Month: August 2008

The latest independent expenditures from the DCCC, as compiled by SSP (cycle-to-date expenditures in parens):

• AK-AL: $18,100 and another $18,100 on direct mail against Don Young and Sean Parnell (CTD: $54,300)
• IL-11: $39,300 on a media buy, $16,000 on direct mail, and $1300 on phone banking in support of Debbie Halvorson (CTD: $267,000)
• NJ-03: $1,900 on phone banking in support of John Adler (CTD: $1,900)
• NJ-07: $13,100 on direct mail and $1,300 on phone banking in support Linda Stender (CTD: $66,900)
• OH-15: $15,700 on direct mail and $800 on phone banking in support of Mary Jo Kilroy (CTD: $69,400)
• OH-16: $12,500 on direct mail and $900 on phone banking in support of John Boccieri (CTD: $44,900)
• TX-22: $43,800 on a media buy and $24,400 on direct mail in support of Nick Lampson (CTD: $189,500)
• VA-11: $1300 on phone banking, $13,200 on direct mail, and $200 on web media in support of Gerry Connolly (CTD: $13,400)

And for the NRCC:

• CA-08: $21,700 on a media buy against Nancy Pelosi

If you’re scratching your head and wondering why the NRCC is sinking cash against Pelosi, PolitickerCA explains that the buy was made on nationwide cable (FOX, of course) and takes aim at Pelosi and other Democrats on the energy crisis. So, there you go.

And finally, from the Club For Growth:

• AK-AL: $33,600 on radio ads against Don Young

A bummer for Uncle Ted:

Sen. Ted Stevens lost a bid Wednesday to move his corruption trial from Washington to his home state of Alaska.

Stevens is scheduled for trial next month on charges of lying about hundreds of thousands of dollars in home renovations and other services he received from an oil services contractor.

The powerful Republican senator asked that the case be moved to Alaska, so it would not slow down his re-election bid. After hearing arguments Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan refused.

Assuming Stevens makes it through the Republican primary, the court ruling could affect his ability to campaign during the weeks leading up to Election Day. If the trial had been moved to Alaska, he planned to defend himself in court by day and campaign in the evenings and on weekends.

As you may recall, Stevens specially requested a fall trial. He was granted that, but he didn’t get the home field advantage. Now that he’s lost his bid to move shop to Alaska and the chance to hit the stump in October, I wonder if he’ll come back to the judge, hat in hand, and ask for a delay. That would almost be the definition of chutzpah – but what else can you expect from Ted Stevens?

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee and our allies at the Leadership Conference on Guaranteed Healthcare are debuting a new feature: The Healthcare Heroes Caucus, which will honor candidates who are running on a platform of supporting HR 676, John Conyers’ bill for an expanded and improved Medicare for All.

We will highlight the stories of these healthcare heroes, and work to get them the attention and support they need.  It’s not always easy to run in the face of insurance companies and a sold-out political culture…but it is smart.  Poll after poll shows the American people are open to an expanded and improved Medicare for All, and are desperate for the kind of solutions that will improve care while saving money.

Debbie Cook is our first Healthcare Hero candidate and she’s a great one.  She is a committed progressive running in CA-46, an Orange County California district that is ready to toss out libertarian radical Dana Rohrbacher and elect a real leader.

First of all, true progressives like Debbie need your support. Go show your appreciation for her healthcare heroism on her ActBlue page.

Now that’s taken care of, please read Donna Smith’s profile of Debbie from the Guaranteed Healthcare Blog.  Fun excerpt:

But during her Congressional campaign, she hears over and over again from citizens struggling with healthcare costs that are too high or the lack of any health insurance coverage or even those who are forced into bankruptcy.  “I think other countries might look at us as a Third World country when it comes to what happens to so many Americans faced with healthcare expenses they cannot afford.” She went to say that huge insurance industry profits often come before getting patients the care they may need.

It’s no wonder Debbie hears about healthcare issue out on the campaign trail.  California ranks number one in the nation with the number of people uninsured well over 6.5 million and the number of citizens struggling with “underinsurance” rated nearly as high.

Efforts by State Senator Sheila Kuehl to pass SB840, state single payer legislation, have been thwarted by the governor’s pen, not a lack of political support from citizens and healthcare professionals who know just how bad things are for so many Californians.

“Healthcare decisions need to be made by patients and their doctors, not by insurance companies,” Debbie said when asked how much influence insurance companies should have on patient care.

“Healthcare professionals in growing numbers are supporting single payer health care where we use a system similar to Medicare to pay bills, and focus our efforts on improving the efficiency of care, especially treatment of chronic diseases.,” Debbie noted when she reflected on RNs fighting for single payer legislation in California and nationally.

Insider Advantage for the Southern Political Report (8/19, likely voters):

Kay Hagan (D): 40

Elizabeth Dole (R-inc): 40

(MoE: ±4.0%)

Hooah. Those are some damn fine numbers for Kay Hagan, and while it’s too early to tell if this is part of a coming polling trend, this could be a sign that the negative ad campaign by the DSCC, Majority Action and most recently, MoveOn.org, may be having some effect on Dole’s favorables. Hagan herself has taken back to the airwaves recently with a series of new ads – certainly also a key part of the equation.

Bonus finding: McCain leads Obama by 45-43 in North Carolina. Hagan currently outperforms Obama among white voters (who break 54-33 for McCain, and 46-34 for Dole), but lags Obama’s performance among African-Americans (who favor Obama by 75-17, but Hagan only by 61-24). If Hagan can cut down on cross-over voting among black voters and make a steady gain among whites, she could be in a good position for an upset by election day.

Encouraging numbers, all around.

SSP currently rates this race as Lean Republican.

Rasmussen (8/19, likely voters incl. leaners, 7/23 in parens):

Jeanne Shaheen (D): 52 (51)

John Sununu (R-inc): 43 (45)

(MoE: ±4.0%)

Shaheen climbs back up to a nine point lead over Bununu. Right now, most observers seem to be waiting with bated breath to see what happens when Sununu starts to, well, actually campaign. He’s still sitting on a $5 million war chest that has largely gone untouched this cycle. When he starts to spend, will the gap close? Or will he end up like Rick Santorum, where all the money and brilliant ads in the world could not save his sorry ass from defeat in 2006?

SSP currently rates this race as Lean Democratic.

(Hat-tip: conspiracy)

McLaughlin & Associates for the Club For Growth (8/18, likely voters, 8/7 in parens):

Don Young (R-inc): 42 (43)

Sean Parnell (R): 44 (39)

Gabrielle LeDoux (R): 8 (10)

(MoE: ±5.7%)

Parnell takes the lead by a hair — but just a hair. This race just might end up coming down to a photo finish. (H/T: The Politico)

The Club For Brain Growth continues to do everything they can to push the empty suit of Sean Parnell across the finish line, including the release of this new attack ad yesterday that heavily hypes Sarah Palin’s endorsement:

Hiding behind Palin is a smart strategy for the Club, whose leaders have probably never even set foot in Alaska and whose agenda includes stopping the flow of controversial earmarks to the state.

In his corner, Don Young picked up an endorsement of his own this week — from libertarian nutball Rep. Ron Paul:

Paul, the 72-year-old congressman from Texas whose maverick presidential bid drew wide support in Alaska, sent out a letter to his supporters here urging them to vote for Young.

“Don and I have served together in Congress for many years, and I consider him a friend,” Paul wrote in the letter. “Don has been an outspoken voice against environmental extremists over the years and has strongly opposed the types of federal regulatory overreach advocated in the name of environmentalism.”

Strange bedfellows, indeed.

SurveyUSA (8/16-18, likely voters, 6/21-23 in parens):

Jill Long Thompson (D): 38 (45)

Mitch Daniels (R-inc): 52 (50)

Andy Horning (L): 3 (-)

Christopher Stried (I): 3 (-)

(MoE: ±3.9%)

Tough numbers for Long Thompson. Indeed, the Pollster composite for this race is getting really ugly — yet another reason why Obama cannot afford to tap Evan Bayh as his running mate.

Bonus finding: John McCain, on the upswing as of late, has pulled ahead to a five-point lead in Indiana. Obama posted a single point lead here in June.

Cross-posted at Blue Jersey.

Josh Zeitz is the Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional district. He is running against Republican Chris Smith, who has backed George Bush’s economic and foreign policies and who serves as the chair of the anti-choice caucus in the House.

Chris Smith says that he wants to run on his record in Congress. Unfortunately, there are parts of his record that voters may find less than appealing. We are going to tell voters about some things Chris Smith doesn’t want you to know about his record, like his vote against giving consumers all the information they need to make the right choices when buying food.

Salmonella in our vegetables is only the latest consumer safety crisis families have faced in recent years. From problems with drugs like Vioxx, Vytorin, and Avandia to poison in lead paint used in our children’s toys and toxic substances in our toothpaste, our consumer safety protections have failed us. Consumer groups have been pushing for years to require all food imports to contain Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). One would think this is a fairly simple concept on which people in both parties could agree.

Incredibly, in 2005, Smith Opposed Country of Origin Labeling on Meat Products. The vote blocked the government from requiring labels that would tell shoppers from what country their meat comes. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) of food benefits American consumers and farmers. COOL provides U.S. raised products with a competitive advantage over foreign products because U.S. consumers, if offered a clear choice, choose fresh foods of domestic origin over foods of foreign origin.  

Origin information is essential to protecting consumers whenever specific health and safety problems arise that may be linked to imported foods. Risks include  diseases like mad cow disease in Canada and Europe.

(Associated Press, 6/8/05; Americans for Country of Origin Labeling, “Reasons for Labeling,” (link) ; CRS Report for Congress, “Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods: Current Law and Proposed Changes,” 03/27/01; (link)) Smith, Christopher  (NJ/R) Y  2005 231 HR 2744 Failed 187-240

“Why did Chris Smith vote against protecting our food supply by requiring the labeling foreign food products clearly for consumers. Americans who prefer to buy American should be given that option, and Chris Smith’s opposition to this measure is senseless,” said Josh Zeitz Campaign Manager Steve D’Amico.

The campaign is entering a critical phase and we need your support. You can contribute at Josh’s ActBlue page. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact ian_at_joshzeitz_dot_com. Please visit Josh’s website to learn more about why we need to elect Josh to Congress.

Sad news:

After suffering a massive aneurysm while behind the wheel Tuesday night in Cleveland, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) is in grave condition and may be taken off of life support as early as this afternoon, according to WOIO in Cleveland.

Tubbs Jones was “for all intents and purposes dead when they brought her into the hospital” Tuesday night, the station reported in a breaking news update that interrupted regular morning programming.

The station, reporting from outside Huron Hospital in East Cleveland, where Tubbs Jones was brought Tuesday night, said her condition was “grave.” The report also indicated that life support could be “withdrawn sometime [Wednesday] afternoon.”

Our thoughts are with Tubbs Jones and her family.

UPDATE: Roll Call confirms the sad news: Tubbs Jones has died.

UPDATE (2:46PM): Now Roll Call and the Plain Dealer are reporting that Tubbs Jones is on life support with “limited brain function”.

Final Update: Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones has passed away, her family confirms.