From The Hotline Latest Edition for Tuesday, April 29,2008

CLINTON

Hogs, Pansies, And Mario Cuomo

Tue. Apr. 29, 2008


NC Gov. Mike Easley (D) endorsed Hillary Clinton in Raleigh this a.m. -- "a surprise boost to her candidacy" in a state where Barack Obama "is heavily favored" (Fouhy/Robertson, AP, 4/28). Easley made his endorsement official, saying Clinton "gets it" and is a fighter who he said "makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy." He began his endorsement, saying: "There's nothing I love more than a strong, powerful woman. So I've been in hog heaven today."

Easley: "There's a lot of 'yes we can' and 'yes we should' going around. Hillary Clinton is ready to deliver. That's the difference." For her part, Clinton said she was honored to have Easley's endorsement, and quoted ex-NY Gov. Mario Cuomo's famous line, that you "campaign in poetry but you govern in prose" (Memoli, National Journal/NBC, 4/29).


Take It Easley, 150 MPH

Easley "does not have the sort of political machine" that PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D) used to help deliver votes for Clinton in that state. But Easley is "popular with rural, white, blue-collar" Dems, the sort of voters that Clinton has successfully targeted in wins in PA and OH. The Clintons "have been quietly courting" for months and, not surprisingly, Bill Clinton "has had numerous telephone conversations with Easley" (Christensen/Krueger/Niolet, Raleigh News & Observer, 4/29).

Dem consultant David "Mudcat" Saunders: "It's an incredibly strong endorsement because Easley is popular among the blue collar 'Bubba' voters who are Democrats." More Mudcat: "He's clean in the culture. Easley's wrecked the Charlotte Motor Speedway doing 150 miles per hour, and Bubba likes that. He's a hunter. He's a strong Second Amendment guy. He gives her great cultural validation in the state of North Carolina."

Whatever "Easley's electoral virtues, though, his endorsement also carries a clear message for an even more important audience-- the superdelegates." Clinton superdelegate Robert Zimmerman: "The message of Easley's endorsement to superdelegates around the country is that she is the most electable Democrat in November" (Smith/Kuhn, Politico, 4/29).

Sen. Richard Burr ex-comm. dir. Doug Heye: "Make no mistake, Governor Easley's endorsement of Senator Clinton is HUGE. It's the result of the smart work of the Clinton campaign (look at their use of military surrogates) and the continuing controversy surrounding Senator Obama and Rev. Wright." More Heye: "It is still uphill, but make no mistake, Governor Easley would not endorse a candidate he thought was going to lose" (Hotline reporting, 4/28).

Newsweek's Alter: "I just frankly don't know what Easley's organization is like in North Carolina. But it's obviously, you know, a good pickup for Hillary Clinton. She's in good position in the expectations game there because almost everybody else in North Carolina and the congressional delegation, even the old Edwards folks are on the Obama team. So, this is something that she needed if she wants to be competitive there" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 4/28).

CNBC's Harwood: "He's a conservative Democrat. He speaks to a lot of the target voters that she's trying to get to. He's also urged Obama to debate. ... This is a very good thing for Hillary Clinton. I don't think it's worth 10 or 12 points, though, which is what she needs" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 4/28).

CNN's Malveaux, asked if Easley's endorsement of Clinton will boost her numbers: "Obviously, this is a good thing for her. It is a big catch, because Barack Obama, he really has the kind of demographics in [NC] that favor him. ... But if Easley can tap into the Democratic political machine of the state, it will help, and we have seen that Clinton really benefited from the endorsements of ... the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania, particularly Ed Rendell ("American Morning," 4/29).


Xanax And A 401K

The pro-Clinton American Leadership Project is spending $700K on a new ad in IN "targeting Obama on the economy." ALP spokesperson Jason Kinney said that the new ad will be "similar in content and tone" to a recent ALP spot hitting Obama on health care -- only this time, the ad "will be focused on jobs." Kinney: "Indiana has long been ground zero for economic anxiety."

Kinney confirmed that the money will pay for the ad to be shown on "broadcast and cable in nearly every market" between today and early next week. Kinney said "that the group is also likely to add more money to air a version of the health-care spot in" IN, although the details of that buy aren't yet available. He also said that the group is thinking about funding ads in NC (Sargent, "TPM," 4/28).

The IN ad campaign "would be the biggest single expenditure in a state for the mostly union financed group," which spent more than $1M running ads in TX, OH and PA (AP, 4/29).


The Pilgrims Landed, Hit Oil, And Now We Celebrate!

At a firehouse in NC, Clinton "criticized" Obama, saying: "My opponent, Senator Obama, opposes giving consumers a break from the gas tax. I understand the American people need some relief" (AP, 4/28).

She "blasted" Obama 4/28 over his opposition to "a plan to suspend federal gas taxes this summer." Clinton and John McCain "back the proposal to halt the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. She said she would impose a 'windfall profit tax on oil companies to pick up the lost revenues.'" Clinton: "If we suspended it and made up the lost revenues, that's the best of both worlds" (Campanile, New York Post, 4/29).

The unveiling of Clinton's proposal, "backed up by a new TV ad" in IN, "also represented her continued efforts to secure an advantage over Obama" among white blue-collar voters (Dorning/Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 4/29). While Obama's "view is shared by environmentalists and many independent energy analysts, his position allowed" Clinton to draw a contrast with him "in appealing to the hard-hit middle-class families and older Americans who have proven to be the bedrock of her support" (Broder, New York Times, 4/29).


Her Publicist Couldn't Have Said It Better

Clinton, campaigning in NC, "knocked" McCain and the GOP for "politicizing" the Rev. Jeremiah Wright issue, "but tip-toed around her reaction" to Obama's handling of the matter. Clinton: "I have said that that that was a personal decision of his I answered one question about it that made it clear I would not have stayed in that church under those circumstances. But, I regret the efforts by the Republicans to politicize this matter and I believe that if Senator McCain were serious he would do more than just send a letter he is the putative nominee I think he could very clearly tell the North Carolina party tell the Mississippi party that he would not tolerate those kinds of advertisements and I'm waiting to see if he does that."

When asked if Wright's "comments were a reflection upon Obama, Clinton quickly and matter of factly said, 'You will have to ask him that'" (Harper, "Political Radar," 4/28).


Do The Wright Thing

Wall Street Journal's Seib writes, "Maybe it's time for another speech on race relations in America -- this time by" Clinton. It is Clinton "who now has the greater ability to ease racial tensions within her party. Arguably, she also has the greater need to do so, for her long-term standing. Simply stated, her camp is the one now being accused of, or at least implicated in, using the race card."

So what might Clinton "be able to say were she to address the racial question in a high-profile way? She could go some ways toward defusing the issue simply by acknowledging the tension and declaring that neither she nor her husband intend to do anything to add to it -- and, in fact, were long considered champions by black Democrats before this year" (4/29).


The Clouds Parted. Birds Sang. Angels Wept. $300K Feel From The Trees.

Clinton spent 4/28 campaigning in NC. Some highlights:

• The Clinton camp says it raised $300K during three fundraisers in NC 4/28, including a low-dollar "Club 44" event headlined by HRC and Chelsea Clinton (Memoli, National Journal/NBC, 4/28).

• Speaking to more than 4K supporters at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, Clinton told NC voters to treat 5/6's primary as a hiring decision. 'Think about it as if you're hiring a surgeon to perform an operation on a loved one. Hire somebody who is prepared on Day 1."

• Clinton "got a star's welcome to the uptown Charlotte arena. Greeted by Bobcats owner Bob Johnson, she entered to a darkened arena with spotlights dancing over a crowd cheering and waving signs" (Morrill, Charlotte Observer, 4/29).

• Clinton "supporters stood through a downpour of rain" 4/28 for the opportunity to hear HRC speak in downtown Concord, NC. And "in a moment of campaign luck, beams of sunshine broke through the clouds" just as Clinton's "caravan arrived outside Troutman's Bar-B-Que" (Deines, Concord Independent Tribune, 4/29).


The King Of Queensboro Bridge

Clinton has requested nearly $2.3B in federal earmarks for '09, "almost three times the largest amount received by a single senator this year." Clinton's "staggering request comes at a time when Congress remains engaged in a heated debate over spending federal dollars on parochial projects." McCain has "called for eliminating what he dubs 'wasteful Washington spending,'" and Barack Obama "has spurned earmarks, seeking no funds for pet projects in the upcoming fiscal year." Yet Clinton is "continuing to request billions for earmarks, most of which will go to her home state" (Raju/Bogardus, The Hill, 4/29).


Settling Into Bad

New York Times' Leibovich writes, the "the question of what exactly" B. Clinton's "role" is in his wife's campaign "has been a much-pondered mystery." As has been the case throughout his public life, Clinton's "motives, agenda and apparent mistakes have been the source of great speculation outside the Clinton world and hand wringing within it. Inside the Clinton campaign, the general view is that" Clinton's more provocative statements are not calculated as Rep. Jim Clyburn and others have suggested. More interesting tidbits:

• Cinton has "settled into something of a 'bad cop' role" for HRC campaign.

• Clinton's "relationships with many of his old friends have also suffered." Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Clinton have not spoken since Kennedy endorsed Obama.

• Friends say "Clinton has been ill prepared for, and somewhat stunned by, the changing media landscape he has confronted" (2/29).

• New Yorker's Lizza, on his piece on B. Clinton: "The point of the piece, what's been missed, the reason [B. Clinton] doesn't like [Obama] is because Obama's been attacking his record as president. I think that's one of the exchanges that's really gotten missed" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/28).


As Goes The Cougar, So Goes The Sell Out

"Barely a week after playing a campaign event" for Obama, singer and songwriter John Mellencamp "plans to perform" at a downtown Indianapolis event for Clinton. Mellencamp is slated to appear with Clinton 4/31 "at The Lawn at White River State Park" (Thien, Indianapolis Star, 4/29).

Factor This In

Clinton will be a guest on tomorrow night’s (4/30) "O’Reilly Factor." This is Clinton's first appearance ever on the show (Hotline sources, 4/29).

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