A top aide to US presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama has let slip that the Democratic contender is sincere about considering former rival Senator Hillary Clinton for a spot on the ticket, saying she was on the "shortlist" for the job of running mate.

After a sometimes acrimonious Democratic primary, which saw both sides question the other's fitness to govern, a joint rally held at the appropriately-named Unity, New Hampshire last Friday, has pundits suggesting Sen. Clinton is once again in the running for the all-important vice-presidential nominee slot.

Speaking on Australian television, Sen. Obama's campaign co-chairman Tom Daschle appeared to confirm this saying Sen. Clinton would be on "anybody's short list".

"I think he needs two things, first somebody who can become president in the case of a tragedy and secondly, somebody with whom he can work closely," he said to the ABC's Insiders program.

"I think Hillary Clinton would be, as Barack Obama has said, on anyone's short list and I think that is sincere.

"I think he is looking at Hillary and a host of other possibilities for the future."

The U.N. Security Council yesterday condemned the party of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe for its repeated attacks on political opponents in the lead up to the country's run-off elections, a poll which U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said would be neither "free nor fair".

The Security Council reached its decision just hours after the news broke that the country's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), would not be contesting the election.

In a statement released on its website Sunday, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said:

"We can't ask the people to cast their vote ... when that vote will cost their lives. We will no longer participate in this violent sham of an election," he said. "Mugabe has declared war, and we will not be part of that war."

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the postponement of the poll saying the current circumstances was not a good sign for democracy in the region.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels have voted to lift largely symbolic sanctions against Cuba to encourage democracy on the island. Though the five-year-old EU sanctions have been suspended since 2005, the decision is seen as a slight to the United States and its policy of isolating the country.

The U.S. has maintained a trade blockade of the island for almost fifty years.

AFP quoted sources as saying the policy remains subject to an annual review.

"There was an agreement to lift the sanctions against Cuba," a European diplomatic source said.

"They have agreed to have an annual review and in one year's time to assess the political dialogue with Cuba," she added. [source]

European leaders have said they will look to complete the Union's reform agenda despite last week's "no" vote on the Lisbon Treaty in the Irish Republic.

France has outlined a number of issues it wishes to achieve during its six-monthly presidency of the European Union due to begin on July 1.

Telling the French Senate on Tuesday that EU reform "did not stop" with the Irish rejection, France's Europe Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet said:

"The best way for the French presidency to respond to the preoccupations that have just been expressed is to make Europe more political with more common policies," he said.[source]

President Nicolas Sarkozy has flagged immigration reform, cutting carbon emissions, energy security and increasing Europe's defence capabilities as the main priorities to be tackled during the French presidency.

A poll of 1,125 adults conducted for the Washington Post and ABC News has shown a statistical dead heat  for the all-important independent vote between Senator Barack Obama and his rival for the presidency Senator John McCain .

The survey, taken over three days from June 12 following Democratic contender Hillary Clinton's withdrawal from the nomination, shows the tightness of the election race as both sides court voters who categorise themselves as neither Republican or Democratic.

According to a Washington Post wrap of the poll, independents see McCain as:

more credible on fighting terrorism [but] are split evenly on who is the stronger leader and better on the Iraq war. But on other key attributes and issues -- including the economy -- Obama has advantages among independents.[source]

The survey also showed Obama with a clear lead among those who wished to see change in Washington.

After sitting out the Democratic primaries, refusing to endorse either Senator Hillary Clinton or Senator Obama, former Vice President Al Gore has heartily endorsed Obama before a packed crowd at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit calling him "clearly the candidate best able to solve...problems and bring change to America."

Though seemingly unwilling to commit to either candidate during the campaign, perhaps out of respect to the former First Lady, Gore allegedly encouraged Obama in his bid for the presidency and offered some "good political advice" according to the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Former Vice President Al Gore has written to supporters saying he will endorse Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in a speech in Detroit tonight.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner's late support has rekindled talk of a possible spot as running mate on the party ticket.

Gore's email message to his supporters said in part:

"Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America," he said.

The news has generated pressure from some Democrats on the Obama team to include the man who lost to George Bush in 2000 on the ticket, however the presumptive nominee, while agreeing Gore had provided good political advice during the Illinois senator's campaign, declined to say if he was being considered as a running mate.

More on the speech as it comes to hand.

Image: Al Gore, co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize at the ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Credit: guano/flickr

Republican presumptive nominee John McCain has declared he will back Brazil's inclusion on an expanded U.N. Security Council, according to an interview conducted by the Brazilian press.

The International Herald Tribune reports that, in an interview published with the presidential contender by the newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo, McCain said he, "supports a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for Brazil and an increased participation for the country in the G-8," while also reiterating his view that India should also be granted a place.

Despite the Arizona senator's welcome support, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meanwhile has refused to endorse either candidate for president though said a Barack Obama win would be a "watershed moment" for the United States.

He told Reuters that the time was ripe for better relations between the U.S. and Brazil and called for a new "positive approach".

"The United States needs to stop viewing Latin America with a conspiratorial eye. There is no one left pushing for revolution in Latin America anymore," he said.

Image: Sen. John McCain addresses the audience at the 129th National Guard Association of the United States General Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 25, 2007. Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill/flickr.

U.S. President George Bush has defended his decision to invade Iraq in an interview with the Observer newspaper and downplayed differences in strategy with U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

In what was seen as a slight to  the British PM, who is expected to announce a full withdrawal of British troops before the end of the year, the president said there "should be no definitive timetable" for withdrawing troops out of Iraq.

Bush added he hoped the prime minister would:

"listen to our commanders, to make sure that the sacrifices that have gone forward won't be unravelled by drawdowns that may not be warranted".

NBC's "Meet the Press" anchor Tim Russert has died of a heart attack in his Washington office on Friday aged 57.

Described as a "gentleman and a giant" by Senator Ted Kennedy, Russert was one of the most respected political voices in the U.S. media. He was NBC's Washington Bureau Chief and also hosted the self-titled CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview program Tim Russert.

He had also co-hosted the network's election night coverage.

He is survived by his wife Maureen and son Luke.


The New York Times lists tributes as does Fox News

Image: Tim Russert at the PRSA International Conference, Philadelphia in 2007. Credit: hyku/flickr

The sudden and unexpected resignation of shadow home secretary David Davis has angered and confused his Tory colleagues keen to keep the pressure on the embattled Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Mr Davis announced he would be stepping down as an MP and then fighting his seat of Haltemprice & Howden on a crusade against the government's recently-passed 42-day detention for terrorism suspects.

Senator Barack Obama's campaign has launched a website designed to refute lies and smear allegations spread by his opponents.

Called Fight the Smears, the site looks to neutralise rumours spread from television, the Web, radio and seemingly most pervasively, by email.

"The Obama campaign isn't going to let dishonest smears spread across the internet unanswered," said Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor. "Whenever challenged with these lies we will aggressively push back with the truth and help our supporters debunk the false rumors floating around the internet."

The Washington Post said that such an internet campaign is virtually a "must have" for the black presidential nominee due to the number of untrue rumours swirling around the blogosphere and other media alleging that he is of the Muslim faith and attended a madrassa (religious school) during his time in Indonesia.

Other untrue rumours are circulating over his alleged lack of patriotism and the wrong fact that he took the oath of office on the Koran when being sworn in to the Senate.

The attempted smears are coupled with more recent attacks on his wife Michelle when right wing radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed a tape exists of Michelle Obama using the term "whitey," an allegation the Obama camp denies.

Former President Clinton strategist and CNN commentator James Carville has called on Senator Barack Obama to draft former Vice President Al Gore as running mate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

Appearing on the CNN program, "The Situation Room" hosted by Wolf Blitzer, Carville said selecting Gore would send a message that America was "really serious" about environment and energy issues.

"That would send a signal to the world, to American people, to Congress, to everybody, that America's getting serious about this horrendous problem that we face," he said.

Former Vice President Gore has not ruled out a return to politics though has always indicated he would want to return as president.

The mercurial Carville is highly respected within Democratic party circles for his role as chief  political strategist for the successful presidential campaign of then Arkansas  governor Bill Clinton.

Image: James Carville: Credit:  Office of James Carville

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will discuss free trade, a security agreement and look to resolve differences over whaling as he meets his Japanese counterpart Yasuo Fukuda on the final day of his five-day visit to Japan today.

Rudd has been accused of favouring China over Japan in diplomatic visits since his election but denied this yesterday in an address to the Japan National Press Club saying his failure to visit Japan until this week should be put in context.

Noting "six or seven" of his most senior ministers, including those responsible for foreign affairs and trade had visited Japan since his swearing in in December, he asked,  "How many Japanese Government ministers have been able to visit Australia in the same time? I don't think there are any."

Image: PM Kevin Rudd. Credit: jackmanson/flickr

The possibility of a "no" vote in the Irish referendum on the reforming Lisbon treaty has put pressure on a number of European heads of government, who are keen to see the reforms passed.

French PM Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country will take the six monthly chair of the European Union on July 1, has admitted a negative vote in the Republic of Ireland may derail his country's reform agenda for the EU and has promised a joint response with outgoing president Angela Merkel in the event of such an outcome.

Democratic Rep. Dan Boren, Oklahoma's only Democratic member of the congressional delegation, has refused to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for presidential office.

However Boren has said the Illinois Senator will have his vote both at the Democratic convention in Denver in August and in November on election day.

Calling Obama "the most liberal senator in Congress", Boren criticised his record on working with Republicans saying "it does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion" and has joined Florida Rep. Tim Mahoney in refusing to endorse the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Image: Official picture of Dan Boren. Credit: Public Domain

A recently released AP-Yahoo opinion poll has shown a large number of Republicans, conservatives and the all-important independent voters dislike Senator Hillary Clinton, suggesting the Obama camp would do well do consider carefully before adding her to the ticket as vice-presidential candidate.

The poll, the results of which were published in this AP report, involved telephone interviews with 2,124 adults conducted April 2-June 2, with most during April prior to her withdrawing from the Democratic contest.

Worringly for the Obama camp, thirty-two percent of independents strongly dislike Sen. Clinton, an area Obama must do well in if he is to challenge successfully for the presidency.

Image: Sen Clinton, Jul 2007. Credit Llima/flickr

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has used a visit to Hiroshima's Peace Park to begin a bold dialogue on world nuclear disarmament.

Mr Rudd laid a wreath at the park above which the Hiroshima nuclear bomb was detonated on August 6, 1945, then toured the museum for 90 minutes, rang a memorial bell for the children, and called for the world to shed its nuclear arms.

The PM was seemingly moved by the experience reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

Image right: Australian PM Kevin Rudd. Credit: djackmanson/flickr

The first votes on outlying islands of the Irish Republic have been cast as the rest of the country prepares to vote on the Lisbon Treaty.

The Irish vote on the Lisbon Treaty on Thursday has enormous ramifications for the future of EU reform with the country the only one to hold a referendum on the issue. Failure to pass the bill would have a knock-on effect on other EU countries and make ratification of the Treaty more difficult.
Image : European Union flag

Finally, after nearly eighteen months and fifty-seven contests of one of the closest-fought Democratic primaries ever...Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has conceded defeat and endorsed her rival Senator Barack Obama. All eyes are now on the Obama campaign team to see if he will choose the New York Senator as his running mate. The former First Lady's chances were boosted Saturday when contender John Edwards ruled himself out of the running.

Once considered one of the main issues that will dominate the 2008 presidential campaign, immigration reform appears to have taken a back seat in both the McCain and Obama election policy initiatives according to AP.

In their desire the capture the powerful Latino vote, both Obama and McCain have downplayed calls to step up reform -- indeed both Obama and McCain have supported an amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants -- yet both remain troubled by a conservative backlash.
Image right: McCain campaigning  in Portsmouth,NH 2008.

Comedian and author Al Franken has taken another step towards a career in the U.S. Senate when he won a ringing endorsement from fellow Minnesotan Democrats Saturday. His opponent, veteran activist college professor and peace activist Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, withdrew after Franken obtained the required sixty percent of votes at the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party state convention.

Image right: Al Franken placard. Credit: cursedthing/flickr

Nelson-Pallmeyer proceeded to fully endorse Franken and said he will refrain from running in the Democratic primary in September. Should he achieve the nomination, Franken will face Republican incumbent and skilled campaigner Norm Coleman.

Senator Barack Obama's communications director has confirmed the presumptive Democratic nominee did meet with Senator Hillary Clinton on Thursday.

"They did meet tonight," said Robert Gibbs in answer to reporter's questions following rumours that the two were meeting to discuss the vice presidential nominee. Gibbs said earlier reports that the two had met at Sen. Clinton's home were incorrect however refused to give details of the meeting.

Both Obama and Clinton preferred not to disclose details of the meeting, releasing a statement saying: "Senator Clinton and Senator Obama met tonight and had a productive discussion about the important work that needs to be done to succeed in November."

Image: Hillary Clinton at the National Education Association Representative Assembly in Philadelphia., July 2, 2007. Credit: Llima/flickr

U.S. media reports (1,2,3) have said Sen. Hillary Clinton will formally concede the Democratic nomination to her opponent Sen. Barack Obama by the end of the week. Clinton, who has been criticised for not conceding defeat during her speech following the final Democratic primaries earlier this week, is expected to endorse Sen. Obama.

As Democrats argue over the merits of a so-called Obama/Clinton Unity ticket, one influential party elder has had his say.

Former president Jimmy Carter, told the Guardian  Wednesday that Sen. Obama would be making a mistake should he choose the former First Lady as his vice-presidential nominee.

"I think it would be the worst mistake that could be made," said Carter. "That would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates."

Image: Clinton campaign logo

As the Democratic party's nomination draws to an exhausted close, U.S and international press has been having a field day examining just why the Clinton juggernaut fell just short of the line.

For over a year, the former First Lady strode the national stage as her party's frontrunner, secure in the knowledge that she would be the nominee. Then in a few short months everything seemed to go wrong.

Here's some of the analysis:

Barack Obama today made history as he garnered enough delegates to ensure he wrapped up the marathon Democratic nomination for the presidency.

Image: Sen. Obama campaigning in Des Moines,Iowa. Credit: Joe Crimmings Photography/flickr

The Illinois senator picked up enough delegates from the final two primaries in Montana and South Dakota and gains in superdelegates to give him the win, making him the first African-American to lead his party.

There was no immediate sign of concession from Sen. Hillary Clinton though, who told supporters at a rally that she would be making no decisions on her future tonight.

However she has pledged to "to do what it takes" to get the Democratic nominee in the White House in November, a sign she may be interested in the job as Obama's running mate.

Sen. Obama has described the event as a "defining moment for our nation".

This'll have Democrats licking their lips...

CNN is reporting Senator Hillary Clinton has declared she will do "whatever it takes" to put a Democrat in the White House in November. The Obama camp is taking this as a sign that the former First Lady would be willing to accept an offer of Sen. Obama's running mate if offered.

"In her speech tomorrow night, [after the conclusion of the last primaries] she will convey the message that first and foremost she is committed to Democrats winning in November and will do whatever she's asked to do," said a Clinton campaign source quoted by the news company.

The Obama camp has been careful not to pressure the New York senator into withdrawing from the race after it became apparent that the odds of her winning were insurmountable.

However, after a bruising campaign, the likelihood of the New York senator being offered the position is far from guaranteed with some notable Obama supporters against the idea.

Image: Senator Kennedy campaigning with Sen. Barack Obama. Credit:Brian Finifter/flickr

Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy's three and a half hour brain operation for a tumour has been declared a "success".

"I feel like a million bucks," Kennedy is reported to have told his wife Victoria following the operation. I think I'll do that again tomorrow."

The operation is the first stage in the Massachusetts senator's battle against the tumour with which he was diagnosed last month after he suffered a seizure at the family home in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod.

Sen. Barack Obama looks to be nearing his goal of gaining enough delegates to claim the Democratic nomination as the two camps prepare for Tuesday's final two primaries in Montana and South Dakota.

Obama wont gain the pledged delegates from tomorrow's last two contests -- there aren't enough delegates on offer, however he is expected to be able to claim enough superdelegates to fall over the line, according to press reports.

With Obama needing just 41.5 delegates to win the nomination according to AP predictions, CNN has reported that most of the seventeen uncommitted Senate delegates will throw their support behind Obama following the end of the nomination process.

Image: Sen. Obama addresses a rally at the University of Maryland, Feb 2008. Credit: Thirty30 Photography/flickr

Image: Mitt Romney on the campaign trail in Des Moines, Iowa. Credit: Joe Crimmings/flickr

Mitt Romney, the former contender for Republican presidential nominee and suggested running mate for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, has declared he has had no discussions with McCain over the VP position.

Romney told delegates at the Colorado Republican Party's state convention that though the Arizona senator wasn't his first choice for president (he himself was), he was happy to do all he could to assist him reach that goal.

The former Massachusetts governor along with two other running mate contenders, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have also met with the Arizona senator recently.

Image: Sen. Clinton in Hampton,NH. Credit: marcn/flickr

As expected, Senator Hillary Clinton romped home in the weekend's Puerto Rico primary by a comfortable two to one margin, reinforcing her strong support among Latino voters. However despite the solid win, it was the weekend's key party decision to seat Florida and Michigan delegates at the Democratic Convention with only half a vote each which appears to have put the final nail in the New York Senator's long and expensive campaign.

Delegates from both Florida and Michigan, states where Sen. Clinton won primaries by a healthy margin, were penalised by the Democratic party for holding their primaries at an earlier date. Originally punished by the stripping of the states' delegates from the convention, the Democratic party's rules committee voted Saturday to allow the delegates won by the nominees to attend the convention in Denver, but under the stipulation that they be given only half a vote each.