This is just out on MSNBC. McCain was asked if he would return the favor of inviting Senator Kerry as his VP, as Kerry did in 04. McCain looses his shit.
I just got this from McCain's press office.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Bloomberg: "McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion"
"Little known beyond his family and small circle of friends, McCain has a softer, compassionate side that co-exists with his temper. Those who have seen him in private moments and in personal relationships say the Arizona senator has demonstrated extraordinary kindness, bringing to the political realm a human dimension often obscured by the heat of the moment." -- Bloomberg
McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion
By Edwin Chen
Bloomberg
March 7, 2008
March 7 (Bloomberg) -- As he competed for the Republican presidential nomination in more than 20 states last month, John McCain also made time to tape a memorial tribute to David Ifshin.
Ifshin, who died in 1996, had traveled to Hanoi in 1970 to denounce the Vietnam War in a broadcast that was piped into McCain's prisoner-of-war cell. In later years, the two men reconciled, and just days before a Feb. 19 commemoration of Ifshin's life at Syracuse University, McCain's videotape arrived without fanfare, said Ifshin's widow, Gail.
"It just brought tears to my eyes," she said.
Little known beyond his family and small circle of friends, McCain has a softer, compassionate side that co-exists with his temper. Those who have seen him in private moments and in personal relationships say the Arizona senator has demonstrated extraordinary kindness, bringing to the political realm a human dimension often obscured by the heat of the moment.
Critics have questioned McCain's temperament, including his suitability to be commander-in-chief, since his first run for the presidency in 2000. In January, Republican Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi told the Boston Globe that "the thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hot-headed. He loses his temper and he worries me."
Taming His Temper
McCain, 71, has acknowledged his temper, saying he "works all the time" at taming it. "Every time I lose my temper, I've regretted it," he said in a 1998 interview. ...
McCain controls his anger "most of the time," said former Republican Senator Bill Cohen of Maine, who served as defense secretary under President Bill Clinton and was best man at McCain's second wedding.
Mark Udall, a Democratic Colorado congressman, has seen the other side of the McCain personality. McCain was one of the few people to regularly visit his father, former Arizona Representative Morris K. Udall, as he lay dying in a hospital.
Mentor and Friend
When McCain arrived in the House in 1983, Morris Udall, a liberal Democrat, became his mentor and friend. By the late l990s, the senior Arizona congressman was incapacitated by Parkinson's disease and bedridden at a veterans' hospital.
"John continued to visit my dad when he had almost literally no visitors except us family members," Mark Udall said. "He was basically unable to communicate verbally and was semi-conscious." Week after week, McCain sat reading to Udall and telling him about doings on Capitol Hill.
Udall's daughter, Ann Udall, head of the Lee Institute, a nonprofit community organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, later persuaded McCain to change his mind and support fetal- tissue research that could lead to a cure for Parkinson's.
"John was very thoughtful and very reflective on the issue," she said.
Matt James, Morris Udall's chief of staff, remembered McCain's reply after he thanked him for visiting his boss.
Prisoner of War
"I know what it's like to be a prisoner," James said he was told by McCain, who was detained in North Vietnam for five- and-a-half years.
McCain becomes most passionate when describing the treatment of wounded veterans. His mother said she saw that passion two years ago when he entered her hospital room in tears.
"I thought it was about me," said Roberta McCain, who was being treated for a hip injury.
Instead, she said her son had just come from the room of a of a Naval Academy graduate whose legs had been blown off in Iraq and was on his death bed.
Hours later, McCain told Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine about the encounter.
"He was moved to tears even then -- on the Senate floor," Collins said. "This is a man who's been through the unspeakable, but it has not hardened him to the trials and tribulations of others."
Mutual Apologies
Ifshin saw those qualities in McCain after the two men apologized to one another in 1986 -- Ifshin for his actions in Vietnam and McCain for having attacked Ifshin in a 1984 speech.
Ifshin served as general counsel to Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and worked as a lobbyist. He and McCain later teamed up to establish the Institute for Democracy in Vietnam, which promotes human rights.
After Ifshin became ill, McCain visited him at his Maryland home.
"We just sat in the living room and had a long conversation," Gail Ifshin said. "It meant a lot."
McCain delivered a eulogy at Ifshin's funeral, saying his friend had taught him "the futility of looking back in anger."
McCain's willingness to "let bygones be bygones" may stem from a "sense of urgency about accomplishing things because of the life he had been granted again," Mark Udall said.
Gail Ifshin said that more than a decade after her husband's death, McCain remains "kind and attentive" to her and her three grown children, she said.
"His level of sensitivity and caring, the ability to see beyond his own world -- it's emblematic of the man I've come to know," she said.
Read The Bloomberg Article: "McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion"
###
Friday, March 7, 2008
JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW WEB AD, "MAN IN THE ARENA"
Friday, March 7, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today launched a new web ad, entitled "Man In The Arena." The web ad highlights John McCain's vision and leadership in these historic and dangerous times.
Script for "Man In The Arena" (2:00-Web)
CHYRON: The Time Has Come
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender!"
JOHN MCCAIN: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. ... We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will."
CHYRON: For a Man in the Arena
PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT: "With all my heart and soul ... I pledge you my word to do everything I can to put every particle of courage, of common sense, and of strength that I have at your disposal. ... Surely there never was a fight better worth making than the one in which we are in."
CHYRON: Ready
JOHN MCCAIN: "I know who I am and what I want to do. I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me."
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
CHYRON: More Than Aspiration ... Leadership
JOHN MCCAIN: "I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will. Thank you and God bless you."
CHYRON: McCain -- President 2008
AD FACTS: JOHN MCCAIN 2008, "MAN IN THE ARENA"
Sir Winston Churchill, 1940: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." (Sir Winston Churchill, House of Commons, London, June 4, 1940)
John McCain, 2004: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. ... We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will." (John McCain, 2004 Republican National Convention, New York, NY, August, 30, 2004)
President Theodore Roosevelt, 1912: "With all my heart and soul ... I pledge you my word to do everything I can to put every particle of courage, of common sense, and of strength that I have at your disposal. ... Surely there never was a fight better worth making than the one in which we are in." (President Theodore Roosevelt, "A Confession of Faith," Progressive Party National Convention, Chicago, IL, August 6, 1912)
John McCain, 2008: "I know who I am and what I want to do. I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me." (John McCain, Remarks On Wisconsin Primary Victory, Columbus, OH, February 19, 2008)
Sir Winston Churchill, 1941: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." (Sir Winston Churchill, Harrow School, London, October 29, 1941)
John McCain, 2008: "I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will. Thank you and God bless you." (John McCain, Remarks On Wisconsin Primary Victory, Columbus, OH, February 19, 2008)
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today launched a new web ad, entitled "Man In The Arena." The web ad highlights John McCain's vision and leadership in these historic and dangerous times.
Script for "Man In The Arena" (2:00-Web)
CHYRON: The Time Has Come
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender!"
JOHN MCCAIN: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. ... We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will."
CHYRON: For a Man in the Arena
PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT: "With all my heart and soul ... I pledge you my word to do everything I can to put every particle of courage, of common sense, and of strength that I have at your disposal. ... Surely there never was a fight better worth making than the one in which we are in."
CHYRON: Ready
JOHN MCCAIN: "I know who I am and what I want to do. I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me."
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
CHYRON: More Than Aspiration ... Leadership
JOHN MCCAIN: "I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will. Thank you and God bless you."
CHYRON: McCain -- President 2008
AD FACTS: JOHN MCCAIN 2008, "MAN IN THE ARENA"
Sir Winston Churchill, 1940: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." (Sir Winston Churchill, House of Commons, London, June 4, 1940)
John McCain, 2004: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. ... We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will." (John McCain, 2004 Republican National Convention, New York, NY, August, 30, 2004)
President Theodore Roosevelt, 1912: "With all my heart and soul ... I pledge you my word to do everything I can to put every particle of courage, of common sense, and of strength that I have at your disposal. ... Surely there never was a fight better worth making than the one in which we are in." (President Theodore Roosevelt, "A Confession of Faith," Progressive Party National Convention, Chicago, IL, August 6, 1912)
John McCain, 2008: "I know who I am and what I want to do. I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me." (John McCain, Remarks On Wisconsin Primary Victory, Columbus, OH, February 19, 2008)
Sir Winston Churchill, 1941: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." (Sir Winston Churchill, Harrow School, London, October 29, 1941)
John McCain, 2008: "I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will. Thank you and God bless you." (John McCain, Remarks On Wisconsin Primary Victory, Columbus, OH, February 19, 2008)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Measuring my Caucus
Here are the results from the caucus I attended in Texas
There were 356 sign ins at the caucus. The delegates were split evenly - 128 each for Obama/Clinton. Since we had an odd number of delegates (27) and each candidate would get 13 the rules state that the 14th delegate would go to a coin-toss. We confirmed this with both the TCDP and TDP. Lonnie Limon who caucused for Clinton called heads. The 13 year-old daughter of another Clinton caucus-goer flipped the coin which landed tails, therefore Obama won the caucus delegates 14 to 13.
You can find election results precinct by precinct here: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/county_clerk/election/20080304/files/dempct2.pdf.
Here are our numbers (the breakdown is EV%/early vote, ED%/election day vote).
Joe Biden 0
0.00% 1 0.21% 1 0.11%
Christopher J. Dodd 0
0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Barack Obama 171
40.33% 202 43.25% 373 41.86%
Bill Richardson 2
0.47% 0 0.00% 2 0.22%
Hillary Clinton 250
58.96% 262 56.10% 512 57.46%
John Edwards 1
0.24% 2 0.43% 3 0.34%
Total Votes Counted in this Race:
424 467 891
There were 356 sign ins at the caucus. The delegates were split evenly - 128 each for Obama/Clinton. Since we had an odd number of delegates (27) and each candidate would get 13 the rules state that the 14th delegate would go to a coin-toss. We confirmed this with both the TCDP and TDP. Lonnie Limon who caucused for Clinton called heads. The 13 year-old daughter of another Clinton caucus-goer flipped the coin which landed tails, therefore Obama won the caucus delegates 14 to 13.
You can find election results precinct by precinct here: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/county_clerk/election/20080304/files/dempct2.pdf.
Here are our numbers (the breakdown is EV%/early vote, ED%/election day vote).
Joe Biden 0
0.00% 1 0.21% 1 0.11%
Christopher J. Dodd 0
0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Barack Obama 171
40.33% 202 43.25% 373 41.86%
Bill Richardson 2
0.47% 0 0.00% 2 0.22%
Hillary Clinton 250
58.96% 262 56.10% 512 57.46%
John Edwards 1
0.24% 2 0.43% 3 0.34%
Total Votes Counted in this Race:
424 467 891
It's 3 a.m. and John McCain answers the phone
I just got this from McCain:
"U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker in response to the assertion by Susan Rice, Senator Obama's foreign policy advisor, that neither democratic candidate is ready for the 3:00 a.m. call:
"At a time when our country faces an unprecedented range of international challenges and opportunities, the American people want a president who is prepared to lead our country in a dangerous world. Senator Obama's foreign policy adviser said today that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama is ready to answer a 3:00 a.m. phone call during an international crisis. We agree wholeheartedly that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama have the experience or judgment necessary to lead the United States in the struggle against violent Islamic extremists who seek our destruction, or to address the complex global environment that our next president will face. Only Senator McCain is ready to serve as commander in chief from day one."
"U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker in response to the assertion by Susan Rice, Senator Obama's foreign policy advisor, that neither democratic candidate is ready for the 3:00 a.m. call:
"At a time when our country faces an unprecedented range of international challenges and opportunities, the American people want a president who is prepared to lead our country in a dangerous world. Senator Obama's foreign policy adviser said today that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama is ready to answer a 3:00 a.m. phone call during an international crisis. We agree wholeheartedly that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama have the experience or judgment necessary to lead the United States in the struggle against violent Islamic extremists who seek our destruction, or to address the complex global environment that our next president will face. Only Senator McCain is ready to serve as commander in chief from day one."
Bombs Go Off in NYC, McCain Responds
STATEMENT BY JOHN MCCAIN ON THE TIMES SQUARE EXPLOSION
Contact: Press Office
Thursday, March 6, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by John McCain on the attempted attack on a Times Square recruiting station:
"The attempted attack that happened in New York City this morning when someone tried to harm a recruiting station in Times Square is unacceptable in America. I know Mayor Bloomberg as well as other law enforcement agencies are actively working, and I have been assured a full investigation is taking place and hope they bring the individuals to justice as quickly as possible. We cannot allow this to happen to the men and women serving in our military whether they are at home or abroad."
More on the bombs here:
http://voanews.com/english/2008-03-06-voa8.cfm
Today, McCain is in Florida. Tomorrow, he announced that he will campaign in Georgia on Friday, March 7th.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Employee Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. EST
Press Set Up Time: 8:00 a.m. EST
WHERE: Chick-Fil-A Headquarters
Corporate Offices
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Media Availability
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. EST
Press Set Up Time: 10:00 a.m. EST
WHERE: Chick-Fil-A Headquarters
Corporate Offices
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
Contact: Press Office
Thursday, March 6, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by John McCain on the attempted attack on a Times Square recruiting station:
"The attempted attack that happened in New York City this morning when someone tried to harm a recruiting station in Times Square is unacceptable in America. I know Mayor Bloomberg as well as other law enforcement agencies are actively working, and I have been assured a full investigation is taking place and hope they bring the individuals to justice as quickly as possible. We cannot allow this to happen to the men and women serving in our military whether they are at home or abroad."
More on the bombs here:
http://voanews.com/english/2008-03-06-voa8.cfm
Today, McCain is in Florida. Tomorrow, he announced that he will campaign in Georgia on Friday, March 7th.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Employee Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. EST
Press Set Up Time: 8:00 a.m. EST
WHERE: Chick-Fil-A Headquarters
Corporate Offices
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Media Availability
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. EST
Press Set Up Time: 10:00 a.m. EST
WHERE: Chick-Fil-A Headquarters
Corporate Offices
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Hillary Gains Four Delegates Out of 370: "Stunning"
I got these emails today, one from Obama's camp, the other Hillary. Hillary gained only 4 more votes in all and is still behind Obama--she calls that a stunning victory. Read more, starting with a note from Obama's campaign:
"Our projections show the most likely outcome of yesterday's elections will be that Hillary Clinton gained 187 delegates, and we gained 183.
"That's a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted.
"For comparison, that's less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It's also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it's considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.
"The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.
"They failed.
"It's clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative -- and increasingly expensive -- campaign to tear us down.
"That's her decision. But it's not stopping John McCain, who clinched the Republican nomination last night, from going on the offensive. He's already made news attacking Barack, and that will only become more frequent in the coming days.
"Right now, it's essential for every single supporter of Barack Obama to step up and help fight this two-front battle. In the face of attacks from Hillary Clinton and John McCain, we need to be ready to take them on.
"The chatter among pundits may have gotten better for the Clinton campaign after last night, but by failing to cut into our lead, the math -- and their chances of winning -- got considerably worse.
"Today, we still have a lead of more than 150 delegates, and there are only 611 pledged delegates left to win in the upcoming contests.
"By a week from today, we will have competed in Wyoming and Mississippi. Two more states and 45 more delegates will be off the table.
"But if Senator Clinton wants to continue this, let's show that we're ready.
"This nomination process is an opportunity to decide what our party needs to stand for in this election.
"We can either take on John McCain with a candidate who's already united Republicans and Independents against us, or we can do it with a campaign that's united Americans from all parties around a common purpose.
"We can debate John McCain about who can clean up Washington by nominating a candidate who's taken more money from lobbyists than he has, or we can do it with a campaign that hasn't taken a dime of their money because we've been funded by you.
"We can present the American people with a candidate who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with McCain on the worst foreign policy disaster of our generation, and agrees with him that George Bush deserves the benefit of the doubt on Iran, or we can nominate someone who opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning and will not support a march to war with Iran.
"John McCain may have a long history of straight talk and independent thinking, but he has made the decision in this campaign to offer four more years of the very same policies that have failed us for the last eight.
"We need a Democratic candidate who will present the starkest contrast to those failed policies of the past.
"And that candidate is Barack Obama.
Thank you,
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
OK, here is the note from from Hillary:
"We defied the odds last night -- yes, WE -- and with our stunning victories, the momentum is now all on our side. We're going on, we're going strong, and we're going all the way.
"Against all the odds, facing an opponent with more momentum and twice as many ads on the air, you kept working, giving, and believing. And that hard work is going to put us in the White House.
"We put everything on the line for these wins, and now it's time to put our hard-earned momentum to work. Without skipping a beat, we need to match the Obama campaign's effort in Pennsylvania -- our next big contest -- and that means I am relying on you again. We need $3 million in the next 24 hours to ramp up our efforts immediately.
"Millions of Americans have yet to speak. In states like Wyoming, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, people are watching this campaign and want their voices to count. It's up to us to give them that chance.
"That means keeping this race competitive. Thanks to you, we cut his four-to-one advertising advantage in half in March 4 states. Now our next step is to quickly replenish our resources. We don't intend to play catch-up with the Obama campaign.
"With your help, we're opening volunteer headquarters all across the state of Pennsylvania before the week is out. We will launch a campaign ready, willing, and able to reach out to voters all across a state that now finds itself at the absolute center of the 2008 campaign.
"This nation is coming back, and so is this campaign.
"The speed and energy with which we take advantage of our regained momentum is up to you. Thank you for being there for me. I promise in the White House, I will be there for you every day.
Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
"Our projections show the most likely outcome of yesterday's elections will be that Hillary Clinton gained 187 delegates, and we gained 183.
"That's a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted.
"For comparison, that's less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It's also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it's considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.
"The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.
"They failed.
"It's clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative -- and increasingly expensive -- campaign to tear us down.
"That's her decision. But it's not stopping John McCain, who clinched the Republican nomination last night, from going on the offensive. He's already made news attacking Barack, and that will only become more frequent in the coming days.
"Right now, it's essential for every single supporter of Barack Obama to step up and help fight this two-front battle. In the face of attacks from Hillary Clinton and John McCain, we need to be ready to take them on.
"The chatter among pundits may have gotten better for the Clinton campaign after last night, but by failing to cut into our lead, the math -- and their chances of winning -- got considerably worse.
"Today, we still have a lead of more than 150 delegates, and there are only 611 pledged delegates left to win in the upcoming contests.
"By a week from today, we will have competed in Wyoming and Mississippi. Two more states and 45 more delegates will be off the table.
"But if Senator Clinton wants to continue this, let's show that we're ready.
"This nomination process is an opportunity to decide what our party needs to stand for in this election.
"We can either take on John McCain with a candidate who's already united Republicans and Independents against us, or we can do it with a campaign that's united Americans from all parties around a common purpose.
"We can debate John McCain about who can clean up Washington by nominating a candidate who's taken more money from lobbyists than he has, or we can do it with a campaign that hasn't taken a dime of their money because we've been funded by you.
"We can present the American people with a candidate who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with McCain on the worst foreign policy disaster of our generation, and agrees with him that George Bush deserves the benefit of the doubt on Iran, or we can nominate someone who opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning and will not support a march to war with Iran.
"John McCain may have a long history of straight talk and independent thinking, but he has made the decision in this campaign to offer four more years of the very same policies that have failed us for the last eight.
"We need a Democratic candidate who will present the starkest contrast to those failed policies of the past.
"And that candidate is Barack Obama.
Thank you,
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
OK, here is the note from from Hillary:
"We defied the odds last night -- yes, WE -- and with our stunning victories, the momentum is now all on our side. We're going on, we're going strong, and we're going all the way.
"Against all the odds, facing an opponent with more momentum and twice as many ads on the air, you kept working, giving, and believing. And that hard work is going to put us in the White House.
"We put everything on the line for these wins, and now it's time to put our hard-earned momentum to work. Without skipping a beat, we need to match the Obama campaign's effort in Pennsylvania -- our next big contest -- and that means I am relying on you again. We need $3 million in the next 24 hours to ramp up our efforts immediately.
"Millions of Americans have yet to speak. In states like Wyoming, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, people are watching this campaign and want their voices to count. It's up to us to give them that chance.
"That means keeping this race competitive. Thanks to you, we cut his four-to-one advertising advantage in half in March 4 states. Now our next step is to quickly replenish our resources. We don't intend to play catch-up with the Obama campaign.
"With your help, we're opening volunteer headquarters all across the state of Pennsylvania before the week is out. We will launch a campaign ready, willing, and able to reach out to voters all across a state that now finds itself at the absolute center of the 2008 campaign.
"This nation is coming back, and so is this campaign.
"The speed and energy with which we take advantage of our regained momentum is up to you. Thank you for being there for me. I promise in the White House, I will be there for you every day.
Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
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