Archive - May 21, 2008 - The Page by Mark Halperin

The Page

Politics up to the Minute

McCain to Host Potential VP Candidates

NY Times: Senator will meet Friday with Florida Gov. Crist, Louisiana Gov. Jindal , former Massachusetts Gov. Romney at McCain's Arizona home. All three widely considered potential VP prospects. CNN's John King: Top McCain aide Charlie Black calls it "a social weekend," denies a formal vetting process is underway. Timesman Nagourney: Development "strongly suggests that he is moving into an intensified phase in his search for a vice presidential candidate." Veepstakes Quiz: For all the talk of gubernatorial running mates, when was the last time a major party candidate added to his ticket a sitting or former governor? The answer here. Permalink

Super Battle

Wednesday's tally: Obama 2, Clinton 1 OBAMA GETS: --Mississippi Democratic Party chairman Wayne Dowdy. --Connecticut Rep. Courtney. CLINTON GETS: --Ohio super Craig Bashein. Plus: Obama camp memo lays out midday delegate totals, including nine switching from Edwards. Read it here. Permalink

Clinton Makes Baldest/Boldest Appeal to Florida and Michigan Voters

In Boca Raton speech -- with road-blocked cable coverage -- Clinton argues that trying to seat the states' delegations isn't about "changing the rules." "I say that not counting Florida and Michigan is changing a central governing rule of this country." Also invokes the 2000 recount. Watch video above. Read transcript here. Extended prepared remarks makes soup-to-nuts arguments about counting the outlaw primary results. More: Clinton also suggests in an AP interview that she's willing to take the fight for Florida and Michigan to the convention. Plus: DNC releases more information on May 31 Rules & Bylaws meeting-- read press release. Permalink

McCain Personally Takes On Obama

In fight over veterans benefits, McCain strikes back at Obama with blistering statement: "As he always does, he prefers impugning the motives of his opponent, and exploiting a thoughtful difference of opinion to advance his own ambitions...." "Unlike Senator Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge." Read tough statement here. Obama and other Democrats have criticized McCain's opposition to bill boosting benefits for veterans. Permalink

Obama Needles McCain on Lobbyists, Foreign Policy

The Illinois Senator points to comments made to the media this week by McCain adviser Charlie Black commenting on their new conflict-of-interest policy during his Tampa rally: "John McCain then would be pretty disappointed with John McCain now, because he hired some of the biggest lobbyists in Washington to run his campaign. And when he was called on it, his top lobbyists actually had the nerve to say, ‘The American people won't care about this.’" Watch video above. Read full remarks here. Obama also keeps the pressure on foreign policy, saying McCain has been spending the last week "describing who he won't talk to." McCain camp responds: "Despite his own campaign’s ties to lobbyists, nothing comes between Barack Obama and a partisan political attack." Permalink

Chief Clinton Strategist: June 3 May Not End It

Geoff Garin tells MSNBC the Senator may keep fighting past the primaries, since "there are enough uncommitted delegates left for either candidate to earn a majority." Watch video here. "At some point a candidate will have a majority (of delegates) needed to win the nomination, but we have not reached that point yet. We probably won't reach that point on June 3." Adds: "In these swing states-- Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia-- we think there's been a clear demonstration that Sen. Clinton is the more effective candidate, the candidate who more voters rally around as the best person to fix our economy and keep our country secure." "There's lots of reason to think we're starting to have some wind at our back." Permalink

United Mine Workers Endorse Obama

The union's executive board voted unanimously on the decision Wednesday morning. UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts says the group was deciding between Obama and McCain. Read more here. The 86,000-member union had originally backed John Edwards. Permalink

Dukakis Gives Advice to Obama on the GOP

He warns Obama, as he heads into the general election race, "to be ready, to respond immediately, to take the fight to John McCain. You cannot let the Republicans do what they did to me and Kerry." Read CNN transcript here. Permalink

Kennedy Heads Home

Veteran Senator leaves Massachusetts General Hospital to return to his home in Hyannisport. Surrounded by family, smiling Bay Stater offers waves, thumbs-ups before climbing into SUV, with his dogs in the back. Watch video above. Hospital statement says Kennedy has "recovered remarkably quickly" from the biopsy that identified his malignant brain tumor. E-mail from his wife says Kennedy is "making me crazy (and making me laugh)" by pushing to participate in a weekend sailing race. AP releases photos of Kennedy and his family at the hospital, leaving Wednesday. SEE GALLERY HERE. Permalink

Obama, Clinton Battle in/for Florida

Candidates bring very different messages to the Sunshine State. AP: Obama seeks to mend fences in key general election state, Clinton continues her push to seat state's delegates. Orlando Sentinel: Obama reaches out to Florida Hispanics in Kissimmee. LA Times: On Obama organizing for the general, says: "Nowhere will that be more daunting than Florida, a Republican-leaning battleground state where Obama has not appeared in public for many months." Permalink

Lieberman Smashes Obama on Foreign Policy

In Wall Street Journal op-ed, Democrats' 2000 vice presidential standard bearer gets all scathing with party's likely 2008 presidential nominee. Meanwhile, Sen. Hagel criticizes fellow Republican McCain, offers praise to Obama. "I believe that John is smarter than some of the things he is saying...." Permalink

National Journal's Douglass to Join Obama Campaign

The Atlantic: Award-winning journalist joins the Illinois Senator's team as a senior strategist and senior campaign spokesperson. Permalink

Clinton Reports $19.5 Mil in Debt

Campaign finance records show she reported only about $8 million cash on hand after the end of April and close to $20 mil in debt, including the $10 mil she lent herself. Clinton did not add to her debt to vendors, who include consultants Mark Penn, Mandy Grunwald. Plus: See what the other candidates reported for April here. Permalink

Morning Show Summary

Morning shows filled with political guests, including Robert Gibbs, Howard Wolfson, Terry McAullife and Rudy Giuliani. Read more here. Permalink

Obama Organizes General Election Team

Sources tell the AP that top Obama organizer Paul Tewes is set to run the campaign's joint efforts with the DNC, has met with party leaders. Permalink