usdemocrats.com political news weblog
October 16, 2008
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usdemocrats.com political news weblog
October 16, 2008
back to weblog index
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Swiss bailout for major banks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bailout plan will see the government invest 6 billion Swiss francs ($5.3 billion) into banking giant UBS to strengthen its capital base. Thursday’s news came the same day
another major bank, Credit Suisse, announced it had raised approximately
10 billion Swiss francs ($8.8 billion) from a group of major
global investors led by the Qatar Investment Authority. |
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With 21 days until this critical
Election Day, Hillary is working hard to reach as many voters
as she can. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Campaigning with her husband, President Clinton, the next Vice President Senator Biden, and his wife Jill Biden at a "Change We Need" rally for the Obama campaign - they truly energized this PA crowd where some 6,000 people came out, including many Hillary Sent Me volunteers!
Click here to watch I hope you will stay tuned and look for more updates. There is so much more to come in the weeks and days ahead -- and so much we can all do to have an impact on this election. Thanks, Katie Dowd |
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Obama Holds Double Digit National
Advantage -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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US Senate race: Mary Landrieu:
Centrist with experience -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/us_senate_race_mary_landrieu_c.html |
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Franken seeks senate seat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Clinton backs Rick Noriega
Senate run -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=53672 |
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Pennsylvania is shaping up
to be one of the most hotly contested battleground states in
this election. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The McCain campaign is actively moving staff and resources into the state from Michigan. They're gearing up to send even more nasty mailings and put up more negative ads. Person-to-person voter contact is the best way to fight back, and volunteers and staff are working day and night to connect with voters. There are only a few crucial weeks left before Election Day, and we are going to need your help to put Barack and Democrats over the top in Pennsylvania. Can you come to Pennsylvania and reach out to voters in this crucial swing state? John McCain is having trouble defending the states George Bush won four years ago, and he's planning on making his stand in a couple states that John Kerry won -- including Pennsylvania. This race may very well depend on whether he can flip the 21 electoral votes just over the border from you in Pennsylvania. But there are too many people counting on the kind of change that only Barack Obama and Joe Biden can bring to let that happen. A face-to-face connection is the most powerful way to spread Barack's message and make sure voters get to the polls on November 4th. And your voice could be the one that helps a voter to decide to support the Obama-Biden ticket. No experience is required to make a difference. All you need is your passion and enthusiasm for change. Our Pennsylvania Campaign for Change staff will be here to support you when you arrive. Sign up now to come to Pennsylvania and work for change: http://my.barackobama.com/cometoPA We can't do this without you. Thanks, Paulette Paulette Aniskoff |
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Senate Race Roundup -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/Ufmw1T54Y2Q/630603 |
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Senate Projections, 10/14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/senate-projections-1014.html |
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State on the watch for election
fraud -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.jdnews.com/opinion/north_60069___article.html/carolina_news.html |
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Ohio official: Counties must
address fraud claims -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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C-SPAN Daily Alert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C-SPAN Highlights Tonight: Tomorrow: Tonight: Tomorrow: Tonight: Tomorrow: ********************************************************************** Tonight: Tomorrow:
********************************************************************** * 3rd Presidential Debate at Hofstra Univ.
in Hempstead, NY - Ton., C-SPAN, 9pm ET LIVE * Newspaper Articles & Viewer Calls ********************************************************************** * Sen. Ted Stevens ’ lawyers called their final character witness to the stand Wednesday — an Olympic Gold medalist and former sportscaster who testified bout the Alaska Republican’s contributions.... - Full Story at www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight/ * Since 1944, what year marked Republicans’
biggest electoral vote gain over two elections? - Answer at www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight/
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US election: Early voting benefits Obama -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/15/uselections2008-barackobama-voting |
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Right now, there's a Barack
supporter in a crucial battleground state who needs to hear from
you about voting early. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In fact, there are quite a few. Whether it's a single working mother who doesn't know she can vote by mail, or a factory worker who doesn't know he can cast his Early Vote for change right away, your phone call right now could make all the difference. Early voting is a crucial part of our strategy. But time is running out. Get a list of voters who need to hear from you. We'll provide you with everything you need to make calls. There are less than three weeks left before Election Day, but this campaign is far from over. In October of 2000, Al Gore had a double-digit lead in the polls. By Election Day, it came down to one state and a handful of votes. A lot can happen in the last 20 days of an election. We are definitely going to see more attempts to mislead voters and distract them from the issues. You can make sure this election is about the issues that really matter to voters. No experience is necessary to do this. We'll give you a list of voters, talking points, and an easy way to report on who you've talked to: http://NY.barackobama.com/n2nNY Thanks, Jon Jon Carson P.S. -- Don't forget to watch the final
presidential debate tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. It's your last
chance to see Barack and John McCain side-by-side. |
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Democrats leading the polls
in Missouri -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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I just finished the last debate
before the election -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now the outcome of this campaign is up to you. I need your help to get our message out -- and to get out the vote. I wouldn't ask for your support if this campaign didn't urgently need it. Your donation of $5 or more today is essential to our unprecedented get out the vote operation in these final days. The most dangerous thing you can do right now is nothing. Your support and hard work are exactly what we need between now and Election Day. While he didn't mention the middle class, John McCain chose to repeat the false, negative attacks that make up 100% of his advertising these days. The truth is that his choices say more about his campaign than they do about me. But John McCain and his allies are not going to stop fighting -- or attacking -- until the very end. We're doing this a different way. Tonight I talked about the real problems ordinary people face during this economic crisis and concrete ways that I will create jobs, cut health care costs, build a new energy policy, and get our economy moving. But time is running out. Our strength and our success in these last 20 days depends on you: https://donate.barackobama.com/finaldebate Thank you for all you do, Barack |
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Senate Race Roundup -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/uu074E7lnas/631507 |
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Ballots already cast overwhelmingly
favour Democrats, exit surveys ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/16/uselections2008-democrats |
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Assembly Democrats confident
about picking up seats -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Oregon tilts heavily to Democrats
in registration -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Media, Democrats spin financial
mess into ball of blame on Republicans -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.pal-item.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081016/NEWS0302/810160339 |
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CBS Poll: Obama Has Edge In
Final Debate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Excerpts: Comparing Obama,
McCain on the issues -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-excerpts16-2008oct16,0,7690828.story |
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The Final Debate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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McCain, Obama begin final
sprint after last debate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Commentary: America is ready
for the Obama Effect -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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If signs count, Obama wins
race -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Poll: Debate watchers say
Obama wins -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
Obama won the evening, according to a CNN
poll. Fifty-eight percent of debate watchers questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said Democratic candidate Obama did the best job in the debate, with 31 percent saying Republican Sen. John McCain performed best. The poll also suggests that debate watchers' favorable opinion of Obama rose slightly during the debate, from 63 percent at the start to 66 percent at the end. The poll indicates that McCain's favorables dropped slightly, from 51 percent to 49 percent. The economy was the dominant issue of the debate, and 59 percent of debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better job handling the economy, 24 points ahead of McCain. During the debate, McCain attacked Obama's stance on taxes, accusing Obama of seeking tax increases that would "spread the wealth around." But by 15 points, 56 percent to 41 percent, debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better job on taxes. By a 2-1 margin, 62 percent to 31 percent, debate watchers said Obama would do a better job on health care. Sixty-six percent of debate watchers said Obama more clearly expressed his views, with 25 percent saying McCain was more clear about his views. By 23 points, those polled said Obama was
the stronger leader during the debate. By 48 points, they said
Obama was more likeable. |
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Social Security benefits expected
to jump in 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iRj0kJdCxx7gYtp4vZJCebi4AthwD93RIIQG0 |
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The market really does fare
better with Democrats in the White House -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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C-SPAN Daily Alert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C-SPAN Highlights Tonight: Tomorrow: ********************************************************************** Tonight: Tomorrow: ********************************************************************** Tonight: Tomorrow: Tonight: Tomorrow:
********************************************************************** * 63rd Annual Alfred Smith Dinner with
Sen. Obama & Sen. McCain - Ton., C-SPAN, 9pm ET LIVE * Newspaper Articles * The wife of Sen. Ted Stevens told jurors Thursday at her husband’s federal corruption trial that she managed a massive renovation of the couple’s home in Girdwood, Alaska and wrote checks... - Full Story at www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight/ * Which state won by Bill Clinton in 1996
gave George W. Bush his best percentage showing in 2004? - Answer
at www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight/ |
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More than 60000 cast early
ballots in first week -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Anyone who tells you this
election is already decided is dead wrong. Let's not forget the
2000 election, when Al Gore was up by double digits in October. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The surest way to lose a race is to slow down with the finish line in sight. We're taking no chances. We've planned the biggest get out the vote operation in history, and we need to make sure that every voter has their voice heard. That's why we've set the goal of bringing in 100,000 new donors by Friday at midnight. If you step up and make your first donation today, it will be matched by a previous donor. Will you make a donation of $5 or more today and double your impact? This campaign has fought for every inch, and now is not the time to take anything for granted. To get out the vote, we need to knock on hundreds of thousands of doors and make even more phone calls. This campaign has built the largest field operation in history, and we need to mobilize it in these remaining days to get every single voter to the polls on Election Day. Because that's what it comes down to -- counting every last vote. Make a matching donation today to make certain that when everything is on the line, we are stronger than ever: https://donate.barackobama.com/promise We've come too far to hold back now. Thank you for everything you're doing, Joe |
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California raises $5 billion,
won’t seek federal loan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The state, which said it needed $7 billion to meet cash obligations through June 30, raised $5 billion this week by selling short-term securities — called revenue anticipation notes — to individual and institutional investors. Earlier this month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
told the U.S. Treasury that California might need a $7 billion
loan to fund teachers’ salaries, nursing homes, law enforcement
and every other state service through the fiscal year’s
end. |
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Baghdad, Washington reviewing
draft status-of-forces agreement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He said Defense Secretary Robert Gates “is in the process of consulting closely with members of Congress” on the draft agreement. Meanwhile, Iraq’s Political Council on National Security is reviewing the draft, Morrell said, citing Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh. “We are close, but not at the final status yet,” Morrell said. “And as soon as it is final, I think then we can talk in more specificity about what is actually included in it.” The United States’ insistence that
its troops and contractors remain immune from Iraqi law has been
a key obstacle to reaching an agreement, U.S. and Iraqi officials
have said. |
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4 ambassadors to Iraq take
posts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Francisco Elias of Spain, Nawaf Abboud al-Sheikh Faris of Syria, Salah Ali Hassan al-Maliki of Bahrain and Nayef Fantul al-Zaidan of Jordan presented their credentials to President Jalal Talabani in a Thursday afternoon ceremony, the president’s office said. “This is a clear evidence for the success of the Iraqi government and the Iraqi diplomacy and its persistence in the last few years,” Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said earlier Thursday, ahead of the ceremony. Zebari also attended the ceremony, according to the statement issued by the president’s office. “We expect that this new direction and this new Arab openness will continue toward Iraq,” the foreign minister said. –From CNN’s Saad Abedine and
Mohammed Tawfeeq |
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Government tightens lead standards -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Scientific evidence about lead and health has expanded dramatically” since the Environmental Protection Agency issued its last order in 1978, the agency said in a release announcing the changes. The new order allows only one-tenth of the amount of lead particles in the air that was permitted under the old rules. “There is no known safe level of lead
in the body,” the EPA warned, cautioning that children are
particularly vulnerable. Exposures to lead early in life “have
been linked to effects on IQ, learning, memory and behavior.” |
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Obama cautions supporters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “For those of you who are feeling giddy or cocky and think this is all set, I just [have] two words for you: New Hampshire,” the Democratic presidential nominee said during a fundraiser breakfast in New York. “You know I’ve been in these positions before where we were favored and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked. And so that’s another good lesson that Hillary Clinton taught me.” About 10 hours after debating Sen. John McCain, Obama urged top campaign contributors at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan to not be overconfident, despite leading in a number of national polls. A CNN Poll of Polls calculated Wednesday
showed him leading 51 percent to 42 percent. |
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EU leaders call for coordinated
economic policies -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The group, representing all 27 EU member nations, agreed to back plans put forth last weekend by a smaller group of European nations to shore up troubled banks. That plan would refinance banks, guarantee interbank lending, and ensure that distressed banks do not fail. It also will protect individual depositors’ accounts and ease some regulations to give banks more flexibility. Among the other items agreed to at the
summit is that the pay and bonuses of company executives must
reflect their performance, and that it should also be in line
with their company’s success. |
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Fact Check: Has Biden proposed
dividing Iraq? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did Biden really call for Iraq to be divided
into three countries? Sen. John McCain, speaking at the October 15 presidential debate in Hempstead, New York, said Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, "had this cockamamie idea about dividing Iraq into three countries." Get the facts!
The Facts Sen. Biden co-authored an opinion piece in The New York Times on May 1, 2006, that proposed a five-point plan "decentralizing" Iraq, greatly beset at the time by civil warfare between Shiites and Sunni Arabs. The column, also authored by Council on Foreign Relations President Emeritus Leslie H. Gelb, likened Iraq's sectarian woes to those in Bosnia — "torn apart by ethnic cleansing and facing its demise as a single country" after the breakup of Yugoslavia last decade. The column noted that the Dayton Accords — the agreement that ended the Bosnian war — kept Bosnia intact by "dividing it into ethnic federations, even allowing Muslims, Croats and Serbs to retain separate armies." The result was that Bosnians "have lived a decade in relative peace." The column argues that Iraq should "maintain a united Iraq by decentralizing it, giving each ethno-religious group — Kurd, Sunni Arab and Shiite Arab — room to run its own affairs, while leaving the central government in charge of common interests." It underscores the fact that Iraq's Constitution "provides for a federal structure and a procedure for provinces to combine into regional governments." The proposal, which became known as the Biden-Gelb plan, generated attention in Washington and Baghdad, and the U.S. Senate on September 26, 2007, voted for a Biden amendment expressing support for a U.S.-backed political settlement that would include a federal system. The Verdict: False. Biden proposed decentralizing Iraq's
government, but not breaking up the country. |
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Obama to supporters: Don’t
get ‘cocky’ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From CNN Senior Political Producer Sasha Johnson
Obama does not want his supporters to get
too comfortable with his recent lead in the polls. “For those of you who are feeling giddy or cocky and think this is all set, I just say one word — I guess it’s two words for you — New Hampshire,” Obama told a high-dollar fundraiser crowd in Manhattan, referencing his loss to Hillary Clinton in January’s primary. “I’ve been in these positions before where we are favored and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked … and so we want to make sure we are closing strong, right through the tape.” The morning after the last presidential debate, Obama displayed a mix of wistfulness and humor about one part of the political process coming to an end. “We had a fun night last night. I’m deeply sad that after 26 debates we have no more debates,” he said to laughter. “I was hoping to have several more.” At a breakfast that pulled in at least $3.6 million for the Obama Victory Fund, the Democratic nominee said “we are now 19 days not from the end but from the beginning,” emphasizing the amount of work and the number of challenges the next president will face. He asked those in attendance for more help going forward. “I’m going to need all of you
in that process not just for campaign support and financial support.
Once we’re done there’s extraordinary expertise in
this room ,and we’re going to need good advice and who knows
there might even be some of you who decide that you want to spend
a little time in government, and we’re going to need people
who are willing to roll up their sleeves and make sure that Washington
and Wall Street and the country as a whole are working in ways
that leave a better future for our children,” he said. |
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Fact check: Plumber Joe's
taxes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |