Sanford isn't hinting he wants to be VP.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford continues to see his name floated in the GOP veepstakes — but he’s still not dropping any hints that he wants the job.

On CNN’s “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer” yesterday, Blitzer asked Sanford: “You want to be the running mate?”

“No, I'm just trying to survive the week,” Sanford responded. “I made it to Sunday. I got another week ahead of me.”

“What's wrong with being vice president of the United States?,” Blitzer asked.

“There's nothing wrong with being president, there's nothing wrong with being president, there's nothing wrong with being vice president,” Sanford said. “But it's not on my radar screen. I'll worry about that lightning strike if it comes my way.”

Sanford told the Washington Post last year that if the GOP nominee inquired about putting him on the presidential ticket that he would at least entertain the idea. "Of course I'd take the call,” he said at the time.

The fiscal hawk is popular vice presidential option among conservatives, but some McCain insiders say Sanford may have damaged his chances by not endorsing the Arizona senator before the South Carolina primary in January. Sanford, as a congressman, had endorsed McCain during his 2000 bid.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of McCain’s closest advisers, appeared to pour cold water on Sanford’s chances in March, noting that Sanford has had a “tough” tenure as governor.

"To be honest with you, I don't see any of us in South Carolina bringing a whole lot of value to the ticket,” Graham told The State newspaper. “We're talking about winning a national race that's going to be very competitive."

Obama picked up several of Edwards' delegates Thursday.

(CNN) – At least six of John Edwards' pledged delegates in South Carolina will throw their support to Barack Obama following Edwards’ endorsement of the Democratic frontrunner, bringing the total number of delegates switching to Obama on Thursday to eight.

One Edwards delegate from Iowa, Machelle Crum, came out for Obama on Thursday morning, as did New Hampshire delegate Joshua Denton. Crum made the decision after receiving a phone call from Edwards supporters encouraging her to make the switch.

In South Carolina, Daniel Boan, Christine Brennan-Bond, Robert Groce, Susan Smith, Mike Evatt and Lauren Bilton — all elected as pledged delegates for Edwards following his third place finish in the primary there on January 29 — announced Thursday they will follow Edwards’ lead and pledge their support to Obama at the Democratic National Convention in August.

John Moylan, the Columbia attorney who directed Edwards’ campaign in the state and is now serving as an alternate delegate for Edwards, appeared on CNN’s “American Morning” Thursday. He stated his support for Obama and hinted that more members of the Edwards delegation would follow later in the day.

“I didn't reach all eight of them, but I can tell you that at least six of the eight are prepared to endorse Senator Obama,” Moylan said this morning.

Read the rest of this entry »

Obama held a conference call with Edwards delegates on Thursday afternoon.

(CNN) — After a morning spent courting superdelegates in Washington, Barack Obama convened a conference call Thursday afternoon to reach out to pledged delegates in South Carolina committed to former candidate John Edwards.

Two Edwards delegates on the call said Obama discussed his vision for the presidency and told the delegation he looks forward to working with them at the Democratic National Convention this summer.

Ed Turlington, an Edwards adviser from North Carolina who committed to Obama in April, participated in the conference call, as did former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, an Obama backer.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the call was simply an opportunity for the Democratic frontrunner "to give folks an update on the campaign and a chance to ask questions."

Several South Carolina Democrats familiar with the Edwards delegation said a handful of the former senator's eight pledged delegates in the state are considering throwing their support to Obama.

Read the rest of this entry »

Former president Clinton campaigned for his wife in Pennsylvania recently.

(CNN) — On the eve of Tuesday’s critical Pennsylvania primary, former President Bill Clinton accused Barack Obama’s campaign of playing the race card against him.

After the phone interview with Delaware radio station WHYY Monday night, a stray comment of his on the issue was also recorded before he hung up: “I don’t think I should take any s*** from anybody on that, do you?”

The former president had been asked whether his remarks comparing Obama’s strong showing in South Carolina to that of Jesse Jackson in 1988 had been a mistake given their impact on his wife Hillary Clinton’s campaign. “No, I think that they played the race card on me,” said Clinton, “and we now know from memos from the campaign and everything that they planned to do it all along.”

“We were talking about South Carolina political history and this was used out of context and twisted for political purposes by the Obama campaign to try to breed resentment elsewhere. And you know, do I regret saying it? No. Do I regret that it was used that way? I certainly do. But you really got to go some to try to portray me as a racist.”

He added that the way Obama’s campaign had reacted was “disrespectful to Jesse Jackson” and that the former presidential candidate had told him he was not offended, and that “we all know what’s going on."

UPDATE: At a Pittsburgh press availability, Obama was asked about Clinton's charge that his campaign had drawn up plans to use 'the race card.'

“Hold on a second,’’ he said. “So former President Clinton dismissed my victory in South Carolina as being similar to Jesse Jackson and he is suggesting that somehow I had something to do with it? You better ask him what he meant by that. I have no idea what he meant. These were words that came out of his mouth. Not words that came out of mine.’’

Related video: Watch Obama respond to Bill Clinton's 'race card' comment

President Bush with Sanford, left, and Graham, right.

(CNN) – In an interview Wednesday, one of John McCain’s top backers, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, appeared to pour cold water on the notion that his home state’s governor, Mark Sanford, would be a strong addition to the Republican presidential ticket.

Sanford, a fiscal hawk from the Charleston area with solid credentials on social issues, has seen his name floated by national political observers as a possible running mate for McCain. But within South Carolina, Sanford has maintained a rocky relationship with Republican legislators over spending and reform issues.

Speaking with reporters and editors from The State newspaper in Columbia, Graham praised Sanford as a "solid conservative reformer" and said of the 47-year old governor, "I think his profile nationally among conservatives is very positive."

However, Graham noted that Sanford has had a "tough" tenure as governor, and argued that adding a South Carolinian to the Republican ticket would have a meaningless electoral impact.

"To be honest with you," said Graham, "I don't see any of us in South Carolina bringing a whole lot of value to the ticket. We're talking about winning a national race that's going to be very competitive."

Sanford did not endorse McCain or any GOP candidate before the South Carolina primary, but he has since backed the presumptive nominee.

"When it comes time to pick a vice president, that the smart money, I think, would be trying to add to the national security, you know, reinforce that aspect of the ticket," Graham said.

Speculating on what could happen in his state this fall, Graham said he considered South Carolina too conservative to turn blue in the general election, but still predicted Barack Obama had the potential to shift the electoral map.

"Sen. Obama would create energy and enthusiasm, particularly among African-Americans, so there he is … some states would be in play that hadn't been in play before," he said.

Related: Speculation begins over McCain's running mate

Sen. Clinton campaigned in Memphis, Tennessee a day after the South Carolina Democratic primary.

(CNN) — After days of growing debate about his prominent role in her campaign efforts, Sen. Hillary Clinton said Sunday she knows how her husband feels.

"You know, I think that what he is doing for me is obviously out of a sense of deep commitment to me personally, but also based on his experience as president as to who he thinks would best lead our country," Clinton told CBS' "Face the Nation."

"And I know that in my own support of him going back some years, I sometimes got a little bit carried away. I confess to that."

Asked by host Bob Schieffer whether the former president has gotten "carried away," Hillary Clinton laughed and responded, "I think it's human nature, Bob. I think that the spouses of all three of us have, you know, been passionate and vigorous defenders of each of us and, you know, maybe got a little carried away. But, you know, that comes with a hard-fought election.

"It also comes with sleep deprivation which, you know, I think is marking all of us, our families, our supporters."

Critics have complained about some of Bill Clinton's remarks on the trail for his wife in South Carolina, including his reference to Jesse Jackson having won primaries in the state in the 1980s.

The remark was widely seen as a suggestion that Obama's success would be largely based on his race. In the end, Obama won with a large majority of African-American voters, while most whites voted for Clinton or Sen. John Edwards.

Obama, speaking Sunday on ABC's "This Week," sidestepped a question about whether the former president's remark was a matter of "racial politics."

"I think that that's his frame of reference, was the Jesse Jackson races," Obama said.

Hillary Clinton told CBS, "I am very, very proud of my husband's record as a leader in our country going back so many years and what he's done. And people know his heart. They know, you know, what he has stood for.

"So, I'm really glad that he's there with me, and I think everybody just needs to take a deep breath. We need to be focusing on what's important in the lives of Americans."

–CNN's Josh Levs

The Best Political Team breaks down Obama's big win in South Carolina. (Photo Credit: AP)

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – Former Sen. John Edwards urged his supporters on
to the Super Tuesday contests following a third-place finish Saturday in his native state's Democratic primary.

"Now the three of us move on to February 5 where millions of Americans will cast their vote and help shape the future of this party and help shape the future of America," Edwards said in a short speech after finishing behind Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in South Carolina.

"Our campaign from the very beginning has been about one central thing, and that is to give voice to the millions of Americans who have absolutely no voice in this democracy."

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – In a historical shift, South Carolina Democrats turned out in record numbers on Saturday, besting last week's underwhelming Republican vote, which was hampered by bad weather.

In an overwhelmingly red state, that's no small feat.

The state Democratic party estimates that more than 530,000 Democrats turned out for Saturday's primary, as compared with 445,000 voters who showed up to vote last weekend, a marked drop from the Republican record high in 2000.

State party chair Carol Fowler said in a statement that the vote is a "remarkable occurrence."

"Democrats have three excellent candidates who have inspired voters all over South Carolina and our country," she said. "This is a huge rejection of the Republican Party at both the federal and state level."

Read the rest of this entry »

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — At his South Carolina victory event Saturday night, Barack Obama described the 2008 campaign as a simple fight: "the past versus the future."

"We’re looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington – a status quo that extends beyond any particular party," he said. "And right now, that status quo is fighting back with everything it’s got."

Obama said his blowout win should persuade the cynics who thought his victory in Iowa "was just an illusion" that they were wrong.

The Illinois senator's other message: race is not a factor. He told the excited crowd of about 2,000 that after the four early nominating contests, he has "the most diverse coalition of Americans we've seen in a long time."

"They are young and old; rich and poor," Obama said. "They are black and white; Latino and Asian."

He cited a woman who once worked for longtime South Carolina politician Strom Thurmond, a Republican who continued to support segregationist views until his death in 2003.

"[She] knocked on doors for this campaign," Obama said. "Don’t tell me we can’t change."

Speaking in stentorian tones lightened by a singsongy lilt reminiscent of a Baptist preacher, he said, "Yes we can change! Yes we can!"

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – Much has been written about the strength of Barack Obama's ground organization in South Carolina, largely driven by volunteers. Some observers considered it his best among the early-voting states.

It paid overwhelming dividends for Obama tonight in precincts across the state, some of which were largely ignored in the 2004 primary.

Take, for instance, the tiny town of Estill, located in Hampton County in the southern part of the state.

In the 2004 presidential primary, just 264 total votes were cast in Estill.

In this primary race, the Obama campaign made sure to send staff and volunteers to the town. Tonight, amid unprecedented Democratic turnout across the state, 575 votes were cast in Estill, with 459 of them going to Obama, 92 to Hillary Clinton and 24 to John Edwards.

– CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby

(CNN) – Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in South Carolina. But in the state’s Democratic primary Saturday, presidential contender Barack Obama has 294,799 votes, with 99 percent of precincts reporting — more than the top two finishers in last week’s GOP primary combined.

Last Saturday, winner John McCain pulled in 147,283 votes. Runner-up Mike Huckabee captured 132,440.

–CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – During the last six months, each of the three Democratic frontrunners made campaign pilgrimages to a series of dilapidated schools along Interstate 95 that make up the so-called "Corridor of Shame."

That strip of run-down, rural schools gained national attention in a 2005 documentary that angered many South Carolinians, who saw the schools as a residual symbol of racial discrimination in rural parts of the state.

Though John Edwards and Hillary Clinton made those schools a focus of many speeches throughout their campaigns, Barack Obama won the counties that encompass them by wide margins.

Marlboro, Dillon, Clarendon, Florence and Darlington Counties all went big for Obama on Saturday.

– CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby

(CNN) — Hillary Clinton will finish second and John Edwards will finish third in the South Carolina Democratic primary, CNN projects.

(CNN) — The drama of the past few days seems to have benefited just one candidate: Barack Obama.

More voters who made their decision anytime in the past month – including those who did not pick a candidate until Election Day — voted for Obama than the combined total of those who went for Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, according to CNN exit polls.

– CNN Associate Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand

The outcome in South Carolina is crucial for Democrats.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — Democrats are heading to the polls today in a primary election with a lot on the line, in a state where African Americans are expected to make up about half of the Democratic primary voters.

A win in South Carolina is crucial for Barack Obama, who could use a victory after second place finishes to Hillary Clinton in contests in New Hampshire and Nevada. The Senator from Illinois, who is hoping to become America’s first African-American president, is expected to do well with black voters.

Obama talked about the race factor late last night at a rally in South Carolina.

"After we won Iowa, everybody was so excited. Everybody said 'oh look at this. You know, African American, he's winning in a state with almost no African Americans,' and everybody's excited, and young people came out. And I think people started thinking 'well you know this isn’t hard' – but you know what, the status quo does not give up that easily,” said Obama.

White voters make up the other half of the Democratic electorate and they are expected to mostly split their votes between Clinton and former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.

Edwards was born in South Carolina and won the state’s primary four years ago, when he was making his first bid for the White House. Edwards has been touting his native status and as camps Clinton and Obama have squabbled, Edwards has continued to talk about the issues and suggests he’s the only adult in the field.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Edwards said "I'm keeping moving no matter what, but I feel good about how things are moving right now here today. Uh, I feel there's a lot of energy behind my campaign."

Read the rest of this entry »

Watch Clinton stop by a CNN table at a South Carolina restaurant.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — Today’s the Super Bowl of Democratic politics in South Carolina – and this afternoon, the top teams found themselves in some pretty close quarters.

This afternoon, Barack Obama staffers and reporters following the Illinois senator’s campaign made a stop at the Liberty Tap Room & Grill, a Columbia watering hole and dining establishment, where several CNN-ers, including myself, were having a peaceful lunch.

About halfway through my bowl of chili, men in earpieces began sweeping the restaurant. Then Hillary Clinton’s press pool showed up, followed by her handlers and finally, the candidate herself along with her daughter, Chelsea Clinton. They worked the room, shaking hands and encouraging diners to vote.

Finally, Hillary Clinton herself stopped to greet our table — our first encounter with the New York senator since we were berated by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, at a campaign stop earlier this week. (It was a brief, pleasant exchange — so brief, in fact, we didn't get a chance to ask her to pass a message on to her husband: We swear, we don't live to "hurt the people of South Carolina.")

The surprise Clinton-Obama campaign meeting had the two sides shoulder-to-shoulder in the suddenly-cramped restaurant — but unlike Monday night's CNN showdown, there were no fireworks.

–CNN’s Carey Bodenheimer

Sen. Barack Obama campaigns Thursday in North Charleston, South Carolina.

(CNN) — Turnout was strong in some places Saturday as voters streamed to the polls for South Carolina's Democratic primary election.

"Turnout has been steady, and some counties have described it as heavy," said Chris Whitmire, spokesman for the state election commission. "Our absentee numbers indicate that we could have higher turnout than last weekend," when the Republican Party held its primary.

A win in South Carolina is crucial for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who could use a victory after second-place finishes to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire and Nevada.

Full story

Hillary Clinton and John McCain are very close, Bill Clinton says.

(CNN) — If Hillary Clinton and John McCain become their party's presidential nominees, the general election race is likely to be a love-fest.

At least according to Bill Clinton.

Campaigning in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Friday, the former president brushed aside suggestions his wife would prove to be a divisive nominee for the Democratic Party, pointing out how she has successfully worked with Republicans in the Senate — including one of the current GOP presidential candidates.

"She and John McCain are very close," Clinton said. "They always laugh that if they wound up being the nominees of their party, it would be the most civilized election in American history, and they're afraid they'd put the voters to sleep because they like and respect each other."

The comments may not be welcome by the McCain camp — which yesterday faced fire from several of its rivals for winning the backing of the New York Times — a longtime archenemy of conservatives.

Sens. McCain and Clinton last met publicly at an ABC debate earlier January, when presidential candidates of both parties shared the same stage. The two were seen exchanging pleasantries, and a Clinton side said she told the Arizona senator he’d done a “good job” staging a comeback in New Hampshire. He asked that she say hello to Bill Clinton for him.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney