Hillary Still the One

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?

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

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

Is Bloomberg Getting Ready to Run?

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

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

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"

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

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

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?

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.