CNN

Senator Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut

(CNN)–Looking to create a generation of Americans who serve their country, Democratic presidential candidate Christopher Dodd says his administration would make such service a priority.

"Endowed as we are with so many gifts, is it too much to ask that we each give something back to this remarkable place?" Dodd, a U.S. senator from Connecticut, made the comments Saturday at Nashua City Hall, in Nashua, New Hampshire. He said it was the same location President Kennedy stood for the first time as a Democratic candidate for president in 1960.

"As president, I will ask Americans to share in the responsibility of bringing our nation together again, and I will provide the ways for all Americans to participate," he said. "Never again will this country have to wait for a national crisis to bring us together with national purpose," Dodd said in reference to the September 11th attacks and Hurricane Katrina.

The "American Community Initiative" would make a mandatory service requirement for high school students. Such service gives every student the opportunity to acquire new skills while meeting the needs of the community, Dodd said. "If the chat rooms and online communities of today show us anything, it is that young people yearn for shared experiences." Dodd said. He also proposed increasing the size of AmeriCorps, the national service program, to one million participants.

Dodd, who served in the Peace Corps, said he would double the size of the organization by 2011. In addition, he proposed increasing the size of AmeriCorps, the national service program, to one million participants by the end of his presidency.

He also proposed creating a Rapid Response Corps made up of former service volunteers and retired military personnel to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. The program would also include a Senior Heroes program that would encourage seniors to volunteer in the nation's schools.

Dodd is also expected to address his plan in Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday.

–CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new Norwegian study supports the notion that first-born and only children generally have higher IQ's. So it made us wonder, where do the presidential candidates stand in their respective families' pecking orders?

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and Gov. Bill Richardson, D-New Mexico, are the oldest children in their families.

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, R-Virginia, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are both only children.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, former Sen. Mike Gravel, D-Alaska, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and former Gov. Tommy Thompson, R-Wisconsin, are all middle children.

The remaining candidates are the babies in their families: former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Arkansas, former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Massachusetts, and Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colorado.

President Bush pushed for immigration-reform in his weekly radio address

(CNN) - President Bush pushed again Saturday for immigration-reform legislation and the "enforcement tools" it includes.

The bill in the Senate would provide $4.4 billion in immediate funding for security measures such as more fencing, infrared cameras and other security technology as well as an advanced employee-verification system.

"These enforcement measures are a good start," said the president. "Yet even with all these steps, we cannot fully secure the border unless we take pressure off the border."

In a move he assures is "not amnesty," immigrants currently living here illegally would incur penalties before being allowed to reapply for a green card. In addition,the application process for employment would be stricter for those who engage in activities like gang violence and crossing the border illegally.

Bush acknowledged that the American people may have concerns about immigration, but said if the Senate supports his provisions for immigration reform, the bill would " build an immigration system worthy of our great nation."

(CNN) - Congressman Chet Edwards of Texas lauded the veteran's health care bill Saturday during the weekly Democratic radio address, explaining that a military that offers good health benefits will attract more recruits.

The "unprecedented" $6 billion increase in funding for 5.8 million veterans, passed by the House last week, "means more qualified doctors and nurses to improve medical services" as well as more specialized care for displaced veterans and those whose lives are affected by a delay in earned benefits, Edwards said.

The bill also supports active duty troops, members of the National Guard and Reserves by providing better military housing, support and training facilities.

He said President Bush threatened to veto the bill in the past and has seemed more interested in "tax cuts for the wealthiest" than health care reform.

"It is about our nation's future security," said Edwards. "Because we cannot attract the best and brightest to serve in tomorrow's military if we break faith with those who served yesterday."

Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kansas

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., fractured his wrist Friday in a two-car accident near his home in Alexandria, Va., a spokeswoman for the senator said.

Spokeswoman Sarah Little said that Roberts will be back at work Monday with a small cast on his wrist. The driver of the second car required no medical attention, she said, and there were no citations issued by police.

–CNN Congressional Producer Ted Barrett

From left to right: Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Bloomberg, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and George Washington.

From left to right: Clinton, Edwards,Obama, Bloomberg, Romney,McCain, Giuliani.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The taller you are, the better chances you have at becoming Leader of the Free World. Or so says New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has suggested size matters.

Earlier this week, the former Wall Street billionaire fueled speculation that he is considering an independent White House bid after he dropped his affiliation with the GOP. On Wednesday, Bloomberg, again, flatly denied he was a candidate, and has joked that his height may figure into that decision.

"How can a 5-foot-7, divorced, billionaire Jew running as an independent from New York possibly have a chance?" Bloomberg asked in May.

If indeed height plays any factor in the 2008 presidential race, Bloomberg’s got plenty of competition. If he ran, given the existing field, Bloomberg would be the shortest male contender, and only one inch taller than his fellow New Yorker, Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton.

Among the remaining top polling GOP and Democratic candidates, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama are the tallest – Romney is at 6-foot-2 inches, and Obama is at least 6-foot-1. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani both measure in at exactly 6-feet each; while Arizona Sen. John McCain is 5-foot-9 inches.

We may never know to what extent – if any – a candidate’s height plays in voters’ minds; but based purely on the numbers – if recent elections are any indication – size does matter: shorter candidates generally win.

Take the last four presidential races: In 2004 and 2000, 5-foot-11 inch President George W. Bush defeated taller, Democratic rivals, 6-foot-4 Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and 6-foot-1 former Vice President Al Gore, respectively. Six-foot-3 inch former Vice President George H.W. Bush lost by a wide margin, and a half-inch to shorter, to  former Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton in 1992. But former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole got the short end of the stick in 1996 when Clinton defeated the 6-foot-1 Republican. Clinton is an inch and half taller.

The further you go back, the less height would seem to matter. Former Presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and George Washington were all 6 feet or taller. President Theodore Roosevelt was 5-foor-8 inches. James Madison (not pictured) is the shortest president in American history at 5-foot-4 inches.

Abraham Lincoln stands the tallest at 6-foot-4, but that could all change if former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson jumps into the 2008 race: at 6-foot-5 inches he stands a full 10 inches taller than the current New York City mayor.

What do you think? Does height matter to you? Was this a helpful or interesting post or just plain ridiculous? Add your comments below.

Romney said Friday he is against the idea of closing Guantanamo.

(CNN) – Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said Friday the Bush administration is wrong for looking at ways to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, calling the idea “the wrong course to take”.

Romney told reporters in Helena, Montana, “Guantanamo Bay plays an important role in protecting our nation from violent, heinous terrorists.”

The former Massachusetts governor said, “I hope the administration does not take the course which is being contemplated.” And singling out John McCain supporting shutting down the facility, Romney said, “I think Guantanamo is a symbol of our resolve.”

Romney said detainees should not have access to lawyers or to U.S. constitutional rights, saying “they are terrorists.”

“I do not want to see those prisoners transferred to United States soil,” he said. “I do not want to see the legal system in this country potentially opened up to terrorists and feel we’re better keeping Guantanamo in place. And if we need additional space, why, we should be expanding Guantanamo.”

At a presidential debate in May, Romney said, “My view is, we ought to double Guantanamo.”

At Friday’s White House briefing, spokeswoman Dana Perino said no resolution on closing Guantanamo Bay was imminent, saying “that while the president has said that we want to make sure that we close this facility as quickly as possible, he's not put a deadline on it because there are complex issues. We have to make sure that we handle it appropriately.”

She said a meeting scheduled on Guantanamo Bay was canceled after an Associated Press report said a deal was close, but Perino said, “the meeting was going to be focusing on doing what the president has asked them to do for the past few years, which is work to get the facility closed. I think that report was overblown. There was not an imminent decision made. There's no deadline. It was just a regular meeting.”

While stopping short of promising a resolution, Perino said the administration’s goal for Guantanamo’s ultimate future is clear. “It has been a firm decision”, she said, “The president gave a firm decision two years ago, in which he said "I want this place closed"; that the United States should not be the world's jailers. Those are his words.”

– CNN Political Desk Manager Steve Brusk

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Justice Department's Acting Associate Attorney General withdrew his name from nomination to be confirmed to the third-highest ranking job, saying he believed he would not be confirmed because of the ongoing battle over access to Justice Department documents related to the firing of U.S. attorneys last year.

William Mercer has served in an Acting capacity in the position since last September, but his nomination has been delayed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Mercer had been serving in a dual role as Associate Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for Montana–a post he will continue to hold.

"I have concluded that it is highly unlikely that both the Judiciary Committee and the Senate will take prompt action on my nomination in the near term, if ever," Mercer said in a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, which was released by the Justice Department late Friday.

"This view is informed in part by statements suggesting that some senior Justice nominees will not be voted upon until the Senate receives e-mails and witnesses it has demanded from the White House," Mercer told the Attorney General.

Senior Justice Department officials privately expressed sadness with the move, the latest in a series of announced departures from top Justice Department jobs in the the wake of a controversy over the U.S. attorney firings.

Read the rest of this entry »

Reid had some tough talk for the White House Friday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is known for his tough and sometimes controversial talk toward the Bush Administration, and on Friday the Nevada Democrat offered a newly biting comment in response to the White House’s veto threat of the Senate’s energy bill.

"They can take their rubber stamp and you know what they can do with it," Reid said Friday. "We're going to continue to do what we think is right for the American people."

The Senate passed the bill Thursday night in a 65-27 vote that aims to raise gas mileage standards for cars and trucks for the first time in 20 years. The bill passed after Republicans successfully blocked an effort to impose $30 billion in new taxes on oil companies.

The House is set to take up its own energy package next month.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Listen to the latest Race to '08 podcast.

In the latest Race to '08 podcast, former President Bill Clinton is ready to take a higher profile role campaigning for his wife Senator Hillary Clinton. CNN's Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley and CNN's John Lisk take a look.

Barrasso is Wyoming's new senator, effective immediately.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Friday named John Barrasso to fill the state's U.S. Senate seat that was held by the late Sen. Craig Thomas.

Barrasso is a two-term Republican member of the Wyoming state Senate and a board certified orthopedic surgeon. Thomas died earlier this month.

Freudenthal, a Democrat, wouldn't divulge why he selected Barrasso over Cheyenne attorney Tom Sansonetti and former state Treasurer Cynthia Lummis - the two other candidates the Wyoming State Republican Party had proposed to fill the vacancy. According to Wyoming elections laws, the vacating senator's state party proposes three candidates to fill the post, one of which the governor must choose.

"There are many factors that went into this decision, and it was the sum of these factors that led me to this choice," he said in a statement. "While I don’t intend to indulge the speculation on why I made this decision, I will say that I hope I made the right choice."

After the state GOP posted an open application for the post on its Web site, 31 people applied for the job.

Barrasso will now serve alongside Wyoming's other Republican senator, Mike Enzi - a man he tried to beat in the 1996 GOP primary to succeed longtime GOP Sen. Alan Simpson.

He will serve as interim senator until January, 2009. A special election in November, 2008 will determine Thomas' permanent successor.

Thomas, diagnosed with Leukemia last November shortly after being elected to a third Senate term, died on June 4.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Watch CNN's Wolf Blitzer interview Ralph Nader Thursday.

Watch CNN's Mary Snow take a look at what effect Nader might have on the 2008 presidential race.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Consumer advocate and 2000/2004 presidential candidate Ralph Nader has not ruled out another run in 2008, telling CNN's Wolf Blitzer Thursday it's too early for him to make a decision.

The man who many blame as spoiling the election for Al Gore in 2000 also said a potential third party candidacy by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would not affect his decision to run.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg, a lifelong Democrat until he ran for mayor in 2001, dropped his affiliation with the GOP - a move that increased speculation he is considering an independent presidential bid.

Nader also sharply criticized Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, but said it’s not out of personal disdain for the New York senator.

“It isn’t a matter of liking her,” said Nader. “She’s not using her political capital to shift power to challenge abuses of power.”

Regarding the charge that his candidacy ultimately tipped the balance in Florida to hand George Bush the election, Nader rejected the “spoiler” label. He claimed that such an accusation is based on “factual errors.”

“I think Gore won, by the way,” he added. “I’ve spoken to him. I think he knows he won.”

Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau

Making news today...

* The New York Times reports on A1 that John Edwards' nonprofit organization, the Center for Promise and Opportunity, "raised $1.3 million in 2005, and – unlike a sister charity he created to raise scholarship money for poor students – the main beneficiary of the center's fund-raising was Mr. Edwards himself, tax filings show."

"The organization became a big part of a shadow political apparatus for Mr. Edwards after his defeat as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004 and before the start of his presidential bid this time around. Its officers were members of his political staff, and it helped pay for his nearly constant travel, including to early primary states." (New York Times)

Also, while "it would not be unheard of for a campaign to try and lowball its fundraising expectations," Edwards "is expecting a significant drop-off in campaign contributions for the second quarter that might look like a pittance compared to the dollar amounts Democratic rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) and Barack Obama (IL) are expected to raise." (The Hill)

* "New Yorkers salivating over 'subway election'" (Politico headline)

* Michael Moore's SiCKO "is creating an awkward situation for the leading Democratic presidential candidates. Rejecting Moore's prescription on healthcare could alienate liberal activists." (Los Angeles Times)

Moore said Harvey Weinstein, "a personal friend and supporter of the Clintons whose company financed the film, 'begged' him to remove a scene exposing Hillary Clinton as the second-highest recipient of campaign donations from the health-care industry." (Washington Post)

* And why is a top Mitt Romney aide being investigated for allegedly impersonating a Massachusetts state trooper? Find out in Hot Topics below!

President's Schedule:

* The president meets with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet in the Oval Office at 11 am ET.

At 3 pm ET, Bush makes remarks at a celebration of Black Music Month in the East Room.

Also on the Political Radar:

* Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) gives a 9:45 am ET address on government reform at New Hampshire Community Technical College.

From advanced excerpts of his speech:

"We need to clean up both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. I believe that the responsibility for a people's politics begins with the person who sits in the Oval Office. That is why on my very first day as President, I will launch the most sweeping ethics reform in history to make the White House the people's house and send the Washington lobbyists back to K Street."

Tonight, the candidate attends a Generation Barack Obama event at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Doors 8:30 pm ET.

* Mitt Romney speaks to the Montana Republican Party Convention in Helena, MT, at 10 am ET. He'll speak to reporters at 11 am ET.

* Bill Richardson participates in the IowaPolitics.com "Cookies and Conversation" Presidential Forum at Drake U. in Des Moines at 12:30 pm ET.

He later holds a 6 pm ET grand opening of the Richardson for President Iowa Headquarters in Des Moines and an 8 pm ET Polk County "Job Interview" Event in Ankeny, IA.

* Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) addresses a 3 pm ET session of the 75th Annual Conference of Mayors in Los Angeles.

* John Edwards holds a 5 pm ET "Small Change for Big Change" event at Strata in New York City.

* 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)

WH CANCELS GITMO MEETING AFTER AP REPORT: A White House meeting planned for Friday about the future of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility has been canceled after The Associated Press reported the Bush administration was "nearing a decision" to close the center. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said there would be no meeting Friday, but he would not comment on the reasons for the cancellation. Earlier Thursday, AP reported that officials were close to a decision to shut down the facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and that the administration had scheduled a meeting to discuss a proposal to transfer the detainees to other military prisons. Officials from the White House, the Pentagon and the Justice and State departments denied the AP report. "The administration is not 'nearing a decision' on changing our long-held policy to shut down Gitmo in a responsible way," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "There is no meeting tomorrow." CNN.com: Guantanamo meeting canceled after report closure is near

SENATE: 35 MPG BY 2020: The Senate passed an energy bill late Thursday that includes an increase in automobile fuel economy, new laws against energy price-gouging and a requirement for huge increases in the production of ethanol. In an eleventh-hour compromise fashioned after two days of closed-door meetings, an agreement was reached to increase average fuel economy by 40 percent to 35 miles per gallon for cars, SUVs and pickup trucks by 2020. But the fuel economy issue threatened to topple the legislation up to the last minute. Majority Leader Harry Reid held off the vote until late into the evening so several senators could be called back to Capitol Hill to provide the 60-vote margin needed to overcome a threatened filibuster from pro-auto industry senators. AP via CNN.com: Senate passes energy bill, boosting mileage standards

CHENEY OFFICE NONCOMPLIANT, "DEFIANT" ON RECORDS: Vice President Cheney's office has refused to comply with an executive order governing the handling of classified information for the past four years and recently tried to abolish the office that sought to enforce those rules, according to documents released by a congressional committee yesterday. Since 2003, the vice president's staff has not cooperated with an office at the National Archives and Records Administration charged with making sure the executive branch protects classified information. Cheney aides have not filed reports on their possession of classified data and at one point blocked an inspection of their office. After the Archives office pressed the matter, the documents say, Cheney's staff this year proposed eliminating it. Washington Post: Cheney Defiant on Classified Material

McNULTY SAYS HE DIDN'T KNOW EXTENT OF WH ROLE IN ATTORNEY DISMISSALS: The No. 2 official in the Justice Department said Thursday that he told the truth in February when he testified at a Senate hearing that the White House had limited involvement in the dismissal of federal prosecutors, an assertion that proved incorrect. The official, Paul J. McNulty, who is stepping down as deputy attorney general this summer, told a House Judiciary subcommittee that when he testified on Feb. 6 he did not know the extent of the White House role in the ousters, but conceded that his testimony was incomplete. Justice Department documents disclosed since then show that White House officials first suggested removals after the 2004 elections. In addition, the documents indicate that officials like Harriet E. Miers, the former White House counsel, and Karl Rove, the senior political adviser, were informed of the process. New York Times: Official Says He Told Truth on Dismissals

CONTEMPT MOTIONS FOR BOLTEN, MIERS, TAYLOR? House Judiciary Committee Democrats warned yesterday they would pursue a contempt of Congress motion if the White House fails respond to subpoenas for testimony and documents related to the firings of U.S. attorneys last year. The deadline for a response is Thursday, June 28. If the White House does not comply, it opens the possibility of a constitutional showdown between the two branches. In an ironic twist, the Department of Justice (DoJ) would be called on to enforce the contempt motion... One of the contempt motions would likely be directed at Presidential Chief of Staff Josh Bolten, to whom the subpoena for documents was addressed, according to a Democratic aide. Others who could face contempt motions include ex-White House Counsel Harriet Miers and former White House political director Sara Taylor. Last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted to subpoena testimony from Miers, while the Senate Judiciary panel voted to subpoena testimony from Taylor. The Hill: White House contempt

CIA TO DECLASSIFY "UNFLATTERING" RECORDS OF AGENCY ABUSES: The CIA will declassify hundreds of pages of long-secret records detailing some of the intelligence agency's worst illegal abuses - the so-called "family jewels" documenting a quarter-century of overseas assassination attempts, domestic spying, kidnapping and infiltration of leftist groups from the 1950s to the 1970s, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said yesterday. The documents, to be publicly released next week, also include accounts of break-ins and theft, the agency's opening of private mail to and from China and the Soviet Union, wiretaps and surveillance of journalists, and a series of "unwitting" tests on U.S. civilians, including the use of drugs. Washington Post: CIA to Air Decades of Its Dirty Laundry

WILL DEM MAJORITY BE "SHORT-LIVED?" In the heat of their successful campaign last year to retake the House and Senate, Democrats made voters promise after promise. They promised to end the war in Iraq. They promised to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. They promised to lower prescription drug prices for seniors and raise the minimum wage. But six months after taking over Congress, Democrats find they have accomplished little of their agenda. Perhaps not coincidentally, Congress' job approval rating has reached a dramatic low, tumbling 13 points since February to 24 percent, according to the Gallup Poll... If they can't reverse the trend, some Democrats are starting to worry, their majority could be short-lived. Chicago Tribune: Democrats promised way more than they've delivered so far

LEADERS WANT TO CUT CONGRESSIONAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION: Democratic congressional leaders are trying to convince Americans they are serious about combating global warming, creating a cleaner environment and fostering energy independence by starting at home. They are pushing ahead with their "Green the Capitol Initiative," which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, said Thursday means the House will operate in a carbon-neutral manner by the end of 2008 and cut energy consumption by 50 percent in 10 years. Senate leaders vowed to enact their own energy-saving measures on their side of the Capitol, where about 10,000 people work directly for the two houses of Congress, its 535 members, their committees and support bodies. San Francisco Chronicle: Dems open campaign to 'Green the Capitol'

"SUBWAY ELECTION" A "POLITICAL PERFECT STORM": What a time to be a New York pol. Three of the leading presidential candidates – judging, at least, by column inches in the largely New York-dominated national media – are New Yorkers: Its junior senator and its current and former mayors. Gregg Birnbaum, political editor of the New York Post, calls the idea of a three-way White House race pitting Sen. Hillary Clinton against former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Michael Bloomberg "a political perfect storm" – for his newspaper, at least. The Politico: New Yorkers salivating over 'subway election'

EDWARDS' POVERTY CENTER FINANCED TRAVELS, POLITICAL STAFF: John Edwards ended 2004 with a problem: how to keep alive his public profile without the benefit of a presidential campaign that could finance his travels and pay for his political staff. Mr. Edwards, who reported this year that he had assets of nearly $30 million, came up with a novel solution, creating a nonprofit organization with the stated mission of fighting poverty. The organization, the Center for Promise and Opportunity, raised $1.3 million in 2005, and — unlike a sister charity he created to raise scholarship money for poor students — the main beneficiary of the center's fund-raising was Mr. Edwards himself, tax filings show. A spokesman for Mr. Edwards defended the center yesterday as a legitimate tool against poverty. New York Times: In Aiding Poor, Edwards Built Bridge to 2008

JUST REGULAR EXPECTATION-LOWERING? Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) is expecting a significant drop-off in campaign contributions for the second quarter that might look like a pittance compared to the dollar amounts Democratic rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) are expected to raise. Though it would not be unheard of for a campaign to try and lowball its fundraising expectations, an e-mail to supporters from senior adviser Joe Trippi, of Gov. Howard Dean's 2004 campaign, tells Edwards's fans the campaign is two-thirds of the way to its goal of $9 million for the quarter. That would give Edwards a $6 million rake with nine days to go. And even then, the campaign would realize $5 million less than it did in the first quarter. The Hill: Edwards predicting big second-quarter drop-off

GIULIANI RAISES BIG $$$ FROM WALL STREET, "AN INDUSTRY HE ONCE TARGETED": As U.S. regulators confront a new wave of insider-trading cases on Wall Street, one presidential candidate is uniquely positioned to tout his background fighting white-collar crime: Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani made a name for himself two decades ago as a U.S. attorney by cracking down on corporate crime, nabbing financier Ivan Boesky and junk-bond trader Michael Milken and forcing other executives to parade before the cameras in handcuffs. Nowadays, he rarely mentions those headline-making moves when stumping for the Republican Party nomination, highlighting instead his national-security credentials and role in reviving New York's economy during his eight years as mayor. At the same time, Giuliani, 63, has emerged as a top recipient of campaign contributions from the industry he once targeted. Bloomberg: Giuliani, Once a White-Collar Crime Fighter, Courts Wall Street

TOP ROMNEY AIDE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR TROOPER IMPERSONATION: State Police are investigating one of Mitt Romney's top campaign aides for allegedly impersonating a trooper by calling a Wilmington company and threatening to cite the driver of a company van for erratic driving, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the probe. Jay Garrity, who is director of operations on Romney's presidential campaign and a constant presence at his side, became the primary target of the investigation, according to one of the sources, after authorities traced the cellphone used to make the call back to him. The investigation comes three years after Garrity, while working for Romney in the State House, was cited for having flashing lights and other police equipment in his car without proper permits. The New Hampshire attorney general, according to the Associated Press, has also opened an investigation into a report that a Romney aide, later identified as Garrity, pulled over a New York Times reporter in New Hampshire and said he had run his license plate. Boston Globe: Romney aide is the focus of probe

SiCKO CREATES "AWKWARD SITUATION" FOR CANDIDATES: With the release of Michael Moore's "Sicko," a movie once again is adding sizzle to an issue that's a high priority for liberal politicians — this time comprehensive health insurance for all. But unlike Al Gore's film on global warming, which helped rally support on an equally controversial problem, "Sicko" is creating an awkward situation for the leading Democratic presidential candidates. Rejecting Moore's prescription on healthcare could alienate liberal activists, who will play a big role in choosing the party's next standard-bearer. However, his proposal — wiping out private health insurance and replacing it with a massive federal program — could be political poison with the larger electorate. Los Angeles Times: 'Sicko' leaves top Democrats ill at ease

MOORE SAYS HARVEY WEINSTEIN "BEGGED" TO REMOVE CLINTON SCENE: Michael Moore is getting a lot of mileage out of the hit he takes on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in his provocative new movie "Sicko," which made its Washington premiere Wednesday night at the Uptown theater. Moore said after the premiere that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, a personal friend and supporter of the Clintons whose company financed the film, "begged" him to remove a scene exposing Hillary Clinton as the second-highest recipient of campaign donations from the health-care industry. Moore said he didn't know whether the Clintons asked Weinstein to make the call. Washington Post: Moore Says Weinstein Wanted Clinton Scene Cut

OBAMA RELEASES EARMARK REQUESTS; DETAILS "LARGELY BENIGN ITEMS": Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) decision to release the earmark requests he has submitted this year has been met largely with the sound of crickets from his fellow Congressional candidates for the White House, almost none of whom as of press time had taken up the challenge and released their own. On Wednesday morning Obama released a list of roughly 100 proposed earmarks that he had submitted to the Appropriations Committee this year. As would be expected, the requests are for largely benign items, ranging from funding for AIDS programs to Army Corps of Engineers projects in the Chicagoland area. With the exception of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), all of Obama's opponents for the presidency currently serving in Congress also make requests for earmarks during the annual appropriations process. Roll Call: Obama Releases Earmarks, Other White House Candidates Decline to Follow

OBAMA TO TAKE 4 DONORS OUT TO DINNER: They are not wealthy. Their home states are politically symbolic. Their occupations or their circumstances suggest salt of the earth. Four contributors to Barack Obama's presidential campaign, chosen from among thousands of donors, will sit down for dinner with the Illinois senator next month at a Washington, D.C., restaurant. The two men and two women were announced as winners of a small donor solicitation campaign that was as much about raising money as it was about building a vast network of supporters from across the country who supplied biographical data and gave reasons for their support. There's Michael Griffith, a miner from Nevada; Margaret Thomas-Jordan, a Louisiana mother of two whose husband is serving a 15-month tour in Iraq; Haile Rivera, a community activist and mentor from the Bronx in New York; and Jennifer Lasko, a Florida firefighter and paramedic who was a registered Republican until 2000. AP via Yahoo! News: Obama campaign picks donors for dinner

BROWNBACK VOWS TO NAME JUSTICE TO OVERTURN ROE: U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback vowed Thursday to appoint a U.S. Supreme Court justice who would overturn the court's Roe vs. Wade abortion-rights ruling, should he win the presidency. "We can get it done," Brownback told about 100 supporters in Ames. "We're one justice away, and if we lose this we're going to be two or three judges away from overturning this thing that is wrong." The Kansas Republican likened the national abortion arguments to the debate over slavery centuries earlier, when the Constitution considered a slave to be three-fifths of a person. "Everything on this Earth is one of two things: a person or property," he said. Des Moines Register: Brownback: I'll appoint justice to reverse Roe vs. Wade ruling

WHERE ARE ALL THE GORE 2000 PLAYERS? Most members of Al Gore's inner political circle have not yet signed up with any presidential campaign, triggering speculation that the 2000 Democratic nominee will jump into the race for the White House later this year. But Gore's ex-aides and advisers say they do not think their former boss will enter the presidential fray. Democratic political experts who played significant roles in Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, expressed strong skepticism that Gore would challenge Democratic frontrunners Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.). Ex-campaign manager Donna Brazile, former policy director Elaine Kamarck, former media strategist Tad Devine, ex-traveling chief of staff Michael Feldman and former spokesmen Chris Lehane and Jano Cabrera shared their views with The Hill. None of these former advisers are helping a Democratic presidential campaign. The Hill: Gore's 2000 team stays on sidelines

Senator John McCain, R-Arizona.

(CNN) - Arizona Sen. John McCain said Thursday that he is unfazed by the latest poll numbers that put him in single digits in Iowa.

"I think they're fine, particularly in the early states, but most importantly I'm happy with the financial and political base we have. I'm happy with the progress we have made," the GOP presidential hopeful told reporters in St. Paul, Minnesota.

McCain said he believes it is too early to read much into the numbers. "In the year 1999, at this time, I was at 3 percent.” In the 2000 presidential race, McCain beat then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the New Hampshire primary. He soon pulled out of the race after losing to Bush in the South Carolina primary.

McCain's comments came as the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows McCain polling at just 6 percent in Iowa – essentially tied for fourth place with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Fellow Republican challenger Rudy Giuliani was polling at 15 percent in the same poll. Both men recently announced they would not participate in the Ames, Iowa, straw poll this August. In previous polls, both had support as high as the mid-20's.

The poll, conducted June 13-16, interviewed 400 likely caucus-goers and carries a sampling error of plus or minus 5 percent.

– CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford

As governor of a border state, Richardson said he is well aware of the effects of legal and illegal immigration.

(CNN) – New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic presidential candidate, joked Thursday at a town hall meeting in Phoenix, Arizona that Mexico should stop offering a map to its citizens of the easiest way to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

Richardson, who's mother was Hispanic, says he wants to have a conversation with Mexico and be frank with them on the immigration problem.

"Hey Mexico, why don’t you help your people and do something to give them jobs. Maybe we will do something with you to help create jobs at the border. Maybe joint projects, but at the very least don’t give people maps in the easiest areas to cross," said Richardson as he acted out the conversation.

As governor of a border state, Richardson said he is well aware of the effects of legal and illegal immigration.

He reiterated in his speech that the U.S. needs to enforce the borders with more border patrol and doubling the national guards. Richardson also said “those that hire illegal immigrants should be punished.”

– CNN Assignment Editor Marissa Muller

President Bush tours the control room of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Alabama Thursday.

(CNN) - President Bush used the reactivation of a long-closed nuclear reactor to plug his energy conservation proposals Thursday, urging Congress to ease the way for new power plants he said would produce carbon-free electricity.

“If you are interested in cleaning up the air, then you ought to be an advocate for nuclear power,” Bush said during a stop at the Browns Ferry nuclear plant near Athens, Alabama. “Without nuclear power here in the United States, there would be nearly 700 million additional tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere every year.”

No U.S. nuclear plant has been ordered since the 1978 accident at the Three Mile Island plant near Harrisburg, Pa. Critics say the dangers posed by radioactive waste and the cost overruns incurred by previous projects make the plants impractical and unsafe.

But because they produce none of the carbon emissions blamed for an increase in global temperatures, nuclear plants - which produce about 20 percent of U.S. electricity - have been getting a second look in recent years. Bush has pressed for more nuclear power since taking office and said the United States will need three new plants a year, starting in 2015, to keep pace with U.S. demand.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, which runs Browns Ferry, shut down the No. 1 reactor in 1985. The plant was the scene of a 1975 fire that damaged the plant’s electrical control system in what as the worst U.S. nuclear incident before the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island.

– From CNN News Editor Matt Smith

Lieberman is co-hosting a fundraiser for Republican Sen. Susan Collins Thursday.

Washington (CNN) – A fundraiser Thursday night for Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is drawing heat from liberals due in large part to the event’s co-host: Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Connecticut.

In an e-mail sent to supporters, the anti-war group MoveOn.org called tonight’s event “absurd,” labeling it “Joe Lieberman’s Republican fundraiser.” The event, which will be held in Washington, is being co-hosted by Lieberman and Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

MoveOn.org is working to counter Lieberman’s efforts by raising money for Collins’ 2008 Senate opponent, Democratic congressman Tom Allen. As of Thursday afternoon, MoveOn had raised over $200,000 for Allen in just over 48 hours. Allen’s campaign said it welcomed the support.

Over the past several years, Lieberman’s support for the war in Iraq has made him a marked man among liberal bloggers. His reputation on the Web bottomed out last year during his contentious Senate race with millionaire businessman Ned Lamont, an anti-war Democrat. Thanks largely to the support of prominent liberal bloggers, Lamont upset Lieberman in the Connecticut Democratic primary last August. Lieberman then switched his party affiliation to Independent and was re-elected to the Senate in November.

Collins endorsed Lieberman at the time, and the two senators have worked closely together on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees.

“Senator Lieberman is very pleased to support Senator Collins because she is an extremely effective senator who works in a bi-partisan fashion to get things done,” said Lieberman spokesperson Marshall Wittman. “Senator Lieberman strongly believes that the American people want progress before partisanship.”

A spokesperson for Collins called Allen an “extreme party loyalist” and dismissed the MoveOn fundraising effort.

“The event that Senators Specter and Lieberman are hosting for Senator Collins tonight strikes a blow at those who thrive on base-driven politics and hyper-partisanship,” said Collins spokesperson Jen Burita in an email. “Senator Collins is proud to have support of Senators Specter and Lieberman and looks forward to tonight’s event.”

– CNN Associate Producer Peter Hamby

Singer/songwriter Paul Simon will join Dodd on the campaign trail next month.

WASHINGT0N (CNN) - Sen. Chris Dodd is infusing his bus tour of Iowa next month with some star power.

The Connecticut Democrat and 2008 presidential candidate announced Thursday that Grammy Award-winner Paul Simon will join him on his "River to River" bus tour July 6 and 7. The singer/songwriter will appear with Dodd at tour stops and add "informal performances" according to the campaign.

"Paul is a long-time friend and one of the most important voices in American music, and he has been tireless in his service to the greater good of people throughout our country and the world," Dodd said in a statement. "His music and his commitment to bettering our world reflect the leadership and optimism that my campaign is all about."

Simon, who according to the campaign has endorsed Dodd, donated $4,600 to the Connecticut Democrat last quarter - the maximum amount an individual can give for both a primary and general election campaign.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Sessions does not support the president's immigration bill.

(CNN) – One advantage of taking passengers on Air Force One is you have a captive audience. But one of the most vocal critics of the Bush-backed immigration bill, Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, says President Bush hasn’t been doing too much arm twisting as he traveled with him Thursday.

Sessions, who said earlier this month President Bush "needs to back off" on the immigration bill. Despite their disagreement on the issue, the president is hosting a fundraiser for Sessions in Mobile, Alabama.

At their first stop, the Browns Ferry nuclear in Athens, Alabama, a pool reporter asked Sessions if the president has changed his mind on immigration during the day.

Sessions replied, “Well, I will say that he’s mentioned it. But he isn’t doing any real selling.”

– CNN Political Desk Manager Steve Brusk

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Attorney General John Ashcroft deflected questions from reporters about the visit White House officials paid to his hospital room in 2004 urging him to reverse a Justice Department opinion that a government wiretapping program was illegal, but he apparently discussed the visit during a closed door hearing Thursday of the House Intelligence Committee.

"It is very apparent to us there was robust and enormous debate within the administration about the legal basis for the president's surveillance program. These people deserve credit for standing on their principles in that debate and taking their duties seriously," Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, chairman of the panel, told reporters after the hearing.

Concerning the debate over whether the National Security Agency's program for intercepting terrorist communications was legal, "I think that is something that has been well documented," Reyes said. "That's why we're conducting closed hearings so that we can get into the real details of ... what that ... dialogue was about."

Ashcroft and committee members refused to discuss specifically what was said in the hearing.

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