Politics

AZ GOP Director: McCain Fund-raising Numbers "Bad Journalism"

In an interview with PolitickerAZ.com, Arizona Republican Party Executive Director Sean McCaffrey dismissed news reports that Sen. Barack Obama outraised Sen. John McCain in his home state as "bad journalism."

Cantor Highlights McCain's Experience on National Security

In what is certain to become a fixture in Republican attacks on Sen. Barack Obama, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) sought to contrast Sen. John McCain's lengthy record on foreign-relations issues with one of Obama's biggest perceived weaknesses: his lack of experience on foreign policy. Following Obama's speech at the AIPAC conference this morning, Cantor spoke to reporters as a surrogate for the McCain campaign in conference call.

Clinton Undermining His Elder Statesman Standing

Bill Clinton’s ever increasing role in the presidential campaign has stirred much discussion. Has an ex-president ever taken so aggressive a part in his party’s nominating contest?

I Guess America Ferrera* Was Busy

Thanks to the Daily News for pointing out what really mattered about Elton John's fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton at Radio City Music Hall: what other celebs were on hand for the big event.
 

Joint Town Hall Meetings in Jeopardy

It appears the much-discussed joint town hall meetings featuring Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama may not be happening after all, or at most there may be just one or two joint appearances, in addition to the three scheduled debates. Yesterday, Nancy Reagan and Lyndon Johnson's children offered to host one debate each at the presidential libraries of Ronald Reagan and Johnson. This morning, the McCain camp accepted the offer with the following statement:

McCain Camp Mum on Iraq Timeline (Updated)

Up at his ranch near Sedona, Sen. John McCain must be fuming. After everything he's done for President George W. Bush's campaign efforts -- the endorsement through clenched teeth after the bruising 20000 primary, stumping in 2004, etc. -- Bush couldn't even do McCain the simple courtesy of not completely undermining the Arizona senator's entire Iraq policy as he makes his bid for the presidency.

McCain Hesitant to Support GI Bill for Post-9/11 Vets

While Sen. John McCain is busy bolstering his friend-of-the-military image in the Middle East this week, Democratic Sen. Jim Webb is calling on the GOP presidential nominee to show similar troop support at home by endorsing a proposal to update the GI Bill, The Hill's Roxana Tiron reported today.

While 50 senators (including nine Republicans) have joined Webb in supporting the proposal, McCain has yet to do so, despite entreaties from Webb. Webb spokeswoman Kimberly Hunter said that having McCain on board would "bring more Republicans over to support the bill."

McCain’s Tougher Rhetoric on Iraq

DETROIT -- As we noted yesterday, Sen. John McCain is using stronger language in describing the war in Iraq than he has in the past. For months, McCain asserted that the so called “troop surge” – as well as Gen. David Petraeus’ counterinsurgency strategy -- was working, and the United States is winning the war. At a town hall meeting yesterday in Kansas City -- and again during a press conference in Michigan -- McCain flatly stated that “we have succeeded in Iraq. Not we are succeeding. We have succeeded in Iraq.”

During today’s town hall meeting at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich,, just outside of Detroit, McCain ramped up his praise of Petraeus. McCain referred to the general as “one of the great generals in history.” Whether this is an accurate description or hyperbole is an academic discussion for another day. But McCain's use of absolutes where he once offered more cautious, qualified statements indicates a push from the McCain camp to reframe the debate -- and Sen. Barack Obama's position -- on the war in Iraq.

Michigan Democrats Staying Quiet On Primary Options

As Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D) made headlines Thursday for floating the possibility of a Democratic primary do-over, Michigan's Democrats are approaching the topic with similar gravity but lighter steps.

 

Both Michigan and Florida bumped their Democratic primaries forward this year, and both suffered the wrath of the Democratic National Committee, which stripped them of their nominating convention delegates. Nelson responded Thursday with a letter to DNC Chairman Howard Dean, asking that either Florida's delegates be reinstated or the national party fund another primary election. If neither request is met, Nelson warned, the Democrats would run a greater risk of losing the state in November's presidential race.

On GI Bill, Obama Hopes to Draw Distinction from McCain

As presidential hopeful Barack Obama shifts his focus from the primary contest to the general election, he's trumpeting his support for a congressional proposal to extend education benefits to post-9/11 vets -- and reminding voters that the likely GOP nominee, John McCain, opposes the same plan.

$800,000 and Counting

House Republicans announced yesterday that their former campaign treasurer pocketed more than $800,000 in party funds over the last seven years. It seems that Christopher Ward, a 12-year veteran of the National Republican Congressional Committee, used the cash to make mortgage payments and remodel his home. Not a bad deal, except that he got caught. And now Republican leaders are left with the unenviable task of explaining why voters should grant them the responsibility of managing the nation's books when they can't even keep track of their own.

An Era of Fiscal Irresponsibility

The Washington Post opinion columnist Ruth Marcus has a biting critique today of how Washington's policy makers -- both Democrats and Republicans; both in the White House and on Capitol Hill -- have crippled future generations with debt simply because they can't, or won't, make the tough budget decisions themselves. It's a timely piece, as House lawmakers are set to approve a $165 billion in emergency (ie, borrowed) funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bush Budget Largely Irrelevant In Lame-duck Year

Bush kicked off the 2009 budget debate with a $3.1 trillion spending wish list that calls for significant hikes in military funding while scaling back on health care, environmental and low-income assistance programs.

Dodd Fallout: GOP Senators Pushing Housing Bill Delay

The timing for Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) could not have been worse: Just as the Senate Banking Committee chairman was finalizing a bipartisan deal on legislation aiming to stem the nation's foreclosure crisis, Portfolio magazine breaks the news that he received special rates from Countrywide Financial when he refinanced homes in Washington and Connecticut in 2003.

Does Clinton Constitute a Change?

As the presidential primary season shifts from choosing nominees to choosing running mates, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell (D), a Hillary Clinton supporter, brings up a good question about whether the New York senator -- a powerhouse of Washington politics for more than 15 years -- fits the campaign message crafted by the likely Democratic contender, Barack Obama. From NBC's "Today Show" Thursday morning:

From the Chaos: Opportunity?

Sky-high gas prices, rising unemployment, the mortgage crisis and an unpopular war may provide an opening for headway on Democratic priorities.

From the Dept. of Irony…

Ever wonder how politicians got stereotyped as disingenuous preachers who can't live up to the standards they create for others? Take this little example:

A group of Senate Republicans proposed a constitutional amendment this week -- called the Marriage Protection Amendment -- that would define marriage as consisting "only of the union of a man and a woman."

And whose name sticks out like a sore thumb among the sponsors of this crucial piece of policymaking? That would be Idaho Sen. Larry Craig -- he who was arrested last summer in a public airport bathroom on disorderly conduct charges after he was found allegedly trolling for gay sex.

(Actually, there are two sore thumbs in the bunch. Another sponsor is Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, who was entangled in a prostitution scandal last year. Vitter was never charged with any wrongdoing, but admitted to "a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible.")

If this amendment had been in place, of course, neither episode would have happened.

Handicapper: GOP Losing Ground in November Elections

Retirements, scandals and a GOP president at the nadir of his popularity: congressional Republicans just can't seem to catch a break this election year. And, if you can believe one well-respected campaign handicapper, the effects are becoming more and more tangible.

In the House, for example, 21 seats currently held by Republicans are considered a "toss-up," according to the latest analysis from the Cook Political Report, released last Thursday. That's up from 14 just a month before. (Toss-up seats now held by Democrats remained steady at six.)

High Court Won't Hear Environmentalists' Challenge to Border Fence Waivers

In a blow to environmentalists, the Supreme Court on Monday refused (without comment) to hear a legal challenge against the Bush administration for ignoring numerous environmental, public health and cultural heritage laws in order to hasten construction of the U.S.-Mexico border fence. The decision leaves administration critics clinging to hopes that a similar case, now pending in Texas, will prove more successful. Though a congressional fix is also possible, it's not likely to happen in an election year when Democrats are wary that opposition to the fence could brand them soft on national security.

Influential Lewis Drops Clinton for Obama

As if things weren't going bad enough for Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, Georgia Rep. John Lewis (D) has dropped his support for the former first lady and instead endorsed rival Barack Obama, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday.