Candidates Prepare For Long Struggle

Clinton, Obama Plot Strategy After N.H.; Republicans Set Up For Battle In Michigan

(CBS/AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dug in Wednesday for a prolonged struggle over the Democratic presidential nomination, a woman and a black man in a campaign unlike any other.

John McCain claimed the role of resident underdog in the Republican race, despite his big win in the New Hampshire primary.

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Complete New Hampshire returns

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"Maybe I have liberated us to actually let women be human beings in public," said Clinton, the former first lady, reflecting on a memorable moment of emotion the day before she gained her own New Hampshire victory.

In an interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric, Clinton also emphasized that she is prepared to bring change to Washington.

"I've been saying for many months if you're ready for change, I'm ready to lead, because I think it does go hand in hand," Clinton told Couric. "If people really want change - and I agree we've got to after this administration, and the problems we see in the world - then let's be sure we're electing someone who is not just talking about change but has a history of acting to make change." (Read a transcript of the interview.)

Obama saw the New Hampshire results differently. "We have to make sure that we take it to them just like they take it to us," he said. Despite his defeat, he pocketed the support of two key Nevada unions in advance of that state's Jan. 19 caucuses, and predicted a win in the South Carolina primary a week later.

In other news, the AP reported that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson would drop out of the Democratic race on Thursday.

After a grueling, months-long slog through Iowa and New Hampshire, Clinton and Obama face a brief lull in the calendar, but collide in four weeks time in primaries and caucuses in 22 states in the equivalent of a nationwide primary. (Read CBSNews.com's analysis of the Democratic race.)

"Anyone who thinks they know how voters are going to respond at this point are probably misleading themselves," Obama said Wednesday. "And I think voters are not going to let any candidate take anything for granted. They want to lift the hood, kick the tires. They want us to earn it."

Obama also rival suggested his politics of hope is about to get a harder edge.

"We have to make sure that we take it to them just like they take it to us," he said, responding not just to his Democratic rival's New Hampshire primary win but to attacks on him by her husband, former President Clinton.

Bill Clinton complained in New Hampshire that Obama was getting a free pass from the scrutiny turned on Hillary Clinton and likened the Illinois senator's campaign to a "fairy tale."

Obama shot back Wednesday that "the real fairy tale is, I think, Bill Clinton suggesting somehow that we've been just taking a cakewalk here."

"I come from Chicago politics," Obama said. "We're accustomed to rough and tumble. I don't expect this to be a cakewalk."

McCain made simultaneous appeals to independents and Republicans alike as he campaigned in Michigan for a victory that could drive former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney from the race. "The Republican establishment has never embraced me in my entire life. But I think we just proved that we can get the support of enough to win an election," he told a rally in Grand Rapids. He added he would try and remind evangelical voters "that my social conservative record has been consistent and unchanging." (Read CBSNews.com's analysis of the GOP race.)

Speaking to several hundred boisterous supporters at the Grand Rapids airport, McCain noted the state's job losses and pronounced federal programs to help displaced workers a failure. "None of them work," he said. "I will develop programs that work."

Romney withdrew television advertising in South Carolina and Florida, two states with primaries later this month, despite telling supporters the race was just getting started. "We feel the best strategy is to focus our paid messaging in Michigan," said his spokesman, Kevin Madden. (Read more on Romney's strategy.)

In Boston, Romney sought to assure his top financial backers that he can win in Michigan and beyond, after disappointing second-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Romney was born in Michigan and his father was governor.

"It's just getting started," he told hundreds of supporters gathered at a convention center for a follow-up to his campaign's "National Call Day" a year ago. CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports that Romney raised $5 million at the fundraiser today.

The former Massachusetts governor's sole victory to date was in last weekend's scarcely contested Wyoming caucuses. The candidate trying to become the nation's first Mormon president leads in the early competition for national convention delegates, but that is cold comfort for a man who spent millions of his own money in a failed attempt to sweep the early contests and establish himself as the man to beat in the race for the Republican nomination.

[g02342000]

John Edwards is the only one that will fight poverty and bring health care and education to the poor & middle class of America. The Edwards / Biden ticket would be the best Presidency for all America, anything less will be as bad as keeping Bush in office forever. America deserves honest men of integrity that will fight for all Americans. Edwards is a true patriot that can make America great, he has the substinance, determination, and will to fight greed, corruption and end the outsourcing of our jobs, His economic, education, health and welfare policies are now being copied by all the canidates. Edwards spoke out months and even years before the others. America needs to think about why are the "Washington Greed, Corruption, Large Corporations and Media" trying to make this a two candidate Democratic race? Edwards is the only one able to win the Presidency from the democratic side, and any republican that is nominated will beat Clinton and/or Obama. Only Edwards can fix Bush''s mistakes!

[prinzowhales]

MORE NEWS ON THE THEFT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FROM PAUL AND OBAMA!! Real time capture of AP election numbers on Boston.com, the BOSTON GLOBE net vehicle...

http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=qV6qAGigGYY

We are not only dealing with the theft of the election which CBSNBCABCFOXCNN is studiously ignoring but there is the question of no chain of custody for the ballots which obviates the value of a recount!!

THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN--THE MACHINES IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE EVEN EASIER TO USE TO RIP OFF THE VOTERS!!

Bloomberg? Who cares? Just another Demopublican pretending to be an ''''Independent''''. Look who else was ''''exploring'''' an Independent candidacy--Christine Todd Whitman, the mass murderer of 9-11 clean up workers, the now disgraced and displaced head of Bush''''s EPA.

[mcvet]

I don''''t know which is worse: The pety squabbles between fat spoiled career politicians, or the ones between the news networks charged with "informing the public".


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by dougandslug at 11:09 PM : Jan 09, 2008
+ report abuse

What would you suggest there Swastika Breath? You fascist have been attacking our free press since the day our Radical Liberal Founders put pen to paper, so tell us, how would you do it. Right now IF I want the Party line I can go to FOX and hear it non stop. If I choose I can reject the Nazi line and go to several other outlets, thats MY choice. So what would you like to see? Maybe a Propaganda Ministry to assure that the Fascist Line is put in ALL reports? Exactly WHO would determine that "Balance"? Who would determine what I hear and see? Sieg Heil Bush!!

[skyk-2009]

Unions are supposed to be for the benefit of its workers/citizens, but research shows that US citizenship is not a prerequisite to join.

Are you suggesting that UNIONS decided who can and can not belong? That''s against the LAW and you need to look into such things before you attack. UNDER the law of this nation IF a Company hires a worker the UNION must represent that worker. The only exception is the communistic laws here in the south where they are still required to represent them but CAN NOT charge them for that Representation. The LAWS need to be changed if you want the Unions to be responsible.

[skyk-2009]

We need to pick a leader who will pull this nation together. Make the people feel that, regardless of their party or ideal''s, they are represented. I haven''t felt that way with Bush and the leaders of the Republican party. Obviously I''m not the only one because the nation has turned on Bush as they have never turned on a President before. We are never going to agree on a lot of things in this nation, that''s a fact. People who wish to exploit that FACT can divide us and be elected, Bush/Rove proved that. The problem is they couldn''t govern. What good is winning if you can''t govern? When the leaders of the Republican Party called a special session of congress for no other reason than to allow a leader of the Religous Reich to interfer in the business of ONE brain dead woman''s family, they lost me. THIS we can NOT afford to do or the nation is dead in the water. We need a leader who will play to all the things we have as a people that will make us strong... RELIGION is NOT one of them.

[mcv57]

''''Gulf incident clip fabricated'''' (video)
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Teheran, Iran

Iran on Wednesday called video and audio released by the Pentagon showing Iranian Revolutionary Guards boats confronting US warships in the Strait of Hormuz "fabricated," an English-language state-run television station reported.

"fabricated."

The Iranian boats appeared to ignore repeated warnings from the US ships, including horn blasts and radio transmissions, according to the video, which was shot from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper.

Intend no harm."

The audio and video recordings were made separately but were pulled together by the Navy. Often uneven and shaky, the video condenses what Navy officials have said was a 20-minute or so clash.

That is something normal that takes place every now and then for each party," he told the state news agency IRNA.

"The identification of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian Navy units is a natural occurrence," the official IRNA news agency quoted Najjar. "Islamic Republic of Iran Navy units always put questions to passing vessels and warships at the Strait of Hormuz and they need to identify themselves. This is in accordance with the normal procedures."

Najjar called Western news reports that the boats threatened to blow up the US warships as "mischief."

[realpatriot1]

shutupNvote,

The Democratic boomer women I know would rather eat glass than have Hillary as the model for their daughters.

A financially comfortable professional woman with a grown daughter who stayed with her cheating husband for personal ambition. What message does that send to young women?

If you bought that "moment of passion and caring for the country" you''ll buy anything.

[denn034]

Go Thompson!

[taotxzen]

Greatness:

When MSNBC moved from its longtime home in New Jersey to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan a couple of months ago, Keith Olbermann got his pick of offices.

Olbermann chose a room looking directly into the street-front studios of MSNBC''s rival, Fox News. If you''re walking up Sixth Avenue, look for the huge cardboard cutout of Bill O''Reilly''s head gazing out of a third-floor window in the world headquarters of the National Broadcasting Co.

[panhandlpete]

Not surprised at the NH results, but surprised that the 8 last minute precints had HRC as their highest voter result. Something stinks, so ask yourself just what is it? All kinds of voter fraud may occur in this campaign.

Poor news media people were just hopping after Iowa with the winners being Obama and Huckabee. They all ought to have to declare WHO their personal candidate is prior to giving any news reports so it would make it easier to follow their slanted reporting.

Obama will do strong in Nevada because of the culinary union (60,000)support, and I do wonder just how many of them are citizens! Unions are supposed to be for the benefit of its workers/citizens, but research shows that US citizenship is not a prerequisite to join.

Why can''t the candidates stick to the issues rather than patting themselves on their backs? Still hoping for the Independent candidate to step into the arena.

[mcv57]

Place on your ballot: Bozo the Clown, at least he will make you laugh on the way down.

[mcv57]

Place on your ballot: Bozo the Clown, at least he will make you laugh on the way down.

[mcv57]

Place on your ballot: Bozo the Clown, at least he will make you laugh on the way down.

[cfin5]

It wasn''t just because Hillary was crying, it was what she was crying about,......us going back to the Constitution! Boy, that''s a real sniffer,.....SNIFF!

[prinzowhales]

The elections were manipulated by crooked corporatist and conniving New Hampshire officials who allowed the same sorry system that was used in Florida to be used in New Hampshire...Private corporations and bought Public Dogs working hand in hand to subvert democracy!

http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/5307

[vastr-wcon]

FrOm New HamPSHire:

The BAD: ThE AmNisty ExPresS continUEs to terRorize AmeRican ciTizeNs!

The GOOd: tHE raCOON EXpRess haS been DerAiled!

[shutupnvote]

We have to make sure that we take it to them just like they take it to us," he said,



And vice versa Senator, we old decrepit women boomers that have no right to participate in the election or future because we cry about our appearance and are cranky say


BRING IT ON ..........................

and her name Senator is Senator Clinton and you are correct she is likeable enough


and the moment was not her showing signs of passionate care for this country but you distainful bush smirk, you can forget any attempt to marginalize the base of your party sheepeople, you cannot on one hand claim as your mantel to be the great uniter the respecter of differences and then denigrate and dismiss with a dismissive smirk a large contingency of your own party and country

[candide777]

They will support the war against Iran just as they supported the war against Iraq from their partisan positions in the Democratic and Republican parties.
Posted by Prinzowhales
The alternative is we sit and watch our cities be blown up by the terrorists, like you do. Coward.
Posted by guysdigdirt at 05:47 PM : Jan 09, 2008

Excuse me, guysdigdirt, but you are the coward here. Your panties are in such a bunch over 9/11 that you want to spend every last penny we have fighting "the terrorists." You don''t even know who the terrorist are, but your so frightened of them, that you want to waste all of our military resources and all of our money in one decade. You''re like some hysterical woman running around shooting every last bullet you have at anything that moves because you''re so frightened of your own pathetic shadow. Stop calling the kettle "black," pot.

[tylenol6]

Hitlery is a scumbag and will carry on Bush''s plans for
destroying the middle class. McCain is the biggest war
pig and is PRO-AMNESTY. I am surprised the N.H. voters
fell for this ***. By the way, don''t put anything past
the Clinton/Bush crime family. VOTER FRAUD FOR HITLERY.

[guysdigdirt]

They will support the war against Iran just as they supported the war against Iraq from their ''''partisan'''' positions in the Democratic and Republican parties.
Posted by Prinzowhales

The alternative is we sit and watch our cities be blown up by the terrorists, like you do. Coward.