Tuesday’s campaign round-up

July 22, 2008

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama and John McCain will briefly share a stage on Aug. 16, at the Rev. Rick Waren’s Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, Calif. They’ll appear together for a moment, but Warren will then talk with each candidate individually in front of the very large congregation.

* The Obama campaign’s fundraising in June was quite strong, but the expected financial support from Hillary Clinton’s high-dollar fundraising machine did not materialize, at least not yet.

* On a related note, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed some criticism at Democrats who are reluctant to support the Democratic ticket because their preferred candidate came up short, and making VP demands now. “I don’t think we should be making an issue after the primary is over about who should be vice president. That would have been up to Hillary Clinton and would have been up to Barack. And it is up to Barack,” Pelosi said. “The only one thing important right now is party unity. None of us can afford the luxury of ‘my candidate doesn’t win the nomination’ or ‘my candidate wasn’t chosen as vice president, I’m taking my marbles and going home.'”

* I’m a little skeptical that the margin is this large, but Public Policy Polling’s (D) latest numbers show Obama leading McCain in Ohio by eight, 48% to 40%.

* The latest Granite State survey from the University of New Hampshire shows Obama leading McCain there by three, 46% to 43%.

* According to a poll conducted by the new progressive pro-Israel group J Street, Obama is more popular among American Jews than Joe Lieberman is.

* Rasmussen shows McCain continuing to lead Obama in Georgia, 48% to 39%.

* A new poll from the Detroit News shows Obama with a narrow lead in Michigan, 43% to 41%.

* The Obama campaign is creating a position to serve as a liaison to the Muslim-American community.

* Rasmussen continues to show a competitive race in Alaska, where McCain now leads Obama by five, 45% to 40%.

* And speaking of Alaska, it’s very encouraging to see Mark Begich (D) taking an eight-point lead over Sen. Ted Stevens (R) in the latest Rasmussen poll, 52% to 44%.

“According to a poll conducted by the new progressive pro-Israel group J Street, Obama is more popular among American Jews than Joe Lieberman is.”

First time I’ve ever seen confirmation that God is not an idiot for choosing his Chosen People.

  • Barack Obama and John McCain will briefly share a stage on Aug. 16, at the Rev. Rick Waren’s Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, Calif. They’ll appear together for a moment

    Obama should challenge McCain to an arm wrestle. Republicans love that stuff.

  • According to a poll conducted by the new progressive pro-Israel group J Street, Obama is more popular among American Jews than Joe Lieberman is.

    That’s due to the fact that outside of Joe Lieberman, American Jews are all smart!

  • Rasmussen shows McCain continuing to lead Obama in Georgia, 48% to 39%.

    My Fellow Georgians,

    If we are to have any hope of unseating Saxby Chambliss in the U.S. Senate in November, then we need to show up to the polls on August 5th to vote for Jim Martin in the runoff for the Democratic nominee.

    There are lots of good reasons that Martin is the superior candidate, but one thing stands out about his opponent, Vernon Jones. During the peak of the so-called Republican Revolution, Jones announced that he was proud to have voted for George W. Bush…twice. Now he wants to be our Democratic nominee? Such demonstration of poor judgment is illustrative of the quality of this candidate.

    Jim Martin is a good man with good ideas, and he needs our vote on the 5th of next month. Mark your calendars.

  • According to a poll conducted by the new progressive pro-Israel group J Street, Obama is more popular among American Jews than Joe Lieberman is.

    Um, duh. As a guy who was excited about the 2000 Gore – Lieberman ticket in great part because, dude, Jewish Vice President! I’ve to say that I hardly knew who Lieberman was. Having read up on him (and not just on liberal blogs), I’ve to say, the man scares me. And likely, he scares much of the American Jewish community, especially the young people. Even the old guard who freak out every time someone points out that Israel is not a saintly abode of saints realize that carpet-bombing all Muslims is a Bad Thing ™. Not only that, Jews have a long history of liberal ideas, believe it or not. Lieberman calling himself a “Democrat” and then acting like a mouthpiece for Dick Cheney… hell no!

    So there you have it. No big surprise.

  • Obama is more popular among American Jews than Joe Lieberman is.

    Now if the American Jews could gather the stones to get their neocon/zionist brethren under control, we might have something there. As it is, it’s not surprising nor will it help if they can’t.

  • Judging by the extent that the Clinton machine courted big business and was often accused by Repubs of influence peddling (rich irony some 10 years later) and considering the number of high rolling Clinton supporters who screamed at the Dems about “the rulz” and “that man”, I would have to think that many have realized that they won’t have as much influence as they want in any Obama admin (not to say that Obama is free of money/influence from the riches and big bidnez either) and have decided to take their ball home and pout.

    It seems to be against their best interests as they won’t have any leverage in an Obama Admin, but emotion often beat out logic in the human brain.

  • CJ@5 – I went over to ActBlue and looked Jim Martin’s website. NOWHERE did I see the word “Democrat” appear on the main page or the other pages I glanced at. Two of his opponents, Jones and another fellow (the third one couldn’t link from ActBlue) at least sorta mentioned they were Democrats.

    I’m sorry, but I won’t support ANY candidate who – no matter where he’s from – who won’t say he’s a Democrat. Particularly now. If a candidate can’t admit his party affiliation, he shouldn’t be running.

    DEMOCRATS are PROUD.

    GoBama!
    GoHowardDeanandtheDNC!

  • I say, tax that megachurch! Tax, tax, tax! The church is always peddling influence in political discourse and that means non-tax exempt.

  • The Clintonistas will fall in line. I think the seeming intractability by some Clinton supporters is simply strategy. You don’t start negotiating by giving in. Something DemCongs haven’t seemed to learn.

    I don’t think Democrats can afford too much of Pelosi’s brand of unity. Bending over in unison is not something to strive for.

  • I see our pious “liberal” anti-Semites are out today.

    Even a piece of seemingly obvious good news–that American Jews, among the most consistent progressive groups in American politics, remain consistently progressive and strongly reject the mindless cartoon belligerence of a Lieberman–must be treated by implication as aberrant, and an excuse to take shots at “Zionists” and “neocons” because, in the end, that’s all “we” are: foreign and alien and un-American. Right?

  • In RE: Saddleback Church to host Obama and McCain on Aug. 16th. I wonder how they maintain their 501(c)(3) tax exempt status while hosting a political event, regardless of whom they are supporting. Are they posing as non-partisan? I think you will find that the majority of their congregants are pro-Bush and presumably Pro-McCain. There are so many “religious” spokespeople coming out in support of or attacking one candidate or another and still maintaining tax-exemption. I guess I don’t understand how it works. The church in Pasadena, CA, All Saints I believe, had to fight the IRS for years before being exonerated on false charges for “supporting Kerry” against Bush.
    What say YOU?

    I am committed Oneness through Justice and Transformation

    peace,
    st john

  • William:

    Would you agree that the ACLU is also “peddling influence in political discourse” and should lose its tax-exempt status as well?

  • st. john:

    Saddleback is not ENDORSING either candidate by inviting them both to this forum. Perhaps you can answer my question about the ACLU too?

  • re: The J Street poll.

    Nu? A poll of African-Americans would show McCain was more popular than Alan “Loony Toons” Keyes.

    And paper cuts.

    And herpes…

    But if it helps some people figure out that being Jewish does not mean being blindly pro-Israel or blindly attached to Bush’s cod-piece, good.

  • JakeD,

    Think again: membership in or donations to the ACLU aren’t tax deductible. It took me all of one minute on their website to find this statement: “A donor who chooses to ‘Join’ and become a card-carrying member of the ACLU is making a contribution to the American Civil Liberties Union. Membership dues and other gifts to the American Civil Liberties Union are not tax deductible.”

    Duh-oh!

    As is so often the case, the right-wing attack turns out to be founded on a lie — or on a lamentable lack of elementary curiosity, and an inability to research anything.

    Why am I not surprised?

  • PQuincy:

    Keep reading the ACLU web site (I agree that donations used for official lobbying activities — whether by the ACLU or a church — are not “tax-deductible”):

    “The ACLU is comprised of two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Although both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are part of the same overall organization, it is necessary that the ACLU have two separate organizations in order for the ACLU to do a broad range of work in protecting civil liberties. This Web site collectively refers to the two organizations under the name “ACLU.”

    Although there is some overlap in the work done by each organization, certain activities the ACLU does to protect civil liberties must be done by one organization and not the other. This is primarily in the area of lobbying. The American Civil Liberties Union engages in legislative lobbying. As an organization that is eligible to receive contributions that are tax-deductible by the contributor, federal law limits the extent to which the ACLU Foundation may engage in lobbying activities. Therefore, most of the lobbying activity done by the ACLU and discussed in this Web site is done by the American Civil Liberties Union. By contrast, most of the ACLU’s litigation and communication efforts described in this Web site are done by the ACLU Foundation.’

    http://www.aclu.org/about/24030res20060201.html

  • I have lived in Georgia for the last 20 years and let’s be honest: neither Obama nor Martin has a prayer of winning here. This state is getting more backward by the minute. Obama may do better than Kerry did, but he can’t win Georgia.

    I hope I’m wrong, but consider that the voters here actually like Governor Inbred Hillbilly Moonshine. It doesn’t bode well for the near future.

  • Jake, I read everything that you quote, and don’t see the problem:

    1. Organizations that lobby the legislature or campaign for individuals running for office may not be tax exempt. The ACLU does these things. It is not tax exempt.

    2. Organizations may perform all sorts of activities intended to further the public good — communicating their views, even initiating or participating in litigation that furthers their objectives, as long as these, broadly defined, contribute to the public good — and receive a tax exemption. The ACLU Foundation does these sorts of things — but not lobbying or campaigning — and is tax exempt.

    Your original question, to which you so strenuously demanded an answer, was “Would you agree that the ACLU is also “peddling influence in political discourse.”

    The answer, clearly, is that the ACLU is doing something like that, and is not tax exempt, which you claimed they were.

    If you had asked (which you did not), “Would you agree that the ACLU Foundation is also ‘peddling influence in political discourse'”, however, then the answer under US law is “No, they are not.” The ACLU Foundation, as you so kindly quote them, carries out litigation in specific cases and communications efforts in favor of maximal civil liberties.

    Thus, your own last post answers both the original question you did pose, and equally the question you didn’t pose. Frankly, I don’t think that Saddleback Church having both candidates on stage should count as ‘campaigning’ on the part of the church…provided the candidates are given exactly the same opportunity to make their cases. But your dig at those who raised the question is now definitively debunked.

  • 1. Their own Web site collectively refers to the two organizations under the name “ACLU.”

    2. “Lobbying” is a very small sub-set of “peddling influence in political discourse”

    3. You and I will have to agree to disagree whether ACLU Foundation litigation and communication is also a sub-set : )

  • * Barack Obama and John McCain will briefly share a stage on Aug. 16, at the Rev. Rick Waren’s Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, Calif. They’ll appear together for a moment,

    …until Obama whispers, “Wow—there really are dinosaurs too stupid to know they’re extinct.” McCain will then explode all over the stage like Monty Python’s “Mr. Creosote.”

    Game, set, and match: Obama….

  • Steve at 24 made me howl. That really is all it will take. I just pray someone gets good video of the inevitable meltdown.

  • Obama supporters still don’t get it. Insulting remarks, constant accusations of racism, and statements like ‘just get over it’, simply antagonize those of us who voted for Clinton. It’s the same tactics you over zealous Obama supporters used from day one. I also think Obama was selected, rather than elected, and the bias media has acted shamefully. I also don’t think Obama is qualified to be President, and like millions of other Clinton supporters, I will not vote for Obama.

  • I began the campaign a solid Hillary supporter, then was nauseated in disbelief as her campaign started with “not that I know of…” and escalated from there. Deny and backpeddle all she may: Hillary created PUMA. In putting her ambitions ahead of the party’s interests, her treacherous campaign was a gamble, and she lost. If anything, the Democratic party indulged her in letting her scorched-earth “me or nobody” campaign go on far too long. Both she and her two-faced twin, Lieberman, should now be cut loose, stripped of percs in the Senate and treated like the pariahs they are. PUMA, you can KMA.

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