In their first one-on-one debate last night at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton engaged in "cordial" (AP ), "congenial," and "civil" debate on policy questions. The rivals marked the absence of recently departed contender John Edwards by making repeated plays for his supporters. The Wall Street Journal reports "several weeks of political jabs largely took hiatus" on Thursday night when Clinton and Obama "set aside differences and threw darts at the Republicans in their first one-on-one debate." The Los Angeles Times calls the debate "congenial," while ABC's Nightline reported, "Both candidates came in with a clear plan. Be nice. No nasty swipes or bitter arguments tonight."
USA Today notes the two "drew sharp distinctions on issues such as health care and foreign policy." They "agreed on two things: either of them represents a stark change from President Bush and one will be the nation's first woman or African-American president." As she has "throughout their campaign, Clinton challenged Obama as being too inexperienced to be in the White House from 'day one.'" Obama "countered that Clinton represents the status quo of Washington." The Politico says the debate "did little to change" the race, and notes that Clinton and Obama "associated themselves repeatedly and obsequiously to" Edwards, "whose endorsement both are seeking."
The Obama campaign announced yesterday that it had brought in more than $1 million a day in January, giving it enough cash for a last-minute $10 million ad buy across a number of Super Tuesday states. The Los Angeles Times reports Obama's campaign "reported this morning that in January it had raised $32 million that can be used for the primary battle against" Hillary Clinton and says that "one-month take was more than Obama raised in any three-month period in 2007, campaign aides said this morning." ABC World News adds that "many of those donations came right after he lost in New Hampshire. The Clinton campaign would only say they have raised at least $10 million this month."
The AP reports the $32 million "was the most raised in one month by a presidential candidate who still faced a primary challenge." Obama is "now advertising in 20 of the 22 states in play for next week's Super Tuesday and plans to begin advertising in seven more states that hold primaries or caucuses later in February. Rival Hillary Rodham Clinton is advertising in 12 Super Tuesday states, including her home state of New York." The Washington Post reports Obama "plans to spend more than $10 million on a blitz that will run through Tuesday." The Wall Street Journal reports, "In the face of Mr. Obama's broad-brush approach," the Clinton campaign responded "with a targeted ad buy in the biggest Super Tuesday states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and California. The Clinton campaign yesterday also announced a 90-minute 'town hall'-style live event that will be broadcast nationally on the Hallmark Channel on Monday evening."
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The AP reports California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed John McCain yesterday, "praising him as an extraordinary leader who can reach across the political aisle to get things done." McCain "predicted a 'flood of endorsements across this country from both liberals and conservatives' would soon come his way as he tries to take command of the nominating fight after a bruising series of early primaries and caucuses." The AP added that at a news conference, Schwarzenegger said McCain "has the national security credentials to do the job, and is a crusader against wasteful spending." ABC World News reported Schwarzenegger "praised John McCain for working with Democrats," but "that ability, and that endorsement, hurts McCain with conservatives." ABC ran a clip from Rush Limbaugh's radio show, with Limbaugh saying: "So, he just got the endorsement of a big taxing, big spending, socialist healthcare, eco-extreme governor who says the Republican Party needs to follow him to the left." ABC added, "Conservative on most issues, McCain is resented for opposing the Bush tax cuts and backing immigration reform and action on global warming." The CBS Evening News reported, "Now, with Rudy Giuliani of New York, that's two superstar endorsements from the two biggest super Tuesday states."
NBC Nightly News reported, "There was something really noticeable about John McCain today. He appeared much more comfortable in the role of frontrunner. And that made Mitt Romney try to define himself as the conservative alternative. At McCain's side two moderate Republicans, who just happen to be among the most famous faces in the party. This picture is worth 1,000 pricey campaign ads for John McCain. More Republican star power."
The Los Angeles Times reports Schwarzenegger "seized an opportunity to push forward his own policy agenda within the GOP after years of resistance from Washington Republicans." Schwarzenegger "praised the Arizona senator as a 'great American hero' who -- like himself -- is not afraid to buck the Republican establishment." McCain, "in turn, promised to crusade for Schwarzenegger's signature style of environmentalism."
Texas Governor Throws Support To McCain Following Giuliani Exit The AP reports that Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) "joined the growing list of John McCain supporters" yesterday after his first choice, Rudy Giuliani, dropped out. Perry "called the war on terror the 'single dominant issue' in the race and his reason for now endorsing McCain." The Houston Chronicle adds that Perry "said he was not bothered by complaints from social conservatives who believe some of McCain's positions have put him more in line with the Democratic Party than the GOP. Perry said for those who are worried about McCain, he has 'two words: Hillary Clinton. That kind of gets everybody focused back.'"
Sen. John McCain said on NBC's Tonight Show, "I think the important thing is to convince our Republican base...one, I'm a conservative; two, I'm the best qualified in taking on their major concerns. And that is this struggle against radical Islamic extremists. And I think I've been able do that pretty successfully. The straight talk is that we're gonna have to energize our base and get everybody into our party if we're gonna win in November. Straight talk, right now: When you look at Democrat versus Republican, we Republicans got out work cut out for us, and get back to the principles that made us the majority party."
Some Conservative Leaders Giving McCain A Second Look The New York Times says McCain "has long aroused almost unanimous opposition from the leaders of the right." However, since he "emerged this week as the party's front-runner," his possible victory "is causing anguish to the right. Some, including James C. Dobson and Rush Limbaugh, say it is far too late for forgiveness." Meanwhile, "others, faced with the prospect of either a Democrat sitting in the White House or a Republican elected without them, are beginning to look at Mr. McCain's record in a new light." Those giving McCain a second look including anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist and Christian conservatives Tony Perkins and Richard Land.
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The Washington Post reports, "Senate Democratic leaders put off an expected showdown over an economic stimulus plan until next week, worrying that the absence of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) could doom efforts to force changes to the package fashioned by House leaders and President Bush." But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "and other Democratic leaders," adds the Post, "all but conceded they would not have the 60 votes to replace the $146 billion stimulus plan passed by the House with a version approved by the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday." The Financial Times reports Reid's announcement that he was postponing the vote "came as Henry Paulson, Treasury secretary, said the bill approved by the Senate finance committee was 'already too complex.'"
Under the headline "House Stimulus Bill Likely To Stand," the Wall Street Journal reports, "For all the changes Senate Democrats want to debate when they take up economic-stimulus legislation next week, the package they are expected to approve is likely to be very similar to the version passed by the House."
The New York Times reports that "Senate Republicans said on Thursday that they would block a $157 billion economic stimulus package championed by Senate Democrats." In fact, reports The Hill, "Republicans aren't planning on offering amendments." Instead, "GOP leaders will call on Reid to quickly approve the House plan so Bush can sign a stimulus plan into law. The GOP derided the measure as a 'Christmas tree.'" The Politico (2/1, Kady II) reports "Republicans in the Senate have suddenly turned against the economic stimulus bill now that the Finance Committee has added billions in spending." Washington Times and McClatchy run similar reports.
President Bush will unveil his final budget next year, and yesterday unnamed "officials" briefed reporters on the details. For the most part, the Bush budget is receiving markedly negative coverage this morning. USA Today reports, "The federal budget deficit would rise to about $400 billion this year and next under the 2009 budget President Bush will submit to Congress on Monday, even as the administration pushes big cuts in the growth of Medicare." However, "even with the short-term increase in the deficit, the budget projects a surplus by 2012, as Bush has promised."
The AP prefaces its story by asserting that the Bush blueprint is "unlikely to gain much traction" in Congress, and adds "Bush will propose nearly $178 billion in savings from Medicare over five years -- nearly triple what he proposed last year. Much of the savings would come from freezing reimbursement rates for most health care providers for three years. An additional $17 billion would come from the Medicaid program, the state-federal partnership that provides health coverage to the poor."
The Politico reports "a White House official confirmed Thursday that Bush will propose $208 billion in mandatory budget reductions in all." The Washington Post notes Bush "will seek a virtual freeze on domestic spending programs while cutting billions of dollars from federal health programs." But "some programs would be favored. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced yesterday that Bush will seek a 19 percent increase in funding for border security and border enforcement." The Wall Street Journal says another "area of spending where the administration wants a significant increase...is in import-safety regulation."
Also in the Wall Street Journal, an analysis piece headlined "Legacy Of Deficits Will Constrain Bush's Successor" says Bush "took office in 2001 with budget surpluses projected to stretch years into the future. But it's almost certain that when he returns to Texas next year, the president will leave behind a trail of deficits and debt that will sharply constrain his successor." The Journal adds that "as a result, the ambitions of Mr. Bush's successor to cut taxes, institute universal health care or aid troubled homeowners might have to give way to the reality of soaring costs for Social Security, the Medicare program for the elderly and the Medicaid program for the poor."
The Washington Times charts a steep decline in discretionary spending in Bush's fiscal record: "Discretionary spending rose by 16.8 percent in 2001, by 6.2 percent in 2002, by 5.5 percent in 2003, and by 4.3 percent in 2004." In 2005, "growth was 2.2 percent, and in 2006, it hit an all-time low for the Bush presidency at 0.3 percent. Since then it has stayed low, rising by 1.5 percent in 2007 and 0.6 percent in 2008."
The United States on Thursday announced that Abu Laith al-Libi, one of Al Qaeda's top four leaders, was killed earlier this week by a US airstrike in Pakistan. The announcement, which is receiving heavy media coverage -- including reports on all three networks and front page headlines -- is being portrayed as a significant victory in the global war on terror. Some media reports state the CIA was responsible for the airstrike -- despite the fact that in early January, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf reportedly rejected a US request made by director of national intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA Director Michael Hayden to carry such attacks within Pakistan. The CBS Evening News said al-Libi "was killed earlier this week by a missile fired from an unmanned CIA drone," adding that his death "was the CIA's biggest kill in two years, which speaks volumes about al Qaeda's ability to operate with near impunity in Pakistan's tribal areas." The Wall Street Journal also reports that US officials "confirmed that a missile from a Central Intelligence Agency-operated Predator drone likely killed" al-Libi. Similarly, the New York Times reports that "both the American military and the Central Intelligence Agency fly Predator surveillance aircraft armed with Hellfire missiles along the mountainous border of Afghanistan and Pakistan." However, "American military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the subject involves covert operations, said the attack...was not carried out by a Pentagon-operated Predator. A spokesman for the CIA declined comment." The AP, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times and Washington Times run similar reports.
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Jay Leno: "As you know, the Republican race is now down to McCain and Romney. Interesting two guys. You got the guy who spent five years in a prison camp versus the guy who spent five years in the tanning booth."
David Letterman: "Anybody see the Republican debate last night? ... Nasty, nasty debate. At one point, Mitt Romney got so upset, so...agitated, so worked up, that his hair cracked."
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