Thursday’s political round-up

February 8, 2007

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 is taking a unique approach to campaign financing. On the one hand, he’s joined Edwards and Clinton in opting out of the public financing system and rejecting federal matching funds for the primary. Obama donors will now be able to contribute as much as $4,600 at a time, of which $2,300 would be set aside for his general election account. The twist, however, is that the campaign has also asked the FEC for its advisory opinion: “Is there any way, post-convention, that Obama could return the money he’s raised for the general and accept the general election match? If you’ve let the horse out of the barn, can you shove him back in?” Interesting.

* Most presidential candidates arrange capable surrogates to appear on their behalf when they can’t attend an important event. Hillary Clinton apparently has the best surrogate in the country: “Yes, Bill Clinton will appear at the annual fundraising breakfast for Dems this weekend in Westchester County — in place of his wife, who was scheduled for the event but will instead be campaigning in New Hampshire. Bill Clinton’s spokesman, Jay Carson, has confirmed to Election Central that he’ll be making the Westchester appearance.”

* Joe Negron (R-Fla.) was narrowly defeated in November by Democratic Rep. Tim Mahoney, after running a write-in campaign in Mark Foley’s old district. Though it was widely assumed that Negron would try again in 2008, he announced yesterday that he will not run.

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is so upset about the recently-passed ethics-reform bill, which cleared the Senate after a 96 to 2 vote, that he’s threatening to quit if it becomes law. “If this becomes law, I will guarantee you I won’t run again,” Coburn said. “I’m not about to put what I’ve worked for for 35 years as a physician and a businessman at risk so I can represent the people. I will say ‘I’m cashing it in.'” The legislation would reportedly limit lawmakers’ ability to receive compensation for non-congressional work.

Bill Clinton’s appearance should remind us just how powerful a contender Hillary is going to be. She has Bill’s support right out of the gate and it’s pretty much guaranteed.

  • ummm… WHAT? i have no idea what he’s talking about here. although, i guess that’s kind of always the case when he talks. never mind.

  • I’m generally lukewarm when it comes to Hillary’s candidacy – but as soon as I’m reminded about Bill, I get very excited and receptive to the idea. Am I the only one?

  • I’m sorry, I don’t buy the idea that Hillary is going to be a good leader just because Bill was, that smacks of nepotism and I don’t think I’m alone in thinking this way. She’s had her own ideas, and none of them has been terribly appealing to me so far, especially about the war in Iraq.

    That said, I’m also of the opinion that some of the stuff Bill Clinton allowed to happen has been extremely harmful to the US, primarily the 1996 telecommunications act which deregulated the media conglomerates. The other example is NAFTA which didn’t live up to any of its advertised promises, meanwhile the giant sucking sound functioned exactly as feared.

    I like Bill Clinton and a lot of what he stands for, but I like other Dem politicians a lot more, ones who spend less time triangulating and pandering to the religious morons.

  • Check this out: I think Grover Norquist realizes that he’s about to be dragged down to the bottom of his proverbial bathtub if Bush attacks Iran…

    “Everything the advocates of war said would happen hasn’t happened,” says the president of Americans for Tax Reform, Grover Norquist, an influential conservative who backed the Iraq invasion. “And all the things the critics said would happen have happened. [The president’s neoconservative advisers] are effectively saying, ‘Invade Iran. Then everyone will see how smart we are.’ But after you’ve lost x number of times at the roulette wheel, do you double-down?”

    http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/whitehouse200703?printable=true&currentPage=all

  • Hillary is not Bill. Not now, not ever.

    How cryptic, Suzanne. I have no idea which installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own you’re referencing.

  • Am I the only one?
    [Ethel-to-Tilly]

    No indeed, but I know it’s because of the name. You could hang a Clinton banner on a rubbish heap and I’d stop by to take a look. Although these days its almost too painful to think of B. Clinton. How did this country go from someone like him to something like Bush over night?

    Oh yea. Krazee Kat Harris and the Sunshine State. Rrrrrrrr….

    Re Coburn: “I will say ‘I’m cashing it in.'”

    Ho, ho. Methinks the Senator’s Freudian Slip is showing.

  • Coburn will quit if it becomes law? I’ve never become an advocate for a particular bill so fast in my life!

  • I’m with Racerx (#6). Added to that, I’m on principle opposed to dynasties (except the old tee-vee series): 20 years of Bush – Clinton – Bush is already a long time; we don’t need to make it eight more. Then there’s Hillary’s brilliant success with Health Care. And Bill’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. And….

  • Hey, Coburn, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

    If only he really meant that. In fact, he might just be using it as weak cover for not running again to avoid the humiliation of being whipped in a fair fight in the next election.

    Whichever. If he really leaves, it’s all good anyway.

  • Rian – I think Ted Stevens threatens to quit on a weekly basis, but Coburn has a history of doing that as well, but maybe not as often. A couple of interesting quotes after googling …

    “House rules were not as firm, and the Ethics Committee backed down in 1998 when Coburn made clear he would quit Congress before he quit medicine. But Senate rules prohibit ‘substantial’ outside income.” — If Coburn’s medical practice produces such a substantial amount of income as to be viewed as unethical, I think I see where healthcare in this nation is broken.

    and

    “You see his career isn’t being a politician — in fact, he’s pledged to serve no more than 3 terms and will step down from office in 2000. Tom Coburn is a doctor. He delivers babies.

    “A year ago Coburn threatened to quit the Congress if the professional politicians continued, through the internal rules of Congress, to try to prevent him from working with his medical patients. He certainly wasn’t going to shut down the family medical clinic he runs in Oklahoma. He would leave Congress before doing that.” — Coburn will probably be 0 for 2 on promises with his threat. “Dr. Term Limits” is still in Congress after vowing to leave in 2000 and there is already a “Coburn in 2010” website out there. Liar.

  • When news that the candidate’s husband is going to appear in her stead elicits enthusiasm you have got to think that the candidate may be in trouble.

    I thought that I was rah-rah for Hillary but maybe I’m just rah-rah for Bill’s wife . . .

  • Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is so upset about the recently-passed ethics-reform bill, which cleared the Senate after a 96 to 2 vote, that he’s threatening to quit if it becomes law.

    I liked the ethics-reform bill prior to hearing about this, but now I love it. $10 says that he doesn’t quit though; he’s just another blowhard, who likes the sound of his own voice. I’m surprised he’s not running for President.

  • No more Coburn to kick around anymore since he won’t be able to be paid for his professional malpractice?

    Happy days are here again
    The skies above are blue again
    Let’s sing a song of cheer again
    Happy days are here again!

  • If Obama does that, isn’t it essentially an interest free loan from the taxpayers to the candidate?

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