The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

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Republican leaders are accusing Barack Obama of calling Israel a "constant wound" in U.S. foreign policy. They have twisted the senator's words. (11:28 AM ET) | More »

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The Pre-Spin from West Virginia

The Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns argue the meaning of tonight's likely Clinton win. --Eli Saslow | More »

McCain Supporting Pastor Apologizes

Pastor John Hagee apologized today in a letter to the Catholic League for comments that angered Catholic leaders. --Michael D. Shear | More »

McCain Breaks with Bush on Climate Change

John McCain broke sharply with President Bush today, arguing for mandatory curbs on greenhouse gas emissions and issuing emissions credits to polluters. --Juliet Eilperin | More »

Clinton Running Hard in West Virginia

Hillary Clinton presses her case in the sixth-to-last state to vote. --Anne E. Kornblut | More »

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January 17, 2008

McCain's Economic Strategy: Bring in Greenspan

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) unveiled a new economic strategy in South Carolina today with a truly revolutionary aspect: Alan Greenspan, dead or alive.--Juliet Eilperin

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 9:06 PM ET | Comments (14)

Obama's Reagan Comparison Sparks Debate

They've argued health care, free trade, immigration reform. Yucca Mountain? Been there, done that. But here's a debate no one saw coming in the Democratic primary: the legacy of Ronald Reagan. --Shailagh Murray

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 8:39 PM ET | Comments (176)

New Bloomberg Moves Raise Political Eyebrows

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg continues to insist he is not a candidate for president, but these days his every word, his moves and his travel schedule are being dissected and parsed like a Talmudic text. --Keith B. Richburg

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 7:46 PM ET | Comments (13)

Pro-Obama Labor Group Blasts Clinton in Nevada Radio Ad

While labor unions have played a heavy role supporting Hillary Clinton and John Edwards during the early state contests this month, Barack Obama has largely had to fend for himself. No longer. The group UNITE HERE, which represents 440,000 textile and hotel and restaurant workers, gave Obama his first national labor endorsement last week. And this morning, the group filed reports with the Federal Election Commission that disclosed it was producing more than $34,000 in radio ads to air in Nevada in advance of the caucus there. --Matthew Mosk

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 7:17 PM ET | Comments (22)

Kucinich Asks for Supreme Court Review of Texas Case

Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich yesterday asked the Supreme Court to prohibit the Texas Democratic Party from keeping him off the March 4 primary ballot because he refused to sign a loyalty oath. --Bob Barnes

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 7:04 PM ET | Comments (13)

Clinton Supporter Apologizes to Obama

Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson took to CNN this afternoon to make public his apology to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama over remarks Johnson had made Sunday in Columbia, S.C., that were widely interpreted as a none-too-subtle attempt to make sport of Obama's teenage drug use. "Sometimes in campaigns you get carried away in your zeal to support your candidate. And you say things that are inappropriate and not proper for a campaign that should be based on the issues," said Johnson in a phone interview with Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." "And that is why I issued this personal apology to Senator Obama, I know Senator Obama. I have a great deal of respect for him. And I'm glad that his campaign has responded and accepted the apology." --Garance Franke-Ruta

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 6:55 PM ET | Comments (20)

Fred Thompson Gets Mad

Ever more from SC.

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 5:32 PM ET | Comments (34)

S.C. Establishment Stands With McCain

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Posted on January 17, 2008 at 4:58 PM ET | Comments (1)

Huckabee Says Flying Confederate Flag a State Issue

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is taking a different position from his rival, Arizona Sen. John McCain on a controversial issue: the display of the Confederate flag. Huckabee, in speeches in Myrtle Beach and Florence as he started a seven-city tour of South Carolina today, said it was a state issue. --Perry Bacon Jr.

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 4:20 PM ET | Comments (90)

Online, Obama Starts to Beat Ron Paul

Online, Sen. Barack Obama has been dubbed the "Barocket" -- and for good reason. Throughout last year, he was the most popular Democratic candidate on the Internet, with more friends on MySpace (now 215,000), supporters on Facebook (numbering north of 200,000) and channel views on YouTube (11 million) than any other presidential candidate. And it looks like that support is continuing. --Jose Antonio Vargas

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 4:13 PM ET | Comments (41)

Huckabee and McCain Playing it Polite in S.C.

FLORENCE, S.C. -- In South Carolina, an increasingly bizarre GOP race has created another strange result: a muted campaign in the Palmetto State. --Perry Bacon Jr.

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 4:00 PM ET | Comments (19)

The McCains Talk Family Values in S.C.

In a state where social conservatives represent roughly half the GOP electorate, McCain's campaign is retooling its message. While McCain and his supporters still speak of his commitment to national security and the war in Iraq, they are also talking more about his family values and his concern for the economy. --Juliet Eilperin

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 3:32 PM ET | Comments (3)

Court: Casino Caucuses Allowed

A federal judge in Las Vegas brushed aside a lawsuit trying to shut down nine casino precinct sites for the Nevada Democratic caucuses, handing an important victory to Sen. Barack Obama's bid in the Silver State Saturday. --Paul Kane

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 3:03 PM ET | Comments (44)

Picking Citrus and Presidents in Florida

For years, the key contest in determining the Republican nomination battle has come here in South Carolina, not in snowy New Hampshire. But that may not be the case any longer this year. Florida, not South Carolina, may be the most important contest this year. --Dan Balz

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 2:45 PM ET | Comments (17)

A GOP Focus on Defense, Not Deficit

And now, South Carolina.

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 1:43 PM ET | Comments (12)

Romney Homes In on Nevada

Mitt Romney headed to Las Vegas after briefly meeting with reporters in South Carolina, where aides said the campaign has not given up on making a decent showing. The former Massachusetts governor skipped out on the final day of campaigning in South Carolina, preferring to spend Friday as the only GOP candidate competing in the Nevada caucus. --Michael D. Shear

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 12:27 PM ET | Comments (20)

In Florida, Giuliani Hits Romney in New Ad

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been left out of the campaign for much of the last few weeks, but a new ad his campaign is running in Florida seems certain to put him back in the mix. --Chris Cillizza

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 12:01 PM ET | Comments (4)

Leahy Endorses Obama

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), a 33-year veteran of the Senate who chairs the Judiciary Committee, endorsed the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama as the Illinois senator tries to demonstrate his support among his party's elder statesmen in advance of the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday. --Paul Kane

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM ET | Comments (36)

Bill Clinton Takes On Reporter Over Vegas Caucuses

By Garance Franke-Ruta One subject the chatterers are chattering about on the political blogs is...

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 11:44 AM ET | Comments (19)

 

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