Wednesday’s political round-up

December 6, 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:

* Former Rep. David Bonior (D-Mich.), the former House Majority Leader who retired from Congress in 2002, will reportedly help manage John Edwards presidential campaign in 2008. In the short term, Bonior will be a senior advisor to Edwards’ political action committee, but an Edwards advisor told the AP that Bonior will run the campaign if Edwards decides to enter the race.

* Sen. Hillary Clinton moved forward with her apparent presidential plans yesterday, deciding on key members of her presidential campaign team. According to the NYT, if Clinton decides to run, which now appears very likely, longtime adviser Patti Solis Doyle will serve as her campaign manager, Jon Corzine aide Jonathan Mantz will be finance director, the DSCC’s Phil Singer will handle communications, and former Howard Dean aide Karen Hicks will oversee organizing.

* Wesley Clark has a new book, “America’s Son,” which has just found a publisher and which may be part of another presidential campaign for the retired four-star general and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander. The book will reportedly offer a “groundbreaking vision for America’s future” as well as a “personal account” of the military events that have shaped Clark’s world view.

* Outgoing Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) is reportedly moving forward with his own presidential plans. The governor has a new book coming out — “From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Stops to Restoring America’s Greatness” — which will explain his conservative vision. Huckabee strategist Bob Wickers told ABC News that the Arkansas governor’s Dec. 16 fundraising gala and January book launch are “indicative of where things are headed.”

* Though the Chicago Tribune historically endorses Republican presidential candidates, the paper today urges Barack Obama to throw his hat into the 2008 ring: “To run for president would be a big leap for someone who just a couple of years ago was commuting to Springfield as a state senator. There is a plausible case why Obama should bide his time and burnish his credentials for the future — plausible, but not persuasive. When a leader evokes the enthusiasm that Obama does, he should recognize that he has something special to offer, not in 2012 or 2016, but right now.”

* And we may apparently have to endure another presidential campaign from Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). “There is much speculation and rumors about my plans for 2008,” Kucinich told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “Shortly, I will make my intentions known.”

I told you Dennis would be in!!

  • Al Gore has a new book, which supposedly keeps his 2008 hopes alive. Unfortunately, it has a title:
    “Al Gore’s Assault on Reason.”

    Uh-oh.

  • And we may apparently have to endure another presidential campaign from Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).

    In ’04, Kucinich provided an unambiguous alternative to a bunch of Dem candidates who were either pro-war or acted like they’d only recently heard of Iraq. I don’t think there’s any doubt that his candidacy was quixotic, but I’m still grateful that he tried to make his voice heard.

  • J.S.–I agree, for 2004. And having had the pleasure to work with Dennis, I enjoy his being involved and hope he remains a Congressman for some time to come. But his history is clear–he makes a great legislator and a lousy executive.

    Iit would be nice to have the focus of the primary on less than a dozen candidates–preferably 6 or less.

  • Honestly, I get a kick out of Kuchinich. Sometimes, he says things that need to be said, but no one else has the courage to say. Then there are those other times.

    As for Clark, the title of his book alone would suggest he’s learned something since 04.

  • Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) is reportedly moving forward with his own presidential plans. The governor has a new book coming out — “From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Stops to Restoring America’s Greatness” — which will explain his conservative vision

    Just as the wingnuts thought the answer to a religion-based attack on the US was to have MORE religion, they now think that the answer to the destruction of the US’s prestige by a wingnut government is more wingnutism.

    Stick to the diet books, Huckabee.

  • At first I thought it was a typo, but according to Amazon the title of Huckabee’s book is From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 STOPS to Restoring America’s Greatness”

    My apologies to CB for almost sending him an email at admin@thecarpetbaggerreport.com about the typo. 🙂

  • Has Amazon stopped having customer reviews of its books or is it just political books? I noticed that Huckabee’s first book also used “12 Stop” and Amazon allows reader’s reviews on it.

    So I guess the implied message of his new book is that America needs to go on a diet of rightwing morality

  • “I wonder if the Chicago Trib is still a leetle miffed at the GOP for siccing Alan Keyes (to the asylum) on the state.” – TAIO

    Now there is a good question.

  • Title: The Assault on Reason
    Author: Al Gore

    It took me two seconds to twist that into something unflattering. How long would it take Limbaugh, Hannity, or other media whores & howlers?

    Hence my “uh-oh” — for how Gore’s book will be received.

    Beyond that, it sounds like a nice read. Like Joe Conason’s “Big Lies” except by someone with a stake in the game. And who isn’t a Big Liar, like Joe Conason.

    (See, I just made the same joke again.)

  • Wow Grumpy, you’re making the same argument about Gore that Meh made about Hillary.

    Yes, Republican’ts don’t like Democratic Candidates. What an amazing observation!

  • “endure”? That’s language I would use for someone like Lyndon LaRouche, not Dennis Kucinich. Sure, his campaign is quixotic, but he’s by no means someone I view as having to “endure”.

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