Granite Slate

NH Debates to exclude some

   You must be this tall to enter this ride. And so, as expected, ABC News and WMUR are limiting the number of presidential candidates who will debate Saturday in Manchester. It goes against the spirit of the New Hampshire Primary, state party leaders complain. The TV folks, as first reported by John DiStaso in the Union Leader Fox, ABC limit debates, say debaters must place in the top four in the Iowa caucuses, reach at least 5 percent in one of the recent NH polls and reach at least 5 percent in one of the recent national polls. This could be bad news for Republican Ron Paul and Democrats Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich.

Foes: Mitt a dishonest pig

  The Republican scramble the past 24 hours finds Mike Huckabee calling Mitt Romney "dishonest" regarding his record and John McCain referring to Romney as a pig. The Globe's Michael Kranish, on McCain's bus yesterday, asked how McCain would respond to Romney's increasing attacks Globe report. McCain replied, "Never get into a wrestling match with a pig. You both get dirty -- and the pig likes it." McCain has response ads, of course, which cite his many New Hampshire newspaper endorsements, the most recent being the Concord Monitor and the Nashua Telegraph. The Monitor and the Union Leader endorsements of McCain counter the newspapers' stinging critiques of Romney as a phony, say-anything candidate. The McCain ad, Romney said yesterday, was "nasty." The primary mud season is here. The candidates may wallow with glee.

They Ask Mitt Anything

   Familiarity Breeds Contempt, Part II: Mitt Romney flashes a million-dollar smile and "favorite son" status as a neighbor to the first-in-the-nation primary, but he cannot outrun some of his old critics on the campaign trail. With the Boston media market casting a long shadow, Granite Staters know who he is, what he has done, and what he has not done. The AP's Glen Johnson reported this week the former Massachusetts governor was grilled by a couple of people in Merrimack on how or why his former lieutenant governor, Kerry Healey, was trounced by Democrat Deval Patrick for governor in 2006. Healey was either a horrible candidate or ran a bad campaign. Or so Romney seemed to say. Here's what Romney had to say: "I think the endorsement of a candidate for the person that follows them is important, but I must admit, overwhelmingly, the most important is the candidate – him or herself – and their campaign."

Sierra Club's Bright Idea

  No longer content just to educate voters -- and presidential candidates -- the New Hampshire Sierra Club is making a difference one light bulb at a time. On the campaign trail, volunteers are handing out the usual fliers on environmental issues, such as global warming. They are also handing out compact fluorescent light bulbs. Sierra gave away a number of the pig-tailed bulbs last night at John McCain's event in Manchester. If every American home replaced just one bulb with the more energy efficient variety it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes a year and save more than $600 million in energy costs a year, according to EnergyStar.gov. And it would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars. No word from Uncle Sam on how much greenhouse gases could be prevented by McCain retiring his big bus, the Straight Talk Express.

Bill Clinton closing argument

  Bill Clinton is back in New Hampshire to deliver a closing argument for his wife. The 42nd president is in Nashua, Dover and Portsmouth today. The campaign theme du jour: Time to Pick a President. Seriously, that's it. The campaign swing days 10 days before the New Hampshire Primary can only mean one thing: the Clinton's sense a race that's too close for comfort.

Romney and McCain Tangle

   Could this week's ad wars between Mitt Romney and John McCain fueling the candidacies of Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson? The Globe raises that question today Romney runs attack ad / McCain responds in kind, quoting from New Hampshire veteran strategist Dave Carney and UNH pollster Andrew Smith. McCain fired back last night Another Mass. Governor campaigns with McCain, as did surrogate Jane Swift campaigning alongside him. Ten days to go.

Romney Responsible for Killer?

    Killer On The Loose story still has legs, unfortunately for Mitt Romney. The Boston Herald has a story today citing correctional sources that the former one-term Massachusetts governor could have done more to keep convicted killer Daniel Tavares in prison before he was freed last summer and later killed newlyweds in Washington State Probe: Mitt missed chance to keep Tavares jailed / Could have nixed killer's early exit. If this is Romney's Dukakis Moment, it's an awful long 60 seconds. It's one more thing the Republican presidential hopeful, who leads in recent polls, has to defend against or answer to in the days before the New Hampshire Primary on Jan. 8. For much of his last year in office, Romney was busy traveling around the country, building the foundation for his presidential run. This is what people do when they run for office. Bill Richardson's doing it now. Howard Dean did it in 2002-04. George W. Bush did it in 1999-2000. If Romney spent more time on Beacon Hill, would he have been able to make a difference? His campaign, pressed by Herald reporter Casey Ross, referred questions to the state prison system.

Obama On NH Upswing

   Maybe this isn't Clinton Country, after all. A new poll coming out shows openings in Hillary Clinton's once formidable Granite State armor, with Barack Obama surging LA Times: Obama Up. Obama can squeeze some more hope from the recent endorsement by the Nashua Telegraph Obama can end decades of division. The Telegraph endorsement is unique. It sets a high mark for the media: It includes the one-hour video of Obama's editorial board meeting, so voters can decide for themselves.

McCain thrives on Pluck, Luck

  The Path to Victory, John McCain says in an email to supporters, begins with an "optimistic" finish in the lead-off caucus in Iowa a week from today and New Hampshire coming through again for the maverick on Jan. 8. McCain, who's edging in on Mitt Romney's poll lead in New Hampshire, says he's well-positioned to win Michigan -- the state where Romney grew up and where his dad served as governor. That may sound optimistic to some, but the McCain campaign notes that independents can vote in that state's GOP Primary, a boost given the lack of a competitive Democratic Primary on the 15th. He hopes South Carolina's base of military and veteran voters rally to his cause on the 19th. Then there's Florida on Jan. 29, what is almost considered a jump ball for the candidates. McCain makes no guarantees in the email, or anything like Romney saying he must win Iowa and New Hampshire. Super Tuesday? The 2008 cycle is looking more like Super January.

Clinton Women Up For Grabs

   The telling sign of a close Democratic race:  Hillary Clinton holds manicured photo ops with rooms full of women. She says a few words, of course, but the image inevitably is, as AP reports, You Go Girl. She's shoring up her base Clinton Appeals to Women. But her campaign knows these source voters are not all lined up to cast a ballot for her, regardless of gender and the history in the making. Those polls showing her with a big lead among women? Well, it's of a ridiculously small sample of New Hampshire women. Political observers also track support by campaign donations. As we reported previously, Barack Obama has more female contributors. As usual, this is going to come down to who gets out the vote.    

Clinton takes cue from Condi

   Back to the Iraq war, a subject missing on the campaign trail of late, Hillary Clinton tells the Concord Monitor she relied on Condi Rice for information supporting her vote to authorize war in 2002 Primary Monitor. The Monitor inquired of the pre-vote spin, in which the Democratic presidential hopeful was caught, and whether she listened to Colin Powell that the resolution was a vote to avoid war rather than a vote for war. She said: It was Condi Rice. "Condi Rice told me specifically when I was still weighing all of the evidence, and I had been to the White House one last time," the Monitor reports on its blog. Her presidential rivals should have fun with this one.

New NH Calls Target Clinton

   Hillary Clinton's candidacy in New Hampshire is under attack in new round of robo-calls. The caller for Common Sense Issues, which bills itself as a 501 (c)(4) lobbying organization, raises questions about whether the Bush-Clinton dynasty is poisoning American democracy. There's no reference to any other politician. The message left on my machine just now asks, "Does the fact that America has had a Bush or Clinton in the White House for 27 consecutive years concern you? Is it time for a change?" This is the same group linked to Republican Mike Huckabee, and alleged push-poll calls that are designed to tout one candidate while plunging a dagger into an opponent.

Endorsements Timely Gifts

    Score one for Rudy Giuliani. The Foster's Daily Democrat endorsed him yesterday, referring to him as a Reagan Republican Giuliani is our Choice. John McCain landed another major endorsement, this time from the Boston Herald Choice is Clear: McCain's the One. Democrat Barack Obama won the backing of the Portsmouth Herald and the Valley News. The Herald Vote for Obama says, "He is the 21st century candidate the country needs."

Cry, Cry Again

  It wouldn't be a presidential primary without a candidate crying. The press is all over Republican Mitt Romney for getting emotional a couple times in the past week Cry me a river, Mitt, once speaking about his religion being more inclusive and once describing a soldier's coffin being returned from the war Real Men Can Cry -- Just not in Public. It all goes back to Sen. Edmund Muskie in 1972, when he challenged William Loeb, the late publisher of the Union Leader, for his critical editorials. Here's how David Broder described it:

   "With tears streaming down his face and his voice choked with emotion, Senator Edmund S. Muskie (D-Maine) stood in the snow outside the Manchester Union Leader this morning and accused its publisher of making vicious attacks on him and his wife, Jane. ... In defending his wife, Muskie broke down three times in as many minutes -- uttering a few words and then standing silent in the near blizzard, rubbing at his face, his shoulders heaving, while he attempted to regain his composure sufficiently to speak."

   It's been dredged up time and again since: Did he or did he not cry? And, in the political realm, whether or not it makes a candidate look weak or human. For Romney, some of the spin went, it made him look less robotic. And so on. It's a slippery slope, regardless of gender and the tear-producing issue Yes, there's crying in politics. In 2004, I stood quietly by at MaryAnn's Diner in Derry, as Democrat John Kerry teared up. A genuine moment for his supporters, however, was cast as crocodile tears in several articles. In that campaign moment 35 years ago, Muskie said he wasn't crying. He said he had snowflakes in his eyes. He wasn't melting down; the snowflakes were. Whatever. But the candidates should know, New Hampshire has a few more snow storms before the first primary ballots are cast Jan. 8.

Richardson's Second Chance

   His tongue stuck out like Michael Jordan. Cradling a Red Sox bowling ball in his hands, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson stared down the lane and then 1-2-3 he hurled the orb down the alley. Poowwww! The pins exploded. Only a few of them dropped. His second ball somehow found a gutter. His third shot went right down the middle. It was a real beauty. But it was no good for this straight-shooter because the middle pins were already taken out. Richardson, the entire crowd at Bowl-O-Rama in Portsmouth watching, shrugged and went on introducing himself to bowlers. He got plenty of cheers. Votes? Well, we shall see. Supporters hailed his experience, saying he's the most qualified candidate of either party. Tonight, Richardson was clearly out to convert a few faithful. One vote, one pew, one lane at a time.

   "Hey," Richardson said as he signed an autograph for one woman, "give me a chance."

Kingpin Richardson to Throw Rocks Tonight

   Bill Richardson is expected to bowl a few frames tonight at Bowl-A-Rama in Portsmouth. Let's just hope it's not a League night because, well, This is not Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.

  This bowling stop could be just what the New Mexico governor needs to bolster his campaign. He is still trying to wedge his way into the big three of Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Running as positive campaign as he can, Richardson makes progress one roll at a time.

   First meeting Richardson last spring, I thought his warmth and experience would combine to make him the one to watch. But in a Democratic field where senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd are struggling to capture attention, it's tough to break out. Richardson, arguably, is one of the most experienced candidates in the race. His bio on his Web site requires six chapters. He served as congressman, energy secretary, UN ambassador and a governor. In either party's line-up, you'd think his Latino heritage would be a plus. And it just might be, what with the Nevada caucus right after the New Hampshire Primary. He's hovering around 10 percent in recent NH polls and his skill at campaigning really shows. But at the end of the day, too often, it just seems like he's bowling alone. We'll see tonight.

Thompson the Invisible Man

   Fred Thompson is putting up reputable numbers in some national polls. But it's a different tale in New Hampshire. That latest UNH poll Romney keeps lead, McCain claims second has Thompson at 1 percent, alongside Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter. The big news is John McCain's resurgence: He's captured second behind Mitt Romney. Then it's Rudy Giuliani at 16 percent, Mike Huckabee at 10 percent and Ron Paul at 5 percent. But 1 percent for Thompson has got to hurt. As the pollster reports, though: It is important to remember that this poll reflects current levels of support and that the race could change dramatically in the coming weeks.

Clinton rebounds, Dodd missing

   A week after showing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in a statistical tie in New Hampshire, the University of New Hampshire Survey Center releases a poll today showing Clinton leading 38 percent to 26 percent Clinton Regains Lead. A 12-point swing in a matter of days? That's curious, all right. But as pollster Andrew Smith has said, it remains a fluid race. John Edwards was third with 14 percent, followed by Bill Richardson at 8 percent. Dennis Kucinich and Joe Biden were each at 2 percent. What about Chris Dodd, the veteran statesman? He didn't register in the poll, a stunning result that can't really reflect what's happening on the ground in New Hampshire.

   Can it?

DNC Fires Away at McCain

   With his latest ad, John McCain earns a new bashing from the DNC. The Howard Dean-ocrats have fired away consistently at Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. The new McCain ad, with his surge in New Hampshire, expands the target on his back. The DNC response today says McCain "offers third Bush term on Iraq."

   Every step of the way, the DNC charges, "John McCain has parroted President Bush's rhetoric on the war."

The Politics of Hello

   The candidates try to cover all the bases. Campaign stops are scripted. Speeches nuanced into policy pretzels. In their polish, they are careful not to offend anyone. Over beers last night, a fellow journalist remarked how the candidates choose their words. Did you ever notice, he said, how so few of these guys say good to meet you? They don't want to offend anyone if they've met before and they cannot remember. What do they say? Often, it's a version of good to see you. So with that next handshake, listen to what the candidate says -- or, how they say it.

Thoughts on Slots

   More thoughts on slots: Revenues failed to meet projections at a prominent Connecticut casino, according to published reports circulated by the Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling, aka The Coalition of the Unwilling. The report notes a 3 percent drop in slot revenue at Mohegan Sun. Bottom line, Jim Rubens of NoSlots.com tells New Hampshire legislators, is the Northeast market is already saturated with slot machines and revenues are in decline. 

"The Foster's" backs Clinton

    In one of the most artful endorsements you'll read this Primary season, Foster's Daily Democrat today throws its weight behind Democrat Hillary Clinton Clinton Tops Field Among Democrats. The newspaper calls Clinton an experienced leader, a consensus builder and a healer. "She knows what has to be done to repair the schism that has been cleaved between the United States and its traditional allies," the editorial says. "She knows diplomacy is the first and most desirable means of settling international disputes, just as she knows domestic differences are best resolved by people who work hard to reach common ground." The Foster's, as loyal readers call the paper with a great New Hampshire accent (drop that R folks), will endorse a Republican tomorrow. For Clinton, it's a classic two-fer: Its sister paper, The Citizen of Laconia, carries the same endorsement.

Women divided on Clinton, Obama

   When it comes to political donations, women are giving about the same to Democratic presidential leaders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton is airing television ads featuring her mother and daughter, a clear play for the women vote. And Obama is stumping around with the likes of Oprah. But the Center for Responsive Politics, offering a gender breakout for contributions, shows Clinton getting 44.1 percent and Obama 42.7 percent. Obama had more women contributors, according to the 3rd Quarter fiscal analysis, 18,882 to 16,018. Clinton, though, had more rich women on her side. The totals are for donors whose gender could be determined by the center.

The World According to AARP

   Divided We Fail, Undecided We Go. Likely voters are likely to change their minds, according to AARP's Divided We Fail campaign. The series reports today that nearly 7 in 10 Republican voters and 6 in 10 Democratic voters are likely to change their presidential candidate preference. Pocketbook issues weigh on the minds of the New Hampshire voters surveyed with the Jan. 8 New Hampshire Primary around the corner, says Kelly Clark, state director for AARP.

Patrick: Casinos no Gamble for Bay State

    Gov. Deval Patrick puts in a plug for slots. He contends casinos will not devastate Massachusetts, and gambling has enriched the commonwealth since the Founder Fathers. The Globe reports Patrick, a supporter of Barack Obama, noted in testimony today on Beacon Hill that lotteries were used to finance the Revolution Patrick: Casinos won't change history of Massachusetts. Is this another domino falling for the opposition? It's not just a Massachusetts issue. Friends and foes of expanded gambling in New Hampshire say casinos in the Bay State increase the chance of slot machines north of the border. In 1964, New Hampshire established the first state lottery, which has since raised more than $930 million for public education. That has made, as the New Hampshire Lottery Commission crows, "the children of New Hampshire the biggest winners of all." Texas Hold 'Em has now taken root here, with proceeds dedicated to charities. Slots and casino-style games of chance are the next bet on the legislative table. Like Patrick's testimony, the debate in New Hampshire is packed with nuance and historical footnotes. It's not about gambling, both sides fully understand. It's about whether or not to allow expansion of gambling. Hence, the name of the powerful anti-casino group, Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling.

The King and the NH Primary

    Will The King perform in one of America's first political acts of democracy? Democratic presidential hopeful Caroline P. Killeen is advising New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner to arrange some Elvis impersonators to bolster voter turnout in the New Hampshire Primary on Jan. 8. It is, of course, the birthday of Elvis Presley, the undisputed King of rock 'n' roll. Killeen, aka the Hemp Lady, offered her advice during a fringe candidates' forum last week. It was held, appropriately enough for this subject, in glorious Manch-Vegas.

Fee-Fee Romney?

   While its candidates slug it out in Iowa and New Hampshire, the Democratic National Committee is firing away at Republicans Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. The DNC pokes fun of Giuliani's campaign for supposedly giving up on New Hampshire, so it says. It mocks Romney for changing his positions and claiming to be tough on taxes when, during his term as Massachusetts governor, he increased fees to balance the state budget. It also cites published reports Romney built up his considerable wealth by investing in off-shore companies to avoid paying U.S. taxes. The DNC says Romney's reliance on fees earned him the moniker "Fee-Fee" in the Bay State. Fee-Fee? Maybe in those liberal second- and third- floor offices on Beacon Hill ...

McCain Camp Predicts Victory

   "We're gonna win," John McCain campaign manager Rick Davis predicts, in an email to supporters last night. The email celebrates the candidate's recent endorsements, including the support from former Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman. "We are grateful for these endorsements as they only serve to validate what we have known all along; that John McCain is going to win the Republican nomination and the presidency."

"Money Bombing" NH

   The Ron Paul campaign pocketed about $5.4 million yesterday, and counting, as part of its Boston Tea Party fund-raiser. But the other story here is the number of people who have relocated to New Hampshire to canvas for the Libertarian-leaning Republican, such as Trevor Lyman, a boot-strap money-bomber who settled in Manchester recently from the Sunshine State. One small step for the cause. One more NH Primary vote for Paul.

Portsmouth Herald and Globe support McCain

   The straight-talking John McCain, for his style and substance, won additional newspaper endorsements today. Seacoast Media Group, parent of the Portsmouth Herald, cites his leadership. "Sen. John McCain will tell you the truth, even if it costs him the election," the editorial says Vote Sen. McCain. The Boston Globe endorsed Republican McCain and Democrat Barack Obama McCain, Obama. McCain, the Globe says, "has done more than his share to transcend partisanship and promote an honest discussion of the problems facing the United States," while Obama would be "a president with an intuitive sense of the wider world." McCain already won support from the New Hampshire Union Leader. It may help as he seeks to be a contender.

Ron Paul and his Armed Forces

   Army men and women love Ron Paul. There's just no getting around it. The Center for Responsive Politics reports that Google is the Republican presidential candidate's top contributor, with $22,250. In this analysis, it's not the organizations themselves that donate, it's their individuals, owners or families. The U.S. Army was second with $21,018, the U.S. Navy third with $14,105. The U.S. Air Force, through its members, gave $10,950. The interesting thing, of course, is Ron Paul is the only Republican to call for immediately pulling troops out of Iraq.

Critics: Huckabee a President Charles Logan

   Having met Mike Huckabee face-to-face on the campaign trail, having seen him in debates and acting cheeky alongside Chuck Norris, it always seemed like I knew him from somewhere. And then, in a flash, it dawned on me: I know him from the FOX TV show "24." At times, Huckabee looks like President Charles Logan, the sweet-hearted energy company executive turned politician (only later in the series do viewers learn he's evil). The Newsweek cover this week helps elevate the former governor of Arkansas. It also shows his rivals and critics, quite naturally, are taking a closer look at his record, from his Southern Baptist teachings to his ethics and the number of pardons he granted while governor. In short, they're trying to make him out to be President Logan.

Ray Buckley still believes in Santa Claus

  Some fights are just not worth picking. NH Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley offers a fine example today, then rushes out of his corner bare-knuckle swinging. Buckley today called on his Republican counterpart to condemn neocon talk show host Michael Savage (left) for attacking the New Hampshire Primary. According to Buckley, (top right) who is apparently a long-time listener to the Savage Nation program, Savage called the early nominating schedule a relic. "A bunch of yokels in New Hampshire are going to determine the election as much as my dog is going to determine the election," Savage said. "What kind of rubbish is this that New Hampshire -- a bunch of drunks up there -- and Iowa, they're going to determine the outcome of an election? Who came up with that nonsense? That's like believing in Santa Claus. If you believe that a bunch of drunks in New Hampshire and a bunch of stamp collectors in New Hampshire and a bunch of corn farmers in Iowa really are going to predict who the next president is going to be, that is like believing in Santa Claus."

   Ray Buckley still believes in Santa Claus.

   But he also believes in fair play and fighting fire with fire. He's called on Fergus Cullen to join him in asking the Republican presidential candidates to condemn Savage. "Michael Savage needs to hear from the Republican presidential candidates that this type of insulting and ignorant attack on our democratic process will not be tolerated," Buckley says in a statement today. "Fergus Cullen should show some leadership here and join me in standing up to protect our first in the nation status."

   Really. Why bother? Isn't this giving Savage more credit than due? Did Buckley seethe like so when Mike Barnicle used to write about true Granite Staters being the ones with few teeth? Savage's comments on the New Hampshire Primary are silly on a couple of levels, especially when you look at his history of hate speech. He's targeted people who believe in Islam, people who believe in and live alternative lifestyles, and much of mainstream America. Major U.S. companies have pulled ads from his show as a result. Some more perspective: Savage compared the firing of Imus to the Holocaust. And now it's this "savage" attack on the New Hampshire Primary. From a shock jock. We know Ray Buckley believes in the Primary. We know Ray Buckley still believes in Santa Claus. Now, how about free speech?

Shaheen "Blunder" or Sharp Shooting?

   A skilled political operative, a veteran lawyer and former jurist, Hillary Clinton's national and state co-chairman Bill Shaheen quit yesterday for dredging up questions about Barack Obama's drug use as a kid Shaheen's Statement. Some news reports make him out to be one of the many honorary campaign chairmen and co-chairmen who act as mere figureheads. The Guardian of London called him Tom Shaheen. Did Shaheen make a mistake? Did he get marching orders, real or implied, from Clinton's strategists? Few in the political world seem to think it was a mistake Will Shaheen Sink Clinton? Questions now turn to what effect it'll have on Clinton, Obama and, even, Shaheen's spouse, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who's a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2008. The Shaheen duo, like the Clinton's, know how to play hardball. But this is New Hampshire, not Washington. And rereading Shaheen's statement, it's as much a pitch for Clinton as it is an apology.

Shaheen Slurs -- and a smile.

   "He was never a part of this campaign," Mark Penn, senior strategist for Hillary Clinton, said earlier this evening about Bill Shaheen, the senator's state co-chairman. Ex- co-chair, that is. Shaheen quit after apologizing for saying in an interview that Barack Obama's drug use as a youth would be used to derail his campaign. Mud season has come early.

Fringe (Candidate) Benefits

   The fringe candidates finally get some benefits. Overlooked, underfunded, bypassed ... the so-called fringe presidential candidates are getting their time in the spotlight at a forum tomorrow hosted by the New Hampshire Political Library. The library of the state's political archives calls them "lesser known candidates," but you know who they are. Or at least you know they are the Rodney Dangerfields of the 2008 Primary: They get no respect.

   Until now. Fourteen contenders have confirmed their participation. Look for peace, dental hygiene, and the pros and cons of the flux capacitor to replace the usual debate fodder of war, immigration reform, and the viscosity of one's religiosity.

Oprah On Attack On Campaign Trail

   Oprah Winfrey implored thousands last night to vote for Barack Obama. She said he's the only presidential candidate who can bury "politics as usual" and unite the country. “He understands that he can bring us all together as one United States of America,” the talk show diva said in Manchester. “Not the red states and the blue states and the left and the right, but the United States of America.” The subject of unity and hope checked off her stump speech list, the self-described political neophyte then executed a nifty attack job on Obama rival Hillary Clinton, without mentioning her by name. The rookie sounded like an old pro.

"Huck and Chuck" to storm NH

    Chuck Norris, star of "Sidekicks" and numerous other action films, will be a sidekick for Mike Huckabee on Dec. 16, a campaign event getting to be known as "Huck and Chuck." The celebrity visit comes as Huckabee is surging in polls, including a Newsweek survey yesterday that gave him a 2-1 lead over Mitt Romney in the first-caucus state Huckabee surges in Iowa. The former Arkansas governor's rebound there is reflected in his second place in a new national poll. New Hampshire supporters hope for a similar bounce here, as my UnionLeader.com story recounts today in Huckabee Making His Mark. Chuck Norris will not draw as many voters as Oprah Winfrey, but the stop in Londonderry that Sunday stands to be a smash hit for the Republican presidential hopeful. For "Huck and Chuck" it's lock-and-load time.

Schilling lauds McCain in NH

   Red Sox ace Curt Schilling earned a rep as a big game pitcher with a big mouth. Tonight he put his wordy self to work on behalf of John McCain, calling the senator from his former home state of Arizona the best candidate to be the next president. The last time Schilling endorsed a candidate, he got hazed by a number of Red Sox Nation citizens, notably those who thought his pitch for President Bush in 2004 cast a shadow over the Red Sox winning the World Series for the first time in 86 years. His McCain support hasn't drawn as much heat. "The reaction has been consistently hostile," Schilling said of the 2004 Bush pact. And, to reporters after a McCain Town Hall Meeting in Manchester, Schilling offered a puzzling comment. He said, "I want to help the right person get elected this time." Does that mean he thinks his 2004 Bush endorsement was a mistake?

You and the YouTube Primary

  The candidates deliver their spiel at clam bakes, town halls, kitchen tables, hair salons, street corners. They swing by MaryAnn's Diner in Derry and Geno's Chowder and Sandwich Shop in Portsmouth. They hop-scotch from Dixville Notch to Dartmouth to Danville. Once upon a time, their audience was made up of the local, likely voter in the first-in-the-nation primary. In 2008, the audience is universal. Thanks to the proliferation of online videos and a 24/7 hustle from professional and citizen journalists, the candidates are speaking to the world. The result is the New Hampshire Primary has an extended reach and influence, said Peter Kowalski, a researcher at KDPaine & Partners in Berlin, NH Measures of Success. The firm, led by Katie Paine, is tracking YouTube videos about the presidential candidates in New Hampshire. The researchers are viewing all the videos and gauging whether there is a correlation to polls, the candidates' media presence and their time in the state. "Here we have another measure of activity," Kowalski said. "It's another way, in addition to the mainstream media, to see the candidates." It's fascinating, he said, to see whether online buzz about a candidate translates into support. Stats are collected seven days after a video is posted. The most watched video? That of 70-year-old John McCain calling a local high school student a "little jerk" when the student asked him a question related to his age. But unlike mainstream press of the incident, it went over well online, Kowalski said.

   Does the political mojo celebrated or ridiculed on YouTube, which almost shuns orthodoxy, have a real-world implication? KDPaine & Partners has found that Ron Paul is leading among Republicans and Barack Obama is leading among Democrats. That's according to the number of videos and the number of viewings. Mike Huckabee's online presence is surging, just as he is in the polls. Perhaps it's only a matter of time until we hear a candidate utter a variation of the campaign cliche: The only YouTube that counts is on Election Day.

 

Mormon Theology, A Bloody Sock + Oprah

   You know you're close to the New Hampshire Primary when signs of Biblical proportion start flashing away. You're not careening the wrong way down a one-way street. It's just the kleig lights, baby. But with the events coming this week, you'll be forgiven for any double takes. This week on Bonanza:

• Republican Mitt Romney goes to Texas on Thursday to talk religion, or whatever fervent Evangelical Christians want to call the Church of Latter Day Saints. You know, Mormons.
• Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, he of Bloody Sock fame for his starring role in the 2004 World Series Championship season, campaigns Wednesday in Manchester alongside Republican presidential hopeful John McCain.
• Oprah, one of the richest women in the galaxy, flies into Manchester on Sunday to appear at the Verizon Wireless Arena to tout her candidate, Democrat Barack Obama.

It's snowing in New Hampshire right now, the last vestiges of a nor'easter, the first of the season.

McCain Snares Endorsement

   The New Hampshire Union Leader today endorsed Sen. John McCain. The endorsement cites his competence, courage and conviction. Here's what they have to say John McCain is the man.The 2000 NH Republican Primary winner has focused on New Hampshire since his campaign had a triple bypass operation earlier this year. Polls indicate he's climbing back into the race. An early endorsement could help him more than any other Republican at this point.

Fast-forward the Endorsements

  The New Hampshire Sunday News will announce the Union Leader Corp.'s pick for president tomorrow, the newspaper's Web site reports today. It comes on Dec. 2, and before the first real snowfall of the season. But, somehow, the start of newspaper endorsements does not seem so early thanks to the super-early nominating schedule.

Peaceful End to Hostage Crisis

   The man facing several state and federal charges for strapping road flares to his chest and taking people hostage in Hillary Clinton's Rochester campaign office has a meandering criminal and legal history, including a 2002 lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston for alleged sexual abuse by a priest. Leeland E. Eisenberg, 46, of Somersworth, surrendered early last night after the six-hour standoff. He demanded to talk to Clinton and complained about access to mental health service. He was also facing a messy divorce, court documents indicate. The crisis reverberated through the New Hampshire political circuit and campaign officials said they expect some tighter security measures as a result, while trying to maintain an open-door policy and preserve the state's glorified retail politics.