Daily Scandal-Rama Update; Russ Feingold only Dem with backbone on villainous Military Commissions Act; news polls; more.
October 17th, 2006
WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE.CONGRESS: SCANDAL-WATCH UPDATE.
Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA) on Tuesday oddly blamed the DCCC for inspiring the FBI raids on six locations this week, in which Weldon is apparently the central corruption target. Weldon later conceded to reporter that the Republicans control the US Justice Department, but insisted "the bureaucracy" there dislikes him ... Meanwhile, Congressman John Doolittle's (R-CA) office confirmed Tuesday the Congressman's attorney is engaged in "discussions" with the Justice Department over Doolittle's relationship with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff ... US Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) amended his previous financial disclosure forms to add key information he previously omitted about some rather profitable land deals ... Congressman Dale Kildee (D-MI) said the House Ethics Committee investigation related to former Congressman Mark Foley's (R-FL) page sex scandal is now focusing on allegedly improper actions by a second House member -- rumored to be retiring Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ). MSNBC's Keith Olberman reported word on the street in DC is that a third Congressman -- still unnamed -- is rumored to be implicated in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female page ... Radical gay activist/ blogger Mike Rogers outed anti-gay rights US Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) on Tuesday, announcing on a national radio show he had met with at least three men with whom Craig has had sex. Rogers said Craig even engaged in sex acts with one of the men in the public restrooms in Union Station, near the Capitol. Craig quickly denied all the allegations. Gay rumors have quietly haunted Craig ever since his bizarre pre-emptive press conference during the 1982 page sex scandal in which he denied having sex with any pages -- at a time when nobody had yet mentioned Craig as being involved. Craig does not face reelection for two more years. Rogers also hinted he has documentary proof on another closeted US House member, who Rogers said he will name "within the next few weeks." Rogers grabbed headlines in 2004 when he outed conservative Congressman Ed Schrock (R-VA) -- and then released, in response to Schrock's initial denials, explicit recorded sexual phone conversations in which the Congressman was trying to hook-up with guys for sex.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.18.06
BY THE NUMBERS: US SENATE RACES.
ARIZONA: US Senator Jon Kyl (R) - 49%, former State Democratic Chair Jim Pederson (D) - 33%, former Graham County Sheriff Richard Mack (Libertarian) - 2%. (Northern Arizona University).
OHIO: Congressman Sherrod Brown (D) - 49%, US Senator Mike DeWine (R) - 35%. (New York Times/CBS News).
OHIO: Brown (D) - 53%, DeWine (R) - 41%. (Quinnipiac University).
OHIO: Brown (D) - 52%, DeWine (R) - 45%. (University of Cincinnati).
PENNSYLVANIA: State Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. (D) - 55%, US Senator Rick Santorum (R) - 42%. (Rasmussen Reports).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.18.06
BY THE NUMBERS: GOVERNOR RACES.
GEORGIA: Governor Sonny Perdue (R) - 50%, Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor (D) - 36%. (Strategic Vision-R).
ILLINOIS: Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) - 44%, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka (R) - 36%. (Rasmussen Reports).
OHIO: Congressman Ted Strickland (D) - 50%, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R) - 38%, retired college professor Bill Peirce (Libertarian) - 3%, newspaper editor Bob Fitrakis (Green) - 2%. (University of Cincinnati).
OHIO: Strickland (D) - 54%, Blackwell (R) - 29%. (New York Times/CBS News).
PENNSYLVANIA: Governor Ed Rendell (D) - 57%, former pro football player Lynn Swann (R) - 40%.(Rasmussen Reports).
SOUTH CAROLINA: Governor Mark Sanford (R) - 56%, State Senator Tommy Moore (D) - 41%. (WCSC-TV/SurveyUSA).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.18.06
BY THE NUMBERS: US HOUSE RACES.
FLORIDA - CD-5: Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R) - 55%, nurse John Russell (D) - 42%. (WFLA-TV/SurveyUSA).
MINNESOTA - CD-6: Child safety activist Patty Wetterling (D) - 48%, State Senator Michelle Bachmann (R) - 40%, college student John Binkowski (Independence) - 4%. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune).
OHIO - CD-2: Congresswoman Jean Schmidt (R) - 48%, physician Victoria Wells Wulsin (D) - 40%. (WCPO-TV/SurveyUSA).
WYOMING - CD-AL: Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (R) - 44%, Teton County School Board Chair Gary Trauner (D) - 37%, substance abuse counsellor Thom Rankin (Libertarian) - 4%. (Casper Star-Tribune/Mason-Dixon).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.18.06
CONNECTICUT: SCHLESINGER SURPRISES, EASILY WINS US SENATE DEBATE.
His own party leaders won't support him, his GOP Governor previously asked him to quit the race, stories of chronic gambling problems dog him, yet former State Representative Alan Schlesinger (R) came roaring back into the US Senate race in the first debate on Tuesday. News stories from throughout the state were fairly unanimous that Schlesinger's solid performance scored a win over US Senator Joe Lieberman (Independent) and liberal businessman Ned Lamont (D) in the face-off. Schlesinger took an aggressive tack, as his opponents largely stuck to the safe soundbites they've been using for months. The Republican emphasized a GOP voter shouldn't "waste your vote on either of these liberal Democrats." He stressed his support for a crackdown on illegal immigration and other issues, views sharply at odds with both opponents. When pressed post debate, Lieberman again emphasized he would caucus with the Democrats if he wins: "I've [already] said that 1,200 times." "Rejoice Connecticut conservatives ... because you really do have a choice in this race, even if he's a wry court jester," wrote the Hartford Courant. The New Haven Register wrote Schlesinger "put the two leading contenders on notice." For a guy who -- pre-debate -- was polling at around 5%, this performance is significant because any new votes Schlesinger is likely to attract will come almost entirely at Lieberman's expense. In related news, Lamont poured another $2 million from his pocket into his campaign. This brings Lamont's total personal contributions to $11 million.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.18.06
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
Americans should be mourning the loss of our Constitutional habeas corpus rights. The Military Commissions Act of 2006, signed into law Tuesday by President Bush, allows the President or his designees to declare anyone (including US citizens!) an "enemy combatant" and hold him/her indefinitely without trial if the President simply decides the person is an enemy combatant or is gives material aid to the enemy or is "linked to" terrorist allegations. That, and the new law also allows the US to torture prisoners -- including the use of "water-boarding," extreme sleep deprivation, and forced hypothermia -- so long as it doesn't kill or seriously maim them. Thus, purportedly acting in the interests of freedom and security, we've given up some of our key constitutional freedoms to a corrupt and villainous Administration with nary a whimper of protest. This is one of the saddest days in the history of our Constitutional rights. And, except for US Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), the rest of my party's 2008 crop of potential White House hopefuls sit appallingly silent on these critical issues. That shameful silence speaks loud and clear about who NOT to support for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2008.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.18.06
SEND A PIN = GET A FREE PLUG HERE.
Here's my open offer for every campaign (and campaign supporter): send me a button or pin from the Governor, US Senate, Congressional, Statewide Office, etc., campaign you are involved in -- feel free to add a sticker and brochure -- and I'll place a link to official campaign site here on our homepage in a daily "thank you" note. My address: Ron Gunzburger, 409 NE 17 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. OUR THANKS TODAY GO TO: Former York School Board President and Vietnam War veteran Phil Avillo, Democrat for Congress in Pennsylvania's CD-19; and forklift operator and UAW labor union activist Bill Panebaker, Democrat for Pennsylvania State House District 193.
Entry Filed under: Contributions, In the News, politics