HILLARY
LEADS IN NH; GONZALES DRAWS FIRE; FRED PONDERS; BACK TO SCHOOL
FOR MEEHAN. P2008: A new WBZ-TV/Franklin Pierce College poll shows
Hillary Clinton holding a seven-point lead in the New
Hampshire Presidential primary. The numbers: Clinton - 32%, Barack
Obama - 25%, John Edwards - 16%, Al Gore - 10%, Bill Richardson
- 3%, Dennis Kucininch - 2%, and all others at 1% apiece or lower. BUSH ADMINISTRATION: Attorney General Al Gonzales is coming
under more pressure to either better explain the seemingly-White
House initiated political purge of eight US Attorneys or resign.
Despite his recent statements to the contrary, the Wall Street
Journal obtained copies of emails between the White House
and Justice Department showing that the instigation to fire them
came from the White House. Some Republicans were unhappy that
these US Attorneys -- all Bush appointees -- were either investigating
Republican politicians for alleged corruption or were "not
moving fast enough" to file corruption charges against Democrats
just before the 2006 mid-term elections. While Democrats have
been uniformly critical on this issue, US Senators Arlen Specter
(R-PA) and John Sununu (R-NH) have also joined the chorus. Specter
has voiced serious concerns and Sununu on Thursday went so far
as to demand Gonzales be fired. President Bush said Gonzales owes
Congress a better explanation of the firings, but said the firings
were "appropriate." Through his spokesman, Bush said
he was "disappointed" with Sununu's comments and thinks
Gonzales is "doing a good job." THOMPSON: Former US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN)
endorsed actor, attorney and former US Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN)
for President this week. Frist, who himself briefly explored a
2008 White House run, said he had not spoken with Thompson about
the race but was trying to encourage him to run. Thompson -- who
currently plays the District Attorney on the Law & Order
TV series -- told the AP this week he is "giving some thought
to it, going to leave the door open" and will make a decision
in a few months. "I think people are somewhat disillusioned.
I think a lot of people are cynical out there. I think they're
looking for something different ... and I think that they're going
to be open to different things," he explained. He wants to
see if any clear frontrunner emerges in the coming months. Thompson
is a conservative who is pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-gay
marriage, supports the Iraq War and the President's surge plan,
and said he would pardon former VP Chief of Staff Scooter Libby
now for his perjury conviction last week. Thompson is active on
Libby's legal defense fundraising efforts. He retired from the
US Senate in 2002 after serving eight years to return to his acting
career. MASSACHUSETTS: Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA) was selected
to be the next Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
"The decision to leave the House has been the most difficult professional
decision of my life ... The opportunity to serve as Chancellor
of my alma mater is the right path for me. I believe in the University
and the vital mission it plays in the community and in the state
and I want to be a part of it. Obviously, this decision also gives
me the opportunity to spend more time with [my wife] Ellen and
my young sons Robert and Daniel. Serving in Congress has its advantages,
but being away from your family three to four nights a week is
not one of them," explained Meehan. He will resign his seat
effective in July, setting up a special election this for the
safe Democratic seat. A large number of Dems have already either
announced candidacies or expressed an interest in the race.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.15.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Plaudits to freshman Congressman
Dave Loebsack (D-IA) for being a real class act. This week he
introduced a bill to name the federal building in Davenport, Iowa,
in honor of former Congressman Jim Leach (R-IA). Loebsack defeated
Leach last year in a close race. "For 30 years, Jim Leach
represented eastern Iowa with distinction and grace," said
Loebsack.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.15.07 | Permalink
|
RON'S
OPEN THREADS TO KEEP YOU BUSY UNTIL HE'S BACK FROM VACATION. Next Update: March 15.
TOPIC:
PRESIDENT BUSH & THE ADMINISTRATION.
Bush, Cheney, Rove, the Cabinet. The President's approval ratings.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.06.07 | Permalink
|
TOPIC:
CONGRESS.
Pelosi, Reid ... Boehner, McConnell ... the 2008 campaigns ...
committee hearings.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.06.07 | Permalink
|
TOPIC:
THE P2008 DEMS - HILLARY, OBAMA, EDWARDS, RICHARDSON & ALL
THE REST.
Your space to debate anything and everything about Chris Dodd,
Joe Biden and Dennis Kucinich. Okay, an also Hillary, Obama, Edwards.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.06.07 | Permalink
|
TOPIC:
THE P2008 GOP - RUDY, JOHN, NEWT, MITT, SAM, CHUCK & ALL THE
REST.
Frontrunner Rudy Giuliani and all the other hard-charging Republican
hopefuls.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.06.07 | Permalink
|
TOPIC:
IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, CUBA, NORTH KOREA, ETC.
Anything and everything going on outside the US borders.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.06.07 | Permalink
|
TOPIC:
POLITICAL SCANDAL & CORRUPTION.
Libby trial ... the political firing of the group of US Attorneys
... Gary Miller, Jerry Lewis, Bill Jefferson.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.06.07 | Permalink
|
TOPIC:
STATE & LOCAL POLITICS.
Governors, state legislatures, candidates and local stuff.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.06.07 | Permalink
|
TOPIC:
LIBERALS, CONSERVATIVES, THIRD PARTIES ... AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
Your free speech zone for everything else.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.06.07 | Permalink
|
MONDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
COULTER
SLURS EDWARDS; KY MUD FLIES; TOM EAGLETON, RIP; ... AND VACATION
TIME. COULTER: Conservative "shock jock" author Ann
Coulter joked at this weekend's CPAC conference that she couldn't
talk about Presidential candidate John Edwards (D) because "it
turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot.'"
While Dems quickly denounced the reckless Coulter -- who has previously
said that Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and Al Gore were gay or
"latent" homosexuals -- it took Republicans a day to
gauge the backlash. On Sunday, Mitt Romney (R) called the remark
"offensive." Rudy Giuliani said it was "completely
inappropriate" and John McCain (R) called the comment "wildly
inappropriate." Even one of the CPAC event co-sponsors --
the National Center for Public Policy Research -- posted an apologetic
statement on their website reading: "Ann Coulter not only
once again went out of her way to use a nasty epithet, she pushed
her offensiveness up a notch." An unapologetic Coulter responded
with a note on her website that she "can't stop laughing"
over the reaction to her remark. At last year's CPAC conference,
Coulter referred to Muslims as "ragheads." Editor's
Question: And they invited Coulter back again after last year's
comment? KENTUCKY: Lieutenant Governor Steve Pence (R) stepped up
his harsh criticism of Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) this weekend.
Pence was Fletcher's runningmate in 2003, but the former federal
prosecutor openly parted company with Fletcher last year over
Fletcher's illegal hiring scandal. "But the facts are what
they are. The fact is the pardons happened. The fact is [Fletcher]
did take the Fifth. The fact is he was indicted. The fact is he
does have a legal defense fund. The fact is he said we were going
to get to the unvarnished
truth, but we didn't," said Pence to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Pence is supporting former Congresswoman Anne Northup against
Fletcher in the May 22 primary. TOM EAGLETON:
Just a brief personal remembrance of retired US Senator Tom Eagleton
(D-MO), who died Sunday at age 77. Eagleton was the Democratic
nominee for Vice President in 1972 for 18 days, until he was forced
to quit the McGovern ticket when it was revealed he had undergone
treatment for severe depression when he was younger. I wrote Eagleton
a letter with some political questions shortly before I arrived
in DC as a 17-year-old college freshman in 1980. Eagleton responded
with a note -- I presumed just something written by a lowly staffer
-- to come visit him when I got to town. I did just that and,
to my surprise, Eagleton spent a good two hours one afternoon
chatting politics with me and giving me a personal tour of the
Capitol building to point out his favorite historical spots in
the building. He was truly one of the nicest and most gracious
people to have served on Capitol Hill. Eagleton served 18 years
in the US Senate, and was a leading sponsor of the War Powers
Act. VACATION TIME: As I previously mentioned, I'm going to
be taking a bunch of brief vacations to visit Dana in Paris throughout
the year. Well, this is one of those times. Tomorrow evening I'll
post a bunch of open threads (one for each day) to help you pass
the time until I return on March 15. Now this is going to be a
real vacation: no computer, no email, no cell phone. Even if President
Bush admits total failure in Iraq and resigns ... and if Dick
Cheney then immediately succumbs to a fatal heart attack minutes
getting the news he is to be elevated to the Presidency ... which
would then pave the way for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be our new
President ... well, even if all those things happen, I'm still
not going to post any updates after this Tuesday until 3/15.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.05.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE. Hey ... see
my new Obama fundraising banner in the right-side column. Please
click
it now and donate $5 or $10 to show your support for his White
House campaign.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.05.07 | Permalink
|
WANNA
TRADE?
I'm interested in building up my collection of Canadian campaign
buttons. If you've got Canadian political buttons to
trade, I'm interesting in swapping with you for some great US
pins. Please drop me
a note!
WEEKEND
OPEN THREAD.
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
Have at it.
Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 03.03.07 | Permalink
|
FRIDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
RUNNING
TO CENTER; CPAC NEWS; PENCE PLAYS; BLUNT PRIMARY LOOMS; MS '07
FILING CLOSES. P2008:National Journal has some interesting new
analysis out about the '08 Presidential hopefuls. Here is The
Hotline's summary: "Not only are Clinton and McCain the
most moderate members of Congress in the WH '08 race, but they've
each made sharp swerves to the center at decisive points in the
past few years. Clinton, for example, once voted solidly with
the left, ranking among the most liberal
sens in '01 and '02. Since '04, she has moved notably to the right,
especially on economic and foreign issues. While her lifetime
average is still slightly left of Biden, she's now the 32nd most
liberal; Obama is the 10th, even farther left than Kucinich ....
Same story for McCain, who ranked among the most conservative
Senators during his first 8 years. Starting with the GOP takeover
in '95, however, and continuing through the Bush years, McCain
has moved steadily to the middle (in '04, McCain, Chafee and Snowe
were the most liberal GOPers). He now ranks as the 46th most conservative
Senator." McCAIN: US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is making an odd
move for a GOP Presidential candidate: he's the only major GOP
contender who plans to skip the influential Conservative
Political Action Conference (CPAC) this upcoming weekend.
The event has been a key stop for years on the Republican road
to the nomination. Even Rudy Giuliani, who is the most socially
moderate of the GOP contenders, plans to attend the 34th annual
CPAC gathering in DC of conservative activists. Former US Senator
Rick Santorum (R-PA) -- a favorite of CPAC conservatives -- took
the opportunity to slam McCain. "The only one I wouldn't
support is McCain. I don't agree with him on hardly any issues.
I don't think he has the temperament and leadership ability to
move the country in the right direction," Santorum told The
Politico. If that wasn't bad enough, McCain in the face of
harsh criticism hastily retracted his Wednesday comment that the
lives of 3,100 US soldiers were "wasted" in Iraq. "I
should have used the word, sacrificed, as I have in the past,"
said McCain. PENCE: Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), the former Chair
of the House Republican Study Committee, is the keynote speaker
featured at the CPAC convo. He's a favorite of Club for Growth
conservatives. Some fans have even launched a Draft
Pence for President campaign site. When asked about it by
The Hotline, Pence's spokesman responded: "Congressman
Pence has not ruled out a run in the near term or the long term."
A Pence candidacy for Prez next year is a longshot -- but we'd
bet a lot of Republicans would love to see Pence in the VP spot. MISSOURI: State Treasurer Sarah Steelman (R) is acting
these days like someone readying for an aggressive 2008 GOP primary
challenge to Governor Matt Blunt (R). The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
reported Steelman issued a press release this week that "blasted
the Blunt Administration's handling of the sexual harassment allegations
and lawsuits revolving around Agriculture Department Director
Fred Ferrell." Steelman criticized the $70,000 check the
state paid from the the State Agriculture Department to settle
the matter -- a payment the purported victim had rejected -- and
she went so far as to stop payment on the check.
"I did it because it's the right thing to do. My job as State
Treasurer is to take care of the people's money ... [my job involves]
pointing out that this government is flawed," said Steelman
to the newspaper, noting "no one would have known about it"
if lawsuits hadn't been filed last week. "Governor Blunt
respects the opinion of Treasurer Steelman and they have a positive
working relationship," said Blunt's spokesman. When asked
if she was planning to run for Governor next year, Steelman coyly
responded: "I've got no timetable. I haven't even thought
about it [yet]." The Dems already have an announced candidate
against Blunt: Attorney General Jay Nixon (D). MISSISSIPPI: Candidate filing for the 2007 elections closed
on Thursday. Despite months of speculation, former Governor Ray
Mabus (D) did not file to run against Governor Haley Barbour (R),
and former Governor Ronnie Musgrave (D) likewise passed on the
open race for Lieutenant Governor. Instead, Barbour's leading
challengers -- both "second tier" candidates -- are
wealthy attorney John Arthur Eaves Jr. (D) and former State Senator
Bill Renick (D). With three open statewide offices, it was no
surprise that lots of candidates qualified for the ballot. Click
here to view all of the Mississippi statewide filings. The
primary is August 7.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.02.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
3,100 American lives "wasted" in Iraq ... or "sacrificed"?
I'm going to step on some toes here, but the difference between
those words is meaningless semantics. Dead is dead. What makes
this waste of brave young lives so tragic is that they died in
a preemptive, unprovoked war in which no real US interests were
ever at stake (except, of course, the interest of Bush family
vanity). And now our troops are caught in the crossfire of a bloody
religious sectarian civil war. I'm unapologetic on this issue.
If we really want to support our troops, the solution doesn't
lie in the phony salve of soothing political wordsmithing. The
solution is to bring our troops home from Iraq now. Let our troops
concentrate on the free world's real post-9/11 mission: defeating
the terrorist al Qaeda forces based in the Afghan region.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.02.07 | Permalink
|
WANNA
TRADE?
I'm interested in building up my collection of Canadian campaign
buttons. If you've got Canadian political buttons to
trade, I'm interesting in swapping with you for some great US
pins. Please drop me
a note!
THURSDAY
NEWS UPDATE.
McCAIN
MAKES IT OFFICIAL; WARNER VERSUS WARNER, ROUND 2? McCAIN: US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) officially made his
preordained transition from exploratory candidate to official
Presidential candidate with his Wednesday night appearance on
CBS's Late Show with David Letterman. In an email to
supporters, McCain's campaign described the appearance as his
announcement. It also said he will hold a formal announcement
even in April -- so he can "announce" his candidacy
for the third time. VIRGINIA: The Washington Post reports former Governor
Mark Warner (D) is engaged in discussions with the DSCC about
making a challenge next year against US Senator John Warner (R).
Mark Warner, the wealthy Nextel company founder who aborted his
Presidential run late last year, has apparently dined with Senator
Chuck Schumer and remains in regular contact with him and other
DSCC officials about the Senate race. The two Warners faced off
for the US Senate in 1996 -- a costly and competitive race won
by John Warner -- before Mark Warner was elected Governor in 2001.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.01.07 | Permalink
|
FREE
SPEECH ZONE.
The daily open thread.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 03.01.07 | Permalink
|
WANNA
TRADE?
I'm interested in building up my collection of Canadian campaign
buttons. If you've got Canadian political buttons to
trade, I'm interesting in swapping with you for some great US
pins. Please drop me
a note!
New
Hampshire Presidential primary. The numbers: Clinton - 32%, Barack
Obama - 25%, John Edwards - 16%, Al Gore - 10%, Bill Richardson
- 3%, Dennis Kucininch - 2%, and all others at 1% apiece or lower.
Thompson
is a conservative who is pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-gay
marriage, supports the Iraq War and the President's surge plan,
and said he would pardon former VP Chief of Staff Scooter Libby
now for his perjury conviction last week. Thompson is active on
Libby's legal defense fundraising efforts. He retired from the
US Senate in 2002 after serving eight years to return to his acting
career. 
TOPIC:
THE P2008 GOP - RUDY, JOHN, NEWT, MITT, SAM, CHUCK & ALL THE
REST.
unvarnished
truth, but we didn't," said Pence to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Pence is supporting former Congresswoman Anne Northup against
Fletcher in the May 22 primary.
ZONE.
check.
"I did it because it's the right thing to do. My job as State
Treasurer is to take care of the people's money ... [my job involves]
pointing out that this government is flawed," said Steelman
to the newspaper, noting "no one would have known about it"
if lawsuits hadn't been filed last week. "Governor Blunt
respects the opinion of Treasurer Steelman and they have a positive
working relationship," said Blunt's spokesman. When asked
if she was planning to run for Governor next year, Steelman coyly
responded: "I've got no timetable. I haven't even thought
about it [yet]." The Dems already have an announced candidate
against Blunt: Attorney General Jay Nixon (D).
to
supporters, McCain's campaign described the appearance as his
announcement. It also said he will hold a formal announcement
even in April -- so he can "announce" his candidacy
for the third time. 
