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Today on the presidential campaign trail

Section: Politics

Yahoo! News/ The Associated Press

Presidential race turns a negative page ... Obama, Bloomberg dine together in NYC ... Clinton campaign: Knock off misleading ad

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Anti-Romney ad marks new phase — a negative one — in presidential race

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)_ Mitt Romney is the target, abortion is the issue, and the $100,000 ad buy will change the tone of the Iowa and New Hampshire presidential primaries.

This weekend marks the first negative TV advertising in the two early-voting states as the campaign headed into the critical weeks before the first voting, with an independent group's claim that the former Massachusetts governor has flip-flopped — a sometimes crippling charge in presidential politics. Analysts say similar negative ads are likely against his chief GOP rival, Rudy Giuliani, whose positions on gun control and immigration are markedly different from those he espoused as New York mayor.

The anti-Romney ad campaign, by a Republican group that supports abortion rights, is fairly modest in scope. But it may open the door to bigger ad buys targeting other candidates and topics, several campaign veterans said.

"This will be the beginning of it," said Patrick Griffin, a Manchester-based advertising executive who handled President Bush's 2000 media effort in New Hampshire.

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Obama, Bloomberg chat over breakfast eggs in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg has promised not to play favorites in the presidential race, but he can't seem to stay away from it — he and Democratic candidate Barack Obama had a breakfast date in Manhattan.

The billionaire mayor and the Illinois senator chatted over eggs and potatoes early Friday at a New York luncheonette, in what could be the first of several sit-down meetings Bloomberg may have with the declared candidates.

The mayor allows his aides to openly promote speculation that he will run for president, but continues to deny any interest in doing so. He has said he intends to inject himself into the national dialogue to try to influence the debate.

"We are trying to push our agenda because it helps New Yorkers, and because what's worked in New York will work elsewhere," said Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser. "There are a lot of people we'd like to speak to and we're going to continue to press our case."

Obama picked up the check for the $17.34 meal with Bloomberg, and left a $10 tip, according to their waitress, Judith Perez.

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Clinton campaign calls on Obama campaign to halt misleading ad

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign chief on Friday had a simple message for rival Barack Obama's camp: stop running a misleading television ad.

Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle sent the letter to her counterpart, David Plouffe, and told him the ad contains incorrect information about Obama's health care plan. The ad claims Obama's plan would provide insurance for everyone, but critics say the Illinois Democrat's plan would leave 15 million people without insurance.

"On an issue of this magnitude, Americans are looking for more than a nice ad or a good speech. It's not enough for Senator Obama to say he covers everyone, especially when that is inaccurate," Solis Doyle wrote. "Until the time comes when Senator Obama has a plan that will cover everyone, you should stop running this false advertisement. The American people deserve an honest debate about health care."

Obama, hoping to parry the attack, told reporters in a conference call that Clinton was making "more of a political point" than anything else. He said that while her plan nominally requires coverage for all, "she hasn't told anybody how she would enforce this mandate."

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THE DEMOCRATS

The candidates attend the Democratic National Committee's fall meeting in Vienna, Va., except Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut who is campaigning in Iowa.

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THE REPUBLICANS

Rudy Giuliani holds a town hall in South Carolina before heading to another one in Florida.

Mitt Romney makes campaign stops in Iowa.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona meets with voters in South Carolina.

Mike Huckabee and Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado speak at separate events in New Hampshire.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"No candidate wants to be the first to go negative. But it will be done, mark my word. It's just a question of when." — Michael P. Dennehy, New Hampshire-based national political director for Republican John McCain.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

More Republicans than Democrats say they feel frustrated about the election, 39 percent to 28 percent, according to a recent AP-Yahoo News survey.

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