Articles of Interest 2-25-08

254 Days until Election Day

MORNING UPDATE:

Ralph Nader for President…again…go to votenader.org .

Thursday, I will be “guest hosting” the Big Show, as Michael Patrick Shiels is gone on his honeymoon!  My invited guest will include Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove and others.

Please tune in for the show and more information throughout the week as to where you can hear the show live.  We’ll also post it on our web page for your review as we do with all the shows we do.

Congressman Thaddeus McCotter delivered a powerful speech yesterday at the Lithuanian Independence Day commemoration about communism around the world and why we need to be “vigilant”.  In good times, we often ignore the fact that Communist China is still using the communist political system to the advantage of the few party bosses and that Russia is being run by a Lt. Col. of the KGB.

Michigan Republicans have updated our web page with our own 2.0 version …easier to navigate, more information…and still under construction…so please be patient.

 

BECOME A PRECINCT DELEGATE!!  Fill out and return the Affidavit of Identity to your county clerk or send it to the state party…we’ll handle the filings. Link to form

Many folks have asked…what does a precinct delegate do?  Here is some basic information about how we try and organize our precinct delegates to be part of our “political machine” to help elect Republicans.

On-line fundraising for Republicans at Slatecard.com has kicked off.  This is a great venue that I hope you will consider supporting our GOP candidates…we’re behind the Dems here…help Walberg or Casperson…give to Knollenberg or McCotter…check out Michigan targets at:

http://slatecard.com/slatecards/migop

TONIGHT: The Oakland County Republican Forum is hosting a free event commemorating Black History Month entitled “Black History – Setting the Record Straight”. This event will be held Monday, February 25, 2008 at the Troy Community Center – Room #301. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the forum begins at 7:00 p.m.

The main speaker will be Rev. Levon Yuille, who is the Chairman of the Michigan Black Republican Council of Southeastern Michigan, as well as the radio show they have here in the metro Detroit area Saturday mornings called "Joshua's Trail"

THE REST OF THE STORY:

No further commentary today.

Saul Anuzis

STATE STORIES

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS06/802240611/1008/news06

Granholm pushes for delegate fix, energy bill

BY JUSTIN HYDE

February 24, 2008

WASHINGTON

-- Democratic Party leaders should resolve the standoff over

Michigan

's delegates before the party's convention this August in

Denver

, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Saturday. The governor, speaking from the sidelines of the National Governors Association annual meeting, also said she expected state lawmakers to pass new requirements for renewable energy sources in the next few months.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS06/80224029

Granholm doesn't anticipate fight over

Mich.

,

Fla.

delegates

February 24, 2008

Detroit

Free Press

LANSING

-- Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm says she expects the question of whether to seat Democratic delegates from

Michigan

and

Florida

will be resolved before the August convention. Speaking Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation," the Democratic governor says: "I don't think we'll have a fight at the convention." Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton wants delegates from

Michigan

and

Florida

to be seated at the Democratic National Convention. Granholm is backing the

New York

senator.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/POLITICS/802240334/1361

                     

Midwestern governors pick Granholm as vice chairwoman

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Kathy Barks Hoffman / Associated Press

LANSING

-- Members of the Midwestern Governors Association on Sunday elected South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as their new leaders. Rounds replaces Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle as chairman, while Granholm will become vice chairwoman. The move makes Granholm the organization's presumptive chairwoman in 2009. The governors were in

Washington

,

D.C.

, over the weekend attending the National Governors Association meeting. Granholm said the dozen Midwestern governors already are working on Rounds' and the association's main focus for the coming year: transportation and infrastructure, which she said tie into climate change and renewable energy

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/news-51/120386064458780.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

Lieutenant governor is more than just a figurehead

2/24/2008

By DAVID EGGERT

VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Not one to take himself too seriously, Lt. Gov. John Cherry jokingly shows how he shakes hands with his younger boss, Gov. Jennifer Granholm. He checks for a pulse — a recognition of the traditional belief that a lieutenant governor's one and only job is to take over if something happens to the governor."There's all sorts of jokes like that," says Cherry, 56, sitting at a table in his home near rural Clio about halfway between

Flint

and

Saginaw

.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/tale_of_two_politicians.html

Tale of two politicians

By Kristin Longley

Sunday February 24, 2008, 8:00 AM

They are Democrats who broke the stronghold of

Jackson

County

, the birthplace of the Republican party. They both shattered fundraising records, competing in two of the most expensive races in state House history. And they both defeated GOP incumbents with 53 percent of the vote. It's hard not to compare Reps. Martin Griffin and Mike Simpson. Observers say they clearly have different styles. One is often described as an everyman, the other a maverick. But voting records show the two frequently have been in political lockstep since they were elected in November 2006. So what have they been doing the last 565 days? As is the way with politics, the answer depends on whom you ask -- and it seems as if everyone has an opinion. Opponents point to tax increases as evidence of a liberal agenda that is overburdening an economically troubled state. Republicans say their seats are vulnerable this year and are targeting the 64th and 65th districts, which include all of

Jackson

County

and parts of Lenawee and Eaton counties.

http://macombdaily.com/stories/022408/loc_local03.shtml

County's superdelegates may cast decisive votes for Democrats

By

Chad

Selweski

Macomb

Daily Staff Writer

Macomb

County

's "superdelegates" to the Democratic National Convention defend their premier role in choosing the party's nominee and insist that the decision process will be fair and democratic. With Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama locked in a tight race, the 795 superdelegates - one-fifth of the total convention delegation - may decide the outcome. Those superdelegates are automatically awarded a seat at the convention because of their status - most are members of Congress, governors, local elected officials or party officials.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/AUTO01/802240332

Douglas Fraser, former United Auto Workers president, dies

Sunday, February 24, 2008

David Runk / Associated Press

DETROIT

-- Douglas A. Fraser, who led the United Auto Workers union through dark hours in the

U.S.

auto industry in the 1970s and '80s, has died. He was 91. Fraser died late Saturday at

Providence

Hospital

in

Southfield

, his wife, Winnie, said Sunday. She said he had emphysema and went into the hospital with breathing problems, but a cause of death wasn't determined.  With his mischievous smile and gregarious, easygoing manner, Fraser was popular with the union's rank-and-file, who appreciated his candor and accessibility. Everyone called him Doug.  "Everybody thought he was wonderful," Winnie Fraser said. "He was a good guy, and he really was (wonderful)."

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS01/802240321/1060/NEWS01

Michigan

looks for incentives to attract

Hollywood

February 24, 2008

Shreveport

Times

LANSING, Mich. — With its striking visual images — urban landscapes, sandy shorelines, northern forests, lush vineyards, the Great Lakes — Michigan could be a film studio's dream. But in the end, decisions on where to shoot featured scenes are about the bottom line. And

Michigan

long ago lost its competitive edge when other states started offering better deals in terms of incentives. Now state lawmakers and Gov. Jennifer Granholm are looking at increasing the size of rebates and adding other incentives to leapfrog

Michigan

ahead of states such as

Louisiana

,

New Mexico

and Connecticut Louisiana's aggressive tax incentives have been in place since 2002 and have lured many productions from

California

, competing states and

Canada

. In terms of total production value,

Louisiana

attracted $10.5 million worth of movie and TV projects in 2002. In 2007, that figure was about $500 million.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS05/802240681

State is out of money to clean up remaining toxic sites

$100 million a year needed to keep 450 projects from shutting down

BY TINA LAM

February 24, 2008

With a bond program that has provided up to $100 million a year to clean up hundreds of toxic sites across Michigan out of cash, the state's top environmental official says he wants voters this fall to approve a replacement. "We have one of the most successful brownfield cleanup programs nationwide," Steve Chester, director of the state Department of Environmental Quality, said last week. "But now the money is gone." Cleanup of the sites has been crucial to allowing redevelopment in

Detroit

and across the state. The state still has more than 5,000 so-called orphan sites, those that are contaminated but where there is no viable owner to pick up cleanup costs. When owners can be found, the state forces them to pay.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080225/SCHOOLS/802250382

Detroit

schools grad rate: 32%

DPS official questions MSU study that uses new national tracking methodState to adopt MSU's new tracking method

Monday, February 25, 2008

Karen Bouffard / The

Detroit

News

Just 31.9 percent of

Detroit

students graduate in four years, according to the first major study in

Michigan

conducted using a method now mandated by the federal government.

The study, by the

Education

Policy

Center

at

Michigan

State

University

, looked at how many ninth-graders in

Detroit

and the state as a whole left high school with diplomas after four years. It portends what may happen in August, when

Michigan

releases the graduation rate for the class of 2007, which will be calculated for the first time using the same formula used by MSU researchers.

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS03/802240640/1004/news03

Property taxes rising as market values fall

Downturn presents potential pitfall for many homeowners

Jeremy W. Steele

February 24, 2008

Area property values might be falling, but the same can't be said for property taxes. Homeowners are likely to find that out when they open their annual assessment notices, which detail what local assessors think properties are worth and how much they should be taxed. Those notices are being prepared - if they have not been mailed out already. Most are likely to show taxes rising even though market values of houses, commercial properties and vacant land may be dropping. Local assessors expect that to result in a significant increase in inquiries to their offices and more appeals to local boards of review, which have the power to reduce assessments.

http://www.mlive.com/columns/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-3/120383059691230.xml&coll=5

Casino play

Flint

bid a longshot with limited payoff

THE

FLINT

JOURNAL

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Six buses a day reportedly leave the

Flint

area for casinos in

Detroit

,

Mount Pleasant

and

Sarnia

, and capturing this business would be one valid reason for putting an Indian-run gaming hall in

Flint

, as Mayor Don Williamson proposes. But the odds for acquiring such an attraction are so poor that no realistic person would bet money on it happening, nor would he count on a casino becoming an economic pillar for the region. For these and other reasons, this newspaper has consistently opposed a casino as an answer to area joblessness, figuring it distracts from development ventures with more likely and substantial payoffs.

NATIONAL STORIES

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/NinaMay/2008/02/24/the_perfect_storm_for_conservatives_if_they_dont_blow_it?page=full&comments=true

The Perfect Storm for Conservatives... If They Don't Blow It

By Nina May

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Conservatives have this uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and overplay every hand dealt them. They squandered the Reagan Revolution by parsing and dicing an agenda of positions unobtainable from even the most charismatic, or messianic of candidates. The color required to attain “conservative” credentials on the litmus paper appears in no color wheel known to man. The acceptable candidates in this category are whittled to a pencil point that can only scribe the name of Ronald Reagan.

http://mms.tveyes.com/transcript.asp?PlayClip=FALSE&DTSearch=TRUE&DateTime=2%2F24%2F2008+7%3A01%3A51+AM&market=m160&StationID=1545

NBC-TV (Meet The Press): Ralph Nader Interview

TIM RUSSERT: but first, in 2000 and 2004, to the angst of m any democrats, ralph nader ran for president of the united states as a third party candidate. will he run again this year? he's with us to announce his decision. ralph nader welcome.

RALPH NADER: thank you.

RUSSERT: will you run for president as an independent in 2008?

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g8HH62CbNjsk0XDxl9bc4pb2yIjg

Nader mixes up 2008 race with new White House run

February 24, 2008

AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Consumer champion Ralph Nader announced Sunday a fresh tilt at the White House, eight years after earning the acid hatred of Democrats for dividing the anti-Republican camp in a razor-thin vote. Denying that he was running as a "spoiler" who could hand the presidency to Republican John McCain, Nader accused both the main parties of shutting out the US public and handing the nation over to corporate interests. "Dissent is the mother of assent, and in that context I have decided to run for president," Nader, a lifelong campaigner for environmental protection and consumer rights who turns 74 on Wednesday, said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NATION/866199175/1001

Nader says he's running

By Hope Yen

February 24, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ralph Nader said today he will run for president as a third-party candidate, criticizing the top White House contenders as too close to big business and pledging to repeat a bid that will "shift the power from the few to the many." Nader, 73, said most people are disenchanted with the Democratic and Republican parties due to a prolonged

Iraq

war and a shaky economy. The consumer advocate also blamed tax and other corporate-friendly policies under the Bush administration that he said have left many lower- and middle-class people in debt.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/the-candidates-on-nader/index.html?hp

The Candidates on Nader

February 24, 2008

By Kate Phillips

The Democratic and Republican candidates have begun weighing in on Ralph Nader’s announcement this morning on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that yes, he has decided to run for the presidency, again. While he has been derided by Democrats for taking away votes from Al Gore in the 2000 presidential race, his impact in 2004 was minimal. But he outlined his reasons for offering himself up yet again as a choice for voters before Tim Russert earlier today, as our colleague Sarah Wheaton posted earlier. NBC also has posted the video and the transcript of its interview with Mr. Nader.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022400677.html?hpid=topnews

McCain Wins 20 GOP Delegates

By DAVID McFADDEN

Sunday, February 24, 2008

TOA BAJA, Puerto Rico -- Republican Party members in Puerto Rico awarded all 20 delegates at stake Sunday to Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has vowed to help resolve

Washington

's complicated relationship with the U.S. Caribbean territory. The delegates each will cast one vote at the Republican National Convention in September, joined by three local members of the Republican National Committee who also have pledged to back McCain as party delegates.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/02/searching_for_mccains_vp.html

Searching for McCain's VP

February 24, 2008

By George Will

WASHINGTON

-- "Do you think he'd do it?" That was the first question Ronald Reagan asked when, 24 days before the 1976 Republican convention, his campaign manager suggested that Reagan immediately name

Pennsylvania

's Sen. Richard Schweiker as his running mate. Reagan was narrowly behind in the delegate count as he attempted to wrest the nomination from President Gerald Ford. Three days later Schweiker joined the ticket. This was designed to pry loose some Ford delegates, particularly among the 103 of

Pennsylvania

's delegation (Schweiker was one of them), and prevent Ford from clinching the nomination before the

Kansas City

convention.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/us/politics/25govs.html?ref=politics

At Governors’ Meeting, a Vice Presidential Buzz

By ROBERT PEAR

Published: February 25, 2008

WASHINGTON — Energy policy, health care and highways were the top issues on the agenda of the National Governors Association here Sunday, but many governors were consumed with presidential politics, buzzing about the possibility that the next vice president would come from their ranks. At their winter meeting, many governors were, in effect, auditioning for the role of running mate for the leading presidential candidates, Senators John McCain of

Arizona

, Barack Obama of

Illinois

and Hillary Rodham Clinton of

New York

. In both parties, most of the leading contenders for the No. 2 spot are governors, who could offer executive experience that none of the three senators have.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty of

Minnesota

, an early and ardent supporter of Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is chairman of the National Governors Association and is often listed as a possible running mate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/opinion/24pubed.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=clark%20hoyt&st=nyt&scp=2

What That McCain Article Didn’t Say

By CLARK HOYT

Published: February 24, 2008

BILL KELLER, the executive editor of The Times, said the article about John McCain that appeared in Thursday’s paper was about a man nearly felled by scandal who rebuilt himself as a fighter against corruption but is still “careless about appearances, careless about his reputation, and that’s a pretty important thing to know about somebody who wants to be president of the United States.” But judging by the explosive reaction to the 3,000-word article, most readers saw it as something else altogether. They saw it as a story about illicit sex. And most were furious at The Times.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8649.html

Why the right reluctantly defended McCain

By: Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei

Feb 24, 2008

Conservative leaders often portray their political mission in moralistic terms: right vs. wrong. But their reaction to a news report that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) might have had an inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist shows the activist right is often animated by a different impulse: us against them.The right-wing response to the New York Times article was in some ways as stunning, and as revealing, as the salacious story itself.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/02/the_end_of_the_republican_spli.html

The End of the Republican

Split

February 24, 2008

By Steve Chapman

A couple of weeks ago, John McCain was straining to ingratiate himself with the activists gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference. It was an uphill climb: By that point, some movement icons had publicly renounced the presumptive Republican nominee, and attendees were urged not to boo him. Some did anyway, and McCain was left to ponder the possibility of being abandoned by much of his party's base. He shouldn't have worried. All it took to rally conservatives behind him was the intervention of The New York Times. Thursday, it published a flimsy, anonymously sourced story suggesting that nine years ago, he may have canoodled with a cute female lobbyist whose clients had business before his committee. How bad was the article? Years from now, if you type into Google, "Why do people hate the news media?" this story will pop up.

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/dnc-to-file-fec-complaint-against-mccain-2008-02-24.html

DNC to file FEC complaint against McCain 

By Sam Youngman 

02/24/08

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) will file a complaint against Sen. John McCain (

Ariz.

) with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Monday, charging that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is breaking the law by trying to get out of a public financing agreement. In a Sunday afternoon conference call with reporters, DNC chairman Howard Dean said McCain's attempt to withdraw from a loan agreement that hinged on an acceptance of public financing speaks directly to McCain's "integrity." "This is a classic example of someone who talks one way and does another when it benefits him," Dean said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/us/politics/25judges.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1203913221-r4HeVgiDpM7L/giwOqoFMQ

Conservative Distrust of McCain Lingers Over ’05 Deal on Judges

By CARL HULSE

Published: February 25, 2008

WASHINGTON — Back in 2005, Senator John McCain of

Arizona

and fellow members

of the so-called Gang of 14 were hailed as heroes in some quarters when they fashioned an unusual pact that averted a Senate vote on banning filibusters against judicial nominees.  Now Mr. McCain’s central role in that effort, which cleared the way for confirmation of some conservative jurists, is cited as one reason for lingering distrust of him among many conservatives. The power to appoint federal judges is seen as one of the most crucial presidential roles by many on the right, and some continue to believe the agreement undermined the Republican leadership at the precise moment the party was about to eliminate the ability to use procedural tactics to block judges.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/ENT10/802240325/1022/POLITICS

Huckabee overstays his welcome in 'Saturday Night Live' skit

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Associated Press

NEW YORK

-- Even though Mike Huckabee is still battling for the Republican presidential nomination despite long odds, he said Saturday he won't "overstay his welcome."  Then he did precisely that, lingering on the "Weekend Update" set of "Saturday Night Live" despite repeated cues to leave the stage. The former

Arkansas

governor appeared in a "Weekend Update" segment in which he described his confusion over whether it is mathematically impossible for him to win the nomination over front-runner John McCain. After anchorman Seth Meyers explained the numbers, Huckabee responded: "I'm not a math guy, I'm more of a miracle guy. So at this point I'm gonna focus on the miracle part."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/23/AR2008022302180.html?hpid=topnews

Obama's Red-State Prospects Unclear

Democrat's Support May Have Limits

By Alec MacGillis

Washington

Post Staff Writer

Sunday, February 24, 2008

For Democrats desperate to reclaim the White House, the numbers have been tantalizing.

In winning Tuesday's primary in the key swing state of

Wisconsin

, Sen. Barack Obama drew support from tens of thousands of Republicans and independents. He pulled off the same feat in his landslide victory in the

Virginia

primary the week before, suggesting he could win the state in November. In

South Carolina

, he had more votes than the top two Republican contenders put together; in

Kansas

, his total topped the overall GOP turnout.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/23/AR2008022302164.html?nav=hcmodule

In

Toledo

, Promises Of Change Ring Hollow

By Michael A. Fletcher

Sunday, February 24, 2008

TOLEDO

-- The Ford plant in nearby

Maumee

, where workers stamped out automobile fenders and dash panels, will close this year. Johnson Controls, which for years made seats for the iconic Jeeps that are assembled here, recently lost that contract to a firm in

India

. And American Standard is closing its century-old plumbing fixtures plant, eliminating the remaining 165 manufacturing jobs that paid as much as $19 an hour.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/EDITORIAL/778229066/1028/ELECTION

Obama's financial juggernaut

THE

WASHINGTON

TIMES EDITORIAL

February 24, 2008

A review of Hillary Clinton's fund-raising operation since she began her presidential campaign in January 2007 reveals that when she personally lent her campaign $5 million on Jan. 28, 2008, she was far more desperate for the cash infusion than previously understood. Moreover, based on her recent filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the month of January, the cash available to her for the primary campaign as of the end of last month was far less than her reported cash-on-hand position indicated. The reason for both assertions relates to the disproportionate amount of money Mrs. Clinton has raised for the general election.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NATION/74974540/1001

Obama: Hillary taking false credit

By Christina Bellantoni

February 24, 2008

LORAIN

,

Ohio

— Sen. Barack Obama said today Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton presents herself as if she was "co-president" from 1993 to 2000. Mr. Obama, holding a town hall forum at a wall board manufacturing plant here, said his criticism of her position on the North American Free Trade Agreement is fair because she includes her time as first lady for eight years as part of her claim to "35 years of experience." "She has essentially presented herself as co-president during the

Clinton

years," the

Illinois

senator charged during a press conference after the town hall concluded. "Every good thing that happened she says she was a part of, and so the notion that you can selectively pick what you take credit for and then run away from what isn't politically convenient, that doesn't make sense."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/24/america/obama.php

As Obama's rallies swell, so does his security

By Jeff Zeleny

Published: February 24, 2008

DALLAS

: There is a hushed worry on the minds of many supporters of Senator Barack Obama, echoing in conversations from state to state, rally to rally: Will he be safe? In

Colorado

, two sisters pray daily for his safety. In

New Mexico

, a daughter persuaded her mother not to vote for Obama, just so he would lose and be spared harm. And at a rally here, a woman worried that a message of hope and change, in addition to his race, made him more vulnerable to violence. "I've got the best protection in the world," Obama said in an interview, reprising a line he tells those who raise the issue with him. "So stop worrying." Yet worry they do, with the spring of 1968 seared into their memories, when the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated in a span of two months.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NATION/404456127/1001

Texas

,

Ohio

margins key for

Clinton

By Donald Lambro

February 24, 2008

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has to decisively beat Sen. Barack Obama in the next big primaries in

Texas

and

Ohio

to keep the front-runner from taking a nearly insurmountable lead for the Democratic presidential nomination, party leaders say. But with little more than a week to go before the two biggest primaries on March 4, Mr. Obama appeared to have momentum behind him, fueled by 11 straight primary and caucus victories, as polls showed Mrs. Clinton in a dead heat in

Texas

and her lead narrowing in

Ohio

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022401666.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Who Will Tell Hillary?

By Robert D. Novak

Monday, February 25, 2008

Even before Sen. Barack Obama won his ninth straight contest against Sen. Hillary Clinton, in Wisconsin last Tuesday, wise old heads in the Democratic Party were asking this question: Who will tell her that it's over, that she cannot win the presidential nomination and that the sooner she leaves the race, the more it will improve the party's chances of defeating Sen. John McCain in November?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/114725

Hillary Should Get Out Now

Clinton

has only one shot—for Obama to trip up so badly that he disqualifies himself.

By Jonathan Atler

Mar 3, 2008 Issue

If Hillary Clinton wanted a graceful exit, she'd drop out now—before the March 4

Texas

and

Ohio

primaries—and endorse Barack Obama. This would be terrible for people like me who have been dreaming of a brokered convention for decades. For selfish reasons, I want the story to stay compelling for as long as possible, which means I'm hoping for a battle into June for every last delegate and a bloody floor fight in late August in Denver. But to withdraw this week would be the best thing imaginable for Hillary's political career. She won't, of course, and for reasons that help explain why she's in so much trouble in the first place.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/24/newly_engaged_in_a_threefront.html?hpid=topnews

Newly Engaged in a Three-Front War

February 24, 2008

By Alec MacGillis

TOLEDO

-- So this is what being a front-runner deep in primary season looks like: taking flak on three sides. Sen. Barack Obama found himself today facing insinuations from Republicans that he lacks patriotism, charges from Hillary Clinton that he is a hypocrite on campaign ethics, and put-downs from Ralph Nader, who in announcing his third-party candidacy this morning dismissed Obama as well-intentioned but in hock to the corporate agenda. So far, at least, Obama is showing that he can stand his ground and return fire on all fronts.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080225/NATION/307917297/1001

Loss of 28 in House makes GOP task tougher

By Sean Lengell

February 25, 2008

An exodus of House Republicans, fundraising shortfalls and apathy among Republican voters portend an ominous outcome for the party in the November congressional elections — a scenario that might linger for years. At least 28 House Republicans have announced they won't seek re-election this year, against just five Democrats stepping down in November. "I don't think Republicans seriously think they are going to take back the House" this year, said John C. Fortier, a political analyst with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. "If you think it's going to be two, four, six years down the road [to recapture the House], then you may not want to wait it out."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022400336.html?hpid=topnews

Raul Castro Named President

Cuban Legislators Retain Old Guard

 

By Manuel Roig-Franzia

Monday, February 25, 2008

HAVANA

, Feb. 24 --

Cuba

's revolutionary old guard consolidated its hold on power Sunday when the National Assembly bypassed a younger generation of politicians and named Fidel Castro's brother, Raul, president and a hard-line communist first vice president. The unanimous decision dealt a blow to Cubans who had hoped Sunday would mark a dramatic change of direction for the island nation ruled for nearly five decades by Fidel Castro, 81, who announced Tuesday that he was stepping down after a long illness.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N24114603.htm

Chavez jokes with new

Cuba

leader, promises help

25 Feb 2008

By Frank Jack Daniel

CARACAS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez chatted, joked and sang with Cuba's new leader Raul Castro on Sunday and promised to continue supporting the country despite the retirement of his close friend Fidel Castro. Raul Castro was named president of communist

Cuba

on Sunday, ending his brother Fidel Castro's 49-year rule but keeping the country on a communist path. Soon after his acceptance speech in

Cuba

's National Assembly, Raul Castro spoke by phone on socialist Chavez's weekly live television show. Chavez reaffirmed his commitment to

Cuba

and denied speculation that the two men did not get on well. "Nothing is going to change," Chavez said during the call. "I ratify my commitment to

Cuba

, the commitment of the Venezuelan people, of the Bolivarian revolution, to you, to Fidel, to the Cuban revolution, to the people of

Cuba

."