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Politics up to the Minute
Headlines from June 19th, 2008
Gov. Aide: McCain Ignored Request to Cancel Iowa Trip
Staffer to Gov. Culver says the Democratic governor asked the Arizonan to cancel due to concern the trip would tie up local law enforcement to provide security. Aide: "As a courtesy — and as we did for Senator Obama — we privately made an effort to make sure that Senator McCain knew that state and local resources were still being deployed to support the flood fight and that now may not be the best time for a campaign trip." McCain's Iowa chair says he proceeded with the visit because the campaign provided much of its own security. Columbus Junction mayor: "Certainly, Mr. McCain's visit today in no way hindered any relief efforts or any of our efforts on recovery or security or whatever we were working on." Permalink
Obama Fundraising Off the Opt-Out With Chutzpah
Latest email solicitation from campaign manager David Plouffe calls for 50,000 new donors before July 4. Read it here. Permalink
McCain Keeps After Obama on Financing, Joint Town Halls, Iraq, Meeting With Foreign Leaders
At Thursday night St. Paul meeting with voters, Republican standard bearer hits Land of Lincolner. Reads from paper containing wording of Obama's written pledge on general election financing, and calls on Obama to accept proposal for town halls. Also questions Obama's judgment for calling for troop withdrawals from Iraq. Earlier: McCain talked and answered questions at Minneapolis fundraiser, where he addressed the size of Obama's staff, energy, the dollar, and more. Read the pool report here. Permalink
Animal House Politics
In the most scathing statement of the general election, McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker sends an email reply to Obama spokesman Bill Burton: "As to the stunt -- a last minute email to me -- I only have this to say: that type of boys club bullying embodies an arrogance better suited for a frat house than a serious campaign about serious issues." Reply to 11th-hour Burton request to have his own campaign counsel Bob Bauer join a McCain campaign conference call for the media on the opt-out flap. Read Hazelbaker's full missive here. Read Burton's original here. Plus: Bauer held his own media call in response to the McCain camp's. Read details here. HALPERIN’S TAKE: The truth about why Obama opted out — and what it means. Permalink
Lawmaker: Edwards, Nunn on Obama's Veep List
The head of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Cheeks Kilpatrick, says Obama's vetting team confirmed the former presidential candidate and former Georgia Senator are under consideration. The two camp up as suggestions when Obama and his team met with the caucus on the Hill Thursday. Plus: McCain dodges question about Pawlenty's veep prospects at Thursday St. Paul town hall meeting. Permalink
Clinton to Donors: Open Your Checkbooks for Obama
The New York Senator pushes her former funders to throw their weight behind the presumptive Democratic nominee on Thursday evening conference call. Also said she doesn't expect to make the money back for what she loaned to her campaign, but asked her donors to contribute anything they could to help pay back her vendors. Clinton also suggested she would soon be making public statements about media coverage of the campaign, as well as the ways "women were discussed." Permalink
Obama Calls Muslim Women to Say Sorry
The Illinois Senator personally apologizes to the two women who were barred from sitting behind him at his Detroit rally because they were wearing traditional Muslim headdresses. Lawyer Hebba Aref, one of the women, tells Politico: "Senator Obama called himself and he apologized to each of us." Permalink
MCCAIN SAYS HE'LL ACCEPT PUBLIC FUNDING
Tells the press on the Straight Talk Express to his Minneapolis hotel that he'll abide by federal funding limits in the general election. “We will take public financing.” Asked what his thinking was, he said, “Because we decided to take public financing.” Read pool report here. In McCain camp media call spokesman Brian Rogers says Obama's decision to skip public funding was "all about money" and was "predetermined," and "made for political reasons." Listen to call here. Permalink
Evening News Roundup
ABC: Led with flooding. Eight minutes in, report on Obama opting out of public campaign financing. Clear verdicts on the move from Gibson - a "direct contradiction" of Obama's earlier stance - and Stephanopoulos - "a clear flip-flop." Stephanopoulos said it was a price the campaign is willing to pay, as McCain will have trouble raising money and a top Democrat says there's "almost no limit to what Barack Obama can raise." CBS: Led with mortgage fraud charges, nine minutes in got to Obama's opt out of public financing with a mostly negative tone. Said he "abandoned" his pledge, calling it a "big reversal" when only months ago he signaled willingness to consider it. Said he was the first major candidate to do so since the 70s. Says it will allow Obama to spend money and compete in all 50 states. Covered McCain's response, him accepting the federal funds, adding "it's doubtful he could have drummed up much more" than the system would offer. NBC: Led with Midwest floods, seven minutes in turned to Obama's public financing decision with a medium-negative tone. Said opting out created "a firestorm," recapped history of system, Obama's pledge, McCain response and public funds decision. Showed Obama trouncing McCain in fundraising so far, mentioned new ad in 18 states, including GOP strongholds. Permalink
AP SHOCKER
Objective wire service hits Obama hard for breaking his promise and rejecting public funds. "Barack Obama chose winning over his word...So much for being a straight shooter." Permalink
ROVE SHOCKER
Bushman attacks McCain on the economy. Free-marketeer turns Wall Street Journal op-ed tart pen on fellow Republican. Read the amazing words here. Permalink
McCain: "This Is a Big Deal... He Has Completely Reversed Himself"
The Arizonan comes down hard on Obama's decision to quit public financing. "He has completely reversed himself and gone back, not on his word to me, but the commitment he made to the American people." Also: McCain's campaign releases chronology of Obama's statements while the RNC cites scorching Hillary Clinton quote from February. Plus: Obama camp memo argues McCain "already opted out" when he "broke from the primary matching fund system." Read it here. More on Thursday's announcement here. HALPERIN'S TAKE: The truth about why Obama opted out — and what it means. Permalink
New National Numbers
From Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll: Obama 42, McCain 39 Dates conducted: June 17-18. Error margin: 3 points. Read more here. Plus: 17% of Americans say the country is going in the right direction, according to a new AP-Ipsos poll. Permalink
McCain Tours Flood-Ravaged Iowa
The presumptive GOP nominee walks past half-submerged buildings, washed-out roads and thousands of sandbags holding back water in the southeastern half of the state Thursday afternoon. Tells residents of Columbus Junction: "I know I speak for all of America. We'll do everything necessary to try to rebuild the lives..." He also praises volunteers who tried to help prevent worse damage. Plus: President Bush conducts aerial tour of the damage, tells Iowans Congress is about to pass a "big chunk" of disaster money which will "help put people's mind at ease." Read remarks here. Permalink
Michelle Obama to Address Clinton Women
The presumptive Democratic nominee's wife will speak at a lunch for the National Partnership for Women & Children Friday. EMILY's List founder Ellen Malcolm and Clinton's deputy White House counsel Cheryl Mills are both slated to attend. Permalink
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