[via GALLUP.COM] BLITZER: Would you consider an Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket going down the road? OBAMA: Well, obviously there’s a big difference between those two… (LAUGHTER) […] (APPLAUSE) BLITZER: So, is the answer yes — it sounds like a yes, that she would be on your short list. OBAMA: I — you know, I’m sure Hillary would be on anybody’s short list. So. BLITZER: All right. What about, Senator Clinton, what do you think about a Clinton/Obama, Obama/Clinton ticket? CLINTON: Well, I have to agree with everything Barack just said. [via CNN.COM]
NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs
SUICIDE IS PAINLESS NOW: Army Suicides Up 20% Over Last Year WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) — As many as 121 U.S. soldiers may have committed suicide in 2007, a record number if confirmed, according to Army statistics released on Thursday. The Army reported 89 suicides and 32 suspected cases among active-duty soldiers in 2007. If the 32 cases are confirmed, the 121 suicides would be a nearly 20 percent increase over 2006, when 102 soldiers committed suicide. Army officials said relationship problems were the main cause of suicides among soldiers, but those problems were increasing due to repeated long deployments […]
NEWS CLUES: ‘Take This Job & Love It’ Edition
MR. NUTTER GOES TO WASHINGTON: Takes Nation’s Capital By Storm WASHINGTON — Mayor Nutter’s dinner was getting cold. There were dozens of hands to shake before he could eat. Fellow mayors, business executives, nonprofit leaders and lobbyists: They lined up three deep, hoping for a moment of his time. Nutter is accustomed to that sort of attention in Philadelphia. But in Washington? “It’s a little strange when you’re out of town,” Nutter said as he finally broke free of the crowd at a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors last week. Less than a month into his administration, it […]
THE LONG GOODBYE: John Edwards Bows Out
DENVER — Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voters’ sympathies, The Associated Press has learned. The two-time White House candidate notified a close circle of senior advisers that he planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. EST event in New Orleans that had been billed as a speech on poverty, according to two aides. The former North Carolina senator will not immediately endorse either candidate in what is now a two-person race for the […]
MEDIA: How Fox News Lost Its Mind-Control Mojo
BY ERIC BOEHLERT FOR MEDIA MATTERS My guess is that Fox News guru Roger Ailes has been reaching for the Tums more often than usual early in the New Year, and there are lots of reasons for the hovering angst. Let’s take an extended multiple choice quiz. Right now, which of the following topics is likely causing the discomfort inside Ailes’ Fox News empire? A) CNN’s resurgence as the go-to cable destination for election coverage. B) The incredible shrinking candidacy of Fox News’ favored son, Rudy Giuliani. C) The still-standing candidacy of Fox News nemesis and well-funded, anti-war GOP candidate […]
WHY WE FIGHT: Afghan Senate OKs Death Sentence For Journalism Student Who Distributed Internet Materials That Ask ‘If Islam Allows Men Multiple Wives Why Doesn’t It Allow Women Multiple Husbands?’
KABUL (AFP) — Afghanistan’s senate has endorsed a death sentence handed down by a court to a reporter and journalism student accused of blasphemy, the parliament media office said Wednesday. The senate, called the Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders), issued a statement Tuesday backing last week’s decision by the Balkh province primary court and criticising international pressure over the case, an official told AFP. The court sentenced Perwiz Kambakhsh, 23, to death for distributing articles downloaded from the Internet that were said to question the Koran and the role of women in Islam. “The Meshrano Jirga endorses the Balkh primary […]
EXIT THE WARRIOR: Goodbye Rudy Tuesday
ASSOCIATED PRESS: MIAMI — Sen. John McCain won a breakthrough triumph in the Florida primary Tuesday night, gaining the upper hand in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination ahead of next week’s contests across 21 states and lining up a quick endorsement from soon-to-be dropout Rudy Giuliani. “I want to thank my dear friend, my dear friend Rudy Giuliani, who invested his heart and soul in this primary and who conducted himself with all the qualities of the exceptional American leaders he truly is,” McCain said. “Thank you Rudy for all you have added to this race and being and […]
OSWALD & GHOSTS: Spamming Camelot
BY AMY Z. QUINN FOR MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS So why, in all of this talk about President Kennedy, can I not stop thinking about Michelle Obama? I can’t help but wonder what Mrs. Obama is thinking today, since she reportedly has no desire to star in any fairy tales. It’s important to remember, at moments like this, that Mrs. Obama is 43, like her husband too young to remember Kennedy’s much-fabled 1,000 Days. And while he seems to have grown up happily basking in the popular portrayal of the Kennedys as American royalty devoted to public service, her attitude seems to […]
WHY JOHNNY CAN’T WIN: It’s The Kingmaking, Stupid
THE HILL: Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) has his sights set on playing kingmaker at the Denver convention in August, one of his most senior campaign officials hinted Monday. While dismissing suggestions that this implied Edwards had accepted he was out of contention for the nomination, Deputy Campaign Manager Jonathan Prince said the candidate would probably get enough delegates to play a decisive role in tipping the Democratic nomination under party rules. Prince told reporters in a conference call that in “a worst-case scenario” Edwards would control 20 to 25 percent of the Democratic delegates heading into the convention. He […]
STATE OF THE UNION: Fade To Black
DAILY TIMES: The huge glut of savings built up in China allowed that nation to lend billions of dollars to the US, which meant American consumers could embark on a borrowing and spending spree. But too many of those loans went bad, banks racked up huge losses, and CEOs paid with their jobs. When the stock market caught on to what was happening, shares tanked on fears that the US would fall into recession. That prompted Ben Bernanke to slash US interest rates by an extraordinary three quarters of a per cent last Tuesday. As the US economy has shifted […]
DIXIECRATS: Obama Is The One
ARAB NEWS: Sen. Obama’s South Carolina thumping of Sens. Hillary and John Edwards on Saturday gave him a strong, southern tail wind toward the Super Tuesday showdowns. He beat Hillary with 55 percent support compared to her 27 percent — Edwards trailed with 18 percent support. Overwhelming support from African-American voters fueled Obama’s big win in Saturday’s South Carolina Democratic primary, but he also continued to demonstrate broad appeal across racial lines, particularly among younger, better educated and wealthier voters. MORE “Is Barack Obama the next JFK? Has Barack Obama developed the “Big Mo,” vital momentum that would take him […]
IT’S A GIRL: New York Times Endorses Hillary
NEW YORK TIMES: This generally is the stage of a campaign when Democrats have to work hard to get excited about whichever candidate seems most likely to outlast an uninspiring pack. That is not remotely the case this year. The early primaries produced two powerful main contenders: Hillary Clinton, the brilliant if at times harsh-sounding senator from New York; and Barack Obama, the incandescent if still undefined senator from Illinois. The remaining long shot, John Edwards, has enlivened the race with his own brand of raw populism. As Democrats look ahead to the primaries in the biggest states on Feb. […]
WORTH REPEATING: Senator, Please Phone Home
Dear Jonathan, John Edwards should challenge his rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to go back to Washington, DC and fight against retroactive immunity for the telecoms. The Republicans are not going to let Harry Reid punt and extend the Protect America Act for another 18 months so it looks like the FISA bill is going to come back up again on Monday. Chris Dodd’s objection to Unanimous Consent still stands, so they will pick up in the middle of the Motion to Proceed debate. Without the help of the presidential candidates, we are doomed to lose this fight. And all […]