Three presidential nominating contests, three different Republican winners. According to CNN, with 100% of precincts reporting, native son Mitt Romney triumphed, taking 39% of the vote, followed by John McCain, 30%; Mike Huckabee, 16%; Ron Paul, 6%; Fred Thompson, 4%; and Rudy Giuliani, 3%. The Detroit News reports, "'Tonight is a win for optimism over Washington-style pessimism,' Romney told a cheering crowd at a Southfield hotel where he had awaited the results. McCain, who defeated Romney just a week before in New Hampshire, was campaigning Tuesday night in South Carolina. 'For a minute there in New Hampshire I thought this campaign might be getting easier,'" McCain said, adding, "But you know what? We've gotten pretty good at doing things the hard way too. And I think we've shown them, we don't mind a fight."
The economy (Michigan has one of the nation's worst) appears to have put Romney over the top. The New York Times reports that "just as important as Mr. Romney's personal ties was that he found himself, after setbacks in Iowa and New Hampshire, in an economically downtrodden state that has shed millions of jobs. The economic woes here played neatly into his strengths as a candidate, and his newly retooled message centered around his private sector experience and a promise to bring change to Washington." USA Today notes, "Given four choices, half of Michigan's GOP primary voters surveyed picked the economy as the top issue facing the nation while one in five picked Iraq, one in seven immigration and one in 10 terrorism." The Wall Street Journal says, "Despite the momentum from" McCain's "comeback win in New Hampshire, enough voters didn't come around to his plan to restore the state's ailing economy, which relied heavily on long-term strategies such as education, job retraining and investment in new technologies."
The Michigan outcome is seen as having two major results: keeping Romney's campaign alive after a pair of disappointing outcomes in Iowa and New Hampshire, and showing that there is no clear GOP frontrunner. The Washington Post reports on its front page, the "surprisingly easy win...vaults Romney back into contention and reaffirms the sharpened campaign message that he debuted several days ago: an attack on Washington and an emphasis on the need for dramatic change in the way politics is practiced." USA Today reports, "The outcome gives Romney a 'jolt of caffeine,' said John Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College near Los Angeles. 'It's an opportunity to move on.'" The Wall Street Journal says "many considered Michigan a must-win for" Romney.
The Washington Times says Romney's win "further muddles the Republican race" and that none of the three winners "has built lasting momentum." In a front-page story, the Los Angeles Times describes the GOP primary race as one "in which candidates seemingly win and then lose the leadership spot each week." Under the headline "No GOP Anchor In Sight," the New York Times also says Romney's "convincing victory...means three very different states -- with dissimilar electorates driven by distinctive sets of priorities -- have embraced three separate candidates in search of someone who can lead the party into a tough election and beyond President Bush."
In a very pointed analysis piece, AP's Ron Fournier calls Romney's win "a defeat for authenticity in politics." Romney "pandered to voters, distorted his opponents' record and continued to show why he's the most malleable -- and least credible -- major presidential candidate." Meanwhile, "the man who spoke hard truths to Michigan lost. Of all the reasons...McCain deserved a better result Tuesday night, his gamble on the economy stands out. The Arizona senator had the temerity to tell voters that a candidate who says traditional auto manufacturing jobs 'are coming back is either naive or is not talking straight with the people of Michigan and America.'"
The Democrats also held a primary in Michigan yesterday, but, because of sanction from the Democratic National Committee, most candidates had removed themselves from the ballot. Of the top contenders, only Clinton remained on the ticket. According to CNN, with 100% of precincts reporting, Clinton garnered 55% of the vote, followed by "uncommitted" with 40%. The Los Angeles Times reports that a "lack of voter interest hobbled a push by supporters of" Barack Obama and John Edwards "to try to embarrass" Clinton "with a strong showing for 'uncommitted.' ... Some analysts had set a 60% threshold for Clinton to avoid the embarrassment of seeming to face a stiff challenge from an 'anyone else' vote, but Bill Ballenger, a veteran Lansing, Mich., political analyst, said Tuesday's result was 'probably good enough.' 'I don't think she's going to be holding any major press conferences to extol her victory,' he said."
The Hill adds, "By remaining on the ballot, Clinton had little to win and a lot to lose. Because the state had no delegates and the Democratic candidates all pledged not to campaign in a state that had been so penalized by the DNC, Clinton's win in Michigan comes with no real benefits. However, because she was running alone, there was some question of whether the New York senator might be embarrassed by supporters of Edwards and Obama who went to the polls and selected undecided. ... Clinton appeared to avoid that embarrassment."
However, the media sees some warning signs for Clinton in the outcome. CNN reported on its "Political Ticker" blog that Clinton "faced a grim statistic in Michigan tonight, despite her primary 'win' there: results revealed that she may have reason to worry about her grasp on the African-American vote." CNN noted that "roughly 70 percent of Michigan's African-American voters - a group that makes up a quarter of Michigan's Democratic electorate - did not cast their votes for Clinton, choosing the 'uncommitted' option instead. Yet these voters weren't uncommitted at all: in fact, according to CNN exit polls, they overwhelmingly favored Barack Obama, whose name did not appear on the ballot." An editorial in the Detroit Free Press says Clinton "has to worry about results showing more than two-thirds of black voters preferred 'uncommitted.' If she becomes the nominee, she will need to energize that part of the Democratic base to carry Michigan."
The top three Democratic presidential candidates met in a debate televised on MSNBC in Las Vegas Tuesday night, four days before the Nevada caucuses. In sharp contrast to the tenor of previous debates and recent rhetorical jousting about race and gender on the campaign trail, media coverage suggests the candidates appeared eager to downplay the controversy, instead focusing on economic issues and the subprime mortgage crisis. Although a lower court ordered that Dennis Kucinich be included in the forum, the ruling was reversed upon appeal and he was excluded at the last minute.
USA Today reports Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards "vowed to help Americans threatened by bankruptcy, foreclosure and other economic ills Tuesday in a convivial debate that was a marked contrast to the charged racial rhetoric in recent days." The Wall Street Journal says the discussion of race during the debate "ended in accord." The New York Times reports Clinton and Obama "came in deciding to lower the volume from the overtones of race and gender that had shadowed their contest for the past week and worried many Democrats - including many of the candidates' advisers - that the back-and-forth could imperil both candidates." The Chicago Tribune adds that for "much of the evening, it felt at times like the candidates might hold hands around the large wooden table where they sat, with compliments, teasing and first-name familiarity." Under the headline, "Candidates make nice in docile debate," the Reno Gazette-Journal reported that the candidates "engaged each other on Iraq, the economy and Yucca Mountain in a debate marked more with laughter than vitriol." Candy Crowley on CNN's Special Campaign Coverage said, "A sweeter, nicer debate you have not heard."
Las Vegas Review-Journal Backs Obama, Lambastes Clintons The Democrats may have had kind words for each other at yesterday's debate, but there is little civility today for Hillary Clinton in a key Nevada newspaper. The Las Vegas Review-Journal today endorses Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential race, and attacks Sen. Clinton's claims of experience, saying, "In fact, she's a one-term-plus-a-year senator whose lackluster legislative record rivals Sen. Obama's. Other than that, the 'experience' in question must surely refer to her presence as a witness and enabler during her husband's presidential terms." The Review Journal concludes that as Democrats "head to their caucuses Saturday, they might ask themselves whether they really want to spend two months later this year watching a re-run of the horror movie 'It Came From Little Rock,' with the sound turned up much too loud -- or if they'd rather make it a real contest this fall. If they prefer the latter, they're better off backing Barack Obama on Saturday."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Congressional Democrats on Wednesday will highlight testimony on the economy in a hearing of the Joint Economic Committee. Media reports suggest the hearing is part of an effort to build consensus within Democratic ranks for an economic stimulus package. McClatchy says the panel "will hear from former Clinton Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers along with experts from liberal and conservative policy-research groups. House Democrats plan a town hall meeting later in the day to talk about spurring economic growth." The Politico reports "internal disagreements in both parties -- particularly among Democrats -- could threaten the push by Congress to pass a politically popular stimulus package in the early weeks of the new session." At the top of the list of divisive issues is a "heated debate over whether to pay for the economic stimulus package, which could cost up to $100 billion."
The New York Times also reports the "prospect of Democratic infighting was heightened Tuesday by a Congressional Budget Office report weighing potential components of a stimulus plan. It said that extending unemployment benefits and increasing food stamps would help, but that longer-term proposals favored by some Republicans, including a permanent extension of tax cuts from 2001 and 2003, would provide little immediate benefit." The AP notes yesterday's study "was requested by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt, D-S.C." The study "should provide fuel for the stimulus debate already consuming lawmakers."
The Christian Science Monitor reports that even as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "reached out to Mr. Bush and urged him to work with them," Sen. Charles Schumer, in a weekly Democratic radio address "the next day, charged that the Bush administration 'seems satisfied with the current state of the economy and the fortunes of the middle class.'"
Reports in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times and Roll Call, meanwhile, are more optimistic that a deal can be reached. The Journal says "top House Democrat" Rep. Barney Frank, Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, said Democrats "and the White House can come to an agreement on an economic-stimulus package -- provided Republicans don't insist the plan includes making...Bush's signature tax cuts permanent." Frank "suggested lawmakers and administration officials, particularly Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, have begun to find common ground on a plan to spur the nation's economic growth."
The Washington Times reports, "Leaders on both sides of the aisle were dropping the fiery partisan rhetoric that last year stifled the Democrat-led Congress, instead promising to work together on a quick fix to jump-start the nation"s sluggish economy."
Roll Call, meanwhile reports "House Republican leaders returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday offering an olive branch over an expected economic stimulus package, even as they acknowledged any truce is likely to be fragile at best."
A report Tuesday that showed consumers are cutting back on their spending created new worry that a recession looms, leading to another sell off on Wall Street. Both NBC and CBS led their broadcasts last night with economic news. The CBS Evening News said the new figures are "raising fears we're heading into a recession," and ABC World News reported, "There was, still, another heavy dose of bad economic news today. The stock market took another tumble, with the Dow and the NASDAQ both down more than 2%. And the big reason for that, word that December retail sales were sharply lower." The AP reports, "Consumer spending, the critical bulwark that has kept the country out of a recession, is showing signs of cracking." Retail sales "plunged by 0.4 percent last month as consumers battered by a sinking housing market, rising unemployment and the credit crunch, handed retailers their worst Christmas in five years." The AP reports the "growing conviction that the US is headed toward recession sent Wall Street plunging Tuesday, with weak retail sales figures and disappointing results from Citigroup Inc. exacerbating investors' pessimistic mood." The Financial Times says "even the prospect of sweeping interest rate cuts did little to stem losses as traders bet the US economy was heading for a sharp downturn." The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Washington Times run similar reports.
In a front-page story on the factors leading to the destruction of the CIA interrogation tapes, the Washington Post reports congressional investigators "have turned up no evidence that anyone in the Bush administration openly advocated the tapes' destruction, according to officials familiar with a set of classified documents forwarded to Capitol Hill." In an interview Friday, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden told the Post: "It was an agency decision -- you can take it to the bank."
The story also outlines the factors that led the CIA's then-director of clandestine operations, Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., to order the destruction of interrogation tapes, against "the earlier advice of at least five senior CIA and White House officials." The Post notes that in November 2005, "a published report that detailed a secret CIA prison system provoked an international outcry" and also played a role in Rodriguez's decision to destroy the tapes.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
The AP reports, "The House plans to pass as early as Wednesday a new defense policy bill that includes a pay raise for troops." President Bush "had rejected an earlier version of the legislation because he said it would expose the Iraqi government to expensive lawsuits." The "decision to revise the bill without attempting to block Bush's action reflects the difficulty that Democrats have had in challenging the president on even minor issues."
The AP reports "President Bush warned Tuesday that surging oil prices threaten the US economy and urged OPEC nations to boost their output. His plea drew little sympathy from oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which said production levels appear normal." In an interview with ABC World News, Bush said he will tell King Abdullah "that if it's possible, your majesty, consider what high prices is doing to one of your largest customers." But when ABC noted that "Americans might want you to be a little tougher than that," Bush said, "I understand that. But...if they don't have a lot of additional oil to put on the market, it's hard to ask somebody to do something they may not be able to do." ABC noted that "today, the Saudi oil minister responded immediately to the President's suggestion, that they open the spigots here. He wasn't that encouraging." Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi was shown saying: "We will raise production when the market justifies it."
The Washington Post says that "after a week-long trip in the Middle East that has focused largely on Israeli-Palestinian peace and Iran's regional ambitions," Bush "pivoted sharply to the rising price of oil. He said he planned to raise the subject in his conversations Tuesday with Saudi King Abdullah. ... The shift from the president appeared abrupt today. On Tuesday, his aides said they did not know whether the subject would come up in the president's talks with Abdullah. After apparently thinking about it overnight, the White House made oil a centerpiece of its public communication in the capital of the world's biggest oil producer, and Bush made clear his concern that the sharp increase in prices was a threat to the US economy." The New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal run similar reports.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times notes Ali Naimi, Saudi Arabia's oil minister, said Bush "had 'every right' to call for increased oil production to damp the effect of $100-a-barrel prices on the US economy." But "Mr Naimi would not be drawn on whether his country or the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would favour such a step. ... Responding to remarks by Mr Bush, who is staying with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, Mr Naimi said: 'Presidents and kings have every right, every privilege, to comment or ask or say whatever they want.'" He added, "The concern for the US economy is valid but what affects the US economy is more than the price of oil."
The Washington Times reports, "The British national policing agency said yesterday that there are no plans to link its database with an international server proposed by the FBI to track terrorists and criminals globally." British law-enforcement delegates "will arrive in the District this week to discuss their concerns regarding the...program with federal officials."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Jay Leno: "Barack Obama has increased his Secret Service protection, and that's just to protect him from Hillary."
David Letterman: "The price of milk has gone up 36%. Here's what happened. The cows have joined OPEC. ... President Bush is already on the problem. He is going to fight the high cost of milk. He is planning to invade Wisconsin."
Jimmy Kimmel: "So the search for the next 'American Idol' is underway. In less important election news, Mitt Romney won the Republican primary in" Michigan.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5advertisement
Get your POLITICALBULLETIN
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5Embed exclusive U.S. News headlines, rankings, columns, and blog postings to your Web site, blog, or social network.
advertisement
Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
