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Bush says he wants McCain to win presidency

WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush endorsed Sen. John McCain for president on Wednesday, saying the presumptive Republican nominee has the character, courage and perseverance to lead the country.

McCain thanked the president for his support and the work he has done in the Oval Office.

I appreciate his endorsement, and I appreciate his service to our country, said McCain, adding that he wanted Bush at his side as much as possible on the campaign trail.

Whatever he wants me to do, I want him to win, Bush said, who was challenged by McCain for the GOP nomination in 2000. But he said the 2008 run for the Oval Office was not his battle.

It’s not about me. I’ve done my bit, Bush said.

Addressing the calls for change in the presidential campaign, Bush said McCain would be steadfast to one of his administration’s policies.

He’s not gonna change when it comes to taking on the enemy, Bush said of the senator from Arizona.

Protecting the American people was the No. 1 job of a president and McCain understood that, Bush said.

He’s gonna be a president who will bring determination to defeat an enemy, Bush said.

McCain clinched the GOP presidential nomination with victories Tuesday in Ohio, Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island. Watch McCain say how he will prevail in the fall

McCain needed 1,191 delegates to secure the nomination and had 1,226 after Tuesday’s voting, according to CNN estimates.

McCain said with the nomination secured, he would begin exploring possible running mates.

He also said he called both Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and pledged a respectful campaign no matter who wins the Democratic nomination.

Before Wednesday’s event at the White House, both Republicans and their Democratic opponents expressed excitement about the possibilities of Bush endorsing McCain.

Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas said McCain can now focus on solidifying support among conservative Republicans, the majority of whom backed candidates other than the Arizona lawmaker in the primaries, according to exit polls.

I think the endorsement of President Bush will certainly go a long ways toward that, Hutchison said Wednesday. John McCain is going to be very focused on our base and the people that he wants to have in full force behind him. Watch Bush greet McCain at the White House

Despite overall approval ratings hovering just above 30 percent, Bush receives far higher marks from conservatives, and the McCain campaign thinks the push from Bush will bring the party in line behind their presumptive nominee.

He’ll have the [Republican National Committee] behind him. He’ll have a broad base of financial support. It’s a big step, said Alex Castellanos, a GOP strategist and CNN contributor.

A senior administration official concurred Wednesday, saying Bush will raise a lot of money for McCain.

He is extremely popular with the GOP base, the official said. And so can do a lot to drive the base in the election, which will help across the board.

William Bennett, a CNN contributor who was in the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Reagan, said Clinton and Obama will have to factor McCain into their strategies to secure the Democratic nomination, something that should help the Republican define whomever becomes his November foe.

They have to factor that in as they debate each other every time they put out an ad and make a position, Bennett said.

But Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Paul Begala said his party is happy to see McCain get the nomination — and happy to see anything the senator does that links him more closely with the Republican president.

He’s embraced the Bush tax cuts that he voted against. He was against them being temporary; now he wants them being permanent. That’s like marrying a girl you didn’t want to date. He is rushed to Bush’s Social Security plan, even disavowing his own Social Security plan on his own Web site. He has now become Bush’s third term, Begala said.

Begala called McCain’s victory speech Tuesday night an eloquent but not very energetic defense of the status quo. Watch McCain speak to supporters after clinching the nomination

Democrats heard that speech and loved it, he said. To quote our current president, bring it on.
found here.

Clinton: Campaign has ‘turned a corner’

(CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton Wednesday said her campaign had turned a corner with dramatic wins in Ohio and Texas Tuesday night.

She also hinted she would consider a joint ticket with her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama.

The New York Democrat broke a 12-contest winning streak by Obama.

Clinton also won Rhode Island, while Obama won Vermont. Clinton’s victories mean the Democratic race will continue at least through the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. Watch a preview of the fight ahead

The next two Democratic contests are the Wyoming caucuses on Saturday and the Mississippi primary on March 11.

Clinton attributed her wins to the belief of voters that she would be the best candidate to protect the nation and that she could go toe- to-toe on national security issues with John McCain. CNN’s political team weighs in on the results

McCain locked up the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night by winning Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.

People who voted a month ago didn’t know who the Republican nominee was going to be. They didn’t perhaps factor in that it will be about national security because, indeed, with Senator McCain, that’s what it will be about, Clinton told CNN Wednesday. Watch Clinton say she can beat McCain

I have a lifetime of experience. Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience. Senator Obama’s campaign is about one speech he made in 2002, she said, referring to the Illinois Democrat’s speech in which he announced his opposition to the then-pending invasion of Iraq.

Obama on Wednesday challenged Clinton’s claim that her experience better prepared her to be the commander in chief.

In fact, Senator Clinton hasn’t cited any particular experience that makes her prepared to make that — to make that call, Obama said. When her advisers were asked about it, there was a deafening silence.

Despite the heated back-and-forth over the last few months, Clinton Wednesday hinted that she would be open to a Clinton-Obama ticket in the fall.

Well, that may, you know, be where this is headed, Clinton told CBS Wednesday. But, of course, we have to decide who’s on top of the ticket, and I think that the people of Ohio very clearly said that it should be me.

Obama, who won the Vermont primary, had built up a lead in the delegate count before Tuesday. He leads Clinton in delegates 1,451 to 1,365, CNN estimates. A candidate needs 2,025 national convention delegates to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

The Illinois Democrat said Wednesday the results do not fundamentally change the race.

It goes to Wyoming and Mississippi, which we’ve got coming up this week, and then on to Pennsylvania and a series of other states — North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, he told CNN Wednesday. We are confident that after last night … we end up emerging with essentially the same delegate count that we had going in and feel confident that we’re going to be able to go on to the nomination. Watch Obama say what he’s focused on now

Delegate-rich Texas and Ohio were considered must-wins to keep Clinton’s campaign alive.

In Ohio, Clinton received 54 percent of the vote compared with 44 percent for Obama. See county-by-county results in Ohio

In the Texas primary, she won with 51 percent of the vote compared to 48 percent for Obama.

Those figures were based on 99 percent of the precincts reporting in both states.

Texas also held Democratic caucuses Tuesday, but the results were too close to call.

Tuesday night was a historic one for McCain, who swept all four Republican contests on Tuesday to become his party’s presumptive nominee. Read about McCain’s victory

McCain primary wins gave him more than the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination.

I am very, very grateful and pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a great sense of responsibility, that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States, McCain told supporters Tuesday night. Watch McCain claim victory

Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race after the results came in.

It’s now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been, but now what must be — and that is a united party, Huckabee told a crowd in Dallas. Watch Huckabee bow out

McCain is slated to go to the White House on Wednesday to receive the endorsement of President Bush.

The Arizona senator’s campaign — his second run for the White House — was largely written off for dead last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party’s conservative base, a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising.
found here.

Clinton wins key primaries, CNN projects; McCain clinches nod

(CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton got her campaign back on track with projected wins in the Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries.

Delegate-rich Texas and Ohio were considered must-wins for her campaign.

In Ohio, Clinton received 54 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Clinton’s Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama.

In the Texas primary, she won with 51 pecent of the vote compared to 48 percent for Obama.

Those figures were based on 99 percent of the precincts reporting in both states.

Obama, who claimed victory in Vermont, had won 12 straight contests since Super Tuesday on February 5.

Texas also held Democratic caucuses Tuesday, but it was too close to declare a winner.

For everyone here in Ohio and across America who’s been ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and never gives up — this one is for you, Clinton said before supporters in Columbus.

You know what they say, she said. As Ohio goes, so goes the nation. Well, this nation’s coming back and so is this campaign.

Obama congratulated Clinton on her victories but downplayed his losses. CNN’s political team weighs in on the results

We know this: No matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we had this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination, Obama told supporters in Texas.

Sen. John McCain swept all four Republican contests on Tuesday to become his party’s presumptive nominee. Read about McCain’s victory

McCain won primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, giving him more than the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination.

I am very, very grateful and pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a great sense of responsibility, that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States, McCain told supporters Tuesday night. Watch McCain claim victory

Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race after the results came in.

It’s now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been, but now what must be — and that is a united party, Huckabee told a crowd in Dallas. Watch Huckabee bow out

McCain is slated to go to the White House on Wednesday to receive the endorsement of President Bush, according to two Republican sources.

The Arizona senator’s campaign — his second run for the White House — was largely written off for dead last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party’s conservative base, a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising.

But McCain said earlier Tuesday that he was confident he would emerge as the presumptive nominee by the end of the night.

McCain overwhelmingly won moderates and conservatives in Ohio, but he lost the evangelical vote to Huckabee, according to exit polls.

Obama’s campaign pressed to extend voting by one hour in two Ohio counties. See county-by-county results in Ohio

Due to reports of ballot shortages in Cuyahoga and Franklin counties, we requested a voting extension in those counties, said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

A judge ruled to keep parts of Cuyahoga county open an extra hour.

In Texas, Clinton held a two-to-one advantage over Obama with Hispanic voters, while Obama had the overwhelming advantage with black voters in the state’s Democratic primary, according to CNN’s exit poll. See county-by-county results in Texas

Eighty-three percent of blacks voted for Obama, while 16 percent supported Clinton, according to the exit poll.

Meanwhile, 64 percent of Hispanics backed Clinton, while 32 percent went for Obama.

Early exit polls indicate a distinct age gap in both states.

Obama appealed most strongly to younger voters while older voters favored Clinton. Among Ohio Democratic primary voters aged 17 to 29, 65 percent went for Obama, and 34 percent went for Clinton. Among those age 60 and older, Clinton led Obama 67-31 percent.

The same pattern held true in early exit polling from the Texas Democratic primary. Among voters aged 18 to 29, Obama led Clinton 61-39 percent, and among voters 60 and older, Clinton led Obama 63- 36 percent.

Poll workers in Collin County, near Dallas, estimated that nearly three-quarters of the Democratic voters would participate in the Democratic caucuses to be held after the polls close.

In an unusual system, the 193 delegates that Texas will send to the Democratic National Convention will be split between Obama and Clinton according to the results of both the primary and the caucuses.

State party officials say the dual primary/caucus system promotes participation in the party. Both Clinton and Obama have encouraged supporters to do the Texas two-step and vote in both events.

Obama came into the day with momentum on his side. He had 1,378 pledged delegates and superdelegates to Clinton’s 1,269.

Neither candidate is close to the 2,025 needed to win the Democratic nomination.

Former President Bill Clinton said in February that if his wife won Ohio and Texas, she’d go on to win the nomination.
found here.

Clinton makes comeback in Ohio, CNN projects

(CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton claimed victory in Ohio, a state considered a must-win for her campaign.

Clinton earlier broke Barack Obama’s 12-contest winning streak with her victory in Rhode Island.

For everyone here in Ohio and across America who’s been ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and never gives up — this one is for you, Clinton said before supporters in Columbus.

You know what they say, she said. As Ohio goes, so goes the nation. Well, this nation’s coming back and so is this campaign.

Obama was projected to take Vermont, but the contest in Texas was too close to call.

Obama congratulated Clinton on her victories but downplayed his losses.

We know this: No matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we had this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination, Obama told supporters in Texas.

Sen. John McCain swept all four Republican contests on Tuesday to become his party’s presumptive nominee. Read about McCain’s victory

McCain won primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, giving him more than the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination.

I am very, very grateful and pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a great sense of responsibility, that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States, McCain told supporters Tuesday night. Watch McCain claim victory

Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race after the results came in.

It’s now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been, but now what must be — and that is a united party, Huckabee told a crowd in Dallas. Watch Huckabee bow out

McCain is slated to go to the White House on Wednesday to receive the endorsement of President Bush, according to two Republican sources.

The Arizona senator’s campaign — his second run for the White House — was largely written off for dead last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party’s conservative base, a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising.

But McCain said earlier Tuesday that he was confident he would emerge as the presumptive nominee by the end of the night.

McCain overwhelmingly won moderates and conservatives in Ohio, but he lost the evangelical vote to Huckabee, according to exit polls.

Obama’s campaign pressed to extend voting by one hour in two Ohio counties. See county-by-county results in Ohio

Due to reports of ballot shortages in Cuyahoga and Franklin counties, we requested a voting extension in those counties, said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

A judge ruled to keep parts of Cuyahoga county open an extra hour.

In Texas, Clinton holds a two-to-one advantage over Obama with Hispanic voters, while Obama has the overwhelming advantage with black voters in the state’s Democratic primary, according to CNN’s exit poll. See county-by-county results in Texas

These early surveys provide a snapshot of the race, but are not conclusive on who will win the critical contest.

Eighty-three percent of blacks voted for Obama, while 16 percent supported Clinton, according to the exit poll.

Meanwhile, 64 percent of Hispanics backed Clinton, while 32 percent went for Obama.

Early exit polls indicate a distinct age gap in both states.

Obama appeals most strongly to younger voters while older voters favor Clinton. Among Ohio Democratic primary voters aged 17 to 29, 65 percent went for Obama, and 34 percent went for Clinton. Among those age 60 and older, Clinton leads Obama 67-31 percent.

The same pattern holds true in early exit polling from the Texas Democratic primary. Among voters aged 18 to 29, Obama leads Clinton 61-39 percent, and among voters 60 and older, Clinton leads Obama 63- 36 percent.

Steady streams of people cast ballots in Tuesday’s contests, and officials in the delegate-rich states of Ohio and Texas said they expect record turnouts.

Despite freezing rain in northern Ohio and bad weather elsewhere in the state, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner estimated that as many as 52 percent of registered voters might go to the polls, 15 percentage points higher than the average of past presidential primaries.

Three polling stations in Jefferson County in eastern Ohio were relocated Tuesday because of flooding that could have prevented people from voting, election officials said.

County residents unable to get to their designated polling places because of bad weather were given the option of casting provisional ballots Tuesday in Steubenville, the county seat, at the offices of the Board of Elections, officials said. The board has to verify those ballots by March 25. See scenes from Tuesday’s voting

I-Reporter Bruce Goldberg reported long lines at the polls in Grapevine, Texas. When he voted at 7:20 a.m., he said 70 people had already voted in the Democratic primary.

There’s usually a big line of Republicans and nobody at the Democratic table at the primary, he said. When I walked in this morning, there were a lot of cars out, and it was the complete opposite.

Poll workers in Collin County, near Dallas, also reported high turnout for the Democratic primary. The Dallas Morning News called Collin one of the most Republican counties in the state.

Poll workers there estimated that nearly three-quarters of the Democratic voters would participate in the Democratic caucuses to be held after the polls close.

In an unusual system, the 193 delegates that Texas will send to the Democratic National Convention will be split between Obama and Clinton according to the results of both the primary and the caucuses.

State party officials say the dual primary/caucus system promotes participation in the party. Both Clinton and Obama have encouraged supporters to do the Texas two-step and vote in both events.

Obama comes into the day with momentum on his side. He has 1,378 pledged delegates and superdelegates to Clinton’s 1,269.

Neither candidate is close to the 2,025 needed to win the Democratic nomination. Clinton and Obama will be competing for 370 delegates Tuesday. Texas and Ohio, which has 141 delegates, will be the biggest prizes. Allocate delegates yourself and see how the numbers add up

Former President Bill Clinton said in February that if his wife wins Ohio and Texas, she’ll go on to win the nomination.
found here.

Clinton makes comeback in Ohio, CNN projects

(CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton claimed victory in Ohio, a state considered a must-win for her campaign.

Clinton earlier broke Barack Obama’s 12-contest winning streak with her victory in Rhode Island.

For everyone here in Ohio and across America who’s been ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and never gives up — this one is for you, Clinton said before supporters in Columbus.

You know what they say, she said. As Ohio goes, so goes the nation. Well, this nation’s coming back and so is this campaign.

Obama was projected to take Vermont, but the contest in Texas was too close to call.

Obama congratulated Clinton on her victories but downplayed his losses.

We know this: No matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we had this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination, Obama told supporters in Texas.

Sen. John McCain swept all four Republican contests on Tuesday to become his party’s presumptive nominee. Read about McCain’s victory

McCain won primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, giving him more than the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination.

I am very, very grateful and pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a great sense of responsibility, that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States, McCain told supporters Tuesday night. Watch McCain claim victory

Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race after the results came in.

It’s now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been, but now what must be — and that is a united party, Huckabee told a crowd in Dallas. Watch Huckabee bow out

McCain is slated to go to the White House on Wednesday to receive the endorsement of President Bush, according to two Republican sources.

The Arizona senator’s campaign — his second run for the White House — was largely written off for dead last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party’s conservative base, a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising.

But McCain said earlier Tuesday that he was confident he would emerge as the presumptive nominee by the end of the night.

McCain overwhelmingly won moderates and conservatives in Ohio, but he lost the evangelical vote to Huckabee, according to exit polls.

Obama’s campaign pressed to extend voting by one hour in two Ohio counties. See county-by-county results in Ohio

Due to reports of ballot shortages in Cuyahoga and Franklin counties, we requested a voting extension in those counties, said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

A judge ruled to keep parts of Cuyahoga county open an extra hour.

In Texas, Clinton holds a two-to-one advantage over Obama with Hispanic voters, while Obama has the overwhelming advantage with black voters in the state’s Democratic primary, according to CNN’s exit poll. See county-by-county results in Texas

These early surveys provide a snapshot of the race, but are not conclusive on who will win the critical contest.

Eighty-three percent of blacks voted for Obama, while 16 percent supported Clinton, according to the exit poll.

Meanwhile, 64 percent of Hispanics backed Clinton, while 32 percent went for Obama.

Early exit polls indicate a distinct age gap in both states.

Obama appeals most strongly to younger voters while older voters favor Clinton. Among Ohio Democratic primary voters aged 17 to 29, 65 percent went for Obama, and 34 percent went for Clinton. Among those age 60 and older, Clinton leads Obama 67-31 percent.

The same pattern holds true in early exit polling from the Texas Democratic primary. Among voters aged 18 to 29, Obama leads Clinton 61-39 percent, and among voters 60 and older, Clinton leads Obama 63- 36 percent.

Steady streams of people cast ballots in Tuesday’s contests, and officials in the delegate-rich states of Ohio and Texas said they expect record turnouts.

Despite freezing rain in northern Ohio and bad weather elsewhere in the state, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner estimated that as many as 52 percent of registered voters might go to the polls, 15 percentage points higher than the average of past presidential primaries.

Three polling stations in Jefferson County in eastern Ohio were relocated Tuesday because of flooding that could have prevented people from voting, election officials said.

County residents unable to get to their designated polling places because of bad weather were given the option of casting provisional ballots Tuesday in Steubenville, the county seat, at the offices of the Board of Elections, officials said. The board has to verify those ballots by March 25. See scenes from Tuesday’s voting

I-Reporter Bruce Goldberg reported long lines at the polls in Grapevine, Texas. When he voted at 7:20 a.m., he said 70 people had already voted in the Democratic primary.

There’s usually a big line of Republicans and nobody at the Democratic table at the primary, he said. When I walked in this morning, there were a lot of cars out, and it was the complete opposite.

Poll workers in Collin County, near Dallas, also reported high turnout for the Democratic primary. The Dallas Morning News called Collin one of the most Republican counties in the state.

Poll workers there estimated that nearly three-quarters of the Democratic voters would participate in the Democratic caucuses to be held after the polls close.

In an unusual system, the 193 delegates that Texas will send to the Democratic National Convention will be split between Obama and Clinton according to the results of both the primary and the caucuses.

State party officials say the dual primary/caucus system promotes participation in the party. Both Clinton and Obama have encouraged supporters to do the Texas two-step and vote in both events.

Obama comes into the day with momentum on his side. He has 1,378 pledged delegates and superdelegates to Clinton’s 1,269.

Neither candidate is close to the 2,025 needed to win the Democratic nomination. Clinton and Obama will be competing for 370 delegates Tuesday. Texas and Ohio, which has 141 delegates, will be the biggest prizes. Allocate delegates yourself and see how the numbers add up

Former President Bill Clinton said in February that if his wife wins Ohio and Texas, she’ll go on to win the nomination.
found here.