SNEAK PEEK: McMom: 'Hold Nose' and Vote
Roberta McCain shares her thoughts on her son and the race for the nomination
January 24, 2008— -- 2 days until the South Carolina primary (Democrats)
5 days until the Florida primary
Roberta McCain has done it again!
Just as more and more pieces of the Republican establishment were consolidating around her son, John McCain's 96-year-old mother provided the press with an excuse for revisiting her son's trouble with the G.O.P.'s base.
"How much support do you think he has among the base of the Republican Party?" asked C-SPAN's Steve Scully in an interview set to air Sunday.
"I don't think he has any," said Mother McCain. "I don't know what the base of the Repub--maybe I don't know enough about it, but I've not seen any help whatsoever."
Asked if her son can go on to be the G.O.P.'s nominee, Roberta McCain said, "Yes, I think holding their nose they're going to have to take him."
"I'm really popping off," Mother McCain added, "but he worked like a dog to get Bush re-elected. . . . He's backed Bush in everything except Rumsfeld. Have you heard other senators and congressmen backing Bush over eight years? Find me it--give me a name. I've not seen any public recognition of the work that he's done for the Republican Party."
The interview with C-SPAN's Scully was recorded Wednesday and is set to air Sunday at 6:30 pm ET on "Road to the White House."
It comes a couple of months after McCain's mother seemed to blame Mormons for the scandal that rocked the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
"As far as the Salt Lake City thing," Roberta McCain said of Mitt Romney, "he's a Mormon and the Mormons of Salt Lake City had caused that scandal."
The Arizona senator, who was seated next to his mother during the interview, raised his eyebrows and tried to defuse his mother's impolitic comments with some humor."The views of my mother are not necessarily the views of mine," said McCain.
Watch Roberta McCain's Mormon comments here.
To help the press focus on McCain's past deviations from party orthodoxy, the Romney campaign has released a web video which mocks McCain as being "always for tax cuts, except when he's against them." Watch it here.
Five Republican '08ers -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul -- debate Thursday night in Boca Raton, Fla.At the conclusion of the Brian Williams-moderated affair, candidates will be allowed to ask one question of each other.
The 9:00 pm ET debate, which will be broadcast on MSNBC, comes as Florida's governor broached the "tantalizing" possibility of a pre-primary endorsement in an interview with Mark Halperin of ABC News and Time Magazine.
Watch it here.
You can follow Rick Klein's live blogging of the debate here.
On the Rudy Giuliani front, we learned Thursday that the pre-trial conference in U.S. v. Kerik has been rescheduled from Feb. 4 -- the day before Feb. 5 (when more than 20 states vote) -- to Feb. 6 at 10:00 am ET. The date was changed per the request of the defense, according to the docket sheet.
TiVo Alert:
Barack Obama handles "Top Ten" duties on Thursday's "Late Show with David Letterman."
Obama goes through his promises which include: "#8: Appoint Mitt Romney: Secretary of Lookin' Good."
Read all ten from ABC's Sunlen Miller here.
The kicker:
"The media that covers politics has got to understand that it's not about them either." --Sen. Hillary Clinton after saying politics is not about politicians (Michael Baisden's radio program, 1/24/08)
On the campaign trail. . .
JOHN MCCAIN
-- 9:45 am ET: Holds media availability, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
-- 12:30 pm ET: Holds roundtable event with voters, Tampa, FL
-- 1:30 pm ET: Holds media availability, Tampa, FL
-- 5:00 pm ET: Addresses the Latin Builders Association, Miami, FL
-- 7:00 pm ET: Attends fundraiser with supporters, Miami, FL (closed press)
SENATOR JON KYL (campaigning for McCain)
-- 4:15 pm ET: Attends rally with voters, Phoenix, AZ
MITT ROMNEY
-- 8:00 am ET: Addresses the Latin Builders Association, Miami, FL
-- 1:30 pm ET: Holds events with voters, Pensacola, FL
-- 5:05 pm ET: Holds media availability, Clearwater, FL
ANN ROMNEY
-- 1:15 pm ET: Meets with voters at event, New Port Richey, FL
-- 3:15 pm ET: Attends event with voters, Largo, FL
RUDY GIULIANI
-- 11:00 am ET: Attends a rally with voters, Miami, FL
-- 1:15 pm ET: Delivers remarks to the Latin Builders Association, Miami, FL
-- 8:15 pm ET: Delivers remarks to voters, Sarasota, FL
MIKE HUCKABEE
-- 7:30 am ET: Speaks to voters at event, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
-- 8:00 am ET: Holds media availability to announce Florida endorsements, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
-- 11:30 am ET: Attends event with supporters and holds media availability, Miami, FL
-- 12:30 pm ET: Appears for an interview with Univision Radio, Coral Gables, FL
-- 1:30 pm ET: Speaks to the Latin Builders Association, Miami, FL
As for the Democrats. . .
HILLARY CLINTON
-- 9:00 am ET: Attends town hall meeting with voters, Columbia, SC
-- 1:30 pm ET: Attends rally with voters, Rock Hill, SC
BILL CLINTON
-- Attends events in Spartanburg, Laurens County, Beaufort, and Charleston, SC
BARACK OBAMA
-- 9:00 am ET: Attends roundtable discussion with voters, Charleston, SC
-- 11:55 am ET: Attends roundtable discussion with voters, Columbia, SC
-- 4:30 pm ET: Attends rally with voters, Clemson, SC
-- 8:15 pm ET: Attends rally with voters, Florence, SC
-- 10:45 pm ET: Attends rally with voters, Columbia, SC
JOHN EDWARDS-- 9:30 am ET: Meets with voters at event, Greenville, SC
-- Appears on the Tyra Banks Show
-- 12:30 pm ET: Attends town hall hosted by the Student Association for Voter Empowerment, Columbia, SC
-- 3:00 pm ET: Meets with voters at event, Orangeburg, SC
-- 7:30 pm ET: Attends rally with voters, Charleston, SC
At the White House. . .
PRESIDENT BUSH
-- 12:30 p.m. Speaks to the 2008 Congress of Tomorrow Republican Congressional Retreat, White Sulphur Springs, WV
Also look for. . .
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID AND SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI
-- 1:00 pm ET: Address on the State of the Union at the National Press Club
POLITICAL NEWS STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM
ABC News' Kate Snow, Sarah Amos and Jennifer Parker Reports: Bill Clinton Defends Wife's Work on Wal-Mart Board LINK
ABC News' Sam Donaldson Reports: Donaldson: A Presidential Race, Not a Garden Party LINK
ABC News' Democrats Find Religion in South Carolina LINK
ABC News' Matthew Dowd Reports: Ready, Aim, Fire LINK
ABC News' Julia Hoppock Reports: Former President Clinton Stealing the Spotlight? LINK
ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Live Blogging During GOP Debate LINK
ABC News' Kate Snow and Eloise Harper Report: Clinton Supporter Has Message for Press LINK
ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Paul Alleges Boondoggle on the Bayou LINK
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Back to Iraq for Obama LINK
ABC News' Sarah Amos and Z. Byron Wolf Report: Bill and Chelsea Clinton Might Want to Fact-Check Their Speeches LINK
ABC News' Kate Snow Reports: Michelle Obama: Mom First, Political Wife Second LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Rezko-a-rama LINK
ABC News' Raelyn Johnson Reports: Edwards Finds Comfort in Home State LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Good Morning from Boca Raton LINK
ABC News' Richard Davies and Hannah Yi Report: What Candidates Can Learn from the Stage LINK
ABC News' Kate Snow, Susan Kriskey and Eloise Harper Report: Clinton in South Carolina: Take a Chance on Me LINK
ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Democratic Senators Call Economic Stimulus Deal a "First Step" LINK
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Obama on Economy Turns to Obama on Clinton LINK
ABC News' Jan Simmonds: Giuliani: Campaign Will Go On LINK
ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Battle Lines Drawn on FISA Reform LINK
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Obama Surrogates Go After Bill Clinton LINK
ABC News' Jennifer Duck and Dean Norland Report: Bush Calls on Congress to Pass Stimulus Package LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: He Ran (So Far Away) LINK
ABC News' Kate Snow and Sunlen Miller Report: Democrats Tear into Bill Clinton for Going After Obama LINK
ABC News' Bret Hovell Reports: McCain: Clinton Wants to Wave White Flag in Iraq LINK
ABC News' Jennifer Duck Reports: Dennis Kucinich to Announce He's Dropping '08 Bid LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Gonna Fly Now LINK
POLITICAL VIDEO AT ABCNEWS.COM
Giuliani Betting All on Florida
ABC's Jake Tapper on Giuliani's gamble in the Sunshine State. LINK
Papa Unloads on Mama's Opponent
The Clinton Political Machine and their tactics, do they help or hurt? LINK
Bush Urges Congress to Pass Stimulus Plan
Bush: "This package has the right set of policies and is the right size." LINK
How Big Will Your Rebate Check Be?
ABC's Jon Karl has details of the proposed stimulus package. LINK
Walmart Link Puts Clinton on Defense
President Clinton elaborates on his wife's Walmart ties. LINK
Odd Celebrity Endorsements
Celebrities, including Chuck Norris and Wilford Brimley, back candidates. LINK
Who Is in the Middle Class?
The definition of middle class has changed over the past 50 years. LINK
White House Takes on Prescription Drugs
The government tackles a growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse. LINK