By ,
Published January 13, 2015
The following is a new feature from FOXNews.com's political unit offering readers updates and the lowdown on newsmakers looking at their 2008 presidential prospects.
Breaking News
16:45:33 EST Illinois Sen. Barack Obama issues a press release opposing President Bush's plan to add more troops to Iraq and announcing his intention to introduce his own legislation to cap the number of troops in Iraq.
15:35:37 EST New York Sen. Hillary Clinton says she'll introduce legislation to cap the number of troops in Iraq at Jan. 1, 2007, levels and require congressional authorization to add additional forces. .
14:30:35 EST Former Health and Human Services Secretary and Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson enlists four prominent Iowans to his exploratory committee, including the head of the state's College Republicans.
14:11:30 EST A new Zogby poll in Iowa shows Rudy Giuliani edging Arizona Sen. John McCain in the state by 2 points, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Former Sen. John Edwards continues his strong showing in early Democratic polls, topping Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack by double digits.
11:53:40 EST Chicago Sun Times columnist Lynn Sweet reports that "in a conference call with some of his best fundraisers Tuesday, Obama said he could need to raise between $65 million and $70 million for the primary season — a year away — and set a goal of raising $500,000 on his first day in the race.
11:40:23 EST The Hill newspaper reports former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is interested in running for governor in Tennessee in 2010, which would give him the exposure and platform needed to run for president in 2012.
11:26:25 EST MoveOn.org is airing an ad in Iowa and New Hampshire attacking McCain for coming up with President Bush's Iraq plan.
11:11:11 EST George Washington University's Battleground poll shows McCain leading both Clinton and Obama by 10 points. Giuliani leads both Clinton and Obama by even larger double digits.
9:02:22 EST Sen. Clinton made the rounds on the morning talk shows, expressing her "adamant" opposition to the president's plan to add troops in Iraq. She did not comment on her 2008 plans.
A.M. Top Stories
— New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, recently returned from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, have asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to authorize more troops in Afghanistan in advance of an expected spring offensive by the Taliban. They'll hold an afternoon news conference to discuss their trip.
— A Strategic Vision poll in Georgia puts former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani just ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Clinton leads Illinois Sen. Barack Obama by 7 points among Democrats.
— McCain announced the support of social conservative leader Maxine Sieleman, founder of the Iowa chapter of Concerned Women for America. Sieleman says McCain "is the one candidate who has a consistent record of supporting pro-life, pro-family legislation."
Meanwhile, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney signed up Louisiana Republican Rep. Jim McCrery as his congressional liaison, leading Romney's outreach in the U.S. House.
— Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel will co-sponsor a Senate resolution opposing additional troops in Iraq, along with Democratic Sens. Joe Biden and Carl Levin, The New York Times reports. Hagel is considered a possible presidential contender while Biden has said he's running in 2008. Both Hagel and Biden, along with Obama, were appearing at Wednesday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
— Pundit Dick Morris writes in Wednesday's The Hill newspaper that Obama has already made his first mistake, opposing a ban on lawmakers putting family members on their political action committee payrolls.
Elsewhere, The Chicago Tribune lays out what Obama must do to win, primarily getting the donations and defining himself before others do. The Los Angeles Times reports Obama is already competing with Clinton for campaign dollars in California.
— It's not just Clinton and Obama in the Democratic race, notes The Washington Post, which calls the Democratic field "among the strongest in years."
— Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, who has been mulling over a White House bid, has decided not run for president in 2008. Keating, a Republican, told supporters: "It's just not the right thing for me to do at this time."
https://www.foxnews.com/story/eye-on-08-obama-s-decision-pits-him-against-clinton-in-most-headlines