Maldini

McCain widens lead, Clinton lends cash By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain padded his commanding delegate lead in the Republican presidential race Wednesday and urged conservative critics to cut him some slack. In a Democratic surprise, Hillary Rodham Clinton disclosed she'd lent $5 million to her cash-short campaign. "And I think the results last night proved the wisdom of my investment," said the former first lady, one day after trading victories with Barack Obama in a Super Tuesday string of contests from coast to coast. The competition for Republican delegates was a runaway. Nearly complete returns from Super Tuesday left McCain with 707 delegates, nearly 60 percent of the 1,191 needed to win the nomination at the national convention in St. Paul, Minn., this summer. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had 294, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee 195 and Texas Rep. Ron Paul 14. Despite steadily lengthening odds, neither Romney nor Huckabee offered any hint they were ready to exit the race. McCain, the Arizona senator, said the nomination was his, though, and added he recognized there was work to be done to unify the party after acrimonious campaigning. "I do hope that at some point we would just calm down a little bit and see if there's areas we can agree on," he said, one day in advance of an appearance before conservative activists who have shunned his candidacy. The Democratic delegate count lagged, the result of party rules that shunned the type of winner-take-all primaries in states such as New York and New Jersey that helped McCain build his advantage. On Tuesday's busiest primary night in history, Clinton and Obama were separated by 26 delegates, with 139 yet to be allocated. Overall, that left Clinton with 1,045, more than half of the 2,025 needed to secure the Democratic nomination. Obama was right behind with 960. With little time to rest, both Obama and Clinton pointed toward the next contests, primaries in Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia plus caucuses in Nebraska, Washington, Maine and the Virgin Islands in the next week. In all, those states offer 353 delegates. At a news conference in Chicago, Obama claimed victory on Super Tuesday, saying he had won more states than the former first lady for the day and would wind up with more delegates by the time all were tallied. He bluntly took issue with the suggestion that he, more than she, could be brought down by Swift Boat-style criticism in the fall campaign. "I have to just respond by saying that the Clinton research operation is about as good as anybody's out there," he said. "I assure you that having engaged in a contest against them for the last year that they've pulled out all the stops. And you know I think what is absolutely true is whoever the Democratic nominee is the Republicans will go after them. The notion that somehow Senator Clinton is going to be immune from attack or there's not a whole dump truck they can't back up in a match between her and John McCain is just not true." He said he would be campaigning in all the states in the next round of primaries and caucuses. Clinton said she would contest Obama everywhere, although senior aides conceded Obama would have more to spend on ads. "We will have funds to compete," Mark Penn, Clinton's chief strategist, told reporters in a conference call. "But we're likely to be outspent again." A few hours later, Howard Wolfson, the campaign's communications director, said the senator had loaned money to her campaign late last month. Officials with both campaigns have said Obama raised $32 million in January and Clinton $13.5 million, a significant gap between the two that allowed Obama to place ads in virtually every Super Tuesday state and get a head start on advertising for the next primaries and caucuses. Among Republicans, there was speculation that Romney was contemplating a withdrawal. He offered little hint of his plans, announcing only that he would appear before conservatives and make a speech to Maryland Republicans on Thursday. The wealthy former businessman has spent an estimated $40 million to $50 million in personal funds to finance his campaign, but he ran something of a scaled-back effort in several Super Tuesday states. He emerged with a string of victories in caucuses, but won primaries only in his home state of Massachusetts and in Utah. Huckabee scored a series of Southern victories on Super Tuesday and has said he will stay in the race until someone has enough delegates to clinch the nomination. Interviewed on CBS, Huckabee sidestepped when asked whether he might be an irresistible vice presidential running mate on a ticket headed by McCain. "I still want to be the irresistible choice to be the president," he said. McCain wasn't talking on that subject, but the vote totals and exit polls made it abundantly clear that he was weak where the former Arkansas governor was strong — in appealing to evangelical conservatives in the Bible Belt. A Louisiana primary and caucuses in Kansas on Saturday offer an inviting target for Huckabee, who has demonstrated a strong appeal to social conservatives. McCain didn't say so, but there is ample evidence he is pleased to have Huckabee in the race. In state after state, Huckabee has divided the anti-McCain vote with Romney, preventing the former Massachusetts governor from emerging as a more serious threat. On Tuesday, McCain's delegates at the West Virginia convention swung over to support Huckabee at the last minute in a successful maneuver designed to deprive Romney of a victory.

Huckabee wins Arkansas Republican presidential vote DALLAS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won his home state primary on Tuesday in a victory that could help him stay a contender in the Republican nominating race, U.S. media projected. Arkansas was the third state to go for Huckabee in voting on Super Tuesday, so called because nearly half of the U.S. states are holding contests to choose Republican or Democratic candidates for the November general election. Republican front-runner John McCain, an Arizona senator, has won three states so far in Super Tuesday contests, while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has won one. Huckabee served as Arkansas governor between 1996 and 2007.

New York Totals Democrats Clinton 64% Obama 33% Republicans McCain 53% Romney 22% Huckabee 12% Paul 6%

Clinton wins New York, Massachusetts By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain won a string of primaries along the East Coast and in Illinois Tuesday night, reaching for command of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Democratic rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama swapped victories in a grueling national struggle for delegates. McCain, whose campaign nearly unraveled six months ago, won in New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware, gaining all 97 delegates at stake in the three states combined. He also secured Illinois for his column. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won in Alabama and his home state. He also triumphed in the Republican West Virginia convention. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, won a home state victory. Clinton, seeking to become the first female president, won at home in New York as well as in Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, where she was first lady for more than a decade. Obama, hoping to become the first black president, won in Georgia and Delaware as well as his home state of Illinois. (Corrects Obama won in Delaware, not Alabama.)

McCain triumphs in New York primary By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain swept a series of delegate-rich primaries along the East Coast Tuesday night, reaching for command of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama swapped victories in a grueling Democratic race. McCain, whose campaign nearly unraveled six months ago, won in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware to gain all 198 delegates at stake. He also put Illinois in his column. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won in Alabama and in his home state. He also triumphed at the Republican West Virginia convention. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, won a home state victory. Clinton, seeking to become the first female president, won at home in New York as well as in Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, where she was first lady for more than a decade. Obama, hoping to become the first black president, won in Georgia, Alabama and Delaware as well as his home state of Illinois.

Obama criticized over efforts to tout himself as a Christian Some Jewish groups have voiced concern about this Obama campaign flier being sent out in South Carolina. By Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Just a week ago, Jewish organizations stepped up to defend U.S. Sen. Barack Obama against an Internet campaign smearing him as a radical Muslim. Now some Jewish communal leaders feel the Democratic presidential candidate is going too far in touting his Christian bona fides. The Anti-Defamation League has asked the campaign of the Illinois senator to clarify fliers distributed in South Carolina declaring Obama to be a "committed Christian." The flier features Obama posing in churches -- in one instance, in front of a cross -- and reassures the reader: "Guided by his Christian faith, Barack Obama is the leader we can trust to challenge the ways of Washington." It also includes a passage quoting Obama on the "power of prayer," saying: "We’ve got to express those values through our government, not just through our religious institutions." "It's one thing to say 'here's who I am,' " Abraham Foxman, the ADL's national director, told JTA a day after sending the letter requesting clarification from the campaign. "It's another to say vote for me because I am" Christian. Obama's campaign said the fliers mailed to voters in South Carolina, which has its primary on Saturday, were aimed at addressing false e-mail rumors that Obama was a Muslim. Eric Lynn, Obama's spokesman on Jewish matters, said he expected some understanding from Jewish leaders on the flier, knowing that Jews have been targets of the "Obama is a Muslim" campaign. The e-mail campaign prompted two open letters -- one from nine organizational leaders, including Foxman, and one from seven Jewish senators -- repudiating the rumors as false. "Barack Obama is not trying to introduce Christianity into the campaign," Lynn said. "This mailer's intent is to inform the voter about who Barack Obama is in light of the number of smears that have defined him incorrectly as a Muslim." Such questions are especially sensitive in a state where voters in both parties are more apt to attend church than in other states. Lynn drew distinctions between Obama's setting the record straight and Republican candidates such as Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, or U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who have suggested that Christianity is an American value. Huckabee has further suggested that the U.S. Constitution is more malleable than the country's Christian character. McCain at one point described the United States as a "Christian nation," but later retracted that statement. On Obama's Web site, a link entitled "Faith" emphasizes his outreach to believer, but also is unequivocal in his belief in the separation of church and state. "The separation of church and state is critical and has caused our democracy and religious practices to thrive," it says. Those distinctions were drawn as well by the National Jewish Democratic Council in a statement that nonetheless expressed discomfiture with the imagery on the fliers. It said the council "would advise any candidate, including Sen. Obama, not to use this type of religious language and symbolism in campaign materials." "Perhaps one can sympathize with the Obama campaign given that they have been forced to respond to right-wing, false claims about the candidate's religious faith. Moreover this ad's message is a far cry from John McCain's claim that the United States is a 'Christian Nation,' or Mike Huckabee's more exclusionary religious language," the organization said. "Unlike the Republican candidates for president, Sen. Obama has an exemplary record on the separation of church and state." Foxman was not convinced by such distinctions, seeing the Obama camp more in the context of a campaign season in which candidates have increasingly made religion an issue. In October, the ADL appealed to all candidates to de-emphasize religion. "It's a competition of hawking their faith," Foxman said, "and it's so contrary to what we think or what America's about." Obama's current controversy echoes that of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and Republican candidate who drew Jewish criticism late last year for perceived overreaching. Romney, defending his Mormon faith, seemed to make belief in God a prerequisite for the presidency. The Republican Jewish Coalition said in light of such controversies, a failure to target the Obama fliers underscored a double standard. "Democrats seem to feel that our community will be more lenient when their candidates make explicit Christian appeals," said Suzanne Kurtz, the RJC spokeswoman. "Will those who complained about Republican candidates' messages apply a consistent standard now that the messenger is a Democrat?" Foxman, however, had sympathy for Obama's predicament in continuing to have to make the case that he is indeed a Christian and not a "secret" Muslim. "We understand this is an issue that troubles him, but I'm not sure this is the best way to do it," the ADL leader said. "I would have been more comfortable getting eight ministers to say he's a good Christian."

McCain is using support for Israel to court Jews - and Christians Republican presidential hopeful Senator John McCain attends a campaign event Thursday in Florida. (AP) By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: John McCain, U.S. RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE: McCain is not the only Republican seeking Jewish support in Florida. Thursday night may prove to have been the last time five Republican candidates appeared on the same stage. It was the final debate before the decisive Florida primary - a chance for John McCain to prove that he is the only candidate, for Mitt Romney to prove that he is still relevant, for Rudy Giuliani to finally become a candidate. Florida is the first state in which Giuliani is seriously competing - or as a popular joke puts it: "For Giuliani, primaries are kind of like marriages. The first two or three don't count." All the Republicans candidates are courting Florida's Jewish voters. Romney has a new sticker - in Hebrew. Giuliani believes that the state's Jewish Republicans will support him. McCain is working hard to prove Giuliani wrong. On Wednesday, he became the second candidate - following the Democrats' Barack Obama - to write a letter about the events in Gaza. Obama sent his letter to America's ambassador to the UN; McCain's was to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In it, he wrote that "the United Nations charter, which makes clear the inherent right of self-defense against armed attacks, applies to all states - including the State of Israel." Just in case Rice - or more likely, the Security Council - had forgotten. But it is not only the Jews who McCain is courting with such gestures. Asked about his chances of winning the Republican nomination despite his poor relations with evangelical Christians, he noted that an influential segment of this community is very committed to Israel, and "obviously I have been a very strong proponent to the State of Israel." At a reception at the Israeli embassy Wednesday night in honor of new military attache Major General Benny Gantz, the talk was more of McCain than of Gaza. Some guests who were well acquainted with both the senator and his party spared no words in describing just how unpopular McCain was among his fellow party members. If he ends up as the Republican nominee, he will be welcomed with gritted teeth, not great joy. But before the Republicans face their Florida trial, the Democrats have another stop on their route to choosing a candidate. Tomorrow's South Carolina primary is critical for Obama; he must win to position himself as a viable candidate in advance of Super Tuesday, February 5. In Florida, he is not really competing, and Hillary Clinton leads there by a large margin. According to the polls, Obama has a 20 percent lead in South Carolina. But that is a double-edged sword: Should he end up winning by less than 10 percent, the Clinton campaign would be able to claim an achievement. And should he lose, it would probably deal his candidacy a death blow. Clinton has already left the state to focus on the Super Tuesday contests, first and foremost California, where the latest poll shows her with a 10 percent lead. But since California is not a winner-take-all state, Obama could also gain a sizable number of delegates from this state. In Nevada, he won fewer votes than Clinton statewide but ended up with more delegates than she did. South Carolina has a large number of blacks, who account for about half of all Democratic primary voters, and they will be decisive to the outcome. Wednesday night was also the last installment of a major television documentary on the Jews of America, and much of the final episode was devoted to Jewish-black relations: how they soared during the civil rights movement, then soured afterward, to the point where some blacks exhibit anti-Semitic overtones - a topic Obama addressed in his Martin Luther King Day speech this week. One Jewish Obama supporter, comparing the widespread support for Obama among blacks and his difficulty convincing Jewish voters that he will not be hostile to Israel, said he saw a worrying potential for further erosion in black-Jewish relations as a result of this presidential campaign.

Fred Thompson Drops Presidential Bid By Michael D. Shear Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, January 22, 2008; 3:27 PM Former Tennessee senator Fred Dalton Thompson, whose candidacy fizzled after a summer of expectations, pulled out of the Republican presidential race today after disappointing finishes in all of the primary contests. In a terse, three-sentence statement, the former actor and senator abandoned a candidacy that once seemed like it had everything a Republican could want: solid conservative credentials, Washington experience, Hollywood panache, southern charm and a commanding personality. "Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States," he said. "I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people." The statement was a diminutive end to a campaign that was born of hype. It was the image of Thompson as commander in chief -- a part he played in a movie once -- that seemed to hold such promise when the real-life former senator contemplated running for the White House last spring and summer. Instead, the campaign became roiled in staff disputes that centered on his wife, Jeri, and was dogged by allegations that Thompson did not have the desire or energy to mount an aggressive presidential campaign. That narrative was offered as soon as Thompson entered the race just after Labor Day. And as the campaign progressed, Thompson's actions affirmed it. Last October, he took the stage at Florida's state GOP convention after his three main rivals gave energetic stemwinders before a throng of 4,000 conservative activists. But when his turn came, Thompson mumbled for about five minutes and departed abruptly, leaving a stunned crowd to wonder whether he was even interested in running for president. The Miami Herald wrote the next day that "dozens of people asked: 'Is that it?' " As the men competing for the GOP nomination head back to Florida before the state's primary on Jan. 29, Thompson will not go with them. Thompson had said repeatedly that he needed a strong finish in South Carolina to stay in the race. He failed, ending up with 16 percent of the vote, behind Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, and just a point ahead of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. In an election-night speech to supporters in Columbia, the normally laid-back Thompson thundered for 10 minutes about the less obvious accomplishments of his run for the presidency in what sounded much like a valedictory. "We will always be bound by a close bond because we have traveled a very special road together for a very special purpose," he told supporters. "We'll always stand strong together ... We'll always stand strong together, and I can't thank you enough for that." The road for Thompson began last March, when he assembled a small group of advisers to help him consider a presidential campaign. He began to raise money and formed an exploratory committee. The former star of "Law & Order" and several big movies effectively teased the country for months in spring and summer while he considered whether to begin a White House campaign, becoming for a time the great hope for conservative Republicans frustrated with their other choices. But his campaign was chaotic from the start, losing its manager and many of its senior staff members even before the Labor Day weekend announcement. And Thompson turned in a lackluster effort once in the race, making infrequent appearances and never lighting a fire under voters. His best moment came when he launched his campaign. At the end of that week, he took the lead in the Republican field in national polls. But Thompson saw his poll numbers plummet from the high 20s and low 30s in early September to single digits by the end of the year. His support in early-voting states such as New Hampshire declined so far that he barely campaigned in those battlegrounds. He campaigned in Iowa more aggressively at the end, mounting a two-week bus tour of the state. He tied for third. Campaign aides often worked hard to cover for their candidate's lack of enthusiasm, explaining his lack of campaign appearances -- he often had just one public event a day -- by saying Thompson was running a different kind of campaign that would harness the power of Internet communications and conservative talk radio. Yet in the five minutes of that October speech in Florida, Thompson did the most to validate the chief criticism of his 2008 presidential bid: that he never had the fire in his belly to be a serious contender. "His rivals would do more in a day than Fred would do in a month," said one disaffected Thompson insider. "He created the perception, fairly or not, that he was just going through the motions." "Thompson never filled those huge shoes from last summer's polls, but he did manage to score well in the debates and get a respectful vote in South Carolina," said Scott Reed, who managed Robert J. Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. Thompson was unable to unite the party's right wing around his candidacy. His refusal to support a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and questions about his lobbying for an abortion rights group raised questions for social conservatives. And his laid-back style and several early flubs on the campaign trail made others question his chances against an energized Democrat. All that shut off the fundraising spigot for Thompson, who quickly ran out of money. After an initial stab at competing in Iowa and New Hampshire, he essentially dropped out of those contests and focused on winning the first state primary in his native South. For two weeks, he toured South Carolina in what he called the "Clear Conservative Choice: Hands Down!" bus tour. Meanwhile, his campaign manager pleaded for cash in repeated e-mails. "We are $29,711 away from reaching our $1 million goal," one said. Thompson used what little money the campaign could raise for a final television ad in South Carolina, hoping to appeal to the state's conservative Republicans. "I grew up in a little town just like this," Thompson said in the ad. He "fought for tax cuts and conservative judges" as a senator, the ad continued. "And I'm proud to have had a 100 percent pro-life voting record." The ad ended with an announcer saying: "Strength, conviction, honesty. Fred Thompson, president." For the first time, Thompson seemed more energized, campaigning aggressively across South Carolina. But the blitz did not produce an outpouring for Thompson, who was competing with Huckabee for conservative Southern voters. After Thompson's South Carolina loss, advisers privately suggested that their candidate could throw his support to McCain, boosting McCain's hopes of defeating Huckabee, Romney and Rudolph W. Giuliani in the fractured GOP field. In the Senate, Thompson helped McCain pass campaign finance legislation, and the two are friends. But one senior Thompson aide said he did not expect an endorsement of McCain anytime soon.

Gaza = Humane Disaster

Israeli blockade deepens hardship in Gaza Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:15am EST By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Gaza hospitals will run out of drugs and fuel for generators within a few days unless Israel eases the border blockade it imposed to curb Palestinian rocket attacks, international organizations said on Monday. Residents of the Hamas-controlled territory awoke to nearly traffic-free streets and shuttered shops, with petrol in short supply due to Israeli restrictions and Gaza's main power plant shut down since late on Sunday. Palestinian officials have warned the standoff could harm U.S.-spurred efforts with Israel to reach a peace deal this year. "There is no fuel, meaning there is no work," said Abu Mahmoud, a fisherman. "We have seen bad times before, but never worse than these days." Michele Mercier, an ICRC spokeswoman, said the organization was trying to persuade Israel to reopen Gaza's borders at least to humanitarian supplies and fuel deliveries. She said the ICRC was monitoring the situation in Gaza's hospitals closely. European Union officials said the EU was pressing Israel to allow it to resume supplies of industrial fuel oil to the shuttered power plant as early as Tuesday. "They (hospital) still have stocks but it won't last for more than two or three days," Mercier said. "If no more stocks are available, you can imagine what it means for the treatment of wounded and ... everyday medical care would be affected." The EU officials said the hospitals, many now using generators, were running out of fuel to keep the power on. Khaled Radi, spokesman of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said many hospitals were performing only emergency surgery. The Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to around 1.5 million people, has also stopped U.N. aid shipments that include food and other humanitarian supplies. But UNRWA, which provides food to refugees, estimated it had two months' worth of supplies stored in Gaza. Israel has said the blockade would end if militants halted rocket launchings. "There is not a humanitarian crisis. It's not correct. Certainly, Israel will do everything in order to prevent a humanitarian crisis," said Amos Gilad, a senior Israeli Defence Ministry official, accusing Palestinians of waging a propaganda campaign. FUEL TRANSFERS European Union-funded fuel for the power plant is being held in storage at the Nahal Oz crossing, awaiting Israel's decision on resuming supplies. Once Israel authorizes the transfer of the fuel, it will take more than 12 hours for the plant to begin operating, the officials said. "If the Qassam (rocket) fire on Israel does not stop, Israel will continue with its pressure on Gaza," Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon told Army Radio. "It is illogical for a country that is attacked by rockets to supply the attacker with power, fuel and water," he said. Despite its tough public line, Israel has not cut off its direct supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip. Egypt also provides power, to the southern part of the territory. While Gaza's power plant provides only 30 percent of the territory's electricity, its shutdown is affecting a far greater proportion of the population because of the way the power grid system works. Gaza City, home to nearly half of the strip's residents, receives almost all of its electricity from the shuttered power plant. (Writing by Jeffrey Heller and Adam Entous, Editing by Diana Abdallah)

McCain Has Big Win in South Carolina; Huckabee Falls Short Stephen Crowley/The New York Times John and Cindy McCain greeting supporters during an election night party at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C. By MICHAEL COOPER and MEGAN THEE Published: January 20, 2008 CHARLESTON, S.C. — Senator John McCain staved off a spirited challenge by Mike Huckabee to win the South Carolina primary on Saturday, exorcising the ghosts of the attack-filled primary here that derailed his presidential hopes eight years ago. Mr. McCain’s victory here, on top of his win earlier this month in New Hampshire, capped a remarkable comeback for a campaign that was all but written off six months ago. In an unusually fluid Republican field, his aides said they hoped the victory would give Mr. McCain a head of steam going into the Jan. 29 Florida primary and the nationwide series of nominating contests on Feb. 5. “It took us a while, but what’s eight years among friends?” Mr. McCain said at a boisterous victory celebration that broke out into shouts of “Mac is back! Mac is back!” Mr. McCain did best among voters who said experience was the most important quality in a candidate, among those who said the Iraq war and terrorism were their top concerns and among the state’s veterans, who made up a quarter of the vote. He ran about even with Mr. Huckabee, who pressed a populist message here, among the many voters who said their top concern in the election was the economy. He also continued to draw strong support from independents. Mr. Huckabee’s loss in a Southern state with a strong turnout of religious voters was a setback to his campaign as it heads toward potentially less hospitable states. Nearly 60 percent of the voters in South Carolina identified themselves in exit polls as evangelical Christians, a group that was heavily courted by Mr. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and Baptist preacher. While Mr. Huckabee captured 4 in 10 of their votes, Mr. McCain also made inroads with the group, capturing more than a quarter of their vote. The South Carolina primary has accurately predicted the Republican presidential nominee since 1980, and since 1988 it has often played a decisive role. The McCain campaign sought to highlight that history here this week, but he is still left facing a scrambled field of opponents, including Mitt Romney, whose lopsided victory in the lightly contested Nevada caucuses Saturday gave him his second win in a week. He defeated Mr. McCain in the Michigan primary on Tuesday. In his concession speech, Mr. Huckabee praised Mr. McCain for running “a civil and a good and a decent campaign” and vowed to battle on. “The reason that I want to encourage you tonight is to remind you that politics — and particularly this year, more than perhaps any other — this is not an event,” he said. “It is a process. And the process is far, far from over.” With 94 percent of the electoral precincts reporting, Mr. McCain had 33 percent of the vote, Mr. Huckabee 30 percent, Fred D. Thompson 16 percent, and Mr. Romney 15 percent. The distant third-place finish was a severe blow to the candidacy of Mr. Thompson, an actor and former Tennessee Senator. He had been counting on a strong showing in a Southern state to revive his fortunes, and gave a rambling speech in which he urged his followers to “stand strong.” The primary also narrowed the field of Republican candidates, leading Representative Duncan Hunter of California to drop out of the race. For Mr. McCain, the victory was especially sweet. His presidential hopes were dealt a crippling blow here eight years ago when he lost to George W. Bush after a primary battle that was marked by vicious personal attacks on Mr. McCain and his family. This time his campaign aggressively responded to the few attacks that were leveled at him in fliers and phone calls, both debunking them and using them to gain sympathy for Mr. McCain. The campaign also enjoyed the support of the political establishment in the state. “You and I are aware that for the last 28 years, the winner of the South Carolina primary has been the nominee of our party for president on the United States,” he said at a victory rally at the Citadel, a military school, where he kissed his mother, Roberta, 95. “We have a ways to go, my friends, and there are some tough contests ahead, starting tomorrow in the state of Florida. But, my friends, we are well on our way tonight.” The campaign now heads to Florida, where Mr. McCain faces another challenge: Rudolph W. Giuliani, who has been advertising heavily and campaigning nearly nonstop there. His campaign hopes a win there will rescue his faltering candidacy. The South Carolina contest was crucial for Mr. McCain and Mr. Huckabee, who were trying to build on earlier victories — Mr. McCain in New Hampshire and Mr. Huckabee in Iowa — to establish their dominance in the still-muddled Republican field. Mr. McCain had predicted that he would win the primary here, and, although many polls were close in the last week, he campaigned as if he were the strong front-runner, pressing his twin issues of military strength and fiscal conservatism. He never disparaged or engaged Mr. Huckabee, even in the face of a spate of phone calls and radio advertisements attacking him by independent groups supporting Mr. Huckabee. Mr. McCain’s campaign tried to portray him as the one candidate ready to be commander in chief, a message it sought to drive home with a big rally at an aircraft carrier museum here and a visit Saturday morning to a company that makes armored vehicles for the troops. He traveled with current and former senators and prominent state officials. Mr. Huckabee, meanwhile, tackled South Carolina as if it were his home ground, with a populist patter and a calculated sense of the state’s stress points. He leaned heavily on secular themes in his public appearances — delivering an I-feel-your-pain economic message — but was very much the ordained Baptist minister on the airwaves, embracing the evangelical belt in the Midlands and western hills. The one commercial he ran over the last three days focused on his Christian beliefs. Mr. Huckabee also emphasized his Southern origins in Greenville and Spartanburg, urging listeners to “support a Southerner who has run a Southern state.” And he seized on several issues to try to galvanize conservative voters. Although he made a point of being compassionate toward illegal immigrants as the governor of Arkansas, he took a resolutely anti-immigration stance in South Carolina, sending out a mailing on the subject and becoming the first presidential candidate to sign a pledge promising not to give amnesty to illegal immigrants. Mr. Huckabee also dove into the murky waters of Southern cultural identity politics, raising a dormant issue Thursday when he said that it was not his business whether the state chose to fly the Confederate battle flag over the Capitol. (The state removed the flag in 2000.) That same day an apparently unaffiliated group, Americans for the Preservation of American Culture, began running radio advertisement criticizing Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney on the issue, while praising Mr. Huckabee. The McCain campaign grew concerned Saturday morning when voting problems were reported in Horry County, which includes Myrtle Beach, where they had expected strong support. Gary Baum, a spokesman for the South Carolina State Election Commission, said voting machines in 15 or 20 of the county’s 118 precincts were not properly set up for voting, forcing voters to use emergency paper ballots. Mr. Baum said there might have been some precincts that did not have enough paper ballots. The McCain campaign said it had received reports that some voters were turned away from the polls without voting. Mr. Baum said that the voting machines worked, but that elections workers had not properly cleared test votes, rendering it impossible to open the machines for actual voting. He said workers were sent to the precincts to fix the machines. Despite pouring millions of dollars into South Carolina, Mr. Romney struggled in the state. So he abandoned the state to compete in the lightly contested caucus in Nevada. Mr. Romney’s runaway victory in Nevada was powered to a large degree by Mormons, according to an entrance survey reported by The Associated Press. Mormons made up a quarter of Republican caucus participants, and 95 percent of them voted for Mr. Romney.

Romney wins Michigan primary Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney greets supporters at a campaign rally on primary day in Grand Rapids, Mich. The native son gets his first major victory in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. By Michael Finnegan, Michael Muskal and Maeve Reston, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers 7:28 PM PST, January 15, 2008 Southfield, Mich. -- Mitt Romney won his native state's presidential primary today, earning his first major victory in the Republican race, in which candidates seemingly win and then lose the leadership spot each week. Romney, the son of a former governor and auto executive here, defeated a Republican field headed by Arizona Sen. John McCain, who won the New Hampshire primary last week, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the Jan. 3 caucus in Iowa. With about 55% of Michigan's 5,385 precincts reporting, Romney was leading McCain, 39% to 30%. Huckabee was in third with about 15%. At Romney's election night party in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit, several hundred supporters chanted, "Go, Mitt! Go, Mitt!" as they awaited the candidate in a hotel ballroom. Many waved red foam mitts, American flags and signs proclaiming, "Change Begins With Us." "Tonight marks the beginning of a comeback, a comeback for America," Romney told several hundred cheering supporters. With his beaming wife, Ann, at his side, and other family members behind him, the jubilant candidate said, "Tonight is a victory of optimism over Washington-style pessimism." He then recited a litany of issues, from immigration reform to Social Security, that Washington politicians have left unsolved and asked the crowd who would fix them. "Mitt! Mitt! Mitt! Mitt! Mitt!" it responded. Carolyn Schmidt, 58, a hospital administrator and Romney supporter who lives in Grosse Pointe Woods, welcomed the former Massachusetts governor's first big victory of the campaign. "If he wouldn't have won, it could have been disastrous for him," she said when Romney finished speaking. "But this is going to jump-start the rest of his campaign." Both McCain and Huckabee called Romney and conceded moments after the polls closed. Each stressed that he had won other primaries and caucuses and was prepared to continue the fight. "For a minute there in New Hampshire I thought this campaign might be getting easier," McCain said, speaking in South Carolina before a ceiling-high American flag, flanked by royal blue velvet curtains. "But you know what? We've gotten pretty good at doing things the hard way too, and I think we've shown them we don't mind a fight." Huckabee pledged to campaign hard in South Carolina, with its larger number of evangelical votes, which are expected to go to the Baptist minister. "I congratulate Mitt Romney. He won a great race. He worked hard. He, of course, has a great base there, but our hats are off to him for his victory there tonight," Huckabee said in a televised speech. "So it looks like that I won Iowa; John McCain won New Hampshire; Mitt Romney won Michigan. Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to win South Carolina!" In addition to giving him bragging rights, Romney's victory propelled the onetime national frontrunner into the winner's circle, from which he had been absent except for a brief stop after earning delegates in the barely contested Wyoming battle. A loss here, in Romney's birth state, where his father was a popular governor, would have been devastating as the campaign moves to South Carolina for Saturday's GOP primary. In stops across the state, Romney, a former executive who stressed his business acumen, often played the legacy card, reminding potential voters of his roots. "Michigan is going to vote for a Romney again," he predicted earlier today in Grand Rapids. It was those ties that proved to be key in the race, according to preliminary exit polls, taken for the Associated Press and several networks. About 40% of those who voted said Romney's Michigan ties were a factor in their decision. Romney also ran strongly among those who cited the economy as a key issue. About 20% of Republican primary voters said the war in Iraq was the key issue According to the exit data, McCain ran strongly among moderates, independents and Democrats, who could cross over and vote Republican in Michigan's primary. The turnout was considered light, about 20%. The Democratic primary had no standing because no delegates were at stake. Hillary Rodham Clinton was the only top candidate on the Democratic ballot. She and other Democrats debated in Las Vegas, where the party was preparing for its next test, Nevada's caucuses on Saturday. It was a homecoming of sorts for the two leading Republican contenders in Michigan's primary, which had gone down to the wire. McCain won the state's primary in 2000. Both he and Romney ran strong in a campaign that played to Michigan's economic woes. A weak economy has deflated the state's auto industry and pumped up its unemployment rate to 7.4%. But it was Romney who faced the biggest test here, according to independent analysts and McCain advisors, who tried to build up expectations. "It's a home-state win, a must-win for Romney," advisor Steve Schmidt said on McCain's campaign plane between Traverse City, Mich., and Ypsilanti. If Romney can't win Michigan, "Where's he going to win?" he asked. Schmidt, a former campaign advisor to President Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said a McCain loss in Michigan would be a "quarter-step back," but he said he didn't expect the senator's lead to diminish in national polls if he finished second. "It's an enormous deal for Mitt Romney. The stakes are very, very high for him," he said. With the political leader changing after each race, the emotions at campaign camps have followed the ups and downs of the candidates' fortunes. Last week, Romney's camp was crestfallen while McCain's was jubilant. Tonight in South Carolina, McCain supporters fought to lighten the mood. There was an air of forced cheer at McCain's gathering at the Hibernian Society in downtown Charleston. Golden oldies, from "I'll Be There" to "Can't Hurry Love" to "Mr. Postman," blared from the speakers, but the crowd lacked the electricity of McCain's recent rallies. As the ticker on Fox News showed Romney ahead in early returns around 8:30 p.m., a group of young girls began the signature McCain cheer: "Mac is back," but it quickly petered out. It took South Carolina Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell and Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster to shake the crowd out of its gloom. "If Michigan had a history of picking our nominee for president, John would already be president, because he won that last time," McMaster said, noting McCain's 2000 Michigan victory. "We don't have to wait till November to win this presidential election.... We're going to pick the next president of the United States right here in South Carolina on Saturday and that president is going to be . . . ?" "John McCain!" the crowd shouted back. Fred Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, is also fighting hard in South Carolina, while former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani has placed his big bet on the Florida primary on Jan. 29.

Romney ahead in Michigan polls - maybe Republican seeks first critical win in home state against McCain, Huckabee By Russ Britt, MarketWatch Last update: 10:32 a.m. EST Jan. 15, 2008 LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Mitt Romney was ahead in most polls as the Michigan Republican primary got underway on Tuesday, but whether he actually ends up reaping the benefits of being a favorite son will have to wait for Tuesday's results. At least two polls put Romney, the former Massachusetts senator, ahead of chief rival Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., but a third showed McCain slightly ahead in the days leading up to the primary battle. Meanwhile, McCain and Romney were turning up the heat on their rivalry as their debate went from family values to the economy and Michigan's lingering employment woes. Romney promised to help turn around the ailing auto industry in a speech Monday, and accused McCain of being too much a Washington insider to help. "Michigan can once again lead the world's automotive industry, but it means we're going to have to change Washington," Romney said. "We're going to go from politicians who say they are 'aware' of Michigan's problems to a president who will do something about them." McCain, meanwhile, had sent out mailers saying that Romney had supported state funding of abortions while he was Massachusetts' governor. A poll conducted last week by the Detroit Free-Press showed Romney ahead of McCain, 27% to 22%, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in third place with 16%. A McClatchy-MSNBC poll puts Romney ahead of McCain, 30% to 22%, with Huckabee at 16%. That survey was conducted last week as well. But a poll conducted by Reuters, C-Span and Zogby showed McCain narrowly ahead of Romney 27% to 24%, with Huckabee at 15%. That poll, released Monday, was taken over the weekend. Polls, however, may not have the same credibility with voters this primary, given the difficulties with last week's New Hampshire primary. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was expected to handily beat Sen. Hillary Clinton for that state's Democratic delegates, but Clinton pulled out a narrow victory. Needs a win Pundits agree that Romney, though in the lead with delegate counts, desperately needs a win in his home state in order to be able to continue his quest to succeed President George W. Bush. The nation's second presidential primary takes place in the state where Romney was born and raised, and where his father, George, served as governor. The elder Romney himself was a presidential hopeful in 1968. After two second-place finishes in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, where he was expected to win at one point, Romney needs to show he can at least take one state. Romney came in second to Iowa winner Huckabee, and New Hampshire victor McCain. "That's a must-win for him," Republican strategist Jon McHenry said. Romney also needs at least one victory under his belt before heading into a massive 22-state primary sweep on Feb. 5, now known as "Super Duper Tuesday." The first few states of the presidential election season are considered critical momentum builders that help set the table for Super Tuesday and beyond. Though he leads in total delegates thus far, it's not about those numbers just yet, says McHenry. "People are looking at the wins," he said. Primary crowding A crowding of primaries around the beginning of the election calendar prompted the Democratic Party to penalize Michigan and Florida for holding their contests early without permission. As a result the party will not assign delegates based on the results in those two states. Michigan, however, could be a symbolic victory or defeat for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. She's the only remaining major candidate that remains on the ballot there as Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards have removed their names from the ballot. A large chunk of non-committed votes - one option on the Michigan ballot - could prove embarrassing for her. Republicans also have cut the delegate size on those two states as well as Wyoming, New Hampshire and South Carolina. All five delegate contingents have been halved. Those developments, plus the fact no clear front-runner has emerged for either Democrats or Republicans, means that while the weeks leading up to Super Tuesday could lay the foundation for a big win on Feb. 5. But these weeks won't make or break a candidate. "My guess is they will once again be inconclusive," said Ethan Siegal, president of analysis group Washington Exchange.

Cat Power, I didn't listened her before

Former Dem nominee Kerry endorses Obama By NEDRA PICKLER and ANDREW MIGA, Associated Press Writer CHARLESTON, S.C. - John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, gave Barack Obama a timely endorsement Thursday, snubbing Hillary Rodham Clinton as well as his own vice presidential running mate. Kerry came to South Carolina to embrace Obama, two weeks before the state's primary and with Obama needing a boost after Clinton's emotional victory over him in New Hampshire. Quoting a black American hero in endorsing the man who hopes to be the first black president, Kerry told a cheering crowd, "Martin Luther King said that the time is always right to do what is right." Now is the time, Kerry said, to declare "that Barack Obama can be, will be and should be the next president of the United States." The Massachusetts senator said there were other candidates he had worked with and respected but Obama was best able to bring Americans together. "Who better than Barack Obama to turn a new page in American politics so that Democrat, independent and Republican alike can look to leadership that unites to find the common ground?" Kerry said. "That's what this is about." Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, the third contender in the Democratic presidential race, was Kerry's vice presidential running mate in 2004. Despite their political alliance, the two men were not close personally and differed behind the scenes on campaign strategy in a race that President Bush won. Edwards responded to word of the endorsement with a diplomatic statement: "Our country and our party are stronger because of John's service, and I respect his decision. When we were running against each other and on the same ticket, John and I agreed on many issues." Edwards defeated Kerry in the 2004 South Carolina Democratic primary. Kerry had considered running again but decided a year ago he would not. Kerry dismissed Obama critics who say the Illinois senator lacks the experience to be president. And he took a swipe at Clinton, saying, "Some have suggested in this campaign that Barack is guilty of raising 'false hopes.' ... My friends, the only charge that rings false is the one that tells you not to hope for a better tomorrow." In a debate in New Hampshire, the New York senator said in comparing her ability and Obama's to fulfill pledges to bring about change: "I think it is clear that what we need is somebody who can deliver change. And we don't need to be raising the false hopes of our country about what can be delivered. The best way to know what change I will produce is to look at the changes that I've already made." Returning to the subject, Obama said when he took the microphone from Kerry: "In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Obama supporters were hoping the timing of Kerry's endorsement could give him a lift as he seeks to put his New Hampshire primary loss behind him. Obama praised Kerry's Vietnam War service, calling him a patriot and a man of conviction. Kerry was Obama's political benefactor once before, selecting the relatively unknown Illinois senatorial candidate to deliver the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. It was Obama's first turn in the national spotlight and helped launch him on a remarkable ascent that has made him one of two leading contenders for the party's presidential nomination only four years later. Kerry had withheld his endorsement, hoping to have an impact on the race and avoid the fate of fellow Democrat Al Gore, the 2000 nominee who endorsed Howard Dean in 2004 shortly before the former Vermont governor's campaign imploded. Gore has made no endorsement so far this year. While Kerry has been close to Clinton's husband, the former president, he was incensed in 2006 when she chided him after Kerry suggested that people who don't go to school "get stuck in Iraq." Aides said Kerry meant to jab at Bush and say "get us stuck in Iraq," and that he didn't appreciate Clinton piling onto the criticism he was already getting for the remark. Kerry's own hopes to run for president this year fizzled with that botched comment. For many Democrats, his words revived bitter memories of his missteps in 2004. troop withdrawal deadlines. In another area, he has backed environmental causes, writing a book with his wife on the issue. Kerry should be able to provide some organizational and fundraising muscle to Obama. Since losing the 2004 race, Kerry has kept a national network of supporters intact. He has an e-mail network of 3 million supporters, according to aides. He also has traveled extensively raising millions of dollars for Democratic candidates nationwide. The Republican National Committee was dismissive about Thursday's endorsement, branding Kerry and Obama "liberal soul mates."

Richardson drops presidential bid By BARRY MASSEY, Associated press Writer SANTA FE, N.M. - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his long-shot bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after poor finishes in the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. He praised all of his Democratic rivals but endorsed no one. He encouraged voters to "take a long and thoughtful look" and elect one of them president. Richardson said that although his support at the polls lagged the front-runners, many of his leading rivals had moved closer to his positions on such issues as the war in Iraq and educating young Americans at home. "Despite overwhelming financial and political odds, I am proud of the campaign we waged ... and most importantly the influence we had on the issues that matter the most to the future of this country," he said. On a less serious note, he estimated the long campaign had included 200 debates. He quickly amended that 24 but said "it felt like 200." Richardson, 60, announced his decision at the state Capitol, saying he was returning to "the best job in the world" as New Mexico's governor. With the New Mexico Legislature convening for its annual one-month regular session next Tuesday, he said with a grin to all those involved: "I'm back." Richardson had one of the most wide-ranging resumes of any candidate ever to run for the presidency, bringing experience from his time in Congress, President Clinton's Cabinet as energy secretary, as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, in the New Mexico Statehouse as well as his unique role as a freelance diplomat. As a Hispanic man, he added to the unprecedented diversity in the Democratic field that also included a woman and a black man. But Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dominated the spotlight in the campaign, and Richardson was never able to become a top-tier contender, trailing well behind them and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. Richardson fell below 5 percent in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday and came in with just 2 percent in the Iowa caucuses last week. Edwards congratulated Richardson, saying he had run a good race. There was no immediate comment from the other campaigns. "He was a very good candidate, a serious candidate," Edwards said in Columbia, S.C. "I congratulate him. He ought to be proud of what he's done. What's happened is, over time the race is becoming more focused. I think that's good for democracy. I think this thing's going on for a long time." Richardson was easily elected to two terms as governor but will be forced from office by term limits in 2010.

Radiohead Finds Sales, Even After Downloads By JEFF LEEDS Published: January 10, 2008 LOS ANGELES — In a twist for the music industry’s digital revolution, “In Rainbows,” the new Radiohead album that attracted wide attention when it was made available three months ago as a digital download for whatever price fans chose to pay, ranked as the top-selling album in the country this week after the CD version hit record shops and other retailers. The album, the first in four years from the closely watched British rock act, sold 122,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That represents a mixed result for the band. It’s a sharp drop compared with the debut of Radiohead’s previous album, 2003’s “Hail to the Thief,” but it’s far from a flop, considering the steep decline in music sales in the last four years and the typically weak sales in the post-Christmas period. “Thief” sold about 300,000 in its first week in 2003. In any case the figures challenge the conventional wisdom that music fans no longer have an affinity for plastic. The sales of the album, which also snagged the top spot on the British weekly music chart, came despite the fact that “In Rainbows” — in the form of digital files — had been acquired by many fans after the band offered it in an unconventional pay-what-you-want offering through a Web site, inrainbows.com. The album was released on plastic CDs and vinyl LPs on Jan. 1, with the CD priced at $13.98, though it could be found for as little as $7.99 at outlets like Amazon.com. Some retailers viewed the Radiohead figures as a sign of the continuing market for so-called physical products in the music business, where the popularity of iTunes, music blogs and other sites have made the digital file appear to be the coin of the realm. In particular they said even fans who received the digital files distributed by Radiohead may have decided to pay for the better audio quality versions on CD or LP. “Having a physical, archival high-fidelity master recording that you can side-load into your MP3 player of choice for a similar price is significantly better than just purchasing zeros and ones,” said Eric Levin, owner of the independent record shop Criminal Records in Atlanta and founder of an 18-member alliance of independent retailers. “I feel like that’s what 75 percent of the people are saying.” Mr. Levin said that at his store vinyl copies of “In Rainbows” outsold the CD by a wide margin. Demand for the album was such that some record shops put it on sale before the label’s planned “street date,” resulting in sales of about 9,000 copies the previous week. But sales of the plastic and vinyl versions of the album also received a boost from digital services like iTunes, where the album sold about 28,000 copies. The iTunes service, which sells individual songs for 99 cents and albums typically for $9.99, had not carried any of the band’s previous albums, owing in part to Radiohead’s demand that its recordings be sold only as complete works. But Bryce Edge, one of Radiohead’s managers, said the band decided to sell “In Rainbows” on iTunes because it expects that EMI, the British music giant that released the band’s first six albums, will soon post them for sale on the service, and it would be strange for the new album to be excluded. An EMI representative declined to comment. The decision to release the music as a digital file so far in advance of the CD also allowed time for the music to circulate on free, unlicensed file-swapping networks. Big Champagne, a tracking service that studies file-sharing, estimates that the album was downloaded more than 100,000 times on free networks in the first 24 hours after Radiohead delivered it to fans who had preordered it from its Web site. But Eric Garland, chief executive of Big Champagne, said that by offering the music for as little as zero from their own site, Radiohead “stole market share” from pirate networks. Mr. Edge said that sales of 100,000 copies of the album this week would be “almost certainly less than the number we would have achieved if we hadn’t” offered it as a digital download. But the band still came out ahead, he said, in part because it attracted so many fans to Radiohead’s Web site, where it collected e-mail addresses from fans looking to acquire the album. The band has not said how many copies it distributed. Now that the CD is in shops, some fans who paid for the initial downloads may have been tempted to buy the album, in effect, for a second time. But Steve Gottlieb, chief of the independent label TVT Records, said he believed the sales mainly reflected fans who were acquiring the music for the first time. “Radiohead is one of those really big groups that appeals to people outside the intensely pirating demographic of 16 to 29,” he said. “To the extent Radiohead still has a significant audience in its 30s and 40s, there’s a bigger audience of those people who will still pick up something at Best Buy or don’t want to bother with figuring out how to go to a Radiohead Web site and track it down.” Still, Mr. Gottlieb said, the sales suggested that the band’s name-your-price offering, and fans’ subsequent free sharing of files, had taken a toll. “Clearly we can’t give it all away and expect to sell CDs,” he said. But Radiohead will have yet more opportunities to gain fans. The band said yesterday that it planned to perform in more than 20 North American cities this year.

New Hampshire Democratic Party 1-Hillary Clinton: 39% 2-Barack Obama: 36% 3-John Edwards: 17% Republican Party 1-John McCain: 37% 2-Mitt Romney: 32% 3-Mike Huckabee: 11%

Clinton Defeats Obama in Primary; McCain Takes Republican Contest By AMY CHOZICK January 9, 2008 NASHUA, N.H. -- After a fierce battle for the first-in-the-nation primary, New Hampshire voters chose Washington stalwarts Sen. John McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton and their message that only decades of experience can bring about change -- the buzzword of this year's presidential race. The big battle here played out in the contest for the Democratic nomination between Mrs. Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, who had soared on the momentum of his decisive win in the Iowa caucuses last week. Earlier today polls showed Mrs. Clinton trailing Mr. Obama by as many as 13 percentage points. But tonight, Mrs. Clinton was handed a surprise victory with 39% of the vote compared with 36% for Mr. Obama and 17% for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. "I felt like we all spoke from our hearts and I am so gratified that you responded,'' Mrs. Clinton told a cheering crowd of supporters. "Now together, let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me." When the race was called at 10:34 p.m., Clinton supporters jumped up and down, hugged each other and waved signs that said "Clinton Country." They shouted "Hillary! Hillary!" Mr. and Mrs. Clinton spent the next hour shaking hands and talking to supporters. "I feel wonderful," said Clinton supporter Sue Lajoie, 60 and a retired schoolteacher who says she was worried earlier today when polls showed Mrs. Clinton trailing Mr. Obama. "I hoped people wouldn't be persuaded by all the hype for Obama," she said. On the Republican side, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, once seen as a natural to take neighboring New Hampshire, came in second with 28%, a possibly fatal blow to his bid for the presidency. Mike Huckabee, who took a surprising first-place in Iowa, struggled to connect with New Hampshire voters who tend to be less likely to accept his religious message. He finished with 12% of the vote. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani finished with 9%, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who took 8%. Unseasonably warm weather along with the fierce contests boosted voter turnout to record numbers. With temperatures reaching 61 degrees at the Manchester airport today, some 500,000 voters or 48% of the total voting age population cast ballots, compared with 44.4% in 2004 and 29.9% in 2000. Some 280,000 voters cast Democratic ballots and 220,000 voted in the Republican contest. The mild weather could have helped Mrs. Clinton, who gets strong support among older female voters who might be reluctant to take the trip to their polling places in stormy weather. With no incumbent on the ballot, the open field has energized voters here, where particular attention has been paid to the state's independent voters, who make up about 45% of the electorate. An independent can vote either as a Republican or Democrat. Exit polls showed independent voters broke towards the Democrats, attracted to Mr. Obama's message of breaking the status quo in Washington. Altogether, 46% of Mr. Obama's support came from independent voters. An early sign that independent voters were trending Democratic came this morning as the New Hampshire Secretary of State's office dispatched additional ballots -- mostly Democratic ballots -- to a half dozen towns across the state. "I've never seen this many people voting in the primary," said Ken Fanjoy, a 53-year-old union worker from Seabrook who backed Mrs. Clinton. With the theme of the presidential race focused on change, all the leading candidates in both parties invoked the word on the campaign trail, in their ads and in their attacks. The word "change" popped up some 130 times during the back-to-back ABC News-Facebook debates that aired nationwide Saturday night. While the Republicans and Democrats are far apart on nearly all of the issues, the political dynamic in both fields has shaped up to be strikingly similar here in their rhetoric on change. Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney offered similar arguments that they aren't part of the Washington machine, and as outsiders can bring about the most fundamental change. Mr. McCain and Mrs. Clinton similarly countered that change can only be brought by an experienced hand. But rivals had criticized Mrs. Clinton's and Mr. McCain's messages and their ability to bring about real change. During the Democratic debate on Saturday, Mr. Edwards referred to Mrs. Clinton as "the status quo." The third leading Democrat, Mr. Edwards, campaigned hard in New Hampshire, but couldn't edge out Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama. Mr. Edwards entered New Hampshire weakened by his second-place finish in Iowa, where he had focused nearly all of his time and money. At 10:20 p.m. EST before the Democratic race had been called, Mr. Edwards congratulated Mrs. Clinton. Following her third-place finish in Iowa, Mrs. Clinton has heavily focused on her theme that change only comes with her "35 years of experience." "When did experience be come a liability?" a frustrated Mrs. Clinton said on the stump Monday. Mrs. Clinton also tried to better reach out to younger voters, many of whom have been supporting Mr. Obama. She changed some of her campaign music and brought her 27-year-old daughter Chelsea on the campaign trail. People close to the Clinton campaign have said that if Mrs. Clinton didn't win, a management reshuffling could be expected. Mrs. Clinton also had a much-publicized moment Monday when she choked up at an event in Portsmouth after an undecided voter asked how she balances her life on the trail. "It's about our country, it's about our kids' futures, it's really about all of us together," she said, tears welling in her eyes. While Clinton detractors suggested the moment could further damage her prospects here, for some voters it showed a more human side of the former first lady that may have made her more likeable, particularly with women. Mrs. Clinton captured nearly 50% of the female vote, a sharp increase from the Iowa results where younger women largely opted for Mr. Obama. Showing her more sensitive side certainly played well with voters like Dolores Felch, 53-years-old of Seabrook. "I voted for Hillary Clinton. I was with Edwards last night when he was making fun of her emotional thing…he's a jerk," Ms. Felch said. "I don't like Obama, he's just a talker." The Clinton campaign also sharpened its attacks on Mr. Obama's inexperience in recent days. On Sunday senior Clinton campaign officials held a much-publicized conference call with reporters to assert that the Obama campaign had violated New Hampshire law by sending prerecorded political messages to voters on a do-not-call list. "Our disclaimer absolutely complies with the federal law, and our vendor has assured us that he scrubbed the list for people on the do-not-call registry," said Ned Helms, state co-chairman of the Obama campaign. Today former President Bill Clinton critiqued Mr. Obama's record while stumping for his wife throughout the state, calling Mr. Obama's candidacy "the biggest fairy tale I have ever seen." In the end, it was Mr. Obama's lack of experience that made many voters opt for the more seasoned Mrs. Clinton. "I like him and I think he'll be ready in eight years," said Allison Mundry, a 49-year-old real estate agent in Salem. But for now, she says "We have to vote for someone who can get the Republicans out of office. The Illinois Senator will go on to South Carolina where half of all registered Democrats are African-American and could choose Mr. Obama, the first serious candidate to have a chance at the White House. The state's independent streak boded well for Mr. Obama, who had the most momentum heading into the primary following his decisive eight-point victory in Iowa. His campaign has stressed throughout the race that Mr. Obama is the candidate with the most cross-over appeal among Republican and right-leaning voters. But many New Hampshire voters saw Mr. Obama as an inspirational speaker with little policy to back up his message of change. "I don't understand the Obama bandwagon at all," said Marianne Rork, 54 and a physical therapist in Londonderry. "He can rally a crowd, but he's not giving any details." For Mr. McCain, New Hampshire was widely viewed as a make-or-break state. He has invested nearly all of his limited resources in New Hampshire, which he won in his 2000 bid against George W. Bush. When the results came in at 8 p.m. EST, supporters at the McCain party at a Nashua hotel began chanting "Mac is Back! Mac is Back!" "The lesson here and in Iowa is that negative ads don't work," said Matt Marchese, a McCain volunteer from nearby Massachusetts. "They worked in the past, but they turned into a huge Achillies' heal for Mitt Romney." Bill Starner, from Windham, a McCain booster going back to the 2000 election said the expectant victory was especially satisfying after the campaign was "resurrected" last summer. "He got the mojo back," he said. Victor Goulet, Mr. McCain's campaign chairman for Manchester, declared: "It's time to celebrate again." He attributed Mr. McCain's comeback to a strategy shift last summer that emphasized small events with voters. Mr. McCain appeared energized by his comeback victory. "My friends, you know, I'm passed the age when I can claim the noun 'kid ' no matter what adjective precedes it. But tonight, we showed them what a comeback looks like." He credited his signature blunt honesty for today's win. And in a dig at Mr. Romney, who rivals have accused him of shifting positions, Mr. McCain said, "I didn't tell you what the polls said you wanted to hear. I didn't tell you what I knew to be false. I didn't try to spin you." He also made a nod to his own combative style, which appeals to independent-minded New Hampshire voters, but has failed in the past to ignite the national electorate. "I reasoned with you. I listened to you I answered you. Sometimes I argued with you. But I always told you the truth as best as I can see the truth and you did me the great honor of listening," he said. The 71-year-old senator, who maintains one of the most packed schedules of any candidate, will leave New Hampshire early Wednesday morning. "We celebrate one victory tonight, and leave for Michigan tomorrow to win another." Mr. Romney has seen his inevitability factor fade after a second-place finish in Iowa, despite spending heavily -- both dollars and time -- in the state. After that defeat, Mr. Romney pivoted, casting himself as a Washington outsider committed to change. That theme permeated a two-minute television ad that aired throughout the state Monday evening. Mr. Romney has also sought to lower expectations, saying this morning only that he expects a close race. "If I got two votes I wouldn't say 'Oh, let's go on to the next.' There's no reason to do that. But I'm in a position where I'm in a very tight race," he said. Mr. Romney fashioned his concession speech after the remarks he delivered less than a week ago in Iowa. He used the same Olympics medal analogy, saying he had "two silvers and one gold" – the gold being the little-watched caucus he won over the weekend in Wyoming. Although handed two definitive defeats, Mr. Romney vowed to continue competing. "I'll fight to be back here in November," he said. And while the speech in New Hampshire borrowed from his Iowa remarks, the former governor was more composed the second time around, perhaps because the defeat was more expected. He congratulated Mr. McCain both over the phone and to the crammed ballroom here. "Congratulations on the gold, senator. Great job," he said. Yet the Mr. McCain victory casts some doubt on Mr. Romney's message. For the five days between the Iowa and New Hampshire contests, Mr. Romney harped on the need to "clean up Washington." He repeatedly cited the performance of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. McCain in Iowa as proof that voters reject Beltway insiders. Yet both candidates performed strongly Tuesday night, forcing the Romney campaign to rejigger their message yet again. "With John McCain, we're essentially running against an incumbent. He does have those institutional advantages," said spokesman Kevin Madden. While former Arkansas Republican Gov. Huckabee handily won the Jan. 3 Iowa caucus, New Hampshire has a markedly different electorate. Iowa is home to a considerable bloc of conservative and evangelical voters, who heavily favored Mr. Huckabee. Mr. Huckabee's brand of social conservatism didn't resonate as much in New Hampshire, but he nonetheless painted his distant third place finish as a victory, saying he did better than anyone thought "this old unknown Southern boy could possibly do in new England." He promised to keep his message upbeat and positive as his campaign moves on to South Carolina, where a larger evangelical community gives him better odds in the Jan. 19 Republican primary. "We really need to take America up and not down and that's what we're going to continue to do," he told cheering supporters at a country club in Manchester. The campaign travels to South Carolina in the morning and then onto Michigan on Friday, where he plans an address to the Detroit Economic Club. "We're going to be able to secure this nomination," Huckabee said optimistically, "then on to the White House and on to leading America." --Elizabeth Holmes, Brody Mullins and Amy Schatz contributed to this article.

I will check it out.

Good soundtrack album, but it was released on December 2007 Thank you for sharing your taste.

If you listened to any album released in 2008 please tell us here, and by the end of the year I will gather all the albums that we listened in 2008.

It's not only bad for USA when the dollar value decrease, it's also bad for all countries whom deals by dollar for foreign trade like Egypt for instance.

Barack Obama 'holds clear lead' over Hillary Clinton From Times Online January 7, 2008 (Stephan Savoia ) Barack Obama has benefitted from a significant bounce since his victory in Iowa, polls show Tim Reid of The Times, in Manchester, New Hampshire Barack Obama has opened up a significant lead over Hillary Clinton in two new polls published a day before voters go to the polls in New Hampshire. Boosted from his clear victory in Iowa on Thursday night, Mr Obama has now has surged ahead of Mrs Clinton in New Hampshire, according to the surveys published on last night. A USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted on Friday, has Mr Obama on 41 per cent, Mrs Clinton on 28, and John Edwards on 19. Another poll conducted by a local New Hampshire network, in conjunction with CNN, has Mr Obama 10 points ahead of Mrs Clinton. Last week, before his win in Iowa, he was six points behind Mrs Clinton in New Hampshire. A significant number of New Hampshire voters are still undecided, according to the polls, but if Mr Obama follows his victory in Iowa with another clear win in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Mrs Clinton's White House hopes will be gravely endangered. The new polls were published as Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton continued their argument about who can bring change to America, an argument that Mr Obama appears to be winning. But Mrs Clinton is campaigning harder than ever in a race that is far from over. Mrs Clinton is telling voters in campaign events across New Hampshire that they shoud elect a "doer, not a talker". She is also criticising Mr Obama - although not by name - for his voting record during his short three-year tenure in the US Senate. In comments aimed at his grandiloquent claims that he is the man to untite America and bring a decisive break from the Clinton and Bush years, Mrs Clinton said: "You campaign in poetry, you govern in prose." She also said he was offering the US false hopes. Mr Obama responded: "The real gamble in this election is to do the same things, with the same folks, playing the same games over and over and over again and somehow expect a different result. That is a gamble we cannot afford, that is a risk we cannot take. Not this time. Not now. It is time to turn the page." On the Republican side, Mitt Romney put in a particularly strong performance against his rivals during a Fox News debate, after slipping behind John McCain in the past month. Both men desperately need need to win New Hampshire. Mr Romney is seeking to bounce back after his big loss to Mike Huckabee in Iowa, a state where Mr Romney had invested millions of dollars of his own fortune. Mr McCain, whose campaign fell apart in the summer, has fought back into contention but has banked all on victory in the Granite State. The latest poll has Mr McCain opening a four-point lead over Mr McCain in New Hampshire, but last night Mr Romney put in his best debate performance of the campaign, particularly with regard to efforts to highlight his accomplishments as a successful businessman, a good message for the Republican electorate in New Hampshire where low taxes and fiscal conservatism are powerful issues.

Iowa Behind Her, Clinton Campaign in a State of Urgency by FOXNews.com Friday, January 4, 2008 Hillary Clinton waves as she campaigns with her daughter Chelsea following a campaign stop at a cafe in Manchester, N.H., Friday.(AP Photo) It’s not time for Hillary Clinton to start panicking yet, but the candidate soared into New Hampshire in the wee hours of Friday morning following a third-place finish in Iowa with a fresh sense of urgency swirling about the campaign. Though even her husband had played down expections prior to Iowa, her finish 8 points behind rival Barack Obama Thursday night was a wake-up call for Clinton, who from day one has been pegged the inevitable Democratic nominee. She’s still the well-funded candidate with the rock-star husband and a deep, national network of supporters – but the results from both the Democratic and Republican caucuses, where once-dark horse candidate Mike Huckabee sailed to victory over millionaire businessman Mitt Romney, were a sign that deep pockets and deep political roots aren’t the only asset in 2008. As Obama rode to victory on the message of hope and change, Clinton seemed to adopt that rhetoric. On Friday she seemed to even adopt strains of rival John Edwards’ economic populism, bemoaning the reported .3 percent jump in the unemployment rate. “I want to know from all of you … what do you want to know about us?” she said Friday. “Who will be the best president based not on a leap of faith but on the kind of changes we’ve already produced?” The New York senator spoke at a freezing airplane hangar in Nashua, N.H., to a throng of enthusiastic supporters who held signs that said simply, “Ready.” In an e-mail sent out Friday morning, the Clinton campaign said: “We’ve got more work to do.” Asking for contributions, the memo still stressed her experience and presumed long-term political viability against the GOP nominee: “With your help, we can make it clear that the Democratic Party needs a nominee who can go the distance in a long, challenging campaign to win the White House, and that the American people need a president who can be an effective champion for them on day one,” it said. Clinton spokesman Jay Carson told reporters that they’re ready to fight nationwide, and sought to minimize the perceived impact of Iowa. “We went from being very, very, very far behind when she started this race in January to turning out a lot of people. And we brought a lot of new people into the process,” he said. “I think judging the entire nominating process on 8 percent of the population of one state is a dubious exercise. “We’re going to continue to fight on, and we’re going to fight on in also the states across the country. We’re going to fight on in New Hampshire, and South Carolina and Nevada, then all the states on February 5.” But the Clinton message may begin to incorporate more humanizing themes, outside those showing she’s simply spent a lot of time in Washington. FOX News entrance polling ahead before the Democratic caucusing indicated that 52 percent of Iowa voters were more concerned with electing a candidate who could “bring about needed change” than seeking one with the “right experience.” This far outweighed what had been believed to be Clinton’s strong suit, which 20 percent of the caucus-goers said was most important to them. The preference, along with a massive turnout of Democratic voters, resulted in the blow to the Clinton campaign, which has long been hailing the senator’s 35-year political career, including eight years as first lady, as superior credentials over her rivals for the White House. As if already picking up on that point at the end of the evening, in a speech to supporters at the end of the evening, Clinton immediately began speaking about “change.” “We have seen an unprecedented turnout here in Iowa. And that is good news, because today we’re sending a clear message: that we are going to have change, and that change will be a Democratic president in the White House in 2009,” she said to cheers. “I am so proud to have run with such exceptional candidates … together we have presented the case for change and have made it absolutely clear that America needs a new beginning.” Obama in his victory speech fervently started hitting those themes, claiming them as his own. “We are choosing hope over fear, we’re choosing unity over division and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America,” he said. Off-stage, political analysts were parsing out just what happened to the candidate who just a few months ago was considered to have a near lock on the nomination. Heavy turnout is believed to have led to some of the disappointment, as analysts had predicted early on that the more people who showed up at the Iowa precincts, the better the opportunities for the perceived outsiders, Obama and Edwards. Iowa Democratic party officials reported that with 99.2 percent of the precincts reporting, 236,000 attended the caucuses. According to campaign sources who spoke with FOX News, Clinton’s team believed, early on, that the turnout would not exceed more than 150,000. By the end of the evening, Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee acknowledged that turnout could end up being more than 200,000. He otherwise kept the outlook bright. “As the boss said earlier, today is just the beginning. It’s not the end. Tomorrow you hit reset and you start all over again in New Hampshire and you run hard for five days,” he said. As the country’s first, most viable woman candidate for president, it is probably most surprising that Obama did better among female voters in the entrance polling, 35 percent to 30 percent. David Yepsen, political columnist for the Des Moines Register, told FOX News that he believed Clinton had failed to get a cogent message out to the voters, despite a huge operational presence in the state. He said on the Republican side, Mitt Romney may have suffered from the same shortcomings. “Who are they and what do they stand for? I think they failed on that.” From here, he predicted that the “anti-Hillary Clinton vote” will now “coalesce around Barack Obama. That’s part of the story tonight.” Democratic strategist Kirsten Powers played down the impact on Clinton Thursday, and said it was the media, not the Clinton campaign that had assumed the early primaries were to serve as nothing more than “a coronation’ for Clinton less than a year ago. But nonetheless, Powers told FOX News, being in third place was “not good for her by any stretch of the imagination.” FOX News’ Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, Major Garrett and Aaron Bruns and The Associated Press contributed to this report.