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The Hope Burger

February 29, 2008 7:45 PM

ABC News' David Wright reports: This picture comes courtesy of my wife Victoria, who has been minding the store in Washington DC with our 11 month old daughter and our crazy dog while her husband is lost on the campaign trail deep in the heart of Texas.

The restaurant where she ate apparently features a specialty campaign-themed menu item: the "Obama burger."

Garnished with caramelized onion, bacon, provolone cheese, Russian dressing and other fixings, the Obama burger appears to have no relation whatsoever to the candidate or his campaign. Campaign staffers acknowledged it sounds delicious but that it is probably not something the candidate himself would ever consume.

Obama is known to watch his diet carefully and to work out regularly. Already lean, Obama is said to have lost 5 pounds on the campaign trail.

February 29, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (30) | TrackBack (0)

Clinton Response to Obama's Accusation of Scare Tactics

February 29, 2008 4:51 PM

ABC News' Kate Snow and Eloise Harper Report: Senator Hillary Clinton fought back against Senator Barack Obama’s criticism of her latest ad that he said inspired fear.

The Clinton campaign released an ad today with ominous undertones.

"It's 3:00am and your children are asleep," a voice over says in the ad entitled "Children". "There's a phone in the White House, and it's ringing. Something is happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call."

"Whether someone knows the world's leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead. It's 3am and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?" the ad concludes.

Obama, D-Ill., pushed back hard against the new ad, which ABC News' George Stephanopoulos described as "the nuclear option" on Friday's "Good Morning America."

Addressing a group of veterans at an American Legion post in Houston, Obama said: "We've seen these ads before. They're the kind that play on peoples' fears to scare up votes."

Today Clinton defended her ad.

“Senator Obama says that if we talk about national security in this campaign we are trying to scare people. Well I don’t think people in Texas scare all that easily. The American people aren’t afraid of the challenges and dangers we face in the world. They want a president who with the strength and wisdom to take those challenges and dangers head on,” she said.

Clinton defended the ad saying she would know what to do when that phone rang in the White House at 3am. “There isn’t any time to convene your advisors, to do a survey on what will or what will not be popular.  You have to make a decision. And in the world that we face with both the challenges and opportunities we need a president who picks up that phone ready to decide.”

Clinton went further, making the argument that Obama was not there when important decisions needed to be made.

“Senator Obama talks about these issues when it came time to act he was missing in action.” Clinton said.  “He was missing in action when he failed to show up for a vote dealing with Iran. He was missing in action when he failed to hold a single substantive hearing on a committee that he chaired that had responsibility for Europe and NATO and NATO’s policy in Afghanistan.”

Earlier today Obama said that Clinton had her "red phone" moment -- and that was when she voted for the war in Iraq.

Clinton walked through Obama's war position saying "He gave a speech in 2002 against the war in Iraq and I commend him for that speech.  By 2004 he was saying he wasn't sure how he would have voted because he never had to vote and then basically agreed with the way President Bush was conducting the war. By the time he got to the Senate he voted exactly as I did. There is a difference between giving a speech and having the responsibility and  step up and take charge."

Senator Clinton was introduced on stage by retired four-star General Wesley Clark who also urged voters view the ad.

"The phone rings and we have to have the right person answer that phone,” Clark said, and then turned to Clinton saying “I guess you have been on that bedside when the phone rang at 3 o’clock in the morning.”

February 29, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (97) | TrackBack (0)

Puerto Rico Looking to Give up Bragging Rights for Final Say

February 29, 2008 2:10 PM

ABC News' David Chalian Reports: Once the results of the March 4 primaries are digested, there will clearly be a reassessment of the Democratic nomination contest and whether or not there seems to be a hunger on the part of Sen. Clinton and on the part of Democratic Party leaders for a protracted battle through the rest of the nomination calendar.

But fear not -- that calendar may not be as endless as it seems.  Puerto Rico Democrats are about to give campaign operatives, political journalists, and voters a four day jump start on their summer vacations.

The Democratic National Committee is expected to receive a formal request this week from the Puerto Rico Democratic Party to move its nomination contest from June 7 to June 1.  It appears that the June 7 date initially submitted to the DNC was a clerical error in the Puerto Rico delegate selection plan.  The Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is also expected to seek DNC approval to change its contest from a state convention system to a primary system. 

Should the change be approved, as expected, Montana and South Dakota Democratic voters are positioned to have the final word in the nomination calendar with those primaries scheduled to take place on Tuesday June 3.

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

Clinton Goes Nuclear; Obama Camp Fires Back

February 29, 2008 8:38 AM

ABC News' David Wright, Sunlen Miller, Andy Fies, Eloise Harper, Kate Snow & Nitya Venkataraman Report: Closing in on the March 4 contests, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., debuted a campaign ad on Friday with ominous undertones.

"It's 3:00am and your children are asleep," a voice over says in the ad entitled "Children". "There's a phone in the White House, and it's ringing. Something is happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call."

"Whether someone knows the world's leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead. It's 3am and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?" the ad concludes.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., pushed back hard against the new ad, which ABC News' George Stephanopoulos described as "the nuclear option" on Friday's "Good Morning America".

Addressing a group of veterans at an American Legion post in Houston, Obama said: "We've seen these ads before. They're the kind that play on peoples' fears to scare up votes."

The tone of the ad -- which echoes the infamous Daisy Ad from the 1964 Johnson-Goldwater presidential race and the red phone ad former Vice President Walter Mondale ran against Gary Hart in their '84 race for the Democratic nomination -- indicates that the Clinton campaign is pulling out the all the stops leading into the Ohio and Texas primaries.

Mondale's ad, where a red phone rang threateningly in the middle of the night while a voiceover asked voters what kind of leader they wanted to "answer that phone", ultimately worked in his favor: Mondale defeated Hart and secured the party nomination, though he lost in November to Ronald Reagan.

"The question is not about picking up the phone," Obama said.  "The question is: what kind of judgment will you make when you answer? We've had a 'red phone moment'. It was the decision to invade Iraq. And Senator Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer."

The Clinton campaign rejected any comparison to the LBJ "Daisy Ad" saying Clinton's ad was a "positive ad" that featured "very soft images" and was not at all like the Johnson ad.

Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson responded to Obama's accusations of campaign scare tactics by saying, "It is an absolute insult to voters to suggest that a discussion of national security constitutes fear mongering."

"It's a legitimate question," Wolfson said of the "Who do you want answering the phone" ending note of Clinton's ad, pointing out that Obama had agreed on that point in a Friday morning speech at the American Legion. (In fact, Obama did say it was a "legitimate question" quickly following to clarify "the question is not about picking up the phone, the question is 'what kind of judgment will you exercise when you pick up that phone? In fact, we have had a red phone moment: it was the decision to invade Iraq. Sen Clinton gave the wrong answer.")

It seems Roy Spence, the creator of Mondale's red phone ad, borrowed from his own portfolio in creating Clinton's latest ad. Spence joined the New York senator's presidential campaign after New Hampshire.

The Obama campaign also set aside the traditional game of lowering expectations ahead of Tuesday's vote and instead predicted doom and gloom for Camp Clinton.

"They're going to fail and fail miserably," campaign manager David Plouffe told reporters on a conference call.

The Obama campaign says, given the closeness of the polls in Ohio and Texas, it's unlikely Clinton will be able to close the gap among pledged delegates.

According to the Obama campaign math, if Clinton fails to win both states by a comfortable margin -- 10 points or more -- Clinton would need to win 74% of the 611 remaining delegates in order to close the gap.

Officials with the Clinton campaign dispute the Obama math, noting that this scenario does not take into account superdelegates, party leaders who are free to vote for whomever they like. 

Clinton officials accuse the Obama campaign of setting an "artificial standard," arguing that neither candidate will reach the requisite number of pledged delegates to secure the nomination without the help of superdelegates.

February 29, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Obama, Barack, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (1175) | TrackBack (0)

On Supporters’ "Infatuation": Obama says he can Relate to Media Skepticism

February 29, 2008 6:29 AM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illi., told a crowd of 12,000 in Dallas/Ft. Worth that it’s him that is infatuated – with them.

Obama was addressing criticisms that his campaign caused people to flock to him to a delusional way.

"This isn’t about me. This is about you," Obama preached, "I'm just the excuse for what you are accomplishing, for what you are making happen all across this country. See, I am inspired by you, I'm infatuated with you!"

Obama said that the media is suspicious of his supporters' enthusiasm, offering that up as an explanation to the criticism of his supporters' reactions. He then flipped it around and offered up his own criticisms of the press, singling the out the 4th estate at the three specific times in his stump speech – two times addressing the concerns of how he can excite a crowd.

"Reporters don't know what to do. They have been shocked at the high turnout in every early states," Obama said, and later, "A lot of reporters don’t really understand what y'all are doing…"

The crowd reacted viscerally to the flipped tables, in agreement with Obama – who confirmed he knew that feeling, "So in the same way people are skeptical about you, they are skeptical about me," Obama complained, sighting how his credentials have been questioned based on years in Washington.

Obama's lines of critique of the press, comes at a time where the press are being critiqued for their coverage of him, even mentioned in the latest Democratic debate by Senator Clinton.

February 29, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (50) | TrackBack (0)

Clinton Compares Obama to a Blank Screen

February 28, 2008 8:15 PM

ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: In a Nightline interview with ABC's Cynthia McFadden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, when asked about the Barack Obama phenomenon, used a quote from Obama to describe her opponent. "I think the best description actually is in Barack's own book" Clinton said, "where he said that he is a blank screen and people of widely different views project what they want to hear." Clinton continued saying "he just hasn’t been around long enough." Clinton continued saying "But with the blank screen it gives you a chance to just really infuse it with whatever you hope for, whatever you want without knowing."

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

Clinton was asked her reaction to the many women around this country who say they feel sorry for her. "I think a lot of woman project their own feelings in their lives on to me." Clinton stressed that it is a hard what she is doing but she gets up every day and thinks about what she is going to do – not dwelling on past mistakes, or what will happen if she loses Texas or Ohio.

When asked if Clinton was surprised by the outcome of how the race has shaped up, Clinton said she wasn’t but "he might be, because I think that he believed that he could, once he won Iowa, wrap it up. Then I won New Hampshire" Clinton said. When pressed on how she ever hated being treated as the front runner – Clinton complained that nothing has changed. "I’m still being treated like that – in terms of people coming after me."

Clinton says that she doesn’t listen to the pundits or the commentary about the race. "Everywhere I go people say ‘Don’t give up, don’t give up, stay with this.’" Clinton said, "There is something going on here."

February 28, 2008 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (394) | TrackBack (0)

Joint Chiefs Chair Warns Obama & Clinton on Iraq

February 28, 2008 5:47 PM

ABC News' Jonathan Karl Reports: The Joint Chiefs chairman has a word of warning to Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: A rapid of withdrawal from Iraq would lead to a "chaotic situation" and would "turnaround the gains we have achieved, and struggled to achieve, and turn them around overnight.

Admiral Mullen's comments came in a response to a question about what the Joint Chiefs are doing to prepare for a new president, given that two of the candidates have called for a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

"We need to be prepared across the board for what a new president will bring," Mullen said.  "I do worry about a rapid withdrawal. . . [that would] turn around the gains we have achieved and struggled to achieve and turn them around overnight." 

Asked to define a "rapid withdrawal," Mullen said, "a withdrawal that would be so fast that it would leave us in a chaotic situation and the gains we have achieved would be lost." 

That said, Mullen added: "When a new president comes in, I will get my orders and I will carry them out."

Mullen, of course, will still be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when the next president is sworn in. His term goes until September 2009 and could be renewed for another two years after that.

Mullen, however, also made it clear that the large commitment of U.S. forces in Iraq is coming at a steep price. 

He said that another 3,000 to 4,000 trainers are needed in Afghanistan. But those trainers cannot be sent, he said, until there are further drawdowns in Iraq. There simply aren't enough available troops.

"We'd like to get those trainers out there as fast as we can," he said. "Clearly in Afghanistan the training mission is at the top . . . we need more trainers than we need anything else. . . Clearly it will take forces drawing down in Iraq to provide the headroom to meet that mission."   

February 28, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Vote 2008: Democrats, Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (208) | TrackBack (0)

Obama: She's Not Dead Yet

February 28, 2008 4:13 PM

ABC News' David Wright, Sunlen Miller and Andy Fies Report: Barack Obama says it is way too early for anyone to write an obituary for Hillary Clinton's campaign.

"Remember New Hampshire," he cautioned at a news conference on board his campaign plane.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

Obama insists he's not counting Clinton out.

"Sen. Clinton is working tirelessly, as is Bill Clinton, in Ohio and Texas," Obama said.  "This race is extraordinarily tight."

Obama sought to lower any expectations he might win those two states, saying he’ll be happy if Clinton doesn't achieve a blow-out in Ohio and Texas. 

Obama said he's hoping to emerge from the 4 contests next Tuesday – Ohio, Texas, Vermont, and Rhode Island – with a lead of 100 to 150 delegates.

"I continue to believe that we'll go to the convention with the most earned delegates and I believe we should be the nominee," Obama said.

Obama denied a Canadian television report alleging that his campaign reached out to reassure the Canadian government not to worry about campaign rhetoric critical of NAFTA. 

The Canadian ambassador to the US has denied the story, first reported by CTV News. 

Asked about the report, Obama flatly denied it too.

"It wasn't true," he said.

February 28, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (156) | TrackBack (0)

No Hucka-Crush on Obama

February 28, 2008 4:11 PM

ABC News' Kevin Chupka Reports: Governor Mike Huckabee is still grasping at straws in his effort to create a scenario -- any scenario -- in which GOP Rival Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would NOT wind up capturing the Republican nomination for President.  Huckabee is quick to point out the differences between he and McCain on issues like life, marriage and tax reform. 

Today in Texarkana, Texas however, Huckabee took a page from the McCain play book: criticizing the platform of Democratic front runner, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. 

McCain's rhetoric criticizing Obama is due in most part to the spreading belief in both parties that the Senate colleagues will face off in the general election.  Huckabee, however, will almost certainly not be facing Obama or any other Democrat this cycle.  It didn't stop him from criticizing Obama's suggested spending to the gathered crowd of approximately 250.

"And so here's the challenge," Huckabee said, "when I hear Barack Obama say that he's gonna provide everybody with health care and college tuition and pave the streets with gold, ya know the American Taxpayers Union has already figured out that just the proposals he's put on the tale so far, already are going to cost about $287 billion, so far."

Huckabee continued, "What we don't know is how much will it cost when we walk away and leave Iraq in a mess and the Middle East blows up.  How much will that cost…If we were doing the Master Card commercial we'd simply say we know what some of the costs are.  Some of the items on his agenda?  Priceless."

Obama was not the only one under Huckabee's microscope this morning however.  Immediately following the rally, Huckabee spoke with reporters to express his displeasure over McCain's apparent refusal to  debate. "I think debate is something that's healthy, always.  It's good to have the issues discussed and I feel it would be good for voters of Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island if they had a chance to see the two candidates they have to choose from and if they don't have the opportunity I hope they'll remember that -- maybe they'll just vote for me and that will force future debates."

One debate that has been proposed is with the Values Voters, a group Huckabee has had great success with throughout his campaign.  As for McCain's apparent refusal to debate in such a forum (or any forum at this point) Huckabee said, "if you're going to be President you ought to be willing to sit down in front of any group."

February 28, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (18) | TrackBack (0)

NAFTA Rhetoric? 'It Didn't Happen'

February 28, 2008 12:09 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports: A senior Canadian Embassy official in Washington, D.C. disputes a report by the CTV Canadian television network that an Obama campaign staffer telephoned Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States, to reassure him that campaign rhetoric against NAFTA should not be taken seriously.

"It didn't happen," said Roy Norton, who heads up the congressional, public and intergovernmental affairs portfolio for the Canadian embassy.

Norton said none of the three campaigns for Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, or Sen. John McCain have contacted the embassy.

"Neither before the Ohio debate nor since has any of the U.S. presidential campaigns called Ambassador Wilson or the Canadian embassy to raise NAFTA," he said.

CTV reported last night that two unnamed Canadian sources said a "senior member" of Obama's campaign team called Wilson in the last month to warn him that Obama would be ratcheting up rhetoric against the North American Free Trade Agreement, but that he should "not be worried about what Obama says about NAFTA" and "Its just campaign rhetoric...Its not serious."

During a debate in Ohio this week, where NAFTA is blamed for job losses, both Obama and Clinton said that as president, they would opt out of the trade deal unless it could be renegotiated.

When asked about the CTV report, Obama's said today, "It wasn't true."

Today Bill Burton of the Obama campaign told ABC News no senior Obama campaign representative called the Canadian embassy. "The news reports on Obama's position on NAFTA are inaccurate and in no way represent Senator Obama’s consistent position on trade," Burton said separately in an email.

"When Senator Obama says that he will forcefully act to make NAFTA a better deal for American workers, he means it. Both Canada and Mexico should know that, as president, Barack Obama will do what it takes to create and protect American jobs and strengthen the American economy -- that includes amending NAFTA to include labor and environmental standards. We are currently reaching out to the Canadian embassy to correct this inaccuracy."

This afternoon the Canadian embassy in Washington, D.C., sent out a press release to deny the CTV report.

"The Canadian Embassy confirms that at no time has any member of a Presidential campaign called the Canadian Ambassador or any official at the Embassy to discuss NAFTA," the statement read. "Last night the Canadian television network CTV, falsely reported that such calls had been made. That story is untrue. Neither before nor since the Ohio debate has any presidential campaign called Ambassador Wilson or the Embassy to raise NAFTA."

The Canadian embassy is proactively reaching out to the campaigns "all the time," Norton said, to try to meet with aides who might form the foreign and economic policy teams of any future administration.

"We talk about the whole range of Canada-U.S. issues which we think it's critically important that the presidential candidates be aware of including the number of jobs that depend in the United States on Canada-U.S. trade."

The Canadian Embassy says there are more than seven million jobs in the U.S. that depend on trade with Canada.

"We discuss our view that NAFTA has been very good for all three participating countries and has made the continent more competitive in the face of China, India, Brazil," Norton said.

The CTV report suggested the Clinton campaign may have given reassurances to the Canadian government in Ottawa, but the Clinton campaign is flatly denying the claim.

"If anyone did it we don’t know who and they weren’t authorized," Clinton campaign spokesperson Jay Carson told ABC News.

NAFTA has become a hot-button issue in the delegate-rich state of Ohio, which votes next Tuesday. Both Clinton and Obama have tried to woo voters in the economically challenged state by railing against NAFTA, which was pushed through during former President Bill Clinton's administration.

McCain, however, said today that he plans to highlight his support for the trade deal to draw contrasts between him and his Democratic opponent.

"NAFTA has created jobs," McCain said today while campaigning in Texas, arguing that the trade deal has been good for the American, Canadian, and Mexican economies.

"Anyone who studies history understands that every time this country or other nations in the world have practiced protectionism, they’ve paid a very, very heavy price for it," McCain said, adding that "some would argue that one of the major contributors to World War II was the Smoot-Hawley tariffs acts."

ABC News' David Chalian, Kate Snow, David Wright, Jake Tapper and Bret Hovell contributed to this report.

February 28, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Vote 2008: Democrats, Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (87) | TrackBack (0)

Clinton Hauls in $35 Mill; Obama Camp Says They'll Do Better

February 28, 2008 11:54 AM

Kate Snow, Eloise Harper, David Chalian and Sunlen Miller Report:

Sen. Hillary Clinton said Thursday she was incredibly gratified to learn her campaign hauled in a record 35 million dollars in the month of February, despite losing 11 contests during that time.

"I was sure excited by the generosity of thousands of new donors," Clinton told reporters in Hanging Rock, Ohio. "It was really heartwarming because a lot of them sent e-mails talking about why they were contributing and it was often five, ten, fifteen dollars and they would write about how they wanted to do for their children."

But while her campaign was reveling in the news, there is word that Barack Obama is ready to out-do her with an eye-popping fundraising figure of his own.

Like Obama’s campaign, Clinton raised the bulk of the new money online.

The Senator said she believes her supporters were spurred to action when they heard that she herself had loaned her campaign money.

"When people found out we didn't have the resources to compete and I did put my own money in it just set off a chain reaction across the country of hundreds of thousands of people saying ‘Wait a minute. We want this campaign to go on.’" Clinton said.

Clinton loaned her campaign five million dollars in late January. The loan was disclosed earlier this month. It has not yet been re-paid.

"The fact that Senator Clinton put so much of her own resources into the campaign I think was a demonstration of her commitment to her own campaign and also a signal to her supporters that she needed their help," said veteran democratic strategist Tad Devine. "And I think a lot of women heard that call and they responded and that is part of success they have had in recent fundraising."

The haul was more than double what the Clinton campaign raised in January—its previous record for one month.

Of the 35 million, campaign officials said 30 million came from online donations. The money included donations from more than 200,000 new donors.

On average, people gave about one hundred dollars to the Clinton campaign, but there were also donations as small as ten or twenty bucks.

Obama’s campaign has also relied heavily on a strong base of internet donors.

In January, the Obama campaign raised a record 36.7 million dollars, in large part on the internet.

"These are people who are committed to candidates because they believe in them," said Devine. "They are contributing low dollar amounts not high dollar amounts."

That, he said, is why Clinton—even in the face of a series of losses and dire predictions—was able to keep fundraising.

"In the past you had to succeed to draw the money that was built on that access and political success. But we are in a different age now," Devine said.

On a conference call with financial supporters Thursday, Clinton Campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe said the campaign had raised in excess of 167 million dollars to date.

"We have the resources to play in Texas and Ohio next week and beyond and go all the way through to the end," McAuliffe said in an interview with ABC News.

Indeed, by the time that conference call began on Thursday, the campaign had already launched several new television and radio ads in Ohio.

McAuliffe confidently predicted victory.

"What Hillary’s gonna do is she's gonna win this nomination," he told supporters on the call.

"There are 35 million dollars worth of people who have skipped dinners, not taken medications so she can do this," he said.

"The only thing that tempers Senator Clinton's enormous victory in terms of fundraising is the fact that her opponent has probably done even better," said Devine.

In fact, shortly after the Clinton team released their big number, a spokesman for the Obama campaign said their fundraising haul for February would be significantly higher.

Democrats familiar with the Obama campaign's fundraising operation told ABC News his campaign is expected to have raised north of 50 million dollars for the month.

Still, when Senator Obama was asked about people writing Senator Clinton's political obituary he said he would not count her out.

"Remember New Hampshire?" Obama asked—reminding everyone of the surprising victory Clinton scored there after everyone expected Obama to win.

"If you read the press you would think this thing is over," said Clinton senior advisor Harold Ickes on the finance conference call. "We're a long way from that."

As the Democratic nomination contest heads into Ohio and Texas and for all the latest from the 2008 campaign trail, read The Note every morning only on ABCNews.com

February 28, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Obama, Barack, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (487) | TrackBack (0)

Bush to Hold 10am Press Conference

February 28, 2008 7:50 AM

ABC News' Ann Compton and John Cochran Report: In a surprise morning press conference from the White House, President Bush will hammer -- again -- at Congress to restore what he considers vital wiretap authority, with legal protection for telephone companies that allow the government to tap their systems.

Bush will address reporters from the White House briefing room at 10:05am.

With economic storm clouds darkening, President Bush will talk about what the government is doing to help families with their high mortgage payments; so far, Bush has forecast no recession.

White House press secretary Dana Perino says in his opening statement, alongside FISA and housing reform, Bush will also press Congress to pass legislation on Iraq war funding and a bill that would increase funding for HIV/AIDS relief in Africa. He is still seeking $108billion for Iraq, and at least $30-billion for "PEPFAR" his Africa AIDS program.

February 28, 2008 in White House | Permalink | User Comments (28) | TrackBack (0)

Obama on "Ellen"

February 28, 2008 6:18 AM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illi., taped an interview with the talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres from a campaign stop in Duncanville, Texas.

Ellen reminded Obama of their joint on-air boogie in October, to which Obama chalked up to a good luck charm of sorts, "We were kind of in a slump until I was dancing on the show – my poll numbers skyrocketed after that."

Obama gave an update on kicking his habit of smoking, confirming that he has been successful thus far. "I've been chewing on this Nicorette, which tastes like you’re chewing on ground pepper – but it does help."

Ellen asked Obama what his first day in the White House would be like – if he were to win the nomination and then the general election.

"Well for of all I think I'll just go into the Oval Office and sit at the desk and say, 'Wow, this is really cool,'" Obama joked.

The Senator then got serious and gave his stock answer – that he'd call in the join chefs of staff to start talking about getting troops out of Iraq in a safe way.

Obama's interview – which will air Thursday morning – comes just three days after Ellen made a cameo appearance, via satellite, at a Hillary Clinton fundraiser in DC.

The Obama campaign said that the timing is not at all linked – that Obama's interview had been on the books for awhile.

February 28, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (43) | TrackBack (0)

'Meet Me in Ohio'

February 27, 2008 11:39 PM

ABC News' Kate Snow and Eloise Harper report: Has Sen. Hillary Clinton found another new slogan?

Wrapping up a late night event in Belpre, a town in southern Ohio that’s closer to West Virginia than Lake Erie, Clinton rattled off a rapid-fire list of reasons voters should “partner” with her and support her presidential bid.

Then she capped it off with a new flourish: “So meet me in Ohio!”

It’s a line she first used last weekend, when admonishing Sen. Barack Obama over mailers on NAFTA and health care his campaign is sending to Ohio voters.

“Shame on you Barack Obama,” she said on Saturday.  “It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That is what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio. Let’s have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign.”

That debate happened Tuesday night in Cleveland.

But the Clinton campaign likes the phrase so much they’ve made up signs with the new slogan -- “meet me in Ohio.”

In Belpre, Clinton went after Obama for something he said in that debate as what she called a perfect example of the difference between talk and action.

She pointed to Obama’s chairmanship of a Senate subcommittee on European affairs and his acknowledgment in the debate that he had not held any substantive hearings as chair of that subcommittee.

In the debate Obama said, “I became chairman of this committee at the beginning of this campaign, at the beginning of 2007. So, it is true that we haven't had oversight hearings on Afghanistan.”

“My opponent, when he talks about his foreign policy experience, he includes his chairmanship of this subcommittee,” Clinton said Wednesday.  “What you learned last night is that he has never held a substantive hearing or meeting to look at what is going on in NATO, to take a hard look at what’s happening in Europe. And in fact the reason he hasn’t, as he said, is because he got the assignment when he started running for president. Well, I don’t think that’s an adequate excuse.

“There is a difference between talk and action," Clinton added. "When it comes to experience, we need to make the decisions required by the next president."

Though it was nearly 11 p.m., Clinton did not appear tired and struck a defiant tone on national security.

"We have a war against al Qaeda and the Taliban who attacked us. And the masterminds of that attack are still at large, and we're not winning,” Clinton told the packed auditorium in Belpre.

“We have to put our best resources in against those who attack the United States. No one can attack us with impunity. They have to be brought to justice.  And that means wiping them out. Because until we do, we will remain at risk."

February 27, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (37) | TrackBack (0)

Obama Takes the Pillow, Not the Bait

February 27, 2008 11:03 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Barack Obama came to the press part of the plane for the first time since the airing of the now infamous "Saturday Night Live" last weekend featuring a parody of himself and Sen. Hillary Clinton. In the skit, members of the press corps ask Obama if he's comfortable, a joke touching on the criticisms that the press is too easy on him.

Hillary Clinton herself brought up the skit during Tuesday night’s debate. "If anybody saw ‘Saturday Night Live,’ you know, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow," she said.

The pillow talk made a reemergence during Obama’s trip to the back of the press plane on the flight from Dallas to Austin, Texas.

Obama, greeting reporters, was handed a small white airline pillow by The Washington Times' Christina Bellantoni. "Would you like a pillow?" she asked.

Obama’s reaction was zilch, nada, nothing. He took the pillow -- but not the bait. He handed the pillow back discreetly with no reaction.

The senator shook a few print reporters' hands -– told a few bloggers he doesn’t read blogs –- and then headed to the back of the plane -– a part he dubbed "the fun part of the plane" -– where the photographers sit.

An Obama staffer quickly ushered the candidate back to his portion of the plane as it was time to land –- and before any more questions, or pillows, came his way.

February 27, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (49) | TrackBack (0)

Bachelorette Party Was 'Low-Key' For Jenna Bush

February 27, 2008 5:12 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Duck and Ann Compton report: No wild times on the strip in Vegas for the First Daughter's bachelorette party.

Jenna Bush celebrated her final months as a single woman with a girls-only getaway at a private home in Boca Raton. 

"It was like a spa weekend. It was very low-key," a source tells PEOPLE magazine in this week's issue available on stands Friday.

Her fiancé Henry Hager partied in Miami for his bachelor party the following weekend, reportedly staying out until 1:30 am. 

"It was a total boy's weekend," the source told PEOPLE. "There were about twenty guys, most of whom came down from D.C. and New York. They went fishing all day Saturday, but they didn't catch anything!"

Bush and Hager are getting married on May 10 in Crawford, Texas at the Bush family ranch. The wedding will consist of a private ceremony for 200 relatives and friends according to the magazine.

ABC News reports both Bush and Hager will be in Charlottesville, Virginia for Hager's graduation from business school following the wedding on Sunday, May 18 and then head off on their honeymoon.

The couple is considering "spending four weeks in Europe, going from country to country" for their honeymoon says a PEOPLE source. 

Where will the couple house-hunt?  Sources say they are looking in Baltimore.

February 27, 2008 in White House | Permalink | User Comments (19) | TrackBack (0)

McCain to Obama: 'Al Qaeda Is In Iraq'

February 27, 2008 2:09 PM

ABC News' Bret Hovell and Sunlen Miller Report: Senator John McCain started campaigning Wednesday with derision for a remark Senator Barack Obama made in Tuesday night's Democratic debate.

"I am not embarrassed to tell you that I did not watch the Democrat debate last night," McCain said at the beginning of a town hall meeting in Tyler, Texas.

"But I am told that Senator Obama made the statement that if Al Qaeda came back to Iraq after he withdraws, after American troops are withdrawn, then he would send military troops back if Al Qaeda established a base in Iraq."

McCain, R-Ariz., paused for a beat before continuing on with a hint of sarcasm.

"I have some news," he said. "Al Qaeda is in Iraq! It's called Al Qaeda in Iraq."

He continued, "If we left, they wouldn't be establishing a base. They wouldn't be establishing a base, they'd be taking a country. And I am not going to let that happen, my friends."

Watch McCain's comment HERE.

During last night's debate, Obama responded to a question by moderator Tim Russert who asked him a hypothetical question about whether he would go back into Iraq after withdrawing a sizeable amount of troops to quell insurrection or civil war.

As part of his answer Obama responded," As commander in chief, I will always reserve the right to make sure that we are looking out for American interests. And if al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad."

Speaking with reporters after the town hall meeting today, McCain would not expand on his criticism of Obama to include a general naivete on foreign policy.

"I don't make that judgment," he said. "I just question as strongly as possible the premise that somehow you could leave Iraq and defeat the entire purpose of this strategy we're not employing, which is now succeeding, and then say that you would go back."

At a rally in Columbus, Ohio today, Senator Obama responded to McCain's comments: "I said well I would always reserve the right to go in and strike against al Qaeda if they were in Iraq, so ya know, this is how politics works. McCain thought that he could make a clever point by saying 'well let me give you some news Barack, al Qaeda IS in Iraq,' like I wasn't reading the papers, like I -- like I didn't know what was going on," Obama said.

He then launched into a strong retort, "Well, first of all, I DO know that al Qaeda is in Iraq, that's€™s why I've said we should continue to strike al Qaeda targets. But I have some news for John McCain, and that is that there was no such thing as al Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq!" he said.

"I've got some news for John McCain: he took us into war along with George bush that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged."

Obama finished, "I've been paying attention, John McCain! That's the news. So John McCain may like to say he wants to follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell but so far all he's done is follow George Bush into a misguided war in Iraq that's cost us thousands of lives and billions of dollars," he said.

"I intend to bring [it] to an end so that we can actually start going after al Qaeda in Afghanistan and in the hills of Pakistan like we should have been doing in the first place!That's the news John McCain!"

February 27, 2008 in McCain, John, Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (113) | TrackBack (0)

White House Blames Clintons for Document Delay

February 27, 2008 1:02 PM

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: The White House on Wednesday blamed the Clintons for a month-long delay in the release of some 11,000 pages of records relating to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's years as first lady, despite Sen. Clinton's contention at Tuesday night's debate that she has "urged that the process [of releasing documents] be as quick as possible."

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said that Clinton representatives have known since Jan. 31 that the documents -- Hillary Clinton's daily public schedule during her husband's presidency -- have been deemed ready for public release by the National Archives.

But under a November 2001 exectuive order, the White House can't make them available to the public until approval is given by a designated representative of former President Bill Clinton.

"Presently, we have not received notice that the Clinton representative has reached a decision on the release or withholding of any of Mrs. Clinton's schedules," Perino said, adding that the White House has not objected to approval of any of the more than 550,000 pages of documents released so far from the Clinton years.

"It is our intent and has been the practice to act on any requests as quickly as possible," Perino said.

On Tuesday, Clinton was asked about the backlog by debate moderator Tim Russert. She said she had urged both her husband's representatives and the Bush administration to move as quickly as possible in releasing the records.

"I've urged that the process be as quick as possible," said Clinton, D-N.Y. "And I have urged that our end of it move as expeditiously as we can. Now, also, President Bush claims the right to look at anything that is released, and I would urge the Bush White House to move as quickly as possible."

Pressed by Russert whether, after a month, the documents could be sent to the White House for final review "immediately," Clinton responded: "As soon as we can, Tim. I've urged that, and I hope it will happen."

Perino said Wednesday that the backlog exists entirely on the Clintons' end.

"There are none that are ripe for White House action that we know of," she said. "And, no, to my knowledge we have not been contacted by Mrs. Clinton or anyone else about moving more quickly with the review and release of Clinton material, specifically, her schedules."

UPDATE: In response to the comments from the White House, the Clinton Foundation issued this statement from Bruce Lindsey -- the former president's point person for reviewing documents for public release -- indicating that the documents will be sent to the White House for final review within the next two weeks:

"To be clear, there is no delay. After a six month review, [the National Archives and Records Administration] finished the first step of the process of reviewing 11,000 pages of First Lady Hillary Clinton schedules on January 31, 2008.  I have been reviewing those schedules and expect to complete that part of the process within the 45 day window allotted by NARA. More importantly, because of President Clinton's commitment to make public a full record of his presidency, I will be recommending that NARA release more information than they currently have designated for release."

February 27, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (165) | TrackBack (0)

Clinton Pleased With Last Night, No Promises on Next Week

February 27, 2008 12:32 PM

ABC News' Kate Snow and Eloise Harper Report: A smiling Senator Hillary Clinton told reporters aboard her plane today that she was “really pleased” with her performance in last night’s debate.

Asked by ABC News if she disagreed with pundits who said she did not deliver a needed “knockout punch” in the Cleveland debate, Clinton said she disagreed.

“That’s a prize fight. That’s not a debate,” Clinton said.  “Real contrasts were drawn,” she continued.

As her plane bumped along through snowy skies ten minutes before landing on the short flight from Cleveland to Columbus, Ohio, Clinton emphasized that millions of people have yet to vote in this nomination battle and that she’s looking forward to next Tuesday’s contests.

“What keeps me optimistic is the success I’ve had so far and the support I’m getting,” Clinton said.

“What keeps me going is that I know I would be the best president.”

Asked, however, if she would promise her supporters she would not drop out after Tuesday, Senator Clinton did not issue a categorical promise.

"I don't think about it like that. I'm doing everything I can to win. And that's what I intend to do," she said.

Clinton was heading to her first event Wednesday in Zanesville, Ohio, where she is to hold an economic summit discussion.

She said she thought that -- barring any unforeseen events -- the economy would be “the domestic driver” of this election.

“Focusing on the economy is very important to me because if we don’t turn it around we’re going to have twin challenges," she said, "We’re sliding into a recession and the price of everything is going up."

Clinton argued that she has more experience than Barack Obama to deal with economic issues.  And she said she had more detailed proposals to help homeowners dealing with foreclosure.

“It’s better to have them paying $800 than to have to give up their homes because they can’t afford to pay a $1300 mortgage.”

“Senator Obama does not have a plan. Senator McCain does not have a plan,” she said.

February 27, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (60) | TrackBack (0)

Bill Clinton: Space Program Best in Hillary's Hands

February 27, 2008 12:20 PM

ABC News' Sarah Amos Reports: Stumping for his wife in the crucial voting state of Texas today, former President Bill Clinton drew contrasts between his wife's and Sen. Barack Obama's position on the space program -- an issue close to the heart of many in Houston.

Clinton is a man who knows his audience. So, some might say, it was no surprise when the space program found its way in between a call to caucus and Hillary Clinton's plan for healthcare.

"This is the center of the manned space program and everyone here is proud of it I think," Bill Clinton told a crowd gathered in a Houston park for an early voting rally. 

"There was a huge difference on the two candidates about this. Hillary has always supported the manned space program just as I did when I was President. Her opponent says we should downgrade man space travel and upgrade robotic travel. There are 16,000 jobs and a lot of Americans' futures riding on this centered here in Houston," Bill Clinton said. 

"You have to make a decision whether you care about this. But if you want to keep the manned space program and you don't want to worry about it, you need leadership you can count on and your only choice is Hillary for President," Clinton went on to say.

The crowd of nearly 300 appeared appreciative that the former president focused on an issue that really matters to them.   

It is the first time Bill Clinton has mentioned the space program while on the campaign trail. But while the topics may be new, the idea behind it is not. With only six days before the election Clinton is doing his best to make sure voters understand all the differences between his wife and Obama. 

"I think you want somebody who will change your lives -- not just the politics of Washington," Clinton later told the crowd. 

February 27, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)

Live Blogging from Ohio's Democratic Debate

February 26, 2008 6:50 PM

10:48 pm ET: Again, gang -- great comments and discussion tonight. Thanks for participating -- and if this is the last debate of the season, thanks for clicking your way through all of them.

10:42 pm ET: That was an exhausting 90 minutes -- just to watch. Probably as close to a draw as you can imagine -- really, two very talented politicians and debaters fighting it out extremely closely.

On one level -- no clear winner is good news for Obama, the frontrunner, who avoided any significant missteps. But there are plenty of scattered moments for the Clinton campaign to be proud of (though that bizarre reference to the SNL skit, to me, was a low point). All told, she made it substantive, kept the focus on Obama's record (or lack thereof).

They did not break much new policy ground this evening. But for a Clinton campaign that's looking to fight out the final week before Ohio and Texas, maybe, just maybe, there's some pieces here that she can work with. Obama entered and leaves Cleveland State as the frontrunner. But there's a big week left...

Thanks, all, for the fantastic comments and feedback. Check back tomorrow, as always, for a full wrap in The Note.

10:35 pm ET: "I still intend to do everything I can to win, but it has been an honor," Clinton says. "Either one of us will make history. The question that I have been posing is, who can actually change the country." She doesn't say what Sen. Obama has to prove, just puts herself out there as better.

10:31 pm ET: Obama: "She would be worthy as the nominee." That puts her in a tough spot on the same question...

10:31 pm ET: This time it's Obama extending the olive branch! Interesting. "I'm very proud to have been campaigning with her." He's winning -- so this doesn't sound like a valedictory, like her close did last week. But Obama decided to include this, must have been deliberate. How does it play?

10:28 pm ET: Clinton wants to take back her Iraq vote -- no surprise there. I haven't heard Obama say he should have stepped up in the Schiavo matter before. "That's an example of inaction, and sometimes that can be as costly as action," he says.

10:22 pm ET: Meaty foreign policy for Clinton to strut her stuff with. (But she needs some help in pronouncing that name -- and Russert was willing to pitch in, despite the pop-quiz nature of his query.)

10:21 pm ET: This rather silly National Journal ranking is with us to stay, I'm afraid.

10:19 pm ET: From ABC's Sunlen Miller: "Words matter…even in this debate. Obama decided to reject and denounce Farrakhan.

According to dictionary.com

Reject = " to refuse to have, take, recognize…"
Denounce = "to condemn or censure openly or publicly"

10:13 pm ET: Clinton: "I would not be associated with people who said such inflammatory or untrue charges. . . . I was willing to take that stand. . . . I thought it was more important to stand on principle." That's one heck of a suggestion to let linger out there, isn't it? Obama: "I would reject and denounce."

10:12 pm ET: I don't think there were as many questions about the sources of Sen. Kerry's fortune as there are about Sen. Clinton's.

10:10 pm ET: Is Obama good for the Jews? I think he handled this exchange well -- didn't take the Russert bait on Farrakhan, but stayed measured and calm. Sounded reasonable, comforting.

10:06 pm ET: Yes, the point is that loan though - where did that money come from, Sen. Clinton? Why let general election voters see your tax returns but not primary voters? "Word toward releasing" your tax returns? Why not just get your accountant to run off some -- gulp -- Xeroxes?

10:05 pm ET: ABC's Sunlen Miller, who covers Obama, contributes: "When speaking about inspiring the American people Obama says there is "nothing romantic or silly about that" - Obama is addressing the criticism that his supporters are delusional  - he's been pushing back against this for a couple days now."

10:04 pm ET: Obama would have so much more of a high ground if he'd just say he'd commit to his word on public financing. But Clinton has a hard time exploiting this weakness because that's not a commitment she's prepared to make.

9:58 pm ET: Clinton brings more attention to Obama's legislative record -- it's late for this sort of thing, but every little bit helps. Some good Obama pushback though -- he's so much better as a debater than he was six or eight months ago.

9:56 pm ET: "I'm not interested in talk. I'm not interested in speeches," Obama said. I'm confused -- I thought words matter, Sen. Obama?

9:55 pm ET: ABC's Tahman Bradley (noticing media bias?): It seems like Clinton is sitting lower than Obama and that isn't helping her.

9:54 pm ET: Obama gives Clinton "points for delivery." Clever.

9:53 pm ET: From ABC's Sunlen Miller: "Here in Cleveland were watching a campaign ad during the first commercial break  from  former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich who's now in a new battle: to hold on to his seat in Congress!"

9:48 pm ET: Somehow, Brian Williams managed to cut off Hillary Clinton to get to the break. A tense evening so far -- no clear winner, as far as I'm concerned. Two pros at the top of their games.

9:46 pm ET: Clinton accuses Obama of holding "not one substantive hearing" on NATO oversight. A new line of attack, as far as I now.

9:44 pm ET: A big break from last week -- nobody's rushing to say they agree with each other this evening.

9:43 pm ET: I'd score the last chunk of time for Obama -- he's more than holding his own on foreign policy. But the emphasis on substance -- not that it's bad for Obama (he's got this stuff down pat, it seems), but this is the kind of debate Clinton wanted going in. If she can go 90 minutes without having to say "superdelegate," she'll be happy.

9:40 pm ET: And the discussion of foreign policy takes Sen. Obama to friendly territory -- talking about Iraq. (Another measure of how far this campaign has traveled -- remember when that was THE issue?)

9:36 pm ET: Once again, Clinton will not back up what she's saying about Obama's qualifications to be commander in chief. She's ducking by turning to his Senate record. Go back and read that speech she gave yesterday -- she was very strong in suggesting that a President Obama is a risk on foreign policy. Maybe she doesn't feel comfortable saying it to his face?

"I will have a much better case to make" - that's as close as she'll get to it.

9:35 pm ET: "Sen. Clinton, I think, equates experience with longevity in Washington," says Obama. He's used variations on that line before, and it's an effective one because it wraps so many of his campaign rationales into one.

Notice that Obama is the first to try to turn the argument to Sen. McCain -- their battle has already begun, if tentatively, and Obama welcomes it.

9:32 pm ET: An intriguing way into the jobs question, looking at Clinton's Senate record, and promises not fully kept. She blames it on the Bush administration -- and here, you'll notice, she's happy for some reflected glow from the Clinton administration.

9:26 pm ET: Russert read Clinton the record, chapter and verse, on NAFTA. This is difficult for her, with anyone who would remember Bill Clinton with those "NAFTA We Hafta" hats on.

9:21 pm ET: That silly distraction of an SNL reference aside -- it does seem like Clinton has settled on an effective tone this evening. She's mixing substance with style, attacking without seeming overtly negative, sounding like she's playing defense when she's really playing offense.

9:19 pm ET: Clinton: "Maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable." Quick reference to that SNL skit. But sorry, but you'll have to explain this one -- why is it media bias, senator, for you to get the first question?

9:17 pm ET: I score the first tussle of the night for Senator Clinton -- but did she need to force herself to have the last word on the subject?

9:14 pm ET: Bottom line on these healthcare mailings, as my colleague Jake Tapper points out, is that they're both misleading.

But clearly Sen. Clinton is glad to be talking substance now -- they do have real differences on healthcare plans, and they've now spent the better part of the first 15 minutes playing that out.

9:10 pm ET: You get the feeling that they could recite each others' lines, essentially verbatim, on healthcare by now?

9:08 pm ET: Sen. Obama seems very subdued so far. No signs of anger -- that kind of smooth response should make the lines of attack difficult to pursue. "Sen. Clinton has constantly sent out negative attacks about us. . . . We haven't whined about it."

9:05 pm ET: I like starting out with the many voices/faces of Hillary Clinton. "But we have differences," she says. She's making it a debate about tactics as much as it is about issues early on. This has been something the campaign has been focusing on -- but will this discussion over tactics really matter? Seems like a Kindergarten style, he started it, no she started it, fight. But Obama should watch that smirk -- caught in the cutaway shot.

8:43 pm ET: Thinking about how this is possibly the last debate -- it seems like so long ago that Sen. Clinton was untouchable on stage, the one being targeted but happy to smile and laugh above it all. That speaks to how the stakes change depending on the position in the campaign -- back then, Clinton could "win" just by emerging unscathed. No longer.

8:35 pm ET: Obama is picking up support among the superdelegates -- Kevin, add to your list Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D. Clinton still has an edge among the supers, but it's narrowing, even as Obama's advantage among pledged delegates grows wider. That will make the Clinton argument very difficult to make -- unless she can show some real momentum, starting with a pair of victories on Tuesday.

Re Richardson -- I can't get inside his head, though I thought it was telling that he said he didn't feel bound to support Clinton just because New Mexico voted for Clinton, since the margin in his home state was so tight.

8:27 pm ET: Responding to questions below -- the debate is televised on MSNBC -- they control all usage rights, on TV and online.

8:18 pm ET: Any thoughts on how much ANY debate can matter at this point? It is No. 20 -- though you could argue that none have had stakes this big. But the expecations are so high going in for Sen. Clinton -- another reason it's tough to be trailing.

8:11 pm ET: I'm wondering how this theme the Clinton campaign has been rather successfully pushing -- that the media has been going soft on Obama -- plays into tonight's questioning. I've got to think that MSNBC goes out of its way to ask some tough ones of Obama, maybe a little bit tougher, in light of that SNL skit.

6:48 pm ET: Just to underscore the stakes -- another national poll out tonight has Obama up over Clinton. It's 48-42 in the Bloomberg/LA Times survey -- and McCain is ahead of both of them in a head-to-head matchup. Intriguing, no? Not surprisingly, McCain has a huge edge on issues involving national security and terrorism.

6:31 pm ET: Building on that point I made about them having a full week, the Clinton campaign just put out a schedule showing the theme of each of the remaining days before March 4. The message: This is not a campaign in panic mode. Two days on the economy, one on child poverty, one on veterans, than two big days in Texas and one in Ohio. Per the memo, from strategist Mark Penn and spokesman Phil Singer: "This schedule reinforces our larger message: Hillary Clinton is in the solutions business."

5:57 pm ET: My predictions are almost always off when it comes to the tone of the debate. But I'd be surprised if we saw the "kitchen sink" thrown out on stage. First, that's one way to guarantee negative news coverage -- words like "flailing" and "desperate" get thrown around if one candidate takes an overtly and entirely negative tone. Second, the Clinton campaign is very aware of the fact that it has a week to make its case. That's not a lot of time, but it's not two days, either -- so the "kitchen sink" can be unloaded over a few days, at least.

In case you were wondering, I did not make it to C-town. I finally gave up after four hours of smelling stale Subway sandwiches at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. So I'm watching on TV, from home, this evening.

-----------

Rick Klein here from ABC's The Note. I'll be live-blogging during Tuesday night's debate in Cleveland -- alas, not from Cleveland as the weather would not cooperate -- starting at 9 pm ET. It's the last debate scheduled -- and if next Tuesday doesn't go Hillary Clinton's way, it could very well be the last debate of the primary season.

One way to watch the debate: How much new ground will be covered? The more new material, the better for Sen. Clinton, in all likelihood. She's more comfortable on matters of substance, for starters, and Barack Obama has a lighter record and more areas to be tripped up.

But mostly, she can't allow this debate to become a long eulogy for her candidacy -- and if the tone of the questions becomes, "How can you go on, given your setbacks?", this will be a wash of an evening for Clinton. The Clinton campaign is hoping this focuses intensely on the economy -- an area where Clinton can perform at the top of her game.

February 26, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Obama, Barack, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (271) | TrackBack (0)

The Blame Game: FEC Nomination Fight Continues

February 26, 2008 6:20 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Duck and Z. Byron Wolf Report: FEC fingerpointing continues as questions remain about Republican presidential contender Sen. John McCain's obligation to the public financing system.

While the presidential campaigns of sitting senators traversed the country, a political nomination battle on Capitol Hill that will have major implications for the Republican nominee remains stalled.

Speaking to reporters and TV cameras this afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Republicans were to blame for not allowing votes on four long-stalled nominees to the FEC.  Moments later, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blamed the Democrats.

Senator John McCain, R-Ariz, meanwhile, is in something of a Catch-22; he wants to get a waiver from the FEC to opt out of federal funding for his primary campaign, but there is not a quorum of FEC commissioners to consider his case.  If the posturing on Capitol Hill is any indication, this is not an impasse with a resolution in sight.

Democrats, including Sen. Barack Obama, have placed a hold on one of the Republican nominees, Hans von Spakovsky, but Reid has offered Republicans to have an up or down vote on the three remaining nominees.

"I gave the Republicans a perfect out -- and it's not too outlandish," Reid argued today. "There are two Democratic nominees; one Republican nominee.  Let's have a vote on them.  The majority rules. If Van Spotsky or whatever his name is can get a majority, he's on.  If he isn't, he's out.  Same with the two Democrats. So anyone to try to stretch this, it's a figment of their imagination.  Senator Obama had nothing to do with it; I had everything to do with it.  I said that what we should do is have a straight up-or-down vote on all three of these. That's verbiage the Republicans have been talking about for a long time -- up-or-down votes.  That's what I gave them.  They made a decision to make the Federal Election Commission functionless, because with all the problems that we are seeing, most all of them are directed toward Republicans.  And I guess they figure it's better that nobody scrutinizes what they're doing."

But, it's not quite that simple, as McConnell pointed out moments later. What Reid proposes could result in an FEC with more Democratic commissioners than Republican commissioners.

The Republicans have rejected that proposal because they want a guarantee that von Spakovsky, the Republican nominee, will be confirmed. Reid's proposal, if von Spakovsky was defeated, would not maintain parity on the commission, causing there to be more Democrats than Republicans.

"All four of the nominees need to be approved in tandem," McConnell said today. "This is the way we've always done it.  The FEC has three Republicans and three Democrats on purpose.  It prevents either side from exploiting the other. We've been prepared for literally months to approve all four. But, regretfully, some of the Democrats, at least, want to dictate to the Republicans who the Republican selections will be. That isn't going to happen.  We've always -- they picked theirs.  We picked ours.  And we approved both sets.  And that's the way this will go forward if it goes forward this time."

While he is technically blocking the votes on the grounds that there must be an equal number of Republicans and Democrats on the commission, McConnell said Democrats are using the issue to hamper McCain.

"You might ask them if they have in mind trying to create problems for his campaign. It wouldn't surprise me if maybe that's what they do have in mind," said the Senate Minority Leader.

The nominees are: Robert Lenhard, David Mason, Hans von Spakovsky, Steven Walter.  They've all been pending nominees for over a year.  The White House agrees with McConnell to vote on the nominations as a package and not individually because they claim that's the precedent with FEC nominations and the commission will be balanced with three Democrats and three Republicans.

"During an important election year, it's critical for the FEC to be able to effectively administer and enforce federal campaign finance laws. Unfortunately, some members of the Senate continue to prefer to play political games that obstruct the confirmation process and prevent highly qualified individuals from serving at the FEC. We continue to call upon the Senate to swiftly confirm the FEC nominees," said White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore.

Von Spakovsky is really the hold up.  He is a controversial former Department of Justice official who was put on the FEC two years ago by a temporary recess appointment and then he was re-nominated with the others last year.  Some Democrats, including Obama, say Von Spakovsky promoted policies at Department of Justice that harmed minority voters.

"Hans von Spakovsky's record speaks for itself. He should not serve on the panel responsible for protecting the integrity of federal elections," Obama wrote in an op-ed colum on October 8, 2007.  "The United States Senate must stand firm in our commitment to fighting the disenfranchisement of minority voters and reject this nominee."

However, Lawrimore called von Spakovsky "a good leader" and said, "over the past two years--which includes his tenure--the FEC has conducted the most vigorous enforcement program in the agency's history. Commissioner von Spakovsky has contributed significantly to the FEC's record of accomplishment and he should continue to have the opportunity to serve in this important role."

February 26, 2008 in McCain, John, Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

In Switch, Senate Takes Up Iraq Withdrawal Bill

February 26, 2008 3:52 PM

ABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports: Republicans abandoned their long-time tactic of thwarting Democratic attempts to hold up or down votes on withdrawing combat troops from Iraq today in the Senate.

Instead, Senate Republicans joined their Democratic counterparts this afternoon to consider a proposal by Democrat Russ Feingold and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that would immediately begin to withdraw combat troops from Iraq and begin to cut funding for the war.

Last year, Republicans had opposed procedural cloture petitions by Democrats to debate Iraq proposals. While there is little danger that the Feingold proposal will ultimately pass, the switch shows Republicans are more comfortable with their position on Iraq, where the security situation has improved.

"It is our view, after considerable discussion is that since there has been so much improvement in the situation," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after meeting with Republican Senators this afternoon. "When even the New York Times is writing frong page stories about how things have improved in Iraq, I think we can agree that things have improved in Iraq," he said.

As an added bonus for Republicans, the move will keep Democrats for the time being from moving to a controversial proposal to allow bankruptcy judges to unilaterally change mortgage terms for some families at risk of foreclosure. Its a debate Democrats had hoped to move to as worries about the economy, particularly the housing crisis, persist.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters that he will use the debate on the Feingold proposal to highlight the detrimental effect he said the war is having on the economy.

"We have been there for five years, soon to be getting on the sixth year. It has cost the treasury of this country, as I've already indicated, almost $1 trillion," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "I don't know what would be a better time to bring this up than bring it up now, when we're in the throes of an economic crisis that this country has seen very rarely."

Later on the Senate floor, he accused Republicans of employing their "usual stalling tactic." But instead of stalling on Iraq, he said they were stalling on the housing legislation.

McConnell said Reid was complaining about having a debate on the very issue that Reid scheduled a vote on (presumably Reid had assumed Republicans would oppose the debate).

February 26, 2008 in Washington | Permalink | User Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

Clinton Campaign Takes on New York Times

February 26, 2008 1:42 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker and Kate Snow Reports: The Clinton campaign is taking on the New York Times after a Sunday article by Pat Healy quoting unnamed senior Clinton advisers reported campaign staffers are "somber" and top Clinton aides have begun to face up to the campaign’s possible end after next week's primaries in Ohio and Texas.

Clinton campaign staffers were so angered by the story they arranged for hundreds of Clinton associates to sign a letter to the editor of the New York Times, which they submitted for publication. When the paper refused to publish the letter, the campaign released the full letter to The Huffington Post.

In part, the letter reads:

"The unnamed advisers and aides the story relies on speak for nobody but themselves.

"The rest of us -- thousands of her supporters, friends, members of her staff and volunteers -- are working tirelessly each and every day and night, because we believe in Hillary. We believe she will win the nomination. We believe she will win in November. And we know she will make the best President of the United States."

The New York Times today defended their decision not to publish the Clinton campaign's letter in an email to ABC News.

"We generally do not run letters from campaigns in the letters to the editor section. They tend to be more press releases than anything else," Diane McNulty of the New York Times told ABC News.

According to the Huffington Post, the Clinton campaign says their letter was rejected because the space is for "ordinary readers."

Clinton staffers and volunteers also submitted individual letters, which the Times also rejected, according to the Huffington Post.

The Clinton campaign's fight with the New York Times come a week after Senator John McCain's campaign took on the New York Times for a story reporting former McCain campaign aides were worried about a romantic relationship between the senator and a female lobbyist in 1999.

McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, held a news conference to denounce the Times story last week. Conservative news media also attacked the New York Times for the story.

February 26, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (32) | TrackBack (0)