Maldini

As long as you said this, you know nothing about Mr. Ron Paul. The ideology of Ran Poul like non-intervention [including Mideast problems], his call to end the foreign aid for foreign countries [including Israel] and when he refused to sign a petition condemned Hezbullah in 2006 summer war. All these things make him hated and not prefered by the Zionists leaders who control the presidential election. If you take a look in Haaretz web site [especially in Rosner blog] you will see analysis called Israel Factor [one of the Israeli civilian said that USA president most important than the Israeli president] talking about the best president for Israel, then you will notice that they never mentioned Ron Paul like if he never run this race. Hope you understand.

Results: Democratic Delegate Count Barack Obama: 1,303.5 64.4% of the 2,025 needed Hillary Clinton: 1,212 59.9% of the 2,025 needed Results: Republican Delegate Count John McCain: 845 70.9% of the 1,191 needed Mike Huckabee: 205 17.2% of the 1,191 needed

Bloomberg: I'm not running for president By SARA KUGLER, Associated Press Writer Thu Feb 28, 7:16 AM ET NEW YORK - Mayor Michael Bloomberg has squashed the notion of running for president this year, declaring that he will not seek the White House but might put his support behind another candidate who embraces bipartisan governing. Apparently ending a dance of presidential speculation that began more than two years ago, the 66-year-old billionaire businessman said in an op-ed piece in Thursday's New York Times that he will not launch his own bid but will work to "steer the national conversation away from partisanship and toward unity; away from ideology and toward common sense; away from sound bites and toward substance." "I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president," he wrote. "I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership." Bloomberg aides and associates had been assembling the framework for an independent campaign, and if he had decided to run, a $1 billion operation would have been ready to go. Instead, Bloomberg hinted that he may lend his wealth and weight to someone else. "If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach — and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy — I'll join others in helping that candidate win the White House," he wrote. A close Bloomberg associate told The Associated Press that the mayor had been wrestling with a decision until very recently, reaching a conclusion only in the last few days. Several factors influenced him, according to the associate, who requested anonymity to discuss internal decisions. One of Bloomberg's main reasons for staying out is that he believes the presidential race has the potential to become a centrist contest, primarily because of the rise of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, both of whom have championed bipartisanship. Centrist leadership would have been Bloomberg's chief selling point as a presidential candidate, and it was looking less likely that he would have been able to stand apart from the most likely major party candidates, the associate said.

Nader Announces V.P. Pick By Ariel Alexovich Ralph Nader was last to jump into the presidential race, but he’s the first to find a running mate. He announced his “first choice” for vice president, Matt Gonzalez, a San Francisco lawyer, at a Washington news conference on Monday. Mr. Nader added that he and Mr. Gonzalez would not seek the Green Party nomination and instead would run as independents. Mr. Gonzalez’s greatest claim to fame is his second-place showing in the 2003 San Francisco mayoral race. As a Green Party candidate, Mr. Gonzalez lost 53 to 47 percent to Democrat Gavin Newsome, who had a considerably larger budget and the outspoken support of Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi. The two anti-war, anti-NAFTA men met “at various public conferences in 2000 and then we campaigned against the Iraq War in 2005, and we’ve kept in close touch since,” Mr. Nader told The Caucus, adding that he made his decision to run with Mr. Gonzalez about a month ago. Mr. Gonzalez, 42, a Democrat-turned-Green-Party-member-turned-independent, is a practicing civil rights lawyer with a background in criminal justice. He’s a native Texan but earned his political stripes in San Francisco, where he’s served as the deputy public defender and president of the city’s Board of Supervisors. “He has great character, a great personality, steadfastness in his principles and a lot of good experience,” Mr. Nader said. “He’s not that old, but criminal justice in the courts, urban policies, and election reform — those are three important areas.” Mr. Nader also said in the interview that his 2004 running mate, Peter Miguel Camejo “told me he’s run so often that he’s just tired” and wasn’t interested in another go-around. Back in December, Mr. Nader endorsed John Edwards for president, and he still holds the former candidate in high esteem. Mr. Nader said he hasn’t heard from Mr. Edwards or his old advisers since he threw his hat in the ring — but he said he’d welcome Mr. Edwards back to the race. “I would think he’d be a leading candidate for V.P. again, for Obama, if I would guess,” said Mr. Nader of Mr. Edwards. “The more the merrier. You can’t have too many progressive forces in this country. You can’t have too many efforts to advance justice.” But during the press conference Mr. Gonzalez had harsh words to say about Mr. Obama and John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. Mr. McCain was slammed for calling for “perpetual war,” and Mr. Obama for not committing to have all U.S. troops out of Iraq by 2013. Both men acknowledged they have a tough road ahead of them, but that they’re standing firm in their fight to get on the ballot in all 50 states. “I have no illusions about what is happening here today,” Mr. Gonzales said at the news conference. “I understand what stands before us. But let me also say that I’ve never entered a political contest with the idea that it couldn’t be won. And it’s cynical to say that the American people are incapable of hearing the truth in casting a vote for someone that they believe in.” And, yes, Mr. Gonzales voted for Mr. Nader in 2000 and 2004, he told The Caucus.

Dodd Endorses Obama for President Senator Barack Obama with Senator Christopher Dodd on Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. By MICHAEL POWELL and JOHN SULLIVAN Published: February 26, 2008 CLEVELAND, Ohio — Senator Christopher J. Dodd, a leading Democrat and an early candidate for the party’s presidential nomination, announced Tuesday that he was endorsing Senator Barack Obama. Both Mr. Obama and his rival, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, had sought Mr. Dodd’s support after Mr. Dodd dropped out of the race following the Iowa caucuses last month. Announcing his endorsement at a news conference in Cleveland, Mr. Dodd said he was concerned that the campaign has become too divisive and suggested it had gone on too long. Mr. Dodd said on Tuesday that he had spoken with Senator Clinton before the announcement. “I don’t want a campaign that is divisive here, and there’s a danger in that,” Senator Dodd said. “Now is the hour to come together. The endorsement comes as polls show Mr. Obama’s campaign is gaining strength. According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, Mr. Obama has moved ahead of Mrs. Clinton nationally, with 54 percent of Democratic voters supporting him compared with 38 percent for Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Dodd said he was initially skeptical of a presidential campaign by someone in his first term in the Senate. But he said that “Barack Obama is a 21st century candidate who will express the aspirations and hopes of so many.” Mr. Dodd, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee who was first elected to the Senate in 1980, is also a Democratic superdelegate. The endorsement also comes just before Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, the last before a spate of critical primary contests, including those next Tuesday in Texas and Ohio. The debate, at 9 p.m. at Cleveland State University, comes after days of both campaigns increasing their attacks. Mrs. Clinton has launched a concerted effort to question Mr. Obama’s credentials and his experience. In a speech on Monday, Mrs. Clinton compared Mr. Obama’s foreign policy experience to that of President Bush, saying “we’ve seen the tragic result of having a president who had neither the experience nor the wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our national security.” Mr. Obama has countered with criticism of Senator Clinton’s record, including her support for the war in Iraq. The topic that has drawn the most attention is a photograph posted on The Drudge Report showing Mr. Obama in ceremonial African clothing. Matt Drudge said that the photo was sent by someone in the Clinton campaign, prompting blistering criticism from Mr. Obama’s camp. David Plouffe, his campaign manager, called the photo “the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we’ve seen from either party.” It has not been independently verified who sent the photo. Mrs. Clinton’s campaign responded by charging that Mr. Obama’s campaign “should be ashamed” to suggest the photograph was offensive. At the news conference, Mr. Dodd warned that such infighting could cripple the party’s chances against the Republicans in November. “I know the temptations of campaigns,” he said. “It can get a little out of control, and we’ve seen a little bit of that this week.” Standing on the podium near Mr. Dodd, Senator Obama offered a truce over the photograph. “Do I think that is reflective of Senator Clinton’s approach to the campaign,” Mr. Obama said. “Probably not."

Bad news, and I was knowed that he never going to win because as long as he stand against the Zionism he will never ever going to win.

Complete List of Oscar Winners Complete List of the Winners at 80th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony (Reuters) The Associated Press By The Associated Press Feb 24, 2008 (AP) Complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles: Best Motion Picture: "No Country for Old Men." Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood." Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose." Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men." Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton." Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men." Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria. Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men." Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno." Animated Feature Film: "Ratatouille." Art Direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street." Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood." Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum." Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum." Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli. Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." Documentary Feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side." Documentary Short Subject: "Freeheld." Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum." Makeup: "La Vie en Rose." Animated Short Film: "Peter & the Wolf." Live Action Short Film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (`The Mozart of Pickpockets')." Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass." Academy Award winners previously announced this year: Honorary and technical Oscars: Robert Boyle; Eastman Kodak Co.; David A. Grafton. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Ralph Nader Running for President -- Again He Says He's Ready To Take On Political Establishment One More Time Ralph Nader speaks at a news conference in Reading, Pa. in this July 14, 2007 file photo. Nader has announced yet another run for the White House. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) By JAKE TAPPER and KIM RANDOLPH Feb. 24, 2008 Calling Washington, D.C., "corporate-occupied territory," consumer advocate Ralph Nader launched his fifth campaign for the presidency Sunday. "I'm running for president," said Nader in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." Nader downplayed the impact he might have on the ultimate outcome of the race, saying "if Democrats can't landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form." Assailing Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as "the candidate for perpetual war" and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, as someone whose "better instincts and his knowledge have been censored by himself," Nader said he was running to advocate positions he said were being ignored by McCain, Obama, and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, whom last month he called a "political coward." "All the candidates -- McCain, Obama, and Clinton -- are against single payer health insurance, full Medicare for all," Nader said, saying he also wanted to take on the "bloated military budget," labor law reform, repealing the Taft-Hartley Act, and corporate crime. "One feels an obligation to try to open the doorways," Nader said. "Dissent is the mother of assent and in that context I have decided to run for president." Nader, 73, has run for president as a write-in candidate on both the Democratic and Republican tickets in the New Hampshire primary 1992 as a "none of the above" candidate. He mounted more serious, if still quixotic, campaigns in 1996, 2000, and 2004. Many Democrats resent his 2000 run, believing he sapped enough votes from then-Vice President Al Gore to hand the presidency to then-Gov. George W. Bush. In Florida, where Gore ultimately lost to Bush by 537 votes, more than 97,000 Floridians supported Nader, then on the Green Party ticket. The Clinton campaign declined to comment on Nader's announcement. Campaigning in Columbus on Saturday, Obama called Nader a "heroic" figure who "has done as much as just about anybody on behalf of consumers." But Obama also assailed the consumer advocate as a stubborn egomaniac. "My sense is that Mr.. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive," Obama said. "He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work …I do think there's a sense now that ... if somebody's not hewing to the Ralph Nader agenda then you must be lacking in some way." Obama said the job of the Democratic Party "is to be so compelling that a few percentage (points) of the vote going to another candidate's not going to make any difference." Nader, calling Obama "the first liberal evangelist in a long time," criticized the Illinois Democrat for having been "pro-Palestine when he was in Illinois, before he ran for the state senate" but now "supporting the Israeli destruction" of Gaza. Nader said that those who would argue against his candidacy are displaying "political bigotry" against "all of us that think that the country needs an infusion of freedom, democracy and choice," suggesting they "should just sit on the sidelines and watch the two political parties own all the voters and turn the government over to big business."

Yes, Ralph again:rolleyes:

Christianty, and he emphasizing on that.

Analysis: Clinton Chooses Graciousness By BETH FOUHY – 1 hour ago AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Hillary Clinton, the front-runner no more, sought to bury Barack Obama, but also to praise him in their latest campaign debate and revive her own White House hopes in the process. "No matter what happens in this contest — and I am honored, I am honored to be here with Barack Obama," she said at the conclusion of the 90-minute forum. "Whatever happens, we're going to be fine." It was an unexpectedly gracious moment in a debate that was supposed to be a game changer for Clinton in the run-up to crucial primaries in Texas and Ohio March 4. After losing 11 straight contests to Obama in a race now clearly breaking his way, the former first lady chose the high road and even delivered what sounded to many like the dress rehearsal for a campaign valedictory address. Her remarks were "almost a quasi-concession speech," said Texas state Rep. Rafael Anchia, who backs Obama. Clinton doubtless didn't intend her words to be taken that way. In a round of television appearances Wednesday morning, Clinton said her remarks were intended as "a recognition that both of us are on the brink of historic change. "I'm very proud that we have the two of us in this contest seeking the Democratic nomination, hoping to become our next president," she said on CBS's "The Early Show." She is seeking to be the first woman president, and Obama the first black president. Clinton worked hard during the debate to draw contrasts with Obama on issues, pressing her argument that Obama's health care reform proposal would leave 15 million people uninsured. Obama has countered that Clinton's plan, which requires everyone to carry insurance, would force people to purchase coverage they can't afford. But otherwise, Clinton steered away from any hard-hitting criticism of her rival. She agreed with him on most matters raised in the debate, including immigration policy and fixing the economy. She let pass a statement that he would be willing to meet with new Cuban leader Raul Castro "without precondition" after hammering him for making a similar comment in another debate last summer. Clinton even sidestepped a question of whether the Illinois senator is ready to be commander in chief — an argument she makes clearly and forcefully before most campaign audiences. "I will leave that for voters to decide," Clinton said, opening an opportunity for her rival. "I wouldn't be running if I didn't think I was prepared to be commander in chief," Obama responded simply — winning back what could have been a breakthrough moment for the New York senator. Obama, for his part, controlled the pace of the evening — calmly going toe to toe on issues with Clinton while forcefully challenging her argument that he is all promise and no results. "The implication is that the people who've been voting for me or involved in my campaign are somehow delusional," Obama said. "The thinking is that somehow, they've been duped and they're going to see the reality of things." Clinton's only attempt to get tough was a crack about Obama borrowing lines from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick — an argument pressed by her campaign this week, with little apparent effect. "Lifting whole passages from someone else's speeches is not change you can believe in, it's change you can Xerox," Clinton said, eliciting a chorus of boos. "She's somewhat boxed in: play nice and let the Obamomentum continue, or sharpen the attacks and risk a backlash. It's the Hobson's choice faced by all trailing candidates," said Dan Newman, a California-based Democratic strategist not affiliated with either candidate. That's why the end of the debate and Clinton's generous praise of Obama stood out — an unprompted gesture that followed another poignant moment, when she acknowledged the pain of her husband's dalliance with White House intern Monica Lewinsky and his subsequent impeachment. "I think everybody here knows I've lived through some crises and some challenging moments in my life," she said, winning applause and cheers. Was it another example of Clinton "finding her voice" — showing the kind of flash of humanity that helped her win the New Hampshire primary last month? Her advisers clearly thought yes. "What we saw in the final moments in that debate is why Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States," spokesman Howard Wolfson said. "Her strength, her life experience, her compassion. She's tested and ready. It was the moment she retook the reins of this race and showed women and men why she is the best choice."

Hello from Egypt:)

As long as this thread name is Islam and Dogs, there is another story tells about a man walking in the desert and he was very thirsty, then he found a well and he get down to the well to drink, after that he saw a thirsty dog licking the sand from the thirst. When he saw that, he remembered how he was so thirsty so he get down again and bring some water to the dog and the man entered the heaven for this act.

Obama increases delegate lead By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama captured most of the delegates in the Wisconsin and Hawaii contests, increasing his lead in the race for the Democratic nomination for president. Sen. John McCain, meanwhile, moved closer to clinching the Republican nomination. Obama won 56 delegates in the two states, with one still to be awarded in Hawaii. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won 37. Obama also got a boost from new superdelegate endorsements, as well as newly released returns from several elections that were held on Super Tuesday. Election results have been slow in some states because of delays in assigning votes to the proper congressional district. In the overall race for the nomination, Obama led with 1,351 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. Clinton had 1,262. Obama has built the lead by winning 10 straight contests since Super Tuesday. Clinton has kept it closer with more endorsements from superdelegates, who can support whomever they choose at the convention, regardless of what happens in the primaries. It takes 2,025 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. A breakdown of the race for Democratic delegates: Pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses: Obama, 1,178; Clinton, 1,024. Superdelegates: Obama, 173; Clinton, 238. On the Republican side, McCain won 34 delegates in Wisconsin and Washington state, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won three. The race in one Wisconsin congressional district was too close to call Wednesday, and complete results in Washington state could take several days. Overall, McCain had 957 delegates after picking up more endorsements from party leaders who automatically attend the convention. Huckabee had 254. It takes 1,191 delegates to claim the Republican nomination at this summer's national convention. With Tuesday's results, Huckabee needs help from Mitt Romney's former delegates just to remain a viable candidate. Romney has withdrawn from the race and endorsed McCain. But the former Massachusetts governor has little authority over his 256 delegates, most of whom will be free agents at the convention in St. Paul, Minn. Romney actually picked up a few delegates Wednesday, based on newly released results from elections held before he quit the race. The Associated Press tracks the delegate races by calculating the number of national convention delegates won by candidates in each presidential primary or caucus, based on state and national party rules, and by interviewing unpledged delegates to obtain their preferences. Most primaries and some caucuses are binding, meaning delegates won by the candidates are pledged to support that candidate at the national conventions this summer. Political parties in some states, however, use multistep procedures to award national delegates. Typically, such states use local caucuses to elect delegates to state or congressional district conventions, where national delegates are selected. In these states, the AP uses the results from local caucuses to calculate the number of national delegates each candidate will win, if the candidate's level of support at the caucus doesn't change.

These days who defend his country called terrorist and who attacking and Occupying the others called freedom fighter. If Castro a mass-murdering as you say, so what you call Mr. Bush and the other Zionists.

Islam didn't said that, they are just crazy Persian Shia.

Obama Wins Hawaii Caucuses After Wisconsin Victory By Kim Chipman Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama won the party's caucuses in Hawaii, his second victory of the day after Wisconsin. The Illinois senator took 76 percent of the vote, according to the preliminary final result. Hillary Clinton, a New York senator, received 24 percent. Although Obama was born and raised in Honolulu, his victory in Hawaii was not certain. Clinton had the backing of Daniel Inouye, Hawaii's senior senator, as well as the state's largest union. Earlier yesterday, Obama defeated Clinton in Wisconsin's presidential primary, 58 percent to 41 percent. Turnout was heavy at caucus sites in Honolulu, with crowds creating traffic jams, said Representative Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat who represents the city in Congress and is backing Obama. ``It's the most enormous political event in Hawaii's history,'' Abercrombie said in a telephone interview as he waited to caucus. Neither Clinton nor Obama personally campaigned in Hawaii. Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, traveled to the state last week to campaign for her mother. Obama's half-sister, Honolulu resident Maya Soetoro-Ng, 37, and some of his former classmates and friends led a volunteer effort on the Illinois senator's behalf. Hawaii has 20 pledged convention delegates at stake that will be awarded proportionally based on the final election results.

Viva Castro:)

Nada Surf- Lucky Good but not the best

Obama Learning in Islamic school for two years then he turned to a Catholic school.

McCain finds a tool to woo conservatives: Israel By Shmuel Rosner There's been a lot of talk lately about John McCain's problem with the more conservative (and religious) right wing of the Republican Party. In Super Tuesday McCain won among self-identified conservatives in only three of the nine states that were covered by the exit polls I saw. His real strength is among moderates. The dominant narrative for the rest of the Republican race could be McCain's uneasy relationship with the right, writes Michael Grunwald in Time. The candidate is making an effort to win over this important constituency: "I promise you," McCain assured conservatives in his victory speech, "if I am so fortunate to win your nomination, I will work hard to ensure that the conservative philosophy and principles of our great party ... will again win the votes of a majority of the American people." The problem he has is clear: How does one win over the more radical wing of his party without alienating the more centrist voters on which one relies to help him win not just the nomination but also the general election. McCain is using a couple of tools as to achieve this goal. One of them, and not a marginal one, is the State of Israel. Senator Joe Lieberman is playing a role here. The staunchest Jewish supporter McCain has, Lieberman can promise both Jews and Evangelical voters that McCain is the candidate who will not abandon Israel (no wonder some people still think Lieberman is McCain's top pick for vice president). Lieberman also says that McCain understands how significant the establishment of the state of Israel was. He is an avid reader of history and also has "a sense of history." He is familiar with the story of the country. He will not do anything that will "compromise Israel's security." Lieberman has real confidence in McCain, a "total comfort level" because "I know this man." "In his potential outreach to Evangelical Christians, Lieberman could trade on a relationship rooted in a shared concern for the safety of Israel, as well the respect many Evangelicals have for Lieberman's Orthodox Jewish background and for his activism on values issues like violence in the media," wrote Jennifer Siegel of the Forward, and rightly so. But who needs Lieberman when it is so clear that the candidate himself is using the Israel tool with his most problematic constituency? Two weeks ago I reported that "it is not only the Jews who McCain is courting" with gestures and statements concerning Israel: 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." And here is a statement he made earlier, in the summer: "The State of Israel has never needed your support and your hopes and your prayers they way they need it today," McCain said. "And God bless you for your commitment." The occasion: the annual Christians United for Israel Summit in Washington. McCain's speech Thursday, at the Conservative Political Action Conference here in Washington, was designed to hammer this point home in an even more forceful way: "Those [Democratic] senators won't recognize and seriously address the threat posed by an Iran with nuclear ambitions to our ally Israel in the region," McCain said. He meant: If you conservatives really care about Israel as you often say you do, I'm your man. Here's some more: "I intend to make unmistakably clear to Iran we will not permit a government that espouses the destruction of the State of Israel as its fondest wish and pledges undying enmity to the United States to possess the weapons to advance their malevolent ambitions." His speech, wrote Stephen Hayes "was surprisingly well-received". After the speech, Hayes reports: [Tom] DeLay told a few reporters that a speech at CPAC could not make up for McCain's record, but he would not rule out voting for him. That might not seem like a big deal unless we recall that DeLay had previously said that McCain "has done more to hurt the Republican Party than any elected official I know of." And he'd still consider voting for him? DeLay is definitely one of those people to which a positive message concerning Israel is of great importance, and might help McCain do the trick.

Obama is gaining momentum- also among Jews AlEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA- There is no way to estimate in exact numbers former Jewish Congressman Tom Lantos' contributions to Israel's prosperity and safety. He was 16 when the Nazis conquered Hungary, and sent him to a concentration camp. Afterwards, he escaped and found refuge with the Swedish Righteous Gentile Raoul Wallenberg. In 1947 he came to the United States to study, and stayed. In 1980, Lantos, an economics professor, was elected to Congress as a representative for his San Francisco hometown, and has been there since. The only Holocaust survivor in Congress- smart, authoritative, knowledgeable. Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee. On his office walls hangs Jerusalem lithography. In all these years, he was one of the greatest supporters of Israel and promoted human rights worldwide. He died Monday at age 80. A loss of this kind has no replacement. President Shimon Peres, described Lantos on Tuesday as "a fearless fighter for democracy, freedom, and human rights, a true and close friend of the State of Israel." Lantos fell ill many months ago, but was able to announce that as a "superdelegate"- a term for some of the Congressman belonging to the Democratic National Committee- he would support Hillary Clinton's candidacy. Similar to many other Jewish lawmakers and voters, but not to all. As the days pass, as Senator Barack Obama's momentum increases, it seems as though the majority of Jewish Democrats will support him. Last weekend, when California's votes were recounted, it became clear that Obama won the majority of the Jewish votes- the state where Lantos was from. Last weekend, a substantial group of Jewish lawmakers from Maryland joined Obama's band of supporters. They announced that Obama supports Israel and will continue to support it. Even Jewish Congressman John Yarmuth joined the supporters camp. The "Potomac primaries" which will be held Tuesday in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, are important for Obama, who wants to maintain his momentum after four consecutive victories last week- in Nebraska, Washington state, Louisiana, and Monday's win in Maine. They are important for Clinton too, who wants to steal Virginia at least from Obama. That way she can claim she had a nice achievement, for all in all, everyone assumed ahead of time that Obama's chances of winning those areas are greater. The last time Virginia voted for a Democratic president was a long time ago. Not Kerry, Gore, Clinton, Dukakis, Mondale, Carter, McGovern, or Humphrey. The year was 1964, and the winning candidate was Lyndon B. Johnson. Since then, only Republicans. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton think and believe that this is about to change. And they are thinking, each of them by separately: I am the candidate who can change this. What the two candidates attempted to do in their appearances in past days was to convince voters that they are the candidate who can beat Republican John McCain in Virginia. Obama emphasized the fact that independents are supporting him- that is to say, he is the candidate who can break the left-right tradition and bring new populations and countries to the Democratic line. Clinton claimed that only an experienced candidate who knows how to withstand attack and return fire can stand against McCain. This is an interesting turning point in the campaign, which is credited to the Republican opponent. Because the candidate from the right is already known, the voters have to not only make an ideological ruling- who they prefer- but also view the race pragmatically: Which candidate standing before us has the better chance of stopping McCain's train? Not that they didn't speak of this before, but now the selection is much more precise. The polls are speaking for Obama. He is leading McCain in a two-way race, while Clinton is close, sometimes in a small delay against McCain. All this is not important, Clinton headquarters say, since the attack on Obama from the right hasn't begun. If he is the elected candidate, the support for him will lessen and erode. To Clinton, they say, that can't happen. The voters already know everything possible about her. Anything bad that can be said about her has already been said. Whoever supports her anyhow, won't change his/her mind negatively- only positvely.

Clean sweep for Obama Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) greets supporters at the Eastern Market Metro station in Washington, D.C. Sen. Barack Obama dominated yesterday's Potomac primaries by easily winning the Democratic contests in the District, Maryland and Virginia — running his victory streak to eight in a row — as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton looked to tamp down her rival's rising momentum in the delegate-rich states to come. Mr. Obama of Illinois bypassed Mrs. Clinton in the race for delegates, but the senator from New York won enough votes in Virginia and Maryland to keep the presidential nomination contest in a virtual dead heat. "Today, the change we seek swept through the Chesapeake and over the Potomac," Mr. Obama said at a rally in Madison, Wis., which will vote next week. "We know our road will not be easy, but we also know that, at this moment, the cynics can no longer say that our hope is false," he said, a reference to one of Mrs. Clinton's talking points. "We have now won east and west, north and south, and across the heartland of this country we love." In the key swing state of Virginia, Mr. Obama defeated Mrs. Clinton 64 percent to 35 percent with 99 percent of precincts reporting. In Maryland, where the polls were held open an extra 90 minutes because of a winter storm, Democrats backed Mr. Obama 60 percent to Mrs. Clinton"s 36 percent with 59 percent of precincts reporting. He also easily won in the District 75 percent to 24 percent with 98 percent of precincts reporting. Mrs. Clinton, who was in El Paso, Texas, last night campaigning, delivered a stump speech that made one passing reference to Mr. Obama or his campaign wins. "And we're going to sweep across Texas in the next three weeks, bringing our message about what we need in America, the kind of president that will be required on day one to be commander in chief to turn the economy around," Mrs. Clinton said at rally at the University of Texas at El Paso. "I'm tested. I'm ready. Let's make it happen," she said. Mr. Obama continued to gain support among both men and women, in nearly every age group and from across racial lines. Exit polls in Maryland and Virginia showed Mr. Obama even winning among white men, the latter being only the second time he won that segment of the vote in a Southern state. He split the overall white vote with Mrs. Clinton. She won her base, white women, and he won 90 percent of the black vote. Mrs. Clinton's campaign downplayed yesterday's defeats ahead of time, saying it expected Mr. Obama to do well in the Potomac-Chesapeake region. "I hope we win all three of them, but he is spending a lot of money and time in this region, and we are going to fight hard in all three places," said Bob Nash, Mrs. Clinton's deputy campaign manager. "I would say that he will probably do pretty good in D.C., and I am hopeful that we will do well in Maryland and Virginia." Shortly after the results were called, news broke that another of Mrs. Clinton's deputy campaign managers, Mike Henry, had resigned. In a note to the staff, Mr. Henry said his departure came out of respect for the new leadership team. Patti Solis Doyle, the campaign's former manager, stepped down over the weekend for personal reasons and was replaced by longtime Clinton family confidante Maggie Williams. Yesterday's results pushed the Illinois Democrat's win total to 23 states, nearly double the number of states that Mrs. Clinton has won. But among her 12 wins were such more populous delegate-rich states as California, New York and New Jersey. Heading into the Potomac primaries, Mrs. Clinton held about a 20-delegate lead, including superdelegates, with 1,151 to Mr. Obama's 1,131, but by the end of the night Mr. Obama led 1,223 to her 1,198 and delegate counts continued to shift throughout the night. The Democratic Party requires a candidate to win 2,025 delegates to secure the nomination outright. If neither candidate reaches the 2,025 mark, the nomination would be left up to the party's 796 superdelegates, about 20 percent of total, to decide who the party's nominee will be. Both campaigns are courting superdelegates, an array of members of Congress, governors, state party leaders and Democratic National Committee (DNC) members, who are free to support who they like at the party's nominating convention, unlike pledged delegates, who are allocated based on nominating contests. The Clinton campaign, which holds a lead with the superdelegates, says they should support who they think will be the best president. Initially, Mr. Obama hinted in the morning after the Feb. 5 primaries that the superdelegates should follow the lead of the voters, saying that they "would have to think long and hard about how they approach the nomination if the people they represent have said that Obama is our guy." But on Monday, the campaign's media strategist David Axelrod said superdelegates should decide what's best for the party. "I think that the role of the superdelegate is to act as, sort of, a party elder," said Mr. Axelrod this week on the "Today" show. "I think they and all the superdelegates should vote according to what they think is best for the party and the country. And I think that we need the strongest possible candidate against John McCain." One of those superdelegates, Rep. Robert C. Scott, Virginia Democrat, said after Mr. Obama's performance in his state that the superdelegates will have no choice but to support him. "He has shown that he will be competitive in Virginia in the general election ... We know that if the Republicans lose one or two Southern states, they cannot win," Mr. Scott said. "I believe with former Governor Mark Warner on the ballot for Senate in addition to Mr. Obama's own strength, Virginia could go Democratic for the first time since 1964." Mr. Obama heads into Tuesday's Wisconsin primary with a healthy lead in that state, according to one poll done Monday. Both campaigns expect him to win that day in Hawaii, where he grew up and where Democrats hold a caucus on Tuesday. Texas will hold its hybrid half-caucus/half-primary vote on March 4, along with the Ohio primary. Mrs. Clinton will rely heavily on the Hispanic vote in Texas to carry her to victory in that state and hopes to steal a victory in Ohio, but first she must do well in Wisconsin. The campaign announced that it would begin airing its first television ad in the Badger State highlighting Mrs. Clinton's commitment to a universal health care system and her belief that it is America's moral obligation. In Virginia, exit polls also showed that Mr. Obama dominated the youth vote, winning three-quarters of Virginia Democrats younger than 30. He beat Mrs. Clinton in every age group except for the elderly vote, which he split with Mrs. Clinton. • S.A. Miller contributed to this report.

Romney Suspends Campaign, Clearing the Way for McCain Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Mitt Romney suspended his presidential campaign today, clearing the way for John McCain to seal the Republican presidential nomination. Romney said fighting all the way to the party's national convention would damage Republican chances in the November election and make it more likely that a Democrat, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, would take the White House. ``In this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror,'' Romney said in a speech to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, where he was greeted with cheers. ``I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and our country.'' McCain, 71, an Arizona senator, told the conference this afternoon he spoke with Romney and congratulated him for his ``dedicated'' campaign. The two men will ``sit down together,'' and they agree on the importance of uniting the party, he said. Romney, 60, is yielding after losing in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary as well as several later contests that he was counting on to propel him to the nomination. The former Massachusetts governor emerged from the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday round of primaries and caucuses having been thwarted in states such as West Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Battle for Support While Romney won contests in Nevada, Wyoming and his home state of Michigan, he faced difficulties gaining support from evangelical Christians with Huckabee, 52, in the race and from Republicans concerned about national security, who are McCain's prime constituency. Romney trailed McCain in national polls and in the race for delegates to the Republican National Convention. A candidate needs at least 1,191 to win the nomination, and an Associated Press count showed McCain had a total of 707 so far. Romney had 294 and Huckabee had 195. Representative Ron Paul, who also remains in the race, had 14. ``It was inevitable,'' Republican strategist Rick Wilson, who isn't affiliated with any campaign, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. ``If he wants to live to fight another day in a way that is viable, he needs to step aside.'' Huckabee to Continue Huckabee said he planned to stay in the contest. ``This is a two-man race for the nomination, and I am committed to marching on,'' he said in a statement. ``As a true authentic, consistent, conservative, I have a vision to bring hope, opportunity and prosperity to all Americans, and I'd like to ask for and welcome the support of those who had previously been committed to Mitt.'' While Romney's name will remain on ballots, he is no longer seeking votes or campaigning, his spokesman Kevin Madden said in an e-mailed response to questions. ``The governor will bring his delegates to the convention'' to make sure he has a say in the party's platform ``with the expectation of releasing those delegates to the eventual nominee,'' Madden said. In his speech to CPAC, an annual gathering of students, activists and policy makers, Romney said he disagrees with McCain ``on a number of issues.'' Their main area of agreement, he said, is continuing the U.S. military effort in Iraq and prosecuting the war on terror. `Declare Defeat' ``And Barack and Hillary have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq and the war on terror,'' Romney said. ``They would retreat and declare defeat.'' Pressing on with a campaign would ``make it more likely that Senators Clinton or Obama would win,'' he said. Romney didn't explicitly give his endorsement to McCain. Romney based his campaign on the managerial experience he gained as a businessman, head of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and Republican governor of Democratic-leaning Massachusetts. In his campaign kickoff on Feb. 13, 2006, he said Washington can't be changed by a ``lifelong politician.'' ``There have been too many deals, too many favors, too many entanglements, and too little real-world experience managing, guiding, leading,'' he said at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, the state where he was born and where his father, George Romney, served as governor in the 1960s. Fundraising Though never a national front-runner, Romney excelled at fundraising, collecting twice as much as McCain early in the campaign last year. He also benefited from the fortune he built as the former chairman of Boston-based management-consulting firm Bain & Co. and founder of investment firm Bain Capital LLC, by loaning more than $35 million to his campaign. During 2007 he spent $87.6 million on the race, more than any other Republican hopeful. Romney's political career in Massachusetts provided targets for his opponents, such as his support of a woman's right to have an abortion during an unsuccessful 1994 bid for the Senate. He also said he would be a better advocate for homosexuals than the state's Democratic Senator, Edward Kennedy. During the presidential campaign he said he is now firmly anti-abortion and has been an advocate for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, aligning him more with Republican conservatives. There was also the issue of Romney's membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A July Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll found that 35 percent of registered voters said they wouldn't vote for a Mormon for president. That includes about a third of both Republicans and independents.

Obama bullish; Clinton looks to March By JIM KUHNHENN and BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writers WASHINGTON - Super Tuesday's mixed outcome has set up at least four weeks of frenzied delegate hunting for Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, pitting his well-financed all-terrain campaign against her big-state strategy. In a sign of Obama's growing financial advantage, Clinton acknowledged Wednesday that she loaned her campaign $5 million late last month as Obama was outraising and outspending her heading into Feb. 5 Super Tuesday contests. Some senior staffers on her campaign also are voluntarily forgoing paychecks as the campaign heads into the next round of contests. Buoyed by strong fundraising and a primary calendar in February that plays to his strengths, Obama plans a campaign blitz through a series of states holding contests this weekend and will compete to win primaries in the Mid-Atlantic next week and Hawaii and Wisconsin the following week. Clinton, with less money to spend and less confident of her prospects in the February contests, will instead concentrate on Ohio and Texas, large states with primaries March 4 and where polling shows her with a significant lead. She even is looking ahead to Pennsylvania's primary April 22, believing a largely elderly population there will favor the former first lady. Clinton's personal loan illustrated her financial disadvantage and her desire to pick her targets with care. She sent an e-mail appeal to donors Wednesday seeking $3 million in three days — an effort, that if successful, would match the fundraising rate Obama averaged for the entire month of January. "I loaned it because I believe very strongly in this campaign," Clinton told reporters Wednesday. "We had a great month fundraising in January, broke all records, but my opponent was able to raise more money and we intended to be competitive and we were." "And I think the results last night proved the wisdom of my investment." Both campaigns claimed bragging rights for their Super Tuesday successes Wednesday while acknowledging it could be weeks or even months until either candidate has amassed enough delegates to win the party's nomination. Obama won 13 Super Tuesday states while Clinton picked up eight and American Samoa, with New Mexico left to be decided. Both camps claimed a small delegate lead, but an analysis by The Associated Press indicates there were still many to be counted. "We are going to try and contest every contest, and win as many delegates we can," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said. "If you look at the next month, we have a lot of confidence that we will hold the pledged delegate lead." Obama, riding a wave of fundraising both from large donors and small Internet contributors, raised a stunning $32 million in January. Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said last week the Clinton campaign raised only $13.5 million for the month. The $5 million loan was in addition to that amount, Wolfson said. Clinton advisers were stunned by Obama's January fundraising and have marveled at his ability to raise small-dollar amounts from a vast field of donors. "We will have funds to compete," chief Clinton strategist Mark Penn said, "but we're likely to be outspent again." The Clinton camp was eager to take the luster off of Obama's status as a "movement candidate" who has generated unprecedented activism and fundraising through the Internet. Clinton strategists went out of their way to label him an "establishment candidate" and worked to pitch her message to online activists. Obama was heading late Wednesday to Louisiana, where he is favored to win the state's primary Saturday largely on his strength among black voters. He also planned to campaign in Nebraska and Washington state, which also hold contests that day. Clinton was being more circumspect. She planned to campaign Thursday in Virginia, which holds its primary next Tuesday along with neighbors Maryland and the District of Columbia. She was also headed to Maine, which holds precinct caucuses Sunday. Penn conceded the campaign would rely on surrogates to campaign for her in most of the states with contests Saturday, including former President Clinton and daughter Chelsea. It was a tacit admission that the former first lady was unlikely to win any of those states outright. Privately, her strategists also have largely written off her chances of winning the so-called Potomac primary Feb. 9, given the large black populations in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. They also played down her chances in the following week's major primaries — Hawaii, where Obama grew up, and Wisconsin, which has virtually sealed the nomination for other Democrats in years past. Wisconsin's Democratic electorate is largely liberal and college educated, and its open primary allows independents to vote — all factors that favor Obama. Clinton political director Guy Cecil insisted the campaign was competing hard in all those places. The campaign has paid staff in Wisconsin and has developed a strong grass-roots organization there. The campaign, however, clearly was focused on the March 4 contests in Ohio and Texas, both of them offering a trove of delegates. But both states have several media markets, making advertising an expensive proposition. A statewide race in Texas can cost $1 million a week in advertising. Cecil identified Texas as a top priority. "We think it is a linchpin in our nomination to the presidency," he said. While Clinton was focusing on Ohio and Texas, her organized supporters were weighing in for her in upcoming state contests. The American Federation of Teachers was going up with radio ads promoting her in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. They also planned a two-week placement of radio ads in Wisconsin, which holds its primary Feb. 19. Clinton faces significant fundraising obstacles ahead, raising the possibility that she might have to dip into the family's wealth again. The Clinton's financial disclosures, which reveal only broad ranges of assets, place their wealth between $10 million to $50 million. Campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said the loan came from Sen. Clinton's "share of their joint resources." An analysis by the Campaign Finance Institute, which tracks trends in political money, found that Obama raised about a third of his money in 2007 from donors who gave $200 or less. Only one-third of his money came from donors who have given the legal maximum of $2,300, compared to Clinton. She has raised about half of her money from "maxed out" donors and only 14 percent from donors of $200 or less.