Delegates

MSNBC has the latest numbers:

SUPERDELEGATES: Clinton 266-245
PLEDGED: Obama 1,490-1,334
OVERALL: Obama 1,735-1,600

More ads

Clinton names Obama directly in Indiana:



Obama has two new ads in North Carolina -- the first takes on DC:



And the second focuses on taking care of veterans:

Political Calendar 4.30.08

1:45 PM
Hillary Clinton
Standing up for Jobs Town Hall
Duneland Falls Banquet Center
1100 North Max Mochal Highway
Portage, IN 46304

2:00 PM
John McCain
Health Care Town Hall
Lehigh Valley Hospital
Lehigh, PA

5:30 PM
Hillary Clinton
Standing Up for Jobs Town Hall
Rielhe Plaza
200 North Second Street
Lafayette, IN 47901

8:30 PM
Barack Obama
Rally
Assembly Hall at Indiana University
1001 E. 17th St.
Bloomington, IN

9:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
Standing Up for Jobs Town Hall
Kokomo Memorial Gymnasium
200 Apperson Way
Kokomo, IN 46901

McCain's Healt Care Plan

From the McCain website:

Today, In Florida, John McCain Outlined His Plan For Health Care Reform. John McCain believes we can and must provide access to health care for every American. He has proposed a comprehensive vision for achieving that. For too long, our nation's leaders have talked about reforming health care. Now is the time to act.

• Americans Are Worried About Health Care Costs.The problems with health care are well known: it is too expensive and 47 million people living in the United States lack health insurance.

John McCain Believes The Key To Health Care Reform Is To Restore Control To The Patients Themselves. We want a system of health care in which everyone can afford and acquire the treatment and preventative care they need. Health care should be available to all and not limited by where you work or how much you make. Families should be in charge of their health care dollars and have more control over care.

John McCain Will Reform Health Care Making It Easier For Individuals And Families To Obtain Insurance. An important part of his plan is to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance with greater variety to match people's needs, lower prices, and portability. Families should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines.

John McCain Will Reform The Tax Code To Offer More Choices Beyond Employer-Based Health Insurance Coverage. While still having the option of employer-based coverage, every family will also have the option of receiving a direct refundable tax credit - effectively cash - of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset the cost of insurance. Families will be able to choose the insurance provider that suits them best and the money would be sent directly to the insurance provider. Those obtaining innovative insurance that costs less than the credit can deposit the remainder in expanded Health Savings Accounts.

John McCain Proposes Making Insurance More Portable. Americans need insurance that follows them from job to job. They want insurance that is still there if they retire early and does not change if they take a few years off to raise the kids.

John McCain Will Encourage And Expand The Benefits Of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) For Families. When families are informed about medical choices, they are more capable of making their own decisions and often decide against unnecessary options. Health Savings Accounts take an important step in the direction of putting families in charge of what they pay for.

John McCain's Plan Cares For The Traditionally Uninsurable. John McCain understands that those without prior group coverage and those with pre-existing conditions have the most difficulty on the individual market, and we need to make sure they get the high-quality coverage they need.

John McCain Will Work With States To Establish A Guaranteed Access Plan. As President, John McCain will work with governors to develop a best practice model that states can follow - a Guaranteed Access Plan or GAP - that would reflect the best experience of the states to ensure these patients have access to health coverage. One approach would establish a nonprofit corporation that would contract with insurers to cover patients who have been denied insurance and could join with other state plans to enlarge pools and lower overhead costs. There would be reasonable limits on premiums, and assistance would be available for Americans below a certain income level.

John McCain Will Promote Proper Incentives. John McCain will work with Congress, the governors, and industry to make sure this approach is funded adequately and has the right incentives to reduce costs such as disease management, individual case management, and health and wellness programs.

John McCain Proposes A Number Of Initiatives That Can Lower Health Care Costs. If we act today, we can lower health care costs for families through common-sense initiatives. Within a decade, health spending will comprise twenty percent of our economy. This is taking an increasing toll on America's families and small businesses. Even Senators Clinton and Obama recognize the pressure skyrocketing health costs place on small business when they exempt small businesses from their employer mandate plans.

• CHEAPER DRUGS: Lowering Drug Prices. John McCain will look to bring greater competition to our drug markets through safe re-importation of drugs and faster introduction of generic drugs.

• CHRONIC DISEASE: Providing Quality, Cheaper Care For Chronic Disease. Chronic conditions account for three-quarters of the nation's annual health care bill. By emphasizing prevention, early intervention, healthy habits, new treatment models, new public health infrastructure and the use of information technology, we can reduce health care costs. We should dedicate more federal research to caring and curing chronic disease.

• COORDINATED CARE: Promoting Coordinated Care. Coordinated care - with providers collaborating to produce the best health care - offers better outcomes at lower cost. We should pay a single bill for high-quality disease care which will make every single provider accountable and responsive to the patients' needs.

• GREATER ACCESS AND CONVENIENCE: Expanding Access To Health Care. Families place a high value on quickly getting simple care. Government should promote greater access through walk-in clinics in retail outlets.

• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Greater Use Of Information Technology To Reduce Costs. We should promote the rapid deployment of 21^st century information systems and technology that allows doctors to practice across state lines.

• MEDICAID AND MEDICARE: Reforming The Payment System To Cut Costs. We must reform the payment systems in Medicaid and Medicare to compensate providers for diagnosis, prevention and care coordination. Medicaid and Medicare should not pay for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.

• SMOKING: Promoting The Availability Of Smoking Cessation Programs. Most smokers would love to quit but find it hard to do so. Working with business and insurance companies to promote availability, we can improve lives and reduce chronic disease through smoking cessation programs.

• STATE FLEXIBILITY: Encouraging States To Lower Costs. States should have the flexibility to experiment with alternative forms of access, coordinated payments per episode covered under Medicaid, use of private insurance in Medicaid, alternative insurance policies and different licensing schemes for providers.

• TORT REFORM: Passing Medical Liability Reform. We must pass medical liability reform that eliminates lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols. Every patient should have access to legal remedies in cases of bad medical practice but that should not be an invitation to endless, frivolous lawsuits.

• TRANSPARENCY: Bringing Transparency To Health Care Costs. We must make public more information on treatment options and doctor records, and require transparency regarding medical outcomes, quality of care, costs and prices. We must also facilitate the development of national standards for measuring and recording treatments and outcomes.

John McCain Will Develop A Strategy For Meeting The Challenge Of A Population Needing Greater Long-Term Care. There have been a variety of state-based experiments such as Cash and Counseling or The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) that are pioneering approaches for delivering care to people in a home setting. Seniors are given a monthly stipend which they can use to: hire workers and purchase care-related services and goods. They can get help managing their care by designating representatives, such as relatives or friends, to help make decisions. It also offers counseling and bookkeeping services to assist consumers in handling their programmatic responsibilities.

Also on the air

Clinton is on the air in Indiana playing up her Midwestern roots:

McCain's latest

We'll be posting part of his health care speech up here after it happens this morning, but for now you can see the health care ad on the air in Iowa:

Political Calendar 4.29.08

9:30 AM
Barack Obama
Town Hall
Joel Coliseum Annex
300 Deacon Blvd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27105

10:00 AM
John McCain
Health Care Speech
Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL

11:30 AM
John McCain
Finance Lunch
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
2900 Bayport Drive
Tampa, FL 33607

2:00 PM
Barack Obama
Town Hall
Hickory High School
David W. Craft Gymnasium
1234 3rd St. NE
Hickory, NC 28601


8:30 PM
Hillary Clinton
Standing Up for Jobs
Princeton Town Square
101 N. Main St.
Princeton, IN 47670

Political Calendar 4.28.08

9:15 AM
Hillary Clinton
Early Vote Event
Graham Fire Station
201 South Main Street
Graham, NC 27253

10:00 AM
John McCain
Health Care Roundtable
Miami Children's Hospital
3000 SW 62nd Avenue
Miami, Florida 33155

11:00 AM
Barack Obama
Town Hall Meeting
Trask Coliseum
679 Wagoner Drive
Wilmington, NC

3:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
Early Vote Event
Historic Salisbury Station
215 Depot Street
Salisbury, NC 28144

4:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
Campaign Event
Troutman's BBQ
362 Church St North
Concord, NC 28025

6:00 PM
Barack Obama
Town Hall Meeting
Beddingfield High School Gymnasium
4510 Old Stantonsburg Road
Wilson, NC 27893

9:30 PM
Barack Obama
One Stop Early Vote Rally
The University of North Carolina
Dean E. Smith Center
300 Skipper Bowles Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Delegates

AP has a delegate breakdown for the candidates:

Obama 1723
Clinton 1582

Remember, the magic number is 2025.

Political Calendar 4.26.08

10:00 AM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America
Headwaters Park at the Lincoln Pavilion
333 S. Clinton St.
Fort Wayne, IN 46802


10:30 AM
Barack Obama
Town Hall Meeting
Marion High School
Bill Green Athletic Arena
750 W. 26th Street
Marion, IN 46953

2:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America
The Cove
501 West South Street
South Bend, IN 46601

2:15 PM
Barack Obama
Town Hall Meeting
Anderson High School
4610 South Madison Ave.
Anderson, IN 46016

8:00 PM
President Bush
White House Correspondents Dinner
Washington, DC

Indiana TV

Clinton is on the air in Indiana with a spot on the high price of gas:

It's going to be a close one

The latest Indianapolis Star poll has the race within the margin of error:

Obama 41
Cliton 38

Political Calendar 4.25.08

8:30 AM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America
Jacksonville Fire Department Station 4
100 Firehouse Lane
Jacksonville, NC 28546

1:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America
Indiana University - Assembly Hall
1001 East 17th St.
Bloomington, IN 47401

3:00 PM CST
John McCain
Visits Arkansas Baptist College
Little Rock, AR

6:00 PM CST
John McCain
Finance Reception
Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City
One Park Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73102

6:15 PM
Barack Obama
Town Hall Meeting
Memorial Gymnasium
Intersection of E. Superior Street and S. Apperson Way
Kokomo, IN 46901

7:00 PM CST
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America
East Chicago Central High School
1100 West Columbus Dr.
East Chicago, IN 46312

Political Calendar 4.24.08

9:45 AM CST
John McCain
Tours 9th Ward
AME Baptist Church
New Orleans, LA

11:30 AM CST
John McCain
Time for Action Tour
Xavier University
New Orleans, LA

4:15 PM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America
Methodist University, Riddle Center
5400 Ramsey Street
Fayetteville, NC 28311

8:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America
Asheville Civic Center
87 Haywood St.
Asheville, NC 28801

8:30 PM
John McCain
25th Annual Business Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet
hosted by Business Report and Junior Achievement
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Political Calendar 4.23.08

11:00 AM
John McCain
Time for Action Tour
Old Martin County Courthouse
430 Court Street
Inez, Kentucky 41224

12:45 PM
Barack Obama
Town Hall Meeting
Indiana University Southeast Activities Building
4201 Grant Line Rd.
New Albany, IN 47150

12:45 PM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America Rally
Legion Mall
Corner of St. Clair St. & Pennsylvania St.
Indianapolis, IN 46206

Clinton wins PA

Expectedly, Senator Clinton has won the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary effectively extending the contest through at least May 6 in North Carolina and Indiana.

Clinton 55
Obama 45

Political Calendar 4.22.08

Happy Earth Day!

And it's Primary Day in Pennsylvania. Polls are open from 7:00 AM until 8:00 PM.

12:00 PM
John McCain
Time for Action Tour Town Hall
Youngstown State University
One University Plaza
Youngstown, OH44502

5:00 PM
John McCain
Finance Reception
The Toledo Club
235 14th St.
Toledo, OH 43604

8:30 PM
Barack Obama
Rally
Roberts Municipal Stadium
2600 Division St.
Evansville, IN 47711

8:30 PM
Hillary Clinton
Election Night Rally
Park Hyatt at the Bellevue
Philadelphia, PA

Election Eve

Polls open tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM in Pennsylvania

And here is the latest Quinnipiac College poll going into primary day:

Clinton 51
Obama 44


Check back in tomorrow night at 8:00 PM when the polls close for the final results.

Closing Arguments

The final ads for Pennsylvania are up:

Don't worry about convention yet

Today's Wall Street Journal has a front page story on the Democratic party leaders pushing superdelegates to commit prior to the August Convention in December.

Political Calendar 4.21.08

One day until the Pennsylvania Primary.

9:00 AM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for Pennsylvania Rally
Scranton Cultural Center, Ballroom
420 N. Washington Avenue
Scranton, PA
Doors Open 7:00 a.m.

10:00 AM EST
John McCain
Time for Action Tour
Edmund Pettus Bridge
The Landing
Selma, Alabama 36701

1:30 PM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for Pennsylvania Rally
Market Square
Pittsburgh, PA
Doors Open 11:30 a.m.

3:00 PM
John McCain
Town Hall Meeting
Alabama Southern Community College
30755 Highway 43
Thomasville, Alabama 36784

5:30 PM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for Pennsylvania Rally
Zembo Events Center 2801 N 3rd St
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Doors Open 3:30 p.m.

6:00 PM
Barack Obama
On Track for Change Town Hall
Penn State Greater Allegheny
Wunderley Gymnasium
4000 University Drive
McKeesport, PA 15132

9:30 PM
Barack Obama
On Track for Change Rally
University of Pittsburgh
Petersen Events Center
3719 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA

10:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
Election Eve "Solutions for Pennsylvania" Rally
University of Pennsylvania, Palestra
33rd Street between Spruce and Walnut
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Doors Open 8:00 p.m.

On TV --
Clinton appears on MSNBC's Countdown at 8 PM and CNN's Larry King Live at 9 PM
Obama is on Comedy Central's Daily Show at 11 PM

Political Calendar 4.18.08

10:30 AM
Barack Obama
ON TRACK FOR CHANGE” TOWN HALL
Junker Center at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College
5103 Station Road
Erie, PA

11:00 AM
Hillary Clinton
Town Hall
Radnor Senior High School
130 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087

11:10 AM
President Bush
Speaks at the Small Business Summit 2008
Washington, DC

12:00 PM
Bill Clinton
Solutions for America event
Davito Park
5001 West Crawford Ave
Connellsville, PA 15425


2:00 PM
Bill Clinton
Solutions for America event
Somerset Senior High School - Gymnasium
645 South Columbia Ave
Somerset, PA 15501

3:30 PM
Barack Obama
“On Track for Change” Town Hall
Lycoming College
Lamade Gymnasium
700 College Place
Williamsport, PA

5:00 PM
Michelle Obama
Community Event
Merrillville Intermediate School
Larry Martin Gymnasium
1400 W. 61st Ave.
Merrillville, IN 46410

6:00 PM
Barack Obama
On Track for Change Rally
Independence National Historical Park
Market Street and 5th Street
Philadelphia, PA

6:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
A Conversation with Maya Angelou
Wake Forest University, Wait Chapel
1834 Wake Forest Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27106

6:00 PM
Bill Clinton
Solutions for America Event
Upper Dublin Senior High School - East Gym
800 Loch Alsh Avenue
Fort Washington, PA 19034

9:00 PM
Hillary Clinton
Solutions for America Event
Crane Arts Center
1400 North American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122

Looking at the General

While the Democrats continue to swing it out for the nomination, John McCain is readying his troops. Jonathan Martin of the Politico has details on how the campaign is shaping up.

Political Calendar 4.17.08

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown is stateside and holding meetings with all three presidential candidates at the British embassy in DC before joining President Bush for a State Dinner at the White House.

Hillary Clinton
2:00 PM
“Conversation With Families”
Haverford, PA

8:00 PM
Block Party
Mayfair Diner
7373 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19136

11:30 PM
Appears on the Colbert Report

John McCain
Barack Obama
11:30 AM
Town Hall Meeting
The Kerr Scott Building
1025 Blue Ridge Road
Raleigh, NC

4:00 PM
Rally
East Carolina University
Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum
1 Ficklen Drive
Greenville, NC

Dueling Ads

Obama's response to Clinton's "Bitter" ad:


Clinton's response to Obama's "Guide to Lobbyists" ad:


Obama's response to the above ad:


And a new Clinton ad in Indiana which fortunately has nothing to do with the above ads:

Political Calendar 4.16.08

8:00 PM
ABC News Democratic Debate
Featuring Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
National Constitution Center
Philadelphia, PA


Hillary Clinton
9:30 AM
Building Trades Legislative Conference
Washington Hilton
Washington, DC


John McCain
9:00 AM
Economic Summit
Bucyrus International
Assembly Building #3
1100 Milwaukee Avenue
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53172
closed to public


Pope Benedict
10:30 AM
Arrival Ceremony for Pope Benedict
South Lawn of the White House

7:55 PM
State Dinner
White House

President Bush
2:45 PM
Remarks on the Climate
Rose Garden at the White House

Primary Polling

Bloomberg/LA Times have the latest numbers on the upcoming Democratic Primaries:

The poll found Clinton leading Obama 46% to 41% in Pennsylvania -- a far cry from the double-digit margins she held in earlier polls.

In Indiana, where little polling has occurred, previous surveys gave Clinton the edge. The Times/Bloomberg poll put Obama ahead, 40% to 35%.

The leads in Pennsylvania and Indiana are within the poll's margin of sampling error.

In North Carolina, the poll found, Obama leads Clinton 47% to 34%

A Trio of Ads

Clinton is up with what some call the strongest attack of the campaign in Pennsylvania:



McCain goes on the air with a spot on the economy:


And Obama takes a swing at Washington lobbyists:

Political Calendar 4.15.08

It's Tax Day! Don't forget to have them postmarked by midnight tonight.

On the trail...

Hillary Clinton
No Public Events

John McCain
12:00 PM
Finance Luncheon
Omni William Penn Hotel
530 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh, PA

Barack Obama
8:30 AM
Building Trades Legislative Conference
Washington, DC

The latest TV

Obama gets help from Senator Bob Casey in Pennsylvania:



And Clinton answers questions in North Carolina:

Political Calendar 4.14.08

Hillary Clinton
11:00 AM
Alliance for American Manufacturing
Pittsburgh, PA

6:00PM
Democratic City Committee Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
Philadelphia, PA

8:00 PM
Solutions for the Pennsylvania Economy
Bristol Senior High School Gym
1801 Wilson Avenue
Bristol, PA 19007

John McCain
10:30 AM
Associated Press Annual Meeting
Washington, DC

Barack Obama
8:45 AM
Alliance for American Manufacturing
Pittsburgh, PA

1:40 PM
Associated Press Annual Meeting
Washington, DC

7:00 PM
Democratic City Committee Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
Philadelphia, PA

Political Calendar 4.11.08

Hillary Clinton
10:00 AM
Campaign Rally
Westside YMCA
Philadelphia, PA

5:00 PM
Solutions for the Urban Economy
Drexel University
Main Building Atrium
3141 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

John McCain
3:15 PM
Campaign Rally
Silent Wings Museum
6202 N I-27
Lubbock, TX 79403


Barack Obama
11:30 AM
Road to Change Town Hall
Columbus East High School
230 South Marr Rd
Columbus, IN

8:15 PM
Road to Change Town Hall
Terre Haute North Vigo High School Gym
3434 Maple Ave
Terre Haute, IN

Political Calendar 4.10.08

Hillary Clinton
5:00 PM
Beaver County Democratic Dinner
Hopewell Township, PA

8:30 PM
Allegheny County Democratic Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
Pittsburgh, PA

John McCain
No Public Events

Barack Obama
11:00 AM
Road to Change Town Hall
Theodore Roosevelt High School
730 W 25th Ave.
Gary, IN 46407

6:00 PM
Road to Change Town Hall
Jefferson High School
Marion L. Crawley Athletic Center
1801 S. 18th St.
Lafayette, IN 47905

People are listening

As readers of the blog know, NACo has been successful in getting our message out to the presidential campaigns and serving as a resource to their policy departments, but last week we hit a milestone in Congress too. From the NACo press release:

'The Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act of 2008,' was introduced April 3 by Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.), Rep. Rush D. Holt (D-N.J.) and Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Texas). The bipartisan bill would prohibit the federal government from stripping individuals of their Medicare, Medicaid, and SSI benefits prior to actually being convicted.

This is a great first step in getting Congress to realize the important role that counties play and we look forward to seeing more efforts to support the partnership.

Lots o' ads

With just two weeks to go to the primary, Clinton is doing her best to fill the Pennsylvania airwaves with three new ads:

A biographical spot:


Some help from supporter Gov. Ed Rendell:


And from Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter:



You may wonder why we've seen so few ads from John McCain on the blog -- truthfully, the McCain campaign is not running many ads on tv these days; they're looking toward the general and saving resources to use in the fall. If you'd like to see some of the free web ads, the McCain campaign is doing, let us know and we'll be sure to include more.

Another ad

Obama is up in Pennsylvania with an ad featuring his sister and his grandmother who raised him:

Clinton's latest ad

Senator Clinton is on the air in Indiana:

Political Calendar 4.8.08

Hillary Clinton
8:00 AM
Communications Workers Conference
Washington, DC

John McCain
7:00 PM
Finance Reception
The Willard Hotel
Washington, DC

Barack Obama
8:30 AM
Communications Workers Conference
Washington, DC



Senate is in session. All three will be part of the Armed Services Committee Hearings.

Political Calendar 4.7.08

Hillary Clinton
No Public Events

John McCain
9:45 AM
Speech to VFW
World War I Memorial
Kansas City, MO

12:00 PM
Finance Lunch
The Kansas City Club
918 Baltimore Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64105

Barack Obama
No Public Events

Political Calendar 4.5.08

Hillary Clinton
9:30 AM
Solutions for America
Liberty High School
21945 NW Wagon Way
Hillsboro, OR 97124
Doors Open at 8:00 AM

Solutions for America
1:30 PM
South Eugene High School Gymnasium
400 East 19th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401
Doors Open at 11:30 AM


John McCain
10:15 AM
Speech
Prescott Town Square
120 South Cortez St
Prescott, AZ

Barack Obama
10:00 AM
Rally
The Adams Center
The University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
Doors open 8:00 AM

Political Calendar 4.408

Hillary Clinton
7:30 PM
North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party State Convention
Alerus Center
Grand Forks, ND

John McCain
12:00 Noon
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
National Civil Rights
Memphis, TN

Barack Obama
9:00 AM
Town Hall Meeting
Wayne High School Gymnasium
9100 Winchester Rd
Fort Wayne, IN 46819

5:30 PM
North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party State Convention
Alerus Center
Grand Forks, ND

By the numbers

North Carolina Primary
According to the good folks at MSNBC
More than 165,000 newly registered voters
More than 30,000 registered voters changed affiliation for a net gain of 2,700 for the Democrats; 4,000 for unaffiliated and a loss of 6,700 for the GOP.


Fundraising
Clinton raises $20 million in March
Obama raises $40 million
McCain's campaign has yet to release the number.


Unemployment
Claims reach high of 407,000

SuperDelegates
MSNBC gives the following breakdown of elected Superdelegates:

SENATORS (including themselves and not MI/FL or Territories):
Obama 14
Clinton 12
* 20 senators remain uncommitted.

REPRESENTATIVES (not including MI/FL or Territories):
Clinton 73
Obama 69
* 91 representatives remain uncommitted.

Note: This also does not include Rep. Al Wynn, an Obama supporter who lost his primary fight, because Wynn said he will vacate his office in June -- two months before the convention -- to accept a job at a law firm; or delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton -- who is for Obama.

GOVERNORS (not including MI/FL or Territories):
Obama 10
Clinton 9
* 10 governors remain uncommitted.

TOTAL AMONG ELECTED SUPERDELEGATES:
Clinton 94
Obama 93

TOTAL AMONG OTHERS (including delegates from territories, D.C. and party activists and former leaders):
Clinton 161
Obama 132

OVERALL SUPERDELEGATE COUNT (out of 793):
Clinton 255
Obama 224
*314 superdelegates remain uncommitted

Clinton goes on the air in NC

In the ad, Clinton asks the views to ask her:

Dueling Ads

This time, Clinton uses the 3 AM ad to take on McCain:




And McCain fires back:

2012 and the GOP's Ohio Plan

Marc Ambinder has the latest from the RNC's Rules Committee in scheduling primaries and caucuses f0r 2012. According to Ambinder:

The plan would carve out exemptions for Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. It would allow 15 additional states -- small states -- to hold contests in February... and then in March, there'd be a rotating series of big states.

And Chris Cillizza at the Fix has a bit more detailed description:

The Ohio plan would, in essence, split the nomination fight into three distinct tiers: early states, small states and large states.

The first would be the traditional early states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, which would be allowed under the plan to retain their status at the front of the nominating calendar. The exemption for the early states is a new wrinkle for Republicans, following in the footsteps of the Democrats who currently recognize the primacy of the traditional early-voting bastions.

That quartet of votes would be followed -- in the third week of February -- by a window of votes for 19 small states comprising 50 electoral votes.

The final piece of the Ohio plan encompasses the large states, which would begin voting in three clusters
in the first week of March. The large states, according to the Ohio plan, would be parceled out into three pods based on geographic region and would rotate their relative voting positions every four years.

I'm sure there are some very happy Hawkeye and Granite Staters.

Political Calendar 4.3.08

Hillary Clinton
7:00 PM
Hillary Live Fundraiser
Beverly Hills, CA

11:35 PM
Appears on Jay Leno


John McCain
8:30 AM
Speech
Cecil Field, FCCJ Aviation Center of Excellence
Aviation Hangar 14
13510 Aerospace Way
Jacksonville, FL32221

11:15 AM
Finance Lunch
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
225 Coast Line Drive East
Jacksonville, FL32202

Barack Obama
No Public Events

Political Calendar 4.2.08

Hillary Clinton
9:15 AM
Tours Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

11:00 AM
Economic Summit
Pittsburgh, PA



John McCain
9:00 AM
Speech
Navy and Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Superintendents Pavilion
304 Farragut Road
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

3:30 PM
Speech & Panel Discussion
Pensacola Junior College, Lou Ross Center
1000 College Blvd
Pensacola, FL32504


Barack Obama
9:00 AM
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Convention
Philadelphia

12:00 PM

ROAD TO CHANGE TOWN HALL
Strath Haven High School
205 South Providence Road
Wallingford, PA 19086

5:00 PM
HARDBALL COLLEGE TOUR TOWN HALL
West Chester College
West Chester, PA

The latest in delegates

After tallies were finalized in Mississippi and Texas wrapped up round 2 of 3 for delegate selection, the count stands at Obama 1637- Clinton 1507. The number needed to secure the nomination is 2024.