Douglas Holtz-Eaken and Gary Gensler - the top advisers for presidential nominees John McCain and Barack Obama respectively - will spar over economic policy September 15 at the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU) 34th Annual Congressional Caucus Luncheon.
"We are delighted to host Holtz-Eakin and Gensler at NAFCU's Congressional Caucus," NAFCU President Fred R. Becker said in a statement.
"The upcoming presidential election and the economy are of top interest for everyone this year, so we are very pleased to be able to offer Caucus attendees the chance to hear the presumptive presidential candidates' economic platforms firsthand. Their discussion promises to be a lively one with an opportunity for questions from the audience."
Fifteen member of Congress will also address the caucus, which runs Sept. 14 to 17.
Former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) on Thursday made his first appearance at a John McCain event since leaving the campaign.
Gramm, who left as an economic adviser to the Republican last month after he called the United States "a nation of whiners," sat in the front row of a McCain event in Aspen, Colo., ABC News reported. Gramm did not speak or stand with McCain at the event.
The Obama campaign, which criticized Gramm's comments, sent out word of Gramm's return to reporters.
Vote Both, a group formed during the Democratic primary to push for a so-called dream ticket, resurfaced today to praise the deal that will put Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) up for a nomination vote at the Democratic convention in Denver.
The group shut down in late July, telling supporters that a ticket shared by Clinton and Barack Obama and was no longer likely, but it says the new agreement will do well to unify the party.
Three days after headlining the Obama campaign's roll-out of GOP supporters, former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) announced today that he will join the board of directors for NARAL Pro-Choice America this fall.
Chafee, now an independent, said abortion rights provide a stark difference between Barack Obama and John McCain, blasting the Arizona Republican for not supporting them at a federal level. Chafee endorsed Obama in February.
"I have always said that being pro-choice is a mainstream conservative value," Chafee said. "It is unfortunate that Sen. McCain does not share the view of many mainstream Republicans that privacy and freedom from government interference in personal decisions is a core value."
"This is one of the clearest differences between Sen. Obama and Sen. John McCain--and it is a difference that matters to voters, including pro-choice Independent and Republican women," Chafee said.
McCain yesterday floated the possibility of tapping a pro-abortion-rights running mate in an interview with The Weekly Standard. McCain has said he would like to see Roe v. Wade overturned, giving states authority over abortion rights, and for the U.S. to work toward ending abortion as a practice.
Both Sens. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) are scheduled to speak Wednesday night at the Democratic convention, the session that features the party's vice presidential nominee, the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal reports.
Both men have been mentioned as possible running mates for Barack Obama.
UPDATE: Convention organizers just announced other Democrats who will be speaking on Wednesday.
The list includes former President Bill Clinton, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), Sen. Ken Salazar (Colo.), House Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.), Rep. Patrick Murphy (Pa.) and Iraq war veteran and former congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth.
The theme of the night is "Securing America's Future."
Barack Obama has been declared winner of the 2008 bobble head election, held by sports consulting firm The Goldklang Group in six minor league baseball stadiums this month.
Obama defeated John McCain 55 percent to 45 percent, as minor league fans cast ballots at voting booths inside the six stadiums. Each fan received a bobblehead doll of his/her candidate. Voting stopped and a winner was proclaimed when one candidate's bobblehead supply ran out.
Over 7,200 total votes were cast, and The Goldklang Group declared Obama the winner this week.
Obama swept McCain with wins at each of the six stadiums, spread out over Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, South Carolina, and South Dakota. Obama made one of his strongest showings in St. Paul, Minn., where McCain will accept his party's presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in September; Obama bested McCain there 58 percent to 42 percent.
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who has pledged not to run re-election in 2010, said he will consider a bid for governor.
"After the November election ... we will be looking at the governor's race," Brownback told the Hays Daily News.
The newspaper, however, noted that Brownback said there has "not been any firm decision" on his future.
Brownback, who has been a supporter of term limits for members of Congress, has pledged to serve only two full terms in the Senate. He ran short-lived campaign for the GOP presidential nomination last year.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) rejected the idea that John McCain should pick former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) as his running mate Thursday, saying the GOP standard-bearer has "better choices."
"The issue is that in many ways, Mitt Romney has had very definite swings of position. Not just on one or two things, but on many of the issues," Huckabee said on Fox.
"I think there are better choices for Senator McCain that have the approval of value voters."
Huckabee suggested that his criticism of Romney does not come from a personal desire to be McCain's veep, saying "I have no expectation that I'm going to get that phone call."
"I even have my cell phone turned off, as we speak," Huckabee joked.
But no matter who McCain picks, Huckabee assured that he will support the choice.
"I'm going to support our nominee," he said. "And I'm more interested in who the president is than who the vice president is, anyway."
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