Iowa has three million people. Of those 100,000 will vote in the Democratic caucus. You could try and identify who those 100,000 are, and focus on them directly, which is not a bad idea. Or you could think those 100,000 don't live in a vacuum. They do breathe the air in their towns. They are in tune with their county grapevine. I think getting free local media attention is absolutely fundamental, the local newspaper, the local radio.
There has got to be some software somewhere that will give you the itinerary for what I am proposing. Try and make as many Walmart stops as possible using a helicopter. Metrics used: how many Walmarts did you visit, how many hands did you shake? How many local reporters did you invite to each event? If you do this for one week, can you make 100 Walmart stops? That is what I am asking. Greet people at the door.
I am a fan of Walmart. Most people don't realize Sam Walton is a bigger deal than Bill Gates. Walton's numbers are stronger. In most of those small towns out there, Walmart makes it possible for people in the middle and lower income brackets to buy stuff that one generation earlier were only in fantassyland. Bedsheets from China? C'mon.
I guess Walmart could do a better job of taking care of their workers. But they are not breaking no law. Health care is primarily a public sector undertaking. You can't blame public failure on a private enterprise.
The Walmart in those small towns is like the subway in NYC. That is the only place where the locals get to see each other in large numbers. I personally have visited more Walmarts all over this country than Hillary ever would, and she once sat on the Walmart Board. And I am not even running for anything.
At each stop you should get your local volunteers to show up. After all, it is those volunteers who do all the work after you and your staffers are long gone.
Iowa is proof America is not a country of 300 million where it is not humanly possible to go meet every possible voter one on one.
Hillary tops 50% now nationally. Edwards Kennedy was the same way in 1980. Kennedy and Clinton are famous last names. They are dynastic. It is like 1976 is when America tired of being a republic. You have had either a Bush or a Clinton run at the national level ever since.
I am not worried. We just have to keep plugging in.
Barack must win Iowa. That is where the game begins.
This game is physical.
In The News
Clinton Now Ahead of Obama in Money Race ABC News Clinton holds nearly three months before the voting starts, to Obama's $35 million$32 million. ...... an aggressive third quarter of fundraising. ..... had a total of $50.5 million in the bank .... nearly $16 million of that cannot be used for the primaries. ..... They each reported debts Clinton owed $2.3 million and Obama owed $1.4 million. ...... McCain, enjoying something of a resurgence in the polls ...... Clinton used the third quarter to secure her place as a national front-runner. She has recently hit 50-percent support among Democrats in national polls ....... $4 million for salaries followed by $2.2 million for travel ....... Clinton also refunded $1.2 million to donors ....... Obama had a $3.8 million payroll for the quarter and spent $2.3 million on travel. ....... Giuliani leads all candidates in radio advertising with more than 640 spots in several states ....... radio is cheaper and can be targeted to specific audiences. ....... Romney had placed 10,600 television ads from Jan. 1 to Oct. 10. Richardson, the Democrat, was second with 5,800 television spots. ....... Obama ramped up his advertising toward the end of third quarter, spending nearly $3.3 million on media. He has placed more than 4,200 spots on television, practically all of them in Iowa India-US nuclear deal stalls indefinitely Guardian Unlimited Described by the Bush administration as the "single most important initiative in the 60 years of our relationship"' the landmark agreement would have allowed India to become the first nation allowed to keep its atomic weapons and to trade in nuclear technology despite not having signed international treaties on non-proliferation. ....... The communists' argument is that India's foreign policy is becoming subservient to the US, and that Washington is steadily moulding the country's economy. The nuclear deal, they say, tightens America's hold on India. ...... an "ideological battle in India between isolationists and globalisers". ....... 80% of the US Congress voted for the deal." ...... was seen as a way of bringing India, which has an advanced military and civilian nuclear programme, in from the cold. ..... would help to supply India's growing energy needs and mitigate against greenhouse gas emissions. ....... "It would have seen India become reliant on imports of enriched uranium rather than relying on our own supplies." Olmert hints at Jerusalem split Guardian Unlimited the move would remove a significant obstacle Clinton backed by 50% among Dems USA Today she commands the most enthusiastic backing of any contender in either party. ..... a landscape for 2008 that seems to be moving toward Clinton in particular and Democrats in general. ...... he cautions on Clinton's positive results: "These perceptions can turn around in a great big hurry if you lose an early primary." ........ 50%-21%, her biggest edge since spring ...... two-thirds of Clinton's supporters say they are "certain to support" her. ..... Only once has a presidential candidate received as much as 50% support in a Gallup Poll and then gone on to lose his party's nomination. That was Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy in 1980. ......... she has continued to be out there saying where she wants to take the country ...... 53% of Republicans say they "might change their mind" about which candidate to support. ..... 64% of Democrats say they would "enthusiastically" vote for Clinton as the nominee; 49% say that of Obama. ...... When his name is included in the horse race, the former vice president finishes third, behind Clinton and Obama. Benazir Bhutto returning to Pakistan defiant but compromised International Herald Tribune her Pakistan People's Party hopes to draw a million people onto the streets of the country's biggest city to give her a spectacular welcome and launch its campaign for parliamentary polls in January. ....... has vowed to quit the powerful post of army chief if he secures another five-year presidential term. ...... the chaotic 13-year period of civilian rule that preceded Musharraf's takeover. ...... allegations of massive corruption and misrule that left Pakistan nearly bankrupt. ...... Bhutto, now 54, claims charges against her including amassing properties and bank accounts overseas while in power were politically motivated. .... Swiss authorities convicted her of money laundering in 2003 and ordered her to pay US$11 million to the Pakistani government. The conviction was automatically thrown out when she contested it, but the case remains under investigation. ........ corrupt politicians they likened to parasites and piranhas. ...... Bhutto's premierships between 1988 and 1996 saw her clash with the country's army-led establishment, which held great sway over foreign policy during a period when Pakistan pushed on with its nuclear weapons program and backed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. .......... she would let U.N. investigators question Abdul Qadeer Khan, the nuclear expert blamed for leaking Pakistani weapons technology to Iran and North Korea. Khan was pardoned by Musharraf, who has refused foreign authorities access to the man considered to be the father of Pakistan's atomic program. ........ A day before he was hanged, Benazir visited him in prison. .... "I told him on my oath in his death cell, I would carry on his work," she recalled later. ...... became the first woman to lead a modern Muslim nation. ...... September 1996, when her younger brother Murtaza Bhutto was shot to death in a gunbattle with police outside his home in Karachi. Bhutto's mother threatened to file murder charges against her and Zardari. Her youngest brother, Shahnawaz, had died under mysterious circumstances in France a decade earlier. ........ Benazir accused President Farooq Leghari of involvement in Murtaza's death and Leghari dismissed her second government amid fresh allegations of misrule. ....... a country often associated with Islamic extremism and oppressive social customs. ....... I am a symbol of what the so-called 'Jihadists,' Taliban and al-Qaida, most fear ..... "I am a female political leader fighting to bring modernity, communication, education and technology to Pakistan." China "furious" at Dalai Lama's US award Reuters U.S. Congressional Gold Medal .... after being hosted at the White House by President George W. Bush. ...... "We are furious," Tibet's Communist Party boss, Zhang Qingli, told reporters. "If the Dalai Lama can receive such an award, there must be no justice or good people in the world." ..... The Dalai Lama has said he supports a "middle way" policy that advocates autonomy for Tibet within China, but Qiangba Puncog said China believed he still supported independence and warmed that separatist activities in the region were increasing. ....... Earlier this year, an ethnic Tibetan in the western province of Sichuan addressed a crowd on the need for greater religious freedom and for the Dalai Lama to be allowed to return. The man, Runggye Adak, has been charged with subversion ........ graffiti calling for the Dalai Lama's return was found scribbled on walls, a sign of his residual influence throughout ethnic Tibetan regions of China. Clinton edges Obama in latest cash on handChicago Tribune $10 million transferred from her Senate re-election fund. ...... as they built out field organizations ...... Boosted by early and aggressive television advertising campaigns in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Romney is leading in the polls in both states. Clinton, Obama Enter Next Stage of Primary Race Flush With Cash Bloomberg next 100 days ....... Most states will hold their contests by mid-February ...... Clinton paid $15,000 for office rent to the William J. Clinton Foundation run by her husband ....... pent $6 million on payroll, $1.7 million on media and almost $1 million on polling. ...... Among Obama's expenses was a $9.30 charge for printing at the Clinton Library in Arkansas. He spent $5.6 million on payroll, $2.1 million on telemarketing and $3.7 million on media. ....... Obama is spending as much per week on Iowa TV as Kerry did less than a month before the 2004 caucus ....... the Clinton campaign burning through $22.6 million, compared with $21.5 million for the Obama campaign. ...... Obama reported more new donors in the third quarter than he estimated at the beginning of the month. His total of 108,000 new contributors may have topped Clinton's estimate of more than 100,000. ....... Clinton's biggest sources of money were New York-based Morgan Stanley, whose employees gave $209,970, and New York- based Goldman Sachs Group Inc., whose employees contributed $186,540. ....... ``When you look at the scale and scope of the operations that both of these campaigns have, it's staggering.'' Clinton: A week of courting yet more women Baltimore Sun Clinton plays the front-runner’s gameMSNBC she’s tempted to follow the dismissive rule laid down in 2000 by George W. Bush: the sooner you can retreat into a bubble, the better. Why should male candidates be the only ones allowed to be imperious? ....... In 2000, Bush was careful to be point of stark fear about his media and crowd surroundings; he positively hated unplanned, spontaneous contact with voters he didn’t know, or hadn’t vetted. ............. “But Hillary’s people are acting just like the men. It is all very closed-off and top-down.” ........ Politics, said the late Lee Atwater, is a “base game.” He meant that a candidate had no chance unless he (or she) had a loyal, unshakable core of supporters who would “stick” no matter what. For Hillary, it’s the Reddy Women. They comprise much of her operational core and the demographic bull’s eye of the voter cohort she wanted to win. ........... The message: Clinton’s campaign would be the history-making capstone of a generational gender crusade for power. ........ Her Woman to See in Iowa is Christie Vilsack ....... In New Hampshire, Hillary’s local hub is in the Shaheen family. ..... Every successful presidential campaign has a cadre of trusted aides drawn from some deep aspect of the candidate’s roots. In JFK’s case, it was the Navy: the PT-109 tie clasps his friends cherished were much more than trinkets, they were talismans. .......... Hillary’s is a remarkable network of women that has been deepening in experience, yet still hungry for power on their own. ......... Mandy Grunwald, the veteran media expert; Patty Solis Doyle, the campaign manager ....... Tamara Luzzatto, the tough-as-nails Senate chief of staff; and Teresa Vilmain, a legendary organizer who was lured back into the game for one last go-round in Iowa. ......... talented and tough .... fiercely loyal to Hillary .... running a shrewd, tough campaign ..... Concord Monitor columnist Katy Burns. She asked last weekend whether New Hampshire voters should elect someone (like Bush) seemingly “obsessed with control and secrecy.” The question isn’t whether she can win, Burns, wrote. “A better question is, should she win?” Clinton banks on female vote MSNBC 400000 usd grant for Nepal to combat corruption - ADB Forbes help the Himalayan Kingdom combat corruption by strengthening the capacity of concerned government institutions in fulfilling their respective mandates......... good governance and strong institutions are central requirements for poverty reduction and economic growth, adding effective anti-corruption measures are at the core of good governance. Nepal Maoists start anti-Dalai Lama campaign Hindustan Times last month Christian groups from nearly 20 countries had held a nine-day conference at a resort in the valley. ...... though the conference was ostensibly called to discuss religious issues, it meant to add momentum to the movement to free Tibet from China. Buddhist monks from India, Nepal, Japan, the US, Britain, Germany, Uganda, France, Israel, Argentina, Chile, Iraq and Tibettook part in the meet ........ Prachanda has ruled out allowing the office of the Dalai Lama's representative in Kathmandu to re-open, saying his party would not condone any action that could displease China. ...... India's diplomatic policy towards Nepal has been floundering since it helped a multi-party government end King Gyanendra's regime and come to power. China, on the other hand, enjoys the best possible relations with Kathmandu though it supported the royal regime and sold it arms and ammunition to hunt down the Maoists. Dacoity in moving train in Bihar Times of India Nigeria: Country Signs Military Pact With India AllAfrica.com India, Nigeria reaffirm stance on UN Security Council, boost tiesAFP Nigeria: Indian PM Wants New World Money OrderAllAfrica.com Nigeria and India must work together to reverse the imbalance in international financial and trading systems and make them more development friendly ........ "The crushing burden of debt on the poorest of the poor, and barriers to trade in the form of restricted market access and distortion in subsidies need to be removed." ........ the United Nations. ...... the structure and functioning of the organization has to reflect contemporary global realities. It has to become a truly representative world body." ....... The information revolution and higher level of literacy have raised expectations. Disparities are leading to social tensions. Economic growth has to be accompanied by better distribution of its benefits ........ We wish to see many more African companies doing business in India. We will facilitate this process. ........ "Annually, over 15,000 African students study in India. Many Indian engineers, doctors, accountants live and work in Africa." ....... India seeks much greater convergence with Africa ...... While India is the largest democracy in the world, Nigeria is the largest democracy in Africa. India's Singh Tells Bush of Nuclear `Difficulties' (Update4)Bloomberg Hope not dead for India on US nuclear dealReuters India HK papers: Hu's report charts clearer roadmap for China Xinhua Front-runners for China leadership take centre stageAFP his pet theme of "scientific development" -- a call for more sustainable growth that mitigates many of the problems caused by China's economic boom. ....... Hu is widely suspected to be battling behind the scenes during the Congress against a faction dominated by former president Jiang Zemin over appointments to top decision-making bodies and his successor. Dell Defends Layoff Decision KXAN-TV Led Zeppelin to sell music online Reuters such hits as "Stairway to Heaven" and "Communication Breakdown," which has sold an estimated 300 million albums worldwide Two codefendants to testify against OJ SimpsonLos Angeles Times the alleged theft of about $80,000 in sports memorabilia from two collectors at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino. ....... "O.J. is the big fish," said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School professor and a former federal prosecutor, "and I think prosecutors are trying to line up everybody to point the finger at him." ....... Simpson asked Cashmore to help him move some things, and the men drove to Palace Station, where Simpson had been told that some memorabilia belonging to him was being offered for sale Britney turns herself inTampa Bay's 10 Wearing large sunglasses, the pop star went into a police station to be booked on charges of hit and run and driving without a valid license. She was there about 45 minutes, being photographed and fingerprinted. ..... The charges stem from an August wreck where Spears struck another car while trying to park her own vehicle. She was seen on a videotape walking away after checking the damage.
I am absolutely sick and tired of white guy reporters asking Barack and Michelle if they feel safe running for the White House. Two prominent progressive white guys along with MLK got mowed down in the 1960s. A conservative white guy took a bullet in the 1980s. Why make this a race thing?
And if it is a race thing, why do white male presidents need secret service protection? They should be able to say, don't bother with all those details, I am fine, I am white.
They were asking this question last year. And Barack just got asked this question on national television yesterday. This is so out of line.
Guys like Barack need secret service protection for the same reason gals like Madonna or Hillary need secret service protection. When you become visible, when you become a public figure, you tend to attract all sorts of attention. And so a protective layer becomes necessary. Otherwise it is going to become impossible to do public events.
And if there is a race angle to protecting Barack, I am sure the secret service people are all over it. They are professionals. They work very hard at what they do. They are methodical. They are into it. And they know history for their particular line of work more than we do.
I mean, one of those reporters could get struck by lightning. Is there secret service protection for that? I don't think so.
In The News Laura Bush plans six-day tour of the Middle East USA Today United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan ....... men and women who are beyond childhood years may not mingle in public, unless they are family or close relatives. Mutawwa may ask to see proof that a couple is married or related. Women who are arrested for socializing with a man who is not a relative may be charged with prostitution. Some restaurants, particularly fast-food outlets, have refused to serve women who are not accompanied by a close male relative. Rice touts 'most serious' Mideast peace efforts in years CNN International it's time for the establishment of a Palestinian state and it's time for Israel to live in the security that is going to come with a peaceful and democratic neighbor ....... a "serious, substantive and concrete" framework for a November peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland. ...... Jerusalem, borders, settlements and refugees. Rice: Now Is Time for Palestinian StateABC News The Israelis and Palestinians are trying to work out an outline for a final peace deal ahead of the Annapolis conference, but tensions arose on Sunday when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet that he did not regard that outline as a prerequisite for the meeting to take place. The Palestinians said that without such a document, they would not attend. Israel has been pushing for a vaguely worded document while the Palestinians want a detailed outline, complete with a timetable for establishing a Palestinian state. .... the conference might be postponed because of the gaps between the two sides. UN envoy says Myanmar arrests must stop Reuters Canada Pelosi says she'll press on with Armenian 'genocide' resolution CNN International Obama: I Don't Believe In Polls CBS News 2008: Giuliani’s New York on a National Stage New York Times his tale of transforming a dour, Democrat-filled Gotham ...... personal responsibility, low taxes and the right balance of civil liberties and security ....... A boy at an Exeter, N.H., town hall meeting asked him “if (there’s) something living on another planet, and it’s bad and it comes over here, what would you do?” ........ gives Mr. Thompson points for rolling out the most concrete plan to alleviate the Social Security deficit—a topic on which his fellow candidates, both Republican and Democrat, are reluctant to be specific. ....... Senator Clinton plans to spend part of this week wooing women voters, beginning with a lunch today in New York. ....... the Illinois senator said God has entrusted humans with the responsibility of caring for the earth, and “we are not acting as good stewards of God’s earth when our bottom line puts the size of our profits before the future of our planet.” .......... Barack Obama neither owns a Prada suit nor knows what a “suppressed waist” is ......... The candidates’ third-quarter campaign finance filings — chock full of detail — are about to become public. Who’s spending, on what, how much and from where. China Congress a Test for Hu's Strength The Associated Press China assures neighbours it will not indulge in expansionTimes of India Hu outlines blueprint for ChinaAljazeera.net China’s Leader Closes Door to Reform at Meeting New York Times Castro And Chavez Memorialize Che CBS News Jaya Bachchan thanks Dev Anand for 'rejecting Zanjeer' Hindu Legendary actor Dev Anand, who's amazing acting enthralled the viewers over half-a-century, has come in praise for "rejecting a role", which later kickstarted the career of megastar Amitabh Bachchan. ........ which was then offered to a struggling Amitabh Bachchan, her husband. ...... the 'evergreen actor' .... Eighty-four year-old Dev Anand ..... played by Amitabh, who was preparing to pack up his bags and return to his native Allahabad if the film failed. ......... Jaya Bachchan said her mother was a huge admirer of the actor. ...... My entire family and entire Bollywood loves you, the ever-green hero." ...... in those days Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand were the leading stars and Dev Anand was the heart-throb of women. ....... Dev Anand narrated the struggle he had undergone for two-and-a-half years after he shifted from Lahore to Mumbai in 1943, with just Rs 30 in his pockets. "I was always waiting for a special ray of sunshine to fall on me. Once I got my break I never looked back," he said. ........ 'Hum Ek Hain (1946)', 'Aandhiyan (1952)', 'Rahi (1953)', 'Hum Dono (1961)', 'Guide (1965)', 'Jewel Thief (1967)', 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971)' Cisco Wants WiMax TheStreet.com Uganda/Ghana: Soccer Legend Pele to Visit Uganda AllAfrica.com Pele is arguably Africa's most decorated and honoured soccer player ever. Porn Spammers Get Five Years PC World Searches in Inquiry Into Death of Model New York Times Keeping the momentum on Burma International Herald Tribune, France India's identity crisis in BurmaBoston Globe India's shameful collaboration with the military junta in Burma ...... Is India betraying its democratic values for the sake of its great-power ambitions? ........ because Indian policy makers are obsessed by their strategic competition with China. ....... India had once been Suu Kyi's most ardent supporter. .... "a vast array of military hardware" India has supplied to the junta, including artillery, aircraft, tanks, and helicopters for use against minority ethnic groups in border areas and citizen protesters. Burma stages big pro-junta marchBBC News Opposition in plea to Burma juntaThe Press Association the country's national airline announced it was halting most of its flights amid a dramatic downturn in visitors caused by the weeks of unrest. Junta rounds up 'all' Burma activistsBangkok Post Burma's military maintains hard lineSydney Morning Herald Brown seeking pressure on Burma BBC News, UK Burma seizes top democracy activist Financial Times, UK Burma arrests four more protest leadersBangkok Post Saving Burma the right way Los Angeles Times, CA 1974, and thousands of students and Buddhist monks had taken to the streets, angered by the military government's handling of burial arrangements for my grandfather, U Thant, the former United Nations secretary-general. ........ When the next, much bigger uprising took place in 1988, I was 22. These protests too were crushed, with even greater violence; hundreds, perhaps thousands, were left dead. I'm now 41, and as I watched the recent demonstrations by Buddhist monks on television, I couldn't help but feel a certain inevitability about the way things were going to turn out. ........ in the 1960s, Beijing backed a massive new communist rebellion. .... By 1962, the army took over entirely. At its head was Gen. Ne Win, tyrant, playboy, numerologist and onetime post office clerk, a tough-talking, Japanese-trained soldier who would wield absolute power for the next 30 years. ........ He nationalized all industries, banned international trade and investment, expelled nearly half a million ethnic Indians and stopped accepting foreign aid. ........ ......tapping into Burmese nationalism's more xenophobic strains. ........ two-thirds of the people are Burmese BuddhistsIn Burma, the army has become the state -- there is little else. And yet the present officer corps, having grown up in international isolation, has little sense of the alternatives and remains deeply distrustful of the outside world. ........ an acceptance that long-distance condemnation and Western economic sanctions don't mean much to the half-century-old military regime, a regime that has long been comfortable in isolation and needs only a modicum of money and trade from the outside world ....... whether the Burmese become equal partners of China and India or merely the providers of cheap labor and raw materials. ..... fresh, results-oriented policies UN Envoy to Myanmar Heads Back to AsiaThe Associated Press Ahern to raise Burma fears at EU summit Irish Times, Ireland Burma's Military Government Announces Death of Hardline Prime MinisterVoice of America Soe Win's death is not likely to mean any changes in the leadership's policy. ...... Also on Friday, Burma's government said it regrets a statement issued by the United Nations Security Council deploring the crackdown on protesters and calling for the release of political prisoners. In statements issued through state media, the government said it would continue to cooperate with the U.N. Burma's PM dies after long illnessABC Online Myanmar's late PM linked to Suu Kyi attackReuters India State of Emergency After 29-Vehicle Pileup ABC News Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County today after a freeway pile-up blazed for hours, killed at least three people and shut down a major traffic artery. ....... in a tunnel on Interstate 5 at the Antelope Valley Freeway north of Los Angeles. It's one of the nation's busiest highways, a major route connecting northern and southern California as well as a major commuting road for Los Angeles. ........ six big-rig trucks. ...... trucks were reduced to charred skeletons. The vehicles burned at an estimated 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit for six hours. ........ 550-foot-long underpass. Kremlin says Putin told of plan to kill himReuters Canada a possible plot to assassinate him during a visit to Tehran this week ...... Iran denies nuclear arms ambitions and is building a nuclear reactor with Russian help. ....... Putin, who will be the first Kremlin chief to visit Iran since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin went in 1943, will formally be in Tehran for a summit of Caspian Sea states. ....... could give him a chance to seek a peaceful compromise over Tehran's nuclear programme and to demonstrate his independence from Washington on Middle East issues. ....... Russia says engaging Tehran is a more effective way of tackling Iran's nuclear programme than isolating it. It sells weapons to Iran, in defiance of U.S. concerns, and is building a nuclear power station for Iran at Bushehr, on the Persian Gulf. Howard calls election as Australian voters desert him Guardian Unlimited polls showed him heading for a landslide defeat after nearly 11 years in office. ...... Howard argued that his strength and experience trumped those of his youthful challenger ......... Mr Rudd, a 50-year-old former diplomat who speaks Mandarin ...... a serious, policy-driven politician ...... a government that's lost touch, and a government that's gone stale ...... Australia's 1,500 troops in and around Iraq ....... Mr Rudd has promised to withdraw from Iraq. Amitabh Bachchan brings in a quiet birthday Sify brought in his birthday quietly - with his mother in hospital. ..... wife Jaya was down with a bout of flu. ..... a critically ill mother. ....... Being with his mother gave him an inner strength and tranquillity ....... politely refused to do interviews. ..... What's there to say? ..... scores of fans and media personnel gathered outside his house. There was chaos when he came out to greet them. The guards tried to control the crowds, failed and then called the police in. Fox Business era dawns Variety The dawn of Fox Business today opens up a new competitive period in the business of televised business news. ........ FNC, which launched in 1996 and matched CNN in the ratings within four years. ........ "Viewers have a way of finding programming worth watching -- ...... Fox Business is launching with some pretty heavy advertising support, including Ameritrade, MasterCard, Southwest Airlines, Nasdaq and United Airlines. ....... Last week the net announced a raft of new talent signings, including former HP chief Carly Fiorina and veterans poached from Bloomberg TV, Forbes magazine and various local TV stations. ........ challenge CNBC in the ratings. .... The average net worth of CNBC's viewership -- both securities and real estate -- is $1.7 million according to Mendelsohn; at Bloomberg TV, it's $2.4 million. New Fox channel to focus on 'sexy' Wall StreetTelegraph.co.uk set to spark a bitter battle with established rival CNBC. ....... to be available in 30m homes across the US – aims to bring business news to the "Average Joe" ...... coverage will be geared to real people rather than financiers and traders ....... "Wall Street has become Main Street. It's ubiquitous in our culture and our discussions. It has become sexy in and of itself, owing nothing to the tick-by-tick movements of the market," said Mr Cavuto, who is also the main business anchor on Fox News. ........ Carly Fiorina, former boss of Hewlett Packard, who has been hired as a talking head to discuss various issues. ....... CNBC currently has an exclusive contract with Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal to provide it with business information. .... Analysts expect News Corp will attempt to extract itself from this contract in the next 12 months, allowing Dow Jones and the Journal to channel their news into Fox Business. Fox Business to chase Everyman -- a futile pursuit?MarketWatch The small-businessman character says he's got no corner office, no yacht and doesn't go out for $400 business lunches. But he says he could use some practical advice on how to more efficiently make cupcakes. ...... financial news coverage could be in for a massive overhaul. ....... Never one to shy away from shaking up the status quo, Murdoch ....... his highly successful Fox News Channel -- which tapped into a huge, built-in conservative audience with pent-up demand for its style of news coverage .......... the kind of advertising dollars that rivals capture by catering to more well-to-do viewers. ........ the average household income of CNBC watchers is $184,000. Bloomberg's is $199,000. ......... CNBC has averaged 210,000 viewers throughout the day thus far this year. CNBC officials say that in the 25-54 age group, the network is averaging 85,000 viewers. ....... affluent advertisers willing to pay more to cater to the business channel's small, but powerful viewing group. ....... CNBC is seen in 90 million cable-connected homes, while Bloomberg is in 50 million homes. ....... "I think when Fox News started out, it was just in [network president] Roger [Ailes'] home" ....... Ailes, who is overseeing the inauguration of Fox Business. Leckey says there is sure to be heated competition, particularly with the combative Ailes in the mix. ....... "He will find ways to make fun of them and taunt them." ....... Murdoch is offering a healthy supply of cash to give the new channel time to grow, and perhaps, eventually overtake his rivals in viewership the way his Fox News Channel eclipsed CNN. ......... inadequate financing by CNN, a Time Warner Inc. unit, that contributed to the downfall of its CNN-fn, a defunct financial news channel. .......... Alexis Glick, another CNBC alumnus, and a former trader at Morgan Stanley. ......... Some, however, have initiated their own blogs, an apparent effort to personalize business news. ........ how women in Manhattan commonly spend $500 on a pair of shoes or $1,000 for a purse ...... "solar dimming" as opposed to global warming. ...... Televised business news sorely lacks information on how, say, a merger deal is pertinent to average readers .... "There are millions of people out there who need that information" Judgment day in soccer coach sex trial Canada.com Anderson, 23, is on trial for an alleged improper relationship with a 15-year-old member of her team in 2006. ...... Anderson, who was in a position of authority, took advantage of a vulnerable younger person. ...... The girl told police at first she and Anderson, at the time 21, hung around together and exchanged e-mails "as friends." ....... During one trip, she said, Anderson tickled her on a hotel bed. ...... At one point, a lawyer representing Anderson had the girl sign an order to stay away from her. ...... That fall and into January of this year the nature of the contact between two evolved from kissing and hugging to sex, she testified. ....... She said the girl had tried to kiss her on at least three occasions, and had confided in her about being a lesbian. Dell Hands Control of Desktops to IT Departments PC World On-Demand Desktop Streaming, a server-based software, hardware and services offering that streams the OS, applications and data to diskless desktop clients over a Gigabit Ethernet network. ...... Dell also introduced an online IT Simplification Self-Assessment tool, which determines the complexity and efficiency of a company's IT environment at different levels. Researchers On Verge of Blood Test For Alzheimer's Disease Voice of America Fearful looks get brain's attention fast: study Reuters FDA to examine claim that lipstick lead levels unsafe Seattle Times Elizabeth's Lusterless Golden Age TIME 'Clayton' creator breaks away from 'Bourne' CNN "The Bourne Identity." Gilroy also wrote or co-wrote the other two, "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum." He describes the overall process as "an odyssey." ....... a "parallel-universe thriller," with scenes of ethical uncertainty that are usually left out of conventional thrillers. ....... "George said, 'I love the script, and I'd really like to direct it maybe, but I don't want to work with a first-time director and I don't want to meet him.' ....... Tony Gilroy compares his father's influence to "living over the store," he says. "That seemed normal to me, to make money with your imagination." ...... All the time Gilroy was working "weird jobs," and he's thankful for the experience: "It turned out that all the things I had done ... they all seemed to be informative to this compost-y kind of [first screenwriting] job." ....... a story he heard about a stray document that could have turned a major case upside-down. ...... "I've been in my room for 20 years, so I'm very happy to get out," he says. Castro calls Chavez on broadcast he sang revolutionary hymns to Castro and called him "father of all revolutionaries." ....... Castro said he was moved by Chavez's singing and went on to praise Ernesto "Che" Guevara as a "sower of the conscience." ...... "There is electricity in the air," Chavez said, obviously pleased with Castro's call. ...... Chavez also gave Castro a painting he said he made while imprisoned in the early 1990s after leading a failed coup. .... Castro told him he needed to sign his work. "No one knows the merit that this has, that you did this." ....... Chavez toured the museum below the towering statue of Guevara, which also contains a mausoleum housing Guevara's remains. ....... Wearing the red, white and blue track suit that has become his typical dress during his convalescence, Castro looks pale and serious ...... Castro's already sparse gray beard seems to have thinned considerably. ..... Chavez has come to visit Castro several times since the Cuban leader underwent emergency intestinal surgery in late July 2006 and ceded authority to his younger brother, Raul. ........ Castro has not appeared in public in the 14 months since he fell ill. He called into one of Chavez's programs broadcast from Venezuela in February, and the pair chatted for more than a half-hour. Obama says "I am the man" to address climate change Radio Iowa, IA 'So where's the inevitability?' Chicago Sun-Times, United States narrative developing in the U.S. national political press over the last few days -- the "inevitability" that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton ....... on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" aired Saturday, he was the most blunt yet in drawing the difference between himself and the front-runner ....... Only U.S. citizens and lawfully admitted permanent residents can contribute to U.S. federal campaigns. ..... asking for passport numbers, Social Security numbers or permanent resident ID numbers of all donors. .. asking contributors to reveal who referred them to the event -- information needed to identify their "bundlers" and useful in vetting donors. ....... a "tiered" event at the Landmark Hotel, where the price of being labeled a "host" is $23,000. ...... $100 per ticket -- but that's just for the 8 p.m. ballroom event for the masses; students can get in for $50. .... A $2,300 donation buys entree to the "sponsors" and main reception; $1,000 is the cost for the 7 p.m. "main" reception. 2008: Muslims, Mormons and MisunderstandingsNew York Times “Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background,” warns an e-mail titled “Who Is Barack Obama,” that was circulating in South Carolina political circles this summer and sent to Politico by a South Carolina Democrat. “The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the U.S. from the inside out; what better way to start than at the highest level?” “Please forward to everyone you know,” it ended. ......... Romney, who is, indeed, Mormon, does face potential discrimination because of his faith ....... a testy memo sent to political reporters by the Edwards campaign, seeking to dispel two of the common narratives about the candidate: that his populism in the context of his wealth makes him a hypocrite, and that he must win Iowa. ......... a plan for Iraq that would divide the country into three semi-autonomous regions ...... “Why would he run for president when he can be a demigod?” said Representative Rahm Emanuel Obama opens Carson City campaign office Nevada Appeal, NV the Illinois senator's strong convictions - especially his stance on the Iraq War. ...... "Five years ago, he had the courage, had the judgment ....... the campaign's seventh office in the state ..... campaign staff and volunteers are already working to build support in the capital. ..... door-to-door canvassing ..... phone-banking .... house meetings ...... Obama now has more than 50 staff and hundreds of volunteers working in Nevada. ..... "We are covering every precinct in the state" ...... grassroots campaigning. ..... "Knocking on doors." ...... a space were people can congregate, discuss the issues and work on the campaign. ...... the nationally known Iowa caucuses were actually begun in part to heighten Democratic support for efforts to get the United States out of another unpopular war - Vietnam. Obama Blows It With "Kingdom on Earth" Comment OpEdNews, PA at an evangelical church in South Carolina: "I am confident we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth." ..... the Republicans don't have a monopoly on religiosity. Wrestling with Change in China Voice of America The Communist Party Congresses that convene every five years have historically been occasions of intense political rivalry, purges and major policy shifts. This year, the congress is expected to be a tame affair politically. ...... a host of problems brought about by the country's rapid economic growth. ....... Income disparity, widespread corruption and environmental degradation ...... have hit China's poor majority the hardest ....... the rural heartland has been largely left behind. ...... more than 100-million farmers left the countryside last year to work in the cities ..... local officials have their own agendas and sometimes administer their cities or towns like fiefdoms. Abuses of power and corruption are widespread. ....... local officials hide problems from the central government by using force and intimidation to prevent citizens from reporting ...... the party fired several high-profile officials, including the Shanghai party boss, for alleged corruption ....... a general perception that the bulk of the rich people earned their wealth by corrupt practices rather than by entrepreneurship ...... 73-million-strong Communist Party ......a truly independent agency that can investigate and punish No Guarantees With Nearly Three Months to First Primary Votes FOX Newsmore than half of all voters in the early primary states have not yet formed their final opinions. ...... "In 1994, Mitt Romney accomplished what people had long thought was impossible — he ran for Senate to the left of Ted Kennedy. ......... when he ran against Ted Kennedy, he said he didn't want to return to the days of Reagan-Bush. ..... line-item veto ...... 43 out of 50 governors have, and all of them say it's an essential tool ..... an American Research Group poll of 600 Democratic voters who say they will definitely vote in their caucus or primary ...... Clinton leads nationally over Barack Obama 34 to 31 percent with John Edwards at 15 percent. ..... 14 percent of those surveyed between Oct. 9-12 said they were undecided. ....... among the narrowest of polling lately on the Democratic side, where Clinton-slayers are trying desperately to demonstrate her weaknesses, particularly on foreign policy relating to Iran and Iraq. .......... some of Senator Clinton's advisers are saying that her vote on Iran was part of her moving from primary mode to general election mode. We don't need a candidate who has a primary mode and a general election mode — we need a candidate whose only mode is truth telling. ........ In 2003, three men led in most polls: Joe Lieberman, Wesley Clark and Howard Dean. Sen. John Kerry, the eventual Democratic nominee, was weak throughout most of 2003. China will not bring in 'Western' democracyIndependent insisting that the party will never mimic the Western political model ...... the 73-million member party and the country of 1.3 billion people. ..... the elite Politburo ..... the opaque black box which runs the world's most populous country and its fourth largest economy has 23 members. ...... the "fifth generation" of the Chinese Communist Party. ..... prominent dissidents have been rounded up and either warned to stay quiet for the duration of the week-long talks, kicked out of the city or placed under house arrest. Nobel Prize renews calls of 'Run, Al, run' Christian Science Monitor Democrats compete for African-American vote Chicago Tribune Pelosi Vows to Push Ahead With Genocide Vote New York Times Obama not ‘black enough’ for White House? East African Obama Takes Yet ANOTHER Subtle Shot At ClintonMSNBC Biden ..... a forceful speech on the rights of African-American prisoners. ...... the two political supernovas, who were both received with deafening cheers and a flurry of flashbulbs. ...... "If you want something done," she said, "ask a busy woman to do it." ...... "I'm not going to win just by being the most calculating politician in this race," he said. Obama Links Faith and Enviro Protection The Associated Press Clinton Ignores Debate Over ExperienceThe Associated Press Obama Knocks on Doors in Iowa The Associated Press Edwards Questions Clinton's Sincerity The Associated Press Clinton, Romney Lead in New Hampshire, New Poll Shows (Update1) Bloomberg Clinton Leads in Nevada, Poll SaysThe Associated Press Hillary Rodham Clinton, 39 percent. Barack Obama, 21 percent. ....... Clinton does not fare well in a hypothetical general-election matchup against any of the top three Republicans. Against Giuliani, the former New York mayor would win 51 percent to 44 percent. The poll also showed former Tennessee Sen. Thompson ahead of Clinton, 50 percent to 44 percent. Republican voters' third preference, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, also bested Clinton, 49 percent to 43 percent. Gore sees no hope of beating Clinton Sydney Morning Herald has told friends he is reluctant to take on her formidable political organisation. ........ at one point she pauses in the mud to speak to a man in a wheelchair and a young family - she appears a diminutive, school-marmish figure in her dark blue trouser suit. ....... During a run through New Hampshire last week, Senator Clinton and her team appeared paralysed by caution. She made a speech to 800 students and other voters in Plymouth, followed by a "barn party" in rural Canterbury, complete with bluegrass music, where she took questions from voters but not from the press. ....... her poll lead may merely reflect name recognition. Many voters, even in election-savvy New Hampshire, are only just tuning in to the election - such as the man in Plymouth who was still oblivious to the fact that Senator Obama is black, a subject that has preoccupied the media for months. Al Gore believes Hillary Clinton is unstoppableTelegraph.co.uk her remarkable political renaissance. ...... The American Conservative magazine last week chronicled how websites and lobbying groups that once needed only utter her name to open Republican wallets are now struggling to raise campaign cash. ....... despite having the name, the money and the organisation, questions remain. ....... bumper stickers that read "Bill 4 1st Man" - though the former president himself prefers the more rakish "first laddie" - and she peppers her speech with references to "my husband". ........ a speaking style that is more pedagogue than demagogue, Mrs Clinton condemns inherited wealth for "undermining the meritocracy" and pledges to "get rid of all this cronyism" in Washington ....... If she wins, America will by 2012 have had a Bush or a Clinton as president or vice-president for 32 years - the kind of dynastic power not seen in Britain for 200 years. ........ She patently lacks his charisma, despite her efforts to emote: telling her audience that after hearing a student's hard luck story, "I got tears in my eyes", or declaring apple orchards "very close to my heart". ....... her command of detail and her competence, with no mention of the passion that inspires Obama supporters. ....... "She speaks fast, coherently, articulately and to the point. She's very intelligent. Because of all the controversy she has got the name recognition and she has persevered." ....... they have all the angles covered. They're very professional." ....... know how to bend with the prevailing wind ...... "There lies the beauty, not just of Clinton on free trade but of the Clinton candidacy itself: she has no principles. Her liberalism is redeemed by her ambition; her ideology is subordinate to her political needs." ....... the strength of her position has induced almost pathological caution, refusing even in informal settings to talk to reporters who are not approved by her handlers. ....... I like her but she's not inevitable." ...... "All it takes is one little scream."
Obama blasts "quasi-incumbent" Clinton Yahoo! News The campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton traded barbs in dueling memos on Friday, in a sharp exchange prompted by Obama's decision to single out Clinton for the first time in his stump speech on Iraq. "Leading Democrats - including Senator Clinton - echoed the erroneous line that there was a connection between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda," Obama told a crowd in Des Moines, Iowa. ....... tries to marginalize Obama's argument as the maneuver of a campaign in free-fall .... assailing Clinton as a "quasi-incumbent" and criticizing her "changing positions" on torture, Iraq, social security and diplomacy. It also tried to significantly raise expectations for Clinton's campaign ...... Clinton and her campaign have abandoned the politics of "let's have a conversation," in favor of purely tactical posturing ..... The Obama campaign is pushing reporters, (the main audience for these memos), to go beyond saying she's "inevitable" and to start saying she's unbeatable -- and thus has to "win every contest."
