2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

What They're Saying: John McCain At CNN Debate

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: JOHN MCCAIN AT CNN DEBATE

McCain Won The Debate With A "Beautiful, Soulful, Substantive" Performance And "Did What Few Candidates, Republican Or Democrat, Have Done So Sure-Footedly In This Campaign McCain Stepped Up"

National Review's John Podhoretz: "McCain At His Best." (John Podhoretz, National Review's "The Corner" Blog, "McCain At His Best," corner.nationalreview.com, 6/5/07)

· Podhoretz: "He gives a beautiful, soulful, substantive answer to a woman whose brother died in Iraq." (John Podhoretz, National Review's "The Corner" Blog, "McCain At His Best," corner.nationalreview.com, 6/5/07)

The New York Times' Katharine Q. Seelye: "Mr. McCain Just Did What Few Candidates, Republican Or Democrat, Have Done So Sure-Footedly In This Campaign ... McCain Stepped Up And Addressed Her In A Totally Human Way." "Mr. McCain just did what few candidates, Republican or Democrat, have done so sure-footedly in this campaign. When a woman from the audience said that her brother had been killed in Iraq, Mr. McCain stepped up and addressed her in a totally human way. The sacrifice of your brother will not be in vain,' he assured her. He seems to have well learned the Dukakis lesson from 1988: Show your heart." (Katharine Q. Seelye, "The Caucus" Blog, "Live-Blogging The GOP Debate," http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/, 6/5/07)

National Review's Jim Geraghty: "He hits it out of the park." (Jim Geraghty, National Review's "The Hillary Spot" Blog, "The Third Republican Debate, Part Three," hillaryspot.nationalreview.com, 6/5/07)

NBC's Chuck Todd: "McCain Showed His Emotional Side Which Has Always Been A Hidden Strength For Him." "On Monday, a colleague commented to me that he was amazed at the lack of empathy in the Dem candidates on stage Sunday night when CNN had a relative who was personally touched by the Iraq War. None got up and addressed the woman directly. This colleague noted: Bubba would have had his arm around her in seconds...' Well, McCain's folks clearly believed the same thing when watching on Sunday. McCain showed his emotional side which has always been a hidden strength for him." (Chuck Todd, MSNBC's "First Read" Blog, "Bill McCain? John Clinton?," firstread.msnbc.msn.com, 6/5/07)

· New York Sun's Ryan Sager: "[McCain's] answer to a young woman whose brother died in Iraq was eloquent and clearly heart-felt." (Ryan Sager, New York Sun's "Latest Politics" Blog, "The NH GOP Debate," www.latestpolitics.com, 6/5/07)

McCain Dominated The Debate And Drove "Home His Views" As Other Candidates Played "Follow The Leader"

Politico's Jonathan Martin: "In A Very Smooth Move Sensing Opportunity, McCain Speaks Up And Gets More Time To Drive Home His Views On The Broader Immigration Issue." "In a very smooth move, McCain speaks up when the English as the official language' question is posed. Nobody else on stage, of course, dared do anything but silently acknowledge their support for such a measure. Sensing opportunity, McCain speaks up and gets more time to drive home his views on the broader immigration issue. Oh, and he slyly drops in a reference to Jeb Bush supporting the deal to all the Florida primary voters watching at home." (Jonathan Martin, Politico's "Smith And Martin" Blog, "McCain Buys More Time On His Immigration Message," www.politico.com, 6/5/07)

NBC's Mark Murray: "McCain Walks!" "[I]n addressing the woman who asked the question about losing her brother. All other GOP candidates were sitting downThis came during the second half of the debate, with all the candidates seated. McCain got up out of his chair and directly addressed the woman." (Mark Murray, MSNBC's "First Read" Blog, "McCain Walks!," firstread.msnbc.msn.com, 6/5/07)

· Townhall's Matt Lewis: McCain Is "The First To Stand Up." "This format is much better for McCain. He's the first to stand up. He's better out from behind a podium." (Matt Lewis, "Townhall" Blog, "It's Showtime!" www.townhall.com, 6/5/07)

Hotline's Emily Goodin: Candidates Followed McCain By Standing Up. "The town hall format, which was the slower half of the Democratic debate, John McCain stood up when it was his turn to address the audience. Rudy Giuliani and Jim Gilmore quickly followed. It was much better TV." (Emily Goodin, "Hotline" Blog, "We Were Watching," hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com, 6/5/07)

· NBC's Mark Murray: "The GOP Candidates Are Following The Leader McCain." "Now Gilmore walks up....The GOP candidates are following the leader McCain." (Mark Murray, MSNBC's "First Read" Blog, "Now Gilmore," firstread.msnbc.msn.com, 6/5/07)

NBC's Chuck Todd: "McCain Is Dominating The Subject Matter Of The Debate." "[S]o far, in this debate, McCain's point of view has been the dominant topic of discussion, be it on the war or on immigration so far, this debate is providing a media spark." (Chuck Todd, "First Read" Blog, "It's McCain's Debate Right Now " firstread.msnbc.msn.com, 6/5/07)

CNN's Candy Crowley: Talking About Immigration Was "A Good Moment For McCain." "I thought he made a pretty strong defense of his position on immigration when he said, look kind of looking into the audience my friends, we've done exactly what you expect us to do and that is to sit down and come up with some sort of compromise.' He went on to say our job is to do the tough things, for which he got applause, so I thought that was a good moment for McCain." (CNN's "Republican Debate," 6/5/07)

· Crowley: "McCain Obviously Came Loaded For Bear McCain Is Taking The Lead." "I think McCain obviously came loaded for bear in terms of how he was going to explain this. This is obviously a conversation that he's had in many townhall meetings. So in terms of just sort of the power of their presentation, I would think McCain is taking the lead." (CNN's "Republican Debate," 6/5/07)

McCain Delivered "Fantastic" And "Good And Strong" Answers, Getting "Loud Applause"
National Review's Rich Lowry: "Fantastic statement by McCain [on Iraq] " (Rich Lowry, National Review's "The Corner" Blog, "'Presidents ... Don't Lose Wars,'" corner.nationalreview.com, 6/5/07)

Powerline's John Hinderaker: "I thought McCain was good and strong on there being no alternative to success in Iraq." (John Hinderaker, "Powerline" Blog, "Live-Blog The Republicans' Debate," www.plnewsforum.com, 6/5/07)

McCain "Received Loud Applause From The Audience For Saying That The United States Needs To Succeed In The War In Iraq" And Criticizing Hillary Clinton For Her Description Of The War. "Arizona Sen. John McCain received loud applause from the audience for saying that the United States needs to succeed in the war in Iraq. He criticized Sen. Hillary Clinton for describing the conflict in Iraq as President Bush's war. What Sen. Clinton doesn't understand is that presidents don't lose wars,' McCain said. Political parties don't lose wars. Nations lose wars and nations have the consequences of failure. We must succeed in this conflict.'" (Lauren Kornreich, "CNN Political Ticker" Blog, "McCain: Presidents Don't Lose Wars, Nations Do," politicalticker.blo gs.cnn.com, 6/5/07)

Townhall's Matt Lewis: McCain "Made A Good Point Gets The First Applause Of The Night." " McCain just made a good point that he didn't say it was President Clinton's War' in Bosnia. He gets the first applause of the night." (Matt Lewis, "Townhall" Blog, "It's Showtime!" www.townhall.com, 6/5/07)

· Politico's Jonathan Martin: "McCain Gets First Applause." "McCain gets first applause. With an attack on HRC for her criticism of Iraq as President Bush's war. It didn't hurt that he played the Bill card with the GOP crowd." (Jonathan Martin, Politico's "Smith And Martin" Blog, "McCain Gets First Applause," www.politico.com, 6/5/07)

National Review's Jim Geraghty: McCain "gets applause" in saying "Presidents don't lose wars, parties don't lose wars, nations lose wars, and we must prevail." (Jim Geraghty, National Review's "The Hillary Spot" Blog, "The Third GOP Presidential Debate Is Underway," hillaryspot.nationalreview.com, 6/5/07)

NBC's Chuck Todd: All The Candidates Listened "Intently To His Lecture About What's Next For Iraq. It Was A Powerful Moment For McCain." "There was just a moment on the tube where CNN showed every Republican candidate angled to McCain listening intently to his lecture about what's next for Iraq. It was a powerful moment for McCain and a photo the McCain folks will want on the cover of tomorrow's Union Leader." (Chuck Todd, "First Read" Blog, firstread.msnbc.msn.com, 6/5/07)

RedState's Erick Erickson: McCain On Iraq "Is Well Said." "McCain is willing to own the war. His take on of Senator Clinton and Brownback's partition plan is well said." (Erick, "RedState" Blog, "Miscellaneous Debate Thoughts," www.redstate.com)

Romney for President Communications Director Matt Rhoades Statement On The Debate

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY STANDS OUT BY DEBATING SUBSTANCE

Manchester, NH – Tonight, Romney for President Communications Director Matt Rhoades released the following statement on the third Republican presidential debate:

"Tonight in New Hampshire, Governor Romney addressed the issues important to the American people – a strong national defense, a strong economy and strong families.  By talking substantively about the issues facing Americans today, Governor Romney stood above the crowd of candidates in tonight's debate. 

"Governor Romney is the only candidate who can change Washington and lead a stronger America into the future." 

Joe Biden NH Debate More Reviews

BIDEN’S A HIT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Granite State Audience Declares Biden The Best At The Debate

Goffstown, NH (June 3, 2007) – Last night, the eight candidates took to the stage at St. Anselm College in Manchester, but it was Senator Joe Biden that struck a chord in New Hampshire and emerged as the clear winner.

Biden Wins The Debate - WMUR

“Another successful performance was given by Biden who gained thirteen points and moved in the ranking from 6th to first place among tonight’s focus group participants. Biden received the strongest gain among women.”

[WMUR, 6/4/07]

http://www.wmur.com/realtimeresponse/13435363/detail.html

Sen. Biden “Seizes The Moment” – Michael McCord, Portsmouth Herald

“Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware seized his moments by speaking passionately about taking action on Iraq, Darfur, Iran and campaign finance reform.”

Michael McCord, Portsmouth Herald

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070604/NEWS/706040324

A Passionate, Break Out Performance – Beth LaMontagne, NHPols.com

“[Sen. Biden] did manage to have that break out performance, speaking passionately on allowing gay men and women to serve in the military, the war in Iraq and genocide in the Darfur region of the Sudan. State Rep. Jim Ryan, D-Merrimack, and co-chair on the Biden campaign, said he felt the senator came across as passionate and decisive. His mention of Darfur, saying it was America’s ‘moral authority’ to help, was the highlight of his performance.”

[NHPols.com, 6/3/07]

http://campaignsandelections.com/NH/articles/?ID=227

Biden Funny, Forceful, and Knowledgeable – Scott Lehigh, Boston Globe

“Biden was forceful -- and funny -- about letting gays and lesbians serve openly in the military. The candidate who seemed most knowledgeable about foreign affairs, he also spoke powerfully and passionately about establishing a no-fly zone to help end genocide in Darfur.”

[Boston Globe, 6/4/07]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/06/04/a_night_for_obama_and_biden/

Biden Brings Passion, Conviction and Substance To The Table – Dante Scala, NHPR Guest and St. Anselm Professor

I think Biden is going to stick to his principles no matter what. He’s not in the same position as Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama and I think he’s going to speak out with passion and conviction and try to speak out with substance and bring that to the table and see whether that attracts voters or not.

On Darfur: For that moment, if you didn’t know anything about the polls, you’d think that Joe Biden was the frontrunner and everyone else was just following in his wake.

Biden experienced and passionate, it’s hard to beat Joe Biden on foreign policy – Scott Spradling, NHPR Guest and Co-Moderator of the Democratic Presidential Debate

On Darfur: That answer, his credibility, his foreign policy experience and the passion that he brought to that answer, is exactly why Republicans are happy right now that he’s not the frontrunner, because when it comes to the global war on terror and foreign policy issues, it’s hard to keep up with Joe Biden”

[NHPR, 6/4/07]

http://www.nhpr.org/taxonomy/term/15001

Joe Biden NH Debate Reviews

BIDEN GARNERS EXCELLENT DEBATE REVIEWS

Manchester, NH (June 4, 2007):  Joe Biden earned high marks from commentators and Democratic strategists for his second straight strong debate performance. Last night during the Democratic Presidential Debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, Senator Biden exhibited strong leadership and showed a command of the issues that Americans care about most. 

“Senator Biden had another good night.”

- James Carville, Democratic strategist

“I thought Joe Biden was on fire. He came in tonight knowing he had to move a little bit up front on the second tier and I think he did himself very well.  Overall, I thought all the top tier candidates did well and Joe Biden in the second tier.”

- Donna Brazile, Democratic strategist

“I don't think there was anyone who broke out, with the possible exception of Joe Biden. I thought Joe had a very good command of the issues. I thought he made a very good point in terms of supporting the supplemental appropriation for the troops. I thought he gave a very good explanation, sound, truthful explanation. We'll see what happens and see if he gets a bump out of that.”

- J.C. Watts, former Congressman

[CNN, Post-debate Analysis, 6/3/07]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vKPcK-XPqY

“By and large Joe Biden had a very, very good night.”

- David Gergen, Editor-at-Large, U.S. News & World Report

[CNN, Post-Debate analysis, 6/3/07]

“Joe had a great night last night. … He was very honest. He said, "Look, we can't end the war. We need 67 votes." When he talked about earmarks. When he was so passionate about those dying in Sudan. I think what his role is really going to be is sort of the John McCain role and that is, he is going to be Mr. Straight Shooter, Mr. Personality. That's where he can excel really; challenging the other candidates.”

- Roland Martin, WVON Radio broadcaster

[CNN American Morning, 6/4/07]

Hillary Clinton NH Debate Reviews

Hillary 'Won,' 'In Command,' Played 'On A Higher Plane'

TIME MAGAZINE’S MARK HALPERIN NAMES HILLARY THE WINNER – ‘BOTTOM LINE: CAME IN THE FRONT-RUNNER AND LEAVES IN A STRONGER POSITION’: “Able to look commanding and presidential even as she fielded niggling, hoary questions that bordered on the absurd. Never lost her temper, her focus or her cool, and even dispatched a crowd-pleasing Dick Cheney zinger. Occasionally lapsed into the weary defensiveness she displayed during the health care wars of '93 and various subsequent Clinton sagas. Bottom line: came in the front-runner and leaves in a stronger position.” [Time, 6/04/07 ]

ABC NEWS’ GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS – ‘SHE CAME IN THE FRONTRUNNER. SHE LEFT THE FRONTRUNNER’: “Listen, Hillary Clinton went into the debate last night as a frontrunner. Look at our poll. She was ahead 42%, Barack Obama 27%, John Edwards 11%. She came in the frontrunner. She left the frontrunner… the strongest best moment of the night belonged to Hillary Clinton when she was asked do you agree with John Edwards when he says the war on terror is just a bumper sticker.” [Good Morning America, 6/04/07] 

AP ANALYSIS – HILLARY 'PROJECTED AN AIR OF CONFIDENCE AND A MASTERY OF THE SUBJECT MATTER:' "With a new Washington Post/ABC News poll showing Clinton far ahead of her rivals nationally, the former first lady projected an air of confidence and a mastery of the subject matter at Sunday's forum. She also insisted Democrats should focus their policy critiques on Republicans, especially President George W. Bush." [AP, 6/4/07]

THE ATLANTIC’S ANDREW SULLIVAN – ‘SHE WINS THIS ONE. IT KILLS ME TO ADMIT IT. BUT THERE YOU ARE’:  “In general, Senator Clinton bestrode the debate as an authoritative figure. In fact, I've never witnessed a U.S. political debate in which a woman clearly dominated as she did tonight… Still: she wins this one. It kills me to admit it. But there you are.” [The Atlantic, 6/03/07 ]

WMUR FOCUS GROUP – ‘FOCUS GROUP RESPONDENTS… FELT EVEN MORE STRONGLY ABOUT HER AFTERWARD, INCREASING HER RATINGS BY TWENTY-ONE POINTS’: “Focus group respondents viewed Clinton favorably prior to the debate and felt even more strongly about her afterward, increasing her ratings by twenty-one points. Interestingly, there was not a gender gap in the response. Both men and women evaluated Clinton similarly and both groups proportionately increased their favorable evaluations of her.” [WMUR Focus Group, 6/04/07 ]

WBZ-TV’S JON KELLER – ‘HILLARY CLINTON IN COMMAND’:  “Hillary Clinton in command. She was crisp, well informed, and showed more anti-terrorist passion than the rest. That’s all good news for Sen. Clinton.” [WBZ-TV, 6/03/07 ]

CNN’S CANDY CROWLEY – ‘THIS IS HILLARY CLINTON’S VENUE’: “I think that this is Hillary Clinton's venue. She has done very well in both debates. She has facts at her fingertips. She is sort of calm, answers the questions. She does very well. This clearly is her forum.” [CNN, 6/04/07]

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES’ JENNIFER HUNTER – HILLARY ‘FORCEFUL AND DETAILED:’ “But Sunday's debate at St. Anselm College among the eight Democratic presidential contenders did not define a clear winner -- although Clinton's deep well of political experience was apparent and will likely keep her ahead in the polls. She was forceful and detailed in her answers.” [Chicago Sun-Times, 6/4/07 ]

BOSTON GLOBE – HILLARY ‘SHOWED LEADERSHIP:’ “On style points, all generally acquitted themselves well. Clinton showed leadership by resisting the moderator’s clumsy attempt to force the candidates to give instant yea-or-nay answers on complex issues like ending the genocide in Darfur.” [Boston Globe, 6/4/07 ]

ABC’s THE NOTE – ‘IT WAS CLINTON’S NIGHT. NO CANDIDATE LOOKED MORE PRESIDENTIAL’: “The consensus opinion: It was Clinton’s night. No candidate looked more presidential -- despite (or because of) Edwards’ attacks – and the stage seemed to tip in her direction when she defended the field against Wolf Blitzer’s (enemy of enemies!) toughest queries.” [ABC News’ The Note, 6/04/07 ]

CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY’S CRAIG CRAWFORD – ‘CLINTON DID MORE THAN HOLD HER OWN… SHE WON’: “But Clinton did more than hold her own in the face-off aired by CNN. She won. Due in part to her commanding center placing on the stage among eight contenders, the New York Democrat came across as the boss.” [Congressional Quarterly’s Trail Mix, 6/04/07 ]

ABC NEWS – CLINTON PLAYED 'ON A HIGHER PLANE': “Clinton, meanwhile, was practically playing on a different, higher plane befitting a front-runner while pitching herself as the toughest candidate when it comes to national security.” [ABC News, 6/03/07 ]

John Edwards NH Debate Reviews

THE REVIEWS PILE ON -- PUNDITS AND VOTERS AGREE: EDWARDS IMPRESSIVE, HAS TOP ANSWERS

Des Moines Register’s Yepsen: Edwards “Did Himself the Most Good,” Was “Confident,” and Argued “Forcefully” and “Deftly.”  Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsen declared “Edwards probably did himself the most good” from the New Hampshire debate.  Yepsen pointed out that Edwards was “confident,” “argued forcefully for quickly ending the war in Iraq and for his national health care plan,” and “deftly defused his own vote for the war by repeating his line that held he made a mistake voting for it and praising Obama for having opposed it[.]” Des Moines Register, 6/4/07 <http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706040341

CNN: Voters Declared Edwards’ Commitment to Honesty Top Answer in the Debate. CNN’s John Roberts this morning said that according to a focus group of voters watching the debate, Edwards’ statement, “it is important for anybody who seeks to be the next president of the United States, given the dishonesty that we've been faced with over the last several years, to be honest to the country” was “one of the top answers” that the group “really liked.”  Roberts noted that during Edwards’ statement, “approval is really going up.” [CNN, 6/4/07]

NY Daily News’ Michael Goodwin: “Edwards Wins with 1 Word: Leadership.”  New York Daily News Columnist Michael Goodwin declared that Edwards won the debate, titling his column, “Edwards wins with 1 word: Leadership.” Goodwin wrote, “Edwards won the second Democratic presidential debate,” adding, “He did it the old-fashioned way - by seizing on a single message and banging it home repeatedly. His theme was leadership[.]”  Goodwin called Edwards’ style “A clever approach.” New York Daily News, 6/4/07 <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/06/04/2007-06-04_edwards_wins_with_1_word_leadership-2.html

NH Public Radio: New Hampshire Voters Impressed with Edwards.  According to report by Jon Greenberg on New Hampshire Public Radio, Edwards made a “favorable impression” with each of the three New Hampshire voters he interviewed.  Greenberg reported that Exeter native Karen Prior gained “positive feelings” from Edwards and ended the debate with “new found respect for Edwards.” Greenberg said, “All three of these voters liked [Edwards’] insistence that congressional Democrats should have stood up to the threat of a presidential veto on the recent war funding bill.” New Hampshire Public Radio, 6/4/07 <http://www.nhpr.org/node/13024

Daily Kos Readers Declare Edwards The Winner.  According to the Daily Kos poll following the debate, “Who do you think won the debate,” John Edwards led the pack with 27% of the 10,956 votes cast, followed by Obama at 23%, and Clinton at 17%.  dailykos.com, accessed 9:10 a.m. on 6/4/07 <http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/6/3/202220/3188

CNN’s Candy Crowley: Edwards “Stood Out” and Resonated with the New Hampshire Audience.  Following the debate, Candy Crowly reported on CNN that Edwards “clearly stood out at this debate … clearly there was some resonance with this audience.”  Crowley added that “You see some of the same John Edwards out on the stump, I think he played to a broader audience obviously last night.” [CNN, 6/4/07]

WashingtonPost.com’s “The Fix”: Edwards “Initiated” Debate’s “Signature Exchange.”  Chris Cillizza of WashingtonPost.com’s “The Fix,” wrote, “The signature exchange of the event was initiated by former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.). Edwards acknowledged he had made a mistake by voting for the 2002 use-of-force resolution, but pivoted to note he has sought to lead on the issue since admitting his error -- drawing a direct contrast with the leadership that Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) have shown on the war. ‘There is a difference between leading and following,’ said Edwards.” WashingtonPost.com’s “The Fix,” 6/3/07 <http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/06/debate_wrapup.html

NBC’s Chuck Todd: Edwards Was “Strong Performer” of Debate; Was Edwards’ “Best Debate Performance to Date.”  NBC’s Chuck Todd wrote tonight, “John Edwards seemed very engaged and clearly carved out opportunities to engage Clinton and Obama. The press coverage will reflect this which the Edwards campaign will see as a victory. Bottom line, it was Edwards best debate performance to date (and I'm counting the one from this year and the ones from 2003-4).” MSNBC’s First Read, 6/3/07 <http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/06/03/212199.aspx

CNN’s Donna Brazile: Edwards “Smart” and “Bold” During Debate.  Donna Brazile praised Edwards’ debate performance.  Brazile said, “But Senator Edwards, I also believe, came out looking very smart, he was bold, he talked about his distinctions, the differences, with the other candidates[.]”  Brazile also thought Senator Edwards was the best prepared of all the candidates. CNN, 6/3/07; CNN.com, 6/3/07 <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/03/donnas-scorecard-edwards-and-biden-looked-good/

CNN’s Arianna Huffington and Mike Murphy: Edwards Having “Strong” Second Half, Most “Well Briefed.”  In a blog post on CNN’s Political Ticker titled “Comeback Kid,” Arianna Huffington and Mike Murphy praised Edwards’ debate performance.  “Republican Mike Murphy remarked that Senator Edwards is having a ‘strong second half performance.’ Democrat Arianna Huffington thinks he’s the most ‘well briefed’ candidate on the stage … Both agree that Senator Clinton has some competition if she is to come away with the title of ‘debate winner.’” CNN.com, 6/3/07 <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/03/huffington-and-murphy-comeback-kid/

CNN’s Arianna Huffington and Mike Murphy: Impressed With Edwards’ Performance; Both Believe Clinton Needs to “Finally Admit that She Has Made Mistakes.” CNN’s Political Ticker posted under “Just admit it already!” that “Democrat Arianna Huffington and Republican Mike Murphy have finally found some common ground. Both believe that Senator Clinton needs to finally admit that she has made mistakes.  Whether it’s the War in Iraq or gays in the military Hillary ‘never admits she messed up,’ opined Murphy.  Huffington agreed – ‘she just needs to stop parsing words.’ Both commentators have been impressed so far with John Edwards’ admissions of past mistakes and overall performance. CNN.com, 6/3/07 <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/03/murphy-and-huffington-just-admit-it-already/

Edwards Applauded by New Hampshire Voters for Saying He Was Wrong to Vote for the War.  “Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards got applause from the audience after saying he regretted voting for the Iraq war.  ‘I think I had the information I needed,’ Edwards said. ‘I don’t think that was the question. I think one difference we do have is I think I was wrong. I should never have voted for this war.’” CNN.com, 6/3/07 <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/03/edwards-says-he-was-wrong-gets-applause/

WashingtonPost.com’s “The Fix”: Edwards’ Outlined Plan for Iran “Clearly and Concisely.” Chris Cillizza of WashingtonPost.com’s “The Fix,” said, “Edwards, who is often accused of lacking the foreign policy chops to be president, just clearly and concisely outlined what his administration's approach would be to Iran.”  WashingtonPost.com’s “The Fix,” 6/3/07 <http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/06/edwards_on_iran.html

J.C. Watts: “I Take My Hat Off” to Edwards for Talking about Poverty.  Following the CNN New Hampshire Democratic primary debate, J.C. praised John Edwards’ efforts against poverty.  “[Poverty] is the thing I take my hat off to John Edwards for. At least he’s talking about it. I don’t necessarily agree with his models in how he would deal with poverty. But he’s one of the few candidates on the Republican or Democrat side that is at least ever day you’re hearing something from him about that.” [CNN, 6/3/07]

Bill Richardson NH Debate Statement

Governor Bill Richardson Has Strong Showing in Second Democratic Presidential Debate
Governor Richardson's strong and bold positions on key issues show the clear difference between real experience and political rhetoric 

MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE-- At tonight's Democratic Presidential debate in New Hampshire, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson tonight firmly established himself as the candidate with the strongest positions on the key challenges facing this country and showed that he is the most qualified to be the next President of the United States. 

"The other candidates have policy positions and Bill Richardson has real-world experience dealing with those challenges," said David Contarino, Governor Richardson's campaign manager. "Tonight he separated himself from the other candidates and showed voters in New Hampshire and across the country that he will be a strong and effective President that can bring this country together and restore America's standing in the world." 

On Iraq:
Bill Richardson has the strongest plan to get US forces out of Iraq without leaving residual troops. Congress should vote, before the summer recess, to de-authorize the Iraq War under Article I and the War Powers Act and to withdraw all US forces- with no residual troops - within six months after that vote. 

On Energy and Global Warming
Governor Richardson is calling for a "man-on-the-moon" effort, a ten-year intensive plan to reduce our dependence on oil by 50% and our global warming pollution by at least 20%. He is proposing tough fuels mileage standards for vehicles and incentives to stimulate production of more efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. The Governor also believes that a mandatory carbon emission cap-and-trade program will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The League of Conservation Voters calls Governor Richardson's plan the "most aggressive of all the candidates", and the Sierra Club says Governor Richardson has "raised the bar." 

Health Care
Governor Richardson believes in universal health care to provide quality, affordable coverage for all Americans. His plan would give people the choice to keep their current coverage or obtain coverage through an existing, well-established program. The Richardson plan can be paid for without raising taxes and will not create a new bureaucracy. The plan will also ensure our Veterans have the quality health care they deserve by providing them with a Hero's Health Card, meaning they can get care at a provider of their choice instead of traveling long distances to the closest VA facility. 

Education
Governor Richardson was the only candidate to say he will make education a priority, including increasing teacher salaries (including a national minimum wage for teachers), access to pre-k for all four year olds, eliminating junk food from schools, mandating physical education in schools, and giving every American the chance to attend college or vocational school. 

Darfur
The Governor is very familiar with Sudan and the conflict in Darfur and believes the United States must lead the world in helping to stop the genocide that has already claimed more than 200,000 lives. The US must use every available diplomatic tool, including the possibility of the US boycotting the upcoming summer Olympics, to persuade China to pressure Sudan to allow UN peacekeeping forces into Darfur. 

Immigration
Governor Richardson believes in comprehensive immigration reform that includes dramatically improving border security, enforcing sanctions against employers that knowingly hire illegal workers, using diplomacy to engage Mexico, and creating an earned path to legalization for the 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the country, providing they meet strict requirements- passing a background check, learning English, paying fines and back taxes, and following a detailed application procedure. The Governor believes keeping families together must be a priority with any immigration plan, and he will not support any guest worker program that does not provide basic worker protections and could create a permanent underclass of immigrant worker.

Chris Dodd NH Debate Statement

DODD DEMONSTRATES PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP IN SECOND DEBATE
Despite Disproportionate Allotment Of Time, Dodd Highlights Real Distinctions On Iraq, Energy

MANCHESTER -- Despite the disproportionate amount of time alloted each candidate Chris Dodd again demonstrated that he is the only candidate with the conviction and boldness to solve the challenges the country faces.

"There was only one President on stage tonight, and that was Chris Dodd," said Dodd Campaign Manager Sheryl Cohen. "It was clear that only Senator Dodd understands how much is at stake and has the conviction to make the tough choices to do something about it."

"We are not only going to elect a President in November of 2008. We are going to elect arguably the most important, if not the most important leader in the world," said Senator Dodd. The challenges we face are "going to require real leadership based on experience that knows how to bring people together."

On Iraq, Dodd made clear his bold commitment to responsibly end American involvement in Iraq's civil war. "It is incumbent upon us, given the fact that we are less safe, less secure, more vulnerable, weaker today, not stronger as a result of this policy, that we ought to try and bring it to a close," said Dodd.

Dodd, the only candidate who has offered a Corporate Carbon Tax, said "I introduced a plan here that would require, by the year 2017, 50 mile per gallon standards for our automobiles. I believe that can be done. And a carbon tax so you would make those polluting fuels more expensive. "

"Senator Dodd was clear, decisive and strong," said former New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Joe Keefe. "He's the candidate who can provide proven, bold leadership at the time America needs it most."

Dodd was able to demonstrate Presidential leadership and highlight key distinctions despite the disproportionate amount of time in questions alloted to each of the candidates. Below is an accounting of the time and questions alloted to each of the candidates:

Senator Biden: 7:58, 10 questions

Senator Clinton: 14:26, 15 questions

Senator Dodd: 8:28, 9 questions

Senator Edwards: 11:42, 13 questions

Senator Gravel: 5:37, 10 questions

Congressman Kucinich: 9:02, 9 questions

Senator Obama: 16:00, 16 questions

Governor Richardson: 10:48, 11 questions

Wolf Blitzer: 13:24

Hillary Clinton NH Debate "What They Are Saying"

The Reviews Are In: 'She Won',' 'It Was Hillary's Night,' 'Dominate'

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON – 'IT WAS HILLARY CLINTON'S NIGHT': "It was Hillary Clinton's night...She presented herself as a uniter within the party. She had a sense of humor. She was charming. She got a great laugh with her Goldwater line about shooting straight. I thought it was her best performance." [CNN, 6/03/07]

DAVID GERGEN: ‘IT WAS HILLARY CLINTON’S NIGHT. I THOUGHT SHE WON THIS DEBATE’: “I must say at the end of the day, I thought that while all the candidates were pretty interesting, it was Hillary Clinton’s night. I thought she won this debate.” [CNN, 6/03/07]

CNN'S JEFFERY TOOBIN – 'IT WAS HILLARY'S BEST NIGHT AS A PUBLIC FIGURE..SHE WAS DOMINANT': "I thought it was Hillary's best night as a public figure. Issue after issue, she was dominant." [CNN, 6/3/07]

NEW YORK TIMES – 'MRS CLINTON DOMINATED A GOOD PART OF THE EVENING': [New York Times, 6/3/07 ]

CNN’S J.C. WATTS – 'SENATOR CLINTON WENT IN AS THE FRONTRUNNER, COMING OUT AS A FRONTRUNNER': “Senator Clinton went in as the frontrunner, coming out as the frontrunner…I thought she might have even made some points tonight.” [CNN, 6/03/07]

ABC NEWS’ RICK KLEIN – HILLARY LOOKS 'PRESIDENTIAL': “Interesting how Clinton is handling some of these exchanges -- like she did with healthcare, she's welcoming the rest of the field to where she has been for some time. Makes her look, dare we say, presidential…I think Clinton is doing what she sought out to do -- riding slightly above the conversation on stage, and weighing in forcefully when necessary.”  [ABC News Political Radar, 6/03/07 ]

CBN NEWS’ DAVID BRODY – HILLARY 'NATURAL,' 'FORCEFUL': "Hillary Clinton went in as the front runner. Sunday in Manchester she showed why she deserves it. Senator Clinton came across natural, forceful, knowledgeable and kept her cool when put under the microscope." [CBN News, 6/3/07 ]

RNC Statement On New Hampshire Democrat Presidential Debate

RNC Statement on New Hampshire Democrat Presidential Debate

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. “Mike” Duncan released the following statement after tonight's Democrat Presidential debate in New Hampshire:

“Today, we saw the remarkable spectacle of Democrat candidates for President who want to raise our taxes, but don’t want to fund our troops in Iraq – even though some of them said they would as recently as a month ago.  This is not a platform that will win the Democrats many votes outside of Michael Moore fans, MoveOn.org members and Daily Kos readers.  We will see something far more positive and far more encouraging when our Republican candidates gather for their third debate on Tuesday.”