In Kentucky’s First District our fight continues to expand our Congressional majorities. We all know that with our slim majorities in our Congress we have been able to achieve little Progressive change. Well, with expanded majorities and a Democratic President, that will all change next year.
One of the main things Heather Ryan plans on fighting for is the investment in Renewable Energy. We all know that Exxon Ed Whitfield is profiting handsomely from his Exxon and Chevron stock and will try everything in his power to keep renewables from being viable. All one has to do is look at Whitfield’s vote on HR 3221, a bill with this goal:
HR 3221: An Act moving the United States toward greater energy independence and security, developing innovative new technologies, reducing carbon emissions, creating green jobs, protecting consumers, increasing clean renewable energy production, and modernizing our energy infrastructure.
Of course, Exxon Eddie voted against this Legislation? Why? With his district being a largely rural area, with countless acres of farmland, the investment in the fuels of the future could help this area do something it hasn’t in Whitfield’s whole tenure, create high paying jobs!!
Just think, with investment in research and development Kentucky could lead the way in growing the farm products needed to produce the fuels of the future. We could open up all the factories that have shut down under Exxon Ed Whitfield’s watch to refine these fuels, creating thousands of high-paying jobs for the citizens of this district that Whitfield is supposed to represent. This field holds huge promise for our district, our state, and many of the surrounding states.
Instead, Exxon Eddie votes his stock options. He is more worried about upholding the failed policies of the past than blazing new, promising technologies that ensure Kentucky’s future. I mean, we all know we need to pioneer the fuels of the future, so why not use this opportunity to make our state of Kentucky a leader in this field?
Here at Ryan for Kentucky, we realize that we can no longer live in the past and that we simply must innovate and create new and exciting industries for our citizens. We must create promising new high-paying jobs to ensure the prosperity of our nation and our state. We can do this by asking our citizens as John Edwards did to be patriotic about something besides war. We can ask them to be patriotic about the future of our great state, and our nation.
In 1960, John F. Kennedy told us that we stood at the threshold of a New Frontier, and asked us to help him bring this about. This year, we once again stand at the same threshold, and we simply must take advantage of the opportunities in front of us to move our state and our nation forward. Suppressing Renewable Energy and the promises it holds like Exxon Eddie does is the politics of yesterday. At Ryan for Kentucky we are determined to move foward into a brave new world where nobody is left behind.
We can do this together but we need your help. Exxon Eddie has a million dollars of special interest money in the bank and the Mitch McConnell machine of corrupt Kentucky Republicans behind him. A couple of weeks ago I started Americans for Ryan to raise $1500 for Heather before May 20. I have been down a week as I was diagnosed at a late age with Juvenile Diabetes, and getting back to normal has been harder than I envisioned. Even with a week off, I am one-fifth of the way to my goal, with plenty of time left. Please consider going to my ActBlue page and making an investment in some awesome grassroots Democrats, and an awesome grassroots candidate that WILL FIGHT for Progressive vision in the Congress when elected. No amount is too small and will be put to work immediately. I hope to raise my goal if I can get enough help!!:
A couple of things I’d like to make mention of before I go into my analysis of these three senate seats. First of all, for fundraising information, I’ve mostly been getting data from RCP’s Politics Nation and from Senate2008Guru’s website (go to the very bottom of the list).
Secondly, there are some states which I have ranked as being safe that I would like to briefly address. The two biggest disappointments to me this cycle have been Kentucky and Kansas, in both races we could’ve gotten top-tier (or at least second tier candidates who could’ve become top-tier), but unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Greg Orman had actually gotten more individual contributions in the fourth quarter than Pat Roberts, but he dropped out, and so we are left without a viable contender this time. Kentucky is a state which could’ve been in play, but unfortunately Crit Luallen and Greg Stumbo, the two top prospects of the DSCC, both decided againstrunning and the netroots favorite candidate, Andrew Horne, dropped out after Bruce Lunsford entered the race. A lot of people say that Fischer and Lunsford have plenty of money to spend, but, as Mitt Romney has learned, money only gets you so far, and that’s especially true when the Republican you’re running against is the party’s Senate Leader.
Analysis: Since Pete Domenici retired and Tom Udall has entered the Senate race, this long-shot race has become the second-most likely seat for Democrats to pick up from the Republicans, (and considering the pick-up opportunities we have, that’s saying something). Now, a few caveats, had Bill Richardson entered the senate race, I would be calling this race Likely Dem instead of only Leans (don’t misread this, Udall is the second-strongest Democrat in the state, and a formidable candidate) just because of Richardson’s popularity in the state. The real question is who the Republican nominee is going to be for the fall. Steve Pearce represents the southern part of the state (Hobbes, Las Cruces, etc.), and we have a nickname for it, Little Texas. Basically Pearce is your typical wing-nut (the other day he was on UNM’s campus, and let’s just say that in Pearce’s world, the spotted owl is the reason why the economy sucks) Pearce’s nomination would basically move me to put this race into Likely Dem territory. Heather Wilson is a psedo-moderate, who has been able to win in CD1 (basically New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque and a slight part of Santa Fe). Everyone here remembers that Heather Wilson barely won re-election in 2006 against Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid. There is a good reason that Heather Wilson has been able to hold onto this seat for a while, it’s because she’s an adept campaigner. Whatever you say about her “moderate” record, she knows how to win. Now, before anyone gets too nervous, Udall is no Patricia Madrid, he’s a seasoned politician and a strong fundraiser, plus he has a solid base of support, not only in the Democratic stronghold of northern New Mexico (Taos, Santa Fe, etc.), but in Heather Wilson’s base of Albuqurque. Even with Wilson as the Republican nominee, this race is still leans Democratic, but will require us to be VERY cautious about getting too ahead of ourselves (btw: as someone who REALLY wants to hear the words “Senator Tom Udall” please do me a favor and donate a few bucks to Udall’s campaign)
Granite State (released 2/11) Shaheen 54% Sununu 37%
Analysis: This is the Democrat’s third best pick-up opportunity, and while I think that Jeanne Shaheen will ultimately win this seat from Sununu there are a couple of things which worry me. As many probably already know, Shaheen’s husband has foot-in-mouth disease (the “drug dealer” comment he gave about Obama). Now, I don’t think that this alone is enough to do any significant damage, but things like this really hurt (on a side note: when you have a spouse running for office, the last thing you want to do is to piss off potential voters who are supporting another candidate). Also, Shaheen’s performance against Sununu in 2002 makes me a bit nervous this time around, but again I think that the environment is different in many ways, so a replay of the same election will almost certainly turn out differently. Sununu shouldn’t be underestimated, though, just looking at cash on hand numbers, it’s clear that he’ll be working over-time to protect himself, but Shaheen outraised Sununu by 200K last quarter, and, thanks to a lot of former Massachusetts residents, this race is looking good for us.
Well, next time I’ll be going into Louisiana’s senate seat (Mary Landrieu), and I’ll also give a bit more justification of why I think the safe seats are safe (specifically Kentucky)
I believe we are going to elect a Democratic President this year. Voter turnouts in the primaries and caucuses so far have shown that America is simply fired up about our great Presidential candidates. Why shouldn’t they be? I mean, our party should look at pride at the candidates we put forth this year.
I mean, men like Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich, and even Mike Gravel are far superior to ANY candidate put forth by the other side. AND THAT WAS OUR SECOND TIER IN THIS PRIMARY!!! Then we you look at our final three, Obama, Clinton, and Edwards, you begin to realize why our party is so much more superior to the Republicans.
Our final three candidates offered hope to millions in there own way. Obama with his ability to reach out and bring new, young voters into the process and fire them up, Clinton with her toughness and resolve and determination, and Edwards with his ability to appeal to our better angels, yes ALL our candidates are far superior to anything the Republicans offered. And the voters have proven it.
Now, we are down to two awesome candidates. I think either one would be a vast improvement over the last eight years. I think too, that either one will need more than just the slim majority of seats offered in both chambers of Congress to get Progressive change enacted. We have seen that when you count Democrats that don’t always support us, we actually have a slim MINORITY for enacting Progressive Change.
We are putting a lot of stock in our Presidential candidates. The support that has been shown them is staggering. However, lets not forget the fact that even if we do succeed in electing one of these fine Democrats, which I believe we will, if we do not expand their majorities in both chambers of Congress with the kind of Democrats they will need, Democrats that will fight, their hands will be tied. We must not only give them a mandate at the polls, we must give them a mandate of expanded majorities of committed Democrats in the House and Senate to achieve the progress we want. Otherwise, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment even with a Democrat in the White House.
That is why I am pleading with you now. Here in Kentucky’s First Congressional District we have a chance to replace an established Republican from the McConnell machine with an awesome Democrat who will fight with a backbone for the policies of our new President. Heather Ryan can win this race with your support, and send a clear message to the Republican establisment that Kentucky is no longer stomping grounds, and that they will no longer impede progress in this state.
Just read why she decided to run for this seat:
I was propelled into this race when I became the victim of
a corrupt politician.
It was after my experience that I realized that the Republican Representation
Kentucky has in Washington, D.C. is part of the “Culture of Corruption” from which
our communities are currently reeling.
Ed Whitfield, KY-01’s current representative, is no exception. He consistently votes
for his own financial interests, has only introduced one piece of legislation in 13 years
as Representative
(a ban on eating horse meat) and opposed SCHIP legislation which would have
increased health care benefits for poor children!
I refuse to allow a powerful few to bully me and the First Congressional District. We
need someone who is not afraid to stand up for the rights of their constituents – not
another puppet of the rich and power hungry.
I will be a TRUE Representative for the people of Kentucky’s First District! Not a
No-Show like “Exxon Eddie Whitfield”
Read some of the issues that matter to her:
As a veteran of the United States Navy, and an active member of the American Legion, my
dedication to the men and women in uniform is unyielding. The current service member is
highly skilled, highly trained and highly ignored by this administration. The American people
were duped into an ill-conceived war under false pretenses and the administration continues
to over utilize a national guard system which was never intended to be used for sustained
combat missions. Congress must insist that an exit strategy be planned and implemented
immediately. By the Bush Administration’s own account, the nation will be forced to
reinstate the draft system again should we continue to over-tax our National Guard with
sustained combat. I am not a supporter of reinstating the draft for as history clearly shows
us, the draft is merely for those of us who are not wealthy enough to buy our way out of
active duty. We must not allow this ill planned and ill executed war to continue to destroy the
brave men and women in our armed forces while simultaneously placing our nation at a
Just listening to her announcment to run for Congress tells you a lot about what kind of a Congresswoman Mrs. Ryan would be:
I have lived in Kentucky’s First District my whole life. I can attest to the fact that we need someone in Congress, someone like Heather Ryan. However, as one of the poorest Congressional districts in the nation, we need help from Democrats everywhere that want to fight for the Progress expanded Congressional majorities would bring.
That is why I personally am asking for your help. I have started an ActBlue fundraising page to benefit Heather in her run for Congress. I hope to raise $1500 dollars online for her by the time our primary comes in May. She is already on the ballot in the fall since she is the only Democrat that filed in the first by the deadline.
Investing in Heather is an investment in expanded Congressional majorities. For former Edwards supporters such as myself that want to continue to fight for the ideals he presented, this is a chance to support a candidate who will embrace many of the policies of One America in the Congress, and for the supporters of Obama and Hillary this is a chance to invest in them having a Congress that will allow either one of them to achieve their agenda when elected. Folks, this young lady will fight for all of us that support the Democratic Party!!!
Please go to my page and help me to raise $1500 during the primary for an awesome candidate that is already running in the fall against an established Republican. We won’t be recieving a million dollars in special interest money like Exxon Ed Whitield, so we have to rely on fellow grassroots Democrats like all of you to win, please go here and help me towards my goal of $1500 by May 20!!!:
Watch in the coming days for our first installment of Ask Heather Ryan, where Heather answers questions on video directly to the grassroots Democrats who ask them!!
Also, be sure to visit her site and sign up for email updates from the campaign here:
Please show the power that grassroots Democrats can have when they stand up together for candidates that will fight for us!! Please help me to support Heather Ryan and give her the funding she needs!!
Here in the First District of Kentucky we have an awesome candidate to unseat Exxon Ed Whitfield. Whitfield is a McConnell clone who can’t wait to vote his stock options, and rubber-stamp every failed policy of McConnell and Bush. He doesn’t own a home in our district, and is essentially a carpet-bagger.
Heather wants to earn your support in her run against Exxon Ed Whitfield. The defeat of Whitfield would be a huge blow to the McConnell machine here in Kentucky. That is not the only good thing about supporting this race however.
Heather is an awesome grassroots Democrat that supports the ideals of our party. She will have the strength and courage to stand up with something our party seems to be lacking in Congress, a backbone!! She will fight for Democratic ideals and won’t run from them.
But why not meet Heather, and listen to what she has to say in her own words? Here is the first installment of her video diary:
Please help us in this race. I know Heather personally and have seen her dedication to her family, our country, our party, and the people of the First District of Kentucky first hand. As the fiasco with Andrew Horne has shown us all, we simply can’t depend on our national party to fight for Kentucky. We can win this seat with help, and we are already in the General election against Ed Whitfield this fall.
Please go to Heather’s site and sign up for email updates to watch this race. While there, read up on Heather and the issues she cares about:
While there, please consider supporting fellow grassroots Democrats in Kentucky that are determined to fight against Mitch McConnell and his well-oiled, well-funded machine. We are a mouse fighting a gorilla and need your support!!! You will not be disappointed in your investment in this race. We will put it to work immediately to fight the McConnell machine. We are grassroots Democrats just like yourself. Please, invest in us here:
We can and will win this race with the help of grassroots Democrats everywhere!!!
I will be keeping you updated on the newest installments of her video diary, as well as keeping you up on the hypocrisy of Ed Whitfield in the coming days. Please, join our campaign of grassroots Democrats fighting against established Repug money!!
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a relaxing holiday season. I’m feeling rested and refreshed, so let’s take a look at some of the recent developments in down-ballot races across the country.
NY-19: Strike three! After uber-wealthy self-funding Republican Andrew Saul pulled the plug on his congressional campaign against freshman Rep. John Hall after some shady ethics violations came to the fore, some Republicans hoped that former state assemblyman Howard Mills would be an adequate replacement. Too bad he said no in late November. The next great hope for the NRCC, assemblyman Greg Ball, announced yesterday that he won’t run, either. This leaves the GOP’s ball in the hands of Iraq war vet and wingnut Kieran Lalor. Will the Republicans really end up without a top flight challenger in a district that they held for 14 straight years before Hall’s win?
Perhaps now is a good time to revisit Ball’s sage words from November, when the GOP line on the NY-19 ballot was his for the taking:
Ball is concerned about the electoral outlook for the GOP in the 2008 election cycle.
“George Bush has not only hurt the Republican Party, he’s left the nation without leadership,” the Republican state lawmaker said. “It’s going to be a tough year to run as a Republican at the national level.”
IN-02: Speaking of the GOP’s bare shelf, a whole year has passed and Indiana Republicans are still lacking a challenger to frosh Rep. Joe Donnelly. Has NRCC Chair Tom Cole really gone through his entire Rolodex of ethically-challenged Republican millionaires who live in this R+4.3 district? (H/T: Blue Indiana)
Kentucky: The Lexington Herald-Leader’s blog has a thorough run-down of all the upcoming down-ballot special elections in the weeks and months ahead in Kentucky. The first two happen next week.
NM-Sen: New Mexico’s very own Dr. Doolittle, political gossip blogger Joe Monahan, has been talking to “the alligators” again, and this time they’re telling him that Steve Pearce outraised Heather Wilson in the fourth quarter by a margin of $450,000 to $350,000. Seems kinda low-ish to me, but I suppose that’s probably the end result of having the state’s GOP money divided between two of their heaviest hitters.
NM-02: State Rep. Joe Cervantes (D) has dropped out of the race to replace Steve Pearce, leaving former Lea County Commissioner and oilman Harry Teague and Dona Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley as the only top-tier candidates left in the Dem field. Monahan thinks the news will favor Teague, a conservative Democrat, but McCamley’s fundraising has been solid and he’s been running for quite some time. It’ll be interesting to see how this one shakes out.
MN-03: MNPublius is hearing rumors that GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad’s retirement is definite. Let’s hope that they’re true!
IL-18: Aaron Schock, a 14-year old GOP state legislator and nuclear proliferation advocate, is doing his best to avoid any foreign policy debates with his primary opponents for the open seat of retiring Rep. Ray LaHood. I guess Schock has now fully realized that his “ideas” of selling nukes to Taiwan don’t play so well outside of his local college Republican chapter.
IN-07: State Rep. Joe Orentlicher is the first to file for the Democratic nomination to succeed the late Rep. Julia Carson. Carson’s grandson, newly-elected Indianapolis city councilor will make his decision soon, but it’s looking like he’ll throw his hat into the ring. It’s also looking like the special election to fill the seat may be pushed back until May.
ANDREW HORNE ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR U.S. SENATE IN KENTUCKY
“I’m running for U.S. Senate because it’s time for a change and because Senator Mitch McConnell is more than part of the problem. He is the problem,” said Andrew Horne
Louisville, KY – Lt. Colonel Andrew Horne (Ret.) launched his campaign today to take back the U. S. Senate seat for the people of Kentucky, now held by Mitch McConnell. Horne, while a Marine and Reservist, served tours of duty Desert Storm and recently in Iraq. Horne outlined his decision to run and what he plans to focus on as Senator in a video released on the internet this morning.
You can watch the video at AndrewHorne.org. The full text of it available on the site, as well.
“I’m running for U.S. Senate because it’s time for a change and because Senator Mitch McConnell is more than part of the problem. He IS the problem. It is time for Kentuckians to take our government and country back. We should not be told to take a backseat to the wealthy and powerful. It’s time to tackle the challenges facing our country instead of passing them off to our kids. It’s time for leaders who’ll take the right stand,” Horne says in the video.
“Mitch McConnell, the Republican Leader, symbolizes everything wrong with Washington. He bows to big business, practices the worst kind of politics, and doesn’t take a stand when faced with tough issues. Simply put: Mitch McConnell carries George Bush’s water on Iraq; I carried a rifle in Iraq” he added.
Horne noted that under the Bush-McConnell regime, Washington politicians have:
*
failed to fix our health care crisis;
*
sendt our jobs to China and Mexico;
*
failed to lead on immigration reform;
*
ran up a nine trillion dollar debt for our children, and
*
led our country into an ill-conceived and mismanaged war in Iraq.
Horne also noted yesterday that the Bush-McConnell obstructionism has continued to hinder progress, pointing to the latest example, the President’s veto of S-Chip fully supported by McConnell.
In the coming weeks and months, Horne will lay out his proposals to benefit the people of the commonwealth.
ABOUT ANDREW HORNE
Andrew Horne was born to working, middle-class parents, who for 30 years owned and operated a series of small businesses in Louisville, including Horne Cleaners and Clubfit International, a golf equipment and supply store. Just before graduating from Pleasure Ridge Park High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and, soon after commencement, headed to Parris Island, S.C. for boot camp. Horne worked his way through the University of Louisville, and in 1983 became the first in his family to graduate from college. He later earned a degree from University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law, after fulfilling his six-year active duty contract with the Marines.
After tours overseas in both operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, Horne retired this year from the Marines as a lieutenant colonel.
Horne, his wife Stephanie, and their two children are members of Louisville’s Christ Church United Methodist, where he’s taught Sunday School. Horne serves as the spokesperson for the Brain Injury Association of Kentucky, leading the Wounded Warriors program which provides resources and relief to those suffering from this “signature” wound of the Iraq war. He also has been active with the Toys for Tots campaigns, the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Kentucky, Boy Scouts of America, Junior Achievement and Boys’ State of Kentucky. He is a member of the Louisville Bar and American Bar associations. He previously served as a senior advisor to VoteVets.org, a pro-military group that supports Iraq and Afghanistan veterans running for office.
For more info on Andrew Horne, here’s my interview with him last month:
Lt. Col. Andrew Horne was kind enough to answer some questions that I had for him. Here is the transcript:
ME: You were registered independent before you decided to run for Congress against Anne Northup in 2006. Why had you remained Independent up until that point, and what factored in your decision to join the Democrats?
AH: Since enlisting as a Marine in 1979, I was registered as an Independent voter, believing that as a Marine my duty was to my country, my loyalty to the Constitution, and not a particular political party or president. But my political perspective changed after completing my last tour in Iraq. I saw first hand how the Bush administration’s civilian leaders mismanaged the war and misled the American people. I saw our Republican leaders repeatedly ask working people and middle class families to bear the greatest sacrifice, while asking little of the wealthiest and most powerful. For these reasons, I changed my party registration from Independent to the Democratic Party. As a candidate with my background, the discussion will be about ending the war responsibly and taking on the real challenges facing American families, such as health care, education and economic and retirement security.
ME: Many in the media are claiming that the “surge” strategy is working in Iraq. How accurate do you think such claims are?
AH: To determine if the escalation is “working” we must begin with what the goals were at the time it was initiated and our desired end state for Iraq. If our end state is political reconciliation leading to stability it has not been a success. If our end state is more of our troops in harms way protecting Iraqis then it has been a success. However, few would argue that having more of our troops risking their lives every day to keep their fingers in the proverbial dike is a good thing or a desirable consequence, particularly when it does not appear there is any end in sight. From these parameters it is clearly not working. The question is how long do we cling to the hope that the Iraqi leadership will step up and do what needs to be done. I for one believe the Iraqi leadership will allow us to carry their water for them as long as we are willing. If we send a clear message that we will leave soon they will step up. The current Basra situation is an example of what could happen if we leave- much to the chagrin of the Bush administration the British pulled out of Basra and defying all predictions violence dropped by 90%.
ME: What type of reaction do you get from fellow Marines that you served with when they hear how critical you are of President Bush’s policies in Iraq?
AH: Marines’ attitudes are not monolithic, and they are as diverse as the general population. However, most of the Marines I speak to are supportive and tell me I am doing the right thing, particularly if they have seen combat in Iraq.
ME: What do you make of the saber rattling going on amongst the Bush administration when it comes to Iran? Is this even a viable option at this moment, or is this just for show?
AH: The Iran situation is serious and should not be underestimated. The administration seems to be eager to increase tensions and the saber rattling is just one example. The rhetoric could be intended to pressure the Iranians to the table; however, Bush does not always act prudently and he could be considering some form of preemptive action. From my perspective, there do not seem to be many viable options for the use of force given our current force structure and other commitments, but if history has taught us anything it is not to misjudge the extent of Bush’s hubris.
ME: Do you think that McConnell’s two filibusters on Sen. Jim Webb’s amendments to restore proper troop rotation between tours will hurt his support among the military in KY, particularly Western Kentucky?
AH: Absolutely. Mitch McConnell prevented voting on the Webb Amendment that would have given our troops more time between tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The people that join our military are patriots who are willing to make enormous sacrifices for our country and our way of life. Those sacrifices, however, are not being shared by the rest of our society and the same people are asked again and again to shoulder the burden. This has not been lost on Veterans. Mitch McConnell will be held accountable. In this vein, I want to share a note that I read on the “Draft Horne” website:
Dear Mr. Horne,
My husband is currently serving his 2nd fifteen month deployment in Iraq. I am asking you to please run against Mitch McConnell in 2008. I wrote to Mr. McConnell asking him to request more MRAP's for our troops, and received no response. When I wrote him regarding Rush Limbaugh's comments about "phony soldiers", I received a letter defending Rush as a consistent supporter of our troops. This seems very lopsided to me, and I believe that someone like you could make a really big difference in Congress. Please run.
ME: Outside of policies dealing with Iraq and Veterans, what are your major criticisms with Mitch McConnell’s performance in the Senate?
AH: I strongly believe Senator Mitch McConnell is taking us down the wrong path. McConnell has given President Bush, big business and corrupt lobbyists a blank check and rubber stamp for their selfish agenda. He is unwilling to address the healthcare crisis. He votes against legislation that would control college costs for regular people. He is blatantly loyal to corporate interests above the interests of working people and the middle class. However, if I were to have one principal complaint it would be his gross partisanship. In that last 7 years he has been one of the most strident enablers of the Bush fiasco and since the midterm elections he has been the most vocal, effective and smug obstructionist in the Senate. By his conduct it is clear that he does not care what is good for Kentucky, the United States or the people; his primary concern is his own survival and the political success of the Republican Party.
ME: Many Democrats around the country are currently upset with their party, particularly for not following through on their promises when they won back Congress last fall. How valid do you think such complaints are, and do you share any of them?
AH: The message from the electorate during the last elections was stunning and the Democrats have not acted on that message. So I do believe that much of the criticism is fair; however, the Republican’s have sufficient votes in the Senate to filibuster and Bush can still veto so the Democrats do not have an unfettered ability to enact legislation completely of their choosing. The Democrats could have forced the issue in regard to funding of Iraq by not sending up alternative legislation absent affirmative statements by McConnell and Bush that there would be some compromise.
ME: During the nomination process of AG Mukasey, there was much discussion of what defines torture and what defines “enhanced interrogation techniques”. How familiar are you with waterboarding, and does this constitute torture?
AH: All politics aside, waterboarding is absolutely torture. It is prohibited by the Army interrogation manual, which is used by all of the armed forces of the United States. If Soldiers, Marines, Sailors or Airmen waterboard a prisoner they can and probably will be prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for “Abuse of a Prisoner.” End of discussion.
Let me say that I do not know if the politicization of words is a new phenomenon but it is new to me. When I was in Iraq during a command briefing to Ambassador Negroponte we were all amused to learn from the Ambassador that we were not supposed to use the words “insurgent[s]” or “insurgency,” apparently the approved words were “terrorist[s]” and “terrorism.” [In his defense he seemed as amused as the rest of us.] When I came home I was surprised and amused when I was questioned about whether the attack into Iraq was an “invasion” or “liberation.” [I wasn’t aware there was any real question about that.] The games being played by Bush, et al would almost make me laugh if they weren’t so disturbing.
ME: Many candidates in the Republican Presidential debates have boasted about “doubling Gitmo”, channeling “Jack Bauer”, and saying the most important civil liberty is “staying alive”. What are your thoughts on this kind of talk?
AH: I am unsure how a rational person can comment on those types of attitudes. Torture and detention centers are not things that anyone should boast about. We must not forget that moral standards are vital to success in warfare and school yard attitudes about strength and toughness have no place in serious debate. I wrote an Op Ed for the CJ right before the 2006 midterms entitled “Tough Is Not Enough”, which addresses these issues in more detail. (ME: full transcript here)
Kentucky Democrats aren't wasting any time after ousting Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher. Capitalizing on the momentum coming out of Tuesday's election, they're already planning strong challenges to members of the state's Republican congressional delegation. The first target appears to be Rep. Ron Lewis, who will soon face off with State Senator and former Agriculture Commissioner David Boswell:
Democratic State Sen. David Boswell of Owensboro said he is planning a press conference “in the very, very near future” to officially announce his candidacy to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis of Cecilia. “I do plan to run for the U.S. Congress in the 2nd District,” Boswell said yesterday. “I think people, overall, are ready for change. They're ready for a new guard.” Boswell, who was agriculture commissioner from 1984 to 1988 and has been a senator since 1991, said the win by fellow Democrat Steve Beshear in Tuesday's governor's race gives him and other potential candidates for next year's election a huge boost.
However, Lewis' district might be a tough nut to crack as it clocks in with a PVI of R+12.9. While Kerry took 34% of its vote in 2004 and Gore only claimed 37% in 2000, Lewis was softened up a bit in 2006 by a challenge from state Rep. Mike Weaver (D), who held him to a 55%-45% win. Weaver's campaign never really caught much traction, despite the DCCC's hope that he was a top tier recruit. We'll see if Boswell can mount a more effective campaign, but Mark Nickolas over at the BluegrassReport feels good about him.
Kentucky Democrats are also hoping to recruit State Auditor Crit Luallen to take on US Senator Mitch McConnell. Luallen cruised to re-election with 59% on Tuesday night and could offer McConnell a strong challenge.
Let’s tally up all the turnovers in statewide and legislative races last night. Democratic pick-ups are in blue; Republican pick-ups in red. Italics denote a close race that appears to be going to a recount.
Kentucky: Governor/Lt. Governor (59%)
Maine: ME-HD93 (53.8%)
New House margin: 90D–59R–2I
Mississippi: Secretary of State (59%; open), Insurance Commissioner (57%; open), MS-SD02 (61%), MS-SD04 (57%), MS-SD18 (52%), MS-SD29 (57%), MS-SD43 (52%), MS-HD01 (54%), MS-HD15 (58%), MS-HD43 (47%), MS-HD71 (53%), MS-HD99 (52%), MS-HD111 (50%)
New Senate margin: 28D–24R (Chamber flip)
New House margin: 75D–47R
New Jersey: NJ-SD01 (56%), NJ-SD02 (57%), NJ-SD12 (54%), NJ-AD02, NJ-AD08, NJ-AD12, NJ-AD14.
New Senate margin: 23D–17R.
New Assembly margin: 48D–32R.
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?
Kentuckians don’t like Mitch McConnell, and he is VULNERABLE in 2008.
Just as the last two Survey USA polls have shown, Kentuckians are starting to sour on their Senior Senator. Mitch McConnell’s approval rating has fallen to 45%, while his disapproval rating has risen to 46%, the first time that any poll has shown his disapprovals eclipsing approvals.
Additionally, McConnell continues to lose support from moderates in big numbers, as only 33% approve and 61% disapprove. His numbers among Independents aren’t much better, at 37/53%.
The LHL poll also shows potential Democrats well within firing range of McConnell in next year’s Senate race. Chandler, Stumbo, Horne and Luallen are all within 5 to 11% in a potential matchup against the incumbent McConnell in 2008.
The most impressive numbers among these potential challengers is that of Lt. Col. Andrew Horne. Despite the fact that Horne has low name recognition at the moment, with 55% having no opinion of him, he is still within distance of McConnell, down 45% to 34%. In comparison, the % of those having no opinion of Chandler, Stumbo and Luallen, are only 12, 13 and 23%, respectively. If Horne runs and wins the nomination, his name recognition would skyrocket, closing the gap with McConnell considerably (especially considering that Horne’s approval/disapproval among those who know him is at 36/9%). From Del Ali, the president of the company who conducted the poll:
“Here’s a guy that half the electorate really doesn’t know but yet when you put him against an incumbent whom nearly everyone knows, he’s in the race,” said Ali, the pollster. “It tells me the voters of Kentucky at least are open to someone to represent them differently in the U.S. Senate.”
Additionally, Horne is a harder target for McConnell to smear in a potential matchup than other Democrats. From the LHL:
And McConnell already has a reputation as a fierce campaigner who seizes on opponents’ political weaknesses.
For that reason, a candidate such as Horne could give McConnell the most fits, said (Democratic consultant, Danny) Briscoe.
“Chandler, Stumbo and Luallen all have public records that McConnell will look at as raw meat,” he said.
Horne is also more immune to attacks from McConnell on matters of national security than other potential candidates. Horne is a 27 year Marine vet who served in both Iraq wars. His experience on the ground in the current war, along with his vocal opposition to this unpopular policy in KY, would make him a difficult target of the expected “Defeatocrat, cut-and-runner” line of attack that will be sure to come from McConnell.
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This election will be a brutal fight. McConnell is well known for being one of the most cutthroat campaigners that you’re ever going find. He is relentless in his attacks, and will stoop to anything to gain an edge.
This is why we need a new face in Kentucky politics to take him on. We need a candidate without baggage in their background that can be exploited. We need a candidate with character and spine, who will stand toe-to-toe with McConnell and not back down from a fight. We need an outsider, not a career politician who runs for office every year. We need a unifying candidate for all Kentuckians across this state.
We need Lt. Col. Andrew Horne.
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