The Obama camp is continuing to field offers from the McCain campaign to visit Iraq and flak from the right that he has only been to the country once. Today the RNC launched a new feature on its website - a clock counting the days since Obama traveled to Iraq. That number stands at 871.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton called McCain’s original proposal a “political stunt” in an email exchange with Talking Points Memo, the popular liberal blog. “We don’t need any more ‘Mission Accomplished’ banners or walks through Baghdad markets to know that Iraq’s leaders have not made the political progress that was the stated purpose of the surge,” Burton told the website.
Today McCain used Burton’s own words at an event in Reno, Nevada, to prove that Obama does not understand the realities on the ground and that war is no political stunt….To which Obama campaign responded with a stinging statement to reporters.
“On the day after the former White House press secretary conceded that the Bush administration used deception and propaganda to take us to war, it seems odd that Senator McCain, who bought the flawed rationale for war so readily, would be lecturing others on their depth of understanding about Iraq. Senator Obama challenged the President’s rationale for the war from the start, warning that it would divert resources from Afghanistan and the pursuit of Al Qaeda and mire us in an endless civil war. Senator McCain stubbornly insists on pursuing the failed Bush policy that continues to cost so much, while Senator Obama believes it’s time to begin a deliberate, careful strategy to remove our troops and compel the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.
For the McCain campaign, the final April fundraising numbers provide some good news and some bad news.
While the presumptive GOP nominee raised a personal record total of $17.8 million and finished the month with more than $21.7 million in cash on hand according to his campaign’s Federal Election Commission filing, McCain’s money figures still pale in comparison to the numbers put up by likely rival Barack Obama.
Despite facing an ongoing primary fight and losing four of five contests (TX, OH, RI and PA) in April, Obama still raised $31.3 million and went into May with $37.3 million in the campaign war chest. Additionally, more than 50 percent of Obama’s cash came from small donors in increments of $25 or less, while April saw McCain attend nearly daily big money fundraisers around the country. Additionally, the McCain campaign is increasingly focusing it’s attention on big donors, setting up a Victory Fund in coordination with the RNC last month that enables supporters to give up to $70,000 through multiple channels.
However, McCain campaign advisers are pointing to the large haul last month by the Republican National Committee and it’s mammoth cash advantage over the Democratic National Committee. The RNC outraised the DNC by $11 million in April–$15.7 million vs. $4.7 million–and finished the month with a nearly $35 million cash advantage–$40.1 vs. $4.4 million.
When combined, McCain/RNC fundraising nearly matches the Obama/DNC total and the GOPers hold a $20 million+ advantage in cash on hand. While Obama, Clinton and the DNC set up a joint fundraising committee in the last week and the DNC has launched multiple ads and efforts attacking McCain, the continuing primary fight still formally prevents Obama and the DNC from completely coordinating fundraising, messaging and political efforts. McCain and the RNC have no such issue have been working in unison for nearly three months.
President Bush will hit the money trail with McCain in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon for a major fundraiser–including a private reception for donors giving $25,000+. The President will then join Mitt Romney (without McCain) for two fundraisers in Utah the following day, including an evening event for donors giving or collecting a minimum of $30,800 at Romney’s Park City, UT home.
Republican National Committee Spokesman Danny Diaz releases the following statement regarding the latest state GOP ad to invoke Jeremiah Wright.
“Voters in the 1st District of Mississippi will make a determination on the ad,” Diaz said, referring to the latest attack ad by Republican Greg Davis against Democratic opponent Travis Childers in a Mississippi Congressional runoff.
Sen. McCain said earlier today that he is tired of playing “referee” in all of these state GOP ad disputes. Last week, the RNC and McCain were very aggressive in condemning a North Carolina GOP ad using Wright, but this week they are leaving it to the voters. This should appease some voices on the right…
The Democratic National Committee continues to use McCain’s ‘100 years in Iraq’ comments in it’s latest TV ad, as part it’s ongoing attempt to cast a potential McCain administration as third Bush term. To hammer home it’s point, McCain’s exchange with a New Hampshire townhall-goer is repeated twice in the ad which also showcases explosions and some of the more grim statistics from Iraq.
The dispute over McCain’s 100 years exchange has been ongoing for nearly five months: McCain is talking about a 100 year-plus peacetime troop presence while Democrats are construing the remarks to argue that the presumptive Republican nominee is in favor of 100 years of war. Since a number of media outlets called the Democrats out on distorting McCain’s words, Sens. Clinton, Obama and the DNC have backtracked a bit from much-criticized early language and now stick to stating that McCain endorses a 100-year occupation of Iraq (closer to the truth but still not completely accurate).
In this ad, the DNC takes the simple approach and tries the McCain’s words speak for themselves (albeit without the full context). Of course, the RNC was quick to put a statement Sunday calling the ad a “distortion.”
“Over the course of the next six months, we expect the DNC to wage a respectful and honest campaign, which means adhering to the law. Howard Dean and the DNC should immediately cease and desist from airing these advertisements. And if the DNC fails to act, both Senators Clinton and Obama should immediately call on them to do so,” the statement read.
Republican National Committee officials are fuming over Howard Dean’s attack on Sen. McCain as a “blatant opportunist” in a statement issued by the Democratic National Committee Chairman Friday morning.
Responding to news of McCain’s scheduled biography tour to highlight his service record next week, Dean said, “Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn’t understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.”
“I think it’s an assault on Senator McCain’s character,” said RNC spokesman Alex Conant. “It certainly goes beyond the pale of what we expect– even from Chairman Dean.”
The Dean statement read in full: “The American people have been waiting for a president who understands the challenges they face, not another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership. John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can’t change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush for the last seven years. While we honor McCain’s military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn’t understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.”
RNC Deputy Chairman Frank Donatelli responded this afternoon with a statement of his own. “Howard Dean owes John McCain an immediate apology and both Senators Clinton and Obama should unequivocally denounce this disgraceful attack,” Donatelli said.
Conant said the RNC intends to keep the dialogue “respectful,” referring to a memo put out by McCain Campaign Manager Rick Davis earlier this month calling on Republicans to keep the campaign “focused on the issues.”
Washington, D.C. — One day after picking up the necessary delegates to officially clinch the GOP nomination, John McCain took a victory lap around Washington Wednesday to pick up the support of President Bush and the Republican National Committee.
At a Rose Garden press conference following lunch, the presumptive GOP nominee declared that he was “honored and humbled” to pick up the President’s support.
“I hope that he will campaign for me as much as is keeping with his busy schedule. I’ll be pleased to have him with me both from raising money and the much needed finances for the campaign, and addressing the challenging issues that face this country. I’m pleased to have him as is — as it fits into his busy schedule,” McCain said. (full remarks)
Democrats call the photo op of the two together a gift as they seek to cast a McCain presidency as a third Bush term. A liberal interest group called the Campaign to Defend America released an ad today, “McSame,” arguing the two men are cut from the same cloth on health care, taxes and the economy. “Tell John McCain we need a new direction. Not the McSame old thing,” the ad declares.
However, McCain aides believe the President’s assistance on the campaign trail to help shore up the base and raise cash will be extremely valuable.
The bare bones McCain campaign also got virtual control over the RNC today and it’s many political, communications, and fiscal assets. At a press conference following the WH event, RNC Chairman Mike Duncan laid it all out: “We’ve been preparing for the last several months. We’ve been raising the money. We’ve been doing the research that’s necessary. We’ve been writing the victory plans that have been necessary to win the electoral votes we’ve been putting the staff together and all of that is available to Senator McCain.”
Note that the RNC has $25 million in the bank as of the end of February–more than their Dem counterparts–and can take in much larger individual donations than the campaign.
As of 6pm ET Thursday, the link to the Tennessee Republican Party’s controversial press release attacking Sen. Barack Obama for anti-Semitic ties was officialy dead. (See Web screenshot below)
The release, titled “Anti-Semites for Obama,” originally contained a reference to Obama’s middle name, Hussein, and the Drudge-promoted photo of the Democrat in a traditional Somali outfit. After receiving criticism from Sen. John McCain and the Republican National Committee, the state party stripped those elements from the release late Wednesday but defended the rest of the statement. The RNC publicly condemned the TN GOP’s conduct Thursday morning.
***10am 2/28 UPDATE*** (((RNC issues official statement: “The RNC rejects these kinds of campaign tactics. We believe this election needs to be about the critical issues confronting our nation.” -RNC Chairman Mike Duncan)))
After receiving a private rebuke from the Republican National Committee, the Tennessee Republican party removed online references to Barack Obama’s middle name as well as a photo attachment of Obama in a traditional Somali dress Wednesday evening.
A GOP official tells FOX that RNC officials chided TN state officials Wednesday for issuing the press release, titled “Anti-Semites For Obama,” which included the Democrat’s middle name, Hussein, as well as the controversial photo that was first publicized on the Drudge Report. Sen. John McCain also expressed his public displeasure with the state party’s conduct at a press conference in San Antonio, TX today.
In a follow up release posted late Wednesday evening, the Tennessee GOP remained unapologetic noting that the original statement was “twisted by Democrats who would prefer to scream “racism!” rather than deal with Obama’s real and worrisome record,” said Communications Director Bill Hobbs.
See the cleaned up version of the press release here…
Compared to the top of the original release below: (note the “Hussein” in the first sentence and the photo)
While the newest statement, titled “Tennessee Republican Party Remains Focused On Issue Not Race,” made no mention of the decision to remove the most controversial parts of the original release, there was an allusion that the TN GOP made the decision for party unity. “Attempts to put the Tennessee Republican Party at odds with Sen. John McCain regarding our Monday press release and his Tuesday comments are ineffective and vacant,” Hobbs added.
Full statement from Bill Hobbs:
Tennessee Republican Party Remains Focused On Issue Not Race
The Tennessee Republican Party expresses thanks to the numerous people who have called to express support for the strong stance that we have taken in defense of the nation of Israel.
Our Monday, Feb 25, press release alerting voters that Sen. Barack Obama has foreign policy advisers and endorsements rooted in anti-Semitic and anti-Israel views has been twisted by Democrats who would prefer to scream “racism!” rather than deal with Obama’s real and worrisome record.
Attempts to put the Tennessee Republican Party at odds with Sen. John McCain regarding our Monday press release and his Tuesday comments are ineffective and vacant given Sen. McCain’s consistently strong record as a defender of Israel.
During the course of the hour and 45-minute CNN debate between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the RNC communications department was busy sending out emails to reporters on the issues discussed and the candidates’ statements, as they usually do.
Danny Diaz, one of the staffers at the RNC, sent out a total of 13 emails during the debate tonight - 12 of which focused on Mr. Obama. Diaz questioned Obama’s stance on Cuba, immigration, economic policies, foreign policy, and troop funding. He also sent out a couple of emails with the subject: “Another Lifted Line by Obama?”
When asked if this means the RNC has determined Obama the frontrunner, Diaz responded, “What we do is a reflection of political reality.”
The Republican National Committee follows the McCain campaign’s lead and sent out a fundraising email to supporters Thursday asking for cash to to “fight back against the mainstream media’s clear liberal bias.” Though there is no mention of McCain himself since Mike Huckabee is still in the race so the RNC has to remain neutral.
Email below:
Dear Friend,
The New York Times has proven once again that the liberal mainstream media will do whatever it takes to put Senator Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the White House.
From the beginning of Campaign 2008, liberal media pundits have fawned over the Democrat presidential candidates while ignoring their lack of substance on the issues. You can be certain that as the campaign heats up they will continue to mislead voters with their anti-Republican agenda.
Republicans must fight back against the mainstream media’s clear liberal bias — and we need your help to do it.
Please make an urgent secure online contribution of $1,000, $500, $100, $50, or $25 to help the RNC get our responsible message of lower taxes, a strong national defense, and limited government past the liberal media filter and directly to the voters.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Best Wishes,
Robert M. “Mike” Duncan
Chairman, Republican National Committee
Automakers to Submit Plans to Congress BC-NA–US-Meltdown-Autos,1091 Detroit’s automakers, making a second bid for $25 billion in government funding, are presenting Congress with plans Tuesday to restructure their ailing companies and provide assurances that the bailout will help them survive.
Nuclear or Bioterror Attack on U.S. Likely by 2013, Panel Wa The United States can expect a terrorist attack using nuclear or more likely biological weapons before 2013, reports a bipartisan commission in a study being briefed Tuesday to Vice President-elect Joe Biden.
1 in 5 Young Adults Have Personality Disorder, Study Finds Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported Monday in the most extensive study of its kind.
Estranged Brother-in-Law Arrested in Hudson Slayings Police arrested the estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson on Monday in the deaths of the entertainer’s mother, brother and young nephew, taking him from a prison where he had been held on a suspected parole violation.
