Monday’s political round-up

June 25, 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:

* Fred Thompson will unveil his presidential campaign headquarters tomorrow in Nashville, followed by quick trips to South Carolina and New Hampshire. Maybe now ABC will stop paying him to broadcast his political commentaries?

* Barack Obama unveiled a sweeping ethics/lobbying-reform measure late last week, which would, among other things, ban political appointees in his administration from lobbying the executive branch after leaving their jobs and prohibit anyone joining his administration from working on issues related to their former employers for at least two years. Obama said he would launch his reform initiative on his first day in office. The proposal was well received by groups such as Public Citizen and Democracy 21.

* Chris Dodd presented his “American Community Initiative” in New Hampshire on Friday, which establishes a mandatory service requirement for high school students. Dodd, a former Peace Corps volunteer, also proposed increasing the size of AmeriCorps to one million participants and creating a Rapid Response Corps made up of former service volunteers and retired military personnel to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies.

* A Mason-Dixon poll in Nevada shows Fred Thompson leading the GOP field with 25% support, followed by Mitt Romney with 20% and Giuliani with 17%. (McCain was far behind with 7%.) Among Dems, Hillary Clinton is way out in front with 39%, followed by Obama with 17% and Edwards with 12%.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is up for re-election next year, is suffering politically in his home state as a result of his role in the immigration debate. A Republican pollster found Graham’s approval rating slipping to just 31% statewide. His disapproval among Republicans is higher than among Democrats.

* And in Nebraska, where Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) may or may not seek re-election next year, former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) seems to be testing the waters for a comeback bid. Kerrey, a former Nebraska governor and senator, is currently the president of The New School, a university in New York City.

And in Nebraska, where Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) may or may not seek re-election next year, former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) seems to be testing the waters for a comeback bid. Kerrey, a former Nebraska governor and senator, is currently the president of The New School, a university in New York City.

Oh,puh-leeeze. Bob “Legend in his own mind” Kerrey is such a turd. Why couldn’t he have had the good taste to get his Medal of Honor posthumously and save us all from putting up with his twit-brain “politics”?

Not that Hagel is much better. Nor with the other one who I can’t stand so much I can’t remember his name. Is there something in the water in Nebraska that creates these guys????

  • Tom,

    Do you mean Ben Nelson?

    I dunno, I used to drink well water all the time when I worked on the farm as a kid, and I turned out pretty okay.

    I think Nebraska politicians are, for the most part, just a bunch of self-aggrandizing opportunists. Must be that Platte River water in Lincoln.

  • Kerrey may be horrible, awful, weak, hypocritical, megalomaniacal; I really don’t know. What I do know is that he has high name ID and access to cash, and repacing an R with a D in the Senate is huge in terms of moving business through, and not replying on JoeLie. so gimme Kerrey, unless someone has a stronger candidate in Nebraska (2Man, are you running? 🙂 )

  • Zeitgeist,

    Oh, God, No! Well, maybe. I think I’ll start out small, like Waste Management here in Omaha.

    And actually, I think Lincoln gets most of it’s drinking water from wells in the Antelope Creek Valley.

    Sorry, my bad.

  • * Chris Dodd presented his “American Community Initiative” in New Hampshire on Friday, which establish a mandatory service requirement for high school students.

    But, if you read the Boston Globe article in which the program was first described, he also wants to call it a volunteer program. I’m quite familiar with “compulsory volunteerism” — from pre-’89 Poland and other “democratic” (socialist/communist) countries.
    I have nothing against mandatory social service (quite the contrary, in fact) but let’s be honest about calling a spade a spade.

    Bob Kerrey would, probably, be another Joe Lie. Given that the half-Nelson from that state is bad enough, do we really need another DINO?

  • A Republican pollster found Graham’s approval rating slipping to just 31% statewide.

    how low would his poll numbers be if they found out that he is GAY?! nothing would make me happier than if he were outed. hypocrites should always be outed.

  • For more information on Senator Fred Thompson please visit Senator Fred Thompson’s Biography

    Senator Barack Obama’s history of speeches on ethics and lobbying reform can be found at: Senator Barack Obama’s Record of Speeches

    Senator Barack Obama’s ratings from special interest groups on government reform issues can be found at: Senator Barack Obama’s Interest Group Ratings

    For more information on Senator Chris Dodd please visit Senator Chris Dodd’s Biography

    For more information Senators Fred Thompson, Barack Obama, or Chris Dodd position on ethics and lobbying reform please visit Project Vote Smart or call our hotline at 1-888-VOTE-SMART.

    • Comments are closed.