With Pennsylvanians heading to the polls today in the first nominating contest since early March, the focus in the media today is on the increasingly bitter tone of the Democratic contest, along with an expectation that Sen. Hillary Clinton will win. ABC World News reported on the increasingly "bitter" tone of the campaign, "on the stump, through automated phone calls...and of course, in television ads. ... Obama, for his part, has to be worried about obliterating his brand of a new kind of politics." NBC Nightly News led its broadcast last night with coverage of today's primary, noting that though "the argument at times has veered into the areas of bowling, beer, and deer hunting, the stakes could not be higher for the Democrats, especially for the campaign of Hillary Clinton." The CBS Evening News reported that Obama's increasingly negative rhetoric is a result of his being behind in Pennsylvania, noting that he "has been framing the choice here in negative contrast with Clinton."
The Chicago Tribune reports today's primary "will bring to an end a bruising six-week period that has seen both candidates take blows over misstatements and other problems, heightening the anxiety of Democratic Party leaders that the primary struggle will hurt their eventual nominee - even while presumptive GOP nominee John McCain consolidates his gains, unifies his party and prepares for the fall." The Financial Times reports, "The seven-week campaign in Pennsylvania concluded on Monday much as it had begun in a swirl of accusations and counter-accusations."
Candidates Play Down Expectations The Washington Post reports Obama "and his aides sought to play down expectations for a race in which victory appeared to be slipping out of his reach." The AP adds Obama "suggested in an interview with Pittsburgh radio station KDKA that Clinton probably would come out on top. 'I'm not predicting a win. I'm predicting it's going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect,' he said. Clinton aides tried to keep expectations down, insisting they would be grateful for a win no matter how close." The New York Times reports that in "an atmosphere where both sides are hedging their expectations, Clinton aides have refused to say what margin of the popular vote she needs to win to stay in the race."
Clinton Ad Raises Specter Of Bin Laden The AP reports Clinton is running a new ad "with historic images to ask voters whom they would trust most in the White House during a time of trouble." The AP adds, "It was the first time a Democratic candidate has used bin Laden in a campaign commercial in the 2008 race for the White House. The terrorist appears along with images from the stock market crash, the bombing at Pearl Harbor, the Soviet threat, the collapse of the Berlin Wall and Hurricane Katrina as an announcer tells voters the political contest is for 'the most important job in the world.'" The Washington Post reports on its front page that Clinton "began a final ad, titled 'Kitchen,' designed to remind voters that only she is ready to handle the job of commander in chief." The spot "never mentions her rival by name, but the subtext is clear: Obama, who appeared off-balance when he came under tough questioning in a debate last Wednesday, is not up to the rigors of the role." The New York Times adds, "Reinforcing the message of her new advertisement on the stump," Clinton told a crowd in Scranton yesterday "that it would be dangerous for voters to 'take a leap of faith' by electing Mr. Obama, who she argues is untested. 'I don't want you to take a leap of faith or have any guesswork' about the next president, she said. 'We've had enough of that,' she said, referring to President Bush."
Obama Hits Back The New York Times reports Obama "did not directly engage her. But his campaign quickly responded with an advertisement of its own that asked voters: 'Who in times of challenge will unite us - not use fear and calculation to divide us?'" The Washington Times adds Obama's camp "also circulated a quote from former President Bill Clinton at an October 2004 rally for Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts before the Democrat lost his bid for president: 'Now one of Clinton's Laws of Politics is this: If one candidate's trying to scare you, and the other one's trying to get you to think; if one candidate's appealing to your fears, and the other one's appealing to your hopes, you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope. That's the best.'"
Final Zogby Tracking Poll Shows Clinton Opening Lead A Zogby International poll of 675 likely Democratic primary voters taken April 20-21 shows Clinton beating Obama 51%-41%. Clinton's lead has expanded from 48%-42% in the April 19-20 tracking and 46%-42% in the April 18-19 tracking.
Clinton Said To Need Big Win Despite the candidates' efforts to tamp down expectations, the CBS Evening News reported in its lead story that Clinton "desperately needs not just a win but a big win over Barack Obama to keep her campaign going." Similarly, the Christian Science Monitor reports this morning in a piece entitled, "Why Clinton Needs To Win Big In Pennsylvania," that Clinton, "has to win the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday and she has to win convincingly in order to narrow the deficit and appear competitive in the remaining handful of contests, analysts say." The Washington Times reports Clinton "is looking for a solid victory today in Pennsylvania to keep superdelegates from breaking for her Democratic presidential rival and finally ending the nomination battle." Long Island Newsday adds that "a victory is more important to Clinton, who probably needs a double-digit win to gain new momentum."
ABC World News reported John McCain "campaigned today in the Deep South, deliberately going to a place not normally friendly to Republicans. Senator McCain spoke near the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where civil rights marchers were brutally beaten in 1965. He's on a week long tour, focusing on poverty. A small crowd, of about 100 people, mostly white, turned out in Selma to hear him speak." The AP adds that McCain said yesterday "he knows it will be difficult to win over black voters who have supported Democrats for generations." McCain said, "I am aware the African-American vote has been very small in favor of the Republican Party. I am aware of the challenges, and I am aware of the fact that there will be many people who will not vote for me, but I'm going to be the president of all the people."
CNN's The Situation Room reported McCain's campaign is trying to "choreograph events all week long to create his own brand of Republicanism, show...in impoverished areas, in heavily black areas, that he's a different kind of Republican." The Washington Post reports McCain said he "will spend the week visiting people who have been ignored by both political parties." McCain "is scheduled to visit Appalachia; New Orleans; Youngstown, Ohio; and Little Rock as part of a week-long trip designed to make sure the GOP does not cede the issue of compassion to the Democrats."
The New York Times adds that the campaign trip "is also an attempt to attract a fraction of attention to Mr. McCain's campaign during a week when the political center of the world is Pennsylvania's Democratic primary showdown between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama."
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Coverage of the candidates' March fundraising totals this morning is focusing on the advantage Sen. Barack Obama is maintaining over Sen. Hillary Clinton in cash on hand ($41 million to $9 million), with a particular focus on the Clinton campaign's debt (over $10 million) and its impact on her continued viability. The Washington Post reports this morning that the "financial gap" between Obama and Clinton "has grown increasingly pronounced during the presidential primary season, and the Clinton campaign is now shouldering sizable debts to several key consultants and advisers, campaign records show."
The Wall Street Journal reports on its front page that Clinton is "struggling for cash," which "could limit her ability to stay competitive in the final nine Democratic contests" with Obama. The New York Times reports, "In a conference call with reporters on Monday, the Clinton campaign sought to quell any concerns about finances. Howard Wolfson, a campaign spokesman, said, 'This campaign has resources,' and added, 'We will be honoring our debts in the coming months.'"
Under the headline, "Cash Becomes Clinton's Achilles Heel," the Financial Times reports Clinton "needs a big win" today "if she is to raise enough cash to keep her campaign on the road, according to election analysts and a breakdown of her own filings to the Federal Election Commission." The FT adds, "Election analysts say that Mrs Clinton would need to win by at least a double-digit margin in Pennsylvania on Tuesday to instill enough confidence in new donors that her campaign is still worth funding."
USA Today reports this morning that a new USA Today/Gallup poll shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. Hillary Clinton 50%-40% among Democrats. The poll shows Obama edging Sen. John McCain in a general election trial heat 47%-44% among registered voters, while Clinton tops McCain 50%-44%. The poll surveyed 1,016 adults from April 18-20.
Bloomberg News reports that "illustrating the candidates' efforts to reach every possible voter," Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain made taped appearances on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. program `Monday Night RAW' on the cable channel USA Network. The WWE says the weekly program draws 5 million viewers, and all three candidates used wrestling themes for their messages." The New York Daily News headlines its coverage "Presidential candidates wrestle for votes on WWE."
McClatchy reports that the North Carolina Democratic Party has canceled its plans for a debate, which Sen. Hillary Clinton had agreed to but which Sen. Barack Obama would not. The Wall Street Journal reports, "The Clinton campaign issued a statement Monday urging Sen. Obama to agree to a debate on another date. The Obama campaign responded, blaming the Clinton campaign for stalling earlier in the debate-planning process."
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President Bush on Monday met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in New Orleans for the annual North American Leaders' Summit where the three leaders focused on free trade between their nations. Media reports overwhelmingly portrayed their remarks yesterday as a defense of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has come under heavy criticism on the US presidential campaign trail.
The Los Angeles Times, for example, reports the "decidedly low-voltage affair" is "taking place against the backdrop of the US presidential campaign, which has deepened the political sensitivity of the leaders' efforts to expand trade and wrestle with other issues, such as immigration and border congestion." The AP says Bush and Calderon "strongly defended" NAFTA, "fending off anti-trade remarks that Democrats running for the White House are using to lure working class voters."
Though NAFTA is "taking a pounding on the campaign trail," the Washington Post reports, President Bush gathered with the leaders of Mexico and Canada "to defend the pact and to seek new ways to cooperate on border, economic and regulatory issues."
In addition to addressing concerns about NAFTA, the Washington Times reports at a US Chamber of Commerce reception last night, Bush also "urged Congress to approve a free-trade pact with Colombia and took a jab at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has blocked it by changing congressional rules. 'It's about time America sets aside petty politics and focuses on doing what's right for the United States of America,' he told business leaders."
Fox Special Report said the meeting was also "a reminder that different times may be ahead. Both Democratic presidential contenders feel that NAFTA is not working." The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reports that the leader's support for NAFTA came "amid warnings from business leaders that public perceptions and isolationist rhetoric threaten the pact's long-term health."
In its report on the summit, the Washington Post reports that "relations between the United States and its two neighbors have been good in recent years, with both Calderón and Harper sharing Bush's devotion to free trade and, in Canada's case, the commitment to the war in Afghanistan." However, "the Mexican side has been disappointed that Bush has not liberalized the US immigration system, a big priority for Calderón."
Other coverage of the summit focused on the selection of New Orleans as the sight and the city's recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina. In the only network report on the summit, NBC Nightly News reported that New Orleans was chosen "to highlight the progress that's been made since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city back in 2005." Administration officials "acknowledge there is a lot of work to do in a lot of areas and it really is a tale of two cities, of two recoveries."
The Christian Science Monitor reports, "Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are signaling that the White House can expect a struggle over this year's $108 billion war-funding request." The measure is "one of the few spending bills likely to pass in the final months of the 110th Congress. That makes it a magnet for other spending priorities on Capitol Hill." Therefore, Democrats are "pulling together a package of up to $30 billion to boost the economy," but President Bush "says he will veto any bill that includes funding that he did not request or a timetable for a US exit from Iraq."
The Hill, meanwhile, reports the House "is likely to pass legislation this year setting a target date for the withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq," according to the leader of the House Democrats' campaign arm. "I would expect the House to pass legislation similar to that which we passed in the past...a date for the redeployment of the majority of US combat forces," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The New York Times reports Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "called for greater financial and diplomatic support for Iraq during a meeting with Arab foreign ministers in Bahrain on Monday, but she did not appear to have won any new commitments." Although Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait "have pledged to send ambassadors to Iraq...Ms. Rice and Iraqi officials have hinted at their frustration with a lack of action on that promise."
AFP, meanwhile, reports Secretary Rice "failed to clinch any firm Arab pledges on debt relief or diplomatic presence at talks in Bahrain earlier on Monday but took her campaign to Kuwait for a meeting Tuesday with Iraq, Arab states, Turkey, Iran and world powers."
The AP reports from the meeting in Bahrain that "Iraq's top diplomat made an unusual personal appeal Monday to mostly Sunni Arab neighbors nervous about the influence and intentions of Shiite Iran. His message was blunt: Iraq is no Iranian puppet and Arab states should make good on old promises to help Iraq regain its footing."
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USA Today reports President Bush "has set a record he'd presumably prefer to avoid: the highest disapproval rating of any president in the 70-year history of the Gallup Poll." In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, "28% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing; 69% disapprove. The approval rating matches the low point of his presidency, and the disapproval sets a new high for any president since Franklin Roosevelt."
The Washington Post /AP reports rising gasoline prices "tightened the squeeze on drivers Monday, jumping for the first time to an average $3.50 a gallon at filling stations across the country with no sign of relief." Crude oil "set a record for the sixth day in a row - this time closing above $117 a barrel - after an attack on a Japanese oil tanker in the Middle East rattled investors." Diesel prices "at the pump also struck a record high of $4.20 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service."
ABC World News reported, "The Energy Department reported today what everyone intuitively already knows. The average price of a gallon of gas is at an all-time high." NBC Nightly News reported, "Over the past week the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline went up almost 12 cents to $3.51 a gallon. That's a new high. And 64 cents higher than it was just a year ago."
USA Today reports the "average price for regular gasoline across the USA was a record $3.508 a gallon Monday, eclipsing the inflation-adjusted peak of $3.413 set in March 1981, when the average was $1.417, according to the US Energy Information Administration." The New York Times reports despite a "slackening global economy, the bull market in energy prices is showing no signs of slowing." The Los Angeles Times reports with oil and gasoline "touching all-time highs again Monday, raging energy-price fever showed no sign of breaking. Before it's over, oil could cost at least $125 a barrel and gasoline more than $4 a gallon in California." The Financial Times reports the "outlook for long-term supplies darkened as Saudi Arabia confirmed it would put on hold any further capacity expansion plans, beyond the 12.5m b/d target the kingdom is expected to reach by next year."
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Jay Leno: "The Pope has finished his trip," and "I thought this was a little overboard. Today, Barack Obama accused the Pope of clinging to religion."
Jay Leno: "According to some of the political blogs, Democratic operatives have been looking for dirt on John McCain since February. You know what you call someone who digs up dirt on John McCain? An archaeologist."
David Letterman: "Bush was on 'Deal or No Deal.' Apparently, he didn't feel he was ready for 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?'"
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