The Confession

[HST1948]

Drumthwacket, 3 Days Until the DNC in Denver, CO

Golan Cipel: Jim, we need more mornings like this...

McGreevey rolls over in bed to face Golan.

McGreevey: You know I want that more than anything.

Cipel:You know if we win, were going to have to be more creative about spending time together. Have you thought about what we talked about in terms of my position in the campaign and later administration...

McGreevey:Golan, I told you I ran this by Anita and Bob and they think it would bring undue scrutiny to your position here in the Governor's mansion AND on the campaign...

Cipel: Jim, just remember before I came on you were in third place behind Hillary and Obama and if it hadn't been for his scandal you would've been behind Edwards... So ask your self who is the better advisor... me or Anita and Bob?

McGreevey: How dare...

*** Phone Rings

McGreevey: Hello Antia, what's up?

Anita Dunn: Bob and I are pulling into the driveway at Drumthwacket now... we need to talk.

*** Dial Tone

McGreevey: I have to go Golan... we will talk about this later.


Anita Dunn: Jim, we're going to be honest with you... things aren't good now. We're down at least 8, and in most of the swing state polls. We need the DNC to bring us back or this is it.

Bob Schrum: Please Jim, there can't be any screw ups... our team will take care of everything, but Jim you have to be careful.

McGreevey: Anita, Bob... is this an intervention? I'm confused.

Anita Dunn: Well, Jim you have been reckless at times...

McGreevey: Antia you're over stepping and I don't appreciate this.

Bob Schrum: Jim, Anita and I are just trying to help. We think it would be best if Golan didn't come to Denver...

McGreevey: How dare the two you come into my house and insult me . Let me remind you that we were a losing campaign before Golan came on... so before you say that you have my best interests in mind, I will remind you that Golan has been of far more value than either of you to this campaign...

*** Golan enters the Drumthwacket living room

Anita Dunn: Oh, Jim... you can't honestly be doing this as a presidential candidate.

McGreevey: I've heard enough from the two of you. As of now, Golan will be this campaign's general manager. Now get out of my house... If you still want to be a part of this campaign I will see you in Denver.

[HST1948]

This is AWESOME! Please include more McGreevey and Golan late night stories please

Hahahaha, don't worry I will!

[HST1948]

CNN: Night One of the Democratic National Convention
Wolf Blitzer: And now we will be going live to the DNC in Denver, Colorado where Illinois Senator and 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama will be taking the stage at his second DNC.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did in this primary at this defining time in our history, change will come to America".

[HST1948]

The DNC Continued

John Kerry Gives Enthusiastic Endorsement of McGreevey 

Joe Biden Tell Emotional Story of Scranton Upbringing

President Bill Clinton Talks About The Importance of Democratic Values

Hillary Clinton Makes Impassioned Plea For A Unified Democratic Party

"I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Governor Jim McGreevey.

My friends, it is time to take back the country we love. Whether you voted for me, or voted for Jim, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines. This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win.

I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world . . . to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.

And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.

Jim McGreevey is my candidate. And he must be our President. Tonight we need to remember what a Presidential election is really about. When the polls have closed, and the ads are finally off the air, it comes down to you — the American people, your lives, and your children's futures.

For me, it's been a privilege to meet you in your homes, your workplaces, and your communities. Your stories reminded me everyday that America's greatness is bound up in the lives of the American people — your hard work, your devotion to duty, your love for your children, and your determination to keep going, often in the face of enormous obstacles.

You taught me so much, you made me laugh, and . . . you even made me cry. You allowed me to become part of your lives. And you became part of mine. I will always be grateful to everyone from all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the territories, who joined our campaign on behalf of all those people left out and left behind by the Bush Administrtation.

To my supporters, my champions — my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits – from the bottom of my heart: Thank you. You never gave in. You never gave up. And together we made history.

Jobs lost, houses gone, falling wages, rising prices. The Supreme Court in a right-wing headlock and our government in partisan gridlock. The biggest deficit in our nation's history. Money borrowed from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis. Putin and Georgia, Iraq and Iran.

I ran for President to renew the promise of America. To rebuild the middle class and sustain the American Dream, to provide the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford the gas and groceries and still have a little left over each month. To promote a clean energy economy that will create millions of green collar jobs. To create a health care system that is universal, high quality, and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead end jobs simply to keep their insurance. To create a world class education system and make college affordable again.

To fight for an America defined by deep and meaningful equality - from civil rights to labor rights, from women's rights to gay rights, from ending discrimination to promoting unionization to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families. To help every child live up to his or her God-given potential.

To make America once again a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. To bring fiscal sanity back to Washington and make our government an instrument of the public good, not of private plunder. To restore America's standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq, bring our troops home and honor their service by caring for our veterans. And to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges, from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming.

Most of all, I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years.

Those are the reasons I ran for President. Those are the reasons I support Jim McGreevey. And those are the reasons you should too.

We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America.

This won't be easy. Progress never is. But it will be impossible if we don't fight to put a Democrat in the White House.

We need to elect Jim McGreevey because we need a President who understands that America can't compete in a global economy by padding the pockets of energy speculators, while ignoring the workers whose jobs have been shipped overseas. We need a President who understands that we can't solve the problems of global warming by giving windfall profits to the oil companies while ignoring opportunities to invest in new technologies that will build a green economy.

We need a President who understands that the genius of America has always depended on the strength and vitality of the middle class.

And when Jim McGreevey is in the White House, he'll revitalize our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, President Clinton and the Democrats did it before. And President McGreevey and the Democrats will do it again.

He'll transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and building a new, clean energy future. He'll make sure that middle class families get the tax relief they deserve. And I can't wait to watch Jim McGreevey sign a health care plan into law that covers every single American.

Jim McGreevey will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home – a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.

We don't need four more years . . . of the last eight years. More economic stagnation ...and less affordable health care. More high gas prices ...and less alternative energy. More jobs getting shipped overseas ...and fewer jobs created here. More skyrocketing debt ...home foreclosures ...and mounting bills that are crushing our middle class families. More war . . . less diplomacy. More of a government where the privileged come first ...and everyone else comes last.

We've got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honors the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope.

That is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great – and no ceiling too high – for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.

Thank you so much. God bless America and Godspeed to you all"- Senator and Former 2008 Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton.

Up Next, The Final Night of the DNC with Speeches From Democratic Presidential Nominee Jim McGreevey and Vice Presidential Dick Gephardt.

[HST1948]

CNN: Dick Gephardt Takes The Stage In Denver

"Friends, fellow Americans, I have gotten to know Governor McGreevey and I know his values, I know his heart. And I say to you, without one ounce of hesitation or regret: There is no one in these United States with more courage, more judgment, more resolve, more of the knowledge and experience to hold the job of president.

In this ever complex global economy, we need a president like Jim McGreevey, who will turn around the worst job creation record since Herbert Hoover. At a time when world markets are getting more competitive, Jim will put an end to shipping American jobs overseas, to wasteful special-interest bailouts, and instead will invest in the skills and education of our people again. At a time of global terror, Jim McGreevey will take on the terrorists where they live, before they can threaten us where we live. And he will never pursue a go-it-alone foreign policy that leaves America isolated from its friends and hinders the hunt for our enemies.

This year, in this election, there is a candidate whose character has shone through in the many battles he's taken on for our families – as one of the first governors of his state reign in spending and devise a long term solution to New Jersey’s deficit crisis. As a champion of public education and our children's future, Jim McGreevey has been a leader on these issues since his first day in public office almost two decades ago.

And this year, in this election, there is a candidate who understands the middle-class squeeze who understands what it means for a parent to lose a job, for a family to go without health care or be hit by rising college costs.

As some of you know, I've had a single, simple purpose for most of my years in public life: to make it possible for hard-working American families to succeed. To help the growing number of families where both parents work, just to pay the bills; where life is a never-ending scramble of credit-card debt; where it's a struggle to pass on the right values, to teach simple lessons of discipline and respect, right and wrong, to our children.

Instead of just helping those at the top, I think we ought to give everyone a chance to reach the top. And if we strengthen all our families, if we make sure our economy enriches everyone, mark my words, the people at the top will do even better. As Dr. Martin Luther King taught us all: “I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.”

Words can be cheap in a political year, we all know that. But I'm going to borrow some familiar ones, to tell you that we need Jim McGreevey as president - because we need a uniter, not a divider, in the White House. We need Jim McGreevey as president because it's time to restore honor and dignity to the White House – to have a president whose whole life is a testament to his goodness and decency, to his courage under fire.

We need Jim McGreevey as president of the United States of America, because he will fight for working families, and help America to be what it ought to be.

I found a true partner in life, my wife Jane who I adore, and children – Matt, Chrissy, Kate – and their families, that I couldn't be prouder of. I had the honor to serve my constituents in the Third Congressional District in Missouri and a gifted and loyal staff who helped me throughout my career. I'm a lucky man. Together they taught me that win or lose, the dream is what matters, the fight is what it's all about. For an America that works for the many, not just for the few; for an America that lifts up all those who have been left out, or locked out, of our bounty and promise.

I ran for President four years ago because I wanted to give those people a voice. And I stand proudly at Jim McGreevey’s Convention because he speaks for them; he strives to lift them up; their cause is his unyielding concern. To all those who have supported me, and to all those who share my dream of a better, brighter American future: thank you, may God bless you, and may God shine on these United States of America"- Vice Presidential Nominee, Dick Gephardt.

Jim McGreevey Accepts the Democratic Nomination For President

"To all my fellow citizens of this great nation; with profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest — a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours — Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next vice president of the United States, Dick Gephardt, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.

It is the promise of America that has always set this country apart — that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

That's why I stand here tonight. Because for 232 years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women — students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors — found the courage to keep it alive.

We meet at one of those defining moments — a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.

These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush. America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.

Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and independents across this great land — enough! This moment — this election — is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives — on health care and education and the economy — Mayor Giuliani has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this president. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.

You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country. We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was president — when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush. We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job — an economy that honors the dignity of work.

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great — a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.

It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves — protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America — the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise — that American promise — and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America"- Governor James McGreevey.

[HST1948]

Post DNC Polling

National Polling Average
McGreevey/Gephardt: 48%
Giuliani/Frist: 46%

Swing State Polling:

New Hampshire: McGreevey 49%- Giuliani 44%
Pennsylvania: McGreevey 48%- Giuliani 44%
Virginia: McGreevey 48%- Giuliani 45%
North Carolina: McGreevey 46%- Giuliani 49%
Florida: McGreevey 46%- Giuliani 48%
Ohio: McGreevey 46%- Giuliani 46%
Michigan: McGreevey 50%- Giuliani 44%
Wisconsin: McGreevey 49%- Giuliani 44%
Iowa: McGreevey 46%- Giuliani 45%
Colorado: McGreevey: 48%- Giuliani 46%
Nevada: McGreevey 49%- Giuliani 46%
Arizona: McGreevey 44- Giuliani 50%

[Slander and/or Libel]

What is tilting the polls so far in the Republicans' favor compared to what we actually saw? Is Bush still as massively unpopular as he was in reality?