Secretary of State Handel Issues Decisions on Candidate Residency Challenges

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel issued the following decisions today regarding candidate residency challenges.

Ian O’Brien v. Keith Gross: Secretary Handel adopted the Administrative Law Judge’s findings of fact and conclusions of law and held that Keith Gross does not meet the residency requirements for state House of Representatives, District 80.

Prominent notices will be placed at each affected polling place advising voters of Mr. Gross’s disqualification, and all votes cast for Mr. Gross will be void and not counted.

Hillary O. Stewart v. Cecillia Hailey: Secretary Handel adopted the Administrative Law Judge’s decision to deny the challenge to Ms. Hailey’s residency.

Earnest “Coach” Williams v. Clyburn Halley, Jr.: Secretary Handel adopted the Administrative Law Judge’s decision to deny the challenge to Mr. Halley’s residency.

Joan Garner v. Erik Underwood: Based upon the evidence presented in the hearing officer’s findings of fact, Secretary Handel held that Mr. Underwood does not meet the residency requirements for state Senate District 36.

Mr. Underwood does not own property, does not pay rent, and does not receive mail in the district. OSAH hearing notices sent to the address provided by Mr. Underwood in his “Declaration of Candidacy and Affidavit” were returned undeliverable.

Prominent notices will be placed at each affected polling place advising voters of Mr. Underwood’s disqualification, and all votes cast for Mr. Underwood will be void and not counted.

Karen Handel v. James R. Powell: Based upon the evidence, Secretary Handel held that Jim Powell does not meet the residency requirements for Public Service Commission, District 4.

Mr. Powell owns a home in Towns County, which is within District 4. However, at the time he qualified as a candidate for Public Service Commission, District 4, he received a homestead exemption and continued to receive mail at a home owned in Cobb County, which is not within District 4. He also provided his Cobb County address as his mailing address to the Towns County Tax Assessors Office.

Prominent notices will be placed at each affected polling place advising voters of Mr. Powell’s disqualification, and all votes cast for Mr. Powell will be void and not counted.

Nader, McKinney and Green

No Green for Nader
By Tom Ralph Nader will not be the Green Party’s candidate this year because they are already running former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. I wonder if Nader is going to get himself on any ballots this year? ...
Nowhere-Fast.net - http://www.nowhere-fast.net/index.php

Courage! Watch this woman speak truth!!
February 23rd event at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, featured Cynthia McKinney, Richard Gage, and Steven Jones. Following is video of Cynthia's presentation (click Read More for part 2); more will be posted here as we ...
911truth.org - http://www.911truth.org/xml/911truth.xml

Corporations Lie About Kucinich
By Freedom Rider(Freedom Rider) That is good news, but his enemies are still out to get him. They too have ads on the air and Republicans are being urged to cross over party lines and vote against him, a la the campaign that ousted Cynthia McKinney. He.
Freedom Rider - http://freedomrider.blogspot.com/

Nader Shows Up a Spoiled System, Helps McKinney
By Rachel Treichler All voters benefit from their efforts. Nader’s independent campaign helps all third parties and third party presidential candidates. His campaign particularly helps the Green Party and the campaign of Cynthia McKinney. read more.
Green Commons - netroots of the... - http://www.greencommons.org

Nader?
By Democracy Lover(Democracy Lover)
They will probably avoid Nader this time because he might get too many votes in a swing state, and nominate Cynthia McKinney, who is actually somewhat better qualified than Nader, but is unknown to 98% of the electorate and hated by ...
Democracy Lover - http://democracylover.blogspot.com/

Ralph Nader????????????????
AfterEllen.com - USA
Ralph Nader is the President of his own fan club. John McCain ought to be happy--not only does he have someone who can take votes away from the ...

Death by Botox? The Hidden Toll of the Quest for Beauty
Natural News.com - Phoenix,AZ,USA
Because that's what women are doing when they choose to receive Botox injections, based on analysis by Ralph Nadar's watchdog group, Public Citizen ...

Nadar runs again; Making new bid for White house
Chatham Daily News - Chatham,Ontario,Canada
Ralph Nader on Sunday announced a fresh bid for the White House, criticizing the top contenders as too close to big business and dismissing the possibility ...

Ralph Nadar makes bid for Presidency
Durant Daily Democrat - Durant,OK,USA
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ralph Nader on Sunday announced a fresh bid for the White House, criticizing the top contenders as too close to big business and ...
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www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
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Romney: CREATING JOBS

The Boston Globe: "Nonetheless, Romney's policies are credited with improving the state's competitiveness. His administration promoted high-density development to increase housing production, got a fast-track permitting law enacted by the Legislature to help businesses expand, and revived an agency to help firms move to the state." (Brian C. Mooney, Stephanie Ebbert And Scott Helman, "Ambitious Goals," The Boston Globe, 6/30/07)

Under Governor Romney, Massachusetts Added Tens Of Thousands Of Jobs After The End Of A Deep Recession:Massachusetts Has Added 57,600 Jobs Since The Recession's End In December 2003 Until The End Of Governor Romney's Term. "Massachusetts has added 57,600 payroll jobs since December 2003." (Massachusetts Department Of Workforce Development, "Jobs In Massachusetts Up By 1,700 In December," Press Release, 1/18/07)

In 2006, Massachusetts Added 18,700 Jobs. "Total jobs are up 18,700 from one year ago to 3,224,700." (Massachusetts Department Of Workforce Development, "Jobs In Massachusetts Up By 1,700 In December," Press Release, 1/18/07)

Under Governor Romney, Massachusetts Posted The First Gain In Manufacturing Jobs In Several Years. "For the first time in several years, Massachusetts has posted a gain in manufacturing jobs, according to the 2007 Massachusetts Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI), Evanston, IL. MNI reports Massachusetts has added 3,681 net jobs since August of 2005, indicating a slight reversal in the downturn the Bay state has felt since 2001." (Manufacturers' News, "Industrial Directory Reports Massachusetts Manufacturing Jobs Up," Press Release, 8/30/06)

Under Governor Romney, Massachusetts Became A Better Place To Do Business:

Under Governor Romney, The State's Credit Rating Was Upgraded For The First Time Since January 2000. "Governor Mitt Romney today announced that Standard & Poor's has raised the state's credit rating one notch, from 'AA-' to 'AA'. This is the state's first ratings upgrade since January 2000, when Moody's Investors Service raised the state's credit rating from 'Aa3' to 'Aa2'." (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Governor Romney Announces Bond Rating Upgrade For Commonwealth's Debate," Press Release, 3/15/05)

In Three Years Under Governor Romney, The Number Of Companies In The State's Development Pipeline Went From 13 To 288. "Under Ranch C. Kimball, who became Romney's secretary of economic development in 2004, the number of companies in the Massachusetts development pipeline jumped from 13 to 288 in three years." (Brian C. Mooney, Stephanie Ebbert And Scott Helman, "Ambitious Goals," The Boston Globe, 6/30/07)

The Boston Globe: "Last year, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. chose an 89-acre site at the former Fort Devens over one in North Carolina for a $660 million complex that will create 550 jobs. The deal required a customized tax credit, a $34 million infrastructure bond, and an unusual show of teamwork by Romney and the Legislature." (Brian C. Mooney, Stephanie Ebbert And Scott Helman, "Ambitious Goals," The Boston Globe, 6/30/07)

The Club For Growth: Governor Romney's Record Includes "Solid Efforts To Promote Pro-Growth Tax Policy." "That said, Governor Romney's single term contained some solid efforts to promote pro-growth tax policy." (The Club For Growth, "Mitt Romney's Record On Economic Issues," Press Release, 8/21/07)

INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT: Governor Romney Signed An Economic Stimulus Package Making The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) Permanent. (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Signs Economic Stimulus, Supplemental Budget Bills," Press Release, 11/26/03)

BIOTECH MANUFACTURING JOBS TAX REBATE: Governor Romney Proposed And Enacted A Tax Rebate For Manufacturing Jobs Created In The Biotechnology, Life Sciences And Medical Device Fields. (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Signs Economic Stimulus, Supplemental Budget Bills," Press Release, 11/26/03)

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TAX CREDIT: Governor Romney Proposed And Enacted An Expansion Of The Research And Development Tax Credit. (Jay Fitzgerald, "Gov Nearly Halves Package; Rebellious Legislators Vow To Override Stimulus Vetoes," The Boston Herald, 11/27/03)

COMMUTER TAX RELIEF: Governor Romney Signed Legislation Allowing Commuters To Deduct Transportation Costs From Their Income Taxes. (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Governor Romney Signs $25.2 Billion FY 2007 State Budget," Press Release, 7/8/06)

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Governor Romney Proposed And Enacted A Refundable Tax Credit To Promote Development At The Former Fort Devens U.S. Army Base. (Stephen Heuser, "$660M Drug Plant, 550 Jobs For Mass.," The Boston Globe, 6/2/06)

In August 2006, Governor Romney Signed Permitting Reform To Expedite The Permit Process For New Businesses. "Governor Mitt Romney today signed legislation that reforms and streamlines the commercial permitting process, making it easier for companies to expand and add jobs in Massachusetts." (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Signs Permitting Reform Into Law," Press Release, 8/2/06)

Under Governor Jane Swift, McCain's Chief Economic Surrogate, Massachusetts Lost Jobs Month After Month:

Obama Addresses Ebenezer Baptist Church

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
The Great Need of the Hour
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Sunday, January 20th, 2008
Atlanta, Georgia

The Scripture tells us that when Joshua and the Israelites arrived at the gates of Jericho, they could not enter. The walls of the city were too steep for any one person to climb; too strong to be taken down with brute force. And so they sat for days, unable to pass on through.

But God had a plan for his people. He told them to stand together and march together around the city, and on the seventh day he told them that when they heard the sound of the ram’s horn, they should speak with one voice. And at the chosen hour, when the horn sounded and a chorus of voices cried out together, the mighty walls of Jericho came tumbling down.

There are many lessons to take from this passage, just as there are many lessons to take from this day, just as there are many memories that fill the space of this church. As I was thinking about which ones we need to remember at this hour, my mind went back to the very beginning of the modern Civil Rights Era.

Because before Memphis and the mountaintop; before the bridge in Selma and the march on Washington; before Birmingham and the beatings; the fire hoses and the loss of those four little girls; before there was King the icon and his magnificent dream, there was King the young preacher and a people who found themselves suffering under the yolk of oppression.

And on the eve of the bus boycotts in Montgomery, at a time when many were still doubtful about the possibilities of change, a time when those in the black community mistrusted themselves, and at times mistrusted each other, King inspired with words not of anger, but of an urgency that still speaks to us today:

“Unity is the great need of the hour” is what King said. Unity is how we shall overcome.

What Dr. King understood is that if just one person chose to walk instead of ride the bus, those walls of oppression would not be moved. But maybe if a few more walked, the foundation might start to shake. If a few more women were willing to do what Rosa Parks had done, maybe the cracks would start to show. If teenagers took freedom rides from North to South, maybe a few bricks would come loose. Maybe if white folks marched because they had come to understand that their freedom too was at stake in the impending battle, the wall would begin to sway. And if enough Americans were awakened to the injustice; if they joined together, North and South, rich and poor, Christian and Jew, then perhaps that wall would come tumbling down, and justice would flow like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Unity is the great need of the hour – the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it’s the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.

I’m not talking about a budget deficit. I’m not talking about a trade deficit. I’m not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.

I’m talking about a moral deficit. I’m talking about an empathy deficit. I’m taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother’s keeper; we are our sister’s keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.

We have an empathy deficit when we’re still sending our children down corridors of shame – schools in the forgotten corners of America where the color of your skin still affects the content of your education.

We have a deficit when CEOs are making more in ten minutes than some workers make in ten months; when families lose their homes so that lenders make a profit; when mothers can’t afford a doctor when their children get sick.

We have a deficit in this country when there is Scooter Libby justice for some and Jena justice for others; when our children see nooses hanging from a schoolyard tree today, in the present, in the twenty-first century.

We have a deficit when homeless veterans sleep on the streets of our cities; when innocents are slaughtered in the deserts of Darfur; when young Americans serve tour after tour of duty in a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged.

And we have a deficit when it takes a breach in our levees to reveal a breach in our compassion; when it takes a terrible storm to reveal the hungry that God calls on us to feed; the sick He calls on us to care for; the least of these He commands that we treat as our own.

So we have a deficit to close. We have walls – barriers to justice and equality – that must come down. And to do this, we know that unity is the great need of this hour.

Unfortunately, all too often when we talk about unity in this country, we’ve come to believe that it can be purchased on the cheap. We’ve come to believe that racial reconciliation can come easily – that it’s just a matter of a few ignorant people trapped in the prejudices of the past, and that if the demagogues and those who exploit our racial divisions will simply go away, then all our problems would be solved.

All too often, we seek to ignore the profound institutional barriers that stand in the way of ensuring opportunity for all children, or decent jobs for all people, or health care for those who are sick. We long for unity, but are unwilling to pay the price.

But of course, true unity cannot be so easily won. It starts with a change in attitudes – a broadening of our minds, and a broadening of our hearts.

It’s not easy to stand in somebody else’s shoes. It’s not easy to see past our differences. We’ve all encountered this in our own lives. But what makes it even more difficult is that we have a politics in this country that seeks to drive us apart – that puts up walls between us.

We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don’t think like us or look like us or come from where we do. The welfare queen is taking our tax money. The immigrant is taking our jobs. The believer condemns the non-believer as immoral, and the non-believer chides the believer as intolerant.

For most of this country’s history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays – on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.

And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community.

We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.

Every day, our politics fuels and exploits this kind of division across all races and regions; across gender and party. It is played out on television. It is sensationalized by the media. And last week, it even crept into the campaign for President, with charges and counter-charges that served to obscure the issues instead of illuminating the critical choices we face as a nation.

So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others – all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face – war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late.

Because if Dr. King could love his jailor; if he could call on the faithful who once sat where you do to forgive those who set dogs and fire hoses upon them, then surely we can look past what divides us in our time, and bind up our wounds, and erase the empathy deficit that exists in our hearts.

But if changing our hearts and minds is the first critical step, we cannot stop there. It is not enough to bemoan the plight of poor children in this country and remain unwilling to push our elected officials to provide the resources to fix our schools. It is not enough to decry the disparities of health care and yet allow the insurance companies and the drug companies to block much-needed reforms. It is not enough for us to abhor the costs of a misguided war, and yet allow ourselves to be driven by a politics of fear that sees the threat of attack as way to scare up votes instead of a call to come together around a common effort.

The Scripture tells us that we are judged not just by word, but by deed. And if we are to truly bring about the unity that is so crucial in this time, we must find it within ourselves to act on what we know; to understand that living up to this country’s ideals and its possibilities will require great effort and resources; sacrifice and stamina.

And that is what is at stake in the great political debate we are having today. The changes that are needed are not just a matter of tinkering at the edges, and they will not come if politicians simply tell us what we want to hear. All of us will be called upon to make some sacrifice. None of us will be exempt from responsibility. We will have to fight to fix our schools, but we will also have to challenge ourselves to be better parents. We will have to confront the biases in our criminal justice system, but we will also have to acknowledge the deep-seated violence that still resides in our own communities and marshal the will to break its grip.

That is how we will bring about the change we seek. That is how Dr. King led this country through the wilderness. He did it with words – words that he spoke not just to the children of slaves, but the children of slave owners. Words that inspired not just black but also white; not just the Christian but the Jew; not just the Southerner but also the Northerner.

He led with words, but he also led with deeds. He also led by example. He led by marching and going to jail and suffering threats and being away from his family. He led by taking a stand against a war, knowing full well that it would diminish his popularity. He led by challenging our economic structures, understanding that it would cause discomfort. Dr. King understood that unity cannot be won on the cheap; that we would have to earn it through great effort and determination.

That is the unity – the hard-earned unity – that we need right now. It is that effort, and that determination, that can transform blind optimism into hope – the hope to imagine, and work for, and fight for what seemed impossible before.

The stories that give me such hope don’t happen in the spotlight. They don’t happen on the presidential stage. They happen in the quiet corners of our lives. They happen in the moments we least expect. Let me give you an example of one of those stories.

There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organizes for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She’s been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and the other day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.

And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that’s when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.

She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.

She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.

So Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they’re supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who’s been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he’s there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, “I am here because of Ashley.”

By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.

But it is where we begin. It is why the walls in that room began to crack and shake.

And if they can shake in that room, they can shake in Atlanta.

And if they can shake in Atlanta, they can shake in Georgia.

And if they can shake in Georgia, they can shake all across America. And if enough of our voices join together; we can bring those walls tumbling down. The walls of Jericho can finally come tumbling down. That is our hope – but only if we pray together, and work together, and march together.

Brothers and sisters, we cannot walk alone.

In the struggle for peace and justice, we cannot walk alone.

In the struggle for opportunity and equality, we cannot walk alone

In the struggle to heal this nation and repair this world, we cannot walk alone.

So I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine, and together we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all. May God bless the memory of the great pastor of this church, and may God bless the United States of America.

Video Voter Guide Sets Record Straight on Amnesty

South Carolina Distribution Expected to Reach 50,000 Voters with TV Ad Campaign Extending to Florida, Other Primary States

CHESAPEAKE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Grassfire.org Alliance today is launching its “Amnesty Voter Guide” -- a 30-second TV spot produced by Rapid Response Media with supporting resources that clarifies the positions of the Presidential candidates on the issue of amnesty for illegal aliens. The spot will reach an estimated 50,000 South Carolina voters prior to Saturday’s Primary as the first phase in a planned campaign rollout in Florida and other primary states.

“There has been much distortion on the issue of amnesty by the presidential candidates,” says Steve Elliott, President of Grassfire.org Alliance. “Voters need to know where each candidate stands on amnesty. Our voter guide and support resources clearly and succinctly set the record straight.”

The spot first defines amnesty and then places each presidential candidate in either the “opposes” or “supports” amnesty column. “We played this fair,” says Elliott. “We’ve carefully examined each candidate’s voting record, campaign positions and what they’ve said about amnesty. Frankly, we just put everything together in an easy to understand format—free of media spin. That’s what voter’s need heading to the primaries.”

Transcript, and broadcast-quality audio and video versions of the spots available at: http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/CJjFlqhs/

Note: The above link is for broadcast media only. The public may view the spot as http://www.AmnestyVoterGuide.com
Grassfire media backgrounder: http://www.grassfire.org/media.asp

Senator Barack Obama Receives Endorsement of Senator John Kerry

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
John Kerry Endorsement
Thursday, January 10th, 2008
Charleston, South Carolina

I want to thank John Kerry for his support in this campaign and for his service to this nation.

This is a man who knows how much people who love their country can change it.

This is the man who sacrificed the comforts of youth to fight in the jungles of Vietnam; the young Lieutenant who extended his hand to a brother in arms, pulling him from a river as the bullets screamed by.

This is the hero who returned to a Washington where politicians continued a senseless war day after day; life after life because they were too afraid to challenge the conventional thinking; too consumed with their own careers and ambitions.

This is the patriot who saw all of this and said, “No more”; who posed a question to our leaders that challenged the conscience of a nation; who believed in his heart that change does not come from the halls of power, but from the power of a movement thousands of voices strong.

John Kerry is a man of courage; a man of conviction; and a man who’s life story has given him an intimate understanding of the kind of change we need right now.

This is a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. The dream that so many generations have fought for feels as if it’s slowly slipping away.

I’ve heard from seniors who were betrayed by CEOs who dumped their pensions while pocketing bonuses.

I’ve met Maytag workers who labored all their lives only to see their jobs shipped overseas; who should not be competing with their teenagers for $7-an-hour jobs at Wal-Mart.

And I’ve seen hope in the eyes of a young woman who works the night shift after a full day of college and still can’t afford health care for a sister who’s ill; a young woman who still believes that this country will give her the chance to live out her dreams.

Many of you have experienced these struggles. You’ve seen the cost of Washington’s inaction and indifference in your own lives. And so you’ve come out in record numbers; in lines that stretch block after block because you know that we can’t afford the same old politics anymore. We can’t afford to settle anymore. In this election – at this moment – our time for change has come.

The time has come to tell the lobbyists who think their money and their influence speak louder than our voices that they don’t own this government, we do; and we’re here to take it back.

The time has come for a President who’ll be honest about the choices and the challenges we face; who’ll listen to you and learn from you even when we disagree; who won’t just tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to know.

The time has come to build a new majority that can lead this nation out of a long political darkness – Democrats, Independents and Republicans who are tired of the division and distraction that has clouded Washington; who know that we can disagree without being disagreeable; who understand that if we mobilize our voices to challenge the money and influence that’s stood in our way and challenge ourselves to reach for something better, there’s no problem we can’t solve – no destiny we cannot fulfill. That’s why I’m running in this campaign, and that’s the kind of President I’ll be for America.

I’ll be a President who finally makes health care affordable and available to every single American the same way I expanded health care in Illinois – by bringing Democrats and Republicans together to get the job done.

I’ll be a President who ends the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas and puts a middle-class tax cut into the pockets of the working Americans who deserve it.

I’ll be a President who stops sending our children to schools with corridors of shame and start putting them on a pathway to success. I’ll stop talking about how great teachers are and start rewarding them for their greatness.

I’ll be a President who harnesses the ingenuity of farmers and scientists; citizens and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all.

And when I am President, we will end this war in Iraq and bring our troops home; we will finish the job against al Qaeda in Afghanistan; we will care for our veterans; and we will restore our moral standing in the world. And I’ll be a President who understands that 9/11 is not a way to scare up votes, but a challenge that should unite America and the world against the common threats of the twenty-first century: terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease.

I’m running because I believe that the size of these challenges has outgrown the capacity of our broken and divided politics to solve them; because I believe Americans of every political stripe are hungry for a new kind of politics, a politics that’s focused not just on how to win but why we should, a politics that’s focused on those values and ideals that we hold in common as Americans; a politics that favors common sense over ideology, straight talk over spin.

And I’m running because I believe the real gamble in this election is playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expecting a different result. That’s a risk we can’t take. Not this year. Not when the stakes are this high. Our time for change has come.

This has been our message since the beginning of this campaign. It was our message when we were down, and our message when we were up. And it must have caught on, because now everyone is talking about change.

But for me, change isn’t just the rhetoric of a campaign. It’s been the cause of my life.

It’s what led me to leave a job on Wall Street and take one as an organizer on the streets of Chicago so that I could fight joblessness and poverty when the local steel plant closed. It’s what led me to stand up as a civil rights lawyer for those who were denied opportunity on the job or justice at the voting booth because of what they looked like or where they came from. It’s what led me to take on lobbyists in Illinois and Washington – and win; passing historic ethics reform that no one thought was possible. And it’s the kind of change I will bring to this country as your next President – not just change as a slogan, but real change; fundamental change; change we can believe in.

Now, we have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we’ve been told that we’re not ready, or that we shouldn’t try, or that we can’t, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.

Yes we can.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can.

And so as this campaign continues; as we understand that the struggles of the textile worker in Spartanburg are not so different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas; that the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America’s story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea – Yes. We. Can.

New Hampshire for Hillary Campaign Makes Final Grassroots Push

With less than 24 hours until the New Hampshire primary, the New Hampshire for Hillary campaign’s Get Out the Vote Operation is in full swing. Staff, volunteers, and supporters are working around the clock to ensure that New Hampshire voters know that tomorrow they can help pick a president who can hit the ground running on day one.
In the final hours leading up to the primary, over 6,000 volunteers will fan out across the state, participating in more than 200 canvasses and knocking on tens of thousands of doors. In their efforts to reach out to their friends and neighbors across the state, volunteers and staff will walk close to 400 miles.
Staff and volunteers will be joined in their efforts by more than a dozen national supporters including campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe; Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown; tennis legend Billie Jean King; Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN); Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Senior Campaign Advisor Ann Lewis; Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA); Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA); Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-MA); Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX); Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY); Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NY); General Wesley Clark; and EMILY’s List President Ellen Malcolm. Along with Senator Clinton and President Clinton, they have made stops in all 10 counties.
Tomorrow, nearly 300 campaign drivers will make sure that New Hampshire voters have transportation to their polling locations. Staff and volunteers will continue working hard until the polls close to convey one message: Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience to make real change happen.

Clinton: Morning HUBdate: Rhetoric vs. Results

* If You Read One Thing Today: Over 3000 people jammed into a high school gymnasium in Nashua yesterday to see Hillary -- and the place was "rocking." David Brody reports: "Shouts of 'Hillary, Hillary' were everywhere. Even when Hillary started to speak, people here wouldn't stop shouting for her." Read it here
* Making News Today: Hillary continues her "Big Challenges - Real Solutions, Time to Pick a President" Tour in New Hampshire, attending a "Conversation with Undecided Voters" event in Portsmouth, as well as "Time to Pick a President" events in Dover and Salem. She also attends a "Time to Pick a President" Rally with President Clinton in Manchester.
* Recapping Yesterday: President Clinton hit the trail for Hillary, telling New Hampshire voters that this election doesn’t come down to change versus experience, but "words versus deeds, talk versus action, rhetoric versus reality"... State Rep. Jim Webber (D-Kensington), a former Biden supporter, announced his endorsement of Hillary, the third New Hampshire state representative to announce his support of Senator Clinton in recent days... Visit http://www.hillaryhub.com/ for more.
* Rhetoric vs. Results, Talk vs. Action:
As we approach the primary, New Hampshire voters are seeing the difference between talk versus action, rhetoric and results.
Hillary Clinton has a real record of making change and getting results for New Hampshire families. If you want to know what kind of change the candidates will make, look at the change they have already made.
She took the lead in the White House on ensuring that 6 million kids nationwide have health insurance, including 7,000 children in New Hampshire.
She worked with Republicans and helped pass legislation that guaranteed that every member of our National Guard and Reserves has access to health care.
As a result 2700 New Hampshire members of the Guards and Reserves have access to health care regardless of their deployment status.
She took the lead in passing legislation that helped ensure that up to 324,000 children in New Hampshire have been vaccinated.
She took the lead in passing legislation that helped double the number of adoptions out of foster care.
Hillary’s real record of action and results for New Hampshire families serves in sharp contrast to her opponents.
At the debate on Saturday it was clear when opponents were asked what change they had made:
Instead of telling New Hampshire voters what he had done for them, Barack Obama defended rhetoric and talk and cited legislation that bans sit-down meals with lobbyists but allows them to stand up and eat together.
Obama talked about government reform, but denied that the co-chair of his New Hampshire campaign is a lobbyist. He talked about energy reform but couldn’t defend his vote in favor of Dick Cheney’s energy plan that gave the big oil companies billions in tax breaks. He talked about his speech against the war, but didn't explain why he voted for 300 billion in funding for the war and why he said as late as 2004 that he didn’t know how he would have voted on the war.
And all John Edwards could point to on behalf of New Hampshire families was legislation that passed the Senate but never passed Congress and was never signed into law.
Hillary said no matter how beautifully presented, words are not action and pointed to real accomplishments that made real change for people.
The choice for New Hampshire voters is clear - Hillary Clinton’s action and results vs her opponents’ rhetoric and talk.

Hunter Town Hall Meet Draws Over 3,900

The hot topic was immigration as the Republican candidates spared and sparks flew in the ABC News, Facebook Debate. At the same time Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter, who was excluded by ABC from the debate, was having forum-townhall meeting at the Radisson hotel in Manchester. He was joined by former Senator Bob Smith, war hero General Chuck Yeager and, through a special telephone hook-up, by more than 3,900 New Hampshire residents. The group discussed the fact that there were only three men in America who have Republican delegates for President, and Hunter being one of them. Hunter, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney won delegates in the Wyoming caucus Saturday. Many were stunned that ABC had not allowed Hunter to participate in the debate.

New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen weighed in on the debate when ABC/facebook excluded Hunter from Saturday night’s live broadcast. The network claimed Hunter lacked the support to be included in the broadcast: “Limiting the number of candidates who are invited to participate in debates is not consistent with the tradition of the first-in-the-nation primary. The level playing field requires that all candidates be given an equal opportunity to participate – not just a select few determined by the media prior to any votes being cast.” After unsuccessful attempts to convince Fox and ABC to reconsider, Cullen announced New Hampshire GOP would no longer support the Republican forum scheduled for Sunday on FOX that has also excluded Hunter.

Hunter has been the leader on immigration reform. The townhall audience noted the fact that several other Republican candidates are now “speaking” Hunter’s positions on immigration. Hunter’s position for the last 20 years was quoted, almost verbatim, during the televised debate. Hunter, who built the double fence along the San Diego border is the only candidate that has actually taken action that resulted in securing our southern borders.

Hunter has also been a long-standing supporter of a strong national defense. He is an opponent of NAFTA, and is fighting to bring jobs back to America. He wants a fair trade balance, especially with the Communist Chinese, and he is a lifelong supporter of a Buy-American policy.

Supports are sending request to Fox News Channel to reinstate Hunter in tonight’s debate. Fox can be reached by calling 1-888-369-4762, extension 4, or (212) 301-3000, or emailing at yourcomments@foxnews.com The Fox News Washington, D.C. telephone number is 202-824-6300.

STRATEGY FOR A STRONGER AMERICA: THE ROMNEY AGENDA FOR TOMORROW

"No one votes for yesterday. We vote for tomorrow. Elections are about the future – our future, our families' future, our nation's future." – Governor Romney

In The Past Year, Governor Romney Has Outlined His Vision For Building A Stronger America And A Brighter Future For Generations To Come. The future is now and the only by changing Washington will we be able to solve the great challenges confronting our country today. Washington is broken and unable to meet the challenges ahead. Governor Romney has proposed a Strategy for a Stronger America that will strengthen our economy, our military and our families.

TO DO: Make America Safer:

Governor Romney Will Strengthen Our Military. Across America, there are thousands of families with members in the Armed Forces, Reserves and National Guard who need more support from Washington. To make America safer, Governor Romney will:

Add At Least 100,000 More Troops To Our Armed Forces.

Commit At Least 4% Of Our Gross Domestic Product To Defense. This will help provide the resources needed for equipment, modernization, training and care for our wounded soldiers.

Ensuring Funds Are Used To Support Our Forces By Eliminating Waste And Washington Pork. Governor Romney will bring together a team of private-sector and defense experts to carry out a stem-to-stern review of military purchasing.

Establish A Special Partnership Force (SPF) To Harness All Elements Of Our National Power In Contested Areas To Defeat Jihadists. The SPF will integrate all elements of national power under a new force with leadership drawn from our Army Special Forces trained to work with civilian governments and intelligence personnel to form a new capability to help defeat the Jihadists.

Create A Permanent Rapid Innovation Force To Ensure Our Troops In Harm's Way Have The Equipment And Technology They Need. The Rapid Innovation Force will rapidly deploy the equipment and innovative solutions our troops need for their success and protection.

Governor Romney Will Strengthen Our Alliances Around The World. America's strength is amplified when it is combined with the strength of other nations. We need to expand alliances such as NATO and efforts among the world's leading nations to face the new threat of radical Jihad and increase our homeland security. To make America safer, Governor Romney will:

Launch A New Type Of Marshall Plan Unifying Non-Military Sources Of Power To Support Moderate Muslims. As President, Governor Romney will call together our Middle East allies and the major nations of the developed world to establish a Partnership for Prosperity and Progress. This Partnership will assemble the resources of all developed nations to assure that threatened Islamic states have public schools, micro-credit and banking, the rule of law, human rights, basic health care, and competitive economic policies.

Build A Global Network Against Terror And Transnational Threats To Link Intelligence From Around The World. The Global Network will link intelligence and law enforcement capabilities around the world to share data about border crossings, biometric indicators, passport fraud, nuclear and biological threats, criminal patterns, human trafficking and drug trafficking.

Governor Romney Will Strengthen Our Intelligence Community. Today, protecting the homeland must begin far from home. Intelligence and law enforcement efforts able to address threats before they reach our shores must be a priority for U.S. and international action. To make America safer, Governor Romney will:

Strengthen Our Intelligence Communities By Eliminating Bureaucracy And Moving Resources To The Field. We need to eliminate duplicative efforts, revitalize recruitment and prioritize efforts in the field, expanding human intelligence.
Maintain The Patriot Act. The Patriot Act has given our men and women in the law enforcement and intelligence communities the tools they need to defend America.
Listen When Terrorists Call Into The United States. Our most basic civil liberty is the right to be kept alive and Governor Romney will use every tool at our disposal to keep America safe.

TO DO: End Illegal Immigration:

Governor Romney Will Enforce Our Laws And Reform Our Immigration System. America's immigration system is broken, but for too long all our leaders in Washington have done is talk about ending illegal immigration. Governor Romney believes we must enforce and reform our immigration laws so that we can end illegal immigration. To end illegal immigraiton, Governor Romney will:

Secure The Border. Governor Romney will follow through on the Congressional commitment to build a physical and technological fence along the southern border, and secure other points of entry throughout the country.

Implement A Mandatory And Enforceable Employment Verification System. Governor Romney will issue a biometrically-enabled and tamper-proof card to non-citizens and create a national database so employers can easily verify the legal status of non-citizens in this country.

Hold Employers Accountable. Governor Romney will make it easier for employers to verify legal status and work authorization of non-citizens through a federal database. Employers will be held accountable if they hire illegal immigrants with stiffer fines and penalties.

Reject Amnesty. Governor Romney opposes amnesty or any special path to citizenship for those here illegally.

End The Magnet Of "Sanctuary Cities." Governor Romney will cut back federal funding to cities that are "sanctuaries" for illegal immigrants.

Oppose Any Special Benefits For Illegal Immigrants. Governor Romney opposes giving driver's licenses or in-state tuition to those here illegally. He believes states should not provide those types of incentives. As President, he will cut back federal funding to states that do so.

Promote State And Local Partnerships With Federal Immigration Officials. More state and local authorities should work with the federal government to enforce immigration laws.

Improve Interior Enforcement. Governor Romney will provide additional resources to enforce existing immigration laws throughout the nation.

Teach English In Our Schools. Governor Romney believes we must teach English in our classrooms because to be successful you have to speak the language of America.
End Chain Migration. Governor Romney believes we should end the policy of chain migration that says if a child is born here to illegal immigrants then, by right, the entire family is brought in based upon that child's citizenship.

Encourage Legal Immigration. Governor Romney will streamline the visa system to recruit and retain skilled workers in high demand by U.S. companies. He will also welcome the best and the brightest from around the world to our universities.

TO DO: Reduce Taxes:

Governor Romney Will Lower Taxes On The American People. Lower taxes are the key to ensuring continued economic growth and job creation. However, our economy is threatened by looming tax hikes. To reduce taxes, Governor Romney will:

Make The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent. Making the Bush Tax Cuts permanent is the first step to ensuring that Americans are able to keep more of their hard-earned money.
Roll Back Tax Rates For All Americans. As President, Governor Romney will cut marginal tax rates across the board, allowing all Americans to save more money.
Make Middle Class Savings Tax Free. Governor Romney's plan will allow middle class Americans to save tax free by changing the tax rate on interest, capital gains and dividends to absolutely 0%.

Kill The Death Tax. It is unfair to tax Americans three times: once when they earn their money; second when they invest it and receive income from those investments; and third when they die.

Lower The Corporate Tax Rate. The United States has the second highest corporate tax rate in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. We cannot afford to have a tax rate that is out of alignment with the other major economies of the world.

Oppose Any Increase In Social Security Taxes. We can strengthen Social Security without resorting to higher Social Security taxes that will impact all Americans. Governor Romney will oppose any proposed increase in Social Security taxes.
Prevent The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) From Hurting More American Families. At the very least, Congress must pass a patch to the AMT that will prevent this tax from affecting more and more families in America.

TO DO: Cut Pork:

Governor Romney Will End Washington's Spending Binge. Americans are concerned about the overspending in Washington. Like the millions of families and businesses across the country, government should also live within a budget. To end Washington's spending binge, Governor Romney will:

Veto Appropriations Bills That Exceed Spending Targets. He will veto any non-defense appropriations bill that grows spending at a rate greater than inflation minus one percent (CPI-1%). This will save $300 billion over 10 years.
Give The President The Line-Item Veto Power Again. Restoring this power to the President would allow us to make tremendous strides in eliminating earmarks and cutting inefficient programs.

Lead An Effort To Review And Reevaluate All Federal Spending Programs. Governor Romney's administration will undertake an exhaustive review of each individual federal program to eliminate and consolidate programs that are no longer useful or are bureaucratic and unwieldy.

Give The Executive Branch The Authority To Spend Up To 25% Less Than Congress Appropriates. The amount of money Congress tells the President to spend should be a spending ceiling, not a final price tag.

Call On Congress To Re-Impose A Three-Fifths (60%) Supermajority Requirement To Raise Taxes. Making it even harder to attempt to increase taxes will help impose the fiscal discipline we need to stop overspending.

TO DO: Better Care For Veterans:

Governor Romney Will Improve Care For Our Veterans And Enhance Aid For Our Military Families. Washington is failing our veterans. Governor Romney believes we must do more to support our men and women in uniform, their families and those who have returned home after serving their country. To enhance care for our veterans and military families, Governor Romney will:

Ensure That The Value Of The Montgomery G.I. Bill Keeps Pace With Rising Educational Expenses. Governor Romney will call for a regular outside review of Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits to ensure that our veterans, active duty military, and their eligible spouses and dependents have the resources they need to pursue the opportunities they deserve.

Ensure Military Dependents Get Access To In-State Tuition At Public Colleges And Universities. Governor Romney will call on every state to extend in-state tuition benefits to military dependents whose parents are stationed there and, furthermore, to permit the continuation of the in-state tuition rate even if their parents are reassigned and forced to leave the state.

TO DO: Health Insurance For Everyone:

Governor Romney Has Proposed A Conservative Blueprint To Make Health Care More Affordable And Accessible. Governor Romney has outlined a comprehensive solution to America's health care ills that expands access to affordable, portable, quality, private health insurance. For too long, too many have talked about reforming health care. To make health care more affordable, Governor Romney will:

Establish Federal Incentives To Deregulate And Reform State Health Insurance Markets So Market Forces Can Work.

Redirect Federal Spending On "Free Care" To Help The Low-Income Uninsured Purchase Private Insurance.

Institute Health Savings Account (HSA) Enhancements And The Full Deductibility Of Qualified Medical Expenses.

Promote Innovation In Medicaid.

Implement Medical Liability Reform.

Bring Market Dynamics And Modern Technology To Health Care.

TO DO: End Dependence On Foreign Oil:

Governor Romney Will Work To Make America Energy Independent. Energy costs that put pressure on household finances are a major concern for families. Yet, for too long, Washington insiders have talked about making America energy independent. To end our dependence on foreign oil, Governor Romney will:

Make Energy Independence A Top Administration Priority. Because energy independence is crucial to our economy and national security, Governor Romney will make it a top administration priority to become energy independent.

Expand Investment In Research, Development, And Demonstration Projects. This investment will encourage the commercialization of alternative energy.

Increase Domestic Production, Including Renewable Sources, Biodiesel, Solar And Wind. Governor Romney will pursue our domestic sources of energy, drawing from our broad and diverse base of options, including opening ANWR.

Increase Focus On Energy Security. Governor Romney will shift federal priorities to emphasize issues of energy security, particularly at the Department of Energy.
Promote Nuclear Technology. Governor Romney will accelerate the construction of new nuclear power plants in order to ensure that nuclear power continues to be a part of a robust, cleaner and more reliable energy mix.

TO DO: Make Government Simpler, Smaller:

Governor Romney Will Cut The Size Of Government. Government in Washington has become duplicative, burdensome and inefficient. Our government is broken and can only be changed with someone from outside of Washington free of any special interest. To make government simpler and smaller, Governor Romney will:

Lead An Effort To Review And Reevaluate All Federal Spending Programs. Governor Romney's administration will undertake an exhaustive review of each individual federal program to eliminate and consolidate programs that are no longer useful or are bureaucratic and unwieldy.

TO DO: Grow The Economy And Keep Our Jobs:

Governor Romney Will Maintain America's Competitiveness In The Global Economy. Governor Romney will work to ensure that America's economy, businesses and workers have the tools they need to compete in this global economy. To grow the economy and keep our jobs, Governor Romney will:

Launch A "Reagan Zone Of Economic Freedom" Among Nations Committed To High Standards and Enforcement: Governor Romney will seek to bring together nations committed to open markets and playing by the rules in the largest ever Free Trade Area, and go beyond traditional trade to promote high standards in areas critical to U.S. competitiveness.

Conclude Existing Negotiations, Like The Doha Round, To Benefit America. The Doha Round and free trade agreements can be huge opportunities for America.

Expand Enforcement And New Frontiers Of U.S. Competitiveness. Governor Romney's vision for expanding trade includes stronger enforcement efforts, multilateral efforts to stop currency manipulation, action against intellectual property rights theft, negotiations to open markets for services, and building food, safety and other standards to protect Americans.

Give The President Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) To Open Markets For America.
Create Worker Empowerment And Training Accounts. These self-managed accounts will give workers the opportunity to take control of their own futures by getting the training and education they need to succeed in the new economy.

Streamline And Enhance Access To Worker Training And Educational Programs. Governor Romney will initiate an audit of all existing worker training and educational programs to ensure that workers are being helped most efficiently.

Provide Employers With Regulatory Relief. As President, Governor Romney will eliminate cumbersome and unnecessary regulations and bureaucracies that hinder economic growth.

Strengthen Our Education System. As President, Governor Romney will emphasize math and science education, while promoting innovative approaches such as charter schools and public-private partnerships.

Invest In Building And Repairing The Nation's Transportation Infrastructure.

TO DO: Fix Social Security:

Governor Romney Will Work To Fix Social Security. By 2050, total entitlement spending by the government will reach nearly 20% of America's GDP. This reality demands action now. Future generations can no longer afford inaction. To fix Social Security, Governor Romney will:

Work With Congress To Reform Social Security. In a forthright and bipartisan manner, Governor Romney will work with Congress to find a bipartisan way to reform Social Security while opposing higher Social Security taxes.

TO DO: Put People Ahead Of Selfish Interest:

Governor Romney Believes Officials In Washington Should Live Up To Higher Ethical Standards. Far too often, the American people have been forced to put up with the ethical problems of our nation's representatives in Washington. Those we elect should live up to a higher standard. To bring a higher standard to Washington, Governor Romney will:

Enact A New Ethics Law That Strips Those Who Violate The Public Trust Of Their Government Pensions. Any elected official or federal official who violates the public's trust should be stripped of the taxpayer funded pensions.

Prohibit Family Members Of Cabinet And Senior Staff Members From Lobbying The Executive Branch. As President, one of Governor Romney's first acts will be to issue an Executive Order prohibiting the immediate family of an Cabinet or Senior Staff member from lobbying the Executive Branch.

Edwards to Supporters

Dear Friend,

We're in the race of our lives -- and I'm asking for your help. We've got incredible momentum coming out of our powerful second-place showing in Iowa. We've been outspent 5-to-1 but John is staying strong because people know he's the fighter who will bring about the change we need. The two celebrity candidates who've raised $200 million are getting ready to throw everything they've got at John. They're going to try and drown out John's message of fighting for change and ending the corporate greed that has taken over our government.That's why I need you to make a contribution now, so we can expand our message and outreach efforts in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. We need you now, more than ever.

Click here to make a contribution.

John's a fighter. And he's the one candidate who can carry a message of change to every corner of this country -- and win.But as John said in his speech last night, you're the ones who have created the tidal wave of change that is sweeping from Iowa to New Hampshire, to Nevada and South Carolina. History is being made, and you are a part of it. Please make a contribution now -- and then ask five friends to contribute.

Click here to make a contribution.

I'm asking you to spread the word. I need you to tell everyone you know that finally we have a candidate who has the backbone, who has the strength, who has the courage to stand up for the middle class, and who is willing to stand up to corporate greed.That candidate is John Edwards -- and he's fighting for all of us.

Thanks for all you do.
--Joe Trippi Senior Advisor,
John Edwards for President
January 4, 2008

Bill Richardson Speaks with Pakistani Opposition Leader Regarding Crisis in Pakistan

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson earlier today and thanked him for supporting immediate democracy in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Sharif and Governor Richardson discussed the modalities of an immediate transition to democracy in Pakistan and the steps necessary to guarantee free and fair elections.
"I think our national security is enhanced, not threatened, when we are true to our principles as Americans," Richardson said. "We supported the Shah of Iran until the bitter end and now our greatest national security threat is Iran. We supported the apartheid regime in South Africa, greatly harming our interests in the entire third world. And we supported numerous dictatorships in South America, making us pariahs in our own Hemisphere.

"You need a long-term strategic vision to protect our national security, not more foreign policy myopia."

Iowa GOP refuses to report Keyes votes

The Iowa Republican Party has neither counted nor reported the number of votes for Alan Keyes in the GOP caucuses held Jan. 3.

"We didn't have the electronic means to record the tallies for Keyes, so we can't yet report to the public how many votes Keyes got," said John Lund at the Iowa GOP headquarters in Des Moines. "We can't report the Keyes votes until we've double-checked each individual paper ballot."

Meanwhile, the Iowa GOP widely reported the vote tallies of all other candidates, including Tom Tancredo, who got 5 votes despite having quit the race.

"I personally traveled with Alan Keyes across Iowa, and we met scores of Keyes voters. It's totally unfair these citizens' votes are now being withheld from the public," said Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt. "This is tantamount to election fraud."

"I voted for Alan Keyes," said Siena Hoefling of Calhoun County. "It's ridiculous they didn't report my vote. Each precinct could have easily called or emailed the vote tallies to headquarters, so they should have been counted by now."

"County election officials showed me a ballot list of 'suggested' candidates, but Alan Keyes' name wasn't on the list," said Hoefling. "When I asked them if they would include Alan's name, they said they'd have to write it in."

One election official apologized to Hoefling that Keyes' name was omitted, saying "these are just the names we were given by [Iowa GOP] headquarters."

Duaine Bollwitt of Monticello said, "Alan Keyes was not on the list of Republican Presidential candidates. My vote for Alan Keyes was treated as a write-in. I thought that was odd, but what do I know."

"A presidential preference poll reporting procedure was given to me, explaining how to report the votes to headquarters," said Michael Walsh, a precinct permanent secretary for Windsor Heights. "When we called in the vote tallies by telephone, an electronic voice asked for the number of votes, candidate-by-candidate."

Whether the electronic voice prompt collecting the votes offered Alan Keyes as a choice is unclear.

Tom Youngwirth, recorder for his Windsor Heights precinct, said, "Now that I think of it, I didn't hear Alan Keyes' name on the voice prompt. But John McCain's name was on the voice prompt."

"I know for sure we reported votes for Alan Keyes to headquarters," said Ron Granzow, precinct chair for Windsor Heights. "I don't know why they wouldn't report his votes to the public."

"This resembles a 'communist-style' approach to electoral politics," said Stephen Stone, chairman of Alan Keyes for President. "In the former Soviet Union, political officials limited voters' choices in a way that created merely the illusion of democracy, without the reality. Any undue interference with free and open elections, of the sort we think we just witnessed, is un-American."

Added Stone, "Alan Keyes has been an announced candidate for president since Sept. 14. Yet the state GOP chose to exclude him from the caucus process, claiming he 'announced too late' to be included, so that his name was not even mentioned on official lists of candidates or in reporting instructions. This disenfranchises Iowa voters."

Fred Thompson Delivers Address Following Iowa Caucuses

"Were going to have a ticket to the next dance... The fight goes on, my friends."

Des Moines, IA - Tonight, Fred Thompson addressed supporters following the Iowa Caucuses at 10:45 p.m. CST tonight. Listen to his address at the following link:
http://fredfile.fred08.com/blog/2008/audio-ticket-to-the-next-dance/

What They Said About Joe Biden in ‘07

8 for ‘08
What They Said About Joe Biden in ‘07

Des Moines Register
Yepsen: Biden's vote for war funding a profile in courage
By DAVID YEPSEN
May 31, 2007

Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden is the only Democratic presidential candidate to have voted for the recent supplemental war-funding bill.

Creators Syndicated
He's Not Pre-Packaged
By MARK SHIELDS
June 23, 2007

Politicians - especially when they choose to duck a race for that next high office they have lusted after for years because they don't believe they can win it - regularly tell us that they "want to spend more time with (their) family." 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware is one politician who means it.

National Journal
Joe Biden, The Grown-Up In The Race
By JONATHAN RAUCH
September 28, 2007

Here's a fun puzzler for the whole family. The boxes to the right on this page contain quotations from two leading Democratic presidential contenders' plans for Iraq. One column excerpts a July speech in Iowa by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York; the other, a September speech, also in Iowa, by Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. See if you can tell which senator is which. (Answers at the end of this column.)


Boston Globe
Biden's gutsy proposal for Iraq
By Scot Lehigh
October 10, 2007

JOE BIDEN is baffled - and one can hardly blame him.

Cedar Rapids Gazette
Biden emerges as Dems’ foreign policy expert
By ROB BOSHART
November 24, 2007

DES MOINES — Six-term Delaware Sen. Joe Biden is aware he might not score the win in Iowa’s leadoff Democratic presidential caucuses in January, but he hopes to grab a much-coveted bounce.

Concord Monitor
Biden a smart guy who has lived his family values ; Tragedy didn't keep new senator from serving nation
By MIKE PRIDE
December 1, 2007

It was three minutes to show time at the Havenwood retirement community the other morning, and most of the chairs stood empty.


The Boston Herald
Op-Ed; '08 Comeback Kid should be Biden; Del. senator in dogged pursuit
By WAYNE WOODLIEF
December 6, 2007

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, ever the realist, admits he must ``run one, two or three'' - or maybe a closely bunched fourth - in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses to stay in the Democratic presidential race.

Washington Post
A Crisis Intrudes On Iowa
By E. J. DIONNE JR.
December 28, 2007

DES MOINES -- The assassination of Benazir Bhutto came as a brutal reminder of the gravity of the decision Iowa's voters will be rendering in their caucuses next Thursday night.

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR JAKE KNOTTS ENDORSES JOHN MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that South Carolina State Senator Jake Knotts has endorsed the John McCain for President of the United States.

"As a Vietnam veteran, John McCain is the only one I'd go to war with," said Senator Knotts. "He understands the dangers facing freedom at home and abroad. John McCain's life story can be summed up in one phrase; courageous leadership. I am proud to endorse this proven leader for president."

John McCain thanked Senator Knotts, stating, "Jake Knotts is a distinguished public servant who has served his community and his country in the United States Navy, as a law enforcement officer, as a state legislator, and as a leader in the Republican Party. I look forward to working closely with him over the next few weeks, and I am grateful to have his support."
Senator Knotts was born in West Columbia, SC. He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Academy in Quantico, VA. He has represented District 23 in the South Carolina Senate since 2002.

Fred Thompson News Roundup

Tricksters Strike on Eve of Vote Washington Post - United States A Fred Thompson supporter reported receiving an anti-Thompson call that starts with a live operator saying, "Do you have a minute to listen to a taped ...

Local campaign donors favor Fred Thompson Clarksville Leaf Chronicle - Clarksville,TN,USA A review of local donations to the presidential candidates, however, reveals one clear preference among Clarksville donors — Republican Fred Thompson. ...

Thompson Campaign Fades in Iowa Wall Street Journal - USA By AMY SCHATZ DES MOINES, Iowa -- As a noncandidate, Fred Thompson could command the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to deliver his political message. ...

Fred Thompson (Republican)ic Wales - United Kingdom As a young lawyer taking part in the Watergate hearings, he uncovered President Nixon’s secret recording system that documented White House conversations. ...

Fred Thompson unfazed by Iowa predictions Fairview Observer - Fairview,TN,USA By BILL THEOBALD CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Fred Thompson entered the Republican presidential campaign later than any candidate. Initially, he campaigned at a ...

Thompson's Iowa push awaits payoff Daily News Journal (subscription) - Murfreesboro,TN,USA By BILL THEOBALD CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Fred Thompson entered the Republican presidential campaign later than any candidate. Initially, he campaigned at a ...

Ron Paul, Fred Thompson Lead Newsmax Poll NewsMax.com - West Palm Beach,FL,USA Pulling solid numbers behind Paul were Fred Thompson with 19% of the vote, and Mike Huckabee, a late rising star, with 16%. Newsmax poll respondents believe ...

Thompson presses conservative credentials on eve of caucusWaterloo Cedar Falls Courier - Waterloo,IA,USABy JENS MANUEL KROGSTAD, Courier Staff Writer WATERLOO --- Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said he believes he can finish above rival John ...

Is Fred Thompson Losing Stigma Of Lazy Campaigner? TransWorldNews (press release) - Monroe,GA,USA Since his early lead as he entered the race for the Republican nomination for president, Fred Thompson has steadily fallen in the polls. ...

Thompson: "We decided to give Iowa voters a break today" Guardian Unlimited - UK Former Tennessee senator, actor and mummy Fred Thompson spent New Years Day watching football. He made one appearance, at a veterans home in Marshalltown, ...

Romney: A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE MISSION IN IRAQ

"All Americans want U.S. troops to come home as soon as possible. But walking away now or dividing Iraq up into parts and walking away later would present grave risks to the United States and the world. Iran could seize the Shiite south, al Qaeda could dominate the Sunni west, and Kurdish nationalism could destabilize the border with Turkey. A regional conflict could ensue, perhaps even requiring the return of U.S. troops under far worse circumstances." – Governor Romney (Governor Mitt Romney, "Rising To A New Generation Of Global Challenges," Foreign Affairs, July/August 2007)

Governor Romney Has Always Been A Strong Supporter Of The Surge.
On The Same Day The President Announced The Surge Strategy, Governor Romney Stated That He Supported Additional Troops. "I agree with the President: Our strategy in Iraq must change. Our military mission, for the first time, must include securing the civilian population from violence and terror. It is impossible to defeat the insurgency without first providing security for the Iraqi people. Civilian security is the precondition for any political and economic reconstruction. In consultation with Generals, military experts and troops who have served on the ground in Iraq, I believe securing Iraqi civilians requires additional troops." (Romney For President, "Governor Mitt Romney On Iraq," Press Release, 1/10/07)

Governor Romney: "My view is that the troop surge is the right course for us now. I know we've made a lot of errors as a nation in managing the conflict over the last three or four years. But I think the troop surge is the right course." (Howie Carr Show, 8/2/07)

Governor Romney: "A number of mistakes have been made and those mistakes have contributed to some of the challenges we now face. … I’m glad we’re seeing a change in strategy. I’m glad we’re adding to the mission of our military the protection of the safety of citizens in and around Baghdad." (Adam Nagourney, "Romney: Clinton's Wrong About Bush," The New York Times, 1/29/07)

Governor Romney Believes America Must Remain Committed To The Mission In Iraq:
Governor Romney Believes That "Walking Away" From The Conflict In Iraq Would "Present Grave Risks" To The U.S. "All Americans want U.S. troops to come home as soon as possible. But walking away now or dividing Iraq up into parts and walking away later would present grave risks to the United States and the world. Iran could seize the Shiite south, al Qaeda could dominate the Sunni west, and Kurdish nationalism could destabilize the border with Turkey. A regional conflict could ensue, perhaps even requiring the return of U.S. troops under far worse circumstances." (Governor Mitt Romney, "Rising To A New Generation Of Global Challenges," Foreign Affairs, July/August 2007)

Governor Romney: "Well, a President Romney is not going to set a specific timeline that would suggest that we don`t care whether al Qaeda is playing a major role in that country or not. It is critically important to America and the world that al Qaeda not have a safe haven in the nation of Iraq. And, so, to set an artificial deadline which ignores whether or not al Qaeda is being successful is, in my view, a position which would – which should disqualify someone as a potential president -- president of the country." (Fox News' "You World," 9/12/07)

Governor Romney: "We obviously want our troops home as soon as we can have them home, but we don’t want to have them home and lay behind us a safe haven that could become a huge threat to the entire world, and us in particular." ("The Hugh Hewitt Show," 9/14/07)

Governor Romney Traveled To Iraq In 2006 To Meet With The Troops:
In May 2006, Governor Romney Traveled To Iraq. "Traveling under tight security, Governor Mitt Romney yesterday wrapped up an unannounced, one-day trip to Iraq to visit troops from Massachusetts, and warned against a 'cut and run' pullout from the war-torn country." (Frank Phillps, "Romney Makes Surprise Stop In Baghdad," The Boston Globe, 5/25/06)

Governor Romney: "It Would Be A Severed Mistake For Us To Cut And Run." "'It would be a severe mistake for us to cut and run,' the governor said yesterday in a telephone interview from Kuwait City just hours after he arrived from Baghdad. The potential sectarian strife that could ensue if the United States pulled out suddenly, he said, 'could lead to a humanitarian disaster.'" (Frank Phillps, "Romney Makes Surprise Stop In Baghdad," The Boston Globe, 5/25/06)

Governor Romney Believes There Needed To Be Changes In Iraq Strategy:
Governor Romney: "We've removed Saddam Hussein but, afterward, I'm afraid to report that we were underprepared and underplanned and undermanaged and undermanned." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At The Conservative Political Action Conference, Washington, D.C., 3/2/07)

In September 2006, Governor Romney Said "My Inclination Would Be More Boots On The Ground." "During his speech, Romney rejected suggestions that the United States should pull troops out of Iraq, even suggesting that more troops may be needed. 'My inclination would be more boots on the ground, not less,' said Romney. 'If we were to withdraw precipitously, we would have a very significant threat of a full-scale civil war with massive casualties.'" (Mike Glover, "Romney Receives Backing In Iowa For 2006 And Perhaps 2008," The Associated Press, 9/28/06)

In February 2006: Governor Romney Said He Doesn't Believe There Were Enough Troops On The Ground. GOVERNOR ROMNEY: "I think also that we haven't had sufficient troops following the period of major conflict, and so those are not new or novel observations. I think the president would agree there's a benefit that comes with hindsight. And yet I supported the president at the time that he entered into Iraq and believed that he had the kind of information he needed to have to make that decision." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 2/26/06)

In October 2004, Governor Romney Said "Looking Back Over The Last Several Months, I Wish We Had Done Some Things Differently." "Mr. Romney said he regrets some things that have happened in Iraq. 'Looking back over the last several months, I wish we had done some things differently. Of course there are mistakes made in the fog of war, as it is called. Had we known what we know today many things would have been done differently, I am sure,' the governor said." (John J. Monahan, "Iraq War Deepens Political Differences," Sunday Telegram, 10/10/04)

Governor Romney Supported The Persian Gulf War:
In 1994, Then-Republican Senatorial Candidate Mitt Romney Stated His Support For "America's Participation In Gulf War." (Romney For U.S. Senate, Campaign Flier, 1994)

ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT LAUNCHES NEW TELEVISION AD, "VOTE FOR TOMORROW"

Today, Romney for President launched its newest television ad, "Vote for Tomorrow." The ad highlights Governor Romney directly addressing the American people about his belief that this election is not about America's past but America's future. In the next ten years, our country will see great progress and change. Governor Romney is the only presidential candidate who can unleash the great promise and innovation of our nation. The future begins now and Governor Romney is asking for the vote.
The ad will begin airing today as part of the campaign's rotation in New Hampshire. Script and viewing link are below.
Script For "Vote For Tomorrow" (TV:30):
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "No one votes for yesterday. We vote for tomorrow. Every election is about the future.
"Many are pessimistic. I'm not.
"In the next ten years, we'll see more progress, more change than the world has seen in the last ten centuries.
"Our next president must unleash the promise and innovation of the American people.
"I'm ready for that challenge. The future begins now.
"I'm Mitt Romney and I not only approve this message, I'm asking for your vote."
To watch "Vote For Tomorrow," please see: http://tv.mittromney.com/?showid=728431

CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE [WY] ENDORSES GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY

"Romney, Obama Should Get Party Nominations"
Casper Star-Tribune Editorial
December 31, 2007

"The wishes of Wyoming voters are usually a moot point by presidential convention time. In each party, someone usually racks up enough wins in the early primaries to ensure the nomination, thus making the conventions a formality.

"This year, thanks to the state Republican central committee's decision to hold its county caucuses Saturday, things are a little different. Several GOP candidates campaigned in Wyoming. While most of these hopefuls were in the lower tier, the move nevertheless gave the state some recognition it hasn't received in other years.

"With Thursday's GOP and Democratic caucuses in Iowa too close to call, a win in Wyoming could boost a candidate's chances in next week's New Hampshire primary."
…
"Our Editorial Board's recommendations aim to identify the candidates who will best represent Wyoming's interests, along with the nation as a whole.

"Mitt Romney stands out in the Republican race as the candidate with the leadership, experience, and conservative political philosophy to be his party's standard bearer.

"Romney traveled to Wyoming twice in the past few months, visiting Cheyenne, Gillette, Jackson and Riverton. He has organized an impressive team of Wyoming supporters.

"The former Massachusetts governor has pledged to oppose any increases in income taxes and is prepared to make spending cuts in our bloated federal budget.

"Romney has called for making the nation more energy-independent. That resonates well in Wyoming, a state with an abundance of fossil fuels and potential for wind and solar power.

"As chief executive of the Olympics, Romney did a masterful job saving the winter games in Salt Lake City. And speaking of Utah, Romney's family ties to that state date back to territorial days. His heritage is rooted in the West, and he's not likely to forget it."
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"There is no reason Republican voters shouldn't believe Romney when he describes himself as a conservative, pro-life candidate who believes marriage is the union of a man and a woman."
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"For those reasons, Romney and Obama are our choices for the two parties' nominations. Whether you agree with us or not, we hope you find our observations helpful."
To read the full endorsement, please see: http://www.trib.com