Mess for McCain?
Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Someone is lying. The New York Times dropped a bombshell on John McCain this morning with a front page story that could cost him the White House.
It's great reading… an improper relationship with a lobbyist, a woman named Vicki Iseman. His inner circle convinced they were having an affair. All happening while he was chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and she was representing clients who had business before McCain's committee. The two of them together at fundraisers, in his office, aboard private corporate jets. It got so bad his closest friends and advisers finally stepped in to save McCain from himself. This is all according to the New York Times.
Problem with the story is it's a little "skinny." Most of it is based on unnamed sources, which detracts from its credibility. On the other hand, the Times byline contains the names of four reporters who were not likely to go to their editors and say, "Look what we've got," if they didn't have it.
And reportedly as far back as last December, McCain was pleading with the editors of the Times not to run the story.
McCain's explanation for all of this comes up short. "It's not true," ain't going to cut it. For one thing, McCain has been here before. Remember the Keating 5 and the savings and loan scandal?
And it's highly unlikely the Times information from McCain's inner circle is all false. You don't publish a story of this magnitude unless you're on pretty solid ground. Stay tuned… cause there's a lot more to come.
Here’s my question to you: How much will newspaper stories raising questions about John McCain’s ethics and his alleged relationship with a woman lobbyist hurt his presidential chances?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Lone Star state Clinton’s last stand?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Clinton says if his wife doesn't win Texas in a week and a half, it's over. And in case you've forgotten, Bill Clinton knows something about campaigns and elections.
At the moment, polls show Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama practically tied in Texas.
And while she hopes to get a big share of the Latino vote, there are factors in Texas that actually might tend to favor Obama. For example, Texas has its own unique system where two-thirds of the delegates are decided on the primary results. The remaining one-third are based on the results of caucuses that take place that night. Obama has killed Clinton in every caucus state but one.
Texas is also an open primary, which means independents and Republicans can vote. We've seen this type of contest work to Obama's advantage time and time again. Think Wisconsin.
And Texas Democrats have set up a system that rewards parts of the states that have voted heavily Democratic in the past with more delegates – places like Dallas and Houston, which have lots of African-Americans, and Austin, which has lots of white liberals. Advantage Obama. On the other hand, low Latino turnout for Democrats in the past two elections means some of those districts are awarded as few as 2 delegates each.
Here’s my question to you: Bill Clinton says if his wife doesn't win Texas, her candidacy is doomed. Is he right?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Clinton in the crosshairs in Austin, Texas?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Hillary Clinton has debated Barack Obama 18 times so far but arguably none is as important as tonight.
Obama's on a roll, beating Clinton the last 11 contests in a row. She has to win the upcoming races in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania – and she has to win them big – if she wants to stay in this thing. Tonight's debate could help her do that.
As one expert tells the Wall Street Journal, "Clinton doesn't have any extra opportunities. If Obama skates by and everyone says they both did well, it's over. That means he's won."
Some early indication of what we may hear from Clinton tonight comes from her spokesman who predicts a "civil" debate, while also calling Obama "a candidate who 36 short months ago was in the state legislature." Clinton also points to Obama as a risky choice, untested by international crises and the GOP attack machine. On the other hand, Obama could say to Clinton, "Yeah, but I'm ahead."
Analysts say the challenge will be to create a sound bite that will spread like wildfire across the Internet and negatively define the other candidate's campaign... kind of like 1984 when Walter Mondale took out his opponent Gary Hart by asking "Where's the beef?" Or when Lloyd Bensten slammed Dan Quayle's image with this zinger: " I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine, and Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
Meanwhile, tonight's debate is one hot ticket: 43,000 Texans entered a lottery to try and get one of the 100 available tickets.
Here’s my question to you: What does Hillary Clinton have to do at tonight's debate to try to turn the tide?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Recent Comments