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Huckabee Reaches October Fundraising Goal

October 31, 2007 8:38 PM

ABC News' Kevin Chupka reports: Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, has announced via his campaign’s website that they have raised over a million dollars online since October 1.

A strong showing at the recent Republican debates and the Family Research Councils’ Values Voter Straw Poll led to increased media attention, prompting the campaign to set a online fundraising goal for the month of October to exceed its third quarter figure of $1,034, 487. As of 8 pm tonight the website reported a total of $1,064,271.73 in web-related receipts.

In an interview on the Fox Business Channel this evening, Huckabee suggested that in just the past seven days alone the campaign has raised a total (i.e. not strictly online donations) that eclipses any other fundraising quarter.

Such an increase in revenue for the campaign has allowed them to hire more help in their Little Rock headquarters in order to deal with all the increased support. More importantly though, it should allow Huckabee to cast a wider campaigning net in the key early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. The campaign’s first commercials, produced over the past few weeks, should begin airing in those states in the near future.

The Huckabee media blitz continues tonight and tomorrow with appearances on "The O’Reilly Factor," "Hannity and Colmes," and "Charlie Rose" among others

October 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

Giuliani Says Gov't Needs "Flexibility" on Waterboarding

October 31, 2007 7:51 PM

ABC News' Jan Simmonds Reports: In Nashua, New Hampshire, today Rudy Giuliani maintained his position that waterboarding may not be torture after he was asked if he had wanted to re-articulate his position.

Holding his ground, Giuliani said "the way it's defined is very very disturbing" but pressed that the federal government needs "flexibility" on this issue.

"The reality is it depends on the circumstances," Giuliani said today. "It even depends on the circumstances in which you do it. It depends on the gravity of it."

"You can't keep this country safe if you don't allow for that flexibility," he also noted.

Referring to comments made earlier this week by Admiral Robert J. Natter (Ret.), who is also a senior military advisor to his campaign, Giuliani warned that "political campaigns are not the way in which we should be making these very delicate definitions."

The former mayor and United States Prosecutor did leave the door open for Congress to pass legislation making waterboarding illegal, but added there was likely a reason they hadn’t already.

"If Congress wants to make waterboarding illegal, they should do it. But they haven’t… twice. So there must be a reason for that," he said.

Democrats and Republicans have been critical of Giuliani’s position including John McCain, R-Ariz., the competing Republican presidential candidate and former prisoner of war.

While appearing at a family restaurant in New Hampshire, the national Republican frontrunner also continued to react to last night’s Democratic debate in Philadelphia, specifically the performance of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

"Last night she did something I have never seen before," said Giuliani referring to Clinton's much debated response on whether she supported the plan of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, D-N.Y., to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

"Sure she is known for taking one position with one audience and another position with another audience -- people know that about her. What they didn’t know is that she can take two actual positions in front of the same audience, within one minute. And it wasn't a tough question."

"Hillary's been getting away with this," he later added. "Going down south, using a southern accent. Coming up north, taking one position, taking another. Well she finally got really caught at it last night."

October 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

McCain, Warner, Graham Subtly Endorse Mukasey

October 31, 2007 5:04 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: It was not a ringing endorsement, but the White House and Attorney General nominee will take whatever they can get right now.

The ranking and emeritus Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee have written the Attorney General Nominee, Judge Michael Mukasey, asking him to clarify his position on waterboarding ... but only after he is confirmed as Attorney General. This implies that they will support his nomination on the merits of what he has already said. 

Earlier Wednesday, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, said Mukasey's nomination was in jeopardy unless he clarified his position on torture.

Most of the letter sent today by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. John Warner, R-Va, the former chairman of that committee and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is a refutation on both legal and moral grounds of torture and  the practice of waterboarding, a practice that Mukasey had ceded in a letter to Democrats on the judiciary committee yesterday is "repugnant" to him.

But he would not entirely disavow himself of the practice since he said he is not fully read in to top secret justifications for interrogation policies in the Bush administration.

"We share your revulsion at the use of waterboarding and welcome your commitment to review existing legal memoranda covering interrogations and their consistency with current law," the Republican Senators wrote today. "It is vital that you do so, as anyone who engages in this practice, on behalf of any U.S. government agency, puts himself at risk of criminal prosecution, including under the War Crimes Act, and opens himself to civil liability as well."

But then they close with this innocuous statement that seems to indicate they will support his nomination:

"We must wage and win the war on terror, but doing so is fully compatible with fidelity to our laws and deepest values.  Once you are confirmed and fully briefed on the relevant programs and legal analyses, we urge you to publicly make clear that waterboarding can never be employed," the Senators write.

McCain had told George Stephanopoulos this weekend that Mukasey's answer on torture concerned him. Today's letter suggests he, Virginia Republican John Warner and South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham will support Mukasey.

Only the Democratic Presidential candidates in the Senate have officially indicated they'll oppose Mukasey.

October 31, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Cheney's Dog Darth Vader for Halloween

October 31, 2007 4:53 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Duck Reports: The Vice President's dogs may beat the President's dogs in the best dressed category this Halloween. 

Late night TV shows have ridiculed and compared Vice President Dick Cheney to Darth Vader.

So in a wicked response, Cheney dressed one of his dogs, Jackson, as the famous Star Wars character.  Cheney's other Labrador retriever, Dave, is dressed up as superman.

The canine costume may also be a jab at Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

In September after the Democratic-led Congress failed to persuade congressional Republicans to force the President to change course in Iraq through legislative means, Clinton told supporters at a New York fundraiser, "You can always tell when the Republicans are restless -- because the Vice President's motorcade pulls into the Capitol. Darth Vader emerges. And honestly I'm not invited to their meetings I don't know what he says or does."

President Bush's pets also disguised themselves for Halloween.

Quite catty and looking a little spooked, India the cat wasn't too thrilled posing in her wizardous get-up.  However, Barney and Miss Beazley, the President and Mrs. Bush's two Scottish Terriers, were happy to sit pretty as a cowboy and a strawberry.

White House employees brought their children trick-or-treating in the Old Executive Office Building, and the White House is allowing parents to go home a little early to spend the boo-tiful night trick-or-treating with their kids.

Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Dana Perino attempted to "spook" an otherwise unfazed White House press corps by posting her daily briefing slide in orange lettering.

Click HERE to view more photos of presidential pets.

October 31, 2007 in White House | Permalink | User Comments (26) | TrackBack (0)

Thompson: Clinton 'Dodging Hard Issues'

October 31, 2007 3:52 PM

ABC News' Christine Byun Reports: While Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and her Democratic rivals were hashing it out on the debate stage Tuesday last night, Republican candidate Fred Thompson said he was not watching.

At a media availability in San Francisco, the former Tennessee senator said he "didn't watch her last night, had other priorities." He said he was briefed on last night's debate, and thought it was "another example of dodging hard issues" like Social Security.

Of Clinton's answer on whether she supported New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Thompson said she's being "non-committal" and not saying "what's in your mind and on your heart" for fear of losing votes.

"As far as I'm concerned, I think giving drivers licenses to illegals is a bad idea for a lot of reasons," Thompson added.

Previously, Thompson –- who has gone after Clinton for her healthcare plan – has said that he's "not fixated on Hillary Clinton." At a stop in Bluffton, S.C. last week, he told supporters that he's more focused on defeating "an entire party out there that wants us to become a big welfare state."

"This aint about Hillary Clinton," Thompson said in front of the Sippin Cow Café last Wednesday. "I'm not fixated on Hillary Clinton or anybody else. I'm fixated on us, our party, our candidacy and doing the right thing."

Today, when questioned about fellow Republican candidates questioning his experience to lead the country, Thompson said he receives such criticisms with a "smile on my face."

"With exception to Senator McCain, I'm the only guy in the race who has dealt with matters of national security, [and] who has dealt with matters of national and international nuclear proliferation," Thompson said, citing his senate experience.

October 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Clinton Gets Major Union Endorsement

October 31, 2007 1:00 PM

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Eloise Harper Report: On the heels of a rough debate, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., showed off the institutional strength of her candidacy on Wednesday when she picked up the endorsement of the nation's public employees union.

"Six guys against Hillary and I'd call that a fair fight," said AFSCME President Gerry McEntee, referring to Tuesday's Philadelphia debate in which Clinton's Democratic rivals joined together in arguing that she does not give straight answers to tough questions. Keeping with the "fighter" theme, a sea of AFSCME workers wore green t-shirts at Wednesday's event which read "when it comes to fighting for America's families, I'll go ten rounds with anybody."

Clinton's critics -- from the Republican National Committee to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama -- sought to blunt the endorsement's impact by pointing to the union's long history with former President Bill Clinton: AFSCME endorsed Clinton early in his 1992 presidential bid and reportedly played a role in courting the union this time.

But the endorsement of the 1.4-million member American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees is one of the big "gets" in Democratic politics.

The powerful public employees union, which represents 30,000 members in Iowa alone, is planning to spend $60 million over the course of 2008 primary and general-election campaign. It is also promising to mobilize a 40,000-member "army of volunteers" for Clinton.

In order to avoid a repeat of 2004 when AFSCME's support of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean did not seem to transfer to the union's rank-and-file, McEntee has explained that his union "drilled down deep" into the views of its members this time.

AFSCME's evaluation process included two presidential candidate forums. One took place in Nevada and was moderated by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos; another took place in Washington, D.C., and was moderated by MSNBC's Chris Matthews.

October 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Bush Nominates Gov. Schafer to Agriculture

October 31, 2007 11:27 AM

ABC News' Ann Compton Reports: President Bush has chosen another farm state governor to run the Department of Agriculture at a time when the important farm bill has to be reauthorized. 

President Bush nominated former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer to lead the Department of Agriculture.

Standing beside Schafer in the Roosevelt Room, Bush said, "At every stage of his career, Ed has shown wisdom, foresight and creativity. Those same qualities will make him a valuable member of my Cabinet, and they will make him a trusted friend to America's farmers and ranchers."

Schafer, a North Dakota native, responded, "Mr. President, I come from an agriculture state, as do you. Growing up in that arena, and focusing now on the USDA, I realize that the mission of this agency goes far beyond the services delivered to the preservation of a way of life that I believe is the foundation of this country."

Schafer would have to be confirmed by the Senate at a time when farm subsidies and food safety issues are hot political issues in Washington.

The White House says Schafer has the right experience for the job, and points to his record in agriculture, business and government.

Shafer was governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000, and has been working in the private sector.

He was elected by large margins in North Dakota, winning strong bipartisan support and becoming the first Republican ever elected to a second term in the state's history, the official said.

If confirmed, Schafer's portfolio will include the farm bill, advancing the President's trade agenda, food safety, nutrition, and development of alternative fuels like cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel.

The $288 billion farm bill is up for debate in the Senate this week or next and critics say it maintains big subsidies designed to help farmers, though the payouts now go even to farmers and agri-businesses raking in record profits.

The farm bill also, nutritionists say, encourages the production of junk food over fruits and vegetables.

During a speech to the Grocery Manufacturers Association on Wednesday, Bush asked the Senate to confirm Schafer quickly, "This afternoon I'm going to name a new secretary of Agriculture...I think you'll like him. He understands agriculture, of course. And he'll be a good follow-on to Mike Johanns, who did a superb job as the secretary of Agriculture."

ABC News' Jennifer Duck and Brian Hartman contributed to this report.

October 31, 2007 in White House | Permalink | User Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Only Love Between Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush Onstage

October 31, 2007 10:49 AM

ABC News' Eloise Harper: The morning after receiving verbal punches from her Democratic rivals -- and delivering criticism of President George Bush -- Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., stood on stage Wednesday with the President's wife at an event to support preservation in America.

Clinton, who mentioned Bush twenty-five times last night at the Democratic debate in Philadelphia, joined First Lady Laura Bush in her role as a former first lady to support the preservation of "America's treasures."

The two women walked on stage together at an event in Washington, D.C., to announce legislation authorizing two historic preservation programs that have been used to preserve and protect American heritage and cultural treasures. The two programs are called Preserve America and Save America's Treasures Program, which was founded by Senator Clinton.

"With this bill," Bush said, "We can make sure more communities are protected for our children and our grandchildren."

Thanking Clinton she said, "This preservation initiative was established by another first lady and I'd like to thank Senator Clinton."

"Mrs. Bush, I want to personally thank you," Clinton said at the event. "She has been a great champion of historic preservation of heritage tourism. I am very grateful for her support of Save America's Treasures," she said.

Clinton and Bush thanked each other several times in their remarks, but no mention of the debate.

However retiring Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., quipped: "Senator, I watched last night the debate and I wasn't sure you were going to get here today –- it was all against you and you look terrific." 

Clinton smiled and said she wondered whether she would make it to the event after the rough night.  "I appreciate Senator Domenci acknowledging that it might have been a little difficult for me to be here but I wouldn't have missed it."

October 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Bush Loyalist Karen Hughes Resigns

October 31, 2007 9:26 AM

ABC News' Jonathan Karl and Kirit Radia Report: Karen Hughes resigned Wednesday morning as Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy. 

In July, 2005 Bush appointed Hughes as the first Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy to "promote America's values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world."

Hughes, a former local television reporter in Texas, was a longtime communications advisor to President Bush when he was Governor of Texas. During Bush's presidency she managing the White House Office of Communication, Media Affairs, Speechwriting and Press Secretary.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Hughes' resignation this morning at the State Department.

Rice called said Hughes would continue to advise the State Department and President Bush on several projects going forward. She called Hughes a "valued counselor" and policy advisor who sat in on her policy meetings every morning.

"You have more than exceeded what I could have hoped for in taking over public diplomacy when you came.  And now, as you finish, I hope that you have a sense of the tremendous contributions that you've made," Rice said.

Hughes said she would likely return to Texas in mid-December. Her family had not moved to D.C. with her, something Rice said was a great "strain," and Hughes said she was looking forward to living in the same city as her husband.

Both Rice and Hughes listed advancements in public diplomacy during Hughes' tenure, namely countering terror messages on Arab-language blogs, setting up a larger video production center at the department, creating rapid reaction units to respond to incidents, and reaching out to Muslim women in the Middle East.

Public Diplomacy was one of the central pillars in Rice's transformational diplomacy plan, but Hughes had a rocky start in the new role.

During her first trip to the Middle East after being confirmed in 2005 she struck many as ignorant and naive when she commented how surprised she was to find that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was considered so important in the Arab world.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said Wednesday that Hughes wants to spend more time with her husband. Perino said Hughes will keep in touch with the President and work on a Palestinian initiative through the end of the year.

ABC News' Ann Compton contributed to this report.

October 31, 2007 in White House | Permalink | User Comments (50) | TrackBack (0)

Tom Cruise, Ron Paul and the Sex Pistols Intersect with Leno

October 31, 2007 8:23 AM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: There he was, sandwiched between megastar Tom Cruise and a reunion of The Sex Pistols, singing "Anarchy in the UK" on the Tonight Show.

Texas Congressman and Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul was not about the jokes when he sat down on Jay Leno's couch and talked about the Austrian School of Economics - "Free market and hard money." Paul doesn’t think the government should be "printing money out of thin air."

Leno, who in his opening monologue joked that as an OB-GYN Ron Paul is the "only person in Washington who said take your clothes off to more women than Bill Clinton," seemed a bit skeptical of the Austrian school.

He asked Paul about all the people on social security and Paul shot back that he is the only candidate to consistently vote against spending from the social security trust fund. "Mine is really the only way to protect social security," Paul said, clarifying that he wants to continue benefits for those who have been promised them while transitioning to a system where people can opt out.

Leno pushed, asking how you'd pave roads without the IRS and the income tax, which Paul pointed out has only been in existence since 1913.

"We did a lot of good things before 1913," Paul argued.

He went on to discuss his anti-war, non-interventionist foreign policy ideas and his notion that, more than terrorism, "Our greatest threat is to civil liberty here at home."

Paul's one joke came when Leno asked him if there was actually a chance he could win.

Paul mentioned his fundraising and growing online army of supporters.

"It's certainly way beyond what I had originally conceived," Paul said. "So there is a risk I could win."

Indeed, stranger things have happened: The Sex Pistols are back together.

After the commercial break, with Paul still on the couch, Leno introduced the Sex Pistols. Oh to be a fly on the wall in that green room.

Johnny Rotten and Paul may actually have a lot to talk about -- some look at the Sex Pistols lyrics and say Rotten is libertarian too.

October 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)

Edwards Picks Up NH SEIU Endorsement

October 30, 2007 10:04 PM

ABC News' Raelyn Johnson Reports: Former Sen John Edwards D-N.C., has picked up the endorsement of the New Hampshire Service Employee’s International Union.

"The executive board voted tonight to recommend to the membership to support Senator Edwards because of his strong voice for working family issues in New Hampshire," said Jay Ward, New Hampshire State Council Political Director in an interview with ABC News. "They believe that Sen. Edwards represents the best choice for SEIU members."

Last week members of the NH SEIU were divided in their support, deciding between Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill. The political action committee, responsible for researching and meeting with the candidates voted last week to recommend Edwards to the executive board. The executive board however, showed a fair amount of support for Obama, and they decided to hold out on an endorsement.

On Saturday during the NH SEIU convention, Edwards won a straw poll conducted which confirmed the political education committee was accurate and reflecting the direction of the members.

Today's endorsement brings Edwards support from the second early nominating contest state as two weeks ago the Iowa SEIU endorsed Edwards ’08 bid.

Ward notes, "There are a lot of high quality candidates running and members believe that through their hard work and outreach to coworkers and their families, Sen. Edwards can be pushed along to winning the New Hampshire primary.

October 30, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Live-Blogging During Tonight's Democratic Debate

October 30, 2007 5:50 PM

11:05 pm ET: Rick Klein wrapping it up -- Hillary Clinton gave a truly bad answer at the end, on illegal immigration, one that feeds the argument Obama and Edwards were making all night. Did Obama clear the bar he set for himself? Probably yes, but not with much room to spare. Edwards still seems better, though, at finding compelling ways to set himself apart. And other surprises -- how about Joe Biden taking on Rudy Giuliani? Is he the new George W. Bush, in terms of punching-bag status?

That's it for blogging tonight. Check out The Note tomorrow and ABCNews.com tonight for a more full recap...

11:04 pm ET: From ABC's David Wright: Okay I take it back about the lightning round.  UFO's, life on mars, driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, legalizing pot, and christmas toys from china.  Oddball questions that have, in the end, sparked some interesting responses.

11:03 pm ET: We're now talking about Halloween costumes. End this. Now.

10:59 pm ET: This talk of extra-terrestrials is argument enough to making these debates shorter. But Obama's answer about taking care of life on Earth, that's a good response to a weird question.

10:58 pm ET: Russert: "Did you see a UFO?" Kucinich: "I did." You can't make this stuff up.

10:58 pm ET: From ABC's Jake Tapper: Clinton parsing on the difference between "I think it makes a lot of sense" and "I agree with it" on Gov. Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses for illegal immigrants -- confusing. And, whoa, Edwards just went in for the kill. Whoa - so did Obama.... A new issue just was born.

10:56 pm ET: It's rare that a highlight comes this late in a debate, but Edwards picks up on that inconsistency on immigration: "Sen. Clinton said two different things in the course of about two minutes." Obama: "I was confused on Sen. Clinton's answer." And Obama calls the Spitzer plan "the right idea."

10:54 pm ET: Sen. Clinton is actually engaged in a good debate with Sen. Dodd over illegal immigration -- harmed by the fact that her stance is less than firm. It's still not clear whether she supports the initiative of her own governor.

10:50 pm ET: ABC's David Wright: Whoever came up with the "lightning round" concept should be fired.  It seems we are in for 10 minutes of boilerplate in 30 second chunks.

10:35 pm ET: The last few minutes remind me of why debates should end at 90 minutes. Less energy on the stage, and fewer interesting things to be said.

10:29 pm ET: Clinton really doesn't want any part of Charlie Rangel's tax plan. She doesn't know the details -- and here's guessing she doesn't want to know them.

10:28 pm ET: The Clinton campaign provides documentation for saying that the healthcare records are available: "The only documents certain to be available at the opening of Clinton's library are 500,000 pages collected by the health care task force headed by then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. The task force's proposal for a universal health care system included closed-door meetings and led to one of Clinton's early first-term defeats. The closed meetings led to a federal court ruling that opened the documents nine years ago." [AP, 9/17/04 <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,132789,00.html> ]

Newsweek, however, reported last week that "some key papers from her health-care task force" remain hidden from public view.

10:18 pm ET: From ABC's Jake Tapper: I think Obama's having a pretty good night. And though clearly Clinton's folks seem to have told her not to engage directly with Obama or Edwards - probably because they think it would only elevate them - I don't think that has worked. She's projecting "frontrunner" but I'm not sure it's projecting "frontrunner you should be content with." And boy -- LIHEAP? "Sense of the Senate"? Whoda thunk on a stage with Biden and Dodd that Hillary would be the one with Senate-it-is?!!

10:08 pm ET: Where was that Obama answer going? I'm sort of surprised he didn't have something more concise to say on Social Security, since he's identified it as a Clinton inconsistency.

10:06 pm ET: From ABC's Jake Tapper: All the Republicans are running against Clinton. All the Democrats are running against Bush . . . except for Biden, who is focusing on Rudy Giuliani. Interesting.

10:03 pm ET: Don't double talk around Tim Russert! Clinton is still maintaining that she has a real position on Social Security. "Fiscal responsibility" is nice if you want to try to balance the budget, but that does not -- and will not ever -- fix Social Security.

10:02 pm ET: Biden just had a great moment. He has lots of them. Maybe it won't ever matter, but maybe they add up.

10:01 pm ET: Biden knows Democrats love attacks on Republicans, and not just Bush, but Rudy Giuliani. Laugh line of the night: "There's only three things he makes in a sentence: A noun and a verb and 9/11. . . . He is genuinely not qualified to be president."

9:54 pm ET: Richarson is the one defending Clinton: "Pretty close to personal attacks." Now he's the one trying to rise above -- what's his play here? Then he attacks Clinton's electability, by pointing out that senators are rarely elected president. And really, governor, you don't agree with Sen. Clinton about a "majority" of the issues?

9:52 pm ET: Obama's answer about his own experience isn't bad, but why wouldn't he hit that one out of the park? The blizzard of bills he worked on -- he sounds like, God forbid, a senator.

9:50 pm ET: Another good Edwards line: "If people want the status quo, than they want Sen. Clinton."

9:48 pm ET: From ABC's David Chalian: Obama's cleanest swipe of the campaign on Clinton library records. . . Not turning the page -- you can't claim this as your experience and then be secretive about it. Republicans obsessed with HRC is a fight they are comfortable having."

9:46 pm ET: "All of the [healthcare] records, so far as I know . . . are already available." -- Clinton. That's just not true, and Obama calls her on it: "This is an example of not turning the page." "Part of what we have to do is invite the American people back in our government again." And here comes another fresh attack: "What we don't need is another eight years of bickering." SEE ENTRY AT 10:28 PM FOR UPDATE

9:44 pm ET: Clinton: "In a perverse way, I think the Republicans and their constant obsession with me obviously means they think I'm communicating effectively." Good answer, odd word choice.

9:37 pm ET: Edwards seems to be drawing sharp distinctions tonight as well. But look at Clinton's face -- it DOES NOT MOVE while he goes on the attack, even when it's not fair. Clinton's response: "I stand for ending the war in Iraq, bringing the troops home. But also know that it's going to get complicated, and it's going to take time."

9:35 pm ET: Now it's about "credibility" for Obama. He is taking Clinton on from so many different directions tonight, I've lost count.

9:33 pm ET: Clinton is strong, concise, and sharp tonight. She is finding ways to contrast herself with the Bush administration even while defending herself. That's not easy, particularly given the advanced publicity surrounding all the aggressiveness we're expecting.

9:30 pm ET: Not to harp on Richardson for this, but does he seem like he's playing outside his weight class when the discussion turns to foreign policy? Sort of surprising for a guy with that much experience in the realm.

9:28 pm ET: Give Biden bonus points for a deep answer as well on foreign policy. So far, this is some serious substance -- a wonk's dream.

9:25 pm ET: "You asked me if I would pledge, and I have pledged." -- Clinton, sounding, shall we say, Clintonian. Then Obama gets a bit deeper: "We have been governed by fear these past six years." THERE is the link to his campaign message that was missing earlier this evening. It does seem like the Obama camp has plotted this out a good bit this evening.

9:23 pm ET: Kucinich has a good line: "We have a number of enablers who happen to be Democrats." Then he brings up impeachment. Filling the Gravel role well.

9:22 pm ET: Where is Bill Richardson going in this answer? He just emptied the kitchen sink on Iran -- not the clear message he wanted in his first question.

9:20 pm ET: Edwards' line about how this "sounds familiar" is an effective way into the debate over Iran. "It literally gave Bush and Cheney exactly what they wanted." "Literally the language of the neocons." "How in the world is that . . . Democrats standing up to this president?"

9:18 pm ET: This actually is a real difference in foreign policy, though you have to wade through some deep spin to get there. The shorthand is Clinton as tougher than Obama, but Obama's more nuanced view does seem like the cleaner break from Bush.

9:16 pm ET: Obama: "I don't think we should be talking about attacking Iran at this point." Notice that Obama is talking about "the kinds" of foreign policy -- not just Bush foreign policy. In his formulation, Bush foreign policy IS Clinton foreign policy.

9:13 pm ET: Another thought on Obama -- he seemed to be shifting his message from "judgment" to "flip-flops." It may be a tough case to make against someone as well-known as Hillary Clinton, but it's definitely a different tack.

9:12 pm ET: So far, Sen. Clinton is acting as if she is alone on the stage. Clearly a strategy of non-engagement.

9:07 pm ET: Edwards is just as aggressive as Obama, but we're not hearing new language from him yet. Yet if tonight is going to be a pile-on on Clinton, who is going to come out on top? Edwards says "double talk," Clinton replies, essentially, c'mon, you know me. "I have a long record of standing up and fighting," she said. "On specific issues, I have very specific plans." (Though her "very specific plan" on Social Security really isn't anything beyond a "bipartisan commission." Good, poll-tested lines, but that's not an answer, senator.)

9:05 pm ET: Clinton chose not to respond on a personal level to Obama. She's doing what she normally does -- rising above. But can that last tonight?

9:03 pm ET: Brian Williams wastes no time -- jumps right in by asking Obama to back up his promise of being more aggressive. Obama: "Some of this stuff gets overhyped." Good Philadelphia reference with Rocky -- but WHO hyped this fight if not Barack Obama? And here it is: "It does not mean changing positions whenever it's politically convenient." NAFTA, torture, Iraq -- there's the beginning of your laundry list. "what we need right now is honesty with the American people."

8:51 pm ET: We're just about ready to rumble -- and what makes this debate different already is that we essentially know the storyline in advance. It's Obama vs. Clinton -- but how that shakes down depends on what happens on stage. And to make it fun, it looks like they're going to be next to each other on stage.

-----------

Rick Klein from ABC's The Note here -- I'll be online starting at 9 pm ET tonight, blogging from Philadelphia during the Democratic debate. All eyes will be on Barack Obama, as he seeks to deliver on his promise of a sharper series of distinctions with Hillary Clinton. But here's a fascinating piece of pre-debate spin: Clinton strategist Mark Penn is out with a memo seeking to define "the politics of hope" for Obama -- and claiming the label for Clinton herself.

Writes Penn, "Does the 'politics of hope' mean launching attacks on one candidate? Or does it mean laying out a vision for the American people? Does it mean questioning a rival's integrity? Or does it mean talking about the change we need?"

This is some serious spin -- what gives Clinton the right to define Obama's own term? Surely the Clinton campaign would consider any comparison an attack, but that's not a fair standard to judge Obama, John Edwards, or any other candidate on, is it?

Interested in your thoughts before we begin...

5:50 pm ET: I can't ever imagine this much pre-debate spin. The Edwards campaign fires back with its own memo, from campaign manager David Bonior: "Unfortunately, the Clinton campaign has made it clear -- through its choices, its words and its silence -- that it intends to defend the broken system in Washington, where the interests of the American people are bought and sold every day by an army of lobbyists, instead of taking the path that the American people want -– a path that leads to ending the corruption in Washington and bringing the big, bold change we need to America."

7:45 pm ET: We're a little more than hour out -- two quick pieces of buzz. First, and no surprise here, but the stakes are huge for Sen. Obama -- and he made them that big by building up expectations that he would go on attack. Here's a prediction: He'll be the storyline -- in a bad way -- if he doesn't have new things to say that really set himself apart from Sen. Clinton. And the other thing I'll share is that the best thing that could have happened to Mike Gravel is his exclusion from the debate stage. All the reporters I'm talking to are secretly wishing they could be at his mock debate, with him and a Tivo machine, down the street in Philadelphia.

October 30, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (46) | TrackBack (0)

'08 Dems Lobby Against Bush's AG Pick

October 30, 2007 3:00 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: The tit-for-tat Democratic president campaign made its way into the U.S. Senate Tuesday, where a number of the candidates have their day jobs.

At 10:35am this morning, reporters got an email from the press office of Senator Barack Obama saying that the Illinois Democrat would be opposing Judge Michael Mukasey, the President's nominee to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General.

"While his legal credentials are strong, his views on two critical and related matters are, in my view, disqualifying," wrote Obama.

"We don't need another attorney general who believes that the President enjoys an unwritten right to secretly ignore any law or abridge our constitutional freedoms simply by invoking national security. And we don't need another attorney general who looks the other way on issues as profound as torture. Judge Mukasey's professed ignorance of the debate over the propriety of practices like 'waterboarding,' or simulated drowning, as a means of interrogation, was appalling," Obama wrote.

At 1:11 a similar email came from the office of New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

"Judge Mukasey has been given ample opportunity –- both at his confirmation hearings and in his subsequent submission to the Judiciary Committee –- to clarify his answers and categorically oppose the unacceptable interrogation techniques employed by this Administration.  His failure to do so leaves me no choice but to oppose his nomination," she said.

Clinton and Obama are days behind Sen. Chris Dodd, who announced his plans to opposed Mukasey on Sunday and had spoken out against the nominee weeks ago.

"Mr. Mukasey's position that the President does not have to heed the law disqualifies him from being the chief attorney for the United States. We have seen for too long, and at great expense to our national security, an Administration that has systematically attacked the rule of law and turned our Justice Department into a poltical wing of the White House. I'm afraid that Mr. Mukasey as Attorney General would be more of the same," read the email from Dodd's campaign office on Sunday.

They're the only three senators to officially oppose Mukasey. All three are technically jumping the gun because Mukasey he has yet to submit all of his written answers on the torture question to the Judiciary Committee.

Mukasey did submit written testimony before his hearing and on Friday he responded to a letter from Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy on the subject torture, but there are formal letters from other Democratic members of the committee and ranking Republican Sen. Arlen Specter that have yet to be answered.

HERE is the letter from Mukasey to Leahy.

Today, Mukasey updated his stance on torture, specifically the practice of waterboarding in a letter to ten Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. While he says that he finds certain coercive techniques "personally repugnant," he does not dismiss them out of hand since he is not read in to all top secret US detainee circumstances. He says that to render judgment based on hypothetical information would be improper.

"Some of you told me at the hearing or in private meeting that you hoped and expected that, if confirmed, I would exercise by independent judgment when providing advice to the President, regardless of whiter that advice was what the President wanted to hear," writes Mukasey in the letter to the Democrats. "I told you that it would be irresponsible for me to do anything less. It would be no less irresponsible for me to seek confirmation by providing an uninformed legal opinion based on hypothetical facts and circumstances."

Senator John McCain, who has strong views on torture as a former POW and is seeking the Republican ticket for president, expressed reservations in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos this weekend, but did not say he would oppose the nominee.

Other anti-torture Senators are reserving judgment -- Judiciary Committee Democrats Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Teddy Kennedy of Massachusetts and even Russ Feingold of Wisconsin are waiting for Mukasey to officially answer the questions before opposing him (if they ultimately oppose him).

This is not the first time that Clinton and Obama have announced their opinions on a controversial issue nearly within moments. Both announced their plans for a way forward in Iraq within days of each other early this year.

In May, Clinton and Obama held out to the end before voting, nearly in tandem, against a supplemental appropriations bill that funded the Iraq war without a Democratic plan for phased redeployment.

Then, too, Dodd was in front. He had announced days before the vote that he would oppose that bill.

October 30, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

Ron Paul on 'Tonight' Tonight

October 30, 2007 10:33 AM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: All the millions of dollars he has raised and his growing online army of supporters are evidence that Ron Paul is to be taken seriously as a Republican presidential candidate.

But the proof could come tonight, when the Texas congressman and Libertarian Republican appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Sure, he's been on The Daily Show and the Colbert Report -- but face it, those programs are on cable TV.

Their audiences are a fraction of the six or so million viewers that Jay Leno gets every night on network television. So, while Paul's appearance tonight will be a thorough examination of the issues, it will mark his entrance into the larger public zeitgeist.

While neither frontrunner in the polls has appeared on The Tonight Show as a presidential candidate, other candidates have used Leno's couch to humanize themselves or make subtle jabs at their competitors or kick off their entire campaigns.

Senator John McCain was self deprecating to Leno in August. He admitted "mistakes were made" in his campaign and suggested maybe he should have announced his campaign on The Tonight Show.

One week later, former Tennesee Senator Fred Thompson did just that when he announced his late entrance to the Presidential field on The Tonight Show. And he did so to millions more than saw his rivals in a debate held the same night.

Former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney talked on The Tonight Show about being a Mormon.

Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., talked about his wife's cancer.

Earlier this month, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., took the opportunity to tacitly compare Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. to President Bush.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., told Leno about the tragedy of losing his wife to a car accident.

But Paul has made a point of his campaign that his message is more important than his personality. It is unclear how the erudite hero to libertarians everywhere will perform in Burbank, where personality is the message.

October 30, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)

Obama Unplugged – Obama Talks With the MTV Generation

October 29, 2007 6:47 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: The MTV/My Space dialogue with Sen. Barck Obama D-Ill., Monday may not have yielded such memorable moments a la the Bill Clinton "boxers or briefs" moment, but some lighter moments did made it into the mix.

Asked by a student at Coe College in Cedar Rapids who would play him in a movie, Obama responded with Will Smith, "because his ears match mine," referencing both of their large ears.

"In terms of my wife, there's no body that good looking," Obama retorted as to who might play his wife, Michelle Obama.

Asked about his newest opponent for the Democratic nomination, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, Obama joked, "I’m going for the Jon Stewart endorsement to off set the Colbert factor."

Saying that he and Colbert would have a "grit off" in South Carolina, Obama said Colbert's candidacy says something about the way that young people get their news, and the larger main stream media. Obama urged for more straight talk on the nightly news, "if I were running the networks…I would puncture the hypocrisy that seems so prevalent in the political process."

When asked if he'd be willing to run on the ticket with senator Clinton, either as her Vice President, or vice versa, Obama responded flatly, "no, because I’m not running for Vice President, I’m running for president of the United States."

The forum was also a prime time to ask about Obama's reported intention to step up his aggressiveness in showing differences with Senator Clinton. When asked how he could do this while still retaining the positive message of the "politics of hope" which Obama pushed early on in the campaign, Obama responded that the politics of hope "Is not based on just all of us holding hands and singing kumbaya….she and I have differences, and it’s important to know what those differences are, as long as there’s nothing personal about it."

Obama was also asked about the controversy after having a gospel singer, Donnie McClurkin, who made anti-gay comments in the past, appear at an Obama event this past weekend.

Saying he disagrees with McClurkin's views Obama replied that he wants to reach out to those who have a different attitude on these ideas, "We’ve got to get beyond some of the homophobia that still exists."

October 29, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Giuliani Says Dems Will Change Mind About Iraq War

October 29, 2007 5:30 PM

ABC News' Jan Simmonds Reports:  Rudy Giuliani said at a town hall meeting Monday that he thinks the Democrats are going to change their minds about the Iraq War and again support it.

"Do I think the mission in Iraq is the correct one? I think without a doubt it is," Giuliani said in Londonderry, New Hampshire. "And I think the Democrats are gonna change their mind about it again."

Giuliani went on to describe how Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and John Edwards, D-N.C., both were initially in favor of invading Iraq, having voted that way in the Senate, but have since "changed their minds about it." 

"I think Edwards has apologized for it. She (Hillary Clinton) hasn't apologized for it but she said it was a mistake, but it was George Bush's mistake. I guess he got her to vote that way," he said.

The former Mayor of New York went on to tell the crowd, of over 250 people, again that he thought over time the Democrats will change their minds about the Iraq War and that "over time history will show it was the right decision."

October 29, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)

Rudy's Fuzzy Healthcare Math

October 29, 2007 3:36 PM

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: To hear Rudy Giuliani describe it in his new radio ad, the British medical system is a scary place.

"My chance of surviving prostate cancer -- and thank God I was cured of it -- in the United States: 82 percent," Giuliani says in a new radio spot airing in New Hampshire. "My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England: Only 44 percent, under socialized medicine."

But the data Giuliani cites comes from a single study published eight years ago by a not-for-profit group, and is contradicted by official data from the British government.

According to the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics, for men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1999 and 2003, the "five-year survival rate" -- a common measurement in cancer statistics -- was 74.4 percent.

The statistics show that the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer victims in the UK has been steadily rising to approach the survival rate Giuliani cited for the United States.

The 74.4 percent survival rate "was 3.6 percentage points higher than the rate of 70.8 per cent for men diagnosed during 1998-2001," according to a British government report published in August.

In releasing the ad, the Giuliani campaign cited statistics published in an article in the Summer 2007 issue of City Journal, an urban-policy magazine that Giuliani has pronounced himself a fan of. The article, "The Ugly Truth About Canadian Health Care," was written by David Gratzer, a physician who is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and is a healthcare adviser to the Giuliani campaign.

"And if we measure a health-care system by how well it serves its sick citizens, American medicine excels. Five-year cancer survival rates bear this out," Gratzer writes. "The survival rate for prostate cancer is 81.2 percent here, yet 61.7 percent in France and down to 44.3 percent in England -- a striking variation."

The article did not name a source for those statistics. Through a spokeswoman, Gratzer said he was relying on data compiled for a 2000 study by the Commonwealth Fund, a not-for-profit foundation that supports health research.

Maria Comella, a Giuliani campaign spokesman, said the former New York City mayor is an avid reader of City Journal and found the passage in the article himself. He cited the statistics at a campaign stop, and the campaign used a recording from that appearance in the radio advertisement.

The campaign did not attempt to independently verify the statistics, Comella said.

"The citation is an article in a highly respected intellectual journal written by an expert at a highly respected think tank which the mayor read because he is an intellectually engaged human being," she said.

Don McCanne, a senior health policy fellow at Physicians for a National Health Program, conceded that the five-year survival rate for cancer diagnoses is higher in the United States than in many countries that have single-payer systems, though the disparity is not as great as Giuliani claims in his ad.

But he said that any such comparison is flawed, since it fails to take into account the additional investment in cancer education and screening in the United States. Much of the gap would be closed if other countries invested similar sums in catching cancer early.

If all Americans had access to preventive care, screenings, and treatment -- through a single-payer system or another universal healthcare plan -- the five-year survival rate would almost certainly be increased, since cancers would be caught sooner.

"It's not a result of the healthcare-financing issue. That's not what this is about at all," McCanne said. "Under a universal system, we would increase access to preventive screening."

October 29, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (47) | TrackBack (0)

Cindy McCain Won't Fund Husband's Bid

October 29, 2007 2:45 PM

ABC News' Cynthia McFadden and Rick Klein Report: Sen. John McCain's wife, Cindy, is ruling out making personal financial contributions to her husband's struggling campaign for president, saying that the she and her husband are committed to funding his race via small contributions from donors.

In an interview to air on ABC's "Nightline" Tuesday night, Cindy McCain said they will not reconsider that decision, even though McCain, R-Ariz., is contemplating taking public financing to help keep his campaign afloat.

"I haven't put any money into the campaign -- my husband has never believed that we should do that," Mrs. McCain says. "He has always said, you know, 'I run on my own merits, and if I cant convince the people that I'm the guy, we're not going to do it by, you know we don’t need to do it by [self-funding the campaign.]' We need to convince everybody else that we’re the right family and he’s the right guy for this."

Asked if using personal funds would be like "trying to buy" the presidency, McCain responded: "Yeah. Yeah, we wouldn’t do that so it -- we never have done it. We have a record in the history for that so it's just part of [that.]"

Cindy McCain is the biggest stockholder and chairman of the board of Hensley & Co., one of the nation's largest Anheuser-Busch distributors. Her fortune is the bulk of the estimated $25 million to $38 million that the couple is worth.

Federal law limits candidates' spouses to contributing no more than $2,300 to campaigns -- the same limit that applies to all other individuals. But by borrowing against shared assets, candidates can use their spouses' wealth to provide considerably more help.

One of McCain's rivals for the GOP nomination, former governor Mitt Romney, R-Mass., has already put in $17.5 million of his own money to fund his bid. McCain told the New York Times Magazine in July that while he wouldn't criticize other candidates for spending their own money, he felt that getting small donations is "part of whether you can succeed or fail."

"I should be able to raise my own money from contributors or take matching funds according to the law, not dip into my wife’s assets," McCain said.

With McCain's campaign carrying about as much debt as he has cash on hand, he is considering taking federal matching funds for his run. Such a decision, however, limits the money available to him in early-voting states.

October 29, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (18) | TrackBack (0)

Giuliani Picks Up Nancy Johnson Endorsement

October 29, 2007 1:26 PM

ABC News' Jan Simmonds Reports: Rudy Giuliani, R-N.Y., will receive the endorsement  of former U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., Monday afternoon.

Johnson served in Congress from 1983 through 2007, and is known for her work on health care, an issue the Giuliani camp has been pushing with a new radio ad and direct mailing in New Hampshire.

The former Congresswoman co-authored the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program, which took effect in 2006, giving the former New York mayor's campaign a well regarded surrogate on health care issues.

In 2006, Johnson, targeted by MoveOn.org, lost her bid for reelection to Democrat Chris Murphy.

October 29, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Cheney Embarks on Annual Hunting Trip

October 29, 2007 11:09 AM

ABC News' Jennifer Duck Reports: As Vice President Cheney embarks on his annual hunting trip today, it's hard to forget what happened last year when the Wyoming native accidentally shot a good friend while hunting quail in Texas.

The Vice President shot his hunting companion Harry Whittington in the torso, neck and face.  President Bush openly jokes about the February 2006 shooting accident which landed Whittington in the hospital for six days. 

While visiting St. Michaels, Maryland last week, President Bush said, "The Vice President tells me there's a lot of fine fishing here, and I'm looking forward to going out and trying to catch some.  I love to fish.  And the good news there's a lot of good fishing here is because the Secret Service won't let me go hunting with him."

The accident was kept from the press and most senior staff for a few days. 

Shortly after the accident, Vice President Cheney explained it was "one of the worst days" of his life.  "...the image of him falling is something I'll never be able to get out of my mind. I fired, and there's Harry falling. And it was, I'd have to say, one of the worst days of my life, at that moment," Vice President Cheney said last year.

The Vice President has been hunting a few times since the accidental shooting.  Cheney will go hunting near Poughkeepsie, NY today.

October 29, 2007 in White House | Permalink | User Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

Edwards Files for New Hampshire Primary

October 29, 2007 10:31 AM

ABC News' Raelyn Johnson Reports: Greeted by a throng of supporters gathered in the halls of the New Hampshire statehouse Monday, Democratic presidential contender former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., filed to have his name put on the New Hampshire primary ballot.

While a permanent date for the New Hampshire primary is still up in the air, Edwards told a room full of reporters he would vigorously campaign in the Granite State, no matter when the primary is. 

Edwards, who has trailed Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in the polls assured that he is still very much present in what has been shaping up to be a two person race.

"I think what people want in New Hampshire is, they want to see change," Edwards said. 

"If they want to insure that, in fact, we do what 20 generations have done before us and that meets the great moral test of our generation, we're going to have to take on a system that is rigged and corrupt and doesn't work.  That's very direct straight talk and I think that's what New Hampshire voters will respond to."

Edwards, who has developed a campaign message around getting the influence of lobbyists out of Washington, D.C., will expand his message Monday afternoon in a major speech in Manchester, N.H. 

October 29, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Romney Wins Key N.H. Endorsement

October 29, 2007 10:31 AM

ABC News' Matt Stuart Reports: When former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney files for the New Hampshire primary today in Concord, he'll have a new ally by his side: New Hampshire  Republican Sen. Judd Gregg will endorse Romney's presidential run later this afternoon.

In a press release today, Gregg said he was supporting Romney because he "embodies New Hampshire's values."

The endorsement is a boost for Romney's New Hampshire chances, as the state's junior senator, Republican John Sununu, has said he will remain neutral through the primary season.

The endorsement isn't a complete surprise -- a key member of Romney's New Hampshire team, attorney Tom Rath, also advises Gregg.

Both Gregg and Sununu previously endorsed President Bush in 2000.

October 29, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Rockies Lose Tancredo Too

October 29, 2007 9:09 AM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Colorado lost more than the World Series on Sunday night.  Rep. Tom Tancredo, a fifth term Republican and current presidential contender, has announced he will not seek reelection to the House but will continue to try and reach the White House in 2008.

Tancredo, R-Colo., told the Rocky Mountain News, "It's the fact that I really believe I have done all I can do in the House, especially about the issue about which I care greatly (immigration)."

The conservative Congressman had already broken a pledge to voters to only serve two terms, claiming at the time that he saw no one in the political field who would devote as much passion to his signature issue.

Tancredo said he would announce his plans regarding Congress after the World Series (presumably, of course, the suburban Denver politician hoped for a better outcome).  He also challenged Republican nomination rival Mitt Romney, R-Mass., to a World Series wager which would have raised the stakes for both men: Tancredo said he would drop out of the presidential race if the Red Sox won, provided Romney do the same if the Colorado Rockies managed to topple the streaking Sox.

Romney's camp declined the offer, and it seems in doing so, have prolonged Tancredo's presidential season.

October 29, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Rudy: After Sox Win Tonight, 'I’m Gonna Be Against Ya Again'

October 28, 2007 8:43 PM

ABC News’ Jan Simmonds reports:  Rudy Giuliani, R-N.Y., said this evening that after the Red Sox win the World Series tonight, he was going to go back to rooting against them.

At a house party in Amherst, N.H., Giuliani tried to contextualize his comments last week in which he gave his public support for the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

“My father made me a Yankee fan in Brooklyn, which was harder to be than a Yankee fan in Boston,” said Giuliani. 

“I was a Yankee fan then, I’m a Yankee fan now, I’ll be a Yankee fan when I die,” added the former New York City mayor.

But he did not shy away from his support of the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, who are one win away from winning the championship. 

“Almost always, I root for the American League team.  I’ve made one or two exceptions, like with the Mets, like in ’86,” he said.

“I root for you now, but after tonight when ya win, I’m gonna be against ya again.”

October 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

Voter Asks Edwards to Debate Distinctions

October 28, 2007 8:40 PM

ABC News’ Raelyn Johnson Reports: Perhaps both a sequel to the Democratic presidential debate in Dartmouth last month and prequel to Tuesday’s upcoming showdown, today a New Hampshire voter encouraged former Sen. John Edwards to draw further distinctions between himself and Sen. Hillary Clinton on bringing troops home from Iraq.

“I know that your position is probably the closest to mine of all those three [top tier] candidates,” said Dave Tiffany, 59, during a town hall in Bedford, N.H.  “It’s not enough for candidates to say that they will end the war in Iraq.  I’ve heard Hillary Clinton say that probably about 50 times. I don’t think she means the same thing by it as I mean by it.”

Tiffany, who expressed his disappointment in the Democratic Congress for funding the war without a timetable for troop withdrawal, recapped Edwards performance saying, “In the Dartmouth debate you did take Hillary Clinton to task for continuing combat operations. Please, continue to make this an issue in future debates.  We need to know that we’re going to end the war in Iraq.”

At Dartmouth last month, moderator Tim Russert asked that candidates if they would pledge by January 2013 there will be no U.S. troops in Iraq.  Clinton, Obama and Edwards all failed to directly commit to the pledge, though they did express a desire to have all troops out of Iraq during their presidency. However, Edwards took a moment to take Sen. Clinton to task, saying, “There are, however, differences between us, and those differences need to be made aware. Good people have differences about this issue. For example, I heard Sen. Clinton say on Sunday that she wants to continue combat missions in Iraq. To me, that's a continuation of the war.”

Today, Edwards reiterated his differences at the request of Tiffany.

“I will have every American combat troop out of Iraq long before that [2013], and I will stop combat missions long before that,” said Edwards.

“No combat troops, no combat troops being stationed in Iraq -- that is an important distinction between at least Sen. Clinton and myself."

Tiffany, who is currently an undecided voter, said he was taking a close look at the entire field of Democratic candidates, noting, “If we’re going to vet our candidates properly, we’re going to need to go to a greater level of detail.”  On Tuesday, Tiffany will tune in to the debate with great detail.

October 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Giuliani Taken Aback By Clinton Diplomacy Plan

October 28, 2007 3:35 PM

ABC News' Jan Simmonds Reports: Rudy Giuliani today asked Hillary Clinton to take back comments she made to the Des Moines Register's Tom Beaumont, printed in Sunday's edition, about a diplomacy plan she would put into action the day after she's elected.

"The day after I'm elected, I'm going to be asking distinguished Americans of both political parties to travel around the world on my behalf with a very simple message to the governments and the people alike: The era of cowboy diplomacy is over," Clinton told Beaumont.

After reading the quote from the Register in front of a campaign audience, the former New York mayor offered his own thoughts of Clinton’s plan.

"Well Hillary is not a president-elect… the last time I checked. We are gonna have something to say about that," said Giuliani. "Hillary is not even the nominee of the party. I mean this is very very premature, talking about sending ambassadors all over the world even before she becomes president to in essence interfere with the policies of the United States."

The national Republican frontrunner went on to say that he thinks Senator Clinton "should correct those statements." Giuliani said he agreed with scholars quoted in Beaumont’s article who said Clinton’s plan could undermine the legitimacy of a military strike Bush may see necessary in the closing months of his presidency or prompt ongoing negotiations, often unseen to the new president, to stall while foreign parties wait for the new administration to take office.

But Giuliani was kinder than he has been in the past when disagreeing with Clinton.

"I am not criticizing her," he added. "I am not charging her with anything. I am giving her an opportunity to say that she made a mistake and correct it."

Giuliani even made light of his own public mistakes saying, "sometimes I say things in a way that I would like to correct them later. I feel that this is the way we should kind of conduct a campaign. Not just jump on top of something but let’s give her a chance now to explain what she meant by that and withdraw it."

October 28, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Obama Steps up Social Security Message in TV Ad

October 28, 2007 1:57 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Fresh off the heels of a social security speech in which he singled out Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., has release a new TV ad on social security state in Iowa.

Entitled "Wind" the ad shows Senator Obama saying, "I don’t want to just put my finger out to the wind and see what the polls say. I want to bring the country together to solve a problem."

Obama does on to say that "If we have failed to have a real, honest conversation about Social Security, it will not get fixed."

Obama's plan for social security includes protecting benefits, ending exemptions for the wealthily and is against privatization.

You can view the ad by clicking HERE.

Saturday, at a campaign stop in Des Moines, Iowa the Senator addressed his plan for social security and also blasted his top opponent senator Clinton, D-Ill., for "dodging" answering specifics, "When Senator Clinton was asked about it, she wouldn’t say what she thought needed to be done…..I reject that notion…..a candidate for President owes it to the American people to tell us where they stand."

October 28, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Giuliani Talks Health care in "Chances"

October 28, 2007 1:30 PM

ABC News' Jan Simmonds reports: While still not on television with any paid advertisements, the Giuliani campaign continues to churn out radio spots.

Their latest, hitting the airwaves Monday in New Hampshire, is entitled "Chances."

In "Chances", Giuliani, in his own voice, describes his own struggle with prostate cancer as a way of keying off his healthcare plan.

"I had, uh, prostate cancer, five, six years ago," recalls Giuliani. "My chance of surviving prostate cancer and thank God I was cured of it, in the United States, 82%. My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England, only 44% under socialized medicine."

Throughout the rest of the ad, Giuliani suggests that citizens should have more control over their choice of health care. Under the Giuliani health care proposal, each family in America would receive a $15,000 tax deduction or a $7,500 individual tax deduction so they can go out and buy their own health insurance.

Giuliani's theory is that if the health care consumer market is expanded to 50 or 60 million Americans, instead of one that is currently dominated by the government and employers, the cost of health insurance "will come down and the quality will come up."

The campaign is following up the radio ad with a direct mail message that reinforces their healthcare message.

The plan is without a mandate that would place the burden of cost on the federal government and is based on the principles of less government and lower taxes. It is the hope of the campaign that through Giuliani's health care proposal they will be able to win over a sizeable amount New Hampshire’s independents -- 40 percent of registered voters in New Hampshire voters list themselves as independent. Recent polls in New Hampshire have shown that independent list health care ranks as one of their most important issues.

October 28, 2007 in Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)