Lawmakers considering how to address global warming

Now that Democrats are in control of the US House and Senate, the debate over global warming has moved up on the congressional agenda.

In the Senate, several lawmakers said it was time to take action. And in the House, witnesses told a committee that the Bush administration was trying to intimidate and censor scientists who suggest global warming is a threat.

Republicans and Democrats are still fighting over whether global warming exists, so an agreement on what to do about it won't be easy.

Global warming is melting the snows of Kilimanjaro, shrinking ice caps in the Alps, and even endangering Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Those are the claims in an authoritative United Nations report set to be released in Paris later this week. Two thousand eminent scientists are pointing the finger at humans for global climate change.............

Enough is Enough

I'm tired of people always complaining about what their politicians ain't doing. I'm tired of politicians not doing what they suppose to do. I'm tired of everybody complaining about what's not being done when all they have to do is start doing something. Therefore enough is enough and its time for the American people to wake up.

Huckabee's possible run for president could help Hope

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced plans Sunday to form a presidential exploratory committee, hoping to carve out a conservative niche in a field of Republican candidates.

The onetime Southern Bap tist minister, perhaps best known for los ing 100 pounds plus in two years, said he will file papers with the Federal Election Commission today, which will enable him to start raising money.

"I think America needs positive optimistic leadership to kind of turn this country around, to see a revival of our national soul," Huckabee said on NBC's "Meet the Press."...............

Gaza fire stops, West Bank kidnappings continue

Despite Sunday morning killings in Gaza, Palestinian factions agree to tense truce, with Egyptian mediation; nonethless, at least 10 Hamas members kidnapped in Nablus

A relative halt to the inter-factional bloodshed in Gaza was brought about through mediation by an Egyptian security delegation between various Palestinian groups. However, kidnappings continue in the West Bank and the tense ceasefire appears close to a breakdown.

Funeral processions are taking place in Gaza, where four more people were killed Sunday morning during the fourth day of Hamas and Fatah infighting. Since Thursday night, 24 people have died, including a two year old boy caught in the crossfire.

Violence continued in the West Bank, with riots in Nablus Sunday afternoon. Members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades – Fatah's military wing – kidnapped at least ten Hamas operatives, including senior municipality officials.

Washington rally urges end to war

Tens of thousands of anti-war protesters have rallied outside congress chanting "bring our troops home," in an attempt to pressure the government to quit Iraq.

Veterans and military families joined some congressmen, peace groups and actors to urge congress and George Bush, the US president, to stop funding the war and pull troops from Iraq.

"I thought I was serving honourably. Instead, I was sent to war ... for causes that have proved fraudulent," Garett Reppenhagen, a former sniper and Iraq war veteran, said at Saturday's rally.

"We need to put pressure on our elected government and force them to ... bring the troops home."

Tens of thousands of people attended the two-hour rally, according to a police officer......

Clinton begins journey to White House

Sen. Hillary Clinton began her presidential journey in this bellwether state on Saturday, raising energy and health-care issues but remaining conspicuously silent on the war in Iraq."

I want to renew the promise of America. It starts right here in Iowa. I'm in it to win," Clinton (D-N.Y.) told cheering supporters—many of them women—who packed the gym at East High School here.

You go, girl," came a shout from the audience."

You come with me," Clinton replied, generating much applause.

Vowing to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and re-ignite a push for universal health care coverage, the former first lady spoke for an hour during what her campaign billed as a "conversation with Iowans." She also talked of a need to change the "traditional roles" of women across society.

Saturday's event was Clinton's first political speech in the state since declaring a week earlier that she would seek the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

She took questions and spoke of boosting production of ethanol, increasing education funding and revamping how health care is delivered, especially to the poor. She said 20 percent of the nation's Medicaid dollars are related to diabetes, an illness that can be prevented or controlled with proper care. Yet the health care system does little to fund wellness care for those who are at risk, she said, adding: "But our system will pay to have your foot amputated. That has to change."....

Giuliani Is Sounding More Like a Candidate

Rudolph W. Giuliani sounded nearer than ever to being a presidential candidate on Saturday, repeatedly talking about the prospect of running, and inviting voters to judge him by his record as mayor of New York City.

Though he has long been thought to be a presidential contender, he has fallen behind other candidates in declaring his intention, and the language he used on Saturday, while suggesting a run, also contained built-in escape hatches. Speaking to a convention of the New Hampshire Republican Party, he advised the delegates on “what you should look for in whatever decision you make in presidential primaries,” and added, “when I promise you things, if I do, when I do, as I do, I’ll promise them because I’ve done them before.”

He returned to that theme moments later, and as he has done in recent days, drew a direct analogy between fighting crime in his home city and establishing peace in Iraq.

“When I say to you that we should reduce taxes to stimulate the economy, I’ll say it to you because I did it and I saw it work,” he said. “When I say we have to bring peace and security as sort of the beginning of anything, whether it’s in Baghdad or in other parts of the world or here at home, I’ll say that to you because I saw that happen in New York, and I made it happen. I did it.”..........

Rice Presses Allies to Boost Afghan Aid

NATO, Europe Urged to Join U.S. in Increasing Commitments of Money and Manpower

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, citing the $10.6 billion in new aid that the Bush administration proposes to give Afghanistan, pressed NATO and European allies Friday to increase their contributions of money and manpower.

Rice's push came as concern grows over the resurgence of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, massive increases in opium production and rising tension between Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, where Taliban leaders and fighters have been allowed refuge.

"Nations that have made pledges of support should follow through and deliver," Rice told a meeting of NATO foreign ministers here. They had assembled at her request to address what the United States calls an urgent need to bolster the Afghan government's security and development efforts before the Taliban begins even more intensive attacks in the spring, when snows melt and mountainous border areas become more passable.

Her appeals elicited nearly universal agreement on the need for more aid, but no country made a large new offer.....

Bush defends actions against Iranian agents

President Bush on Friday defended a Pentagon program to kill or capture Iranian operatives inside Iraq, saying that U.S. troops would use all necessary measures to protect themselves and Iraqi civilians from harm.

"It makes sense that if somebody's trying to harm our troops, or stop us from achieving our goal, or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them," Bush said.

But Bush and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates both said U.S. troops would not cross Iraq's border with Iran under the program, and the president said he is still committed to resolving the dispute over Iran's nuclear program diplomatically.

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said that U.S. troops must defend themselves in Iraq but that the president needed congressional approval for any program that could "escalate this conflict" with Iran. Reid said Bush should be engaged in direct diplomacy with Iran and other countries in the region to avoid a widening conflict, rather than "sending battle carrier groups" to sit off the Iranian coast.......

2008 Presidential Getting Major Hollywood Donations

The 2008 Presidential Race is heating up already with Hollywood donors pulling out their wallets to donate to the top 3 Democratic Presidential candidates. Hollywood's wealthiest have already donated to Obama and Clinton with many more to contribute to the campaign of Edwards. No matter how you look at it, this election might be won or lost based on how much Hollywood gives or raises for one or the other candidates opponents.

Star Wars Heat Up: Hillary's Hollywood Rebound

Steven Spielberg Throws Fundraisers for Both Clinton and Obama; Liz Taylor Writes Check for Her

It's Act 2 of Star Wars — in which Sen. Hillary Clinton's Hollywood empire strikes back.
Just days after Sen. Barack Obama stole Clinton's thunder by getting entertainment moguls Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg to host a fundraiser for him on Feb. 20, she snagged some celebrity mojo of her own.

His co-hosts will reportedly be producer Steve Bing, supermarket magnate Ron Burkle, investment banker Sim Farar, and Fox Family executive Haim Saban.

Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor endorsed Clinton, writing her a check for $2,300.

Taylor's enthusiasm was evident in the fact that the actress initially had announced that she would give $100,000 to the candidate but corrected that figure because the legal limit for donors is $2,300.

"I like the way she thinks," Taylor said. "She is very savvy and a smart leader with years of experience in government, diplomacy and politics."

After hundreds of Hollywood's movers and shakers received invitations Wednesday morning to the Obama fundraiser, the Clinton campaign went into overdrive.

"Jaws dropped when people got those invitations," said a source close to the campaign. Clinton's California fundraiser, Diane Hamwi, quickly hit the phones, reeling in some major donations.

Many of Hollywood's elite are expected to make donations to multiple candidates. Spielberg may also host a fundraiser for John Edwards, and liberal stalwarts Barbara Streisand and Norman Lear are expected to raise money for Clinton, Obama and Edwards.

Elizabeth Taylor donates $2,100 to Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign

Elizabeth Taylor says Sen. Hillary Clinton's savvy and smarts have won her support.

The actress announced Thursday she'll give $2,300, the legal limit, to the New York senator's presidential campaign.

"I have contributed to Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign because she has a mind of her own and a very strong one at that,” Taylor said in a statement issued by spokesman Dick Guttman. “I like the way she thinks. She is very savvy and a smart leader with years of experience in government, diplomacy and politics.”.....

Hollywood stars choose between Clinton, Obama

Even as they ponder their Oscar choices, the wealthy stars of Hollywood's liberal establishment are weighing up the choice between the Democratic Party's two leading lights for president in 2008.

The entertainment industry has long been a cornerstone of support for Democrats seeking public office, and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, like her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has been one of the chief beneficiaries.

But a newcomer to Hollywood's money trail, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, is coming next month for a fund-raising reception hosted by three of the most influential moguls -- Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg of DreamWorks.

Invitations went out this week to 700 donors and activists asking them to give the allowed annual maximum of $2,300 per person to meet Obama at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 20.

A private dinner at Geffen's home in Malibu will be held for those pledging to raise $46,000 for the Chicago Democrat.

Obama Excites Entertainment Community

Entertainment Community Excited About Obama, but Many Biding Their Time on Endorsement

Star quality: It's what Hollywood was built on. And there's no question that to the many powerful Democrats in the entertainment community, Sen. Barack Obama has loads of it.

George Clooney calls him a friend. Halle Berry has said she'd "collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear." Oprah Winfrey says he's her man.

And three of the most powerful men in Hollywood Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen have just invited Democrats to a truly high-profile fundraiser: a Feb. 20 reception for Obama at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with a dinner later at Geffen's home for top donors.

But despite all that, political analysts note that being the "next big thing" can be fleeting. And a number of traditional donors and activists in Hollywood and the music industry are a long way from choosing, at this early stage, whom to endorse among the three seen as top-tier Democratic candidates: Obama, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards.....

Clinton Promises Health Care Plan

A day after saying that she would take on health care again, despite the political problems it caused her in the 1990s, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday evening that she would soon propose a plan “about how we get to universal coverage.”

A Clinton spokesman, asked for details last night, would only say, “stay tuned,” followed by a smiley face emoticon. Mrs. Clinton said she wanted to “tackle problems of coverage” so everyone is insured for health care; has access to quality care; and can afford the insurance.

Mrs. Clinton made the remark in the third edition of her live video webchats, which, she said, had elicited “tens of thousands of questions” from people visiting her new presidential campaign website.....

Ford Tells Obama to Ignore Race Factor

Former Rep. Harold Ford Jr., has some advice for his friend Sen. Barack Obama: Don't be afraid to take your presidential campaign anywhere in this country, no matter what the racial politics.
Ford lost a close bid last fall to become the first black senator from a Southern state since Reconstruction. Some blamed the loss in Tennessee on racial politics, but Ford said Thursday other factors, including a rival who spent his own money, contributed to his defeat.

He said Obama, son of a white mother and an African father, can't control how his race will affect his candidacy.

"As long as he works hard, is honest ... and is not afraid to take his message anywhere in the country, he'll do fine," Ford said. "He can't try to predict what other people may think or may do. All he can do is run the campaign that he's capable of running.

"Do I think the fact that he's black will be a factor in his campaign? Probably," Ford said. "It would be a factor if two white guys were running. People talk about race regardless, so race is an issue that we deal with in America. I don't think that will be a central part of his campaign at all."
Ford spoke to reporters over lunch on his first day as chairman of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council. Ford is replacing former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who stepped down to run for president.

Ford said he plans to remain neutral in the 2008 race because of his new position, but he is particularly close to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Obama.

Ford To Skip Super Bowl; Endorses Gore (Sort Of)

Former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. won’t be attending this year’s Super Bowl, but he wants you to know that he still loves Jesus, women and football.

Ford was the target of an ad in his Senate campaign which featured a bare-shouldered blonde talking about meeting Ford at a Playboy Magazine party at an earlier Super Bowl. “Harold, call me,” she purrs to the camera at the end of the ad.

Ford, a bachelor, shrugged off the ad with the quip: “I love Jesus, I love women and I love football.” And Thursday morning, in his first official appearance as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), Ford repeated the line in response to good-natured kidding from from reporters about whether he would attend this year’s Super Bowl.

Even though he won’t be attending the Super Bowl - or any of the parties associated with it - Ford has a favorite in the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. He’ll be rooting for the Colts because of Peyton Manning, the Colts quarterback who was a star at the University of Tennessee before turning pro.

“He’s a Tennessee man,” Ford said of Manning. He’ll be pulling for Manning, Ford said, “even though he didn’t make a donation to my campaign.”.......

Harold Ford Jr. will lead Democratic Leadership Council

Former Memphis congressman Harold Ford Jr. today accepted the high-profile post of chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, the moderate policy group that launched a little-known Arkansas governor named Bill Clinton to national stardom and the presidency.

The announcement was made this morning at a Washington hotel breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, but had been anticipated for days.

Ford accepted the post, calling it "one of the most important organizations on the think-tank landscape. "

"I'm excited about the post for a couple of reasons," he said. "I think that the new majority in Congress presents not only our party with a great opportunity to give the nation a chance to see a new leadership but to embarking in a new direction on a lot of policy fronts."

DLC founder Al From and DLC president Bruce Reed made the announcement at the monthly breakfast for print journalists. Ford told the group that the job is temporary in the sense that he plans to seek elective office in Tennessee in the future......

It's Official: Harold Ford Jr. is the DLC's New Chair

Harold Ford Jr. won’t be head of the Democratic National Committee, James Carville’s wishes notwithstanding. The former 9th District congressman and U.S. Senate candidate will be chairman of the right-centrist Democratic Leadership Council, a private lobbying group. In fact, he is chairman of the DLC, as of Thursday. Ford, who succeeds Iowa governor Tom Vilsack (now a presidential candidate) is "one of the brightest stars in the Democratic Party," said DLC Founder Al From. “

“I love Jesus, I love women and I love football,” Ford told reporters on Thursday. Yes, he really did.

That last was an oblique tongue-in-cheek reference to the furor that erupted in the national media last year after a Republican National Committee attack ad that, among other things, satirized the then Democratic candidate's attendance at a Super Bowl party sponsored by Playboy Magazine.

Ford, who was defeated in his Senate bid by Republican Bob Corker, also found time on Thursday to tout another disappointed candidate from Tennessee, former presidential contender Al Gore -- but only to win an Oscar for his "Inconvenient Truth" documentary on global warming.

Oh,and Ford wants the Colts to win the Super Bowl. Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning is "a Tennessee man," the once-and-no doubt-future statewide candidate explained.

Bush's Iraq troop surge blasted by Nebraska lawmaker

No one would ever confuse Senator Chuck Hagel for an ally of President George W. Bush on the war in Iraq.

The Nebraska lawmaker has been the Republican party's chief critic of White House policy for the better part of three years, expressing his opposition with ever more clarity as the violence in Iraq escalated and the U.S. military death toll increased.

But as a Senate committee voted Wednesday to reject Bush's plan to send 21,500 more American troops to Iraq, Hagel finally dispensed with the last remnants of polite talk on the matter.

''There is no strategy. This is a ping-pong game with American lives,'' Hagel told fellow members of the Senate foreign relations committee. ''These young men and women that we put in Anbar province, in Iraq, in Baghdad are not beans. They're real lives. And we better be damn sure we know what we're doing - all of us - before we put 22,000 more Americans into that grinder.''.....

Cheney treated like others, angry about it

The vice president got a bit testy with Wolf Blitzer on CNN when the journalist asked him a question about his daughter, her partner, and their upcoming addition to the family:

In a wide-ranging interview, where he was unusually testy in several instances, Cheney got steamed when CNN's Wolf Blitzer read him a comment from Focus on the Family, a social-conservative group that believes it's not best for a child to be raised by single-sex parents, like Mary Cheney and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe.

"I'm delighted I'm about to have a sixth grandchild, Wolf, and obviously think the world of both of my daughters and all of my grandchildren. And I think, frankly, you're out of line with that question," Cheney fumed.

Before Blitzer could explain his question, Cheney interrupted the anchor of the "Situation Room" and again snapped, "I think you're out of line with that question."

Blitzer then spoke kindly of Mary Cheney and insisted his question wasn't personal, just business. "Believe me, I'm very, very sympathetic to Liz and to Mary. I like them both. That was just a question that's come up and it's a responsible, fair question," Blitzer said.

I have some sympathy for Cheney; is his daughter's family life relevant to anything important? Not particularly. But it is a news story, largely because the administration (but not Cheney) has vocally supported a Constitutional amendment banning recognition of gay marriages, and their allies at Focus on the Family and other right-wing groups have used Mary Cheney as PR fodder.

Bush Takes State of the Union Message on the Road

As usual after a State of the Union address, President Bush was headed out of Washington, D.C., Wednesday to spend some time emphasizing a key element of his speech — energy independence.

He was to follow that trip with a Thursday event to promote his health care initiatives.
Bush was headed to Wilmington, Del., Wednesday to tour the DuPont Experimental Station, the testing site for many of DuPont's new products.

The company emphasizes new polymers and other materials that could be used for environmental controls, but is also a source for fuel cell energy studies and biomaterials produced from renewable resources.

Bush emphasized several energy initiatives in his State of the Union address, acknowledging global climate change and asking Congress to help the United States break its oil addiction by enacting an initiative that would cut U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent in the next 10 years. To reach that goal, Bush called for setting a mandatory fuel standard for alternative and renewable gases to 35 billion gallons by 2017, nearly five times the current target.....

State of Union agenda faces many challenges

Deals between Bush, Congress foreseen as few and far between

President Bush's health-care and energy policy agenda presented in his State of the Union address face several obstacles, including the Iraq war, his low approval ratings, and little reason for bipartisan cooperation, analysts said Wednesday.

In his speech to the nation Tuesday night, Bush floated new proposals to expand health-insurance coverage and to reduce the nation's reliance on imported oil. See full story.
But growing opposition in Congress to Bush's plans to send additional troops to Iraq will damage his other initiatives, analysts said.

"A widening divergence of views between members of Congress from both parties and President Bush on the next best course in Iraq probably limits the number and scope of deals possible," said Lehman Brothers analysts Kim Wallace and Charles Marr in a research note.....

Israeli president to leave post

Israeli President Moshe Katsav has asked the speaker of parliament for leave of absence from his post.

This follows moves to indict him on charges including rape.

Mr Katsav, who denies any wrongdoing, has faced calls from ministers and MPs for his immediate resignation from his mainly ceremonial position.

The unprecedented case is among several scandals currently affecting Israeli politicians, that are causing serious political uncertainty.

On Tuesday, Israel's attorney-general announced that Mr Katsav will be charged with offences including rape, obstruction of justice and fraud.......

China confirms antisatellite test

BEIJING: The Chinese government confirmed Tuesday that it had conducted a successful test of a new antisatellite weapon, but said that it had no intention of participating in a "space race."

The confirmation, made at a regular news briefing held by the Foreign Ministry, came 12 days after China used a medium-range ballistic missile to destroy one of its own weather satellites, which was orbiting about 720 kilometers, or 540 miles, above Earth.

The United States, Japan, Britain and Australia had pressed Beijing to explain the test, apparently the first successful destruction in more than 20 years of a satellite in orbit.

Despite numerous press reports last week quoting Bush administration officials describing the exercise in detail, Chinese officials declined to confirm or deny whether it had occurred. Liu Jianchao, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, issued the first official comment on the matter Tuesday.

"This test was not directed at any country and does not constitute a threat to any country," he said.

"What needs to be stressed is that China has always advocated the peaceful use of space, opposes the weaponization of space and an arms race in space," he said. "China has never participated and will never participate in any arms race in outer space.".....

Bush set to focus on home front

To characterise this year's State of the Union address as President George W Bush's "don't mention the war" speech would be a little unfair.

The unpopular deployment of more troops to Iraq will not be evaded when he talks to Congress about his plans for the year ahead - but the conflict will be justified as just one element in the country's wider war on terror.

Uppermost in the president's mind will be the battles he has to fight at home, not abroad.
Recent opinion polls suggest only one in three voters approve of the job the president is doing; that is way below both President Bill Clinton and President Ronald Reagan's standing at the same stage in their presidencies.

He may take some solace in the fact his popularity is above President Richard Nixon's, but by this stage in "Tricky Dicky's" presidency, the Watergate scandal had become public.....

Loan rates take harsh toll on students' future

This is an article that I printed in today's Tennesseean so read it.

By HODARI P.T. BROWN

College expenses are going up year after year and tuition is at an all-time high in America. So the cost of college has become a drastic issue of concern for many students.

Congress' recent initiative to cut interest rates on student loans is seen as a positive sign for many college students. Nowadays, a large chunk of the student population is receiving some type of financial aid, with many receiving loans.....

Roe Versus Wade Handed Down This Day In 1973

Activists on both sides of the issue Monday will mark the 34th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

The annual March for Life will be held in Washington, DC. President Bush will call in his support to the anti-abortion rally.

Pro-choice activists will hold a vigil at the Supreme Court and present political leaders with a petition signed by thousands of women who said they had abortions.

In New York, supporters of abortion rights will gather at the state Capitol in Albany to thank lawmakers for legalizing abortion in New York before it was legal in the rest of the country.

The New York Legislature passed a bill that legalized abortion in April of 1970. It was quickly signed into law by then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller.

Abortion Ruling Anniversary Marked

Both Sides Plan Events In Washington, But Real Work Now Is In State Capitals

Activists on both sides of the issue Monday were marking the 34th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

The annual March for Life will be held in Washington. President Bush will call in his support to the anti-abortion rally. Abortion rights activists will hold a vigil at the Supreme Court and present political leaders with a petition signed by thousands of women who have said they have had abortions.

In contrast to recent years, when participants at the March for Life in Washington urged the Republican-controlled Congress to expand fetal rights and restrict abortions, activists are now discussing defensive strategies in the face of the Democratic takeover. "Christ said we must be as clever as serpents and harmless as doves," said the Rev. Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council. "With pro-choice leaders in the House and Senate, we may need to be downright snaky."

Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota was announcing its legislative agenda for the year Monday, while Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life was holding its annual March for Life and program on the front steps of the state Capitol.....

N.M. Governor Enters White House Race

New Mexico Governor Begins Battle for Dollars in 2008 Presidential Race

A self-described underdog in the crowded 2008 presidential race, Democrat Bill Richardson begins the difficult task of proving he can raise enough money to be a serious contender for the party's nomination.

The 59-year-old New Mexico governor announced in a video posted Sunday on his Web site that he would set up an exploratory committee that will let him raise money and assemble his campaign organization.

"I believe these serious times demand serious people, who have real-world experience in solving the challenges we face," Richardson said in the video. "I humbly believe I'm the best-equipped candidate to meet these challenges."

A former U.N. ambassador, Energy Department secretary and congressman, Richardson's resume looks presidential.

But in polls he lags far behind the other candidates, who also are popular and formidable fundraisers, including New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards.

New York's mayor says Hillary Clinton is 'certainly electable'

Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday that Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton is "certainly electable" in the 2008 presidential race, which she officially joined over the weekend.

The billionaire mayor has said he does not plan to formally support any candidate in the race, explaining that he prefers to stay neutral because he has to work with many of the hopefuls. In the past he has given his support and money to candidates in both major parties, including Democrat Al Gore for the 2000 election and President Bush for his re-election four years later....

Is Bush bold, or watered-down Schwarzenegger?

Commentary: Health care, energy on agenda

As President Bush stands before Congress on Tuesday evening to give his report card on the nation, the biggest change in the state of the union is that he is no longer the undisputed decider.
Congress now has Democratic leaders, installed in part because the voters repudiated Republican policies on a host of issues, primarily the war, but also on pocketbook issues such as health care, energy and the environment, education and immigration.

Bush's State of the Union address will recognize the new political reality, emphasizing the issues that Americans care most about, the ones that helped the Democrats win back control of the House and the Senate last November.

There's one more political reality that Bush can't ignore: his lame-duck status. Rather than present the usual laundry-list of dozens of plans for the next four or eight years, this speech will be limited by design to just a few ideas that can be accomplished in the two years the president has remaining.

The president will challenge the Congress "to step up to the plate and to deal responsively and creatively with real problems that Americans care about," his spokesman, Tony Snow, said Monday.

Snow said Bush will propose "bold" new ideas on health care and energy.

The details are sketchy, but it looks like Bush's bold proposals are watered down compared with Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent initiatives on expanding health care or on combating global warming. Democrats in Congress have even bolder ideas.....

White House: State of the Union to Feature "Bold Proposals"

The White House says President Bush will make some "bold proposals" tomorrow that Congress could enact and still "make itself look good."

White House press secretary Tony Snow says the proposals would also "more importantly do the people's business."Snow addressed reporters one day before the president gives his State of the Union address.

Snow says there will probably be some revisions made today, but said the speech is just being polished.Snow says the speech will not just focus on the situation in Iraq, and says that the president has some "good offers" for the newly installed Democratic Congress.

The president's speech will come nearly two weeks after he told the nation he is sending more than 21-thousand additional U-S troops there in a new effort to end violence.

Is there excitement for the State of the Union Address

Is anyone in America or the world excited about President Bush's State of the Union Address? Should there be any excitement about it. Many experts are saying that the address will be loaded with many proposals but will the proposals become just words said but never acted on. When will President Bush deliver on many of the proposals and promises that he has told the American people. Enough is enough and President Bush State of the Union address this year should be more about solving the domestic problems at home in terms of education and job employment as well as college tuition and healthcare. Presiden Bush has to make a way for the American people to survive. Poverty is at an all time high in this country and now is the state to find solutions to the problems that plague the American people. So I hope President Bush has proposals to our problems.

Hillary Shakes Up The Race

Clinton's Weekend Announcement Overshadowed Others Who Jumped Into 2008 Presidential Contest

Sen. Hillary Clinton finally ended all the speculation about her presidential ambitions over the weekend, declaring her candidacy on her Web site. And in doing so, CBS News correspondent Joie Chen reports she instantly became the one to beat in a crowded field of wannabes.

"It will be a great contest with a lot of talented people," Clinton said Sunday – "a lot" being the operative word. In her first appearance since Saturday's announcement, New York's junior senator upstaged two other contenders who announced their entry into the race: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a fellow Democrat, and Sen. Sam Brownback, who admitted his quest for the Republican nomination is something of a fantasy.

"My family and I are taking the first steps on the yellow brick road to the White House," Brownback, R-Kan., said at a rally in Topeka. It might be easier to get an audience with the Wizard of Oz than steal Clinton's thunder right now.

Whether Democrat or Republican, others seeking the job found themselves scrambling to acknowledge her dominance without coming across as irrelevant. "I think she's incredibly formidable and has got to be the frontrunner and the odds-on pick right now," Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., said Sunday. "I think she'd be a very formidable candidate," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said.

At this point, only McCain polls in the high 40s with Clinton. That's with 22 months to go before the election and a lot of unknowns ahead, including the staying power of the young Illinois senator, who's currently Clinton's closest Democratic rival, Barack Obama.

Serbian voters go to the polls

Unseasonably warm weather in Serbia meant that voters turned out early to cast their votes in the national election. 6.5 million are eligible to vote and the choice is between hardline nationalist parties and those which are pro-European and pro-reform. The breakaway province of Kosovo and its independence is an emotional issue - and whoever forms a government will have to deal with it.

No party is expected to win an outright majority, and three main parties are likely to split the vote.

The pro-European Democratic Party of President Boris Tadic wants Serbia to integrate with Europe and join the EU.

"I'm expecting that these elections are going to show the right of Serbia's people for European direction."

Serbia's Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's party is conservative and unlikely to champion any change. He's centred much of his campaign on opposition to Kosovan independence. .

Why Warrantless Wiretapping Is No More

Bush Administration Changes Approach To Surveillance, But Why Now?

As unceremoniously as it unveiled, it was killed. In a two-page letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced the death of the Terrorist Surveillance Program, the super-secret program authorized by the president to eavesdrop on phone calls and e-mails of Americans believed to be communicating with suspected terrorists.

For the past 13 months, since The New York Times broke the news that the program existed, the Bush Administration vehemently defended it. From the president on down, every official called it "critical," "vital," and "crucial to our national security." So what happened?

The momentum ran out. Not the momentum behind the idea of monitoring phone calls of suspected terrorists, but the momentum behind the Bush administration's defense of its approach to surveillance.

As one senior Justice Department official said, "obviously, this issue of the terrorist surveillance program is one that has been under intense public debate and scrutiny ... considering all of these circumstances, the President determined that this was the appropriate course." ......

Analysis: In a field of heavy hitters, no sure thing

Compared with the other Democrats who plan to run for president in 2008, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is the most battle-tested, has the biggest fundraising network and can walk into the job with a unique set of skills and perspectives gleaned from eight years in the White House as first lady.

Yet none of that guarantees Clinton will steamroll her opponents, or manage and master the issues that have long vexed her, like the war in Iraq and universal health insurance. Far from it: She has told friends that she is more worried about winning the Democratic nomination than winning a general election against a Republican.

With this presidential campaign starting far earlier than any in history, Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and their five Democratic rivals find themselves facing 400 more days before the nomination is sealed up. Each of those days could bring a surprise or flub or Senate vote or controversy that might change their political fortunes. The field is still growing, too: Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is expected to jump in Sunday. And whither John Kerry? Wesley Clark? Al Gore?

"Given the high velocity of the campaign at this early stage, it's incredible to think what the race will look like a year from now, and who will be standing out," said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic political consultant who supports Clinton.

Biden: Clinton is out in front, but nomination `lifetime' away

Hillary Rodham Clinton is the favorite right now for the Democratic nomination for president, but the party is a "lifetime" away from making its 2008 choice, one of her White House rivals said Sunday.

"I think she's incredibly formidable and has got to be the front-runner and the odds-on pick right now. But this is a marathon. There's a long way to go," said Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

The former first lady and current New York senator joined the race on Saturday, hoping to become the first female president.

A crowded field of candidates is led by Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson jumped in on Sunday.

Biden, however, said he did not look at the race as Clinton's to lose.

"Look, listen, we're a lifetime away. Hillary Clinton is going to have to make her best case. And there's a lot of us out there that are known but in a sense not known, and we're going to make our best case. And I don't think Hillary's best case versus mine or Barack's or anybody else's necessarily trumps us," said Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

U.S. Border Patrol Officers Jailed for Shooting Drug Smuggler

Why hasn't Congress taken a stronger stance on the issue of our borders and the border patrol officers who did their job correctly but are in jail as of today? Why hasn't the White House spoken out sooner than now about a possible pardon for the U.S. Border Patrol Officers who were stopping illegal drugs and illegal immigrants from entering our country? Enough is enough, someone in Congress has to make this their agenda and put a stop to this issue now. Every time I cut on the radio or watch television, I hear about this issue and I feel that our borders need to be protected by any means necessary. The White House and Congress need to make this an issue now and not later. If we are going to talk about a war on terror than it starts at home with protecting our borders first and foremost. We can't fight a war in Iraq and expect to win the war on terror if we can't secure our own borders.

I don't care how anyone looks at it, our borders are not any safer since September 11 and I feel Congress and the White House has continued to ignore this fact. When will our borders become protected and American jobs stop being taken by illegal immigrants. When will drugs stop being illegally brought across our borders and sold on our streets. If Congress and the White House don't do something about it than I fear that we as citizens must take arms and protect our own borders from illegal immigrants. If people want to come to America than they need to do it the right way by getting the proper identification and going through all the legal facets of getting legal entry into the United States.

Bush: Tax breaks for health care

President Bush wants to talk about more than the war in Iraq in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. He wants to talk about health care -- and probably will talk about global warming, too.

The president plans to spell out a new health-care initiative with his address: A tax deduction for money spent on health insurance, much like the deduction that homeowners take for the interest paid on mortgages. This, the president says, could be a way to get coverage for more of the nearly 50 million Americans who lack health insurance, without creating a new government health care program.

Bush provided a preview with his weekly radio address today: "The current tax code encourages home ownership by allowing you to deduct the interest on your mortgage from your taxes. We can reform the tax code, so that it provides a similar incentive for you to buy health insurance. ''

Bush will take this and other proposals from his State of the Union address on the road, too: The president plans to tout the energy initiatives in his State of the Union address the next day in Wilmington, Del., and his health care plans the following day in Lee's Summit, Mo. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer delivered the Democratic radio response today, talking about Iraq and energy independence.......

Clinton campaign opens: 'I'm in'

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York today made a long-expected announcement about her intentions to seek the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2008, opening an exploratory committee that will enable her to raise money and start organizing a campaign.

"I'm in,'' Clinton declares on her campaign web-site today.

"I''m not just starting a campaign, though, I'm beginning a discussion with you,'' Clinton says in a conversational speech delivered online. "Let's talk about how to bring the right end to the war in Iraq and how to restore respect for America around the world… And let's definitely talk about how every American can have quality, affordable health care.''.....

Clinton Says 'I'm In to Win' 2008 Race

United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced on her Web site Saturday morning that she was taking the first formal step to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

Six years after making history by winning a United States Senate seat as first lady, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced this morning that she was taking the first formal step to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, a journey that would break yet more political barriers in her extraordinary and controversial career.

"I'm in," she says in a statement on her new campaign Web site. "And I'm in to win."

Mrs. Clinton, 59, called for "bold but practical changes" in foreign, domestic, and national security policy and said that she would focus on finding "a right end" to the Iraq war, expanding health insurance, pursuing greater energy independence and strengthening Social Security and Medicare....

One win for Students!

The House has did their job and passed legislation that would cut interest rates on student loans. However the Senate won't dialogue on student loans until next week. Also it is spectulated that the Senate Bill might also increase the maximum on Pell Grants. Therefore college students are seeing more hope on the hill this year. So one might say that students have won one battle but the bigger test comes next week on the Senate floor.

After 42 Hours (or So), House Democrats Complete 100-Hour Push

House Democrats met the goals of their 100-hour legislative offensive with plenty of time to spare on Thursday, claiming that their successes proved they could govern.

Republicans derided the hurry-up nature of the effort as a bit of one-sided political showmanship that undercut the Democrats’ pledge that the new Congress would be more bipartisan.

But the easy approval of the half-dozen measures in the 100-hour agenda — dealing with the minimum wage, embryonic stem cell research, health care, national security, education and energy — was celebrated by the new majority as a validation of the blitz, an idea born on the campaign trail that blossomed into a central House Democratic theme.

“It was a way to say that this Congress will no longer be a place where optimism and good ideas come to die,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who devised the approach as what Democrats deemed a counterpoint to 12 years of Republican control.

Ms. Pelosi also established another benchmark on Thursday, announcing that she had asked Democratic lawmakers who serve as committee chairmen to draw up a series of energy bills “so that by the Fourth of July we can have a package of legislation to truly declare our energy independence.”........

Anti-poverty center continues without Edwards

While director of an anti-poverty center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, former Sen. John Edwards helped draw major speakers and big donors.

That kind of work helped the privately financed center become a permanent institution that will last beyond Edwards' tenure, center supporters say. Edwards stepped down last month as director to run for president.

"There was skepticism both within and outside the university whether this would be a genuine academic, worthwhile exercise," said Jack Boger, dean of the university's law school. "My opinion is that it has exceeded everyone's expectations."

The center -- housed in the law school -- was designed to focus on research as well as finding ways to alleviate poverty. Academics, activists, researchers and those running community programs all have become a part of the center's work.

Edwards worked with UNC Chapel Hill to set up the nonpartisan center in early 2005, three months after his failed bid for the White House as the running mate to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. For Edwards, the center provided a platform to travel the country discussing poverty, which he focused on heavily during his own presidential run before joining the Kerry ticket.

The center paid Edwards a $40,000 annual salary for what was billed part-time work and did not pay his travel expenses. The salary came from investment returns on private donations.

The center was made possible mainly by a $2 million donation from a Chapel Hill couple, Michael Cucchiara and Marty Hayes, who have also given generously to Edwards political committees since 2004.....

Obama compared to Clinton, Edwards

Sen. Barack Obama's entry into the presidential race vaults him into the Democratic top tier, heady company that invites comparisons to two battle-tested veterans -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards.

Clinton, who is expected to enter the race within days, remains the prohibitive front-runner, with more than $14 million in the bank, a huge database of supporters and an experienced team of advisers. Among them is her husband, Bill, the former two-term president.

Edwards is the 2004 vice presidential nominee and former North Carolina senator who has polled well in the early voting state of Iowa. A supporter of the 2002 resolution authorizing force in Iraq, he has recanted his vote and recently demanded that his Senate rivals such as Obama and Clinton block funds for President Bush's troop increase.

Unencumbered by the Senate and its votes, Edwards has the time to campaign and the inclination to challenge his Democratic opponents.

In announcing his presidential exploratory committee Tuesday, Obama brings a thin resume based on just two years in the Senate and a hefty dose of political celebrity stemming from best-selling books, paparazzi bathing suit shots in glossy weeklies and his status as an Oprah Winfrey favorite.

"Barack is in a unique category -- he's young, fresh, exciting and has the ability to energize the party," said Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic activist who ran Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000.

But, Brazile noted, "People admire Edwards for talking about poverty, something that needs to be on the national agenda. And Hillary Clinton is on a first-name basis with everyone in America, and consistently ranks as one of the most admired women in the country.".....

John Edwards the best choice for 2008

During the winter break former, North Carolina senator and 2004 Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards announced his bid for president. I had been hoping that he would. I generally vote for Democrats, and the others just don't fit my values as well as he does.

The Republican options are just out of the question. After assessing the damage extremist conservatives have done, I am convinced that in 2008 only a Democrat can clean up the mess and start making some progress.

The first reason I support Edwards is that I identify with him. He went to public schools and universities. I support public schools, and I think that communities have an obligation to pool their resources to maintain them.

Edwards comes from a working class, blue collar background, which is the same stock that I come from. His father was a mill worker in the Carolinas, and he was the first in his family to graduate from college, and so was I......

Ford: ‘No plans’ to challenge Alexander

Former U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. said Tuesday that he has “no plans” to run again for the U.S. Senate in 2008 against Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander.

Ford, appearing at a Gov. Phil Bredesen event, said he is concentrating on his new teaching job at Vanderbilt University as well as “some other things” that he’ll announce in the coming weeks.

“I’m just finishing my congressional term,” Ford said. “I hadn’t been out two weeks and you’re already asking me about another race. I just accepted an opportunity at Vanderbilt. I’m very excited about that. I’m doing some other things that I’ll announce in the coming weeks.

“The last thing on my mind is that, but I have no plans.”

The additional “things” that Ford referenced could be his being named as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), a Washington D.C.-based think tank for moderate Democrats.

Ford is expected to be named the new chairman, but he didn’t have a direct comment about that Tuesday, saying he’d be “happy” to discuss it in the coming weeks.

If Ford becomes DLC chairman, he would replace Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who is running for president. Former President Bill Clinton was also a DLC chairman....

Obama's 2008 Presidency

While many people believe that Barack Obama's candidacy for President is the best thing to happen, I for one disagree. While Obama is charismatic and I love the man to death, I am not sold on his political views just yet. He hasn't shown me a clear cut domestic or foreign policy. I told my friends and others years ago that I have to see what Obama does in the Senate. So far after two years in the Senate, Obama hasn't shown me anything. He hasn't shown any legislation that could help the America people.

Obama is a young and talented individual who I do believe will make a great President one day but now is not the time. He can perhaps one the Democratic Party nomination but the Presidency, I don't see that because he will have to win at least one Southern states and win a couple of Midwestern states which wasn't done in 2004. Now I would feel more comfortable about Obama running for President for Harold Ford Jr. won the U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee. However as I saw in Ford's race for Senator, race became an issue. So will that be a problem as Obama seeks to become the first black President? Will race be an issue? I don't know but I do know that if it does, than Obama's chances of winning the Presidency is fade as the night sky grows longer.

Obama sets stage for "titanic fight" in '08

Democrats moved a step closer Tuesday to what is shaping up as one of the most historic and compelling contests for their party's presidential nomination, a study in contrasting styles and candidacies in which race and gender play central roles.

At center stage stand Sen. Barack Obama, of Illinois, who set up his presidential exploratory committee Tuesday, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, of New York, who is expected to announce her candidacy within days. Never has a party begun a nomination contest with its two most celebrated prospects a woman and an African American.

"Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions," Obama wrote in an e-mail message to supporters released Tuesday.

"And that's what we have to change first. We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans."

Obama said he would spend the next several weeks in conversation with people around the country and would make a formal announcement of his plans Feb. 10 in Springfield, Ill.
The 2008 nomination contest that will play out over the next year is far more than a two-person race. Former Sen. John Edwards, of North Carolina, has established himself as a contender for the nomination, and the rest of the prospective Democratic field is one of the strongest in years....

Obama's Past Offers Ammo for Critics

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may have a lot of explaining to do.
He voted against requiring medical care for aborted fetuses who survive.

He supported allowing retired police officers to carry concealed weapons, but opposed allowing people to use banned handguns to defend against intruders in their homes. And the list of sensitive topics goes on.

With only a slim, two-year record in the U.S. Senate, Obama doesn't have many controversial congressional votes which political opponents can frame into attack ads. But his eight years as an Illinois state senator are sprinkled with potentially explosive land mines, such as his abortion and gun control votes.

Obama _ who filed papers this week creating an exploratory committee to seek the 2008 Democratic nomination _ may also find himself fielding questions about his actions outside public office, from his acknowledgment of cocaine use in his youth to a more recent land purchase from a political supporter who is facing charges in an unrelated kickback scheme involving investment firms seeking state business.

Obama was known in the Illinois Capitol as a consistently liberal senator who reflected the views of voters in his Chicago district. He helped reform the state death penalty system and create tax breaks for the poor while developing a reputation as someone who would work with critics to build consensus.....

Bush opposes Democrats' student-loan rate cut

Warning that it may be bad to encourage students to borrow more, the White House announced Tuesday that it is opposed to a student loan interest rate cut being pushed this week by House Democrats.

"Student debt loads have soared in recent years, and it is not clear that encouraging more loans is a wise course," the White House's Office of Management and Budget said in a statement of opposition. Encouraging more debt could "fuel today's upward tuition spiral," the OMB warned.
A statement of opposition is stronger than one expressing "concerns" but is several steps shy of the threat of a veto.

The House bill would raise fees on and cut profit margins for student lenders to offset a proposed cut in student-loan interest rates for lower-income families.

According to an estimate of the bill released Tuesday afternoon by the Congressional Budget Office, the rate cut would cost $8.1 billion over the next five years.

Increased loan fees would raise $2.7 billion and reducing guaranteed lender profit margins would raise another $2.5 billion over the same period, according to CBO. The remainder of the cost would be raised by reducing lender guarantees and retaining certain guaranty agency collections.

A Senate version of the interest rate cut plan would encourage students to use direct loan programs, in theory saving money by cutting out private sector middlemen......

Sallie Digs In

Democrats are scheduled to cut student interest rates on Wednesday, to the delight of college students and their parents--and to the dismay of Sallie Mae, other lenders and their investors.
But by cutting federally subsidized loans from 6.8% to 3.4% over five years, legislators may pinch the market of providers and put pressure on them to shift costs to students and cut back on services that colleges love.

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the new head of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduced a bill Friday that calls the government to cut the rate that lenders get from the government by 10 basis points and reduce the amount the government pays back lenders for the guaranteed loans from 97% to 95%. The bill also mandates that lenders pay 50 basis points more to the government to originate loans.

"Those three things combined start becoming a meaningful bite out of their economics," says Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group analyst Matthew Snowling. "The bill is tailored so Sallie Mae bears the brunt of the interest cuts."

Obama could offer another first choice for Democrats

The Democratic Party likes to think of itself as the party of choice.

Choice in the sense of tolerance. Democrats say they are the party of the big tent, with room for blacks, whites and Latinos, Catholics, Jews, Protestants and Muslims. Gays and straights. Rich and poor. Big Labor, the Sierra Club and NARAL too.

It is both the size and the scope of that coalition—coupled with the fact that it is not bound by any driving ideology—that in many ways has kept Democrats on the outside looking in at the White House for all but eight of the last 26 years.

Now the party is in the first-date phase of its choice for a candidate for 2008, and Democratic leaders hope their liability may become their strength. Sen. Barack Obama's leap into White House politics on Tuesday with his creation of a presidential exploratory committee substantially increases the likelihood of a primary contest that will yield a "first."

Choosing which first is another question.

Will it be Obama, the first African American nominee? Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, the first woman? Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, the first Latino?

Or none of the above?

Obama's stunning rise already had shaped the Democratic race even before he took the first official step toward a formal campaign. Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana—who also was a two-term governor—and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, both had taken steps toward running. Both retreated when it became clear that it would be difficult to compete for money and attention with the first-term Democrat from Illinois.

Is Obama the Front-runner?

Illinois Senator Barack Obama made official today what has been evident for more than two months: he's deciding whether to run for President. But in reality, his announcement that he's forming an exploratory committee means that the exploring is over.

For the last several months, Obama, 45, has been making phone calls to former presidential candidates Al Gore and Walter Mondale, and meeting with labor activists and fundraisers. Last month he went to New Hampshire, where he was given a reception that veteran political observers there said was practically unprecedented, with tickets for a party fundraiser sold out days in advance. Now, having lined up several top-level Democrats to work for him, he is slated to announce his candidacy officially on Feb. 10 in Springfield, Ill., the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln.

He'll join a field that already includes Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Senators Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Joe Biden of Delaware, former Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards, and Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich. And then, of course, there is Hillary Clinton, who has already hired a number of key staffers and may also become an official candidate by the end of this month.

From Relative Obscurity, Obama’s Star Rose Quickly

Long before his announcement Tuesday that he is officially exploring a bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama set his sights on a trajectory of achievement.

The graduate of two Ivy League universities has, nonetheless, enjoyed a stunningly rapid rise to political prominence over a period of just three years — from a virtual unknown outside his home base on Chicago’s South Side to the rousing keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention that year, to his current status as the only African-American senator and potential contender to become the nation’s first black president.....

Castro sets stage for power transition

Cuban President Fidel Castro, ailing and out of sight, has been meeting with a trickle of international guests in recent months, a U.S. government official said Tuesday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive situation with Cuba, declined to say with whom Castro was meeting. But the meetings, generally with visitors from Latin America, suggest he may be setting the stage for a transition of power that he hopes will protect the government he has built over four decades.

In a review of global threats last week, National Intelligence Director John Negroponte said that Castro and his brother Raul, who has taken over as Cuba's temporary leader, are trying to create a "soft landing" during the transfer of control.

"From the point of the United States policy, we don't want to see that happen," Negroponte said. "We want to see the prospects for freedom in that country enhanced as a result of the transition" from Fidel Castro.

Negroponte also said Castro's days "seem to be numbered," a view supported Tuesday by the U.S. government official. That official said U.S. intelligence believes that Castro is likely to die within a month or two, although analysts don't yet know the precise nature of his illness.
That assessment narrowed the life-expectancy estimate of U.S. intelligence agencies, which previously had said Castro was not expected to make it through the end of this year.

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Tuesday that Castro has had at least three failed operations and is suffering complications from an intestinal infection, leaving him with a "grave prognosis."

Obama's youth stands as his greatest asset and greatest weakness

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's preliminary decision Tuesday to seek the presidency propels him into the top tier for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and puts him in position to test how much his party and his country hunger for change.

Just 45 years old and two years into his first term in the Senate, Obama brings to the campaign the prospect of a new generation and style of leadership, with less experience in Washington and far fewer ties to the political polarization of the past two decades there.

An Obama campaign also would test whether America is ready for a nonwhite president.
Obama filed papers Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission that allow him to form a committee to raise money and hire staff toward a presidential campaign. He's scheduled a formal announcement of his candidacy for Feb. 10.

In a statement, Obama lamented that "our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, commonsense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions."

Obama's youth and lack of experience in Washington are, at once, among his strongest assets and most glaring weaknesses. Yet while many politicians in similar circumstances invoke the youthful John F. Kennedy, watch for Obama to conjure up a bolder comparison: Abraham Lincoln.

Obama's formal declaration of candidacy will come two days before Lincoln's birthday - in the Illinois state capitol of Springfield, where he and Lincoln both served, rather than his hometown of Chicago. The speech could be in the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln served, though details hadn't been worked out Tuesday.

Obama approaches the campaign with polls showing him in the top ranks of a largely open race for his party's nomination, along with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

Obama is competitive in each of the first four states that are scheduled to vote for a Democratic nominee next year - he's running fourth in Iowa, second in Nevada, second in New Hampshire and third in South Carolina - according to recent polls by the American Research Group.

Clinton leads in all four states, but she commands only about a third of total support. She's expected to declare her intentions soon.

Other announced Democratic candidates include Sens. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Joseph Biden of Delaware, Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson is expected to announce his candidacy later this month. All score lower in early polls than Clinton, Obama and Edwards.....

The only problem with this article as it went on is that why should be youth or age be a factor in whether someone is capable enough to lead. To be quite honest, I believe Obama is a great candidate for President but just not this go round. I would support for a Vice Presidential nominee for Obama in 2008 before a Presidential run. However if he wins the Democratic Party nomination, I would support him and be willing as well as ready to campaign with him anytime, anywhere. Youth shouldn't a factor in any election. Look at the credentials of a candidate and make your decision.

Barack Obama joins White House race

Barack Obama, America's fastest rising political star, on Tuesday beat Hillary Clinton to the punch when he announced he was taking the first legal step towards declaring his 2008 presidential candidacy.

The Democratic senator, who first came to national prominence when he gave a widely-admired speech at John Kerry's 2004 presidential convention in Boston, said he was responding to the hunger of Americans for "a different kind of politics".

Sen. Allard won’t run in 2008: Honors pledge to serve 2 terms; McInnis, Elway possible for GOP

U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard will not seek re-election in 2008, he announced Monday.

It was not a difficult decision, the Loveland Republican said, because he had pledged in 1996 to limit himself to two terms.

"I believe a promise made should be a promise kept," he said.

Allard's decision sets the stage for another bruising political year in 2008.

"In terms of Republican-held seats right now, Colorado and Minnesota are absolutely the top priorities for both parties," said Dick Wadhams, the political mastermind behind Allard's Senate victories in 1996 and 2002.

Wadhams recently returned to Colorado after managing the losing Senate campaign of George Allen in Virginia. He wants to be the state Republican Party's next chairman.

Both parties are treating Colorado as a battleground state for the presidential race, and the Democrats announced last week they will hold their national convention in Denver next year.

Former Rep. Scott McInnis, R-Colo., has said he's interested in the seat. Others are looking to Bob Schaffer, who lost the 2004 Republican Senate primary.....