The consensus in the media this morning is that yesterday's Democratic contests, which saw both candidates notch important wins, leaves the race still up in the air. USA Today reports in a front page story that the Democratic contest "sprinted through 22 states Tuesday and emerged as it was before: deadlocked." Hillary Clinton "was the projected winner in the biggest state, California, and also had victories in her home state of New York and neighboring New Jersey. She showed strength in 'red' states by winning in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, and in states with large Hispanic populations such as Arizona." Obama, however, "struck back by winning in 12 of the 22 states up for grabs, including all six holding voter-intensive caucuses rather than primaries. He won in all parts of the country, from Connecticut and Delaware to Utah and Idaho, along with his home state of Illinois. He won the Deep South states of Georgia and Alabama by huge margins." The Hill reports that Clinton "scored big wins in the Northeast, picking up her home state of New York and neighboring New Jersey and a surprise win in Massachusetts, where Obama had secured the endorsements of Sens. John Kerry and Edward Kennedy. Obama split the region with Clinton, however, winning Delaware and Connecticut." The Washington Post reports in a front-page story that the Clinton wins in the northeast and California gave her campaign a "crucial boost," but Obama "countered by winning of a string of states, including the general election battleground of Missouri, in the seesaw race for the Democratic nomination."
The New York Times says it was "a night when neither" Obama nor Clinton "could decisively lay claim - or even secure an edge - to the nomination, assuring an electoral fight that will unfold for weeks to come." The Wall Street Journal says the rules "governing allocation of delegates" are "certain to keep the race going in the states to come." The Los Angeles Times reports Clinton and Obama "dueled to a Super Tuesday draw, capturing states big and small and padding their delegate counts in a Democratic contest that remains highly competitive after the biggest day of balloting in presidential primary history."
The New York Times reports, "In remarks to their supporters in Manhattan and Chicago," Clinton and Obama "smiled broadly but were relatively low key in their assessments of the night, as if they knew that their state-by-state successes did not add up to the grand prize of Democratic standard-bearer. Both sounded a little tired at times, already exhausted by campaigning and fund-raising, with only more of both ahead." The AP reports Obama "cast his chain of Super Tuesday wins as evidence that voters want someone who can change Washington and appeal to voters of both parties in the general election."
Clinton Said To Retain Delegate Lead The AP reports that in the Super Tuesday race for delegates, Obama, "trailing much of the night, nearly pulled even with" Clinton. Clinton "led with 499 delegates to Obama's 491. A total of 1,681 delegates were at stake in 22 states and American Samoa. Overall, that gave Clinton 760 delegates, to 693 for Obama, with 2,025 delegates required to claim the nomination in Denver at this summer's convention." However, counting continues this morning in a number of states, and not all delegates have been apportioned.
Obama Fares Well With Blacks, Clinton With Hispanics The New York Times reports that exit polls "showed formidable strengths for each candidate, with Mr. Obama gaining appeal with white voters - particularly white men - and Mrs. Clinton solidifying her support among Hispanics." The Washington Post reports that yesterday's elections "laid bare a profound racial and ethnic divide among Democratic voters, with African Americans overwhelmingly preferring Sen. Barack Obama, while Latinos largely favored Sen. Hillary Clinton." USA Today adds that Clinton "did well with seniors, low-income voters and registered Democrats. Obama was strong with independents, younger people, the affluent and the highly educated."
All results are from the CNN Election Center. Delegates awarded, where known, are in parentheses after candidates' vote percentage. States are ordered by number of delegates awarded. Please note that the process of apportioning delegates continues, so that not all that will be ultimately awarded are listed.
California . Clinton, 52%; Obama, 42%.
New York . Clinton, 57% (127); Obama, 40% (87).
Illinois . Obama, 65% (62); Clinton, 33% (31).
New Jersey . Clinton, 54% (51); Obama, 44% (37).
Massachusetts . Clinton, 56% (54); Obama, 41% (37).
Georgia . Obama, 67% (27); Clinton, 31% (18).
Minnesota . Obama, 67% (48); Clinton, 32% (24).
Missouri . Obama, 49% (30); Clinton, 48% (30).
Tennessee . Clinton, 54% (34); Obama, 41% (21).
Arizona . Clinton, 51% (26); Obama, 42% (21).
Colorado . Obama, 67% (13); Clinton, 32% (6).
Alabama. Obama, 56% (20); Clinton, 42% (21).
Connecticut . Obama, 51% (26); Clinton, 47% (22).
Oklahoma . Clinton, 55% (24); Obama, 31% (14)
Arkansas . Clinton, 69% (23); Obama, 27% (6).
Kansas . Obama, 74% (23); Clinton, 26% (9).
New Mexico . Obama, 49% (12); Clinton, 48% (13).
Utah . Obama, 57% (14); Clinton, 39% (9).
Idaho . Obama, 79% (15); Clinton, 17% (3).
Delaware . Obama, 53% (9); Clinton, 43% (6).
Alaska. Obama, 75% (9); Clinton, 25% (4).
North Dakota . Obama, 61% (8); Clinton, 37% (5).
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The New York Times reports that because the Democratic Party has "a dizzying array of delegate rules," Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama "face a complex game board that could result in a protracted fight, beginning this weekend with a primary in Louisiana and caucuses in Nebraska and Washington. Next Tuesday, Feb. 12, residents of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia vote." Neither candidate "is expected to land a knockout punch in a single state or on a single day in the coming weeks because the loser stands to walk away with a significant share of the delegates at stake. So it becomes to some extent a game of money, momentum and perception, party analysts said."
The New York Daily News relates, "Both campaigns say Obama could have an edge in the next contests, which include Louisiana and Washington on Saturday, next Tuesday's 'Potomac Primary,' when Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia vote, and the Feb. 19 contests in Hawaii and Wisconsin." The Chicago Tribune agrees that the contests to be held over the next seven days favor Obama, but says Clinton "could be on friendlier ground on March 4, when Ohio and Texas dominate a four-state primary."
Most media reports this morning suggest Sen. John McCain's wins last night make him the clear favorite to be the Republican presidential candidate this year but many analyst also conclude the Arizona senator has not yet locked up the nomination. Among McCain's key wins were New York, New Jersey, and Missouri, large states that award all of their delegates to the overall state winner. McCain also won in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, and Oklahoma. Huckabee scored a big win in Georgia, which is a winner-take-all state, and took three other Southern states and West Virginia. Romney was the victor in Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Utah. The AP reports that early returns show McCain "won a commanding victory in the Republican delegate race over Mitt Romney on Super Tuesday. ... McCain won 468 delegates to 158 for Romney and 132 for" Huckabee "in incomplete results. A total of 1,023 delegates were up for grabs in 21 states. Overall, McCain led with 570 delegates, to 251 for Romney and 175 for Huckabee. It takes 1,191 to win the nomination at this summer's convention in St. Paul, Minn."
Speaking to supporters last night, reports the AP, McCain "traded in his underdog persona to claim the mantle of front-runner." Said McCain, "I've never minded the role of the underdog, and relished more than anyone come-from-behind wins. ... But tonight, I think we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party front-runner." And "as supporters cheered, he added: 'And I don't really mind it one bit.'"
Media analysts, however, offered differing assessments of McCain's chances to rack up the 1,191 convention delegates needed to clinch the nomination. The AP reports this morning the Arizona senator's "string of cross-country victories made him all but unstoppable -- and proved his appeal across a broad swath of the Republican Party." Romney, meanwhile, "faced a decision of whether to stretch out the bruising race for another few weeks while...Huckabee competed for -- and in some ways found -- relevancy." The New York Times says "Republicans seemed closer to coalescing around...McCain," who "moved nearer his goal of wrapping up his competition" with Romney. Huckabee's wins, says the Times, "underlined Mr. Romney's weakness by posting a series of victories, in a performance that highlighted the discomfort social conservatives have with the field." The Politico reports McCain "solidified his hold on the Republican nomination," but adds "Huckabee's resurgence...could add a new element of chaos to an already unruly race."
On the other hand, the Washington Times casts the night as something of a defeat for McCain, reporting McCain's "weakness among conservatives was exposed by a string of wins for...Huckabee in the South and...Romney out West." Huckabee's "surprising Southern strength and Mr. Romney's organizational skills in Mountain West caucuses denied Mr. McCain the chance to claim a mandate in the race, leaving him to salvage a message last night." In a similar take, the Washington Post says McCain "failed to knock his two main opponents out of the race." Another Washington Post story says McCain "had expected to emerge from Super Tuesday with the nomination virtually locked up," but "was left facing still more questions about his inability to win in deep red Republican states."
Romney Vows To Stay In Race The AP reports Romney "pledged to fight all the way to the Republican nominating convention this summer if necessary, despite being overpowered by...McCain in Super Tuesday contests." Said Romney, "I think there's some people who thought it was all going to be done tonight, but it's not all done tonight. We're going to keep on battling. ... We're going to go all the way to the convention. We're going to win this thing and we're going to go to the White House." USA Today runs a similar story under the headline "Romney Vows To Stay In Race Until The End." However, says the New York Times, "Romney's advisers conceded that they faced a steep climb to the nomination because of simple delegate math."
All results are from the CNN Election Center. Delegates awarded, where known, are in parentheses after candidates' vote percentage. States are ordered by number of delegates awarded. Please note that the process of apportioning delegates continues, so that not all that will be ultimately awarded are listed.
California . McCain, 42% (56); Romney, 33% (3); Huckabee, 12%; Giuliani, 5%; Paul, 4% (0). (Note: significant returns not yet counted)
New York . McCain, 51% (101); Romney, 28% (0); Huckabee, 11% (0); Paul, 7% (0); Giuliani, 3% (0).
Georgia . Huckabee, 34% (45); McCain, 32% (3); Romney, 30% (0); Paul, 3% (0); Giuliani, 1% (0).
Illinois . McCain, 47% (54); Romney, 29% (2); Huckabee, 17% (0); Paul, 5% (0); Giuliani, 1% (0).
Missouri . McCain, 33% (58); Huckabee, 32% (0); Romney, 29% (0); Paul, 4% (0); Giuliani, 1% (0).
Tennessee . Huckabee, 34% (21); McCain, 32% (14); Romney, 24% (0); Paul, 6% (0); Thompson, 3% (0); Giuliani, 1% (0).
Arizona . McCain, 48% (50); Romney, 34% (0); Huckabee, 9% (0); Paul, 4% (0); Giuliani, 3% (0).
New Jersey . McCain, 55% (52); Romney, 28% (0); Huckabee, 8% (0); Paul, 5% (0); Giuliani, 3% (0).
Alabama. Huckabee, 41% (14); McCain, 37% (13); Romney, 18% (0); Paul, 3% (0).
Colorado . Romney, 60% (22); McCain, 19% (0); Huckabee, 13% (0); Paul, 8% (0).
Massachusetts . Romney, 51% (21); McCain, 41% (17); Huckabee, 4% (0); Paul, 3% (0); Giuliani, 1% (0).
Oklahoma . McCain, 37% (32); Huckabee, 33% (6); Romney, 25% (0); Paul, 3% (0); Giuliani, 1% (0).
Minnesota . Romney, 42% (36); McCain, 22% (0); Huckabee, 20% (0); Paul, 15% (0).
Utah . Romney, 90% (36); McCain, 5% (0); Paul, 3% (0).
Arkansas . Huckabee, 60% (25); McCain, 20% (0); Romney, 14% (0); Paul, 5% (0).
Connecticut . McCain, 52% (27); Romney, 33% (0); Huckabee, 7% (0); Paul, 4% (0); Giuliani, 2% (0).
West Virginia . Huckabee, 52% (18); Romney, 47% (0); McCain, 1% (0).
Alaska . Romney, 44% (12); Huckabee, 22% (6); Paul, 17% (5); McCain, 15% (3).
North Dakota . Romney, 36% (8); McCain, 23% (5); Paul, 21% (5); Huckabee, 20% (5).
Montana . Romney, 38% (25); Paul, 25% (0): McCain, 22% (0); Huckabee, 15% (0).
Delaware . McCain, 45% (18); Romney, 33% (0); Huckabee, 15% (0); Paul, 4% (0); Giuliani, 3% (0).
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On Tuesday, CIA Director Michael Hayden appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee with Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell. At the hearing, Hayden revealed the CIA had used the interrogation technique known as "waterboarding." ABC World News reported Hayden said the technique had been used "only on three terror suspects." Hayden "confirmed the identities of the three, who included the 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed." In another widely circulated report, the AP notes that Senate Democrats "demanded a criminal investigation into waterboarding by government interrogators Tuesday" after Hayden "acknowledged for the first time that the tactic was used."
The Chicago Tribune also reports that "after Hayden named the detainees who were subjected to waterboarding," Sen. Richard Durbin "reiterated his call for [Attorney General Michael] Mukasey to investigate the legality of waterboarding." The New York Times, in a front-page article, calls Hayden's remarks "the government's most extensive public defense for the use of waterboarding." The Washington Post also notes that "a senior intelligence official at the hearing yesterday said that the CIA officers and contractors who conducted interrogations involving waterboarding were told it was legal at the time, but he added that 'the legal landscape has changed.'"
On its front page, the Los Angeles Times reports the CIA director told lawmakers that "information provided by two of the waterboarded prisoners," Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Abu Zubaydah, "accounted for 25% of the human intelligence reports circulated by the CIA on Al Qaeda in the five years after the Sept. 11 attacks." But "moments after McConnell's comments, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III seemed to undercut the case for using extreme methods, testifying that the FBI had extracted critical information from former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein without coercive techniques." McClatchy, Washington Times and AFP, among other media outlets, also report on Hayden's remarks.
The AP reports President Bush on Tuesday threatened to veto an updated terrorist surveillance law, "assailing Democratic plans to deny protection from lawsuits for telecommunications providers that let the government spy on US residents after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." In an article on McConnell's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday, the Washington Post also notes the letter written by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and Attorney General Mukasey, which it says was sent "to register opposition to several proposed Democratic amendments" to the new surveillance bill," which "are set to come to a vote today." One of the "controversial amendments would strike a provision granting telecommunications companies immunity from dozens of lawsuits alleging violations of privacy because of the firms' cooperation with a warrantless government surveillance program initiated after" the 9/11 attacks.
Congressional Quarterly, however, reports the legislation "remained stalled in the Senate Tuesday, held hostage by partisan wrangling over procedures for consideration of an unrelated economic stimulus package." A "frustrated" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "complained that Republicans are blocking his efforts to schedule votes on proposed amendments to the FISA bill." Roll Call says Reid went to the Senate floor Tuesday night "to beg Republicans to let the Senate work" the bill "he ostensibly opposes."
McClatchy reports stocks "fell sharply Tuesday amid new economic data that left Wall Street ever more convinced that the US economy might already be in recession." The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P indexes "all closed down by about 3 percent, after an Institute of Supply Management report showed a much-weaker-than-expected reading of the all-important services sector." The Wall Street Journal notes the Institute for Supply Management "said its index of nonmanufacturing business activity, which is based on a survey of purchasing managers in service industries, fell to 41.9 in January from 54.4 in December. That was the sharpest decline in the survey's 10-year history." The New York Times says "most economists had been expecting a figure of about 53, signaling a slowdown but not a contraction." Also this morning, the AP reports "much of the talk" among investors yesterday "was not about whether there would be a recession, but about how bad it might be."
The New York Times reports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday "that Democrats were prepared to force a showdown with Republicans over a $204 billion economic stimulus package and would not bow to pressure to simply make modest changes to a less expensive plan that was approved by the House last week." Reid is "hoping to strong-arm the Republicans into adopting the larger package favored by most Democrats and some moderate Republicans, or to compel them to vote against important provisions."
The Washington Times reports the Senate "is expected to vote today on a measure that could undermine a proposed economic-stimulus plan from being quickly implemented, delaying millions of Americans from receiving a one-time tax rebate." Roll Call reports Senate Republicans "scrambled Tuesday to avoid the ire of AARP and veterans, offering to support payments to 20 million low- income seniors and 250,000 disabled vets left out of the House stimulus package, while hoping to hold the line against unemployment insurance, energy tax breaks and other goodies backed by Senate Democrats and the Finance Committee."
Meanwhile, The Hill reports Senate Democrats "hoping to win approval of the Finance Committee's controversial economic stimulus bill are emphasizing the support the package is receiving from parts of the homebuilding industry." The lawmakers "and industry leaders hailed a $14.4 billion tax break in the Finance package that would help homebuilders."
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Jay Leno: "Yesterday in Connecticut, Hillary Clinton once again wiped away eyes filled with tears. You know what that means? It's the day before a primary!"
David Letterman: "Well," Super Tuesday is "all over now. Hillary can remove the duct tape from Bill's mouth."
David Letterman: "How about that Mitt Romney, huh? This guy looks like a lawyer who advertises on the back of a bus."
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