CNN False Report on Reform Party Endorsement

I just heard Wolf Blitzer "report" (i.e. apparently READ the AP "report" today) that the "Reform Party" has endorsed John McCain. See Rich Winger's statement on Ballot Access News: Associated Press Story on McCain Endorsement by Reform Party is Misleading The comments on this article, presumably from local Reform Party activists, are pretty vocal about resisting this postision. Here's one: The Reform Party does not endorse McCain for President. The AP should be ashamed of themselves for printing what someone said instead of checking out the facts.

CNN should do a FACT CHECK on their FACT CHECKERS!! Ha ha! One never knows what one is reading in the newspaper, does one???

The report that the Reform Party endorses John McCain is not credible. -- NH

Live-blogging CNN The Situation Room: Charles Barkley, independent, endorses Obama

6:39 pm: Michelle Obama is campaigning in Ohio, hoping to win over some Hillary supporters.... Michelle grew up on the South Side of Chicago, went to Harvard Law also [the whole primary could be seen as a Harvard/Yale game....?]

Clip of Hillary saying words are cheap/Obama saying negative attacks are cheap.... Candy Crowley says we're back to the beginning with the question of who can bring about real change... Superdelegates might switch says Wolf.... Cafferty says this was supposed to be a cake walk for Hillary and it just is not that way.... the Dems will have to go with who the American people say they want or they should be locked up bec. they're a danger to themselves..... Roland Martin says they have to check themselves bec it's still a long road...



6:27 pm: The first coverage of Ron Paul since I don't know when. Paul is still very much in the race, raising money and a lot of it from active-duty military people.

Former Pres. George Bush (the first one) has endorsed McCain -- Cafferty says to get Huckabee to get out.... They're worried about the social conservatives coming out in Texas for Huck. Texas has an open primary...

They come back to the issue of military people supporting Ron Paul who is outspokenly against the Iraq war. Wolf says that's interesting because wouldn't you think that military people would NOT support an anti-war candidate... Cafferty says what's the presumption here, that military people are not as smart as the rest of us...? (My personal opinion is that Cafferty, to his credit, often makes sense because he actually listens to people who write in to him...)


6:19 pm: Basketball great Charles Barkley just endorsed Barack Obama on CNN The Situation Room. Correcting Wolf Blitzer when Wolf said Barkley used to be a Republican and now he's a Democrat, Sir Charles said "What I said was I was rich like a Republican. I'm actually an independent." CNN was broadcasting from New Orleans tonight when Barkley made note of the increasing gulf between rich and poor, as well as speaking out as pro-gay marriage and pro-choice.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Momentum fleeting and illusory (By KENNETH F. BUNTING, Seattle Post Intelligencer) But New Hampshire's fiercely independent voters didn't follow the script pollsters and television commentators had written.
• McCain's Independent Streak (RAMESH PONNURU, Time Magazine) Has Ponnuru completely revised independent history here? Looks to me like another stab at the Dems co-opting the independent movement. See if you agree....
• Where did pollsters go wrong in New Hampshire? (BY REID J. EPSTEIN, NY Newsday) Independent, late-deciding women broke strongly in Clinton's favor, reversing the Iowa data in which women favored Obama.
• Verdict New Hampshire -- Women Play Key Role in Changing Tide for Hillary (Arlene M. Roberts, Huffington Post) In the days leading up to Tuesday's primary, a large percentage of women voters in New Hampshire declared themselves "undecided."
• VERONICA'S VIEW: A Change is Gonna Come (By Veronica Hendrix, EURweb.com) What gives me hope are the many independent voters who are casting their vote for Obama and the young adults who are turning out for the first time to cast their vote for Obama as well.

• Independent strategist Jackie Salit has Some thoughts on the New Hampshire results. Jackie was interviewed on CNN The Situation Room last night, but they have not posted video. Too bad. Jackie said that she doesn't think independents will necessarily back a run by Michael Bloomberg just because he might run as an independent. She said that the 100 or so independent organizations around the country that she relates to haven't heard from the Mayor, and she sees a new kind of coalition in the country that's going up against the political establishment. So if candidates like Barack Obama and John Edwards reach out, it might make Bloomberg's possible campaign too little too late -- "the train is leaving the station" as CNN's Jim Acosta said. Acosta added in his report that independent insiders think that an independent campaign needs a strong ground operation in place, and they're not seeing that from Bloomberg.

Independent and looking for a hot date?

Here are some hot tips:

1. Independent political strategist Jackie Salit will be on CNN's "Situation Room" tonight (Thursday). The program runs from 5-6 pm Eastern Time. Go to your favorite hangout that has a tv, approach someone and ask if they're an independent voter, invite them to watch the show.

2. Call up an old friend you haven't talked to in a while and read them Jackie's New Hampshire primary analysis : "Some Thoughts on the New Hampshire Results". (And feel free to talk about it while you're doing it--it's more fun that way.)

3. Or, if you prefer being with more than one person, join independents around the country for a national conference call on Sunday January 27th at 7:00 pm EST called "How's It Going? An Independent Look at the Presidential Process" (Call Nancy Ross at 800-288-3201 - or email your name, state and phone number to national@cuip.org Tell her The Hankster sent you!)

Have fun!

-NH