Here's a video of Barack Obama's announcement speech this morning:

The rest of it can be seen after the jump.

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So it looks as if Rudy Giuliani's campaign aides think they've found a solution to the fact that he's repeatedly said he was for "partial birth" abortion in the past: Lie about it.

The other day, Rudy went on Fox News and told Sean Hannity that he was in favor of the late-term abortion ban provided it made an exception for the life of the mother. So we went and unearthed a bunch of quotes of Rudy back in 2000 in which he very clearly expressed his opposition to the ban. Those multiple quotes we unearthed can be found here and here.

Now those quotes have gained traction with a big news organization. Today's New York Times has a pretty decent piece on Giuliani's shifting abortion stands, saying:

On the issue of a disputed abortion procedure called “partial-birth abortion” by opponents, he told Mr. Hannity that a ban signed into law by President Bush in 2003, which the Supreme Court is reviewing, should be upheld. And on the issue of parental notification — whether to require minors to obtain permission from either a parent or a judge before an abortion — he said, “I think you have to have a judicial bypass,” meaning a provision that would allow a minor to seek court permission from a judge in lieu of a parent.

“If you do, you can have parental notification,” he said.

Both appear to be shifts away from statements he made while he was mayor and during his brief campaign for United States senator in 2000. Asked by Tim Russert on “Meet the Press” in 2000 if he supported President Bill Clinton’s veto of a law that would have banned the disputed abortion procedure, Mr. Giuliani said, “I would vote to preserve the option for women.” He added, “I think the better thing for America to do is to leave that choice to the woman, because it affects her probably more than anyone else.”

And on a 1997 candidate questionnaire from the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League of New York, which Mr. Giuliani completed and signed, he marked “yes” to the question: Would you oppose legislation “requiring a minor to obtain permission from a parent or from a court before obtaining an abortion.”

Mr. Giuliani's campaign aides say his positions on abortion have not changed, and that his stand on what critics call partial-birth abortions has been mischaracterized, saying he opposed a ban only if it failed to include an exception to protect the life of the mother. But the ban vetoed by President Clinton did include such an exception.

Why, yes, it did indeed. If you're wondering why Rudy's aides would resort to such an easily debunked falsehood, it's probably because they have no other choice.

The fact that Rudy is pro-choice makes things tough enough for them; if religious conservatives learn that he was for partial birth abortion before he was against it, things will likely get even tougher. Now the remaining question is whether other big news orgs will hold Rudy accountable for his glaring flip-flop on the issue.

A few very quick thoughts on Barack Obama's speech. First, one peculiar aspect of this Dem primary is that there is not one, but two potentially history-making candidates -- he and Hillary Clinton -- meaning that they'll in a sense be vying for the role of most potentially history-making contender. By drawing a direct line from Lincoln's inheritance of a divided nation through to his own mixed heritage -- by saying, in effect, that Lincoln's Presidency was a historical forerunner to his own, should he win -- he made a pretty good case that he should be the one crowned in that role. More after the jump.

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11:05: Obama comes on to the stage after being introduced by Senator Dick Durbin.

11:06: Here comes wife Michelle and their two daughters. "Very attractive woman, obviously," Chris Matthews says on MSNBC.

11:08: "In my heart I know you didn't just come here for me," Obama says. "In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope."

11:11: "When a boy turns to violence, I learned that there's a hole in that boy's heart that no government alone can fill." Not a big-government liberal; government alone can't solve our problems. Values and faith are required, too.

11:13: "I stand before you to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America." Hit just the right notes on that one: Forceful and determined.

11:16: Long riff on why our history shows we should be hopeful about change: "It is time to answer that call...In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can effect change."

11: 17: Repeats his riff about "petty politics" distracting us from "real problems."

11:19: Really hitting hard now. "It's time to turn the page. Right here. and Right now."

11:21 "Let's be the generation that ensures our nations workers share in our nations prosperity...Let's be the generation that ends poverty in America...We can do this. And finally, let's be the generation that tackles our health...Let's be the generation that right here and right now [brings] universal health care to America. We can do that." He's really playing the generational theme -- which is key to the case he'll make against Hillary Clinton and others -- in an inspirational way.

11:24: "America, it is time to start bringing our troops home."

11:27: On Lincoln: "He tells us that there is power in words. He tells us that there is power in conviction...He tells us that there's power in hope."

11:28: Wraps up: "Thank you very much everybody, let's get to work. I love you. Thank you." And, refreshingly, no obligatory "God Bless America" at the end.

View it here. It'll be carrying Obama's announcement speech live today at 10:50 A.M.

In advance of her trip to New Hampshire this weekend, Hillary Clinton has clarified her Iraq war vote in an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader — and she says that her vote for the 2002 resoltuion was not automatically a vote to go to war. From the interview (emphasis ours):

“I have taken responsibility for that vote. It was based on the best assessment that I could make at the time, and it was clearly intended to demonstrate support for going to the United Nations to put inspectors into Iraq.

“When I set forth my reasons for giving the President that authority, I said that it was not a vote for pre-emptive war," the former first lady said.

She said the Bush administration forced an end to the final round of weapons inspections and invaded prematurely. The administration is responsible for the status of the war, she said, and for being “grossly misinformed” or for having “twisted the intelligence to satisfy a pre-conceived version of the facts."

A couple weeks after airing ads attacking John McCain for his escalation plan, MoveOn is back up on the air again -- and this time, the group is targeting GOP Senators for stalling debate on the anti-escalation resolution in the Senate. The $130,000 ad campaign -- which specifically targets GOP Senators John Warner, Sam Brownback, John Sununu, George Voinovich, Arlen Specter, Mitch McConnell and Elizabeth Dole -- will run nationally on CNN and in some local markets in D.C., New York, New Hampshire, Kansas, Maine, and Virginia. The ad slams the Senators hard: "They're willing to send tens of thousands more troops to face danger in Iraq, but they don't have the courage to face a vote." View it here.

As we noted earlier today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler was quoted in today's New York Times questioning whether the anti-escalation resolution House Dem leaders are planning to pass next week goes far enough. We were wondering if that was a sign of possible Dem disunity on the resolution, and whether some Dems wanting tougher Congressional action would vote against it.

So we checked in with Nadler's office. He's almost certainly going to vote for it, the Congressman's Washington director, John Doty, tells us. "He's expected to vote for the resolution," Doty says. "He views it only as a first step. He's going to do more."

A Nadler aide also tells us that he expects that most Dems, if not nearly all of them, will unify next week behind the proposal, which is being drafted now and is expected to circulate Monday. Though 71 members of the House Dems' Progressive Caucus signed a statement a couple days ago saying they wanted to see tougher Congressional action on Iraq, the Nadler aide says that the word is that the Progressives are on board with the resolution. (Nadler's a member of that caucus, too.)

According to House insiders, the thinking is that Dem unity enabled a pretty impressive legislative display during the first 100 days, and a good opening shot on Iraq is crucial. What's more, individual members can in the next couple weeks or so start advancing their own, more strict proposals involving cutting funding and other things -- at which point Dem unity is likely to start fracturing.

Yep, things should get very interesting next week.

Rudy Giuliani is heading to California this weekend for his first big Republican Party event since he declared his candidacy — and he'll effectively have the stage all to himself. Rudy is headlining the state GOP convention this weekend — meaning even Governor Schwarzenegger may be taking a back seat to Rudy and to Presidential politics, The Ventura County Star reports.

Since Arnold is getting flack from the state's conservatives over his universal health care proposal, the paper reports, Giuliani will be the real object of adoration for the party faithful, rather than their own Governor. Further helping Rudy is the fact that he'll be the only Presidential candidate in attendance — the others are merely sending surrogates. "This won't be an Arnold convention," former Assemblyman Tony Strickland told the Star. "This will be more of a Giuliani convention."

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch's off-again, on-again romance with the Clintons looks like it may be...at least somewhat off again. According to The Australian, Murdoch -- who had reportedly been wooed by Hillary into a detente of sorts despite the fact that his media empire had gone after the Clintons for years -- described the former First Lady a "very intelligent, very considerable lady" but also added that she's "divisive" and "calculating."

When his interviewer remarked that he didn't have a clear picture of Murdoch's opinion of Hillary, the mogul answered: "Nor do I."

Interestingly, Murdoch also called on Newt Gingrich, of all people, to run for President. Why? "I think he would lift the debate," Murdoch said. "He would make all the primaries a lot more serious."

John McCain is headed to Cincinatti next Firday, February 16, for a private fundraiser, The Cincinnatti Enquirer reports. The visit will be strictly done as a fundraiser — no public events are currently scheduled. Barack Obama will also be visiting Cincinnati for a fundraiser on Monday, February 26.

In another chapter in the ongoing tale of John McCain's efforts to repair relations with the right, McCain is now reaching out to conservative bloggers, with whom he's also had strained relations, CBS News reports.

The McCain camp is taking this outreach to the conservative blogosphere so seriously that top campaign aides John Weaver and Terry Nelson recently held a conference call with a group of conservative bloggers. Weaver and Nelson found themselves pummeled by a litany of complaints about the Senator, CBS News says.

Are the efforts working? Not yet, if the opinion of Ed Morrisey of Captain's Quarters is any indication: "I know, though, that some of my readers have already written they would stay home or vote for the Democrat if the Republicans went with McCain."

"If you pick up a reputation among the people who are hyper-interested in politics of being a jerk," Morrisey said, "they're going to tell their friends and it's going to turn up in water cooler conversations."

A major sticking point: McCain's support of campaign finance regulations — and the potential to restrict speech in the blogosphere. Other issues involve his overall friendliness with the mainstream media, and his work in 2005 to derail Republican attempts to end filibusters against President Bush's judicial nominees.

The McCain campaign isn't sure yet of how to heal the damage. "I don't think it was as much to smooth things over as to open up a dialogue," McCain spokesman Kevin McLaughlin told CBS. "I don't think we can necessarily say what our expectations are."

"You have to ask who is really undermining this mission? Didn't the Bush Administration undermine it from the start by going to war without sufficient cause, without sufficient planning, without sufficient equipment for our troops?"

-- Senator Jack Reed, quoted in Time magazine, on GOP claims that debating the anti-escalation resolution is undermining troop morale.

Here are some updates on the movements of the Presidential candidates (plus one House '08 item):

* Speaking to activists in Iowa yesterday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney conceded that the Iraq war has been poorly managed, but refused to go against President Bush's current plan for the war.

* Speaking of Romney, he has been named the keynote speaker at a Lincoln Day dinner jointly sponsored by two Republican county committees in New Hampshire.

* Republican Minnesota state Sen. Dick Day has filed papers to challenge freshman Rep. Tim Walz (D-01) in 2008. Walz, an Afghanistan vet, beat incumbent Gil Gutknecht this past November in what many considered an upset.

* Sen. Barack Obama's fundraising practices -- and how they mesh with his call for higher fundraising standards -- come under scrutiny in the Chicago Sun Times.

* Did someone say "rock star"? Obama's Monday event at the University of New Hampshire is sold out despite being held in a gymnasium with a 3,500 person capacity.

* A bill being considered by the New Hampshire state Legislature is is meant to solidify the secretary of state's ability to schedule New Hampshire's primary -- traditionally the first in the nation -- before the Nevada caucuses.

* Sen. Hillary Clinton has hired New Hampshire Democratic Party executive director Nick Clemons as her state director. Clemons supervised the political and field operations that successfully gained two House seats for the Dems in 2006 and was the state director in New Hampshire for the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004.

* In other Clinton hiring news, former Iowa Democratic Party communications director Mark Daley will serve as her communications director in New Hampshire.

* On the campaign trail today, Hillary Clinton is speaking in New York City, Sen. Christopher Dodd is in Florida to address the National Association of Home Builders' Board of Directors, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is the keynote speaker at the TD Ameritrade Partnership 2007 National Conference in San Diego, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is speaking to business leaders in New Hampshire and Mitt Romney is speaking at the Republican Party executive committee meeting in Alabama.

* Former Sen. John Edwards recieved a positive reaction at a crowded International Longshoremen's Association Hall in Charleston, South Carolina where he spoke yesterday about his health care plan and the need to withdraw from Iraq. Also in South Carolina, Mitt Romney fielded questions about abortion this morning when he spoke to a crowd of 100 in Anderson.

* Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is on course to have 14 New York City fundraisers in the bag by March 14, according to Ben Smith.

* The 2008 Presidential ad blitz is about to begin and far earlier than in previous elections due to the lack of a White House incumbent running and the gobs of cash in the race.

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said in a foreign policy address yesterday that the United States must reduce its stock of nuclear weapons, close Guantanamo Bay, and dramatically cut energy use in order to take the lead on many global issues. Richardson is both a former Secretary of Energy and ambassador to the United Nations.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced today that that New Hampshire State School Board member Fred Bramante and former City Chair of the Manchester Republican Committee Cliff Hurst will serve as the New Hampshire Co-Chairs of his 2008 presidential exploratory committee.

* Rep. Duncan Hunter will next be in New Hampshire from Feb. 19-21.

* Speaking in Connecticut yesterday, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said he "can bring a degree of leadership" to the Presidential race while discussing his plans for Iraq, health care, education, and the environment.

* A fundraiser for Rep. Tom Tancredo in Greenwood Village, Colorado on Feb. 25 will be hosted by conservative talk radio hosts Peter Boyles and Robert "Gunny Bob" Newman.

Here are some updates on the movements of the Presidential candidates (plus one House '08 item):

* Speaking to activists in Iowa yesterday, former MA Gov. Mitt Romney conceded that the Iraq war has been poorly managed, but refused to go against President Bush's current plan for the war.

* Meanwhile, Romney has been named the keynote speaker at a Lincoln Day dinner jointly sponsored by two Republican county committees in New Hampshire.

* Sen. Barack Obama issued an odd challenge to his fellow Presidential candidates Wednesday when he proposed a voluntary agreement between the two major party nominees that they return private donations raised in the primaries and opt for public financing in the general election. The Chicago Sun-Times has a look at some Obama's financing tactics and how they mesh with his proposed higher standard of fundraising.

* Meanwhile, exclusive interviews with Obama were posted yesterday by both MyDD and The Politico.

* Also, Obama's Monday event at the University of New Hampshire is sold out despite being held in a gymnasium with a 3,500 person capacity.

* A bill being considered by the New Hampshire state Legislature is is meant to solidify the secretary of state's ability to schedule New Hampshire's primary -- traditionally the first in the nation -- before the Nevada caucuses.

* Sen. Hillary Clinton has hired New Hampshire Democratic Party executive director Nick Clemons as her state director. Clemons supervised the political and field operations that successfully gained two House seats for the Dems in 2006 and was the state director in NH for the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004.

* In other Clinton hiring news, former Iowa Democratic Party communications director Mark Daley will serve as her communications director in New Hampshire.

* On the campaign trail today, Hillary Clinton is speaking in New York City, Sen. Christopher Dodd is in Florida to address the National Association of Home Builders' Board of Directors, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is the keynote speaker at the TD Ameritrade Partnership 2007 National Conference in San Diego, former AR Gov. Mike Huckabee is speaking to business leaders in NH and Mitt Romney is speaking at the Republican Party executive committee meeting in Alabama.

* Sen. John McCain will attend a fundraiser and private meetings with GOP officials in Cincinnati on Feb. 16.

* Former Sen. John Edwards recieved a positive reaction at a crowded International Longshoremen's Association Hall in Charleston, SC where he spoke yesterday about his health care plan and the need to withdraw from Iraq. Also in South Carolina, Mitt Romney fielded questions about abortion this morning when he spoke to a crowd of 100 in Anderson, SC.

* Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani is on course to have 14 NYC fundraisers in the bag by March 14.

* The 2008 Presidential ad blitz is about to begin and far earlier than in previous elections due to the lack of a White House incumbent running and the gobs of cash in the race.

* Former NM Gov. Bill Richardson said in a foreign policy address yesterday that the United States must reduce it's stock of nuclear weapons, close Guantanamo Bay, and dramatically cut energy use in order to take the lead on many global issues. Richardson is both a former Secretary of Energy and US ambassador to the UN.

* Former AR Gov. Mike Huckabee announced today that that New Hampshire State School Board member Fred Bramante and former City Chair of the Manchester Republican Committee Cliff Hurst will serve as the New Hampshire Co-Chairs of his 2008 presidential exploratory committee.

* Rep. Duncan Hunter will next be in New Hampshire from Feb. 19-21.

* Speaking in Westport, CT yesterday, former IA Gov. Tom Vilsack said he "can bring a degree of leadership" to the Presidential race while discussing his plans for Iraq, health care, education, and the environment.

* A fundraiser for Rep. Tom Tancredo on in Greenwood Village, CO on Feb. 25 will be hosted by conservative talk radio hosts Peter Boyles and Robert "Gunny Bob" Newman.

* Republican Minnesota state Sen. Dick Day has filed papers to challenge freshman Rep. Tim Walz (D-01) in 2008. Walz, a Afghanistan vet, beat incumbent Gil Gutknecht this past November in what many considered an upset.

Barack Obama will be making his first Presidential campaign visit to South Carolina next week, the Associated Press reports. He'll be heading to Columbia and Orangeburg on February 16 and 17. South Carolina politicos say he can expect a rousing reception; as former DNC Chairman and South Carolina native Don Fowler put it, "I think he'll get the same kind of reception here he's gotten everywhere." South Carolina, incidentally, is a key state for Obama, for two reasons: First, about half of its primary electorate is made up of black voters; and second, John Edwards — one of Obama's chief rivals — won the state in the 2004 primary.

“Next week, we are going to steal their mascot and short-sheet their beds.”

-- GOP Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona, quoted in the Times, making fun of his Republican colleagues for pushing the bogus Nancy Pelosi plane story.

So it looks as if House Democratic leaders are successfully persuading members to stay unified to pass a non-binding resolution opposed to escalation next week. Today's New York Times reports that several members who are pushing for a stricter resolution -- one that cuts off funding, for instance -- are nonetheless agreeing to back the leaders' preferred resolution as a necessary first step towards condemning Bush's escalation plan.

If House Dems do manage to stay unified behind the resolution, it will be a powerful gesture that (a) puts the President on notice that tougher House efforts are on the way, and (b) puts added pressure on GOP Senators up for reelection in 2008 to stop backing the filibuster of the Senate bill.

More after the jump on the House members who want tougher measures but are supporting the resolution.

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No one from the White House is running for President in 2008, making this the first time in 80 years that the White House is sitting out the Presidential race, today's Washington Post observes in a front-page story. The paper notes that not since 1928 has no sitting President or Vice President run for the Presidency -- a fact that has far-reaching consequences, both for the GOP candidates and for the Bush administration. All the Republican candidates will, to one degree or another, ultimately themselves from President Bush, meaning that the President has no advocate for his policies or defender of his tenure out on the campaign trail.

Craig Fuller, who was chief of staff to then-Vice President George H.W. Bush as he was getting ready for his 1988 presidential run, sums it up: "It creates a fundamentally different situation than we've known in the past. What's so starkly different about this situation is that not only is the president, by virtue of the calendar, a lame duck, but there's no champion out there on the field for him."

Check out this video of Wolf Blitzer interviewing Tom DeLay about the GOP Presidential field. DeLay has very harsh words for Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. On Rudy: "I can't vote for somebody that's for abortion. I never have, and I never will." On whether Rudy opposes gay marriage: "Now he does. He didn't just a year ago." On McCain: "I don't think he'll get very far, because he does not reflect the vast majority of the party ... on many issues." To watch the video, click here.

This morning, House Dems met behind closed doors and emerged with a plan: They will pass a resolution early next week against escalation that's nonbinding and shows support for the troops. They announced the plan at a press conference today.

But here's something that's particularly interesting about today's announcement: Passage of the resolution will be preceeded by an unusual three-day debate on Iraq during which every House member will speak for five minutes. So promised House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer at the press conference.

Does that remind you of anything? Think that the sight of all that debate just might make the Senate look kinda bad in comparison, given its conspicuous failure to even get its own resolution on to the floor?

More on the resolution after the jump.

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Here are few updates on the movements of the Presidential hopefuls (and others, too):

* Former Vice President Al Gore is expected to announce a series of concerts "bigger than Live Aid" tommorow that will seek to raise awareness about climate change. The concerts will take place on July 7 in seven cities including London, Washington DC, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and Kyoto.

* Sen. John McCain will make his first 2007 trip to Iowa next weekend. McCain will also travel to South Carolina on Feb. 18 while his wife, Cindy McCain travels to New Hampshire around the same time in his place. Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former MA Gov. Mitt Romney will also visit South Carolina during the following week. A straw poll of SC Republicans set for March 1st, which is expected to draw 2,000 people, could explain why the GOP frontrunners are all visiting the Palmetto state so close to each other.

* CNN will host a Democratic debate in Nevada on November 4th, 2007.

* The New Mexico attorney general issued an opinion today that Gov. Bill Richardson's fundraising for the Democratic Presidential primary does not conflict with a state ban on fundraising during the legislative session.

* Sen. Hillary Clinton will fundraise in San Fransisco on Feb. 23, charging $250 a head.

* John Edwards is holding a town hall meeting in South Carolina today to discuss his universal health care proposal, Mitt Romney is making various stops across Iowa, Rudy Giuliani is fundraising in New Jersey, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to the World Money Show in Florida and both Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson are speaking in Washington, DC.

* Meanwhile, Giuliani will be making various stops in California in the days ahead as he seeks to broaden his fundraising base beyond the Tri-State area, which accounts for three-fourths of the money he has raised.

* Sen. Joe Biden will make his first trip to Iowa as an announced candidate on Feb. 16.

* Ohio state Sen. Eric Kearney is organizing a fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama in Cincinnati on Feb. 26 that will charge between $100 and $2,300 per ticket. Kearney's wife, Jan-Michele Kearney, was in Obama's class at Harvard Law School and the couple attended Obama's wedding.

* When former AR Gov. Mike Huckabee visits New Hampshire on Friday, he will focus on fiscal policy with special attention paid to defending himself against the anti-tax Club for Growth, who released a 5-page report critical of Huckabee's record on taxes and government regulation as Governor of Arkansas after he decided to explore a Presidential run.

* Rep. Dennis Kucinich began distributing a 15-minute campaign DVD after his Feb. 2 speech before the Democratic National Committee. The Cleveland Plain Dealer has the video here.

* Sen. Sam Brownback has won the endorsement of grammy award-winning contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Michael W. Smith, who will act as a surrogate for the campaign.

John Edwards will attend the Dem Presidential debate in Carson City, Nevada, on Feb. 21, Edwards senior adviser Jonathan Prince tells us. "It's a great opportunity to talk to working people about things John has been working on for a long time," Prince says, "like raising the minimum wage, organizing to protect workers' rights and earn a good living, and universal health care."

Six other Dem Presidential hopefuls -- Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Tom Vilsack, Bill Richardson and Mike Gravel -- will also attend the event, which is sponsored by the AFL-CIO.

The Nevada event is significant for Dems for several reasons. The DNC recently moved Nevada's caucus to Jan. 19, in part because Dems see the west as a region where they can build on their gains in the 2006 elections. The debate's expected to stress western issues such as immigration, population growth and public land questions, as well as issues important to labor.

For these and other reasons, Nevada is a key state for Edwards, who's aggressively wooing labor unions and is staking out a place in the Dem field as committed to issues important to labor.

Meanwhile, Obama is taking a pass on the event, The Hotline reports.

Forget Nevada and Florida — the next challenge to New Hampshire's plum spot as first primary state may be coming from, of all places, little Wyoming. The Casper Star-Tribune reports that the Wyoming Republican Central Committee voted unanimously to have the state's Presidential delegates picked on the same day as the New Hampshire Republican primary — a move that could upend the GOP Presidential primary schedule and provoke a huge political fight. More after the jump.

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The Edwards campaign just released statements from Edwards and the two bloggers in the thick of the controversy, and it looks as if the two won't be fired.

The statement says Edwards was "personally offended" by their writings, but that he also believes in "giving everyone a fair shake" and that he's "talked" to the bloggers, that they've assured him "that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith," and that he takes them "at their word." The statement doesn't directly address the firing question, but it appears that they're going to be okay. The statements follow.

Senator John Edwards:

“The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwen's posts personally offended me. It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I've talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith, and I take them at their word. We're beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can't let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in.”

Blogger Amanda Marcotte:

“My writings on my personal blog, Pandagon on the issue of religion are generally satirical in nature and always intended strictly as a criticism of public policies and politics. My intention is never to offend anyone for his or her personal beliefs, and I am sorry if anyone was personally offended by writings meant only as criticisms of public politics. Freedom of religion and freedom of expression are central rights, and the sum of my personal writings is a testament to this fact.”

Blogger Melissa McEwen:

“Shakespeare's Sister is my personal blog, and I certainly don't expect Senator Edwards to agree with everything I've posted. We do, however, share many views - including an unwavering support of religious freedom and a deep respect for diverse beliefs. It has never been my intention to disparage people's individual faith, and I'm sorry if my words were taken in that way.”

The dates and times for the New Hampshire debates have finally been fixed — and George Stephanopoulos is moderating. The New Hampshire Union Leader is reporting that a Republican debate is set for October 14, and a Democratic debate is scheduled for October 21. Two more debates will follow in late January 2008, shortly before the primary. They will be broadcast nationally as special editions of ABC's This Week.

Bad news for Chris Dodd: He's way behind Hillary Clinton in his home state of Connecticut. A new American Research Group poll finds that Hillary holds a commanding 26-point lead over Dodd, 40%-14%. Barack Obama comes up a close third behind Dodd, with 10%. Needless to say, there's no state where Dodd is better known than his own.

"For some reason, the military seems more afraid of gay people than they are [of] terrorists. They're very brave with the terrorists, and if the terrorists ever got a hold of this information, they'd get a platoon of lesbians to chase us out of Baghdad."

Stuart Rothenberg says that despite recent history -- which shows that parties that have lost large amounts of House seats tend to "snap back" with big gains -- Dems are likely to hang on to their majority this time around:

The Iraq War was crucial in contributing to the formation of a Democratic wave in 2006, creating an environment that is unique in the recent history of surges.

The war could continue to pose problems for the Republicans in 2008, and if so, that would minimize the chances of a snapback. Even though Bush will not be on the ballot in 2008, he still could be a factor that undercuts the appeal of his party and enhances Democratic prospects up and down the ballot. If independents continue to reject the GOP, Republican candidates will have a hard time reclaiming districts that they lost last year.

The possibility of a GOP snapback also is minimized by the nature of the ’06 wave. Almost half of the districts that turned from Republican to Democratic are either competitive or Democratic-leaning, and as long as the freshman Democrats in those districts don’t stumble badly, history suggests that they will be difficult to dislodge...

Obviously, the presidential contest will have a strong impact on the election year, as will the Democratic Congress’ performance, party fundraising, candidate recruitment and retirements. We won’t know for months which party will have the edge in House races in 2008, but it’s likely that divided government will make it difficult to oust incumbents — and that should improve Democrats’ chances of maintaining their House majority in next year’s elections.

The whole thing's worth a read.

Mitt Romney and John McCain have both rolled out new endorsements this morning. Romney's campaign announced that Senators Larry Craig of Idaho and Robert Bennett of Utah have joined his campaign as Senate liasons. Meanwhile, the McCain camp has received endorsements from Connecticut Congressman Chris Shays — the sole Republican House member from New England — and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

Uh oh. Mitt Romney has been caught in another flip flop on an issue dear to conservatives. The Hill reports:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who strongly criticized campaign-finance regulations in a private meeting with House conservatives last week, once touted dramatic restructuring measures such as taxing political contributions and placing spending limits on federal campaigns.

Romney's past campaign finance measures after the jump.

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Hillary Clinton is in a virtual dead heat with the two top GOP candidates, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, in head-to-head matchups in the three most important Presidential battleground states, according to a Quinnipiac poll released today. The survey finds:

* In Ohio, Hillary leads McCain 46%-42% and leads Giuliani 46%-43%.

* In Pennsylvania, Rudy leads Hillary 47%-44% and McCain leads Hillary 46%-45%, a statistical tie.

* In Florida, Giuliani leads Hillary 47%-44% and Hillary edges McCain 47%43%.

Full poll results here.

Mitt Romney appears to be making headway with Evangelical leaders worried that his Mormonism makes him unfit for their support or for the Presidency, today's New York Times reports. The paper reports extensively on Romney's efforts to win over the evangelicals, recounting that he has "set up a meeting this month in Florida with 100 ministers and religious broadcasters."

Romney also had a meeting last fall with a bunch of evangelical leaders, including the Rev. Jerry Falwell, that "was by all accounts a successful meeting," the paper says.

In yet another sign that Romney is slowly beginning to succeed with these figures, some evangelical leaders tell the paper that Romney may prove to be their best candidate. This suggests that the suspicions religious conservatives harbor about both John McCain and Rudy Giuliani could be hardening, and that they are beginning to accept the idea that Romney is their only real alternative. Says the Times:

“There’s this growing acceptance of this idea that Mitt Romney may well be and is our best candidate,” said Jay Sekulow, the chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative legal advocacy group, and a prominent host on Christian radio.

Mark DeMoss, an evangelical public relations consultant who represents many conservative Christian groups, said it was “more important to me that a candidate shares my values than my faith,” adding, “And if I look at it this way, Mr. Romney would be my top choice.”

You'd think Senator Sam Brownback would be the natural fall-back candidate for these leaders, but oddly, his name didn't even come up in the paper's interviews with these leading evangelical figures.

The John Edwards campaign appears to be in bunker mode over the big blogger controversy. Staffers aren't answering phone calls and emails. The statement on this whole dust-up promised to Salon earlier today has yet to materialize.

Meanwhile, the Edwards camp is under blogospheric siege from some quarters. Chris Bowers of MyDD is threatening not to support Edwards if the two bloggers are fired. He writes:

While there is no way I will support Edwards with Amanda and Melissa...fired, I will immediately become a staunch Edwards supporter if they are not fired. Consider the heinous reporting that is being done in this story, where bigot William Donahue is somehow an authority on what defines hate speech, it is clear that the Edwards campaign will take a lot of flack from outside the netroots if they do not fire Amanda and Melissa. Keeping them on would show a willingness to take risks and stand up to the media in a way that most Democrats just are not, all because the campaign will be doing so in order to defend the netroots.

If someone is willing to stand with us, that should mean something big, and should not go unrewarded.

More as we learn it.

Update: Crooks and Liars has video of a CNN segment on this. First the Times covers it, now CNN. This is really snowballing.

As we noted below, various media reports today said that Barack Obama had opted not to seek public financing for his Presidential bid.

But The Politico has just dumped some cold water on the story, reporting that in fact, Obama is seeking an opinion from the Federal Election Commission on whether he can raise money above the financing limit -- then return that money later and opt into the campaign finance system after all. The Politico said that the FEC would soon post the Obama camp's request on its Web site.

Sure enough, here it is. Here's a key quote from the Obama campaign's request:

The question on which he seeks the commission's guidance is whether, if Senator Obama becomes a candidate, he may provisionally raise funds for the general election but retain the option, upon nomination, of returning these contributions and accepting the public funds for which he would be eligible as the Democratic Party's nominee...

The Senator would not, if the law allows, rule out the possibility of a publicly funded campaign if both major parties's nominees decide, or even agree, on this course...Senator Obama believes that if there is a chance of the publicly funded alternative, it is a chance well worth protecting.

The Politico's report is here.

Congressman Charlie Norwood, R-GA, has decided to stop medical treatment for cancer, and will instead receive in-home hospice care back in Georgia, the Associated Press reports. The 66-year old Norwood reportedly made the decision as a result of the cancer spreading from his lungs to his liver. Norwood said, "Let me go back home, stop all the treatments and just see how I can do there," according to a spokesman. There are reportedly no current plans to resign, according to CNN.

Yes, Bill Clinton will appear at the annual fundraising breakfast for Dems this weekend in Westchester County -- in place of his wife, who was scheduled for the event but will instead be campaigning in New Hampshire. Bill Clinton's spokesman, Jay Carson, has confirmed to Election Central that he'll be making the Westchester appearance.

According to the Clintons' hometown newspaper, the Westchester County Journal News, it will be Bill's first appearance in the region since his wife announced her Presidential candidacy. His appearance will be interesting, because it will provide clues as to how he plans to go about promoting her candidacy.

The other day on Fox News Rudy Giuliani said that he supports a ban on so-called "partial birth" abortion. Rudy is trying to sell himself to social conservatives despite being pro-choice, and opposition to a ban on late-term abortion would almost certainly kill whatever chances there are that he could close such a sale.

But as we documented earlier today, Rudy hasn't always been for the ban; he frequently said he was against the ban back when he was getting ready to run for Senate against Hillary Clinton in late 1999 and early 2000. And now we've unearthed another clear-cut example -- an appearance on Meet the Press on Feb. 6, 2000 (via Nexis):

MR. RUSSERT: A banning of late-term abortions, so-called partial-birth abortions--you're against that?

MAYOR GIULIANI: I'm against it in New York, because in New York...

MR. RUSSERT: Well, if you were a senator, would you vote with the president or against the president?

MAYOR GIULIANI: I would vote to preserve the option for women. I think that choice is a very difficult one. It's a very, very--it's one in which people of conscious have very, very different opinions. I think the better thing for America to do is to leave that choice to the woman, because it affects her probably more than anyone else....

MR. RUSSERT: So you won't change your view on late-term abortion in order to get the Conservative Party endorsement?

MAYOR GIULIANI: It isn't just that. We shouldn't limit this to one issue. I'm generally not going to change my views unless somebody can convince me that I'm wrong.

Maybe someone has since convinced him that he's wrong, then. Who?

Folks like Joe Lieberman and conservative California Rep. Duncan Hunter have been arguing that the Senate should refrain from debating anti-escalation resolutions, because it risks harm troop morale. But at least one key figure appears to disagree: Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

That's what Gates said in testimony today before a House panel, according to the Associated Press:

Pace and Gates said they did not think debate in Congress would hurt the morale of troops in combat, undercutting an assertion by many congressional Republicans that members opposing the war were undermining the fighting forces there.

"As long as this Congress continues to do what it has done, which is to provide the resources for the mission, the dialogue will be the dialogue, and the troops will feel supported," Pace said.

Gates added that troops understand members of Congress want to find the best way to win the war. "I think they're sophisticated enough to understand that that's what the debate's really about," he said.

We'll bring you the full transcript of Gates' remarks as soon as it's available.

Meanwhile, here's what Lieberman had to say about this topic the other day:

LIEBERMAN: I fear that while this resolution is non-binding and, therefore, will not affect the implementation of the plan, it will do two things that can be harmful, which is that it will discourage our troops, who we’re asking to carry out this new plan, and it will encourage the enemy, because as General Petraeus said to our committee, war is a test of wills, and you don’t want your enemy to be given any hope.

Did John Edwards's campaign fire the two liberal bloggers that have come under fire from the right for allegedly anti-Catholic blog posts? Salon says they've got the scoop:

The right-wing blogosphere has gotten its scalps -- John Edwards has fired the two controversial bloggers he recently hired to do liberal blogger outreach, Salon has learned.

The bloggers, Amanda Marcotte, formerly of Pandagon, and Melissa McEwan, of Shakespeare's Sister, had come under fire from right-wing bloggers for statements they had previously made on their respective blogs. A statement by the Catholic League's Bill Donohue, which called Marcotte and McEwan "anti-Catholic vulgar trash-talking bigots," and an accompanying article on the controversy in the New York Times this morning, put extra pressure on the campaign.

But Edwards spokesperson Jennifer Palmieri cautioned Salon "against reporting that they have been fired." She promised that the campaign would "have something to say later." More soon.

Meanwhile, Salon's full report is here.

Here are a few updates on the movements of the Presidential candidates:

* Sen. Barack Obama is set to forgo public financing for both the primaries and the general election. Obama follows Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. John McCain, and former MA Gov. Mitt Romney in opting out of federal matching funds.

* Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani will deliver the commencement speech at the Citadel military academy in South Carolina on May 5th.

* Despite his placement in the second-tier of Dem presidential candidates, CT Sen. Christopher Dodd led the pack in fundraising -- yes, including Hillary -- during the 4th quarter by raising $3 million over the last three months of 2006. Dodd's position as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee is thought to have brought increased donations from the financial-services industry.

* Two bloggers, Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon and Melissa McEwan of Shakespeare's Sister, recently hired by the campaign of former Sen. John Edwards are drawing fire from a conservative religious group, The Catholic League, over comments they made on their non-Edwards-related blogs before joining his campaign. Media Matters has a look at the inconsistent history of outrage by The Catholic League's president, William Donahue.

* Sen. John McCain has gained the endorsements of Ohio Rep. Stephen C. LaTourette and former Alabama state GOP chairman Winton Blount.

* Former MA Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. Barack Obama, and former WI Gov. Tommy Thompson will each be traveling to Iowa this week. Romney will be in the state tomorrow, Thompson on Saturday, and Obama on Saturday and Sunday. Obama's visit will come on the heels of his official announcement of candidacy on Feb. 10.

* One of the biggest free agents left in New Hampshire, Bill Shaheen, the chairman of John Kerry's 2004 New Hampshire primary campaign and husband of former NH Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, was offered an unspecified campaign job when he met with Sen. Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC last week. Shaheen did not except immediately, but said he'd "make a decision in the near future." He will meet with Obama on Monday and has already fielded calls from Dodd, Edwards, and Sen. Joe Biden.

* Romney and Sen. Sam Brownback will address the Michigan Republican convention on Saturday while MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty will speak as a surrogate for John McCain. Pawlenty is the co-chairman of McCain's national campaign.

* Former IA Gov. Tom Vilsack blasted Senate Republicans yesterday for blocking a resolution critical of the Bush administration's Iraq policy and also criticized the non-binding resolution itself as "inaction."

* GOP Rep. Nathan Deal made it clear in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he's not jumping on the Mitt Romney endorsement train, but that he has warm feelings towards both former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Rep. Duncan Hunter.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, speaking at a press breakfast in DC yesterday, said he was optimistic that he had no where to go but up in the Republican primary. "When you’re in first place right now, there’s only one direction you can go, and it’s not a good one," he told reporters.

* Meanwhile, Huckabee will visit New Hampshire this Friday while NM Gov. Bill Richardson is scheduled to attend a Feb. 17 fundraiser for Concord City Democrats and Sen. Christopher Dodd is set to attend the Merrimack County Democrat's St. Patrick's Day dinner on March 17.

* Rep. Dennis Kucinich re-introduced the Department of Peace and Non-Violence Bill yesterday with 52 co-sponsors.

* Rep. Tom Tancredo is stepping down as the chair of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, which Tancredo has led since his first Congressional term in 1999.

While Rudy Giuliani is running for President in large part on the good will he earned from his 9/11 performance, another aspect of 9/11 could be coming back to haunt him: Revelations about the various ways his businesses succeeded at cashing in on his post-9/11 celebrity. Today's Chicago Tribune offers an extensive examination of Rudy's post-Mayoralty finances, scrutinizing everything from his lucrative speeches to his luxurious travel arrangements. More after the jump.

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Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are quietly duking it out behind the scenes to win the support of prominent figures in the African American political establishment, today's New York Observer reports. Many of these figures are torn between their longtime association with the Clintons and their recognition that Obama's candidacy potentially represents history in the making -- and the paper provides a rundown of who's with whom and why:

* Rep. Charles Rangel: With Hillary, but thinks that Obama “can become a hero in the black community.”

*Jesse Jackson: With Obama, because “I think he has the right stuff.”

* Alabama Rep. Artur Davis: With Obama, because “The fact of the matter is that Obama offers this country the chance to transform itself overnight with his election to the Presidency.”

* Rev. Al Sharpton: Undecided; thinks that Obama “has all of the right stuff, but he has to connect. It’s like having electricity: If somebody doesn’t put the light on, it doesn’t matter that it’s in the walls—you’re still in the dark.”

The paper's full rundown is here.

Rudy Giuliani on Fox News last night:

HANNITY: Partial birth?

GIULIANI: Partial birth abortion? I think that's going to be upheld. I think that ban's gonna be upheld. I think it should be. As long as there's provision for the life of the mother then that's something that should be done.

HANNITY: There's a misconception that you support a partial birth abortion.

GIULIANI: If it doesn't have provision for the mother I wouldn't support the legislation. If it has provision for the life of the mother I would support. And I do.

Rudy Giuliani, CNN, December 2, 1999, when he was running for Senate against Hillary Clinton (via Nexis):

[GARY] TUCHMAN: Giuliani was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions, something Bush strongly supports.

GIULIANI: No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing.

CNN, February 6, 2000 (via Nexis):

BLITZER: If you were in the Senate and [President Clinton] vetoed, once again, the so-called partial-birth abortion procedure, you would vote against sustaining that against the -- in favor of the veto in other words, you would support the president on that.

GIULIANI: Yes. I said then that I support him, so I have no reason to change my mind about it.

Rudy Giuliani, ABC News, February 6, 2000:

[GEORGE] WILL: Is your support of partial birth abortion firm?

Mayor GIULIANI: All of my positions are firm. I have strong viewpoints. I express them. And I--I do not think that it makes sense to be changing your position...

Perhaps this is purely a coincidence, but Barack Obama is planning a trip to New Hampshire on Feb. 12 -- one day after Hillary Clinton is scheduled to campaign in the state, the New Hampshire Union Leader says in a story just posted on its Web site. The trip will mark the Illinois senator's second trip to the Granite State in a span of two months.

Obama's campaign swing is set to include a "house party in Nashua," as well as a "town hall-style gathering at the University of New Hampshire." Obama's scheduled to formally announce his Presidential run on Saturday in Springfield, Illinois -- Abraham Lincoln's old political stomping grounds -- and then head to Iowa. After a fundraiser in Chicago on Sunday he'll head to New Hampshire on Monday.

Here are a few updates on the movements of the Presidential candidates:

• Mitt Romney will officially officially kick off his candidacy on Tuesday, February 13, in his original home state of Michigan, and will then hold a major fundraiser in Boston two days later.

• With his wife concerned about his health — and he himself perhaps concerned about political appearances — Barack Obama has resolved to quit smoking.

• John Edwards has announced that he will opt out of public financing for his campaign in both the primary and general election campaigns.

• Hillary Clinton has confirmed that she will appear at the Nevada Democrats candidate forum scheduled for February 21.

• Mike Huckabee is setting the Iowa Straw Poll in August as a crucial test for his underdog candidacy. Meanwhile, Huckabee's Democratic successor as Governor, Mike Beebe, is considering eliminating or weakening Huckabee's obesity report card program.

• Big-name donors to Tom Vilsack include Vernon Jordan, Warren Buffett and Rutt Bridges.

• Mitt Romney will travel to Michigan tomorrow, where he will deliver a speech on economic policy to the Detroit Economic Club.

• Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will speak on behalf of John McCain at this Saturday's Michigan state GOP convention.

• While touring Pennsylvania late last month, John Edwards decided to not just talk about energy efficiency — but helped to renovate a retiree supporter's home.

• Barbra Streisand is apparently unable to decide between Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama — so she's decided to donate campaign money to all three.

This should make things interesting indeed. Efforts to pass judgment on President Bush's escalation plan may have stalled in the Senate, but they may soon have better luck in the House of Representatives, Reuters reports:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives will take up a resolution next week disapproving of President George W. Bush's decision to add 21,500 American troops in Iraq, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Tuesday.

Although the House had intended to follow the Senate's lead on the issue, Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said the House had decided not to wait any longer on the Senate to act after Senate Republicans blocked debate on a similar resolution in that chamber on Monday.

"The reason we're going ahead is not because we don't think the Senate will ever act, but we're not sure when the Senate is going to act," Hoyer told reporters.

"I think the resolution will clearly say we do not believe that the president's proposal of an escalation of 21,000 troops is the proper policy to be pursuing," Hoyer said. It was being drafted now, he said, and he expected a three day debate.

As is now very clear, waiting on the Senate to pass such a resolution was not a very good idea.

Incidentally, one interesting political dynamic to watch here will be whether a House resolution will rachet up the pressure on the Senate to hurry up and pass its own anti-escalation resolution, already -- thus increasing pressure on GOP Senators facing reelection to stop backing the GOP-orchestrated filibuster. It's already unclear how much longer these Senators can hold out, and the specter of a similar measure actually being debated -- and even passed -- in the House will only make their position that much more precarious.

Some bad news for Rudy: A top conservative leader has declared that Rudy Giuliani's candidacy will tank with social conservative voters once Rudy's true liberal views are better known, and predicts that a Giuliani nomination would be a disaster for the GOP. Family Research Council president Tony Perkins says in an interview with Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network that "most pro-family Americans do not yet realize how far outside of the mainstream of conservative thought that Mayor Giuliani social views really are," adding that if Giuliani wins the GOP nomination, it will put a Democrat in the White House. More after the jump.

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Here, perhaps, is a sign of the reception Rudy Giuliani can expect from the social conservatives who drive GOP primaries. Terence Jeffrey, the editor-at-large of the conservative mag Human Events, writes in the current issue of National Review that Rudy's support for free markets and law and order doesn't make him a conservative:

The late Russell Kirk argued in The Conservative Mind that the first canon of conservatism is “[b]elief in a transcendent order, or body of natural law, which rules society as well as conscience. Political problems, at bottom, are religious and moral problems. … True politics is the art of apprehending and applying the Justice which ought to prevail in a community of souls.”

It is simply not justice to take the life of an unborn child. Nor is it justice to codify same-sex relationships so that, by design of the state itself, a child can be denied a mother or a father from birth, which is one thing legalized same-sex unions would do.

By advocating abortion on demand and same-sex unions, Rudy is doing something far more egregious than, say, defacing a New York subway train. He is defacing the institution that forms the foundation of human civilization.

That is not conservative.

Rudy will not win the Republican nomination because enough of the people who vote in Republican caucuses and primaries still respect life and marriage, and are not ready to give up on them — or on the Republican party as an agent for protecting them.

As we've noted here before, Rudy's obviously hoping to emphasize his points of agreement with conservatives on law and order and national security questions, and bank on the fact that his stances on those issues, his "Reagan-like" optimism, and his presumed electability will lead conservatives to overlook those differences.

Articles like this one, however, remind us that for many of the voters who drive GOP primaries, agreement on the core social issues is required for their support, and above all is non-negotiable. Not sure how Rudy overcomes that, but it will certainly be interesting to watch him try.

Great Moments In Fox News Dept. A new Fox promo features four photos on the screen at once of various "problems" America faces: Lynndie England from Abu Ghraib, Kim Jong Il, Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro ... and an old woman with a sign saying, "Hands off my Social Security." The closing image is the Fox logo with the text, "The problem is not America." With imagery like this, are they trying to tell us that problem is Fox News? To watch the ad, click here.

Chris Dodd may be widely seen as lagging at the back of the Democratic Presidential field, but he can now boast a Congressional endorsement from outside of his home state of Connecticut. The Boston Globe reports that Representiave Patrick Kennedy, D-RI — and son of Ted — has endorsed Dodd, saying that he and the Senator "share a special bond of camaraderie."

One might think that the younger Kennedy's endorsement would be an indicator of the rest of the Kennedy family's political loyalties, but that isn't necessarily the case — Patrick Kennedy broke with his father in the 2004 cycle to endorse Dick Gephardt, while Ted Kennedy backed John Kerry. The elder Kennedy hasn't picked a candidate yet this time around.

In yet another sign that Mitt Romney is outworking his rivals in winning over GOP Congressional endorsements, Romney is set to announce five new backers from the House GOP today, Roll Call reports. The new Romney supporters are: Rodney Alexander of Louisiana, John Linder of Georgia, Ralph Regula of Ohio, Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, and Mike Simpson of Idaho.

Meanwhile, John McCain announced the endorsement of Representative Ric Keller of Florida today.

President Bush's approval rating has sank to a dismal 32%, his lowest rating since last May, a new Gallup poll finds. Bush's approval numbers have remained below 50% for two years in the Gallup poll, and the survey also finds that the President's approval rating of 46% on terrorism -- which is often described as his signature issue -- is lower than his disapproval number of 52%.

Last week we reported that Mitt Romney has been successfully wooing top fundraisers and operatives linked to Jeb Bush. Well, here's John McCain's response to Romney's moves: He's rolling out support from people linked to the new Governor, Charlie Crist. The McCain camp has just announced these new recruits:

• Brian Ballard, who will be McCain's national finance co-chair and Florida co-chair. Ballard is the managing partner of lobbying firm Smith & Ballard, and served as co-chair of Crist's inaugural committee.

• Marty Fiorentino, who will be co-chair of McCain’s Florida finance team, and is president of lobbying firm Fiorentino and Hewett. Fiorentino worked on Crist's campaign and was finance chair of his inaugural committee.

• Manny Kadre, who will also be a co-chair of the Florida finance team, and is vice president and general counsel of the de la Cruz Companies. Kadre also served on the State Judicial Nominating Commission as an appointee of Jeb Bush, and was a team leader on Crist's transition team.

Okay, so the vote has just concluded on the question of whether to filibuster the Warner resolution against escalation. Only two GOP Senators up for reelection in 2008 voted against the filibuster: Senators Susan Collins and Norm Coleman.

Here's the list of Senators up for reelection next year who voted to filibuster the measure -- and hence voted to use the filibuster to in essence protect the President's escalation policy:

Senator John Warner (R-VA) Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) Senator Thad Cochran (R-MI) Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) Senator David Vitter (R-LA) Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK)

According to the Senate's Web site, GOPers John McCain and Mel Martinez missed the vote.

Here are the latest updates on the movements of the Presidential candidates:

• John McCain scored the support of a top religious right figure, picking up former Christian Coalition field director Guy Rodgers, who will serve on the McCain campaign as the Deputy Director of the Americans of Faith coalition.

• Barack Obama may have a controversy on his hands, Ben Smith reports. In a meeting of the Democratic National Committee's Black Caucus on Friday, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., who is black, told African-American political leaders who were uncertain of whom to support, "How long are you going to owe politicians for past favors?" — and that race alone should guide them to support Obama's candidacy.

• Hillary Clinton will be touring New Hampshire this Friday and Saturday, her first visit to the state in over ten years. Clinton had previously been scheduled to visit last weekend, but cancelled due to the death of her father-in-law.

• Mitt Romney's campaign announced that they are reaching out to modern cyber-campaigning, launching an official campaign Facebook group.

• John McCain has also announced the support of high-ranking state legislators in Romney's original home state of Michigan: Assistant House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer, House Minority Floor Leader Chris Ward, and House Minority Whip Kevin Green, who will serve on McCain's Michigan steering committee.

• Sam Brownback told a crowd of about 240 people in Columbia, South Carolina — including a minister who regularly protests abortions — "I will commit to helping end abortion in America."

• Dennis Kucinich spoke on Sunday to a standing-room only crowd in Dover, New Hampshire, quoting a a line from English Romantic poem, "Where is it now, the glory and the dream?"

• Duncan Hunter travelled to Florida on Saturday, meeting with Sen. Mel Martinez and attending a cookout in the town of Lamont, near Tallahassee

• During his speech before the DNC on Saturday, Tom Vilsack called upon Congress to immediately stop funding the Iraq War.

• Tom Tancredo declared during a visit to Iowa on Saturday that multiculturalism has become "a cultural, political, linguistic tower of Babel," diluting patriotism and national identity in America.

Update: Mitt Romney's campaign announced on Friday the endorsements of three GOP House members from Kentucky: Hal Rogers, Ed Whitfield, and Ron Lewis.

Today at 5:30, the Senate will take up a very technical-sounding measure that could have far-reaching implications: It could kill, at least in the short term, any chance that the Senate will formally condemn President Bush's plan to escalate the Iraq War.

What's going to happen is this: The Senate will be voting on the question of whether GOP Senator John Warner's anti-escalation resolution -- which has broad bipartisan support -- will even be allowed to be debated on, let alone come to a vote. And Mitch McConnell, the GOP's Senate leader, claims he's got enough Republican votes to prevent Dems from getting a filibuster-proof 60 votes in favor of it going to the floor. In effect, that could mean that the Warner resolution -- that is, the resolution against escalation with the most chance of a broad passage -- won't get debated or voted on at all.

More after the jump.

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Rudy edges closer to going for it:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor whose popularity soared after his response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, moved closer to a full-fledged campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday.

In a sign that he's serious about running for the White House, the two-term mayor was filing a so-called "statement of candidacy" with the Federal Election Commission. In the process, he was eliminating the phrase "testing the waters" from earlier paperwork establishing his exploratory committee, said an official close to Giuliani's campaign.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting any disclosure by Giuliani.

Via Atrios.

Yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Jim Webb set the record straight about the charged exchange he had with President Bush about his son, who's stationed in Iraq. Key quote: "And in that particular situation, I don't think the lack of courtesy was mine." To watch the clip, click here.

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Wow, this is a surprising number: Hillary Clinton is not just beating Rudy Giuliani in his home state — and her adopted state — of New York, but is trouncing the former Mayor by over 20 points in a new poll. The survey, released today by Crain's New York Business, finds that Hillary is beating Rudy 53%-32%.

The poll has another eye-opening number, too — one that suggests New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has lots of work to do if he is serious about launching an Independent bid. It finds that if he were running as a third-party candidate against Hillary and Rudy, he'd languish in the single digits in New York, garnering a dismal seven percent of the vote. And if he can't get traction for his Presidential run in New York, where he's a popular Mayor, where could he find traction for it?

Hillary, Obama and Edwards might have sucked up all the media attention when they spoke before the DNC winter meeting on Friday, but there were four other candidates who got to speak on Saturday, too: Biden, Richardson, Vilsack, and Gravel. To watch Election Central's highlight videos from their speeches, click here.

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee -- looking to cement the Dems' majority in the House -- is eyeing a bunch of GOP-held House districts where the incumbents look ready to retire or run for other offices, today's Roll Call reports. The Dems' expectation is that retirements -- or dissatisfaction with being in the minority -- could cause a wave of GOP defections that will leave behind districts that could then be ripe for a Dem pickup, the paper says.

Among the more than two dozen GOPers Dems are watching:

* Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), who "suffered a minor stroke last year, may mount a Senate race if Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) vacates his seat to concentrate full time on his presidential bid.

* Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.), who "reportedly is under FBI investigation, which has Democrats dreaming about his Inland Empire-based 42nd district, even though it gave Bush 62 percent of the vote in 2004."

* Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), former Appropriations Committee chairman, also is being scrutinized by federal authorities.

* Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.), who "seemed to invite the DCCC to come after her when she won a seventh term by barely 1,000 votes in the Equality State in November, where only 29 percent of the electorate supported Kerry in 2004."

Buried in today's Washington Post piece about President Bush's appearance before the Dems' annual retreat, we find this:

Pelosi told her colleagues that if it appears likely that Bush wants to take the country to war against Iran, the House would take up a bill to deny him the authority to do so, according to Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly.

We're not sure of the logistics of how such a thing might work -- please let us know if you do -- but it certainly seems noteworthy.

"There's a real good chance."

-- Rudy Giuliani, quoted by the Associated Press on whether he's going to run for President