The Combs Report

Hillary Still the One

2007-07-13T13:19:00.001-06:00

In the latest Rasmussen poll, Senator Clinton leads ex-NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani 44-43, a double-digit swing in points over the last couple of months. Clinton is actually increasing her lead over Barack Obama, and has extremely high favorable marks among Dems (%84), which bodes well for the general election. Giuliani has a 75% favorable rating among Republicans. Contrast that with Senator McCain, who has been slipping and sliding his way to defeat. His unfavorable rating among Republicans is 40%. The real wild card in the Republican party field right now appears to be former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson.

Dog Days of Summer for Romney?

2007-06-29T13:47:00.001-06:00

Mitt Romney should know by now that talking about small animals is not his forte. I can't even really describe this story, except to say that Romney is now defending something that he thought was a bragging point - namely, placing his dog Seamus atop the family car during a 1983 roadtrip from Boston to Ontario - a 12-hour trip in which the dog got a messy attack of the runs.

Obama Still Rivaling Clinton in Fundraising

2007-06-29T13:43:00.001-06:00

Barack Obama clearly has what it takes to run for president. Money.

Is Bloomberg Getting Ready to Run?

2007-06-20T15:51:00.000-06:00

OMG! Drop whatever you are doing and listen to this. Michael Bloomberg, current NYC mayor, is now not a Republican - again. Apparently, in a "stunning" move (according to the AP, anyway), Bloomberg's decision to change his party status from Republican to unaffiliated - he once was a Democrat - seems to indicate that he is considering running for president as an independent. With all the hoopla this is generating, I wonder what would happen if Paris Hilton actually decided to vote in an election. Can you imagine?

Edwards Keeping up Appearances and Lead in Iowa

2007-05-31T06:26:00.001-06:00

Maybe it's the hair. John Edwards has lately been getting razzed for his expensive ($400) haircuts and hedge fund profits, but while the late night comics and political pundits have been dogging him, Edwards has quitely gone about maintaining a comfortable lead in Iowa, and that's nothing to laugh about.

GOP Candidates Rip Clinton, Obama Vote on Iraq War Bill

2007-05-25T12:38:00.000-06:00

Well, the Republican response to yesterday's Senatorial vote on the new Iraq War funding bill was all too predictable. John McCain - "I was very disappointed to see Senator Obama and Senator Clinton embrace the policy of surrender by voting against funds to support our brave men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan." Good one, John! But, there's more..."it's the equivalent of waving a white flag to al Qaeda." And from Mitt Romney, "Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama cast a vote that singularly defines their lack of leadership and serves as a glaring example of an unrealistic and inexperienced worldview on national security." Oooh - that stings, Mitt. And he added, "Voting against our troops during a time of war shows the American people that the leaders of the Democrat Party will abandon principle in favor of political positioning." Wow. These guys have their finger on the pulse of the nation. Don't they?

Clinton, Obama, and Dodd Reject Iraq War Bill - Biden Votes "Yes"

2007-05-24T21:33:00.000-06:00

Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Christopher Dodd today all voted against the new Iraq War funding, citing the lack of any sort of timeline for troop withdrawal or even benchmarks. Joe Biden voted in favor of the bill - along with 79 other senators - as the bill passed by a whopping 80-14. A few months ago, both Clinton and Obama opposed timelines. This vote was probably a no-brainer for them, however. Liberals would have probably attacked a "Yes" vote, and since the bill will surely be signed by Bush, no one will be able to accuse them of "not supporting the troops" by denying war funds. That's politics these days.

Edwards Calls War on Terror a Bumper Sticker

2007-05-23T14:43:00.001-06:00

Finally, a major Democratic presidential candidate has publicly called into question the policy of a "Global War on Terror". And that candidate is John Edwards, who, perhaps, has keenly sensed that he must push even farther beyond the general Democratic anti-war stance. This may be a subtle point to those who have seen the Iraq War as a fundamental part of the War on Terror, but not for those (of us) who for years now have thought the War on Terror is nothing more than a War on Drugs or, dareisayit, Cold War for the 21st Century. It's about time some politician stood up to raise this fundamental issue. It will be interesting to see whether the other candidates will attack or adopt Edwards' issue/strategy.

Richardson Now Officially In It

2007-05-22T07:49:00.001-06:00

Nice guy Bill Richardson, former energy secretary and UN ambassador - and current New Mexico governor, announced that he is officially running for president. Richardson, who is Hispanic, made his announcement in both Spanish and English, reasoning, "One of my potential problems is that one of my potential bases — Hispanics — don't know that I'm Hispanic, so I'm trying to change that. It's just rudimentary politics." That Bill Richardson guy, he's always thinking.

Is Giuliani Coming Back to the Pack?

2007-05-18T06:39:00.001-06:00

The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting story suggesting that the wind is starting to come out of Giuliani's presidential sails. The reasons? Well, apparently, his pro-choice stance is really a sticking point with conservatives. Supporting gay marriage doesn't help either. Luckily for him, John McCain, the only other serious contender at this point, is not exactly beloved by those same conservatives. Either way, if the base of the Republican party isn't enthusiastic about their eventual candidate, it can't bode well for the general election, no matter which Democrat opposes him.

Giuliani Says He Support Waterboarding during Interrogation

2007-05-16T18:49:00.000-06:00

It's kind of surprising that Rudy Giuliani, who definitely needs to appear "strong on defense", was rather outspoken last night about the controversial technique of "waterboarding" during interrogation of prisoners. This issue seems so 2006. Oh, you think he was criticizing it? Nope. Turns out, he fully supports its use, and says, "I can see what can happen when you make a mistake." And Mitt Romney? He wants to double the size of Guantanamo. These guys are tough.

Music Tastes of the 2008 Presidential Candidates

2007-05-09T09:34:00.000-06:00

What do John McCain and I have in common? Well, of course, we're both listening to The Beach Boys - Sounds of Summer - Greatest Hits. The AP wanted to find out what the candidates are listening to lately. Most cerebral? Rudy Giuliani is listening to Verdi's Macbeth. Most predictable? Sam Brownback is listening to Christian artist Michael W. Smith. Most "huh-wuh"? Mike Huckabee is listening to Evanescence.

Obama Overstates Kansas Tornado Deaths

2007-05-09T06:13:00.000-06:00

During a speech in Richmond, VA, Barack Obama mistakenly stated that the number of deaths due to the Greensburg, KS tornado this week was 10,000. Well, that number is several times the amount of people that live in the town. The actual death toll - 12. Obama realized shortly thereafter he had made a mistake, and simply said, "There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes."

Barack Obama Wants Free Debate

2007-05-04T13:32:00.000-06:00

Barack Obama gets it. In a move sure to please at least tens of frequent posters to social networking sites, such as Digg and YouTube, Obama asked DNC chairman Howard Dean to make all video taken from the Democratic presidential debates free

under the Creative Commons License.

Barack Obama Now Under Secret Service Protection

2007-05-03T18:27:00.000-06:00

Barack Obama has been g ranted his request to have Secret Service protection, as he meets certain necessary criteria, such as actively campaigning for his party's nomination and raising more than $100,000, according to Homeland Security. My only thought - who doesn't qualify for SS protection?

Hillary Setting Up Showdown with Bush - And Other Dems on Iraq

2007-05-03T18:24:00.000-06:00

Hillary Clinton, along with Sen. Robert Byrd (WV), announced they will introduce legislation to require President Bush to seek reauthorization for the War in Iraq. The only problem? They're not sure how to do it yet.

McCain Makes Candidacy Official (Finally)

2007-04-26T06:48:00.000-06:00

I don't know whether anyone was really eagerly awaiting McCain's announcement yesterday, but it certainly seemed like news. The question now is really whether McCain can still be considered the GOP frontrunner.

Obama Poll Numbers Flying High - Tied with Clinton

2007-04-23T23:16:00.000-06:00

In the latest Rasmussen Reports presidential poll, Barack Obama is tied with Hillary Clinton, each at 32%. John Edwards is comfortably in third with 17% far ahead of Bill Richardson in fourth with 3%. Interestingly, according to the poll, it is Edwards who performs best in in a general election matchup against GOP candidates. He is the only Democratic candidate who tops Rudy Giuliani.

Obama Pledges to End War

2007-04-21T09:01:00.000-06:00

After hearing a tearful woman's unusually sorrowful plea to end the Iraq War at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, Barack Obama responded, "So I make a solemn pledge to you, as president we will be out of Iraq." That's good news for NH voters, where ending the war is the top issue for voters.

Mitt Romney Website Ignores Virginia Tech Tragedy

2007-04-18T21:51:00.000-06:00

Amazingly, Mitt Romney still does not have any mention of the Virginia Tech massacre on his website. Do we need to start a petition or something to get him to acknowledge this terrible tragedy? Maybe. What does he have as the lead headline today on his site? You guessed it, the Supreme Court decision on the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. Mitt, not that you're reading my blog or anything, but take my (free!) advice: Read the news.

Supreme Court Upholds Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act

2007-04-18T12:07:00.000-06:00

You may be asking yourself why I would put Rudy Giuliani on the front of this story. Well, that's a stupid question. It was obvious that all of the GOP candidates - yes, even Giuliani, who is decidedly not the poster boy for Republicans on abortion - were going to come out of the woodworks today and lavish praise on the Supreme Court for its ruling to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. And predictably, the Democrats are unified in their opposition to the ruling. And so it goes...

Will Gun Control Be An Issue After Va Tech Massacre?

2007-04-18T06:09:00.000-06:00

The tragedy that occurred in Blacksburg on Monday demands some discussion of gun control, even if candidates on both sides of the debate may be hesitant to enter the fray.

Candidates React to Virginia Tech Massacre

2007-04-16T18:52:00.000-06:00

(Edit: Rudy Giuliani has now joined Obama and Edwards in displaying the "splash" screen before you enter the website.)

The various candidates are coming out to speak after the tragic events of this morning at Virginia Tech. I thought it would be interesting and, perhaps, informative to look into how each of the candidate websites are handling the situation. I have to say I find both Barack Obama's and John Edwards' sites to be very impressive. These are simply black (or white) text on a white (or black) background, and they are the first thing you see after typing the url. Very somber, but poignant. Hillary Clinton has a message on her site, but you must first get through a sign-up page! Not surprisingly, the McCain message is very terse and uninspired. In a similar style to Obama, Rudy Giuliani has a giant text white-on-black text message on the front page of his site, and some other live feeds about the tragedy. Nicely done.

Now, who have I left out? Mitt Romney, you say? So, what's on his website tonight. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Shameful.

McCain Cutting Back the Troops - On His Staff

2007-04-11T22:38:00.000-06:00

John McCain is really feeling the pinch. His campaign is eliminating some "non-senior staff positions" and also cutting some consulting costs. Is it me, or is this a really bad sign?

Fred Thompson Leading McCain in Poll

2007-04-11T22:32:00.000-06:00

Well, ain't this news? McCain, who likes to take long moonlit strolls in the Green Zone, is actually trailing Fred Thompson in a new Bloomberg/LA Times poll. The same poll shows Giuliani well ahead of both candidates, however.

Obama Appearance on Letterman Show

2007-04-10T05:42:00.000-06:00

Barack Obama made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman last night. You can see the video in two parts on YouTube (part1, part2). Obama made it clear he's in the race to win, and not to be second on a ticket with Hillary Clinton.

New York Moves Primary to Feb 5 - Could Help Clinton, Giuliani

2007-04-09T22:57:00.000-06:00

New York has decided to hold its presidential primary on February 5, just three weeks after the once all-important Iowa caucus. This date, which is a full month ahead of the previous March 4 date, will potentially be of great benefit to the two prominent New Yorkers in the race, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, who pushed for the measure to pass.

A Look at Giuliani's Crime Fighting History

2007-04-09T22:51:00.000-06:00

This AP story nicely recounts some of Rudy Giuliani's exploits

as a federal prosecutor (didn't know that?), as he confronted the mob, drug dealers, and yes, politicians. Well, you know what they say about there being a thin line.

Mitt Digging Himself a Bigger Rabbit Hole

2007-04-06T08:52:00.000-06:00

Well, I'll say this for Mitt Romney, he's not one to quit. After the recent revelation that he is actually not a serious hunter, Romney now says he's always been a "small game" hunter. You know, like rabbits and varmints and stuff. No, seriously. From the man, himself, "I've always been a rodent and rabbit hunter. Small varmints, if you will. I began when I was 15 or so and I have hunted those kinds of varmints since then. More than two times." You would think for the very same reasons he feels the need to justify his hunting cred, the fact that he mostly hunts cute little bunny rabbits is not necessarily the image he wants to procure. Methinks sometimes it's best to just shut up.

Is This Mitt Romney's "John Kerry" Moment?

2007-04-05T06:49:00.000-06:00

Remember when Republicans made fun of John Kerry for claiming he was a "lifelong hunter"? Well, Mitt Romney has taken a page directly out of the Kerry playbook, and made the same claim. The only problem is that Romney has only been on hunting trips twice in his life, once when he was 15, and the last time in 2006 with Republican donors. What's next? Windsurfing or maybe snorkeling? I think one of the candidates should climb into the heart of an active volcano. Now that would be a photo opp!

Obama Raised Whopping $25 Million in Q1

2007-04-04T11:06:00.000-06:00

Reports yesterday claimed Barack Obama raised $20 million, but apparently those reports underestimated his totals. Team Obama raised an astounding $25 million, only $1 million less than Team Hillary. Now I see why Obama has that constant "What me worry?" grin. He's a player.

Obama Pulls in Big Bucks - Second to Hillary in Fundraising among Dems

2007-04-03T10:20:00.000-06:00

For his first presidential run, Barack Obama seems to be getting the hang of things. Beginner's luck, maybe? It is being reported that Barack Obama raised $20 million in Q1 2007. That's not quite as much as Hillary Clinton ($26 million), but it handily beats every other Democrat in the field, including John Edwards ($14M), Bill Richardson ($6M), Joe Biden ($3M), and Christopher Dodd ($4M). These numbers don't reflect the additional funds candidates may have carried over from previous campaigns.

Is Fred Thompson More "Law & Order" than Giuliani?

2007-04-03T10:12:00.000-06:00

Rudy Giuliani as mayor of New York City was tough on crime. But so was Fred Thompson in his role of District Attorney Arthur Branch on the long running series Law & Order, oh, and during his stint in real life as Tennessee Senator. Maybe this is why Thompson appears to be polling so well, and actually peeling off conservative voters from Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and John McCain.

Romney Raises $23 Million in First Quarter - First Among Republican Candidates

2007-04-02T21:25:00.000-06:00

Mit Romney raised $23 million in the first quarter of 2007, while Rudy Giuliani and John McCain raised $15 and $12.5 million, respectively. For comparison, Hillary Clinton, the leading Democrat fundraiser so far, raised $26 million (plus the $10 million from her 2006 Senatorial campaign). With that kind of money, Romney appears to be a significant player in the Republican race, and perhaps, he has been underestimated to this point. Although "some" may say his early fundraising success is directly attributable to the fact that he announced his candidacy so early.

Hillary Sets Fundraising Record - $36 Million

2007-04-02T07:25:00.000-06:00

Well, Mrs. Clinton is going about her business pretty much the way everyone thought she would. She's putting donor's money where her mouth is. Thus far, Clinton has raised a whopping $36 million, while John Edwards has raised a "mere" $14 million, still a relatively huge amount this early in the process. Barack Obama has not released his totals yet, but it's expected that his totals will fall in between Clinton and Edwards. Financial reports for both parties are due on April 15.

McCain Confident We're Starting To Turn It Around in Iraq

2007-03-27T20:36:00.000-06:00

John McCain, taking a short break from the campaign trail, returned to the Senate floor, and voice confidently his opinion that the war is starting to turn around. Well, regardless of whether this would help McCain's chances, and doubtless it would, let's all hope he is right.

Of course, there are other very different opinions. Check out this video clip of a CNN Iraq War correspondent vociferously (and quite effectively) refuting some of McCain's claims on an earlier interview segment with Wolf Blitzer.

Clinton Campaign To Help Reduce Vilsack Campaign Debt

2007-03-27T20:04:00.000-06:00

Hillary Clinton is going to help Tom Vilsack raise the money needed to pay off his campaign debt of more than $400,000. Of course, you're shouting at your monitor right now, "Hey, she paid him for his endorsement!" According to the Clinton campaign, "there was no quid pro quo." She's obviously not directly giving him any money, so there's probably not much to make of this story other than for a second it seemed blogworthy.

McCain MySpace Page Gets Punk'd by Angry Blogger

2007-03-27T13:07:00.000-06:00

A blogger angry at Team McCain for using his MySpace template without giving credit has hacked into the page and replaced one of the pics with something, well, let's just say that will make cultural conservatives take note. It's pretty funny stuff, though, and should teach everyone a lesson: don't mess with blogosphere etiquette. The MySpace pic has already been taken down, of course, but you can see a copy of it at the above link, or at the hacker Mike D's Newsvine blog.

Where's The Beef II? - The Search for Barack Obama's Meat

2007-03-27T06:04:00.000-06:00

Could it be that Barack Obama's campaign is gliding along mostly on style and empty rhetoric? Thus far, the junior senator from Illinois appears to be getting by on his charm alone, without providing the substantive details on issues, such as health care, that are going to be vital in this presidential race.

Edwards Family Receives Calls from All Candidates - Except Clintons

2007-03-26T17:02:00.000-06:00

Update: Finke has now been told by the Edwards campaign that Hillary did try to call on Friday, but they didn't connect. The Edwards spoke to her today and appreciated her call.

According to Nikki Finke, Hollywood reporter extraordinaire, John Edwards told donors at a fundraiser that he and wife Elizabeth heard from every candidate and their wives, except for the Clintons. Two thoughts: 1) Sure, it looks bad. 2) But didn't Edwards imply at his press conference last week and on "60 Minutes" with Katie Couric last night that he doesn't want the "sympathy vote"? Isn't rubbing it in that you didn't receive a sympathy call from one of your rivals doing exactly that?

Edwards Polling Higher after Cancer Announcement

2007-03-26T11:38:00.000-06:00

According to the latest Rasmussen Reports numbers, J ohn Edwards has surged significantly in the polls to 17%, up six percentage points from the prior week. He appears to be taking some votes from Barack Obama and Bill Richardson, rather than Hillary Clinton. Of course, it can only be speculated whether Edwards' rise in this poll is due to the announcement the couple made last week relating to the recurrence of Elizabeth's cancer. And, of course, if you watched "60 Minutes" last night like I did, you would know Edwards said he doesn't want the "sympathy" vote.

Hillary's Vaporcare Plan?

2007-03-26T07:27:00.000-06:00

If you are familiar at all with software engineering, you may have heard the term "vaporware". Here's a definition from Wikipedia:

"Vaporware is software or hardware product which is announced by a developer well in advance of release, but which then fails to emerge, either with or without a protracted development cycle. The term implies unwarranted optimism, or sometimes even deception; that is, it may imply that the announcer knows that product development is in too early a stage to support responsible statements about its completion date, feature set, or even feasibility."

Interesting, eh? Now, take a look at this article discussing Hillary Clinton's health care plan. Will Hillary's vision of universal health care coverage truly materialize, or will it prove to be, well, merely vaporcare*?

*Please note that, to my knowledge, I am the inventor of this word (take note, Stephen Colbert).

Romney Faces Difficult Challenges in Presidential Bid

2007-03-25T13:05:00.000-06:00

This story does a nice job of pointing out some of the problems Mitt Romney faces, mostly due to a lack of experience, as he makes a run for the White House. For example, when he recently said, "Hugo Chavez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase — 'Patria o muerte, venceremos'," from "free Cubans", he apparently did not know that the phrase is actually used routinely by Fidel Castro to end his speeches. Ay dios mio!

McCain Having Money Problems?

2007-03-25T13:01:00.000-06:00

John McCain says he's "got a late start" with this fundraising thing that you need to do be president nowadays. Late start? It's hard to believe, but in the climate created by the presidential election fervor (fever?), maybe he's got a point. (Or maybe that's a better excuse than saying the campaign is actually having problems finding campaign donors.)

Bill Bradley on "Meet The Press"

2007-03-25T08:58:00.000-06:00

Bill Bradley, the main challenger to Al Gore for the 2000 Democratic presidential nomination, appeared on "Meet The Press" with Tim Russert on Sunday. While mostly sticking to his vision for a general Democratic political strategy, as discussed in his new book "The New American Story", the conversation briefly turned to the current Democratic field for 2008. Bradley specifically and positively noted John Edwards and his health care plan. Russert, of course, also asked for Bradley's opinion of Barack Obama, who Bradley then described as "skyrocketing" and "rock star". Interestingly, there was no mention of either Hillary Clinton or Al Gore (except briefly as the latter related to Bradley's 2000 bid).

Former Prez Candidate Vilsack Will Endorse Team Clinton

2007-03-23T10:21:00.000-06:00

It is being reported that Tom Vilsack, the former Iowa governor who dropped out of the presidential race several weeks ago, will choose to endorse Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, after being courted by several of her Democratic opponents, including Barack Obama. His endorsement could prove to be influential, of course, in the Iowa primary.

Elizabeth Edwards' Cancer Has Recurred - Now Incurable - Campaign Goes On

2007-03-22T10:26:00.000-06:00

(LIVE) To follow up on the previous posting today, John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth have just announced that her cancer has recurred, and has moved into the bone. Although seemingly grim news, this diagnosis, according to the couple, is not a death sentence. The cancer cannot be cured, but it can be treated and controlled - like diabetes they said. Indeed, the couple made a televised appearance to show that she is not symptomatic, other than some pain in her ribs, and appears to be in good health, otherwise. Let's hope Elizabeth remains alive and well for years to come. Regarding the campaign, Edwards said (moments ago), "The campaign goes on. The campaign goes on strongly."

Employee at Obama Ad Firm Produced Hillary YouTube Video

2007-03-22T06:23:00.000-06:00

It turns out that the now infamous "1984" Hillary mashup making the rounds on YouTube can be attributed to an employee at Blue Stage Digital, a firm which has produced political advertisements for Barack Obama. The employee, who claimed he was acting alone (they always do, right?), has been fired. One gets the feeling we will be hearing stories like this for the next, oh, 20 months or so.

John Edwards to Hold Press Conference on Wife's Current Health

2007-03-22T06:06:00.000-06:00

It is well known that John Edwards' wife Elizabeth is recovering from breast cancer. The couple was to hold a press conference today discussing the latest developments after she visited her doctor yesterday.

Clinton, Obama Advisers' Heated Exchange over Iraq at Harvard Forum

2007-03-21T09:38:00.000-06:00

The Clinton team is starting to challenge Obama's seemingly pristine anti-war stance up until now, by asserting that since he has been in the Senate, his record on the war has not been different from Mrs. Clinton. This point was made clear during a Harvard forum, where advisers for the two sides apparently debated the issue vigorously.

Top Conservative Candidate Brownback Makes His Case in Iowa

2007-03-21T09:28:00.000-06:00

Kansas senator Sam Brownback represents the hearts of Conservatives everywhere, and indeed, may be the one true Conservative among the current crop of Republican candidates, but will this help him get the nomination, faced with a seemingly uphill battle against more popular, more recognized, and more liberal Republicans, most notably, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain?

Bill Shaheen to Run Clinton NH Campaign

2007-03-21T09:22:00.000-06:00

Hillary Clinton has recruited Bill Shaheen, husband of former NH governor Jeane Shaheen, and former co-chair of both Al Gore's and John Kerry's NH primary campaigns, to be the co-chair for her NH campaign.

Obama Church Ties Too Close To Home?

2007-03-20T06:31:00.000-06:00

Barack Obama's home church in Chicago, Trinity United Church of Christ, where Obama committed himself to God as a young adult, and whose activist pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Right, has in the past supported the Palestinian movement, may be quite a water cooler topic leading up to next year's primaries and eventually the presidential election. Interestingly, based on what I read in this article, Obama's church ties may be the thing that eventually brings him closer to the black community, yet drives Evangelical and pro-Israel supporters somewhat farther away. And yes, this appears to be a complete contradiction to my post yesterday suggesting Obama could actually unite Evangelicals.

Will Obama Actually Sway Some Evangelical Voters?

2007-03-19T18:40:00.000-06:00

It appears Republican presidential candidates may have some problems uniting the Christian or Evangelical right wing base of the party, while Barack Obama, who recently was invited to talk at an AIDS summit by Rick Warren, pastor and author of "The Purpose Driven Life, may actually "get it", in terms of courting these voters. Go figure.

Edwards Losing Ground Close to Home

2007-03-19T15:25:00.000-06:00

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards is apparently having trouble gaining traction in South Carolina, host of one of the key early presidential primaries (to be held on Jan. 29, 2008). If he doesn't win or at least come close to winning there, he probably has little chance to move on.

Just Another $1 Million Sunday for Hillary

2007-03-18T22:04:00.000-06:00

While you and I were busy watching NCAA b-ball and doing whatever else we ordinary folks do on Sundays, Hillary (with husband Bill at her side) was just holding another $1 million fundraiser for her presidential campaign. Yeah, well, I didn't want to be president, anyway.

McCain Back on the "Straight Talk Express"

2007-03-15T12:19:00.000-06:00

Yours and my favorite former frontrunner, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), is on the road again for a two-day bus tour of Iowa, trying to regain momentum for his rather lackluster presidential run to this point.

Giuliani Law Firm Lobbies for Chavez Oil Company

2007-03-15T08:54:00.000-06:00

It is being reported that a lawyer working at Bracewell & Giuliani is a paid lobbyist for Citgo, the Venezuelan oil company controlled by Hugo Chavez. Well, the tie here is fairly insubstantial, but considering Rudy has such a big lead in the polls right now, I suppose any quirky story like this stands a slight chance of pulling him back down to earth.

It's Baaack - Vast Right Wing Conspiracy - Hillary's Four Favorite Words?

2007-03-13T18:18:00.000-06:00

In the wake of the US attorney firing scandal, Hillary Clinton has revived a key political phrase from the 1990's, namely, the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" theory. Well, maybe she has a point.

So, Chuck, You're Not In?

2007-03-12T11:28:00.000-06:00

Ever the coy Nebraskan, Senator Chuck Hagel (R) has announced that he may announce later in the year whether he will run for President. Umm...Chuck, won't it be too late by then? You may have Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich getting in later in the year, too. Just a thought.

Obama Takes Care of Unfinished Business

2007-03-08T15:52:00.000-06:00

This story should make you chuckle. It turns out Barack Obama paid $400 in unpaid parking tickets, dating back to his time in law school, as he was getting ready to announce his presidential candidacy. Well, if he thinks of the little things like that, maybe he is worthy.

Chuckie's Back, Possibly, Maybe, Monday

2007-03-07T19:25:00.000-06:00

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, a sharply outspoken critic of the Bush war policy to this point, will announce on Monday whether he plans to run for president in 2008. If he runs, I think it is safe to say Hagel will be a nice foil for Democratic Senator Joe Biden (DE).

Hillary Clinton: Help Me Break the "Glass Ceiling"

2007-03-07T11:38:00.000-06:00

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is out on the campaign trail imploring women to help elect her president and break the proverbial "glass ceiling". Is this Hillary's attempt to resurrect Feminism, place gender issues at the forefront of national politics, or a shrewd political maneuver to get out in front of the gender issue she faces in running for the nation's highest office?

Evangelical Leader Has Major Reservations about Giuliani

2007-03-07T11:32:00.000-06:00

Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention is publicly questioning the character of Rudy Giuliani, who is now on his third marriage. Does this mark the beginning of an anti-Rudy movement from the Christian right?

Obama's Stock Falling?

2007-03-07T11:22:00.000-06:00

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is coming under minor fire for some stock purchases shortly after he was elected to the Senate. Not sure what to make of this story. The companies involved, AVI and Skyterra, do not appear to have benefited, and Obama actually lost money on one of the transactions. If anything, maybe this story suggests Obama is not such a great businessman.

Ann Coulter Blasts Edwards with Bigoted Slur

2007-03-04T15:32:00.000-06:00

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter called John Edwards the "F" word at the American Conservative Union's Political Action Conference on Friday (the same word, by the way, that ex-NBA player Tim Hardaway and current Gray's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington recently got in mega-trouble for using) . There's even a video floating around, but it's just so ugly, I don't have the stomach to link to it (go to YouTube, if you've got the guts). Ann - just when I thought you could not stoop any lower... well, maybe there's one explanation for this behavior. Ann - have you switched parties? Whatever comes out of your mouth these days only has two effects: the first is to hurt Republicans simply by name association, and the second is to embolden Liberals in the Democratic base.

Obama, Clinton Dueling in Selma Churches

2007-03-04T15:24:00.000-06:00

The Obama-Clinton War is heating up. The two Democratic presidential hopefuls gave speeches in nearby churches on Sunday morning in Selma, Alabama, home of an important Civil Rights march for voting rights held in 1965.

McCain Will Announce Candidacy on Letterman

2007-02-28T20:57:00.000-06:00

Republican Senator John McCain (AZ) will announce tonight his intention to run for the '08 presidential nomination. I'm not sure whether he has already filed the official paperwork, but that's only a formality these days.

Romney the Windsock?

2007-02-27T08:05:00.000-06:00

This article points out some of the apparent flip-flopping, well - "inconsistencies", to be kind - in former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's evolving political platform, as he attempts to garner support from the conservative base of the Republican party for his '08 presidential bid.

Vilsack Drops out of '08 Race

2007-02-23T10:21:00.000-06:00

Former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack (D) has dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination in '08. And in other news... a very tiny pin was heard dropping... somewhere. We hardly knew ye, Tom. No, really. It seems only die hard politicos and bloggers, such as yours truly, even knew that he was running. What does this mean for Hillary, Barack, and the rest? To be honest, not a whole heck of a lot.

Is Geffen Worth Fighting Over for Clinton and Obama?

2007-02-22T07:55:00.000-06:00

Well, the big story right now is the "feud" brewing between the two current frontrunners in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senators Hillary Clinton (NY) and Barack Obama (IL), over record producer and Dreamworks founder David Geffen's switching from Team Clinton to Team Obama recently; the reasons for which were given in a recent NYT article by Maureen Dowd ("Obama's Big Screen Test" published 2/21/07 - no free link available). Among other accusations, Geffen suggested that Hillary (and Bill, for that matter) basically lie for a living. Clever as always, Hillary is actually using this to her political advantage, by making Obama appear to bear some responsibility. Of course, firebrand Obama is not going to back down that easily. This should be real fun, folks. (By the way, if you're still wondering what the heck is pictured to the left, cool.)

Barack Obama - Presidential Hopeful Wishes Upon Stars

2007-02-21T09:27:00.000-06:00

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (D-IL) raised $1.3 million at a Holywood star-filled fundraiser on Tuesday. It appears Obama is garnering the support of important A-list movie stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller, and George Clooney, as well as pop sensations, such as the always controversial (but cute) Natalie Mains, lead singer of the recently Grammified country group The Dixie Chicks. So, the real question today is, which candidate will win the support of Brangelina?

Et tu, John McCain?

2007-02-20T11:32:00.000-06:00

It's easy to bash Donald Rumsfeld these days, especially for Republican presidential hopefuls. Just take a look at Arizona Senator John McCain's (R) recent remarks at a rally in South Carolina, calling Rummy "one of the worst secretaries of defense in history." Ouch. Of course, this strategy allows much of the blame for the Administration's Iraq War policies to fall in the hands of Rumsfeld alone, while deftly separating and protecting President Bush from such harsh criticism. Surely, this strategy is a smart one for McCain who hopes to win over the hearts and minds of conservatives everywhere.

Tube Soon, Mitt?

2007-02-20T11:18:00.000-06:00

Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, will be airing a television campaign ad in several states holding early primaries: Iowa, South Carolina, Michigan, Florida, and New Hampshire. Some might consider this to be too early; however, considering no other Republican has even officially announced their candidacy yet, Romney appears to be adopting a wise strategy. Why not strike while the others aren't even in the race yet? He may not be able to establish a lead over the likes of John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, but, at the very least, his name recognition is sure to soar. +1 Mitt.

Hillary Ramping Up Anti-War Stance

2007-02-19T08:56:00.000-06:00

New York Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has now gone on record to say that a pullout (to be exact, she used the word du jour "redeployment") of US troops should begin within 90 days (as of Saturday 2/17). This follows a day after she introduce a bill to cap the number of troops to pre-"Surge" levels of 130,000. Her bill would also require congressional (re-)authorization to exceed this number of troops. It will be interesting to see what happens after this 90-day period. What will she think of next?

McCain Right on Target

2007-02-19T08:49:00.000-06:00

In a move that was sure to lighten the hearts of conservatives everywhere in America Sunday night, Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain of Arizona, campaigning in - wait for it - South Carolina, said in a speech that the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion should be overturned. A move in the Right direction for Mr. McCain?

Biden's Plan for Iraq

2007-02-19T08:36:00.000-06:00

Democratic Senator and candidate for '08, Joe Biden (DE), has a specific plan for Iraq that would involve splitting the country up into a federation of autonomous Sunni, Shi'ite, and Kurdish regions. He is the only candidate right now from either party to support such a plan, although you may have heard this idea from various politicos in the last year or so. It really wouldn't surprise this blogger if such a partition becomes reality, as it already seems to be the direction Iraq is headed de facto.

Jeb Bush Pushing Advisers towards Romney

2007-02-16T13:50:00.000-06:00

Is Mitt Romney (R) going to be the Bush III candidate? According to this article, Florida Governor and brother of President Bush, Jeb Bush (R), is steering his advisers towards working for the Mitt Romney campaign. Does Jeb's opinion serve as a proxy for big brother George? Well, since GWB said in a press conference yesterday that he won't be "Pundit in Chief", we may never know. At any rate, what I want to know, and what probably matters more, is who will "41" (former President George H.W. Bush) endorse. Again, we'll probably never know.

Rudy Running at Head of Pack

2007-02-16T07:21:00.001-06:00

According to the latest Rasmussen Reports polling among likely Republican primary voters, Rudy Giuliani is increasing his lead over the rest of the field for the '08 Republican nomination. Rudy is at 32%, up from 27% last week, while Senator John McCain is at 18%, down from 19% one week ago. Newt Gingrich is at 10%, followed by recently declared former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (8%), and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (4%).

What's the Deal with Edwards' Bloggers?

2007-02-13T20:03:00.000-06:00

I guess it just got a whole lot harder to be a blogger. Now a second blogger for the John Edwards presidential campaign has quit after pressure from conservatives apparently accusing her of writing anti-Catholic blogs in the past. This follows less than a week after another blogger for the Edwards' campaign had resigned following similar attacks from conservatives. Are we witnessing the first salvos in what will be a vicious war in the blogosphere? Perhaps, this is simply a backlash against bloggers. More likely, I believe, we are witnessing in addition to the rapid decentralization of media power, a decentralization of politics, itself, to the point which people so far removed from real power are being attacked, that it's hard to know where this will end. Maybe this will result in better vetting of campaign bloggers. Of course, how many bloggers would get past the kind of scrutiny that is routinely applied to our national politicians? And isn't the whole point of blogging in the first place that it's regular people?

Mitt Romney Announces Candidacy

2007-02-13T09:53:00.000-06:00

Republican Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, has officially declared his presidential candidacy today. Can a Mormon be elected to the White House? Is Mitt Romney really conservative enough for the Republican base? Does Romney kind of look like Tony Snow (especially in this shot to the left)? These questions and more will be answered...but probably by someone else.

Will Hillary Ever Claim Iraq War Vote a Mistake?

2007-02-12T12:17:00.000-06:00

Unlike most other bloggers, politicos, and pundits, I refuse to ask whether Hillary Clinton will admit her vote to give Bush authority for the war was a mistake, in retrospect, with 20/20 hindsight, or by whatever criteria are used. This seems to be a topic of much debate, and was further fueled over the weekend while Clinton was campaigning in New Hampshire, and was explicitly asked this question by a Democratic voter. The question itself is unfair, and clearly rests on the meaning of the word "admit". To admit something is to take responsibility for an act having known it was wrong, and to have actively lied about it afterwards. Sure, knowing what we know now, she and most other sitting senators wouldn't have approved of giving the authority to go to war. But with what they and the rest of us, and most of the rest of the world knew at the time, it is obviously debatable whether it was a mistake at the time. To make a timely analogy, imagine that we adapt policies that will alter climate change, which by most accounts, is caused by man-made pollution, namely CO2 emmissions. What if in 10 or 20 years, it turns out the scientific community was wrong - in other words - the consensus opinion is wrong now? Should we at that time be asked to "admit" that we were wrong? Would this be fair? These are rhetorical questions, but in the case of Hillary Clinton, we must think about what we are asking of her, and of ourselves.

Say It Ain't So - Al Says "No Go"

2007-02-12T11:43:00.000-06:00

In the "still leaves the door open for a cat to sneak through" department, Al Gore is saying he doesn't plan to run for president again. We'll see about that. I'm hoping he runs, just to muck up things a little more.

Obama Officially Running

2007-02-10T15:27:00.000-06:00

Have you heard about this guy? Democratic Senator Barack Obama, barely in office for two years, announced his official '08 presidential candidacy from his home state of Illinois today. Read all about it.

AP
Reuters
USA Today
CNN
NPR

Tom DeLay - Hillary "Will Be The Next President"

2007-02-07T13:26:00.000-06:00

O.k., to be fair, now disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay prefaced his dire prediction with, "If the conservative movement and Republicans don't understand how massive the Clinton coalition is, she will..." Needless to say, it appears the GOP is deathly afraid of facing Hillary in the general election in '08. What can possibly prevent Hillary from winning? Well, of course, she could lose the Dem. nomination to another candidate, for example, Barack Obama or John Edwards. Short of this, the Republicans will have to find some candidate who can rally both the conservative base and rising tide of swing voters. That may be tough for the current frontrunners, including John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney.

Obama Pledges to Quit - Smoking?

2007-02-07T13:13:00.000-06:00

From the "Who'd a thunk it?" category, Barack Obama announced this week that he plans to quit smoking. Smoking? I never would've guessed that Obama was a smoker. Maybe that says more about me and my preconceived notion of who smokers are. Apparently, he has tried to quit before. Well, Barack, I'm wishing you the best of luck with your quitting.

Edward's Universal Health Care Plan

2007-02-07T07:52:00.000-06:00

Former senator and current presidential candidate, John Edwards, announced his vision for universal health care coverage on Monday. To pay for it, Edwards proposes to eliminate the Bush tax cuts for those making over $200,000 per year.

Warren Buffet Backs Tom Vilsack

2007-02-07T07:45:00.000-06:00

Iowa governor Tom Vilsack (D) has already had some fundraising success in his presidential bid. Among other notable donors, none other than world's best investor, Warren Buffet, has contributed ($2100) to the Vilsack campaign.

Romney to Announce Bid Next Week

2007-02-07T07:42:00.000-06:00

Just as the title says, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will announce his presidential bid next week in his home state of Michigan.

Mitt Has Talent

2007-02-02T08:03:00.000-06:00

Former Missouri Senator Jim Talent (R), who narrowly lost in the '06 mid-term election to Dem. Claire McCaskill, has joined Governor Mitt Romney's campaign team as the "domestic policy task force chairman".

Gore Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

2007-02-01T15:07:00.000-06:00

Yep, that's right. Al Gore, who likes to say he "used to be the next President of the United States," has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental activism. Sure he wanted to be our President, but isn't this a (really, really) nice consolation prize? Would winning the Prize get Al into the '08 fight? Couldn't hurt.

Biden Officially Declares

2007-01-31T13:49:00.000-06:00

Hot on the heels of his inflammatory remarks yesterday regarding his Democratic rivals, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) announced his official presidential candidacy today. For now, Biden leads the field in at least one respect - alphabetically. You can catch him on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight. My eyes will be glued to the tube. Yeah, that's right, I don't have a flat panel yet, wanna make something of it?

Biden's Blistering Banter

2007-01-31T07:56:00.000-06:00

Jason Horowitz of the New York Observer writes a lengthy feature on Democratic Senator Joe Biden (DE), who recently announced his candidacy. In summation: Biden has not-so-good things to say about his rivals.

Hillary Wins Ohio!

2007-01-30T19:51:00.000-06:00

Well, not yet, of course. However, according to a Quinnipiac University poll, Hillary bests the two top Republican candidates, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, by 4 and 3 points, respectively.

Hillary's Joke Falls Flat

2007-01-29T14:36:00.000-06:00

Well, it was bound to happen. Perhaps, the most cautious and careful politician in the '08 race, Hillary Clinton actually tried to lighten up - and predictably, the joke backfired. During a town hall meeting in Davenport, Iowa, a man in the audience asked what qualifies her to be commander-in-chief, given that there are "evil men" in the world. To this, Hillary basically rephrased the man's question (for those who couldn't hear), and asked rhetorically, "And what in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad men (emphasis added)?" So, this remark has caused a minor stir among media pundits, who are asking who are the evil and bad men she is referring to, or more specifically, is it one man in particular, perhaps her husband (shocking!). Well, anyway, you get the picture. Hillary goofed. And her goof goofed. And now she's getting goofed for it. Maybe Hillary will get the last laugh, though. The town hall audience was apparently pretty impressed by her. Let's see if this story has legs...

What's in a Name?

2007-01-29T10:01:00.002-06:00

Well, it's become apparent that Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) is going to have to spend considerable effort defending his name - literally. Only time will tell whether this strategy of attacking his distant Muslim heritage - Obama is a Christian, but his grandfather was a Muslim - will turn people off or put a doubt in voters' minds.

Huckabee - Thin It to Win It?

2007-01-27T12:24:00.001-06:00

The former Republican Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has announced that he will form a presidential exploratory committee on Monday. Perhaps, best known for his dramatic weight loss (greater than 100 lbs), beating Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack (D) in the Little Rock Marathon by over 50 minutes, and a funny appearance on The Daily Show, Huckabee is definitely a Conservative, who opposes abortion rights and gay marriage. However, he also seems like a genuinely nice guy. Well, he obviously has no chance in '08 (unless Vilsack ends up being the Dem. candidate, of course).

Biden to Run

2007-01-27T12:20:00.000-06:00

Democratic Connecticut Senator Joe Biden is going to announce the formation of a presidential exploratory committee on Wednesday. I think Mr. Biden just likes to hear himself speak, because I can't imagine he realistically has any kind of chance in the already too-crowded field of Democrat nominee wannabes.

A Convenient Nomination for Gore

2007-01-24T22:15:00.000-06:00

Well, Mr. Gore, I hope you have a nice suit picked out for the Oscars, because your documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, was nominated for two awards: Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Song. Now, this is certainly good publicity. Could we possibly hear an important announcement regarding '08 on Oscar night, Al?

John Kerry - We Hardly Knew Ye

2007-01-24T22:06:00.000-06:00

Well, the Republicans (and Swift Boat Veterans) won't have John Kerry (D - MA) to kick around come election time. In a move that probably surprised no one, the former Democratic presidential nominee has decided to hang up his running shoes, announcing today he will not seek the nomination come '08. Does this mean I will finally stop receiving your e-mails, Mr. Kerry? God, I hope so.