On a day when a Boston Globe poll showed him trailing Senator John McCain among New Hampshire Republicans, Rudy Giuliani managed to swipe at least one vote from the Arizona senator.
Betty Coughlin of Hampton, N.H., said she was torn between McCain and Giuliani before hearing the former mayor of New York speak in a crowded tavern in Hampton, N.H., yesterday afternoon. The main sticking point was Washington experience.
"Your ability to administrate has been proven above and beyond, but somebody like, say, John McCain - and I'm sorry to throw him at you - he's been an insider in Washington and he knows the ropes and all that," she told Giuliani. "If you become president, how do you deal with all that?"
"John would be a really good adviser," Giuliani said with a grin, then turned serious as he described McCain as a hero for whom he holds great respect. He told Coughlin that he knows his way around Washington well enough but still could offer a "fresh spirit."
"I've worked with Washington a lot both as a United States attorney, as mayor, in business, and in law practice. I've argued a case before the Supreme Court. I know my way around Capitol Hill," he said. "I'm not an insider, but I almost think that might be an asset."
"Bingo," Coughlin said later, adding that she had made up her mind to vote for Giuliani in the Jan. 8 primary. "I know who I'm voting for, and it isn't McCain."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Obama says he would keep harmful toys off of shelves
As holiday shoppers hunted for safe toys yesterday, Democrat Barack Obama touted his plan for tighter regulation of China-made playthings, millions of which have been recalled because of unsafe levels of lead.
In a campaign swing through western Iowa, Obama clarified his statement in New Hampshire last week that he would halt all toy imports from China. Instead, he said, he would require tests to find toys with lead-based paint and ban those with even trace amounts.
"As president I will work with China to keep harmful toys off our shelves," Obama said. "But I'll also immediately take steps to ensure that all toys are independently tested before they reach our shores and I'll significantly increase penalties on companies that break the rules."
Documents provided by the campaign said up to 400,000 children each year have some form of lead poisoning, underscoring the need for independent inspection of toys. The Illinois senator also called for trade policies that are tougher and include better environmental standards and protections for workers.
After his Iowa appearances, Obama headed home to Chicago and joked about power-shopping on Christmas Eve. "I'm going to have to do all of mine tomorrow. It's going to be tough," he said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thompson puts stock in handy political metaphor
As an actor, Fred Thompson knows the value of repeats in keeping the bank account healthy.
As a presidential contender, he's hoping that repeated references to what's become known as his "hands down" moment will boost his political stock.
Amid continuing criticisms of his campaign style, the former senator from Tennessee is reveling in his one widely acclaimed star turn - his refusal, during the last Republican debate in Des Moines - to accede to the moderator's demand for a raised-hand answer to a global warming question.
The other night on Fox News's Hannity & Colmes show, Thompson expanded his repertoire. "I'm not raising my hand," he said, "until Chief Justice John Roberts swears me in."
LOS ANGELES TIMES
