TheState.com: Politics - Wire

Bush seizing spotlight briefly to support McCain

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:43 EDT

The Democrats had the awkwardness of the Clintons at their convention. Republicans now have their version of a precarious guest: President Bush.

Bush is scheduled to command the stage at the Republican National Convention on Monday. It is a moment of consequence and opportunity - for both parties.

The president's challenge is to sell the party's faithful, and perhaps even the not-so-faithful, about why John McCain should succeed him. The trick for Bush is avoiding linking his unpopularity too closely to the Arizona senator, who has spent months trying to carve out a niche as his own man.

There was never a doubt Bush would be on the convention schedule. He is the leader of his party, a two-term president. Yet his stay will be brief.

The president speaks on the first night of the convention in St. Paul, Minn., though not until the sleepy time of 10:40 p.m. EDT. Not even staying for the night, he intends to retreat to the hills of the Camp David presidential compound in Maryland for the rest of the week.

Clinton urges support for Obama, says stakes high

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:43 EDT

Hillary Rodham Clinton urged voters Saturday to support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, saying the stakes of the election are high and the differences between Obama and Republican John McCain are stark.

"During our convention, we Democrats laid out clear, bold solutions to tackle the two biggest challenges confronting our nation - economic disarray at home and a decline in American strength and support around the world," she said in the Democrats' weekly radio address. "The contrasts between us and the Republicans could not be starker, especially on issues that matter to middle-class families."

Clinton echoed her support voiced at the Democratic National Convention for Obama, an Illinois senator, and running mate Joe Biden, a fellow senator from Delaware.

"With Barack Obama in the White House and Democrats leading in Congress, we will lead the charge to revitalize the economy, create jobs, make college affordable again and enable hardworking Americans to pay for gas, food, utilities and cover the monthly bills," said Clinton, a senator from New York. "Democrats will continue to fight to lower gas prices, as we are doing now in Congress, even as John McCain and the Republicans side with Big Oil."

And she repeated her pitch for a health care plan that covers every one.

Obama to attend Ohio congresswoman's service

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:47 EDT

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will be among the speakers at a memorial service Saturday for the late U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of the Cleveland area.

The 58-year-old Tubbs Jones died Aug. 20 from a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm. She was the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress.

A public viewing is scheduled before the memorial service at Public Hall in downtown Cleveland.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York also is expected to speak at the service.

McCain's veep choice is historic and hardly known

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:07 EDT

In two short years, Sarah Palin moved from small-town mayor with a taste for mooseburgers to the governor's office and now - making history - to John McCain's side as the first female running mate on a Republican presidential ticket.

She has more experience catching fish than dealing with foreign policy or national affairs.

Talk about a rocketing ascent.

In turning to her, McCain picked an independent figure in his own mold, one who has taken on Alaska's powerful oil industry and, at age 44, is three years younger than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and a generation younger than McCain, 72.

Palin's selection was a jaw-dropper, as McCain passed over many other better known prospects, some of whom had been the subject of intense speculation for weeks or months. "Holy cow," said her father, Chuck Heath, who got word something was up while driving to his remote hunting camp.

Little-known governor continues to surprise

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:17 EDT

She's a former beauty queen, a fierce competitor known as "Sarah Barracuda," a political insider-turned-outsider and the first female governor of Alaska.

Now 44-year-old Sarah Palin, a mother of five who gave birth to her last child in April, could be a heartbeat away from the presidency, should her 72-year-old running mate win in November.

Not since George H. W. Bush plucked an obscure senator from Indiana, Dan Quayle, as his vice presidential selection 20 years has a running mate choice been greeted with such a loud and collective "Who?"

"She's not from these parts and she's not from Washington," is how Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, described Palin, pronounced PAY-lin, as he introduced her Friday in Dayton, Ohio.

"She stands up for what's right and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down," McCain said.

Evangelicals energized by McCain-Palin ticket

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:08 EDT

Sarah Palin already has energized conservative religious leaders who had fretted that John McCain would pick an abortion rights supporter as his running mate. The Alaska governor was raised in a Pentecostal church and has called herself "as pro-life as any candidate can be."

To Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religion Liberties Commission, Palin is "straight out of veep central casting." Land said he had urged the McCain camp to consider the political unknown.

Gary Bauer, one of McCain's most enthusiastic evangelical supporters, said the Arizona senator had hit a "grand slam home run" and that adding Palin to the GOP ticket is "guaranteed to energize values voters."

The 44-year-old mother of five, who led her high school chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was baptized as a teenager at the Wasilla Assembly of God Church, where she and her family were very active, according to her then-pastor, Paul Riley.

She now sometimes worships at the Juneau Christian Center, which is also part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, said Brad Kesler, business administrator of the denomination's Alaska District. But her home church is The Church on the Rock, an independent congregation, Riley said.

John Edwards to speak at Hofstra without wife

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:33 EDT

In a return to the public stage, John Edwards has confirmed plans to talk politics a month after admitting to an extramarital affair. But his wife won't be at his side.

A representative for the former Democratic presidential candidate confirmed Friday that he would speak alone at Hofstra University in New York on Sept. 8, school spokesman Stuart Vincent said. It was initially billed as a joint appearance to talk about the 2008 election, but Vincent said Elizabeth Edwards would not attend.

Dennis Goldford, a professor of politics at Drake University, said the rapid return to the stump could make it difficult for Edwards to overcome the anger of his former supporters. Edwards went into seclusion last month after spending the better part of the past six years on the trail - running for president twice, serving on the Democratic presidential ticket in 2004 and pushing to shrink the gap between rich and poor.

"I don't think the dust has settled sufficiently," Goldford said. "You're going to see a lot of people who are extremely skeptical. It would seem that you would need a little more time."

A spokeswoman and an agent for John and Elizabeth Edwards did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Palin's hometown residents hail choice

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:03 EDT

Residents in Sarah Palin's hometown were surprised by her selection as John McCain's running mate, but they say the straight-talking Alaskan could give Washington a dose of what it needs.

Besides growing up here, she served as mayor to the growing suburban community - now with about 7,000 residents, large by Alaska standards - about 40 miles north of Anchorage.

Lee Sherriff, 83, said that when Palin was mayor, he walked into her office 50 times or more with a question or just to talk. She always got back to him if she didn't have an answer.

"I felt that we were good friends. I could go in there and chat 15, 20 minutes, no problem."

Sherriff said Palin is not afraid to shake things up, such as firing the police chief of Wasilla when she became mayor. He said Palin knew the police chief and the councilmen were going to give her a hard time.

Bush points to signs that economy is on upswing

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:48 EDT

President Bush said Saturday that Americans may have cause this Labor Day weekend to start worrying less about the nation's - and their families' - economic health.

"There have been some recent signs that our economy is beginning to improve," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

Among the positive signs that Bush referenced was a report Thursday that the overall economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, rose by 3.3 percent in the April-June quarter. This surprised analysts and was a significant rebound from growth of just 0.9 percent in the first quarter of the year. Most credit was given to the $93 billion in economic stimulus payments the federal government has sent to households since May.

However, other economic news this week showed that right after that second quarter, in July, consumer spending slowed to a crawl and personal incomes plunged.

With few stimulus payments still to go out, some economists worry consumer spending will continue to falter. Since it accounts for two-thirds of economic activity, that could send economic growth tumbling again in the second half of the year, particularly given rising unemployment, a continuing credit crisis and the deepest housing slump in decades.

McCain picks Alaska Gov. Palin as running mate

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:17 EDT

On his 72nd birthday, Sen. John McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a little-known, tough-talking social conservative with corruption-fighting credentials, to be his running mate, rattling the dynamic of the presidential race.

Saying he has found "the right partner to help me stand up to those who value their privileges over their responsibilities," McCain introduced the 44-year-old, first woman governor of Alaska, to an exuberant stadium filled with more than 12,000 voters Friday - the largest crowd of his campaign.

She "knows what it's like to worry about mortgage payments and health care and the cost of gasoline and groceries," said McCain, who first met Palin in February. "And I am especially proud to say in the week we celebrate the anniversary of women's suffrage, ... a devoted wife and a mother of five."

With the surprise choice of Palin, McCain reached out to women voters, union members and people worried about the economy. He also reassured social conservatives and Evangelical voters with Palin's strong anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage stance.

But Sen. Barack Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton, derided the pick, as did Democratic lawmakers and liberal interest groups, many of whom issued statements calling Palin's selection "a Hail Mary pass" and a sign of "political panic."

Source: Petraeus submitted report on troop cuts

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:28 EDT

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, has given his military superiors and Defense Secretary Robert Gates his initial recommendation on when to resume a U.S. troop withdrawal and at what pace, a senior military officer close to the process said Friday.

The officer, who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition that he not be identified, said Petraeus was still analyzing the situation and had not yet submitted a final set of recommendations. That is expected to happen within the next week or so, but there is no firm deadline.

The officer would not provide any specifics of Petraeus' initial recommendation. He was granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of Petraeus' deliberations and because they are not completed.

Petraeus is widely expected to conclude that the outlook in Iraq - politically as well as militarily - has brightened enough in recent months to merit more troop cuts this fall. At Petraeus' recommendation, President Bush halted the drawdown when the last of five Army brigades, sent in 2007 as reinforcements, pulled out in mid-July; Petraeus wanted time to analyze the impact of losing those five brigades.

His recommendations to Gates and to Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on how to proceed this fall will go to Bush for a final decision, likely in September.

Husband of veep choice is snowmobile racer

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:39 EDT

He's known as a doting, blue-collar husband who stands on the sidelines as his wife blazes a historic trail in politics.

But Todd Mitchell Palin can claim accomplishments beyond his marriage to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the surprise running mate of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain.

Todd Palin is a veteran oil-field worker and commercial fisherman affectionately dubbed Alaska's "first dude." He's a man who took college courses but does not have a degree, yet can hold his own in sophisticated circles, even hosting a reception for five former Alaska first ladies earlier this month.

A father of five, he's also a four-time winner of the world's longest snowmobile race, billed as the most grueling. It's a sport the 43-year-old lifelong Alaskan is so passionate about that he's continued to compete even after his wife took office in December 2006.

In this year's 2,000-mile Tesoro Iron Dog contest, Palin and racing partner Scott Davis were trying to defend their 2007 championship when Palin broke his arm in a crash. It was 400 miles from the finish line, but he refused to quit, coming in fourth, cheered on by the parka-clad governor waving a checkered flag.

Dem ad: McCain `doesn't get it' despite Palin

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:58 EDT

Democrat Barack Obama's latest ad carefully avoids direct criticism of GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin while seeking to make the case that John McCain's campaign offers no change from President Bush.

Obama's campaign promptly created the spot before next week's Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. The ad, running nationally on cable television and called "No Change," sought to sustain the theme that Obama and Democrats worked to cultivate at their own convention this past week - that McCain represents a continuation of the policies of an unpopular president.

"Well, he's made his choice," the ad states. "But, for the rest of us there's still no change. McCain doesn't get it, calling this broken economy 'strong.' Wants to keep spending ten-billion-a-month in Iraq. And votes with George Bush 90 percent of the time."

The ad continues: "So, while this may be his running mate ..." as an image of McCain and Palin, Alaska's governor, appears on the screen. The image then shifts to a shot of McCain with Bush. "America knows this is John McCain's agenda. And we can't afford four more years of the same."

The ad illustrates the Obama camp's careful reaction to Palin's addition to the Republican ticket. McCain's choice was a groundbreaking move that reintroduced gender into the presidential race just as the Democrats worked to resolve a rift between the Obama camp and supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Bush offers full federal help as storm nears Gulf

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:08 EDT

President Bush is checking in with Gulf Coast governors and federal officials to make sure his administration is doing all it can to be ready for Hurricane Gustav.

The president called the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas early Saturday morning from the White House. All those states are in the potential path of the storm, which could reach the U.S. by early Tuesday.

Bush was getting regular updates from aides about the storm's path and the government's preparations.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel says Bush told the governors they would have the full support of the federal government.

Obama: Let's hope lessons of Katrina were learned

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:48 EDT

Barack Obama expressed hope Saturday that the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina three years ago would help to protect the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Gustav this time. His running mate, Joe Biden, urged people to pray that the levees in New Orleans hold.

Obama and Biden visited a diner in this Youngstown suburb, an area that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton carried during her failed presidential bid. Trying to connect with those who are economically struggling, the Democratic candidates and their wives chatted with diners and told reporters that a properly orchestrated evacuation would be key to protecting the Gulf Coast.

"It wasn't last time, and hopefully we've learned from that tragedy," Obama told reporters as he left the diner, heading to a memorial service for the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress. She died Aug. 20 from a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm.

Obama and Biden planned another joint appearance later Saturday in the Columbus area.

Northeast Ohio, a Rust Belt region where the economy has struggled, supported Clinton's presidential bid back in March. Obama carried the Democratic stronghold of Cuyahoga County, with Cleveland, but lost 83 of 88 counties.

McCain makes history with choice of running mate

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:53 EDT

She has more experience catching fish than dealing with foreign policy or national affairs.

Talk about a rocketing ascent.

Today on the presidential campaign trail

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:12 EDT

IN THE HEADLINES

McCain selects Alaska's Gov. Sarah Palin to be vice presidential candidate ... Obama's acceptance speech at Democratic convention seen by 38 million-plus viewers ... Palin choice as McCain running mate raises eyebrows, even within her own state

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McCain taps Alaska governor for VP

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Republican John McCain introduced first-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate Friday, a stunning selection of a little-known conservative newcomer who relishes fighting the establishment.

Ron Paul followers gathering for own convention

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:58 EDT

There's no room at the Xcel Energy Center for maverick Ron Paul, so his acolytes have packed their cars, hitched rides on "Ronvoys" and will pitch tents at Ronstock '08 in Minneapolis in defiance of next week's GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn.

Almost 9,800 tickets had been sold for the Rally for the Republic, which seeks to bring together activists who are anti-war, anti-government regulation, anti-immigration, anti-taxes, anti-Federal Reserve, anti-outsourcing, pro-individual liberty, pro-civil liberties and pro-Paul.

The Ronvoys - fleets of buses and vans carrying Paul's loyalists - were to begin arriving Saturday. A few rally-goers planned to walk from Green Bay, Wis., and join up with Paul for the final miles of their Walk4Freedom. Other attendees are driving, carpooling or flying in for the convention alternative.

Paul, a Texas congressman who failed in a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, considers the rally a celebration of traditional Republican values of limited government - and a poke in the eye of the GOP. They don't plan to crash the Republican party, but to show they and their Campaign for Liberty are not going away.

"No matter how much our message is ignored or ridiculed, as was done in the campaign, no matter how much they did to us, it only energized our grass roots," Paul said.

Analysis: Palin could complicate energy debate

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:48 EDT

If Democrats hoped to portray John McCain as captive to the oil industry, their task became more complicated with his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate.

She is an ardent advocate for more drilling - off Alaska, off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in the off-limits Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Yet she also not shied from confronting Exxon Mobil, BP and ConocoPhillips.

As the presidential campaign moves into high gear, McCain and Democratic nominee Barack Obama will duel over two overriding energy issues: whether to expand offshore oil drilling into areas long off-limits and whether to impose new taxes on oil companies enjoying tens of billions of dollars in windfall profits.

Palin is a popular governor in a state that for decades has been closely tied to oil. She may be a political novice, but she is hardly a newcomer when it comes to these two issues. Her emergence as McCain's No. 2 and possibly the next vice president could shift the campaign's energy debate.

When it comes to the oil industry is Palin friend or foe?

Schedule for the Republican National Convention

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:03 EDT

The program for the Republican National Convention Monday through Thursday at the Xcel Center in St. Paul, Minn. Sen. John McCain of Arizona is the party's presumed nominee.

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MONDAY, SEPT. 1

THEME: Service

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, first lady Laura Bush, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Rep. Thelma Drake of Virginia; Rep. Mark Kirk of Illinois and Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California.