NDN Blog

2008 candidates react to the State of the Union

The Washington Post points out the opinions (albeit different ones) expressed in response to the State of the Union from those bidding to occupy the White House in 2008.

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

Op-ed from Hagel and Biden

Sen. Chuck Hagel and Sen. Joe Biden have an op-ed in USA Today on their resolution, entitled "A first step in Iraq."

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

The Hillary effect on campaign finance

The Washington Post has an interesting article on how Sen. Hillary Clinton's bid for the White House is changing the public financing system.

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

Hillary TV

Last night, Sen. Clinton (who also supports the Chicago Bears) held the first of three conversations with voters who were able to ask her questions and see her answers live. The video of the webcast is available on her website. You can also read the transcript here.

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

Clinton, Obama and a new era of 21st century tools for politics

Be sure to check out the e-mail below from our NPI director, Peter Leyden. With so many people employing new tools (such as video) in politics lately, NPI's message has been resonating. Where we go from here is going to be interesting, for sure....

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Let the New Politics begin! In the first few weeks of the nascent 2008 campaign, we've already seen innovations that are changing the game for everyone working in politics.

The New Politics Institute has been championing these changes for the last 18 months and we are well-positioned to help progressives of all stripes and all levels of politics take advantage of the new tools and new strategies, with insightful research and analysis on a broad range of topics:

Progressives are stepping into the void left by a decade of failed conservative leadership and showing great promise in offering solutions to the unique challenges of governing in the 21st century. But being right on the issues is not always enough.

In the 2008 cycle and beyond, progressives must continue to innovate and communicate our ideas in ever more compelling ways. We must adopt new tools that allow citizens to connect and contribute to our efforts in politics and government. The New Politics Institute will be there to bring the best minds in the media, tech, and political worlds together to help drive that innovation and spread the adoption of the new tools.

It’s going to be fun. Stay tuned....

 

Biden discusses Iraq, receives praise from South Carolina

Sen. Joe Biden, who is planning to run for President in 2008, was on Fox News Sunday with Sen. Carl Levin discussing their resolution on Iraq. You can view the video here.

Also, an article from South Carolina's The State reveals that Sen. Biden is receiving a good deal of praise ahead of the Palmetto State's January primary.

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

Cuba: the waiting game

The Financial Times had an interesting article on Cuba over the weekend that addresses issues similar to those found in a poll that NDN conducted in October of the Cuban Exile community.

Sen. Clinton to form exploratory committee

According to this article from The New York Times, Sen. Hillary Clinton is set to announce that she's forming a presidential exploratory committee. The announcement is set to come this morning. (On Sunday, Gov. Bill Richardson will announce that he too is forming an exploratory committee.)

UPDATE: Video of the announcement can be found on her website. In it, Sen. Clinton asks everyone to join the conversation so we can be part of the solution. Also, Sen. Sam Brownback has announced his bid for the Presidency, saying that his positions "are at the heart of where the Republican Party is." For more, check out his website.

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

Sen. Salazar Delivers Democratic State of the Union Preview

For the first time ever, the Democratic preview of the State of the Union was delivered in Spanish. Sen. Ken Salazar delivered it and excerpts of the text can be found here. For the full text in both Spanish and English, click here. You can also listen to it here and watch the video preview here.

Reid on South America Trip: An Opportunity Within Our Grasp

Below is a press release from Senator Reid's office discussing the delegation he led to South America, an area we should all be paying more attention to.

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Washington, D.C.—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued the following statement today regarding the bipartisan Congressional delegation trip (CODEL) of U.S. Senators he led to South America. The delegation visited Bolivia, Ecuador, and Perú, from December 27 through January 2. Following are excerpts from his remarks as prepared for delivery on the Senate floor earlier today. All six senators who participated in the CODEL gave speeches on the Senate floor this morning on their visit to South America.

“Madame President, like my colleagues, I am very pleased to discuss our recent CODEL to the Andean region of South America. I am grateful to Senators Conrad, Gregg, Salazar, Bennett and Durbin for taking the time to join me and speak on the floor today about this important trip.

“With America’s attention focused on the Middle East, South America does not get the attention that it deserves, particularly the three countries we visited – Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.

“There is no doubt that there are serious problems in the region. There is also no question that the Bush Administration has neglected the region, and its lack of a comprehensive policy has contributed to this current trend towards the left. Venezuela and Cuba have been filling this vacuum left by the Administration. But I do not think we should be deterred by this trend. We have much to gain through increased engagement with South America – and much to lose if we retreat from our obligations to the region. We can and must do more.

“On our trip, we had productive meetings with the leaders of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. Most importantly, we came away from our visit with an appreciation for the people of these three important nations, and an awareness of the key issues confronting them.

“Going forward, we must remember that the U.S. and South America will continue to have its ups and downs. But all relationships do. The six of us took this trip because we know that existing relationships must be cultivated and tended to in order to keep them healthy and strong.

“There is so much more we can do here at home. Our delegation intends to meet with the Secretary of State in the coming weeks to relay to her the small things the U.S. Government can do to improve our position in the region. For example, I believe:

* We should be doing more with IMET assistance, which in addition to the training program, proves so valuable to developing longstanding relationships between military officers the United States and the IMET beneficiary;

* We need to increase the USAID budgets for these nations. We learned that Ecuador’s aid budget will be cut considerably, and I believe that is a mistake. One thing we learned is how far a few U.S. dollars can go;

* We also need to do more micro-lending to support the counter-drug efforts of the Andean region, in order to keep cocaine off the streets of the United States. I was disturbed to learn that the State Department is contemplating significant cuts to the Andean Counter-drug Program. That too would be a serious mistake, and I plan on raising the issue with the Secretary of State.

* Finally, I think it is important to extend the trade preferences for Ecuador and Bolivia. I also know that Peru is eager to get its Free Trade Agreement finalized, and this is something that Congress needs to address in the coming year.

“Through increased trade, more robust aid and exchange programs, and stronger diplomacy to this region, the United States can help lift many people out of poverty and improve economic conditions, which would have a significant impact on illegal immigration to the United States. We would also help counteract the region’s shift to the left. In short, Mr. President, the people of this region want stronger ties with the United States, and that’s what we should aim to deliver.”

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