BlueWaveNJ

Laffey For Senate

2006-09-05T22:28:00.001-07:00

If Cranston mayor Stephen Laffey beats Lincoln Chafee in the primary this week, Sheldon Whitehouse (D) will win overwhelmingly 58% to 31%, according to recent polls.

In the general election, Chafee trails Whitehouse by two points.

Laffey For Senate

2006-09-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Carol Gay For Congress

2006-09-05T22:26:00.001-07:00

Carol Gay is running hard in the 4th district but desperately needs more help. Here is Carol on the issues.

It's only two monthes until the nation's destiny is determined...It's actually in the hands of more than the voters.

Great Quote

2006-09-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

From both sides, this is a great quote.

"Democrats are trying to indict an entire class of people, who happen to be called Republican candidates for Congress," said Glen Bolger, a Republican pollster handling dozens of House races. "We have to bring individual indictments with different cases and different pieces of evidence."

"How unfair can the Democrats be? Actually calling Republican candidates for Congress Republicans? Wow, you'd think this was an election year or something." -- Daily Kos

Democratic Whip on Labor Day

2006-09-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

Steny Hoyer on Labor Day.

Hoyer makes the point that many on the Journal editorial page don't seem to understand. Economic policy should not be simply targeting economic strength but also poverty eradication. 37 million Americans are living in poverty, with more and more living in extreme poverty than before. The least this Congress can do is adjust the minimum wage to inflation.

Labor Day History

2006-09-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

Go to Blanton's and Ashton's for a comprehensive history of the Labor Day holiday. There are also some hilarious cartoons on the subject.

Democrats Field Increasing Number of Women

2006-09-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Women are running in nearly half of the most competitive House races this election cycle, reports the Times.

Republicans also tout the number of minority candidates running on the GOP slate this year.

Why Conservatives Hate The Media

2006-08-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a post over at Liberal Values about why the right constantly criticizes what they deem to be a biased left wing media.

Especially on the issue of Iraq, the media is always targeted for presenting too grim a depiction of the situation. However, Republicans should be happy, as television news goes days sometimes without even covering it.

Katherine Harris Condemns Separation of Church and State

2006-08-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't liberal spin. This isn't a headline that is only seen on blogs. This is the headline of a Washington Post article. And no, they're not exaggerating.

"If you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin," Harris told interviewers from the Florida Baptist Witness, the weekly journal of the Florida Baptist State Convention.

"And if we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women," then "we're going to have a nation of secular laws. That's not what our Founding Fathers intended, and that certainly isn't what God intended."

Harris campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Marks did not respond to questions but said that Rep. Harris encourages Americans of all faiths to participate in government.

14 Points of Facism

2006-08-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

Via Blanton's and Ashton's.

Do these seem familiar?

Virginia Turns Bluer

2006-08-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

Senator George Allen now trails his Democratic opponent in the most recent poll by slightly more than 1 point, 47.9% to 46.6%.

The Democrats are finally seeing the possibility of winning back the Senate in the horizon. Now there are six close races, with the Democrats needing to win all of them to take control.

Democrats Grow Angry With Lieberman

2006-08-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

The Hill predicts some repercussions for Joe Lieberman's independent candidacy even if he wins the election and returns to the Democratic Caucus, especially since revelations that Lieberman's appeals to conservative voters could spark a heavy Republican turnout in three hotly contested congressional districts currently held by Republicans. Lieberman could be stripped of his seniority by the party leadership, putting his promises of "bringing home the bacon" in jeopardy.

Best Political Novels

2006-08-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal released a list of the five best political novels:

Anthony Trollope’s The Prime Minister, Charles McCarry’s Shelley’s Heart, Qiu Xiaolong’s Death of a Red Heroine, Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon, and Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men.

The only one I've read of those five is All the King's Men, which is based on the story of Huey Long, the legendary demogogue governor of Louisiana. I have to say that I was enormously disappointed to find out that the bulk of the story revolves around the personal life of one of the governor's personal assistants.

BlogSheroes listed a few other suggestions that differed from the Journal. To Kill a Mockingbird, Brave New World, 1984, Animal Farm, The Grapes of Wrath.

As the blogger explains, although the books do not explicitly deal with politics, they are certainly political.

Santorum Finally Gets Within Single Digits

2006-08-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Bob Casey Jr.'s lead in the polls has shrunk to 8% points according to Rasmussen.

Also in Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has gained ground, and now leads former football star Lynn Swann 50% to 38%.

Sherrod Brown in Ohio is consistently leading incumbent Senator Mike DeWine (R) by 3 points.

In Alabama and Arkansas, 75% of voters believe in the Bible's literal truth. In Massachusetts, only 22% do.

Menendez...

2006-08-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yes Robert, there is a problem when you try to help out a federal agency and get $35,000 a year in the deal.

The Philadelphia Enquirer reports that Menendez, during a 10 year period when he was in the House, pushed Health and Human Services to fund the North Hudson Community Action Corp, a non-profit that he rented a three story Union City appartment out to. Over a decade, Menendez collected over $300,000 in rent from his tenants.

We Should Give Bush This One

2006-08-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Over at Journey's with Jood, Jood criticizes President Bush for referring to Muslim terrorists as "Islamo-Fascists."

Although Bush has shown himself to have a pitiful vocabulary when it comes to diplomacy and labels (axis of evil) it's hard to argue with this description of Muslim fundamentalists. Ultimately, what the regimes of Iran and Syria advocate is religious tyranny along with an imperialistic military. Israel is generally the scapegoat, although most of the West, specifically the U.S., is generally seen as agents of Israel.

The only thing that moderates in the Middle East and the U.S. are going to agree on is that democracy is ideal. By calling terrorists fascists instead of islamic radicals or fundamentalists, perhaps we can win more to our side.

Hezbollah Defeated Says Bush

2006-08-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Is that so, asks the Bulldog. If Hezbollah was defeated then why was a cease fire necessary in the first place?

The current situation reflects what the Times predicted a couple weeks ago: Hezbollah will be the ultimate victor in any type of military fighting short of total annihilation of Lebanon. Although they don't have the arms that Israel has, every bomb dropped on Beirut brought more Lebanese to the side of Islamic fascism.

Let's be thankful, however, that a cease fire happened eventually.

Interesting Point

2006-08-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Democratic Veteran speculates that despite President Bush's lowest approval ratings ever, at 34%, the media will probably instead focus on the arrest of a man allegedly connected to the killing of six year old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey.

Nobody can argue that the War in Iraq is less important than a murder investigation, however, nobody can argue that Nancy Grace is less popular than C-SPAN.

Linda Stender

2006-08-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

Linda Stender, the only serious hope to challenge an incumbent Republican in New Jersey, has yet to communicate that she is a better candidate than Rep. Mike Ferguson to the people of the NJ 7th district.

Stender's website needs serious work. Under the issues link, the assemblywoman has only Women's Health. This includes Stender's position on abortion and pre-natal care. This is not enough to win an election in a moderate New Jersey congressional district, and obviously, it shouldn't be enough to win anywhere.

Stender needs to hire better people to run her website.

Bush Seeks Exit Strategy At Mapquest

2006-08-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Via The Borowitz Report.

Virginia Senator Criticized For Racism

2006-08-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Sen. George Allen (R-VA) has run into a tougher re-election fight than he anticipated as recently as several weeks ago. His Democratic opponent, Jim Webb, a former Republican and Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan appears to be a competitive candidate. As Larry Sabato puts it:

"Jim Webb is George Allen's worst nightmare: a war hero and a Reagan appointee who holds moderate positions…. Allen tries to project a Reagan aura, but Webb already has it.”

Recently, Webb employed a man to videotape all of Allen's public events. Allen, in an attempt to embarass the Webb campaign, pointed out the camera man at one event, telling the audience to give Mukaka, or whatever his name is, a round of applause. He later told the crowd to welcome him to America.

The man is an American citizen of Indian descent.

Here's the video at MyDD.

GOP Refuses To Endorse Schlesinger

2006-08-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

President Bush became the most prominent Republican to decline comment on the Connecticut general election.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said this morning that President Bush will not endorse Connecticut U.S. Senate candidate Alan Schlesinger (R) over Sen. Joe Lieberman even though he's the Republican nominee.

Earlier in the week, Ken Mehlman, chairman of the RNC, appeared on MSNBC's Hardball and refused to tell Chris Matthews who he supported in the Conecticut Senate race. He reiterated the point that it was up to Connecticut voters to choose their senator. Ironically, he was in Ohio at the time of the interview, campaigning for Republican Senator Mike DeWine.

If what happened in the Democratic primary was an insurgency, what is happening in the Republican Party is a jihad, says Intoxination.

Women Shift Even More To The Left

2006-08-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

A recent poll shows that 45% of Americans plan to vote for a Democratic candidate for the House and 30% would vote for Republicans. The difference among women is even more drastic, with 50% favoring Democrats and only 28% supporting Republicans.

Howard Dean's "pro-women" strategy will be vindicated this November if the Democrats win back Congress.

Wow, Another Primary Fight

2006-08-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

The media has ignored a highly competitive primary in Hawaii, where the veteran Senator Daniel Akaka (D) is being challenged by Rep. Ed Case. Akaka, 82, leads the 53 year old Case 47%-45% in the latest poll.

Akaka, in the tradition of Hawaii politics, is of Japanese descent, and has served continuously since being appointed to the Senate in 1990. If nominated, Case will likely become the first white senator from Hawaii.

In the overwhelmingly Democratic Hawaii, the Democratic nominee is unlikely to meet a significant challenge from a Republican in the general election.

Most Democrats Happy Lieberman Lost

2006-08-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

A Zogby poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Democrats are satisfied with the results of the Connecticut Democratic primary. 79% say they are glad that Ned Lamont won the primary, 12% said they were disappointed with the results, and 11% were unsure.

These are surprising numbers. This indicates a) that moderate and even conservative Democrats are interested in more aggressive opposition to President Bush; b) that most Democrats nationwide were paying attention to the Connecticut primary; c) that Lieberman will probably have to rely more on Republican support at the polls than Democratic support, meaning his support for the war might perhaps become more pronounced.

Bush Plummets In Latest Poll

2006-08-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Via Political Wire:

President Bush's approval rating has hit an all time low. At 33%, Bush's support seems to be eroding in even the most Republican friendly areas of the nation. More importantly, 19% of those who voted for Bush in 2004 say they plan to back Democrats for Congress.

19% actually doesn't seem that high. In 2004, a presidential election year, there were many Democratic Members of Congress who won re-election with large majorities despite representing districts that voted similarly overwhelming for Bush.

Richardson Calls For Lieberman's Withdrawal

2006-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Gov. Bill Richardson became the first prominent Democrat to publicly call for Sen. Joe Lieberman's withdrawal from the Connecticut general election yesterday.

If other non-Congressional national figures follow suit it will take some pressure of Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, and other Senate colleagues of Lieberman who are reluctant to speak against a former friend, and possibly, future Independent Senator.

Bush Isn't Just Dumb

2006-08-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

The Daily Background made a good point in response to a bunch of polls that show that President Bush has become an intensely polarizing figure on a number of issues, most notably the Iraq War.

This is good news. More Americans are realizing that the President is not just “dumb” or “incompetent” as the late night shows portray him, but that he is actually a bad President .

A recent Washington Post poll shows that 52% of Americans strongly disapprove of the President's leadership on the war, and another 10% somewhat disapprove, bringing the total to 62%.

Who Said Rovian Tactics?

2006-08-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

It looks as if Republicans are getting more involved in the Lieberman campaign than even the most cynical Daily Kos readers believed.

In an ironic twist, Karl Rove, the chief political adviser to George Bush reportedly contacted a senior Lieberman staffer to offer help for the upcoming Independent campaign. He delivered this message:

"The boss wants to help. Whatever we can do, we will do." More at ABC.

Now obviously it isn't in the interests of the Lieberman people, who yesterday accused Lamont's team of "Rovian" campaign tactics when the Lieberman website, Joe2006, mysteriously shut down monday afternoon. However, steering key Republican finances, and possibly persuading the Republican candidate, Alan Schlesinger, to drop out of the race could all be accomplished without openly acknowledging that Lieberman co-operated with Republicans.

Meanwhile, Democrats have reacted to Lamont's victory with support.

Lieberman Loses, Isn't Finished

2006-08-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

This is big. In fact, the media will make this into an even bigger story than it needs to be. A three term incumbent lost to a political novice in a primary, however, Joe Lieberman is not finished. Although Lamont will receive the full backing of the party establishment in terms of funds and other campaign tools, Lieberman might have too strong a coaltion of independents and Republicans to overcome.

It all depends on whether Republicans are willing to abandon their candidate for Lieberman. Recent polls show that they have.

Lieberman Accuses Lamont Campaign Of "Rovian" Tactics

2006-08-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Joe Lieberman might have a reason to pursue an Independent candidacy if he loses today at the polls. Since yesterday afternoon, Lieberman's campaign website has been down due to unspecified technical errors. The Lieberman Campaign has alleged that it is the doing of challeneger Ned Lamont, who Lieberman's people cited as guilty of past use of "Rovian tactics."

If the charges are true, and Lamont is nevertheless elected, maybe he will have a better relationship with the White House than Lieberman did.

Washington Twp Raises Taxes On Sports

2006-08-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

The budget cuts for education had to hit somewhere in every town, and in Washinton Twp in Mercer County, they hit the extracurriculars. Now, for the first time, students participating in sports or clubs will be charged a $100 fee. Superintendent John Szabo reasoned that the fee was the only way to avoid higher property taxes.

Sharon made a good point. Football costs a lot more than the chess club. Why should their participants pay the same fee? Although a fee on already popular sports programs isn't a miserable plan, taxing extracurricular programs probably is. There is very little incentive to try out a club on a whim if you're not admitted without an $100 fee. Of course, in the plans defense, this might keep kids trying to pad their college resumes from joining a ton of clubs that they barely participate in.

It's a tough issue.

55% Approve of Their Representative

2006-08-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

Although there is much talk about low approval ratings for Congress as a whole, the only number that is truly meaningful is the approval rating that people give their own Members of Congress.

This year, that number is pitifully low, at 55%. Take into account the high numbers that most safe incumbents generally get, and you have many Members scoring below 50%.

However, incumbents aren't the only ones that voters are ambivalent about. Only 48% of voters believe that Democrats offer a clear solution to Iraq and 47% say they do not.

Dick Morris For Lamont

2006-08-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

Via MyDD:

Dick Morris in March: "[Lamont] need not be taken very seriously. Lieberman is not vulnerable and a primary will only make him that much stronger (assuming Ned even gets on the ballot)."

Dick Morris yesterday: "Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) will lose the primary and will be so crippled by the defeat and Ned Lamont (D) so empowered, that he will lose the general election as an independent."

If there's one person who takes a false prediction seriously, it's Dick Morris.

McKinney Poised to Lose Primary

2006-08-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

Cynthia McKinney, the Democratic Congresswoman from Georgia who was made famous earlier this year for hitting a Capitol Hill police officer who stopped McKinney after she bypassed metal detectors while not wearing the proper congressional identification.

McKinney is trailing by a considerable margin in every major poll. An Insider Advantage Poll shows McKinney trailing 53%-40% with only 7% undecided.

However, Peach Pundit, a must read for any Georgian (and maybe a few New Jerseyans) believes that McKinney "will pull it out." Peach suggests that McKinney's charges that her more centrist opponent is backed by Republicans will have an effect with her constituents.

It didn't work the last time McKinney lost a primary as an incumbent. Yeah, she's done it before.

"Values Agenda" Alienates Young Voters

2006-08-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

President Bush's approval rating among voters aged 18-24 sits at 20%. 53% disapprove and 28% have no opinion. In Bush's defense, his disapproval rating isn't any higher in this group than the overall population, in fact, it's lower. Nevertheless, it's becoming increasingly clear that the GOP's cultural wedge issues are not winning over American youth, especially when it comes to gay marriage. Just like all other cultural issues, from clothing to interracial marriage, history is on the liberal's side.

Young people voiced strong opposition to the president on many issues, especially Iraq.

Honorable?

2006-08-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

PA governor Ed Rendell surprised Democrats when he praised Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), not once, but twice in the same week. Rendell credited the notoriously right wing senator with effective legislative work in D.C., including vital flood relief funds for PA.

Although Rendell is officially supporting Santorum's popular opponent, Bob Casey Jr., he has been notably less enthusiastic about blasting the most vulnerable incumbent Republican in the Senate than most Democrats.

New Registered Voters Favor Lieberman

2006-08-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Since May, over 11,000 unaffiliated voters became Democrats, reports the Hartford Courant. In addition, nearly 10,000 new voters have registered as Democrats in anticipation of an important primary election.

Saying these numbers are unusually high is an understatement. However, it seems reasonable to say that they can only benefit Lieberman. It's clear that many centrist or conservative Independents have registered as Democrats in hopes to keep a left winger out of the general election.

Poll Shows Menendez Ahead By Six

2006-08-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Rasmussen Reports shows Robert Menendez beating Kean Jr. by 6% points in its most recent poll, 44%-38%.

However, Rasmussen points out that it's disconcerting for an incumbent to be below 50% this late in the race. Kean is not even close to out of this race yet, but then again, Menendez hasn't even begun to dig into that huge campaign warchest of his.

The Menendez campaign is targeting a $20 million campaign. It's very possible; recently Bill Clinton raised $1 million at one fundraiser for Menendez.

Lassiter Has Words For Stoller

2006-08-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Matt Stoler, the primary blogger at MyDD, a must read for anyone in the blogosphere, has recently been soliciting contributions from readers to fund his frequent trips to Connecticut to cover the Ned Lamont campaign. Stoler said he had already spent $3000 on the primary and was looking for a sponsor who was willing to put up that amount to cover (I assume) his previous expenses as well as his future ones.

The response was mostly positive in the comments section. One lady from Princeton sent in what she considered a small donation; I assume it was a little more than what most of us consider small. Another guy announced that he had sent $50.01 to Matt's Cause. Another man happily sent an unknown amount and offered to treat Stoller to some good Mexican food if he should ever be in New Mexico. However, not every comment was so lavish with encouragement.

The last comment in the thread was made by an old acquaintance of mine on the Jersey blogosphere, Mr. Jay Lassiter (great blog). Stoler's request for donations received this comment from Lassiter:

Matt,
Don't be surprised to get NO LOVE whatsoever from campaign volunteers from New Jersey. Since you went out of your way to characterize us as "losers" you're not getting a dime from Cherry Hill.

Honestly, I was so disgusted when I read thigs like this:
http://www.bluejersey.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=79EF4417155C546A3584DCB9A8E902BF?diaryId=2146
it makes me glad you're in Connecticut and not here in the Garden State.

You did a lousy job blogging for the Corzine campaign and you turned around and trashed everyone involved on your blog. then you wage what felt like a very personal attact of campaign volunteers in NJ. Then you turn around and ask for $3000 for the privledge of doing....what? raising your own profile?
Here's a tip: what goes around comes around. That goes doubly for goodwill.

That does seem a little harsh Jay. It's hard to disagree with Stoller's point that cash and cynicism play a large role in NJ political campaigns. One of Corzine's most effective strategies was paying people $15/hr to canvas. However, $3000 does seem a little high..gas, train fees...what else brings that to 3 grand?

Scott Garrett

2006-08-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Scott Garrett is very possibly the most rabid of the several right wingers in the New Jersey Congressional delegation. His voting record is certainly out of sync with his constituents stances, nevertheless, it seems that he is a safe candidate this election cycle.

Check out his voting record at Issues2000.

Lieberman Must Change Course

2006-08-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

Via Blanton's and Ashton's, Joe Lieberman is in deep trouble. He's trailing by double digits in the polls now, and despite the questionable accuracy of primary polls in the past, it looks like Lieberman will no longer be able to run as the respected establishment candidate fighting off an extremist, as he did before.

Now, Lieberman will be forced to be the independent. He will have to invoke 18 years of nostalgia and respect from Connecticut voters. It's too bad that the former Independent governor of Connecticut endorsed Lamont (probably because he lost a Senate race to Lieberman).

Why Is This Not Surprising?

2006-08-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

When I looked at the Senate vote on the construction of a fence along the Mexican-American border, I first saw that the vote was 94-3, and then took a guess at who the dissenting senators were. My first thought was Feingold, but I didn't have any idea who the other two were.

It was indeed Russ Feingold, along with Chuck Hagel and Jim Jeffords. A liberal Democrat and two senators who have either become independents or seriously toyed with the idea.

Stender Finally Gets An Issue Up

2006-08-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Linda Stender's campaign finally got around to updating the "issues" link on the campaign website. Now, instead of reading "Coming Soon," it has "Women's Health."

That's not enough to run on Linda. Being Pro-Choice isn't sufficient fire to beat an incumbent Republican. Let's hope they get some other important issues up soon.

Why Don't We Talk About Feingold?

2006-08-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

Russ Feingold (D-WI) is one of the most popular presidential candidates in the Midwest. When I visited Wiconsin last month he seemed to be the talk of the town in liberal Madison. However, he has been hardly discussed as a viable nominee in the rest of the country, as most Democrats are busy thinking about Hillary, or, if you're pragmatic, Mark Warner and John Edwards.

Check out New Jersey for Russ Feingold.

Lamont Expected to Win Nomination

2006-08-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ned Lamont is apparently expected to beat Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary in six days. However, Lieberman is far from defeated.

Political Wire speculates that Lieberman is likely to get a new campaign staff for his independent bid for the Senate.

"Expect Lieberman to can anyone who was associated with the 2004 Kerry campaign and replace them with a team of pungent veterans who will take the fight to Lamont."

Really? Fire someone from Kerry's campaign? Who would have thought of that?

Bush Grants Self Permission To Grant More Power To Self

2006-08-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Onion. It's too bad I haven't linked to these guys yet so far. It should be a daily read.

In a decisive 1–0 decision Monday, President Bush voted to grant the president the constitutional power to grant himself additional powers.

Wisconsin Is "Most Representative" State

2006-07-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

A CNN study concluded that Wisconsin is the state that is most "representative" of the United States, according to 12 different measures of income, race and ethnicity, and education.

Other Midwestern states are close behind: Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, and Ohio.

West Virginia and Mississippi, the two poorest states in the nation, ranked 49th and 50th respectively. West Virginia has a minimal minority population, while Mississippi has a higher percentage of black residents than any other state.

The CNN article mocks the DNC for elevating Nevada and South Carolina in the Democratic primaries on the basis that they will offer a more diverse and more "representative" constituency for candidates. Of course, this argument is flawed because while Wisconsin might serve as a microcosm for the U.S. population, its Democratic Party does not serve as a microcosm for the National Democratic Party.

Here's an interesting rebuttal from Paul Soglin.

GOP Debates How To Distance From Bush

2006-07-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

Article from The Hill discusses how far exactly Republican Congressional candidates wish to distance themselves from the unpopular president in the mid-term campaigns.

Obviously, the more conservative the district, the more closely the candidate can associate with the president. Of course, when immigration is the issue, Bush doesn't satisfy conservatives. But, Democrats are unlikely to win on immigration in these districts.

Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Conrad Burns of Montana have decided that siding with the president is politically feasible in their states. Burns went as far as to say that "you don't distance yourself from your leader, the guy is tough, and that's what I like about him."

House Looks Better Than Senate

2006-07-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

We need fifteen seats to win back the House. We need to win six seats to win back the Senate. The former is increasinly seeming more possible, despite the typical difficulty that any challenger to a House incumbent faces.

It's this simple: there are five Republican Senate seats that Democrats have a very good chance of winning. This includes Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Jim Talent (R-MO), Conrad Burns (R-MT), Mike DeWine (R-OH), and Rick Santorum (R-PA). Victories in all of these races, which isn't an unreasonable prediction, would put the Senate at a 50-50 tie, assuming that the Democrats would defend all of their incumbents and open seats.

50-50 keeps the Senate Republican because of Dick Cheney. Democrats must win a Republican favored seat for a majority. Virginia, Tennessee, and Arizona are the only three possibilities.

The Democrats must either beat an incumbent Republican in Virginia or Arizona, or, they must win the seat currently occupied by the retiring Bill Frist.

Times Endorses Lamont

2006-07-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

In few places can the New York Times be more influential than in a Democratic primary. Nobody is surprised when they endorse the Democratic presidential candidate or the Democratic candidate in any type of general election.

However, this endorsement could potentially sway thousands of voters to Lamont in the general election, as it seems that he is poised to win the primary.

Senate Republicans Ensure Teen Pregnancy..Again

2006-07-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Senate defeated an amendment proposed by our own senator, Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), that would have authorized the secretary of health and human services to make grants to sex education programs that stress both abstinence and contraception. The vote was 48-51.

Here are the main provisions of the amendment:

(A) The applicant agrees that information provided by the program on pregnancy prevention will be age-appropriate, factually and medically accurate and complete, and scientifically-based.

(B) The applicant agrees the program will--

(i) not teach or promote religion;

(ii) teach that abstinence is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases;

(iii) stress the value of abstinence while not ignoring those teens who have had or are having sexual intercourse, or teens at risk of becoming sexually active;

(iv) provide information about the health benefits and side effects of all contraceptives and barrier methods as a means to prevent pregnancy;

(v) provide information about the health benefits and side effects of all contraceptives and barrier methods as a means to reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS;

As usual, the only three moderate Republicans in the Senate, Olympia Snowe (ME), Susan Collins (ME), and Lincoln Chafee (RI) voted in favor, and the irritatingly right winged Democrat, Ben Nelson (NE) voted against.

Moderate GOP Pushes For Minimum Wage Bill

2006-07-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Via Minimum Politics:

Apparently Republican leaders are thinking about letting minimum wage legislation reach the House and Senate floors, in hopes that moderates will avoid the political turmoil that past resistance has caused Republicans in moderate districts or districts with a substantial low income population.

"The moderate Republican is probably more endangered than the Bald Eagle," quips Alec Oveis.

Tom Slick

2006-07-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Opinion Mill discusses possible nicknames for the candidate that seems to dodge the question of privitizing social security so effectively.

However, he hasn't done it that well, because just about every prominent blogger has been asking the same question recently.

As with other GOP candidates, one should assume that they will support every piece of legislation that the leadership puts up unless they state otherwise.

Biden Likened to Negative Seinfeld Girlfriend

2006-07-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Joe Biden (D-DE) has endured criticism throughout his career for plagiarism, his tendency to talk way to much at committee hearings, but Chris Cillizza gave Biden something else to think about yesterday when he called the Senator a "two face," someone who looks great one day and terrible the next. Apparently Cillizza got the idea from Jerry Seinfeld, who once dated a woman with the same problem.

I picked this snippet from a great progressive site called the Political Forecast, based at Drake University, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Where Should Libertarians Go?

2006-07-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

There's no doubt that the Libertarian wing of the GOP has lost significant power in recent years, but will this be the year that the Libertarian Party and the Democratic Party finally begin to benefit from it?

Outside the Beltway suggests that the Republican Party is still the best choice for Libertarians.

The author suggests that as bad as Republicans are on fiscal policy, Democrats will be worse. Although that is the traditional belief, the largest deficits in the last couple decades have all been due to massive military spending on the part of Republican presidents. As much as Republicans harp about wasteful social programs, the military budget is where you'd get the biggest buck for cuts. That's not something that politicians like to say, but Bill Clinton did it in the early 90's, after the end of the Cold War, and he paved the way towards a balanced budget.

Where Does Kean Stand On Social Security?

2006-07-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

DBK from Blanton's and Ashton's called up the Kean Jr. campaign headquarters to see where the candidate stood on social security privitization. Kean, like many wise Republicans, has yet to say where he stands on the issue.

The rest of the post here.

Bush's Approval Down After Veto

2006-07-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

According to Rasmussen Reports, President Bush's approval rating has hit its lowest point since mid-May, dropping 8 points since July 20, at least in part because of his veto of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, the agency suggests.

Bush will not be vindicated politically on this veto unless the entire right wing base decides to vote with a vengeance this fall. Only 26% of Americans agree with Bush's assertion that embryonic stem cell research is immoral.

Track the daily presidential job approval ratings at Rasmussen Reports.

Note: The way that Rasmussen conducts its surveys generally adds 5 points to Bush's approval rating.

Kean and Menendez In Dead Heat

2006-07-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

New polls show Kean and Menendez within 1-2 points of eachother, with Kean leading 40%-38% in a recent Quinnipiac poll and Menendez leading 38%-37% in a Monmouth University poll.

This race has barely started. 48% of those polled said that they are likely to change their minds and 18% remain undecided.

NJ Dems Oppose Kean On Social Security

2006-07-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

Jay Lassiter points out that the plan to privatize social security is only dead if the Democrats win back Congress in November. President Bush plans to reintroduce the plan if his party keeps Congress. According to Bob Menendez, it's important that Tom Kean Jr. will be a happy follower of the president's privatization plans.

Nothing Is Worse Than A Veto

2006-07-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

Enlighten NJ, a conservative local issues blog, had an interesting post about the stem cell research issue. The writer made some good points: Democrats in the legislature have not fulfilled their promises to fund embryonic stem cell research, the governor has not pursued the science like he said he would, and, on a national level, the Bush administration has allocated more money for stem cell lines than any other before. However, these facts do not excuse the president's actions.

1. President Bush did not simply fail to fund embryonic stem cell research to the levels that congress hoped for, he vetoed a bill with broad support from congress and the public that would have lifted restrictions on the research.

2. Moreover, Bush did not veto it on fiscal grounds, he vetoed it on bogus "moral grounds," signing the veto surrounded by children that were the products of embryo labs. Even though the bill would only use embryos already slated for destruction by clinics, the president conveniently decided to link the research to the abortion issue.

3. By likening stem cell research to abortion, Bush has made it virtually impossible politically for conservative states to fund stem cell lines, and, in the federal government, he's pressured Republicans and Democrats from conservative districts to oppose the research in fear of being labeled "pro-abortion."

Why Won't Hillary Talk About Iraq?

2006-07-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

According to the Leftcoaster, Hillary Clinton's wing of the Democratic Party is simply presenting itself to the voters as "GOP-lite." Clinton refuses to mention Iraq when discussing Democratic policy and seems to cave in on Republican political issues like flag burning.

While Hillary Clinton does seem to have flawed talking points that give a lot of ground to Republican claims that she is merely a calculating opportunist, she has a solidly liberal voting record and its unlikely that another Clinton administration would abandon progressive values to the extent that bloggers fear.

It's wrong politically and morally for Democrats to avoid the Iraq issue however. Only 34% of Americans believe that Iraq will or should be considered a success.

Weak Democratic Incumbents

2006-07-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Recognizing weak incumbents in your own party as well as in the opposing party is the key to success in campaign politics. However, it seems as if Senate Democrats have been spared the burden of that first duty this cycle, as Republicans have almost made a point of putting their worst possible challengers against Democratic incumbents. Bill Nelson (D-FL) was considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the aftermath of the 2004 election, in which Bush won Florida relatively comfortably, a Republican, Mel Martinez, won a previously Democratic open senate seat, and all five retiring southern Democrats were replaced with Republicans. However, the GOP has already begun to write this election off as a bad joke because of one Katherine Harris, the former Florida Secretary of State who prevented the recount in 2000. She is facing investigation from the FBI, and her entire staff has quit twice. In Nebraska, conservative Democrat Ben Nelson is stomping his Republican challenger by nearly 20% points. Elizabeth Dole recently organized a GOP fundraiser for 70; only 18 came. In Washington, Maria Cantwell, who won election by less than 3000 votes six years ago is comfortably leading her Republican challenger, and has more than three times as much money on hand for the campaign. Debbie Stabenow (MI-D) leads her opponent by more than 15 points.

Lieberman Facing Criticism From Previously Reliable Blacks

2006-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

According to this post by Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (don't ask about the name), Joe Lieberman is losing vital support from black communities in poor areas of Connecticut, including inner city Hartford, where Rep. Maxime Waters, a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus, has been campaigning for Ned Lamont.

The analysis is a bit harsh. Lieberman has supported affirmative action throughout his career and has repeatedly stated that he will continue to do so. Although he probably has examined the issue of school vouchers more closely than most Democrats (and Republicans), he has never taken a vote to sell out public education.

Nevertheless, it's not hard to believe that many of Lieberman's constituents feel left out. Lieberman was too aggressive in his attempt to position himself as a centrist or conservative Democrat during his presidential campaign three years ago. He repeatedly touted his support for cuts in social programs.

Fundraising Update

2006-07-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

Democrats have "lapped" Republicans in recent fundraising efforts, according to the New York Times, which this morning ran an article that detailed the struggles that Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) is facing as she heads the Republican National Senatorial Committee. That article showed that not only are Republicans losing the fundraising battle, but they are failing to field candidates against Democrats who were previously thought to be vulnerable.

The DSCC raised $8.8 million in June, while its GOP counterpart brought in slightly more than half that, at $4.8 million.

Overall, the DSCC has raised $78 million for the midterm elections, almost twice what the RNSC has.

Here are some interesting numbers via Daily Kos.

Kean Cannot Win on War

2006-07-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Tom Kean will not win if voters are thinking about the most important issues, says a recent Farleigh Dickinson poll that attempts to see the affect that certain issues have on the NJ Senate election.

When respondents were not asked any questions about President Bush and the Iraq War, Menendez only lead Kean by one point. However, when the war was even mentioned, Kean's popularity among those polled dropped 6% points.

It's pretty clear what we have to talk about in NJ now.

Lamont Crushing Lieberman

2006-07-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Progressive Democrats should be overjoyed at the most recent polls from Connecticut show Ned Lamont beating Joe Lieberman by 10% points, 51%-41%, with 8% undecided.

Lamont has surged ahead of Lieberman in recent weeks, despite being behind nearly 20 points three weeks ago and being virtually unknown among CT Democrats as recent as April. More importantly for liberals, however, is that polls show Lamont tied with Lieberman if Lieberman runs as an Independent in a three man race.

Corzine Bad, But Not That Bad

2006-07-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

The NJ government shutdown was not popular among the citizens of "Our Fair State," says Sharon of The Center of NJ Life, however, Corzine does not suffer the disapproval rating that our national executive does.

Corzine has a 44% approval rating and a 44% disapproval rating.

Fundraising

2006-07-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

The Democrats are "thrashing" Republicans in fundraising this month, according to MyDD.

Let's keep it up. Give to a candidate in a contested race.

What Are They Thinking?

2006-07-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

As puzzling as it is to understand how the Bush administration plans to spin its stance on stem cell research to voters this fall, it's more important to recognize that crazier things have happened in politics, and the Democrats cannot simply hope that the American public will respond appropriately. It's up not only to the Democratic Party, but the entire progressive movement, to blow the whistle on what continues to be a shameful presidency supported by a corrupt majority party in congress.

But the message doesn't have to be negative and vindictive. Americans will respond positively to a compassionate message sent by the party that is willing to put its money where its mouth is on new cures for diseases. This is a concrete issue that affects virtually every voter in the nation; it's easily enough to swing independent and even Republican votes into the Democratic column.

Take a look at these numbers. The GOP has nobody on this issue.

"Shove It Down Bush's Throat"

2006-07-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

So says BuzzFlash. It's hard to disagree. If the Democrats cannot capitalize on this issue, then they should simply disband. While the GOP may be wisely courting their conservative base, it's absolutely essential that Democrats pound away at Independents with the stem cell issue.

There is little hope of revitalizing legislation for stem cell research until a new administration comes in. Luckily, because President Bush has sunk his end of the party, there is virtually no way that the next president, Republican or Democrat, will veto stem cell research again.

The most conservative Republican presidential hopeful, Bill Frist, supports embryonic stem cell research, despite his opposition to abortion.

Stem Cell Bill In Jeopardy

2006-07-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Senate voted well the other day, but apparently not well enough. The Senate passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 63-37, four votes short of the veto proof margin necessary to ensure that the bill becomes law.

It hurts to use this kind of cliche, but 19 Republicans put policy ahead of politics and voted with 44 Democrats to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Nevertheless, the president has promised to use his first veto in more than 1600 bills when the legislation reaches his desk. Hopefully Bill Frist, who, as a former doctor, recognized the importance of the bill and voted in favor himself, will be able to persuade several of his colleagues to change their votes when it's time to override the veto.

On the other side of the aisle, Harry Reid might want to have a chat with Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, the sole Democrat to vote against the bill. If it comes down to Nelson's vote, his committee assignments should be reviewed.

For a good analysis of the 9 Senators in re-election campaigns who voted nay, see this Washington Post article.

We Need 4 Votes

2006-07-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

The Senate yesterday passed the Stem Cell Research bill overwhelmingly, 63-37, with 19 Republicans siding with 44 Democrats despite the president's threats of vetoing the bill.

Unfortunately, this beautiful display of bi-partisanship may very well be for naught, as the Bush administration reiterated its promises to use its first veto in nearly six years to strike down one of the most essential pieces of medical legislation in decades. Neither chamber of congress has passed the bill with enough votes to defend it against a veto. Hopefully Bill Frist, a former doctor himself, can use his influence to get four Republicans to switch their votes..or not vote at all.

On another note, is anybody wondering who the lone Democrat to vote against the measure was? Here's his webpage.

Beating Republican Incumbents..In The South

2006-07-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Democrats are excited about this election season not only because they'll get to pick on the likes of Lincoln Chafee and Rick Santorum but also because Republicans like Charles Taylor (R-NC) are endangered in previously safe districts.

MyDD has a post about Rep. Taylor, who has come under scrutiny for an earmark inserted into a bill that creates a student exchange program closely associated with business ties in Russia.

Sorry for Lack of Posts

2006-07-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts in the past few days. I was away in Wisconsin, and away from internet access.

What Should the Democratic Party Sacrifice?

2006-07-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

At a recent breakfast with Charles Schumer, the NY Senator outlined his vision for the Democratic Party. Check out his new formula: WWJAED ( What would Joe and Eileen do?) at TAPPED.

This is what Democratic strategists talk about all the time, and despite popular belief, it is implemented effectively for many Democratic congressional candidates. If it wasn't, there would hardly be any Democrats left in the South and Midwest.

Many Democrats responded to the anti-flag burning attitude by voting in favor of the constitutional amendment the other week. Robert Menendez, himself caught up in a turbulent campaign, voted yea.

One progressive issue that needs to be more effectively communicated to Joe and Eileen is the environment. People need to understand that this issue is not about tree hugging and much more about the survival of children and grandchildren.

How To Work Primaries

2006-07-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

An interesting proposal for deciding the order of the presidential primaries was given by David Yepsen of the Des Moines Register recently.

Yepsen suggests that the first primary should be held in the state that was the closest in the last election; the second primary should be in the second closest etc.

Of course, Iowa and New Hampshire are never landslide states anyway. In 2004 Kerry won New Hampshire by a small margin and lost Iowa by a similarly small percentage. In 2000, it was the other way around, with Gore barely winning Iowa and barely losing NH.

Clinton's Labor Secretary on Budget

2006-07-13T14:26:00.001-07:00

I don’t want to rain on the President’s parade. He’s right when he says more money is flowing into the Treasury this year than last, which means the federal budget deficit will be lower. Frankly I donÂ’t blame the President for making the most of every bit of good news he can find. But it’s important to put this good news in context. This year’s federal budget deficit will still total between $280 and $300 billion. That’s better than the $318 billion hole that was expected. But it’s hardly cause for celebration. Federal spending is still way out of control. It’s at a higher rate and a higher percent of the overall economy than a decade ago. Even if you take military spending out of the calculation, you see almost nothing but more spending. And lots of the spending is for pork (bridges to nowhere) and corporate welfare (farm subsidies, a drug benefit that mainly benefits Big Pharma).

Clinton's Labor Secretary on Budget

2006-07-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Nurses Under Attack

2006-07-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Blanton's and Ashton's brings to our attention news that nurses may be in danger of being stripped of protections granted by labor laws because the National Labor Relations Board is thinking of designating nurses as supervisors, rather than laborers.

Go to the Labor Blog for more.

Menendez Leads

2006-07-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

A Strategic Vision poll shows Menendez leading Kean Jr. 43% to 47%, with 20% undecided.

Political Wire Bonus Quote

2006-07-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

"Let’s forget about global warming and talk about flag burning and gay marriage. I don’t know how long you can milk that old cow."

-- Bill Clinton, quoted in the Vail Daily, saying "the Republican strategy is weak." Clinton predicted Democrats "might well win one or more houses" in the midterm elections.

Ney Set To Lose

2006-07-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) is the only incumbent congressman that is facing an obvious uphill battle to retain his seat. The 6 term congressman seems to be the closest link to Jack Abramoff on Capitol Hill and is paying for it dearly at the polls.

A Cooper and Secrest poll show Ney trailing his Democratic challenger Zack Space 46% to 35%.

Why Blogs Are Important In Politics

2006-07-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

The internet is one of the many reasons there are so many more celebrities today than ever before. Sites like youtube.com and and google river allow anyone with a gimmick to broadcast themselves for free and become instant sensations. However, these sites are only beginning to be examined as potential outlets for political advertising.

"If any teenager can put up a video for or against a candidate, and persuade other people to watch that video, the center of gravity could shift to masses of people with camcorders and passable computer skills. And if people increasingly distrust the mainstream media, they might be more receptive to messages created by ordinary folks."

Why Health Care Advocates Don't Vote Republican

2006-07-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Republicans have repeatedly shown that they have no interest in extending health care to those who currently have no coverage. President Bush's Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have done nothing to solve the rising costs of health care, and close to nothing for those in the lowest income brackets.

The GOP's level of interest in the health care issue is best exhibited on Tom Kean Jr.'s website. There he provides the easy solutions that require little to no work by the government or the citizenry.

Note: Although the Medical Malpractice Litigation is often blamed for high health care costs, malpractice lawsuits account for 0.7% of the total U.S. health care costs annually.

Santorum Texts Women Voters

2006-07-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

Via Political Wire:

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) has launched a new strategy called "Women for Rick," according to US News and World Report, as he tries to hold onto his Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

The strategy includes a new website, outreach events, and encourages female Pennsylvanians to receive campaign updates via text message. "From keeping women's docs in PA to allowing parents the freedom to work from home, Rick Santorum is leading 4 women," says one of the text messages.

Challenger Bob Casey's (D) campaign, also holding numerous events focused on women throughout the state, claimed to be unimpressed with the new text-message strategy. "It's fitting that Santorum announced his outreach program with a text messaging campaign," said a Casey spokesman. "His list of women's accomplishments can fit on a cellphone screen."

Tom Kean Jr. Not Positioning As Moderate

2006-07-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Tom Kean Jr. will not have goood luck in November if he doesn't position himself more to the center. If moderate Democrats like Joe Lieberman are having trouble in states that are politically similar to New Jersey, imagine the luck that a Bush-conservative will have.

Kean has come out openly in favor of the president's tax cuts, and conveniently leaves out any details of his stances on education spending and health care funding on his website.

Edwards Calls For War On Poverty

2006-07-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

John Edwards, making a trip through Iowa, highlighted his plan to fight poverty; calling it the "great moral issue of our time."

Edwards identified higher wages, assisted housing for the poor, and improved education as the pillars the fight against poverty.

Bush At 31%

2006-07-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

The latest polls detailing the advantageous situation for Democrats this November from CBS.

Highlights:

President Bush's approval rating currently stands at 31%. 68% of Americans believe the nation is worse off now than it was when Bush entered office.

13% approve of the president's handling of rising gas prices.

57% believe that the Democrats are better equipped to handle rising gas prices, as opposed to 11% for Republicans.

If the congressional elections were held today, 44% would support the Democratic candidate, while 33% would support the GOP candidate.

And...on a relatively sad note..

30% have "some degree of confidence" that the president will be able to end the war successfully.

"Lamont Won," Say People

2006-07-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

According to polls done by NBC during the debate between Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and his primary challenger Ned Lamont, the incumbent senator was the clear loser of the only debate between the two Connecticut Democrats.

The in-debate poll of nearly 2500 viewers showed that 72% believed that Lamont won the debate, while only 28% believed that Lieberman won.

However, Lamont fans shouldn't take this poll at face value. Lamont loyalists are more likely to watch the debate than the bulk of Lieberman's supporters.

But no question about it, says Matt Stoler, the debate was good for Ned Lamont.

Lamont Looks Good For Primary

2006-07-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

It's becoming more and more likely that Joe Lieberman will be ousted from the Democratic Party by primary challenger Ned Lamont. Daily Kos goes off on a rant about how the party establishment is supporting Lieberman, despite his dissent from several key Democratic positions.

However, Kos inaccurately labels Lieberman "Bush's BFF [Best Friend Forever]." The most Lieberman has ever dissented from the party leadership in one year was 28%, as shown by a New York Times chart the other day.

However, Lieberman often speaks against the party on important issues such as Iraq, social security, and health care. His rhetoric often undermines the Democratic platform, and makes those to the left seem radical.

Happy 4th!

2006-07-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

Via Political Wire:

"Census predicts 150 million hot dogs will be consumed at July 4 cookouts... Eleven U.S. cities are named Independence, five are named Freedom, and there is one Patriot -- in Indiana, population 195."

Pennsylvania Exchanging Right Winger for Populist

2006-07-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Rick Santorum's days in Washington D.C., at least as a U.S. Senator, are numbered.

Santorum trails State Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. 53%-38% in the most recent Rasmussen Reports Poll.

Casey, who is pro-life and proudly pro-gun, seems to have few political liabilities against Santorum, who has won in the past by trumpeting social issues to conservatives in rural and suburban Pennsylvania.

Stem Cell Politics Hurts GOP

2006-07-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

Think Progress reflects on the problems that come with opposition to stem cell research for incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Talent (MO).

Good news in Missouri. Bush's approval rating is down near the national average, at 36%, while Jim Talent is at odds with a popular ballot measure to protect stem cell research from state restrictions. The numbers against Talent on this issue are astounding. Claire McCaskill, the Missouri State Auditor, is one of several heartland Democrats that have a good chance at ousting Republican incumbents this November. Check out her blog.

Quote of the Day

2006-07-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

Via Political Wire:

"He doesn’t care about the Constitution."

-- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, quoted by the New Yorker, referring to Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff David S. Addington.

Kean Campaign Proudly Slings Mud

2006-06-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

Matt Leonardo, the campaign manager for Tom Kean Jr. recently likened Kean's attempts to portray Menendez as corrupt to the charges against former presidential candidate John Kerry's military record.

"The similarity between the Swift boat ads and this movie — you have two individuals who have told stories for a political purpose and the facts just don't jibe," Mr. Leonardo said. "And these two individuals were able to get away with telling it their way for more than a decade and a half. I would say it's very similar in that way."

Wow. At least Bush tried to distance himself from such sleazy tactics.

Via The New York Times.

NY Times Discredits Kean

2006-06-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Via Blanton's and Ashton's, Tom Kean Jr.'s advertising team has encountered a problem with the New York Times and the Washington Post, both of whom have inside information on plans that Kean intends to launch a "swift boat like" campaign against Menendez, insinuating that he was part of a corruption scandal that rocked Union City nearly 30 years ago.

Where's the Civic Duty?

2006-06-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Montclair Town Council recently had a meeting on the municipal budget, Baristanet reports. However, only one man, Phil Read, cared to come to the meeting to discuss the proposed measures that could add an average of $200 to the bill of every homeowner in Montclair.

It's a shame that more residents aren't involved in routine local affairs, despite their oftentimes boring nature. The most important government is usually the closest one.

Montclair Municipal Clerk. Check it out.

Menendez Holds Lead, Ohio Looking Good

2006-06-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a breakdown of the most recent polls done on close senate races in the country. The Menendez-Kean showdown was appropriately at the top of the list, and according to the Quinnipiac poll conducted two weeks ago, Menendez leads Kean 43%-36%.

Probably the most noteworthy poll was the one that showed Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) ahead of incumbent Senator, Mike DeWine, 48%-39%!

Here's a link to Brown's website. He looks like a worthy candidate to support, even if you live in New Jersey.

"Democrats Better Equipped," Says Nation

2006-06-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

The Democratic Party has a 16 point lead over the Republican Party in a poll asking voters which party was better equipped to tackle the nation's most urgent challenges.

In the generic congressional poll, Democrats lead Republicans 49% to 35%. Unfortunately, people with Republican incumbents in their districts do not feel the same way.

Via Political Wire.