Word: caucus
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...Rolling out former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who famously urged George H. W. Bush not to "go wobbly" ahead of the first Gulf War, was a particular bit of political hardball by the President's Hill allies as they try to stiffen spines in their caucus. And the stakes are high. The November midterm elections may hinge on national security, and McCain and company are depriving their party of its best weapon - a vote that makes Democrats look weak. More important, the White House claims, is that McCain and company could outlaw methods of gaining intelligence that have been...
...pragmatic, tactical moves to better position the Democrats for November. When Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson was found with $90,000 in his freezer from an apparent bribery scheme, Pelosi immediately had him tossed out of his seat on the House Ways and Means Committee. The strongly liberal Congressional Black Caucus was incensed that one of its members had been punished before he had even been indicted. But Pelosi's action helped rebut the G.O.P.'s contention that Democrats had as many corruption problems as Republicans, many of whom are caught up in the Jack Abramoff scandal...
...among the Democrats has succeeded in solidifying the party around a single position on the Iraq war, but Pelosi has managed to tame the several dozen House members who call themselves the Out of Iraq caucus. They have wanted the Democratic Party to demand the prompt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. But Pelosi has so far convinced them that Murtha, the ex-Marine and veteran lawmaker whose call for a troop withdrawal in November created real debate, should be the party's face for that cause while the others should stay in the background...
What they say is that 2008 is closer than it looks on your calendar. Whereas her husband could wait until just four months before the first caucus to make his announcement, a front-loaded presidential primary-and-caucus schedule and a growing field of contenders don't give Hillary that luxury. Her strategists tell TIME they are urging her to make her intentions clear by next spring--by forming an exploratory committee, for instance--to lock up fund-raising and political talent. Those close enough to know say that she is genuinely undecided but that Bill is not disguising...
...races or have wider contacts in the fundraising circuit. Kerry and Warner have been perhaps the most aggressive in raising money - and parceling it out to congressional candidates. Warner recently donated $10,000 to the PAC of Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus who is unopposed this year, but could help Warner win crucial black support in 2008. Taking a slightly different approach to building up support and endorsements, Indiana's Evan Bayh is hiring two dozen staffers to work on other congressional and state legislature campaigns in Iowa...