McCain staffs up for ‘08; Sec of State blocks Witek from Neb ballot; new polls
August 23rd, 2006
THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE.BY THE NUMBERS: LATEST INDEPENDENT NUMBERS.
CONNECTICUT - GOVERNOR: Governor Jodi Rell (R) - 61%, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano (D) - 31%. (Rasmussen Reports).
CONNECTICUT - US SENATE: US Senate Joe Lieberman (Independent) - 45%, businessman Ned Lamont (D) - 43%, former State Representative Alan Schlesinger (R) - 6%. (Rasmussen Reports).
NEW YORK - GOVERNOR - DEM PRIMARY: Attorney General Eliot Spitzer - 72%, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi - 15%. (Quinnipiac University).
NEW YORK - GOVERNOR: Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (D) - 65%, former State Assembly Minority Leader John Faso (R) - 17%. (Quinnipiac University).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.24.06
P2008: McCAIN STAFFING UP FOR '08.
US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) unveiled two surprising campaign recruiting wins this week. The first was the news that former Cabinet-rank US Trade Representative and current Deputy US Secretary of State Bob Zoellick will leave the Bush Administration next year to go to work for McCain's campaign. Zoellick will work on foreign and trade policy issues. Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) -- a McCain supporter and close Zoellick friend -- was reportedly responsible for recruiting Zoellick. The Hotline reports the most surprising recruit is Nicco Mele, who will work on developing the new McCain campaign website. Mele was the chief webmaster who developed Howard Dean's official internet sites for his 2004 White House run. Mike Connell of New Media Communications -- who developed the Bush websites in in 2000 and 2004 -- also committed to McCain. Looks like McCain is going to make a serious net effort for 2008.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.24.06
NEBRASKA: GOP SEC OF STATE BLOCKS PARTY-SWITCHER WITEK FROM BALLOT.
Secretary of State John Gale (R) ruled that, based upon his interpretation of state law, he doesn't believe the Democrats are allowed to nominated State Auditor Kate Witek to seek reelection in November as a Democrat. Witek lost for Lieutenant Governor in the GOP primary earlier this year, and switched parties just last week. Under the state's "sore loser" law, Gale said he doesn't believe Witek should be allowed to run for another office in November after losing for a different one earlier this year. The Dems vow to bring an immediate lawsuit to place Witek on the ballot, saying state law permitted them to name Witek as the nominee as last weekend's state convention.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.24.06
ALASKA: DOWN BALLOT PRIMARY RESULTS REDUX.
Alaska's statewide primary election brought saw a strong gust of electoral change for an event that has been historically pretty low-key. Along with the headline event of the highly-contested Republican gubernatorial and Lieutenant Governor primaries and the slightly less lively Democratic Governor and Lieutenant Governor nominations, a closely fought ballot initiative regulating the cruise ship industry is making waves. Also, a number of incumbent state legislators appear to have lost their re-nomination bids. The statewide cruise ship initiative contains language that would -- among other things -- remove tax exemptions for the industry, instill stricter environmental regulations on cruise ship waste discharges, and impose a $50 head tax for every cruise ship passenger traveling to Alaska. Supporters argued that the cruise ship industry deserved to pay their fair share in taxes for the high cost of public infrastructure maintenance worn down by the hundreds of thousands of cruise ship passengers that pass through Alaska annually and is currently passed on to local and state government. Opponents, however, argued the measure was far too onerous and punitive in its regulations, would create more bureaucracy, and punish Alaska economically with the head tax serving as a disincentive for would-be cruise ship passengers to Alaska. It is important to note the use of present tense as, despite the election having been held Tuesday, only 87% of precincts (due to Alaska's extremely rural nature) have returned results as of this writing, meaning the cruise ship initiative's tenuous 52.5%-47.5% lead in the vote count is still too close to call. The same uncertainty belies two of the three state legislators that are currently trailing in the incomplete results. It appears that the primary defeat of an unusually high number of legislators -- in combination with Governor Murkowski's primary defeat -- demonstrates a strong anti-incumbent mood present in Alaskan voters.
Writer: Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins - 08.24.06
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
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Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.24.06
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: Middlesex County District Attorney Martha Coakley, Democrat for Massachusetts Attorney General.
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