REPUBLICAN FRONT RUNNERS

JOHN MCCAIN
Candidates’ Background: McCain is a U.S. senator from Arizona who ran for the presidency in 2000, but lost the GOP bid to George W. Bush.

Candidates’ stance on illegal immigration: McCain co-sponsored the immigration reform legislation. Voted to authorize a 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rumor about the candidate: Last Thursday the New York Times printed a 3,032 word article highlighting some of the flaws of McCain’s campaign and questioning his ethics. Some of the rumors include McCain having a romantic relationship with Victoria Iseman, a Washington lobbyist, and founding a nonprofit group to promote a personal battle for tighter campaign finance rules.

Candidates’ response the rumor: “Obviously, I’m very disappointed in the article; it’s not true,” McCain told reporters at a news conference. “At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust or make a decision which in any way would not be in the public interest or would favor anyone or organization.”

Candidates’ standing: McCain has pulled off first place wins in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virgina, Washington, and Wisconsin. He has 918 delegates out of the 1,191 needed to win the GOP presidential bid.

MIKE HUCKABEE
Candidates’ Background: Formerly the pastor of several churches, Huckabee is known for his term as the Governor of Arkansas, which ended January 2007.

Candidates’ stance on illegal immigration: Huckabee has openly opposed all legislation supported by Bush and sponsored by McCain allowing illegal immigrants to obtain a driver’s licenses. He has proposed a nine-point strategy for immigration, build border fence by 2010, increase patrol on the border, prevent amnesty, enforce employment laws, establish a strong economic border, empower local authorities, ensure document security, discourage dual citizenship, and modernize the process of legal immigration.

Rumor about the candidate: Boston, a rock band know for their song “More Than a Feeling,” is enraged that Huckabee is using the song on his campaign trail. It has been said that the lead singer of the band wrote a letter to Huckabee expressing his distaste, in which he said that he would never support Huckabee, he is in fact a support of Obama.

Candidates’ response to the rumor: “You’ll have to beat me, because you’re not going to discourage me,” he told reporters.

Candidates’ standing: Huckabee has placed first in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and West Virgina. He has 217 delegates out of 1,191 needed to win the party bid.

DEMOCRATIC FRONT RUNNERS

HILLARY CLINTON
Candidates’ Background: Clinton, former first lady, is currently serving her second term as a junior senator from New York.

Candidates’ stance on illegal immigration: Clinton has previously supported Bush and his immigration reform legislation, which pushed to increase funding and improve border security and technology, improve existing laws and their enforcement and well as providing a path of citizenship for illegal immigrants. She voted for the building of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rumor about the candidate: Recent rumors floating around have said that Clinton is likely to drop out of the campaign due to a recent spurring of success by her opponent, Obama. After Obama passed her in the delegate count following the last two rounds of primaries, she is down nearly 100 delegates.

Candidates’ response to the rumor: When a reporter asked for Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said, “I have no comment on that. Absolutely no comment on that. Is that really a report?”

Candidates’ standing: Clinton has picked up wins in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. She has 1,250 delegates our of the 2,025 needed to win the Democratic presidential bid.

BARACK OBAMA
Candidates’ Background: Obama, a former lawyer, is currently a rookie senator from Illinois, who won his seat in 2004.

Candidate’ stance on illegal immigration: Obama supports each facet of the Bush-backed immigration reform legislation, and also voted to authorize the 700-mile fence along the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

Rumor about the candidate: A rumor stemming from the ‘Obama is a Muslim’ rumor has now surfaced claiming that Obama’s biological father was a Muslim terrorist and that he was raised by his father. Records show that Obama’s mother and father divorced when he was two and was raised by his single mother.

Candidates’ response to the rumor: The Columbia Journalism Review called the reports “the single worst campaign ‘08 piece to appear in any American newspaper so far this elections cycle.”

Candidates’ standing: Obama has placed first in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Virgina, Washington, and Wisconsin. He has won 1,319 delegates our of the 2,025 needed to win the party bid.