Rudy Giuliani
Fred Thompson
Mitt Romney
John McCain
General Race 4 2008 News
From the NH Union Leader:
Wyoming Republicans have jumped to the head of the pack in the nominating process, moving their delegate-selection conventions to Jan. 5 before even Iowa or New Hampshire had expected to vote.
While the move puts Wyoming first in the accelerated primary process, it is not expected to stay there as states continue to jockey for position. At stake for Wyoming Republicans on Jan. 5 will be 12 delegates to the national convention.
“We’re first in the nation,” said Tom Sansonetti, the state party’s 2008 county convention coordinator. “At least for the next couple, three weeks until New Hampshire and Iowa move, which I expect they will.”
Which means there will be voting in 2007 folks.
Team Rudy unveiled their National First Responders Coalition today. The members are:
Commissioner Howard Safir, National Chair, First Responders for Rudy
Safir has a distinguished career in law enforcement, having served as the 39th Police Commissioner of New York City , where he helped achieve a 38% reduction in major crime and 44% reduction in homicides. He also served as New York City’s 29th Fire Commissioner. Safir, two-time recipient of the President’s Meritorious Executive Award, currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of SafirRosetti, a security and investigative services company.
“Mayor Giuliani is a strong and principled leader. I saw firsthand his leadership in helping transform a crime-ridden New York City into the safest large city in our nation, while increasing preparedness by opening the city’s first Office of Emergency Management. He has always shown uncompromising courage in the face of challenges. I am proud to lead First Responders across America who support Rudy for President.”
U.S. Congressman David Reichert, National Chair, Law Enforcement for Rudy
Reichert has served the people of Washington state for over 30 years, currently representing Washington ‘s eighth Congressional District, serving on the Homeland Security, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science and Technology Committees. He is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment.
Prior to being elected to Congress in 2004, Reichert served as King County ‘s first elected Sheriff. As Sheriff, he brought a significant drop in violent crime and led the task force that solved the largest serial murder case in U.S. history. Reichert first joined the Sheriff’s Office in 1972 after serving as a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
“I admire Rudy Giuliani for his determination, courage, strength and ability to find real solutions to tough problems. As New York City ‘s Mayor, he implemented the CompStat program to help police be proactive in fighting crime. The Mayor will be a leader for law enforcement and for our country; a leader who not only pledges to find solutions, but also demands our government be held accountable and show results for the American people.”
Jim Bowie, National Chair, Firefighters for Rudy
Bowie is the Executive Director of the South Carolina Firefighters’ Association, where he has been since 1996. He worked at the South Carolina Fire Academy for 16 years prior to working for the association. Bowie is a graduate of The Citadel in Charleston , SC and began his career with the Charleston Fire Department.
National Firefighters for Rudy:
Jim Boyle, New York , National Co-Chair
Boyle serves as the Associate Director of the Fire Science Institute at John Jay College . He is a retired New York City firefighter and former President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association.
“Mayor Giuliani has a proven record of supporting firefighters. As Mayor, he implemented policies that improved firefighters’ safety and preparedness. Firefighters across the nation are supporting Mayor Giuliani because they admire his leadership and support his vision for our country,”
Lewis Hayes, South Carolina , National Co-Chair
Hayes is the Chief of the Croft Fire Department in Croft, SC and served in the U.S. Air Force 49th Tactical Fighter Wing. He was also a firefighter in support of Operation Desert Storm.
Lee Ielpi, New York , National Co-Chair
Ielpi is a retired firefighter from Rescue Squad 2 in New York City . In addition, he is a Vietnam Veteran, having served in the Army’s 1st Infantry Reconnaissance. Ielpi lost his son Jonathan (F.D.N.Y – Squad 288) on September 11, 2001. In the days and weeks following the terrorist attacks, he participated in the rescue and recovery efforts.
Tim Schmitz, Illinois , National Co-Chair
Schmitz has served as an Illinois State Representative since 1998, including currently serving as Assistant Minority Leader. He is an on-call firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Batavia Fire Department.
Brian Seymour, Iowa , National Co-Chair
Seymour is the Fire Chief of the Indianola, Iowa Fire Department and is the incoming President of the Iowa State Firefighters’ Association. He previously served as the Director of Emergency Medical Services for Clarke County Hospital .
David Garofalo, Florida , National Co-Chair
Garofalo is the Captain and Paramedic for the Pasco County Fire Rescue in Florida and has served as a member of the Lutz Volunteer Fire Association.
National Law Enforcement for Rudy:
Gene Abdallah, South Dakota , National Co-Chair
Abdallah is currently a South Dakota State Senator serving as the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has previously served as the South Dakota Highway Patrol Superintendent, directing the largest law enforcement agency in the state. He was appointed by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush as U.S. Marshal for the District of South Dakota.
Pat D’Amuro, New York , National Co-Chair
D’Amuro served in the FBI for over 26 years, including serving as the Inspector-In-Charge of the FBI’s investigation of the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks. At the time of his retirement from the FBI, D’Amuro was serving as the Assistant Director in charge of the New York office and previously served as Assistant Director for Counterterrorism at FBI Headquarters and Executive Assistant Director for Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism.
Joseph Dunne, New York , National Co-Chair
Dunne began his law enforcement career with the New York City Police Department in 1969, rising through the ranks to serve as Chief of Department, NYPD’s highest ranking uniformed officer, and as First Deputy Commissioner. Dunne is currently the Senior Vice President of UBS/Paine Webber.
Don Eslinger, Florida , National Co-Chair
Eslinger is the Sheriff of Seminole County Sheriff’s Department in Florida and is a recipient of numerous awards including the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America .
Jay Grant, Washington , DC , National Co-Chair
Grant is the Director of the U.S. Airport and Seaport Police and the legislative counsel and managing partner of Jay Grant & Associates. He previously served as the President and CEO of the National Association of Health Underwriters and served under former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and as a political advisor to Congressman Asa Hutchinson.
Jim Tignanelli, Michigan , National Co-Chair
Tignanelli is currently the President of the Police Officers’ Association of Michigan, which boasts 14,000 members in the state.
John Varrone, New Jersey , National Co-Chair
Varrone served for 26 years in federal law enforcement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s U.S. Customs Service, where he was appointed Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Investment.
John Edwards wants you to sacrifice:
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards told a labor group Tuesday that he would ask Americans to make a big sacrifice: their sport utility vehicles.
“I think Americans are actually willing to sacrifice,” Edwards said during a forum held by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. as aske”One of the things they should be asked to do is drive more fuel efficient vehicles.” The former North Carolina senator wd specifically if he would tell them to give up their SUVS, he said, “Yes.”
Edwards was asked during his appearance how he explained the contradiction of asking Americans to sacrifice while he’s living in a 28,000-square-foot mansion.
He said he came from nothing, worked hard all his life, has always supported workers and fought big corporations as a lawyer.
“I have no apologies whatsoever for what I’ve done with my life,” he said to loud cheers. “My entire life has been about the same cause, which is making sure wherever you come from, whatever your family is, whatever the color of your skin, you get a real chance to do something great in this country.”
Here is video of a computer mock-up of Edwards’ palatial 28,000 sq. foot mansion:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVcXPKH8laA[/youtube]
No matter what general election polls tell us about potential GOP match-ups versus Edwards right now, Republicans should be praying this guy wins the Democratic nomination.
Hat-tip: Right Michigan via Redstate.
This poll finds Sen. McCain’s support dropping in his home state by 8% since their April poll:
Arizona 2008 GOP Primary, ASU/KNXV-TV Poll
- John McCain 24%
- Mitt Romney 19%
- Rudy Giuliani 18%
- Fred Thompson 17%
The poll has a margin of error of had a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.
Your daily poll fix:
Rasmussen Reports Daily National Republican Primary Tracking Poll
- Giuliani – 25%
- Thompson – 21%
- Romney – 17%
- McCain – 10%
- Huckabee – 6%
Daily tracking results are from survey interviews conducted over four days ending last night. Each update includes approximately 600-650 Likely Republican Primary Voters and has an MoE of 4%.
I wrote piece about companies who pay for sleazy programs with their advertising at www.illinoisreview.com. I’ll pat myself on the back and say I made a good point here:
Many would argue that behavior is not influenced by the media we inhale. Yet for some reason, we still have advertising agencies raking in millions and billions for using media to influence our purchasing behavior. Don’t be fooled, if we can be sold a product with a bad actor on the floor who can’t get up, surely we can be sold more by handsome actors with an hour long story line.
Read the whole thing here.
This post of mine was written in regards to a watch group study that measured the amount of advertising companies did on wholesome shows vs. racy shows. Here are the results:
Best
1. Procter & Gamble
2. Walt Disney Co.
3. Ford Motor Company
4. Unilever United States
5. Viacom, Inc.
6. McDonald’s Corporation
7. Johnson & Johnson
8. Schering-Plough Corporation
[Products include: Afrin, Claritin, Nasonex, Dr. Scholls, Lotrimin]
9. Coca-Cola Company
10. General Mills, Inc.Worst
1. Toyota Motor Sales Inc.
2. General Motors Corp.
3. Limited Brands, Inc.
4. Payless Shoe Source
5. Vonage Marketing, Inc.
6. Volkswagen of America
7. Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants
[Parent company of: Dunkin' Donuts]
8. Reckitt Benckiser PLC
[Products include: Clearasil, Lysol, Spray and Wash, Air Wick, Woolite, Jet Dry, Glass Plus, Electrasol, Easy Off]
9. GEICO, Inc.
10. Bayer Corp.
Concerning Mitt, this is why we need him. The filth of today is astounding. He is not going to force companies where to spend their money, nor will he enact laws that will censor unwanted items. But he will use his bully-pulpit to bring America to a greater consensus on the damage we are doing ourselves as a culture by allowing media to infest our minds, and even worse- our children’s minds.
While we all recognize the need for the war on terror and strong economy, it’s not so cool in some circles even in our own party, to ask for public support of decency. We can win the war, and have lots of money, but what will be the point if we have degraded ourselves with an obsession of sex and violence?
Today I’m attending the Heritage foundation’s Modern Media Strategies forum. There are a gambit of new media folk here including Robert Bluey, Soren Dayton, Patrick Ruffini, David All and more.
Essentially, this is a workshop to discuss how new media efforts can help the conservative movement. Google is co-sponsoring the event from their local Public Policy blog.
I’ll be blogging throughout the day from the event at MyManMitt.com, RightSideRedux, and FamilyFragments.com.
“People are people so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully?” – Depeche Mode (correction)
In this intense and heated environment of tightening presidential primary politics, bloggers and pundits are meshing together any stray piece of information to fashion blunt instruments in their attacks on the opposing candidate. I should admit that I am hardly exempt from this pastime but I try hard to keep to the subject at hand and avoid the tempting lure of manufacturing issues where none exist.
Tommy has crafted just such a weapon in his post against Romney. Here are the problems I see in his argument:
To sum up: Tommy accuses Hugh of bias but I believe that Tommy’s homemade anti-Romney Viewfinder is the real issue here.
In two of the most concrete examples yet this campaign season, we see confirmation that Rudy Giuliani’s strategy is to survive the early primary states and use Florida to catapult him to victory on February 5.
Item 1: Staff for the Giuliani campaign presented a Powerpoint show to Rudy volunteers recently. The second slide of the presentation simply said, “Florida is the firewall.” One of the succeeding slides stated “Giuliani’s strategy is to win delegate rich Florida to catapult him.” This is one of the most overt examples of Rudy’s campaign strategy being made public.
Item 2: Giuliani’s campaign is inquiring about prices of television markets for ad buys – but not in states like Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina. Rudy wants to buy ads in Illinois, Georgia, Oklahoma, and West Virginia… all of which, as you might have guessed, are holding their primaries on February 5.
One of the most exciting and interesting things about this primary season are the completely different approaches the candidates are taking to it. Romney is focusing on all the early states (as shown in his recent campaigning in Nevada and Wyoming), Rudy is focusing on Florida and the February 5 states, McCain is focusing (partly not by choice) entirely on New Hampshire, and Fred Thompson… well, who knows what Fred’s plan is at this point (I would venture a guess that he would be focusing on South Carolina and Florida, but we’ll see). It will certainly make things interesting.
NOTE: This is probably the harshest piece I’ve written about another candidate, but I feel that I am right in voicing my concerns. I don’t mean to offend any Mitt Romney supporters here, many of whom I have a great deal of respect for, and value their opinions. However, the actions taken today have truly infuriated me, and I cannot be silent on this issue. Last night, I tried to appease everyone by trying not to imply that Romney was in the wrong by being associated with Craig, and not being politically damaged any more than the rest of the party for Larry Craig’s actions. I said that it hurts all of the candidates, including Romney. This is my opinion after Romney’s statements today. It is rather harsh, but these are my honest reservations about Romney, at this point. Flame me, bash me, go ahead, but I can’t go on acting like this is a non-issue to me. It gives me serious questions about the character of the candidate. For the record, I hold the view that Craig is guilty, as I stated last night in my post rather angrily. However, I did not appoint him to be a senate co-chair for my campaign, and never will, since I have no desire to ever run for city janitor, much less president…
___________________________________________________________________________________
My Growing Concerns About Mitt Romney
Although I’ve been vocal in my opposition to the former governor from Massachusetts (at least when compared to my preferred candidate), I have been slow to publicly accuse him of pandering and flip-flopping in the past. Today, he went beyond the boundary, and crossed that line. Last night when I was posting on the Larry Craig affair, I even went back and changed my post because someone accused me of using the situation to attack Romney by linking to articles that connected him to Craig. I was, at the time, disturbed by the fact that Romney pulled the YouTube video of Craig endorsing him, but I was willing to let that slide. Today’s actions, I can not and will not let go without calling it for what it is.
Craig was one of Romney’s top two backers in the Senate and had worked to round up support there for the former governor. After Craig’s bathroom encounter was reported, the Romney campaign moved to distance itself from the Idahoan, issuing a terse statement last night that it was no longer associated with Craig and that it didn’t want the senator to be a distraction.
But the candidate himself went much further today, seeking to tie Craig’s alleged search for a gay liasion to the broader pattern of corruption permeating Washington in recent years.
“I think it reminds us of Mark Foley and Bill Clinton,” Romney told Kudlow, in remarks reported on the network’s First Read blog. “I think it reminds us of the fact that people who are elected to public office continue to disappoint, and they somehow think that if they vote the right way on issues of significance or they can speak a good game, that we’ll just forgive and forget.”
“And the truth of the matter is, the most important thing we expect from… an elected official is a level of dignity and character that we can point to for our kids and our grandkids, and say, `Hey, someday I hope you grow up and you’re someone like that person.’ And we’ve seen disappointment in the White House, we’ve seen it in the Senate, we’ve seen it in Congress. And frankly, it’s disgusting.”
Today, former governor Mitt Romney is acting like the ultimate hypocrite and opportunist. The GOP nominee campaigning on moral high ground has behaved today like nothing more than a man, in my view, with questionable integrity, at best. People can accuse former Senator Fred Thompson of being lazy or flipping on abortion, and have solid evidence to criticize him for it. People can accuse former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani of being a philanderer, and out of step with mainstream conservatives on a majority of social issues, and have a valid argument. However, as many faults as either men have, both are willing to fight for what they believe in, without using their own supporter’s downfall to blame the beltway.
You see, instead of staying out of the Craig fiasco, which would’ve been the wise thing to do, Romney had to come out and publicly humiliate him, causing Larry Craig even more damage than he had already caused himself. Earlier this summer, Giuliani had two representatives of his campaign publicly embarrass him. Instead of throwing them under the proverbial bus, the former mayor dealt with it himself; sparing his those at fault with the embarrassment of having their own candidate publicly crucify them. For all I know, Giuliani very well could have tortured them with broken glass and rubbing alcohol in private for the damage they caused him, but publicly he did not feel the need to cause more pain and suffering to those men’s’ families. He apparently understood that the last thing that the children of those accused needed was more piling onto their father, husband, son, brother, or friend. Governor Romney did just that.
In an argument I had last night with a prominent blogger and Romney supporter who I have a great amount of respect for, he said something to the effect of I’d have a problem with this if Romney knew about it beforehand (paraphrase). Well, it seems as though every prominent elected official, not to mention a large portion of the country, were aware of this man’s past transgressions. As organized and well researched as Governor Romney’s campaign is, if he didn’t know about it, then I have seriously overestimated his competence. By saying the above-mentioned statement, Romney appears to be feigning ignorance, and washing his hands of it. First of all, this man has put in a great deal of effort on behalf of Mitt Romney. He has lobbied senators on the governor’s behalf, and served as a campaign chair. He has worked to gain as much muscle for the campaign as possible. Apparently, Romney can overlook Craig’s shady past as long as it suits his purpose, but the candidate with the claim to higher moral standards has no remorse of washing his hands of Craig when it comes back to haunt him. He is first in line for carrying the bucket of tar and feathers. It reminds me of Night of the Hunter, the classic movie starring Robert Mitchum. In it, there was a family who would not hear of anything bad about the mysterious preacher who had come into town, but when the man murdered the local widow he married, they led the mob with pitchforks in hand to string him up before the court could deal with him, all the while feigning ignorance and neglecting the utter torture and emotional roller coaster that the children of the widow were having to deal with out of the way.
If this was an isolated incident of overlooking someone’s past, then perhaps I could be more understanding, but it is not. Let me introduce those unfamiliar with the Romney team to Robert Lichfield. Lichfield is the Utah finance chair for the Romney campaign. In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, 133 plaintiffs have alleged that Robert Lichfield, co-chairman of Romney’s Utah finance committee owned or operated residential boarding schools for troubled teenagers where students were “subjected to physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse.”
In fact, according to Reason magazine:
133 plaintiffs filed a civil suit against Romney’s Utah finance co-chair, Robert Lichfield, and his various business entities involved in residential treatment programs for adolescents. The umbrella group for his organization is the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS, sometimes known as WWASP) and Lichfield is its founder and is on its board of directors
And if that is not enough for you, let me introduce you to Mel Sembler, the Romney campaign’s national finance co-chair:
the link to teen abuse goes far higher up in the Romney campaign. Romney’s national finance co-chair is a man named Mel Sembler. A long time friend of the Bushes, Sembler was campaign finance chair for the Republican party during the first election of George W. Bush, and a major fundraiser for his father.
According to the L.A. Times, California investigators said that at Straight teens were “subjected to unusual punishment, infliction of pain, humiliation, intimidation, ridicule, coercion, threats, mental abuse… and interference with daily living functions such as eating, sleeping and toileting.”
These are not proven charges, but just as serious allegations as Senator Craig’s. I am not here to say that they are guilty, but it does make me very skeptical of Romney’s performance on CNBC today. To act as if this was a shock to him was a stretch, considering Craig’s known history.
It appears, to my eyes, that Mr. Romney is willing to name people with shady pasts to his campaign team. This leads me to two possible explanations. My first conclusion is that Romney is an incompetent judge of character. Remember, these are not just supporters whose actions should have no reflection on him, but representatives of “Team Romney.” These are people that he named to personally represent him. This theory of oversight does not hold up under scrutiny though. Romney is running as the CEO whose accomplishments in the business world are near legendary. It reminds me of why I am not a fan of CEO candidates. Executives in the business world who reach the status of a Mitt Romney get there by ruthless, win at any cost type of tactics. In my opinion, one of President George W. Bush’s weaknesses as a CEO and a president is that he is not ruthless enough. Accomplished executives don’t make these types of mistakes repeatedly, which leads me to my second conclusion. Romney, the CEO, is a stop at nothing to win candidate. To this type of nominee, winning is the only thing, whether it is making the sale or getting elected to office. They change their persona to fit their potential buyer’s preference. They are politically amoral. They are able to distance themselves from their personal feelings, so long as they win. Of course, to run the country one has to be able to make tough decisions that can cause pain to a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean using as long as they fit your need. Now, does this mean Mitt Romney is an immoral human being? No, it does not. I do not question his public image of a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Many CEO’s are good, decent human beings. However, when they enter the business world, that moral code they live by in their personal life ceases to exist. They essentially become a different person.
By what I’ve seen today, Mitt Romney has shown me how he treats people who no longer fit into his agenda. Now, in all fairness, I called the GOP leadership out about this. I agree that Senator Craig’s actions are reprehensible. However, I am not ever going to run for office, and as of yesterday, I had no idea who Larry Craig was. To me, he’s just another politician whose own hypocrisy caused his downfall. He was much more than that to Romney. Right after Craig issued a denial of all the charges, Romney made his despicable statement. I’m curious if Romney feels that as president, he would have the moral authority to be the judge, jury, and executioner. As he has shown with his judgment today, it is not a thought I am ready to have to deal with.
To conclude with even more ridiculousness, I leave you with a quote today from famed Romney supporter Hugh Hewitt, who believes that Craig cheating on his wife with a man is apparently worse than David Vitter cheating on his wife with a prostitute. Hewitt gave Vitter the benefit of the doubt, but not Craig.
I realize that I did not say this about Senator Vitter, but Craig’s behavior is so reckless and repulsive that an immediate exit is required. I don’t believe him. Read the statement by the arresting officer. He must think the people of Idaho are idiots.
But even if I did believe him, this would make his judgment too flawed to be in the United States Senate in a time of war. He has to go.-Hugh Hewitt, in his own words, who apparently can tolerate affairs as long as they’re heterosexual
In all honesty, I hope Hewitt is not that biased, as this borders on the point of demeaning. Apparently, it’s not worth resigning if the accused blatantly breaks the law by soliciting prostitutes. However, if he breaks the law by soliciting gay sex, then by all means, he must go. What makes Craig’s behavior more reckless and sinister than Vitter’s? Hugh is wrong.
UPDATE: Apparently, Goldwater took the opposite actions when confronted with similar problems during his campaign. I think it is wise of the Romney campaign to follow these steps…
In 1964, three weeks before the election, Lyndon Johnson’s closest aide Walter Jenkins was arrested in the men’s room of a YMCA near the White House for doing what Craig is now alleged to have attempted.
Barry Goldwater, the Republican candidate for President, refused to comment. In his autobiography, Goldwater late wrote, “It was a sad time for Jenkins’ wife and children, and I was not about to add to their private sorrow. Winning isn’t everything. Some things, like loyalty to friends or lasting principle, are more important.”
But that was before the term “compassionate conservative” had been invented
.
From the arenaofideas:
Still, I am dismayed by comments Huckabee recently when asked about imposing a cigarette ban.
Let me be clear. I do not smoke and Huckabee is correct in that it is something in which if the user follows the government recommended instructions – will still die. I also would agree to a public resturant smoking ban which would prevent people from getting cancer from second hand smoke.
In the same breath, though, this is something a person must decide on their own. Nothing gets me riled more than the government deciding to take an active role in making life decisions for me.
It is this contradiction in conservatism and big government which Huckabee prevents me from outright supporting the man. More to the point, will this comment end any support he is recieving from Libertarians and supporters of the Fair Tax which very well may have boosted him to a second place finish in Iowa.
I am afraid, though, this may be a kiss of death for his campaign. Recieving this kind of media attention for a second tier candidate can be a mortal wound. Only time will tell.
Well, Huck… I don’t know what to say except… What were you thinking? I’m partial to you as a fellow southerner, and thought that maybe I could overlook some of your big (as in government) ideas if my prefered candidate, and fellow son of the south, failed. Look, I’m all for helping keep kids off the tobacco, and preaching about healthy choices, but as a smoker, the last thing I want is the FEDERAL government telling me what I can and can’t do.
Mike, you have a great deal of positives to add to the campaign. Don’t throw it all away by proving your critics were right all along, and that you’re the nanny stater they claim you to be.
Rudy Giuliani
Fred Thompson
Mitt Romney
John McCain
Newt Gingrich
General Race 4 2008 News
Hat-tip Ryan Sager:
California GOP Primary Field Poll
- Rudy Giuliani 35%
- Mitt Romney 14%
- Fred Thompson 13%
- John McCain 9%
BTW… Hillary leads Obama 49%-19% on the Dem side.
Hat-tip Pollster:
Kansas 2008 General Election
- Rudy Giuliani 54%
- Hillary Clinton 40%
- Fred Thompson 49%
- Hillary Clinton 44%
- Mitt Romney 46%
- Hillary Clinton 45%
Massachusetts 2008 General Election
- Hillary Clinton 57%
- Rudy Giuliani 37%
- Hillary Clinton 62%
- Fred Thompson 30%
- Hillary Clinton 62%
- Mitt Romney 33%
New York 2008 General Election
- Hillary Clinton 59%
- Rudy Giuliani 37%
- Hillary Clinton 64%
- Fred Thompson 31%
- Hillary Clinton 64%
- Mitt Romney 27%
Well… At least Rudy keeps Hillary under 60% in NY.
Here’s the latest Rasmussen:
Rasmussen Reports Daily Republican National Presidential Tracking Poll
- Giuliani – 23%
- Thompson – 23%
- Romney – 16%
- McCain – 11%
- Huckabee – 5%
Daily tracking results are from survey interviews conducted over four days ending last night. Each update includes approximately 600-650 Likely Republican Primary Voters and has an MoE of 4%.
While I’m still at it here, I’ve been meaning to post this for a while:
Essential Book for the Campaign
The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington
By Robert D. Novak
Crown Forum
638 pages
Don’t let the size of this book fool you; it flies by. Novak’s autobiographical memoir of his life as a reporter leaves no loose ends; no stone unturned, giving him the final word in matters covering his 50 years in Washington. This is undeniably the most entertaining, fascinating, and revelatory book of its kind. When reading politically tilted nonfiction books, especially one at this length, it is easy to get bogged down by the author’s own bloated self worth and ego (see presidential campaign books)- but not this time. From his early support for John F. Kennedy, his disgust with Jimmy Carter, his admiration for Reagan, his disappointment in Gingrich, and his indifference to George W. Bush, you get it all here. Most importantly, you finally get to hear Novak’s own side to the Scooter Libby Affair, his real opinions on Joseph Wilson, and his personal relationship with Karl Rove. Some of you might be offended by his harsh words for some republicans and one republican presidential candidate from NYC, but this only takes one small paragraph of an otherwise thrilling tale. Novak doesn’t just advertise his accomplishments; he addresses his faults and those things that have been thorns in his side. He reviewed his archived columns, and explains to the reader where he was right, and where he was wrong. This is one of those rare nonfiction books that when you finish, one feels like he actually knows the author on a personal basis. It reminds me of a 638-page conversation, who’s narrator is a great storyteller that enchants the listener (or reader).
It’s that good, and I usually hate these kinds of books.
GRADE: A+
Reviewed by: Tommy Oliver
Fox TV-Rasmussen General Election Match-Ups in Illinois, Missouri & Pennsylvania
Illinois
- Hillary Clinton 49%
- Rudy Giuliani 39%
- Hillary Clinton 49%
- Fred Thompson 40%
- Barack Obama 56%
- Rudy Giuliani 33%
- Barack Obama 55%
- Fred Thompson 34%
Missouri
- Hillary Clinton 46%
- Rudy Giuliani 43%
- Hillary Clinton 48%
- Fred Thompson 42%
- Hillary Clinton 46%
- John McCain 40%
- Hillary Clinton 48%
- Mitt Romney 39%
Pennsylvania
- Hillary Clinton 45%
- Rudy Giuliani 44%
- Hillary Clinton 47%
- Fred Thompson 40%
- Hillary Clinton 44%
- John McCain 40%
- Hillary Clinton 49%
- Mitt Romney 36%
Survey of 500 likely voters in each respective state was conducted August 22-23. The margin of error in each state’s survey is +/- 4.5 percentage points.
Reports from the MN State Fair:
A Twin Cities reporter told Seifert the last time he’d seen such a throng of fans for a politician was in the early days of Jesse Ventura’s time as governor. Seifert, who served in the Legislature during Ventura’s four years, also said Ventura had a celebrity aura.
But while Ventura, the former pro wrestler, often projected an outrageous persona, Thompson was more down-to-earth, Seifert said.
I offer the following to an astute political observer (who must remain nameless) with whom I once engaged in a spirited debate over the authenticity of Ron Paul’s Pro-Life credentials:
I freely confess that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and that I seek His guidance in all that I do.
I have worked tirelessly to defend and restore those rights for all Americans, born and unborn alike. The right of an innocent, unborn child to life is at the heart of the American ideal of liberty. My professional and legislative record demonstrates my strong commitment to this pro-life principle.
In 40 years of medical practice, I never once considered performing an abortion, nor did I ever find abortion necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman. In Congress, I have authored legislation that seeks to define life as beginning at conception.
Hat-tip Brody File.
This needs to stop. No one is wishing this on anybody’s campaign teams, and it is an unwanted distraction. This is obviously not the candidate’s fault, but by actions such as these, it seriously hurts the candidate, and in the end, hurts the Republican Party. It just proves that, in some instances, the democrats are right, and those looking for change are right. The biggest question is… how many times will it take for it to sink in the DC leadership.
When I recieve letters asking for money to defeat the democrats and take back the senate, things like this make me hesitate. From here on out, I refuse to give the GOP leadership in congress a penny until they clean up their own act, and stop being hypocrites.
Update: Apparently, this has been known about for a while: more from the youtube link of a 1982 news report investigating Craig:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZXaaFbo6Oo&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epolitico%2Ecom%2Fblogs%2Fjonathanmartin%2F0807%2FLarry%5FCraigs%5FproRomney%5Fvideo%5Ftaken%5Fdown%2Ehtml[/youtube]
It’s not the homosexuality that bothers me, as it is hiding under the “family values.” Leadership knew about the innuendo, and I’m not naive enough to think they didn’t investigate this thoroughly. Cocaine and male pages… that sounds familiar.
UPDATE #2: If Senate leadership weren’t aware of this behavior, they must’ve been the only ones (besides apparently myself).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RntWGPEjoo&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogactive%2Ecom%2F2006%2F10%2Fsenator%2Dlarry%2Dcraig%2Dwhats%2Dwith%2Dgay%2Ehtml[/youtube]
Andrew Sullivan mentions his own feelings on this matter, as one who understands the pressures of living a closeted lifestyle:
But my sympathy vanishes when it comes to people who support amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage, as Craig did. There are limits to what you get to do to protect your own secrets, and being willing to permanently destroy gay men and lesbians’ chances to marry the people they love, and with whom they have found happiness, is way, way outside them.
Craig seems to have made a habit of voting against laws that would secure the rights of gay men and lesbians. In addition to supporting the Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, he voted against a bill that would have banned job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, against expanding the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation, and was rated zero by the Human Rights Campaign in each of the last three Congresses. I truly can’t imagine what it would be like — how little self-respect a person would have to have — to amass that sort of voting record while cruising for gay sex in airport restrooms.
You can agree or disagree with Sullivan’s lifestyle or beliefs, but he has a point.
UPDATE #3: This just keeps getting worse. According to this rollcall:
After he was arrested, Craig, who is married, was taken to the Airport Police Operations Center to be interviewed about the lewd conduct incident, according to the police report. At one point during the interview, Craig handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a U.S. Senator and said, “What do you think about that?” the report states.
So let me get this straight, this guy gets busted, and then tries to force his way out of it by his position in the senate? If I break the “thou shalt not hate” thing, I have to admit, I don’t shed many tears for blatant hypocrits.
Rudy Giuliani
Fred Thompson
Mitt Romney
John McCain
Newt Gingrich
General Race 4 2008 News
FLORIDA TO DNC: JUST TRY IT
This happened over the weekend, but we haven’t had anything up on R4’08 about it yet so I’ll throw in my two cents.
The first thing to realize when dealing with setting primary dates is that it is a complicated dance between state parties, national parties, and state legislatures. What we are seeing in Florida and Michigan is the mess which is a direct result of that dance.
The Florida legislature, backed by the state parties, earlier this year moved their primaries to January 29 – a direct violation of national party rules which stated only certain key states could hold their primaries or caucuses before February 5. The RNC threatened to withhold half of Florida’s delegates if the plan passed; the DNC threatened to withhold all of the states’ delegates. (Remember, the primary process is not to nominate candidates – it is to nominate delegates who will then go and nominate the candidates.) Neither of the threats worked, and Florida went ahead with their plan.
This past Saturday, the enforcement panel of the DNC voted unanimously to – shock! – enforce their rules and strip Florida from having any delegates at the Democratic National Convention next summer. Basically, the primary in Florida won’t matter for the Democratic candidates if things stay the way they are right now.
Of course, things won’t stay the way they are right now. The DNC has given Florida 30 days to move their primary to be in compliance with their rules. This move, of course, was also a shot across the bow of the Michigan state legislature, who is halfway done moving their primary to January 15. But this tangled mess gets even more tangled now. For instance:
So really, it’s come down to a big stare-down between the state legislature and the national Democratic party. Will lawmakers sue the DNC? Will the DNC enforce the panel’s ruling? Will there be two Democratic primaries in Florida next year – a non-binding one in January and then the real one in February?
And what will the RNC do about the GOP delegates from the state? One thing we do know: the official primary and caucus dates for every state must be submitted to the RNC by next Tuesday, September 4, so we should have a better grasp on the Republican situation then.
Courtesy of Scott:
Rasmussen Reports Daily Republican National Presidential Tracking Poll
- Giuliani – 24%
- Thompson – 23%
- Romney – 13%
- McCain – 12%
- Huckabee – 5%
Daily tracking results are from survey interviews conducted over four days ending last night. Each update includes approximately 600-650 Likely Republican Primary Voters and has an MoE of 4%.
The New York Times has published an excellent overview of Thompson’s time in Washington, as both appointed legal counsel, and his time in the senate overseeing the Watergate hearings. You can read it here. Overall, it is a very fair and straightforward assessment. Some tough quotes, and some praise included.
Some Highlights:
-Over time, as Mr. Thompson traversed the highly politicized terrain of the Congressional investigations that built his off-screen career, he evolved from a man primarily cast as a defender of Republican interests to one whose fair-mindedness would win praise from Democrats and incur the wrath of the Republican leadership.
Washington Beginnings:
-”You’d think this guy would be so totally dazzled to be in Washington that he’d be lost,” Mr. Nixon told his chief of staff, H. R. Haldeman, in February 1973.
Mr. Baker, the committee’s savvy and powerful Republican vice-chairman, knew better. A year earlier, Mr. Thompson had helped run his re-election campaign, impressing the senator with his loyalty and life story.
On Watergate:
“The minority counsel’s, I think, proper role is to walk that line and to assist in carrying on the investigation, while at the same time making sure that it’s done in a fair manner,” he said.
Several of the committee’s Democratic lawyers said Mr. Thompson had walked that line appropriately. Mr. Dash’s assistant chief counsel, Terry Lenzner, said that if he had been in Mr. Thompson’s shoes, he would have consulted with the White House, too.
“But from my standpoint, he certainly wasn’t obstructing our inquiries,” said Mr. Lenzner, who now runs an investigations firm. “I found him willing to listen and open-minded.”
Investigation for Senate in 1981:
Victoria Toensing, who worked with Mr. Thompson on the inquiry and supports his candidacy, said he primarily saw his job as getting the various players to be “on the same page” so the director could “get back to the business of intelligence.” Still, she said, “Fred understood that you had to go through the process so that people would feel comfortable.”
Mr. Thompson allowed investigators to pursue all leads, she said, but kept a narrow focus. When Democrats wanted to look at years of Casey tax returns, for instance, he put his foot down. “I can remember him saying,” she said, mimicking his Southern accent, ” ‘We’re not gonna go on a fishin’ expedition.’ ”
On Whitewater, while GOP leadership was grilling him:
“That took guts,” said Alan Baron, the committee’s Democratic counsel
“Initially, he was viewed as a hatchet man, but he ended up bending over in a way that refreshed me to try to be fair,” said Lanny Davis, the former White House special counsel. “He convinced those of us in the Clinton White House that it’s possible to be partisan and intellectually honest at the same time.”
Rudy Giuliani
Fred Thompson
Mitt Romney
John McCain
General Race 4 2008 News
This has been a week of highs and lows for the Fred Thompson camp. Early in the week, he recieved negative reviews for his speech to the VFW. It was a weak performance, and a stale speech, where he came across as “distracted.”
Saturday, however, was another story. Thompson recieved high marks for his speech at the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, from the AP, the local press, and those in attendence.
From the AP:
Thompson, a former Tennessee senator and an actor known for his role as a district attorney on NBC’s “Law & Order,” was the third and final GOP hopeful to speak at the conference. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke Friday.
He received a more rousing reception when he was introduced to speak than Romney and Huckabee got, with many in the crowd of 500 or so whooping and hollering and shouting, “Fred, Fred, Fred.” Unlike the stiff character he plays on TV, Thompson was casual as he spoke. He warmed up the crowd with a few jokes, saying that while he was a senator he could recall that every once and awhile, a member of Congress would slip up by “actually spending their own money.”
He spoke mostly in general terms on serious matters, saying that one of the most pressing challenges facing America was national security and the terrorist threat from Islamic radicals. Not enough people take the threat seriously, he said.
“Our country is in danger and it’s going to be in danger for a long time to come,” he said. “We have got to be more united and more committed than ever before.”
He said government spending was out of control, and people had little faith in government solving problems in areas such as energy, education and health care.
“We probably have more cynicism toward our leadership than in a long time,” he said. “How do people follow when people don’t have any confidence in what is said and who is saying it?”
Jean Reed of Greensburg said she has been unsure who she would support, but that Thompson’s appearance and speech probably won her over.
“I think he would make a great candidate,” she said. “He seemed to be very personable, he seemed to be caring, he seemed to know what he believed.”
Murray Winn of Mishawaka said he was still undecided, but hoped Thompson would get into the race soon. “I think it will energize the party if he does,” he said.
Thompson is expected to announce his bid early next month, saying Saturday that he will “certainly be making a statement within short order.”
From the Indiana Star:
“To have leadership, you have to have people willing to follow,” he said, but too many people “don’t have any confidence in what’s being said or who’s saying it. We can’t go down that road forever.”
For voters like Mike and Maggie Campbell, Greenwood,, the conference gave them their first real chance to see the candidates up close.
Mike Campbell, 55, said he liked what Huckabee and Romney had to say, but was leaning toward Thompson. Standing in front of a table filled with stickers, buttons and posters touting Thompson, they said they weren’t bothered by his undeclared status.
All three of the politicians are saying basically the same thing, the couple said.
What they wanted to know was which one could win. The Campbells said Thompson seems to have the same touch former President Ronald Reagan had as a communicator.
After Thompson’s speech, Maggie Campbell uttered an enthusiastic “yes” when asked if she liked Thompson’s speech.
Mike Campbell added that he saw all three candidates, and Thompson was the only one to walk through the crowd and shake hands with many people.
“His speech wasn’t as specific as some of the others, but he also hasn’t announced yet,” Campbell said. “I liked what I heard.”
From the penraker:
At first, he seemed too laconic. But the more he spoke, the more he grew on you. He is a good communicator, probably the best Reagan-like communicator we have seen in years. The media will not understand him. They would like to call him dumb, but since he is a lawyer and a Senator they cannot. So they will call him lazy or something similar…
Alerted is much better. It goes deeper and produces a more lasting commitment. Any salesman can learn how to energize a crowd. But to be taken seriously by a crowd, and to make them think – that is rare.
He was being serious. He was not rah-rahing. Understand this: people hate rah-rahing. Maybe a few nuts at the conventions like it, but normal people are disgusted by it. For the first time in many years, we saw someone who is absolutely serious about things and is not willing to become an automaton for a year in order to get into office.
That is a huge advantage, an incalculable advantage. It means he is trying to get something done, rather than become something.
Thompson was extraordinary at the one thing the every politician strives for, but few are able to achieve: make a real connection with average Americans. He speaks their language. He is going to be formidable.
All in all, I was personally very pleased with his speech last night (especially after I got to see the whole thing- CSPAN!). Thompson didn’t stand at the podium and deliver punch lines. He walked across the stage with a clipped on microphone, and spoke in an authoritave manner from the heart. That is what connects Fred to his audience.
Not a bad week at all. And just announced, MN House Minority Leader Marty Seifert will serve as Thompson’s guide through the MN State Fair on Monday morning.
Rudy Giuliani
Fred Thompson
Mitt Romney
John McCain
Newt Gingrich
General Race 4 2008 News
