Monday, December 18, 2006
CNN poll: U.S. support for Iraq war falls to 31 percent
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Fewer than a third of Americans still support the war in Iraq, and more than half say they want U.S. troops out of the country within a year, according to a CNN poll released Monday.
Support for the conflict fell to a new low of 31 percent in the poll, conducted Friday through Sunday by Opinion Research Corporation, while a record 67 percent expressed opposition to the nearly 4-year-old war. Nearly three-quarters said Bush administration policy needs a complete overhaul or major changes. But only 11 percent of those polled backed calls to send more American troops to Iraq, as President Bush is said to be considering. Pollsters interviewed 1,019 adults for the survey, which had a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. But only 32 percent of those questioned in Monday's poll said they would support keeping U.S. troops in Iraq "as long as necessary" to hand over control to a new Iraqi government. By comparison, 21 percent said they wanted to see Americans leave immediately, and 33 percent said they wanted to see a U.S. withdrawal within a year. Despite that opposition to a continued conflict, a solid majority -- 59 percent -- said they opposed any move by Congress to end the war by cutting off spending for the U.S. deployment. But the views of those polled are increasingly pessimistic about the outcome of the war, which has cost nearly 3,000 American lives since the March 2003 invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Half of those polled -- an even 50 percent -- said the war was likely to end in a stalemate. The same number said victory was no longer possible. Forty-eight percent said an American victory remained a possibility -- but only 27 percent said it was the most likely outcome, while 20 percent said a U.S. defeat was most likely. Only 34 percent said defeat was impossible. Full poll results Sen. Blanche Lincoln: Huckabee 'kinder and gentler' than McCain
LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln on Monday described her Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas as "kinder and gentler" than her GOP colleague, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
Asked to compare the two White House hopefuls, Lincoln told The Associated Press: "Kinder and gentler comes to mind, but I probably shouldn't say that. I think he puts a different face on things than some of the Republicans in the Senate." Lincoln joked that she is already exhausted by all the possible candidates in the Senate, among them McCain, Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.; Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sam Brownback, R-Kan. On a more serious note, she said she was hopeful that presidential politics wouldn't interfere with the Senate agenda in 2007. "We've got to produce and our hope is that all of our caucus swill be together and working hard to produce," Lincoln said. "In a presidential election with so many of our caucus members going, I think that might be kind of difficult." Skelton: Boosting troop levels may worsen Iraq conflict
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Incoming House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Missouri, congratulated Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on his formal assumption of office Monday, but expressed reservations about a potential increase in Iraq troop levels.
"Everything I've heard and everything I know to be true lead me to believe that this increase at best won't change a thing, and at worst could exacerbate the situation even further," Skelton said in a statement. However, Skelton said he would withhold his final judgment until Gates presents him with an official policy change. "I expect to be shown that any decision on future troop levels is based on a realistic assessment of the situation on the ground and sound strategy, not political assumptions and wishful thinking," Skelton said. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Ahead on CNN
4 p.m. ET, The Situation Room
-Democratic radio host Bill Press and former Congressman J.C. Watts will weigh in on President Bush's latest poll numbers and the 2008 presidential race. 5 p.m. ET, The Situation Room - Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen will disuses the possibility of a troop surge in Iraq. Denver pols to party leaders: Go west, Democrats
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- The city of Denver hasn't hosted a national convention in 100 years, but city officials are hoping the Democratic leaders will make the Mile High City home to the party's 2008 convention. Denver is squaring off against New York for the top honors. The Big Apple most recently played host to the Republican convention in 2004. The last time New York staged the Democratic convention was 1992, when the party nominated then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton as its presidential nominee. "Why should Democrats have their convention here? Because we feel that the pathway to the presidency is through the west," said Denver councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth. Many Democrats agree a Denver convention would best capitalize on recent success in the West. In 2002, all eight Mountain West governors were Republican. Now, Democrats control five of those seats. And in the Senate, Montana Democrat John Tester just beat the GOP incumbent, joining Colorado's Ken Salazar, who won two years ago. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, says a convention in his city offers "people all over the country a chance to rethink what being a Democrat is. Because Dems out here...come in all different stripes and sizes." Councilwoman Wedgeworth downplayed concerns that Denver will be unable to raise the estimated $55 million needed to host the convention, noting that big corporations and even some Republicans have pledged money. The Democratic National Committee is expected to decide on their convention location this week, Democratic sources tell CNN. -- CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash Watch Dana's full report on Denver's convention chances today on "The Situation Room," 4 p.m. ET No 'big disagreement' between Bush and Powell
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said Monday that no "big disagreement" exists between President Bush and Colin Powell, despite the former secretary of state's comments Sunday that Iraq is in the midst of a civil war and the United States is losing there.
On CBS's "Face the Nation," Powell told host Bob Schieffer, "If it's grave and deteriorating and we're not winning, we are losing. We haven't lost. And this is the time, now, to start to put in place the kinds of strategies that will turn this situation around." "That's his characterization of the situation," Snow told reporters Monday, adding that Powell and the president agree on the goals a new Iraq strategy must pursue. "He also made it clear that, in his view, that the proper -- that he suspected that the president was going to pursue a strategy that would, in fact, attack the kinds of problems that we're discussing -- political reconciliation, building capability among the Iraqis, the recognition that the Iraqis, themselves, ultimately had to have responsibility for taking care of things, and that, again, whatever you did, you had to make sure that the military had a clear mission. I don't see any big disagreement" Snow also downplayed Powell's description of the situation as a "civil war," a label that the administration has rejected. "What he talks about is the most serious phase began earlier this year, with the blowing up of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, that turned into sect-on-sect violence, communitarian violence, which is what I think is generated into what some of us are calling, anyway, a civil war," Snow said. "That's what he's calling; we call it a situation of alarming sectarian violence." -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
CNN Poll: Support for Bush's handling of Iraq falls to 28 percent
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Support for President Bush's management of the war in Iraq has dropped to a new low as he ponders a change in the U.S. strategy there, according to a CNN poll released Monday.
The survey, conducted for CNN by Opinion Research Corporation, found Bush's overall job approval at 36 percent -- little changed from the last CNN poll, taken Dec. 5-7. Sixty-two percent said they disapproved of his performance in office, up from 57 percent in the previous poll. But support for his management of the war in Iraq dropped considerably, from 34 percent earlier this month to 28 percent in Monday's poll. And a record 70 percent said they disapproved of his handling of the nearly 4-year-old war. The current poll surveyed 1,019 adults from Friday through Sunday. It has a sampling error of 3 percentage points. Monday's poll results suggest the widespread dissatisfaction with the Iraq war may be dragging down public approval of Bush's handling of anti-terrorism efforts as well. Support for his management of that issue plunged to 42 percent, down from 50 percent in a poll taken Oct. 13-15, while the percentage of those who disapproved rose from 47 percent to 55 percent -- the first time more than 50 percent have registered disapproval on that topic. Full poll results Rangel: I support Giuliani-Kerik ticket in 2008
NEW YORK (AP) -- Never say New Yorkers don't have sense of humor -- especially when they can stick it to the other side.
A powerful New York Democrat, a mischievous gleam in his eye, is offering an early endorsement in the 2008 presidential race, where the field includes many hometown hopefuls like former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Gov. George Pataki and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "I'm supporting Giuliani for the Republican," Rep. Charles Rangel said Monday, pausing briefly before delivering the punchline. "Kerik, as well," he added, referring to Giuliani's disgraced former police commissioner Bernard Kerik. Kerik pleaded guilty earlier this year to misdemeanor charges of taking money from contractors with alleged mob ties, when he was the city's corrections chief. He was also President Bush's choice to head the Department of Homeland Security, but the nomination was scrapped after questions arose about his background. Political observers say Giuliani's relationship with Kerik could be a problem if the former mayor goes ahead with a run for president. Vilsack's next campaign stop: 'The Daily Show'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Tom Vilsack, the Iowa Democratic governor who announced a presidential run last month, is set to appear Monday on "The Daily Show" -- the Comedy Central program hosted by comedian Jon Stewart that has become almost a necessary pit stop on the road to the White House.
Vilsack is expected to make the case for his candidacy to the show's predominately younger audience. But Stewart has not exactly been friendly to Vilsack's budding candidacy, often highlighting his low name recognition and poking fun at his last name. "The Daily Show" has become a popular forum for aspiring politicians, despite the prospect of Stewart's potentially irreverent questioning. In 2004, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards chose the venue to announce his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Potential '08 hopefuls and Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Hillary Clinton of New York, and Barack Obama of Illinois have also made appearances on the show. The interview will air at 11:00 p.m. ET. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Johnson passes 72-hour mark after surgery
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Tim Johnson has been conscious at times since his emergency brain surgery last week, his spokeswoman said Monday. But he is currently being sedated so he can rest.
The South Dakota Democrat has made it through the first 72 hours since the Wednesday evening brain surgery, spokeswoman Julianne Fisher said, a benchmark that doctors consider a good sign for recovery. The senator remains in critical but stable condition, she added. Fisher said the next "target" for doctors is to watch his progress over the next week. The senator showed some signs of recovery late last week, responding to voices, opening his eyes and moving his limbs. But his long-term prognosis is still unclear. Bush signs law allowing nuclear fuel shipments to India
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush signed into law Monday a bill that will allow the United States to ship civilian nuclear fuel and expertise to India.
The bill, officially called the Henry J. Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006, will "strengthen the partnership between the world's two largest democracies," Bush said. He added that the two countries are "united by deeply held values," calling India "an important ally in the war against extremists and radicals." Bush predicted that the pact will help India -- the world's fifth-largest consumer of energy -- reduce its greenhouse emissions. At present, India produces nearly 70 percent of its electricity by burning coal. Bush's move has provoked anger from Pakistan, South Asia's other nuclear power. Pakistani officials have argued that their nation should be eligible for similar deals. Clinton on Obama: He's terrific
NEW YORK (AP) -- High praise today from one of the leading potential Democratic presidential candidates, for one of her potential rivals.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton says she thinks Illinois Senator Barack Obama is "terrific." The New York Democrat was on N-B-C's "Today" show, promoting the re-release of her book "It Takes a Village." She sidestepped an opinion on whether Obama would make a good president. But the former first lady praised him as an exciting personality with "a lot to contribute to the national dialogue." Clinton also said any decision to seek her party's nomination would be based on what's best for her and her family, and for the Biden: 'I am running for president'
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Delaware Senator Joseph Biden is making no bones about it -- he intends to run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Speaking with reporters at Southern New Hampshire University, Biden said, "I am running for president." Asked if that was his "official" announcement, Biden drew laughter by replying, "I've announced it 27 times." Biden says he plans to set up a campaign committee in January. Biden's appearance was part of a weekend swing through New Hampshire, aimed at boosting his chances in the state's first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Defying Reid, Sen. Clinton opposes short-term 'surge' of troops
NEW YORK (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday she would not support a short- term increase in American troop presence in Iraq unless it was part of a more comprehensive plan to stabilize the country.
The New York Democrat, a member of the Senate Armed Services committee, said she was not in favor of a proposed "surge" of some 20,000-40,000 American troops into Baghdad to quell the sectarian violence there. Democratic Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, the incoming Senate Majority Leader, indicated over the weekend he would favor such a plan. Clinton, who voted in 2002 to authorize military intervention in Iraq, said she was wary of increased military presence in the war-torn country. "I'm not going to believe this president again," Clinton said, referring to President Bush. N. Korea brings 'exhaustive' wish list to revived talks
BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- North Korea set out sweeping demands on Monday for scrapping its nuclear arms and the United States warned that its patience was running out -- an inauspicious start to six-party talks after a year-long hiatus.
Addressing the six-party forum at the first talks since the North's October 9 nuclear test, Pyongyang's chief envoy demanded an end to U.N. sanctions and U.S. financial curbs and the grant of a nuclear reactor before it would consider disarmament. In response to this "exhaustive list", chief U.S. envoy Christopher Hill warned that Washington's patience had "reached its limits". "We don't have the option of walking away from the problem," Hill said. "Their future is very much at stake. Full story Bush to sign momentous, contentious U.S.-India nuclear pact
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Aiming to cement closer ties with India, President Bush is to sign legislation on Monday that is a major step toward allowing New Delhi to buy U.S. nuclear reactors and fuel for the first time in 30 years.
The bill was approved overwhelmingly by Congress on December 9. But three other approvals -- by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.S. Congress -- are still needed before American nuclear transfers to India can take place. Still, some analysts say winning passage of the law Bush is due to sign at the White House was the hardest hurdle. Critics decried the bill -- which makes changes in the U.S. Atomic Energy Act -- as a historic mistake that undermines efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons. But the Bush administration and its allies insisted nuclear commerce to expand electricity generation in India will foster a broad range of ties with the rising South Asian power and open up billions of dollars in trade for U.S. companies. Sense of political vacuum as U.S. lawmakers told Castro will return
HAVANA, Cuba (AP) -- Visiting U.S. lawmakers were told by Cuban officials that the ailing Fidel Castro is not terminally ill and will return to public life, but some legislators said they saw in the assurances of Castro's health a growing political vacuum on the Communist island.
The 10-member delegation, who weren't allowed to meet with acting President Raul Castro as they had hoped, said issues of human rights and economic freedom are important to them, but that it is time for the two countries to find creative ways to solve their differences. Castro's medical condition has been a state secret since he underwent surgery for intestinal bleeding in late July and temporarily ceded power to his younger brother Raul Castro. He has not been seen publicly since July 26. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said all the Cuban officials they spoke to during the three-day trip that ended Sunday told them the 80-year-old leader's "illness is not cancer, nor is it terminal, and he will be back." Full story CNN Political Ticker AM
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Compiled by Stephen Bach CNN Washington Bureau Making news today... Gates "is the first defense secretary in almost four decades to be appointed by a sitting president in the midst of a full-blown war," Bloomberg reports. "Then, as now, the new Pentagon chief faced the task of selling the president on a new approach to an unsuccessful and unpopular war." "[I]f it's grave and deteriorating, and we're not winning, we are losing. We haven't lost, and this is the time now to start to put in place the kinds of strategies that will turn this situation around." More Powell: "I am not persuaded that another surge of troops into Baghdad for the purpose of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, will work." "I'm working hard to make a decision and I will after the first of the year. It is really both very flattering and overwhelming to be looking at this. Maybe more than anybody else I know how hard this job is... "This is an intensely personal decision. I'm very honored that people are urging me to run and saying they want to sign up, yet at the end of the day, I want to be sure that my decision is right for me, for my family, for my party, for my country." President's Schedule: Bush meets with Jewish Leaders in the Roosevelt Room at 11:25 am ET. At 1:15 pm ET, the President participates in a ceremonial swearing-in for new Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at The Pentagon. Tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Bush make speak at a Hanukkah reception at the White House. Also on the Political Radar: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) GATES' CHALLENGE: When Robert Gates took the helm of the Central Intelligence Agency just as the Cold War was ending in 1991, one of his most pressing priorities was to trim the budget and redirect an agency designed for the challenges of a different era. He did it "much to the howling and screaming of people in the agency," said David MacMichael, a former CIA analyst who worked with him. Today, when Gates is sworn in as the nation's 22nd secretary of defense, he assumes command of an institution facing a similar need to transform itself. "He's fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Anthony Cordesman, a national security analyst at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. "He has a major military-manpower problem. He has to rebuild readiness, which involves a massive investment in reconditioning equipment that was damaged in Iraq. Then, virtually every major procurement program we have is in financial trouble." Adding to Gates's challenge: He is the first defense secretary in almost four decades to be appointed by a sitting president in the midst of a full-blown war. The last time that happened was in 1968, when Clark Clifford succeeded Robert McNamara at the height of the Vietnam conflict. Then, as now, the new Pentagon chief faced the task of selling the president on a new approach to an unsuccessful and unpopular war. Bloomberg: Gates Must Manage Iraq While Transforming Military in New Post "WE ARE LOSING" IN IRAQ, POWELL SAYS ON "FACE": The United States is losing the war in Iraq but sending more troops to Baghdad is not the best way to change course, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Face The Nation. Powell said he agreed with the assessment of the Iraq Study Group co-chairmen, Lee Hamilton and James Baker, that the situation in Iraq is "grave and deteriorating," and he also agreed with recently-confirmed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that the U.S. is not winning the war. "So if it's grave and deteriorating and we're not winning, we are losing," Powell told Bob Schieffer in an exclusive interview. "We haven't lost. And this is the time, now, to start to put in place the kinds of strategies that will turn this situation around." CBS News: Powell: We Are Losing In Iraq BLAIR MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE IN IRAQ: Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain pledged his support for the Iraqi government in a surprise visit here on Sunday. Less than a mile from where he spoke, gunmen in police uniforms seized 25 employees of an Iraqi aid organization. Mr. Blair said preparations to give control of Basra, the southern city where the British military is based, to Iraqi troops were "going well." But he added that British troops would remain in Iraq "until the job is done" and the Iraqi Army could stand on its own. "We stand ready to support you in every way," Mr. Blair said at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki in the Green Zone. He flew to Basra later on Sunday. New York Times: Blair Pledges His Support During Surprise Visit to Iraq REID SAYS JOHNSON "IMPROVEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT": Sen. Tim Johnson has shown significant improvement after brain surgery, and doctors say "everything is going to be just fine," Senate Democratic leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) said yesterday. Asked whether the South Dakota Democrat, 59, was conscious, Reid said in a television interview: "I'm not a doctor. I have heard and talked to his family. You should talk to them. It's not appropriate to talk to me about that." Reid, who has visited Johnson frequently after the surgery Wednesday following a brain hemorrhage, said, "he's doing very well... His improvement has been significant." Johnson has responded to voices, opened his eyes and moved his limbs. AP via Yahoo! News: Reid: Ailing senator shows some progress IN MESSAGES, FOLEY APPEARED "AWARE OF THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS" IF EXPOSED: The redacting process in the House ethics panel's detailing of the Mark Foley affair failed to omit the name of one teenage boy who received sexually explicit instant messages from Mr. Foley. The report, which measures two inches thick, included the Florida Republican's telephone number. The 100 pages of texts of the e-mails and instant messages portray Mr. Foley as a risk-taker who appeared to know he was doing something wrong. The four-person investigative subpanel of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct pulled together 3,500 pages of transcribed sworn testimony from 51 persons with knowledge of Mr. Foley's behavior toward the teenage boys serving as congressional pages. They blacked out identifying details about the teenagers -- such as their Internet screen names and their hometowns -- but missed a few... [A] close read of the sexually explicit instant messages between Mr. Foley and at least two former pages reveal a man who appeared to be aware of the political ramifications that could emerge if the messages were exposed. Washington Times: Page e-mails show Foley aware of risk ADMIN TO PROPOSE MEDICAID CHANGES: The Bush administration on Monday will propose sweeping reductions in payments to pharmacies as a way to save money for Medicaid, the health program for more than 50 million low-income people. The goal is to ensure that Medicaid can get drug discounts similar to those provided to large customers in the private market, including companies like Caremark Rx and Medco Health Solutions that manage drug benefits for people who have health insurance through an employer. Congressional investigators have found that Medicaid pays 35 percent more than the lowest price available in the private market for some commonly used brand-name drugs. States, which share the cost of Medicaid with the federal government, make the final decision on what pharmacies are paid, subject to federal limits. The proposed rule would provide new data for states to use in their calculations, redefining the "average manufacturer price" for brand-name and generic drugs. New York Times: U.S. Is Proposing to Cut Medicaid's Drug Payments "ONLY WAY TO GET A MILLION PEOPLE TO EACH GIVE YOU $10 ON THE SAME DAY": This year's midterm elections offered fresh examples of the ways the Internet is changing how candidates in both parties raise money as they scramble to collect the $20, $30 and $50 donations needed in the aftermath of changes to campaign-finance laws in 2002 that banned large donations. Online fundraising has proved a cost-effective and lightning-fast method to raise cash, rally the faithful and promote or smear office seekers. It also could transform fundraising in presidential races. "It's inevitable that the Internet will become the principal means of fundraising from now on," said Anthony Corrado, a campaign-finance expert at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. "It's the only way you get a million people to each give you $10 on the same day." ActBlue, an online clearinghouse that has raised more than $17 million since 2004, plans to use that power. It recently won approval from federal regulators to stockpile cash for yet-undeclared presidential candidates. USA Today: Internet critical tool for political cash THE NEVADA FACTOR: Forget Hillary vs. Obama. There's another question in the Democratic presidential race: Does what happens in Vegas really stay there, or can Sin City set the course for the nation? Nevada has a new prominence in deciding the party's next nominee. It will hold an early caucus Jan. 19, 2008, sandwiched between Iowa and New Hampshire. The prized position is an attempt to bring more diverse voices into determining the Democratic candidate beyond the two overwhelmingly white, rural states that have traditionally dominated the process. The hope is that a Western state with a large population of Hispanics and union workers will bring fresh issues to the debate. "I've always felt that the system we have of choosing our president has been very cockeyed," said incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the state's top Democrat. Nevada "will give the American people a better idea of what a candidate should be for and against." AP via Yahoo! News: Will Nev. set the course for 2008 pick? SEEING GREEN IN THE GOLDEN STATE: With nearly two dozen contenders jostling for an early edge in the 2008 race for the White House, governors, senators and others eyeing a presidential run are already elbowing their way into the good graces of California's big-money donors. The wide-open field in both major parties has intensified the quiet but fierce competition of White House hopefuls turning on the charm at private gatherings in Hollywood homes, Silicon Valley boardrooms and hotels around the state. This month alone, seven would-be presidents have swept through California, nearly all of them scouting for money. Last week, it was Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, who wooed potential donors at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel, then went prospecting for more in San Diego and San Francisco. The week before, Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd, a Democrat, raised money at the Brentwood home of Sony Pictures Entertainment's chief executive, Michael Lynton, then dashed to the Bay Area to collect more in Palo Alto and San Francisco. The week before that, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party's star of the moment, spent two hours mingling with a Hollywood A-list crowd at the Westside home of Endeavor talent agency partner Ariel Emanuel. Los Angeles Times: Candidates have their hands out GIULIANI TO KEYNOTE CA GOP CONVENTION: Rudy Giuliani is slated for a major political appearance in California - keynoting the annual Republican convention in a state ripe with big-walleted donors - as he mulls a 2008 run for the White House, his aides said yesterday. It's the first political trip Giuliani has scheduled since he filed papers last month to create an exploratory committee for a presidential campaign. Giuliani will address the Golden State's GOP the second weekend in February at its convention in Sacramento. "He very much looks forward to it," Giuliani spokeswoman Sunny Mindel said. Giuliani is a kindred soul with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a fellow GOPer who, like the former mayor, is a moderate on social issues. The state is also ripe with rich potential donors. New York Post: RUDY SET FOR 'GOLDEN' GIG HILLARY... THE HOWARD DEAN OF '08? Several key Democrats say Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, now the front-runner for her party's presidential nomination, could become the Howard Dean of 2008. Some say her biggest problem is her "electability," an issue that could work against her in the caucuses and primaries among rank-and-file Democrats, who see 2008 as their year to win back the White House if they choose a candidate who appeals to independent and swing voters. "Hillary Clinton is going to be a formidable opponent because she is able to raise more money. But does that make you the winner? Ask Howard Dean. He was raising more money than you can imagine, but ended up doing poorly in '04," said former Iowa Democratic Chairman Rob Tully. Washington Times: Democrats doubt Hillary's electability BAYH DEPARTS... BENEFIT FOR VILSACK "MARGINAL AT MOST": Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh's decision not to seek the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination surprised Iowa party activists Saturday and further trims what was once a potentially unwieldy field for the leadoff nominating caucuses. The development also leaves Iowa's Tom Vilsack as the only Midwesterner with gubernatorial experience among the party's White House prospects, although experts said the immediate benefit to Vilsack was marginal at most. Bayh said in a statement Saturday morning he could not have competed with his party's stars, alluding to Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who are the party's top preferences in national polls. Des Moines Register: Bayh opts against run; Vilsack's benefit small GINGRICH WILL LOOK AT HIS CHANCES ON LABOR DAY: Newt Gingrich suggested on Sunday he might not run for president in 2008 if a rival has all but locked up the Republican nomination by next fall. The former House speaker from Georgia said it would not be too late for him to enter the race after next Labor Day, if he believed no candidate had a clear advantage. He praised Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani as the contenders to watch. "If one of them seals it off by Labor Day, my announcing now wouldn't make any difference anyway," Gingrich said. "If none of the three, having from now 'til Labor Day, can seal it off, the first real vote is in 2008. And there's plenty of time in the age of television and e-mail, between Labor Day and 2008." The nominee will not be picked officially until the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., in early September 2008. AP via Yahoo! News: Gingrich hints at 2008 White House run |
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• Hagel to announce decision on presidential bid Monday• Does Tiger Woods have a political future? • AFL-CIO makes push to keep unions united behind one presidential candidate • Obama: "No place for politics" in voter intimidation • Muslim congressman talks up 'American values' in State Department outreach • Year of the 'smaller' Pig • Pataki joins law firm • Bush 'sad' about Libby's conviction • House Dems urge colleagues to fund a withdrawal from Iraq • Romney recruits from the Sunshine State ARCHIVE
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