Hillary Clinton

There’s only one place where time moves slower than at the state Motor Vehicle Division. That’s at political campaign events.

Consider presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s conference call with Arizona reporters. It was scheduled to begin at 11:10 a.m. today, Jan. 28. When 11:10 rolled around, Clinton was not on the other end of the phone. Instead, chirpy ice-skating rink music played. And played. And played.At 11:30 a.m., a human voice that didn’t belong to the presidential candidate got on the line to announce that the call had been rescheduled for noon. That would have conflicted with a previously scheduled event at Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s Phoenix headquarters, but the start time for the Obama press conference already had been pushed back from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday night’s rally for Clinton at Cesar Chavez High School in Laveen was another example of time moving in slow motion.

The New York senator initially was set to speak at 6 p.m., but the start time was rolled back to 7:30 p.m. throughout the day. No one at the rally had any serious expectations that 7:30 p.m. was any more firm than 6 p.m. had been. People packed in the school gym starting about 4 p.m., waved signs and grooved to chirpy pop and oldies rock music while they killed time waiting.At 8:08 p.m., the flag presentation began.

Actress Kate Walsh

TV hottie Kate Walsh and Gov. Janet Napolitano are set to appear together to talk up Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at Arizona State University at 11:45 a.m. today, Wednesday, Jan. 23.

Walsh, who stars as Dr. Addison Montgomery in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice,” apparently has a bit of time to burn as the Hollywood writers’ strike lingers on. She’s scheduled to make several campaign stops around the state for Obama. 

She grew up partly in Tucson where she attended Catalina High School. She later attended the University of Arizona. If she really wants to help Obama, she probably ought to gloss over that little UA aspect of her bio while she’s stumping at ASU.

She also appears in Cadillac commercials to purr the line, “When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?” Let’s see if she can work that line into a campaign speech for Obama. 

The event is set for the ASU Memorial Union Stage, 1290 S. Normal Ave., in Tempe.

Napolitano also has been doing a bit of campaigning for Obama. She appeared in Nevada before that state’s Jan. 19 primary election. Obama finished second to Hillary Clinton there. 

Arizona’s presidential primary election is Feb. 5.

National Republican Committee spokesman Paul Lindsay offered this observation about the event, “
Hollywood stars and establishment Democrats like Janet Napolitano cannot mask Barack Obama’s paper thin record of accomplishment.  Aside from his lofty political rhetoric, Obama has given voters in
Arizona little reason to be convinced that he is qualified to serve as our nation’s commander-in-chief.” 

Well, that settles that. Obama definitely does not turn on Lindsay.

Bill Clinton and Jim Pederson in 2006

Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign announced the formation of a state steering committee, a panel of nearly 50 political, business and community leaders on Wednesday.

State campaign co-chairwoman Mary Rose Wilcox also said the campaign will open a Tucson office this week. Clinton already has an office in Phoenix. She said the campaign also is expanding its door-to-door campaign and phone banking operations.

The state’s presidential preference election is Feb. 5, one 22 states that will conduct their elections or caucuses on the day that has been dubbed Super Duper Tuesday.

Clinton steering committee member Jim Pederson said, “We’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of our direct mail and our phones. Hopefully, we’ll have a slice of TV coming in here.”

Pederson, a shopping center developer, ran an unsuccessful campaign against Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Kyl in 2006. Bill Clinton made two appearances in Arizona to support Pederson’s bid.

Wilcox, a Maricopa County Supervisor, said she expects Hillary Clinton to campaign in Arizona sometime later this month.

She said the campaign got a boost last week when Gov. Janet Napolitano endorsed Hillary Clinton’s opponent Barack Obama last week. “It’s energized our campaign. I think people were so surprised. Now we’re getting people coming in saying, ‘I’m coming in because I want her to win. The governor supported somebody else, but I’m supporting her because I want her to win.’”

Fellow steering committee member and state Rep. Robert Meza said Clinton campaign leaders will be happy to welcome Napolitano aboard as soon as Clinton secures the Democratic nomination.

For more about Clinton’s and Obama’s efforts in Arizona, check out a longer article I wrote for the Tribune a few days ago.

John McCain (right) and a few of his friends

A Republican insider suggested a new drinking game involving televised presidential debates. OK, the rules are still evolving, but here’s the working model so far…

You and your friends settle down in front of the tube to watch the next Republican debate. Everyone picks a candidate.

If your candidate is John McCain, every time he says “my friends,” you gulp some beer.

If your candidate is Mitt Romney, every time he mentions “Olympics,” you take a slug.

If your candidate is Rudy Giuliani, every time he utters “9/11,” drink away.

The Republican insider hasn’t yet determined the drinking cues for Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson or Ron Paul yet. Give him time…

On the Democratic side…

If your candidate is Hillary Clinton, when she says “experience,” you gulp.

If your candidate is Barack Obama, when he says some version of “make history,” you make your beer history.

The cues for John Edwards, and well, whoever else is still left on the Dem side, haven’t been finalized.

Any viewer who hasn’t passed out before the end of the program declares himself or herself the winner. Congratulations.

Initially, the Republican insider who brainstormed this idea suggested Obama’s cue ought to be the word “change,” but I had to veto that idea on the basis that it would cause alcoholism.

John McCain (center)

The bad news for John McCain and the people running his presidential campaign is that some of his GOP rivals have decided to take the fight to him in Arizona, said Matt Salmon, who is serving as McCain’s state co-chairman.

In past presidential campaigns, generally candidates simply forfeited a leading contender’s home state and spent their time and money elsewhere. Not this year.

Republicans Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul all have been on barn-storming tours through the 48^th state trying to pick up money and votes. As a result, McCain has had to spend time here as well, Salmon said.

Finishing second to Romney or Giuliani in Arizona simply is not an option.

The good news is that despite Romney’s and Giuliani’s raids, McCain still holds a commanding position here, Salmon said. In fact, McCain will do quite well in Arizona, he said. Salmon’s predictions:

1)      McCain will take the Arizona Republican primary;

2)      McCain will win the nation Republican nomination;

3)      McCain will take Arizona again in the general election, no matter which Democrat opposes him.

“Arizona definitely will go Republican again, especially if the nominee is Hillary Clinton – and I think that’s a fait accompli,” Salmon said. “Now, if it were Bill Clinton, I would say something different. But if it’s Hillary Clinton, there’s no doubt in my mind that Arizona is going to go Republican.”

For much more on the Arizona primary election, check out my story that ran in Thursday’s paper: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/102064

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign is expected to open an Arizona office before the end of the month – and perhaps sooner – according to a Democratic insider in the position to know such things.

Clinton will be the second presidential candidate to open an Arizona office, joining fellow Democrat Barack Obama. Republicans John McCain and Mitt Romney in particular have been active in
Arizona, but have not opened official campaign offices.

Bill Clinton and Jim Pederson

It’s payback time for former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Pederson. The shopping center developer and several members of his family each have donated $2,300 to the presidential campaigns of Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

“They both helped me out considerably in my Senate race, so I owe them both,” Pederson told me.

Hillary Clinton hosted a fundraiser for Pederson in Washington, D.C., and former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Pederson in Arizona during his 2006 campaign against Republican incumbent Jon Kyl. Obama also appeared at a rally for Pederson and other Democrats.

Pederson said, “Gosh, I’ll never forget, on Election Day last year, I was out working one of the polling lines and one of our people came up and said, ‘Bill Clinton is on the phone with a talk-show radio host in Tucson promoting our campaign!’ I said, ‘You’re kidding. How can we tap into that?’ He said, ‘Well, I don’t know.’ Then five minutes later, he said, ‘Bill Clinton is on KTAR up here!’ Unsolicited, he went out and called up every talk show on radio in Arizona on Election Day promoting our campaign.”

He said, “And Barack coming out here and helping me out, those are the kind of favors that really mean a lot. And so, you know, I have an allegiance to both of them.”

In the world of politics, that means writing checks. Pederson also has been raising money for Reps. Harry Mitchell and Gabrielle Giffords for their 2008 re-election campaigns, but he has no plans to run for public office himself – at least this time around.

“There’s not too much happening on a statewide basis next year, but 2010 is going to be a big year. We’ll see what happens,” he said.

In 2010, Republican Sen. John McCain will be up for re-election to the Senate if he doesn’t win the presidency first. If McCain wins the White House, his Senate successor will have to stand for re-election anyway. Then depending on circumstances, Republican Rep. John Shadegg may have an interest in the Senate, which would open his House seat, if Shadegg gets past his own 2006 House re-election. And who knows who will be running for re-election in the seat now held by Republican Rep. Rick Renzi? Plus, the governor’s seat will be open in 2010.

John McCain and Hilliary Clinton

Presidential hopefuls John McCain and Hillary Clinton are tops among Arizona voters in their respective parties, according to Bruce Merrill and his team of pollsters at Arizona State University and KAET-TV Channel 8.

Here’s the breakdown among Republicans: McCain at 27 percent, Rudy Giuliani at 22 percent, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney at 17 percent each, and Newt Gingrich at 8 percent. Undecided came in at 9 percent.

Here’s how it stakes up among Democrats: Clinton at 38 percent, Al Gore and Barack Obama at 18 percent each, John Edwards at 10 percent, and Bill Richardson at 5 percent. Undecided was 11 percent.

Overall, McCain is still lack-luster among Republicans in his home state. Consider this: While McCain is getting 27 percent support, the anybody-who-isn’t-McCain candidates are getting a combined 64 percent support.

“Sen. McCain probably has a slight lead in the Arizona Republican primary race, but he shouldn’t and probably won’t take the state for granted,” Merrill said. “After the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, I think you’ll see the senator spend more time in the state and his numbers will improve.”

On the Democratic side, Clinton is an interesting candidate, Merrill said. “Voters either love her or hate her. She has very high negatives and it will be interesting to see how many Democrats who say they don’t like her will still vote for her.”

The only candidates have spent any quality time campaigning in Arizona, McCain and Romney, aren’t exactly lighting up the electorate. McCain, as we discussed, is only at 27 percent, while Romney is doing even further back at 17 percent.

To be fair though, Giuliani, Edwards and Richardson also have made campaign swings through the state. And Giuliani is likely to come back at any time to restock his Adam Sandler DVD collection.

Also interestingly, former Vice President Gore is tied for second on the donkey side, which is remarkable for a non-candidate who keeps insisting he isn’t running.

Tickets for the Democratic fund-raiser featuring former President Bill Clinton this week in Scottsdale cost $200 each. But here, completely free of charge, are the key points from the keynote speaker…Bill Clinton on the Kyoto treaty and the economy:

Here