2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Brownback Mourns Loss of Reverend Jerry Falwell

BROWNBACK MOURNS LOSS OF REVEREND JERRY FALWELL

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today paid his respects to the family, friends and loved ones of Reverend Jerry Falwell.

"Today, America lost a true spiritual leader and a man of great faith in Jerry Falwell.  His great words and actions will never be forgotten by the hundreds of thousands of people around the world that his life has touched.  Jerry's moral character and principle will forever be remembered deep within my heart and those whose lives were so blessed to be touched by him." Reverend Falwell, who passed away earlier today, was 73 years old.

Statement by Former Mike Huckabee On Passing Of Rev. Jerry Falwell

STATEMENT BY MIKE HUCKABEE ON THE PASSING OF REV. JERRY FALWELL

COLUMBIA, SC – Former Governor Mike Huckabee (AR) issued the following statement Tuesday in response to news of the death of The Rev. Jerry Falwell.

"I've known Dr. Falwell since the mid 1970’s.  I've been to his church and spoke at the university last fall.  He was one of Christendom’s great leaders who stood by his convictions and never lost his common touch.  Many did not know about his sense of humor and compassion for people from all walks of life."

“"Dr. Falwell helped spark a conservative movement that renewed our belief in our core values and a new confidence in what is good about America.  His efforts helped elect one of America’s greatest leaders, President Ronald Reagan, in 1980. We are deeply indebted to his service to our nation."”

Governor Mitt Romney On The Passing Of The Reverend Jerry Falwell

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY ON THE PASSING OF THE REVEREND JERRY FALWELL

Boston, MA - Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on the passing of the Reverend Jerry Falwell:

"An American who built and led a movement based on strong principles and strong faith has left us. He will be greatly missed, but the legacy of his important work will continue through his many ministries where he put his faith into action. "Ann and I have had the honor to talk and meet with Reverend Falwell and get to know him as a man of deep personal faith and commitment to helping those around him.  He will be forever remembered."

Statement From Senator John McCain On The Loss Of Jerry Falwell

STATEMENT FROM SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

ARLINGTON, VA - U.S. Senator John McCain today released the following statement:

"I join the students, faculty, and staff of Liberty University and Americans of all faiths in mourning the loss of Reverend Jerry Falwell. "Dr. Falwell was a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Falwell's family at this difficult time.

Edwards Launches "Women For Edwards"

EDWARDS LAUNCHES “WOMEN FOR EDWARDS”
Receives Support from Women Leaders from Across the Country; Announces Agenda to Address Issues Facing Women

Des Moines, Iowa – At a town hall in Des Moines today, Senator John Edwards launched “Women for Edwards” and laid out his agenda to ensure fairness and equality for women.  Edwards also received support from 140 national women leaders from across the country, and more than 1,500 women from Iowa. Edwards encouraged women to join Women for Edwards at http://johnedwards.com/women.

“We need to make the idea of America – equality of opportunity, regardless of race, gender or income – real for all Americans,” said Edwards.  “Today, too many women are separated from the opportunities of our country because of their gender. We need to ensure fairness and equality for all women and work to lift up working mothers.”

“I believe in John's deep and profound commitment to the issues that matter most in women's lives,” said Kate Michelman, President Emeritus of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “From health care, to Iraq, to poverty, to our environment, I know John is the most effective national messenger for the values we share and I have complete confidence that -- with our help -- he will win the White House and improve the lives of women everywhere.”

Women still make only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men and they are 45 percent more likely to live in poverty.  Edwards believes we need to make a commitment to helping working women and strengthening our families.   Today, he detailed his plans to improve the lives of women at work and at home.  Specifically, Edwards called for:

• Guaranteeing that every woman has health insurance by providing universal health care.
• Ending poverty. Edwards has called for an end to poverty within 30 years, with policies rooted in the core American values of work, opportunity and responsibility.
• Helping women balance work and family by expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act to let parents take time off from work when they need it.  Edwards also supports more resources for childcare and after-school programs to give children a safe place to learn while their parents are at work.
• Fighting discrimination by enacting the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the remedies for sex discrimination and deter wrongdoing, and expanding resources for female entrepreneurs.
• Protecting a woman’s right to choose.

In addition to Michelman, prominent women leaders endorsing Edwards include Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and former New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid.

“Too many women are not getting the health care they need,” said Johnson. “John Edwards is the only candidate to outline a specific plan to provide universal coverage and I’m proud to be part of a campaign – the only campaign – with a detailed plan to cover all Americans.”

"John Edwards has laid out detailed proposals to strengthen families and help working women," said Herseth Sandlin.  "John Edwards understands the need to prioritize families through good public policy that recognizes the contributions of America's women.

“I am proud to endorse my friend, Senator John Edwards,” said Madrid. “He has always stood to fight for real change in women’s lives – working tirelessly to raise the minimum wage, end poverty and guarantee universal health care.”

Minnesota women leaders endorsing Edwards for president are:

• Gail Dorfman, Hennepin County Commissioner (MN)
• Keesha Gaskins, Minneapolis DFL Chair (for identification purposes only)
• Alice Hausman, Minnesota State Representative 
• Becky Lourey, Former Minnesota State Senator 
• Erin Murphy, Minnesota State Representative
• Laura Nevitt, Minnesota Dean State Director 2004 
• Ann Rest, Minnesota State Senator 
• Marsha Swails, Minnesota State Representative

"Civil" Chris Dodd 2008 TV Ad

Chris Dodd For President Launches First TV Ads

DODD FOR PRESIDENT LAUNCHES FIRST TV ADS
Ads Running In Iowa, New Hampshire And National Cable To Emphasize Dodd's Call For Action To End War In Iraq Responsibly

Senator and Presidential candidate Chris Dodd today announced his campaign would begin running television advertisements highlighting his plan to bring the war in Iraq to a safe and responsible conclusion. The 30-second advertisements will run in Iowa and New Hampshire as well as on national cable TV stations.

"This ad draws a clear distinction between Senator Dodd and the rest of the Democratic field," said Dodd campaign manager Sheryl Cohen. "Chris Dodd understands that half measures aren't going to change George Bush's course in Iraq, and he's set himself apart by fighting for a plan that would use Congressional power to require the President to safely and responsibly redeploy American troops and bring an end to the war."

The ad highlights the plan Dodd is supporting, which would bring an end to the war by requiring the President to safely and responsibly redeploy all combat troops by March 31, 2008.

Unlike other proposals, Dodd's plan is the only measure which would use the Congressional power of the purse to end the war by a date certain and responsibly redeploy combat troops.

While Dodd supports de-authorization of the war, as seen during the Vietnam War, when the war continued for four years after the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was de-authorized, he knows it will not bring an end to this conflict. Similarly, while Dodd supports beginning to redeploy combat troops immediately, his plan is responsible in that it does not set an arbitrary number on how many troops would be redeployed today.

Dodd, the only Presidential candidate to have co-sponsored the Feingold-Reid legislation, had indicated that he planned to join Senator Feingold in co-sponsoring a similar measure in the debate on the Iraq Supplemental funding bill.

The ad can be seen at www.chrisdodd.com. The full transcript is below.

"Civil": 30 TV
Chris Dodd for President
Script

CHRIS DODD: Half measures won't stop this president from continuing our involvement in Iraq's civil war. That's why I'm fighting for the only responsible measure in Congress that would take away the President's blank check and set a timetable to bring our troops home.

Unfortunately, my colleagues running for President have not joined me. I'm Chris Dodd. I'm running for President. I approved this message because we can't simply wait for a new President. We should have the conviction to stand up to this one.

Rudy Giuliani Announces Deborah VonSprecken As Jones County Chair In Iowa

Rudy Giuliani Announces Deborah VonSprecken as Jones County Chair in Iowa

New York City - The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee announced today that Deborah VonSprecken from Olin, Iowa will serve as the Jones County Chair.  As part of Mayor Giuliani’s Iowa leadership team Mrs. VonSprecken will spearhead the campaign’s organizational efforts in the county.  The announcement followed a visit from Rudy Giuliani to the VonSprecken’s family farm in Olin where Mayor Giuliani apologized for the misunderstanding surrounding his last visit to the state.  After spending nearly two hours visiting with Mr. and Mrs. VonSprecken, Deborah expressed her interest in supporting Mayor Giuliani and leading his efforts in Jones County.

“I am honored to have Deborah as part of my team in Iowa.  As the hard-working owner of a family farm she understands the importance of cutting taxes and implementing fiscal discipline to grow the economy and increase opportunity,” said Mayor Rudy Giuliani. “Her support is tremendous and will be of great value to our efforts in Iowa.”

Rudy Giuliani Co-Chair And Advisor Steve Forbes Statement On The Club For Growth White Paper

Statement from Rudy Giuliani National Campaign Co-Chair and Senior Policy Advisor Steve Forbes

New York City – Rudy Giuliani National Campaign Co-Chair and Senior Policy Advisor Steve Forbes made the following statement today regarding the Club for Growth White Paper:

“In praising Mayor Giuliani’s ‘years of remarkable fiscal discipline’, the Club for Growth confirmed today why many conservatives agree with me that Rudy is the true fiscal conservative we need as President.  Mayor Giuliani used fiscally conservative principles to achieve unprecedented pro-growth results in the nation’s largest city and one of it's most liberal.” 

“We need a President that can actually turn conservative philosophy into real results as Rudy did when he cut taxes and limited spending in New York City for the first time in history.”

Clinton Campaign Launches Text Messaging Effort To Continue Conversation With Voters

Clinton Campaign Launches Text Messaging Effort to Continue Conversation With Voters
Supporters Can Text "Join" to 77007 to Receive Regular Campaign Updates 

When Hillary Clinton said she wanted to have a conversation with Americans, she really meant it. She’s been visiting Americans in their local communities and has done live video conversations on the Internet, now she’s taking it to a whole new level: text messaging Americans throughout the country.

Clinton’s campaign is launching an innovative new initiative today to reach supporters across the country utilizing cell phone text messaging. Clinton’s text messaging effort is focused on maximizing her efforts to communicate directly with supporters by giving them regular campaign updates, including information about the campaign and photos from events.

“By harnessing the power of text messaging, we can engage voters in the political process using the latest technology and provide personalized, local campaign updates to our supporters nationwide,” Clinton said. “This is an exciting step forward that I hope will continue our conversation with voters in a new format.”

How does it work?  For supporters to join, they can simply text ‘JOIN’ to 77007. Hillary will first ask people to join at today’s endorsement event in Albany where she will receive the support of Governor Eliot Spitzer, Lt. Governor David Paterson and all of New York’s statewide officials. Voters can also sign up to join Hillary’s network on the campaign website at www.hillaryclinton.com.

What information will voters receive via text message?  Supporters will get regular updates from Hillary’s campaign, including messages and photos that are personalized for their area. The campaign will also ask for voters’ input and offer a feature allowing supporters to surf Hillary’s website on their mobile phones.

Relevant Facts and Figures

• There are currently 236,000,000 cell phone users in the U.S. – 76% penetration.
• 10.5% of homes in the U.S. are wireless only (projected to be 30% by end 2008)
• In December 2006 alone, there were 18.7 billion text messages sent – up 92% from 9.7 billion in December 2005. 195 billion for the year
• In the first six months of 2006, the number of subscribers to two-way SMS (text messaging) grew by 88%.
• According to the NPD Group, by mid-2006, 42% of all wireless subscribers used their wireless phone as their primary phone.
• By the middle of 2006, almost half of wireless customers in the U.S. were using some form of wireless data – surfing the wireless web, sending text and photo-messages, or downloading and playing games, ringtones, or music files.