podesta_email_02919.txt

podesta-emails 2,545 words email

D6 P17 V11 D4 P23

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Election Daily News Clips *May 22nd, 2008* Candidate Tracking: ***All times in Eastern Standard Time 10am BUSH: Delivers remarks at a Division Review Ceremony, Fort Bragg, NC 1pm BUSH: Visits Barracks C-4122, Fort Bragg, NC 1:30pm McCain: Roundtable in Union City, CA 1:35pm BUSH : Participates in All American Memorial Ceremony, Fort Bragg, NC 2pm McCain: Interview on NBC - "Ellen DeGeneres Show" 3pm McCain: Finance Luncheon in Atherton, CA 5pm McCain: Rally in Stockton, CA - Tracking scheduled for this event 8:30pm McCain: Finance Reception in Stockton, CA News Clips: MCCAIN NEWS *McCain Adviser's Work As Lobbyist Criticized (Washington Post 5/22/08)* By Michael D. Shear and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum; A01 Longtime uber-lobbyist Charles R. Black Jr. is John McCain's man in Washington, a political maestro who is hoping to guide his friend, the senator from Arizona, to the presidency this November. But for half a decade in the 1980s, Black was also Jonas Savimbi's man in the capital city. His lobbying firm received millions from the brutal Angolan guerrilla leader and took advantage of Black's contacts in Congress and the White House. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/21/AR2008052103006.html *McCain's Team of Lobbyists (NY Observer 5/22/08)* By Joe Conason Disturbed by troubling connections and unflattering publicity, John McCain has just purged several prominent Washington lobbyists from his presidential campaign. Surely his intentions are laudable, but if Sen. McCain is consistent in ridding his campaign of such compromised people, he will find himself riding lonesome on the Straight Talk Express. That's because nearly all of his advisers, fundraisers and top staffers have worked on K Street, starting with his campaign manager, Rick Davis, and his senior adviser and spokesman, Charles Black. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/05/mccains_shocking_discovery.html *Obama, McCain camp trade barbs over issue of lobbyists (Boston Globe 5/22/08)* By Foon Rhee As John McCain hammers Barack Obama daily on his willingness to talk to leaders of objectionable regimes, Obama is hitting back on McCain and lobbyists in the upper reaches of his campaign. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/05/22/obama_mccain_camp_trade_barbs_over_issue_of_lobbyists/ *Link to Obama remarks:* http://thepage.time.com/transcript-of-obamas-remarks-on-mccain-lobbyist-ties/ *Link to McCain response:* http://thepage.time.com/mccain-campaigns-response-to-obama-on-lobbyists/ *Fact check: Obama questions McCain on lobbyists (AP 5/21/08)* Democrat Barack Obama had harsh words for Republican John McCain on Wednesday, saying McCain once wanted far tougher lobbying reforms than those he has imposed on his own presidential campaign. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gwFdVMWY-xeWjxVnUNSGdtu_xSSQD90QC7100 *McCain Stakes His Turf (Washington Post 5/22/08)* By Robert D. Novak; A25 ...Obama embraced that formula once it became clear that he would best Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. He began pounding McCain for offering the third term of George W. Bush. At the same time, Obama implores McCain in the interest of "one nation" and "one people" not to attack him. The shorthand, widely repeated by the media, is that the Republican candidate must not "Swift boat" Obama. That would amount to unilateral political disarmament by McCain. McCain is not about to disarm. *McCain Set to Release Health Data on Friday (NYT 5/22/08)* By ELISABETH BUMILLER and LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN Senator John McCain is set to release 400 pages of medical records, including documents related to his melanoma surgery in August 2000, to a tightly controlled group of reporters on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/us/politics/22health.html?ref=politics *McCain Looks to Fill Ticket, and 3 Hopefuls Step Up (NYT 5/22/08)* By ADAM NAGOURNEY Senator John McCain of Arizona is set to meet with at least three potential running mates at a gathering at his ranch this weekend in Arizona, suggesting that he is stepping up his search for a vice-presidential candidate as the Democratic contest heads toward a conclusion, according to Republicans familiar with Mr. McCain's plans. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/us/politics/22veep.html?adxnnl=1&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1211430608-cZC+k52kHbt3hWs3mNhuww *See also:* http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/mccains-veepsta.html *Romney Rides McCain's Bus Now (WSJ 5/22/08)* By Elizabeth Holmes In the three months since Mitt Romney suspended his presidential campaign, the former Republican candidate has reshaped himself again, this time into a fervent supporter of former rival John McCain. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121141533544012615.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_topbox *See also:* http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/05/mccain_reported.html *Grading McCain's veep prospects (Politico 5/22/08)* By JONATHAN MARTIN It may not quite be the "Summit in Sedona," but the Memorial Day weekend trip of three potential running mates to John McCain's Arizona get-away cabin is certain to bring renewed attention to the presumptive Republican nominee's hunt for a vice-president. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10551.html *In California, McCain has few words on gay marriage (San Jose Mercury News 5/22/08)* By Mary Anne Ostrom Just a week ago, John McCain decried the decision to legalize gay marriage in California. Today you can catch him on TV chatting with Ellen DeGeneres, America's foremost lesbian entertainer who within hours of the landmark ruling announced on air that she would marry her partner. http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_9343478 *Candidates seek centrist answers in Iraq (AP 5/22/08)* By CHARLES BABINGTON Hard-core advocates for and against the Iraq war are losing leverage as John McCain and Barack Obama, having virtually secured their nominations, appeal to centrist voters who will decide the fall presidential election. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jb3Rubiua7lZRFNU3LGvAG3-k8mwD90QI1DO0 *Obama, McCain Misfire on Vets Benefits (CQ / Politfact 5/22/08)* By Adriel Bettelheim An intense congressional debate over veterans benefits has been exported to the campaign trail with Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain accusing each other of shortchanging the interests of those who have volunteered to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. Neither candidate has been very accurate about it. http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002881306 *Veterans, union call for better health care, more help from McCain (Toledo Blade 5/22/08)* By TOM TROY Some local military veterans and a national health workers' union teamed up in Toledo yesterday to demand more spending on veterans' health care and to criticize Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain's record of support for the Veterans Administration. http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/NEWS09/805220355 *McCain struggles on cusp of general election (Politico 5/22/08)* By: Jonathan Martin and Mike Allen Once optimistic about Sen. John McCain's prospects for the fall general election, Republicans are increasingly concerned that he could wind up badly outgunned, saddled with serious deficiencies in money, organization and partisan intensity against the likely Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10550.html *In Money Chase, McCain Can Rely on Party Boost (WSJ 5/22/08)* By T.W. FARNAM; Page A5 While Sen. Barack Obama holds a commanding lead over Sen. John McCain in fund-raising, the Republican National Committee's strong money edge over its Democratic rival suggests the Arizona senator's fall campaign could be competitive financially. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121141828965912767.html?mod=googlenews_wsj *McCain Backer Hagee Said Hitler Was Fulfilling God's Will (Huffington Post 5/21/08)* By Sam Stein John Hagee, the controversial evangelical leader and endorser of Sen. John McCain, argued in a late 1990s sermon that the Nazis had operated on God's behalf to chase the Jews from Europe and shepherd them to Palestine. According to the Reverend, Adolph Hitler was a "hunter," sent by God, who was tasked with expediting God's will of having the Jews re-establish a state of Israel. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/21/mccain-backer-hagee-said_n_102892.html *Link to audio:* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErC1IJeHnyc *Illegals haunt McCain (The Hill 5/21/08)* By Jeffrey Young Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) is backing the renewal of a $250 million-a-year program that will pay illegal immigrants' hospital bills. The very idea that McCain is again supporting a program that some view as rewarding illegal immigrants is certain to attract attention from the same conservatives he's trying to win over for the White House. http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/illegals-haunt-mccain-2008-05-21.html *McCain fires back on foreign policy (MSNBC 5/21/08)* By Mark Murray While Obama today blasted McCain over his campaign's ties to lobbyists and linked him to President Bush's foreign policy, McCain fired back, questioning Obama's foreign-policy judgment and experience. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/21/1050316.aspx *McCain: "I Have Met Some Very Bad People Before In My Life" (TPM 5/21/08)* By Greg Sargent It seems safe to predict that John McCain will soon be bringing up his torture experiences every single day. http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/mccain_i_have_met_some_very_ba.php *Playing the Spoiler Role? (Newsweek 5/21/08)* By Sarah Elkins The Libertarians say they're not out to ruin McCain's chances. But they could cost him. http://www.newsweek.com/id/138075 *Does McCain Have a Vets Problem? (TIME 5/20/08)* By Jay Newton-Small/Washington Of all the voting groups John McCain will target this fall, none would seem like more of a sure thing than this country's war veterans. So why is the celebrated Vietnam War hero and POW bracing for a potentially bad week with so many men and women who have served in uniform? The point of contention between the two seemingly natural allies is a piece of legislation the Senate is expected to vote on this week to update the 1944 G.I. Bill to provide expanded education assistance and opportunities to the armed forces. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1808161,00.html *OPINIONS AND EDITORIALS* *McCain: so wrong, but so what? (LA Times 5/22/08)* By Rosa Brooks Despite the fact that he's been consistently wrong on Iraq, Americans trust his ability to handle the war more than Obama. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-brooks22-2008may22,0,1862622.column *John McCain's GOP converts (Politico 5/21/08)* By: John Feehery ...Historical irony being what it is, a new crop of House Republican leaders are now trying to tie their fortunes to McCain. They understand that the man their previous leaders so loved to hate may be the only one who can save the Republican brand, badly damaged by an unpopular president and a seemingly endless series of GOP scandals. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10488.html *McCain has 'evolved' on Cuba policy, too (Carpetbagger 5/21/08)* One of the points I've tried to emphasize with my ever-growing list of John McCain's flip-flops is that this isn't just about catching McCain with a bunch of "gotchas." The point, rather, is to highlight McCain's malleable principles. As Josh Marshall put it a while back, "McCain is absolutely gung-ho and certain that he's right about whatever his position and 'principles' are at the given moment. But they change repeatedly." http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/15617.html *Playing "China-Card": McNeoCons Don't Want Successful Diplomacy (Huffington Post 5/21/08)* By Paul Abrams Disputes over tactics such as to whom to talk and when in foreign policy miss the entire point of "McNeoCon" foreign policy. It is not that they do not believe that diplomacy and negotiations might be of benefit; they do not want them to work, and are horrified at the thought they might because it removes an occasion for regime change. Their goal, charitably stated, is a unipolar "pax Americana" world in which the US writ can run large and unimpeded. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-abrams/playing-china-card-mcneoc_b_102976.html *Why US must pull out of Iraq (Boston Globe 5/22/08)* By Sean E. Duggan AS THE DEBATE over supplemental funding for the war in Iraq plays out in Congress, a growing consensus on the need to adopt a policy of "strategic patience" has become accepted wisdom in the national debate. Proponents of this policy argue that solidifying recent security and political gains in Iraq is contingent upon the US military remaining in the country indefinitely. However, in order to truly capitalize on those gains, the United States must begin to withdraw its forces from Iraq. http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/05/22/why_us_must_pull_out_of_iraq/ *BUSH NEWS* *Bush allows Americans to send cellphones to relatives in Cuba (LA Times 5/22/08)* The easing of U.S. trade restrictions is intended to put pressure on the island nation to improve its people's lives. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bushcuba22-2008may22,0,512946.story *Link to transcript of speech:* http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/05/president_bush_marks_solidarit.html *Administration Unveils Plan To Protect Student Lenders (Washington Post 5/22/08)* By David S. Hilzenrath; D01 The government yesterday outlined a financial rescue plan for student loan companies, offering to buy federally subsidized loans that lenders such as industry giant Sallie Mae said had become unprofitable. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/21/AR2008052102721.html *Former NSC Official: Israel Ignored Bush's Knesset Speech (Huffington Post 5/21/08)* By Seth Colter Walls According to 29-year CIA veteran and former NSC official Bruce Riedel, Wednesday's announcement of joint peace negotiations between Israel and Syria revealed President Bush's diminished standing in Middle East affairs. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/21/former-nsc-official-israe_n_102945.html *Bush Family Planning Appointee Who Called Contraceptives Part Of The 'Culture Of Death' Resigns (ThinkProgress 5/21/08)* Last October, President Bush appointed Susan Orr to oversee federal family planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Orr, who previously directed HHS child welfare programs, was touted by the administration as "highly qualified." http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/21/orr-resign/ *Furman University faculty may protest Bush commencement speech (ThinkProgress 5/21/08)* Faculty members at Furman University in South Carolina "have suggested they won't attend graduation ceremonies because President Bush is scheduled to speak." Over 200 students and faculty members "signed a statement earlier this month criticizing the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war and environmental issues." But a conservative student group is trying to block the protest: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/21/furman-university-faculty-may-protest-bush-commencement-speech/ *OTHER TOP NEWS* *Top Iraq generals defend pause in troop reductions (AP 5/22/08)* By ANNE FLAHERTY The U.S. must be careful not to withdraw forces from Iraq too quickly because security gains could be lost, warn the nation's top two war generals. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/22/AR2008052200333.html *U.N. Leader Aims to Get More Aid in Myanmar (NYT 5/23/08)* By SETH MYDANS BANGKOK � The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, flew into Myanmar on Thursday, where he hoped to pry open the door to more international aid at what he called a "critical moment" in the country's slow recovery from the cyclone that left at least 100,000 people dead or missing. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/world/asia/23myanmar.html?hp *Skyrocketing Oil Prices Stump Experts (Washington Post 5/22/08)* By Steven Mufson; D01 Confused about oil prices? So are the experts. Executives from the giant oil companies say it's partly the fault of "speculators" or financial players. Key financial players say it's really a question of limited supply and expanding global demand. Some members of Congress accuse the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries for bottling up some of its production capacity. And OPEC blames speculators, wasteful U.S. consumers and feckless U.S. policy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/21/AR2008052100386.html *In Wake of Defeats, House GOP Moves to Right the Campaign Ship (Washington Post 5/22/08)* By Ben Pershing; A03 Reeling from drubbings in three special elections in the past two months, House Republicans yesterday unveiled a series of tactical and personnel changes at their campaign arm designed to forestall more losses in November. ... rank-and-file House members have grown more critical of the leadership of National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) and House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio), who have repeatedly butted heads themselves. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/21/AR2008052102570.html *House votes to override Bush's farm bill veto (Chicago Tribune/LA Times 5/22/08)* By Stephen J. Hedges President Bush vetoed the long-embattled 2007 farm bill Wednesday... Within hours, in a show of bipartisan defiance, the House overwhelmingly overrode his veto of the nearly $300-billion bill, 316 to 108. But an embarrassing legislative snafu may well nullify the House's veto override and trigger a string of new votes that could reopen the farm bill for consideration. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-farmbill22-2008may22,0,7191877.story -- Sara DuBois Deputy Director, Tracking/Media Monitoring Progressive Media USA [email protected] 202-609-7681 (office) 410-967-7306 (cell) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" group. To post to this group, send to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] E-mail [email protected] with questions or concerns This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or organization. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---