Friday’s political round-up

February 17, 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:

* As if Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) didn’t have enough to worry about with a possible Abramoff-related indictment looming, now he has a new problem: a primary challenger back home. James Brodbelt Harris, a financial analyst, announced yesterday that he’s taking on Ney in a GOP primary. “I believe any good Republican could hold this Republican gerrymandered district and the only way a Democrat could win this district is in the midst of a scandal,” Harris said. The primary will be held on May 2.

* Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.) announced yesterday that he will retire this year after 10 terms in the House. Hefley is perhaps best known for chairing the House Ethics Committee during its multiple admonishments against Tom DeLay — and for losing his post after DeLay and his allies forced Hefley out. In the race to replace Hefley in this conservative district, former El Paso County Sheriff John Anderson so far is the only declared Republican candidate for the seat. Democrat Jay Fawcett, who spent 20 years in the Air Force and is a Gulf War veteran, is also running.

* Speaking of retirements, Hefley’s announcement comes the same week as Rep. Bill Jenkins (R-Tenn) said he’s leaving Congress as well. One day after Jenkins said he’s done, State Rep. David Davis (R) officially launched his campaign to replace him in this very conservative Tennessee district.

* In South Carolina, Gov. Mark Sanford (R) looks relatively strong going into this year’s re-election fight, according to the latest Rasmussen poll. Sanford is ahead of State Senator Tommy Moore (D), 49% to 36%, and leads Florence Mayor Frank Willis (D), 52% to 33%.

* Thomas Suozzi’s primary challenge to Eliot Spitzer for the Democratic nomination for governor in New York is now a matter of “when” not “if.” Aides to Suozzi said he’ll announce his campaign on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Watch out for Suozzi. He’s a better campaigner and speaker than Spitzer, and if Spitzer pushes back against him hard enough, it’s not impossible that he might leave the party altogether.

None of the Republican dim bulbs can win that race, but in their typical fashion, NY Democrats could still lose it. I worry that Eliot, being a combative guy, will try to engage Suozzi directly, which would be a huge mistake with potential long-term consequences. Here’s hoping Spitzer just blankets the airwaves with positive ads, considering that he has a good story to tell, and we get through this without too much blood on the floor.

  • Below is the fruit produced by the current administration over the last 5 years:
    … A destroyed economy …spending out of control ($1.5 billion on propaganda)… soaring out of control federal debt …massive trade imbalance … federal debt mortgaged by Communist China … failed and costly energy policy ($7 billion in royalty concessions)…a shrinking middle class …distribution of wealth to the rich and leaves others starving, homeless, unemployed and sickly…tax cuts for the wealthy bankrupting America…. a failed education system … reading and math tests for15-year-olds in America ranked 24th out of 29 nations …racism and poverty on the rise with deeper racial and class divisions …37 million living under the poverty line … world’s costliest health care system …46 million people without health insurance… 43rd in the world infant mortality rankings among developed countries… highest infant mortality rates in the developed world …degraded Medicaid/Medicare system in disarray… a diseased environment …corporate scandal at the highest levels … a destroyed, understaffed military force …disgruntled young military officers …military atrocities … Afghanistan supplying 90 per cent of the world’s heroin … a $6 billion a month invasion of Iraq, poorly planned, clumsy strategy, unwinnable and unending failure… a degraded Bill of Rights … a degraded quality of life …personal savings missing for many …individual spending greater than individual savings … political impaired CIA … politicization of intelligence and extensive fabricated intelligence failures …corporatocracy …detaining citizens without due process … warrantless spying on Americans …very low presidential job approval rating 39% …fear and loathing …no imagination …failure of leadership …crippled and tone-deaf leaders … loss of respect from most foreign countries …perceived as a overindulging rogue nation …loss of manufacturing/industrial jobs to China …Wal-Mart largest employer, lowest wages …Increased corporate crime and backroom deals … corporate executives jailed for cooking the books and looting billions …no sense of fair play…loss of moral and political authority …economic failure of small family-owned farms … Pederasty … an orgy of cronyism, corruption and incompetence…lack of effective responses to natural and man-made disasters …negligent government … open and frequent disclosure of classified information …open borders…corrupt and sleazy practices by congress and lobbyists … Abramoff influence-peddler and bagman for Republican causes … 60 congressmen and senators bribed …native American tribes robbed blind… young republican activist code named “Pac man” advances pro-apartheid government … incompetent officials perpetuating lies, fraud and deception …unlawful and dysfunctional cabal…officials guilty of high crimes and treason …widespread dishonesty, injustice, greed, graft and scandal … Attorney General sounded more like a mob mouthpiece …cynical hair-splitting, obfuscation, disinformation and stonewalling …uncontested stolen billions carved up in no-bid contracts awarded to politically-connected firms in sole source contracts …war profiteering …Deadeye Dick drunken shootout … meaningless ballots … the rape of our republic … huge risible and cynical propaganda ministry with “fake news” …faux media poodle,… death … torture… uncaring … incessant lying … demoralized and disconnected from reality…paralyzed with shame, embarrassment and fear… public doubt … unrestricted sociopath … tyranny … disregard for the Constitution … an outright assault on the Constitution …a complete disruption of the rule of law … lawlessness – no checks and balances … unilaterally discards treaties …… the list could go on and on as you know. Over the past five years, America’s sense of itself – its pride in its power and authority, its faith in its institutions and its belief in its leaders – has been profoundly damaged. 68% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, but can we do anything to change direction? Search your heart and help do something to change this condition! Our Liberties watch in disgust waiting for “We the People” to wake up.

    • Comments are closed.