Saturday, December 16, 2006
Verbatim: Vilsack comments on Bayh's decision not to seek the Democratic presidential nomination
VILSACK STATEMENT ON BAYH DECISION NOT TO MOUNT WHITE HOUSE BID
DES MOINES, IA -- Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack today issued the following statement in response to US Senator Evan Bayh's announcement that he has decided not to run for President: "As Indiana Governor and US Senator, Evan has been an influential leader in our party, in his state and in our country. I look forward to working with Evan and other leaders with the courage to create change in America and bring our nation together to address the challenges that face America's families. "Although he has decided not to run for President in 2008, Evan's voice and perspective as a successful Midwestern governor will be needed to ensure that Democrats retake the White House. Christie and I wish Evan and his family all of the best in their future endeavors." Vilsack and Bayh have been friends for more than a decade. Each has been governor of a Midwestern state and chair of the Democratic Leadership Council. N.H. Democratic Party chair will not run again
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Kathy Sullivan announced Saturday she would not seek a fifth term. "There is no state party in the country that matches the political professionalism, the enthusiasm and the honored tradition of the New Hampshire Democratic Party," Sullivan stated in a release distributed by the state Democratic Party. "I have been blessed by having the best state committee, the most outstanding staff, the most excellent candidates, and the most dedicated volunteers and activists of any national or state Democratic Party in the country." Sullivan's current term expires in March. She leaves at a time when Democrats defeated two incumbent Republican congressmen and took control of the state House and Senate in the midterm elections. -- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
Johnson resting, in critical condition
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., was in critical condition Saturday and resting from brain surgery. In South Dakota, the governor said people were standing behind the stricken lawmaker and he urged patience during Johnson's recovery.
"At this point, no news is good news," said the senator's spokesman, Noah Pinegar. Johnson had a brain hemorrhage Wednesday, weeks before Democrats are to take over the Senate with a one-vote majority. GOP Gov. Mike Rounds, who would appoint a replacement if Johnson were to leave office, said, "It just happens that we have one of our friends, one of our colleagues, who is going through a tough time. When that happens, we stand by him. And that's exactly what the people of South Dakota will do," Rounds spoke to reporters before delivering the winter commencement address at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, Johnson's home town. Johnson's condition has appeared to improve since the surgery at the George Washington University Hospital. Johnson has responded to voices, opened his eyes and moved his limbs. Johnson, 59, had emergency surgery late Wednesday after being rushed to the hospital from his office. The surgery relieved pressure on the brain and stopped the bleeding. Surgeons said in a statement Friday that the senator was experiencing post-surgery swelling in his brain, but they said that was normal. Johnson's doctors also disclosed that when he arrived at the hospital, Johnson felt weakness on his right side. That condition probably will require physical therapy as part of his recovery. He has been diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation, a condition that causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes burst. The condition often is present from birth. A Republican appointee would create a 50-50 tie and effectively allow the GOP to retain Senate control because of Vice President Dick Cheney's tie-breaking vote. Rounds said Saturday it was not appropriate to talk about the Senate's balance of power changing with the possible appointment of a Republican if Johnson's seat were to become vacant. Richardson to criticize McCain's Iraq plan
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will denounce Sen. John McCain's, R-Arizona, suggestion that more U.S. troops are needed in Iraq when he appears Saturday at a New Hampshire Democratic Party event, his campaign said. Richardson is actively exploring a run for the Democratic presidential nomination, while McCain is considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination. Richardson and McCain have said they will announce their plans early in the coming year. -- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston Verbatim: Bayh on why he won't run for president
CNN reported Friday night that Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Indiana, had decided not to run for president. Below is the senator's official statement on why he won't seek the Democratic nomination.
Statement from Senator Bayh Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today released the following statement: "During my two terms as Governor and now in the United States Senate, it has always been more about the people I was able to help than the job I held. As you know I have been exploring helping the people of my state and our country in a different capacity. After talking with family and friends over the past several days, I have decided that this is not the year for me to run for President and I will not be a candidate for the presidency in 2008. It wasn't an easy decision but it was the right one for my family, my friends and my state. I have always prided myself on putting my public responsibilities ahead of my own ambitions. The odds were always going to be very long for a relatively unknown candidate like myself, a little bit like David and Goliath. And whether there were too many Goliaths or whether I'm just not the right David, the fact remains that at the end of the day, I concluded that due to circumstances beyond our control the odds were longer than I felt I could responsibly pursue. This path -- and these long odds -- would have required me to be essentially absent from the Senate for the next year instead of working to help the people of my state and the nation. I am immensely grateful for the support of my family and friends and the thousands of people around the country who helped me with their time and their resources. There may be no campaign in the near future, but there is much work to be done. When the Senate returns, I will focus on the issues that matter to the people of my state and are critical to the future of the nation including reducing our dependence on foreign oil, creating opportunity for middle class families, and implementing a national security strategy that is both tough and smart." Bayh drops out of 2008 presidential race
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Barely two weeks after filing papers to set up an exploratory committee for a possible bid for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential race, Sen. Evan Bayh has dropped out of the running, two Democratic sources confirmed Friday to CNN.
The sources gave no reason for Bayh's decision, but said a formal statement is expected sometime this weekend. "At the end of the day, he concluded it wasn't the right race at the right time, given the close margin in the Senate and amount of time he would have to spend away from it to be a competitive candidate," said one of the sources. Bayh, a Democrat from Indiana, filed papers with the FEC on Dec. 5 to form a presidential exploratory committee. That same day, he said in an interview on CNN's "The Situation Room" that he is capable of uniting Democrats, independents and Republicans in a "politics of common purpose." "That's not happening today," he said. "But it's something I've demonstrated repeatedly an ability to do, and it's something I think we're going to need in the next president." Over the past year, the former two-term Indiana governor has been a constant presence in Iowa and New Hampshire -- the states that traditionally open up the official presidential campaign with a caucus and primary, respectively. This summer, Bayh told CNN's Candy Crowley that he knew a possible run against potential candidate Hillary Clinton would be tough, but he said he felt confident in his abilities and political experience. Four Republicans -- Arizona Sen. John McCain, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- have announced the creation of exploratory committees so far. Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announced last month that he would seek the Democratic presidential nomination. After serving as Indiana's governor, Bayh was elected to the Senate in 1998. He is also a former leader of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council. -- CNN Senior Political Producer Sasha Johnson and CNN Political Editor Mark Preston Thompson files presidential exploratory papers, aide says
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who also served as secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush, has filed presidential exploratory papers with the Federal Election Committee, according to an aide to Thompson.
Thompson, whose welfare-to-work legislation in Wisconsin served as a model for national welfare reform, has also recruited Steve Grubbs, an Iowa political strategist, to help with his budding presidential campaign, the aide said. -- CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley
Edwards thinking about second run for president
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- John Edwards is considering a run for president in 2008.
The former North Carolina senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2004 says he would try to create an America where "everyone has real opportunity," not one divided by economic inequality. Edwards' wife and others say the man with the boyish good looks has accomplished a lot since leaving Washington six years ago. Edwards has traveled the world trying to gain a better understanding of world issues. Edwards tells The Associated Press you have to represent all 50 states, not just blue or red states, if you want to be president. He says there are some factors he needs to resolve before he decides to run, including how it would affect his family. Clinton returns to spotlight to promote book's rerelease
NEW YORK (AP) -- It will be a daytime gabfest with Barbara, Rosie -- and Hillary.
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will be making the rounds of the morning shows next week, promoting the rerelease of her book, "It Takes a Village," while getting some major television exposure as she weighs a likely 2008 presidential bid. The Democrat will be interviewed Monday on NBC's "The Today Show," and will join Rosie O'Donnell and Barbara Walters on ABC's "The View" on Wednesday. She'll also do several book signings around New York. Clinton, who tops every national poll of potential Democratic contenders, has been reaching out to friends and activists in states with early nominating contests such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Next week's nationally televised interviews will be Clinton's first since she began actively exploring a presidential bid. Speaking to reporters in New York Friday, Clinton said she does not expect to make a decision on entering the presidential contest until after the first of the year. "I'm very gratified at all of the outpouring of interest and support I've been trying to field the past couple of weeks," she said. Denver, once upbeat about Democratic convention, uneasy about
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mile-high hopes are dimming that Denver will secure the 2008 Democratic convention.
Democrats posted against-the-odds victories in several statewide elections last month in the West, making Denver an attractive choice for a party looking to expand on recent gains in the Republican-leaning region. But even once-optimistic Colorado boosters are lowering their odds to 50-50 that Denver will beat out New York City for the convention. Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar said this week that in private conversations Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean had expressed legitimate concerns about whether Denver can raise the necessary $55 million and put on a seamless convention. Colorado Democratic Party Chairwoman Pat Waak said Friday that whether Democrats will pick Denver "comes down to the practicality of (Denver) being able to do this." "There probably is some sentimental favoritism toward Denver because the West is the new Democratic ground, and Colorado did so well in the last election," Waak said. "But everything I've heard is that this costs a lot of money to do and obviously New York is a much bigger city with a much bigger corporate base to raise money from." Dean and the DNC have been mum about whether they are leaning toward Denver or New York. A decision is expected before the end of the year. |
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