Republicans
Meanwhile back at the ranch: Senate Edition
Seven of the thirteen Western states have Senators up for election this year: Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The Republicans are defending six of these seven Senate seats. Montana’s Max Baucus is the sole defending Democratic incumbent in the group, and his seat is considered safe. Colorado, Idaho, and New Mexico will be open seats, and Wyoming will have both their Senators up for re-election, due to the death of Senator Craig Thomas in 2007.
Colorado and New Mexico look like the best opportunities for Democratic pick ups, and both states are considered swing states in the 2008 presidential contest. Our candidates, Mark Udall in Colorado and Tom Udall in New Mexico, are cousins from the long prominent Udall family.
Larry LaRocco is our Western Democrat running for Idaho’s Senate seat to replace the retiring and embarrassing Larry Craig. It would be great if red-state Idaho could turn purple.
The remaining campaigns are still shaping up. The contests in Alaska and Oregon could be particularly interesting. Senator Stevens (R-Bridge to Nowhere) is the poster child for pork gone wild and an opponent of transparency in government. The Iraq War puts Oregon’s Gordon Smith in a bind. He voted for the war and has been a Bush enabler. Yet he has broken with the Bush administration on the war, and hence will be at odds with Senator McCain on that issue.
Leo Brown | April 8, 2008 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Mitt Romney & a Democratic Outreach Opportunity
I met Mitt Romney once, years ago. I liked the old moderate Mitt Romney. The new hard-core Mitt Romney, not so much. As the campaign went on, his positions and rhetoric reminded me of why I left the Republican Party. Nothing personal, mind you. I can still like Mitt as a person, just not as a candidate. Whether the moderate Mitt or the conservative Mitt was the real Mitt Romney, who can say? Maybe both were in turn.
Imagine if Mitt Romney had instead, like Michael Bloomberg, left the Republican Party and charted an independent course. Such a move would have freed Mitt from the seemingly insurmountable hurdle of a Latter-day Saint getting past the powerful Southern Evangelical wing of the GOP, an obstacle that would likely have derailed a Bloomberg candidacy as well. Could a moderate, independent, and well-financed Bloomberg-Romney ticket have emerged to capture the imagination of the country and some Western electoral votes? It would have been interesting.
To return to the campaign that was, whispering attacks against Romney in the Bible Belt may have sobered Mormon Republicans and caused some of them to question if the GOP should be their permanent home. Harry Reid and Mitt Romney share the same religious faith, but not the same party and political outlook. The Democratic Party hasn’t had a problem with Harry Reid’s faith, and that contrast may resonate with some Latter-day Saints. A message of principled moderation, inclusion, and real compassion could go a long way in the Mormon West. The Udall family is a prominent name in the Democratic Party in the West and an old Mormon family name. Maybe years from now the first Latter-day Saint in the White House will be a Democrat.
Check out some interesting links on related topics:
LDS leaders urge compassion on the immigration issue.
Obama would reach out to Latter-day Saints
Michelle Obama visits the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Mormons make the case for Obama here, here, and here.
Leo Brown | February 8, 2008 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Super Tuesday Crystal Ball
This year Super Tuesday will be the closest thing America has yet seen to a national primary, with 24 states holding primaries or caucuses on this date. 52% of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41% of the total Republican Party delegates will be at stake. The GOP contests are often “winner take all,” whereas the Democratic delegate results are awarded by proportional representation, with a minimum 15% threshold required to receive delegates.
The leading candidates (Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democrats and John McCain and Mitt Romney for the Republicans) have been campaigning all over the country including the West. Their respective websites proudly list their appearances and endorsements. Here in California, my phone has been busy with calls from both the Republican and Democratic campaigns.
The conventional wisdom, polls, and fund raising by state suggest Hillary Clinton will do well in the East and Southwest and Barack Obama will do well in the Midwest and other parts of the West. The Clinton polling lead nationally has been eroding, and Obama has momentum. At least one poll has them tied, but the polls have missed some surprises this year. Given proportional representation, expect both Clinton and Obama to split the delegate totals fairly evenly. If Obama breaks through in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Missouri, New Jersey, or Connecticut and meets expectations elsewhere, then the momentum will have definitely swung his way. On the Republican side, the conventional wisdom and the polls have McCain leading, but Romney has pockets of strength in the West.
As noted previously, Western Democrats are rightly concerned about Clinton’s high negatives in the West. I’m voting for Obama.
Leo Brown | February 3, 2008 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Which Larry should represent Idaho?
Senator Larry Craig says he is staying put, despite a court ruling against him in Minnesota.
Check out the Democratic alternative, Larry LaRocco at this link.
Larry LaRocco is definitely Western Democrat. In fact, General Wesley Clark said exactly that:
LaRocco is the kind of plain speaking, common sense western Democrat whom America needs.
I saw this in a local Idaho paper last month.
U.S. Senate candidate Larry LaRocco worked a sweet shift Wednesday, stacking five-pound bags of sugar onto pallets at Amalgamated Sugar Company in Nampa as part of his statewide “Working for Senate” campaign.Beginning in June, LaRocco started taking jobs all over the state to learn what life is like for Idahoans from all walks of life…
This link goes to our Larry's Act Blue page.
Leo Brown | October 4, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
ID Sen. - Larry Craig Resigns
I know, I'm a couple of days late and a dollar or two short, but I was out of town with no internet access (despite the hotel advertising it).
As you probably know by now, embattled Idaho Senator Larry Craig has resigned, effective September 30. Boise local, Red State Rebel, has posted an account of Craig's press conference, with links to other local blogs covering the resignation.
kencamp | September 4, 2007 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
ID Sen. - Larry Craig Continues to Lose Support
With the release of the police tape yesterday, Idaho Senator Larry Craig continues to lose support from the GOP. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) is the latest to call for Craig's resignation.
Sen. John Ensign told MSNBC today that it would be best if Craig resigns, MSNBC reported at 1 p.m. MDT.
Ensign's turning away from Craig is especially significant because he is chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Senate GOP's campaign arm that raises money and develops strategy to elect Republican senators. Ensign's statement suggests that Republicans fear that a prolonged battle by Craig to keep his seat will harm other GOP candidates in 2008.
They're scared. They know Larry LaRocco is a great Democratic candidate who can win Larry Craig's seat, and this situation has become John Ensign's worst nightmare, especially with the Club for Growth trying to persuade Congressman Bill Sali (R-Way Out There) to run for the Senate seat.
The word from Washington, D.C. is that there is high-level buzz that Larry Craig will resign as soon as today.
Reporters in Washington, D.C., are hearing high-level talk that Sen. Larry Craig could resign as soon as today.
The Associated Press cites "Republican activists." News stations including CNN and Fox started reporting Thursday that national Republican leaders and White House officials were huddling to find a way to persuade Craig to step down and limit the damage his scandal could cause to the party's election hopes in 2008.
Here's to a bloody Republican primary and Larry LaRocco winning in November 2008.
Update 2: Larry Craig will resign tomorrow.
Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig will resign from the Senate amid a furor over his arrest and guilty plea in a police sex sting in an airport men's room, Republican officials said Friday. Craig will announce at a news conference in Boise Saturday morning that he will resign effective Sept. 30, four state GOP officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
kencamp | August 31, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
ID-Sen.: Support Eroding for Larry Craig
Amid the revelations that Idaho Senator Larry Craig was arrested for lewd conduct in a Minneapolis airport men's room and subsequently pled guilty to disorderly conduct, support for the Senator to continue in his current role is eroding.
Today, Senators Norm Coleman (R-MN) and John McCain (R-AZ) have called for Craig's resignation.
The AP reports, “Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, where Craig was arrested, became the first Senate Republican to say Craig should leave office. ‘Senator Craig pled guilty to a crime involving conduct unbecoming a senator,’ he said in a statement. ‘He should resign.’”
In an interview with CNN’s John King this afternoon, McCain said he thinks Craig “should resign”:
JOHN MCCAIN: I believe that he — that he pled guilty and he had the opportunity to plead innocent. So I think he should resign.
JOHN KING: And suppose he comes back to Washington and says, “I want to serve.”
MCCAIN: That’s — that will be a decision that he will make and most importantly, the people of the state of Idaho. But my opinion is that when you plead guilty to a crime, then you shouldn’t serve. And that’s not a moral stand. That’s not a holier than thou. It’s just a factual situation. I don’t try to judge people. but in this case, it’s clear that it was disgraceful.
But Senators Coleman and McCain aren't the only ones calling for Craig's resignation. The state's largest newspaper, the Idaho Statesman has called for Craig to quit.
However, we cannot abide an elected official who didn't disclose a lewd conduct arrest until the story broke 77 days later -- a lie by omission and a violation of the public trust. We cannot believe Craig can effectively serve Idaho, under the shadow of his guilty plea on a lesser charge of disorderly conduct. We cannot afford, as a state with but four congressional representatives, to have a senator who merely provides fodder for bloggers and late-night talk show hosts.
Whether Craig is gay or not is not the issue. The issue is a Senator who was arrested for lewd conduct and pled guilty to disorderly conduct (either one is as Senator Coleman describes it "conduct unbecoming a senator"), and then hid it from his family, his colleagues, and his constituents. People demand more of public officials and Craig's conduct and intentional deceit violated the public trust and he should resign.
As for what the political landscape might look like after the fallout, mcjoan writes that the Club for Growth seems to be doing some dirty work for Congressman Bill Sali (R-Way Out There) to clear the way for him to run for an empty Senate seat should Craig he resign.
In any case, our man in this race is former Congressman Larry LaRocco and you can help end years of right-wing rule in Idaho by showing Larry some love.\
Update: I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that SurveyUSA polled Idaho voters and 55% think Larry Craig should resign versus 34% who favor him staying in office.
kencamp | August 29, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Idaho Senator Larry Craig Arrested For Lewd Conduct
According to the Idaho Statesman:
A Washington, D.C., newspaper reported on its Web site today that Idaho Sen. Larry Craig was arrested in June for lewd conduct in the restroom of a Minnesota airport.
Roll Call reported that Craig was arrested by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom.
You may recall that last year, gay activist/blogger Mike Rogers alleged that Senator Craig was engaging in homosexual relations with other men, which Craig denied.
Much like the gay/anti-gay former mayor of Spokane, Larry Craig has made a habit of being strongly anti-gay in his legislative career.
- Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)
- Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
- Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
- Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
- Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)
So if you're tired of politicians who say one thing while doing another, go visit Larry LaRocco's ActBlue page and show him some love.
Update: There's a little more to the story that I didn't get from the Idaho Statesman. Kos put up a post with more of the subscription-only article from Roll Call, which shows that Larry Craig used his position as a U.S. Senator to try to intimidate police get out of the trouble he was in. Retirement can't be far off for Senator Craig.
kencamp | August 27, 2007 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
The Continued Rise of the Southwest
America’s population is making a diagonal shift from the Northeast to the Southwest. Five of the nation’s largest cities are in the Southwest: Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, and San Jose. Phoenix is now that nation’s fifth largest city, displacing Philadelphia, now at number six. Mesa and Fresno are now bigger than Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Seven of the ten largest American cities lie within 500 miles of the Mexican border. In 1910, in contrast, the ten largest American cities were all within 500 miles of the Canadian border.
What this means to the Democratic Party is that the Northeast and Midwest aren’t a sufficient base by themselves for the future of the party. With the GOP dominating the once solidly Democratic South, Democrats must look Southwest for growth and electoral majorities. Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico have a combined 29 votes in the Electoral College and a corresponding number of seats in the Senate and House of Representatives. Moreover, the 2010 Census will undoubtedly raise that number beyond the current 29. Meanwhile, neighboring blue California’s population will continue to grow, reaching perhaps 60 million by 2050 with a Hispanic majority possible by 2042.
Newsweek is already predicting that the 2008 Presidential race will be decided in the Southwest. Their analysis:
The rise of the Swing-State Southwest (and the power of the Latino voters in it) is a function of timing, geography, demographics—and the Electoral College....The Southwest's ascendancy is linked to one key demographic: its vast, rapidly growing—but still politically unsettled—Hispanic vote….Generally speaking, [Hispanics are] culturally traditional, religiously devout and open to conservative appeals from the GOP. Economic populists, all too familiar with the trials of race-based discrimination, they feel an emotional bond with Democrats, too….In 2006 the Hispanic vote that went to the GOP dropped precipitously, to 30 percent. The war in Iraq was one reason, analysts say, but the main one was the war over immigration.
Given the mean-spiritedness of the recent immigration debate, the trend away from the GOP is likely to continue and even accelerate, strengthening the future Democratic base in the Southwest.
Leo Brown | July 11, 2007 | Comment on This Post (3 so far) |
Is the GOP losing the West?
The GOP is losing its hold on the rural vote according to a poll reported by NPR.
A new national poll indicates rural Americans are no longer reliably Republican, and the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq seems mainly to blame."I think there are two big headlines out of this poll," says Anna Greenberg of the Democratic polling firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. "The first is 'Republican Collapse in Rural Areas.' And the second is 'Rural is the Battleground in 2008."
But Iraq is not the GOP’s only problem.
Nick Kristoff of the New York Times zeros in on the Southwest and how the nativist wing of the GOP is alienating both Hispanics and moderates on immigration.
…the closer you get to the border, the more voters back politicians who are looking for middle ground — and punish those who follow the rant-for-ratings route.
He sees Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico and their combined 29 electoral votes (more than Florida’s 27 or Ohio’s 20) as potentially the biggest battleground in next year’s presidential race. And he notes that Hispanics are the fastest growing part of the electorate and make up 28% of the population in Arizona, 24% in Nevada, 20% in Colorado, and 43% in New Mexico.
Kristoff cites Democratic congressional gains in Colorado and Arizona in 2004 and 2006 as evidence that Democrats can assemble a new Western majority and quotes David Waid, Chairman of Arizona’s Democratic Party:
“Arizona is in play like never before…and the Republicans are literally handing it to us.”
Republican strategist Clint Bolick sees the same trends.
Hispanic support for Republican candidates plummeted by 10 points, to 30 percent from 40 percent, between the 2004 presidential election to the 2006 congressional election debacle, costing the GOP as many as four congressional seats. In next year's presidential election, Hispanic votes could make the difference in four Western states, including Arizona. If Republicans continue chasing Hispanic voters away, they can kiss their national electoral prospects goodbye.Here at Western Democrat, we have always believed that the future of the Democratic Party lies in the West. The GOP is doing their part to hasten that future.
Leo Brown | June 22, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Presidential Polling
It’s still early in the 2008 campaign, but the election is only a year and a half away and the nominations could be wrapped up in half that time…or maybe not.
We have on the Democratic side, Hillary, Obama, and Edwards in the top tier, with Richardson trying to move up and Gore still on the sidelines, but potentially formidable.
On the Republican side, Giuliani, McCain, Romney, and now Fred Thompson are in the top tier. Romney would be, I think, a formidable candidate in the West, though the numbers below show considerable weakness nationally. Ron Paul is interesting, but he hasn’t a snowball’s chance.
So far, no one in either party has closed the deal with the voters. Hillary is leading in the national polls among Democrats, but I don't see her doing well in the West in the general election.
A recent Zogby poll shows Barack beating all the leading GOP candidates:
48% Barack Obama (D) 42% Rudy Giuliani (R)
46% Barack Obama (D) 43% John McCain (R)
52% Barack Obama (D) 35% Mitt Romney (R)
52% Barack Obama (D) 35% Fred Thompson (R)
But Hillary loses to Giuliani and McCain.
48% Rudy Giuliani (R) 43% Hillary Rodham Clinton (D)
47% John McCain (R) 43% Hillary Rodham Clinton (D)
48% Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) 40% Mitt Romney (R)
48% Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) 41% Fred Thompson (R)
As does Edwards
47% Rudy Giuliani (R) 43% John Edwards (D)
46% John McCain (R) 41% John Edwards (D)
50% John Edwards (D) 36% Mitt Romney (R)
48% John Edwards (D) 40% Fred Thompson (R)
And Richardson only beats Romney.
50% Rudy Giuliani (R) 35% Bill Richardson (D)
52% John McCain (R) 31% Bill Richardson (D)
40% Bill Richardson (D) 37% Mitt Romney (R)
40% Fred Thompson (R) 39% Bill Richardson (D)
Zogby comments:
“What we are seeing here is a continued resurgence of the moderates and the independents, building on the momentum and the key role they played in last year’s congressional midterm elections...Our polling shows Obama is seen as the most charismatic candidate and is also one of the top choices to reach across the political divide in our country to bring Americans back together. This is a John Kennedy–like combination of characteristics, and moderates and independents appear to be recognizing that.”
Who do you think can win the West?
Leo Brown | June 9, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
RIP: Senator Craig Thomas, (R-Wyoming)
Senator Craig Thomas has died. From the AP:
Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political disputes, died Monday. He was 74. The senator's family issued a statement saying that he died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he had been receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.
Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) will appoint a successor, though it will be a Republican. The seat will open, however, for an election in 2008 -- even though Thomas was re-elected in 2006.
From the Wyoming News:
Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, will appoint a successor from one of three finalists chosen by the state Republican party. Peggy Nighswonger, Wyoming's elections director, said the governor has five days to appoint one of the party's three nominees once he receives the names. That person will serve until the next general election in 2008.
Kari Chisholm | June 5, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
GOP losing support in Utah (the Romney effect)
Jonathan Singer over at MyDD notes that in Utah, the Republican dominance (once over 50 percent in voter identification) is beginning to show some cracks. Maybe Utah Republicans are beginning to realize that all those questions about Mitt Romney's religion are coming from a very real place in Republican culture.
The most dominant religion in the South and the most dominant social movement in modern Republicanism can hardly bring itself to respect Mormons.
I'd be a little turned off too if I heard about the damaging effects my religion is having on a front running presidential candidate.
It should be noted that no one questioned whether anyone in the Democratic Party would accept a Mormon leader in the Senate.
Religion matters in the Republican Party because it matters what religion you belong to. In the Democratic Party, religion doesn't matter in the sense that your religion is between you, God, and your community of faith and shouldn't be a political matter.
Emmett O'Connell | April 12, 2007 | Comment on This Post (5 so far) |
Run Tom, Run!
Images this: an intense anti-immigration candidate that will rally primary voters across the country, spew hate toward the Republican front-runners, thereby fracturing the GOP and delivering Democrats the 2008 election.
It may be my personal fantasy, but one of my deepest political fantasies is crossing that illegal border called reality:
Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado is making official his interest in a presidential run.
Tancredo, a Littleton Republican known for his hard-line stance on immigration policies, said today he's filing the paperwork to form a presidential exploratory committee...
Tancredo has said he is interested in a presidential run to highlight the immigration issue, and that he wants to challenge the views of candidates he finds objectionable, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. McCain was one of the sponsors of the Senate's immigration reform bill last year. It would have created a guest worker program and a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Tancredo backed the House bill, which would have criminalized living in the country illegally.
This set-up should be one of the must watch events of 2008. I'm looking forward to Tom adding a little bit of his personal flamboyance to the race. Tom, I know you don't care one bit but here it is - I just don't want you running in the GOP primary - I want you in the general election as an independent. Nothing would make this Western Democrat happier.
Landon Mascareñaz | January 16, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Losing Bill Frist is not made up by getting Trent Lott
It would be so nice to have a great, Southern ideologue as the Republican front runner in 2008. If it isn't going to be Bill Frist, the closest we can get is Mike Huckabee.
Huckabbee's no Chip Pickering, if you know what I mean.
Even without a big Southerner leading the way, who ever ends up being the nominee for the Republicans, is going to need to win in the South anyway. No one is going to be nominated out of the Republican Party without winning Southern primaries.
Emmett O'Connell | November 30, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Trent Lott in Senate Minority Leadership, good for the West
...and good for Democrats.
The Senate Majority Leader is from Nevada.
The Senate Minority Leader is from Kentucky, the minority whip is from Mississippi. There is nothing that could be better.
For decades the schism between the south and the west has been pulling at the seams of the Republican Party. Conservatives from both regions approach their conservatism is drastically different ways.
The South is an authoritarian region that certainly isn't the West.
Lott being reelected as the Republican leader in the Senate is a solid example of where the GOP is running after their very regionally based defeat last week. Has anyone else noticed that the one house seat the GOP came to picking up was in Georgia?
The Republicans are running home, to the south. As they abandon the West, we have a chance to increase our gains already made.
Emmett O'Connell | November 15, 2006 | Comment on This Post (3 so far) |
Gibbons and Titus in Nevada
In Nevada Republican Jim Gibbons was holding a comfortable lead over Democrat Dina Titus when a series of explosive scandals rocked his campaign. Without going into the most controversial and explosive one, there are two others.
His former (illegal) housekeeper has spoken out.
And some of his “earmarks” had been kept secret.
Now the Green candidate has thrown his support to Titus.
Titus is closing the gap.
Definitely a race to watch tomorrow.
Nevada is a battleground state with two competitive House seats, a Senate seat, the Governor, and the Secretary of State as important contests.
Leo Brown | November 6, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
The end of compassion and decency as well
Remember “compassionate conservatism?”
The Republican congressional candidate in Wyoming didn’t seem very compassionate when she threatened to slap a man in a wheelchair.
A Republican congressional campaign in California reached a shocking low with a widely-condemned letter designed to intimidate Hispanic voters.
Nationally Rush Limbaugh attacked the stricken Michael J. Fox over a stem cell research TV ad.
This year the GOP strategy has been personal and negative ads.
The common theme is mean spiritedness and a lack of compassion, something we’ve seen a lot of since Karl Rove rode into town.
Compassionate conservatism wasn’t such a bad idea. It quickly became, however, a hollow slogan that we don’t hear much of anymore. With progressive social policies combined with fiscal sanity, many Democrats could claim to be the natural heirs of the ideal of compassionate conservatism. Too bad the name has been ruined.
And I miss the decency part, too.
Leo Brown | October 25, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
CA-04 and the power of simple stories
The fallout from the Foley scandal continues to dominate the headlines. Glenn Greenwald blogs that this is because it is a scandal that everyone can understand.
This scandal has resonated so powerfully because it is shining such a powerful light on the towering hubris, utter lack of intellectual and ethical integrity, and deeply engrained corruption that accounts for virtually every other Bush disaster -- from Iraq to law-breaking scandals to torture to Abrahmoff-type corruption schemes and everything in between.... for so many reasons -- its relative simplicity, its crystal clarity, the involvement of emotionally-charged issues, the salacious sex aspects -- this Foley scandal circumvents that whole dynamic [of GOP counter-spin]. People are paying attention on their own. They don't need pundits or journalists to tell them what to think about it because they are able to form deeply held opinions on their own. None of the standard obfuscation tactics used for so long by Bush followers are working here. To the contrary, their attempted use of those tactics is making things much worse for them, because people can see that Bush followers are attempting -- through the use of patently dishonest and corrupt tactics -- to excuse the inexcusable.
Sometimes a simple story tells more than any complex analysis. Sometime ago I read a simple story on Kos by Charlie Brown, our candidate in CA-04, about his son, Captain Jeff Brown and Congressman John Doolittle (also CA-04). The scene is in Iraq.
…the crew gets one more request: "Can one of the members of the [Congressional] delegation ride up in the cockpit?" You see, C-130s aren't real comfortable - there are only troop seats in the back cargo area. The cockpit isn't a lot better, but it's a little more comfortable, quieter, and it's not a troop seat. The crew wasn't crazy about visitors riding up there with them, but you can't say no to a Congressman.
… this member of the delegation was John Doolittle. John sat down in the cockpit and spoke for a minute with the aircraft commander. He didn't say anything to the rest of the crew. Nothing to the flight engineer. Or the navigator. Or the copilot. He didn't ask any of them where they were from. Or what it's like in Iraq. Or what he and the rest of Congress could do to help.
The flight was just over an hour up to Talafar and uneventful. As the congressional delegation was climbing off the airplane, the copilot leaned over to ask the aircraft commander to give John a message. So the aircraft commander went down to the ramp to see the delegation off, and as John stepped off the C-130 and onto the ramp the aircraft commander said to him: "Congressman Doolittle: Charlie Brown and his son hope you had a nice flight."
The copilot was my son, Jeff Brown, Air Force Captain.
John Doolittle sat next to my son for over an hour and didn't ask him his name. He didn't ask him where he was from. (Jeff, of course, is from John's District here in California.) He didn't ask how long Jeff had been in Iraq. (It was Jeff's third tour, and he's now scheduled for his fourth.) And he didn't ask what Congress could do to help him and the rest of the troops there in Iraq.
But I've asked. And Jeff told me, that if John had asked what he needed, he would have asked to make sure Congress fixes the cracks in the C-130 wings, because many of the aircraft are grounded, and many more are restricted on how much weight they can carry, and they're flying the heck out of those planes. Jeff would have asked to make sure Congress gives good medical care to the wounded, because he flies them out of Iraq. And Jeff said he would have asked to make sure Congress gives the best care to the families of the remains of fallen soldiers, because he flies them out of Iraq too.
But John Doolittle didn't ask. He didn't talk to the airmen. They were just his drivers that day. John Doolittle sat next to my son for over an hour and didn't have the courtesy to even ask his name.
My name is Charlie Brown, Lt. Colonel, USAF, retired. I'm running for Congress because we need Congressmen and women who care.
Leo Brown | October 8, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
WA-08: Dave Reichert Ambivalent on Denny Hastert/Mark Foley Debacle
From Talking Points Memo:
Okay, we've got an answer for Rep. Dave Reichert (R) of Washington's 8th district. He says he doesn't want to take a stand on Hastert until after an investigation has been completed.Yet another reason to vote for Darcy Burner in WA-08.
You'd think that the former King County Sheriff would come out with a strong statement that sexual predators have no place in the halls of Congress and that he would not support any member of Congress who covered up any knowledge of Rep. Mark Foley's actions.
That might be a reasonable thing to assume. But then again, Dave Reichert isn't being reasonable. He's a loyal foot soldier in the Denny Hastert-led army.
Hat tip to Goldy.
kencamp | October 6, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
There He Goes Again
Montana GOP Senator Conrad Burns is at it again. I could link to a bunch of posts on his bad behavior and persistent case of diarrhea of the mouth, but you'd be here all day looking at it. Just take my word for it: Conrad Burns is a bigot.
From the Billings Gazette:
Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, who has gotten into hot water before for comments seen as disparaging various groups, joshingly remarked Thursday on the number of Italian-Americans at the Federal Aviation Administration.We all know that Burns is bought and paid for by the special interests, but with each racist remark he makes, it makes you wonder whether those special interests dress in white sheets and pointy hats.
The Montana senator, facing a tough re-election fight against Democrat Jon Tester, was heading an aviation subcommittee
hearing of the Commerce Committee when two FAA officials, Michael Cirillo and Nicholas Sabatini, introduced themselves as witnesses.
"I'm wondering if that's all they're hiring," Burns said of the federal agency.
[...]
Also during Thursday's hearing, Burns asked witness Matt Andersson, senior aviation consultant for CRA International, about the spelling of his name. Andersson said it's the Swedish spelling.
"Oh, ja," Burns replied in a mock Swedish accent.
It's time to bring some decency back to Montana and the United States. Support Jon Tester for Senate.
kencamp | September 28, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Richardon enjoying a winger to boost his numbers
A while back I put forward the theory that the more crazy, and in need of watering, a Republican was out there, the better a good, coyote smart, Western Democrat would do.
Case in point:
Since John Dendahl (Mr. Latinos are drunks himself) came forward as the Republican nominee for governor in New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's poll numbers have climbed. Richardson has become the 7th most popular governor in the country, liked by nearly 70 percent of New Mexico's citizens.
Emmett O'Connell | September 24, 2006 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
CA-11
Richard Pombo has earned the dubious distinction of making the list of the most corrupt members of Congress. Two Congressmen on the list, both R’s, have already pled guilty after long denials of wrongdoing. The list is bipartisan. Two Democrats made the list.
Why should this concern you? Because, as one blogger put it, we all live in Richard Pombo’s district. This guy is so bad he has attracted a cottage industry of anti-Pombo bloggers. See Pombo Watch, Say No to Pombo, Vote Pombo Out, and Pombo in Their Pocket. This last has some entertaining ads.
Our man is Jerry McNerney.
CA-11 is close enough to the Bay Area that progressive volunteers can commute to help Jerry.
Leo Brown | September 17, 2006 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Now is the time
Being a good citizen and an informed voter is always in season, but as the 2006 campaign is in its final two months, now is the time to get involved, or if you are already involved, to step up the pace.
Now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote, that your family is registered to vote, that your extended family is registered to vote, and that your friends are registered to vote. If you can spare the time, you can participate in voter registration drives. Most states allow registration up to about a month before election day. Check on your state here. We are a mobile society, and if you’ve moved, be sure to update your registration.
Now is the time to make a financial contribution to the candidate(s) of your choice. You can go to the candidate’s website, a state party website, the DSCC website, the DCCC website, the DNC website, the site of your favorite PAC or political blog, etc. The GOP has signaled they will be running a lot of negative ads. Answering those ads with a positive vision will take real money.
Now is the time to volunteer for a campaign. You can volunteer for a local campaign or a more distant one either by commuting to a neighboring district in some urban and suburban areas or by an electronic commute in the vast distances of the West. The websites that accept contributions can often suggest ways to volunteer.
Leo Brown | September 13, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Why Bill Winter must win CO-6
Let's hear it for Tom Tancredo, my former representative and constant source of jaw-dropping actions:
Dressed casually in a yellow t-shirt, Tancredo addressed the standing-room audience of 200-250 from behind a podium draped in a Confederate battle flag. To the congressman's right, a portrait of Robert E. Lee peered out at the crowd of Minutemen activists, local politicians, and red-shirted members of LOS and the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The Confederate trappings of the event found a mismatch in Tancredo's standard nativist polemic, which stayed clear of references to Southern heritage or direct plaudits for the LOS, a Southern white nationalist organization dedicated to "Southern independence, complete, full, and total."Tancredo's appearance was part of a five-day sweep through conservative South Carolina, which hosts an early GOP primary and has seen the Southeast's largest percentage gain in foreign-born residents since the 2000 Census. Rising to his friendly audience, Tancredo blasted South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham for being too soft on immigration and basked in the long applause that followed his harangues against illegal immigrants and "the cult of multiculturalism" that glorifies disunity and refuses to acknowledge the "Christian principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution." (Tancredo did not appear to grasp the irony of addressing the "lack of unity" in America in front of a group dedicated to Southern secession.)
I don't want to sound too crazy but Tom Tancredo is an embarrassment to Colorado. His rhetoric of hate and apparent willingness to do whatever it takes to stake out a name for himself makes him a terrible public servant.
Bill Winter, on the other hand is a man of integrity, courage and true principle. From a previous statement commenting on Tandredo's extremist message:
At a time when America needs unity, Mr. Tancredo will stop at nothing to keep driving a wedge between the American people in order to advance his extremist agenda.
This is a guy that could win and could send this extremist away for awhile. I'm tired of people like Tom Tancredo giving Colorado and the West a bad name.
Learn more about Bill Winter below the fold.
From his biographical statement:
U.S. Marine and Navy veteran Bill Winter is a practicing attorney in Castle Rock, where he previously taught and coached in the public schools. A former staffer for U.S. Senator John McCain, Winter grew up in Colorado and attended Littleton High School and the University of Colorado.
On why he is running:
I am not a career politician. I'm not going to Washington to advance myself or some narrow ideology. I want to continue the service to my country that began when I was a 17-year old Marine and fight for a better future for Colorado and all Americans.
Check out this list of endorsements.
I really liked this:
I did not give ten years of my life to serving my country just to watch hatred and discrimination written into our constitution. Congress must stand up to keep government intrusion out of our personal lives and protect all those rights that those now and before us have fought and died for. We must continue to advance the ideals of racial and gender equality and build on the progress made the last 30 years.While we can be proud of such accomplishments as the Voting Rights Act and strides made to bring equal education to all members of our society, but must not be satisfied until we have accomplished a society where, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King "...people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character". The last three decades we have also witnessed remarkable strides for women in the workplace and throughout society, yet we still must struggle against the glass ceiling and the concept that women are not in control of their own bodies.
Now that's a Western Democrat.
Support him here.
Landon Mascareñaz | September 12, 2006 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Rep. Wilson (NM-1) doesn't like being any other candidate
What's the point of being the incumbent if you can't get special treatment?
Rep. Heather Wilson is steamed about the New Mexico State Fair parade.Wilson, an Albuquerque Republican, on Thursday released a letter she sent to state fairgrounds General Manager Fred Peralta. She complained about being moved from the front of the parade - her spot since being elected to Congress - to a cluster of politicians farther back.
"I want to know what basis was used to decide placement of an elected official's entry and political candidate or party's entries in this year's parade," Wilson wrote. "Why was there a change from past practices for me to participate as an `Invited Official?' "
Peralta said that while some elected officials - such as Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez - are scheduled to ride in their traditional place at the front of the Sept. 9 parade, fair officials decided this year to group all political candidates together.
"We tried to be neutral because this is a political year," Peralta said. "Heather Wilson is a candidate, like a lot of others who have asked to be in the parade. We have set up a system where all the candidates will be in the same location."
Sitting NM Attorney General Patty Madrid is giving Wilson a run for her money too. No word if the sitting Attorney General of the entire state is ticked off that she has to ride in the same section as a person who only represents part of the state.
Emmett O'Connell | September 1, 2006 | Comment on This Post (6 so far) |
Bounty Hunters and Hired Guns
I have a theory that the Intermountain West is so red because for years outside money flowed into state GOP organizations in those states. The financial imbalance became self-perpetuating as Democrats directed their funding towards the coasts. But in small markets, a relatively few dollars can go a long ways. I was looking for support for that thesis when I cam upon this amazing story out of Arizona.
The Arizona Republican Party has put a bounty on the heads of voters this year — and their hired guns are cashing in. Republicans are spending $10 for every person GOP organizations and paid strategists recruit to join the party as it looks to increase its registration edge over Democrats.So far this year, the GOP has doled out more than $300,000 to register nearly 22,000 new members, said Matt Salmon, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party.
…“Had we not done this, I really think we would have been overtaken by the Democrats,” he said referring to state registration numbers. “And studies show that if you register someone, they will vote that year.”
Michael Fries, who is in charge of the Democrats’ campaign efforts, said his party doesn’t hire professionals to recruit new members. He said volunteers are the ones who recruit new members...“This is a campaign about talking to voters day in and day out,” he said. “(Republicans) are trying to come up with a strategy that works because they don’t have a good message.”
This speaks volumes about the GOP’s concept of the “marketplace of ideas.”
Leo Brown | August 29, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
The metaphor of shuttered homes
Gibney over at Washblog points out a sign for Rep. Cathy McMorris out in front of of a shuttered farm house in eastern Washington. While the sign, and the house, probably belong to another farmer down the lane, the image evokes a strong message for any Western Democrat.
While the Republican Party has talked a big game in the past twenty or so years about the Western economy and getting government off the back of sagebrushers, they have delivered little. The show down between the Republican led federal government and their allies in the oil and gas business is just one example of Republicans selling Westerners down the river.
Emmett O'Connell | August 27, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Where does Conrad Burns Get His Money?
Is it from defrauded Montanans?
When it rains, it pours, and the good news is raining down on Conrad Burns:
I guess these corrupt types travel in packs. Conrad Burns took a significant amount of money from his buddy Jack Abramoff, and hired an alleged con-man to fundraise for him. I hope Jon Tester or the DSCC have some folks looking into every donation made to Burns, because there could be some fraud or illegal donations there. There used to be a low for corruption in politics, and his name was Richard Nixon. Guys like Conrad Burns take it to a new level.Montana officials have accused a recently-departed fundraising chief for Sen. Conrad Burns' (R-MT) re-election campaign with securities fraud, according to a press release.
State Auditor John Morrison says Pat Davison defrauded two families of $1.2 million. Morrison said Davison convinced them to withdraw the money from investment accounts so he could put them in "fake" investments, including a bond issue from a local school trust.
Officials from the school "confirmed that no such trust exists and they do not issue bonds," the release states. Morrison has referred the matter to the state attorney general for possible prosecution.
Burns named Davison his state finance director in January. According to Burns spokesman Jason Klindt, Davison left the campaign last month. "Pat Davison resigned on July 27th. He is not Burns’ finance chief," he said in a message. However, a search of the campaign's Web site turns up no press release announcing the departure, and a search of the Nexis database results in no articles mentioning the split.
If you want honesty and integrity in the political process (it's arguable whether or not Burns ever had it), throw some money at Jon Tester and help fund Conrad Burns' retirement party.
kencamp | August 25, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Republicans for...
Republicans for Ritter (CO-Gov) is a great post on Western Democrat.
But check out what some Republicans are saying about the GOP candidate in Idaho.
Republicans for Grant (ID-1)
"That idiot [Grant’s opponent, Bill Sali] is just an idiot. He doesn’t have one ounce of empathy in his whole fricking body. And you can put that in the paper.” Bruce Newcomb, Republican Speaker of the House, Idaho Statesman April 8, 2006
And former Republican primary candidates Pete McCloskey and Tom Benigno have endorsed Jerry McNerney in California.
Republicans for McNerney (CA-11)
“You know, I never really thought I’d be doing this. I’ve been a Republican for 57 years. My family have been Republicans for four generations,” said McCloskey. “But I’ve concluded two things: Jerry McNerney is an honest man; Richard Pombo is not. I’m confident that Jerry McNerney is an honorable man who will vote his conscience.”
And in Colorado
Republicans for Fawcett (CO-5)
"It's not as unusual as you would think…We're both retired Air Force Academy graduates, both Desert Storm veterans, we're both Bronze Star recipients; Jay [Fawcett] and I have a lot in common." Scott Hente, City Councilman
If we are to reclaim the vital center, we will need the votes of thoughtful Republicans like these. There aren’t enough Democrats in some of these districts to win unless we attract GOP voters in significant numbers.
Leo Brown | August 25, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Western Blogs: Flip Flopping Republicans, etc...
This is something I've been meaning to do for awhile, but there are tons of great blogs being written across the West. I read a good portion of them, and every once in awhile, I'll do a basic post like this linking to notable posts.
From Square State (Colorado): Both Ways Bob Beauprez takes a belly flop on a ballot initiative that would have given citizens greater access to local government:
So let's get this straight: Holtzman is in the primary, Both Ways supports Amendment 38. Holtzman drops out, Both Ways is against it.
Left in the West (Montana): What if Tester-like style, not just Tester, Western Democratic politics, made it back east?
And, Spidelblog (Arizona): The Democratic Arizona AG takes on Walmart.
Emmett O'Connell | July 7, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Republican Actors vs. Real People
Who would you believe: an actor telling a lie or a barber telling the truth?
The following story from the Great Falls Tribune speaks volumes and speaks for itself.
Earlier this week, the NRSC released both a television and radio ad centered on Tester's trademark buzz cut. Both are set in a fictional barbershop and feature the punch line: "Conservative haircut. Liberal values."
Shortly before the primary, Tester's campaign released a commercial titled "Creating a Buzz" that featured Tester's barber, Bill Graves of Riverview Barbershop.
Graves said that Tester is hitting back with yet another commercial, filmed Thursday in his shop.
"I was fairly mad when that (Republican) ad came out," said Graves, 70, who has been a barber for 40 years.
"That guy in the ad isn't a barber. He's an actor and he's never touched Jon Tester's hair," said Graves. He said that he is the only person who has cut Tester's hair in the last 15 years, except for his 22-year-old granddaughter, Megan McKiernan, and a barber in Havre.
But here's the thing that really frosted Graves.
The Republicans' radio ad features the "barber" saying, "didn't leave much of a tip, either." The TV ad goes a step farther: "Didn't leave a tip, either."
However, Tester does tip, said Graves.
"Oh, yeah ...He's very generous," he said.
Leo Brown | June 16, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Wingnut runner up losing in Nevada
Speaking of wingnuts, Rep. Jim Gibbons, who once uttered these lines, is losing his run for governor:
"those liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals would be put to death at the hands of Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden." Gibbons added, "it's just too damn bad we didn't buy them a ticket to become human shields in Iraq."
And he didn't even think of them himself:
Days later the Elko Daily Free Press reported, Chapman's speech is 21 paragraphs in length, of which Gibbons used 15 paragraphs word-for-word in his Lincoln Day address. Gibbons admits the speech wasn't his own but adds, It expressed what I wanted to express.Anyway, Gibbons is losing to a smart Democrat in Nevada, Dina Titus, who is running a hard nosed campaign against the man who wanted to sell out the West:
Democratic front-runner Dina Titus leads Republican Jim Gibbons by four points in Nevada’s gubernatorial contest, according to a survey released today by a respected national polling firm.The Rasmussen Reports survey shows Dina Titus ahead of Jim Gibbons by a 44 to 40 percent margin, with 10 percent of voters undecided and 6 percent supporting another candidate. The new poll follows a January 2006 Rasmussen Reports survey that had Jim Gibbons leading Dina Titus by 46 to 41 percent.
“This survey is strong evidence that Dina Titus’ message is taking hold while Jim Gibbons’ record is being rejected,” said Marlene Lockard, political director for the Dina Titus for Governor campaign. “Nevada voters are responding to Dina Titus’ plans to improve education, restore ethics in government and lower energy costs through renewable energy — and they are recognizing that a congressman who has supported energy special interests, opposed tougher ethics rules and done little for education should not lead this state.
“As this campaign progresses, the contrasts will become even clearer, and we expect more Nevadans will endorse the change from business as usual that Dina Titus represents,” Lockard said.
Emmett O'Connell | May 27, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
How do you say Swift Boat in Spanish?
Immigration is one of our most pressing national security issues and the fact is George Bush and his rubberstamping Republican allies in Congress have failed to deal with it responsibly. Instead, they turn reality upside down and today will start running ads against me on Spanish language radio stations in Nevada claiming “Reid’s Democrat allies voted to treat millions of hardworking immigrants as felons.”That is a lie. Democrats fought Bill Frist and House Republican efforts to bow to the extreme rightwing element of their party and treat twelve million hardworking immigrants like felons. In one week Democrats voted twice to support a bill that reinforces border security and brings millions of undocumented workers out of the shadows.
A call to arms:
I will fight back against this vicious smear in Nevada, but it will only stop if we show Republicans there is a price to pay for their lies. I’m not going to ask you to contribute to me, but to Democrats running for Senate around the country. We have a real shot at taking back the majority in November and that would be the best revenge.You can make a contribution to Senate candidates by clicking here.
The fact is that President Bush has as much credibility on immigration as he does on Iraq. If President Bush were actually committed to comprehensive immigration reform, he would have stopped his own party from filibustering it twice last week.
If Republicans are serious about moving forward, then they should join me in calling on Senator Frist to bring immigration reform back to the Senate floor as soon as possible. Hopefully by then, President Bush and his Majority Leader will have found the backbone to stop the extreme elements of the Republican Party.
That seems unlikely since Bush Republicans in Washington are no longer interested in making policy that helps the American people. They know their extreme right wing policies have been a failure in Iraq and a failure here at home. So instead of an honest debate, they lie, smear and attempt to divide our nation. As long as I’m around that won’t work.
A warning from a crime figher:
I know how to deal with people who tell lies about me. In the 1970’s, when I was Nevada Gaming Commissioner, some mobsters spread stories about me. They ended up in jail – and Republicans will end up out of office come November.
A warning from a boxer:
The Republicans should not pick this fight. I’ve been in more boxing rings then all of them combined. And when you throw a punch at me, you end up on the mat.
Leo Brown | April 18, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |