2008 Election Game: Campaign Thread

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Senator Obama Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Speech

"America, our moment is now. Our moment is now. I don't want to spend the next year or the next four years re-fighting the same fights that we had in the 1990s. I don't want to pit Red America against Blue America, I want to be the President of the United States of America. And if those Republicans come at me with the same fear-mongering and swift-boating that they usually do, then I will take them head on. Because I believe the American people are tired of fear and tired of distractions and tired of diversions. We can make this election not about fear, but about the future. And that won't just be a Democratic victory; that will be an American victory. And that is a victory America needs right now. I am not in this race to fulfill some long-held ambitions or because I believe it's somehow owed to me. I never expected to be here, I always knew this journey was improbable. I've never been on a journey that wasn't. I am running in this race because of what Dr. King called "the fierce urgency of now." Because I believe that there's such a thing as being too late. And that hour is almost upon us. I don't want to wake up four years from now and find out that millions of Americans still lack health care because we couldn't take on the insurance industry. I don't want to see that the oceans have risen a few more inches. The planet has reached a point of no return because we couldn't find a way to stop buying oil from dictators. I don't want to see more American lives put at risk because no one had the judgment or the courage to stand up against a misguided war before we sent our troops into fight.
I don't want to see homeless veterans on the streets. I don't want to send another generation of American children to failing schools. I don't want that future for my daughters. I don't want that future for your sons. I do not want that future for America. I'm in this race for the same reason that I fought for jobs for the jobless and hope for the hopeless on the streets of Chicago; for the same reason I fought for justice and equality as a civil rights lawyer; for the same reason that I fought for Illinois families for over a decade. Because I will never forget that the only reason that I'm standing here today is because somebody, somewhere stood up for me when it was risky. Stood up when it was hard. Stood up when it wasn't popular. And because that somebody stood up, a few more stood up. And then a few thousand stood up. And then a few million stood up. And standing up, with courage and clear purpose, they somehow managed to change the world. That's why I'm running, Iowa -- to give our children and grandchildren the same chances somebody gave me. That's why I'm running, Democrats -- to keep the American Dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity, who still thirst for equality. That's why I'm asking you to stand with me, that's why I'm asking you to caucus for me, that's why I am asking you to stop settling for what the cynics say we have to accept. In this election -- in this moment -- let us reach for what we know is possible. A nation healed. A world repaired. An America that believes again. Thank you very much everybody."- Senator Barack Obama

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Ron Paul Schedule: December 10th-December 16th.

December 10th, 2007.
Rally in Des Moines, Iowa.

December 11th, 2007.
Rally in Anchorage, Alaska.
Meeting with Dick Randolph (seeking endorsement).

December 12th, 2007.
Resting.

December 13th, 2007.
Resting.

December 14th, 2007.
Rally in Ames, Iowa.

December 15th, 2007.
Rally in Waterloo, Iowa.

December 16th, 2007.
Rally in Galveston, Texas.

[tmthforu94]

Michael Bloomberg Campaign Schedule: December 10th-16th

December 10th: Mayoral Duties in New York City
December 11th: Mayoral Duties in New York City
December 12th: Mayoral Duties in New York City
December 13th: Mayoral Duties in New York City; Fundraising in New York City
December 14th: Meeting with top advisers at campaign headquarters.
December 15th: Fundraising in Los Angelas, California
December 16th: Resting

At Press Conference in New York City...
Reporter: Mayor Bloomberg, former Speaker Gingrich suggested earlier that as a former Republican, you should have ran in the GOP primary. He also charged, and I quote, "third party challenges might damage our stance in November". What are your thoughts on that statement?
Bloomberg: Well, who is "our"? I'm not running as a part of either party for a reason - they are what has caused much of the mess in D.C. right now. I'm not a Independent Republican, nor am I an Independent Democrat. I'm an American only, that's what I'm running as, and I don't think I'm hurting the American people's chances in November by running.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Senator Barack Obama Schedule for Week of December 10th

12/10/2007
-Flight to New York
-Appearance on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart
-Meeting with Mario Cuomo (seeking endorsement)
-Fundraiser
-Fundraiser

12/11/2007
-Flight to Iowa
-Rally in Iowa
-Rally in Iowa
-Meeting with Tom Harkin
-Meet and Greet in Iowa
-Town Hall in Iowa

12/12/2007
-Rally in Iowa
-Meet and Greet in Iowa
-Town Hall in Iowa
-Rally in Iowa
-Town Hall in Iowa
-Rally in Iowa

"A Senator who flip-flops on important issues to gain political support is not the Change We Need. We need a nominee with consistency. We need a nominee who'll stand up for what we believe in, not just as Democrats; but as Americans. We need a nominee, who represents the new majority. A majority that will bring us the Change that We all Can Believe In."- Senator Obama

12/13/2007
-Flight to Nevada
-Rally in Nevada
-Rally in Nevada
-Rally in Nevada
-Town Hall in Nevada

12/14/2007
-Rally in Nevada
-Town Hall in Nevada
-Fundraiser
-Fundraiser
-Meet and Greet in Nevada
-Rally in Nevada

12/15/2007
-Flight to Michigan
-Rally in Michigan
-Town Hall in Michigan
-Rally in Michigan
-Rally in Michigan

12/16/2007
-Flight to Iowa
-Appearance on Fox News Sunday w/ Chris Wallace
-Rally in Iowa
-Rally in Iowa
-Rally in Iowa

[Maxwell]

Hagel Campaign Statement on the Entrance of Mayor Bloomberg

"At the Hagel campaign, we believe that America only gets better when issues are discussed by more than two parties, so we'd like to congratulate Mayor Bloomberg on his decision to enter the race, and hope that we get the most out of a more broad and interesting discussion on the issues. Therefore, should we lead and make Chuck Hagel the nominee, we would ignore the 15% rule of debates, should he not get there, and allow Mayor Bloomberg to join the two parties in a discussion of serious issues. As stated, it only improves our democracy and makes it more fair. We wish Bloomberg the best of luck."

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Obama Campaign Statement

"Senator Obama would also like to welcome Mayor Bloomberg into the race. An infusion of different and pragmatist ideas is what made and continues to make our Democracy great. The Senator would also like to second Senator Hagel's idea of waving the "15% Rule" in the debates and allow Mayor Bloomberg to participate in the Presidential Debates along with the Republican Nominee and hopefully Senator Obama, the Democratic Nominee."- Robert Gibbs, the Obama Campaign

[Kitteh]

Winfrey Campaign Statement

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[JerryArkansas]

Statement from Lincoln Campaign

Like some of my rivals in this campaign, I would like the debate commission to lower the requirement of participation in debate to reasonable number of like 8 or 7 %.  It would allow the american people to make a informed choice.

[tmthforu94]

Statement From the Bloomberg Campaign

We are pleased to announced that Bradley Tusk will be serving as our campaign manager. Mr. Tusk has an extensive record in running campaigns, most notably for his success as campaign manager for Mayor Bloomberg's 2009 re-election campaign. We have full faith in Mr. Tusk to develop a winning campaign strategy for Mayor Bloomberg.

Bradley Tusk, Campaign Manager for Bloomberg for America

We are also pleased to announce that the talented Elizabeth Archuleta will be serving as the campaign spokesperson!

Elizabeth Archuleta will be serving as the campaign spokesperson.

Our campaign would also like to thank Mr. Hagel, Mr. Obama, Mrs. Lincoln, and Mrs. Winfrey on their calls to lower the threshold to enter the debates. Hopefully we won't have to worry about that, though, as we'll be well over that number when debate season begins!

[Incipimus iterum]

Matheson Campaign Statement on Bloomberg's Entry
Congressman Matheson welcomes Mayor Bloomberg's entry into the race and, would also like to waive the 15% rule

[Knives]

December 10 - 14, 2007

Barnstorming from

Polk County - Dallas County - Boone County - Green County - Guthrie County - Taylor County - Ringgold County - Union County - Lucas County - Monroe County - Wapello County - Jefferson County - Washington County - Johnson County - Cedar County - Clinton County - Scott County - Linn County. (IOWA)

December 15, 2007

Rest

December 16, 2007

- Barnstorming in Manchester, NH
- Rally at John F. Kennedy Memorial Coliseum in Manchester, NH

'America it is time for change, it is time for you to elect the right president - it took one Clinton to clean up after the last Bush and it's going to take another Clinton to clean up after this BUSH! VOTE FOR HILLARY CLINTON!'

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Governor Dean's Campaign Schedule, December 10th to December 16th



"You know, Senator Clinton said that because Bill Clinton was president after George Bush Sr., she's basically entitled to be president after the current Bush! *crowd boos* What Senator Clinton thinks is that we should select our nominees from political families. I disagree. A last name doesn't entitle you to the White House. The next president should be ready for the job on Day 1, no matter what their family background may be."

December 10th:

-Fundraiser in Buffalo, New York
-Fundraiser in Burlington, Vermont

December 11th:

-Meet & Greet in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
-Town Hall in Berlin, New Hampshire
-Meet & Greet in Dartmouth, New Hampshire

December 12th:

-Fundraiser in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
-Town Hall in Columbia, South Carolina

December 13th:

-Rally in Madison, Wisconsin
-Meet and Greet in Davenport, Iowa
-Rally in Dubuque, Iowa

December 14th:

-Meet and Greet in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
-Rally in Waterloo, Iowa
-Town Hall in Des Moines, Iowa

December 15th:

-Rally in Iowa City, Iowa
-Fundraiser in Cairo, Illinois

December 16th:

-Town Hall in Claremont, New Hampshire
-Town Hall in Concord, New Hampshire
-Meet and Greet in Rochester, New Hampshire

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Statement from the Dean Campaign

"Howard Dean welcome the entrance of Mayor Michael Bloomberg into the race as an independent. Having worked with the Vermont Progressive Party as Governor, Dean recognizes the importance of all voices being heard; not just those of the two parties."

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Ron Paul statement on Mike Bloomberg.
I welcome any chance for the two party system to be cracked open, and wish Mr. Bloomberg well in his endeavors. I hope the debates are opened up for all candidates, which does not just include Mr. Bloomberg, but also the Libertarians, Greens, and Constitutionalists.

[Knives]

'I actually don't understand Governor Dean's recent attack in me, I was merely pointing out the fact that my husband was able to clean up after on Bush and there's a chance I, another Clinton will have to clean up after this Bush. I'm really perplexed by some of the outlandish claims many candidates have made this campaign' - Senator Clinton

[Incipimus iterum]

OOC:who's left to post their schedule ?

[Donerail]

Mike Gravel Campaign Schedule

Dec 10
Rally in Des Moines, Iowa
Meet & greet in Newton, Iowa
Meet & greet in Pella, Iowa
Townhall in West Des Moines, Iowa

Dec 11
Rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Meet & greet in Iowa City, Iowa
Townhall in Davenport, Iowa

Dec 12
Meet & greet in Keene, NH
Rally in Claremont, NH alongside Gov. Lynch
Townhall in Lebanon, NH

Dec 13
Rally in Berlin, NH with Rep. Hodes
Meet & greet in Laconia, NH
Fundraiser in Concord, NH with Legislator Joel Winters

Dec 14
DC FUNDRAISER TIME! - Fundraising all day in DC.
Special guest stars: DNC Press Secretary Terry Michael, Rep. Arcuri (D-NY), Rep. Hodes (D-NH), Sen. Feingold (D-WI), Rep. Penny (D-MN), Rep. Kucinich (D-OH), Sen. Tester (D-MT), Rep. Thompson (D-CA), Sen. Webb (D-VA), Rep. Hinojosa (D-TX), and Rep. Butterfield (D-NC).

Dec 15
Continue previous fundraising day. Hit various groups: Democratic Freedom Caucus and National Stonewall Democrats, as well as the Gun Owners of America and NRA. Hell, see what Heritage/Cato have to offer. This will also include a meeting with representatives of the 5-11 Campaign, who Sen. Gravel enthusiastically supports.

Dec 16
Rest

Statement on Bloomberg

I welcomes Mayor Bloomberg's entry into the Presidential race. Although I don't agree with him on some issues, I welcome offering the American people more than two options. For that reason, I would support waiving (or repealing) the 15% threshold in exchange for the requirement of being on enough ballots to acquire sufficient electoral votes to win. That threshold would strike the perfect balance, allowing in more than just two views but keeping the debates to a reasonable few people. I believe in 2004, for instance, it would have meant we'd have seen the Greens, Constitutionalists, Libertarians, and Ralph Nader on the debate stage, opening up a wider audience for more viewpoints to be articulated and thus stimulate our democracy.

Endorsements

Just a reminder of those who have endorsed Sen. Gravel (but weren't at the most recent fundraising events in DC): Gov. Baldacci (D-ME), Gov. Lynch (D-NH), Gov. Kitzhaber (D-OR), and former Gov. Brown (D-CA)

Hires

Decided to announce who's staffing/chairing/etc-ing the campaign. All of these individuals have some sort of political experience and were Mike's 1st choices for these positions. None of them are currently-serving Congressmen or Governors so as to allow these individuals to devote their full time to campaigning.
Spokesman: Terry Michael
Official Comedian: Denis Leary
Northeast Chair: Mr. Ned Lamont (D-CT)
New Hampshire Chairmen: Legislators Steve Vaillancourt (R/L/D-NH) and Joel Winters (D-NH)
Great Lakes Co-Chair: Councilman Andy LeCureaux (D-MI)
Great Lakes Co-Chair: Mr. Ben Masel (D-WI)
Great Lakes Co-Chair: Lieutenant Colonel Paul Hackett (D-OH)
Great Plains Co-Chair: Councilman Mike Bozarth (D-MO)
Great Plains Co-Chair: State Senator Tracy Potter (D-ND)
Pacific Co-Chair: Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark (D-WA)
Pacific Co-Chair: Mayor Art Olivier (L-CA)
Mountain West Co-Chair: Mr. Walt Minnick (D-ID)
Mountain West Co-Chair: Mr. Gary Trauner (D-WY)
Mountain West Co-Chair: Mr. Larry Grant (D-ID)
Mountain West Co-Chair: Mr. Bruce Reed (D-ID)
Mountain West Co-Chair: Mr. David Nelson (D-UT)
Mountain West Co-Chair: Mr. Randy Carpenter (I-ID)
Mountain West Co-Chair: State Senator Bob Hagedorn (D-CO)

Press Conference

Reporter #1: Senator, if you weren't running for the nomination, who would you vote for in the primary?
Gravel: Hmm... Although I would seriously consider voting for Gov. Richardson, I would probably end up voting for Gov. Dean; with Gov. Richardson having dropped out, that decision is made easier. So if I weren't running, I would vote for Gov. Dean.
Reporter #2: Bouncing off of the previous reporter's question, Senator, which of the current GOP candidates do you think would make the best President?
Gravel: Now there's a decision on which I'm even more torn. Rep. Paul served in Congress when I did, and I knew him as a man of consistency. Whether he's consistently right or consistently wrong is another question, but he stuck to his principles regardless of whoever's in the White House, and I find that admirable. I really find it admirable when somebody is willing to go against the leaders of their party, and I also believe that Sen. Hagel has showed that resolve, and I respect him very much as well. So overall, it'd be a tossup for my vote between Rep. Paul and Sen. Hagel.
Reporter #3: Who else do you find admirable on the other side of the aisle?
Gravel: Another interesting question. Thinking of those who currently represent the Republican Party in the Senate, I'd say that Sen. Smith's support for a timeline of withdrawal from Iraq, speaking out against the war, and his support for more legal protections for gays and lesbians is certainly something I admire. Sen Snowe also supports gay rights and has been a voice for moderation in her party, and both of those individuals are Republicans who I could certainly work with to help make America better.
Reporter #4: Which politicians do you believe best symbolize the future of the Democratic Party?
Gravel: That's an interesting question, not one I've thought of much, to be honest, but if I had to say, I'd guess Gov. Schweitzer and Gov. Freudenthal. They've been able to win over states that Bush won by pretty wide margins by emphasizing a message of relative balance, combining our message of personal liberty with a sort of fiscal responsibility, while also extending that message of liberty into spheres today's Democrats should really be standing for. The message of keep the government out of the bedroom complements the idea that government should keep their hands off our guns; the idea that we shouldn't be fighting foreign wars for oil goes pretty well with the idea that we should try to develop our domestic supplies of energy. They're consistent individuals, and are probably the future of the Democratic Party.
Reporter #5: Who are some academics you admire?
Gravel: Picking a few, I'll say Arnold Kling, Camille Paglia, Mason Gaffney, and Noam Chomsky. All of them have radically different ideas from each other, but all put out very interesting work.

[Kitteh]

Winfrey Campaign Schedule 11th-16th


December 10
Rest in Miami, FL

December 11
Rest in Miami, FL

December 12
Rally in Savannah, GA
Town Hall in Beaufort, SC
Fundraiser on Hilton Head Island, SC

December 13
Rally in Noth Charleston, SC
Town Hall in Mondricks Corner, SC
Rally in Georgetown, SC

December 14
Fundraiser in Stamford, CT
Town Hall at UMASS Amherst

December 15
Rally in Nashua, NH
Town Hall in Rochester, NH
Town Hall in Milton, NH

December 16
Town Hall in Seabrook, NH
Dinner for big donors in Martha's Vinyard, MA

[Donerail]

Mike Gravel Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal

Fairness. Freedom. Justice. Morality. Opportunity. Peace. All goals of our Founding Fathers and concepts central to the character of most Americans. Our Founders envisioned the People and their political leaders working together to nurture these goals and to shape these concepts from generation to generation. Unfortunately, early on, in a compromise to perpetuate the evil institution of slavery in the Constitution, the People lost their power to amend the Constitution and make laws. The compromisers knew the People would not ratify a Constitution that legalized slavery and would outlaw it if they had lawmaking powers. The results of this moral compromise brought about the primacy of representative government and its monopoly on lawmaking power.

History teaches us that nations fail when leaders fail their people. The decision to invade Iraq without provocation and fraudulently sold to the American people, by a President consumed with messianic purpose, sadly confirms this lesson of history. The Democrats controlled the Senate on October 11, 2002 and provided political cover for George Bush to invade Iraq. The Senate leadership could have refused to even take up the resolution, or a few Senators who opposed it could have mounted a filibuster.

But the fear of opposing a popular warrior President on the eve of a mid-term election prevailed. Political calculations trumped morality, and the Middle East was set ablaze. The Democrats lost in the election anyway, but the American people lost even more. It was Politics as Usual. Given the extreme importance of any decision to go to war, and I am anguished to say this, it’s my opinion that anyone who voted for the war on October 11––based on what President Bush represented––is not qualified to hold the office of President. Political leaders must bring two qualities to any public office: political integrity and moral judgment. If political calculations trump morality and occasion substantial loss of human life, it reveals the sense of moral responsibility these candidates are likely to bring to the office of President.

Saying “I would not have voted for the resolution if I had known the mess it would create”––or worse, saying “the decision was right but Bush botched the job”––is inadequate rationale for a person who may hold the most powerful political position in the world. Presidents have moral responsibility for the life and death of millions of people. Politics as Usual is not acceptable for the presidency.

I feel I am entitled to raise this issue because when I served in the Senate, during the Vietnam War, I spoke truth to power. I officially released the Pentagon Papers, and as a result, Richard Nixon sued me all the way to the Supreme Court. I successfully filibustered to force an end to the military draft. I filibustered alone and with others to end the appropriations for the Vietnam War. Those are my credentials. I’ve been there and know how hard it is to oppose the majority of your peers. I ask that you hold other presidential candidates to the same standard. Political leaders who had the opportunity and the power to stop the Iraq war before it could get started and did nothing––allowed it to happen. America's current political leadership must not continue to avoid the obvious: Our presence in Iraq exacerbates the problem. Eighty percent of Iraqis want American troops to leave their country, and 70% of Iraqis think it’s OK to kill American soldiers. We made a grave mistake. We should have the courage to admit it. We must bring our troops home now––not 6 months from now, not a year from now––NOW! One more American death for “our vital interest” is not worth it. We all know “vital interest” is code for “oil.” If we don’t bring our soldiers home now, what do we tell the families of those killed and maimed between now and some future arbitrary date? The sooner we get our military out of Iraq, the sooner we can turn to the international community to help with a diplomatic solution to bring an end to the sectarian civil war we caused.

The Democrats in control of Congress need to act resolutely––and I’m not talking about some mealy-mouthed, nonbinding resolutions. Under the Constitution, the Congress is the only body that can declare war. Implicit in that power is the ability to end a war and make peace. Even a Commander-in-Chief executing a war is subservient to the Congress’s war powers. The Founding Fathers specifically created this constitutional check on executive authority and it was re-affirmed by the War Powers Act of 1973. Congress is the only hope we have, between now and January 20, 2009, to halt our continued involvement in the carnage and death George Bush has unleashed.

Our nation is in crisis. This crisis is greater than most people realize, and in some ways more significant than terrorism and the Iraq war. We have become a nation ruled by fear. Since the end of the Second World War, various political leaders have fostered fear in the American people––fear of Communism, fear of terrorism, fear of immigrants, fear of people based on race and religion, fear of gays and lesbians in love who just want to get married, and fear of people who are somehow different. It is fear that allows political leaders to manipulate us all and distort our national priorities. Fear has allowed our political leaders to spend more on military armaments than is spent collectively by all the other nations in the world. Who are we afraid of? Are we that paranoid?

Despite the trillions of dollars we spent on defense, the Bush Pentagon sent our soldiers into harms way in Iraq without the proper body armor and with insufficiently armored Humvees. And worse, the Bush Administration plays games with the problems of our veterans, in effect waging a budget war against the only Americans who made any sacrifices in George Bush’s oil war. Shame on you, George Bush, for letting the profits of arms contractors trump the needs of our veterans. President Eisenhower, upon leaving office, warned of the dangers to democracy posed by a military-industrial complex. Since his warning, we have seen a rise in the culture of militarism. His concern that our foreign policy might be dictated by the financial interests “of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry” has been fully realized. We should remember a lesson of the First World War: the presence of excessive weaponry in the hands of nation-states by itself is sufficient to induce war.

The decision to wage preemptive war in Iraq raises the specter of a much deeper problem facing the global community––nuclear proliferation. On this issue, we should first look at ourselves. The U.S. has more deliverable nuclear devices than the rest of the world combined. Just one Trident nuclear submarine can hold the entire world hostage. Yet we continue to build more nuclear devices. Who in the world are we prepared to nuke? We started an arms race in space a decade ago, without provocation. Now the Bush Administration is pressuring Eastern European countries to let us station anti-ballistic missiles on their soil. Most Americans are unaware that the Bush administration, under the cover of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been aggressively initiating a new arms race with Russia and China, whose defense budgets are a small fraction of our own. Our political leadership, controlled by military industrialists, insists on pursuing a Cold War strategy in a post-Cold War era.
American political leaders often boast of American exceptionalism, as you head from this dais. We are indeed a great nation, one that has made significant contributions to humanity. But our leaders are promoting delusional thinking when boasting that the United States and Americans are superior to the rest of the human race. We are no better and no worse.

Unfortunately, the United States is not number one with what counts. There are only two industrialized nations in the world that do not provide health care for all their citizens: the United States and South Africa. Despite spending more per capita on health care than any other nation in the world, we rank 37th for overall health performance. The United States ranks 49th in literacy. Time magazine reported last spring that 30% of our students don’t graduate from high school, condemning them to a diminished economic existence. Of the Global Fortune 500 companies, only 50 are American. Wall Street and many corporate executives are awash in huge salaries and bonuses, yet the average American worker’s compensation grew only .1% in the last decade.
China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan hold 40% of our government debt. Any one of these countries could throw the U.S. into an economic tailspin.

America’s political leadership is in denial as to the gravity and scope of our problems, viewing them almost exclusively from a national perspective. In fact, the major problems we face are all global in nature––energy, the environment, terrorism, drugs, war, immigration, disease, economic and cultural globalization. These problems require global solutions that can only be addressed by concerted diplomacy and cooperation, not jingoism about America’s Super Power superiority.

Our political leadership must begin to tell the Americans the truth. So I’ll start right now. Here are some of the areas where the United States is No 1.

• We are number one in the production of weapons.
• We are number one in consumer spending.
• We are number one in government, commercial and personal debt.
• We are number one in the number of people we have in prison.
• We are number one in energy consumption.
• We are number one in the environmental pollution we produce.

Our Democratic Congressional leadership is attempting to address some of these problems, but there are serious limitations to the ability of even well-intentioned political leaders, in part because of the limitations inherent in representative government, and in part because of human nature. Some skeptics might say that twisting truth for political ends is just Politics as Usual––and that Politics as Usual is in the nature of representative government. They accept as benign a system with 30,000 Washington lobbyists bundling campaign contributions for the election of politicians who then support and vote for the interests of the lobbyists’ clients.

But the system is not benign. In this campaign you will hear from many who would be President. Judge us not on how much money we raise from those who buy influence. Rather judge us on what we have done. And judge us on the solutions we offer.

Thank you.[/list]

[Spamage]

I will begin the next turn this evening, if you haven't posted nows the time to do so.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Let me just catch up to where you guys are:

Senator John McCain's Campaign Schedule

December 5, 2007
-Town hall in Le Mars, Iowa
-Meet & greet in Remsen, Iowa
-Rally in Bronson, Iowa
-Town hall in Danbury, Iowa

Decmeber 6, 2007
-Town hall in Holstein, Iowa
-Town hall/meet & greet in Auburn, Iowa
-Barnstormer in Maple River, Iowa
-Town hall in Wheatland, Iowa

December 7, 2007
-Rally in St. Stephen, South Carolina
-Townhall in Jamestown, South Carolina
-Fundraiser in North Charleston, South Carolina
-Townhall in Reevesville, South Carolina

December 8, 2007
-Meet & greet in Summerville, South Carolina
-Town hall in Cottageville, South Carolina
-Rally in Bamberg, South Carolina
-Town hall in Denmark, South Carolina

December 9, 2007
-Breakfast with Senator John Ensign
-Rally in Hawthorne, Nevada
-Town hall in Dayton, Nevada
-Town hall in Eastgate, Nevada
-Rally in Nevada City, Nevada

December 10, 2007
-Town hall in Peterborough, New Hampshire
-Town hall in Pelham, New Hampshire
-Town hall in Bradford, New Hampshire
-Meet & greet in Dunbarton, New Hampshire

December 11, 2007
-Town hall in Iowa Falls, Iowa
-Town hall in New Providence, Iowa
-Barnstormer in Marshalltown, Iowa
-Town hall in Colfax, Iowa

December 12, 2007
-Town hall in Richland, Iowa
-Town hall in Gibson, Iowa
-Rally in Fremont, Iowa
-Meet & greet in Swan, Iowa

December 13, 2007
-Town hall in Knoxville, Iowa
-Fundraiser in West Des Moines, Iowa
-Town hall in Winterset, Iowa
-Barnstormer in Dawson, Iowa

December 14, 2007
-Fundraiser in Gillette, Wyoming
-Rally in Sheridan, Wyoming
-Town hall in Basin, Wyoming
-Town hall in Deaver, Wyoming

December 15, 2007
-Rally in Burlington, Iowa
-Town hall in Wapello, Iowa
-Rally/meet & greet in Walcott, Iowa
-Town hall in Stockton, Iowa

December 16, 2007
-Town hall in Bristol, Florida
-Rally at Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
-Town hall in St. Marks, Florida
-Town hall in Monticello, Florida

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Statement from the McCain Campaign

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Spamage]

Dec. 17-23 starts now-

Democratic Primary Polling-

Iowa:
Obama 35%
Clinton 29%
-------------- Delegate Threshold
Lincoln 11%
Dean 8%
Gravel 5%
Matheson 5%

New Hampshire:
Clinton 35%
Winfrey 25%
Dean 25%
-------------- Delegate Threshold
Gravel 5%
Matheson 4%
Lincoln 1%

Michigan:
Obama 30%
Clinton 30%
--------------- Delegate Threshold
Dean 8%
Lincoln 7%
Gravel 4%
Matheson 3%


Republican Primary Polling-

Iowa:
Hagel 21%
McCain 21%
Paul 20%
Gingrich 20%

Wyoming:
McCain 38%
Paul 20%
Hagel 17%
Gingrich 7%

New Hampshire:

McCain 41%
Paul 13%
Gingrich 7%
Hagel 5%

General Election Polling-

General Election Matchups
-+-2% MOE

Clinton 52%
Hagel 44%
Bloomberg 2%

Clinton 49%
McCain 44%
Bloomberg 5%

Clinton 48%
Paul 40%
Bloomberg 7%

Clinton 47%
Gingrich 41%
Bloomberg 9%

Obama 44%
Hagel  40%
Bloomberg 3%

Obama 44%
McCain 42%
Bloomberg 5%

Obama 45%
Paul 43%
Bloomberg 4%

Obama 47%
Gingrich 40%
Bloomberg 6%

Winfrey 49%
Hagel 42%
Bloomberg 5%

Winfrey 48%
McCain 44%
Bloomberg 6%

Winfrey 49%
Paul 42%
Bloomberg 6%

Winfrey 51%
Gingrich 39%
Bloomberg 8%

Hagel 42%
Lincoln 42%
Bloomberg 5%

Lincoln 45%
Paul 43%
Bloomberg 5%

Lincoln 46%
Gingrich 38%
Bloomberg 8%

McCain 47%
Lincoln 44%
Bloomberg 5%

Paul 42%
Matheson 40%
Bloomberg 9%

Hagel 45%
Matheson 45%
Bloomberg 7%

Matheson 42%
Gingrich 41%
Bloomberg 10%

Dean 44%
Paul 39%
Bloomberg 10%

Dean 45%
Hagel 43%
Bloomberg 6%

Dean 47%
Gingrich 44%
Bloomberg 4%

Dean 42%
McCain 42%
Bloomberg 4%

Paul 39%
Gravel 39%
Bloomberg 14%

Hagel 43%
Gravel 38%
Bloomberg 7%

McCain 46%
Gravel 36%
Bloomberg 7%

Gingrich 45%
Gravel 39%
Bloomberg 5%


Rolled News Stories-

*- Notice, this will be the last week of news stories as the next week involves Christmas and the ones after that contain primaries which will require more effort.

Bill Makes Trail Gaffe, Calls other candidates ridiculously terrible-

Bill Clinton made a gaffe in Iowa today by calling all of the Democratic Candidates "completely incompetent and ridiculously terrible" this comes just weeks after Clinton and the other candidates sparred frequently over many issues but mainly Iraq and Same Sex Marriage.

Poll shows a lot of voters doubt Gravel's seriousness-

"Gravel has los ground today after many pundits and voters stated that he was running a joke campaign and wasn't serious about winning the election. The campaign hasn't issued a response yet but one is expected.

[JerryArkansas]

Blanche Lincoln Schedule for Dec. 17-23

Dec 17-Dec 20
-Continie bus tour of South Carolina

Dec 21
-Fly to iowa
-Barnstorm state

Dec 22
-Barnstorm iowa

Dec 23
-Barnstorm iowa
-In speech,

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Donerail]

Gravel Statement on Seriousness

This campaign has always been serious. I've never had any doubts that this campaign is a serious campaign intended at winning the White House. I will acknowledge that this campaign hasn't been single-mindedly, dogmatically focused on winning the election; outreach, spreading the message of liberty is a main theme of the campaign, and is the lasting impact I hope my campaign has, regardless of the election results. But this campaign isn't a joke. Liberty is serious, and this campaign has always been about liberty, spreading the message of liberty, and there isn't a better way to spread that message than winning the White House. I know what the polling says, that I'd be behind initially in the matchups, but anything can happen. This campaign has never been a flashy, big-money type of campaign, but with the might of the entire Democratic Party behind me, those numbers would change and change fast.