The Des Moines Register Debate: Barack Looked Presidential

The highlight of the debate was when Barack took Hillary to task by saying, "Hillary, I will take advice from you as well." As in, you can be VP.

Hillary Is Not Losing, Barack In Winning

The meltdown in the Hillary 2008 camp has turned into quite a circus. Oh, the infighting, the tension, the finger pointing. Quite a sight. These people are not professionals if they don't realize Hillary's lead this year was never real. Ted Kennedy was also above 50% in 1980 to a point. It is called name recognition.

Beware Hillary's New York, California Strategy

That is her new gameplan. Screw January. Bet on NY and CA. Well, we are competing both those places.

• Watch the Democrat Debate and chat live.
• Watch Wednesday's GOP debate.

In The News

Hillary Clinton Gets The Jitters CBS a key member of her inner circle, Harold Ickes, warned that a crowd of Arlington-based operatives descending on the Plains en masse might set off alarm bells, triggering "campaign in panic mode" stories ....... In a symbolic twist, they met halfway -- in Chicago ........ the challenges in turning around a lumbering national organization as events unfolded to the benefit of their less experienced, and nimbler, rival. ....... her earlier aura of inevitability gone ....... If advisers were worried about appearing panicked in early October, some are less able to hide it now. Bill Shaheen, the Clinton co-chairman in New Hampshire, raised questions on Wednesday about Obama's admission that he had tried drugs, a risky tactic that telegraphed the nervousness within the Clinton campaign. ........ Some prominent Clinton supporters said that, while they expected the race to tighten, they are now being forced to scramble. "The level of worry is, they feel like they're in a damned close race," said James Carville, who was a strategist for Bill Clinton and maintains close ties to Hillary Clinton's campaign. ....... "I don't really think there's going to be any kind of, quote, shake-up or anything like that," Carville said. "But will there be some moving around? Sure." ....... Clinton simply did not visit Iowa enough over the summer and early fall ....... No one on her senior staff has ever been through the grueling caucus process, which emphasizes direct contact with voters and is difficult to measure through traditional polls. In one infamous incident, a campaign memo from deputy director Mike Henry floated the idea of skipping the caucuses altogether ......... sheer logistics. About 60 percent of her supporters say they have never been to a caucus ..... not until October that senior officials at Clinton headquarters realized there was something of a disconnect between the candidate and the sentiments of participants in Iowa's quirky system ....... "She got it before anybody else, and she dragged them kicking and screaming to take it seriously and to focus," said one person who has worked for both Clintons. "She recognized you couldn't manage a state from a thousand miles away. You had to get in there, you had to be on the ground, and see and feel what she was seeing and feeling." ......... the caucuses are "first and foremost about relationships ..... what the ramifications would be if she lost or finished third. ........ Former governor Tom Vilsack, a key Clinton surrogate in the state, was quoted the next month as saying the candidate had not initially understood the importance of relationship-building in Iowa - ....... "We were being out-organized," one person directly involved with the effort said flatly. ..... Mark Penn, Clinton's chief strategist, said she never expected to glide to victory in Iowa; if anything, she was simply pleased that "at some point this became a competitive race."

Live-blogging the Democratic debate in Des Moines USA Today
Live Blogging the Democratic Debate New York Times
Stakes High Going into Final Democratic Debate Washington Post
Five questions for Democratic debate Boston Globe
High stakes for Clinton in Democratic debate AFP
Clinton enters debate with race wide open CNN
Democrats battle in Iowa debate BBC News
Live Blogging The Iowa Democratic Debate CBS News, NY
Presidential hopefuls vote for US farm subsidy cap Reuters
Democratic Debate in Iowa Begins Wired News
Last debates could have 'seismic impact' DesMoinesRegister.com most meaningful of the dozens already held this year ...... more than 200 news organizations plan to cover the Register's debates, which will be nationally televised as well as carried live on the Internet, giving them wide reach. ....... The GOP debate will be the 10th this year, while the Democrats' Thursday is the 16th. ...... Romney has put together the Republican field's most extensive campaign organization in Iowa and spent millions of dollars on advertising since February, making the stakes high for him in the state. Romney, on Tuesday, launched the first ad of the 2008 campaign in which a candidate criticizes another by name. ........ moderated by Carolyn Washburn, vice president and editor of The Des Moines Register. ...... Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter said she expects the Democrats to lay out contrasts Thursday but remain wary of coming across as negative. ...... "The caucus winner is always the candidate with the strongest closing argument, the person who best sets up the choice. That choice includes a contrast, but more importantly it includes a vision for the future," said Cutter, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's communication director. "The candidate who can articulate that will likely emerge from the debate best positioned to win."
Live Blogging the Iowa Democratic Debate Newsweek
Democratic Debate: First Take Atlantic Online But who did best? The audience is undecided Democratic caucus goers. Who stood out? Who was different? Who seemed most presidential? Who parlayed their strengths? Who gave people reasons to believe in the negative stereotypes about them? ..... He wasn’t angry Johnny. He was nice Johnny boy, although he did snip at the moderator at one point and couldn’t resist a jab at Bill Richardson. ...... Iowans don’t like lines. They like nice. Saccharine even. Pure rhetorical glucose, though, and not a sugar substitute. ...... Biden turned a tricky question about his penchant for gaffes into a very good moment wherein Obama personally attested to his hard work on behalf of racial justice. Iowa nice.
Live Blog Of Des Moines Register Democratic Debate (December 13, 2007) Donklephant

How Obama Won a NH Legislator's Support Washington Post, United States he got an extra bounce just before he took the stage. It was in the bowels of the Verizon Center in Manchester, N.H., just moments before Obama joined Oprah and his wife before a crowd of 8,000 ...... first-year congresswoman ..... "He had no idea when he came to the arena. I kept it quiet from everyone," Shea-Porter said in an interview Tuesday. "I told him I believed that he'd bring people out and bring the change we want." ......... Shea-Porter, a social worker by profession, won a following among liberal New Hampshire Democrats with her out-of-nowhere victory last year on an antiwar, grassroots platform over the far-better funded incumbent ..... perhaps the most unexpected of the party's many pickups across the country. ....... a rapid withdrawal from Iraq, single-payer health care in the form of "Medicare for all," and the elimination of the income cap for Social Security taxes. ....... Obama now has in his camp the two newest -- and highest-level -- Democrats on the state scene. ...... President Clinton, who has been known to call to try to head off key endorsements ....... some of Shea-Porter's strongest supporters. "They would walk through water for her" ..... "You aren't helping Hillary when you attack [Shea-Porter] ...I am co-chair of the Hillary Clinton campaign here in New Hampshire, and no, attacking [Shea-Porter] like this is not acceptable to the campaign or to me... If you want to do tough issues comparison on Obama or other candidates, have at it, but this is baloney." .......... self-interest: a belief that she would fare better in her reelection bid next fall with Obama at the top of the ticket. ...... "There's a kinship there," she said. "It's the idea that all the people matter and that the answer comes from getting people involved in the process. ....... Obama was equally effusive in his introduction of Shea-Porter in the arena crowd on Sunday night, which is not surprising in hindsight knowing that he got the word from her just minutes before. "This woman is doing the right thing each and every day, every step of the way," he said.
Shea-Porter: Compelled to endorse Obama Boston Globe Not only was Obama surprised to have her endorsement, Shea-Porter said in an interview she surprised her staff, her supporters and even her own husband. "I kept my own counsel the whole time," she said. ...... Obama's approach for "grassroots" campaigning is what impressed her the most. ....... Asked if Obama's recent momentum in Iowa and New Hampshire was that "compelling reason" and that she could help put in over the top she replied, "What do you think?"
Putting words in Obama's mouth Los Angeles Times, CA
Community role at heart of Obama's run Chicago Sun-Times, United States While many have scoffed at this, thinking community work is not in the making of a U.S. president, it has helped Obama feel comfortable reaching out to individual voters in Iowa. .......... Here's what he told the Chicago Reader in 1995, before he ran for the Illinois Senate: "The political debate is now so skewed, so limited, so distorted. People are hungry for community; they miss it. They are hungry for change." ........ "What is unique about America is that we want those dreams for more than just ourselves -- we want them for other people, as well" ...... Twelve years ago, he told the Reader: "What if a politician were to see his job as that of an organizer, as part teacher and part advocate, one who does not sell voters short but who educates them about the real choices before them? ....... "As an elected public official, for instance, I could bring church and community leaders together easier than I could as a community organizer or lawyer. ...... "We must form grass-root structures that would hold me and other elected officials accountable for their actions." ......... a local organization based on local relationships ..... Clinton didn't really "get" these vagaries of campaigning in Iowa ...... This became clear to me as I have toured the state, noting how many Obama people and John Edwards' helpers were on the ground compared with Clinton's. ...... Clinton thought name recognition would be enough. ....... and he continues to reach out to individual voters, offering precinct parties tonight after the debate sponsored by the Des Moines Register. ........ The Obama team has logged all 30,000 names they collected after Oprah Winfrey's weekend appearances into a database and contacted Iowans on the list with invitations to one of the 1,000 precinct parties. ...... If Obama wins Iowa, it will not be because of arguments about experience or electability. It will be because of his grass-roots efforts. John Norris, an Obama supporter and John Kerry's Iowa state director in 2004, told reporters in a conference call Wednesday that "anytime momentum occurs in the last three weeks [of an election], it's hard to stop." And that's what Obama has now. Momentum.
Clinton Camp Points to Questionnaires From Barack Obama's Past to ... FOX News
Obama vs. Obama Huffington Post I've got to submit that this could get ugly. ...... David Axelrod, who has known Obama since 1992 and worked with him since 2002 ....... Obama's history is that he's been progressive and pragmatic and been able to work with both sides of the aisle and people across the ideological spectrum to get things done ........ "He comes to the table with a point of view, but he's not dogmatic or rigid. He's willing to compromise on details without sacrificing his principles."
Oprah: "I Was Hoping To Run Into Hillary At The Gym" Huffington Post Oprah: "I was hoping to run into her at the gym this morning, and I'd say, 'Hi, how's things going?' ........ Perhaps Oprah will readjust her thinkin' back to what it was in November 2005, when she told Hillary, "I hope you do us a privilege and run for office. ... [For] President of the United States."
Straddling black and white Los Angeles Times, CA I am a year younger than Obama and a shade or two darker, but I have been dogged by the same skepticism, the same "Stalinism of Soul," all my life. ...... In an essay I wrote 20 years ago, fresh out of college, I coined the term "cultural mulatto" to describe black kids like Obama and myself who, regardless of our DNA, were perfectly fluent in both black culture and the dominant American white culture. It's a lot like being bilingual. A typical day in junior high found me reading "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" while listening to Simon & Garfunkel. ......... back in the fifth grade when I was called "oreo" by another black kid before first period and the "n-word" by a white kid at recess. ...... For some black people, it seems that Obama's rock star popularity among whites might make them leery of supporting him themselves. ........ I'm blacker when I'm the black guy in yoga. I'm boojy when I ride the A train to Harlem. And I was never more American than when I was hitchhiking across Uganda. ....... When my blue-eyed grandmother, more white than black by blood, was a child, white society imposed blackness on her because back then, black was like Brylcreem: "A little dab will do ya." ...... I sincerely hope that the race police go the way of the East German Stasi and the KGB. Just a few years ago, however, they were still in full force. I remember when Mariah Carey first topped the charts, friends of mine groused, "Aw, that white girl thinks she can sing." Then it came out that Carey is biracial, and those same friends rushed to claim her as a soul-singing sister......... assistant professor of film at Columbia University
Let's shake fear of the possible Chicago Tribune Andrew Young, a civil rights veteran and former United Nations ambassador, should stay away from microphones. ...... He even hosted a fundraiser for her. But, with supporters like Young bringing up Hillary's least favorite part of her husband's presidency, she doesn't need critics. ...... the grumpiness of an aging crusader whose mind is stuck in the '60s. ....... His ominous tone appeals to a gloomy view of Obama's prospects that I find remarkably common in black conversations. ..... "they" won't let him. ...... "The Man." There's always that old standby devil, institutional racism. In this view, popular with barbershop philosophers and the academic intellectual set, America is too saturated with white supremacy to ever give a black presidential candidate an even break. ....... Michelle Obama, the senator's wife. She attributed the hesitancy she hears in some African-Americans to "the natural fear of possibility." ....... Such fear is a natural byproduct of our historical memory as an oppressed people whose hopes too often have been dashed. ......... I'm old enough to have heard the same pessimism expressed by my Roman Catholic friends about John F. Kennedy's chances in 1960. I heard similar pessimism expressed by some of my Jewish friends about Sen. Joe Lieberman in 2000. I hear it from countless women about Sen. Clinton's chances now. If you expect the worst, many now figure, you won't be disappointed. .......... "I freed thousands of slaves," Harriet Tubman, the great conductor on the Underground Railroad, is quoted as saying. "I could have freed thousands more, if they had known they were slaves." Many of us today are slaves to the past and don't know it. ........ Like other racial pioneers, he finds that he must run more than an ordinary campaign. He has to build a movement across racial lines that can tap into the same spirit of the civil rights movement. ...... he can build that new movement, especially if old movement leaders get out of his way.
Oprah leads praise, and prayers, for Obama Financial Times, UK
Poll: Bill Clinton More Influential Than Oprah NewsMax.com
BLACK ENTERPRISE: Why Barack Obama will be President PR Newswire (press release), NY his platform and strategy. ...... six key reasons he has risen in the polls -- and how he will win the Oval Office this November. ...... Barack Obama first appeared on the cover of BE in October 2004 next to the headline The Next Big Thing in Politics. ...... With his galvanizing message of hope and change, Obama's campaign has created an excitement unmatched by any other, and it brings together diverse sectors of the electorate -- black, white, Latino, young, old, blue-collar, and white-collar. ......... A Message for All People. ..... Hollywood, the Bible Belt, and corporate America..... A Winning Team. Obama has assembled a multi-ethnic lineup of political strategists and an all-star team of more than 200 policy advisers, including heavy-hitters from the Clinton administration............ The Funds to Compete. ..... "We have more small donors than all of the Democratic candidates combined," says Obama. "These are people who will definitely show up to vote." ...... The Black Vote. ..... Support from White America. ... At events, Obama packs them in like a rock star: he drew 10,000 in Iowa City, 7,000 in Ames, and 4,500 in Davenport. ....... America is Ready for a Change. .... America is Ready for a Change. Obama offers the change in leadership that many are seeking: youth and vitality, an unyielding hope for the future, and a rejection of the Washington-inside mind-set. His independence also sets him apart as he is the only candidate who has taken less than 1% of his donations from political action committees and none from lobbyists. He is also pushing for a transparent presidency, one in which voters are more involved with and informed about government activities via the Internet and town hall meetings. "It will no longer be business as usual in the White House," says Obama. "There will be a new openness in Washington."
O'Reilly: "I think that Obama needs to answer some questions about ... Media Matters for America, DC Obama's comments led conservative media figures to question whether he "believe[s] in America"; to describe him as a "domestic insurgent"; and to suggest that he has "patriotism problems." ...... O'Reilly replied: "I always put my hand over my heart during the national anthem myself, but I know that that's not compulsory. But anyway, look, it's a little thing, I think. The bigger thing is that Barack Obama doesn't really want to answer a lot of questions. That's huge." ......... One of the things that I don't like about Senator Obama is that they've kept him away from everybody -- they, his handlers -- and they have. It's a strategy. It's a conscious strategy. Don't let Obama get into anywhere where he has to answer any questions that are tough. I don't like that. You know, if Giuliani can go in and sit with Tim Russert -- he knows Russert's gonna give him a hard time -- then why can't Obama come in and talk to me? ............ I mean, we asked him. He said he would, and he hasn't. Now, maybe, he will down the road, but, you know, look, this is -- it's unlike Hillary Clinton, who you know who she is. You know, I hope she'll come in for an interview someday; I'm not counting on it. But you know who she is. We don't know Obama. ........ look, just be careful of the Internet.
Clinton Basks in Buffett Glow Wall Street Journal Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are vying for the affections of legendary investor Warren Buffett, as the economy eclipses Iraq as a key election issue. ....... he is willing to throw his substantial fund-raising capabilities behind both Sens. Clinton and Obama. ...... "I told both of them that if they ran for president I'd support them, and here we are," Mr. Buffett said ........ an event for Mrs. Clinton in New York in June that raised at least $1 million. ....... "Warren Buffett is a dear friend and somebody I call frequently. He's proving to be an invaluable sounding board," Mr. Obama said recently. ........ "The super-rich have been getting a huge break," Mr. Buffett said, "and it hasn't trickled down." ...... In another effort to show she has the confidence of respected figures from the world of finance, Mrs. Clinton will hold a fund-raiser Friday for 750 attendees in New York during which she will make her first public campaign appearance with Robert Rubin, who served as treasury secretary under Bill Clinton. ..... will join Mrs. Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in a discussion about the economy and foreign policy. Tickets for the event range from $1,000 to more than $25,000.

How Iran's president is being undercut Christian Science Monitor

Live-blogging the Democratic debate in Des Moines USA Today
Stakes High Going into Final Democratic Debate Washington Post
Clinton enters debate with race wide open CNN
In Iowa, A Scrambling Lesson For Clinton CBS News
Clinton, Giuliani Out Front in NJ The Associated Press
Lonely holidays for Britney Spears? New York Daily News
Mars Rover Finding Suggests Once Habitable Environment New York Times
Clinton apologizes to Obama CNN
Obama NH chair to Clinton camp: 'Stop' the dirt Baltimore Sun
High stakes for Clinton in Democratic debate AFP
Democrats Tackle Budget Problems at Final Debate Before Iowa Caucuses FOX News
The audacity of a candidate who isn't ready for the job Seattle Times
Oprah confidant vs. Clinton's mom Los Angeles Times
Why bother voting? Coronate her now. Los Angeles Times Hillary Clinton's state poll numbers are heading south for the winter. Barack Obama reaped a publicity, fundraising, volunteer and poll bonanza over the weekend with his Oprah offensive. There are reports of internal Clinton staff dissension. The Republicans didn't even mention her in their debate yesterday. ....... She continues stonewalling over release of her first lady papers which would -- or perhaps would not -- support her claim of sufficient experience to become chief executive. Two Iowa staffers got canned for forwarding e-mails alleging Obama is Muslim. She got caught planting questions at a public forum. ..... Her popular husband keeps talking about himself on the campaign trail and stepping all over her campaign's messages and making corrections that dominate another day's news and then claiming, typically, that the press misconstrued what he said. After an emergency planning meeting in Chicago, she's pumping more staff into Iowa ....... the soapy, sloppy diversions from the past Clinton years that she proposes to bring back. ....... the good news for Hillary Clinton these days is her negative rankings are steady -- very high but steady. ........ the candidate told a private crowd in a closed fundraiser at a Sacramento restaurant the other night that it's only a matter of time until she wins the nomination. ....... "is all going to be over by Feb. 5." ..... Clinton already has her eyes on California. She told the crowd, which reportedly dumped another $300,000 into her coffers, that she was really going to need the state's support after she won the nomination. ........ "The state is critical," she said, "not only to my victory for the nomination, but for the general election." So she still thinks she's the inevitable victor. ..... Clinton pointed out that absentee ballots start going out tomorrow and she told her Sacramento donors that "more people will have voted absentee by the middle of January than will have voted in New Hampshire, Iowa and a lot of other places combined." ........ According to people who've attended both her forums and Obama's rallies, hers are just that, soporific forums. His, as anyone could see last weekend on C-SPAN, are energized rallies with screams and hundreds of cellphone flashes going off to capture the moment. She's so controlled, she does not talk to the press. Obama does regularly. And the coverage reflects that accessibility. ........ Polls show upwards of half the Democrats remain undecided.
Clinton insiders question top aide's approach Newsday Clinton campaign insiders are increasingly questioning the cautious, poll-driven approach taken by Mark Penn, Hillary Rodham Clinton's top political aide ......... dissatisfaction is growing with Penn, who some say has mistakenly run Clinton as a de facto incumbent. ....... "There are two people who have come up with this strategy - one Hillary Clinton and one Mark Penn" ...... "Mark wanted to run her, basically, for re-election, and we are seeing what happened." ..... "The heat's on Mark. ... He's got a lot of enemies." ..... Clinton's aides insist that no shake-up is imminent and that Penn still has her ear. But they concede Bill Clinton has taken a more active behind-the-scenes role as her campaign flags. ........ For months, tension has been building between the "Hillary" and "Bill" parts of the team ....... Bill Clinton - along with former White House hands, - have counseled her to adopt a far more aggressive approach with Obama. ...... the acrimony has grown as all those races have become toss-ups. ...... Clinton and Obama in a dead heat among New Hampshire Democrats, just weeks after polls in the first primary state showed her with leads approaching 20 percent. ........ Clinton had lost a surprising amount of support from women ....... "Forty-three percent of Democratic primary voters ... say they are still trying to make up their minds." ..... Clinton's Iowa swoon has also revived the internal campaign debate over whether she should have staked so much on Iowa - a mercurial state her husband bypassed in 1992. In addition, some insiders have complained about a lack of communication between campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle and the campaign's Iowa guru Teresa Valmain - one reason Solis Doyle relocated to Des Moines last week. ..... "The top officials on the campaign have never had a real understanding of Iowa"
Bill can't win it for Hillary Boston Globe VOTERS WILL never elect Bill Clinton's wife as president of the United States. They may yet elect Hillary Clinton - if she makes the case. ...... people don't always tell pollsters the truth. And they answer only the questions asked of them. ....... whether the former president once associated with the lyrics "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow" now reminds them of the past? ...... subconscious sabotage? ....... "I always tell people when I speak that you're entitled to discount what I have to say." ....... Hillary Clinton said she turned down his marriage proposals because she was uncertain about her future and scared of commitment and "of Bill's intensity." ........ for-better-or-worse campaign strategy? ....... she must be her own person. She can do that with daughter Chelsea at her side. Her husband comes with political baggage. ...... it's not about asking voters to judge Bill Clinton's two White House terms. It's about getting them to invest in Hillary Clinton's first term. She's the only one who can tell voters what she will fight for. ..... the second-place finish in New Hampshire that relaunched Bill as the comeback kid probably won't be enough to sustain Hillary's campaign. ...... Bill Clinton is alarmed by his wife's slide in the polls and anxious to do what he can to reverse the trend. ..... he should start thinking more like a political strategist, and less like a celebrity spouse. It's more than time for Hillary Clinton to show voters who she is, not remind them who her husband is.

Soundbytes For December 10

You have to be able to make your point in a sentence or two. Learn that from Laloo Yadav, the most talked about politician on the planet according to a Harvard study.

"Bill Clinton has spent more time in Iowa this past month than in all of 1992 and 1996."

"Hillary takes money from lobbyists. And she pays back in kind. Her health care plan is written for the insurance companies. Her stance on Iran is written for the defense contractors."

"The Clintons have been making too much money since they left the White House. Their definition of middle class has changed. People in the top 6% income bracket are now middle class."

"If you think the top 6% are middle class, you are out of touch."

"On social security, achieving overall fiscal responsibility is breakfast. Both Hillary and I are for that. But lifting the cap to also tax income after $200,000 in lunch. And Hillary refuses to look at the lunch menu."

"If you can't beat them, join them. Hillary fought the insurance companies in 1993. She got beat, so now she has joined them."

"Hillary has been leading the national polls since February. Folks, it's called name recognition. Joe Lieberman was also leading for big parts of 2003. As was Ted Kennedy in 1980."

"Asbestos pantsuit, now that is not an idea for an Iowa winter."

"Is Bill Clinton running for a third term?"

"How many of Hillary's millions are lobbyist and special interest money?"

"The average contribution to my campaign has been 25 dollars."

"We went to the moon. We can tackle global warming."

"We have to invent our way out of our energy dilemma."

"Strong countries and presidents talk to adversaries. Kennedy did."

"Yes, this country is ready for someone whose mother was white, father was African, and whose cousin is Dick Cheney."

"I have a soft spot for my cousin Dick Cheney, but I disagree with him on both Iraq and Iran. I disagree with Hillary too."

"Hillary wanted Rumsfelt out in 2006. That was to say she thought the decision to go to war was right, the execution got messed up. My position has been the decision to go to war itself was messed up."

"Close to 400,000 Americans have donated to my campaign. That is more than for all other Dems combined."

"This country has not seen a larger grassroots movement in its history."

"We are going to need this grassroots movement even more after I am in the White House because the special interests will still be there."

"You get a presidential election every four years. But you get a movement once a generation, maybe."

"I can imagine my cabinet being about 40% female. This is a brave, new century."

"I take great pride in my African heritage. I take great pride in my Kansas heritage."

"I feel the need for a global war on domestic violence."

"Equal pay, it is time for equal pay. This applies to both race and gender."

"The information age is going to be about universal broadband, but it is also going to be about lifelong education, and universal health care, and access to credit by people in all income brackets."

"Predatory lending has got to stop."

"It is in our interest that India and China grow."

"Globalization is overall a positive force. But it is not if its fruits are not distributed among the people at large."

"This is the internet century. It is a problem that Hillary can't think in front of a computer and thinks bloggers are people talking to themselves."

"Hillary, why do you work so hard to sound like the Bush Republicans on foreign policy?"

"If Warren Buffett is willing to pay his dues, people less rich than him should not have a problem either. And that guy more than most understands entrepreneurship and wealth creation."

"Denis, I like your wife." (Sorry, can't use this. Joe Biden already did.)

"John Edwards wants to nuke the insurance companies on his way to universal health insurance. Hillary wants to write them a black check. Both are problems looking for more problems."

"Hillary, did you go to an all white high school? How does that prepare you for globalization?"

"A white woman has to be 90 to remember a time when they could not vote in this country. A black person - man or woman - only has to be 50. My election to the presidency will be more historic."

"If you want symbolic progress on gender, you go with Hillary, if you want substantive progress on gender, you come with me."

"Indira Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto did not do much for gender in their countries."

"If you don't have judgment and character, can you claim you have strength and experience?"

"Two of our greatest presidents Lincoln and Washington had no experience."

"I have been an elected official for much longer than Hillary."

"Hillary has never held a local or state level office."

"If Hillary's White House years are to count, she is going to have to release her records from the period."

"Hillary has been an excellent Senator. That is why I think she should continue in the Senate."

"So what is Hillary's latest position on driving licenses for undocumented workers?"

"How is Hillary going to compete with Mitt or Rudy on Iraq and Iran? How are their positions different?"

"This election cycle has been no different from any other. People are only now beginning to pay attention."

"I provide universal health insurance for half as money as Hillary and in half as much time. No wonder Hillary thinks I don't intend to cover everybody."

"With me you get an end to war in Iraq and democracy and stability there, and normal relations with Iran."

"The message of democracy and human rights do not run counter to our national security. True national security can only be achieved through a total spread of democracy in the Arab world brought about by local, mass movements."

"Invading Iraq was to take one eye off the Al Qaeda. Invading Iran would be take both eyes off the Al Qaeda."

"Bin Laden is still at large. The Al Qaeda is stronger today than it was before 9/11. Whatever we have been doing has not been working."

"If the US were to invade Iran, we are going to have to reinstate the draft in a major way or we have to nuke Tehran out of existence. Neither option is on my table."

"A five minute air raid of Iran is a neocon fantasy just like a quick victory in Iraq was."

"Yes, I would be willing to talk to our adversaries. I don't fear them."

"Global warming is no hoax."

In The News

Fighting to Fix What’s Not Broken New York Times, United States The program has enough in projected revenues and guaranteed Treasury i.o.u.’s, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, to pay its promised benefits fully through 2046....... While Mrs. Clinton was right that eliminating the cap entirely would raise about $100 billion a year, or $1 trillion over 10 years, it is not clear that is what Mr. Obama intends to do. ...... what is at stake with Social Security is to recognize that its problems pale next to the escalating cost of health care. ....... the cost of Medicare and Medicaid will soar to about 20 percent of gross domestic product by 2050, from 4.6 percent today. By comparison, Social Security rises to just a little over 6 percent from about 4.2 percent. ...... our country’s financial health will in fact be determined primarily by the growth rate of per capital health care costs ....... just because Social Security has less severe problems doesn’t mean that they are non-existent. ...... some of the liberal bloggers were out of touch with the concerns of ordinary voters, who want reassurances that Social Security will remain on a sound footing. ...... the Obama view that Social Security is the best program the government has ever had ...... “A sensible approach is to modestly adjust the regressive payroll tax so that the highest-income people share in the burden now, rather than wait until the problem gets worse and the program’s opponents try to force major benefit cuts.” ...... “Social Security is not a crisis, but there is a problem,” he said. “That problem is solvable, as Henry is fond of saying, but the longer you wait, the harder it is. The sooner you do something, the easier it will be.”
On The Campaign: 2008 Already Settled? Not by a Long Shot strategists in both parties say it is too early to hand the White House keys over to the Democratic Party ...... “She is an habitual evader,” said David Axelrod ...... If Mrs. Clinton wins the nomination and loses the White House to a Republican who challenges her candor, she might look back at these months as the time her fellow-Democrats softened her up for the Republican kill. ....... Most polls suggest that the nation sees the Iraq war as a mistake, and that voters will be looking for a president who will end it; the Democratic presidential field is united in saying it would do so. But the downturn in violence in Iraq over the past month — taking the war off the front pages, and leading Mr. McCain to argue that the so-called surge may be working — is a reminder of one of the great unknowns of this election: What will the state of the war be 10 months from now? ....... Three of the party’s top strategists under Mr. Bush — Karl Rove, Ken Mehlman and Matthew Dowd — have moved on. The Republican National Committee is in the doldrums; its chairman, Mel Martinez, stepped down last month. ....... even Republicans say the exuberance Democrats are exhibiting today is hardly irrational
Obama Takes Pointers from Karl Rove OpEdNews, PA The similarities between Barack's campaign and what Karl Rove is calling on the next GOP candidate for president to do to win are frighteningly similar. But that could be because to beat Karl Rove, you have to campaign like Karl Rove. Or it could mean that Barack Obama is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The Left's Obama Problem TPMCafe we're constantly reacting to the other side instead of setting our own terms for the debate ...... There, in a nutshell, is the lingering concern a lot of folks on the Left have with Barack Obama: his policies are suitably progressive, but his framing of those policies, from his constant invocation of bipartisanship to his occasional violation of progressive taboos (e.g., lecturing teachers about their opposition to merit pay, and bloggers about their "incivility", and consorting with anti-gay gospel singers), makes them suspect he's really talking past them in order to appeal to the David Broders of the political world. ....... If Obama wins Iowa, and gets the desired one-on-one with HRC, the Left's Obama Problem may be resolved in the opposite direction, though the agony inflicted by Obama's "centrist" rhetorical tendencies could grow with the realization that the Left has nowhere else to go.
Las Vegas Smackdown? Nah, Clinton, Obama and Edwards Play to a Draw Mother Jones
Obama, at fundraiser, thrills supporters with promises of real change Austin American-Statesman, TX tieless and without a jacket, he delivered a tighter, more polished speech ...... Arduengo said before Obama spoke that he liked former U.S. Sen. John Edwards .... After the speech, Arduengo said, "If the Texas primary actually mattered, I'd be inclined to vote for Obama." ..... the crowd, which included people of different ages and races ..... "He's my man," Anette Ussery, who wore a Burnet County Democrats shirt, said of Obama. "He's fresh; he's worldly." ..... Emily Schrader, a senior at Westwood High School, marked her 18th birthday by cheering Obama with her parents, Beth and Steve Schrader. She appreciated Obama's vow to stop big-business lobbyists and fat cats from running Washington. She said that if she gets into Northwestern University, she hopes to help the Obama campaign in Chicago. Obama, who next headed to a private fundraiser, said, "Let's reach for what we know is possible: a nation healed, a world prepared, an America that can believe again."
Michelle Obama tickets available The Times and Democrat, SC
Obama's wife making stop here Tuesday Orangeburg Times Democrat

For Clinton, More Time and More Advertising New York Times nearly doubled the size of her staff in Iowa and has substantially increased her advertising ....... Seldom will a day go by, aides said, when either she or former President Bill Clinton will not be on some patch of Iowa soil ..... The intense attention is the latest indication of the Clinton campaign’s worry about establishing dominance in Iowa ...... unease with Mrs. Clinton among many voters. ..... The Clinton campaign has been flying in operatives from across the country to bolster the Iowa effort. ..... If candidates do not reach a 15 percent threshold in each of the 1,784 precinct caucuses on Jan. 3, their supporters make a second choice, a procedure that Mrs. Clinton’s aides fear could favor Mr. Edwards or Mr. Obama. ...... final seven weeks .... rivals are also planning to spend nearly all their time in Iowa in December ...... hiring 100 new workers to concentrate on a person-to-person drive to explain the quirky process of the caucuses, with a goal of having 50,000 in-home visits by Christmas. ...... More than 60 percent of those who have identified themselves as Clinton supporters, senior strategists say, have never participated in the Iowa caucuses. It is a far higher share than the campaign had been anticipating, which suggests that many of the reliable rank-and-file Democrats have chosen another candidate. So the Clinton campaign is working to expand its universe of supporters to women who have never participated. ........ hired eight deputies charged solely with drumming up media coverage in smaller cities across the state. ..... new anxieties about Iowa and a sense of heightened importance in the vote’s outcome ..... the Clinton campaign held a job fair in Washington to recruit many of the 100 new workers, but it remains an open question whether the late influx of young aides will be able to build the relationships with Iowa voters that other campaigns have been working on for months. ......... “At the beginning, she didn’t understand the whole notion of relationship building,” said Mr. Vilsack, the former Iowa governor, who often travels the state with Mrs. Clinton and introduces her to voters. “She now gets it. She now understands the psyche of this process.”
Obama criticizes Clinton campaign at Austin rally Dallas Morning News "If my opponents come at me with fear-mongering and swift-boating, I will take them head-on," he said. "The American people are tired of fear and they are tired of diversions and distractions." ........ Obama is coming off a shaky performance in Thursday's Democratic debate, where Mrs. Clinton demonstrated skill and polish in putting her rivals on the defensive. ....... her campaign has been described by analysts as disciplined and methodical.
Nepal: Full proportional voting system unacceptable, NC Telegraphnepal.com Mr. Poudel however, said that the NC could make a compromise, if the Maoists’ came with the idea of at least ten percent regular voting (FPTP-first past the post) and the rest of the ninety percent voting through proportional system.
Nepal: India can’t solve Terai crisis, MJF leader unless the genuine demands forwarded by the Madhesis were not met with by the Government, the Terai/Madhesh problems will remain intact.
Nepal: We are a nationalist force, MJF leader Yadav
Nepal: CBES warns of armed revolt, 25000 volunteers ready..
Nepal: Maoists threaten parallel government it is not that easy to weaken the Maoist Party that has more than six lakhs members
Nepal: Mahato warns of yet another Madhesi revolt Mr. Mahato was today talking to journalists in Parasi Bazaar in the district of Nawalparasi. ..... “Our party supports the recently passed proposals for declaring a federal democratic republic and the adoption of full proportion system of voting for the CA elections”, Mahato concluded. .... Mr. Mahato who was a minister in the present government under Koirala had to resign from his position only after an inner party feud. His ministerial seat yet remains vacant. ..... Mr. Mahato since then has been actively involved in uniting various Terai outfits under a single umbrella and voicing for the Madhesi rights.
Mormon smears turn Republican race sour Times Online Callers also claimed the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints did not consecrate blacks as bishops until the 1970s and believes the Book of Mormon supersedes the Bible. Romney called the attacks “unAmerican”. ....... Robert Redford, the film star, joined in the Mormon-bashing this month, claiming that church followers were “very adept at not being fazed and speaking fluently and gracefully” because they “learn how to deflect blows and stay on message” when they go on missions “when they are 19 or 20”. ...... “only Romney has the cash and the organisation to go one-to-one with Rudy”. ...... “if the campaign that used appeals to religious bigotry is identified, it will be over for that candidate”. ...... polling was carried out by Western Wats, which is based in Utah ..... members of the company were revealed to be Romney donors. ....... Romney’s camp has been debating whether to sharpen its attacks on Giuliani, with some advisers cautioning that it could result in a “murder-suicide”, destroying both candidates. But the tone between the rivals has hardened
UN Panel Gives Dire Warming Forecast The Associated Press
Novak column inflames Clinton-Obama feud Newsday unspecified "agents" working for Clinton "are spreading the word in Democratic circles that she has scandalous information." ...... Clinton spokesman Jay Carson said he has "absolutely no idea" what Novak or Obama were talking about. He ridiculed Obama for allowing Novak to drive a wedge between Democrats. ...... "He's parroting Republican talking points from a columnist of questionable credibility," Carson said. "If you don't have the experience not to fall into a Bob Novak trap you have no business seeking the presidency." ....... She kept up the pressure on Obama Saturday, criticizing his health care plan before a group of steel workers in North Las Vegas.
Clinton camp fires back over column Reuters “I am prepared to stand up to that kind of politics, whether it's deployed by candidates in our party, in the other party or by any third party." ..... the "Washington art of evasion and deflection." He asked: "Are 'agents' of their campaign spreading these rumors? And do they have 'scandalous' information that they are not releasing? Yes or no?”
Column by Novak Inspires 'Swift' Obama Reaction Editor & Publisher
Is Barack Obama just another high-toned liberal doomed to failure? Slate Stevenson, the famously virtuous Illinois governor who nobly went down to defeat against Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956, remains the model Democratic loser. He was the sensible champion of civility who gallantly upheld the liberal banner in a conservative age, even while getting drubbed at the polls. One of his favorite tactics was to proclaim his ability to flout his audiences and instead act on behalf of the whole public. ..... most Democratic politicians have succeeded by building alliances of disparate groups, each with its own pet issues ...... resonated most with intellectuals and well-educated upscale professionals. ....... the quest for common ground with a language of enlightened reason. It disdains the passionate and sometimes ugly politics of backroom deals, negative campaigning, sordid tactics, and appeals to emotion. It extols sacrifice and denigrates self-interest. ........ Mugwump-style reformism went into eclipse during the New Deal. Franklin Roosevelt and his circle preferred a strategy of coalition building that had roots in Democratic urban machine politics. In their policies, they focused unsentimentally on economics—passing programs that would put food on people's tables. They dispensed with the Mugwumps' and Progressives' moral uplift in favor of a pragmatic approach. ....... From Eugene McCarthy in 1968 to Paul Tsongas in 1992 to Bill Bradley in 2000, these figures typically commanded strong followings among students and upscale liberals, while generating comparatively less enthusiasm among labor and African-Americans, among other core Democratic voters. ......... In 1952 and again in 1956, Stevenson tried to avoid negative campaigning at first, considering it undignified and an insult to voters. (He felt the same way about TV ads.) And so when he finally, of necessity, resorted to attacking Eisenhower—mainly by going after his running mate, Richard Nixon—Stevenson came off as desperate and hypocritical. The same was true for Tsongas and Bradley when they flailed haplessly at Bill Clinton and Al Gore. ....... If he continues to heed the advice of friendly pundits to attack Hillary Clinton more forcefully, he risks undermining the very premise of his campaign, tainting his image as a new kind of politician while failing to land his punches, because in the end he's not really a street fighter. What he doesn't seem to understand—as Stevenson did not—is that democratic politics fairly demands a measure of thrust and parry, of appeals to self-interest, and of playing the political game. And so does being a good president.
Novak: Clinton has secret dirt on Obama The Carpetbagger Report This word-of-mouth among Democrats makes Obama look vulnerable and Clinton look prudent. ...... Novak claims that Clinton “agents” aren’t spreading Obama rumors — they’re spreading rumors about rumors. They have “scandalous information,” which they won’t use, but which nevertheless “makes Obama look vulnerable.” ....... Notice that the campaign took a derisive tone towards Novak, which was the right call.
A sweet Saturday mystery: Clinton, Obama and Mr. X Los Angeles Times Novak is a curmudgeonly old Washington veteran much courted by GOP sources seeking to reach their base ...... The column even got a red-letter mention on the Drudge Report, which guaranteed wide notice in political circles. ........ the Clinton machine is notorious for playing hardball and this is just the kind of thing that team might do ...... Notice how Obama tries to tie Clinton to the old Washington politics, using the unsourced, unconfirmed innuendoes of a conservative Republican reporter initially aimed at him. ....... the races in both parties appeared to be tightening. ..... Political leaks--or in this case, insinuations of a non-leak--can be tricky things with unintended consequences. Back in 2000, five days before the general election, thinking there would be insufficient time for the Bush-Cheney ticket to recover, someone leaked word to a Maine TV station about a long-ago DUI arrest there of George W. Bush. Democrats often forget it was Carl Cameron of Fox News who made that a national story. ...... his five-point lead in Maine became overnight a five-point deficit there and he lost that state in the Electoral College.

Las Vegas Debate

Gender: The Only Thing Hillary Has Going For Her

In The News

Obama in Orbit The New York Times Michael Ignatieff, the deputy leader of Canada's opposition Liberal Party, said: "Outsiders know it's your choice. Still, they are following this election with passionate interest. And it's clear Barack Obama would be the first globalized American leader, the first leader in whom internationalism would not be a credo, it would be in his veins." ..... Jorge Castañeda, a former foreign minister. .... "My sense is the symbolism in Mexico of a dark-skinned American president would be enormous. We've got female leaders now in Latin America - in Chile, in Argentina. But the idea of a U.S. leader who looks the way the world looks as seen from Mexico is revolutionary." ..... Among Republicans, only John McCain - admired in Europe - seems to offer real bridge-building capacity. ....... Obama, while saying he might attack "high value terrorist targets" in Pakistan, has been most forthright in sketching a globalized community - "the security of the American people is inextricably linked to the security of all people" - and pushing hope over fear. ....... I see nobody else who would represent such a Kennedy-like restorative charge at a time when America often seems out of sync with the world. ..... the United States remained the most important nation, but ....... a Pakistani Muslim seeing on television a man "who attended a majority-Muslim school" and is "now the alleged enemy." ..... "If you wanted the crudest but most effective weapon against the demonization of America that fuels Islamist ideology, Obama's face gets close." ..... The world isn't voting. America is. But the candidate who most mirrors the 21st-century world seems clear enough.

Clinton Takes Aggressive Tack Against Her Leading Rivals New York Times
Clinton swings back at rivals in Democratic debate Boston Globe The New York senator's pointed criticisms of her opponents -- unusual for a front-runner seeking to remain above the fray -- came after two shaky weeks for her campaign. She had been forced to defend herself against charges that she has changed positions on key issues, that she had played the gender card and that her staff planted friendly questions at campaign events. .... 10th Democratic debate since April .... But Obama and Edwards both were booed when they criticized her personally, and after some sharp personal exchanges in the early minutes, the debate shifted back into discussions of key issues. ....... ``I don't think that the problem with the American people is that they are not being forced to get health care. The problem is they can't afford it,'' Obama said. ........ Obama hit back hard, however, when Clinton accused him of backing a $1 trillion tax hike to buttress Social Security. ....... only six percent of wage-earners earn more than $97,500 a year ...... Obama insisted the choice between human rights abroad and security at home was a false one. ...... he said ``yes' when asked if undocumented immigrants should get licenses. ..... ``Undocumented workers are not coming here to drive,'' but to get jobs, Obama said.
Iowa Union Endorsement For Obama Washington Post
Obama On The Rise CBS News After the first Democratic debate, at the end of April, when Hillary Clinton made her main rivals seems small and insignificant, I expected that Barack Obama would fade from contention even before the Iowa Caucus...... Based purely on opinion polls - and some scattered interviewing - I still see Clinton as the favorite for the nomination, but I can now envision a scenario in which Obama could surpass her. ..... on September 26, she voted for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on Iran, which designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. It also committed the United States to structuring its forces in Iraq "with regard to the capability of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to pose a threat to the security of the region, the prospects for democracy for the people of the region, and the health of the global economy." The Kyl-Lieberman amendment was merely a "sense of the Senate" resolution. It did not bind the Bush administration to doing anything. But the resolution seemed to affirm the administration's bellicose posture toward Iran and could, perhaps, be used as a justification for a military attack. ..... she was shifting from "primary mode, when she needs to guard against critics from the left, to general election mode, when she must guard against critics from the right." Clinton, the article said, was also "solidifying crucial support from the pro-Israel lobby." ...... during the October 30 Democratic debate, when she equivocated on New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. ..... ppearing to block access to her papers from the Clinton administration. ..... Edwards' attacks may not help his own standing with voters, but they are likely to wound Clinton, just as Dick Gephardt's attacks wounded front-runner Howard Dean before the 2004 Iowa Caucus. ..... The prime beneficiary of Edwards' ads, and potentially of Edwards' flagging support, is Obama, who has pulled statistically even with Clinton in the latest Iowa poll. In the past Clinton was able to argue that there was no significant political difference between herself and Obama, and that due to her superior experience, she was more likely to accomplish what they both advocated. But Clinton's equivocation and transparent calculation raised questions about whether she was sufficiently committed to carry out their common objectives. ..... Obama's speech at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner advanced the argument for his own candidacy. None of the other Democratic or Republican candidates can match his sheer rhetorical brilliance: his ability to be at once cool and passionate, cerebral and emotional. ..... The speech Obama gave that evening was the best I've seen during this campaign. ....... Americans don't want "the same old Washington textbook campaigns." They don't want "triangulating and poll-driven positions." They want to be led "not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction." They don't want Democrats who think "the only way to look tough on national security is by talking, and acting, and voting like George Bush Republicans." They "don't want to spend the next year or the next four years re-fighting the same fights that we had in the 1990s." ...... a 21st century version of Abraham Lincoln ...... Lincoln needed a civil war to unify the nation. Obama promises to do so through political inspiration. ..... Still, there now seems to be a path by which Obama could gain the nomination. Aided by Edwards' votes and, perhaps, by further Clinton missteps, he could win Iowa and New Hampshire. He would then have established sufficient credibility with South Carolina's black voters to win that state's primary. On Super Tuesday, February 5, he would have to win California, a few Southern states, and one or two Midwestern states in addition to Illinois to be competitive for the long haul. Obama would still not be home free, but he would certainly be in position to challenge Clinton well into the spring.
After Rough Few Weeks, Hillary Clinton Gives Strong Debate Performance ABC News a new aggressive game plan and appeared to successfully get her campaign ship back on course. ..... "this pantsuit, it's asbestos tonight" ....... Early on in the evening, she delivered what was clearly a planned hit on Sen. Obama's healthcare plan ...... His plan would leave 15 million Americans out. That's about the population of Nevada, Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire ....... Edwards, whose presence didn't seem to dominate this debate as it did the last one ...... Clinton responded with a sly and knowing, "Campbell. . . " She then went on to say, "Well, it is clear, I think, from women's experiences that from time to time, there may be some impediments." ...... This 16 day period of Sen. Clinton playing defense and struggling to get a handle on all the attacks coming from her opponents has come to a close. Sen. Obama and Sen. Edwards will now have to look for another opportunity to grab a foothold to drive the narrative as cleanly as they were able to do over the last couple of weeks.
After two weeks, can Clinton stop the slide? Los Angeles Times she holds a 51% to 23% to 11% edge over Obama and Edwards in Nevada. ...... So it's been a tough two weeks off-message for the senator. And it's shown in the polls, with Clinton's once mammoth lead dwindling like a Slim-Fast diet, despite her fat bank account and bounteous endorsements. ...... the last seven weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
Hillary's consistent non-answers (updated) MSNBC
At debate, Clinton seeks rebound Reuters Ahead of the debate, the Clinton campaign belittled her challengers for "shifting to a negative attack strategy" ..... fevered speculation that the seemingly invincible Clinton might not be the inevitable Democratic nominee as her campaign would like Americans to believe. ...... "Tonight you are going to see Senator Edwards continue to answer questions openly and honestly. You are also going to see Senator Clinton look confused when she gets a global warming question from (CNN anchor) Wolf Blitzer instead of a college student," said Edwards spokeswoman Colleen Murray. .......... Before the debate, New York's Democratic governor, Eliot Spitzer, gave Clinton what amounted to a gift, taking off the table the issue of whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to have driver's licenses.
Hold off on the Clinton coronation Boston Globe This may be the last time New Hampshire enjoys special status. Too many other states, with more delegates, more diversity, and more contributors are demanding to go earlier. Already, Nevada's caucuses sit between Iowa and New Hampshire. Both political parties have lost control of their primary calendars. And the tsunami of primaries on Feb. 5 foreshadows big changes in the calendar next time. ....... Hillary's lead is shrinking. Because Bill is the Clinton who Democrats love, her campaign sent him out to spank her primary opponents. He went overboard, warning that they were making Democrats "vulnerable to a Swift-boat kind of ad." If the shrinkage continues, Bill might get medieval on her critics. He does, after all, owe her. ....... he's finally criticizing Hillary Clinton by name. ...... "His oratory was moving and he successfully contrasted himself with the others, especially Clinton, without being snide or nasty about it." ......... The man who brags about his executive experience may be the worst judge of character in the presidential field. Rudy ......Then there's the accused child molester, Monsignor Alan Placa, who admitted that he was implicated in a 2003 grand jury child abuse report but denied molesting children. The statute of limitations had expired. Placa was removed from his parish by the church. He now works at Giuliani Partners in New York. Placa was best man at Giuliani's first wedding, helped Rudy get that marriage annulled, then married Rudy and his second wife - the one Rudy dumped at a press conference. The accused pedophile priest baptized both of Giuliani's children......... At least six neocons are advising Rudy, one of whom urged the president to launch a preemptive strike on Iran. The bombing begins in five minutes. ..... If Hillary has another bad night, what happens in Vegas won't stay in Vegas.
Obama wins UAW endorsement that includes Iowa Baltimore Sun
Obama pitches youth, technology at Google, SF events San Francisco Chronicle
Obama, at Google, calls for national CTO Computerworld