Watch John King's report on what Mitt Romney is doing and saying to win over evangelical voters in South Carolina.
(CNN) - In a CNN exclusive, Chief National Correspondent John King reports on a closed-door meeting that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney recently held with evangelical Christians in South Carolina.
Related: Romney's private pitch to evangelicals
Related: Romney winning over S.C. skeptics
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Watch Jessica Yellin's report on the alternative minimum tax.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Congressional Democrats are pushing a proposal that would protect the middle class from the expanding reach of the alternative minimum tax. But, Congressional Republicans are crying foul. Jessica Yellin reports.
Related: Alternative minimum tax fix passes House
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Watch Mary Snow's report about former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik.
(CNN) - Bernard Kerik - a one-time friend of Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, R-New York - was indicted on federal tax fraud and other federal criminal charges on Thursday. Kerik surrendered to authorities and pleaded not guilty on Friday. Mary Snow reports from White Plains, New York.
Related: Ex-Giuliani protege Kerik pleads not guilty
Related: Giuliani on Kerik: 'I made a mistake'
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
Watch Candy Crowley's report about the role the Western interior states may play in the 2008 presidential race.
(CNN) - Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley filed this report from Denver about the West and the 2008 White House race.
Programming Note: Watch CNN's Democratic presidential debate from Las Vegas, Nevada on November 15.
Related video: Arizona governor visits the Situation Room.
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
The audio recording provides a rare glimpse into Romney's private efforts to win over evangelical Christians skeptical of his Mormon faith.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) - At an invitation-only meeting held Tuesday with students, faculty and alumni of the fundamentalist Bob Jones University, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney put aside questions about his Mormon faith and focused instead on what he described as his shared values with Christians, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by CNN.
Although Romney has often spoken publicly about his efforts to allay the fears of evangelical Christians over his Mormon faith, the audio recording of the event provides a rare glimpse into Romney's private efforts to court the constituency many see as crucial to his presidential bid.
"I get good support from evangelical Christian leadership around the country, you know, despite a difference in religion," Romney told the audience of evangelicals gathered at the Greenville Hilton.
"I think it was Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention who said we're not electing a pastor-in-chief, and so I appreciate that support and just you remember that when you go to vote," he said with a laugh.
The recording, which was done without the knowledge of the Romney campaign or those from the Bob Jones community in attendance, was provided to CNN by an alumnus of the fundamentalist Christian school who was invited to the private meeting, which was described in an e-mail he also provided as "designed to specifically reach out to members of the Bob Jones University family."
Read the entire story and listen to the audio recording here.
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- CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby
Edwards received key endorsement Friday in Iowa.
DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) - Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards received aboost Friday from Caucus for Priorities, a group launched by Ben & Jerry's ice cream co-founder Ben Cohen, that aims to eliminate wasteful Pentagon spending.
Cohen described Edwards as "a leader who listens, and always gives the straight answers Americans deserve from their president."
"As commander-in-chief, he'll do whatever it takes to keep us safe but he'll also make sure Americans have health care, strong schools, and the
opportunity to get ahead. He'll eliminate billions in wasteful Pentagon
spending, and put our budget back in line with our values."
Edwards cited the issue of Blackwater to highlight the fact that government
spending needs to be scrutinized.
Caucus for Priorities says the endorsement represents 10,000 Iowa caucus
goers who will now pledge to support Edwards in January.
- CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The decision of Rep. Jim Saxton, R-New Jersey, to retire at the end of the 110th Congress will mean that House Republicans will have at least 15 open seats to defend in 2008, compared to at least three for the Democrats.
Of the 15 House Republicans who will not run for re-election next year, 11 are retiring from elective politics entirely, while four are seeking higher office. On the Democratic side, two House members are running for Senate seats, while one has announced plans to retire at the end of this term.
McCain goes after Giuliani for not seeing Kerik's faults sooner.
CONCORD, New Hampshire (CNN) - Aboard his "Straight Talk Express," Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge questioned former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's judgment and experience by pointing to his association with former police commissioner Bernard Kerik who was indicted Friday and may face federal criminal charges.
McCain told reporters he had never approved of Kerik as a candidate for head of the DHS.
"I went to Baghdad shortly after the initial victory and met in Baghdad with Bremer, Sanchez and Kerik was there,” McCain said referencing former L. Paul Bremmer and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez. “Kerik was supposed to be there to help train the police force. He stayed two months and one day just left.”
"That's why I never would have supported him to be the head of Homeland Security because of his irresponsible act when he was over there in Baghdad to try to help train the police."
McCain blamed the initial failure of the police forces in Iraq saying Kerik "didn't do anything," and criticized his early departure.
Ridge added that Giuliani's judgment was "different than mine," on the decision of who to appoint Director of Homeland Security.
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