Sen. Barack Obama is striving to put Virginia in the Democratic column for the first time since 1964, and yesterday moved his focus beyond the Democrat-friendly DC suburbs to the exurbs, campaigning in Richmond and Leesburg. The Washington Post reports at an "ear-splitting rally in the Richmond coliseum and a late-afternoon speech at a chilly park in Leesburg, Obama promised to deliver the Commonwealth in the Democratic column," saying at one point, "I feel like we've got a righteous wind at our backs." USA Today adds that in Leesburg, in a "county that President Bush won by more than 13,000 votes in 2004," Obama "drew a crowd -- estimated at 35,000 by the township parks department -- that stretched across the rolling hills of a local park." The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Obama, speaking to "a crowd of nearly 13,000 at the Richmond Coliseum," said that "he understands Americans' worries about the economy amid the financial meltdown." The Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot notes, "At his Richmond and Leesburg rallies Wednesday, Obama spoke of greater access to health care, money for college tuition, middle-class tax cuts, and tax credits for companies that hire more workers, drawing roars of approval." Obama is now heading for Hawaii, where he will visit with his ailing grandmother.
A negative story about Gov. Sarah Palin that generated only minor media coverage earlier this week exploded into the national media today. At the end of a story about John McCain's visit to New Hampshire, ABC World News reported, "Today, we learned the Republicans spent a whopping $150,000 to dress and accessorize...Palin." ABC shows Todd Harris, a "Republican strategist," saying, "It's going to hurt them because people are going to be saying, 'you know, $150,000 in television ads in Ohio would go a long way.'" The CBS Evening News said Palin "may think the world of Joe the Plumber...but that doesn't mean she intends to dress like him." The AP asks, "Who knew looking like a hockey mom was this darned expensive?" The Washington Post asks, "How do you sell someone as a no-frills hockey mom who sold the state plane and fired the official cook and hunted her own moose meat, and then try to explain wardrobing her in clothes from Neiman Marcus -- a store occasionally referred to by aggrieved, frugal shoppers as Needless Markup?"
The New York Times reports on its front page that Palin advisors "said on Wednesday that the purchases...were made on the fly after Ms. Palin...was chosen as the Republican vice-presidential candidate on Aug. 29 and needed new clothes to match climates across the 50 states," but "Republicans expressed consternation publicly and privately that the shopping sprees on her behalf, which were first reported by Politico, would compromise Ms. Palin's standing as...McCain's chief emissary to working-class voters." The Politico says the revelation "has prompted some teeth gnashing among the party's big donors about its political sensibility and a feisty debate among campaign finance specialists about its legality."
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McClatchy reports Sen. John McCain "is getting more negative media coverage than" Sen. Barack Obama, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. According to Pew, "while the candidates are receiving equal amounts of coverage" over the last six weeks, "59% of stories about McCain were 'decidedly negative in nature,' while only 14% were positive." McClatchy adds "Obama hasn't exactly been fawned over by media," as the coverage "statistically has been more evenhanded, with 36% of stories clearly positive, 35% neutral or mixed, and 29% negative."
The Politico adds, "So do these numbers reveal a pro-Obama bias? Not necessarily, according to the study's authors." The Los Angeles Times adds the study authors "noted that coverage of Republicans and Democrats in this and other recent presidential elections seemed to have more to do with their success than with their party affiliation." The Washington Post reports that Tom Rosenstiel, "the project's director, said he could not discount pro-Obama sentiment as a factor but that a bigger reason for the difference is 'the bias the press has toward covering strategy and the horse race. When you're losing, that gets magnified.'"
USA Today reports Sen. John McCain's "aggressive telephone campaign against" Sen. Barack Obama "on character issues ignited a wide-ranging response Wednesday from the Obama camp, which denounced the calls and launched its own automated 'robo-calls.'" The McCain calls "portray Obama as an abortion extremist who won't keep the country safe and 'worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a judge's home and killed Americans.'" The CBS Evening News reported, "This afternoon, The Early Show's Harry Smith asked Obama about McCain's campaign tactics that have drawn criticism even from some Republicans." Obama: "Pals around with terrorists. I mean, just the kinds of stuff that -- that I can't imagine saying about an opponent of mine."
However, the McCain camp is not backing down. ABC World News reported that the McCain camp yesterday "launched another round of automated phone calls to voters, this time accusing Obama of being soft on crime." Rudy Giuliani says in the call, "Hi, this is Rudy Giuliani and I'm calling because you need to know that Barack Obama opposes mandatory prison sentences for sex offenders, drug dealers and murderers." The New York Post says that Giuliani's "call drew outrage from Obama backers. 'This is one of the most dishonest attacks yet from an increasingly dishonest, dishonorable campaign,' said Tom Nee, president of the National Association of Police Organizations, which supports Obama."
Polls continue to show Barack Obama leading John McCain in the race for the White House.
An AP/GfK poll of 800 likely voters taken October 16-20 shows Obama leading McCain 44%-43%. Reporting on the poll, the AP says the race "tightened after the final debate, with...McCain gaining among whites and people earning less than $50,000." The Politico, under the headline "A Glimmer Of Hope For GOP?," reports that "it's not that the tide of the race is turning. But for Republicans anxiously scanning the headlines for any sign of promising news, a few encouraging tidbits turned up Wednesday -- signs that recent rumors of the McCain campaign's demise have been premature."
The George Washington University Battleground poll of 1,000 likely voters taken October 15-16 and October 19-21 shows Obama leading McCain 49%-47%.
The IBD /TIPP daily presidential tracking poll of 1,062 likely voters taken October 17-21 shows Obama leading McCain 46%-42%.
The Gallup daily presidential tracking poll of 2,799 registered voters taken October 19-21 has two likely voter models one (based on past voting behavior and current intention to vote) shows Obama leading McCain 50%-45%, while the second (based on current intention to vote) shows Obama up 52%-44%.
The Hotline/Diageo tracking poll of 782 likely voters taken October 19-21 shows Obama up 47%-42%.
The Rasmussen Reports daily presidential tracking poll for October 22 shows Obama leading McCain 51%-46%.
A Fox News /Opinion Dynamic poll of 936 likely voters taken October 20-21 shows Obama leading McCain 49%-40%.
The C-Span/Zogby daily presidential tracking poll of 1,206 likely voters taken October 20-22 shows Obama leading McCain 52%-40%.
The ABC News /Washington Post daily presidential tracking poll of 1,330 likely voters taken October 18-21 shows Obama leading McCain 54%-43%.
Race Split In Florida Polls An MSNBC /Mason-Dixon poll of 625 likely Florida voters taken October 20-21 shows McCain leading Obama 46%-45%. A similar poll earlier in the month showed Obama up 48%-46%. A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,433 likely Florida voters taken October 16-21 shows Obama leading McCain 49%-44%.
Obama Up In Two Ohio Polls A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,360 likely Ohio voters taken October 16-21 shows Obama leading McCain 52%-38%.
A CNN/Opinion Research/Time poll of 737 likely Ohio voters taken October 19-21 shows Obama leading McCain 50%-46%.
Obama Up 13 In Pennsylvania A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,425 likely Pennsylvania voters taken October 16-21 shows Obama leading McCain 53%-40%.
Obama Up In Pair Of Virginia Polls An MSNBC /Mason-Dixon poll of 625 likely Virginia voters taken October 20-21 shows Obama leading McCain 47%-45%. A CNN/Opinion Research/Time poll of 647 likely Virginia voters taken October 19-21 shows Obama leading McCain 54%-44%.
Two Polls Show Obama Up In North Carolina A CNN/Opinion Research/Time poll of 644 likely North Carolina voters taken October 19-21 shows Obama leading McCain 51%-47%. A Marshall Marketing & Communications poll of 500 likely North Carolina voters taken October 20-21 for WSOC-TV shows Obama leading McCain 48%-46%.
Obama Up 5 In Nevada A CNN/Opinion Research/Time poll of 700 likely Nevada voters taken October 19-21 shows Obama leading McCain 51%-46%.
McCain Up 9 In West Virginia A CNN/Opinion Research/Time poll of 674 likely West Virginia voters taken October 19-21 shows McCain leading Obama 53%-44%.
McCain Up 8 In Kentucky A Rasmussen Reports automated poll of 500 likely Kentucky voters taken October 21 shows McCain leading Obama 52%-44%.
Obama Up 11 In Wisconsin A Research 2000 poll of 600 likely Wisconsin voters taken October 20-21 for WISC-TV shows Obama leading McCain 52%-41%.
USA Today reports the 2008 election cycle "is on pace to hit an unprecedented $5.3 billion, the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics said Wednesday." The money "raised and spent by candidates, parties and outside groups on campaigning, advertising, conventions and other political activities in this election has shattered records." But the total, "while an eye-popping figure, pales compared with other spending. For example, it's less than the nearly $6 billion the National Retail Federation estimates Americans will shell out for Halloween next week."
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The drop in stock markets around the world gathered significant media coverage last night and this morning, with a number of stories using it as a backdrop to reports on a White House call for a meeting of the G20 (the club of the largest economies on the planet). Reporting on the global stock woes, the Wall Street Journal reports, "The stock market and currency market both sent a loud warning Wednesday that investors believe the global economy is heading into a deep recession."
The Financial Times notes, "Following calls from European leaders such as Gordon Brown, British prime minister, and Nicolas Sarkozy, France's president, the White House said it was planning a meeting of the heads of state of the G20 group of countries in Washington on November 15." The G20 members "include some of the countries most affected by the crisis in the developed world as well as emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India." The AP reports that "in making the announcement, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the first meeting will focus on the underlying causes of the financial crisis, the global response and the principles that should guide any reforms." The Washington Post says Bush "agreed to host the meeting as the start of a series of ambitious summits aimed at overhauling the regulatory framework for global finance first put in place more than six decades ago at a similar summit at Bretton Woods, N.H."
The New York Times notes that "one question...is how much Mr. Bush can accomplish with so little time left in office and foreign leaders already looking toward a successor who could easily undo any commitments he makes." The Washington Times reports, "The White House sees the postelection summit as an opportunity to agree on general principles that nations will implement, while Europeans want a detailed agreement on a new system of international financial regulation."
The CBS Evening News led its broadcast reporting, "Now that the credit markets are at least starting to ease, investors focused on another worry today -- a recession. Fears that it's all but inevitable sent stock prices plunging." Also in its lead story, ABC World News reported, "We seem to have lurched from one crisis to another. The good news is there are signs that the global credit freeze is finally thawing, but right behind it, there is powerful evidence of what looks increasingly like a global recession."
US Stock Markets Plunge. In the US, the AP reports, "Wall Street tumbled again Wednesday as investors worried that the global economy is poised to weaken even as parts of the credit market slowly show signs of recovery." The Dow "fell 514.45, or 5.69 percent, to 8,519.21, after being down as much as 698 points in the final half hour of trading. Still, the Dow finished above its Oct. 10 closing low of 8,451." USA Today says "stocks plunged to fresh bear market lows Wednesday," and quotes Todd Salamone, analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research, saying the "fall suggests that there is a very real risk that a bottom is not in place." The Financial Times, New York Times, The Washington Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times run similar stories on the Wall Street numbers. The Washington Post runs an additional story on fears about weak earnings report, which it titled "Bracing For A Storm."
The presidential campaign also appears to weigh on investors minds. The Politico reports, "While predicting market movements is as difficult as predicting the winner of the World Series in August, some experts say the market is already anticipating an Obama win on Nov. 4 and has at least partially accounted for it." Some analysts "claim the race for the White House is increasingly off the table and that the Dow could react more to a strong swing in the Senate, which Democrats currently control by a narrow two-vote margin, 51-49."
Job Losses At Highest Level Since Katrina The Wall Street Journal reports the "number of US workers laid off in September climbed to the highest level since the days following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according the Department of Labor." The "last time employers cut work forces en masse at this rate was September 2001."
In a front-page article, the New York Times reports, "In an hourlong interview," Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson "defended Treasury's actions" during the financial crisis, "saying that he and his aides had done everything they could, given the deep-rooted problems of financial excess that had built up over the past decade." Still, "even as he defended his actions, Mr. Paulson said he was worried that some of the government's moves could wind up haunting future Treasury secretaries. He pointed in particular to the decision to guarantee all bank deposits and interbank loans" and the "moral hazard" it creates.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports the Bush Administration is "weighing a roughly $40 billion proposal to help forestall foreclosures, one of a series of ideas under consideration designed to address the root causes of the financial crisis." Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair is expected to suggest at a Senate Banking Committee hearing Thursday that "the government give banks a financial incentive to turn troubled loans into more-affordable mortgages" and have the government "share in any future losses on the new loans with lenders."
A day after the Iraqi cabinet decided to ask for changes to the draft security deal with the US, the AP reports the Bush Administration on Wednesday "warned of 'real consequences' for Iraq if it rejects" the pact. The White House "said Iraqi security forces are incapable of keeping the peace without US troops, raising the specter of reversals in recent security and political gains if the proposed security deal is not approved" by the end of the year.
USA Today reports, "When the clock strikes midnight Dec. 31, the US military's days of operating freely in Iraq will come to an abrupt end -- regardless of whether a new long-term security agreement is in place, current and former military officials say." If Iraq's leaders "take a hard line and fail to pass the agreement before Jan. 1...US military operations could come to a halt as soldiers retreat to bases, ground their aircraft and stop supporting Iraqi forces."
However, the Washington Times reports Baghdad "will demand changes to the wording of a pact allowing US troops to stay in Iraq but will not seek to renegotiate the 'backbone' of the agreement, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Wednesday."
Russia Backs Continuation Of US Presence The New York Times, meanwhile, reports that "with the prospects for agreement on a proposed American-Iraqi security pact in doubt, the idea of allowing United States-led troops to stay under a United Nations mandate resurfaced this week, and Russia's foreign minister told reporters that his country would support such a plan." Amid "speculation that Russia might veto an extension" of the UN mandate, "in part because of frustration with American foreign policy in other parts of the world," Sergei Lavrov said Russia will "support Iraq's request to the UN Security Council if the Iraqi government asks for the mandate of the current international military presence to be extended."
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Craig Ferguson: "The Pentagon" is "buying a portrait of Donald Rumsfeld for...$46,000." But it "will probably cost 10 times that, serve no real purpose, and never be finished. Remind you of anything?"
Conan O'Brien: "In this election, Obama is so far ahead now it seems the only way he can lose is if his supporters screw it up. But...Obama's supporters have a secret weakness. They're Democrats. They are perfectly capable of screwing this up. I'm not sure" if "Democrats remember how to win an election. They haven't won an election since 2000."
Craig Ferguson: "Anyway, the Democrats better watch out," because the "Republicans are going to pull out all the stops. Did you see they spent $150,000 on Sarah Palin's wardrobe?" Boy, nothing "says hockey mom like dropping six figures on bling."
Jimmy Kimmel: Palin "told a bunch of third graders that the vice president 'runs the Senate,' which the vice president does not do. That's a major -- not knowing what the job is. I mean, even President Bush will tell you the vice president doesn't run the Senate. The vice president runs the White House."
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