2004 Presidential Election and Beyond: The Giuliani Years (GAME THREAD)

[Donerail]

OOC: Expatriates primary?

[Donerail]

Remarks on the Clinton Endorsement

March 21, 2004, at the Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Thank you, Democrats! I'm proud to stand before you here today as your party's presumptive nominee for President of the United States. I'd especially like to thank Senator Clinton, whose endorsement means that it is now numerically impossible for Senator Biden to pass me in the delegate count; and Senator Biden, thank you for a well-fought race. We've seen a conductive and generally civil dialogue about the direction of our party, and should things have turned out differently I would gladly be standing here and offering you my endorsement.

Now, we turn our focus to November. I began this campaign on a promise to build One America - an America where everyone has a fair opportunity to realize their dreams, no matter where they come from. That's a promise I hold still. My dream is an America where every American can have the same opportunity I did - the opportunity to work hard and build a better life. That's not the case in today's two Americas - two Americas, one where families are working harder for stagnating wages, where forty-seven million lack insurance, where families and businesses are struggling to pay skyrocketing premiums. There's an America where 37 million Americans wake up in poverty every day. There's an America where middle-class wages have stagnated despite a growing economy. But there's also another America: one where there are nearly 60 lobbyists for every member of Congress, and one where the President's tax and trade policies increase the burden on America's workers. My personal commitment is to eliminating poverty within a generation, achieving truly universal health coverage, and helping families save and get ahead. As President, we will see better healthcare, lower costs, and coverage for every man, woman, and child in America; a pathway to ending poverty; and hope restored to America's forgotten rural communities. We will see an America that is energy-independent, that thrives on an energy-efficient and clean, renewable energy economy. We will see an America that has one, not two, school systems - one united, equal system. My administration will invest in our teachers, educate our children, and make college more affordable - all necessary steps that we must take to build one America.

Our image abroad, previously one of leadership, has been badly tarnished by the war on Iraq, our refusal to join the world in working to halt global warming, and repeated violations of Americans' constitutional rights - a focus on America's economic and military strength, while ignoring our moral strength as an example for the world. Under my administration, we will leave Iraq, and repurpose our leadership role towards other great challenges: ending the genocide in Darfur and the conflict in Uganda and fighting the scourges of global poverty and disease. We will see a strong, principled national security policy as the foundation of our national security. You have my pledge that I will strengthen homeland security, stand by our soldiers at every turn, and respect the Constitution and live up to our ideals in the fight against terrorism. And I will honor our lifelong commitment to those who sacrificed the most for our country, by repairing our sacred contract with America's military families and veterans. Only then can America once again be looked up to and respected around the world.

It will take strong, bold steps to move forward and build one America. My campaign is the one dedicated to putting Washington back on the side of regular families. Thank you all - and I hope to be thanking y'all again in November.

[Donerail]

Out of curiosity how many delegates are/were needed? (Edwards may be over the nomination threshold)

With your endorsement I have 1836 delegates and Biden has 659. The remaining contests have 1056 unallocated delegates.

[Donerail]

Out of curiosity how many delegates are/were needed? (Edwards may be over the nomination threshold)

With your endorsement I have 1836 delegates and Biden has 659. The remaining contests have 1056 unallocated delegates.

2,162 delegates are needed to clinch the Democratic nomination, so technically the race is still on...

It's kinda iffy and I didn't know whether to pull the trigger on it or not, but all I need now is the endorsement of a little over 40% of the superdelegates to formally clinch it.

[Donerail]

John Edwards Campaign Announcement

Robbins, North Carolina

Thank you all very much. We're very proud to be back here. I began my presidential campaign here to remind the country that we, as citizens and as a government, have a moral responsibility to each other, and what we do together matters. We must do better, if we want to live up to the great promise of this country that we all love so much. It is appropriate that I come here today. I don't know how this year's election will play out, but what I do know is that our Democratic Party will make history. We will be strong, we will be unified, and with our convictions and a little backbone we will take back the White House in November and we'll create hope and opportunity for this country.

This has been a campaign about those who had been abandoned by our government, forgotten, but not by us. This has been a campaign about lifting up those people, working families, so that someday they can once again live out the dream in America. I've sat with poultry workers in Jackson, janitors in Tallahassee, nurses in Richmond, listened to child after child tell me about their worry about whether we'll preserve the planet, walked streets of foreclosed houses, and listened to worker after worker say that the economy was tearing their family apart. I met a man in Virginia, born with a cleft palate, who had no health coverage and no money to fix it. Some good Samaritan paid for it to be fixed, to let him speak, when he was 50 years old. His story gave this campaign voice: universal health care for every man, woman and child in America. That is our cause. That's what we do for each other in America. We don't turn away from a neighbor in their time of need. Because every one of us knows that, but for the grace of God, there goes us. The American people have never stopped doing this, even when their government walked away from hardworking people, walked away from the poor, walked away those who live in poverty in this country.

We stopped focusing on those struggles. They didn't get us votes, didn't help us in the polls, and so we stopped talking about it. We turned away from the father working three jobs to pay the rent, from the mother sending her child to bed wrapped in coats because she can't afford to pay for heat, from our brothers and sisters who have been bullied into believing they can't organize and can't have a union. This hasn't been a campaign about getting votes. This has been a campaign about looking those people in the eye, promising that we hear them, we see them, and we stand with them. We will not forget them.

On my way here today, I passed under a bridge where hundreds of homeless Americans sleep every night. And I stopped, got out, and spoke to them. There was a minister there who comes every morning and feeds the homeless out of her own pocket. She said she has no money left in her bank account, she struggles to be able to do it, but she knows it's the moral, just and right thing to do. And I spoke to some of the people who were there and as I was leaving, one woman asked me whether I'd forget them. She asked me to promise her that I wouldn't forget them. I say this to her, and to all of those who are struggling in this country, we will never forget you. We will fight for you. We will stand up for you.

But I want to say this, because it's important. Will all the injustice we've seen, I can say that America's hour of transformation is upon us. It's hard to believe, I know: bullets flying in Baghdad, gas at $2 a gallon, schools without the right books for our kids, it's sure hard to believe that it's an hour of transformation. And it's hard to speak out when you feel like your voice isn't being heard. But I do hear it. We hear it. We hear you, and we will lift you up with our dream of what's possible.

One America that works for everyone. One America where struggling towns and factories come back to life because we finally transformed our economy by ending our dependence on oil. One America where the men who work the late shift and the women who get up at dawn to drive a two-hour commute and the young person who closes the store to save for college are honored for their work. One America where no child will go to bed hungry because we will finally end the moral shame of 37 million people living in poverty. One America where every single man, woman and child in this country has health care. One America with one public school system that works for all of our children. And one America that finally brings this war in Iraq to an end, and brings our servicemembers home with the hero's welcome that they have earned and that they deserve.

Today, I am suspending my campaign for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency.

But I want to say this to everyone: with Elizabeth, with my family, with my friends, with all of you and all of your support, this son of a millworker's gonna be just fine. Our job now is to make certain that America will be fine. I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard, all those who have volunteered, my dedicated campaign staff who have worked absolutely tirelessly in this campaign. And I want to say a personal word to those I've seen in the last few days - in Wyoming, in Alaska, and here in North Carolina, who came to me and said don't forget us. Speak for us. We need your voice. I want you to know that you almost changed my mind, because I hear your voice. Your country needs you, every single one of you. All of you who have been involved in this campaign and this movement for change and this cause, we need you. It is in our hour of need that your country needs you. Do not turn away now, for we have an American house to rebuild. There are homes to build, schools to rebuild, students to offer a chance to get ahead. The work goes on for day care workers and steel workers all across this country, and the work goes on for two hundred thousand men and women who wore the uniform of the United States of America, proud veterans, who go to sleep every night under bridges, or in shelters, or on grates, just as the people we saw on the way here today.

Their cause is our cause. Their struggle is our struggle. Their dreams are our dreams. Do not turn away from these great struggles before us. Do not give up on the causes that we have fought for. Do not walk away from what's possible, because it's time for all of us, all of us together, to make the two Americas one.

Thank you. God bless you, and let's go to work. Thank you all very much.

[Donerail]

OOC: Sad to see it's over, that was amazing! None of the primary fights in the other games, from Ayotte as the last man/woman standing to Biden v. Gore, Duke upsetting Bush, Dean v. Obama v. Lincoln v. Winfrey and Quayle v. Powell v. Kemp have been so detailed and with such a display of effort. Congratulations to you both!

Dean and I (Obama) went all the way to the DNC, and I was hoping Edwards and Biden would too.

So was I, but I'll be leaving for South Carolina (with questionable internet at best) until Saturday, and I have debate nationals Sunday through Friday after that.

[Donerail]

John Edwards Press Conference

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I have a feeling that if the leaders of our great Democratic Party continue to hear the voices of working people, a proud progressive will occupy the White House. I believe that Senator Biden will make ending poverty central to his campaign for the presidency - but more importantly, I believe that, as President of the United States, he will make ending poverty and economic inequality central to his Presidency. This is the cause of my life, and he is someone who I believe will engage in this cause. I'm proud to offer him my support in his campaign for the Presidency. But more importantly, I'm proud to stand here alongside the national leaders who stood alongside me, good men who were willing to hear the voices of people living in poverty across America - Senator Graham, Majority Leader Gephardt, and General Clark. We stand united behind Senator Biden, just as we will stand behind him enthusiastically when he becomes our 44th President in November.

Can you maybe implement a system by which forum members cans be Outside Spendin Groups?

I would also be interested in this. Can't let y'all go unchallenged, of course.

[Donerail]

Semi-OOC: hitting your opponent on inexperience and choosing someone from the same Senate term as VP

[Donerail]

Can you maybe implement a system by which forum members cans be Outside Spendin Groups?

I would also be interested in this. Can't let y'all go unchallenged, of course.

Bump?

[Donerail]

Can you maybe implement a system by which forum members cans be Outside Spendin Groups?

I would also be interested in this. Can't let y'all go unchallenged, of course.

Bump?

Bumpity Bump?

Yeah, how would you like to go about it?
Maybe three groups per candidate.
Two positive, one negative.

Just a large and well-funded outside group to run some ads but that isn't allowed to coordinate with the candidate. Like running a PAC.

[Donerail]

Yeah, how would you like to go about it?
Maybe three groups per candidate.
Two positive, one negative.

Here, I'm just gonna do it and you'll see how it rolls - basically a surrogate but with a not-candidate-focused aim.

One America PAC

I’m Senator John Edwards, and I’m here today in Robbins to announce the formation of a new group, which we’re calling One America PAC. What we are is an organization that works to see progressive leaders elected around here. We’re not affiliated with anyone here, and we’re not connected to any business, union, or campaign. What we are is a group that provides support, training, and advertising in key states and areas to help get these folks elected. I’m proud to stand here today to announce a few of these folks that we’re endorsing for Senate races - we’ve got Dan Mongiardo, he’s a State Senator running in Kentucky; Representative Chris John, who’s from Louisiana; and Representative Brad Carson of Oklahoma. We’re working on coming up with tough ads in those states and in other states where we’re identifying candidates to support, to help Democrats take the Senate and so we can see some real progressive change. These men are the ones we need to put into office to help make one America, and that’s what we’re going to do.

[Donerail]

One America PAC: Statement on the State of the Union

On behalf of those of us working here at One America PAC to advocate real change in our country, I commend the President for his forward-thinking approach to many of the problems facing America today.

President Giuliani’s focus on homeownership is heartening. Like him, I believe homeownership, as the bedrock of economic security and the primary source of most families’ wealth is the engine of American economic growth. But if we’re focusing on strengthening homeownership, the foundation of the American dream, we need to act decisively to help regular people by fighting dangerous mortgages. There are dangerous practices in the mortgage market currently, and “exploding” interest rates and hidden fees mean quick profits for lenders and brokers but threaten the stability of millions of families. We need to enact a strong national law against predatory lending, like we did in North Carolina in 1999, which protects families without decreasing access to credit. I’m calling on Congress and the President to pass a strong national law that does the following: ban prepayment penalties, which trap families into unaffordable mortgages and prevent them from refinancing with another lender; ban yield-spread premiums, which function as a kickback for brokers who steer borrowers into higher-cost mortgages; establish uniform broker licensing standards and a national database for disciplinary infractions, to ensure brokers put borrowers’ interests first; establish new rules to combat appraisal and servicing fraud, which causes families to owe more than their home is actually worth; and ban a number of other abusive practices, including loan flipping, mandatory arbitration clauses, balloon loans, and other excessive fees. How will we make sure all this happens? I propose setting up a new Family Savings and Credit Commission, to be paid for by eliminating the Office of Thrift Supervision, to ensure vigorous and continuing regulation. Federal bank regulators are focusing on bank soundness, meaning no one’s watching non-bank finance companies. The FSCC would review all financial services marketed to America’s families, including abusive mortgages, to ensure their terms are reasonable and fairly disclosed - basically, ensuring that we put in place the same consumer protections we have for other financial products.

I’m also glad to see the First Lady focusing on childhood education. Whether through family literacy programs or increased investment in math and science education, we need a renewed focus on American education, no matter the cost. We all pay a price when young people, who could someday find a cure for AIDS or design a new fuel cell, end up sitting on a stoop because they didn’t get the education they need. I want to see a country that’s an education leader, not a follower. With ninety-five percent of urban high schools reporting trouble getting qualified teachers, and with rural schools enrolling 40% of our children but getting only 22% of our funding, we need a strong program of increased teacher pay and training (with a focus on rural and other hard-to-staff schools), including college scholarships for students who commit to teaching after graduation, to attract the best-quality teachers we can. We need to massively overhaul No Child Left Behind - better tests, broader measures of school success, and the resources and flexibility for states to identify and reform underperforming schools are all necessary to achieve the goal of helping all children learn on high level. We also need universal preschool education, modeled from North Carolina’s Smart Start program, that links together health care, child care, education, and family support services for children under five, to help our four-year-olds develop early academic and emotional skills. Beyond that, we also need extended STEM and after-school programs, stronger high school curricula, and an expansion of new digital teaching tools, to ensure that our children are getting the best education they possibly can. As the product of public schools in a small rural town, and as the father of four children who attended public schools, I understand the value of education, and believe that every child deserves the same chance at a great education, and I wish the First Lady all the best in reforming America’s schools.

Finally, his support for increasing the reward for working is the first step we need to take towards making work pay. President Giuliani discussed the strength of our nation’s economy - raising the minimum wage will help lift hundreds of thousands out of poverty and ensure they share in that prosperity. I urge the Congress, when considering this legislation, to also index the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index, to ensure it will continue to rise. No one who works full time should have to live in poverty. If a job takes you away from your family every single day it had better pay you enough to support them. Now, the burden is on our Congress, to show whether they support working families and are courageous enough to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour. Is that a high number? Yeah. It is. But we’ve had nearly eight years of inaction; if we want to see the minimum wage as a tool to fight poverty, reward work, and reduce inequality, we must raise it to $9, in line with its historic value. If we want an America that lifts up working families, an America that rewards work instead of wealth, we must raise the wage.

-John Edwards, former U.S. Senator for North Carolina

[Donerail]

One America PAC: 2005 Cycle

Organization
National Director: Former Senator John Edwards
Senate Director: Former Senator Sam Nunn
House Director: Rep. Chet Edwards
States Director: Gov. Mark Warner

I'm glad to announce that we here at One America have assembled a crack team of experts to help us take back Congress in 2006. Heading up our Senate campaign arm is former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn, a Senate veteran who stood out as a leader on national security and will be an influential voice in our national security debate. Our House campaign will be led by Chet Edwards of Texas, a Democrat who's been effectively winning elections in a very conservative district for years, and our governors' campaigns will be led by current Virginia Governor Mark Warner, a moderate with a record of significant success in governing a state. I'm confident that, with this team, we'll be able to take back Congress in 2006 and deliver a real agenda of progress for America.

Finance Report
Total revenues (2005): $2,700,000
Virginia (statewide) expenditures -- $1,800,000
Houston expenditures -- $200,000

In Virginia, we'll be trying to get a big win for Tim Kaine, the current Lieutenant Governor, which is important for developing our bench in what's quickly becoming a swing state, along with supporting the Democrats running for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. We'll also be supporting Peter Brown and Sue Lovell for Houston City Council, which'll help Houston's mayor retain his seat while building a Democratic bench in the state.

[Donerail]

One America PAC: 2006 Targeted Seats

States Director Mark Warner

I'm excited to announce our new targeted races for the 2006 cycle. With the help of ordinary donors, we raised $5.1 million this year, which we'll be sending towards some key races to help us take back these governorships. This year, we're targeting Mike Beebe of Arkansas, Jim Davis of Florida, Martin O'Malley of Maryland, Tommy Moore of South Carolina, and Chris Bell of Texas.

Senate Director Sam Nunn

The Senate right now's split right down the middle - 53-47, Republicans in control. It'll take a decent effort to put us back in control, and One America PAC is going to target four races that'll help us do it. We'll be chipping in some funds to help keep our seat in Maryland, but our three big targeted races this year are Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia.

House Director Chet Edwards

House races mean a lot - that's where our money can go the furthest and that's where we're best able to take back control of our government. Accordingly that's where we're putting most of our money this cycle, winning back the House and delivering control of the people's House to the party that best represents the people.

Finance Report
Total revenues (2005): $5,100,000
Expenditures:
House expenditures: $3,250,000 ($250,000 each to FL-08, FL-13, FL-16, FL-22, GA-08, GA-12, KY-03, KY-04, NC-08, NC-11, TX-22, TX-23, and VA-02)

Senate expenditures: $850,000 ($50,000 to MD-Sen, $500,000 to VA-Sen, $100,000 to TN-Sen, and $200,000 to MO-Sen)
Governorship expenditures: $1,000,000 ($50,000 to MD-Gov, $250,000 to SC-Gov, $100,000 to AR-Gov, $300,000 to FL-Gov, and $300,000 to TX-Gov)

[Donerail]

Edwards appearance on ABC News

Terry Moran: And next, for a look at the upcoming primaries, we turn to one of the men in the center of it all, former North Carolina Senator and the National Director of One America PAC, John Edwards. John, welcome to the show.

John Edwards: Great to be here, Terry.

Moran: Let's get straight to it: do you think the Democrats can take the Senate this year?

Edwards: Of course we can - we have quality candidates, Harold Ford in Tennessee, Jim Webb in Virginia, Claire McCaskill in Missouri, and several others that would allow us to flip the Senate. The Republicans are definitely playing defense.

Moran: I wanted to talk about that, actually. The Senate Conservatives Fund is buying in big in races like Florida and West Virginia - any thoughts there?

Edwards: I think West Virginia is undeniably shifting to the right, looking at how they've voted the past couple Presidential elections, as well as Republicans picking up judgeships and state offices there. But those ripples of the national mood, I don't think they affect West Virginia as much. Senator Byrd won his eighth term with 78% of the vote in 2000, Joe Manchin's still Governor, we still hold the majority of their House seats and both chambers of their legislature. Byrd is significantly popular in the state, and I don't think they'll throw out someone who, when we take back then Senate, will be Appropriations Chair. As for Florida, understandably it's a more volatile state, but I have faith in Bill Nelson - he's a known quantity in the state, a lot of state service, pretty popular both statewide and in the Orlando area, a key swing region and where he's from. We beat Bill McCollum once, and he still has a primary to go through before we beat him again.

Moran: You seem pretty confident in holding those two seats. What about holding Maryland?

Edwards: I'm confident that Ben Cardin can get it done - he's got the backing of a lot of major organizations. Michael Steele's definitely a strong candidate, but Maryland is Maryland, and Ben'll pull it out in the end.

Moran: Recent polls have shown several of your candidates down, sometimes down big - Jim Webb's down 9, Harold Ford 6, Claire McCaskill 4. Do you think you can make that up by election day with big donors entering to support the Republicans?

Edwards: Absolutely. Tennessee hasn't chosen a Republican nominee yet, but whoever emerges among Hilleary, Bryant, and Corker will have gone through a vicious primary, while we're united behind Ford, whose fundraising is strong and poll numbers are competitive. Missouri too is very close, as we knew it would be, given how close it was when Talent won his first time. Missouri's a bellwether, but Claire's an experienced candidate, a known quantity, and Talent's on the record as opposing the minimum wage increase, and hasn't really done much in the Senate besides his stem cell legislation. Jim Webb in Virginia is behind right now, but I'm confident we can make it up - Jim's long record of military service and his credibility on that issue will carry us through.

Moran: Join us after the break to hear John's take on several key elections for Governor.


Moran: Welcome back. John Edwards and I are discussing his party's prospects in the midterms. So, John, you've made a few interesting fundraising decisions recently, including allocating a significant amount of funds to support candidates in South Carolina and Texas, states that weren't really on the Democratic radar. Why is this?

Edwards: It seems unconventional, sure, but you have to make these kinds of gambles, and I think these races could have a big payoff. In South Carolina, you have the incumbent facing a significant primary challenge and having a lot of discontent, even among Republicans, because of his spending cuts, and Democrats there have nominated Tommy Moore, who has a record of leadership in the legislature, who has these socially conservative but fiscally moderate positions in line with South Carolina's mainstream, focusing on business growth and helping rural areas. We've got a good shot there. Texas, we're gambling that it's an open field there - an unpopular incumbent Republican, a former Congressman with a strong record on ethics and education - that's a good formula right there, but then there's also a conservative Comptroller running as an independent, there's a Libertarian on the ballot, and there's whatever effect Kinky Friedman will have - point is, it's anybody's game.

Moran: Alright. Recent polls have shown you doing well in Maryland and Arkansas, are you confident you can hang on there with the recent infusion of money from the Freedom Project?

Edwards: Martin O'Malley's running a solid campaign, he's a pragmatic guy, done a good job running and making progress in Baltimore, and I'm confident Maryland's voters will recognize his hard work and skill in government. As for Mike Beebe, polls there have us in front by a wide margin.

Moran: One final question before I let you go, and it's Florida. Can you pull off the win?

Edwards: The primary there looks like it's going to be really bloody between Crist and Gallagher, but yeah, I think we can do it. We beat Tom Gallagher twice already, after all, Jim Davis can do it again.

Moran: So where are you off to now?

Edwards: I'm going to be stumping personally for my good friends Larry Kissell and Heath Shuler, who have competitive races in my home state, before going to an event for Tommy Moore. As for my co-workers, Mark Warner will be working very closely with Jim Webb, as well as Phil Kellam's campaign for Congress in Virginia Beach. Sam Nunn will be working on keeping Jim Marshall and John Barrow's seats in Congress, and Chet Edwards, besides his own re-election, will be working with Chris Bell, Nick Lampson, and Ciro Rodriguez. We're all going to be very busy and personally giving it our all this election cycle, because, from Florida to Kentucky, these targeted seats are what makes or breaks our majority.

Moran: Alright, I won't keep you then. Good luck!

Edwards: My pleasure, and thank you.

[Donerail]

Update: Edwards, Nunn, Warner to make final push in Virginia


Richmond, VA -- Big-name Democrats, including former Senator Sam Nunn, one of the nation's leading experts on national security and foreign policy, and former Senator John Edwards, one of the party's frontrunners for their 2008 Presidential nomination, are descending on Virginia to promote the election of Jim Webb, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and former Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan. Conventional wisdom holds that his opponent, incumbent Senator George Allen, holds a wide edge, but Edwards noted that "Jim's a war hero, a Reagan appointee; he's the kind of Democrat who can really represent and understand folks from rural areas. When he's elected, he could quickly become a leading face of the party on foreign relations and national defense." With Allen not focusing on his own race and the three Democrats campaigning hard, this race could be the sleeper of the cycle.

Edwards and Nunn, along with Virginia Governor Mark Warner and Texas Representative Chet Edwards (no relation), are among the co-founders of One America PAC, a political action committee aimed at targeting key races to help elect Democrats, particularly in the South. When asked about the organization's geographic focus, Edwards responded, saying, "Look at how Joe Biden did in 2004. We managed to do very well in other regions - winning Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Pennsylvania. Apart from Rudy Giuliani's base region in the New York Metro, we managed to hang on pretty well in the rest of the country. But we only won a handful of states in this region - Democratic-leaning Maryland, Kentucky, and the home states of our nominee and his Vice President. Where we need to gain votes is the South. Florida, point and a half; Missouri, less than 3 points; Virginia, around two, and that would've changed the entire dynamic of the race. We're targeting 13 key House races, 4 key Senate seats, and 5 key governorships to try to start rebuilding our party in the region. We have a winning message, and it's one that needs to be heard - that will be heard, if we're successful.

The duo are expected to spend a significant amount of time in Virginia before election day, though also working in Maryland, Missouri, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas on behalf of major Democratic candidates.

[Donerail]

Thank you, Mr. President. Could you expand on the full legal and diplomatic ramifications of no longer recognizing the national boundaries of nations like Bahrain and Egypt?