NDN Blog

VoteVets.org launched the first of its three-ad series challenging President Bush on Iraq. From Vote Vets:

Our ads are airing in states and districts of those Members of Congress who are very close to breaking with the President on Iraq, and joining the troops and American people. They are: Senators Susan Collins, John Sununu, John Warner, and Norm Coleman, and Representatives Mary Bono, Phil English, Randy Kuhl, Jim Walsh, Heather Wilson, Jo Ann Emerson, Tim Johnson, Mike Rogers, Fred Upton, and Mike Castle. Mentioning them by name at the end, the local spots will call on them to "Protect America, Not George Bush."

Next week, we’ll launch another ad with retired Major General Paul Eaton. And, after that, the campaign will wrap up with a powerful ad from former NATO Allied Supreme Commander, General Wesley Clark.

The first ad is strong and features Major General John Batiste, who calls the President out for not listening to Commanders on the ground. Check it out below:

Bill Richardson introduced two new clever ads today that, like the others, highlight his résumé. The first, "Job Interview," is airing in Iowa; and the second, "Tell Me," will be online-only. Check them both out below:

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

Together, PrezVid and washingtonpost.com have launched a blog called "Channel '08" to chronicle video of all types related to the campaigns. To give you a taste of what's there, here are two videos of John McCain's recent visit to the Google campus. The first is an interview with Steve Grove, YouTube's News and Politics Editor, and the second is a conversation with Dr. Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. Check them out and feel free to comment below:

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

Mitt Romney is going up on the air with a new ad entitled "Now Is The Time." From the Romney campaign's press release:

The ad highlights Governor Romney's support for strengthening our armed forces to meet a new generation of global challenges. Governor Romney has proposed expanding our armed forces by 100,000 soldiers and committing at least four percent of the gross domestic product to military spending.

The ad will begin airing today in Iowa, New Hampshire and on national cable networks.

Check out "Now Is The Time" below:

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

John Edwards is going up on the air in Iowa today. Chris Cilliza has more here. Of note: the buy is in both broadcast AND cable.

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

Democracy for America has a neat campaign where they're making sure the Democratic candidates for President "stay true to progressive principles and articulate a clear vision on the most important issues of our time." The intent is for DFA members to challenge the candidates to take a stand on an issue, then the candidate responds with a video of their position. The videos then act as "an honest broker in your decision making process." Below is a video of John Edwards discussing his energy policy.

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

In addition to offering a critique of the US auto industry on its home turf, Barack Obama delved into his energy plan yesterday. The Detroit Free Press has a good article which covered his speech to the Detroit Economic Club, including a mention of why Obama chose to make the speech in Detroit (a decision which won him the endorsement of Michigan State Senator Hansen Clarke):

"I'm making this proposal ... because I don't believe in making proposals in California and giving a different speech in Michigan," he said.

More from Obama's speech:

"While foreign competitors were investing in more fuel-efficient technology for their vehicles, American automakers were spending their time investing in bigger, faster cars," Obama told a Detroit Economic Club luncheon at Cobo Center. "And whenever an attempt was made to raise our fuel-efficiency standards, the auto companies would lobby furiously against it, spending millions to prevent the very reform that could have saved their industry."

...

"Our goal is not to destroy the industry, but to help bring it into the 21st Century," Obama said. "So if the auto industry is prepared to step up to its responsibilities, then we as a country should be prepared to help."

As the Washington Post notes, however, Obama faces a tough position regarding his energy policy. As a Senator, Obama supports coal-to-liquids technology, a policy which angers environmentalists. Cathy Duvall, national political director of the Sierra Club, explains his situation further:

"Senator Obama right now is balancing two tensions. First off, he is a senator from Illinois, whose job it is to represent . . . one of the biggest coal-producing states in the country. On the other hand, he's also a presidential candidate and needs to demonstrate the leadership needed to move our entire country in the direction to tackle tough questions like energy independence and global warming."

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

In a speech yesterday at the Heritage Foundation, Rudy Giuliani stayed away from any controversy, instead choosing to cover issues that would be well received by the audience. The Washington Post has more:

Fresh from the first debate among 2008 Republican presidential hopefuls, where he acknowledged that he respects "a woman's right to make a different choice" on abortion, Giuliani avoided subjects on which he and his audience were likely to disagree intensely.

Instead, he talked at length about the need for tax cuts, control of federal spending and freedom. His remarks on freedom got a lot of applause, as did his pledge about the 42 percent of civilian federal employees set to retire during the next two presidential terms.

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

Below is a video from the Courage Campaign and its partner, Strengthening Our Lives (SOL), an organization dedicated to empowering and educating immigrant worker communities towards change. It shows how people are "walking" and getting their neighbors involved in creating a better future for themselves and their families.

Check out the work NDN has done on these issues, as well as the poll we conducted of California Latinos leading up to the state's 2006 gubernatorial race.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, like other heads of state, was sure to congratulate Nicolas Sarkozy on becoming the newly elected President of the French Republic. However, the Prime Minister made his statement in a way that makes us at the New Politics Institute proud. He put his statement - in both English and French - on the official Downing Street YouTube channel. By using video and speaking French, which he does rather well, the Prime Minister really shows the effectiveness of using web video.