Radio Iowa

John Edwards talked to Musharraf regarding Bhutto

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards talked with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf early this afternoon (Iowa time).  Here's Edwards talking about the situation. (2 min MP3)

Henderson:  "In regards to the situation in Pakistan, if you were president, what would you be doing?"

Edwards: "If I were president I would do some of what I've already done.  I spoke with the Pakistani Ambassador and then a few minutes ago I spoke with President Musharraf, urging him to continue on the path to democratization, to allow international investigators to come in to determine what happened, what the facts were so that there would be transparency and credibility about what actually occurred and also about the upcoming schedule of elections and that the important thing for America to do in this unstable environment is first of all focus on the tragedy that's occurred.  Benazir Bhutto was a strong woman, a courageous woman, someone that I actually spoke at a conference with a few years and she talked about the path to democracy in Pakistan being baptized in blood so she understood the extraordinary risk that she was taking by going back and it's a terrible tragedy for the people of Pakistan, but it's important for America to be a calming influence and provide strength in this environment."

Henderson:  "How did you get in touch with Musharraf? What's the relationship there?"

Edwards:  "I met Musharraf years ago in Islamabad.  We talked about many of the problems that his country was faced with including kids being educated in Madrasahs and some of the struggles that he was having within his own country and so when I spoke to the ambassador earlier today I said if Musharraf, if the president had time would you have him give me a call because I'd like to speak with him directly and he called."

Joe Biden, Chris Dodd react to Bhutto's death

Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd just called into the Radio Iowa newsroom to talk about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.  Here is a quick quote (note the slaps at Obama and Clinton toward the end):  "We need to have a person in that Oval Office come January 20th next year that when the unexpected like this happens, it will be a person who's dealt with issues.  I've spent 26 years on the Foreign Relations Committee.  I served in the Peace Corps in Latin America.  I know the middle east well.  A year ago at this time I was in the region here, in Pakistan, for obvious reasons but over the years, you know Musharraf.  I met with him.  Benazir Bhutto's a friend.  I've known her for a long time, so I'm not encountering these issues for the first time and I think as people get closer to Caucus date, these events and events like this are going to highlight the importance and understanding that good, soaring speeches are not the experience we need at this moment and frankly, even being the First Lady of the United States, it doesn't necessarily qualify for you for dealing with these issues as I have over the last quarter of a century on a daily basis."

Here is the audio from Dodd's call to Radio Iowa.

The Biden campaign provides this link if you want to listen to Senator Joe Biden's news conference in Des Moines this morning where he discussed Bhutto's assassination.

What money can buy

Hillary Clinton's campaign has purchased two-minutes of airtime during the six o'clock local TV newscasts in all eight Iowa media markets to make her "closing argument" on the night of January 2nd.

McCain at the Elk's Club (includes reaction to Bhutto's death)

UPDATE:  Here is McCain talking about Benazir Bhutto's death (mp3 runs 5 min).

GOP presidential candidate John McCain is due here in the Elk's Club on Hickman Road in Des Moines in a few minutes.  This used to be a Bishop's Cafe and the last time I spoke to the Urbandale Kiwanis Club which held its meetings here.

The cafeteria didn't make it and now the Elk's have take over this space.  The slight smell of cigar smoke greeted you as you walked in and they've added more tables and chairs.  The place is now overflowing with people, most of whom accepted and decided to wear the blue, rectangular McCain sticker on their chest after arriving.  It's not an all-Iowa crowd, though. The two young women sitting in front of me are from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; attending college in Omaha and intending to travel Iowa in these days before the Caucuses, trying to see the presidential candidates in person.

Former State Auditor Richard Johnson, a McCain supporter, is working the room.  Johnson believes McCain has a shot at second here, particularly with the news today of the assassination in Pakistan, because McCain is a serious candidate for serious times.

There is still a non-serious air to Iowa these days between holidays, however.  A woman to my left sits quietly, letting her loud hat do the talking.  It's a festive Santa hat, with a white "fur" brim and "fur" ball at the end -- but the bulk of the hat is made of silver sequins. 

Hillary Clinton, on the road in Iowa

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton just called into the Radio Iowa newsroom as she was riding from one Iowa town to another (it may be from Mount Pleasant to Pella, based on the schedule of events today). Below is a quick review of highlights.  I'll be back with an update of the full call later.

Henderson:  "Do you intend, as the Edwards campaign suggested today, to try to fool Democrats by playing on their fears?  I believe they may be referring to your new television ad, which I just watched, which begins with the words 'a nation at war' on the screen."

Clinton:  "Well, the fact is we have to end the war in Iraq and we have to do a better job in trying to deal with terrorism in Afghanistan and around the world.  That is a reality and the next president will find that problem waiting on his or her desk.  I don't think it does caucus-goers any service to avoid what is one of the major issues that we confront.  I think I am the best positioned from my work on the Senate Armed Services Committee and my understanding of how to end the war in Iraq and how to bring our troops home quickly and responsibly and also to forge new coalitions and alliances in dealing with the continuing challenges that we face throughout the world."

Change seems to be an important factor in Iowa voters' minds.  Clinton has been calling herself a "change-maker" in recent campaign speeches.  I asked Clinton for her "closing argument" to Iowans on the "change agent" issue.

Clinton:  "I am on a tour that we're calling 'Big Challenges, Real Solutions:  Time to Pick a President' because on January 3rd Iowans get to start the process of picking a president & they should ask themselves as they caucus, 'Who would be the best president and who is ready to make the changes we need starting on day one?' I believe that, you know, my record of making changes that affected people's lives positively, that my work in the senate and to forge changes by crossing party lines on so many issues has a very, you know, strong argument for why I would hope that Iowans would caucus for me because I am ready to lead on day one and I think I can begin to make the changes we need as soon as I'm elected."

O. Henderson is still here

In early May, a fundraiser for Dennis Kucinich called me in the Radio Iowa newsroom, inviting me to make a campaign donation to Kucinich's campaign.  I blogged about it. The name "O. Henderson" and my telephone number here at Radio Iowa is apparently still in the Kucinch campaign's fundraising database, even though I've never made a contribution.

Well, late Thursday afternoon a nice person named Justin from Lincoln, Nebraska, called again with the same pitch.  I asked if I might tape record our conversation blog about it (Listen/download MP3 - 5 min). and then blog about it. He agreed. In it, Justin talked about the Kucinich campaign's "money bomb" on December 15 -- $131,000 -- and about his exclusion from The Des Moines Register debate.

Fred Thompson's "Hands Down" thing

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson is a bit low on campaign cash, so filling up his campaign bus with gas and traveling around Iowa is much cheaper than air fare to ferry between Iowa and New Hampshire in the closing days before both states host contests.

Thompson's bus tour theme is  "The Clear Conservative Choice:  Hands Down."  It's meant to remind Iowa Republicans of Thompson's refusal at this month's The Des Moines Register debate to participate in a "show of hands" when the moderator asked the candidates whether they believed there was such a thing as global warning.

"You know, tell us about the future of the world, you know, in 30 second kind of things and then when 30 seconds gets to be even too long, they just want...a show of hands and I could see what was comin', you know, they're going to run issue by issue by issue with ambiguous, you know, kinds of questions that nobody can say an absolute yes or no on some of them and I could see that comin' and I just wasn't playin' that game," Thompson said during a telephone interview with Radio Iowa this past week.  "There's no way I could have anticipated that but my natural instinct was to say, 'Wait a minute.  This isn't right.  I ain't doin' it." 

Thompson suggested his competitors who shared that debate stage were all ready to dance to the moderator's tune until he, rhetorically, put his foot down. "And then of course when I did that everybody else jerked their hands down right quick," Thompson said. "...If you want to talk about a serious issue, then let's talk about it, but none of this lookin' like a bunch of trained seals there waitin' for the next fish to be thrown to us." 

I gave Thompson an unlimited amount of time to express his views on global warming.  He talked for 90 seconds.  The story on that is coming on Radio Iowa on Tuesday.

Obama says Edwards is "inconsistent"

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has opened up a line of attack against rival John Edwards and the issue is...campaign finances & ethics.  Here's the Radio Iowa story.  UPDATE:  See Edwards campaign response below.

Here are the key quotes on this subject from Obama's interview with Radio Iowa earlier this afternoon:  "Yesterday my understanding was is that (Edwards) said he did not approve of 527s, these independent groups where there's no disclosure so you don't know who's funding them and how much is being spent. We find out today that a 527 run by his former campaign manager and political director is running three-quarters of a million dollars worth of ads on his behalf and it strikes me that if you say yesterday you don't agree with 'em and today you're benefiting from them -- that's not consistent....Part of what we need is some consistency when it comes to the positions we take, not just taking them when it's politically convenient."

Obama discussed what he hoped "trickles down" from him as the leader of the campaign to his campaign operatives.  "I'm very proud of the fact that you haven't seen a lot of drama or a lot of back-biting in our campaign.  I think everybody is focusing on doing their job," Obama said.  "People generally left their egos at the door.  People take responsibility for their work and, you know, don't blame others when mistakes are made and people don't jump on people when mistakes are made.  We hold folks accountable, but there's a calm in our organization and a trust, I think, between people and I like to take a little bit of credit for that."

Edwards on "Iowa Press"

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is the guest on this evening's edition of IPTV's "Iowa Press" program.  It was taped this morning at IPTV studios in Johnston, Iowa.

The opening question was about the tenor of the rhetoric on the trail these days.

"I think it's, uh, you're talking about the tone?  I think it's at least for me, I'm focused on my positive vision...because I think that's what Iowa Caucus-goers are looking for," Edwards replied.  "There's still some sniping going on among some of the other candidates, but I am locked in on what I want to do as president."

Edwards said, "based on past experience" he expects that sniping to continue.

Is there a danger of sending a wounded candidate into the general election?

"There's always that risk and that's at least from my perspective what Iowa Caucus-goers are looking for is not petty, personal fighting among politicians."

Do you have to win Iowa?

"I think all three of us -- Clinton, Obama, me -- are in a very tight race here and they've invested and so have I heavily in this contest and I think what that means in practical terms is somebody's going to come out with momentum.  I don't think you can say for any of the three of us that you have to win because it depends on how it plays out, but I can tell you having been through this I know what you have to do.  I know what you have to do to close and what Iowa Caucus-goers are looking for.  They're not looking for academic and they're not looking for analytical.  They're looking for somebody who speaks from right here, from their gut and somebody who believes deeply and passionately in what they're talking about," Edwards said (he gestured to his mid-section when he said "gut" BTW).

Can you survive a third place finish?

"I think that's unknowable.  It's unknowable for the other two, too. I think it depends on how close it is.  I depends on what happens in the next day.  You know, I'm not a political pundit.  My job is to be the candidate for president and I know, because I've been through this before, I know what Caucus-goers are looking for.  I mean, they're looking for energy and passion and focus and they're going to get that from me."

As for his band of supporters in Iowa:  "I think my people will be there, no matter what the weather is."

Tancredo drops out, endorses Romney

Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo entered the room and joked that his staff had invited the media to the ballroom in the downtown Des Moines Marriott to help him and his advisor, Bay Buchanan, celebrate their birthdays. UPDATE: Click to listen to Tancredo announcement -- mp3 runs 15 minutes

"I guess we shall also proceed to the business at hand.  For the past 10 years I have dedicated my public life to warning the nation to the perilous consequenhces of massive, illegal immigration," Tancredo began.  "...This message unfortunately has fallen on deaf ears in the highest office in the land....and so in spite of what we knew at the time were incredibly long odds...We've always known the odds were enormous...and I am happy to say, I am ecstatic to say, we have made remarkable progress along those lines....It's really been my pleasure...and something I will always treasure that so many folks have worked so hard in this endeavor....Accoridng to Newsweek, the Tancredo campaign has already won....

Tancredo continued, saying of his campaign:  "I must end it."  He indicated staying in the race might benefit other GOP candidates who he said are "abysmal on this (illegal immigration) issue."

"...I fear that remaining in this race...could contribute to the nomination of one of those candidates...We have come too far....the stakes are way too high for me to allow that to happen," he said.

"...There's a candidate who meets several criteria from my point of view....He will secure our borders....he'll require those who are presently here illegally to return home.  He also has, by the way, a solid record that matches his rhetoric....He can go the distance.   This morning I met with Governor Mitt Romney....I am withdrawing from this race and I am endorsing Governor Romney."