Monday, April 30, 2007
Mrs. Edwards criticizes Bush for veto threat
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, strongly criticized President Bush for threatening to veto legislation which sets a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
"We don't have any override votes, but there is no prohibition to sending back exactly the same bill with exactly the same timetable," she said at the grand opening of her husband's New Hampshire campaign office. "And if he vetoes that, to send back another bill with the same timetable. Do not start capitulating to a president who is going against the will of the American people, the vote in 2006, and frankly the will of the Iraqi people as well." Mrs. Edwards has been active on the campaign trail since her March announcement that she has had a recurrence of cancer. -- CNN's Lauren Kornreich and Chance Kirsch
Gravel: Anyone who voted for Iraq should not be president
"I do not feel that a person who voted for the war -- because that's a judgment call -- is qualified to be President of the United States," Gravel told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "Fifty million Americans made an opposite decision." Gravel also predicted he "will be the nominee," when asked if he would support Sen. Hillary Clinton, should the New York Democrat win the party's nomination Asked to clarify his remark at last week's Democratic debate in South Carolina that several of the Democratic candidates "frighten" him, Gravel said he thinks several are open to the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Iran. "They have all made statements with respect to Iran that everything is on the table," he said. "That's code for nukes." -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Martinez praises GOP presidential field, notes 'excitement' surrounding Obama
"I really frankly like our field," said Martinez, who also serves as the general chairman of the Republican National Committee. "I think we're going to be fine and I think the support will be there." Martinez also credited the "excitement" surrounding Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, as one of the reasons why the leading Democratic presidential candidates collectively out-raised their Republican counterparts in the first quarter of 2007. "I think that there's been a lot of excitement about someone like Barack Obama -- I know him in the Senate, I serve with him -- and I think that that all has generated an awful lot of excitement," he said.
Edwards tome latest addition to campaign bookshelf
The North Carolina Democrat, who until recently headed the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina, is credited as editing the book, along with Marion Crain, who replaced Edwards at the Center, and UNC professor Arne Kalleberg. The book is a collection of articles addressing various aspects of social and economic policy and features a contribution from fellow unsuccessful vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp, a former GOP congressman and Housing Secretary under former President George H.W. Bush. Edwards authored the book's final article, also titled "Ending Poverty in America," an 11-page essay offering a number of policy proposals and personal anecdotes. Other current White House hopefuls who have written books include Democrats Hillary Clinton, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, and Bill Richardson. Republican authors include Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Tom Tancredo.
Wheelchair-bound protesters arrested at House office buildings
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Capitol Police arrested 74 wheelchair-bound protesters with the disability rights group ADAPT at several locations of House office buildings on Monday. Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, spokeswoman for the U.S. Capitol Police, told CNN that all 74 individuals were charged with unlawful assembly.
One group of about 30 protesters gathered outside an entrance to the Rayburn building. Several protesters chanted "free our people" and waved signs that read "there's no place like home." Capitol Police closed the entrance to the building and eventually arrested the group of protesters. Schneider said Capitol Police moved personnel to the ground level of the Rayburn garage to process those being arrested because the area was more accessible to those in wheelchairs. A staff member from the House Physician's Office was standing by in case anyone needed medical attention, but Schneider said the arrests "were really no different than any other large scale arrests." Earl Woodward, one of the ADAPT members outside the Rayburn House office building, said the group assembled about 500 people in Washington to urge Congress to allow people with disabilities to make their own decisions about their housing and that "money should follow the person" in terms of government benefits. Woodward said the group was urging Members of Congress to move forward with legislation on the issue. The House of Representatives was not in session on Monday. -- CNN Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh
Corzine: 'I hope the state will forgive me'
The 60-year-old governor was pushed in a wheelchair by his two adult children. "I understand that I set a very poor example for a lot of young people, and people in general," the governor told members of the news media and a crowd of well-wishers who had gathered outside the hospital entrance. "I hope the state will forgive me," he said in an apparent acknowledgment that he was not wearing a seatbelt on April 12 when the SUV being driven at about 90 mph by a state trooper hit a guard rail. "I will work really hard to set the right example to make a difference in people's lives," he said. His voice breaking, he thanked his family, medical staff and rescuers for their work and support. The crash on the Garden State Parkway broke his left thigh bone in two places and caused the femur to pierce through his skin. He also broke ribs on each side, his sternum, his collarbone, fractured a lower vertebra and suffered a deep facial cut. -- CNN's Amy Sahba
It's a boy for congresswoman, first in Congress to give birth in more than decade
Cole McMorris Rodgers was born at 3:14 a.m. on Sunday at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, her office said Monday. The baby, due on May 29, was four weeks premature but was said to be doing well. He weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces and was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to address minor complications, said spokeswoman Jill Strait. The former Cathy McMorris, 37, married Brian Rodgers last year and this was her first child. "Brian and I are overjoyed by the birth of our son," McMorris Rodgers said in a statement. "Although he arrived early, both the baby and I are doing well and recovering at the hospital. We look forward to soon being able to bring our son home." She plans to take at least a month off, Strait said. McMorris Rodgers is just the fifth woman to give birth while serving in Congress, according to research by her aides. All have been members of the House. Giuliani releases list of supporters, but not all are fans
Alongside a former state GOP chairman, a congressman and an executive councilor who do support Giuliani, a handful of people made the list of 125 supporters despite their objections. Some are openly criticizing their mistaken inclusion. Others, who did not want to be quoted or to embarrass the Giuliani campaign, have since decided to join it. Wendy Stanley Jones, named a state co-chair for Women for Giuliani, said she was considering Giuliani, but also was weighing staying out of the race because of a busy personal schedule. In New Hampshire, "we take our endorsements very seriously," she said. "I wasn't ready to endorse. I'm not sure I will be endorsing. I'd like to think this is because of a little sloppiness." Mike Galante said a friend told him he had been named as the Carroll County small business chairman, although he never agreed to the post. "I'd been traveling and there were messages on my machine. I hadn't returned them," Galante said. He said he is likely to support Giuliani, but wanted a chance to check out other candidates before deciding. To make things worse, his name was misspelled on the list released Thursday, the day after rival Sen. John McCain formally entered the race in New Hampshire. The Giuliani campaign said on Monday the list's errors were simple confusion. "This is a regrettable oversight on our part," said campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused." Bush: Wolfowitz 'ought to stay'
"My position is that he ought to stay," Bush told reporters during a media appearance with two European leaders. "He ought to be given a fair hearing." Wolfowitz is a former top member of the Bush administration and was instrumental in the lead-up to the Iraq war. Alleged DC Madam expects more names to come forward
Noting that she gave ABC News a huge pile of her business' telephone invoices, she added that while the network "is under no obligation whatsoever to me, I do expect their reporting to help identify potential witnesses for my defense. "For me, this is an absolute necessity, since the Government has placed me in the untenable position whereby, I do not have sufficient monies to undertake this extraordinarily expensive task on my own." Palfrey spoke outside a federal courthouse in Washington, after a hearing to request a public defender. Palfrey has said that because the government seized the assets from her "erotic fantasy service," she could not immediately afford the legal bills she is facing in the multiple-count federal racketeering and money-laundering indictment. "I believe there is something very, very rotten at the core of my circumstance and without money to hire my own investigators, I must rely upon your acumen and talent... to uncover the truth," she added. Johnson discharged from rehabilitation hospital
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Tim Johnson, D-South Dakota, was discharged from a Washington, DC hospital Monday, four and a half months after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
Johnson will continue physical therapy in his Washington-area home as an out-patient of the National Rehabilitation Hospital, according to a statement released by Johnson's Senate office. "It is wonderful to take this next step with family and friends," Johnson said in the statement. "As I continue with my therapy, I also get more and more work from the office." Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage on December 13, caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM).
Snow thanks press corps
"The support I've received from you and from my colleagues at the White House and people around the country have been an enormous source of strength," he said. "There's no way to quantify it, but you feel it. You feel it in your heart. And in many ways that may be the most important organ for recovery -- to have the kind of spirit and to realize that in my case I'm unbelievably lucky, and unbelievably blessed, and really happy to be back." Clinton drops maiden name 'Rodham' from campaign, keeps it as senator
When it comes to running for president, she is "Hillary Clinton," according to her campaign Web site. But when it comes to her official Senate releases, she is still "Hillary Rodham Clinton." The Clinton camp appeared to be at a loss to come up with an explanation when the Albany Times Union newspaper asked about it. "I haven't, I haven't," Clinton said with laugh when asked about her apparent name change. A strategic decision? Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson told the newspaper: "That's a fair question, but there's no plan behind it." The name game has been going on for some time in Clinton's world. When Hillary Rodham married Bill Clinton in 1975, she kept using her maiden name as he pursued his political career in Arkansas and she built her reputation as a lawyer in Little Rock. But, in the wake of his loss in a re-election race for governor, she began using "Hillary Clinton." He won back the governorship. "Hillary Rodham Clinton" became the standard in 1993 as the Clintons moved into the White House. She continued to use that when she ran for Senate from New York in 2000. Ex-CIA officers slam former boss on Iraq, bin Laden
Ex-CIA intelligence officer Larry Johnson responded to comments by former CIA Director George Tenet which aired on CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday. Tenet said the consensus in the U.S. intelligence community was that Iraq did possess WMD, which the Bush administration said was its reason for invading in March of 2003. Johnson told CNN on Monday that although Tenet knew intelligence indicating that Iraq had WMD "was a problem," he still played a role in the Bush administration's message to the American people that Iraq was a threat. "In fall of 2002, he was told specifically that there was a high level source in Saddam's government that was saying, 'We don't have WMD,' " Johnson said. "George Tenet's hands are just as bloody as everybody else in this administration in helping gin up what was an unfounded case for war." Johnson is a registered Republican who voted for Bush in 2000. Snow back on the job, to begin chemotherapy this week
In an interview on CNN's American Morning, Snow said he had recovered from the surgery that led to the discovery of the cancer and would begin chemotherapy at the end of this week. "We'll do that every other week for four months, eight treatments, and if everything goes according to plan, we'll do a maintenance chemo to make sure we got the thing knocked out and put into remission," Snow said. Rice: War bill could be derailed over Iraq penalties
Bush is expected to veto a bill this week that would order U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by October 1. Lacking the votes to override a veto, the Democratic-led Congress is considering a revised plan to pay for the way while requiring Iraq to meet benchmarks for progress. Congress has not decided whether to punish Iraq for falling short. Rice sent lawmakers a clear message, saying Bush would not agree to a plan that penalizes the Baghdad for insufficient progress. Rice: 'Slam dunk' comment didn't lead to war
"We all thought that the intelligence case was strong." Rice said, speaking to CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," just hours before an interview with Tenet was set to air on CBS News' "60 Minutes." The "slam dunk" issue arose last September, the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Vice President Dick Cheney told NBC's "Meet the Press" that before the U.S.-led invasion, President Bush asked Tenet how good the case was against Saddam Hussein involving weapons of mass destruction. CNN Political Ticker AM
Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau
Making news today... The writers said Tenet has "a moral obligation" to return the Medal of Freedom he received from President Bush. They also called on him to give more than half the royalties he gets from his book, "At the Center of the Storm," to U.S. soldiers wounded in Iraq and families of the dead. (CNN.com) Read the letter: (pdf) SNOW: "The president defended George Tenet through thick and thin and continues to thank George Tenet for his service as CIA director... It seems to me that there's a lot of umbrage taken with the term "slam dunk." Yeah, that was in Bob Woodward's book. But on the other hand, there doesn't seem to be any dispute about the fact that the best intelligence available to the United States, to the intelligence committees on Capitol Hill, to intelligence services around the world, was that Saddam had some weapons of mass destruction and was pursuing further weapons of mass destruction." "That's exactly where I am," Richardson said. "I can't even count on my mother." (San Francisco Chronicle) What other professional paths would the top '08ers choose? Find out in Hot Topics below! President's Schedule: Later, Bush meets with the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue at 2:15 pm ET in EEOB, and photo-ops with the FIRST Award Winners back at the White House at 3:45 pm ET. Also on the Political Radar: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) RICE MAKES SUNDAY SHOW ROUNDS AHEAD OF TENET BOOK RELEASE: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended herself on Sunday against the assertion by the former C.I.A. director, George J. Tenet, that she had dismissed his warnings in July 2001 of possible terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda. In his new book, "At the Center of the Storm," to be published on Monday, Mr. Tenet wrote that there had been no "serious debate" within the Bush administration about whether Iraq posed an imminent threat or on how a long American military presence in Iraq might play out; and that his early efforts to warn Ms. Rice and others of Al Qaeda's threats were treated too lightly. Ms. Rice, who appeared on several Sunday television talk shows, said on the CBS News program "Face the Nation" that the administration had tried many ways to deal with Iraq, over "an extended period of time," including efforts to tighten international sanctions. New York Times: Rice Rebuts Tenet's Assertion That '01 Warning Was Ignored WE WON'T "TIE OUR OWN HANDS" ON IRAQ, SAYS RICE: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that President Bush will reject any attempt by Congress to require the Iraqi government to meet benchmarks as a condition for US troops remaining in Iraq, in a blow to emerging efforts to craft a compromise war-funding bill. Bush, who plans this week to veto a measure that would require a troop withdrawal to begin by this fall, wants a bill that gives American officials complete flexibility in conducting military and diplomatic efforts in Iraq, Rice said. "What we don't want to do... is to tie our own hands so that we cannot act creatively and flexibly to support the very policies in Iraq that we're trying to enforce," she said on ABC's "This Week." Though Democratic leaders in Congress are not yet sure how they will respond to the president's veto, Rice's comments represent an effort by the Bush administration to shape that debate. Boston Globe: Rice says president won't let Congress set Iraq benchmarks WAR CZAR... HADLEY "HOPES TO FILL THE JOB SOON": [National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley] is interviewing candidates, including military generals, for a new high-profile job that people in Washington are calling the war czar. The official (Mr. Hadley, ever cautious, prefers "implementation and execution manager") would brief Mr. Bush every morning on Iraq and Afghanistan, then prod cabinet secretaries into carrying out White House orders. It is the kind of task - a little bit of internal diplomacy and a lot of head-knocking, fortified by direct access to the president - that would ordinarily fall to Mr. Hadley himself. After all, he oversaw the review that produced Mr. Bush's troop buildup in Iraq. New York Times: Quiet Bush Aide Seeks Iraq Czar, Creating a Stir SNOW BACK AT THE PODIUM: Don't get him wrong. Tony Snow appreciates all the cards and flowers and prayers. He's likely to choke up talking about the outpouring of support he has received since learning that his cancer has returned. But after weeks out of the office, Snow says, "you get buggy." So the White House press secretary plans to return to duty today, raring to get back to representing a besieged president and jousting with journalists. With investigators bearing down, various appointees under fire and the president in a veto showdown with Congress, there will be no shortage of hard questions. And Snow can't wait. "I'm feeling great and I'm in good shape," he said in an interview Friday. "I'm eager to get back at it. I actually don't feel any different from when I left." Washington Post: After Hiatus, Snow's Happy Return WOLFOWITZ TO APPEAR BEFORE WORLD BANK DIRECTORS: Paul Wolfowitz, fighting to keep his job as World Bank president, will tell bank directors today that he was only carrying out their orders when he gave his companion a pay increase and a promotion. Wolfowitz will appear before a panel of seven directors and argue that the board's ethics committee twice signed off on the deal under which Shaha Riza was moved to the State Department, said his lawyer, Robert Bennett. The former U.S. deputy defense secretary has said his fate is in the hands of the board. The strategy may not be enough to keep Wolfowitz in office as employees, aid agencies and some European governments press for his resignation. Opposition to Wolfowitz is hardening among World Bank directors, said an aide to one of them, as they consider how best to shore up the group's credibility. Bloomberg: Wolfowitz to Defend Himself as Opposition to Leadership Mounts SO, WHO IS THE SPECIAL COUNSEL? When Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch put his obscure federal agency at the center of one of the furthest-reaching political investigations in the nation last week, it surprised many, but for different reasons than one might expect. Bloch and the Office of Special Counsel aim to learn whether officials from Karl Rove on down used federal time and resources for Republican politicking, or pressured federal employees into doing the same... Like the office he heads, Bloch is little-known in Washington. He is a lawyer who spent a decade at a Lawrence, Kan., firm before riding into town in 2001 to become deputy director of the Justice Department's office of faith-based initiatives. In 2004, Justice Clarence Thomas swore him in as special counsel. Washington Post: The Investigated Investigator "LAST-DITCH ATTEMPT" ON IMMIGRATION: Lawmakers who back immigration reform, recognizing that their chances are dwindling rapidly, are girding for a last-ditch attempt to pass a sweeping bill before their efforts are swallowed up by an early campaign season and an acrimonious political mood. An unusual bipartisan group of senators hopes to present this week the outlines of an immigration plan designed to win crucial support from conservatives. If they succeed, President Bush is expected to throw his support behind the plan, which could be his final chance for a major domestic accomplishment in his second term. This effort comes against the backdrop of expected mass marches and demonstrations supporting immigration rights on Tuesday in major cities, including Chicago. Chicago Tribune: Senators grasp at a chance for reform BIG COMPANIES SHIFTING MONEY TO TOP HOUSE DEMS: For the new Democratic bosses in the House, power has quickly translated into money, as many big companies have shifted more of their campaign contributions to the new congressional majority, and away from longtime Republican allies. The top four House leaders -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, Majority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland and their main lieutenants -- raised a combined $2.24 million in the first quarter of 2007, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. That was more than three times as much as the $697,694 they raised in the first quarter of 2005, the comparable period in the previous two-year election cycle. Wall Street Journal: Companies Shift More Donations To Democrats "VOICE OF THE HOUSE" RETIRES: Longtime House Reading Clerk Paul Hays, a devout Republican, likes to joke that he voted for Bill Clinton the first time he ran for president — of Georgetown University's freshman class in October 1964. "I haven't voted for him since," quipped Hays, who attended college with the future commander in chief. The 61-year-old Hays, who will retire today after 41 years of service to the House, famously went on to read the articles of impeachment against Clinton on the House floor in 1998. For better or worse, those 12 and a half minutes - "The only thing I ever rehearsed," he said - will be the moment for which Hays is best remembered. Hays' distinctive stentorian bass has been a fixture on the House floor (and on C-SPAN) since then-Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-Ill.) elevated him to reading clerk in 1988. And last week, several Members lauded him as an institutional treasure nonpareil. Roll Call: Voice of the House Ends Four Decades of Service CORZINE TO LEAVE HOSPITAL; UNCLEAR WHEN HE'LL RESUME DUTIES: Gov. Jon Corzine will leave a hospital in Camden today, 18 days after being seriously injured in a crash on the Garden State Parkway, his spokesman said last night. Doctors expect to discharge Corzine from Cooper University Hospital at about 1:30 p.m., spokesman Anthony Coley said. Coley said Corzine will be moved to Drumthwacket, the official residence in Princeton, in a GMC Savana custom van the governor recently purchased. The van will afford him more room for his injured leg when he travels with aides and troopers, Coley said. A state trooper will drive the vehicle. It is unclear, however, when the governor will resume his official duties. "That will be entirely determined by him and when he feels he's ready to," Coley said. Newark Star-Ledger: Corzine to leave hospital today FMR. BUSH DONORS BACK CLINTON/OBAMA: As senators Clinton and Obama crisscross the country seeking the Democratic presidential nomination and sharply criticizing President Bush, they have been collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors who funded one or both of Mr. Bush's campaigns for the White House. In the first quarter of this year, more than 150 former Bush donors pitched in for Mrs. Clinton's campaign, while a similar number anted up for Mr. Obama, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data performed for The New York Sun by the Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics. New York Sun: Clinton and Obama Raiding Donors Who Backed Bush HILLARY'S CAUTIOUS MESSAGE CHIEF: While not her campaign manager in name, [Mark] Penn controls the main elements of her campaign, most important her attempt to define herself to an electorate seemingly ready for a Democratic president but possibly still suffering from Clinton fatigue. In the four months since Clinton officially became a candidate, Penn has consolidated his power, according to advisers close to the campaign, taking increasing control of the operation. Armed with voluminous data that he collects through his private polling firm, Penn has become involved in virtually every move Clinton makes, with the result that the campaign reflects the chief strategist as much as the candidate. Washington Post: Clinton's PowerPointer OBAMA'S PERSONAL SEARCH FOR RELIGION: Members of Trinity United Church of Christ squeezed into a downtown hotel ballroom in early March to celebrate the long service of their pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. One congregant stood out amid the flowers and finery: Senator Barack Obama, there to honor the man who led him from skeptic to self-described Christian. Twenty years ago at Trinity, Mr. Obama, then a community organizer in poor Chicago neighborhoods, found the African-American community he had sought all his life, along with professional credibility as a community organizer and an education in how to inspire followers. He had sampled various faiths but adopted none until he met Mr. Wright, a dynamic pastor who preached Afrocentric theology, dabbled in radical politics and delivered music-and-profanity-spiked sermons. New York Times: A Candidate, His Minister and the Search for Faith OBAMA RECALLS RIOTS IN LA APPEARANCE: Invoking images of Los Angeles in flames, Sen. Barack Obama argued Sunday - the 15th anniversary of the nation's most violent modern civil uprising - that little had been done to fix the chronic social and economic conditions that gave rise to a three-day rampage that killed at least 53 people. And although the riots occurred in L.A., the conditions that spawned them persist across the nation, Obama told an overflow crowd at South-Central's First AME Church. The Illinois Democrat is seeking his party's presidential nomination. "There wasn't anything going on in Los Angeles that was unique to Los Angeles," Obama said. "If you traveled to Chicago, you would see the same young men on street corners without hope, without prospects, and without a sense of any destiny other than ending up in prison or in a casket." Los Angeles Times: Obama reaches out to blacks in L.A. MICHELLE OBAMA IMPRESSES ON THE TRAIL: There seems to be an instant connection people make with the wife of Sen. Barack Obama from the first words she speaks. "She commands a room," said New Hampshire-based political talk-show host Arnie Arnesen, who was on hand to listen to Michelle Obama at the opening of the Obama campaign's Granite State headquarters. Although not easily impressed with politicians and their wives having, as she says, "been around the block too many times," Mrs. Arnesen was extremely taken with Mrs. Obama. "She is a tall statuesque woman; I would say a handsome woman; she's not drop-dead gorgeous so as to alienate you but beautiful in her presence," she said. "She is not a frivolous woman but a woman of substance. She has an image, and she actually lives up to the image she projects when she speaks ... in a way that is not scripted and not uncomfortable." That's a lot of accolades from a first impression, and Mrs. Arnesen was prepared to offer more. But Mrs. Obama, 43, a lawyer and vice president for community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals has earned them. In addition to her professional titles she is also a successful wife and mother of two young daughters, Malia and Sasha. Washington Times: Obama's wife 'commands a room,' seen as an asset in '08 EDWARDS "OPEN" TO HIGHER TAXES FOR RICH: Democratic presidential contender John Edwards said Sunday he would consider raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy to fund programs such as universal health care. Edwards has long said he wants to repeal the tax cuts on upper-income earners enacted during the Bush presidency, but Sunday he seemed to go further, by saying he was open to raising them higher than they were before George W. Bush took office. He also said he would consider taxes on "excess profits," including those made by oil companies. Edwards said it was more important to level with voters than to worry about the political consequences of advocating higher taxes. "It's just the truth," Edwards said during a news conference following his speech to the California Democratic Party convention. "It's the only way to fund the things that need to be done." AP via Yahoo! News: Tax hikes on rich possible, Edwards says RICHARDSON JOKES ABOUT UNDERDOG STATUS: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the first major Latino candidate in the race for the White House, addressed California Democrats on Sunday, joking that when he told his mother he was running for president, she asked: "President of what?" "That's exactly where I am," Richardson said. "I can't even count on my mother." The Democratic governor and former U.N. ambassador, one of seven presidential candidates who addressed the California Democratic Party Convention in San Diego this weekend, isn't put off by the considerable challenge of competing in a race dominated by New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. "I don't have their money," said Richardson, adding that delegates should consider his experience over the party front-runners even though "I don't have their celebrity status." San Francisco Chronicle: State Dems hear from underdogs ...A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT JUSTICE WHITE: Presidential hopeful Bill Richardson yesterday refused to accept that Justice Byron White was one of two Supreme Court members who dissented from the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a right to abortion. In last week's debate in South Carolina, Mr. Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, named Justice White as the model of a justice he would appoint to the Supreme Court -- a statement that has upset some Democrats, particularly because of Justice White's dissent on Roe and later abortion decisions. Asked about the choice at a press conference yesterday, Mr. Richardson told a reporter that he had his facts wrong and insisted Justice White served too early to be part of that decision. "Are you sure? Roe versus Wade?" he said at a press conference after his speech to California Democrats' convention. "He was in the '60s. I think an opponent of mine gave you that." Justice White served from 1962 to 1993 and joined Justice William H. Rehnquist in dissenting in the 7-2 Roe decision. Washington Times: Richardson confuses justice's abortion view "IF I WEREN'T RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, I'D BE A...": If the presidential candidates were living the life of their idle dreams, Rudy Giuliani would be chattering in the announcer's booth at Yankee Stadium while Bill Richardson plays center field. Barack Obama and Joe Biden would be designing houses and Sam Brownback tilling the fields back in Kansas. The alternate career choices of the presidential candidates: DEMOCRATS: Delaware Sen. Joe Biden: Architect. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: "Continue to work for causes and issues I care about, in a setting like a university or foundation." Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd: Teacher. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards: Mill supervisor. Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich: Astronaut. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama: Architect. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: Center field, New York Yankees. REPUBLICANS: Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback: Farmer. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: Sports announcer. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: Bass guitar player for a touring rock band. California Rep. Duncan Hunter: Outdoor writer. Arizona Sen. John McCain: Foreign service. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: Auto company chief executive. Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo: President. AP via Yahoo! News: Personal side of presidential hopefuls Friday, April 27, 2007
Waxman invites Tenet to testify at Iraq hearing
"The purpose of the hearing is to learn your views about one of the claims used to justify the war in Iraq -- the assertion that Iraq sought to import uranium from Niger -- and related issues," Waxman said in a letter to Tenet. The hearing is scheduled for May 10. In recent interviews preceding the publication of his book on Iraq war intelligence, Tenet is reportedly critical of Vice President Dick Cheney's role in the run-up to the war and accuses the Bush administration of misusing his comments to tarnish his reputation. The book, "At the Center of the Storm," will be released Monday. -- CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich Renzi not resigning
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Arizona, shot down any rumors that he will resign Friday.
"For several weeks, I have been the subject of leaked stories, conjecture, and false attacks about a land exchange," the Arizona Congressman said in a press release. "None of them bear any resemblance to the truth, including the rumor that I am planning on resigning." Renzi's family business was raided by the FBI and officials are looking into a land deal that benefited a campaign donor. The Washington-based newspaper, The Hill, reported this week that Renzi was considering resignation. -- CNN Political Researcher Xuan Thai Statement from Edwards Campaign:
EDWARDS DECLARED WINNER OF TONIGHT'S DEBATE
Daily Kos Readers Declared Edwards The Winner. According to the Daily Kos poll, "Who won the debate," as of 10:30 pm after the debate John Edwards led the pack with 20% of the vote (1034), leading Obama at 17% (881), followed Clinton at 10% (530). The answer "More than one of the above" received 12% of the vote (600) and "None of the above" had 11% of the vote (584). EDWARDS WIDELY PRAISED FOR HIS SUBSTANTIVE IDEAS AND VISION Time's Joe Klein: Edwards Is "Best Candidate In This Race So Far;" "Has More Details Than the Others." Tonight Joe Klein wrote, "I'd just spent a few days with Edwards and my feelings about him haven't changed: he speaks simply, he has more details than the others. He's been the best candidate in this race so far." [Time's Joe Klein, 4/26/07] HUFFINGTON: EDWARDS DID "PARTICULARLY WELL" TALKING ABOUT IRAQ On Larry King Live, King asked Arrianna Huffington how Edwards did. Said Huffington, "Well I thought he did particularly well when he talked about his vote and on the war in Iraq and his very sincere apology about it. I thought it was a great contrast to Hillary Clinton's ongoing refusal to apologize about her vote. I thought that was definitely the high point for me." [CNN's Larry King Live, 4/26/07] Bush: Patience on North Korea 'not unlimited'
The two leaders threatened more sanctions against Pyongyang. "There's a price to pay," Bush said, standing alongside Abe at the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains. "Our partners in the six-party talks are patient, but our patience is not unlimited," Bush said, referring to disarmament negotiations between the United States, Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and North Korea For his part, Abe said, "We completely see eye to eye on this matter. They need to respond properly on these issues. Otherwise we will have to take a tougher response on our side." North Korea missed a deadline to shut down its nuclear reactor under an agreement reached in February. (Full story) Spitzer says Clinton would be 'amazing president,' but doesn't endorse
WASHINGTON (AP) -- New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who has yet to endorse a presidential candidate, touted home state Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the job Friday.
Both Democrats spoke to a convention of New York State teachers at a Washington hotel, and when Spitzer followed Clinton to the podium, he gushed that she would be the next president. "What an amazing president she will be for every person in this country," said Spitzer, who for months has avoided making an early endorsement in the Democrats' nomination contest, calling such a move premature. Spitzer and Clinton did meet privately before their joint public appearance. Clinton flew to Washington after a debate Thursday night in South Carolina and planned to fly back to the state to campaign after the teachers convention. Clinton was almost as effusive, praising the reform-minded governor for trying to "break some of the political pottery" in the state capital. McGreeveys appear in divorce court
NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) -- The nation's first openly gay governor and his estranged wife will be in public together for the first time since he told the world he was "a gay American" when they appear in divorce court in Elizabeth on Friday.
Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy ordered former Gov. James E. McGreevey and his wife Dina Matos McGreevey to appear with their lawyers at 9 a.m. Friday when she will consider custody issues and other motions in the couple's contentious divorce case. Each partner has written a tell-all book about the marriage, which ended in 2004 when McGreevey, then governor of New Jersey, told the world he had had an extramarital affair with a male aide. Richardson gave Gonzales chance to defend himself but 'he didn't do well'
"I admitted that because I knew Gonzales, I liked the guy, he's Hispanic, he came up from nowhere, that I gave him maybe another two days before I'd call for his resignation," the New Mexico governor told CNN's "American Morning." "I wanted him to defend himself before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He didn't do well. He wasn't candid. It was clear he politicized the department. Then I called for his resignation." During Thursday night's debate in South Carolina, Richardson acknowledged he was among the last to call for Gonzalez to resign. Asked whether such comments -- including the role played by Gonzales' ethnicity -- may hurt him, the governor said, "Maybe so, but I think the American people want the candidates to speak from their heart. "I'm not a consultant-driven candidate... I'm going to tell it like it is." Dean expresses condolences over Valenti's death
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- DNC chairman Howard Dean expressed his condolences over the death of Jack Valenti, a former Hollywood lobbyist and adviser to President Lyndon Johnson. "Our hearts go out to Jack Valenti's family and friends as we mourn his loss," Dean said in a statement. "A fine public servant, advising Democratic leaders for decades, Jack served our country with honor, dignity and poise. Like the film that he loved so much, Jack was truly 'a man for all seasons.' We will all miss Jack." Valenti was head of the Motion Picture Association of America for 38 years. He is best known for creating the ratings system for films. He died Thursday. --CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich
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For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout the day on the CNN Political Ticker. All politics, all the time.
Making news today... It was "a generally tame but wide-ranging debate" (Los Angeles Times) and "a surprisingly sedate and meandering affair." (New York Times) Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) "appeared relaxed and -- without dazzling, or aiming to dazzle -- in command of the facts," while Sen. Barack Obama (D-NY) "seemed less at ease than his two leading rivals." (The Politico) Among the moments of "levity," Brian Williams asked Senator Joe Biden about his "reputation for 'verbosity'" and if "he had the discipline to be a player on the world stage." "'Yes,' the Delaware lawmaker replied with uncharacteristic brevity." * George Tenet "has lashed out against Vice President Dick Cheney and other Bush administration officials" in his new book, At the Center of the Storm, "saying they pushed the country to war in Iraq without ever conducting a 'serious debate' about whether Saddam Hussein posed an imminent threat to the United States." Tenet writes, "'There was never a serious debate that I know of within the administration about the imminence of the Iraqi threat'... Nor, he adds, 'was there ever a significant discussion' about the possibility of containing Iraq without an invasion." (New York Times) "If Cheney is the president's attack dog... the muzzle was securely in place during his trip to Utah." (Salt Lake Tribune) "Cheney draws protests even at BYU" - AP headline. "Warm welcome for Cheney" - Deseret News headline. President's Schedule: Bush and Abe hold a joint press availability at 11:10 am ET. The two world leaders will later sit down to a healthy lunch of cheeseburgers, onion rings, fruited slaw, apple pie, and Blue Bell ice cream. Also on the Political Radar: ========================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) "NEVER A SERIOUS DEBATE" ABOUT SADDAM THREAT:: George J. Tenet, the former director of central intelligence, has lashed out against Vice President Dick Cheney and other Bush administration officials in a new book, saying they pushed the country to war in Iraq without ever conducting a "serious debate" about whether Saddam Hussein posed an imminent threat to the United States. The 549-page book, "At the Center of the Storm," is to be published by HarperCollins on Monday... Mr. Tenet admits that he made his famous "slam dunk" remark about the evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. But he argues that the quote was taken out of context and that it had little impact on President Bush's decision to go to war. He also makes clear his bitter view that the administration made him a scapegoat for the Iraq war. New York Times: Ex-C.I.A. Chief, in Book, Assails Cheney on Iraq SEN. DURBIN SAYS HE KNEW "PUBLIC WAS BEING MISLED" ON IRAQ: The Senate's No. 2 Democrat says he knew that the American public was being misled into the Iraq war but remained silent because he was sworn to secrecy as a member of the intelligence committee. "The information we had in the intelligence committee was not the same information being given to the American people. I couldn't believe it," Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, said Wednesday when talking on the Senate floor about the run-up to the Iraq war in 2002. "I was angry about it. [But] frankly, I couldn't do much about it because, in the intelligence committee, we are sworn to secrecy. We can't walk outside the door and say the statement made yesterday by the White House is in direct contradiction to classified information that is being given to this Congress." Washington Times: Durbin kept silent on prewar knowledge DEMS "HESITANT NO MORE" ON "VETO SHOWDOWN": The Senate approved a $124 billion Iraq war spending bill yesterday that would force troop withdrawals to begin as early as July 1, inviting President Bush's veto even as party leaders and the White House launch talks to resolve their differences. The 51 to 46 vote was a triumph for Democrats, who just weeks ago worried about the political wisdom of a veto showdown with the commander in chief as troops fight on the battlefield. But Democrats are hesitant no more. And now that withdrawal language has passed both houses of Congress, even Republicans acknowledge that Bush won't get the spending bill that he has demanded, one with no strings attached. Bush is expected to veto the bill early next week. But bipartisan negotiations have already started on a compromise to cool the red-hot war debate, at least on the funding front. Washington Post: Senate Sends War Timetable To Bush's Desk RICE FRIST CLEARED OF WRONGDOING IN STOCKS PROBE: Ending an investigation that clouded the tenure of former Senate majority leader Bill Frist, federal prosecutors have decided not to file insider-trading charges against the Tennessee Republican for his sales of stock in a family-owned chain of hospitals. The U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York and Securities and Exchange Commission staff sent Frist letters last week signaling that they had closed their joint, 18-month investigation. The letters essentially cleared him of wrongdoing. Frist said in a statement that he "acted properly" and that his only reason for selling stock in his trust accounts was to "eliminate the appearance of a conflict of interest." Washington Post: Frist Not Charged as Investigators Close Probe of His Hospital Stock Sales JACK VALENTI DIES: Jack Valenti, the urbane Washington lobbyist who served as Hollywood's public face for nearly four decades and was best known for creating the film ratings system, died Thursday afternoon, according to Warren Cowan, his longtime friend. He was 85. Valenti had been in ill health since suffering a stroke in March. He was treated for several weeks at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore but was released Tuesday and returned to his home in Washington, where he died. For 38 years until retiring in 2004, Valenti headed the Motion Picture Assn. of America, guiding the trade organization from a clubby group of movie studios led by autocratic moguls into a collection of global media conglomerates involved in television, the Internet and an array of other media businesses. To the moviegoing public, however, Valenti's legacy will always be the ratings system he fathered in 1968, which now labels movies G, PG, PG-13, R or NC-17. Los Angeles Times: Jack Valenti, 85; former Hollywood lobbyist pioneered film ratings system WOLFOWITZ SUFFERS "MAJOR SETBACK" IN FIGHT TO KEEP JOB: Paul D. Wolfowitz's struggle to hold on to his job as World Bank president suffered a major setback on Thursday when more than 40 members of the organization's anticorruption team, formed to promote transparent government and closely identified with Mr. Wolfowitz, declared that the controversy over his conduct was undermining their work. Without directly calling for his resignation or removal, the team said that Mr. Wolfowitz and the bank's board needed to take "clear and decisive actions to resolve this crisis," which it said was undermining the bank's "credibility and authority to engage" on the corruption issue. New York Times: Wolfowitz Loses Ground in Fight for World Bank Post CORZINE: I'M "BLESSED": Gov. Jon S. Corzine, speaking publicly for the first time since he was seriously injured in an automobile crash two weeks ago, said Thursday that he feels blessed. Sitting in a chair next to his bed, Corzine appeared in good spirits as he posed for his first public photographs since the April 12 crash on the Garden State Parkway. "I'm the most blessed person who ever lived," Corzine told an Associated Press photographer in his hospital room. Corzine did not allow a reporter to interview him. His only comment was made during a five-minute session with the photographer. Corzine, 60, was riding in the front passenger seat without a seat belt when his sport utility vehicle, driven by a state trooper at 91 mph, crashed near Atlantic City. Aides have said he is not likely to resume the duties of his job while is in the hospital. AP via Yahoo! News: N.J. governor says he's 'blessed' EIGHT DEBATE IN PALMETTO STATE: The leading Democratic candidates for president, attempting to project strength on national security while condemning the war in Iraq, portrayed themselves as resolute in the fight against terrorism Thursday night during the first in a series of televised debates. Confronting a broad array of sometimes personal questions—ranging from regretted mistakes to their models of morality—they faced 90 minutes of questions in a live national telecast on MSNBC. With an entertaining mix of spoken answers and hand-raising responses to some questions, only three of the eight candidates indicated they had never had a gun in their homes in their adult lifetimes. Those were the party's three front-runners: Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Chicago Tribune: Democrats stress toughness against terrorism MODERATOR KEEPS UP "AEROBIC PACE": During a debate studded with creative questions, moderator Brian Williams drew puzzled looks when he told the Democratic presidential candidates that the next question called for them "to say a name or to pass." Hmmm. Word association? A pop quiz?... Williams, who brought the house down with an impromptu comedic performance at the recent Radio-Television Correspondents' Association Dinner, used flashes of humor to prod the eight debaters and kept up an aerobic pace, going through more than 60 questions in 90 minutes. What could have been an unwieldy free-for-all turned out to be a lively and productive session. The questions, which Williams said were prepared largely by the NBC political unit, were creative and occasionally caught the candidates off guard. The Politico: Prodding the candidates GOP AL GORE WILL NOT BE PLEASED: A flock of small jets took flight from Washington Thursday, each carrying a Democratic presidential candidate to South Carolina for the first debate of the political season. For Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden, it was wheels up shortly after they voted in favor of legislation requiring that U.S. troops begin returning home from Iraq in the fall. No one jet pooled, no one took commercial flights to save money, fuel or emissions. All but Biden, who flew on a private jet, chartered their flights - a campaign expense of between $7,500 and $9,000. AP via Yahoo! News: 2008 candidates rely on private jets GIULIANI SHIFTS ON "CIVIL UNIONS": In a startling departure from his previously stated position on civil unions, Mayor Giuliani came out to The New York Sun yesterday evening in opposition to the civil union law just passed by the New Hampshire state Senate. "Mayor Giuliani believes marriage is between one man and one woman. Domestic partnerships are the appropriate way to ensure that people are treated fairly," the Giuliani campaign said in a written response to a question from the Sun. "In this specific case the law states same sex civil unions are the equivalent of marriage and recognizes same sex unions from outside states. This goes too far and Mayor Giuliani does not support it." The Democratic governor of New Hampshire, John Lynch, has said publicly that he will sign the civil union law. On a February 2004 edition of Fox News's "The O'Reilly Factor," Mr. Giuliani told Bill O'Reilly, when asked if he supported gay marriage, "I'm in favor of ... civil unions." New York Sun: Giuliani's Startling Departure on Civil Unions HUCKABEE'S SON ARRESTED IN "SILLY MISTAKE": David Huckabee, a son of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, was arrested at an Arkansas airport Thursday after a federal X-ray technician detected a loaded Glock pistol in his carry-on luggage. "I removed the bag and asked Mr. Huckabee if he knew what he had in the bag," Little Rock police officer Arthur Nugent wrote in a report after being summoned to a security checkpoint. "He replied he did now." Huckabee, 26, later pleaded guilty in Little Rock District Court after being charged with a misdemeanor count of possessing a weapon in a prohibited place. "It was a silly mistake," Huckabee told reporters as he left the Pulaski County Jail. When asked whether it would affect his father's presidential campaign, Huckabee responded, "It shouldn't."AP via Yahoo! News: Huckabee's son arrested with handgun WILL ANGELINA RUN? Angelina Jolie was back in town Thursday for another event for her pet cause, the plight of children around the world. Jolie joined Global Action for Children Executive Director Jennifer Delaney to formally launch the nonpartisan advocacy organization. Jolie, who was named honorary chairperson of the GAC, said, "This is a happy day because it is not often enough these children are represented in this town." Wearing a gray dress, matching gray jacket, black headband and diamond earrings, Jolie took the customary question on whether she would ever consider running for office. "I don't think anybody here wants that," she said, though we'd beg to differ. "I think in some ways, I'm political in the sense I work with many advocacy groups and lobbyists." DC Examiner: Angelina: I'm not running, but I am political Thursday, April 26, 2007
Campaign surrogates 'left a little unsatisfied'
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) -- CNN's Candy Crowley reports on reaction in the "spin room":
"I've been talking to a lot of the surrogates, as we call them, people who come into this spin room and say, 'Here is how my person did.' All of them are left a little unsatisfied. I think the format, limiting everybody to a minute, really frustrated a lot of these people. Surrogates all said, look, we think our guy or in Hillary Clinton's case, our gal, did just fine. But they rued they didn't get into the details, because it is in the details that some of these Democrats differ." "So they have been in this room all night long, sort of discussing the ins and outs of the various debate techniques, and I can tell you to a person they wish they had a little bit more time to explain the details of various proposals." Elizabeth Edwards talks up husband.
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) -- Elizabeth Edwards said she is feeling "well" and plans to continue an active campaign schedule even as she battles a recurrence of cancer.
Edwards was talking up her husband, John Edwards, debate performance Thursday night in the "spin room" suggesting that he provided the "fullest answers" on the issues such as Iraq and global warming. Edwards also said she visited the doctor on Wednesday and she looks forward to being on the campaign trail to "advocate for healthcare" for people who are not able to afford it. -- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
King: Many Winners
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When you have so many candidates in the field it helps those who normally don't get much attention. So if you are Senator Biden, Senator Dodd, Governor Richardson, this is a good night for you because you finally get a chance to be noticed, assuming there are Democratic primary voters out there watching and not just the pundits and the news media.
If I had to pick a winner tonight, just because of that reason, I’d pick Senator Biden. Not because he did any thing that distanced him by any great means from any of the other candidates but just simply because he talked about being a muscular Democrat. He got the anti-war guys a little bit mad at him during the debate and he got to speak, just as Governor Richardson and Senator Dodd in the same light. They don't get much attention because of all the attention on Senators Clinton and Obama and former Senator Edwards. So those guys will certainly like the multi-candidate debates and the front-runners, even though the say they’d like a better format, they like them too because they can’t all get beat up at once and they don’t have enough time to make gaffes. -- From Chief National Correspondent John King Biden campaign manager: 'We are very excited'
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) -- Sen. Joe Biden's campaign manager, Luis Navarro, tells CNN, "We are very excited. The Senator pointed out that he was the only candidate with a clear plan on Iraq."
Navarro said of the rest of the Democratic presidential field, "Almost every Democrat on stage would be preferential to the one in office." Earlier, Navarro said in a written statement: "We welcome Bill Richardson adopting the key elements of the Biden Plan for Iraq -- a political settlement that gives its warring factions breathing room in their own regions with control over the fabric of their daily lives including the police, education, jobs, marriage and religion. But while we should start to withdraw our troops now and get most of them out by early next year, Richardson is wrong to rule out a small residual force to prevent Al Qaeda from gaining a foothold and to continue training Iraqis." --From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
Republican colors dominate Democratic debate
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The red ties have it. Former Sen. Mike Gravel, D-Alaska, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson all wore red or reddish ties at the first Democratic presidential debate. There were no solid blue ties. Sens. Joe Biden, D-Delaware and Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, and former Sen. John Edwards, D-North Carolina, all wore hints of blue or lavender with stripes or spots (Disclaimer: I only had the 12 Crayola crayon set as a child). Then there was Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, with white pearls, and moderator Brian Williams, who played it safe with battleground purple.
-- CNN Sr. Producer Alex Wellen
Schneider: Candidates were cautious
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- How does CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider describe the candidates' performances at the debate? Cautious.
"There was one point where I thought that Sen. Clinton was too cautious when asked about Rudy Giuliani's comments that the country wouldn't be safe under Democrats," he said. "That would have been a great opportunity for her to show outrage and anger over the use of the tactics that were used by the Republicans in 2004, and she didn't do that. I think that would have been a good moment." Although they were cautious, some of the candidates still said they would be willing to use force if necessary. "Well, the Democrats, they could have been vulnerable on the issue of use of force, but they made a clear distinction between being against the Iraq war and being anti-war," Schneider said. "Clinton said that if the United States suffered from another terrorist attack, she promised to retaliate as soon as we found out who was responsible for the attack and drew a distinction between the war in Afghanistan, which she said she supported, and the war in Iraq. That's a very strong and effective answer where the Democrats may have been vulnerable had they appeared to be against the use of force." 'Beyond the rhetoric'
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) -- From inside "The Spin Room," Jonathan Prince, Deputy Campaign Manager for the John Edwards campaign, said he was happy with the former senator's performance. "He was the candidate who consistently went beyond the rhetoric. He offered detail after detail. He was just himself, you know."
Experience should trump money and looks
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) -- Chris Dodd supporter and former Sen. James Sasser, D-Tennessee, had this to say from inside "The Spin Room": "Dodd exhibited maturity and intelligence. I've had it with these guys who take two years to learn how to be president. It's the weakness of our system that we elect people based on how much money they raise and how attractive they are, rather than based on their experience."
'Commanding performance'
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) -- From inside "The Spin Room," Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton said, "Obama showed the strongest case for being a 'change candidate' It was a commanding performance."
Dispatches from 'The Spin Room'
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) -- Here's what three journalists had to say immediately following tonight's debate:
"Tonight was the night for the nutballs." -- Joe Klein, Time Magazine columnist "Everybody stayed the same. Nobody did poorly. Nobody moved from where they were." -- John Dickerson, Washington Correspondent, Slate Magazine online "Overall they were scared to come out and attack… I wanted more cat fights." -- Katie Crawford, Reporter, WCSC, Charleston, SC Gravel: Barack, who are we gonna nuke?
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When asked about foreign policy, former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel criticized the United States for being the greatest violator of nuclear non-proliferation treaties. "Who the hell are we gonna nuke?" Gravel asked. The former senator then directed his next question at Sen. Barack Obama: "Tell me Barack. Barack, who are (sic) you wanna nuke?" Obama responded, "I'm not planning to nuke anybody right now, Mike. I promise." "Good. We're safe for a while," Gravel replied. -- CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich Clinton strategist: Hillary 'most presidential'
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief strategist and pollster Mark Penn tells CNN, "I think the senator came off the most presidential." "I think in reality everybody did well," Penn said. "It was a good serious debate." "I think the last time these debates were not seen as serious. This one was," he said, noting that the candidates were able to articulate their views on the major pressing issues such as healthcare and the war in Iraq. -- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
Immigration jitters
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- I thought one of Senator Clinton's answers was very telling. She was asked about illegal immigration and if she supported amnesty and she gave a very careful answer about how you should bring those illegally in this country out of the shadows, they should pay a fine to stay in this country. Two years ago all the Democrats or most of the Democrats in this country would have said to allow them to come out, that there's no way you are going to be able to kick them all out, lets bring them into the system. But more and more, not just conservative Republicans, but Democrats, especially in the West, in the border states, are antsy about that whole question and the opponents have been successful in defining letting them stay under any circumstances as amnesty. And think you saw in Senator Clinton's answer a little bit of the jitters that the other Democrats will feel as well. -- CNN Chief National Correspondent John King
11 seconds
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Sen. John Edwards, D-North Carolina, took 11 second to contemplate the question: Who is your moral leader? Sen. Edwards said he could not identify one person in particular, saying, "My lord is important me. I go to him in prayer every day and for both forgiveness and counsel. My wife, who I think is the finest human being I've ever known, is a source of great conscience for me. My father who raised me to believe that every human being on the planet no matter who they are or where they live or what the color of their skin or what family they were born into has exactly the same value." -- CNN Senior Producer Alex Wellen Republicans wishing for Hillary is a 'big mistake'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When asked if there was a winner in tonight's Democratic presidential debate, Sen. Joe Biden responded by saying everyone was a winner.
"Absolutely, yes, there's a winner," said Biden. "Taking myself out, I'm looking at a bunch of winners right here." He added that Republicans who are rooting for Sen. Hillary Clinton thinking that she will be a weak general election candidate are "making a big mistake." -- CNN Political Researcher Xuan Thai
Biden explains his one word answer
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, know for being verbose, got the first big laugh of the night when he was asked about verbal gaffes he has made, and whether he could "reassure voters in this country that (he) would have the discipline (he) would need on the world stage." Biden responded by saying "yes" followed by a long pause.
Following the debate, Biden explained his one word answer: "look, how do you answer that question. The fact of the matter is that the American people are going to make the judgment, not the press, on whether I talk to much or too little and so I think it was the appropriate answer." -- CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
Dean: candidates offered "real solutions"
DNC Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement:
"The American people were the real winners in tonight's debate. Tonight our Democratic candidates showed that they stand with the American people and offered real solutions to end the war in Iraq and protect America from terrorist threats. The security of our country demands nothing less. So far, the leading Republicans only offer more of the same of George W. Bush's failed policy in Iraq." Crowley: No real winner in Democratic debate
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Who was the winner in this debate? According to CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley, no one.
"I'm not sure there was a stand-out in this," she said. "I thought it was a pretty mellow debate. You didn't see any blood spilled. You didn't see any real confrontation." "There was some at the end, but it wasn't the kind of thing that you get in the heat of the moment when a primary election is about to come up. I think what this debate did was serve that beginning mark for these Democrats." She added, "For some of them, this is the broadest audience they've ever had, and that includes their announcement speeches. This is the beginning of a process. There will be many more debates to come. I don't think this was a debate that had a stand-out." RNC Chairman: debate "predictable"
Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. ("Mike") Duncan released the following statement:
"The Democrats' performance in South Carolina could not have been more predictable. There is a reason the Democrats have failed to win South Carolina in a presidential election in the last 30 years. On every issue, from the War on Terror to keeping our taxes low and our economy strong, Democrats like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, and others are out of touch with the values of the people of South Carolina - and all of America." Clinton: We must retaliate quickly against terrorists
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In the event of another terrorist attack, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton said it is important to retaliate as quickly as possible against the group or na |
