February 2008

Sugar And Spice In Democratic Debate
February 27, 2008
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama squared off last night in the 20th Democratic debate of the 2008 campaign, the third head to head match-up between the two candidates. The debate covered Clinton's recently ramped-up attacks on Obama's rhetoric, Clinton wishing she could take back her vote to authorize the Iraq invasion, Obama's vote for the Bush energy plan, who supports NAFTA and Louis Farrakhan the least, and Congress' intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, but ended with words of support and unity between the two candidates.

Huckabee Wants GOP Convention To Decide Nomination
February 27, 2008

Its Obama vs. Hillary Over NAFTA
February 26, 2008

Home Prices Plummet
February 26, 2008
Home prices in the U.S. fell by 8.9 percent in the last three months of 2007, the largest drop in 20 years.  Home foreclosures jumped 57 percent in January of 2008.

GOP Polling To See How Far They Can Go In Attacking Women, Minority Candidates
February 25, 2008

Desperate Clinton Staffers Revive "Obama Is A Muslim" Myth
February 25, 2008
By Rob@ 8:18 a.m. In what the Barack Obama campaign has denounced as "shameful offensive fear mongering," the Hillary Clinton staff is circulating a photograph of Obama dressed in traditional clothes from a trip to Africa in 2006.  The only reason for circulating the photo, which Clinton's operatives did not deny, would be to revive the discredited urban legend that Obama is secretly a Muslim.  Clinton has lost the last 11 primaries and caucuses to Obama, and has been watching her lead over the Illinois Senator evaporate in polls taken over the last six months.  Clinton now clings to slight leads in Texas and Ohio, which vote on March 4th.  Clinton advisors agree that she must win both states by convincing margins to remain a viable candidate.

McCain Trying To Avoid Rules Of McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Law
February 25, 2008
By Rob@ 7:55 a.m.  John McCain is trying to skirt  the spending limits placed on his campaign by the "McCain-Feingold" law that bears his name.  In 2006, McCain applied for federal matching funds, which would have provided taxpayer money to support his campaign in exchange for agreeing to spending limits.  McCain's campaign finances were in desperate shape last year, and McCain used the fact that he was entitled to matching funds to secure a large loan to keep his campaign afloat.  In addition, as a matching fund recipient, McCain did not have to submit the voters signatures and pay the fees that he would otherwise have to submit in order to qualify to be on the ballot in many states.  Now that he is the likely GOP nominee and having an easier time raising money, McCain wants out of the campaign financing system he helped create.



McCain Threatened FCC If Loophole Benefiting Iseman's Clients Was Closed
January 24, 2008
By Rob @ 11:02 a.m. In 1998, Sen. John McCain, sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission threatening to overhaul the agency of it closed a loophole which benefited two of the clients of lobbyist Vicki Iseman.   The letter was also signed by Montana Sen. Conrad Burns.  Sinclair, one of the country's largest broadcasters, was using the loophole and an agreement with Glencairn, Inc., to get around the rules barring ownership of multiple television stations in the same market. After McCain wrote to the FCC regarding the issue, the Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. Political Action Committee gave McCain $5000.  That same disclosure form that reveals the Sinclair donation to McCain, on the exact same page, shows the Sinclair PAC also gave $3,000 to Sen. Conrad Burns, McCain's co-author.

Clinton Gets Tough With Time Running Out
January 24, 2008
With the make-or-break presidential contents in Texas and Ohio just a few days away, Hillary Clinton hit her opponent hard today, blasting Barack Obama for campaign mailers she claims distort her health care proposal and support for the North American Free Trade Agreement.  "That is not the new politics that the speeches are about,  It is not hopeful.  It is destructive, particularly for a Democrat," claimed Clinton.  Obama defended the accuracy of the mailers and was surprised at Clinton's response.  According to Obama, the mailers went out days or weeks ago.  "Unless these were just brought to her attention, it makes me think that there's something tactical about her getting so exercised this morning," said the Democratic front-runner.

Paxson Contradicts McCain's Claim They Never Met
January 23, 2008
Lowell Paxson, owner of PAX TV, has contradicted Sen. John McCain's claim that the two never met to discuss Paxson's attempts to buy a Pittsburgh, PA television station.  Paxson claims that he and Vicki Iseman, his lobbyist,  met with McCain in McCain's Senate office to ask for McCain's help in getting the FCC to make a decision on the pending purchase.  McCain was chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee at the time, which had oversight over the FCC.  McCain sent two letters demanding immediate action by the FCC despite claiming he never discussed the matter with Paxson or Iseman.

GOP Sen. Larry Craig Says Soliciting Sex In Airport Bathroom Is Free Speech
January 23, 3008
 

McCain's Arizona Campaign Co-Chair Indicted On Corruption Charges
January 22, 2008

Clinton Paid Strategist $3.8 Million In January
February 22, 2008
According to Hillary Clinton's financial disclosure filing with the Federal Elections Commission, her campaign paid $3.8 million in January for "fees and expenses" to strategist Mark Penn and his company.  Clinton's disclosures show that her campaign raised nearly $19 million in January, bringing her total to $134.5 million with $29 million cash on hand and $7 million in debts.  By comparison, her rival Barack Obama raised $36 million in January, bringing his total to $138.2 million, with $25 million cash on hand and $1 million in campaign debt.

McCain Denies Improper Relationship With Lobbyist
February 21, 2008
By Rob @ 8:00 a.m.  Arizona Senator John McCain is denying reports that he had an improper relationship with a female lobbyist.  He is also denying that any of his staff ever raised concerns about his time spent with lobbyist Vicki Iseman.  McCain's defense is that he is a long-time Washington insider who hangs out with lobbyists all the time and thus there is nothing unusual about his friendship with Iseman. 

Can Hillary Stop Obama?
February 20, 2008
With huge victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii, the question is now whether there is anything Hillary Clinton can do to stop Barack Obama's march to the Democratic presidential nomination.  Even Clinton's husband former President Bill Clinton has said publicly that if she does not win the Texas and Ohio primaries, her campaign is probably finished.

McCain's Relationship With Lobbyist Under Scrutiny
February 20, 2008
The New York Times is reporting that GOP presidential frontrunner John McCain spent an unusual amount of time with lobbyist with Vicki Iseman at fundraisers, in his offices and on her client's corporate jets.  The relationship between Iseman and McCain became a concern for McCain's staff in 1999 as he was seeking the GOP's presidential nomination.

Castro Resigns
February 19, 2008

A New Nation: Kosovo Declares Independence
February 17, 2008
The Serbian province of Kosovo, protected by the U.N. since 1999 when NATO used airstrikes to stop attacks by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic against the Albanians of Kosovo, has declared itself an independent nation.  A statue of U.S. President Bill Clinton was erected in the Muslim dominated Kosovo to honor his intervention to oust Serb troops from the province.

One Poll Puts Obama Ahead In Texas, Another Clinton
February 15, 2008
The Democratic race in Texas still looks unstable, with a new poll showing Barack Obama with a substantial lead, while others put Hillary Clinton ahead in the Lone Star state.

McCain Votes To Permit Waterboarding By CIA
February 15, 2008
In a stunning reversal, John McCain voted against a bill that would have required the CIA to abide by the rules of the Army Field Manual in interrogating prisoners.  The Army Field Manual does not permit the torture technique known as waterboarding.  Last November, McCain argued that the Army Field Manual rules were sufficient.

Five Killed In Valentine's Day Shooting At Northern Illinois University
February 15, 2008

Romney's Final Flip-Flop:  He Endorses McCain
February 14, 2007

Florida Congressman Disrupts Memorial Service For Holocaust Survivor
February 14, 2008
While members of Congress were in Statuary Hall, remembering the life and service of Rep. Tom Lantos, GOP Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart made a motion to adjourn the House, which would have ended business for the day.  Such a motion requires an immediate vote, forcing members to leave the memorial service while Sen. Joe Biden was delivering a eulogy for Lantos, a California Democrat and the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress.

Toxic Chemicals In Katrina Relief Trailers
February 14, 2008

Former GOP Senator Endorses Obama
February 14, 2008
Lincoln Chafee, the former Republican senator from Rhode Island, has endorsed the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.  Chafee was appointed to the Senate seat when his father, Sen. John Chafee, died suddenly in 1999.  The elder Chafee served as a Republican in the Senate for over 30 years.  Lincoln Chafee was elected to the seat in his own right in 2000, but lost his 2006 re-election bid largely due to anti-war backlash against the GOP, and despite the fact that Chafee himself was against the Iraq war.  When asked if his loss may have helped the country by switching control of power in Congress, he replied: "To be honest, yes."  Chafee officially left the GOP in 2007.

Ohio and Texas Are Must-Win For Clinton
February 14, 2008
Hillary Clinton is looking for a victory over Barack Obama, who has won the last eight Democratic nominating contests, campaigning hard across Ohio, and emphasizing her her plans for universal health care, a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures, universal pre-kindergarten programs and making college more affordable.  Clinton leads in a new Ohio poll, though it was taken before Obama's sweep of the Virginia, Maryland and DC primaries two days ago.  Ohio Republicans are cheering for Clinton, seeing her as the Democrat most likely to unite the divided GOP.  Clinton is also counting on a big victory in delegate-rich Texas to help her stop Obama's momentum.  Democratic strategist told CNN's Larry King that if Clinton doesn't win big in both Ohio and Texas, her campaign is finished.

McCain Mocks Obama's Message Of Hope As "A Platitude"
February 14, 2008
In a sure sign of Barack Obama's status as frontrunner in the Democratic presidential race, likely GOP nominee John McCain attacked Obama after both men won their parties' primary elections on Tuesday.  "To encourage a country with only rhetoric rather than sound and proven ideas that trust in the strength and courage of free people is not a promise of hope, it is a platitude," said McCain.

Another Russian Exile Dies In London
February 14, 2008

Army Offers House Down-payment To New Recruits
February 14, 2008

Hillary's Back Against The Wall As Obama Wins "Chesapeake" Primaries
November 13, 2008

Senate Votes To Give Immunity To Telecom Companies Involved In Illegal Wiretapping
February 12, 2008

Huckabee:  It Isn't Over Yet
February 11, 2008
Former Arkansas governor and Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee continues his insurgent campaign against John McCain for the GOP presidential nomination. 

Obama Sweeps Weekend Contests
February 11, 2008
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama beat his only remaining rival, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, in the Maine caucuses, sweeping the weekend Democratic contests.

Gitmo Detainees Charged With Murder For 9/11 Attacks
February 11, 2008

Clinton Replaces Campaign Manager
February 10, 2008

Huckabee Beats McCain In Kansas
February 9, 2008
John McCain's hopes of conservatives quickly getting behind his presidential campaign were dashed today, as former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, McCain's only remaining competitor for the Republican presidential nomination, received 60 percent of the vote in today's Kansas presidential primary.  Huckabee is also won the Louisiana primary and trails in returns from the Washington caucuses by just 2 percent, proving that if conservatives had settled on a single candidate earlier in the election season, McCain likely could have been stopped.  Next up for the GOP:  The "Chesapeake Primary" in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia on February 12th.

Obama Wins Washington, Louisiana And Nebraska
February 9, 2008
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is showing increasing strength across various regions of the country, winning presidential caucuses in Washington and Nebraska, as well as the Louisiana primary.  Unexpectedly huge crowds were reported in Nebraska where Obama supporters overwhelmed caucus organizers. After tonight, Obama should have a small lead in the total delegates won so far.  Next up for the Democrats:  the Maine primary on February 10th, then Virginia, Maryland and the District Of Columbia on February 12th. 

Romney Wins Conservative Straw Poll After Dropping Out
February 9, 2008

GOP Loyalist Says State Dept. Failing In Iraq
February 9, 2008

Huckabee Continues Fight For GOP Nomination
February 8, 2008

Bill & Hillary Loaned Campaign $5 Million
February 8, 2008

Romney Gives Up
February 7, 2008

McCain Missed More Than Half Of 2007 Senate Votes
February 7, 2008

Super Tuesday Election Results
February 5, 2008
After more than 20 state contests, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain lead in the quest for their parties' presidential nominations.  McCain held off a surprisingly strong challenge from former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who won several southern states.  The other main GOP candidate, Mitt Romney turned in a disappointing performance, falling further behind McCain in total delegates to the GOP nominating convention.  On The Democratic side, Barack Obama won in more states, but Clinton came out ahead in most of the more populous states, and she maintains a slight lead in total delegates.

Huckbee Wins In West Virginia
February 5, 2008
The first GOP contest of Super Tuesday goes to Mike Huckabee, who won the vote at the West Virginia convention assembled to choose delegates to the presidential nominating convention.

Christian Leader Says "No" To McCain
February 5, 2008
James Dobson, a leading evangelical, will not support the GOP presidential campaign of John McCain.  "I cannot, and I will not vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience" said Dobson.

Conservatives Trying To Stop McCain
February 4, 2008

Bush Proposes Biggest Budget In History
February 4, 2008
President Bush's proposed budget for 2009 tops $3 trillion for the first time in U.S. history, cuts Medicare and domestic spending, increases military spending, and produces a projected deficit of over $400 billion.

Obama Support Surges In California
February 3, 2008
A new Field Poll shows Barack Obama has pulled even with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton among voters in California, the biggest prize in the February 5th Super Tuesday primaries.  Obama attracts the support of 34 percent in the survey, which puts him just two points behind Clinton, which is within the poll margin of error.  In addition, California's First Lady, Maria Shriver, endorsed Obama last night.  Obama's rise in California mirrors increased numbers in national polls, where he is now even with Senator Clinton.

Romney Wins Maine Caucuses
February 2, 2008
Mitt Romney wins the Maine GOP caucuses amid record turnout and despite the fact that John McCain was endorsed by both of Maine's Republican senators.

Rove Ally Edited 9-11 Commission Report To Eliminate Criticism Of Condi
February 2, 2008

Middle East Struggles With Internet Outage
February 2, 2008

French President Marries Supermodel
February 2, 2008
Nicolas Sarkozy has married model-turned actress Carla Bruni less than four months after announcing his divorce from his second wife.