to D-Day here in first-in-the-galaxy primary land and the pace is predictably picking up.
First: ABC News, WMUR-TV in Manchester and Facebook announced today they will host back-to-back Democratic and Republican Presidential debates in New Hampshire on Saturday Jan. 5 -- two days after the Iowa Caucuses. ABC will televise the debates beginning at 7 p.m. which will coincide with the NFL playoffs which begin that day. ABC News said anchor Charles Gibson will moderate and will be joined in the questioning by WMUR Anchor and Political Director Scott Spradling. In another new media age twist, before, after and during the debates, Facebook users will be able to participate in Debate Groups, providing a companion to the televised debates.
In Portsmouth (New Hampshire that is), radio host and former state Sen. Burt Cohen asked me to spread this word: he wants to get a sense of the community regarding the presidential race. Let him know who you support, who you don't, and why. What do you think of the media coverage so far? He's looking for your calls from noon to one, at Portsmouth Community Radio, phone number 603-430-9722.
Meanwhile, back on the campaign trail: On the Republican side, after the noisy weekend of sparring between Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson -- in which the boys got real snippy about Rudy's record in NYC -- John McCain has launched a new ad to run in New Hampshire in which he talks about loving America so much he's willing to piss off a lot of people in D.C. and elsewhere to serve his country. The script is below and the you can see the 30- and 60-second versions of the ad here.
Script for "Love America Enough" (:60-TV)
JOHN MCCAIN: "Since I've been in Washington, I've made a lot of people angry.
"I made defense contractors angry when I blew the whistle on a $30 billion dollar boondoggle and the culprits were sent to jail.
"I upset the special interests and Washington lobbyists when I passed campaign finance reform.
"I made the Pentagon angry when I criticized Rumsfeld's Iraq strategy, and I upset the media when I supported the strategy that's now succeeding.
"I angered the big spenders in Congress when I called for earmark and spending reform. No more $233 million dollar bridges to nowhere or $74 million for peanut storage in a defense spending bill.
"I didn't go to Washington to win the Mr. Congeniality award.
"I went to Washington to serve my country.
"I might not like the business as usual crowd in Washington. But I love America. I love her enough to make some people angry.
"I'm John McCain and I approve this message."
Imagine that: John McCain not wanting to win Mr. Congeniality honors.
Like the Beatles song, on the Democratic side, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Dennis Kucinich and Barack Obama are here, there and everywhere in the state -- while Bill Richardson has enlisted auto racing legends Bill and Al Unser (the seniors) to campaign for him beginning tomorrow in Merrimack.
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