Alan Keyes Accepts Invitation To Dec. 12 Iowa Republican Presidential Debate
Republican Presidential candidate Alan Keyes has accepted an invitation to participate in the last scheduled — and in some ways most important — Republican debate before the Jan. 3 first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucus. The Des Moines Register's Republican Presidential Debate is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Dec. 12 at Iowa Public Television's Maytag Auditorium in Johnston, Iowa. At last report, all major Republican candidates except former NY mayor Rudy Giuliani have also accepted the invitation to participate.The Des Moines Register has a reputation for putting on fair and informative events. Their debates have become an Iowa tradition that reporters and editors from across the nation take seriously. The debate will be broadcast live on statewide Iowa Public Television from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (CT) Dec. 12, and will be re-broadcast at a later time on IPTV. The program will also be offered to public television stations across the country. Ambassador Keyes expressed his thanks to the sponsors of the event, saying, "I'm grateful to those who will not abandon their resolve to raise the standard of political integrity. I pray God that my participation in the debate will vindicate their good will."
CNN Political Director Sam Feist e-mailed the Alan Keyes campaign to inform the campaign — for the first time — that Ambassador Keyes would not be included in the CNN/YouTube/Republican Party of Florida Debate. Prior to this notice, the campaign had received no word from the debate's sponsors about their intentions, one way or the other, to include Dr. Keyes, despite several inquires. The most the campaign was able to learn was that the decision was "ultimately up to CNN." In the meantime, the campaign contacted numerous Florida party, state, and national leaders, encouraging them to ask CNN to include Ambassador Keyes in Wednesday's debate, so that all nine of the presidential candidates selected by the state for its primary ballot might be scrutinized by voters — instead of just eight.For reasons evident below, CNN's decision to exclude Dr. Keyes is obviously arbitrary, unfair, and presumptuous — overriding, in essence, the prerogative of the State of Florida to decide which presidential contenders voters have a right to learn about. The effect of this decision by CNN is far-reaching. Any candidate who does not appear in this nationally-televised debate — the last one scheduled before the primaries — will have little chance of compensating for the damage done to his campaign in the public mind. Note that Ambassador Keyes has already been excluded from two previous national debates on dubious grounds, and as a result, most people are not even aware he is running for president. Excluding Dr. Keyes from the debate arguably does irreparable damage to his campaign — a result that can hardly have escaped CNN. CNN is playing "gate-keeper," and that is not a legitimate role of the media, no matter how much influence they seek to exert in the political arena.
Tancredo Asks WHO Why Taiwan Was Left Out Of The Loop
A leading supporter of Taiwan in the US Congress has demanded that the WHO explain its failure to notify Taipei of a potentially debilitating bacterial infection this summer, despite data that Taiwan could be affected. In a letter to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan (陳馮富珍) on Tuesday, Representative Tom Tancredo asked why her organization had refused to notify Taiwan directly of the danger, opting instead to let China notify Taipei. Beijing waited as long as two weeks to notify Taiwan. In his letter, Tancredo said WHO's International Food Safety Authorities Network issued an alert on Sept. 12 regarding a food-borne outbreak of shigella sonnei in Australia and Denmark. The alert requested data from WHO members to evaluate the extent of the danger and contain potential outbreaks. The WHO issued another alert two days later indicating that food from Thailand was the source of the outbreak and that "Taiwan had been a destination for some of these infected products," Tancredo wrote. The contaminated food was identified as baby corn from Thailand. Victims came down with a variety of symptoms, including diarrhea, stomach pains and fever.Chan's failure to notify Taiwan of the health threat "could have negative implications that extend far beyond the Taiwan Strait. What if some of these contaminated products had been trans-shipped out of Taiwan to one of the [WHO's] member states?" Tancredo asked. "Fortunately, it appears that the Taiwanese have taken sufficient measures in this case to preserve the health of its citizens and prevent tainted products from leaving the island. But we might not be so lucky next time," he wrote, adding "It is rather perplexing that the WHO would rely on the benevolence of the Beijing government when it comes to protecting the health and safety of the 23 million people of democratic Taiwan." Since the WHO Constitution states "the enjoyment of the highest attainable standards of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being," Tancredo wrote, "WHO's recent actions seem to indicate the organization does not believe these goals apply to the 23 million people of Taiwan." "I sincerely hope ... that in the future the organization will focus ... less on complying with the petty parochialism of Communist China's foreign policy demands," Tancredo wrote.
Democrats may present themselves as defenders of the middle and lower classes, but in fact they have become the new “party of the rich,” according to a report from the Heritage Foundation. Democrats now control more than half of the wealthiest congressional jurisdictions, when a wealthy American is defined as a single taxpayer earning more than $100,000 a year and married income tax filers earning more than $200,000. More than half of the wealthiest households live in the 18 states where Democrats hold both U.S. Senate seats. In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco district is home to more than 43,700 wealthy households, while House Republican leader John Boehner’s Ohio district has fewer than 7,000 well-heeled households.Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer’s Maryland district has a median income of more than $62,000, while his GOP counterpart, minority whip Roy Blunt, represents a Missouri district where the median income is only $33,000, Michael Franc, the Heritage Foundation’s vice president of government relations, reported in the Financial Times. Democrats thrive in wealthy areas even in staunchly Republican states such as Georgia and Kansas. In Iowa, the three most prosperous House districts are represented by Democrats, while the two poorest are Republican seats. Noting that Democrats in Congress are readying a tax increase of at least $1 trillion over the next decade, Franc observes: “Pelosi says she wants to extract all of this from ‘the wealthy.’ When has a party ever championed a policy that would inflict so much pain on its own constituency? At what point will affluent Democrats crack and mount a Blue State tax rebellion?”
Mike Huckabee has no intention of being swept away by the inevitable attacks that have followed his surging poll numbers and with Iowa front-runner and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney renewing his criticism of the former Arkansans Governor, Huckabee took time this weekend to try and set his record straight. Campaigning in South Carolina Saturday, Huckabee tailgated with supporters at the Clemenson-South Carolina football game in Columbia, before taking time Sunday to leave politics at the door and give a sermon at a local church--Huckabee is a former Baptist minister. Taking up Romney on abortion, Huckabee lamented what he believed was a fair weather stance, telling tailgaters, “He’s come along. Even if he’s a little late, better late than never.” Speaking with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer late Sunday morning, Huckabee criticized Romney as a candidate who plays to political winds and that attacks against his own position on issues like immigration are misrepresented. "I never had illegals working on my lawn," Huckabee told Blitzer. “It was a meritorious scholarship,” said Huckabee, referring to a proposal he backed as Governor of Arkansans that would give illegal immigrants tuition breaks.“They would be able to acquire that scholarship because, quite frankly, I would rather have them college-educated. I’d have some folks become citizens, paying taxes, rather than being in a position where their income was so low they ended up becoming tax takers,” he continued. Romney has upped the attack on Huckabee in recent days and other hopefuls, including Fred Thompson (R-TN), have been quick to join the fray. Citing Huckabee’s record of raising taxes as Governor of Arkansas and several issues involving ethics violations during his tenure, opponents are giving the media ordained, “Mr. Nice Guy”, a rude awakening to the dirt and flying elbows of politics. Huckabee will face a difficult road ahead as his rising numbers have been met by rising attacks from rivals and interest groups like The Club for Growth, a conservative group focused on tax reform. Leading pundit Robert Novak is no fan of Huckabee either; the conservative commentator published an opinion piece about Huckabee Monday entitled, "The False Conservative". The roe among Republican hopefuls has increased dramatically in the past few days, with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani attacking Mitt Romney, Romney going after Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson slinging arrows at whoever falls in his sights. The rhetoric is already soaring and with the CNN GOP YouTube debate scheduled for Wednesday, a mêlée of mud between the front-runners will surely ensue.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said he does not expect much to come from this week's Middle East peace talks in Annapolis, Md. "I always like people to talk to each other and I'm hopeful, but I'm not terribly optimistic about it," Romney, a GOP Presidential hopeful, said in answer to an audience question. Romney said progress at Annapolis was unlikely because Palestinians are fighting each other and have not shown they have the ability to form a stable and secure government. "It's very difficult to establish peace when you don't have somebody across the table who has responsibility and can manage their side of the table," he said. "My expectations are modest because of (the Palestinians') inability to really follow the road map." Romney went on to say that the wider challenge is to control "jihadist extremism" around the world, from the Philippines to Nigeria. "I think our efforts are going to be broader than in that one hot spot as we help the Muslims themselves reject the extreme within them," he said.Romney spent much of the Thanksgiving holiday engaged in a debate - conducted via press statements - with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani about their relative economic records, health care strategies and electability. In a fitting end to the weekend, the last question that Romney took was to the point: What would he say to someone who wanted to support Giuliani because the former mayor was more likely to defeat Hillary Rodham Clinton in a general election? "I don't think he can, and I think I can," Romney answered to applause. "I think to beat Hillary you got to be different than Hillary. ... You have to be pro-life, and you have to be anti-illegal immigration, and you have to be pro-family and you have to have high ethical standards in the history of your administration. You have to stand up and say you are different. I just don't think we can win the White House and defeatHillary Clintonby acting likeHillary Clinton."
Romney Calls On Judge To Resign After Graham Killings
Mitt Romney is calling on a judge he appointed to resign after she released without a bail a man now accused of killing a Washington couple. Meanwhile, a rival for the Republican presidential nomination is seizing on the case. Rudy Giuliani says Romney's appointment of Superior Court judge Kathe Tuttman is not an isolated incident. He says there was an increase in murder and violent crime in Massachusetts while Romney was governor.Tuttman released Daniel Tavares Junior without bail in July after prosecutors tried to hold him on a charge of assaulting two prison guards. The assault allegedly came near the end of Tavares' manslaughter sentence for killing his mother. Tavares fled to Washington state and is now charged with killing Brian and Beverly Mauck last week. Romney says Tuttmanshowed such poor judgment in the case that she should resign.
Where The Republican Candidates Stand On Global Warming
RUDY GIULIANI
Rarely discusses climate change, but describes energy independence as a national security priority. Wants to wean U.S. off of foreign oil in 10 to 15 years. Opposes cap and trade programs. Affiliated with law firm that lobbies for coal-fired power plants.
If president I would . . .
Expand nuclear power and push for coal-to-liquid fuel, support drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
"Mandates often turn out to cost a lot more money and are unrealistic. I like the idea of achievable goals."
MIKE HUCKABEE
Promises energy independence by the end of his second term through aggressive use of alternative fuels, with some government grants and subsidies, and short-term increase in domestic drilling. Wants to rely on market forces, supports a cap and trade program for carbon emissions.
If president I would . . .
Promote greater use of nuclear energy, insist on "clean" coal in future power plants, accelerate development of hydrogen and other alternative energy sources.
"I'm one of the few people who's actually talked about the fact that as Republicans we have done a lousy job of presenting the case for conservation. Not only as a Republican, but as a Christian it's important to me to say to my fellow believers, 'Look, if anybody ought to be leading on this issue, it ought to be us.'
DUNCAN HUNTER
Talks about energy independence but sees no scientific agreement on global warming. On his web site, takes detailed positions on issues from immigration to federal obscenity laws but does not mention climate change.
If president I would . . .
Reduce taxes on alternative energy sources, set goals for greater use of renewable energy.
"Few people in global warming can tell you exactly what's happening. How much of it is attributable to mankind and how much of it is attributable the natural cycle? But I don't think you have to answer that question to do what I've recommended. I think we have lots of reasons to be energy independent."
JOHN MCCAIN
Called President Bush's approach to global warming "disgraceful." Co-sponsored first Senate bill calling for mandatory greenhouse-gas reductions. Supports cap and trade program.
If president I would . . .
Streamline licensing of nuclear power plants, subsidize research and development of coal gasification, support higher fuel-efficiency standards.
"It's like Tony Blair said: Suppose we're wrong, and there's no such thing as greenhouse-gas emissions, and we adopt green technologies. All we've done is give our kids a better planet.'RON PAUL
Reflecting his libertarian philosophy, does not believe government should play a major role. Not convinced global warming is caused by human activity. Says EPA is not needed, that strict enforcement of property rights would reduce pollution.
If president I would . . .
End subsidies for big oil companies and other energy producers, support use of coal and nuclear power and drilling in ANWR.
"To assume we have to close down everything in this country and in the world because there's a fear that we're going to have this global warming and that we're going to be swallowed up by the oceans, I think that's extreme. I don't buy into that. Yet, I think it's a worthy discussion."
MITT ROMNEY
Stresses energy efficiency and a drive toward energy independence as a "strategic imperative." Would consider a cap and trade program only if part of a global agreement, and wants to see China and India do more.
If president I would . . .
Support greater use of nuclear power, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, move toward alternative fuels.
"I don't think it's productive for us to act on a unilateral basis if we have China and India continuing to increase their output of greenhouse gases."
TOM TANCREDO
Sees no scientific consensus on global warming, or whether human activity is the cause. Illegal immigration is his big issue, and warns that an influx of immigrants is contributing to higher energy consumption. Described Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" as "last work of fiction he has read."
If president I would . . .
Support expanded use of nuclear energy, all forms of coal, and more drilling offshore and in ANWR.
"Most evidence does not substantiate the claim that (global warming) is caused by human activity, or at least to the extent that it would change things one way or the other if we started doing things quite differently. It's almost audacious of us to think that we can change this path with our activities on this planet."
FRED THOMPSON
Stresses need for energy security but says little about climate change. Climate change is not one of the 11 issues he discusses on his web site.
If president I would . . .
Invest in alternative energy, advanced technology on renewables, and lead a campaign for greater conservation.
"Quite a few planets in our solar system seem to be heating up a bit... Maybe Mars got its fever from Earth. If so, I guess Jupiter has caught the same cold, because it's heating up too, like Pluto. This has led some people, not necessarily scientists, to wonder if Mars and Jupiter, nonsignatories to the Kyoto Treaty, are actually inhabited by alien SUV-driving industrialists who run their air-conditioning at 60 degrees and refuse to recycle."
RepublicanMitt Romney says he disagrees with New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg and his assessment of Iowa's presidential caucuses.Gregg, a Romney supporter, told reporters that he wasn't worried about Gov. Mike Huckabee's standing in Iowa polls.He said Romney remains strong where it counts: New Hampshire. Gregg says his state picks Presidents and Iowa picks corn. When asked if he aggress, Romney said he does not.
Presidential candidate Ron Paul has been gaining support from a variety of people across the country. But an unlikely supporter in Nevada is brothel owner Dennis Hof. Hof showed at a Paul news conference yesterday, flanked by two of his prostitutes, to show his support and stated that he planned to place collection boxes outside the door of his brothel, the Moonlight Bunny Ranch. Paul’s libertarian platform and philosophy of limited government resonates with Hof. “I’ll get all the Bunnies together and we can raise him some money. I’ll put up a collection box outside the door.They can drop in $1, $5 contributions. What a great way for the working girls to support Ron Paul. It’s just the right thing to do,” Hof said. Paul campaign spokesmen told reporters the money collected by Hof would be welcome. “On a personal basis, he doesn’t condone those things,” campaign spokesman, Jeff Greenspan said. “At the same time, from his campaign perspective, it’s not the role of federal government and it’s not in the constitution for federal government to regulate these thing. The Nevada voters and Legislature have decided it is a legal activity in this state.”
Mitt Romney defended President Bush'shandling of the Iraq war and bashed Democrat Barack Obama for his earlier statements calling for a troop withdrawal. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, said Bush "did a superb job knocking down Saddam" in Iraq and chastised the three leading Democratic presidential candidates for their stances on the war. He singled out Obama: "It's fortunate we did not have Barack Obama as president," he told a standing-room-only crowd of 200 at a coffee house here. "If he had been president, he'd have just pulled our troops out, and al-Qaeda would have been a safe haven in Iraq."Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said: "If Barack Obama were president, we never would have gone into Iraq in the first place. We would've gone after Osama bin Laden, finished the job in Afghanistan, and made America a lot safer than it is even after seven years of a diverse, failed foreign policy that Mitt Romney apparently wants to continue." Romney made headlines earlier this month for repeatedly targeting Democrat Hillary Clinton, who is bunched in a tight-three way nomination race with Obama and former Sen. John Edwards. "The surge is working, and we're seeing the Sunnis get rid of the bad guys there," Romney said. "And our forces are getting rid of al-Qaeda. And not only is it working, but we're seeing a resurgence of confidence in our own people to get the job done there."
Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's endorsements now include retired pro wrestler Ric "Nature Boy" Flair.
Ric Flair
Flair joins Ted Nugent, a rock musician and hunting enthusiast, and Chuck Norris, a martial arts expert and star of TV's "Walker, Texas Ranger," in endorsing Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor.
Mike Huckabee
Flair is to appear with Huckabee Saturday for a tailgate party when South Carolina meets Clemson in Columbia, S.C.
Giuliani Leads Among Republicans in Latest Blind Bio Survey
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, long the favorite in nationwide samples of likely Republican voters in the 2008 race for the party's presidential nomination, has the strongest resume of four top contenders, a new Zogby International survey shows. The telephone survey, known as a “blind bio” poll because likely voters are given details of the candidates’ resumes without their names attached, shows Giuliani wins 34% support, compared to 22% each for Thompson and Romney. Ron Paul, who has surged recently in polls and has a significant online following, came in last with 13% support, while 9% said they were undecided on the question.
Ron Paul Yucks It Up With Rudy Giuliani
Only those four candidates were included in the question, which was commissioned by Jones Productions, a media company based in Austin, Texas. The survey included 389 likely Republican primary or caucus voters and was conducted Nov. 14–17, 2007. It carries a margin of error of +/– 5.1 percentage points. The blind bio question was also posed to a larger pool of 1,009 likely voters nationwide, including Democrats and independents, and Paul was the big winner among that universe of voters, winning 33%, compared to 19% for Giuliani, 15% for Romney, and 13% for Thompson.
A new New Hampshire poll shows a mini-surge for front-runner Mitt Romney, a dip for Rudy Giuliani, and continued cratering of support for Fred Thompson. The CNN/WMUR survey has Romney at 33 percent, up 8 percentage points; John McCain in second at 18 percent; and Giuliani in third at 16 percent, down 8 percentage points.Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee have leapfrogged Thompson, who is now in sixth in the Granite State with just 4 percent support, down from 13 percent in September when he entered the race. While there was quite a bit of initial buzz Thompson, the actor and former US senator from Tennessee, he thus far has failed to impress voters in New Hampshire and elsewhere. The poll was conducted Wednesday through Sunday among 404 Republican voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says he rejects letting states decide whether to allow abortions. Huckabee says that the right to life is a moral issue not subject to multiple interpretations. He says it's the logic of the Civil War -- if morality is the point, and if it's a right or a wrong, you can't have 50 different versions of what is right.
Huckabee was appearing on Fox News Sunday. He also previewed his first television ad of the campaign, which will start running in Iowa on Monday. The 60-second spot stars actor Chuck Norris. The lighthearted spot includes Huckabee, staring straight at the camera saying, "My plan to secure the border. Two words: Chuck. Norris." The camera then cuts to Norris standing beside him. The tough-guy actor then vouches for Huckabee's stances on guns, taxes and conservatism.
As the Democratic primary draws near to the Iowa Caucus, the sparks -- and sleaze -- are starting to fly. The latest mud: columnist Robert Novak reported that "agents of Sen. Hillary Clinton are spreading the word in Democratic circles that she has scandalous information" about Sen. Barack Obama. So what dirt does Hillary have about the Illinois Senator?Novak says the details, so far, have not been disclosed. Democratic primary campaigns can be particularly dirty. Remember Sen. Gary Hart's "Monkey Business" affair that was reportedly dredged up by operatives of his 1988 primary rival Al Gore. Also remember the Gennifer Flowers scandal. Republicans get blamed for the "Clinton Hate Machine" -- but the truth is that the buzz against Bill Clinton was fed by Democratic operatives in the '92 primary campaign. This time, Obama is on the offensive and quickly lashed out at Hillary. In a statement released by his campaign this weekend, Obama said: “The cause of change in this country will not be deterred or sidetracked by the old ‘Swift boat’ politics. The cause of moving America forward demands that we defeat it .... “I am prepared to stand up to that kind of politics, whether it's deployed by candidates in our party, in the other party or by any third party." Obama demanded that Hillary and her operatives release their "scandal" or deny they are part of an effort to smear him.An angry Obama added, “She of all people, having complained so often about ‘the politics of personal destruction,’ should move quickly to either stand by or renounce these tactics.” Clinton's campaign hurriedly responded to the growing brouhaha. Clinton spokesman Jay Carson told Fox News that the campaign has "absolutely no idea what [Novak] is talking about. ..." Carson said, bluntly, Hillary Clinton's campaign had no scandalous information about Senator Obama. Word of the Obama scandal comes as Hillary has lost her momentum after flip-flopping on the issue of licenses for illegals. Obama appears to be gaining, and recent polls in Iowa show him closing the gap with Hillary.
Mitt Romney has extended his lead in the Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus for 2008 and three candidates are virtually tied for second place. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the race shows Romney with support from 29% of Likely Caucus Participants. Trailing the frontrunner by thirteen percentage points is Mike Huckabee who enjoys support from 16%. In a virtual tie for second with Huckabee are Rudy Giuliani at 15% and Fred Thompson at 14%. Further back are John McCain (6%), Ron Paul (4%), Tom Tancredo (4%), and Duncan Hunter (2%). Nine percent (9%) are undecided.Romney's thirteen point advantage is double his six-point lead from a month ago. Support for Romney has increased four-points since the prior survey while Thompson's support has fallen four points. Mike Huckabee is down two from the earlier survey suggesting his bounce may have reached at least a temporary plateau. Rudy Giuliani , the leader in national polls, picked up three percentage points over the past month. Romney also enjoys a strong lead in New Hampshire, site of the first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary.
Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo will get his hair clipped for a cause in Concord today, while poking fun at a Democratic rival's high-dollar haircuts. The Colorado Congressman will pay $400 for a haircut. It's a nod toward a $400 cut that appeared on John Edwards' campaign spending reports. The owner of the Hair Biz Salon, David Holden, says the $400 fee will be donated to the Autism Society of America.Holden says he got the idea for raising charitable funds after hearing about Edwards' pricey haircuts, but didn't immediately pursue it. Holden's 12-year-old son has autism. Holden says offering $400 haircuts was a way to raise money and learn about government-funded research.
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said he responded appropriately after a woman used the word ``bitch'' to describe Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton. ``She made a comment, I made light of the comment, and then I said very seriously I treated and continue to treat Senator Clinton with respect and I've said that many times,'' the Arizona senator told reporters at his Phoenix office. He chuckled when a reporter brought it up. When asked whether he thought the woman's comment was funny, McCain said he reacted that way because he wanted to move on. ``I can't dictate what other people say - that's not my business,'' he said. ``Nor is it an appropriate role for me to play in a gathering at a restaurant, and if anybody thinks that I should, then I think they have the wrong idea of what gatherings are all about.'' At the campaign event on Monday, the woman asked McCain, ``How do we beat the bitch?'' McCain laughed along with the crowd as he said, ``May I give the translation?'' ``That's an excellent question,'' he added. ``I respect Senator Clinton. I respect anyone who gets the nomination of the Democratic Party.'' McCain said Wednesday he's sure the New York senator understands.``Senator Clinton and I have a very good relationship,'' he said. ``She understands I've always treated her with respect, and I'm sure that's been the reaction of her campaign.'' Clinton's campaign did not immediately return telephone calls for comment. On Tuesday, CNN's Rick Sanchez raised the question of whether McCain should have admonished the woman. ``Most people who have seen it are looking at it as a real mistake on his part in terms of the way he handled it,'' Sanchez said on the cable network's ``Out in the Open.'' McCain said if the American people watch the entire exchange posted online between him and the woman, he's sure that would be good enough for them, ``even if it's not good enough for CNN.'' McCain's South Carolina campaign manager, Buzz Jacobs, said in a statement that Sanchez' comments reflect poorly on him and CNN. Hours later, McCain's campaign was using the controversy to raise money. Campaign manager Rick Davis e-mailed supporters, saying, ``We are asking you to help us fight Rick Sanchez and CNN and stand with John McCain. Please make your most generous contribution from $25 up to the maximum limit of $2,300 to the only candidate who can defeat Hillary Clinton.'' McCain laughed Wednesday when a reporter asked if he thought the tactic would help his campaign. ``We ask for money all the time,'' he said. ``I have no idea of its effect. I know that I continue to do what's right, and I'm sure in the eyes of the American people I do what's right, and I treat my opponents with respect.''
Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo is airing a graphic new ad this week in Iowa that depicts a terrorist planting a bomb in a crowded U.S. shopping mall and suggests that lax immigration policies have left the country vulnerable to such attacks.The television ad, called "Tough on Terror," shows a hooded terrorist carrying a backpack into a mall and leaving it by a bench, before the screen turns to black and an explosion can be heard. As images of an injured child and a wrecked train flash on the screen, the voiceover says: "There are consequences to open borders beyond the 20 million aliens who have come to take our jobs ... the price we pay for spineless politicians who refuse to defend our borders against those who come to kill." The Colorado congressman, who late last month announced he would not be seeking a sixth term in the House of Representatives, has made fighting illegal immigration a cornerstone of his struggling campaign. Tancredo is polling in the bottom tier of Republican candidates but has a loyal cadre of supporters who are strict border control proponents.
In an accompanying radio ad, Tancredo says, "All issues pale in comparison to the fact that Islamic jihadists are here and plotting our destruction ... I will secure our borders and ports, I will stop all visas to nations that sponsor terrorism and arrest and deport any alien who preaches violence and hatred whether that's ... from a mosque or a street corner in a Mayday parade." Tancredo Press Secretary Alan Moore said the campaign expects to spend about $1 million over the life of the ad going from now to the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, and that, although the ad is currently running only in Iowa, it will be aired in New Hampshire next week. As for criticisms that might be leveled at the campaign over the explosive aspects of the ad, Moore pointed to reports that even the FBI suspects Al Qaeda may try to use the shopping mall scenario. He said that they already had been working on the ad before the FBI investigation became public but asked, "If legitimate national security threats are controversial then what are we going to talk about? If other presidential candidates don't talk about threats like this, how serious are they?" Tancredo says in both ads that he approves the message "because someone needs to say it."
Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee announced today he's received the endorsement of conservative activist Donald Wildmon.
Rev. Donald Wildmon
Wildmon is the founder of the American Family Association and a retired United Methodist minister in Tupelo, Mississippi. He has frequently led national boycotts against corporations and once accused Mighty Mouse of teaching children to snort cocaine.Wildmon said in a statement released by Huckabee's campaign that he believes Huckabee understands the needs of the nation. Wildmon say his endorsement is a personal one and does not represent an official endorsement from the family association. Huckabeepraised Wildmon as an influential member of the religious community and says the two share the same values on faith and family.
The revelation that Hillary Clinton's team has planted friendly, helpful questions from the public during her presidential nomination campaign won't shock many of our readers. Over the years, especially the Blair years, we became inured to the callous mendacity, the casual deviousness of our own politicians; but we have regarded the United States as the home of low political skullduggery ever since Watergate. That a candidate might organise a couple of full tosses for herself when engaging with the voters, with press present, seems to us an obvious device, and trifling compared with the rigging of a competition on children's television. Indeed, planting questions - whether on the stump or in parliament - is standard practice in just about every polity where the appearance of democracy still matters. But there are two reasons why this admission damages Senator Clinton. One is that, while the rest of the world regarded Richard Nixon's disgrace as an irrevocable degradation of politics that set a new and lower standard for all to follow, only without getting found out, Americans, led by Gerald Ford, kidded themselves that the damage could be undone. They desperately wanted to believe again that their heroes were all they cracked themselves up to be, and so even the claque in the crowd, a trick that wouldn't fool a children's tea-party in Europe, is scandalous if exposed.More particular to the senator, though, is that such micromanagement, whether ethical or not, enhances her reputation as someone who needs to control every situation, and, despite her undoubted intellect, lacks the confidence to deal with the unrehearsed. Again, this is something the British are now used to, but it is already playing badly for Mrs Clinton with American voters, who retain a robust dislike for being patronised and duped. They are not jaded as we are, and still hope for honesty in their leaders. Good luck to them.
Former radio talk show host Alan Keyes has qualified for the Alabama Republican presidential primary ballot Feb. 5. The Keyes campaign, which has adopted the slogan "America's Revival," made the announcement Friday. Keyes' name will now appear on the GOP primary ballot in seven states, including Florida and Georgia.Keyes, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2000, worked in the Reagan administration and later hosted a national radio call-in show that was syndicated across the country. He currently writes books and makes speeches against abortion and for the elimination of the federal income tax.
Tancredo Radio Ad Attacks Radical Islam And Multiculturalism
Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo is running radio ads in Iowa that hit hard on an array of core conservative issues. In the ad Tancredo says, “Everything we are, everything we have achieved in this nation is at under attack from jihadists abroad and from multiculturalists here at home.” Tancredo takes clear cut positions on both social and fiscal conservative issues. “I will fight to protect the innocent unborn. I will fight to put God back into the schools. I will demand a constitutional amendment to define marriage. I’ll cut taxes and spending secure our borders, enforce our laws, and I will defend our country against radical Islam.” Tancredo also makes the claim that the survival of the nation is at stake."My single issue is the survival of America we have been blessed to inherit". Tancredo did better than expected in the Iowa straw poll this summer by taking fourth place but has not gained any traction since. Tancredo has qualified for federal matching funds and appears to be placing his focus on Iowa where he will likely need a third or fourth plash finish to continue his campaign. Tancredo is arguably the most conservative candidate running and although being overshadowed by the frontrunners he does have a chance to do well in Iowa where social conservatives have done well in the past.
Tancredo Condemns Use Of Giant Crescent In Flight 93 Memorial
A Colorado congressman says the National Park Service should scrap the planned design for the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County because it includes Islamic symbolism. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Republican, sent the letter to National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar. He claims the revised memorial design still includes a crescent -- an internationally recognized Islamic symbol. "I remain committed to ensuring that this memorial is a powerful symbol for the whole nation and a testament to the courage and will of the passengers of the flight -- as I am sure you are," Tancredo wrote to Bomar. "And while I regret having to contact the Park Service again about this issue, I sincerely hope that you will direct the committee to scrap the crescent design entirely in favor of a new design that will not make the memorial a flashpoint for this kind of controversy and criticism." The letter is the second one that Tancredo has written the service regarding the design of the memorial. The site will honor the 40 men and women aboard Flight 93, which was hijacked and crashed near Shanksville, Somerset County, on Sept. 11, 2001.In September 2005, just days after the design was introduced, Tancredo wrote to then-National Park Service Director Fran Mainella to criticize the memorial site's crescent shape. Tancredo questioned whether the crescent design would make the memorial a tribute to the radical Islamic hijackers -- rather than the passengers and crew who thwarted an attempt to use the plane as a bomb in Washington, D.C. Changes were made to the design, which had been called "Crescent of Embrace," in response to those initial concerns by Tancredo and others. The design changes, unveiled in December 2005, called for a tree-lined walkway that envelopes a roughly circular patch of land at the crash site known as the bowl. The previous design had the trees follow a crescent-shaped path. Two years later, Tancredo now claims that the changes aren't enough. "Unfortunately, it appears that little if any substantive changes to the most troubling aspect of the design -- the crescent shape -- have been made," he wrote. "This deeply concerns me." Tancredo's spokesman, T.Q. Houlton, said the congressman has no further comment. "The letter speaks for itself," Houlton said. Joanne Hanley, memorial superintendent, said the park service won't comment on Tancredo's letter because it has not yet been received. Hanley did reiterate what she has said all along about the design controversy -- that people are seeing things that aren't really there."I think the only controversy is the one made by a very small but vocal group of conspiracy theorists," Hanley said. Family members Ed Root, president of Families of Flight 93, and Gordie Felt, who serves on the family board as well as the Flight 93 Federal Advisory Commission, said they would welcome Tancredo to come to the memorial site and speak with family members and Park Service officials. "I think, frankly, he's off-base making this comment and taking this action," said Root, whose cousin, flight attendant Lorraine Bay, died on Flight 93. Felt, who lost his brother Edward on the flight, said he spoke to Tancredo in 2005, when the congressman raised concerns to let him know the family board was behind the design. "To see this again, I'm not sure if he's getting pressure with the politics of the day," Felt said. "I'm not sure of his motives, but I thought this whole design issue was behind us." Felt said that accusations that the family group backs an Islamic design are "distasteful.""My only concern is that any time that someone with any type of credibility raises a concern about the memorial -- valid or not -- that it potentially can be damaging to the memorial process," Felt said.
Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney got more than he bargained for when visiting a chili cook-off in Anderson, SC. After making comments at the Main Street Deli, Romney hit the streets to sample some of the local chilis. Little did he know a small group of "Hooters" waitresses were waiting at the end of a line of people waiting to meet Romney. The woman pounced on Romney, hugging him, urging him to vote for the "Hooters" chili. Romney was clearly impressed with the Main Street Deli's chili entry, stating emphatically "That's good."At one point, after putting on a brand new gray sweatshirt from Walmart, Romney was offered a Mardi Gras-like bead necklace. Romney declined, shrugging his shoulders, saying, "I have nothing to show." The crowd was overall very receptive to Romney's visit overall, several of the woman in the crowd asking him to kiss them on the cheek. One woman exclaimed, "Oh, wow, you're handsome." Romney assured one male resident, "Those other ladies were making me kiss them on the cheek. I'm not doing that to you." The gentleman simply responded, laughing: "Well thank you very much." The visit was part of a two day South Carolina swing for Romney.
Giuliani Says Hillary Makes Kerry Look Like An Amateur Flip-Flopper
Rudy Giuliani criticized Sen. Hillary Clinton for changing positions so much on whether or not illegal immigrants should be given driver's licenses that she outdoes Sen. John Kerry in being a flip-flopper. "She makes him, John Kerry, look like an amateur," Giuliani said Friday while campaigning in Errol, N.H., according to the Boston Globe. During Tuesday night's Democratic debate, Clinton was unable to to say whether she supported a plan by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York to offer limited driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.She was roundly criticized for the gaffe. On Wednesday she came out in support of Spitzer's plan. "Senator Clinton supports governors like Governor Spitzer who believe they need such a measure to deal with the crisis caused by this administration's failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform," her campaign said in a statement. "As president, her goal will be to pass comprehensive immigration reform that would make this unnecessary."
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) mocked Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) for having played the gender card, saying she cried "Don't pick on me" after being attacked by her foes on legitimate policy issues at this week's debate among Democratic presidential contenders. In an interview, Obama scoffed at the New York Democrat's complaint that she was being forced to "compete in the all-boys club" of presidential politics, saying he would never use his race -- Obama is black -- to shield him from political attacks. Obama's comments marked the first time that the undercurrent of identity politics has become an issue of open contention between the two trailblazing candidates. "I am assuming and I hope that Sen. Clinton wants to be treated like everybody else," Obama said on the "Today" show. Referring to debates where he has come under attack, Obama said, "I didn't come out and say, 'Look, I'm being hit on because I look different from the rest of the folks on the stage.' " Clinton, who says she wasn't at her best during the debate, seemed to both oppose and support New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants."I got a lot of questions that night, a lot more than anybody else," she explained to a New Hampshire newspaper on Friday. "I'd be the first to tell you that I wasn't as effective in answering the driver's license question as I should have been." Later, she stepped back from her "boys club" remark, saying, "I don't think they're piling on because I'm a woman. I think they're piling on because I'm winning." Asked if she could take the heat of an increasingly nasty campaign, she quipped: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. I'm very much at home in the kitchen." That was a markedly different message than the one her campaign issued after the debate when Clinton and aides invoked the gender issue. In a fundraising e-mail to supporters Thursday, Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle called her boss "one strong woman." Clinton pollster Mark Penn predicted a backlash against Obama and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) among female voters, who make up nearly 60% of the Democratic primary electorate. Obama said Friday: "The first time that people start challenging her point of view . . . suddenly she backs off and says, 'Don't pick on me.' That is not, obviously, how we would expect her to operate if she were president."
Romney Sets Himself Apart in Opposition To Gay Marriage
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney drew some mild boos and hisses over his stand against gay marriage. From the students' section of his event at Luther College in Decorah, that wasn't so surprising. Romney faced a more pointed confrontation on the same topic during a question-and-answer session at the University of Denver last month. But it was noteworthy how Romney didn't feel like sharing the boos and hisses with a Republican rival who's starting to nip at his heels. Asked a generic question about the gay marriage issue, Romney went out of his way to say he was the only leading national candidate to support the federal constitutional amendment. That's true, but only if Romney ignores former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who runs second or third to Romney in the Iowa polls and slipped past him - just barely - in one national survey released last week. So, without speaking that other man's name, Romney tried to clear the battlefield in one of the Republican presidential race's contests within the contest: the fight for votes of social conservatives. "For those who are not familiar with it, of the four nationally leading candidates for president - and I count myself as one of those, but also Mayor (Rudy) Giuliani, and Sen. (John) McCain and (former Sen.) Fred Thompson - there's only one of us who's in favor of a federal amendment to the constitution to limit marriage to the relationship between a man and a woman," Romney said. "And that's me."Huckabee also supports the constitutional amendment, which has stalled in Congress since it was first advanced by two Colorado Republicans: Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and Sen. Wayne Allard, a Romney supporter. Despite Huckabee's recent surge in some polls, he still doesn't crack the top four when various national surveys are averaged together. Still, Huckabee's campaign considers it disingenuous for Romney to say he's the "only" top candidate who supports the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. "If he's defining who the top four are and tailoring his remarks to fit that situation, sure," said Huckabee spokesman Eric Woolson. "I think he's doing what he's very good at, and that's parsing his answers to suit the audience." While Romney got a cool reception from the students section for his marriage answer, he drew simultaneous applause from the part of the crowd he charitably called the "over-40" section. "I feel very strongly about this because, as I said earlier, I believe that maintaining the strength of the marriage relationship, the family relationship, is critical to the strength of an entire society," Romney said. The marriage issue has slipped from the national headlines since the Massachusetts Supreme Court first legalized same-sex marriages - just in time for it to become a hot-button issue in the 2004 presidential contest. Still, it's a key issue for religious conservatives - particularly evangelical Christians - and that's a key GOP constituency being sought by Romney, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Huckabee, a Baptist minister. Both men recently claimed victories at the Family Research Council's "Values Voters" summit straw poll, where Huckabee won more than 50 percent in the in-person vote but Romney eked out a narrow win when online votes were included. Neglecting to mention Huckabee on Thursday was "not intentional," Romney spokesman Tim Albrecht said. "I think that conventional wisdom states there are four leading candidates in this race," he said, meaning Giuliani, Thompson, McCain and Romney. "Poll after poll after poll has shown that."
The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee announced today that Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) has formally endorsedRudy Giuliani and will serve as the campaign’s Minnesota State Chairman and Midwest Regional Chairman. “I have long respected and admired Rudy Giuliani,” said Senator Coleman. "Rudy Giuliani and I share a strong bond as former Mayors. We focused on bringing people together to get things done, and to ensure that our focus was on solutions, not problems.I am confident that his vision and his strength as a candidate will give Republicans a strong voice in the November 2008 elections." “I am honored to have the backing of Norm Coleman,” said Rudy Giuliani. “Norm was an effective Mayor and serves the people of Minnesota well in the United States Senate. I truly appreciate his continued friendship and support.”
Near the end of a Democratic debate where she deflected most darts aimed at her by her rivals, White House hopeful Sen. Hillary RodhamClinton (D-N.Y.) just would not say whether she backed a proposal by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Clinton protested to NBC's Tim Russert, "This is where everybody plays gotcha.'' Her refusal to be pinned down allowed former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) to accuse her of double-talk and let Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) question her candor. "Unless I missed something, Senator Clinton said two different things in the course of about two minutes just a few minutes ago, and I think this is a real issue for the country," said Edwards. "I mean, America is looking for a president who will say the same thing, who will be consistent, who will be straight with them." Obama said, "Well, I was confused on Senator Clinton's answer. I can't tell whether she was for it or against it." The exchange was a rare Clinton debate misstep because the dust-up would not have happened if she did not jump in for a second try on the question. Russert had noted Clinton told a New Hampshire newspaper she backed the controversial Spitzer plan."I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do it," Clinton said. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) called her out. "Wait a minute. No, no, no. You said yes, you thought it made sense to do it. Replied Clinton, "No, I didn't, Chris." On the surface, the question about licenses reflected the larger national debate about the millions of illegal immigrants in the United States. Congress has not been able to pass an immigration overhaul, despite the backing of President Bush. In the context of this debate at Drexel University with seven
The Des Moines Register has a reputation for putting on fair and informative events. Their debates have become an Iowa tradition that reporters and editors from across the nation take seriously. The debate will be broadcast live on statewide Iowa Public Television from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (CT) Dec. 12, and will be re-broadcast at a later time on IPTV. The program will also be offered to public television stations across the country. Ambassador Keyes expressed his thanks to the sponsors of the event, saying, "I'm grateful to those who will not abandon their resolve to raise the standard of political integrity. I pray God that my participation in the debate will vindicate their good will."
The Des Moines Register has a reputation for putting on fair and informative events. Their debates have become an Iowa tradition that reporters and editors from across the nation take seriously. The debate will be broadcast live on statewide Iowa Public Television from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (CT) Dec. 12, and will be re-broadcast at a later time on IPTV. The program will also be offered to public television stations across the country. Ambassador Keyes expressed his thanks to the sponsors of the event, saying, "I'm grateful to those who will not abandon their resolve to raise the standard of political integrity. I pray God that my participation in the debate will vindicate their good will."
