October 2007 Archives

WASHINGTON--After the Democratic debate Tuesday night, I headed to the Spin Room. The video
LINK
captures my questions to lock-in the position of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on a New York plan to give illegal immigrants a drivers license.

Mark Ambinder of TheAtlantic.com taped the video of my back and forth with Clinton chief strategist Mark Penn.

YouTube LINK titled Mark Penn vs Lynn Sweet

PHILADELPHIA--White House hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday faces probable attacks on her from Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and other rivals and Republicans over the release of her First Lady papers in the Clinton Library.

Clinton's refusal to say whether or not she supported New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's proposal to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrant will also have legs not as much on the substance--Obama and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) back the licenses--as on the waffle.

The Clinton campaign is featuring this video clip from Tuesday's debate. LINK "Well, I don't think the Republicans got the message that I'm voting and sounding like them...."

The Obama team is touting the video clip where Obama is hitting Clinton on lack of transparency on her papers--and her stealing his "turn the page" line. LINK " I'm glad Hillary took the phrase "turn the page." it's a good one -- but this is an example of not turning the page."

PHILADELPHIA -- Near the end of a Democratic debate Tuesday where she deflected most darts aimed at her by her rivals, White House hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) just would not say whether she backed a proposal by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Clinton protested to NBC's Tim Russert, "This is where everybody plays gotcha.'' Her refusal to be pinned down allowed former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) to accuse her of double-talk and let Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) question her candor.

PHILADELPHIA — In the opening round of a Democratic debate Tuesday, White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) downplayed the expectations he helped raise over whether he will be more aggressive taking on front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

PHILADELPHIA---Transcript of Oct. 30 Democratic debate at Drexel University below. Courtesy MSNBC.

PHILADELPHIA--The debate is winding up. Barack Obama has just been asked about his Halloween costume. (Who knew?)

PHILADELPHIA--Confirmed.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has seen a UFO.

PHILADELPHIA—NBC’s Brian Williams asked Barack Obama about Mitt Romney’s confusing his name with Osama bin Laden. He raised the possibility that Obama may be “swiftboated” when it comes to his religion (not said, Christian, not Muslim.)

PHILADELPHIA--The debate started with MSNBC moderator Brian Williams asking Barack Obama about his pledge to be more aggresive and tougher in his campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Obama downplayed the hype--stirred up by Obama himself and his campaign.

"Well, first of all, I think some of this stuff gets overhyped. In fact, I think this has been the most hyped fight since
Rocky fought Apollo Creed, although the amazing thing is I'm Rocky in this situation," said Obama.

PHILADELPHIA---Drexel University—where Tuesday’s two-hour Democratic debate is being held was founded by Anthony J. Drexel in 1892.. The school is handing out a book about Drexel to reporters.

Separated at birth? David Axelrod and Drexel. Graphics from Marc Ambinder, who presides over a reported blog at The Atlantic. LINK

PHILADELPHIA—One hour before the Democrats debate at Drexel University.

I just chatted briefly with Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for frontrunner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). What to expect?

“Sen. Obama seemed to suggest he’ll come out swinging,” Wolfson said.

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BALTIMORE AND WILMINGTON, DEL.(Amtrak en route to Philadelphia)--The Clinton team is trying to box Obama in at the Democratic debate tonight.

Chief Strategist Mark Penn sent out a memo titled "What are the Politics of Hope?" aimed at forcing White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) to either pull any contemplated punches--or wear the jacket as political attackers

In the meantime, Penn annointed frontrunner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as the candidate of hope.

But wait! that's Obama's thing! And Edwards!

"Losing ground in the polls, Senator Obama announced over the weekend that he will abandon the politics of hope and attack Hillary in tonight’s debate. Senator Edwards, who rose to prominence in 2004 by eschewing attacks on other Democrats, formally announced last night that he is going to attack Senator Clinton’s character," Penn penned.

WASHINGTON--Just about 12 hours before the Democratic debate begins--where White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) willfully or not has set very high expectations for himself--Obama's Senate office sent out a letter to Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice demanding answers about the immunity deal for Blackwater.

WASHINGTON-- Seven Democrats face off for the eighth time at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Nine times, if the AFL-CIO forum in Chicago's Soldier Field is counted.

The two hour debate starts at 8 p.m. Chicago time on MSNBC. The session will be moderated by Brian Williams, joined by Tim Russert. Mike Gravel was not invited.

WASHINGTON--The Boston Globe Obama reporter, Scott Helman, report is headlined "Similarities To Clinton Land Obama In A Tough Spot." LINK

Over at the Washington Post, Jose Antonio Vargas covered the MTV/MySpace dialogue "“MTV Turns Out To Be Obama's Space." LINK

And at the New York Times, Janey Scott writes, “Memories Of Obama In New York Differ"
LINK

WASHINGTON -- Roy Swonger, a volunteer in Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, buttonholed the candidate in a Merrimack, N.H., living room last Tuesday.

"I am looking forward to some more forceful differentiation," Swonger, 43, a software development specialist, told Obama.

WASHINGTON--After watching White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) show off his dancing on the Ellen Degeneres show, I wanted to reprise video I took of Obama dancing a year ago on his trip to Kenya.
LINK

WASHINGTON--A study on press treatment on president candidates the Project for Excellence in Journalism and Harvard's Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy finds White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) "enjoyed by far the most positive treatment of the major candidates during the first five months of the year." For entire study of the Invisible Primary LINK