NDN Blog

(An emphasis on quick...more to come later)

- Don't forget to watch/record tonight's debate.

- Barack Obama defended his health care plan in a letter to the editor of the Boston Globe and further defined his stance on America's security post-9/11.

- If you missed CNN's discussion on Faith and Politics, check out highlights here.

- The WSJ Blog takes a perspective on one of Al Gore's recent speeches, showing how he is keen to point out how he'd run the show.

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

Just a reminder for those with DVRs to record tonight's CNN discussion on Faith and Politics.

As the coverage from last night's Democratic candidate debate rolls in (check Simon's post for a quick re-cap), here are a few other articles to fill your Monday:

- Barack Obama launched a Faith-oriented section of his website entitled "People of Faith for Barack."

- The New York Times profiles Mitt Romney's business experience as well as Michael Bloomberg's reputation with gun rights advocates.

- John McCain is speaking today in Coral Gables, FL on comprehensive immigration reform. Read the speech.

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

Just a reminder for those with TiVos to record the upcoming debates:

• June 3rd (tonight) - Democratic candidates debate on CNN at 7pm EST.
• June 5th (Tuesday) - Republican candidates debate on CNN at 7pm EST.

We at NDN greatly understand the role that soccer plays in the lives of many around the world. So we've been watching things play out after FIFA (international soccer's governing body) made the decision to ban international matches at altitudes higher than 2,500 meters. Time ran a fantastic article on how FIFA's decision has caused quite the stir in Latin America. As the article points out, "The decree rules out home games in at least five stadiums in Bolivia, two in Peru, one in Ecuador and one in Colombia."

The quickness with which Bolivia reacted to this certainly proves just how vital to people's lives the sport of soccer truly is. Press conferences were held, as were cabinet meetings and civic engagement activities like mass letter-writing campaigns. President Evo Morales even took to the fields and played matches in high-altitude stadiums in an attempt to disprove the medical report that provided the crux of FIFA's argument: that match play in these areas poses health risks to players unaccustomed to high-altitude levels.

The Time article then covered the amazing force that soccer is beyond the surfaces on which the sport is played:

Meanwhile, the unifying effect of the soccer snub certainly has its political advantages. "We can use this to overcome our regional differences," commented 16-year old Sandra Reyes, reflecting on the east vs. west internal conflict that threatens to tear apart her country.

"Yeah! We've got to unite by all playing more soccer," sang the chorus of teenagers surrounding Reyes. Clad in their school's soccer uniform, the youngsters had just spent the day watching their President take several long shots on goal.

AdAge highlights new Nielsen ratings on DVR usage. From the article:

• Nielsen estimates that about 17% of U.S. households have DVRs, and that 42% of broadcast viewing within those homes occurs through some sort of DVR playback.

• Nielsen also noted that among all U.S. households, including those without DVRs, 90% of all broadcast prime-time viewing among viewers 18 to 49 occurs live, meaning that 10% is seen via DVR playback. The impact of DVRs on cable and syndicated programming is lower, with 97% of all prime-time viewing on cable seen live and 98% of all syndicated programming seen live.

- John Edwards sent a letter to the FCC asking them to make the internet more available and affordable to Americans.

- Barack Obama encouraged Senator Chris Dodd - Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee - to hold a hearing on a bill he sponsored. Entitled the Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act, the bill "would give shareholders an advisory vote on executive compensation and spur both increased transparency and public debate over pay packages." Dodd replied to Obama with this statement.

- According to his website, Chris Dodd just went on air in Iowa and New Hampshire. More to come...

- According to The Hill, Joe Anthony - the man behind Barack Obama's first MySpace page - now supports Al Gore.

- The Wall Street Journal blog takes a look at the variance in cost savings between a few Democratic candidates' health care proposals.

- Rudy Giuliani picked up the endorsement of Louis Freeh, President Clinton's FBI Director.

- Chris Cilliza from The Fix points out that John McCain is trying to build support (and mend existing tensions) among the Republican base for the Senate immigration bill by hitting the radio waves.

- Mitt Romney discusses Fred Thompson's likely entry into the campaign in the Boston Herald. Meanwhile, Thompson is plotting his strategy in Iowa.

- Bruce Ramsey from the Seattle Times says the GOP should listen to Ron Paul's message on Iraq.

- In an entry in the Huffington Post, Tom Edsall brings up a very interesting ad series that Ted Kennedy ran against Mitt Romney to regain the lead in the 1994 Senate race. Edsall wonders if something similar might surface during Romney's run at the White House. 

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

In an interview with USA Today, Fred Thompson describes his decision to run and what his entrance to the field will look like given those already in it. From the interview:

"I can't remember exactly the point that I said, 'I'm going to do this,' " Thompson says, his 6-foot, 6-inch frame sprawled comfortably across a couch in a hotel suite. "But when I did, the thing that occurred to me: 'I'm going to tell people that I am thinking about it and see what kind of reaction I get to it.' "

...

His late start carries some problems but also "certain advantages," he says. "Nobody has maxed out to me" in contributions, he notes, and using the Internet already "has allowed me to be in the hunt, so to speak, without spending a dime."

...

"I feel some of the same feelings that I felt in the latter part of that '94 campaign about what is going on in the country today — only greater," says Thompson, citing public cynicism toward the Republican president and the new Democrat-controlled Congress. "You can't drive the truck all the way across the country, but since '94 other opportunities have opened up in terms of ways to communicate."

A candidate could use the Internet "to cut through the clutter and go right to the people," he says.

(via T.W. Farnam from TPMCafé)

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

Reform was the theme of President Bush's speech in Glynco, GA. One might ask, though, if the President intended to focus solely on comprehensive immigration reform, or was he also focusing somewhat on the reform/modernization of the Republican Party? In addressing the progress of the Senate bill, the President was quick to address the many critics from his own party who have attacked the bill. (Perhaps the President has read the newspapers lately which have exposed the rift within the GOP over this issue.)

From the Glynco speech:

Amnesty is forgiveness for being here without any penalties -- that's what amnesty is. I oppose it. The authors -- many of the authors of this bill oppose it. This bill is not an amnesty bill. If you want to scare the American people, what you say is, the bill is an amnesty bill. It's not an amnesty bill. That's empty political rhetoric, trying to frighten our fellow citizens. People in Congress need the courage to go back to their districts and explain exactly what this bill is all about, in order to put comprehensive immigration reform in place.

...

This reform is complex. There's a lot of emotions around this issue. Convictions run deep. Those determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a narrow slice of it and find something they don't like. If you want to kill the bill, if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it, you can use it to frighten people. Or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all, so the people who wear the uniform in this crowd can do the job we expect them to do.

Now is the time for comprehensive immigration reform. Now is the time for members of both political parties to stand up and show courage, and take a leadership role and do what's right for America.

- Fred Thompson is getting into the race around the Fourth of July, according to The Politico.

- Barack Obama released his plan for universal health care yesterday.

- ThinkProgress tells us that New York City firefighters and 9/11 family members are going to be on the campaign trail, making sure folks understand Rudy Giuliani's track record.

- Joe Biden released a new web video entitled "Home" that covers Iraq, specifically his efforts to increase Mine Resistant vehicle (MRAP) production.

- Alaska and Georgia are the latest states to move up their primary dates.

- Hillary Clinton's economic policy speech is available here. FYI - Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to endorse Mrs. Clinton today in Los Angeles. The endorsement is worthwhile because it could help Clinton's campaign with Latino and voters.

- On the Latino front, Nueva Vista Media has launched an independent outreach campaign to promote Barack Obama in the Latino community. The campaign, "Amigos de Obama" will "focus on eligible Latino voters and the thousands that marched for immigration reform last year in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and other cities."

- At the All Things Digital Conference, John McCain discussed a wide range of topics: how he would choose the members of his Cabinet, Iran, ethanol, etc. Video below:

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.