March 12, 2008

 

<><>DEMOCRATS<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

THE FIELD

 

Democrats Fight Over Defining ‘Winner’

 

By Patrick Healy

New York Times

March 12, 2008

 

As they woo voters and superdelegates, in some instances the Democratic candidates are overstating their own advantage and understating the gains of the other…

 

The Democrats, Wrestling To Negotiate An Endgame

 

By Kevin Merida

Washington Post Staff Writer

March 12, 2008

 

Now what? Barack Obama, as expected, won the Mississippi Democratic primary yesterday, his second straight victory in four days, his 29th overall, another tiny notch in his delegate lead over rival Hillary Clinton. But Mississippi clarified nothing. That's because the Democratic presidential race is in a byzantine state beyond clarification…

 

Clinton, Obama each reach for retired brass

Democrats scramble to bolster their defense credentials with key endorsements. Some prospects decline.

 

By Julian E. Barnes and Peter Spiegel

Los Angeles Times

March 11, 2008

 

WASHINGTON — In the memorable political ad, the White House telephone rings at 3 a.m. But at retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste's office, the phone has been ringing at all hours, for months. The calls have been coming from the campaigns of presidential candidates, which are scrambling to add him to their lists of prominent supporters in uniform…

 

CLINTON

 

Clinton's Pennsylvania Plan

Learning From Iowa, Campaign Goes Frugal, Tries Personal Approach

 

By Amy Chozick

Wall Street Journal

March 12, 2008

 

In the six weeks leading up to the Pennsylvania primary, the Clinton campaign will blanket the commonwealth with events, recruit thousands of volunteers and throw strategic attacks at rival Sen. Barack Obama…

 

OBAMA

 

Ferraro’s Obama Remarks Become Talk of Campaign

 

By Katharine Q. Seelye and Julie Bosman

New York Times

March 12, 2008

 

Geraldine Ferraro on Tuesday defended her comments that Barack Obama had received preferential treatment because he is black…

 

<><>REPUBLICANS<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

McCAIN

 

McCain Advisers Lobbied for Europeans to Win Air Force Tanker Deal

 

By David M. Herszenhorn

New York Times

March 12, 2008

 

Given John McCain’s efforts to portray himself as an opponent of influence peddling in Washington, his close ties to lobbyists are certain to be a continuing issue through the presidential campaign…

 

McCain's Role in Plane Pact Spotlights Ties to Lobbyists

 

By Michael D. Shear and Matthew Mosk

Washington Post

March 12, 2008

 

To show that he's a crusader against wasteful spending and congressional corruption, Sen. John McCain repeatedly brags about his leading role in stopping a scandal-plagued air tanker contract between the Air Force and Boeing in 2004. Four years later, a $35 billion contract has been awarded to Europe's Airbus consortium to build the latest generation of tanker planes. The decision has sparked anger from Boeing's congressional supporters and critics of outsourcing. It has also focused attention on McCain's reliance on lobbyists in his campaign for president because his finance chairman and several other top advisers lobbied for Airbus last year when it was in fierce competition with Boeing for the Air Force contract…

 

McCain's health is 'fine'

 

Associated Press

March 11, 2008

 

PHOENIX -- John McCain declared Monday he has been cancer-free since a bout with skin cancer 7 1/2 years ago, although the presumptive Republican presidential nominee underwent a full medical examination -- including a cancer screening -- earlier in the day…

 

<><> PRIMARY CONTESTS<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

MISSISSIPPI

 

Obama Wins in Mississippi; Contest Moves to Pennsylvania

 

By Nick Timiraos

Wall Street Journal

March 12, 2008

 

GREENVILLE, Miss. -- Sen. Barack Obama won last night's Mississippi primary following a weekend triumph in Wyoming, setting the stage for a close race in Pennsylvania April 22. Sen. Obama's win last night was never really in doubt in a state where African-Americans account for one-third of the voters and about half of the Democratic electorate. The real question was whether the Mississippi win would yield a significant gain in the delegate count. While Sen. Hillary Clinton and her husband made several stops in the state last week, her campaign downplayed the primary in recent days as it focused instead on Pennsylvania…

 

Obama Wins Mississippi Primary

 

By Jeff Zeleny

New York Times

March 12, 2008

 

Senator Barack Obama beat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Mississippi’s Democratic primary, the final contest before a crucial vote in Pennsylvania in six weeks…

 

Obama Is Victorious in Mississippi

Meanwhile, Campaigns Clash Over Ferraro Comments

 

By Anne E. Kornblut and Peter Slevin

Washington Post

March 12, 2008

 

Sen. Barack Obama won the Mississippi Democratic presidential primary decisively last night, adding to his overall lead in delegates as he and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton plunged into a six-week battle ahead of a showdown in Pennsylvania. While voters were casting ballots in Mississippi, the campaigns clashed over comments from Geraldine A. Ferraro, a Clinton supporter and the only woman to be a major party vice presidential nominee, who suggested that Obama has taken the lead in delegates only because he is black. Obama, she said, "would not be in this position" if he were white or a woman…

 

Obama rolls to easy win in Mississippi primary

The win was expected -- but Clinton outdid him among those who said they made their choice within the last week.

 

By Mark Z. Barabak

Los Angeles Times

March 12, 2008

 

Barack Obama rolled up a commanding victory Tuesday in the Mississippi primary, padding his delegate lead and gaining a psychological boost ahead of next month's big Democratic showdown in Pennsylvania. The results reflected a stark racial divide -- 9 in 10 African Americans voted for Obama while more than seven in 10 whites backed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to exit polls. Overall, black voters accounted for roughly half the vote…

 

Obama sprints to Miss. Win

 

By Fredreka Schouten

USA Today

March 12, 2008

 

Barack Obama handily defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton in Mississippi's Democratic primary on Tuesday and captured the Deep South's last presidential contest before the rivals' showdown in Pennsylvania next month. "What we have tried to do is steadily make sure that in each state we are making the case about the need for change," Obama said from Chicago…

 

FLORIDA…AGAIN

 

Democrats in Florida Are Near Plan for New Vote

 

By Abby Goodnough

New York Times

March 12, 2008

 

Several people involved in the discussions said a draft proposal calls for a new mail-in primary that would take place by early June…

 

Fla. Dems planning for mail-in primary

 

By Fredreka Schouten

USA Today

March 12, 2008

 

WASHINGTON — Florida Democrats are planning for the nation's largest vote-by-mail election so the state's delegates can have a say in the hotly contested presidential nominating fight. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) stripped Florida of its 211 delegates and Michigan of its 156 delegates to the party's convention in August as punishment for scheduling their primaries before Feb. 5. In Michigan, a mail-in election appears unlikely because of concerns about costs and feasibility…

 

<><>WAR/TERROR<><><><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

Top Mideast Commander Steps Down

 

By Yochi J. Dreazen

Wall Street Journal

March 12, 2008

 

WASHINGTON -- The top U.S. commander in the Middle East resigned abruptly after a magazine article highlighted his disagreements with the Bush administration over Iran and Iraq strategy…

 

Top Commander in Mideast Retires

 

By Thom Shanker

New York Times

March 12, 2008

 

Adm. William J. Fallon’s public statements on Iran seemed to put him at odds with the Bush administration…

 

U.S. commander for Middle East resigns

Adm. William Fallon stepped down after an article in Esquire magazine portrayed his views on Iran as being at odds with those of President Bush.

 

By Gordon Lubold

Christian Science Monitor

March 12, 2008

 

The US military commander in charge of the Middle East has stepped down after his stance on preventing a war with Iran became a "distraction at a critical time." Adm. William "Fox" Fallon, commander of US Central Command in Tampa, Fla., resigned after an article in Esquire magazine portrayed his views on Iran as being at odds with those of his commander in chief, President Bush…

 

<><>CONGRESS<><><><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

House Creates New Panel On Ethics

 

By Jonathan Weisman

Washington Post

March 12, 2008

 

The House last night approved one of the most significant changes to its ethics rules in decades, creating for the first time an independent panel empowered to initiate investigations of alleged misconduct by members of the chamber. The six members of the new Office of Congressional Ethics would have the authority to initiate preliminary reviews of allegations against House members, conduct investigations and refer their findings to the House ethics committee along with a public report…

 

<><>OTHER NEWS<><><><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

SPITZER

 

Spitzer Resists Calls to Resign

 

By Glenn R. Simpson, Laurie P. Cohen and Monica Langley

Wall Street Journal

March 12, 2008

 

New York governor Eliot Spitzer resisted mounting calls for his resignation yesterday, as he first tried to work out an agreement with prosecutors not to file criminal charges against him…

 

In Albany, Politicians Aren't Exactly Unfamiliar With the Word Scandal

 

By Dionne Searcey and Tom Mcginty

Wall Street Journal

March 12, 2008

 

New York's statehouse in Albany is no stranger to scandal amid the dysfunction that often paralyzes the legislative process. Sex trysts and financial shenanigans have consistently dogged lawmakers and high-placed aides, providing a distraction from the gridlock, bickering and cronyism that lawmakers in Albany have made notorious…

 

Debate Continues on Whether Wall Street Changes Have Aided Investors

 

By Aaron Lucchetti and Joann S. Lublin

Wall Street Journal

March 12, 2008

 

Eliot Spitzer may not be New York's governor for long. But it will be many years before Wall Street and the financial industry forget him. The changes Mr. Spitzer pushed through earlier this decade as New York's attorney general continue to affect how investors and companies buy stocks, mutual funds and insurance, among other things. Whether those changes have helped investors remains disputed…

 

Spitzer Wrestles Over Response, Paralyzing Albany

 

By Danny Hakim and Ian Urbina

New York Times

March 12, 2008

 

Several aides said that they expected Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign on Wednesday, but close aides said his wife was urging him to stay on…

 

Will Spitzer make list of politicians who survive scandal?

New York governor met little sympathy or support over sex scandal.

 

By Alexandra Marks and Ron Scherer

Christian Science Monitor

March 12, 2008

 

In politics, there are scandals and then there are scandals that end careers. President Bill Clinton withstood a public whipping to survive the Monica Lewinsky affair. Rep. Mark Foley (R) of Florida, though, was forced to quit in 2006 after revelations that he sent suggestive e-mails to former congressional pages…

 

 

 

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