The Rest Of The Stories, 10/17

There are whispers of a front page editorial in tomorrow's New Hampshire Union Leader blasting candidates who campaign too often in Michigan.....

Dan Balz blames Iowa for this mess.

A Gallup poll shows that Hillary Clinton outpolls Barack Obama among black women.

Clinton won a straw poll of women's business owners in Chicago... but check out the italics (mine).

– The National Association of Women Business Owners Chicago Area Chapter (NAWBO Chicago) Political Action Committee announced today that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won an informal presidential straw poll conducted in conjunction with its 4th annual “Campaign Couture” fashion show and fundraising luncheon. Event attendees were invited to participate in the unscientific straw poll by indicating their preference for president in exchange for a contribution to the NAWBO Chicago PAC. Of the total cast in the poll for Senator Clinton received 59%, 25% for Sen. Barack Obama, and 5% for Rep. Dennis Kucinich, 4% for former Gov. Mitt Romney, 3% for Sen. John McCain and 3% for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The remaining candidates received no votes.

Fred Thompson blasts Giuliani at the Club for Growth Convo:

"There has been no greater friend to the American taxpayer than Fred Thompson, and there will be no greater friend than a Fred Thompson Administration. I ran as a consistent, tax-cutting, small government conservative. I supported all three major tax cuts put before me in the Senate. As Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee, I sought to save the American taxpayer $20 billion in wasteful spending. The Bush tax cuts must be made permanent, and we must cut government spending. I am the only consistent, pro-growth conservative in the race.

"While I was fighting for tax cuts in Congress, others were opposing tax cuts in New York state. Others were claiming not to be raising taxes but were instead raising every state-mandated fee and imposing 'hidden taxes' on unsuspecting taxpayers. While others were repudiating Reagan-Bush tax policies, I was fighting for them."

Meanwhile, the Club for Growth is happy that Rudy Giuliani is speaking their language.

Today, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani made news at the Club for Growth 2007 Fall Conference when he unambiguously ruled out an increase in Social Security taxes and declared his previous support for McCain-Feingold a “mistake.”

While Giuliani has frequently stated his general opposition to taxes, he has never declared his opposition to raising Social Security taxes as unabashedly as he did today. Nor has Giuliani ever addressed his previous support for McCain-Feingold in such a candid manner. Today, Giuliani said the anti-free speech legislation needed to be reworked and supported removing limits on political contributions while increasing disclosure requirements.

“We were very pleased with Mayor Giuliani’s answers on Social Security and McCain-Feingold and appreciate his candor on these crucial issues,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “Giuliani’s opposition to raising Social Security taxes, his support for personal accounts, and his renunciation of McCain-Feingold sends a very encouraging message to all Americans who believe in limited government, free-market principles, and the importance of free speech in the political sphere.”