Clinton Campaign Memo: Focus On Early Voting

The infamous internal Clinton campaign memo that made the case for skipping Iowa had another facet to it, which could potentially become a key part of the Clinton campaign and others, too. Deputy campaign manager Mike Henry pointed out that before Iowa and New Hampshire even vote, potentially millions of absentee ballots will already have been sent out in the larger states voting on February 5. "Iowans will not be the first to vote ... We must fund an expensive paid communications and a vote by mail/early vote program in these mega-states," Henry wrote.

Cheney Denounces Geneva Conventions, U.S. Constitution

Steve Benen points out that at Dick Cheney's commencement speech at the United States Military Academy yesterday, the Vice President had harsh words for the Geneva Conventions and the protections of the Constitution. "Capture one of these killers, and he'll be quick to demand the protections of the Geneva Convention and the Constitution of the United States," Cheney said. "Yet when they wage attacks or take captives, their delicate sensibilities seem to fall away."

Richardson Stumbles On Meet The Press

Bill Richardson seemed to be having a tough time on Meet The Press this morning. The candidate was grilled by Tim Russert on subjects ranging from the Wen Ho Lee case to gun control, his endorsement of Roe v. Wade dissenter Byron White, and whether he was ever offered a baseball contract. A full video of Richardson's appearance should be posted on the Meet The Press Web site later this afternoon.

Edwards: My Wealth Won't Hurt Me — My Background Helps

John Edwards said in an interview that he does not think his wealth would damage his populist image. "I think, in America, we generally admire people who've pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps," Edwards said. His wife Elizabeth added, "In order to give millions of dollars, you actually have to earn millions of dollars. The only people capable of doing those things are people who have either inherited money — that would not be John — or by their own work amassed enough money to do those things."

Romney Misrepresents Jeb's Position On Illegal Immigration

Mitt Romney reportedly told a crowd in Florida, "I deputized, as did Gov. Bush here, my state police to be able to enforce immigration laws." One problem, according The St. Petersburg Times: Jeb Bush's pilot program for training state police dealt with suspected terrorists, not illegal immigration in and of itself. Bush went even further at the time, saying he "would have a lot of trepidation if local law enforcement became the immigration cops of the country."

Jeb Bush: I Did Not Criticize Romney

Jeb Bush has issued a statement denying reports that he privately said he was "disappointed" in Mitt Romney's hard-line stance against illegal immigration. Many of Jeb's aides have joined the Romney campaign in Florida, and Romney has come to be viewed as the unofficially (thus far) endorsed candidate of Jeb Bush.

Obama Plans BIG Fundraiser in Chicago

Barack Obama's campaign has a huge fundraiser planned for June 8 in Chicago, expected to take in $1.5 million in contributions, the single largest haul for the campaign yet. The nine individual chairs for the event have each pledged to each raise at least $100,000.

Huckabee Criticizes Washington, Immigration Bill

In response to a question about the immigration bill, Mike Huckabee had strong words for Presidential candidates based in Washington, suggesting that they don't have credibility on a whole host of issues. "There's really a disconnect I think between people in this city and folks out there in America who when they see Washington say we have this wonderful plan, they say yeah right, we saw what you did with Katrina, we saw what you did with corruption, we saw what you've done in terms of managing the war," Huckabee said. "So when you tell us you've fixed immigration, we're not buying it. It is a credibility issue as much as it is an issue with the details."

Video: Fred Thompson's Speech In Connecticut

Here's an embedded video of Fred Thompson's entire speech at a Connecticut GOP dinner on Thursday, courtesy of The New York Sun, in which he denounced the immigration bill and seemed to go even further in blasting Ronald Reagan for the 1986 immigration law: