The Hillary Endgame

McCain Makes Pointed Pitch to Women; Dems Skeptical

Washington Post  |  Jun 12, 08 1:11 PM CDT

(Newser) - John McCain is fine-tuning his pitch to women, and while Democrats voice doubt the Republican can find a female following, they’re nevertheless gearing up to make sure it doesn’t happen, the Washington Post reports. McCain sees opportunity in disappointed Hillary Clinton backers, and top adviser Carly Fiorina today begins barnstorming women's events in swing states. More »

Primary Winners and Losers— Beyond Barack and Hillary

Politico  |  Jun 12, 08 12:30 PM CDT

(Newser) - Barack Obama may be the big winner, but loads of other political fortunes hung in the balance this primary season. Politico breaks down the winners and losers. Winners: Claire McCaskill: Got tons of air-time and used it brilliantly for Obama Nancy Pelosi: Pulled off a nifty trick by remaining neutral, but leaving breadcrumbs leading to Obama  Ted Kennedy: Critical endorsement legitimized Obama Ed Rendell: Clinton lost, but Rendell delivered Pennsylvania and stayed on message More »

Campaign Debt? What Campaign Debt?

Politico  |  Jun 12, 08 9:58 AM CDT

(Newser) - Some clever and mostly legal accounting tricks could minimize Clinton's big campaign debt and leave her with cash on hand for king-making or another future campaign, reports Politico. Hillary could reclassify her own loans to the campaign as contributions, ask donors to redirect their cash to her Senate campaign, and take it slow on repaying understanding debtors. More »

How About a Sex Speech, Obama?

New York Times  |  Jun 12, 08 8:27 AM CDT

(Newser) -  It’s a shame that Hillary Clinton never gave a speech about gender to match Barack Obama’s speech about race, writes Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times. So why not make that speech yourself, Barack? Kristof even has the talking points for you: Racism is deeper, but sexism may be wider. More Americans say they’d vote for a black man than a woman. Biases are stealthy. Americans don’t mean to discriminate based on gender; but the subconscious harbors stereotypes. More »

Labor Blasts Obama's Top Economist

New York Times  |  Jun 12, 08 7:37 AM CDT

(Newser) - After locking up the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama moved quickly to bring Clinton supporters into his general election tent, including Robert Rubin, President Clinton's treasury secretary. Jason Furman, an economist closely associated with Rubin, was hired as economic policy director, and that's provoked the ire of labor unions, who see him, along with his mentor, as tilting toward Wall Street, writes the New York Times . More »

Carville Touts a Convenient VP

CNN  |  Jun 12, 08 6:22 AM CDT

(Newser) - Democratic strategist James Carville thinks Barack Obama should consider someone with a little experience for the vice presidency: like, say, former VP Al Gore. Carville told CNN that choosing the Nobel Peace Prize-winner would drive home the message that America is serious about a new energy policy. A third term would make Gore the longest-serving veep in history, but he's said he'll only run for top spot. More »

Obama Opens 6-Point Lead

Wall Street Journal  |  Jun 11, 08 7:18 PM CDT

(Newser) - Barack Obama has a 6-point lead over John McCain in a new poll by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. Obama leads 47% to 41%, twice the advantage he held a month ago. Despite the edge, however, the Journal notes that Obama shouldn't rest easy. He trails by 20 points among white men. And given the widespread dissatisfaction with the GOP—voters prefer a Democrat to win by 51% to 35%—his lead over McCain should arguably be bigger. More »

GOP Goes on Attack Against 'Mrs. Grievance'

Los Angeles Times  |  Jun 11, 08 2:19 PM CDT

(Newser) - They didn’t like Hillary Clinton or Teresa Heinz Kerry, and conservatives aren't hesitating to pile on Michelle Obama, either, the Los Angeles Times reports. Conservatives have seized on several statements from the Democratic candidate's wife, calling her angry and unpatriotic. The National Review recently ran a cover dubbing her “Mrs. Grievance,” and Michelle Malkin calls her “Obama’s bitter half.” More »

Clinton Hit List Is Talk of the Beltway

New York Times  |  Jun 11, 08 12:51 PM CDT

(Newser) - Wounds from Election 2008 aren’t quickly being papered over in Clintonland, the New York Times reports in a speculative piece about who is likely to be on the former first couple's enemies list. How deep will animosity toward Obama boosters Bill Richardson, Jim Clyburn, and Claire McCaskill run? Use of words like “ingrate,” “traitor,” and “enemy” by Clinton associates may not tell the whole tale, but Hillary ’08 chairman does say, “You have to keep track of this.” More »

Expect GOP to Turn Venom on Michelle

New York Times  |  Jun 11, 08 9:58 AM CDT

(Newser) - Now that Hillary Clinton is out of the White House picture, it’s Michelle Obama’s turn to be the object of that “sulfurous national game of ‘Kill the witch,’” writes Maureen Dowd in the New York Times . The fairer Obama can be more prickly than her sunny husband, and dwells more on racial oppression. Websites have already cropped up painting her as another Jeremiah Wright. More »

Hillary's Next Challenge: Paying Bills

New York Times  |  Jun 10, 08 7:35 AM CDT

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton's White House bid made history—by ending with what is believed to be the largest presidential campaign debt ever. The New York senator had approximately $9.5 million in unpaid bills at the end of April, not to mention $11.4 of her own money that she lent the campaign. The Clinton campaign is still adding up the final tally, but her options for retiring her debt are limited. More »

Campaign Tarnishes Clintons' Legacy

New York Times  |  Jun 9, 08 9:09 AM CDT

(Newser) - Hillary and Bill Clinton have led complicated public lives, but they’ve always been winners. Now Hillary’s defeat has jeopardized that legacy, thanks to a campaign that saw her repeatedly stretch the truth, invoke assassination, and lose African-American support. It’s one thing to employ questionable tactics and win, one supporter tells the New York Times . “It’s another to go flat-out in that mode and fail.” More »

Obama-Clinton a 'Winning Ticket,' Says Feinstein

Politico  |  Jun 8, 08 12:44 PM CDT

(Newser) - Her candidate may have lost the Democratic nomination, but Dianne Feinstein is still dreaming of the dream ticket, Politico reports. Although she conceeds that "nobody else can tell" Barack Obama what to do, Feinstein today reiterated on ABC's "This Week" the Clinton campaign's longtime assertion that it won the popular vote.  The California senator hosted Thursday's meeting between the two candidates. More »

How She Came Undone

New York Times  |  Jun 8, 08 12:02 PM CDT

(Newser) - Bill Clinton’s interfering tenacity and squabbling aides killed Hillary Clinton’s chances to win the White House, the New York Times eulogizes in an obituary of the campaign that once seemed indestructible. “Hers was the campaign of destiny, a back-to-the-future effort to restore the Democratic dynasty of the 1990s that could never quite escape the last decade,” write Peter Baker and Jim Rutenberg. More »

Clinton's Parting Draws Tears and Jeers