Presidential Issues
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11/28/2007 | Presidential Issues
Youtubers add primary color
Boston Herald
Jittery candidates fearing the loss of presidential prestige during tonight’s CNN/YouTube debate may have a point - if Cheeta, a global-warming-fearing monkey is chosen to zing the pack. Or a pot-crazed “Doors” fan having his marijuana moment. Or various youngsters worried about the ozone, the right to vote and the sharp girl asking if candidates should pass a proficency test before advancing - just as she must at school. They’re just a few of the nearly 5,000 questions bleary-eyed CNN editors must cut down to 40 before tonight’s debate in St. Petersburg, Fla. (8 p.m. on CNN.) Some of the candidates were reluctant to attend, but a full lineup is expected.
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11/27/2007 | Presidential Issues
New poll shows Clinton trails top 2008 Republicans
Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton trails five top Republican presidential contenders in general election match-ups, a drop in support from this summer, according to a poll released on Monday. Clinton's top Democratic rivals, Barack Obama and John Edwards, still lead Republicans in hypothetical match-ups ahead of the November 4, 2008, presidential election, the survey by Zogby Interactive showed. Clinton, a New York senator who has been at the top of the Democratic pack in national polls in the 2008 race, trails Republican candidates Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, John McCain and Mike Huckabee by three to five percentage points in the direct matches. In July, Clinton narrowly led McCain, an Arizona senator, and held a five-point lead over former New York Mayor Giuliani, a six-point lead over former Tennessee Sen. Thompson and a 10-point lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Romney.
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11/20/2007 | Presidential Issues
Obama's "new ideas" help put him ahead of Clinton in new Iowa poll
ABC News
The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll of likely Democratic caucus-goers in Iowa shows Sen. Barack Obama at 30%, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at 26% and former senator John Edwards at 22%. Gov. Bill Richardson finishes fourth, with 11% support. ABC's analysis: While those numbers haven't changed much since July, "a growing focus on fresh ideas coupled with lingering doubts about Hillary Clinton's honesty and forthrightness are keeping the Democratic presidential contest close in Iowa, with Barack Obama in particular mounting a strong race against the national front-runner. Most Democratic likely voters in Iowa, 55%, say they're more interested in a 'new direction and new ideas' than in strength and experience, compared with 49% in July -- a help to Obama, who holds a substantial lead among 'new direction' voters."
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11/19/2007 | Presidential Issues
When religion becomes fair game
USA Today
In the race for the White House this year, speeches have turned sharply from the political to the biblical as Democrats have strived to close the "God gap" with Republicans over the religious vote. Yet, when pressed about their own faith or faithlessness, candidates have been less eager to answer, claiming that such questions are personal and beyond the pale. But it may be time to demand that, when politicians call to the faithful, they should have to answer to the faithful on their own religious practices.
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11/15/2007 | Presidential Issues
Huckabee's hopes up in Iowa
The Washington Times
Top Iowa Republicans say Mike Huckabee has entered the "can-win" class of presidential nomination hopefuls — at least for the moment. The former Arkansas governor is within six points of Mitt Romney in a new poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers and has the potential to inspire many of Iowa's churchgoers to leave the pews to pound the neighborhood block on his behalf, they say. "I would not be surprised if he comes in second or possibly wins the caucuses here, especially since Sam Brownback has dropped out," said former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.
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11/13/2007 | Abortion, Presidential Issues
National Right to Life Committee Endorses Thompson
Fox News
Fred Thompson on Tuesday fielded the endorsement of the largest anti-abortion group in the country, giving the GOP candidate a boost in his quest to appeal to conservative voters. The National Right to Life Committee announced the endorsement in Washington, D.C., while Thompson was campaigning in South Carolina. “Our endorsement is a testament to Sen. Thompson's longstanding pro-life record, his commitment to protecting unborn children and our belief in his ability to win,” said Wanda Franz, president of the committee.
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11/13/2007 | Economy, Governmental Control, Presidential Issues
Bush Pushes Budget Fight With Democrats
Los Angeles Times
NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- President Bush, escalating his budget battle with Congress, on Tuesday vetoed a spending measure for health and education programs prized by congressional Democrats. He also signed a big increase in the Pentagon's non-war budget although the White House complained it contained "some unnecessary spending." The president's action was announced on Air Force One as Bush flew to New Albany, Ind., on the Ohio River across from Louisville, Ky., for a speech criticizing the Democratic-led Congress on its budget priorities. In excerpts of his remarks released in advance by the White House, Bush hammered Democrats for what he called a tax-and-spend philosophy: "The Congress now sitting in Washington holds this philosophy," Bush said. "Their majority was elected on a pledge of fiscal responsibility, but so far it is acting like a teenager with a new credit card. "This year alone, leaders in Congress are proposing to spend $22 billion more than my budget provides," the president said. "Some of them claim this is not really much of a difference and the scary part is that they seem to mean it."
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11/12/2007 | Presidential Issues
Fear of a dynasty denies Hillary Clinton votes
TimesOnline
BILL CLINTON is finding it difficult to transfer voters’ affections for him to his wife as opponents exploit concerns that two dynasties – the Bush and Clinton families – could dominate American politics for 28 years. Grover Norquist, one of America’s most influential Republican activists, aims to turn the question of dynasty into a campaign issue. “It will be ridiculous to have Mr President and Madam President in the White House,” he said. “We’re the United States of America. How can we say to President Mubarak [of Egypt], ‘You can’t hand off the presidency to your son, it’s got to be your wife’ or, ‘Hey Syria and North Korea, you’ve got to knock this stuff off and be like us’.” Norquist has commissioned lawyers to draw up a constitutional amendment that would ban family members from succeeding one another to elected and appointed office. If passed, it would not apply to the Clintons as a Bush was elected in between them. But Norquist believes that it will alert voters to the perils of dynasty. “Americans don’t like to go back,” he said.
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11/9/2007 | Presidential Issues
From Back of G.O.P. Pack, Huckabee Is Stirring
The New York Times
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Nov. 8 — Mike Huckabee’s field staff had expected a modest crowd for a campaign event at a tiny rural community college near here on Wednesday. But as people began to cram into the shoe-box-size room, campaign organizers scurried to roll back a dividing wall and set up extra chairs. To the Huckabee campaign, it was another small note in a recent trickle of encouraging moments. His fund-raising is up, the campaign just received its first major Christian conservative endorsement and most of all — to Mr. Huckabee’s obvious delight — opponents are beginning to take potshots at him. “I’ve always said as a hunter, ‘You never put the cross hairs on a dead carcass,’” Mr. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, told reporters Wednesday. “You only aim for something that’s alive that you’d like to take home.”
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10/30/2007 | Presidential Issues
Thompson, Obama get most positive coverage: study
Reuters
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - A new study of campaign 2008 coverage finds that Illinois Democrat Barack Obama and former "Law & Order" actor Fred Thompson, a Republican, have enjoyed much more positive coverage than their rivals. By the same token, longtime media darling John McCain of the GOP has taken a beating in coverage, largely the result of mostly negative stories about his fundraising struggles. The study of coverage was conducted from January 1-May 31 by the Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy. Obama has attained rock star status on the campaign trail even though he's behind Hillary Clinton in the voter polls. Obama received positive coverage in 47% of all stories about him. But the study also found that Obama seemed to be slipping after May, with more neutral and negative stories. Some 46% of the stories about Thompson had been positive with only 4% negative about his candidacy.
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10/29/2007 | Presidential Issues, Terrorism
Linking Terror on the Trail
Wall Street Journal
A divide is emerging on the presidential campaign trail over battling terrorists: how exactly to label the fight. While Democrats tend to talk about terrorism in general, Republicans increasingly pin the threat directly on Islam. All the major Republican candidates regularly weave some form of the phrase "Islamic extremism" into their stump speeches. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has taken the rhetoric to a new level, running a television advertisement about "this century's nightmare, jihadism." Democratic candidates generally don't emphasize linking Islam and terrorism. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton talks more of "global terrorism," while Sen. Barack Obama refers to "stateless terrorism." "In four Democratic debates, not a single Democratic candidate said the word 'Islamic terrorism,' " former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said at a Republican debate. "Now that is taking a political correctness to extremes." Those who like the Republican candidates' choice of language say it reflects the reality of who threatens America the most. "Everybody ought to call an ace an ace," says Jim Gorsh, a 62-year-old retiree who heard Mr. Romney speak in Clinton, Iowa, earlier this month.
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10/22/2007 | Presidential Issues
The October 21 Republican Debate
FoxNews.com
WASHINGTON — The Republican presidential candidates were fanning out across America on Monday after spending a lively evening failing to agree on who is the most conservative candidate in the White House race, but reaching consensus on the most liberal: Hillary Clinton. Sunday night’s GOP presidential primary debate in Orlando, Fla., offered some of the sharpest jabs of the campaign season but much of the argument was good-natured and went for laughter over anger. Still, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, who both had great weekends keying in on conservative voters in Florida and Washington, D.C., were left to defend their performances as governor and mayor of largely liberal Massachusetts and New York City respectively. Right out of the box, latecomer Fred Thompson accused Giuliani of supporting both abortion and sanctuary cities — taboo positions for conservatives.
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10/18/2007 | Presidential Issues
Bob Jones III Backs Romney
CR Daily
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Bob Jones III, chancellor of the Christian fundamentalist school named for his family, is endorsing Republican Mitt Romney for president. Romney's campaign confirmed Jones' endorsement Tuesday. "We're proud to have Dr. Jones' support and look forward to working with him to communicate Governor Romney's message of conservative change to voters," Romney spokesman William Holley said in a statement. Jones didn't immediately respond to a message left Tuesday evening by The Associated Press. But he told a Greenville newspaper that supporting Romney is critical to make sure former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani doesn't win the GOP nomination and that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton doesn't win the election. "If it turns out to be Giuliani and Hillary we've got two pro-choice candidates, and that would be a disaster," Jones told The Greenville News for a story on its Web site Tuesday. Romney and Jones would appear to be a political odd couple, with the Southern fundamentalist Christian throwing his support behind the Mormon who was governor of Massachusetts. But Jones said his endorsement came after he decided Romney would do the most to represent the average conservative American.
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10/10/2007 | Presidential Issues
Giuliani Clashes With Romney Over Taxes and Spending
The New York Times
Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts tangled over taxes and government spending as the Republican presidential candidates debated today in Michigan, highlighting the way in which their increasingly fierce confrontation is starting to dominate the race for their party’s nomination. The debate also marked the debut of Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee alongside his Republican rivals. Mr. Thompson often appeared unsmiling and less practiced than the eight others onstage with him, who had already met five times before today, but avoided any notable missteps and held his own on substantive exchanges over the economy and foreign policy. Mr. Thompson often found himself a bystander as Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Romney attacked one another — or, just as frequently, went after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, reflecting the eagerness of Republicans for a general election matchup against Mrs. Clinton, the New York Democrat who is leading in national polls. Mr. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, and Mr. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, employed a blizzard of often-conflicting statistics as they sought to undercut each other’s record on cutting taxes or spending. But most of all, they clashed over a line-item veto that Mr. Romney said was essential to reducing spending in Washington and that Mr. Giuliani, as mayor, challenged successfully in the United States Supreme Court.
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10/3/2007 | Freedom of Religion, Presidential Issues
Christian Conservatives Consider Bolting GOP for Third Party
CR Daily
Some of the nation's most politically influential conservative Christians, alarmed by the prospect of a Republican presidential nominee who supports abortion rights, are talking about backing a third-party candidate. More than 40 Christian conservatives attended a weekend meeting in Salt Lake City to discuss the possibility, and planned more gatherings on how they should move forward, according to conservative activist Richard Viguerie. Other participants in the meeting included Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. But a spokesman for Focus on the Family Action says Dobson and others at the meeting did not commit to supporting a third party and spoke out against the idea.
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9/17/2007 | Presidential Issues
Bush to Name Ex-Judge as Successor to Gonzales
New York Times
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 — President Bush has decided to nominate Michael B. Mukasey, a former federal judge from New York who has presided over some high-profile terrorism trials, as his next attorney general and is expected to announce the selection Monday, according to several people familiar with the decision. Should the Senate confirm him, Mr. Mukasey (pronounced mew-KAY-see) would become the third attorney general to serve under Mr. Bush. As the top law enforcement officer in the United States, he would preside over a Justice Department that has been buffeted by Congressional inquiries into the firing of federal prosecutors and the resignation of the previous attorney general, Alberto R. Gonzales. Unlike Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Mukasey is not a close confidant of the president. Nor is he a Washington insider. But people in both political parties say he possesses the two qualities that Mr. Bush has been looking for in a nominee: a law-and-order sensibility that dovetails with the president’s agenda for the fight against terror, and the potential to avoid a bruising confirmation battle with the Democrats who now run the Senate. With 16 months left in office, Mr. Bush can ill afford a drawn-out confirmation fight.
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9/13/2007 | Presidential Issues, Campaign Finance
Hsu leaves hospital for jail
The Denver Post
Yung Yuen "Norman" Hsu, 56, was arrested last Thursday after becoming ill on an Amtrak train while traveling from San Francisco to Denver. Hsu has contributed more than $600,000 in the past three years and did fund-raising for federal, state and municipal candidates, including U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, as well as U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, candidate for a Colorado Senate seat.
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9/11/2007 | Presidential Issues
Americans Commemorate Sept. 11 Anniversary
People
On the sixth anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans are pausing to commemorate the tragedy. In New York, where most of the victims died, the city plans to mark the event with four moments of silence – two for when each plane hit one of the World Trade Center Towers and two for the moments when each building fell. Families will leave flowers for their lost loved ones at ground zero. Unlike previous years, the names of the more than 2,700 victims will be read by firefighters and first responders (rather than family members) in Zuccotti Park, a small public park instead of at the World Trade Center site.
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9/7/2007 | Presidential Issues
Thompson: I can stop Hillary Clinton
CNN
DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) -- As Fred Thompson officially hits the campaign trail, he's making a pitch to conservative Republicans nervous that the 2008 presidential race could lead to a Democratic president -- and even one named Clinton. Thompson says he's the candidate who could prevent that from happening by campaigning on true conservative values. "To my Republican friends, I point out that in 1992, we were down after a Clinton victory," Thompson said in a video announcement posted to his campaign Web site Thursday morning. "In '94, our conservative principles led us to a comeback and majority control of the Congress. Now, you don't want to have to come back from another Clinton victory. Our country needs us to win next year, and I'm ready to lead that effort," he said. Thompson made his first official campaign appearance in Des Moines, Iowa, after finally announcing his candidacy for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination Wednesday evening on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
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9/6/2007 | Presidential Issues
Fred Thompson finally announces run
The Politico
At 7:57 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, while taping "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" for broadcast later in the evening, Fred Thompson finally said: "I'm running for president of the United States." The studio audience responded with thunderous applause. Thompson rejected the notion that he has waited too long to get into the race for the White House. "People treat politicians sort of like the dentist -- they don't have anything to do with them till they have to," he said. "A lot of people have been, of course, running for some time. Everybody kind of changed the rules.
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