Monday’s political round-up

October 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:

* Republican leaders in Iowa are apparently set to make Jan. 3 the date for the party’s presidential caucus, with the hopes that the state Democratic Party will do the same. (Rumor has it that Mitt Romney’s team was pushing for the 1/3 caucus, hoping to prevent any 11th-hour surge from Romney rivals.) Count on the candidates spending New Year’s in Iowa this year.

* Barack Obama will unveil his global energy initiative today, and in the process, will also reportedly offer veiled criticism of the Democratic frontrunner: “There are some in this race who actually make the argument that the more time you spend immersed in the broken politics of Washington, the more likely you are to change it. I always find this a little amusing. I know that change makes for good campaign rhetoric, but when these same people had the chance to actually make it happen, they didn’t lead. When they had the chance to stand up and require automakers to raise their fuel standards, they refused. When they had multiple chances to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by investing in renewable fuels that we can literally grow right here in America, they said no.” As usual, Obama criticizes Hillary Clinton without actually mentioning her name.

* A young man with muscular dystrophy told Mitt Romney in New Hampshire over the weekend that five of his doctors say he is “living proof medical marijuana works.” The voter, Clayton Holton, said, “I am completely against legalizing it for everyone, but there is medical purposes for it.” Holton asked whether Romney would support arresting him or his doctors over the issue. “I am not in favor of medical marijuana being legal in the country,” Romney said as he moved on to greet other people. Holton continued, “Excuse me, will you please answer my question?” “I think I have,” Romney said. “I am not in favor of legalizing medical marijuana.” I guess that means he would support incarcerating Holton?

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) told reporters that he does not want to be anyone’s running mate, if his presidential campaign comes up short. “I’m not interested in the vice presidency,” Richardson told CNN. “If it doesn’t work out for me as president, I’ll go back to the best job in the world, governor of New Mexico, in the sunset, riding my horse.”

* Speaking of Richardson, his campaign suffered a minor setback when his campaign co-chairman in South Carolina left Richardson and signed up with Sen. Joe Biden. Smith serves in the South Carolina House of Representatives and is a member of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus. Smith has been the co-chair of Richardson’s South Carolina steering committee since July.

* And in Virginia, we may not have heard the last of George “Macaca” Allen (R). Bob Novak reported that Allen, who had hoped to run for president before losing to Sen. Jim Webb (D) last year, is eyeing Virginia’s 2009 gubernatorial race. Allen already had the job once (1994-1998), but Virginia prohibits governors from seeking consecutive terms.

I find both Obama and Romney grating.

  • Romney is a jerk. May one of his own get ill and need marijuana; that is my prayer for all of these political hypocrites. Consistently the polls show that more than 60% of the American public, not matter what state they come from, support medical marijuana. Once again, the republicans are afraid to govern from the center, but pander to some image of whom they think their base is. I wonder how many right wing nuts would actually withhold marijuana from one of their children if that child was undergoing chemotherapy and could not keep food down without it.

  • Yes. That means he would support incarcerating Holton. Does he have to spell it out? -Haik Bedrosian

    I think he should when the question is posed to him.

    You don’t know if Romney is either to afraid to admit to the consequences of his position or he’s advocating looking the other way despite it being illegal.

    It’s not too much they we demand candidates actually answer the questions asked because letting them answer like this just allows people to make assumptions.

  • letting them answer like this just allows people to make assumptions

    Or, in the case of Romney in particular, makes it easier for him to flip-flop later.

  • George Allen and his supporters think Virginians will have short memories.

    They won’t have to. Allen will screw up again, only the next time it’ll be worse.

  • I agree with Doubtful #5. It is not too much to ask that question of every candidate and every candidate should be expected to answer. In California, where medical marijuana is legal on a state level, the Bush Justice department (you know the one that is in disarray, and does not have the resources to prosecute white collar crime or find the terrorists) is relentless in attacking patients, dispensaries and caregivers.

    Every candidate, Republican or Democratic, should answer that question. I know Bill Richardson signed medical marijuana into law, but the rest of them are slippery and cagey. I would especially like to hear Hillary’s answer since it was her husband who started this witch hunt.

  • Barack Obama: ” There are some in this race who actually make the argument that the more time you spend immersed in the broken politics of Washington, the more likely you are to change it. I always find this a little amusing.” Hmmm…maybe that explains why he keeps missing votes. Some of us are not all that amused. Not only that, some of us are getting a little tired of the smug response. What’s really getting to me, though, is Obama’s constant chiding of his fellow Senators for their failings at a time when he was not also in the Senate, even though – as near as I can tell – during his almost 3 years in the Senate, he has not exactly been leading the pack for change. I will be shocked if his energy initiative is all that innovative, or goes beyond the incremental.

    Mitt Romney: Yep, there’s that compassionate conservatism pouring out again. They just really don’t get it, do they? Sex education and availability of birth control inspires people to have – gasp! – sex outside of marriage or – the horror! – before the age of 18, so I guess legalizing marijuana for medical use would have us all in the doctor’s office, feigning some dread disease like cancer or muscular dystrophy so we could legally sit around and get stoned. We can get all kinds of prescription drugs that have proven to be widely abused, and we can walk into a liquor store with a valid ID that shows we are 21 – no problem. Medical marijuana? Forget it.

  • The Iowa move is likely to hurt Obama most, as it would prevent college students from participating and would make the caucuses more insignificant, allowing Clinton to survive against slip-up.Full analysis here.

  • Obama has painted himself into a bit of a corner. Part of the “change” he promises is a change in tone, a more inclusive, less angry politics. But that means he has trouble attacking other candidates directly, by name, because it looks like he is just another politician. As a result, he does things like this “there are some Senators who. . .” when he really means HRC. The problem is that while everyone reading this site may be informed enough to recognize what follows those ellipses as being an HRC proposal or statement or trait, 99% of the voting public has no idea at all, and won’t unless Obama actually educates them by naming her.

    And on his energy plan, he got beat to the punch by HRC – she announced an alternative fuels investment plan this morning in Iowa that is all over the Iowa press. He is going to have little choice but to get more aggressive, in a number of ways, to stay in this thing.

  • Obama“There are some in this race who actually make the argument that the more time you spend immersed in the broken politics of Washington, the more likely you are to change it. I always find this a little amusing.

    I too find this amusing. However, I think Obama is somewhat inexperienced for the office.

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