IOWA
PRESIDENTIAL WATCH
Iowa...
Where Presidents Begin
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on each candidate to see today's news stories
(caricatures by
Linda Eddy)
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008
GENERAL NEWS HEADLINES with excerpts
If
Iraqis could vote,
it would be for McCain!
For
five years Ali and Mohammed have lived alongside US
soldiers in their Baghdad neighbourhood near Rasheed
Street, a prominent commercial artery running through
the heart of the Iraqi capital.
During that time American culture and politics have become familiar to them, and they say that if they could, they would vote for Republican candidate John McCain in next week's US presidential election.
"McCain would be best for Iraq because he would ensure stability," said Ali, 66, an expert on the Sumerian era.
... "The Iranians believe that if Obama is elected he will not take action against them despite their nuclear ambitions. That worries me," said Ali, sitting on an old bench in Al-Zahawi coffee shop.
"If the Iranians get the bomb they will become the Tarzan of the region," said the former teacher and lecturer at the University of Baghdad, referring to the vine-swinging strongman of the jungle in old Hollywood movies.
Mohammed, also a professor at the university, said he too preferred McCain "because Obama supports a rapid withdrawal of US troops."
"Our army is still too weak and Turkey and Iran are threats. Iran's President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad has warned Iran would fill the void left when US troops depart," he said...
BATTLE FOR FLORIDA:
Poll gives McCain the
lead in early Florida voting
A
Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll gave McCain a 49-45
lead over Democrat Barack Obama among Floridians who
have already voted.
And Republicans continued to show a traditional strength, leading 50 percent to the Democrats' 30 percent in the 1.2 million absentee ballots already returned.
Dueling TV:
Obama does 30-minute
'commercial'
McCain does Larry King Live
Obama blankets TV:
As
Obama's 30-minute commercial aired on several broadcast and cable
networks, the Democratic presidential nominee appeared in Florida at a
packed basketball arena with his running mate, Joe Biden. In what
Obama aide Linda Douglass described as "a bit of a high-wire act," the
campaign cut from the pre-taped ad with a live feed from the rally.
Obama's ad ran simultaneously on several broadcast and cable networks at a cost of more than $3 million.
The airing of the ad highlighted the enormous financial advantage enjoyed by Obama, whose fundraising has been so successful that he [broke his promise and] opted out of the public campaign-finance system. McCain, who accepted public funding, is limited to $84 million for the general election campaign. Obama raised $153 million in September alone, and spent $106 million in the month of September.
After the rally, Obama and former president Bill Clinton made their first joint campaign appearance at a rally in Kissimmee, Florida ... The pair's rally was scheduled to start at the same time that an interview Obama had with Jon Stewart aired on the comedian's Daily Show.
see also:
Primetime ad skips over budget realities
Obama plunks down $4 million for ad
McCain: Obama lied about public financing
Republican
presidential candidate Sen. John McCain sat down for an interview with
CNN's Larry King on Wednesday.
The interview ran after his opponent, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, appeared in a paid television address on several major news and cable networks.
King: Sen. Obama had a 30-minute ad buy tonight. It ran right before we went on the air. Does that make it hard for you, the amount of money being spent against you?
McCain: Frankly, what's disturbing about it is that he signed a piece of paper back when he was a long shot candidate. And he signed it, said I won't -- I will take public financing for the presidential campaign if John McCain will. I mean, it's a living document.
He didn't tell the American people the truth. And then twice he looked into the camera when he was in debate with Sen. Clinton and said, "I'll sit down and negotiate with John McCain before I decide on public financing."
Well, he didn't tell the American people the truth. He never had any -- I'm still waiting for the call.
McCain, Palin pressure LATimes to release Obama videotape
"What if there was a tape with John McCain with a neo-Nazi outfit being held by some media outlet. I think the treatment of the issue would be slightly different..."
John McCain's latest crusade against the elite media targets the Los Angeles Times, which is refusing to release a videotape that the Republican presidential candidate says could show Democratic rival Barack Obama making pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel statements.
McCain: "What if there was a tape with John McCain with a neo-Nazi outfit being held by some media outlet. I think the treatment of the issue would be slightly different."
Palin chimed in at an Ohio rally, "Among other things, Israel was described there as the perpetrator of terrorism rather than the victim. What we don't know is how Barack Obama responded to these slurs on a country that he professes to support."
She added, "If there's a Pulitzer prize category for excellence in kowtowing, the LA Times wins."
top political video
"Dear Mr Obama having spent 12 months in Iraq theatre I can promise you it's not a mistake."
At 1 minute 55 seconds, it's short, simple and powerful.
"When you call the Iraqi war a mistake you disrespect the service and sacrifice of everyone who has died promoting freedom... Because you do not understand or appreciate these principles Sir, I am supporting Senator John McCain for president."
The film, titled Dear Mr Obama, is the most-viewed election-related video on the YouTube website, attracting more than 11 million hits.
John, Elizabeth Edwards... separated?
Washington Post: A source said Edwards is no longer living with Elizabeth and that the couple have separated. But reps for Elizabeth Edwards did not return calls and e-mails.
John McCain & Sarah Palin... today's headlines with excerpts
McCain gains 6 points this week
As the candidates make their closing arguments before the election, the race has tightened with Barack Obama now leading John McCain by 47 percent to 44 percent among likely voters, according to a FOX News poll released Thursday. Last week Obama led by 49-40 percent among likely voters.
McCain mocks Obama 'infomercial'
"As
with other infomercials, he’s got a few things he wants
to sell you: He’s offering government-run health care,
an energy plan guaranteed to work without drilling and
an automatic wealth spreader that folds neatly and fits
under any bed," McCain said, according to his prepared
remarks.
Obama bought 30 minutes of airtime on NBC, CBS, and Fox Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET.
Broken promise: public financing
"Sen. Obama signed a piece of paper committing to public financing of his campaign," McCain said. "Twice he looked the American people in the eye and said he would sit down with me before he abandoned public financing. He didn’t mean a word of it. When it was in his interest to break his promise, he tossed it aside like it didn’t mean a thing. He is the first candidate since Watergate to abandon the public financing system, and his campaign is now being flooded with hundreds of millions of dollars in undisclosed and questionable donations. His campaign has directly profited from his broken promise and because of that, the American people have to ask: what does the broken promise behind tonight’s infomercial say about the value of his other commitments?"
McCain works to keep Florida 'red'
John McCain criss-crossed Florida on Wednesday, trying to keep the state in the Republican column as some supporters worried about whether he can catch the better-funded Barack Obama.
... "We've got to win the state of Florida, my friends, and we're going to win here," McCain said in Miami.
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. Mel Martinez, who traveled with McCain on Wednesday, echoed his optimism about Florida.
Barack Obama & Joe Biden... today's headlines with excerpts'
Obama lead slipping in newest national polls
It’s scary times for Democrats as the latest polls show Barack Obama’s lead slipping to a frightening three points over John McCain.
The Gallup daily poll has Obama up 49-46 percent over McCain, as the race “tightens.”
The Rasmussen daily poll also shows a 3-point lead for Obama, the first time McCain has been this close in more than a month.
Gore to close for Obama in Florida
BACK IN FLORIDA FOR A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2000: Al and Tipper Gore are doing early-vote rallies for Sen. Obama tomorrow in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach...
Barack & Bill - from cold war to cool peace
Barack
Obama and former President Bill Clinton are moving from a cold war to
a cool peace. Clinton is out there campaigning with Obama in these
final days in several states including Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
and West Virginia.
He and Obama campaign together tonight at a rally in Florida for the first time.
Obama has been praising the Clinton record more and more in his speeches, something he hasn't done before.
Obama has also been reaching out to Clinton privately more and more, sources tell ABC News.
see also:
Bill sings Obama's praises at late night rally
Obama's aunt found in Boston slum
TIMESONLINE.UK...
Zeituni Onyango, the aunt so affectionately described in Mr Obama’s
best-selling memoir Dreams from My Father, lives in a
disabled-access flat on a rundown public housing estate in South
Boston.
A second relative believed to be the long-lost “Uncle Omar” described in the book was beaten by armed robbers with a “sawed-off rifle” while working in a corner shop in the Dorchester area of the city. He was later evicted from his one-bedroom flat for failing to pay $2,324.20 (£1,488) arrears, according to the Boston Housing Court.
... Speaking outside her home in Flaherty Way, South Boston, on Tuesday, Ms Onyango, 56, confirmed she was the “Auntie Zeituni” in Mr Obama’s memoir. She declined to answer most other questions about her relationship with the presidential contender until after the November 4 election. “I can’t talk about it, I just pray for him, that’s all,” she said, adding: “After the 4th, I can talk to anyone.”
23% of Texans think Obama is Muslim
A University of Texas poll to be released today shows Republican presidential candidate John McCain and GOP Sen. John Cornyn leading by comfortable margins in Texas, as expected. But the statewide survey of 550 registered voters has one very surprising finding: 23 percent of Texans are convinced that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is a Muslim...
Obama jokes his white half will be confused who to vote for
"It’s a problem ... I’ve been going though therapy to make sure that I vote properly on the 4th."
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