January 2007 Archives

Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) filed his papers for a 2008 presidential run on Wednesday. Then he took a shot at 2008 rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in an interview in the New York Observer.

Biden called Obama Wednesday afternoon and apologized. For Obama's statement, click below.

OBAMA’S LAND OF LINCOLN

With only two years in the Senate, Barack Obama will seek to dilute the germane question of his experience level by running against Washington.

No place better to start than in the heartland of America.

from the Obama campaign...
Obama to Announce Presidential Decision at Old State Capitol in Springfield

Washington, DC - Senator Barack Obama will make his official announcement about a Presidential campaign at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois on February 10, 2007. Doors will open at 9 AM and the event is free and open to the public.

The public should enter at the corner of S 6th St. & E Adams St.

More information on Senator Obama's schedule following the event in Springfield will be released early next week.

Press interested in covering the event should RSVP by sending an email to media@barackobama.com.

###Press who plan to stay in Springfield on Friday night prior to event should make hotel reservations on their own.

Sweet blog scoop.

Billionaire business mogul Penny Pritzker will be the national finance chairman of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Pritzker, a major Democratic donor and fundraiser, whose family founded Hyatt Hotels, heads up the massive fundraising effort Obama is launching to bankroll what may be one of the most expensive Democratic primary campaigns ever.

Obama's first major fundraiser of his quest for the White House will be on Feb. 11 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama has apparently reconsidered his position against setting a "date certain" for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq.

Barack Obama and John Edwards are working to pack the room with their supporters at the winter meeting of the Democratic National Convention where all the White House hopefuls will speak. Both campaigns e-mailed appeals on Tuesday morning asking to show up at the Washington Hilton hotel on Friday.

Hat tip to Bernard Schoenburg of the Springfield Journal Register who reported today that Barack Obama will make his 2008 presidential bid "official" at the Old State Capitol on the morning of Feb. 10 with the Prairie Capital Convention Center backup in case of bad weather. My Sun-Times colleague Scott Fornek earlier wrote a story suggesting the Old State Capitol would be a logical place for the launch.

That will unleash the Barack Obama as Abe Lincoln narrative. Lincoln delivered his "House divided" speech at that historic spot and the announcement is on Lincoln's birthday weekend. Obama is expected to vault over to Iowa, home to the first-in-the-nation 2008 caucus, after the announcement.

The upcoming winter meeting of the Democratic National Committee is the first beauty contest for the party's long list of White House contenders and a chance for someone other than Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton to catch a headline.

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- What was she thinking?

"You guys keep telling me, 'lighten up, be funny,'" said Hillary Rodham Clinton. "You know, I get a little funny, and now I am being psychoanalyzed!"

Of course she is.

What did one of the most scrutinized women in the United States expect when she ran for president?

DAVENPORT, IA.—Could it be, I think it is, presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton parked at a double entrendre.

DES MOINES -- At the first public event of her week-old presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton made gender a factor in the 2008 contest, noting the White House has too long been home to "white men."

CEDAR RAPIDS,IA.--Iowa voices.

CEDAR RAPIDS--Here is the rest of Hillary Rodham Clinton at a invitation-only house party here.

She deals with a lot of stuff here: her presidential gameplan; leadership; her being a polarizing figure; part of a political couple and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

click below for pool report

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA.--It's a cold, dark night. On a street with posh houses, Hillary Rodham Clinton is talking to people about her presidential campaign and takes questions. President Clinton has not been in sight, by the way. It was a small event, hence the pool report.

Bill Clinton never campaigned in Iowa in his first bid for president in 1992, conceeding the race to Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin. Hillary Clinton makes a personal reflection on how she never shared an Iowa experience with President Clinton.

click below for pool report

DES MOINES, IA.—The candidate entered the packed high school gym to “Right Here, Right Now” by Jesus Jones.

The candidate. You know her.

“Well, I’m Hillary Clinton and I am so happy to be here in Iowa,” she said.

DES MOINES--Hillary Rodham Clinton's first event here was a "pooled" event. That means not enough room for reporters to attend, in this case.

The campaign formed press pools, with spaces for Iowa reporters and a representative of the national press. The agreement is then that the pool reporter has to share the information. It was distributed to reporters who signed up to get it with the HRC campaign.

Click below for the following pool report by Jackie Calmes of the Wall Street Journal.

DES MOINES--The stage is set for the public Iowa debut of Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, at 12:30 p.m. central time Saturday in a high school gym decked out with "Hillary" banners and chairs set for a big crowd.

The Hillary campaign button: a black and white photo of Clinton doing a thumbs up thing. The copy in red: "I'm in to win!." The bumper stickers have blue background and say "Hillary for President."

There’s been a lot of stories the past few days about early Hollywood money for 2008 Democratic frontrunners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. On this one, Hollywood is going for a surprise ending. Call it the Spielberg primary.

WASHINGTON -- Radioactive for more than a decade, universal health insurance emerged Thursday as a 2008 Democratic presidential primary issue for chief rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.