CNN Political Ticker

Carville: Obama likely to win nomination

emilyes — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:11:12 +0000

James Carville is supporting Hillary Clinton's White House bid. (CNN) — James Carville has been one of Hillary Clinton's most energetic defenders, but on Monday he all but declared Barack Obama will become the Democratic nominee for president. Speaking to students at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, Carville argued Clinton should stay in through the final [...]

Majority of Dems want Clinton to be V.P.

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:00:22 +0000

A majority of Democrats want Clinton to be vice president. (CNN) – Even as the prolonged Democratic presidential race has become more divisive in its final stretch, a majority of Democrats want Barack Obama to choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate, according to a new poll out Tuesday. A new Gallup poll shows 55 percent of [...]

Special Mississippi election frames big one

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:30:41 +0000

Democrat Travis Childers, left, faces Republican Greg Davis in a special election Tuesday in Mississippi. (CNN) — A special congressional election Tuesday in a conservative Mississippi district is expected to hold implications for both parties beyond the gain or loss of single House seat. For Democrats, a decisive victory by Chancery Clerk Travis Childers would be the [...]

Hagel laughs off — but won't rule out — joining an Obama ticket

emilyes — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:30:23 +0000

Watch Sen. Hagel’s interview Tuesday. (CNN) – Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, who has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, laughed off the possibility Tuesday in a CNN interview - but didn't rule it out, either. "I don't expect to be on anyone's ticket this year. I don't expect to be [...]

McAuliffe says Clinton staying in, will win popular vote

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:00:48 +0000

McAuliffe said Clinton is in the race through June 3. (CNN) — Despite calls from some for Hillary Clinton to abandon her presidential bid, her campaign chairman insisted Monday she will stay in the race until the last primary and predicted the New York Democrat will overtake Barack Obama in the popular vote. “We are going through [...]

POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Tuesday, May 13, 2008

jhelman — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:58:31 +0000

Compiled by Jonathan Helman CNN Washington Bureau WSJ: Obama Braces for West Virginia Setback Barack Obama has conceded he will likely lose the West Virginia primary Tuesday, but as the Illinois senator shifts his focus to the general election, he must prove he can win over the state's working-class white voters. LA Times: In West Virginia, Women For Hillary [...]

ON THE TRAIL: Tuesday, May 13, 2008

jhelman — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:53:22 +0000

Compiled by Jonathan Helman, CNN Washington Bureau *Hillary Clinton attends an election night event in Charleston, West Virginia. *John McCain participates in an environmental roundtable discussion and holds a media availability in North Bend, Washington. *Barack Obama is in Washington, D.C. to attend some Senate votes on Capitol Hill and then attends an economic town hall meeting in [...]

CNN=Politics Daily

CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:45:35 +0000

CNN=Politics Daily is the Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team. (CNN) - West Virginia is the next battleground in the Clinton-Obama battle. In the latest episode of CNN=Politics Daily, Sen. Barack Obama all but concedes defeat in Tuesday's contest in West Virginia. But, on the same day, Obama takes the lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton [...]

Chelsea Clinton to campaign in Puerto Rico

CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:20:48 +0000

(CNN) – CNN has learned that former first daughter Chelsea Clinton will be campaigning for her mother in Puerto Rico Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. The announcement comes on the heels of the Clinton campaign's admission that it is currently $20 million in debt and among increased talk by political pundits about when and how [...]

Obama takes aim at McCain's position on veterans

rsinderbrand — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:52:46 +0000

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (CNN) — Barack Obama became the latest Democrat to criticize presumptive Republican nominee John McCain Monday for his lack of support for a bi-partisan veterans benefits bill its sponsors have dubbed a "new GI Bill of Rights." "John McCain is one of the few senators of either party who oppose this bill because [...]

Clinton supporter on WV vote: 'Just wait ‘til we win like 80-20′

rsinderbrand — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:20:55 +0000

A Clinton supporter set the bar in Tuesday's vote very high. LOGAN, West Virginia (CNN) – Political campaigns usually look to lower expectations – but one of Hillary Clinton’s supporters took the opposite tack Monday, setting the bar for a West Virginia primary win at an unprecedented high at an enthusiastic campaign event. “You think this crowd’s [...]

Clinton holds big leads in West Virginia and Kentucky

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:15:16 +0000

Clinton holds big leads in the next two states. (CNN) — Even as her campaign appears to be in its final stages, Hillary Clinton is headed for two sweeping victories in West Virginia and Kentucky, the next two states to weigh in on the prolonged Democratic presidential race. According to new polls released Monday, Clinton holds a [...]

Clinton draws parallel between her campaign, JFK's 1960 run

emilyes — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:14:46 +0000

Hillary Clinton compared her Campaign to JFK's Monday.' (CNN) — Hillary Clinton said again Monday that no Democratic presidential candidate can win without a victory in West Virginia — and drew a parallel between her own campaign and John Kennedy’s 1960 White House run. “It was West Virginia that made it possible for John Kennedy to become [...]

Cafferty: Will Pres. Bush or Rev. Wright cause more damage?

Samantha Harris — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:13:31 +0000

George W. Bush may do as much damage to John McCain's chances of being elected as Jeremiah Wright does to Barack Obama's, according to results of a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. Turns out President Bush might do more damage to John McCain's campaign than the Reverend Jeremiah Wright does to Barack Obama's. A new USA Today/Gallup [...]

Obama backer compares Clinton to 'Fatal Attraction' character

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:15:42 +0000

An Obama supporter and Tennessee congressman is comparing Clinton to Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction.' (CNN) — Several of Barack Obama's supporters have publicly urged Hillary Clinton to withdraw from the presidential race, but Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen was especially blunt. Speaking to a Memphis TV station over the weekend, Cohen compared Clinton to Glenn Close’s character [...]

Blitzer: This year, the Supreme Court hangs in the balance

rsinderbrand — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:12:17 +0000

Blitzer: A one- or two-vote swing could make all the difference on the nation's highest court. (CNN) — The next President of the United States will have an enormous opportunity to shape the U.S. Supreme Court for decades. That’s because several members of the court are getting up there in years. John McCain says he would [...]

Obama campaign shifts focus to general election states

emilyes — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:00:19 +0000

Barack Obama's campaign said they are campaigning in places to be competitive this fall. (CNN) – Barack Obama’s campaign says the Democratic presidential hopeful is now focusing his attention on general election battleground states, with plans to appear in Missouri Tuesday and the announcement of his first campaign stops of the year in both Michigan and [...]

Moveon.org ad tries to show Obama can win the GOP vote

emilyes — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:03:13 +0000

Watch the latest Moveon.org ad: 'Obamacan.'. (CNN)— MoveOn.org unveiled the winner of its pro-Barack Obama ad contest Monday, emphasizing the Illinois senator’s message that he can garner support across party lines. The winning ad, titled “Obamacan,” features a lifelong Republican making the case for Obama’s appeal over presumptive GOP nominee, John McCain. “I’ve been a Republican since before [...]

Barr announces presidential bid

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:30:43 +0000

Watch part of Bob Barr's announcement Monday. (CNN) – Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr formally jumped into the White House race Monday as a candidate for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination. Barr, the onetime darling of conservatives who led the impeachment fight against former President Bill Clinton, said he is running because voters want a choice [...]

Obama takes superdelegate lead for the first time

rsinderbrand — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:18:00 +0000

(CNN) — With the endorsement of Congressman and Senate candidate Tom Allen, Barack Obama pulled ahead of Hillary Clinton in CNN’s count of Democratic superdelegates Monday. In a statement released by the Obama campaign, Allen said both Democratic candidates were “supremely qualified” to be president. “I have been friends for a very long time with former President [...]

West Virginia Gov. not ready to call race for Obama

emilyes — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:10:04 +0000

Watch Gov. Manchin’s interview Monday. (CNN)— West Virgina’s Governor Joe Manchin echoed the sentiment of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Monday saying his state is not ready to call the race for Barack Obama until every state has had its chance to vote. “I see the numbers the same as you see them,” Manchin told American Morning [...]

McCain appeals to independents with environment pitch

emilyes — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:08:02 +0000

Watch John McCain’s new ad called A Better Way. (CNN) – Kicking off a week-long push seen as outreach to independent and Democratic voters in crucial swing states, John McCain will deliver a speech in Portland, Oregon this morning outlining his vision for fighting global warming. “We stand warned by serious and credible scientists across the [...]

Edwards says Clinton must be careful

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:55:40 +0000

Edwards says Clinton needs to be careful. (CNN) — John Edwards still says he is remaining neutral in the Democratic presidential race, but the onetime candidate all but said Sunday it is impossible for Hillary Clinton win the Democratic nomination, and warned the New York senator not to damage the party in the primary campaign's final [...]

Clinton adviser: Clinton 'willing' to lend campaign more money

kkeckcnn — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:15:41 +0000

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe says the campaign will pay off all its debts. (CNN) — A top Clinton adviser this morning said that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is open to the possibility of loaning her campaign more money to continue in the race. Terry McAuliffe, the Clinton campaign chairman, told Tim Russert on “Meet [...]

Campaign advisers quit over foreign links, meetings

rsinderbrand — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:40:07 +0000

(CNN) – John McCain and Barack Obama both lost campaign advisers this weekend because of problematic foreign relationships. Doug Goodyear, McCain’s Convention chief executive officer, and Doug Davenport, one of his regional campaign managers, both resigned after Newsweek reported that GOP firm DCI — where Goodyear had served as CEO and Davenport had headed the lobbying [...]

POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Monday, May 12, 2008

jhelman — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:27:52 +0000

Compiled by Jonathan Helman CNN Washington Bureau Washington Post: Environmental Stances Are Balancing Act For McCain McCain has made the environment one of the key elements of his presidential bid. He speaks passionately about the issue of climate change on the campaign trail, and he plans to outline his vision for combating global warming in a major speech [...]

ON THE TRAIL: Monday, May 12, 2008

jhelman — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:16:32 +0000

Compiled by Jonathan Helman, CNN Washington Bureau *Hillary Clinton is in West Virginia today. She has a Coffee with Hillary Clinton event in Montgomery, attends a town hall meeting in Clear Fork, and attends rallies in Logan and Fairmont. *John McCain gives a speech in Portland, Oregon. *Barack Obama attends an event in Charleston, West Virginia and a [...]

Clinton celebrates Mother’s Day in next primary state

atmarquardt — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:00:17 +0000

GRAFTON, West Virginia (CNN) – While opponents Barack Obama and John McCain took Mother’s Day off, Hillary Clinton hit the trail in rainy West Virginia with daughter Chelsea. They celebrated the holiday with a morning church service in Huntington before flying east to visit the home of Mother’s Day's founder - Anna Jarvis – and [...]

Young Democrat brings superdelegate race to a tie

kkeckcnn — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:53:01 +0000

Barack Obama picked up his 273rd superdelegate endorsement Sunday. (CNN) – A Young Democrats of America board member threw her support to Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday, bringing Obama to a tie with Sen. Hillary Clinton in the superdelegate race. Crystal Strait, 28, became the 273rd superdelegate in Obama's column, by CNN's count. [...]

Bush: Jenna's wedding was 'spectacular'

kkeckcnn — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:52:50 +0000

President George Bush and first lady Laura Bush pose with daughters Jenna and Barbara. (White House Photo) WASHINGTON (CNN) — Against the backdrop of a stunning Texas sunset, near a lake on the Bush family's 1,600-acre ranch, President Bush walked his daughter, Jenna, down the aisle to her groom, the White House said. Jenna, 26, married Henry [...]

Obama camp: Clinton not looking for a deal

kkeckcnn — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:05:47 +0000

Barack Obama’s campaign denied the suggestion that Hillary Clinton is looking for a deal. (CNN) – Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign rejected suggestions Sunday that Sen. Hillary Clinton is staying in the race in hopes of brokering some kind of agreement with the likely nominee. "I don't believe that Senator Clinton is looking for a deal," [...]

Sunday Roundup: End of the road for Clinton?

kkeckcnn — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:59:59 +0000

(CNN) — This week’s Democratic primaries in North Carolina and Indiana brought disappointing results for the Clinton campaign. Senator Barack Obama handily won North Carolina by 14 points. While Senator Hillary Clinton edged out a win in Indiana, it was by just two points. Many political observers expected she would win handily. [...]

Dodd: Obama, Clinton ticket not likely

kkeckcnn — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:40:15 +0000

Sen. Chris Dodd says it’s “very clear” Obama will be his party’s nominee. (CNN) – Sen. Chris Dodd on Sunday joined the chorus of Democratic leaders downplaying the idea of a joint ticket between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. "These are two great candidates who fought very hard, but my sense is today that that probably [...]

Religious right leaning toward Democrats?

kkeckcnn — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:48:54 +0000

Watch how evangelicals are reaching out. WASHINGTON (CNN) — For decades, evangelicals have been seen as solid supporters of the Republican Party. That could be changing. The religious right, a cornerstone of the so-called Reagan revolution — the battle over abortion law, and gay marriage — wants a change. At least some evangelicals do. A group of [...]

Obama open to joining McCain on trail

edhornick — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:47:51 +0000

Sen. Barack Obama speaks to reporters in Bend, Oregon, Saturday. BEND, Oregon (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama said Saturday that if he were to become the Democratic nominee, holding joint town hall-style campaign events with Republican Sen. John McCain would be a "great idea." "Obviously, we would have to think through the logistics on that," Obama continued. [...]

D-Day in West Virginia

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:45:34 +0000

Barack Obama at a rally at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, Friday. CHARLESTON, West Virginia (CNN) — Barack Obama is coming to the Mountain State. The Democratic presidential frontrunner is campaigning today in Oregon, which holds its primary on May 20th. He's off the campaign trail Sunday for Mothers Day, but expect the senator from Illinois [...]

Obama continues to narrow Clinton's superdelegate lead

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:30:29 +0000

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton's superdelegate lead over Sen. Barack Obama was narrowed even more Saturday, according to CNN's latest delegate estimate. Clinton picked up the votes of two more superdelegates and lost one since Friday night. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez of Texas announced his support for the New York senator. Arthur Powell was named an add-on superdelegate [...]

What might West Virginia's primary mean?

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:18:53 +0000

Sen. Hillary Clinton campaigns in West Virginia. CHARLESTON, West Virginia (CNN) — West Virginians will head to the polls Tuesday for the state's Democratic primary between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But what will the vote there really mean after new delegate totals show Obama with a sizable lead? Some say it could send a sobering [...]

Candidates walk a fine line on two sides of the U.S.

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:00:37 +0000

BEND, Oregon (CNN) — As they say in real estate, location, location, location. Sometimes where a candidate stumps is more telling than what they say on the stump. Today, Sen. Barack Obama is in Oregon, thousands of miles from the next primary state, West Virginia. Campaigning in Bend, Oregon, Obama visited PV Powered, a company that [...]

Feminists divided over Clinton and Obama

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:59:03 +0000

Feminists look to be divided over the two Democratic candidates. NEW YORK (AP) — No constituency is more eager to see a woman win the presidency than America's feminists, yet — despite Hillary Rodham Clinton's historic candidacy — the women's movement finds itself wrenchingly divided over the Democratic race as it heads toward the finish. At breakfast [...]

Valerie Plame, husband appear in new Clinton ad

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:58:21 +0000

Ambassador Joe Wilson and wife, Valerie Plame, appear in new Clinton ad WASHINGTON (CNN) — Hillary Clinton's campaign released a new ad in Oregon Friday, featuring two familiar faces: Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame, who was the undercover operative in the highly publicized CIA leak case. In the ad, they say Clinton has [...]

Obama: I want Clinton to 'feel good about the process'

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:57:09 +0000

WOODBURN, Oregon (CNN) - Asked Friday if he might consider helping Hillary Clinton raise money to relieve some of her campaign debt, Barack Obama said Friday that he has not yet talked to his staff about the possibility, but added he thinks any of the also-rans for the Democratic nomination would be in a "strong [...]

Wedding bells toll for first daughter

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:45:37 +0000

First daughter Jenna Bush marries her longtime boyfriend Henry Hager Saturday night. CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) — First daughter Jenna Bush and Henry Hager — the son of a well-connected Virginia Republican — say "I do" Saturday on President Bush's 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas. "I had to face some very difficult spending decisions and I've had to [...]

Bush: Happy Mother's Day

edhornick — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:30:16 +0000

WASHINGTON (CNN) – In his weekly radio address, President Bush talks about his daughter's wedding and celebrating Mother's Day across the country.

Poll shows Clinton with big lead in West Virginia

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:10:05 +0000

Clinton holds a big lead in West Virginia. (CNN) – Even as she faces pressure from some to call her White House bid quits, Hillary Clinton holds a commanding lead in West Virginia, according to a new poll released Friday. Clinton has a 43-point advantage over Obama, 66 percent to 23 percent, according to a new survey [...]

CNN=Politics Daily

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:35 +0000

CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from the Best Political Team. (CNN) — CNN's Candy Crowley reports Barack Obama is close to overtaking Hillary Clinton in the superdelegate gap, in Friday's edition of the CNN=Politics Daily Podcast. CNN's Mary Snow reports John McCain and Barack Obama are trading jabs in what could be a preview of [...]

Three more supers for Obama

CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:15:46 +0000

(CNN) — Barack Obama picked up another three more superdelegates Friday afternoon. Hawaii Rep. Mazie Hirono, South Carolina Democratic Party Vice Chair Wilber Lee Jeffcoat, and New Mexico add on delegate Laurie Weahkee all announced they are backing the Illinois senator. CNN has also confirmed five new superdelegates for Clinton, though they all endorsed the New York [...]

Lieberman increases criticism of Barack Obama

emilyes — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:25:15 +0000

(CNN)— Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman echoed presumptive nominee John McCain's increasing criticism of Barack Obama’s willingness to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Friday, the Democrat turned independent said he didn’t question Obama’s commitment when it comes to the Middle East, but said the Illinois senator's failure to set [...]

Cafferty: How will history view the Obama-Clinton race?

Samantha Harris — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:44:17 +0000

For all those like Mitt Romney who said, when talking about Barack Obama, "The presidency of the United States is not an internship," consider this. The young guy with not nearly as much political experience is on the verge of toppling one of the most powerful political names of the last 50 years, Hillary Clinton. For [...]

Blitzer: Was Obama taking aim at McCain's age?

rsinderbrand — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:47:31 +0000

Blitzer: McCain's camp said Obama was making a dig at the Republican's age; Obama denies the charge. WASHINGTON (CNN) — Whenever I interview a major newsmaker, I always marvel at the pickup of the interview by other news organizations and the reaction from interested parties. The latest case in point is my interview this week [...]