Columbus, Ohio:

John McCain came to Columbus, Ohio to outline his vision of America and the world after four years of his presidency. His campaign also launched a new web ad highlighting that expansive vision of:
The Middle East stabilized.
Nuclear terror threat reduced.
Border security strengthened.
Energy independence advanced.
Wasteful spending reformed.
Health care choice delivered.
Economic confidence restored.

In his speech in Columbus, Ohio, JSM plans to go back to the future laying out his vision – or at least what he VERY OPTIMISTICALLY envisions the nation and world will be like AFTER what he anticipates will have been a TREMENDOUSLY successful 1st term as president. (The speech comes a few days after a comic six minute video from UBCComedy where a man wakes from a coma after seven years to see the new and improved world after Barack Obama)

“By January 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq War has been won.”

Internationally, McCain boldly predicts Al Qaeda in Iraq will have been defeated, Afghanistan will ALSO be stabilized and NO Major attack will have occured in the US since 9-11. He forecasts stunning diplomatic successes negotiating the elimination of stubborn rogue nuclear threats that have for yrs been unresolvable.

“Concerted action by the great democracies of the world has persuaded a reluctant Russia and China to cooperate in pressuring Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, and North Korea to discontinue its own.”

McCains economic forecast is all sunny skies too. He assumes implementation of aggressive tax and spending cuts and that congress will have adopted his domestic agenda.

“The United States has experienced several years of robust economic growth, and Americans again have confidence in their economic future.”

While Obama advocates hope, McCain predicts triumph: ever expanding global free trade will have made up for US job losses in manufacturing and other sectors

“New free trade agreements have been ratified and led to substantial increases in both exports and imports.”

McCain assumes cooperation with congress…on a host of long deadlocked issues, energy independence, revamping the tax code, public education, healthcare, medicare, even Social security.

“The reforms include some form of personal retirement accounts in safe and reliable index funds, such as have been available to government employees since their retirement plans were made solvent a quarter century ago.

Despite ardent opposition from his own party NOW to what many call amnesty for illegal immigrants McCain anticipates victory on comprehensive immigration reform which would include provisions for a guest worker program.

“the American people accepted the practical necessity to institute a temporary worker program and deal humanely with the millions of immigrants who have been in this country illegally. “

Only toward the end of his remarks does McCain acknowledge political opposition and how unlikely such wholesale success will be…he blames it on partisanship and the seemingly unending election cycle.

“This mindless, paralyzing rancor must come to an end. We belong to different parties, not different countries. We are rivals for the same power. But we are also compatriots. “

This almost idealistic and hopeful tone is sure to draw sharp reaction from the Dems!

After spending about a week on the campaign trail attacking Barack Obama over Health Care, Social Security, and his commitment to women’s rights, Hillary Clinton has gone back to emphasizing what she would do as president.

Gone are the frequent mentions of Obama by name, or even the veiled slaps at “some of my opponents” who have health care plans that won’t cover everyone. She’s even gone back to a line her husband used when he campaigned for her in July, saying it’s great to be a Democrat because there are so many fantastic candidates that “you don’t have to be against anyone.”

It could be because she’s been more focused on organizing Iowans to get to the caucuses — campaigning with her mother and daughter last week to ask experienced supporters to “buddy up” with first time caucus goers and make sure they get to their precincts on January 3rd. Or it could be because the attacks earned her a lot of negative press and some negative feeling among Iowans — and didn’t reverse a general downward trend in the polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, and nationally.

Asked whether she’d given up the attacks because of sinking poll numbers, Sen Clinton told reporters that she would continue to draw distinctions with her opponents throughout the rest of the primary season. Watch what she had to say.done

As ABC’s Jake Tapper reports, even if those “contrasts” have stopped coming from Hillary’s mouth, they’re still flying through the mail.

In Clear Lake, IA, the city where the music died, the Clinton hits on Barack Obama just kept on coming. One month to the day before the Iowa caucuses — and in the Surf Ballroom where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper played their last concert in 1959 — Hillary bopped Obama on health care (his plan leaves out 15 million Americans), Social Security (he’s repeating Republican talking points by saying it’s in crisis, and would institute a $1 trillion tax hike), and Iran (he failed to show up for that important vote to call the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group, but later used it to attack her).

But there were some new wrinkles today, including taking Obama to task for voting not “yes” or “no,” but “present” 7 times as a state senator in Illinois on issues like abortion and gun violence.

“A president can’t pick and choose which challenges he or she will face,” she said. “Instead of looking for political cover or taking a pass, we need a president who will take a stand.”

Without mentioning him by name, Hillary also dismissed the Obama argument that her long tenure in Washington makes her ill-equipped to bring about real change — saying “you decide what makes sense – entrust our country to someone who is ready on day one to make the decisions and the changes we need, or to put America in the hands of someone with little national or international experience who started running for president has soon as he arrived in the United States Senate.”

Obama’s campaign responded with a long list of press clippings defending those “present” votes. Obama spokesman Bill Burton released a statement saying “The truth is, Barack Obama doesn’t need lectures in political courage from someone who followed George Bush to war in Iraq, gave him the benefit of the doubt on Iran, supported NAFTA and opposed ethanol until she decided to run for President.”

And asked about the increasing frequency of the attacks, Obama replied, “it’s silly season.”

Senator Clinton turned up the heat on Barack Obama on Sunday, saying the race comes down to “courage and convictions” — and blasting Obama’s positions on health care and his Political Action Committee as lacking both.

Hillary came out firing on the health care before she took even a single question at a media availability in Cedar Rapids, accusing Obama of changing his tune on whether his plan covers all Americans depending on the audience. “Yesterday, in the space of a few hours, it went from universal when I wasn’t there, to comprehensive when we were on the same [stage],” she said — a reference to Saturday’s Black/Brown Presidential Forum in Iowa, where Obama seemed to be at great pains not to call his plan “universal.”

“I think the people of Iowa need to know there’s a big difference between our plans,” she said. “But more importantly there’s a big difference between our courage and our convictions, what we believe and what we’re willing to fight for.” Touting her record, Clinton said “the people of Iowa are going to get a chance to chose between someone who talks the talk, and someone who walked the walk.”

On universal care, she said, “Senator Obama got to the brink and blinked,” adding “You’ve got to ask yourself, who’s really committed here? Who’s doing it for political reasons, and who has a lifetime of conviction and commitment?”

But it didn’t stop there. Hillary also attacked Obama for failing to shut down his Hope Fund leadership PAC, spurring allegations that he’d used it to spread money to curry favor with key figures in early primary states — accusing him of hypocrisy. “Its not only that this PAC is still open and operating,” she said. “It’s that, contrary to what we’ve been hearing now for a year, it had lobbyist money, it had PAC money, and they were more than happy to take that money and to use it to try to influence elections, and to create relationships with people while he was running for president.”

And asked whether she was saying this was an issue of character when it comes to Senator Obama, Senator Clinton at first demurred — but then said “it’s beginning to look a lot like that. You know, it really is, where you can’t get a straight answer on health care; where somebody who runs on ethics and not taking money from certain people is found out to have at least skirted if not violated the FEC rules, and to use lobbyist and PAC money to do so.”

Senator Clinton seemed to express something like regret about the frontal assault, saying she’d rather be attacking Republicans and America’s problems. But, she said, “I have been, for months, on the receiving end of rather consistent attacks. Well, now the fun part starts. We’re into the last month, and we’re going to start drawing the contrasts.”

UPDATE: Barack Obama takes issue with Hillary’s assertion that this part of the campaign is “fun.” The campaign released a statement from the Senator saying “this presidential campaign isn’t about attacking people for fun, it’s about solving people’s problems…. Washington insiders might think throwing mud is fun, but the American people are looking for leadership that can unite this country around a common purpose.”

Check out her latest, greatest hits. done

Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle has written a letter to her counterpart at the Obama campaign, asking the Illinois Senator to stop running what she calls a “false ad” in NH that claims his health care plan would cover everyone.

Solis Doyle writes, “Your advertisement not only contradicts the judgment of health care experts, but public statements by your campaign and your candidate,” adding, “Senator Obama has pledged to put “honesty first” in this campaign. In that spirit I respectfully request that you stop running this ad which is misleading voters in New Hampshire. “

Clinton’s camp often cites experts who say Obama’s plan would leave out 15 million people out of the 47 million who are currently uninsured, and notes that even Obama himself has called the plan “virtually universal.” Solis Doyle says “It’s not enough for Senator Obama to say he covers everyone, especially when that is inaccurate. The American people need a President who will take the action necessary and fight for health care for every single man woman and child.”

Watch the ad for yourself here:

The Obama campaign says Hillary is playing politics, pointing out that the ad in question is old news. “The Clinton campaign didn’t say a word when this ad was released a month ago,” Obama’s New Hampshire press secretary tells Fox News’ Obama producer Bonney Kapp. “The only thing that’s changed since then is the poll numbers.”

“The truth is, Barack Obama’s universal plan will provide coverage to every single American who can’t afford it and do more to cut the cost of health care than any other plan in this race. Rather than spending their time attacking Barack Obama, the Clinton campaign should explain how exactly they plan to force every American to buy health insurance even if they can’t afford it.”

Clinton’s policy director took steps to address that question today, saying Hillary’s plan aggressively cuts costs, and would cap the percentage of income every American would pay in health care premiums — something no other Democrat would do. She also said she’d use “default enrollment” to sign up every uninsured American for health care, getting them into one of many coverage options when they come into contact with the health care system, go to school, or get a job. But Clinton still hasn’t said how she’ll penalize people who still don’t enroll, saying only that she’ll work with Congress on the issue.

UPDATE: Obama’s national spokesman just put out a statement that’s word-for-word the same as the New Hampshire statement, but does NOT call the plan “universal.” instead, Bill Burton writes Obama “would offer health coverage to every single American,” rather than saying his universal plan will provide coverage to every single American.”

Senator Clinton devoted much of a speech here in Ankeny, IA, to blasting her chief rival Barack Obama for failing to cover every American under his health care plan. In her harshest criticism yet, Clinton said Obama was betraying Democratic principles by leaving 15 million uncovered, adding “just because it’s controversial or ambitious, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. The time is now.”

“If we don’t move toward universal health care coverage now, if we don’t have an election about it where I stand against whoever the Republicans nominate and let them answer the questions about why they won’t take care of covering every single American, why they want to still be in bed with the health insurance companies, that is an election we will win,” she said. “

But we’ve got to put up a candidate that’s willing to stand for it and fight for it

.”

Responding to Hillary’s attacks, Obama spokesman Bill Burton released a statement saying, “Another day, another desperate attack.”

“Demonizing anyone who doesn’t share her exact plans on health care is exactly why Hillary Clinton flunked the opportunity she had to pass universal health care in 1993. The truth is, Barack Obama’s universal health care plan makes coverage affordable for every single American, he just doesn’t agree with Hillary’s plan to start by forcing everyone to buy insurance they can’t afford,” he said.

What follows is a “greatest hits” compilation from the event, including her comparison of the fight for universal health care to FDR and LBJ’s battles for Social Security and Medicare — in which she plays the role of the strong, principled president, and Obama is (by implication) not up to the same level. The entire Obama-related portion of her speech is after the jump.

(more…)

Hillary Clinton defended her attacks on Barack Obama’s lack of experience, despite saying that Democrats should refrain from slinging mud at other Democrats at the Las Vegas debate — saying there are real differences on qualifications and issues that voters should be made aware of.

The main issue she’s beating Obama over the head with here in Iowa? Health Care. Today in Perry, she went after him by name, telling reporters that, “there’s a big difference between Senator Obama and me on health care. I have a health care plan that covers every American, he does not. I have a plan that will leave no Americans out, he by his own admission leaves at least 15 million people out.”

But she went even further, accusing Obama of flip-flopping on the issue. “It’s been kind of confusing following his description of his own plan,” she said. “If you go back and look, he said it was universal, he said it was sort of universal, he said it wasn’t universal. He said it covered everybody, he said it didn’t cover 15 million. He has a mandate for kids, now he’s against mandates.” She added, “I think you’re going to have to ask him what his plan actually does.”

Check out the video.

If Barack Obama has decided Hillary Clinton is vulnerable on Iran and Social Security, Hillary thinks Obama is weak on Health Care — and she went after him on the issue in Iowa today, after Obama said his health care proposal does the most of any Democratic plan to cut costs. Not so fast, says the Clinton campaign — not only is that not true, they argue, you don’t even cover everyone!

“It’s unfortunate that Senator Obama didn’t have the courage to produce a universal health care plan and instead wrote a plan that leaves 15 million Americans without coverage,” said campaign spokesman Jay Carson in a written statement. “That is unacceptable and Senator Obama should explain to Iowans why he chose to leave so many people uninsured. ”

Hillary herself got into the act at a rally in Sac City, IA — calling on all of her Democratic opponents to come up with a plan that covers everybody.

“I don’t think you can run for President today without having a universal health care plan that covers every single American,” she said. “One of my opponents leaves 15 million people out. Thats a lot of people. And once you leave 15 million, then it’s going to actually cascade, and more and more people will be left out.”

And putting the finishing touches on the critique, Sen Clinton referenced her own experience trying to pass universal health care in 1993. “The key to my plan is getting everybody covered,” she said. “Because I’ve been down this road before. And I know that if you don’t try to cover everybody, all the special interests are going to nibble you to death.”

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Before Governor Romney started his packed day campaigning in Iowa I did a phone interview with Martha MacCallum on the Live Desk. We covered Hillary Clinton’s new ad, the Rudy vs. Romney immigration showdown and even a bit on embed life. Please click below to listen and let me know what you think!

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After a few good days in the press following her strong comeback performance at Thursday’s debate in Las Vegas, Hillary’s obviously feeling confident — confident enough to rip into her chief Democratic competitor Barack Obama on the stump.

Picking up the Sheet Metal Workers endorsement in Vegas, she criticized Obama’s health care plan for failing to cover every American, and said she’s sick of Democrats repeating Republican talking points on Social Security.

HRC’s played the frontrunner since she got in the race, rarely even acknowledging that she HAS opponents for the Democratic nomination, much less mentioning them by name. But after getting rave reviews for counter-punching on health care and social security at the debate, Hillaryland obviously feels that its time to go on offense not just against Republicans, but against her primary competitors as well.