Today's Top News
Bin Laden and Omar operating in Pakistan: U.S. official
02.08.08 -- 5:34 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mullah Omar and other Taliban leaders are directing insurgency operations in Afghanistan from the Pakistani city of Quetta, while al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is operating from Pakistan's tribal areas, a senior U.S. administration official said on Friday.
Bin Laden, his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri and others are operating out of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
"Just as Mullah Omar is giving strategic direction for the Taliban from Quetta, al Qaeda senior leadership is in the FATA doing its planning," the official said, without giving the source of the intelligence.
"The iconic leaders of al Qaeda -- Zawahri, bin Laden and people like (Abu Laith) al-Libi are in the tribal areas of Pakistan," the official added.
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Bush Ready to Back GOP Nominee
02.07.08 -- 8:35 AM
President Bush, unpopular nationally but still a fundraising force, is ready to put the power of the White House behind the Republican nominee for president. Exactly what his role will be is a trickier matter.
What's clear for now is that Bush, in the last of his eight years in office, is preparing to be deferential. In reality, and by tradition, this is not his race to run.
Despite Sen. John McCain's clear front-runner status, don't expect Bush to break his relative silence for a while. The White House is waiting until a candidate either clinches the nomination or emerges as the last man standing because of withdrawals by the other candidates.
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McCain Reaches Out to Conservatives But Only So Far
02.07.08 -- 8:25 AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican front-runner John McCain is trying to gain his party's presidential nomination by convincing conservatives he is one of them, without hurting support from moderate voters who have propelled his candidacy.
The Arizona senator who scored major Super Tuesday victories is making clear that a key goal will be to energize the Republican base, but that he will never be able to placate all of his critics on the right.
"I think my record indicates that I'm a solid conservative," McCain said, while noting that with some in his party, "we've got disagreements on specific issues from time to time."
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Clinton Looks to Races Ahead - Even GOP
02.06.08 -- 6:39 AM
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, elated by a strong collection of Super Tuesday wins, looked past Democratic rival Barack Obama to take aim at President Bush and his Republican allies.
"You know tonight we are hearing the voices of people across America, people of all ages, of all colors, all faiths and all walks of life," she told supporters in a crowded Manhattan ballroom.
The New York senator is seeking to become the first woman president, while Obama would become the first black president.
Appearing onstage with her husband and daughter Chelsea, Clinton did not direct any criticism toward the Illinois senator who is now her only remaining Democratic rival. She focused her attention instead on Bush and his GOP allies.
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McCain Proclaims Himself Front-Runner
02.06.08 -- 6:30 AM
Sen. John McCain traded in his underdog persona to claim the mantle of front-runner, rolling up a series of Super Tuesday victories in the Republican race for president.
"I've never minded the role of the underdog, and relished more than anyone come-from-behind wins," McCain told a boisterous crowd in his home state. "But tonight, I think we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party front-runner."
As supporters cheered, he added: "And I don't really mind it one bit."
McCain's victories included New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arizona, his home. He captured the biggest prize, California.
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Analysis: Clinton-Obama Battle Goes On
02.06.08 -- 6:16 AM
So much for the quick victory the early primaries were expected to bring.
With a split decision on Super Tuesday, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have entered into a protracted campaign that may not end for weeks. This isn't how it was supposed to play out in the compressed primary calendar.
The result is that far more voters across the country will have their say in deciding the Democratic nominee - the first woman or the first black - instead of just the early state residents who usually pick the winner.
Clinton was long positioned as the presumptive nominee, then Obama won Iowa and appeared to be on his way to toppling her. Since then, they have taken turns resurrecting themselves with surprising victories that have set up the most competitive Democratic presidential primary since 1984.
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McCain and Romney battle over who is conservative
02.04.08 -- 5:37 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney argued on Monday over who is the real conservative with their battle headed toward a Super Tuesday climax.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, sought to stir discontent among conservatives who are skeptical about Arizona Sen. McCain's record of having voted against President George W. Bush's tax cuts and his moderate views on illegal immigration.
"A lot of people said it is going to be a very easy race for Senator McCain. But across the country conservatives have come together and said, 'You know what, we don't want Senator McCain. We want a conservative to be in the White House'," Romney told supporters in Nashville.
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Obama expands lead on Clinton in California
02.04.08 -- 5:29 PM
Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney argued on Monday over who is the real conservative with their battle headed toward a Super Tuesday climax.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, sought to stir discontent among conservatives who are skeptical about Arizona Sen. McCain's record of having voted against President George W. Bush's tax cuts and his moderate views on illegal immigration.
"A lot of people said it is going to be a very easy race for Senator McCain. But across the country conservatives have come together and said, 'You know what, we don't want Senator McCain. We want a conservative to be in the White House'," Romney told supporters in Nashville.
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Delegate Races Tight
02.04.08 -- 5:22 PM
Both political parties have relatively close delegate races heading into Super Tuesday, when voters in nearly half the states and American Samoa will vote in primaries and caucuses.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has the overall lead in delegates to the Democratic convention, with 261, according to an Associated Press analysis of delegate totals. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois has 196.
Obama has won more delegates in the primaries and caucuses held to date. But Clinton leads in endorsements from superdelegates - party and elected officials who automatically attend the convention and can support whomever they choose, regardless of the outcome of the primaries.
A total of 1,681 Democratic delegates in 22 states and American Samoa will be up for grabs Tuesday. However, it will be difficult for either candidate to take a decisive lead because the Democrats award delegates proportionally in every state. That means the second-place finisher in every state will also win delegates, as long as they get at least 15 percent of the vote.
A total of 2,025 delegates are needed to secure the Democratic nomination.
Sen. John McCain has an even narrower lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the race for delegates to the Republican convention. McCain has 102 delegates, including endorsements from party leaders who automatically attend the convention. Romney has 93 delegates and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has 43, according to the AP analysis.
A total of 1,023 Republican delegates will be at stake in 21 states Tuesday.
The Republicans have a better chance of crowning a clear front-runner because nine Super Tuesday states award all their delegates to the candidate who wins the primary or caucus. Other Republican states award delegates based on vote totals in individual congressional districts.
A total of 1,191 delegates are needed to secure the Republican nomination.
The AP tracks the delegate races by projecting the number of national convention delegates won by candidates in each presidential primary or caucus, based on state and national party rules, and by interviewing unpledged delegates to obtain their preferences.
In some states, like Iowa and Nevada, local precinct caucuses are the first stage in the allocation process. The AP uses preferences expressed in those caucuses to project the number of national convention delegates each candidate will have when they are chosen at county, congressional district or state conventions.
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Obama Mentions God and Guns in Idaho
02.03.08 -- 11:51 AM
Democratic Sen. Barack Obama assured Western voters Saturday he believes in Jesus as well as the rights of gun owners.
The presidential candidate warned people about hoax e-mails they may get saying he's secretly a Muslim who might want to destroy the United States.
"I've been going to the same church for 20 years, praising Jesus," the Illinois senator told more than 10,000 people packed into Boise State's basketball arena. He is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
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