Presidential Campaign

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) released this campaign ad over the weekend, highlighting his successful hostage negotiation with Saddam Hussein in 1995.

David Daliberti and Bill Barloon were arrested and accused of spying in Iraq in 1995. Richardson, then a member of the House of Representatives, negotiated their release.

It was a good night for Republicans. Voters were able to see that among our candidates there are great similarities in economic policies and great differences on values and social issues.

It was telling that the first 10 minutes of the debate focused on asking the other candidates if they are as conservative as Fred Thompson. Instead of giving a two-second 'Yes I am', I saw a lot of ducking and weaving.

Thompson was also able to put to rest the urban legend of his work ethic with his compelling life story of his demonstrated character and drive for public service.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), in her campaign's newest ad, says the Bush economy is like a trapdoor, with too many Americans close to "falling through" and losing everything. Clinton says the country needs to build its middle class to be prosperous again.

The ad will begin airing on TV Friday in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has released a new TV ad to begin airing Tuesday in New Hampshire.

In it, Romney says our current taxes are unfair, promising to "kill the death tax" and eliminate taxes on interest, dividends, and capital gains for middle-class citizens.

Romney has argued recently with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) over who has the superior record of lowering taxes. In the last GOP presidential debate, held Tuesday Oct. 9, Romney criticized Giuliani for challenging President Bill Clinton's use of the line-item veto and imposing a "commuter tax" on people working in New York City who lived elsewhere. Giuliani criticized Romney for raising taxes as governor of Massachusetts, a claim Romney denies.

Romney leads Giuliani in New Hampshire by an average of 4.2% in six polls of GOP voters.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) presidential campaign released this video Sunday of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) campaigning for Romney in the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial race.

McCain, introducing Romney at a 2002 campaign event, says Romney is a man of "unimpeachable integrity," that he is proud to be in Romney's company, and that he is committed to Romney's race. McCain's comments draw applause and laughter from Romney's supporters.

Presidential hopefuls Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) held a joint even Friday to promote their plan to decentralize Iraq's government.

The plan, initially forwarded by Biden and supported by Brownback in September, passed the Senate 75-23 as a sense of Congress resolution Sept. 26. The plan would institute a federalist system in Iraq, dividing the country into three regions and delegate oil sharing and border security responsibilities to a weaker central government.

Brownback has said he agrees with Biden on virtually nothing besides the Iraq plan.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) talks about jihadism in his latest presidential campaign ad, saying he will bolster U.S. intelligence capabilities and increase military personnel by at least 100,000 to fight what he calls "this century's nightmare."

Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) latest presidential campaign video, sent to supporters, contains clips of a speech Obama made in 2002 opposing the looming invasion of Iraq.

Obama's campaign has repeatedly used the speech, given in Federal Plaza in Chicago on October 2, 2002, to promote Obama's candidacy, referencing it in press releases and reading excerpts to supporters on the campaign trail.

In it, Obama predicts the invasion of Iraq would strengthen al-Qaeda's recruitment and result in a U.S. commitment of undetermined length.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) narrates former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) latest radio ad, which will begin airing Thursday in South Carolina.

DeMint tells listeners that he needs their help in his fight to end wasteful government spending. DeMint urges South Carolinians to vote for Romney, a president DeMint says will force Congress to change the appropriations system and "end the earmark favor factory."

In former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's (R) new radio ad for Iowa, the '08 presidential hopeful outlines his stance on taxes and vilifies Democrats for being likely to raise taxes even more than they say they will.