September 2008 Archives
The House of Representatives rejected a $700 billion financial bailout plan today by a vote of 228-205. 140 Democrats voted for the bill and 95 against it. 65 Republicans supported the bill and 199 voted against it.
Earlier...
From NBC's Mike Viqueira and Carrie Dann
The situation on the Hill remains incredibly fluid, with administration officials and GOP leaders pounding the marble floors of the Capitol to shore up support for the bailout legislation. Republican House leaders, despite their own distaste for the bill, are whipping their members in the effort to get the votes needed to pass it as the clock ticks. And there's there's an added sense of urgency: With the Jewish holidays fast approaching, practicing members from the West Coast need to be back on home turf by sundown.
The best estimates right now indicate that Republicans will garner about 70 votes in support of the bailout, less than half of the 199 GOPers in the House. Congressional Democrats are more optimistic, predicting that a majority of their 235 members will eventually climb aboard.
From some skeptics, scatological references abound. Minority Leader John Boehner, despite asking members to hold their noses and sit down at the bailout table with him, told colleagues that the bill is a "crap sandwich." Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) rose on the floor to compare the bill to " a huge cow patty with a marshmallow stuck in the middle of it."
But more serious rhetoric remains plentiful as well. For a sense of how Congressional leaders are viewing the history attached to the vote they'll cast within hours, look no further than retiring 12-year House veteran Rep. Chip Pickering of Mississippi, who calls the bailout bill a "legacy" vote on par with members' decisions on the authorization of the Iraq war and on President Bill Clinton's impeachment. And Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) said that passing the bill would lead to a "Leviathan state," concluding soberly that, "Duty is ours. Outcomes belong to God." Stay tuned... the clock continues to tick and the gavel falls in less than two hours.
Check out more of the day's political reporting on First Read.
Discuss (2332 Comments)
Link to this
Sitting down to watch the dozens of primary debates was like waiting with the bartender at a neighborhood dive for a brawl that might happen, knowing that a few of the regulars were likely to come in with a beef, one could fly off the handle at any minute, the bartender was probably going to goad him into it, and that the drama of the night would be exciting and unexpected, and somebody could end up with a black eye. Knowing that 8 of the 9 or so guys (and gal) under the lights would definitely not be president put the focus on the human drama, the hook and block, the language and argument and personality on stage.
Last night was not a night for popcorn, or peanuts, and wasn't especially about entertainment. Gone were the "gotcha" questions and invitations for political gamesmanship. Instead, there were three serious, well-prepared men in dark suits and a mostly silent, invisible live audience. Facts and statistics, bills and budgets replaced retorts as ammunition. The message: this is a serious debate about a serious decision for a serious time.
In a campaign where both sides have railed against Washington, the language of the city was the currency of the night. Committees and subcommittees, tax rates and earmarks, amendments and continuing resolutions. Both candidates were impressive in their mastery of the facts (even those that they may have intentionally distorted), but one was left wondering if undecided voters felt either man fully connect to their problems and values and dreams.
Both men were armed against their Nixon moment with blush and foundation, which wasn't particularly flattering in HD. Barack Obama wore a flag pin; John McCain did not. Neither man was relaxed but both were presidential, largely self-assured and in control of their arguments.
Neither candidate got in a narrative-confirming dig about the other man's character. There was no "You're no Jack Kennedy" or "There you go again" moment.
Both candidates have been changed by the long campaign. Obama and McCain argued over earmarks last night, but not over whether they're bad and should be eliminated, just about how bad they are. Obama stopped requesting them in 2008. "Main Street" rolled off McCain's tongue like the populist he has become or is or is trying to appear to be.
The candidates don't like each other very much. The disdain from each was palpable. Barack Obama referred to McCain as "John" 25 times, implying familiarity, but his smiles under McCain's accusations were tight. McCain did not call Obama by his first name once, addressed Lehrer for most of the evening, and hardly acknowledged that he had a debate partner.
Each candidate clearly thought he was the smartest guy in the room. Obama tried to win by starting his sentences with conciliatory language, before inserting a correction. He spent much of the night agreeing with McCain- "Senator McCain and I agree for the most part on these issues," "Senator McCain and I, I think agree on the importance of energy," "John is right we have to make cuts"- but his best moments came when he attacked directly.
McCain condescended, implying that all the candidates' disagreements could be cleared up if Obama just had a little more knowledge of the issues. "Senator Obama doesn't understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy," he said. "Senator Obama calls for more troops, but what he doesn't understand, it's got to be a new strategy," "I don't think that Senator Obama understands that there was a failed state in Pakistan..."
As expected, the economy dominated the first 40 minutes of debate, and John McCain won here because Obama didn't shift the focus of debate from earmarks and taxes (McCain's turf) to health care, food prices and the cost of the Iraq war (his own.)
Otherwise, the night was a draw, with both candidates articulating their quite different approaches to governing and the issues. McCain's press didn't take a nosedive, as it could have after the confused week if he had not performed well. Obama more than met any questions about whether he could look presidential next to McCain, with foreign policy as the subject.
After a few days of indecision 2008, John McCain has announced that he will in fact attend the first presidential debate at the University of Mississippi, or "Ole Miss." Let's look at some big-time irony here. The first African-American, major-party nominee for the presidency will engage in his first general election debate at a place nicknamed "Ole Miss," which erupted into riots when its first black student, James Meredith, tried to enroll. Now that is what I call progress. The United States has in no way come far enough, but this is a wonderful moment in American history. Now what to look for:
1. How much will moderator Jim Lehrer let the debate be about the economy?
Originally this debate was supposed to stick to foreign policy. Due to the catastrophic economic events of the past two weeks, there is no way that these two candidates won't address the economy. While Obama gets higher numbers on the issue, he is by no means a scholarly economist. John McCain has admitted in past interviews that the economy is not his strong suit. One can understand why both men wanted the first debate to be about foreign policy when the decision was made months ago. Obviously, with just about every important economist saying the economic outlook is dire, Obama will want to try and hammer home the message that Bush and the GOP are responsible and thus, by association, so is McCain. McCain will try to say he is a maverick, a reformer who routinely splits from his party and who will put "country first." Whoever comes across as a real leader on the economic issue will win the debate.
2. Can Obama get his point across without taking a lifetime?
While Senator Obama is an extremely gifted politician, debates are not his strongest suit. When explaining what he'd do, Obama often speaks in a circular way. He explains the problem, what he'd do to fix it and why he is right. That works great for The Charlie Rose Show, but not in a debate setting, where it is all about the quick-hitting sound bite that the media plays on repeat. Obama cannot let McCain rack up all the good sound bites and appear to win the debate.
3. How well prepared is McCain?
My colleagues disagree with me on this, but I honestly think McCain believed there was a decent chance that the debate would be postponed. Maybe I'm young and naive, but I believe that when McCain "suspended" his campaign, he did not prepare for the debate as much as he would have had he kept up his usual schedule. Obama and preparation are almost one and the same; he rarely leaves anything to chance. McCain definitely needs to be on top of his game in order to come across as the better of the two choices.
4. Who can avoid "the big one" and will it happen?
Let's think NASCAR for a minute. "The big one" is the crash that happens at superspeedways, when 40 cars are whizzing around the track at 200 mph. Drivers bet their place and their lives on avoiding the big wreck. McCain and Obama will do the same tonight. Neither wants to pull an Al Gore and sigh - that comes across as arrogant- or do a Bush 41 and check his watch, appearing uncomfortable and bored. Rationally, these pitfalls seem pretty easy to guard against, but since when is a presidential debate easily predictable?
5. Will either of the two go for a knockout blow?
Usually when there are three debates, candidates hold back until the last debate because they don't want to say anything stupid or appear overbearing. Presidential debates are different because more people watch the first one than the other two. So this presents an interesting dilemma: both candidates have the biggest audience they may ever have tonight. They have the opportunity to showcase their abilities and to demonstrate why the other guy is wrong, but do they take advantage of that opportunity? My guess is no. Both candidates may be so guarded that they don't go to great extremes to show the differences between them. Yet with John McCain's recent rebel streak, when the campaign's kept even the most astute media folks guessing, I wouldn't be surprised if McCain went out punching early.
Watch the debate on NBC and the special coverage on MSNBC. I'll have a web video live from Georgetown University up later tonight on the Nightly News website. Register to vote before October 6th, swing staters!
By the way, whoever decided to schedule this debate for 9pm on a Friday night should be fired. On Friday nights most people spend time with their family, go out to a bar or a restaurant, watch a movie or a high school football game, read a book or meet up with friends. Young people especially don't have much time for politics on a Friday night. I don't get this decision and I think it is ultimately harmful to our democracy. A lot of people who would have watched will be tuned out of the debate and tuned into their own lives.
I'd like some comments on what people think of the "Commission on Presidential Debates." Is it right that one group gets to decide the place and format of the debates? Should the decision-making about where and when debates are held be more of a democratic process? Should ordinary citizens be more involved? Let me know your thoughts.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
OXFORD, Miss. -- The atmosphere on the Ole Miss campus is one of enthusiasm -- and a bit of anxiety -- for a debate a state has hoped and planned for for a year and a half, since the school applied to have it.
Republican Gov. Haley Barbour today called for the debate to go on. The state newspaper was filled with editorials and op-eds urging McCain to show up.
The Republican nominee may have thrown a wrench into the plans, but in the debate hall here, workers are drilling the final screws into the debate set; lights are being checked; podiums are being measured; the last of the set's panels are being put up and wires being weaved. Outside, security checkpoints are in place, network TV camera stands are built and set. (And never mind those hotel reservations and flight plans.)
"The debate will go on," University of Mississippi Vice Chancellor Gloria Kellum told NBC's local affiliate, adding, "We've spent two years working on this."
Advance teams from both campaigns have completed walk throughs, the local affiliate reported citing university officials, adding that if McCain doesn't show, there will be a 90-minute town hall with Obama taking questions from the audience.
In this proud town, on this university campus, residents, students and school officials want the debate to go on. And everything's in place.
McCain, tonight, told NBC's Brian Williams on Nightly News he is "hopeful" he will be at the debate.
An entire town and state sure hopes so.
Check out more of the day's political reporting on First Read.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann
Who knew that in the week preceding the first presidential debate -- on the subject of foreign policy! -- that Congress would be dominating and driving the political debate. Obviously, the bailout politics are tricky. The leadership of both parties in Congress seems ready to sign off on the Paulson/Bernanke bailout plan, but the rank-and-file want to extract something from the Administration and Wall Street. Moreover, congressional Democrats fear being the party of the bailout. (If 100-plus House Republicans come out against the bailout, does that make it harder for the Dem leadership to keep their troops in line?) Is there going to be a magic number Nancy Pelosi tells John Boehner and the White House that the GOP needs to get this done by the weekend? And what about the presidential candidates? How much power does McCain have in this? If he comes out against the bailout, he probably can kill it or radically alter it. But then the Republicans own the alternative, right? What a mess. Meanwhile, without fanfare, congressional Dems are allowing the oil-drilling moratorium to expire. Cave, baby, cave. Rural Democrats in tough House races are breathing a sigh of relief this morning.
Check out more of the day's political reporting on First Read.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann Sunshine on Obama's shoulders: If you want to know why Obama is doing his debate prep today in -- of all places -- Tampa, FL, look no further than the latest TODAY Show/NBC/Mason-Dixon poll, which has Obama up in the Sunshine State by two points, 47%-45%. Yet inside those numbers, Obama leads McCain in the Tampa Bay area (Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Polk counties) by a 49%-43% margin. Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker says the key to winning Florida statewide is usually through Tampa Bay, and Obama's six-point lead in the area explains why he's ahead in this poll. Moreover, outside of Nevada, there is probably not another state that has been hurt more by the housing and credit crunch, and that may be benefiting Obama right now. Also potentially troublesome for McCain in this must-win GOP state, he leads by just six among Hispanics (49%-43%), which in Florida is made up of a majority of Cubans. (If Obama does pick off younger Cubans, he may close the overall gap thanks to his large lead among non-Cuban Hispanics in the I-4 corridor.) Also, McCain's four-point lead among seniors (48%-44%) is not as big as he needs it to be to offset the electorate-changing demographics among blacks and young voters. So Obama's decision to prep for Friday's debate in Florida is turning into a smart play, huh? Any extra day in Florida might pay off...
Check out more of the day's political reporting on First Read.
I was a history major with a concentration in U.S. foreign policy, which is probably why a friend of mine explained the week's economic news to me like this: "Let me explain it to you in foreign policy terms," he told me. "This is Wall Street's 9/11." Those are pretty dire words, but with the stock market plunging over 800 points in three days, the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the $85 billion dollar government bailout of AIG...things are bad.
To explain why we got in this situation, I would like to do what history majors always do and use a quote from somebody smarter. Martin Wolf of The Financial Times said today, "What went wrong? The short answer: Minsky was right. A long period of rapid growth, low inflation, low interest rates and macroeconomic stability bred complacency and increased willingness to take risk. Stability led to instability. Innovation - securitisation, off-balance-sheet financing and the rest - has, as always, proved a big part of the story. As Minsky warned, undue faith in unregulated markets proved a snare."
Hyman Minsky was a disciple of John Maynard Keynes, and a guy who understood financial crises. I have a feeling he would think today that we are in pretty bad shape.
So what are the political ramifications of all of this? First and foremost, this takes the focus away from Governor Sarah Palin, which is exactly what the Obama campaign needs and wants. It also puts the media's focus back on a real issue, instead of 'lipstick on a pig.' Most importantly, it gives both candidates a chance to act presidential and define themselves on economic issues when they have the full attention of the voting public.
Another journalist whom I highly respect, Dan Balz of The Washington Post, had this statistic today, "The stock market's plunge has wiped out recent gains and more. The unemployment rate now stands at 6.1 percent and has risen a full percentage point since March. Four years ago this month it was at 5.4 percent and heading down. The economy has been shedding jobs monthly throughout the year."
While that is a sad statistic, it has to be music to the ears of the Obama campaign. Let that sink in. The unemployment rate has risen a point in six months. This dip has occurred under the watch of the Bush administration, and Senator McCain has voted with Bush 90% of the time and even said that the "fundamentals of the U.S. economy are strong." I think I can say objectively that the rise in the unemployment rate undermines the argument that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.
Now here's the rub, will the Obama campaign make this its signature issue? Quite frankly, Obama has been all over the place on the economy and while young people I talk to may trust him to deal with the issue more than they trust McCain, they don't really grasp his plan. Meanwhile, McCain has come out with ads suggesting he'll reform Wall Street by reining in corruption. Although McCain is a staunch advocate of deregulation and for years has emphasized the importance of a free market, he has been able to define himself as the maverick who will clean up Wall Street. Obama has defined himself as "The Democrat" when it comes to the economy. He must do more for the public to see him as the candidate who will be Mr. Fix-It.
The economic crisis is an early Christmas present to the Obama campaign. If they cannot use it to their advantage, then I will say the road to the White House goes through Sedona, Arizona - not Chicago.
I'm going to UVA to shoot a piece about young, undecided, college-educated Virginians. I'll be back next week.
If you are 18, register to vote! Also be aware that for many states the deadline to register is October 6th! Get on it!!!
NBC's Mike Viqueira blogged on the automakers' stop on the Hill today. (see below)
Congressional debate over government
intervention on behalf of the auto industry is nothing new. Watch for a familiar
face in the video below...circa 1979.
In 1979, a Secret Service motorcade looked like this:
The question is: will support for the loans from the presidential candidates, deadlocked in manufacturing states like Michigan and Ohio, result in funding for the bill? Or will economic unease in the rest of the country, compounded by the bailouts Mike mentions, kill the resolution?
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
The big wheels of American auto-making are coming up to your U.S. Capitol this afternoon for a visit with Congressional leaders. Subject: The $25 billion in loans coming to them for the purpose of "re-equipping" the domestic fleet to make it more fuel-efficient.
House minority leader John Boehner said last week the $25 billion in federal loans in the offing for Detroit automakers "looks like a bailout to me." He added that he still hasn't seen all the details.
At issue is a piece of legislation being considering in Congress that would make the money available to Ford, GM, and Chrysler to help them develop and market more fuel efficient vehicles. The automakers are asking for the loans in accordance with a law passed last year by Congress that raised CAFE standards. But many lawmakers, including notable conservatives like Boehner, are wary.
As often happens around here, the skirmishing is partly over nomenclature and political definitions: Is the $25 billion a "loan" or a "bailout"?
The automakers and their Hill allies say the former. Opponents say the latter, and express misgivings about the recent trend towards government intervention exhibited by the Bush Administration, most recently with Lehman, but also with Bear Stearns, as well as Freddie and Fannie.
Seeing as how the measure is popular in Rust Belt battleground states like Michigan, the bill has a wind at its back this election year. It would most likely be included in year-end must pass legislation, like the resolution to keep the government funded until after the elections.
Check out more of the day's political reporting on First Read.
Check out Luke's extended interviews with the candidates. He talked with John McCain and Barack Obama about encouraging national service, and the legacy of 9/11.
In 2008, unity between Republicans and Democrats is a rare sight; unity between John McCain and Barack Obama is nonexistent. In the last three months, three things have brought the two candidates together: one, my late father's funeral mass; two, Rick Warren's Saddleback Forum about faith and God; three, 9/11.
Today, Obama and McCain both toured Ground Zero and tonight they address a forum on the importance of national service. I was fortunate enough to interview both senators in a span of about sixteen hours. Both candidates gave me twelve minutes to ask them about national service and how their own service has influenced their lives as politicians, but more importantly as Americans.
I met up with Senator McCain at a rally in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He and Governor Palin spoke to a crowd of roughly 7,500 folks and he gave his usual stump speech. After the speech, the senior senator from Arizona walked into a reception room to sit down for our interview. We made some small talk and he emphasized how much he wished he could see my dad covering this election. I agreed and said, "I'd love to see Governor Palin on Meet the Press!" McCain laughed.
My questions mainly had to do with service. I started out by asking about the McCain family's history of service, and the Senator remarked how it went all the way back to the Revolutionary War. He then spoke of sacrifice and the need for people to put "country first" today. I asked him about 9/11, its impact and what we can do to get some of the unity we had in October 2001 back again. I think McCain's response was his most interesting answer. He said, "I think, in all due respect, a little straight talk. We told Americans to go shopping or take a trip. We should have told them this is our opportunity to serve." Quite bluntly, McCain called out the Bush administration for failing to communicate to Americans the importance of service.
Profusely sweating, I walked through the doors of a high school in Norfolk, Virginia for my interview with Senator Obama. Norfolk is in the deep southern part of Virginia and the humidity destroys sweaters like myself. Obama was conducting a town hall inside Granby High School in front of a few hundred people, as well as making an appearance with former Virginia Governor Mark Warner.
The interview was in a classroom and I was putting the finishing touches on my questions when the junior senator from Illinois walked in. He gave me a hug and asked how I was holding up. We made some small talk about road food and his kids. I started off the interview in the room that was probably 98 degrees (if I look sweaty on TV, I apologize, it was hot) by asking him why he turned down big money to be a community organizer. The Senator said he was drawn to be a community organizer because he felt he had wasted time in high school and college, and felt compelled to give back after he learned about issues larger than himself: civil rights, apartheid, poverty. I asked him about sacrifice and if, as Americans, we still have a sense of what it means to sacrifice.
He sounded a lot like McCain when he said, "You haven't heard President Bush talk about the need for people to step up in serious ways. After 9/11 we were told to shop, and that's something I very much want to reverse. In our campaign, one of the things we constantly talk about is not just working on behalf of an election, but working to reinvigorate that sense of citizenship with people."
For me, that was the lede. Two senators from different parties with completely different backgrounds said that there was a missed opportunity for America after 9/11. From a tragic event, we as a nation could have risen to a new high, could have had a civic reawakening, but we did not. So whether or not you support John McCain or Barack Obama, all Americans should be comforted that the next president will echo the words of John F. Kennedy, spoken many decades ago, "We can do better."
Yes we can and yes we will do better.
You can check out my interviews on Today tomorrow morning.
Barack Obama and John McCain released dueling ads on education, and they are some of the toughest out there.
Obama attacks McCain for proposing to do away with the Department of Education, not mentioning that this was in 1994. McCain slams Obama for supporting sex ed for kindergartners, neglecting to say that this was part of a plan to protect children from sexual predators.
Ending "partisan rancor"? Embracing the "politics of hope"? Check them out and see what you think.
Meredith Vieira interviewed Meghan McCain this morning about what it's like to compete for first daughter, and about her new children's book, "My Dad, John McCain." Check out Meghan's thoughts on the campaign trail, her father's colorful teenage years, and her new friendship with the Palin kids.
As for what you should expect to see in this space, Luke will continue to blog for iCue in the months ahead, and look for some special guest bloggers on the site.
Today on the trail in Riverside, Ohio, Barack Obama talks about education, an issue where he has departed from Democratic Party orthodoxy. He supports doubling funding for charter schools and has floated the idea of pay for performance.
John McCain also is in Ohio at a rally with Sarah Palin this morning, before heading to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Expect the Buckeye State to have plenty of visitors over the next two months. It isn't called 'Buckeye' for nothing. Apparently, the phrase became popular when the first Ohioan to make it to the Oval Office was campaigning for the White House. In 1840, a newspaper that opposed William Henry Harrison discovered the power of a populist appeal when it made the mistake of writing, "Give him a barrel of hard cider...and he will sit the remainder of his days in his log cabin." The Harrison campaign embraced the idea enthusiastically, launching "Log Cabin" newspapers and suggesting that Harrison's opponent, Martin van Buren, was a snob.
Watch for populist appeals from both campaigns in the weeks ahead.
First off, if I judge this speech squarely on delivery and tone, there is no comparison to the speech given by Governor Palin. McCain was subdued, didn't get too excited and above all tried to appear like he was giving a State of the Union. I'm surprised that the speech stayed away from specifics and essentially just talked about his past as a war hero. McCain reminded me of the old war vet you meet at a bar who tells you his life story and then says something along the lines of: "Son, make this country better for us." The main thing that I got out of McCain's speech was how important the addition of Palin was to the ticket. If it weren't for Palin, there is no way that Republicans could leave this arena with the energy they need to squeak out a win. Granted, I know McCain wanted to appear presidential, and not attack Obama for forty minutes, but he never really had the crowd. I think this race has become Obama vs Palin. The GOP desperately needs the base to turn out in order to win and Palin brings them in hordes. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm caught up in Palin mania, but I see Palin as the deal-closer for many people. I'm out. I'll update this weekend from Chestnut Hill, MA where the BC Eagles will be defeating Georgia Tech.
Last night, Luke interviewed Kate Maxwell, the youngest delegate from Virginia, a state both campaigns are battling to win. Kate was smart, engaged and politically astute. When I asked her off camera whether she'd consider running for office, she said, "I am old enough to know never to answer that question."
Mark Salter, John McCain's wordsmith of many years, just gave us a read on tonight's speech. The RNC has extended the stage with a ramp into the audience, which Salter calls "both symbolic and practical." McCain will talk about "where, how and why he hopes to lead the country."
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis: "We look to recreate the enthusiasm and pageantry" of Palin's speech.
The moment we have all been waiting for finally arrived tonight. Sarah Palin took the stage here in St. Paul and, to use a hockey analogy, scored a one-timer from the blue line.
As somebody who would most likely be categorized as the "Washington Elite", I will say I was extremely impressed with Palin's speech. For starters, her tone and delivery reminded me of many of the mothers I've encountered at various sports camps over the years. She was surprisingly normal. I could totally see her driving an SUV with the kids in the back and listening to classic rock. While there was a lot of sarcasm in her voice at times, I do not think it went over the line. Here is why her speech was good:
1. Foreign policy was supposed to be Palin's weakest area of expertise and it still is. However, she linked foreign affairs to energy policy, something she knows a lot about. By doing that, she was able to appear to the average American like somebody who knew what she was talking about.
2. She asserted herself as the "small-town" candidate. She spoke about small businesses and common values and above all never directly mentioned the state of the economy. I think she connected with people.
3. By introducing her son and nephew as among "those who serve our country", she emphasized that she has a stake in what happens in Iraq and that she understands the struggle of those in the military.
4. She painted Obama as light on substance and heavy on illusions and rhetoric: "This is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform."
5. She claimed reformist credentials. By talking about the selling of the private jet and chef, she was able to be a reformist and a non-elitist.
Sarah Palin did a mic check and tested teleprompter on stage in the hall this morning. Reports are she's headed to meet John McCain's plane, which arrives in Minneapolis around 12:45 Eastern.
If last night's program was aimed at Reagan Democrats, tonight is about reaching out to women and shoring up the party faithful.
The program was just released and Sarah Palin will be introduced by Linda Lingle (Hawaii): with Palin, one of eight women who are governors.
Yesterday, RNC "Victory Chair" Carly Fiorina released a statement: "Because of Hillary Clinton's historic run for the Presidency and the treatment she received, American women are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Governor Palin." Fiorina will speak tonight, and the McCain campaign will continue to target undecided women.
For only the second time in history, one of the major parties has chosen a woman for the ticket. Will a socially conservative trailblazer with a small-town past appeal to women who haven't made up their minds? Or will her pro-life views be anathema to Hillary Clinton voters?
Here's video of Palin's mic check, as NBC's Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and David Gregory discuss what the Alaska Governor needs to deliver in tonight's big speech.
So I got back from Memphis, which was a tremendously moving experience. My first assignment back was to cover the Ron Paul counterconvention. For those of you who just got into the presidential race, Ron Paul is a congressman from Texas whose platform is essentially libertarian. Paul supports an end to government entitlement programs, an end to the war on drugs and a complete withdrawal from Iraq. Needless to say, his candidacy galvanized many young people who took to his message of less government control and intervention into their lives. His followers can be described as "spirited" and "not your average politicos." Many treat the humble doctor from Texas as a kind of second-coming.
The 'Rally for the Republic' here in St. Paul was essentially a meeting of die-hard Paul supporters. They paid exactly $17.76 to get in. (I'll let you history majors figure that out.) Anyways, I got to interview Paul for the Today Show and it was pretty solid. He stayed on his talking points, but I think we were able to demonstrate to people what he was all about. Check out the Today Show tomorrow around 7:45ET.
A young Republican who I trust and have known for some time said to me, "Geez, with Lieberman and Thompson out there it looks like the Night of the Living Dead." That kind of sums up Night Two of the convention. While there is no doubt that Fred Thompson has a great voice and Joe Lieberman has a great story, at the end of the day they are not very inspiring speakers. However, tomorrow Sarah Palin (age 44) will (YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST) rock the house. Every GOP-er I know in St. Paul is waiting to see the "future of the party" and the one who has energized the base. I'm excited too because I am interested to see how my four aunts who are all moms aged 45-62 react to Palin. If they like her, then McCain has some good prospects in November. If they see her as a "phony"... watch out!
Well, I'm tired from my travels to Memphis but I'll be back tomorrow with a full Palin reaction.
Delegates prepare for the convention's second session to begin...
Philip Alongi II (son of NBC's own Philip Alongi Sr. and tenor on the roster of the Lyric Orchestra in Ft. Lauderdale, FL) sings the National Anthem...
Obama, the change candidate, bit the bullet and chose an inside-the-Beltway running mate to guard against charges of inexperience. McCain, afraid of the change number, is making maverick his middle name tonight. Joe Lieberman is delivering the de facto keynote speech, and calling it (and McCain) "The Original Maverick."
In excerpts released to the press, Fred Thompson (also speaking tonight) says: "John McCain led the effort to make reform happen - always pressing, always moving for what he believed was right and necessary to restore the people's faith in their government. Confronting when necessary, reaching across the aisle when possible, John personified why we came to Washington in the first place."
President Bush says: "John is an independent man who thinks for himself. He's not afraid to tell you when he disagrees. ... No matter what the issue, this man is honest and speaks straight from the heart."
Everyone here is buzzing about Sarah Palin, who has not been seen today. Word is she met with the board of directors of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in her hotel room.
The McCain campaign also released a photo of Palin with First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain.
And this morning on a conference call, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said Palin was working on her speech (still planned for Wednesday night) and "catching her breath" after the last few whirlwind days.
The pace is picking up here. Early this morning, the McCain campaign made a decision to go forward with a full schedule today. Today's theme: "Who Is John McCain." We'll hear from longtime McCain buddy Fred Thompson, and from Joe Lieberman, also a McCain friend and loyalist in the Senate. President Bush won't be here in St. Paul, but will appear live from the White House. Luke is flying back from the Gulf coast to cover it all. He should touch down this afternoon so check back for updates.
Abbreviated program from St. Paul tonight. With an American flag superimposed on a blue screen behind her, First Lady Laura Bush briefly introduced taped messages from four Gulf coast Republican governors. "They're all strong leaders...and they all happen to be Republican." In a gold jacket, brooch and pearls, Cindy McCain urged the delegates, "This is the time we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats." The truncated convention is likely to ramp up tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates as the RNC announces what the program will be. Here's a look at the messges from Cindy McCain and Laura Bush.
Luke filed this report after visiting a Baptist church in Memphis, Tennessee that is providing food and shelter to more than 200 New Orleans residents fleeing Hurricane Gustav.
The news from Memphis is that the evacuation worked. People got out. The government was effective and accommodating. At the train station in Memphis, doctors, nurses and security personnel greeted evacuees. They received food, water, baby formula, basic medicine and coffee.
Here's the report Luke filed in Memphis after he met a train filled with hundreds of evacuees from Hurricane Gustav.
