One day after her win in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, Sen. Hillary Clinton is being described as the candidate with momentum in the battle for the nomination. In a report typical of much of the coverage, NBC Nightly News said last night that "Pennsylvania was enough to keep...Clinton's hopes alive and revive nagging doubts about...Obama's ability to deliver a knockout punch." Clinton "got what she needed, a pass to go on to Indiana and North Carolina which votes two weeks from now with the economic message she has seen work in Pennsylvania." ABC World News, meanwhile, reported "Clinton is on a roll. Remember, she didn't just win Pennsylvania. She's won the last, three, big contests, including Texas and Ohio. And that gives her momentum." Clinton "is raring for a fight" and "brimming with confidence."
USA Today reports Clinton "pressed her case anew Wednesday that she is the candidate most capable of defeating Republican John McCain in the fall. 'I won that double-digit victory that everybody on TV said I had to win, and the voters of Pennsylvania clearly made their views known - that they think I would be the best president and the better candidate to go against Senator McCain,' Clinton said Wednesday morning in a CNN interview."
However, one claim floated by Clinton yesterday is being received skeptically by the media. ABC World News repots Clinton now claims, "for the first time...to be winning the popular vote." Clinton was shown saying, "I am very proud that, as of today, I have received more votes by the people who have voted than anybody else." ABC added, "Of course, Clinton is counting votes cast in Florida and in Michigan. Almost no one else does." MSNBC's Hardball said "Clinton's math is fuzzy. Democrats agreed not to campaign in Florida or Michigan. And in Michigan, Obama's name was not even on the ballot." The CBS Evening News similarly reported, "If you leave Florida and Michigan out of the mix, Clinton actually trails Obama in the popular vote. Obama leads by more than 600,000 votes. Obama also has won more states, 26 plus the District of Columbia to Clinton's 15."
Democratic superdelegates are showing more signs of concern over the nominating contest. On its front page, the Los Angeles Times says "Clinton's Pennsylvania win has bought her time -- but not much -- to make her case to the Democratic Party's superdelegates, many of whom expressed a strong desire Wednesday to end the nominating contest once the final votes are cast." Similarly, the Washington Post reports that while party leaders "resigned themselves yesterday to a prolonged and potentially damaging battle between...Clinton and...Obama," they also "said they will push for a quick conclusion to the warfare once the primaries end in early June." The officials "expressed concern that, as Clinton and Obama continue to focus on each other, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumed Republican nominee, is getting a free ride."
Exit polling from Tuesday's contest appears to be generating doubts in some quarters about Sen. Barack Obama's viability in the fall election. On its front page, the New York Times reports, "It is the question that has hung over...Obama's presidential campaign, and it loomed large on Tuesday night after his loss to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Pennsylvania: Why has he been unable to win over enough working-class and white voters to wrap up the Democratic nomination?" Obama "lost yet again in a big general election state, dragged down by his weakness among blue-collar voters, older voters and white voters. The composition of Mrs. Clinton's support -- or, looked at another way, the makeup of voters who have proved reluctant to embrace Mr. Obama -- has Democrats wondering, if not worrying, about what role race may be playing."
On NBC Nightly News, Tim Russert analyzed the exit polls for the Pennsylvania primary, "First the surprise: the Philadelphia suburbs, these are affluent, well-educated voters. Look at this, Hillary Clinton won them 51-49. That was supposed to be an Obama stronghold. Secondly, the anchor of any Clinton victory in Pennsylvania, anywhere else, white women and she performed two to one; 68% to 32%. White Catholics....this was a real strength for Hillary Clinton; 72%. Nearly three in four white Catholics voted for...Clinton over...Obama. And a further warning sign for...Obama: When asked about a general election, 20% of those Catholics said they would vote for John McCain in general election; 18% said they would stay home. He has a lot of work to do with white Catholics in Pennsylvania and throughout the Midwest." On MSNBC's Hardball, Ron Brownstein said, "There has to be a little anxiety growing about the consistency of Obama's troubles with the white working class voters at the core of the party. He is getting 28, 29 percent in some of these states of white Catholics. Democrats have to be able to compete for white Catholics. They don't have to win them, but they have to be competitive in a general election."
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The AP reports Sen. John McCain yesterday asked the North Carolina GOP "not to run a television ad that brings up the controversial former pastor of" Sen. Barack Obama. North Carolina Republican "officials insisted the ad will run as planned despite McCain's request." The ad "opens with a photo of Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright together and a clip of Wright, whose incendiary comments about race have bedeviled Obama." The New York Times describes the ad this morning, "Preaching in 2003, Mr. Wright uses an expletive when referring to the United States and discussing its treatment of African-Americans, arguing that instead of singing 'God Bless America,' they should sing something else. Mr. Obama has said he was not at the service." The narrator then "declares Mr. Obama 'too extreme for North Carolina' and attacks the two Democrats running for governor, Beverly Eaves Perdue, the lieutenant governor, and Richard H. Moore, the state treasurer, for endorsing Mr. Obama." The Raleigh News & Observer said it is believed "to be the first time nationwide that Republicans have used Wright's comments in a TV advertisement since the comments first drew scrutiny last month."
The Los Angeles Times notes "aides to McCain said campaign manager Rick Davis called the North Carolina Republican chairman Tuesday and left a long message urging the state party not to run the ad." The CBS Evening News reported "Obama said McCain could do more to stop it." Obama was shown saying, "And I assume that if John McCain thinks that it's an inappropriate ad, that he can get them to pull it down, since he is their nominee and standard bearer."
As the Democratic contest moves to Indiana, the Indianapolis Star reports that Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaking in Indianapolis, "cast herself as the underdog" and "pleaded for contributions." Clinton touted her economic plans and "challenged Obama to an Indiana debate and solicited campaign donations from the crowd of Hoosiers, saying their help is needed to fund her campaign and carry her to a win in the May 6 primary." The Chicago Tribune reports that speaking Wednesday in New Albany, Indiana, yesterday, Sen. Barack Obama "predicted victory in the Indiana primary, despite an electorate that closely mirrors states where he has recently suffered sizable losses."
The CBS Evening News reported that Clinton campaign "needed to cash in on its big win last night and aides say they are doing that big time. They expect to raise as much as $10 million by the end of the day." Terry McAuliffe, Clinton campaign strategist, was shown saying, "We knew it would be a good day. We had no idea we'd have the explosion we had today. It's spectacular." CBS added, "The money is badly needed. Heading into last night, the Clinton campaign was more than $10 million in debt. If money means viability in politics, this recent cash infusion means she's good to go, at least through the next two primaries."
McClatchy reports from Inez, Kentucky, "the heart of Appalachia, in the town where Lyndon Johnson declared the war on poverty but where poverty still reigns," Sen. John McCain told voters yesterday "that the government couldn't solve all their problems." McCain said, "Government has a role to play in helping people who through no fault of their own are having a hard time. But government can't create good and lasting jobs outside of government. It can't pay lost wages. It can't dig coal from the earth. It can't buy you a house." USA Today adds that McCain "promoted tax incentives, including a new proposal to let companies write off the costs of providing high-speed Internet service to low-income residents." Speaking at "an old courthouse in rural Martin County, McCain also touted 'partnerships' with local governments and businesses, particularly when it comes to recruiting teachers."
The New York Times says McCain "offered few other poverty-fighting specifics in a speech that was largely focused on trying to connect to voters in one of the poorest parts of the United States, and that sought to project himself to independents and moderate Democrats across the country as a different kind of Republican." The Washington Post says McCain is "reaching out to voters in these Democratic strongholds to try to build the broad, center-right coalition that aides believe is necessary for him to become president. Advisers do not think Republicans alone can elect McCain, given how many have become disenchanted with President Bush and his policies."
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The CBS Evening News reported last night, "America's top general in Iraq, David Petraeus, is in line for a promotion. Defense Secretary Gates announced today that President Bush will nominate him to head US Central Command which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan." The New York Times notes that "asked whether the planned nominations by Mr. Bush were a sign that American policy was to 'stay the course' in Iraq," Gates "said that the security gains that had been achieved under...Petraeus' command meant that 'staying that course is not a bad idea.'" Gen. Ray Odierno will also be nominated to replace Petraeus as the top US commander in Iraq.
The proposed moves are receiving very positive reviews. Would-be critics are, at most, calling for caution about the implications of Petraeus' promotion. For example, the Christian Science Monitor concludes that the nomination "hints that there is a shallow bench of officers suited for the job in Iraq." McClatchy, meanwhile, says Petraeus' "high profile in the administration had some military commanders charging that he'd become too political." The Financial Times reports "lawmakers welcomed his nomination, but some urged...Petraeus to pay equal attention to the war in Afghanistan, for which he will now have overall responsibility." And USA Today says "lawmakers have counted on the head of Central Command to provide a counterbalance to Petraeus' troop requests for Iraq."
The coverage also tends to note that the changes would assure that the current military leadership would serve beyond the Bush presidency and thus extend the influence of the current president. For example, the Los Angeles Times says on its front page that "Bush is doing more than rewarding" Petraeus for "a job well done in Iraq. The president also is taking a step toward perpetuating his policy of high troop levels in Iraq and is putting his most trusted general in charge of renewing the military's focus on Iran." ABC World News also said the moves put "in place military leadership for a period long after a new president takes over."
In a statement from Baghdad, the Washington Times reports on its front page, Petreaus said yesterday, "I am honored to be nominated for this position and to have an opportunity to continue to serve with America's Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coastguardsmen, and Civilians" The AP reports many Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, "are enthusiastic Petraeus supporters" and Democrats on Capitol Hill "are not expected to oppose" Petraeus' nomination, "but they are likely to raise tough questions during confirmation hearings."
The Hill reports "Rep. Duncan Hunter (Calif.), the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said Petraeus 'has exhibited superb leadership in turning around the situation in Iraq.'" The Wall Street Journal also says "lawmakers from both parties signaled support for the nominations."
NBC Nightly News interviewed Stephen Biddle, a military analyst, who said, "By staying with the proven team, I think you maximize the likelihood that the war is going to be waged the way the President wants it waged." Along similar lines, the Washington Post says in a front-page story, "Senior officials said the shifts in top command are aimed at minimizing disruption to the military campaign in Iraq, at a time when security there remains fragile, and as the prospect looms in Washington of major changes in Iraq policy after the US presidential election in November."
Past Criticism Of Odierno Noted The New York Times reports Gen. Ray Odierno "had been criticized in some quarters during his first tour in Iraq, as commander of the Fourth Infantry Division based in Tikrit. A high point was the capture of Saddam Hussein by forces under his command, but his troops also were criticized for heavy-handed operations that, critics said, helped fuel frustration and, perhaps, the insurgency itself." USA Today also reports, "Early in the war, as the insurgency grew, Odierno showed few signs that he would rise to the top."
Roll Call reports as their leaders "continued to meet behind closed doors this week, House Democrats appear to be divided and in disarray over how to advance the Iraq supplemental spending bill and whether to include costly domestic spending priorities." Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen said yesterday that Democratic lawmakers "still can't agree on 'what to put in it.'"
The Hill, meanwhile, reports Democratic leaders said they "won't attach a new stimulus package to the legislation" even as they "ignore President Bush's demand not to load the Iraq supplemental spending bill with extras that push the total past $108 billion."
Iraq Could Reap $70 Billion Oil Windfall The AP notes "new data on Iraq oil revenues suggests that country's government will reap an even larger than expected windfall this year -- as much as $70 billion." The "previously undisclosed" figure "is likely to strengthen the hand of US lawmakers complaining that Iraqis aren't footing enough of the bill for rebuilding their nation."
The Washington Post reports that in Baghdad, US officials said "a military campaign in the stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has succeeded in nearly eliminating the deadly rocket and mortar attacks launched from the area." The officials "said the mission in Sadr City was to stop attacks on the heavily fortified Green Zone, the center of US military and Iraqi government operations here. The barrages had risen sharply since Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki launched a campaign against Shiite fighters last month in the southern city of Basra."
US: Iran Behind 73% Of Baghdad Attacks The New York Times reports US military officials said "nearly three-quarters of the attacks that kill or wound American soldiers in Baghdad are carried out by Iranian-backed Shiite groups, the United States military said Wednesday." According to "senior officers in the American division that secures the capital," 73% "of fatal and other harmful attacks on American troops in the past year were caused by roadside bombs planted by so-called 'special groups'" which are "trained by Iran that fight alongside the Mahdi Army but do not obey the orders of the militia's figurehead, the cleric Moktada al-Sadr, to observe a cease-fire."
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The Hill reports House Republicans on Wednesday "began circulating a discharge petition to force a vote on the Senate version of a bill seeking changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act." GOP leaders "hope that enough Democrats will support" the procedural maneuver, which needs the support of 218 members, "to get the vote."
Roll Call reports GOP lawmakers "hope to add the signatures of members of the Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, many of whom represent conservative-leaning districts and have previously endorsed the legislation expanding the warrantless wiretap program."
The CBS Evening News reported the Bush Administration is "being accused tonight of putting political pressure on scientists with the Environmental Protection Agency. In a new survey, more than half say they've been pressured by superiors to skew their findings -- and it's gotten worse in the past five years." The Los Angeles Times notes "the survey results show 'an agency under siege from political pressures,' said the Union of Concerned Scientists report, which was released Wednesday and sent to EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson." The online survey was "sent to 5,419 EPA scientists last summer; 1,586 replied, and of those, 889 reported that they had experienced at least one type of interference within the last five years."
The Washington Post reports, "Among the scientists' complaints were that data sometimes were used selectively to justify a specific regulatory outcome and that political appointees had directed them to inappropriately exclude or alter technical information in EPA scientific documents."
The Washington Times reports Senate Democrats "last night failed to garner enough votes to move forward a bill that would make it easier for employees to file lawsuits claiming wage discrimination." The Administration "had threatened to veto the measure." The 56-42 vote "fell four votes short of the 60 votes needed for legislation to proceed and overcome a filibuster." The Hill notes the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act "would reverse a 5-4 Supreme Court decision last year that established a 180-day deadline for pay-discrimination lawsuits."
The Washington Post says Republicans criticized the bill "as an attempt by Democrats to score political points before the fall presidential campaign." The vote, adds the Post, "was delayed until 6 p.m. so the Democratic presidential contenders could make it back after a day of campaigning in Indiana. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) gave showcase speeches on the Senate floor." The AP reports that John McCain, "campaigning through poverty-stricken cities and towns, said Wednesday he opposes" the bill.
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Jay Leno: "Well, the results are in from Pennsylvania. The big winner, apparently, John McCain."
Jay Leno: "At least the bright side for Barack -- he doesn't have to go bowling anymore."
Jay Leno: "Well, even though she won yesterday, you know, Hillary Clinton's campaign now $10 million in debt. ... Yeah. And ironically, her big issue: 'I can handle the economy.'"
David Letterman: "The Democratic" presidential race "is dragging on and on and on, but the Democrats are trying to put a good face on this." They "say now absolutely they will have a...nominee by McCain's second year in office. So they're ready to go."
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