SNEAK PEEK: 'Victory Over the Insurgency is the Only Meaningful Exit Strategy'
John McCain meets with President Nixon's Secretary of State in Boston
December 18, 2007— -- 15 Days Until the Iowa Caucuses
What are journalists and campaign staffers hooked on right now?
Their blackberries
ABC News' Political Radar
http://www.elfyourself.com/ (In rare moments of downtime)
But most of all…..new polls!!!
New insights into the state of the Democratic race in Iowa will be revealed in a brand new ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Wednesday.
Check ABC News.com at one minute after midnight this evening (12:01 am ET) for the results and watch ABC's "Good Morning America" for full analysis. Poll numbers for the Republicans in Iowa will be released Wednesday afternoon.
Also on Wednesday, Sen. John McCain is in Boston for a conversation and media avail with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former CIA director Jim Woolsey.
Kissinger, like McCain, has taken a hard line on Iraq. In a Washington Post article published in August 2005, Kissinger wrote that "victory over the insurgency is the only meaningful exit strategy." He's since suggested that the Iraqi government might not be able to get the sectarian violence under control and that a clear military victory is not possible.
Mitt Romney may have new trouble with his past views on abortion.
His evolution from an "effectively pro-choice" position to a "pro-life" position has come under scrutiny again now that a photo of Romney and his wife attending a Planned Parenthood fundraiser in 1994 has surfaced.
Ann Romney made a $150 contribution to the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts back in '94 when her husband was touting his support for abortion rights as he waged a campaign against Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.
Romney has said he has no recollection of the donation and that his wife was acting on her own.
Romney's recent grilling on a Sunday news program reinforced the idea that he can barely get a whimper of his campaign themes out without first addressing his Mormon faith and/or "intellectual journey" on a number of issues. With Mike Huckabee leading the Republican field in Iowa and Huckabee and John McCain climbing in New Hampshire, Romney would very much like to talk about the future rather than the past.
Of the photograph, ABC's Rick Klein writes, "Romney and his wife, Ann, are shown in a yellow-and-white tent chatting with local political activists, including Nicki Nichols Gamble, who was then president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts." http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/12/romney-attended.htmlMore Klein, "Romney spokesman Kevin Madden told ABC in May 2007 that Romney had "no recollection" of the circumstances under which the check was written, and stressed the fact that the donation was made by Ann Romney."Ok, well, now that this picture has surfaced, does Mrs. Romney now recall when, where and how she made the contribution?
Mike Huckabee, probably the most rock and roll candidate in the race, had a little fun on Tuesday with reporters' obsession with his Christmas ad. He dismissed the notion that a cross appears behind his shoulder in the spot and said he doesn't think the Jesus invocation crosses the line between faith and politics. ABC's Kevin Chupka reports that Huckabee said of the matter jokingly, "I will confess this; if you play the spot backwards it says 'Paul is dead, Paul is dead, Paul is dead.'" http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/12/huckabee-pokes.html
As for Wednesday's schedule...
The Republicans. . .
RUDY GIULIANI
-- 1:30 pm ET: Has media availability, Kansas City, MO
-- 3:00 pm ET: Speaks to voters, Columbia, MO
-- 6:00 pm ET: Meets with voters, Chesterfield, MO
MITT ROMNEY
-- 12:30 pm ET: Has media availability, Davenport, IA
-- 6:30 pm ET: Hosts a holiday party, West Des Moines, IA
ANN ROMNEY
-- 9:45 am ET: Meets with voters, Emmetsburg, IA
-- 1:45 pm ET: Meets with voters, Lake Mills, IA
-- 3:45 pm ET: Meets with voters, Mason City, IA
-- 9:30 pm ET: Meets with voters, Des Moines, IA
MIKE HUCKABEE
-- 5:30 pm ET: Meets with voters, West Des Moines, IA
-- 8:30 pm ET: Meets with voters, Ames, IA
JOHN MCCAIN
-- 11:00 am ET: Holds a conversation with Henry Kissinger and Jim Woolsey, Boston, MA
-- 12:05 pm ET: Has media availability with Henry Kissinger and Jim Woolsey, Boston, MA
-- 6:15 pm ET: Holds a town hall meeting, Pelham, NH
-- 7:35 pm ET: Has media availability, Pelham, NH
FRED THOMPSON
-- 10:00 am ET: Meets with voters, Cedar Rapids, IA
-- 12:10 pm ET: Participates in a radio town hall, Coralville, IA
-- 2:15 pm ET: Tours downtown Tipton, Tipton, IA
-- 3:35 pm ET: Tours downtown Muscatine, Muscatine, IA
-- 7:30 pm ET: Meets with voters, Davenport, IA
DUNCAN HUNTER
-- 2:30 pm ET: Tours a V-8 engine plant, Flint, MI
-- 4:00 pm ET: Tours a security packaging facility, Flint, MI
-- 5:30 pm ET: Tours Bay Casting, Bay City, MI
-- 6:45 pm ET: Attends a reception, Bay City, MI
The Democrats. . .
HILLARY CLINTON
-- 10:30 am ET: Attends a rally, Independence, IA
-- 1:30 pm ET: Attends a rally, Elkader, IA
-- 6:30 pm ET: Attends a rally, Clarion, IA
BARACK OBAMA
-- Holds a roundtable discussion, Concord, NH
-- 5:00 pm ET: Meets with voters, Manchester, NH
-- 7:15 pm ET: Meets with voters, Nashua, NH
MICHELLE OBAMA
-- 12:15 pm ET: Meets with voters, Osage, IA
-- 3:20 pm ET: Meets with voters, Decorah, IA
-- 5:20 pm ET: Meets with voters, Union, IA
JOHN EDWARDS
-- 11:45 am ET: Holds a town hall with Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, Portsmouth, NH
-- 4:00 pm ET: Holds a town hall, Dover, NH
-- 6:30 pm ET: Holds a town hall with Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, Manchester, NH
JOE BIDEN
-- 9:00 am ET: Speaks to voters, Council Bluffs, IA
-- 12:30 pm ET: Speaks to voters, Fort Dodge, IA
-- 3:30 pm ET: Speaks to voters, Carroll, IA
-- 5:30 pm ET: Speaks to voters, Denison, IA
-- 8:00 pm ET: Speaks to voters, Sioux City, IA
CHRIS DODD
-- Speaks to voters in Ames, IA
BILL RICHARDSON
-- 9:00 am ET: Holds a town hall meeting on Iraq, Hudson, NH
-- 1:30 pm ET: Holds a town hall meeting on Iraq, Pembroke, NH
-- 6:00 pm ET: Meets with voters, Portsmouth, NH
-- 7:00 pm ET: Holds a town hall meeting on Iraq, Dover, NH
At the White House. . .
PRESIDENT BUSH
-- 2:20 pm ET: Visits the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
POLITICAL NEWS STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM
ABC News' Kevin Chupka Reports: Huckabee on Christ Ad Brouhaha: 'Paul is Dead' LINK
ABC News' Matt Stuart Reports: Romney Press Takes Off, Candidate Feels the Love LINK
ABC News' Kate Snow and Eloise Harper Reports: The Clinton's Grocery Store Chaos LINK
ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Romney Attended Planned Parenthood Fundraiser in 1994 LINK
ABC News' Ron Claiborne Reports: McCain's Lesson Learned LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: ABC News and Facebook LINK
POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM
Nightline Webcast: Huckabee's Religious Hype LINK
Clinton Responds to Likeability Issue LINK
'The Note' Rewinds the Week's Best Moments LINK
Campaign Surprises LINK
Barnstorming Iowa LINK
ABC News Joins With Facebook LINK
Senator's Winged Interference LINK
The Comeback Kid? LINK
Democrats Narrow Their Strategies LINK
Summarizing Campaign Tactics LINK