In the first new SNL since the writers strike the program opened up with a Clinton/Obama CNN Univision debate spoof.

Obamaniacs, Barackattacks and just obsessed the skit presents the media as “totally in the tank” for Barack Obama.

Mark Penn says Clinton would like to have one debate a week with Obama until March 4th including one on FOX News.

Penn said Clinton would like to see debates in Ohio, Texas, and Washington, and had already accepted three: One on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopolous, one CNN debate in Ohio February 27, and an MSNBC debate the next day hosted by Chris Matthews.

Wolfson also said Clinton has accepted a debate on Fox News, something Democrats shunned last year. That debate is scheduled for February 11, in Washington D.C., and would also air on the local Fox affiliate.

I just caught Obama on CNN and so did Mark Halperin.

Halperin has the recap:

In interview with CNN, Obama slams McCain saying he’s “not the person who is going to lead this country in a new direction,” calls him wrong on foreign policy and economics, says he wants to continue failed policies.

Also said he would “be in a much better position” to take on McCain because he won’t be arguing in favor of policies and decisions that are similar to the Arizona Senator.

On meeting with advisories directly including leaders of Iran and Venezuela Obama said:

“I will meet not just with our friends but with our enemies. I will meet without pre-conditions, that does not mean I will meet without preparation. It is very important before any meeting there is a list of agenda items we will be talking about.”

I will be calling into Blog Talk Radio Today this evening at 6:30PM Eastern so you can head me discuss the debate with Shaun Daily. I did want to toss up some thoughts about last nights debate ahead of time.

Incase you missed it, the debate was the first time Senator’s Clinton & Obama took the stage without anyone else in the spotlight. It was a significant moment for many reasons but most importantly because one of these two candidates will be the Democratic nominee. No offense to Richardson, Biden, Dodd, Kucinich, Gravel & Edwards but this is the two-person race everyone predicted a long while ago and we are finally witnessing it.

Read the rest of this entry »

From TPM found via Cadillac Light:

Okay, this is interesting. I’ve just learned that CNN has told top Dem strategists James Carville, Paul Begala, and Robert Zimmerman — who are CNN mainstays but are all Hillary supporters — that they will not be doing any more political analysis on the network until the Democratic primary has reached a conclusion.

I’m also told that this move came after the Obama campaign repeatedly complained to high level officials at CNN about the presence of Carville and Begala on the network.

After I reached him today and pointed out that he hadn’t been on CNN in some time, Carville confirmed to me that the network had told him that he wouldn’t appear until the Dem primary is resolved.

Sam Feist, CNN’s political director, also confirmed the decision to me. “As we got closer to the voting, we made a decision to make sure that all the analysts that are on are non-aligned,” Feist said, adding that the decision had been made around the start of December. “Carville and Begala are two of the best analysts around and we look forward to seeing them on CNN plenty of times in the future, once the nominating process has ended.”

Though there are plenty of other contributors on all of the networks who are less than objective this is probably a decent move by CNN.

If you missed last nights Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach, you missed quite a show. If there were any doubts that bad blood has been spilled between Clinton & Obama, they were removed last night as the pair traded barbs that were emotionally charged and very personal. Edwards, as I noted last night, acted as a free agent spending most of the event attacking Senator Obama with Clinton but at the end he leveled some attacks at Clinton assuring that she wouldn’t walk away a victor.

Here are my thoughts.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just watched the debate and though I need to get to sleep (man its late) I wanted to make one point.

It is clear John Edwards is the free agent. He saw blood in the water early on with Obama and he struck. In the ABC debate after Iowa he pounced on Clinton hoping to knock her out. It didn’t happen. He knows he won’t win South Carolina but the plan seems obvious. Pick up delegates and pick off whomever he thinks he can. That means he gets to attack both whenever it is convenient and it makes the debates that much more interesting.

Obviously Edwards is ideologically closer to Obama but is ready to hit whomever, whenever he hears what he doesn’t agree with or what he thinks will help him out. Great to watch!

Link: sevenload.com

Found at Hot Air Clinton talks about her welling up moment Monday.

Tonight FOX News will run a brand new debate between Republicans and to counter-program CNN will be re-running two previous debates. It is a move Wolf Blitzer just described as “unprecedented”.

The Politico is reporting that barring a surprise showing today in Iowa former Senator Fred Thompson will drop out and give his support to Senator John McCain.

Iowa – Several Republican officials close to Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign said they expect the candidate will drop out of the race within days if he finishes poorly in Thursday’s Iowa caucus.

Thompson’s campaign, which last spring and summer was generating fevered anticipation in the media and with some Republican activists, has never ignited nationally, and there are no signs of a late spark happening here in Iowa, where even a third-place finish is far from assured.

However on two morning shows today Thompson denied the report:

CNN: Denied story about possibly dropping out, backing McCain. “I’ve never said that, I’ve never implied that, in public or in private.” Talked oil prices, CIA tapes. Repeated that having too much “personal ambition” is a danger for candidates.

Fox: Again denied story about dropping out, saying it was probably planted by rival campaign. “There is no such Thompson adviser. It is not something I have thought about or discussed with anybody.” Maintained he’s doing well in Iowa, said he didn’t get in the race late, others got in early. “We’ll see whether being in everyone’s face for two years and spending $100 million is necessary.”