The Left Nut

Tucker Carlson Sucks

2006-08-30T17:02:00.000-04:00

MSNBC has given air time to the worst pseudo-journalist/host in the entire world: Tucker Carlson. Ok, he dropped the bowtie and got a tan, but he still sucks out loud. Today's show consisted of arguments about how best to combat Iran's nuclear proliferation programs bookended by discussions about polygamy and Dancing With the Stars, which ultimately served as avenues to take pot-shots at liberals' views on gay marriage and Jerry Springer.

Springer, a fellow contestant on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars (which, ironically, is void of any real stars), provided the most intelligent candor of the broadcast in his discussion about the Middle East. Too bad, however, he had to yell his talking points over both Carlson and his conservative-to-hire pundit, who brought little more to the table than back-handed comments about why racial profiling is a good thing. Honestly, it's pretty sad when you get your ass handed to you by the likes of Jerry Springer. I know, the guy formerly held office until scandal killed his political life, but, come on, if it's not transsexual hookers and their devil-worshipping lovers, what does Jerry really have to say about it?

Today, I am beginning a new segment on the blog: a list of things that make America dumber. I will start the list with Tucker Carlson, but I could really just lump him in with a number of other conservative news broadcasters such as Bill O'Reilly, Brit Hume, Robert Novak, Glenn Beck (a very close second worst behind Carlson), Sean Hannity, Neil Cavuto, and basically everyone else that works at Fox. You're on notice guys, and you suck.

Leaks

2006-07-02T09:13:00.000-04:00

The NY Times ran a story recently about a government program that tracks electronic money transfers and supposedly monitors fundraising efforts by terrorist organizations. Republicans have officially condemned this particular article, stating that such divulges sensitive information that requires secrecy in order to function adequately. Too bad the Republicans didn't have the same inclination when Karl Rove and Scooter Libby leaked information that led to a Bob Novak article outing a CIA operative (selective censorship only when it counts for the neo-cons). My question is this: does democracy function properly without a free press? What is next? Accusing authors of unpatriotic articles of treason due to their dislike of freedom? Albeit there are a few media personalities I'd like to lock up, I just don't necessarily think that such would constitute protection of liberty, merely personal gratification.

It also seems that fundamental American principles are at risk due to an overly exaggerated threat of terrorists acquiring money, which they seem to have had no problems doing thus far anyway. The dilemma centers around censorship of the media and their freedom to report whatever they deem newsworthy. Personally, I find it more threatening that the government can listen in to my phone conversations with my grandma or view my embarassingly meager bank records. As well, I don't think that the terrorists are just suddenly going to stop using wire transfers for cash and adopt some untraceable alternative, because there's hardly anything we can't trace already.

In an age where journalists are being locked up and accused of treason, Samuel Adams and the Committees of Correspondence would have trouble comprehending the need for such secrecy within a democratic government. Thomas Jefferson, too, would have hesitated at such policies. The media to these founding brothers wasn't the impediment or special interest it is regarded to be today, but rather the link between the citizenry and their government. The media allows us to engage in and participate in government operations and provides a wealth of understanding about what our elected officials are actually doing. So, if the Republicans are going to call us "Freedom-Haters" like they do down in Texas, then maybe they should be a little more supportive of the freedoms outlined in the First Amendment.

Immigration

2006-06-09T20:43:00.000-04:00

Now, being a Southerner, I don't expect anyone to presume any sort of tact in my own nature, nor do I anticipate being given the benefit of the doubt in reference to issues of civil rights. After all, the South has a less than stellar track record when it comes to dealing with problems of social unrest. But, I think I might be able to surprise a few people about the Southern mentality when it comes to issues regarding immigration. Although the South generally doesn't enjoy open discussions about this subject, as anything out of the perceived norm makes a Southerner invariably uncomfortable, we privately have decent opinions of those engaged in such practices.

For example, many a Texas farmer or construction contractor knows exactly how widespread the immigration dilemma has become, because they knowingly benefit from it. In a heartbeat, many of the largest detractors of immigration from Mexico would hire migrant laborers for fractions of the cost of domestic workers. It's good business to keep your overhead down and profits up, isn't it? Texans are very familiar with this, but the bottom line is blurred by the dreaded prospect of increased taxation, which happens to be among the world's lowest rates already. And, whenever taxes in the state of Texas increase, the scapegoat is generally best assigned to the only party that isn't actually a voting block or a direct citizen of our beloved land, which includes Mexican immigrants.

So, the love for cheap, hard-working labor, comes into direct conflict with the love for low taxes and the Southern dilemma is born. Security, by the way, is the last thing on the mind of gun-toting Texans, who know that the hand-cannon snuggly tucked into their boot is all the security they will ever need and a little extra for self-assurance. The fact of the matter isn't that Texans are afraid of the immigrants traversing the Rio Grande border, whom we handily defeated during their siesta at San Jacinto to win our own independence, but we fear that our taxes will increase the slightest amount to afford the institutions of public good will provided for those who are unable to purchase such themselves.

In short, we would like to subtract the "send us your poor" line from the legendary quote about American generosity in accepting immigrants from across the globe, because we don't want to pay for it. In fact, I would even suggest that the statistics regarding a link between crime and violence in areas highly populated by immigrants would be proven spurious when compared to a relationship between poverty and the same social problems. So, to put it simply, if Texans want to continue benefitting from the fruits of cheap labor, then we have to find a way to fork out the cash. Because, really, no one in their right mind really wants to pay to deport all of these immigrants, that would be too expensive.

I propose making it easier to immigrate legally, rather than promoting illegal immigration by institutionalizing barriers for honest people to gain access to our job market. Those legal immigrants will pay taxes and, sure they might need government assistance initially, but provisions can be created to prohibit such during a specified period of time after a probationary citizenship status has been achieved. Further, to prevent an influx of welfare cases with increased immigration, divert funding from bad policies for state works programs to combat poverty. There are a lot of roads in Texas that need to be constructed or repaired and the best way to get people out of poverty is by giving them a job (thank you LBJ).

Finally, after making legal immigration easier and promoting an increase in the quality of life threshold, petition the federal government to invest in foreign trade partnerships that will make Mexico not only a more lucrative financial neighbor with lots of oil, but also a more attractive destination for the indigenous population to continue to habitate. No, I'm not saying we treat them like Israel and just give them wads of cash and ammo, because God knows what kind of party that could turn into, but encourage the economic community, through tax credits and incentives, to secure holdings in Mexico that will reinvigorate their own domestic market while proving beneficial to our own. I'm also not suggesting that Mexico isn't already a cool place to live, it just needs a positive American influence that provides real wage-earning opportunities instead of exploitive outsourced labor.

There, I said it, now you "Minute Men" can but away your rifles and rehire the construction crew to finish installing your jacuzzi while retaining the ability to sleep soundly at night without jeopardizing your contradictory scruples.

Public Discourse or Slander and Libel - You Decide.

2006-06-08T02:55:00.000-04:00

Ann Coulter has recently released a new book, which I have admittedly not read and probably won't muster the fortitude to crack open for fear that it might drive me wild with rage... which is exactly what she wants it to do. Under the keen auspices of so-called "open debate" and "public discourse," Ms. Coulter touts a no-holds-barred demeanor when engaging those with whom she takes disagreement. However, motives and contemporary journalistic style aside, she fails to accomplish the fair and direct debate that she purports to initiate with her comments, by devolving into base insults shrouded in semi-academic subjective prose.

Fox News has been covering her book release almost as if to expect Ms. Coulter to retire from the literary arena and begin stumping for an elected office. They seem to be instigating a lot of the hooplah surrounding some of the opinions expressed in the book. As well, because of Fox News, I have been so lucky as to come across a story regarding the unsuccessful auction of one of President Kennedy's rocking chairs, which I'm sure is relevant and newsworthy in some way, shape, or form. The common notion continually visited regarding Ms. Coulter, however, is whether or not she engages in the public discourse appropriately and within the bounds of decency.

She incessantly accuses Democrats and liberals of indecent behavior, never failing to make off-the-cuff jabs at President Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, or Senator Ted Kennedy. These are just a few of her favorite targets. Her newest targets of what she claims to be honest debate are the widows of deceased victims of 9/11 and the campaign in Iraq. More specifically, she is critical of those women who have expressed dissent toward conservative policies instituted in the wake of these tragedies, which have primarily capitalized on the events as justification for their necessity. Her comments generally revolve around factual information about the personal lives of her targets, which she then uses in a very subjective and sometimes farsical manner to somehow denigrate the quality of her target's character. Her tactic is such that, if she exposes enough doubt about an individual's moral credibility, then her argument is correct by default.

I'm not a debater, but I do not think that the default platform is where the moral highground stands. Nor do I believe that just because I have exposed personal information about an individual putting them in a negative light, that I have accomplished my goal of establishing an acceptable position on the issue. Thus, just because someone is a douchebag, I'm not automatically right. That's just illogical and stupid. Further, Ann Coulter and her brood of new journalists, which insists on giving two distorted messages concerning common topics and calling it news, always seem to espouse a distinctive bravado when they "invite" their opponents for a real debate about the issues under contention. This is an empty invitation to a one-sided shouting match, where the person who controls the microphone volume usually prevails (see Bill O'Reilly). This isn't real debate and it's not good for disseminating quality information. It confuses most Americans to the extent that talking points become the only discernable contribution of any news show.

As for Coulter's tactics and her specific comments, I don't subscribe to the same idea that because people believe in certain things they are "Godless." Eternal damnation aside, I think that plurality of opinions is what makes Democracy great and to say that Coulter should be silenced is absurd. What I believe, though, is that everyone who disagrees with her has contributed to her success by giving credence to her infamy. I'm convinced that she is more concerned herself with book sales and publicity, in whatever form it comes, than she actually is about the moral fortitude of American society. She says hurtful things about people to ruffle feathers and squeeze retorts out of those who are weary of her attacks. She sees it as a growing legacy of agitating those with opposing viewpoints and capitalizes on being the "hated" conservative woman to sell her even more outlandishly slanderous books.

At this juncture, then, I'd like to take the opportunity to encourage Ann Coulter to continue producing crazy books that diminish her own integrity in the tradition of accepting alternate points of view. I do not support her methodology and presentation, nor do I regard her body of work as academic or credible because of its hostile and caustic nature, but it is my duty to accept the fact that some people have bad ideas and even worse attitudes. Such is not grounds for censorship, but an affirmation that mean-spirited politics based on personal destruction will not continue to be the norm and will eventually give way to the civil discourse that Ms. Coulter dreams so eagerly to have. I would ask now that everyone who disagrees with her to simply ignore what she says entirely and surely her infamy will subside. The less controversial she becomes, the less popular she will be with all consumers. And without people like her around, politics will finally have a chance to do something good for everyone.

And you thought Kilgore was nuts...

2006-02-28T01:33:00.000-05:00

It's true, Larry Kilgore, Republican candidate for governor, is a nut job. He wants to secede from the union and institute Biblical law. His website has all sorts of classy photos, including a few bloody aborted fetuses (for the kids). And if anyone can tell me what a telecommunications database engineering consultant actually does, I'd be glad to lend an ear. Oh, yeah, and apparently I missed out on a great education at the Community College of the Air Force (my application was a day late and a dollar short). If it weren't for the other liars in the Republican primary, I'd say that Kilgore takes the cake.

And, no, I'm not taking a cheap shot at Gov. "Good Hair" Perry, even though I've been known to possess an unmitigated disdain for him and his policies. I don't necessarily consider him as much a liar as he is just really dumb (emphasis on really). I'm talking about another "Star" candidate for the Republican spot on the ticket. His name is Star Locke and he is straight crazy.

Locke, aside threatening armed hostility in the state capitol at the mere mention of a state income tax, has decided to fabricate a fanciful tale of wartime courage, where he, of course, plays the hero. In fact, Locke claims to be the only surviving member of a Navy SEALS team sent on a secret mission to assassinate Fidel Castro. Furthermore, this top-secret mission has yet to be declassified by the Department of Defense (that Rumsfeld and his secrets), so you won't find any sort of record of it. You'll just have to take Star's word on it.

I challenge you, Andy, to find me a crazier bunch of old coots in any other state that can top these whoppers.

The Most Contested Seat in Texas

2006-02-23T19:48:00.000-05:00

Texas House district 47, which happens to be my home district, is perhaps the most competitive of any upcoming race in the state. Although the campaigns haven't matched the spending habits of other hotly contested races, the sheer number of seemingly unknown candidates is enough to crowd and confuse the ticket.

There are 5 Republicans and 4 Democrats running in the primary, for which early voting is already underway. The reason this Southwest Travis County district has received so much attention from office-seekers is because of its connection both with the city of Austin, which has been described on many occasions as a liberal oasis in the heart of Texas, and the rural areas just outside of the city limits. Democrats are banking on the same support that elected Donna Howard over Ben "Voucher-whore" Bentzin in the adjacent district 48 special election earlier this month. Republicans hope that the suburbs are still packed with rich white people. They're trying to scare everyone within earshot about toll roads, property tax hikes for public education, and, you guessed it... GAYS!

That's right, Republicans can always count on homosexuals to muster popularity in a gay-hating state like Texas. It' not enough anymore to exclude them from symbolic ceremonies of long-term commitment, but now we have to stop them from adopting children and, hopefully, force them into some kind of camps where they can be converted back to "normal" by watching countless episodes of Three's Company, Growing Pains, and Saved by the Bell (Zach Morris is my idol). In Texas, it's more important that kids not be exposed to homosexuality than it is for them to actually have parents.

Front-runners on the Republican ticket are Terry Dill, Rich Phillips, and Bill Welch (who, I've been told, is a huge dick). Phillips is endorsed by law enforcement and Welch by realtors and former Rep., current douche, Terry Keel. This is Welch's third shot at district 47, having already failed to win elections in 1992 and 1996 (loser). Interestingly enough as well, I went to elementary school with Welch's son, who is a far sight cooler than his dad. Dill, a former pro golfer, has raised the most money, though, and has received the much desired endorsements of the PGA tour commissioner and golfers Jack Niklaus and Ben Crenshaw. Alex Castano, a homeschooling zealot with 7 children, has also thrown his crazy hat into the ring. The best contribution he's made to the race, though, is that his wife happens to be the former girlfriend of Democratic candidate, Jason Earle.

Democrats running for the seat are hoping that people care more about schools and health care (you know, the stuff government is supposed to be concerned about). Jason Earle should win the primary off of pure name recognition, as his daddy, Ronnie Earle, is the one who indicted Tom Delay for his dirty deeds. His chances in the general election should be decent too, considering that the district is sandwiched in between two other Dems, namely Donna Howard and Patrick Rose.

TX01-Why I Hate East Texas

2006-02-22T14:49:00.000-05:00

The first congressional district of Texas, which resides on our Eastern border with Louisiana, was originally slated to be a Democratic giveaway during redistricting. The district contains a couple of moderately-sized universities in SFA and UT-Tyler. Much to the chagrin, though, of the state's Democratic Party and to the devious gratification of Tom Delay, the seat was actually taken by a Republican in the last election by the name of Louie Gohmert.

Now, as the primaries get underway, Democrats pound their heads against a wall trying to figure why we can't get a decent contender for the race. The previous favorite for the Dem ticket was a swimming pool contractor named Roger Owens (his website has been banned from MyDD.com, thus no link necessary). Besides the fact that the guy builds pools for a living and has no prior political experience outside of maybe a PTA or Neighborhood Association, he happens to be a fairly big douche-bag. This week, he bashed a Democratic candidate for Texas House district 7, Patrick Franklin, on his sexual orientation and chewed out a local Democratic organization's leader, Donna Rosenblum, for calling his actions hurtful to the party.

Now, I don't agree that Gay Rights are necessarily the angle that East Texas office-seekers should take in getting elected, because the state ban on gay marriage, Prop 2, was heavily endorsed by the region in last November's election. However, the Democratic Party is traditionally one that openly supports and protects the constitutional rights of all Americans, condemning acts that would only serve to limit the freedoms of a specific minority in the population. That being said, Democratic candidates in the region shouldn't be required to take a hardline and public stance on the issue, but certainly shouldn't be endorsing the opinions of right-wing conservatives.

Here we are, once again wondering how on Earth we could possibly be losing such a Dem friendly election by such a huge margin (62%-38%) and we come to realize that candidates we have to offer absolutely suck. The only other option in the primary is a lawyer named Duane Shaw, who looks like a winner (NOT!). This is almost as pathetic as the myriad of lame-ass candidates offered up for sacrifice in nearly every statewide election or the former male prostitute in HD108. Thanks, Dems, for your choice selections for public office-seekers, you've made us look great this year.

MN06 - Rothenberg to Wetterling: Give Me a Break

2006-02-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

In today's Roll Call, Stu Rothenberg lets Patty Wetterling have it:

2006: The Year of Changing Your Mind in Politics
February 21, 2006
By Stuart Rothenberg, Roll Call Contributing Writer

OK, so I really don't expect a lot of consistency from politicians. They change their positions and their arguments from cycle to cycle. But this cycle, change has become the rule in more ways than one.

At least two candidates have turned down pleas to run for Congress, only to change their minds after others got in races to fill the apparent vacuums. ...
...
In Minnesota's 6th district, Democrats waited to see whether Patty Wetterling would run for the open U.S. House seat or for the U.S. Senate. Since she ran well against Mark Kennedy (R) in his 2004 House race, party insiders rightly figured that she had first claim on his ’06 open House seat.

After hemming and hawing for a while, Wetterling ruled out the House race. After more delay, she jumped into the Senate race. That opened the way for former state Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg to enter the House contest. He did, and party strategists and activists almost immediately coalesced behind his effort, giving Democrats a chance to win a Republican-leaning seat.

But then Wetterling dropped out of the Senate race and jumped into the House race. When Tinklenberg challenged Wetterling to explain why she would go back on her word, she uttered "things change, the world moves on." How profound. That's the kind of insight we've been missing in government.

Corey Day, a spokesperson, explained Wetterling's decision by telling Roll Call, "Folks in the district came to Patty to do this, (sic) there was an overwhelming display of support for her."

Give me a break. I'm sure some people encouraged Wetterling to run. There are more than half a million people in the district. Wetterling probably could find a few hundred loyalists to encourage her to run for the House. So what? It would have been nice if she had kept her word.

A St. Paul Pioneer Press story also quoted an EMILY's List spokesperson as "very excited" that Wetterling had entered the race. Well, since Tinklenberg is a pro-life guy, EMILY's List obviously prefers Wetterling. But can't somebody finally stand up and scream that candidates should keep their word when they decide not to run and another candidate takes that as a cue to proceed?

Wetterling’s race switch enhances Democrats' chances of holding Minnesota’s open Senate seat but damages her party’s chances of winning Kennedy’s open House seat.

Wetterling's and Brown's initial decisions caused others to enter races to which they otherwise would not have committed. That didn’t happen in the Michigan Senate race or in New York’s 29th district, two cases where candidate flip-flops didn’t involve questions of character or trust.
...
I'm certainly not saying that politicians don't have a right to change their minds. But in the Ohio and Minnesota cases, Brown and Wetterling showed that their promises were hollow. Is that really the way to start a bid for public office? Going back on one's word, without even trying to clear the air first with the person harmed, isn't a great character recommendation.

This column is absolutley scathing. Unfortunately, not as many MN06 voters will have access to it, but this may be the opinion they're already forming anyway. Rothenberg is calling Wetterling's character into question here, and I think MN06 voters might do the same thing.

Note Rothenberg's use of the word "politician," exactly what Wetterling denies she is. Her move is the classic politician flip-flop, and we know what voters thought of flip-flopping when they rejected John Kerry in 2004. I, of course, voted for Kerry, but that didn't make me blind to what the Bush machine convincingly painted him as. No painting is necessary in Wetterling's case, as she was quoted numerous times saying she would not run - even saying she could not win - in MN06, and she had the poll numbers to prove it.

Also, Rothenberg speculates that Wetterling entrance into the race actually damages Democratic chances of a pickup in MN06. It had been just the GOP that had a brutal primary race to contend with before November, but now the Dems have a costly DFL nomination convention to bloody up their candidates and deplete their warchests.

If Wetterling were to get the nomination, she'll come out looking even more liberal than she already does, due to the war of words between hers and Tinklenberg's campaign that will precede the convention. Naturally in November this image won't sit too well with a conservative district that heavily favored Bush in 2004. Yes, I know she got 46% of the vote against Kennedy, but Kennedy's 54% was only 3 points less than the total he got in 2002 against a much weaker candidate (who I believe only got something like 35%).

So, if you hadn't noticed, I've been pushing Tinklenberg as the Democrats' best shot at taking over MN06 from the GOP. He's an excellent ideological match for the district and earlier Rothenberg named him the Democrats' "strongest possible candidate" in MN06, and I agree 100%. Tinklenberg has already received a lot of in-state support, including Rep. Oberstar's and Rep. Peterson's endorsements, as well as the Minnesota AFL-CIO endorsement. These are major Minnesota players, and with Labor behind him, Tinklenberg will have a lot of momentum and grassroots organization heading into the convention.

I still think Tinklenberg will come out of this, but it's going to be a fight. Hopefully the next couple months will be as exciting as the past month.

Texas House District 108 - The Red Light District

2006-02-21T00:05:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I've become so obsessed with Texas politics, but it probably has something to do with gems like these. Tom Malin, democratic candidate for district 108 in the Dallas area, has admitted this weekend to formerly being a male prostitute under the alias of Todd Sharpe. Call me crazy, but I don't think that this publicity fosters a positive outlook for his campaign going into the primaries.

Malin's platform includes a commitment to restoring a "Spirit of Ethics" in the state legislature and brandishes the mark of Mary Kay sales glory signified by a pink Cadillac (only 3 males in history have accomplished such). Currently, he's into sales and marketing, although not of himself or sexual favors. He peddles deregulated energy for Stream Energy, whose website promises its customers that they don't employ a "one size fits all mentality" or view their "customers simply as rate payers." Seriously, I'm not making this up.

Todd Sharpe, however, takes an entirely different stance in life. After reading some colorful reviews left by his former clients on a site linked by PinkDome, I'm convinced that Sharpe's $200-$500 fee for "uninhibited" services won't produce the outpouring of juicy legislation that Dems across the state want.

Malin claims to be a born again Christian with a renewed commitment to family values, but I just can't see him surviving this bombshell. Even if he somehow comes out of the primary, he faces a Republican incumbent in a very conservative state. I kind of feel for the guy, but I also don't appreciate someone withholding such a sketchy history from the public, especially after receiving endorsements from the Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Tejano Democrats. These organizations definitely had a right to know, no matter to what degree Malin claims to have reformed his life.

NY29 - That was Quick

2006-02-18T13:39:00.000-05:00

Hello, David Nachbar:

Roll Call
At the Races
NEW YORK
Second Democrat Enters Race to Challenge Kuhl
An executive of the Bausch & Lomb eye products company on Monday joined the Democratic race for the right to take on freshman Rep. Randy Kuhl (R).
David Nachbar, a Cornell University graduate and vice president of the eye care company, becomes the second major Democrat in the 29th district race, denying Eric Massa, a retired Navy officer and former top aide to retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a clear path to the nomination.
Nachbar, a child of working-class German immigrants, worked in a factory while he was in college and plans to use that experience to appeal to voters in a district that has been hard hit by plant closings.
“As a Member of Congress I will fight for the economic renewal we need and deserve, protect our families and children and be an ethical, independent voice for Western New York,” Nachbar said in a statement.
Massa has gotten mixed reviews in his challenge to Kuhl. While he brings fire to the campaign trail and has racked up a series of endorsements from fellow veterans such as Clark and former Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.), he has disappointed national Democrats with his fundraising to date. Through Dec. 31, Massa had $88,000 in the bank; Kuhl, who won his seat in 2004 with just 51 percent of the vote, had $421,000 on hand.
While he has not addressed the issue publicly yet, it appears likely that Nachbar will have the ability to partially self-fund his campaign. — Josh Kurtz

Goodbye, David Nachbar:

Southern Tier candidate for Congress bows out amid
complaints
By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writer
February 14, 2006, 7:06 PM EST
WASHINGTON -- A Rochester businessman backed out of his bid for Congress Tuesday night after a rival questioned whether he was even a Democrat, an embarrassing setback for Democrats who had touted his deep pockets over the military experience of another.
David Nachbar, an executive with Bausch & Lomb, told The Associated Press he was withdrawing from the race, saying he did not want to divide the party as it seeks to displace one-term incumbent Republican Rep. John "Randy" Kuhl in a district stretching from the Southern Tier to Rochester.
Nachbar's announcement came a few hours after the AP reported some party officials, including Rep. Louise Slaughter, have privately boosted Nachbar over retired Navy vet Eric Massa because Nachbar would put his own cash behind his campaign.
Responding to new doubts about his party allegiance, Nachbar conceded he may not be a registered Democrat on local voter rolls, but said if that is the case it was nothing more than a paperwork error.
"I am stepping aside really in the best interest of the party and party unity," said Nachbar, who said he had promised to spend $100,000 of his own money in the race.
"I have been a Democrat all my life and being a Democrat is more than a paperwork process," said Nachbar, who suggested that there may have been a snafu when he registered when he moved back to New York four years ago.
The move came after two Rochester-area labor leaders told the AP earlier in the day that Slaughter has privately urged them to drop their support of Massa and back Nachbar instead.
The disagreement stems from a Friday meeting Slaughter, D-Fairport, had with local labor officials where she introduced Nachbar. Slaughter said Massa had not raised enough money, and said the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, known as the DCCC, agreed that Nachbar was the better candidate.
Greg Lancette, one of the labor officials, quoted Slaughter as saying: "David here is an executive vice president and he brings $100,000 of his own money to the campaign and speaking for the DCCC, I feel we should give him a shot."
Nachbar said he did not remember Slaughter saying she spoke for national party campaign officials.
Another labor leader at the meeting, Gary Ostrander, agreed that Slaughter pitched Nachbar as a self-funding candidate and that she also derided Massa's fundraising to date.
"I think Ms. Slaughter needs to do some apologizing to some people," said Ostrander, echoing a complaint made by Massa supporters that Monroe County records show Nachbar isn't even a registered Democrat. A call to the local board of elections commissioner seeking confirmation was not immediately returned.
"I think she should have been more careful in investigating a candidate that looks bad," said Ostrander.
A spokesman for Slaughter declined to comment.
For his part, Massa said he has heard the same story from his supporters who attended the meeting, but insisted he holds no grudge against Slaughter or the national Democratic party.
"She's a wonderful leader, and I look forward to meeting Mr. Nachbar when he becomes a Democrat," said Massa, who was a Republican before he switched parties.
He said his campaign's receipts of $180,000 so far show he is a strong candidate, as are the 53 other military veterans running for office as Democrats around the country.
"Certainly raising money is hard, and we wore the uniform of the nation so that others could become millionaires. Now we are returning to service of a different kind," Massa said.
Kuhl spokesman Bob Van Wicklin said the incident is a reminder that "only a couple years ago, neither of these two were registered as Democrats or living in the 29th District or even in New York State."
The news of bickering among Democrats seeking to defeat one-term incumbent Kuhl comes even as another military vet candidate bowed out of the 2006 campaign, blaming national Democratic leaders like Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., for pushing him out.
Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett, a Bush administration critic who had been recruited by top Democrats to run for U.S. Senate in Ohio, said Tuesday he was dropping his campaign and declared his political career over.
Hackett said he was pressured by party leaders to drop out of the Senate primary and run for the House instead.
National Democratic leaders, especially Schumer, chairman of the Senate campaign committee, had told Hackett's top fundraisers to stop sending money, Hackett said Tuesday.
Schumer's spokesman denied the party had pushed donors away from Hackett.

Massa 1, Democratic establishment 0.

Massa comes up with some of the best quotes (which I highlighted in bold). He really is an exciting candidate and seems to know exactly what to say in any situation. Anyway, it looks like the Democratic establishment can't win'em all. Instead, they're going to "rally around" him (Roll Call):

...
Meanwhile, in New York’s 29th district, it briefly appeared this week as if retired Navy commander Eric Massa (D) might be getting pushed aside within the Democratic establishment in favor of a self-funding candidate in the race against freshman Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-N.Y.).
On Monday, Democratic officials released a news release from businessman David Nachbar in which he announced that he would challenge Massa for the nomination.
Privately, Democratic Congressional leaders had high hopes for Nachbar, an executive at the Bausch & Lomb eye products company who was expected to pour at least $100,000 of his own money into the race. But problems with his candidacy became immediately apparent Tuesday morning.
Nachbar is an unaffiliated voter, not a registered Democrat, meaning he would have to go through extraordinary measures to get on the Sept. 12 primary ballot — an effort that would have been complicated by the fact that seven of the eight county Democratic chairmen in the expansive 29th district had already endorsed Massa.
A high-ranking New York Democratic official who did not want to be named said state party leaders were huddling with lawyers Tuesday afternoon to determine whether the county chairmen had the ability to put Nachbar on the ballot — a scenario that would have worked to Massa’s advantage — or whether the full Democratic committees in each county had the responsibility to determine whether he could compete.
But the fact-finding would prove to be moot. Nachbar said Tuesday night that he would not run because he did not want to be “a divisive force.”
“The thought that I had in mind was to defeat Randy Kuhl in November,” he said.
Massa, who served in the Persian Gulf war and also was the top aide to Ret. Gen. Wesley Clark when Clark was Supreme Allied Commander, has been campaigning against Kuhl for more than a year, impressing party leaders with his passion and hard work. But while he had received the endorsement of his former boss and other military veterans like ex-Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.), some Congressional Democrats had worried about Massa’s fundraising ability. Through Dec. 31, he had just $88,000 on hand, compared to Kuhl’s $421,000.
But Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee officials are prepared to rally around Massa now.
“Massa has a strong organization, the overwhelming support of county leaders and the national security credentials to take on Randy Kuhl,” said DCCC spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki.
...

Cheney Shoots Friend, how does he treat enemies?

2006-02-13T20:44:00.000-05:00

Well, other than outing their secret agent wives for the sake of discrediting your arguments, it's pretty much up to pure speculation. Anyway, it's true, Cheney has officially shot a fellow hunter on a Texas ranch with a shotgun from about 30 yards away. It's okay, though, because it was just buckshot and, well, accidents happen. The ranch owner expects to have Cheney back for another hunting excursion sometime soon, but she probably won't be accompanying him. Thankfully, though, Cheney's medical team, which follows the frail, light-hearted (no pun intended) Vice President wherever he goes, were able to assist the man immediately and get him to a hospital expediently. And we thought the medical staff was for Cheney... no, just the people he accidentally tries to kill.

The Gloves are Off in the Democratic Primary

2006-02-13T20:24:00.000-05:00

The Democratic gubernatorial primary is beginning to look like everything else that's wrong with the national party. Gammage sent out a terrific attack ad today, but too bad it was against fellow Democrat Chris Bell. In it, he calls Bell a "Republican Lite" for winning an award from the Harris County GOP (near Houston) and making compromises with moderates while in Congress. Look, we're doing the Republicans' job for them.

I though Gammage was different, that he didn't endorse in-fighting and that he'd run a campaign against the Republicans only. Let them worry about who isn't Republican enough and let's just try to get a person with a "D" next to their name elected. That's the problem; the Dems are acting like they're still the majority power in politics and have the luxury of being able to cut the legs out from under one another for personal political gain. The Republicans are the ones who should have a monopoly on this type of behavior.

While the Dems are busy tearing each other apart, the other candidates are solidifying their positions on the ballot and raising huge amounts of money. I can't wait for the primary to be over, so that we can just have one candidate with serious full party support. Then, maybe we'll focus our attacks on the massive failure that is Gov. Rick Perry's administration, which includes Carole Keeton-Strayhorn. Then, maybe a Democrat will out Kinky Friedman on the fact that he's no more than a circus side-show with no real interest in benefitting the state, but rather in making a name for himself. Other Dems around the state need to stand up against these attacks and refocus our energies on once again achieving a progressive-thinking state government.

I'm tired of Texas representing the Neo-Conservative agenda to the rest of the nation while lagging miles behind even the poorest states in social programs like health care and education. We can do better than this and it won't happen unless the Dems get their act together.

MN06 - Wetterling's Integrity

2006-02-13T08:55:00.000-05:00

My last post on MN06 received a couple comments, and I thought I would use this post to respond to one of them from lloydletta (whose continued attention and comments I do appreciate, and whose blog can be found here):

Tinklenberg's looking pretty foolish after spending the week whining to the media about this. He'd look much more attractive as a candidate if he'd just have said "I look forward to debating Patty Wetterling on the issues."

I just wanted to say I disagreed with the idea that Tinklenberg is looking foolish for getting a lot of press regarding Wetterling's repeated promises that she wouldn't get into the 6th. For examples I would use one letter to the editor and one editorial.

Letter to the editor in The Annandale Advocate:

Not surprised by Wetterling
M.P. O’Loughlin, Maple Lake

I read with interest the Annandale Democrat (sic) story headlined “Wetterling’s Word Trusted.” I believed from the tone of the headline that this was a pre-emptive strike to shame Mrs. Wetterling into keeping her word. I was not shocked that she did announce that she was running for the Sixth District seat, apparently against her personal vow to Mr. Elwyn Tinklenberg.

Mrs. Wetterling has an established pattern of playing loose with the truth. Through Carol Butler, her “Senate Campaign” manager, she issued a statement on Sept. 28, 2005. “There is absolutely no chance whatsoever that she’s running for the Sixth District. She’s running for the U.S. Senate. She’s raised $1 million from 13,000 donors. Any speculation that she is not running is wishful thinking on behalf of her opponents.” Was her entire “Senate Campaign” a ruse to gather in the big money so she could run in the Sixth?Shame on you, Mrs. Wetterling, I expected more.

Part of an editorial in the Mankato Free Press:

Thumbs down

To Patty Wetterling for apparently going back on her word not to run against fellow DFLer Elwyn Tinklenberg in the 6th Congressional District race.

Tinklenberg said he only decided to run after meeting with Wetterling, who told him she would not run for the House seat and encouraged him to run.

But after dropping out of the U.S. Senate race, Wetterling has had a change of heart.When she left the Senate race, Wetterling stressed the need to unite the party’s efforts. This will do nothing for party unity.

I would argue that Tinklenberg's strong press coverage last week has given his campaign a boost and possibly hurt Wetterling's campaign, since her actions cast her in a less than positive light among some MN06 voters. With LexisNexis and Google you really can find many instances with Wetterling promising not to run in MN06, and I think it was both smart and fair for Tinklenberg to let the voters know.

MN06 - Washington Times Column

2006-02-09T21:10:00.000-05:00

Wow, could this have been written any better? Sure, it's the Washington Times, but I think it's about dead-on regarding the MN06 race, and I'll just go ahead and display it here:

Democrats in Minnesota
By Barry Casselman
Published February 9, 2006
Just when I think the Democrats are beginning to figure out how to respond more successfully to the Republicans, I am reminded that some Democrats today are their own worst enemy.

A case in point has just occurred in the Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Incumbent Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy is retiring so that he can run for the Senate seat that Democrat Mark Dayton is vacating. This district is very conservative although, because many Democrats in it are pro-life and pro-gun and support the war in Iraq, the split between the parties is not so great as the one between right and left.

Mr. Kennedy's opponent in 2004 was child welfare advocate Patty Wetterling, who became nationally famous after her son, Jacob, was kidnapped in 1989 and never found. She has devoted herself ever since to helping the parents of other missing children and promoting programs for child protection. With almost complete and positive name recognition, she was thought to be a formidable challenger to Mr. Kennedy, and did come somewhat closer than expected, but she lost by 8 percent.

When Mr. Kennedy announced his plans for 2006, it was expected that Mrs. Wetterling would run for the open seat, especially since several conservatives were battling it out for the Republican nomination. In 2005, however, Mrs. Wetterling announced she would run for the Senate, declaring that she "could not win in the 6th District." This made sense because Mrs. Wetterling is pro-choice, anti-gun and has called for U.S. withdrawal in Iraq, all positions which are unpopular in the 6th District.

The Democrats then found a candidate who was a remarkable fit for this district, composed mostly of suburbs north of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Elwyn Tinklenberg had been longtime mayor of Blaine, one of its largest communities. He was pro-life and pro-gun, and he was a Methodist minister. He had also been commissioner of transportation under Gov. Jesse Ventura (who was very popular here). With the Republican Party quarrelling over its nominee, Mr. Tinklenberg had a very genuine opportunity to win a seat hitherto thought to be safe for the Republicans (just as Pennsylvania Democrats have rallied behind pro-life and pro-gun Robert Casey Jr. as their nominee for the Senate seat now held by Republican Rick Santorum. Mr. Casey now seems likely to defeat Mr. Santorum).

But Mrs. Wetterling was not faring well in the Senate contest in Minnesota. Although she had raised $1.2 million, but she only had $200,000 left even before the contest had begun in earnest.

Presumably, she had spent almost $1 million to pay her fund-raisers and outside consultants. Her Democratic opponent had not only outraised her in campaign funds, she had a much higher percentage of funds left. Mrs. Wetterling's name recognition also seemed to have less impact this year, facing an effective Democratic opponent who appeared to demonstrate a broader knowledge of issues.

There was immediate speculation about what Mrs. Wetterling would do after she withdrew from the Senate race. The state's Democratic attorney general, and the frontrunner for the party's nomination for governor in 2006, asked her to be his running mate. When she had withdrawn from the congressional race almost a year before, she had also promised Mr. Tinklenberg unequivocally that she would not be a candidate for Congress. Much to the surprise of many Democrats, including friends and supporters, however, she announced she would re-enter the 6th District race. Her Republican opponents were delighted, as was the state Republican Party. Mr. Tinklenberg and his supporters are outraged, having worked months to build support and raise funds for his candidacy. He immediately declared he would stay in the race and made Mrs. Wetterling agree to abide by the party endorsing convention.

The result has been a profound deflation of Patty Wetterling's political reputation. Mr. Tinklenberg stated that "she is now just another politician." Republicans were even stronger in their criticism, and Democratic strategists in Minnesota and Washington are appalled at what could become a lost opportunity. Having contributed to her Senate campaign, Mr. Tinklenberg only half-jokingly pointed out that he may be the only candidate this year who is having his own money being used against him.

Of course, with her strong name recognition, Mrs. Wetterling cannot be ruled out of the race for her party's nomination. At the least, she will force Mr. Tinklenberg to spend some of his much-needed campaign treasury before the autumn campaign. If somehow she does win the nomination, she will provoke a significant percentage of Democrats and independents to vote for whomever is the Republican nominee, as they have in the past. Unlike Mr. Tinklenberg and any of the probable Republican candidates for this seat, Mrs. Wetterling has no experience in elective office, nor has she shown much interest in any issues other than child welfare.

This would not seem to be the way to rebuild the Democratic Party.

This is pretty much exactly what I've been arguing or had yet to argue.

Bell vs. Gammage: the War of the Snore Today!

2006-02-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls meet face-face-today at 2 pm to hash out their differences, most of which are with Republican incumbent Rick "the Hair" Perry. Gammage promises to blusteringly wax political about the proud past of Texas Democrats, while Bell looks to talk tough about Gammage's ancient voting record, which, by the way, nobody cares about.

The truth is, that both candidates are just trying to get noticed. Neither one has remotely contested the fundraising efforts of Perry and Republican-gone-Independent grandma Carole Keeton-Strayhorn. Perry has about $11.5 million on hand to Strayhorn's $8.1 million. The Dems might want to have a garage sale or something, where Bell touts a war chest of $165,444 and Gammage is slapping a check for $52,940 on the bar and buying everyone a round.

The best we can hope for is that Gammage gets drunk before the show and tries to challenge Bell to a duel.

Texas HD48 Race Heats Up... a little

2006-02-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

I know most you don't really care about Texas House races, but I thought this could give a little insight into the circus that is politics in my home state. Texas House District 48, which encompasses part of west Austin (mostly the rich white part with good schools), is having a special election because their rich white Republican representative, Todd Baxter, has recently resigned to become a... survey says: LOBBYIST!

Granted, Baxter was the only contender to Gov. Perry's coveted "Best Hair in the Lege" title, but nonetheless he was a major douche. Can I say that? Douche, there. I said it and I don't regret it whatsoever. This seat is important, though, because Gov. Perry is getting ready to call a special session to deal with that pesky "school finance is unconstitutional" thing. There's already been a vote on the initial group of candidates, but there's a run-off election this month and the winner will have to defend once again in November during the general election.

Anyway, the Republicans have decided to try and replace the man with the second best hairdoo in Texas politics with an even bigger toolbag, named Ben Bentzin (the alliteration/redundancy in his name was completely his parents' idea, but it's still loathsome). Bentzin is what is commonly referred to as a "Dellionaire," meaning he has acquired vast fortune via the computer and job-outsourcing enterprises of Michael Dell, the only Jewish Republican I know. Bentzin took 38.7% of the vote in the January 17 election, which put him in a run-off scheduled for Valentine's Day. Perry wants Bentzin on board because Ben loves school vouchers and nobody wants to raise taxes on the wealthiest state in the country (GDP).

Bentzin's opponents in the special election consist of a few unexciting Democrats. The frontrunner at the moment, who after taking 49.5% of the initial ballot is actually in the run-off, is named Donna Howard. She's entertaining and inspiring, if you consider watching paint dry to be an acceptable form of entertainment. She is qualified, though, I guess. She was a member of the Eanes ISD school board, which resides in her sought-after district and has gotten the TEA's endorsement. Her biggest campaign hurdle is that her name doesn't direct you to her website, because it has already been gobbled up by a crazy Christian pet psychic lady.

Another Democrat, Kathy Rider, pulled some 11.8% of the votes in the first ballot and looks to run again in November hasn't made any waves and didn't even have a website until recently. She does, however, look like she could beat me up and that scares me. Andy Brown, UT Law graduate and balding 20-something-year-old was disqualified from the special election because of residency requirements, but is looking to make a grassroots push for the seat in November as well.

There you have it: Texans struggle to elect a Democrat to a seat in one of the most liberal cities in the South.

IN02 - Donnelly on Medicare Drug Plan

2006-02-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

I've got a suggestion for Tex's list of Real American Problems in his post below: A Medicare prescription drug plan that favors regular people instead of the drug companies. (My real solution is full health insurance for all, but I am a firm believer in taking smaller steps in the right direction instead of drastic change overnight.) Solving our health care crisis would take chunks out of our poverty and Social Security problems as well. The poor and old alike wouldn't have to decide between needed health care and food or heat.

According to Joe Donnelly, one person who is impeding our progress is Chris Chocola. Donnelly was featured in a Saturday South Bend Tribune article with his views on the Medicare prescription drug plan disaster:

Medicare's new prescription drug program "is a good example of what goes wrong when Congress lets the drug companies and insurance industry write the laws," Democratic congressional candidate Joe Donnelly contended Friday.

The Granger Democrat cited a Miami Herald editorial that said that instead of the promised "seamless transition," the "actual roll-out has been an unmitigated disaster."

The newspaper claimed that the situation has been so bad that "20 states have intervened to subsidize drugs for low-income beneficiaries who can't get their prescriptions covered under the new program."

Donnelly said that rather than allowing Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to secure the lowest possible prices for prescription drugs, U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola, R-2nd, and other congressional Republicans "made it illegal for Medicare to do that."

"Congressman Chocola claims to be a fiscal conservative, but when it came to giving the drug and insurance companies every penny they wanted with this Medicare drug plan, he gave it to them," Donnelly said. The Democratic candidate aid a gap in coverage built into the Medicare plan has "made for a whale of a mess" and is an example "of how Congressman Chocola caters to Wall Street and my concern is about our people on Main Street."

"There is no question there have been some problems implementing the benefit," Chocola conceded in a statement issued Friday.

"However," he said, "you can sit back, play politics and complain, or you can work to help our seniors and solve problems. I am focused on helping our seniors solve problems."

Chocola noted that he held a series of town hall meetings across the district in October to help seniors save money on their prescription drugs. He also said that because of competition, the average monthly premium for prescription coverage has been reduced from $35 to $25.

Chocola spokesman Brooks Kochvar said that because of competition, many of the plans no longer have the gap in coverage that was part of the original plan.

Dedicated to Pragmatism

2006-02-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

I watched the State of the Union Address the other day and I didn't expect to be pleased. Needless to say, my expectations were met ten fold. Whatever happened to representative Democracy, where elected officials were actually held accountable at the polling stations? It's still here, we've just been encouraged to ignore it for the more comfortable vice of complacency. We're constantly beaten over the head to believe that one man doesn't equal one vote anymore, and that private interests and money rule the game.

It's not true, although those factors rank amongst a myriad of different components that contribute to the construction of our government. I won't believe that America has been bought and sold or that there is some sort of ruling elite; those theories are tired and don't make any real sense in the first place. It's time to stop making excuses and start planning for a real campaign to take back the government that we gave away on those false pretenses. We, as left-wingers, liberals, Democrats, and moderates who just care a little more about the big picture than how big next year's tax cuts are going to be, need to surgically remove our asses from our seats and create real solutions to real American problems.

Nation-building is not in our national interest, but neither is blaming our military for leadership deficiencies that occurred in the Oval Office. Intellingence is intelligence and alterior motives are what the neo-cons are marketing. I didn't agree with the war in Iraq from the beginning, but it's our responsibility to respect our own soldiers as well as those innocent civilian lives that we disturbed, by leaving the country in a better condition than that under which we entered it. That being said, we cannot continue to impose our ideals on peoples abroad who want nothing to do with them. It is okay to offer an opinion, but it is quite another to force it. Enough with that crap, it's getting old.

Real American Problems:
1) Poverty
2) Health Care
3) Education
4) Social Security
5) Jobs and the Economy
6) Immigration and Border Security
7) National Security (not foreign war, but actually doing something about keeping us safe at home)

I am taking suggestions on how you'd fix these problems, because it doesn't seem like anyone in Washington at the moment wants to talk about them ahead of their religious agendas or pet projects.

MN06 - Wetterling Can't Win

2006-02-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

Wetterling announced her candidacy in MN06 on Friday, going back on what she had repeatedly said in the past. But I guess that's politics, right? She got out of the statewide Senate race because she couldn't raise the money against Klobuchar, but she turned down an public invitation to join Hatch's statewide ticket as lieutenant governor. Why do I highlight statewide? Well, maybe because she said this in April of last year:

She believes she can win a statewide race but that she'd lose another election in the Republican-leaning 6th District, which extends from the St. Croix Valley through the northern suburbs to the St. Cloud area.
...
Speaking to Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party elders at a Hemenway Forum luncheon in Oakdale, she said, "I'm not going to run for the 6th District. The numbers show me that ... I will not win."

The numbers are from a poll she commissioned in late February. It showed that, statewide, voters viewed her favorably by a 2-to-1 margin. But in the 6th District, she said, 48 percent had a negative impression of her and 46 percent viewed her positively.

Sounds pretty clear to me. She won't run in MN06 because she can't win. But she's got numbers showing good things for a statewide race.

Tinklenberg was understandably disappointed, having been reassured by Wetterling that she wouldn't run:

Tinklenberg told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had a conversation with Wetterling and told her he was disappointed in her decision, because she had previously assured him she would not run for the seat.

"I told her that my wife and I decided to do this only after visiting her and her husband and being assured she would run for Senate, and that she would not run for the 6th," he said. "And she was very encouraging for me to get in the race."

He also reminded Wetterling that when she announced she was leaving the Senate race, she stressed the need to unite the party's efforts.

"I said, 'That makes it hard to explain why you would get into 6th District race, when you turn the race and party into this kind of battle,'" he said.

Tinklenberg said he was "absolutely" staying in the race.

Tinklenberg had even donated to her '04 campaign and his wife gave to Wetterling's Senate campaign, and now that money will be transferred to a House race to be used against him. Classy.

Tinklenberg had several good statements on the developments:

Tinklenberg criticized Wetterling's entry into the race because she had previously reassured him she would stay in the Senate race and not run for the House seat.
He agreed that things have changed.
"I'm sad to say that one of the things that has changed the most is Patty,'' said Tinklenberg, who repeatedly described himself as disappointed.
In a separate news release, he said: "She gave me her word, and has very publicly reinforced her pledge not to run many times since. I'm not sure how she sells this to the voters.''

Both Tinklenberg and Wetterling have agreed to abide by the DFL endorsement, which means that whoever wins the nod from the party convention in April won't face a primary opponent in September. They now have two months to rally the party's delegates to their side. Will the delegates choose a solid fit in Tinklenberg for the more conservative district that overwhelmingly supported Bush in '04 , or someone who's better off running in a statewide race where the voters chose Kerry?

The district is conservative on social issues, and Wetterling supports abortion rights. That should make for a marked distinction with Tinklenberg, who opposes abortion rights.

"She has a lot of assets she brings to the race - money and name recognition," said Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College. "But she is liberal, and the 6th District is not."

Schier said he expects Tinklenberg to argue that he's a better fit for the district.

"It should be a lively primary race," he said.

IA01 - Surprising FEC Results; IA01 Exciting

2006-02-01T22:12:00.000-05:00

I'm very surprised by the numbers the IA01 candidates have filed with their fourth quarter FEC reports. In the Democratic field, Braley seems well on his way to sealing the deal, which I'm not surprised by. But both Dickinson and Gluba posted net losses for the quarter, losing major ground. Braley raised $85k, which leaves him with around $290k in cash, the most among all IA01 candidates, and he's also spent the least for the cycle-to-date. Dickinson has fallen below $120k in the bank, and Gluba's down to $28k with $46k in debt. For Gluba, maybe now it's just a matter of him raising enough to pay off his debt, but I don't know of what nature the debt is. Anyway, the June primary's just four months out, and I don't think Dickinson or Gluba will be able to catch up.

Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Whalen's posted a good sized loss, with Dix and Kennedy each bringing in $112k and $150k respectively. However, the Kennedy campaign borrowed $100k of his total, which he'll probably need since Dix and Whalen are both somewhat known in IA01. Dix is in the state legislature and Whalen owns a couple restaurant chains, including the always tasty Iowa Machine Shed, where you get an extra egg if you tell the waiter "I love eggs." Maybe he should start telling his donors "I love money."

Kind of off topic now, but IA01's going to be an extremely exciting race in 2006. Not only because it's one of the nation's top races, if not the top race, but also because of Iowa's first in the nation presidential caucuses. Potential '08ers have already begun donating tons of money Iowa candidates and parties. Once the IA01 field is narrowed down to two, there's going to be a huge battle with the big guns coming in for both parties' candidates. The IA01 Dem will surely have an extra advantage with Tom Vilsack needing to make a name for himself as a political powerplayer ahead of 2008. Helping Democrats take the House back would be a surefire way to do just that. Hopefully current IA01 Rep. Jim Nussle doesn't come out of June as the GOP gubernatorial candidate.

Enron chief on trial

2006-01-31T18:24:00.000-05:00

Jeff Skilling, former chief executive at the tanked out energy company, took the stand today in Houston. After several years of careful legal planning and strategizing, Skilling's law team has devised a fool-proof plan for getting their sugar daddy off: denial, blame shifting, and feigned compassion.

Skilling and Lay's attorney, Mike Ramsey, reminded the jury today that his clients had nothing whatsoever to do with any sort of accounting fraud, but did mention that Skilling wanted to save the failing company with $70 million of his own money, but, alas, it was too late. This overwhelming gesture of compassion won't go unnoticed as the 21,000 employees who were laid off let out a collective sigh, as they had once doubted Skilling's commitment to keeping the company afloat. Skilling, did, however, keep the $70 million, so if you want severence pay, give him a call.

Ramsey didn't stop there, leaving just enough time in his statement to point the finger at other Enron executives, who he says were aware of and encouraged the fraud. Law schools don't prepare lawyers like they used to. This very thin argument hopefully won't hold up, unless our justice system is completely full of crap.

OH06 - Poll Shows Big Lead for Charlie Wilson

2006-01-26T19:18:00.000-05:00

A January 11-12 Cooper & Secrest (D) poll of 505 likely OH06 voters gives Democrats something to celebrate about for 2006's prospects:

Party ID
Dem: 50%
GOP: 32%

Rather elect to Congress?
Dem: 52%
GOP: 28%

Rather support a Congress person who...
...would "act as a balance to the Bush Administration's policies that are hurting this area and the country": 57%
...would "support the programs and policies of President Bush": 32%

Bush job approval
Positive: 37%
Negative: 62% (poor: 44%)

Direction of the country
Right direction: 30%
Wrong track: 62%

Bob Taft approval
Positive: 18%
Negative: 80%

OH Governor
Ted Strickland (OH06): 65%
Ken Blackwell: 24%

OH06 race
Charlie Wilson: 42%
Chuck Blasdel: 24%
Undecided: 34%

House Race Hotline (subscription with the National Journal) pointed out in their headline for the OH06 poll that just the party identification could lock this race up for Wilson. I think there are other factors that help as well. Check out current OH06 Rep. Strickland's numbers for governor against Blackwell. 65%. If the popular Strickland wins the nomination, his name on top of the ballot could seal the deal for Wilson. But wait, then there's Wilson polling with an 18-point lead over Blasdel. Yes there are 34% undecided, but with a 50% party ID, 52% wanting to elect a Dem and 57% wanting to elect someone to balance Bush, I'm guessing those undecideds would break pretty hard in Wilson's favor if the election were held today.

IN02 - Bush Taking on Joe Donnelly

2006-01-26T12:48:00.000-05:00

The poll Joe Donnelly released in December has apparently caught the attention of Chocola and the people in DC who tell Bush what to do. The poll showed Donnelly holding Chocola well under 50%, trailing only 40% to 46%. Among IN02 voters who recognized both candidates, Donnelly had a whopping 10-point lead with 51% to 41%.

Anyway, Chocola has convinced Bush to come to Mishawaka in IN02 on February 23rd to raise cash at a luncheon and photo op. Perhaps Chocola did some polling of his own since the Donnelly poll and didn't like what he saw.

Joe Donnelly has a gem of a quote in today's South Bend Tribune:

"I think that's the ultimate compliment we can have for our campaign," said Democratic congressional candidate Joe Donnelly, when asked for a comment.

Donnelly said the president's visit on behalf of the Republican incumbent is "a clear indication that Chris Chocola is in trouble and the president is coming once again to try and bail him out."

Zing!

Texas is Special

2006-01-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

Special Session, that is...

Gov. Perry, in all his stupendous glory, is expected to call yet another special session by March in order to discuss possible solutions to the problem of school finance in Texas, which was deemed nearly unconstitutional by the Texas Supreme Court. We have a deadline of June 1 to fix the fractured system before schools shut down and illiterate children across the state rejoice.

State legislators are battling incontinence at the prospect of actually tackling an issue that matters. They can no longer bask in the warm nostalgia of the last regular session where they waxed intellectual about the moral decay caused by how much jiggle high school cheerleaders included in their routines or whether or not to replace the "Welcome to Texas" signs with new ones bearing the same greeting, but adding the slogan, "Proud Home of President George W. Bush." Forget across-the-board spending cuts on state social services and arguments about whether to name the road surrounding the Capitol building after W, who isn't actually from our state, or Ronald Reagan, who surprisingly has nothing to do with Texas at all. It's finally time for the teeming mass of inept policy-builders to produce a piece of legislation that actually solves a problem other than toilet paper shortages.

Already, though, some have tendered their solutions to the finance dilemma. "Why don't we just cut bilingual education, we speak English here, don't we?" Well, the fact that you need confirmation should nullify your right to speak on the issue at all. Simply blaming the problem on the border and illegal immigrants is a favorite pasttime for Texans, who use this strategy more frequently than the safety nets of gay-bashing and mentioning the "liberal media." Unfortunately, no one's listening, because the number of immigrants, both legal and illegal, increases every year and I'm sure you'd rather spend time teaching them English than learning Spanish for yourself.

"How about vouchers?" Those are great if you are comfortable compromising your childrens' education with arbitrary standards of excellence adopted by private schools, who, by the way, can expel any student on a whim who might threaten their test passage rates or fire teachers for failing to recite the Lord's Prayer frequently enough. Vouchers are just a bad idea, no matter how much John Stossel thinks he understands them. They are just a cop out to shovel more of the burden on students and parents without demanding that the lege own up and actually increase or create tax programs.

"Reducing teacher salaries by making them clock in and offering an hourly wage?" Ok, then you should become the new director of human resources for every school district in the state and try, in vain, to attract qualified educators to work in public schools. Quality of education would plummit like shares of Enron and we'd have uncertified employees teaching your kids how to read and write, which I think are still particularly valuable trade skills.

The reality of the situation is such that property taxes are unbelieveably unfair and cutting programs or funding is just not an option. This is a symptom of the lege's addiction to tax cuts, where they save you some coin on each paycheck, but rake you over the coals with government fees and service charges. Let's get per pupil spending back where it should be, maybe give teachers a pay raise, and finance construction of much needed new facilities throughout the state and let's raise the money the old fashion way, by taxing the citizenry, which expects to benefit from the use of public services. The entire citizenry (no just the middle class), since an educated work force benefits everyone, should pitch in to secure our childrens' intellectual future.

MN06 - Poll: Tinklenberg in Excellent Position, MN06 Leaning Democratic

2006-01-24T16:40:00.000-05:00

A Cooper & Secrest poll of 505 likely MN06 voters on January 4th, 5th and 8th shows the following:

41% describe themselves as Democratic, 40% as Republican.
In a generic congressional trial heat, the "Democrat" is up 41% to 36%.
59% of voters prefer "a congressperson who will act as a balance to the Bush Administration's policies that are hurting this area and the country" with 39% preferring "a congressperson who will support the programs and policies of President Bush."
A 47% plurality are personally critical of Bush, with 60% giving him negative job ratings and only 40% positive.
52% describe America as on the wrong track, with 37% saying the right direction.
71% agree, with 49% agreeing strongly, that "From the White House to Congress, Republican scandals and special interests are preventing the government from serving the average person; we need to clean house in Washington."
Minnesota State Legislature job approval: 21% positive, 76% negative.
41% describe themselves as conservative, only 29% as liberal.
Tinklenberg leads Phil Krinkie 29% to 28%, though Krinkie is better known by 9 points.
Tinklenberg has 29% to Bachmann's 32%, a statistical tie, and Bachmann is twice as well known as Tinklenberg. Among voters who know both Tinklenberg and Bachmann, Tinklenberg has an impressive lead, 44% to 28%.

This poll is significant for several reasons. First, Dems have a slight advantage in ID, though MN06 went for Bush in '04, and they're up 5% in a generic trial heat. This was always thought to be a GOP district, but now we see that it's leaning Democratic.

Second, the MN State Legislature is tanking among MN06 voters, and Krinkie and Bachmann are both MN State Legislators.

Third, Tinklenberg's behind on name ID, but not behind in the poll.

Finally, and to me most importantly, 41% of MN06 voters call themselves conservative. This is significant because Tinklenberg is a moderate Democrat. Voters are tired of Bush, Republicans and all the scandals, but may not be ready to be represented by a progressive Democrat. Tinklenberg matches this district ideologically. Wetterling may have the name ID, but she won't get the votes, because she is too liberal for this district. I agree with Stu Rothenberg, who, in his column in 1/23's Roll Call, said "Tinklenberg gives Democrats their strongest possible candidate in this district."

In other news, this week is turning out to be an extremely busy news week. Keep checking back later in the week, since I've got more info on OH06, IA01, NY29 and KY04 to cover.

MN06 - Wetterling Leaving Options Open

2006-01-22T19:37:00.000-05:00

Patty Wetterling has dropped her bid for Mark Dayton's Senate seat, leaving Amy Klobuchar the lone Democrat of significance in the race. Now everyone's wondering what Wetterling's going to do. She said "everything's a possibility" at her 2pm Friday press conference, meaning she could take any of several paths. I think she should run on Mike Hatch's gubernatorial ticket, since, as she had suggested, she polled better running statewide than in MN06.

She was supposed to meet with MN06 Democrats on Friday about a renewed run in the district. I don't see her winning it if she were to make it out of the primary, since she's too liberal to take such a GOP-leaning district for Democrats. I know she ran well last time, even forcing Kennedy to lag behind Bush in the totals, and I think would run well again, but not well enough to pull it off. MN06 already has a solid Democrat in former Blaine mayor and former minister El Tinklenberg, who, like Charlie Wilson in OH06, fits his district perfectly.

Besides ideologically fitting MN06, Tinklenberg has already secured some key funding sources and support from the DC PAC community, Labor and national Democrats. He's been the top open seat PAC fundraiser in the nation for Democrats in both the second and third quarters of 2005, and will be near or at the top again when 2005's fourth quarter results are official after January 31st. He's been locking up labor support, already getting the Minnesota AFL-CIO nod. On top of this, he's got strong support from key Democrats. Rep. James Oberstar (MN08), the ranking Dem on the Transportation committe, on which Tinklenberg would surely be as former Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, is a very close friend and strong supporter of Tinklenberg's. Democratic House Whip and political powerhouse Steny Hoyer (MD05) has endorsed Tinklenberg and even flew all the way out ot Minneapolis to host a Labor fundraiser. DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel (IL05) has given to Tinklenberg, and Emanuel is in hcarge of recruiting candidates for the House. Tinklenberg has also gotten checks from other top national Democrats' PACs, like House Leader Pelosi, Senator Kerry, Rep. Schakowsky (IL09) and Rep. Visclosky (IN01).

Though Tinklenberg has soaked up some key Democratic funding sources, there is one organization that would make the MN06 primary brutal: EMILY's List. An EMILY's List endorsement absolutely does not secure a victory for any candidate, but it does guarantee an extremely expensive race. EMILY's List just frickin' pours the money into races, and would turn Tinklenberg's current general election campaign back into a primary campaign quickly. Whoever emerged would be bloodied.

I still think Tinklenberg would have the advantage over an EMILY's List endorsed Wetterling, simply because even the Democrats in MN06 are moderate. Abortion is most definitely frowned upon in MN06, and might not even be a defining issue for MN06 voters who would still vote for someone who didn't share their view on abortion. New polling should back this up soon.

Check back soon.

OH06 - NRCC: "The Most Competitive Open Seat in the Country"

2006-01-19T09:29:00.000-05:00

Progressives need to wake up and realize that if Democrats are going to take back the House in 2006, they're going to have to reach out and support some moderates as well. There are some good moderates running, like in IN02, MN06 and OH06.

OH06 is among my favorites because if any candidate fits a district perfectly, it's Charlie Wilson. OH06 is very rural (50%) and very poor. The largest city is Boardman with 37,000, then Athens with 21,000, followed by Steubenville with 19,000. Much of the district used to be in the coal mining industry and is now plagued by high unemployment. Meigs County has the lowest median household income in Ohio. Bush won this district in '04 with 51%, making OH06 the only Democratic open seat that is a swing district.

I keep bringing the point up about helping our moderates like OH06 because they are crucial to a Democratic wave in 2006. The House could come down to a one seat difference between majority and minority, so let's not be on the wrong side of it. A progressive candidate wouldn't stand a chance in a OH06 primary, and would stand less of a chance in the general election.

Both parties are heavily targeting OH06. Ed Patru, NRCC deputy communications guy, called OH06 "the most competitive open seat in the country." Republicans see it as their only open seat pickup opportunity. The seat is consistently rated as a tossup (Washington Post rates it as the third most likely seat to switch parties in '06, the only Democratic open seat listed on their top ten, besides VT-AL at #10 which doesn't really count) or leans Democrat (Rothenberg Political Report and most recently Congressional Quarterly, which is where I got the Patru quote).

Republicans are going to be pouring the money into this race, and into Ohio in general. OH06 doesn't really have its own media market, and can't concentrate on any one media market nearby. It will be getting Republican ads from all over, since OH06 borders Jean Schmidt's (R) OH02, Ralph Regula's (R) OH16, Tim Ryan's (D) OH17 and Bob Ney's (R) OH18, as well as Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. OH06 even shares counties with OH02 (Scioto), OH17 (Mahoning) and OH18 (Athens and Belmont).

This seat should be a priority of progressives if they really want Democrats to control the agenda again in the House. It may feel like we're already going to win the House back because of all the scandals, but I don't think it's as important outside the Beltway and off the blogs as we think. 2006 is going to be a tough battle, and OH06 is on the front line.

Gammage Steps Up, Bell Whimpers

2006-01-13T21:16:00.000-05:00

Bob Gammage, former Congressman and Texas Supreme Court Justice, kicked off his gubernatorial campaign last week in Sugar Land, Texas, the district he used to represent over 30 years ago. Gammage is the one tough grandpa to Carole Keeton-Strayhorn's geriatric plea for moderate and conservative Texan votes.

For those of you old enough to know or young enough to operate comfortably in this "internet" place, Bob Gammage was a member of the famed "Dirty Thirty," who teamed up on ethically challenged members of the state lege in 1971 in the midst of a bribery-conspiracy scandal. His first campaign stop logically falls in the home district of current Texas Congressman and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Gammage wasted no time calling out the bug man for his recent scandalous behavior and was able to make a close relationship between DeLay and incumbent Rick Perry seem as matrimonial as legally possible in Texas. It's true, Perry's war chest is heavy with funds from TRMPAC (DeLay's Texas money laundering scheme). As well, former Democrat Perry's claims to be the only "unwaivering conservative on the ballot" have received more than a few chuckles from those in the know. In all, the elder statesman still packs a wallop and Perry's glass jaw is looking as vulnerable as his well-manicured dome indicates.

The big surprise this week, though, is the strategy coming out of the Chris Bell camp, which is attempting to win the primary, but not quite committed to winning the election. Bell released statements this week criticizing Gammage's stance on issues concerning reproductive rights. Specifically, Bell cracked on Gammage for opposing federally-funded abortions, but then claiming to be pro-choice. Bell's attempts to smear Gammage falls short for the simple reason that Texas is an overwhelmingly pro-life state, where Gammage is attacking issues that Texans actually care about like ethics reform, education and immigration. Further, the references in Bell's attacks to Gammage's voting record go back further than disco and come with little context as to the actual legislative effects of the former state senator/representative's decisions.

This move shows the fear from within the Bell campaign that old Gammage is going to be a tougher beat than they'd anticipated and all that wasted time to secure the Democratic vote over the past year that they've been campaigning looks like it should've been better spent after a week-long tour across the state by a brand new candidate. The real issue here, though, is that Bell is talking to such a selective minority of the Texas voting public and Gammage is reaching further into the bowl to grab as many pissed off people as he can to replace a failure at the top of the state government. And what's more is that Gammage has teamed up with a couple more of his Dirty Thirty pals from the old school and they're looking to pick up other statewide elected positions (Ben Grant for Lt. Gov. and Fred Head for Comptroller).

Bell needs to get with the program and tackle the issues that the voters care about if he wants to have a fighting chance. This crap where Dems duke it out in the primary and flop in the general election needs to stop. Attack the proven shortcomings of Rick Perry, which, I know, is like picking on the fat kid with black socks and goggles in gym class, not because it's easy, but because it's what will win the November election for a Democrat. Win the primary the good old fashion way: by convincing those members of your party that you're the best leader they've got and that you'll stand up to the opposition before you'll cut the legs out from under your own ilk. Gammage, thus far in a newborn campaign, has shown us that he is willing to hold the Republicans accountable for the stuff they've screwed up and has expressed the desire to repair their monumental bloopers. Bell has only showed us that he knows how to sling mud, just not very well.

Timing

2006-01-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

So, when the opposition party is getting dragged over the coals for corruption scandals involving lobbyists and privately-funded trips for Members of Congress, what should you not do?

How about take a privately-funded 5 day trip to Jamaica? That's something I wouldn't do if this were going on while I was a Member of Congress. I definitely wouldn't be there touring the resort town Ocho Rios or attending a dinner reception at the friggin' Ritz Carlton of Montego Bay.

That would be bad timing and in bad taste.

Good work Donald Payne (NJ10), Gregory Meeks (NY06), Albert Wynn (MD04), G.K. Butterfield (NC01), Lynn Woolsey (CA06), and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (OH11). That's at least six press releases you just wrote for the scandal-ridden GOP about how this corruption issue is bipartisan, plus free media coverage.

OH06 - Moderates Need Love, Too

2006-01-12T09:02:00.000-05:00

The blogging community favors greatly the more progressive candidates, even if they have no shot at winning. I think supporting them is great, and agree that Democrats should be challenging seats nationwide. However, there are some moderates that need help, too. For example, Charlie Wilson in OH06.

The following clip came out in the National Journal's House Race Hotline on Tuesday (italics mine):

SPOTLIGHT

Culture Clash

OH state sen Charlie Wilson (OH-06) isn't a typical Dem candidate. He voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in the state House, trumpets his endorsement and A-plus rating from the NRA in his last campaign and opposes abortion rights, except for rape, incest or the life of the mother. But his culturally conservative, economically populist views put him in position to hold the rural, eastern OH seat for the party.

Wilson is on of the Dem candidates this cycle whose views on the provocative "God, guns and gays" issues hew closer to the GOP side. Ex-Methodist minister [and TLN targeted candidate] Elwyn Tinklenberg (MN-06) argues that Dems need to be more comfortable talking about faith. Sheriff Brad Ellsworth (IN-08) has said he'll put his "family values up against anybody." And ex-UTenn/Redskins QB Heath Shuler (NC-11) calls himself "pro-life and pro-gun." Lying in wait, of course, are strong GOP incumbents/challengers who will try to link them to liberal party leaders Nancy Pelosi and DNC Chmn Howard Dean -- a strategy that has worked, with some success, for the GOP in the past.

If we're going to take back the House, progressives are going to have to be proactive in supporting the party's moderate candidates as well. Part of challenging seats nationwide is finding candidates that fit the districts. Charlie Wilson is a perfect match for OH06, whether or not you agree with his conservative positions on social issues. No progressive would win in OH06, no matter how much money you threw at them.

OH06 is one of the most important races for Democrats and Republicans both this cycle. It went for Bush with 51% in 2004, and Republicans are targeting it as their best open seat pickup opportunity. OH06 is the only currently Democratic open seat in the country that needs nationwide attention and help to be retained by Democrats.

Charlie Wilson was made for this seat, and if Democrats can't hold onto their own open seats like OH06, they don't stand a chance at taking back the House in 2006. Contribute to Charlie Wilson's ActBlue account today!

NY29 - Rep. Anthony Weiner Endorses Eric Massa

2006-01-12T08:59:00.000-05:00

Rep. Anthony Weiner (NY09) was at Massa's NYC event last week and made the following statement:

"It's an honor to support a fellow New Yorker, who is continuing his 24 years of
military service by stepping up to serve the working families of the 29th
District. Eric Massa is the right candidate, in the right district, at the
right time."

I think this is an appropriate statement, as 2006 could be a big year for Democrats and NY29's "working families" can't be too happy about Kuhl's CAFTA vote.

FL08 - Charlie Stuart Statement on GOP Corruption

2006-01-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

Charlie Stuart is calling out Ric Keller for the campaign cash donated to Keller by Tom DeLay (TX22), Duke Cunningham (ex-CA50), and Jack Abramoff. So far, Keller has only opted to return the $1K personal contribution from Abramoff, though he's also received at least $2,250 from Greenberg Traurig's PAC dating back to 2001 (Greenberg Traurig is the firm Abramoff worked for), plus $250 from another Greenberg Traurig attorney. This leaves $20K from DeLay's leadership PAC (ARMPAC), $1K from DeLay's congressional committee and $1K from Cunningham's leadership PAC (American Prosperity PAC) in his coffers.

Stuart's statement in a 1/5 release:

"With big money comes big promises - and the people who elected him ought to know what Ric Keller has promised to the likes of Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay & Duke Cunningham by taking and keeping their tainted money. This culture of corruption has got to stop!

"It is time for a new agenda on ethics in Washington, an agenda that actually includes ethics at its core. Ric Keller benefited from the DeLay-way of raising money for his campaigns - using coercion, making promises, getting in bed with people who bragged about buying influence in the political system - and it is simply time to put a stop to unethical behavior, starting with Congress and Ric Keller.

"My simple rule on taking lobbyist-paid for trips is - I won't. Period. If travel is needed for my role as Congressman, then the government will pay for it. If my wife and I want to travel for recreation, then we will pay for it. But under no circumstances will any lobbyist pay for our travel.

"My simple rule on taking campaign contributions is - if there is even a whiff of impropriety or unethical behavior associated with them, I will either reject, or immediately return, their contribution, and not wait for someone to plead guilty or get indicted to show me the right thing to do.

"I call on Ric to join me in this pledge and denounce the DeLay-way of doing business in Washington."

Help Charlie Stuart restore proper ethics to FL08! Contribute via ActBlue!

Chet Edwards, W's Congressman

2006-01-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

Chet Edwards represents Texas congressional district 17, which stretches along the I-35 corridor between Temple and Hillsboro, passing through the all-too-famous city of Waco and reaching dangerously eastward to Bryan-College Station (home of the fightin' Aggies). However, in the western reaches of his district lies Crawford, whose residents will be the first to tell you that their neighbor is the President (at least most of the year while he's on vacation).

This is, in fact, Bush's home district, where he claims his permanent residence in spite of spending much of his life in the Atlantic Northeast (mostly Kinnebunkport, ME). How is it then, that the poster child for conservative government is represented by a Democrat and how has that Democrat dodged the redistricting bullet and maintained undisputed popularity?

It's all true: Chet is the man and the people of district 17 know it (conservatives aren't stupid, just often misled). He's a graduate of Texas A&M University and has gained acclaim for selflessly representing his constituents without being blinded by the the lights of DC. Before redistricting, he represented the troops and families of Fort Hood, the largest active-duty army post in the US. He continuously shed light on the need for increased funding for V.A. Hospitals and health care for injured troops returning from Iraq. Chet also called out the President for attempting to cut $1.5 billion from the military construction budget, which would be used to construct homes and health care facilities for troops and their families (way to support the troops). For this, Edwards received the National Security Leadership Award from the American Security Council and was named Legislator of the Year by the Association of the U.S. Army.

Chet's not a one-trick pony, though. He also sits on the Appropriations Committee, where he squeezed $6.9 billion from the stone to finance central Texas transportation, education, water and community development projects. He's also introduced legislation to reduce the cost of prescription drugs through MediCare. Sure, he's not out hugging Cindy Sheehan or inviting Michael Moore over for his mid-day feeding, but Edwards is definitely a dedicated public servant with the needs of his constituents at the forefront of his policy interests (not in the back seat to his public relations agenda). That's how Chet wins and that's what so many other ambitious office-seekers need to realize.

IN02 - Chocola Trouble Ignored by Liberal Media

2006-01-08T13:59:00.000-05:00

I'm in disagreement with this column from the Forty Wayne Journal Gazette pretty much top to bottom. It's about how the Democrats are dreaming if they think they can take the House back in 2006. I agree it won't be easy, but it's far from impossible. The Journal Gazette's Sylvia Smith points out that the Dems need a net gain of 15 seats, and how it's unlikely because three Indiana seats figure into the equation, and tossing out three Hoosier incumbents isn't likely.

She starts off with Hostettler in IN08, moves on to Sodrel in IN09 and finally hits on Chocola in IN02. Her logic for IN08 and IN09 is totally flawed, read the column for yourself, but I'm going to stick with IN02, since I'm closely following that race and Joe Donnelly. After recklessly ruling out Democratic victories in IN08 and IN09, she brings the rain clouds to the parade at IN02:

That’s where the third Hoosier seat comes in. Rep. Chris Chocola, who represents the South Bend area despite his home address in Rep. Mark Souder’s district, is often put on the second tier list of remotely possible losers. Chocola was considered a top-tier target in 2004 because he was a freshman, but he won. The same Democrat who didn’t win last time is trying to unseat Chocola this time.

"The same Democrat"?! She means Joe Donnelly.

What’s the case to be made for firing him? The district liked him well enough to choose Chocola over Jill Long Thompson in 2002 when no incumbent was running. They didn’t turn on him in 2004. He hasn’t done anything stupid and has solid ability to raise plenty of money – or dip into his own fortune. So what’s the case to be made for turning him out of office?

How about his close ties with Bush? Bush ain't exactly polling in the low-90s anymore.

I know, I know: Everyone’s pointing to the dismal poll numbers that show the country is pretty disgusted with Congress. But voters say they are as fed up with Democrats as they are with Republicans, so counting on voters to apply their throw-the-bums-out solution to R’s but not D’s is silly. Even more important, generalized disgust does not readily translate to being fed up with
the elected official who appears on a particular voter’s ballot.

How about Chocola's dismal poll numbers? I cannot believe that an IN02 poll showing an extremely competitive Donnelly and weaker-than-expected Chocola was almost completely ignored by the liberal media. Locally it was picked up by the South Bend Tribune and that's all I remember.

Below are a portion of the poll release and the results of that poll. As you can see, Chocola's in a lot more trouble than the media will report. He's well under 50%, and Bush appears to be a liability.

Cooper & Secrest Associates, Inc. (D)
11/28-29/05 (+/-4.4% MOE)

Chris Chocola is held to a mere 6 point lead, and well under 50%, in the first trial heat: 46% Chocola, 40% Donnelly. Among voters who recognize both candidates, Donnelly leads by a 51% to 41% margin. li>

Like George W. Bush (47% positive, 45% negative), Chris Chocola is not well regarded peronally: just 49% positive, fully 37% negative.

Worse for Chocola, his job performance ratings are horrendous: 45% positive, 51% negative (just 12% 'excellent', 24% 'poor').

Contextually, things here have changed in a big way. In 2004, a Republican candidate enjoyed a 48% to 35% generic edge over a Democrat (though Chocola still failed to match this advantage on Election Day); today, the generic trial heat gives a Democrat a 1-point edge, 40% to 39%.

Throw Bush into the mix and the quicksand gets even deeper for Chocola:

"STATEMENT A: We need to elect a Republican to Congress to support the programs and policies of President Bush." - 39%

"STATEMENT B: We need to elect a Democrat to Congress to act as a balance to the Bush Administration's programs and policies." - 50%

NY29 - Massa and Friends

2006-01-07T16:54:00.000-05:00

Eric Massa (NY29) dined with some of the Democratic Party's stars Thursday night in New York City. An event was held in his honor with New York Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer serving as Honorary Host. Spitzer has emerged as the clear frontrunner to replace Pataki. His association with Massa is very beneficial to Massa's campaign. With the NY GOP struggling, Spitzer could have coattails boosting Massa's bid to unseat Randy Kuhl.

Ex-Senator Max Cleland, who has been making the fundraising rounds, including a visit for TLN candidate Charlie Wilson, was an Honored Guest, as was, most significantly, retired General Wesley Clark. Massa, a retired U.S. Navy Commander and Persian Gulf War veteran, was a top aide to Clark in Latin America and Europe and also an active supporter in Clark's '04 presidential run. Clark hasn't forgotten Massa, throwing his full support behind Massa's campaign. WesPAC, Clark's leadership PAC, has already maxed out in primary contributions to Massa, donating $5,000.

Massa represents a major opportunity for Clark. Clark will run again in '08, and he needs to demonstrate his pull in the Democratic Party. Contributing to a successful Massa campaign would be a good way to do just that. Look for a lot more help from Clark in the future.

Oh, that beautiful hair!

2006-01-06T17:41:00.000-05:00

I'll admit, I tried for years to perfect the Zach Morris wave, but alas to no avail. Rick Perry, on the other hand, has not only mastered it, but made it his own. Unfortunately, though, Perry doesn't share the same sly and cunning persona that the Bayside HS prep emanated. In fact, Rick Perry is quite possibly retarded.

The man who, with a win in next November's gubernatorial election, will become the longest serving governor our great state has ever known. In spite of his long-standing popularity, he has done little more with his 6 years in office than to perpetuate the disassembly of state and local government that our fair Bush began during his less-than-stellar tenure. Sure he's an Aggie, but this old school flip-flopper was supposed to offer a mainstream moderate perspective on a Texas political playing field that's more deeply entrenched in partisanship than the Maginot Line.

I remember hearing stories from some former state legislators about Perry's early days in the lege and, most especially, his first Democratic National Convention, where he became giddy with boyish glee and tumultuous excitement before seeing his idol and former Texan Democratic mainstay Phil Gramm. Now, Perry is a lapdog for the most conservative presidential administration we've seen and winner of the coveted "biggest toolbag" award, presented by myself on a semi-annual basis.

Let me fill you in on what Rick Perry, the brainless wonder, has accomplished for the state of Texas. The most pressing issue for the state government, of course, is public education (i.e. how to pay for it). It seems that countless special sessions, school vouchers and Perry's own "Tits for Tots" program (sin tax reform) haven't seemed to plug the dam and now the Texas Supreme Court has ruled that our public schools are unconstitutional and gave our legislature until June 1 to fix them. But, maybe I'm just focusing on the negative. For the years that Texas legislators have been frantically trying to glue Humpty Dumpty (public schools) back together again, Perry has managed to achieve several flattering initiatives.

He bullied Tom Delay's redistricting plan through the legislature by wasting tax dollars with more than one frivolous special session, which would have been better spent working on other pressing issues like education or immigration, for example. He deregulated tuition for public universities, allowing them to set their own rates without legislative oversight, virtually shoveling the entire financial burden of higher education on students. He sat by and watched property taxes soar to their highest marks in recent memory. He also stood by and combed those gorgeous locks while the thrifty Texas lege lowered per pupil spending, dropping us to 40th in the nation in education investment, according to the National Education Association.

All that and he still had time to execute women, the mentally disabled and ban gay marriage. He also coined a new campaign slogan for himself: "Adios mofo!" It's good to know that he's doing something other than sitting in front of the mirror like Marcia Brady and peeling his magnificent black mane across his scalp to cover the lobotomy scars. Bravo, Rick, I'm proud to be from Texas, too.

Immigration

2006-01-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

"You'd have to be really living under a rock not to see this as a real issue."

This quote in the Pioneer Press from MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) refers to illegal immigration, and it might as well be my quote, too, because I agree with him. Not that I side with Republicans regarding immigration, but the Democrats would have to be stupid to let the Republicans control the debate on another wedge issue.

I don't think immigration will be nearly as motivating to the GOP base as the gay marriage amendments were in '04, but Republicans know it will definitely rile some people up. Anti-immigration quotes can be increasingly seen in newspapers and on TV, and it's something the public may begin to latch onto.

The Democrats are quick to say that immigration is an important issue, but all they're saying is what I'm saying: Republicans are gonna use this to GOTV. If Democrats want to take back the House, they need to step up and take a position on immigration without being all John Kerry about it. No more "voted for it before I voted against it" commericals, PLEASE! Americans don't like that crap, and the media loves those soundbites.

Republicans might be incompetent at governing, but at least they're on-message.

If "Smokey" Joe isn't scared, then he should be...

2006-01-05T20:24:00.000-05:00

Joe Barton currently represents Texas Congressional district 6, which after Tom Delay's jerrymandering antics stretches from Tarrant County (Ft. Worth) down IH-45 to Trinity County, and serves as the chairman for the Committee on Energy and Commerce. He's up for re-election next November, but this time he actually has a formidable opponent and a hole in his war chest where Delay and Abramoff's money used to be.

"Smokey Joe" as Barton is so lovingingly referred to by many environmental advocacy groups, posts an awesome record of crapping on environmental integrity and giving industry a free pass on regulatory measures. I'm from Texas, so of course I'm not out hugging trees as often as I'm out chopping them down with my chainsaw for firewood (or photo-ops), so don't assume that I'm going to be pirating command of an oil tanker any time soon. However, the Clean Air Act was signed into law, whether or not "Smokey Joe" likes it, and the rules it outlines regarding pollution should be followed, whether or not "Smokey Joe" and his campaign contributors from the energy lobby and cement industry like it.

His opponent is what I'd call an unlikely Texas Democrat, because, frankly, there isn't an abundance of them and even fewer possess the resume that David Harris has. Harris is a Pennsylvania native, but comes to Texas by way of military service. And, even if he can't beat Barton at the voting machines, this Army Ranger could definitely stomp "Smokey's" scrawny ass into the dust. He has been to Iraq and has seen what he calls, "the good, the bad, and the ugly" of it. His tough talk on national defense is coated for easy digestion as he speaks candidly about exercising increased diplomacy and providing those troops that we do deploy with adequate supplies, as well as their families with the necessities life requires.

Harris is a member of a refreshing new breed of Democratic candidates cropping up across the nation. These newer Dems abandon the partisan quarrels over nominal issues and use their hybrid experience to advocate for realistic and meaningful solutions. It's been a while since we could say that sort of thing about nearly anyone in Washington from either party.

Yosemite Sam for Texas Governor

2006-01-04T19:12:00.000-05:00

For those of you following the Texas governor's race, you know the name of Republican primary challenger Larry Kilgore. For those of you not familiar with Texas politics, you may want to sit down. Kilgore redefines the term "right-wing nut job."

Aside from his colorful website, which brandishes a picture of an aborted fetus on the homepage, Kilgore actually attacks the heart of Texas political woes. For example, the state budget has been spiraling out of control since Rick Perry took office, so Kilgore proposes to cut nearly $169 billion from our spend crazy budget. That sounds like a job for the Almighty, but Kilgore has us covered. "How do you do this?" you might ask.

Simple. First, you institute biblical law and execute criminals for everything from abortion to beastiality and adultery, making the current prison system obsolete and eliminating its $2 billion budget. Then, you eliminate the Department of Health and Human Services, because God only helps those who help themselves. Next, we don't need us no public edu-ma-cation, so trim another $21 billion off the top. The final step with a sprinkle of fairy dust would be to secede from the United States and become an independent nation, meaning no more federal taxes and another $123 billion.

Sure, it sounds crazy, but how else could we balance the state budget? Watch out Perry, you've got a contender on your hands. It just goes to show you that too much of a good thing (spirituality) is really bad (Larry Kilgore). Hopefully, other Texans will agree.

IN02 - SBT Article I Overlooked

2006-01-02T01:04:00.000-05:00

I wrote a few sentences several days ago about an IndyStar article referring to a group of IN02 "progressive Democrats" seeking a primary challenger to Joe Donnelly, commenting that maybe I shouldn't even write about it. Well that article was very brief, and I have since stumbled upon a South Bend Tribune article that gives the story much more detailed coverage.

Now, I consider myself to be a very progressive Democrat, maybe not on everything, but on a lot of issues. But not all Democrats are progressive and IN02 is not a progressive Democrat district. It has elected and reelected Chris Chocola, who owes $40,000 worth of votes to very unprogressive and non-Democrat Tom DeLay (or at least did while he was still Majority Leader).

As a Democrat my goal is to take back the House. You do that with progressive Democrats in progressive Democrat districts and more moderate Democrats in moderate districts. The bottom line is that you get that extra vote for Speaker.

My point is that in IN02, Joe Donnelly fits the district, and that's why he will win the district back for Democrats in 2006. Some "progressive" candidate trying to pull him to the left could possibly make this more difficult. Donnelly's money is better spent turning out the Democratic vote in IN02 and showing IN02's moderate voters that he would better represent the district than Chocola instead of having to defend himself on two fronts.

ActBlue

2005-12-31T15:52:00.000-05:00

I've added an ActBlue link to the top right of the page for contributions to the House Races listed on the right. Just in case this website gets somewhere.

OH06, OH18

2005-12-29T12:50:00.000-05:00

Ohio is gonna be one of the most exciting states to watch in 2006. This article on the 2006 elections in Ohio's Athens County from The Athens News lists the more interesting and important races, including OH06, OH18, Senate and Governor. Athens County is split between two congressional districts, OH06 and OH18.

The scandals of the Ohio Republican Party make all these races even more competitive for the Democrats. Bob Taft is hovering around 15-20% approval, but he is ineligible for reelection. His choice to remain in office might be beneficial for Democrats, and Ted Strickland is the Democratic frontrunner. He of course is leaving his seat in Congress to run, opening up OH06 for Democrat Charlie Wilson.

OH06 - Charlie Wilson is currently the State Senator for Ohio's 30th district, and prior to his current Senate term served as State Representative. The Athens News mentions his race in today's article:

Democrat Ted Strickland represents the 6th District, but he is leaving his position to run for Ohio governor, a position for which he is currently considered the Democratic frontrunner. The 6th District position has attracted several candidates so far, including Republican Danny Harmon of Noble County and Democrat Charlie Wilson of Bridgeport. The field of candidates in the May primary is expected to be crowded.

I find it interesting that Harmon is the only Republican listed. The "field of candidates in the May primary" the article refers to must also only mean the Republican field, since I don't see anyone challenging Wilson on the Democratic side. Wait until he files his Q4 FEC report, that should scare any lingerers away.

OH18 - Bob Ney's district falls into part of Athens County as well. With Ney's potential Jack Abramoff scandal, he could be swept out by Ohio voters sick of the corruption of the state's Republican Party. The Athens News reports on the current status of the race:

In the 18th District, Republican Bob Ney of Heath is running for re-election. This race is also expected to be heated due to Ney's ties to the national scandal involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Early in 2006, Capitol Hill observers expect federal investigators to decide whether to seek indictments of Ney and other congressmen linked to Abramoff. Ney has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Several Democrats are expected to be on the May primary ballot for Ney's position, including Chillicothe Mayor Joe Sulzer, Jeffrey Woollard of Lowell, and Zackary Space of Dover.

I'd be lying if I said I knew who these OH18 Democrats were, but 2006 could see a Democratic wave sweeping a few unknowns into office like with the 1994 Republicans; 1994 is ironically when Ney won his seat. Unfortunately, recent gerrymandering has made any sweeping wave likely to be considerably smaller than in 1994 for any party in the foreseeable future.

Ney's advantage in this situation is his incumbency. Besides his initial election in 1994 with 54% and his first reelection in 1996 with 50%, he has garnered at least 60% in every election since. Here's to hoping Abramoff has another gift for Ney in 2006.

IN02 - Second Dem Candidate Sought

2005-12-28T13:56:00.000-05:00

The IndyStar reports that some group describing itself as "progressive Democrats" is searching for a candidate to challenge Joe Donnelly in IN02's Democratic primary.

Is this newsworthy? The group apparently has no name, and probably won't come up with any candidate anyway. Maybe I shouldn't even bother writing about it.