KLEEB
PONDERS; SC SEN PRIMARY; CARSON'S REPLACEMENT; ... MSNBC TO DUMP
TUCKER? NEBRASKA
- First it was former
US Senator Bob Kerrey (D) who bailed on the open US Senate race.
On Tuesday, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey (D) likewise announced he would
not run for the seat being vacated by maverick Senator Chuck Hagel
(R). Thus -- with both Kerrey and Fahey out of the picture --
Dems look likely to encourage rancher and college instructor Scott
Kleeb to be their candidate. Kleeb was the Congressional nominee
last year in CD-3 and ran a very competitive race in one of the
most Republican districts in the nation. Kleeb won 45% of the
vote in a district that gave President Bush 75% in 2004. However,
Kleeb is also considering a rematch for the CD-3 seat. On the
GOP side, former Governor Mike Johanns and Attorney General Jon
Bruning are waging an expensive battle for the nomination. Overall,
Johanns is viewed as the favorite for the seat. SOUTH CAROLINA - Republican
National Committeeman Buddy Witherspoon on Tuesday launched his
primary challenge to US Senator Lindsey Graham (R). A longtime
GOP activist and arch-conservative, Witherspoon said he will make
fighting illegal immigration the central issue in his campaign.
Graham was a supporter of the John McCain's failed immigration
reform plan earlier this year. Fortunately
for Graham, he's already raised over $4 million for next year's
race. INDIANA - Rumor has it that Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson
(D) -- narrowly defeated for re-election last week in a major
upset -- is being widely discussed as a possible candidate next
year for Congresswoman Julia Carson's (D) CD-7 seat. Carson is
expected to retire due to serious health problems. TUCKER - Is MSNBC looking to cancel Tucker Carlson's show?
Sources tell Politics1 that executives at MSNBC are considering
whether to cancel conservative commentator Tucker
Carlson's daily political talk show as the cable channel ponders
a move to the left to possibly reposition itself as a "FOX for
the liberals." The move would be aimed at a younger and what they
believe is a more liberal audience. While FOX's cantankerous Bill
O'Reilly still holds a significant audience size advantage over
MSNBC's Keith Olberman, it is among older viewers that O'Reilly
swamps Olberman. [Editorial Comment: Count me among Olberman's
audience, as I never watch O'Reilly.] Yet, among the younger
18-25 demographic, the two men are virtually tied. Carlson, by
contrast with some conservative show hosts on FOX, is a more easy-going
pundit well-liked for his civlity (and his previous penchant for
jaunty bow-ties). "Tucker is a conservative with a sense of humor,"
said the Rev. Al Sharpton (D), a frequent guest on Carlson's show.
Carlson has also given
substantial exposure to the long-shot Presidential bid of Congressman
Ron Paul (R). Like the Houston libertarian, Carlson opposes the
Iraq War. Carlson is particularly popular with Paul's blogging
army because he covered Paul when other major media outlets were
ignoring him. Carlson also famously appeared on Dancing
with the Stars to show a different side of the preppy pundit.
Carlson is know for his quirky Libertarian streak. DC was shocked
when Jon Stewart attacked Carlson's former show -- Crossfire --
which he hosted with liberal Paul Begala, as Carlson is among
the least caustic of the rightwing talking heads. In related news,
we also hear rumors from a reliable New York source that Carlson
has sold a game show
concept to a major network and inked a deal to host it. In
response to the early buzz, Florida insurance salesman John Bertran
is vowing to mount a grassroots effort to save Carlson's show.
"Tucker is the only reason I tune in the MSNBC," Bertran told
Politics1.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.14.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
I'm flying to France on Wednesday so no updates for a few days.
I'll arrive there just in time for the coordinated nationwide
anti-Sarkozy strikes by the transit workers, gas and electric
workers, civil service employees and college students. Click
here to read the latest on the nationwide strikes (yes, it's
in English).
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.14.07 | Permalink
|
TUESDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
RIGHT
TO LIFE BACK THOMPSON; NH POLL; NM DOMINOES. THOMPSON
- Just
a week after
saying he did not support a constitution amendment to ban abortion,
former US Senator Fred Thompson (R) scored the endorsement of
the National Right to Life organization. Thompson supports overturning
the Roe v. Wade decision which declared access to safe
and legal abortions a constitutionally protected right. However,
he believes the question of allowing legal abortions should be
decided on a state-by-state basis as it was in the pre-Roe
days. While not as politically strong as it was in the 1980s and
1990s, the group still has more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
The move should also be a major boost for Thompson, who has been
lagging in the polls. The decision is a disappointment to pro-life
candidate Mike Huckabee (R), who likes to note that over the course
of his career he is the most consistent social conservative candidate
in the GOP race. The Thompson endorsement is a "mistake ...
It just goes to show that even a great organization isn't perfect.
They make mistakes from time to time. And I think this is one
of them," said former Governor David Beasley (R-SC), speaking
for the Huckabee campaign. Mitt Romney (R) was not seen as a viable
candidate for the group's backing because of his pro-choice record
before switching to a pro-life stance before entering the Presidential
race. NEW HAMPSHIRE - A
new Boston Globe/University of New Hampshire poll of likely
primary voters shows Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney still holding
leads in the Granite State. The DEM numbers: Hillary Clinton -
35%, Barack Obama - 21%, John Edwards - 15%, Bill Richardson -
10%, and Others - 8%. The GOP numbers: Mitt Romney - 32%, Rudy
Giuliani - 20%, John McCain - 17%, Ron Paul - 7%, Mike Huckabee
- 5%, Others - 6%. NEW MEXICO - Just one day after Congressman Tom Udall (D)
put out the word that he would run for US Senate next year, the
dominoes are starting to fall. Wealthy developer Don Wiviott (D)
quit the US Senate race, endorsed Udall, and jumped into the race
for Udall's open House seat. Pressure continues to mount on Albuquerque
Mayor Martin Chavez (D) to quit the Senate race in favor of the
open CD-1 seat.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.13.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Just a head's up but ... after my posting for Wednesday ... there
will not be any updates for a few days. Yup, I'm heading back
to France again on Wednesday for Dana's graduation from Le Cordon
Bleu. And here's an added bonus: I'll be there just in time for
the coordinated nationwide
anti-Sarkozy strikes by the transit workers, gas and electric
workers, civil service employees and college students scheduled
to start on Wednesday. That should be both interesting and inconvenient.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.13.07 | Permalink
|
MONDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
UDALL
RUNS IN NM; 2 REPS RETIRE; McCONNELL MAY FACE GOP'ER AS INDY;
NH, FL POLLS; AND AN OBIT. NEW MEXICO
- In
response to strong
polling numbers and reportedly the encouragement of Governor Bill
Richardson and the DSCC, Congressman Tom Udall (D) has
decided to run for the open US Senate seat next year. Albuquerque
Mayor Martin Chavez (D) met this week with DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer
to give him a message: stop trying to push me out of the primary.
"There was nothing resolved. The Mayor told Senator Schumer
he believes it is best that New Mexicans decide this race,"
said Chavez's campaign manager to NM political journalist Joe
Monahan. Congressman Steve Pearce (R), Congresswoman Heather
Wilson (R) and several others are also announced candidates for
the Senate seat. A Research 2000/Daily Kos poll last week showed
Chavez narrowly trailing Pearce and Wilson -- but showed Udall
holding double-digit leads over both top Republicans. Udall's
open CD-3 House seat is a safe Democratic district. Interestingly,
Udall's decision also means all of the state's three US House
seats will be open next year. NEW JERSEY - Congressman Jim Saxton (R) -- facing what
was possibly the toughest re-election race of his career -- unexpectedly
decided on Friday to instead retire. He had been extensively fundraising
and has roughly $1.4 million campaign cash on hand. "Although
I had intended to run in 2008 and was planning a strong campaign,
developments ... regarding my health have prompted me to make
this decision," explained Saxton, who was diagnosed earlier
this year with prostate cancer. State Senator John Adler (D) was
Saxton's challenger. In response to the incumbent's decision,
the NRCC quickly telephoned State Senator Dianne Allen (R) to
discuss the race. Allen, a former local TV news anchorwoman and
2002 US Senate primary candidate, said "I'm honored to have
them consider me, and I'm giving serious consideration to it."
Allen, a staunch opponent of the death penalty, was hammered in
the 2002 GOP primary by negative ads stating she would even oppose
the execution of Osama bin Laden. Other Republicans are also reportedly
interested in the seat. If Allen jumps in, rate the race as Leans
GOP. WYOMING - Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (R) announced her
retirement Friday, a move which many predicted was coming. Cubin
has one of the worst attendance records in Congress for the past
five years, which she attributed to her husband's ill health.
Cubin faced competitive primaries in 2004 and 2006, and also struggled
to win the general election in 2006. State House Majority Leader
Colin Simpson (R), retired Navy officer/'06 candidate Bill Winney
(R), businessman Kenn Gilchrist (R) and Teton County School Board
Chair/'06 nominee Gary Trauner (D) were already announced congressional
candidates before Cubin's made her decision. Former State Treasurer
Cynthia Lummis (R) is also reportedly looking at the seat. Cubin's
announcement is likely good news for Republicans, as she was viewed
as a particularly weak incumbent. Race Rating: Leans GOP. KENTUCKY
- Friends of Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) are looking to get
revenge against US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R)
for having allegedly undermined Fletcher's re-election campaign.
Fletcher and McConnell were longtime rivals for control of the
Kentucky Republican Party, and McConnell's machine worked to help
former Congresswoman Anne Northup's primary challenge to Fletcher
earlier this year. The Hill reports wealthy attorney Larry
Forgy -- a close Fletcher ally and the '95 GOP nominee for Governor
-- is considering making an Independent run against McConnell.
Forgy told the newspaper he is “pretty sore” at McConnell
for his "betrayal of Fletcher ... The only difference between
that and cannibals is that cannibals normally don’t eat
their friends." Forgy said he doesn't want to be a spoiler,
but that he is "furious" at McConnell. In related news,
the Dems appear to be working to clear the Senate primary field
for State Auditor Crit Luallen. "I think everybody believes
that she would be an exceptionally strong candidate. Having one
of our stars who also happens to be a woman, I imagine would be
a pretty formidable opponent," said State Democratic Chair
Jonathan Miller. VIRGINIA - District nominating conventions selected candidates
on Saturday for the Decembet 11 special election to fill the CD-1
seat left vacant by the death last month of Congresswoman Jo Ann
Davis (R). In a major upset, State Delegate Rob Wittman defeated
ten others to win the GOP nomination on the sixth ballot. Chuck
Davis (R) -- the Congresswoman's widower -- dropped out after
the early ballots and endorsed Wittman, as did several of the
more moderate candidates. They did so to block a victory by anti-tax
activist Paul Jost, who had previously opposed Jo Ann Davis in
the 2000 primary. After Wittman won the nomination, Jost's campaign
manager attributed it to Wittman being well positioned as "everybody's
second choice" to emerge as the anti-Jost candidate. On the
Democratic side, teacher and Iraq War veteran Philip Forgit won
the nomination on the first ballot. The seat is heavily Republican,
so Wittman is a safe bet to win next month. NEW HAMPSHIRE: A
new Marist College poll shows Hillary Clinton's lead shrinking
and and Mitt Romney's lead growing in the Granite State. The DEM
numbers: Hillary Clinton - 36%, Barack Obama - 25%, John Edwards
- 14%, Bill Richardson - 6%, and all others trailed further down.
The GOP numbers: Mitt Romney - 33%, Rudy Giuliani - 22%, John
McCain - 13%, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul tied with 7% each, Fred
Thompson - 5%, with the rest trailing behind. FLORIDA: A
new Miami Herald poll shows Hillary Clintona and Rudy Giuliani
holding big leads in the Sunshine State. The DEM numbers: Hillary
Clinton - 48%, Barack Obama - 24%, John Edwards - 8%, Joe Biden
- 4%, Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson tied with 3% each, and
all others at less than 1%. The GOP numbers: Rudy
Giuliani - 36%, Mitt Romney - 19%, John McCain - 12%, Mike
Huckabee - 9%, Fred Thompson - 8%, Alan Keyes and Ron Paul tied
with 2% each, and Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo tied with 1%
each. One question asked of Dems concerned
the DNC sanctions against party (i.e., no convention delegates)
and the Dem candidates boycotting Florida during the primary season.
When asked about these actions, only 7% of Democrats said it made
them less likely to vote in the January primary, 29% said the
sanctions made them more likely to vote in the primary, and the
rest said the sanctions would make no difference to them.. EARL DODGE, R.I.P. Longtime Prohibition Party leader Earl
Dodge died of a heart attack on November 7 at age 74. Dodge --
who I had known for many years -- was a true-believer
for an unpopular cause that had clearly been relegated to the
political fringes long before he took over leadership of the declining
party in 1958. In 1976 and 1980, Dodge
was the party's VP nominee. Following that, Dodge was the Prohibition
nominee for President in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004
-- and he was already running again for 2008. On top of that,
Dodge also made five runs for Colorado Governor and a run for
US Senate. Dodge once told me several years ago he kept running
because the party still had a Christian social conservative message
he believed was relevant, and he could care less about how many
votes he drew. He just wanted an audience for the message. Over
the weekend, I asked Dodge's family if they had any insight into
what motivated him to keep making quixotic runs when the tiny
party had no resources to mount a campaign and produced fewer
votes each time. "I often wondered the same thing about Daddy.
Why did he put so much into what seemed to be a losing cause.
I tried to get him to retire 7 years ago after his seven heart
bypasses ... I thought the Prohibition work was a nice ideal but
not practical. I already knew how Daddy felt, but he made it very
clear to me at that time. Daddy used to tell me to not just have
opinions, but to have convictions. He believed that if something
was right or true, it was irrelevant how many people agreed with
you ... I can't tell you how many times I watched him be the only
person to stand up in a room full of people and, very eloquently,
state his case even though he was a lone voice ... That is how
i think he continued on in the face of apparent failure,"
explained Dodge's daughter
Barbara Thiessen to Politics1. Dodge could be colorful,
charming, stubborn or cantankerous -- depending upon his mood
and the topic -- but he always remained passionate about his cause.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.12.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Your Veteran's Day open thread.
Ron's free speech thoughts on the topic: Support our troops. Bring
them home now!!
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.12.07 | Permalink
|
WEEKEND
NEWS UPDATE.
TWO
CONGRESSIONAL GOP RETIREMENTS ON FRIDAY.
Just a brief mention -- more on Monday -- that Congressman Jim
Saxton (R-NJ) and Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (R-WY) both announced
Friday they will not seek re-election next year.
The GOP exodus from Congress continues.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.10.07 | Permalink
|
THE
POWARS REPORT: N.Y. POST GETS BLOOMBERG RUN WRONG .
The
New York Post jumped out with a frontpage headline saying
NYC
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (Independent) would challenge Governor Eliot
Spitzer (D) in 2010. The newspaper's Frederick Dicker claimed
Bloomberg's Chief of Staff had contacted former State GOP State
Chair Bill Powers to discuss a gubernatorial run by the billionaire
mayor. Within hours, both Bloomberg and top political advisor
Kevin Sheekey denied the call was ever made -- and Bloomberg went
on to say he was not challenging the Governor. Incensed by Bloomberg's
denial, Dicker wrote a second story claiming he was right but
then ludicrously had an unattributed "state political leader you
would know: purportedly "confirming" the original version
of claimed events. Looks like Dicker got burned by his source:
Republican Senate Communications Director John McArdle, who was
in NYC when State Senate GOP Leader Joe Bruno traveled to meet
Bloomberg. Interestingly, Dicker also had a on-the-record quote
from Bruno saying the Mayor would run for Governor -- even though
Bruno was not party to any of the alleged discussions. A growing
number of GOP Senators are unhappy with McArdle's poor handling
of the illegal immigrant driver license issue, as it allowed State
Assembly Republicans to take the lead in stopping Spitzer's license
plan. McArdle hates any distraction from the so-called "Troopergate"
probe, even though the State Senate investigation of Spitzer by
the Senate is stuck as the Gov is claiming executive privilege
and playing rope-a-dope with the investigative committee. The
Senate Republicans were planning to to hire former US Attorney
Joe DiGenova as their lead counsel, but Senate Democrats have
blocked the investigation. That -- coupled with McArdle's leak
of the fictional "Bloomberg for Governor" candidacy story,
and getting his boss Bruno to back it up -- made for a bad week
for NY Republicans.
By:
ADAM POWARSs, New York correspondent for Politics1 - 11.10.07
| Permalink |
FRIDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
ANGRY
VOTERS; MUKASEY CONFIRMED; WATER VETO OVERRIDE; CARSON PONDERS. JOIN
OUR NEW POLITICS1 FACEBOOK GROUP!
Day One of our new Politics1
Facebook group was a great success, thanks to your help! More
than 325 of you joined on Thursday. Feel free to use the group
page as you wish: start your own discussion boards, post pix,
make suggestions for what we can do with the networking group,
whatever you'd like. While you're at it, feel free to add
me to your Friends list. TRENDS. MSNBC's Chuck Todd reported on current polling
trends he's seeing in surveys prepared for NBC/Wall Street
Journal. Here are some excerpts: "General distrust of
government is not a new phenomenon; it has been the fuel for electoral
upheaval for decades. But it's important to note that there may
be evidence of a much angrier and anxious electorate than either
party is preparing for in 2008. At our most recent briefing, one
of the NBC/Wall Street Journal pollsters said 'this is the most
angry and unstable of an electorate as I’ve seen in my career.'
And that’s from Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who was around
for 1992 and 1994, the last two times an angry electorate wreaked
havoc in an election year. Remember it was 1992 when the strongest
independent candidate in two generations -- Ross Perot -- got
19% of the vote, even after he proved less-than-stable on the
question of readiness to be president. And 1994 was the year Democrats
lost control of Congress for the first time in 50 years. Neither
was an insignificant feat. So if the 2008 electorate is shaping
up as more volatile than either of those two years, we may be
in for a wild ride of historical proportions." CABINET: Retired federal judge Michael Mukasey wouldn't
commit as to whether waterboarding was legally a form of "torture"
(editorial comment: it is). That, however, did not derail his
nomination. On Thursday evening, the Senate confirmed Mukasey
to be the next Attorney General by a 53-40 vote. WATER. From waterboarding to just plain water. Congress
on Thursday successfully overrode one of President Bush's veto
for the first time ever. The bill funded numerous water-related
projects around the nation, including Gulf Coast recovery efforts
and Everglades restoration. INDIANA: Ailing Congresswoman Julia Carson (D) gave an
interview to WTLC-AM 1310
radio -- a station in her district -- to discuss her health problems.
Carson has been too ill to attend Congress since September, but
said she hopes to return to work in mid-December. As for running
again next year, Carson seemed to back away somewhat from her
previous re-election announcement. "When I get to the point
where I come to the end of the road and talk to the Lord about
what I’m going to do now, I think He’ll show me the
answers," said the 69-year-old Carson. She typically faces
competitive races, so expect the same in this district whether
she runs or retires.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.09.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Our daily open thread.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.09.07 | Permalink
|
THURSDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
OUR
NEW P1 FACEBOOK GROUP ... plus ROBERTSON FOR RUDY; BROWNBACK
FOR McCAIN; ENDA PASSES HOUSE; NC GOV POLL. JOIN
OUR NEW POLITICS1 FACEBOOK GROUP!
Since this whole internet "thing"
looks like it might stick around for a while, I decided to create
a Politics1
Facebook group. What are we (i.e., you and me) going to do
with it? I have no idea yet, but it's yet another way for all
of us to network. While you're at it, feel free to add
me to your Friends list so I don't develop self-esteem issues. GIULIANI. In a major coup, former NYC Mayor Rudy
Giuliani (R) scored the endorsement Wednesday of influential televangelist
Pat Robertson. A 1988 White House hopeful, Robertson runs the
Christian Broadcasting Network and is the former national president
of the Christian Coalition. The endorsement of Giuliani came as
a surprise to leaders in the Religious Right movement, who warned
for months that many Evangelical conservatives would back a pro-life
third party candidate or stay home in November if the pro-choice
Giuliani is the Republican nominee. Robertson explained that he
ultimately decided to endorse Giuliani due to foreign policy grounds,
as Robertson explained he thought Giuliani was the candidate best
able to respond to the "overriding issue" of Islamic terrorism.
"I thought it was important for me to make it clear that
Rudy Giuliani is more than acceptable to people of faith. Given
the fractured nature of the process, I thought it was time to
solidify around one candidate," he also explained, adding
that only those on the "fringe" would have problems
voting for Giuliani because Giuliani has "proven time and
time again that he is a social conservative." Responded a
clearly disappointed Mitt Romney (R): "I don't think the
Republican Party will choose a pro-choice, pro-gay civil union
candidate to lead our party." Paul Weyrich and Tony Perkins
were among the chorus of key Religious Right leaders who were
quick to criticize Robertson's endorsement as sharply inconsistent
with the movement's social conservative agenda. McCAIN: US Senator Sam Brownback (R) also flirted with
endorsing Giuliani since quitting the race two weeks ago -- but
he ultimately endorsed John McCain (R) on Wednesday. "John
McCain is a true American hero and ... is the only candidate who
can rally the Reagan coalition of conservatives, Independents,
and conservative Democrats needed to defeat Hillary Clinton or
any other Democrat in the general election next year," said
Brownback. GAY RIGHTS. The US House on Wednesday approved the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) by a 235-184 vote. The law would
prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Gay rights supporters have tried to enact ENDA for the past 30
years. This was the first time the bill passed. However, as President
Bush has vowed to veto ENDA, his veto will certainly be sustained
as supporters fell far short of the two-thirds vote needed to
override a veto. NORTH CAROLINA: A new WTVD-TV/SurveyUSA poll gives us an
early snapshot of next year's gubernatorial primaries. The Democrats:
Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue - 47%, State Treasurer Richard
Moore - 38%. The Republicans: attorney Bill Graham - 26%, State
Senator Fred Smith - 24%, former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr
- 15%.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.08.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Your daily place to kill some more time online ... but only after
you've joined Politics1's
new Facebook group.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.08.07 | Permalink
|
WEDNESDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
BESHEAR,
BARBOUR WIN GUV RACES; LATTA WINS CD-5 PRIMARY; BLOOMBERG RETURNS;
PAUL'S BIG DAY. KENTUCKY: As
expected, former Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear (D) scored
a landslide 18-point comeback win over ethically-challenged Governor
Ernie Fletcher (R). The results: Beshear - 59%, Fletcher - 41%.
Fletcher tried several gay-bashing tactics in the final days --
everything from claiming Beshear would "work for every homosexual
cause" and turn Kentucky into "another San Francisco"
to bogus robocalls on Tuesday pretending to be from a Kentucky
gay organization asking voters to support "the homosexual
lobby" by backing Beshear. Several reports claimed the bogus
calls displayed the same phone caller ID as the authorized anti-gay
Fletcher robocalls. Fletcher pled guilty to a criminal ethics
violation as Governor, and was also forced to pardon several top
aides during a political corruption investigation two years ago.
The Democrats also won three of the five statewide constitutional
races, including both open-seat contests. MISSISSIPPI. Again, no major surprises. Governor Haley
Barbour (R) won a comfortable victory over attorney John Arthur
Eaves Jr. (D). Both men had positioned themselves as social conservatives
espousing nearly identical stances. Barbour's campaign described
the incumbent as a good Governor, with his post-storm recovery
leadership as one of the only success stories from the Hurricane
Katrina tragedy. Eaves portrayed himself as an reformer fighting
the special interests. Barbour won by a 58% to 42% vote. The Republican
nominees also appeared to be winning six of the seven other statewide
constitutional officer races. However, the Democrats apparently
captured majority control of the State Senate. OHIO: Due to an emergency order by the Ohio Secretary of
State that kept polls open in one county until 9 pm -- to compensate
for a glitch with voting machines earlier in the day -- results
were very slow to be reported in the CD-5 special election primary.
While it took well into the early morning hours for all the votes
to get counted, the numbers showed State Representative Bob Latta
defeated State Senator Steve Buehrer for the GOP nomination by
a 44% to 40% vote. The Club for Growth spent heavily in the contest,
pouring almost $275,000 into TV attack spots which repeatedly
blasted Latta. Latta is the son of retired Congressman Del Latta
(R). Think tank official and '04/'06 nominee Robin Weirauch easily
won the Democratic primary. The very nasty tenor of the GOP primary
is the only thing giving Dems a glimmer of hope in this otherwise
safe GOP seat. MAYORAL CONTESTS. Houston Mayor Bill White (D) cruised
to an easy re-election, as did San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
(D) and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D). Former Philadelphia
City Councilman Michael Nutter (D) won a lopsided victory to become
the next Philadelphia Mayor. Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon (D)
-- who succeeded to office in January -- was easily elected to
her first full-term as Mayor. One of the few upsets of the day
was in Indianapolis, where retired USMC office Greg Ballard (R)
defeated Mayor Bart Peterson (D) by a 51% to 47% vote. BLOOMBERG: Billionaire New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg
(Independent) started to again sound like a likely indy Presidential
candidate during a Tuesday
appearance on MSNBC. Here's what he said: "I'm not a candidate
for President. But I will say that I'm tired, and I think the
American public is tired of Congress being split down the middle.
And this partisanship that's just frozen them. And it keeps them
from going after the big issues and coming up with concrete solutions.
You know, cities around this country have shown you can bring
down crime. That's one of the major things -- and I don't hear
any of the candidates talking about they can really do it. History
shows that we have to do something about our environment. Cities
are doing things about our environment. Public education -- perhaps
the most important thing for the future of this country -- cities
and some state governors are working on these problems. And Washington,
both sides of the aisle, both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, seem
to be afraid to go and attack the real problems. And we have this
politics of money where people are making campaign donations in
order to get influence and to have the laws shaped to what's best
for their business. I think the laws should be shaped for what's
best for the country." After first answering -- note: only
in the present tense -- that he is not currently a candidate for
President, Bloomberg said the major problems with this country
are grounded in DC partisan politics, and that only real solutions
to our national problems are coming from the leaders of our cities.
Hmmm ... who could Bloomberg be describing as a our possible
national political savior for 2008? RON PAUL. Congressman Ron Paul (R) raised $4.2 million
online for his Presidential campaign on Monday, breaking Mitt
Romney's previous single-day GOP record. The amount -- while impressive
-- still falls far short of record set by Democrats Hillary Clinton
and Barack Obama, who raised over $6 million apiece online during
single-day fundraising drives earlier this year. The fundraising
success also raises the likelihood of the maverick Paul making
an independent run in the general election, as he is still mired
in the low single-digits for the GOP primaries in all early contest
states. Paul is continuing his fundraising push for 4Q-07 beyond
the one-day tally, and has already raised over $7.4 million in
this current period.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.07.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Your daily open thread.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.07.07 | Permalink
|
TUESDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
IT'S
ELECTION DAY 2007 (... PLUS ILLINOIS PRIMARY FILING CLOSES). KENTUCKY: Every
independent poll agrees: former
Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear (D) will smash scandal-tinged
Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) by a landslide margin. In a
last minute attempt to rally conservatives, Fletcher's campaign
sponsored recorded robocalls to voters featuring entertainer Pat
Boone. In the message, Boone warned that "as a Christian"
he is concerned Beshear will "work for every homosexual cause.
Now do you want a Governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San
Francisco? Please re-elect Ernie Fletcher." Fletcher's runningmate,
Robbie Rudolph, also said this weekend that Kentucky voters must
chose between "a couple of San Francisco treats or ... a
Governor," reported the Lexington Herald-Leader. Despite
the gay-bashing tactic, look for Fletcher to lose by around a
20-point margin.
Five other statewide constitutional officer races are also on
Tuesday's ballot. MISSISSIPPI. The only question here is whether Governor
Haley Barbour (R) will win by a wider victory margin than Beshear's
margin in Kentucky. Barbour will cruise to an easy, lopsided
win over John Arthur Eaves Jr. (D), in what has largely been a
fairly sedate race. Seven other statewide constitutional officer
races are also on Tuesday's ballot. OHIO: The special election primary is Tuesday for the CD-5
seat left open by the death of Congressman Paul Gillmor (R). The
seat is solidly Republican, so the winner of the GOP primary is
heavily favored to win the December 11 general election to fill
the remainder of the term. State Representative Bob Latta and
State Senator Steve Buehrer are the frontrunners for the GOP nomination.
Three other Republicans are also running. Latta is the son of
retired Congressman Del Latta, Gillmor's predecessor. Buehrer
is strongly backed by the conservative Club for Growth. The Latta-Buehrer
race has been so nasty in tone that some GOP insiders fear it
could help think tank official Robin Weirauch (D) in the general.
In fact, the Ohio Republican Party felt compelled to send a written
rebuke to both men: "The direction this campaign is headed
will tarnish your reputations and those of your campaign consultants
and supporters. But more important than the reputation of any
individual, the tenor of the race is poised to harm our party."
In response, Latta and Buehrer each said they thought they'd still
be able to win next month as the nominee. MAYORAL CONTESTS. Various mayoral races are also on the
ballot Tuesday. Among the top races are in San Francisco, Houston,
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. No surprises or upsets are expected
in any of those contests. ILLINOIS. Candidate
filing closed Tuesday
for Illinois' February 5 primary. Congressman Dan Lipinski (D)
-- a fairly conservative Democrat -- is facing aggressive challenges
from three credible opponents. The GOP primaries for the open
CD-11, CD-14 and CD-18 seats are also significant, as Republican
incumbents are retiring in all three districts. The CD-11 filings
were unusual in that the leading GOP candidates -- New Lenox Mayor
Tim Baldermann and former Bush White House aide Jimmy Lee -- could
both be fairly described as "second tier" candidates.
State Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson is unopposed for
the CD-11 Dem nomination. Also, based on the filings, US Senate
Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D) looks headed to a fairly easy re-election
race next November. Click here to see all of
the Illinois congressional candidate filings. In other related
news, controversial former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
-- who has since quit the Democratic Party and moved to California
-- was one of four candidates to file for Green Party's Presidential
primary.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.06.07 | Permalink
|
CHANGE
OF STRATEGY: IS MURPHY RUNNING RICHARDSON FOR VEEP?
New
Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D) should make for an interesting
candidate for President because his experience in Congress, diplomacy
and as Governor shows real leadership. Sadly, Richardson
seems to have recently retooled himself into running hard for
a spot on Hillary Clinton's ticket. In the recent debates, when
others aggressively attacked Clinton, Richardson praised her and
seemingly tried to fend off those candidates who did challenger
her. One New York-based Richardson donor complained after a recent
Park Avenue fundraiser for Richardson that "Bill is our best
candidate, so why doesn't he fight for the nomination instead
of acting like a Hillary shill." I also interviewed by phone a
long-time New Mexico Democratic consultant. "The way to get on
the ticket is to show you can pull votes. You pull votes by fighting
for your ideals, not brown-nosing the front runner," he griped.
The "Suck up to Hillary" strategy appears to be the brain-child
of Richardson media consultant Steve Murphy. Murphy, responsible
for Richardson's clever early humorous résumé spots
(which almost nobody saw), would like to be picked-up for the
Hillary entourage by her consultant Mark Penn once Richardson
is either crushed or The VP candidate. Whether it should be attributed
to Murphy or others in the Richardson camp, Richardson is not
acting these days like a real challenger for the nomination. "Richardson
has a great tax-cutting record but he never talks about it when
he visits Manchester" said one New Hampshire Democratic activist,
who recently switched to backing Joe Biden after the Delaware
US Senator visited her home and made her a grilled cheese-and-tomato
sandwich. Murphy was the campaign manager who led Dick Gephardt's
ill-fated 2004 Iowa strategy centered upon nasty attack ads against
Howard Dean that derailed both the Dean and Gephardt campaigns.
by
ADAM POWARS, New York correspondent for Politics1 - 11.06.07 |
Permalink |
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Your daily open thread.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.06.07
| Permalink |
MONDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
REID
ASKS SENS "PLEASE SHOW UP"; FRED IS PRO-IRAN WAR, KINDA
PRO-CHOICE; ME & KY POLLS; MUKASEY LOCKS IT UP; MONDALE FOR
HILLARY. US SENATE: Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) has a request for the four Dem
Senators running for President: you need to show up this week
for work. "I’m
going to leave here and go call [Clinton, Obama, Biden and Dodd]
and let them know that they better look at their schedules because
these are not votes you can miss," Reid told The Hill.
The votes are all related to key fights with the Republicans and
Bush Administration on some hot-button federal budget issues. THOMPSON. Former US Senator Fred Thompson (R) said Sunday
on Meet the Press that he supports a preemptive war against Iran
but opposes a constitutional amendment banning abortion. On Iran,
Thompson explained "I don’t see how we can afford to
let these people go nuclear." As for abortion, made a state's
rights argument against an amendment, saying "I think people
ought to be free at state and local levels to make decisions that
even Fred Thompson disagrees with." This abortion
stance is consistent with Thompson's opposition to a constitutional
amendment banning gay marriage. MAINE: The latest independent Critical Insights poll shows
US Senator Susan Collins (R) continuing to hold a wide lead over
Congressman Tom Allen (D): 54% to 34%. As for the open CD-1 congressional
race, the poll found none of the seven announced candidates have
a name recognition factor above the paltry 4% mark. CABINET. No votes have yet taken place, but retired
federal judge Michael Mukasey now appears on his way to being
confirmed as Attorney General. A group of US Senators who
appeared to be wavering over Mukasey's inability to declare waterboarding
a form of torture -- Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY),
John McCain (R-AZ), Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
-- all announced they will vote to confirm. The only question
now is by how many voted will Mukasey be confirmed? KENTUCKY. A
new Rasmussen Reports poll shows former
Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear (D) cruising to a wide
victory over Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) in Tuesday's election.
The numbers: Beshear - 54%, Fletcher - 39%. SOUTH DAKOTA: Despite some media and blog reports to the
contrary, Governor Mike Rounds' (R) press secretary told Rapid
City Journal that Rounds did not visit the NRSC headquarters
during his DC visit on Friday. Rounds visited the National Academy
of Sciences in DC to discuss the state's Deep Underground Science
& Engineering Laboratory. His office insists Rounds will stick
to his earlier decision and not run against US Senator Tim Johnson
(D) next year. Johnson -- who suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage
in December 2006 -- last month announced his candidacy for re-election. CLINTON. Former Vice President Walter Mondale (D-MN)
-- the 1984 nominee for President -- endorsed Hillary Clinton
for President at an appearance in Iowa on Sunday. "America
is ready for change, and Hillary Clinton has the strength and
experience to deliver it," said Mondale. "I cannot tell
you how totally honored I am to be here with someone whom I have
admired all my adult life," responded Clinton. The most memorable
moment in Mondale's disastrous Presidential run was announcing
in his nomination acceptance that he planned to raise taxes if
elected. Reagan swept 49 states in the general election.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.05.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Your daily open thread.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.05.07 | Permalink
|
WEEKEND
NEWS UPDATE.
I'm
trying something different here by adding a few folks who are
interested in being regular contributors from time-to-time. Besides,
it gives Politics1 more content without my having to write it
all. First up is Adam Powars of New York (right), a one-time
Democratic activist and former pro bodybuilder turned Green Party
member. With my recent chance encounter with infamous Nixonite
consultant Roger Stone -- and coupled with the Stone cover
story in the current Weekly Standard and his appearance Friday
evening on MSNBC's Tucker -- Adam's first piece seemed relevant
for this weekend.
GOP
DIRTY TRICKSTER HAD PREDICTED HIT ON HILLARY OVER SPITZER'S DRIVER'S
LICENSE PLAN.
Republican
guru Roger Stone outlined a strategy a week ago on his quirky
and unpredictable StoneZone
website for Republicans to put Senator Hillary Clinton on the
spot over New York Governor Eliot
Spitzer's (D) controversial plan to give state driver's licenses
to illegal immigrants. In the article, Stone wrote: "Voters in
Iowa and New Hampshire are no more likely to view the Spitzer
plan favorably than New York voters are. 72% of New Yorkers oppose
the Spitzer plan in a recent Siena poll. Hillary Clinton should
be badgered for an answer." But before Republicans could pounce
on Clinton, Democrats John Edwards and Barack Obama made the first
move to pounce on the US Senator from New York. In what some Democrats
think was a major gaffe, Clinton first said she "sympathized"
with Governor Spitzer but then seemingly switched stances and
declined to specifically support his plan. It reminded many of
John Kerry's "I was for it before I was against it" line on the
war. Waffling, a desire to have it both ways, could become the
major chink in Clinton's political armor. It reminds some Democrats
of her early support for the war and her efforts to distance herself
from that support, reinventing herself to sound like an anti-war
candidate. Meanwhile, Democratic Party officials in Iowa and New
Hampshire say a Spitzer-style plan that gives driver's licenses
to unidentifiable illegal immigrants is DOA in those early contest
states. It is no secret that the Clintons are reportedly peeved
with Spitzer over his delay in endorsing the Empire State's favorite
daughter. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and most New York Democrats
got on board with Clinton very early in the race. Maybe Spitzer
was doing Senator Clinton a favor. After Spitzer recently campaigned
in Buffalo for the Erie County Democratic ticket, the entire slate's
poll numbers slumped. The Democratic candidate for Erie County
Executive now trails by 7-points and the Democratic County Clerk,
who initially endorsed the Spitzer plan, had to reverse herself
to stop a free-fall in the polls. And this happening in heavily
Democratic Buffalo.
by
Adam Powars, New York correspondent for Politics1 - 11.03.07 |
Permalink |
FRIDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
UDALL
RECONSIDERS IN NM; COLBERT BOUNCED; FRED'S BAD SCRIPT; SCHIP RETURNS;
OK GOP SAYS DEM SEN HOPEFUL IS "ITALIAN COMMUNIST" NEW MEXICO: The
Albuquerque Journal reported Thursday that Congressman
Tom Udall (D) is "reconsidering" the open US Senate
race. "Udall's people are calling the party's heavy hitters
in the state this morning to inform them he is reconsidering a
run for the U.S. Senate," wrote the newspaper. The Journal
said a big part of the reason Udall is reconsidering the contest
is because "Governor Bill Richardson called Udall [Wednesday]
to tell him he does not plan to run for the Senate and would stay
out of Udall's way if the Congressman decides to jump in."
US Senator Pete Domenici (R) is retiring. THOMPSON.
A high-powered GOP campaign consultant -- a former top Reagan
consultant currently unaffiliated with any of the GOP candidates
-- told Politics1 why Fred Thompson (R) has appeared so un-Reaganesque
on the campaign trail. "An actor is only as good as the script
you give them. If you give them bad lines, they will come off
as uninspiring. They're not giving Thompson good material and
it shows," he explained. COLBERT. TV humorist Stephen Colbert missed the South Carolina
Republican Presidential primary filing deadline on Thursday --
in order to avoid the $35,000 filing fee (and FEC filing requirements)
-- and instead gambled on seeking a spot in the Democratic primary.
He lost that bet as the SC Democratic Party rejected Colbert's
candidacy filing. Under party rules, they State Executive Committee
must reject any candidate who is not a bona fide and active candidate
for the nomination. Based upon that rule, the committee voted
13-3 to remove Colbert from the primary ballot. Now foreclosed
from the SC primary, Colbert's only option if he wishes to run
exclusively in his birthplace of South Carolina is to collect
10,000 signatures to appear on the general election ballot as
an Independent. SCHIP. Paving the way for another showdown with the White
House, the US Senate on Thursday again approved the $35 billion
SCHIP program to enhance health care coverage for middle class
children. President Bush previously vetoed an identical bill less
than two weeks ago. The bill was approved by a 64-30 vote -- a
veto-proof, bipartisan majority. The real fight will take place
in the House, where are clearly enough votes to pass the bill.
However, the House fell a handful of votes shy of the number needed
to override the President's veto last time. With polling numbers
running strongly in favor of the program, a small number of vulnerable
GOP incumbents and conservative swing-seat Dems are under increasing
pressure to support the program in this new round of voting. OKLAHOMA. While Republicans initially chuckled about State
Senator Andrew Rice's (D) challenge to US Senator Jim Inhofe (R),
they are now seemingly taking his challenge more seriously. How
else to explain the rather desperate attack site launched by the
Oklahoma Republican Party: andrewricesweb.com.
The heavy-handed GOP site accuses Rice of being everything from
an ACLU'er, to a Sierra Club supporter, to being "supported
by ... Jeanine Garofalo", to Rice possibly even being an
"Italian Communist" (trust me, I'm not making this up!).
In circa 1950 style, the site also features a communist hammer-and-sickle
flag flying above Rice's head. So, why are they viciously attacking
someone they've spent months saying is "no threat" to
Inhofe?
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.02.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Your daily open thread.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.02.07 | Permalink
|
THURSDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
POLITICS1
IS 10 YEARS OLD!
Politics1 first went live online on November 1, 1997. Today, we
hit our ten year mark ... and we've come a long way from how we
looked and the limited content we provided back then ... so happy
anniversary to us.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.01.07 | Permalink
|
COLBERT
RUNS AS DEM; AFSCME FOR HILLARY; BESHEAR LANDSLIDE LOOMS; COCHRAN
TO QUIT? COLBERT.The
$35,000 filing fee to compete in the South Carolina Republican
Presidential primary was apparently too high for humorist Stephen
Colbert's faux campaign. "They priced us out of range,"
a Colbert spokesperson told CNN. Thus, Colbert has decided he
will file this week only for the state's Democratic primary --
because the Dems do not have a filing fee is the candidate files
a sufficient number of valid signatures. CLINTON. After a dismal debate performance Tuesday
night, Hillary Clinton got some great news on Wednesday. AFSCME
-- one of the nation's largest labor unions -- endorsed her candidacy.
"This is no time to take chances. We need someone who knows
how to fight and indeed knows how to win," said AFSCME President
Gerald McEntee. KENTUCKY.
A new WHAS-TV/SurveyUSA poll shows Governor Ernie Fletcher
(R) continuing to lose more ground in these final days before
next week's election. The numbers: former Lieutenant Governor
Steve Beshear (D) - 60%, Fletcher - 36%. MISSISSIPPI. The Hill reports US Senator Thad Cochran
(R) may again be considering retirement. Cochran, 70, has a campaign
announcement scheduled for November 6. When asked Tuesday "if
he would definitely run for reelection," Cochran told the
newspaper: “No, I didn’t say that. I’m preparing
to run for reelection, but I haven’t made an official announcement.”
While most still expect Cochran to run again next year, pundits
are wondering why Cochran would open the door with those kind
of remarks. The newspaper further noted "two sources ...
close to Cochran ... say the Senator may be leaning towards retirement
because he has grown weary of the ongoing partisan battles on
Capitol Hill."
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.01.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Your daily open thread.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 11.01.07 | Permalink
|
former
US Senator Bob Kerrey (D) who bailed on the open US Senate race.
On Tuesday, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey (D) likewise announced he would
not run for the seat being vacated by maverick Senator Chuck Hagel
(R). Thus -- with both Kerrey and Fahey out of the picture --
Dems look likely to encourage rancher and college instructor Scott
Kleeb to be their candidate. Kleeb was the Congressional nominee
last year in CD-3 and ran a very competitive race in one of the
most Republican districts in the nation. Kleeb won 45% of the
vote in a district that gave President Bush 75% in 2004. However,
Kleeb is also considering a rematch for the CD-3 seat. On the
GOP side, former Governor Mike Johanns and Attorney General Jon
Bruning are waging an expensive battle for the nomination. Overall,
Johanns is viewed as the favorite for the seat.
Tucker
Carlson's daily political talk show as the cable channel ponders
a move to the left to possibly reposition itself as a "FOX for
the liberals." The move would be aimed at a younger and what they
believe is a more liberal audience. While FOX's cantankerous Bill
O'Reilly still holds a significant audience size advantage over
MSNBC's Keith Olberman, it is among older viewers that O'Reilly
swamps Olberman. [Editorial Comment: Count me among Olberman's
audience, as I never watch O'Reilly.] Yet, among the younger
18-25 demographic, the two men are virtually tied. Carlson, by
contrast with some conservative show hosts on FOX, is a more easy-going
pundit well-liked for his civlity (and his previous penchant for
jaunty bow-ties). "Tucker is a conservative with a sense of humor,"
said the Rev. Al Sharpton (D), a frequent guest on Carlson's show.
Carlson has also given
substantial exposure to the long-shot Presidential bid of Congressman
Ron Paul (R). Like the Houston libertarian, Carlson opposes the
Iraq War. Carlson is particularly popular with Paul's blogging
army because he covered Paul when other major media outlets were
ignoring him. Carlson also famously appeared on Dancing
with the Stars to show a different side of the preppy pundit.
Carlson is know for his quirky Libertarian streak. DC was shocked
when Jon Stewart attacked Carlson's former show -- Crossfire --
which he hosted with liberal Paul Begala, as Carlson is among
the least caustic of the rightwing talking heads. In related news,
we also hear rumors from a reliable New York source that Carlson
has sold a game show
concept to a major network and inked a deal to host it. In
response to the early buzz, Florida insurance salesman John Bertran
is vowing to mount a grassroots effort to save Carlson's show.
"Tucker is the only reason I tune in the MSNBC," Bertran told
Politics1.
after
saying he did not support a constitution amendment to ban abortion,
former US Senator Fred Thompson (R) scored the endorsement of
the National Right to Life organization. Thompson supports overturning
the Roe v. Wade decision which declared access to safe
and legal abortions a constitutionally protected right. However,
he believes the question of allowing legal abortions should be
decided on a state-by-state basis as it was in the pre-Roe
days. While not as politically strong as it was in the 1980s and
1990s, the group still has more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
The move should also be a major boost for Thompson, who has been
lagging in the polls. The decision is a disappointment to pro-life
candidate Mike Huckabee (R), who likes to note that over the course
of his career he is the most consistent social conservative candidate
in the GOP race. The Thompson endorsement is a "mistake ...
It just goes to show that even a great organization isn't perfect.
They make mistakes from time to time. And I think this is one
of them," said former Governor David Beasley (R-SC), speaking
for the Huckabee campaign. Mitt Romney (R) was not seen as a viable
candidate for the group's backing because of his pro-choice record
before switching to a pro-life stance before entering the Presidential
race.
strong
polling numbers and reportedly the encouragement of Governor Bill
Richardson and the DSCC, Congressman Tom Udall (D) has
decided to run for the open US Senate seat next year. Albuquerque
Mayor Martin Chavez (D) met this week with DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer
to give him a message: stop trying to push me out of the primary.
"There was nothing resolved. The Mayor told Senator Schumer
he believes it is best that New Mexicans decide this race,"
said Chavez's campaign manager to NM political journalist 
KENTUCKY
- Friends of Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) are looking to get
revenge against US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R)
for having allegedly undermined Fletcher's re-election campaign.
Fletcher and McConnell were longtime rivals for control of the
Kentucky Republican Party, and McConnell's machine worked to help
former Congresswoman Anne Northup's primary challenge to Fletcher
earlier this year. The Hill reports wealthy attorney Larry
Forgy -- a close Fletcher ally and the '95 GOP nominee for Governor
-- is considering making an Independent run against McConnell.
Forgy told the newspaper he is “pretty sore” at McConnell
for his "betrayal of Fletcher ... The only difference between
that and cannibals is that cannibals normally don’t eat
their friends." Forgy said he doesn't want to be a spoiler,
but that he is "furious" at McConnell. In related news,
the Dems appear to be working to clear the Senate primary field
for State Auditor Crit Luallen. "I think everybody believes
that she would be an exceptionally strong candidate. Having one
of our stars who also happens to be a woman, I imagine would be
a pretty formidable opponent," said State Democratic Chair
Jonathan Miller. 
Dodge
was the party's VP nominee. Following that, Dodge was the Prohibition
nominee for President in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004
-- and he was already running again for 2008. On top of that,
Dodge also made five runs for Colorado Governor and a run for
US Senate. Dodge once told me several years ago he kept running
because the party still had a Christian social conservative message
he believed was relevant, and he could care less about how many
votes he drew. He just wanted an audience for the message. Over
the weekend, I asked Dodge's family if they had any insight into
what motivated him to keep making quixotic runs when the tiny
party had no resources to mount a campaign and produced fewer
votes each time. "I often wondered the same thing about Daddy.
Why did he put so much into what seemed to be a losing cause.
I tried to get him to retire 7 years ago after his seven heart
bypasses ... I thought the Prohibition work was a nice ideal but
not practical. I already knew how Daddy felt, but he made it very
clear to me at that time. Daddy used to tell me to not just have
opinions, but to have convictions. He believed that if something
was right or true, it was irrelevant how many people agreed with
you ... I can't tell you how many times I watched him be the only
person to stand up in a room full of people and, very eloquently,
state his case even though he was a lone voice ... That is how
i think he continued on in the face of apparent failure,"
explained Dodge's daughter
Barbara Thiessen to Politics1. Dodge could be colorful,
charming, stubborn or cantankerous -- depending upon his mood
and the topic -- but he always remained passionate about his cause.
NYC
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (Independent) would challenge Governor Eliot
Spitzer (D) in 2010. The newspaper's Frederick Dicker claimed
Bloomberg's Chief of Staff had contacted former State GOP State
Chair Bill Powers to discuss a gubernatorial run by the billionaire
mayor. Within hours, both Bloomberg and top political advisor
Kevin Sheekey denied the call was ever made -- and Bloomberg went
on to say he was not challenging the Governor. Incensed by Bloomberg's
denial, Dicker wrote a second story claiming he was right but
then ludicrously had an unattributed "state political leader you
would know: purportedly "confirming" the original version
of claimed events. Looks like Dicker got burned by his source:
Republican Senate Communications Director John McArdle, who was
in NYC when State Senate GOP Leader Joe Bruno traveled to meet
Bloomberg. Interestingly, Dicker also had a on-the-record quote
from Bruno saying the Mayor would run for Governor -- even though
Bruno was not party to any of the alleged discussions. A growing
number of GOP Senators are unhappy with McArdle's poor handling
of the illegal immigrant driver license issue, as it allowed State
Assembly Republicans to take the lead in stopping Spitzer's license
plan. McArdle hates any distraction from the so-called "Troopergate"
probe, even though the State Senate investigation of Spitzer by
the Senate is stuck as the Gov is claiming executive privilege
and playing rope-a-dope with the investigative committee. The
Senate Republicans were planning to to hire former US Attorney
Joe DiGenova as their lead counsel, but Senate Democrats have
blocked the investigation. That -- coupled with McArdle's leak
of the fictional "Bloomberg for Governor" candidacy story,
and getting his boss Bruno to back it up -- made for a bad week
for NY Republicans.
Rudy
Giuliani (R) scored the endorsement Wednesday of influential televangelist
Pat Robertson. A 1988 White House hopeful, Robertson runs the
Christian Broadcasting Network and is the former national president
of the Christian Coalition. The endorsement of Giuliani came as
a surprise to leaders in the Religious Right movement, who warned
for months that many Evangelical conservatives would back a pro-life
third party candidate or stay home in November if the pro-choice
Giuliani is the Republican nominee. Robertson explained that he
ultimately decided to endorse Giuliani due to foreign policy grounds,
as Robertson explained he thought Giuliani was the candidate best
able to respond to the "overriding issue" of Islamic terrorism.
"I thought it was important for me to make it clear that
Rudy Giuliani is more than acceptable to people of faith. Given
the fractured nature of the process, I thought it was time to
solidify around one candidate," he also explained, adding
that only those on the "fringe" would have problems
voting for Giuliani because Giuliani has "proven time and
time again that he is a social conservative." Responded a
clearly disappointed Mitt Romney (R): "I don't think the
Republican Party will choose a pro-choice, pro-gay civil union
candidate to lead our party." Paul Weyrich and Tony Perkins
were among the chorus of key Religious Right leaders who were
quick to criticize Robertson's endorsement as sharply inconsistent
with the movement's social conservative agenda.
"John
McCain is a true American hero and ... is the only candidate who
can rally the Reagan coalition of conservatives, Independents,
and conservative Democrats needed to defeat Hillary Clinton or
any other Democrat in the general election next year," said
Brownback.
As
expected, former Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear (D) scored
a landslide 18-point comeback win over ethically-challenged Governor
Ernie Fletcher (R). The results: Beshear - 59%, Fletcher - 41%.
Fletcher tried several gay-bashing tactics in the final days --
everything from claiming Beshear would "work for every homosexual
cause" and turn Kentucky into "another San Francisco"
to bogus robocalls on Tuesday pretending to be from a Kentucky
gay organization asking voters to support "the homosexual
lobby" by backing Beshear. Several reports claimed the bogus
calls displayed the same phone caller ID as the authorized anti-gay
Fletcher robocalls. Fletcher pled guilty to a criminal ethics
violation as Governor, and was also forced to pardon several top
aides during a political corruption investigation two years ago.
The Democrats also won three of the five statewide constitutional
races, including both open-seat contests.
Tuesday
for Illinois' February 5 primary. Congressman Dan Lipinski (D)
-- a fairly conservative Democrat -- is facing aggressive challenges
from three credible opponents. The GOP primaries for the open
CD-11, CD-14 and CD-18 seats are also significant, as Republican
incumbents are retiring in all three districts. The CD-11 filings
were unusual in that the leading GOP candidates -- New Lenox Mayor
Tim Baldermann and former Bush White House aide Jimmy Lee -- could
both be fairly described as "second tier" candidates.
State Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson is unopposed for
the CD-11 Dem nomination. Also, based on the filings, US Senate
Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D) looks headed to a fairly easy re-election
race next November. 
Richardson
seems to have recently retooled himself into running hard for
a spot on Hillary Clinton's ticket. In the recent debates, when
others aggressively attacked Clinton, Richardson praised her and
seemingly tried to fend off those candidates who did challenger
her. One New York-based Richardson donor complained after a recent
Park Avenue fundraiser for Richardson that "Bill is our best
candidate, so why doesn't he fight for the nomination instead
of acting like a Hillary shill." I also interviewed by phone a
long-time New Mexico Democratic consultant. "The way to get on
the ticket is to show you can pull votes. You pull votes by fighting
for your ideals, not brown-nosing the front runner," he griped.
The "Suck up to Hillary" strategy appears to be the brain-child
of Richardson media consultant Steve Murphy. Murphy, responsible
for Richardson's clever early humorous résumé spots
(which almost nobody saw), would like to be picked-up for the
Hillary entourage by her consultant Mark Penn once Richardson
is either crushed or The VP candidate. Whether it should be attributed
to Murphy or others in the Richardson camp, Richardson is not
acting these days like a real challenger for the nomination. "Richardson
has a great tax-cutting record but he never talks about it when
he visits Manchester" said one New Hampshire Democratic activist,
who recently switched to backing Joe Biden after the Delaware
US Senator visited her home and made her a grilled cheese-and-tomato
sandwich. Murphy was the campaign manager who led Dick Gephardt's
ill-fated 2004 Iowa strategy centered upon nasty attack ads against
Howard Dean that derailed both the Dean and Gephardt campaigns.
Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) has a request for the four Dem
Senators running for President: you need to show up this week
for work. "I’m
going to leave here and go call [Clinton, Obama, Biden and Dodd]
and let them know that they better look at their schedules because
these are not votes you can miss," Reid told The Hill.
The votes are all related to key fights with the Republicans and
Bush Administration on some hot-button federal budget issues.
Eliot
Spitzer's (D) controversial plan to give state driver's licenses
to illegal immigrants. In the article, Stone wrote: "Voters in
Iowa and New Hampshire are no more likely to view the Spitzer
plan favorably than New York voters are. 72% of New Yorkers oppose
the Spitzer plan in a recent Siena poll. Hillary Clinton should
be badgered for an answer." But before Republicans could pounce
on Clinton, Democrats John Edwards and Barack Obama made the first
move to pounce on the US Senator from New York. In what some Democrats
think was a major gaffe, Clinton first said she "sympathized"
with Governor Spitzer but then seemingly switched stances and
declined to specifically support his plan. It reminded many of
John Kerry's "I was for it before I was against it" line on the
war. Waffling, a desire to have it both ways, could become the
major chink in Clinton's political armor. It reminds some Democrats
of her early support for the war and her efforts to distance herself
from that support, reinventing herself to sound like an anti-war
candidate. Meanwhile, Democratic Party officials in Iowa and New
Hampshire say a Spitzer-style plan that gives driver's licenses
to unidentifiable illegal immigrants is DOA in those early contest
states. It is no secret that the Clintons are reportedly peeved
with Spitzer over his delay in endorsing the Empire State's favorite
daughter. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and most New York Democrats
got on board with Clinton very early in the race. Maybe Spitzer
was doing Senator Clinton a favor. After Spitzer recently campaigned
in Buffalo for the Erie County Democratic ticket, the entire slate's
poll numbers slumped. The Democratic candidate for Erie County
Executive now trails by 7-points and the Democratic County Clerk,
who initially endorsed the Spitzer plan, had to reverse herself
to stop a free-fall in the polls. And this happening in heavily
Democratic Buffalo.
The
$35,000 filing fee to compete in the South Carolina Republican
Presidential primary was apparently too high for humorist Stephen
Colbert's faux campaign. "They priced us out of range,"
a Colbert spokesperson told CNN. Thus, Colbert has decided he
will file this week only for the state's Democratic primary --
because the Dems do not have a filing fee is the candidate files
a sufficient number of valid signatures. 
