Here’s Dave Reichert’s conundrum. On the one hand, he needs money. Cycle after cycle, he’s being constantly outraised by Darcy Burner. But there’s lots of free money out there available from Republican-leaning lobbyists, including from the mysterious Club 218, who organized a fundraiser for Reichert right before the August recess. Some of Club 218’s members are involved in defense industry lobbying, including:
Roll Call recently listed some of Club 218’s members, including Mike Chappell, a lobbyist for the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. at Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock and Christopher Cox, a D.C. Navigators lobbyist for Alabama Aircraft Industries….
On the other hand, Reichert has 19,000 Boeing employees in his district. You might consider Boeing to be a major parochial interest for anyone who represents WA-08, and thus not expect someone who barely won last time to do anything that would piss off any of those Boeing workers. Like, say, hobnob with EADS, the parent company of French Freedom airplane maker Airbus and Boeing’s competition in the ginormous air tanker contract dispute:
EADS is teamed with Northrop Grumman in the tanker competition, to assemble the tanker in Mobile, Ala.
Today the Seattle Times is reporting that while EADS lobbyist Chappell didn’t give Reichert a check at the fundraiser, yesterday he gave Reichert $500. (Sensing a loser on his hands in the wake of the Politico story, Reichert has refused to accept the money.)
I’ve been trying to think of an analogy that might help contextualize this for non-Seattle-area residents, but am not having much luck, simply because there aren’t too many industries that are controlled by a duopoly, where the two competing companies each have a strong regional identity. Maybe if an Atlanta-area representative took a check from Pepsi… but there’s still no multi-billion-dollar contract decision pending on whether the federal government will stock only Coke or Pepsi in all its vending machines. So think of it this way: what would the reaction in WI-08 be if Steve Kagen was kissing up to a lobbyist from the Minnesota Vikings?
Today has been proof that election news need not stop when the Olympics happen. Instead, there have been several fairly important stories to come out today, four of which will be covered here.
I had been saying for a while that I didn’t see how Nader was going to make the ballot in Oregon this fall given that I had not seen any apparent effort by his supporters to mount a signature campaign. That maybe changing as last week a new political party (the “Peace” party) emerged from the shadows and submitted 25,000 signatures to qualify their party for the ballot. Assuming they have sufficient signatures (they need between 20-21,000 valid ones, which is far from certain), this would grant them automatic ballot access. According to Jeff Mapes of the Oregonian, they are then likely to nominate Nader. I don’t think it’ll have much of an impact because people love Obama, it’s not likely to be that close and Nader has lost a lot of power here, but it’s worth watching.
The Independent Party of Oregon, now the third-largest party in the state, filed a lawsuit Wednesday to force the state to allow fusion-voting. For those of you not from the Northeast, fusion voting is where multiple parties are allowed to nominate the same candidate. The votes for that candidate are combined among all the parties they are nominated by.
For example:
Candidate A is nominated only by the Republican Party and gets 45% of the vote.
Candidate B is nominated by the Democratic Party and the Independent Party, they got 40% of the vote as a Democrat and 15% as an Independent Party member for a total of 55% of the vote, meaning candidate B wins.
Except action on this soon as the ballot deadline is August 26.
Gordon Smith continued to run away from the State GOP today as he announced that he will not be on John McCain’s Oregon steering committee. Smith, who would otherwise prefer that no one remember he is really a Bush Republican, had already announced that he will not go to the Republican Convention next month. Interesting to see what kind of impact this will have with a GOP electorate that was not his biggest fan to begin with.
Craig Robinson, Obama’s brother-in-law and Oregon State Basketball Coach, will speak in Denver:
In the fun category, it has been announced that Obama’s brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, will introduce his sister Michelle on the first night of the Democratic Convention in Denver. Should be fun to watch.
The Associated Press is reporting that “A gunman entered Arkansas Democratic Party headquarters and shot the party chairman, who is hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
The gunman asked to speak to the party chairman, Bill Gwatney, and fired three shots.”
Gwatney’s secretary refused entry but the man just went in to his office according to Gwatney’s secretary. The gunman was described as a white man in his 40s driving a blue pick up truck. Police chased the assailant for twenty miles before engaging in a shoot out and killing the alleged shooter outside of Little Rock.
No reason is given for Gwatney’s attempted murder in the article. It was briefly on the front page of the NY Times but has been dumped off to the inside pages of the paper’s internet edition. CNN reports no reason but says that the man went to a neighboring building and was muttering about losing his job. Gwatney is a new car dealer besides holding his party position.
It is worth noting that none of the state’s four House seats nor a US Senate seat up for election this cycle are being contested (leaving four Dems and Rep unopposed).
Get a load of this. At an Association of Commerce and Industry candidate forum for the open seat race in New Mexico’s 2nd CD, Sante Fe Republican Ed Tinsley decided to let loose his inner Limbaugh when criticizing Democrat Harry Teague’s support of withdrawal from Iraq:
“How can I call my two nephews over there right now … and tell them I’m running against a guy that will cut your throat — that will cut the bottom out of your funding,” Tinsley said.
Wow, talk about getting ugly. The crowd, of course, drowned out Tinsley with a rousing chorus of boos.
LP asks: “Did we find Ed Tinsley’s macaca moment?” Maybe so. Check out NM FBIHOP for the video.
Capital Survey Research Center (8/6-7,11, likely voters):
Bobby Bright (D): 47
Jay Love (R): 37
(MoE: ±4.4%)
More great numbers for Bright, and they confirm the spread of a recent Anzalone-Liszt internal (conducted just days before this poll) which had Bright leading Love by 50-40.
Love has countered with his own internal poll showing him leading Bright by 41-39. Those numbers may very well have been accurate snapshot of the race, but Love’s poll was conducted in the immediate afterglow of his run-off victory against Harri Ann Smith, and before Bright’s Montgomery and Dothan ad buys had sunken in.
An excerpt from the polling memo is available below the fold.
That’s just the second ad that the DSCC had aired against Dole. The committee has already spent $800,000 on its first ad targeting Liddy’s effectiveness, and has reserved a whopping $7.3 million in airtime in the state after Labor Day. Despite NRSC Chair John Ensign’s fervent pledge to match the DSCC “dollar for dollar“, we haven’t heard a peep from the Republican committee so far in North Carolina.
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 opposition to ethics reform.
In 2006, Chris Smith voted against comprehensive ethics reform. The legislation would have banned travel on corporate jets, prohibit lobbyist gifts, and slow the revolving door between Capitol Hill and K Street. It would also require disclosure of earmarks so that special interest provisions receive public scrutiny. The measure applied to all special interest earmarks including the Alaska Bridge to Nowhere. It would force Members of Congress disclose if they had a financial interest in the earmark. (Vote 4448, 2006. Leadership Document, “Democrats Fight To Clean Up Culture Of Corruption; Republicans Fail To Change Washington,” 9/14/06)
“Voters deserve to know why Chris Smith voted against banning corrupt lobbying practices and hidden earmarks,” said Josh Zeitz campaign manager, Steve D’Amico.
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.
Exxon Ed Whitfield’s Hypocrisy knows no bounds. We have already seen how he and his campaign believe that theft and vandalism is a Christian Value. However, on no issue does Exxon Eddie seem to be more Hypocritical than on the issue of Healthcare.
He talks a real good game:
While pharmaceuticals have helped millions of Americans live longer and better lives, the cost of modern medicines has skyrocketed in recent years. Many Americans are forced to take chances with their health, simply because they cannot afford the costs of modern medicines. This is unacceptable. Medicine should never be a luxury item. I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to drive down the prices of prescription drugs and make them affordable for the millions of Americans who currently take them. This includes our work to create a Medicare prescription drug benefit for our seniors, as well as efforts to bring down the costs of prescription drugs across the board, so that all Americans can enjoy the better quality of life that these medications bring.
Now, although that does make me feel warm and fuzzy all over, it just does not match at all with his voting record. One case in point:
Would require negotiating with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to prescription drug plan sponsors for covered Medicare part D drugs.
Proponents support voting YES because:
This legislation is an overdue step to improve part D drug benefits. The bipartisan bill is simple and straightforward. It removes the prohibition from negotiating discounts with pharmaceutical manufacturers, and requires the Secretary of Health & Human Services to negotiate. This legislation will deliver lower premiums to the seniors, lower prices at the pharmacy and savings for all taxpayers.
It is equally important to understand that this legislation does not do certain things. HR4 does not preclude private plans from getting additional discounts on medicines they offer seniors and people with disabilities. HR4 does not establish a national formulary. HR4 does not require price controls. HR4 does not hamstring research and development by pharmaceutical houses. HR4 does not require using the Department of Veterans Affairs’ price schedule.
While this bill would have helped all who struggle with high drug prices, this bill could have actually saved the government untold amounts of your tax dollars, yet Exxon Eddie would seek to lecture us all on Government waste. Yet another hypocrisy.
And the worst part is that Exxon Eddie will continue to vote against anything that even takes a step towards any kind of Universal Healthcare. It is a shame for Kentucky’s Children because Exxon Ed Whitfield couldn’t even find it in his heart to cast a vote for 6 million AmericanCHILDREN!! He was too busy doling out Corporate Welfare, and fighting for Lobbyists.
Exxon Eddie has voted to deny coverage to those who MAY not be able to pay. He has voted to limit all of our rights of Retribution in the courts provided us by our Constitution. In his 14 yrs. of representation, Ed Whitfield has managed to vote in the interest of Public Health a whopping12% of the time.
This is important for Democrats on the national level that want to have enough votes to pass major improvements on Health Care. We all know the fight that awaits us from the money that can be raised by the Insurance and Drug lobby. We need every single vote possible to even have a chance of taking baby steps in the right direction.
We can change a definate vote against improved Health Care in America, into a vote we can count on. Heather Ryan has stated that working for change in our healthcare system is the first Fight she wants to be part of in the new Congress.
She has the fire to fight the Republicans here:
She has a new-look website and has pleasantly surprised Democrats in this district with her fiery campaign. I know the consensus is that Democrats can’t win in this district and Kentucky in general, but this district has been highly ignored while the Republicans have invested here. Our district has a Democratic tradition and is over 60% registered Democrats. If we get the resources we need, we can win this race.
I think no matter what else we all may disagree on, we all know that we simply have to elect more votes to Congress, votes that are serious about real change. Heather offers us New Leadership:
Not just for our district and Kentucky, but for grassroots Democrats who desperately need someone who won’t cave on major votes. How many times have we been frustrated at a Congress that consistently doesn’t have the votes to fight? We have a solid shot at adding a Democratic vote here.
I have set a goal of raising $10,000 for Heather on the blogs before the November elections. If she can get the funds to run T.V. in this huge district, she will win. This district has seen no progress under Whitfield and if the voters of this district are shown that, they will come home to vote Democrat.
Please help Heather’s campaign. With all the millions floating around in the blogosphere, just a bit of that would win this race. Invest in real change here:
Polls have now closed in Colorado, where we’ll be following the results in the CO-02, CO-05, and CO-06 primaries. Polls have also closed in Connecticut as of an hour ago; results for CT-04 are available here.
1:31AM: Polis declares victory. And it only cost him $5.3 million.
12:02AM: Sorry for the lack of updates; I just sliced a thumb in a kitchen mishap and decided to tend to that. Polis is still up by 1300 votes with 27% in. Lamborn (lucky bastard) and Coffman appear to be winners. Looks like the CO SoS will be turning blue in 2009.
10:54PM: 15% reporting in CO-02, and Polis is producing a bit of daylight: 43-39 (1400 votes).
10:51PM: That’s more like it. With 93% reporting, Mike Coffman leads Wil Armstrong by 42-32 (5600 votes). Looks like he has this one in the bag.
10:38PM: 10% reporting in CO-02, and Polis leads by 500 votes.
10:29PM: I think it’s ganja break time in CO-05 and CO-06…
10:23PM: Michael Phelps wins Gold #10!
10:18PM: 29 of 457 precincts reporting in CO-02 (6%), and Polis’ lead is trimmed down to 450 votes.
9:49PM: 4% reporting in CO-02, and Polis leads by 600 votes. And just in case you missed it, the AP called CT-04 for Jim Himes.
9:43PM: Thousands of votes are pouring in now. In CO-02, Polis leads by 42-40 (570 votes), while in CO-05, Lamborn has pulled ahead to a 46-29-26 (Crank-Rayburn) lead. Over in CO-06, Coffman is up big with a 42-32 lead.
9:36PM: Polis now leads by 42-38.
9:27PM: Some early numbers from CO-05: With a single precinct reporting, Lamborn leads Crank by three votes.
9:21PM: Coffman is leading Wil Armstrong by a 41-36 margin in the early ballots. With 0% of precincts reporting, many more votes are yet to be counted, of course.
9:17PM: Over in CT-04, SSP favorite Jim Himes is crushing loon candidate Lee Whitnum by 91-9 with 39% in.
9:15PM ET: The early votes are in, and Polis leads Fitz-Gerald by 41-38 in CO-02. This could be close.
SurveyUSA (8/9-11, likely voters, 7/12-14 in parens):
Kay Hagan (D): 41 (42)
Liddy Dole (R-inc): 46 (54)
Chris Cole (L): 7 (-)
(MoE: ±3.9%)
So the gap closes from 12 to 5 points, but here’s the rub: SUSA is now including Libertarian Chris Cole in the match-up, and it seems very doubtful that he’ll be able to perform this well on election day. For now, Cole is taking heavy chunks from males (11%), voters aged 18-34 (12%), and independents (21%). Those numbers will dissipate by November — likely in both directions.
It’s still good news for Hagan, who went up on the air with her first general election ad today. Dole’s also been hit recently by ads from the DSCC and Majority Action. Hopefully the two prongs of Hagan’s positives and the DSCC’s attacks will help to keep the numbers moving in the right direction.
