Your Guide to U.S. Elections
Welcome to The Election Guide. This site will be updated regularly with the latest news and information about U.S. elections especially the 2008 Presidential Election and the 2008 Presidential Candidates.
November 4th, 2008 is Election Day. The next set of national elections that will shape our country's future will occur on this day. Election Day 2008 features the Presidential Election, 33 U.S. Senate Elections, 435 U.S. Congressional Elections and 11 state gubernatorial elections.
The Latest Political and Election News
Sunday July 29
Both Houses of Congress have passed a bill that would enact all of the remaining 9/11 commission recommendations. The bill passed the House 371-40 and the Senate 85-8. The bill now goes to the President. With the broad bipartisan support the President will have little choice but to sign the bill.
Vice President Cheney had successful surgery to replace the battery in his pacemaker that monitors his heartbeat and provides electric shock incase the heart starts to beat irregularly. Cheney is out of the hospital and back at home.
Thursday July 26
Congress may pass a bill that would carry out the remaining recommendations of the 9/11 commission even though President Bush opposes parts of the bill. The bill includes a provision calling for 100 percent of all container ships to be scanned for nuclear devices within five years; the White House has called this “neither executable nor feasible.” It is unclear whether or not Bush would veto the bill.
The Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns are clashing over Obama's response in Monday's Presidential debate when he said that he would meet with world leaders that are hostile to the U.S. This is the first major clash between the top two Democratic candidates.
Polls continue to show Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton ahead in their respective primary races.
Monday July 23
There is a CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate tonight at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific on CNN with questions to the candidates submitted by YouTube users. Anderson Cooper hosts the debate which will take place in South Carolina.
Polls continue to show Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic Presidential field by double digits. She also leads by double digits in South Carolina where tonights debate will take place.
Thursday July 19
The last few days have been pretty slow as far as news goes.
Senate Republicans stopped another bill on troop withdrawal from moving forward after the Senate stayed in session all night Tuesday night into Wednesday. The bill needed 60 votes to move forward and only got 52 with 47 against it.
President Bush picked U.S. attorney Craig Morford from Nashville to become the acting Deputy Attorney General, the #2 position at the Justice Department. With the title of acting Deputy Attorney General Morford does not need Senate approval. If President Bush later appoints him to be the permanent Deputy Attorney General he will need Senate confirmation.
A few polls have surfaced placing Republican Fred Thompson ahead of the Republican Presidential field even as Thompson is still not an official candidate. Mitt Romney continues to lead in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
Hillary Clinton continues to lead the Democratic Presidential field by a double digit margin. She is also leading Iowa and New Hampshire in the latest polls.
Tuesday July 17
Senate Democrats plan overnighter for tonight ahead of a vote on a bill forcing the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq. The bill will be filibustered by Republicans. The bill needs 60 votes to overcome the filibuster which it won't have. The Democrats are trying to at least draw attention to their efforts to bring U.S. troops home.
Democrats lead the Presidential race in the amount of cash they have available. Hillary Clinton has the most cash on hand with just over $45 million in the bank. Barack Obama is second with about $36 million in the bank. Rudy Giuliani leads Republicans with about $18 million with Mitt Romney in second.
President Bush has announced a plan for a new Mideast peace conference. The conference will include Israel, the Palestinian Authority and some Arab neighbors. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will preside over the meetings.
Sunday July 15
Republican Presidential Candidate Jim Gilmore has dropped out of the Presidential race. Gilmore, former Governor of Virginia, cited his late start as one of his reasons. If Republican Virginia U.S. Senator John Warner decides to retire look for Gilmore to run for his Senate seat.
Friday July 13
A report on U.S. benchmarks in Iraq came out yesterday showing progress in some areas and lack of progress in several other areas. President Bush called the reports, "cause for optimism", while opponents strongly disagree.
The U.S. House passed a bill that would require U.S. troops to begin leaving Iraq by April 1, 2008. The bill passed 223-201. The President will veto to the bill and it doesn't look like there is enough support to override the veto.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), a large union representing Firefighters across the country attacked Rudy Giuliani on his leadership on 9/11. The union doesn't like how Giuliani handled several issues regarding the NYFD. Of course 9/11 is the main thing Giuliani has going for him. Like many unions, the IAFF as a group is more liberal than its average members are. It has never supported a Republican Presidential candidate.
Tuesday July 10
Republican Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine is considering backing a timetable for U.S. troop in Iraq. Snowe has been a longtime critic of President Bush's handling of the war but hasn't previously supported any timetable. More and more Republican Senators have started to oppose Bush on the War in Iraq. The Senate could pass an amendment to a defense bill that would require U.S. combat troops to start leaving by the end of March 2008.
Rudy Giuliani has been campaigning in large states like California and Florida rather than traditional early primary states like New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina. Giuliani is hoping that he will find better support in these more moderate to liberal states with large amounts of delegates.
The latest USA Today/Gallup poll shows Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama 37% to 21% in the race for the Democratic nomination.
The same poll shows Rudy Giuliani leading Fred Thompson 30% to 20% with John McCain in third at 16%.
Saturday July 7
Rudy Giuliani upset some conservatives at a town hall meeting in Florida by saying that he doesn't think America needs a flat tax.
New polls show that American polled were willing to vote for a woman or African-American for president but don't think the rest of America is.
Friday July 6
Site Update
New Democratic Power Rankings are here.
New Republican Power Rankings are here.
News
Republican New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici has joined the recent Republican move against the President over the War in Iraq. Domenici, once a strong backer of President Bush on Iraq, has now backed a bill to withdrawal troops by March of 2008.
John Edwards' campaign has undergone a staff shake up that includes adding former Howard Dean campaign director Joe Trippe as a senior advisor. The moves come after Edwards was well behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in second quarter fundraising and the fallout over Edwards'$400 haircut and ties to a New York hedge fund.
Former House Leader Dick Gephardt, twice a Presidential Candidate himself, endorsed Hillary Clinton Thursday. The move maybe help Clinton in Iowa as Gephardt is popular there. He won the Iowa Caucus in 2008 and was a Congressman from neighboring Missouri.
Thursday July 5
Bill Clinton has started campaigning for and with his wife Hillary. The duo have been campaigning in Iowa. This marks the first time the two have campaigned together in one of the early primary states.
President Bush granted I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney clemency this week meaning Libby won't have to serve any time in prison. The move does not overturn Libby's conviction like a pardon would. Libby will still have to pay a $250,000 fine. The President can still pardon Libby at a later date if he so chooses. That would wipe the felony conviction off of Libby's record.
Second Quarter 2007 Fundraising Totals
Barack Obama led the 2nd Quarter in fundraising by raising about $32.5 million. About $31 million of that money can be used in the Primary Election with $1.5 million available for the General Election if Obama wins the Democratic nomination.
Hillary Clinton who led the fundraisng in the first quarter raised $27 million in the latest quarter good for 2nd place behind Obama.
Rudy Giuliani led Republican candidates by raising about $17 million.
Mitt Romney led was second among Republican candidates by raising about $14 million.
John McCain struggled again with fundraising. He raised about $11.2 in the second quarter. McCain's dissappointing numbers led to a number of campaign staffing cuts.
John Edwards raised about $9 million.
Bill Richardson raised about $7 million.
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