The Daily 2008

The Democratic candidates debated in Miami last night on Spanish-speaking Univision, but, as the New York Times' Patrick Healy notes, it was more of a GOP-bash fest:

"The Republican candidates need to understand that they are doing a great disservice to our country," said Hillary Clinton.

President Bush, said John Edwards, "uses absolutely every tool available to him politically to divide the country."

The candidates, writes Healy, "expressed concerns that Republicans were enabling anti-immigrant feelings and even racist attitudes, or at least not taking a tougher stand against them."

Bill Richardson, perhaps trying to capitalize on his fluency in Spanish, criticized the debate for being "English only," reports The Hill's Klaus Marre. "I do want to say that I was under the impression that in this debate Spanish was going to be permitted," Richardson said. The New Mexico governor was referring to the fact that though the debate was conducted in Spanish all the candidates were asked to answer in English.

A day earlier, Oprah Winfrey held her mega-fundraiser in California for Barack Obama that brought in an estimated $3 million for the campaign. "The most powerful woman in show business celebrated her favorite candidate with 1,500 guests at her palatial estate in this coastal enclave south of Santa Barbara," reports the AP's Allison Hoffman."Tickets to the sold-out private event went for $2,300 apiece, keeping them within campaign finance limits."

Enjoying the support of other Hollywood moguls like David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Hoffman writes, Obama has raised the most money in California than any other state -- $4.2 million from April through June.

Rudy Giuliani was in Houston yesterday where he spoke to reporters about immigration, al Qaeda and September 11, reports the Chronicle's Carolyn Feibel. "I've always described it as the worse day of my life and the most inspirational day," Giuliani said about 9/11.

Responding to comments that he made earlier that illegal immigration is not a crime, Giuliani said Sunday, "It's Congress that has made illegal immigration not a crime."

Speaking of September 11, the New York Times' Marc Santora looks at how the candidates are responding to the sixth anniversary, but particularly focusing on Giuliani for his statement at last week's debate that he wasn't "running on what [he] did on Sept. 11."

Meanwhile, Fred Thompson spent his first full day campaigning in New Hampshire, reports the AP's Philip Elliot. At a Manchester sports bar, Thompson said about his chances, "I'm going to put myself before the people and leave it to the hands of the people and the Lord."

Noting that Thompson has a some work to do in the early primary states, Elliot writes, "at least based yesterday's performance, Thompson is committed to playing catch-up." The former actor also responded to Ronald Reagan comparisons: "The only comparison I like with regard to Ronald Reagan - which nobody can live up to - is that he was so believable. He was such a good communicator because he believed so intensely in his principles and he stuck with them. the camera doesn't lie."

Today, Thompson will be campaigning in South Carolina, reports the Greenville News' Dan Hoover.

Finally, in advance of today's congressional testimony of Gen. David Petraeus, John McCain spoke to This Week's George Stephanopoulos yesterday about Iraq. "Everything I know about Gen. Petraeus is that he has been candid and forthcoming in his views," McCain said.

Trading barbs with Sen. John Kerry, McCain criticized the Maliki government but defended the president's surge policy. "Am I frustrated at the Maliki government? Of course I am frustrated," McCain said. "But this strategy has only begun when you look at the fact that some of these troops have only been there for some months. And I think we're at a point where you could, in some months from now, start redeploying and withdrawing troops if you give it a chance to succeed."

Joining McCain on the Sunday talk circuit was Joe Biden, who spoke with Meet the Press' Tim Russert about his recent trip to Iraq. "The reality is that although there's been some mild security progress, there is in fact no security in Baghdad or Anbar province where I was dealing with the most serious problem, sectarian violence," Biden said. Speaking about Petreaus, Biden offered, "I really respect him, but I think he's dead flat wrong."

Get these and today's other elections stories at RCP's Politics and Elections Page.



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