Friday’s campaign round-up

August 8, 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:

* Freshman Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn) lost in a Republican primary yesterday, the first Tennessee rep to lose in a primary in more than four decades. Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe beat Davis by about 500 votes, making Davis the third House Republican to lose to a primary challenger this year, following Reps. Chris Cannon in Utah and Wayne Gilchrest in Maryland.

* Marc Ambinder obtained a 54-page draft of the Democratic Party’s platform. It includes, among other things, an emphasis on women’s issues, fatherhood, and government ethics.

* Tom Matzzie is one Democrat not afraid to play hardball: “Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes across the country will probably receive a foreboding ‘warning’ letter in the mail next week…. Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative who has been involved with some prominent left-wing efforts in recent years, the newly formed nonprofit group, Accountable America, is planning to confront donors to conservative groups, hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions. ‘We want to stop the Swift Boating before it gets off the ground,’ said Mr. Matzzie, who described his effort as ‘going for the jugular.'”

* Andrew Sullivan had an interesting item on McCain’s age: “In McCain’s home state of Arizona, where state Supreme Court picks are chosen very similar to how the federal government makes its own Supreme Court picks, BUT … they serve until the age of 70. It’s in the Arizona Constitution. They are picked by the Governor, approved by the state senate, and then serve until they reach age 70, when the must retire.”

* It looks like Cheney will speak at the Republican convention after all.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin by four, 47% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Massachusetts by 15, 51% to 36%.

* SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain in Oregon by three, 48% to 45%.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in New York by 21, 57% to 36%.

* Capital Survey shows McCain leading Obama in Alabama by 13, 47% to 34%.

* The Obama campaign unveiled its Olympics ad, emphasizing Obama’s forward-thinking energy policy.

* Some Democratic Party insiders would like John Edwards to address the tabloid rumors about his personal life.

* And John McCain has scheduled his first media availability in a while for late on a Friday afternoon. Hmm.

Bush and Cheney speaking at the McLame party. Priceless! Hope you choke (on a pretzel)!

  • I hope Matzzie’s group has its intended effect, but I doubt it will slow down millionaires and billionaires who want to own the govt. Maybe we should all get that list and boycott the operations, like hotel chains owned by these schmucks! The bottom line is all they understand.

  • Ummm…shouldn’t that say *It looks like “Emperor Overlord High Fuhrer God Cheney will spew vitriolic nonsense and mass quantities of mongering fear at the Republican convention delegates” after all?*

  • Unfortunately – though I really agree strongly with Matzzie’s idea – I think this will only give the unhinged scumballs more reason to donate, and will give LooneyTunesLand (FredState, Fart Air, Snotballs, FreiRepublik, Limpdick etc.) more to shriek about.

    It’s after the election that they all get their orange jumpsuits.

  • While I applaud the effort of Matzzie, I think it’s highly unlikely anything will happen since, by the nature of these groups, they are not required to show who donates. How one would get the donor list remains to be seen. And I am sure it would be a badge of honor to most of these people; people who have no ethics and relish in their display of what a lack of ethics has achieved for them.

    Good luck and all, but the pragmatic side of me says…eh.

    As to Edwards, he’s done in politics right now. IF this is true (which, I could care less about anyway), I will forever be infuriated with him for putting the country in political jeopardy by running for president full well knowing it might come out. Even a “might” is too much right now!

    Other than that, how about some outrage here:

    http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/07/mo-republican-indicted-charged-with-sexual-assault-of-14-yr-old-girl/

    Nah, much easier to give Edwards shit over an alledged adult consentual affair. Who cares if another Republican is screwing a kid.

  • Here’s my question: Will Cheney let the delegates leave the room if they need to take a Cheney go to the bathroom, or does he only impose that security requirement on wounded veterans?

  • Perhaps Cheney will only address his fellow Republicans by a TV hookup – from an undisclosed location.

    Incredible – they’re doing their best to keep the outgoing administration away from the spotlight, but asking us to elect McCain to allow them to continue the damage.

    Thomas Frank (author of “What’s the Matter With Kansas”) has written a new book, “The Wrecking Crew – How Conservatives Rule.” I think we’ll be hearing a lot about it in the days and weeks ahead.

  • Matzzie’s idea is foolish – it will fail and it should fail. Chilling political activity is not something to be applauded, and this effort has little to do with “swiftboating”. I see no good in sending out letters telling people that they will be punished for supporting the Republican candidate. No different that retaliating against those who support Obama.

  • Let’s see: Hillary, Bill, the VP, then Obama.

    The GOP has Cheney, McCain, and (will he/won’t he) Bush.

    I wouldn’t want to be McCain right now.

  • Of course, Bush and Cheney will speak on Monday, Sept. 1, which also happens to be Labor Day. They probably won’t get as much viewership as the Jerry Lewis telethon.

  • RonChusid said:
    “It could be worse for McCain. The Republicans could bring back Pat Buchanan to speak on the culture war.”

    Personally, I would like to hear Buchanan speak at the rethug convention. Topic 1 should be his new book which blames WWII and the Holocaust on Winston Churchill.

    At least we get to hear him multiple times a week all over MSNBC. Presented as a credible, non-partisan voice of knowledge declaring that the November vote will be an up-or-down vote on the ‘different’ guy – Obama.

    Myself, I prefer the arrogant label to the different label. Much easier for the Low Information Voters to know that it is an uppity n*gg*r being talked about.

  • * Freshman Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn) lost in a Republican primary yesterday, the first Tennessee rep to lose in a primary in more than four decades. — CB

    Always happy to hear about *Republicans* having bloody primaries, dividing their constituency and and siphoning off serious cash…

  • I wonder how many of you would support Matzzie if he was a Republican doing this to Democratic party donors?

    What he is doing is wrong (your support of his plan says a lot about you), and it will surely fail. I am no “Big Donor,” but I am now going to donate money to McCain’s campaign because of this idiotoc plan to silence others.

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