election 2008

Obama, Hillary Clinton to Campaign Together

The Associated Press — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:47:55 -0400

CHICAGO (AP) — Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's campaign announced Friday that he will campaign with former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton next week, a step toward unifying a fractured Democratic Party after a bruising primary fight.

Obama's campaign said in a brief e-mail that said the two senators and former opponents will campaign together for the first time on Friday, June 27, and more details would be forthcoming.

A day earlier, Obama and Clinton also plan to meet in Washington with some of her top contributors in an effort to calm donors who remain frustrated with Obama's presidential campaign. The former first lady will introduce Obama to her financial backers.

Obama Campaign Confronts Rumors

The Associated Press — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:17:02 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama's campaign said Thursday that Michelle Obama never used the word "whitey" in a speech from the church pulpit as it launched a Web site to debunk rumors about him and his wife.

The rumor that Michelle Obama railed against "whitey" in a diatribe at Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ has circulated on conservative Republican blogs for weeks and was repeated by radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. The rumor included claims of a videotape of the speech that would be used to bring down Obama's candidacy this fall.

"No such tape exists," the campaign responds on the site, www.fightthesmears.com. "Michelle Obama has not spoken from the pulpit at Trinity and has not used that word."

Johnson Resigns from Team Vetting Obama Vice President

The Associated Press — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:05:49 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jim Johnson, a manager of Democrat Barack Obama's vice presidential search team, resigned Wednesday amid criticism over his personal loan deals.

"Jim did not want to distract in any way from the very important task of gathering information about my vice presidential nominee, so he has made a decision to step aside that I accept," Obama said in a statement. "We have a very good selection process under way, and I am confident that it will produce a number of highly qualified candidates for me to choose from in the weeks ahead. I remain grateful to Jim for his service and his efforts in this process."

The Lines are Drawn

Mike Wacker — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 02:59:37 -0400

At first glance, you may think I am referring to the general election, now that Obama has officially clinched the nomination. But to be honest, the shorter Republican primary was too long, so by now I have had my fair share of election politics. However, given the historical significance of Obama's candidacy, I will make a brief remark since he became the first black candidate to win either the Republican or Democratic primary.

Obama Seals Democratic Nomination

The Associated Press — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:30:54 -0400

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Cheered by a roaring crowd, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois laid claim to the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, taking a historic step toward his once-improbable goal of becoming the nation's first black president. Hillary Rodham Clinton maneuvered for the vice presidential spot on his fall ticket without conceding her own defeat.

"America, this is our moment," the 46-year-old senator and one-time community organizer said in his first appearance as the Democratic nominee-in-waiting. "This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past."

Long Primary Season Ends with Obama Set to Clinch

The Associated Press — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:39:31 -0400

CHICAGO (AP) — History within his reach, Barack Obama was primed to claim the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday or soon after as voters in Montana and South Dakota bring his months-long contest with dogged rival Hillary Rodham Clinton to a close. Clinton appeared ready to bow to the inevitable and spare the party an even more protracted fight.

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday that once Obama gets the majority of convention delegates, "I think Hillary Clinton will congratulate him and call him the nominee."

Dems Reach Deal to Seat Mich. and Fla. Delegations

The Associated Press — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:02:52 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Party leaders agreed Saturday to seat Michigan and Florida delegates with half-votes at this summer's convention with a compromise that left Barack Obama on the verge of the nomination but riled Hillary Rodham Clinton backers who threatened to fight to the August convention.

"Hijacking four delegates is not a good way to start down the path of party unity," said adviser Harold Ickes.

Clinton's camp maintains she was entitled to four additional Michigan delegates.

Clinton's New Bag of Tricks

Mike Wacker — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:07:58 -0400

Hillary has to bow out of the race...eventually. While I would initially set a timeline that ends shortly after the last primaries on June 3rd, I must quickly remind myself that this is Clinton. I probably would be better off trying to get Bush to set a withdrawal date for Iraq than trying to get Hillary to set a withdrawal date for her candidacy.

Obama may be oh-so-close to the nomination now, but this may be as close as he will be for a while. Although he does not need many more delegates to clinch the nomination, Clinton probably will change the math (the real math, not the one in her mind) soon.

Obama Plays the (Other) Race Card

Mike Wacker — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:37:13 -0400

Oppose illegal immigration? In that case, you may be responsible for xenophobia and hate crimes, according to Obama:

"A certain segment has basically been feeding a kind of xenophobia. There’s a reason why hate crimes against Hispanic people doubled last year. If you have people like Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh ginning things up, it’s not surprising that would happen."

So much for all of Obama's talk to disagree agreeably.

Split in Oregon, Kentucky Primaries; Obama Achieves Election Milestone

The Associated Press — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:03:46 -0400

(AP) — Barack Obama is inching ever closer to locking up the Democratic presidential nomination despite another resounding loss to Hillary Rodham Clinton, this time in Kentucky.

Clinton beat Obama by 35 percentage points in Kentucky, after trouncing him by 41 percentage points in West Virginia last week, and has won five of the last seven primaries.

Once all the delegates were allocated from Tuesday's contests in Oregon and Kentucky, however, Obama was expected to be within 60 of the magic 2,026 needed to cinch the nomination. With 80 percent of the vote counted, he was winning Oregon by a 58-42 percent margin.

Obama to Reach Delegate Milestone Tuesday

The Associated Press — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:21:15 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama will reach a significant milestone Tuesday as he marches toward the Democratic nomination for president — a majority of pledged delegates at stake in all the primaries and caucuses.

Obama will still be short of the overall number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination, unless he were to suddenly receive an avalanche of endorsements from the party and elected officials known as superdelegates. But the Illinois senator's campaign is touting the delegate milestone as a big step in defeating his rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

John Edwards Endorses Obama at Michigan Rally

The Associated Press — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:13:30 -0400

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Democrat John Edwards endorsed former rival Barack Obama on Wednesday, a move designed to help solidify support for the party's likely presidential nominee even as Hillary Rodham Clinton refuses to give up her long-shot candidacy.

Edwards made a surprise appearance with Obama in Grand Rapids, Mich., as the Illinois senator campaigns in a critical general election battleground state.

The endorsement came a day after Clinton defeated Obama by more than 2-to-1 in the West Virginia primary. The loss highlighted Obama's challenge in winning over the "Hillary Democrats" — white, working-class voters who also supported Edwards in significant numbers before he exited the race in late January.

Clinton Wins W. Va. Primary

The Associated Press — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:54:03 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton won a large but largely symbolic victory in the West Virginia primary Tuesday over Barack Obama, still the leader and closing in on the Democratic presidential nomination.

The Associated Press made its call based on surveys of voters as they left the polls.

Obama conceded defeat in advance in the state as he looked ahead to the Oregon primary later in the month and the campaign against Republican John McCain.

"This is our chance to build a new majority of Democrats and independents and Republicans who know that four more years of George Bush just won't do," Obama said in Missouri, which looms as a battleground state in the fall.

Skeptics Challenge Clinton's Push to Fund C.U.'s Arecibo

Nikhita Parandekar and Michael Stratford — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

As the Cornell-operated Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico struggles to find financial support after the National Science Foundation slashed its funding, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) is proposing, in legislation she introduced two weeks ago, that the NSF completely restore the research facility’s grants. But with just a month until the Puerto Rican primary, some Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) supporters are calling the move political posturing.

On April 15, Clinton introduced a bill in the Senate — S.2862 — that directs the NSF to “ensure that the Arecibo Observatory is fully funded.” The bill cites the scientific and research value of the observatory and also calls for the observatory’s collaboration with NASA for the research of near-Earth objects.

N.Y. Times Associate Editor Discusses Presidential Race

Ben Eisen — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

On his way to Ithaca yesterday, Robert B. Semple Jr., New York Times associate editor and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, got a call from his wife. She told him that when he was speaking to students at Cornell, he should tell them not to give up on politics.

With recent news of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s (D-N.Y.) involvement with prostitution, many are losing hope in the way our government works. But Semple, in his lecture to students in Goldwin Smith’s Lewis Auditorium last night, tried to stay optimistic. As one of the editors who puts together editorials for The Times, he gave his perspective on the three remaining presidential candidates and challenges that each of them faces in the coming months.

Fmr. Pres. Bush Endorses McCain

The Associated Press — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:03:05 -0500

HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush endorsed John McCain on Monday, a nod of approval from the Republican political dynasty's patriarch that sends a strong signal to a GOP establishment wary of the Arizona senator.

"No one is better prepared to lead our nation at these trying times than Sen. John McCain," Bush said, standing alongside the Republican nominee-in-waiting in an airport hanger. "His character was forged in the crucible of war. His commitment to America is beyond any doubt. But most importantly, he has the right values and experience to guide our nation forward at this historic moment."

Obama Wins Georgia Primary

The Associated Press — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:59:31 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama won the Georgia primary Tuesday night, the leading edge of a coast-to-coast struggle with Hillary Rodham Clinton for delegates in the grueling Democratic presidential campaign. Arizona Sen. John McCain challenged his remaining rivals for control of the Republican race.

It was Obama's second straight Southern triumph, and like an earlier victory in South Carolina, was built on a wave of black votes.

The Associated Press made its call based on surveys of voters as they left the polls.

The 87 delegates at stake in Georgia's primary were divided between the two candidates in rough proportion to the votes.

Overseas Americans Vote in Super Tuesday Elections

The Associated Press — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:52:42 -0500

LONDON (AP) — Americans seeking a change in foreign policy and a new national image abroad flocked to churches in Rome, town halls in England and an Irish pub in Hong Kong on Tuesday to vote in a Democrats Abroad primary.

The voting will determine who gets the 11 votes allocated to Democrats Abroad at the Democratic National Convention in August. The group is allowing online voting — a first for voters overseas — that will continue for one week.

Porchester Hall in central London was jammed with high-spirited voters Tuesday evening as rival groups backing Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama chanted and waved banners for their candidates.

Despite Hiccups, Voting Goes Smoothly in Early Hours

The Associated Press — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:34:28 -0500

(AP) — Scattered voting problems were reported early in some states — including New Jersey, where the governor had to wait for a touch-screen machine to be fixed — in the biggest Super Tuesday ever held in America.

But despite some machine hiccups and delays, early voting appeared to go smoothly as an unprecedented 24 states held primaries and caucuses to nominate the Democratic and Republican nominees for president.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was supposed to cast his ballot in a Hoboken fire station, but both precinct machines weren't working. Forty-five minutes later, after a repair person was called in, Corzine was able to vote. There was no word on what caused the delay.

Voters also waited in long lines in Illinois and Georgia.

Weather Snarls Voters Heading to Polls

The Associated Press — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:10:34 -0500

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (AP) — Another punch of snow loomed for the upper Midwest while thunderstorms stretched from the southern Plains to the Northeast on Tuesday, inconveniencing voters in many of the states holding primaries and caucuses.

Snow spread out of Colorado on a path across the upper Midwest, likely to reach the Great Lakes by nightfall.

In warmer air, a narrow line of rain and thunderstorms extended from Oklahoma up the Ohio Valley to New York state.

Tuesday's forecast for Wisconsin ran the gamut from dense fog to a winter storm warning in effect for parts of the state through Wednesday afternoon.