While Sen. Hillary Clinton promised over the weekend to fight for the nomination all the way to the convention, the Wall Street Journal reports on its front page this morning that "slowly but steadily," a "string of Democratic Party figures is taking" Sen. Barack Obama's "side in the presidential nominating race and raising the pressure on Hillary Clinton to give up." North Carolina's seven Democratic House members "are poised to endorse...Obama as a group -- just one has so far -- before that state's May 6 primary, several Democrats say."
Klobuchar Endorses Obama The AP reports Obama picked up the endorsement of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) last night, "giving him another superdelegate supporter. In a statement provided to the Associated Press, Klobuchar said Obama 'has inspired an enthusiasm and idealism that we have not seen in this country in a long time.'" Obama handily defeated Clinton in Minnesota's primary last month, which Klobuchar said contributed to her decision to endorse Obama.
Bill Clinton Urges Democrats To "Chill Out" While many Democrats may be looking for a way to end the primary and get on to the general election, at least one prominent party leader sees no problem in an extended battle. The Los Angeles Times reports this morning that former President Bill Clinton told the California Democratic Party convention yesterday, "Don't let anybody tell you that somehow we are weakening the Democratic Party. Chill out and let everybody have their say. We are going to win this election." The San Francisco Chronicle reports that for Bill Clinton, "the speech was almost an afterthought Sunday. The more important part of his trip to California came earlier in the morning, when the ex-president met privately with about 15 of the state's uncommitted superdelegates, trying to move them into his wife's camp."
Clinton Camp: Effort To End Primary Contest Angering Women The AP reports that the Clinton campaign has rolled out another tactic to justify continuing the primary her strategists "are warning of damage to the party's chances in November if women -- who make up the majority of Democratic voters nationwide, but especially the older, white working-class women who've long formed the former first lady's base -- sense a mostly male party establishment is unfairly muscling Clinton out of the race." Ann Lewis, "Clinton's director of women's outreach and a longtime Democratic activist," said, "My e-mail is bursting with women who are furious, and it's grown in the last week. ... They are very angry that people they've worked for so hard would be so dismissive of Hillary and, by extension, of them and what they value."
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Sen. Barack Obama headlined a massive rally at Penn State yesterday, where he "offered praise for the public service" of Sens. John McCain and Hillary Clinton "but described both as mired in the partisanship of Washington. 'Her basic argument is we just need to change political parties,' Mr. Obama said" of Clinton, adding, "Just because we have a Democrat in the White House doesn't mean that things are going to change." The AP reports from this morning that the rally drew "20,000 to 22,000" people, who came out in the cold for the event.
Not all of Obama's events were so large. ABC World News reported, "Touring The Agricultural Center at Penn State University, the candidate played nurse maid to a one-month-old calf" which was "one of several stops this weekend designed to show Obama not as an ivory tower elitist, but as a regular guy. At a diner in Altoona, he ordered hot dogs, French fries. Later, he and his chaperon, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, went to a bowling alley." Clinton, off the campaign trail yesterday, returns to the state today.
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The Washington Post reports this morning on its front page, "A year into his tenure on Capitol Hill," Sen. Barack Obama approached Sen. John McCain to "propose the two work together on a lobbying and ethics reform bill. ... What began as a promising collaboration between two men bent on burnishing their reformist credentials collapsed after barely a week." The effort "has emerged as a looking-glass moment of what a fall campaign could resemble. ... Their first tentative campaign jousting this year suggests that both men walked away from that initial encounter with doubts about the other's sincerity, in contrast with the working relationship built up over this decade between" McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton. Under the headline "A Testy Exchange," the Washington Post prints copies of a pair of terse notes exchanged between McCain and Obama.
According to new data out from Gallup, Sen. Barack Obama has opened a 10 point lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton in their national tracking poll. Obama leads Clinton 52%-42%; the race had been an effective tie as recently as last Monday, when Obama held just a 46%-45% lead. In general election trial heats, Sen. John McCain tops both Democrats. McCain leads Obama 47%-44% and Clinton 48%-44%. The Democratic primary data is based on 1,228 likely Democratic voters taken March 27-29 while the trial heats are based on interviews with 4,407 registered voters taken March 25-29.
An American Research Group poll of 600 likely Pennsylvania Democratic voters taken March 26-27 shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading Sen. Barack Obama 51%-39%. A similar poll taken March 6-7 shows Clinton leading 52%-41%.
A Rasmussen Report poll of 500 likely Virginia voters taken March 27 shows Sen. John McCain leading both Democratic candidates by wide margins, although Sen. Barack Obama fares better than Sen. Hillary Clinton. McCain leads Obama 52%-41%, while he tops Clinton by twice that margin, 58%-36%.
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The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson "is expected to announce his resignation Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, a decision that will deal a blow to the Bush administration's efforts to tackle the housing and mortgage mess." The Journal adds "the exact reasons for Mr. Jackson's decision couldn't be learned," but Jackson "has been beset recently by allegations of cronyism and favoritism." The New York Times notes the Journal report, and adds "Jackson has scheduled a news conference for 9:45 a.m., 15 minutes before Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. is supposed to outline plans for dealing with the financial crisis set off by the risky mortgage lending." If Jackson resigns, adds the Times, "it would remove a key player from the administration team dealing with the problem."
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan to reform financial regulation is earning major media coverage that tends to portray it as ambitious in scope yet likely to spark the wrath of numerous government agencies, mixed reactions from financial interests, and skepticism from Democrats who consider it insufficient. ABC World News, in its lead story last night, called the plan "the biggest changes in regulation since the Depression," and added "the battle lines have already begun forming."
The Wall Street Journal reports on its front page in a 2,370-word front-page article, "The Bush administration's plan to remodel the patchwork system of US financial regulation, built piecemeal since the Civil War, is the biggest salvo in what will be a long-running debate about the role of government in financial markets." Over the weekend, "Paulson slaughtered a number of Washington's sacred cows, proposing to merge or eliminate institutions of long standing including" the SEC, "and to create a controversial new role of supercop for the Federal Reserve." Echoing misgivings about the impact on the Fed's powers, the Wall Street Journal reports in another front-page article that the Fed "emerges at first glance as the big winner" but may confront "a job that may be beyond anyone's ability: Identify and avoid a crisis in advance. ... Another issue for Fed officials is whether they lose authority even as they gain responsibility. ... Fed officials fear that [as envisioned in the Paulson plan] without some direct role in supervising banks, they would lose a useful tool in crises because they would have to work via other agencies. ... The Fed has fought off past efforts to wrest away that supervisory role, most recently during the Clinton administration."
The Financial Times says "Paulson is likely to face a tough bureaucratic and political battle." The Fed "seemed encouraged, saying the report 'presents a timely and thoughtful analysis'. On the other hand, there was a scathing reaction from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which will be merged with the" SEC "and is likely strongly to resist the proposed changes. ... Further opposition could come from state insurance regulators, whose powers will be eroded if the Treasury succeeds in creating a federal insurance charter."
USA Today, meanwhile, reports "Congressional response, though cautiously approving, signaled the likelihood of years of fierce debate." Sen. Charles Schumer "said it doesn't do enough to deal with unregulated investments even experts 'don't fully comprehend,'" while Rep. Barney Frank, who termed the plan "constructive," also "said it 'goes too far in diminishing the role of the states, and not far enough' in new Fed power over non-bank institutions. Many financial groups offered preliminary support, though the American Bankers Association criticized what it called the crippling of state banking charters. The National Association of Mortgage Brokers said it would support a mortgage commission as long as it oversees all players." The Washington Times, McClatchy, Christian Science Monitor and New York Times run similar stories.
Bad Economic News Continues Last night and this morning, reporting about the economy was relentlessly bleak with USA Today predicting an onslaught of "bad economic news," and the New York Times reporting on its front page on the record use of food stamps as a result of job losses. Says the Times, "Driven by a painful mix of layoffs and rising food and fuel prices, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s. ... Recent rises in many states appear to be resulting mainly from the economic slowdown, officials and experts say, as well as inflation in prices of basic goods that leave more families feeling pinched." In Michigan, "one in eight residents now receives food stamps." ABC World News, the only network to air last night, reported, "The evidence of these tough economic times is no farther than the kitchen table. And it starts early, right at breakfast." ABC (Stone) added, "Linda Miller says food for her family costs nearly double what it did a year ago. ... The cost of food is rising at the fastest rate in nearly two decades."
The Washington Post, also on its front page, laments cutbacks in state spending which it says are hurting the neediest. State budgets, says the Post, "have been hit hard by a worsening national economy. ... In addition, fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis -- declining home sales, deflated property values and mounting foreclosures -- has caused a slide in states' anticipated tax receipts."
Gen. David Petraeus will soon be testifying in Washington on the status of military action in Iraq, and both parties on Capitol Hill are jockeying for position. According to Roll Call, Senate Republicans and Democrats "will spend much of the week looking to set the stage for next week's Armed Services Committee and Foreign Relations Committee hearings," with Republicans "expected to use this week and next to reaffirm their support for the buildup and the war in general." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, meanwhile, "aims to expand the debate to the broader costs of the war. ... As part of that effort, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph Biden (D-Del.) will hold hearings on the cost and the long-term outlook for US involvement in Iraq to frame Petraeus' report." Meanwhile, "Democratic sources said Thursday that the House leadership has not detailed a strategy, and that lawmakers do not want to endorse any plans before Petraeus' testimony next week."
Another story in Roll Call addresses the Pretraeus appearance's possible effect on the presidential race. Democratic leaders, says Roll Call, "are quietly plotting a targeted offensive against" Sen. John McCain "during the upcoming Congressional debate on the Iraq War, aiming to at least dent the powerful platform the issue is certain to provide for his presidential campaign." The strategy, "which begins in earnest this week, is severalfold and involves trying to drown out McCain by holding Democratic-led press events and hearings, while at the same time galvanizing Members around a message that links the Arizona Senator to an unpopular President Bush and draws attention to his controversial remarks that US troops might have to remain in Iraq for 100 years." Hill "acknowledged" their plan "will be difficult to execute...since McCain," as a member of the Armed Services Committee, "is all but guaranteed the spotlight when...Petraeus" comes to Capitol Hill on April 8 and 9, and "neither of the Democratic presidential contenders enjoys a similar pulpit on the issue."
Nonetheless, a report on ABC World News gives McCain little chance of gaining an advantage of the issue. McCain, said ABC, is "out of synch with most Americans, who now believe the war was a mistake." Stuart Rothenberg, political analyst, was shown saying, "The news out of Iraq goes from bad to worse. I think that Democrats will tie the war around his neck, almost impossible for him to survive."
al-Sadr Pulls Back. The recent upsurge of violence in Iraq, however, could be about to die down. The Washington Post reports, "Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers Sunday to lay down their arms and end six days of clashes against US and Iraqi forces if the government agrees to release detainees and give amnesty to Sadr's fighters, among other demands." Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh "described Sadr's statement as a 'positive step,' but he said Iraqi security forces would continue to try to bring order to Basra, a southern oil center. ... Iraqi forces 'will finish the job,' Dabbagh said." The AP notes "the nine-point statement by the anti-American cleric, which was broadcast through Shiite mosques in Baghdad and across the south, called for an end to the 'armed presence' in Basra and other cities and urged followers 'to cooperate with the government to achieve security.'" Al-Sadr also "demanded that the Iraqi government stop 'illegal and haphazard raids' and release security detainees who haven't been charged, two issues cited by his movement as reasons for fighting the government."
The Los Angeles Times says there was no immediate evidence of a let-up in the fighting that has raged since Tuesday in the southern Shiite heartland and parts of Baghdad." For now, says the New York Times on its front page, "though fighting was reported to have died down by late afternoon in Basra, it continued in Baghdad, including heavy combat by Iraqi and American troops and aircraft in the Mahdi Army stronghold of Sadr City, casting uncertainty on the deal." The Times adds "the negotiations with...Sadr," which led to the cleric's call to his fighters, "were seen as a serious blow for Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, who had vowed that he would see the Basra campaign through to a military victory and who has been harshly criticized even within his own coalition for the stalled assault." They were also "a chance for Mr. Sadr to flaunt his power, commanding both armed force and political strength that can forcefully challenge the other dominant Shiite parties."
The Financial Times, however, reports, "If Mr Sadr's call is heeded by his followers it would be a significant victory for" Maliki's "strategy...of confronting the militias. ... As recently as Saturday night Mr Sadr had remained defiant, appearing on the Arabic news channel al-Jazeera and calling for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, along with international recognition for the 'Iraqi resistance.'" Sadr's "about-turn will test his ability to rein in the Mahdi army." The Wall Street Journal and Christian Science Monitor run similar reports.
USA Today, meanwhile, reports on its front page, "Iranian officials helped broker a cease-fire agreement Sunday between Iraq's government and...al-Sadr, according to Iraqi lawmakers." Osama al-Nujaifi, "a Sunni lawmaker who oversaw mediation in Baghdad, said representatives from al-Maliki's Dawa Party and another Shiite party traveled to Iran to finalize talks with al-Sadr." Iran "has close ties with both al-Sadr's movement and al-Maliki, who spent several years in exile there." Al-Nujaifi "said the agreement was brokered by the commander of Iran's al-Quds Brigade, which is considered a terrorist organization by Washington." McClatchy also notes Iran's role.
Bush Undaunted By Surge In Iraq Violence U.S. News and World Report reports this week that "the Iraq war is back on the front pages, as sectarian violence rises again in Basra and parts of Baghdad, and it remains unclear whether the Iraqi government can stop it. Suicide bombings are up, and Baghdad's Green Zone...fell under rocket attack. Americans were reminded of the war's escalating cost by two grim milestones: the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion on March 19 and the U.S. military death toll's climb to 4,000." Nevertheless, President Bush "insists on 'victory' and argues that his policies will succeed and 'merit the sacrifice.'" Another short US News and World Report piece notes, "In a speech last week, Bush said the Iraqi government's aggressive assault on insurgents shows 'the progress that the Iraqi security forces have made.'"
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Jay Leno: "I know we have a lot of college students here. Now, here's kind of a philosophical question. Now, if a sniper fires a gun in the woods and nobody is around, does Hillary Clinton still hear it?"
Jay Leno: "Big movie opening this weekend is 'Run, Fat Boy, Run.' Isn't this what the Democrats are trying to get Al Gore to do now?"
Jimmy Kimmel: "Hillary Clinton was in Indiana trying to get more people there to like her. She claims to have taken some incoming sniper fire at the Indianapolis Airport baggage carousel, but other than that, they say the trip went very well."
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