Shifting weekend polls prompt sudden pro-Clinton Texas ad buy

Perhaps as a sign of some shifting political sands spotted in the last 24 hours from internal polling by the Clinton and Obama campaigns, especially in Texas, an independent political group suddenly decided to pour about $650,000 in new advertising into supporting the New York senator today.

The American Leadership Project, which is primarily funded by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, had appeared stalled in its pro-Clinton effort by the threat of an Obama lawsuit.

But Roger Salazar, who oversees the independent group, confirmed to The Times' Dan Morain this afternoon that the group had....

purchased $500,000 of last-minute advertising in Texas and another $150,000 in Ohio.

Meanwhile, sources in Barack Obama's campaign indicated to Morain that they were possibly ceding Ohio to Hillary Clinton and would focus all their efforts in the campaign's closing hours on Texas, where the race is close. Other Obama sources also changed their line from predicting victory to saying that Clinton would have to win both states by double-digits in order to claim victory.

Clinton finished her Ohio campaigning earlier today and flew to Texas for the remainder of her effort before Tuesday's voting. Even with the sudden infusion of funds, the Clinton forces are running behind Obama's in Texas advertising.

On Friday alone, according to labor union sources, they spent nearly $2.3 million on behalf of Obama, with the bulk of it paying for television ads in Texas and Ohio. The Service Employees International Union led the effort, spending $1.8 million to help Obama win the March 4 primaries. Other groups backing Clinton spent less than $100,000 on Friday.

But some weekend polling is said to have indicated a shift toward Clinton in Ohio and a very close race in Texas.

As if to confirm speculation we published here Saturday about Texas Republicans, without a serious contest in their own party, quietly crossing over to vote for Clinton tomorrow and prolong the Democratic struggle, conservative broadcasters Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly talked at length about that possibility on their programs today. They seemed to think it would be a good idea for their listeners in the Lone Star state.

(UPDATE: O'Reilly, another in the growing ranks of loyal Ticket readers, has sent clarification that while he did indeed discuss Texas Republican voters crossing over on his popular show, he did not openly advocate such activity, as Limbaugh did. Thanks for that.)

Such efforts at political mischief are difficult to mobilize at the last-minute, but if the polls are accurate, it wouldn't take many to make the difference for Clinton.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Ken Bingham]

This incident is the first out of possibly many foreign policy debacles Barack Obama will commit if he is elected because of his lack of experience and candor. If he messes up like this with a friendly nation just imagine the damage he can do with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea? This also makes you wonder which words Barack Obama speaks are sincere or just political rhetoric? We don't need a charismatic rock star to be president, we need a cool head that can lead the greatest country in the world.

[mel]

Dear unbiased journalist-- how is it possible to cede an election before it happens? This is language used after the votes are counted.

(No, you're thinking of concede. Cede means they realize they're going to lose and focus elsewhere, like a football team down 48-20 in the fourth quarter putting in its second and third string to get some experience. As for bias, we're biased every which way. This is a blog.)

[hillary all the way]

Obama's got alot of nerve threatening a law suit when he had backers that did the same thing for him. He talks about unity? He has done more to divide his own party than anyone and if Texas or any other state thinks that this is how to bring people together, then they've had a little too much kool-aid. If I were in Hillary's camp I would put out ads on NAFTA-gate, Rezko-gate, Farrakhan-gate, and oh yeah, can't forget "Just Words"-gate. This guy is a fraud. I'm ready for some change I can believe alright, and it ain't him.

[UCLA Bruin]

Everyone who keeps saying that the delegate math is in Obama's favor has it right and people need to just listen to them.

Even if Clinton wins Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island tomorrow, it won't be by the same margin at which Obama has defeated her. This means that Obama will remain ahead in the delegate count due to the rules of apportionment in the Democratic primary race.

If Clinton wants to stick it out, I'll and thousands of others will keep sending money and lending support to the Obama campaign so it remains ahead.

The one thing that the Democratic Party leadership doesn't want to see happen is for this to be decided by the superdelegates. Given how the Democratic Party has garnered a well-earned reputation for shooting itself in the foot, I wouldn't be surprised if this needlessly stretched on for longer than it's supposed to.

The Clintons need to do the right thing and bow out by the end of the week.

[Marks]

Tomorrow can't come soon enough! I hope every news outlet changes the reporters who are covering this campaign.

I've read a few stories where stump speech's are so familiar to reporters, they lack describing what's happening at a rally.

Hillary gave a speech. It takes reading four and five different stories to find out half a high school gym was filled.

Only one side of the retractable stands pulled out.

Nothing describing the cross section of 1000 people listening to the speech. This election is about voters!

Obama visited the same gym, packing it to capacity with 5000 people noisy and loud, with overflow of thousands outside the gym who waited for hours.

She's up early at a Toledo, Ohio Jeep plant shaking hands. Two stories didn't describe the plant.

One report described some boo's Hillary was hearing, where two other stories explained she was calling Canadians liars. They had to be lying not talking to Obama's campaign about NAFTA.

Canadians were in with Obama fooling America. She says this in Ohio, where her championing NAFTA years ago, the evidence of jobs lost right in front of her.

It's Obama's fault, what's happened to Ohio! Her 35 years of experience had nothing to do with the ruined economy in Ohio.

Obama is being chased by Chicago reporters from state to state. What about Rezco! What about him, he was former long time friend and supporter.

Trial occuring in Chicago! So! Go back to Chicago and cover it! Obama isn't on the witness list.

Some reporters dropped the Farrakhan association with Obama, because he has nothing to do with the minister. Never did.

Media curiously isn't attacking McCain with the same effort, him flying to San Antonio and getting the endorsement of controversial Pastor Hagee in person.

Pastor Hagee hates Catholics, thinks Jews brought the holocaust on themselves. He's hoping for the murder of Jews so the biblical Rapture can happen.

McCain was having a barbecue without being questioned about that endorsement.

Let's hope media does change reporters if this campaign continues. There needs to be better describing what's happening at rally's.

Less focus on reporters not having their questions answered. This election is about voters, not reporters. Those trying to keep making headlines with their opinions instead of reporting.

[MARTIN EDWIN ANDERSEN]

The Clintons want to win this election in the worst way.

If they do, they will have.

Personal responsibility is a key to government accountability.

The Clintons avoid responsibility.

I hope Democrats in Texas and Ohio don't put our party on a bridge to the 20th century and Dogpatch.

It is time to move on ...

[slaughter]

sychophant .. this race will divide along "old boy"/"old school" lines .. you in the media who fear a loss of access to a candidate whose water you've carried unflinchingly for so many years -- have one agenda: get your pol elected. regardless of her own dirty record and dagger weilding antics .. sick. If Hillary wins, McCain wins, because my vote like a lot of others will go to someone with a little decency and integrity - Nader.

[amccoy]

Hey Ken,
Are you talking about the NAFTA thing? If so, stop getting your news from the political spin machine and try some TRUTH.

Go read what the Canadian government said. They don't believe that Obama is saying one thing on the campaign trail and telling them another. They believe he is being consistent.

What the memo actually said is that the main focus of Obamas desire to rework NAFTA are the issues of job and environmental conditions. These ARE the main concerns of Obama. He has CONSISTENTLY and repeatedly said trade agreements are good, but must include provisions to make sure that other countries do not gain a competitive advantage due to poor environmental conditions or working conditions.

Hillary wrote in her book that NAFTA was a great success. Now when the people who lost their jobs as a result are voting she says something different. She has been deceptive time and time again in this campaign. I hope the voters of Ohio and Texas can see through her attacks.

[Rob W]

Clinton has the problem that Republicans and proto-Republicans don't like her. As a result, these Republicans are silently (and in some cases, overtly) backing Obama. They know that McCain has already locked-up the Republican ticket. So now they are focused on influencing the Democratic nomination.

I suppose if they succeed, they'll turn their country club sights on Obama.

If you're a true Democrat, vote Clinton and don't let the Republicans determine your candidate.

[Nik M]

jacksmith: Nice copy and paste job. I've seen your idiot post under ten different names on ten different websites. How much are you paid to post this screed?

[Texas Veteran]

Angry Barack Obama bombarded by media
BY MICHAEL SAUL
DAILY NEWS POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Tuesday, March 4th 2008, 4:00 AM

SAN ANTONIO, Tex. - An exasperated Barack Obama scurried away Monday from the toughest news conference of his campaign, telling reporters who kept shouting questions that he'd spent enough time on the grill.

"Come on! I just answered, like, eight questions," Obama, looking surprised, told shouting reporters as he fled the room. "We're running late."

The Clinton campaign has long complained that Obama gets soft treatment from the press corps. But Monday's exchange was no pillow fight.

The first question was about a private talk an Obama economic adviser had with a Canadian official - reportedly saying that the harshness of Obama's criticisms of the North American Free Trade Agreement was for political show.

Last week, Obama denied an initial media report about the conversation. But after a Canadian government memo surfaced, he acknowledged yesterday there was a conversation.

"When I gave you that information, that was the information that I had at the time," he said. His camp still disputes the memo's account of the discussion.

The questioning then turned to Obama's links to ex-fund-raiser Tony Rezko, who went on trial in Chicago Monday on corruption charges. A reporter asserted Obama hadn't fully answered journalists' questions on Rezko.

Obama insisted he had - during a past news conference with Chicago media. But another persisted that questions remain unanswered, such as ones about fund-raisers Rezko held for him.

Obama replied, "These requests, I think, can just go on forever. ..." He said the "pertinent" information had been provided.

When Obama declared the press conference over, one reporter yelled that he was dodging questions just minutes after claiming he wasn't.

Obama has been running from his past, and now he is running away from the press. He can't fool me.

[Sue R]

As a Canadian, we take NAFTA seriously. And to update you all, the Candian Gov't is trying to downplay what has happened; however, the INTERNAL memo has been released and it clearly states that Obama's economic advisor did speak to the Canadian gov't regarding NAFTA and explained that the issue of NAFTA will be under review and debate; however, that the Candaian gov't should not be concerned as Sen.Obama, is merely "politically positioning himself"...that's a quote! The Candian memo goes further and quotes the Obama advisor as saying, "It's just political rhetoric". Regardless of who contacted who, don't you think you should look at what was said? "Just words" to quote Sen. Obama...his entire campaign premise is based on "words, trust, judgement"...not only did they break their word to voters about NAFTA, saying one thing to Canada and quite another to his own people, but the Obama camp lied about the exchange/meeting between the Canadian gov't and his camp...he only admitted that they actually met once the Candian gov't provided proof of the meeting...so why would Sen. Obama lie and say the meeting never happened and then fess up to it happening...why is that?