Friday’s political round-up

October 20, 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:

* In Connecticut, I’m afraid the race is going in the wrong direction for Democrat Ned Lamont. A new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) leading his Dem challenger, 52% to 35%. Lieberman’s margin is seven points larger than it was three weeks ago.

* In Orange County, Calif., Republican leaders have called for the withdrawal of a GOP congressional candidate they believe sent a letter threatening Hispanic immigrant voters with arrest. Tan Nguyen, running against Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D), said yesterday that he did not know about the letters, and fired a campaign staffer who may have been responsible for it.

* Florida’s gubernatorial race remains frustratingly non-competitive. A new Mason-Dixon poll shows state Attorney General Charlie Crist (R) leading Rep. Jim Davis (D), 50% to 39%. For what it’s worth, the 11-point margin is better than the 15-point lead Crist enjoyed in a Mason-Dixon poll a month ago.

* In Tennessee, Republican Senate nominee Bob Corker said this week that he was involved in a lawsuit involving a controversial land public deal from his tenure as Chattanooga mayor, but he won’t answer any questions about the matter. “We are not even allowed” to talk about it, Corker said, citing a deal between “number of parties that have been involved” as plaintiffs and defendants. As Josh Marshall noted, Corker insists the need for secrecy is “absolutely” not political.

* Opponents of Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) launched a round of recorded phone messages attacking the governor, but they seem to be bacfiring. The offending recording is of a woman’s voice criticizing Granholm for “empty promises” and ends with the woman exclaiming, “Frankly, I’m pissed.” The message closes with: “This message is brought to you by Michigan Working Families.” It is not clear if a group called Michigan Working Families actually exists, and Michigan Republicans are denying any involvement.

* And in campaign fundraising news, the Democrats’ three campaign committees (DNC, DCCC, DSCC) raised $34 million in September, more than the Republicans’ three campaign committees, a feat which most observers believe is a first. “If you would have told me a year ago that the three Democratic committees would have raised more money than the three Republican committees, I would have said you’re on a different planet,” said DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). “People are feeling a real reason for change.”

October 20, 2006 at 12:07 pm

Re Conn. Q poll was pre debate that shook up the race. Everyone who seems to know anything is ignoring it.

I’ve read that Quinnipac poll on the CT Senate race was done before the debates. Is that true? I’ve also read several places that Lieberman is not looking good in the debates.

Just think what a huge PR win it would be for one of the Dem Presidential hopefuls to announce he or she is giving 2 million dollars toward the mid-term campaigns. It would be like Ted Turner’s Billion dollars to the UN.

***It is not clear if a group called Michigan Working Families actually exists***

This smells so-oooooooo Rovian, doesn’t it? They’ve invented a “Stealth PAC.” No organized structure on record, no registering, no reporting to IRS. here’s one for our shiny new Democratic-majority Congress to investigate Phone company records will show where the calls came from, whether they’re a legitimate group, and registered to operate in Michigan.

And for the putzy “trolls” out there in kool-aid land—if the group is based outside of Michigan, and they’re breaking the law across a state line, then it “does” become a federal crime….

Lieberman never looks good in debates.

I wasn’t one of those who was ready to drop-kick Lieberman several months ago, but his behavior leading up to the primary and his actions since then have pretty much completely discredited him as far as I’m concerned. What I guess I really wonder is what’s the explanation for his continued support among so many CT Democrats? Is Lamont really that unattractive? I just think that whole scene is weird as hell.

said DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). “People are feeling a real reason for change.”

Actually Chuck, people (well, rich businessmen with interests before Congress) are fearing a real change and thus have reason to buy influence with your party.

Don’t get all delusional now 😉

Hold up, everybody– why isn’t anyone worried about the recent poll that showed the Maryland senate race tied at 46% each? That caused me quite a bit of alarm yesterday. I hope it’s an outlier– we can’t lose ground in northeastern states! It’s OUR turf!

I’m totally baffled by the Connecticut situtation, too. Are people there really so clueless, so isolated from events in the rest of the country and the world that they’ll vote for Grampa Joe from sheer inertia? If Lamont loses it’s really going to hurt, even if the Dems retake both houses anyway.

Here in Michigan, I got two different robo-calls (including the one mentioned in the article) using the same woman’s voice in a 20 span of time two nights ago. Just after the first debate, I got two different calls from the same woman in an single evening. They are annoying and not at all convincing. Of course, I AM biased. Nothing anyone says would convince me to vote for ANY Republican this year (and I’ve never voted party line in my life).

I don’t usually do this, but …

PLEASE HELP CLAIRE MCCASKILL BEAT JIM TALENT!!

You can do so here.

Talent has $4.2 million, McCaskill around $250K. While all the ads have been bought, she could still use some help.

“I would have said you’re on a different planet” (Schumer)

As usual, the public is way out in front of the wet-finger-in-the-wind Democratic officials. and their hired flunkees and focus groups As long as we remain timid and unimaginative, we’ll deserve the losses which seem always to come our way no matter how much the public agrees with our principles.

If the public agreed with your priciples you would have won a big time election since Clinton left office

A new Mason-Dixon poll shows state Attorney General Charlie Crist (R) leading Rep. Jim Davis (D), 50% to 39%.

The Reform Party candidate in Florida recently announced that he has firsthand knowledge that Crist is gay. Florida is a prudish state, Crist’s support could drop fast once the news gets more widely distributed.

Folks, the poll was during 10/17-10/19, so the debate was in there to some extent. I don’t know how many of you have watched the debate, but Lamont didn’t shine enough to take Joe off his stride… I mean the GOP candidate seemed to do more damage to Joe (granted not much) than Ned.

“Are people there really so clueless, so isolated from events in the rest of the country and the world that they’ll vote for Grampa Joe from sheer inertia?”

I’ll spell it out for you, Curmudgeon… Problem for Lamont (like it or not) is that he has effectively been labeled as an empty multi-millionaire suit with one issue on his platform while Joe has been slamming home the “working across party lines” theme, which has stirred up tremendous support from moderate Independents as well as moderate Dems in the state. In addition, most GOP voters are jumping on the Lieberman bandwagon to simply defeat Lamont.

Interestingly enough, there’s now some talk in CT that the growing momentum behind Connecticut for Lieberman movement will draw more Republicans and right leaning Independents to the polls, meaning the state’s congressional GOP candidates (all facing tight races) could enjoy an big influx voters than they would have if Joe was simply running in a two party race that was un-winnable by the GOP.

Now who’s clueless? Nice work, Blogosphere!

Old Joe must be in committe chair heaven. If the D’s take the majority he’ll get his chairmanships, if Rs win, I’m sure they’ll reward his ‘Independence’.

Republicans in CT are far more convinced that he’ll caucus with the Rs than the Ds are convinced he’ll caucus with them.

Now who’s clueless? Nice work, Blogosphere!JRS Jr

Your disdain for the election process and voters will forever limit you as nothing more than an inconsequetial troll.

Too bad; the rest of the post actaully sounded even handed and intelligent.

You were almost there.

Sorry, doubtful.. as a CT resident but I took the “clueless” comment as a direct offense.

And I’d like to correct you… I love the election process… especially the general election part of it — when independents and moderates can take the reigns away from the rabid partisans in both parties.

A Ct voter here. The only reason Joe is up in the polls is because of the Republican support with votes and money. The GOP candidate had a good showing in the debates (but he still has big problems). Hopefully Alan Schlesinger will take votes away from Joe LIEberman. Before the debate Schlesinger was polling at about 4-5%. I am hopeful that Ned will get a boost these last couple weeks.

Bonnie, it’s not quite that simple…

Lieberman leads Lamont 70 percent to 9 percent among likely Republican voters, with 18 percent for Schlesinger, and 58-36 among likely independent voters. Likely Democratic voters back Lamont, 55 percent to 36 percent.

So, Independents are backing Joe big time as well… not to mention more than 1/3 of Dems.

…when independents and moderates can take the reigns away from the rabid partisans in both parties. JRS Jr

Anyone who supports the Iraq war, no matter what “party” they belong to is a rabid partisan: the neocon party. The blood of thousands is on their hands and yours for enabling it.

Lieberman enjoys the support of fearful, rascist warmongers and lobbyists; it’s a sad day when they outnumber sane Americans.

Of course independents, centrists and “moderates” can also be ideologically Rabid. A centrist who supports the neocon agenda is in effect a right-wing Republican. What is Lieberman’s ratings by differing groups on Domestic and Social Issues?

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