Archive - December 11, 2007 - The Page by Mark Halperin

The Page

Politics up to the Minute

Clinton Focus Group Tests Anti-Obama TV Ads in New Hampshire

Associated Press: health care spots shown to voters -- possible part of effort to raise questions about unknown, untested rival. Permalink

Chaos Theorizing

Roger Simon captures the complete muddle that is the GOP nomination fight on Le Politico. Permalink

GOP: Giuliani 25, Huckabee 19, Romney 17, Thompson 14, McCain 12. Dems: Clinton 53, Obama 23, Edwards 10. Plus: Shows 33% job approval for Bush, matching his career low. Read more on the poll here. Also: Clinton's pollster/strategist Penn embraces her national poll standing in a new press-release-as-memo. Permalink

Texas Governor Perry Denies Freud's Validity

Giuliani backer "mistakenly" endorses Huckabee -- for a moment. Permalink

Clinton-Buffett Interviews in Primetime

On Fox Business Network: Clinton says she might consider letting cuts in capital gains taxes expire. Read interview excerpts, and watch video. On CNBC: Clinton says no more “tax cuts for me and Bill and Warren,” adding “We could do a lot better” and have “shared prosperity again.” Plus: Wall Street Journal hints at a Buffett tilt towards Clinton over Obama -- and points to additional guru symbolism with the New York Senator's first public event featuring Bob Rubin on Wednesday in Gotham City. Permalink

National Review Endorses Romney

Editorial Board: "Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative...[He] has President Bush’s virtues and avoids his flaws." Permalink

Romney on Agility

Tells the Atlantic's Ambinder: “These are turbulent times, people rise and fall in polls. Issues come and go. It's the sort of thing you've got to be agile to respond to." Also calls his Huckabee immigration ad “fair, balanced and positive,” and responds to complaint he excluded nonbelievers in last week's faith speech. Click above to watch video. Permalink

Evening News Roundup

NBC-- Lisa Myers dug into Huckabee accepting gifts as Arkansas governor -- including vacations, wife's wardrobe, discounts on food -- totaling $112,000 in just one year. Nothing new reported, but will stun many a viewer just learning about Huckabee -- but could also bounce right off of him. Click above for video. ABC-- Discussed new ABC/WashPost poll with Stephanopoulos-- economy, not Iraq, public's top concern. Played a stand-alone clip from Romney's immigration ad targeting Huckabee. Health care roundtable looked at Dem, GOP plans. Also on ABC, Martha Raddatz spent a day on the job with President Bush. Read more here. CBS-- Campaign Notebook included bad IA weather, Huckabee's Gilchrist endorsement. Jeff Greenfield hopped on Edwards' campaign bus; Edwards given ample airtime to make his message case, especially on electability. All shows mentioned Midwest ice storm, and impact on IA campaigning. Permalink

Rove Weighs in on '08 on "Hannity & Colmes"

Says Clinton will win nomination, Obama can't take on Clinton "effectively," Bill Clinton's "a big negative" and Iowa caucus-goers will show up to vote "still drunk," in Tues. night interview. Read more excerpts here. Permalink

Giuliani Chief Sticks With Delegate Accumulation Strategy

On MSNBC, Mike DuHaime says with so many nomination races close together it'll come down to "delegate math" -- and says his guy remains best positioned. Watch clip above. McKinnon Plays the Expectations Game Also on MSNBC, McCain strategist says winner of New Hampshire is the nominee. Watch clip above. Permalink

Minuteman Founder Backs Huckabee

Jim Gilchrist likes his new enforcement proposal. "It was a plan I myself could have written...." Plus: Huckabee dismisses negative Romney ad as work of "the tattletale in the third grade." Permalink

Huckabee Favored Donation Limits

Called for end to PACs and lobbyist campaign contributions in 1992. Also supported restricting out-of-state donations and those more than a year before elections. In 1992 questionnaire he also called welfare "disgraceful," opposed women in combat. Click here for more of his responses. Permalink

Clinton Call an Apparent Slap at Obama

On media conference call, Clinton backer Jackson-Lee slams “a candidate who seems to think he can offer one position in the early stages of his career” and then take new one. Cites shift on gun control. Other Obama shifts outlined in Politico story (and detailed in new Clinton press release). Listen to audio here. Obama also holds media call, joining NH Rep. Shea-Porter to announce endorsement and answer reporter questions on Clinton ads, polling, Oprah Winfrey. Permalink

First-in-the-Nation Airwaves Crowd

ONE campaign to spend $1.8 million on ad launching Friday in IA, NH and nationally. Nonpartisan group founded by rocker Bono fights global poverty. Permalink

Thompson Nabs Morton Blackwell Endorsement

Conservative leader, Virginia Republican National Committeeman says “Of all the candidates who have a chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination, Fred Thompson is my choice.” Release here. Permalink