Candidates blaming the media?
You know things are really getting ugly out there on the campaign trail when the candidates start going after the media. And that's exactly what's happening now.
First, there was that heated exchange between Bill Clinton and a local TV reporter in California. The former president got visibly annoyed when the reporter asked him about the decision to allow caucuses in the Las Vegas casinos where a lot of Barack Obama's supporters work.
Enter Republican candidate Mitt Romney. When he was asked about the role of lobbyists in his campaign by an AP reporter yesterday, he became defensive. Said he doesn't have no stinkin' lobbyists running his campaign. What he does have is a high-level adviser who is also the chairman of a large communications firm. Oh.
And John Edwards is whining about the media, too. His campaign is launching a full-on assault on the media for what they claim is inadequate and unfair press coverage. His communications director says: "For the better part of a year the media has focused on two celebrity candidates." He wasn't finished whining. He said the media continue to focus on Obama and Clinton, despite the fact that Edwards beat Clinton in Iowa and that polls show competitive races in states like Nevada and South Carolina.
Complaining about the media comes as naturally to a politician as having his hand out.
Here’s my question to you: Is it the news media's job to keep all the candidates happy?
To see the Cafferty File video click here
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Gambling on Nevada’s caucuses?
Las Vegas Strip (PHOTO CREDIT: AP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The show will go on, and so will the caucuses, in some Las Vegas casinos.
That's because a federal judge has refused to shut down nine casino-based locations for tomorrow's Nevada caucuses.
The decision is seen as a boost for Barack Obama, since he's been endorsed by the union that represents many of the shift workers who will use those casino locations to caucus.
The lawsuit had been brought by a state teachers' union that's endorsed Hillary Clinton, and the fallout over this case led to a dispute between the two campaigns.
The Clinton people deny playing any formal role in the lawsuit, but they are critical of the casino caucuses. They say the system "seems to benefit other campaigns" and is "unfair".
For his part, Obama welcomed the judge's decision, saying anything else would have meant disenfranchisement for many who work on the Vegas strip - people like maids, dishwashers and bellhops - all members of the culinary workers union that endorsed him.
The rules for holding the caucuses were set by Nevada state Democratic Party leaders.
Here’s my question to you: Do you see anything wrong with Nevada holding caucuses in casinos?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Winning the black vote?
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/images/01/18/art.southcarolina.gi.jpg caption=" Barack Obama greets supporters at a political rally in Charleston, South Carolina."]
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/images/01/18/art.clinton.baptist.ap.jpg caption=" Hillary Clinton, speaks at the Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Compton, California.."]
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continue to fight it out for support from African-American voters.
And there's a very good reason why: They are expected to make up as much as 50% of voters in the South Carolina Democratic primary January 26th, and in four other Southern states that vote on February 5th: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee.
Here's the problem: Bill Clinton and by extension his wife, Hillary, have a long, close relationship with the African -American community. Bill Clinton was nicknamed "America's first black president”. But for the first time in our history, an African-American has a real chance to become president of the United States.
In some cases, the decision is splitting families and longtime allies in the civil rights movement. There seems to be a generational divide as well, with younger blacks moving toward Obama. It's even splitting members of the Congressional Black Caucus, with more than a third of them supporting Clinton or John Edwards.
Polls suggest that Obama has been increasing his support in the black community and now leads Clinton among this group. In fact, Obama has now surged ahead of Hillary Clinton when it comes to support from Africa -American Democrats. But we're a long way from Super Tuesday and any kind of a finish line.
And, if there is on thing history suggests it's when it comes to politics, don't ever count out the Clintons.
Here’s my question to you: What will ultimately decide whether Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton gets the most African-American votes?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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