September 5, 2008
Election 2008: Hillary Clinton in the news
Coverage: Eye on the White House
Livni may become first Israeli female leader since Meir
JERUSALEM - For the first time since Golda Meir more than three decades ago, a woman is within reach of becoming the prime minister of Israel, a nation dominated by macho military men and a religious establishment with strict views on the role of women.
PALIN PITCHES: VP hardball
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Capping a five-day rise from near-obscurity to the cusp of history, Sarah Palin accepted the Republican vice-presidential nomination last night with a wry but blistering attack on Barack Obama - while portraying herself as a no-nonsense PTA mom who will help John McCain put the "Washington elite" on the run.
Giuliani's spirited attack on Obama: 'He led nothing'
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Ridiculing Sen. Barack Obama, citing the Sept. 11 attacks anew and suggesting that freedom and safety depend on John McCain's election, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani stirred the convention hall as a buildup to Sarah Palin, the vice-presidential candidate, last night's main event.
Palin pick expected to boost Clinton's role for Obama
The naming of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate has boosted the importance of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's help to his Democratic opponent, campaign operatives say - but not for the reasons you might think.
McCain needs to take the reins at GOP podium
ST. PAUL, Minn. - When John McCain steps up to the podium tonight to accept the Republican nomination for president, he must make one thing clear: The "maverick" is back and it's his party now.
Obama focuses on women's issues in Ohio
NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio - Seeking to capitalize on the inroads he's made with Hillary Rodham Clinton Democrats, particularly women, Barack Obama yesterday held a small economics forum centered on women's issues in this swing state, signaling that his campaign isn't going to cede any ground or momentum to the Republican ticket.
James Klurfeld: Palin stunningly wrong choice by McCain
Sometimes you just have to say that the emperor has no clothes. That's the case with Sen. John McCain's reckless selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Palin is utterly unqualified for the job of vice president. Period.
Polls: Obama makes inroads with Clinton voters
CHICAGO - As Barack Obama prepares to resume campaigning today, polls show that he has made inroads with former Hillary Rodham Clinton backers and hit the 50 percent support mark among registered voters for the first time.
MORE IN ISLIP GOP WANT TO OUST TRUNZO AS LEADER
Paterson won't join party's disparaging of Sarah Palin
ISLIP GOP: More want Trunzo to yield reins
Key role for America's mayor
Rudy Giuliani, the fast-moving conventional wisdom now has it, is the wrong choice to deliver the keynote address at the Republican convention in St. Paul this week. The New York and Long Island native who's never been more than a mayor was debunked as a national figure, goes the thinking, by his poor performance in the GOP primaries, where he'd once been the favorite.
August surprise
Who? That had to be a common reaction to presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. He presented her in Ohio Friday as a maverick and a reformer. But Palin, 44, is also a neophyte on the national political stage, has no foreign policy experience and is a relative unknown outside her home state.
Analysis: Clinton does her part for Obama, party
DENVER - Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in the Mile High City last week viewed by many as the bitter also-ran, a lurking threat to steal Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's limelight and spoil his big week.
Dems rally for Obama at Ohio congresswoman's memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio - A memorial service for an Ohio congresswoman turned into a rallying cry for party unity and a strong show of support for Barack Obama yesterday, as the Clintons and Obama flanked the stage and took turns at the podium.
Ex-LI woman thrust into DNC spotlight
Former Long Island resident Janet Lynn Monaco said she simply pretended the more than 75,000 people at Denver's Invesco Field - and the millions more watching on nationwide TV - weren't there Thursday night when she delivered a short talk just before Barack Obama took the stage.
5 things McCain must do at convention
PITTSBURGH - John McCain has given people a reason to watch the Republican Convention this week - to find out just who is this hard-charging Alaskan governor that McCain made his historic choice as the first woman on a GOP presidential ticket.
Why Obama treads carefully on GOP's veep pick
PITTSBURGH - With one calculating ad and a surprising vice-presidential nomination, Republican John McCain is seeking to turn the tables on Democrat Barack Obama.
MILESTONES FOR WOMEN IN U.S. POLITICS
1848: First women's rights convention is held, in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
LI Republicans praise McCain's choice of Palin
Top Long Island Republicans praised John McCain's vice presidential choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Friday though some admitted they knew next to nothing about her.
Obama's reversal
MONACA, Pa. - Barack Obama's spokesman fired off a fast criticism of Republican John McCain's new running mate Friday, but the Democratic candidate himself quickly stepped in to offer her congratulations and praise.
For women voters, Palin's gender may be her only draw
DENVER - Hillary Clinton's supporters were clamoring just a week ago to see a woman added to a presidential ticket.
Palin brings excitement, but little experience, to ticket
DAYTON, Ohio - By unexpectedly choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate Friday, Republican John McCain appears to be gambling that the excitement and energy she brings to the ticket will outweigh her obscurity and inexperience.
DNC NOTES
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may have missed a chance to score bigger with New Yorkers who supported their senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Democratic Gov. David A. Paterson says Obama could have overcome disappointment in the New York delegation over Clinton's loss by stopping by to visit or sending a top surrogate. Paterson, who had supported New York Sen. Clinton, says it would have been wise for Obama to try to defuse hurt feelings among New York's Democrats. Paterson made the comments from Denver to Talk 1300 AM radio in Albany. Paterson says he doesn't think Obama made a mistake, but he may have missed an opportunity to win over New Yorkers more quickly.
Crowds awaited Obama with sense of history, excitement
DENVER - Hiawatha Foster, a North Carolina delegate to the Democratic National Convention, already had two flags in her hands ready to wave yesterday afternoon, and an American flag jacket she said she'd worn to other political events.
Obama is first African-American presidential nominee
DENVER - In a watershed moment that drew tears of amazement and joy on the convention floor, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama secured a place in history last night, becoming the first African-American presidential nominee of a major party.
Lawyer named as new Nassau County public administrator
A politically connected attorney has been selected as the new $134-000-a-year public administrator of Nassau County, a highly coveted position from which he can appoint lawyers to handle the estates of people who die without leaving a will.
DNC 2008: THE LI POLS
Question: "Coming from Hillary Rodham Clinton's home state, what goes through your mind as the first African-American major-party nominee moves ahead into his general- election run?"
Rudy, Republicans hammer at Obama's experience
DENVER - Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared a few miles from the convention hall where Barack Obama was to be nominated and cited past statements from Giuliani's twice would-be rival Hillary Rodham Clinton to make his case for Sen. John McCain.
Obama is first African-American presidential nominee
DENVER - In a watershed moment that drew tears of amazement and joy on the convention floor, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama secured a place in history last night, becoming the first African-American presidential nominee of a major party.
Five things Obama's speech needs to accomplish
1 Recognize the historical import of his nomination, with a nod to the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Obama is often reluctant to talk about his role as a pioneer but people will want to hear something from him about it tonight.
Bill Clinton gives Obama candidacy his blessing
DENVER - Bill Clinton bestowed a potent blessing on his would-be successor last night - telling a fervent convention crowd in blunt terms, "Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States."
ACROSS PARTY LINES: D'Amato, Biden are friends first
Alfonse D'Amato is one of John McCain's top surrogates in New York, but last night the former New York GOP senator was rooting for Joe Biden to give a rousing speech.
Obama faces a night full of history - and challenge
DENVER - So many Americans thought this moment would never come.
Clinton urges party unity, McCain's defeat
DENVER - Vowing "no way, no how, no McCain," Hillary Rodham Clinton urged divided Democrats last night to come together to elect her primary opponent, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.
Political conventions are just as fun on TV
I attended my first Democratic Convention in 1980 in New York City, and I went to every single other one for the next 24 years. Thanks to Newsday, I even attended two Republican conventions. And then, as I was about to depart for my 10th convention this weekend, something inside me said, "Don't go!"
THE REACTION: Pride, support and misty eyes
DENVER - Hillary Rodham Clinton's long-awaited and much-debated first appearance at the Democratic convention won a boisterous cheer from the crowd - and that was just the video.
Clinton supporters protest to honor her failed bid
DENVER - Shouting "Honest Roll Call!" and "Yes We Can!" several hundred of Hillary Rodham Clinton's most loyal supporters took to the streets of Denver yesterday to march in honor of her failed presidential bid.
Punchlines
David Letterman, "Late Show with David Letterman": "The theme of the Democratic convention is 'unity.' Unfortunately, they can't agree on how that works."
James Klurfeld: Hillary Clinton has her supporters' attention
The more I try to understand it, the more I'm baffled by the outright hostility of a segment of Sen. Hillary Clinton's supporters toward Sen. Barack Obama. Some say they are so angry at Obama for winning the Democratic nomination that they'll sit out the election this year or actually vote for Sen. John McCain. Some have vowed to disrupt the Democratic convention inside or outside.
Clinton urges party unity, McCain's defeat
Vowing "no way, no how, no McCain," Hillary Rodham Clinton urged divided Democrats last night to come together to elect her primary opponent, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.
EAST FARMINGDALE: Airport to get safety funding
Republic Airport will receive an additional $3.95 million for ongoing safety improvements, New York Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer announced yesterday.
DNC NOTES
Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, keynoting the Democratic National Convention, said last night that American voters "have one shot to get it right" by electing Barack Obama president to end Republican leadership that is stuck in the past. Warner rebuked President George W. Bush and GOP nominee-to-be John McCain, but his address was hardly a summons to political arms against them. He mentioned McCain's name only twice, and the entrepreneur said he'd learned in the cell phone business that made him millions that a strategy of tearing down the competition doesn't suffice. "I know we're at the Democratic convention, but if an idea works, it really doesn't matter if it has an R or a D next to it," Warner said. "Because this election isn't about liberal versus conservative. It's not about left versus right. It's about the future versus the past." And "in George Bush and John McCain's America, far too many" people don't know whether that future will hold what they need, said Warner, who argued that Obama will change that. - The Associated Press
DNC 2008: TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Obama's vice presidential pick, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, is the main speaker, but he'll have to share the spotlight with former President Bill Clinton. Pundits and commentators are watching to see if Clinton puts aside his issues with the Illinois senator and becomes an Obama loyalist.
DNC 2008: TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT
For supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic convention was to be her grand party. Tonight, Clinton faces the monumental task of delivering a speech that Obama hopes will persuade her supporters to back her formal rival.
What Hillary must accomplish in Tuesday's speech
DENVER - No speech this week - not even Barack Obama's - will be parsed and pulled apart, combed for sincerity or hesitation, more than Hillary Rodham Clinton's convention address tonight.
DNC NOTES
The FBI is looking into reports in Denver media outlets that a man under investigation for drug and weapons violations may have made threats against Barack Obama, officials said yesterday. "It's premature to say that it was a valid threat or that these folks have the ability to carry it out," said a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation. FBI spokeswoman Kathy Wright confirmed the FBI was investigating the reports but declined to elaborate.
Plan to limit roll call for president
DENVER - Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have worked out a convention-city deal to limit the divisive roll call for president, a step toward an uneasy alliance of former rivals and their still-bitter supporters.
DNC NOTES
Democrats adopted a platform yesterday that commits to Barack Obama's policy ideas, but also credits his primary rival Hillary Rodham Clinton with putting "18 million cracks in the highest glass ceiling." The phrasing refers to the 18 million votes Clinton got in the primary. The platform reasserts Obama's promise of health care for all, energy rebates to struggling families, pension subsidies, a crackdown on predatory lenders, higher taxes for families earning over $250,000, tax breaks for others, billions for economic stimulus and "direct high-level diplomacy, without preconditions," in the case of Iran.
THE BEST OF SPIN CYCLE
1:24 p.m. - At her Monday news conference at the DNC, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a few shots at the journalists fixated on any beef between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. When questioned about the reported tensions between the two camps, Pelosi told reporters:
Pelosi acknowledges that Democrats aren't united
DENVER - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged yesterday that Democrats are not yet united following the bitter primary fight that divided supporters of likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Frustration over Clinton voters' resistance to Obama
DENVER - As she greeted party colleagues and delegates from around the state and country yesterday, Hillary Rodham Clinton encountered rising anxiety and frustration here over the stubborn resistance of many of her primary-season voters to transfer their allegiance to Obama.
Obama still dealing with Clinton factor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Even as he made his way West to accept his party's nomination in Denver Thursday night, Barack Obama could not shake the Clintons.
Janison: Obama, McCain face same voter challenges
Fellow Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain may not be talking shop together these days, but they face a similar problem - partially involving the Clintons - as their presidential nominations approach.
Hillary Clinton dismisses McCain's 'Passed Over' ads
DENVER - Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to formally release her convention delegates to Barack Obama on Wednesday - hoping to ensure a show of party unity this week with concrete proof of her support for Obama's ticket.
TODAY'S PICKS
WORLD'S FUNNIEST COMMERCIALS 2008 (9 p.m., TBS) - Kevin Nealon and Susan Yeagley host this annual look at the wackiest spots from around the globe.
Hillary Clinton's impact on, future in Democratic party is great
You either love her or you hate her. That is the sentiment that wise men and women of political punditry wanted voters to believe about Sen. Hillary Clinton going in to the 2008 presidential cycle.
Clinton backers wish she was picked but praise Biden
For many Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters, hopes of a "Dream Ticket" - marrying Barack Obama's appeal to the young and educated with the New York senator's more working-class constituency - were dashed yesterday.
Hillary's speech at convention carries high stakes
The woman who almost won the Democratic presidential nomination will fly to Fresno, Calif., today, to urge farm workers to vote for the man who beat her. Then she'll fly to her party's convention in Denver, where she headlines an Emily's List unity luncheon Tuesday with her opponent's wife and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who have been anything but allies.
New Obama running mate Biden criticizes McCain
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - At a campaign rally here yesterday, Barack Obama's just-named running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, wasted no time filling his new role on the Democratic ticket - he tore into Republican John McCain, put himself at America's kitchen table and became a passionate cheerleader in chief for Barack Obama.
Obama hopes Biden can fill in the blanks
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama is hoping Joe Biden can be all the things he's not in this campaign.
Janison: Biden? To copy a phrase, Let's get ready to rumble
Oh, great, you might think. Barack Obama, the man who stood up for the power of words, went with a plagiarist.
No surprise in Obama's text message
In a polemic against government secrecy, the late Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan once said they can keep only one or two secrets at once in Washington - and then only for a short period of time. Maybe that was the lesson to be drawn for Sen. Barack Obama's political campaign from his just-ended drumroll over the vice presidency.
THE DELEGATES
Who are they? There are three basic types of delegates to the Democratic convention: pledged delegates, at-large delegates and superdelegates. The pledged delegates were elected during the primary election and the at-large delegates were selected this summer by Obama campaign officials. The pledged and at-large delegates consist primarily of low-level party activists and campaign volunteers. The superdelegates are elected officials - members of Congress, governors, national committee members - and senior officials within the state and national party.
ON THE TRAIL
The suspicious white powder found in a letter sent to a Colorado campaign office for John McCain is not anthrax or another lethal substance, officials determined Friday. The Colorado National Guard Civil Support Team completed its testing of the powder around 2 a.m. Friday, Guard spokesman Rick Breitenfeldt said. Officials do not know what the powder is, but they determined it was not lethal. Officials said the threatening letter was sent by an inmate at the Arapahoe Detention Center. Arapahoe County Sheriff's officials identified the suspected inmate as Marc Harold Ramsey, 39, incarcerated since September 2007 on investigation of felony menacing, harassment and second-degree assault on a police officer. Ramsey may face federal charges for Thursday's incident, which sent at least 19 people to hospitals for testing.
Clinton wasn't vetted for VP, her aides say
WASHINGTON - With Barack Obama set to break his silence on a running mate Saturday morning, Hillary Rodham Clinton's long-shot hopes dimmed further Friday - as Clinton aides signaled Obama never seriously vetted her for the job.
Obama says he has made his pick for running mate
CHICAGO - Barack Obama says he's decided on a running mate, but he won't say who.
James Klurfeld: Will political drama outstrip Olympics?
Like a lot of you, I've spent most of my evenings the past two weeks, late into the night, watching the summer Olympics from China.
Paterson, Schumer added to Dem's convention lineup
ALBANY - It took a while, but a few New Yorkers are now being added to the speakers' lineup at next week's Democratic convention - first Gov. David A. Paterson, and last night Sen. Charles Schumer.
They're baaaack
Remember Harry and Louise? They were that fictional couple last seen in mid-1990s television ads disp