Month: April 2008

Now this is interesting.  Ashley Casey, a “new media consultant” from Baton Rouge and former aide to Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer (R), is running as an independent in the special election to replace Rep. Richard Baker.  She hasn’t raised a lot of money, but she did receive an eyebrow-raising check in the mail today:

Sue Kelly

Katonah, New York 10536

Employer: Self

Occupation: Former Congresswoman

Date Contributed = 04/22/2008

Amount Contributed = 1000.00

Yup, that’s right — Sue Kelly, the former NY GOP Congresswoman whose career was put to its merciful end by Democrat John Hall in 2006, cut a thousand dollar check to an indie candidate when her party needs all the help they can get to hold on here.  I wonder what she’s got against Woody Jenkins?

Also of note: it’s interesting that Kelly lists “Former Congresswoman” as her occupation.  Around these parts, we call that being unemployed.

Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi, the subject of retirement speculation for months, will reveal his re-election decision this Saturday over a few pints of root beer:

The Wyoming Republican, 64, will make the announcement at 10 a.m. at city hall in his hometown of Gillette, where he served as mayor. He and wife Diana then will host an ice cream social with root beer floats.

Enzi’s silence about his political future has led to speculation that he may consider not running again. His relatively slower fundraising pace, plus his anger over decisions by Republican leaders to twice deny him a committee assignment that by seniority should have been his, led to questions about the prospect of his retirement.

[…]

Enzi will make the announcement in just one city, not launch his campaign with multiple stops around the state. When Enzi announced his first Senate campaign in April 1996 and his re-election bid in March 2002, he held events in Casper.

That could be taken as an indicator he might retire — but like the fundraising totals, is not a definitive sign, said Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, which analyzes national races.

“It always seems to me that races start a little later in Wyoming, and someone like Sen. Enzi is probably not anxious to raise a lot of money he’s not going to need,” Gonzales said.

“Unless you’re his immediate family, you’re probably in the dark on this one,” he added.

There has also been some speculation that Enzi might take the unusual step of trading terms with Sen. John Barrasso, letting Barrasso run for a full six-year term, while Enzi would run to fill the remaining four years of the late Sen. Craig Thomas’ term.  This move would allow Enzi to make his retirement in 2012 instead of 2014.  We’ll see.

Freshman Democratic Rep. Harry Mitchell begins his first re-election bid with a big lead in the polls against his leading GOP challengers, according to a new poll by Bennett, Petts & Normington (D) for the American Hospital Association (likely voters, 3/9-11):

Harry Mitchell (D-inc): 50%

David Schweikert (R): 24%

Undecided: 26%

Harry Mitchell (D-inc): 49%

Laura Knaperek (R): 26%

Undecided: 25%

(MoE: ±5%)

(Source: House Race Hotline)

By now, y’all know that President Bush, Governor Jindal, and Senator Vitter are coming to town tonight to raise money for John N. Kennedy.

This is why Senator Landrieu’s campaign just sent out an email asking for a mere $5 to show Mr. Kennedy and his brand new amigos in the Republican Party that she’s got more grassroots support.

So if you can forego that cup of coffee from CC’s, PJ’s or Starbucks for the next few days, drop her some coin by clicking on the image to the right.  Let’s show the Republican Party that they cannot count on Louisiana this fall.  

While the rest of the blogosphere has its attention fixed on the Pennsylvania presidential primary, there are a few other races worth keeping an eye on tonight:

• MS-01: The main event.  Voters in north Mississippi go to the polls for the third time today in order to fill the seat of appointed Sen. Roger Wicker.  Despite the district’s R+10 lean, Democrat Travis Childers, a Prentiss County Chancery Clerk, is running a hard-charging race against the GOP nominee, Southaven Mayor Greg Davis.

  Davis waged a scorched earth campaign against his primary opponent, former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough, and he has extended the same negativity against Childers in the special election.  Might it backfire?  From a New York Times profile on the race:

  Even Republicans acknowledge that the race appears to be close. The party has turned to advertisements questioning, among other things, care at a nursing home owned by Mr. Childers, a campaign style that has disconcerted some Republicans more used to the genteel politicking of candidates who have long known one another in a largely rural, close-knit district.

  “It could go either way,” said Alan Nunnelee, a Republican state senator in Tupelo. “People are frustrated with the aggressive campaign tactics that have been used, particularly on the Republican side. The Republican camp has been much more aggressive than people in northeast Mississippi are used to.” Mr. Nunnelee said he was nonetheless sticking with his party.

  Not so one of the state’s Republican eminences, Jack Reed Sr., who once ran a credible race for governor and led the Mississippi Economic Council. A businessman in Tupelo, he is supporting Mr. Childers, citing “the personal appeal of the candidate” and “dissatisfaction with the Bush administration.”

  As a sign of just how seriously national Republicans are taking this race, the NRCC has spent $292,000 on media and mail against Childers, while the DCCC has spent $141,000 against Davis.  I get the sense that Democrats are operating in a wait-and-see mode here, and if Childers performs well enough to force this race into a runoff on May 13th, we just might see the DCCC amplify their efforts here.  Recent comments from DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen seem to back this up:

  “We have been very creative in using the funds that we’re allowed to coordinate with the other side … which has greatly boosted the TV buy that Childers did,” DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Monday. “This is a two-step process. If nobody gets over 50 percent of the vote tomorrow, you go to the next round.”

  With voter fatigue and voter confusion likely high in this district, expect this one to be a very low-turnout affair.  As to who that benefits, that’s anyone’s guess at this point.

  SSP will be liveblogging the results as they come in tonight.  Check back with us later for the score.

• PA-03:  GOP incumbent Phil English once looked like a ripe target for defeat this cycle.  His 2006 performance (54%) against a no-profile Democratic challenger and his district’s R+1.6 PVI seemed alluring for a strong challenger.  Alas, the current crop of Democratic candidates here have yet to impress.

  Erie City Councilor Kyle Foust, once highly touted by the DCCC, has turned out to be a fundraising dud — only raising $61K in the first quarter of 2008 and sitting on $43K cash-on-hand.  His primary opponents, faith-based activist Mike Waltner, labor lawyer Tom Myers, and Lake Erie Arboretum director Kathy Dahlkemper have fared a bit better in the money race, but not overwhelmingly so.  There’s still a chance that this one could turn into a real race, but the primary winner will have to step up his or her efforts big time.

• PA-05:  A longshot’s longshot, this R+9.7 open seat has drawn three Democratic contenders: Iraq War vet and former Senate aide Bill Cahir, Clearfield County Commissioner Mark McCracken, and Lock Haven Mayor Rick Vilello.  Vilello picked up the endorsement of Gov. Ed Rendell, while Cahir (who has the backing of Rep. Patrick Murphy), has been the clear leader in the money race so far, bringing in $121K during the first quarter of 2008.

  The GOP primary has been a huge mess, with nine candidates on the ballot and no clear front-runner.  Matt Shaner (the Club For Growth’s pick), Derek Walker, Jeff Stroehmann and Glenn Thompson seem to be the front-runners, but Walker recently suffered some bad news when he was busted on burglary and criminal trespass charges.  Oops.

• PA-10: Frosh Dem incumbent Chris Carney must be enjoying the GOP fratricide here between businessmen Chris Hackett and Dan Meuser.  Hackett has enjoyed the full-throated support of the nutters at the Club For Growth, but his campaign has also come under fire recently due to allegations that he held pro-choice views last year.  This one has been expensive and bloody.
• PA-18:  Similar to PA-03, this one looked like a compelling target earlier in the cycle, but none of the Democratic candidates have caught on fire yet.  Businessman Steve O’Donnell has self-funded to the tune of $260,000, and he faces off with consultant Beth Hafer and businessman Brien Well for the Democratic nod.  Hafer, the daughter of Barbara Hafer, the state’s former treasurer and auditor general, will have a name recognition advantage here.

(Cross-posted from www.jane08.com)

Many politicians use Earth Day for their own purposes, focusing on environmental issues for one day a year.  However, global warming doesn’t take a vacation for the other 364 days a year – and neither can we. That’s why Jane Mitakides has decided to walk the talk of green solutions by making her campaign carbon neutral, and committing to work for renewable energy and green jobs when elected to Congress.

By underwriting carbon offsets from CarbonFund.org, an organization that helps individuals, businesses, and organizations to eliminate their carbon footprints, the Mitakides campaign becomes the first one of the first congressional campaigns in the nation (and the first in Ohio) to take responsibility for their own greenhouse gas emissions. Jane sees investing in renewable energy as the first step in a process that will create jobs and protect the environment.  The fossil fuels that cause climate change and keep us beholden to foreign dictatorships can no longer be at the foundation of our economy.

Creating tax incentives for clean energy sources will allow these industries to flourish, and instead of supporting unnecessary tax subsidies for Big Oil, she will work to pass such incentives when in Congress. Greening our economy is a no-brainer: between fighting global warming, creating green jobs, and saving consumers across the board, this should be a priority in Congress. Jane Mitakides intends to be a leader in Congress, and that starts now by having a campaign that takes responsibility and utilizes real solutions for our challenges.

Try as they may, the GOP just can’t catch a break in the open seat race to replace the embattled Rep. Rick Renzi.  It appears that their extensive efforts to recruit former state Senate President Ken Bennett to join the race have failed:

Prescott Republican and former Arizona Senate President Ken Bennett told The Insider this afternoon that he has decided against a campaign for the 1st congressional District.

Business concerns, namely his March appointment as CEO of an alternative energy firm, were the main dissuading factor, Bennett said. If he had won election to the seat, he would have had to cut virtually all ties with the corporation, known as GeoBio Energy.

Bennett joins a long list of no-show GOP candidates in this R+2.2 district, including Arizona Corporations Commissioner Kris Mayes and state Rep. Bill Konopnicki.  Sydney Hay, the president of the Arizona Mining Association and the leading GOP candidate by default, has a very conservative profile, and her zealous support of the Iraq War could help make her the next Randy Graf.

Update: Man, Hay really is a nutter.  Take a look at these gems from her website:

We have taken the consumer out of health care. This is one major reason why costs have risen so dramatically. When someone else is paying the bill, there is no incentive to negotiate price, to shop around, to even contemplate whether a high-priced procedure is truly necessary.

Uh, Sydney?  Health care isn’t the same thing as shopping for groceries, or installing a new granite countertop in your kitchen.

More:

I can think of nothing that strikes a deeper blow against our nation’s character than abortion on demand.

I learned about the need to abolish the income tax in favor of the FAIR tax from my friend, one of the foremost leaders of this movement, Alan Keyes.

Ronald Reagan said it was “a time for choosing.”We are again faced with a time for choosing. Do we choose to support our troops as they defend us in the War on Terror, or do we, as the Democrats would have us do, retreat and face our enemy on our home land?

First and foremost, it is the role of the Federal Government to defend this nation. We can debate the appropriate strategy for winning the War on Terror, and we should. But, let us remain firm in our resolve that our troops need our utmost support in this war and we should do everything in our power to give them what they need, when they need it.

Do you want the folks that were in charge of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in charge of your Mom’s cancer treatment?

She is INSANE.  I love it!

Another Busy Week – Less Than 1 Day To Go!!!

I started out the week on Monday with a trip to State College to meet with the PSU College Democrats. I took the time to give special thanks to the PSU Dems for their hard work getting students registered to vote in this election. It really is encouraging to see how interested young voters throughout the district are about this election. I think our young people realize that they have to get involved and make a difference in this election.

Later in the week on Thursday, I had an afternoon radio interview on WPHB followed in the evening with a trip to Clarion for the Clarion University Young Dems Spring Unity Banquet. The Clarion Young Dems have a very involved and active group. They have had representation at every 5th District candidate event held in Clarion throughout the campaign. It was great to get a final chance to meet with them before Election Day. We also had people in attendance throughout the day at the stops by President Clinton in Brookville, St. Marys and Clearfield.  The crowd in Clearfield to see Pres. Clinton wrapped around the front of the Clearfield Middle School and wrapped around onto Mill Rd.  Everyone was in high spirits and thankfully the weather cooperated.  Our campaign stopped and talked about the issues important to citizens of the 5th District and we feel that our message was warmly received by the gathered crowd.

Friday, I traveled to DuBois to participate in Eyes Wide Open, a traveling exhibit to help educate the public on the real costs of the Iraq war. The exhibit contained several banners that describe the monetary costs of the war and compares what we could do here in the United States with the funds. The most moving part of the exhibit was the 183 pairs of military boots with the names attached of the fallen PA soldiers and civilians who have died in Iraq during the conflict. It was a very moving exhibit and should make our resolve even stronger to end the conflict and bring the troops home as soon as possible.

On Saturday, we attended the annual Blue White Game at Penn State. It was a warm sunny day and it was a lot of fun working the tailgate parties in the parking lot. However, I found 2 things: 1 – The majority of Penn State fans travel in from outside of the 5th district, and 2 – A good number start drinking the hard stuff early in the morning and have no interest in politics once the alcohol takes effect. I do want to thank State Rep. Scott Conklin, the PSU College Dems and the Obama State College Campaign Staff for hosting a great tailgate event.  One note from the blogger:  You can see more about the Blue White Game in the CDT article written by Mike Joseph.  It can be found here:although I’m not sure if I would make a good caddy.

The week ended today with a trip back over to Happy Valley to work the line waiting to attend Sen. Hillary Clinton’s visit to Penn State. It was an excited group waiting to see Sen. Clinton and their spirits were high in spite of a cold downpour that started around 5:30. I really enjoy the one on one campaigning that we were able to do both Saturday and Sunday.

I’ll close this last report before Election Day with a round of thanks to everyone who has helped with the campaign thus far. We started back in mid-January and what has been accomplished so far is because of everyone who has been involved. I also want to thank and wish the best of luck to all the Democratic candidates who are on the ballot on Tuesday. It’s been a privilege to campaign and attend events with these people.

Finally, I want to give a special thank you to my 2 fellow Democratic candidates in the 5th District race. I truly admire the way Rick, Bill and I have focused on the issues of this campaign, met with the voters and kept our campaigns positive. I’ve told several people over the last week, our party and our eventual nominee in the 5th district will be stronger because of the positive campaigns all 3 of us ran. Regardless of who wins on Tuesday, we are tested and ready to take on the Republican candidate in November. I have a stronger opinion today than I did in January when I started the campaign – a Democrat WILL be elected in the 5th Congressional District in 2008.

One final note: Please tell as many people as you can – Support Mark B. McCracken for Congress – #1 on the Democratic Ballot.

Mark B. McCracken

Your Candidate For Congress

————————————————————————————————–

This diary is cross-posted at McCracken’s campaign blog, PA’s Blue Fifth

Mark McCracken for Congress

ActBlue page

It seems that everyone is supporting Don Cazayoux in the contest for Louisiana's sixth congressional district– even the incoming president of the College Republicans at Louisiana State University.  Smoot Carter, a junior at LSU, announced his support for Cazayoux at a news conference last Thursday, prompting Louisiana Federation of College Republicans Chairman Rudy Perciful Jr. to ask Carter to resign.  Republican candidate Woody Jenkins' past includes support for the notorious bigot David Duke, a controversy that appears to have influenced Carter's decision. 

“I decided to support Don Cazayoux, and felt that the 1,600 students I represent in the College Republicans could not stand for anti-Semitism,” Carter said.

Sounds like more good news for our side! 

As Oregon approaches its primary election on May 20, House Speaker Jeff Merkley continues to gather significant endorsements.  Two publications have recently expressed their support for Merkley in his campaign to secure the Democratic nomination so that he can unseat Gordon Smith in November.

Just Out, the leading magazine for the LGBTQ community in Oregon, published their endorsement of Merkley on April 18.  The following day the Eugene Register-Guard, the second largest newspaper in Oregon, also wrote about their support of Merkley.

I was pleased to note how both publications highlighted Merkley’s experience and effectiveness as a legislator, because I decided to support Jeff Merkley after observing these qualities myself.  Oregon is fortunate to have two strong progressive candidates, Steve Novick being the other, vying for the Democratic nomination.  The policy differences between the two candidates are minimal, so the focus shifts to other factors like experience and personality.  These two most recent endorsements reiterate what many people have already said about Jeff Merkley-he’s the candidate with the drive to defeat Gordon Smith and the experience to serve as a great Senator for the state of Oregon.

In reference to the 2007 Oregon House session, over which Merkley presided as Speaker, the Register-Guard wrote

That session was the most productive in recent memory, with important achievements in the areas of education funding, civil rights, consumer protection and budgetary stability . . .

A more convincing demonstration of leadership would be hard to find.

And Just Out wrote that Merkley

has the most proven track record and is best poised to unseat incumbent Gordon Smith.

The endorsements for Merkley continue to bloom.

Personally, I’m most excited about the fact that Max Cleland is coming out to Oregon to campaign with Merkley.  Check out Merkley’s endorsements page and you’ll see the long list of endorsements from a wide range of individuals and organizations.  I love seeing all this support behind a great candidate like Jeff Merkley.  Here’s where you can lend your support too.