Presidential Issues
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3/28/2008 | Presidential Issues
McCain's Senate record not always conservative
McClatchy Washington
WASHINGTON — When Bob Dole was running for president in 1988, top campaign strategist Donald J. Devine shuddered when John McCain accompanied the candidate. "We'd be all over them. We didn't want McCain on the plane with Dole," Devine laughed. McCain was too unpredictable, too respected by Dole and too likely to offer him advice that was at odds with conservative dogma, he said. McCain's never changed, said Devine, now the editor of an American Conservative Union (ACU) Foundation publication. Other Republican activists, as well as people who've worked closely with McCain, offer the same assessment: As president, they say, you never know what McCain might do. If there's one constant to his 25 years in Congress, the last 21 in the Senate, it's that McCain has voted with conservatives often enough to have a legitimate claim to have been, as he frequently puts it, "a foot soldier in the Reagan revolution." But he's also bolted from the right often enough to invite suspicion from true believers. Asked if McCain could be trusted as a conservative, for instance, Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, smiled and said, "I'm going to dodge that question."
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/26/2008 | Economy, Presidential Issues
McCain Warns Against Hasty Mortgage Bailout
The New York Times
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Drawing a sharp distinction between himself and the two Democratic presidential candidates, Senator John McCain of Arizona warned Tuesday against vigorous government action to solve the deepening mortgage crisis and the market turmoil it has caused, saying that “it is not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they are big banks or small borrowers.”
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Dr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesLarry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstituteBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res3/25/2008 | American History, Presidential Issues
Obama’s Test: Can a Liberal Be a Unifier?
The New York Times
WASHINGTON — At the core of Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is a promise that he can transcend the starkly red-and-blue politics of the last 15 years, end the partisan and ideological wars and build a new governing majority. To achieve the change the country wants, he says, “we need a leader who can finally move beyond the divisive politics of Washington and bring Democrats, independents and Republicans together to get things done.” But this promise leads, inevitably, to a question: Can such a majority be built and led by Mr. Obama, whose voting record was, by one ranking, the most liberal in the Senate last year? Also, and more immediately, if Mr. Obama wins the Democratic nomination, how will his promise of a new and less polarized type of politics fare against the Republican attacks that since the 1980s have portrayed Democrats as far out of step with the country’s values? To many political strategists, the furor over the racial views of Mr. Obama’s former pastor is only the first of many such tests the senator will face if he is the nominee. Mr. Obama, in an interview that was conducted on March 15, in the midst of that controversy, said he was confident that Americans were eager for a new kind of politics and were convinced that “a lot of these old labels don’t apply anymore.”
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/25/2008 | Presidential Issues
Dems to hammer McCain for '100 years'
Politico
John McCain is scheduled to deliver a major foreign policy speech Wednesday in Los Angeles, one with a heavy Iraq focus, but chances are Democrats won’t be listening. They’ve already distilled his views into an easy to remember formulation: 100 years of war. It is a reference to an offhand remark made by McCain in January about the possible duration of the U.S. presence in Iraq, a comment that Democrats now portray as the equivalent of the McCain Doctrine. Though it’s not exactly an accurate representation of McCain’s views, Democratic strategists view the “100 years” remark as the linchpin of an effort to turn McCain's national security credentials against him by framing the Vietnam War hero as a warmonger who envisions an American presence in Iraq without end. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama began citing McCain’s remark in Democratic debates not long after he made it and their campaigns have stepped up the focus in recent weeks. On a recent conference call with reporters, Howard Wolfson, Clinton’s bulldog operative, mentioned four times in two minutes that John McCain “wants to be in Iraq for 100 years.” “Instead of offering an exit strategy for Iraq, he’s offering us a 100 year occupation,” said Obama last week, in a speech marking the 5-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. McCain never actually went so far as to call for a century-long occupation. Rather, in response to a New Hampshire town hall questioner who asked about President Bush’s statement that U.S. troops could be in Iraq for 50 years, McCain interrupted and said, “Make it 100.”
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/25/2008 | Economy, Presidential Issues
McCain Warns Against Hasty Mortgage Bailout
The New York Times
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Drawing a sharp distinction between himself and the two Democratic presidential candidates, Senator John McCain of Arizona warned Tuesday against vigorous government action to solve the deepening mortgage crisis and the market turmoil it has caused, saying that “it is not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they are big banks or small borrowers.” Mr. McCain’s comments came a day after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York called for direct federal intervention to help affected homeowners, including a $30 billion fund for states and communities to assist those at risk of foreclosure. Mrs. Clinton’s Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, has similarly called for greater federal involvement, including creation of a $10 billion relief package to prevent foreclosures.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Dr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesLarry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstituteBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res3/24/2008 | Presidential Issues, Race in America
What Politicians Say When They Talk About Race
The New York Times
Americans and their political leaders have been tongue-tied on the subject of race. We were reminded of that last week when Senator Barack Obama, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, took the almost unimaginable step of going before a national audience at a precarious juncture in a close campaign and speaking explicitly about what race means to blacks and whites. He spoke of black anger and white resentment and the significance of race in American history; his purpose was political but he spoke with seriousness and gravity and at length. Whether the speech helped or hurt him remains to be seen. But the moment was unlike virtually any in the more than 40 years since the triumphs of the civil rights struggle tore up party alignments of the past and tamped down explicit discussion of race by presidents and major-party candidates addressing the American people.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)David Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com3/24/2008 | Presidential Issues
Obama Aide: Bill Clinton Like McCarthy
My Way News
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign is trying to clarify comments by former President Clinton that seemed to question Barack Obama's patriotism - comments an Obama aide likened to Joseph McCarthy. Clinton's campaign said the comments were being misinterpreted and quickly posted a clarification on its Web site. But retired Air Force Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak said he was disappointed by the comments and compared them to those of McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator. The former president made the comments while speculating about a general election between his wife and Republican John McCain. "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country," said Clinton, who was speaking to a group of veterans Friday in Charlotte, N.C. "And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics." McPeak, a former chief of staff of the Air Force and currently a co-chair of Obama's presidential campaign, said that sounded like McCarthy. "I grew up, I was going to college when Joe McCarthy was accusing good Americans of being traitors, so I've had enough of it," McPeak said. Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer rejected the comparison. "To liken these comments to McCarthyism is absurd," Singer said. He said McPeak was "clearly misinterpreting" the remarks and suggested that might be an intentional effort to divert attention from a recent controversy involving controversial statements by Obama's former pastor.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/21/2008 | Presidential Issues
Obama passport files violated; 2 workers at State fired; 1 rebuked
The New York Times
Two State Department employees were fired recently and a third disciplined for improperly accessing electronic personal data on Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, Bush administration officials said today. The officials, all contract workers, used their authorized computer network access to look up files within the department's consular affairs section, which processes and stores passport information, and read Mr. Obama's passport application and other records, in violation of department privacy rules, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was notified of the security breach today, and responded by saying security measures used to monitor records of high-profile Americans worked properly in detecting the breaches. Mr. McCormack said the officials did not appear to be seeking information on behalf of any political candidate or party. "As far as we can tell, in each of the three cases, it was imprudent curiosity," Mr. McCormack told The Washington Times.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/21/2008 | Presidential Issues
Photograph of Bill Clinton and Rev. Wright Surfaces
The New York Times
During one of the most difficult periods in the presidency of Bill Clinton, he addressed a group of clerics at an annual prayer breakfast in September 1998 just as the Starr report outlining his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky was about to be published. Among those in attendance, was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., who is seen shaking hands with Mr. Clinton in a photograph provided today by the Obama campaign. Mr. Wright’s relationship with Senator Barack Obama, as his longtime pastor, has been the subject of considerable controversy in recent days because of incendiary excerpts of sermons Mr. Wright gave at their church, Trinity United Church of Christ, in Chicago.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/20/2008 | Presidential Issues
Clinton Facing Narrower Path to Nomination
The New York Times
WASHINGTON — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton needs three breaks to wrest the Democratic presidential nomination from Senator Barack Obama in the view of her advisers. She has to defeat Mr. Obama soundly in Pennsylvania next month to buttress her argument that she holds an advantage in big general election states. She needs to lead in the total popular vote after the primaries end in June. And Mrs. Clinton is looking for some development to shake confidence in Mr. Obama so that superdelegates, Democratic Party leaders and elected officials who are free to decide which candidate to support overturn his lead among the pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses. For Mrs. Clinton, all this has seemed something of a long shot since her defeats in February. But that shot seems to have grown a little longer. Despite Mrs. Clinton’s last-minute trip to Michigan on Wednesday, Democrats there signaled that they are unlikely to hold a new primary. That apparently dashed Mrs. Clinton’s hopes of a new showdown in a state she feels she could win, and it left the state’s delegates in limbo. The inaction in Michigan followed a similar collapse of her effort to seek another matchup with Mr. Obama in Florida, where, as in Michigan, she won an earlier primary held in violation of party rules. Without new votes in Florida and Michigan, it will be that much more difficult for Mrs. Clinton to achieve a majority in the total popular vote in the primary season, narrow Mr. Obama’s lead among pledged delegates or build a new wave of momentum. Mrs. Clinton’s advisers had hoped that the uproar over inflammatory remarks made by Mr. Obama’s longtime pastor that has rocked his campaign for a week might lead voters and superdelegates to question whether they really know enough about Mr. Obama to back him. Although it is still early to judge his success, the speech Mr. Obama delivered on race in Philadelphia to address the controversy was well received and praised even by some Clinton supporters. Tad Devine, a Democratic consultant who is not supporting a candidate, said Mrs. Clinton faced a challenge that although hardly insurmountable was growing tougher almost by the day. Mr. Devine said it was critical for her to come out ahead in popular votes, cut into Mr. Obama’s lead and raise questions about Mr. Obama’s electability to win over superdelegates.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/19/2008 | Presidential Issues
Clinton's First Lady Papers to Go Public
My Way News
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Thousands of pages of Hillary Rodham Clinton's schedules as first lady are being released to the public after months of pressure and criticism that the Clintons were delaying the disclosure. The National Archives, which operates the former President Clinton's presidential library in Little Rock, announced Tuesday it would release 11,046 pages of Clinton's daily schedules at the Little Rock facility and online Wednesday morning. Clinton has faced criticism from fellow Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republicans over the number of White House documents from her husband's administration that have not been made public. The documents to be released include schedules for 2,888 days and are the files from Patti Solis Doyle, who was the former first lady's scheduling director. Doyle served as Clinton's campaign manager but stepped down in February after a series of losses to Obama in the Democratic nomination battle. The archives said 4,746 pages of documents have parts blacked out, mostly to protect the privacy of third parties, including their social security numbers, telephone numbers, and home addresses. In addition, schedules for 19 days before Bill Clinton was inaugurated and his wife began first lady on Jan. 20, 1993, are closed to the public under the Presidential Records Act. The archives also said schedules for 32 days were not included in Doyle's files, but 27 of those days have now been located and will be released as soon as possible. The daily schedules are the focus of a lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest group, against the archives seeking the release of the former first lady's records, including phone logs and other files. Judicial Watch has also sued separately in federal court seeking the release of documents related to a White House task force on health care that Clinton headed as first lady.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/18/2008 | Presidential Issues
Clinton says "we cannot win" Iraq war
Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton charged on Monday the Iraq war may end up costing Americans $1 trillion and further strain the economy, as she made her case for a prompt U.S. troop pullout from a war "we cannot win." This week marks the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but voters now say the economy is their top issue in the campaign for the November presidential election. Clinton, the former first lady who is trying to convince voters she has foreign policy gravitas, hurled criticism both at her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, and the Republicans' choice, Arizona Sen. John McCain. She said the war has sapped U.S. military and economic strength, damaged U.S. national security, taken the lives of nearly 4,000 Americans and left thousands wounded. "Our economic security is at stake," she said. "Taking into consideration the long-term costs of replacing equipment and providing medical care for troops and survivors' benefits for their families, the war in Iraq could ultimately cost well over $1 trillion." It has already cost $500 billion.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/17/2008 | Presidential Issues
Ex-Governor Cuomo Says Close Democratic Race Could Be `Ruinous'
Bloomberg.com
March 14 (Bloomberg) -- Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo said the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could be ``ruinous'' for the Democratic Party if the contest isn't resolved before the August nominating convention. Cuomo, a Democrat, said the party may be able to avoid a damaging convention fight if Clinton and Obama teamed up on a party ticket, or if the media forced the candidates before then to substantively address big policy issues facing the nation, such as the economy and the war in Iraq. ``It would be ruinous to the Democrats to get to the convention without an arrangement of some kind,'' Cuomo said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital with Al Hunt,'' scheduled to air today.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/17/2008 | Presidential Issues
Delegate Battles Snarl Democrats in Two States
The New York Times
Democrats in Michigan and Florida struggled Friday to resolve the impasse over their disputed January primaries, coming up with a plan to hold a June primary in Michigan while remaining deadlocked in Florida. Reflecting how tense the situation has become, influential fund-raisers for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton have stepped up their behind-the-scenes pressure on national party leaders to resolve the matter, with some even threatening to withhold their donations to the Democratic National Committee unless it seats the delegates from the two states or holds new primaries there. The committee penalized Michigan and Florida for holding their primaries early in violation of national party rules, barring their delegates from being seated at the Democratic convention this summer. But with the Democratic contest now a scramble for every remaining delegate, the allocation of delegates from the two states could have a substantial impact on the nomination. Mrs. Clinton won the primaries in both states, but the contests were not sanctioned by the party, neither candidate campaigned in the states and Mr. Obama did not even put his name on the ballot in Michigan.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/14/2008 | Presidential Issues
Michigan, Campaigns Talk Do-Over Primary
My Way News
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Democrats are close to an agreement with presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama to hold a do-over primary. Party officials and the campaigns negotiated on Thursday, and state Democratic leaders were hopeful that an agreement could be reached on Friday, said Democratic officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. To go forward, any plan would require the approval of the two campaigns, the Democratic National Committee, state party leaders and Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who is backing Clinton. Michigan Democrats need to act quickly because the politically divided legislature will have to sign off on the deal and approve how to spend the privately raised funds for a new election. Members of the Democratic-controlled state House and Republican-controlled state Senate leave at the end of the month on their two-week spring break.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/14/2008 | Presidential Issues
Obama vs. Clinton: They Meet Again
ABC News
ABC News' Ed O'Keefe Reports: The dueling Democrats contending for the party's crown will debate again. Taking the stage for the 21st and possibly 22nd time, Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., could debate at least twice more before the critical Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, April 22. Both candidates have accepted an ABC News debate in Philadelphia and Obama has accepted a similar invitation from CBS News to debate at a location to be determined in North Carolina. The CBS News debate would be their first debate of the 2008 campaign season.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/13/2008 | Presidential Issues
Ferraro Steps Down From Clinton Campaign
ABC News
The Clinton campaign confirms Geraldine Ferraro has stepped down from her role on the finance committee of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign after making racially charged remarks about Sen. Barack Obama. Ferraro notified Clinton by letter Wednesday that she would no longer serve on Clinton's finance committee as "Honorary New York Leadership Council Chair," reported the Associated Press. Ferraro notified Clinton by letter Wednesday that she would no longer serve on Clinton's finance committee as "Honorary New York Leadership Council Chair." The AP reported Ferraro wrote a letter to Clinton, saying: "Dear Hillary, I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what's at stake in this campaign. The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen. Thank you for everything you've done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren. You have my deep admiration and respect, Gerry," read the letter, first reported by CNN.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/13/2008 | Presidential Issues
Clinton and Obama split over Florida and Michigan
International Herald Tribune
WASHINGTON: After a week of shadow-boxing, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama issued their clearest statements yet on how they would prefer to resolve the impasse over the disputed Florida and Michigan primaries. Not surprisingly, they staked out opposing and irreconcilable positions. Clinton, in an appearance before a Hispanic business group in Washington Wednesday morning, argued that the delegates should be seated based on the results of the Michigan and Florida primaries, which were held in January in violation of Democratic Party rules. Clinton won both contests by sizable margins and would narrow the delegate gap with Obama by about 60 delegates if the January results are honored, but the delegations have been barred because of the party rules violation. She now trails Obama by more than 100 pledged delegates, according to most counts. "The results of those primaries were fair and should be honored," she told the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce here.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/12/2008 | Presidential Issues
Clinton's Pennsylvania Plan
The Wall Street Journal
In the six weeks leading up to the Pennsylvania primary, the Clinton campaign will blanket the commonwealth with events, recruit thousands of volunteers and throw strategic attacks at rival Sen. Barack Obama. What it will not do is mimic the tactics it used in Iowa -- flying the candidate around on a "Hill-A-Copter" that costs several thousand dollars a day to charter; spending more than $95,000 on sandwich platters for caucus-night parties; or paying an estimated $3,000 for 600 snow shovels and thousands of pounds of rock salt to clear sidewalks for caucus goers when the forecast didn't call for snow. Such expenses left the Clinton campaign hobbling into New Hampshire and led to Sen. Hillary Clinton's $5 million loan to her campaign in January. It has been just over two months since Sen. Clinton came in third in the Iowa caucus. The lessons the Clinton campaign took from its expensive and unsuccessful yearlong effort there have altered the fabric of the campaign. In no contest has that been more apparent than it will be in Pennsylvania, which gives the Democratic candidates the longest time to campaign in a single state since the run-up to Iowa.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)3/12/2008 | Presidential Issues
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Politico.Com
For a moment, it looked like party leaders were marching toward a Florida revote. But Obama's campaign signaled today that the mechanics would be an obstacle, and Florida's congressional delegation just took a hard line against a re-vote in a joint statement: Washington, DC – The Members of Florida’s Democratic Delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives issued the following statement regarding the seating of Florida’s delegates at the DNC National Convention this August. “We are committed to working with the DNC, the Florida State Democratic party, our Democratic leaders in Florida, and our two candidates to reach an expedited solution that ensures our 210 delegates are seated. “Our House delegation is opposed to a mail-in campaign or any redo of any kind.”
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)