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HRC Hillary on Iraq – Standing Firm on Withdrawal—Blue Hampshire, 11/29/07 http://www.bluehampshire.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=DBF8AA50EBA4EE3BB4C71B1D4B27 2F43?diaryId=2537 CNN says general should not have had air time- Politcial Intelligence 11/2907 http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2007/11/cnn_says_genera.html NH Primary could be Clinton’s make or break moment- Boston Globe 11/30/07 http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/30/with_iowa_tight_nh_becoming_clintons_fi rewall/ Clinton urges sweeping actions on AIDS- Boston Globe (AP) 11/30/07 http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/30/clinton_urges_sweeping_action_on_aids/ Generally speaking, YouTube questioner was a fraud- Boston Herald 11/30/07 http://www.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1047974 Editorial: Clinton News Network: CNN’s failure to disclose- Union Leader 11/30/07 http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Clinton+News+Network%3a+CNN%27s+failur e+to+disclose&articleId=4b900239-c51a-4abf-bdc3-ad8085245472 Clinton urges sweeping actions on AIDS- FOX 25 (AP) 11/29/07 http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/News/Politics/Detail?contentId=5079884&version=1&l ocale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.14.1 Democrats would change abstinence rules in Bush AIDS plan- WVCB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/democrats-will-change-abstinence-measures-inbush-aids-plan/?eref=ib_politicalticker Clinton leads in Sunshine State- WCVB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/clinton-leads-on-the-sunshine-state/ DEMOCRATS OBAMA Barack Obama Countdown to Change in Boston, Ma—Below Boston, 11/29/07 http://www.soapblox.net/belowboston/showDiary.do?diaryId=1317 Attention Oprah: Help needed fast- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/FRONTPAGE/711300355 Bill Clinton in an Obama administration- WCVB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/bill-clinton-in-an-obamaadminstration/?eref=ib_politicalticker EDWARDS Video of John Edwards town hall meeting.—Below Boston, 11/29/07 http://www.soapblox.net/belowboston/showDiary.do?diaryId=1318 Edwards Announces Toy Safety Party—Blue Hampshire, 11/29/07 http://www.bluehampshire.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2536 DODD Lamont To Campaign For Dodd—NH Presidential Watch, 11/29/07 http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/lamont-to-campaign-for-dodd.html BIDEN Biden: not interested in Cabinet position- Concord Monitor (AP) 11/30/07 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/POLITICAL_PLAY_OF_THE_DAY_NHOL?SITE=NHCON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Biden touts his ties abroad- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/NEWS01/711300340/1217/ NEWS98 Biden: impeachment if Bush bombs Iran- Portsmouth Herald 11/30/07 http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/NEWS/71129018 Biden: not interested in Cabinet position- Fosters Daily Democrat (AP) 11/2907 http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/NEWS0201/71129025/-1/CITIZEN VIDEO: Biden points finger at high oil & gas prices- NECN 11/29/07 http://www.boston.com/partners/worldnow/necn.html?catID=80780&clipid=1972184&autoStart=tr ue&mute=false&continuous=true KUCINICH Kucinich hopes America will take new direction- Union Leader 11/30/07 http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Kucinich+hopes+America+will+take+a+new+d irection&articleId=cb905e6f-45fe-47d5-b894-3b1ff1a873ad GOP Not a bad Wednesday night—Granite Grok, 11/29/07 http://granitegrok.com/blog/2007/11/not_a_bad_wednesday.html Giuliani, Romney put new ads on air—Political Intelligence, 11/29/07 http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2007/11/thompson_goes_a.html A three-man race—Primary Monitor Blog, 11/29/07 http://www.yourconcord.com/primaryblog/republican_debate_reaction#comment-14 The Granite Grok YouTube Debate (Well, not really…)—Granite Grok, 11/29/07 http://granitegrok.com/blog/2007/11/the_granitegrok_youtube_debate_well_not.html EDITORIAL: GOP food fight trivializes politics- Boston Herald 11/30/07 http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view.bg?articleid=1047918 GOP may ditch ABC debate- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/NEWS01/711300344/1217/ NEWS98 EDITORIAL: Debate should be about more than the Bible- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/OPINION/711300334/1270/ NEWS97 Presidential race turns a negative page- Keene Sentinel 11/30/07 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAMPAIGN_NEGATIVE_ADS?SITE=NHKEE&SECTION= HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Republicans tear down each other with race wide open- Fox 25 11/29/07 http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/News/Politics/Detail?contentId=5072747&version=1&l ocale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.14.1 VIDEO: GOP candidates debate cutting spending- WPTZ 11/30/07 http://www.wptz.com/video/14721119/index.html ROMNEY Which One Is it Gov?—Democratic National Committee Blog, 11/29/07 http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/11/which_one_is_it.php GOP Group Calls Romney “Just Another Massachusetts Flip-Flopper”—NH Presidential Watch, 11/29/07 http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/gop-group-calls-romney-just-another.html Romney To Visit New Hampshire December 3rd, 4th—NH Presidential Watch, 11/29/07 http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/romney-to-visit-new-hampshire-december.html I’m Tired (and I’m Just Watching)—NH Political Capital, 11/29/07 http://www.nhpoliticalcapital.com/readblobstory.php?id=163 GIULIANI Rudy’s Promise—NH Presidential Watch, 11/29/07 http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/rudypromises.html Cellucci defends Giuliani—Primary Monitor Blog, 11/29/07 http://www.yourconcord.com/primaryblog/cellucci_defends_giuliani McCAIN McCain To Participate in ABC/WMUR Debate—NH Presidential Watch, 11/29/07 http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/mccain-to-participate-in-abcwmur-debate.html Graham To Campaign For McCain—NH Presidential Watch, 11/29/07 http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/graham-to-campaign-for-mccain.html Giuliani dismisses report on expenses- Political Intelligence 11/29/07 http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2007/11/giuliani_dismis.html Summary Box: Analysis: Giuliani queries- Boston Globe (AP) 11/30/07 http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/11/29/summary_box_analysis_gi uliani_queries/ Cellucci defends Giuliani0- Primary Source Blog 11/30/07 http://www.yourconcord.com/primaryblog/cellucci_defends_giuliani Giuliani reacts to expenses report- WBZ 11/29/07 http://wbztv.com/politics/politicsnational_story_333201403.html VIDEO: Rudy defends rooting for the Red Sox 11/30/07 http://www.wmur.com/video/14729652/index.html THOMPSON Thompson goes after GOP rivals—Political Intelligence, 11/29/07 http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2007/11/thompson_goes_a.html McCAIN Memo declares McCain most presidential- WCVB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/memo-declares-mccain-mostpresidential/?eref=ib_politicalticker HUCKABEE Huckabee—Primary Monitor Blog, 11/29/07 http://www.yourconcord.com/primaryblog/republican_debate_reaction#comment-15 Iowa’s “hot ticket” headed here- Union Leader 11/30/07 http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Iowa%27s+%27hot+ticket%27+headed+here &articleId=4739abc9-ff0d-4c2a-bd5c-ae17da3a5075 Huckabee, ascendant, focuses on Iowa- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/FRONTPAGE/711300341 Campaign watch- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/NEWS01/711300400/1217/ NEWS98 EDITORIAL: d- Concord Monitor (LA TIMES) 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/OPINION/711300360/1270/ NEWS97 Huckabee talks taxes in the situation room- WCVB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/huckabee-talks-taxes-in-the-situationroom/?eref=ib_politicalticker TANCREDO Tancredo Names Campaign Chairmen—NH Presidential Watch, 11/29/07 http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/tancredo-names-campaign-chairmen.html THE FIELD I’m Off to the Fall Meeting—Democratic National Committee Blog, 11/29/07 http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/11/im_off_to_the_f.php Union Leader – George F. Will: Democrats foment racial disharmony in Hawaii—NH Insider, 11/29/07 http://www.nhinsider.com/tsw/2007/11/29/union-leader-george-f-will-democrats-foment-racialdisharmon.html NH presidential debates in NH set just days before voting- Union Leader 11/30/07 http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Presidential+debates+in+NH+set+just+days+ before+voting&articleId=67934c38-3c7f-47df-8aba-7b92bc742b4d ABC, Fox news channels planning competing presidential debates- Fosters Daily Democrat 11/30/07 http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/NEWS0201/71129024 Candidates continue fight by proxy in NH- WMUR 11/30/07 http://www.wmur.com/politics/14730612/detail.html NH FIELD Urgent! All Candidates Need Delegates!!!—Blue Hampshire, 11/29/07 http://www.bluehampshire.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2534 Political Chowder: Endorsements, campaign cash, and impeachment – and our own Betty Hall!— Democracy for New Hampshire, 11/29/07 http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/5113 Foster’s – How close is it among Democrats?—NH Insider, 11/29/07 http://www.nhinsider.com/tsw/2007/11/29/fosters-how-close-is-it-among-democrats.html Union Leader – Push the push-poller: An example must be made—NH Insider, 11/29/07 http://www.nhinsider.com/tsw/2007/11/29/union-leader-push-the-push-poller-an-example-mustbe-made.html Law lets dying kids hunt game- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/FRONTPAGE/711300333 Candidates continue fight by proxy in NH- WMUR 11/30/07 http://www.wmur.com/politics/14730612/detail.html CONCORD, N.H. -- A day after the Republican presidential candidates squared off in a nationally televised debate, supporters of one of the top candidates continued the fight in New Hampshire. Former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci and former Massachusetts Treasurer Joe Malone criticized fellow Republican Mitt Romney, another former Massachusetts governor. Cellucci and Malone support Romney's opponent, Rudy Giuliani. "I think it was a case of Mitt Romney getting in (Massachusetts) the first couple of years, focusing and trying to do something, and then very quickly he said, 'It's tough working with a Democratic Legislature. I'll run for president,'" Malone said. Giuliani and Romney sparred over immigration in Wednesday night's CNN-YouTube debate, and they were also attacked by other candidates. John McCain took Romney to task on the issue of torture when Romney refused to say what interrogation techniques he would rule out. "I think at some point, some of these attacks are going to start to stick, and someone's going to start to look bad, someone's going to lose some gravitas, and the field is going to start to narrow," said political analyst Jennifer Donahue of St. Anselm College. The latest polls show a voter toss-up between several candidates. With no clear frontrunner, the candidates are increasingly pointing out their opponents' perceived shortcomings. But not all the answers in Wednesday's debates were focused on the candidates' opponents. Mike Huckabee might have had the best deflection of the night when asked what Jesus might say about the death penalty. "Jesus is too smart to run for public office," Huckabee said. "That's what Jesus would do." As the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary nears, the candidates are refocusing their energies on the Granite State. Six of the eight Republican candidates are scheduled to be in New Hampshire this weekend. Huckabee talks taxes in the situation room- WCVB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/huckabee-talks-taxes-in-the-situationroom/?eref=ib_politicalticker WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee visited The Situation Room to talk about his surging presidential campaign and Wednesday's CNN/YouTube Republican presidential debate. In this clip, Huckabee speaks with CNN's Wolf Blitzer about his tax reform proposals and recent attacks on him by GOP rivals Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney. Clinton leads in Sunshine State- WCVB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/clinton-leads-on-the-sunshine-state/ ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (CNN) — It appears that a majority of Florida Democrats want Hillary Clinton to be their party’s presidential nominee. Fifty-one percent of likely Democratic Florida primary voters support the New York senator in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll out Thursday. That’s 30 points ahead of her nearest rival in the Sunshine State, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. “Hillary Clinton has a big lead in Florida, but there is evidence that the race may change dramatically in the Sunshine State after Iowa and New Hampshire have their say,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “If the election were held today, Clinton would get support from 51% of Democratic likely voters, to 21% for Obama and 11% for Edwards.” The Iowa caucuses, which kick off the presidential primary voting, will be held on January 3, five weeks from today. Florida will hold its primary on January 29. The state moved up its primary date to become more of a player in the presidential primary process, but it did so without permission from the national Democratic and Republican parties. The parties, angered by the move, penalized Florida. The Democratic National Committee voted to prevent the state from seating any of the delegates at the Democratic National Convention next summer. The Republican National Committee voted to hold back half of Florida’s delegates at their nominating convention. The major Democratic White House hopefuls also agreed to refrain from actively campaigning in Florida. The Republican candidates are stumping in the Sunshine State, and faced off last night in a CNN/YouTube debate in St. Petersburg. So will the lack of a presence by the Democratic candidates influence the horserace? “Six in ten likely Democratic primary voters saying they have not made up their minds and a quarter admitting that they will wait until the first primaries to decide who to vote for, so the outcome in the Sunshine State is difficult if not impossible to predict,” says Holland. “Most Democrats have not campaigned in Florida, so it's possible that Clinton's big lead is due to name recognition. If that's the case, the early primaries may provide instant name recognition to one or more of her rivals and make the Florida primary very competitive.” The poll had a sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. – CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser Memo declares McCain most presidential- WCVB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/memo-declares-mccain-mostpresidential/?eref=ib_politicalticker CNN) — In an internal memo to the campaign’s leadership team obtained by CNN’s John King, John McCain’s campaign manager Rick Davis wrote that the Arizona senator “was the only candidate on stage [at Wednesday’s CNN/YouTube debate] who sounded like a president.” The key to winning the White House, he added, is “dignity” and acting “presidential”. Said Davis, “I have to think the Clinton campaign is having a great day after watching the various school yard fights that broke out between Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani.” (Read memo [PDF]) Though McCain was part of some skirmishes over immigration, Davis wrote, “do we really believe that by ripping our party apart on immigration that we will be better able to win a general election against Hillary Clinton and the Democrats?” Davis accused rivals of “name calling” as he quoted a National Review column describing McCain as “grown up and serious.” McCain, he told supporters, is needed to “restore dignity to the chaotic selection process.” Meanwhile, GOP candidate Fred Thompson also criticized the process, including the debate forums, and called for a more substantive campaign. Thompson told reporters in Phoenix that “a presidential campaign is, as it turns out, not the best way in the world to discuss serious issues. “ “I’m thinking about a plan that may be a little bit better, where we might have a little more time to discuss serious issues,” said Thompson. “You go with what you have to go with, and that format is what we have to go with right now.” – CNN’s Steve Brusk and Mark Norman Democrats would change abstinence rules in Bush AIDS plan- WVCB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/democrats-will-change-abstinence-measures-inbush-aids-plan/?eref=ib_politicalticker CNN) – Sen. Hillary Clinton this week announced a global strategy to combat AIDS and said as president she will strike one of the most controversial provisions of George W. Bush's global AIDS program — a requirement that onethird of disease prevention funds go to abstinence-before-marriage programs. While the HIV/AIDS plans of Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards express clear opposition to "ideology" in disease prevention funding, Clinton's plan offers the most explicit rejection of the abstinence requirements from a presidential candidate to date. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR, is a U.S.-funded, five-year, $15 billion plan to combat HIV/AIDS in developing nations. Initiated in 2003 by the Bush administration, the program is set to expire next year. PEPFAR has been criticized by public health advocates outside the administration for its stipulation, mandated by Congress, that at least one-third of the money spent by the United States on disease prevention abroad should go to abstinence education programs. Bush administration officials have defended abstinence education as part of a multi-faceted approach to fighting AIDS, a strategy that also includes "being faithful" and using condoms. In 2006, former President Bill Clinton offered measured praise for PEPFAR but added, "An abstinence-only program is going to fail." His wife's plan would "reauthorize and improve" PEPFAR but would strike the abstinence provision "to ensure that prevention efforts can be tailored to local needs and populations most at-risk." "Hillary wants to maximize the impact of new U.S. funding in prevention efforts at the local level," said a release about Clinton's AIDS plan from the campaign. "She believes that effective prevention models should be tailored to the needs of communities, without requirements that limit the ability to provide accurate information and relevant comprehensive services to as many individuals as possible." All three of the leading Democratic candidates advocate expanding HIV/AIDS funding to at least $50 billion over a five-year period. Obama and Edwards do not explicitly say they will strike the abstinence measure, although their plans imply as much. Obama released an AIDS plan in October, saying he will "reauthorize PEPFAR when it expires in 2008 and rewrite much of the bill to allow best practices – not ideology – to drive funding for HIV/AIDS programs." Obama also criticized abstinence-only programs in a 2006 speech to the Global Summit on AIDS and the Church, held at Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in California, where Clinton discussed her AIDS plan on Thursday. Edwards' plan, released in September, says abstinence education "has been shown not to work" and that the PEPFAR measure "has us fighting with one hand tied behind our back." An spokeswoman for Edwards said that he "would maintain support for PEPFAR but with a focus on scientificallyproven prevention strategies." All three candidates, however, have expressed general support for faith-based organizations that combat HIV/AIDS and poverty around the world. – CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby Bill Clinton in an Obama administration- WCVB (CNN) 11/29/07 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/bill-clinton-in-an-obamaadminstration/?eref=ib_politicalticker WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democrat Barack Obama has become increasingly critical of presidential rival Hillary Clinton as the primaries draw near, but when it comes to the New York senator's famous husband, Obama has nothing but praise. In an interview with Time Magazine that hits newsstands Friday, the Illinois Democrat said he'd offer the former president a job in his administration "in a second." "There are few more talented people," Obama said. Obama's comment follows heightened attacks on Clinton over her assertions that the White House experience she gained during her husband’s administration forms a valuable part of her qualifications to hold the office herself. "I don’t think Michelle would claim that she is the best qualified person to be a United States senator by virtue of me talking to her on occasion about the work that I’ve done," Obama said in an interview with ABC earlier this week. Obama's mantra of 'change' is often interpreted as an implicit criticism of the politics of the Clinton administration, but the Illinois senator has generally refrained from direct swipes at the former president himself. (A rare exception came during a light moment on the campaign trail last weekend, when Obama took Bill Clinton to task for saying during his 1992 presidential bid that he had smoked marijuana, but never inhaled. "I never understood that line," Obama said, to laughter from the crowd. "The point was to inhale. That was the point.") In the same interview with Time, Obama also said he would be happy to offer Al Gore a position in his administration tackling climate change issues. "He has been working on this for decades," Obama said. "The country and the world caught up to him." VIDEO: Biden points finger at high oil & gas prices- NECN 11/29/07 http://www.boston.com/partners/worldnow/necn.html?catID=80780&clipid=1972184&autoStart=tr ue&mute=false&continuous=true Clinton urges sweeping actions on AIDS- FOX 25 (AP) 11/29/07 http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/News/Politics/Detail?contentId=5079884&version=1&l ocale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.14.1 LAKE FOREST, Calif. -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton used an appearance at one of the nation's largest evangelical churches Thursday to sketch a broad agenda to take on disease around the globe, calling it "the right thing to do." The centerpiece of a speech laced with Biblical references and reflections on her own faith was a call to spend billions of dollars to combat HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases at home and abroad. She said she would try to stamp out malaria deaths in Africa within eight years. Money and government alone cannot solve the problems, she said. AIDS "is a problem of our common humanity, and we are called to respond with love, with mercy and with urgency," she said. With the presidential campaign intensifying in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Clinton was alone among leading candidates to fly to coastal California to appear at Saddleback Church in Orange County, where pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren convenes a conference each year to highlight the global threat posed by HIV/AIDS. Earlier this week Clinton released her proposal to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, which focuses in part on fighting the spread of the illness in minority communities. As president, she would double the HIV/AIDS research budget at the National Institutes of Health -- to $5.2 billion annually -- and spend at least $50 billion within five years around the globe. On Thursday, speaking to about 1,700 conference attendees, she said as president she would also call for spending $1 billion a year to address malaria infection in Africa. She set a goal of eradicating malaria deaths in Africa by the end of her second term. Many Christian conservatives dread the possibility of another Clinton White House, a point of agreement in a year when prominent leaders in the movement have divided their loyalties among GOP contenders. There was a sprinkle of criticism from conservatives in response to Clinton's appearance at the church, but it was muted compared to last year when more than a dozen conservative leaders signed a letter urging Warren to rescind an invitation to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who supports abortion rights. The church defended his appearance. Warren is theologically and socially conservative, but he is known for avoiding the scrum of partisan politics. The author of "The Purpose-Driven Life" has devoted much of his time in recent years mobilizing evangelicals to fight AIDS in Africa. The speech gave Clinton a chance to appear on stage with the popular pastor -- who greeted her with a hug -- as well as talk at length about her own faith. "I've been raised to understand the power and purpose of prayer," she said at one point. Warren thanked her for attending. "We invited all of them to come, but she was the one who showed up," he said. Republicans tear down each other with race wide open- Fox 25 11/29/07 http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/News/Politics/Detail?contentId=5072747&version=1&l ocale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.14.1 Giuliani reacts to expenses report- WBZ 11/29/07 http://wbztv.com/politics/politicsnational_story_333201403.html CBS News) NEW YORK Was it routine expenses, or is an apparent skeleton in Rudy Giuliani’s closet really coming out to haunt him? CBS News anchor Katie Couric sat down with the national frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination Thursday. A report posted on Politico.com Wednesday said that at the time when Giuliani was beginning an extramarital relationship with Judith Nathan, who eventually became his third wife, he billed obscure city agencies thousands of dollars for his police security detail covering trips to visit Nathan. But Giuliani insists that everything was done in the open, “honestly, honorably, above board.” Katie Couric: We were talking earlier, Mayor Giuliani, about the scrutiny that you have to endure when you run for public office, so much scrutiny that it really turns a lot of people off from participating in the process and throwing their hat in the ring. You experienced this recently where all of the papers today, I couldn’t help but notice, are focused on your security detail, which you dealt with last night during the debate. But I am just curious, are you completely comfortable with the way it was handled and the way the billing was handled for example? Rudy Giuliani: I was very comfortable with it and really upset that it was put out two hours before a debate with the suggestion that certain agencies were asked to bear the cost of my security. When you had a chance to look at it, it took about 3 to 4 hours to go through all of the records. The story turns out to be a totally false story. This practice was going on in my first term as mayor. It didn’t just happen in my second term as mayor. The police department paid for all of these expenses. But since the police department would sometimes be slow in payment. City Hall would pay it first, then the police department would reimburse every single penny of it. And now we’ve been able to confirm that. So this was really, I know what this was. This story is five years old. It came out two hours before a debate. It’s a typical political hit job with only half the story told … not that second part told … that every single penny was reimbursed … that all of this was public. All of this was discoverable. It was not done in a way that nobody could see it. But it was a typical - this particular case - it was sort of a debate day dirty trick. Couric: But according to accounts, the bills were spread across, as you’re saying, several government agencies - from the NYC loft board to the office for people with disabilities. And one former New York budget director said today there’s no good reason to do this except to have nobody know about it … Giuliani: He’s just wrong. And that’s probably a political opponent. The fact is, that by doing it that way, it was more discoverable. Had it been paid by the police department, it never would have been discovered because their records are security records and they can’t be discovered. The reality is: All those agencies that you’re talking about, all of it was fully reimbursed within that year. They’re all in the mayor’s office. This was a way of expediting payment. All of it on the record, all of it discoverable, all of it going on for five or six years. And perfectly appropriate and three budget directors have asserted that but of course the press doesn’t cover that. Couric: Those three former budget directors have basically explained it according to the way you’re explaining it to me today. Giuliani: Every single penny repaid. And the first version of the story does not make that clear. Couric: Having said that, Mayor Giuliani, the report was on a political Web site. It wasn’t planted by your opposition and the records were gotten by a Freedom of Information Act so the notion of it somehow being a political "hit job," do you really believe that? Giuliani: It comes out two hours before a debate when the story is five years old - so do I believe that? Of course I believe that. Do I know who did it? No, I don’t know who did it. Plenty of time for the story to come out but to wait until 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon of the day of the debate - and it was very, very artfully done because there’s a very good explanation for this … which is it took 24 hours to go find the people who did it who explained that every single penny was reimbursed. All of this was on the record. None of it was against other practices that were used in situations like this, but it took 24 hours to get that explanation so they’ll be more like this. Couric: Do you think the motive behind this story is to raise questions about your character because it involves a situation that is quite frankly, you know, probably one you’re not all that proud of. Giuliani: Look, did I expect it, yes. Did I expect exactly this one, no because it’s not true. And it took 12 to 14 hours to show that it’s not true. But they’ll be others like it. Couric: You have an explanation. Obviously your explanation is quite different than the original report. How do you think this will affect your candidacy? Or the way people perceive you? Giuliani: I think it will show that we do things honestly, honorably, above board. All of this is easily explained and all of this is easily discoverable. And none of it was hidden. It’s all there in records. And it is perfectly appropriate procedure. And the fact is, I had to have security. It wasn’t of my own desire. The reason I had to have security was because people have been threatening to kill me for quite some time going back to when I was a U.S. attorney. So I had 24-hour security. The records were handled in a way that they’re all discoverable. The police department ultimately paid for everything. Nobody was put out at all and from my point of view I prefer not to have security but this wasn’t done because I wanted to have security. It was done because there were definable threats to kill me going back to when I was a U.S. attorney. Couric: When this came out mayor Giuliani, how did you feel? Giuliani: You know I take it very professionally. I say, ok well, two hours before a debate, three hours before a debate. Couric: Did it throw you at all during the debate? Giuliani: No, I don’t think so; go look at the debate. Couric: Well some have said they didn’t think it was your best debate. Giuliani: I think it was a good debate. I think I did a really good job. Couric: You didn’t really answer the question. You think it won’t matter in terms of the election itself - this story? Giuliani: Of course not. I mean there’ll be 100 more stories … and we’ll see. Presidential race turns a negative page- Keene Sentinel 11/30/07 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAMPAIGN_NEGATIVE_ADS?SITE=NHKEE&SECTION= HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Mitt Romney is the target, abortion is the issue, and the $100,000 ad buy will change the tone of the Iowa and New Hampshire presidential primaries. This weekend marks the first negative TV advertising in the two early-voting states as the campaign headed into the critical weeks before the first voting, with an independent group's claim that the former Massachusetts governor has flip-flopped - a sometimes crippling charge in presidential politics. Analysts say similar negative ads are likely against his chief GOP rival, Rudy Giuliani, whose positions on gun control and immigration are markedly different from those he espoused as New York mayor. The anti-Romney ad campaign, by a Republican group that supports abortion rights, is fairly modest in scope. But it may open the door to bigger ad buys targeting other candidates and topics, several campaign veterans said. "This will be the beginning of it," said Patrick Griffin, a Manchester-based advertising executive who handled President Bush's 2000 media effort in New Hampshire. Given the pending ad against Romney and the confrontational tenor of Wednesday's Republican debate in Florida, Griffin said, the top campaigns must be ready to launch hardhitting ads the instant they decide the benefits outweigh the risks. "You can be sure there are scripts written and, very likely, spots produced," he said. And if not television, then radio. On Thursday, a Republican group that advocates for gay rights launched a 60-second anti-Romney radio ad criticizing his tax record. Negative ads are certainly possible in the Democratic contest as well. But strategists say they are not surprised to see them first in the Republican race, where front-runners Romney and Giuliani have left a long evidentiary trail of their changed positions on key issues. "It's a target-rich environment for negative ads," said Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire. Accusations of flip-flopping have animated campaigns for years. They proved especially damaging to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004, and they have dogged Romney and Giuliani this year. Thus far the accusations have arisen only in debates and news accounts, not in potentially powerful TV ads that often employ ominous music and grainy black-and-white or slow-motion images. And while campaign ads have saturated the Iowa and New Hampshire airwaves for weeks, they have been mostly upbeat, biographical spots. That will change this weekend when the group Republican Majority for Choice starts its ads in Iowa and New Hampshire newspapers and TV spots - calling Romney a flip-flopper on abortion. The ads' potential impact is unclear. Romney repeatedly has acknowledged being an outspoken supporter of abortion rights until he changed his mind a few years ago. "I don't know how many times I can tell it: I was wrong," he said in Wednesday's debate. Voters seeking candidates who are "not willing to admit they're ever wrong," he said, will "have to find somebody else." The major threat to Romney would be TV ads suggesting his conversion was politically motivated to appeal to Republican primary voters. Among the rivals already raising the issue is Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has said Romney's biggest challenge "will be convincing Republicans he has principled positions on important issues." Questions about gay rights also might provide grist for anti-Romney ads. When he unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., in 1994, Romney vowed to outdo the senator in championing the rights of gay men and lesbians in the workplace. "We must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern," Romney said at the time. He never supported gay marriage, and he now highlights his support of "the traditional family" and a constitutional amendment to ban on same-sex marriages. Some Republicans feel Giuliani is equally vulnerable to charges of flip-flopping if a televised feud begins. As mayor, Giuliani sued gun makers and distributors, backed a federal assault-weapons ban and once described the National Rifle Association as extremist. He no longer holds those views, saying the terrorist attacks of 2001 changed his thinking about weapons and personal protection. He was quoted in 2002 and 2004, however, still staunchly supporting gun control. Giuliani promises to crack down on illegal immigration, a message also at odds with his record as mayor. In 1996 he said there are times "when undocumented aliens must have a substantial degree of protection" to feel safe sending their children to school, reporting crimes and seeking medical treatment. Such policy shifts by Giuliani and Romney are ready-made for negative ads, campaign strategists say, but the strategy carries risks. New Hampshire's all-important independent voters are especially leery of one-sided claims, and "there's a danger it can backfire," said Dean Spiliotes, who writes a nonpartisan political blog in New Hampshire. Moreover, several analysts said, a serious Romney-Giuliani spat could catapult another candidate, such as McCain, to the top. For all those reasons, it is possible that most or all of the early negative ads will be aired by independent groups, such as the one now targeting Romney on abortion. If the candidates decide to launch their own attack ads, "I think it's likely to happen in the last week or two," said Andy Smith, a pollster at the University of New Hampshire. Meanwhile, candidates will anxiously monitor polls, campaign event crowds and other signs that their campaign is going up, down or nowhere. Ultimately, at least one candidate will decide negative ads are worth the risk, said Michael P. Dennehy, McCain's New Hampshirebased national political director. "No candidate wants to be the first to go negative," Dennehy said in an interview. "But it will be done, mark my word. It's just a question of when." © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy. ABC, Fox news channels planning competing presidential debates- Fosters Daily Democrat 11/30/07 http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/NEWS0201/71129024 CONCORD, N.H. (AP) _ New Hampshire voters could see an empty stage at ABC News' Republican debate if presidential hopefuls turn to a Fox News Channel alternative the next day. The New Hampshire Republican Party plans a Jan. 6 debate at Saint Anselm College in Manchester. A day earlier, ABC News, its New Hampshire affiliate WMUR-TV and Facebook plan back-to-back Republican and Democratic debates. "As a practical matter, it seems likely candidates will choose to do one event but not both. It's possible both could go off," state GOP chairman Fergus Cullen said. "ABC could end up getting the Democrat debate and Fox News could end up getting the Republican debate. That's one possible scenario on how this all plays out in the end." WMUR-TV's general manager said he plans a full stage from both parties. "No one has said 'no' yet. So we're assuming they're all coming," Jeff Bartlett said. Republicans should debate on the ABC affiliate because it reaches more New Hampshire voters, he said. "It's far better watched than Fox News Channel in this state. And it's on the ABC network across the country, which obviously has far more viewers than the cable offering Fox has," Bartlett said. Sen. John McCain and Gov. Mike Huckabee have committed to the ABC News debate. McCain on Thursday said he would also participate in the Fox News event. Cullen said he is optimistic others will join him. "It's unrealistic to expect campaigns to be able make commitments to these kinds of events six weeks out. It's just not going to happen," Cullen said. The chairman also said just because a debate such as ABC News' has been announced doesn't mean anyone will show. "A lot of debates this year have been announced as though they were taking place. Sometimes they take place. Sometimes they quietly don't take place," Cullen said. "You may recall the CNN debate that took place in June had originally been scheduled for the first week in April." Those debates were postponed because none of the top-tier candidates would participate. Bartlett said the party event might be more aimed at fundraising than informing voters. "We're not sure it's a debate. It may be a forum of some sort. It's kind of a fundraiser for the state party again," Bartlett said. "I'm not sure if the candidates will go to both of them or only go to ours. I'm not sure what kind of pressure the state Republican Party is putting on them to help them raise money." Spokespeople for ABC News and Fox News did not immediately return calls for comment. Biden: impeachment if Bush bombs Iran- Portsmouth Herald 11/30/07 http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/NEWS/71129018 PORTSMOUTH — Presidential hopeful Delaware Sen. Joe Biden stated unequivocally that he will move to impeach President Bush if he bombs Iran without Congressional approval. Biden spoke in front of a crowd of approximately 100 at a Seacoast Media Group forum Thursday, which focused on the Iraq War and foreign policy. When an audience member expressed fear of another war with Iran, he said he does not typically engage in threats, but had no qualms about issuing a direct warning to the oval office. “The President has no authority to unilaterally attack Iran and if he does, as foreign relations committee chairman, I will move to impeach,” said Biden, which was followed by a raucous applause. Biden said he is in the process of meeting with constitutional law experts to prepare a legal memorandum saying as much, and intends to send it to the President. When resident Joel Carp asked Biden why not impeach now given what has already been done, Biden said it was a valid point but might not be constitutionally valid and potentially counterproductive. A case for impeachment must have clear evidence, he said, and blame should be directed at the right parties. “If you’re going to impeach George Bush, you better impeach Cheney first,” said Biden, which also received applause. Biden said the best deterrent to prevent preemptive military action in Iran is to make it clear, even if it is at the end of his final term, action will be taken against Bush to ensure “his legacy will be marred for all time.” Biden took shots at the Bush administration’s idea to centralize government in Baghdad and called his decentralized plan the only way to political settlement. The recent decline in violence in Iraq, which some Republicans have credited to the surge, is the result of the military doing its job. President Bush, he said, has not done his job in using the relative peace to find a political compromise as he promised. “There’s no evidence it has happened and no evidence it will happen,” he said. Throughout the forum, Biden stressed the need to improve foreign relations throughout the world and pointed to his 29-year resume as proof that he can make that happen. Biden joked about his low poll numbers, how the national media does not cover him and the lack of funding compared to the coffers of fellow hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama “This is why I’m in New Hampshire and Iowa,” he said. “It’s the last level playing field.” Biden went to his next appearance knowing he had at least one more vote. As the forum was coming to an end, Byrl Short stood up and announced his support. “I came here an undecided voter,” he said. “And you are the man.” EDITORIAL: Debate should be about more than the Bible- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/OPINION/711300334/1270/ NEWS97 There was a moment or two in Wednesday evening's curious Republican debate when the candidates sounded like they were running for presiding bishop, rather than president of the United States. One YouTube questioner wanted to know what the candidates thought Jesus would do about the death penalty. Another waved a copy of the Bible - presumably the New Testament, though it was hard to see - and asked the candidates whether they believed it was true. Mike Huckabee, an ordained minister and clearly the candidate most comfortable talking about his religious faith, joked that Jesus was too smart to run for political office - and then recalled his own anguish in wrestling with the death penalty in Arkansas. And Huckabee confidently answered the Bible question, explaining that he believes it is the word of God, some of it understandable, some of it not; some of it literally true, some of it allegorical. Rudy Giuliani fumbled a bit but eventually got to a similar point on the Bible as Huckabee, explaining that the story of Jonah and the whale was perhaps not expected to be understood as literally true. Mitt Romney got applause when he said: "I believe the Bible is the word of God, absolutely." He went on to say: "I try to live by it as well as I can, but I miss in a lot of ways. But it's a guide for my life and for hundreds of millions, billions of people around the world. I believe in the Bible. Does that mean you believe every word? asked Anderson Cooper, the CNN moderator. "Yeah," said Romney. "I believe it's the word of God. The Bible is the word of God. I mean, I might interpret the word differently than you interpret the word, but I read the Bible and I believe the Bible is the word of God. I don't disagree with the Bible." Tom Tancredo said he'd pray to Jesus for guidance on the death penalty. "And I believe that with prayer he would give it to me," he said. These comments, amid more conventional debate fare, were reminiscent of those in response to a question asked by Tim Russert in a September Democratic debate: What's your favorite Bible verse? And locally, a debate is churning in the Monitor's letters-to-the-editor column about whether Mormonism is a cult, whether a Mormon like Mitt Romney can be president and whether even raising the question amounts to bigotry. Amid all this talk of God, there is a broader religious debate that we wish the candidates and the voters would embrace. Do we want a president who can cite chapter and verse from the Bible, or do we want someone passionate about defending our fundamental freedom of belief (or non-belief) and government neutrality toward religion? What steps will the candidates take to show respect for the variety of religious beliefs among their new constituents if elected? What in their past experience should give us confidence that they will? How do they balance the principles of their faith and their pledge to defend the Constitution? What happens when the two come into conflict? Will they base decisions about health policy on the best available scientific data or on religious doctrine? How great a role do they believe the government should have in Americans' personal decisions about family life, reproductive health and end-of-life care? Do they believe tax dollars can ever go to charities that discriminate in hiring based on religious belief or that promote a particular religious faith as a requirement for receiving services? Freedom of religion is often known as Americans' "first freedom." With little more than a month to go before New Hampshire votes, it would be instructive to hear what the candidates think that means. EDITORIAL: d- Concord Monitor (LA TIMES) 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/OPINION/711300360/1270/ NEWS97 At the Values Voter Summit in Washington in October, Southern Baptist ex-preacher Mike Huckabee made headlines by imploring evangelical voters to stay true to their Bible-believing faith rather than sell their souls for the good of the Republican Party. What he meant, of course, was that they should back true-believer Huckabee, despite his long odds in the race for the White House, over impure candidates such as Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson. "Let me say that it's important that people sing from their hearts and don't merely lip-sync the lyrics to our songs," Huckabee told the crowd, referring to the presidential contenders. "I think it's important that the language of Zion is a mother tongue and not a recently acquired second language." The speech was a hit, but in the weeks since, most A-list Christian right leaders and organizations have shrugged off his advice. The National Right to Life Committee has endorsed Thompson, an admittedly infrequent churchgoer who once lobbied for a family-planning group. Bob Jones III and Moral Majority co-founder Paul Weyrich have gotten onboard with Romney, a formerly pro-choice and pro-gay-rights Mormon. And, in the biggest endorsement bombshell of the campaign, televangelist Pat Robertson announced his support for Giuliani, who is thrice-married and the GOP's most socially liberal candidate. To many conservatives - and even to some liberals and neutral observers - the Robertson endorsement vindicated Huckabee's complaint that Christian right leaders "are more intoxicated with power than principle." The right-wing web site World Net Daily reported "Pat Robertson's sell-out," while left-wing evangelical Jim Wallis quipped that "according to Pat Robertson's twisted moral logic, forgiving the social conservative shortcomings of Republicans is a Christian virtue." But in a country founded firmly on religious pluralism, watching the Christian right pick and choose among candidates could be a positive development. It's a sure sign that many evangelical leaders have moved beyond mere identity politics and toward an overdue openness to compromise in a political system that's built on it. Does a proudly pluralistic nation want candidates openly appealing to voters on sectarian grounds - as Huckabee seemed to do at the Values Voter Summit - so that evangelicals back only solidly evangelical candidates, Catholics support orthodox Catholics and Jews vote for faithful Jews? That scenario almost played out in 2005, with George W. Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. Miers, then the White House counsel, hadn't served a single day as a judge. But the Bush administration expected the conservative movement's evangelical wing to support her because she was one of them. Many high-powered evangelicals happily obliged. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson assured his huge radio audience that Miers was worth supporting because she was "an evangelical Christian . . . from a very conservative church, which is almost universally pro-life." Eventually, though, the conservative establishment convinced its evangelical brethren of Miers's lack of qualifications. Her confirmation to the Supreme Court on the backs of evangelicals keen on her primarily because of her religion would have been even more unseemly than her actual ignominious political demise. Perhaps Huckabee didn't intend to ask for votes on the basis of church membership. Perhaps he merely wanted to communicate that he's more solid on hot-button social issues like gay marriage and abortion than his GOP competitors. On that grounds too, the failure of his ideological purity to translate into more Christian right support is still good news for American politics. One of the most troubling tendencies of the Christian right has been its habit of translating the black-andwhite literalism of its theology to the political realm. Under this model, Democrats and moderate Republicans are God's sworn enemies and must be opposed at every turn. Rather than compromise, the Christian right has attempted to stage a conservative Republican "takeover" of Washington, with considerable electoral success during the Bush years but with poisonous consequences for politics and policy. The willingness of a powerful figure such as Robertson to work with a former enemy such as Giuliani, by contrast, is evidence of the Christian right's ideological demilitarization. Add it to other recent evangelical partnerships - with feminists, for instance, on the issue of sex trafficking, and environmentalists on the issue of global warming - and a trend emerges. Some evangelical figures involved in those efforts have been denounced as sellouts for neglecting the Christian right's hard-core agenda of fighting abortion and gay rights and because their actions threatened to give the left legitimacy. Sound familiar? Those denouncements aren't too far off from those leveled by Huckabee and the "Robertson sold his soul" crowd. Of course, Christian right backers of Giuliani, Romney and Thompson are driven by less noble causes than fighting human trafficking or climate change. They want to keep Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton out of the White House and don't think Huckabee has enough money to win. But their practical decision to compromise by supporting flawed candidates could open the door to healthy compromises on thorny policy issues. Alternatively, a plan by Christian right purists to back a third-party candidate if Giuliani clinches the nomination would further the theological "with us or against us" approach to government. With pundits already speculating that Giuliani may ask Huckabee to be his running mate, the one-time preacher might be pressured to compromise his principles in the not-too-distant future. His willingness to pair with a social liberal would doubtless be seen in some quarters as selling out. But in the fallen world of American politics, it would probably be the best evangelicals could hope for. (Dan Gilgoff edits Beliefnet's God-o-meter and is the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America Are Winning the Culture War.) Biden touts his ties abroad- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/NEWS01/711300340/1217/ NEWS98 When Joe Biden flew into Manchester on Wednesday night, as he was waiting to pick up his baggage, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called him on his cell phone. He wanted to discuss the status of the Middle East summit in Annapolis, Ma. "Folks, I know these guys," said Biden, a Democratic senator and presidential candidate. "And let me tell you, they're waiting for an American leader. They are waiting for America to lead again." Biden offered the story to show how his relationships and experience abroad would help him restore America's respect in the world. The candidate spoke yesterday to about 30 seniors at the HavenwoodHeritage Heights retirement community in Concord. Had he been president after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Biden would have called a meeting of the world's major powers "to jointly plan the demise of the rise of radical fundamentalism." And he would have introduced a bill "to free us from the iron grip of the oligarchs of oil, the very people funding these radicals." He said that he would have called for Americans to make sacrifices for energy efficiency. "All of the world empathized and sympathized with us," he told the audience. "And who among the American public would have said, 'No, no, don't ask me to sacrifice'?" Biden criticized Bush for instead furthering "small-bore," if practical, ideas, to shore up the airline industry and larger economy by asking Americans to fly and shop. The next president will have to do more, Biden said. He underlined the severity of the Iraq war, saying that it has already lasted longer than World War II and killed more than 3,800 American soldiers. He said that there were more amputees per capita than any other war since the Civil War and that 14,000 soldiers would be coming back in need of a lifetime of medical care. "They would have been dead had they been in the Vietnam War or the Korean War, but because of the incredible triage capability," Biden said, "they are living. That's the good news." He said other Democratic candidates were not being straight with the American electorate. "None of the other candidates, except for John (Edwards) occasionally, like talking about Iraq," he said. "On Day One, the next president better know what they are going to do in order to end it, without leaving a regional war behind, and chaos, with Iran moving into Iraq, Turkey moving into Kurdistan, the Saudis supporting the Shia extremists, et cetera." He said his plan to separate Iraq into three sectarian regions with strong local autonomy and a weaker federal government, and then pull out most American troops by next summer, has won the support of 75 senators, foreign policy experts as different in ideologies as Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright, and nearly all Iraqi political leaders. He said that Bush's idea of supporting a strong central government in Iraq would never work and that no other candidates had a comprehensive plan to end the war. The Bush administration, he said, has rushed to promote elections in Iraq, Gaza and elsewhere. He said its members think "like ideologues think" and are "woefully unsophisticated about diplomacy." The transition to a democratic Iraq will take time, he said. "After our Revolutionary War win, when George Washington accepted the surrender papers from Gen. Cornwallis, just imagine if we had to vote on the U.S. Constitution?" Biden said. "It took us 13 years to get to our Philadelphia moment. Thirteen years before, we had a president." There are other foreign-policy problems besides Iraq, Biden said. He told the retirees that this next election would be the most important one of their lives, that so much had never before been at stake. He described his first Senate run in 1972, saying he won by simply telling voters that if the troops came home from Vietnam, the country would be back on track. But ending one war was not enough today, he said. "As your president, if I am able to end the war, without leaving any chaos behind in Iraq," Biden said, "how many of you think that that is sufficient for us to be able to say, 'Everything else is okay in the Middle East'?" The retirees shook their heads. " 'Everything is okay in Russia,' with Putin moving toward an authoritarian position?" he continued. " 'Everything is okay in the subcontinent of India,' with India and Pakistan bristling with nuclear weapons? 'Everything is okay in Afghanistan'?" Given that Biden's Iraq plan has won such widespread support, and that his poll numbers are low, pundits have speculated that he is actually running a campaign for Secretary of State. Biden denied that but seemed to take the assertion as a compliment. "With the state of the world being what it is," he said, "are you prepared to vote for anybody to be president who is not capable of being a good secretary of state?" ------ End of article GOP may ditch ABC debate- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/NEWS01/711300344/1217/ NEWS98 New Hampshire voters could see an empty stage at ABC News's Republican debate if presidential hopefuls turn to a Fox News Channel alternative the next day. The New Hampshire Republican Party plans a Jan. 6 debate in conjunction with Fox News at St. Anselm College in Manchester. A day earlier, ABC News, its New Hampshire affiliate WMUR and Facebook plan back-to-back Republican and Democratic debates. "As a practical matter, it seems likely candidates will choose to do one event but not both. It's possible both could go off," state GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen said. "ABC could end up getting the Democrat debate, and Fox News could end up getting the Republican debate. That's one possible scenario on how this all plays out in the end." WMUR's general manager said he expects to see a full stage for both debates. "No one has said 'no' yet. So we're assuming they're all coming," Jeff Bartlett said. Republicans should debate on the ABC affiliate because it reaches more New Hampshire voters, he said. "It's far better watched than Fox News Channel in this state. And it's on the ABC network across the country, which obviously has far more viewers than the cable offering Fox has," Bartlett said. Sen. John McCain and Gov. Mike Huckabee have committed to the ABC News debate. McCain said yesterday that he would also participate in the Fox News event. Cullen said he is optimistic others will join McCain. "It's unrealistic to expect campaigns to be able to make commitments to these kinds of events six weeks out. It's just not going to happen," Cullen said. The GOP chairman also said that just because a debate such as ABC News's has been announced doesn't mean anyone will show. "A lot of debates this year have been announced as though they were taking place. Sometimes they take place. Sometimes they quietly don't take place," Cullen said. "You may recall, the CNN debate that took place in June had originally been scheduled for the first week in April." Those debates were postponed because none of the top-tier candidates would participate. Bartlett said the party event might focus more on fundraising than informing voters. "We're not sure it's a debate. It may be a forum of some sort. It's kind of a fundraiser for the state party again," Bartlett said. "I'm not sure if the candidates will go to both of them or only go to ours. I'm not sure what kind of pressure the state Republican Party is putting on them to help them raise money." Spokesmen for ABC News and Fox News did not immediately return calls for comment. Campaign watch- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/NEWS01/711300400/1217/ NEWS98 TODAY • Mike Huckabee speaks at a Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Holiday Inn, 171 N. Main St., 11:45 a.m. Tickets are $20. Call 224-2508 or visit concordchamber.com. Cellucci defends Giuliani0- Primary Source Blog 11/30/07 http://www.yourconcord.com/primaryblog/cellucci_defends_giuliani The billing of obscure New York City agencies by Rudy Giuliani's mayoral office for security details during his trips to the Hamptons is simply a function of 24-hour security needs, said former Massachusetts governor Paul Cellucci. Cellucci, who has endorsed Giuliani, stopped by Concord today to denounce fellow Massachusetts Republican Mitt Romney's tax record as governor. But most of the questions at the press conference focused on a recent Politico story about tens of thousands of dollars in security bills going to agencies like the Loft Board and the Office for People with Disabilities. The bills covered police details accompanying Giuliani on trips to the Hamptons, where his then-mistress (now his wife) Judith Nathan lived. At the time, the mayor's office refused to explain the accounting to city auditors, citing 'security,' " according to the Politico report. Cellucci said he doesn't understand why this is a news story. "It was the job of the NYPD to provide that security and to do whatever paperwork was necessary to get it paid for," he said. "As far as the mayor's concerned, as far as he knows, they did it the way they should have done it." "When I was up in Canada as the U.S. ambassador after the 9/11 attacks I, too, had 24/7 security," Cellucci said. Cellucci's detail was the Royal Canadian Mountain Police, he said, and they came with him when he went golfing or to the movies. "I remember I was in the movie theater one night and my bodyguard was talking on the cell phone. I was about to turn around and ask him, what are you doing talking on the cell phone in the middle of the movie, and he leans forward and he said Mr. Colin Powell needs to talk to you," he said. "24/7 security, they go with you all the time. That's what it is!" - Lauren R. Dorgan UPDATE: Giuliani denies the Politico story, calling it a "pre-debate hit job." Meanwhile, a former city official told ABC news today that Judith Nathan "used the PD as her personal taxi service." On another Giuliani front, ABC reports that Giuliani's private security firm was awarded contracts in Qatar that were overseen by a government minister suspected of harboring Khalid Sheik Mohammed, an al-Qaida terrorist thought to have planned the 9/11 attacks. From the story: When contacted for comment, Giuliani Partners spokeswoman Sunny Mindel said that the list of security consulting jobs in Qatar performed by GS&S was "not accurate" but declined to clarify. Asked whether Giuliani or GS&S employees have met with members of the Interior Ministry, Mindel responded in an e-mail, "GP & GSS personnel participate in many meetings with organizations and individuals around the world. We do not as a rule discuss with whom our personnel are meeting nor do we confirm whether such meetings take place." - Joelle Farrell Biden: not interested in Cabinet position- Concord Monitor (AP) 11/30/07 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/POLITICAL_PLAY_OF_THE_DAY_NHOL?SITE=NHCON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) -- Joe Biden is complaining that his foes keep saying he'd be a great secretary of state. Nothing wrong with that job, he says, but he's running for president. And if he'd be better at foreign policy than his rivals, well, why in the world shouldn't he be president instead of them? Biden, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is widely expected to be on the short list for secretary of state if one of his Democratic rivals wins the White House. Maybe if a Republican wins, too. But he said Thursday, speaking at a forum on Iraq: "Under no administration will I accept the job of secretary of state." A voter had asked the Delaware senator what he would do to restore U.S. credibility in the world. "That's the president's job," he said. "I know a lot of my opponents out there say I'd be a great secretary of state. Seriously, every one of them. Do you watch any of the debates? 'Joe's right, Joe's right, Joe's right.'" "I ask you a rhetorical question: Are you prepared to vote for anyone - at this moment in our history - as president who is not capable of being secretary of state? Who among my opponents would you consider appointing secretary of state? Seriously. Think about it." Attention Oprah: Help needed fast- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/FRONTPAGE/711300355 Nicole Nelson hopes Oprah can help save her life. She wants the world's most powerful woman - person? to feature her plight on national TV. She wants to draw attention to the need for bone marrow donors in general. She needs a match to fight aplastic anemia. Her bone marrow doesn't produce the cells necessary to sustain life. Without a match, and soon, she'll die, leaving behind her husband, Rick, and her 14-month-old daughter, Katie. With Oprah Winfrey coming to Manchester in nine days to support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, the time to strike is now. The Save Nicole Machine is in high gear. And there's hope, a chance that Oprah, once she lands in Manchester and is driven to her destination, will be handed a packet containing Nicole's personal story, and the need for more donors. But that nugget comes later. Right now, Oprah, if you're listening, we sure could use a boost here. "Some people, when they're sick, they want to be private and stay within themselves, but I'm not in any position to do that," said Nelson, a 35-year-old physician's assistant at Concord Hospital. "I can't imagine an audience that could do more than Oprah's audience. All walks of life would be represented. We have to take advantage of that if we can." Nicole was diagnosed in September. Her immune system, controlled by white blood cells, can't fight infection. Her blood doesn't clot properly because of a low platelet count. She tires easily without enough red blood cells, which transport oxygen. Nearly 1,000 donors waited on line at Concord Hospital recently to have their cheeks swabbed, hoping a preliminary match would lead to a blood test down the road. And then a perfect fit. No match yet. Other drives were held this month. Nothing thus far. About 6,000 people nationally are waiting for bone marrow transplants. About 11 million are registered as donors. Ethnicity is the key to finding a match. And a mammoth donor base, to increase the odds. This is where Concord Hospital's Annie Nason, a nurse practitioner, and Dr. Bob Johnson, one of the physicians Nicole works for, enter our story. They're on the frontlines, trying to be creative, trying to figure out the best way to get the word out so more people come forward as potential donors. They e-mailed Oprah's staff, trying to get the superstar's attention. And e-mailed. And e-mailed. "All I got back was an e-mail saying, 'Thank you for e-mailing The Oprah Winfrey Show,' " Johnson said. 'We are not going to guarantee you an answer. If you'd like, we can refer you to our frequently asked questions site.' That's not exactly what I was looking for." Now let's be fair. Oprah, perhaps the most influential celebrity this side of Muhammad Ali, receives thousands of requests to save the world. She can only do so much. But then Nason and Johnson heard the other day that Winfrey was coming here, to stump for Obama. The adrenaline began pumping. And as Nason says, "When Doctor Johnson gets a bee in his bonnet, there's no stopping him." "I thought maybe that's more than a coincidence, her coming here, because we've been talking about Oprah, and here she's actually going to be in Manchester," Johnson said. "How many times does Oprah Winfrey come to New Hampshire? Probably this one time." The plan, while still fuzzy, is taking shape. The gang, which includes a network of family and friends, has bombarded Winfrey's site with e-mails. They want Nicole on the show, and they want Oprah to be aware of the story before she gets here. It's a story that goes beyond Nicole, and they know it. "In doing this it would help everybody that needs a match," Johnson said. "Any increase in the number of people being screened to be marrow donors helps everybody who's in that pool looking for somebody. We thought for that reason it was something that was worthwhile." Nason and Johnson are organizing the troops. They want supporters to attend Oprah's visit, holding signs. "Oprah for Nicole." "Anything," Johnson said, "to get her attention." A media relations person for the Oprah show said yesterday that all-emails are reviewed by the staff. She also said the show won't resume taping until the new year, a potential setback. Reid Cherlin, press secretary for Obama, hadn't heard about Nicole's problem. But he soon e-mailed back a reporter, writing, "We've made sure that Senator Obama is aware of her situation, and we look forward to having Nicole at the event on the 9th." But the real ace in the hole here, the brightest ray of hope, comes from Susan Saviteer of Concord, a retired specialist in infectious diseases. She's a volunteer for the Obama cause. She said yesterday that someone from the Women for Obama Campaign, the one pickup Oprah up at the airport, will hand her a packet explaining everything she needs to know. "I've confirmed someone will give Oprah the packet," Saviteer said. "She'd probably be more interested in doing a story on transplantation in general and the need for the national donor bank and why it's a good idea for people to get screened. "I'm sure Oprah gets a million of these requests each day, and this is a hope that this message from Nicole will be a national one. Who knows if this is going to go anywhere?" It's in Oprah's hands now. Or at least it will be, once she hears Nicole's story. Meanwhile, Nicole's sense of humor is intact. She says once a match is found, she hopes the donor is a "Red Sox fan and a Democrat." She still tires easily, but she was able to trick or treat with Katie last month, hitting four houses while wearing a mask to prevent infection. She also went grocery shopping, a family outing, before Thanksgiving. She bought ingredients for sweet potatoes and Pumpkin bread pudding. Again, she wore a mask, with elastic stretched behind her head. "I leaned forward to be silly and Katie pulled the mask and snapped it back," Nicole said. "She thinks the mask is funny when I wear it. She likes to snap it. She was like, 'Come back here, lets do it again.' " How can Oprah resist? Huckabee, ascendant, focuses on Iowa- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/FRONTPAGE/711300341 With his poll numbers surging in Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee may put all of his eggs into the Hawkeye-State basket in December. Or at least most of them. His Iowa campaign director says he expects Huckabee to spend 15 to 20 days there leading up to the state's Jan. 3 caucus. But that doesn't mean the former Arkansas governor has forgotten New Hampshire. Analysts say Huckabee, whose campaign lacks the money of his competitors, is employing one of the oldest strategies in the book: Do well in Iowa, ride the surge to New Hampshire, then take on the nation. "Ideal (for Huckabee) would be if he can finish first in Iowa, or a very close second, but then not fall off the table entirely in New Hampshire," said Dante Scala, an associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire. Then, Scala said, "if he can score in the top four - or even better, in the top three - in New Hampshire, then he'll have a very good first (post-primary) week." The latest Iowa poll, released this week, shows Huckabee pulling ahead of Mitt Romney with 28 percent of the vote. That recent success has brought attacks on Huckabee's tax and immigration records by Romney and his staff. New Hampshire polls, however, have consistently shown Huckabee in fourth or fifth place. A look at Huckabee's recent campaign schedule suggests he's tried to boost support here. In the past three months, Huckabee spent 15 days in New Hampshire and seven days in Iowa, according to a tally by the Monitor. Compare that to the three months leading up to the Aug. 11 Iowa straw poll. Huckabee, who placed a surprise second behind Romney in that contest, spent 25 days in Iowa during June, July and August and nine days in New Hampshire, according to the Monitor's count. Huckabee is scheduled to arrive today for another three-day swing through the state, full of meet-and-greets and a stop at a 90th birthday party. But though New Hampshire voters have gotten a lot of face-time with Huckabee recently, they haven't seen his TV ads, which have only aired in Iowa. That's another strategic move, analysts say - especially since Huckabee doesn't have much money to spend on ads. "It's perfect," said Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University. "He spent a lot of time in Iowa (pre-straw poll) talking with people, going around, playing rock 'n' roll . . . . (After the straw poll), the news stories were that he did better than expected. Now he can run some television ads because the money starts to flow in. Then what he has to do in New Hampshire . . . (is) what he did in Iowa: meet people face to face. Because, of all the Republicans, he's the most disarming." Analysts and Huckabee's campaign staff say his reputation for charming voters will be key. It's crucial in New Hampshire, analysts say, where Huckabee's socially conservative, anti-gay marriage, anti-abortion message may not resonate as they do in Iowa. "Those issues don't play as well in New Hampshire," said Wayne Lesperance, an associate professor of political science at New England College. "But where (Huckabee) finds some strength is that people say, 'He's kind of a funny guy. He's irreverent.' For him, that is the best strategy." It looks like Granite Staters will have to wait before seeing a whole lot more of Huckabee's humor. The candidate's first priority in December will be building support for the Iowa caucus, his staff said. "From day one, our priority has been to finish in the top three in Iowa," said Eric Woolson, Huckabee's Iowa campaign director. "From when we were an asterisk in the polls in March to when we were at 2 percent in July, to now (when we're) 3 percent ahead of Romney." In recent weeks, the Romney campaign has stepped up attacks on Huckabee. At Wednesday night's GOP CNN/YouTube debate, the former Massachusetts governor criticized Huckabee for proposing to give the children of illegal immigrants in Arkansas access to state college scholarships. (Huckabee responded by saying children shouldn't be punished for what their parents did.) Romney's campaign has also focused on Huckabee's record, including ethics complaints, tax increases and the release of a convicted rapist who then killed another woman. But so far, Rudy Giuliani, who's polling second in New Hampshire (behind Romney) and third or fourth in Iowa (behind Romney and Huckabee), has been quiet on Huckabee. In Time magazine this week, assistant managing editor Michael Duffy said Giuliani's strategy may be to let Huckabee upend Romney in Iowa. Then, Duffy said, Giuliani, Fred Thompson and perhaps Ron Paul could steal some of Romney's support in New Hampshire, weakening Romney's chances in other early states. As for Huckabee, his staff said they don't mind other campaigns turning up the heat. "You know, hey, we're very happy to be in the position we're in right now," said Debra Vanderbeek, Huckabee's New Hampshire campaign manager. "Momentum is a good place to be." ------ End of article Law lets dying kids hunt game- Concord Monitor 11/30/07 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/FRONTPAGE/711300333 Terminally ill children and young adults who dream of hunting a wild animal before they die will get some help from the state of New Hampshire, under a new law that creates two "hunting adventure permits" annually for such cases. Gov. John Lynch will hold a ceremonial signing of the bill this afternoon, though it actually became law this summer. The event is drawing criticism from some animal rights advocates in the state, who have called and e-mailed the governor's office in protest. Animal rights activist Suzanne Fournier said she sent out an alert to hundreds of people on her e-mail list. "The ceremony would add insult to injury to the humane community," Fournier, of Milford, wrote in an e-mail to the Monitor. "Instead of affirming 'life,' the program is all about killing by a child who is facing death him or herself. How ironic." Under the law, two all-purpose hunting permits will be available each year for people younger than 21 who suffer from a life-threatening disease. The permits allow the holder to hunt at no cost for any game during normal hunting seasons, plus an extra two weeks before the opening of the moose hunt. They are exempt from licensing requirements but must travel with a licensed hunter older than 21. Rep. Bob L'Heureux got the idea from a constituent who told him that the Make-a-Wish Foundation had stopped arranging hunting trips for terminally ill children several years ago. The bill cleared both the House and Senate on voice votes and became law in July. He said he hadn't heard much opposition to it until he came home to an angry message this week. "If anybody wants to get up there and say we want to deny a dying youngster his wish, they can tangle with me," said L'Heureux, a Merrimack Republican. A hunter himself, L'Heureux said he bagged his second moose this year. The permits will be administered by Hunt of a Lifetime, a charity founded by a Pennsylvania mother named Tina Pattison, after her son Matt was turned down by the Make-a-Wish Foundation when he asked to go on a moose hunt. Through other groups, Matt Pattison got his hunt and his moose. He died in 1999. Since 2000, the group has taken about 385 children on hunting excursions of all types, Pattison said. Most kids request moose or elk, but they take all comers. One boy who had muscular dystrophy and used a wheelchair asked the group to take him hunting for an alligator, she said. "Oh yeah, he went down to Florida and did an alligator hunt," she said. "He said alligator meat tastes good." Hunt of a Lifetime sets no lower age limit for children, Pattison said. The youngest child ever taken on a hunt was 7 years old, but this year, the group made arrangements for a 4½-year-old boy in Louisiana who had a terminal brain tumor. "We wanted to go on his first buck hunt," she said. "He died a month ago, and the season didn't come in until, of course, this past month. . . . Those are the ones I regret." Typically, children who come to Hunt of a Lifetime are from rural backgrounds and come to it with a respect for animals and the place of hunting, Pattison said. "These are not kids from the city who think hunting would be a good idea," she said. "These are kids, usually, that are from a hunting family. . . . The animal is for harvesting, to take home and put on your table." The permits in New Hampshire will be exclusively for state residents, but Pattison said she hopes that the Legislature will move to expand that and allow others to come here. The organization has never worked with a child from New Hampshire, but Pattison said this week she heard from a boy in the state who has cerebral palsy and is interested in going on a hunt. But others argue that taking terminally ill children out hunting is cruel. Roni McCall, the secretary of the Governor's Task Force on the Humane Treatment of Animals, has written to Lynch to express her dismay. The task force was set up to evaluate animal abuse and make recommendations on laws and statutes. "There is nothing humane about allowing young adults and children to hunt, maime (sic) and harm animals," McCall, of Merrimack, wrote in an e-mail. "Some of these kids are first time hunters and are not getting clean clear shots to the animals thus making them suffer before they die, if they don't run away first." In her e-mail alerts, Fournier said that rock musician and hardcore hunter Ted Nugent has links to Hunt of a Lifetime: He sits on the group's advisory board and has gone along with children on hunts when they request him. She underscored that tie in a letter to Lynch's office, asking him if he wants to be associated with Nugent. "In this instance, the Governor would be showing support for people like Ted Nugent - infamous, extreme hunter, who is the Director of Spirit for the Hunt of a Lifetime program," she wrote. Pattison said that she likes having Nugent on the board for "no guff" advice but that Hunt of a Lifetime is not his. "I don't have anything against Ted, but I don't like people that think this is Ted's organization." Pattison, who drives a school bus for a living, said she listened to rock 'n' roll in the 1960s but moved to a farm in 1973 and hasn't listened to much but country since then. She doesn't know much about Nugent's musical career. "Tell you the truth, I heard 'Cat Scratch Fever' once in the school bus, and with the bus motor running I couldn't hear the whole thing," she said. ------ End of article Editorial: Clinton News Network: CNN’s failure to disclose- Union Leader 11/30/07 http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Clinton+News+Network%3a+CNN%27s+failur e+to+disclose&articleId=4b900239-c51a-4abf-bdc3-ad8085245472 TWICE NOW, CNN has aired the opinions of an avowed Hillary Clinton supporter without telling viewers that the supposedly impartial commenter is an advocate of the leading Democratic candidate for President. This is bad journalism. During Wednesday night's Republican debate, sponsored by CNN and YouTube and hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper, CNN aired a pre-recorded question by retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr. The general asked whether the candidates supported allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military. But Kerr was not an impartial questioner. He is a national co-chairman of Veterans and Military Retirees for Hillary. He also was on John Kerry's National Veterans Steering Committee in 2004. He told CNN he was a member of the Log Cabin Republicans, an organization of homosexual Republicans, but his history of Democratic Party activism suggests he has other leanings. And CNN did more than just air his recorded question. The network put him in the audience and then asked if the candidates answered the question to his satisfaction. That kind of attention given to a man who has lent his name to two Democratic presidential campaigns raises suspicions. After the CNN-sponsored Democratic debate last month, Cooper presented James Carville as an impartial analyst. He did not disclose that Carville is an informal adviser to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Did he know that? If not, why not? Clinton was not the only Democratic candidate whose supporters were able to plant hostile questions at Wednesday night's debate. Columnist Michelle Malkin reported yesterday that one questioner was a declared John Edwards supporter and another a declared Barack Obama supporter. Another, who asked about tainted toys from China, works for the United Steelworkers union, which supports Edwards. CNN did a terrible job vetting its questioners. Why? At the Republican debate in New Hampshire on June 5, which this newspaper co-sponsored, the network did a careful job, although one plant did get through. We discovered after the debate that a questioner who asked a hostile question of Mitt Romney was a volunteer for John McCain's campaign. (We don't believe Sen. McCain had any knowledge of this.) All citizens should be able to ask questions of the presidential candidates. But when presenting people as impartial questioners or analysts, CNN has the duty to do its best to ensure that they are truly impartial. It has not done so in recent weeks, and for that its credibility takes a hit. NH presidential debates in NH set just days before voting- Union Leader 11/30/07 http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Presidential+debates+in+NH+set+just+days+ before+voting&articleId=67934c38-3c7f-47df-8aba-7b92bc742b4d MANCHESTER – Competing presidential debates the weekend before the New Hampshire Primary on Jan. 8 are infusing more drama into the final hours of the campaigns. ABC News and WMUR-TV have announced back-to-back Democratic and Republican candidates' debates on Jan. 5. Fox News and the New Hampshire Republican Party plan a GOP debate Jan. 6. But New Hampshire GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen raises the prospect of Republican candidates skipping the WMUR debate in favor of the Fox event, both to be held at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown. "One possible outcome is ABC News comes out with the Democratic debate and Fox News comes out with the Republican debate," Cullen told the New Hampshire Union Leader last night. WMUR General Manager Jeff Bartlett plans to hold two debates. He said Republicans should debate on the ABC affiliate because it reaches more New Hampshire voters, he said. "It's far better watched than Fox News Channel in this state. And it's on the ABC network across the country, which obviously has far more viewers than the cable offering Fox has," Bartlett said. Sen. John McCain and Gov. Mike Huckabee have committed to the ABC News debate. McCain also plans to participate in the Fox News event. WMUR announced the major Democratic candidates have agreed to participate in the Jan. 5 debate, listing Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson. A spokesman for Sen. Chris Dodd said the campaign has received and accepted an invite as well. WMUR News Director Andrew Vrees said they would reach out to the campaigns again after the debate criteria is established. Kucinich hopes America will take new direction- Union Leader 11/30/07 http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Kucinich+hopes+America+will+take+a+new+d irection&articleId=cb905e6f-45fe-47d5-b894-3b1ff1a873ad MANCHESTER – The United States' role in the world is the key question facing Americans as they prepare to vote for the next President, says Democratic presidential contender Dennis Kucinich. "The new model for the paradigm is cooperation, not aggression," the Ohio congressman said. "I want to start calling America home over a period of time in cooperation with other nations." Although he declined to say what overseas bases he would close first, Kucinich, 61, said the closure plan would be done in consultation with military leaders and discussions with the countries where the bases are located. With technology today, he said, there is no reason to have military bases in far-flung corners of the world. "I want to see America take a different role," he said. He would like to see the U.S. work with Russian president Vladimir Putin to dismantle nuclear arsenals and to help the Russians destroy their chemical and other weapons instead of encouraging revolts by the countries along Russia's southern border. "America works best when it works from (a platform) of moral credibility," Kucinich said. "When we act like 'do as I say, not as I do,' we undermine our credibility." He said he would not be a pushover with other countries. "I'm a street kid out of Cleveland, but I don't mistake strength as just having weapons," he said. Kucinich, who is making his second run for the Democratic presidential nomination, has consistently opposed the Iraq War and has made that opposition the centerpiece of his campaign, whose theme is "strength through peace." In meeting with editors at the New Hampshire Union Leader this week, Kucinich, who is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House, emphasized his proposal for universal health care with a single-payer system. He says his plan is "Medicare for everyone." "Health care I see as a basic right, not as a privilege based on ability to pay," he said. The costs of premiums, co-pays and deductibles have put health care out of reach for millions of Americans, not just the uninsured, he said. The country currently pays $2.3 trillion for health care and that should be enough to provide health care to all Americans, just as other industrialized countries do for their citizens, Kucinich said. He wants to eliminate the profits and administrative costs insurance companies add to the health cost picture. He said administrative costs should be in line with Medicare, 3 percent. Kucinich also wants to be able to negotiate with the drug companies to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals, which the Veterans Administration does not, but he notes negotiations were forbidden under the Medicare Part D subscription drug program. "I want to revitalized American industry and if we can't change health then it can't be done," Kucinich said. People are more receptive to his message about universal health care this time, he said, because people are in "real financial trouble." He said New Hampshire and its grass roots tradition is the place for him to make his case. All the other Democratic candidates for president are capitulating to the insurance industry, he said. He admitted his proposal would never make it through the current Congress and said that is why he would take his plan directly to the American people. He said he is truly the only Democratic presidential candidate not indebted to the special interests. "There is a real choice (among presidential candidates) if voters decide health care is essential in their lives," Kucinich said. Asked if government should also guarantee citizens food, clothes, shelter and a job, Kucinich said no one should starve today in this country. He said government should ensure there is full employment, which is not the case now. "Government has the responsibility of being the employer of last resort, particularly when the private sector keeps cutting jobs," Kucinich said. Government can make sure the mechanisms are there, he said. But he noted, "Government can't do everything in society, I understand that. ... I don't look at government as Big Daddy, and I certainly don't want government to be Big Brother, either." Kucinich garnered notoriety for introducing an impeachment resolution against Vice President Dick Cheney. Recently he said he will expand another resolution to include the impeachment of President Bush. He maintains the administration has lied about the reasons for going to war in Iraq and has trampled on the Constitutional rights and civil liberties of the American people. Iowa’s “hot ticket” headed here- Union Leader 11/30/07 http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Iowa%27s+%27hot+ticket%27+headed+here &articleId=4739abc9-ff0d-4c2a-bd5c-ae17da3a5075 CONCORD – He's the hot commodity in Iowa, the new leader in the latest Republican presidential poll in the first-caucus state. And after a strong performance in the Wednesday night CNN-YouTube debate, he's today's darling of the national news media. But how is former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee playing in New Hampshire? Can he emerge from the single-digit morass in which he has polled here all year? And how will he play in the first-primary state between now and Jan. 8? Huckabee's three-day visit, which begins at midday today with an appearance before the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, will begin to provide the answer. His campaign says the social conservative will be introduced by pro-choice, pro-civil unions Democratic Gov. John Lynch, who befriended Huckabee while both were members of the National Governors Association. Republican Presidential hopeful, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, left, with actor Chuck Norris, gestures as he answers a reporter's question during a lunch with journalists in Washington yesterday. (AP) In Iowa, Huckabee's surge is significantly fueled by his growing appeal to Christian evangelicals, a big voting bloc in that state but a small segment of the GOP-leaning electorate in more libertarian New Hampshire. In Iowa, Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, has a new ad airing that calls him a "Christian leader" and draws from his recent speech to the Values Voters Summit in which he says, "Let us never sacrifice our principles for anybody's politics, not now, not ever." He hasn't advertised on television in New Hampshire yet, and when he does, it won't be with that ad, certainly. But according to his campaign manager and a chief supporter, he's not trying to hide anything. "He's never shied away from his faith when he's here," said state campaign manager Debra Vander Beek. "He has said that his faith defines him, but he talks about all sorts of issues. That's just part of it. "The media has tried to put him in that evangelical box, and you just can't do it," Vander Beek said. Faith and politics State Sen. Robert Clegg, a leading Huckabee supporter, said, "He's using an ad that works in Iowa. I think his New Hampshire advertising will be different. He hasn't hid religion since day one, but he'll do ads in New Hampshire on infrastructure and education and what do we do about bringing jobs back home." "Faith and Politics" is listed at the top issue on his campaign Web site, which quotes him as saying, "My faith is my life -- it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them." Although Huckabee has spent about 40 days in the first-primary state, Vander Beek said that only in recent weeks has he been getting broad attention. "People say, 'Where's he been?' Well, he's been here. The activists know it, and we have a broad swath of people who have lined up behind him." The visit that begins today will by far be his most important. That's not just because it's getting late in the campaign. And it's not just because today he is expected to be followed by a full-blown news media horde. Today opens Huckabee's opportunity to parlay his Iowa surge and the attention he attracted nationally by his strong debate performance, into real traction in the first-primary state. The New Hampshire expectations for Huckabee were laid out clearly less than three weeks ago by Huckabee himself. He said in Seabrook that regardless of how he does in Iowa on Jan. 3, "Quite frankly, if it doesn't happen in New Hampshire for me, it's not going to happen." Door wide open It may be starting to happen. A poll is expected today from the Manchester-based American Research Group showing Huckabee breaking though into double-digits and into a statistical tie for third place in New Hampshire, according to ARG president Dick Bennett. State Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen is not surprised at Huckabee's rise. "He's personable. He shows a sense of humor. He tends to deflect attacks very well. He had very skilled answers on issues, such as on the debate questions about undocumented immigrants and the death penalty. He gave a great answer on that." Cullen said the "Christian leader" ad "may not be the kind of ad he'd broadcast in New Hampshire. In past election cycles, people in New Hampshire would never see the ad. Now, with the Internet, we can see that they're doing a targeted message. When you see Huckabee here, his appeal of faith and religion are usually indirect. He does not play that up here." Cullen said he considered that approach "good politics" rather than inconsistency. Bennett of the American Research Group said Huckabee had the best answer to a YouTuber's question on whether the candidates take the Bible literally. "He said it is the word of God and some of it is allegorical," Bennett said. "It was the same answer as Rudy Giuliani's, but he stated it better." Bennett said the door remains wide open for Huckabee in New Hampshire, because his poll and others show that voters "are still deciding." Social conservatives Huckabee supporter Clegg said that to capitalize on the fluid electorate, the candidate must "split time between Iowa and New Hampshire" the rest of the way, "because New Hampshire voters want to see you eye-to-eye." Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, said Huckabee "does have a couple of problems in New Hampshire, and the biggest one is that we don't have a socially conservative Republican electorate here for him to appeal to. There are several other candidates going for that same type of electorate." He said his polling has shown that only about one-third of the Republican electorate say they attend religious services once a week. And not all of them fit the evangelical label. "I don't think you can win in New Hampshire as a social conservative unless you get all the social conservatives," Smith said. In New Hampshire, Huckabee has promoted himself as a fiscal conservative. Yet, as governor, he raised taxes on gasoline and cigarettes and signed a 3 percent surcharge on the state income tax. Clegg, well-known at the New Hampshire State House as a fiscal conservative, said Huckabee was forced by a fiscal crisis in his state and by an uncooperative legislature to accept the lawmakers' wishes. As a candidate, Huckabee calls for an end to the federal income tax and the Internal Revenue Service and the imposition of a "fair tax," which is a 23 percent sales tax on all new goods and services. "The tax will apply only to new goods, so we can reduce our taxes further by buying a used car or computer," Huckabee says on his Web site. "All of us will get a monthly rebate that will reimburse us for taxes on purchases up to the poverty line, so that we're not taxed on necessities." Clegg says that since Huckabee's plan would eliminate corporate income taxes, "we would get closer to paying for the real cost of an item and we would get closer to actual competition" between domestic and foreign-made goods. But Smith said, "Any radical tax plan in the United States is looked at with skepticism by Republicans and Democrats, just like Steve Forbes' flat tax. It's one of those things that's easy to nitpick." EDITORIAL: GOP food fight trivializes politics- Boston Herald 11/30/07 http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view.bg?articleid=1047918 So will the next Leader of the Free World really be determined on the basis of whether he employed illegal immigrant gardeners or spent weekends holed up in the Hamptons? Now, don’t get us wrong, we’re all for engaging an often unengaged public in political discourse. And with the Iowa caucuses little more than a month away and New Hampshire on its heels, it’s surely time for the public to become engaged. But are YouTube’s songwriting guitarists and the Republican food fight that passed for a debate Wednesday night really the way to do it? Surely the CNN-YouTube format contributed to the utter trivialization of politics on display on that stage in Florida. And don’t even get us started on what turned out to be plants from the campaigns of Democratic presidential contenders Sen. Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. What kind of vetting of questioners did CNN do anyway? But the Republican candidates on stage didn’t cover themselves in glory either, with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Fred Thompson vying not for substance but for who could land the best punch. Did it ever occur to any of them that voters might conclude they’re all right and that, therefore, perhaps none is fit to lead this nation? On the hot-button issue of immigration, voters want answers, not accusations. And good for Sen. John McCain, ever the grownup, who explained how critical it is to secure this nation’s borders and then address the results of years of a failed immigration policy. Then McCain rightfully scorned “rhetoric that unfortunately contributes nothing to the national dialogue.” When he finished lecturing his rivals on immigration he got to deliver an even more stinging lecture to Romney on the subject of torture. Romney, not content to leave the trivial behind for YouTube, yesterday continued to attack his chief rival in Iowa, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, during an interview on MSNBC. “I know there were a number of ethical charges and actual fines and violations,” Romney said of Huckabee. “That’s a little reminiscent of the Clinton years.” There was a time when Republicans observed what they called the 11th Commandment - Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican. Clearly that era has come and gone. And only the voters can tell us - and soon - whether that’s a good thing. Generally speaking, YouTube questioner was a fraud- Boston Herald 11/30/07 http://www.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1047974 CNN’s much-vaunted effort to draw the Internet crowd into the political fray at Wednesday’s GOP debate turned out to be a fraud salted with Democratic plants, critics charge. An openly gay retired brigadier general peppering the candidates over gays and lesbians in the military turned out to be a member of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. The revelation has conservative bloggers howling for blood while a red-faced CNN issued an apology yesterday for its sloppy fact-checking. Not good enough, said GOP presidential candidate John McCain, telling numerous news outlets yesterday the plant “should have been revealed” or the questioner tossed for some of the other nearly 5,000 YouTube queries submitted. The Clinton camp also was trying to run from retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr, who pushed the GOP pack near the end of the debate on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with gays and lesbians. Both the general’s YouTube question and follow-up from the floor ate up coveted debate minutes until the crowd in St. Petersburg, Fla., booed him down. Conservative bloggers charged yesterday other YouTube questions were plants by John Edwards and Barack Obama, both chasing Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. As for the general, he was exposed as co-chairman of Clinton’s National Military Veterans group who also joined John Kerry’s failed run for the presidency in 2004. Once the debate dust settles, the general’s ambush may ultimately hurt Clinton, pundits on both sides tell the Herald. “This just continues people’s slimy feeling about Hillary Clinton,” said Jim Rappaport, former Bay State GOP chairman, who said he otherwise enjoyed the YouTube format. Even longtime Democratic operative Michael Goldman warned Clinton can’t win now even if it’s proved the general was flying solo. “You get too much credit and you get too much blame,” Goldman said of any candidate. What makes the general’s failed mission “dumb and dumber,” Goldman adds, is the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was approved by President Bill Clinton in 1993. “It’s amazing the (general) didn’t figure that out,” Goldman added. “He’s hurting Hillary more than helping her.” Summary Box: Analysis: Giuliani queries- Boston Globe (AP) 11/30/07 http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/11/29/summary_box_analysis_gi uliani_queries/ HARSH EXPOSURE: The revelation that security costs for Rudy Giuliani's trysts with Judith Nathan were spread to obscure New York accounts exposes him to harsh questions his campaign wanted badly to avoid -- about character, truthfulness and a penchant for secrecy. CHARACTER COUNTS: Republicans seeking a candidate who can challenge Hillary Rodham Clinton on issues of integrity may feel betrayed. SECRECY WORRIES: People who argue Giuliani overplays his anti-terrorism experience can wonder whether it was security -- or protection from prying eyes -- he was receiving in the Hamptons Clinton urges sweeping actions on AIDS- Boston Globe (AP) 11/30/07 http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/30/clinton_urges_sweeping_action_on_aids/ LAKE FOREST, Calif. --Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton used an appearance at one of the nation's largest evangelical churches Thursday to sketch a broad agenda to take on disease around the globe, calling it "the right thing to do." The centerpiece of a speech laced with Biblical references and reflections on her own faith was a call to spend billions of dollars to combat HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases at home and abroad. She said she would try to stamp out malaria deaths in Africa within eight years. Money and government alone cannot solve the problems, she said. AIDS "is a problem of our common humanity, and we are called to respond with love, with mercy and with urgency," she said. With the presidential campaign intensifying in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Clinton was alone among leading candidates to fly to coastal California to appear at Saddleback Church in Orange County, where pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren convenes a conference each year to highlight the global threat posed by HIV/AIDS. Earlier this week Clinton released her proposal to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, which focuses in part on fighting the spread of the illness in minority communities. As president, she would double the HIV/AIDS research budget at the National Institutes of Health -- to $5.2 billion annually -- and spend at least $50 billion within five years around the globe. On Thursday, speaking to about 1,700 conference attendees, she said as president she would also call for spending $1 billion a year to address malaria infection in Africa. She set a goal of eradicating malaria deaths in Africa by the end of her second term. Many Christian conservatives dread the possibility of another Clinton White House, a point of agreement in a year when prominent leaders in the movement have divided their loyalties among GOP contenders. There was a sprinkle of criticism from conservatives in response to Clinton's appearance at the church, but it was muted compared to last year when more than a dozen conservative leaders signed a letter urging Warren to rescind an invitation to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who supports abortion rights. The church defended his appearance. Warren is theologically and socially conservative, but he is known for avoiding the scrum of partisan politics. The author of "The Purpose-Driven Life" has devoted much of his time in recent years mobilizing evangelicals to fight AIDS in Africa. The speech gave Clinton a chance to appear on stage with the popular pastor -- who greeted her with a hug -- as well as talk at length about her own faith. "I've been raised to understand the power and purpose of prayer," she said at one point. Warren thanked her for attending. "We invited all of them to come, but she was the one who showed up," he said. NH Primary could be Clinton’s make or break moment- Boston Globe 11/30/07 http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/30/with_iowa_tight_nh_becoming_clintons_fi rewall/ CONCORD, N.H. - With Hillary Clinton faltering in polls leading up to the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary is looming as a possible make-or-break moment for her - in a place where she has most of the party's key endorsements and a sizable lead in the polls, but where a defeat could be devastating. Unlike in Iowa, where the major endorsements are split among several candidates, Clinton has the support of most of the Democratic party establishment in New Hampshire. She has other important advantages here that she lacks in Iowa, including a history of campaigning for her husband and New Hampshire's recent tradition of electing female politicians. However, her lead in the New Hampshire polls has narrowed in the last month, and analysts say her enviable organization does not guarantee protection against the wave of momentum that could propel Sen ator Barack Obama of Illinois, if he were to win the Iowa caucuses, which are five days before the Jan. 8 primary. Because of New Hampshire's traditional influence and the high expectations generated by Clinton's mass of endorsements here, analysts say, she could not lose both Iowa and New Hampshire and survive in the race. "I would argue that New Hampshire is the firewall of last resort," said Dante Scala, a University of New Hampshire political scientist. "New Hampshire has to come through for her if Iowa doesn't." Clinton's campaign expresses confidence about her performance around the country, including in both the crucial early states. But it has also flooded Iowa with new staff in the days since her poll numbers began dropping, and Clinton is expected to spend much of December traveling the state. There is also a growing sense of urgency among the New York senator's Granite State ranks. The New Hampshire campaign recently opened several field offices and hired staff to bring the total in the state to about 100. "We need you to step it up now, we need you to turn up the heat now," New Hampshire's speaker of the House, Terie Norelli, told a crowd of prominent supporters gathered in Concord to see Clinton on Monday. "We need you not just to do one phone bank, but to do many phone banks. We need you to talk to your neighbors, we need you to write letters to the editor." Each week, hundreds of campaign volunteers knock on an average of 25,000 doors statewide, and they have made close to a million phone calls seeking and solidifying support from voters, according to Clinton's New Hampshire state director, Nick Clemons. But Obama's campaign has also stepped up its efforts and is preparing for a showdown as well. Obama's campaign said it has kept pace with Clinton's in paid staff and its volunteers are just as busy knocking on doors, making phone calls, and writing postcards. Obama spokeswoman Leslie Miller, who said the campaign knocks on 20,000 doors a week, questioned the Clinton figures, saying Obama canvassers rarely run into their Clinton counterparts. But outside political observers say Clinton's campaign is more agile, thanks to her backing from members of the local party establishment, who are better-schooled in what it takes to win the firstin-the-nation primarily. The state's two leading Democrats, Governor John Lynch and former governor and current senatorial candidate Jeanne Shaheen, are staying neutral in the race, but their spouses have endorsed Clinton, which analysts see as a clear sign that their political organizations will be supporting her. In addition to Norelli, Clinton has the backing of the state Senate president, the state party chairwoman who led the Democrats to victory in 2006, and most of New Hampshire's top political operatives. It is unusual but not unprecedented for so much of the Democratic muscle in New Hampshire to coalesce around one person in a primary without an incumbent. In 2000, Vice President Al Gore had the backing of most of the party establishment, and eked out a four-point win against Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey. His victory was enough to seize the momentum going into larger states, and he won the nomination with ease. Some Obama supporters point to Bradley's close finish, even without the momentum of a win in the Iowa caucuses, as evidence that establishment backing does not erase all vulnerabilities. Obama's biggest endorsement is from freshman US Representative Paul Hodes; the only other Democratic member of Congress from New Hampshire is neutral. But Obama's supporters say it is natural that Clinton would monopolize the endorsements. "The reality is that Barack Obama has been on the scene for 10 months running against the most powerful Democratic political force for two decades, the Clintons," said Obama cochairman Ned Helms. "They were busy all spring and summer courting the names you would recognize, at the same time we were engaging people . . . on 'what are your passions?' " Helms said people do not enter the voting booth pondering whom their state representative has endorsed, especially the independent voters who make up a large chunk of the state's electorate. But the support of a broad swatch of the party's elected leadership will translate into on-theground organizational support on primary day. And Clinton's supporters say the endorsers have been working hard in all facets of the campaign. Senate President Sylvia Larsen recently brought a crock-pot full of homemade chili to Clinton's Manchester headquarters, while Kathy Sullivan, the former state party chairwoman, cooked pasta for a volunteer potluck. "People will say, 'Oh, the establishment is for Hillary Clinton,' but people forget that the establishment is the people who have been making the chili and the pasta for years," Sullivan said, referring to herself and Larsen. New Hampshire is considered friendlier territory than Iowa for Clinton for several reasons. She spent a lot of time campaigning for her husband in 1992 while bypassing Iowa because homestate Senator Tom Harkin was running. Women are unusually prominent in New Hampshire politics, perhaps because its part-time Legislature has attracted female candidates for decades. Clinton has maintained a clear lead in polls, though recent ones have gotten tighter. A CNN/WMUR poll in September put her ahead of Obama by 43 percent to 20 percent. In a Suffolk University/WHDH poll this week, she led him 34 percent to 22 percent. And the results of the Iowa caucus could significantly influence the New Hampshire primary, said Mark Mellman, a veteran Democratic strategist who is not affiliated with a campaign. An Iowa victory by former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who is vying with Clinton and Obama for the lead in some Iowa polls, would not translate much in New Hampshire, where Edwards fared very poorly in 2004, Mellman said. But if Obama won Iowa, there would be a flood of positive press about him and questions about whether Clinton is electable. "It's unfair and inaccurate, but it would be a lot of chaff to have to navigate through in five days," he said. If Obama wins Iowa, Scala said, Clinton's imperative will be to hold on to college-educated, professional women, among whom she has done surprisingly well, considering that Obama's idealistic campaign is attractive to their demographic. "If they stick with her, her firewall will hold up," Scala said. "But if not, it will be five sleepless nights for the Clinton campaign. Actually, it will be five sleepless nights no matter what." CNN says general should not have had air time- Politcial Intelligence 11/2907 http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2007/11/cnn_says_genera.html CNN acknowledged today that a retired military officer has ties to Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign and should not have been allowed to ask a question at Wednesday night's Republican debate about homosexuals serving in the military. Retired Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr of Santa Rosa, Calif., asked a question via a YouTube video criticizing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and was invited by CNN to the theater in St. Petersburg, Fla., to pose a follow-up question. He is on Clinton campaign committees for veterans and for gays and lesbians. The Clinton campaign said Kerr does not work for the campaign and was not acting on its behalf. "We regret this and apologize to the Republican candidates," David Bohrman, CNN senior vice president and executive producer of debate, said in a statement posted on CNN's political website. "We never would have used the general's question had we known that he was connected to any presidential candidate." Giuliani dismisses report on expenses- Political Intelligence 11/29/07 http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2007/11/giuliani_dismis.html Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign said today that internal bookkeeping practices -- not an attempt to conceal an extramarital affair -- were the reason tens of thousands of dollars for security expenses were allocated to obscure city agencies while he was New York mayor. Giuliani said they were "completely legitimate expenses" and a report about them, which appeared on the website of The Politico just hours before Wednesday night's Republican debate "was like a hit job." "I kind of got the idea that it was not a legitimate story," he said in an interview with CNN. (Watch it here.) While mayor, Giuliani was accompanied by New York police officers around the clock no matter where he travelled. The Politico, citing city records obtained under the state's public records law, said that "the mayoral costs had nothing to do with the functions of the little-known city offices that defrayed the tabs, including agencies responsible for regulating loft apartments, aiding the disabled, and providing lawyers for indigent defendants" and that the expenses occurred between 1999 and 2001 "when he was beginning an extramarital relationship" with Judith Nathan. She became his third wife in 2003. The Politico, however, said it was "impossible to know" whether the purpose of all 11 summer trips to the Hamptons was to see Nathan. Giuliani long ago acknowledged the affair with Nathan, which began while he was still married to Donna Hanover. Joseph J. Lhota, who served as budget director and later deputy mayor under Giuliani, in a telephone interview with the Globe today asserted: "There's nothing wrong here. There was total transparency ... There's no basis in fact that this had anything to do [with] hiding costs related to a relationship." Giuliani's security detail used a mayor's office American Express card to pay expenses, which were then apportioned among numerous agencies under the mayor's office, Lhota said. Later, the New York Police Department reimbursed the mayor's office, and "these divisions were never deprived of any monies," he said. "No one was trying to do anything here but make sure there were timely payments off this credit card," said Lhota, who is an adviser to the Giuliani presidential campaign. "If we had made NYPD pay directly, there would be non-transparency because they would argue this is a security issue." Lhota said the trips to the Hamptons were "a small snippet" of the travel costs of his security detail and were emphasized "just to make the story salacious." However, neither Lhota nor Giuliani denied the Hampton trips were to see Nathan. Responding to Giuliani's "hit job" comment, Politico editor-in-chief John F. Harris, said in a statement: "This was a fair and carefully reported story. We gave the Giuliani campaign ample opportunity to dispute the story or comment on our reporting before publishing and they did not do so. Since the story ran, we have not heard from the campaign disputing any substantive aspect of the story." While the expenses could resurrect issues that Giuliani has sought to dismiss by acknowledging he has made mistakes in his personal life, none of his Republican rivals has publicly commented today. Barack Obama Countdown to Change in Boston Ma by: bowes3 Thu Nov 29, 2007 at 11:28:52 AM EST Join Barack Obama in Boston for a special Massachusetts Countdown to Change event this Sunday, December 2: https://donate.barackobama.com/c2cmass Here are the details: Massachusetts Countdown to Change Sunday, December 2, 2007 Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Park Plaza Castle 130 Columbus Avenue Boston, MA Tickets: $23 For security reasons, do not bring bags. No signs or banners allowed. We're counting down the days until the crucial early primaries and caucuses in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. With less than six weeks to go, now is the time for our national movement to create the momentum that will propel Barack to the Democratic nomination. This is your final opportunity to purchase tickets online and join Barack in Massachusetts: https://donate.barackobama.com/c2cmass Hope to see you there! Obama for America bowes3 :: Barack Obama Countdown to Change in Boston Ma Tags: 2008 Presidential Election, (All Tags) Urgent! All Candidates Need Delegates!!! by: Kathy Sullivan 2 Thu Nov 29, 2007 at 12:29:57 PM EST ( - promoted by Laura Clawson) John DiStaso reported in the Union Leader today that some candidates do not yet have enough people running for delegate. He is right! Being the curious cat, I just checked, and it is actually pretty shocking how few people are running for delegate - for all the candidates. This is a real opportunity for grass roots participation in the process, and do not think that just because this may be your first campaign, or that you do not know enough people, that you can't get elected. This is why they have elections!!! With the exception of a couple of candidates, there are not very many people running at all! And even for those two candidates? There really should be a lot more people running. Several people who have signed up for various candidates have already been delegates in the past - here is your opportunity to strike a blow against the establishment by providing new blood to the process (that was intended to be funny)! Kathy Sullivan 2 :: Urgent! All Candidates Need Delegates!!! So, please, contact your candidate's campaign, or just go to the New Hampshire Democratic Party web site to get the forms. The filing deadline is December 5, so time is awasting! Sign up! Especially if you are a member of an historically underrepresented community (African American, Latino, Asian Pacific, GLBT, youth, seniors or disabled). There are only a few Blue Hampsters running; I only spotted three names, although maybe some of our anonymous friends are in. Remember, sign up, and drag your friends, families and random strangers who support your candidate to the delegate selection caucuses on Dec. 15. Conventions are very exciting, and this is your chance to be part of a very exciting week in Denver. Tags: delegates, national convention, (All Tags) Edwards Announces Toy Safety Policy by: EVale Thu Nov 29, 2007 at 14:46:14 PM EST Today John announced a new policy to ensure safe toys, and sent a letter to top toy manufacturers and retailers urging them to support it. Details after the jump... EVale :: Edwards Announces Toy Safety Policy As you all know toy safety has become a huge issues. More than 30 million toys recalled this year, demonstrating systemic weaknesses in our ability to ensure that children's toys and other products are safe. Quality and safety have been sacrificed in the race to reduce costs with foreign production. Manufacturing standards in countries like China - which alone accounts for nearly 80 percent of imported toys - are not enforced. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is led by a former industry lobbyist and has dragged its heels and actually opposed plans to strengthen its powers. Despite the publicity around toy recalls and promises of more aggressive testing, two independent groups found last week that stores are still selling toys with high levels of lead and dangerous small magnets. [CPSC, October 2007; NY Times, 9/29/07; SOPR, 2007; NY Times, 10/30/07; CEH, 2007; PIRG, 2007] Today John announced the following steps he would take to change the rigged system that favors lobbyists over families: In Washington today, there are more than 60 lobbyists for every member of Congress. It is not surprising that the safety of drugs, food, and consumer products come second to corporate interests. To put Washington back on the side of regular families, Edwards will: Put New Leadership at the Consumer Product Safety Commission: Officials responsible for product safety should look after families, not big corporations. Today Edwards called on President Bush to demand the resignation of Nancy Nord, the acting chair of the CPSC. Nord has accepted travel paid by the toy industry and opposes congressional efforts to strengthen the CPSC to protect Americans families from dangerous imported toys. [AP, 11/2/07] Ban Industry Gifts to Regulators: Senior CPSC officials, including Nord, have taken $60,000 of "gift travel" from industry groups to places like China, Spain and a Hilton Head golf resort. Edwards will ban executive branch regulatory staff from accepting travel or gifts from private industry or their lobbyists. [Chicago Tribune, 5/5/2007; Washington Post, 11/2/07] Close the Lobbyist Revolving Door: The last three Bush picks to head the CPSC have been former lobbyists and the most recent chair is now an industry consultant. Edwards will bar federal lobbyists from taking senior executive jobs responsible for issues they lobbied on and bar appointees from lobbying their former colleagues for five years. [Associated Press, 11/6/07] Empower Consumers with Real-Time Recall and Complaint Information: The CPSC fails to disclose complaints and investigative reports to the public to give the manufacturers time to prepare their defenses. Edwards believes that we need to protect families first, not manufacturers, when deciding whether to disclose potential dangers. He will make it easier for consumers to register defects and risks and release consumers' complaints and recall information virtually immediately at a new website, "familysafetyfirst.gov." John also announced ways to keep the toys themselves safer: Ban Lead in Children's Products: The ingestion of any amount of lead is harmful. China banned the use of lead paint in toy exports after the recall of millions of toys this summer, but the U.S. has no power to enforce that law and the CPSC has refused to ban lead from children's products. As president, Edwards will ask the CPSC to prohibit lead beyond minute trace amounts in children's products including toys and jewelry. [CU, 2007; Best, 2007; Best, 2004] Require Independent Testing: Edwards will require manufacturers and private-label resellers to certify that the children's products they sell have been tested to meet U.S. safety standards. Testing must be conducted by an independent third-party organization accredited by CPSC, and products that have not have been certified should be banned. Stop Risky Products at the Border: Until effective independent testing of all toys is in place, Edwards will give the Customs Service and the CPSC the authority to detain shipments of toys containing paint or magnets without independent safety certification - just like the Food and Drug Administration temporarily detained Chinese seafood - and hold them until testing of a random sample demonstrates that they are safe. The FDA temporarily detained Chinese seafood, and the CPSC needs similar powers to protect children's safety. Provide the CPSC with the Power and Resources It Needs: To deter even large companies from marketing dangerous products, Edwards will increase the maximum civil fine to $100 million. He will give CPSC authority to act far more quickly, rather than giving manufacturers 30 days notice while children's safety is at stake. Finally, he will double resources for the CPSC because enhanced safety certifications and temporarily increasing levels of inspection will require more resources and highly trained staff. Finally, he sent the following letter to manufacturers and retailers urging them to support this crucial issue: Carter Keithley, President Toy Industry Association 1115 Broadway New York, NY 10010 Robert Eckert, CEO Mattel, Inc. 333 Continental Boulevard El Segundo, CA 90245-5012 Lee Scott, CEO Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611 Bob Ulrich, CEO Target Corporation 1000 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55403 Gerard L. Storch, CEO Toys "R" Us One Geoffrey Way Wayne, New Jersey 07470-2030 November 28, 2007 More than 30 million toys recalled this year, demonstrating systemic weaknesses in our ability to ensure that children's toys and other products are safe. Some are calling 2007 "The Year of the Recall." As the holiday shopping season begins, Americans are rightfully concerned that they cannot trust toy makers, retailers, or Washington to put their interests first. Publicity around the recalls has prompted companies to promise more aggressive testing, but two independent groups found last week that stores are still selling toys with high levels of lead and dangerous small magnets. I have proposed a concrete and common-sense product safety reform agenda that will ensure the independence of Washington regulators, create strong safety standards including mandatory, independent third-party testing, and toughen penalties for corporate wrongdoing. I have also called on the Acting Chair of the CPSC, Nancy Nord, to resign. The nation's top consumer product watchdog should be someone who actually cares about consumer product safety, not a former industry lobbyist who has taken thousands of dollars in trips funded by the toy industry. When Congress took up reforms this fall, the toy industry and retailers had a choice. They could work with members of Congress to overhaul our product safety laws and regain the trust of the American people or they could send in armies of lobbyists to fight the toughest reforms and maintain a broken system. It is not too late to stand up and do what is right to protect American children. I urge you to embrace needed reforms to protect children and work with parents, consumer advocates and Congress to pass the strongest possible safety agenda, including prohibiting lead beyond minute trace amounts in children's products including toys and jewelry. Yours sincerely, John Edwards Tags: John Edwards, 2008, toy safety, (All Tags) Political Chowder: Endorsements, campaign cash, and impeachment -- and our own Betty Hall! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Manchester Mayor endorses Giuliani Mitt's "Willy Horton" Problem You Tube Debates-playing to the stereotype. Before Mrs. Governor Lynch endorsed Hillary, Mr. Governor Shaheen endorsed Hillary - What's up with the faux Endorsements? Huckabee beating Romney in Iowa---but after Iowa, What???? Hillary is to Barbara Streisand as Barak is to Oprah Our kids can't read- More Nations are passing US in reading skills Obama Campaign sprinkling the cash around NH pols---is there a story here? They are fleeing the ship of state - US Senator Trent Lott leaves Congress. The Impeachment Movement comes to Dartmouth All this and more, Sunday @ 11a.m. on Political Chowder ----------------------------------------------Political Chowder with host Arnie Arnesen is New Hampshire's newest political television show. Tune in Sunday, December 2 , from 11 to Noon EDT on MyTV (WZMY-TV – Comcast 18 or Comcast 6 and Dish and DirecTV ). Political Chowder re-airs during the week on 38 public access stations, serving over 90 cities and towns across NH. Check local listings for times and dates. Part One - The Round Table NH Business Review Editor Jeff Feingold Attorney Brad Cook Blogger and Radio Talk Host Doug Lambert - Granite Grok Part Two - A case for Impeachment Representative Betty Hall John Nichols, Author of The Genius of Impeachment, The Founders Cure for Royalism go to www.politicalchowder.com for pod cast and google video of the program (archive materials available). If you want to hear more Political Chowder, tune into Chowder in the Morning with Arnie on 1110 AM WCCM 6-9am M-F and streaming live on the internet at www.1110WCCM.com/site and available on MCAM TV Channel 23. --WWW.POLITICALCHOWDER.COM Where NH does Politics on MyTV CHOWDER IN THE MORNING 1110am streaming at: www.1110wccm.com/site D. Arnie Arnesen Executive Producer and Host [email protected] By Arnie at 11/29/2007 - 12:39 | login or register to post comments I'm Off to the Fall Meeting Posted by Kombiz Lavasany on November 29, 2007 at 12:55 PM Email this Print this Blog this Digg this Today through Saturday, the Democratic Party will hold its annual fall meeting in Vienna, Virginia. On Friday, November 30, the Democratic presidential candidates, DNC Chairman Howard Dean, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter will address the crowd. I'll be there covering the meeting, bringing you updates from inside. More than 400 DNC members are expected to attend, plus journalists and bloggers covering the event. Which One Is it Gov? Posted by Michael Link on November 29, 2007 at 12:25 PM Email this Print this Blog this Digg this Mitt's twists and turns on abortion leave the voters wondering where he really stands: Romney, in a direct mail piece he's distributed to South Carolina Republicans, brags he's the: "The only major presidential candidate who supports the Republican Party's pro-life platform: A constitutional amendment banning abortion nationwide." Last night, Romney said: "We should overturn Roe v. Wade and return these issues to the states. I would welcome a circumstance where there was such a consensus in this country that said we don't want to have abortion in this country at all period? That would be wonderful. I would be delighted … to sign that bill. but that's not where we are. That's not where America is today. Where America is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade and return to the states that authority." Not a bad Wednesday night I had three reasons not to watch the CNN/YouTube GOP Debate last night: 1) The debates aren't really debates. Debating requires two or more people to exchange and refute ideas in a dialogue. What we have mostly been watching are candidates giving sound bites, one after the other, in front of a crazy backdrop of lights and TV network logos. 2) After seeing all the ridiculous antics in the first YouTube debate, I was ready for somebody in a Chewbacca suit to ask a question about the candidates' positions on gender neutrality. 3) A couple of the candidates aren't even well-known in their own districts; they certainly aren't going to become president. Sorry Hunter, Gravel. But I ended up watching it anyways. Why? I thought about staying at the gym for awhile after work, but after about 50 minutes I threw in the towel after seeing some 45 year-old female with a fanny pack outperform me on a leg press machine. Afterwards, I thought about going out for a dinner and a movie with my girlfriend, but then I realized that there are no good movies out right now (sorry, Beowulf) and I don't actually have a girlfriend. Then I looked around for a decent sporting event on TV, and I just wasn't feeling the college hoops, even though #1 UNC was playing Ohio State. Red Sox replays from April 2004 on NESN wouldn't qualify my night as enjoyable either. But like a Red Rood Inn, CNN left the light on for me. After all the nay saying I do about that old' cable news behemoth, she was still there to comfort me in my boredom. I actually enjoyed most of the debate, and it's time to dish out some awards: GLAD I SPENT WEDNESDAY NIGHT WATCHING CNN Awards goes to: 1) CNN For creating a better debate format by designating 30 second rebuttals to candidates who were directly mentioned in another candidate's answer. I believe this was much for beneficial to provide a real atmosphere of debate, and it helped clear up the facts on certain issues. 2) McCain and Huckabee I thought both of these gentlemen delivered clear and positive messages, and they were on-point the entire night. I believe they are both men who would lead a country that we would like to be a part of, and I think watchers would have felt the same sentiment by watching them tonight. I also thought that they showed conviction without sounding overly macho or superficially tough, like Romney and Giuliani do at times. I'm not sure how these debates affect voter behavior, but good Grok' points to both of them tonight. 3) Another award for CNN! One of the reasons I detest the FoxNews debates is because at least 15% of the questions are gossip headlines thrown on to the stage to see what bizarre reaction might occur ("Hillary Clinton...."). While cable network exec's might like this, I think voters are bored of it and crave some real content. Not that CNN's content and question selections were perfect, but overall I thought the debate focused on real issues and Anderson Cooper did a decent job of running a smooth show. GIVE ME THE PAST 5 MINUTES OF MY LIFE BACK Awards goes to: 1) That guitar intro song at the beginning of the program. Sure it was cute and witty like most of the quasi-humorous content that YouTube prima donnas post, but I just don't think a silly gag like that is appropriate at a presidential forum. Not that we can't have a laugh here and there, but this was a forum of statesmen who are on the verge of possibly becoming the United States' next Commander-in-Chief. As a Christian, I have been taught to ponder the phrase "Would Would Jesus Do?" if I am contemplating a certain moral or ethical situation in life. But as an American, I also think we should think "What Would the Founding Fathers Do?" when judging a certain political situation. I couldn't imagine the men who sacrificed so much to build this republic approve of having some kid with a guitar mocking the candidates at a major public event. And even if you dislike the party or the candidates themselves, I think there needs to be a certain level of decorum and respect for the tradition and importance of the office at hand. The clip belonged on YouTube, not in front of the candidates and a national audience of concerned citizens. 2) Giuliani and Romney Immigration Spat Let's face it guys: Everybody pretty much knows that neither of you have any history of being "tough on illegal immigration". The interchange looked pathetic; like Smartfood arguing with Doritos over who makes the healthier stoner food, or Hillary and Obama debating about who has more executive experience. Since all eyes are on these two candidates at the moment, I believe it wasn't in their best interests to attack each other on this issue at the moment. However, I believe immigration will be an important issue in 2008, and positions do need to be clearly articulated by any serious candidate. Not a bad Wednesday night. And with the Carson Daly Show going back on the air without union talent, life is only going to get better. Posted by Dave on November 29, 2007 12:21 PM | Permalink GOP Group Calls Romney "Just Another Massachusetts Flip-Flopper" The Republican group, Log Cabin Republicans have launched a New Hampshire radio ad targeted at Mitt Romney. In a press release the group's president, Patrick Sammon, said "“No one knows what Mitt Romney believes because he changes his positions so often—even more than John Kerry. Our Party deserves better than a flip-flopper with no principles.” The ad begins "Mitt-Flops…sounds like something you'd wear to the beach, but they could cost you," and concludes with "Mitt Romney – just another Massachusetts flip-flopper." The ad will begin running in the Manchester and Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester radio markets. Radio Ad Script: ANNOUNCER: Mitt-Flops…sounds like something you'd wear to the beach, but they could cost you. Let's see. Running for governor, Mitt Romney said he'd balance the budget without raising taxes. So what'd he really do? He raised taxes on some New Hampshire residents who worked in Massachusetts, taxing their income and their pensions. That's a Mitt-Flop. Then Romney claimed he was just 'closing loopholes'. The truth: he raised taxes $128 million. After that? $70 million more. A year later? He tried to hike taxes another $170 million. That’s a triple Mitt-Flop. Romney even refused to support the Bush tax cuts. Now? He’s seen the light on tax cuts. Do you believe this conversion? Massachusetts Mitt sounds like another flip-flopping politician… JOHN KERRY:“I actually did vote for the 87 billion dollars, before I voted against it.” ANNOUNCER: Mitt Romney – just another Massachusetts flip-flopper. Paid for by Log Cabin Republicans who are responsible for the content of this ad. Learn more about Romney’s record at logcabin.org Romney To Visit New Hampshire December 3rd, 4th Governor Romney's schedule Monday, Dec. 3 12:00 p.m. Manchester Rotary Club Luncheon The Chateau Restaurant 201 Hanover Street Manchester, NH 5:45 p.m. Hampton Ask Mitt Anything 29 Academy Avenue Hampton, NH Tuesday, Dec. 4 9:00 a.m. Retail Stop Windham Junction General Store 128 North Lowell Road Windham, NH 10:15 a.m. Business Tour and Ask Mitt Anything Rehig-Pacific 13 Center Street Raymond, NH 12:00 p.m. Concord Rotary Luncheon Cat n' Fiddle Restaurant 118 Manchester Street Concord, NH 4:45 p.m. Meredith Retail Stop The Christmas Loft 285 Daniel Webster Highway Meredith, NH Rudy's "Promise" The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee announced the launch of a new television ad, entitled "Promise." The ad is airing in New Hampshire and Boston. Script for "Promise": MAYOR GIULIANI: "When I became Mayor of New York City things were out of control. I lowered taxes. I reduced the growth of government. Made government more accountable. And New York City boomed. I would do these things for America because I know they work. I know that reducing taxes produces more revenues. Democrats don't know that. They don't believe it. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, here's a promise I assure you they'll keep. They are making the promise to raise taxes. The only thing I can tell you in addition to that is they'll raise taxes even more than they promise. I'm Rudy Giuliani and I approve this message." Tancredo Names Campaign Chairmen Tom Tancredo has named his honorary campaign chairmen. From James Pindell: Republican State Representatives Dan Itse of Fremont and Jordan Ulery of Hudson have both been known for being sponsors on immigration legislation in the state house. Lamont To Campaign For Dodd Ned Lamont, the 2006 Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senate in Connecticut , will travel to New Hampshire on Friday to campaign on behalf of Presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Chris Dodd. Lamont will speak at the NEC College Convention 2008 in Manchester before traveling to Hanover to speak to students at Dartmouth College. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007 1:00 PM College Convention 2008 Location: Center of New Hampshire Radisson Hotel Manchester, NH 4:00 PM Meet and Greet Sponsored by Dartmouth for Dodd Location: Hinman Forum Dartmouth College Hanover, NH McCain To Participate in ABC/WMUR Debate U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on participating in the WMUR/ABC News/Facebook New Hampshire debate to be held Saturday, January 5, 2008 and the NH Republican Party/Fox News debate scheduled for Sunday, January 6, 2008: "I look forward to these important opportunities to speak directly to New Hampshire voters about my experience and vision for America's future. Granite State voters take their role in electing the next president seriously, and deserve an honest debate with straight talk on the challenges facing our country." Graham To Campaign For McCain U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that Senator Lindsey Graham will campaign for John McCain in New Hampshire on Friday, November 30th. Friday, November 30, 2007 WHO: Senator Lindsey Graham WHAT: Remarks to College Convention 2008 WHEN: Friday, November 30, 2007 at 11:30 a.m. EST WHERE: Radisson Hotel 700 Elm Street Manchester, New Hampshire 03101 Foster's - How close is it among Democrats? Foster's Daily Democrat Editorials "The next six weeks is likely to see it tighten." "Politics on the scale of presidential primaries is like free agency in baseball — you hope starpower makes a difference." "Hillary Clinton's campaign got a boost this week with a strong endorsement from Susan Lynch, the wife of Gov. John Lynch and a personality in her own right." "A pediatrician and activist in the campaign to overcome obesity and high cholesterol in children, Lynch is probably the most visible and most popular first lady we've seen in a long time..." Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 09:17AM by NH INSIDER in NH Editorials | Post a Comment Union Leader - George F. Will: Democrats foment racial disharmony in Hawaii George F Will in The Union Leader Editorials "I decide who is a Jew around here." -- Hermann Goering in 1934 when told that a favorite Munich art dealer was Jewish. "UNDER LEGISLATION that the House of Representatives has voted 261-153 to foist on Hawaii, Goering's role would be played by a panel empowered to decide who is a "Native Hawaiian" and entitled to special privileges and immunities. Because there are perhaps only 7,000 "pure" Native Hawaiians, "Hawaiian blood" will inevitably be the criterion and the "one-drop rule" likely will prevail. Goering would have approved of this racialist sorting-out." "Those designated Native Hawaiians would be members of a new "tribe" conjured into existence by Congress. But it cannot legitimately do that." "In 1959, 94 percent of Hawaiians, including a large majority of Native Hawaiians, voted for statehood. Opposition was strongest among Southern Democrats in Congress, who, with the civil rights revolution simmering, were wary of Hawaii's example of multiracial harmony..." Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 08:52AM by NH INSIDER in National Editorials | Post a Comment Union Leader - Push the push-poller: An example must be made The Union Leader Editorials "IT IS ILLEGAL in New Hampshire to advocate for or against a political candidate while disguising one's self as an impartial pollster. Someone appears to have done that this month. The state Attorney General's Office needs to be as aggressive as possible in pursuing this case. New Hampshire must send the message that breaking our election laws will not be tolerated." "The phone calls in question began on Sunday, Nov. 11. Iowa and New Hampshire residents who received them said the callers gave the impression they were taking a scientific poll, then asked questions prefaced by negative comments about presidential candidate Mitt Romney." "In New Hampshire, such calls can be legal campaign advocacy if they meet two requirements..." Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 08:47AM by NH INSIDER in NH Editorials | Post a Comment Thompson goes after GOP rivals Email|Link|Comments (2)By Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor November 29, 07 12:09 PM In the aftermath of Wednesday night's Republican brawl, Fred Thompson hits three of his rivals hard in a new Web ad that argues he is "the true conservative." The ad -- a shorter version of which was shown during the CNN/YouTube debate -- questions the conservative bona fides of Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Giuliani. (Watch it here.) The spot, perhaps the most direct assault of any ad of the GOP campaign so far, represents a tougher tack by Thompson, the actor and former US senator from Tennessee, who jumped into the race late and whose candidacy has been rather underwhelming so far. The ad features clips of Romney supporting abortion rights during his unsuccessful 1994 campaign against Senator Edward M. Kennedy and during his winning 2002 run for governor. Romney now opposes abortion, and calls for overturning the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. The spot also shows clips of Huckabee, as governor of Arkansas, supporting tax hikes. And it shows Giuliani endorsing Democrat Mario Cuomo for New York governor in 1994 and criticizing the National Rifle Association. Then, as the music turns from foreboding to soaring, the ad shows a series of testimonials culled from media outlets and supporters attesting to Thompson's conservative credentials. It argues that for Republicans to win the White House next year, they have to stick to conservative principles. Thompson goes after GOP rivals Email|Link|Comments (2)By Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor November 29, 07 12:09 PM In the aftermath of Wednesday night's Republican brawl, Fred Thompson hits three of his rivals hard in a new Web ad that argues he is "the true conservative." The ad -- a shorter version of which was shown during the CNN/YouTube debate -- questions the conservative bona fides of Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Giuliani. (Watch it here.) The spot, perhaps the most direct assault of any ad of the GOP campaign so far, represents a tougher tack by Thompson, the actor and former US senator from Tennessee, who jumped into the race late and whose candidacy has been rather underwhelming so far. The ad features clips of Romney supporting abortion rights during his unsuccessful 1994 campaign against Senator Edward M. Kennedy and during his winning 2002 run for governor. Romney now opposes abortion, and calls for overturning the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. The spot also shows clips of Huckabee, as governor of Arkansas, supporting tax hikes. And it shows Giuliani endorsing Democrat Mario Cuomo for New York governor in 1994 and criticizing the National Rifle Association. Then, as the music turns from foreboding to soaring, the ad shows a series of testimonials culled from media outlets and supporters attesting to Thompson's conservative credentials. It argues that for Republicans to win the White House next year, they have to stick to conservative principles. Republican debate reaction Submitted by Monitor Staff on Wed, 2007-11-28 22:24. Wow. Fred Thompson may have ummed and uhhed his way through his on-stage attack on Mitt Romney, but his campaign's own video was sharp as can be. Thompson's campaign tapped the full resources of YouTube in the YouTube debate, using archival footage of Mitt Romney defending abortion rights in 1994 and Mike Huckabee begging for a new tax. Asked by moderator Anderson Cooper "What's up with that?" Thompson laughed and said he just "wanted to give my buddies here a little extra airtime." Then, Thompson added: "What do you mean, what's up with it? These are their words." UPDATE: The Thompson campaign has posted an extended version of their YouTube video -this one also takes a whack at Rudy Giuliani on guns. - Lauren Dorgan Mitt Romney took memorable return fire on immigration from two sides tonight. After he accused Rudy Giuliani of running a "sanctuary city," Giuliani shot back that Romney was running a "sanctuary mansion." (This refers to a Globe report about illegal Guatemalan immigrants maintaining Romney's lawn.) Later, Mike Huckabee took the upper hand - at least gauging by audience applause - when defending his stance in Arkansas in favor of letting illegal immigrants be eligible for a class of state scholarships. Challenged by Romney, Huckabee got applause when he said: "We're a better nation than to punish children for what their parents did." - Lauren Dorgan John McCain, save for his blundering attacking on Ron Paul as an alleged isolationist, has a been-there-done-that gravitas that makes the others seem like beginners. His complex answer on immigration was the straight talk of old and it contrasted sharply with all the grandstanding. - Ralph Jimenez I watched the debate with an observation from Fred Thompson's pollster in mind: "When Romney goes after Giuliani, he knows what he’s doing; he’s setting up the contest he wants," John McLaughlin told Jim Geraghty. Sure enough, the first attack of the night was Romney against Giuliani (and then Giuliani escalated with his "sanctuary mansion" line). McLaughlin says it's a case of two RINOs battling each other, neither of whom wants to take on a real conservative. Not for nothing did Thompson, with the video Laurie mentioned, seek to expose Romney (and in this case Huckabee, but see the extended mix for Rudy, too) as something other than true conservatives. Huckabee is the candidate of the moment -- in terms of media buzz and poll numbers in Iowa that are heading in the right direction. What's remarkable is that he didn't get attacked all that hard tonight. Romney hit him on immigration, and the Thompson video hit him on taxes, but the most memorable back-and-forths were between Romney and Giuliani (on immigration), between McCain and Paul on Iraq and between McCain and Romney on torture. What this reflects is that for now, Giuliani wants (needs?) Huckabee to draw votes from Romney in Iowa. I had to laugh when Giuliani got a question on the Bible and Huckabee offered to help him out. Right now Giuliani is the one who should be offering to help Huckabee (with caucus organizing, say). Regarding the exchange on torture, I think I saw the first general-election flaw in the Romney campaign, akin to Hillary Clinton's (and now Barack Obama's) trouble with the question of whether illegal immigrants should be eligible for driver's licenses. In Romney's case the question he has trouble with is whether waterboarding is torture. (You can hear him give very similar responses in his Monitor editorial board interview here.) I suspect that the American middle is with the immigration hawks on driver's licenses (notwithstanding the lawyer's logic of trying to track them by having them documented) and with McCain on taking the moral high ground on torture (notwithstanding the lawyer's logic of not giving our enemies too much information about what we might do if we catch them). Americans love Jack Bauer on their TV shows, but they also appreciate, as McCain put it, that "life is not '24' and Jack Bauer." A Republican nominee who claims to be against torture while being agnostic/noncommittal on waterboarding will sound every bit as tongue-tied as Clinton and Obama did on the driver's licenses. - Ari Richter I saw Laurie already noted the funniest exchange of the night with the sanctuary mansion. I liked how Romney looked at Giuliani and said, "Mayor, you know better." Giuliani poked fun at himself and the oft-cited criticism that he takes more credit than deserved when talking about New York City. In his YouTube ad presented at the debate, he said he took on King Kong and also reduced snowfall when he was mayor. At the end of the debate, he also jokingly took credit for the Yankees' four world championships. When asked about a Politico story that broke today saying Giuliani misused taxpayer money to pay for state police escorts to the Hamptons, where Judith Nathan, who he eventually married, lived, Giuliani said the story was untrue. He said he had police protection because of threats on his life, including threats from the mafia after he helped prosecute mob members while an assistant district attorney in New York's Southern District. He said he assumed that the police officers who accompanied him submitted their bills correctly; the Politco story said the police billed the trips to obscure city agencies. Giuliani did not explain the nature of his trips to the Hamptons - Joelle Farrell Other takes on the debate here, here, here and here. UPDATE: Links added. YouTube has the whole debate broken into segments here. A three-man race Submitted by Primary Monitor on Thu, 2007-11-29 12:23. Interesting comments, but I could not disagree more with Ralph as McCain was obvious in his agenda for amnesty. He did not refer to it as amnesty, but after the shroud is removed that is what it is. As far as the rest seeming like beginners, I would tend to agree, but the Democratic side is much the same. However, the one issue that will kill McCain is the immigration issue. Americans want the issue addressed and are definitely anti-amnesty. On Ari's comments, I do not agree that Romney or McCain had a 'tongue tied' Clinton or Obama moment. I found all of the candidates to be straight in their intentions. Clinton and Obama have skated in their responses to a greater degree. My take on this debate was that Huckabee was the big winner followed by Romney. Giuliani did well, and even Ron Paul was digestible in this debate. He certainly makes some valid points, and I have come to appreciate him a bit more. Thompson is so inarticulate, and although his ad was very hard hitting, it is all politics. Still, this is a three-man race: Giuliani, Huckabee, Romney. McCain, although he should be respected, does not stand a prayer. Bill Bunker, Barnstead Cellucci defends Giuliani Submitted by Monitor Staff on Thu, 2007-11-29 15:12. The billing of obscure New York City agencies by Rudy Giuliani's mayoral office for security details during his trips to the Hamptons is simply a function of 24-hour security needs, said former Massachusetts governor Paul Cellucci. Cellucci, who has endorsed Giuliani, stopped by Concord today to denounce fellow Massachusetts Republican Mitt Romney's tax record as governor. But most of the questions at the press conference focused on a recent Politico story about tens of thousands of dollars in security bills going to agencies like the Loft Board and the Office for People with Disabilities. The bills covered police details accompanying Giuliani on trips to the Hamptons, where his thenmistress (now his wife) Judith Nathan lived. At the time, the mayor's office refused to explain the accounting to city auditors, citing 'security,' " according to the Politico report. Cellucci said he doesn't understand why this is a news story. "It was the job of the NYPD to provide that security and to do whatever paperwork was necessary to get it paid for," he said. "As far as the mayor's concerned, as far as he knows, they did it the way they should have done it." "When I was up in Canada as the U.S. ambassador after the 9/11 attacks I, too, had 24/7 security," Cellucci said. Cellucci's detail was the Royal Canadian Mountain Police, he said, and they came with him when he went golfing or to the movies. "I remember I was in the movie theater one night and my bodyguard was talking on the cell phone. I was about to turn around and ask him, what are you doing talking on the cell phone in the middle of the movie, and he leans forward and he said Mr. Colin Powell needs to talk to you," he said. "24/7 security, they go with you all the time. That's what it is!" - Lauren R. Dorgan I'm Tired (and I'm Just Watching) 11-29-2007 It must be intellectually exhausting to be Mitt Romney. At this point, it should be abundantly clear that his campaign is driven by the well-worn political dictum that to win the Republican presidential nomination, a candidate must run hard to the right on litmus test issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, immigration, and gun control. Given Romney’s political biography, this strategy has required him to cover much more ideological ground than most of the other Republican candidates. Over the past year, I have seen Romney struggle mightily to prove his conservative credentials, while taking a beating from those who question his authenticity. Last night’s CNN/YouTube debate in Florida was no exception. Watching Romney once again defend his ideological transformation on a host of social policy issues (be it genuine or instrumental) was a draining television viewing experience. His uneven performance only served to underscore the ease with which candidates like Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson glided smoothly around this same conservative ideological terrain. Ironically, it may be precisely because Romney is working so doggedly to prove his bona fides, that he now finds himself challenged by Huckabee in Iowa, a man who seems a lot more comfortable in his conservative skin. Note: If you would like to hear more of my reaction to the CNN/YouTube debate, I will be discussing it further on Sunday morning, as a guest on WMUR-TV’s Close Up (Ch. 9, 10 AM). The GraniteGrok YouTube Debate (Well, not really...) .. . With all the buzz about YouTube created with last night's debate, we thought we'd roll out the list of presidential candidate videos we've amassed since the start of the campaign. Upon review, we thought, "Wow! There's a lot of material here!" As a service to those of you who haven't had the good fortune (or is it misfortune?) of seeing some of the major candidates for yourselves, we thought this might be a good way to help gain some extra insight as you make your selection come January 8th for our NH readers, or beyond for the rest... . The videos listed go from most recent down to the oldest. Note the Dems mixed in the list. All videos were shot and produced by GraniteGrok. We make no apologies for the content. Enjoy! • Rudy the Supply-Sider • Fred Thompson on National Security • Mitt Romney on a Winnipesaukee White House • Asking Mitt to Explain his 1994 Dissing of Ronald Reagan • Rudy: Applying Conservative Principles to Governing • Chicken Wings with McCain • Fred Thompson on Being in NH • Fred Thompson's First Visit as "Candidate" Fred • Mitt Discovers Life • Mitt Answers Reporter Questions on Illegal Immigration • McCain on "No Child Left Behind" • McCain on Truman's Decision • Why You, Rudy? • Rudy: "Radical Islam" is our Enemy • Rudy Defends Tax Cut Claims • Bill Richardson on Chronic Disease • Gov. Richardson on Illegal Immigration • Rudy talks about the MOST important issue (the war) • Hillary on Homeland Security • The Face of America (Hillary) • Rudy on Energy Independence • Was Rudy's NYC a Sanctuary City? "No," says the Mayor • Obama on "Undocumented" Workers • Obama on Defense Matters • Anatomy of a "Town Hall" Meeting; McCain • McCain, Social Security, and the Ostrich Girl • Mitt on Abortion • Joe Biden on Health Care • Joe knows... (Biden) • Joe Biden on NH Primary • Rudy Rocks NH • McCain on NH Primary Hillary on Iraq - Standing Firm on Withdrawal by: gradysdad Thu Nov 29, 2007 at 16:35:39 PM EST You don't read much on this blog about Iraq lately. It might be because the news out of Iraq is still bad, but maybe not as bad as it has been. U.S. military fatalities dropped sharply, from 101 in June to 39 in October. Iraqi civilian deaths also declined markedly, from 1,791 in August to 750 in October, the Associated Press reported. Mortar rocket attacks by insurgents last month were the lowest since February 2006, as were the number of "indirect-fire" attacks on coalition forces. Iraqi officials plan to reduce checkpoints, ease curfews and reopen some roads in and around Baghdad because of improving security. Sunni Arab tribal leaders in western Anbar province, now allied with the U.S. military, say al Qaeda is "almost defeated" in their once-chaotic region. gradysdad :: Hillary on Iraq - Standing Firm on Withdrawal The Republicans smell a potential political advantage over Democrats and they are beginning to speak out: Buoyed by an apparent reduction in violence in Iraq, McCain hit the campaign trail Monday (November 26) and tore into Democrats running for president and in Congress for "willfully ignoring the facts on the ground" in the country. Senator McCain continued this theme last night in the CNN Republican Youtube Debate. In an answer to a question about Iraq, he said: Well, I would do a lot of things, but the first and most important and vital element is to continue this surge which is succeeding and we are winning the war in Iraq. (Applause) But I'll tell you one other thing we're -- I'm going to do, is we're going to fight back the Democrats' efforts to set a date for withdrawal which is a date for surrender. And I'm telling you, that if we continue this strategy, we can succeed. And if we had done what the Democrats said to do six months ago, Al Qaida would be telling the word they beat America. In other words, the Democrats are defeatists. Are any of the Democratic candidates backing down on her/his promise to end the war in face of that kind of accusation? Not Hillary Clinton. Today a mail piece arrived in New Hampshire voters mailboxes in which Senator Clinton once again reaffirms her promise to end the war in Iraq if she becomes President. Here is a copy of the piece. There are a couple of things I like about the lit piece. Visually, it is pleasing. Senator Clinton appears on the cover in a magazine style photograph with the big title "Leadership for a Secure America." General Clark is quoted on the address label side with his strong endorsement of her. The pictures of the veterans wearing their VFW caps and the huge picture of General Clark reinforce the fact that her plan is supported by veterans. It is easy to read, providing the essential information about her position on Iraq. In bullet style simplicity, Senator Clinton's plan to end the war is highlighted. • End our military engagement in Iraq and start bringing our troops home now. • End the blank check to the Iraq government. • Begin an intensive diplomatic initiative in the region. AND Senator Clinton does not want to forget about what happens to the veterans when they come home. There is a section about addressing veterans' healthcare issues, a guarantee of funding for the veterans' healthcare system, and a veterans' bill of rights. On the left side, you see a letter from Senator Clinton to the voter promising to end the war in Iraq and to use diplomacy to engage regimes like Iran. The tag line at the bottom in red and white is a reminder for the voter to vote in the Democratic Primary on Tuesday, January 8, 2008. A good piece for getting her message across. Tags: Hillary Clinton, Iraq, McCain, campaign literature, (All Tags)
