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A sharp and surprising jump in the unemployment rate reported Friday makes it likely the economy will remain front and center in a hotly contested presidential campaign just entering its final stage.
The unemployment rate in August jumped to 6.1 percent, the highest level in five years, from 5.7 percent in July, the government reported. Businesses cut 84,000 jobs â€" the eighth month in a row of shrinking payrolls.
The economy already was the No. 1 issue for voters, but the increase in the psychologically important jobless rate ensures both Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama will have to continue to address the nation's economic troubles as they stump for votes over the next two months.
The unemployment rate in August jumped to 6.1 percent, the highest level in five years, from 5.7 percent in July, the government reported. Businesses cut 84,000 jobs â€" the eighth month in a row of shrinking payrolls.
The economy already was the No. 1 issue for voters, but the increase in the psychologically important jobless rate ensures both Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama will have to continue to address the nation's economic troubles as they stump for votes over the next two months.
Democrats accused former colleague Sen. Joe Lieberman of misleading the Republican National Convention when he addressed them in a speech Tuesday night.
Joe Lieberman felt the brunt of Democratic attacks after he said Barack Obama didn't reach across party lines.
A senior Barack Obama campaign adviser said Lieberman flat-out lied when he told delegates that Obama never successfully reached across party lines.
"Joe Lieberman ought to be ashamed of himself for some of the things he said tonight, not as a Democrat but as an American," adviser Robert Gibbs said on "Larry King Live."
Joe Lieberman felt the brunt of Democratic attacks after he said Barack Obama didn't reach across party lines.
A senior Barack Obama campaign adviser said Lieberman flat-out lied when he told delegates that Obama never successfully reached across party lines.
"Joe Lieberman ought to be ashamed of himself for some of the things he said tonight, not as a Democrat but as an American," adviser Robert Gibbs said on "Larry King Live."
For six hours and with at least 60 speakers, Democrats will focus Tuesday on a theme of "Renewing America's Promise" at their national convention.Sen. Hillary Clinton will address the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night. The headliners -- Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner -- will deliver full-length addresses. But most of those appearing at the podium will have four minutes or less to get their message across to a sometimes less-than-attentive crowd.
FactCheck.org staffers have now seen, touched, examined and photographed the original birth certificate. We conclude that it meets all of the requirements from the State Department for proving U.S. citizenship. Claims that the document lacks a raised seal or a signature are false... Obama was born in the U.S.A. just as he has always said.
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Newsweek_The_Truth_About_Obama_s_Birth_Cirtificate
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Newsweek_The_Truth_About_Obama_s_Birth_Cirtificate
Sen. Edward Kennedy is preparing to make a dramatic appearance Monday night at the Democratic National Convention, his office said, marking only his second time in the public spotlight since brain surgery in June.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, who endorsed Sen. Barack Obama in January, is "itching to go," a source says.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/25/dnc.main/index.html
Sen. Edward Kennedy, who endorsed Sen. Barack Obama in January, is "itching to go," a source says.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/25/dnc.main/index.html
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives, died Wednesday after suffering brain hemorrhaging caused by an aneurysm, medical officials said.
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, suffered an aneurysm Tuesday evening.
Tubbs Jones, a 58-year-old Democrat in her fifth term representing parts of Cleveland and its suburbs, suffered the aneurysm Tuesday evening while driving in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, her staff said.
She was rushed to East Cleveland's Huron Hospital, where a team of doctors determined Wednesday morning that she had "very limited brain function," said Dr. Gus Kious, the hospital's chief of staff.
Wednesday afternoon, before Tubbs Jones died, Kious said that the aneurysm was in "an inaccessible part of her brain" and that she was in critical condition.
She died at 6:12 p.m. ET Wednesday after her condition declined "throughout the course of the day and into this evening," according to a joint statement from her family, Huron Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic.
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, suffered an aneurysm Tuesday evening.
Tubbs Jones, a 58-year-old Democrat in her fifth term representing parts of Cleveland and its suburbs, suffered the aneurysm Tuesday evening while driving in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, her staff said.
She was rushed to East Cleveland's Huron Hospital, where a team of doctors determined Wednesday morning that she had "very limited brain function," said Dr. Gus Kious, the hospital's chief of staff.
Wednesday afternoon, before Tubbs Jones died, Kious said that the aneurysm was in "an inaccessible part of her brain" and that she was in critical condition.
She died at 6:12 p.m. ET Wednesday after her condition declined "throughout the course of the day and into this evening," according to a joint statement from her family, Huron Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic.
Barack Obama's campaign confirms that the Illinois senator will hold an event in his home state Saturday, kicking off the "roll into the convention" â€" but would not confirm or deny reports that he might be joined on stage by a running mate.
The event will be held in the Old State Capitol in Springfield â€" where Obama first launched his presidential bid a year and a half ago.
The event will be held in the Old State Capitol in Springfield â€" where Obama first launched his presidential bid a year and a half ago.
Four years after finding himself the target of a scathing campaign-year book from a conservative author during his own campaign, former Democratic presidential contender John Kerry is launching a Web site to discredit the writer’s latest work, which takes aim at 2008 presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
The move comes amid news “Obama Nation,” the latest book by author Jerome Corsi, has secured a berth atop New York Times best-seller list. Corsi previously co-wrote “Unfit for Command,” a book highly critical of Kerry’s military record during the Vietnam War.
Kerry’s new Web site, “Truth Fights Back” â€" which will be funded by the Massachusetts senator’s political action committee â€" resembles the “Fight the Smears” site Obama’s campaign launched earlier this year, and uses similar methods: a list of responses to existing rumors about the presumptive Democratic nominee, a form to report new attacks, and a request for supporters to add their names to an e-mail listserv that will direct activists on rapid response to future attacks on Obama and other Democratic candidates
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/13/kerry-launches-site-to-fight-o
The move comes amid news “Obama Nation,” the latest book by author Jerome Corsi, has secured a berth atop New York Times best-seller list. Corsi previously co-wrote “Unfit for Command,” a book highly critical of Kerry’s military record during the Vietnam War.
Kerry’s new Web site, “Truth Fights Back” â€" which will be funded by the Massachusetts senator’s political action committee â€" resembles the “Fight the Smears” site Obama’s campaign launched earlier this year, and uses similar methods: a list of responses to existing rumors about the presumptive Democratic nominee, a form to report new attacks, and a request for supporters to add their names to an e-mail listserv that will direct activists on rapid response to future attacks on Obama and other Democratic candidates
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/13/kerry-launches-site-to-fight-o
Hillary Rodham Clinton told an exuberant crowd Friday she wants Barack Obama to win the White House, even though he dashed her own presidential dreams â€" and she wants her supporters to vote that way, too.
“Anyone who voted for me or caucused for me has so much more in common with Sen. Obama than Sen. McCain,” Clinton told her cheering audience in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson. “Remember who we were fighting for in my campaign.”
“Anyone who voted for me or caucused for me has so much more in common with Sen. Obama than Sen. McCain,” Clinton told her cheering audience in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson. “Remember who we were fighting for in my campaign.”
The Democratic National Convention announced its “headline” speakers Sunday, with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama each getting a starring role in prime time.
As CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux and Candy Crowley reported last month, Clinton will speak on Tuesday night. That day, August 26th, will be the 88th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.
A statement from the convention called Clinton a “champion for working families and one of the most effective and empathetic voices in the country today.”
Michelle Obama will address the convention in the headline spot on Monday night.
As CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux and Candy Crowley reported last month, Clinton will speak on Tuesday night. That day, August 26th, will be the 88th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.
A statement from the convention called Clinton a “champion for working families and one of the most effective and empathetic voices in the country today.”
Michelle Obama will address the convention in the headline spot on Monday night.
Paris Hilton has fired back in response to presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's "Celeb" ad comparing the 27-year-old heiress to Barack Obama.
The less-than-two-minute spot was paid for by the comedy video Web site, funnyordie.com. It features Hilton sprawling in a lounge chair in a swimsuit. The socialite mocks McCain's ad, saying, "I want America to know that I'm, like, totally ready to lead."
What are Hilton's thoughts on energy policy? She says her position is a "hybrid" of Obama and McCain's. "Energy crisis solved," the heiress declares.
The less-than-two-minute spot was paid for by the comedy video Web site, funnyordie.com. It features Hilton sprawling in a lounge chair in a swimsuit. The socialite mocks McCain's ad, saying, "I want America to know that I'm, like, totally ready to lead."
What are Hilton's thoughts on energy policy? She says her position is a "hybrid" of Obama and McCain's. "Energy crisis solved," the heiress declares.
Barack Obama on Monday called for tapping into strategic oil reserves as part of his plan to provide relief from high gas prices.
Barack Obama says he has a plan to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.
Obama has previously said he was opposed to using the strategic reserves, but on Monday he proposed selling 70 million barrels of oil from the reserves in order to lower gas prices.
Speaking before a crowd in Lansing, Michigan, the senator from Illinois said the country's "addiction to oil ... is one of the most dangerous and urgent threats this nation has ever faced."
Obama unveiled his energy plan, which includes a windfall profits tax on big oil corporations that would be used to provide a $1,000 rebate to people struggling with high energy costs.
Barack Obama says he has a plan to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.
Obama has previously said he was opposed to using the strategic reserves, but on Monday he proposed selling 70 million barrels of oil from the reserves in order to lower gas prices.
Speaking before a crowd in Lansing, Michigan, the senator from Illinois said the country's "addiction to oil ... is one of the most dangerous and urgent threats this nation has ever faced."
Obama unveiled his energy plan, which includes a windfall profits tax on big oil corporations that would be used to provide a $1,000 rebate to people struggling with high energy costs.
Republican candidate John McCain's presidential campaign is cynical, not racist, in its efforts to distract voters from real issues, Democratic rival Barack Obama said Saturday.
"In no way do I think that John McCain's campaign was being racist," Obama said in his first meeting with reporters since predicting that McCain and other Republicans would try to scare voters because Obama looks unlike "all those other presidents on the dollar bills" â€" most of them older white men.
"I think they're cynical," he said. "And I think they want to distract people from talking about the real issues."
"In no way do I think that John McCain's campaign was being racist," Obama said in his first meeting with reporters since predicting that McCain and other Republicans would try to scare voters because Obama looks unlike "all those other presidents on the dollar bills" â€" most of them older white men.
"I think they're cynical," he said. "And I think they want to distract people from talking about the real issues."
The Democratic Party will formally call the decision to go to war with Iraq a “strategic blunder” in its 2008 platform, according to a draft debated Saturday. The party also included language on Iraq withdrawal echoed by its presumptive nomine, Barack Obama, as it expressed a desire to “be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in.”
The party will also add calls for universal healthcare coverage, while keeping the current employer-centric system.
A drafting committee unveiled the 44-page platform for the national party, encompassing both traditional Democratic values and the plans unveiled by Obama.
The party will also add calls for universal healthcare coverage, while keeping the current employer-centric system.
A drafting committee unveiled the 44-page platform for the national party, encompassing both traditional Democratic values and the plans unveiled by Obama.
Trading charges anew over who was guilty of injecting race into the presidential debate, a subject unlikely to fade away, the campaigns of John McCain and Barack Obama also blamed each other Friday for its increasingly negative tone.
McCain has accused Obama of playing politics with race for predicting that the likely Republican nominee and others in the GOP would try to scare voters by saying the Democrat "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." Obama's spokesmen denied he was referring to being black, although all the presidents on U.S. currency are white.
Obama senior strategist David Axelrod said Friday that race became an issue only when the McCain campaign cast a racial slant on Obama's remarks, which were made at a campaign swing Wednesday in rural Missouri.
McCain has accused Obama of playing politics with race for predicting that the likely Republican nominee and others in the GOP would try to scare voters by saying the Democrat "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." Obama's spokesmen denied he was referring to being black, although all the presidents on U.S. currency are white.
Obama senior strategist David Axelrod said Friday that race became an issue only when the McCain campaign cast a racial slant on Obama's remarks, which were made at a campaign swing Wednesday in rural Missouri.
Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has pleaded not guilty to charges he lied about accepting more than a quarter of a million dollars worth of gifts from a powerful oilfield contractor.
In the midst of his re-election bid, lawyers for the Senate's longest-serving Republican maintained Stevens' innocence at his afternoon arraignment in federal court in Washington.
In the midst of his re-election bid, lawyers for the Senate's longest-serving Republican maintained Stevens' innocence at his afternoon arraignment in federal court in Washington.
Barack Obama tapped into the economic worries of middle-class voters on Wednesday, saying rival John McCain would stay on a reckless economic course taken by President George W. Bush.
With polls showing a tight race, the economy is at the forefront of U.S. voter concerns as gas prices, inflation and home foreclosure rates soar. As the campaigns head into the stretch before the August and September nominating conventions, Obama has tried to portray his Republican rival as four more years of unpopular Bush policies.
With polls showing a tight race, the economy is at the forefront of U.S. voter concerns as gas prices, inflation and home foreclosure rates soar. As the campaigns head into the stretch before the August and September nominating conventions, Obama has tried to portray his Republican rival as four more years of unpopular Bush policies.
- After spending much of the summer searching for an effective line of attack against Senator Barack Obama, Senator John McCain is beginning a newly aggressive campaign to define Mr. Obama as arrogant, out of touch and unprepared for the presidency.
On Wednesday alone, the McCain campaign released a new advertisement suggesting â�" and not in a good way â�" that Mr. Obama was a celebrity along the lines of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Republicans tried to portray Mr. Obama as a candidate who believed the race was all about him, relying on what Democrats said was a completely inaccurate quotation.
On Wednesday alone, the McCain campaign released a new advertisement suggesting â�" and not in a good way â�" that Mr. Obama was a celebrity along the lines of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Republicans tried to portray Mr. Obama as a candidate who believed the race was all about him, relying on what Democrats said was a completely inaccurate quotation.
Ben Stein says he knows how Sen. John McCain can win in November: Karl Rove.
That's right, that Karl Rove.
Ben Stein tells CNN's Mark Preston that John McCain is running the "most pathetic campaign" he's ever seen.
At a time when McCain is seeking to distance himself from President Bush, Stein argues McCain needs to enlist Bush's chief political guru in order to defeat Sen. Barack Obama.
That's right, that Karl Rove.
Ben Stein tells CNN's Mark Preston that John McCain is running the "most pathetic campaign" he's ever seen.
At a time when McCain is seeking to distance himself from President Bush, Stein argues McCain needs to enlist Bush's chief political guru in order to defeat Sen. Barack Obama.
Ted Stevens's indictment yesterday could not have occurred at a more politically inopportune time for the senator from Alaska or for his fellow Republicans.
In less than a month, on Aug. 26, he has a primary contest against five opponents, including a wealthy businessman who is attacking the incumbent's ethics in television ads. Should he survive, the six-term senator probably will face his stiffest general-election challenge yet, from Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, who was leading in polls before the indictment.
In less than a month, on Aug. 26, he has a primary contest against five opponents, including a wealthy businessman who is attacking the incumbent's ethics in television ads. Should he survive, the six-term senator probably will face his stiffest general-election challenge yet, from Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, who was leading in polls before the indictment.
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