John Edwards' endorsement of Barack Obama is being treated as a major development by the media, leading all three network newscasts and figuring prominently on the front pages of major newspapers. The coverage portrays Edwards' endorsement as an indication the Democratic establishment is lining up behind Obama, but its timing also is seen as a strategic move by Obama to address his poor performance among working-class white voters in West Virginia. ABC World News led its report with "a live picture...from Grand Rapids, Michigan, a Barack Obama campaign rally, where John Edwards is about to take stage and endorse Barack Obama. ... His is a major endorsement sought by both Obama and Hillary Clinton." In a follow-up report, ABC World News added that in West Virginia, Obama "struggled, in particular, among white, working-class voters. And those are exactly the voters who are the most ardent supporters of John Edwards. John Edwards cast himself as the angry, white man of the Democratic primaries. Now, he'll put that anger to use for his former rival."
NBC Nightly News refers to a "major boost" for Obama, and notes Edwards "got seven percent of the vote last night in West Virginia. Interesting because he's not in the running anymore. But it does show support for him still out there." And the CBS Evening News reported, "Clinton didn't get to enjoy her landslide win in West Virginia very long at all. Barack Obama took back the spotlight this evening dramatically when he won an endorsement both candidates wanted badly: John Edwards."
The AP reports Edwards said, "Brothers and sisters, we must come together as Democrats" to defeat McCain. He added, "We are here tonight because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I." The New York Times notes Edwards "went on to say, 'There is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to tear down that wall and make one America, Barack Obama.'"
The Houston Chronicle reports Edwards' endorsement could "potentially" help Obama with working-class voters, and adds, "A Southerner, he had made a pitch to the same white and working-class voters Obama is trying to woo. 'I'll just point out the obvious,' Edwards told one audience when he was campaigning in Iowa last year. 'In the last - can I do the math, 45, 50 years - what is it, the last two Democrats who actually got elected president? Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton. Both of 'em talk like I do.'"
The Quad City Times reports that both candidates are already scrambling for the support of Edwards' four delegates he won in Iowa.
Gore Last Major Democratic Figure Not To Endorse The Bloomberg News reports Edwards' endorsement of Obama leaves former Vice President Al Gore "as the major Democratic figure still on the sidelines in the party's presidential race." Gore, "who is one of the party's superdelegates, has indicated he won't give his endorsement until the primary contest is finished. His spokeswoman, Kalee Kreider, said yesterday that Gore had no further comment."
John Edwards' endorsement was just one of the pieces of good news for Barack Obama's campaign yesterday. McClatchy reports Edwards' endorsement "came hours after abortion-rights group NARAL deserted Clinton after years of support to endorse Obama." The Clinton campaign "was caught unawares by the NARAL endorsement, which became public as Clinton advisers were holding a conference call with reporters. Asked by a reporter on the call for his response, Clinton's communications director Howard Wolfson said, '"Surprised" would be my response' and that Clinton's leadership and advocacy on abortion rights had been 'second to none.'"
The AP reports NARAL president Nancy Keenan said in a statement, "Pro-choice Americans have been fortunate to have two strong pro-choice candidates in Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, both of whom have inspired millions of new voters to participate in this historic presidential race. ... Today, we are proud to put our organization's grass-roots and political support behind the pro-choice candidate whom we believe will secure the Democratic nomination and advance to the general election. That candidate is Senator Obama."
The Miami Herald reports Ellen R. Malcolm, "president of Emily's List -- a group that raises money to support feminist candidates -- decried NARAL's move as 'tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton,' who has fought for abortion rights throughout her career. Two dozen women members of Congress hastily called an evening news conference 'to discuss Hillary Clinton's strong pro-choice record.'"
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In the wake of her lopsided West Virginia primary win on Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton vowed to press ahead with her presidential campaign despite the conventional wisdom that her rival, Barack Obama, has all but secured the nomination. Clinton herself did a round of TV interviews to justify her continued campaign, and she dispatched key surrogates to meet with congressional supporters and undecided superdelegates. However, her appearances were heavily overshadowed by the coverage awarded to John Edwards' endorsement of Obama. Clinton said on CNN's The Situation Room, "This is the closest election we've ever had, that anybody can remember. ... The delegate race remains close. We have contests yet to go. People have been trying to end it. And the voters just won't let it happen. As a recent poll suggested, 64 percent of Democrats want to see this continue. And I think for a good reason, because it's one of the most substantive, exciting, energizing political events I can remember in my lifetime." NBC Nightly News also interviewed Clinton. Asked how the race would end, Clinton said, "I think, Brian, it ends after everyone has had a chance to vote, after we have decided how we're going to seat the Florida and Michigan delegates, which I hope happens on May 31st. We have less than three weeks to go until everyone has had a chance to be heard."
The AP reports Clinton also met "with her finance team and top fundraisers at her Washington home." Participants "described the session as upbeat and said the unifying message was that Clinton, with her lopsided victory over front-runner Barack Obama in West Virginia on Tuesday, now had the lead in votes cast thus far. The numbers, however, include the results from the Florida and Michigan primaries, which the national Democratic Party has not recognized." The Hill adds Clinton "rallied her Capitol Hill supporters on Wednesday night, telling them to bring an uncommitted friend and seeking to capitalize on her 41-percentage points victory in the West Virginia primary."
Asked about the vice presidency on CNN's The Situation Room, Sen. Hillary Clinton said, "It's premature for either of us to talk about that. I think both of us are committed to doing everything we can to win in the fall. I certainly am. And I will do whatever it takes, because I know what four more years of basically the same Bush policies would mean to America." NBC Nightly News also asked Clinton about the "argument that you and Senator Obama are better together," and Clinton said, "Well, I know a lot of people are making that argument. I am not entertaining it yet because I'm still focused on getting the nomination, but I know that once we have a nominee, we're going to have a unified Democratic Party."
The AP reports that following his massive defeat in West Virginia, Sen. Barack Obama headed to Michigan and "plunged into the task of convincing working-class whites that he understands them and will do more to help them hold their jobs and pay their bills than Republican John McCain." The Politico reports Obama "held a town hall meeting here at Macomb Community College, which sits in a county synonymous with the working class voters, Reagan Democrats, who overwhelmingly rejected him in West Virginia." The New York Times adds that in addition to his Michigan appearances, Obama has "taken to wearing an American flag pin on his lapel and sprinkling his speeches with references to God and country, gestures to reassure Democratic voters about his values."
Obama Looks To Woo Auto Industry The Detroit Free Press reports Obama, at a stop at a Chrysler plant in Michigan, "tried to make amends with the workers and leaders of Michigan's signature automotive industry on Wednesday after bashing it for most of the past year." The Detroit News reports Obama "promised a partnership with the American auto industry, including billions of dollars in aid for the transition to more fuel-efficient vehicles."
The Detroit News reports this morning that Sen. Barack Obama "came to Michigan to make nice with the auto industry. He left apologizing for what some online call his 'sweetie problem.' For the second time in a month, the Illinois senator referred to a woman as a 'sweetie.' In April, it was a factory worker in Pennsylvania. Wednesday, it was Peggy Agar, a persistent WXYZ-TV reporter who asked what he'd do to 'help the American auto workers' as Obama toured the Chrysler Stamping Plant in Sterling Heights. Obama's response 'hold on one second, sweetie' -- instantly became a cyber-sensation, with video of the exchange attracting more than 9,000 hits in a few hours on YouTube and prompting debate on the New York Times Web site and political blogs such as Wonkette."
The AP adds that WXYZ later on Wednesday "played a voice mail message Obama left for Agar. In it, Obama apologized for not getting back to her. He also told her he has a bad habit of calling people 'sweetie.' Obama then said: 'I mean no disrespect, so I am duly chastened on that front.'" The Detroit Free Press adds that Agar "said in a televised report that she was more upset that Obama didn't answer her question."
The CBS Evening News reported, "In addition to the Edwards endorsement, Obama picked up four more superdelegates today. Senator Clinton got one. Our latest CBS News count shows Clinton would need nearly three quarters of the remaining delegates, both from upcoming primaries and those superdelegates, to clinch the nomination. Obama, meanwhile, needs only about a third."
The Post Tribune reports this morning that Indiana Rep. Pete Visclosky (D) backed Obama yesterday, saying he "promises to bring Americans together to reach pragmatic, progressive solutions to the problems we face." The AP reports Oklahoma state Sen. President Pro Tem Mike Morgan (D) also said he is backing Obama, becoming the fifth superdelegate from the state to back Obama. Despite Clinton's 55%-31% victory in the state's primary, she has the backing of only one of its superdelegates. The AP reports that a pair of superdelegates from Michigan also backed Obama yesterday Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and College Democrats of America President Lauren Wolfe. However, Michigan's superdelegates are not currently being counted because the state violated the DNC's rules by scheduling its primary too early.
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In what's being portrayed as evidence of President Bush's waning influence, the Wall Street Journal reports the House yesterday "passed a $289 billion farm bill Wednesday by a veto-beating margin." The vote is "the latest sign that the waning months of...Bush's term are being defined by battles with a Congress that appears to be tuning him out." The New York Times says that in the Senate, "the measure is also expected to have veto-proof support. Although predictions can be dicey in political Washington, the measure's strength in the Senate has been seen as even more robust than in the House." As a result, McClatchy reports, "Congress is on track to hand Bush the second veto override of his presidency."
The Hill says Sen. Mitch McConnell "is in a familiar place on the farm bill -- keeping silent on his position until the last minute." He "intends to vote for the bill, but has done little to publicize his stance -- just as the Kentuckian wouldn't reveal his position on an earmark moratorium earlier this year, a key immigration vote in 2007 and pending Medicaid regulations that many governors oppose."
The Washington Post reports Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer "said the vote 'sends the wrong message to the rest of the country who are not experiencing the boom of the agriculture sector. This bill is loaded with taxpayer funded pet projects at a time when Americans are struggling to buy groceries and afford gas to get to work.'"
The Hill reports, "Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Nussle on Wednesday criticized Congress for considering this farm bill at a time of record farm income." USA Today, the Washington Times and Roll Call are among the news outlets running similar reports this morning.
Roll Call reports House Republicans and Democrats alike "claimed Wednesday that a $52 billion 'millionaire tax' to pay for GI education benefits could be electoral red meat for their side in this year's elections." Republicans "said it will be easier for their members to vote against the package of GI and unemployment benefits included in the nearly $250 billion war supplemental Thursday because they can attack it as a tax increase on small businesses." Democrats, however, "argued that they can tar vulnerable Republicans who oppose the tax increase as favoring millionaires over veterans returning from Iraq."
The Washington Post reports House Democratic leaders on Thursday "embraced a surtax on the wealthy to pay for expanded education benefits for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, clearing the way for votes" on the last war-funding bill of George W. Bush's Presidency. However, the fate of the surtax, "dubbed the 'patriots' premium'" by House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, "is very much in doubt."
McCain-Backed GI Bill Loses Senate Vote The AP reports, "Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked a bill by John McCain that would have increased college aid for military veterans because they said it didn't go far enough and would serve only as political cover for the GOP presidential candidate."
The Hill reports, "By a 55-42 margin, the Senate blocked the amendment, authored by McCain ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)." McCain and Graham "are opposed to a broader Democratic GI bill of rights, authored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.)." The Washington Post adds that Sen. John Warner (R-VA) helped Webb draft his GI Bill.
The Administration's long-expected decision on whether polar bears are an endangered species seems to have done little to settle the underlying debate on climate change policy. ABC World News reported, "The federal government today listed polar bears as a threatened species because Arctic sea ice is melting away, due to global warming." But the Administration "argues the Endangered Species Act is not meant to combat global warming and that the listing does not require them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
The CBS Evening News said "today's decision is a compromise that falls short for both industry and environmentalists." NBC Nightly News noted Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne "showed satellite images to show the dramatic change in ice from 1979 to today explaining his decision to list the bear as threatened but he insisted this would not be a way to regulate greenhouse gases from cars and power plants." The Christian Science Monitor, however, reports "many groups hailed the listing decision, even with its limited parameters."
McClatchy reports, "Scientists with the US Geological Survey predicted in September that only a small population of the existing 25,000 of the world's polar bears would remain in the islands of the Canadian Arctic by mid-century." The Wall Street Journal reports, "It is unclear how the Interior Department's move will ultimately affect drilling activities in Alaska, or the broader debate over how to fight climate change."
The New York Times reports "Barton H. Thompson Jr., a law professor and director of the Woods Institute of the Environment at Stanford University, said the decision reflected the administration's view that 'there is no way, if your factory emits a greenhouse gas, that we can say there is a causal connection between that emission and an iceberg melting somewhere and a polar bear falling into the ocean.'"
The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Washington Times and the Washington Post runs similar stories.
The decision drew editorial comment from several of the major dailies. Under the headline "Polar Bear Melodrama," the Wall Street Journal editorializes, "If Congress wants to enact global-warming legislation, then so be it but the costs and benefits should be argued in the open. This fly-by-night policy making is not only unscientific. It's undemocratic."
The Washington Post editorializes, "That Mr. Kempthorne has to contort his agency to ensure that it doesn't get dragged into setting US climate policy is simply more proof of the need for such a policy, supported by the White House and ratified by Congress, that aims at sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
The Los Angeles Times editorializes that "if the Department of the Interior will not start the conversation about protection for its newest threatened species, Congress should."
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Jay Leno: "You can tell Hillary was kind of pandering to voters in West Virginia. Like today, she promised if elected, she would impose a heavy tax on anybody with teeth."
Jay Leno: "Give her credit. Hillary Clinton is living proof of the American dream. Think about it. If you work hard and really put your mind to it, you can watch someone else become president."
Jay Leno: "And according to a survey in 'US News & World Report,' 32% of Americans think John McCain is too old to be president. When they told John McCain about this, he said, 'Huh?!'"
David Letterman: "President Bush is in Israel...today. He is there looking for knishes of mass destruction."
Conan O'Brien: "Last night," Hillary Clinton "won the West Virginia primary with nearly 70% of the vote. ... Yeah, apparently, Hillary would've gotten even more votes from the West Virginians, but on the way to the polls, some of their houses got a flat tire."
Jimmy Kimmel: "Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary last night. She raked in 20 of the 28 delegates for West Virginia, which means now she has even more of no chance to win this thing."
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