Republicans in S.C., Democrats in Nevada Tout Economic Plans
NEW YORK — Hillary Rodham Clinton reached out to poor black voters as she and other U.S. presidential candidates tapped into Americans’ recession fears ahead of important races in South Carolina and Nevada.
Both Democratic and Republican races were extremely tight going into the Saturday contests. The Republicans, after three major earlier races that netted three separate winners, lacked a clear front-runner. Polls in Nevada showed Clinton and fellow Democrat Barack Obama locked in a statistical dead heat with rival John Edwards, but Obama could get a boost from a favorable court ruling Thursday.
Campaigning Thursday in the crime-ridden, largely-black city of Compton, California, Clinton pledged that as president she would improve the economic lot of blacks. Days after she and Obama declared a truce on racial matters, Clinton, who wants to be the first female U.S. president, is seeking support from blacks, who were a key constituency for her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
On Thursday, Clinton outlined a so-called “green collar” jobs program she said she will create to develop alternative sources of energy, and said she would spend $200 million (euro136 million) over five years to help ex-offenders transition from prison.
She promised to assist the troubled city’s mayor with his goal of “birthing” a new Compton.
“I know something about birthing,” Clinton said. “You need a president who will be a partner. Who says, ‘What is it I can do to make sure this birth is easy and successful?”‘
Clinton’s comments on economics came as Americans increasingly worry about a possible recession, rising gas prices, falling stock prices and a staggering housing market. A recent CNN-Opinion Research Corp. poll found six in 10 Americans believe a recession has already started.
President George W. Bush and congressional leaders are trying to work out an economic stimulus plan likely to include personal tax rebates, tax breaks for businesses and more benefits for the poor. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, joined in calls for an economic stimulus package Thursday, but said it had to be quick and temporary.
The Republican candidates seized on the economy issue as they campaigned in South Carolina, which has been losing textile and steel jobs. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney had touted a similar message in his native Michigan, and it helped propel him to his first win.
With the race so close for the Republicans, the contenders each hope a win in the southern state will provide necessary momentum for the biggest day of the race on Feb. 5, when 22 states hold contests.
Republican John McCain, who won in New Hampshire, has led polls in South Carolina, but has consistently failed to win over conservative and religious party voters who will dominate most of the upcoming Republican contests.
He proposed an economic stimulus plan Thursday that would lower the corporate income tax rate to 25 percent from 35 percent, and provide other tax breaks aimed at making U.S. businesses more competitive. Rival Rudy Giuliani, who has focused most of his effort on the Jan. 29 vote in Florida, has also proposed cutting the corporate tax rate to 25 percent.
Romney, a Mormon and millionaire businessman, used an optimistic economic pledge to win in his native state of Michigan, but according to polls has not been able to take the lead on the issue. He said Thursday in South Carolina that Congress should take immediate action on an economic stimulus plan that includes a tax rebate.
Mike Huckabee, the preacher-turned politician who is running on a message of economic populism, put the blame for economic worries on Washington while seeking the votes of South Carolina steel workers.
Republican Fred Thompson, the former “Law and Order” actor who has failed to muster much support in the early nomination contests, was making what could be his last stand in South Carolina. A former senator from the southern state of Tennessee, Thompson is battling Huckabee for the evangelical vote. That group gave Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, his coveted win in Iowa.
Thompson on Thursday made light of Bernanke’s call for a quick economic stimulus and said it might be best to leave the economy alone for now.
In the Democratic contest, race could play a role in breaking the virtual deadlock between Obama, the winner in Iowa who hopes to become the first black U.S. president, and Clinton, who rebounded with her own victory in New Hampshire.
Neither state has large black populations, so the major test of Clinton’s popularity with black voters will come in the Democratic race in South Carolina on Jan. 26, where blacks make up about half of Democratic voters.
Clinton paved the way on Thursday, praising the Rev. Martin Luther King in California in an effort to reconnect with the black community after comments that appeared to downplay the revered civil rights icon’s influence.
Obama and Clinton later called a truce in the controversy, and Clinton offered another olive branch Thursday when asked whether she would consider choosing Obama as her vice presidential running mate.
“I can’t think that far ahead because it’s bad luck, I’m very superstitious, and I don’t want to be presumptuous,” she said. “But he is an extraordinary man and has so much to give our country. I hope however this works out he will be a major figure in American politics for years and years to come.”
In linking economic and racial themes, Clinton appeared to be targeting a group that was among the hardest hit by the mortgage crisis and ensuing credit crunch that has both sparked and fueled U.S. economic woes.
Earlier, she jabbed at Obama, accusing the young Illinois senator in a mailer to voters, of proposing a $1 trillion tax increase with a plan to require high income earners to pay more taxes for Social Security — the national retirement plan that is a touchy subject for the powerful senior citizens lobby.
Obama said in a Las Vegas stop that the worst part about the mailer is that Clinton has said she would consider doing the same thing he wants to do.
Separately, Obama got a boost when a judge in Nevada ruled to allow casino workers from meeting for votes at Las Vegas Strip hotels. Obama has been endorsed by the union representing many of the casino shift workers, and the ruling means those working Saturday would not have to go all the way back to the neighborhoods they live in to be able to attend caucus meetings.
Meanwhile, Obama took a break from campaigning Thursday night to celebrate his wife’s birthday by taking her out to dinner. Advisers declined to say where they would eat, except to say it would just be the two of them.
Rep.Ron Paul is warning all of you about this economy. YouTube ‘RonPaul, Bernanke’ and you will get a short Economics 101 lesson on what is going on and of things to come. Things are getting worse and worse yet you folks keep whistling as you walk by the graveyard. The Federal Reserve is going to lower the interest rate yet again!?! This is insane! You better wake up Fox. What your doing is wrong wrong wrong. Do you folks even have any idea of what’s going on out here in middle-class America? The American people are being clobbered by this out of control spending on this ridiculous war and this tanking economy! Help us…..
With our job overseas and the corporations quest for slave labor ( min wage to be politicaly correct). What kind of America will be left for our childern? My Electric bill is up 65%, Home heating fuel Up 45% gas to get to work up 33% Food up 25% credit card debt up to 24% . Out of my $49,000.00 after taxes State, local, Fed, Medicare, SS. Im left with $28,000.00 for Mortage, Food, utilities Gas, home heating fuel, clothes. but I do work for the state of Md, and did get a 2% cola ( health care did go up).
Now Every year I hear people in the USA are not saving money, Gee I wonder why? My Bank PNC is give .49% of 1% Now My 20 Somethings are living home (because a One Apt bedroom is $750 per month) College Loans. I would like to get my Childern out of the house before I die Please Help!
Who better to solve the economy than a person with a proven track record in both the public and private sector… Romney. Romney is the candidate with an MBA from Harvard, and the only candidate that has demonstrated economic prowess.
Romney was responsible for the Staples turnaround. Staples now has over 74,000 employees. Romney was also responsible for the Dominos turn around. Dominos now has over 8,000 franchise locations.
Who has created more jobs in the US economy among the candidates?
Fox News, there you go again. Hillary, Hillary, Hillary, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton. How about some balance in your news reporting. There are other democratic presidential candidates you know! As a conservative and one who watches fox new a lot, you people at fox are beginning to make me sick. It will be healthy for the political system and for this great nation if the media houses (especially fox news that lays claim to being “fair and balanced”) will provide some balance and equity in their news coverage.
R.o.n. P-a-u-l’s plan for the economy (via his website):
Working Americans like lower taxes. So do I. Lower taxes benefit all of us, creating jobs and allowing us to make more decisions for ourselves about our lives.
Whether a tax cut reduces a single mother’s payroll taxes by $40 a month or allows a business owner to save thousands in capital gains taxes and hire more employees, that tax cut is a good thing. Lower taxes allow more spending, saving, and investing which helps the economy — that means all of us.
Real conservatives have always supported low taxes and low spending.
But today, too many politicians and lobbyists are spending America into ruin. We are nine trillion dollars in debt as a nation. Our mounting government debt endangers the financial future of our children and grandchildren. If we don’t cut spending now, higher taxes and economic disaster will be in their future — and yours.
In addition, the Federal Reserve, our central bank, fosters runaway debt by increasing the money supply — making each dollar in your pocket worth less. The Fed is a private bank run by unelected officials who are not required to be open or accountable to “we the people.”
Worse, our economy and our very independence as a nation is increasingly in the hands of foreign governments such as China and Saudi Arabia, because their central banks also finance our runaway spending.
We cannot continue to allow private banks, wasteful agencies, lobbyists, corporations on welfare, and governments collecting foreign aid to dictate the size of our ballooning budget. We need a new method to prioritize our spending. It’s called the Constitution of the United States.
I wonder how Ron Paul feels about the economy?
First sentence in the article should more accurately be written as follows: “Hillary Rodham Clinton pandered to poor black voters….”
What’s happening in Nevada? Who is ahead there? Why isn’t this being covered by Fox?
I cannot bear to hear about a state that is still even considering raising the confederate flag, nor candidates who talk about it. I’m hoping it’s just a backwards minority there, including Huckabee.
And if the election is about the economy, then who is the most qualified to lead America? Who is the most successful, proven leader for these problems? Who is known as a problem solver? We need brilliance NOW. Mitt Romney 2008.
I wish you would remember to mention WYOMING was the FIRST WIN for Romney. Therefore he actually does have TWO WINS to his credit!
Why did you feel you had to mention that Romney was a MORMON? I didn’t see you mention what faith McCain, Rudy, Fred, Hillary, Obama, Edwards or Huckabee profess.
I don’t think there is a bigger hypocrite when it comes to conservative record than Fred Thompson:
Consider this record—a record that includes these votes:
? FOR restricting the rights of grassroots organizations to communicate with the public. See ACU’s vote 3, 1998.
? FOR allowing the IRS to require political and policy organizations to disclose their membership—a vote against the constitutional rights of free association and privacy. (The Clinton Administration used such IRS intimidation against conservative groups that opposed them.) See ACU’s vote 11, 2000.
? AGAINST impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, specifically the reappointment and reauthorization of managers (drawn from the Republican membership of the House Judiciary Committee) to conduct the impeachment trial in the Senate. See ACU’s vote 1, 1999.
? AGAINST an accelerated elimination of the “marriage penalty.” See ACU’s vote 10, 2001.
? FOR handouts to politicians, specifically taxpayer funding of presidential campaigns. See ACU’s vote 6, 1995.
? FOR handouts to politicians, specifically congressional perks such as postage and broadcast time funded by taxpayers. See ACU’s vote 13, 1996.
? AGAINST restraints on federal spending, specifically the Phil Gramm (R-TX) amendment to limit non-defense discretionary spending to the fiscal 1997 levels requested by President Clinton. See ACU’s vote 6, 1997.
? FOR affirmative action in federal contracts. See ACU’s vote 9, 1995.
? FOR the Legal Services Corporation, the perennial liberal boondoggle that provides political activism disguised as “legal services” to Democratic constituencies. See ACU’s vote 16, 1995, and vote 17, 1999.
? FOR an increase in the minimum wage, which, of course, increases unemployment among the young and poor. See ACU’s vote 16, 1996.
? FOR President Clinton’s nomination of Dr. David Satcher as U.S. Surgeon General. Among other things, Satcher opposed a full ban on partial-birth abortion. See ACU’s vote 1, 1998.
? FOR open-ended military commitments, specifically in regard to U.S. troops in Kosovo. See ACU’s vote 8, 2000.
? FOR corporate welfare, specifically the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). See ACU’s vote 23. 1999.
? AGAINST worker and shareholder rights, specifically the Hatch (R-UT) amendment to require unions and corporations to obtain permission from dues-paying members or shareholders before spending money on political activities. See ACU’s votes 4 and 5, 2001.
? AGAINST property rights and FOR unlimited presidential power, specifically by allowing President Clinton to implement the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, which he established by executive order, without congressional approval. See ACU’s vote 20, 1997.
? FOR restricting the First Amendment (free speech) rights of independent groups. See ACU’s vote 23, 1997.
? FOR the trial lawyers lobby, and specifically against a bill that would put common-sense limitations on the medical malpractice suits that increase health costs for all of us. (Of course! He’s been a trial lawyer himself for some three decades.) See ACU’s vote 18, 2002.
And, last but not least:
? FOR limitations on campaign freedom of speech, by limiting contributions to national political parties to $2,000 and limiting the rights of individuals and groups to participate in the political process in the two months before elections. See ACU’s vote 7, 2002.