Renzi, Gibbons, Hevesi, Peterson and others visit the Daily Scandal-rama; more polls
Continue Reading October 25th, 2006
THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE.
BY THE NUMBERS: US SENATE RACES.
ARIZONA: US Senator Jon Kyl (R) - 47%, former State Democratic Chair Jim Pederson (D) - 41%. (Arizona State University).
FLORIDA: US Senator Bill Nelson (D) - 64%, Congresswoman Katherine Harris (R) - 29%. (Quinnipiac University).
MICHIGAN: US Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) - 51%, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard (R) - 44%, UAW local president David Sole (Green) - 1%, attorney Leonard Schwartz (Libertarian) - 1%, retired automotive engineer Dennis FitzSimons (US Taxpayers) - 1%. (WDIV-TV/SurveyUSA).
MISSOURI: US Senator Jim Talent (R) - 48%, State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) - 45%. (Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg).
NEW JERSEY: US Senator Bob Menendez (D) - 45%, State Senator Tom Kean Jr. (R) - 41%, Others - 2%. (Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg).
OHIO: Congressman Sherrod Brown (D) - 47%, US Senator Mike DeWine (R) - 39%. (Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg).
TENNESSEE: Former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker (R) - 49%, Congressman Harold Ford Jr. (D) - 44%, Others - 3%. (Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg).
TENNESSEE: Corker (R) - 48%, Ford (D) - 48%. (WBIR-TV/SurveyUSA).
VIRGINIA: US Senator George Allen (R) - 49%, former Navy Secretary Jim Webb (D) - 46%, businesswoman Gail Parker (Indep. Green) - 2%. (WUSA-TV/SurveyUSA).
VIRGINIA: Webb (D) - 47%, Allen (R) - 44%, Other - 3%. (Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.26.06 | Permalink | postCount(’102606A’);
BY THE NUMBERS: GOVERNOR RACES.
ARIZONA: Governor Janet Napolitano (D) - 67%, Religious Right activist Len Munsil (R) - 24%, businessman Barry Hess (Libertarian) - 1%. (Arizona State University).
MASSACHUSETTS: Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick (D) - 53%, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey (R) - 26%, businessman Christy Mihos (Independent) - 9%, affordable housing activist Grace Ross (Green) - 2%. (WHDH-TV/Suffolk University).
MICHIGAN: Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) - 52%, businessman Dick DeVos (R) - 45%, engineer Doug Campbell (Green) - 1%, hospital worker Greg Creswell (Libertarian) - 1%. (WDIV-TV/SurveyUSA).
MICHIGAN: Granholm (D) - 53%, DeVos (R) - 42%. (Rasmussen Reports).
TENNESSEE: Governor Phil Bredesen (D) - 66%, State Senator Jim Bryson (R) - 29%. (WBIR-TV/SurveyUSA).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.26.06 | Permalink | postCount(’102606b’);
BY THE NUMBERS: US HOUSE RACES.
INDIANA - CD-8: Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth (D) - 50%, Congressman John Hostettler (R) - 43%. (WISH-TV/Research 2000).
INDIANA - CD-9: Former Congressman Baron Hill (D) - 47%, Congressman Mike Sodrel (R) - 45%. (WISH-TV/Research 2000).
MINNESOTA - CD-6: State Senator Michele Bachmann (R) - 49%, child safety activist Patty Wetterling (D) - 43%, college student John Binkowski (Independence) - 5%. (WHAS-TV/SurveyUSA).
PENNSYLVANIA - CD-4: Congresswoman Melissa Hart (R) - 46%, former Congressional aide Jason Altmire (D) - 42%. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review/Susquehanna Polling).
PENNSYLVANIA - CD-10: Naval Reserve officer Chris Carney (D) - 48%, Congressman Don Sherwood (R) - 39%. (Philadelphia Inquirer/Keystone Poll/Franklin & Marshall Univ).
WASHINGTON - CD-2: Congressman Rick Larsen (D) - 62%, businessman Doug Roulstone (R) - 33%. (KING-TV/SurveyUSA).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.26.06 | Permalink | postCount(’102606c’);
POLITICS: DAILY SCANDAL-RAMA.
Congressman Rick Renzi (R-AZ) is apparently the target of two preliminary federal corruption investigations, according to the Arizona Republic and various other news sources. Renzi has hired former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods to represent him in the matter. The Republic wrote that the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI “have opened a preliminary investigation into whether [Renzi] twice pressured landowners to buy a 480-acre parcel owned by his former business partner, a major backer of Renzi’s political campaign.” Renzi’s friend earned a $3 million profit from the deal. “One of the officials said the inquiry is at a preliminary stage. No subpoenas have been issued, and public developments are not likely before the 11/7 midterm elections,” the Republic wrote. The New York Times reported Renzi is also under investigation by the same agencies for having “introduced legislation that benefited a military contractor that employs his father.” Renzi’s attorney said all the allegation are politically motivated. Renzi is facing a competitive race against attorney Ellen Simon (D) … In New York, State Comptroller Alan Hevesi (D) is facing ethics problems for purported mis-use of state employees. The State Ethics Commission found probably cause that Hevesi “knowingly and intentionally used his position as New York state comptroller to secure unwarranted privileges for himself and his wife, and in doing so, pursued a course of conduct that raises suspicion among the public that he likely engaged in acts that violated the public trust.” Among the allegations are that Hevesi used his office to secure privileges for himself and his disabled wife when he assigned a government employee to act as her chauffeur from 2003-06. “I made a mistake. I am deeply sorry. I offer no excuses. I will continue to cooperate fully with any inquiry,” said Hevesi. By state law, the findings will be referred to the State Legislature for further proceedings. Saratoga County Treasurer Chris Callaghan — Hevesi’s GOP opponent — publicly called Hevesi a “thief” and demanded that he immediately resign … US House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and NRCC Chair Tom Reynolds (R-NY) each spent several hours before the House Ethics Committee this week in the ongoing investigation of the Mark Foley page scandal. Likewise for some of the Hastert and Reynolds staffers … Congressman Jim Gibbons (R) has criticized his Democratic opponent Dina Titus in the Nevada gubernatorial race for being soft on illegal immigration. However, according to KLAS-TV news reports, Gibbons and his wife knowingly employed an illegal alien to work in their household for several years and then “tried to cover it up” … Arizona State Treasurer David Petersen (R) reached a plea bargain in which he will resign and plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to report $4,200 in commissions for selling character-education materials to state schools, said with the Attorney General Terry Goddard. The investigation found no evidence Petersen stole or misused public money, though the official report said “numerous issues pertaining to [Peterson]’s performance of his duties and management of his office were found to be outside the scope of a criminal investigation.” Peterson did not seek re-election this year, so the interim Treasurer will only serve until the end of his term in January … Just an aside, but isn’t it pretty sad that I am able to find so much material each day to fill this (almost) daily scandal-rama topic.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.26.06 | Permalink | postCount(’102606d’);
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the state legislature within 180 days to either redraw the state marriage laws to allow same-sex marriages, or alternatively adopt a civil union law which bestows the same legal rights on same-sex couples.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 10.26.06 | Permalink | postCount(’102606e’);
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: Educator and businesswoman Sharon Beery, Democrat for Congress in California’s CD-22. Also, a big thanks to Mike Waller of Tigereye Design’s DemocraticStuff.com for the giant box of buttons he sent representing lots of Dem campaigns from around the nation!
WANNA TRADE?
I’m interested in building up my collection of Canadian campaign buttons. If you’ve got Canadian political buttons to trade, I’m interesting in swapping with you for some great US pins. Please drop me a note!
WRITERS WANTED: WRITE FOR POLITICS1.
Claim your 15 minutes of online fame with the political crowd. Click here to learn more about writing for Politics1.