News politics 2008-06-10 Andanh.com

Obama veep vetting team looks at retired military Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:03 EDT
Barack Obama is considering former top military leaders among his possible running mates, according to senators who met Tuesday with the Democratic presidential candidate's vice presidential vetting team.

North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad told The Associated Press that the team asked him about potential candidates from three broad categories - current top elected officials, former top elected officials and former top military leaders.

Conrad would not disclose which names they discussed, and the Obama campaign has been keeping the process a closely guarded secret.

"We talked about many names," Conrad said, including "some that are out of the box, but I think would be very well-received by the American people, including former top military leaders."

A running mate from the military ranks could help address concerns that Obama lacks foreign policy experience, having served just three years in the Senate. It could also provide a counterpoint to the military bonafides of the Republican ticket, which will be led by Vietnam war hero John McCain.

Today on the presidential campaign trail Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:33 EDT
IN THE HEADLINES

McCain says Obama bad for small business; Obama challenges McCain's claim ... Senator says former military leaders being considered for Obama's running mate ... United Auto Workers union endorses Obama for president ... Citing flood concerns, Obama cancels scheduled visit to Cedar Rapids

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McCain, Obama trade jabs on economy, taxes

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican John McCain said Tuesday that Democrat Barack Obama is bad for business as the presidential rivals appealed to voters worried about lost jobs, rising gas prices and other economic woes.

McCain says Obama policies are bad for business Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:49 EDT
John McCain said Democratic rival Barack Obama is bad for business in a speech to small business owners. McCain said Tuesday that Obama's policies would mean higher taxes and higher overhead costs. The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting also criticized Obama for pledging to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

McCain said small businesses make the economy run and that his Democratic rival would slow the creation of new jobs.

"You work hard in small businesses to grow and create new jobs and opportunities for others," McCain said. "The federal government shouldn't make your work any harder."

Economic issues have taken center stage in the early presidential race. Obama argues that McCain's policies are no different from those of President Bush, and he blames those policies for the slumping economy.

Obama has pledged to end the Bush administration's tax cuts for upper-income workers and has called for new taxes on oil companies and wealthy individuals, along with $1,000 tax cuts for the middle class tax.

Obama ramps up search for a running mate Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:30 EDT
Barack Obama ramped up his search for a running mate on Monday, consulting with one congressional ally by phone and dispatching members of his vice presidential vetting team to the Capitol for meetings. Sen. Dick Durbin said he had spoken with Obama, his fellow Illinois senator.

Jim Johnson and Eric Holder, who comprise two-thirds of the group Obama has asked to help guide his search, met separately with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Rahm Emanuel of Illinois.

Obama's campaign announced last week that he has asked Johnson, Holder and Caroline Kennedy to help guide the search.

None of the congressional leaders involved in the meetings have figured in speculation about a possible running mate, suggesting that the day's conversations were designed to seek advice. Durbin and Emanuel are barred from being on the ticket because the Constitution requires that the presidential and vice presidential candidates be from different states.

Johnson himself became a subject of campaign controversy during the day after a weekend report in The Wall Street Journal that he had received loans from Countrywide Financial Corp. with the help of the firm's chief executive, Angelo Mozilo.

Clinton conundrum: Would she help or hurt? Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Lots of Democrats love Hillary Rodham Clinton. Yet plenty of Republicans, conservatives and all-important independents can't stand her, suggesting possible pitfalls for Barack Obama should he make her his running mate.

The intense dislike for Clinton suggests that besides support from women and others she could bring to the ticket, she might make it harder for Obama to win over some independents, a pivotal swing group in the November election against Republican John McCain. It also means she might push some Republicans and conservatives to vote against the Democrats -- or donate money to the GOP -- who might otherwise lack motivation to do so because of tepid feelings toward McCain.

A substantial 32 percent of independents strongly dislike Clinton, 10 points more than say so about Obama, according to an Associated Press-Yahoo News poll. Independents, a group that both Obama and McCain won during their party primaries this year, comprised a quarter of voters in the 2004 election and have been closely contested in every presidential election since 1992.

In addition, 67 percent of Republicans have very unfavorable views of Clinton, 24 percentage points more than feel that way about Obama. Among conservatives, 58 percent say they feel very negatively about her, 18 points more than say so about Obama.

Other groups with significantly stronger negative feelings about Clinton than Obama include whites under age 30, male college graduates, white men and whites earning at least $100,000 a year.

Campaign focus on economy Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
The presidential campaign turned to the economy Monday, with record gasoline prices and a spike in job losses putting Republican John McCain at a distinct disadvantage.

Democrat Barack Obama seized on the topic, launching a two-week economic tour to highlight his differences with McCain on taxes, spending priorities and other issues. At every turn he is tying McCain to President Bush, whose approval ratings are consistently low.

McCain pushed back, saying Obama's bid to end the Bush administration's tax cuts for upper-income Americans would only worsen the already struggling economy. He is airing TV ads in key states on the Iraq war, which he sees as a better issue this fall. But he took questions on the economy from donors in Virginia on Monday, and planned a speech Tuesday to small business owners in Washington.

With many voters blaming Bush for economic woes, Republican candidates for federal and state offices are scrambling to distance themselves from the bad news without abandoning core principles such as low taxes and modest government intervention in banking, lending and other economic activities.

Democrats are trying to cut off any escape routes.

Lambert to oversee senior judge program Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Departing Chief Justice Joseph Lambert will be appointed to oversee a work program for retired judges, court officials said Monday.

Lambert retires June 27, and his successor, Justice John D. Minton, will appoint Lambert to be chief judge of the senior status judge program, Administrative Office of the Courts director Jason Nemes said.

The senior judge program was created in 2000 to clear case backlogs. Retired judges work part-time for five years in exchange for a significant increase in retirement pay.

The chief senior judge position has been vacant since May 16, when Judge William Wehr completed his five years of service.

Like Wehr, Lambert will have access to an AOC employee to help him with his administrative duties, Nemes said. Lambert will work with chief regional judges to coordinate scheduling of senior judges.

Okla. Dem calls Obama liberal, declines to endorse Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:53 EDT
Democratic Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma said Tuesday Barack Obama is "the most liberal senator" in Congress and he has no intention of endorsing him for the White House.

However, Boren will vote for Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August and will vote Democratic on Nov. 4.

"I think this is an important time for our country," Boren said in a telephone interview. "We're facing a terrible economic downturn. We have high gasoline prices. We have problems in our foreign policy. That's why I think it's important."

Boren, the lone Democrat in Oklahoma's congressional delegation, said that while Obama has talked about working with Republicans, "unfortunately, his record does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion."

Boren, a self-described centrist, is seeking a third term this year in a mostly rural district that stretches across eastern Oklahoma.

Lunsford would handle energy bill differently Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford told party faithful this weekend that he was frustrated by his Republican opponent's handling of legislation aimed at curbing gases that have been linked to global climate change.

He specifically criticized tactics employed by Republicans, led by Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, to delay debate on the bill by having the Senate clerk read the 492-page legislation aloud on Thursday.

"I want my tax dollars spent a little differently than that," he said at the state party's Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner Friday in Lexington.

McConnell and Senate Republicans, however, had said they resorted to that only after their efforts to suggest amendments to the anti-pollution bill were denied. Some Democrats also complained about being unable to change the legislation.

Lunsford told the Herald-Leader Friday night that he thought McConnell had an issue with Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and used the bill like "a political football." He echoed those remarks later Friday night during his speech

Lawmakers signal progress on pension Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

Legislative leaders have reached a tentative agreement on a plan to overhaul the state retirement systems and appear ready for a special law-making session on the issue to begin June 23.

After several hours of closed-door negotiations Monday between House and Senate leaders, House Speaker Jody Richards and Senate President David Williams said leaders plan to contact lawmakers overnight to assess the plan and expect to announce its details Tuesday.

Neither leader would release specifics, but Williams, R-Burkesville, said he expects it will include a schedule to address the $26.6 billion unfunded liability in the retirement systems.

Richards said the plan does more than what Gov. Steve Beshear outlined, but Williams said it "falls far short" of past Senate proposals.

Chinese Dir