Campaign 2008

[SuperJerk 0]

From the "No Shit?" File

 

 

Democrat John Edwards: I'm running for president

 

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Two years after his hopes for a Democratic takeover of the White House were narrowly dashed, former vice presidential nominee John Edwards said Thursday that he is making another run at the presidency.

 

Edwards -- who is calling for cuts in poverty, global warming and troops in Iraq -- scheduled his kickoff in New Orleans, still devastated from last year's Hurricane Katrina. He chose the site to highlight his signature concern of the economic disparity that divides America.

 

"I'm here to announce I'm a candidate for president of the United States," Edwards sold NBC's "Today Show" Thursday, one of three back-to-back interviews by the candidate on morning news shows. "I've reached my own conclusion this is the best way to serve my country."

 

Edwards said the difference between his message to voters in 2004 and his 2008 presidential bid is that, "I've learned since the last campaign that it's great to identify a problem ... but the way you change things is by taking action."

 

And Iraq is one of the biggest issues facing the country.

 

"It would be a huge mistake to put a surge of troops into Iraq," Edwards said on ABC's "Good Morning America. "It sends exactly the wrong signal. We can maximize our chances for success by making clear we are going to leave Iraq and not stay there forever." (Watch Edwards say why he wants 50,000 U.S. troops to leave Iraq now)

 

And the next president must restore America's leadership in the world, he said.

 

"It's absolutely crucial that America re-establish its moral authority and leadership role in the world," Edward said on CBS "Early Show."

 

Edwards' campaign got a little ahead of itself Wednesday and announced his intentions online a day early. His Web site briefly featured the logo "John Edwards '08" and its slogan, "Tomorrow begins today" -- literally, in this case -- before aides quickly removed them.

 

In his message to supporters, Edwards listed five priorities to change America. Among them: "Guaranteeing health care for every single American," "Strengthening our middle class and ending the shame of poverty," "Leading the fight against global warming," and "Getting America and the world to break our addiction to oil."

 

Edwards has been working to build his campaign ever since he and John Kerry lost a close race to the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2004.

 

The campaign could pit Edwards against his former partner on the Democratic ticket. Kerry has not said yet whether he will run, nor have other big names like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but Edwards did not wait to find out who will be his competition.

 

He has positioned himself as a serious contender. He's been strengthening his ties to labor and other Democratic activists behind the scenes, rebuilding a top-notch campaign staff and honing his skills. The efforts have made him the leading candidate in early polls of Iowa Democrats who will get the first say in the nomination fight.

 

Edwards' advisers scheduled a six-state announcement tour between Christmas and New Year's Day with the hopes that news would be slow and he could dominate media coverage. Over three days, Edwards also planned to travel to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and his home state of North Carolina. (Watch Edwards explain why he kicked off his campaign in Katrina-hit New Orleans)

 

Edwards did not cancel his plans because of President Ford's death. He issued a statement saying he was deeply saddened by the news and calling Ford a "true leader" who bridged partisanship.

 

"He called on us to never lose faith that we can change America," Edwards said in a statement e-mailed to reporters that also echoed the theme of his campaign.

 

Edwards was kicking off his campaign at one of the few homes in the neighborhood that appears close to being habitable. It belongs to Orelia Tyler, 54, who has been living in a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer in her yard while her home was rebuilt.

 

Edwards' challenge over the next year will be to show that he can keep up with front-runners Clinton and Obama, should they get in the race, in terms of fundraising and support. Unlike officeholders who may run, Edwards does not have a federal campaign account and will have to start raising money from scratch.

 

He also has hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt from his 2004 campaign.

 

The son of a textile mill worker, Edwards has been on a fast track most of his life despite his up-by-the-bootstraps roots.

 

A standout law student who became a stunningly successful trial lawyer and millionaire, Edwards vaulted from nowhere politically into the U.S. Senate and then onto the 2004 Democratic presidential ticket -- all in less than six years.

 

In 1998, in his first bid for public office, Edwards defeated incumbent Sen. Lauch Faircloth, R-North Carolina, a leading advocate for impeachment of President Clinton.

 

Edwards began building support for his first presidential bid shortly after arriving in the Senate. He quickly made a name for himself in Congress, using his legal background to help Democratic colleagues navigate the impeachment hearings.

 

Edwards launched a bid for the Democratic nomination in 2003 and quickly caught the eye of Democratic strategists. Although he won only the South Carolina primary, his skills on the trail, his cheerful demeanor, and his message of "two Americas" -- one composed of the wealthy and privileged, and the other of the hardworking common man -- excited voters, especially independents and moderate-leaning Democrats.

 

Edwards' handsome, youthful appearance also gave him a measure of star quality, one of the reasons Kerry selected Edwards as his running mate.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/28/edwards.ap/index.html

 

Smart move announcing in New Orleans. Seems like he's trying to disassociate himself from the home state that wants nothing to do with him, and appear as some kind of "ex-Senator-at-large".

[SuperJerk 0]

Ex-Dem. Party boss blasts Kerry in book By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

Fri Jan 5, 1:35 PM ET

 

 

 

Two years after President Bush's re-election victory, former Democratic honcho and Clinton pal Terry McAuliffe is airing his frustrations with John Kerry's campaign in a revealing and waggish memoir.

 

Unlike other political autobiographies that read like pollster-approved campaign material, McAuliffe doesn't pull his punches in writing about his rise from a scrappy Irish kid from Syracuse, N.Y., to chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

 

Some of his harshest criticism are aimed at the 2004 campaign that he was once responsible for defending. McAuliffe calls the Kerry campaign gun-shy, incompetent and distracted from the mission of defeating a more organized Bush campaign.

 

McAuliffe said the Massachusetts senator's presidential campaign was so afraid of offending swing voters that it didn't defend his record and backed away from criticizing Bush at critical turns.

 

"I thought the decision of the Kerry campaign to back off any real criticism of Bush was one of the biggest acts of political malpractice in the history of American politics," McAuliffe wrote.

 

The book, "What a Party! My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators and Other Wild Animals," goes on sale Jan. 23, but copies have already shown up in some bookstores.

 

McAuliffe is close to Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton and will support her presidential bid if the New York senator runs in 2008. McAuliffe's book, published by Thomas Dunne Books, could serve as the opening salvo against a potential Clinton rival as Kerry weighs another bid. However, McAuliffe has kind words for other possible candidates, such as Sens. Barack Obama and Chris Dodd and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.

 

McAuliffe plans a 25-city tour to promote the memoir and two parties to celebrate its publication — Jan. 22 in New York City hosted by former President Clinton and Feb. 8 in Washington hosted by Mrs. Clinton.

 

The book is full of comical revelations from McAuliffe's years among the power elite — getting a startling leg rub from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at a dinner, watching movie stars Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow smooching during a showing of "Good Will Hunting" at Camp David and being chastised by former President George H.W. Bush during the 2000 election for treating his son with such "disgrace."

 

He had an insider's look at the Clintons' marriage during the Monica Lewinsky scandal — going along on a chilly Clinton family vacation to Utah a month after the impeachment vote and watching Mrs. Clinton silently click through channel after channel reporting on her husband's infidelities before settling on ESPN. He wrote that the president described the period to him as "an absolute living hell."

 

McAuliffe served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005, although he says Kerry's aides wanted to oust him once the Massachusetts senator secured the nomination. He said he was never invited to a single meeting at Kerry headquarters.

 

Kerry spokesman David Wade said although many people wish the outcome of the 2004 election had been different, Kerry is proud of the hard work of his campaign staff and McAuliffe's efforts as party chairman. "It's time to look forward, not backwards," Wade said.

 

McAuliffe said he was muzzled by Kerry's aides from assailing Bush's military record. He said the campaign also ordered speeches at the Democratic National Convention to be scrubbed of any mention of Bush's name or his record — although McAuliffe privately encouraged firebrand Al Sharpton to go ahead with his attacks on the president in his crowd-pleasing speech.

 

Meanwhile, Republicans went on a sharp tirade against Kerry at their convention.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070105/ap_on_..._mcauliffe_book

 

The article actually talks about him blasting Kerry's staff, not Kerry himself, but still...

[snuffbox 0]

Terry MCaullife doesn't matter. Why do so many top-level political hacks end up with Mark Hanna Syndrome?

 

Of course, that Kerry campaign was terrible.

[Dr. Zaius 0]

You have to admit there's a certain joy in counting all the ways the Kerry campaign sucked, just to kill the momentum going in case he decides to run again.

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Hardball was running how several candidate was reacting to Bush sending more troops at the bottom of the screen, with Guiliani and Romney supporting Bush while Brownback opposed sending more troops.

 

And John Edwards called the plan the "McCain Doctrine."

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

I think this could be a major chink in St. McCain's armor.

[SuperJerk 0]

Sen. Chris Dodd says he's running for president

Story Highlights• Dodd, 62, joins Dem hopefuls John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Tom Vilsack

• Chairs Banking committee; is senior member of Senate Foreign Relations

• Plans to visit key states in upcoming days including Iowa, South Carolina

• First elected to House in '74 wave of new lawmakers after Watergate

 

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd announced Thursday he will run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, saying problems at home and abroad meant it was time for him to "get out of the bleachers and onto the arena floor."

 

Dodd, a 26-year Senate veteran, told the "Imus in the Morning" radio show he will file paperwork to establish a campaign committee later in the day.

 

"I know how to do this. I know what has to be done. I'm going to get out and make my case," Dodd said. He described himself as a dark horse in a Democratic field dominated by Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama -- neither of whom have yet entered the race.

 

The 62-year-old senator declared his candidacy Thursday, joining an already crowded field of Democratic presidential hopefuls including John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and Tom Vilsack.

 

Dodd planned to travel late Thursday to Iowa, home to the first nominating caucus in January 2008. On Sunday, Dodd intended to visit South Carolina, an early primary state, according to Lachlan MacIntosh, the state party's executive director.

 

Kathy Sullivan, the chairwoman of the Democratic Party in New Hampshire, said in an interview that she had spoken to Dodd and he said, "'I'm not going to do the exploratory thing. I'm going to plunge right in."'

 

Iowa Gov. Vilsack, who leaves office Friday, has announced his presidential candidacy, as have former North Carolina Sen. Edwards, Ohio Rep. Kucinich and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also probably will run.

 

Dodd's career in Washington began in 1974 when he was elected to the House in the wake of the Watergate scandal. His father, Thomas J. Dodd, served two terms in the Senate; the younger Dodd won a Senate seat in 1980.

 

Dodd has forged strong ties with labor unions, advocated fiscal accountability for corporations and championed education and other children's issues. This month, he became chairman of the influential Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

 

Sullivan said Dodd had other attributes that would make him appealing to voters.

 

"People really like him. He's very smart. He's also very articulate. And I think he might have the sharpest wit of anyone in the field," Sullivan said.

 

Dodd voted in 2002 to authorize military intervention in Iraq, but has become an outspoken critic of the war and now calls his vote a mistake. He has said he would oppose an escalation of U.S. forces in Iraq and has said Congress should consider withholding funding for such a troop increase.

 

Dodd has been politically active on behalf of other Democrats, raising money and campaigning for candidates across the country and headed the Democratic National Committee from 1995-96.

 

Dodd and his wife, Jackie Marie Clegg, have two daughters, age 5 and 22 months.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/11/dod...t.ap/index.html

 

I've seen Dodd speak, and he has that self-confident articulate quality necessary for a national candidate, but a 32 year Congressional record is a fairly easy thing to pillage for votes to use against him in attack ads.

[snuffbox 0]

Senator Dodd should run a ticket with Brian Dennehy.

[SuperJerk 0]

Trying to get the joke....nope, didn't get it.

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Mike Huckabee has been looking/sounding very good on tv interviews lately.

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The liberal media is showing its true colors with the overhyping of the "Was Barbara Boxer too mean?" bullshit.

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Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) is forming an exploratory cmte. He's a libertarian.

[SuperJerk 0]

The liberal media is showing its true colors with the overhyping of the "Was Barbara Boxer too mean?" bullshit.

 

Are we suppoed to feel sorry for Rice because she's a woman?

 

She's the damn Secretary of State. She's supposed to be able to stand up to Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for fuck's sake.

[snuffbox 0]

The basic questioning went something like...

 

Boxer, something like..."I wont know, personally, the real cost of this war. My children are too old and my grandchild is too young. You wont, uh, due to immediate family reasons probably realize this either. My question then is whether you have any idea on what the real cost of this war is?"

 

It's a good question. We saw the results of our leaders viewing war in an entirely distant, narrow, good-news-only when McNamera used that style in the '60s. Wartime leaders should understand what is really going on, good or bad.

 

This is like when newsfolk were acting like Bill Clinton punched Chris Wallace in the neck or something.

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

Mike Huckabee has been looking/sounding very good on tv interviews lately.

Yeah, I caught a few minutes of him on Don Imus the other day. He came off as friendly, well-spoken, and bright, though when you're sitting across from Don Imus, that's kind of a ping-pong ball into Bucket #1, so to speak.

 

"The problem as of late is that the Republican Party is trying to force a horizontal way of thinking--that is to say, are you left or right--when the public is more concerned with vertical thinking--that is to say, are things better, or worse?--and addressing this should be one of the top priorities for the Republicans."

"welll, murph. rrurumrurmberph. annusadyrfrmrrknsus. uuuustabeapris?"

"That's right, Don."

"welllinnhveny mnnifrea."

"Haha, that's okay!"

"Thissimy cukabeefrm arknss. gluck."

IMUS IN THE MORN-ING!

[snuffbox 0]

I dont know why ESPN hasn't hired Imus to announce college football games yet.

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

I'm sure they can get some ESPNEWS guy to drool on a microphone for less money than it would cost for Imus.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Fox has become the Rosie/Trump and Duke News Channel since the 100 hours started.

 

Chyron headline on Hannity and Colmes the day after Bush's speech:

"LIBERALS EAT DEFEATISM FOR BREAKFAST"

[SuperJerk 0]

Mike Huckabee has been looking/sounding very good on tv interviews lately.

Yeah, I caught a few minutes of him on Don Imus the other day. He came off as friendly, well-spoken, and bright, though when you're sitting across from Don Imus, that's kind of a ping-pong ball into Bucket #1, so to speak.

More than any other candidate, I think he really has the sense of authenticity and conserative values that Republican voters will be looking for.

[Art Sandusky 0]

http://nydailynews.com/front/story/488674p-411414c.html

 

I still haven't heard anything I don't like about this guy. Dude quits a good job because he's uncomfortable and does what he really wants to do.

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Nick Saban in '08.

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Huckabee had another solid interview that aired on C-SPAN over the weekend.

 

He and Thompson are going to look really good after McCain eliminates himself with this Iraq Escalation business. Romney is struggling to fit the religious folks' hand into his asshole & Giuliani looks more and more like he will accomplish little/nothing.

[SuperJerk 0]

As much good will as Guiliani has in Republican circles, I have a hard time believing his campaign is dead meat. Logically, of course, I know there's a litmus test in the GOP that all of their presidential candidates must lean a specific way on "moral" issues. However, given Guiliani's post-9/11 reputation, I still have a hard time beleiving they'd take a complete pass on the guy. I should be grateful, since holding him down only helps my party, but it really churns my stomach more than anything else.

 

Article about the Confederate flag and the Presidential candidates.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Shots fired!

 

In 2004, John Edwards used to constantly brag about running a positive campaign. Today, he has unfortunately chosen to open his campaign with political attacks on Democrats who are fighting the Bush administration's Iraq policy

-Hillary Clinton

 

from National Journal

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Hillary Clinton is fighting Bush's Iraq policy?

[SuperJerk 0]

Shots fired!

 

In 2004, John Edwards used to constantly brag about running a positive campaign. Today, he has unfortunately chosen to open his campaign with political attacks on Democrats who are fighting the Bush administration's Iraq policy

-Hillary Clinton

 

from National Journal

The it is worded, it seems like she's saying Edwards is in favor of Bush's Iraq policy, which is ridicules.

 

The "I'm the Best Alternative to Hillary" sweepstakes is heating up.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Are you drunk?

[SuperJerk 0]

Cold medicine.

[SuperJerk 0]

It's sort of official but not really...

 

Obama to form panel to explore presidential bid

Story Highlights

• NEW: Illinois Democrat says he will create a presidential exploratory committee

• Obama says final decision to run in 2008 will be made by February 10

• First-term senator was first elected to Senate in 2004

• Exploratory committee allows candidate to legally accept political donations

 

 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama announced Tuesday he is taking a first step toward running for president next year.

 

"I will be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee," the Democrat from Illinois said, adding that he will announce his final decision February 10 from his hometown of Chicago.

 

He made the announcement in a video posted on his Web site.

 

The Federal Election Commission told CNN it had not yet received the paperwork.

 

Forming an exploratory committee is an initial step -- but not a required step -- in running for president or any federal office. An exploratory committee allows potential candidates to begin quietly raising funds and "testing the waters" on whether they should run for office.

 

Funds raised in an exploratory committee only need to be disclosed if the potential candidate actually decides to run for office, at which point he or she must go back and disclose any "exploratory" money raised thus far.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/16/oba...pers/index.html

[hyperchord24 0]

Even if Obama gets the nod for the dems, there's no way he'd get the southern vote against whatever rebublican he goes against.