Palin & McCain: The Dynamic Duo Back Together Again

PHOENIX — Sarah Palin and Sen. John McCain plan to campaign together again.

The Arizona Republican announced Wednesday that the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate will join him in Phoenix on March 26 to help campaign for his re-election to the U.S. Senate.

Palin is scheduled to attend a private fundraising event that evening. The next day, she and McCain will appear together at a public event, likely a rally, according to McCain spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail with my former running mate, and I know my fellow Arizonans will welcome her, as well,” McCain said in a statement. “Sarah energized our nation and remains a leading voice in the Republican Party.”

Since their failed bid for the White House, McCain and Palin have had a couple of public appearances together, including a dinner in Washington. But the March events will mark the first time the pair will be on the campaign trail together since 2008, Buchanan said.

Palin has criticized McCain’s campaign since their loss, saying in her book “Going Rogue” that there was substantial tension between her advisers and McCain’s. She also details how she was prevented from delivering a concession speech in Phoenix on Election Night, and how she’d been kept “bottled up” from reporters during the campaign.

Palin hasn’t criticized McCain himself, and the senator has stood by his decision to choose Palin as his running mate and has staunchly defended her.

Earlier this month, McCain refused to discuss material in “Game Change,” a book that says Palin’s vetting was “hasty and haphazard.”

“I wouldn’t know,” McCain said on NBC’s “Today” show. “The fact is, I’m proud of Sarah Palin and I’m proud of the campaign she waged. She energized our party.”

During the interview, McCain predicted Palin will be a “major player” in GOP affairs.

Hillary Clinton to Accept Secretary of State Job

Breaking from Guardian.co.uk:

Hillary Clinton plans to accept the job of secretary of state offered by Barack Obama, who is reaching out to former rivals to build a broad coalition administration, the Guardian has learned.

Obama’s advisers have begun looking into Bill Clinton’s foundation, which distributes millions of dollars to Africa to help with development, to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. But Democrats do not believe that the vetting is likely to be a problem.

Clinton would be well placed to become the country’s dominant voice in foreign affairs, replacing Condoleezza Rice. Since being elected senator for New York, she has specialised in foreign affairs and defence. Although she supported the war in Iraq, she and Obama basically agree on a withdrawal of American troops.

Clinton, who still harbours hopes of a future presidential run, had to weigh up whether she would be better placed by staying in the Senate, which offers a platform for life, or making the more uncertain career move to the secretary of state job.

As part of the coalition-building, Obama today also reached out to his defeated Republican rival, John McCain, to discuss how they could work together to roll back some of the most controversial policies of the Bush years. Putting aside the bitter words thrown about with abandon by both sides during the election campaign, McCain flew to meet Obama at his headquarters in the Kluczynski Federal Building, in downtown Chicago.

Obama, speaking before the meeting, said: “We’re going to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country.” He said he also wanted to thank McCain for his service to the country.

Asked by a reporter whether he would work with Obama, McCain, who has long favoured a bipartisan approach to politics, replied: “Obviously”.

Sources on both sides said Obama did not offer McCain a cabinet job, but focused on how the senator for Arizona could help to guide through Congress legislation that they both strongly favour.

Given Obama’s status as president-in-waiting, the two met in a formal setting, a room decked out with a US flag, and were accompanied by senior advisers. Obama appeared the more relaxed of the two, sitting with legs crossed, smiling broadly and waving to reporters, while McCain sat stiffly, with a seemingly fixed grin.

Although the two clashed during the election campaign over tax policy and withdrawal from Iraq, they have more in common than they have differences. They both favour the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention centre, an increase in US troops to Afghanistan, immigration reform, stem cell research and measures to tackle climate change, and oppose torture and the widespread use of wire-tapping.

Although Democrats made gains in the Senate in the November 4 elections, they fell short of the 60 seats that would have allowed them to override Republican blocking tactics and will need Republican allies to get Obama’s plans through. This was highlighted today when the Democratic leadership in Congress announced that a broad economic stimulus package Obama sought was not likely to be passed because of Republican opposition.

Obama confirmed at the weekend that he would offer jobs to some Republicans. One of the names that crops up most often is Chuck Hagel, the former Republican senator who is a specialist in foreign affairs and a critic of the Iraq war.

Guardian

The All Mighty Truth About Elections…

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

‘Welcome to heaven,’ says St. Peter. ‘Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem . We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.’

‘No problem, just let me in,’ says the man.

‘Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.’

‘Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,’ says the senator.

‘I’m sorry, but we have our rules.’

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises..

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

‘Now it’s time to visit heaven.’

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing.

They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

‘Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. 

Now choose your eternity.’

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers:

‘Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.’

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. ‘I don’t understand,’ stammers the senator.

‘Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?’

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, ‘Yesterday we were campaigning ……. Today you voted.’

General Colin Powell Endorses Obama

Today General Colin Powell announced his endorsement for Barack Obama.  Hmm, one has gotta wonder what role General Colin Powell will play in President Obama’s administration?

The former secretary of state for President Bush said the next individual to serve as president of the United States will have to reach out to the world community, and he believes Obama has both style and substance to be successful.

“I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming into, onto the world stage and the American stage, and for that reason I’ll be voting for Senator Barack Obama,” Powell, who also served as President George H.W. Bush’s Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Obama’s campaign announced that Obama called Powell after the endorsement and said he looked forward to taking advantage of his advice over the next two weeks and possibly over the next four years. 

“I am beyond honored and deeply humbled to have the support of Gen. Colin Powell,” Obama said in remarks at a rally in Fayetteville, N.C. “Gen. Powell has defended this nation bravely, and he has embodied our highest ideals through his long and distinguished public service. … And he knows, as we do, that this is a moment where we all need to come together as one nation — young and old, rich and poor, black and white, Republican and Democrat.”

Powell said with two weeks left until the election, he will not campaign for the Democratic presidential candidate.

Speaking with reporters after his appearance on NBC, Powell said that part of the reason he is supporting Obama is because he did not like the negative tone of John McCain’s campaign, which has noted the links between Obama and domestic terrorist William Ayers. 

“It troubled me. We have two wars. We have economic problems, we have health problems. … Those are the problems the American people want to hear about, not about Mr. Ayers, not about who’s a Muslim and not a Muslim. Those kind of images going out on Al Jazeera are killing us around the world,” he said.  

Gallup: Obama Over McCain By 10

If you’re a supporter of Obama, then you are probably pretty happy right about now.  If you’re a supporter of McCain, then you’re outlook has got to be pretty bleak.

PRINCETON, NJ — Voter preferences in the presidential race continue to be generally auspicious for Barack Obama’s election prospects only three weeks ahead of the eve of Election Day. Obama leads McCain by 10 percentage points, 51% to 41%, among all registered voters, according to Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Oct. 10-12.

The percentage of registered voters favoring Obama has been 50%, 51%, or 52% in each Gallup Poll Daily tracking report since Oct. 4. Support for McCain has been a steady 41% to 43% across the same time period. Thus, although the gap between the two candidates has varied from seven to 11 points in recent days, voter preferences have, in fact, been quite stable. (To view the complete trend since March 7, 2008, click here.)