September 30, 2008
NPR's Robert Smith is in Columbus, Ohio reporting on the early voting there . He contacted our voting issues expert Pam Fessler after he saw some fishy behavior...Pam explains:
Robert told me he saw two older women taking down the license plate numbers of cars going to the early vote site (Veterans Memorial ) in Columbus, Ohio today. They refused to tell him who they were or why they were doing it. I just checked with the Election Protection people who are covering Ohio. They said they got a handful of calls today from Franklin County voters complaining (or reporting) that people with clipboards were taking down license plate numbers. The lawyer at Election Protection (Ami Sanchez of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights) said they've contacted the Franklin County Board of Elections to alert them. The BOE responded that they were keeping an eye on it. But Ami noted that there's nothing to prevent someone from doing this if they stay outside the zone where electioneering is prohibited. Sanchez said it can be "disconcerting" for voters to have someone writing down information about you.
No kidding!
Apparently AP reporters saw similar activity (people photographing license plates) at Veterans Memorial. Their story says the operatives are Republican lawyers. But on a conference call today, Ohio GOP Deputy Chair Kevin DeWine said he didn't know who was behind the license plate tracking -- though he did say the party would be "keeping an eye" on early polling places to guard against fraud.
The Republicans held the call to object to a "Barack the Vote" registration drive planned for a Columbus bar. A flyer advertising the event promised a waived cover and open bar for registered voters and new registrants, courtesy of the host establishment -- but it's illegal in Ohio to offer anything of value in return for voter registration. The Franklin County prosecutor contacted the bar about the legal issue after the state GOP forwarded them the flyer, and the event's Facebook page has deleted any reference to the free drinks.
-- Evie Stone
4:54 PM ET
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09-30-2008
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A new survey from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press indicates that public support for the economic bailout plan is waning. A modest majority of Americans -- 45 to 38 -- think the plan is the right thing to do. That margin is down sharply from 10 days ago, when 57% percent of those polled thought it was the right strategy, versus 30% who thought it was the wrong one. Concern over the bailout appears to transcend party lines, with support for the plan dropping among Democrats, Republicans, and independents. When asked to describe their emotional reaction to the government's proposed $700 billion rescue effort, 61% said they are "angry"; 50% described themselves as "scared"; 43% are "confused"; and 29% are "optimistic".
The survey also shows that voters favor Barack Obama by a large margin -- 46 to 33 -- when asked which Presidential candidate can best address the nation's economic crisis. However, among independent voters, Obama's edge is much slimmer, 38-32. Click here to read a complete overview of the Pew survey.
-- Sean Bowditch
4:22 PM ET
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09-30-2008
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NPR's Don Gonyea sends along the latest unofficial press badge on the Obama bus. Unclear which one of those rugrats is supposed to be Don.
-- Evie Stone
3:54 PM ET
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09-30-2008
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TVNewser reports that Gwen Ifill fell and broke her ankle last night while carrying debate-related research up a flight of stairs. Insult to injury, yesterday was Ifill's birthday .
Apparently she's still planning to moderate the Vice-Presidential debate in St. Louis on Thursday. Get well soon, Gwen!
-- Evie Stone
3:51 PM ET
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09-30-2008
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Both major party presidential candidates increased the urgency of their language on the bailout package today, as Congress regroups during Rosh Hashanah break and the House leadership drums up a plan B. Assigning blame for the failure seems to be yesterday's pastime, with both McCain and Obama focusing today on explaining to voters why the plan is so crucial.
Here's Barack Obama at a rally in Reno, Nevada:
Because of the housing crisis, we are now in a very dangerous situation where financial institutions across this country are afraid to lend money. If all that meant was the failure of a few big banks on Wall Street, it would be one thing.
McCain had strong words on the bailout as well, at a roundtable in Des Moines:
We are in the greatest financial crisis of our lifetimes. Congressional inaction has put every American and the entire economy at the gravest risk. Yesterday the country and the world looked to Washington for leadership, and Congress once again came up empty-handed.
Businesses all over the country cannot borrow to finance their own operations and pay their bills. If we do nothing, many may fail.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted after the bill failed yesterday shows a high level of public concern about yesterday's vote. Nine out of 10 people surveyed fear that the bill's failure "could lead to a more severe economic decline." But clearly there is more PR work to do, as nearly half of those polled said they opposed the package anyway. This morning on CNN, McCain suggested that we start referring to the plan as a "rescue effort " instead of a "bailout" to help convince regular Americans that the plan will help them along with the Wall Street firms currently struggling under the weight of too much leverage.
-- Evie Stone
1:58 PM ET
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09-30-2008
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Alaska's "Troopergate" scandal continues to produce a new storyline practically everyday. Kyle Hopkins of the Anchorage Daily News reports the most recent twist comes in the form of a lawsuit -- the third of its kind -- that aims to halt the state legislature's investigation of Sarah Palin . Palin has since agreed to cooperate with a separate investigation run by the state Personnel Board. The new suit was filed on behalf of five Republican state lawmakers. The presiding judge -- who was assigned to the case after two others recused themselves because of potential conflicts of interest -- decided to combine it with a similar lawsuit filed recently by the Alaska Attorney General. The central argument in the two suits is that the Legislative Council lacks the appropriate authority to conduct the investigation. (It's worth noting that the Council is made up of 10 Republicans and four Democrats.) And that packaged suit joins yet another filed by a group of residents from Fairbanks and North Pole. That one questions the constitutionality of the investigation.
In the ADN article, Ed O'Callaghan, an attorney with the McCain-Palin campaign, was asked what role the campaign is playing vis-a-vis these legal efforts. His response: "They were not initiated by any attorney in the campaign, but we are available if they want to consult with us." But Newsweek's Michael Isikoff says the attorney plays a key role , claiming O'Callaghan "has been helping to direct a hardball legal strategy aimed at thwarting inquiries into the Alaska governor on all fronts."
-- Sean Bowditch
1:08 PM ET
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09-30-2008
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Good morning, and L'Shanah Tovah, merry readers. Five weeks until election day! And, you guys, I will admit to being in the tank for NPR, but Morning Edition today was extra awesome and informative. Don't fret if you missed it, though -- you can still listen online !
Lawmakers will be dipping apples in honey and casting off their sins for the next couple of days (or at least they've been given the days off in case they want to avail themselves of some introspection, prayer, and Jewish New Year traditions). As a result, we won't see any more action until at least Thursday on the economic rescue package that failed yesterday and prompted a blizzard of partisan blame-slinging from members of Congress and presidential nominees. In the meantime, ABC's George Stephanopoulos does some speculating for us about what the House leadership might do next: will the bill be jammed through as-is to stanch the market bleeding? Passed through the Senate first? Tweaked a little to woo fence-sitters? Or beefed up with plans Democrats favor and passed along party lines? One change that may be in the offing...Barack Obama and John McCain McCain both came out this morning in favor of increasing FDIC bank deposit insurance from $100,000 to $250,000 in the next version of the bill.
Continue reading "Tuesday Morning: What's Next for the Bailout, Palin's Cocoon, and TV on the Radio " »
11:02 AM ET
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09-30-2008
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September 29, 2008
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Sen. McCain made the following statement about the failed bailout bill:
Ok, so, we're just going to blame Obama one more time, and then no more blaming, for real.
The heck?
-- Evie Stone
6:02 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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WP's The Fix points out that despite rampant enthusiasm for elaborate blame-laying among House Democrats and Republicans (not to mention presidential candidates), there's compelling evidence that the bailout bill failed for another, more parochial reason:
It's no coincidence then that of the 205 Members who voted in support of the bill today, there are only two -- Reps. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) and Jon Porter (R-Nev.) -- who find themselves in difficult reelection races this fall. The list of the 228 "nays" reads like a virtual target list for the two parties.
-- Evie Stone
5:40 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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House Minority Leader John Boehner told reporters this afternoon that Speaker Nancy Pelosi's pre-vote floor speech sapped GOP willingness to step up and vote for the failed financial bailout bill. Boehner said Pelosi's remarks were too partisan and "poisoned our conference ." You can follow the link above to judge the speech for yourself, but here's a representatively fiery snippet, re: the size of the package.
It is a number that is staggering, but tells us only the costs of the Bush Administration's failed economic policies-policies built on budgetary recklessness, on an anything goes mentality, with no regulation, no supervision, and no discipline in the system.
Democrats immediately hit back at the Minority Leader's argument, saying they brought in the votes they had promised, and the Republicans basically wimped out and failed to hold up their end of the bargain. Here's Rep. Barney Frank, the chair of the House Financial Services Committee, responding to Boehner:
"Well if that stopped people from voting, then shame on them," he said. "If people's feelings were hurt because of a speech and that led them to vote differently than what they thought the national interest (requires), then they really don't belong here. They're not tough enough."
Wisconsin Democrat David Obey's take : "I guess the Republican leadership is so weak John Boehner couldn't deliver 50 percent of the votes."
Partisan sniping aside, it is clear that no GOP luminary was able to gin up the votes to make this deal happen -- not the President, not the House leadership, and not even nominee John McCain, who suspended his campaign last week in a highly visible effort to bring House Republicans on board with the compromise.
This morning in Columbus, OH, McCain seemed awfully optimistic about the plan's prospects -- almost appearing to take credit for the proposed bill:
I put my campaign on hold for a couple days last week to fight for a rescue plan that put you and your economic security first. I fought for a plan that protected taxpayers, homeowners, consumers and small business owners.
I went to Washington last week to make sure that the taxpayers of Ohio and across this great country were not left footing the bill for mistakes made on Wall Street and in Washington.
(snip)
Senator Obama took a very different approach to the crisis our country faced. At first he didn't want to get involved. Then he was "monitoring the situation." That's not leadership, that's watching from the sidelines.
After the bill's failure, the McCain campaign released a statement blaming Obama for "fail[ing] to lead," and echoing Boehner's Pelosi criticisms, culminating with this:
This bill failed because Barack Obama and the Democrats put politics ahead of country.
The Obama campaign's response:
This is a moment of national crisis, and today's inaction in Congress as well as the angry and hyper-partisan statement released by the McCain campaign are exactly why the American people are disgusted with Washington.
-- Evie Stone
5:08 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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We're out with another edition of the Political Rewind, a podcast that looks back at the best of NPR's political coverage from the last few days. On tap today: Mara Liasson submits a debate post-mortem; NPR road warriors Don Gonyea and Scott Horsley report on how Barack Obama and John McCain view the proposed economic rescue plan; and Barbara Bradley Hagerty explores the delicate relationship between politics and the pulpit.
Take a listen:
Or download it here .
-- Sean Bowditch
5:00 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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Via CNN , House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) says the House will not vote again today on a plan aimed at rescuing the financial services sector. The economic bailout was defeated by a final vote of 205 to 228. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson pledges to use all available tools to protect financial markets in the wake of the vote.
-- Sean Bowditch
3:16 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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Sunday, on ABC's "This Week," John McCain was asked about an unscripted (but videotaped) comment Sarah Palin made while shaking hands with supporters. He said the comment, in which Palin seemed to support Barack Obama's position towards bombing terrorist targets in Pakistan, shouldn't be taken too seriously:
Of course, that hasn't stopped the McCain campaign of making political hay over a similar, unscripted rope line comment from Joe Biden. The Democratic vice presidential hopeful told an environmentalist in Maumee, Ohio earlier this month that he wasn't supporting "clean coal," even though the Obama campaign is on record in favor of clean coal.
As we noted last week , the Obama campaign does support investment in clean coal technology, as part of its ten-year, $150 billion dollar initiative to develop clean energy of all kinds. (McCain proposes $2 billion per year in federal subsidies for clean coal, plus more limited funding for "basic research" on wind, tide, and solar energy.) "The Obama-Biden Department of Energy is committed to developing five 'first-of-a-kind' commercial scale coal-fired plants with carbon capture and sequestration here in the United States," says Biden spokesman David Wade.
Coal generates a lot of political heat because it supplies more than half the nation's electricity and is a significant contributor of greenhouse gases -- and because five of the leading coal-producing states (Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Ohio) are battlegrounds in the November election.
-- Scott Horsley
2:18 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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The economic rescue package that lawmakers spent a long weekend negotiating (H.R. 3997 for those keeping score at home) has failed to pass the House of Representatives. Democrats voted 141-94 in favor of the bill, Republicans went against, with 65 yeas and 133 nays. The final vote was 205 yeas to 228 nays, with one abstention.
The vote stayed open for about 20 minutes after the 15-minute voting time had expired to provide the leadership time to negotiate for more votes (i.e. twist enough arms and beat enough brows to put the bill over the top). That effort garnered a few scattered yeas, but not enough to achieve the necessary simple majority.
The markets showed a real-time reaction to the bill's failure, with the Dow Jones plummeting as traders tracked the vote count on TV.
Immediately after the vote, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas , who voted with the nays, rose to ask when the motion would be re-voted if he moved to reconsider. The chair said it would be re-voted immediately, and Barton withdrew his request.
-- Evie Stone
1:44 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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Politico's Mike Allen is reporting that both Barack Obama and John McCain now say they'll return to the Senate this week to vote on the bailout bill. Both campaigns gave squishy responses when asked about the vote over the weekend, but there's been so much grandstanding on this issue in the past week that it would have been awfully awkward if one or both of them bailed. The Senate could take up the package as early as Wednesday.
-- Evie Stone
1:05 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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Hey, remember all those US Attorneys who were fired for political reasons, ultimately (combined with controversies over warrantless wiretapping and habeas corpus for terror suspects) leading to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales last year? Well, this morning the DOJ released a very detailed report of its internal investigation into the matter. The whole thing is close to 400 pages -- so if you've got awhile, here 'tis .
For those of you who don't have the time or attention span to sift through the the full blow-by-blow of each US Attorney's case, here's the heart of the investigators' findings:
We believe the primary responsibility for these serious failures rest with senior Department leaders -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty -- who abdicated their responsibility to adequately oversee the process and to ensure that the reasons for removal of each U.S. Attorney were supportable and not improper. These removals were not a minor personnel matter -- they were an unprecedented removal of a group of high-level Department officials that was certain to raise concerns if not handled properly. Yet, neither the Attorney General nor the Deputy Attorney General provided adequate oversight or supervision of this process. We also concluded that Sampson bears significant responsibility for the flawed and arbitrary removal process. Moreover, they and other Department officials are
responsible for failing to provide accurate and truthful statements about the removals and their role in the process.
The Department's removal of the U.S. Attorneys and the controversy it created severely damaged the credibility of the Department and raised doubts about the integrity of Department prosecutive decisions. We believe that this investigation, and final resolution of the issues raised in this report, can help restore confidence in the Department by fully describing the serious failures in the process used to remove the U.S. Attorneys and by providing lessons for the Department in how to avoid such failures in the future.
Following the report's recommendation, current Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a prosecutor this morning to investigate whether criminal charges should be filed against some of the officials involved in the firings.Ari Shapiro .
-- Evie Stone
12:22 PM ET
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09-29-2008
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Good morning, folks! It's a beautiful fall day in Washington, and we are looking forward to drying out after gray skies -- and two inches of rain -- since Thursday.
The House and Senate leadership appear to have reached an agreement on an economic bailout package over the weekend (despite House Republican Leader John Boehner reportedly calling the bill a "crap sandwich " in a meeting with his caucus). If you are fluent in legislative language, you can give it a read here . If not, you may prefer to check out the WSJ's executive summary to help you sort out your feelings on the new and improved (and 107 pages longer than the original proposal!) bill.
The House is expected to vote on the package today -- but as NPR's David Welna reports, the bill's passage still isn't quite a done deal . The President and Secretary Paulson are urging hasty approval to prevent an economic collapse, but the bill remains extremely unpopular among the American public (at least according to some polls ) -- and House members are all too aware that every single seat will be on the ballot in just over a month. As Kansas Democrat Nancy Boyda told David, "Mother said there'd be days like this, and she was right." If the House passes the bailout bill, it will reach the Senate mid-week. 35 Senate seats are up for grabs in November.
Continue reading "Monday Morning: Bailout Package Moves to the House; Will the Candidates Vote On It?; and VP Nominees Get the Full Nina" »
10:00 AM ET
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09-29-2008
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Hi Folks --
NPR has implemented a new site-wide commenting system that somewhat changes the way we'll be doing business around here. Starting this morning, you'll need to register and create a profile with npr.org before posting comments. But you can now comment on every story on NPR (not just on blog posts), recommend stories to other users, and connect with NPR staff and one another through the NPR Community hub. If you're snappy or trenchant enough, your comments may even be featured on story pages. You can read more about the changes in this column by our Digital Media editorial director Dick Meyer.
There are also changes to the way the comments on all of our blogs (including this one) will be moderated. Starting today, comments will post instantly instead of requiring administrator pre-approval. They'll be automatically filtered for certain things like foul language, and we will still reserve the right to take down comments that violate our world-famous discussion guidelines . But we'll also be counting on you, our community, to flag posts that are slanderous, inappropriate, mean, etc., if you see them before we do. (I know I don't have to remind you that that does NOT mean flagging posts because you disagree with the author's politics. Our goal here is still to foster healthy debate from a range of viewpoints.) Also, under the new system, posts will only be available for comment for seven days.
Unfortunately, the system change means you won't be able to comment on old posts (i.e. everything before this one). You will still be able to read the comments that have already been published.
Questions? Check out the NPR Community FAQ .
Thanks, everyone. We are excited about this transition and we hope you'll all adjust to it without too much pain and suffering.
-- Evie Stone
9:21 AM ET
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09-29-2008
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September 26, 2008
The Obama campaign came into tonight's debate with a few goals they thought Senator Obama could achieve regardless of what kind of performance Senator McCain put in.
First, they wanted to see a more vigorous, more focused presentation from a candidate who was sometimes seen as too laconic during the primary debates. That also meant less lofty, less wordy, less professorial answers from Obama. On this point they seem to have succeeded. He gave clear, generally tight answers to questions (though his first answer to a simple question about whether he supports the financial bailout plan congress is working on was an exception). His phrasing was conversational: "Let's be clear about the numbers..." ; "You're using a hatchet when you should be using a scalpel"; and "being wildly liberal was mostly me voting against George W. Bush's policies."
The other test was simple: make it easier for any American who has doubts to be able to better picture Obama as President. As Commander-in-Chief. The campaign feels they succeded on that score as well.
-- Don Gonyea
11:33 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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Hillary Clinton did not waste time releasing a statement of full-throated support for her onetime rival Barack Obama.
Tonight Barack Obama displayed beyond a doubt that he understands both the gravity of the financial crisis facing America, and the challenges we face in Iraq and around the world. Senator McCain offered only more of the same failed policies of the Bush Administration. America deserves better.
"I stood next to Barack Obama in 22 debates and tonight epitomized why millions are joining me in standing with him and working hard to ensure he is the next President of the United States.
Clinton and Obama had some civil and not-so-civil moments in their primary debate matchups, and there were some fears among Democrats (and hopes among the GOP?) that sour memories from the primary would hurt party unity in November. But Clinton rose to the occasion at the DNC in Denver, offering hearty praise for Obama, and she came through again tonight.
The statement is an especially significant gesture after a week in which Bill Clinton was accused of being a half-hearted advocate for the Democratic nominee.
-- Evie Stone
10:58 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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McCain Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker:
There was one man who was presidential tonight, that man was John McCain. There was another who was political, that was Barack Obama. John McCain won this debate and controlled the dialogue throughout, whether it was the economy, taxes, spending, Iraq or Iran. There was a leadership gap, a judgment gap, and a boldness gap on display tonight, a fact Barack Obama acknowledged when he said John McCain was right at least five times. Tonight's debate showed John McCain in command of the issues and presenting a clear agenda for America's future.
This was a clear victory for Barack Obama on John McCain's home turf. Senator McCain offered nothing but more of the same failed Bush policies, and Barack Obama made a forceful case for change in our economy and our foreign policy. While Senator McCain wants to keep giving huge tax cuts to corporations and said nothing about the challenges Americans are facing in their daily lives, Barack Obama will be a fierce advocate for tax cuts for the middle class, affordable health care, and a new energy economy that creates millions of jobs. While foreign policy was supposed to be John McCain's top issue, Barack Obama commanded that part of the debate with a clear call to responsibly end a misguided war in Iraq so that we can finish the fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. John McCain needed a game-changer tonight, and by any measure he didn't get it.
-- Evie Stone
10:42 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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McCain: Missile defense "was a major factor in the ending of the Cold War"
This is a debatable proposition. Some analysts say the United States was spending so much in defense spending (on missile defense and OTHER things) that the Soviet Union could not keep up, and its economy imploded as a result. But other Soviet experts say the USSR collapsed under its own weight.
-- Tom Gjelten
10:37 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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In the last minutes of the debate, the spin rooms assemble. As if conjured by Jim Lehrer's question about whether another 9/11 is possible, Rudy Giuliani emerges and sets up shop right next to our workspace, where he'll offer responses to the arguments made tonight. The bright TV lights are on him, a group of journalists huddles around, and we radio folk get ready for the post-debate special (on a member station near you, or streaming live from our website !).
For Obama, the spinning signs say Axelrod, Plouffe, Gibbs, and Douglass.
-- Laurel Wamsley
10:32 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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Obama said that Russia has to remove itself from South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but the Europeans, who negotiated the six point peace plan between Russia and Georgia, don't have quite that clear a deal. The Russians did have "peacekeepers in the region beforehand" and they will remain.
McCain called Obama naive for calling on both sides to be calm. Even the Bush administration had been warning Georgia in the weeks leading up to this not to take the Russian bait. The Russians say they were responding to Georgian aggression against South Ossetia. McCain also seemed to suggest that Russia is behind the political turmoil inside Ukraine. That is possible, but these are states that are always at odds.
-- Michele Kelemen
10:29 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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A big chunk of The American Foreign Policy Establishment came out in support of engagement with Iran :
Five former U.S. secretaries of state said on Monday the next American administration should talk to Iran, a foe President George W. Bush has generally shunned as part of an "axis of evil." [...]
The five -- Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Warren Christopher, James Baker and Henry Kissinger -- all said they favored talking to Iran as part of a strategy to stop Tehran's development of a nuclear weapons program.
Kissinger specifically came out in favor of negotiating with Iran "without conditions ."
The fact that McCain occasionally talks to Henry Kissinger is occasionally offered as evidence that McCain is hearing from a diverse group of foreign policy advisers. The fact that Kissinger advocates a course that McCain has derided as naive and irresponsible should be a huge clue as to whom McCain actually listens.
-- Loren Jenkins
10:21 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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These George Washington University students say yes .
As we know, North Korea suffered chronic food shortage due to series of drought and crop failures (also the fundamental flaw of the socialist system of collective farming). The articles says that average height difference is significant, as of 2005, the average height of people aged between 20 and 39 in North Korea is 154.9cm (5.08ft) for females and 165.6cm (5.43ft) for males, while the average height for the South Korean is 159.1cm (5.21ft) for females and 172.5cm (5.65ft) for males.
-- Evie Stone
h/t Tom Gjelten
10:17 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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While McCain thinks that he can lead an international coalition to impose sanctions on Iran, European countries tend to want to go through the UN Security Council first. The European Union follows UN sanctions and strengthens them, but many in Europe have business interests in Iran, which make bilateral sanctions much harder to do. Obama is correct in saying that meaningful sanctions would have to include Russia and China.
McCain quotes Obama as saying he would sit down with Ahmadinejad without preconditions. Obama did originally say that he would sit down with "Iranian leaders," though he has more recently talked about tough diplomacy, which could start with low level talks. And he pointed out correctly that the Bush administration recently sent a State Department official to a mutli-lateral meeting that included Iran.
-- Michele Kelemen
10:11 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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McCain is frequently starting his rebuttals to Obama with some variation of "Senator Obama doesn't understand...."
Coincidence? We think not. McCain's dismissive tone about Obama's policy positions is a reminder of McCain's longer experience, and seems intended to make Obama look naive.
-- Evie Stone
10:04 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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While Obama and McCain debate whether or not they should speak in public about US military action inside Pakistan, it is important to note that Pakistan's new President Zardari (not Kadari as McCain said) made clear this week "we cannot allow our sovereignty to be violated by friends." Pakistan argues that any attack plays into the hands of terrorists.
-- Michele Kelemen
10:01 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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Obama said "there was no al Qaeda in Iraq" when the war broke out there. There was, however, a Kurdish group known as Ansar al-Islam operating in a corner of Iraq not fully controlled by Saddam Hussein's regime. This is from the Wikipedia entry on Ansar :
Defense Intelligence Agency describing Ansar al-Islam as "an independent organization that receives assistance from al- Qa'ida, but is not a branch of the group."[3] It has however been established that the later leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi stayed in the Ansar al-Islam enclave in 2002/2003 [4].
The US military considers Ansar Al-Islam a "loose franchise" of AQ.
-- Tom Gjelten
9:57 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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McCain says both Osama Bin Laden and General David Petraeus agree that Iraq is the "central battleground" in the war on terrorism. Osama has never said that. I'm not even sure Petraeus has.
-- Loren Jenkins
UPDATE : Tom Gjelten points out that the White House has made that argument .
9:55 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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McCain: "that same strategy [IRAQ] will be applied in Afghanistan by this great general."
Petraeus, speaking today in Paris, contrasted the challenge in Afghanistan with the challenge in Iraq, saying the challenge in Afghanistan would be greater.
"In Iraq, you are rebuilding. In Afghanistan, you are building."
-- Tom Gjelten
9:52 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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One factual flub by Obama actually undercut his own argument.
In describing McCain's health plan, Obama said that employers would begin to pay taxes on the value of health benefits provided to their workers. Actually, the workers themselves would have to pay taxes on the value of benefits provided by their employers. Now, for most workers, that tax would be offset by a new tax credit McCain would also institute. Still, those with very generous benefits -- particularly union workers who have given up wage increases over the years in exchange for more generous health insurance -- could find themselves paying higher taxes as a result. Such benefits are currently provided on a tax-free basis.
-- Julie Rovner
9:50 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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McCain said:
I have opposed the President on the way the Iraq war was conducted...the war was badly mishandled.
and
I went there in 2003...And came back and said this requires a fundamental change of strategy.
McCain here is speaking truthfully but he may be slightly exaggerating the degree to which he "opposed" the President on the way the war was conducted. In 2005, he said, "Some serious mistakes were made, but...I think we've got to stay the course here."
It is true that he was one of the first on Capitol Hill to argue that MORE troops were needed in Iraq ... at a time when Def Secy Rumsfeld and others were saying it was not necessary.
-- Tom Gjelten
9:48 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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McCain says after arguing for years that US had to change a losing strategy in Iraq, the US finally came up with a general (Petraeus) and a strategy "that has succeeded!"
That is a stretch. Not even Gen. Petraeus says the war has succeeded. He says it has vastly improved conditions on the ground but that these improvements are still "fragile" and therefore reversible.
-- Loren Jenkins
9:46 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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Obama said basically that the home-owners who are struggling to pay their mortgages and at risk of foreclosure are at the heart of this whole financial mess and we need to help them too with this bailout.
But in just the past 2 days he backed away a bit from the most powerful proposal to help home-owners being pushed by democrats in Congress. The proposal is to give bankruptcy judges the power to restructure loans for home-owners who have decent jobs and didn't buy a house far beyond their means...but who borrowed a bit too much and/or got themselves into loans with high interest rates that they can't afford. Democrats like the idea. Republicans and the banking industry are strongly opposed. Obama says he's for it. But yesterday he said it needn't be included in this current bailout bill if it would slow it down. That surprised housing advocates who feel this is the best chance for getting the measure passed.
-- Chris Arnold
9:44 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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If one of Obama's goals was to be less lofty in his language -- and less wordy -- he seems to be doing that so far.
His language is pointed and direct. More so than in the primary debates. He is fact-checking McCain on the fly. And he's defending his liberal voting record in the Senate ("most liberal" in the Senate says McCain) by saying mostly he's gotten that liberal record by opposing the policies of George W. Bush.
-- Don Gonyea
9:41 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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A troupe of young'uns for McCain carry a small parade of McCain/Palin/various-Mississippi-Republicans signs across the front of the press file to outfit the spin rooms that are cordoned off to the side. A moment later, two young women in white shirts and orange ballcaps pass out what I thought were transcripts of the opening remarks. Instead the pale blue papers are McCain responses to Obama's arguments, passed out within minutes the applicable Obama statement.
The summary lines from the three McCain responses passed out so far:
-- Despite Barack Obama's claims, John McCain has a strong record of promoting reform and oversight of Wall Street.
-- Barack Obama too has been supportive of reducing tax cuts for businesses.
-- Barack Obama voted for the 2005 Energy Bill that included billions in tax breaks for oil companies.
Until these handouts appeared, it had been easy to forget that there are representatives from the campaigns in this room. In this big freezing tent, it feels like a press universe, with your TV playing all the stations at once -- Chris Wallace! Dana Bash! That guy I recognize! -- right in front of you.
-- Laurel Wamsley
9:37 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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The candidates are trading shots on their tax plans here. This is the breakdown according to the independent Tax Policy Center on what the plans would mean for Americans come tax time.
Basically, both Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama have proposed lower overall , but their plans are very different.
Obama has proposed lower taxes for most Americans -- and would raise taxes for the richest
About 80 percent of American households get a break on their taxes. Only 10 percent see any actual tax increase.
McCain also would offer tax breaks, but the majority of the break would go to the richest Americans.
So... if you divide Americans into 5 groups by income... that middle fifth under Obama would get a $1100 tax cut in 09. Under McCain would get a $325 tax cut.
Now... when you look at the richest Americans there are big differences:
The top 1 percent of Americans next year:
Obama would raise their taxes by 7 percent - $94,000 dollars next year.
McCain would give them a tax cut of 3.7 percent or $50,000
For the Top .1 (1/10th) percent next year:
Under Obama they'd pay 9 percent more. $550,000 more in taxes next year.
Under McCain the top .1 percent would get a $290,000 tax cut.
-- Chris Arnold
CORRECTION : Roberton Williams of the Tax Policy Center emailed us that Chris misstated the percentage tax changes in the candidates' plans. He writes:
In fact, the percentage changes are changes in after-tax income, not changes in taxes. Thus, for example, Obamas plan would reduce the after-tax income of people in the top 1% of the income distribution by 7%. The percentage increase in their tax bills would be much larger.
9:31 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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So far that's three mentions of the Main Street/Wall Street thing in less than 15 minutes -- two from McCain, one from Obama.
Just saying.
-- Evie Stone
9:13 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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Hundreds of press folks are in this white media filing tent adjacent to the Ford Center where the debate is happening. It's sub-arctic in here, so journalists are wearing their jackets and are hunched forward over their laptops. NPR's spot at the table is near CBS radio, Fox radio, and a network from France.
Jim Lehrer is on the 30 flat-screen TVs in this room, asking his audience at the debate hall for the debate to be absolutely silent, "taking names" if necessary.
Obama just began giving his opening remarks, and this room is a flurry of people taking notes on laptops. Now McCain, sounding grave as he wishes Sen. Kennedy well, and thanks Haley Barbour and Ole Miss.
-- Laurel Wamsley
9:08 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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The first Presidential debate is under way. Moderator Jim Lehrer is leading with the economy. He explained in his introductory statement that the foreign policy topic of national security "by definition includes the global financial crisis."
Lehrer has asked the audience to refrain from cheers, applause, or noise of any kind during the debate.
-- Evie Stone
9:00 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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NPR's Corey Flintoff describes some of the topics the candidates will likely be asked about tonight. This debate will officially focus on foreign policy, but we suspect the economy will find its way onto the agenda somehow.
-- Evie Stone
7:59 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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The AP reports that seven top aides to Governor Sarah Palin did not show up at a legislative hearing today, defying subpoenas requesting their testimony in the "Troopergate" scandal. Democratic State Senator and Judiciary Chair Hollis French indicated the witnesses could be held in contempt. But Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg claims the committee lacks the jurisdiction to issue the subpoenas. The state legislature is investigating whether Palin improperly pressured Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten, Palin's estranged brother-in-law. In the end, Wooten was never dismissed, but Monegan was. Given the controversy and rancor surrounding the investigation, it's unclear at this point when and how it will be resolved.
The Anchorage Daily News also published some interesting polling on Troopergate. It provides some insight on how Alaskans view the issue and how they think it should be handled going forward. Numbers after the jump.
-- Sean Bowditch
Continue reading "No-Shows" »
7:54 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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The mood in Oxford is like a smaller version of an Ole Miss gameday, but with a bit more doubt in the air. Locals and students are excited, and people are filling the square to watch the debate on the big screen. (Students are filling the campus Grove, where Rock the Vote has had bands playing all day, and the sidewalks are lined with booths promoting clean coal or alternative energies, in addition to the student groups for Obama and McCain.) Folks described Oxford, and the rest of northern Mississippi, as essentially Republican, though Oxford in particular is seen as an open-minded place where people can talk about differing ideas.
I grabbed lunch of fried catfish and sweet potato casserole at Ajax Diner on the town square, and politics was all that anyone wanted to talk about. People walked up to me and asked to be interviewed, or volunteered their friends to talk to me, or said they'd been interviewed by Fox News last night.
Security around the debate hall is very tight, and while it's easy to get out, it takes a very long walk down Jackson Avenue to get back inside the bubble. I talked to some folks selling Obama wares outside a barbershop/bail bonds store with a big yellow sign proclaiming "Obama-Land", and a woman called after me, saying she had a song to sing about Obama.
Here she is, Pat Ford Bethel of Memphis, Tennessee:
-- Laurel Wamsley
7:44 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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The AP is reporting that Senator Ted Kennedy has been taken to the hospital from his home in Hyannis Port, MA.
Kennedy had surgery for a malignant brain tumor in June. He has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, and was strong enough last month for a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
-- Evie Stone
UPDATE : Kennedy's office says in a statement that the senator had a mild seizure, possibly brought on by a change in medication. He will return home tonight.
7:20 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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Tonight during the debate, your good pals here at Vox Politics will be fact-checking the candidates in real time with the help of NPR's beat reporters. Our posting will include but is not limited to: changes in rhetoric, mistakes, problems, half-truths, and truthful but controversial statements on a range of issues.
The debate starts at 9pm Eastern (that's 8pm Oxford, MS time). So while you're waiting for the fun to begin, you can prepare with a little reading: NPR's Linton Weeks got a political scientist, a fashion writer, and a TV critic to weigh in on what they're looking for from the candidates tonight.
Linton also provides a few guidelines for a debate drinking game (lemonade, of course). We'd add to his list that you should eat an entire lemon, peel and all, if either of the candidates compares the plight of Wall Street to that of Main Street -- the latest in a series of campaign cliches that makes us seriously consider chucking it all and becoming back-to-the-landers.
-- Evie Stone
6:02 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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The latest edition of the Political Rewind podcast is up with some of NPR's best political stories from the last few days. This week: Mara Liasson takes a closer look at the presidential candidates and their temperaments.
Barack Obama's campaign mantra is 'no drama Obama.' He's seen as cool and cerebral but can come across as detached. His rival, John McCain, is said to be both bold and aggressive . But he's also called reckless and is famously rumored to have a hot temper.
How will these two match up tonight? This podcast is a pre-debate must-listen:
-- Thomas Pierce
5:37 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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As proof, we direct you to this likeness of Sarah Palin in an Ohio cornfield :
Palin of the Corn.
Courtesy of www.whitehousecornmaze.com
And in case you missed it: Obama, McCain, Kerry, Bush, Gerald Ford , and Julia Child .
(h/t Sean Bowditch )
-- Thomas Pierce
5:17 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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On the subject of expectations-setting , Swampland reminds us of this Daily Show gem from 2004:
-- Evie Stone
5:02 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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Someone pulled the trigger a bit early on a McCain post-debate web ad. Ooops .
(h/t Chris Cillizza )
-- Michael Olson
3:24 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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The New York Daily News reports that onetime candidate for President of Florida (TM Ken Rudin) Rudy Giuliani is setting himself up to make a killing off the potential federal bailout of Wall Street
Even as the nation's $700 billion, taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout was still being hashed out, the former mayor announced Thursday his high-powered law firm has set up a task force.
"Our team of former government officials and experienced attorneys in the fields of legislation, enforcement and finance are equipped to guide institutions in this quickly evolving and complex environment," Giuliani noted in a press release from his law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani.
Giuliani is not the only one poised to profit from opportunities created by the mega-meltdown, but he is the most politically famous.
Giuliani is a prime surrogate for Republican McCain, who has called the economic meltdown "the greatest crisis since the end of World War II" and has assailed Wall Street for "unbridled greed."
The move has ginned up scathing criticism from Democrats -- a DNC spokesman is quoted accusing Giuliani of "crass opportunism" and saying the former mayor is trying to "cash in" on the crisis. In response, RNC officials called the Dems' criticisms "hypocritical and ridiculous."
Now, it was certainly indiscreet of the RNC keynote speaker to get so aggressively entrepreneurial in the midst of a huge economic crisis, especially as his ally John McCain is in the final weeks of his presidential campaign. And there's a real PR stickiness to publicly raking in the chips when so many people face financial ruin. But on the other hand, hey, this is capitalism! As Mom is fond of saying, it's an ill wind that blows nobody good. So...props to Rudy Giuliani for figuring out a personal upside to this mess, we guess?
-- Evie Stone
3:08 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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The Obama campaign is circulating a remarkably un-subtle expectations-setting memo. The note quotes myriad news sources praising John McCain's debating chops and foreign policy expertise, along with some of their own special brand of analysis:
The centerpiece of John McCain's campaign has been his more than a quarter century of experience in Washington learning about and debating foreign policy. If he slips up, makes a mistake, or fails to deliver a game-changing performance, it will be a serious blow to his campaign. Given his unsteady performance this week, he desperately needs to win this debate in a big way in order to change the topic and get back to his home turf.
Along with raising the bar for McCain, the memo also lowers it for Obama -- quoting, among other things, an AP article describing Obama's debate style as "lifeless, aloof, and windy." (The whole Obama memo is after the jump.)
For a perspective on this that's not agenda-driven, check out Don Gonyea 's piece from today's Morning Edition comparing the candidates' styles in their primary debate performances.
-- Evie Stone
Continue reading "Obama Campaign: Barack Stinks at Debating" »
2:22 PM ET
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09-26-2008
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NPR has confirmed reports that McCain will attend tonight's debate.
-- Thomas Pierce
11:29 AM ET
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09-26-2008
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Good morning y'all. Evie will be in a little later for a live fact-check of the debate (assuming there is one).
The uncertain fate of the $700 billion economic rescue plan and tonight's presidential debate dominate the headlines this morning. The debate commission says all systems go. And Obama says he'll be waiting in Oxford, Mississippi tonight. However, the McCain camp has yet to make travel arrangements, insisting his attendance is dependent on whether or not congress can agree to a rescue plan. So if you have a big debate party planned -- with cheese plates and fancy napkins and punch -- maybe you want to cue up some old primary debates on TIVO... just in case?
And as for the rescue plan? Yesterday morning as McCain was en route to DC, lawmakers announced they were close to a deal, but that fell apart when House Republicans resisted. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) took their concerns to an afternoon meeting at the White House -- pressing for a smaller government role. Along with other congressional leaders, Obama and McCain were also there, invited by Bush on Wednesday night after McCain shocked just about everyone (perhaps even his own staff) by "suspending" his campaign until a deal had been reached. The meeting got a bit wild, and, as Politico reports it , Democrats were united:
When Bush yielded early to Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D- Nev.) to speak, they yielded to Obama to speak for the assembled Democrats. And it was Obama who raised the subject of the conservative alternative and pressed Paulson on what he thought of the idea.
House Republicans felt trapped--squeezed by Treasury, House Democrats and a bipartisan coalition in the Senate. And while McCain spoke surprisingly little after asking for the meeting, he conceded that it appeared there were not the votes for the core Paulson plan without major changes.
Those assembled -- chiefly Bush -- had hoped to come out of the Cabinet Room session with, at least, a generic joint statement in support of government intervention, but after hours of what Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) called "political theater," the candidates more or less slipped out the back door without agreeing to much of anything.
Continue reading "Friday Morning: the Debate That Might Not Happen and the Rescue Plan That Isn't Rescuing Yet" »
8:16 AM ET
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09-26-2008
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September 25, 2008
Everyone's favorite podcast is back with a brand new episode. This week, NPR's Ron Elving holds the show together as Ken Rudin suspends his role in the podcast to devote his attention to our nation's economic woes. Other topics include: McCain's return to Washington, Obama and what could be his loneliest debate, and a look at Senate seats up for grabs.
-- Thomas Pierce
6:43 PM ET
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09-25-2008
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NPR's David Greene passes along the latest update from the McCain press staff:
According to the campaign, McCain is remaining in DC tonight. No decision has been made about future travel, and no decision has been made about the debate. The campaign says McCain remains "actively engaged" in brokering a deal that addresses the crisis and protects the American taxpayer. The campaign says it is optimistic McCain "will bring House Republicans on board without driving other parties away, resulting in a successful deal for the American taxpayer."
-- Evie Stone
6:22 PM ET
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09-25-2008
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Our colleagues at the Anchorage Daily News (via the AP) are reporting that Governor Sarah Palin has been given an extension for submitting her personal financial records. She will now release them on October 3 -- the day after the VP debate. The general counsel for the McCain campaign said, given the fact that Palin has never run for federal office, she needs extra time to pull together the relevant documents.
As the article points out, federal law requires that presidential, vice presidential and congressional candidates file ethics reports detailing their assets and liabilities, including income, investment real estate, stocks, and debt.
The ADN notes that last year, Palin earned $125,000 as governor. Her husband took in $46,790 as a part-time oil production operator, $46,265 from commercial salmon fishing, and $10,500 in Iron Dog snow machine race winnings.
-- Sean Bowditch
5:18 PM ET
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09-25-2008
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CBS has released a teaser for the second installment of Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin, which will air on tonight's Evening News. In it, Couric asks Palin about the Alaska Governor's much-derided assertion that her state's proximity to Russia bolsters her foreign policy credentials. Palin explains:
Palin : Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there...
Couric : Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
Palin : We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national-security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state.
The video of the excerpt is after the jump.
-- Evie Stone
UPDATE : Context that's worth noting -- Fort Greely in Alaska is the hub of the U.S.'s missile defense system, and it is manned by the Alaska National Guard. But even though Palin is the commander-in-chief of the Alaska Guard, she doesn't oversee operations at Ft. Greely -- that responsibility lies with the U.S. military. In any case, NPR's Mike Shuster had a fascinating report on the controversial interceptors -- which are "designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads" -- earlier this week on Morning Edition.
Continue reading "Couric Questions Palin on Russia and Foreign Policy" »
4:20 PM ET
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09-25-2008
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NPR's David Greene outlines McCain's campaign suspension (though as Dem strategist Jonathan Prince pointed out to Ben Smith today, that might not have been the most accurate choice of words) with a helpful timeline of how the decision was reached and what McCain has been up to instead. One interesting nugget from today:
1:00 p.m.: The McCain campaign plans to suspend all advertising and fundraising, in addition to campaign activities. NPR's Peter Overby points out that McCain does not need to do any fundraising, since he took $84 million in public financing. The McCain campaign is also receiving money from the Republican National Committee, but the RNC has not yet said if it will also stop raising money.-- Evie Stone
3:32 PM ET
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09-25-2008
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Sarah Palin held her first Q&A session with reporters after a visit to a firehouse near Ground Zero today (she took one impromptu question earlier this week, but this was her first actual news conference). The Alaska Governor was asked about her support for embattled AK Sen. Ted Stevens, whose corruption trial began today. (CLARIFICATION: opening statements and first witnesses were scheduled for today; the jury was seated yesterday.) The AP writes :
The longest-serving Republican in the Senate faces seven counts of making false statements stemming from allegations that he concealed gifts on Senate financial documents. In spite of the charges, he is running for re-election to retain the seat he has held since 1968.
When a reporter asked Palin, Alaska's governor, if she supports the re-election of Stevens, she replied: "Ted Stevens' trial started a couple of days ago. We'll see where that goes."
Palin was also asked if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were helping the fight against terrorists. Her answer:
"I think our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan will lead to further security for our nation. We can never again let them onto our soil."
-- Evie Stone
2:26 PM ET
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09-25-2008
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Via the AJC , Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney, Libertarian nominee Bob Barr, and self-nominated Independent candidate (and parrot lover) Ralph Nader have all graciously offered their services for tomorrow night, should John McCain fail to appear at the scheduled debate.
-- Evie Stone
1:56 PM ET
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09-25-2008
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The Illinois attorney general is investigating the fate of a $100,000 grant that Barack Obama, then a state senator, awarded to a neighborhood group back in 2001. The money was meant to pay for a botanic garden in Englewood, a neighborhood of Chicago.
If you guessed by now that the garden never blossomed, you're right. The Chicago Sun-Times broke the story this morning .
According to the Sun-Times, $65,000 from the grant went to the wife of the head of the Chicago Better Housing Association -- a man who had volunteered on Obama's unsuccessful House campaign in 2000. The paper says another $25,000 went to a construction firm set up by the man's wife.
The story cites a spokeswoman for the attorney general, saying that the probe is focused on the the housing association's tax status and use of the money, not on Obama's role in awarding the grant.
-- Peter Overby
12:20 PM ET
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09-25-2008
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Good morning!
Well, it's one day before the first scheduled presidential debate, and the candidates are spending it similarly -- first at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York this morning, then in a meeting about the bailout package -- sorry, structured rescue plan
But the candidates' mirrored schedules belie this week's political tension. After gratuitously pious grandstanding from both candidates yesterday on how best to respond to the crisis, tomorrow night's debate in Oxford, Mississippi is still up in the air. Obama has said he'll attend with or without his opponent, but McCain says he'll only debate tomorrow if negotiators have settled on an economic package. And bloggers and op-ed writers are taking to this story like pigs in, um, mud. If you're looking to vomit before noon, we suggest taking a sip of milk every time you read the word "gamble" as a description of McCain's call-to-arms yesterday. But start with the WP's ever-wise Dan Balz :
The standoff over the debate left both candidates in potentially awkward positions, although there is plenty of time for it to be resolved. McCain may be reluctant to climb down from his insistence that the debate be delayed until there is an agreement on a package, but he could be seen as scuttling an important event for voters eager to see the two candidates side by side. Obama, on the other hand, may look high-handed if he insists on going ahead as negotiations in Washington reach a critical moment by this weekend.
At a minimum, voters were treated again to contrasting styles of leadership Wednesday, with McCain willing to act boldly, if impulsively, to inject himself into the middle of delicate negotiations to force a solution, and Obama adopting a cooler approach designed to show calm in the midst of crisis while preferring to give long-distance encouragement to all parties in the talks.
McCain's surrogates are reportedly floating an alternate scenario: that the first Presidential debate replace next week's scheduled VP debate in St. Louis, and the VP candidates debate in Oxford at some later date.
Continue reading "Thursday Morning: Tomorrow's Debate Remains Uncertain; Palin on Couric; and Biden Hits McCain on Iraq" »
9:52 AM ET
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09-25-2008
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Shortly before the President's address last night, Barack Obama and John McCain released this joint statement:
The American people are facing a moment of economic crisis. No matter how this began, we all have a responsibility to work through it and restore confidence in our economy. The jobs, savings, and prosperity of the American people are at stake.
This is a time to rise above politics for the good of the country. We cannot risk an economic catastrophe. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country.
The show of unity came after a long afternoon of both candidates playing politics over who was playing more politics with the economic crisis.
Both campaigns circulated the statement to reporters, but the Obama version came with an addendum (pasted after the jump) listing "core principles" for the embattled bailout package that he is calling on John McCain to join him in supporting. McCain outlined his own (rather similar) set of principles for the legislation earlier this week. Compare & contrast in the comments...
-- Evie Stone
Continue reading "Candidates Offer Joint Statement on Economic Crisis" »
7:38 AM ET
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09-25-2008
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September 24, 2008
The McCain campaign nixed the senator's appearance on Letterman tonight so he could head back to DC to address the economic crisis. TV Week reports that MSNBC's Keith Olbermann is appearing in McCain's absence.
Drudge reports that Letterman dropped a few cancellation-related zingers including this one:
"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"
Drudge added that in the middle of the show taping Letterman got word that McCain wasn't in DC, but "just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric." At that point Letterman cut over to the live video of the interview and said, "Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?"
-- Michael Olson
UPDATE : Letterman video after the jump.
Continue reading "Letterman Pokes McCain Over Cancellation" »
7:34 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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We just don't know if McCain will show up at Friday's debate. There is one person we know for sure who won't be there: Bob Barr. He just isn't popular enough for the Commission on Presidential Debates to invite him. Want to hear the Libertarian Presidential candidate respond in real-time to McCain (invited), Obama and debate moderator PBS' Jim Leher? Head over to the reason offices in DC. While there won't be major party candidates... there will be free booze .
-- Michael Olson
6:32 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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In a release, the Commission on Presidential Debates says the show must go on:
Oxford, Miss., September 24, 2008 - The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is moving forward with its plan for the first presidential debate at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. this Friday, September 26. The plans for this forum have been underway for more than a year and a half. The CPD's mission is to provide a forum in which the American public has an opportunity to hear the leading candidates for the president of the United States debate the critical issues facing the nation. We believe the public will be well served by having all of the debates go forward as scheduled.It remains unclear what happens if McCain fails to appear. Will Obama debate himself? Or just chat with moderator Jim Lehrer? Will there be an empty podium like at the Republican primary debate at Morgan State University? (The Commission's rules on third party candidates require 15% in the polls for participation, and none of them currently meets that threshold.)
-- Evie Stone
5:47 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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Barack Obama held a news conference to respond to McCain's call to suspend campaigning and help Congress broker an economic rescue deal. Obama rejected McCain's suggestion that Friday night's debate be postponed:
It's my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess. And I think that it is -- it is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once. I think there's no reason why we can't be constructive in helping to solve this problem and also tell the American people what we believe and where we stand and where we want to take the country.
So in my mind, actually, it's more important than ever that we present ourselves to the American people and try to describe where we want to take the country and where we want to take the economy, as well as dealing with some of the issues of foreign policy that were initially the subject of the debate.
Obama emphasized that he's taking the crisis seriously -- repeating several times that he's in frequent contact with the congressional leadership and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, and saying he was willing to do whatever those luminaries thought would be most effective.
He played piously coy when pressed by reporters on whether he thought McCain was playing politics with the issue, responding that he had suggested the campaigns craft a joint statement before making any other decisions, and was surprised to hear that McCain had "gone on television to announce what he intended to do."
In short, as often happens in these situations, some of the greatest politicking on both sides is heralded by the cry "this is no time for politics!"
McCain aims for the perceived high road by calling for a suspension of campaigning and debates -- in a political effort to make Obama seem shallow and petty.
And Obama counters by saying he tried to work with McCain but his opponent went off and acted in his own self-interest anyway, and implies that McCain isn't up for the complicated task of the presidency -- in a political effort to make McCain seem shallow and self-serving.
Here's the whole presser, for your listening pleasure:
-- Evie Stone
4:40 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has issued a sharply-worded statement in response to McCain's call for both candidates to suspend campaigning to help broker the bailout plan -- possibly jeopardizing Friday's debate. The statement sounds better coming from Reid than it would from the Obama camp (though we assume the Obama folk had a role in crafting the release):
This is a critical time for our country. While I appreciate that both candidates have signaled their willingness to help, Congress and the Administration have a process in place to reach a solution to this unprecedented financial crisis.
I understand that the candidates are putting together a joint statement at Senator Obama's suggestion. But it would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation's economy. If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op.
If there were ever a time for both candidates to hold a debate before the American people about this serious challenge, it is now.
House Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank (D-MA) had a pithier take, calling McCain's move "the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of football...or Marys."
-- Evie Stone
4:10 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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From NPR's Audie Cornish :
According to a 3:20 EDT phone conversation with Andy Mullins, executive assistant to Chancellor at the University of Mississippi, the school has heard the news reports BUT they have NOT been contacted by either campaign postponing or cancelling the debate. He says, "we are continuing to prepare just like the debate is going to occur."
We'll keep you posted as we learn more...
-- Evie Stone
3:47 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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Shortly after McCain's remarks, Obama press secretary Bill Burton sent this email to reporters, with the title "fyi":
At 8:30 this morning, Senator Obama called Senator McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal. At 2:30 this afternoon, Senator McCain returned Senator Obama's call and agreed to join him in issuing such a statement. The two campaigns are currently working together on the details.
-- Evie Stone
UPDATE : The McCain campaign responds with an "fyi" of its own:
Senator Obama phoned Senator McCain at 8:30 am this morning but did not reach him. The topic of Senator Obama's call to Senator McCain was never discussed. Senator McCain was meeting with economic advisers and talking to leaders in Congress throughout the day prior to calling Senator Obama. At 2:30 pm, Senator McCain phoned Senator Obama and expressed deep concern that the plan on the table would not pass as it currently stands. He asked Senator Obama to join him in returning to Washington to lead a bipartisan effort to solve this problem.
3:14 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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John McCain has just told reporters (including NPR's David Greene , who helpfully passed along a recap of the remarks) that he plans to return to Washington tomorrow to work on the economic bailout plan. He said he doesn't believe there's a "consensus" on the bill and he doesn't think the current plan is likely to pass. McCain is calling on his opponent Barack Obama to come back to the Capitol as well.
McCain also said the first presidential debate -- scheduled for this Friday in Oxford, MS -- should be delayed until an economic package has passed.
(Neither McCain nor Obama is a member of the relevant committee, the Senate Banking Committee. Both Senators have missed the vast majority of their Senate votes this year.)
-- Evie Stone
UPDATE : Here's the audio of McCain's statement (courtesy of our pals at Planet Money ). Text is after the jump.
UPDATE 2 : McCain's campaign also says all campaign ads should be pulled until an agreement has been reached on the bailout plan. They are aiming to find a solution before the markets open Monday, and say if a deal is reached tomorrow the debate could still go forward.
Continue reading "McCain Calls for Postponing Debate" »
2:46 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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The Republican National Committee is ratcheting up its attacks on the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. ACORN, as the group is known, is a nonprofit -- representing low-income and minority communities -- that's been registering hundreds of thousands of new voters this year. But ACORN keeps getting into trouble because some of its registrations turn out to be fraudulent -- with fake names or addresses.
In a conference call with reporters this morning (Wednesday), RNC chief counsel Sean Cairncross didn't mince words. He called ACORN a "quasi-criminal" organization that's trying to create chaos at polling sites in November. He said it was especially "disturbing" that the group has links to the Obama campaign (the Democratic nominee did some work with ACORN in the 1990s). This is the second time in a week that the RNC has held a conference call blasting the group, which focuses on communities that are more likely to vote Democratic.
Mike Slater is the executive director of Project Vote, which helps ACORN with its voter registration drives. He says it's the Republicans who are causing confusion and misleading voters. He says the RNC has distorted the group's record, and that actually ACORN is the one pointing out registration problems to local election officials. Slater says ACORN is the victim of a few bad workers (it hires people at $8.00 an hour) who are trying to defraud them . He adds: "It's like the RNC having a news conference every time a Wal-Mart employee is fired for theft."
In fact, several local election officials contacted by NPR say that ACORN is trying to clean up its act -- there still are problems with false registrations, but they make up a small percentage of those turned in by the group. At the very least, there's a lot of sloppiness with the registration forms. And sorting through them eats up election officials' time as they try to prepare for what's expected to be an extraordinarily busy election.
-- Pam Fessler
2:03 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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NPR's David Greene reports that John McCain offered to take questions before his meeting about the economy this morning. It was his second Q&A session with the press in 2 days, after a 40-day dry spell. But McCain's press secretary, Brooke Buchannan, was apparently not on board with the impromptu avail. Here's the transcript:
MCCAIN: Any questions?
REPORTER: Sen. Harry Reid said you were going to vote for the Paulson plan.
MCCAIN: I did not say that.
BLOOMBERG: Do you have a comment about that?
MCCAIN: I did not say that.
And that was not the only moment of tension between McCain and his staff today. A few hours later, David sent us this description of another disconnect between McCain and his staff over the candidate's availability:
Palin and McCain are sitting with Georgia's president. McCain appears to gesture to the media to ask a question. AP tries to ask Palin what she's taken from her meetings. Palin looks unsure. Then campaign staff abruptly move the press out of the room.
Were these things really not worked out ahead of time? Or is McCain, who was once famously an open book, frustrated with the tight schedule control and trying to retake the reins of his public persona? (And perhaps win back the affections of a restless press corps -- the group he once referred to as "my base"?)
-- Evie Stone
12:37 PM ET
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09-24-2008
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Good morning.
Well, the Senators in yesterday's Banking Committee hearing did not give an especially favorable reception to Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke yesterday. Dick Cheney and Josh Bolten didn't find House Republicans hopping on board too enthusiastically, either. And the candidates remain cautious as well. NPR's Scott Horsley has a story about that on Morning Edition today. But as politically unpopular as the bailout package is, it may not be nearly as unpopular as the entire federal government might be if they can't manage to do something about the economy. ABC's Jake Tapper explains that John McCain's opinion may have more sway over the outcome of the bill than he might like.
Senior Democrats on the Hill are worried that Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., will "demagogue" the bill, continue to voice opposition to it, use it to run against both Wall Street and Congress, as well as to distance himself from the Bush White House. Democrats worry McCain will not only vote against the bill, he will provide cover for other Republicans to do so, leaving Democrats holding the bag for the Bush administration's deeply unpopular proposal.
So, if McCain opposes the package he gets to maintain his maverick image, oppose an unpopular bill, and draw a clear line between his campaign and the President. Not to mention, he'd be taking a populist hard line against Wall Street ponzi schemers. But -- if Congress fails to act and the markets crash and/or the dollar plummets to near-worthlessness -- he'd also potentially be complicit in allowing the US economy to implode. No pressure though! McCain's spokesman tells Tapper that the Senator hasn't decided how he'll vote yet (although it's not 100% clear to us that either candidate will vote on the bill at all...perhaps they're waiting to hear from their respective party whips about the vote count before they schedule breaks from debate prep?) but says when McCain does weigh in he'll do it "appropriately and responsibly."
For Obama's part, the Washington Post reports that the Democrat shares economic advisers with Congressional leadership, enabling him to "exert influence behind the scenes" and create message consistency with the Democratic leadership -- leaving him less conspicuous on the issue than his Republican opponent, but subject to being tarred with the same brush as his fellow-Dems if the GOP deserts the bill and they're left stranded with it.
A panoply of news stories this morning link McCain aide Rick Davis to recently-overtaken mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
Continue reading "Wednesday Morning: Hostile Hill Reception for Bailout Package, McCain Aide's Freddie Ties, and Obama's Poll Gains" »
8:55 AM ET
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09-24-2008
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September 23, 2008
This afternoon John McCain held his first press conference since August 13th. It was a rather hastily-arranged affair, and in fact wasn't especially Q&A heavy (he only took four questions -- though that was an improvement over the "two or three" he said he would take). Nearly half of the presser was dedicated to a statement from McCain about the bailout proposal. He told the assembled reporters that "further inaction is simply not an option," but said he wants to see several improvements to the administration's proposal (via prepared text):
First, there must be greater accountability included in the bill. I have suggested a bipartisan board to provide oversight for the rescue. We will not solve a problem caused by poor oversight with a plan that has no oversight. Never before in the history of our nation has so much power and money been concentrated in the hands of one person, and there must be protections and oversight in place.
Third, there must be complete transparency in the review of this legislation and in the implementation of any legislation. This cannot be cobbled together behind closed doors. The American people have the right to know which businesses will be helped, what that selection will be based on and how much that help will cost. All the details should all be made available online and elsewhere for open public scrutiny.
Fourth, no Wall Street executives should profit from taxpayer dollars. It is wrong to ask teachers and farmers and small business owners to fill the gas tanks of the helicopters of Wall Street tycoons. The senior leaders of any firm that is bailed out should not be making more than the highest paid government official.
Fifth and finally, it is completely unacceptable for any kind of earmarks to be included in this bill. It would be outrageous for legislators and lobbyists to pack this rescue plan with taxpayer money for favored companies. This simply cannot happen.
it's very possible that neither McCain nor Obama will return to Washington for the Senate vote.) He also told reporters he did not think a stimulus package should be added to the bailout legislation, saying the best way for the nation to get out of the economic mess is to cut taxes and spending to create incentives for businesses to "grow and flourish."
-- Evie Stone
5:29 PM ET
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09-23-2008
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Democratic Rep. Mark Udall is gaining ground in the Colorado Senate race against Bob Schaffer (R), according to a new Quinnipiac poll . In July that poll had the race even at 44-44. Now Udall has pulled ahead of Schaffer 48-40%.
Incumbent Republican Norm Coleman appears to be slipping in the Minnesota Senate race against Al Franken (D). Coleman remains ahead by 49-42%. That is slightly less than his lead (53-38%) over Franken in July. The poll doesn't indicate what role Dean Barkley's (I) July entry into the race has played. Quinnipiac shows that Democratic support for Coleman has decreased as the campaign has worn on.
-- Michael Olson
4:39 PM ET
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09-23-2008
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This familiar-sounding email is apparently making the rounds...
Dear American:
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.
I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.
This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.
Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury Paulson
-- Evie Stone
(h/t Overby )
2:55 PM ET
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09-23-2008
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John McCain's campaign is seizing on an unscripted comment by Joe Biden to question Barack Obama's commitment to developing clean coal technology. Biden, working a rope line in Maumee, Ohio last week was asked why the campaign supports clean coal when wind and solar power are "flourishing." Biden says, "We're not supporting clean coal," later adding, "No coal plants here in America." (At the same time, Biden seems to suggest that the US should develop clean coal technology for export, warning, "Guess what, China is going to burn 300 years of bad coal unless we figure out how to clean their coal up.")
The McCain campaign quickly announced the formation of a "Coalition to Protect Coal Jobs," during a conference call with Congresswoman Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), former Congressman Scott McInnis (R-CO), RNC Chairman Mike Duncan, and former Virginia Governor and Senator George Allen (who knows how damaging an unscripted YouTube moment can be).
For its part, the Obama campaign insists it does support investment in clean coal technology, as part of its ten-year, $150 billion dollar initiative to develop clean energy of all kinds. (McCain proposes $2 billion per year in federal subsidies for clean coal, plus more limited funding for "basic research" on wind, tide, and solar energy.) "The Obama-Biden Department of Energy is committed to developing five 'first-of-a-kind' commercial scale coal-fired plants with carbon capture and sequestration here in the United States," says Biden spokesman David Wade.
Coal generates a lot of political heat because it supplies more than half the nation's electricity, is a significant contributor of greenhouse gases, and because five of the leading coal-producing states (Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Ohio) are battlegrounds in the November election.
-- Scott Horsley
UPDATE : The Obama-Biden campaign has now announced the creation of a "Clean Coal Jobs Task Force, aimed at furthering Senator Obama and Senator Biden's commitment to creating jobs and energy independence through clean coal."
2:36 PM ET
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09-23-2008
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As world leaders descend on New York for the annual talk fest known as the UN General Assembly, some celebrities are joining them to promote their cause. Take for instance Irish rockers Bob Geldof and Bono. They are working the crowds to promote more aid and investment in Africa and call themselves "the Mutt and Jeff show".
Bono is also taking the time to meet Republican Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin. He told NPR, "we are meeting wearing my ONE campaign hat. We are asking both parties not to play politics with the poorest of the poor." Geldof said they are "wholly bipartisan", though he quickly pointed out that he thinks all politicians are wankers. Geldof said he would shake hands with "the devil on the left and the devil on the right to get to the people you need to get to." A spokesman for the ONE Campaign, which promotes development aid, said only Bono, not Geldof, would be meeting with Palin.
The two musicians also spoke at the European Commission's office, where they backed EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso's efforts to take unused European farm subsidies to buy seeds and fertilizers for African farmers. Bono said, "these African farmers who are just scratching in the dirt, with no fertilizer, with no seeds to plant, are in a chronic state while European farmers, who of course, have solidarity with African farmers, know that there's surplus that's there for them when the bottom falls out of the European market." The U2 lead singer warned, "This is the planting season ... so we have to act fast."
-- Michele Kelemen
11:04 AM ET
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09-23-2008
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When Joe Biden was announced as Barack Obama's VP pick, the press made a lot of noise about his tendency towards sticking his foot in his mouth. The RNC even launched a "Biden Gaffe Clock ". Expectations for Biden's ability to hold his tongue were, shall we say, low.
But in fact, Biden has done a relatively good job of staying on-message. There have been a few minor errors...such as when he called on a wheelchair-bound official to stand up and be greeted by the crowd . Or when he told ABC's Kate Snow that it's the patriotic duty of the wealthy to pay higher taxes . But so far Biden's mouth hasn't really gotten him in trouble...to the point where the RNC seems to have given up on the political payoff of the gaffe clock. As of this morning, it hasn't been updated since September 4th -- nearly three weeks ago.
One notable exception: this recent interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric, in which Biden said a recent Obama ad that made fun of McCain's computer illiteracy was "terrible". He added, "I didn't know we did it and if I had anything to do with it, we would have never done it."
As the quote started making the blog rounds (aided by emails from the McCain campaign), Obama spokesman Bill Burton quickly circulated the following deflection effort, in a message titled "Statement of Senator Joe Biden."
"I was asked about an ad I'd never seen, reacting merely to press reports. As I said right then, I knew there was nothing intentionally personal in the criticism of Senator McCain's views which look backwards not forwards and are out of touch with the new economic challenges we face today. Having now reviewed the ad, it is even more clear to me that given the disgraceful tenor of Senator McCain's ads and their persistent falsehoods, his campaign is in no position to criticize, especially when they continue to distort Barack's votes on an issue as personal as keeping kids safe from sexual predators," said Joe Biden.
-- Evie Stone
10:36 AM ET
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09-23-2008
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Good morning! It's one day post-equinox and already the morning light seems more autumnal here in Washington. There are 41 days to go before America votes...or at least before the 8 remaining citizens who won't be voting early. So let's get down to biz.
Big hearings today on Capitol Hill over the proposed federal bailout plan. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke are both urging lawmakers to swiftly pass the package -- they're hoping for votes in both houses of Congress by Friday. But the plan is meeting resistance from liberal Democrats who want to grant bankruptcy judges the power to modify mortgage terms to prevent foreclosures, and also to allow the federal government to own shares of the companies it relieves of bad debt. The right isn't happy either: fiscally conservative Republicans hate the idea of taxpayer dollars being poured into a hastily-crafted plan to fix the so-called 'free market'. (Former Speaker Newt Gingrich gave the plan a thorough smackdown from the right on ATC yesterday afternoon.)
The major-party candidates both appear to have backed the plan, though they've expressed (remarkably similar!) reservations about Bush Administration's streamlined proposal, which calls for a huge infusion of money without Congressional oversight on how it's used. McCain has called for the addition of a bi-partisan oversight board, saying that while he respects Paulson, he is "deeply uncomfortable" entrusting him with sole responsibility over the $700 billion. McCain has also suggested capping CEO compensation at about $400,000 -- a salary equivalent to the highest paid government employee (the President). Obama is also calling for more scrutiny (professing wariness over giving the administration a "blank check"), and says the bailout should be paired with a stimulus package to help ordinary workers. Obama is also proposing spending cuts to offset some of the costs of the plan. Meanwhile, USA Today points out that the enormous costs of the bailout will likely stand in the way of some of the candidates' lofty campaign promises (though Obama insists it won't affect his health care proposal).
Continue reading "Tuesday Morning: Bailout Back-and-Forth; Palin to the UN; and Paul Endorses Baldwin" »
10:18 AM ET
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09-23-2008
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September 22, 2008
Jury selection got underway today in the trial of US Senator Ted Stevens , as Thomas mentioned and Morning Edition reported . The Republican from Alaska is accused of failing to disclose $250,000 in gifts he received from the oil company VECO. The judge presiding over the case also read a list of the more than 200 potential witnesses, something of a who's who of Washington: Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), as well as former Secretary of State Colin Powell. A few of the other names on the list were, well, unexpected: a Fairbanks strip club manager, the underage ex-mistress of former VECO chief Bill Allen, and the Anchorage police detective who is looking into that relationship. Opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday.
h/t Anchorage Daily News
-- Sean Bowditch
9:10 PM ET
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09-22-2008
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The latest edition of the Political Rewind podcast is up, featuring NPR's political reporters on some of the best stories to emerge over the last few days. First up: Congressional Democrats say they're willing to help shore up the financial markets, but they want a bill that includes relief for homeowners and taxpayers, too. We also hear about the dirty tricks arriving in Florida voters' mailboxes, as well as battles on the latest front in the immigration debate: attack ads en espanol.
Click to listen:
here .
--Laurel Wamsley
6:00 PM ET
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09-22-2008
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Steve Schmidt, a McCain campaign manager, targeted the New York Times this morning in a conference call, saying they're "not a journalistic organization" and that they're "150-percent in the tank for the Democratic candidate."
When you attack the media in a conference call full of journalists, it's bound to attract some attention -- which may have been the point, of course. The Fix says attacking the New York Times "is a smart strategic move when it comes to uniting the Republican base behind McCain."
Schmidt later used Joe Biden's son as an example of the lack of press scrutiny on the Democratic side, claiming Hunter Biden had ties to the credit card industry. As proof of this connection, the RNC then emailed out an article , which -- as Jonathan Martin points out -- was written by none other than the Times .
Anyway, with all this circulating so quickly, I thought I'd put up some of the audio.
-- Thomas Pierce
2:12 PM ET
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09-22-2008
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Much has been made of Kenyans unofficially renaming their Senator beer , Obama beer .
But what about the Palin Syrah -- an organic wine from Chile? According to SeriousEats (via Wonkette), it was once a best-seller for at least one wine bar:
But after Sen. John McCain tagged Sarah Palin as his running mate, sales of the wine with the conservative's inverted name plummeted--not surprising in famously liberal San Francisco.
Obama's popular in Kenya. Palin's not popular in San Francisco. No big news there. However that wine bar's description of the syrah (supposedly penned before Palin was tapped as the VP pick) is amusing:
...white pepper, madrone, dry. Incidentally, a madrone is an evergreen found primarily in the Pacific Northwest that bears red berries in the fall. When the berries dry up, they are replaced by hooked barbs that latch onto large animals for migration.
-- Thomas Pierce
1:04 PM ET
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09-22-2008
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Sarah Palin was scheduled to attend a rally today to protest President Ahmadinejad's visit to the United Nations. However, her invite was rescinded by the organizers when they decided they'd rather not have any political candidates. (Hillary Clinton reportedly dropped out of the rally when she learned Palin was slated to attend.)
So Palin published the speech she would have delivered as an op-ed in today's New York Sun . She offers harsh words for the Iranian president, saying he "threatens all who seek a safer and freer world" and that we must "thwart him."
She also praises Hillary Clinton for her stance on Iran, agreeing that a "response must include stronger sanctions, including the designation of the IRGC [the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps] as a terrorist organization."
-- Thomas Pierce
11:08 AM ET
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09-22-2008
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Morning y'all. Evie will be back tomorrow, so you only have to put up with me for one more day.
The Treasury Department wants Congress to approve Bush's proposed $700+ billion bailout of Wall Street -- as fast as possible. Democrats widely support the plan to rescue our nation's financial institutions, but they're also pushing for more oversight of the sweeping powers the plan would give the Treasury Department. And they want a bill that grants government the ability to slice CEO salaries and upper management severance packages at firms that opt for the help. That's likely to meet with resistance from Republicans and could delay any decision until later in the week. And if it takes too long, the Washington Post reports the Treasury Department hasn't ruled out further activity in the meantime:
Sources familiar with Treasury's thinking said that the department is also continuing to monitor troubled financial firms and may have to intervene in the markets again this week, before Congress acts on the bailout, to address specific flash points.
John McCain and Barack Obama both agreed over the weekend that more oversight of the Treasury Department should be worked into the plan. And both seemed to be in a bi-partisan mood. Last night, a McCain spokeswoman said her candidate wants to delegate that oversight to a bi-partisan board -- with members like Warren Buffet, Mitt Romney, and Mike Bloomberg. And Obama said he'd want Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, a Republican, to help with the "'transition process' between administrations."
But despite their overall approval of the arguably most expensive bailout in Amerian history, neither candidate shows any intention of scaling back their aggressive (read: potentially expensive) agendas for the White House. The New York Times reports this morning that McCain still wants to extend the Bush tax cuts and says he could balance the budget through restrained spending, in spite of the newest $700-billion package:
Mr. McCain also stuck by his support for allowing workers to invest a portion of their Social Security payroll taxes in stocks and bonds, an approach that Democrats call privatization and that Mr. Obama has used to suggest Mr. McCain would subject retirees to excessive market risk.
And as for Obama, while he still wants to revamp America's health care to include more people, cut college tuition, and possibly send more troops to Afghanistan, he also intends to cut taxes for the middle class -- and raise them for those making more than $250,000 a year.
Interestingly, $250,000 is also roughly the amount that Sen. Ted Stephens Stevens (R-AK) is charged with accepting in undisclosed gifts and services (AKA bribes). He allegedly received them from a man named Bill Allen -- an oil contractor on Alaska's North Slope. Jury selection for Stevens' trial begins today . He's up for reelection this fall, and the trial is being accelerated in hopes of a conclusion by November.
Continue reading "Monday Morning: the Mother of All Bailouts on the Hill, the Stevens Trial Begins, and Alaska's 'First Dude'" »
8:37 AM ET
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09-22-2008
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A new poll from the non-partisan Center for Rural Strategies has John McCain up ten points in rural counties in 13 battleground states. The 742 respondents favored McCain 51% to 41% for Democrat Barack Obama.
But that's not necessarily good news for the McCain camp. President Bush won rural counties by twice that margin and rural voters were considered key to the president's two elections.
Analysis of election results from 2004 show a 4.1 million vote margin in rural counties for President Bush. That gave the president the edge he needed to overcome John Kerry's margin of 3.7 million votes in urban areas.
McCain's 10 point lead in the new poll isn't believed to be enough to make up for Barack Obama's expected 2008 margin in cities.
A series of rural polls since 2004 indicates a decline in the Republican dominance of rural areas.
McCain can take solace in the fact that rural voters indicated they have more faith now in how he'd handle key issues, including the economy and taxes. That's compared to the responses in a similar rural poll in May.
Still, those responding to the poll rate McCain and Obama even or nearly even on how they each would handle the economy and energy and gas prices, the two biggest issues they cited.
President Bush had a similar share of support (nine per cent) in a rural battleground poll taken in September 2004. But he doubled that support on election day.
The new and earlier rural surveys were conducted and analyzed by a bi-partisan team consisting of the Democratic polling firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and the Republican political consulting firm of Greener and Hook.
I'll have more on the rural vote tonight on All Things Considered -- and later today on the web.
-- Howard Berkes
7:57 AM ET
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09-22-2008
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September 19, 2008
NPR's Debbie Elliot sent us this dispatch from the Obama rally today at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., where a group of poster-waving protestors distracted the audience from the speech:
A group of a dozen or so people, most of whom appeared to be African-American, held up signs saying: 'Blacks against Obama,' 'Obama Endorsed by the KKK,' and 'Obama for Abortion.'
They stood up with their signs, then folks started booing and chanting at them. It disrupted Obama's economic rhythm. He tried to get the crowd to ignore them, saying something like, they can hold their signs ... and, hey wait a minute ... but things didn't really settle down until secret service removed the group from the coliseum.
Once the group had been escorted out, Obama concluded the interruption saying, "Alright, let's get back to work," then continued talking about the U.S. economy.
-- Thomas Pierce
6:35 PM ET
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09-19-2008
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Everyday reporters' inboxes are flooded with email from both campaigns. They contain schedule updates, speech transcripts -- and favorable press clippings. And today we were forwarded a Joe Klein blog post that referred to McCain's campaign of "non-stop sleaze."
Strangely enough, the email came FROM the McCain campaign. True, Klein's post doesn't look good for Obama either, but is it worth smearing yourself a lot just to smear the other guy a little?
I've pasted it below. Any ideas?
-- Thomas Pierce
_______________________________
From: xxxxxxx
You know an Obama ad really needs to come down when you see something like this...
Take It Down, Barack
The New York Times editorial board--once again calling a lie a lie--slams both McCain and Obama for their Spanish-language ads about immigration policy. I've given up any hope of McCain running an honest campaign, but if Obama really wants to present an honorable alternative to McCain's non-stop sleaze, he should take down his immigration ad immediately.
__________________________________
2:47 PM ET
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09-19-2008
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With news of the biggest bailout of all time dominating the headlines, I somehow missed this story :
After an exhaustive two-year investigation, former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley isn't expected to face charges for sending salacious messages to underage pages, two federal law enforcement officials have told The Associated Press.
And why won't he face charges? Well...
Florida authorities were hampered in their investigation because neither Foley nor the House would let investigators examine his congressional computers.
In a letter to the FDLE obtained by The Associated Press, House Deputy General Counsel Kerry Kircher wrote that because the data "may contain legislative information that is constitutionally privileged ... and because Mr. Foley has not waived that privilege ... we cannot simply give you access."
I suspect we'll be hearing more about this... at some point.
-- Thomas Pierce
1:15 PM ET
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09-19-2008
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Of the 800 people arrested at the RNC in St. Paul, dozens were journalists. MPR reports the city of St. Paul is dropping misdemeanor charges filed against journalists during the RNC. That includes charges in the high(ish) profile arrest of Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman.
It will be interesting to see what constitutes a journalist in these dismissals. The office of the St. Paul mayor released a statement to MPR saying the city attorney will use a "broad definition and verification to identify journalists who were caught up in mass arrests during the convention." The road to freedom up 'nort is paved with Twitter!
-- Michael Olson
12:25 PM ET
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09-19-2008
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After putting an ad out last night that targeted Obama's connection to former Fannie Mae CEO, Franklin Raines, (a connection denied by both Obama and Raines), McCain has upped the ante this morning with another, similar ad. This one links Obama to Jim Johnson, the one-time Fannie Mae exec who was tapped to lead Obama's VP search team.
"Fannie cooked the books and Johnson made millions," the ad says before connecting him to Obama.
Not long after Obama picked Johnson back in June, media reports began surfacing that Johnson had ties to mortgages lender Countrywide. Team Obama defended Johnson for days -- until he resigned from the committee, supposedly of his volition.
But as The Trail points out , this may be a can of worms McCain shouldn't open:
...McCain is playing with fire, because his campaign also has deep ties to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, was president of the Homeownership Alliance, which advocates the expansion of homeownership through low-interest mortgages funded by Fannie and Freddie. Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr., who headed McCain's vice presidential vetting panel, was a lobbyist for Fannie Mae. Mark Buse, a longtime McCain aide, lobbied for Freddie Mac before returning to McCain's Senate staff.
Both teams have ties to former executives and lobbyists, and it's a little bewildering that either side would be willing to venture onto such shaky ground.
-- Thomas Pierce
11:05 AM ET
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09-19-2008
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We have a new addition to our podcast family: Political Rewind . We select some of NPR's best political stories from the last few days and package them together for your listening pleasure. Muthoni Muturi, one of the network's editors, hosts the twice-weekly cast. In this edition, we look at how the Wall Street meltdown is influencing the race for the White House, what the two VP nominees are talking about these days, and the tricky task of submitting a ballot from overseas.
Click to listen:
here .
-- Sean Bowditch
10:40 AM ET
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09-19-2008
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With all this talk of economic Armegeddon, it's hard to find anything to laugh about lately. But, regardless of where on the political spectrum you call home, this folksy tune should force a smile. The song, called "I'm A Sarah-ist", is the work of Bob Miller, a musician and TV news anchor from Fairbanks, AK.
Here are a few verses to whet your appetite...
She sits up front at the PTA
Click to hear the whole song:
Anchorage Daily News for digging this one up.
-- Sean Bowditch
9:32 AM ET
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09-19-2008
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Good morning y'all. Evie's still away, but don't fret: she will return.
Two weeks of financial crisis and government bailouts triggered a massive outbreak of finger-pointing both on the Hill and on the trail yesterday. Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats pointed to President Bush and blamed his push for deregulation and not enforcing regulatory laws on the books since the Clinton era. And members from both sides of the aisle aimed their fingers at the SEC for lazy oversight and at the Federal Reserve for bailing out AIG with an $85-billion price tag. Some House Republicans even referred to the government's intervention as "bailout mania."
And while Congress consults with Treasury and Fed officials about how to move forward, the candidates are in the sometimes awkward position of having to react to all of this at every campaign event, doing their best to look presidential. According to the New York Times this morning , that can be difficult:
...what is worse for Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain is that they are on the sidelines and yet expected to act as if they have the best information available. They are getting updates from economic advisers and supporters on Wall Street and also near-daily briefings from Mr. Paulson and sometimes Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve. Another complication is that the candidates have to balance the political need to look boldly presidential against the danger of further agitating the markets or stoking Americans' anxiety.
For the most part, that means more finger-pointing. While stumping in Iowa yesterday, McCain set his sights on the Chairman of the SEC, Christopher Cox, saying that if he were president, he'd fire the man. But by casting himself as a candidate of change and reform on this particular issue, McCain puts himself in a delicate position -- trying to distance himself from Bush (and, for that matter, his own history of opposition to regulation) but also trying not to sound like, well, a Democrat.
Continue reading "Friday Morning: Economic Finger-Pointing, the Fed's in the House, and the Road to Nowhere" »
8:32 AM ET
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09-19-2008
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September 18, 2008
The latest installment of the It's All Politics podcast has rolled off the audio presses. On today's show: Ken Rudin and Ron Elving pledge to make no jokes, what with the economy. McCain and Obama both claim to be the change Wall Street needs. Tina Fey shows America how a Sarah Palin accent is done. And those purple states begin a-leanin'...
Click to listen:
You can also download it here .
--Laurel Wamsley
6:41 PM ET
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09-18-2008
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It's been a tough week for John McCain. He declared the fundamentals of the economy strong, only to declare them at risk. One aide, trying to stress McCain's record on economic progress, suggested the senator helped invent the blackberry.
Broadly, the deepening crisis on Wall Street has the potential to favor Democrat Barack Obama. All recent polling suggests when it comes to handling the economy, voters give higher marks to Democrats. Meanwhile, Obama has an easier time pushing for tighter regulations on Wall Street -- since McCain has been a longtime fan of deregulation.
Give this state of play, it was no surprise when some of McCain's top advisers -- Steve Schmidt, Mark Salter and Nicolle Wallace -- paid a visit to the press cabin today for a message offensive.
"You look at the poll numbers," Schmidt said, with Salter and Wallace by his side. "We remain in a very close contest."
Schmidt previewed the aggressive message we should expect from McCain in coming days, as he tries to pummel Obama over Wall Street's woes. Schmidt summarized that message this way:
"Obama's notion of reform on these issues and change is a rhetorical device used to advance his political agenda. But he's got no record of reform. He's got no record of leadership really on any issue."
Schmidt also accused Obama of playing on the anxiety of Americans for political gain.
"I think as the American people prepare to make their choice in this election," Schmidt said, "they're likely to give consideration to the fact that the Obama campaign is cheer-leading this crisis."
The advisers spoke as McCain and running mate Sarah Palin did a "Rapid" tour, flying from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This caused some confusion.
"Thank you so much Iowa," Palin said as she began her remarks in Cedar Rapids. "It is so good to be here in Grand Rapids."
-- David Greene
4:11 PM ET
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09-18-2008
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Another interesting nugget from McCain's stump speech today in Iowa:
"The Chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president and in my view has betrayed the public's trust...If I were president today, I would fire him."
President Bush appointed Christopher Cox as Chairman of the SEC in 2005. Reuters reports that the Bush Administration still has faith in their pick.
-- Thomas Pierce
UPDATE: Commenter f is correct. Should McCain become president, he would not have the power to literally fire the SEC Chairman. However, as the folks over at ABC are reporting , he could "attempt to exert political pressure to force the resignations of commissioners" of such agencies.
But I have a feeling we're not going to hear McCain say, If I were president today, I would lean on him until he resigns.
UPDATE: Speaking in New Mexico this afternoon, Obama looked to one-up McCain's promise to fire the SEC Chairman:
I think that's all fine and good, but here's what I say. In the next 47 days, you can fire the whole trickle-down, on-your-own, look-the-other-way crowd...
2:17 PM ET
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09-18-2008
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This morning Joe Biden uttered something that will, in all probability, pop up in every Republican stump speech between now and Election Day.
When it comes to taxes, Biden said, "it's time to be patriotic." This happened on ABC's Good Morning America, and he was referring to Obama's push to increase taxes only for those making more than $250,000 a year -- a point that will surely be lost in translation.
Game on. The line already got two mentions this afternoon in Iowa, where McCain and Palin appeared together. She used it first, saying taxes aren't about patriotism but about "killing jobs and hurting small businesses and making things worse." McCain also harped on the Biden line, saying "Raising taxes in a tough economy isn't patriotic. It isn't a badge of honor. It's just plain dumb."
-- Thomas Pierce
1:11 PM ET
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09-18-2008
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There's a new batch of national polls just out (CBS/NY Times, Quinnipiac, Hotline and Gallup, etc.) that gives Obama a slight lead over McCain. RealClear Politics calculates Obama's average lead in these national polls as 0.9 percent.
The New York Times suggests that the polls numbers may have shifted in Obama's favor because McCain's post-convention bounce is waning. McCain also may be hurt by the financial implosion on Wall Street, which some argue makes it harder for him to distance himself from the President Bush's economic legacy.
A more nuanced view comes from the polling in the battleground states such as Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana and Wisconsin. There, CNN polling shows that the race remains tight.
But the folks over at the fivethirtyeight argue that it's increasingly difficult to interpret these state-by-state polling numbers -- in part, because there seems to a gap in polling in terms of who's winning the popular vote vs. the Electoral College.
-- Nancy Cook
11:07 AM ET
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09-18-2008
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Good Morning.
Evie's out of town for the next few days, so I'm stepping in to help out.
As the credit crisis persists on Wall Street, the candidates probably aren't going to waste time talking about pigs, lipstick, or blackberries today. More likely, they'll continue toting (and fine-tuning) their solutions for the economy.
John McCain, who got himself into trouble earlier this week by suggesting the fundamentals of our economy are "strong," seems to be searching for the right response. He was an initial critic of a government bailout of AIG but has since changed his mind. That's giving Obama a chance to capitalize on what the LA Times is calling McCain's "wildly swinging rhetoric." Despite McCain's equivocation, the Wall Street Journal reports that neither candidate is necessarily in an ideal position to earn voter confidence on this issue:
Sen. Obama has had his own problems connecting with working-class voters, and the first-term senator's short time in Washington has raised doubts with voters about his ability to handle a complex crisis. But the economy has never been one of Sen. McCain's strong suits.
New polls out this morning confirm that the economy could very well decide the election. According to New York Times/CBS News poll data :
By overwhelming numbers, Americans said the economy was the top issue affecting their vote decision, and they continued to express deep pessimism about the nation's economic future. They continued to express greater confidence in Mr. Obama's ability to manage the economy, even as Mr. McCain has aggressively sought to raise doubts about it.
This same poll also suggests the so-called Palin Effect could be waning. Since her addition to the ticket, Palin has certainly invigorated the party base and attracted previously unseen audiences to McCain events. But apparently her favorability ratings have dropped, with more than 6 in 10 people surveyed saying they'd "be concerned if Mr. McCain could not finish his term and Ms. Palin had to take over." Not only that, 75% of people polled suspected that McCain picked Palin -- not because she'd make a good Vice-President -- but because she'd help him win.
Continue reading "Thursday Morning: McCain Looks for Economic Message, Obama Spanish-Language Ads Come Under Fire, and Potential Election Day Chaos" »
10:32 AM ET
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09-18-2008
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Rep. Don Young (R-AK) squeaked out a primary win over Palin-backed Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell. After absentee ballots were counted, Young came out ahead by 304 votes. But before the final tally, the 35-year House veteran praised Palin during Tuesday's House energy debate. McCain is opposed to drilling in ANWR. Palin is not. Palin is going to "keep working on" McCain on the ANWR issue. Young has hope that Palin can do it:
"I'm convinced with her great personability and knowledge, she'll be able to convince [McCain to go] the right way" (APRN )
Considering that the alternative candidate would be Obama (who needs no convincing in his opposition to ANWR), Young's comments aren't exactly a surprise.
A recount is expected in the Young-Parnell contest for Alaska's At-Large seat. This could provide more cover for Palin to avoid pressure to support Young, who like other Alaska pols have a reputation for bringing home the bacon . Of course, if she really wanted to shake things up and cross the aisle she could always endorse the Democratic nominee, former House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz.
This morning NPR's Ken Rudin updated his call on the race from "Tossup" to "Leans Democratic." Rudin's take:
UPDATE : Parnell conceded .
-- Michael Olson
10:25 AM ET
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09-18-2008
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September 16, 2008
The Obama campaign has filed a complaint in federal court to halt an alleged GOP plan to challenge Michigan voters whose registration is linked to a foreclosed home, or a home in the process of foreclosure.
A member of the Macomb County Republican Party tells the Detroit Free Press that last week's report alleging the tactic, which appeared on the political news website the Michigan Messenger, was unfounded. He says the Michigan GOP does plan to send thousands of challengers to polling places on Election Day, but they won't base their challenges on foreclosure lists.
Obama attorney Bob Bauer dismisses the Republican denials. He told Michigan Radio :
"It is not only in Michigan we're seeing this, because this is consistent with a pattern and practice of the Republican Party across the country, as it has been their pattern and practice for decades. And, we have seen the same indication of the use of foreclosure lists in the state of Ohio."
Michigan Radio also reports that a Macomb County GOP official is threatening a libel suit against the Michigan Messenger.
-- Michael Olson
4:46 PM ET
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09-16-2008
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In a radio interview this morning on St. Louis station KTRS, host McGraw Milhaven asked McCain economic adviser (and former Hewlett-Packard CEO) Carly Fiorina whether she thinks GOP VP Nominee Sarah Palin "has the experience to run a major company like Hewlett-Packard". Her answer: "No, I don't. But you know what? That's not what she's running for." After emitting that damning sound-bite (even the biggest corporations are smaller and less complex than the US government...), she turned to impugning Barack Obama's lack of executive experience.
subsequent appearance on MSNBC . When Andrea Mitchell asked her about the KTRS interview, Fiorina responded that she didn't think McCain could run a major corporation either. And, she added, neither could Barack Obama or Joe Biden:
But on the other hand, a major corporation is not the same as being the President or Vice-President of the United States. It is a fallacy to suggest that the country is like a company. So, of course, to run a business you have to have a lifetime of experience in business. But that's not what Sarah Palin, John McCain, Joe Biden, or Barack Obama are doing.
The Obama camp is circulating the Palin and McCain quotes, wondering "If John McCain's top economic advisor doesn't think he can run a corporation, how on Earth can he run the largest economy in the world in the midst of a financial crisis?" The statement omits Fiorina's comments about the Dems.
-- Evie Stone
2:23 PM ET
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09-16-2008
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This morning Doug Holtz-Eakin, a top McCain policy adviser, brandished a BlackBerry for reporters and said, "You're looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create."
Okay, cue the laughter. McCain isn't exactly known as the most tech-savvy candidate on the trail. He's admitted in the past to not knowing how to operate a computer or send e-mail. So why did Holtz-Eakin, on McCain's behalf, risk pulling an Al Gore (who, as we all remember, sort of took credit for the internet in 2000)?
Well, facing questions from reporters about what McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that would help him to understand and deal with the current economic crisis, Holtz-Eakin pointed to his BlackBerry, the little communications device so addictive that you can never put it down -- not on the train-ride home, not at dinner with your significant other, and not even, it seems, at an important press conference.
Holtz-Eakin was trying to make a larger point, of course, that McCain's leadership on the committee in regulating (and deregulating) the telecommunications industry qualifies him to deal with financial markets. However as the folks over at The Trail note , even that point isn't especially effective since the Commerce Committee has no oversight whatsoever of banks or financial institutions.
The Obama campaign quickly jumped on the BlackBerry claim, peddling the Politico and AP versions of the story to reporters.
McCain, for his part, has already dismissed the blackBerry comment via an aide, saying it was "a boneheaded joke by a staffer."
For the record, the BlackBerry was invented by a Canadian wireless device company called Research in Motion .
Also, time for a shameless plug: Doug Holtz-Eakin was on Morning Edition today . If you missed the interview, don't worry: you can download NPR mobile on your BlackBerry and listen whenever you'd like.
-- Thomas Pierce
12:40 PM ET
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09-16-2008
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In a darkened room, Ralph Nader complains to a parrot that no one pays attention to him any more.
Leaving aside the depressing and generally weird nature of this video, we have two major complaints to lodge:
1) Over the course of a nearly three-minute monologue, Nader gives no good argument for why anyone should be paying attention to him. He just whinges that they aren't. Not very convincing.
2) He repeatedly threatens to dress as a panda and go to the National Zoo to drum up some news coverage, but -- in total defiance of the Chekhov's Gun Principle -- never does it . We say: if there's a loaded panda costume in the drawer in the first act, it had better get worn to the National Zoo by the end of the video.
-- Evie Stone
12:26 PM ET
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09-16-2008
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Good morning.
Wall Street's troubles continue to dominate the newsiverse , and the candidates are endeavoring to seem presidentially facile and authoritative on the subject.
The Obama campaign has released an ad repeating (several times) McCain's statement from yesterday morning that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" over what we can only describe as 80s cop-movie chase music paired with blaring bad-news headlines. Meanwhile, McCain made the morning show rounds and repeated his clarification from yesterday: the economy is in crisis, but the fundamentals of the economy are the American workers, who are the best in the world. And he called for a 9/11-style investigatory commission to look into the root causes of the meltdown. (For a full recap of yesterday's rhetorical crossfire, NPR's David Greene Scott Horsley
The campaign battlefield finally appears to be expanding to include the 527 groups both candidates decried last spring (feels like the Jurassic period now, doesn't it?). NPR's Peter Overby reported yesterday that Obama's cavalry may finally be trotting into town (though not galloping just yet). Indeed, the independent expenditures are ramping up on both sides -- from the anti-McCain Brave New PAC to the anti-Obama Vets for Freedom and far beyond. Peter and Will Evans from the Center for Investigative Reporting follow the independent ad drops in real time on the Secret Money Blog .
Continue reading "Tuesday Morning: Fuss Over Fundamentals; Independent Groups Picking Up Steam; and Palin Resists Troopergate Investigation" »
10:00 AM ET
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09-16-2008
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September 12, 2008
Episode IV in the remarkably-milked ABC interview with Sarah Palin aired on this evening's World News Tonight. A longer version will be on 20/20. While last night's interview focused on foreign policy, tonight Palin talked domestic issues with anchor Charles Gibson. But the quote that's getting the most play (because apparently no one can let go of the Democratic primary) is about Barack Obama not selecting Hillary Clinton to be his running-mate:
I think he's regretting not picking her now. I do. What determination! And grit, and even grace through some tough shots that were fired her way. She handled those well.
Gibson opened by asking Palin what three specific things she would do to change the Bush economic policies. It's hard to tell from the WNT broadcast because the interview was so heavily edited, but it seemed as if Palin spoke pretty platitudinously about the economy rather than offering specifics. She had the unemployment figure (6.1%) at her fingertips, but her overall answer was a general one.
We need to put government back on the side of the people, and make sure that it is not government solely looked at for all the solutions, for one. Government has got to get out of the way, in some respects, of the private sector, being able to create the jobs we need. Jobs that are going to allow for the families to be able to afford health care, to be able to afford their mortgages, to be able to afford college tuition for their kids. That's got to be the principle here. Reform government. Recognize that it's not government to be looked at to solve all the problems.
Continue reading "Palin Talks Economy, Social Issues With Gibson" »
7:23 PM ET
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09-12-2008
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For months, John McCain has been renouncing his earlier legislation for comprehensive immigration reform, and -- like his opponent Barack Obama -- generally avoiding the hot-button topic on the campaign trail. Now, McCain has two new videos aimed at Hispanic and other immigrant voters.
The first is a Spanish-language TV ad that claims that it was really Democrats, including Obama, who sabotaged last year's bipartisan immigration overhaul by voting for 'poison pill' amendments. Immigrant advocates say the McCain ad is misleading; yes, the convoluted bill was drawing fire from the left by the bitter end, but they blame overwhelming Republican opposition for its demise.
The second video will air during tonight's Alma Awards broadcast. The video starts with a gauzy montage of black and white photos of earlier immigrants, and laments that they are too often "objects of fear" instead of "symbols of hope." While giving no details, McCain says he will make immigration a "priority" by addressing it in a way that's "practical and fair."
Why the switch? It's hard to see these ads as much more than grasping at straws given the dismal standing polls give McCain among Latino voters.
On the other hand, maybe 'immigration' isn't quite the dirty word it's been thought to be in politics. NDN (formerly the New Democrat Network) just came out with a poll of voters in the battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico, all with large -- though varied -- Latino populations. It finds solid support for a 'path to citizenship' for undocumented immigrants, something you'd never guess from hearing most stump speeches over the past year.
-- Jennifer Ludden
5:40 PM ET
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09-12-2008
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Rachael Ray went a little easier on John McCain than the View ladies did this morning . In a live-to-tape interview that will air Monday morning, Ray engaged the nominee and his wife on nuclear power, the economy, and Sarah Palin (Cindy McCain: "They really are a perfect fit").
Then they got down to cooking the ribs. (Insert obvious "but there was a different kind of grilling in store!" joke here.) McCain, a well-known grillmaster , told Ray he plans to keep grills at the White House and Camp David, and will man them himself.
Press pooler Michael Shear of the Washington Post describes the scene:
Ray gave Cindy a Navy apron with the words, "KISS THE CANDIDATE" in white on it. She gave him a peck and then put it on him. Ray told the audience that she had just learned that McCain likes to buy his ribs at Costco, to which she expressed surprise. "I've been to Costco, I just never pictured you guys..."
"You want the heat to come into the bone and cook from the inside out," he explained.
Noted.
-- Evie Stone
5:16 PM ET
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09-12-2008
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With the eagerly anticipated Sarah Palin interviews now airing on just about every news show in the ABC lineup, Ron Elving and Ken Rudin offer their analysis in this week's edition of everyone's favorite political podcast, It's All Politics . She may not blink when staring down world leaders or deciding whether to take the VP-spot, but how did Palin fare in her sit-down with ABC's Charlie Gibson? And how did Charlie Gibson fare as the first journalist to interview her as a VP-nominee? Find out by listening below.
download the episode and keep it for your very own.
-- Thomas Pierce
4:02 PM ET
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09-12-2008
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The "Troopergate" investigation ratcheted up a notch today. The AP is reporting that the lead investigator in the case has asked the judiciary committees in both the Alaska House and Senate for the power to subpoena 13 people, including Governor Sarah Palin's husband Todd. The request is expected to be granted. The AP adds that Governor Palin's name is not on the list, but she will likely be "interviewed".
The investigation is looking into whether Palin inappropriately used the power of the Governor's office to have her former brother-in-law fired from the State Police. The outcome has greater political implications for Palin now that she is John McCain's running mate. Initially, investigators were slated to go public with their findings in October -- scarily close to the general election. One report has surfaced claiming that the McCain campaign is attempting to stall the process to avoid the potential for political embarrassment.
-- Sean Bowditch
CLARIFICATION: Just to be clear, Mike Wooten, Palin's former brother-in-law, was never fired from the Alaska State Police. The investigation is specifically looking into whether Palin improperly pressured -- and later fired -- Walt Monegan, then the state's Public Safety Commissioner.
3:08 PM ET
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09-12-2008
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An attendee at a Barack Obama town hall meeting in Dover, NH today put voice to the question that has many of the candidate's supporters worried this week: when will Obama get tough with John McCain? 39-year-old Glenn Grasso asked:
I've been following your campaign from the beginning, this is the second time I've seen you speak. You assured voters in New Hampshire as well as the rest of the country that you would not tolerate Republican attack ads and the smear campaign that's come to really dominate politics. So for those of us that have given you our support -- and, more importantly, our money -- when and how are you going to start fighting back against attack ads and the smear campaigns?
Obama responded with an accusation you don't often hear politicians make, calling the recent McCain ads "lies." And he promised Grasso that his campaign was planning to respond forcefully.
I know there are a lot of Democrats, and some Independents, and some Republicans, who really want change, who start getting nervous because they've seen this movie before. Every four years -- right? -- you have ads that are just fabricated. They're just made-up. And...(off-mic Audience Member: Lies!)...lies, that's the word I was looking for. And so people start worrying. Here's what I can guarantee you, that we are going to be hitting back hard. We have been hitting back hard, but we're hitting back on the issues that matter to families.
Well...sort of. This morning's Rubik's cube ad isn't particularly issues-based (unless the Obama camp thinks a candidate's email literacy is a crucial issue for American families). But NPR's David Greene , who is traveling with the Obama campaign, says the candidate did indeed hit McCain hard at today's event. Keeping with today's campaign message, Obama called his opponent "out of touch" with struggling families and linked him, as usual, to President Bush.
-- Evie Stone
2:41 PM ET
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09-12-2008
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John McCain visited the ladies of The View this morning. The show targets McCain's new favorite demographic: women. And this was not a Michelle Obama-style interview about pantyhose -- the hosts delved right into Gov. Palin's qualifications and records, the McCain campaign's recent attack ads, and abortion policy.
Barbara Walters opened the interview with questions about Sarah Palin's qualifications for the Vice-Presidency, asking exactly how she would reform Washington. McCain said as Governor of Alaska Palin "took government out of the hands of the special interests and the oil companies and the old-boy network and gave it back to the people of Alaska." He compared Palin's record of taking on special-interests to his own, adding "I have not been elected Miss Congeniality every year."
Vocal Democrat Joy Behar did not mince words at that point, telling the candidate (whom at one point she called "John"), "I don't see the old John McCain who really used to buck the system as much. Because, I understand why, you want to get elected." McCain took that jab well, laughing as the audience applauded. But he challenged Behar right back: "I've been through this litany before. What specifically have I quote-unquote changed?"
Continue reading "Grill-Marks for McCain after View Appearance" »
12:14 PM ET
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09-12-2008
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Good morning!
Well, the 9/11 crossfire hiatus was nice while it lasted. This morning, both campaigns are up with new ads. (Though actually the new McCain ad was unannounced to the media and seems like it may have gone up during yesterday's supposed moratorium ).
The nonpartisan Factcheck.org, perhaps still smarting from the McCain camp's misleading use of its own findings , was quick off the blocks to criticize McCain's latest effort . The new ad, called "Disrespectful ," is another effort to portray VP nominee Sarah Palin as a victim of a cruel and desperate Obama.
The new McCain-Palin ad "Disrespectful" begins like an earlier ad we criticized, with its reference to Barack Obama's celebrity, but then goes down new paths of deception. It takes quotes from news organizations and uses them out of context in an effort to portray Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden, as unfairly attacking Sarah Palin and making sexist remarks. We've long been a critic of candidates (Obama included) usurping the credibility of independent news organizations and peddling false quotes, and this ad is particularly egregious.
One wonders as well how much this victimhood schtick will really end up benefiting the GOP ticket. As hawkish as Palin's foreign policy language seems to be, if the campaign continues to paint every criticism of her (even legitimate ones like the Obama camp's pushback on her Bridge to Nowhere position) as "disrespectful" it's bound to start sparking questions -- sure to be dismissed as sexist -- about whether she's tough enough for the international policy stage. (There is plenty of appalling and disrespectful material about Palin swirling around the blogosphere and the commentariat -- but it doesn't come from the Obama campaign, and it's not the stuff referenced in "Disrespectful.")
Continue reading "Friday Morning: Ad Warfare Returns, How Palin's Playin', and the Candidates on Service" »
11:00 AM ET
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09-12-2008
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The presidential candidates attempted a truce yesterday, to honor the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain visited Ground Zero together. They later shared a stage -- briefly -- at a forum on national service at Columbia University.
Public service seems like a topic that would keep everything civil. Then again, its been hotly debated on the campaign trail. At the Republican convention, McCain's running mate Sarah Palin questioned the value of Obama's time as a community organizer. McCain was asked about that last night:
McCain: Governor Palin was responding to criticism about her inexperience and her job as a small town mayor. Of course I respect community organizers, people who serve their community. And Senator Obama's record there is outstanding.
Obama, for his part praised Palin, who was mayor of Wasilla Alaska. Obama said mayors have some of the toughest jobs in the country. The candidates took questions separately, making one brief appearance on stage together.
-- David Greene
8:27 AM ET
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09-12-2008
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September 10, 2008
Primary-season internet phenom Ron Paul received a standing ovation at the National Press Club this morning. Paul is no longer running for president, but he was there to moderate an event supporting candidates from outside the two mainstream parties.
But as NPR's Ari Shapiro reports on today's ATC , there was a notable absence at the podium: Libertarian Party nominee (and former GOP Congressman from Georgia) Bob Barr.
Barr was scheduled to appear alongside Paul, Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney, Constitution Party nominee Chuck Baldwin, and self-nominated independent Ralph Nader at the Press Club. But he didn't show up at the announced event. He did, however, appear afterward to host a solo meet and greet with reporters, chucking third-party unity overboard in favor of self-promotion:
I'm not interested in third parties getting the most possible votes. I'm interested in Bob Barr as the nominee for the Libertarian Party getting the most possible votes and a sufficient number of votes in order to dramatically, positively, and substantively influence public policy in this country in the years ahead.
Barr told reporters that he had invited Ron Paul to be his running-mate on the Libertarian ticket (Paul was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988). But he doesn't face serious opposition in his race to keep his Texas Congressional seat and is likely reject the VP offer. Paul remains a Republican, but he told the audience today that he declined a McCain campaign request for an endorsement because "essentially he supports none of my positions."
-- Evie Stone
5:04 PM ET
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09-10-2008
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The McCain campaign released a new ad this morning called "Fact Check". It's based, in part, on a WSJ piece that said an army of opposition-researching Democrats has descended on Alaska to dig up dirt on Sarah Palin. As we wrote yesterday , the DNC's research chief has unequivocally denied the air-drop to Marc Ambinder. Today, Democratic Party officials in Alaska offered similar denials to TPMmuckraker . The ad also seems to conflate the Obama campaign's criticisms of Palin with the false internet rumors about her that factcheck.org recently investigated.
(Incidentally, if those wolves seem hauntingly familiar, it may be because a similar pack menaced us courtesy of Bush/Cheney back in 2004 -- though back in those days they were allegorical terrorists.)
Continue reading "My, What Big Ads You Have" »
2:42 PM ET
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09-10-2008
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Yesterday the McCain campaign launched the Palin Truth Squad to combat false rumors about Palin's personal life and policy decisions that have been circulating on the internet. Today the Obama folks respond with Alaska Mythbusters, a group of AK Democrats tasked with refuting overstretched Republican claims about Palin's record, most prominently her exaggerations about opposing earmarks for the Bridge to Nowhere project.
The Truth Squad and the Mythbusters have nominally the same goal: to tell the truth about Sarah Palin. It all sounds so upstanding! But clearly they have competing agendas: the GOP forces aim to quash falsehoods that make Palin look bad; the Dem forces aim to quash falsehoods that make her look good. (And there are plenty of both to go around.)
The Washington Post 's Jonathan Weisman took a timely look this morning at how quickly those squishy rumors calcify into generally-accepted "facts." But unfortunately for the hardworking Truth Squad and Mythbusters interns, the article quotes Republican strategist John Feehery saying not only are the actual facts not terribly important, but Palin actually benefits from relentless press fact-checking of her record -- even if the stories are critical -- because it looks like antagonism from (as we heard so many times at last week's Republican Convention) the reviled "eastern media elite ":
"The more the New York Times and The Washington Post go after Sarah Palin, the better off she is, because there's a bigger truth out there and the bigger truths are she's new, she's popular in Alaska and she is an insurgent," Feehery said. "As long as those are out there, these little facts don't really matter."
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis seems to agree. He recently told WP editors , "This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."
In other words, maybe the very effort to combat smears is more important to Palin's candidate persona than the actual rumor-debunking.
-- Evie Stone
12:28 PM ET
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09-10-2008
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Happy Wednesday morning, Vox Politicians.
The McCain campaign's lady bounce is still a hot topic among the chattering classes today, with a new NBC/WSJ poll appearing to confirm yesterday's ABC/WP findings that McCain has gained female support -- and general enthusiasm for his candidacy -- since selecting Sarah Palin as his running-mate. The NBC/WSJ numbers also had some good news for Obama, showing increased voter confidence in his ability to be commander-in-chief, and growth among voters' ability to identify with him.
The WP's Anne Kornblut provides this explanation for the uptick in female support for the GOP ticket:
Several senior officials in both parties said they think Palin's attraction is the result, in part, of a generally negative mood among some female voters this year, first, as Clinton faced a "boys' club" mentality in the Democratic primaries and then as Palin faced intense questioning, much of it highly personal, after McCain named her as his running mate.
Continue reading "Wednesday Morning: Women Under the Microscope; Lipstick Wars; and a Protest Vote Call To Action" »
11:00 AM ET
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09-10-2008
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In a speech about education this morning in Norfolk, Virginia, Obama also took a moment to address the cross-fire over the now widely-circulating "lipstick on a pig" comment. Obama reiterated that the pig in question was not a reference to Republican VP nominee, Sarah Palin, but a common expression. Obama said he doesn't want to spend two of the last 55 days talking about these kinds of issues:
Enough. I don't care what they say about me, but I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and Swiftboat politics. Enough is enough. These are serious times, and they call for a serious debate about where we need to take the nation.
-- Thomas Pierce
10:46 AM ET
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09-10-2008
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Senate Updates :MN SEN (GOP): Comedian and activist Al Franken defeated six opponents to win the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota. Franken faces incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman in November. Franken was designated as his party's candidate months ago, but the primary made it official.
NH SEN (GOP): Sen.John Sununu (R) and ex-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) breezed to victory in their primaries and continue their intensive rematch of 2002, which Sununu won by just four percentage points.
House Updates :NH-01 (DEM): Ex-Rep. Jeb Bradley (R) narrowly won his party's nomination and set the stage for a rematch in November with Carol Shea-Porter (D), who ousted him in an upset two years ago.
NH-02 (DEM): Columnist and talk-show host Jennifer Horn (R) who won her party's nomination will face freshman Democratic incumbent Paul Hodes (D).
NY-10 (DEM): Ex-MTV "Real World" celeb Kevin Powell was handed an old school Brooklyn smack down by longtime Rep. Ed Towns. Towns was in a bit of a political pickle last year when he endorsed Clinton over Obama, but he still managed to beat Powell by a 2-1 margin.
NY-13 (GOP): Robert Straniere (R) will face Michael McMahon (D) for the seat being vacated by Republican incumbent Vito Fossella, whose political career came to a screeching end when, following his arrest for drunk driving in Virginia, it was revealed he had fathered a child with another woman. This was most probably a surprise to his own wife and children back on Staten Island, and it was enough to end any thoughts of running for re-election. Fossella is the only Republican member of Congress from New York City.
NY-26 (GOP): In what was a major upset -- and a stinging defeat for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee -- Alice Kryzan, an attorney, won a hotly contested three-way Democratic battle for her party's nomination for the seat being vacated by Rep. Tom Reynolds (R). The Dem establishment had put its money on Jon Powers, an Iraqi war veteran. Kryzan faces businessman Chris Lee (R) in November.
Marion Barry Watch :
-- Michael Olson
12:35 AM ET
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09-10-2008
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September 4, 2008
With red, white, and blue confetti still afloat, and balloons still bouncing around among the celebrating delegates, Rep. John Boehner has gaveled the 2008 Republican National Convention to a close.
-- Evie Stone
11:22 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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After a balloonless Democratic finale at open-air Invesco Mile-High stadium, the traditional convention finale has made its triumphant return here at the Xcel Center.
There's also patriotic confetti, and at one point gold streamers appeared to be shot out of cannons.
No actual fireworks at this indoor speech, though virtual ones are going off on the giant LCD screen behind the stage.
One element of the balloon-drop soundtrack: Heart's 1977 anthem "Barracuda" -- an homage to VP Candidate Palin, who was known as "Sarah Barracuda" during her high school basketball days.
-- Evie Stone
11:11 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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The speech hasn't been an especially raucous one, but the crowd went nuts with McCain's final refrain: "fight with me."
-- Evie Stone
11:04 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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McCain seldom revisits the details of his time in the Hanoi Hilton, though it's perhaps the most well-known and oft-referenced element of his biography.
The ordeal has figured heavily into almost every major speech at this convention, including his own. McCain told the RNC audience that the experience changed the way he thinks about America:
I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.
-- Evie Stone
10:56 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Twice so far during John McCain's speech, anti-war Code Pink activists have launched protests in the aisles. As security guards dragged them off, the RNC crowd erupted into chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"
McCain, chuckling, told the audience not to be "diverted by the crowd noise and the static."
-- Evie Stone
10:23 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Cindy McCain walked onstage accompanied by the whole McCain crew (minus the nominee), and introduced the younger McCain generation to the convention crowd -- including adopted daughter Bridget, who rarely makes public appearances. (Mrs. McCain brought the infant Bridget, who needed cleft palate surgery, to the US from Mother Teresa's orphanage. The child was famously caught in the political crossfire during the 2000 South Carolina primary when pro-Bush operatives circulated rumors that John McCain had fathered an illegitimate black child. While her older sister Meghan is a blogger and prominent force on the campaign trail, Bridget -- who is still in high school -- mostly stays out of the spotlight.)
She spoke without a podium from a stage adorned only with teleprompters, using a wireless mic (and looking phenom as always in a turquoise suit). Her performance wasn't rousing, but it was comfortable and classy, focusing mainly on her husband's character and her admirable record of helping those in need. She stressed that service to others comes from personal efforts, not government assistance:
But I have also seen the resilience of the American people. I've heard stirring stories of neighbor helping neighbor, of cities on one end of the country offering help to fellow citizens on the other.
Continue reading "Cindy McCain on Character, Hockey Mommin'" »
9:46 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Minnesota Public Radio reports that police have set off concussion grenades and smoke bombs to disperse a group marching in St. Paul. More than 100 arrests are expected, bringing the overall RNC arrest tally to roughly 800.
-- Michael Olson
9:34 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Fox News' Bill O'Reilly interviewed Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama about Iraq on Thursday night on The O'Reilly Factor -- an interview request Obama agreed to after holding out for many months.
The Democrat acknowledged that the elevation of U.S. troop levels in Iraq commonly called the surge had "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams."
The conservative talk show host started by pressing the Senator on whether he'd be willing to strike Iran militarily to prevent it from getting nuclear arms, to which Obama replied he would not rule out military options but wanted to pursue other means of pressuring Iran.
O'Reilly did not look impressed. "We'll assume that you're going to ratchet everything you can rachet," O'Reilly said. "But I'm going to assume that Iran's going to say, 'Blank you,' and I want a President, whether you or McCain that says, 'You ain't doin' that.'"
O'Reilly then turned to Iraq.
Continue reading "Democrat in the Lion's Den" »
9:30 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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On the high plains of southeastern Colorado, some 700 people live in a small town called Walsh. It's a place with little industry and no stop lights. After getting an email tip, we traveled there yesterday to continue our search for leaders. And we found them. The story of Walsh aired this morning .
We weren't able to stay in Walsh long unfortunately. The road called. And so into a thunderstorm, we rode:
We did stop briefly for dinner in Trinidad, Colorado.
David Gilkey/NPR
-- Thomas Pierce
8:20 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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The Republican National Convention has nominated Sarah Palin for Vice President by acclamation.
Before Palin's fiery speech last night, the online oddsmakers at InTrade had the chances of her dropping off the ticket in double-digits. Today she's the pitbull-in-lipstick heroine of the GOP.
-- Evie Stone
7:41 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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The fourth night of the RNC comes with a minor set change: the rectangular black stage has been rearranged into a sort of runway. The early speakers are positioned at a podium on the wide part of the stage, but McCain will deliver his acceptance speech from the end of the long outcropping, creating a "theater in the round" experience for the audience.
In delegate fashion news, tonight the Texans have paired their jaunty straw cowboy hats with Texas-flag button-down shirts. Colorado is wearing red western-style shirts. And a sprinkling of Alaskans are decked out in the delegation's signature oil-platform getup: hardhats with "drill here" printed on them and flourescent vests emblazoned with the photo of a caribou grazing peacefully in an oil field.
-- Evie Stone
7:32 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Downtown, official D.C. is practically empty this week. But in the blocks east of the White House, evening traffic is a mess.
Pennsylvania Avenue, a main thoroughfare, has been shut down every night for repaving, leaving downtown full of detours.
Why the big project now? Maybe because it's the last bit of calm before January's inaugural parade, which of course goes straight down Pennsylvania Ave. Nobody wants any presidents (outgoing or incoming) getting jarred by a pothole.
-- Peter Overby
7:04 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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At a press availability in York, PA, today, Barack Obama responded to the harsh rhetoric cast his way at the Republican Convention this week. The Democratic presidential nominee told reporters that "the American people deserve better than to get the same old vitriol and slash and burn politics that we have been seeing over the last couple of days."
When pressed on the tough words from the RNC podium, Obama offered this dismissal of GOP tactics:
This is what they do. They do not have an agenda to run on. They have not offered a single concrete idea so far in two nights about how they would make the lives of middle-class Americans better. They spent the entire two nights attacking me or extolling John McCain's biography, which is fine. They can use their convention time anyway they want, but you cannot expect that I would be surprised about attacks from Republicans. And by the way, I have been called worse on the basketball court. It's not that big of a deal.
Obama added that he thinks the race will ultimately be about him and McCain "and who is in a better position to lead the country."
But despite those dismissals, the Obama campaign is making the most of their week in the RNC cross-hairs. Obama campaign manager David Plouffe sent out a fundraising appeal this morning to raise money for response advertising to "show the McCain campaign that there is a cost to this kind of negative politics." And supporters have responded enthusiastically; the campaign has reportedly raised more than $8 million since last night, and is on track to generate $10 million before McCain speaks tonight.
Because John McCain took public financing, his campaign fundraising season ended on August 31st...but as of a few hours ago the Republican National Committee told Politico they had raised $1 million on the strength of Palin's performance.
-- Evie Stone
6:07 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Here is a dangerous and wrong-headed headline I have seen around the Web in the few hours since Gov. Palin shot and scored on the St. Paul ice: "Palin reignites the culture war."
The idea of a culture war is 90 percent myth. The 10 percent that is true applies only to the target of Palin's oratory -- the political elite. Americans who are extremely politically engaged are polarized and may feel they are in a culture war. People who attend political conventions are such people. And since the Republican convention of 1992 when Pat Buchanan first declared the culture war, the press has loved the story and routinely assumes it there is a culture war.
But the vast majority of voters are not polarized, do not have partisan views and do not take extreme positions. Elections have been close not because the country is at war with itself, but because voters dislike and distrust both parties so intensely. With no good choices, voters sort into two roughly equal camps. I get into this at greater length here if you're interested.
Continue reading "Meyer: What Culture War?" »
5:47 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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It was inevitable. Select a woman as your running-mate and you are inviting an F-word firestorm: Fashion. Yes indeed, blogs and "serious" news sites are alike already picking apart Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's hemlines and collars -- offering strategic suggestions for how to best spin her eyeglass frames.
Where should Palin turn for style cues? Well, if current VP Dick Cheney learned one style lesson while in office, it was not to wear a fur-lined parka and hiking boots to Holocaust remembrance ceremonies . Washington Post fashion writer Robin Givhan has his "snow-blower" style outfit to thank for her Pulitzer . Ms. Palin, we know you like fur -- and activities that require sturdy boots -- but be careful where you wear them.
Palin also might want to reflect on the fashion lessons learned by the United States' First Ladies. Sure, their role is wholly different than VP's, but they know the ins and out of sartorial scrutiny better than perhaps anyone.
With that in mind, we invite you to peruse this narrated gallery of First Lady fashion through the ages. See why it's not a good idea to recycle a gown or get too experimental with bangs when your husband is the president. See what Cindy McCain looked like long before she was doing the glam-leather thing (it's startling). Enjoy...and do not try these outfits at home.
-- Heather Murphy
5:00 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Day three of the GOP convention was watched by more than 37.2M people, according to Nielsen .
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's speech was an especially big draw for women (19.5M). That is 5.2M more women than watched the second day of the Democratic convention, the day of Hillary Clinton's speech. 6.9M more women watched Republican convention coverage last night than the Democratic proceedings last Wednesday -- the night Joe Biden accepted the Democrats' VP nomination.
Obama and Palin continue to be the interest-generating pols of the election. The Palin speech was just over 1M shy of the record-breaking viewership of Obama's acceptance speech.
-- Michael Olson
Continue reading "Huge Viewership For Palin" »
4:04 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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David Gilkey/NPR
1:38 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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From Obama spokesman Bill Burton:
The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years. If Governor Palin and John McCain want to define 'change' as voting with George Bush 90% of the time, that's their choice, but we don't think the American people are ready to take a 10% chance on change.
-- Evie Stone
1:36 AM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin took the podium to a huge standing ovation from the Xcel Center crowd -- it must have lasted at least two minutes. And after all the recent talk about Palin's so-called unpreparedness for the customary attack-dog role of the VP nominee, she came out tonight with guns blazing. Her speech covered all the bases -- some of her own life story, John McCain's bio, national security, the economy, and a string of well-delivered one-liners mocking and sometimes savaging the Democratic ticket and the media.
Palin opened with some discussion of her family -- a touchy subject this week as many bloggers and pundits have wondered aloud about her mothering responsibilities. She did not directly discuss her pregnant teenage daughter Bristol, but she did tackle another subject that's generated online interest: her baby son, Trig, who has Down Syndrome. Questions have arisen in some circles about whether Palin can sufficiently parent Trig if she is elected. (As Rudy Giuliani pointed out in his remarks tonight -- and we here at VoxPol offer a hearty 'hear, hear' on this one -- that would never be asked about a male candidate.) Palin took the subject head on -- promising that if she's in the White House she'll make a point of working on behalf of special needs kids like Trig.
Continue reading "Palin Takes No Prisoners in Debut Speech" »
12:29 AM ET
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09- 4-2008
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September 3, 2008
St. Paul, MN: Police tear gas protesters in the streets outside the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center September 2, 2008.
Max Whittaker/Getty Images
We previously noted that protesters and journalists have been arrested during the RNC and that many protesters were facing felony charges.
Today St. Paul-based Minnesota Public Radio reports that police have slapped another 8 anarchists with terrorism-related felony charges. Their attorney calls the charges "an abuse of the criminal justice system."
Tear gas has been a key ingredient outside of the RNC. MPR is on top of what is happening in the streets and what the top brass have to say about it. Check out these 360 photos of a protest as it meandered through the streets of St Paul. That protest is one of many which have resulted in the arrest of hundreds of protesters. Ramsey County Court is working overtime to process the defendants.
And what ever happened to the designated free speech zone? Here's a profile of one person that isn't afraid to speak out in the designated protest space; a "deserted, half-block long closed city street."
-- Michael Olson
11:59 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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It was a near-unanimous showing for John McCain in the floor vote, with a sprinkling of stray delegates casting their lots for Mitt Romney (2 votes) and Ron Paul (5 votes). The states in the back half of the alphabet passed on their votes in the first round so McCain's home state of Arizona could put him over the top.
After the roll call, convention chair Rep. John Boehner called for a unanimous nomination by acclamation. With most delegates having trickled off the floor, the motion passed without objection.
-- Evie Stone
11:24 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was originally billed as the keynote speaker of the Republican Convention. After the Gustav-induced scheduling shakeup, his "keynote" designation seemed to disappear, but he still got a prime speaking slot as the lead-in speaker to VP candidate Sarah Palin.
Giuliani gave the crowd plenty of what they wanted to hear, casting the choice in this election in terms of a job search, asking the audience, "who would you hire?" His description of John McCain opened with this:
On the one hand, you've got a man who's dedicated his life to the service of the United States. He's been tested time and again by crisis. He has passed every test.
And Giuliani characterized Obama like this:
On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer...Maybe this is the first problem on the resume. He worked as a community organizer. He immersed himself in Chicago machine politics.
He voted -- he voted "present."
Giuliani said the words "community organizer" with unmasked contempt, and the crowd ate it up, booing loudly. Which is...weird, right? Since when is "community organizer" such a contemptible thing to be?
Continue reading "Giuliani Revs Up the Crowd for Palin" »
11:20 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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As was leaked earlier today, John McCain made a surprise appearance onstage at the RNC tonight -- much as his Democratic opponent Barack Obama did last week at the DNC after VP nominee Joe Biden's speech.
McCain asked the crowd, to loud cheers, "Don't you think we made the right choice for the next Vice-President of the United States?"
-- Evie Stone
11:10 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Former Presidential candidate and Cinderella Iowa Caucus winner Mike Huckabee opened his remarks to the RNC with a scathing critique of the "elite media"'s coverage of Sarah Palin over the past several days. He called it "tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert."
Media digs out of the way, Huckabee went on to acknowledge the groundbreaking nature of Barack Obama's nomination, but added that symbolism is not a reason to elect a President.
I say with sincerity that I have great respect for Senator Obama's historic achievement to become his party's nominee -- not because of his color, but with indifference to it. Party or politics aside, we celebrate this milestone because it elevates our country.
But the Presidency is not a symbolic job, and I don't believe his preparation or his plans will lift America up.
Continue reading "HuckaSpeech" »
9:39 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Mitt Romney, the conservative darling during the primary season, received a warm welcome from the RNC crowd tonight. His prepared remarks (quoted below) were packed with exclamation points, but not with subtlety. The word "liberal" appeared 14 times in the course of a less than 500 word speech, as Romney demanded regime change in Washington:
We need change all right - change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington -- throw out the big government liberals and elect John McCain!
Continue reading "Romney: Throw Out the Liberals!" »
9:06 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Perhaps it is because he is unimpressed with McCain's pick of a socially conservative VP, but NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg tells WNYC he's picking Whoopi Goldberg over Gov. Sarah Palin tonight. He's dumping the speech for the Broadway production Xanadu .
-- Michael Olson
8:59 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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The Texans have toned it down tonight -- they're still wearing their signature straw cowboy hats, but today they're paired with staid black blazers. (Last night we didn't post on them, so for those readers who have been on the edges of your seats, the Tuesday dress code was a red polo shirt.)
But don't worry -- the Michigan delegation came through on the sartorial front with some rockin' customized hockey jerseys in GOP/Red Wings red and white. Is it an homage to self-described "hockey mom" Sarah Palin? They've got a map of their home state (not just the mitten -- word up, Yoopers!) on the front and their names and the number 08 on the back.
And happening all week but not yet blogged in this space: the Pennsylvania group waves Terrible Towels printed with "We're Not Bitter " when they cheer. Apparently the Eagles fans among them have risen above their petty NFL divisions to unite behind Steelers-style paraphernalia in support of John McCain. Country first!
-- Evie Stone
7:36 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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This burrito almost killed David Gilkey. And there was nowhere to seek medical attention. Tastiness: 1 .
David Gilkey/NPR
6:55 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Scott Horsley/NPR
NPR's
Scott Horsley sent us the following photo of the Palin-McCain meet and greet at MSP to help you follow along with who's who during Gov. Palin's big speech tonight.
View larger image.
From left to right;
Track Palin, 19, in the Army, headed for Iraq on Sept ll.
Piper Palin, 7
Willow Palin, 14, holding Trig Palin, 4-1/2 mos
Levi Johnston, Bristol's fiance and proud papa of a player to be named later
Bristol Palin, 17
Todd Palin, "First Dude" of Alaska
Gov. Sarah Palin
Doug McCain and Andy McCain, These are Carol McCain's sons from her first marriage, whom John adopted. Doug is an ex Navy pilot who now flies for American Airlines. Andy is CFO for Hensley&Co, Cindy's beer distributor in Phoenix.
Jimmy McCain, 20, younger son of John and Cindy, a PFC in the Marines.
Sidney McCain, daughter of John and Carol, works in the music industry in Toronto
Jack McCain, 22, older son of John and Cindy, fourth year at Naval Academy
Megan McCain, 23, daughter of John and Cindy, blogette
Bridget McCain, 17, adopted daughter of John and Cindy, high school student.
-- Michael Olson
4:41 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Posted to YouTube: Republican commentators Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy talking into hot mics after an interview with MSNBC's Chuck Todd. They're a little off-message on the Palin VP pick...
I think they went for this -- excuse me -- political bulls**t about narratives...every time Republicans do that, because that's not where they live, and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.
Murphy:
You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.
Awk!
h/t Ben Smith
-- Evie Stone
UPDATE : In her weekly WSJ column , Noonan apologizes and explains what she was getting at.
4:37 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Hot on the heels of the news that Governor Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, the Washington Post has tracked down a document from earlier this year that shows Palin used her veto power to cut funding to a program that assists teen mothers. The Covenant House Alaska, which among other services offers transitional housing for teen moms, had its funding reduced from $5 million to $3.9 million. The Post also cites a 2006 candidate questionnaire on which Palin stated "sex-ed programming will not find my support".
-- Sean Bowditch
UPDATE: After Brian, one of our astute readers, questioned the veracity of this article, we did some additional digging. It turns out the Washington Post got this one wrong. We called the Covenant House Alaska and, according to Executive Director Deirdre Cronin, the program's operating budget was not in fact reduced. She writes in a press release: "Our $3.9 million appropriation is directed toward a multi-year capital project and it is our understanding that the state simply opted to phase in its support for this project over several years, rather than all at once in the current budget year." Thanks, Brian. We stand corrected.
2:13 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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The McCain camp has released contrast spot called "Alaska Maverick." The ad compares Sarah Palin to Barack Obama, concluding that she's got a better record on change than the Democratic nominee.
While it's true that Palin has a reputation for bi-partisanship and reform, the ad is chock-a-block with questionable whacks at Obama. It quotes the Wall Street Journal -- but actually refers to a column from the WSJ's conservative Op-Ed page. It cites the much-debated National Journal rankings that call Obama the "most liberal Senator" -- based on a limited number of 2007 votes, many of which Obama missed while on the campaign trail. And it says Obama "gave big oil billions in subsidies and giveaways." Translation: he voted for the flawed 2005 energy bill (as did a majority of Senate Dems). According to factcheck.org , the tax breaks in that bill largely served to subsidize research for alternatives, and the Congressional Research Service says at the end of the day the bill resulted in a net tax increase for oil companies.
The release says the ad will air in "key states" -- though, as we've written before , many of McCain's negative spots get most of their views via media coverage.
-- Evie Stone
2:10 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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David Gilkey/NPR
We have resumed our trip to Phoenix -- albeit with some changes to the itinerary. Because of our detour, we're no longer taking the train from Kansas to Santa Fe. Instead, we're currently booking it across Texas. We only made one stop between Fort Worth and Amarillo and that was for a visit to Bayou Bob's snake ranch near the town of Santo (expect more on that later).
I'm using this long drive to sift through the massive amount of tape we've collected and to reflect on the last few days...
Continue reading "Looking Back on the Last Four Days" »
1:16 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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The Anchorage Daily News reports that, in an unusual move , Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has formally asked a state board to look into the firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan in 2007. And she wants the inquiry to remain public, perhaps hoping a transparent process will lay to rest any lingering questions of an abuse of power. One lawyer interviewed for the story said, by doing this, Palin has essentially lodged "an ethics complaint against herself". The question at the center of the investigation is whether Palin axed Monegan after he refused to dismiss State Trooper Mike Wooten, her former brother-in-law who went through a bitter divorce with Palin's sister. Palin's lawyer also asked that the state legislature now drop its own separate investigation of the case, a request that was apparently immediately refused by the lead Senator.
Palin is likely trying to knock down the negative press surrounding the case, which has become just one of several tough storylines swirling around the Vice Presidential nominee. Palin is set to deliver a much-anticipated speech tonight at the Republican Convention.
-- Sean Bowditch
12:26 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Visitors to the Republican National Convention website Wednesday morning might have noticed that President Bush was nowhere to be seen on the "Convention Videos " page. While there are pictures of Sen. Joe Lieberman and former presidential candidate Fred Thompson linking to their speeches, President Bush's video is represented only by a photo of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, VA. President Bush chose to not attend the Republican Convention because of Hurricane Gustav. A screen grab of the Republican National Convention's video page:
gopconvention2008.com
-- Avie Schneider
UPDATE: The RNC website has now posted Bush's picture.
12:23 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman made his GOP Convention debut tonight just eight years after addressing the Democrats as their Vice-Presidential nominee in Los Angeles. The Connecticut Senator isn't world-famous for his bombastic speaking style, but he was facing a friendly audience tonight and they welcomed him warmly.
Lieberman decried Washington partisanship, saying that "being a Democrat or Republican is important, but it is nowhere near as important as being an American." And he talked up McCain's credentials as a reformer and an aisle-crosser, contradicting the Democrats' convention-week argument that McCain has gone from onetime maverick to Bush boot-licker.
If John McCain is just another partisan Republican, then I'm Michael Moore's favorite Democrat. And I'm not. And I think you know that I'm not.
Lieberman praised Democratic nominee Barack Obama as "gifted and eloquent." But he immediately added that "eloquence is no substitute for a record." Lieberman said that during his short time in the Senate, Obama hasn't written any important bipartisan legislation or stood up to powerful interest groups.
Continue reading "Lieberman: 'Country Matters More Than Party'" »
12:00 AM ET
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09- 3-2008
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September 2, 2008
It isn't the stuff of, say, Nirvana on MTV's defunct Unplugged , but MPR reports that when security pulled the plug on an impromptu Rage Against the Machine show at the Minnesota State Capitol the show went on.
-- Michael Olson
11:45 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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Former Senator and Hollywood actor (and wildly overhyped presidential candidate) Fred Thompson stirred up some enthusiasm among RNC-goers tonight. His speech may have been lengthy, but it evoked frequent applause interruptions, including a few standing ovations.
Staying with tonight's introductory theme, Thompson presented some more detailed McCain bio, complete with a few lighthearted jabs at McCain's rebellious youth -- including his many demerits at the Naval Academy and his exotic dancer girlfriend from his flight school days who went by the stage name "Marie, the Flame of Florida."
He also presented a graphic account of McCain's time as a POW in Vietnam (how often do you hear the word "dysentery" in a convention speech?) and talked up the candidate's "strength", "courage", "humility" and "wisdom." Then Thompson turned to the red meat, unleashing a series of zingers mocking Barack Obama (without ever mentioning the Democratic nominee by name), including this reference to Obama's recent speech in Germany:
The respect he is given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to American critics abroad, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship.
The "critics" line got a big cheer from this crowd, which clearly hasn't forgotten Germany's opposition to the Iraq war in 2003.
Continue reading "Thompson Touts McCain With Tales of Exotic Dancers and Dysentery" »
10:36 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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His national approval ratings may be low, but President George W. Bush is still plenty popular with GOP convention-goers, who unleashed a big cheer when he appeared on the jumbotron for a video presentation to the delegates. The arena lit up with camera flashes as delegates and guests took photos of the onscreen POTUS.
The President opened with a quick homage to the victims of Hurricane Gustav. He then presented some John McCain bio, including the story of McCain turning down early release from the Hanoi Hilton because his fellow-POWs would not be released as well. And Bush told the crowd that in his judgment, McCain is ready to be President:
I know the hard choices that fall solely to a President. John McCain's life has prepared him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this nation.
Continue reading "Bush Appears By Video To Praise McCain" »
9:45 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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The Huffington Post is throwing another log on the not-so-vetted bonfire. A video has surfaced featuring a speech by Gov. Sarah Palin at Wasilla Assembly of God . The video doesn't portray the fire-and-brimstone "God damn America" moments of Rev. Wright that seem tailor-made for attack ads, but quotes like the one below certainly aren't likely to be used to court folks who are on the fence:
"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."
If you attempt to view the church's online audio and video archive of previous church services you are greeted with the error message: "The server has been placed offline by the operator. Please try again later."
-- Michael Olson
9:10 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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Just after Minneapolis fire captain Shanna Hanson was introduced as the next speaker, the RNC crowd turned its attention to the sight, projected on the overhead scoreboard, of former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara making their way to their seats.
Ms. Hanson waited patiently at the podium as the crowd treated the 41st President to a lengthy standing ovation, and then broke into chants of "Forty-one! Forty-one!"
-- Evie Stone
9:06 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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Just up on the RNC big screen: a mini-documentary about McCain idol Theodore Roosevelt, our country's 26th President.
The video touted Roosevelt's commitment to the environment and his disdain of "special interests." Not mentioned: that Roosevelt left the Republican Party during the disputed 1912 convention to run for President as a Progressive (or "Bull Moose").
The tag line, a version of McCain's own slogan..."Teddy Roosevelt put country first."
-- Evie Stone
8:48 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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Unlike the DNC, where delegates noisily chatted amongst themselves during all but the biggest headline speeches, the RNC folk mostly sit and listen politely to the folks at the podium, gamely rewarding the applause lines. There's dancing to the interstitial music between speakers, but overall it's a far less rowdy audience than we saw in Denver.
-- Evie Stone
8:26 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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The AP is reporting that Levi Johnston, the boyfriend of Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter Bristol, will join the Palin family when his future mother-in-law receives the Vice-Presidential nomination at the Republican Convention.
Levi's mother Sherry Johnston told the AP that the two teenagers had planned to marry before Bristol got pregnant, and said the pregnancy was "a bonus." Mrs. Johnston also added this understatement of the year:
Sherry Johnston said she was worried about her son dealing with all the attention. She said it was difficult enough for teenagers to deal with any pregnancy, having the entire nation watching made it worse.
The media klieg lights in St. Paul may not help that situation...
-- Evie Stone
7:29 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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In addition to the dozens of NPR folks at the RNC there are an impressive number of member stations covering their state delegations. We're keeping deeper focus over on the NPR-NewsHour Election Map , but here is a snapshot of some public media gems;
It appears that protests are more intense in the Twin Cities than in Denver. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was arrested yesterday and MPR is reporting that "Police arrested more than 280 people in conjunction with the skirmishes; 130 were booked on felony charges , including one assault on a peace officer." WBEZ's Ben Calhoun caught up with anti-war protesters.
WKSU 's M.L. Schultze and the Ohio delegation share breakfast with Karl Rove. He paints a rosy picture of McCain, calls Ohio "ground zero" and denies voicing opposition to McCain wanting to pick Lieberman. And Michigan Radio reports First Lady Laura Bush enjoyed breakfast with the Michigan delegation.
MPR reports on Ron Paul's "Rally for the Republic" that is set to last NINE hours. Ex-MN Gov. Jesse Ventura is among the speakers.
Our NewsHour friends break down Day Two of the RNC with a vigor that makes it feel like the first day.
MPR and the Humphrey Institute reach for thinking hats and host a panel discussion moderated by the always-classy E. J. Dionne on how conservatism can re-invent itself. Panelists include former Bush speechwriter David Frum and ex-Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-OK).
All that thinking-hat-business calls for a creative release. WNYC has you covered with Land of 10,000 Bands a profile of the Twin Cities music scene. It seems unfathomable that the final gavel can drop in the Twin Cities before someone offers up a proper Husker Du tribute. -- Michael Olson
4:07 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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McCain and the RNC have a new contrast spot of their own, revisiting their now-familiar themes that Obama is famous and will tax you to a fare-thee-well.
This ad ups the ante with ominous photos of Democratic Senators (and, if you believe the voice-over, fiendish tax-raisers) Chris Dodd, Pat Leahy, Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, and...Byron Dorgan?
As Jonathan Martin points out , the GOP's usual liberal symbols Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton are off the table this year (Kennedy because he's a sympathetic figure due to his battle with cancer; HRC because the McCain camp hopes to pick off her supporters). NPR's Ken Rudin adds that some other prominent female Dems (California's Barbara Boxer, for example) are also absent from the ad, maybe because of the McCain campaign's efforts to appeal to women.
But, we must say, these comparisons don't pack nearly the same punch as the McCain-Bush link the Dems are using . Does America even know who Byron Dorgan is, much less fear his tax policies? (D-ND, for those of you who are wondering. No, not that one. You're thinking of Kent Conrad.)
-- Evie Stone
4:00 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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With Gustav petering out over the ArkLaTex, our brief hiatus from political crossfire is officially over.
The Obama campaign jumped back into the fray today with this ad called "Same," hammering home their convention talking point that John McCain and George W. Bush are -- you guessed it! -- the same.
This time we get the Dems' favorite statistic (that McCain has voted with Bush more than 90% of the time) straight from McCain, in the form of a TV interview clip in which he's bragging about his GOP bona fides. It's an effective use of tape -- that stat packs more punch coming from the horse's mouth than it did last week from a raft of Democratic surrogates.
-- Evie Stone
1:49 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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David Gilkey/NPR
12:31 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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We'd be lying if we said this was our first corndog of the trip, but we'd also be lying if we said it was the best. As it turns out, when wrapped in wax paper for too long, corndogs tend to lose their crispiness. Tastiness: 4 .
David Gilkey/NPR
11:42 AM ET
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09- 2-2008
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The Republican Convention will resume today, GOP officials announced this morning. But the schedule has been tweaked. Headlining the day's events will be Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, both of whom have prime-time speaking slots. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was originally tapped to speak tonight, will be moved to another night. The AP reports that President Bush will address the convention remotely from Washington DC. He was supposed to speak last night, but that plan was scrapped in light of Hurricane Gustav. Convention officials say that, while the overall theme will remain focused on those impacted by Gustav, today's goal is to reintroduce John McCain to voters.
-- Sean Bowditch
9:53 AM ET
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09- 2-2008
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September 1, 2008
Barack Obama has a growing fan base across the African continent, the AP reports . In Ghana, radio stations have been airing an increasing number of locally-produced hits that heap praise on Obama. University students in Uganda have launched what amounts to a 5,000-member Obama fan club. And the Nigerian group, "Blacks Unite for Obama 08", is trying to drum up support by encouraging people to send 75-cent text messages and possibly win a trip to the US. Other efforts are afoot in Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya.
Another group in Nigeria took it a step farther. Reuters reports that "Africans for Obama" recently threw a high-profile fundraiser, charging attendees $2,000 each to snack on gourmet snails, sip fancy champagne, and talk about all things Obama. US law prohibits political campaigns from accepting donations from foreign donors, so it's unclear how the money will be used. The Nigerian government seemed to be wondering the same thing. The anti-graft police promptly seized over $600,000 from the event organizers. No word on what local laws were broken.
-- Sean Bowditch
7:31 PM ET
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09- 1-2008
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First Lady Laura Bush and Potential First Lady Cindy McCain appeared together at the abbreviated RNC opener this afternoon to plug the fundraising effort for victims of Hurricane Gustav.
Due to fears about impropriety amid a natural disaster, this afternoon's proceedings eschewed fanfare and partisan grandstanding in favor of staid calls to help our neighbors. (Well, there was some lower taxes/shrink the government/drill more material during the platform approval, but I didn't hear Barack Obama's name mentioned once.)
The McCain folks have created their own site, causegreater.com , to direct contributors to disaster-relief websites recommended by the five gulf-state governors. Four of the govs -- Rick Perry of Texas, Bob Riley of Alabama, Charlie Crist of Florida, and Haley Barbour of Mississippi -- appeared in a video talking about the success of the Gustav efforts so far. The presentation marked a distinct difference from the Katrina aftermath in 2005, when the local, state, and federal governments bickered over responsibility for the humanitarian crisis and all three received a public-opinion drubbing.
Barack Obama is also calling on his supporters to donate money to Gustav victims. This afternoon his campaign sent an email (also posted to his blog ) encouraging $5 donations to the American Red Cross via the Obama campaign website.
-- Evie Stone
5:59 PM ET
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09- 1-2008
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Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan has gaveled the 2008 Republican National Convention -- such as it is -- to order.
The set is much less elaborate than the one at the DNC -- just a rectangular screen behind an art-deco-ish black stage. So far the giant monitor has just been playing footage of a billowing American flag.
Distracting your blogger: the matching outfits of the Texas delegation. They're all wearing denim shirts, khakis, and white cowboy hats. (Are those Republican hats or American hats ?) The Floridians also seem to be wearing matching graphic-print shirts. Stylin'!
Although now that I mention it, if you count dark suits the other delegations are pretty well coordinated too...
-- Evie Stone t
5:18 PM ET
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09- 1-2008
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Barack Obama was asked in a news conference today about Sarah Palin's teenage daughter's pregnancy. Via NPR's Don Gonyea :
Obama said the media should back off the story, and that it has no bearing on Palin's performance as Governor of Alaska or what kind of Vice President she would be. He denies anyone in his campaign is responsible for spreading rumors about Palin, and adds that anyone caught doing so would be fired.
Obama told reporters, "people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits."
-- Evie Stone
UPDATE : Here's the full Obama quote, in which he points out that he was the child of a teenage mom too.
I have heard some of the news on this and so let me be as clear as possible. I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics, it has no relevance to governor Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18. And how family deals with issues and teenage children that shouldn't be the topic of our politics and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that is off limits.
2:54 PM ET
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09- 1-2008
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As we reported yesterday , the opening day of the Republican Convention will be a bare-bones affair, lasting only about two hours this afternoon instead of the six hours originally scheduled.
Via RNC officials, after this afternoon's administrative business, Laura Bush will introduce a video featuring the (Republican) governors of Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida (no Bobby Jindal from Louisiana -- he's also an R but is spending the day handling the storm) calling for donations to the relief charities. Cindy McCain will speak to delegates after the video. We're told there will be no fanfare, musical transitions, or political videos.
Continue reading "RNC Still in Holding Pattern" »
2:14 PM ET
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09- 1-2008
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GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has announced that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol is five months pregnant and will marry the baby's father.
The statement comes in response to blog rumors alleging that Gov. Palin faked her own most recent pregnancy to cover for Bristol.
Here's the statement from Palin and her husband:
We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.
According to Reuters , John McCain knew about Bristol's pregnancy before he selected Palin as his running-mate. He decided "it did not disqualify the 44-year-old governor in any way."
-- Evie Stone
12:03 PM ET
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09- 1-2008
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Former Hillary Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson -- he of the ever-moving goalposts and sarcastic conference calls -- writes in this morning's WP that at Obama's Invesco speech last week he finally saw the magic...
During the campaign, we scoffed at events like this, mostly because we were not capable of producing them. A cross section of voters waited for hours to enter the stadium and take their seats. As one friend put it, it looked more like an American convention than the convention of any particular political party.
The setting raised the bar for Obama's speech. The task before him: Explain what change meant and how it would be accomplished while weaving his own biography into the fabric of America's and laying out an appropriate contrast with John McCain.
No one in recent history had attempted this kind of a political conversation with 75,000 people. Barack Obama pulled it off.
For 18 months, I listened to Obama on television, sometimes intently, often just barely -- background noise to a running series of conference calls and meetings and e-mails.
In person, my attention undivided, I saw something of what so many others had seen for so long.
Sounds just like his former boss predicted back in February: "The sky will open, the light will come down, celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect..."
-- Evie Stone
11:45 AM ET
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09- 1-2008
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