Despite all parties going into this week’s with the , in the end, little progress was made, as Republicans spent much of their time and .
Faced with this unrelenting obstruction, Democrats now say they may be forced to take the of to .
If only they’d thought of this .
AP – With less than two weeks before he must enter the race for governor, state Attorney General Jerry Brown told college-age Democrats on Saturday to stay tuned for news about his presumed bid.
AP – Gun control advocates think, if not pray, they can win by losing when the Supreme Court decides whether the constitutional right to possess guns serves as a check on state and local regulation of firearms.
Tonight’s rescue brought to you by dadanation, Got a Grip, jlms qkw, mem from somerville, srkp23, and sunspark says, with srkp23 editing.
jotter serves up .
carolita brings .
Enjoy and please promote your own favorite diaries in this open thread.
If you are wondering where the Wrap was in its normal Friday night slot, I’d love to be able to spin a tale about a wild Friday evening. Actually, it was a simpler, and less fascinating, cause: the computer I normally write the Wrap on was being most uncooperative.
And, with that, there is a ton of political news to peruse and numbers to crunch, so let’s get on with it in this special weekend edition of the Wrap….
THE U.S. SENATE
DE-Sen: Ras Shows Coons Gaining on Castle (In Their Polling)
Prognosticators like the Cook Report gave the GOP a near-lock on the U.S. Senate seat in Delaware, largely on the heels of a post-Biden announcement Rasmussen poll showing Republican Mike Castle with a nearly thirty-point lead over Democratic challenger Chris Coons. One month later, Ras finds the margin to the DK/R2K poll released the same day: they have Mike Castle at 53%, with Chris Coons at 32% (our poll was 53-35). This represents an eight-point net movement in Coons’ direction, when compared to a Ras poll from just four weeks ago.
NV-Sen: Lowden’s Family Largesse Under Fire
Sue Lowden has gradually, over the past couple of months, adopted the mantle of the GOP frontrunner in the primary to name a challenger to embattled Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. That status might take a , however, after a pretty brutal revelation from the Las Vegas Sun. It turns out that Lowden, who owns a corporation that runs a hotel/casino in Laughlin, Nevada, laid off over 100 workers during 2009 while at the same time paying out a 0,000 bonus to…her husband Paul. The article also noted that the Lowden’s combined salary was just shy of a million dollars last year, not exactly the kind of thing that will endear the tea party elements in Nevada to her.
NC-Sen: New Numbers In Both Primary and General Elex
Two different pollsters released numbers at the end of the week on the potentially competitive U.S. Senate race pitting freshman Republican Richard Burr against a trio of prospective Democratic challengers. In that Democratic primary, GOP pollsters Civitas find that is lapping the field: 77% of voters do not currently express a preference. Of those who do, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (14%) has a lead over attorney Kenneth Lewis (5%) and former state legislator Cal Cunningham (4%). Among Democratic voters, Marshall’s lead expands slightly (17-5-5).
Meanwhile, Rasmussen polls the general, and puts together some very numbers in the race. They have Richard Burr leading Marshall by sixteen (50-34) and Cunningham by twenty-two (51-29). This is a pretty serious departure from most recent polls, which had Burr leading, but with less than 50% of the vote and with a considerably tighter margin.
UT-Sen: Merrill Cook Ready To Make A Comeback
What a week of blessings it has been for those of us who love entertaining politicos. First graced us with his re-emergence on the political scene, and now he has been followed by volatile Utah Republican Merrill Cook, who announced on Thursday that incumbent GOP Senator Bob Bennett. Cook was known, in his days in the House, as one of the most ill-tempered members of the Congress. His rationale for running against Bennett is based on the teabagger-esque meme that Bennett is too tight with Wall Street, and not tight enough with Main Street.
THE U.S. HOUSE
AZ-03: Phoenix Mayor Decides Against 2010 House Bid
While Democratic attorney Jon Hulburd continues to build a pretty formidable campaign apparatus in the GOP-leaning open seat in the Phoenix suburbs, he learned that his most formidable potential Democratic opponent will in 2010. Phil Gordon, the mayor of Phoenix, had been sizing up a potential House bid (either as a Democrat or an Independent). His decision to stand down essentially cedes the nomination to Hulburd, who can now sit back and watch the growing GOP primary field pummel each other into submission (and, remember, Arizona has a relatively late primary).
NM-01/NM-02/NM-03: Dems In Varying Degrees of Peril in New Mexico
PPP went into the Land of Enchantment this week, and got some pretty interesting data back. Earlier this week, the Wrap covered the gubernatorial race (where Democrat Diane Denish is a slight favorite for election over GOPer Pete Domenici Jr.). Late in the week, the PPP team added House seats in the state. The one Democrat trailing arguably beats expectations the most: 2nd district freshman Harry Teague. He trails former Rep. Steve Pearce, but only by two points (43-41). Given how toxic the climate is alleged to be right now for Democrats, particularly in rural areas, this is actually a surprisingly strong performance for Teague. Meanwhile, the biggest surprise (negatively speaking) for Dems might be the surprising weakness for Democrat Ben Ray Lujan in the historically Democratic in NM-03: he only leads little-known Republican Tom Mullins by six points (42-36). As Crisitunity at Swing State Project points out, however, a lot of the most Dem-friendly turf here is pretty difficult to poll. Meanwhile, in the Albuquerque-based 1st district, Democrat Martin Heinrich scores an “as expected” (maybe a smidgen better than as-expected), leading Republican Jon Barela by nine (45-36).
SD-AL: Rasmussen Gives Dem Incumbent Re-Election Edge
It will almost certainly be her toughest re-election effort since getting elected back in 2004, but even normally GOP-friendly Rasmussen gives Democratic Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin for re-election in this tough campaign cycle. Against the most well-known GOP aspirant, SD Secretary of State Chris Nelson, Herseth-Sandlin still manages a seven-point lead (45-38). She also leads two other Congressional hopefuls (state legislators Kristi Noem and Blake Curd) by double digits.
THE GUBERNATORIAL RACES
MD-Gov: Ras Puts O’Malley Near 50% in Rematch With Ehrlich
The new Rasmussen poll out of the state of Maryland falls pretty much with most other recent polls in the state. They have incumbent Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley staked to a six-point lead over his likely challenger, former GOP Governor Robert Ehrlich (49-43). Ehrlich has not formally declared, but this is a little different than the recent Ras attempts (see: Dino Rossi, Tommy Thompson) to recruit GOP candidates via polling, since Ehrlich had long been rumored to take the plunge.
MA-Gov: Patrick Continues To Lead Split Opposition
A new Suffolk poll is out, and it continues to show a trend that has developed over the past few months. The Massachusetts electorate continues to have a fairly dim assessment of incumbent Democratic Governor Deval Patrick, yet he continues in his bid for re-election, benefitting from the anti-Patrick vote being split two ways. With health care executive Charlie Baker, Patrick opens up an eight-point lead, taking 33% to 25% for Baker and 23% for Democrat-turned-Independent Tim Cahill. If 2006 Indie nominee Christy Mihos wins the GOP nod (which is looking less likely, he trails Baker by 30 in the GOP primary), Patrick’s lead is still eight points, but a new candidate slides into the second spot, as Patrick (34%) leads Cahill (26%), with Mihos a distant third (19%). The link above is worth clicking for the commentary from SSP’s Crisitunity, who manages a pretty strong takedown of Suffolk pollster David Paleologos and his comments regarding this poll, which were oddly dismissive of Governor Patrick despite his lead.
NV-Gov: M-D Poll Confirms Gibbons’ Political Resurrection
Is Nevada’s embattled Republican Governor, Jim Gibbons, rising from the political graveyard? A poll last week, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, had Gibbons within striking distance of current GOP frontrunner Brian Sandoval in a prospective primary battle. Mason-Dixon, polling on behalf of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, those numbers, showing Gibbons gaining on Sandoval, and close to an even-money bet in the general. In that GOP primary, Sandoval leads Gibbons by just seven points (37-30), with N. Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon well back at 9%. Last month, M-D had Sandoval up by 16 points. Meanwhile, in a general election test against likely Democratic nominee Rory Reid, Reid only leads Gibbons now by a mere four points (42-38). If Sandoval manages to hang onto the GOP nod, he is a big favorite over the Democrat (51-29).
SD-Gov: Dems Surprisingly Competitive In McCain ‘08 State
In a bit of a head-turner from the Rasmussen team, Democratic state legislator Scott Heideprem is very much with his bid to be the next governor of South Dakota. While he trails the prospective GOP frontrunner, Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard, he manages to remain within single digits (41-32). Meanwhile, against two conservative state legislators that could sneak through the primary, Heideprem actually manages narrow leads, edging out both Dave Knudson (34-31) and Gordon Howie (37-29).
Not satisfied with having put Dr. George Tiller’s clinic out of business, Operation Rescue is to go after Planned Parenthood.
With 107 criminal charges against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri stalled for months in the Kansas Supreme Court, Operation Rescue has launched a petition to to send the illegal late-term abortion case to trial.
Wow — 107 criminal charges? That sounds bad. Except for this:
Former Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline filed the massive abortion case on October 17, 2007, three months before leaving office. Current District Attorney Steve Howe, a political rival of Kline’s, has shown no interest in pursuing a prosecution.
Phill Kline? Hmm… why does that name ?
The Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys released a complaint Tuesday claiming [Phill] Kline committed “breaches of trust of his public office” and professional misconduct during his investigations of [Dr. George] Tiller.
…
The board claims Kline and his deputy prosecutors broke seven Rules of Professional Conduct, including conflict of interest, competence in dealing with complex issues, handling of sensitive documents and misleading judges. The complaint also cites Kline for making improper public comments about ongoing investigations.
…
The complaint also points to Kline’s appearance on Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor” with Bill O’Reilly. Kline spoke about the contents of records obtained from the clinic, after the Kansas Supreme Court told him to “resist any impulse to further publicize the respective legal positions,” the complaint said.
Oh, that Phill Kline. Kansas King of Ethical Violations. The guy whose 90 subpoenas, which Operation Rescue is seeking to have reinstated, are the subject of the investigation into his ethical violations. Gee. Can’t imagine why no one in the district attorney’s office — or the State Supreme Court — has shown much interest in pursuing Kline’s dream to shut down every abortion provider in Kansas.
And here’s an added bonus:
After my on Operation Rescue and Phill Kline’s dirty deeds, I received an email from Brian Burgess, former spokesman for Phill Kline. Burgess is apparently obsessed with setting the record straight about his former boss. He originally wrote to ask me to print a correction about this sentence:
In the case of Dr. Tiller, the organization found its ally in Phill Kline, now under investigation for ethics violations, who spent years investigating and intimidating Dr. Tiller and his clinic. Dr. Tiller was tried and acquitted of all charges, but that didn’t stop Operation Rescue from continuing to claim that Dr. Tiller had performed illegal abortions.
So here’s the “correction”:
Dr. Tiller was not tried by Phill Kline, but by Assistant Attorney General Barry Disney because Kline’s charges were thrown out.
But that wasn’t all Burgess had to say. He also wrote that the only reason Dr. Tiller wasn’t convicted was because of the “corrupt” Planned Parenthood and “a consortium of Tiller allies,” who apparently have a stranglehold on the entire Kansas justice system, from the district attorney’s office all the way up to the State Supreme Court. Who knew Planned Parenthood and “Tiller allies” were that powerful?
Here’s the best part of Burgess’s last to me:
You’re a scumbag. Your post isn’t worthy of my time – Kline did his job, period. And one does not become a “hero” for agreeing to be paid ,000 for killing a 31-week old fetus, just because the mother wanted to go see a rock concert. Like it or not, that kind of abortion is against Kansas law. There is nothing “heroic” about it. The woman was irresponsible tragically so – and Tiller was a profiteer who exploited her (and thousands of others just like her) and used a portion of the proceeds to buy off the state justice system. End of story.
I’m sorry for wasting both of our evenings. I should not have given you the benefit of the doubt.
Up yours,
Brian
Hope you liked your correction, Brian.
President Barack Obama has signed a one-year extension of several provisions in the main U.S. counterterrorism law, the Patriot Act.
It didn’t take long for the White House to name its next social secretary.
Reuters – Former Enron chief executive Jeff Skilling lost the first half of the fight of his life when a jury convicted him nearly four years ago for committing fraud while at the helm of the once high-flying energy trader.
No, really!
(plus ) reveal a fascinating pattern that emerges from asking self-identified conservatives about the spending cuts they’d want to see.
Longtime conservative bugaboos like “foreign aid” and “welfare” score high marks. But other than that, no single proposal reaches even so much as 25% support for cuts among conservatives. And the next highest-scoring answer was something of a surprise: “war on terrorism.” Well, I’ll be!
After that, the answers show extraordinarily low, and extremely disparate support for cutting anything else in particular, with no other sector or program even rising to 20% support for cuts. And remember, these are self-identified conservatives.
Foreign aid, of course, comprises of the annual federal budget. Defining “welfare programs” for the purposes of assessing how much of the budget is spent on them, presents some problems. Are they all “entitlement programs?” That’d be a sizable budget chunk. But how to reconcile even that with the fact that while something like 35% of conservatives say they want to cut “welfare programs,” less than 10% say they’d cut “aid to the poor?” And if “welfare programs” is to include all entitlements, you’re gonna have a problem with the extremely poor support among conservatives for cutting Social Security.
The bottom line is that conservatives — probably like most Americans — say they want at least some spending cut, but can’t cobble together any serious majorities in favor of cutting anything in particular. Even foreign aid comes in below 50%, not that slashing it would help save much money, anyway. And yet, whenever there have to be cuts, the bulk of them by necessity must be those which would be extremely unpopular even among conservatives.
The only answer to that is probably the only thing even less popular with conservatives than cutting these programs, and that’s taxes. And again, taxes are unpopular with pretty much anyone who has to pay them, though it’s also generally said to be the case that the more liberal end of the spectrum is more open to their necessity than the other side. (We’ll have to see if any data is ever produced that will one day call that assumption into question.)
But in lieu of actual answers, what you get from the discordant mewling of loudmouth teabaggers and other conservative screechers is: a collection of complaints about which they cannot even come to a consensus regarding the measure of their suckitude. “Cut… stuff!” is what you’d get if you had to synthesize a message from this mess. Which is not unlike what you’re you actually seeing saw from them today on Thursday, now that they’ve been invited to a summit meeting to share their ideas for health care reform.
Is this truly a party with a coherent philosophy, supposedly poised to wrest back control of the government? It’s often said that Republicans are far better at stating their basic beliefs than Democrats, and they usually do it by making reference to smaller government, lower spending and lower taxes. But the only consensus they’re able to produce for that even among themselves is for lower taxes. Which is kind of how we got where we are with the budget in the first place. And which leaves Republicans in truth as the party that stands for the explosion of the budget, which comes as no surprise to anyone who’s capable of remembering that Bill Clinton left office with a budget surplus, wrung out of slaying the Reagan deficits.
Again, not unlike what’s what was on display at the summit today the other day. The Republican position on health care, like the Republican position on everything but taxes, is designed only to hold their base together on the fact that they’re angry about something, and want to beat Democrats at the polls in order to prove how angry they really are. What happens after that? Well, who gives a crap? Just cut my taxes.
Why do Republicans believe the government Because as long as they comprise some part of it, there’s only one thing they care about, and that’s withholding the means by which anything the government does can be paid for. And “bipartisan compromise” with them means finding the “middle ground” between doing something and preventing anything from being done.
It’s a fool’s errand, and all you need to do to quantify the foolishness is to ask them the simple question, “What do you want?”
We’ll see if anybody gets that down at Blair House today.