The New York Times reports this morning that Sen. John McCain "is set to meet with at least three potential running mates at a gathering at his ranch this weekend in Arizona, suggesting that he is stepping up his search for a vice-presidential candidate as the Democratic contest heads toward a conclusion, according to Republicans familiar with Mr. McCain's plans." The Times says Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and Mitt Romney "have all accepted invitations to visit Mr. McCain at his ranch in Sedona, Republicans said." The Washington Times reports Jindal, "who was born in Baton Rouge to parents freshly arrived from the India's Punjab state, could help counter Mr. Obama's draw as the first minority on a major-party presidential ticket." The Times adds, "Among other guests expected are Sens. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent, and Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican. Another governor often mentioned as a front-runner will not be there this weekend: Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota has a wedding to attend Saturday."
However, McClatchy reports, "Whether the gathering is even a vice-presidential pow-wow or a simply a meeting with high-level supporters is unclear." The Los Angeles Times reports McCain strategist Charlie Black "insisted the gathering would be 'purely social' and had 'nothing whatsoever to do with the vice presidential selection process.'"
Sen. Barack Obama traveled to Florida yesterday, looking to begin the general election campaign in a key battleground state. However, Sen. Hillary Clinton stole some of his media by also traveling to Florida, where she argued for counted the disputed delegates from both Florida and Michigan.
ABC World News reports that Obama "was clearly hoping his first, big swing through the Sunshine State would focus mainly on the future and the upcoming battle with John McCain" but Clinton "was determined" to put the delegate issue "front and center." The New York Times adds that Clinton "defiantly sent out new signals Wednesday that she might take her fight for the nomination all the way to the party's convention in August." On the "trail and in interviews, she raised a new battle cry of determination, likening her struggle for these delegates to the nation's historic struggles to free the slaves and grant women the right to vote." But "behind the scenes, the campaigns were working with the Democratic National Committee to resolve the dispute over the delegates before May 31, when the party's rules committee is to decide the matter."
The Politico says Clinton's move is "part of a last-gasp strategy aimed at prolonging her campaign by convincing the party to alter the nomination math. By seating the penalized Florida and Michigan delegations, she would not only gain a significant number of delegates but also bolster her popular vote argument with the superdelegates."
DNC Panel To Consider Florida, Michigan Delegation On May 31 The Wall Street Journal reports the Democratic Party "released rules for the May 31 meeting that will decide how the Florida and Michigan delegations are seated at this summer's national convention. Like everything else about the dispute, it looks like the meeting will go on and on." Challengers "in both states have appealed the punishment, and with only three primaries and 86 delegate votes to go, the party has scheduled a rules committee meeting to resolve the long dispute." For each state, "both campaigns, the state party and the challenger will have a chance to make 15-minute presentations." The New York Daily News reports that "busloads" of Clinton supporters will "swarm" the meeting.
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The CBS Evening News reported, "Turning increasingly toward the general election," Sen. Barack Obama "is well aware of the importance of Florida's 27 electoral votes, and that they won't come easy." Adam Smith, St. Petersburg Times political editor was shown saying, "You know, a candidate that has often struggled to win Jewish sport, Hispanic support and seniors, is not exactly tailor-made for Florida." The Orlando Sentinel adds that Obama "launched a three-day swing through Florida on Wednesday, saying he is confident he can win the state despite its heavy concentration of voting blocs that have yet to embrace him." In another report, the Orlando Sentinel related on its website that "to woo Hispanics, Obama will have to overcome the skepticism of leaders, activists and voters in the state who already had aligned themselves with Hillary Clinton."
On its front page, the New York Times reports that Obama is having difficulty wooing Florida's Jewish voters, saying, "In dozens of interviews, South Florida Jews questioned his commitment to Israel -- even some who knew he earns high marks from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which lobbies the United States government on behalf of Israel. ... Many here suspect Mr. Obama of being too cozy with Palestinians, while others accuse him of having Muslim ties."
Florida Poll Shows McCain Leading Both Democrats The Palm Beach Post reports a new Rasmussen Report poll shows McCain topping Obama 50%-40% in Florida. McCain also leads Clinton 47%-41%. The Post added, "Only 57 percent of Florida Dems say they plan to vote for Obama in November, with 27 percent saying they'll cross over and support McCain."
The AP reports that Sen. Barack Obama's "recent defeats in primaries in coal-producing states" did not prevent the United Mine Workers of America from endorsing him Wednesday, suggesting that the move "continues organized labor's swing over to" Obama. The UMWA originally endorsed John Edwards in the Democratic race.
The New York Times reports this morning that Linda Douglass, "a longtime network news correspondent in Washington now working as a contributing editor to The National Journal," said yesterday she was leaving the magazine to serve as Sen. Barack Obama's spokeswoman. The Times paints Douglass's decision to "be part of the story she was covering" within the context of criticisms that the news media "are too enamored with Mr. Obama and Senator John McCain, and Ms. Douglass's new position fueled criticism on conservative blogs and among some supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton." In a blog posting, The Politico adds, "The Clinton campaign -- and Fox News -- is going to have a field day with this. But one of the best arrows in the Republican quiver has been National Journal's rating of Obama as the most liberal senator -- the Obama campaign has tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to bat down that moniker by explaining why the measurement was flawed. Now, they'll have someone from National Journal to make the case."
The AP reports that Sen. Barack Obama "added two superdelegates Wednesday, Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Dowdy." Sen. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, "picked up one, Ohio superdelegate Craig Bashein." Obama also "took a delegate from Clinton in Colorado, where party officials finished counting votes from the Democratic state convention during the weekend. ... It is common for delegates to shift in caucus states where campaigns battle for delegates throughout the multistep selection process."
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The Wall Street Journal reports while Sen. Barack Obama "holds a commanding lead" over Sen. John McCain in fundraising, the Republican National Committee's vast money edge over the Democratic National Committee could make McCain "competitive financially." The New York Daily News reports this morning that the RNC brought in $19.5 million last month and finished with $40.6 million in the bank, while the DNC brought in $4.7 million and finished April with $4.4 million in the bank.
The Stockton Record reports a Public Policy Institute of California poll of 2,003 Californians conducted May 12-18 shows both Democratic candidates hold significant leads over Sen. John McCain in California. The poll shows Sen. Barack Obama leading McCain 54%-37%, while Sen. Hillary Clinton tops him 51%-39%.
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President Bush yesterday vetoed the recently-passed farm bill, and the House lost no time in moving to override him. However, a technical error the exclusion of 34 pages from the version of the bill sent to the White House -- is likely to force a re-vote on the legislation. While Republicans are trying to use the issue to cast Democrats as incompetent, media reports are more benign. On its front page, the Washington Post says the "legislative glitch is likely to force embarrassed Democratic leaders to pass the bill all over again today -- and prompt a second showdown with Bush next month." A House clerk "mistakenly dropped a whole section dealing with trade policy from the 673-page bill before it was sent to the White House. Republican leaders argued last night the House had overridden a veto on legislation that had never actually passed the House and Senate."
The New York Times reports, "Although such errors typically are corrected by unanimous agreement of both parties, House Republican leaders, including several opponents of the farm bill, maneuvered to block a quick fix and instead sought to draw attention to what they portrayed as Democratic incompetence." Roll Call says "the House devolved into chaos Wednesday night over a technical error in the farm bill." After the "tumultuous night," Democrats "are planning Thursday to reintroduce and pass the bill again in its entirety, which will delay a vote on the budget."
The Hill reports House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer "said he had become aware of the problem roughly an hour earlier. It was not immediately clear if Hoyer learned of the error prior to the House vote." The Washington Times reports, "The flub turned a Democratic political victory into a major -- albeit likely temporary embarrassment."
Fox News' Special Report reported, "As promised, President Bush vetoed the nearly $300 billion farm bill with the White House calling it bloated and filled with gimmicks, including $175 million for water issues in desert lakes, $170 million for salmon fishermen and millions more to store peanuts and even fund a forest path to a ski resort nicknamed the trail to nowhere."
Farm Bill Underscores Bush's Lame Duck Status. Aside from coverage of the "glitch," the House's quick override of the President's veto is being cast as an indication of his diminishing influence. The AP reports the "10th veto of Bush's presidency" faces a "near-certain override by Congress." The House, notes McClatchy, "quickly overrode" the President "with Republicans joining Democrats" in a 316 to 108 tally. The Senate "will soon follow suit, handing the lame-duck president a lesson in congressional election-year priorities."
On its front page, the Washington Post says yesterday's "events left Republicans arguing publicly over another lapse in their commitment to fiscal discipline." The Washington Times also says yesterday's margin "left conservative leaders to ponder what happened to the fiscal conservative message that used to be the backbone of Republican election victories."
In a pattern reminiscent of the media's treatment of the Iraqi offensive against Shiite militias in Basra in which stories on the military shortcomings of the venture eventually were replaced by reports that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had scored a victory reports on the situation in Sadr City are becoming more positive. ABC World News reported, "Some good news to report from Iraq: Peace in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City, a day after 10,000 Iraqi troops were deployed to restore order. Markets reopened and shoppers returned to the streets. If the calm continues, it will be a major boost for Iraq's government, which has been trying for more than a month to take Sadr City from fighters loyal to the anti-American cleric Muqtada Al Sadr."
The Washington Post reports Iraqi soldiers "moved unhindered through Baghdad's vast Sadr City district" yesterday, as Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki pursues his "increasingly successful effort to contain the militias of his Shiite rivals and to exercise authority over areas where Iraqi forces were once unwelcome." The strategy "has won Maliki admiration from Sunni politicians and from US and British officials, who credit him with exerting some of the political will necessary to achieve reconciliation."
The AP reports, "With not a Shiite fighter in sight, shoppers crowded through markets and cars packed the streets in Baghdad's Sadr City on Wednesday -- a positive early sign for Iraqi forces in their bid to impose control following a truce with the militia in its stronghold."
The New York Times titles its report "US Troops Kill 11 Shiite Militants," and notes "an American military spokesman said three of the men were killed as they planted or were preparing to plant roadside bombs in the New Baghdad area, and others after they were seen carrying machine guns or rocket-propelled grenades in the same area."
Attacks In Mosul Down 85% The AP reports, "The number of daily attacks in Mosul has dropped at least 85 percent since US-Iraqi forces began an offensive against Sunni insurgents in the city earlier this month, the top US commander in northern Iraq said Wednesday."
US General Says Al Qaeda In Iraq At Nadir In an interview with the AP, the acting commander of US forces in the Middle East said Wednesday that Al-Qaeda in Iraq "appears to be at its weakest state since it gained an initial foothold in the aftermath of the US-led invasion five years ago." Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, who assumed interim command of US Central Command on March 28, "acknowledged that al-Qaeda remains a relentless foe and has not disappeared as a serious threat to stability. But he said an accelerated US and Iraq campaign to pressure al-Qaeda has paid big dividends."
Cheney: Surge "Succeeded Brilliantly" The Washington Times reports, "Vice President Dick Cheney told newly minted Coast Guard officers yesterday that the war on terrorism would be won on their watch and dismissed fears that fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan would drag on indefinitely." Cheney, "sporting a 10-gallon hat, said the troop surge in Iraq 'has succeeded brilliantly.'"
In a move that suggests Washington's influence has waned, and just days after President Bush warned against appeasing extremists through dialogue, Israel announced it has begun negotiating with Syria in order to reach a peace settlement. The Israeli move is being cast as a departure from the Administration's preferred position toward Damascus. The Christian Science Monitor, for example, reports that "for Israel, the new track of peace talks marks a departure with its US ally, which for years has preferred to isolate Syria as punishment for giving shelter for the Iraqi insurgency." In an analysis, the New York Times says Israel "just became the latest example of a country that has decided it is better to deal with its foes than to ignore them." One "senior administration official" tells the Times, "They weren't asking our permission," while "another Bush official characterized the Israeli announcement as 'a slap in the face.'"
ABC World News reported "it's the first time in eight years that the two, long-time enemies have had such contacts. They've issued identical statements, declaring their intent to conduct the talks in good faith and with an open mind." The Financial Times says "if the process moves forward to direct negotiations and leads to a peace agreement on a return of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, it would mark a rare breakthrough in the Arab-Israeli conflict."
The Washington Post reports yesterday's announcement "marked another setback for the Bush administration's campaign to isolate Syria, Iran and their allies in the Middle East, coming the same day as a Lebanon peace agreement that acknowledged the political rise of Hezbollah, a Shiite militia supported by Syria and Iran." The AP, meanwhile, say in its analysis that the Bush Administration, "with waning influence and regional allies pursuing their own agendas, has little choice but to swallow Lebanese and Israeli talks with US adversaries Hezbollah and Syria."
The New York Times reports on its front page that for Israel, "an effort to pull Syria away from Iran could produce enormous benefits. An announcement on Wednesday of a peace deal that gives Hezbollah the upper hand in Lebanon's government probably added to Israel's sense of urgency." In an analysis piece, the Washington Post reports that "just days after President Bush returned from the Middle East, the Middle East is moving beyond the Bush administration" as "two major peace efforts...were launched without an American role, and both counter US strategy in the region."
Lebanon Deal Seen As Win For Hezbollah The New York Times reports the agreement "reached by Lebanese political factions early Wednesday amounted to a significant shift of power in favor of the militant Shiite group Hezbollah and its allies in the opposition, who won the power to veto any cabinet decision." The Financial Times reports "the deal left crucial issues unresolved," but "political leaders and Arab officials involved in negotiations hoped differences would now be addressed through politics rather than armed confrontation."
The Christian Science Monitor reports, "The Doha accord calls for the immediate election by Lebanon's parliament of General Suleiman, who is the declared consensus candidate of both sides. The Lebanese parliament is excepted to convene Sunday to vote in Suleiman." The Wall Street Journal reports the Bush Administration "welcomed the agreement as an important tool for avoiding a potential civil war between Hezbollah and the pro-Western Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Fuad Siniora." However, "a number of current and former administration officials viewed the deal as a major setback for US interests in the region."
The Washington Post reports the deal delivers "the Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah a decisive say in the country's government" and is "another setback for US allies in the Middle East."
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Jay Leno: "While in Louisville, Kentucky, they showed Hillary on the news at a mall trying on three or four different pairs of reading glasses with the tags hanging down. ... Apparently, she's having trouble seeing the handwriting on the wall."
Jay Leno: "Actually, did you hear Hillary's new campaign slogan? 'Hell, no, I won't go!"
Conan O'Brien: "Yesterday, this is true, while campaigning in Kentucky, Hillary Clinton stopped at a drugstore and bought a pair of reading glasses. ... Yeah, then she picked up a newspaper and said, 'Holy crap, I've got to drop out of this thing!'"
Conan O'Brien: "This week, Barack Obama, true story, campaigned on an Indian reservation and the tribal chief adopted him. ... Yeah, the Indians actually prefer Obama to John McCain, because they still remember when McCain took their land."
Jimmy Kimmel: David Cook is the "new 'American Idol.'" Cook beat David Archuleta, but "Hillary Clinton called...Archuleta right after the show and told him not to give up and stay in the competition, no matter how long it takes."
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