Kaine stays mum on Veep buzz
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/29/art.obamakaine.gi.jpg caption="Kaine is staying mum on reports he is on the top of Obama's VP list."](CNN) - The vice presidential buzz is circling around Gov. Tim Kaine, but the Virginia Democrat refused to address the speculation in a radio interview Tuesday.
"What I said about this is that I have been on board with the campaign since February 2007, but I don't talk about my conversations with the campaign," the first-term governor told Washington radio station WTOP. "You know I save my advice, thoughts, etc., for those conversations and I don't really share them."
Kaine, who hails from an increasingly purple state the Obama campaign hopes to snatch from Republicans this cycle, has long been considered a top vice presidential prospect. But speculation increased Monday night after both the Washington Post and the Politico reported Kaine is on top of the Illinois senator's VP short list.
According to the Washington Post, Kaine has told his close advisers he has had "very serious" conversations with the Obama campaign about the position and is eagerly jockeying for it.
CNN Political Market: Kaine's stock on the rise
But speaking to WTOP on Tuesday, Kaine said he did not endorse Obama to "get anything or get appointed to anything."
"It's flattering to be mentioned, my mom loves it, she calls me, she sees it," he said. "But that's for the campaign to decide. The campaign has made very good decisions thus far. And I think, how ever they decide, they are going to make a very good decision about Senator Obama's running mate."
CNN Election Center: Who's on the VP shortlist?
Later in the broadcast, Kaine also refused to say whether he has any meetings planned with Obama: "I've got my 13-year old daughter in the studio. We have a date right after this and that's the only thing on my calendar."
Many political observers have noted Kaine would bring several advantages to the Democratic ticket - in addition to hailing from a conservative-to-moderate state, he has never served in Washington and could easily espouse Obama's message of change. He, like Obama, is also a fresh face in political circles and a graduate of Harvard Law School.
But Kaine has only served as governor for three years, and it's likely his name on the ticket will do little to assuage voter concerns that Obama lacks the experience to be president. Kaine also does little to shore up the Illinois senator's short resume on national security credentials.
RNC launches Facebook parody Web site targeting Obama
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/29/art.barackbook0729.rnc.jpg caption="The RNC's new Web site parodies Facebook.com where Sen. Obama has accumulated more than a million supporters."]
(CNN) – The Republican National Committee stepped up its efforts Tuesday to use social networking technologies that Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has effectively embraced in order to criticize the presumptive Democratic nominee as the campaign heads into the final 100 days.
BarackBook.com, the RNC’s new Web site parodies Facebook.com, the popular social networking site where Obama currently has 1.2 million supporters. The RNC says that Obama has seven “friends” on the parody site including convicted Chicago businessman Antoin “Tony” Rezko and William Ayers, a member of the Weather Underground during the 1970’s.
In addition to a feed page displaying activity between Obama and his “friends,” the RNC site also includes a page featuring YouTube videos about Obama, a page that facilitates donations to the RNC, an RSS feed of information from GOP.com, among other pages.
BarackBook.com is free-standing outside of Facebook but the site includes a link to the page of the RNC’s official Facebook group and a link to an application that duplicates the RNC’s parody site within the confines of Facebook.
“This is an interactive way to learn more about Obama’s poor judgment,” RNC spokesman Alex Conant said in a statement Tuesday. “Obama’s judgment is an issue in this election, and this site will help us highlight some of Obama’s noteworthy ‘friends.’”
The Obama campaign sees the new RNC site differently. “For comment on the new RNC site, I’d refer you to their own discussion board, specifically the topic ‘The site is lame,’” said an e-mail from Tommy Vietor of the Obama campaign, making a reference to comments posted on Facebook about the BarackBook application.
Clinton holds 'retirement dinner' contest
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/29/art.dinner-with-hillary.jpg caption="Clinton's campaign advertises a chance to win dinner with the senator."]
(CNN) – No, she’s not leaving politics, but she is still trying to retire more than $25 million of campaign debt.
Sen. Hillary Clinton’s Web site is advertising a contest to win a summer “retirement dinner” with the former presidential contender. The price for a chance to win is a contribution to her creditors.
“Summer is a time for simple pleasures: family vacations, baseball games, and dinner out under the stars,” Clinton’s e-mail to supporters says. “At least it is if you aren't running for president! It sure is nice having a little more time on my hands, and I'd love to spend some of it with you.”
Those interested in helping Clinton retire the debt can pay from $10 to more than $2,300 for a chance to win the dinner and “talk about whatever you’d like.” The campaign’s site doesn’t say where the winner will dine with the senator, but it mentions that round-trip transportation and the total value may run $3,000.
According to the latest filing with the Federal Elections Commission, as of June 30 Clinton is $25 million in debt, over $13 million of which is owed to herself.
Obama heads to VP vetter’s office building
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/28/art.obamavp.ap.jpg caption="Obama headed into the office building of VP vetter Monday."]
(CNN) - In a sign Barack Obama may be moving closer to selecting a running mate, the Democratic presidential candidate was spotted Monday heading into the Washington office building of his top VP vetter, Eric Holder
Following a roundtable with some of his top economic advisors, Obama headed to the downtown Washington law offices of Covington and Burling, where Holder is a partner. He declined to answer any questions on his way in.
CNN Political Market: Who will Obama choose?
Holder, along with Caroline Kennedy, is principally in charge of steering the Illinois senator's search for a No. 2. Longtime Washington insider Jim Johnson had also been leading the search but stepped down last month amid questions over favorable loans from Countrywide Financial.
Caroline Kennedy is also reportedly in Washington Monday for a Democratic National Committee fundraising event.
Obama's campaign wouldn't comment on the meeting, though he's expected to spend nearly two hours there before heading to a fundraiser in Arlington. Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, as well as senior advisers David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs, are also traveling with Obama Monday, though it is unclear if they are attending the meeting.
Speaking with NBC Sunday, Obama wouldn't say how close he is to selecting his running mate, but said it would happen "soon enough."
“I'm going to want somebody with integrity. I'm going to want somebody with independence, who's willing to tell me where he thinks or she thinks I'm wrong, and I'm - I'm going to want somebody who shares a vision of the country where we need to go, that we've got to fundamentally change not only our policies, but how our politics works, how business is done in Washington,” he said.
UPDATE: Obama left Holder's office building shortly before 7 p.m. ET, almost three hours after he went in. He declined to answer any questions on who he met with.
McCain says he could support 16-month Iraq timetable
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/POLITICS/07/28/mccain.larryking/art.mccain.0728.ap.jpg caption="Sen. John McCain appears Monday in Bakersfield, California, before talking to Larry King."]LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) - Sen. John McCain could support a 16-month timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, he told CNN's Larry King Monday night.
But the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said he would only do that if military chiefs deemed the "conditions on the ground" safe enough.
Watch: McCain talks to Larry King
Speaking from Bakersfield, California, the Arizona senator said he would not stick to a "hard and firm date" suggested by Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Related: McCain says voters should not be concerned about his health
POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Tuesday, July 29, 2008
CNN: McCain says he could support 16-month Iraq timetable
Sen. John McCain could support a 16-month timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, he told CNN's Larry King Monday night.
CNNMoney.com: Welcome, Mr. President: Here's the tab
The federal government's 2009 deficit is projected to rise to $482 billion. That's not great news for the next president – no matter who wins on Election Day.
USA Today: McCain gains on Obama in poll
Republican John McCain gained ground in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll that found Democrat Barack Obama's highly publicized foreign trip has not broadened confidence in his ability to be commander of the U.S. military.
NY Times: A Canceled Obama Visit, and the Story Behind It
For four days, Senator John McCain has sought to keep alive a story about how Senator Barack Obama called off a visit to American troops recuperating from war wounds at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
CNN Radio: There Will Be Biopsies starring Sen. John McCain
Touring California oil fields, Sen. McCain's mole is the talk of the nation. McCain talks too, getting a word in edgewise on Sen. Obama's economic plan. CNN’s Bob Costantini has today’s CNN Radio Political Ticker.
LA Times: GOP suffering from a lack of (ballot) initiative
The strategy of pushing propositions likely to draw conservatives to the polls has faltered as Republicans face mishaps in drafting measures and a more aggressive opposition.
LA Times: New 'W' trailer: A walk on the wild side with Bush
It was just a couple of weeks ago that conservative commentators were all saying that liberals were humorless dolts, offering as Exhibit A the outraged reaction to the New Yorker's hilarious Barack Obama as Muslim terrorist cover cartoon. So I'm betting those same commentators will heartily embrace Lionsgate's first teaser trailer for Oliver Stone's "W," which just posted today on YouTube (with the admonition: "This is not a fake"), focusing on the young Dubya, acting like he's starring in a boozy remake of "Old School."
ON THE TRAIL: Tuesday, July 29, 2008
* Sen. John McCain holds a town hall meeting in Sparks, NV.
* Sen. Barack Obama is on Capitol Hill, meeting with House Democrats.
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