Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau

Washington Post:  White Male Vote Especially Critical
In the fierce campaign between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, a battle dominated by questions of race and gender, white men have emerged as perhaps the single critical swing constituency.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/16/AR2008031602569.html

Boston Globe:  Many Voting For Clinton To Boost GOP
For a party that loves to hate the Clintons, Republican voters have cast an awful lot of ballots lately for Senator
Hillary Clinton: About 100,000 GOP loyalists voted for her in Ohio, 119,000 in Texas, and about 38,000 in Mississippi, exit polls show.  A sudden change of heart? Hardly.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/03/17/many_voting_for_clinton_to_boost_gop/

Washington Post:  McCain Arrives in Iraq, Plans to Meet Maliki
Sen. John McCain visited Iraq on Sunday as part of a congressional delegation on an international tour, a chance for the likely Republican presidential nominee to emphasize his support of the U.S. military effort in Iraq and his foreign policy experience.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/16/AR2008031600761.html

AP:  Iran Big Focus Of Cheney's Mideast Trip
High gasoline prices and prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal headline Vice President Dick Cheney's trip to the Mideast, but fears about Iran's rising influence will be a key topic of his private talks at each stop.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-03-16-cheney-mideast_N.htm

NY Times:   As Campaign Drags On, Aides Put Lives on Hold
There is the abandoned $1,000-a-month temporary apartment in Des Moines, littered with dirty T-shirts and a deflated air mattress. The campaign aide whose 105-degree fever sent her to the hospital. ...

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Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau

CNN:  House Debates Surveillance Bill In Secret Session
The House of Representatives met in secret session Thursday night to debate revisions to federal surveillance laws, closing off the chamber for the first time since 1983 at the request of its Republican minority.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/13/bush.fisa/index.html

NY Times:  Architect of Florida Mail-In Vote Says Its Chances Are Poor
The chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party promoted her plan Thursday for a new, mail-in presidential primary for the state’s 4.2 million registered Democrats, but conceded that the embattled proposal had little chance of survival.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03
D(["mb","/14/us/politics/14delegates\u003cwbr /\u003e.html\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nWSJ: \u0026nbsp;McCain Touts Earmark Opposition on Hill\u003cbr /\u003e\nSen. John McCain returned to Capitol Hill to cast a vote against pork-barrel spending, a centerpiece of the presumptive\u003cbr /\u003e\nRepublican nominee\'s economic agenda and part of his broader campaign on government reform.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120546129184035671.html\" target\u003d_blank\u003ehttp://online.wsj.com/article\u003cwbr /\u003e/SB120546129184035671.html\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nWashington Times: \u0026nbsp;Obama\'s Budget Vote Could Come Back To Bite Him\u003cbr /\u003e\nRepublicans yesterday forced Sen. Barack Obama to vote against what they labeled his own $1.4 trillion spending plan,\u003cbr /\u003e\ncobbled together from his presidential campaign promises — one of a series of budget votes that will provide political\u003cbr /\u003e\nfodder for the rest of the election year.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID\u003d/20080314/NATION/382087024/1001\" target\u003d_blank\u003ehttp://washingtontimes.com\u003cwbr /\u003e/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID\u003d\u003cwbr /\u003e/20080314/NATION/382087024\u003cwbr /\u003e/1001\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nBoston Globe: \u0026nbsp;Clinton Role In Health Program Disputed\u003cbr /\u003e\nHillary Clinton, who has frequently described herself on the campaign trail as playing a pivotal role in ...<< MORE >>

Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau

NY Times:  Racial Issue Bubbles Up Again for Democrats
After the Democratic primary in South Carolina turned racially divisive in January, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama essentially declared a truce and put a stop to fighting between their camps. But this week, race has once again begun casting a pall over the battle between the two.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/us/politics/13dems.html

Washington Post:  Florida's Mail-In Primary Plan Opens Rifts in Washington and Tallahassee
The Florida Democratic Party is pushing forward with a plan for recontesting its primary, largely with mail-in ballots, despite vigorous opposition from Democrats in the state's congressional delegation as well as concerns from the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/12/AR2008031203295.html

Detroit Free Press:  Democrats Propose Do-Over Primary Paid For By Donors
As negotiators continued to work Wednesday on developing an acceptable plan for a possible do-over Democratic
presidential primary in Michigan, the prospect of a state-run — but party-funded — primary was raised as a potential alternative to an election conducted through the mail.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080312/NEWS15/80312065

WSJ:  McCain, GOP May Have Cause for Hope
Rarely have the stars aligned so squarely against the party in power in elections for the White House as it has for
Republicans, the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll bears out. Ultimately, voters choose a person for president, not a party, and Sen. John McCain seems to give Republicans a fighting chance.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120535585247031377.html

NY Times:  Ex-Military ...<< MORE >>

...<< MORE >>

Thank you Californiahefty for the following listserv:

"If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can not harm us."
                    —-An African proverb
 
A possible Clinton strategy just came into focus after Ferraro's comments.
 
On the surface her comments were racist and ignorant.  Ferraro acknowledged that she was trying to drag Obama's campaign down.  What if that's just what's on the surface?
 
What if Ferraro is trying to help the Clintons drag the entire Democratic party down?  Or seriously damage or divide the party before the November election?
 
What if the Clinton camp thinks Hillary can't win the nomination so they want Obama to lose in November?  If you think what I'm asking is absurd, you don't know hardball Washington politics.  It also means you have not been adding all the Clinton dirty tricks together.  Take a look at them as a calculated chain of events.  Now what do you see?  It's not so absurd, if you think about it.
 
By my humble math she has to win at least 61% of all the remaining pledged delegates to get ahead of Obama.  Some media stat boys say she needs at least 64%. Win or lose in Pennsylvania, if Obama makes it a close race, she'll need more than 70% of the delegates left after Pennsylvania.
 
Think of the possibility that the Clintons are using a, "Heads I win.  Tails you lose." strategy.
 
Heads means if they wins the nomination, they get what they want.
 Tails means if Obama gets the nomination and the Clintons have wounded the Democratic Party with their dirty tricks so divisively ...

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From my trusty and informative listserv:







...<< MORE >>

Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau

Washington Post:  Obama Is Victorious in Mississippi
Sen. Barack Obama won the Mississippi Democratic presidential primary decisively last night, adding to his overall lead in delegates as he and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton plunged into a six-week battle ahead of a showdown in Pennsylvania.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/11/AR2008031102259.html

Washington Post:  McCain's Role in Plane Pact Spotlights Ties to Lobbyists
A $35 billion contract has been awarded to Europe's Airbus consortium to build the latest generation of tanker planes. The decision has sparked anger from Boeing's congressional supporters and critics of outsourcing. It has also focused attention on McCain's reliance on lobbyists in his campaign for president because his finance chairman and several other top advisers lobbied for Airbus last year when it was in fierce competition with Boeing for the Air Force contract.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/11/AR2008031103134.html

NY Times:  Ferraro’s Obama Remarks Become Talk of Campaign
The Democratic presidential contest was jolted Tuesday by accusations surrounding race and sex, set off by remarks from Geraldine A. Ferraro that Senator Barack Obama had received preferential treatment because he is a black man.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/us/politics/12campaign.html

WSJ:  If Spitzer Quits, Clinton Would Lose One of Her Superdelegates
If New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigns, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton will be down one
superdelegate. The scandal-tainted governor and his lieutenant governor, David Paterson, who is a Democratic National Committee member, are among the roughly 800 superdelegates who will also cast ballots at ...<< MORE >>

Just about 1/2 way to our goal of raising $500.  Now is your chance to help!

As Americans, we dream of a President who is honest, personable, intelligent, and wise.

We want a leader with courage and integrity who has known the struggles of an everyday American. A lot of people have stopped believing that may even be possible.

I haven't stopped believing. I support Barack Obama because he is that leader.

Join me in supporting Barack by making a donation to my personal fundraising page:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/KCforObama

This campaign for the presidency is unparalleled in history. Our need for an honest, fresh-thinking leader could not be more urgent. Americans are hungry for change and Barack Obama will bring that change when he is elected.

Please take a minute to check out my page and make a donation of any size:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/KCforObama

Thanks.

...<< MORE >>

This was found in a recent listserv posting regarding Sen. Barack Obama's legislative record vs. Sen. Hillary Clinton:

Senator Clinton, who has served only one full term (6yrs.), and another year campaigning, has managed to author and pass into law, (20) twenty pieces of legislation in her first six years. 
These bills can be found on the website of the Library of Congress (www.thomas.loc.gov)but to save you trouble, I'll post them here for you. 
1. Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site. 
2. Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month. 
3. Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. 
4. Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall. 
5. Name courthouse after James L. Watson. 
6. Name post office after ...<< MORE >>

Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau

Clarion Ledger:  Clinton Or Obama? Mississippi's Time
A close race between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama will draw more voters to the polls today in Mississippi than the last presidential primary, Mississippi state officials predict.
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080311/NEWS04/803110357

Washington Post:  Ticket-Sharing Talk Dominates Day's Campaign Activity
Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama hardly sounded like potential running mates Monday, with Obama accusing his rival of "gamesmanship" and the campaigns sparring over who is more qualified to be commander in chief.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/10/AR2008031003022.html

AP:  McCain Plans Trio Of Tours For Voters To Re-Examine Him
Sen. John McCain is finding out what the Republican presidential nomination is worth this week.  Then he plans to buff his foreign policy credentials, remind the nation of his long military history and try to frame the issues for the
November election — in three separate tours while his two Democratic opponents continue to struggle for their party's nomination.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-11-mccain-tours_N.htm

Biloxi Sun Herald:  Obama Hopes For Win In Mississippi
Mississippi Democrats are deciding the last in a series of presidential contests between Barack Obama and Hillary
Rodham Clinton before the two rivals settle in for a six-week battle to win Pennsylvania.
http://www.sunherald.com/185/story/422610.html

LA Times:  McCain's Health Is 'Fine'
John McCain declared Monday he has been cancer-free since a bout with skin cancer 7 1/2 years ago, although the presumptive Republican presidential nominee underwent a full medical examination — ...<< MORE >>