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Bloomberg could seriously alter the race for the White House, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll finds.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg - who left the Republican Party last week - could have a serious impact on the 2008 presidential race, rivaling billionaire Ross Perot's influence in 1992, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll suggests.

In the new poll's three-way matchups among registered voters, Democratic frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton would hold a slight edge in an all-New York race with 41 percent, compared to Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani's 38 percent and Bloomberg's 17.

In a two-way matchup, Clinton and Giuliani are effectively tied, 49-48 percent, with a sampling error of 3.5 percentage points.

In a race pitting Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, against Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Bloomberg, Obama drew 40 percent; McCain, 34 percent; and Bloomberg, 21. Without the New York mayor, Obama would edge McCain 48-44 percent, according to the poll.

The poll showed a possible Giuliani-Obama race a statistical dead heat, with Giuliani at 48 percent and Obama at 46 percent. But Obama led Fred Thompson by a wide margin, 52 percent to 40 percent, the survey found.

About a third of Americans - 33 percent - said they would be very or fairly likely to consider voting for an independent presidential candidate. That is considerably less than in June 1992, when 47 percent said they were likely to consider an independent. Ross Perot ended up taking 19 percent of the popular vote with an independent bid that year.

Bloomberg's decision to abandon the GOP last week has fueled speculation that the two-term billionaire mayor will mount an independent presidential bid. Bloomberg called that talk "very flattering" Wednesday, but said he has no intention of seeking the White House.

The poll, conducted for CNN by Opinion Research Corp., surveyed 1,029 adults between Friday and Sunday. It had a sampling error of 3 percentage points.

Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The White House is hopeful that the Senate will have the requisite 60 votes to begin the process of debating the immigration bill.

“We’re optimistic the 60 votes will be there,” said Assistant to the president and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Joel Kaplan. “Our intelligence suggests there will be the votes to move onto the bill to start considering amendments.”

Tuesday’s cloture vote would prevent a filibuster of the immigration bill and clear the way for debate on the 20-plus amendments that are part of it.

President Bush has been pushing for a comprehensive immigration bill and made a “bunch” of calls to Capitol Hill to rally support for the bill, according to Kaplan. Bush also dedicated his weekly radio address to the subject of immigration and has an immigration related event on Tuesday.

– CNN Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation announced Monday that it has joined with CNN, the Los Angeles Times and Politico.com to host the final GOP presidential debate before the February 5, 2008 "Super-Tuesday" elections when California, Florida and as many as 20 other states hold primaries.

Nancy Reagan has extended invitations to the GOP frontrunners seeking their party's presidential nomination to participate in this final debate, which will take place at the Reagan Library on January 30, 2008. More specific details about this historic event will be announced at a later date.

"We are very pleased to be a host of the final Republican presidential debate before Super Tuesday," said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. "Given the timing, this debate should play an important role in the outcome of the presidential election and it is extremely fitting that it will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library."

"The Reagan Presidential Library is delighted to be able to host this important debate on the eve of these crucial primary votes," said Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., chairman of the board of trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation. "It was President Reagan's dream that his Library play a meaningful role in our democratic process and this event will be another milestone toward fulfilling that goal."

Watch Richardson's Iraq comments on CNN's American Morning.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson defended his previous calls to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year, telling CNN Monday that diplomacy in the region cannot work until all U.S. troops are out.

"I believe the solution is the diplomatic work that cannot begin until our troops are out," the presidential hopeful said on CNN's American Morning.

Richardson explained that such work entailed “a reconciliation conference - led by the United States - of the three groups in Iraq to have a coalition government [and] to divide the country into three entities.” He also called for “an all-Muslim peacekeeping force involving Iran and Syria to bring stability to the region and then, at the same time, trying to diffuse the Middle East crisis, the Israeli-Palestinian issue, Hamas, Fatah, [and] the breakdown there of any potential negotiations."

In the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, Richardson registers at 5 percent, behind New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Jay Garrity, left, rides a Blue Line commuter train with then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in this December 2003 photo.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Monday that he is giving Jay Garrity, the aide currently under investigation for impersonating a police officer, the "benefit of the doubt" until an investigation into the matter is concluded.

"I give him the benefit of the doubt. I hope other people do, too," Romney said Monday. "With regards to an investigation going on, of course we'll let that run its course."

"He's a good guy and I wish him the very best," Romney added. "But this is now in his hands. He's got his own counsel, and I am hoping things come out real well for him."

Garrity temporarily stepped down from the campaign on Friday after Police accused him of trying to impersonate a police officer on two separate occasions - once on the voicemail of a plumbing company, and a second time with a New York Times reporter in New Hampshire.

Garrity has denied the charges.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Romney said Monday will give money to his campaign for a second time.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is estimated to be worth at least $250 million, said Monday he will make a second contribution to his presidential effort. He called the move a "nightmare."

Romney, who loaned his campaign over $2 million in January, said he was forced to make a second loan in order to continue to get his message out and finance advertising in crucial campaign states. The Massachusetts Republican declined to say how much he will give his campaign this quarter.

"It would be nice not to have to loan or contribute to your own campaign," he told reporters during an all day national fundraising call event on Boston. "But the reality is if you want to have a strong campaign that gets out there and can talk across the nation, you’re going to have to do what's necessary. If other people are making sacrifices, I sure have to as well."

"It's not a dream come true. In some respects, it’s kind of a nightmare to write checks from your own bank account," he added.

Romney, who was little known beyond his home state when he launched his presidential bid, has steadily aired commercials in Iowa and New Hampshire since February. He said Monday that his campaign has already spent $3 million on television advertising. His chief rivals for the GOP nomination, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have yet to run television ads.

Including his own donation in the first quarter of 2007, Romney raised $23 million - a total well ahead of the other Republican presidential candidates. He predicted Monday that he would raise less in the second quarter, which ends Saturday, but said the campaign has more than doubled the number of contributors.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

McCain said Monday he finds the Supreme Court decision on a McCain-Feingold provision "regrettable."

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, expressed disappointment Monday over a Supreme Court ruling that stuck down a key provision in the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.

McCain's statement, issued by his presidential campaign, came shortly after his GOP presidential rival Mitt Romney applauded the ruling.

"While I respect their decision in this matter, it is regrettable that a split Supreme Court has carved out a narrow exception by which some corporate and labor expenditures can be used to target a federal candidate in the days and weeks before an election," McCain said.

"It is important to recognize, however, that the Court's decision does not affect the principal provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which bans federal officeholders from soliciting soft money contributions for their parties to spend on their campaigns," he added. "I am grateful to the Bush Administration and all those lawmakers, both past and present, who have joined us in our efforts to put an end to the corruption bred by soft money. Fortunately, that central reform still stands as the law."

In a 5-4 decision on Monday, the court’s majority concluded that the specific guidelines of the bill relating to issue ads — aired mainly on television — were overly restrictive. Under McCain-Feingold, such ads can be banned 60 days before a general election, and 30 days before a primary.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Listen to the latest Race to '08 podcast.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - CNN's Bill Caiacco talks with CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley about Mitt Romney's presidential campaign finances, in the latest Race to '08 podcast.

Romney quickly applauded a Supreme Court ruling against a provision of McCain-Feingold.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney jumped at the chance Monday to show his support for a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a key provision of a campaign finance law authored in part by fellow GOP presidential hopeful John McCain.

"Score one for free speech," Romney said in a statement. "The law trampled the basic right of the American people to participate in their democracy. It also purported to reduce the influence of money in politics, but we now know that influence is greater than ever. "

"McCain-Feingold was a poorly-crafted bill," he added. The bill, sponsored by the Arizona senator and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, was signed into law by President Bush in 2002.

In a 5-4 decision on Monday, the court's majority concluded that the specific guidelines of the McCain-Feingold bill relating to issue ads - aired mainly on television - were overly restrictive. Under McCain-Feingold, such ads can be banned 60 days before a general election, and 30 days before a primary.

The issue ads ban proved to be extremely unpopular with many conservative groups currently being courted by McCain in the GOP nomination contest.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Obama is launching his first television ads in Iowa.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is launching his first television ads of the 2008 cycle, his campaign announced Monday. The ads highlight the Democratic presidential candidate's biography and career.

The ads will start running Tuesday on local cable and network television in Iowa. Obama’s campaign called the ads part of a "low-level television advertising campaign," but wouldn't disclose how much it is planning to spend.

The first ad, "Choices," talks about Obama's time as a community organizer in Chicago. "It was inspiring, absolutely inspiring to see someone as brilliant as Barack Obama, as successful, someone who could’ve written his ticket on Wall Street, take all of the talent and all of the learning and decide to devote it to the community and to making people’s lives better," says Harvard Law School Professor Laurence Tribe in the ad.

The second ad, "Carry," highlights Obama's eight years as an Illinois state senator. The ad quotes Illinois Republican State Sen. Kirk Dillard praising Obama for working with members across the aisle. "Republicans legislators respected Senator Obama. His negotiation skills and an ability to understand both sides would serve the country very well," says Dillard.

The campaign is holding a conference call Monday afternoon with Tribe and Dillard to discuss the ads in detail.

–CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich

The Edwards campaign is in an all out push to reach their second quarter fundraising goal.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards' campaign sent a strongly-worded fundraising e-mail to supporters Monday, claiming "the whole Washington establishment wants our campaign to go away."

In the e-mail, headlined "Haircuts and hatchet jobs," Edwards Deputy Campaign Manager Jonathan Prince writes, "they don't want the American people to hear the message, so they attack the messenger. They call him a hypocrite because he came from nothing, built a fortune while standing up for regular people during some of their toughest times, and—heaven forbid!—he has the nerve to remember where he came from and still care passionately about guaranteeing every family the opportunities he had to get ahead."

The subject line is a reference to the criticism the former North Carolina senator took for receiving two $400 haircuts earlier this year. He is vying for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The e-mail is the latest sign the Edwards campaign is in an all out push to meet their $9 million fundraising goal for the second quarter that closes on Saturday night. Edwards political adviser Joe Trippi sent a fundraising e-mail last week saying the campaign had only raised approximately two-thirds of its goal - at the time leaving the campaign with 10 days to raise over $3 million.

The campaign raised $14 million in the first quarter of 2007.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

"Issue ads" were restricted under a 2002 law sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona (left), and Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Supreme Court on Monday swept aside part of a campaign finance law dealing with "issue ads."

The ruling could mean a greater role in the 2008 presidential campaign for advocacy groups, corporations and labor unions, which air the commercials in the weeks before voters go to the polls.

In a 5-4 ruling upholding an appeals court decision, the high court's majority concluded the specific guidelines for the issue ads - aired mainly on television - were overly restrictive.

Full story

– CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears

Romney was greeted by opponents handing out flip flops outside Fenway Park Sunday night.

(CNN) - It wasn’t just hot dogs and hamburgers Sunday at presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s Fenway Park fundraiser.

Outside the historic ballpark, opponents lined the street handing out flip-flops in an effort to highlight what they consider the former Massachusetts governor's shifting position on key issues.

While contributors headed inside Fenway, home of the Red Sox, opponents walked the street dressed in huge pink cardboard flip flop’s reading - "Flip Flopper from Mass" and other such slogans directed at Romney.

"Flip-flops, Mitt Romney style. They flip real quick," chanted his opponents as they handed out leaflets as well as pairs of the summer sandals to emphasize their point.

Romney sticks to the sports theme Monday as the candidates make the mad dash for fundraising dollars before the second quarter closes Saturday night. Hundreds of Romney supporters will attend the National Call Day at the TD Banknorth Garden, home of two other fabled Boston sports franchise: the Bruins and Celtics.

– CNN’s Assignment Editor Marissa Muller

Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau

Making news today...

* "The Bush administration has begun exploring ways of offering Congress a compromise deal on Iraq policy to avert bruising battles in coming months... With public support of the war dropping, President Bush has authorized an internal policy review to find a plan that could satisfy opponents without sacrificing his top goals." (Los Angeles Times)

* Fred Thompson "leads the pack as Nevada voters' favorite to become the Republican presidential nominee," according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal/Mason-Dixon poll published Sunday. (AP)

* "After being dissed by Barack Obama, Indian-Americans gathered in what organizers called the biggest event their community ever held to hand Hillary Clinton about $2 million yesterday." (New York Daily News)

* "I had to jump back and remember that I'm cool" – San Antonio Spurs' Bruce Bowen, who was "star struck and tongue-tied" upon meeting Obama. (San Antonio Express-News)

* "I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage." – Elizabeth Edwards in San Francisco yesterday, "splitting with her husband over support for legalized gay marriage." (AP)

* And if Michael Bloomberg jumps into the '08 race as an Independent, "Vice President Cheney and Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) could end up choosing the next president of the United States," Roll Call reports. How? Find out in Hot Topics below!

President's Schedule:

* President Bush meets with Estonian President Toomas Ilves in the Oval Office at 11:10 am ET.

This afternoon, the president makes remarks on No Child Left Behind reauthorization in the East Room at 3:15 pm ET.

Also on the Political Radar:

* 46th Annual Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game.

* Mitt Romney holds an "America's Calling" fundraising event at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA. Romney will speak to reporters at 12:15 pm ET.

* Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) fundraises in Columbia and Greenville, SC. He holds a presser in Greenville at 3 pm ET.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) appears at the Iowa Professional Firefighters State Convention Golf Tournament at 1 pm ET in Iowa City, IA. He meets with the Phoenix Club at the home of Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran in Iowa City at 7:30 pm ET.

* Tommy Thompson headlines a Grafton County (NH) Republican Committee fundraiser, in association with the Republican Committees of Windsor and Orange Counties, VT. 6:15 pm ET in Hanover, NH.

* John and Elizabeth Edwards appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

* The Senate Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook

* The House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook

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Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

"COMPROMISE DEAL ON IRAQ": The Bush administration has begun exploring ways of offering Congress a compromise deal on Iraq policy to avert bruising battles in coming months, U.S. officials said. With public support of the war dropping, President Bush has authorized an internal policy review to find a plan that could satisfy opponents without sacrificing his top goals, the officials said. The president and senior officials "realize they can't keep fighting this over and over," said one administration official, who along with others declined to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly or because decisions were pending. Los Angeles Times: Bush aides consider Iraq truce at Capitol 

POLS ARGUE OVER WHAT BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT THE VEEP BELONGS TO: If Vice President Cheney believes his office is not an "entity within the executive branch," then a House Democratic leader says taxpayers shouldn't have to finance his executive expenses. Cheney's office has claimed his constitutional role as president of the Senate also makes him part of the legislative branch and therefore is not covered by a presidential order requiring executive branch workers to report their numbers of classified and declassified government documents. Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said Sunday that a court should decide whether the vice president belongs to the executive or legislative branch. "The vice president needs to make a decision," he said. Lea Anne McBride, a Cheney spokeswoman, said Emanuel is the one who has to decide. "He can either deal with the serious issues facing our country or create more partisan politics," she said. USA Today: Lawmaker challenges Cheney on executive order 

BIG WEEK FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM: Senators pushing a new immigration policy appealed Sunday to wavering supporters on the eve of a renewed debate on whether to grant residency to some 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. A fragile compromise failed in the Senate in early June, then resurrected after bipartisan negotiations with the White House. The bill awaits a crucial test vote this week. With several senators distancing themselves from the proposal, the outcome is too close to call. "We'll see if between the two parties we have 60 votes" needed to keep the bill moving toward a final vote, said Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. AP via CNN.com: Immigration bill awaits vote this week 

STATES CREATE THEIR OWN IMMIGRATION LAWS: Frustrated with Congress's inability to pass an immigration overhaul bill, state legislatures are considering or enacting a record number of strongly worded proposals targeting illegal immigrants. By the time most legislatures adjourned in May, at least 1,100 immigration bills had been submitted by lawmakers, more than double last year's record total, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. This year's total is expected to grow as the issue continues to dominate debate in statehouses still in session. These laws limit illegal immigrants' ability to obtain jobs, find housing, get driver's licenses and receive many government services. They also empower state law enforcement agencies to inquire into an immigrant's legal status and hold for deportation those deemed to be here illegally. The idea is to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they will leave the state - if not the country. Washington Post: Illegal Immigrants Targeted By States 

"THE DEMOCRATS' CONSCIENCE ON IMMIGRATION": The moment that Senator Robert Menendez has craved may have finally arrived. At 53, he has spent 14 years in Washington, most of it as a member of the House who was largely unknown outside of northern New Jersey or political circles in Washington... On the Senate floor and in appearances before national groups, Mr. Menendez has tried to position himself as the Democratic Party's conscience on immigration. He has refused to lend his support to a sweeping plan devised by a bipartisan coalition of senators, denouncing, for example, a provision to shift immigration preferences from family ties to a merit system based on skills. He also has fought Republican proposals that would all but force entire families of illegal immigrants to return to their home countries before they could apply for permanent resident visas. New York Times: In Immigration Debate, Menendez Sees Opportunity 

WILL WARNER ENDORSE DAVIS AS SENATE SUCCESSOR? Virginia Sen. John W. Warner has said little about whether he will run for re-election, but the 80-year-old Republican is giving clear indications that he will not return for another term and that his coyness is merely an attempt to help Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, a fellow Republican, replace him. "There has been considerable discussion about the possibility that [Mr. Warner] might delay an announcement of candidacy, then announce he wasn't going to run, to allow Congressman Tom Davis to build up at the beginning of the campaigns, which would give Davis an advantage," said Morton C. Blackwell, chairman of the Virginia's Republican National Committee and leader of the conservative Leadership Institute. Washington Times: Mum Warner likely to move on 

THOMPSON LEADS IN NEVADA POLL: "Law & Order" actor Fred Thompson leads the pack as Nevada voters' favorite to become the Republican presidential nominee, according to a poll published Sunday. The statewide poll of presidential preferences conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research for the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed the television star and former Tennessee senator had the support of 25 percent of the 400 likely Republican caucus goers in the poll. The survey was conducted Wednesday through Friday and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. Thompson was followed by Mitt Romney, with 20 percent, and Rudy Giuliani, with 17 percent. John McCain slid down to single digits in the poll, with just 8 percent. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton continued to dominate, as she has in every early Nevada poll. AP via Las Vegas Sun: Paper: Clinton, Thompson lead parties in Nevada poll 

"FOUR MONTHS AND MORE THAN $4 MILLION LATER," ROMNEY IS A POWER-PLAYER IN IA, NH: When former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney began airing television ads in a handful of states last winter, his opponents paid little notice. Early advertising in presidential campaigns - particularly commercials broadcast almost 11 months before the first contests - seemed a classic waste of resources. Four months and more than $4 million later, Romney's ads are still running, and the GOP presidential candidate is reaping the dividends. Although he remains well behind former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Sen. John McCain of Arizona in most national polls, his standing in the states that will kick off the nominating process has risen dramatically. Washington Post: Romney Gains Credibility In Early Primary States 

ROMNEYEXPERIENCE.COM AIMS TO PROVE MORMONS AREN'T "WEIRD": Ryan Bell is worried about the "weird" factor. A young Utah lawyer, Bell is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and a supporter of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. And he intends to spend much of his free time answering questions about the church, dispelling myths and batting back attacks on his faith and Romney, a Mormon. Last week, Bell launched a blog at www.romneyexperience.com to offer, as he wrote in his first post, "focused information meant to counter the ever more frequent misinformation being published in the political sphere about the LDS church and its beliefs." Specifically, Bell wants to do for his church what Romney's campaign hopes to do for him: prove that Mormons aren't that different than the rest of us. The Politico: Pro-Romney website dispels Mormon myths 

ROMNEYS IN MEXICO: Mike Romney, a school administrator in this small town in the Mexican desert, and Mitt Romney, a candidate for president of the United States, have never met. But the two distant cousins are just a year apart in age, and both are descendants of the same great-grandfather, Miles Park Romney, who fled the United States and, at the direction of church leaders, helped create this colony 122 years ago as a refuge for polygamous Mormons. The distance between the lives of Mike and Mitt Romney underscores the little-known story of how the Romney family split in two on a fateful day 95 years ago, when Mexican revolutionaries forced most Mormons to leave the colony. Mike Romney's family quickly returned to Mexico, after the threat passed, while Mitt Romney's family stayed in the United States. Boston Globe: Two cousins, two countries: A family split in half 

HILLARY WELCOMED AS "NATIVE DAUGHTER" IN ARKANSAS: Arkansans warmly welcomed back Hillary Rodham Clinton this weekend in the Democrat's first visit to her old stomping ground since becoming a White House candidate. Voters here view her — the state's first lady when her husband, Bill, was governor — as a native daughter and say they think electing her president would effectively give her husband another term. Mrs. Clinton, now a U.S. senator from New York, attracted record crowds in a fundraiser for Arkansas Democrats and got a sustained ovation for her standard stump line promising to give universal health care another try. Washington Times: Arkansas Hillary's Southern strategy 

CLINTON'S CAUTION ON HEALTH CARE HAS "COME WITH A PRICE": When it comes to health care reform, Hillary Rodham Clinton epitomizes the old adage, "once burned, twice shy." As first lady in the early 1990s, she tried to reshape the nation's health care system — an audacious effort that collapsed under its own complexity, Republican opposition and the Clintons' unwillingness to seek compromise with lawmakers. "I still have the scars to show for it," she tells voters now, promising a more consensus-based approach to health care reform if she is elected president. But that newfound caution has also come with a price. While rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards have both laid out sweeping health care reform plans with estimated costs attached, Clinton has so far proposed only modest changes to the existing system while avoiding the vexing question of how to provide coverage for all. AP via Yahoo! News: Clinton cautious on health care reform 

INDIAN-AMERICANS GIVE $2 MILLION TO CLINTON: After being dissed by Barack Obama, Indian-Americans gathered in what organizers called the biggest event their community ever held to hand Hillary Clinton about $2 million yesterday. "I will work very hard to be a good steward of those contributions," Clinton told 1,200 of the nation's most prominent Indian-Americans, who flew in from all over the country and paid $1,000 to $4,600 to dine with her at the New York Sheraton. "It is important that the relationship and partnership between India and the U.S. deepen and strengthen." Obama's campaign irked the Indian-American community last week by circulating a memo that described Clinton as a Democrat representing Punjab and detailing her ties to Indian firms that specialize in outsourcing. New York Daily News: 2M for Hil after Bam Indian dis 

OBAMA FIRES UP TEXAS CROWD: Barack Obama drew a crowd of 1,000 people to Sunset Station on Sunday, many of whom stood in the sauna-like heat for nearly two hours waiting to hear the Democratic presidential hopeful speak. The crowd was full of young people and small children. Thumping music and colorful posters made the event — which cost $25 to attend — resemble a giant pep rally. The fervor erupted into thunderous applause when Spurs player Bruce Bowen, dressed in a gray suit and pink tie, took the stage to introduce the U.S. senator from Illinois. Bowen said he knew what it felt like to be a fan, explaining that he was star-struck and tongue-tied when he met Obama. "Then I had to jump back and remember that I'm cool," Bowen joked to the crowd. But even the basketball star didn't receive the applause Obama elicited during a speech that touched on topics such as the war in Iraq, energy, environment, education, immigration and health care. San Antonio Express-News: Obama is a big hit with crowd at speech 

BISHOPS SAY GIULIANI'S ABORTION STANCE "CONTRARY TO CATHOLIC TEACHING": At first glance, Rudolph W. Giuliani should be an appealing presidential candidate for observant Roman Catholics. The grandchild of Italian immigrants, Mr. Giuliani went to Catholic schools, considered joining the priesthood, and as mayor of New York battled a museum that exhibited a painting of the Virgin Mary adorned in elephant dung. But church leaders say they are frustrated by prominent Catholic politicians like Mr. Giuliani who argue that while they are personally opposed to abortion, they do not want to impose their beliefs on others. One American bishop, Thomas J. Tobin of Providence, R.I., recently wrote a caustic column for his Catholic newspaper calling Mr. Giuliani's position "pathetic," "confusing" and "hypocritical." Other bishops said that they would not criticize a candidate by name but would not hesitate to declare Mr. Giuliani's stance contrary to Catholic teaching. New York Times: Giuliani's Views on Abortion Upset Catholic Leaders 

RUDY TO SPEAK AT PAT ROBERTSON'S REGENT UNIVERSITY: Talk about an unusual civil union between two men – Rudy Giuliani, the pro-choice, pro-gay rights former mayor, is set to huddle tomorrow with Pat Robertson, the conservative Christian Coalition founder and televangelist. The Republican presidential hopeful is due to give a speech at the preacher's Regent University in Virginia, marking one of the most explicit appeals to date by Giuliani to fundamentalist Christian voters. It's a tall order for the thrice-married Giuliani, who will likely try to skirt his liberal views on abortion and other social issues and dwell instead on his tax-cutting, tough-on-terror prescriptions for America, aides said. New York Daily News: Rudy set to woo Pat U. 

ELIZABETH EDWARDS "COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE" WITH GAY MARRIAGE: Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, kicked off San Francisco's annual gay pride parade Sunday by splitting with her husband over support for legalized gay marriage. "I don't know why someone else's marriage has anything to do with me," Mrs. Edwards said at a news conference before the parade started. "I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage." She made the remark almost offhandedly in answering a question from reporters after she delivered a standard campaign stump speech during a breakfast hosted by the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club, an influential San Francisco political organization. California's presidential primary is Feb. 5, one of the earliest contests in the nation. AP via Yahoo! News: Mrs. Edwards comfortable with gay unions

BLOOMBERG '08 RUN COULD HIGHLIGHT "QUIRKS IN THE CONSTITUTION": If Michael Bloomberg makes an Independent White House bid, Vice President Cheney and Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) could end up choosing the next president of the United States. That's just one of numerous bizarre scenarios, thanks to quirks in the Constitution, that could occur if New York's billionaire mayor throws his hat into the ring. If the newly Independent Bloomberg with his deep pockets and bipartisan appeal can manage to win a purple state or two, like Florida, he could prevent both the Democratic and Republican nominees from garnering 270 votes in the Electoral College, which would initially throw the decision to the House of Representatives. Roll Call: Bloomberg Bid May Test Constitution 

BLOOMBERG MARCHES IN NYC PRIDE PARADE; KNOCKED FOR NOT WALKING PAST ST. PATRICK'S: The two grand marshals of the city's annual gay pride parade are criticizing Mayor Bloomberg for joining the march below St. Patrick's Cathedral. Mr. Bloomberg, who has said he favors same-sex marriage, joined yesterday's parade down Fifth Avenue at 48th Street, two blocks south of the cathedral. Mr. Bloomberg has started walking in the parade below the cathedral every year, continuing the precedent established by Mayors Koch and Giuliani before him. Yesterday, he marched alongside the speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, the first openly gay leader of the council. Ms. Quinn started the parade at the beginning of the route on 52nd Street. Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum and the Reverend Troy Perry, the parade's two grand marshals, criticized Mr. Bloomberg for not walking past the cathedral, which has during past parades been the site of protests of the Catholic church's position on homosexuality and of counterprotests directed at the parade. New York Sun: Gay Rabbi Complains Bloomberg Skipped Church 

BUTTON MAKERS PUSH BLOOMBERG BID: Memorabilia merchants have launched a White House bid on behalf of "noncandidate" Mayor Bloomberg. "I like Mike 08" and "Bloomberg 2008" buttons are already the rage on memorabilia Web sites and eBay. "Get on board and order your first Mayor Bloomberg campaign button. He dumps the GOP! Bravo! Well done – Look out Hillary!" sellers of the I Like Mike" one seller writes in an eBay auction entry. "With a little encouragement, this New Yorker will spend a few of his bucks to help the economy if nothing else... Just as the 'I Like Ike' button brings in big bucks, this button is sure to be a collector's item." A 3.5-inch pin is available for $3 at metalbuttons.net. A 2.25-inch "Bloomberg 2008" pin is on eBay. "Possibilities for 2008!... great keepsake for the future," the seller says. New York Post: BLOOMY LOOKS CUTE AS A BUTTON