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Obama: America's First Jewish President
Bill Clinton was America's first black president. Or so we thought. Until recently, John Edwards was running to be America's first woman president. Now, shocking word that Barack Obama may be in line to be America's first Jewish president.
Discussing his affinity for Israel, Senator Obama tells the Atlantic magazine, "I've got it in the gut." He describes his own thought process as agonized (dare we say neurotic?) in a way that some might view as quintessentially Jewish. And he professes an "enormous emotional attachment and sympathy for Israel" that would make an Aipac board member jealous.
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By Josh Gerstein | Mon, 12 May 2008 at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
GOP Official: Wright Will Not Be Used In Ads
With a rebuke of state party officials for using Senator Obama's former pastor in a television ad, the Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign are beginning to define what will be fair game in a general election match-up with the Illinois senator.
A Republican official involved in party strategy told The New York Sun this morning that the party does not expect to use Rev. Wright in ads against Mr. Obama this fall if he wins the Democratic nomination. "I don't foresee a case where we would be using that," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss strategy.
Whether that prohibition would also extend to a former member of the Weather Underground, William Ayers, who has been linked to Mr. Obama, is another question.
While Mr. McCain has largely stayed away from commenting on Rev. Wright, he criticized Mr. Obama over his association with Mr. Ayers, who hosted an event for Mr. Obama and donated to his campaign for the state Senate in Illinois. Mr. McCain called Mr. Ayers "an unrepentant terrorist."
The issue has come up after the North Carolina Republican Party released an ad this morning that shows clips of the former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and says that Mr. Obama is "too extreme" for voters in the state. The ad is aimed at undercutting two Democratic gubernatorial candidates by tying them to Mr. Obama and Rev. Wright.
The McCain campaign just released a letter from the Arizona senator to the chairwoman of the state GOP, Linda Daves, in which he urges her not to run what he calls an "offensive" ad. "The television advertisement you are planning to air degrades our civics and distracts us from the very real differences we have with the Democrats," Mr. McCain writes. "In the strongest terms, I implore you to not run this advertisement."
A spokesman for Mr. McCain would not comment on the campaign's plans for general election advertising beyond the candidate's words in the letter.
The chairman of the Republican National Committee, Robert Duncan, also contacted Ms. Daves this morning with the same message.
By Russell Berman | Wed, 23 Apr 2008 at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Faux 'Nazi Skinheads for McCain' Group Registers with IRS
A political group registered last week with the Internal Revenue Service, "Nazi Skinheads for McCain 2008," is aimed at skewering the presumptive Republican nominee, not backing him, an organizer said yesterday.
"I'm not a Nazi skinhead. I'm not a McCain supporter, either," an unemployed software designer from Jacksonville, Fla., Kier O'Neil told The New York Sun Tuesday. "I'm kind of a disaffected Republican. I would rather have pretty much anybody in office than to have a Republican back in office."
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By Josh Gerstein | Tue, 22 Apr 2008 at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Which Clinton Pastor Was Obama Referring To?
In a moment of last night's Democratic debate that hasn't drawn much attention, Senator Obama struck back against Senator Clinton's criticism of his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, by noting that her "former pastor" had publicly stood up for Rev. Wright.
"But what I should also point out is that Senator Clinton's former pastor publicly talked about how Reverend Wright was being caricatured and that, in fact, this is somebody who had maintained an extraordinary ministry for many years," Mr. Obama said.
What was not immediately clear is which former Clinton pastor Mr. Obama was referring to.
The Clinton campaign assumed he was talking about Rev. Dean Snyder, the current pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, where the Clintons attended services during their years in the White House. Rev. Snyder gained notice when he put out a statement last month calling Rev. Wright an "outstanding church leader" and praising his congregation.
Rev. Snyder, however, was not Mrs. Clinton's pastor. The pastor of Foundry church when she was first lady was J. Philip Wogaman. The Clinton campaign last night sent out a statement from the candidate from last month in which she said she had not attended Foundry since leaving the White House in 2001 and did not know Rev. Snyder.
An Obama campaign spokesman last night indicated that Mr. Obama was referring not to Rev. Snyder but to Rev. Edward Matthews, the former pastor of First United Methodist Church of Little Rock, which remains the only church of which Mrs. Clinton is a member. Rev. Matthews was the subject of a New York Sun article last month, in which he expressed sympathy for Rev. Wright and said his words had been taken out of context.
Mr. Obama's statement during the debate suggests he could have been confusing the two. While Rev. Matthews suggested, as Rev. Snyder did, that Rev. Wright had been caricatured, he did not speak about his ministry as a whole.
The Clinton campaign made no mention of Rev. Matthews in its e-mail to reporters last night.
By Russell Berman | Thu, 17 Apr 2008 at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Clinton Backer Says of McCain: 'It's No Old Man's Job'
WASHINGTON — A prominent backer of Senator Clinton, Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, veered a bit off-message when introducing her this morning in Washington, saying in regard to Senator McCain that the presidency is "no old man's job."
Mr. Murtha, a congressman since 1974, noted that he had served with seven presidents and said they "all get older" during their time in office.
"This one guy running is about as old as me," the 75-year-old lawmaker said of Mr. McCain, 71. "Let me tell you: It's no old man's job."
A ballroom packed with union members from the Building and Construction Trades Department laughed and applauded.
Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, would be the oldest person ever elected to his first term if he wins in November. While polls have shown voter concern with his age, Democrats have said they will not make it an issue, at least overtly.
Mrs. Clinton was not on stage at the time, but she apparently heard his 5-minute remarks because she referenced parts of them in her half-hour stump speech. She did not mention the age comments, however, and she focused her criticism of Mr. McCain on his economic policies while saying she respected his long military service.
Asked about Mr. Murtha's comments after the speech, a Clinton spokesman, Mo Elleithee, said: "Senator Clinton has respect for Senator McCain and considers him a friend. But her problems with him are his ideas for the future."
There was no immediate response from the McCain campaign.
By Russell Berman | Wed, 16 Apr 2008 at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Hoffa: Penn "Demotion" Not Good Enough
The announcement from Senator Clinton's presidential campaign that Mark Penn has resigned as chief strategist is not enough to assuage one of Mr. Penn's top critics in the labor movement. The president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, James Hoffa, said through an aide tonight that the change is of little significance, since Mr. Penn will continue to advise and poll for Mrs. Clinton's presidential bid.
"Demotion doesn't answer General President Hoffa's concerns. Mark Penn is still on her payroll and Burson-Marsteller's payroll," a spokeswoman for Mr. Hoffa, Leigh Strope, said. "Title demotion doesn't indicate loss of influence."
In a statement on Friday, Mr. Hoffa called for Mr. Penn's ouster. "Someone like Mark Penn should not be dictating strategy, and possibly legislation, for a Democratic candidate for president," the Teamster leader said.
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By Josh Gerstein | Sun, 6 Apr 2008 at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Hollywood Comes to Senator Clinton's Aid, Again
Senator Clinton is heading West to California next week and planning to draw on her Hollywood connections to refill her campaign's coffers in the lead-up to the April 22 primary in Pennsylvania. Hollywood types backing the April 3 fund-raiser in Beverly Hills include Jamie Lee Curtis, Mary Steenburgen, Ted Danson, Fran Drescher, Sally Field, Debra Messing, Kathy Najimy, Rob Reiner, Bradley Whitford, and Daphne Zuniga.
According to an invitation obtained by The New York Sun, the gathering, billed as "Hillary LIVE - Los Angeles!" is slated to take place at the Wilshire Theater. The invite says $100 tickets are sold out, though $150 seats are still available.
The Sun has also learned that the Clinton campaign's madcap fundraising schedule has President Clinton attending a $500-a-head dinner in Boston tonight. The public schedule for the indefatigable ex-president today shows only three campaign events for his wife in West Virginia.
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By Josh Gerstein | Wed, 26 Mar 2008 at 2:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Obamas Check 'Yes' and then 'No' on Public Financing
Did the Obamas have a change of heart when it comes to the voluntary contribution to public financing of the presidential election campaign?
The Obama campaign just released seven years of joint tax returns showing that the couple earned close to $1 million in 2006.
The returns indicate that from 2000 to 2004, both Barack and Michelle Obama checked off the box that authorizes $3 from their taxes to go to the fund for public financing. In 2005 and 2006, however, the boxes for each are left blank. Those years also correspond to Mr. Obama's entry into the U.S. Senate.
Mr. Obama is on record supporting public financing for presidential campaigns. I have a message in to his campaign seeking an explanation for the change.
The Obamas' full tax returns can be downloaded from Senator Obama's campaign website.
By Russell Berman | Tue, 25 Mar 2008 at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Clinton: Not a Government Bailout
Four words that are almost certain to be heard in the course of any mainstream Democratic proposal to address the mortgage and credit crisis are: not a government bailout.
That was the line from Senator Clinton and her advisers as she laid out a proposal that could dramatically increase the government's role in trying to prop up the housing market and stave off further waves of foreclosures across the country.
The words serve as a ready rebuttal to the inevitable attacks from small-government Republicans, but it leaves open the question of what exactly is a government bailout in the first place.
Mrs. Clinton called for the federal government to back private sector auctions that would allow to at-risk homeowners to restructure their mortgages and said if that doesn't work, the government should "stand ready" to step in and purchase, restructure, and re-sell the mortgages itself.
She is also proposing a housing stimulus package to the tune of $30 billion that she said would help states and localities acquire foreclosed properties, provide aid to homeowners, and secure neighborhoods in danger of crime increases because of widespread foreclosures and vacancies.
"If the Fed can extend $30 billion to help Bear Stearns address their financial crisis, the federal government can provide at least that much in assistance to help families and communities address theirs," Mrs. Clinton said in what her campaign billed as a "major policy speech" at the University of Pennsylvania.
The proposals she announced this morning are in addition to measures she unveiled in December, including a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and a five-year freeze on interest rates for subprime mortgages on occupied homes.
"Some may claim that the plan I offered today is a bailout," she added. "They'll argue that it's not the government role to help. Well, that is the same type of tired rhetoric we've been hearing for years now, and I think the American people know better."
The former first lady's economic advisers reiterated that sentiment on a conference call afterward, although they acknowledged that Mrs. Clinton's plans went further than a Democratic proposal being offered by Senator Dodd and Rep. Barney Frank, the chairmen of the congressional committees with jurisdiction over financial institutions.
"This is just too big of a crisis to let ideology or fears of political demagoging keep us from putting all our options on the table," a senior adviser, Gene Sperling, said.
By Russell Berman | Mon, 24 Mar 2008 at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Senator Clinton's First Lady Schedules to Drop Tomorrow
More than 11,000 pages of Senator Clinton's schedules from her eight-year stint as first lady are going to be released tomorrow by the National Archives, which operates the Clinton Presidential Library, a spokeswoman said today.
The records are to be released simultaneously at the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Ark. and at Archives headquarters in Washington.
The White House signed off on the release yesterday, according to an official there. In response to a lawsuit from a conservative watchdog group, Judicial Watch, the Archives had agreed to release the records by Thursday.
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By Josh Gerstein | Tue, 18 Mar 2008 at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Paterson's Lone 'T' Trips Up Dems
Memo to Democrats: The surname of the new governor of New York is spelled with one 't.'
It may simply be a matter of a few sensitive computer keys, or a sign of how little known David Paterson is, that several Democrats — including the party's national apparatus — have added an extra 't' in referencing the former lieutenant governor and state Senate minority leader over the past week.
"Rep. Clarke Welcomes David A. Patterson New York's First Black Governor," read the press release sent out this morning from the office of a first-term Brooklyn congresswoman, Rep. Yvette Clarke, whose added 'e' makes her own surname no stranger to spelling errors.
The congratulatory statement proceeded to misspell Paterson four times before getting it right in the final paragraph.
Another first term Democratic congresswoman, Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, who represents the Saratoga area, issued a statement last week saying she had "every confidence in Governor Patterson and look forward to working with him on the important challenges we face."
The Democratic National Committee also got into the act this morning. A memo outlining recent changes in the party's delegate breakdown twice misspelled Mr. Paterson's name when explaining that Governor Spitzer's resignation meant that New York lost one superdelegate.
By Russell Berman | Mon, 17 Mar 2008 at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Amid Re-Vote Stir, Dr. Dean Goes to Florida
With high-stakes discussions ongoing about a possible make-up Democratic primary in Florida, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, is on the ground in the Sunshine State.
Dr. Dean arrived in Fort Lauderdale this afternoon, coming from Alabama, according to a well-placed source.
A spokeswoman for the DNC, Stacie Paxton, confirmed the trip and said it was to attend a scheduled fund-raiser. However, Dr. Dean has been talking by phone to members of Florida's congressional delegation today about the standoff over the primary, the spokeswoman said.
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By Josh Gerstein | Wed, 12 Mar 2008 at 5:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Rangel Admitted to Hospital with 'Flu Symptoms'
The dean of New York's congressional delegation and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles Rangel of Harlem, was taken to the hospital yesterday with what an aide described as "flu-symptoms."
Mr. Rangel, 77, was feeling ill at his Manhattan home yesterday and summoned a doctor, a spokesman for the congressman, Emile Milne, told The New York Sun. He said Mr. Rangel's condition was not serious and that he could be released as early as this evening.
"They wanted to hydrate him," Mr. Milne said. "The doctor came to his house and looked at and thought it would be a good idea."
The congressman was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University, Mr. Milne said.
First elected to Congress in 1970, Mr. Rangel assumed the chairmanship of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee after the Democrats won control of the House in 2006.
By Russell Berman | Wed, 5 Mar 2008 at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Obama lawyer Ambushes Clinton Conference Call
A lawyer for Senator Obama's campaign tonight ambushed a conference call convened by advisers to Senator Clinton who were accusing the Obama camp of "intimidation" during the Texas primary and caucuses earlier today.
The Clinton officials said supporters of the Illinois senator had broken election rules by trying to sign up voters for the night-time "precinct conventions" at poll sites during the day. They also accused the Obama campaign of "locking out" Clinton supporters from caucus sites. "This is just truly outrageous behavior," Mrs. Clinton's Texas state director, Ace Smith, told reporters on the hastily-scheduled "emergency" conference call. "It's really disturbing and its really undemocratic what's going on."
The call was interrupted, however, by a lawyer for Senator Obama, Robert Bauer, who dialed in under the guise of a reporter asking a question. Mr. Bauer suggested the Clinton campaign's allegations were similar to those lodged against several other caucuses across the country, which have been dominated by Mr. Obama. "I'm just curious to know how this is any different from any of the series of complaints you have registered against every single caucus that you lose," Mr. Bauer said. He then debated the Clinton campaign's communications director, Howard Wolfson, for several minutes. Mr. Wolfson tried to get Mr. Bauer to commit to denounce the tactics, but Mr. Bauer kept returning to his chief charge: that the Clinton campaign was a sore loser.
After he disconnected, Mr. Wolfson said Mr. Bauer had made "a vigorous defense of the indefensible." The Clinton officials would not say if they intended to challenge the Texas results, which were unknown at the time of the call. "All options are on the table at this point," an attorney for the campaign said.
By Russell Berman | Tue, 4 Mar 2008 at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Amid Gaza Crisis, McCain Urges Cease-fire, Negotiations
The all-but-certain Republican nominee for president, Senator McCain of Arizona, seemed to call this morning for negotiations to end the crisis caused by repeated missile attacks on Israel from Gaza and by retaliatory military strikes Israel has carried out in Gaza. However, his top foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann told The New York Sun this afternoon that the Arizona senator was referring only to a resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, and not to any discussions with with Hamas, which controls Gaza.
"I believe that any nation has the right to respond to attacks. We obviously want a ceasefire. We want negotiations," Mr. McCain said at a press conference today in Phoenix, Ariz. " I continue to be disappointed in the United National Security Council and their failure to condemn the attacks from Gaza orchestrated by Hamas, a terrorist organization, into Israel. This weakens obviously the position of Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah and the situation becomes more and more dangerous as we speak. All countries in the world should do whatever is necessary to prevent an escalation of this violence and the needless loss of innocent civilians."
In his remarks, Mr. McCain did not specify precisely which parties he thought should enter into negotiations. "The negotiations that have broken down are negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. To even think and to imply that he is talking about negotiations with Hamas is absolutely wrong," Mr. Schuenemann said.
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By Josh Gerstein | Mon, 3 Mar 2008 at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Aide to President Clinton Clears Mrs. Clinton's Schedules for Release
A longtime aide to President Clinton, Bruce Lindsey, has finished his review of about 11,000 pages of schedules from Senator Clinton's time as first lady, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton said today. "We've given the records back over to the archives," Mrs. Clinton's communications director, Howard Wolfson, said on ABC's "This Week." "Our say in the process is over, and I assume that they will be releasing them very expeditiously."
Senator Obama's campaign and conservative critics of Mrs. Clinton have complained that Mr. Clinton's team was foot-dragging, but Mr. Lindsey asserted that the delay was chiefly due to short staffing at the National Archives, which runs the Clinton Library. Mr. Clinton was formally notified of the release on January 31.
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By Josh Gerstein | Sun, 2 Mar 2008 at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Gravel Fails in Bid to Muzzle Virtually Silent Pro-Clinton 527
Ultra-longshot Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Gravel has failed in his bid to silence a so-called 527 organization formed by backers of Senator Clinton, the American Leadership Project. On Friday, a federal judge in Toledo, Ohio rejected Mr. Gravel's request for a temporary restraining order barring the group from running a television ad touting Mrs. Clinton's record.
In a seven-page ruling, Judge Jack Zouhary said the law required Mr. Gravel to take his complaints first to the Federal Election Commission. The judge said the former Alaska senator's complaints that the commission lacks a quorum at the moment were no ground to excuse him from going through the process Congress established.
"Plaintiff cannot avoid the FEC by taking a shortcut through the federal courts, even if Plaintiff believes the required statutory procedure will take him nowhere. Congress has made it clear where he must start his journey, and that is at the steps of the FEC, not the Toledo courthouse," the judge wrote.
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By Josh Gerstein | Sun, 2 Mar 2008 at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Spitzer Might Stump for Clinton 'If This Continues'
Governor Spitzer made a rare foray into campaign surrogate work for Senator Clinton this afternoon, and it may not have gone entirely as planned. At various points during a conference call with reporters, he referenced the possible demise of Mrs. Clinton's campaign, begged off an appearance in Ohio tomorrow, and noted that it was her opponent, Senator Obama, who supported his controversial proposal to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Mr. Spitzer joined Governor Corzine of New Jersey and Governor Strickland of Ohio on the call, which was held to promote an "economic solutions summit" Mrs. Clinton is convening tomorrow in the crucial March 4 primary state. Unlike Messrs. Corzine and Strickland, however, Mr. Spitzer is not headed to Ohio for the event, though he said he hoped to get out on the stump for Mrs. Clinton "maybe later in the week, or next week, if this continues." He did not specify what he meant by "this," but there is a widespread belief that Mrs. Clinton will end her campaign if she does not win Texas and Ohio on Tuesday.
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By Russell Berman | Tue, 26 Feb 2008 at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Clinton Fund-Raising Watch
Advisers to Senator Clinton are now openly blaming a lack of resources for their failure to fight Senator Obama's presidential campaign more aggressively in caucus states and elsewhere. They are also intent on not being outgunned by Mr. Obama in the remaining contests.
To that end, the Clinton campaign has begun another intense round of fund-raising. The Sun reported today on attempts to seek new Jewish, Irish, Asian, and Indian donors. (Yes, we know India is in Asia, but that's the way the Clinton folks described their outreach.)
It's all hands on deck for the Clinton fund-raising operation now. On Tuesday next week, two members of Congress, Kendrick Meek of Florida and Hilda Solis of California, will offer donors of $250 or more "cocktails and conversation" with "senior campaign advisors" to Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Clinton and President Clinton will also pitch in. On Monday, Mrs. Clinton will host a "Hillary Live!" event at George Washington University in Washington. Tickets were originally $100 a head, but have recently been cut to as low as $25.
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By Josh Gerstein | Wed, 20 Feb 2008 at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Bush Mistakes Sharpton's Daughter for Wife
President Bush was coasting through a list of greetings for prominent African American leaders at a White House ceremony this afternoon when he came to one of his fiercest critics, Reverend Al Sharpton.
"Reverend Al Sharpton, and his wife Dominique — Reverend, it's good to see you.," Mr. Bush said.
The only problem? Dominique Sharpton is the reverend's 21-year-old daughter, not his wife.
An audience member quickly shouted a correction to the president, who winced as the audience broke out in laughter. "Daughter, daughter," he said, correcting himself with a sheepish grin. "I don't get them right all the time."
"But thank you for coming. And, Dominique, you're sure a lot prettier than your father," the president quipped to laughter, before moving on to the next guest.
Mr. Sharpton and his wife, Kathy, separated in 2004. He was one of several civil rights leaders and activists invited to yesterday's White House event celebrating African American History Month, part of which was broadcast on CNN. Mr. Bush honored the longtime George congressman, Rep. John Lewis, as well as William Coleman, the first black to serve as a clerk on the Supreme Court and who became President Ford's transportation secretary. The president also condemned recent displays of nooses around the country as "deeply offensive." Mr. Sharpton, who made a failed bid to replace Mr. Bush in 2004, said in a statement he was encouraged to see the president address the issue.
By Russell Berman | Tue, 12 Feb 2008 at 6:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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