SSP Daily Digest: 10/12 (Morning Edition)

  • AK-Sen: Joe Miller is taking a vow of omertà, insisting that he simply won’t answer any more questions about his personal background. He’s also taking a page right out of the Sarah Palin playbook, whining that he’s been the victim of “journalist impropriety,” and making up stories about reporters gaining access to his “confidential file,” in “violation of the law.” I despairingly think that Miller won’t pay the price for this that he ought to – look at Rick Perry, who refuses to meet with newspaper editorial boards, as an example.

    • Also of note: Miller is trying to unring that Seventeenther bell a bit – but not really. His stance now is that a constitutional amendment to eliminate the direct election of senators is not “practical,” but sure sounds like he’d love to do it if he could. What a weirdo.

  • NV-Sen: Clinton alert! The Big Dog will be in Nevada today to campaign with Harry Reid.
  • WV-Sen: Clinton alert (retroactive)! Bill Clinton was in Morgantown yesterday, campaigning for Joe Manchin. He made a point of saying that the “hick-y” ad “burns me up.”
  • KS-Gov: This creeptastic story is finally getting some play in the Kansas gubernatorial race. Back around 2002 or so, Sam Brownback was roommates in Washington, DC with a radical cleric named Lou Engle. You might remember Engle as the Talibangelist who led a “prayer” rally in Uganda right when the country was debating passage of a bill which would have implemented the death penalty for homosexuals. Though he later tried to distance himself from the measure, at the time, Engle “praised the country’s ‘courage’ and ‘righteousness’ in promoting the bill. In the past, Engle has also donated to Brownback’s campaigns, and Brownback has done events with him as recently as last year. Seemingly caught off-guard by all this, the Brownback campaign had no statement in response.
  • NY-Gov: When you’ve lost Rudy Giuliani… His Dingusness attacked fellow Republican Carl Paladino over his anti-gay remarks, calling them “highly offensive” and saying Paladino should apologize. Not really sure what Rudy’s angle is here, though.
  • TN-Gov: Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Haslam poured in another $2.8 million of his own money in the third quarter, for $4.3 mil total. He’s also raised a pretty amazing $12.5 million from outside donors, all told; combined, this apparently makes for a new Tennessee record. (Recall that Haslam had a very competitive GOP primary.) Dem Mike McWherter hasn’t released 3Q nums yet, but he’s raised just a fraction of what Haslam has.
  • FL-22: Barack Obama did a fundraiser last night at the home of former NBA great Alonzo Mourning (which we mentioned to you back in SSP Amazing Digest #88). The event raised a million bucks, split between the Ron Klein campaign and the DNC. In attendance were Miami Heat players Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade (but not LeBron James), as well as Magic Johnson.
  • ME-02: Looks like Jason Levesque is going to have to beg his mom for rides to campaign rallies: the Republican just got his license suspended, after three speeding convictions in the past year. Lifetime, he has 18 driving-related convictions (including nine for speeding), and his licenses has been suspended three times.
  • NV-03: Joe Heck has a serious problem wrapped around his neck like a twenty-pound goiter. It’s called Sharron Angle, and he just doesn’t know what do with it. When asked directly by a voter whether he planned to vote for his own party’s senate nominee, Heck responded: “I’m waiting to see all of the evidence before I make my choice.”
  • NY-01: Biden alert! The VPOTUS is coming to NYC to do a fundraiser for Tim Bishop on Oct. 26th. Seems awfully late in the game to be raising scratch, but I suppose a Biden event is such a sure thing that Bishop can max out the campaign credit cards against the expected take.
  • OH-09: As he watches his candidacy circle the drain, Rich Iott lashed out at the top-ranking Jewish Republican in the Milky Way, Eric Cantor, who had repudiated him a day earlier:

    • “I think that Representative Cantor did what so many career politicians do. He reacted before he had all the facts. He didn’t know the whole story. He didn’t understand what historical reenacting is all about, or the education side of it. And he just made a decision without all the facts. My opponent here is cut out of the same cloth. Those are the people who passed the health care bill before they knew what was in it. The same folks who passed the stimulus bill….”

    Because comparing the minority whip to Democrats is a good idea for a Republican candidate with a future, right? Anyhow, for those of you who perhaps wanted to hold out hope that Iott was just some weird LARPer (but I repeat myself), please review this paragraph taken from the website of his fellow Nazi re-enactors:

    Nazi Germany had no problem in recruiting the multitudes of volunteers willing to lay down their lives to ensure a “New and Free Europe”, free of the threat of Communism. National Socialism was seen by many in Holland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and other eastern European and Balkan countries as the protector of personal freedom and their very way of life, despite the true underlying totalitarian (and quite twisted, in most cases) nature of the movement. Regardless, thousands upon thousands of valiant men died defending their respective countries in the name of a better tomorrow. We salute these idealists; no matter how unsavory the Nazi government was, the front-line soldiers of the Waffen-SS (in particular the foreign volunteers) gave their lives for their loved ones and a basic desire to be free.

  • OR-04: There’s no direct quote here, but the Douglas County News-Review reports that Rep. Peter DeFazio “says he favors replacing Pelosi as speaker if Democrats retain their majority.” DeFazio has long had an antagonistic relationship with Pelosi, most recently coming to a head with his refusal to vote for the stimulus, allegedly from the left.
  • OR-05: These Republicans have no respect for Godwin’s Law, do they? Speaking of the healthcare reform bill, Scott Bruun said:

    • “From a social perspective, it’s right up there, I would argue – probably the fugitive slave law was worse. But still, the healthcare bill was pretty darn bad.”

    The Fugitive Slave Act, which “required any runaway slaves who had escaped their bondage and were living free in the Northern states be returned to their owners” – and was one of the causes of the Civil War. Right on!

  • PA-03, PA-12: Biden alert (retroactive)! The VPOTUS did a fundraiser in Pittsburgh with both Reps. Kathy Dahlkemper and Mark Critz in attendance. The Hill makes a big deal out of the fact that this event didn’t take place in Critz’s district – but I’m just going to guess that there are a lot more wealthy Dems in the P’burgh area than in the 12th CD.
  • PA-06: Can an internal ever be too good? Well, you tell me if you believe this Susquehanna survey that Jim Gerlach is touting, which has him up by a massive 61-31 spread. Still, now would be a good time for Manan Trivedi or the DCCC to show us something different.
  • PA-11: If Paul Kanjorski somehow, improbably, survives once more, he will owe his fortune yet again to the realtors, who have already spent three-quarters of a million on ads on his behalf, after spending a million bucks last time.
  • Polltopia: Time to help PPP pick their next state to poll.

    • SSP TV:

    • FL-Gov: In a move we’ve seen a few times this cycle, Alex Sink is trying out the long-form political ad, this time with a 2-minute spot detailing Rick Scott’s Medicare fraud and his attempts to hide from it
    • WA-08: In her third ad, Suzan DelBene hits Reichert on raising taxes & shipping jobs overseas

    Independent Expenditures:

    • AFSCME: Throws down $750K against Republican roofer Reid Ribble (WI-08) and $628K against GOPer Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08)
    • NRA: Almost $3 million in senate buys (here & here)
    • NRCC: Huge $8.25 million buy
    • Realtors: CA-18 (for Dennis Cardoza); IL-14 & PA-11 (for Bill Foster & Paul Kanjorski)
    • TX-23: A group called “The American Worker, Inc.” is running some $200K worth of ads against Republican Quico Canseco

    217 thoughts on “SSP Daily Digest: 10/12 (Morning Edition)”

    1. At the PPP blog I’m wondering if they found better numbers for Manchin over the weekend.

      “At the same time I think Democrats will hold onto the Senate and that it may be by a larger margin than people are expecting, with the party perhaps holding onto its seats in places like Illinois, Colorado, Nevada, and West Virginia where the party lucked out because the GOP nominated weak candidates.”

    2. It’s not exactly easy to know if you’re in the district or not, unless they were to hold the fundraiser in Johnstown.

    4. I think that DeFazio is saying it because, I think that WSJ had a report that DeFazio is latest D in trouble (he didn’t have a GOP opponent last time, so he got 82%), can anyone link to WSJ article mentioning DeFazio?

    6. Per WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ganley is making the move amid allegations of sexual misconduct.  A lawsuit with regard to that was filed last week.  

      This confirms what I thought all along, that Ganley has been trailing Sutton all along and the only reason that the race looked like a tossup at all were those sketchy AFF and WAA polls showing Sutton only up 3.  His personal baggage is too great to win this seat now unless the wave is about 75-80 seats worth.

    8. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39…

      Representatives Steve Driehaus  of Ohio, Suzanne M. Kosmas of Florida and Kathy Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania were among the Democrats who learned that they would no longer receive the same infusion of television advertising that party leaders had promised. Party strategists conceded that these races and several others were slipping out of reach.

      Seems inconsistent with Biden’s fundraiser, unless it’s supposed to be a substitute in PA-03.

    10. That’s just dumb by Joe Heck. It’s your senate nominee who has the majority support from Republicans and probably at least comes close to splitting independents. Nobody is going to believe that you’d vote for Harry Reid anyway, so the posturing is just going to turn off your base.

      That said, keep it up!!

    12. I don’t think anyone mentioned Quinnipiac’s new FL-Gov poll: Alex Sink trailed by 6% two weeks ago, now it’s 45-44 (for Scott).

    17. Pity Brownback doesn’t have an opponent who can take advantage of his extreme positions.  Every since he attacked IVF, I’ve sworn that I would donate to any credible opponent he had, but unfortunately, he’s a shoe-in this year.

    18. that there is a Rasmussen poll out showing Giannoulias up 1 point (44-43). It’s on RCP. But the odd thing is, I cannot find it anywhere, not even on the Rasmussen website.

      Does anybody know of this?

      20, WM, Democrat, NY-14 (NY-28 for college)

    19. Giannoulias 44, Kirk 43

      But get this – Razzy includes the Green candidate among the choices but not the Libertarian. Typical for a pollster more concerned with narrative than accuracy.

      And still, Alexi’s on top. This might even marginally understate his position.

      http://www.rasmussenreports.co…

    25. A lot of money poured into races that should be “locked up”

      AR-01, AL-02, AZ-01, AZ-05, CA-11 (small buy), CO-03 (new target), CO-04, FL-02, FL-08, FL-24, GA-08, IL-10, IL-11 (small buy), IL-14, IL-17 (new target?), IN-02, IN-08, IN-09, KY-06, MA-10, MD-01, MI-01, MI-07, MN-01 (new target), MO-04, MS-01, NC-07, ND-01, NH-01 (new target), NH-02 (new target), NJ-03 (tiny buy), NM-01, NM-02 (new target), NV-03, NY-20, NY-24, OH-06 (new target), OH-16, OH-18 (new target), OR-05, PA-03, PA-07, PA-08, PA-10, PA-11, SC-05, SD-01, TN-08, TX-17, VA-02 (new target), VA-05, VA-09, WA-03, WI-07, WI-08, WV-01

      Tea Leaves:

      CA-11 had a small buy, maybe NRCC is giving up here

      CO-03 I think is a first time expenditure going up in that district

      CO-04 had a HUGE buy ($392k), thought this was a done deal?

      FL-24 still spending there!

      IL-11 however had a small buy, may be mostly locked up

      IL-17 first spending by NRCC in this district I think

      IN-02 maybe a bit of a drop-off in spending here

      MN-01 first NRCC spending here

      ND-01 still spending here!  another $250k

      NH-01, NH-02 first time NRCC spending here, big buy against Porter!

      NJ-03 was a middling buy, probably giving up here

      NM-02 accelerating spending here

      NV-03 gigantic buy here ($386k)

      OH-06, OH-18 first time NRCC spending here

      OR-05 accelerating spending here

      TN-08 still spending here! (another $200k)

      TX-17 still spending here as well

      VA-02 first time NRCC spending here

      VA-05 still spending here (another $155k)

      WA-03 whole lot dropped here ($300k)

      New Target districts:

      CO-03, IL-17, MN-01, NH-01, NH-02, NM-02, OH-06, OH-18, VA-02

      probably pulling out of reach for Republicans:

      CA-11, NJ-03

      no spending on MS-04 this round, FWIW.  Still no buys in NC-08, IA-03, or TX-23.

    29. was conducted on OCT 11, COLUMBUS DAY.  In SD, it’s known as native American Day and the schools are off, if WI is similar, then they polled ON THE TAIL END OF A 3-DAY WEEKEND.  

    31. According to the Knox News-Sentinel Rasmussen has released a poll indicating Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam (R) crushing his opponent, Jackson businessman Mike McWherter (D), by a 59-31 margin.  

    32. DADT was just given an injunction and will be immediately stopped as a public policy even while the appeals process moves forward to further test it’s unconstitutionality.  (The injunction can be appealed as well.)

      What is so tragic about all of this is Obama not using this to gin up support for the Democrats.  DADT has been the number one issue when it comes LGBT rights at the federal level and I cannot believe he is being so stupid as to throw away what would be an immediate infusion in energy this November.  If you want Democrats to turn-out, you need to give them a reason to.  And considering this would be 3-4 weeks right before the election, giving us this victory would be a great way to get us to volunteer.

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