The Note's Sneak Peek
July 12, 2007— -- Three '08er spouses -- a Bill, a babe, and a beer magnate -- are now front and center.
The most public, of course, is Bill Clinton who heads to the Granite State Friday to tell the people of New Hampshire that "the last dog is still barking." LINK
Bill Clinton's trip comes one day after an open mic caught his not-so-happy wife telling John Edwards, "Our guys should talk." LINK
Watch the video of Clinton and Edwards privately conferring: LINK
On Friday, the two Clintons attend a 9:30 am ET rally in Keene, a 3:00 pm ET rally at Daniel Webster College, and a 6:00 pm ET rally in Manchester.
The second key spouse is Ann Romney whose voice is on the airwaves of Iowa and New Hampshire saying of her husband, Mitt, "We met in high school at a party, and we've been going steady ever since."
"She's a babe," Mitt recently told "60 Minutes" of his wife. "I saw that when she was 15."
The third key spouse is Cindy McCain who will be out of sight -- but never far out of mind -- when her husband is in New Hampshire Friday.
With the McCain campaign set to report to the FEC on Sunday that it has a little more than $2 million in cash on hand (plus $1.7 million in debt), the Arizona senator needs his wife Cindy and a little creative lawyering more than ever. LINK
Per the Washington Post's Matthew Mosk, McCain is "barred from committing to the campaign a family fortune estimated to be worth as much as $53 million because the assets are held solely by his wife." LINK
And/but:
"Campaign finance lawyers," told the Washington Post that "McCain might be able to stretch a legal argument around" some of the restrictions that would otherwise face him since Arizona is a state that "views the holdings of married couples as community property." Mosk cautions, however, that this idea "has never been tested in a presidential campaign."On Friday, McCain heads to Concord, N.H., for a 1:00 pm ET speech on Iraq in which he plans to say, "Defeatism will not buy peace in our time." He also holds a media availability. As for Barack Obama, he attends a 4:00 pm ET house party in Las Vegas. The Illinois Democrat received a raucous reception at Thursday's NAACP forum.Edwards heads to Iowa for community meetings in Humbolt (9:45 am ET), Algona (11:30 am ET), Garner (1:30 pm ET), Iowa Falls (5:15 pm ET), and Wester City (7:00 pm ET).
Bill Richardson opens his Reno campaign office before heading to Elko, Nev., to campaign. He then goes to Salt Lake City for a meeting and a 9:45 pm ET press event before an evening speech to the Utah Democrats and an appearance at the Latino Vote 2007 Banquet in Los Angeles.
Chris Dodd attends a1:00 pm ET town hall meeting with a culinary workers union in Reno, followed by a 3:15 pm ET barbeque in Carson City, and then back to Reno for a 7:15 pm ET town hall meeting.
Joe Biden delivers a 12:30 pm ET address at the IowaPolitics.com forum in Des Moines and attends a reception and house party in Dubuque.
As for the other Republican presidential candidates, Ron Paul visits Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., where he delivers a 5:30 pm ET speech. His day ends with a fundraiser in Foster City.
Sam Brownback attends the College Republican national convention in Arlington, Va. Trent Lott addresses the convention on behalf of McCain.
Tom Tancredo attends a town hall meeting at the Madison County Historical Society Museum in Winterset, Iowa.
Tommy Thompson continues his Iowa swing hitting Corydon, Centerville, Mt. Pleasant, and Burlington.
President Bush has no public schedule.
At Thursday's pen-and-pad briefing with NRCC Chairman Tom Cole, he announced that the House Republican campaign committee had bagged $14 million in the second quarter of this year bringing its total to $29 million raised so far this year.
For its part, the DCCC raised $17 million in the second quarter with $36 million raised so far this year.
POLITICAL STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM: ABC News' David Chalian: "McCain Money Woes Worsen"LINK
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Lindsey Ellerson "Caught on Tape: Clinton to Edwards 'Our Guys Should Talk' LINK
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: "'Steady' Mrs. Romney Vouches for Her Beau"LINK
ABC News' Teddy Davis "Clinton to Bush: 'Why Don't You Leave Office Early"LINK
ABC News' Jason Ryan "Bush 'Perhaps Somebody in the Administration Outed CIA Operative Valerie Plame LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper "Benchmarks and Bickering: Where are Dems on Iraq SecurityLINK
ABC News' Jonathan Karl "Al Qaeda's Strength 'Undiminished' in IraqLINK
ABC News' Teddy Davis: Tancredo Mocks GOP Rivals for Snubbing NAACPLINK
POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM:Clinton and Edwards Caught On TapeLINK
Tancredo Takes the SpotlightLINK
"Giulianigirl" Takes on "Obamagirl"LINK
Bush Vows to Stay the Course in IraqLINK
Bush Rejects Report Claiming Al Qaeda Stronger NowLINK