Boston Herald: When backing Barack feels like joining a cult

By Margery Eagan | Thursday, February 21, 2008

I’m an Obama girl and my man throttled Hillary Clinton, again, Tuesday night.

Suddenly, the impossible is real.

Suddenly, I’m nervous. Very nervous, actually.

I’m nervous because an otherwise normal grownup told me yesterday she’s watched the will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) “Yes We Can” Obama video about 100 times and gets “weepy” every time.

I’m nervous because a longtime political type, normally quite cynical, now waxes rhapsodic about Obama’s “cool.”

“He’s elegant, controlled, the best-dressed candidate ever,” he says. Never a red tie, yellow or bright blue. No, Obama does a subdued lean charcoal gray suit with a gray or silvery tie. Everything muted, measured, fluid. “He floats onto the stage, a bit of the Fred Astaire thing going.”

Fred Astaire?

This same man, 100 percent anti-illegal aliens, fears Obama could pull a Reagan or a JFK on the Mexican border, head down there, chanting, “Tear down this wall!” or even do an “Ich bin ein Tijuana!!!”

He’s with Obama anyway.

I’m nervous because Harvard political genius Elaine Kamarck told me Hillary understands the various messes we’re in far better than Obama.

Suppose Kamarck’s right?

I’m nervous about the “O’Bambi” factor. Will the terrorists move in next door when Obama’s in the White House?

I’m nervous because Michelle Obama, about whom I just wrote a fawning puff piece, now says that until her husband’s stunning ascendancy, she’s never before been proud of America. Huh?

Barack now claims she didn’t mean it. Oh, yes she did. We all know the insufferable, holier-than-thou, Blame-America-First types who lecture the unwashed from the rarefied air of Cambridge and Brookline.

If I wanted lecturing, I’d be with Hillary.

I’m nervous because too many Obama-philes sound like Moonies, or Hare Krishnas, or the Hale-Bopp-Is-Coming-To-Get-Me nuts.

These true believers “Obama-ize” everything. They speak Obama-ese. Knit for Obama. Run for Obama. Gamble - Hold ’Em Barack! - for Obama. They make Obama cakes, underwear, jewelry. They send Valentine cards reading, “I want to Barack your world!”

At campaign rallies people scream, cry, even faint as Obama calmly calls for the EMTs. When supporters pant en masse, “I love you!” (like The Beatles, circa 1964), Barack says, “I love you back” with that deliciously charming, almost cocky smile.

Oh - I’m nervous because it’s all gone to his head and he hasn’t even won yet.

I’m nervous because it’s gone to a lot of other people’s heads as well. Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings introduced Obama last week in Baltimore and said, “This is not a campaign for president of the United States, this is a movement to change the world.”

“He walks into a room and you want to follow him somewhere, anywhere,” says George Clooney.

“I’ll do whatever he says to do,” says actress Halle Berry. “I’ll collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear.”

I’m nervous because nobody’s quite sure what Obama stands for, even his supporters. (“I can’t wait to see,” said actress/activist Susan Sarandon, declaring full support nonetheless).

I’m nervous because even his biggest fans can’t name Obama’s accomplishments, including Texas state Sen. Kirk Watson, an Obama-man who humiliated himself when MSNBC’s Chris Matthews asked him about five times to name something, anything, Obama’s done. Watson hemmed. Watson hawed. Watson gave up.

I’m nervous because John McCain says Obama’s is “an eloquent but empty call for change” and in the wee, wee hours, a nagging voice whispers, suppose McCain’s right, too? Then what?

HILLARY SPEAKS FOR ME!

Check out the new website built for and by Hillary's supporters at www.hillaryspeaksforme.com

HILLARY SPEAKS FOR ME!

Check out the new website built for and by Hillary's supporters at

Clinton rallies college crowd on the border

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Coming off another round of stinging primary defeats, Hillary Clinton returned to South Texas Wednesday to show that her opponent is not the only one who can draw big college crowds.

On the University of Texas at Brownsville campus less than a mile from the Mexican border, Clinton promised to improve education for Hispanics, make college affordable for every American and develop a better illegal immigration plan than the one that threatens to divide this campus with a border fence.

But first she will have to stop rival Democrat Barack Obama.

Clinton is counting on primary wins in delegate-rich Texas and Ohio March 4 to close the gap Obama has won all 10 contests since Super Tuesday Feb. 5. Obama won by wide margins in Wisconsin and Hawaii Tuesday. Clinton will need 57 percent of all remaining delegates to surmount Obama's lead.

As in her visit to the Rio Grande Valley last week, Clinton drew on her experience registering voters door-to-door along the Rio Grande in 1972 to connect with the crowd. An estimated crowd of 4,000 packed a lawn behind the student union on a humid Wednesday night.

"When I was a student I came to the Valley for my very first political job," Clinton said. "I'm going to crisscross Texas but my heart is always in the Valley."

"She knows the Valley, she knows our struggles," State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. shouted to the crowd. "South Texas will make the difference in winning the state of Texas."

Hillary Counting on Hispanics in Texas

By Indira Lakshmanan

Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Next to her gold medallion of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Rosa Rosales of San Antonio wears a button for the woman she considers another patron of Mexican-Americans: Hillary Clinton.

The New York senator needs to prevail in the March 4 primary in Texas, the second most-populous and delegate-rich state in the nation, to salvage her dwindling chances of becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. Her victory hinges on winning a substantial majority of Hispanics, who are likely to account for about 35 percent of the Democratic primary electorate, Latino polling experts said.

The front-runner, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, is campaigning to cut into her base, with some success. To hold him off, Clinton probably needs to replicate her performance in the Feb. 5 primary in California, another state with a large Hispanic population, where she carried 71 percent of those voters, according to exit polls.

Clinton, 60, ``has to keep her base and expand her base or she loses,'' said Lydia Camarillo, vice president of Southwest Voters Registration Education Project, a San Antonio-based nonprofit group. ``Hispanics are finally in the driver's seat.''

Clinton, McCain Push Experience Button

By LAURA MECKLER and JACKIE CALMES

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barack Obama is facing attacks on two fronts on one of the toughest issues facing his campaign: whether he has the experience necessary to be the nation's commander in chief.

Both Sen. Hillary Clinton, his rival in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, are arguing that Mr. Obama, who has no military background and few foreign-policy credentials, is ill-equipped to serve as commander in chief. Both say he would stack up poorly next to Mr. McCain, a Vietnam War hero who has been involved in many foreign-policy debates during his Senate career. Mrs. Clinton also has some foreign-policy experience from her time in the Senate and as first lady.

Should Mr. Obama win the Democratic nomination, Mr. McCain plans to press the issue throughout the year. "It will be one of our major themes, certainly," said Charlie Black, a senior McCain adviser. On Tuesday night, in a thinly veiled reference to Mr. Obama, Mr. McCain asked if the nation is prepared to risk "the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate."

A Message from Hillary

Here's what you need to know this morning. We were outspent in Wisconsin by a 4 to 1 margin on ads -- and we can't let that happen on March 4.

If we want to win in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont, we've got to even the odds. We can't let the Obama campaign overwhelm us financially. Today, I am calling on you and other online supporters to act together, making sure we have the resources to create a fair, level playing field on March 4.

Contribute now to help us level the playing field.

Let this remarkable two-person contest for the Democratic nomination be determined by the strength of our ideas, the quality of our leadership, or the depth of our experience. But whatever you do, don't let the outcome of these crucial March 4 contests be decided by a lopsided spending advantage for the Obama campaign.

Only you -- our incredible online community -- can act quickly and decisively enough to create a level playing field. And with everything on the line, that's exactly what I'm asking you to do.

We're putting everything on the line. Contribute now.

There are just two weeks left before voters go to the polls in one of the most crucial days of voting yet. We must make sure we can hold our own against an avalanche of Obama TV ads, direct mail, phone calls, and online advertising.

I have total confidence that, as long as we have the resources to compete, March 4 will be a day of dramatic victories for our campaign. Let's make it happen.

Thanks,

Hillary
Hillary Rodham Clinton

P.S. I am counting on your leadership and financial support. Please do all you can -- and act as quickly as possible.

Hillary in Youngstown, Ohio:

In the end, this election comes down to one simple question. When the speeches are over and the cameras are gone, who can you count on to listen to you? You know you can count on me to stand up for you and to deliver solutions for you. If you know one thing about me it is this – when I say I’ll stand up for you I will and when I say I’ll fight for you, I will. That is what I’ve always done.

Obama's Plagiarism

Hillary Clinton's campaign advisers today sought to keep alive their contention that Barack Obama, her rival for the party's presidential nomination, acted improperly when he used another politician's words in a speech Saturday in Wisconsin, which is holding its primary today.

"He's running on his powerful oratory and his promises," Clinton's chief strategist, Howard Wolfson, said to reporters today on a noon conference call. "When that oratory comes from someone else, [he] should point that out."

And the campaign's focus on Obama's use of phrases that were part a gubernatorial campaign speech of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Obama's friend and supporter, seemed unlikely to fade. Before reporters hung up from the call with Wolfson, pollster Mark Penn, and Clinton advisers in Texas and Ohio, the campaign had E-mailed a press release that called into question Patrick's defense of his friend. The governor had told the New York Times that the two men spoke last summer, and he had suggested that some of his speech phraseology could be used by Obama to respond to critics. The Clinton campaign alleges that Obama's use of Patrick's words predated that.

Patrick, in a morning television appearance, called the accusations unfair and an attempt to "belittle [Obama's] ability to motivate people." Obama, who has said he should have credited Patrick, characterized the tempest as not a big deal and yesterday suggested that Clinton herself has used phrases from his campaign. But in a desperately fought battle, and with Obama threatening to extend his primary and caucus winning streak to 10 in Hawaii and Wisconsin tonight, the Clinton team appears determined to use the word-borrowing -- author-approved or not -- as part of an attempt to discredit the Illinois senator's strongest campaign assets.

"Senator Obama has put himself out there as a great orator," Wolfson said. "When he is found to be lifting passages of a speech from another elected official, it's significant."

Politico.com: Obama Plagiarizes Gov. Patrick's Words

Obama closely echoed a passage from a speech that Deval Patrick, now the Massachusetts governor, used at a campaign rally when he was running for that office in 2006.

The Clinton campaign circulated a pair of YouTube links of the two speeches on Sunday.

Here's Patrick at a rally for his gubernatorial campaign on Oct. 15, 2006, during the final stretch of his successful campaign against then-Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R):

“But her dismissive point, and I hear it a lot from her staff, is that all I have to offer is words — just words. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, [applause and cheers] that all men are created equal.’ [Sustained applause and cheers.] Just words – just words! ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words! ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’ Just words! ‘I have a dream.’ Just words!”

Here’s Obama on Saturday night at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s Founders Day Gala in Milwaukee:

“Don’t tell me words don’t matter! ‘I have a dream.’ Just words. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ Just words! [Applause.] ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words — just speeches!”

Hillary a "Rock Star" in Texas

(Washingtonpost.com) This story was written by Dan Balz.

Sen. Barack Obama left a phone message for J.D. Salinas, the county judge in South Texas's Hidalgo County, last weekend. Former senator Thomas A. Daschle called on the candidate's behalf last Wednesday. "He asked me to be part of the campaign," Salinas said. "I told him it was too late."

Salinas originally backed New Mexico's Bill Richardson for the Democratic nomination, believing that a governor from a state along the Mexican border with a lengthy foreign policy résumé had the credentials he was looking for. When Richardson quit the race, Salinas's decision to support Obama's rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, was easy. "She's the only candidate who's ever visited South Texas," he said.

Sixteen years ago, as a young volunteer, Salinas helped look after Clinton when she came to McAllen for a big South Texas rally the day before her husband was elected president. He hasn't forgotten that day. "There's no learning curve for Senator Clinton," he said. "She's been coming here for 30 years."

When the Texas primary campaign begins in earnest after Tuesday's vote in Wisconsin, Obama will find stories such as this all over the Lone Star State. From her incidental connections such as the one Salinas described from the 1992 campaign, to deep friendships formed working in Texas during the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern, to acquaintances gained from multiple visits over the past decades, Clinton is rooted in Texas as she is in few other states.

Texas is one of two populous states -- the other is Ohio -- with March 4 primaries, where the Clinton campaign sees the opportunity to arrest Obama's momentum. Both set up well for the senator from New York, at least in initial assessments. Ohio's economic woes make it potentially receptive to Clinton's focus on bread-and-butter issues. Texas, because of its large Hispanic community, provides a base of support that has been critical to Clinton in other states.

In Texas, Obama cannot replicate Clinton's affinity overnight. His advisers believe they can overcome many of her built-in advantages, enough at least to emerge with a close split in delegates under the state's convoluted primary-caucus system, by tapping into a new generation of Texans who have no connections to the Clintons and by arguing that the senator from Illinois would be the stronger general-election candidate. But as was the case in the run-up to Super Tuesday, his advisers say he will be in a race against the clock.

"My guess is, in Texas [Clinton's] base in the Democratic Party is broader than in any other state that I can think of," said Henry G. Cisneros, who accompanied Clinton on that trip to McAllen in 1992 and later served as housing secretary in her husband's administration. Referring to a former Texas governor, he said: "They have good ties to the Ann Richards liberals. They have good ties to labor in Houston. Good ties to some of the Democratic money in Dallas. Good ties traditionally to the African American community -- though it won't be as helpful -- and good ties to the Latino community."

The Young Turks who helped Clinton register voters and organize Texas for McGovern in a hopeless battle against Richard M. Nixon -- Garry Mauro and Roy Spence -- are at the center of her campaign in the state. Others, like Cisneros, who became friends later or joined the Clinton administration during the 1990s, are fanning out as surrogates in what has become a campaign to save her candidacy.

RFK Jr and Cesar L. Chavez Endorse Hillary

Hillary on the Larget Beef Recall in US History

The news today of the largest beef recall in our nation's history is yet another troubling reminder that we have done too little to protect our food supply. This incident also reveals a danger to our children, since the Hallmark company is the second largest supplier to the U.S. School Lunch program. I believe that American families should not have to worry about the safety of the food on their dinner tables or in their children's school lunches. That is why I have long been calling for common-sense - and long-overdue - food safety reforms, building on my work in the Senate. As President, I will fully fund our food safety system so that our inspectors have the resources and manpower they need to do their jobs. I will create a single food safety to replace the patchwork of regulation we have now. I will implement an effective recall system so that potentially tainted food immediately comes off of grocery store shelves and families receive instant notification. I will strictly enforce safety rules and impose stiff criminal and civil penalties on violators. And I will crack down on the slaughter of sick or injured cows, a practice which poses health risks to families and children. Now more than ever, America needs a President who will deliver concrete reforms that fill the gaps in our food safety system.

Hillary Pulling Out All the Stops

Her strategists have talked constantly about Texas and Ohio, which vote March 4, rarely mentioning Wisconsin and its primary Tuesday.

Even so, she has made a highly visible effort in the past week in Wisconsin, using a full range of political tools — toughly worded television commercials, top-level surrogates, satellite interviews and conference calls with reporters — to create an effective presence.

She hopes to blunt Obama's momentum, either by beating him or coming close. Whatever the outcome, she's positioned herself to say that it came without a full-fledged effort.

State polls show only a single-digit gap between the two Democratic candidates in the race for 74 pledged delegates, with Obama leading.

"I'm hoping that Wisconsin is not going to let the rest of the country dictate how we vote," said Dawn Foster, 50, a Clinton voter who lives in the town of Portage. "Obama says that Hillary feels she's owed the nomination. I don't see it that way. I think she's earned it through all she's done in her career."

And Clinton has been fighting for it. Her campaign is taking on a newly assertive tone, a likely preview of what's to come in Ohio and Texas, starting with a debate in Austin on Thursday.

Obama flip-flopped on financing

WASHINGTON — The campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton hammered rival Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday for refusing to reaffirm his commitment to accept public financing in the general election, a development a top aide criticized as "a pretty big flip-flop" and an opening for Republican attack.

Clinton hasn't acknowledged that Obama is likely to be the Democratic nominee — she says she is — and she also hasn't promised to accept public financing herself. The issue, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson says, is that Obama made a campaign pledge but now won't promise to keep it.

The One To Take the Lead

by Susan Wood, PhD.

Senator Clinton made the difference. The FDA suddenly announced it would approve emergency contraception for use without a prescription for women 18 and older - one day before FDA officials were to face a determined Senator Clinton and her colleague Senator Murray at a Senate hearing in 2006. No one was more surprised than I was. I hope all of those who benefited fromthis decision know that it wouldn't have happened if it had not been for Hillary Clinton.

A Special Message from Democrats.com: IMPEACHMENT UPDATE

Something very important happened in Congress on Thursday, thanks to all of your emails and calls. After 7 years of cowering in fear of every dictatorial demand from Bush and Cheney, House Democrats finally rose up and said NO.

First, House Democrats refused to give immunity to the telecom giants for illegally wiretapping the calls and emails of every American - despite two Bush press conference hissyfits and endless Corporate Media lies.

Second, House Democrats declared Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten to be in contempt of Congress for rejecting subpoenas to testify about the U.S. Attorney scandal, despite a faux-angry walkout by Republicans. Watch Rep. Robert Wexler's excellent floor speech.

Could this be the start of holding George Bush and Dick Cheney accountable for their innumerable High Crimes, ultimately through impeachment?

The main problem we face is time. Since this is an election year, Congress will stop legislating and start campaigning full-time in May. Since impeachment hearings take time, those hearings must begin now.

Thanks to your emails and calls, 18 Democrats support Rep. Robert Wexler's call for Cheney impeachment hearings:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/cheney
But that's not enough - we need 100 Democrats to support Wexler in order to force Speaker Pelosi to hold these hearings.

This week, every Member of Congress will be home working at their District Offices and meeting with the voters who elect them. So let's send them a loud and clear message: Start Impeachment Hearings for Dick Cheney Now.

One great way to send that message is through "Honk to Impeach" actions at the District Offices of your Representative. These actions are fun and passing cars love it. It just takes 2-3 brave people to have a successful 1-hour event.

Here's a national map with ongoing honk-a-thons:
http://www.communitywalk.com/impeach
If you don't see one near you, call your bravest friends and pick the date(s), time, and contact info. Find District Offices by searching for your Representative here:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt?command=congdir
Then create a map login and click "add a marker."

To find other honkers, connect with activists in your Congressional District by logging in to Democrats.com and clicking "local":
http://democrats.com/local
Click [Post] next to your Congressional District and blog about your plans. All the details you need are here:
http://www.democrats.com/honktoimpeach

Since it's Washington's Birthday, we've created a special flyer you can print and hand out called WWWD: What Would Washington Do?
http://www.democrats.com/files/WWWD.doc

Time is running out so let's hit the streets this week!
http://www.democrats.com/crucial-week-for-impeachment

ABC News: Clinton Will Fight As Long As It Takes

ABC's David Chalian, Teddy Davis, Eloise Harper, Kate Snow and Sunlen Miller report: Sen. Hillary Clinton is ready to fight for the Democratic nomination all the way to the Democratic National Convention in August if that’s what it takes, but her top strategists say they’re not expecting a nasty brawl in Denver.

"My prediction is there will be no fight," said Clinton campaign advisor Harold Ickes on a conference call with reporters Saturday. "All of this is going to be settled out before we hit the floor."

"We don’t think our party or our candidate will be served by a bitter floor fight," he added later.

But Ickes also made it very clear that Clinton would not give up without a fight -- no matter what happens in the upcoming primary battles with Sen. Barack Obama.

Ickes conceded that Clinton is not doing as well in the fight for delegates as she might have been doing if her campaign had paid more attention to states that hold caucuses -- states where Obama has scored big victories recently.

"We didn’t make as much of an effort as we probably should have," he said.

But he predicted that Clinton will "hold her own" in Wisconsin on Tuesday night and said the campaign expects her to win in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island on March 4. Ickes said the demographics of Pennsylvania also favor Clinton and predicted she will win there on April 22.

While the Obama campaign has predicted he will stay ahead in the race for delegates, the Clinton camp says Obama is getting ahead of himself and declaring victory prematurely.

"He'd like to be nominated right now, but there are a lot of delegates who have yet to be selected," Ickes said.

They see a tied ballgame.

After the last Democratic primary contest in Puerto Rico in June, Ickes said Clinton and Obama will be "neck and neck."

"Shortly after that she will wrap it up," he predicted.

That presumes that Clinton will be able to convince Democratic superdelegates -- party leaders and elected officials -- to support Clinton even if the people they represent have voted for Obama.

Ickes said those superdelegates, which the Clinton campaign prefers to call "automatic delegates," will be key.

"The central fact is, notwithstanding all the controversy ginned up by the Obama campaign, both of these candidates are going to need them," Ickes said.

Both campaigns continue to aggressively court superdelegate support.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said today that they would continue to pursue superdelegates even though they believe they can win the nomination without them.

"We're not going to unilaterally disarm as the Clinton campaign does its best to use superdelegates to overturn the will of the Democratic voters," Burton said.

Clinton's camp, meanwhile, contends that superdelegates should not be swayed by the voters of their districts but should support the person they think is best fit to be president.

"Automatic delegates are supposed to exercise their best judgment," Ickes said.

The Clinton campaign is also continuing to push for delegates from Florida and Michigan to be counted at the convention.

Ironically, last summer Ickes -- as a sitting member of the Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Commission -- voted to strip those states of their delegates when the states moved up their primaries to dates before February 5. Those moves were seen as a threat to the traditional first states Iowa and New Hampshire and were therefore punished by the party.

"With respect to the stripping, I voted as a member of the Democratic National Committee. Those were our rules and I felt that we had an obligation to enforce them," Ickes said.

But now Ickes, as a member of Clinton's team, wants to change the rules.

"Why should Florida not be heard at the convention?" Ickes asked today.

He said some 1.7 million Democrats voted in Florida and their voices should be heard. And he rejected the idea of a do-over, as some have suggested.

Although she did not actively campaign in Florida -- under an agreement made by all of the Democratic candidates -- Clinton easily won the majority of Florida's delegates back in January.

"The process has taken place. Everybody was on an equal footing. We see no reason for a re-do," Ickes said.

Madison (WI) Capital Times: Hillary Clinton clearly is best to lead nation

In the upcoming Democratic presidential primary, Wisconsin voters are blessed with two candidates who are smart, energetic and forward-looking. Nonetheless, the state's residents have to decide who will be the most qualified starting on the first day in the Oval Office. My choice is Hillary Clinton.

I have had the good fortune to observe Clinton's career while living in New York. Up close, she is an unusually tough and savvy as well as charming political figure. While not as visible as Mayor Rudy Giuliani on 9/11, she showed great mastery in the difficult days after the attacks in helping to bring about the physical and emotional recovery of New York City and gaining federal assistance for ground zero workers exposed to toxic air.

As important, in her eight years in the Senate, she has compiled a strong liberal voting record in the tradition of Wisconsin's great Sens. Bob La Follette and Gaylord Nelson. While she has known defeats (e.g., health care in 1994), she has turned her reversals into legislative prowess on Capitol Hill.

Her work on the Armed Services Committee and her fact-finding visits overseas belie the notion that she has limited foreign policy experience. Her vote for the congressional resolution on Iraq in 2002 was a vote for continued weapons inspection and diplomacy and in opposition to pre-emptive war, as she clearly stated in her Senate floor speech. Today she is trying to prevent the establishment of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq by requiring prior congressional approval for any such outposts.

Of extraordinary importance, she has taken the lead on the most important economic crisis to face our country in decades. She was among the first of the Democratic contenders to propose a bold economic recovery program designed to rescue the nation from recession. Over a month ago, Clinton advocated for $70 billion in emergency spending and a backup of a $40 billion tax rebate should economic conditions worsen. Hers is a direct attempt to help the most threatened people in America -- namely, lower-income families facing foreclosures of their mortgages, those in need of home heating aid, and people who require extended jobless benefits.

Her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, belatedly came out with his own plan, which seemingly lifts most of his ideas straight out of Clinton's proposal.

On a more specific level, Clinton's recommendations on helping Americans caught in the subprime mortgage mess are far-reaching. She has called for a moratorium on foreclosures, a freezing of interest rates, the use of federal subsidies to help homeowners keep up with payments and restructure loans, and augmented regulation of the financial industry.

Obama has come up with an alternative plan, which, by contrast, does none of these things but tinkers around the edges. He backs a bill against mortgage fraud, supports an average $500 tax credit for homeowners, and endorses additional funding for a limited class of homeowners. His is a tepid response to an enormous tragedy.

In many ways, Clinton is to the left of Obama. She has outlined a program of universal health insurance -- meaning that every person in America would be covered. By contrast, his plan is more restrictive and would leave millions of people uncovered.

Lastly, Clinton is a fighter for change. Obama, on the other hand, is a self-described conciliator. What Democrats want today, however, is a battler, not a mediator. They have suffered enough from the vicious blows of President Bush and the Republicans. What the party needs is a nominee who will take the contest directly to the opposition. Come the fall showdown, a candidacy of "friendly persuasion" is going to be Swift-boated into oblivion.

Stephen Schlesinger is a specialist on the foreign policy of the Clinton and Bush administrations and is a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers.

The Latest in News from the Clinton Campaign

Making News: Automatic delegates' "role is to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and of the Democratic Party," according to Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean.

By the Numbers: "Ohio's makeup favors Clinton" reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Read more.

Previewing Today: Hillary holds "Solutions for America" town halls in De Pere, Wausau and Madison, Wisconsin. President Bill Clinton attends church services in Columbus and holds "Solutions for America" rallies with Gov. Ted Strickland in Toledo, Canton, Steubenville, and Marietta, Ohio. Chelsea campaigns for her mom in Hawaii.

Hillary: The Candidate of, From, and For the Middle Class

LYNDHURST, Ohio (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton smothered Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain with kindness on Friday, then declared her rivals wrong on the issues and vowed to beat both in her quest for the presidency.

She said Obama, her Democratic foe, has run an "extraordinary campaign," and called McCain, the likely Republican nominee, "a man of great heroism."

But she said McCain represents "more of the same" in Iraq, and she cast Obama as an obstacle to universal health care. She also unveiled a tough new ad against Obama, accusing him of dodging debates.

Her remarks came on a day when she characterized herself as the "candidate of, from and for the middle class of America" and endeavored to keep her Democratic coalition in Ohio intact against a hard-charging Obama.

Obama's brochures to voters, she said, "sound like they've been written by the health insurance industry and the Republicans, talking about how we can't possibly get to universal health care."

"My opponent has given up the fight before we've ever started," she told a gathering of Democrats at a party fundraiser outside Akron.

Hillary Vows to Take On Corporate America

WARREN, Ohio, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said Thursday she will clamp down on tax breaks for big business if elected.

The Politico reported among those in the New York senator's cross hairs: oil, insurance, pharmaceutical, investment, and student loan firms, she told employees and an executives at the General Motors plant in Warren, Ohio, ahead of the state's March 4 primary.

"Today, I'm announcing an agenda to rein in the special interests and save the American people at least $55 billion a year," Clinton said. "Money that can go back into your pockets. Money we can use to create new jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, make college affordable and so much more."

Clinton said oil companies are not paying their fair share of taxes.

"I'll end their special tax breaks and give them a choice: Invest some of your profits in alternative energy, or we'll do it for you," she said. "People have been paying through the roof at the pump, and it's time the companies paid their fair share."

As for Wall Street, Clinton said investors too are getting off easy.

"We'll take on Wall Street and tell them: you're going to finally pay your fair share in taxes," she said. "It's outrageous that a teacher making $50,000 pays a higher tax rate than some Wall Street investment managers making $50 million."

Bill Clinton: Obama's ignoring my White House legacy

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (AP) — Former President Clinton on Friday accused Sen. Barack Obama, his wife's rival for the Democratic nomination, of trying to ignore any accomplishments they achieved during their years in the White House.

"You have one candidate who's made the explicit argument that the only way we can change America is to move into a post-partisan future and therefore we have to eliminate from consideration for the presidency anybody who made good things happen in the '90s or stopped bad things from happening in this decade," said Clinton, who was winding up a day of East Texas campaign appearances for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Hillary Holds Strong Lead Over Obama In Ohio, Pennsylvania Polls

Holds a 21-point lead in Ohio, 16-point lead in Pennsylvania

In a new Quinnipiac Poll released today, Senator Hillary Clinton holds a substantial lead over Senator Barack Obama in the key primary states of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In Ohio, Clinton leads Obama by a margin of 55-34. According to the poll, Clinton holds a 26 point advantage among women and a 10 point advantage among men.

In Pennsylvania, Clinton leads 52-36. She holds a 20 point lead among women and a 10 point lead with women.

Also in Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton beats John McCain by six points in a head-to-head matchup. McCain is tied, however, with Barack Obama in the state. Clinton also attracts more support than Obama against McCain in both Ohio and Florida.

For more information on the poll, click

Hillary Issues Statement on Her Victory in New Mexico

"I am so proud to have earned the support of New Mexicans from across the state.

"From strengthening the economy to providing health care for every American to jumpstarting a clean energy future, New Mexicans want real solutions to our nation's challenges.

"As president, I will continue to stand up for New Mexico and will hit the ground running on day one to bring about real change."

Hillary's New Ad Supporting Our Veterans

ABC News: Edwards Leaning Towards Hillary

John Edwards is "as split as the party he once hoped to lead -- and is seriously considering supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, despite the sharp criticism he leveled at her on the campaign trail, according to former aides and advisers." ABC News

Obama "Misleading" About His Health Care Proposal

FactCheck.org: Obama is being misleading when he says his proposal would "cover everyone." It would make coverage available to all, but experts we consulted estimate that 15 million to 26 million wouldn't take it up unless required to do so.

Hillary Wins New Mexico!!!

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton finally won the popular vote in New Mexico's Democratic caucus and picked up one extra delegate Thursday, nine days after Super Tuesday voting ended.

State Democratic Chairman Brian Colon made the announcement after a marathon hand count of 17,000 provisional ballots that had to be given to voters on Feb. 5 because of long lines and a shortage of ballots. The final statewide count gave her a 1,709-vote edge over rival Sen. Barack Obama, 73,105 or 48.8 percent of the total vote to 71,396 or 47.6 percent.

The former first lady's victory in the popular vote swung the final unallocated New Mexico delegate into her column, which gave Clinton 14 delegates in the state to 12 for Obama.

Hillary Wins New MExico!!!

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton finally won the popular vote in New Mexico's Democratic caucus and picked up one extra delegate Thursday, nine days after Super Tuesday voting ended.

State Democratic Chairman Brian Colon made the announcement after a marathon hand count of 17,000 provisional ballots that had to be given to voters on Feb. 5 because of long lines and a shortage of ballots. The final statewide count gave her a 1,709-vote edge over rival Sen. Barack Obama, 73,105 or 48.8 percent of the total vote to 71,396 or 47.6 percent.

The former first lady's victory in the popular vote swung the final unallocated New Mexico delegate into her column, which gave Clinton 14 delegates in the state to 12 for Obama.

Bill: It's about the power of solutions

Former president Bill Clinton is urging voters to consider the respective records of his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and her opponent in the Democratic primaries, Sen. Barack Obama, before casting their ballots.

Mr. Clinton cited his wife's 35 years working on behalf of the least among us and contrasted it against Sen. Obama's much more modest background. In Wisconsin, Mr. Clinton told attendees at an Italian-American Center there, "It's about whether you should choose the power of speeches over the power of solutions."

Aloha: Chelsea to campaign in Hawaii

(CNN) — As part of the Clinton campaign's declared effort to fight for every delegate in every state, Chelsea Clinton is heading to Hawaii, Barack Obama's home turf, according to a Clinton campaign source. She'll spend three days, including this weekend, campaigning there.

The Clinton campaign has been criticized for not competing in the smaller states and caucuses, but is now trying to adjust their strategy. A campaign source says they are not focused only on Texas and Ohio.

Hillary's New Ad: Why Won't Obama Debate in Wisconsin???

Hillary Clinton's campaign launched a new ad in Wisconsin. "Debate" asks Sen. Obama why he has not agreed to debate Hillary in Wisconsin. Watch.

Obama's Economic Plan is Unworkable

I would love to tell everyone that this is possible; that the US has the money to spend and that we can use major federal initiatives to minimize the impact to the housing mess.

But we don't. --Hale "Bonddad" Stewart

Hillary Optimistic About March 4 Tests

ROBSTOWN, Texas — Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton labored to revitalize her restructured political operation Wednesday, testing a new line of criticism against presidential rival Sen. Barack Obama and voicing confidence in the face of challenging weeks ahead.

"I am in the solutions business," she told more than 4,000 supporters in a packed fairgrounds here. "My opponent is in the promises business."

A day after suffering lopsided losses in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, Clinton acknowledged Obama's victories, but offered a taunt as well.

"I want to congratulate Senator Obama on his recent victories and tell him to meet me in Texas," she told reporters in McAllen. "We're ready."

FactCheck.org: Obama's Distortions

In separate, 30-minute question-and-answer sessions sponsored by The Politico and a Washington, D.C., television station, Obama and Clinton for the most part stuck to the facts – or, often, to statements that were matters of judgment and thus out of our bailiwick.

But, our mission being to point out the diminutive distortions as well as the big, fat slabs of baloney, we bring you flubs we found in last night's non-debate:

* Obama boasted of his Latino support in Illinois and Iowa – not mentioning that he won a much smaller share of the Illinois Latino vote in this year's presidential primary than in his 2004 Senate primary, or that there are exceedingly few Latinos in Iowa.

* Obama overstated the number of Iraqis displaced inside the country's borders.

* Obama made it appear that his "most liberal" ranking by the nonpartisan National Journal was awarded because he voted to create an outside ethics office for the Senate. Actually, there were 99 votes that formed the basis of the magazine's analysis.

Clinton works to make stands against Obama in Texas, Ohio

(CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton Wednesday worked to shore up her support in the face of the momentum Sen. Barack Obama has built up after winning eight Democratic presidential contests in a row, while Sen. John McCain continued in his efforts to unify Republicans.

Clinton was scheduled to campaign in Texas, which she hopes will serve as a bulwark against Obama's growing wave of political support.

Texas holds its primaries on March 4, along with Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island. The New York Democrat has events scheduled in McAllen, Robstown and San Antonio, Texas.

In addition to Texas with its large Latino population -- a group she has done well with this primary season -- Clinton is also banking on winning Ohio and its blue-collars voters, another group that has backed her in previous primaries and caucuses. Clinton was scheduled to campaign in Ohio on Thursday.

Sen. Obama Radio Ad Falsely Claims His Health Care Plan Provides "Universal Coverage"

2/11/2008 5:59:27 PM

Sen. Obama is blanketing the airwaves in the Maryland/Virginia/DC area with a radio ad falsely claiming that his health care plan provides "universal coverage":

NARRATOR: Barack Obama. An economic plan that jumpstarts the economy, with tax cuts for middle class families and seniors. A health plan that lowers costs by $2500 for a typical family and provides universal coverage.

Top independent health care experts have concluded that Sen. Obama's plan is not universal and would leave at least 15 million people without coverage. Leaving so many people out will drive up costs for everyone.

Listen to the ad HERE.

UPDATE: Sen. Obama repeated his false claim at a rally in Baltimore today:

"That's why I put forward a plan that says everybody will get health care that's as good as I have as a member of Congress." [Sen. Obama rally in Baltimore, MD, 2/11/08]

Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch Endorses Hillary

She hopes to become the first woman to win a major-party presidential nomination. While her husband was president, she was one of the most politically involved first ladies in U.S. history. Her activism on a variety of issues earned her the kind of loyalty and opposition usually reserved for presidents.

In the Senate, Clinton serves on the Armed Services, Environmental and Public Works, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees as well as the Senate's Special Committee on Aging.

Her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, has mounted an impressive campaign for the nomination, but Obama, who was an Illinois state senator before his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, lacks his rival's experience.

Clinton Assembles Troops For Lone Star Showdown

"Bill Clinton has certainly got his problems, but that's no reason not to vote for the senator," Sheila Jackson Lee says to the young woman expressing some reservations about the senator's husband. At the Harris County, Texas Democratic Party Rally in Houston Saturday, Ms. Lee has just delivered some eloquent oratory -- the kind she's been providing, as a national co-chair of the Clinton Campaign, on the stump around the country. Now, however, in her role as congresswoman, she's mingling with her Houston constituents. This particular constituent --originally from either Russia or Ukraine by her accent -- is an inquirer and thinks that Obama is an impressive candidate, too; she can't make up her mind. Neither can the husband at her side. The couple has just heard the Ms. Lee speak in passing about her endorsement of Hillary Clinton. Now they want to know the reasons for her support. But Congresswoman Lee can't let go of the spouse issue. He's had his "disappointments," he's had his "troubles," she says, in mitigation of Bill Clinton's behavior. What exactly does she mean? This is unclear, for Ms. Lee, perhaps channeling a nineteenth-century novelist, is characterizing more of a mad spouse from Bronte than a politician from Trollope.

Click Here to Check out Hillary's Campaign Photo Album

Hillary Ad Cites Paul Krugman Praise On Healthcare Plan

Hillary hits Obama on transparency, rhetoric

"...when she hears Obama’s oratory about a more civil politics, she wonder what fights he would avoid. “You never hear the specifics,” Clinton said. “It’s all this kind of abstract, general talk about how we all need to get along. I want to get along, and I have gotten along, in the Senate. I will work with Republicans to find common cause whenever I can. But I will also stand my ground because there are fights worth having.”
By: Mike Allen, politico.com

SurveyUSA: Clinton Maintains Double-Digit Lead in Ohio

A new SurveyUSA poll in Ohio shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading Sen. Barack Obama, 56% to 39%, in one of her "must-win" firewall states that votes on March 4.

Key finding: Clinton's lead comes entirely from women, where she leads by 29 points. Clinton and Obama are tied among men.

In the GOP race, Sen. John McCain leads Mike Huckabee, 50% to 36%.

American Hero John Glenn to Endorse Hillary Clinton

By Joe Hallett

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York will pick up an endorsement Tuesday from a national hero and Ohio icon — John Glenn.

The former Ohio senator will endorse Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the Westin Hotel Downtown. Glenn will be joined by Gov. Ted Strickland, who already has endorsed Clinton.

Glenn, 86, served in the U.S. Senate from 1974-98. On Feb. 20, 1962, he became the first American to orbit Earth. On Oct. 29, 1998, Glenn returned to space, at 77, the oldest person to orbit Earth, as a senator joining six astronauts aboard the shuttle Discovery.

Strickland said today that he considers two key March 4 voting states — Ohio and Texas — firewalls for Clinton against the juggernaut by her Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. If Clinton fails to carry Ohio, Strickland said, it will be difficult for her to win the nomination.

Glenn will join Strickland, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, and U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Cleveland as the most prominent supporters of Clinton. So far, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, has not endorsed in the race.

WSJ: Hillary Touts Battle Scars

Amy Chozick reports on the presidential race from Washington, D.C.

Hillary Clinton has endured decades of Republican attacks. That may not sound like a good thing, but the Clinton campaign says “oh yes it is.”

A new poll suggests that Barack Obama may be the stronger Democrat to beat Republican John McCain. But don’t tell Clinton that. She argues that years of withstanding criticism from Republicans makes her the strongest candidate.

“I am battle scarred and I’m proud of those scars,” Clinton told reporters today after touring a General Motors plant outside Baltimore. “I believe I can make the most convincing argument that I am the person best able to be president from day one and best able to beat Sen. McCain.”

Clinton is arguing that because her past — both personal and professional — has been so thoroughly vetted by Republican opponents, she’ll be better prepared to withstand anything the GOP may throw at her in a general election.

Obama, she says, hasn’t gone through that same process. And this, she says, could make him more vulnerable to a smear campaign like the Swift Boat issue that hurt Sen. John Kerry’s bid for the presidency in 2004.

“My track record at being able to take on Republicans is really a proven one. Someone told me today that Sen. Obama has never had a negative ad run against him. Well, get ready because if he’s going to be the nominee that’s going to happen,” she said in an interview with a local ABC network in Washington, D.C.

Hillary Looks to March 4

By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is counting on the almost-Super Tuesday primaries March 4 for another comeback, as she and rival Sen. Barack Obama both begin ads in Texas and Ohio, the day's biggest prizes.

Barring an upset win for Clinton in the next five Democratic contests, she could well have suffered 10 straight defeats by the time Democrats begin voting March 4 in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont — the biggest single day left on the Democratic nominating calendar.

The New York senator bounced back earlier in New Hampshire after Obama defeated her in Iowa. Now she says "I am very confident" of doing much better when 370 delegates are allocated March 4.

Brown Univ. Poll: Hillary Holds Strong Lead Over Obama in RI

A new Brown University poll of 474 likely Democratic primary voters in Rhode Island (2/9-2/10 with a MoE of 5%) shows Hillary Clinton holds a lead over Barack Obama.

• Hillary Clinton - 36%
• Barack Obama - 28%
• Uncommitted - 27%
• Undecided - 9%
  

The poll also has Hillary beating McCain in the General Election in RI:

• Clinton-43% McCain-32% Undecided-25%

NY Times: Obama Finally Agrees to Debate Hillary

Barack Obama has accepted an invitation to debate Hillary Rodham Clinton in Austin, Tex., his campaign announced.

The event, co-sponsored by CNN, Univision and the Texas Democratic Party, is set for Feb. 21, ahead of the state’s March 4 hybrid caucus/primary.

“We are pleased that Sen. Obama will have the opportunity to debate in Texas, and that it will air on Univision, ensuring a wide and diverse audience,” said Adrian Saenz, Mr. Obama’s Texas state director, in a statement.

The debate also will come a few days before the pair goes head-to-head at a Cleveland event on Feb. 26. Ohio holds its primary March 4, too.

Paul Krugman: Obama Casting "Venom" at Clinton

Supporters of each candidate should have no trouble rallying behind the other if he or she gets the nod.

Why, then, is there so much venom out there?

I won’t try for fake evenhandedness here: most of the venom I see is coming from supporters of Mr. Obama, who want their hero or nobody. I’m not the first to point out that the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality. We’ve already had that from the Bush administration — remember Operation Flight Suit? We really don’t want to go there again.

What’s particularly saddening is the way many Obama supporters seem happy with the application of “Clinton rules” — the term a number of observers use for the way pundits and some news organizations treat any action or statement by the Clintons, no matter how innocuous, as proof of evil intent.

Recent News from the Clinton Campaign

February 11, 2008

Yesterday on the Trail: "Fans packed the overflowing gymnasium and gave Clinton a rousing welcome," in Manassas, Virginia... "Thousands of enthusiastic supporters" greeted Hillary in Bowie, Maryland, "a larger crowd than was expected. Those who didn't make it into the gym crowded hallways and the school lobby, craning their necks for a glimpse of the candidate."... President Bill Clinton attended church services in Washington, D.C. and Bowie, Maryland and held "Solutions for America" events in Catonsville, Dundalk and Silver Spring, Maryland... Chelsea attended church services in Washington, D.C., met with students at the University of Maryland in College Park and toured Belvedere Square Market in Baltimore, Maryland. "The crowd erupted in cheers and applause when [Chelsea] mentioned affordable higher education" in College Park.

Today on the Trail: Hillary attends a "Coffee and Conversation" with supporters in Washington, D.C., tours the GM Allison Transmission Plant in White Marsh, Maryland and delivers a guest lecture at Dr. Larry Sabato’s class at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville... President Bill Clinton holds "Solutions for America" events in Fredericksburg, Roanoke and Fairfax, Virginia... Chelsea attends "Our Voice, Our Future" events at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, near Marquette University and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

If You Watch One Thing Today: Tonight from 7-7:30 p.m. EST, Hillary will appear live on TV on ABC7 and News Channel 8 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Voters nationwide can see Hillary live on Politico.com. The appearance was initially intended to be a debate sponsored by The Politico and ABC7, but Sen. Obama refused to debate Hillary.

DELEGATE DISPUTE

By MAGGIE HABERMAN-NY Post

February 11, 2008 -- The latest battle royale among Democrats is over whether or not two big states that went for Hillary Rodham Clinton have a say at the convention.

With Clinton running neck and neck with Sen. Barack Obama in delegates, the race could be affected by whether party officials allow any delegates to be seated from Florida and Michigan.

Both states were stripped of their delegates by the Democratic National Committee because, defying its orders, they scheduled their primaries early.

Clinton won both January contests and thinks the states should be represented at the convention.

Ezra Klein - Frank Rich Unfair to Hillary

February 11, 2008

RICH V. CLINTON.

I have to say, I find it a bit strange that Paul Krugman's attacks on Barack Obama's health care plan and consensus-based theory of change have elicited so much more attention than Frank Rich's far less substantial, and far more unhinged, rants against Hillary Clinton. Hillary bashing has become so normalized that, save in the most extreme and offensive instances (like Shuster accusing her of "pimping out her daughter), it barely registers as more than background noise. On the one hand, this is a real advantage for the Obama campaign. On the other, it's tremendously unfair, and a prime example of the media using the power of pack narratives and group beliefs to influence elections, and it's a power that progressives hould call out and oppose. Whatever their respective merits as politicians, what's happening to Hillary is little different than what happened to Gore.

Clinton Will Call on Edwards as President

ABC News' Eloise Harper reports: Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., speaking in Lewiston, Maine, said that she would call on former No. Carolina Sen. John Edwards if she becomes president.

“There is a lot John and I have in common. I will be a fighter, and I intend to ask John Edwards to be a part of anything I do in the White House.” Clinton was prompted to speak about Edwards after a woman stood up and sad she was a former supporter of his -– but has not switched allegiances to Clinton. The woman commended Edwards for being a fighter –- and thought Clinton was a fighter, as well.

Clinton mentioned earlier in the speech that Edwards was the only other candidate running who offered a universal health care plan. “I was proud Sen. Edwards and I decided to put ourselves on the line politically,” she said.

Edwards has not endorsed any candidate, and it would be a helpful endorsement for Clinton or Obama to have in this tight race. Clinton asked voters in Lewiston to stand up for her tomorrow during the caucuses in Maine.

www.hillaryclinton.com/contribute/JT3B

Clinton replaces campaign manager

From Sasha Johnson
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton has replaced her campaign manager with a longtime adviser, Maggie Williams, the campaign announced Sunday.

Patti Solis Doyle has been reassigned to a senior adviser's job, the Clinton campaign announced in a memo to its staff.

The move came a day after Sen. Barack Obama swept three Democratic contests, giving him considerable momentum heading into Sunday's Maine caucuses and three primaries Tuesday.

And CNN was projecting Sunday evening that Obama would win Sunday's Democratic caucuses in Maine.

With Obama's wins Saturday in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington and the Virgin Islands, the Illinois senator took the pledged-delegate lead over Clinton -- 971-915, according to CNN calculations.

But Clinton has a 224-135 edge among superdelegates, which leaves her leading the Democratic race 1,139-1,106, according to CNN's calculations.

Tuesday, Clinton and Obama will compete for 15 pledged delegates in the District of Columbia, 70 in Maryland and 83 in Virginia.

Clinton's new campaign manager, Maggie Williams, served as her chief of staff when the New York senator was first lady.

Williams joined Clinton's campaign after her third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3. At the time, Solis Doyle was urged to remain on board as campaign manager.

Clinton loaned her presidential campaign $5 million in January, she said Wednesday.

"I loaned it because I believe in this campaign and I think the results last night proved the wisdom of my investment," she said on February 6.

McCain Seeking to Join Forces with Karl Rove

McCain Embraces Rove

Karl Rove last week announced that he had given $2300 to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain.

Asked over the weekend about the donation, McCain said he has "always respected Karl Rove as one of the smart great political minds I think in American politics," and specifically refused to condemn Rove's hyper-partisan campaign tactics (including his smears against McCain in the 2000 South Carolina race).

Clinton Has Lead With Party Insiders

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER and JIM KUHNHENN | February 10, 2008 07:50 PM EST |

WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton retains her lead among suddenly critical Democratic Party insiders even as Barack Obama builds up his delegate margin with primary and caucus victories across the country, according to a survey by The Associated Press.

Of the 796 lawmakers, governors and party officials who are Democratic superdelegates, Clinton had 243 and Obama had 156. That edge was responsible for Clinton's overall advantage in the pursuit of delegates to secure the party's nomination for president. According to the AP's latest tally, Clinton has 1,135 total delegates and Obama has 1,106, with three delegates still to be awarded from Sunday's Democratic caucuses in Maine. A candidate must get 2,025 delegates to capture the nomination.

Breaking News...Obama Ducking Debates

Hillary Clinton has accepted an invitation to debate in Wisconsin before the state's February 19th primary.

Sen. Obama has refused to debate in the next two weeks.

Women Could Give Clinton the Edge In Maine's Caucuses

By Shailagh Murray and Perry Bacon Jr.

Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, February 10, 2008; Page A13

BANGOR, Maine, Feb. 9 -- It is women like Linda Sinclair who have turned New England into a potentially tough playing field for Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

Sinclair listened with rapt attention as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) spoke at a rally in Orono on Saturday morning, on the eve of Sunday's Maine caucuses. She committed to Clinton three months ago, and while she planned to attend an afternoon Obama event in nearby Bangor, she did not expect to change her mind.

"She's really in touch with the common person, even though she's not one," Sinclair, 58, said of Clinton. "I think they're both very bright. But she's more solid. I think he's fluffy."

Times: Clinton Blasts NBC Over Chelsea Comment

By Katharine Q. Seelye

Senator Hillary Clinton sent a blistering letter today to the head of NBC, which suspended one of its reporters Friday for comments he made about Chelsea Clinton.

The reporter, David Shuster, had said Thursday that Ms. Clinton had been “pimped out” to make calls to superdelegates on behalf of her mother.

Mrs. Clinton said in her letter, to Steve Capus, the head of NBC, that she wanted to write personally to convey the “depth of my feeling” about Mr. Shuster’s comments.

“Nothing justifies the kind of debasing language that David Shuster used and no temporary suspension or half-hearted apology is sufficient,” she wrote.

She also said that Mr. Capus should look at “the pattern of behavior on your network that seems to repeatedly lead to this sort of degrading language.”

The reference was to comments last month by Chris Matthews, an MSNBC anchor, who had suggested Mrs. Clinton had succeeded politically because of sympathy toward her resulting from her husband’s infidelity.

Mr. Shuster apologized on air yesterday and he and network executives apologized to the Clinton family and the campaign.

But those apologies apparently did not assuage

NY Times: Neck and Neck, Democrats Woo Superdelegates

By ADAM NAGOURNEY and CARL HULSE

Published: February 10, 2008

WASHINGTON — Seeing a good possibility that the Democratic presidential nomination will not be settled in the primaries and caucuses, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are lavishing attention on a group that might hold the balance of power: elected officials and party leaders who could decide the outcome at the convention in August.

Obama sweeps; Huckabee is strong

By Susan Milligan Globe Staff / February 10, 2008

WASHINGTON - Senator Barack Obama scored a clean sweep last night in Democratic nominating contests from the West Coast to the Caribbean, giving him a burst of momentum in a Democratic campaign where every delegate has become crucial to capturing the nomination.

more stories like this

• Obama narrows delegate gap with Clinton
• Online cajoling the new currency
• Who is crying now?
• Clinton, Obama pitch to Va. Democrats
• Clinton says she can beat McCain
• 

On the Republican side, a defiant Mike Huckabee easily won yesterday's GOP caucuses in Kansas and narrowly won the Louisiana primary over his party's front-runner, Senator John McCain, giving a breath of life to the former Arkansas governor's uphill campaign. Early today, the Republican Party chairman in Washington state declared John McCain the narrow winner of the state's caucuses, the Associated Press reported.

Obama won the Nebraska and Washington caucuses by greater than two-to-one margins against Senator Hillary Clinton and easily captured the Louisiana primary by a double-digit margin with heavy support among African-American voters. Obama also swamped Clinton in the US Virgin Islands caucuses. But because of the proportional awarding of delegates in the Democratic contests, the two contenders remain locked in a close battle for the 2,025 delegates needed to secure the party's nomination.

"We won north, we won south, we won in between," a jubilant Obama told a Democratic Party dinner last night in Virginia. "And I believe we can win Virginia," he added to cheers and shouts of "Yes, we can!", his cam paign mantra.

NY Times: Huckabee Staying In Race

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mike Huckabee vowed on Saturday to stay in the Republican Party's nominating race for the presidential election in November, despite trailing far behind rival John McCain.

"Am I quitting? Let's get that settled right now. No, I'm not," Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and a Baptist preacher, told a conference of conservative activists.

Obama, Clinton Compete in 3 States

DAVID ESPO

WASHINGTON — Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton competed for Democratic convention delegates across three states on Saturday, locked in a landmark struggle for the party's presidential nomination.

A total of 158 delegates was at stake in the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska and Washington. Caucuses in the Virgin Islands offered three more.

Clinton began the day with a slender delegate lead in The Associated Press count. She had 1,045 delegates to 960 for Obama. A total of 2,025 is required to win the nomination at the party convention in Denver.

Republican contests in Louisiana, Kansas and Guam provided John McCain a chance to advance closer to the 1,191 delegates he needs to make his nomination official.

The Arizona senator began the day with 707 delegates. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, with 195, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, with 14, were his only remaining rivals following Mitt Romney's withdrawal from the race.

The day's contests opened a new phase in the Democratic race between Clinton, attempting to become the first woman in the White House, and Obama, hoping to become the first black.

The Feb. 5 Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses in 22 states, which once looked likely to effectively settle the race, instead produced a near-equal delegate split.

That left Obama and Clinton facing the likelihood of a grind-it-out competition lasting into spring _ if not to the convention itself.

With the night's events, 29 of the 50 states have selected delegates.

Two more _ Michigan and Florida _ held renegade primaries and the Democratic National Committee has vowed not to seat any delegates chosen at either of them.

Maine, with 24 delegates, holds caucuses on Sunday. Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia and voting by Americans overseas are next, on Tuesday, with 175 combined.

Then follows a brief intermission, followed by a string of election nights, some crowded, some not.

The date of March 4 looms large, 370 delegates in primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Mississippi is alone in holding a primary one week later, with a relatively small 33 delegates at stake.

Puerto Rico anchors the Democratic calendar, with 55 delegates chosen in caucuses on June 7.

If Super Tuesday failed to settle the campaign, it produced a remarkable surge in fundraising.

Obama's aides announced he had raised more than $7 million on line in the two days that followed.

Clinton disclosed she had loaned her campaign $5 million late last month in an attempt to counter her rival's Super Tuesday television advertising. She raised more than $6 million in the two days after the busiest night in primary history.

The television ad wars continued unabated.

Obama has been airing commercials for more than a week in television markets serving every state that has a contest though Feb 19.

Clinton began airing ads midweek in Washington state, Maine and Nebraska, and added Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia on Friday.

Saturday Primary Contests

Today, February 9th, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be going head-to-head for delegates in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington state and the Virgin Islands. On Sunday the race moves to Maine. Of these five contests, four are caucuses (Louisiana is a primary).

On the Republican side John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul will compete in primaries in Kansas, Washington state and Louisiana.

Delegates at stake:

Dems:

A total of 158 delegates [are] at stake in the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska and Washington. Caucuses in the Virgin Islands offered three more.

GOP:
The Republicans have 74 convention delegates at stake.

JUST IN...

Hillary Clinton's campaign has just reported that it has received 75,000 contributions since Super Tuesday.

'Nuff Said

Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, and Hillary

Breaking News: Hillary Hits New Highs in Fundraising Efforts

Patti Solis Doyle of Hillary's Campaign has released the following statement to contributors:

"Now THAT is what I call two good days.

Not only did we celebrate huge victories for Hillary all over the country on Super Tuesday, but you matched our success with a breathtaking show of support.

You exceeded our $3 million goal in less than 24 hours. In fact, we've already hit FOUR MILLION DOLLARS! Incredible! And so far, more than 35,000 people -- 35,000! -- have made online contributions.

Your response has been so amazing that we are doubling our goal: $6 million in 72 hours.

I'm simply awed to see everyone stepping up for Hillary. And boy did you pick a good time to do it! We poured our heart, our soul, and -- you better believe -- tens of millions of dollars into February 5. Now it's time to build our resources back up for what we know will be a long and hard-fought contest."

Miscalculations Dogged Romney from the Start - New York Times

By MICHAEL LUO

Mr. Romney’s advisers acknowledged Thursday an array of tactical missteps and miscalculations. Perhaps most significantly, they conceded that they had failed to overcome doubts about Mr. Romney’s authenticity as they sought to position him as the most electable conservative in the race, a jarring contrast to his more moderate record as governor of Massachusetts. And during the January nominating contests, as his opponents attacked his shifting on issues, polls showed his favorability ratings plummeting.

Mr. Romney spent more than $35 million of his own money trying to get himself elected, but his campaign faced challenges from the start, some from obstacles beyond his control.

GOODBYE MITT!!!

McCain Emerges as G.O.P. Choice

By ELISABETH BUMILLER and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain all but captured the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday after Mitt Romney withdrew from the race, saying the war in Iraq and the terrorist threat made it imperative that the party unite.

In a dramatic announcement before a convention of stunned and largely unhappy conservatives, Mr. Romney said that he wanted to fight on but that taking his campaign all the way to the Republican convention in September would delay a national campaign against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton or Senator Barack Obama, the two remaining Democratic contenders. Mr. Romney described both as weak on national security.

“They would retreat, declare defeat, and the consequences of that would be devastating,” Mr. Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, told a crowd that broke into chants of “Mitt, Mitt, Mitt.”

Staying in the race, he said, “would make it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to win.”

Mr. Romney, who spent tens of millions of dollars of his fortune on the race, added, “Frankly, in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding the surrender to terror.”

Mr. McCain stepped forward two hours later before the same gathering to try to make peace with a group deeply skeptical of him, if not outright hostile. In a moment that will long be remembered by Republicans, he was greeted with jeers as well as cheers.

Will the Media Give McCain a Free Pass on Climate?

By David Roberts (For The Nation) After a decisive Super Tuesday win, John McCain is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. (Why? I'm with Ross Douthat: it was luck.) It's time to start thinking about what a campaign against him is going to look like.

According to the Villagers, McCain is a maverick, and nowhere is that alleged quality more evident than in his pundit-titillating (punditillating?) position on climate change. He is the Republican apostate, a visionary who has reached across the aisle. Why, now that McCain is the Republican nominee, we're practically guaranteed to get bold action on climate no matter who wins! Right?

McCain will be running as a climate champion against a Democrat who claims the same mantle. There's two ways the political media could cover it:

1. It could probe a little deeper: seek to clarify the strength and detail of each candidate's climate/energy plan; uncover those policy positions that distinguish one candidate one another; compare their respective records on the issue.
2. Or, the media could write off climate as a non-controversy that's not worth covering.

How Hillary Beat the Kennedys

Voters Don't Share Kennedys' Ardor for Obama

By Anne E. Kornblut and Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, February 6, 2008; A21

Sen. Barack Obama won the Kennedys, key members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation and support from the charismatic African American governor of the state.

But in the end, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won Massachusetts. It was arguably the most surprising twist in the Super Tuesday returns on the Democratic side -- one that seemed to reflect her earlier upset in New Hampshire, and underscored the core of support from women that is becoming her firewall in the nominating contest.

For Clinton, winning in Massachusetts meant significant bragging rights. Obama had earned endorsements from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the larger-than-life senior senator, and Sen. John F. Kerry, the junior senator who was the party's last presidential nominee. Obama had organizational help from Deval L. Patrick, the governor, who is also a personal friend, and from allies from his days as a Harvard Law student.

But Clinton won comfortably in a race that was, in some ways, always hers to lose. It was, after all, Martha's Vineyard where the Clintons vacationed during the 1990s. Although the Clinton campaign declared Massachusetts the "upset of the night," Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, one of the most prominent elected officials who stayed with Clinton as others broke for Obama, said: "I'm not surprised at all."

"This is Clinton country up here," Menino said.

It "was about real people," Menino said, who saw in Clinton a fighter on their behalf.

By tilting toward Clinton largely on the strength of female support, Massachusetts was on the leading edge of a national trend in the Democratic race, as women continued to break for the N.Y. senator in some, though not all, races. Exit polls showed Clinton ahead among women in the Bay State with a double-digit lead, while Obama had a significant lead among men.

Michael Goldman, a Democratic political operative, said Clinton's advantage among women was decisive. "A lot of women simply came to her rescue," he said.

RFK Jr