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Obama: Immigration Has Become a 'Political Football'

January 31, 2008 5:02 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Immigration and racial issues led the discussion during Sen. Barack Obama’s town hall in Los Angeles today.

Speaking before a crowd of 1,600 predominately Hispanics, Obama addressed the issue of immigration being used as a “political football.”

Watch the video HERE.

“Too many Americans today feel like the system is not designed for people like us,” Obama told the crowd.

Obama referenced the discussion over race, and the alleged “black- brown divide” that has plagued discussions on the camping trail in states like Nevada and South Carolina -– where pundits questioned whether Obama could get Hispanic voters and white voters to vote for him.

“We've heard some cynical talk about how black folks and white folks and Latinos cannot come together. We've heard it before,” Obama said, emphasizing his time as community working with all three groups.

Obama said he’s been upset with the tone of the immigration debate in this country and then went into a history lesson about immigration in the country.

“Not everybody who came in through Ellis Island had their papers in order. I’m just telling the truth now. Not everybody was all – you know – all had their stuff together, so we just need to remember that.”

Obama reminded the crowd that it wasn’t only people “South of the Border” that were discriminated against, but the Irish and Polish too, and said that because of that it’s important to have a intelligent debate about immigration that is “not tinged with our attitudes of what people should look like who came here.”

The Senator –- son of a Kenyan man and white woman from Kansas finished, “Cause my attitude is everybody should come here. My father when he came here - he didn’t look like he stepped off the Mayflower, you know.”

Obama, who is in support of comprehensive immigration reform, also added that part of that reform includes immigrants learning English, a topic he’s spoken out many times in support of in the past.

“Of course, I need to learn Spanish,” Obama added to a round of applause from the Hispanic crowd, “So we can teach each other.”

Immigration will be a theme that will dominate much of the remaining days leading up to Super Tuesday for Obama -- tomorrow he heads to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

January 31, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (16)

Live-Blogging During Democratic Presidential Debate by Rick Klein

January 31, 2008 4:25 PM

9:53 pm: My take: This is one of those debates where you could call it based just on your predilections -- enough for both sides to declare victory, and not a debate that's likely to change many minds. Indeed, it seemed that this was all about talking to undecided voters, introducing their positions, on substantive grounds. This was a meaty debate -- the jabs were all couched in policy.

So we can be disappointed in the lack of fireworks, but let us applaud the high-minded discussion. Voters heard real differences, particularly on health care, but also on foreign policy and immigration.

To get to the tactics, this tells you (again) that neither candidate is all that confident about the campaign's trajectory. It was a showdown marked by caution, like a title fight that goes to the judges instead of being decided by who falls onto the mat.

As for winners and losers -- split decision in my head, but I give a slight edge to Sen. Clinton. She was at the top of her game tonight. It's not that Obama wasn't -- he was also in command, and he did get his points on Iraq across. But Clinton portrayed a measured confidence and competence throughout, reinforcing her campaign message, and turning down the heat that was starting to burn her.

That's it for tonight -- check back tomorrow for a full analysis of the race at The Note.

9:50 pm: Obama on the VP question: "I'm sure Hillary would be on anybody's short list." Clinton says she agrees with what Obama said, but similar words do not cross her lips. And notice that extended whispering conversation (and half-hug) on stage at the end -- no snubs tonight, indeed.

9:48 pm: From ABC's Jake Tapper: "Despite their considerable differences, Hillary and Rudy (R.I.P.) have that unusual political tic where they guffaw loudly whenever asked questions that would cause any non-politician to hit the questioner in the face. They must teach that at politician school."

9:45 pm: A BIG Clinton laugh when the question comes to controlling her husband. "The fact is, I'm running for president... I want the campaign to stay focused on the issues I care about." But that is PRECISELY the problem with what Bill Clinton has been saying. "It's a choice between the two of us," she says. If that's really want she wants, then pull Bill off the trail. Surely he has plenty of work he could be doing for his foundation.

9:44 pm: ABC's Nitya Venkataraman (WAY more into pop culture than me) does some star watching for us: "Lou Gosset Junior is at this thing. Plus Diane Keaton. Plus Bradley Whitford. Plus Rob Reiner. Plus Alfre Woodard. Plus Stevie Wonder. Plus Steven Spielberg. Plus Topher Grace. I think Hollywood is so starved because of the writers strike they realized this was their shot into the Kodak Theater this year."

9:39 pm: I guess we're blowing past the time limits... Hey, why not?

9:35 pm: Obama: "Everybody, the day after that vote was taken, understood that this was a vote potentially to go to war." He makes the link explicitly -- not all good experience is good experience. "It is important to be right on day one."

9:33 pm: "It was not just bad execution," Obama said. "We need better judgment when we send men and women into war." Good, powerful stuff, well delivered. The second half of the debate is being fought much more on Obama's turf, with all this talk about the Iraq war. And she still will not call the vote a "mistake," whatever that really means.

But I just wonder if the talk of Iraq sounds stale to people at this point. "What are we going to do going forward?" Clinton says.

9:29 pm: Sen. Clinton says her vote for the Iraq resolution was "not authority for preemptive war." I don't know -- can't she move beyond that? And "gravitas" is the word she uses -- a rather clear suggestion that the neophyte to her left lacks it.

9:26 pm: From ABC's Jake Tapper: "Clinton has a really steady tone tonight, solid and presidential. Eminently likeable. And kudos to Wolf for a very substantive debate. Now, less substantively, did they just show that in the audience is that dude from Grey's Anatomy who got fired for homophobic comments?"

9:22 pm: Obama sets up his "clear contrast," since he opposed the war from the beginning. Blitzer (hope in his voice): "Sen. Clinton, that's a clear swipe at you." She doesn't think so, apparently. Or decides not to swing back.

9:21 pm: From ABC's David Wright: "Does it seem like Obama is trying to turn the debate to McCain and the general a bit too early???? He has mentioned him 3 or 4 times now."

9:18 pm: Clinton seems very calm tonight, just totally in control of her responses. And not to leave him out -- Obama does as well. I just sense a bigger contrast with Clinton. She is having a good night, seems respectful of Obama and certain of where she is.

9:11 pm: (Was that Pierce Brosnan? James Bond is in the house?) Really good question on Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton. And a good answer, but I don't know any answer will settle questions of Bush/Clinton fatigue.

9:07 pm: Obama praising the accomplishments of the Clinton years, BUT -- "who can inspire the American people?" And Obama talking about changing the electoral map -- that's a strong argument.

9:07 pm: Clinton campaign provides this link, a clip of Obama on driver's licenses from a previous debate, in November, when he handled it rather poorly.

9:05 pm: Clinton: "No one else is on the ballot." Yes, this from the woman whose campaign is deploying Bill Clinton to boost her prospects essentially any way he can.

9:02 pm: Clinton does have the resume answer down pat. And when she says the US government isn't a business, but is a "trust." Knocks it out of the park. She's in command tonight. And Obama's line is funny too: Romney hasn't gotten a good return on his investment in the campaign. HAH!

8:58 pm: Obama on experience: "We need to move forward with new leadership." "The skills that I have are the ones that are needed right now."

8:54 pm: At the halfway point -- I should give up trying to predict how feisty these things will be. So far, my guess is the Clinton campaign is marginally more happy about the debate than the Obama folks. She generally excels when the talk is substantive, and she handled the focus on health care rather masterfully.

8:51 pm: Sen. Clinton opposes driver's licenses for illegal immigrants because it "puts them at risk"? I'm sorry, but nobody would force them to get them... And Obama brings up the fact that she's been all over the map on this issue. (He also shows some love for Bill Richardson, the Hispanic governor of New Mexico.)

8:46 pm: Obama: "I think it is the right thing to do." But Obama is dancing, too -- "there are those" who have flipped, or run away from the issue. "People don't come here to drive. They come here to work," Obama says -- good line, and one that gets to the heart of his position.

But Clinton was sponsoring comprehensive reform bills back when Obama was in the state legislature. Hah.

8:42 pm: Driver's licenses for immigrants -- that was the issue that started knocking Clinton off her game many moons ago. Clinton ended up coming down against the licenses -- and that's a position that could hurt her in the critical Latino community. That's probably why she took forever to answer the question, and didn't do so directly.

8:37 pm: The RNC is having a fun night -- Obama and Clinton nodding in agreement about the need for higher taxes on the rich.

8:34 pm: All this talk of healthcare -- this is Hillary's wheelhouse. She's got to be happy about the first 34 minutes.

8:33 pm: Intriguing that Obama brings up McCain to take a swipe, on tax cuts: "Somewhere along the line, the Straight Talk Express lost some wheels." The prospect of a McCain nomination scares Democrats more than a Romney nomination -- and Obama folks argue that he'd be more electable in a general election matchup with McCain (though polling is not that clear-cut).

8:30 pm: We in the media often criticize candidates for not being substantive -- and these guys are about 90 percent substance so far. That means, 1/3 of the way, things are pretty tame. Wal-Mart mentions tied with Rezko mention -- Zero.

8:27 pm: Blitzer's right -- OF COURSE it was a swipe at Sen. Clinton's secretive task force, to say your task force would have its proceedings broadcast on C-SPAN.

8:26 pm: BUT, Obama does a good job too explaining his plan, "bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors." His plan is more incremental, but he ties it to his unity message.

8:24 pm: This strikes as one of few issue differences (since there are so few) that can drive votes. Sen. Clinton still seems more comfortable talking about her healthcare plan than Sen. Obama is about his -- it depicts Clinton as the fighter who's going for the big prize. "You have to bite this bullet," she says. (And mentions -- again -- that her plan is similar to Edwards'.)

8:20 pm: Is it universal healthcare if people decline it and don't get coverage? The Obama campaign still calls his healthcare plan "universal." It isn't, and I think Sen. Obama just acknowledged that, sort of. (And does anyone else notice that Obama can't pronounce "Massachusetts"? He lived in the state for three years, during law school, and he has three politicians named Kerry, Kennedy, and Deval Patrick who could help.)

8:18 pm: The question was about a policy difference. And Obama's answer includes positions on the Iraq war. Telling.

8:16 pm: They are playing out the healthcare and mortage issues with some real details. They disagree on the approaches -- and they're laying it out there. It's only personal at the far edges so far -- like they're feeling each other out a bit. A dig on each side -- Clinton on meeting with rogue leaders, Obama on special interests.

8:12 pm: Healthcare -- this actually is a policy difference, one of the very few that truly exists. And Clinton also jumps on that old debate line about meeting with rogue leaders.

Also, ABC's David Wright proposes a game for the night: How many times can each of them speak in uplifting terms about Sen. Edwards?

8:10 pm: We've heard before from Sen. Clinton about the "stack of problems." It's critical to her argument about being ready lead on day one. But it also speaks to one of the problems in her campaign -- it's sort of a downer to think about that stack. It's more fun to hope and dream with Obama, no?

Oh, and Sen. Clinton also squeezes in an homage to John Edwards -- and Elizabeth, too -- iin her opening statement.

8:06 pm: Obama IMMEDIATELY honors John Edwards -- hmmm, think he's interested in his supporters, by chance? And his message -- "testimony to this country," "opportunity to make history." And a message of comity -- she and Sen. Clinton will be friends no matter what. Awwwwww....

But there's the first sharp line -- "Past vs. the future." "We also have to have change that brings the country together" and that "levels with the American people." He got right to his core argument.

8:02 pm: I do love Wolf Blitzer's tendency to overhype -- but he's right tonight about the stakes and the historic nature. Sen. Clinton sounds peppy on the stage -- "Hi, Wolf, nice to see you," she says loudly. And good -- they're doing that lame pointing thing, like they're surprised to see people in the hand-picked crowd.

7:56 pm ET: Gotta love this -- great tidbit from my colleague Jonathan Greenberger. If you want to see what John Edwards is up to on his second night as a non-candidate, all you have to do is click over ESPN. The Boston College-Univ. of North Carolina game is on, at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill -- and John Edwards is in the stands. (My colleague Teddy Davis reminds us that we never did find out about how many tickets he's getting to UNC sporting events.)

7:54 pm ET: Some color from the Kodak Theater, from ABC's Sunlen Miller: "Wolf Blitzer is going through the whole and the Oscar goes to' bit before the debate starts, standing on stage before hand."

7:53 pm ET: OK, I've said before -- I'm not a bad better, but . . . how could this not be a tremendous show this evening? We're expecting a huge audience for the first head-to-head matchup. And I point this out as much to remind myself as to remind all of you, but for many, many people, this is the first debate they're watching closely. So I know I'm sick of the canned lines, but they may sound fresh to new sets of ears.

7:27 pm ET: One more pre-debate note -- Obama's campaign today announced that it has raised $32 million THIS MONTH. That's right -- not this quarter, THIS MONTH. Radio silence from the Clinton campaign -- they'll say only that they met their $10 million goal for January. This means, first off, that Obama at least (and almost certainly Clinton) is well-armed for a long haul of a campaign. And second, it's another measure of the extraordinary energy that's fueling the Obama campaign. Once again, these are fundraising figures that should have Camp Clinton worried.

6:42 pm ET: Scott -- that's an interesting point about the potential impact of Arnold on Mayor Bloomberg -- but my sense is that you're reading a bit much into today's endorsement. My sense is that the two politicians -- Gov. Schwarzenegger and Mayor Bloomberg -- are close ideologically and in their sense of purpose, and yes -- if the mayor runs, he'd really need to win California. But I think the governor's decision was made on a quite different track. Bloomberg will run if he thinks he has a realistic chance, and it's a decision that will be in his head -- he won't be taking cues from anyone, really. Meanwhile, the governor isn't going to sit out the chance to help a friend (and earn a chit) in endorsing McCain in the GOP primary, while Bloomberg is very much not a candidate.

Rick Klein from ABC's The Note here. I'll be live-blogging during tonight's Democratic presidential debate in Los Angeles -- a one-on-one affair, just Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The debate starts at 8 pm ET, so watch on CNN and follow all the action here at ABCNews.com.

Stirring the pot, the Clinton campaign put out a memo this afternoon -- just maybe trying to get into Obama's head:

"Which Barack Obama will show up at tonight's Democratic debate?

"The Barack Obama who once told the press: 'I would challenge anyone to find a statement that I've made that has been personal as opposed to a substantive difference with a candidate.'

"Or

"The Barack Obama who is increasingly not drawing policy differences or highlighting issue contrasts – but personally launching or allowing his campaign to launch a series of personal negative attacks against Hillary Clinton."

So this means one thing to watch tonight -- who takes the first swing? I'm guessing the tone won't be as shrill as it was 10 days ago, in South Carolina, but there's too much at stake for this to be all sweetness and light.

January 31, 2008 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (159)

McCain Finishes '07 With Strong Fundraising Haul

January 31, 2008 2:38 PM

ABC News' Tahman Bradley and Ron Claiborne Report:

Republican frontrunner Sen. John McCain had his best fundraising quarter the last three months of 2007, raising $9.9 million for his presidential campaign, according to financial documents filed Thursday with the FEC.

The McCain campaign reported having a little bit less than $3 million in cash on hand on December 31 after spending more than $10 million in the fourth quarter of 2007.

McCain aides say they ended up raising in first 3 weeks of January more money than they raised in Q4. In addition, aides describe the campaign's post-Florida fundraising  as "phenomenol."

Overall, the Arizona senator raised more than $40 million for his campaign last year but burned through nearly all of it. Team McCain had $2.9 million in the bank on the last day of 2007.

Every presidential campaign must update their fundraising and spending October through December with the FEC by midnight.

January 31, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (2)

Schwarzenegger Endorses McCain

January 31, 2008 2:00 PM

ABC News' Bret Hovell Reports: California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that former New York Rudy Giuliani’s decision to drop out of the race for the White House made him comfortable endorsing Senator John McCain.

"It's all Rudy's fault," Schwarzenegger joked at the endorsement event in Los Angeles. “Because both of them are friends of mine… I didn’t want to endorse anybody."

“But when I saw Mayor Giuliani, my dear friend, discontinuing his campaign and endorsing Senator McCain, I thought it was also time for me to come out and endorse Senator McCain."

Schwarzenegger's endorsement comes less than a week before the crucial February 5 “Super Tuesday” elections, of which California is a part. McCain is locked in a tight battle with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for delegates which will be available in abundance on the 5th.

McCain expressed his appreciation for the Governor’s leadership on global warming, as well has his personal support.

"I'm doubly honored by this great, great American, that has taken the time and effort to endorse my candidacy and help me on the road to the presidency of the United States," McCain said.

Watch the video HERE.

January 31, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (0)

Obama Raises $32 Million in January

January 31, 2008 11:59 AM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Barack Obama's presidential campaign raised a whopping $32 million in January alone. The number is the highest any candidate has raised in a single month and matches Obama's best three-month period from last year.

In a conference call with reporters, Sen. Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe announced the campaign will report 170,000 new donors and $32 million for the primary.

Plouffe said that the surge followed Obama's New Hampshire loss to Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, "We took a lot of encouragement from that because it showed the resolve of our existing donor base but we also added a lot of additional donors that day."

Leading into a competitive Super Tuesday contest that leaves the races after it very much in play, the financial standing of the candidates is increasingly important.

"This contest could go on for some time in the primary and we think the strength of our financial positioning and the number of donors does speak to the financial sustainability and if it ends up going though March and April we will have the resources necessary to conduct rigorous campaigns in the states to come."

The Obama campaign will go on air in all of the February 9, 10, and 12 primary states in the coming days, and they already have significant money devoted to advertising in nearly every February 5 state.

January 31, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (139)

Reid on Obama and Clinton: 'I Need Them Back'

January 31, 2008 11:41 AM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Senate Democrats held a special meeting Thursday to decide on two bills both with a deadline of February 15. In between now and then...is Super Tuesday.

No final decisions on either the FISA update bill or the economic stimulus package were reached, but afterwards on the Senate floor Majority Leader Harry Reid implied there won't be action on either item till next week. Not only does he need to woo Republican support to get the 60 votes needed to pass versions the Democrats prefer on both matters, but he needs to marshal his troops. Specifically, those conspicuously absent from the Senate with a case of '08.

"I probably can't get them back here 'til Monday, but I do need them back," Reid said of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., the two Democrats vying for their party's presidential nomination. Other Democrats, notably Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, hit the campaign trail as a surrogate for Obama.

He said the FISA update would take one "long legislative day" but could be accomplished.

He was even more cryptic about the stimulus.

Since there are two full weeks between now and Feb. 15th, it's unclear why Reid would hold the votes before the February 5 Super Tuesday primary.

January 31, 2008 in Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (24)

Bill Clinton Undeterred By 9/11 Hecklers

January 31, 2008 7:43 AM

ABC News' Sarah Amos Reports: Former President Bill Clinton took the phrase "on-message" to a new level in Denver yesterday, when hecklers began shouting about how September 11th was a conspiracy theory that needed further investigation.

Clinton had just begun his speech to the crowd, when a man towards the front of the crowd began shouting about re-opening the 9/11 investigation and the war in Iraq. 

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

When the crowd tried to boo the man into silence, Clinton continued: "Let him talk."

The heckler's exact wording wasn't quite audible from the press risers, but the tone was apparent to everyone in the arena, including Clinton. 

“Are you one of those it was an inside job guys?" the former president asked. Continuing, "Hillary agrees we should end the war, but we have heard from you now, now you hear from me.  I let you be rude and interrupt me screaming at the top of your lungs. Nine-eleven was NOT an inside job, it was an Osama Bin Laden job with 19 people from Saudi Arabia, they murdered 3000 Americans and others foreigners including Muslims and we look like idiots, that the people who murdered our fellow citizens did it, when they are continuing to murder other people around the world.  So we heard from you, you go away," Clinton said to the cheering crowd.

(NOTE: Former President Bill Clinton made a mistake when he cited the nationalities of the 9/11 hijackers. In fact, 15 out of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia.)

Undeterred, the heckler and his 9/11-sign waving cohorts started up a few minutes later, and Clinton decided to use this opportunity to promote his wife's record in the Senate.

"One of the reasons you ought to be for Hillary for President, since this has been brought up, is that she helped pass bi-partisan legislation in the Senate to help take care of all those firefighters and police officers who got sick because of 9/11.  You talk to the victims of 9/11, the people who had a dozen surgeries just so that they could go back and their bodies could work again, and you ask them if they think it was an inside job, or whether they are glad they had a Senator like Hillary Clinton who gave them a chance to they could stand up stand start their lives over again," responded Clinton.   

Turns out those were the magic words to finally silence heckler number one.  He silently stormed out of the arena and Clinton, un-rattled, breezed right past the rough start, and delivered an energized speech, selling his wife to the people of Denver. 

A crowd of over four thousand braved an evening deluge of snow to hear Clinton's speech at Denver University's Magness arena.  While it was a far cry from the 18,000 people who gathered at the same venue earlier in the day to hear Democratic candidate Barack Obama, the energized crowd was excited to hear Clinton speak.

Clinton made only brief remarks, a departure from his more relaxed town-hall meeting style of campaign stops that were the norm in all four of the early primary states.  He spoke for under 40 minutes, hitting the highlights of Hillary’s platforms on education, healthcare and the war in Iraq. 

Of course, a good heckler loves to have the last word and tonight was no different.  Just when the crowd had finally forgotten the earlier incident and Clinton was hitting what he called "the important reason why people should vote for Hillary," a shout was heard from the last of the 9/11 sign holders.

"How about the real investigation into 9/11?"

Clinton, clearly sick of the entire conversation exchange, "We've heard that, we heard you the first ten times." And with that the former President ended the discussion for good. 

January 31, 2008 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (141)

Schwarzenegger To Endorse McCain in Los Angeles

January 30, 2008 10:05 PM

ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: At 9:30 am Pacific Time, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. John McCain will tour Solar Integrated Technologies in on east Martin Luther King Jr. Bvld in Los Angeles, where Schwarzenegger will endorse McCain.

The McCain campaign had been talking to the governor's office for over a week about doing an event together in California to discuss environmental and economic issues. But it wasn't until he learned that former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani was definitely dropping ou .of the race that Schwarzenegger decided to endorse McCain.

A senior Schwarzenegger administration official says "the governor is close to both Giuliani and McCain. When Rudy dropped out it changed the playing field and cleared the way for an endorsement."

The Governor has no plans right now to raise money for McCain or campaign around the state with him, though it's likely that he will do so, especially since McCain has raised money and campaigned for him.

Gov. Schwarzenegger "has long supported and shared McCain's vision for protecting the environment, elimating wasteful spending, and fixing our broken immigration system," the official says.

January 30, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (4)

Obama is WHERE?

January 30, 2008 8:39 PM

ABC News' Kate Snow Reports: Claude Dixon was pumped up and ready to see his favorite candidate tonight.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is "inspirational" he said, "what this country needs".

The Phoenix resident flew across the country to attend the Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Atlanta with his sister, Anita Thomas. They'd made their plans long ago, over Thanksgiving dinner.

Just one problem.

Senator Obama is not speaking in Atlanta tonight. Obama is in Phoenix -just miles from the home Dixon left on Saturday to make the trek here.

Obama, along with Senator Hillary Clinton and Jformer Sen. John Edwards, were all invited to speak at the JJ Dinner in Atlanta. But Obama was never scheduled to appear. Edwards had been scheduled but dropped out of the race earlier today.

It's no consolation to Dixon that he will have a chance to see Senator Hillary Clinton live and in person.

"I didn't come to see Hillary," he laughed.

Dixon said he's always voted. But at age 45 he said he had never been so excited about a presidential race. Ever since last January, he has watched every single debate-- been glued to the television and internet.

But somehow he missed the news that Obama would appear at a rally at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in his own backyard tonight. He said he would have taken his two young sons to see the Senator if he had known.

Dixon has seen Obama once before, at Arizona State University. He shook Obama’s hand.

Anita has seen Obama in person several times as well. She too thought she'd be seeing him here in Georgia tonight.

They say they'll try to catch up with Obama soon.

But Dixon probably won't travel across the country again without double checking the program first.

As for tonight, he's listening to a Senator he has no intention of voting for. But at least he’s getting a good meal out of it-- cornish game hen, steamed vegetables, and vanilla pudding.

January 30, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (40)

Clinton Says She Can Control Her Husband

January 30, 2008 8:19 PM

ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: Senator Hillary Clinton, in an interview with ABC News' Cynthia McFadden for ABC News' Nightline, was asked about President Clinton’s controversial comments about race and Senator Obama  in the past weeks. Clinton apologized for her husband.

“I think whatever he said which was certainly never intended to cause any kind of offense to anyone,” Clinton said, “if it did give offenses then I take responsibility and I’m sorry about that.”

"Can you control him?" asked McFadden.

“Oh of course,” Clinton replied.

For more, watch Senator Hillary Clinton's interview on ABC News' Nightline tonight.

January 30, 2008 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (238)