Don't miss this New York Times piece, in which Rudy Giuliani reveals the paucity of foreign policy experience lurking behind the haze of 9/11 mythology that envelopes "America's Mayor." The best part comes at the very end:

As for Iran, Mr. Giuliani said that “in the long term,” it might be “more dangerous than Iraq.”

He then casually lumped Iran with Al Qaeda. “Their movement has already displayed more aggressive tendencies by coming here and killing us,” he said.

Mr. Giuliani was asked in an interview to clarify that, inasmuch as Iran had no connection to the Sept. 11 attacks. Further, most of its people are Shiites, whereas Al Qaeda is an organization of Sunnis.

“They have a similar objective,” he replied, “in their anger at the modern world.”

Asked to clarify his foreign poliy experience, Rudy confided that he'd visited a lot of countries on business, and even more absurdly cited the fact that he threw Yassir Arafat out of the United Nations. Best of all, in a reference to the Sept. 11 attacks, he said the terrorists "are planning to come here and kill us," adding:

“It is something I understand better than anyone else running for president.”

Here you have the Rudy game plan laid bare. The whole subtext of all this is simple: Rudy understands on a gut level better than anyone else just how bad those damn "ragheads" can be, and he knows we need to deal with 'em. This is in a sense the chief argument Rudy is making. But, channeling Matthew Yglesias, it doesn't constitute actual knowledge about national security issues in any way, shape or form.

We've said this before and we'll say it again:. It would really stink if the media cedes Rudy the aura of foreign policy experience, based on nothing more than the fact that he happened to be Mayor of New York on that clear day more than five years ago, rather than aggressively reporting on his lack of actual such experience. Anyone wanna take bets on which way it'll go?

In the wake of his politically disastrous stroll through a Baghdad marketplace, John McCain is relaunching his struggling campaign with a series of speeches arguing that victory is attainable in Iraq:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will launch a high-profile effort next week to convince Americans that the Iraq war is winnable, embracing the unpopular conflict with renewed vigor as he attempts to reignite his stalling bid for the presidency...

Together, aides hope, the speeches and remarks will serve as a reintroduction of McCain to voters, helping to ignite some of the same kind of passion his candidacy evoked in 2000....

[McCain supporter Rep. Rick] Renzi said McCain was frustrated with the media coverage of their visit to the marketplace and what he described as an unwillingness to cover positive news from Iraq.

McCain and his advisers keep talking about the magic of the prewar halcyon days of 2000 as if it's something that can be conjured up with the murmuring of a few incantations. They keep talking about the unpopularity of the Iraq War as if it can be made to disappear with a few photo-ops and speeches telling people that what they are seeing in Iraq isn't real -- hence the effort to stroll through Baghdad while pretending the massive military escort and the pervasive danger weren't there, and hence the frustration with the media for reporting on it.

But come on -- McCain is arguing for more and more war, while solid majorities think the war is hopeless and just want it to end. Reality isn't just going to go away to make life more convenient for John McCain, is it?

John Edwards -- who was first out of the box to pull out of the Fox-sponsored Nevada debate, earning accolades from the netroots and Dem activists -- has done it again.

His campaign has just called the Congressional Black Caucus and informed them that Edwards will not be part of the proposed Sept. 23 debate with Fox.

Edwards deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince has just e-mailed us the following statement:

"We just called the CBC to let them know that we're looking forward to their January debate with CNN but we're not going to participate in the proposed debate with Fox. The CBC champions critical issues that matter enormously to the future of our country, and we look forward to discussing them throughout this campaign and at their debate in January. But we believe there's just no reason for Democrats to give Fox a platform to advance the right-wing agenda while pretending they're objective. If there was any uncertainty as to Fox's objectivity, it was put to rest when they attacked Democratic candidates, Democratic constituency groups, and the Nevada Democratic party when their last proposed debate was cancelled for lack of support."

Tough stuff. This'll earn another round of praise for Edwards, who keeps showing he's making a credible bid to be the netroots candidate, and ratchet up the pressure on the other candidates to act accordingly in the increasingly high-stakes battle with Fox.

Update: Check out Ben Smith's comments on the racial and political dynamics at play here.

The big question in GOP Presidential primary politics right now is whether conservatives will be able to overlook Rudy Giuliani's increasingly strident pro-choice comments. If the opinions of the editors of National Review are any indication, they emphatically won't be able to overlook them.

Check out this new and scathing National Review editorial blasting Rudy over his pronouncement that government should fund abortion — a position well to the left of even many high-ranking Democrats. The editorialists note that they had "held out hope that Giuliani would try to meet pro-life conservatives halfway," adding: "Instead, we are sorry to say, he has mostly gone into reverse." In its toughest passage, it continues:

Economist Michael New has studied the effect of various policies on abortion rates and concluded that nothing has reduced them more than cutoffs in public funding. We can therefore assume that an America with Giuliani’s favored policies would be a country with more abortion — probably reversing the 15-year trend of decline, including the decline in New York City for which he takes dubious credit.

The last Republican president to favor legal abortion was the late Gerald Ford, and even he did not support taxpayer funding. Every Republican president and presidential nominee since then has favored legal protection for unborn life. Neither morality nor opinion polls suggest any reason to do a 180-degree turn now. Support for taxpayer funding of abortion is a minority position. Seventeen states provide taxpayer funding for abortion, all but four of them under judicial compulsion....

His position makes neither logical, moral, nor political sense. Many conservatives are disappointed, and hope that their disappointment is not going to grow as the campaign wears on.

Ouch. The whole thing is here.

Paging CNN...

One politician who's been getting some airtime as a critic of Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. A few days ago he hammered Pelosi for going abroad in defiance of the White House's wishes, saying that such defiance of the White House by Congressional leaders was "very dangerous."

But as Speaker himself in May of 1998, Gingrich aggressively inserted himself into American foreign policymaking abroad when he took a high-powered Congressional delegation to Israel. He openly denounced the White House's Middle East policies and made public comments in direct defiance of the White House. Right before his trip he even described then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as an "agent for the Palestinians."

In other words, despite the fact that the White House opposed her trip to Syria, Pelosi -- who claims she delivered the White House's message, unlike Gingrich -- has in many ways been more respectful of the White House than Gingrich was on his trip abroad. Yet CNN somehow can still ask without any irony whether Pelosi is on her way to becoming the "most controversial House Speaker yet."

More after the jump.

Read more »

It can now be said that Newt Gingrich has officially destroyed the Republican Party — on one college campus, at least.

The Associated Press reports that the College Republican chapter at the University of Vermont at Burlington has been decertified due to its inability to repay a loan from the student government. The expenditure that necessitated said loan and thus drove them to financial oblivion?

A speaking fee for a visit by Newt Gingrich in October of 2005.

It hasn't been disclosed just how high Newt's fee was, but apparently it was high enough to help put this little Republican club out of business. Here's hoping they at least got a good speech out of him.

Paging all Attorney Purge and Heather Wilson junkies: Everything you could ever want to know about Wilson is now being collected for your convenience in one, handy place: The DCCC's new Heather Wilson Watch Web site.

The site reflects the belief among national Dem strategists that thanks to the Attorney Purge scandal corruption as an issue -- a deciding one in 2006 -- will continue to be a potent one in the 2008 Congressional elections, a view pooh-poohed by some pundits. The DCCC's new site is here.

Check this out: A new Rasmussen poll shows that an Independent candidacy for President by Mike Bloomberg would draw almost all its support away from the Republican nominee.

The poll asks respondents who they'd vote for in a hypothetical three-way race between Independent Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton and John McCain; it also runs the same numbers with Bloomberg, Hillary and Rudy Giuliani. In both cases, interestingly, Hillary's support holds steady at 46% — in line with other Rasmussen polls testing Hillary in two-way races — while both of the GOP candidates drop to 37%. Bloomberg is a distant third with eight or nine points, siphoned away from the Republican column.

Key footnote: Though Bloomberg became a Republican to run for Mayor in 2001, he is a longtime liberal Dem who's given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Dem candidates over the years — a fact that might alter the above findings once Republican voters learn of it. Meanwhile, this poll would seem to suggest — like other surveys — far more enthusiasm about their candidates among Dem voters than among Republican-leaning voters, who appear to be hungry for an alternative to their party's current candidates.

Last week we brought you a comparison of Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's Senate votes on the Iraq War (plus another one that threw in Joe Lieberman). Well, here's another one featuring Hillary and John Edwards!

While the two voted together the vast majority of the time, there are several striking differences here that are definitely worth our time.

While both were initially supporters of granting President Bush the authority to invade Iraq, John Edwards was actually to the right of Hillary for some time. Edwards voted against liberal efforts to: Limit the war authority for just one year, after which the President would have had to seek it again; Call for tax increases to pay for the war effort; Force the creation of a report on the possible manipulation of intelligence in the lead-up to the Iraq War. On those votes, Hillary voted the more liberal position.

Then things changed in late 2003: The two switched places, most notably with Edwards voting against the $87 billion appropriation — with Hillary Clinton making up the more pro-Administration half. And as the Presidential campaign progressed, Edwards' attendance for more Senate votes suffered a severe drop.

Of course, all of this is qualified by a simple fact: In 2005, John Edwards publicly recanted his previous support for the war, something Hillary yet to do so bluntly.

Check out the full chart after the jump.

Read more »

CBS Reporter Lashes Out At McCain
Another reporter is ridiculing John McCain's statement that one could easily walk through neighbordhoods in Baghdad. "It's disgraceful for a man seeking highest office, I think, to talk utter rubbish. And that is utter rubbish," said CBS foreign correspondent Allen Pizzey in an interview. "It's electoral propaganda. It is simply not true. No one in his right mind who has been to Baghdad believes that story."

Jesse Jacson Backs Down From Fox-Black Caucus Debate Criticism
The New York Times reports that Jesse Jackson is toning down his position from a statement last week criticizing the Congressional Black Caucus for agreeing to hold a debate with Fox News. Jackson now says he is deferring to the Caucus's decision, and that debate negotiations can be used as an opportunity to pressure all news organizations, including Fox, to hire more black staffers and pay better attention to issues in the black community. "So while we may challenge some of Fox’s politics, none of them can celebrate the alternative of fairness and opportunity — none of them,” Jackson said.

Giuliani To Quit Consulting Firm
The New York Times reports that Rudy Giuliani will officially leave his corporate consulting firm, Giuliani Partners, to devote his full energies to the Presidential campaign. "I’m largely out of it and I’m pretty much going to be out of it at some point pretty soon," Giuliani said. Giuliani also described the Presidential campaign as like running "two marathons": The race to the nomination on Feb. 5, and then from there to the general election in November, each involving a different set of pressures and strategies.

Poll: Generic Dems Beats Generic GOPer By 18 Points For President
A new Hotline/Diageo poll finds that a generic Democrat would lead a generic Republican for President by a margin of 47%-29%. Along with a generic GOP candidate running below 30%, the poll also finds President Bush with an approval rating of only 35%, and a disapproval of 61%. Even worse, 45% of the country strongly disapproves of the President, ten points ahead of the total who approve to any extent.

Obama Working On Health Plan — To Focus On Efficiency Rather Than Taxes
The Des Moines Register reports that Barack Obama will roll out in the next few weeks a plan for every American to have health coverage by 2012. Obama stopped short of advocating tax increases for the goal, instead hinting that a focus on more efficient electronic record-keeping and preventive care could produce savings that could be leveraged to expand coverage. "We shouldn't just put more money into a system that isn't efficient," Obama said. Rival John Edwards has already advocated tax increases to pay for increased health care.

Thompson To Test Potential Candidacy At Big GOP Dinner
The Politico reports that Fred Thompson's testing of the 2008 Presidential waters is becoming more serious, with the actor and former Senator set to speak at the Lincoln Club of Orange County in California on May 4. Thompson will reportedly use the occasion not to actually announce a candidacy, but to test the receptiveness of an activist audience to him.

Gingrich To Debate Kerry On Global Warming
The Hill reports that John Kerry will debate Newt Gingrich on how to best address global warming, this Tuesday at the Russell Senate Office Building. Kerry will reportedly argue for stronger government action on climate change, while Gingrich is set to promote his "Contract With The Earth," calling for a bipartisan approach that stresses market incentives for conservation and the development of new energy sources.

Elizabeth Edwards To Appear On Oprah Today
Elizabeth Edwards will be appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show today, where she will likely talk about living with cancer on the campaign trail.

Richardson Trip To Focus On Soldiers' Remains, Not Nukes
Bill Richardson's insists that his trip to North Korea will not cover the subject of the country's nuclear program, the Associated Press reports. Instead, Richardson says the trip will be limited to recovering the remains of American Soldiers who were lost in the Korean War. "I assume the North Koreans will raise other issues like the nuclear agreement, but I am not planning to negotiate on that," said Richardson.

Here's the ad that Americans United For Change is running against vulnerable incumbent GOP Senator John Sununu: "When reporters tried to question John Sununu on Iraq, he ran away, yelling, `You know where I stand' as he fled down a Capitol stairway...Senator, we know exactly where you stand."

The group also has run versions of the ad against GOP Senators Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell. Check 'em out.

Rudy Giuliani seems to be divided over which way to go on abortion today, now that the revelation yesterday that he favors public funding for abortion — a position well to the left of even many Democrats — is provoking a harsh conservative backlash.

On the one hand, he's trying to boost his anti-abortion bona fides. National Review reports that the Rudy campaign sent out an e-mail to supporters, quoting Rudy saying, "As I have indicated before I will not seek to change current law as described in the Hyde Amendment," and boasting of the decrease in abortions during his tenure as Mayor of New York City.

On the other hand, however, he's continuing to make statements that run squarely against what the base wants to hear. The Associated Press reports that at a campaign stop in South Carolina — a deep South, socially conservative Bible-Belt state, no less — Rudy continued to insist that his pledge to appoint strict construction was emphatically not code-talk for overturning Roe v. Wade:

"If I’m going to appoint strict constructionist judges, which I’m going to do, for the reason that they are going to strictly interpret the Constitution, then, as president, I have to be a strict constructionist," Giuliani said. "The present state of the law on these issues is not something that I would seek to change."

This is pretty revealing. In an interview about Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria, a spokesperson for Mitt Romney inadvertently gave away the game on all the GOP criticism of her Syria excursion.

The moment came in this piece in a Pennsylvania local paper called the Lancaster Intelligencer Herald. The piece reports on Romney's criticism of Pelosi's trip, then goes on to ask his spokesperson whether the same criticism should be applied to the Republicans who also went to Syria. Check out the answer:

Romney spokeswoman Sarah Pompei said during an interview later in the day Romney believes the United States should have "one foreign policy" and that Pelosi's visit will "create confusion and undermine our interests abroad."

"Nancy Pelosi is different [than rank-and-file congressmen] because she is third in line to the presidency and the chief promoter of the troop withdrawal [from Iraq], which runs counter to the president's foreign policy agenda," Pompei said.

Yep -- her trip to Syria is different because she's the "chief promoter of the troop withdrawal." There you have it laid bare. This couldn't be more straightforward, really.

Look, when Pelosi took power this year there was no shortage of pundits -- and Republicans -- who kept issuing somber warnings that if she took actual steps to try to end the war she'd suffer badly as a result. Pelosi disregarded this "advice" from the punditry, and judging by the shrieks and head-banging noises coming from the office of Fred Hiatt her early successes represent a real threat to those who want to keep the war going until victory or forever, whichever comes first.

The real key, though, is that the public is supporting her efforts. This simply wasn't supposed to happen. So, in addition to all the things Josh says, the noise about the Syria trip is in a way a howl of frustration at Pelosi's preliminary successes and the public support for them. It's a last-ditch effort to paint her as a friend of the terr'ists in order to confuse the American people into losing sight of the fact that she's the one speaking for them on the war. As Romney's spokesperson makes plain, it's all about Iraq. And it's sad that the media is so willingly playing along.

So it looks as if the proposed Fox News/Congressional Black Caucus Democratic primary debate will not be one of the six debates "sanctioned" by the Democratic National Committee.

DNC spokesperson Karen Finney gives the following statement to Ben Smith:

“The DNC sanctioned debates will not include Fox," says DNC Communications Director Karen Finney in an email.

Smith comments: "The refusal of the party to consider sanctioning the Detroit debate, however, is a mark of an increasingly unified Democratic effort to marginalize the network." No word yet from Fox on this.

As Think Progress noted today, GOP Rep. Darrel Issa, who's traveling to Syria, is smacking the Bush administration for opposing diplomatic engagement with that country.

Now another GOP Congressman has come out and denounced the White House's Syria stance: Rep. Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania.

Pitts, who was one of three GOP Congressmen who have just returned from Syria, faulted the Bush administration in an interview with his local paper, the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal:

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts and two other Republican congressmen did not undermine the Bush administration by meeting with Syria's leader Sunday, despite going to Damascus against the president's wishes, Pitts said Wednesday...

Pitts and U.S. Reps. Frank Wolfe of Virginia and Robert Aderholt of Alabama met with Assad Sunday to talk about issues in the Middle East three days before Pelosi's delegation arrived there on a similar mission.

"Dialogue is not a sign of weakness," Pitts said after returning home Wednesday. "It's a sign of strength."

Pitts said the congressional Republicans' meeting with Assad did not undermine Bush because they emphasized the same policies the president advocates.

"The first thing we said was...to appeal to the Syrian government to stop the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq with (explosives) and killing our soldiers in Iraq," Pitts said...

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said the Speaker's seven-member delegation — six Democrats and one Republican — delivered a similar message Wednesday.

More on this in a bit.

Mitt Romney may have led the GOP fundraising field last quarter with over $20 million — but he's already spent half of it, leaving him with roughly the same amount of cash on hand as primary rival Rudy Giuliani, a new report says.

Newsweek writes that Romney told reporters yesterday that his campaign has $11.3 million on hand, meaning he has spent more than half of what he's taken in, a surprisingly high burn rate for such an early phase of the campaign. Rudy Giuliani, meanwhile, has roughly the same amount of cash on hand as Romney — that is, $11 million — though he only raised $15 million.

Key footnote: The primary explanation for the disparity in expenditures is probably the huge gap in name recognition between Rudy, whose post-Sept. 11 popularity has rewarded him with high name I.D., and Romney, who's already had to spend cash on ads in New Hampshire, Iowa, Florida and other key states to get better known.

Not bad for a comedian.

Al Franken, who's running for the Dem nomination to challenge vulnerable GOP Senator Norm Coleman, is announcing that he's raised a surprising $1.3 million this quarter. Making this achievement even more noteworthy, however, is the fact that Coleman has now announced that he's raised only $1.5 million -- a mere $200,000 more than Franken, despite the fact that Coleman's an incumbent and Franken's leading qualification to join the ranks of elected officials may be his ability to deftly skewer them on the radio and in books.

All in all, it's certainly an early sign of the competitiveness of the race -- and the fact that the plummeting popularity of the GOP and the Iraq war have made the pro-war Coleman one of the ripest of Dem targets.

Giuliani: I Won't Seek To Change Laws On Abortion Funding
Rudy Giuliani is backing off from his statement that he supports government funding of abortion on the grounds that it is a constitutional right. National Review reports that the Giuliani campaign quickly released a statement quoting Giuliani saying, "As I have indicated before I will not seek to change current law as described in the Hyde Amendment."

"Hunter" Romney Has Gone On Only Two Trips
The Boston Globe reports on another apparent flip-flop from Mitt Romney. Despite caling himself a gun-owner and a hunter "pretty much all my life," the candidate has had to admit that he does not currently own any guns, and has been on only two hunting trips in his life, one being a rabbit-hunt at age 15, and the other being an outing at a quail farm during a Republican Governors Association event last year.

McCain Camp Picks April 25 For Official Launch
John McCain's campaign has announced via press release a date for his official campaign launch: Wednesday, April 25. McCain will kick off a three-day announcement tour starting in New Hampshire, and ending that Friday in his home state of Arizona, with stops in South Carolina and Iowa along the way. Between then and now, he'll make a series of three major policy speeches on Iraq, economic policy, and his overall domestic agenda.

Kucinich: Front-Loaded Primary Calendar Will Be Good For Me
The Boston Globe reports that Dennis Kucinich likes the new front-loaded primary calednar, on the grounds that it won't give the party establishment the time to keep down an insurgent candidate who would have early successes — namely himself — as was done to previous anti-establishment campaigns such as Gary Hart, Pat Buchanan and John McCain. "When I run strong in New Hampshire and win New Hampshire it will propel me to be the nominee," Kucinich said.

Romney Backs Secret Timetables And Benchmarks For Iraq
The Hill reports that Mitt Romney — taking a page from conservative Demcoratic Senator Mark Pryor — backs a secret timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, one discussed between American and Iraqi policymakers but not publicly divulged. "There’s no question that the president and Prime Minister al-Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about, but those shouldn’t be for public pronouncement. ... You don’t want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you're going to be gone," Romney said.

Tommy Thompson Declares — Says Iraq Should Vote On U.S. Presence
The Des Moines Register quotes Tommy Thompson's announcement speech in Clive, Iowa, in which he laid out a proposal for the Iraqi government to vote on a continued U.S. presence in the country. "We should ask those leaders to decide whether or not they want America in their country," Thompson said. "I'm confident they'll vote yes ... but if that government votes we should pull out, we should pull out."

Iowa: Rudy, Edwards Lead In Iowa
A new poll from Republican polling firm Strategic Vision has Rudy Giuliani leading in Iowa with 25%, followed by John McCain at 20%, Fred Thompson at 11% and Mitt Romney 8%. On the Democratic side, John Edwards leads with 27%, followed by Barack Obama with 20%, who is in turn statistically tied with Hillary Clinton at 19%.

Romney Ad: I Like Vetoes
Mitt Romney is on the air in Iowa and New Hampshire with a new ad, "I Like Vetoes," in which he promises to cap federal spending at inflation minus one percent, and as President would veto any budget that goes over that limit. The Romney campaign has not disclosed how large the ad buy is. To watch the ad, click here.

Tancredo: I'll Use A Shooting Contest To Find VP
The Boston Globe quotes Tom Tancredo on a campaign stop at a New Hampshire gun store, being asked how he'd find a running mate with better aim than Dick Cheney: "It is a good question and I really haven’t thought about it. I think maybe we should have a skeet shooting contest."

ABC News claims to have The Number Everyone Craves -- that is, the amount Hillary has raised for the primaries:

ABC News has learned that the $23.5 million Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., raised for his presidential campaign for use in the primaries is more than that raised by the Democratic frontrunner, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

Of the $26 million Clinton has raised in the first quarter of 2007 for her presidential campaign, approximately $20 million is for use in the primaries and caucuses, sources tell ABC News.

But what about the $10 million Hillary transfered over to the campaign from her Senate account?

"He’s raised about $7 million per Gallup point. He’s a great salesman, there’s no doubt about it."

Did Rudy Giuliani just make it a whole lot lot tougher — if not impossible — for him to win over conservative activists uncomfortable with his positions on social issues? CNN is now reporting that a reporter asked Rudy today if he still supports public funding for abortions, as he did as New York Mayor. Rudy's blunt answer: "Yes."

From CNN:

"Ultimately, it's a constitutional right, and therefore if it's a constitutional right, ultimately, even if you do it on a state by state basis, you have to make sure people are protected," Giuliani said in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash in Florida's capital city.

A video clip of the then-mayoral candidate issuing a similar declaration in 1989 in a speech to the "Women's Coalition" appeared recently on the Internet.

"There must be public funding for abortions for poor women," Giuliani says in the speech that is posted on the video sharing site YouTube. "We cannot deny any woman the right to make her own decisions about abortion."

When asked directly Wednesday if he still supported the use of public funding for abortions, Giuliani said "Yes."

"If it would deprive someone of a constitutional right," he explained, "If that's the status of the law, yes."

But the presidential candidate reiterated his personal opposition to the practice.

"I'm in the same position now that I was 12 years ago when I ran for mayor — which is, personally opposed to abortion, don't like it, hate it, would advise that woman to have an adoption rather than abortion, hope to find the money for it," he said. "But it is your choice, an individual right. You get to make that choice, and I don't think society should be putting you in jail."

Will conservative activists be able to bring themselves to vote for a candidate who not only defends the idea of abortion as a constitutional right, but even favors public funding for it?

First out of the box to react to Obama's numbers? John Edwards, via a statement by his deputy campaign manager, Jonathan Prince:

"There's an enormous amount of support for Democrats as we've seen with our own fundraising efforts. It's clear that three campaigns are going to have more than enough money to win the nomination and communicate their ideas to voters - and it's those ideas that will ultimately decide the nomination."

I just checked in with top Hillary fundraiser and Dem strategist Robert Zimmerman for a quick reaction to Obama's astonishing numbers today. To his credit, Zimmerman's been predicting a competitive, wide-open race since last October.

His thoughts on today's Obama announcement:

"The fundraising has been historic for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and there will be three or four active, competitive candidates for the nomination. That's healthy and critical for the Democratic party.

"But the point is that the nomination will not be determined by how much money is raised, but by which candidate is best able to mobilize voters with a message. That's why I believe Hillary Clinton will be nominated and elected President.

"Howard Dean, to his enormous credit, broke every Democratic fundraising record in 2004. John Kerry had to borrow money to compete in Iowa and then went on to win the nomination. It's important to put this all in perspective."

Thoughts on today's news from one of Hillary's top donors.

John McCain's campaign has announced via press release a date for his official campaign launch: Wednesday, April 25. McCain will kick off a three-day announcement tour starting in New Hampshire, and ending that Friday in his home state of Arizona, with stops in South Carolina and Iowa along the way. Between then and now, he'll make a series of three major policy speeches on Iraq, economic policy, and his overall domestic agenda.

Another quick thought on Barack Obama's more than 100,000 donors.

Take Hillary Clinton's 50,000 donors, and combine them with John Edwards' 40,000 donors...and you get this striking conclusion:

Obama had more individual donors — over 100,000 of them, remember — than his two main rivals put together.

Meanwhile, Obama had the smallest average donation, at $250 per donor, versus $350 for Edwards and an astonishingly high $520 for Hillary — which means he'll perhaps be in a better position to tap his past donors for more small donations as the campaign progresses.

Now that we've got Barack Obama's numbers, let's take a look at the bigger story told by the totals:

It looks like the total raised by all the Democratic candidates in the past quarter is vastly higher than the total hauled in by the Republican candidates. Dems crushed Republicans by by about $25 million — or by a three-to-two margin — among those candidates who have reported in thus far. Check out the numbers:

Democratic Candidates
Hillary Clinton - $26 million
Barack Obama - $25 million
John Edwards - $14 million
Bill Richardson - $6 million
Chris Dodd - $4 million
Joe Biden - $3 million

Total: $78 million

(Note: No numbers have yet been reported from Dennis Kucinich.)

Republican Candidates Mitt Romney - $23 million (including a loan of $2.35 million from Romney himself) Rudy Giuliani - $15 million John McCain - $12.5 million Sam Brownback - $1.3 million Tom Tancredo - $1.3 million Mike Huckabee - $500,000

Total: $53.6 million

(Note: No numbers have yet been reported from Duncan Hunter, Tommy Thompson, Ron Paul or Jim Gilmore)

The difference is equally stark when you compare the totals brought in by just the top three Presidential candidates in each party:

Democratic Candidates
Hillary Clinton - $26 million
Barack Obama - $25 million
John Edwards - $14 million
Total: $65 million

Republican Candidates Mitt Romney - $23 million (including the $2.35 million loan) Rudy Giuliani - $15 million John McCain - $12.5 million

Total: $50.5 million

There could be a lot of factors at play here: Distress over Bush and Iraq, cautious optimism about the new Dem Congress, the lack of a clear-cut conservative in the GOP field. At any rate, the difference is certainly eye-opening.

One other quick detail from the Tribune article:

Obama raised $6.9 million—more than a quarter of his total—over the Internet from more than 50,000 online donors, the Illinois Democrat's campaign said from Chicago this morning.

Now look at Hillary's press release from April 1st. It reports a total of 50,000 donors overall.

Obama had more online donors than Hillary had in total contributors.

The Chicago Tribune adds some eye-opening detail about Barack Obama's just-announced $25 million fundraising haul:

Overall, Obama received contributions from more than 100,000 individuals, his campaign said. Clinton received donations from about 50,000 people, while Edwards took in money from about 37,000 donors.

Obama's campaign said that at least $23.5 million of its first-quarter collection would be available for the primary campaign, an important distinction because candidates are able to raise money now for both the primary and general elections.

This'll almost certainly ratchet up the pressure on Camp Hillary to produce a number on how much of her cash can be used for the primary.

Truly amazing. CNN, the Associated Press and MSNBC are all reporting that Barack Obama pulled in an astonishing $25 million, virtually tying Hillary's record haul of $26 million.

From the Associated Press:

Democrat Barack Obama raked in $25 million for his presidential bid in the first three months of 2007, placing him on a par with front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton and dashing her image as the party’s inevitable nominee.

Obama’s fundraising number came from an official in his campaign who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The eye-popping figure was the latest evidence that Obama, a political newcomer who has served just two years in the Senate, has emerged as the most powerful new force in presidential politics this year.

The enormous pull puts a serious crimp in the argument of Hillary supporters that her record haul reinforced the inevitability of her primary victory. More soon.

Giuliani To Court Moderates And Independents In Iowa Caucus
Rudy Giuliani told The Des Moines Register that he will emphasize his record on crime, taxes and security as "a way of appealing to Republicans who may have somewhat different views on social issues." He also said he'll go beyond the normal Republican caucus-goers and seek the support of Independents and moderate Republican-leaners who don't usually attend the caucuses. "We're going to pull as many people into this thing as we can," Giuliani said. "Independents can register as a Republican ... Well, we plan to reach out to them, too."

Obama Campaign Still Counting Money — Set To Release Numbers Today
The Associated Press reports that Barack Obama's campaign is set to release their first-quarter fundraising numbers today, with a figure expected to be over $20 million, just a few million behind the $26 million taken in by Hillary Clinton. The Obama campaign is the last top campaign to release their numbers, as they have reportedly still been counting cash donations raised at nationwide campaign house parties held just before the end of the quarter.

HBO To Make Florida Recount Movie
The Hill reports that HBO will be making a movie about the 2000 Florida recount, and while HBO head Colin Callendar promises it will be an impartial depiction of the event, virtually all those involved in making the film are Democrats — and one Republican claims that no Florida GOPers have been interviewed for the film.. HBO did, however, interview Republicans including Ben Ginsberg and James Baker.

McCain Hires New Fundraising Chief
The New York Times reports that John McCain's campaign has brought on Tom Loeffler, a former Texas Congressman and Bush fundraiser, to be his new finance chief. "This is a moment that has truly defined what needs to be done with respect to political fund-raising," Loeffler said of the massive amounts of money raised by the top candidates in the past quarter. "What it has shown for this team is that this is not a jog. This is a sprint."

Hillary Clinton Collecting On New Jersey Political Debts
The Star-Ledger notes that Hillary Clinton's support from New Jersey Democrats — with all the money expected to come from it — stems from a simple reason: Her long political history includes a massive amount of help to the state Democratic Party, including early support for Governor Jon Corzine's 2000 campaign for Senate, all the way down to fundraising for state legislative races. "More than anyone, she has made herself available to help us," said Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts. "That's helped us win a lot of races."

Elizabeth Edwards: Cancer More Treatable Than Initially Thought
The Associated Press reports that Elizabeth Edwards said that a recent round of tests shows her type of cancer to be a kind more receptive to recently developed anti-estrogen drugs, improving her overall outlook. "I don't expect to get yesterday's medicine," Edwards said. "If I can help it, I'd like to get tomorrow's medicine."

White House Supports Richardson Trip To North Korea
Although the Bush Administration is sharply critical of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Syria, another Democrat — and a Presidential candidate, too — is receiving the White House's blessing for his trip to North Korea. The Washington Post notes that the White House put out a statement recognizing Bill Richardson for heading up a private delegation to the "Axis of Evil" member country, where Richardson and his bipartisan delegation will discuss the recovery of American Soldiers' remains from the Korean War.

Dodd Signs On For Feingold Iraq Bill
The Hill reports that Senator Chris Dodd has become the first Presidential candidate to sign on as a cosponsor for Senator Feingold's bill to defund the war. In a statement, Dodd called the Feingold withdrawal plan "the strongest congressional measure to get the U.S. out of Bush’s failed policy in Iraq."

Rudy Leads In California — But All Top Dems Lead For General Election
A new Field Poll shows Rudy Giuliani with a lead of over 10 points over John McCain for California's GOP delegates. However, Giuliani and McCain both trail Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards in general election matchups by anywhere from 5-13 points.

As you may have heard by now, John Kerry told MyDD's Jonathan Singer in an interview posted today that John McCain's people approached him during the 2004 campaign to broach the idea of McCain being Kerry's Veep.

Now the McCain camp is denying the story. His campaign is circulating an interview with top McCain advisers John Weaver and Mark Salter done by TownHall.com in which they shoot Kerry's claim down pretty authoritatively.

According to Salter: “The idea that McCain approached Kerry is a fantasy.”

If you're interested in McCain's version of events -- in which Kerry practically got down on one knee and wept to get McCain to join his ticket while McCain valiantly resisted his overtures -- the whole thing is here.

“We need to change the approach of the White House, which means you’ve got to stand firm and say, ‘We don’t expect you to veto something that represents the will of the American people.'"

-- Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail today, commenting on what Dems need to do to confront the White House over Iraq.

John McCain's campaign has just put out a press release announcing that GOP money-man Fred Malek has signed on as national finance co-chair. That's a very important, high-level gig.

There's only one problem, though: Decades before Malek agreed to count cash for McCain, he counted Jews for Richard Nixon. Jews that were subsequently demoted — allegedly for being Jewish, that is.

Malek's past — which was first flagged by The Nation's David Corn — is discussed in this article in The Washington Post from about a year ago. It says:

It was also in 1971, The Post reported, that Malek was given a patently anti-Semitic order from a paranoid Richard Nixon to count the Jews in high-ranking posts in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Instead of refusing, Malek set about compiling a list of 13 of 35 top BLS employees who, he believed, were Jewish. Less than two months later, two senior BLS officials who were Jewish were moved out of their jobs to less visible posts. Malek acknowledges carrying out the disgusting hunt for Jews, but he denies having anything to do with the transfers.

Intriguingly, the McCain press release calls Malek as "an inspiring public servant who has served our nation well," a reference to Malek's service in the administrations and campaigns of Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

This is not the first time McCain has been less than discriminating about his hires — for instance, he signed up the man behind the "Harold, Call Me" ad as his campaign manager — and we're seeking comment from the McCain campaign about the less savory aspects of Malek's résumé. We'll keep you posted.

Rahm Emanuel reacts via an emailed statement to Bush's presser today:

"President Bush asserted again in the Rose Garden this morning that we're making progress in Iraq, and Senator McCain insists that Iraqi neighborhoods are safer. Meanwhile, the death toll for US troops continues to mount and the Iraqi government is failing to meet the President's own benchmarks for progress.

"We can't continue to pursue an Iraq policy based on fairy tales and rose-colored glasses. A majority of both the House and Senate have voted to change it. The President should join us."

Harry Reid reacts to Bush's presser:

The President today asked the American people to trust him as he continues to follow the same failed strategy that has drawn our troops further into an intractable civil war. The President's policies have failed and his escalation endangers our troops and hurts our national security. Neither our troops nor the American people can afford this strategy any longer.

Democrats will send President Bush a bill that gives our troops the resources they need and a strategy in Iraq worthy of their sacrifices. If the President vetoes this bill he will have delayed funding for troops and kept in place his strategy for failure.

Check out this line from President Bush's presser today:

He said:

The bottom line is this: Congress's failure to fund our troops on the front lines will mean that some of our military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return to the front lines. And others could see their loved ones headed back to the war earlier than they need to. That is unacceptable to me, and I believe it is unacceptable to the American people.

Let's put aside for a sec the more transparent ruse here -- that the Dems are failing to fund the troops, when in fact they passed a bill doing just that. Instead, check out how Bush is still asserting that the approach being used by the Congressional leadership -- that is, tying troop readiness standards and a withdrawal deadline to funding -- is "unacceptable" to the American people. Or at least that he "believes" (weasel word) that it's unacceptable to them.

The reality, however, is that if Bush vetoes Congress' bill, it will be Bush who is failing to fund the troops in the fashion that the American people want him to. The American people strongly support the Dem Congress' efforts to tie a withdrawal deadline to troop funding.

Gallup poll, March 26:

Would you favor or oppose Congress taking each of the following actions in regards to the war in Iraq?

Requiring U.S. troops to meet strict readiness criteria before being deployed to Iraq: Favor 80%, Oppose 15%

Setting a time-table for withdrawing all U.S. troops from Iraq no later than the fall of 2008: Favor 60%, Oppose 38%

Polls also show strong public support for the House and Senate bills, both of which tie such conditions to funding.

Pew poll, March 26:

A solid majority of Americans say they want their congressional representative to support a bill calling for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2008. Nearly six-in-ten (59%) say they would like to see their representative vote for such legislation, compared with just 33% who want their representative to oppose it.

Newsweek poll, March 31:

This week the Senate joined the U.S. House of Representatives in passing legislation along party lines that included a "goal" for troop withdrawal by next March. A majority (57 percent) of Americans support the legislation.

This is the second time in under a week that Bush has suggested that public opinion is with him on Iraq. No one asked him at today's press conference why he keeps asserting this when it's entirely false -- which perhaps explains why he feels free to keep repeating it. Of course, he's also completely lost the argument with the American people on Iraq already. So maybe it doesn't really matter all that much if he keeps telling the same lie again...

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One of the more inane things President Bush keeps repeating at his ongoing press conference right now is his objection to the fact that war opponents are calling for the war to end "before" all the new surging soldiers are in place. The implication seems to be that war opponents are exhibiting some sort of impatience that is unbecoming -- that they don't want to give the surge a chance to work before opposing it and the war. Or something.

But come on -- the people calling for withdrawal from Iraq right now also opposed the surge. They opposed it before Bush announced it, they opposed it after Bush announced it but before the new soldiers started going over to Iraq, and they continue to oppose it right now. They continue to oppose the surge, and continue to want withdrawal. So of course they're not going to wait until the "surge" is fully in place before continuing to call for withdrawal.

There's simply nothing one can say in response to inanities that are as inane as these.

Rudy Making First Trip To Iowa Today
The Des Moines Register reports that a lot is riding today on Rudy Giuliani's first trip to Iowa as a Presidential candiate, with conservative activists getting the first chance to see the socially liberal Republican up close. "We have to decide, based on this first visit, what kind of response he gets," said Giuliani's top Iowa consultant, said former Congressman Jim Nussle, a key Rudy adviser. "Up until now, the response has all been remote. It's been a remote response based on what he's been doing nationally."

Hillary: I'd Support Public Financing
Even as her campaign announced a massive $26 million quarter, Hillary Clinton indicated she would support a system of public financing for campaigns that would make render such fundraising unnecessary, the Associated Press reports. "I believe we have to move, eventually in our country, toward a system of public financing that really works for candidates running for federal office," Clinton said. "I will support that as President."

Elizabeth Edwards: "Everything Is Fair Game."
Elizabeth Edwards told ABC News, "Honestly, everything is fair game" in a campaign, and thus is was important for she and John Edwards to be honest about her medical condition with people as they are asking for votes. Edwards added that "people have a right to ask any sort of question that they think they need to know about you."

Richardson Signs Medical Marijuana Bill
The Associated Press reports that Bill Richardson officially signed yesterday legislation to allow medicinal marijuana in New Mexico. "It's a humane piece of legislation," Richardson said. "It does not mean I support legalizing marijuana. It means that we are alleviating suffering."

McCain Announces Support Of 23 Iowa Mayors
The McCain campaign announced yesterday the endorsements of 23 mayors throughout Iowa, whose support will give the campaign a needed boost on the ground in the key state.

Tancredo: "The Field Of Candidates" Is Why I'm Running.
Tom Tancredo told a conservative talk radio host in Iowa yesterday that he is running because he saw no other candidates willing to address his signature issue of illegal immigration, The Denver Post reports. "No one is going to make this issue a primary part of their campaign," Tancredo said. "I want to enforce the law. And I know that's scary for a lot of my colleagues."

Former New Hampshire Congressman Endorses Dodd
The Boston Globe reports that Chris Dodd's underdog candidacy received a minor boost in New Hampshire with the endorsement of former Congressman Norman D'Amours, who served in Congress from 1975 until his unsuccessful bid for Senate in 1984.

Huckabee Fundraising Fizzles
The Associated Press reports that Mike Huckabee's campaign raised a mere $500,000 in the past quarter, less than 1/40 the amount that field leader Mitt Romney raised, and also far behind Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. A Huckabee campaign spokesman said the former Arkansas Governor has only been actively running for about six weeks, explaining the lack of fundraising.

ARG Polls: Clinton Leads In Four States
A new round of polls from American Research Group finds Hillary Clinton with strong leads in Colorado, New York, New Jersey and West Virginia. Rudy Giuliani has big leads in New Jersey and New York, while he edges McCain in Colorado and narrowly trails McCain in West Virginia.

Buried in today's New York Times piece on Barack Obama's fundraising is -- finally! -- a hard number of sorts confirmed by his aides:

Aides said Monday that he had collected more than $20 million in donations in the first three months of the campaign, enough to ratchet up the anxiety in the Clinton camp, which announced it had raised $26 million. Mr. Obama’s campaign has yet to release precise information on its total donations or contributors.

If true, it's pretty extraordinary that such a sum was raised out of nowhere by a man who has been in the Senate a mere two years. He vastly outraised a former Vice Presidential candidate and pulled in enough cash to strike worry into the camp of a former First Lady and huge Democratic star who also benefits from the fundraising clout of a spouse who happens to be a former President. Quite an achievement on Obama's part. The Times explains how he did it.

Stories like this one make one think that it's only a matter of time before the reality of Rudy's social liberalism catches up to him in key conservative-dominated primary states — in this case, South Carolina.

According to The Charlotte Observer, Rudy has just become the only one of the key GOP candidates to fail to endorse a bill making its way through the South Carolina legislature that would discourage abortion by mandating that a woman seeking one first view an ultrasound of her fetus.

The bill has the support of John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee — all of whom have now endorsed the measure in glowing terms. By comparison, the best that a Rudy spokesman could do is call the bill "a good example of a matter best left to the states to decide."

Is there any way at all that a states-rights dodge will be enough to get Rudy off the hook with socially-conservative voters? After all, for them any and all questions about abortion are urgent issues of life and death. We'll find out in the months to come.

Just to keep you abreast of today's war of words between White House press secretary Dana Perino and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid...

Perino in today's briefing:

QUESTION: Back to war funding. As I'm sure you're aware, Senator Reid is now saying that he's signing on to the more stringent legislation, the Feingold legislation. Do you have a comment on that?

MS. PERINO: There's just these shifting sands when it comes to the Democrats and their decisions. It's almost shifting so fast it's like a sandstorm. Last Thursday the Senate Democrats passed a bill that said that -- that mandated our troops leaving within 120 days from last Thursday. Over the weekend, when we said this money is going to run out in April, and he said, oh, no, no, no, they'll be fine until July -- well, then, what is it? Are you wanting troops to leave 120 days from last Thursday, or 120 days from July or whenever it is that you get this bill to the President's desk?

Reid's response via a just-emailed-out press release:

"As we learned last November, the only thing that has shifted is the public support for the war in Iraq. As more and more Americans demand to see the troops get out of what is clearly a civil war, this Administration stubbornly continues to stick its head in the sand."

Christ, this could have been tougher. But still, the basic point is in there: Every time the White House and the rapidly-dwindling corps of war-enabling pundits and commentators say, "Dems are against the troops," the response is, "The White House and the GOP are against the troops coming home -- and against the will of the majority of the American people."

"It's interesting because three of our colleagues, who are all Republicans, were in Syria yesterday and I didn't hear the White House speaking out about that."

-- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wondering aloud about the White House's criticism of her visit to Syria.

John McCain has come in third in the so-called "money primary," raising a comparatively anemic (especially for the "establishment" candidate) sum of $12.5 million this quarter. McCain's release has the numbers, along with an expression of disappointment from his campaign manager:

During the first quarter of 2007, John McCain 2008 campaign received nearly 60,000 contributions from all 50 states, averaging $200 per contribution. The McCain campaign will report over $12.5 million in contributions for the first quarter.

Campaign Manager Terry Nelson said, “Although we are pleased with the organization we’ve built and polls show us strongly positioned in key primary states, we had hoped to do better in first quarter fundraising. We are already in the process of taking the necessary steps to ensure fundraising success moving forward.” Nelson added, “Fundraising in the first quarter is no more important than fundraising throughout the entire primary election campaign.”

Mitt Romney raised nearly $21 million, and after kicking in $2.35 million of his own, brought in a total of $23 million -- nearly double what McCain brought in. Rudy hauled in $15 million, besting McCain by more than two million.

Quite a sign of the times that a haul of $12.5 million in a single quarter practically requires an abject public apology from his campaign manager.

Hillary just emailed out a new Iraq petition to supporters:

Tell President Bush: Don't Veto the Will of the People

Last week the Senate passed historic legislation that calls for a phased redeployment for our troops in Iraq while ensuring they have the support they need. It's an important first step in ending the war in Iraq. But President Bush has threatened to veto the bill.

The American people have had enough of the president's failed strategy in Iraq. Join Hillary in telling him to listen to the will of the people and to Congress, withdraw his veto threat, and begin phased deployment of the troops out of Iraq.

You can find it -- and fill it out if you're interested -- right here.

You've got to check out the questions in the latest Fox News poll. They're hilariously loaded — so much so, in fact, they are as clear a case study as anybody could possibly want that:

(a) Poll questions can be skillfully rigged to bring about a desired outcome; and

(b) Fox News specializes in asking such questions, especially on issues that could be damaging to President Bush and the GOP.

Check out these questions, and their responses. Fox's artful wordings elicited the exact opposite findings of other, more reputable polls on questions involving the Attorney Purge and the Iraq War:

Do you think a Congressional investigation into the dismissal of the eight federal prosecutors is a good use of taxpayer money?

Yes 39%
No 51%

Who do you trust more to decide when U.S. troops should leave Iraq — U.S. military commanders or Members of Congress?

Commanders 69%
Members of Congress 18%

There's also this little gem:

After the 2004 presidential election, the president of the left-wing Moveon.org political action committee made the following comment about the Democratic Party, 'In the last year, grassroots contributors like us gave more than $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the DNC, and proved that the Party doesn't need corporate cash to be competitive. Now it’s our Party: we bought it, we own it and we’re going to take it back.' Do you think the Democratic Party should allow a grassroots organization like Moveon.org to take it over or should it resist this type of takeover?

Should allow 16%
Should resist 61%

Some of the GOP candidates' fundraising numbers are in, and guess what: Mitt Romney absolutely trounced Rudy Giuliani in the so-called "money primary."

CNN reports that Romney raised over $20 million, all of it for the primaries — an astounding sum that is roughly 33% higher than Rudy's take. According to a release just out from Rudy's campaign, the former New York mayor pulled in a total of $15 million this quarter — $14 million of which is designated for the primaries.

Key footnote: Ten million dollars of Rudy's cash was raised in March alone, after Rudy belatedly entered the race — a sum that suggests a fundraising pace that could ultimately allow him to be more competitive. No numbers out from John McCain yet.

Obama House Party Becomes Live Webcast
Barack Obama used the Internet to put what would have been a small house party in Iowa online, in coordination with over 5,000 other small gatherings across the country, The Chicago Tribune reports. The Obama campaign used the occasion to rally his supporters and to raise money at the end of the first-quarter fundraising period.

Elizabeth Edwards: No Interest In Cabinet Meetings
In response to Rudy Giuliani's suggestion that his wife Judith might be able to sit in on cabinet meetings, Elizabeth Edwards said that as First Lady she would have no interest in direclty formulating policy, the Associated Press reports. Edwards called the post of First Lady a "great big megaphone and you get to talk about things you care about and I hope I'd be busy doing that and mothering my adorable children as opposed to sitting in Cabinet meetings."

Thompson Law & Order Episodes Likely To Cease Airing If He Runs
The Washington Post reports that reruns of Fred Thompson's Law & Order episodes would likely have to be pulled from broadcasts if he runs for President. Otherwise, his free screen time onthe show could potentially be counted as a requirement to give out free time to the other Republicans.

Quinnipiac: Rudy, Hillary Lead in Florida
A new Quinnipiac poll fins Rudy Giuliani with a commanding lead of 35%-15% over John McCain in Florida, with a high undecided rate of 19% and the rest of the field heavily divided. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has 36% of registed Democrats, while current non-candidate Al Gore takes second place with 16%, ahead of Barack Obama at 13%.

Judith Giuliani Worked With Dog-Killing Medical Supplies Firm
The New York Post reports that animal welfare activists are up in arms over Judith Giuliani's four-year tenure in the late 1970's with medical supplies company U.S. Surgical. During her time as a saleswoman there, the company would demonstrate its surgical staples on dogs that were then killed or died in the operations. A Giuliaini campaign spokesman was unable to determine whether or not Judith Giuliaini ever participated in those demonstration procedures.

Romney Policies Being Reversed By Successor
Democratic Governor Deval Patrick, Mitt Romney's successor in Massachusetts, has set about deliberately reversing various social-conservative policies enacted by the Romney administration. The Boston Globe reports that Patrick has ordered the Department of Public Health to officially record marriages for out-of-state gay couples, which Romney had blocked, and The Boston Herald reports that Patrick will undo restrictions on stem cell research handed down during Romney's tenure.

Richardson To Travel To North Korea
The Associated Press reports that Bill Richardson will make a trip to North Korea, where he will meet with officials from the country's communist regime. The trip will likely serve as a chance for the former Ambassador to display his diplomatic credentials, in addition to his current job as a Governor.

Kucinich: Oppo Research "Spiritually And Politically Counterproductive.”
The Examiner reports that the Dennis Kucinich campaign sent out an e-mail asking supporters to track the other candidates' statements and positions — only to be followed up by another message from Kucinich himself, cancelling the project and saying, "such tactics are spiritually and politically counterproductive."

Tommy Thompson Makes Bid Official
Former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson went on ABC News' This Week With George Stephanopolous to declare his candidacy for President. Thompson said he would have the Iraqi government hold a vote on whether or not the American presence would continue, and then abide by that result.

Tancredo To Announce On Talk Radio
The Denver Post reports that Tom Tancredo heads to Iowa today, where he is expected to announce his campaign at a venue friendly to grassroots conservatives — talk radio. A source close to the campaign told the Post, "That's where the conservative movement has made its mark. That's where our people get their news."

Hillary's numbers are in: Her campaign announced today that she's raised $26 million this quarter, a number that was predicted by some but is nonetheless a staggering sum -- a record, in fact. Here's the breakdown from her campaign:

* $26 million raised in new receipts since launching her campaign on January 20

* 80 % of the contributions were $100 or less.

* $4.2 million raised on the internet (including $1 million in a week during the One Week, One Million campaign, and nearly $600,000 online in the 36 hours preceding the deadline)

* $6 million in total grassroots donations (internet plus direct mail and telemarketing receipts)

* 50,000 donors (tens of thousands of them new donors)

* Contributions received from residents of all 50 states (plus Washington, DC)

* $10 million transferred from Senator Clinton’s successful senate reelection account

Many insiders are closely watching the money race between Hillary and Obama, with some wondering whether Obama will startle Camp Hillary with a surprisingly big haul -- and others noting that the Hillary people are working very hard to post intimidating numbers that will convince everyone of her inevitability. There are, of course, other candidates in the Democratic primary, but nonetheless, insiders seem to be focused on little other than the money race between Hillary and Obama. Obama's campaign is still tallying up his take. We'll bring you the rest of the candidates' numbers when they're available.

Update: Here are the numbers from the other Dem candidates:

John Edwards, $14 million Bill Richardson, $6 million Chris Dodd, $4 million Joe Biden $3 million

Still no tally from Obama's campaign, though reports are estimating that he'll pull in the neighborhood of $20 million.

The Rudy camp must have realized that his assertion the other day that wife Judith Nathan would be welcome at cabinet meetings presents a bit of a problem. Rudy's campaign has now issued a statement "clarifying" his remarks and saying she won't attend most cabinet meetings, "if any." From the Associated Press:

In the statement, the former mayor sought to play down his own remarks and suggested any discussion of a policy role for his wife was merely prompted by Walters' questioning.

''Judith and I got a good laugh after we heard that she would be a member of the Cabinet, especially after she made it clear in the interview with Barbara Walters that she is not particularly interested in politics or policy,'' he said. ''Like most couples, we rely on each other and support each other, but we have different interests. My interest is in politics and deciding policy. Judith is a nurse. Her interest is in educating people on how to stay healthy.''

Yeah, wherever did Walters get the idea that Judith would be interested in attending such meetings? Here's the relevant part of the interview itself (via Nexis):

BARBARA WALTERS (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Will you sit in on policy meetings?

JUDITH GIULIANI (RUDY'S WIFE)
Again, if he asks me to, yes, and certainly, in the areas of healthcare.

BARBARA WALTERS (ABC NEWS)
(Off-camera) If and when you were president, would Mrs. Giuliani sit in on cabinet meetings?

RUDY GIULIANI (FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR)
If she wanted to, if they were relevant to something that, that she was interested in, that would be something that I'd be very, very comfortable with.