2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

John McCain 2008 Launches New Television Ad In SC: "Never Surrender"

JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW TELEVISION AD IN SC: "NEVER SURRENDER"

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign released a new television ad to run in South Carolina. The ad, entitled "Never Surrender," highlights John McCain's record of courageous leadership on the difficult challenges facing our country.

ANNOUNCER: "One man sacrificed for his country.

"One man opposed a flawed strategy in Iraq.

"One man had the courage to call for change.

"One man didn't play politics with the truth.

"One man stands up to the special interests."

JOHN MCCAIN: "Stand up. We're Americans, we're Americans and we'll never surrender, they will."

ANNOUNCER: "One man does what's right, not what's easy. John McCain."

JOHN MCCAIN: "I'm John McCain and I approve this message."

Edwards Campaign Unveils New "Power" Television Ad In New Hampshire

EDWARDS CAMPAIGN UNVEILS NEW “POWER” TELEVISION AD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Returns for 23rd trip to the Granite State, delivers remarks on importance of Democrats, Republicans and Independents working together to fix the broken system in Washington

Manchester, New Hampshire – Today, as Senator John Edwards returned to New Hampshire for his 23rd trip to the state, the campaign unveiled a new television ad in the state called “Power.” In the ad – the eighth to run in New Hampshire since this summer – Edwards says he will “stand up for people whose voices are ignored” and “work every day to restore the American Dream.”

Today in New Hampshire , Edwards discussed the importance of individuals from all parties rising up to fix the broken system in Washington. “If there is one thing Republican, Independent and Democratic voters can agree on it’s that the system in Washington is broken and that corporate greed has gotten its way at the expense of the middle class and American jobs,” Edwards said. “My campaign is a call across party lines to rise up together and say enough is enough.”

The ad goes up as Edwards returns to the state today for door knocking in Nashua, town hall events in Conway and Laconia, and organizing conventions in Manchester and Salem. Organizing conventions are a tool the campaign uses to energize volunteers and turn them out to canvass and phone bank on behalf of John Edwards.

In anticipation of our GOTV effort, the Edwards campaign has opened five new field offices around the state to accommodate the overwhelming number of volunteers turning out to work for the campaign. Last week alone, volunteers for the Edwards campaign made 75,000 phone calls to their friends and neighbors in New Hampshire to talk about John Edwards’ bold plans to bring about real change in our country. That’s the strongest volunteer call week the Edwards campaign has had yet this cycle and our operation only continues to grow. The campaign also identified more supporters last week than any prior week during the cycle.

A full transcript of “Power” and excerpts from Edwards’ remarks are included below. 

Full Transcript of “Power:”

What will our next president do with the enormous power that comes with the office?

I will restore America’s moral authority in the world, confront people who exploit their power for personal advantage, stand up for people whose voices are ignored – just like

I’ve done all my life – be honest about the challenges we face and the choices we have, keep the promises I make, work every day to restore the American Dream.

Because I know that the power that comes with the presidency comes from you.

I’m John Edwards, and I approved this message.

Merry Christmas And Happy Polidays

Richardson Iowa Campaign Schedule for December 25th - December 27th

Richardson Updated Campaign Schedule for December 25th - December 27th

SANTA FE, NM-- New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson will continue campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday, December 26.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

NO PUBLIC EVENTS SCHEDULED

Wednesday, December 26, 2007-- Central Time

When: 12:30 PM
What: Pottawattamie County Final Presidential Job Interview
Where: VFW Post 737, 28 South 29th Street, Council Bluffs, IA

When: 2:45 PM
What: Harrison County Meet & Greet
Where: Dunlap Livestock Auction, Restaurant, 701 Highway 30 West, Dunlap, IA

When: 4:45 PM
What: Monona County Meet & Greet
Where: Onawa Public Library, Meeting Room, 707 Iowa Avenue, Onawa, IA

When: 7:00 PM
What: Woodbury County Final Presidential Job Interview
Where: St. Luke’s College at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center Auditorium, 2720 Stone Park Boulevard, Sioux City, IA

Thursday, December 27, 2007-- Central Time

When: 10:45 AM
What: Crawford County Final Presidential Job Interview
Where: Denison City Hall, Denison Community Room, 111 North Main, Denison, IA

When: 12:30 PM
What: Carroll County Final Presidential Job Interview
Where: Moose Lodge, 200 East 5th Street, Carroll, IA

When: 2:15 PM
What: Greene County Final Presidential Job Interview
Where: Prairie Blue Deli and Coffee House, 114 North Wilson, Jefferson, IA

When: 4:15 PM
What: Boone County Final Presidential Job Interview
Where: Tic Toc Restaurant, 716 Keeler Street, Boone, IA

When: 6:00 PM
What: Story County House Party
Where: Private Home of Dan Dumbaugh, Story City, IA

Iowa State Senator Jack Hatch Endorses Hillary Clinton

STATE SENATOR JACK HATCH ENDORSES HILLARY CLINTON
As Momentum Grows in Iowa, Senator Hatch becomes the 21st Iowa Legislator to Endorse Hillary

DES MOINES, IA – As the Clinton campaign’s momentum continues to build in Iowa, State Senator Jack Hatch of central Des Moines, Senate District 33, endorsed Hillary today, citing the superiority of her health care plan. Senator Hatch is the 21st Iowa legislator to endorse Hillary. The endorsement comes on the heels of endorsements from prominent newspapers, including the Des Moines Register, Quad City Times and Burlington Hawk Eye, as well as Secretary of State Michael Mauro, over 100 Iowa women elected officials, and Iowa labor leaders.

“This is a historic election that will have an enormous impact on the direction of our country,” Senator Jack Hatch said. “Hillary Clinton is an agent of change who will enact universal health care and open up great opportunities for women, like my 18-year-old daughter, by making the dream of being president one day a real possibility. I trust Hillary to change our country because she has the strength and experience to enact real solutions to our big challenges. ”

“I greatly admire Senator Jack Hatch’s commitment to providing affordable, quality health care for Iowans,” Senator Hillary Clinton said. “This election is about delivering change and I am honored to have the support of someone who is so deeply dedicated to improving the lives of Iowans.”

Iowa State Rep. Wayne Ford Endorses Obama for President

State Rep. Wayne Ford Endorses Obama for President
All Four Members of Iowa’s Legislative Black Caucus Now Back Obama

DES MOINES – State Representative Wayne Ford of Des Moines, the longest-tenured African-American in the history of the Iowa Legislature, announced today that he’s throwing his support behind Senator Barack Obama’s campaign for president.  Saying Obama would be the strongest Democratic candidate in the general election and would address the challenges facing Urban America, Ford became the 20th Iowa state representative to back Obama. Ford’s endorsement means that Obama now has more Iowa legislative endorsements than any other Democrat in the field – surpassing Clinton’s total of 19.

“Barack’s ability to win the support of Independents and Republicans means he’ll both be our party’s strongest general election candidate and a President who can successfully expand economic opportunity and access to affordable housing for every American – including those who live in urban communities,” said Rep. Ford.  “I am glad that Sen. Obama has invited me to be a part of his team as he looks at implementing his national urban agenda.  This endorsement isn’t just about my name.  I intend to spend the next 11 days working to ensure that Barack Obama makes a strong showing on caucus night in Iowa and in the primaries that follow across the country.”

Obama said he was honored to earn the endorsement of State Rep. Ford and said it would help his campaign continue to build momentum in Iowa. Obama previously secured the endorsement of the other three members of the Legislative Black Caucus: State Reps. Ako Abdul-Samad, Deborah Berry and Helen Miller.

“I am grateful to Rep. Ford for signing onto our campaign and adding his support and his voice to our team in Iowa,” said Obama. “Rep. Ford has been leading the fight against rising incarceration and high school drop-out rates for years, and I’m glad he’s agreed to be a leader for our campaign. We’re building a statewide movement of Iowans from every corner of the state who are ready to put the divisive politics of the past behind us and bring to Washington the kind of change we can believe in.”

Including Rep. Wayne Ford, Senator Obama has received 20 endorsements from Iowa state legislators including Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, Rep. Deborah Berry, Sen. Joe Bolkcom, Sen. Bob Dvorsky, Rep. Elesha Gayman, Sen. Bill Heckroth, Rep. David Jacoby, Rep. Pam Jochum, Rep. Helen Miller, Sen. Rich Olive, Rep. Donovan Olson, Rep. Tyler Olson, Rep. Janet Petersen, Rep. Brian Quirk, Sen. Tom Rielly, Rep. Paul Shomshor, Rep. Mark Smith, Sen. Steve Warnstadt, and Sen. Frank Wood.  Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and State Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald have also endorsed Senator Obama's campaign for change.

Sioux City Journal Endorses Barack Obama For President

Sioux City Journal Endorses Barack Obama
Says Obama is Candidate Who Will Find Bipartisan Solutions and Take on Special Interests

DES MOINES – Saying Obama is the best candidate to unite Americans around “a common good and higher interest,” the Sioux City Journal Sunday endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama for President.

Below are excerpts from the editorial:

Barack Obama is the Democratic candidate who best understands this critical moment in our nation’s history. He is equipped to bring a fractured people together and possesses the gifts to move us forward, united with a common mission, ready to answer that call.

That is why we are endorsing the U.S. senator from Illinois in the Jan. 3 Iowa Caucuses.

Obama is a gifted orator. Yet, his skills extend beyond the stage of political theater. He has demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges, home and abroad, our next president must confront. His record in Congress and the Illinois state senate indicates he has the ability to reach out to Republicans and Independents to identify sound, bipartisan solutions and take on special interests…

The great hope embodied by a candidate like Obama is the promise of a new path. He has little patience for the "that's-just-the-way-it-is" mentality of Washington, D.C. It's a culture that increasingly relies on polling and special interests to guide policy and measures success by political points scored. Instead, Obama speaks of a change harkening back to moments in our nation's history when we shared "a common good and a higher interest. That's the change I'm looking for." 

It's the kind of change America appears eager for.

A editorial is online at https://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/12/23/news_opinion/editorial/

Burlington Hawk Eye Endorses Hillary Clinton For President

BURLINGTON HAWK EYE ENDORSES HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT
Calls Clinton a “Proven Leader”

Calling her a “proven leader” and the “one who rises above” the others at this moment in the nation’s history,” the Burlington Hawk Eye today endorsed Hillary Clinton for President.

“Democrats in the state would be selecting a proven leader with the skill sets necessary for our next president by caucusing for Hillary Clinton,” the endorsement reads.

The newspaper singled out her experience and positions on several key issues, including foreign policy and ending the war in Iraq, achieving universal health care, and improving education.

The Hawk Eye joins the Quad City Times in endorsing Hillary Clinton today.  She has also previously been endorsed by the Des Moines Register and the Vinton Eagle.

https://www.thehawkeye.com/column/Edit_122307
 

Quad-City Times Endorses John McCain For President

QUAD-CITY TIMES ENDORSES JOHN MCCAIN:

"Time For A Real Hero"
By Quad-City Times
Editorial
December 23, 2007

John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" plows through where other Republicans steer clear.

Mitt Romney addresses the deficit by exhorting Republicans to "stop acting like Democrats." McCain doesn't resort to name calling. He sets it straight: "Republicans lost the last election, not because of Iraq " he told a crowd in Davenport. "We lost it because of spending We presided over the largest increase in government since the Great Society."

Rudy Giuliani hedges on torture and seeks definitions of waterboarding. McCain clearly says "no" to torture.

Fred Thompson jokes about alien SUVs when asked about global warming. McCain says he's seen the evidence of climate change on trips to both poles. For those who choose to ignore science, McCain offers this compelling, bipartisan appeal: We owe our children a better planet.

On immigration and campaign finance reform, McCain talks like a problem solver, not a n idealogue.

His faith, he has said repeatedly, is a matter between him and his maker. Look for evidence of it in his actions, not campaign speeches.

Those rambling, stream-of-consciousness speeches won't win a rhetoric prize. They simply offer clear insight into a leader whose life experiences, personally, politically and heroically, have tested his mettle for the nation's top job.

We disagree with the senator's stance on the war. We believe he'd be wrong to pull ethanol subsidies, at least right away. But at this critical point in history, America can benefit from an honorable man with a hero's record.

He's survived tough opposition and deplorable campaign tactics, particularly some from his own party. Yet he's never taken the bait.

For Iowa's Republican caucuses, we support John McCain.

Read Quad-City Times Endorsement Of John McCain
 

Sioux City Journal Endorses Mitt Romney For President

SIOUX CITY JOURNAL ENDORSES GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY

Sioux City Journal Endorsement
Editorial
December 23, 2007

"At a time when the challenges we face as a nation are formidable, complex, divisive, political and dangerous, America needs a leader with energy, intellect, vision, charisma and experience.

"In his party's field of presidential candidates, Mitt Romney stands out as such an individual. Today we endorse Romney as the Republican we support in the Jan. 3 Iowa Caucuses.

"Romney combines an outsider's new face with a proven track record of success as an executive in both the private and public sectors."…

"Personally, he is engaging, even charming, he has shown an ability to reach across partisan divides, and he is passionate on the campaign trail. In terms of leadership qualities, he possesses 'it,' and the importance of 'it' should not be diminished."…

"In order to win his party's nomination and compete in the general election, Romney first must prove he's conservative enough, of course. Whether the subject is national defense, economics or social issues, his conservative credentials are strong."…

"Having earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, founded his own venture capital and investment company, managed the Olympic Games and run a state in which the Legislature is some 85 percent Democratic, Romney understands economic principles, the intricacies of reform in areas such as education and health care, and the essential need to work with the other side. It's reasonable to say the economy and budget of Massachusetts were in dramatically better shape when he left office than when he entered, that the once-troubled 2002 Winter Olympics were transformed into a profitable success under his watch."…

"Finally, the 60-year-old Romney – son of the late George Romney, a three-term governor of Michigan and secretary of Housing and Urban Development in Richard Nixon's first term – is a man of decency and integrity. Likability cannot be discounted as an attribute important in a candidate for public office.

"Among all the Republican candidates this year, Romney best taps into what we believe Americans seek – a different look, a fresh vision, a return to America's goodness and greatness."…