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May 09, 2008

Obama to headline major fund-raiser in Chicago on Thursday.

CHICAGO--Frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) close to clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, is launching a new round of fund-raiser events. He headlines a big dollar event Thursday in Chicago--still aimed at collecting money for the primary--not the general--election.

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 05:21 PM | | Comments (0)

Chelsea Clinton talks about her mom in Mothers Day ad.

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 04:06 PM | | Comments (0)

Obama talks about the "self-congratulatry" mood of his followers. Pool report.

CHICAGO--The pool report, from Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown, from a high-end fund-raiser Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) headlined Thursday night at Union Station in Washington. He talked about the "self-congratulatory" mood of his supporters.

Continue reading "Obama talks about the "self-congratulatry" mood of his followers. Pool report." »

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 09:04 AM | | Comments (3)

Republicans launch anti-Obama website, video

CHICAGO--The Republican National Committee, in a preview of what's ahead, hits Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the likely Democratic presidential nominee, on his present votes as an Illinois state senator, taxes, Iraq war funding votes and his remarks that some voters "cling" to God and guns.

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Posted by Lynn Sweet at 08:50 AM | | Comments (1)

Roger Ebert on Clinton film: "Hillary and Bill the movie."

CHICAGO--My Sun-Times colleague Roger Ebert has a terriffic column on the kind of movie the 2008 Clinton presidential campaign could yield and a look at past White House election films. LINK

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 08:31 AM | | Comments (0)

McCain's Salter accuses Team Obama of "hypocrisy," protected by press. Rep. Melissa Bean tapped to be Obama co-chair of voter drive.

No matter that Sen. Hillary Clinton is still looking for lightning to strike, the November presidential contest between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain took shape Thursday, as Obama unveiled his national grass-roots organizing drive and McCain's top adviser called Obama's campaign a ''hypocrisy.''

Meanwhile, in Washington, Obama met with congressional superdelegates -- some uncommitted, some secretly pledged -- in an effort to pry them off the fence or go public. Obama strolled to the Capitol when one his meetings had to break up because of a House vote, and then he lobbied for superdelegates on the House floor.


A key organizer of Obama's morning meeting with conservative Democrats who call themselves ''Blue Dogs'' was Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), who was also named Thursday to be one of 14 co-chairs of the Obama 50-state voter registration effort, which is really the framework for Obama's national grass-roots efforts.

Continue reading "McCain's Salter accuses Team Obama of "hypocrisy," protected by press. Rep. Melissa Bean tapped to be Obama co-chair of voter drive." »

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 08:12 AM | | Comments (0)

May 08, 2008

Obama tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer McCain is "losing his bearings"

CHICAGO--Today is Israel's 60th anniversary and CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked near presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) about a suggestion from Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) that Obama is "favored by Hamas."

"That is offensive," said Obama, "and I think it's disappointing because John McCain always says, well, I'm not going to run that kind of politics.....As so for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination."

Click below for transcript of Blitzer interview with Obama on CNN's "The Situation Room."

Continue reading "Obama tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer McCain is "losing his bearings"" »

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 04:37 PM | | Comments (1)

Clinton will fold when convinced she has used up all options

'My hope," said an ardent supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton and one of her donors, "is that she will do this with grace," a reference to the exit strategy Clinton will use to depart from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination when she decides that Sen. Barack Obama indeed has an unbeatable lead.

Continue reading "Clinton will fold when convinced she has used up all options" »

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 03:44 PM | | Comments (3)

Live chat with Lynn Sweet today at 2 p.m.

Sun-Times Washington bureau chief Lynn Sweet will answer your questions and discuss politics and election news today at 2 p.m. via live streaming video.


Posted by admin at 11:59 AM | | Comments (2)

May 07, 2008

"We can see the finish line"--Obama campaign manager Plouffe.

CHICAGO--Obama campaign manager David Plouffe on a conference call on Wednesday with three senators and two governors discussing the Indiana slim loss and solid North Carolina win, said, "we can see the finish line."

The pledged delegate totals, according to Plouffe for the two states : 87 for Clinton and 100 for Obama. The breakdown....In North Carolina, Obama picked up 66 delegates to 49 for Clinton. In Indiana, Clinton won 38 to 34 for Obama. Plouffe said their count has Obama with 172 more pledged delegates than Clinton, the biggest lead ever.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), on the call, said Obama would have won Indiana if conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh had not urged his listeners--who are usually in the GOP primary--to pull a Democratic ballot to vote for Clinton, on the theory she would be easier for presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) to beat.

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 10:42 AM | | Comments (6)

Obama meeting with superdelegates in Washington on Thursday.

CHICAGO---Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is returning to Washington on Wednesday night to get ready for rounds of in-person meetings with uncommitted superdelegates on Thursday.This comes as the Obama campaign --bolstered by the North Carolina win and the slim loss in Indiana--is ready to lay-off Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.)--if she does not go after Obama.

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 08:09 AM | | Comments (4)

Clinton still behind despite "come from behind" slim Indiana win

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sen. Barack Obama and his team really wanted this long race to end on Tuesday night, but the split decision -- a big win in North Carolina and a narrow loss in Indiana -- leaves Sen. Hillary Clinton standing.

"On to West Virginia!" exclaimed the always exuberant Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe at Clinton's election night headquarters here, referring to the upcoming May 13 vote.

The Clinton people were upbeat, though the math remained as stacked against Clinton on Tuesday as it did on Monday.

Continue reading "Clinton still behind despite "come from behind" slim Indiana win" »

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 07:15 AM | | Comments (0)

May 06, 2008

Clinton's Indiana victory speech.

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Posted by Lynn Sweet at 10:44 PM | | Comments (0)

Obama's North Carolina victory speech.

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Posted by Lynn Sweet at 10:37 PM | | Comments (0)

Obama says Clinton denied game-changer in North Carolina. Text of May 5, 2008 speech.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND.--In Raleigh, N.C., Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) , winning the North Carolina primary,said Tuesday night rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) did not the "game-changer" there she needed. And Obama makes North Carolina a major state.

Continue reading "Obama says Clinton denied game-changer in North Carolina. Text of May 5, 2008 speech." »

Posted by Lynn Sweet at 08:33 PM | | Comments (0)