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ARCHIVE:
Support Howard Dean's Democracy for America organization. POLITICAL BLOG ROLL: KINDA
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BLOG ARCHIVE: NOVEMBER 1-15, 2004 NEW BLOG STORIES ARE POSTED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY (WE'LL RETURN TO DAILY POSTINGS BY JAN 2006). OUR "STATE PAGES" OF CANDIDATE LISTINGS ARE UPDATED AS NEEDED TO KEEP THEM CURRENT. FOUR
MORE CABINET DEPARTURES. Secretary of State Colin Powell,
Energy Secretary Spence Abraham, Education Secretary Rod Paige
and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman on SOME
CHANGES AT POLITICS1.
On Friday, I explained how I wanted to make some changes to
the publishing schedule in the period between now and the start
of the major 2006 election cycle activities. I read and considered
all your comments in the blog -- and appreciated the nice comments.
I also chuckled over the amusing negative comments from a handful
of folks who seem to really dislike me, yet seem to keep coming
back each day. Well, as you can tell from the text posted at
the top of the homepage, I've decided to shift to a lighter
publishing schedule: new updates on Monday and Thursday mornings
(and when otherwise warranted for major stories that can't wait).
I'll also try to post new open threads every day or two, so
you can also help with posting political news updates. As for
updating the state pages to reflect the 2004 winners and get
an early start on listing the 2006 hopefuls ... the following
18 states are already updated: Alabama
to California, Florida, and Minnesota to North Dakota. I'm still
working on the rest of 'em. FRIST
DECLINES TO ENDORSE SPECTER. There are some signs that
WASHINGTON
GOV RACE UPDATE. As the counting of absentee ballots
nears the Wednesday certification deadline, the margin continues
to narrow. By early Friday, State Senator Dino Rossi (R) moved
out to a 3,600 vote lead over Attorney General Christine Gregoire
(D). Over the weekend, Rossi's lead had dwindled to just 1,920
votes -- with lots more ballots still to be counted. While it
is clear this race will go to a recount, the location of the
remaining absentee would seem to favor Rossi. In related news,
the state's Republican and Democratic parties were both given
the names of the voters who cast rejected provisional ballots
and were attempting over the weekend to contact those people
in an attempt to gather enough additional supporting documentation
to get more of these ballots validated. All this means that
we will not likely know the real winner for another 2-3 weeks. MONDAY
OPEN THREAD. You know what to do. LEAD
FLIPS AGAIN IN WASHINGTON GOV RACE. The counting of
absentee ballots continues onward in Washington State's undecided
gubernatorial contest. For most of the count, Attorney General
WHAT'S
NEXT FOR POLITICS1?
I've been publishing this site -- with FRIDAY
OPEN THREAD. You know what to do. REPORT FROM IRAQ: VETERANS DAY UPDATE. The fighting continues in the Anbar province around Fallujah, but our special correspondent Lt. James Crabtree of the 1/23 Marines found time to send us another report.
If
you'd like to send the 1/23d any care packages, please address
the packages to Lt Crabtree, 1/23 H&S Co, Unit 41900,
FPO, AP 96426-1900 ... and James will ensure that whatever
you ship gets distributed to the Marines in the 1/23. If you'd
like to read more about our adopted 1/23 Marine battalion in
Iraq, please click here. THURSDAY
OPEN THREAD. Happy Veterans Day. Like most of you, we're
also taking a vacation day. CABINET
RESHUFFLING BEGINS. As was widely expected, Attorney
General John Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Don Evans both
announced Tuesday that they were resigning from President Bush's
Cabinet. Ashcroft "I'M
STILL NOT RUNNING FOR PREZ IN 2008," SAYS JEB. Florida
Governor Jeb Bush on Tuesday repeated his earlier comments to
the media that he does not plan to run for US Senate in 2006
or President in 2008. When reporters asked if he could change
his mind, Governor Bush snapped: "No. Why am I not believable
on this subject? This is driving me nuts!" Reporters --
apparently seeking further ways to imply he still could possibly
jump into the White House race -- asked Bush if he might "eventually"
run for President. "Eventually -- what's that [mean],"
he asked, before turning and walking back into his office.
In other Jeb-related news, the Florida Baptist Convention voted
unanimously Tuesday to seek to place a constitutional amendment
on the ballot in the state in 2006 ban gay marriage. Governor
Bush told reporters later that he didn't believe there was any
need for that amendment in Florida. "I'm not sure it's
necessary to do this in a pre-emptive fashion. I think we're
safe," said Bush, who said Florida's 1997 Defense of Marriage
Act already sufficiently addresses the issue. "HOMO-NAUSIC"
POLITICIAN ARRESTED. Regular viewers of Comedy Central's
The Daily Show may remember a profile this past summer
of Florida State House candidate Ed
Heeney (R). In his interview, WEDNESDAY
OPEN THREAD. FYI: I'm in the process of updating our
various state pages to reflect the 2004 winners and begin the
posting of the potential 2006 candidates ... but it will take
a few more days for me to finish the job. And, no, there is
not going to be any P2008 page yet. We deserve a little break
from the Presidential politics. DEAN
FOR DNC CHAIR. According to various published reports,
former Vermont Governor "I
WAS HAVING THE WORST NIGHTMARE ..." The Boston
Globe is reporting that Senator John Kerry -- while "profoundly
disappointed" that he lost his race for President last
week -- is already thinking of CONSERVATIVES
ON THE HUNT FOR RINOs. In the face of a possible move by
his conservative colleagues to deny him the Senate Judiciary
Committee chairmanship, US Senator McGREEVEY'S
SECRET LIFE. New Jersey Governor TUESDAY
OPEN THREAD. "What
the hell is wrong with Ron? He's entirely ignoring all those
internet rumors about how Bush stole the election by hidden
electronic voting machine fraud." So ... any good
black helicopter stories from your neck of the woods? GOING
HOME? The New York Times reported this weekend
that three sitting US Senators from the NY region are now contemplating
making races for Governor in the next election cycle. US Senator
Jon Corzine (D-NJ) -- a wealthy retired Wall Street Executive
-- is expected to shortly announce his candidacy for Governor
in the 2005 election to replace outgoing Governor Jim McGreevey
(D). WHAT
ABOUT RALPH (... AND MIKE, AND ALL THE REST)? Yes, everyone
knows that President Bush defeated
Senator Kerry by a 51% to 48% vote. In terms of raw numbers,
that translates to Bush-59.6 million votes, Kerry-56.1 million
votes. What is not really being reported are how all of the
third party Presidential hopefuls performed. With nearly all
votes counted, here are how the "best of the rest"
did (totals are rounded; totals do not include write-in votes,
which most states will not report until next month):
REPORT FROM IRAQ: WHEN YOU CAN'T WRITE ABOUT THE COMBAT, WRITE ABOUT THE FOOD. With the fighting increasing in Al-Anbar province around Fallujah, our special correspondent Lt. James Crabtree of the 1/23 Marines has a lot he is not allowed to write about these days for security reasons. That doesn't mean, however, that James couldn't come up with something this week for the families and friends back home...
If
you'd like to send the 1/23d any care packages, please address
the packages to Lt Crabtree, 1/23 H&S Co, Unit 41900,
FPO, AP 96426-1900 ... and James will ensure that whatever
you ship gets distributed to the Marines in the 1/23. If you'd
like to read more about our adopted 1/23 Marine battalion in
Iraq, please click here. MONDAY
OPEN THREAD. [Insert your own insipid lead-in comment here.] SUNDAY
OPEN THREAD. Enjoy. SATURDAY
OPEN THREAD. Have at it.
A
FIRST LOOK AT 2008. President Bush has yet to be inaugurated
for a second term and already the speculation is swirling as
to who will run for President when he retires in 2008. "SEGREGATION
TODAY, SEGREGATION TOMORROW, SEGREGATION FOREVER." Just
when you think voters in some states couldn't do anything to
make themselves look more foolish, they go out and surprise
you. FRIDAY
OPEN THREAD. TGIF!! GOP
NON-PARTISAN
GOOD NEWS FROM ELECTION DAY. Regardless of which candidate
you supported for President, there was quite a bit of positive
news from our national elections. First, voter participation
was at a higher percentage than any Presidential election since
1992. Second, the winner of the Presidential race captured a
majority of the total vote for the first time since 1988. Third,
the Presidential election was resolved by voters and not by
courts. Fourth, there were no significant Election Day meltdowns
with either the new voting machines or with the use of the new
provisional ballots.
Fifth, unlike in many parts of the world, it was a free and
fair election with the ballots honestly counted. BUSH'S
SECOND TERM. While some pundits are already predicting a
more centrist second term for President Bush -- a time when
a President no longer worries about re-election and instead
thinks of "legacy" -- I don't BUSH
VS. SPECTER: COURT CONFIRMATION BATTLES "RON
IS BIASED." GAY
RIGHTS: REASONABLE VS. RADICAL. Speaking of yesterday's
op-eds, the one I wrote on the brilliant use of the gay marriage
issue by the Bush campaign strategists drew the sharpest debate.
Many conservatives posted comments that they supported same-sex
civil unions but not gay marriage (which, frankly, was my personal
position from the start), and would support other "reasonable"
rights for gay people and same-sex couples -- THURSDAY
OPEN THREAD. Okay, I vented yesterday (and feel much better
today for having done so). I am reminded today of the humorous
line from the late Arizona Congressman Mo Udall, when he ended
his 1976 Presidential run: "The voters have spoken -- the
bastards!"
US
US
HOUSE RACES. While -- as usual -- nearly all incumbents
were re-elected, there were some prominent incumbents defeated.
Some lost because of Presidential coattails, while a few lost
because they viewed as out of touch or out of step with their
districts. In Texas, the defeats came largely as a result of
a 2003 redistricting plan masterminded by GUBERNATORIAL
RACES. Lots of hot gubernatorial races but -- at the end
of the day -- the balance of power in the Governors' Mansions
remained unchanged (with one seat still undecided). Republicans
scored a pickup in Missouri, where Secretary of State Matt Blunt
(R) defeated State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D). Democrats did
likewise in Montana, where farmer Brian Schweitzer (D) won the
open seat. In Indiana, former US Budget Director Mitch Daniels
(R) ousted Governor Joe Kernan (D). Democrats came right back
in New Hampshire, where former UNH Trustee John Lynch (D) defeated
Governor Craig Benson (R). In Washington State, Attorney General
Chris Gregoire (D) was trailing State Senator Dino Rossi (R)
by 1,100 votes with nearly all precincts reporting -- but with
tons of absentee ballots still to be counted. It could be days
until we know who won. RON'S
LIBERAL RANT #1. These next two items are purely editorial,
so conservatives can feel free to skip them (or, alternatively,
flame me in the blogs). That said, here it goes. I was very
disappointed and appalled to wake up today in an America that
is more concerned about so-called "moral values" than
it is about jobs, the economy, security, or Iraq. Of course,
"moral values" is a code phrase for opposing gay rights.
Somehow, at some point after the end of the Cold War, the Republicans
decided they needed a new enemy to use for electoral polarization
purposes. The threat of communism faded, so the new fear became
"the homosexual agenda" (which, as best as I can tell,
means giving gay folks the same legal rights as others in property,
tax, job, discrimination protections, family rights, parenting,
adopting, military service, insurance coverage, etc., as every
other taxpayer). This year, the George Bush/Ralph Reed strategy
was to whip up a fear of gay marriage as a threat to traditional
marriage. If these politicians really wanted to "protect
the sanctity" of traditional marriage, they would be pushing
a constitutional amendment to ban divorce. Now, that would really
"protect" marriage -- but it would certainly lose
them votes! Further, these sanctimonious "Christians"
(who seem to think the Bible justifies their anti-gay views)
generally seem to ignore all the parts of the Bible -- like
90% of the New Testament -- that is concerned with how we treat
the poorest among us. Jesus didn't give his sermon on the mount
to encourage tax cuts for the rich, to cut medical coverage
for working families, children and seniors, to eliminate the
"death tax," to curtail unemployment or job retraining
benefits, to give tax breaks to businesses that export US jobs
overseas, to despoil the earth, to promote a culture of greed,
and so forth. Yet, these Christian Coalition folks push all
these things because they think the poor are "lazy"
or "irresponsible" or what not -- or are simply indifferent
to their plight -- because "our values" are "under
assault" by "radical homosexuals." Like I said,
I don't like waking up in America today to realize that as a
gay man I'm the apparently one of the new villains -- the new
"communists" -- who threaten "our values." RON'S LIBERAL RANT #2. Okay, this is a screed aimed at all you Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire. Remember Howard Dean, the guy who gave the Democratic Party a backbone implant in 2002-03 when everyone else in the party was rolling over and embracing the GOP agenda of tax cuts for the rich and an unprovoked war in Iraq? Remember back to this past January? Remember how you bought into the Kerry line ("Dated Dean. Married Kerry") that Dean was exciting but "unelectable" versus good, old, safe, "electable" John Kerry? Guess what. You sold out principles again for the hope of winning to a candidate who wanted to be all things to all people. I mean, c'mon, Kerry went through so many contortions on the Iraq War that he couldn't even get himself to admit that his use of force authorization vote was a mistake. Well, we tried it your way. We went with Dean-Lite ("Real Deal" = much of the Dean agenda attached to a good resume, but sucked dry of any passion or belief). So, here's my suggestion ...
And,
next time, when you have a choice between a straight-talking
but rough-around-the-edges candidate who shares our core progressive
values and energizes you ... versus another haughty, blow-dried,
DC insider ... go with your gut instinct. As Doctor Dean wrote
just a few weeks ago in his great new book: "When you trade
your values for the hope of winning, you end up losing and having
no values -- so you keep losing." Want to do something
to start our party in the right direction? Then click
here! TUESDAY IS ELECTION DAY!! Politics1 is still largely a one-person operation (although we have lots of readers who send news tips, etc.). Still, we know our limits and we cannot exactly compete with the huge corporate news entities for providing real-time election night coverage. So, instead, we've posted open threads for the P2004, Gov, US Sen and House races ... plus our latest update from the 1/23 Marines. Plus, here are the links to the websites that will be posting live results from across the country ...
GUBERNATORIAL
RACES - OPEN THREAD. Blunt vs. McCaskill ... Kernan vs.
Daniels ... Benson vs.Lynch ... Gregoire vs. Rossi ... and all
the rest. US
SENATE RACES - OPEN THREAD. Castor vs. Martinez ... Coburn
vs. Carson ... Murkowski vs. Knowles ... Salazar vs. Coors ...
and more. US
HOUSE RACES - OPEN THREAD. Crane vs. Bean ... Salazar vs.
Walcher ... Naples vs. Higgins ... Sessions vs. Frost ... and
any other House contest you'd like to discuss. REPORT FROM IRAQ: AN ELECTION DAY MESSAGE. With all the fighting going on in Al-Anbar province around Fallujah, our "adopted" 1/23 Marines are rather busy these days. Fortunately, our friend and special correspondent Lt. James Crabtree of 1/23 took a few minutes to send a brief Election Day message to those of us back here in the United States.
If
you'd like to send the 1/23d any care packages, please address
the packages to Lt Crabtree, 1/23 H&S Co, Unit 41900,
FPO, AP 96426-1900 ... and James will ensure that whatever
you ship gets distributed to the Marines in the 1/23. If you'd
like to read more about our adopted 1/23 Marine battalion in
Iraq, please click here. SEND
A PIN = GET A FREE PLUG HERE. Here's my open offer for every
campaign (and campaign supporter): send me a button or pin from
the Governor, US Senate, Congressional, Statewide Office, etc.,
campaign you are involved in -- feel free to add a sticker and
brochure -- and I'll place a link to official campaign site
here on our homepage blog in a daily "thank you" note.
(FYI: Presidential coattails items always appreciated!) My address:
Ron Gunzburger, 409 NE 17 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.
Today's thanks go out to: Howard
Mills, Republican for US Senate in New York. TRACKING THE BATTLEGROUND STATES ... FOR THE FINAL TIME!! With only a few exceptions from some numbers released late Monday night, these will be the final polls for this election cycle:
The
trend in recent days in these key states doesn't look good for
President Bush. Do the math. US
SENATE RACE UPDATES. COLORADO
(Zogby): Attorney General Ken Salazar (D) - 52%, brewery magnate
Pete Coors (R) - 44%. (SurveyUSA): Salazar-49%, Coors-47%. MADAME
BUTTERFLY MORPHS INTO FREE SPEECH FOE. Do you remember Palm
Beach County Supervisor of Election Theresa LePore -- the one
down in Florida who approved the controversial A LITTLE EXTREME. We've obtained a copy of a full-color card that some GOP activists are distributing among the Cuban-American community in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood.
Talk
about heavy-handed propaganda. So, what do you think of it ...
and what's the story with the the superimposed bat on Fidel's
hand? MONDAY
OPEN THREAD. The clock is ticking down. IS YOUR CAMPAIGN HIRING? If so, then let us know. We'll post the ad for free for any paid campaign staff positions. See our Jobs page for more details. |
Monday
joined Attorney General John Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary
Don Evans in announcing their resignations from President Bush's
Cabinet. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta and HHS Secretary
Tommy Thompson are expected to soon join the list of departing
Bush Cabinet members. The departure of Veneman is unexpected,
as she just let it be known last week that she was hoping to
stay on for Bush's second term. It is unknown what she did to
run afoul of White House insiders -- or whether they simply
had someone else in mind who wanted her job -- but she went
from "staying on" to "resigning" in a matter
of just five days. Ashcroft was reportedly another Cabinet member
who was involuntarily pushed out. Had Powell not have indicated
long ago that he was planning to leave at the end of the first
term, he would certainly have been at the head of Karl Rove's
hit list of targets. Powell reportedly opposed the decision
to go to war with Iraq, was viewed as a frequent leaker to the
media of anti-Bush criticisms, and was locked in a bitter power
struggle with the neocon hawks lead by Vice President Dick Cheney,
Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld, and Deputy Defense Secretary
Paul Wolfowitz. National Security Advisor Condi Rice is expected
to be named as Powell's replacement. Rumsfeld himself may become
a victim of these latest purges, possibly stepping aside to
become a scapegoat for planning problems related to the Iraq
War.
US
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) may have some serious problems
winning election among his colleagues to be the next Senate
Judiciary Committee Chair. Over the weekend, Senator Majority
Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) clearly declined to endorse Specter
for the post. Specter is in hot water for comments he made two
weeks ago -- comments repeatedly rescinded in the face of a
sharp conservative backlash -- that President Bush should not
put forward a Supreme Court nominee who is pro-life or rigidly
conservative. Frist said he was "troubled" by Specter's
comments and thought that Specter should use this week's lame-duck
session of Congress to convince his GOP colleagues that he is
the best choice for the post. 
Chris
Gregoire (D) held a slim lead -- a lead which she actually saw
increase as of just a few days ago. However, over the past two
days, State Senator Dino Rossi (R) unexpectedly slipped past
Gregoire to grab a narrow advantage. Rossi also had held a narrow
lead election night before the absentee count began. Traditionally,
absentee ballots in Washington have heavily favored the Democrats.
This time, Rossi is proving surprisingly strong with the absentee
voters even in usually reliable Dem areas. With 2.7 million
ballots counted thus far -- including Election Day regular ballots
plus absentees -- Rossi holds a 3,600 vote lead. An estimated
85,000 absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted
before the State's deadline next Wednesday for certifying a
winner. Democrats are already threatening a court battle over
900 rejected provisional ballots from King County (Seattle),
a Dem stronghold. State Democratic Chair Paul Berendt said his
party is considering a lawsuit because King County has refused
to release the names of provisional voters whose votes were
rejected. By contrast, the State Republican Party was able to
obtain similar lists from some other counties in the state so
that they could contact voters and get them to provide additional
documentation to establish the validity of their right to have
cast those ballots. Roughly a quarter of all the remaining uncounted
ballots are from King County. No Republican has won a gubernatorial
contest in Washington since 1980.
AUGUSTINE
MAKES HISTORY ... IN A BAD WAY. Nevada State Controller
Kathy Augustine (R) was impeached by the State Assembly on Thursday
for having essentially used her governmental office and staff
as a campaign headquarters during her 2002 re-election race.
By a 42-0 vote, Augustine became the first official in Nevada's
140 year history to ever be impeached. She will next have to
defend herself in a trial before the State Senate on the three
articles of impeachment. Augustine already admitted in September
to the three ethics violations and was fined $15,000 by the
Nevada Ethics Commission. The impeachment arose from those admissions.
Augustine's lawyers -- who complained she did not have a fair
chance to present her evidence at the impeachment hearing --
are threatening to file a lawsuit to block the removal trial.
In related news, she is also defending a sexual harrassment
lawsuit from a former top male aide who said he was pushed aside
when he refused Augustine's frequent sexual advances. Augustine,
who is term-limited in 2006, was once viewed as a likely future
candidate for US Senate or higher state office.
was
apparently exhausted from the stress of holding the high-profile
position. "I believe that the Department of Justice would
be well served by new leadership and fresh inspiration,"
said Ashcroft. DC insiders also claim that top Bush staffers
were encouraging Ashcroft's departure. Evans -- who was the
Bush campaign chair in 2000 -- is leaving to return to Texas
and pursue options in the private sector (translation: make
lots more money lobbying and arranging business deals). Former
Ashcroft Deputy AG Larry Thompson and current White House Counsel
Al Gonzales are reportedly the two frontrunners to replace Ashcroft.
Others under consideration may include former Montana Governor
and former Republican National Chair Marc Racicot and former
US Attorney and former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- although both
men are viewed as long-shots because they hold fairly centrist
views on abortion and gay rights issues. Mercer Reynolds --
the 2004 Bush campaign finance chair who helped raise over $260
million for the President -- is likely to be named as the new
Commerce Secretary. In other Cabinet news, EPA Chief Mike Leavitt,
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, and Interior Secretary Gale
Norton each informed President Bush this week that they want
to stay on in their current posts for the second term. Transportation
Secretary Norm Mineta -- a former Democratic Congressman --
has been in poor health and is expected to retire. HHS Secretary
Tommy Thompson and Secretary of State Colin Powell are both
expected to step down, but it is not clear whether they will
do so in the coming weeks or wait until mid-2005. The fate of
Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld also remains unclear. Rumsfeld
would clearly like to stay on, but he may be facing back channel
pressure from the White House to voluntarily step aside. Postscript:
President Bush named Al Gonzales on Wednesday morning to be
the new Attorney General.
Heeney
explained how lesbians were ruining his love life and his ability
to shoot games of pool. Heeney complained that lesbians had
taken over all the good bars in the Fort Lauderdale area with
pool tables and that he no longer had any good places to play.
He even cited one incident when "a gang of lesbians"
confronted him. One lesbian bar owner joked that Heeney was
only upset because some lesbians "kicked his ass"
in pool. The candidate also explained how "homosexual culture"
ruined South Florida and that he could no longer find any single
women to date who were not lesbians (Editor's Note: or who
were simply telling Heeney they were lesbians in order to not
go out with him). Heeney's signature line was that he was
not homophobic but "'homo-nausic' ... I'm not afraid of
them, I'm sick of the bastards." Heeney lost his run for
State House last week by a 40-point margin. Yesterday, Heeney
and his former campaign manager were arrested in a bizarre incident.
The campaign manager was apparently being evicted from his apartment
for non-payment of rent. When a Sheriff's deputy went to enforce
the eviction, he found the lock changed. He sawed off the lock,
only to find the door was reinforced from the inside by wood
and steel. The campaign manager had a past criminal history
involving gun violence, so the deputy called for backup. That
led to a ten hour stand-off that ended peacefully when the man
and Heeney -- who was inside the apartment helping the guy keep
the door locked -- were both arrested for trespass and resisting
arrest without violence. Heeney didn't post the $100 bond but
instead spent the night in jail. That's Heeney's booking photo
on the right -- and ladies, yes, amazingly he's still single
and available!
Howard
Dean is considering making a bid in January for Democratic National
Chair. He'll make up his mind about the race shortly, but Dean
apparently told former DNC Chair Steve Grossman that he was
interested in the post. Keep in mind, however, that this race
is mainly a contest for Dem insiders. There are less than 250
voters (the DNC members) who decide the winner. The current
chair -- Clintonista mega-fundraiser Terry McAuliffe
-- is not seeking another term. I'd note that the Dean for DNC
Chair was an idea I floated here on the blog as far back as
February 27, 2004. (And, as all of y'all know by now, I am an
unabashed Howard Dean supporter.) Others in the mix for chair
include Clinton loyalists Harold Ickes and Donna Brazile. Dean,
however, is the best choice for the job. Why? Because Dean has
proven he can do the two things most required of a good party
chairman: he's great at raising money and he's an unabashed
spokesman for Democratic values. Last night -- when I was finally
putting away some campaign stuff that had been piling up in
my home office -- I came across a Dean campaign DVD. I watched
a few minutes of it and was reminded of the energy he brought
to the Democratic Party. What message does he have for the Dems
in the aftermath of last week's defeat? 
making
another run for President in 2008. Cam Kerry, the Senator's
brother and close political confidant, said it was "conceivable"
Kerry could run again in four year. One top aide told the newspaper
that he "could not envision" Kerry running again in
2008. However, other campaign aides noted that at a DC party
this past weekend to thank campaign staffers, Kerry told the
cheering crowd: "There's always another four years."
The Los Angeles Times seemed to confirm this interest in the
next White House race. They reported that Kerry is "calling
key Democratic donors to lay the groundwork for a political
organization that would give him a voice in national politics
and position him for another White House run in 2008."
Former President Bill Clinton thinks he can explain why Bush
beat Kerry: "The Republicans had a clear message, a good
messenger, great organization and great strategy." By contrast
-- and without quite saying it directly -- Clinton implies that
Kerry's campaign was the opposite of that. Speaking of the Clintons,
US News & World Report wrote this week that Senator
Hillary Clinton is already retaining key political operatives
for a 2008 White House run. However, she is doing all of it
in the guise of being for the 2006 re-election race. The magazine
reported that her "Presidential effort will run in tandem
with Clinton's 2006 Senatorial re-election bid."
Arlen
Specter (R-PA) has now backed away completely from his comments
last week that he would block a pro-life Supreme Court nominee.
Late last week, Specter started to back down from his remarks.
He said that he was misunderstood and that he would not apply
any litmus test on the abortion issue. By Monday, he was saying
that he expected to support any judicial nominee the President
brings forward. In 1987, Specter was the leading Republican
in the Senate responsible for helping the Dems block the nomination
of Judge Robert Bork to the US Supreme Court. Bork, who was
pro-life, also stated in his confirmation hearings that he was
a strict constuctionist who did not recognize a constitutional
"right to privacy" nor the concept of "penumbral"
rights. The other GOP Senator who is in the hot seat along with
Specter is Lincoln Chafee (R-RI). Chafee said he understands
his fellow Republicans are upset that he told reporters he did
not vote for President Bush and was contemplating a party switch.
Chafee said Monday he will "work hard to regain the support"
of his GOP colleagues and that he rejected the invitation of
Senate Democrats last week that he cross the aisle to their
side. Chafee isn't hopeful of having good relations with the
White House: "I wouldn't blame [the President] if he were
angry at me." Chafee is up for re-election in two years.
Jim
McGreevey -- who is resigning from office next week -- was once
viewed as a potential rising national star on the Democratic
scene. The Newark Star-Ledger did some extensive investigative
reporting to learn more about what happened to McGreevey's career
and why. In a 
State
Senate President Richard Codey (D) will become the new Governor
on November 15 -- when McGreevey's resignation takes effect
-- but whether or not Codey runs next year will likely have
little impact on Corzine's decision. McGreevey, who outed himself
as gay in his resignation announcement, quit amid a growing
corruption investigation. Congressman Rob Andrews (D), former
Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler (R), former West Windsor Mayor
Doug Forrester (R), former State Assembly Minority Leader Paul
DiGaetano (R) and others are also looking at the crowded NJ
race. In Connecticut, US Senator Chris Dodd (D) is discussing
a possible run for Governor in 2006. Governor Jodi Rell (R)
-- who moved up from Lieutenant Governor earlier this year when
Governor John Rowland (R) resigned during state impeachment
proceedings after being named the target of a federal bribery
scandal -- is expected to be the GOP candidate. If he runs,
Dodd may face primary opposition from Lieutenant Governor Kevin
Sullivan, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, former State Comptroller
Bill Curry, Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, New Haven Mayor John
DeStefano, and others. Dodd, however, would be the heavy favorite
to win the contest. Dodd is also being mentioned as a possible
candidate for President in 2008. In New York, US Senator Chuck
Schumer is looking at making a late entry into the open 2006
gubernatorial contest. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has been
viewed as the Dem frontrunner for the past two years -- but
a Schumer entry could make for a hotly contested primary. Governor
George Pataki (R) -- who is preparing for a 2008 run for President
-- is not expected to seek re-election. The newspaper reported
that the three Senators are apparently "dispirited over
their continued minority status -- as well as the reality that
their party does not appear to have a shot at winning the majority
any time soon." Also, all three could run without giving
up their Senate seats.
Ralph
Nader (Independent/Reform) - 404,000
Gene Amondson (Concerns of People/Prohibition) - 1,900
SENATE
LINE-UP CHANGES. With the re-election defeat of US Senate
Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), the Democrats will see a
new leadership line-up in upper body during the next Congress.
Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid (D-NV) -- who is substantially
more centrist than was the liberal Daschle -- is expected to
climb up to the Minority Leader job without opposition. The
fight to replace Reid initially looked like it would generate
a competitive race, but that now seems highly unlikely. US Senator
Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced Friday that he has gathered enough
commitments from his colleagues to win the Whip post. US Senator
Byron Dorgan (D-ND) acknowledged that Durbin has the votes and
has aborted his candidacy for the job. Durbin -- an attorney
who was first elected to the US House in 1982 -- moved up the
US Senate in 1996.
GOP
SENATE TOTAL AT 55. The last US Senate race -- Alaska
-- is now resolved. US Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) defeated former
Governor Tony Knowles (D) by a 49% to 45% vote. Knowles called
Murkowski to congratulate her and said he did not believe the
40,000 uncounted absentee ballots or a recount would change
the result. State officials said the complete official vote
total will not be known for "several weeks." Murkowski's
victory means that the next US Senate will have 55 Republicans,
44 Democrats, and 1 Independent aligned with the Dems. At this
point, the only major race left undecided is the contest for
Washington Governor (plus the two Louisiana Congressional races
that are advancing to December run-offs).
For
the first time since 1952, neither a sitting 
President
nor an incumbent VP will be running to hold the White House.
Instead, both sides will see wide open contests. On the Republican
side, names floating include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
(R-TN), Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Rick Santorum (R-PA) and
Chuck Hagel (R-NE), former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY), Colorado
Governor Bill Owens, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and
-- despite his official protestations of disinterest -- Florida
Governor Jeb Bush. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge's (R-PA)
name was formerly in play, but his star power has greatly declined
over the past two years. To increase his national strength within
the party, Giuliani may decide to first challenge former First
Lady Hillary Clinton (D) for her US Senate seat in 2006. Another
consideration: Presuming Jeb stays out of the race, will President
Bush openly or tacitly support anyone as a successor ... or
will he stay above the nomination fight? On the Democratic side,
the speculative names in play include Senators Hillary Clinton
(D-NY), John Edwards (D-NC), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Evan Bayh (D-IN)
and Russ Feingold (D-WI), former Vice President Al Gore (D-TN),
former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, retired Army General Wes
Clark (D-AR), Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Iowa Governor
Tom Vilsack, and Virginia Governor Mark Warner.
George
Wallace -- who uttered the line I used in the title of this
entry -- recanted his segregationist views long before he died.
Formal segregation itself was finally done away with under federal
law in the 1960s. But, it sadly appears that some Alabama voters
-- actually, a majority of them -- still wistfully pine for
the days when blacks and white went to separate schools, rode
on separate ends of the bus, and drank from separate water fountains.
Amendment 2 on Tuesday's ballot proposed cleaning up the state
constitution by removing some long-unenforced segregationist
provisions that mandated separate-but-equal segregated schools,
authorized unconstitutional poll taxes to bar blacks from voting,
and specified that Alabamians have no constitutional right to
public education (giving the state the power to deny funding
to any integrated schools). Governor Bob Riley (R) supported
the amendment. On the other side was Riley's likely 2006 primary
opponent: ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. Moore
-- who touts himself as "The Ten Commandments Judge"
-- led the opposition to the repeal, arguing it could open the
door to tax hikes in order to improve the state's public school
system. The Alabama Christian Coalition also opposed the amendment,
explaining that the group wanted "to ensure that reckless
trial lawyers and activist judges will not be able to open the
floodgates to increase taxes and that private, Christian, parochial
and home-school families will be protected." The "tax
hike" argument appears to be a red herring, however, as
the Alabama Supreme Court already ruled in 1993 that the "no
constitutional right to public education" provision was
unconstitutional under the US Constitution. Out of 1.4 million
votes cast statewide, Amendment 2 appears to have lost by 2,500
votes. However, the state will conduct an automatic recount.
GAINS
HOUSE SEAT IN INDIANA; WASHINGTON GUV STILL UNDECIDED.
It took until Wednesday afternoon, but trucking executive Mike
Sodrel (R) was declared the winner over Congressman Baron Hill
(D) in Indiana's CD-9. Hill -- a perennial GOP target -- survived
close brushes with defeat several times in the past, including
two years ago from Sodrel. This time the numbers went the other
way, with Sodrel winning by a margin of just over 1,400 votes.
Meanwhile, the race for Washington Governor remains too close
to call. State Senator Dino Rossi (R) held a slim lead all of
election night, but Attorney General Chris Gregoire (D) moved
into the lead Wednesday as the state began counting the 800,000+
absentee ballots. With just under 2 million total ballots cast,
Gregoire currently holds a lead of just 14,300 votes. Rossi
won 31 of the state's 39 counties, including two of the larger
counties -- Snohomish and Pierce -- that the Dems had counted
on winning. Gregoire, however, won the largest county -- King
(Seattle) -- by a wide margin. Of the 800,000 absentee ballots,
nearly 300,000 come from King County. A Rossi campaign spokesperson
told the Seattle Times that Rossi must win 40% of King
County's absentee ballots in order to win the race. Because
of the large volume of absentee ballots in the state in 2000,
it took 24 days to declare a winner four years ago in a hotly
contested US Senate race.
see
that happening. Why? Because it was Bush's conservative base
that re-elected him. The New Republic already did some
quick analysis of Tuesday's numbers and here is what they showed:
Kerry won "self-described liberals" by a 86-13 margin,
Kerry won "self-described moderates" by a 55-45 margin,
and Bush won "self-described conservatives" by an
85-15 margin. The reason that this did not translate into a
Kerry victory is because the Republicans were able to dramatically
increase the turnout of conservatives (29% of the total voting
electorate in 2000, but 34% in 2004 -- which translated into
millions of additional raw votes). Thus, it was an energized
base -- not moderates or independents -- that sent Bush back
to the White House. The President greatly values loyalty, so
look for him to "dance with the one who brung him"
over the next four years. Bush is already telling people that
he would like to focus on brokering Middle East peace -- particularly
between the Israelis and Palestinians -- as a goal for the next
term. Also on the agenda will be the traditional Cabinet and
top advisor changes. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Security
Advisor Condi Rice have previously announced their plans to
leave in January. Rumsfeld , Wolfowitz and other neo-cons could
be dumped at Defense -- despite having Cheney on their side
-- if Bush looks to make some dramatic changes in how he handles
the Iraq War. Look for others to jump -- including some close
Bush loyalists -- as the second term is always the traditional
time to switch over from a meager government salary to a lucrative
lobbyist salary while your guy is still in the Oval Office.
That prediction isn't to denigrate Bush -- as it also happened
under Reagan and Clinton during their second terms.
AHEAD.
One guy who doesn't seem to get that the second Bush Administration
is likely to remain on a conservative course is newly re-elected
US Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). Specter, who is the incoming
Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, warned the President
on Wednesday to not nominate any hardcore pro-life candidates
for the US Supreme Court. "When you talk about judges who
would change the right of a woman to choose, overturn Roe
v. Wade, I think that is unlikely ... The President is
well aware of what happened, when a bunch of his nominees were
sent up, with the filibuster ... and I would expect the president
to be mindful of the considerations which I am mentioning,"
Specter told the AP. He also complained that -- unlike in the
past -- the Supreme Court currently has no legal "giants"
on the bench and is in need of one (i.e., late Justices such
as Holmes, Frankfurter, Douglas, Brandeis, Warren, Black, etc.).
As Chair, Specter would have the power to delay confirmation
hearing and otherwise make them rather hard for a court nominee
to overcome. The comments are consistent with Specter's past
conduct, despite that fact that it was the personal intervention
of President Bush in this year's primary that helped the Senator
narrowly win renomination over a conservative challenger. Specter,
74, is unlikely to seek re-election in six years so he is now
free to act as he wishes without concern for future political
repercussions. A compromise candidate could be someone like
current White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales -- a centrist former
Texas Supreme Court Justice -- who is both a Bush loyalist and
pro-choice.
but
would not support "radical" parts of the so-called
"gay agenda." That got me curious as to what items
people -- particularly conservatives -- thought were "reasonable"
rights to seek and what ones were "radical" rights.
Below are some of the political items that gay people are seeking;
simple cut-and-paste the list into the blog and answer one by
one whether you think the item is reasonable or radical. And,
by "reasonable," I'm asking if it is a reasonable
item to seek and obtain today. (Note: This is NOT a
debate today on the origins/causes of homosexuality.)
SENATE
RACES. The Republicans won enough races on Tuesday to hold
at least 54 seats in the next US Senate -- and possibly as many
as 55 seats when a winner is declared in Alaska (note: the GOP
candidate was leading as of Wednesday morning). Open seat winners:
Attorney General Ken Salazar (D-CO), former US Housing Secretary
Mel Martinez (R-FL), Congressman Johnny Isakson (R-GA), State
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), Congressman David Vitter (R-LA),
Congressman Richard Burr (R-NC), former Congressman Tom Coburn
(R-OK), Congressman Jim DeMint (D-SC), and former Congressman
John Thune (R-SD). The big news, obviously, was Thune's 51%-49%
defeat of US Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). With
Daschle ousted, look for US Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid
(D-NV) to move up the ladder to the top Dem leadership position.
Daschle is the first sitting US Senate party leader to lose
for re-election in over 50 years. Reid is substantially more
centrist than was the liberal Daschle. In Kentucky, US Senator
Jim Bunning's (R) bizarre antics and questions about his mental
health in the final weeks of the campaign almost snatched defeat
out of the jaws of victory, but he held on by a 51%-49% vote
against a vastly underfunded challenger.
US
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX). DeLay's plan was intended
to ensure the defeat of five incumbents by carving them into
new, heavily GOP districts. Overall, the GOP will add to their
House majority, with an apparent net gain of two seats -- with
a few seats still undecided. Tuesday's casualties: Congressmen
Max Burns (R-GA), Phil Crane (R-IL), Max Sandlin (D-TX), Nick
Lampson (D-TX), Charlie Stenholm (D-TX), and Martin Frost (D-TX).
The challengers who defeated these folks are Athens-Clarke County
Commissioner John Barrow (D-GA), business consultant Melissa
Bean (D-IL), former District Judge Louie Gohmert (R-TX), and
former District Judge Ted Poe (R-TX). Open seat winners: former
Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA), former State Senator Jim Costa
(D-CA), State Rep. John Salazar (D-CO), former State Rep. Connie
Mack IV (R-FL), State Senator Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL),
former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), former State Senate
Majority Leader Tom Price (R-GA), State House Minority Leader
Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), manufacturing consultant Geoff Davis
(R-KY), former State Senator Joe Schwarz (R-MI), State Rep.
Russ Carnahan (D-MO), former Kansas City Mayor Emanuel Cleaver
(D-MO), former Lincoln City Councilman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE),
State Assemblyman Brian Higgins (D-NY), State Senator Randy
Kuhl (R-NY), State Senator Virginia Foxx (R-NC), State Rep.
Patrick McHenry (R-NC), State Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK), Bucks County
Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA), State Senator Allyson
Schwartz (D-PA), former Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC), Justice
of the Peace Al Green (D-TX), attorney Mike McCaul (R-TX), accountant
Mike Conaway (R-TX), State Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX), former
Secretary of State Henry Cuellar (D-TX), State Delegate Thelma
Drake (R-VA), State Rep. Cathy McMorris (R-WA), King County
Sheriff Dave Reichert (R-WA), and State Senator Gwen Moore (D-WI).
Still too close to call: Indiana CD-9 race with Congressman
Baron Hill (D) trailing trucking executive Mike Sodrel (R) by
just 1,456 votes, with most of the votes counted. Also, the
Louisiana CD-3 and CD-7 races will be decided in run-offs on
December 4.
PRESIDENTIAL
RACE - OPEN THREAD. Bush vs. Kerry ... and Nader, Badnarik,
Peroutka, Cobb, and all the other hopefuls.
FLORIDA
(Zogby): Former Education Commissioner Betty Castor (D) and
former US Housing Secretary Mel Martinez (R) tied with 46% each,
Others-2%. (CNN/Gallup): Castor-48%, Martinez-46%. (Quinnipiac
Univ): Martinez-49%, Castor-44%. (Insider Advantage): Castor-47%,
Martinez-46%. GEORGIA (SurveyUSA): Congressman Johnny
Isakson (R) - 56%, Congresswoman Denise Majette (D) - 40%. IOWA
(Zogby): US Senator Chuck Grassley (R) - 68%, former State Senator
Art Small (D) - 22%, Others - 2%. KENTUCKY
(SurveyUSA): US Senator Jim Bunning (R) - 51%, State Senator
Dan Mongiardo (D) - 42%. NEVADA (Zogby): US
Senator Harry Reid (D) - 58%, anti-gay activist Richard Ziser
(R) - 34%, Others - 1%. OKLAHOMA (SurveyUSA):
Former Congressman Tom Coburn (R) - 47%, Congressman Brad Carson
(D) - 39%, frequent candidate Sheila Bilyeu (Indep) - 8%. OHIO
(Zogby): US Senator George Voinovich (R) - 57%, State Senator
Eric Fingerhut (D) - 33%, Others-1%. PENNSYLVANIA
(Zogby): US Senator Arlen Specter (R) - 53%, Congressman Joe
Hoeffel (D) - 32%, Others - 5%. WISCONSIN (Zogby):
US Senator Russ Feingold (D) - 59%, construction executive Tim
Michels (R) - 36%, Others-1%. 
"butterfly
ballot" in 2000? Well, she's back in the news again today.
It seems that last week LePore quietly issued new guidelines
on how elections are to be run at polling places in her county.
Among her new rules: journalists are not allowed to interview
or photograph voters who are lined up to vote at polling places.
Even if the voters consent to be photographed and are willing
to be interviewed. Even if the line is on a public sidewalk.
However, she never bothered to tell the media about this even
when she held a press conference this past Friday. Today, the
Palm Beach Post reported that investigative journalist
James Henry "was tackled, punched and arrested Sunday afternoon
by a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Deputy who tried to confiscate
his camera" after he photographed the line of voters. A
Sheriff's spokesman and a county attorney later told the newspaper
that "the deputy was enforcing a newly enacted rule"
from LePore. Dozens of voters and numerous other reporters observed
the incident. LePore refused to comment on the arrest or her
new rules. Leon County Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho called
LePore's new rule "an outrage." An ACLU attorney added:
"Where did Theresa LePore get the authority to criminalize
activities protected by the First Amendment?" A spokesman
for LePore initially said that Henry was "a so-called investigative
reporter who gave people phony credentials." When the Post
told LePore's office that the journalist in question is a published
author who has written for the New York Times, the Washington
Post, and others over the years, 
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