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A Rudy-Haley Ticket in Play
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 Comment (101)A potential presidential teaming could lead to the sharpest-ever clash in the White House: a clash of accents, that is. Political allies of former Big Apple Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour are actively pushing the two together, with the 9/11 mayor and New Yawker on top of a ticket that would feature the just re-elected drawling hero of his state's Hurricane Katrina victims as veep. They are being dubbed the "Masters of Disasters."
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Obama Goes Big in Minority Web World
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 CommentOprah Winfrey isn't Sen. Barack Obama's only secret to winning the Democratic presidential nomination. He has also jumped headfirst into the minority Internet networking world. It started when his team saw lots of traffic to the Obama site from Blackplanet.com, a social network of African-Americans with 16 million members. Kay Madati, the site's marketing boss, said Obama's folks reached out to him to create a profile page. It has worked big time, and Obama has since added profiles on sites targeting Hispanics, Christians, gays, and Asians. Obama's team says the social networking sites are a natural way to woo new voters. "Our approach to social networking outreach has also reflected our desire to make this campaign about not just one group of voters but millions who have not typically had a voice in the White House," says Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
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Idea of the Week: Town Insurance
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 CommentIt's a familiar story. A locality's main employer shuts down, and Main Street becomes a ghost town. With the tax base decimated, schools rot, roads crumble, and potential employers turn their nose up at moving there. Current economic uncertainties have many towns facing this. But now we hear that key House Democrats and Republicans are considering a fix proposed by Wall Street: create a federally governed insurance program to pay the lost taxes needed to sustain key government services until a new employer moves in. It's the brainchild of the Financial Services Forum, which says the plan would keep towns attractive to industries shopping for a new home.
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Grill Sergeants Take On Iron Chef TV
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 CommentLook out, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and all your Iron Chef teammates. The Pentagon is creating its own TV food show, and these chefs pack heat. It's called the Grill Sergeants and debuts on the agency's TV channel this month. Viewers will see several drill sergeants chosen to host the program serve up their favorite dishes like gumbo, cakes, and pies. And who better to judge than the Army's jazz quartet, the Taste Buds?
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Charity's Bells Ring for CNN's Crowley
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 Comment (17)Christmas tradition means a lot for CNN's Candy Crowley, even if it is costing her an arm and a leg. It all started with her father, who died some 20 years ago. Seems he never passed a Salvation Army red bucket without tossing in a quarter or more. "To this day, I reach for my wallet when I hear those bells ringing," the veteran reporter tells us. "I never pass up a bucket. This is getting expensive, by the way. It's 2007. A quarter won't do," she says. "But I can't stop. It's how I celebrate Christmas with my dad."
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Out Loud: December 13, 2007
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 Comment"I didn't get the bug. I can't wait to go home."
Oprah Winfrey, asked if campaigning with Sen. Barack Obama made her want to run for office
"It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?' "
Bill Shaheen, Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign cochair, noting that if Sen. Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination, Republicans will pounce on his teenage drug use
"If you had offered me one job in government, I would not have said mayor; I would not have said president; I would have said prosecutor."
Rudy Giuliani, a former prosecutor, on his favorite job
"It's always good to see the Scots doing well."
Tony Blair, former British prime minister, on the latest White House video featuring the first family's Scottish terriers
Sources: Good Morning America, AP, New York Times (2)
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Cartoon: December 13, 2007
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 Comment (11) -
A Very Kerry Christmas
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 CommentHere's Sen. John Kerry's seasonal card to us, showing a cozy pose with his wife Teresa. It doesn't say anything about Christmas or the holidays, but it's festive nonetheless and wishes for peace, joy, and health. Right back at ya.
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Capitol Bobbles Sales Mimic Polls
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2007 Comment (22)The Capitol Bobbles, our Internet video feature, aren't just a hit on YouTube. They're also hot gifts. Jeff Wolsky of our bobble maker politicalwobbles.com says the sales seem to mimic the national preference polls of the candidates we feature at usnews.com/bobbles. Which means that Democrats Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are tied in sales, and Mike Huckabee is the GOP favorite. Between them, they make up over half of the sales of the Capitol Bobbles, which feature 11 presidential candidates and the four top Hill leaders.
Here's Wolsky's list:
Hillary Clinton 19% Barack Obama 18% Mike Huckabee 12% Rudy Giuliani 9% Fred Thompson 8% Bill Richardson 6% Mitt Romney 6% John McCain 5% Nancy Pelosi 4% John Edwards 3% John Boehner 3% Harry Reid 3% Joe Biden 2% Mitch McConnell 1% Chris Dodd 1% -
Another Weapon in the Malaria War
Tweet Share on Facebook December 11, 2007 Comment (25)Corrected 12/12/2007: An earlier version of this story stated that first lady Laura Bush is expanding the administration's war on malaria by helping the group Malaria No More, which supplies African families with nets to ward off insects. While the first lady is working with Malaria No More, she is not endorsing the group.
First lady Laura Bush is expanding the administration's war on malaria by teaming up with the group Malaria No More, which supplies African families with nets to ward off insects. The group is raising money during the holidays by selling cards, in paper or via E-mail, for $10. The money is used to buy bed nets, a project that has won support from several U.S. organizations, including the United Methodist Church and former White House spokesman Mike McCurry.
The group's mission is to end malaria deaths, said a spokesman. Malaria claims about 1 million a year in Africa, making it the continent's No. 1 killer. Spokeswoman Sally McDonough said the first lady's initiative is part of a broader move to expand the White House effort to fund the malaria war.
"The 14th is the anniversary of the White House Conference on Malaria, and she wanted to mark the anniversary with an opportunity for giving. She and the president are passionate about doing what they can to prevent people, especially babies, from dying from a mosquito bite," she said. The White House this week is also putting up "giving trees" inside the facility to give staff an opportunity to buy a USA Freedom Corps ornament that will fund bed nets.
