Monday’s political round-up

June 11, 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:

* It was odd enough when Mark McKinnon, a senior media adviser to John McCain who also led George W. Bush’s ad efforts in 2000 and 2004, said he’d back Barack Obama if he got the Democratic nomination. It’s even odder that Colin Powell, Bush’s Secretary of State, has advised Obama on foreign policy and is open to voting Democratic in 2008. Asked about how he plans to vote in 2008, the lifelong Republican would not commit to supporting the GOP nominee. “I’m going to support the best person that I can find who will lead this country for the eight years beginning in January of 2009,” Powell said. (It’s not exactly a vote of confidence for the Republican field, now is it?)

* Newt Gingrich believes the GOP has to convince voters that they’ll move away from Bush or they’ll lose the White House and more seats in Congress. “If the Republicans run a stand-pat presidential candidate who ends up being on defense for all of September and October and who is seen by the country as representing four more years, the fact is that Republicans are not going to” win, Gingrich told the American Enterprise Institute. Gingrich added that he believes John McCain “has the greatest challenge in a Republican primary.”

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), after a lengthy recovery period, is likely to return to the Senate chamber in September, a fact which has initiated some interest in his re-election campaign next year. The NRSC said there are three potential candidates considering the race, including Gov. Mike Rounds (R).

* A new Mason-Dixon poll in New Hampshire shows Mitt Romney leading the GOP pack with 27% support, followed by John McCain with 16%, and Rudy Giuliani with 15%. Fred Thompson is a close fourth with 12%. Among Dems, Hillary Clinton is out in front with 26%, followed by Barack Obama with 21%, and John Edwards with 18%. No other Dem is in double digits.

* Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who also serves as chairman of the RNC, publicly criticized Romney and Giuliani over the weekend for their rhetoric on Bush’s immigration bill. “I have to say, on this issue they are falling short,” Martinez said. “What is [their] answer?” As The Note mentioned, “When judging what this means, imagine the furor if DNC Chairman Howard Dean had said the Clinton and Obama healthcare plans ‘fall short.'”

Well considering all of the GOP candidates for prez (excepting Paul possibly) are advocating for Bush 3.0 with regards to Iraq, Iran, Gitmo, spying on citizens – maybe it is no surprise Powell is less than enthused.

  • The mother of all lawsuits is about to get underway…

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070611/ap_on_go_ot/autism_vaccines

    In July 1999, the U.S. government asked vaccine manufacturers to eliminate or reduce, as expeditiously as possible, the mercury content of their vaccines to avoid any possibility of infants who receive vaccines being exposed to more mercury than is recommended by federal guidelines.

    This is a load of crap. It makes it sound like they got rid of the mercury “as expeditiously as possible” instead of just using up the old vaccine stocks and poisoning millions of kids. There was thimerosal (mercury) in vaccines until fairly recently. If you knew to ask for it, you could have them give your kid mercury-free vaccines.

    And when they say they “pulled” the mercury laced vaccines “to avoid any possibility of infants who receive vaccines being exposed to more mercury than is recommended by federal guidelines”?

    That’s a funny way to tell people that kids were being WAY overexposed to mercury. And they knew it. And they did nothing. For years.

    Except cover their asses, of course.

  • What would happen if Dean criticized a Democrat’s health plan?

    Probably not a whole lot. No president ever said “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Democrat.” Dissent is allowed.

    The 1994 plan by Hil was a pile of garbage. If Dean said so for the same plan proposed in 2007, I’d be pleased to agree and impressed with his willingness to stand up to deep blue lapdogs that don’t understand principle over party.

  • Among Dems, Hillary Clinton is out in front with 26%, followed by Barack Obama with 21%, and John Edwards with 18%.

    That’s a much tighter race than we’ve seen in previous polls, isn’t it? Are we starting to see a movement away from pure name recognition to views on the based on the candidates and their positions?

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