quote:

On Water Street, near the foot of the bridge, vendors sold smoked turkey legs, funnel cakes and lemonade.

I am going to have to ask... what is Funnel cake?

Firefly ..... I am sooooo sorry!! I accidentally clicked the wrong thing and deleated your initial post! I tend to be technologically challenged at times! But, I did manage to save a quote from it ... and that's what I've answered below! Again, I humbly apologize!!

quote:

Originally posted by FireFly:
On the topic of Obama, my friend who is Kenyan, (and lives in the US) is visiting Nairobi at the moment and emailed to say Kenyans are keenly watching and following the debates in the US. Apparently Obama visited Kenya a few months ago and was "received with great pomp!" Kenyans are very proud of Obama - as you no doubt know, his father was Kenyan.[/b]

Oh, yes, Firefly ... his trip to Africa was a major deal, both there and here! He went as a Senator so it was an "official" trip, complete with full media entourage!!! He went "home" to his father's village and visited his grandma there! Thousands welcomed him, his wife and children. They loved him there! And he's just as proud of them as they are of him.

Now, I'm not sure how many African American were actually impressed with it!! Obviously not enough if there is still debate and wonder as to whether or not he's "Black enough." If going home to Africa to embrace his people in front of the entire world isn't good enough .... I can only imagine what is.

quote:

Originally posted by FireFly:

quote:

On Water Street, near the foot of the bridge, vendors sold smoked turkey legs, funnel cakes and lemonade.

I am going to have to ask... what is Funnel cake?

Oh ... and a funnel cake is a sweet, round piece of dough (almost like a donut) deep fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar! They mostly sell them at carnivals and theme parks or the circus where you kind of nibble on it while you're walking around and enjoying the sights. It's delicious ... and fattening!

Here's a picture ...

Beyond Iraq, '08 Issues Starting to Form as Democratic, GOP Hopefuls Claim Their Ground

Date: Monday, March 12, 2007
By: Calvin Woodward, Associated Press



WASHINGTON - (AP) Positions on the country's direction at home and abroad are starting to take shape in the blur of motion, money and ambition of the 2008 presidential contest.

Candidates vying for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations all have records in office of some sort, so there are no blank slates. Most have a select few issues upon which to ground their early campaign -- a health care plan here, an outline on immigration, diplomacy or the environment there.

Many more pieces are to come for those who are in for the long haul.

Iraq is defining the campaign less than a year away from the primaries that will choose the presidential candidates for the November 2008 election.

The GOP front-runners support continued prosecution of the war. Democrats oppose the troop buildup, differing among themselves mainly on the speed with which they would start a withdrawal.

"Iraq is sort of that boulder in the road that you have to move before you can get to the rest of the issues," one Democratic hopeful, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, said in a South Carolina campaign stop.

Behind that big rock, only a few signature issues, varying by candidate, have come out in more than sketchy form.

Among Democrats, John Edwards has laid out a detailed plan to achieve universal health insurance, a blank slate so far for his chief rivals, and has proposed an anti-poverty program as well. Edwards is alone in acknowledging his plans would require higher taxes.

Republicans are feeling their way on the social issues important to the GOP base, with none of the top-tier candidates a perfect fit for social conservatives.

Giuliani's long-standing support for abortion rights and gay rights stands in marked contrast to the positions now taken by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has swung to the right on both issues.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has a long record of opposing abortion rights, but also a record of doing so without much enthusiasm. He and Giuliani stand together in opposing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, favored by Romney.

On global warming, McCain has more in common with Illinois Democrat Barack Obama -- namely, a bill in the Senate with both their names on it -- than with fellow Republicans seeking the nomination.

While most GOP candidates favor market innovation or federal enticements to clean the air, McCain is a leading sponsor of legislation that would mandate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Immigration also splits the GOP field.

McCain, Giuliani, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee support a conditional path to legal status for illegal immigrants in the country. Reps. Tom Tancredo of Colorado and Duncan Hunter of California do not. Romney is unclear.

Most candidates from both parties support construction of a fence along part of the Mexican border, but not border-state Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. He says the fence will not work and will only hurt relations with the southern neighbor.

Iran is an emerging issue. All Democratic candidates favor negotiating directly with Iran; most of the Republicans are against that, or at least wary.

Hostile rhetoric, however, is coming from both parties.

Obama explicitly leaves open the possibility of pre-emptive military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to stop Iranian officials from developing nuclear weapons. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) says direct talks should not be held with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a "thug."

Biden called Ahmadinejad a "madman" courting assassination by Shia extremists.

Among Republicans, McCain proposes bolstering U.S. forces near Iran to discourage intervention in Iraq. Brownback wants to help dissidents destabilize the Iranian leadership by spending $100 million a year for "democracy building, civil society building, and civil disobedience building."

At this point, positions can sometimes be divined only by knowing what candidates oppose.

Romney's criticisms of McCain for being soft on illegal immigrants suggest he is against Senate-passed legislation that sought to toughen border enforcement while offering conditional legalization. But Romney has not laid out his solution. The Senate's proposed changes failed in the House.

The Democrats are united in supporting abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research and a schedule of some sort for getting out of Iraq, whether it is the immediate start of a withdrawal favored by Edwards and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich or more measured ones advocated by Biden, Clinton, Obama and others.

Still, so much is missing from their platforms that there is not much policy to fight over.

While the candidates are never at a loss for words when asked about education, Social Security, farm policy and trade, for example, most are at a loss for a plan.

Democrats are loath to confer federal recognition on same-sex marriage, yet all oppose a constitutional amendment to ban it. That leaves a lot of middle ground -- and an awkward silence. Among the social issues, gay marriage is proving to be the toughest one for Democrats to deal with.

Clinton, for one, once opposed same-sex marriage and has told gay-rights groups she has learned some things since she took that position. Spokesman Phil Singer said Sunday the senator is, in fact, opposed to gay marriage, but would let states decide whether to sanction it.

Edwards has been similarly torn, and admits it. "I don't know the answer," he said.

California moves primary to February
By LAURA KURTZMAN, Associated Press Writer

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday moved California's presidential primary from June to February, giving the nation's most populous state a greater stake in selecting nominees and shaking up the 2008 political calendar.

"Now California is important again in presidential nominating politics ... and we will get the respect that California deserves," Schwarzenegger said during a bill-signing ceremony.

California has not played a prominent role in a presidential primary since 1972, when George McGovern beat Hubert Humphrey for the Democratic nomination. Schwarzenegger is hoping that by moving the presidential primary from June to Feb. 5, the state will again play a significant role.

But California's bid for more clout has pressured other states to move up their contests, as well. That may diminish California's influence by turning the day into a national primary, with contests held in as many as 19 states.

Still, the prospect of an early primary has prompted presidential candidates from both parties to add California to their itinerary that also includes the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

Republican candidates John McCain (news, bio, voting record) and Rudy Giuliani have appeared at Schwarzenegger's side. The events were designed to draw attention to issues the governor cares about but that might not ordinarily interest a presidential candidate, such as congestion at the port in Long Beach and gang violence in Los Angeles.

"Before the election, it's already accomplished what we set out to do: The candidates for president are already in California. They're already talking with us. Before they would just come, raise money and leave," said Democratic state Sen. Ron Calderon, a sponsor of the measure.

Many Republicans, particularly in the state Assembly, opposed moving up the primary, saying it would cost counties too much money to hold an extra election. But as he signed the bill, Schwarzenegger pledged to reimburse counties for the cost, which local officials estimate between $60 million and $90 million.

Well, now ... two months later and ... not much has changed!

Those who were expected to get into the race did! The gates opened, and not surprisingly, Hillary, Obama, Edwards and Richardson are heading around the track. And are running in that order ... rounding the first turn.

I watched an interview the other night with Gov. Bill Richardson on Tavis' PBS show. What I found most interesting is that although he is the most experienced in domestic and international affairs of all the candidates (has probably done more and held higher positions than all the rest combined) he has the least recognition and is virtually unknown! In addition to holding state, congressional and Cabinet posts, he was also a U. N. Ambassador ... and has had dealings with several rogue nations and dictators.

A CNN poll that was released on March 19, 2007, revealed that Dems favor Hillary by about a 15 percent margin over Barak. Sadly, the poll shows Al Gore in third place ... and he's not even running!! That goes to show what the American people are thinking ... which is truly scary indeed!

quote:

n the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 37 percent of registered Democrats said they would vote for Clinton as the Democratic 2008 nominee, while 22 percent named Obama. Fourteen percent went with Gore, and 12 percent backed Edwards.

The poll included 447 registered voters who described themselves as Democrats. The sampling error for questions asked of them was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Gore has apparently gained support since his triumphant appearance at the Academy Awards ceremony -- in a January poll, only 10 percent said they would vote for him.

But he has said he has no plans to run, and with his name out of the mix, Clinton's support jumps to 44 percent -- a gain of 7 percentage points, compared with a gain of only 1 for Obama.

But even with Gore included, Clinton and Obama have gained support since January -- 3 percentage points for her and 4 for him.

But most of the registered Democrats polled -- 52 percent -- admitted they could change their minds before the election.

Still, the poll found Democrats more likely than Republicans to say they are satisfied with their choices for 2008 -- particularly Clinton supporters. Sixty percent said they are committed to their chosen candidate, compared with only 32 percent of Obama supporters. The margin of error for that question was plus or minus 8 percentage points.

The question for this chart was: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of these people?

It's still amazing to me how polarizing Hillary is. People either love her or hate her ... but, more people seem to think she's ok ... and that's what just might get her elected.

Clinton slips, Edwards climbs in New Hampshire poll


MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton's double-digit lead in the key primary state of New Hampshire has eroded substantially since February, while John Edwards has moved closer, according to a poll released Tuesday.

The CNN/WMUR presidential primary poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire, found that Clinton was the choice of 27 percent of likely Democratic voters in the Granite State, down from 35 percent in the same poll in February.

Meanwhile, Edwards, who was the choice of just 16 percent in February, saw his support jump to 21 percent, vaulting him past Sen. Barack Obama into second place.

The poll's sampling error of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points means that Clinton and Edwards are in a statistical dead heat at the front of the pack, along with Obama, who came in at 20 percent, the poll found. The Illinois senator was at 21 percent in February. (See the poll results -- PDF)

The latest poll was conducted after Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, announced her cancer had returned. When likely Democratic voters were asked what effect that announcement had on their view of Edwards, 85 percent said it had no effect, while the rest were almost evenly split over whether it made them view him more or less favorably.

However, when likely Democratic voters in New Hampshire were asked whether they viewed Edwards favorably or unfavorably, the poll found a roughly 10-point shift in his favor since February.

Eighty percent said they had a favorable view of Edwards, the party's unsuccessful 2004 vice presidential nominee, compared with 8 percent who viewed him unfavorably, a margin of 72 points. In February, 74 percent had viewed him favorably and 13 percent unfavorably, a margin of 61 points.

Meanwhile, the poll showed Clinton's favorability took a significant hit during the same period.

In February, she was viewed favorably by 74 percent of likely Democratic voters in New Hampshire, while just 15 percent viewed her unfavorably. But in the latest poll, her favorability rating shrank to 64 percent, while the number viewing her unfavorably climbed to 24 percent -- a net shift of 20 points.

Obama's favorability remained largely unchanged from February, with 69 percent viewing him favorably and 10 percent unfavorably.

The only other candidate with double-digit support among likely Democratic voters in New Hampshire was former Vice President Al Gore, at 11 percent, even though he is not currently a candidate.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was the choice of 4 percent, and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware was at 2 percent. Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio were the choice of 1 percent of those polled.

Twelve percent of those polled said they were undecided.

Asked what issue was most important to their vote in the primary, 39 percent said the war in Iraq; 21 percent, health care; 11 percent, the economy; 7 percent, foreign policy; and 4 percent, education.



Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/04/03/new.hampshire.poll/index.html

Richardson’s White House Bid Not Yet a Hit Among Fellow Hispanics

By Rachel KapochunasThu Apr 5, 6:19 PM ET

New Mexico Democrat Bill Richardson’s background as a former House member, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Energy secretary and now two-term governor of his home state has long pegged him as one of the nation’s most prominent Hispanic politicians. Now he is running for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and is widely viewed as the most serious Hispanic candidate ever for that office.

Yet a survey of Hispanic voters released earlier this week found that Richardson, whose mother is of Mexican heritage, has not yet made a major connection with this growing and increasingly potent political constituency. Richardson trails well behind the overall Democratic presidential front-runner, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in support among Hispanic voters as well.

Though it is still quite early in the campaign cycle, giving Richardson plenty of room for gains, he currently faces a double whammy on name identification. Though well known in political circles, he is not a familiar figure to most voters of any demographic outside his home state. And with a last name inherited from his “Anglo” father, Richardson needs first to alert many Hispanic voters that he indeed shares their ethnic roots.

Only 37 percent of 1,000 Hispanic registered voters surveyed were aware that there was a Hispanic running for president, and only 25 percent of them could identify that person as Richardson, according to the survey conducted by the Democratic polling firm Lake Research Partners on behalf of the Latino Policy Coalition. The poll results were released on Monday.

But even among voters who were aware Richardson is Hispanic, Clinton was favored by 56 percent to 16 percent for Richardson in a multiple candidate primary matchup. Among all Hispanic Democrats surveyed, Clinton had the highest overall support, 60 percent, followed by 12 percent for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record), 9 percent for Richardson and 7 percent for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

In general election pairings, Richardson’s lead was significantly higher among Hispanics who identified Richardson as a Hispanic candidate.

Ilan Stavans, Amherst College professor of Latin America and Latino Culture and noted author, told CQPolitics.com on Wednesday that it isn’t surprising Richardson’s support improves among Latinos when he is identified as “one of Latinos’ own.” But he noted that the initial urge to rally behind a Latino could always change once issues such as abortion, the war in Iraq and immigration come into focus.

Stavans said that thus far, Richardson is the only major candidate to identify himself of Hispanic origin, “yet he uses the last name of his father, so many people don’t know he’s of Mexican descent.”

Richardson’s campaign speeches and interviews have largely focused on his resume — particularly his experience in international affairs — and broad policy ideas, and are devoid of the fact he would be the first Hispanic president of the United States if elected.

Stavans believes leaving ethnicity out of the equation for the time being is a smart strategy. “My impression is that he is waiting to position himself better . . . so as not to succumb to accusations that he is using identity politics as a tool,” Stavans said.

On the trail, Richardson frequently touts his former political offices and foreign policy acumen. Richardson was U.N. ambassador (1997-98) and Energy secretary (1998-2001) under President Bill Clinton after serving as a House member from 1983 to 1997. He continues to be involved in international issues today, even while serving as governor of New Mexico, a position to which he was elected in 2002 and overwhelmingly re-elected in 2006.

Richardson traveled to the Darfur region of Sudan in January to help negotiate a 60-day ceasefire in the brutal civil strife that has drawn world attention to that region. Richardson also has significant experience dealing with the isolated communist regime in North Korea, and the Bush administration announced Tuesday that he will jointly lead a delegation to that nation April 8-11 “to facilitate the return of the remains of missing servicemen” lost during the Korean War in the early 1950s.

Katie Roberts, Richardson’s deputy communications director, told CQPolitics.com on Wednesday that the campaign’s goal for the first quarter was reacquainting voters with the governor’s resume and ideas. But she noted that in the future, the Richardson campaign plans to target specific population segments.

“Definitely, we are looking towards making sure to do Latino and Hispanic outreach and talk about the issues that are relevant to them . . . as we’re looking to talk to all the different constituency groups,” Roberts said.

Having emerged in this decade as the largest minority group in the U.S. — surpassing the nation’s African-American population — Hispanics’ influence on politics has grown. This is evidenced, Stavans said, by candidates increasingly demonstrating their abilities to speak Spanish, the amount of money invested by both parties in Spanish-language radio and television, and how candidates approach issues of importance to Hispanics.

“We have seen this transformation of Latinos being in the margin of the political spectrum 20 to 30 years ago to moving to the center as a group in the last two presidential elections,” Stavans said.

Like most minority groups, Hispanics as a whole tend to favor the Democratic Party. There is, however, substantial variation among the many nationalities that make up the very broad Hispanic grouping. Cuban-Americans, for example, tend to side with Republicans because of that party’s perceived hardline against Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro.

George W. Bush, during his 1994-2000 tenure as Texas governor, had unusually strong rapport for a Republican among his state’s sizable and mostly Mexican-American constituency; as president, Bush has installed Hispanics in his cabinet and proposed a guest worker program for illegal immigrants in the face of a backlash within his party among those who favor reducing the ongoing wave of immigration. The wife of his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is of Mexican heritage.

Republicans thus hailed as a major breakthrough exit polls that showed President Bush taking 44 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004 to 53 percent for Democratic challenger John Kerry.

But the sharp national downturn in the president’s popularity since his re-election, driven largely by dissent over the Iraq war, has caused a reversal for him and his party among Hispanic voters. Exit polling on Election Day 2006, when Democrats made major gains and claimed control of the Senate and the House, showed just 30 percent of Hispanic respondents saying they voted Republican to 69 percent Democratic.

The current Lake Research poll found that 46 percent of Hispanics surveyed said they had a “close family member” or “close friend” serving in the military in Iraq or Afghanistan. A solid majority, 66 percent of the Hispanics surveyed, said they believe the war was a mistake, compared with 25 percent who believe it was the right thing to do.

Several states with large Hispanic populations will be holding or are in the process of moving their presidential primaries to earlier dates in the hopes of becoming more relevant in the nominating process. They include California, Texas, Florida and Nevada.

Richardson remains in the lower tier of Democratic candidates in national candidate preference polls, far below Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Richardson reported raising $6 million during the first quarter of this year. That might have been regarded as at least moderate success in past campaign years, but is dwarfed in today’s hypercompetitive campaign money market: Clinton set a record for the first quarter of a presidential election cycle with $26 million in receipts, which in turn was just ahead of the $25 million Obama reported for this quarter.

Richardson’s total still gave his campaign cause to celebrate. “We proved to everybody that we are a formidable fundraising candidate,” Roberts said. “This is a governor who had to start from zero and successfully raised over $6 million dollars . . . and he was doing the day job of being governor.”

Roberts noted that the campaign is still in its early stages, and throughout this “long haul,” they believe Richardson’s credentials will help him rise to the top.

“We may not be a rock star like Obama or Clinton, but we believe that we’re the best qualified candidate,” Roberts said.

I am really curious as to how and how much the Hispanic vote is going to play out in this election. Considering that the majority of the Hispanic population are not citizens and, therefore, are unable to vote, it seems no one really cares about their opinion ... only how they've voted after the fact.

We don't really know who they favor or connect with ... only that they used to favor the Republicans (as the majority of those who did become citizens are those who came in the '70s and '80s. But that trend is starting to change.

And it probably doesn't help that Bush's appointed "Hispanic in high places," AG Gonzales, is now on the hot seat and about to get bounced from his position.

Clinton's standing among blacks on the line



NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Even in a Harlem church where former President Bill Clinton is revered, his wife and presidential aspirant Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has some work to do with black women once expected to be firmly in her camp.

"Right now, she's my front-runner, but that may change the more I learn about Obama," said Angela Lago, a retired hospital recruiter among the ranks of black women voters looking at Sen. Barack Obama as an alternative among Democratic contenders.

Danese Smalls, who sells jewelry in the historic black New York neighborhood, said she changed her mind after Clinton voted to support the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

"She lost me on that. Now I'm not convinced she's any different from any other politician," Smalls said.

Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist and black woman who managed the presidential campaign for former Vice President Al Gore, said it was difficult to predict who black women would vote for.

"It's a key voting block. Black women tend to make their minds up early, and they get involved in other ways as well," Brazile said.

Black women register and turn out to vote in higher numbers than the overall population, she noted.

"Both candidates are attractive, they have strong civil rights records and the experience black women most depend on in making their selection," Brazile said. "It's hard to guess where black women will ultimately stand."

Research by pollster John Zogby from February and March showed black women supporting Clinton with 35 percent; Obama, the only black senator, with 22 percent; former Sen. John Edwards with 6 percent; and the rest undecided.

But a widely cited ABC-Washington Post poll in February showed Obama with 44 percent of support among black voters and Clinton with 33 percent. Earlier polls showed Clinton ahead of Obama with black voters by 60 percent to 20 percent.

Close contest for funding

In another sign of the competition between the Democratic front-runners, this week Obama reported raising $25 million in campaign funds, just shy of Clinton's $26 million, in the run-up to primary elections that will decide the nominee who will seek the presidency in November 2008.

Obama reported 100,000 donations, compared with the former first lady's 50,000.

"I'm torn," said New York-based film producer Lisa Cortes, a black woman. "This election makes you think very differently because it's not about 'Oh, which white man?"'

Defectors from the Clinton camp include attorney Bacardi Jackson, who lives in Miami and wrote an open letter of support for Obama that was widely circulated on the Internet. It ends by saying she supports him "without apology" to the former first couple.

"There's an expectation that the Clintons have the black community sewn up," Jackson said.

That is not to say there are not plenty of unflagging Clinton supporters, like Hattie Nichols of Manhattan.

"I'm not having second thoughts about Hillary," she said. "I don't vote for Clinton because she's a woman. I vote for her because I think she'll do the best for the country."

Obama will not get votes because of his color any more than Clinton will get votes for being a woman, said Edsel O'Conner, a retired nursing practitioner who lives in the Bronx.

"People think black people will vote for a candidate because they're black, but there's an awful lot of stupid black people out there who voted for Bush," she said.

The Democratic contenders, particularly Clinton, know the effective force of black women voters, who tend to be organized and loyal, said Brazile.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her Senate races, and Bill Clinton, in his presidential races, were extremely popular among black women.

All of the candidates hope to line up as many key black women supporters as possible.

"Hillary is out there doing it, Barack's out there doing it and don't count out John Edwards," Brazile said.

Among those who have left the Clinton camp, Carmen Ashhurst, who hosted a house party in support of Obama in Eastchester, New York, said she backed Clinton until a dust-up with Hollywood producer David Geffen.

After Geffen was critical of the Clintons, the Clinton campaign asked Obama to denounce his remarks and return his donations.

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



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http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/04/05/clinton.black.vote.reut/index.html

Obama addresses question of experience
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer



Wooing black voters while tackling questions about his experience, Democrat Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) said Saturday that his years as a community organizer and accomplishments in the Illinois state Senate have prepared him well for the presidency.

Addressing the National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by Rev. Al Sharpton, Obama touted his successes as an Illinois lawmaker in providing health insurance to children and reducing the price of prescription drugs for senior citizens.

He also told of passing legislation to monitor racial profiling and to require that police interrogations of suspects in capital cases be videotaped.

"I haven't just talked about these things, I've actually done them," he said, adding that he'd worked well with the Republicans who controlled the state Senate for most of his tenure there.

With just over two years in the U.S. Senate, Obama has faced questions over whether he has sufficient experience to be president.

On the campaign trail, front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton stresses her long career in public life and often warns voters that the next president will need to "hit the ground running."

Sharpton, who ran for the Democratic nomination in 2004, has also openly questioned Obama's credentials for the job. Obama, running to be the first black president, acknowledged those concerns. He also assured the largely black audience he did not believe he was automatically entitled to their support.

"I've said to Rev. Sharpton and I'll say it today, if there is somebody — I don't care whether they are white or black or they are male or female — if there is somebody who has been more on the forefront on behalf of the issues you care about and has more concrete accomplishments on behalf of the things you're concerned about, I'm happy to see you endorse them. But I am absolutely confident you will not find that," he said.

With black voters a key part of the Democratic party base, the four-day NAN convention has attracted nearly all the 2008 Democratic contenders, as well as former President Bill Clinton and DNC Chairman Howard Dean. Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd had been expected to speak but scheduling problems forced him to cancel.

A spokeswoman said Sharpton was not expected to endorse a candidate soon.

Hillary Clinton, who spoke Friday, won several standing ovations from the audience.

Obama, who also addressed an enthusiastic, overflow crowd, tailored his remarks to the urban issues Sharpton has championed.

He spoke of the need for fathers to step up to their responsibilities and the importance of helping ex-convicts escape an "economic death sentence" by securing jobs for them when they leave prison.

While he stumbled occasionally — calling Sharpton's organization the "Urban Action Network" several times before the audience corrected him — he also drew some unexpected laughs.

Early in Obama's speech, he stopped briefly as a cell phone on the podium began to buzz loudly.

"There's something humming down here. Is that Hillary calling?" Obama asked, to an explosion of laughter and cheers.

GOP strategist: Tonight's debate is 'batting practice'


SIMI VALLEY, California (AP) -- Ten Republicans, one stage, 90 minutes -- just enough time for Rudy Giuliani, John McCain or Mitt Romney to make a major gaffe as underdog rivals scramble for relevancy during the first GOP presidential debate Thursday.

The three heavyweights were expected to boast of their own past accomplishments and outline their visions for the future, mainly playing it safe as they seek to start distinguishing themselves from one another eight months before the first GOP primary votes are cast.

"This is batting practice," said Rich Galen, a GOP strategist who offered the trio a bit of advice: "Don't get hurt."

Giuliani, McCain and Romney all kept their public campaign schedules relatively light over the past few days, opting to spend as much time as possible huddling with aides to rehearse their responses to expected questions on top issues such as Iraq, immigration, taxes, abortion, gay marriage and terrorism.

Lesser-known candidates like Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and former Govs. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin and Jim Gilmore of Virginia were simply looking for respect, hoping to be seen as serious contenders in the jam-packed field.

Reps. Tom Tancredo of Colorado and Duncan Hunter of California were sure to use the gathering as a platform to plug their signature issues: immigration and national security, respectively. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas also was to be on stage for the debate, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. EDT at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library north of Los Angeles.

MSNBC and The Politico were co-sponsoring the debate, moderated by MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Library officials said the former president's widow, Nancy Reagan, would attend.

Missing will be three Republicans still weighing whether to run -- Fred Thompson, the actor and former Tennessee senator, Newt Gingrich, the ex-House speaker from Georgia, and Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. They also weren't slated to participate in two more debates -- in South Carolina and New Hampshire -- over the next month.

The Reagan library was a fitting setting. Most, if not all, of the Republican candidates have embraced Reagan's legacy and called for their party to return to the small-government, low-tax, strong-military ideals he espoused. California also is fertile ground in the GOP primary fight now that the state has decided to hold its primary on Feb. 5, far earlier than in elections past. (Schneider: California a key player)

With 10 candidates answering a wide range of questions in such a limited amount of time, Republican operatives say Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, McCain, a four-term Arizona senator, and Romney, an ex-Massachusetts governor, probably won't have much of a chance to make significant impressions that could help them break out of the leaders' pack and shake up the race.

"It's going to be very short," Romney told Jay Leno on Wednesday on "The Tonight Show." "Get on, get off, keep your hair from getting messed up."

"It's mostly a matter of sticking to the talking points that you've been saying," Galen said. "The good news for any of the top three is not to make any news."

Nevertheless, the seven second- and third-tier GOP hopefuls could prove dangerous to the trio, providing numerous opportunities for missteps.

Asked how a candidate gets ready to face nine opponents, McCain told reporters last week aboard his campaign bus in New Hampshire: "You just prepare your own answers. You probably know most of the questions."

"I'm not sure how you manage 10 people. It's awfully hard logistically," added McCain, who lost the nomination to George W. Bush in 2000. "It's not like it was with me and Bush."

Other candidates are looking to earn a seat at the head table.

"The key thing is just to be able to show there's a capacity to stand with those others and there's a misconception about what a front-runner looks like," said Huckabee, who trails several rivals in fundraising, polls and organization. In an interview, the ex-governor said he also is focused on avoiding mistakes -- "like falling off the podium or looking at my watch."

As the 10 prepare to take the stage, questions abound:

* Will Giuliani, the former mayor of ultraliberal New York City who is known to ramble on the campaign trail, project a focused message and adequately answer for his moderate stances on social issues?

* Will McCain, linked to the unpopular war in Iraq and fighting the perception that he's tired, broaden his pitch and show energy?

* Will Romney, fighting the label of flip-flopper and scoring low in the polls, come across as sincere in his beliefs and prove he deserves his top-tier spot?

Perhaps the biggest unknowns are whether any of the front-runners make a fatal misstep and will any one of the underdogs emerge.


Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/03/republicans.debate.ap/index.html

Giuliani and Edwards Have Holdings in Sudan

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2007
By: Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press



WASHINGTON - (AP) Presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards, who have spoken out about genocide in Darfur, did not know their financial holdings included investments in companies that do business in Sudan, aides said Thursday.

An Edwards campaign spokesman said the former Democratic senator from North Carolina would sell thousands of dollars of Sudan-related funds.

"He did not know about it and will divest," Eric Schultz said following inquiries about Edwards' portfolio.

Giuliani, the Republican former mayor of New York, has at least one investment of between $500,000 and $1 million in a fund that holds stock in a company that is active in Sudan.

"The mayor was unaware of this connection, but is taking it very seriously," spokeswoman Maria Comella said.

She said Giuliani and his staff would review his portfolio and "ultimately take appropriate action."


The Sudan-related investments illustrate the pitfalls for candidates with vast holdings that are scrutinized during a presidential campaign.

Edwards and his wife reported more than $29 million in assets in his financial disclosures this week. Giuliani and his wife listed assets of similar size.

Earlier, two other presidential candidates, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, said they had divested their holdings of Sudan-related stock.

Obama placed the total value of his divestitures at $180,000. The sales of the investments were recorded in their financial disclosures.

Last year Brownback was among members of Congress who wrote 44 governors to urge them to divest their employee pension funds from businesses linked to Sudan.

According to Giuliani's financial disclosure, he invested between $500,000 and $1 million in a Vanguard Wellington Fund. Data compiled by the Sudan Divestment Task Force shows that Vanguard Wellington has a small percentage of stock in Schlumberger Ltd. a French oil field services company that does business in Sudan.

Edwards sold stock he and his wife owned in Schlumberger for between $40,000 and $100,000. But his 401(k) and his children's trust invested between $30,000 and $100,000 in American Europacific Growth, which has stock in several companies that do business in Sudan.

He also invested $50,000 to $100,000 in Evergreen Equity Income Fund, another fund identified by the divestment task force as having stock in Sudan-related companies.

Both Edwards and Giuliani have called for the United States to do more to end the conflict that killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions.

At a fundraiser in March, Giuliani said the Bush administration should hold an international summit on Sudan to "help stem the tide of genocide."

Edwards has said the United States and NATO allies should punish the Sudanese government and impose a a no-fly zone over the country's Darfur region. He also called for a U.N. peacekeeping force on the ground.

"This is a huge moral issue for America and the world," Edwards said during a radio town hall last month at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "We, along with others, have stood by and watched it continue."

Clinton, Obama vote 'no' on Senate Iraq bill

Other presidential candidates: Dodd joins in 'no' vote; Biden votes 'yes'

The Associated Press
Updated: 9:15 a.m. CT May 25, 2007

WASHINGTON - Courting the anti-war constituency, Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama both voted against legislation that pays for the Iraq war but lacks a timeline for troop withdrawal.

"I fully support our troops" but the measure "fails to compel the president to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq," said Clinton, a New York senator.

"Enough is enough," Obama, an Illinois senator, declared, adding that President Bush should not get "a blank check to continue down this same, disastrous path."

Their votes Thursday night continued a shift in position for the two presidential hopefuls, both of whom began the year shunning a deadline for a troop withdrawal.

On a vote of 80-14, the Senate cleared the measure and sent it to Bush.

Both Clinton and Obama have faced intense pressure from the party's liberal wing and Democratic presidential challengers who urged opposition to the measure because it doesn't include a timeline to pull forces out of Iraq.

Other Senate candidates
Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, who also voted against the legislation, was among the Democratic candidates calling for rejection of it, along with former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Of the four Democratic hopefuls in the Senate, only Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware supported the bill. He said he did so reluctantly because he viewed the measure as flawed. But he added: "As long as we have troops on the front lines, it is our shared responsibility to give them the equipment and protection they need."

With their "no" votes, Clinton, Obama and Dodd earned praise from the party's left flank, which has been pushing for a quick end to the war and is an important part of the Democratic base in the primaries.

"This bold stand by three of the four presidential candidates in the Senate won't soon be forgotten," promised Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org's political action committee.

Although they appeased the Democratic base, Clinton, Obama and Dodd did open themselves up to criticism from Republicans that they were denying 165,000 troops the resources they need - an argument that could be damaging in a general election.

Both Clinton and Obama had remained publicly uncommitted in the hours before the vote. Neither were on the Senate floor as voting began. Halfway through, Obama walked into the chamber and cast his "no" vote. Clinton did the same a few minutes later.

Why vote 'No'?
Obama framed