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Reid: Republicans putting political agenda first

June 30, 2007 6:39 PM

ABC News' Suhas Subramanyam reports: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) accused Republicans of blocking bi-partisan legislation, like the controversial immigration bill backed by President Bush, for political reasons alone during the weekly Democratic radio address.

"Voting against a bill on a matter of principle is one thing," Reid said. "But Republican obstruction has gotten so bad that now they're blocking bills that they actually support."

Reid is asking Republicans to "put partisan politics aside and work with us for the American people" in order to pass legislation to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

Democrats on Capitol Hill will spend July working on a possible bill that might include timetables for withdrawal. President Bush has promised to veto any such bills, but he's facing mounting pressure from his own party on the issue. Earlier this week Republican Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and George Voinovich (R-OH) expressed dissatisfaction with the administration’s strategy in Iraq.

"While a growing number of Republicans are saying the right things on Iraq, we'll soon find out
if they have the courage to vote the right way too," Reid said.

June 30, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (8)

Ann Romney: Family dog loved his kennel

June 30, 2007 4:48 PM

ABC News' Jake Tapper reports: Ann Romney, the wife of Republican presidential candidate and Mitt Romney, says that the family's dog, Seamus, enjoyed being in a kennel on the roof of their car. The comments appeared in a blog post on the campaign's official website in response to dog-lovers who say the family was acting cruelly in 1983 when it drove 12-hours from Boston to Ontario, Canada with the dog inside a kennel on top of the car.   

"...he loved it," Mrs. Romney said. "Every time he saw it, he jumped up on the tailgate, walked in, and lay down. It was just like the kennel he jumped up on the tailgate, walked in, and lay down. It was just like the kennel he curled up in at home."

Mrs. Romney says the Irish setter "rode in an enclosed kennel, not in the open air." She appeared to be responding to apparent confusion over media reports that said the dog was "strapped" to the car. Most major media outlets have reported the incident as Mrs. Romney depicted it, with the dog inside a kennel -- but with kennel strapped to the roof. Romney goes on to describe her family as "a dog family", and that their dog "lived to a ripe old age, basking in the affection of a large family."

Animal rights activists were outraged when the incident was first reported in a Boston Globe piece about Mitt Romney's management style. A Time Magazine article quoted Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as saying it was "a lesson in cruelty that was ... wrong for [his children] to witness."

June 30, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (15)

Bush optimistic about troop surge, points to signs of progress

June 30, 2007 12:10 PM

ABC News' Jon D. Garcia reports: After defections on Iraq this week from lawmakers in his own party, President Bush defended the military’s strategy in his weekly radio address this morning. The President’s optimistic viewpoint echoed similar remarks made in a speech at the US Naval War College two days ago.

He cited signs of progress that have been made since the completion of a troop surge earlier this month. "We're still at the beginning of this offensive, but we're seeing some hopeful signs," Bush said. "We're engaging the enemy, and killing or capturing hundreds."

Other accomplishments Bush cited included a decrease in suicide attacks and car bombings over the past two months, a significant increase in discovery of arms caches since last year, and a reduction in sectarian murders since January. The president did not refer to the Pentagon report of 230 American deaths in April and May, the deadliest two-month period since the start of the war. 

The increase in troops, according to Bush, will help the military achieve its goal of making Iraq a country that "respects the rights of its people, upholds the rule of law and is an ally in the war on terror."

In anticipation of the Fourth of July, the president tied his defense of the troop surge with sacrifices the signers of the Declaration of Independence made and acknowledged the hardships troops and their families have faced since the start of the surge. Bush cited the example of Luke Yepsin, college-aged Marine from Texas who died in combat six months ago, and thanked those currently serving in the armed forces. 

"On this Fourth of July, we remember Luke Yepsen and all the men and women in uniform who have given their lives in this struggle," Bush said.

June 30, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3)

Huckabee: Fred Thompson Will Have Nowhere to Go But Down

June 29, 2007 4:50 PM

USA Today's On Politics Blog Reports: Mike Huckabee is one of two Southern conservatives in the Republican presidential race right now, and today he brushed off concerns about a likely candidate with a similar identity.

"It'll sort out as to which one of us is the real or the Southern conservative," Huckabee, a pastor and former Arkansas governor, said of former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson.

"He's going to occupy an extraordinary amount of stage space early on. He'll start at the top when he comes in. The challenge will be for him to sustain that," Huckabee told reporters in a conference call. He said that "if you enter at the top, there's only one direction you can really go."

His own goal, Huckabee said, is to continually move ahead: "We're hoping to peak at the right time."

For Huckabee, mired in single digits and having raised only $540,000 in the first quarter, that's the Aug. 11 Iowa straw poll. He said the straw poll would not necessarily make or break his bid, but he did call it a milestone.

"We're going to play to do well," he said. If he doesn't, he said he will re-assess his odds of success in the January caucuses that start the nomination process.

Another candidate in single digits, former governor Tommy Thompson, pretty much said today he would drop out if he does poorly in the straw poll. He told C-SPAN it is "very much a must-win" for his campaign.

Two leading GOP candidates, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, are skipping the straw poll. But a third, Mitt Romney, is competing hard to win it.

Update at 4:25 p.m. ET: The other Southern conservative in the race is former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore.

Update at 4:32 p.m. ET: Rep. Ron Paul is from Texas, but he's usually categorized as a libertarian and he has been against the Iraq war from the start.

June 29, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (13)

Clinton Campaign Launches "HillCam"

June 29, 2007 4:03 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports: In its latest attempt to reach supporters using the Internet, the Clinton campaign is launching "HillCam" -- a new video-diary featuring former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., as they publicly stump together for the first time on the '08 campaign trail beginning Monday.

The campaign website says supporters will see the former First Couple "as they report on their daily travels across the Hawkeye State."

The Clinton campaign is urging supporters to sign up for the "HillCam" video blogs in an ad posted to their website and posted on YouTube, the popular video-sharing website.

"Spend a few minutes every day with the Clinton's, as they travel across Iowa," says the ad. "Totally unvarnished, completely unprecedented ... sign up for 'HillCam' at HillaryClinton.com and you'll get special video reports as you travel the state with the Clintons!"

Up until now, President Clinton has been raising money for his wife's '08 bid at private fundraising events but has maintained a low profile during public campaign events.

Promising an "unvarnished" and "unprecedented" look at the Clintons, the ad says, "You've seen them in the White House. You've seen them on the world stage. You've even seen them as the Soprano's. But you've never seen them reporting directly to you from Des Moines to Davenport!"

June 29, 2007 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (5)

'Transformers' Movie Jabs Bush

June 29, 2007 11:56 AM

llABC's Noah Kotch reports:  Early in the new Michael Bay film "Transformers", opening over the July 4th weekend, the President requests a late night " Ding  Dong" while reclining in his bedroom suite on Air Force One. We never see a face nor hear a name, but there's no mistaking his exaggerated Texas twang.

We won't spoil the plot --  yes, there actually is a plot -- but it's this request for a Hostess treat that inadvertently lets the serpent into the garden or, should we say, the decepticon into the larder.

President Bush is getting plenty of knocks these days but his fleeting portrayal in "Transformers" -- as a  Ding Dong-craving, disengaged figurehead -- may sting a little more than the usual. Not only is this movie  likely to be one of the biggest Hollywood summer releases in memory, it also comes from a director known for flag-waving and patriotism. Michael Bay is not exactly Michael Moore. 

The movie contains Bay's usual reverence for American troops -- this time in the Persian Gulf. But the regal and leaderly role he's accorded presidents in past movies isn't there in "Transformers . " This time, with the world in crisis, the President just gets sent into a bunker.

June 29, 2007 in Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (7)

Yet Another Round in the Coulter/Edwards Feud

June 28, 2007 9:59 PM

Get ready for the next round in the ongoing feud between Ann Coulter and the Edwards family.

On Thursday afternoon, the conservative commentator posted her latest column in which she proceeds to repeat her past accusation that John Edwards has exploited his son Wade's tragic death for political purposes.

Coulter reprints part of her controversial 2003 column in which she wrote, "If you want points for not using your son's death politically, don't you have to take down all those 'Ask me about my son's death in a horrific car accident' bumper stickers?"

She then responds to Elizabeth Edwards, who complained about the 2003 column and its insinuations to Coulter during her now-infamous phone call to MSNBC's "Hardball" on Tuesday.

"Manifestly, I was not making fun of their son's death; I was making fun of John Edwards' incredibly creepy habit of invoking his son's tragic death to advance his political career -- a practice so repellant, it even made John Kerry queasy."

Coulter cites a passage from Kerry campaign consultant Bob Shrum’s book, "No Excuses" to back up this assertion.

In the book, Shrum says Kerry told him that Edwards once recounted how after Wade's death, he had climbed onto the slab at the funeral home and promised to make life better for people, ending his story by assuring Kerry that he had never told that story to anyone else.

Shrum writes that Kerry told him Edwards repeated the exact same story for him two years later, "with the same preface, that he had never shared that memory with anyone else. Kerry said he found it chilling, and he decided he couldn't pick Edwards unless he met with him again."

Coulter concludes by repeating her previous claim that the Edwards campaign is exploiting Coulter's comments to raise funds from supporters.

"I'm a little tired of losers trying to raise campaign cash or TV ratings off of my coattails, particularly when they use their affliction or bereavement schedules to try to silence the opposition. From now on, I'm attacking only serious presidential candidates, like Dennis Kucinich."

A spokesman for the Edwards campaign did not return calls. A spokesman for MSNBC did not return calls.

June 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (17)

Live Blogging from Democratic Debate

June 28, 2007 4:46 PM

10:26 pm: And that's the ballgame. Takeaways? Probably the least interesting debate in terms of meaningful distinctions. Clinton and Edwards were very good, Obama more spotty but better as time went on. Again, Gravel shoots from the hip. And we saw an emerging argument from Biden, building on the Supreme Court shifts. See you next time, and tune in for more in tomorrow's Note.

10:25 pm: Gravel ends with another bomb: Most of the other candidates lack "moral judgment." Dodd's everybody's friend, so he offers a pat on the shoulder.

10:23 pm: Richardson not backing down from his Olympic boycott threat: "I believe that fighting genocide is more important than sports." Strong line.

10:20 pm: What's with Clinton and her lists? Is that how her mind works, or do you coach that? And that's some tough answre on Darfur, about a no-fly zone: "If they fly into it, we will shoot down their planes. That's the only way to get their attention."

10:19 pm: Kucinich gets big applause for saying he wants to end NAFTA. That can't be comfortable for Clinton, whose husband championed the trade agreement.

10:14 pm: Maybe Obama's getting better as the night goes on - he's finally offering a few specifics. And Gravel is making it interesting again - "these people." Derision is good television.

10:11 pm: Welcome Handy - you're becoming a regular. My call for a winner right now is Clinton - she's crisp, concise, and specific. Edwards also is having a good night -- and these are his wheelhouse issues.

10:02 pm: Good answer by Obama: "The criminal justice system is not colorblind." But his answer is "to send a signal"?

9:59 pm: Nothing provokes verbal tap-dancing like asking a Democrat about taxes. The goal: sound progressive without providing the RNC with talking points.

9:56 pm: I'm with you, dawgler -- Clinton is having another good night, even though the format and the questions aren't making for winners and losers.

9:51 pm: Biden perked up some ears: "I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack got tested for AIDS." Obama prompted laughter: "I just want to make clear - I got tested with Michele."

9:48 pm: Leave it to Clinton to summarize the first half of the debate: "It is hard to disagree with anything that has been said." But then she hits another one out of the park by pointing out how differently HIV/AIDS would be addressed if white women were afflicted in equal numbers as black women. Outstanding.

9:46 pm: I don't know if it's good or bad, but offering up the same questions to all the candidates gives plenty of room to them to sound off on their messages. Already, Edwards has found a chance to say "two Americas," and Clinton was able to say, "It takes a village" -- the title of her book.

9:41 pm: John Edwards did read up on his statistics. And we get it: He wants us to know that he's always talking about poverty. Still, he's crisp and on his game tonight.

9:39 pm: That's a legit question about Obama -- two times through and not much being offered.

9:35 pm: Three times now a candidate has suggested that we should cut military spending to pay for education. Good applause line in liberal crowds, but it's sort of a play to the cheap seats, isn't it?

9:31 pm: Bill Richardson doesn't want to talk about how to pay for any of his plans - he's the guy who has the universal healthcare plan that won't cost a dime.

9:30 pm: Talking to your kids helps them? Bet Joe Biden's kids are smart and well-adjusted.

9:27 pm: I'm beginning to wonder about the format here - we're now nearly a third of the way through the debate, and we've gotten through precisely one question, and have had precisely zero interesting exchanging. It's nice to include everyone, but c'mon...

9:22 pm: Biden wants to push the Supreme Court issue - this follows a statement earlier in the day touting the fact that he voted against Roberts and Alito. Then Obama's first chance -- it was almost like the crowd didn't know he was finished -- maybe because he had said so little?

9:16: Clinton gets the first question -- and the first mention of today's court ruling and Katrina. "The march is not finished" -- good imagery. About as good an answer as you could hope for.

9:13 pm: Sounds like something of a home-field advantage for Obama. . . .

9:00 pm: Quick thought on the man making the introductions tonight -- Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Mass. This won't be the last we see of him in the campaign. Mitt Romney's successor is the nation's only black governor, and one of the most sought-after endorsements of the campaign. He's close to Sen. Barack Obama but was a high-ranking member of the Clinton Justice Department, so he has ties to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as well. My money's on Patrick eventually going with Obama.

8:45 pm: Thanks everyone for logging on. Some interesting comments already -- and on the immigration issue, I'm certain it will come up tonight. Every Democratic senator in the 2008 race voted in favor of the bill today, for the record.

Rick Klein from ABC's The Note here -- I'll be blogging live during tonight's PBS debate, starting at 9 pm ET. Let's start the discussion early: What questions do you want to see answered tonight at Howard University in Washington? Leave you comments below, and tune in starting at 9.

June 28, 2007 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (20)

Romney Strapped Dog to Car Roof

June 28, 2007 8:45 AM

ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Republican presidential candidate former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., has angered animal rights activists for strapping his dog to the roof of his car on a family trip from Boston to Ontario, Canada.

According to the Boston Globe, in one of the family's 12-hour drives to their family's cottage in Canada over 25 years ago,  Romney strapped a dog carrier to the roof of the car for the whole trip -- with the family Irish setter, Seamus, inside.

Seamus protested in a scatological way, going to the bathroom on the roof of the car.

Animal rights activists reached by TIME Magazine said the tale seems a little cruel.

"It is commonsense that any dog who's under extreme stress might show that stress by losing control of his bowels: that alone should have been sufficient indication that the dog was, basically, being tortured," Time quoted Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as saying.

Newkirk said it was "a lesson in cruelty that was ... wrong for [his children] to witness."

June 28, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (423)

'Crush' Jumps the Shark

June 27, 2007 5:29 PM

ABC News' Leigh Hartman Reports: For those of you still paying attention, the 'music videos serenading candidates' may have jumped the shark.

The third installment of the 'crush' videos is a spoof promoting the idea that you couldn't pay somebody to croon about Rudy Giuliani. Check it out here.

It all started with "Obamagirl" and the coo heard round the political world. Go ahead, watch the video again here.

The initial spin off, "I've Got a Crush on Fred Thompson's Politics" gets some points -- at least the guy played the guitar. You can watch that incarnation here.

When will it stop? We're not sure.

June 27, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (0)