UI in the National Political News

July 2007

Covington Comments On Campaign (Times of India, July 30)
The confrontation between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seems to be welcomed by both camps. "It plays to both of their strengths," said CARY COVINGTON, professor of political science at the University of Iowa. The AFP wire story is appearing internationally. Link to article

Covington Comments On Political Chess Game (Las Vegas Sun, July 29)
CARY COVINGTON, a University of Iowa political scientist and a scholar of presidential elections, said Clinton and the Republicans are already three or four moves into the chess battle that usually begins after the nominees have been chosen. Clinton's electability is an issue as she makes her case with Democratic voters, Covington said. But he added that as long Clinton continues to win in head-to-head polls against leading Republican candidates, Democratic voters will be satisfied with her electability. Link to article

Redlawsk Weighs In On Political Tussling (New York Daily News, July 27)
Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ripped each other as the bigger foreign policy dunce yesterday on the dos and don'ts of dealing with dictators. The Illinois Democrat stepped up the battle by calling Clinton's approach to world affairs "Bush-Cheney lite." Clinton slapped back, "This is getting kind of silly." University of Iowa's DAVID REDLAWSK said, "If it's going to get this nasty this early, it's going to be interesting," adding he remembers John Kerry winning Iowa in 2004 after front-running Howard Dean and Richard Gephardt pounded each other. Link to article

Gronbeck Comments on Clinton-Obama Scuffle (New York Daily News, July 25)
Barack Obama's response to a diplomacy question during Monday night's Democratic debate set the stage for a war about peace, with Clintonistas moving quickly to capitalize on what they call his lack of experience. BRUCE GRONBECK of the University of Iowa said he doesn't think the comment exactly means curtains for Obama. "I don't think this is any kind of major gaffe," Gronbeck said. "I will say he gave everyone else an easy answer, including John Edwards, who said 'Me too,' after Hillary got it right." Link to article

Covington Assesses Campaign Budget (Berliner Morgenpost, July 25)
Barack Obama has set new fundraising records, but will that money translate into votes? UI political science professor CARY COVINGTON says, "At the moment, it's only dollars." The Berliner Morgenpost is published in Germany. Link to article

UI Started Prediction Markets (GreatReporter.com, July 23)
As presidential candidates crisscross the country this spring seeking votes and campaign cash, they aren't the only ones chasing the early money in politics. Political prediction-market traders, a new breed of gamblers, are hoping to strike it big by betting on which candidates will be nominated. Although Intrade has emerged as the new leader in the growing prediction industry, a lower-stakes prediction market run by the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA has been popular among academics for the past two decades. Link to article

Redlawsk Comments On Social Conservatives (Real Clear Politics, July 23)
None of the front-running GOP candidates has captured the minds of Iowa's social conservatives, a population that comprises a majority of the caucus-going population. Social conservatives, says University of Iowa Professor DAVID REDLAWSK, "see the three frontrunners as not necessarily one of them." Real Clear Politics originates in Chicago. Link to article

Squire Comments On Edwards' Iowa Campaign (The New York Times, July 22)
John Edwards built his campaign strategy on the belief that a victory in the Iowa caucuses would propel him to front-runner status and position him well for New Hampshire and the crush of Feb. 5 primaries. Statewide polls that often placed him at the top of the pack here suggested that his hard work in Iowa had paid off. "John Edwards cannot take this state for granted," said PEVERILL SQUIRE, a professor of political science at the University of Iowa and the author of "The Iowa Caucuses and the Presidential Nominating Process." "He has every reason to be concerned that in the next five months Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will pass him," Squire said. "They are getting more attention and they have a celebrity that he cannot match." Link to article

Squire Comments On Nevada Fundraising (Las Vegas Sun, July 20)
Nevada not only snuck in between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries, but the state has produced a burst of fundraising greater than that in the two traditional first-in-the-nation political tests. "Iowans tend to be tight with their money altogether," said PEVERILL SQUIRE, professor of political science at the University of Iowa and a caucus expert. "They are probably more likely to commit their time and efforts to campaigns than their wallets." Link to article

Redlawsk: Conservatives Split On Presidential Candidates (Daily Herald, July 18)
The response of University of Iowa political scientist DAVID REDLAWSK to the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll -- showing that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back the party's top-tier presidential hopefuls, while "Democrats are reasonably comfortable with the range of choices" -- was widely reported for the second day in row. The Daily Herald is based in suburban Chicago. This Associated Press story was published by THE BOSTON HERALD, the LOS ANGELES TIMES, CNN, the SHANGHAI DAILY, USA TODAY, CBS NEWS, FOX NEWS, THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, THE TIMES OF INDIA, THE GREENVILLE (S.C.) NEWS, and dozens of other news organizations. Link to article

Covington Comments On Obama Fundraising (Monday Morning, July 17)
Barack Obama, the 45-year-old Illinois senator, sent a surge of electricity through the Democratic race as he smashed party fundraising records and surpassed (Hillary) Clinton by around five million dollars in the latest three-month April-June accounting period. "The money has to be translated into poll numbers", said CARY COVINGTON, professor of political science at the University of Iowa. "The acid test for him is to translate those dollars into poll support not just nationally but in (the) four core states. If those states start showing poll movement, that's what will be trouble for Clinton, but right now dollars are just dollars." MONDAY MORNING is based in Lebanon. Link to article

Candidates' Prospects Reflected In Polls (New York Times, July 17)
The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. In sharp contrast, the Democratic race remains static, with Hillary Rodham Clinton holding a sizable lead over Barack Obama. "Democrats are reasonably comfortable with the range of choices. The Democratic attitude is that three or four of these guys would be fine," DAVID REDLAWSK, a University of Iowa political scientist. "The Republicans don't have that; particularly among the conservatives there's a real split. They just don't see candidates who reflect their interests and who they also view as viable. The ASSOCIATED PRESS appeared in several media outlets, including FOX NEWS and the WASHINGTON POST. Link to article

IEM Recognized As Leading Market (Online Opinion, July 16)
An editorial comparing polls with prediction markets, notes, "The Iowa Electronic Market, established by political scientists at the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA in 1988, is perhaps the world's best known election market." Online Opinion originates in Australia. Link to article

Redlawsk Responds To Firefighters Video (US News, July 15)
Last week, when the International Association of Fire Fighters released a video critical of Rudy Giuliani's 9/11 performance, his campaign was worried enough to dispatch a small army of high-level supporters and former city officials to defend the candidate. "If there's an organization with the kind of public support and image that could break through Giuliani's image, it's the firefighters," says DAVE REDLAWSK, a University of Iowa political science professor. Link to article

Squire: McCain Campaign Is Throwing Off Parts (Omaha World-Herald, July 15)
The departure of John McCain's campaign manager and senior strategist have rocked his campaign. "This is a campaign organization that should have been hitting on all cylinders, not throwing off parts," said PEVERILL SQUIRE, a political science professor at the University of Iowa. "It is becoming harder and harder to concoct a scenario where McCain pulls out the nomination." The story came from Bloomberg News. Link to article

Gronbeck Comments On Huckabee Campaign (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 14)
Far behind in fundraising and name recognition, Mike Huckabee has put his wit to use on the television talk-show circuit. It has allowed him to reach a national audience as he continues his uphill presidential campaign. BRUCE GRONBECK, director of the Center for Media Studies and Political Culture at the University of Iowa, said Huckabee has been busy "defanging" himself. "He's working very hard to say, 'Look, I'm just kind of an ordinary guy with an ordinary set of concerns. I've got some basic commitments, but I'm not an evil, extreme, religious bigot,'" Gronbeck said. Link to article

Squire Comments On McCain Strategy (Washington Post, July 14)
Dismissing dire forecasts of his political future, Republican presidential contender John McCain promised on Saturday to mount a comeback by taking his campaign directly to voters in the states that kick off the 2008 race. "There are just too many wheels coming off the bus all at once," said PEVERILL SQUIRE, a political analyst at the University of Iowa. "He's got himself in a box. He needs something very positive to happen in Iraq and that seems unlikely." Link to article

Squire Says Giuliani Campaign Path Bucks Trend (Tucson Citizen, July 12)
Rudy Giuliani, taking advantage of an accelerated primary calendar, has adopted an unorthodox campaign itinerary en route to what he hopes will be the Republican presidential nomination. The former New York mayor is lavishing attention on Florida and California, two delegate-rich states with voters far more receptive to his moderate-to-liberal views. Advertising in Florida or California alone might cost as much as $5 million per state. Whether a Feb. 5 strategy will work is uncertain given the unknowns of the 2008 campaign, which is happening earlier and is the most contested in half a century. "It's a risky strategy," said PEVERILL SQUIRE, a political science professor at the University of Iowa. "It might even be more likely that things unfold in ways that are more familiar to us, and that people who do well in Iowa and New Hampshire will be catapulted to the front of the line." Link to article

Squire Says Flying Is Tough For Some Candidates (Indianapolis Star, July 11)
Flying with the general public can be a logistical nightmare "Oh boy, I'd love a plane," Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo says. Like other less-than-well-known presidential candidates, Tancredo has to get to his campaign events by flying commercially. The more popular candidates get to fly in corporate or charter jets. University of Iowa political science professor PEVERILL SQUIRE says flying with the general public puts struggling candidates at a disadvantage. This ASSOCIATED PRESS STORY also appeared in AERO-NEWS.NET. Link to article

Squire Comments On Candidate Travel (New York Times, July 11)
Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo knows what he wants. "Oh boy, I'd love a plane," Tancredo said. It's not that the Colorado congressman is enamored with flying. In fact, he's spent enough time waiting to board planes to last a lifetime. And that's the problem. Tancredo, like the other lesser-known presidential candidates, must make his way to Iowa and other campaign stops by flying commercially. PEVERILL SQUIRE, a political science professor at the University of Iowa, said flying with the masses ultimately puts struggling candidates at even a greater disadvantage. "It just makes it that much more difficult," Squire said. "It means they'll probably be in fewer places than the top-tier candidates, and the physical toll it takes to fly commercially these days can't be discounted." The ASSOCIATED PRESS story also appeared on the Web sites of USA TODAY, the BOSTON GLOBE, CBS NEWS, SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER, and the WASHINGTON POST. Link to article

Johnson: Caucus Goers Still Studying Candidates (Washington Times, July 10)
Forget the polls. Voters from across Iowa insist that the Democratic caucus here is a wide-open race. Iowans, who are showing up in record numbers for the nonstop visits from presidential hopefuls, plan to take their time before deciding which candidate to cast their vote for in the Jan. 14 caucus; and they're interested in more than just the three front-runners. Many from Oskaloosa to Iowa City say they are starting to seriously study the candidates and that they are open to anyone emerging the victor, even a certain former vice president. "Until we've met them two or three times face to face and talk to them, we aren't sure," said NICK JOHNSON, a former Federal Communications Commission commissioner who now teaches at the University of Iowa. "Between now and the January caucus, a lot can happen. Who stumbles and falls, who appears that nobody has even thought of." Link to article

Squire: Giuliani Strategy Is Risky (The Guardian, July 9)
Rudy Giuliani, taking advantage of an accelerated primary calendar, has adopted an unorthodox campaign itinerary en route to what he hopes will be the Republican presidential nomination. So while Republican rivals Mitt Romney and Sam Brownback were in Iowa last week, Giuliani visited a deli in Orlando, Fla., a town-hall meeting in Jacksonville, and a NASCAR race in Daytona Beach. The week before, he turned up at a bagel shop in Irvine, Calif. Whether a Feb. 5 strategy works is uncertain given the unknowns of the 2008 campaign, which is happening earlier and is the most contested in half a century. "It's a risky strategy," said PEVERILL SQUIRE, a political science professor at the University of Iowa. "It might even be more likely that things unfold in ways that are more familiar to us, and that people who do well in Iowa and New Hampshire will be catapulted to the front of the line." The Guardian is published in the UK. The story also appeared on the Web sites of the OTTAWA (Canada) RECORDER, RALEIGH (N.C.) NEWS & OBSERVER, WASHINGTON POST, SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER, NORTH COUNTY TIMES (Calif.), SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE, DAYTONA BEACH NEWS JOURNAL, FOSTER'S DAILY DEMOCRAT (N.H.), CNN, WJLA-TV (Washington, D.C) and numerous other news organizations. Link to article

UI Gives Students Access To Candidates (Oaklawn Star, July 8)
John Mulrooney signed up for the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA Democrats with one goal: meet the next American president. Having a campus in the crucial early voting state of Iowa guaranteed that candidates would sweep through town. Link to article

Gronbeck Comments On Cost Of TV Ads In Race (Centre Daily Times, July 6)
There were two object lessons this week in why money matters so much to political campaigns, in the persons of Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, outpaced all Republican rivals in amassing campaign cash so far this year, a total of $44 million. That includes almost $9 million of his own money. McCain, an Arizona senator, raised a disappointing $24.8 million during the same period. The disparity allowed Romney -- a little-known, one-term governor of a state considered outside the political mainstream -- to vault to front-running status in key early voting states. And it's why McCain -- an American hero, best-selling author and media darling -- struggles to keep his campaign afloat. "Romney is pounding news slots and the space between popular prime-time programming," said BRUCE GRONBECK, the director of the University of Iowa's Center for Political Studies and Media Culture. "That's costing real money." Centre Daily Times is based in State College, Pa. Link to article

Dreamers Dream Of Clinton-Obama Ticket During UI Visit (Union Leader, July 6)
Two Democratic front-runners came within 100 miles of each other this week in a long, hot day of Iowa barnstorming. But in the eyes of some supporters -- not to mention national observers -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama often seem even further apart. "I'm really torn between Obama and Hillary," said John Christenson, 70, a retired library director who caught Clinton's midday rally at the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA in Iowa City. The Union Leader is based in Manchester, N.H. This article also appeared in the WICHITA FALLS TIMES RECORD NEWS. Link to article

Squire Comments On Clinton's Iowa Campaign (New York Times, July 5)
Former President Bill Clinton accompanied his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, on several recent campaign stops in Iowa. The Clintons' political stagecraft -- and their goal of shifting the spotlight to her -- has been a work in progress since her presidential campaign began in January. This week, her husband's first campaign jaunt on her behalf showed him in stages of adjustment -- relaxed and jokey at times, a bit unpolished at others. The president is keeping himself on a very, very short leash campaigning with her," said PEVERILL SQUIRE, a political science professor at the University Of Iowa, after watching them at a rally on campus Tuesday. "I thought him leaving the stage was very telling. The campaign must be conscious that even if she gets up there and does well, she will never be as good as he is. He is the best at this." That said, Professor Squire added: "I thought they did pretty well together. I bet people leaving the rally had a very clear idea of which one of them was running for president." The article also appeared in the INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE. Link to article

Clinton Speaks At UI (Washington Post, July 5)
In a photo caption, it's noted that Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., spoke at a Rally for Change at the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA Tuesday, July 3, 2007, in Iowa City, Iowa. The photo appeared in several other publications. Link to article

Clintons Campaign In Iowa (The Independent, July 5)
Sen. Hilary Clinton wrapped up a three-day tour through Iowa, which in seven months will become the first state to cast votes to choose the 2008 presidential nominees. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, showed uncharacteristic restraint by introducing his wife on each occasion and making sure to melt from the stage after speaking for just five or 10 minutes. It remains a tricky challenge for the Clinton camp: how to use the former president without allowing him to upstage the candidate. "We sort of changed roles now," Bill Clinton said at an outdoor rally at the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. "I'm kind of out of politics and I'm a little rusty, so you'll have to forgive me." The newspaper is based in the United Kingdom. Link to article

Clinton, Obama Barnstorm Iowa (Rocky Mountain News, July 4)
Two Democratic front-runners came within 100 miles of each other Tuesday in a long, hot day of Iowa barnstorming. But in the eyes of some supporters -- not to mention national observers -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama often seem even further apart. As the candidates came close to crossing paths in eastern Iowa, some undecided Democrats in the crowds said they hoped the rivalry would not intensify between now and January, when the first votes are cast at Iowa caucuses. "I'm really torn between Obama and Hillary," said John Christenson, 70, a retired library director who caught Clinton's midday rally at the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA in Iowa City. "I've heard both of them talk, and I haven't disagreed with a thing anyone said." The newspaper is based in Colorado. Link to article

Covington Comments On Clinton Campaign (Herald Sun, July 4)
After being whipped by her main rival in the fundraising stakes, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has brought in her biggest weapon in the race for the presidency: Bill. "I don't think it's a sign of duress or that they feel pressure," said CARY COVINGTON, a political scientist at the University of Iowa, of the timing of Mr. Clinton's entry into the campaign. "They were waiting to bring him in." The newspaper is based in Australia. Link to article

Clintons Campaign On UI Campus (Los Angeles Times, July 3)
Bill Clinton plunged back into the presidential campaign fray Monday in the role of doting spouse, telling thousand s of Democratic supporters here that his wife is better qualified to be president than he was when he first ran for the job. The Clintons are to spend the next two days campaigning together in Iowa, whose January caucuses are the first major test for presidential candidates. They are to visit the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA campus in Iowa City, parades and July 4th celebrations with a busload of reporters in tow. Link to article

'Billary' Hits Iowa (Forbes.com, July 3)
The force dubbed "Billary" -- the combination of former President Clinton and his wife -- hit Iowa in earnest Tuesday, focusing on lifting her candidacy in an early voting state that one aide has described as her weakest. The Clintons were campaigning across the state for three days, with events ranging from Tuesday's rally at the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA to marching in the Clear Lake Independence Day parade Wednesday. The ASSOCIATED PRESS article also appeared in the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, WASHINGTON POST, BLOOMINGTON (Ill.) PANTAGRAPH, on the websites of KETV in Nebraska, KNBC in California, WPXI in Pennsylvania, and several other media outlets. The Clinton rally was also noted in an article in the BUFFALO (N.Y.) NEWS. Link to article

Bill Clinton 'Opening Act' For Hillary (Washington Post, July 3)
After a career as the center of political attention, Bill Clinton finds himself playing unfamiliar roles on the campaign trail these days -- second fiddle and supportive husband. On a three-day tour of the crucial early voting state of Iowa, the former president served as an opening act for the main attraction -- his wife and the 2008 Democratic presidential front-runner, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. "We sort of changed roles now," he said on Tuesday at an outdoor rally in sweltering sun at the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. "I'm kind of out of politics and I'm a little rusty, so you'll have to forgive me." The article originally appeared on REUTERS. Link to article

Covington: Clinton Campaign Is Established As Hillary's (Japan Today, July 3)
With her nearest rival gaining momentum in the 2008 U.S. presidential race, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton brought in her biggest weapon yet in her race for the presidency: her husband Bill. The charismatic former president's first campaign swing with his wife opened Monday with a folksy speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds where he urged the party faithful to vote for Hillary because she is both the best qualified and the most responsible candidate for the Democratic nomination. While Bill Clinton's scandal-laced 1993-2001 presidency continues to draw the ire of Republicans, contributing to Hillary's high "unfavorable" ratings in national polls, he remains widely popular among the Democratic party faithful who decide the primary elections. He is also a formidable fundraiser, a key asset given that Hillary's main Democratic rival to contest the November 2008 election, Barack Obama, announced Sunday he'd topped her by $5 million when he raised an historic $32.5 million in the past three months. "I don't think it's a sign of duress or that they feel pressure," University of Iowa political scientist CARY COVINGTON said of the timing of Bill's entry into the campaign. "They were waiting to bring him in until it was clearly Hillary's campaign and Bill was there to back her up. They believe they've clearly established her as the owner of this campaign and in charge." The same story appeared on the Web sites of BAKU TODAY (Azerbaijan), PHILLIPINES STAR, THE AUSTRALIAN and LOS ANGELES TIMES. Link to article

Squire: McCain Status As Top-Tier Candidate Threatened (Lexington Herald Leader, July 3)
Reeling from another quarter of weak fund-raising, Sen. John McCain slashed his staff yesterday and will refocus his presidential campaign exclusively on early voting states, where aides hope that his retail political skills can overcome his financial straits. "His status as a top-tier candidate is significantly threatened," said PEVERILL SQUIRE, a political scientist at the University of Iowa. "He's unable to finance a national campaign. ... He's going to have to put all his efforts in the first couple of states and hope he can swing them his way." The same story was published on the Web site of the MIAMI HERALD. Link to article

Covington: Obama Must Turn Dollars Into Votes (Agence France Presse, July 2)
Barack Obama's $32.5 million fundraising bombshell was Monday tearing at the aura of invincibility that had gathered around Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's White House campaign. The 45-year-old Illinois senator sent a surge of electricity through the Democratic race, as he smashed party fundraising records and surpassed Clinton by around five million dollars in the latest three-month accounting period. But when the initial rush of publicity wears off, Obama's cash bonanza will raise expectations in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, which hold early nominating contests next year. "The money has to be translated into poll numbers," said CARY COVINGTON, professor of political science at the University of Iowa. "The acid test for him is to translate those dollars into poll support not just nationally but in those four core states. "If those states start showing poll movement that's what will be trouble for Clinton, but right now dollars are just dollars." The same story appeared on the Web site of PENINSULA ONLINE (Qatar). Link to article

Redlawsk Comments On Dodd Campaign (Associated Press, July 2)
Democrat Chris Dodd is touching all the right bases in New Hampshire and Iowa. The problem is he hasn't yet scored big with voters. The Connecticut lawmaker has struggled to gain traction in the two states that begin the 2008 presidential race, barely registering above 1 percent in statewide polls. Dominating the field are fellow Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, whose combined elective experience falls far short of Dodd's 26 years in the Senate. "There's not a lot of breathing space," said DAVID REDLAWSK, a political science professor at the University of Iowa. "The media spends most of its time gushing over Obama and Clinton, and -- a little less so -- Edwards. I think candidates like Richardson and Dodd feel this most of all." This Associated Press story was published by the NEW YORK TIMES, the WASHINGTON POST, the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, the NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE and NEWSDAY. Link to article

Electronic Markets Pioneered By UI Now Include Farmers (Omaha World-Herald, July 2)
Since the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA in 1988 first persuaded people to buy contracts on political candidates to predict election results, the idea of rewarding the best forecasters for sharing their knowledge has taken off. With its new agriculture game called Farmetrics, Bunge, a global grain marketing company, became the first grain commodity firm to use a prediction market to help make its marketing decisions. The opinion of farmers is so valuable to Bunge it offers prizes to those who regularly forecast how things on the farm will turn out. One farmer, who said he plays every week, accumulates points that he hopes to someday cash in for a vacation in Mexico or for a farm utility vehicle. Winners are those whose forecasts come closest to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's actual data. Link to article

Redlawsk: Republicans Yet To Settle On Candidates (North County Times, July 1) University of Iowa political science professor DAVID REDLAWSK said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., remains "very much under the radar" in the party's presidential race, but persons likely to attend caucuses in January have not yet settled on a candidate. "They're still looking for alternatives and what Hunter really needs to do is build a core base of support," Redlawsk said. "At this point four years ago, (Democrat) John Edwards was drawing 5 percent and he went on to finish second." Hunter's goal, Redlawsk said, should be to do much better than anyone expects and thereby achieve a momentum heading into the February multi-state primaries. The newspaper serves Riverside and San Diego counties in California. Link to article

Gronbeck Comments On Richardson Campaign (Albuquerque Journal, July 1)
Bill Richardson proclaimed last week that he had jumped up into the top tier of contenders seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. Not all the pundits agree the New Mexico governor has joined the elite group, putting the likes of Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich in his rear-view mirror. BRUCE GRONBECK, who runs the University of Iowa's center on media studies and political culture, said he believes Richardson has yet to successfully package himself as a complete candidate. "He still hasn't got that 'presidential overview.' Richardson needs to do that, to fit his issues together," Gronbeck said. "I think he's got the talent to rise up into that top three," Gronbeck added. "There's room now to start moving in the summer doldrums -- and it's a good time for him to be charging." The newspaper is based in New Mexico. Link to article

Redlawsk Comments On Immigration Bill (Associated Press, June 30)
Online groups are taking credit for leading grass roots opposition against an immigration reform bill, saying they persuaded Americans to flood Congress with hundreds of thousands of phone calls, faxes and e-mails. "We think it was a rising tide of citizen response that forced the senators to stop and consider what the American people were saying, and what the American people were saying was they didn't like this bill," said Steve Elliott, president of Grassfire.org, headquartered in tiny Maxwell, Iowa. Such vocal groups "always want to claim responsibility" when legislation goes their way, said DAVID REDLAWSK, a University of Iowa political science professor. But they probably did play a role because they drowned out other Americans who weren't speaking up, he said. This Associated Press story was published by the WASHINGTON POST; the ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS, of Alaska; the MORNING HERALD, of Sydney, Australia; CANADIAN BUSINESS MAGAZINE; and other news outlets. Link to article