Month: November 2007

Here we go again!

My only question is when will Congressman Terry run out of excuses to vote against this bill.  It’s one excuse after another:

From the Omaha World Herald Monday:

“Once again, illegal immigration is helping tie Congress in knots.

The subject has been injected into some seemingly unlikely discussions this year, including debate over a new farm bill.Now it has become a major hang-up delaying renewal of the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which Republicans and Democrats alike largely support…

Many Republicans who support Bush’s threatened veto…say the renewal legislation would give health benefits to illegal immigrants…the bill’s defenders disagree…

Against that backdrop, federal officials say they have no idea whether illegal immigrants have used the 10-year-old program because it hasn’t required proof of citizenship.At the same time, they say they have no anecdotal reports that participation by illegal immigrants is a problem.

That has prompted some Democrats and children’s advocates to accuse the bill’s Republican foes of using the immigration issue as political cover.

They contend that without playing the immigration card, it’s hard for GOP congressmen to side with Bush and oppose a kids’ health care bill…

“I feel they are sounding an alarm when I have yet to see any evidence there are a significant number of undocumented immigrants obtaining benefits,” said Tiffany Siebert of Voices for Children in Nebraska.”

So with no reports of wide spread use by illegal immigrants our own Congressman is making much ago about nothing.  (again!)

As quoted in the story:

…Terry said the bill would have led to “taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants.”

He is running out of reasons to be against what is an effective, affordable, and popular piece of legislation that will help millions of children in this country.

First it was that this bill would give Healthcare to people as old as 25 years old.  Which was debunked because the provision is for full time college students not everybody.

That was lie #1!

Then it was that those who make $80,000 a year will get coverage under this bill which was a flat out distortion of the truth.  The real issue was that the state of New York requested to have funds to cover that level do to cost of living with in the state.  It was denied and the state government is planning on covering the fees itself.

That was lie #2!

This next one wasn’t a lie, but an over reaction on Congressman Terry’s part.  His claim was that the bill would take kids who would already have insurance and put them on SCHIP.  True, but it is inevitable part of any program such as SCHIP.  But as countless experts will tell you, the amount of kids that wouldn’t have coverage regardless is worth the few what would.

That was over reaction #1!

Now we find ourselves listening to the boy Congressman who can not figure out a reason to be against his bill.  I guess that’s what happens when you are an out of touch, and pampered by my tax dollars.  (which pay for the healthcare you deny to so many children)

As the article notes, there is no reason to believe that illegal immigration is a major issue with the SCHIP legislation.  They are making something out of nothing.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley put it best:

“There’s absolutely nothing in this bill that would make coverage more easily available for illegal immigrants,” Grassley said. “Those who say otherwise believe what they want to believe, not the facts.”

TerryWatch.com

Today’s the day! Below is a list of poll closing times and races to watch in five states:

State	Polls Close	Races to Watch	Results	Key Blogs
Kentucky	6pm and 7pm EST	Governor/Lt. Gov, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, Agriculture Commissioner	KY SoS	Bluegrass Report
Mississippi	8pm EST	Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, Agriculture Commissioner, Insurance Commissioner, SD18, SD29, SD43, SD46, SD52, HD12, HD20, HD43, HD99, HD102	MS SoS	Cotton Mouth
New Jersey	8pm EST	SD01, SD02, SD08, SD12, SD39, HD01 (x2), HD02 (x2), HD08 (x2), HD11 (x2), HD12 (x2), HD14 (x2), HD39 (x2)	NJ.com	Blue Jersey
Ohio	7:30pm EST	OH-05 Special Primary	OH SoS	BSB | ODB
Virginia	7pm EST	SD01, SD06, SD22, SD27, SD28, SD33, SD34, SD37, SD39, HD32, HD33, HD34, HD40, HD50, HD51, HD52, HD67, HD83, HD86	VA SBE	Raising Kaine

Special thanks to The Green Papers, which was the source for several of the poll closing times. One note: the New Jersey state House races are listed slightly oddly, as each numerical district actually has two seats up for grabs.

If you have any races happening in your area that aren’t on this list, let us know in the comments. And if you’d like to give any predictions for any of today’s contests, now is the time to share them. How many counties will Ernie Fletcher win in Kentucky? Will Bob Latta prevail in Ohio? How far will Virginia Democrats go?

Other useful links: PoliticsNJ’s race ratings | WaPo’s key Virginia races

Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich recently spent some time hobnobbing in DC, getting the royal treatment from Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer as they attempt to recruit him to take on crusty Republican Sen. Ted Stevens next year.  Begich sat down with local NBC affiliate KTUU for an interview about the race.  While he hasn’t yet committed to the race, I can’t help but get the sense that he’s planning on running.  Here are some relevant excerpts:

Mayor Mark Begich: I think no matter what happens in ’08 both Ted Stevens and Don Young are going to have very competitive races.

Going to Washington D.C. and being asked to sit with seven U.S. senators throughout the day and talk to them about their issues, in recruiting me, but also my issues about Alaska and Anchorage; I think for the first time in a long time some very positive attention was paid to our state. It was very humbling and from my perspective a great opportunity for us as a city.

I think a lot of things are changing. I think people are looking for a new generation of leadership. They’re looking for fresh, new ideas. If you ask people how they feel about the country, only 40 percent feel it’s moving in the right direction. The rest think it’s not. I think a lot of people are looking for a new type of leadership and I haven’t made a decision.

I get asked whether I’ll run every day but as mayor of this city there are many things we’re still working on and focused on for the next several months. […]

The days of going and just slicing up the pie and delivering bacon back are long over. Those days are gone. The senator is in the minority. The changing demographics of the state are making an impact as to who’s going to serve in Washington, D.C.

Setting the track for who is going to be in Congress for the next 20 or 30 years is going to be important. Now, it’s clear that the majority, if you listen to anybody, Democrats are going to be in control of the U.S. Senate.

I think that if I was in the race, that’s what I’d be offering. But right now I think people are examining what I’ve done as mayor and are feeling very positive that I would be a good candidate and a good representative for this state.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a guy who has given the race a great deal of thought and is mentally preparing himself for a run.  But when can we expect a decision?  Don’t hold your breath:

News: What’s your timeline on a decision?

Begich: Well, filing deadline is June 1.

Remember, Begich has a history of waiting until the last minute to run for office:

But in an interview with CQPolitics.com last week, Begich suggested that the outside pressure to decide is unlikely to have any effect on his time line for making a decision. “My history tells you the answer,” he said, citing his decision to enter the 2003 mayor’s race just two days before that year’s filing deadline.

So don’t expect a Begich candidacy to blossom until springtime, perhaps.  But the signs are looking good that he’ll run.

We are almost exactly one year away from Election Day 2008. One year from now, will Oregon voters choose a candidate who will stand for Oregon, or with President Bush?

Learn more about Smith’s record at http://www.stopgordo… and link to the video at http://www.stopgordo…

“A year from now, Oregonians will have the opportunity to choose change or more of the same,” DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith said. “They can choose more of someone who has stood by President Bush’s conservative U.S. Supreme Court, his Iraq War and his Republican agenda. Or, they can choose someone who will stand up for Oregon. I hope everyone who views this video will sign up to help us defeat Gordon Smith and send a progressive U.S. Senator to Washington, DC.”

Watch the video and let others know how you will vote a year from now, and why.

As reported by Joe Hallett in the Columbus Dispatch and noted on Ohio 15th and Plunderbund this morning, State Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Upper Arlington) of the 16th Ohio Senate District has changed his mind and will jump into the contest to replace retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington) in the 15th Ohio Congressional District. Stivers is an Iraq War vet and a state senator for five years. In short, he is a relatively high-profile adversary for Franklin County Commissioner and well-funded repeat candidate Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus).

More after the flip.

The fascinating thing about the announcement is that Stivers, a member of the incumbent’s party, is portraying it as a race about change. “I’ve decided to run for Congress because I think we really need change in Washington,” he says, and “the country is ready for change …and I represent that change.” He even goes so far as to portray Kilroy as “almost like” an incumbent in the race: “It will be a very different race than in 2006. The voters know her and they need to get to know me.”

On the face of it, that is a difficult argument. Although the Republicans lost control of the House last year, they still hold the White House and the nation is still reeling from the Bush Administration and its policies. Even more telling, the 15th District has been in Republican hands since 1967, when Chalmer Wylie (R) replaced Robert Seacrest (D). Change, indeed.

Stiver’s Ohio Senate district is almost entirely within the 15th Congressional District. Word is that State Rep. Jim Hughes (R) is the pick to run for Stiver’s Ohio Senate seat.

The 15th Congressional District is in central Ohio in Franklin, Madison, and Union counties. It includes part of Columbus and its northwestern suburbs, including Hilliard, Marysville, as well as rural countryside to the northwest. It is a swing district (Cook PVI R+1) and is thought to be tredning blue. Bush won 50% in 2004. Retiring incumbent Deborah Pryce (R) defeated Mary Jo Kilroy (D) by just over 1,000 votes (50% to 50%) in 2006.

Today, November 5th, 2007, is the launch of The Georgetown Progressive.  The Progressive is a new web-based publication written by students at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.  The Georgetown Progressive will be a publication providing commentary and analysis on national and campus issues alike, and will be available completely free at www.georgetownprogressive.com. 

Recently, the GU College Democrats have launched a campus-wide initiative called the Progressive Coalition.  The project aims to unite independent, progressive groups on campus with the common goal of engaging more students in democratic (and Democratic) activism.  The initiative is run by the College Democrats, but look below the fold to learn about the other organizations involved and what you can do to help…

H*yas for Choice
Georgetown University’s unofficial and unrecognized (hence the asterisk) pro-choice, pro-reproductive rights health group.  H*yas for Choice provides information on birth control and women’s health issues.

Georgetown Solidarity Coalition
Formed in the 1996-1997 school year to help university employees form a union, this worker’s rights group has continued to fight alongside campus workers, including recent support for DPS officers’ efforts to negotiate for better wages and benefits in spring 2007, and the Living Wage Campaign with campus janitors that climaxed in March 2005 with a hunger strike by 26 students, drawing national attention to the reality that many universities exploit low-wage workers.

GU Pride
Provides educational and support services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally (LGBTQA) communities at Georgetown.  GU Pride also provides education, support and referral services to those exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and other individuals sharing an interest in these issues.

Eco-Action
Eco Action club is dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability on campus. They focus on many issues such as recycling, energy consumption, the utilization of renewable energy sources, and educating students on how to maintain environmentally sound habits.

LEAD
Leaders in Education About Diversity (L.E.A.D.) is a dynamic peer education and leadership program.  L.E.A.D. Activists work to raise awareness of prejudices in order to promote open interaction between people of all backgrounds and build a common understanding among a continually diversifying Georgetown University community.

There are many other campus groups which are getting involved, and we sincerely hope that more groups will join in our effort.

I hope you can all take a few minutes today to explore our site and let us know what you think!  If you like what you see, pass it on to friends and family members.  Hopefully, a few of you may even become regular readers.

The Georgetown Progressive represents a great example of student activism and bottom-up organizing, and it is a story I hope you find worthy of a “Rec.”  Our publication is not a profit-seeking enterprise, and we merely ask for your help to raise awareness and bring readers to our site.  Go check it out!

Wield the Pen,
Alex

A recent round of Survey USA polling commissioned by Roll Call predicts Democrats will do quite well in next year's high-profile US Senate races. From poll-to-poll, the MOE varies from 3.8-4.0% with an approximate sample size of 650 respondents.

Colorado:

Mark Udall (D): 48
Bob Schaeffer (R): 41
Undecided: 11

Maine:

Tom Allen (D): 38
Susan Collins (R-inc): 55
Undecided: 8

Minnesota (07/30 results in parens):

Mike Ciresi (D): 44 (42)
Norm Coleman (R-inc): 44 (48)
Undecided: 12 (11)

Al Franken (D): 45 (42)
Norm Coleman (R-inc): 46 (49)
Undecided: 9 (9)

New Hampshire:

Jay Buckey (D): 36
John Sununu (R-inc): 49
Undecided: 16

Jeanne Shaheen (D): 53
John Sununu (R-inc): 42
Undecided: 5

New Mexico:

Marty Chavez (D): 48
Steve Pearce (R): 43
Undecided: 9

Diane Denish (D): 47
Steve Pearce (R): 43
Undecided: 10

Bill Richardson (D): 58
Steve Pearce (R): 37
Undecided: 4

Don Wiviott (D): 32
Steve Pearce (R): 49
Undecided: 18

Marty Chavez (D): 48
Heather Wilson (R): 44
Undecided: 8

Diane Denish (D): 49
Heather Wilson (R): 43
Undecided: 9

Bill Richardson (D): 59
Heather Wilson (R): 37
Undecided: 5

Don Wiviott (D): 38
Heather Wilson (R): 47
Undecided: 15

Oregon:

Jeff Merkley (D): 39
Gordon Smith (R-inc): 48
Undecided: 13

Steve Novick (D): 39
Gordon Smith (R-inc): 45
Undecided: 16

Virginia (9/17 results in parens):

Mark Warner (D): 52 (56)
George Allen (R): 42 (37)
Undecided: 6 (7)

Mark Warner (D): 57 (60)
Jim Gilmore (R): 35 (32)
Undecided: 8 (8)

Thoughts? Surprises?

Google Alerts are da bomb.  They bring all sorts of interesting sites to my attn.  For example, this video comes via Blogging All Things Brownsville, a blog I didn’t know about that seems to be a great place to keep track of, well, All Things Brownsville…

Follow me below the fold for a couple of other interesting items the Google sent my way.

Just in case you were suffering from the impression that the tantrums coming of late from the Imperial Petulancy were on the level, you can rest easy.

The Junior Senator from Texas doesn’t seem to think that his one and only represented constituent, W, was seriously worried about Congress not getting anything done.  As Vince from Capitol Annex notes, he’s urging his fellow Republicans to bloviate more from the floor.

Oh, yeah, that’ll help move things along in the Senate.  Should ratchet things up to the speed of watching paint dry.

And, a final treat to close out this entry, the Walker Report has some fantastic pics from the doings in Eagle Pass where approx 200 statewide Dems got together.

Democracy For New Mexico has the scoop:

Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03) spoke to New Mexico Democrats yesterday at the Party’s State Central Committee meeting at Smith-Brasher hall at CNM in Albuquerque. Bottom line: Udall will take another two weeks to listen to what the people and his family have to say, and weigh the pros and cons of giving up his secure U.S. House seat in Northern New Mexico before making a decision on entering the 2008 U.S. Senate in New Mexico. […]

Udall entered the hall to a standing ovation, loud chants of “Run, Tom, Run” and a multitude of waving signs urging the same. His speech touched on many of today’s hot button issues including Iraq, supporting our troops by getting them out of harm’s way, protecting civil liberties, holding the telecoms accountable for warrantless surveillance and providing expanded children’s health care. He emphasized that we need 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a Bush veto of legislation that the U.S. House has been passing  on matters like ending the war and regaining and preserving our Constitutional rights. It certainly sounded to me like he was leaning towards running to take back the seat held for so long by Pete Domenici, and helping to make that 60 vote majority a reality in the Senate.

Check the full account, with pictures and video, here.  There certainly is a deep hunger for a Tom Udall candidacy at the grassroots level, as the groundswell of support at the Central Committee meeting indicates.  Run, Tom, Run!

New Mexico FBIHOP has more.

(H/T: S2G)

How did you use your extra hour today?  I’m going to use mine right here by rounding up various House race flotsam and jetsam from the past several days.

• FL-10: Bring ’em to Justice?  At a recent Young Democrats breakfast in Florida, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced that State Senator Charlie Justice (D), the man whose name is most often mentioned as a potential opponent for crumb-bum Republican Rep. Bill Young, may have “big news” to announce soon. 

  When pressed for comment, Justice told the St. Petersburg Times that: “If [Young] retires, the seat hasn’t been open in 40 years, everyone should take a good look at it.  Am I looking at it? Absolutely.  Does that mean 100 percent that I’m going to run?  No, but it’s pretty darn close.”
  

  The Times keeps hearing rumors that Young will step down and that his wife will run in his place.  With a PVI of D+1, this would be one of the hottest takeover opportunities for Democrats next year.  I don’t have their sources, but by reading the tea leaves, I suspect that Young will have some “big news” of his own to share soon.
  

• AK-AL: Speaking of crumb-bums named Young, the Defenders of Wildlife are up on the airwaves in Alaska, hitting scandal-tainted Rep. Don Young (R) hard.  Let’s hope we can make a Pombo out of Young.

• NC-09: Remember Harry Taylor, the man who shocked a Republican-friendly audience when he told President Bush, face-to-face at a PR event, that “I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself”?
  

  Well, he’s now running for Congress against Rep. Sue Myrick (R).  I welcome the courage that Taylor will bring to this R+12.2 district.

• IN-07: With Democratic Rep. Julia Carson’s health concerns continuing to affect her House attendance (she’s on medical leave until December 15), it looks like Republicans are trying to tap into their minimal bench in Indianapolis in order to pounce on the opportunity.  In the 11/5 issue of Indiana Daily Insight (subscription required), it is reported that freshman state Rep. Jon Elrod (R) is “seriously considering” a bid against her.  Blue Indiana has more on Elrod, and welcomes the opportunity that his open legislative seat could bring.  Could Elrod scare Carson into a retirement?  Without one, this heavily Democratic seat (with a PVI of D+8.7) won’t be safe.

• WY-AL: If Barbara Cubin is planning on running again, she’ll be facing a crowded primary.  Retired Naval officer Bill Winney, who mounted an underfunded long-shot primary challenge to Cubin in 2006 and walked away from it with 40% of the vote, is running again.  However, Winney wouldn’t be the only challenger on the ballot: Swede Nelson, a motivational speaker and teacher, is also running, and state Rep. Colin Simpson said earlier in the year that he planned on challenging Cubin for the nomination if she ran again. 

  If Cubin decides to run again, her only chance of survival is having the anti-incumbent vote split between several different options.  Her stock has sunk so low, that I would bet that she’d be in danger of losing a head-to-head match up against even an unknown like Winney.  Sadly for us, I strongly suspect that Cubin will hang up her spurs and broomstick.

UPDATE (David):

• MD-04: The netroots fundraiser for Donna Edwards has been a huge success so far. We’ve blasted past our intial goal of 4,000 total donors to Donna (we’re at 4,250, in fact). We’ve also raised around $75,000 so far. We’re hoping to hit an even $100,000, so if you can help make it happen, please do so.
• Illinois: The filing deadline in the Praire State is tomorrow, Nov. 5th. Illinois has the first Congressional primaries in the nation, on Feb. 5th, so it’s no surprise that their filing deadline is so soon. Diarist benawu informs us that IL Dems look to be fielding challengers in all districts except the 15th. We’ll know the final shape of our field tomorrow.