News politics 2008-05-21 Andanh.com

Obama faults McCain; Clinton mulls delegate fight Wed, 21 May 2008 20:38 EDT
Barack Obama criticized likely general election rival John McCain on Wednesday where it could hurt most - the Arizona senator's reputation as a champion of ethics. Hillary Rodham Clinton, meanwhile, raised the possibility she might carry her fight to the Democratic convention floor.

With more superdelegate endorsements after Kentucky and Oregon primaries the night before, Obama was just 64 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination.

The Illinois senator confidently detoured from the three remaining Democratic primary states - Puerto Rico, Montana, South Dakota - to campaign in Florida, a crucial state in the November election. He also kept his focus on McCain, the Republicans' certain nominee in the fall.

Obama said the Arizona senator has lost faith with his own good-government principles.

Ten years ago, Obama said, McCain proposed barring registered lobbyists from working for candidates' campaigns.

Mine Workers union endorses Obama for president Wed, 21 May 2008 13:50 EDT
The United Mine Workers of America endorsed Barack Obama for president Wednesday despite his recent defeats in primaries in coal-producing states where many of the union's members vote.

The endorsement continues organized labor's swing over to the Democratic front-runner as the primaries wrap up. Obama lost heavily to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Tuesday's Kentucky primary and last week's West Virginia primary.

"Senator Obama shares the values of UMWA members and our families. He understands and will fight for the needs our members have today and the hopes our members have for a secure future for themselves and their families," union president Cecil E. Roberts said.

The Mine Workers - along with the United Steelworkers union - had originally endorsed former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. However, Edwards dropped out of the race and threw his support to Obama last week and was immediately followed by the Steelworkers union.

Only one union that originally endorsed Edwards - the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners - has not subsequently endorsed Obama.

Today on the presidential campaign trail Wed, 21 May 2008 18:05 EDT
IN THE HEADLINES

Two candidates, two weeks: Obama, Clinton plot endgame to marathon campaign ... Obama criticizes McCain for hiring lobbyists ... McCain to host possible running mate candidates at Arizona home ... Clinton willing to take delegate fight to convention if Fla., Mich. willing ... United Mine Workers endorses Obama ... Obama builds delegate total, closing in on Democratic nomination

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Obama, Clinton chart an endgame

NEW YORK (AP) - Two weeks before the final primary in their marathon battle, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton were campaigning hard Wednesday. Both were in Florida, but their goals could hardly have been more different - or said more about how each one hopes to conclude their historic race.

Obama inching ever closer to nomination Wed, 21 May 2008 19:15 EDT
Close to securing the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama lavished attention on Florida and its wreckage of a presidential primary while minding his manners with Hillary Rodham Clinton - a rival he now can afford to praise.

Obama detoured Wednesday from the campaign for the three remaining primaries - Puerto Rico, Montana, South Dakota - to rally in a state where its renegade primary was disallowed.

"It is good to be back in Florida. It's good to be back. I know you guys have been holding down the fort," Obama told supporters at a Tampa, Fla., rally.

Clinton, too, was in Florida, pressing to narrow her gap with Obama by having delegates counted from its contest in January.

The former first lady told supporters in Florida that they "learned the hard way what happens when your votes aren't counted and the candidate with fewer votes is declared the winner," a reference to the state's disputed presidential vote that gave George W. Bush the White House. "The lesson of 2000 here in Florida is crystal clear: If any votes aren't counted, the will of the people isn't realized and our democracy is diminished."

Obama closes in on Democratic nomination Wed, 21 May 2008 19:20 EDT
Sen. Barack Obama pulled within shouting distance of the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, though he still needs help from superdelegates to claim the prize.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won more of the delegates at stake in Tuesday's primaries, including an overwhelming majority in Kentucky. Obama fared better in Oregon, where election officials were still counting votes Wednesday.

The split decision left Obama fewer than 70 delegates from the 2,026 needed to secure the nomination.

Clinton won at least 56 delegates in the two states and Obama won at least 43, according to an analysis of election returns by The Associated Press. All the delegates from Kentucky were awarded, but there were still four to be allocated in Oregon. A total of 103 were at stake in both primaries.

Obama had a total of 1,963 delegates, including endorsements from party and elected officials known as superdelegates. Clinton had 1,778 delegates, according to the latest tally by the AP.

Analysis: Race draws to end, time for legacies Wed, 21 May 2008 18:05 EDT
The Democratic presidential race is all but over.

Barring a cataclysmic change of events, Barack Obama will win enough pledged and superdelegates to capture the party's nomination. The only real issue is whether he and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton leave the race with their futures - and their party - intact.

For Obama, that means winning with class so he endears himself to Clinton's supporters - letting her leave the race on her own terms, without gloating or appearing to push her out with any disrespect. And Clinton has to be careful not to damage Obama and make her legacy a weakened Democratic nominee in the fall.

No matter what the New York senator and former first lady wants to do next - angle to be Obama's running mate, make another presidential run or ascend one day to Senate Democratic leader, it's in her interest to leave the 2008 race in a position of strength. She's doing a bang-up job of that.

Even as Obama is steadily climbing toward the 2,026 delegates he needs to secure the nomination - he was within 70 after Tuesday night's split decision in Kentucky and Oregon - Clinton has defeated him in four of the last seven primaries, including big states such as Pennsylvania.

Obama, McCain hold cash while Clinton sees debt Wed, 21 May 2008 03:40 EDT
The money tells the tale. Democrat Barack Obama entered May sitting comfortably atop more than $37 million in the bank. Republican John McCain had nearly $22 million in hand. Hillary Rodham Clinton, once the Democrats' presidential front-runner, was in the red.

Obama, moving closer to his party's nomination, let his fundraising slow only slightly last month and collected $31 million. Clinton raised more than $21 million, but was saddled with debts. And McCain, in his best monthly performance yet, hauled in $18 million.

Financially, the month tracked the three candidates' political fortunes. Clinton beat Obama in Pennsylvania on April 22 and saw a $10 million surge in donations in a 24-hour period. But money and the delegates needed for the nomination still flowed primarily to Obama.

McCain, lacking rivals and assured the GOP nomination, spent little and worked on consolidating his fundraising base.

The three candidates filed their financial reports Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission.

Turner beats Hamilton in rematch for 29th District Wed, 21 May 2008 02:05 EDT
A handful of primary races for the state Senate ended with a prominent Democrat incumbent holding on in Eastern Kentucky and a former Democratic U.S. representative making a political comeback in Kentucky.

Additionally, the Republican primary to claim the open 11th Senate District ended in dispute with a candidate calling for a recount.

The state Senate race that has garnered the most attention in Eastern Kentucky was a rematch between Eric Shane Hamilton and Sen. Johnny Ray Turner, who defeated Hamilton in the 2004 Democratic primary for the 29th Senate District seat by just 24 votes.

Turner, the Senate's Democratic Caucus chairman, managed to narrowly edge out Hamilton again, according to unofficial results from the Kentucky State Board of Elections.

There are no Republicans vying for the 29th seat, which serves Floyd, Knott, Breathitt and Letcher counties.

Clinton wins big in Ky.; Obama closer to nomination Wed, 21 May 2008 09:29 EDT
Kentucky voters ignored mounting evidence that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama will be the Democratic presidential nominee and overwhelmingly supported U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday, sending the primary race on to three final contests.

Clinton defeated Obama by 35 points and 250,000 votes. And with an upbeat resolve, she pledged to keep her campaign going in Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota.

"This continues to be a tough fight and I have fought it the only way I know how: with determination," she said at her victory speech at Louisville's Marriott Hotel Downtown. She added, "I'm going to keep making our case until we have a nominee, whoever she may be."

But Obama snared a key consolation prize by nabbing 14 of Kentucky's 51 pledged delegates -- enough to pass a key threshold. He has a majority of the 3,253 Democratic National Convention delegates that are divvied up based on primary election results.

Democrats in Oregon then delivered Obama a solid win and a majority of that state's 52 pledged delegates in a mail-in-ballot primary Tuesday.

On the ballot Wed, 21 May 2008 02:04 EDT
Here is a list of contested state and federal primary races. Candidates without an opponent are not listed. All judicial races are non-partisan. Symbols: (I) = incumbent (W) = withdrawn

President

Democrats

Barack Obama 209,771

Hillary R. Clinton 459,145

The day Bill Clinton came to my home Tue, 20 May 2008 11:30 EDT
Former President Bill Clinton came to our house Monday.

I can't remember the last time a onetime leader of the free world stopped by for a visit to 418 West High Street in Mount Sterling. He shook hands with my family and a few friends and spoke to a crowd of 1,500 or so on our front lawn.

He came as part of a five-town tour for his wife's presidential campaign.

Two days earlier -- before we became famous -- a local Democratic activist, Charlie White, had called my wife to say he was having breakfast with a member of the Clinton advance team. He invited my wife to join them for a drive around town to locate a place for the former president to speak.

After an hour or so with no luck finding a suitable site, my wife mentioned that our house might meet the qualifications: a front porch, a level lawn and understanding neighbors. They wanted something decidedly New Deal middle class. No tax-breaks-for-the-rich mansion.

Both Obama and Clinton prepare to claim victories Tue, 20 May 2008 08:39 EDT
U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton stirred an electric capacity crowd at Transylvania University on the eve of Kentucky's long-awaited presidential primary, even as her opponent -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama -- prepared to achieve a key milestone Tuesday.

While it's unlikely Obama can snare the magic number of 2,026 total Democratic National Convention votes to secure the nomination Tuesday, he's almost assured to get a majority of the 3,253 pledged delegates -- those who are automatically assigned to support a candidate based on the results of states' primaries and caucuses.

Obama needs just 14 more to pass that mark with 103 pledged delegates at stake in Oregon and Kentucky, which both vote Tuesday.

"When the votes are counted in Oregon and Kentucky, we could secure a majority of delegates elected by the voters," Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe said Monday in a memo to supporters. "A clear majority of elected delegates will send an unmistakable message: The people have spoken, and they are ready for change."

Obama will campaign Tuesday in Iowa, the state that gave him his first win five months ago. But Clinton's campaign warned him not to claim the nomination there.

Chelsea makes surprise appearance at bookstore Tue, 20 May 2008 16:31 EDT
Chelsea Clinton stopped at Joseph-Beth Booksellers Tuesday morning to read a children's book to about a dozen young boys and girls.

Most of the parents and grandparents who accompanied the little ones did not realize Clinton, the daughter of presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., would be reading during the usual story time.

Store employees received confirmation of Chelsea Clinton's visit about 10 p.m. Monday, marketing manager Rachel Ray said.

Edward Smith, who normally reads to the children on Tuesday and Thursday, said he didn't know he wouldn't be reading until he walked into the store.

"The kids will enjoy it," Smith said of his replacement.

Money quandaries in presidential race Wed, 21 May 2008 20:38 EDT
As they steer toward November's presidential election, Democrats and Republicans are assessing the financial challenges ahead.

The Republican problem: Even while losing primaries and fending off bad press over his former pastor, Democrat Barack Obama was able to raise $1 million a day last month. John McCain, unrivaled and secure in his eventual nomination, had his best fundraising month and raised only $18 million.

The Democratic problem: The Republican National Committee, with McCain operatives in place, raised nearly $16 million and had more than $40 million in the bank at the start of May. The Democratic National Committee had $4.4 million.

"This gap is going to be one of the immediate challenges that the Obama campaign has to deal with during the summer," said Bill Carrick, a California-based Democratic consultant who has worked on various presidential campaigns.

Obama entered May sitting comfortably atop more than $37. McCain had nearly $22 million in hand. Hillary Rodham Clinton, once the Democrats' presidential front-runner, was in the red.

NRA fears disaster if Democrat wins in fall Mon, 19 May 2008 02:03 EDT
Using Kentucky as a stage, a string of high-profile speakers at the National Rifle Association's 137th annual meeting painted the 2008 presidential race as a showdown over the right to bear arms.

But the fall election also could prove to be a key test of the NRA's political muscle.

The group focused much of its meeting this weekend on gearing up its members, especially the 60,000 who traveled to Louisville, to defeat the Democratic nominee in November, be it U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois or U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

NRA leaders and top-ranking Republicans said both Democrats are risks on eroding gun ownership rights. But to prevail, the group must overcome a tough national atmosphere for the GOP and lackluster success in recent battleground campaigns.

Although the group won't officially endorse in the presidential race until after the parties' national conventions this summer, it sent strong signals this weekend that likely GOP nominee John McCain would get the gun lobby's backing, despite some differences with the Arizona senator in the past.

McConnell starts Senate race swinging at Lunsford Wed, 21 May 2008 14:41 EDT

Democratic voter turnout is heavy: 43% Wed, 21 May 2008 02:05 EDT
Kentucky voters, especially Democrats, turned out in record numbers Tuesday.

With 99.2 percent of precincts reporting, tallies indicated that 43 percent of Kentucky's registered Democrats voted in Tuesday's primary.

The Republican showing was more modest, with 18.9 percent going to the polls.

The overall voter turnout of 32 percent topped the previous record of 26.5 percent in 1992.

That year, 31 percent of the state's Democrats voted in the presidential primary. Just 16 percent voted in the 2004 presidential primary.

Beshear: Hold off on water projects Tue, 20 May 2008 02:03 EDT
Gov. Steve Beshear is warning state lawmakers not to announce water and sewer projects for their districts that are contained in the new state budget, citing concern about the state's debt rating.

In a May 9 letter to legislators obtained by the Herald-Leader, Beshear said they should coordinate any announcements through his office to ensure that funds actually exist.

The state will "proceed with extreme caution" before it issues new bonds, said Beshear, noting that the credit rating outlook for the state recently was revised downward.

"I am concerned about this action, which typically is a precursor to a rating downgrade, an action that could cost the Commonwealth considerably more to fund the critical capital investments we need in our state," Beshear wrote.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said Beshear's letter is "another situation where the governor ignores the budget and tries to impose a one-man rule."

Chinese Dir