http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/ 15 en-us Copyright 2008 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:29:44 -0400 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.36 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss One of the major disagreements between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) is which of the two can more effectively broaden the general election playing field. Clinton's campaign points to polling in Florida, Arkansas and Ohio that shows her running close to or ahead of Sen. John McCain(Ariz.); Obama's campaign makes the same argument for Iowa, Colorado, North Carolina and even ruby red Kansas. So, who's right? Welcome to the newest Fix Line where we try to answer just that question. Once a month -- in between ranking the top House and Senate races as well as handicapping the Veepstakes, we'll consider the ten states most likely to switch from Democrat to Republican (or vice versa) in the presidential election this fall. Obviously, this Line -- like all the others -- is fluid and will change as events unfold. The state ranked number one today, meaning it http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2008/03/post_3.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2008/03/post_3.html Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:29:44 -0400 Before an enthusiastic crowd of at least 500 Planned Parenthood supporters at the Ritz-Carlton, Sen. Hillary Clinton pitched her plans to improve women's health care if elected president. Yet surprisingly, she left universal health care -- a system she has promised to establish if elected president -- out. Four months ago, Clinton said, "We're going to have universal health care when I'm president, there's no doubt about that. We're going to get it done." At the Take Back America Conference in June, Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards described universal health coverage as the "number one domestic issue" facing the nation. Planned Parenthood endorsed Clinton's bid for the Senate in 2000 but has yet to endorse a candidate seeking election in 2008. Last night, Clinton acted as if that were not a priority on her agenda, vowing instead that she would increase funding for Title X, a service http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/07/clintons_promises_or_lack_ther_1.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/07/clintons_promises_or_lack_ther_1.html Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:50:00 -0400 On the same day Barack Obama earns the endorsement of D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Hillary Clinton's camp sent out a release yesterday reminding the media, and other interested parties that she's got the backing of more than 100 current and former mayors who form her new Mayors Council. (Make sure to watch the washingtonpost.com video of the Fenty-Obama meeting.) According to the release, the Mayor's council "will advise the campaign on policy and outreach. The council represents a broad cross-section of America, including urban, rural and suburban cities and towns that reflect the nation's diversity." Clinton certainly claims a healthy group of mayors, though many of them hail from her home state of New York, as well as California and New Jersey. A list of mayoral support provided by the Obama campaign is shorter, but also geographically diverse. Here's the full list of Clinton's mayoral support. A list of mayors http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/07/obamas_got_his_mayor_clinton_h.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/07/obamas_got_his_mayor_clinton_h.html Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:26:00 -0400 Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told a group of abortion rights activists Tuesday that he would accomplish universal health care for all Americans by the end of his first term. Play Video VIDEO | Candidates Pitch Plans to Planned Parenthood Speaking to the Planned Parenthood Public Affairs Action Fund's annual conference, Obama also touted his understanding of women's issues and his support of abortion rights and sex education. Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards set the tone for the event when she said women who visit the group's clinics "come from red and blue states ... but they are sick of what they are seeing and hearing from this administration." Obama echoed that disdain for the president's policies as he spoke before an invigorated crowd of at least 500 activists, supporters and staffers from across the country. He also took aim at the current Supreme Court. "It's time for a different http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/07/obama.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/07/obama.html Barack Obama Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:14:26 -0400 A great example of the layoffs announced Monday by Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign arrived in the inboxes of reporters a few moments ago: campaign spokesman Kevin McLaughlin is gone. Looks like he's been replaced by Amanda Henneberg. Here's the e-mail as delivered a few minutes ago (we've taken out contact information): Good Morning, I know you all had a great relationship with Kevin here at the campaign, and we are very sad to see him go! Going forward, if you have any booking requests or need any information, please don't hesitate to contact me. My full contact information is below: Office: xxx-xxx-xxxx Cell: xxx-xxx-xxxx E-Mail: xxxxxxxx@mccain08hq.com If you are covering the changes that are taking place here at the campaign and would like to speak to a McCain surrogate, please let me know. Thanks, Amanda Henneberg http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/07/great_example_of_a_mccain_camp.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/07/great_example_of_a_mccain_camp.html John McCain Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:30:23 -0400 Rudy Giuliani sought to cover all of his theological bases on Tuesday. His first campaign event of the day was a speech at the evangelical Regent University in Virginia Beach, where he appeared along with school founder Pat Robertson. Five hours later Giuliani spoke to the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington in Rockville, Md. "I'm coming from Regent University to a Jewish house of worship," joked hizzoner. "Now if I hit a Catholic Church tonight..." In his remarks to both groups, Giuliani focused on the threat of "Islamic Terrorists" and expressed strong support for Israel. Giuliani told the Regent group that Democrats are "in denial" about the threat posed by terrorists to the United States and at the JCRC he drew a direct line between Nazi Germany and current terrorist groups. "If Europe had confronted Hitler at an earlier stage... there would have been millions and millions of http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/jews_evangelicals_for_giuliani.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/jews_evangelicals_for_giuliani.html Rudy Giuliani Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:44:03 -0400 Add Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to the list of Democratic presidential candidates who want to reach out and touch you -- on your cell phone. Obama Mobile, a new feature the Obama camp launched Wednesday night, sends text message alerts about campaign news and local Obama events to supporters who sign up. The service offers anonymity, requiring only a zip code and your mobile digits. The campaign says the first message you will receive is an offer for a free Obama bumper sticker (if you register by June 30). While the idea of the Obama Mobile is not revolutionary -- John Edwards and Hillary Clinton offer similar services on their sites -- a few aspects are unique. Obama Mobile users can download campaign-created ringtones, including speeches by the senator and user-submitted hip hop, rock or techno songs. It is not clear whether the smash YouTube hit, "I Got a Crush... http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/democrats_play_phone_tag.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/democrats_play_phone_tag.html Barack Obama Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:09:19 -0400 SAN JOSE, CALIF. -- Having worked for Rudy Giuliani, offered advice to Sen. Hillary Clinton, and served as chief of police in the immigrant-rich cities of Boston, New York, and Los Angeles, William J. Bratton's opinions carry water with politicians these days. Bratton has served as LAPD chief since 2002, and previously ran the New York Transit Police, Boston Police, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. But he's best known for running New York Police Department when Giuliani lived in City Hall. The love-hate relationship between mayor and chief is legendary. Bratton helped create the CompStat crime-tracking computer system that's credited with guiding New York's crime drop in the 1990s. When it came time for the media to tout New York's innovative crime-fighting tactics, Bratton got the high-profile credit. (Remember this TIME Magazine cover?) Giuliani fired Bratton in 1996, and the two had not spoken until recently. They've now met http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/posttalk_extra_bill_bratton_on.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/posttalk_extra_bill_bratton_on.html Rudy Giuliani Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:33:28 -0400 Wednesday night at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in D.C., three Democratic presidential candidates -- Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) and Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.) engaged in a "debate" on the war in Iraq. Off-stage, with his wife Elizabeth by his side, Kucinich came alive as he shared some of his background. The anti-war candidate, turned vegan, turned husband offered stories from his days living in a car to what it's like to avoid meat on the campaign trail. Play Video VIDEO | Getting Personal With Presidential Hopeful Kucinich http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/kucinich.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/kucinich.html Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:55:51 -0400 Last month at a Democratic debate in South Carolina, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) challenged rival presidential candidates to a 90-minute debate on Iraq. Wednesday night at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in D.C., just two of Biden's Democratic opponents, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) answered the call. The end result was more stump speech than debate as each candidate took to the stage individually to offer ideas about the war. SAIS director Robert Guttman and Financial Times Washington Bureau Chief Ed Luce served as moderators, interjecting questions as the candidates spoke. Before the event Guttman wondered, "Can any candidate actually talk about Iraq for more than 90 seconds?" The participants demonstrated that they could. Although all three were scheduled to appear at 8:00 p.m., Biden and Kucinich arrived fashionably late, leaving the stage to Gravel, a situation to http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/three_democrats_debate_iraq.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/three_democrats_debate_iraq.html Debates Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:24:53 -0400 Mike Huckabee is the latest presidential candidate to express frustration with CNN's debate format, following Chris Dodd's complaints on Sunday. The network decided to do away with time limits, instead giving moderator Wolf Blitzer discretion over who to call on, and for how long they could speak. CNN's Washington bureau chief David Bohrman defended the format on Tuesday, saying it gave TV viewers a better chance to hear from candidates leading the pack. He also said frontrunners may get more air time because lesser-known candidates spend their air time attacking them, forcing the top tier to respond. In this video clip, Huckabee explains his frustration with the format, and is then caught off-guard when asked about Ronald Reagan's birthday. As Chris Cillizza pointed out during the debate Tuesday night, Huckabee incorrectly named June 5 as the Gipper's birthday. It's on Feb. 6. Following the debate Tuesday night, Huckabee was once http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/huckabee_explains_his_mistake.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/huckabee_explains_his_mistake.html Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:37:36 -0400 NEW CASTLE, N.H. -- Rudolph Giuliani refused to relent Wednesday morning in what has become a regular assault on Democrats, particularly their commitment to and understanding of the terrorist threat against America. At a town hall meeting in New Castle, Giuliani flatly accused Democrats of "ignoring terrorism." As an example, he said there had been no mention at the Democratic debate Sunday of the recent foiled terrorist plots in New Jersey and at JFK airport. "I believe they don't want to talk about it because they want to make sure that President Bush doesn't get credit for anything," he told the crowd of about 150 at a meeting hall outside of Portsmouth. Later, he criticized the leading Democratic presidential candidates by name, deriding them as backward-looking politicians and predicted any of the three would raise taxes if elected president. "It's like a car. Our car is moving forward. Our http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/giuliani_hammers_democrats_on.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/giuliani_hammers_democrats_on.html Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:32:00 -0400 MANCHESTER, N.H. -- The CNN debates you'll see this week require months of logistical and editorial preparation. This morning we spoke with David Bohrman, CNN's senior vice president and Washington bureau chief. He's one of the co-creators of "The Situation Room," conceptualized and negotiated for CNN's 2004 Election Night broadcasts from the floor of the NASDAQ in Times Square, and CNN's special access to the floor of the 2004 Democratic convention. As you'll see in the video below, the network converted Saint Anselm's Sullivan Arena into a large TV studio, complete with seating for hundreds of New Hampshire voters, and the candidates' friends, family, and supporters. The network built a set from scratch that it will use over the next 18 months for similar election events. While Bohrman wouldn't elaborate on costs, he stressed that CNN's debate prep goes well beyond building a set. Debates held before the nominating conventions http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/behind_the_scenes_at_the_manch.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/behind_the_scenes_at_the_manch.html Debates Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:14:37 -0400 MANCHESTER, N.H. -- CNN has released the on-stage seating arrangements for the 10 Republican presidential candidates debating tonight. From left to right: Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, Sam Brownback, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, James Gilmore, and Ron Paul. You'll notice the three candidates doing best in the polls -- Romney, Giuliani, and McCain -- are seated prominently in the middle, similar to the treatment given to John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama Sunday night. You may remember that Chris Dodd's campaign complained during the debate Sunday night about the unfair seating arrangements and time allotted to candidates. We'll see if we get similar complaints tonight. -- Ed O'Keefe http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/gop_debate_poll_leaders_take_c.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/gop_debate_poll_leaders_take_c.html Debates Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:38:48 -0400 MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Elizabeth Edwards stepped into the spin room Sunday night to answer questions about her husband's debate performance. While most questions focused on his performance, she also responded to claims in veteran Democratic strategist Bob Shrum's new book, No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner. The Post's Howard Kurtz recently reported that Shrum's book claims that at the start of Edwards's 1998 Senate campaign he asked the candidate about gay rights. Shrum alleges that John Edwards said: "I'm not comfortable around those people," and that Elizabeth Edwards said, "John, you know that's wrong." Mrs. Edwards referenced her book, Saving Graces in disputing Shrum's claims. "I have a very good memory of the incidents that Bob makes general reference to. But his factual recitation of that, are simply inaccurate," Mrs. Edwards said. She specifically called Shrum out for his recollection of the meeting on gay rights. "I remember it http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/elizabeth_edwards_on_bob_shrum.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/campaign-trail/2007/06/elizabeth_edwards_on_bob_shrum.html John Edwards Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:12:42 -0400