Elections - Politico

It’s an axiom in presidential politics to ignore the early polls. Perhaps that’s one piece of conventional wisdom that’s better ignored.

The realization almost always prompts a double take, a moment of inspection, maybe even a debate: Is baby-faced Barack Obama, the symbol of a younger political generation, actually aging in front of us?

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Thursday backed off his firm promise to withdraw combat forces from Iraq immediately and instead said he could “refine” his plan after his trip to Baghdad later this month.

Joe Hagin, a White House deputy chief of staff who is one of the longest-serving members of President Bush’s inner circle, told friends Thursday morning that he is leaving later this month to take a corporate position.

The question bounced around the Internet and tumbled from the lips of Washington insiders: Why would Barack Obama choose Caroline Kennedy, a reluctant public figure with little affection for modern politics, to vet the next Democratic vice presidential candidate?

The Sergeant has been promoted.

Steve Schmidt is taking over the day-to-day operation of John McCain’s campaign, according to multiple campaign sources.

Lawyers for disgraced Chicago businessman Antoin “Tony” Rezko accused the government of “recklessly” whipping up a “media frenzy” by alleging that Rezko used a straw donor to contribute to Barack Obama.

In 2004, Republicans demanded fuller disclosure about the considerable fortune of Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

Barack Obama is a different kind of Democrat. He is one who actually intends to win.

Four months have passed since John McCain effectively captured the party nomination, and the insiders are getting restless. Top GOP officials, frustrated by what they view as inconsistent messaging, sluggish fundraising and an organization that is too slow to take shape, are growing increasingly uneasy about the direction of the McCain presidential campaign.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) plans to slam President Bush’s faith-based program as “a photo op” and a failure on Tuesday, and says he would scrap the office and create a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that would be a “critical” part of his administration.

For years John McCain’s environmental agenda highlighted his independent streak, and angered conservatives in the process. Yet the right showed little ire when he aired an ad last month touting his environmentalist bona fides: "John McCain stood up to the president and sounded the alarm on global warming five years ago."

On June 20, President Bush asserted executive privilege to shut down a House probe into an Environmental Protection Agency rule making. Three days later, a federal judge heard arguments in the Democrats’ groundbreaking lawsuit over subpoenas for White House aides.

The National Rifle Association plans to spend about $40 million on this year’s campaign, with $15 million of that devoted to portraying Barack Obama as a threat to the Second Amendment rights upheld last week by the Supreme Court.

In a surprise to many Republican insiders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is at the top of the vice presidential prospect list for John McCain. But lack of personal chemistry could derail the pick.

One-third of Colorado registered voters are not affiliated with a political party. In New Mexico, Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 200,000, yet the state routinely votes for the GOP presidential candidate. Montana voters don’t even register with a party.

The highest-voltage third rail of this presidential campaign may not be race, sex or age, but John McCain's military service.

One-third of Colorado registered voters are not affiliated with a political party. In New Mexico, Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 200,000, yet the state routinely votes for the GOP presidential candidate. Montana voters don’t even register with a party.

Gen. Wesley Clark, acting as a surrogate for Barack Obama’s campaign, invoked John McCain’s military service against him in one of the more personal attacks on the Republican presidential nominee this election cycle.

Last Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) touted Chet Edwards, the little-known Democratic congressman from Waco, Texas, for her party's vice presidential slot. The players of the popular D.C. parlor game Guess-the-Veep — busy bandying about hot names like former North Carolina senator and veteran vice presidential candidate John Edwards and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty — paused to offer a collective, "huh?"

Recognizing the growing political power of the nation’s largest minority, John McCain and Barack Obama both sought to woo Latinos in back-to-back speeches on Saturday—and it’s clear each candidate has some work to do to earn their favor.

One of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s biggest supporters in Hollywood (or anywhere else, for that matter) has been director Rob Reiner.

Conservatives may not be enamored of John McCain, but on subjects that are near and dear to their hearts — legal philosophy and judicial appointments — they are finding a lot to like about the Arizona senator.

Barack Obama is scheduled to pay a solemn visit to wounded Iraq veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington on Saturday, Politico has learned.

UNITY, N.H. — At a rally staged in a field of wildflowers, in a town so small that some residents of this state had never heard of it, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton attempted to show Friday that if they could put months of divisive campaigning behind them, so too should their supporters.

A new playbook for House Republicans urges them to run essentially as independents, showing empathy for voters, emphasizing local issues and ignoring many traditional party campaign practices. 

After Sen. Barack Obama emerged as the winner of the Democratic nomination, he announced that he’d be glad to meet Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at the time and place of her choosing.