Political Machine

Election 2008 Theme Song

Liza Porteus Viana — 2008-07-02T08:49:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, 2008 President, 2008 Senate, 2008 House

It often seems there are few things agreed on when it comes to politics. But this year - whether it be the historical support Barack Obama has received on the campaign trail, the distance John McCain is trying to put between himself and President Bush on many issues to convince us a vote for him is not a vote for "more of the same," or the ousting of many congressional incumbent Republicans around the country - I think we can all agree that "CHANGE" is a good a theme as any in this year's elections.

So if any of you Democratic or Republican convention planners need a good theme song this year, I've got one for you: "It's Your Life" by 23-year-old Francesca Battistelli.

Battistelli, a Native New Yorker who now lives in Nashville, is like a breath of fresh air amid a political process becoming more filled with rancor every day. "It's Your Life" was influenced, in part, by the importance of this year's election and the need for everyone to get up and get involved in changing their own lives and the state of our country. She has a debut performance in New York City Tuesday, July 8. Details after the jump.

Here's what Battistelli tells Political Machine:

"Voting is so important, and it distinguishes our country from others in the world where so many people don't have a voice. It's a way to be heard and contribute to creating a better future on a local and national level.

"We so often complain about one thing or another as far as the government is concerned, but many of us don't do anything about it. Health care, the environment, education--the list seems endless. But if you're not willing to stand up and make your voice heard by voting, you shouldn't really be complaining.

"'It's Your Life' is about using your voice, your abilities, and your life to stand for what you believe in. Your vote could turn the tide of the election. One small step could change the course of your life. It's your life, what are you going to do?"

Battistelli's debut performance will be next Tuesday, July 8, at 5 p.m. The full invitation can be found here. The live performance will also be webcast.

Will.i.am made a splash on the political scene with his "Yes We Can" song and video - the viral nature of the Internet had the video, which echoed Obama themes of hope and change, bouncing around thousands of home and work computers in no time. He also had star power on his side. Battistelli is on MySpace, Facebook, and everywhere else her handlers can promote her.

This reads like a promo, I know, but the song really is good, and she has a great voice. And, of course, it might be a nice change of pace from the usual U2, Bruce Springsteen (not that I don't love them) and other known quantities at this year's conventions. Listen to her. Show up next Tuesday. Make up your own mind.

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Hoping for a 'Robust Minority'

Christopher Weber — 2008-07-01T13:31:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, 2008 Senate, 2008 House, Media, Viral Video

The outlook must be bleak for the GOP if that's what they're wishing for in November. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on CNN:

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GOP Retirements Dim Chances of House Takeover

Dave — 2008-06-27T20:24:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Featured Stories, 2008 President, 2008 House

Rick Moran is glum about GOP chances to flip the house back.

But then came the scramble for the exits among House Republicans and that vision proved to be nothing but a mirage. Like a bunch of theatergoers leaving at the end of the second act of a really bad show, a parade of GOP Congressmen appeared before the cameras, and one by one over the ensuing months announced their retirement. The list grew to include 22 members - many of them long-serving Congressmen who found themselves facing a well funded, and enthusiastic Democratic challenger for the first time in many years.

...

The math is frightening. With 28 seats up for grabs in 2008 on top of the 18 seat majority currently held by Democrats, there is a very good chance that Democrats, for all practical purposes, could win enough seats this year that the GOP would be a minority party for the next decade - and perhaps beyond. When 98% of incumbents in the House are victorious and redistricting looms in 2012, the chances of Republicans overcoming a 40 or 50-seat Democratic majority in the next couple of election cycles are slim.

This is correct, but it shouldn't have surprised anyway. The only thing that bothers me about this post is the lack of a sense of history even 12 years ago. The same thing happened post 1994 when it was the GOP in the catbird seat. There were many Democrats that retired, and a few that became Republicans (Ben Nighthorse Campbell was one of the higher profile examples). Which of course sank the Democrat chances of retaking the house for what turned out to be 12 years in the wilderness.

Many of the GOP retirees, among them Deb Pryce in Ohio, stuck out longer than they planned to as a favor to the party to keep control. Once control was no longer an issue what was the point. The GOP will not get control back this cycle, but this wave of retirements is overall a good thing for the GOP (and any political party). Fresh blood, new ideas, new faces will ultimately lead to less time in the wilderness.

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Another One Bites the Dust

Liza Porteus Viana — 2008-06-25T09:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, 2008 House

Another Republican has been ousted from Capitol Hill - although it doesn't appear this one got spanked for the same (anti-Bush, anti-Iraq war) reasons other GOP lawmakers around the country have this year. He's the third House incumbent to lose a primary this year.

U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, a conservative lawmaker from Utah, lost his bid for a seventh term yesterday in primary because, essentially, he doesn't appear to be conservative enough for the state's 3rd District. He was beaten by newbie politico Jason Chaffetz, a former Brigham Young University football player who served as chief of staff for popular Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman. Cannon received 40% of the vote, while his opponent won 60%.

"We rocked the vote here in Utah and we rocked the Republican Party," Chaffetz told about 175 supporters gathered to celebrate the victory, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. "I think we've been given a mandate to return the Republican Party to its core conservative principles."

Even though Cannon is considered a strong conservative, Chaffetz blasted him on spending, energy, and immigration, in particular. AP notes that in 2003, Cannon sponsored a bill that would have allowed states to charge in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants, and that instead of favoring tossing all illegal workers out of the country, he supported a guest-worker program.

Chaffetz said he wants the U.S. to deport all illegal immigrants and stop granting automatic citizenship to children born here if their parents aren't legal residents.

The Tribune says Cannon's next job will be to help other Republicans get elected around the country elected. Cannon said neither the war or Bush's dismal ratings had anything to do with his loss; blame low voter turnout. The Deseret News notes that this is only the second time in 30 years that Utah Republicans have dumped an incumbent GOP congressman.

"Bush has the highest rating in Utah, and that says the people support him and the war," Cannon said. "Their frustration is directed elsewhere." A BYU poll found that about 80% of voters in the district thought the country was on the wrong track, indicating a clear appetite for change. Sound familiar?

Chaffetz will face Democrat Bennion Spencer in November.

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Dems Eye Fossella's House Seat

Liza Porteus Viana — 2008-06-16T10:33:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, 2008 House

Now that Vito Fossella will be out of the U.S. House come November, the Democrats are hoping to put one of their own in a seat that has been owned by a Republican for the last 28 years.

Fossella, who has served voters in the 13th congressional district of Staten Island and Brooklyn for over 10 years, announced he wouldn't seek re-election in November after he was arrested on drunken-driving charges in Virginia in May, and admitted that he had fathered a daughter, now 3, in an extramarital affair. Before his little announcement, he had been mentioned as a possible mayoral candidate in 2009.

The New York Times reports today that competition for Fossella's seat - the only Republican one in the entire New York delegation - will be fierce. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, visited New York last week and endorsed City Councilman Michael E. McMahon; 12 NYC House members did the same. "We will do whatever is necessary to win this campaign," Van Hollen said.

Francis H. Powers, a deep-pocketed, retired Wall Street executive who was endorsed by the Staten Island Republican organization, will also open offices in the district. The politically untested candidate said he and the GOP would "spend whatever it takes for me to get myself elected." CongressionalQuarterly notes that Powers has been involved in GOP circles and is a former finance director for Fossella's House campaign committee. He previously served on the Metropolitan Transit Authority board but often gets a lot of grief from city residents over the mass transit system's performance and fares.
Brooklyn lawyer Stephen A. Harrison, a Brooklyn lawyer is also running in the Democratic primary, which will be held Sept. 9. He won 43% of the vote against Fossella in 2006.

An interesting twist: Powers' son, a carpenter known as "Fran" who sings with the borrough band Box of Crayons, wants to run as a Libertarian to run for the seat. "This is not about my dad," said the younger Powers, 47. "I'm not going to say that my dad treated me bad when I was a kid ... "I know his policies. I'm running against someone I know."

CQ calls the race a tossup.

The Staten Island portion of the district is conservative - much more so than the rest of New York City, just a ferry ride away. And the few Brooklyn neighborhoods that make up the rest of the district have much the same demographics as in Staten Island - heavily Catholic and Italian, mostly white populations. The district solidly backed Republican George Pataki for governor and Rick Lazio for Senate, and they gave Michael Bloomberg his slim win in 2001. The district voted 52%-44% for Al Gore in 2000 but voted 44%-45% for George Bush in 2004 - what some consider strong evidence of a Sept. 11 effect at the polls.

We'll see if Republicans will suffer a loss in New York similar to what they've been seeing in other parts of the country (Thank you, Bush) in a few months.

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'The New Gang of 14'

Christopher Weber — 2008-06-13T14:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Endorsements, Republicans, John McCain, 2008 Senate, 2008 House

Earlier I told you about certain Democratic members of Congress who are staying as far away from Barack Obama as possible this election season. Well on the other side of the aisle there are a number of Republicans who won't be getting behind John McCain's candidacy. They've been dubbed the "new gang of 14," a reference to the group of lawmakers, including McCain, who broke with conservatives on President Bush's judicial nominations. Not surprisingly, most of them lean sharply right and aren't thrilled with McCain's stances on issues like campaign finance reform, immigration, taxes, etc. One man's maverick is another man's liberal. The Hill has a partial list:

Republican members who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.). [Wolf contacted The Hill following publication of the article to correct his staff's error. His staff had said he has "yet to endorse McCain" and did not return follow-up phone calls this week].

Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado went as far as to say publicly, "I don't like McCain. I don't like him at all." But most of them make sure to underline the distinction between endorsing and supporting, saying while they won't take to the streets for McCain they do want a Republican in the White House, even if it's the wrong one.

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Avoiding Obama for Self Preservation

Christopher Weber — 2008-06-13T06:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Barack Obama, 2008 President, 2008 Senate, 2008 House

There are a number of incumbent Democrats in Congress who aren't caught up in the throes of Obamamania. That's because their own re-election hopes may hinge on how much they're able to distance themselves from the presumptive Dem nominee:

Some are counting on Republican votes in their re-election bids. Some are newly minted and in rematches with 2006 opponents. Some may be wary of how their constituents will react to a black presidential candidate. Some, too, have made it a practice of distancing themselves from the national party, fearing the inevitable campaign ad that has their face morphing into Howard Dean, the party chairman, and Obama.

Rep. Dan Boren, the only congressional Democrat in Oklahoma, calls Obama "the most liberal senator" in Congress and says he has no plans to make a public endorsement.

"We're much more conservative" in eastern Oklahoma, Boren said. "I've got to reflect my district."

Boren's among about a dozen other lawmakers who won't be endorsing Senator Obama. But none of them are likely to back John McCain either. Most are in vulnerable seats in conservative districts and they've decided their best bet campaign tactic is to just lay low and not endorse any presidential candidate. As Georgia Rep. Jim Marshall puts it: "I don't think I need to get involved."

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Congressman + Camera = Smackdown

Christopher Weber — 2008-06-12T13:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Iraq, 2008 House, Media, Viral Video

Rep. Paul Kanjorski is, as the Times-Tribune puts it, "getting a first-hand lesson in the hazards of the digital age." The Pennsylvania Democrat was approached by a blogger with a camera and asked to account for recent comments he made about the war in Iraq. Kanjorski is obviously flustered and when his temper runs out he's seen shoving the camera out of the way.

Kanjorski now finds himself for the second time in a month where no politician up for re-election wants to be: on the wrong side of a YouTube clip. Obviously his rival's camp is positively giddy over the mini-meltdown.

While it does appear the blogger has a point, I can't help but feel sorry for the congressman a little bit. It must be hard to resist the urge to slug an annoying dude shoving a camera in your face. Here's Kanjorski's official reaction to the brouhaha:

"I may have overreacted when this person stuck a camera in my face. But I feel like it was one of those 'gotcha' moments in politics, and my comments were misrepresented," Mr. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, said in a statement.

Judge for yourself and tell us what you think. Was Kanjorski's reaction just or was he out of line?

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Father-Son Rivalry For Congressional Seat

Christopher Weber — 2008-06-10T16:36:00+00:00

Filed under: 2008 House

Here's something you don't see every day, if ever. Scandal-plagued New York congressman Vito Fossella of Staten Island is stepping aside. The Republican running to replace him is a retired Wall Street exec and longtime GOP fundraiser named Francis H. Powers. And one of two Libertarian candidates gunning for the seat is Mr. Powers' son, Francis M. Powers!

The elder Mr. Powers, the Republican, is saying little about the possibility of running against his son. The younger Mr. Powers, the Libertarian, is far more outspoken.
"I'm not running against my father, I'm running against the Republican and Democratic candidates and any other candidate that comes down the pike," said the younger Mr. Powers, 47, who is known as Fran.

"This is not a personal thing regarding my father," said Fran Powers, a carpenter who also plays mandolin, guitar and keyboards with the band he leads, Box of Crayons. "This is a way for me to forward and highlight the Libertarian Party platform. I'm for a strong defense and noninvasive foreign policy as well as personal freedoms. You know, the Libertarian line."

Should make for an interesting Father's Day at the Powers household.

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Michigan and Florida: Half!

Tommy Christopher — 2008-05-31T23:39:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Breaking News, Primaries, 2008 House

Update: Clinton campaign official statement at the end of the story.

The Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws committee has voted to seat the full delegations of Michigan and Florida, with each delegate receiving a half of a vote.

7:07 There are people chanting, "Denver, Denver!"

Harold Ickes voted for the Florida measure, but against the Michigan one.

They had to ask security to bar the door.

Ickes said that the Michigan decision "Hijacked" the votes of 600,000 people, and that the principle of fair representation of the will of the voters meant awarding delegates to "Uncommitted." He peppered his speech with phrases like "hijacking" and "you bet your ass."

Several of the speakers had testy interchanges with vocal spectators.

Harold Ickes has reserved the right to take the Michigan decision to the credentials committee, and people in the halls are still chanting, "Denver, Denver!" No word on whether they are fans of Gilligan or Uncle Jesse.

Ickes has a point, Uncommitted ran a really great campaign, has a solid platform, and is going to be ready on day one. All of those volunteers who canvassed tirelessly for Uncommitted are hanging their heads, but the candidate is not available for comment.

This has been a long day, and those who watched this process, listened to the speeches, have got to come away with the strong impression that everyone in that room had an honest stake in reaching a unified compromise, with one exception. By reserving the right to go to the credentials committee, Harold Ickes is reserving the right to make sure that the Democratic Party cannot field a candidate that is viewed as legitimate. The rest of them can just cross their fingers, or hold their breath, or pray. Who is the hijacker here?

The final tallies are:

Florida

Clinton:52.5 delegate votes

Obama:33.5 delegate votes

Edwards:6.5 delegate votes

Michigan

Clinton:34.5 delegate votes

Obama:29.5 delegate votes

Hillary gains a net of 24 delegates, but Edwards' 6.5 will presumably go to Obama, cutting that to 17.5.

A few quick observations. One of the controversial elements here was the use by the Michigan Democratic Party of exit polling data to allocate 30,000 uncounted write-in votes. There was a lot of hand-wringing on this point, but the alternative, throwing those votes in the garbage, didn't really gibe with the misty-eyed Democracy theme of the day. There was one funny exchange that I will quote as accurately as I can from memory. The speaker at the time was talking about being fair to the voters of Michigan, and a woman in the audience started yelling:

Female Spectator: What about Iowa, North Carolina, South Carolina...

Male Spectator: Shut up...

Female Spectator:You shut up!

Priceless. There was some speculation from the MSNBC panel that the Clinton campaign might just let the credentials committee challenge simply die on the vine once the spotlight has moved. Either way, there figure to be some fun times ahead in Denver.

Update: The Clinton campaign released the following official statement last night:

Harold Ickes and Tina Flournoy made the following statement:

Today's results are a victory for the people of Florida who will have a voice in selecting our Party's nominee and will see its delegates seated at our party's convention. The decision by the Rules and Bylaws Committee honors the votes that were cast by the people of Florida and allocates the delegates accordingly.

We strongly object to the Committee's decision to undercut its own rules in seating Michigan's delegates without reflecting the votes of the people of Michigan.

The Committee awarded to Senator Obama not only the delegates won by Uncommitted, but four of the delegates won by Senator Clinton. This decision violates the bedrock principles of our democracy and our Party.
We reserve the right to challenge this decision before the Credentials Committee and appeal for a fair allocation of Michigan's delegates that actually reflect the votes as they were cast.

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Polls: GOP in Trouble Come November

Liza Porteus Viana — 2008-05-27T22:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Featured Stories, 2008 Senate, 2008 House

A flurry of recent national and state polls suggest something many political observers already know: Republicans in Congress are in for a potential walloping come November.

The Hill today reports that some early polls support Democratic contention that the party will win a larger majority in the Senate in the next election. Democrats are ahead, or within the margin of error in 11 Republican-held seats, as recent polls show potential GOP weaknesses in states including Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas.

Republicans are defending 23 seats, five of them vacated by retirements. The Democrats have to defend only about half that number (12), and incumbents are running again for all of them. Dems currently hold a 51 to 49 majority, including independents Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernard Sanders of Vermont. In the House, 27 Republicans are leaving voluntarily compared with just 8 Democrats.

Here's a few polls to chew on:

Rasmussen Reports today released a survey that found that in Kentucky, Democratic Senate challenger Bruce Lunsford has a 5 percentage point lead over long-time Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell. (Some observers, however, urge caution when considering automated polls like Rasmussen's that don't actually talk to people.) Another Rasmussen survey released today on the Minnesota Senate race shows incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R) attracting 47% of the vote while comedian challenger Al Franken earns 45% support. A month ago, Coleman was ahead 50% to 43%; any incumbent polling below 50% is generally considered vulnerable.

A SurveyUSA poll released May 15 shows that in a hypothetical general election for U.S. senator from New Mexico, Democrat Tom Udall defeats either Republican Steve Pearce or Republican Heather Wilson (all three currently serve in the House) by a nearly identical margin. Against Pearce, Udall wins 60% to 36%. Against Wilson, Udall wins 61% to 35%.

And in North Carolina, challenger Kay Hagan is now within five percentage points of incumbent Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole.Rasmussen says at least nine other Republican Senate seats could be vulnerable, including seats in Alaska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas.

"Not all of those races will be won by Democrats, but the fact that so many Republican seats are vulnerable virtually assures that the Democratic Senate majority will grow," according to Rasmussen. "The underlying reason that so many Republican seats are at risk is that fewer and fewer Americans consider themselves to be Republicans ... even the most optimistic scenarios for the GOP show the Democrats picking up several seats."

Congressional Quarterly last month predicted that Democrats could to expand their majority by anywhere from 2 to 8 seats this year, with public opinion on the Iraq War, President Bush and economy worries as bad or worse for the GOP as it was two years ago. CQ's Web site has a current list of the seats potentially up for grabs and recently surveys on those seats.

The Cook Political report says that despite doubts in the beginning of this election cycle that Dems would win big this year, now, "strong signs point toward a Democratic bonanza." Reasons include antipathy toward Bush and the fact that Democrat House and Senate campaign committees are out-raising their GOP counterparts by "astounding" margins. Even though Congress has a "terrible" job approval-rating, this election isn't about that quite yet.

Combine that news with the three recent special-election losses in heavily Republican districts and the 8-point lead former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, a Democrat, has on appointed Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, bodes even worse for the GOP.

"In short, Republicans might get walloped again in November," according to Cook. "The indications that they will are getting stronger and stronger. And the arguments that they won't are getting weaker and weaker."

Roll Call (subscribe) details how, as their House counterparts publicly struggle, Senate Republican leaders this election year are trying keep their heads down, soften their partisan attacks and promote ideas-based initiatives they hope will soften November's blow.

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Bush Isn't the Issue

Dave — 2008-05-17T08:40:00+00:00

Filed under: President Bush, Republicans, 2008 President, 2008 House

Patrick Ruffini has some great advice for Tom Davis and the others who are blaming Bush for their problems.

President Bush is a lame duck. His term expires in eight months. Politically speaking, John McCain is the leader of the party. Bush's term will overlap that of the 111th Congress by a whopping 17 days. Why should Republican Congressional candidates take the bait by positioning themselves vis a vis someone who will be a political non-factor once they take office? If they embrace President Bush, it's political poison. If they make a fuss of distancing themselves, it guarantees headlines with Candidate X and Bush in close proximity, and looks politically motivated. Don't take the bait.

The challenge for Republicans is not to support Bush or to reject Bush but to transcend Bush. We are quickly nearing the point where the last piece of meaningful legislation will cross this President's desk. To suggest that Republicans might want to get around to crafting a post-Bush agenda ignores the fact that the post-Bush era is already upon us. It began March 4, when John McCain secured 1,191 delegates. Start acting like it. John McCain is the only national Republican local Republicans should be talking about.

Bush is part of the problem to be sure, but primarily because Bush happens to own the loudest microphone in the world and he rarely uses it. Thursday's speech before the Knesset was a rare exception. Bush is not just a good communicator and never has been. And the new nominee also has never been tagged as an eloquent speaker... Which means the GOP has a very bad rhetoric gap!

But as Ruffini says talking about whether to be close or far from Bush is really besides the point. Bush is over, his era is over, he has the power of the veto and the bully pulpit and that's about it. The baton has been passed but is there anyone picking it up?

Read the comments at the NRCC (hat tip Michelle Malkin) and you will see. A lot of anger, but very little of it is directed at Bush. Blame him all you want, but he is not the source or the salvation of GOP problems. A very real lack of leadership toward traditional Republican issues is the problem.

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Conservatives Deserting the GOP

Dave — 2008-05-14T21:33:00+00:00

Filed under: 2008 President, 2008 Senate, 2008 House

Rush Limbaugh:

You think I ought to be happy that there's conservatism out there. I'm not happy my own party wants to get rid of it. I'm mad that my own party wants to cast conservatism aside. I know there's plenty of conservatism out there. That's the source of the frustration. But conservatism by itself cannot move things. It needs a political party. In our political structure, it is parties that get things done. The Republican Party was the home of conservatism, and it still is. But the people that run the Republican Party right now are trying to get rid of it. And it's a death wish. It is an absolute death wish.

Rush is not being prophetic, he is just stating the facts on the ground. The current Republican leadership is pushing the panic button because they keep losing fights they shouldn't. Why? Probably because the GOP (at least at the top) no longer stands for conservative values on a whole host of issues, including spending, amnesty for illegal immigrants, punishing American industry for global warming. And today we have corporate welfare for rich farmers.

Rank and file conservatives are fed up, because they know that McCain is at best condescending to them, and at worst, actively conspiring to render them irrelevant to the political process. See this from Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler.

First off, I understand "compromise", I also understand "give and take" and I know full well that sometimes you have to compromise to get some of what you want. But voting for McCain isn't "compromise", its proper name is "abject surrender."

What's in it for me? The answer is "nothing."

At some point, you have to say "stop! No further!" The thing is, we should've done that a long time ago, but instead we kept reinforcing bad behavior by rewarding it. I don't know what kind of magical, wishful thinking it is that makes people think that rewarding scum for drifting to the left is going to one day, miraculously, make them turn around and drift the other way. I don't know what the proper name for it is, but I'm certain that the word "pathological" is part of it.

So what is to be done? I'm not sure, but I've been thinking and one conclusion I know is that conservatives cannot surrender their agenda to McCain. Leadership for conservatives should form from and within the conservative GOP delegation, and they need to do an end run around the GOP leadership.

What they need to do, and do without delay is to form an opposition party to John McCain and declare that they will oppose John McCain where he differs from them on spending, on global warming, on amnesty, on drilling in ANWR, etc. They should also, of course, say that they will work with McCain on judges, on fighting terrorists, etc. But the primary need is to serve as a rallying point to roust and energize the dormant and fleeing conservative base.

McCain won't like it, but phooey on him. Let him triangulate to the center as he so loves to do. The GOP has some congressional delegates to save. I realize that this is drastic and unheard of, to actively campaign against your own presidential nominee, but the GOP is up against a wall. Time for them to act like they understand that. Otherwise they can go back to the minority status they enjoyed so much in the seventies.

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Dems Win Another: GOP Sounds Distress Call

David Knowles — 2008-05-14T09:31:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Breaking News, 2008 House

For the third time this election season, the Democrats have stolen a House seat from their Republican counterparts. This time, it happened in Mississippi, where Travis Childers beat Greg Davis to send a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 1994. Bush easily carried this district in 2000 and 2004, but that was before his popularity numbers plummeted.

Davis and the RNCC had run negative ads featuring the Reverend Wright and Barack Obama in an attempt to solidify white support. For the second time this year, the tactic failed.

In the towering wake of yet another defeat in a contest in which the GOP poured a great deal of resources, NRCC chairman Tom Cole fired off an S.O.S. to any Republicans who'll listen:

"...the political environment is such that voters remain pessimistic about the direction of the country and the Republican Party in general. Therefore, Republicans must undertake bold efforts to define a forward looking agenda that offers the kind of positive change voters are looking for."

In other words, the GOP needs to re-invent itself. Come up with some catchy, forward-looking buzzwords. Maybe even tinker with a proposal or two. All that negative change just isn't working out. Go figure.

UPDATE: You just can't make this stuff up. What has the Republican brain-trust decided on for a new slogan?

"The Change You Deserve."

Aside from being strikingly similar to Obama's "Change You Can Believe In," the funny thing about the GOP's new slogan is that it was already adopted by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for their anti-anxiety drug Effexor. Perhaps the GOP can kill two birds with one stone on this one. Pass out Effexor to all their candidates up for re-election, and borrow the slogan as well. Wyeth makes out like bandits and everybody's happy! Or at least until the drug wears off, anyway.

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Dirty Politics in Oregon

Liza Porteus Viana — 2008-05-13T15:19:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, 2008 House

There's some very seemingly underhanded politicking going on in Oregon, but it seems to largely be going unnoticed by the national media, which is distracted with the ongoing Clinton-Obama fight.

Oregon's Democratic presidential primary will be held May 20 - the same day as the state GOP primary, which will decide who will run for the seat of outgoing six-term U.S. House Democratic Rep. Darlene Hooley, who represents the 5th Congressional District. The GOP candidates are Kevin Mannix and Mike Erickson. The Rothenberg Political Report categorizes the race as a "pure tossup."

This week brought new accusations that have the distinct smell of smear.

The Oregonian reports today that Mannix actually sent a direct-mail appeal to 60,000 GOP voters, alleging that Erickson impregnated a woman eight years ago, then paid for her to have an abortion. The Mannix campaign is waving around a 2-year-old e-mail as proof - a message purportedly from a friend of the woman who had an abortion. The campaign sent that e-mail to voters. The Oregonian says the campaign mailing blacked out the last name and e-mail address of the author, identifying her as "Kristi" and her friend as "Tawnya. "

"I am convinced that the story is real," Mannix says in the May 12 mailer. "It is important that you, the voter, be aware of this situation. Rarely have I been confronted with such a difficult decision as to whether to proceed with something of this nature. But what is on the line here is the character of the person who will represent you in Congress.

"Many people have suggested to me that I allow some "other party" to share this information with you so that I can stand by and watch the situation develop. I believe it is important for me to take personal responsibility for sharing this story."The Portland Tribune interviewed the woman making the accusations. She first brought up the abortion story in 2006 after receiving an Erickson campaign mailer touting his endorsement by Oregon Right to Life during his first, and unsuccessful, run for the congressional seat.

"We became pregnant, and not only did he pick me up and drove me to the abortion clinic, he completely encouraged me to do that," the woman told the Tribune. "He withdrew $300 from his bank account" at an ATM on the way to the clinic to pay for the procedure, she said.

In a statement released to the Oregonian, Erickson, who emphasizes family values and right-to-life positions, said the "false allegations" are an example of the "desperate smear that Kevin Mannix resorts to." He adds: "These unsubstantiated and untrue allegations are from an e-mail from 2006 that no news media reported at the time. They are just as untrue today as they were then."

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Anti-Obama Ads Fail in Louisiana

Jay Allbritton — 2008-05-05T16:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Barack Obama, Ads, 2008 President, 2008 House

During the days preceding Democratic state legislator Don Cazayoux's unlikely special election victory over Republican Woody Jenkins for the open House seat vacated by Republican Richard Baker (when he retired to be a lobbyist), the NRCC ran ads attempting to sink Cazayoux by linking him to Barack Obama.

It didn't work, but the conservative group Freedom's Watch is using the same strategy against Louisiana Democrat Travis Childers who is running against Republican Greg Davis to fill the seat held by the man who replaced Republican Senator Trent Lott, who retired to become a lobbyist (hmm...). That election will be held May 13.
From AP:

Republicans clearly hope Obama is a Democratic albatross. The Republican Party and one of its conservative allies have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on ads portraying Obama as a liberal and tying Cazayoux and Childers to the Illinois senator.

"When it comes to taxes both Travis Childers and Barack Obama think alike - they both want to raise them," says an ad by Freedom's Watch, an outside group financed by wealthy Republican contributors.

(more)

Nothing wrong with running misleading political ads, it's just how things are done, but when it reaches the level at which the ads can not be discerned from satire, these ads may be hurting the cause of the groups putting them out. Of course, you can always count on desperate politicians to double down on their mistakes to comedic affect. The NRCC is spinning Jenkins's loss as a good thing.

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GOP Hits Obama for Downticket Races

Dave — 2008-04-29T20:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Barack Obama, 2008 President, 2008 House

I remember quite distinctly a time when the GOP was hopeful that Hillary would win, as they were gleeful about using her for the general election prospects of congressional and senate campaigns.

My how times have changed.

But those concerns aren't deterring a collection of groups from testing the waters with anti-Obama ads in Mississippi and Louisiana. The NRCC, the conservative advocacy group Freedom's Watch and the campaign of Mississippi candidate Greg Davis combined have put up about $500,000 in advertising explicitly connecting Cazayoux and Childers to Obama.

The NRCC is up with a new spot in Mississippi's 1st District in which Childers is flanked by Kerry and Obama. The ad refers to Obama's ranking by National Journal as having "the most liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate."

Davis' newly released ad invokes Obama's controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, arguing that Childers should have spoken out against Wright's divisive rhetoric but instead "said nothing."

I don't think that we have any evidence, yet, of a full blown Obama implosion, but it seems like the tide is shifting... slowly. One piece of key evidence is this AP poll showing Hillary over McCain by nine points. This underscores the electability argument she's been trying to make. And now she has something to point to.

The GOP certainly seems to be hoping (with audacity?!) for an Obama victory, and the resultant Wright baggage that will come with it. I maintain that Obama is the more dangerous candidate for John McCain, he's been rewriting the rules with the youth vote and energy. While against Hillary, McCain can just use the same old playbook.

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Hillary Shots: Nothing New

Mo Rocca — 2008-04-16T13:08:00+00:00

Filed under: Hillary Clinton, 2008 House, Viral Video, LOLection

Last Saturday, Hillary Clinton, trying to prove she's just a regular gal, drank a shot of whiskey at a bar in Indiana. Interesting, but nothing new. Here at Mo Rocca 180, we caught Ms. Clinton on tape a year ago taking a shot of Jägermeister (start watching at :47):

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Dems Expect Big Gains In Congress

Christopher Weber — 2008-04-08T13:21:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, 2008 House

While Democrats fret over what the drawn out presidential primaries might mean for their White House prospects, at least they can find some consolation in the congressional races. Republicans are retiring left and right (29 in the House alone!) and the Dems are raising big bucks and ready to strike.

The Cook Political Report predicts Democrats could pick up five to 10 seats in the House and three to six seats in the Senate.

Those kind of numbers, if they actually play out, are enough to make Nancy Pelosi do the macarena on Main Street.

"It's certainly a larger gain that I would have predicted on election night in 2006," said David Wasserman, the House editor of the Cook Political Report. "I would have said there was going to be some sort of Republican rebound, and the question was how large the Republican rebound was going to be."

Now it turns out there might not be a Republican rebound at all. Then again, who knows? After all, it is only April and nearly everybody, from pundits to pols on both sides (just not those in the Clinton camp), seem to agree that the long battle between Hillary and Obama risks making both candidates look bad and could affect turnout on election day.

Maryland congressman Chris Van Hollen put it this way: "If the Democratic presidential primary doesn't focus on what unites us and focuses on what divides us, it could create problems in November." Republicans are banking on it.

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NRCC Money Scandal

Dave — 2008-03-14T09:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, 2008 House, Scandal

Winning the Perfect Timing Award of 2008, the National Republican Congressional Committee has its own scandal:

The former treasurer for the National Republican Congressional Committee diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars -- and possibly as much as $1 million -- of the organization's funds into his personal accounts, GOP officials said yesterday, describing an alleged scheme that could become one of the largest political frauds in recent history.

For at least four years, Christopher J. Ward, who is under investigation by the FBI, allegedly used wire transfers to funnel money out of NRCC coffers and into other political committee accounts he controlled as treasurer, NRCC leaders and lawyers said in their first public statement since they turned the matter over to the FBI six weeks ago.

That's. Just. Perfect. The Republican Senatorial committee just allowed Mark Pryor of Arkansas to run unopposed (no thanks to Mike Huckabee, who passed). The Presidential nomination was won by John McCain who heretofore was despised by the rank and file givers of the Republican party. And now the congressional committee, as it turns out, has been diverting funds to the personal bank accounts of one bad apple.

All of which one would think would add up to a very bad fundraising year for the Republicans. Oh but that's not it, on the other side of the aisle, the Democrats have been raising record amounts, and if the nominee is to be Obama, they have an opponent who has a proven ability to raise tens of millions every single month.

Danger, Danger, Will Robinson. And it's not just the NRCC with this guy, he was also the treasurer for 83 GOP committees, all of which are under a cloud now.

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