Election 2008

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It's the Small Change We Should Believe In

(Newser) - The 2008 election marked the death knell of post-Watergate public financing, Mark Schmitt writes for the American Prospect, but the raft of small donations that killed the system heralds a hopeful future. The public financing system was designed—and failed—to limit the influence of special interests: “Since the...

Obama and McCain Back at It, Over Stimulus

'Season of cooperation' short-lived as Mac rips 'comical' spending bill

(Newser) - How to spend hundreds of billions of dollars has a way of opening up old rivalries, the Washington Times reports, with John McCain—who recently pledged to cooperate with President Obama—spearheading the Senate effort to rewrite the stimulus package. “I cannot and do not support the package on...

Plouffe Snags 7-Figure Book Deal

(Newser) - Barack Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, has agreed to a 7-figure deal to write a book about last year's presidential election. The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory will be published by Viking next fall. Two publishing executives said that bidding for the...

The Real Michelle Obama
 The Real Michelle Obama 

The Real Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama Says It's All In The Family

(Newser) - Michelle Obama's journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House has been avidly documented, but Carol Felsenthal of Chicago magazine highlights the consistency of her role, driven by a burning desire to do good, but also to achieve security for her family. She resisted her husband's political...

Obama Sneaks Power Back Into the Mix
Obama Sneaks Power Back
Into the Mix
analysis

Obama Sneaks Power Back Into the Mix

Adviser who called Clinton 'monster' lands national security role

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s national security team seems to consist entirely of people known for speaking their minds, observes Ben Smith of Politico, and none moreso than new NSC staff member Samantha Power, best known for calling Hillary Clinton “a monster.” She was booted for the incident, but that...

Blue States Dominate, and Purple Gains Ground

Dramatic shift in electorate favors liberals: poll

(Newser) - Blue states are far bluer than red states are red, says a new Gallup poll. Party registrations favor Democrats—they lead by 10 or more percentage points in 29 states and the DC, compared to four states where Republicans dominate—suggesting that Dems can expand on ther gains they made...

Stork Sneaks Up on Hasselbeck
 Stork Sneaks Up on Hasselbeck 

Stork Sneaks Up on Hasselbeck

(Newser) - Elisabeth Hasselbeck is expecting her third child in August, and the pregnancy came as a surprise, People reports. “I didn't even know for 2 months,” the co-host told her friends on The View today, noting that she and her husband “were thoroughly happy with the surprise of...

Ohio Vote Fraud Probe Uncovers Single Case

Allegations of widespread Cincinatti-area fraud prove unfounded

(Newser) - An investigation into allegations of widespread voter fraud in Ohio's Hamilton County last fall found just one case, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. A county prosecutor—and local chairman of John McCain's campaign—had demanded 600 votes be examined. The only fraudulent vote was cast by a Connecticut man who turned...

Former Rivals Cozy Up on Inaugural Eve

Obama hails McCain as 'national hero'

(Newser) - Barack Obama and John McCain buried the hatchet last night at a dinner honoring the Arizona senator, whom Obama called an "American hero." The president-elect praised McCain's bipartisan record and added, "John is not known to bite his tongue and if I'm screwing up, he's going...

Thank Portrait for Obama's Success: Hope Artist

LA graphic designer says image boosted power of art

(Newser) - The iconic Hope image of Barack Obama helped get the Illinois senator elected president, says the graphic designer who created the image. “It has exceeded my expectations almost from the get-go,” Shepard Fairey told Smithsonian magazine, adding that Obama’s “unique” look was an inspiration for him...

Palin Off List for Bipartisan McCain Fete

Possible snub could be inaugural team's doing—or bad blood

(Newser) - The Obama inaugural committee is throwing a dinner honoring John McCain as an advocate of bipartisanship, but there's a gap in the guest list. Notably absent is running mate Sarah Palin, Daniel Schulman blogs for Mother Jones. “I don’t know if she was invited,” says a Palin...

Nate Silver: Win the Cities, Win America

Fast-growing urban demographic handed Obama election victory

(Newser) - Barack Obama's strength in cities won him the election, meaning he "might be America's first urban" president, statistics whiz Nate Silver writes in Esquire. Obama's "pragmatic, superior, hip, stubborn, multicultural" ways make him unmistakably urban, Silver writes, and America's changing demographics mean that urban voters matter now more...

Burris Sworn in as Senator
 Burris Sworn in
 as Senator 

Burris Sworn in as Senator

(Newser) - Roland Burris was sworn in and seated in the Senate today as the junior senator from Illinois. Democrats had been loath to accept an appointee of Rod Blagojevich's, but the continued hubbub around the former Illinois AG was seen as a distraction. And Burris’ heroic attempts to get his credentials...

Minn. Recount Violates Constitution
 Minn. Recount 
 Violates Constitution 
OPINION

Minn. Recount Violates Constitution

Arbitrary calls are reminiscent of Florida 2000: Paulsen

(Newser) - Minnesota's Senate recount "is Florida 2000 all over again," Michael Stokes Paulsen writes in the Wall Street Journal. "The details differ, but not in terms of arbitrariness, lack of uniform standards" and other bad precedents the decision in Bush v. Gore created. The situation "isn't just...

Minn. Denies Franken Certification Bid
 Minn. Denies 
 Franken Certification Bid 
UPDATED

Minn. Denies Franken Certification Bid

Legal process must run its course in Senate race, Gov. Pawlenty says

(Newser) - Minnesota officials turned down Al Franken’s request that he be certified as senator, the AP reports, just hours after his attorneys argued that a waiting period had passed for challenges. Though Franken emerged from the recount 225 votes ahead of incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, Coleman is challenging the result...

Brad: Angie's No Homewrecker
 Brad: Angie's No Homewrecker 

Brad: Angie's No Homewrecker

Star addresses rumors in interview

(Newser) - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie didn't engage in a “dastardly affair,” Pitt tells W magazine: “What people don’t understand is that we were still filming Mr and Mrs Smith after Jen and I split up.” More from the wide-ranging interview:
  • On Jennifer Aniston’s “
...

Franken, Coleman Agree to Count 900 Rejected Ballots

But court case could keep race on for months

(Newser) - The battling campaigns in the Minnesota Senate race have agreed to count some 900 incorrectly rejected ballots, an unexpectedly high proportion of the 1,350 reviewed by county officials. The system required both campaigns to agree on every ballot, which made such a figure seem unlikely, Talking Points Memo reports....

Coleman Rejects Election Judge's Vote

Minn. senator could beat Franken with veto strategy

(Newser) - Norm Coleman rejected 37% of recount ballots in a blue Minnesota county this week, including that of an election judge, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Shirley Graham, who voted for Coleman, disputes a date discrepancy the senator used to deny her absentee vote. The state Supreme Court gave the candidates...

Comedy Shows No Joke for Prez Candidates

110 appearances 4 times higher than candidates last election

(Newser) - This year's presidential candidates made a record 110 late-night comedy show appearances, underlying the programs' importance in the race, AP reports. Half of the appearances occurred during the primaries, when the pack of candidates were vying for precious face-time with voters. Candidates came to prefer the banter—the best of...

Best Political Scoops of '08
 Best Political Scoops of '08 

Best Political Scoops of '08

(Newser) - Traditional media outlets and on-the-spot amateurs alike captured the year's biggest US political moments. Here is Politico's look at some of the biggest scoops:
  • Palin meets Couric: Interviewed by Katie Couric on CBS, Sarah Palin fumbled with softball questions such as which publications she reads. Democrats and Tina Fey pounced.
...

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