FL Gov primaries heat up; Laffey’s college days return; OR Gov update; polls; more
August 27th, 2006
MONDAY NEWS UPDATE.BY THE NUMBERS: LATEST INDEPENDENT NUMBERS.
FLORIDA - GOVERNOR - GOP PRIMARY: Attorney General Charlie Crist - 39%, State CFO Tom Gallagher - 29%. (Florida Chamber of Commerce/Insider Advantage).
MASSACHUSETTS - GOVERNOR - DEM PRIMARY: Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick (D) - 31%, venture capitalist Chris Gabrieli - 30%, Attorney General Tom Reilly (D) - 27%. (Boston Globe).
OHIO - GOVERNOR: Congressman Ted Strickland (D) - 57%, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R) - 32%. (Rasmussen Reports).
OHIO - US SENATE: Congressman Sherrod Brown (D) - 45%, US Senator Mike DeWine (R) - 42%. (Rasmussen Reports).
PENNSYLVANIA - GOVERNOR: Governor Ed Rendell (D) - 50%, former pro football player Lynn Swann (R) - 38%. (Rasmussen Reports).
PENNSYLVANIA - US SENATE: State Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. (D) - 48%, US Senator Rick Santorum (R) - 40%. (Rasmussen Reports).
RHODE ISLAND - US SENATE: US Senator Linc Chafee (R) - 43%, former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse (D) - 42%. (WPRI-TV/Fleming & Assoc.)
RHODE ISLAND - US SENATE: Whitehouse (D) - 58%, Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey (R) - 26%. (WPRI-TV/Fleming & Assoc.)
WASHINGTON - CD-8: Congressman Dave Reichert (R) - 54%, former Microsoft executive Darcy Burner (D) - 41%. (KING-TV/SurveyUSA).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.28.06
FLORIDA: GOV PRIMARY FINALLY HEATS UP.
The leading candidates for Florida Governor each debated last week on public television, first the Republicans and then the Democrats. The GOP affair largely consisted of State CFO Tom Gallagher attacking Attorney General Charlie Crist for being "a liberal" -- hitting him for his views on abortion (Crist doesn't support overturning Roe v. Wade, but explains he would sign a bill to ban abortion except in cases of rape, incest and when the mother's life is endangered), stem cell research (Crist supports expanding it), gay rights (Crist supports civil unions), and illegal immigration (Crist opposes Gallagher's plan to have state and local police help enforce federal immigration laws). Crist largely ignored Gallagher in the debate, sounding more like a candidate already campaigning for the November election. Gallagher is also also out with new ads and mailings that feature pix from a recent photo op with term-limited Governor Jeb Bush. While Bush remains officially neutral in the primary, the new pix certainly imply the incumbent's tacit support for Gallagher. On the Dem side, Congressman Jim Davis and State Senator Rod Smith had a much rougher debate -- with each man landing a volley of effective verbal punches, even though both are in agreement on nearly all key issues. Additionally, "Big Sugar" (the normally pro-GOP U.S. Sugar Corporation) -- working in coordination with Smith's campaign (a fact Smith acknowledged to reporters) -- has poured nearly $2 million in a very nasty TV and direct mail attack campaign against Davis designed to help Smith. Smith needs it, as he is nearly out of money while Davis still has a significant amount of cash-on-hand for the final ten days. The Gallagher and Smith/Big Sugar attack campaigns against the frontrunners are rapidly narrowing the gap in both primaries -- although, as of now, Crist and Davis both appear to be holding onto their respective leads.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.28.06
OREGON: SEC OF STATE KEEPS CONSTITUTION NOMINEE ON GOV BALLOT.
Secretary of State Bill Bradbury (D) rejected a Republican legal challenge that sought to disqualify pro-life activist and retired TV news anchor Mary Starrett (Constitution) from the November ballot. The complaint alleged the CP failed to follow state law which required the party to place a newspaper ad announcing the state nominating convention in advance. Bradbury ruled that, even if proven, the "defect" was not sufficient under state law as to merit disqualification from the ballot. "It doesn't surprise me that Bradbury doesn't want to enforce the law when it benefits the Democrats," complained State GOP Chair Vance Day to the Portland Oregonian. Day said the ruling will help Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) in November by splintering the conservative vote.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.28.06
RHODE ISLAND: LAFFEY'S COLLEGE WRITINGS SURFACE.
Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey -- the social conservative Republican challenging US Senator Lincoln Chafee in the GOP primary -- is under fire for columns he wrote for the student newspaper when he attended Bowdoin College in the early 80's. In his columns, Laffey made remarks such as: "I have never once seen a happy homosexual" and "I say let's get those pinkos out of the music business and replace them with some tough conservatives." The Providence Journal, which reported this story Saturday, received copies of the columns anonymously. When asked if he holds these views, Laffey answered "not now, nor then, or ever." He explains the columns were "sophomoric political satire." In other columns, Laffey discusses his conservative political views such as a desire for more individual freedoms, a smaller government, increased free trade, and a flat tax. He even admits in once column that his views made President Reagan "look leftist." Laffey and Chafee face-off in what is expected to be a very close September 12 primary.
Writer: Alex Mizenko -08.28.06
ALABAMA: STATE DEMS OVERTURN LOCAL DECISION, OUT LESBIAN WINS HOUSE SEAT.
According to the Birmingham News, the Alabama Democratic Party Central Committee voted Saturday to re-instate the State House nomination of out lesbian candidate Patricia Todd. The vote was 95-87 to overturn the ruling of a state subcommittee, which had concluded that Todd and her run-off opponent both violated an arcane party finance rule. Many saw the challenge as an attempt by state conference chairman Joe Reed to keep the seat occupied by an African-American. The 54th House District, which is 52% black, contains some of the richest and poorest sections of Birmingham. Without a Republican opponent, Todd is again on track to become the state's first out gay elected official. At the same meeting, the committee also passed a resolution telling gadfly failed Attorney General candidate Larry Darby not to run for any more offices as a Democrat. Darby, who received 43% of the vote in the primary this year, called for renewing "white racial awareness," denied the Holocaust had ever happened, and proposed state-wide roadblocks to check for illegal immigrants. Darby called the decision "censorship" motivated by fear over his strong primary showing. State Party Chairman Joe Turnham however, told the AP the resolution is symbolic and legally unenforceable.
Writer: Mike Hatchett - 08.28.06
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
After two direct hits last year here in South Florida from Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, I'm not looking forward to the next month or so. We're already "in the cone" for Hurricane Ernesto -- meaning it could possibly impact our area within the next few days -- but a lot could happen between now and then to send it spinning off elsewhere. The local TV media is already ratcheting up the hysteria with regular "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the latest update on Ernesto..." reports throughout the day.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.28.06
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. TODAY'S THANKS GO OUT TO: Teacher and progressive activist Eric "Moose" Mahoney, Independent write-in candidate for California Governor.
Entry Filed under: politics