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BLOG ARCHIVE: SEPTEMBER 2009.
NEWS
UPDATE & OPEN THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 16, 2009.
The NEWS
UPDATE & OPEN THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9, 2009.
On Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi handed President ELECTION
RESULTS OPEN THREAD - NOVEMBER 5, 2009. Tuesday
was election day in gubernatorial contests in NJ and VA, congressional
special OPEN
THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2, 2009. Tuesday
is election day in the gubernatorial contests in NJ and VA, OPEN
THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 26, 2009. The
latest independent OPEN
THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 19, 2009. In
New Jersey, embattled Governor Jon Corzine (D) and former US Attorney
Chris Christie (R) are now neck-and-neck in the hot gubernatorial
race. OPEN
THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 5, 2009. Chicago OPEN
THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2009. Serious
OPEN
THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2009. Congressman
Stephen
SECOND
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big
news this week will be the release of former Alaska Governor Sarah
Palin's autobiography 'Going Rogue.' In the book she hits back
at various foes including her Alaska opponents and the media in
general (and Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson in particular). However,
her strongest hits are squarely aimed at various people involved
with the 2008 McCain campaign. As for Levi Johnston, he reportedly
is not even mentioned in Palin's book ... A federal judge sentenced
former Congressman Bill Jefferson (D-LA) to 13-years in prison.
Jefferson was convicted in August on bribery, racketeering and
other corruption charges. The sentence is the longest incarceration
ever given to a former member of Congress ... 
US
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) has changed plans again from
her previously announced decision to resign her seat in order
to focus full-time on her 2010 GOP primary challenge against Governor
Rick Perry. Hutchison on Friday says she now expects to resign
after the primary in March 2010, but left lots of wiggle room
to stay until the end of her term. "She will always do what's
right for Texas," explained Hutchison's campaign spokesperson.
The resignation -- if Hutchison follows through on her latest
statement -- will force a special election next year. At least
ten candidates have already announced their candidacies in the
date-uncertain Senate special election ... Milwaukee Mayor and
former Congressman Tom Barrett (D) announced his candidacy for
Wisconsin Governor. The White House had enouraged Barrett to run
for weeks, believing he is the strongest Dem for the open seat
contest ... Former Congressman Tom Tancredo (R) said this weekend
that he "expects" to soon enter the race for Colorado
Governor.
Obama
a small victory on Saturday when the House approved universal
health care legislation by a 220-215 vote. Only one Republican
-- endangered freshman Congressman Joseph Cao (R-LA) -- joined
with the Democrats to approve the bill. The fight for national
health care now moves to the US Senate. Senate Democrats acknowledge
it will be a tough fight, but believe they can have a bill on
the President's desk for signature by the end of next month ...
All signs are now pointing to former New Mexico Governor Gary
Johnson (R) running as the "Ron Paul movement" candidate
for President in 2012. Johnson, who is launching his Our America
PAC and has a book coming out in December, is seemingly encouraging
the "
Johnson
decides to make the race ... US unemployment rate his 10.2% on
Friday, the highest since 1983 (btw, what happened to that incumbent
President in 1984?) ... According to published media reports,
non-profit group founder/CEO Anthony Shriver (D) is considering
jumping into the race for Florida Governor. Shriver is the nephew
of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, the son of 1972 Democratic VP
nominee Sargent Shriver, and the brother of California First Lady
Maria Shriver ... Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter is
openly contemplating making a Democratic primary challenge next
year against US Senator Blanche Lincoln. Halter, who served as
the Social Security Administrator during the Clinton Administration,
is reportedly upset about Lincoln's failute to embrace Obama's
call for universal health care ... The fiscal conservative Club
for Growth is running TV spots in Florida which mock Governor
Charlie Crist (R) for falsely claiming last week on CNN that he
"never endorsed" Obama's stimulus package earlier this
year. The group is backing former State House Speaker Marco Rubio
against Crist in the GOP primary for US Senate.
elections
in NY CD-23 and CA CD-10, and mayoral contest in NYC, Boston,
Miami, Houston, Boston, Atlanta, and elsewhere ... NEW
JERSEY: Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R) defeated
Governor Jon Corzine (D) by a 49% to 45% vote, with former State
EPA Director Chris Daggett (Independent) third with 6% ... VIRGINIA:
As expected, former Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R)
defeated State Senator Creigh Deeds (D) by a lopsided 59-41 vote.
This continues Virginia's odd tradition, started in 1977, that
whichever party holds the White House has lost the last nine consecutive
gubernatorial contests in the state ... NY-23:
This 
was
the big upset of the 2009, aided largely by GOP infigting. Center-right
attorney Bill Owens (D) captured this seat with 49%, marking the
first time the Dems have won this seat since before the Civil
War. Accountant Doug Hoffman (Conservative) -- who was backed
by Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, and Rush Limbaugh -- was second
with 45%. GOP nominee Dede Scazzafava -- a liberal Republican
-- withdrew from the race days before the vote and endorsed the
Democratic nominee after she faced such hostile opposition from
leaders of the conservative wing of her own party ... CA-10:
No surprise. Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi (D) defeated attorney
David Harmer (R) by a 53-43 vote, with third party candidates
splitting the remaining 4% ... NEW YORK CITY:
Incumbent Mayor Mike Bloomberg (R) spent $100 million from his
own pocket, a national record for candidate personal spending,
to defeat City Controller Bill Thompson (D) by an unexpectedly
close 51-46 vote ... GAY RIGHTS: Maine voters
repealed by the state's same-sex marriage law by a 53-47 margin.
By a 51-49 vote, Washington State voters approved the so-called
"everything but marriage" R-71 ballot question. It grants
same-sex couples the right to enter in domestic partnerships with
virtually all the same state rights of marriage except being legally
able to call the relationship a marriage. In Houston, out gay
City Controller Annise Parker placed first with 31%, followed
by former City Attorney Gene Locke at 26%. They head to a December
runoff. If elected, Parker would become the first openly gay person
elected Mayor of a major US city.
congressional
special elections in NY CD-23 and CA CD-10, and mayoral contest
in NYC, Boston and elsewhere ... In New Jersey, the race between
Governor Jon Corzine (D) and former US Attorney Chris Christie
(R) remains too close to call. By contrast, in Virginia, former
Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) appears headed to a landslide
win over State Senator Creigh Deeds (D) ... The wild three-way
NY 
CD-23
race got wilder over the weekend as the GOP nominee -- pro-choice/pro-gay
marriage State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava -- quit the race
and endorsed pro-life attorney Bill Owens (D). Accountant Doug
Hoffman (Conservative), who is now backed by the RNC and NRCC,
is a slight favorite now over Owens. Scazzafava's name will remain
on the ballot on Tuesday ... In California CD-10, Lieutenant Governor
John Garamendi (D) is expected to score a comfortable win over
a Republican and three other opponents ... New York City Mayor
Mike Bloomberg (R) is cruising to a very big win over City Controller
Bill Thompson (D), who ran a highly dysfunctional campaign ...
In California, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) quit the gubernatorial
race, citing his poor fundraising. Polls had routinely placed
him in a distant second place behind Attorney General Jerry Brown
in the Democratic primary ... Infamous GOP consulant Roger Stone
predicted to Politics1 that NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg will run
for President as an Independent in 2012. "That's why he ran
for reelection this year," explained Stone. He also said
"the name of the Republican Presidential nominee [in 2012]
isn't yet known. The person who will be nominated is not any of
the major names floating right now" ... Here's a very early
prediction from me on the 2010 US Senate race in Florida: Barring
the unexpected (and this is not the outcome I want), former State
House Speaker Marco Rubio -- closely aligned for the past few
years with the Religious Right wing of Republican Party -- will
defeat Governor Charlie Crist in the GOP primary for US Senate,
and go on to win the seat in the general election. 
New
Jersey polls show a toss-up in the gubernatorial contest. Polls
differ on which man -- Governor Jon Corzine (D) or former US Attorney
Chris Christie (R) is leading, but the polls always show the leads
as being within the margin of error. Some polls show third-place
Independent Chris Daggett now reaching near the 20% mark ... Another
fascinating race to watch is the NY-23 congressional special election.
A GOP rift may hand the Democrats this GOP open seat. When the
Republicans nominated pro-choice/pro-gay marriage State Assemblywoman
Dede Scozzafava, the Conservative Party nominated accountant Doug
Hoffman. Meanwhile, the Dems nominated pro-life attorney Bill
Owens. The latest Research 2000 poll shows Owens at 35%, Scozzafava
at 30%, and Hoffman at 23% ... Two of the November races -- at
least based 
upon
the polls -- appear to already be largely decided. In Virginia,
former Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) leads State Senator
Creigh Deeds (D) by a double-digit margin that appears to be growing.
In New York City, incumbent Mayor Mike Bloomberg (R) is headed
to a landslide win over City Controller Bill Thompson (D) ...
In other polling news, a series of Research 2000 polls last week
shows US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) continuing to trail
for reelection next year against the leading announced GOP challengers
. Expect Reid to run a scorched earth strategy which spends millions
to drive up the negative ratings of the Republican rivals ...
The health care debate on Capitol Hill is seemingly heading towards
resolution in the Democratic Caucus, where it will largely be
decided. While the White House appears to prefer the public option
"trigger" so as to keep Senator Olympia Snowe's (R-ME)
support, Senator Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi both reportedly
are trying to secure enough votes for including a plan which includes
a public option from the outset. One top Democratic House member
involved in the talks told Politics over the weekend: "We
are close to having enough votes for the 'robust public option'
-- but we're not there yet. I think they're closer to having enough
votes in the Senate right now than we are in the House."
Polls
within the past few days show the two men within a point or so
of each other. Independent Chris Daggett is third, polling in
the mid-teens ... A Rasmussen poll on the P2012 GOP contest shows
Mike Huckabee is now leading the field with 29%. Mitt Romney was
second with 24%, Sarah Palin had 18%, Newt Gingrich scored 14%,
and Tim Pawlenty captured 4% ... In Oregon, former Governor John
Kitzhaber narrowly edged former Secretary of State Bill Bradbury
in a non-binding 
straw
vote at a state Democratic Party conference. The result was a
surprise, as the more moderate Kitzhaber was presumed to be a
solid frontrunner for nomination over progressive Bradbury and
former Hewlett-Packard executive Steve Shields (who barely registered
in the straw poll) ... In Iowa, US Senator Chuck Grassley (R)
is leading for reelection over former First Lady and attorney
Christine Vilsack (D) by a 51-40 vote, according to a new Research
2000 poll. The poll also showed Governor Chet Culver (D) holding
a wide lead for reelection over his two announced GOP challengers.
However, Culver trails former four-term Governor Terry Branstad
(R) by a 48-43 vote. Branstad recently filed paperwork to form
an exploratory committee ... US Senator Arlen Specter (D) is continuing
to face major problems in his 2010 reelection contest in Pennsylvania.
A new Rasmussen poll shows Specter trailing former Congressman
Pat Toomey (R) by a 45-40 vote. Specter holds a surprisingly close
46-42 advantage in his Democratic primary race against Congressman
Joe Sestak. By contrast, a Susquehanna Polling survey last week
showed Specter holding a 44-16 lead over Sestak.
lost
out to Rio for host city of the 2016 Olympic, despite a last minute
personal pitch to the IOC from President Obama ... The President
and Congress struggle with the question of what to do militarily
with the future of Afghanistan ... Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid (D) cancelled the Senate's scheduled Columbus Holiday recess
to keep the press on for passage of health care reform legislation
... More troubling details emerged about US Senator John Ensign's
(R) sex scandal, the latest causing Senate Republican Leader Mitch
McConnell (R) to back away from his previous statements of support
for Ensign's stated plans to seek reelection in 2012 ... The DNC
donated $1 million to Creigh Deeds' gubernatorial campaign in
Virginia, although polls continue to show him trailing by a noteworthy
margin ... In New Jersey, embattled Governor Jon Corzine's (D)
negative TV spots seem to be working, as several polls show he
has closed the gap and now trails former US Attorney Chris Christie
(R) by roughly 4 points ... In Minnesota, former State House Speaker
Marty Seifert won the straw poll for Governor at this weekend's
GOP State Convention. Seifert was first in the delegate vote with
37%, followed by State Representative Tom Emmer at 23%, former
State Auditor Pat Anderson at 14%, State Senator David Hann at
12%, and five others finished in the low single-digits. This was
purely a non-binding straw vote, versus the official party endorsement
vote at the next state convention in April 2010. Ten Democrats,
two Greens, and one candidate from the Constitution Party are
also running in the open gubernatorial race ... In South Dakota,
term-limited Secretary of State Chris Nelson (R) announced his
candidacy next year against Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
(D), setting up a potentially competitive race.
questions
emerged over the past week, from various polling professionals,
that suggests that Strategic Vision may have been faking polling
results for several years. Considering how many political sites
reported on the Strategic Vision polls since 2006, 
Lynch
(D) has withdrawn from the January special election in Massachusetts
for US Senator. However, wealthy venture capitalist Steve Pagliuca
(D), co-owner of the Boston Celtics basketball team, has jumped
into the contest. Independent polling last week indicates Attorney
General Martha Coakley (D) is the solid frontrunner to win the
special election. Congressman Mike Capuano (D) is already on the
air with TV spots. In related news, the state legislature is expected
to approve a change in state law later this week allowing Governor
Deval Patrick (D) to appoint an interim US Senator to serve until
the special election is held. Former Governor and '88 Presidential
nominee Mike Dukakis (D) -- a supporter of single-payer health
care and who has already said he would not run in the special
election -- is expected to be named the interim Senator ... The
New York Post reports that President Obama last 
week
private urged New York Governor David Paterson (D) to end his
2010 campaign to hold the job. Polls show Paterson hovering around
the 20% mark, making him virtually unelectable. Paterson, however,
appears intent upon running next year. Attorney General Andrew
Cuomo (D) is expected to be challenge him in the primary -- despite
previous denials to the contrary. Former Congressman Rick Lazio
and former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani are expected to battle each
other for the GOP gubernatorial nomination ... Activists at the
weekend's Values Voters Summit, a national gathering of religious
right activists, cast votes in a straw ballot for the 2012 GOP
Presidential contest. Mike Huckabee won with 29%, followed by
Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin tied with 12% apiece,
Mike Pence captured 11%, and Newt Gingrich, Bobby Jindal, Rick
Santorum and Ron Paul lagged far behind. Romney narrowly edged
Huckabee in this same straw poll four year ago. Huckabee, Romney,
Pence and Pawlenty spoke at the event before the vote ... Finally,
in the federal health care debate, US Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
unveiled his long awaited proposal last week, only to find it
drew endorsements from only a few Democratic Senators and zero
Republicans.
OPEN
THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14, 2009. The
health care debate continues to heat-up as the US Senate prepares
to take up the issue. US Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Olympia
Snowe (R-ME) both announced Sunday they will oppose any reform
legislation which includes a public option. With those two GOP
centrists now clearly out of the mix, it makes it much more likely
the Senate Dems will resort to the reconciliation rules to allow
the legislation to advance with only 51 votes (instead of the
60 usually required to invoke cloture to block a filibuster) ...
Now that former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card (R) and Congressman
Ed Markey (D) have taken themselves out of the US Senate special
election in Massachusetts, the list of those who will run is taking
shape. On the Democratic side, the major candidates will be Attorney
General Martha Coakley and Congressmen Mike Capuano and Stephen
Lynch. Capuano is believed to be the candidate backed by the Kennedy
family. On the GOP side, party leaders appeal to be rallying behind
State Senator Scott Brown -- as 
retired
pro baseball pitcher Curt Schilling now appears unlikely to run
... Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) said over the weekend that he
will refuse to make an apology this week on the House floor for
having shouted "you lie" at President Obama during last
week's Joint Session of Congress. Wilson said he already apologized
to the President in a phone call to the White House and will not
apologize again. House GOP Leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor
have reportedly been among those privately pushing Wilson to make
a brief, formal apology on the House floor to avoid an all-but-certain
reprimand vote for his rude outburst. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
was willing to block any formal reprimand action against Wilson
if he was simply willing to offer a formal apology on the floor.
House Rules prohibit members from calling colleagues "liar"
and other disparaging terms during floor debates and speeches
... Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), the most senior out gay member
of Congress, torpedoed Congressman Jerry Nadler's (D-NY) effort
to repeal DOMA. Frank said that Nadler was seeking too much, as
it was more realistic to advance gay rights in this session by
limiting the agenda to passing the Employment Non-Discrimination
Act, repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in
the military, and providing domestic partner benefits to spouses
of federal employees.
OPEN
THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2009. Labor
Day is now behind us, so Congress returns to work on Tuesday ...
President Obama will turn up the heat on health care reform in
a speech before a joint session of Congress. The President will
finally definine the specifics of the plan he wants adopted ...
The President will also give his unexpectedly controversial "welcome
back to school" speech this week aimed at America's grade
school students. Conservative school boards in several counties
around the nation have banned the airing of the speech as a feared
leftist "indoctrination," even though it is seemingly
a benign message emphasizing staying in school and working hard
to get good grades (much like similar televised speeches given
in the past by President Reagan and Bush-41) ... Former Congressman
Joe Kennedy (D) and former Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey (R)
-- the perceived frontrunners for each party's primary contest
for the open US Senate seat in Massachusetts -- each announced
they will skip the race. Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) has
announced her candidacy, and many others continue to look at the
contest ... Newly appointed US Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) takes
office on Thursday.
THREAD
FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 31, 2009. I'm trying
something new here on Politics1's homepage, as I previously mentioned
I was now using Twitter to post what comments on news, politics
and personal asides that I had to offer. With my BlackBerry and
the great 
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