator Obama said it was probably the wrong time for him to speak out on the war.
"I simply disagree. I don't believe there has ever been a wrong time to oppose this war... Sen. Obama now likes to say that people shouldn't act like George Bush on national security. It's one thing to keep quiet about the war during a convention, it's quite another to say you support what George Bush is doing."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC/National Journal's Matthew E. Berger
Giuliani just said this about the
Regan-Kerik story at the Village Inn in Council Bluffs, IA: "I don't respond to the story at all. I don't know anything about it, and it sounds to me like kind of a gossip column story more than a real story."
On whether he knew of Regan-Kerik relationship: "Again, I think that's a gossip column story. The last thing in the world you want to do when you're running for president is respond to gossip column stories."
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
Tancredo attempted to justify his controversial new ad in an interview with MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski. He said the FBI has released reports on malls being targets and talked of “chatter” about “potential activity in the United States.”
“All I’m saying is what we know to be the case,” Tancredo said. “We know there are consequences to open borders.”
He also said he doesn't care if the ad hurts his campaign. "C'est la vie," he said, adding, "I don’t care what it does to the campaign. Whether the numbers go up or go down."CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
The bad news: She narrowly leads Giuliani in a head-to-head contest, 46%-43%, which is within the poll's margin of error. Yet she trails him among independents, 37%-48%, which happens to be a crucial bloc of voters for Democrats. How crucial? In 2004, per the exit polls, John Kerry -- who lost the presidential election -- won the independent vote by just one point (49%-48%). But when they took control of Congress last year, Democrats won the indie vote by 18 points, 57%-39%.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Julia Steers
***
A Huck of a showing: In our opinion, the biggest news in the New York Times/CBS polls of Iowa and New Hampshire isn’t the Democratic dead heat in the Hawkeye State. Nor is it Hillary’s seemingly comfortable lead in New Hampshire. Nor is it even Thompson in fourth place in Iowa (at 9%) and sixth place in New Hampshire (at 5%). Rather, what jumps out at us is Huckabee narrowly trailing Romney in Iowa, 27%-21%. Per the
Times , “[N]early every one of Mr. Huckabee’s poll measures in Iowa … was encouraging: 50 percent of respondents had a favorable view of him, compared with 7 percent who said they viewed him unfavorably.” Is Huckabee’s surge more real than some have thought? Of course, as we’ve mentioned before, he has significant shortcomings when it comes to money and organizing. But for the first time, it seems, we can ask this question: What happens if Huck wins Iowa?
*** Weekend at Bernie’s: Former book publisher Judith Regan is claiming in a lawsuit that the News Corporation forced her to lie about her relationship with Bernie Kerik to protect Giuliani. How much will GOP voters care about this new Kerik-related gossip? The Giuliani campaign would like to know the answer to the question. They do seem confident that voters outside of New York City won't care. However, this story could get legs -- but it depends on the other GOP candidates picking up on a storyline that would call for them to bash FOX’s parent company. It’s a fascinating dilemma. One thing is for sure: this story keeps Kerik in the news for yet another day.
VIDEO: NBC's Political Director Chuck Todd offers his first read on the report of a News Corporation executive trying to protect the presidential aspirations of Rudy Giuliani. Up, up and away: Speaking of Giuliani, his campaign has announced that it will begin to air its TV ad this week. The spot, which will run in New Hampshire, touts his record as New York mayor. “They used to call it unmanageable, ungovernable. A large majority of New Yorkers wanted to leave and live somewhere else. It was a city that was in financial crisis, a city that was the crime capital of America,” Giuliani says in it. But: “We turned it into the safest large city in America, the welfare-to-work capital of America, and most importantly, the spirit of the people of the city had changed. Instead of being hopeless, the large majority of people had hope.”
*** South Carolina showdown? There’s some interesting South Carolina news today: Clinton is upping her spending in the state, while Edwards becomes the first Dem to go up with a major TV buy there. Keep this in mind: There could be 18 days between the Dem contests in New Hampshire (January 8) and South Carolina (January 26). That's a lifetime in politics, and if Clinton loses the first two states, don't be surprised if South Carolina becomes a MAJOR showdown state -- much like it was in the 2000 GOP presidential race. It could be a last stand for Clinton, Edwards, or Obama…
*** On the trail: Giuliani campaigns in Iowa, then North Dakota, and then South Dakota; McCain raises money in California; Obama is also in California, where he unveils his innovation agenda at Google headquarters and later holds a campaign rally in San Francisco; Paul stumps in New Hampshire; Richardson holds a conference call tonight to mark Mi Familia con Bill Richardson Day; and Romney makes it three in Golden State, raising money in Newport Beach, Upland, and Riverside.
Countdown to Iowa: 50 days
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The toplines of the New York Times/CBS poll : In Iowa, Romney leads with 27%, followed by Huckabee at 21% and Giuliani at 15%. In New Hampshire, Romney is at 34%, with Giuliani and McCain tied at 16%.
The Times : “Republican voters in those two states say that Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, shares their values and views on immigration, a red-hot issue for Republicans in Iowa especially. But they are divided over whether Mr. Romney or Rudolph W. Giuliani, who Republican voters say does not share their values, would be the party’s strongest general-election candidate -- and electability looms as a crucial factor for Republican voters in those states."
The Washington Post's Shear looks at the role bashing Hillary is playing in the GOP primary. "Antipathy toward Clinton is hardly new for Republicans. During a McCain appearance in South Carolina on Monday, a woman in attendance used an unflattering term” -- rhymes with witch -- to describe Clinton in asking how Republicans could beat her next year. McCain offered to ‘give the translation’ but still made clear he understood whom the questioner was referring to, referencing a poll showing him beating Clinton in a head-to-head matchup. ‘I respect Senator Clinton,’ he added.”
CONTINUED >>
The toplines of the New York Times/CBS polls : In Iowa, Clinton is at 25%, Edwards at 23%, and Obama at 22%, with Richardson the only other Dem in double digits at 12%. In New Hampshire, Clinton leads with 37%, followed by Obama at 22%, and Edwards at 9%.
The Times : "Democratic voters in Iowa and New Hampshire — the states that begin the presidential nominating battle — say Senator Barack Obama and John Edwards are more likely than Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to say what they believe, rather than what they think voters want to hear. But they also view Mrs. Clinton as the best prepared and most electable Democrat in the field, the polls found."
CLINTON: The Los Angeles Times’ news analysis asks this question: "Is Clinton campaign too scripted?" "No presidential campaign likes surprises, but Clinton's operation may be unmatched in its discipline. The current front-runner for the Democratic nomination hews to her message and avoids messy campaign leaks and personnel drama. Still, by planting questions at what are supposed to be unscripted question-and-answer sessions with Iowa voters, Clinton may have fed perceptions that her campaign is too programmed for its own good, Democratic strategists said.”
CONTINUED >>
In advance of Thursday’s Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada’s own Harry Reid (D) and fellow Sen. Ken Salazar (D) held a conference call with reporters stressing the West’s importance for the Democrats. “If you want to win the presidency next year, you have to win the West,” Reid said. “And the way to the West is through Nevada and Colorado.” During the Q&A, Reid also argued that the Nevada nominating contest -- set for January 19 -- adds fairness to the Democratic nominating process. “Our country is a country of diversity, and it is unfair to have a candidate chosen based on” what happens in Iowa and New Hampshire. In the future, Reid said, rotating regional primaries might be the best way to modify the nominating calendar.
Also in advance of tomorrow’s debate… SEIU and other groups pressing for universal health care hold a rally and press conference today in Las Vegas. And the ONE campaign tonight is hosting a free concert to raise awareness to global poverty and disease.
A couple of first-hand blog reports about potential push-polling in Iowa sparked a round of reporting about who may have been behind it. NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan reports that spokesmen for all three major Democratic campaigns adamantly denied being connected to the calls. Bill Burton from the Obama campaign called them “abhorrent” while Eric Schultz from the Edwards campaign said, “No in big capital letters.”
CONTINUED >>
In the week prior to a long congressional recess, NBC’s Ken Strickland reports, the Senate routinely tries to finish up as many big-ticket bills as possible to brag -- or complain -- about back home. That will not be the case this week. With the two-week Thanksgiving recess scheduled to start Monday, the chamber may instead renew the debate over Iraq war funding and will likely make some headway on legislation governing foreign warrantless surveillance. The farm bill, currently on the floor, is stalled.
Per Strick, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he'll bring a House bill to the floor that would tie $50 billion in war funding to a timeline for troop withdrawal and other restrictions. While a handful of scenarios are possible for how this may play out, the end result will be the same: It will die -- either at the hands of a Republican filibuster or a presidential veto. With all sides agreeing the Pentagon has enough war money through next year, the exercise is largely symbolic.
CONTINUED >>
The Los Angeles Times’ Z. Barabak interviews former Bush strategist Matthew Dowd and delves into the reasons why he broke with Bush. "Dowd was a part of Bush's political inner circle, enjoying a degree of power and intimacy that made his criticism all the more unexpected -- and hurtful to those still close to the president, many of whom are Dowd's friends. ‘I care about him as a human being,’ said Mark McKinnon, a former Dowd business partner who produced Bush's campaign ads and sometimes bicycles with the president. ‘The problem was not just what he said, but that he never voiced any of those concerns directly to people he was supposed to be advising.’”
“Dowd responded that he shared his feelings with McKinnon and others close to Bush more than once before going public. In speaking out, Dowd has not only strained personal relationships but raised larger questions about loyalty in the political realm. Is he obliged to stand by his old boss, whose success made Dowd one of the most sought-after consultants in the campaign business? Or does he owe it to the country to openly dissent, even if he didn't do so from the start?"
From NBC’s Andy Merten Obama , Edwards seemed unwilling or unable offer up substantial differences between himself and the Illinois senator -- instead relying on his now-familiar laundry list of points of contention with Hillary Clinton .
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum and Mark Murray Thompson for his pro-life record, the candidate was in Charleston, SC addressing the cadets at The Citadel. He concentrated most of his speech on the war against "Islamic radicals" and America's role in winning the fight "in two theaters against an enemy not bound by borders."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray A while back, we mentioned that Kung-fu-fighting /Delta Force /Walker, Texas Ranger /Total Gym star Chuck Norris endorsed Huckabee . Now, he's sent out a campaign fundraising email on Huckabee's behalf.
"While I like and know many of the Republicans running for President, Mike Huckabee is the best person for the job," Norris says in it. "Mike hasn't lived an isolated, out-of-touch life like so many politicians. He was raised by his Dad who was a firefighter and always had a second job to make ends meet. Mike and his sister grew up poor, not privileged. Mike worked two jobs in college and graduated in two-and-a-half years. He is an outdoorsman too -- an avid fisherman, hunter and a long-time member of the NRA."
The email also has a "Chuck Norris Approved" stamp on its banner.
Below is the entire fundraising pitch.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum and Andy Merten Thompson received today: his refusal to agree with the 2004 Republican Party platform on abortion, his opinion on the Terri Schiavo case, and his vote on the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform. But Executive Director David O'Steen said today that those issues did not compare to his overall pro-life view.
On Meet the Press two Sundays ago, Thompson said he would not agree to the 2004 Republican Party Platform on abortion, which called for "a human life amendment to the Constitution ... to make it clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children." O'Steen said Thompson's answer was adequate: "The question he was asked -- if I remember correctly, within a word or two -- was, quote, 'Could you support that platform promising a human life amendment banning all abortions.' That's not what the platform says, and no one here can promise a human life amendment."
VIDEO: MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell talks with NBC's Adam Aigner about the National Right to Life Committee endorsing Fred Thompson for president. "What he said was he was going to concentrate on what he could affect," O'Steen continued. "And that's what we want him to do. And what he can affect is to see that judges are appointed that will interpret the constitution according to its actual text."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro , take note. Two in three New Yorkers do not support
Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, according to a new Siena Research Institute at Siena College
poll .
Just 28% are in favor of the plan -- only 3% strongly support the plan -- as compared to 65% who oppose, including a third who strongly oppose. Nearly seven in 10 say driver’s licenses are “a privilege” and that “nobody here illegally should be able to have one.” Only a quarter believe giving illegal immigrants drivers licenses would make the roads safer and thereby bring insurance costs down. Half even believe that giving illegal immigrants drivers licenses would be a threat to national security. More than half do not believe the governor’s plan is a good way to get the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants already living in New York state “out of the shadows and give them the same responsibilities as legal resident drivers in New York.”
In fairness, it’s not just Hillary Clinton who needs to take note of polls like this one. It’s Democrats, in general. Immigration -- couched as border security -- is undoubtedly going to be a way Republicans look to change the conversation on national security from Iraq. It’s a political winner for them. McCain already felt the buzz saw that is American public opinion on immigration and has since shifted his position. Clinton’s ambiguous answer at the debate highlights what she knows will be a general-election problem for Democrats if they take a definitive position in favor of plans like Spitzer’s.
From NBC's Mark Murray and NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan Thompson , which aired on TODAY this morning, Thompson said: "You gotta have change that people believe in. You've got to have changers who have credibility, and I like to think that's my history in politics."
An Obama spokesman -- who points out that Obama supporters held thousands of signs at Saturday's Jefferson Jackson dinner in Iowa that read, "Change you can believe in" -- tells First Read: "I guess it's more credible than him saying he's 'Fired up and ready to go.'"
The slogan "Change you can believe in" also headlined Obama's most recent campaign swing through Iowa.
From NBC's Mark Murray Earlier today, we cited a
New York Times piece noting that
Edwards is refusing to say that he would endorse
Clinton if she becomes the Democratic nominee. Well, in response,
Dodd has released this statement obtained by First Read: “I am surprised at just how angry John has become. This is not the same John Edwards I once knew. Of course, we should all come together to support the nominee. I wonder which of the Republicans John prefers to Hillary?”
From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell Thompson this morning in Washington. Officials said the vote among its state organizations held this past Sunday "was overwhelming" in support of Thompson.
The NRLC cited three factors in its decision: record, stand on the issues, and electability. The group said it reviewed Thompson's Senate voting record and found 21 "pro-life votes."
In addition, Officials noted they believe Thompson is more electable than Huckabee , who they acknowledge has a "strong pro-life record." Officials said they considered standing in the polls and were persuaded by Thompson's frequent second-place showing, as well as the fact that he's "positioned well to win South Carolina."
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Julia Steers Rudy’s big-state gamble: The Giuliani campaign yesterday appeared to have some success in getting many members of the national press corps to write -- if not completely buy into -- the idea that it doesn’t need to win in the early states because of the big delegate payoffs later in January (Florida) and February (Tsunami Tuesday). Does this mean the campaign is now backing off New Hampshire, where Giuliani has spent A LOT of time recently? And is the campaign panicking here in the wake of two new polls showing that Romney’s lead in the Granite State is growing? Giuliani is not the first candidate to attempt to get the national press to downplay the early states in hopes for wins later, and it rarely works. That said, Giuliani's the first national front-runner to try this. Of course, what happens to the Giuliani national poll lead if he loses Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Michigan between January 3 and January 15? Something will give. That said, if Giuliani breaks through early, it is true he'll be nearly impossible to stop come February 5. The question is getting to that date with his national lead intact. Here's First Read's report .
*** Fred’s shot in the arm: In DC today, the National Right to Life Committee holds a press conference in which the group will announce it’s endorsing Fred Thompson. It appears Thompson won’t attend the presser in person; instead, he’s in South Carolina, where he speaks at the Citadel in Charleston and then does a meet-and-greet at the NASCAR Cafe in Myrtle Beach. The Right to Life nod is a BIG deal. The group spends real money when it backs someone; it's akin to a major labor nod for a Dem candidate. This could be particularly helpful to Thompson in Iowa and South Carolina, where he needs an organizational boost. In fact, it may be why Right to Life picked Thompson -- a major candidate to whom it could make a real difference, therefore potentially having more influence should he get the nod. Could this be for Thompson what the Firefighters were for Kerry in 2004?
*** Desperation time? No one is working Iowa harder than Edwards is, as the New York Times writes today. But is there also a hint of desperation here? “Mr. Edwards often says there is much at stake in this campaign, and his pace and rhetoric reflect his perceived urgency. He has sharpened his criticisms of Mrs. Clinton so much that [Obama supporter] Gordon Fischer, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party when Mr. Edwards campaigned in 2004, said his demeanor was ‘much more of an attack dog’ than before.” Also, don’t miss that Edwards is refusing to say that he would endorse Hillary Clinton if she becomes the nominee. And, by the way, Edwards goes up with a new TV ad today in Iow
