The Republican National Committee says it raised $36 million in first quarter.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Republican National Committee plans to report more than $31 million cash-on-hand, with no debt, through the end of last month in its next Federal Election Commission filing on April 20, RNC Chairman Mike Duncan announced Thursday.

The RNC says it has raised more than $36 million during the first three months of this year.

The RNC has denounced the use of Obama's middle name in a Tennessee GOP press release.

(CNN) – Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan formally denounced Thursday the Tennessee Republican Party's use of Barack Obama's full name in a recent press release questioning the Illinois senator's commitment to Israel.

“The RNC rejects these kinds of campaign tactics," RNC Chairman Mike Duncan said in a statement. "We believe this election needs to be about the critical issues confronting our nation.”

The statement in question, which was released Monday, said the state party is joining a "growing chorus of Americans concerned about the future of the nation of Israel…if Sen. Barack Hussein Obama is elected president of the United States.” It also included a photograph of Obama from a 2006 trip to Kenya in which he is dressed in traditional attire worn by area Muslims.

The press release was sparked by recent praise for the Illinois senator from Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan, who has made several derogatory remarks about Judaism and has indicated his support for Obama. At Tuesday night's MSNBC debate, Obama said he denounced those comments and did not seek Farrakhan's support.

On Wednesday night the party removed both the photo and the reference of Hussein from the statement after Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander called to express his belief that using them had become a distraction, Tennessee GOP Communications Director Bill Hobbs told CNN.

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– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

RNC Chairman Mike Duncan

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Republican Party will penalize five states for holding presidential primary elections before February 5, 2008, Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan announced Thursday.

New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming will be stripped of half their delegates to the party's convention in September, Duncan said in a conference call with reporters.

"The rules lay out a well defined process for selecting delegates, including a window from February 5 to July 28 in which state parties are permitted to hold their delegate selection process," Duncan said. "Five states have gone outside the rules with their delegate selection process, and they have been made fully aware of what the consequences will be."

The Iowa and Nevada caucuses are also scheduled to be held before February 5, but these two states will avoid being penalized because caucuses do not assign binding delegates to the convention.

Reacting to the news, several state party leaders said they still expect their full delegation will be allowed to participate in the convention.

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Clinton is taking heat from both Democrats and Republicans Friday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton is coming under fire from both Democrats and Republicans in two new Web ads released Friday that focus on her debate performance earlier this week.

The Republican National Committee is out with an ad titled "Hillary Clinton: Long on rhetoric, short on answers," that edits together several different Washington pundits expressing criticism of the New York Democrat's answers at Tuesday's debate.

Meanwhile, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards launched a Web ad titled "The politics of parsing." It also featuring clips from the debate and accuses Clinton of "double-talk" on Iraq, social security, and Immigration.

Responding to Edwards' Web ad, Clinton spokesman Isaac Baker said, "In 2004, John Edwards said, 'If you are looking for the candidate that will do the best job of attacking the other Democrats, I am not your guy.' But now that his campaign has stalled, he’s launching false attacks on his fellow Democrats."

"Voters will certainly be asking whether Mr. Edwards’ pledges to be positive in 2004 were anything more than just a political tactic," Baker added.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) –

Union Leader, John Distaso reports that Sen. Judd Gregg has pulled out as a host for a state party fundraiser where GOP chairman Mike Duncan will be the featured guest. Gregg does not agree with Duncan’s choice to punish New Hampshire for pushing it’s first-in-the-nation primary up in the calendar.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, got aggressive on Bin Laden at a Rochester weapons factory Tuesday.

Former Governor Shaheen is hitting the trail, this week she made a stop at the seacoast to discuss healthcare

And it’s Game One, let’s not kid ourselves, this is what all of Red Sox nation is following.

– CNN New Hampshire Producer Sareena Dalla

New Hampshire is among the five states the RNC says it will seek to punish for shifting its primary date.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Party leaders on Monday recommended punishing five states for shifting their nomination contests earlier, moving to strip New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming of half their delegates.

At least one state, South Carolina, is considering legal action in an effort to keep its delegates to next year's Republican National Convention.

Iowa, which plans to hold Republican caucuses on Jan. 3, would not be penalized because, technically, the caucuses are not binding on convention delegates. Nevada, which plans to hold its caucuses on Jan. 19, would not be penalized for the same reason.

"It's very important that our party uphold and enforce the rules that we unanimously voted into place at the Republican National Convention in 2004," said Mike Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee. (Watch CNN's Tom Foreman report on the Primary Calender chaos)

The rules ban holding votes before Feb. 5.

Wyoming is scheduled to hold its nominating conventions on Jan. 5. Michigan will hold its Republican primary on Jan. 15, South Carolina on Jan. 19 and Florida on Jan. 29.

New Hampshire has not yet set a primary date, though it is required by state law to hold its primary at least seven days before any other, raising the possibility of a December vote.

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Sen. Mel Martinez announced Friday he is resigning from chairman of the RNC.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Florida Sen. Mel Martinez stepped down Friday as general chairman of the Republican National Committee, after serving just nine months on the job.

Martinez, who is the GOP’s most prominent Latino lawmaker, said he accomplished his goal of helping put the RNC in the best position for the 2008 elections.

“It was my goal as General Chairman to lead the Party as it established the structure and raised the resources necessary to support our Presidential candidate and ensure Republican victories next November,” the Florida senator said in a prepared statement released by the RNC. “I believe we have accomplished those goals. That’s why it is the appropriate time for me to step down as General Chairman and continue to focus my energy on serving my constituents in Florida.”

While two GOP sources tell CNN that Martinez does believe he accomplished what he set out to do at the RNC, the sources noted that he also thinks serving in this national post has contributed to a decline in his political standing back home. Martinez is convinced he needs to focus more on his personal politics, the sources said. The senator is not on the ballot in 2008, but he is up for re-election in 2010.

Martinez officially became general chairman in January, when his selection by President Bush was endorsed by the national committee. Bush extended that offer last November, just after Republicans lost control of the House and Senate. Martinez initially declined when then-White House political adviser Karl Rove called to ask him to take the post. But he accepted when the president followed up with a personal appeal. Bush praised Martinez Friday in a statement from the White House shortly after the RNC announced the senator was stepping down.

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Sen. Martinez with President Bush.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Florida Sen. Mel Martinez plans to step down as general chairman of the Republican National Committee, after serving just nine months on the job, CNN has learned.

Two GOP sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, tell CNN an announcement is planned for later Friday.
The sources say Martinez feels he has accomplished his goal of helping the RNC improve its financial standing after the 2006 midterm drubbing. But they also acknowledged that he believes serving in the national post has contributed to a decline in his political standing back home in Florida, and the senator is convinced he needs to focus more on his personal politics. The senator, who is the GOP’s most prominent Latino spokesman, is not on the ballot in 2008, but is up for re-election in 2010.

Martinez officially became general chairman in January, when his selection by President Bush was endorsed by the national committee. Bush extended that offer last November, just after Republicans lost control of the House and Senate. Martinez initially declined when then-White House political adviser Karl Rove called to ask him to take the post. But he accepted when the president followed up with a personal appeal.

At the same time Martinez became the general chairman, longtime national party operative Mike Duncan of Kentucky was chosen to be the RNC chairman. Duncan runs the day-to-day affairs of the committee, while Martinez served more in a fundraising and spokesman's role.

Duncan will stay on as chairman.

– CNN Chief National Correspondent John King

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Republican Party is going back to the well and they are using the Clinton name as a bucket.

In an e-mail to potential donors, Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan highlights a recent allegation that Sen. Hillary Clinton eavesdropped on political opponents in 1992 and suggests the New York Democrat is being hypercritical for not in turn supporting certain terrorist surveillance practices.

“The Clinton attack machine is apparently fine with listening in on phone calls if it bolsters her political ambitions — but Hillary doesn't want to give America's intelligence agencies the ability to conduct surveillance on terrorists plotting to attack our nation.”

“This isn't the first time we've seen Hillary practice such craven political opportunism,” Duncan adds. “She's flip-flopped on virtually every issue having to do with the War on Terror.”

The fundraising solicitation is the latest in a coordinated effort to paint Clinton as hypocritical on the issue of government surveillance in light of the allegation published in a recent book by New York Times reporters Don Van Natta and Jeff Gerth.

Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines has refused to comment on the substance of the allegation.

"It's a valiant effort by Jeff Gerth to get his 16th minute of fame, but we don't comment on books that were utter and complete failures, rift with inaccuracies and falsehoods, and rejected by reviewers and readers alike," Reines said.