Powell still undecided, says Obama win would be 'electrifying'
(CNN) - Former Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that he has not yet decided which candidate to back in this year’s presidential race.
The election of an African-American president “would be electrifying,” Powell told a George Washington University audience, “but at the same time [I have to] make a judgment here on which would be best for America.
“I have been watching both individuals, I know them both extremely well, and I have not decided who I am going to vote for. And I'm interested to see what the debates are going to be like because we have to get off of this ‘lipstick on a pig’ stuff and get into issues,” he said.
Powell's full comments will air on “The Next President: A World of Challenges” this Saturday night at 9pm ET and again Sunday at 2pm ET.
Last month, as the retired general’s office denied a report that he had decided to publicly back Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, several sources told CNN’s John King that Powell was still undecided. “As always, he is holding his cards close and waiting for more information," one adviser close to Powell told CNN’s John King.
Earlier this year, Powell told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he was weighing an endorsement of a Democrat or independent candidate. “I am keeping my options open at the moment,” said Powell.
Palin makes first foray into fundraising for McCain
CANTON, Ohio (CNN) - In her first fundraising effort on behalf of the McCain campaign, Sarah Palin raised just under $1 million, according to the host of the event.
Because McCain has accepted public financing for his campaign, the money raised will go towards the McCain-Palin Ohio Victory fund, which is comprised of the Ohio state GOP, the Republican National Committee, and the McCain-Palin Compliance Fund, which solicits private donations to help the campaign defray certain costs.
“Senator McCain will be stunned and he’ll be appreciative also,” Palin said of the money raised.
Palin spoke for about 20 minutes at Brookside Country Club in Canton (just down the road, a solitary protester held up a sign reading “Country Club First,” a mock-up of the campaign’s slogan “Country First.”)
The Alaska governor thanked Ohio’s convention delegation for helping her through her speech in St. Paul when, she said, her teleprompter malfunctioned.
McCain pulls in big donations, smaller crowds
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain told a private audience Monday night that "no matter what you see in the polls," he and Sarah Palin are underdogs.
It's a tough race, as you know. We got a strong head wind, and we've got a lot of work to do," the White House hopeful said at a fundraiser in Miami. "And no matter what you see in the polls recently, Governor Palin and I are the underdogs."
"We're the underdogs," he repeated. "That's where we like to be. That's the best place to be in this race. So we're going to be working hard and campaigning every single day."
The GOP candidate was addressing a crowd of donors at a Miami hotel. In his introduction, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said McCain has brought in $26.2 million to date from Floridians, $5.1 million Monday night alone.
McCain may be pulling in big money – but his crowds seem to be fading since he and Palin split up on the campaign trail.
Biden introducer: Palin is 'bucket of fluff'
FLAT ROCK, Michigan (CNN) – Barack Obama and Joe Biden have been saving their fire on the stump for McCain and all but ignoring Sarah Palin. But a nervous supporter who introduced Biden in Flat Rock didn’t have any qualms about jabbing the Alaska governor.
“Barack Obama has made an intelligent choice for the vice presidency,” said Barbara Theaker from the podium, “How so very different this is from that bucket of fluff that the Republican candidates have chosen for the same position.”
Watch the introduction at Monday's Biden rally
Biden smiled and moved towards the edge of the stage feigning an attempt at escape but came back, taking the mic a few minutes later. “I’ll tell you what, you are good,” Biden said. “My lord, all I need is ten of you in America and this is a walk home.”
Both campaigns embrace 'Change We Need'
(CNN) - The closing line of the new John McCain-Sarah Palin ad — “the change we need” - has become a constant campaign catchphrase this month.
But not for the Republican ticket.
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, who has used the slogan “Change You Can Believe In” for most of his White House run, first used the line “that’s the change we need right now” in his convention acceptance speech at the end of August; running mate Joe Biden used it in his first campaign ad. By last week, the campaign — which hasn’t retired the old motto - was holding “Change We Need” events across the country.
What does Obama himself think of the matching slogans? He told a Colorado crowd Monday that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” - but asked rhetorically why McCain didn’t borrow some of his ideas as well.
Obama's teleprompter hits the trail
(CNN) - It appears Barack Obama's teleprompter is hitting the campaign trail.
The Democratic presidential nominee has never tried to hide the fact he delivers speeches off the device, though normally he doesn't use one at standard campaign rallies and town hall events.
But the Illinois senator used a teleprompter at both his Colorado events Monday - making for a particularly peculiar scene in Pueblo, where the prompter was set up in the middle of what is normally a rodeo ring.
Weather disrupts Palin's campaign stops
CANTON, Ohio (CNN) - Sarah Palin is postponing visits to Cincinnati and Dayton as the remnants of Hurricane Ike torment southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.
High winds have killed several people in Ohio and left thousands without power.
The vice presidential candidate had been scheduled to spend the night in Cincinnati Monday and hold a fundraiser there on Tuesday. She had also planned to spend that night in Dayton before holding a fundraiser in town the following morning.
Palin and John McCain will proceed as planned with their joint rally in the Youngstown area, in northwest Ohio, on Tuesday afternoon. The event will be their first appearance on the trail together since Palin departed for Alaska last Wednesday.
“Due to the state of emergency, and to avoid a possible diversion of personnel and resources, Gov. Palin’s visits to the Cincinnati and Dayton areas have been postponed to a later date. Tomorrow’s rally in the Mahoning Valley will continue as planned,” said a statement released by the campaign.
CNN=Politics Daily
(CNN)—One of the biggest banking failures in U.S. history is making many American’s fearful of their investments. In the latest installment of CNN=Politics Daily, CNN’s Alan Chernoff takes a look at what the crisis on Wall Street means for Americans and for the nation’s economy, while Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider reports on John McCain and Barack Obama’s response to the news.
Meanwhile: Obama and Joe Biden are accusing McCain of lying in his recent campaign ads. CNN’s Jim Acosta reports on the increasing pushback coming from the Democratic ticket.
Finally: Gov. Sarah Palin is on her first solo campaign swing since being named to the Republican ticket, but she is still steering clear of the traveling press. CNN’s Dana Bash reports from Colorado.
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HAPPENING NOW: Obama stumps in Pueblo, Colorado
(CNN) - Barack Obama is holding a campaign rally in Pueblo, Colorado - his second campaign event in that key battleground state today.
Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin also held an event in Colorado Monday.
CNN POLL OF POLLS: McCain's convention bounce gone
(CNN) - The bounce John McCain received in national opinion polls following his party's convention and the selection of Sarah Palin to the GOP presidential ticket appears to have evaporated, a new CNN poll of polls suggests.
In the latest CNN survey of several recent national polls, Obama and McCain are locked in a dead heat at 45 percent each with 10 percent who remain undecided with 50 days remaining until Election Day.
“When we average the latest national polls, it is increasingly clear that neither candidate has any serious momentum at the moment,” said CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib. “The convention bounces have faded and left us with a dead heat. Even though we are now in the final stretch of this historic marathon campaign for the presidency, the White House is still genuinely up for grabs.”
CNN's latest poll of polls consists of three recent surveys: Newsweek (September 10-11), Gallup (September 12-14), and Diageo/Hotline (September 12-14). It does not have a sampling error.
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