Tuesday’s political round-up

November 1, 2005

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:

* In Florida, Rep. Katherine Harris (R) is having considerable trouble rallying support for her Senate campaign fro national establishment Republicans. Harris, who announced her campaign after Karl Rove asked her not to, has been largely ignored by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. NRSC Chair Elizabeth Dole said “the process is still under way” in looking at other candidates. NRSC spokesman Brian Nick was more blunt: “If Harris is the nominee, we lose…. We have talked to other potential candidates over the last couple of weeks.” (via Taegan Goddard)

* Veteran lawmaker Michael Oxley, a 12-term Ohio Republican, will reportedly announce his retirement from the House, possibly as early as today. He is perhaps best known for his leadership on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which was geared toward improving corporate accounting after the Enron debacle. His 4th congressional district is heavily Republican.

* James Webb was a highly decorated Marine infantry officer in Vietnam and Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration. Soon, he may have a new title: Democratic Senate candidate. Webb told the San Diego Union Tribune over the weekend that he’s been “talking to people” about running for the Senate next year, as a Dem, against Sen. George Allen (R). “I’m not sure that I’m going to do that or not but I have been talking to people,” Webb said. “Thinking about it.”

* In Hawaii, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) announced yesterday that he will not challenge Gov. Linda Lingle (R) next year, citing the importance of his 15 years of seniority in Congress. “After giving careful thought to the question and speaking with many, many people, it became clear: I cannot abandon my work as a member of Hawaii’s congressional delegation,” Abercrombie said. With Abercrombie out, likely Dem candidates include Big Island Mayor Harry Kim and retired Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donohue.

* And in Michigan, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard officially re-entered the same Senate race he dropped out of earlier this year. He’ll take on the Rev. Keith Butler in a Republican primary that’s likely to cause heartburn for the Michigan GOP. Butler is already taking shots at Bouchard and dismissing talk of clearing the field for him. “Michael Bouchard has clearly responded to the lobbyists and powerbrokers in Washington who have recruited him with the promise of financial support,” Butler said. “These individuals are uncomfortable with my candidacy. I have not spent years hanging out with and being entertained by Lansing and Washington, D.C., lobbyists.” Butler added that he is “in the race to stay.”

Soon, he may have a new title: Democratic Senate candidate.

Clearly Webb is a traitor. Or so I expect the GOP talking points to be.

Any word on why he would run as a Democrat? Can he and Wes Clark lead a movement based on “we patriots and veterans no longer trust the GOP with securing our borders and thus have become Democrats”? Are there other veterans who will leave the GOP for a more muscular Democratic party?

  • Gee, help steal an election and this is the thanks she gets? Poor Katherine Harris, she don’t get no respect from those Republicans.
    Maybe she should advertise this point more in her campaign.

  • Any word on why he would run as a Democrat?

    Actually, no. Webb’s been a respected figure in military circles for many years, but he’s never been a partisan. I’m thrilled to see he’s a Dem and I’d be even more thrilled if he ran against Allen. Also, be sure to read the whole interview. The guy has some important things to say, particularly about the war in Iraq (which he opposed before the invasion).

    Gee, help steal an election and this is the thanks she gets?

    Harris is getting a valuable lesson about the Bush gang. They’ll use you and then they’ll throw you away.

  • While Oxley is probably most famous for having his name on Sarbanes-Oxley, my recollection is his “leadership” was more accidental than anything. He proposed a very weak bill of corporate reforms (as chair of the House committee), and Sarbanes proposed a very strong bill (on the Senate side), and when the two bills got conferenced they were referred to as Sarbanes-Oxley, even though the content was almost entirely “Sarbanes”. Perhaps another example of what you can get done if you don’t care who gets credit?

    Oxley is also somewhat famous because a staffer of his reportedly told a trade group (the Investment Company Institute) that if they didn’t fire a specific Democratic lobbyist, he would hold hearings into “problems” in their industry (and IIRC when the group did not fire the lobbyist, he did hold hearings).

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