05/16/2008

Trail Mix

Elections '08

McCain predicts Iraq victory by 2013
WASHINGTON – Republican John McCain predicted Thursday that if he's elected president, U.S. troops in Iraq would return home in victory by the end of his first term.

05/15/2008

Lawmakers can keep ties to stocks secret
The law is full of exceptions, and when it comes to conflicts of interest involving personal investments, Congress found a big one: It didn't write a law. While Congress prescribed a strict conflict-of-interest law for the judiciary, it didn't apply the same test to lawmakers.That's allowed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to oppose bills that would hurt Irving-based Exxon, in which Ms. Hutchison owns stock valued between $100,000 and $250,000.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn: California gay marriage decision will spark push for national ban
Sen. Cornyn noted that during congressional debates on the issue several years ago, one argument used by opponents of a constitutional ban was that few states allowed such arrangements, making the drastic step premature.

Stumping in Michigan, Obama looks beyond primaries
WARREN, Mich. – Sen. Barack Obama could have wrapped up the Democratic nomination long ago if he'd figured out how to win over blue-collar whites. On Wednesday, he came to the heart of Reagan Democrat turf, the Detroit suburbs that churn out cars and presidents, to start making inroads.

Quick Take: Hillary Clinton's listing ship takes on more water with Edwards' endorsement of Barack Obama
Mrs. Clinton's fire is being doused, and now even the most ardent Hillary supporter knows the tide has turned.

Hillary Rodham Clinton vows to stay in race until primaries are over
NEW YORK – Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed to remain in the presidential race until the last primaries next month but hinted that the protracted contest with rival Barack Obama would end shortly thereafter.

05/13/2008

Clinton vows 'to carry on' after easy West Virginia primary win
Hillary Rodham Clinton coasted to a large but largely symbolic victory in working-class West Virginia on Tuesday, handing Barack Obama one of his worst defeats of the campaign yet scarcely slowing his march toward the Democratic presidential nomination.
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05/14/2008

Trail mix: Election briefs
San Antonio televangelist John Hagee, whose anti-Catholic remarks created a stir when John McCain received his endorsement with fanfare, has issued a letter expressing regret for "any comments that Catholics have found hurtful."

05/13/2008

Obama puts spotlight on patriotism
Wearing a flag lapel pin, Barack Obama emphasized his patriotism and support for a strong and humane military Monday, while Hillary Rodham Clinton implored West Virginians to sustain her hopes and implied that the Democrats could lose in November if her rival wins the nomination.

05/12/2008

Bob Barr announces Libertarian White House bid
Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr has announced that he's running for president as a Libertarian. His candidacy would be a wild card in the White House race and many believe it would hurt Republican Sen. John McCain.

Group seeks ticket featuring both Clinton and Obama
A group called VoteBoth has been leading the charge for Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama to team up on the Democratic ticket.

05/11/2008

Obama outlines plans for race against McCain
Barack Obama began sketching the outlines of his expected presidential contest against Republican John McCain on Saturday, saying the fall election will be more about specific plans and priorities than about questions of political ideology or who is more patriotic.

Clinton goes from inevitable nominee to on the ropes
Hillary Rodham Clinton began her presidential quest armed with talent, tenacity, fame, money, connections and a team that knew how to win.

05/10/2008

Clinton continues to fight as superdelegates flock to Obama
Barack Obama caught up to his rival Friday in the scramble for superdelegates, a major symbolic blow to Hillary Rodham Clinton's claim that she can still win the Democratic presidential nomination. But the 13 Texans already in her camp held firm.

Trail mix: Election briefs
Latino advocacy groups sued the Texas Democratic Party on Friday, contending that the complicated primary and caucus system used to allocate delegates unfairly diluted Latino votes.

05/08/2008

Elections '08

With Obama edging closer, prominent Texas Democrats say it's time to unite party
Several prominent Texas supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama agreed Wednesday that the race for the Democratic nomination is over and that the unification of the party needs to begin at once.

With her options dwindling, Clinton campaigns on
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – After getting trounced in North Carolina and barely eking out a win in Indiana, Hillary Rodham Clinton has precious few options. She says she won't quit, so that leaves fighting, playing nice and hoping for a miracle.

05/07/2008

Texas Democrats call for party unity
Several prominent Texas supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama agreed Wednesday that the race for the Democratic nomination is over and that the unification of the party needs to begin at once.

Hillary Clinton perseveres as options shrink
After getting trounced in North Carolina and barely eking out a win in Indiana, Hillary Rodham Clinton has precious few options. She says she won't quit, so that leaves fighting, playing nice and hoping for a miracle.

Highlights of voter survey
Highlights of a survey of Democratic primary voters by The Associated Press and TV networks:

05/06/2008

Obama wins big in North Carolina, nearly ties Clinton in Indiana

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Both Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have predicted they'll still be campaigning in June.

Barack Obama swept to victory in the North Carolina primary and fought nearly to a tie in Indiana, putting him closer than ever to claiming the Democratic nomination.
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Clinton, Obama duke it out for today's primary; both vow to continue nomination quest
Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama waged a last-ditch push for votes in Indiana and North Carolina on Monday even as both vowed to keep campaigning through the month regardless of today's primary results.

Trail mix: Election briefs
Republican John McCain on Monday dismissed Democratic rival Barack Obama as having zero national security experience.

Delegate count

05/04/2008

As Democratic primaries wind down, clear nominee elusive

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It's not likely that either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton will clinch the Democratic nomination before the party's national convention.

Barring some unforeseen stumble, the Democratic showdowns Tuesday in Indiana and North Carolina won't settle the nomination. The last half-dozen primaries won't either.
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05/05/2008

Trail mix: Election briefs
Barack Obama on Sunday likened Hillary Rodham Clinton to President Bush for threatening to "totally obliterate" Iran if it attacks Israel.

05/04/2008

Democrats charge toward Indiana and North Carolina finish lines
Barack Obama scolded Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday for saying that the United States would "totally obliterate" Iran if it attacks Israel, and likened her to President Bush.

Obama wins close race in Guam
Barack Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton by seven votes in the Guam Democratic presidential caucuses Saturday. The count of more than 4,500 ballots took all night.

05/03/2008

Clinton urges vote on gas tax holiday
Hillary Rodham Clinton called for a vote Friday in the Democratic-controlled Congress on a summertime suspension of the federal gasoline tax, a plan that rival Barack Obama dismissed as a political stunt that would cost thousands of construction jobs.

Unique to '08: Superdelegates, Internet
Presidential superdelegates have gone unnoticed by the general public for decades, mostly a blip on the screen of Democratic nominations that are decided long before the 795 party stalwarts enter the picture to cast their largely ceremonial votes.

Trail mix: Election briefs
Republican John McCain defended himself Friday against television ads that accuse him of advocating a 100-year war in Iraq.