Endorsements

The Clinton Machine At Work , Bill is working hard

Campaigns Woo 3 Iowans for Paper’s Endorsement

Jeff Zeleny, New York times

DES MOINES — The other day, as his sport utility vehicle idled outside, former President Bill Clinton held forth on a sofa in the publisher’s suite at The Des Moines Register, explaining why he believed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton should win the newspaper’s coveted endorsement.

.......The next time, Mr. Clinton was on hand with his wife and aides at a secluded balcony table at Azalea, one of the city’s newest restaurants. They talked for nearly two hours with editors, a columnist and two reporters from The Register, and by the time the evening ended, the table was crowded with supporters of Mrs. Clinton, including Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, who happened to be in town.....

Continue Reading Here:

Video:DesMoines RegisterDemocratic endorsement editorial: Why Clinton
Video: DesMoines Register Republican endorsement editorial: Why McCain

Obama Showing New Confidence With Iowa Sprint Jeff Zeleny, New York Times

WATERLOO, Iowa — Senator Barack Obama is seeking to capitalize on a moment of opportunity in the weeks before the Iowa caucuses to challenge Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s long dominance of the Democratic field, and in doing so, he now faces intensified questions about his vulnerabilities in a general election.

These days, Mr. Obama spends less time acknowledging Mrs. Clinton as he speaks to Iowans. But he finds himself at the center of a fusillade of criticism from his rivals, including an assertion by former President Bill Clinton that to elect Mr. Obama would be to “roll the dice” for America — a comment that validates the political threat Mr. Obama poses.

Mr. Obama, in an interview on Friday, addressed the shift in sentiment about his prospects of beating Mrs. Clinton in Iowa and holding her off in New Hampshire and other states that follow. “A month ago, I was an idiot,” he said. “This month, I’m a genius.”

Continue Reading

The Boston Globe Endordement: For the Democrats: Barack Obama Here