DEMS BRIEFLY WIN IRAQ SENATE VOTE; NEW IOWA NUMBERS; TAYLOR-SHULER REMATCH?; MORE…
Continue Reading March 27th, 2007
WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE.
DEMS BRIEFLY WIN IRAQ SENATE VOTE; NEW IOWA NUMBERS; TAYLOR-SHULER REMATCH?
IRAQ: The US Senate voted 50-48 in favor of a Democratic plan to fund US troops in Iraq with $124 billion more, but require that the US withdrawal begins within 120 days and be completed by March 2008. “Now it’s time for us to make it clear to the Iraqis it is their country. It is their war. It is their future,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL). Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made no attempt at using any procedural tools to block the vote, explaining they were confident President Bush would veto the “surrender date” plan and Democrats had nowhere near enough votes to override the veto. US Senators Chuck Hagel and Gordon Smith were the only Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. “he American people are demanding that we develop a bipartisan consensus for an honorable and responsible exit strategy from Iraq,” explained Hagel. Senator Mark Pryor and Joe Lieberman were the only two Dems who voted against the bill. Shortly after the vote, the White House confirmed President Bush will veto the bill. The House previously approved an Iraq withdrawal bill.
IOWA: Three new independent polls of likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers show a competitive race brewing in the first-in-the-nation contest state. A new Zogby telephone poll posted these numbers: John Edwards - 27%, Hillary Clinton - 25%, Barack Obama - 23%, Joe Biden and Bill Richardson had 3% apiece, and all others were at 1% or less. Edwards’ numbers are unchanged since the January poll, but Clinton is up 9-points and Obama is up 6-points since then. The University of Iowa conduced two separate polls of like caucus voters, one before and one after Edwards’ announcement of his wife’s health condition. The pre-announcement numbers: Edwards - 30%, Clinton - 24%, Obama - 22%. After the announcement: Edwards - 36%, Clinton - 24%, Obama - 14%.
NORTH CAROLINA: While the NRCC appears to be searching for a new candidate to challenge freshman Congressman Heath Shuler (D) next year, there appears to be a problem. All of the names being floated say they will defer to defeated former Congressman Charles Taylor (R) if he decided to make a comeback run, according to the Hendersonville Times-News. Taylor was defeated in a tough race after suffering a series of scathing news stories in the Wall Street Journal and various local newspapers which linked him to various alleged corruption scandals. Taylor is interested in regaining his seat, but appears to be in no rush to make any decision.
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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!
TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE.
GOP HAS UPHILL CLIMB FOR SEN IN ‘08; TAKING THE FIFTH; EX-OMB DIRECTOR INDICTED.
US SENATE - 2008: NRSC Chair John Ensign (R-NV) painted a dismal picture for Republicans in an interview Monday with the Washington Times. Ensign “acknowledged that his party faces a steep, uphill climb in next year’s Senate elections when 21 Republican seats will be up for grabs, compared with 12 for the Democrats … [and] singled out five Republican seats that are in danger in Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon and New Hampshire, compared with two vulnerable Democratic incumbents in South Dakota and Louisiana and long-shot possibilities in Iowa and Montana.”
GONZALES: Monica Goodling — a top aide to Attorney General Al Gonzales — issued a statement that she will refuse to testify before the US Senate Committee investigating the politically-related firing of eight US Attorneys. Goodling is invoking her fifth amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to testify.
REAGAN ADMINISTRATION: Former Congressman David Stockman (R-MI), who served as the US Budget Director in the Reagan Administration, was indicted Monday on fraud, conspiracy and other felony charges on Monday. Federal prosecutors allege he organized the scheme to hide the dire financial condition of Collins & Aikman Corporation in a bid to deceive investors when he was CEO of the now-bankrupt auto parts maker. “The government’s case amounts to a crimeless prosecution that I intend to vigorously challenge because I did nothing wrong,” said Stockman, in a statement posted on his lawyer’s website. Stockman said he did his best to save the company. Three other former executives with indicted along with Stockman. Four corporate executives who participated in the scheme already pled guilty in related cases and are cooperating with the Feds. Stockman was a leading advocate of “Reaganomics” and supply-side economics in the 1980s.
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE.
GOP MONEY SPIN; HILLARY SCORES BIG ENDORSEMENTS; GONZALES TWISTING IN THE WIND.
P2008 - REPUBLICANS: US Senator John McCain and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney both spent the weeking playing the “lowering expectations” game. In his spin, McCain announced Saturday he expects his campaign will fall short of their fundraising goal for 1Q-2007 and will be behind Romney’s expected $30 million fundraising haul. Romney’s campaign quickly spun back, telling The Hotline that McCain was trying to downplay expectations, that Romney raised around $20 million in this quarter, and that “McCain will be in first” in fundraising.
P2008 - DEMOCRATS: Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who ended his White House bid earlier this year, will endorse US Senator Hillary Clinton for President. The AP reports Vilsack and his popular wife will both make their announcements on stage with Clinton on Monday. Clinton also scored a major coup in New Hampshire, winning the endorsement of top political operative Bill Shaheen. Shaheen — husband of former Governor Jeanne Shaheen — will co-chair the Clinton campaign in NH. He played the same role in the primary for Gore 2000 and Kerry 2004. Jeanne Shaheen has not yet made any endorsement, as she is weighing a possible run next year against US Senator John Sununu (R).
GONZALES: More Republicans expressed serious reservations about Attorney General Al Gonzales remaining in his post in the wake of his having made false or misleading statements to Congress about the politically-related firing of eight US Attorneys. Had Gonzales simply said the firings were politically-related from the outset — which is not unlawful — it probably would have been a 1-2 day news story. Instead, he continues to twist in the wind. US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on CBS’s Face the Nation that “The Attorney General has been wounded because of his performance, not because of politics … He has said some things that don’t add up.” US Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said on ABC’s This Week said that “you cannot have the nation’s chief law enforcement officer with a cloud hanging over his credibility.” US Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told NBC’s Meet the Press that he needs to learn more. “I’m not going to make a judgment based on newspaper stories. If we find out he’s not been candid and truthful, that’s a very compelling reason for him not to stay on. Let’s go eyeball to eyeball with the man and see what his integrity is,” said Specter. US Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said he still had confidence in Gonzales, but even he offered some criticisms during an appearance on CNN. “The Justice Department has bungled this attorney thing. There’s no question about it. There’s no excuse for it,” said Hatch.
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