A new divide on pork and floodwaters
With communities in the Midwest still under water, Democrat Barack Obama on Saturday criticized Republican John McCain for opposing federal spending on flood prevention programs and opened a new debate in the White House race.
The bill that McCain opposed spent $23 billion on water projects. It passed Congress overwhelmingly and was vetoed by President Bush because he said it spent too much on lawmakers' pet projects. Congress voted to override the veto.
"Barack Obama's willingness to continue the status quo pork-barrel politics in Washington, and then engage in political attacks that entirely disregard the facts, once again fundamentally shows that he's nothing more than a typical politician," said Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for McCain, who took the day off from politicking.
SOCCER MOMS GIVE WAY TO 'NOBAMA MAMAS'
Nearly every recent presidential election has at least one decisive demographic with a catchy name: Soccer Moms, NASCAR Dads, Wal-Mart Sisters, Security Moms.
This year's most-watched group so far consists of women so disgruntled by Hillary Rodham Clinton's loss in the Democratic primary that they vow to vote for Republican John McCain in November, a group dubbed the "Nobama Mamas" by Slate magazine.
Both McCain and presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama have taken steps to court these women.
Many of the bitter-enders have websites and organizations, and their angst about perceived sexist treatment of Clinton has received extensive media coverage. But, two weeks after Clinton was vanquished, polling suggests that most women voters are shifting their support to Obama.
Obama led McCain 51 percent to 38 percent among women in the June 5-9 Gallup Poll, seven points better than the week before when Clinton was still in the race. A June 9 Wall Street Journal-NBC News survey found Obama with a 19-point lead among women.
DEMOCRATS GEAR UP FOR BACK-SCRATCHING
Clinton needs Obama's donors to help retire her sizable debt. Obama, who's forgoing public funds for the general election, could use her donors to boost his ample fundraising.
The two former Democratic presidential rivals filed their May fundraising reports Friday -- hers awash in red ink and his lacking the high-dollar sizzle of his previous monthly reports.
But if the two have an itch to soothe, they're not yet scratching each other's backs. How the campaigns can help each other will be a likely topic when Obama meets with Clinton and some of her top fundraisers on Thursday in Washington. The two then plan to campaign together on Friday.
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His political views differed from a transgender classmate’s, but they forged a bond that lasted a decade — until Vance seemed to pivot, politically and personally.
