The Hill’s Sam Youngman and Aaron Blake break down the latest from Iowa.

The American people are thirsty for a President who rejects the politics of division and restores honesty and integrity to the Oval Office. Senator Obama, who has served the people of Illinois with great distinction in the U.S. Senate, is committed to universal health care, a strong middle class, and a tough but smart foreign policy. Above all, he has the unique ability to inspire millions of Americans with his vision of hope and optimism for the future.

Based on the last few weeks, it seems like Washington is absolutely consumed, even obsessed, with the federal budget. Democrats and Republicans spent countless hours fighting as if the End Times would be triggered by relatively minor shifts in domestic priorities and proposed tax hikes for hedge fund managers. And yet in the end, the political system once again ignored the very real threat lurking in wait. Everyone in Washington knows that federal finances can’t go on the way they have, but they’re not letting the citizenry in on that dirty little secret.

Oh, things got done, certainly. The country does in fact have a budget. President Bush got the limits on discretionary spending he wanted, the Democrats swung more money to domestic programs. The alternative minimum tax got patched, again, saving more than 20 million families a considerable amount of money.

In the meantime, the national debt is at $9 trillion. Another $50 trillion in liabilities stretch out into the future as Medicare and Social Security continue on a path to disaster. There are things that need to happen if the federal government is going to avert its real fiscal problems. And none of those things happened. Read the rest of this entry »

I have worked closely with Senator Hillary Clinton who has served the people of New York extremely well for seven years now. I am impressed with her dedication and intellect. She possesses the persistence and experience needed to serve as president. Senator Clinton has the experience and temperament to turn this country around. I am supporting her to be the next President of the United States.

I know Senator Clinton will do well in Iowa. Iowa residents want to see this country steered in a different direction and they want a President who up to the task. I realize Hillary Clinton has the ability to take our country in a new direction. The people of Iowa also understand her capabilities and they will elect Hillary Rodham-Clinton.

The Hill’s Andy Barr and Aaron Blake followed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to Knoxville, Iowa to watch Obama try to create some space between himself and Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.

he Hill’s Andy Barr and Aaron Blake with John Edwards Saturday night in Des Moines. Edwards kept to his strong anti-corporate rhetoric and addressed concerns over his electability.

The experts who study such things tell us that endorsements really don’t make much difference when citizens make up their minds on who to vote for. So why am I working so hard for Barack Obama?

Two reasons. First, in my judgement, our country has suffered so much during the Presidency of George W. Bush. We embarked on a war and subsequent occupation of Iraq based on mistaken or falsified intelligence. The war has been horribly planned and mismanaged and the cost in lives lost, in resources squandered, in reducing our national security, in compromise of our principles and our constitution rights and liberties, in loss of our standing in the world, has been unacceptable. While our economy has grown the vast majority of American have not participated in the benefits, with wages stagnating, fewer Americans with health insurance, more children in poverty. The bursting of the housing bubble (a failure of our regulatory system) and high gas prices have placed our communities in real crisis and families in real hardship.

Our government has taken to eavesdropping on us, censoring the work of our scientists on climate change, failing to protect our children against dangerous imported products. The 2000 and the 2004 elections have raised serious questions about the integrity of our election systems which remain unanswered. Because the issues are so large, and the consequences so great, I have been moved to try and involve the maximum number of voters in this primary season because I believe that is the only way we can achieve real change.

Second, because I have had the opportunity to know and work with Barack since he moved to Chicago, I feel I have some special experiences to share with voters. Barack comes to politics with a background and a deep commitment to empowering people through organization. It was as a community organizer, pulling people together for their common interests, that Barack first found his voice as a leader. I know Barack has carried that commitment to the way he practices politics. I know that commitment was reflected in the legislation that he got passed in the state legislature and more recently in the United States Senate. I have seen that same commitment in the campaign he has run for President.

I won’t try and summarize Barack’s platform here. He has a great website where those ideas are laid out in detail. What I can say is how excited and pleased I have been about caliber of young people his campaign has attracted. I believe his campaign is renewing politics, renewing hope, renewing dialog and renewing participation in this great democracy. I hope you will have an opportunity to visit an Obama volunteer headquarters and see for yourself. If you like what you see I hope you will join me in trying to maximize participation in the 2008 elections . . . and making a real change in our politics and policies by supporting Barack Obama.

I endorse John McCain not because I agree with him on every issue but because he is the best candidate for President.

On the most important issues he provides sorely needed leadership. He has been right on the Iraq War — never wavering despite criticism from all sides.

He is right on the need to get wasteful federal government spending under control — with the political scars to prove he really acts on this belief.

Finally he is right on nearly all the major social issues — proving he is, at heart, a true conservative.

The Hill’s Andy Barr and Aaron Blake on the road with Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani. Huckabee fired back at Romney for recent attacks Romney has directed toward Huckabee.

With the Iowa caucus drawing near, I wanted to express my support for Governor Mitt Romney. I believe Romney is the best candidate, with the right ideas who has the strongest chance of winning in November.

He understands the importance of winning the war against terrorism and won’t back down from the threat. He also understands the importance of securing our borders.  No more excuses.  No more delays.

He is also someone who can help ease Americans’ economic anxieties. He’s had firsthand experience pulling corporations out of debt and into the green and is ready to help Congress reign in its spending.

Mitt Romney can take this common sense agenda and win in November.