Cleveland, Ohio:

Today Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) stood side-by-side with his former rival, Senator Barack Obama, and announced his endorsement of the Democratic nominee. Dodd, who dropped out of the race following his defeat in Iowa, became the first 2008 Democratic candidate to endorse in the race.

“It’s now the hour to come together,” Dodd announced, appealing to Democrats, Independents and others to come together to keep the Party cohesive enough to ensure victory in November against Senator John McCain.

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Later when responding to a question during the avail, Dodd issued a “cautionary note” against an ugly campaign for the nomination. He warned, “Be careful this week. We have good people running.” Adding, “I know the temptation in campaigns, beyond the ability of the candidates themselves to control it, can get out of control. We’ve witnessed a little bit of that here, and I’m worried about it, and one of the things I wanted to say this morning…was to urge these campaigns to be careful. We’re on the brink, I think, of a great victory for this country, and I don’t want to see us lose that opportunity because of the mistakes made or the divisiveness that can enter a campaign.”

Following the circulation yesterday of the photograph of Senator Obama dressed in traditional Somali garb,  Obama recognized that “at this stage in the campaign, there are going to be dust-up, particularly at the staff level. Certainly I don’t think that that photograph was circulated to enhance my candidacy. I think that’s fair to say. Do I think that it is reflective of Senator Clinton’s approach to the campaign? Probably not.”

So what’s to be expected at tonight’s debate, after Hillary Clinton challenged him last week, “Meet me in Ohio.”?

Barack Obama is likely prepared for a contentious debate, but told reporters today, “I would expect her to argue vigorously her case, or why she should be president. And I’m sure she’ll point out differences she has with me. I will do the same, but I’m sure it will be conducted in civil fashion, because, at this point, as Senator Clinton said in the last debate, it’s been an honor to not only participate in this process with her, but also with people like Chris Dodd, and Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich - all outstanding individuals who have made enormous contributions to this country.”

Today in Austin, Texas, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced the union’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. This, of course, means the union will put it’s organizational muscle and 1.4 million members to use to try to help Obama win the Democratic nomination.

Hoffa admitted that John Edwards “probably had the best message for working people,” but, he is also realistic. “Unfortunately, his candidacy never really caught fire,” he added. So then there were two candidates.

Why Obama over Clinton? Well, Hoffa said that Obama has been the only one to talk about renegotiating NAFTA, an issue that is one of the most important to the Teamsters. But while issues like trade, jobs, and health care are certainly important to the Teamsters, so is winning.

“You can’t ignore the fact that he’s won 10 elections in a row. you can’t ignore the fact that he’s playing to basketball arenas, 20,000 people. I mean the guy has really picked up a momentum that is resonating with our members and it’s showing up in the polls.” Hoffa added, “I think
that’s important and that’s the kind of candidate we need in November to run against McCain. We’re going to need a very strong candidate that brings a lot more people in the political process and I think that’s what he’s doing.”

Hoffa was clear to say that he has the “highest regard” for Senator Clinton and “this should not be seen as anything against her.” He insisted he put a call into her, but had not, as of his press avail in Austin, made contact with her.

Check out some of Hoffa’s comments here:

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It finally happened. Senator Obama managed to ditch his traveling press corps (thanks to some nasty weather in Wisconsin that led to the cancellation of his Sunday rally) to make the trip down to the Edwards’ home in Chapel Hill. The meeting, originally scheduled for February 11th, had been postponed when the national media found out and staked out the site.

Yesterday the campaign would only reveal that the meeting, one that Senator Clinton also had with John and Elizabeth Edwards, took place and that they discussed “the state of the campaign and the pressing issues facing American families.”

Here’s what Senator Obama said about the meeting and what an Edwards endorsement would mean to his candidacy at a media availability today in Ohio:

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Houston, TX — Calling any criticism of his conservative credentials “absurd,” former President George H.W. Bush endorsed Sen. John McCain Monday.

“The indisputable fact that unites the greatest number of Republicans, most independents and many good Democrats is the fact that no one is better prepared to lead our nation at these trying times than Senator John McCain,” the former President said at a press conference at a Hobby Airport hangar. “Few men walking among us have sacrificed so much in the cause of human freedom, and I am happy to help this remarkable patriot carry our Party’s banner forward.”

Bush also came to McCain’s defense when asked about some of the incoming fire the presumptive GOP nominee has been taking from critics on his right.

“If you’ve been around the track, you hear these criticisms and I think they are grossly unfair. He’s got a record that everybody can analyze in the Senate–a sound, conservative record. And yet he is not above reaching out to the other side,” Bush said, after reading entries he pulled from President Ronald Reagan’s diary–who also faced attacks from his right flank. “So I hear these criticisms….(and) I get a little bit annoyed about them frankly.”

For his part, McCain said his latest endorsement will be key in helping to bring together the GOP after a contentious primary.
“I think that President Bush’s endorsement today honors me. I believe it will help us enormously in that that process of uniting our party and moving forward,” McCain said. “As a party, (we) must unite and move forward and attract, not only members of our own party, but independents and the so-called Reagan Democrats.”

Houston, TX — One day ahead of receiving the endorsement of former President George H.W. Bush, Sen. John McCain issued the same tax pledge that made “41″ famous.

“No new taxes,” McCain told George Stephenopoulos on ABC’s “This Week”on Sunday, when asked if he was a “‘read my lips’ candidate.” Bush Sr. uttered the famous phrase, “Read my lips, no new taxes,” at the 1988 Republican National Convention, but was forced to raise taxes during his term as part of a budget compromise with Democrats.

McCain’s latest statement comes after the Arizona Senator spent months refusing to sign a similar pledge distributed by Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform. McCain voted against the current President Bush’s 2001 and 2003 tax cuts but now wants to make the cuts permanent and is seeking to mollify conservatives who distrust him because of his previous votes.

The “This Week: Transcript:

• STEPHANOPOULOS: So on taxes, are you a “read my lips” candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?
• MCCAIN: No new taxes I do not — in fact, I could see an argument if our economy continues to deteriorate for lower interest rates, lower tax rates and certainly decreasing corporate tax rates, which are the second-highest in the world, giving people the ability to write off depreciation in a year, elimination of the AMT. There’s a lot of things that I would think we should to relieve that burden, including, obviously, as we all know, simplification of the tax code.
• STEPHANOPOULOS: But under no circumstances would you increase taxes?
• MCCAIN: No.

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McCain said something similar to Fox News Sunday in April but would not take a “pledge:”

• CHRIS WALLACE: So…
• J. MCCAIN: So.
• WALLACE: … President McCain, no new taxes.
• J. MCCAIN: Of course not. I’ve never supported tax increases. I don’t support them now.
• WALLACE: And that’s a pledge that you would make over your four years.
• J. MCCAIN: I don’t take pledges. The fact is my record is very clear of opposition to tax increases. I oppose tax increases. I don’t take pledges.

In an email titled, “Defeating the Democrats,” Romney for President Campaign Manager Beth Myers sent a goodbye note to supporters Friday informing them of Mitt Romney’s decision to endorse Sen. John McCain, and asking them to the same.

“It is time for our party to come together by standing behind Senator John McCain for President in order to keep our country prosperous and strong,” Myers wrote. “The Governor and his family thought long and hard about this decision and feel that it is best for the Republican Party to bring the country together and unit behind one candidate. We need to provide our party with the best opportunity to defeat the Democrats in November.”

Full email after jump… (more…)

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Oshkosh, WI — Set to pick up the endorsement of former President George H. W. Bush Monday, Sen. John McCain said today that he is pleased to gain the support of a “great man, great American hero.”

“I have always respected enormously–the former President of the United States. I had the pleasure of knowing and working for him as President for many years,” McCain said at a press conference Friday, adding that he hopes that the elder Bush’s support signals that the GOP establishment is lining up behind his nomination.

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Boston, MA – Sen. John McCain all but sewed up the GOP nomination Thursday after receiving the endorsement of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Noting that his former rival “helped me become a better candidate,” McCain said Romney will help him “draw the stark differences” between the two parties during the general election.

For his part, Romney said that despite an extremely contentious campaign and their differences on issues ranging from immigration to taxes to campaign finance reform, it is time for the party to come together.

“I recognize, it’s time for us to put aside our differences and focus on the places where we think we have common ground and select our nominee and go forward together on a unified basis,” Romney said. “Right now the Democrats are fighting. Let’s us come together and make progress while they are fighting.”

(more…)

per Shushannah Walshe

Warwick, RI — Fox News has learned that Governor Mitt Romney is endorsing Sen. John McCain this afternoon at Romney for President Headquarters in Boston, MA.

Romney will ask his delegates to support McCain, which would put him very close the 1,191 delegate threshold necessary to lock the nomination. Romney made his decision to endorse today in the interest of helping McCain gain the delegates he needed to secure the party nomination and unite the party for the general election against the Democrats in November.

Romney campaign manager Beth Myers notified McCain campaign manager Rick Davis in a telephone call today, and they immediately made arrangements for an announcement in Boston this afternoon since they were already campaigning in RI.

Romney and McCain will meet today before announcing the formal endorsement at a press conference.

Former GOP Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chaffee endorsed Barack Obama today, because he believes Obama to be “the best candidate to restore American credibility, to restore our confidence to be moral and just, and to bring people together to solve the complex issues such as the economy, the environment and global stability.”

Chaffee was, in essence, the Joe Lieberman of the Republican Party in the U.S. Senate, and after losing reelection in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, switched his allegiance to Independent.

Interestingly, Senator McCain visited Rhode Island in 2006 to help Chaffee win reelection while Senator Obama campaigned in the Ocean State on behalf of Chaffee’s opponent - twice.

Obviously no hard feelings from Chaffee - “I was running in 2006 as a Republican, and that’s the way the system works,” the former senator explained, adding, “I’m sure Senator McCain will understand.”

The Rhode Island primary is on March 4th.