LEVIN RUNS, BOLTON QUITS, BROWNBACK FILES, McAULIFFE RETURNS, BLOOMBERG LOOMS.
Continue Reading December 4th, 2006
TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE.
LEVIN RUNS, BOLTON QUITS, BROWNBACK FILES, McAULIFFE RETURNS, BLOOMBERG LOOMS.
US Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) announced Monday he will seek re-election to a sixth term in 2008. The 72-year-old incumbent is a heavy favorite to win re-election. Michigan papers report no major GOP contenders are currently looking at the race … The White House announced Monday that John Bolton, the Acting US Ambassador to the United Nations, will resign before the end of the year. Bolton, a temporary recess appointment last year by the President, acknowledged he has no chance of winning US Senate confirmation for the permanent appointment. Democrats, and some GOP moderates, blocked the confirmation of the controversial neo-con … US Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) filed paperwork with the FEC on Monday for his White House exploratory committee. Brownback said he wants to use his campaign to promote a message about a “culture of life … liberty … justice … renew our families and rebuild our culture … [and restore] genuine conservatism and real compassion.” Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, Domino’s Pizza chain founder Tom Monaghan and retired USMC Commandant Charles Krulak are among those serving on Brownback’s steering committee … At one time, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) was being mentioned as a possible 2008 White House hopeful. After narrowly winning reelection last month, Pawlenty squelched any further discussion of an ‘08 run this weekend by telling the New York Times he plans to support John McCain for President. National Review also reports Pawlenty is actively helping organize the McCain exploratory effort … No surprise, but former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe told the Washington Post he will be “orchestrating” the Hillary Clinton campaign “from the inside” and James Carville will be “orchestrating [it] from the outside” … Former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie has a new political job. He was elected the new Virginia State GOP Chair over the weekend … In an interview with New York magazine, billionaire NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg (R) sounds much more like someone positioning himself to make a dramatic late entry — mid-2008 — into the Presidential contest. “Republicans blame Democrats and Democrats blame Republicans, but just look at both of them. They will do anything, say anything, to avoid talking about the important things and the need to sacrifice. The public wants government to address long-term issues: Who’s going to pay for spiraling health-care costs? Or solve our foreign-oil dependency problem? Or pay for retirement costs or take on the environmental issues,” says Bloomberg. In 2006, he campaigned around the nation for an eclectic group of candidates he liked including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), US Senator-elect Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Governor Jodi Rell (R-CT), Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) and US Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT). He also donated $100 million of his own money to stem cell research at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg’s alma mater … Congressman Bob Brady (D) looks likely to soon join Congressman Chaka Fatah (D) as another candidate in the open Philadelphia Mayor race this year.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 12.05.06 | Permalink | postCount(’120506a’);
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
Your daily open thread.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 12.05.06 | Permalink | postCount(’120506b’);
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!