Pres. Bush an asset or liability to McCain?
Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
John McCain has a dilemma of presidential proportions, and that is: how exactly should he use President Bush on the campaign trail?
The president, whose popularity ratings are at record lows, will appear on behalf of McCain this week for the first time since formally endorsing him almost three months ago. Mr. Bush will attend 3 fundraisers over the next 2 days.
The fundraisers will all be in private homes and there will be no press allowed. McCain is expected to join the president tonight in Phoenix. The event was originally scheduled to be held in the Phoenix Convention Center. The Phoenix Business Journal reported that poor ticket sales and fear of anti-war protesters prompted the switch to a much smaller private home.
It's clear that McCain is walking a fine line using President Bush to raise money without alienating too many Democrats and Independents. For example, the only on-camera appearance of President Bush and Senator McCain together is set to happen at the Phoenix airport sometime after 9 o'clock tonight – long after the network newscasts.
McCain has gone out of his way in recent weeks to separate himself from President Bush on Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration's arrogant foreign policy, and President Bush's out-of-control spending. But on other issues – like tax cuts, health care, and the war in Iraq – the two men are joined at the hip.
Here’s my question to you: Will President Bush be a bigger asset or liability to John McCain’s campaign?
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What should Hillary Clinton do next?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Hillary Clinton "was a good senator before, and she can be a great senator in the future."
Those are the words of Obama supporter and Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy. He tells The Washington Post Clinton will need to decide what to do after the campaign since it is now a foregone conclusion she is not going to be the nominee.
Kennedy would know a thing or two about this. After losing the primary battle to Jimmy Carter in 1980, Kennedy returned to the Senate and resumed his career as a lawmaker, authoring landmark bills on issues like health care and education. Many Democrats think that's the path Clinton should follow to reshape her political career... for example, she could champion a major piece of legislation – like health care – in a potential Obama first term.
But within the Senate, Clinton doesn't have many options to advance. Majority Leader Harry Reid isn't going anywhere, especially if Democrats increase their majority in November, and his deputies Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer appear to be interested in replacing Reid, if and when he steps down.
There's also the question of whether or not Clinton would choose to run again for president. Some are suggesting she might set her sights somewhere else, like a run for governor of New York.
In the meantime, many Democratic senators say they expect Clinton to campaign hard for Obama this summer and fall. They agree that if she does, any leftover feelings of resentment from the race will disappear.
Here’s my question to you: What should Hillary Clinton do next?
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Kids donating $ from toys to politicians?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Hillary Clinton is reminding voters about that 11-year-old Kentucky boy who sold his bike and video games so he could donate more than $400 to her campaign. And his parents let him do it. And she took the money.
After her win in Kentucky this week, Clinton once again thanked Dalton Hatfield, saying he helped her "carry the day" in his home state.
The New York Times caught up with 5th grader, who says he decided to donate to Clinton's campaign about two months ago when he saw she was running low on money: "I just saw so much that I did not need such as like my video games, and I thought, 'What can I do with them?'" So he sold his bike, video games and also collected other donations.
He says Clinton has "very good views on specific issues that are important to this election”, including the war, the economy and health care – all things that matter deeply to an 11-year-old.
Hatfield has since met with both former President Bill Clinton and Hillary. He says he was nervous about meeting Senator Clinton... but she told him that he'll "always have two friends, her and Bill." The elementary school student says he'd have to think about raising money for Obama, should he become the nominee... but as of now, probably not.
The story of a little kid selling his toys to donate money to a politician is the perfect way to end the week for the Cafferty File.
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Concerned about McCain’s health?
Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
John McCain's doctor says there's no medical reason the 71-year-old should not be president. Health records released by his campaign today show he appears to be cancer-free, has a strong heart and is in good health.
McCain's been treated for 5 skin cancers, four of those were melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer, and he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for over five years.
Because he remains at risk for developing new skin cancers, he's checked every few months. Doctors say there's been no recurrence since 2000. McCain's cholesterol levels are a potential concern, and he takes medicine for that... but his blood pressure is good.
McCain has been treated for a range of health issues that are common in older people, like having pre-cancerous skin lesions and benign colon growths removed. He also has degenerative arthritis from his war injuries.
The Arizona senator shrugs off the age issue on the campaign trail by pointing to his stamina and his strong genes. Early in the race, many voters said McCain's age would be an issue. But in one recent poll, 70 percent of those surveyed said his age won't affect their vote.
McCain's likely Democratic rival, Barack Obama, is 46. Neither Obama nor Hillary Clinton has released their medical records, but then again they wouldn't become the oldest person to ever serve a first term as president.
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Soaring gas, food prices changing your holiday plans?
(PHOTO CREDIT: AP PHOTO)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Americans are being hit with a more expensive holiday weekend than in years past, with soaring costs for everything from gasoline to hamburger buns.
Gas prices, at a national average of $3.88 a gallon, have now risen for 17 straight days, according to AAA. The motorist group says that for the first time since 2002, Americans plan to drive less this Memorial Day weekend than they did the year before. It says people are traveling closer to home and taking fewer trips.
And, that poll was taken during the last week of April, when gas was at $3.50 a gallon. At least 7 states now average more than $4 a gallon. Another survey conducted this month found 23% of Americans have changed their travel plans for this weekend due to high gas prices, with 12% canceling their vacations all together.
Meanwhile, for those just planning to stay home and fire up the barbecue, get ready for sticker shock there, too. With food inflation at the highest in almost two decades, the cost of an average barbecue could cost families about 6 percent more than last year.
Prices are up for everything from hot dogs to soda, potato chips and hamburger buns. Beef prices have been high, and chicken and pork prices are expected to rise because of feed and fuel costs.
For many people, that means cutting corners, by doing things like buying store brands instead of name brands. Others say they find themselves questioning every food purchase – wondering if they really need the item.
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Can Clinton muscle her way into V.P. slot?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Senator Hillary Clinton is reportedly trying to muscle her way onto the ticket as Barack Obama's vice presidential candidate.
Politico reports a senior Obama adviser says that some Clinton supporters are "pushing real, real hard to get her on the ticket." According to Time Magazine, one of those supporters is her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who apparently thinks his wife has earned a place on Obama's ticket.
Clinton's wins in key states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia – along with her support from women and white working-class voters – are all strong arguments why Obama should include her.
However, the unnamed Obama adviser suggests Clinton would "take away" from the ticket, citing her "baggage" and the fact that a majority of voters think she's "dishonest." It would also detract from Obama's message of "change," and a shift away from politics as usual.
This aide believes Obama will wind up attracting a lot of Democratic women who have been voting for Clinton, once they have the choice between Obama and McCain. Also, this person claims that even though Clinton attracts some white voters Obama hasn't been getting "some of them will never vote for Obama anyway."
But not everyone agrees that Hillary Clinton would weigh down the ticket. One former congressman and associate of the Clintons says putting Hillary on the ticket makes sense. He says the race is "as close to a tie" as anything in recent memory and uniting the two candidates would merge the party.
Here’s my question to you: Can Hillary Clinton muscle her way into the V.P. slot?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Rebate checks = confidence in economy?
US Federal Reserve Building in Washington, DC. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
So far, the government's big solution to fixing our sluggish economy has been to pour $150 billion into tax rebate checks for about 130 million Americans. The idea behind it is to bolster the confidence of U.S. consumers, and to get them to spend that money to jump-start our economy.
But, turns out the checks – in the amount of $600 per individual and $1,200 per couple – may not be doing the trick. A new Gallup Poll shows people who have already received their tax rebates feel just as uneasy about the state of our economy as those who haven't yet gotten the checks.
43% of those who received the rebates rate the economy as "poor" while 18% say it's "excellent or good." That's nearly identical to the 43% of those who haven't received a rebate and say the economy is "poor”, while 16% of them say "excellent or good."
87% of those who have received a rebate say the economy is getting worse, not better. That's about the same as the 86% who haven't gotten a check and hold the same view.
Also, the tax rebates seem to have done very little in the way of relieving Americans' worries about their own financial situations. Almost the same percentages of people say they "worried about money yesterday" – regardless of whether or not they've received a rebate check.
Here’s my question to you: Do the government’s rebate checks make you more confident in the U.S. economy?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
FULL POST
Does Obama have a problem with Jewish voters in Florida?
Sen. Barack Obama at an event to honor the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence in Washington, D.C. Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
"The fate of the world for the next four years... it's all going to boil down to a few old Jews in Century Village"… that's the assessment of the 2008 election campaign by Rabbi Ruvi New, according to the New York Times.
While the line is the kind that will get a laugh, the point he's making is very serious: Barack Obama could have a problem with some Jewish voters, especially in Florida.
Obama was in Boca Raton today speaking in a synagogue about foreign policy and his approach to Israel. Florida is critical, and Jews make up almost 4% of voters there. Many of them are elderly, and that's the group that has concerns about Obama.
He has received a lot of support from younger Jews – winning 45% of the Jewish vote in the primaries – if you don't include Florida and Michigan. But the latest Florida poll suggests Obama would lose to John McCain, while Hillary Clinton would win.
Obama didn't campaign in Florida and voters didn't get a chance to know him. It is a hotbed for rumors about him: people think he's Arab – he's not; that he's part of Chicago's Palestinian community – he's not; that al Qaeda is backing him – they aren't; that he'll fill his cabinet with supporters of Louis Farrakhan – he won't; and that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright is the godfather of his children – he isn't. It's amazing with all the access to accurate information that people could be so pathetically uninformed.
Others are worried about Obama's commitment to Israel or have reservations about his willingness to talk with Iran. And for some, it's a question of race.
Here’s my question to you: What does Barack Obama have to do to persuade Florida's Jewish population to support him?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What should the U.S. do now to address future oil shortages?
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The day of reckoning may soon be upon us. Crude oil hit a record high of more than $133 a barrel today, after a government report that stockpiles of gas and oil have fallen unexpectedly.
But that's not the worst of it. Fears of oil shortages within 5 years actually pushed long-term oil futures to almost $140 a barrel yesterday. The Financial Times reports veteran traders say they've never seen such a jump, and that they believe more and more investors are betting that oil production will soon peak.
One influential investor says he thinks oil prices will hit $150 a barrel by the end of the year. And Goldman Sachs is predicting oil could top $200 a barrel within two years, which could mean gasoline at $7 or $8 a gallon.
All this comes as global demand for oil is increasing much faster than supply, especially in places like China, India, the Middle East and South America.
Crude oil prices have more than doubled just in the past year... something most Americans have felt at the pump, with a gallon of gas now costing $3.81 on average. According to AAA, the price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline hit a record high for the 14th day in a row. That has never happened before. What will we do when gas hits $7 a gallon?
Here’s my question to you: What should the U.S. be doing now to address possible oil shortages within five years?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
McCain adviser resigns, doesn’t want to work against Obama
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
He urged the media, for example, to focus on important policy issues an "not just why Barack [doesn't] wear flag pins on his lapel."
John McCain's chief media consultant is leaving his campaign because he doesn't want to work against Barack Obama.
Mark McKinnon says he's staying true to a vow he made months ago not to campaign against Obama. At the time, McKinnon said the election of Obama "would send a great message to the country and the world." Although McKinnon says he disagrees with Obama on issues like Iraq and he thinks McCain would make the best president, he still doesn't want to work against the likely Democratic nominee.
McKinnon insists he'll remain a "friend and fan" of McCain's campaign. He says he's just "moving from middle linebacker to cheerleader" for McCain.
McKinnon's resignation could symbolize some of the challenges John McCain might face running against an historic candidate like Barack Obama. In many ways, McCain is entering uncharted territory by running against the first black presidential candidate from a major political party.
Meanwhile, McKinnon becomes the sixth adviser to leave the campaign in recent days. And John McCain is now taking some heat from fellow Republican Senator Chuck Hagel. The Huffington Post reports Hagel says he's "very upset" with some of the things his longtime friend, McCain, has been saying. Hagel is especially disappointed with some of McCain's comments about Iran, as he attacks Obama on foreign policy. Hagel says he thinks McCain "is smarter than some of the things he is saying" and hopes there will be a "higher-level discourse" come the general election. This is from his friend.
Here’s my question to you: What’s the significance of a top McCain adviser resigning because he doesn’t want to work against an historic Obama candidacy?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
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