Comedian Stephen Colbert — who flirted with a run for the presidency last fall — is not going to be happy.

Colbert challenged supporters of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton to hold their primary by donating to Pennsylvania schools through nonprofit DonorsChoose.org. When he "ran" in South Carolina, Colbert's fans gave $66,000 to Palmetto State schools and he ended his short-lived bid.

Obama's supporters, who urged the readers of the senator's campaign blog to give to Pennsylvania schools, have raised more than $91,000 as of this writing — far trumping Colbert and Clinton, whose supporters have given about $15,000.

One Obama fan wrote:

Stephen Colbert has set up a straw poll/donation page on DonorsChoose.org for Pennsylvania schools. You donate to schools in honor of either Obama or Clinton. So far, Obama supporters are out-donating Clinton supporters! Let's show Pennsylvania voters Obama's superior coattails. And get some good publicity from Stephen Colbert.

Another weighed in:

Give as much as you can to this issue as soon as you can ! This will show how we as Obama people really go HARD for our guy! Also, we need to give more MONEY now than ever! Be blessed ! Fight the POWER!

The results so far don't necessarily suggest who will win Pennsylvania's April 22 primary. But it does give a hint of whose supporters are bigger Colbert fans.

Clinton will appear Thursday night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.


— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Sen. Hillary Clinton sent supporters this Web video today, along with a note reminding them she needs their help to fight for the Democratic nomination.

"If we have the resources to compete we are going to do very very well," Clinton says in the appeal. She also notes the campaign has not met its $3 million goal I blogged about last week. The ticker counting up to the $3 million is gone from her Web site, though her spokesman said this morning cash flow was "good."

Here's her note:

You have spoken loud and clear over the past few days with a tremendous show of support. Your actions are drowning out the voices calling for this race to come to an end, and I am truly touched that you are so committed to our campaign.

Now we have just a few hours left before our midnight fundraising deadline. This is our last chance to show our strength in the midst of the onslaught from our opponent who wants this race to end before millions of Americans have their say.

Together we are going to keep fighting and winning. But first we need to show that we have the resources to compete vigorously in the upcoming races, and I'm depending on you for that support.

I wish you and I could share some of the experiences I'm having on the campaign together. But I recorded a special video message for you on the trail recently, and I hope you'll take a look.

Click here to watch the video and make a contribution to show our strength by our critical midnight deadline. Even as little as $5 can make a difference.

We're just short of reaching our $3 million goal by the end of the month -- your contribution could be the one that puts us over the top.

Thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do -- on to victory!

Thank you for everything,

Hillary

Team Clinton said her fundraising is still strong, especially online, but obviously not as strong as it was at the beginning of the month, when she met a $3 million goal in 24 hours.

On a side note, maybe it's just the video quality, but Clinton doesn't sound like herself in the sit-down portion of her video. Her voice is strained, but not in the same way as when she had throat issues during the most strenuous days of the campaign. (Sen. Barack Obama had his share of vocal chord problems.)

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

LANCASTER, Pa. — I have a Web story up about the latest superdelegate to back Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. Amy Klobuchar told reporters she withheld her endorsement for a while, but ultimately: "Between Barack and a hard place I chose Barack."

LANCASTER, Pa. — Sen. Barack Obama has won over another freshman senator and superdelegate, this morning getting an endorsement from Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

Mrs. Klobuchar said she is backing her Illinois colleague over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton because "continuing to stay silent would be awkward," she told reporters on a conference call.

She cited the big crowds he attracted before winning Minnesota's caucus by 34 points, and said the "enthusiasm and idealism" she witnessed at his events was "simply impossible to contain." Mrs. Klobuchar called Mr. Obama a "new kind of leader" who can "dissolve" the cynicism of President Bush's administration and who offers a "new perspective."

She also called Mrs. Clinton of New York a "friend," saying she hopes the primary contest continues, adding: "The Democratic Party is truly blessed this year with two candidates."

"I believe that Senator Clinton has every right to continue her campaign," Mrs. Klobuchar said, following a weekend where many Obama supporters called for his rival to end her bid.

Read the rest here.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

LANCASTER, Pa. — Keystone state voters head to the polls three weeks from tomorrow, and I've hopped on Sen. Barack Obama's bus for a few days.

I have a story up this morning about the electoral map and each campaign's strategy for saying they are the most electable.

Central to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's argument that she would be the better Democratic presidential nominee are her Ohio victory, her wins in the West and lead in Pennsylvania - with her underlying message that Sen. Barack Obama can't carry such swing states in November.

Mr. Obama, who rallied more than 20,000 at Penn State yesterday, disagrees, and charges that her campaign is using an old map in a new environment. His advisers say Mrs. Clinton is writing off potential Democratic pickups such as North Carolina, Virginia and Missouri.

"Red states are going to matter this November," Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat who supports Mr. Obama, told reporters recently.

Mr. Culver pointed to a Des Moines Register poll in his state showing Mr. Obama would beat presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain 53 percent to 36 percent in Iowa, which Democrats lost in 2004.

Mrs. Clinton is quick to remind voters that if Democratic Sen. John Kerry had captured Ohio in 2004, he would have won the presidency.

"As Ohio goes, so goes the nation," Mrs. Clinton, of New York, said after beating Mr. Obama by 10 percentage points there on March 4.

Read the rest here.

Looking at the race, the Clinton campaign's Peter Daou has posted this memo titled "Pundits versus reality."

THE PUNDITS
Hillary Clinton will lose New Hampshire and the race will be over
THE REALITY
Hillary Clinton wins New Hampshire, defying the predictions and the polls
THE PUNDITS
Hillary Clinton will lose the big states on Super Tuesday and the race will be over
THE REALITY
Hillary Clinton wins the big states on Super Tuesday - and wins them by double digits
THE PUNDITS
Hillary Clinton will lose Texas and possibly Ohio on March 4th and the race will be over
THE REALITY
Hillary Clinton wins both Texas and Ohio on March 4th - and she wins Ohio by double digits
THE PUNDITS
Despite Hillary Clinton's big victories on March 4th, "the math" works decisively against her and the race is essentially over
THE REALITY
The math is simple: neither candidate has reached the number of delegates required to
secure the nomination and either candidate can win
THE PUNDITS
Barack Obama is substantially ahead in the pledged delegate count; pledged delegates are the only measure of success; therefore the race is essentially over
THE REALITY
The candidates are within fractions of one another on delegates; Barack Obama needs super delegates to win; and a marginal pledged delegate lead does not determine the outcome
THE PUNDITS
Barack Obama is substantially ahead in the popular vote; Florida and Michigan don't count; therefore the race is essentially over
THE REALITY
The popular vote is virtually tied; half of Barack Obama's narrow vote advantage is from his home state; and his lead excludes Florida and Michigan
THE PUNDITS
Once the remaining states vote, Barack Obama will be substantially ahead in delegates and votes and the race will be over
THE REALITY
The race is a dead heat now and no one knows where things will end up after millions of remaining voters in the upcoming states make their choice
THE PUNDITS
Hillary Clinton's situation is dire; her campaign is struggling; her supporters are disillusioned and desperate
THE REALITY
Hillary Clinton and her supporters are calm, confident, and focused heading into the key state of PA, where she is running strong
THE PUNDITS
Hillary Clinton's campaign lacks significant grassroots energy; only one candidate has mobilized supporters to take action for the campaign
THE REALITY
Hillary Clinton's supporters across America have written letters, blogged, donated tens of millions of dollars, volunteered millions of hours and made millions of calls
THE PUNDITS
There is a loud and growing chorus of voices asking Hillary Clinton to withdraw from the race
THE REALITY
Precisely the same number of voters (22%) think Barack Obama should drop out of the
race as Hillary Clinton
THE PUNDITS
Hillary Clinton is the candidate running a negative, divisive campaign; she is throwing the "kitchen sink" at Barack Obama
THE REALITY
Barack Obama has been throwing the sink, the stove, the plates and the garbage can at Hillary Clinton, attacking her integrity and character every day
THE PUNDITS
For Hillary to win the nomination, super delegates will have to "overturn the will of the
people"
THE REALITY
The will of the people is split and both candidates need - and are making their case to - super delegates
THE PUNDITS
Hillary Clinton is threatening to poach pledged delegates from Barack Obama
THE REALITY
Barack Obama is reportedly already trying to poach pledged delegates from Hillary Clinton
THE PUNDITS
Florida and Michigan's voters won't be heard and their delegates won't be seated all
because of complicated procedural roadblocks
THE REALITY
Barack Obama is intentionally disenfranchising voters in two critical states for purely political reasons, namely, that he'll lose his small advantage if they count
THE PUNDITS
Every single word or action from Hillary Clinton, her campaign, her surrogates and her supporters is part of a calculated and cynical political strategy
THE REALITY
Hillary Clinton is a loyal Democrat, a lifelong public servant, a tireless and tenacious candidate, and is fighting hard - and fair - to win with the help of millions of dedicated supporters

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

ON THE BUS BETWEEN HARRISBURG and LANCASTER, Penn. — Cable news was all over Sen. Barack Obama's weekend photo op at an Altoona bowling alley. His excuse for bowling a 37 during the Saturday campaign stop was that it had been three decades since he last engaged in the sport.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough quipped that higher scores would be found at an 8-year-old's birthday party. He also proposed the Democratic nomination could be settled by a bowl-off between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson didn't say no to the idea, and joined in to mock his rival's bowling skills.

"It didn't look like Senator Obama brought his A-game to the bowling alley," Wolfson said.

Joking aside, here are some of the best excerpts from the pool report:

[Obama] and [Sen. Bob] Casey changed their dress shoes for bowling shoes — blue and white Velcro for Obama, size 13 1/2, and a more traditional red and blue (with Day-Glo green laces) for Casey.

...

Bowling first, Casey, taking what Obama had declared to be a practice roll, sent his ball off to the left gutter. "Uh oh! Uh oh!" Obama shouted. "He did that on purpose, so I won't look bad." But Obama had already told the afternoon gaggle that he's not a good bowler, and your pooler has the sad duty to inform you that he was true to his word. He picked up a ball, held it reasonably confidently, approached the lane and … sent it off to the gutter on the right. "We're just warming up," he said.

...

At one point, Nick, an 8-year-old standing nearby, offered to give Obama some pointers. Instead, Obama let Nick roll one ball for him. ("Fist bump!" Obama ordered Nick afterwards.) Other kids started asking to play with them, and he invited them to join in. "We're going to keep on going until we get a strike," Obama said.

...

Most of Obama's shots were more or less down the center of the lane, but he rolled them too slowly to knock down more than six or seven pins at a time. "You notice I'm getting better," he said. At one point, he jokingly asked for a tip from a Secret Service agent.

...

Obama knocked down nine pins with one ball. "Almost!" he shouted. "I almost had it!"
"Let me tell you something," Obama said, turning to the crowd. "My economic plan is better than my bowling." A man standing at the next lane over called out, "It has to be." Laughing, Obama walked over and hugged him. Finally, in the seventh frame, Obama made a spare, cleaning up one pin left standing with his second ball. "Yes I can!" he started chanting, after a couple of admirers at a nearby lane started it. "Yes I can!" He and Casey changed out of their shoes. "Alright, I'm quitting now, that's it, that's it," Obama said. He signed two bowling pins for the alley's owners.
— Mike Madden, Salon.com
— Sasha Issenberg, The Boston Globe

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

As both Democratic candidates attack Republican Sen. John McCain on the economy, and he starts running TV ads, DNC Chairman Howard Dean weighs in and reminds supporters (again) the party needs their help to beat McCain.

Perhaps Dean is a little more worried than Howard Wolfson about a fractured party?

Here are portions of Dean's latest DNC money pitch:

John McCain is raising money and campaigning across the country — he's looking at the White House.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are also raising money and campaigning across the country — but they're still looking at the nomination.

Hillary and Barack can't build an organization to take on John McCain directly yet, but we can. And we have to — it's our responsibility as Democrats to make sure we're prepared.

I need you to make a contribution now so we can make sure John McCain doesn't get a free ride — Americans everywhere need to know the truth, and we're going to make sure they get it.

http://www.democrats.org/NoFreeRides

Over the past three years, you've invested heavily in our 50-State Strategy. We put resources in all 50 states, committing to make sure each state has the resources and infrastructure to compete at every level.

We saw the results from this strategy in 2005, 2006, and 2007. And, with your help, it will help us take back the White House in 2008.

Why? The Republican Party is in trouble.

...

We've worn them down, but we can't be complacent — we've seen what they will do to win. We can't let up — every day that goes by where we don't answer John McCain's attacks means another opportunity missed, and it erases the work we've done so far.

Make a donation today and support our efforts to help elect Hillary or Barack. We're fighting John McCain so he doesn't get ahead.

http://www.democrats.org/NoFreeRides

We can't allow John McCain to crisscross the country, fooling the American people with his "more of the same" agenda.

Your donation today helps us take him head-on everywhere.

Thank you,
Howard Dean

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are asking their supporters for donations to boost their March totals, following a record-setting month for each.

Clinton has that ticker above on her Web site touting a new goal of $3 million by Monday's midnight deadline, and she sent supporters this note saying no one should count her out.

Have you noticed the pattern?

Every time our campaign demonstrates its strength and resilience, people start to suggest we should end our pursuit of the Democratic nomination.

Those anxious to force us to the sidelines aren't doing it because they think we're going to lose the upcoming primaries. The fact is, they're reading the same polls we are, and they know we are in a position to win.

In three days, we're facing a critical March filing deadline — another chance to show the strength of our campaign. Let's take these three days to make something absolutely clear: we aren't going to simply step aside. You and I are going to keep fighting for what we believe in, and together, we're going to win.

Anything you can give now will make a difference. Even a contribution as little as $5 will have an impact.

Contribute $5 today to help us raise $3 million by the March filing deadline at midnight Monday.

Every time we are challenged to prove the strength and durability of our appeal to voters, we meet our goals. We did it in New Hampshire, we did it on February 5, and we did it again this month in Texas and Ohio.

With the March filing deadline, we have the chance to show our strength again. This is a crucial test as we approach the next big primary in Pennsylvania and the contests that follow.

Millions of voters are still waiting to have their say. Let's make sure they have a chance to be heard.

Contribute $5 today to help us raise $3 million by the March filing deadline at midnight Monday.

At times like this, with everything on the line, it means so much to me to know that I can rely on you to meet the challenges we face head-on.

Thank you for everything,

Hillary

Obama is using another dinner contest like the ones he's done previously to attract small donations. The latest note from his campaign includes video from one of the earlier dinners, which I blogged about in the fall.

Here are portions of the latest note:

If you're wondering what it might be like to join Barack Obama and three fellow supporters for a casual dinner, you should watch this video.

From the very beginning of this campaign, Barack has rejected contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. Instead, he has relied on grassroots donors like you to support this campaign, and this is not the first time he's invited you to join him for an intimate dinner for five.

Get a glimpse of a previous dinner with Barack, and make a donation before 11:59 p.m. EDT on March 31st. You could join Barack and three other guests for an evening of good food and good conversation:

https://donate.barackobama.com/dinner

One of the folks in that video is Michael Griffith, a miner from Fernley, Nevada — he was one of Barack's guests at a dinner last year.

We gave him a call this week and asked him to talk about the experience so that we could share it with you. Here's what he had to say about it:

"It was an awesome experience — Barack spent hours talking to us, and at the dinner table he was just like any other guy. It really felt like somebody invited friends over for dinner and good conversation.

My dad is a paralyzed vet, and his health care costs are huge, so I talked to the Senator about how he planned to provide for our veterans. He gave a thoughtful, detailed answer, and I could tell that taking care of our veterans was a big concern to him.

But we didn't just talk about politics. He talked about his children, and his wife, and how much he misses his family when he's on the road. And those of us with children shared stories about our families, too. He was a funny guy, and there was a good amount of joking around. All in all, it was a great conversation.

Ever since the dinner, I've remained active in the campaign. I was the precinct captain for my neighborhood here in Fernley, Nevada, and we won our caucus. I also went to the county convention, and we won there too.

I'm grateful to have been a part of this, because I know that beyond winning an election, we're also changing the way politics works in this country."

People like Michael are transforming politics in this country — not just by changing the way campaigns are funded, but by getting involved on a grassroots level and working for change in their communities.

While Senator Clinton and Senator McCain have accepted millions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs, this campaign has relied on more than a million individual donors giving only what they can afford. Just last month, more than 90% of the donations to Obama for America were for $100 or less.

If you make a donation in any amount between now and 11:59 pm EDT on Monday, March 31st, you could join Barack and three other supporters for dinner and a conversation about the issues that matter most to you.

Thank you for your support,
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Freshman Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey will endorse Sen. Barack Obama this morning in Pittsburgh.

The Philadelphia Inquirer had the scoop, which Team Obama sent over this morning:

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey plans to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president today in Pittsburgh, sending a message both to the state's primary voters and to undecided superdelegates who might decide the close race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Dan Pfeiffer, deputy communications director for the Obama campaign, confirmed that Casey would announce his support during a rally at the Soldiers and Sailors Military Museum and Memorial and that he would then set out with the Illinois senator on part of a six-day bus trip across the state.

The endorsement comes as something of a surprise. Casey, a deliberative and cautious politician, had been adamant about remaining neutral until after the April 22 primary. He had said he wanted to help unify the party after the intensifying fight between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"There are few stronger advocates for working families in Pennsylvania than Sen. Casey," Pfeiffer said.

By coming out for Obama, Casey puts himself at odds with many top state Democrats — including Gov. Rendell, Rep. John P. Murtha and Mayor Nutter — who are campaigning for Clinton.

The endorsement also comes at a crucial time for Obama, who has been trailing Clinton in Pennsylvania polls by double-digit margins but who also has bought at least $1.6 million worth of television advertising statewide in the last week, more than double Clinton's expenditure.

Obama strategists hope that Casey can help their candidate make inroads with the white working-class men who are often referred to as "Casey Democrats." This group identifies with the brand of politics Casey and his late father, a former governor, practiced — liberal on economic issues but supportive of gun rights and opposed to abortion. (Obama favors some gun-control measures and backs abortion rights.)

Obama badly lost the white working-class vote to Clinton in Ohio and Texas on March 4, keeping the outcome of the fight in doubt amid questions about whether he could appeal to a group of voters that has often strayed from the party in presidential elections.

Since then, Obama has been stressing economic issues important to the middle class more often than his calls to reform politics. His campaign's recent TV ads in Pennsylvania also feature blue-collar imagery.

Mr. Casey will hop on Mr. Obama's six-day bus tour through the Keystone state.

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson raised the Pennsylvania stakes yesterday, telling reporters on a conference call that the bus tour is an "interesting development" after Team Clinton had accused Mr. Obama of "trying to write off" the state due to her solid lead.

"They have made clear with their six-day bus trip they are going to do what they can to contest the state vigorously," he said. "That makes sense. Sen. Obama should have just as good a chance as Sen. Clinton."

Mr. Wolfson said he feels "good" about Mrs. Clinton's prospects but noted the state's diversity and said, "Both candidates enter with a roughly equal chance."

"I'm glad to see Sen. Obama is now throwing himself and his campaign fully into Pennsylvania," he said, adding it's an "even playing field" despite the probability Mr. Obama will outspend Mrs. Clinton "2- or 3-to-1."

Both Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton talked about the economy yesterday and outlined a plan to reform the regulatory system.

Sen. Barack Obama yesterday called for tougher government regulations of Wall Street and another $30 billion economic stimulus package, prompting his presidential rival to say he copied her plan while both Democrats criticized the presumptive Republican nominee.

Mr. Obama, echoing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's call from last week, said the government should pass a second stimulus package to help with the mortgage crisis.

Mr. Obama, of Illinois, also laid out an economic plan for regulatory reform and said he would rein in special interests as president, complaining the government has allowed the markets to "bend the rules" for the most profit at the expense of the nation's workers.

Read the rest of my story here.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

MoveOn.org plans to send members the e-mail below calling the Clinton donors who wrote to Speaker Nancy Pelosi bullying billionaires. The liberal group, which is backing Sen. Barack Obama, said the letter was "outrageous."

Here's the MoveOn letter:

This is pretty outrageous: a group of Clinton-supporting big Democratic donors are threatening to stop supporting Democrats in Congress because Nancy Pelosi said that the people, not the superdelegates, should decide the Presidential nomination.

It's the worst kind of insider politics—billionaires bullying our elected leaders into ignoring the will of the voters.

But when we all pool our resources, together we're stronger than the fat cats. So let's tell Nancy Pelosi that if she keeps standing up for regular Americans, thousands of us will have her back. And we can more than match whatever the CEOs and billionaires refuse to contribute. Clicking here will add your name to our statement:

http://pol.moveon.org/democracy/

The statement reads: "The Democratic nomination should be decided by the voters -- not by superdelegates or party high-rollers. We've given money -- and time -- to progressive candidates and causes, and we'll support Speaker Pelosi and others who stand up for Democracy in the Democratic Party."

We're launching it today with our friends at the blog OpenLeft.com. Our goal is to deliver tens of thousands of signatures to Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders later this week.

A few weeks ago, Speaker Pelosi told ABC News, "If the votes of the superdelegates overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party."

She's right, but Clinton's top fundraisers want her to back off. According to the New York Times, their letter "carries an ominous tone, which stops just short of delivering a threat. The donors remind Ms. Pelosi that they are 'strong supporters' of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee." Their language was careful, but their implied threat was universally understood. (Roll Call carried this headline: "Clinton donors threaten Pelosi and DCCC.")

They're the old guard, and this is how the Democratic Party used to function -- the big donors called the shots. But the small donor revolution has changed that. The 20 people who signed this letter have given Democrats an average of $2.4 million per year over the last 10 years. Small donations now dwarf that: In February alone, Obama and Clinton raised $47 million in small donations.

Still, old habits die hard. We need to send a strong signal that we, the small donors, will back Democratic leaders who have the courage to stand up and do the right thing. Please sign our statement today.

http://pol.moveon.org/democracy/

Thanks for all you do,

-- Noah, Justin, Ilyse, Wes, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Thursday, March 27th, 2008

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Sen. Hillary Clinton's spokesman Howard Wolfson said this afternoon he's confident the party will unite around its nominee despite the Gallup poll showing 28 percent of her supporters would vote for Republican Sen. John McCain if Sen. Barack Obama gets the Democratic nod.

I wrote about the party infighting in this morning's paper.

Political tension between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton is inflaming Democrats' emotions as it spills over into the electorate with more voters threatening to defect from the party should their candidate lose the presidential nomination.

A Gallup Poll released yesterday showed that 28 percent of Clinton supporters would back Republican nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona in the general election should the former first lady not get the Democratic nomination.

"This suggests that some Clinton supporters are so strongly opposed to Obama (or so loyal to Clinton) that they would go so far as to vote for the 'other' party's candidate next November if Obama is the Democratic nominee," Gallup wrote in its analysis, adding, "the continuing and sometimes fractious Democratic nomination fight could have a negative impact for the Democratic Party."

Among Obama supporters in the poll, 19 percent would vote for Mr. McCain should Mrs. Clinton, of New York, be the nominee. The news benefits the Republican senator, who exchanged barbs with Mr. Obama yesterday about the economy.

"John McCain ought to be a fire bell for the Democratic Party to say we cannot let this thing go on," Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, told The Washington Times. "We need to have a nominee and get on with running against John McCain."

But Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the California Democratic Party, said the long race is "actually good" for the candidates because each will be "thoroughly vetted."

"We're going to have a nominee prior to the convention," he predicted. "A lot of this nervousness is to be expected, but in the long run, I don't think Democrats are going to stomach pulling the lever for a Republican candidate."

Chris Bowers' Blue Majority online grass-roots fundraising group endorsed Mr. Obama, of Illinois, yesterday, saying a major reason was to end the infighting.

Read the full story here.

Wolfson told reporters in a conference call he has "absolutely no doubt" that after this "spirited primary" Democrats will rally around the nominee, "whoever he or she is, we believe it will be a she."

"The differences between the two parties are significant and there is too much at stake for Democrats to sit this out in any way shape or form."

I spoke this morning with Mark Aronchick, one of the Democratic donors who wrote to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Details of letter in my story, or read the full letter to Pelosi first reported by Talking Points Memo, here.)

He's also not worried, especially having weathered many election cycles. "The leaders of the party after a nominee emerges are going to come together," he said.

Mr. Aronchick added his letter was not intended to seem threatening, that he plans to do a DCCC fundraiser in a month and that he thinks the speaker is "terrific."

Nancy Chapman, a Connecticut Democrat, takes a different stance.

Good article. You should know that most Dems I've spoken to who will vote for McCain if Obama is the nominee will be doing so because of their very strong opposition to Obama, and not because they are strongly in favor of Clinton. We, as Democrats who've lived through 7 years of George Bush, very badly want a Democrat in the White House, but we will not vote for Obama under any circumstances. That leaves us with McCain, because his character is sound and he at least has shown that he loves this country. We have serious questions about Obama's connections to Wright, Rezko, and Ayers, and we question his patriotism, character, and judgment.

I read an article yesterday in which the writer suggested that we Dems are possibly only saying now that we won't vote Democratic in the fall, and we'll change our minds come the election. But let me assure you, that is not the case. I am sixty years old, and a life-long Dem, and I would rather see the Republicans win again than to put Obama in the White House. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Howard Dean had better prepare themselves for a Republican president, Because I, and many others, will be perfectly happy with that outcome.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

A snarky birdie noticed Sen. Barack Obama's quote from his press plane yesterday about his non-vacation "two-and-a-half" day getaway to the Virgin Islands.

From NYT's Caucus:

He also disputed the notion that his trip was a vacation, given that it lasted two-and-a-half days. "It's a long weekend that most Americans get about 50 times a year," he said.

Maybe this is just spite, since many of us campaign reporters haven't had a long weekend in months, but let's consider this.

Here's the Wikipedia entry for "long weekend," and a search for "long weekend" on thesaurus.com comes up with "holiday."

The other acceptable synonyms: anniversary, break, celebration, feast, festival, festivity, fete, fiesta, gala, gone fishing, holy day, jubilee, layoff, leave, liberty, recess, red-letter day, saint's day, vacation.

There are 10 federal holidays, and presumably most Americans take some long weekends just for fun each year.

But 50? "Spoken like a true man of the people," my birdie sniffed.

Surely he was "misspeaking."



— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Sen. Barack Obama, perhaps looking toward the general election before the nominee is decided, announced this morning a new "Obama Hispanic Leadership Council."

Frank Sanchez - who worked in the Clinton administration - will lead the effort, which Obama said would be aimed at "reaching out to Latinos about our campaign's vision to unite our country and expand our growing enthusiasm in the Latino community."

Sen. Hillary Clinton has fared better among Hispanic voters over the course of the campaign, but Obama notes on the trail he is making inroads and plans to continue targeting the growing segment of the electorate.

Here are portions of the release:

The Obama Campaign announced the appointment of Francisco "Frank" Sanchez, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Transportation, as the National Chair of Latino and Hispanic Fundraising. Sanchez, is also an advisor on Latin American policy for the campaign. In his new capacity, Sanchez will Co-Chair along with Illinois Attorney, Manny Sanchez, the Obama Hispanic Leadership Council. This newly formed Council will work with the national finance team to increase the already growing enthusiasm and fundraising efforts for the Obama campaign in the Hispanic Community.

"Barack Obama is the candidate in the race who will deliver change we can believe in," said Sanchez. "During the course of this campaign, we have seen thousands of inspired Latinos turning out to do whatever it takes to spread Senator Obama's message of bringing our country together. We need a president with the leadership and judgment to not only unite our country but specifically address the issues affecting Latinos; Senator Obama's record has proven that he will be a strong advocate for Latinos nationwide."

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Sen. Barack Obama is back on the trail today after a brief vacation in the Caribbean, and he went after Republican Sen. John McCain on the economy.

From prepared remarks:

John McCain has said that he doesn't understand the economy as well as he should, and yesterday he proved it in the speech he gave about the housing crisis.

He said that the best way for us to address the fact that millions of Americans are losing their homes is to just sit back and watch it happen. In his entire speech, he offered not one policy, not one idea, not one bit of relief to the nearly 35,000 North Carolinians who were forced to foreclose on their dream over the last few months - not one.

We've been down this road before. It's the road that George Bush has taken for the last eight years. It's the idea that government has no role at all in solving the challenges facing working families - that all we can do is hand out tax breaks for the wealthiest few and let the chips fall where they may. And whether the rest of America is struggling with rising tuition or skyrocketing health care costs; plant closings or crumbling schools, the answer is always the same: "You're on your own."

Well we can't afford another four years of Bush economics. If there's one thing this crisis has taught us, it's that we can't have a thriving Wall Street and a crumbling Main street, because we're all connected. Our economy has to be the rising tide that lifts all boats, and that's why I'll take immediate action as President to help struggling homeowners. We'll help families and lenders rework existing subprime loans into affordable long-term fixed loans and create a foreclosure prevention fund to help keep Americans in their homes. We'll provide a mortgage tax credit to give homeowners relief, we're going to crack down on mortgage fraud and predatory lenders so that this doesn't happen again. John McCain may call helping struggling homeowners pandering, but I don't think the families in North Carolina who are losing their homes would see it that way. I think they expect their President to fight for them, and that's what I intend to do when I am President of the United States of America."

Team McCain responded in a statement:

"Senator Obama's blatant mischaracterizations aren't the new politics he's promised America, they're the old attack and smear tactics that Americans are tired of.

"Barack Obama's diagnosis for our housing market is clearly that Barack Obama knows best -- raise taxes on hardworking Americans and give government a prescription to spend.

"John McCain has called for an immediate and balanced approach to provide transparency and accountability in an effort to help homeowners who are hurting, while Barack Obama has made a $10 billion election-year promise that is sure to raise taxes and handcuff an already struggling economy."

Team Obama gave reporters a heads up they would be focusing on the presumptive Republican nominee this week. It's an interesting strategy, given some new polls that have some Democratic party leaders alarmed.

I have a Web story up about the numbers:

Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton have each said they would support the other should they lose the Democratic nomination themselves, but two new polls suggest their devotees don't feel the same way.

A Gallup poll showed a staggering 28 percent of Clinton supporters would back Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona in the general election should the former first lady end her own bid.

"This suggests that some Clinton supporters are so strongly opposed to Obama (or so loyal to Clinton) that they would go so far as to vote for the "other" party's candidate next November if Obama is the Democratic nominee," Gallup wrote in its analysis. "The data suggest that the continuing and sometimes fractious Democratic nomination fight could have a negative impact for the Democratic Party in next November's election."

Among Obama supporters, 19 percent would vote for Mr. McCain should Mrs. Clinton be the nominee.

Read the rest here.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton will appear tonight with her mom at a D.C. fundraiser, and she sent supporters an e-mail today touting the campaign's contest to win tickets for the Elton John concert.

When I heard that Elton John was throwing a concert in New York for my mom's campaign, I knew it was going to be a night I didn't want to miss.

Want to join me there?

My mom's campaign is bringing two supporters and their guests to New York on April 9 for both Elton John's one-night-only concert and the party after the concert. It's going to be a great night and a great time.

It's such an important time to support my mom's campaign. There are big contests coming up, starting with Pennsylvania, and I know she can win with your support. She's working so hard out on the campaign trail, and I know that your support makes a real difference to her and this campaign.

Enter now and you might join me, my mom, and Elton John for his one-night-only concert in New York on April 9. Make a contribution today.

I talk to a lot of people who are excited to see my mom win and be the president we all need -- and who are working hard to help make that happen. It means so much to me to know that there are so many people like you who believe in my mom and are working to help her win. I know that she'll be such a great president and she will win, but not without all our help. And what better time to help than right now?

Please contribute today. Enter and you might be joining me, my mom, and Elton John for a concert in New York!

I'm so grateful for everything you're doing to help my mom win!

Thank you!
Chelsea

Chelsea also made some headlines yesterday after she bristled when a voter asked her about Monica Lewinsky.

It's a big difference from back on the Nevada campaign trail, where I captured a shy Chelsea giving some of her first public remarks.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Watchdog group CREW is urging all the candidates to release their tax returns, one day after Sen. Barack Obama made public more than a 100 pages of his 2000 to 2006 filings.

"When running for president, candidates must be willing to put all their cards on the table. We encourage Sens. Clinton and McCain to do so now," CREW wrote in its release.

The group also provided this handy chart of candidates that since 1992 have made their tax returns available to the public.

2008
Released: Chris Dodd, Obama

Not released: Clinton, McCain, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney

2004
Released:
Wesley Clark (D) (since 1999)
Howard Dean (D) (since 1998)
John Edwards (D) (since 1994)
Richard Gephardt (D) (since 1997)
John Kerry (D) (since 1999)
Dennis Kucinich (D)
Joseph Lieberman (D)

2000
Released:
George Bush (R) (since 1994)
Al Gore (D) (since 1991)
Dick Cheney (R) (only first two pages of returns from 1990)
Joseph Lieberman (D) (since 1990)
Bill Bradley (D)

1996
Released: Robert Dole (R) (since 1966)
Lamar Alexander (R) (since 1978)
Jack Kemp (R) (since 1986)
Phil Gramm (R)

Not Released: Steve Forbes (R), Patrick Buchanan (R), Richard Lugar (R)

1992
Released: Bill Clinton (D) (since 1980)

Not Released: Ross Perot (I), Jerry Brown (D)

I have a story in today's paper with a basic look at the Obama tax returns.

After Sen. Barack Obama's income skyrocketed from about $207,000 in 2004 to nearly $1.7 million in 2005 thanks to book deals, he and his wife briskly increased their charitable giving.

In 2005 and 2006, the couple donated $137,622 to charities, including $27,500 to the Trinity United Church of Christ, which has been in the headlines as a result of the recent furor over now-retired pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons about racism in America.

Before then, the couple contributed less than 1 percent of their income to charity, which the TaxProf Blog noted was "well short of the biblical 10 percent tithe for all seven years."

After the Democratic presidential hopeful's campaign posted the 103 pages that comprise seven years of returns - including schedules - on the Internet, Obama aides said it was an exercise in transparency that his rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton should imitate.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Mrs. Clinton should release full schedules of her tax returns, especially since she loaned herself $5 million during the presidential primary season. He questioned former President Bill Clinton's ties to supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and demanded the Clintons release details about their tax rate, stock dividends and income.

Read the rest here, and you can download a PDF of the Obama tax returns by clicking here.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, a Democrat who is technically still running for president, announced this morning he's joining the Libertarian Party.

Dear friend,

I wanted to update you on my latest plans before news gets out. Today, I am announcing my plan to join the Libertarian Party, because the Democratic Party no longer represents my vision for our great country. I wanted my supporters to get this news first, because you have been the ones who have kept my campaign alive since I first declared my candidacy on April 17, 2006.

The fact is, the Democratic Party today is no longer the party of FDR. It is a party that continues to sustain war, the military-industrial complex and imperialism — all of which I find anathema to my views.

By and large, I have been repeatedly marginalized in both national debates and in media exposure by the Democratic leadership, which works in tandem with the corporate interests that control what we read and hear in the media.

I look forward to advancing my presidential candidacy within the Libertarian Party, which is considerably closer to my values, my foreign policy views and my domestic views.

Please take a moment to make your most generous donation to my presidential campaign today. $10, $20, $50 — whatever you feel you can afford.

I want to thank you all for your continued support.

Gratefully yours,
Mike

Speaking of third party presidential hopefuls, here is an excerpt from the latest note from former Rep. Cynthia McKinney, also running for president. Read her full commentary here.

A Discussion of Race Worth Having Much has been made around the edges of this campaign of the issue of race. Sadly, nothing has been made of the public policy exigencies that arise because of the urgent racial disparities that continue to exist in our country.

...

I am deeply offended that in the middle of a Presidential campaign, remarks — be they from a pastor or a communications mogul, or a former Vice Presidential nominee — are the cause of a focus on race, and not the deep racial disparities that communities are forced to endure on a daily basis in this country.

...

This moment sheds light on a much-needed discussion: on race and the legacies of race and slavery and the continuing problems associated with our failure to treat racism as a curable American disease.
I am glad that candidate Obama mentioned the existing racial disparities in education, income, wealth, jobs, government services, imprisonment, and opportunity. Now it is time to address the public policies necessary to resolve these disparities. Now it is time to have the discussion on how we are going to come together and put policies in effect that will provide real hope and real opportunity to all in this country.
To narrow the gap between the ideals of our founding fathers and the realities faced by too many in our country today: That must be the role of public policy at this critical moment in our country today.
I welcome a real discussion of race in this country and a resolve to end the long-standing disparities that continue to spoil the greatness of our country. I welcome a real discussion of all the issues that face our country today and the real public policy options that exist to resolve them. That must be the measure of this campaign season. For many voters, this important discussion has been too vague or completely non-existent. Now is the time to talk about the concrete measures that will move our country forward: on race, war, climate change, the economy, health care, and education. Our votes and our political engagement must be about ensuring that fairness truly for all is embodied in "liberty and justice for all."

Paid for by the
Power to the People Committee
Cynthia McKinney for President

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Here's "Level," Sen. Hillary Clinton's first ad up on the Pennsylvania airwaves.

Here's the script. Mr. Obama, who also blasts "special interests" on the campaign trail, has been up on TV in the state for a week, and radio for longer.

Announcer: She's fighting for America's middle class.

Hillary Clinton: It's time to level the playing field against the special interests.

Announcer: She'll end $55 billion dollars in giveaways to corporate special interests and invest it in middle class tax cuts and creating new jobs. She'll get tough on unfair trade deals and end tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas.

Hillary Clinton: Standing up for people who weren't getting a fair shake, that's been the
purpose of my life. And it will be the purpose of my presidency.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

I have a story up this morning detailing a tense moment from Sen. Barack Obama's youth — when his white grandmother was afraid of a black man who asked her for money while she waited for the bus. He outlined the story in his book, "Dreams from My Father," which offers insight into the man he is today. (Read my story from last fall on candidate books here.)

Barack Obama's white grandmother once stopped taking the bus to work because she was afraid of a black panhandler — a story buried in the senator's first book that helps shed light on why he used her in a speech last week broaching race relations.

The revelation from his grandmother when he was a teenager hit the future Democratic presidential candidate "like a fist in my stomach," and was just one example of the journey to understand his mixed race heritage detailed in his book, "Dreams From My Father, A Story of Race and Inheritance."

His grandmother, known as "Toot," also has been the subject of discussion since Mr. Obama told voters in the Philadelphia speech last week that the woman sometimes said things that made him "cringe."

Mr. Obama also compared his grandmother to a "typical white person," fueling more criticism of his views on race, little of which has focused on the details revealed in the 1995 book.

In the book, published long before he became a U.S. senator from Illinois or White House contender, Mr. Obama chronicles his complicated racial history, offering a nuanced and thoughtful look at who he was and who he wanted to become.

"When people who don't know me well, black or white, discover my background … I see the split-second adjustments they have to make, the searching of my eyes for some telltale sign," Mr. Obama wrote in the book's introduction. "They no longer know who I am. Privately, they guess at my troubled heart, I suppose — the mixed blood, the divided soul, the ghostly image of the tragic mulatto trapped between two worlds."

Read the rest here.

I also have a piece up on Pennsylvania, exploring the campaigns' use of star power.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

More fuel to the campaign fire, courtesy of a fundraising e-mail to Sen. Hillary Clinton's supporters from campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe:

Dear Friend,

Do you think Bill Clinton is like Joe McCarthy?

Of course you don't. Neither do I. But Barack Obama must because this past weekend, his campaign compared President Clinton to Joe McCarthy. Joe McCarthy!

Ever since we won in Ohio and Texas we have been seeing these kinds of personal attacks from the Obama campaign. It's hard to believe that a campaign that talks so much about changing the tenor of our politics would employ these kinds of tactics, but its the kind of thing we are seeing every day from Senator Obama and his campaign.

Here is just a small sample of the words they have used to describe Hillary and her campaign: "disingenuous," "divisive," "untruthful," "dishonest," and much more.

Well I'm not going to stand for it, and neither should you. There's no better way to fight back than to show your support for our campaign in the face of these attacks.

Click here to make a contribution and help us fight the negative attacks.

I appreciate everything you're doing to help Hillary win, and I know she does too. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Terry McAuliffe
Chairman, Hillary Clinton for President

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Details for the "Road to Change" tour are still TBA, but Sen. Barack Obama's campaign just announced he'll be in Pennsylvania from March 28 through April 2.

The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows him down in Pennsylvania by 16.6 points. But as Obama advisers have long said, he tends to improve his standing when he spends time on the ground with voters.

"Over the course of the tour, Obama will continue his dialogue with voters about the need to change Washington in order to tackle challenges like creating jobs, improving our schools and making health care available to every American. The "Road to Change" bus tour will kick-off in western Pennsylvania and conclude in southeastern Pennsylvania with numerous stops in between," the campaign announced.

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

I have a Web story up about the final hours the two campaigns have left to get Democrats registered to vote in Pennsylvania.

The presidential campaigns today are scrambling to register Pennsylvania Democrats over the next few hours before tonight's deadline, and worked through the holiday weekend to add thousands of new voters to the state's total.

The campaigns have until midnight to register new Democrats — or to convince Republicans and Independents to become Democrats — and volunteers for each were out in full force to drive up the numbers.

"Even if you're going out to bars, grab a few extra clipboards," and register more voters, Sasha, a coordinator for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton told volunteers in Philadelphia Saturday night. "Hit the pavement for another hour and make sure we get every last Hillary Clinton supporter."

Sen. Barack Obama's supporters had their own stack of clipboards and registration forms Saturday, cruising Philadelphia's South Street as residents shopped and ate lunch in the bustling neighborhood.

Read the rest here.

The popular vote issue is something Boston Globe's Sasha Issenberg outlined with fun Philly details in this weekend piece.

Bubbling this afternoon as the campaigns trade the usual insults is Mrs. Clinton's trip to Bosnia, and an airport landing which the former first lady said was greeted with "sniper fire."

Campaign officials said today Mrs. Clinton "misspoke" when characterizing the condition of the landing, but Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor catches the sniper line was in Mrs. Clinton's prepared remarks. Here's the Obama release.

CHICAGO, IL — The Clinton campaign claimed today that Senator Clinton "misspoke" when she described a supposedly harrowing landing in Tuzla, Bosnia as First Lady in 1996 — despite the fact that the claim appeared in her prepared remarks. The Tuzla story, now thoroughly debunked, joins a growing list of instances in which Senator Clinton has exaggerated her role in foreign and domestic policymaking.
<