24 May 2008
Weekend Chat - 05/24/08
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: What's News .
What is a “free” gift? Aren’t all gifts free?
9 Comments so far...
Cameron Says:
24 May 2008 at 11:35 am.
Bush scales back McCain events
By MIKE ALLEN | 5/24/08 11:26 AM EST
President Bush is scaling back next week’s fundraising swings for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at the request of the campaign, which wants the events closed to the press, POLITICO has learned.
The change — in both Arizona and Utah — is part of McCain’s delicate effort to find the balance between embracing an unpopular president and taking advantage of his huge continuing draw with well-heeled Republicans.
The Arizona event, which was to be at the Phoenix Convention Center, was the first time Bush was to have appeared with McCain since their White House meeting in March.
A McCain aide said: “The McCain campaign has a policy that fundraising events are closed press. In keeping with that policy, the campaign requested the event be moved to a private home.”
On Tuesday, the president was to appear with McCain at the Phoenix Convention Center at a McCain for President and Republican National Committee Victory Reception.
And on Wednesday, Bush was to appear at Salt Lake City’s Grand America Hotel with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at a McCain for President and Republican National Committee Victory Reception (followed by a more exclusive dinner at the Romneys’ Park City home).
Now, both of the public events will be at private residences.
As recently as Wednesday, Salt Lake media were saying the event would be at the Grand America.
A White House official gave the same explanation as the McCain campaign: “As you know, we have a practice of having fundraisers in public venues as open to press and fundraisers in private residences closed to press to preserve the hosts’ privacy. The [McCain campaign’s] practice has been to have all fundraisers be closed. And so a decision was made to move the location to comply with the practices.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10599.html
Cameron Says:
24 May 2008 at 12:03 pm.
I am so worried that things are going to break down into civil war again.
Lawmakers loyal to al-Sadr denounce Iraqi gov’t
BAGHDAD - Lawmakers loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr accused the Iraqi government of trying to crush the movement and warned Saturday of “black clouds” on the horizon for truces that have eased fighting between al-Sadr’s militia and security forces.
he Sadrist Movement has heightened its rhetoric against the government in recent days, raising concerns over the cease-fires in the southern city of Basra and Baghdad’s Sadr City district, the stronghold of al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia.
Still, the lawmakers and other al-Sadr officials said they are adhering to the truces. The cease-fires are crucial to Iraqi security forces’ sweeps in Basra and Sadr City, launched by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to show his government can spread its authority in areas long dominated by armed groups like al-Sadr’s.
The new tensions were sparked when Iraqi troops in Basra attempted to break up a gathering in a northern square by firing over the heads of al-Sadr followers congregating for Friday prayers. Iraqi authorities recently banned al-Sadr gatherings in the square after a large cache of weapons was found nearby, police officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080524/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_080517190299
M.G. Says:
24 May 2008 at 1:58 pm.
I kind of feel sorry for Bush. How would it feel to know you are such an unpopular president that the nominee tells you to stay away? Utah is such a conservative state that I can’t see Bush being a problem there but it shows how much McCain wants to distance himself.
Jesse Says:
24 May 2008 at 4:13 pm.
Can you say bullcrap? Social visit my foot. Sure Romney is campaigning for McCain but there was way too much animosity on McCain’s part for him to suddenly become best buds with Mitt. No chance.
Crist’s Visit With McCain Rekindles VP Speculation
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (CBS4) ?
Sen. John McCain’s upcoming Memorial Day weekend getaway with three prominent vice-presidential possibilities has rekindled intrigue about his Republican running mate.
McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, has invited 10 couples to his family’s rustic cabin near Sedona.
The guest list includes political allies such as Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, as well as Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor.
Those three names reliably appear on various vice-presidential lists compiled by political experts and pundits, but McCain campaign insiders insisted that VP screening isn’t on the menu at this get-together.
“This is a social weekend, like the McCains do occasionally,” said Charlie Black, a senior McCain adviser and strategist who is expected to attend the function. “Among the couples are Charlie Crist, Bobby Jindal, Mitt Romney and their wives. But it’s just social and has nothing to do with (the) VP (search) whatsoever, and that’s it.”
Another McCain aide added: “It’s probably pretty hard to do VP vetting when you’re manning the grill and barbecue. It’s a purely social visit, and the VP-vetting process is not on the agenda whatsoever.”
Jesse Says:
24 May 2008 at 4:15 pm.
How would it be to be wanted for your money and not your love? 
Report: Romney wealth may help make him VP
BOSTON, May 23 (UPI) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has a leg up on other possible running mates for GOP presidential hopeful John McCain, analysts say — very deep pockets.
The Boston Herald reported Friday that if Romney wants to be McCain’s running mate then he should offer to help bankroll the general election campaign.
“Romney has to pull out a checkbook,” Republican analyst Jim Nuzzo said, “and say, ‘John, how large a check should I write?’”
Romney, who was a venture capitalist, also “has to demonstrate he has the ability to galvanize support throughout bedrock Republicans,” Nuzzo added.
Among other potential vice presidential candidates who were invited to McCain’s ranch in Sedona, Ariz., for Memorial Day weekend are Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback.
Those close to Romney say he is not angling for vice president.
“He’s not focused on vice president, he’s focused on helping to elect John McCain,” said Eric Fehrnstrom, who served as Romney’s spokesman during the former governor’s unsuccessful campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/05/23/report_romney_wealth_may_help_make_him_vp/6399/
Pickles Says:
24 May 2008 at 4:20 pm.
It is looking like Mitt really has a serious chance at VP. I’m kind of getting excited.
Benjamin Says:
24 May 2008 at 5:02 pm.
I sure hope this is true but it is still scary because al-Sadr has condemned the Iraqi government now so who knows what that will mean?
US ambassador: Al-Qaida close to defeat in Iraq
BAGHDAD - The U.S. ambassador to Iraq said Saturday that al-Qaida’s network in the country has never been closer to defeat, and he praised Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for his moves to rein in Shiite and Sunni militant groups.
Ryan Crocker’s comments came as Iraqi forces have been conducting crackdowns on al-Qaida militants in the northern city of Mosul and on Shiite militiamen in the southern city of Basra. Thousands of Iraqi forces also moved into the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad last week imposing control for the first time in years.
But truces with the powerful Mahdi Army militia that have calmed violence in Basra and paved the way for the Sadr City deployment have been strained in the past two days.
Supporters of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who heads the Mahdi Army, accused al-Maliki on Saturday of seeking to eliminate their movement and warned that “dark clouds” hang over the truce.
Benjamin Says:
24 May 2008 at 5:05 pm.
Shoot! I wanted to be wrong. I wanted Joy to be wrong. I wanted all of us to be wrong!!!
Buffett sees “long, deep” U.S. recession
BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States is already in a recession and it will be longer as well as deeper than many people expect, U.S. investor Warren Buffett said in an interview published in German magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday.
He said the United States was “already in recession” and added: “Perhaps not in the sense that economists would define it” with two consecutive quarters of negative growth.
“But the people are already feeling the effects,” said Buffett, the world’s richest man. “It will be deeper and last longer than many think.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080524/bs_nm/buffett_us_recession_dc
Sharon Anderson Says:
24 May 2008 at 6:42 pm.
In April 2007 Keith McMullin said it this way: “revelations speak of signs and wonders on earth and in the heavens. They point to troublesome times and pending events vast in scope and duration.” He urged us to “store sufficient so that you and your family can weather the vicissitudes of life,” http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,49-1-690-20,00.html
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