2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

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.

Governor Mitt Romney Names New Hampshire Business Coalition

Governor Mitt Romney Names New Hampshire Business Coalition

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney named the Romney for President New Hampshire Business Coalition.  Led by Statewide Chairs Ben Gamache, Steve Griffin and Ray Pinard and the County Chairs for each of the ten counties across the state, this group of business leaders will work to ensure New Hampshire voters know that Governor Romney is the candidate who will bring real change to Washington by using techniques he learned in the business world.  

"Business leaders in New Hampshire and across the nation understand the need for meeting the new generation of challenges confronting our nation today.  We must keep taxes low and make sure health care is affordable and available, as these issues impact the bottom line.  We need conservative change in Washington to address these challenges, and I'm looking forward to working with these business leaders to make that happen," said Governor Romney.

Chair Ray Pinard said, "If a private business ran like our federal government, it would have closed down a long time ago.  We need a proven executive who will change the standard operating procedure in our nation's capital.  The business leaders who have joined us today are confident that executive is Governor Romney."

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 ]

John Edwards NH Debate "What They Are Saying"

EDWARDS: "STRONG PERFORMER"; "SMART" AND "BOLD"

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd: Edwards Was “Strong Performer” of Debate; Was Edwards’ “Best Debate Performance to Date.”  MSNBC’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

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[.]” [CNN, 6/3/07]

Daily Kos Readers Declared Edwards The Winner.  According to the Daily Kos poll on the night of the debate, “Who do you think won the debate,” had John Edwards leading the pack with 25% of the 1998 votes cast, followed by Obama at 22%, and Clinton at 17%.  [dailykos.com, accessed at 9:30pm 6/3/07]

http://www.dailykos.com/poll/1180916540_juiXVLUI

Larry King: Edwards was “Leading” with “Very, Very Strong Presentation.” Larry King said during the intermission of the CNN New Hampshire Democratic primary debate that Edwards was leading the field.  King said, “Senator Edwards leading the force in carrying on a very, very, strong presentation[.]” [CNN, 6/3/07]

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/

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.”

Howard Dean Statement On Today's CNN/WMUR/NH Union Leader Democratic Presidential Debate

Democratic Candidates Offered Strong Leadership for America's Future at NH Debate

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement following today's CNN/WMUR/NH Union Leader Democratic Presidential Debate:

“Tonight our Democratic field of candidates again did what their Republican counterparts have yet to do. They articulated a real vision of strong leadership for America's future.

"On the issue of Iraq our candidates agreed it's past time to end the war and refocus on fighting terrorism and strengthening our national security, a stark contrast to the Republican field's blind support for continuing the President's failed strategy. On a range of other issues, from making health care affordable for every American to addressing immigration reform in a practical way, Democrats offered real solutions. Our candidates showed they're ready to address the challenges confronting the American people, made it clear that the Democratic Party's values are America's values, and showed a Democratic field that looks like the America they aspire to lead.

"The choice for 2008 is clear: Democrats who offer real leadership for a strong America, or Republicans facing an identity crisis who on Wednesday will no doubt reiterate that they offer nothing more than the same divisiveness and failed policies of the Bush Administration.”

Hillary Clinton Minneapolis Minnesota Photos

Senator Clinton Meets with SEIU Members At Abbott Northwestern Hospital on First Campaign Visit to Minnesota

Applauding the strategic alliance between SEIU Local 113 and Allina Hospitals & Clinics as key to changing our health care system, Senator Hillary Clinton visited with members of SEIU and Allina management at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis on Friday.

On her visit to Abbott Northwestern, Senator Clinton toured patient care areas and engaged in a roundtable discussion with managers and employees about their efforts to work together to improve the delivery of patient care at Allina Hospitals. They also discussed the Senator's plan to reform the American health care system, specifically her plan to reduce health care costs.