Archive: September 30, 2007
"There are two kinds of people in Montana: those who are for gun control, and those who run for public office."
-- Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D), quoted by the
Los Angeles Times in an article about Western Democrats' concerns about the 2008 ticket.
"Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL), the reluctant general chairman of the Republican National Committee, is planning to step down as soon as a presidential nominee emerges, party insiders say," the
Miami Herald reports.
"Word of Martinez's possible departure before the 2008 election surfaced Saturday in a column written by Robert Novak."
The
American Research Group released polls the three first states to vote for president in 2008 and notes Sen. Hillary Clinton leads in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Support for John Edwards has slipped among Democrats in all three states, with a sharp drop in South Carolina.
More details and trends in the Democratic race:
On the Republican side, Mitt Romney has lost ground in Iowa and New Hampshire, but he has gained ground in South Carolina. Sen. John McCain has bounced back in New Hampshire, where is he essentially tied with Romney and Rudy Giuliani.
In case you were wondering, there has been no impact to the entry of Alan Keyes in the three states.
More details and trends in the Republican race:
Archive: September 29, 2007
In North Carolina, a new
Elon University poll shows Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 37% support, followed by John Edwards at 18% and Sen. Barack Obama at 18%.
On the Republican side, Fred Thompson leads with 28%, trailed by Rudy Giuliani at 21%, Sen. John McCain at 12% and Mitt Romney at 8%.
A new
Newsweek poll in Iowa gives Sen. Barack Obama the lead in the Democratic presidential race with 28% support among likely caucus goers, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 24%, John Edwards at 22% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 10%.
On the GOP side, Mitt Romney leads with 24%, followed by Fred Thompson at 16%, Rudy Giuliani at 13%, Mike Huckabee at 12% and Sen. John McCain at 9%.
Newt Gingrich "decided Saturday morning not to run for president just has his staff was preparing to launch a Web site to seek $30 million in pledges,"
The Politico reports.
Said Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler: "He had to make a choice between being a citizen-activist raising the challenges America faces and finding solution to America's problems, or exploring a potential candidacy. It's legally impermissible to do both. It was the necessary choice. It was the only choice."
Archive: September 28, 2007
"I came within a day of announcing, because most of the governors were for me and I had been a governor for six years. And I really didn't think I knew enough and had served enough and done enough to run."
-- Bill Clinton, in an interview on
Political Capital with Al Hunt to air tonight on Bloomberg TV, on his near run for president in 1988. Clinton was suggesting that Sen. Barack Obama is not experienced enough to seek the presidency.
Newt Gingrich "will open a Web site by Monday in an effort to round up the $30 million in pledges that he says would be his ticket to entering the race for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination,"
The Politico reports.
During a recent breakfast with reporters, Gingrich "made it clear he has given a great deal of thought to how he would run, starting with a national television ad that would be heavy on his substantive ideas. That might be followed with DVDs of his agenda to households in early-voting states."
After a poll released earlier this week showing Rudy Giuliani
erasing his lead in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney's campaign "appeared to try to lower expectations yesterday," the
Boston Globe reports.
An internal memo from strategist Alex Gage: "By no means do we expect to win both Iowa and New Hampshire -- no Republican in the modern era ever has."
However, the
Wall Street Journal notes Giuliani has not yet run campaign ads "while lesser-known Romney has spent at least $10 million on TV in Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida and South Carolina." He's spent $1.7 million on ads in the Granite State alone.
A new
Fox News poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton expanding her lead in hypothetical match ups with every Republican presidential candidate.
Clinton now leads Rudy Giuliani, 46% to 39%, Fred Thompson, 48% to 35%, and Sen. John McCain 46% to 39%.
Sen. Barack Obama also leads each GOP candidate, but by lesser margins.
The Politico: "A federal grand jury has issued document subpoenas to six aides to embattled GOP Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), who is under investigation by the Justice Dept. over his ties to imprisoned former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff."
Interesting quotes from the
Times of London:
"There is going to be surprise -- there always is. Someone leading now in the polls will not necessarily be leading in January."
-- Ray Buckley, Chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
"The Democratic race is about to become more competitive here. People want to see a contest, they want to see candidates tested. They donít like the idea that one of them is walking away with it."
-- Fergus Cullen, Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party.
"John Edwards'
decision to accept public matching funds to finance his campaign is a political blow but it's probably also the only lifeline he has to stay in the race,"
The Politico reports.
"Come Sunday at midnight, the close of the third-quarter fundraising period, Edwards' campaign is expected to post up a total between $5 million and $7 million... And it's a sum that won't even come close to those of Obama and Clinton, even though they've also seen slowdowns in giving. Obama is expected to report around $20 million in third-quarter donations and the Clinton camp is aiming for around $18 million."
Marc Ambinder: "But entering federal financing system has two major drawbacks. There's an overall spending limit for the primaries, so a campaign that blows through its money would be bankrupt until after its convention, allowing the opposing party's candidate to air television ads without rebuttal... And the candidates are severely constrained in what they can spend in the states. There are fairly strict caps in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina."
The Note: "If this was such a good idea -- politically and financially -- everyone would be doing it."
Ben Smith has the campaign's talking points.
A new
Research 2000 poll found that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is currently leading a relatively unknown challenger -- Rick Noriega (D) -- 51%-35% in his 2008 reelection bid. However, only 40% of constituents said they wanted to reelect the Senator, while 35% said they were ready for someone new. This leaves a possible opening for Noriega to exploit. Cornyn is one of the more unpopular Republican Senators and has been made a target by Democrats for 2008.
The
Los
Angeles Times reports that the controversial proposal to change California's electoral vote allocation from winner-take-all to by congressional district "that could have helped Republicans hold on to the White House in 2008 was a shambles Thursday night, as two of its key consultants quit."
"There remained a chance that the measure could be revived, but only if a major donor were to come forward to fund the petition drive. However, time is short to gather the hundreds of thousands of signatures needed by the end of November. And backers said Thursday that they believed the measure was all but dead, at least for the 2008 election."
Said Democratic consultant, Chris LeHane: "We want to to make sure this is not the Freddy Krueger of initiatives that comes back to life. We'll continue to monitor it."
Archive: September 27, 2007
"In places around the country I hear politicians running in tough places and local races express concern about the possibility of her being at the top of the ticket. But I think that the only test for that is the election itself."
-- John Edwards, on CNN's
Situation Room, about Sen. Hillary Clinton.
John Edwards said he "will accept public financing for his presidential campaign, and challenged his chief rivals for the Democratic nomination, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, to follow his lead,"
CNN reports.
Said Edwards: "This is not about a money calculation. This is about taking a stand, a principled stand, and I believe in public financing."
"Edwards is the first top-tier Democratic candidate to agree to this funding mechanism, and he noted it will include the primary and general elections. Although he has already begun raising money for the general election, federal law requires him to return those funds if he accepts public funding."
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter (R) said his short list of names to replace Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) was down to "less than five, but that could mean one," the
Idaho Statesman reports. Otter would not say who is on that list.
The only problem is that Craig has yet to resign. Otter "reiterated that he canít appoint anyone until he gets a letter of resignation from Craig. He did say that whoever is on his short-list has assured Otter that he will keep Craigís staff. Otter said that is important for continuity."
ABC News notes the senator is seeking a court ruling to "allow him to withdraw his August guilty plea for disorderly conduct after he was arrested in an airport men's room sex sting in June." He "now seems to be waiting for the judge to make a ruling before deciding whether follow through on his resignation."
Bill Clinton said "that he will not reveal the names of donors to the Clinton Presidential Library unless he is required to by law, rebuffing pressure from his wife's rivals for more disclosure,"
ABC News reports.
At last night's Democratic presidential debate, Sen. Hillary Clinton said "she was 'sure [the former president would] be happy to consider' making public the names of donors to the library. But she refused to say whether she had asked him to do so."
Some recent posts on
Political Wire's companion site,
Political Books:
Matt Towery, a former senior aide to Newt Gingrich, had dinner with the former House Speaker and notes "it is clear that the presidency is now very much" on his mind "and that he remains convinced that none of the candidates in the current field has captured the imagination of the party."
"It's my guess, based on the laughs, winks and nods that the
$30 million criteria is nothing more than either a self-fulfilling platform by which to claim a mandate or a good excuse to wait for a showdown with Hillary Clinton in four years. Either way, it's pure theater. After all, who can verify 'pledges' to a candidacy?"
"The real question is whether Fred Thompson will continue to belly flop in his appearances and start to lag in polls... If that happens by late October, it's my guess that Gingrich's pledge collector will pull the old Jerry Lewis Telethon routine of meeting the magic number just in time."
A new
InsiderAdvantage survey in Kentucky finds Steve Beshear (D) leading Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) by ten points, 45% to 35%, in the gubernatorial race.
However, a new
Louisville Courier-Journal poll shows Beshear with a 20 point lead, 55% to 35%.
Six Senators and four House Members have launched White House bids and
Roll Call notes speculation is mounting "over which of the 10 Congressional presidential hopefuls will be first to drop out of the hunt, with rumors circulating that at least one early withdrawal may be imminent."
"The chatter is loudest in the Democratic field, where talks of an opt-out within the coming weeks by Sens. Joseph Biden (Del.) or Chris Dodd (Conn.) are growing... Republican pullouts remain less predictable given the partyís uncertainty over who will ultimately secure and hold frontrunner status."
Said one Democratic operative: "This thing has become so fait-accompli that itís Clinton and Obama or Edwards, that I donít know how these guys stay in. Thereís no oxygen left. I think youíll see the first casualties afterî the Sept. 30 fundraising deadline."
A new
University of Illinois survey of likely Illinois primary voters finds home state favorite Sen. Barack Obama leads Sen. Hillary Clinton by a wide margin, 49% to 27%, with John Edwards way back at 6%.
Among Republicans, Rudy Giuliani leads with 31%, followed by Sen. John McCain at 18%, Fred Thompson at 15% and Mitt Romney at 12%.
Michelle Obama, wife of Sen. Barack Obama, said her husband needs Iowa to win the Democratic presidential nomination, according to the
Quad City Times.
Said Mrs. Obama: "Iowa will make the difference. If Barack doesnít win Iowa it is over.î
Update: The
Quad City Times now says they incorrectly quoted Mrs. Obama.
"Childrens do learn."
-- President George W. Bush, quoted by the
Washington
Post urging Congress to reauthorize No Child Left Behind.
Fred Thompson "is failing to meet expectations that he would rally widespread support from Christian conservatives, and he almost certainly will not receive a joint endorsement from the loose coalition of 'pro-family' organizations," reports
The Politico.
"It is Thompson's stance on gay marriage that is likely to deny him any unified backing from the organizations that comprise the Arlington Group, the umbrella coalition of almost every major social conservative group in the GOP constellation."
Meanwhile, the
Examiner notes Thompson will be at the same conference with one of conservative Christian leader Dr. James Dobson who earlier this year questioned whether the former Tennnessee senator was even a Christian, let alone a conservative.
"I'm not beholden to any particular group for getting me into this race or for getting me elected. My family, that's the only one I'm really beholden to, they're the ones who let their inheritance slip away, dollar by dollar."
-- Mitt Romney, quoted by the
AP on donating millions of his own money to his campaign.
"Ohio and Florida, which provided the decisive electoral votes for President Bush's two razor-thin national election triumphs, have enacted laws that election experts say will help Republicans impede voting by Democratic-leaning minorities in 2008,"
McClatchy reports.
The new Ohio law aimed at reducing voter fraud allows for "caging" -- "used in the past to target poor minorities in heavily Democratic precincts, entails sending mass mailings to certain voters and then using the undelivered letters to compile lists of voters for eligibility challenges." While Republican groups paid for caging efforts in the past, the new law makes the government pay for it. In Florida, the new law "stripped the state's 10.5 million registered voters of the right to contest challenges at the polls. Now a
challenger need only swear to a "good faith belief" that a voter is ineligible to force the voter to file a provisional ballot."
The
Birmingham News reports that Rep. Terry Everett (R-AL) "announced his retirement Wednesday, startling his congressional colleagues and igniting a political frenzy in southeastern Alabama among those who want to succeed him."
The
Minneapolis Star Tribune "is refunding about $12,000 to Al Franken, a Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate, after undercharging Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), for a full-page advertisement,"
USA
Today reports.
"The
Star Tribune said it charged Coleman around $20,000 for Tuesday's ad, which criticized Franken for not condemning the MoveOn.org ad. Two months ago, according to the newspaper, it charged Franken around $32,000 for a full-page ad in the paper criticizing Coleman's record on the Iraq war."
Archive: September 26, 2007
A new
Strategic Vision (R) poll in Iowa shows Sen. Hillary Clinton edging ahead of John Edwards, 24% to 22%, in the Democratic presidential race with Sen. Barack Obama third at 21%, and Gov. Bill Richardson fourth at 13%.
On the GOP side, Mitt Romney leads with 30%, followed by Rudy Giuliani at 17%, Fred Thompson at 13%, Mike Huckabee at 8% and Sen. John McCain at 6%.
A new
Strategic Vision (R) poll in Florida shows Sen. Hillary Clinton way ahead of the Democratic presidential field with 44%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 22% and John Edwards at 12%.
Among Republicans, Rudy Giuliani leads with 35%, trailed by Fred Thompson at 24%, Mitt Romney at 9%, Sen. John McCain at 6% and Mike Huckabee at 5%.
Mitt Romney's lead in the Republican New Hampshire primary has evaporated, according to a new
CNN/WMUR poll.
The survey shows Romney edging Rudy Giuliani, 25% to 24%, a margin not statistically significant. The last poll, taken in July, had Romney with a comfortable 14 point lead over Giuliani.
Complete
poll results are available.
The latest
Evans-Novak Political Report notes Newt Gingrich "may have concluded" that Fred Thompson's presidential campaign "is a flop, thus spurring him towards a run."
"Unless we see a surge by Thompson, Gingrich, Sen. John McCain or Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney could win Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada -- the first three contests. That could propel him into first place in the national polls and improve his position in Florida and South Carolina (where he currently trails in polls). Romney could enter Super Tuesday February 5 as the frontrunner."
However, Rudy Giuliani "is on the rise in Iowa polls, and outpolls everyone but Thompson in South Carolina. Giuliani's greatest asset may be the front-loaded primary schedule, because he also leads in Florida and California."
"It's not just Barack Obama who believes in the power of Barack Obama. John McCain believes in it too. The McCain campaign has at least two different advertisements with Google AdWords that use Obama's name to direct users to McCain's Web site," according to the
National Journal.
"Obama isn't the only presidential moniker that the McCain team latched on to. Searches for Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney -- as well as the word 'president' -- also bring up AdWords for McCain, with similar language to those appearing next to the Obama results."
"Facing a boycott by presidential candidates over the state's hijacking of the presidential primary calendar, Florida Democrats are bracing themselves for the next best thing: their spouses," reports the
Miami Herald.
"Former President Bill Clinton is invited to the state party's convention in Orlando next month, and Democratic leaders are planning to reach out to other spouses. The candidates themselves would typically attend the annual pep rally, with about 3,000 activists, but they've vowed to bypass Florida because the state's early primary breaches national party rules."
Sen. Joe Biden is "dispatching almost all of his senior national staff to the state for the final months before the state's caucuses," according to
The Fix.
"His hope is centered on the idea that Iowa Democrats will be inordinately focused on the war in Iraq and what should be done next in the region as the January caucuses near. Biden has long presented himself as the straight talker when it comes to the war, and his plan to split the country into three sections could well be the ultimate result of American policy in the region."
The Note says a "more-and-more aggressive" Sen. Christopher Dodd "is inching toward the argument" all of Sen. Hillary Clintonís presidential primary rivals want to make.
Dodd tells ABC News: ìWe need a nominee that is attractive to both Democrats and independents, and that does not energize the Republican base.î
Bloomberg highlights a potentially huge story as Q3 fundraising winds down: Sen. Hillary Clinton "may blunt one of rival Barack Obama's few advantages in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination: money."
"As the campaigns press donors with predictions that their candidate is losing the fund-raising race, both Clinton and Obama are set to report about $20 million in donations during the third quarter, which ends Sept. 30, according to campaign officials and fund-raisers."
"A failure to out-raise Clinton would deprive Obama of the momentum he needs to overcome his rival's significant leads in national and key state polls."
Meanwhile, the
New York Times points out a key factor to watch: "The third quarter of the year, July through September, is traditionally the most difficult fund-raising period because contributors pay less attention to the race in the summer, and many main donors have been tapped out."
"Presidential candidates, the political parties and interest groups will spend at least twice as much as they did in 2003-04 on TV ads before nominees are chosen, campaign advertising experts say,"
USA
Today reports.
"A record $100 million or more will likely be paid to put campaign ads on the air by the time the Republican and Democratic races are effectively over, likely some time in February. And the allure of posting ads for free on YouTube and at campaign websites won't replace broadcast TV because that "old media" is better suited for reaching voters, the experts say."
"It is the Kerry model in a lot of ways."
-- Rick Davis, Sen. John McCain's campaign manager, quoted by the
Des Moines Register on his candidate's efforts to make a comeback in Iowa.
A new
Quinnipiac poll shows little change in the New Jersey presidential primaries.
Sen. Hillary Clinton continues leading the Democratic field with 46%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 15%, Al Gore at 11%, and John Edwards at 7%.
For Republicans, Rudy Giuliani takes 45%, and is trailed by Fred Thompson at 12%, Sen. John McCain at 8%, and Mitt Romney at 6%.
The
Washington
Post reports that National Public Radio turned down President Bush's offer to do an interview with analyst Juan Williams to mark yesterday's 50th anniversary of school desegregation in Little Rock.
NPR explained they felt the White House shouldn't be selecting the correspondent, implying they wouldn't have sent WIlliams, noting that "the only interview Bush has granted NPR during his tenure was also with Williams" and "that ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox have all had their anchors interview Bush and that NPR has been requesting such a session for seven years."
Rudy Giuliani "expects a plum endorsement this week from one of California's leading Republicans, former Gov. Pete Wilson," the
Los Angeles Times reports. Sources say the endorsement will come Thursday in Santa Monica.
"The former governor will become Giuliani's most recognized supporter in the state. He has deep connections in California politics, having served as San Diego mayor, a member of the Legislature, a U.S. senator and two-term governor. Wilson also is close to Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."
Archive: September 25, 2007
MTV is looking for
part-time reporters in every state to cover the 2008 presidential campaign. "Ideal candidates will have their fingers on the pulse of issues that are important to young people in their states and be passionate about politics and the possibilities of new technology." Applications are due Wednesday.
You should also check out the dozens of interesting opportunities on
Political Wire's
job board. We've helped fill jobs with political campaigns, polling firms, media consultants, government offices and more.
If you're looking to hire someone with political skills,
post a job for 30 days for just $25.
A new
CNN/WMUR-TV poll in New Hampshire shows Sen. Hillary Clinton expanding her lead with 43% support, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 23%, John Edwards at 12% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 6%.
A previous poll showed Clinton with only a nine point lead over Obama.
Complete
poll results are available.
The
Atlanta
Journal-Constitution reports on a new ad to begin airing on Wednesday that takes place in a public bathroom and opens with the line, "It's their dirty little secret."
But the
commercial isn't about Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID). It's "aimed at members of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the 2007 farm bill they drafted. The bill, Physicians Committee [for Responsible Medicine] said, benefits corporations that produce fatty foods like burgers and bacon that the government then buys and distributes to public schools and government assistance programs. In exchange, senators rake in fatty amounts of campaign cash from those corporations."
Newt Gingrich, "who said on a Sunday morning television talk show that he might be 'compelled' to run for president if he could raise enough money, was provided a blogging platform by Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee on Monday,"
Wired
reports.
"Gingrich used the blogging platform to invite Huckabee's supporters to participate in his American Solutions workshop, much of which will manifest itself on the Internet, on Thursday."
Huckabee is leading a workshop "on music and wellness education in our schools."
"Now there is no choice. I'm preparing a lawsuit."
-- Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), quoted by the
Miami Herald, on appealing the DNC's sanctions against Florida at the 2008 convention.
A special bonus for
Political Wire readers: The September 2007 issue of
Campaigns & Elections magazine is available in digital format.
According to a new
Gallup poll, the Democratic Party enjoys a large lead in favorability over Republicans.
Currently 53% of respondents hold favorable opinions about the Democrats, compared with only 38% who do so for Republicans. The poll found similar margins believe Democrats will handle the economy better, with 54% support for Dems and only 34% for Republicans. While the economic results are not unique from surveys past, for the first time since Gallup asked about national security in this annual poll, Democrats are viewed more favorably in their ability to handle security issues than are Republicans (47% to 42%). These results depict the increasingly precarious position of the GOP leading in to the 2008 election.
According to
CQ, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has once again out raised its Republican counterpart, pulling in $2.6 million in August, compared to $2.4 million for the NRSC. To date, the DSCC has out raised the NRSC $36.7 million to $20.5 million. Currently, the DSCC has $20.6 million cash on hand with about $3.5 million in debts from last cycle. The NRSC only has $7.1 million on hand but with no debts. The Democratís current cash advantage could be compounded by the fact that the GOP likely will have more seats to defend in 2008.
The house campaign committees show a
similar pattern with the DCCC out raising the NRCC $3.5 to $2.5 million in August. For the year the Democrats have out raised the GOP by $44 to $34.6 million. Currently the DCCC has $22.1 million cash on hand with only $3.1 million in debts. The NRCC has only $1.6 million in cash on hand and has $4 million in debts.
The "Ralph Nader Democratic Caucus Campaign Draft Committee" is seeking campaign workers in
Iowa and
New Hampshire, according to advertisements placed on Craigslist.
Breaking their precedent of endorsing in the month before the general presidential election, the National Rifle Association's chief lobbyist says the group might endorse a Republican candidate in the weeks before the early contests, the
Washington
Times reports.
Said chief NRA lobbyist Chris Cox: "Historically, we have not gotten involved in primaries. We traditionally wait until after the conventions. That being said, given the candidates and the process and the front-loading of the primaries, it is a possibility that we could get involved in one of these presidential primaries."
The
AP reports that some supporters of Rudy Giuliani participating in the campaign's national house party night on Wednesday are asking for donations of $9.11 per person.
Said Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella: "These are two volunteers who acted independently of and without the knowledge of the campaign. Their decision to ask individuals for that amount was an unfortunate choice."
President Bush, "breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries," the
AP
reports. "Bush also predicts that Clinton will be defeated in the general election by the Republican nominee."
In an interview for a
new book, the president told reporter Bill Sammon: "She's got a great national presence and this is becoming a national primary. And therefore the person with the national presence, who has got the ability to raise
enough money to sustain an effort in a multiplicity of sites, has got a good chance to be nominated," adding, "I believe our candidate can beat her but it's going to be a tough race."
Meanwhile, in a piece for the
Examiner, Sammon says Bush is "quietly providing back-channel advice" to Clinton, "urging her to modulate her rhetoric so she can effectively prosecute the war in Iraq if elected president."
The
Los Angeles Times reports on Sen. Barack Obama's Drive for Change program, in which volunteers from states with February 5 contests travel to early primary and caucus states to learn such campaign basics as how to run phone banks, knock on doors and collect data. Obama's campaign is the only one using the tactic so far.
"A similar 2004 effort by Howard Dean in Iowa backfired. The locals resented the intrusion of thousands of out-of-staters who wore orange hats and were ignorant of local pronunciations. The Obamans hope to head off such troubles in Nevada by pairing the traveling volunteers with locals -- and by teaching in an orientation session that it's Ne-VAD-uh, not Ne-VAH-duh."
Archive: September 24, 2007
Charlie Bakst in the
Providence Journal on former Sen. Lincoln Chafee:
"I thought Chafee might try in 2010 for the governorship his late father, John, held in the 1960s and thus keep the seat Republican. But now comes word that the liberal Chafee, isolated within the national party,
has become an independent... He tells me heís 'unlikely' to run for governor and that if he does try for that post, or for mayor of Providence, where he now lives, he wonít return to GOP ranks to do it."
According to
The Politico, Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign successfully killed a planned story in
GQ that was "an account of infighting in Hillaryland... So Clintonís aides pulled a page from the book of Hollywood publicists and offered
GQ a stark choice: Kill the piece, or lose access to planned celebrity coverboy Bill Clinton."
The draft article "opens a curtain on the Clinton campaignís hard-nosed media strategy, which is far closer in its unromantic view of the press to the campaigns of George W. Bush than to that of Bill Clintonís free-wheeling 1992 campaign. Thereís little left to chance. Hillary Clinton may have an unparalleled campaign 'war room' -- but there arenít any documentary film-makers wandering around this one, and lovers of the D.A. Pennebaker film
The War Room can rest assured they arenít getting a sequel."
Coming soon:
Homo Politicus: The Strange and Barbaric Tribes of the Beltway by the
Washington Post's Dana Milbank.
"Their ways are strange, even repulsive, to civilized human beings, their arcane rites often impenetrable, their language coded and obscure, violating their complex taboos can lead to sudden, harsh, and irrevocable punishment."
"The Republican Party has won two elections on the issue of fear and terrorism. It's going to try again."
-- Sen Chuck Hagel (R-NE), quoted by the
Los Angeles Times, bucking his fellow Republicans on the closing of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
Former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Gordon Fischer
endorsed Sen. Barack Obama today, citing his electability and potential a "change agent."
"The word 'change' gets thrown around a lot, but Obama is the kind of candidate who won't just change who lives in the White House; he'll change the divisive, special-interest driven politics that has blocked progress on important issues like health care, energy, and education for decades. Obama truly offers the kind of fundamental change Iowans want and our country needs."
"If you had walked even a day in our shoes over the last 15 years, I'm sure you'd understand."
-- Sen. Hillary Clinton, on
Fox News Sunday, when asked why she and her husband are "hyper-partisan."
According to
The Politico, President Bush and Karl Rove "sat listening to Norman Podhoretz for roughly 45 minutes at the White House as the patriarch of neoconservatism argued that the United States should bomb Iranís nuclear facilities."
"The meeting was not on the presidentís public schedule."
"Rove was silent throughout, though he took notes. The president listened diligently, Podhoretz said as he recounted the conversation months later, but he 'didnít tip his hand.'"
Podhortez is the author of the new book,
World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism. See more about this book on
Political Books.
"Well, I am intending to make an announcement."
-- Al Gore, quoted by
Business Week, teasing the media again while drawing attention to his television venture.
First Read: "An important threshold has finally been crossed for Clinton: Even her opponents have joined the media in acknowledging that there is just one front-runner in the Democratic race. Considering where she started six months ago, it's a remarkable feat. She's done it without winning a single caucus or primary. Only Gore in '99 and Mondale in '83 were in this strong of a position in the last five contested Democratic contests. The question now is if and when Clinton has her next scare. The first one was during the first three months of the campaign, when Obama topped her in fundraising. If there is a downside to Clinton solidifying her front-runner status, it raises her expectations in Iowa and New Hampshire. Of course, Clinton supporters would argue she ALWAYS had high expectations she had to meet in those states."
The
Washington Post notes Sen. Hillary Clinton "appeared on all five talk shows yesterday morning and demonstrated a particularly senatorial skill: the art of the filibuster."
"Clinton did two hours of interviews by remote from a furnished barn in her back yard in Chappaqua, N.Y., part of an aggressive media blitz in the week after she offered up her plan for universal health-care coverage. Her campaign expressed pride that she had driven the news agenda, forcing even President Bush to talk about health insurance."
"Her trip through the Sunday gantlet was designed to solidify the impression that Clinton is strong, indomitable and all but inevitable as the Democratic nominee and next president."
Newt Gingrich "will begin next week to seek financial commitments from donors for a presidential-nomination bid," according to the
Washington Times.
"If he can get pledges for $30 million over the next three weeks, he will join the Republican presidential-nomination race ó a prospect he had been downplaying until yesterday."
The Florida Democratic Party "dismissed a threat of losing all 210 of its delegates to the 2008 presidential nominating convention when it announced Sunday the state party will move forward with a Jan. 29 primary,"
CNN reports.
"The standoff between the Democratic National Committee, which prohibits all but four states from holding nominating contests before Feb. 5, and the state party is at the very least, embarrassing. But it could also have severe long term consequences if Sunshine State Democrats feel snubbed by their own party. Most of the Democratic presidential candidates have already pledged not to campaign in any state that violates the DNCís nominating calendar. Expect these candidates, who rely on the state as a major source of campaign cash, to be pressured by influential Floridians urging them to ignore the pledge."
Meanwhile, GOP candidates "will continue to criss-cross the state in search of votes and cash. Even though the Republican National Committee also prohibits states from holding caucuses and primaries before Feb. 5, the Republican Party of Florida will only lose half of its delegates to the GOPís nominating convention."
Archive: September 23, 2007
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) will endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on Monday, Democratic sources tell
The Politico.
"Bayh is a moderate Democrat whose blessing could help Clinton pick up votes in Republican states."
"Bayh, a former chair of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, had sought the Democratic nomination himself but
abandoned his quest in December in the face of the strong machines being built by Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama."
Check out these new items on
Political Wire's new companion site,
Political Books:
The
Washington Post reports a previously-unreleased August poll shows that, "While the average lead of Democratic House members stands at 19 percentage points in the 31 vulnerable districts -- all but two of which are part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's incumbent-protection program known as Frontline -- that number sinks considerably when the lawmakers are linked to either front-runner."
In the same 31 districts, the poll found that Republican Rudy Giuliani bests both top Democrats, beating Hillary Clinton 49% to 39%, while defeating Barack Obama by only 41% to 40%.
Archive: September 21, 2007
A new
Public Policy Institute of California poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 41% support, trailed by Sen. Barack Obama at 23% and John Edwards at 14%.
Among Republicans, Rudy Giuliani tops the field with 22%, followed by Fred Thompson at 16%, Mitt Romney at 16% and Sen. John McCain at 15%.
Sen. John McCain's "longtime campaign pollster has severed ties with McCain's presidential campaign, in the latest of a series of high-profile losses that have battered McCain's struggling 2008 bid,"
ABC News reports.
Bill McInturff, co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, said the "campaign's
money woes left it with a limited budget for polling, he said -- the campaign has conducted only one poll all of this year -- and the move will free McInturff to resume his relationship with NBC and
The Wall Street Journal, for whom he has conducted polls since 2003."
According to the
New York Daily News, in an interview with
The Advocate to be published next week, Sen. Hillary Clinton was asked, "How do you respond to the occasional rumor that you're a lesbian?"
Said Clinton: "People say a lot of things about me, so I really don't pay any attention to it. It's not true, but it is something that I have no control over. People will say what they want to say."
"He's like a force of nature... I don't even pretend to be that. That's not who I am."
-- Sen. Hillary Clinton, quoted by the
AP on how her governing style differs from that of her husband, Bill.
Newt Gingrich "sees bleak Republican outlook but keeps potential 2008 candidacy alive,"
Washington Wire reports. "The ex-speaker... rates Clintonís chances at Democratic nomination 'in the high 90s' and Democrats' chances of winning general election at 80%."
"Aides will spend October gauging financial support. Gingrich says a viable race would require at least
$30 million in pledges, considering Romneyís deep pockets. Though most Republicans expect him not to run, some believe heíd step in if Thompson flops."
Meanwhile, the
Cox
News Service reports Gingrich "would lean toward starting the race with a nationally televised address -- if he decides to run... That decision will come around Nov. 1."
Archive: September 20, 2007
A new
Harris Poll shows Fred Thompson moving ahead of Rudy Giuliani in the Republican race for president, 32% to 28%. Much further back is Sen. John McCain with 11% and Mitt Romney at 9%.
However, a new
Pew Research survey finds Giuliani with an 11 point lead over Thompson while a new
Cook Political Report/RT Strategies poll gives Giuliani an 8 point lead.
On the Democratic side, the Harris survey finds Sen. Hillary Clinton continues to build on her large lead with 46%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 25%, and John Edwards at 14%. The other polls, including a new
Gallup survey, all show double-digit margins for the former First Lady.
We
pointed out that the Minneapolis airport restroom used by Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) before his arrest was becoming a tourist attraction. Now, you can own a
piece of history.
Just another item found on
Political Stuff by a reader.
"The FBI, working with an Alaska oil contractor, secretly taped telephone calls with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) as part of a public corruption sting," the
AP reports.
"The secret recordings suggest the Justice Department was eyeing Stevens long before June, when the Republican senator first publicly acknowledged he was under scrutiny. At that time, it appeared Stevens was a new focus in a case that had already ensnared several state lawmakers."
Just a day after a
Reuters/Zogby poll found President Bush and Congress hitting record low approval rates, a new
Gallup poll shows both on the rebound.
Bush's approval rating is up to 36%, "the highest since April 2007," while 62% disapprove.
Meanwhile, Congressional approval is up to 24%, "the largest one-month increase in support for Congress seen since the Democrats took majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January."
The
Southern Political Report notes two new polls of Florida's Republican presidential primary.
A new InsiderAdvantage survey finds Rudy Giuliani just ahead of Fred Thompson, 24% to 23%, with Mitt Romney at 12% and Sen. John McCain at 11%.
A new Mason Dixon survey also shows Giuliani edging Thompson, 24% to 23%, with Romney at 13% and Sen. John McCain at 9%.
A new
Public Policy Polling (D) survey finds Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) leads State Rep. Grier Martin (D), 45% to 30%, and tops UNC basketball coach Dean Smith (D), 41% to 35%, in hypothetical general election match-ups for U.S. Senate.
However, just 45% of North Carolina voters approve of the job Dole is doing in the U.S. Senate.
With federal officials bringing a criminal case against Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu today -- charging him with operating a $60 million pyramid scheme and violating campaign-finance laws -- it's surprising that Sen. Hillary Clinton still lists him as a "Hillraiser" on her presidential campaign
website.
The
Washington Times reports that Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) campaign "has raised only $3.7 million to date for the quarter," according to a longtime, influential friend of senator.
The figure "masks the even worse state of the campaign's finances." Said the source: "Those are gross numbers, not net...Plus the campaign is carrying $2.5 to $3 million in debt. [He's] done for."
Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN), who announced his retirement on Monday, is the third moderate "middle-of-the-road Republican to announce plans to leave the House in 2008," reports
Roll Call. And Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL), "another centrist, is
expected to announce his retirement in the coming days."
"Coupled with the loss of more than a half-dozen swing-seat Members in the 2006 elections, the retirements of several moderates so far this cycle could be the start of an alarming trend for the House GOP."
"With several weeks of legislative activity still to come this year, Democrats have blown past a record set by Republicans 12 years ago -- most roll call votes cast in an annual session," reports
Congressional Quarterly.
"As of Wednesday night, the chamber held 878 votes, 11 more than the record 867 in 1995, when Republicans assumed control of the House for the first time in 40 years."
"Vice President Cheney came up to see the Republicans yesterday. You can always tell when the Republicans are getting restless, because the Vice Presidentís motorcade pulls into the Capitol, and Darth Vader emerges."
-- Sen. Hillary Clinton, quoted by
The Politico, at a fundraiser last night.
"I'm probably one of the four or five best known Americans in the world."
-- Rudy Giuliani, quoted by
USA Today, during a trip to London.
The
Washington Post shares the calculations of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers communications director, Rick Sloan, who "did some calculations earlier this year and concluded that the Democrats could be headed for a train wreck of a nominating contest that might not end until the convention in Denver next August."
"Sloan ran some rough projections today to illustrate what might happen on Feb. 5. Assume a three-way race with the top candidate winning 45 percent of the total vote, the second-place finisher winning 33 percent and the third capturing 22 percent. The pledged delegate count would be roughly 884 for the top candidate, 648 for the second candidate and 432 for the third. In a two-person race, with a 54-46 percent split in the overall vote, the delegate count for that day would be 1,060 for the top candidate and 903 for the other."
New Hampshire U.S. Senate candidate Katrina Swett (D) "will announce she is ending her campaign on Friday to support former Governor Jeanne Shaheen's newly formed bid to defeat freshman Republican Senator John
E. Sununu,"
James
Pindell reports.
Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand, who had said he would drop out if Shaheen entered the race, ended his campaign last week. Dartmouth professor and former astronaut Jay Buckey remains in the race.
According to a private e-mail obtained by the
AP, influential evangelical leader James Dobson told friends he will not be backing Fred Thompson's candidacy for president -- another setback
for Thompson, who is vying for the conservative mantle. Earlier, Dobson said he would not vote for John McCain or Rudy Giuliani.
Said Dobson: "Isn't Thompson the candidate who is opposed to a Constitutional amendment to protect marriage, believes there should be 50 different definitions of marriage in the U.S., favors McCain-Feingold, won't talk at all about what he believes, and can't speak his way out of a paper bag on the campaign trail?" Dobson wrote. "He has no passion, no zeal and no apparent 'want to.' And yet he is
apparently the Great Hope that burns in the breasts of many conservative Christians? Well, not for me, my brothers. Not for me!"
Marc Ambinder reports that a private straw poll of SEIU members shows the union will likely endorse either John Edwards or Barack Obama. SEIU President Andy Stern said the group will
likely endorse late next month.
"Sources close to the SEIU executive board would not tell me whether Edwards or Obama scored higher in the poll but did acknowledge that both had polled the highest. An SEIU spokesperson said the union would not reveal the results."
Archive: September 19, 2007
Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL) "is set to announce his retirement in the near future, two Republican sources tell the
Chicago Tribune. One of the sources said the announcement could come as early as tomorrow."
"Weller, a seven-term incumbent, has faced questions about his re-election intentions all month, following a
Tribune investigation that revealed he failed to disclose several land transactions in Nicaragua on his congressional ethics forms."
Weller is the eighth Republican in the House to retire rather than face re-election next year.
The
Daily Southtown has a good piece on the Democrats looking to run for the seat.
Coming soon:
The Undecided Voter's Guide to the Next President by Mark Halperin, formerly the political director at ABC News.
If you want a sneak peak at Halperin's thoughts, he made a recent swing through Texas and
Evan Smith, editor of
Texas Monthly, noted his decidedly inside-the-beltway observations:
- Fred Thompson is toast. McCain, by contrast, should not be written off yet.
- If Hillary wins Iowa, she runs the table and wins the Democratic nomination. If Obama wins Iowa -- less likely, but not impossible -- he runs the table and wins the Democratic nomination. John Edwards could win Iowa and still not be the nominee.
- The most important primary for the Republicans is probably going to be Florida.
- Romney and Clinton are, as of today, the most likely nominees.
Paul Burka has some additional thoughts on Halperin's talk.
NPR is running a very interesting series on the 2008 presidential candidates' first campaigns. "Their early runs for office -- and what they learned in winning, or losing -- may offer insight into how they are running now."
Meanwhile,
Ken Rudin shows off his collection of campaign buttons from many, but not all, of those campaigns. He might want to check
Political Stuff for the ones he's missing.
In Indiana's 2008 gubernatorial race, a new Research 2000 poll finds Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) leading Jill Long Thompson (D), 46% to 38% with 16% still undecided.
In the Democratic primary, Long-Thompson runs far ahead of the two other candidates.
"Kentucky is another in a long list of states for the GOP to worry about," according to the latest
Evans-Novak Political Report, and this year's governor race "punctuates that point."
"Republicans may now be regretting their decision to renominate Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R), as his campaign looks to be in dire straits. Fletcher consistently
trails in polls by more than 15 percent, and his job approval in a recent poll was at 37 percent."
"Fletcher's ethical problems (he was indicted for illegal hiring practices, and he pardoned nine of his indicted staffers) have demolished his public image, and he's not getting much help from his party or his business base, either... This prospective gubernatorial blowout causes some concern among the commonwealth's Republicans looking ahead to the defense of U.S. Senate seats in 2008 and 2010. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) is on the Democrats' hit list in 2008, and Sen. Jim Bunning (R), who barely won in 2004, would be vulnerable in 2010 if he decided to run again. Physician Daniel Mongiardo (D), Bunning's 2004 opponent, is Beshear's running mate and will likely be the lieutenant governor in 2010."
CREW has released their updated list of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress. The list is comprised of 18 Republicans and 4 Democrats. They added two honorable mention spots for sex scandal-embroiled GOP Sens. Larry Craig and David Vitter.
A new
American Research Group poll in Florida finds Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 47%, trailed by Sen. Barack Obama at 19%, John Edwards at 9% and Sen. Joe Biden at 5%.
On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani leads with 26%, followed by Sen. John McCain at 18%, Fred Thompson at 16% and Mitt Romney at 14%.
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns (R) "has decided to resign from President Bushís cabinet to return to Nebraska and enter the 2008 Senate race," reports the
Lincoln Journal Star.
A formal announcement is expected next week.
Johanns, a former two-term Republican governor, will face Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) and Former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub (R) in the GOP primary.
In two polls released by
Rasmussen, voters appear to be growing weary of the campaign already. 56% of respondents said the events of the campaign thus far have been ìannoyingî and a ìwaste of timeî while only 29% have found them to be ìinteresting and informative.î Additionally, a huge 72% of those surveyed favor some type of proposal that would shorten the nominating season substantially.
Democrats tend to be less averse to the current campaign season so far, with 37% saying the events have been interesting and informative, while only 17% of Republicans feel that way. This may be due in large part to Democratsí more optimistic and supportive views of their potential candidates than their Republican counterparts.
President Bush and the United States Congress marked record-low approval ratings in the latest
Reuters/Zogby poll.
Just 29% of Americans gave Bush a positive grade for his job performance, below his worst Zogby poll mark of 30% in March. A paltry 11% rated Congress positively, beating the previous low of 14% in July.
Meanwhile, a new
Pew Research poll gives Bush a 31% approval rating.
The White House is taking former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's criticism's in his
new memoir very seriously, dispatching Vice President Cheney to rebut the charges of reckless fiscal policy. Cheney authors an op-ed on "the real Bush record" in the
Wall Street Journal:
"I've enjoyed Alan Greenspan's company, and benefited from his wisdom, for most of my career. For his part, Alan credits me in his book for my 'intensity' and 'sphinxlike calm' -- and it's in a spirit of friendship that I offer him these gentle reminders of the Bush record."
In a must-read profile, the
New York Times says his time running the Winter Olympics were the turning point in Mitt Romney's political career, where he "walked onto the Olympic stage in 1999 a rich businessman still smarting from losing his first bid for public office. He walked off, three years later, a star-polished candidate who would be elected governor of Massachusetts in a matter of months. This was the place of his emergence and his transition."
"In rescuing the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games, which had been tarnished by scandal, Mr. Romney learned the ways of Washington and the hurly-burly of politics, mastered the news media, built a staff of loyalists and made fund-raising connections in Utah that have proven vital to his presidential campaign."
Romney chronicled the time in his memoir,
Turnaround.
Fred Thompson "tells his life story on the campaign trail in about a half-hour and a dozen or so roles: farmworkers' son, graveyard-shift factory worker, teenage dad, prosecutor, Watergate Republican counsel, accidental actor, U.S. senator," the
Miami Herald reports.
"Invariably missing: lobbyist."
"Asked why he omits public mention of his long and lucrative career, Thompson chuckled: 'Nobody asked me the question.'"
"There's been a lot of favorable talk about Larry in the cloakroom."
-- Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), quoted by the
Los
Angeles Times, on Sen. Larry Craig 's (R-ID) first time back at work since news of his arrest broke for soliciting sex in an airport restroom.
"At a gloomy meeting of House Republicans yesterday, lawmakers hashed over the updated list of retirements while leaders again exhorted their rank-and-file to get out and raise money if they do not want to be in an even deeper hole in November 2008," the
Washington
Post reports.
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) "said a meeting that once would have been depressing has become so commonplace that it is now boring."
John Edwards' campaign criticized Hillary Clinton for "trading special interest contributions for government access" at her Washington D.C. fundraiser yesterday, the
AP
reports.
In an e-mail, adviser Joe Trippi wrote: "Today at noon, Hillary Clinton will be hosting a fundraiser in Washington, D.C. for a select group of lobbyists with an interest in homeland security. Tickets for the Clinton fundraiser are $1,000 a ticket and $25,000 per bundler. And for that money you get more than a meal -- you get to attend one-hour breakout sessions in four different areas of homeland security that will include House Committee Chairs and members of Congress who sit on the very committees that will be voting on homeland security legislation."
Last week, the
New York Times noted that friends and advisers of Clinton feel her biggest vulnerability is how she raises campaign funds.
Archive: September 18, 2007
A new
Strategic Vision (R) poll in Wisconsin shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 44%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 22%, John Edwards at 11% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 7%.
On the GOP side, Rudy Giuliani leads with 28%, followed by Fred Thompson at 24%, Sen. John McCain at 8% and Mitt Romney at 7%.
A new
Strategic Vision (R) poll in Ohio shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 43%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 23% and John Edwards at 11%.
For Republicans, Rudy Giuliani leads with 34%, followed by Fred Thompson at 21%, Sen. John McCain at 9% and Mitt Romney at 8%.
Some very interesting books were noted on
Political Wire's companion site,
Political Books, over the last few days:
A new design for the site is coming in the next few days, so keep an eye on it.
Also, check out
Political Stuff for a massive collection of political memorabilia and other items for political junkies.
A new
Franklin Pierce College/WBZ survey of likely primary voters in New Hampshire finds Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 36%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 18%, John Edwards at 12%, and Gov. Bill Richardson at 10%.
On the Republican side, Mitt Romney leads with 30%, trailed by Rudy Giuliani 23%, Sen. John McCain at 14%, and Fred Thompson at 8%.
Think Progress reports that ratings numbers show more television viewers for both Fox and CNN watched Sen. Jack Reedís (D-RI) Democratic response to President Bushís much-anticipated speech on Iraq then watched the Presidentís actual remarks.
Meanwhile, a
CBS poll released yesterday found that most viewers felt the Presidentís plan to reduce troops did not go far enough. Almost half (47%) want more troops home by next summer than Bush allowed for, and the number of respondents who said the troops should either be reduced or removed completely (68%) did not differ significantly after the speech than responses from before.
Perhaps even more troubling, only one third of respondents felt the surge had made a positive impact in Iraq, despite an encouraging report from Gen. Petraeus. Two thirds feel the surge has had no impact or has made violence even worse.
On the heels of her campaign
announcement, a new
American Research Group survey finds former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) leading Sen. John Sununu (R-NH), 46% to 41%, in a re-match for U.S. Senate. Shaheen was leading Sununu, 57% to 29% in June.
Key finding: Republicans are now more apt to say they would vote for Sununu (80% now, 61% in June).
The newest in a string of campaign speech flubs from Gov. Bill Richardson came yesterday at a rally for SEIU.
First Read reports that at the end of Richardsonís speech the Gov. shouted ìThank you, AFSCME!î Not only did he thank the wrong union, but he thanked a union that is a rival of SEIU on many issues in many states.
In a new
Rasmussen poll of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters, Sen. Hillary Clinton has opened a commanding 23-point lead over her rivals. The poll shows Clinton with 40% support, Obama with only 17%, and Edwards with 14%. Bill Richardson scores in double digits for the first time with 11% support.
Clinton has widened her lead substantially since the last Rasmussen poll of Granite State primary voters in which she lead Obama by 15 points. In what could be damaging to Obamaís campaign mantra of providing change, more voters (39% compared to 25%) thought that Clinton was actually the candidate of change.
After Mitt Romney used the backdrop of New York's St. Vincent's Hospital to attack Hillary Clinton's healthcare proposal, the hospital hit back. "We find it unfortunate that Mr. Romney misappropriated the image and good will of St. Vincent's Hospital to further a political agenda," a hospital spokesman said in a statement.
Compounding the problem, as the
Washington
Post notes, "Maybe next time Romney will choose for a backdrop a hospital that isn't home to the Rudolph W. Giuliani Trauma Center."
Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) speech at the University of Florida "came to a dramatic close Monday, shortly after a vocal audience member was hauled off by police and shot with a Taser gun," the
Gainesville Sun reports.
Video of the entire incident is available.
In the Maryland presidential race, a new
Baltimore Sun poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leads among Democratic primary voters with 32%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 18% and John Edwards at 10%.
On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani is way out in front at 32%, trailed by Sen. John McCain at 13%, Fred Thompson at 12% and Mitt Romney at 8%.
The American Civil Liberties Union "has filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) saying Minneapolis airport police violated his right of free speech in charging him with disorderly conduct after arresting him in an airport men's room,"
McClatchy-Tribune reports. Craig is scheduled to appear in court on September 26, hoping to withdraw his guilty plea.
"The ACLU's brief argues the government can make arrests for soliciting public sex only if it can show beyond a doubt that the sex was to occur in public," arguing "that solicitation for sex in a private place is protected speech under the First Amendment, no matter where the solicitation occurs."
Meanwhile,
USA Today notes that visitors to the Minneapolis airport are seeking out the bathroom where Craig was arrested.
Former Attorney General Janet Reno releases today
Song of America, a three-CD, 50-song "history book" compilation she began
work on while still serving in the Clinton administration, the
Miami Herald reports.
The set "presents an unblinking look at the nation's history, one that doesn't shy away from troubled chapters. Dixie's Land, with all the emotionally charged baggage it has picked up through the years, and Streets of Philadelphia, the modern-day lament on the AIDS epidemic, play alongside Battle Hymn of the Republic and Stars and Stripes Forever."
Reno, an executive producer of the compilation, attended the 2005 Grammy Awards to recruit artists to cover and reinterpret the songs on the CD. Said Reno: "It was fascinating. It was a festival. They would
ask me, 'What are you doing here?' and they'd look at me in stunned amazement when I told them."
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) predicts Democrats will win 40 to 50 Republican-held House seats in the 2008 elections due to inaction on the Iraq war, the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Despite public disapproval of the Democrats' inability to change the president's war policy, Murtha believes the blame for the continuation of the war will fall with Republican lawmakers, who he believes will
not change until next year's elections.
Landslide predictions aside,
Eve Fairbanks found most of Murtha's thoughts yesterday to be quite cynical.
Archive: September 17, 2007
A new
SurveyUSA poll shows former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) would easily defeat any likely Republican opponent if the election to replace retiring Sen. John Warner (R-VA) were held now.
The poll found Warner would defeat northern Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) by 35 points, former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) by 28 points, and former Sen. George Allen (R-VA) by 19 points.
"The cockiest guy I have ever met in my life."
-- Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, in his
new book, on President Bush.
Check out
Political Stuff, a new site packed with political memorabilia and other great things for political junkies. New items are featured every day.
Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid "may have a well-cultivated insurgent feel, as the candidate both benefits and suffers politically from a relatively thin record of experience in Washington," the
Chicago Tribune reports. "But the swelling team of policy advisers who have joined his campaign shows a politician grounded in his party's intellectual mainstream and well-connected within the capital's Democratic establishment."
Obama "has assembled a personal think tank that easily outsizes any of the established Washington policy institutes that provide intellectual fodder for the political war of ideas."
"A recent job posting for a legislative assistant position in the office of Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) -- which included the rather unusual requirement that applicants 'know how to cook a delicious bass' and submit recipes attesting to that ability -- last week got some chuckles among Hill staffers,"
Roll Call reports. "The help-wanted ad, which references a line from the cult comedy flick
Napoleon Dynamite, made the rounds among snickering staffers..."
"But a Brown-Waite flack says it's a (sort of) serious matter. The Congresswoman's staff is actually screening out applications that donít include recipes... He says the off-the-wall requirements serve two purposes: ensuring that applicants have a sense of humor that would enable them to fit in with the jovial Brown-Waite crew and disqualifying those who canít follow directions to the letter."
If you forgot to send the recipe with your application, you might want to check
Political Wire's very popular
job board.
"For all the chatter about a re-jiggered primary calendar and jockeying from California to Michigan to Florida, the January 14 Iowa caucuses have emerged as the central battle of the Democratic primary,"
The Politico reports.
"Aides to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards all realize that, to varying degrees, victory or defeat in the caucuses is probably the single likeliest predictor of the nomination."
The
Des Moines Register notes the top six Democratic candidates were at Sen. Tom Harkin's (D-IA) "steak fry" over the weekend which was attended by 15,000 Iowa Democrats.
"I learned early on that if you don't want your memos to get you in trouble some day, just don't write any."
-- Vice President Dick Cheney, quoted by the
Examiner.
As
Political Books notes, former Fed Chairman tosses a political grenade into his own Republican party today with the publication of his memoirs,
The Age of Turbulence. His criticisms of President Bush and Republicans in Congress will come up frequently in the 2008 campaign.
In an interview with the
New York Times over the weekend, Greenspan "unleashed bottled-up frustration about President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Republican leaders in Congress who, he contends, put politics ahead of Republican goals like fiscal discipline and lower government spending."
The comments -- and the release of the book -- are surprising because Greenspan "has always been acutely aware of the explosive impact that his public comments could have in both political and economic circles. He never criticized specific Republican or Democratic politicians while he was at the Federal Reserve, even when he was under attack from one side or the other."
Though the morning newspapers report Sen. Hillary Clinton will announce a proposed health care plan today, John Edwards threatens to steal the headlines with an initiative to deny health care to the president, Congress and all political appointees in mid-2009 unless a universal health care plan has been enacted.
As the
New York Times notes, Clinton is attempting a balancing act to "try to avoid the perception that she was advocating a bureaucratic, big-government solution. That perception, promoted by conservative Republicans and the insurance industry, sank the Clinton plan in 1994."
Meanwhile, Edwards will outline the basic principles a universal health care plan must meet.
Archive: September 16, 2007
Robert Novak: "Before Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska announced his Senate retirement, former Sen. Bob Kerrey -- president of the New School in New York City -- confided his intentions to a political friend. If maverick Republican Hagel sought a third Senate term, maverick Democrat Kerrey would support him -- whether Hagel switched to the Democrats or stayed in the GOP. If Hagel didn't run, Kerrey would return to Nebraska to run for the Senate."
"The Iraq war is largely about oil."
-- Alan Greenspan, in his new book,
The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World.
Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), "who lost his Senate seat in the wave of anti-Republican sentiment in last Novemberís election, said yesterday that he has left the party," the
Providence Journal reports.
"Chafee said he disaffiliated with the party he had helped lead, and his father had led before him, because the national Republican Party has gone too far away from his stance on too many critical issues, from war to economics to the environment."
Said Chafee: "Itís not my party any more."
On
Political Books this week:
Archive: September 15, 2007
"You