2008 and Counting

Women’s groups battle after one of them endorses Obama

NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) Wednesday, further troubling Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) presidential hopes and touching a nerve with another pro-abortion rights group.

The president of EMILY’s List, which endorsed Clinton, said NARAL should have waited to offer its endorsement at least until after the last Democratic nominating contests conclude on June 3.

{mosads}“I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton — who held up the nomination of a [Food and Drug Administration] commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B and who spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe v. Wade — to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process,” said EMILY’s List’s Ellen Malcolm.

“It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them.”

In announcing their political action committee’s endorsement, NARAL officials said Wednesday they would not help Obama compete with Clinton in the remaining Democratic primaries. At the same time, they said Clinton’s “viability” was an issue.

“We are going to be focusing all of our efforts on the Obama-McCain race,” Elisabeth Shipp, NARAL’s political director, told The Hill.

Shipp said the decision should not come as a surprise because the group is not like some of the other pro-abortion rights groups in Washington.

“We are not EMILY’s List,” Shipp said. “We endorse Republicans and Democrats. We are not solely wedded to just endorsing women candidates. We endorse men.”

In a statement, Nancy Keenan, NARAL’s president, praised Clinton and Obama.

“Pro-choice Americans have been fortunate to have two strong pro-choice candidates in Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton, both of whom have inspired millions of new voters to participate in this historic presidential race,” Keenan said. “Today, we are proud to put our organization’s grassroots and political support behind the pro-choice candidate whom we believe will secure the Democratic nomination and advance to the general election. That candidate is Sen. Obama.”

Shipp said the group could now start mobilizing to paint presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) as an anti-abortion candidate.

— Sam Youngman

McCain set to make his case to gun owners

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Friday will make another foray into what was once hostile territory when he addresses the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Louisville, Ky.

The group is expecting a record crowd of 70,000 for McCain, who has been making his case to conservative groups since effectively locking up the Republican nomination in early March.

Chris Cox, executive director of the group’s political arm, told The Hill in April that McCain still had “some work to do” to ease the members’ fears about McCain’s past support for campaign finance reform and closing the so-called gun show loophole.

On Wednesday, Cox said he anticipates the membership “will probably want to hear about both” when McCain speaks this week.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said Wednesday that the contrast McCain presents to Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) “will be a stark one.”

“John McCain has been a strong and committed protector of Americans’ individual rights,” Bounds said. “We feel very confident about presenting John McCain’s strong record on gun rights to voters in the fall.”

The contrast between McCain and his Democratic foes seems to have already registered as Cox said the NRA is absolutely sure of one priority this election season.

“Our goal is to make sure Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton doesn’t win the White House,” Cox said.

Two men mentioned as possible running mates for McCain — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) — are scheduled to speak at the convention. Romney was widely criticized at last year’s convention for sending a videotaped message instead of appearing in person.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is also scheduled to speak.

— S.Y.

Clinton looks to re-energize donors

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), fresh off a landslide win in West Virginia, was expected to host 45 to 50 of her top national fundraisers at her Washington home Wednesday night as her debt-ridden campaign looks to continue its fight against Democratic front-runner Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

Terry McAullife, Clinton’s national campaign chairman, said on a conference call Wednesday that Clinton’s supporters were rejuvenated by the senator’s Tuesday night win and now have to find a way to turn that into a fundraising boost.

Howard Wolfson, a senior Clinton adviser, added that Clinton had raised “seven figures” since winning the primary. Wolfson declined to give a specific number, which was a break from his announcement that Clinton had raised $10 million in the 24 hours after winning the Pennsylvania primary last month.

Despite Clinton’s more than 40-point win Tuesday night, Obama continued to roll out superdelegate endorsements on Wednesday, including that of Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.).

— S.Y.

Edwards endorses the man who beat him

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) bounced back from a trouncing in Tuesday’s West Virginia primary by securing the coveted endorsement of former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.).

The Obama campaign confirmed that Edwards was set to endorse the Illinois senator and Democratic front-runner Wednesday evening.

Edwards’s endorsement could help quell whatever concerns the remaining uncommitted superdelegates have about Obama’s inability to connect with white, blue-collar voters, a concern that was no doubt magnified by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) landslide victory in Tuesday night’s contest.

“We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over,” Clinton campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe said in a statement.

Edwards is the third former Democratic presidential candidate to endorse Obama. Clinton has not been endorsed by any of the former candidates.

Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, remained neutral ahead of Obama’s big win in last week’s North Carolina primary, which, coupled with a narrow loss in Indiana, seemed to set the wheels of inevitability in motion for Obama.

— S.Y.