Month: August 2007

hidely-ho there neighboreenos, I’m trying to collect instances of infidelity and super-fidelity (is that a real term?) from both parties.  By infidelity, I mean republican and democratic instances of cheating, prostitution, gay affairs, etc. etc.  for “super-fidelity” I mean instances where the couples stays together despite overwhelming odds, or stays together in the face of tragedy.  These should have been within the last ten years, unless that person is an important figure on the scene now.

for the repubs infidelity there is of course:

“Larry-boy” Craig soliciting gay sex

Diaper man Vitter, prostitution

newt Gingrich leaving his wife when she had cancer

Rudy Giuliani three wives

Fred Thompson trophy wife

Mark Foley well, I don’t need to get into that HERE do I?

While I’m sure there’s super-fidelity with the repubs, I don’t know off hand.

democrats infidelity

John Kerry 1 divorce

Bill Clinton Monica-gate

Russ Feingold 2 divorces (I think, it might be 1)

superfidelity

Clinton’s staying together (though if for love, or political standing we may never know)

John Edwards loving Elizabeth and standing by her through cancer

That’s all I can think of, I’m trying to get a handy chart for when the republicans claim to be the party of family values.  Thank you in advance for contributions

Just how far has John McCain’s stock fallen? According to a recent Rocky Mountain poll, he could face double digit defeat… in 2010. Yeah, even in Arizona, his home state, his popularity is less than 50%. The Rocky Mountain poll has popular Governor Janet Napolitano beating him 47% to 36% head-to-head. Napolitano is popular (59%), and could help downticket Democrats with a strong showing. McCain, on the other hand, is tied to an unpopular war, an unpopular immigration bill, and a really lousy attendance record.

Is it any wonder that McCain only leads by 9% in his home state’s GOP presidential primary? I’m glad he’s still in the race, because every dollar he spends is GOP donor money gone splendidly to waste.

(h/t Pollster.com – about 6 days old but I was on vacation and no one else diaried about it)

UPDATE: I guess that’s why McCain’s considering applying for public financing. The 100 million dollars he had planned to raise didn’t come through, so now he’ll probably take 6 million in federal funds just so he retire his debt. Anyone else think he’ll save some of the money he raises from here on out to protect his Senate seat in 2010?

[Napolitano] was ranked as doing an excellent or good job by 59 percent of those asked, and only nine percent gave her a poor or very poor rating.

The poll found that 76 percent of Democrats think she’s doing an excellent or good job, while 51 percent of independents and 41 percent of Republicans give her that ranking.

In a hypothetical head-to-head race for McCain’s Senate seat, 47 percent of those polled would vote for Napolitano, 36 percent for the sitting Republican senator, and 17 percent were undecided.

The poll, conducted by the Behavior Research Center of Arizona, was conducted between July 27 and Aug. 4 and has a margin of error of 3.9 percent.

Credit: AP, Aug. 21, 2007

Walberg Watch, which covers Michigan’s 7th Congressional District and the far-right Congressman Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) is excited to announce the first of (hopefully) many candidate interviews. Who’s first? Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek).

Some background from his website:

Mark Schauer, a resident of Battle Creek, currently serves as the Senate Democratic Leader. He also serves as the Democratic Vice Chair for the Senate Government Operations and Reform Committee and as a member of the Campaigns and Election Oversight Committee. Before being elected to the State Senate, he served three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Prior to serving in the State House, he was a Battle Creek City Commissioner. Sen. Schauer also previously served as the Coordinator for the Calhoun County Human Services Coordinating Council; Executive Director of the Community Action Agency of South Central Michigan; and as Urban Planner for the Calhoun County Planning Department.

As a state legislator for nearly 10 years, Mark has been a consistent advocate for quality and safe schools, early childhood development and investing in prevention, job training and economic development, and access to health care. He has also worked hard to provide neighborhood and community safety through community-oriented policing, to protect consumers and small businesses, and to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

His community involvement includes Food Bank of South Central Michigan; Habitat for Humanity; Urban League of Battle Creek; Chambers of Commerce; and Lifespan and Kids ‘n’ Stuff board of directors.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Albion College, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University and a Masters Degree in Political Science from Michigan State University where he is also all-but-dissertation in Political Science & Urban Studies. He is married to Christine and has three stepchildren.

If you have any questions for Senator Schauer about his career, his candidacy, or Congressman Tim Walberg, leave them in the comments. Just remember, I won’t be asking him anything like “When did you stop beating your wife?” If you really want your question to be answered, make sure it’s a serious, fair question.

All four announced Democratic candidates– Jim Berryman, David Nacht, Sharon Renier, and Mark Schauer– have been approached or have contacted Walberg Watch about doing interviews. Each is at a different stage of preparation, but I look forward to speaking with all of the candidates.

While rumors have been around for awhile, it looks like Sen. Larry Craig has been busted:

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom, according to an arrest report obtained by Roll Call Monday afternoon.

Craig’s arrest occurred just after noon on June 11 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. He paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation with the court that began on Aug. 8.

A spokesman for Craig described the incident as a “he said/he said misunderstanding,” and said the office would release a fuller statement later Monday afternoon.

After he was arrested, Craig, who is married, was taken to the Airport Police Operations Center to be interviewed about the lewd conduct incident, according to the police report. At one point during the interview, Craig handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a U.S. Senator and said, “What do you think about that?” the report states.

Craig is up for re-election in 2008 and something tells me this isn't gonna play well back home in Idaho.  Whether Craig chooses to resign or stick it out, Democrat Larry LaRocco should be able to make a race of it.

Update: In the event that Craig retires early, a quick check of Idaho statutes shows that the replacement process is fairly standard. Republican governor “Butch” Otter has the full authority to appoint someone who would serve through November 2008. 

Two weeks ago, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) announced her plans not to run for re-election. Considering that Pryce defeated Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy by a razor-thin margin in 2006 in a district with a PVI of R+1.1, this seat was already going to be competitive in 2008. But as an open-seat, it quickly looked like one of the best prospects for a Dem pickup. 

And now things just keep getting better for our side as it appears that the NRCC is having trouble fielding a candidate in the race:

Northeast Ohio native and former Attorney General Jim Petro has ruled out a run for Congress, setting his sights instead on Ohio's next Supreme Court chief justice.  Party leaders, including House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio, had urged Petro, a moderate Republican who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006, to run next year for a seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce of suburban Columbus.

And shortly afterwards: 

Former Mayor Greg Lashutka said today he will not seek the GOP nomination in 2008 for the 15th Congressional District seat being vacated at the end of next year by retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce, an Upper Arlington Republican.  Lashutka ruled out a run about an hour after former Attorney General Jim Petro said he will not seek the congressional seat, leaving local GOP officials scrambling for a candidate against Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, the favoried Democrat who narrowly lost to Pryce in 2006.

This comes on the heels of two other recruitment failures for the NRCC as State Sen. Steve Stivers and State Rep. Jim Hughes both turned down a race for the seat.

(h/t Buckeye State Blog)

Republicans in Louisiana are passing the bottle around tonight–they just snagged a fresh, high profile turncoat from the Democratic ranks.  John Kennedy, the State Treasurer of Louisiana since his election in 1999, has bolted to the GOP after heavy recruitment by the likes of Karl Rove and David Vitter:

State Treasurer John Kennedy has switched political parties and will seek re-election to a third term this fall as a Republican, he announced Monday.

Kennedy has been publicly mulling the switch for months, and he has clashed repeatedly with Gov. Kathleen Blanco and the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate over spending and other issues.

In an email message to supporters, Kennedy cited “certain fixed, bedrock principles” that he believes are more in line with the Republican Party than the Democrats, and said GOP officials have been more responsive to his proposals in recent years.

What are those “bedrock principles”?  Kos has the straight dirt from Kennedy’s press release:

I also believe in the power of ideas. Every advancement in art, science, technology, business, cooking and medicine has occurred only after someone challenged the rules and tried another way. My career in public service demonstrates my belief in the power of looking for a better way. For the past several years, it has increasingly been the case that those public servants who have embraced my ideas and my philosophy of trying new approaches are primarily Republicans. I am grateful for their support and their willingness to try something different. (Emphasis added)

Cooking?!  I had no idea that conservative Republicans were responsible for so many culinary breakthroughs.  I hope Kennedy succeeds in his quest to bring Cajun food to a whole new level.

Kennedy, as you may recall, ran as a Democrat in the 2004 Senate race to succeed retiring Sen. John Breaux, scoring 15% of the vote.  Party loyalty is not exactly a strong suit in a state that produced notable party-switchers such as Rodney Alexander, Billy Tauzin, Walter Boasso, and Ray Nagin, and with the state’s trending-red demographic catastrophe, I suspect that charges of opportunism will be fairly muted.  By crossing the aisle now, Kennedy is setting himself up to run against Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu next year, to the immense delight of Rove and Vitter.  Landrieu has decent approvals, but this will be the GOP’s #1 target in 2008.  Expect a bloodbath.

Well, it’s still Sunday in mighty Mountain Time…

• IN-07: According to the Indianapolis Star, Democratic Rep. Julia Carson has committed herself to run for a sixth term in the House.  I can’t say that I’m thrilled with this development.  Carson, who has had the misfortune of dealing with a series of serious health issues during her tenure, has performed weakly in her last two campaigns against underfunded and low-profile challengers, despite occupying a district with a PVI of D+8.7.  While Kerry won Indiana’s 7th by 16 points in 2004, Carson only won by a margin of 10.  And while Democratic performance in Indiana’s eight other congressional districts surged between 2004 and 2006, Carson’s margin of victory slid to a mere 8 points, despite outspending her opponent by a lopsided margin and receiving DCCC assistance.  This seat shouldn’t be in play, but as long as Carson is on the ballot, it will present a rare opportunity for House Republicans.  (H/T: Blue Indiana)
• IL-18: Dick Versace for Congress?  Will he play in Peoria?
• NH-01: Jeb Bradley offers his 100% support for the Iraq War.
• WA-08: Make Dave Reichert pay the price for his enduring support of President Bush.  Toss in some coin to the Burn Bush effort via the Blue Majority page.
• Consultants take note!  People-powered guru DavidNYC offers his step-by-step guide on how to run (and win) a congressional campaign in 2008.
  

Do you live in a safely Democratic Congressional district? Are you eager to add to the Democratic Congressional majority? Want to tie down incumbent Republican resources in a top Democratic House pick-up opportunity?

Adopt our district!

It doesn’t matter if you’ve ever stepped foot in the district before or not, we welcome you here in West Virginia’s Second Congressional District.

West Virginia State Senator John Unger is a progressive Democrat who needs our support to successfully challenge vulnerable Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (WV-02). Your help today can make a major difference in this race.

The Curse of Capito

In early 2006, I moved to WV-02 and became an active volunteer for the Democratic challenger. There I met Carnacki, a long-time district activist and well-known member of dailyKos. One major contribution WV-02 Dems made in ’06 was forcing Rep. Capito to buy an easy win (57% of vote). She panicked, stopped funding other candidates and even held two fund-raisers in DC the last week of the election.

Still, it was a disappointing outcome here in the district. The challenger never had money to get his message out, the voters were once again duped and we’re stuck with two more years of mis-leadership for WV-02.

The curse of Capito fell over our district in 2000 with the ill winds of Pres. George Bush’s installation to office. Vulnerable Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is the daughter of the former Rep., W.Va. Gov., and ex-con Arch A. Moore. Her path from college career counselor to W.Va. legislator to U.S. House was paved with her middle name. Like George Bush, it’s long past time her public dis-service ended.

A moderate-in-name-only, Capito has shown her true colors by supporting Bush in his greatest time of need. She has a nasty penchant to talk out of both sides of her mouth. She said she was against the surge, but refused to vote against it. She said she supports worker’s rights, but refused to vote for the Employee Free Choice Act. She said she believes in oversight and accountability in Iraq, but votes against it.

As a four-term incumbent, Capito has accumulated remarkable little power or prestige. Her greatest legislative accomplishments are founding the Civility Caucus and, just last month, passing a law making something already illegal, well, still illegal. Scratch behind the ear of any Republican Rep. under indictment, investigation, or incarceration and you’ll find she’s gladly received money from them (she was the single largest recipient of Tom Delay PAC funds) and her good friend Bob Ney is now sitting in a W.Va. prison.

Who is John Unger?

Unger has a compelling personal biography. He was the first in his family to attend college yet he took time off from school to work with Mother Teresa in the slums of Calcutta. He’s a Rhodes Scholar. In his 9 years as a State Senator he has passed hundreds of pieces of legislation. He’s provided aid to refugees in Hong Kong and Turkey. In 2003, he spent 3 months in Iraq working with Save the Children. He’s a person of compassion and competence. He has strong moral and intellectual integrity.

These experiences shape his political beliefs. Unger help deliver aid to the Kurds after the Gulf War in 1995 and aid to the Iraqis during our occupation in 2003. He advocates we turn Iraq over to the Iraqis and bring our troops home from Iraq immediately. Unger would be one of the few Reps. with on-the-ground experience in Iraq. [Perhaps the only one with NGO experience?] He knows there needs to be a political solution in Iraq, instead of a military solution.

West Virginia Netroots Support

Unger is a rare combination of someone who was both the Netroots activists’ and the DCCC’s first choice. After West Virginia native Christy Hardin Smith spurned our efforts to draft her for the WV-02 race, we turned to recruiting W.Va. State Sen. John Unger. Carnacki lives in his district and has known him for several years.

The day after Election ’06, Carnacki and I started actively laying the groundwork to knock her off this cycle. One thing missing in W.Va. was an online progressive voice–we redoubled our efforts to grow West Virginia Blue to help fill that void and sustain progressive candidates at all levels in W.Va. We strongly endorse John Unger as a progressive voice for WV-02.

Unger is newly introduced to the Netroots. He just recently read "Crashing the Gate" and has welcomed our support for his campaign. Since he announced, Carnacki and I have met with for extended dinner conversations lasting late into the night. He’s comfortable meeting on our turf–the same Waffle House Carnacki and I meet at every few weeks to plot Capito’s downfall!

Unger has already been a fast learner of one key Netroots lesson: fight back hard at baseless right-wing attacks. In an optimistic sign for 2008, when John Unger fired back at a smear attempt by the W.Va. GOP last month, the largest paper in the district called out the Republicans for their "hateful tactic".

John Unger embraces the label of progressive Democrat. His life experiences demonstrate his commitment to social and economic justice. He is strongly against any form of discrimination against anyone, including discrimination based on race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. In a recent meeting, he spoke with passionate about hate crimes being not just crimes, but crimes against humanity.

Unger is an accomplished legislator. Elected to the W.Va. Senate at age 28, he’s been an independent, effective, results-oriented state senator. He’s passed over 230 bills including the West Virginia Water Resources Protection Act, the Voluntary Farmland Protection Program and legislation that created the West Virginia Division of Energy. Unger is running on a platform of getting out of Iraq, energy independence, and universal healthcare.

These qualifications are in sharp contrast with vulnerable Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito. The path to her mis-leadership was paved by her middle name. The path to John Unger’s leadership was been paved with hard work, a strong moral core and exemplary competence.

Capito consistently prioritizes the needs of Pres. George Bush and the GOP "team" first. John Unger lives a life of public service, prioritizing the needs of constituents first. Crapito demagogues. Unger gets results.

Adopt Our District

In summary, John Unger is Democrat who can win WV-02 this cycle. The field is clear from him in the Democratic primary. He needs financial support to get his progressive message out past the conservative-dominated state media. We’re working hard every day to turn WV-02 from Red to Blue.

As strong as our candidate is, we face an uphill battle. The power of incumbency and a conservative-dominated state media is strong. Entrenched interests in West Virginia cross party lines. Still, we’ve got a real chance this cycle. We’ve got a smart hard-working candidate–we just needs the resources to get the job done. This is our best shot. Unfortunately, if we don’t unseat her now, Capito could remain a fixture of West Virginia politics for life.

Please help us end the Bush-Capito reign of WV-02. Help us send progressive Democrat John Unger to Washington in 2008. Your contribution of any size will make a difference.

Clem Guttata
WV-02 Volunteer Netroots Activist
West Virginia Blue
http://www.wvablue.com

Similar diary appeared as a guest-post at Down With Tyranny.

1) Run as a Dem and take in 40% of the vote.

2) Run again as a Dem two years later during a wave election and scarf up 42% of the vote.

3) Give up on the Democratic Party, declare it identical to the Republican Party, and say the following to woo potential supporters during your run as an independent:

Wake up and smell the coffee–if that’s what is smelling.  No major party since Buckley v Valeo will ever represent the people anymore.

No.  It is you who endanger the democracy by supporting the major parties who serve only the special interests.  Time to wake up.

Lieberman is no progressive.  Wake up.  Special interests control us.  We need independents.

Sorry for the type.  But get the message and stop the vitriol.

No major party candidate will  represent a democracy any more.  Wake up.  There will be no difference between English and a democrat who will be controlled by the leadership.

Independents will lead the way.  Join me.

You are living in a fool’s paradise.  What happened after the 2006 elections?  Think.

You are serving the wrong master and harming the democracy.  Look at where the money comes from and goes to and you will know who runs the parties.  Think.  The democracy is at stake.  Perhaps much more.

Bull feathers.  No one tried harder than me to change the party from within.  It is impossible.  Wake up.  And since when did you gain the power to exclude non-democrats from a national blog.  Wake up and think.

grow up

And you have chosen to support evil.  Follow the money.

You are contributing to the demise of democracy.  Follow the money.  What is the good of electing Democrats if they are the same as Republicans in the end?  Wake up while there is still time.

I didn’t realize that this website was devoted to the elimination of free speech.

The real fight is to save the democracy.  Join me.

The Democrats have become like the Republicans–special interest run.

The lesser of two evils is still an evil.

Why be wedded to a name.  Wed the ideals.

Join me.  Let’s save the democracy.

I only sued once.  Trial in February.

I run to save our democracy.

7 killed today in Iraq.  The Congress is on vacation.  Wake up.

But to use resources to feed both major parties when they have destroyed our democracy is not a waste?  Wake up.

One runs to speak out.

4) Profit!!!