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Birthday Complicates Timing for McCain more similar news »
Nathan Gonzales from the Rothenberg Political Report sends us this information observation:
"With all of the talk about John McCain unveiling his running mate
immediately after the Democratic National Convention to alleviate
Barack Obama's bounce, there could be a wrinkle in McCain's potential
plans: his birthday."
"McCain turns 72 years old on August 29, the day after the Democrats'
convention. So while the Arizona senator could swipe some media
attention from Obama by announcing his vice presidential choice during
the time between the conventions, the senator's birthday and age will
be a prominent media story. And it will be contrasted even further with
the age of his running mate."
Thu Jul 03, 2008 more from this source»»
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Baucus Challenger Tries to Preempt Personal Attacks more similar news »
Saying he's concerned Sen. Max
Baucus (D-MT) "may use personal smears" in their Senate campaign, challenger
Bob Kelleher (R) "laid out his life's faults" yesterday, the Missoulian reports.
Kelleher noted that he dropped out of a monastery "because he couldn't handle
the vow of chastity." He also noted he has since been married and divorced three
times and has seven children "and regrets the impact his absence had on
their lives."
Said Kelleher: "I wanted to have fun."
Not surprisingly, CQ rates the race Safe Democrat.
Thu Jul 03, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama, McCain Tied Among Catholics more similar news »
A new Time poll of Catholic voters that reveals that Sen. Barack Obama has pulled even with Sen. John McCain among that constituency -- Obama now polls 44% to McCain's 45%.
The poll "confirmed that a majority of Catholics (59%) can be broadly defined as pro-life (opposing abortion except to protect a woman's life or health or in cases of rape or incest). But these pro-life Catholics are actually split into two voting camps: conservative Catholics who consider abortion to be a determining factor, and Catholics who feel that social issues can be trumped in times of economic and national insecurity."
Thu Jul 03, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Considers Cutting Convention Short more similar news »
According to the Los Angeles Times, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic National Committee "are toying with a convention scheduling change that has been broached before in theory but never seriously considered: cutting the party's conclave in Denver short by one day to give Obama an extra day of post-nomination bounce in the crowded August calendar."
"Adding to the Democrats' calculation is the growing speculation that
McCain will announce his running mate in the brief intermission between
the two conventions -- a good way to seize the spotlight from the
just-nominated Democrat."
Thu Jul 03, 2008 more from this source»»
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VA-5 Race Seen as Competitive more similar news »
The emergence of a "vigorous and well-funded" Democratic challenger in the VA-5 congressional race has prompted CQ Politics to change its rating on the race to reflect the possibility of a competitive contest this fall.
The rating, which was Safe Republican, is
now Republican Favored. This means Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) "still is considered likely to
win re-election in the 5th, a sprawling area that stretches from just
north of Charlottesville to the state's border with North Carolina. But
it also means that the contest is at least mildly competitive at the
moment."
Thu Jul 03, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain Switches Campaign Managers (Again) more similar news »
"Steve Schmidt is taking over the day-to-day operation of John McCain's campaign," according to Jonathan Martin. At a staff meeting this
morning, campaign manager Rick Davis made the announcement about
Schmidt's new role.
However, "accounts diverge on the exact nature of the new chain of command.
One top McCain source said that Schmidt 'assumed full operational
control of the campaign today' and described Davis as 'a general
manager.' But Charlie Black, another top adviser, said Davis was still in charge."
Wed Jul 02, 2008 more from this source»»
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RNC Readies Ad Blitz more similar news »
The Republican National Committee "has reserved advertising slots in
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, large buys that could mark
the first serious wave of televised attacks on Barack Obama," according to Ben Smith.
"Obama is on the air in 18 states, and has been using his financial
advantage to tell his preferred version of his biography, one that
roots him in Kansas values and centrist political issues."
Wed Jul 02, 2008 more from this source»»
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Hispanic Voters Back Obama more similar news »
Hispanic voters may have preferred Sen. Hillary Clinton over Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries, but a new Gallup poll shows them lining up solidly behind Obama over Sen. John McCain in the general election, 59% to 29%.
Meanwhile, the New Mexico Independent reports that in New Mexico and other "battleground" states with large Hispanic populations -- Colorado, Nevada, Florida, and possibly Arizona -- pollsters found Obama leading McCain in those states 57% to 26%.
Wed Jul 02, 2008 more from this source»»
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Clinton Advisers Join Team Obama more similar news »
The New York Observer: "In the weeks since Mrs. Clinton officially suspended her
candidacy, the Obama campaign has recruited the services of the Clinton
campaign's director of national security, Lee Feinstein, as well as
foreign-policy advisers Mara Rudman, the deputy national security
advisor under Bill Clinton; Robert Einhorn, a former assistant
secretary for nonproliferation at the State Department; and Stuart
Eizenstat, an international-trade specialist who was policy director
for Jimmy Carter's 1976 campaign. On the domestic side, Gene Sperling,
who was the top economic adviser on the Clinton campaign, has begun
consulting with the Obama policy team."
Wed Jul 02, 2008 more from this source»»
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NY-13 Likely to Flip to Democrats more similar news »
Democrats "now appear to hold a solid edge in the battle for the seat New York Republican Rep. Vito J. Fossella left open -- after the married father of three admitted in May that he has a daughter from an ongoing extramarital relationship," according to CQ Politics.
"The Republicans' lack of a consensus replacement candidate less than two weeks before the July 10 candidate filing deadline, with no top-tier prospects at hand for the party's Sept. 9 primary, has prompted CQ to change its rating on the race in NY-13 to Democrat Favored from No Clear Favorite."
The NY-13 House seat is New York City's only remaining Republican held seat.
For more, see CQ's Races to Watch.
Wed Jul 02, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain Strategy Worries Insiders more similar news »
Top Republican officials, "frustrated by what they view as inconsistent
messaging, sluggish fundraising and an organization that is too slow to
take shape, are growing increasingly uneasy about the direction of the
McCain presidential campaign," according to Politico.
"While the practice of second-guessing presidential campaign decisions
is a quadrennial routine, interviews with 16 Republican strategists and
state party chairmen -- few of whom would agree to talk on the record --
reveal a striking level of discord and mounting criticism about the
McCain operation."
Wed Jul 02, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain Not Fundraising Down Ballot more similar news »
Sen. John McCain "has begun to raise eyebrows in Republican circles for
his lack of fundraising help on behalf of his party's House and Senate
campaign committees," according to The Hill.
"The Arizona senator has yet to send a
fundraising appeal for those committees nearly four months after
becoming his party's presumptive nominee, and he skipped out on a major
fundraising dinner for them in recent weeks."
Wed Jul 02, 2008 more from this source»»
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CNN Poll: McCain, Obama in Tight Race more similar news »
The latest CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Sens. John McCain
and Barack Obama locked in a statistical dead heat in the race for the
White House.
Obama holds a narrow
5-point advantage among registered voters nationwide over McCain, 50% to 45%.
In a four way match-up that includes independent candidate Ralph Nader
and Libertarian Bob Barr, Obama's lead over McCain dwindles
to 3 points, 46% to 43%. (Nader registers 6% while Barr gets 3%.)
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama, McCain Met With Powell more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama met privately with former Secretary of State Colin Powell two weeks ago, The Hotline reports.
"The blogosphere is abuzz with speculation that Powell could back the
Democrat, a sign of his disaffection with the Republican Party and the
Bush administration. The nod could, of course, also carry weight with
voters concerned about Obama's lack of foreign policy experience. In
poll after poll, the only consistent question in which McCain bests
Obama is on the matter of who is best able to handle national security
issues. A Powell endorsement of Obama would certainly be a blow to the
Arizona senator's chief selling point -- that he is better prepared to
be commander in chief."
Powell also met recently with Sen. John McCain.
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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Know Your Power more similar news »
Expect to see a lot more of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the coming weeks.
Pelosi's first book, Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters, will be published at the end of this month, "allowing the Speaker to hit the book promotion trail as she prepares for her spotlighted role as permanent chair of the Democratic National Convention in late August," according to CQ Politics.
In the book, Pelosi "tells how her work on behalf of then-California Gov. Jerry Brown's 1976 presidential campaign helped turn her from a San Francisco housewife and mother of five who dabbled in Democratic Party politics into a serious political figure who became California's state party chair in the early 1980s. In 1987, all her hard work paid off when she was elected to the House in a special election from San Francisco, the Baltimore native's adopted hometown."
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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Martinez Will Face Tough Re-Election Battle in 2010 more similar news »
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) -- not up for re-election until 2010 -- is in grave danger of losing that challenge, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey in Florida. The poll found that just 23% of voters in the state
currently approve of his job performance.
Meanwhile, in a potential 2010 match up, state CFO Alex
Sink (D) leads Martinez, 37% to 31%.
Martinez also struggles against Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), with their match up showing a 33% to 33% tie.
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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PPP Poll: Obama Slightly Ahead in Florida more similar news »
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Florida finds Sen. Barack Obama narrowly leading Sen. John McCain, 46% to 44%, on the basis of greater support among Hispanics.
Four years ago, President Bush won Hispanic voters in the state, 56% to 44%, but this survey shows Obama leading among them, 51% to 37%.
In addition, Obama
is winning every age group except voters over 65, where McCain's
considerable 52% to 34% advantage allows him to keep the race competitive
overall.
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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Quinnipiac: McCain Drags Lieberman Down more similar news »
A new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) with a 45% approval rating, his lowest score ever.
Said pollster Douglas Schwartz: "Sen. Lieberman's approval rating has dropped below 50 percent for the first time in 14
years of polling, with nearly two-thirds of Democrats giving him low marks, probably because he
is campaigning for Sen. John McCain."
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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PPP Poll: McCain Edges Obama in North Carolina more similar news »
A new Public Policy Polling survey in North Carolina finds Sen. John McCain just ahead of Sen. Barack Obama, 45% to 41%.
Key finding: Obama continues to have difficulty nailing down the votes of self
identified Democrats -- right now he leads 67% to 20% among them. It's
not a new phenomenon for a meaningful number of voters in North
Carolina to vote Democratic on much of their ballot but not for
President, but Obama will need to push that number up closer to 80% to
have much of a chance of taking the state."
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain May Unveil Veep to Limit Obama Bounce more similar news »
The New York Times examines the timing of announcing running mates and notes that while Sen. John McCain has limited choices compared to Sen. Barack Obama, the August calendar also presents an opportunity for him.
"The
Democratic convention ends on Thursday Aug. 28, and the Republican
convention begins the following Monday. What better way for Mr. McCain
to squash whatever lift Mr. Obama receives from his convention than to
announce his choice for running mate just as Democrats are folding
their tent in Denver? It would knock Mr. Obama to the back of the stage
and give Mr. McCain a nice little lift going into his own convention.
And yes, Republicans say that is something that is under very serious
consideration in the McCain camp."
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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NRA Plans Blitz Against Obama more similar news »
The National Rifle Association "plans to spend about $40 million on this
year's presidential campaign, with $15 million of that devoted to
portraying Sen. Barack Obama as a threat to the Second Amendment rights upheld last week by the Supreme Court," according to Politico.
"The politically powerful gun rights group will split its message
efforts between communicating with its 4 million members and the tens
of millions more firearms owners across the country."
So far, a USA Today analysis shows outside groups "have spent more than $25 million since Jan. 1, 2007, on independent expenditures, and more than 70% has gone toward
Democratic candidates."
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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Bush Backers Stay Away from McCain more similar news »
Though President Bush has headlined a fundraising event to help Sen. John McCain finance his campaign, "most of the big-money backers who helped reelect Bush in 2004 haven't pulled out their checkbooks for McCain -- or asked their friends to chip in either," according to the Boston Globe.
"McCain's struggle to mobilize the Bush fund-raisers is in part a sign of the disaffection among some GOP stalwarts for McCain, who positions himself as a party rebel on some issues. But it's also a sign of the obstacles that any Republican nominee would face in exciting elite GOP donors at a time of discouraging poll numbers driven by economic turmoil and frustration over the Iraq war."
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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Wall Street Backs Obama more similar news »
"Wall Street is investing heavily in Barack Obama. Although the Democratic presidential hopeful has vowed to raise capital gains and corporate taxes, financial industry bigs have contributed almost twice as much to Obama as to GOP rival John McCain," a New York Daily News analysis of campaign records shows.
David Brooks take the analysis further and notes the real core of Obama's financial support "are not just small donors but the rising class of information age analysts."
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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Another GOP Seat Up for Grabs more similar news »
A new SurveyUSA poll in KY-2 to fill the seat of retiring Rep. Ron Lewis (R-KY) shows David Boswell (D) and Brett Guthrie (R) effectively even. Boswell edges Guthrie, 47% to 44%, but within the survey's 4.3 percentage point margin of sampling error.
The CQ backgrounder has this seat Safe Republican.
Tue Jul 01, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Talks to Bill Clinton more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton had their much-anticipated telelphone conversation today.
According to a statement: "Senator Obama had a terrific conversation with President Clinton and is
honored to have his support in this campaign. He has always believed
that Bill Clinton is one of this nation's great leaders and most
brilliant minds, and looks forward to seeing him on the campaign trail
and receiving his counsel in the months to come,"
Mon Jun 30, 2008 more from this source»»
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