Bramble drops Romney to back McCain for president

Bramble drops Romney to back McCain for president
By Matt CanhamThe Salt Lake Tribune

Posted: 7:06 PM- Sen. John McCain has a new Utah ally in his race for the presidency - state Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble. But this is far from the standard political endorsement. Just a few months ago Bramble announced his support for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, as did 55 of his fellow Republican lawmakers. McCain's campaign is expected to announce the endorsement Tuesday, but Bramble really switched sides some time ago. "I think there is room at this stage of the presidential contest to consider several candidates," said Bramble, who does not want his support for McCain to be seen as a criticism of Romney. "I would have no problem if Gov. Romney was the party's nominee." Bramble signed a Romney endorsement letter that circulated through the Legislature. He also went to a press conference but did not stand on stage with the candidate on Feb. 20. Less than two weeks later, Bramble spent 45 minutes alone with McCain at the Grand America Hotel. At the end of the meeting, Bramble promised his support. Bramble liked McCain's willingness to take tough stands that may not be popular. He cited McCain's support for the troop surge in Iraq and his involvement in an attempt to create an immigration reform package, which has since stalled in the Senate.

Bramble dismissed the Romney letter, saying it was not an endorsement, only a sign of support for a visit and fund raiser by Romney, a Mormon with Utah ties. "I didn't see supporting Mitt's appearance the same as saying I was going to work on his campaign," Bramble said. Other Republicans who signed the letter saw it differently. Senate President John Valentine is one of the Legislature's biggest Romney supporters, saying he has had "more personal contact with Mitt" when he led the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee.

Valentine said Bramble will be welcomed back to Romney's camp at any time. "When John McCain doesn't make it through the primaries, we would sure like to have Sen. Bramble back on this side," Valentine said. McCain's biggest supporters in Utah include Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. Most public officials and, according to polls, most Utah Republicans are backing Romney. In a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll 20 percent of Republican leaning voters support McCain, with 10 percent backing Romney.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads the pack at 34 percent. mcanham@sltrib.com

New voting dates shift GOP tactics

Candidates forced to remain flexible

By Scott Helman, Globe Staff June 10, 2007
As the 2008 Republican presidential race heads into the summer, the campaigns are constantly reassessing their tactics as they wrestle with an unsettled primary calendar, a front-runner who is testing conventional wisdom, and the emergence of a new, high- profile contender.

With states still moving up their primary dates, what will the voting calendar look like and which states will carry influence? Can Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor leading most polls, win by de-emphasizing traditionally decisive conservative primary states? Will Senator John McCain of Arizona meet the fund-raising goal his campaign set for the second quarter, and what happens if he doesn't? And will the candidacy of former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson change the race or be a footnote?

Full Story:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/06/10/new_voting_dates_shift_gop_tactics/

The Fred factor

The Fred factor
June 10, 2007

BY ALAN FRAM AND TREVOR TOMPSON Associated PressWASHINGTON---- Fred Thompson's expected entry into the tight Republican presidential race is drawing crucial strength from conservatives and older men, vaulting him into the thick of the nomination fight, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll says.

The survey shows the top Democratic contender, Hillary Rodham Clinton, has twice the support from women as her nearest rival, Barack Obama, but dwindling strength among men. Her margin over the Illinois senator has eroded slightly since the last AP-Ipsos poll, in March.
Thompson, who has sandwiched an acting career around a largely anonymous eight years as Tennessee senator, has not formally entered the race. But he already has impressed many people. One in four of his supporters cites his strong character, more than any other GOP candidate. ''He can be kind of Reaganesque in his engaging with people,'' said Ronald Coppinger, 47, a carpenter from Indianapolis, describing a plainspoken style like the late President Reagan's. ''I think that's important.''

That has helped place Thompson firmly in the top tier among GOP contenders in the AP-Ipsos poll released Saturday. It shows former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani with 27 percent; Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at 19 percent; Thompson essentially even with McCain at 17 percent; and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 10 percent.
''It shows America wants somebody with Fred's style, Fred's leadership,'' said former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a Thompson adviser.

On the Democratic side, New York Sen. Clinton is drawing support from four in 10 women -- a group that accounted for 54 percent of the vote in 2004's key Democratic primaries. One in three of her supporters cites her experience -- the highest rate among Democrats.
''I think women relate more to the needs of people,'' said cashier Jadine Robinson, 52, of Magnolia, Miss.

Clinton had 33 percent in the poll; Obama 21 percent; former Vice President Al Gore, who so far is not a candidate, 20 percent; and former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., 12 percent.
Democratic analysts had no ready explanation why Clinton has lost support from men, especially younger men. Much of this support seems to have moved to Gore. Her chief strategist, Mark Penn, said that could change and noted that younger men do not vote with the frequency that women do.

Clinton, Gore and Obama each draw about one-quarter of Democratic men. Said Democratic pollster Mark Mellman, who is not working for a candidate: ''If she can hold close in the race among men and dominate among the women, that's the ballgame'' and she will win the nomination.

The AP-Ipsos poll in March did not ask about Thompson. But with strong initial appeal to conservatives -- among the GOP's most loyal and active primary voters -- he seems poised to cause problems for his rivals.
In an AP interview last week, Romney said Thompson's strength in the poll said nothing about voters' views of the active GOP candidates.
''He's a terrific guy and he's been putting bad guys away every week on (the NBC show) 'Law & Order,''' Romney said. ''And he'll go through the same processes we all do, which is building an organization, raising money, being scrutinized thoroughly by everyone.''
In a nod to Giuliani's response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, one-half of his supporters cite his leadership qualities, far more than any other candidate. McCain's supporters like his experience, while Romney's note his views generally.
Giuliani has lost some support since March -- a period during which his abortion rights views have been a focus -- notably from conservatives, white evangelicals, older voters and women.
Giuliani is still supported by one in four conservatives, slightly more than those backing McCain, Thompson or Romney.

Overall support for McCain and Romney has stayed about even.
Thompson also has shown strong support among older voters, especially men. Three in 10 male Republicans over age 44 said they would pick him.
While that is about the same as with Giuliani, Thompson seems to have gained support from that group at the expense of Giuliani and McCain.
Noting that McCain has been preparing to run since his failed 2000 presidential bid, unaffiliated Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio said the virtual tie between McCain and Thompson ''tells you something about Thompson's potential and McCain's weaknesses.''
John Weaver, McCain's chief strategist, said Thompson's impact is not yet measurable and that still is early in the campaign.
Among Democrats, voters most often cite Obama's freshness on the national scene' Gore's stance on issues, especially the environment; and Edwards' character.
For Obama, the challenge is arguing that ''America needs a transformational leader even if that person lacks the experience of the other candidates,'' Democratic pollster Geoffrey Garin said.
Clinton still has a significant lead among nonwhites and lower-income voters, enjoying the support of half of both groups. She has been losing ground among whites, who are about evenly divided among the top four Democratic names.
The AP-Ipsos poll involved telephone interviews with 1,000 adults from Monday to Wednesday. It had an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The margin of sampling error for the 541 Democrats or people leaning Democratic was plus or minus 4 percentage points. It was plus or minus 5 percentage points for the 356 Republicans or Republican leaners.

Latest AP-Ipsos poll shows Fred Thompson's entry into the GOP presidential race would draw considerable support. The poll surveyed 356 Republicans and Republican-leaning voters and has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

27%: Rudy Giuliani
19%: John McCain
17%: Fred Thompson

Rudy goes jaw-to-jaw Trades barbs with Edwards on terror

Rudy goes jaw-to-jaw
Trades barbs with Edwards on terror
BY CELESTE KATZDAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, June 10th 2007, 4:00 AM
Analysis: When it comes to keeping America safe, Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards are in an escalating war of words that shows little sign of cooling." name=storyDesc>

Republican Rudy Giuliani says Democrat John Edwards' anti-terrorism plan is basically a joke. Edwards says Giuliani's making a political career out of spreading fear.
When it comes to keeping America safe, the presidential hopefuls are in an escalating war of words that shows little sign of cooling.

For former Mayor Giuliani, it's a chance to bash a Democrat as clueless on his signature issue, national security, and play up his post-9/11 strongman image.
Former North Carolina Sen. Edwards is trying to lump Giuliani in with the unpopular President Bush and set himself apart from his primary foes by forcefully taking on a major Republican.
Giuliani used several Friday radio shows to mock Edwards' anti-terror proposal, cracking that it's like "some kind of settlement to a personal injury lawsuit" and suggesting Edwards' military plan is "maybe new uniforms."

"This is not even National Security 101," he jeered.
Edwards, meanwhile, has ridiculed Giuliani as a wanna-be "George Bush on steroids," peddling fear instead of facts about security.

In swinging at Edwards, Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics said, Giuliani is working a classic front-runner strategy: Act like you've already won your primary and start going right after the other side.

"One thing that unites all Republicans is an attack on the other party's principal figures," Sabato said. "Plus, [national security] is all he wants to talk about, instead of abortion and gay rights, and Edwards has given him the opening."

The difference between the top Democrats is that front-running Sen. Hillary Clintontypically doesn't take the Giuliani bait.

Edwards - who has trailed her and, sometimes, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in polls - appears plenty game for a dogfight.

"It's a better argument for Edwards to have than for Hillary," GOP consultant Dan Schnur said. "Edwards has gone full steam against the war. Even though Hillary's spoken out against it, she's still trying to preserve her national security credentials."

Teams Clinton and Giuliani both declined comment, but a source close to Giuliani said Edwards conveniently "provides a foil for Mayor Giuliani to discuss the need to stay on offense."
The Edwards people aren't complaining: "It gives voters a preview of what a general election matchup might look like between [Giuliani] and the politics of fear and [Edwards] and the politics of hope," said aide Mark Kornblau.

Not everyone thinks this is the safest fight for Edwards to pick.
"This attack helps Giuliani more than Edwards, because it reminds voters of Giuliani's finest moment," argues Darrell West of Brown University's Taubman Center for Public Policy.
But in his push to woo Dems and top Clinton, Edwards apparently thinks it's worth the risk.
"John Edwards has obviously adopted Dennis Rodman's line: 'The only bad press is an obituary,'" Schnur said.

ckatz@nydailynews.com