Friday’s political round-up

July 14, 2006

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:

* It probably won’t matter too much, but [tag]Jonathan Tasini[/tag], the former president of the National Writers Union, filed the necessary petition signatures yesterday to challenge Sen. [tag]Hillary Clinton[/tag] in a Dem primary. Tasini needed 15,000 signatures, but to play it safe, he submitted 40,000. Clinton’s campaign said it had no interest in challenging the petitions.

* Former Virginia Gov. [tag]Jim Gilmore[/tag] (R), whose incompetent mismanagement helped lead Virginia to elect two successive Democratic administrations, is thinking about a comeback. As the Richmond Times-Dispatch explained, Gilmore launched a state political-action committee this week that could help lay the groundwork for a 2009 gubernatorial campaign. (Virginia law does not allow incumbent governors to seek re-election after their one term, but governors can seek non-consecutive terms.) (via Taegan Goddard)

* In one of the nation’s most closely watched House races, Georgia’s 8th, Republicans have targeted Rep. [tag]Jim Marshall[/tag] (D) as a key target, particularly after the state’s recent re-redistricting. This week, however, a poll conducted for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee showed Marshall leading former Rep. [tag]Mac Collins[/tag] (R) by a healthy margin, 58% to 32%.

* This week, Texas’ Secretary of State announced state Comptroller [tag]Carole Keeton Strayhorn[/tag] (I) could not add her “Grandma” nickname to the state’s gubernatorial ballot, and in response, Strayhorn filed a lawsuit to challenge the decision. Strayhorn’s attorney, Roy Minton is arguing that the Secretary of State erred in thinking the “Grandma” nickname is actually a political slogan.

* In 2008 news, New Orleans withdrew itself from consideration yesterday in the race to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. City officials concluded that the cost was simply too great for a city still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans’ decision leaves Denver, Minneapolis, and New York City as the remaining cities vying to host the convention.

* And in still more 2008 news, Senate Majority Leader [tag]Bill Frist[/tag] (R-Tenn.) hired former Iowa GOP Chair [tag]Brian Kennedy[/tag] to help his chances in the Iowa caucuses, while Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has started assembling a campaign staff of his own.

New Orleans’ decision leaves Denver, Minneapolis, and New York City as the remaining cities vying to host the convention.

Let me be among the first (at least in this round) to support Denver’s bid for the convention. The Western states represent the best growth area for growth in Democratic representation at the national level. Witness Montana! Strong, well-liked Dem governor and an excellent shot at replacing a true wing-nut republicant Senator with a fine Democrat in Tester. The West is our future and Denver is a great place to affirm our committment to the region.

  • Somehow the phrase “help his chances” and Bill Frist just don’t match up real well. If he’s the best the Retardicans can do in 2008, I’d say their chances are pretty much slim to none.

  • JonathanTasini is a wannabe moron (if his IQ was that high), and the “National Writers Union” is the functional equivalent of writer’s astroturf for a membership of “writers” who don’t even make the national average for freelance writers of $1,500/year (according to Publisher’s Weekly). But given the number of wannabe writers who are “legends in their own mind,” this stroke of stupidity isn’t that surprising.

    I know of no “real writer” (defined as someone who actually pays the bills with the job) who would have anything to do with that gaggle of idiots.

  • “Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (R), whose incompetent mismanagement helped lead Virginia to elect two successive Democratic administrations, is thinking about a comeback.”

    By 2009, the transportation project backlog Gilmore is largely responsible for should be getting particularly acute. That would be a great time for him to run again, when we can all be reminded what happens when you elect small government conservatives.

  • I agree with the Denver suggestion, though as a resident of NYC I’d certainly be happy to get the influx of dollars a convention brings. Getting the money without wanting to vomit every day for the duration of the event would be added plus.

    As for Tasini, I can buy that he’s a tool. But he’s also a tool, in the non-pejorative sense, for all of us who just don’t think Hillary can win in 2008 and would strongly prefer not to see her try. If Tasini can get a decent showing in September, it will raise doubts among the donors. And that could be decisive. He’s got my primary vote.

  • Speaking of the Convention, something occurred to me this morning which I’m uncertain how to pass along to people who can do something about it.

    Every year the Convention gets more and more meaningless. The Networks won’t even touch it now. Trouble is conventions are just too, too BORING. Back in the days when the could be unscripted (the “spontaneous” demonstrations of the ’40s and ’50s, e.g.), that provided the entertainment. Now they’re boring, boring and boring.

    Why can’t the Democratic Party do something new for a change? We have a whole radio network full of professional ENERTAINERS who just happen to know their politics and express it better than any other group, including politicians — AIR AMERICA radio. I’ll just bet if we deny the microphone to the deputy chief of the Georgia delegation (“the state that brought you two Miss America’s, the sunshine state, the home of … blah, blah, blech”) and replaced that speaker with Randi Rhodes, or Stephanie Miller, or Al Franken, or Ed Shultz, or Mike Malloy, Thom Hartmann or … you name it … we’d have a helluva bigger audience and a much more strongly delivered message. We could look elsewhere, too: Bernie Ward and Ray Taliafero from San Francisco’s KGO. There must be others. Maybe even some (shudder) BLOGGERS!

    I’m not talking celebrities here. No Barbara Streisands or other “stars” who want to lend their name and stardom to the cause. There are other arenas for that. I’m not even talking Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I want people whose day-to-day business is professional commentary/comedy in the arena of politics.

  • Conventions are for the delegates, not for the bums who stay at home. I say leave them just the way there are.

    Particularly the Republican’t convention 😉

  • Re: Tasini.
    Tom Cleaver sounds like the moron, not Tasini. Doesn’t Cleaver understand that many many of us are disgusted by those democrats — like Hillary Clinton — who basically echo the administrations opinions and actions, merely adding self righteous imbecilities like “you have no plan, we have a better plan?” What plan? How plan? Who plan? For a Humpty Dumpty of a country that we destroyed and can do nothing to put together? For a country that used to have a secular dictator and now, no matter when we leave, will end up with a fundamentalist religious dictator? For bullshit about bringing democracy to a part of the world that has no idea about what that means and moreover doesn’t want to learn? Many of us will not vote for anybody who doesn’t insist that we get out of Iraq very fast. i personally would prefer yesterday, or even today, or even tomorrow or maybe in a couple of days. But because I have no choice I’ll take by the end of the year. Those democrats who pussy foot around and talk of plans and act as if there is a way to put that broken country together again, are either stupid or hypocritical, traits we hardly need in a congressperson or senator.

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