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A Welcome Portman In A Storm
Former Rep. Rob Portman announced his intention this morning to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. George Voinovich. Portman, who led the Office of Management and Budget and served as U.S. Trade Rep. during President...
Posted on January 14, 2009 01:47 PM
Bush: "We Have Been Through A Lot Together"
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Posted on January 12, 2009 10:46 AM
Sunday Snapshot -- You Only Get What You Give
Sunday was a mix of the past, present and future. Pres.-elect Obama appeared on "This Week" to discuss his upcoming challenges. Obama, asked if his admin. can fix the economy: "I think we can fix this. But it's going to...
Posted on January 12, 2009 09:06 AM
Au ReVoinovich?
Several media sources are reporting this evening that 2-term Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH), up for re-election in 2010, will announce his retirement tomorrow. Voinovich would be the 4th Republican senator (out of 19 GOP seats up next year) who will...
Posted on January 11, 2009 08:10 PM
Counting Guns, But Proving Their Mettle?
WASHINGTON -- The six men vying to lead the Republican Party out of the era of a botched war tried today to outgun each other, quite literally, during a 90-minute debate sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform. When moderator Grover...
Posted on January 5, 2009 06:13 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Mr. Burris Goes To Washington?
The Sunday shows kicked off '09 with talk about ex-IL AG Roland Burris (D), IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D) choice to fill Pres.-elect Obama's Senate seat. During an appearance on "Meet the Press," Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid was asked...
Posted on January 5, 2009 08:55 AM
Legal Roundabout
IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich's shocking selection of Roland Burris for a U.S. Senate yesterday -- complete with IL Rep. Bobby Rush's plea not to "hang or lynch" Burris -- may have finally nuked the fridge for Chicago politics. At first...
Posted on December 31, 2008 05:51 AM
It's Perriello, Finally, In VA-05
You can finally put the 2008 House election to bed. After a recount that ended today, officials in the Charlottesville-based VA-05 declared atty Tom Perriello (D) the winner over Rep. Virgil Goode (R). That result had been widely expected,...
Posted on December 17, 2008 06:10 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Crime And Punishment
Sunday Snapshot closes out a busy '08 with talk of the IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) scandal and the auto industry bailout. IL AG Lisa Madigan appeared on "Face the Nation" and "Meet the Press" to discuss Blagojevich. Madigan, asked...
Posted on December 15, 2008 09:34 AM
The Campaign '08 Lesson? Don't "Piss Off" Letterman.
An Election 2008 "war stories" panel featuring the principal players in this year's presidential contest quickly turned into a discussion of how John McCain lost the race earlier this evening at the Harvard Institute of Politics. As part of a...
Posted on December 11, 2008 10:05 PM
The House Is Set, Almost
Caddo Parish DA Paul Carmouche (D) conceded defeat to physician John Fleming (R) in the 12/6 LA-04 race this p.m. Fleming's lead was 350 votes. Carmouche, in a statement: "Of more than 92,000 votes cast throughout the 13 parishes...
Posted on December 10, 2008 06:24 PM
An Updated IL Special Senate Election Estimate: $31M
Ken Menzel, an elections specialist with the Illinois State Board of Elections, revised down today his prior estimate for the cost of a special U.S. Senate contest to replace Pres.-elect Barack Obama. Menzel yesterday told On Call that the election,...
Posted on December 10, 2008 05:28 PM
Bye Bye Bayou
Don't count on any MN-like recount in the Shreveport-based LA-04 House race. Even as yesterday's official vote tally showed Caddo Parish DA Paul Carmouche (D) picking up six votes from election night (12/6), Carmouche's team was preparing to concede. Physician...
Posted on December 10, 2008 08:56 AM
Big Money: The $45M-$50M IL Special Election
A special election to fill Pres.-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat could cost the state of Illinois between $45 million and $50 million, a state Board of Elections official told On Call this afternooon. Ken Menzel, an elections specialist with the...
Posted on December 9, 2008 05:04 PM
The Lincoln/Obama Comparisons: Real Or Hyperbole?
(Lincoln taking the oath at his second inauguration, March 4, 1865, Harper's Weekly, 1865) I recently interviewed Ron White, the author of "A. Lincoln: A Biography," published in January 2009 by Random House, to learn more about the true...
Posted on December 8, 2008 12:08 PM
Finally, Some Movement In OH-15
We may finally be nearing an end to the saga that is the Columbus, OH-based OH-15th House race. Today, the OH Supreme Court ruled that 1K disputed ballots will not be counted, siding with supporters of state Sen. Steve...
Posted on December 5, 2008 03:33 PM
"A Red, White And Blue Christmas"
The White House released information this morning about its many holiday soirees -- from the menu for all receptions to the musical groups featured at events. First Lady Laura Bush's office also offered up a string of 2008 holiday...
Posted on December 3, 2008 03:49 PM
Step Up, Step Out
Will the last one in the House turn out the lights? It might not be that bad -- Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) is the only Rep. so far to definitively say he is leaving -- but several others are looking...
Posted on December 3, 2008 12:48 PM
Oh Boyd!
Rep. Allen Boyd (D), the latest FL pol to release a statement responding to Sen. Mel Martinez's (R-FL) decision to retire in '10, devoted exactly one sentence to Martinez before highlighting his qualifications for the job and mentioning that he...
Posted on December 2, 2008 06:30 PM
Obama Records Radio Ad For LA House Hopeful
Pres-elect Obama may not be on the ballot, but he'll be on the airwaves in LA-04 for the 12/6 general election. "The Fix" reports that Obama has cut a new radio ad for Caddo Parish DA Paul Carmouche (D), who's...
Posted on December 2, 2008 01:25 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Hillary Right Over
Pres.-elect Obama's unveiling of his nat'l security team was the talk of the TV, with a lot of the analysis focusing on Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) being named sec/state. NPR's Liasson: "A lot of continuity, a lot of strong people....
Posted on December 2, 2008 09:36 AM
Pollster Feud: McInturff On Luntz, "A Moron"
Bill McInturff, John McCain's lead pollster, this morning defended his candidate's loss in the 2008 election as primarily a result of the nation's fiscal crisis. He also slammed Republican colleague Frank Luntz, whom he called a "moron," for his treatment...
Posted on November 20, 2008 10:31 AM
VA Gube '09: Vying For The Warner/Kaine Legacy
The first in a series of posts exploring the 2009 and 2010 gubernatorial and congressional contests. The 2009 Virginia gubernatorial race was bound to be interesting, not just because the state is on the precipice of turning bright blue...
Posted on November 19, 2008 10:29 PM
Missouri On My Mind
In Missouri today local jurisdictions are set to certify the results of the 2008 election, giving a narrow win to John McCain -- and marking the first time in 50 years the bellwether Show Me State failed to pick the...
Posted on November 18, 2008 09:43 AM
Weekend Lineup
Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs: SUNDAY: Meet the Press hosts Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), BP Capital Management founder/chair T. Boone Pickens and a roundtable with New...
Posted on November 14, 2008 12:39 PM
We're Not In Minnesota Anymore
If you thought election tallying shenanigans were reserved for the MN SEN race, think again. In OH's 15th District, where State Sen. Steve Stivers (R) is clinging to a 149-vote lead, his camp is challenging OH Sec/State Jennifer Brunner's...
Posted on November 14, 2008 11:06 AM
Steele In
Michael S. Steele, who served one term as lt. gov. of MD and now heads GOPAC, has launched his bid for chairman of the Republican National Committee. "The Republican Party must present a vision for the future of America that...
Posted on November 14, 2008 08:43 AM
Bush On Financial Markets
At the Manhattan Institute in NYC today, President Bush will discuss the financial crisis facing the nation and increasingly the world. He is expected to say that the United States has taken "unprecedented steps" to secure the banks. And he...
Posted on November 13, 2008 12:06 PM
Are You Feeling AK?
The latest vote tallies for the AK House and Senate races are in, and they're likely leaving pollsters feeling a bit blue. Embattled Rep. Don Young (R) will be returning to DC after his 50-45% defeat of '06 LG...
Posted on November 13, 2008 11:54 AM
A New Comeback Kid Is Crowned In AK
While most people were caught up in the fluctuating vote tallies in the AK Senate race, one important nugget seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle: The AP called Rep. Don Young (R-AK AL) the winner over ex-state...
Posted on November 13, 2008 07:38 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Mi Casa, Su Casa
A majority of last night's TV coverage focused on Pres.-elect Obama's meeting with Pres. Bush at the WH. FNC's Baier: "While this was Mr. Obama's seventh visit to the White House, this meeting was his first time inside the Oval...
Posted on November 11, 2008 09:09 AM
Putting the Car-Mouche In Gear
Dems are currently sitting on a 20-seat gain in the House, and they could pick up two or three more seats from races currently in recounts. But a new poll suggests Dems also have a great shot in retiring Rep....
Posted on November 10, 2008 04:12 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Hail To The Chief Of Staff
A number of Pres.-elect Obama's team members made the Sunday rounds. Newly-named WH CoS Rahm Emanuel discussed his role in the admin. on "This Week" and "Face the Nation." Emanuel, on House Min. Leader John Boehner saying it was "an...
Posted on November 10, 2008 09:19 AM
Dems Up To 20 In House, But Reichert Holds On
Two big House races were called late today as officials continue to count ballots in several close contests. Earlier this evening, the AP officially called the open Eastern Shore-based MD-01 for Queen Anne's Co. Atty Frank Kratovil (D), marking...
Posted on November 7, 2008 11:28 PM
House Update: Overtime!
We may be just two days removed from Election Day, but many have already moved on from campaign '08. The races for NRCC and DCCC chairs have already begun, and candidates are already mulling '10 bids. But let's not...
Posted on November 6, 2008 04:01 PM
House Update: Digging Her Own Mus-Grave
AP finally called it: Sen. Salazar ex-aide Betsy Markey (D) has defeated Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R) 56%-44% in CO-04. This was not an unexpected result, as the NRCC pulled funding in this CD in early October. Dems have now...
Posted on November 5, 2008 01:00 AM
Senate Update: Spoiler Alert
The MN SEN race is still too close to call, but with 82% of the vote in, Sen. Norm Coleman (R) is leading Al Franken (D) 42.0%-41.8%, or 5,500 votes. If Franken loses, it will almost certainly be due...
Posted on November 5, 2008 12:49 AM
House Update: Enchanted, I'm Sure
Color NM blue, at least the three CDs. All three districts, left open because each incumbent decided to give the open SEN race a try, have now gone Dem. In NM-01, ex-Albuquerque Councilor Martin Heinrich (D) demolished Bernalillo Co....
Posted on November 5, 2008 12:33 AM
House Update: A Tale Of Two Cities
AP has announced that two GOPers have survived in very different environs. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL 10) defeated '06 nominee Dan Seals (D) 55-45% in a CD that undoubtedly gave Barack Obama a huge margin tonight. Meanwhile, in John...
Posted on November 4, 2008 11:56 PM
House Update: Land Of Lincoln
In one of the nastiest races of the cycle, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL 21) easily defeated ex-Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez (D), 58-42%. The NRCC's IE arm spent its biggest chunk of money in the CD, and it looks like...
Posted on November 4, 2008 11:30 PM
House Update: That Was Quick
Rep. Don Cazayoux (D), who earned his LA-06 seat in a May special election, has been defeated by state Sen. Bill Cassidy (R). The AP called the race with Cassidy leading 56-37%, with Dem state Rep. Michael Jackson (I)...
Posted on November 4, 2008 11:05 PM
House Update: Sex, Lies, And A GOP Pickup
Steelers heir/atty Tom Rooney (R) has become the first GOP pickup of the night, as he defeated embattled Rep. Tim Mahoney (D) 61-39% in FL-16. Mahoney's multiple affairs, as well as his deal to quiet his ex-aide/mistress which was...
Posted on November 4, 2008 10:18 PM
Governor Update: The Vermontster
Gov. Jim Douglas (R-VT) seems likely to win re-election handily, carrying 56% of the vote with 42% of precincts reporting. State House Speaker Gaye Symington (D) and Anthony Pollina (I) are in a close race for second place, with Symington...
Posted on November 4, 2008 10:16 PM
Ohio: The Mother Of Presidents
CNN's Bash, on McCain’s reaction to losing OH: "There's no question ... reality is setting in in the McCain campaign." Pol. consultant Kirsten Powers, on the loss of OH: "It means it's pretty much over for John McCain. I don't...
Posted on November 4, 2008 09:29 PM
House Update: Sweet, Not Souder News For The GOP
In one of our early races to watch, a supposed vulnerable GOPer -- Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN 03), who held on in '06 with a surprisingly low 54% -- appears to have done better this time, knocking off atty...
Posted on November 4, 2008 09:06 PM
House Update: First Rerun Cancelled
House results are coming in slowly, but ex-Rep. Anne Northup (R) has lost her bid to knock off Rep. John Yarmuth (D) in KY-03. When the AP called the race, Yarmuth had 57-43%. Meanwhile, Politicker reports that as GOPers...
Posted on November 4, 2008 07:59 PM
Hotline After Dark -- For Love Of The Game
ESPN's Berman caught up with John McCain and Barack Obama yesterday. The interviews aired during "Monday Night Football"'s half-time. First up, Obama: Obama, asked what he has learned about himself during the campaign: "I don't get too high when things...
Posted on November 4, 2008 09:23 AM
The Flyover View: The Change Already
Across the battleground states, the "change election" has already come in the hours before the polls close. Shifting poll numbers, early voting results and the prediction of huge turnouts have caused local columnists to rexamine their hometowns' place on...
Posted on November 3, 2008 11:27 PM
A Night To Remember
The nets' extensive plans for election night coverage are below: ABC -- "Vote 2008" will originate from Times Square beginning with a special edition of "World News" at 6:30pm and continuing with full election coverage from 7pm until at least...
Posted on November 3, 2008 01:04 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- By The Numbers
The last pre-election Sunday lineup included Obama mgr. David Plouffe, who appeared on "Fox News Sunday" in his first ever Sunday show interview. Fox's Wallace: "You've come up with a number ... of exactly how many votes you believe you...
Posted on November 3, 2008 09:06 AM
Weekend House Call
Some updates on the House front on this final weekend... Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL 10) is not only fighting a toxic environment for GOPers, but also Barack Obama-enhanced turnout in his suburban Chicago CD. Now his opponent, '06 nominee Dan...
Posted on November 1, 2008 02:20 PM
Obama: "Vindicated"
DES MOINES, IA – The end is, perhaps, just the beginning. With just four days to go until America elects the next president, Barack Obama returned to the state that launched his once unlikely bid for the White House. In...
Posted on October 31, 2008 05:38 PM
AFL-CIO's Final GOTV Push
A memo: To: Interested Parties From: Steve Smith, AFL-CIO Re: AFL-CIO's Final GOTV Push Just wanted to send a final update on AFL-CIO activity through Election Day and a couple of quick notes about how we got here. Also wanted...
Posted on October 31, 2008 01:48 PM
"Somewhere Between Their Nose And Their Forehead"
Robert Gibbs, a senior advisor to Barack Obama, talked to reporters today, and the full report, per NBC/NJ's Athena Jones, is available after the jump. The News: Obama will make three stops Sunday in Ohio Gibbs talks Halloween (Obama will...
Posted on October 30, 2008 01:24 PM
Kerrey's Plea For Murtha
Via votevets.org, former NE Sen. Bob Kerrey is soliciting cash for Rep. Jack Murtha, who is engaged in what should've been an easy re-elect effort after noting that voters in western PA are racist, and Gary Peters, who is running...
Posted on October 29, 2008 01:03 PM
The Lost Frontier?
Without a doubt, it seems hard to believe that even Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) could possibly be re-elected a mere 8 days after being convicted of a felony. Sure, in the most recent round of pre-conviction polling, Stevens trailed Anchorage...
Posted on October 27, 2008 05:01 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Fuzzy Math
John McCain sat down with NBC's Brokaw in Waterloo, IA. Brokaw: "For the first time in nine months, our exclusive guest, Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain returns to 'Meet the Press.'" McCain: "I noticed you mentioned, nine months. I...
Posted on October 27, 2008 09:09 AM
House Race Hotline Extra: Slip Slidin' Away?
We didn't want to hit the weekend without passing along a few polls that just missed our HRH deadline. Both surveys show vulnerable incumbents losing ground just 11 days before the general. In MN-06, a week's worth of negative headlines...
Posted on October 24, 2008 03:33 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Talk To Me
Last night's coverage featured Sarah Palin's second interview with Sean Hannity, as well as the second part of NBC's Brian Williams' interview with Palin and John McCain. Additionally, ex-Pres. Bush press sec. Scott McClellan endorsed Barack Obama on comedian D.L....
Posted on October 24, 2008 09:19 AM
I Feel Pretty
Politico's Jeanne Cummings reported last night that the Republican National Committee has spent beaucoup bucks -- $150K to be precise -- on Sarah Palin's clothing and make-up consultations since she was tapped as the GOP veep nom fewer than two...
Posted on October 22, 2008 10:21 AM
Sunday Snapshot -- The Power Of Powell
Even a Sunday stump appearance by John McCain couldn't keep Gen./ex-Sec/State Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama on "Meet the Press" off the headlines. McCain also spoke to "Fox News Sunday," where he responded to the Powell endorsement: McCain: "Well,...
Posted on October 20, 2008 09:00 AM
Chi Trib, LA Times Endorse Obama
The Chicago Tribune, Barack Obama's hometown paper, endorsed a Democrat for president today for the first time: Many Americans say they're uneasy about Obama. He's pretty new to them. We can provide some assurance. We have known Obama since he...
Posted on October 17, 2008 05:10 PM
California Dreaming?
We're seeing some wacky polling in House races lately: Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL 24) down 24%. And Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE 02) leading by just 1% in a CD that gave Pres. Bush 60% in '04. Really? You can now...
Posted on October 17, 2008 04:23 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Back To Being BFF
John McCain appeared on the "Late Show" to apologize for skipping out on David Letterman's 9/24 show. Letterman: "Can you stay?" McCain: "Depends on how bad it gets. I have a son in the Marine Corps and I asked him...
Posted on October 17, 2008 09:02 AM
Letterman V. McCain
John McCain's appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" was taped this afternoon and airs tonight. Transcript, complete with Letterman's Q about McCain's relationship with G. Gordon Liddy (see 'questionable associations'), available after the jump....
Posted on October 16, 2008 08:36 PM
NJ EXCLUSIVE: Iseman Says McCain Affair Rumors False
Vicki Iseman, the lobbyist tagged by The New York Times for having a close relationship with John McCain, breaks her silence to speak with National Journal's Ed Pound. Iseman tells Pound that the rumors of her affair with McCain are...
Posted on October 16, 2008 04:01 PM
McCain In PA: Last Night, Joe The Plumber Victorious
In Downington, PA, today, John McCain pushed anew his 'Joe the Plumber' argument, saying that Barack Obama would spread (the average) Joe's wealth around. "We had a good debate last night," McCain said. "I thought I did pretty well, but...
Posted on October 16, 2008 01:39 PM
Sabotage?
The New York Post reported last night that Jesse Jackson told a World Policy Forum audience in France last week that if Barack Obama is elected the U.S. will no longer make Israel's needs paramount to the nation's foreign policy....
Posted on October 15, 2008 11:49 AM
McCain: "We've Got Them Just Where We Want Them"
In Virginia Beach this morning, John McCain will attempt to resuscitate his flagging campaign by urging that he's the fighter in the race, the one with the experience to tackle the pressing issues of the day. He avoids the smear...
Posted on October 13, 2008 10:51 AM
Sunday Snapshot -- Negative Nancies?
Economic policy dominated the Sunday shows, but there was still some talk of politics. Obama strategist David Axelrod and McCain mgr. Rick Davis appeared together on "Fox News Sunday," where the two discussed the tone of the campaign and Rep....
Posted on October 13, 2008 09:15 AM
St. Louis PD, Toledo Blade, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette For Obama
Three battleground newspaper endorsements for Barack Obama this a.m. Each is located deep in the heart of the white working class constituencies Obama needs to win in November. From the Toledo Blade: For guidance in arriving at this momentous decision,...
Posted on October 12, 2008 10:44 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Reality Bites
With the Senate's passage of the bailout bill last night, the package now moves to the House. Pols and pundits weighed in on its chances of passing there: Ex-Speaker Denny Hastert: "There's a very good chance. This is one of...
Posted on October 2, 2008 09:09 AM
Great Moments In Veep Debate History: "Who Am I? Why Am I Here?"
The stakes are unusually high for Sarah Palin and Joe Biden as they face-off tomorrow night at Washington University in St. Louis for their first and only meeting. And the candidates have only to look at recent vice presidential debate...
Posted on October 1, 2008 05:19 PM
PBS' Ifill Writing Obama Book
It seems as PBS' Gwen Ifill preps to moderate the only veep debate of the season, she's also readying to debut another project entirely -- a book titled "Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama." Now, Ifill is...
Posted on October 1, 2008 11:25 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Crisis Mode
The House's rejection of the bailout bill dominated last night's news coverage. Newt Gingrich, on a possible reason the bill failed: "The Republicans in the House are the most conservative element in Washington. And they were firmly opposed to the...
Posted on September 30, 2008 08:53 AM
Just Call Him Lurch
GREENSBURG, PA - Joe Biden said this morning that John McCain would not inspire the confidence of the nation at a time of economic crisis, while at the same time he praised Barack Obama for seeking a bipartisan approach to...
Posted on September 25, 2008 12:37 PM
The Clinton Global Iniative Goes On ...
And neither candidate would be fool enough to miss it. After the jump, the prepared remarks of both candidates, who addressed the forum this morning....
Posted on September 25, 2008 10:55 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Crisis Control
John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign and ask that the 9/26 debate be delayed was the hot topic last night. CBS' Katie Couric asked McCain about it in a sit-down interview. Couric: "Political observers say whoever gets out front...
Posted on September 25, 2008 09:35 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Access Denied
Reporters were initially barred from Sarah Palin's first meetings with world leaders at the U.N. on 9/23. CNN's Henry: "The [John] McCain campaign had tried to make the meetings no risk, at first refusing to allow reporters to join cameras...
Posted on September 24, 2008 09:14 AM
Palin Meets Karzai, "No Writers" Allowed
Pool report, courtesy Peter Hamby/CNN Gov. Sarah Palin's meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai 9/23/08 Intercontinental Hotel (49th and Lexington) ==== The press pool (still and TV cameras only, plus this producer) entered into Karzai’s sizeable suite at the Intercontinental...
Posted on September 23, 2008 12:40 PM
ICYMI: WH Cands Running Close In CO, MI, MN And WI
New Quinnipiac University polling for washingtonpost.com and the Wall Street Journal shows the battleground contests tight and largely unchanged in the last month. Per washingtonpost.com's Cillizza: In Colorado, Obama takes 49 percent to 45 percent for McCain while in Michigan...
Posted on September 23, 2008 11:46 AM
Hotline After Dark -- It's A Wild World
The $700B bailout plan continues to be the talk of the TV. FNC's Barnes: "We would be in a better situation, or at least the Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson would, if this were known as a 'rescue' rather than a...
Posted on September 23, 2008 09:35 AM
The Flyover View
With six weeks remaining until voters go to the polls, On Call launches a new feature today highlighting local news coverage of the presidential candidates' events across the nation. Though Washingtonians read their favorite national scribes religiously, the White...
Posted on September 22, 2008 06:04 PM
Obama: Can't Hope That Prosperity Trickles Down
Barack Obama is in Green Bay today. His prepared remarks are available after the jump....
Posted on September 22, 2008 12:50 PM
Obama: Bailout Won't Change Fate Of My Health Care Plan
Barack Obama told CNBC's Chief Washington Correspondent John Harwood that his plan to reform the nation's health care policy won't fall victim to the government's $700B bailout plan. HARWOOD: So no change in your health care plan? OBAMA: Well, the--but...
Posted on September 22, 2008 11:44 AM
On The Ball?
The presidential candidates are scrapping to show the American people they're on the ball this morning in reacting to the nation's urgent economic crisis, which could change the tone and direction of the White House contest for the next 46...
Posted on September 19, 2008 11:03 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Fired Up!
John McCain saying SEC chair Chris Cox should be fired generated a fair amount of discussion last night: New York Observer's Kornacki: "Firing the SEC commissioner, this is textbook. ... How do you separate yourself in 2006 from George W....
Posted on September 19, 2008 08:59 AM
Obama: "John McCain Can't Decide Whether He's Barry Goldwater Or Dennis Kucinich"
ESPANOLA, NM – Despite the economic crisis facing the country and the turmoil in the markets, this is not a time for fear or panic but for leadership and resolve, Barack Obama said today, telling the audience at a rally...
Posted on September 18, 2008 06:03 PM
Obama Hits McCain, Again, For Fundamentals Remarks
Hard-hitting Barack Obama speech in Golden, CO today in which the Dem says John McCain isn't to blame for the economic problems facing the nation but that his economic philosophy should be faulted. "It’s the philosophy that says we should...
Posted on September 16, 2008 12:56 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Lady In Red
Sarah Palin continued to be the talk of the town. Focusing on "gender politics," CBS' "Face the Nation" hosted AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and ex-MA Gov. Jane Swift (R)....
Posted on September 15, 2008 09:11 AM
Weekend Lineup
Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs: SUNDAY: Meet the Press hosts Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Rudy Giuliani, Bob Woodward and NBC pol. dir. Chuck Todd. Face the Nation hosts AZ...
Posted on September 12, 2008 01:14 PM
On Call Brings You 'A House Primary Update'
House Race Hotline Editor Tim Sahd will post results tonight out of competitive party primaries in NY-13 (Staten Island) and NY-26 (Buffalo) and New Hampshire's First and Second districts. So check in late this evening or early tomorrow for the...
Posted on September 9, 2008 03:14 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Three's Company
It was an exciting Sunday with John McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden all making appearances. McCain appeared on "Face the Nation" from Colorado Springs, CO, marking his 65th appearance on the show. CBS' Schieffer: "Senator McCain, you have now...
Posted on September 8, 2008 09:40 AM
Nader: "I Don't Think The Right Wing Can Trust McCain"
ST. PAUL – With what he says is an encouraging new poll in hand that reveals voter interest in candidates not tied to either leading political party, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader takes the stage tonight in Minneapolis for...
Posted on September 4, 2008 05:53 PM
Media Monitor: Backstage Pass -- The Iditarod Race
9/4, 10:30 am CT: Interview with FNC's Bill Hemmer, co-host of "America's Newsroom." We headed this a.m. to the Fox Experience tent, adjacent to the Xcel Energy Center, which houses all of FNC's operations in St. Paul. FNC sightings:...
Posted on September 4, 2008 05:35 PM
The RNC, Day Four Line-up
Available in full after the jump. John McCain is on between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. CT. The hour prior features: Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Gov. Tom Ridge and Cindy McCain....
Posted on September 4, 2008 05:13 PM
Sarah Palin Makes Her True National Debut
Sarah Palin is "honored" to accept her party's nomination for vice president of the United States. "I accept the call to help our nominee fo president to serve and defend America," she said a few moments ago. "I accept...
Posted on September 3, 2008 10:29 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Questioning The Questions
AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) continued to be the talk of the TV last night. Discussion focused on her daughter being pregnant and whether Palin was properly vetted. Karl Rove, on critics saying Palin should bow out for the...
Posted on September 3, 2008 08:45 AM
Youth Movement?
When NRCC Chair Tom Cole (OK-04) warned endangered GOPers in late Jul to stay away from the GOP Convo, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL 21) may have been just the candidate to heed that warning. Dems believe they've got him...
Posted on September 1, 2008 09:03 PM
Romney: I'm Not Interested In A Cabinet Position
MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Don't call Mitt Romney 'Mr. Secretary.' Romney told reporters this morning that he does not want a cabinet position in a John McCain administration, saying that he would not relish being "soldiered by 27-year-olds in the...
Posted on September 1, 2008 05:07 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Toning It Down
Two topics dominated the Sunday shows: Hurricane Gustav's impact on the GOP convo and John McCain's choice of AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) as his running mate. McCain was on "Fox News Sunday," and he was asked if there...
Posted on September 1, 2008 09:48 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Come Together, Right Now, Over Me
The speeches made by Bill Clinton and Joe Biden dominated last night's TV coverage. We'll start with B. Clinton's reviews first (because there were much more of them): Ex-IA Gov. Tom Vilsack (D): "Vintage Bill Clinton. No question about it....
Posted on August 28, 2008 09:57 AM
Mile-High Schumer
Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and DSCC chair Chuck Schumer (D-NY) hosted a sextet of Dem SEN candidates today in a presser at the Denver convention center: Ex-Govs. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Mark Warner (D-VA), Reps. Tom Allen (D-ME),...
Posted on August 27, 2008 05:49 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Getting The Job Done
Hillary Clinton's speech was the talk of the TV late last night: Dick Morris: "The better Hillary does tonight, the more everybody in this convention is going to be thinking why didn't [Barack Obama] pick her?" ("Hannity & Colmes,"...
Posted on August 27, 2008 08:57 AM
Steeling For A Fight
We break into coverage of the Dem convo for this special House bulletin. In what was to be the headliner of the FL primary matchups, Pittsburgh Steelers heir/atty Tom Rooney (R) appears to have snuck by two other GOPers to...
Posted on August 27, 2008 12:24 AM
"A Proud Supporter Of Barack Obama"
HIllary Rodham Clinton's DNC speech begins : "I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama. My friends, it is time to take back the...
Posted on August 26, 2008 10:43 PM
Dem Leaders: HRC Would Help Craft Obama Health Care Plan
DENVER -- Two leading Democrats -- Rep. Rahm Emanuel and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle -- said today that Hillary Clinton would play a key role in crafting health care policy if Barack Obama is elected. "She has...
Posted on August 26, 2008 03:29 PM
Home Is Where The Votes Are, But...
House candidates may not be the focal points of the Dem Convo, but many are still here, fishing for votes and support among the myriad of delegates and fundraising types that populate the grounds of the Pepsi Center. It's...
Posted on August 25, 2008 07:40 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Denver, Gorgeous!
All the Sunday shows shot on location in Denver and focused on Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden as VP. Obama strategist David Axelrod, asked if the camp decided that adding another change candidate was "simply too risky": "He...
Posted on August 25, 2008 10:05 AM
Praised
Former VA Gov. Mark Warner, a candidate for U.S. Senate and the keynote speaker at the Dem convention in Denver, suggests to Bloomberg's Peter Cook that his successor would make a fine addition to his party's ticket. Per a transcript...
Posted on August 19, 2008 03:22 PM
Obama Smacks McCain During VFW Speech
Barack Obama tells the VFW national convention that John McCain wrongly predicted that the United States would be warmly welcomed by Iraqis: "Senator McCain predicted that we’d be greeted as liberators, and that the Iraqis would bear the cost of...
Posted on August 19, 2008 11:25 AM
It's Lamborn And Coffman In CO
The marquee race in the CO House primaries -- the Boulder-based Second District race to replace retiring Rep. Mark Udall (D) -- isn't yet decided, but two other races appear all but over. In the CO-06 race to replace retiring...
Posted on August 12, 2008 11:51 PM
Baker's Man
On a day when MO-09 GOPers celebrate Rep. Kenny Hulshof’s (R) GOV primary win, they also nominated the man they hope will replace him – ex-state Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R). He defeated state Rep. Bob Onder (R), 39-31%, with three...
Posted on August 6, 2008 12:06 AM
Sunday Snapshot -- The Return Of The Race Card
There was a lot of discussion about Barack Obama's reaction to John McCain's "celebrity" ad, and whether Obama is injecting race into the campaign. Obama: "Since they don't have any new ideas, the only strategy they've got in this election...
Posted on August 4, 2008 09:07 AM
Fistful Of Dollars
The wife of Ed Rogers, chairman of the lobbying firm BGR Holding and a John McCain donor, opens the doors of the couple's McLean home for the pilot of the new show NBC show Power House, which explores the abodes...
Posted on August 1, 2008 03:44 PM
McCain: "We Will Withdraw"
ROCHESTER, NH – During a visit today to the state that resuscitated his presidential campaign, John McCain cautioned the Granite State's independent-minded voters gathered for a town hall meeting that Democratic rival Barack Obama is politicizing the Iraq war. "I...
Posted on July 22, 2008 02:36 PM
Why Michael Steele Won't Be JM's Veep
Lots of buzz in the political ether today noting that former MD Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, a 2006 candidate for U.S. Senate, accompanied John McCain to the NAACP convention in Cincinnati. Is it a sign, some are asking, that Steele's...
Posted on July 16, 2008 04:34 PM
GA's Peachy Keen On Incumbents
All of the primaried GA incumbents came out of their races unscathed tonight, despite the fact that some of the races had a few twists and turns. The White House race has played a big role in two primaries involving...
Posted on July 15, 2008 10:19 PM
GOP Goes Two For Two In AL
They had to wait six weeks, but House GOPers finally got their candidates in AL's two open seat races. State Rep. Jay Love (AL-02) and ‘94/’96 nominee Wayne Parker (AL-05) emerged from today’s runoffs with relatively comfortable victories, and will...
Posted on July 15, 2008 09:44 PM
Natural Woman Hits The Trail
Singer, songwriter extraordinaire Carole King will be in New Hampshire over the next three days campaigning for Barack Obama. She visits Gibson's Bookstore on Main Street in Concord tomorrow afternoon. In past presidential cycles King has stumped for Gary Hart,...
Posted on July 14, 2008 10:21 AM
Sunday Snapshot -- "A Happy Warrior"
"Fox News Sunday" dedicated its full hour to remembering ex-host/ex-WH press sec. Tony Snow, who died of colon cancer 7/12 at the age of 53. In a taped interview with Fox's Chris Wallace, VP Cheney talked about Snow's influence on...
Posted on July 14, 2008 09:25 AM
Hagel Will Travel To Iraq With Obama
(AP photo) The WSJ is reporting that Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) will join Barack Obama on an upcoming trip to Iraq. The pairing is sure to fuel additional speculation that Hagel, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, could...
Posted on July 11, 2008 02:55 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Gramm's Folly
Senator Phil Gramm's comments about the U.S. being a "nation of whiners" dominated last night's coverage. Ex-WH adviser David Gergen, on whether Gramm's comments undermine McCain's efforts: "If you look at the campaigns overall, yesterday, Jesse Jackson made a major...
Posted on July 11, 2008 09:17 AM
Obama: Immigration Reform Will Be A Year One Priority
During a speech before the League of United Latin American Citizens in Washington, Barack Obama is expected to commit today to making immigration reform a "top priority" in the first year of his administration. A snippet of the speech, which...
Posted on July 8, 2008 03:10 PM
Courting Hispanic Voters
The presidential candidates both addressed National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) late last month, and they're talking today to League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in Washington. A critical swing constituency that helped carry George W....
Posted on July 8, 2008 12:20 PM
Independence Day
Barack Obama speaks in Independence, MO, today about patriotism. Full text of his speech available after the jump....
Posted on June 30, 2008 12:07 PM
Can Emily's List Get Its Mojo Back?
I co-wrote today's National Journal cover story about Emily's List, the Democratic women's political action committee, with my colleague (and pal) Bara Vaida. We examine Emily's List's efforts to rebound from major losses in 2006 and Hillary Clinton's failed White...
Posted on June 27, 2008 10:27 AM
Friendly Dealings
Edward T. Pound has a piece out tomorrow in National Journal that asks: "Will Norm Coleman's relationship with a well-connected GOP operative hurt him in his tough battle for re-election?" The full story is available after the jump. Enjoy ......
Posted on June 26, 2008 04:42 PM
Obama's Swing State Edge
This a.m. Quinnipiac Univ. -- in conjunction with The Wall Street Journal and washingtonpost.com -- released its first surveys of four swing states. The polls, taken among LVs from 6/17-24, show Barack Obama leading John McCain in CO, MI, MN...
Posted on June 26, 2008 01:54 PM
Clinton To Nurses: Back Obama
WASHINGTON - In her first speech since conceding the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton today urged some of her strongest supporters, nurses, to back the presumptive Democratic nominee. "I have served with Senator Obama now for nearly four...
Posted on June 26, 2008 11:26 AM
9 to 5
Barack Obama was in Albuquerque, NM, today wooing working women. He slammed GOP rival John McCain for opposing fair pay. Obama also lauded Hillary Clinton: "I want my daughters to grow up in an America where they have opportunities that...
Posted on June 23, 2008 03:34 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Myth Busters
The severe weather in the MidWest and SCOTUS' Gitmo decision dominated TV coverage last night. There was also some talk about Barack Obama launching FightTheSmears.com, a website designed to "debunk smears and false rumors." CNBC's Harwood: "I don't think they...
Posted on June 13, 2008 08:53 AM
Running Scared
At a Christian Science Monitor luncheon this p.m., NRSC chair John Ensign (R-NV) gave a sober assessment of his party's '08 prospects, saying "it would be fairly miraculous" for the GOP to retake the Senate majority. He reiterated past statements...
Posted on June 12, 2008 05:40 PM
ICYMI: McCain's Cash Intake
Pool report of John McCain's Tuesday evening finance events in NYC available after the jump. Quick summary: First event -- 60 attendees, about 80 tix sold at $28,500 a pop ($2.28M total). Second event -- was for 40 "Trailblazers"...
Posted on June 11, 2008 02:15 PM
Team Spirit
WASHINGTON, Democratic National Committee HQ -- Democratic Party leaders banded together today to announce their support for Barack Obama, attempting to heal the divide between supporters of Obama and Hillary Clinton and to put John McCain in the party's crosshairs....
Posted on June 10, 2008 04:23 PM
A Speech Well Said, But Well Received?
Hillary Clinton breezed through a classy speech this afternoon about the importance of electing a Democratic president to the White House in November. Though she endorsed Barack Obama for a resounding chorus of reasons, the boom of boos that echoed...
Posted on June 7, 2008 01:35 PM
Dear 18 Million ...
A letter to supporters from Hillary Rodham Clinton: I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course...
Posted on June 5, 2008 10:18 AM
Tikkun Olam
WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama's key message to this skeptical crowd of Jewish activists and leaders is that he will employ "aggressive, principled, tought" diplomacy as his foremost strategy for negotiating with rogue nations, Iran included. But Obama vowed, with no...
Posted on June 4, 2008 11:01 AM
Super Tuesday, From The West
The biggest House primary day of the year last p.m. produced few surprises, and that continued in the western states of CA and NM. In one of the ugliest primaries of this cycle, in CA-04, state Sen. Tom McClintock (R)...
Posted on June 4, 2008 06:29 AM
Fallon Down
In one of tonight's more closely-watched House races, Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA 03) easily dispatched '06 GOV candidate/ex-state Rep. Ed Fallon (D). With 79% of the precincts reporting, Boswell lead Fallon 59-41%. Fallon's liberal positions on issues, along with a...
Posted on June 3, 2008 11:13 PM
Myers, Lance Survive NJ GOP Primaries
The GOP's top House recruits in NJ made it through very messy primaries, but will face much heavier competition in the fall. In the race to replace retiring Rep. Jim Saxton (R), Lockheed Martin VP/Medford Mayor Chris Myers (R) -...
Posted on June 3, 2008 10:49 PM
No Concession In New York
As the primary contests wrapped this evening, and though her fate appeared sealed, a strident Hillary Clinton nonetheless touted her popular vote majority and ability to win in swing states. She emphasized her commitment to health care reform, jumpstarting the...
Posted on June 3, 2008 09:32 PM
D. Dingell Calls For Dem Unity
Debbie Dingell, a Super D, pushed for an early MI primary. Her support for Obama will -- at least symbolically -- move to put the kibosh on further Hillary Clinton camp calls for the DNC's Credentials Cmte to reevaluate the...
Posted on June 3, 2008 12:03 PM
Hotline After Dark -- End Of The Line?
Last night, there was a lot of speculation about whether tonight's primaries in SD and MT will mark the end of Hillary Clinton's campaign. NBC's Mitchell: "Harold Ickes in his interview with me today said that it is symbolic that...
Posted on June 3, 2008 09:22 AM
McCain Woos AIPAC, Slams Obama For Iran Stance
WASHINGTON – As the presidential candidates sharpen their knives for the general election battle, Sen. John McCain started the week by courting one of the country's powerful lobbies, AIPAC, outlining the key differences between his Middle East policy. Speaking to...
Posted on June 2, 2008 10:56 AM
Dean: This Race Is About America's Future, Not The Candidates
WASHINGTON -- DNC Chairman Howard Dean, the 2004 presidential candidate who saw his campaign stall after a disappointing Iowa caucuses defeat, told a personal story this morning to the RBC -- and the nation -- to punctuate his call for...
Posted on May 31, 2008 09:58 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Here We Go Again...
Speaking at Barack Obama's Trinity United Church this past weekend, Michael Pfleger, a white Catholic priest, mocked Hillary Clinton for having cried in NH and suggested that she cried because she felt entitled to the presidency. Obama denounced Pfleger's sermon,...
Posted on May 30, 2008 09:13 AM
Clinton's Letter To Superdelegates
In full after the jump, Hillary Clinton makes a plea to the undecided superdelegates, cautioning that she's more electable in the fall and asserting -- as her camp has over the last several weeks -- that she's won the popular...
Posted on May 28, 2008 02:04 PM
On The Trail: "La Prensa Con El Presidente"
MOROVIS, P.R. - Following Bill Clinton is always interesting. But nothing like this. For weeks, a colleague told me to dread the former president's return to Puerto Rico. Without a press bus or spokesman, our style of being embedded has...
Posted on May 27, 2008 04:15 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- Time And Time Again
Hillary Clinton's reference to Robert Kennedy's assassination was the talk of the Sunday shows. Clinton chair Terry McAuliffe: "What she was talking about was the time line. ... She had made a very similar statement, as you know, in Time...
Posted on May 27, 2008 09:09 AM
RNC's "Without Preconditions"
The RNC issued this vid in light of Barack Obama's remarks today before the Cuban American National Foundation. It calls Obama "naive on foreign policy, not ready to be commander in chief." Obama's prepared speech is available after the jump;...
Posted on May 23, 2008 12:09 PM
Justice Hillary Clinton?
I have a story running in tomorrow's National Journal on the pros, cons and precedents for putting Hillary Clinton on the Supreme Court. NJ subscribers can read it here. For On Call devotees, it's available after the jump. Enjoy! (JENNIFER...
Posted on May 22, 2008 10:24 PM
Hotline After Dark -- A Boozeless BBQ?
Late yesterday afternoon, the New York Times reported that John McCain will meet with FL Gov. Charlie Crist (R) and LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) 5/23. Mitt Romney's name was also mentioned. This led to much speculation that McCain is...
Posted on May 22, 2008 09:23 AM
Cazayoux, Childers ... Boswell?
Lost in tonight’s results is the fact that yet another conservative Dem has emerged in an open House seat in the South. In the Bowling Green-based KY-02, where Rep. Ron Lewis (R) is retiring, state Sen. David Boswell (D) defeated...
Posted on May 20, 2008 09:27 PM
McCain On The Goolsbee Fiasco
John McCain at the National Restaurant Association convention in Chicago this a.m. hit Barack Obama on trade and referenced the Austan Goolsbee imbroglio: "Senator Obama has a habit of talking down the value of our exports and trade agreements. He...
Posted on May 19, 2008 01:21 PM
Sunday Snapshot -- General-ly Speaking
There continued to be talk of Pres. Bush's "appeasement" comment and how this influences a general election between Barack Obama and John McCain. GOP strategist Ed Rollins: "This president has to realize that he is no longer on the ballot....
Posted on May 19, 2008 09:07 AM
Make That 236 For Dems
The third time proved to be the disaster for GOPers, as Prentiss Co. Chancery Clerk Travis Childers (D) defeated Southaven Mayor Greg Davis (R) in tonight’s MS-01 special election, according to the AP. Childers, who will fill the remainder of...
Posted on May 13, 2008 10:17 PM
HRC: "Faith Can Move Mountains"
"Like the song says, 'It's almost heaven,' and I am so grateful for this overwhelming vote of confidence. Now, there are some who have wanted to cut this race short. They say, 'Give up, it's too hard, the mountain is...
Posted on May 13, 2008 09:02 PM
Team HRC: "The Mountain State Is Used To Picking Winners"
To: Interested Parties From: Clinton Campaign Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Re: Why West Virginia Matters With a record turnout expected in today’s primary, West Virginia Democrats will make clear who they believe is the strongest candidate to take on...
Posted on May 13, 2008 02:44 PM
Clyburn: HRC's White People Argument Is Flawed
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn tells NJ Contributing Editor Linda Douglass that any backroom deal that swipes the Dem nom from Barack Obama would devastate young people and blacks. He also argues that Hillary Clinton's pitch that Obama will do poorly...
Posted on May 9, 2008 11:50 AM
Wash Blade: "Hillary, The Time Has Come"
The Washington Blade, which endorsed Hillary Clinton, calls today for her to leave the Democratic primary race. Under the headline -- "Hillary, the time has come" -- the paper's editor, Kevin Naff, writes that Clinton's behavior during ABC's PA debate...
Posted on May 7, 2008 03:03 PM
Obama Camp To Super Ds: Time To Decide
A day after Barack Obama won big in North Carolina and lost narrowly in Indiana, his campaign manager and several top backers held a conference call to urge superdelegates to pick sides and end the protracted nomination fight On the...
Posted on May 7, 2008 12:56 PM
A Bad Week To Be A Woody
If IN voters want change, they're not showing it by tossing out their incumbents, no matter how new the Reps. may be. In the Indy-based 7th CD, two-month-old Rep. Andre Carson (D) had an easier-than-expected victory over self-funder/ex-IN Health Commis....
Posted on May 6, 2008 10:02 PM
McCain's Justice Advisory Cmte
John McCain announced today the members of his campaign's Justice Advisory Committee. Translation -- The very folks who would help a President McCain select nominees to the SUPCO and federal courts. Heading up the effort are Theodore B. Olson, former...
Posted on May 6, 2008 02:01 PM
McCain Knocks HRC/Obama For Backing "Activist "Judges
With former TN Sen. Fred Thompson in the audience today, John McCain offered a shout out to conservatives by verifying his support for strict constructionist judges. He criticized his Dem rivals for not backing John Roberts and Samuel Alito...
Posted on May 6, 2008 11:27 AM
Obama: "I Feel Good" And "It's Gonna Be Close"
GREENWOOD, IN -- During an early morning stop at a diner after polls opened Barack Obama predicted a close race in Indiana. "I feel good," he said in response to a question from a reporter. "I think we've campaigned hard...
Posted on May 6, 2008 09:23 AM
Sunday Snapshot -- Wright On
Barack Obama was on "Meet the Press" for the full hour 5/4. The interview was conducted in Indianapolis, IN. Obama, asked why Rev. Wright re-emerged: "You know, you'd have to ask him. I think that it's possible, as a consequence...
Posted on May 5, 2008 09:11 AM
Can Youx Believe It?
In a race GOPers will dismiss because of a poor candidate and one Dems will hail as their entry into the Southern battlefield, state Rep. Don Cazayoux (D) defeated '96 SEN nominee Woody Jenkins (R) to fill Rep. Richard Baker's...
Posted on May 3, 2008 11:10 PM
The Game Of PIG, A Metaphor
UNION MILLS, IN - Barack Obama finished off a day-long tour of Indiana that focused on rural issues with a roundtable chat at a hog farmer's house followed by a game of PIG that served as a metaphor for the...
Posted on May 1, 2008 09:48 PM
Union Leader: Endorsed HRC, Said Nation Needs A Prez With "Testicular Fortitude"
PORTAGE, IN - Hillary Clinton's campaign has worked hard of late to portray her as the fighter in the race, someone with the determination to see her plans through no matter what the obstacles. In North Carolina yesterday, Gov. Mike...
Posted on April 30, 2008 04:35 PM
HRC: "If You Had My Life, You'd Be Tough, Too"
SALISBURY, NC - Hillary Clinton used her latest proposal to tackle raising oil prices to portray herself as the fighter in the race, telling a few hundred people at a local train station that she'd be their champion in the...
Posted on April 28, 2008 04:59 PM
Another Monday, Another John McCain Tour Launches
John McCain launched his "Call to Action Tour" today in Miami with a health care roundtable. He travels Tuesday to Tampa for a speech at the Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. During the week, he'll also hit PA,...
Posted on April 28, 2008 11:03 AM
Weekend Lineup
Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs: SUNDAY: Meet the Press hosts DNC Chair Howard Dean and a roundtable with Washington Post's David Broder, Slate.com's John Dickerson, PBS' Gwen Ifill, NBC's Andrea...
Posted on April 25, 2008 12:58 PM
NC Drama
Thought the NC governor's race couldn't get any uglier? Think again! Richard Moore, one of the candidates in the NC gubernatorial race who is targeted by the GOP's controversial "Extreme" ad, is up with a new commercial attacking his opponent,...
Posted on April 25, 2008 10:22 AM
Clyburn: "Bizarre" Bill
The NYT's Mark Leibovich is reporting tonight that Rep. James E. Clyburn, an undeclared superdelegate from South Carolina who is the Democratic whip in the House, told the paper that “black people are incensed over all of this,” a reference...
Posted on April 24, 2008 09:26 PM
Clinton Memo: "The Tide Is Turning"
To: Interested Parties From: The Clinton Campaign Date: April 23, 2008 RE: The Tide Is Turning The voters in Pennsylvania have spoken. America is listening. And the tide is turning. By providing fresh evidence that Hillary is the candidate best...
Posted on April 23, 2008 09:16 AM
House Dem PA Sleeper Races Look Drowsy
(UPDATED: 11:15PM) Lake Erie Arboretum Director Kathy Dahlkemper (D) will face Rep. Phil English (R) in PA-03 in the fall. In this p.m.'s primary, she defeated Erie Co. Councilor Kyle Foust (D), atty Tom Myers (D), 45-26-19%. Church activist Moise...
Posted on April 22, 2008 10:31 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Define Victory
The 4/22 PA primary dominated TV coverage last night. Pat Buchanan: "If [Obama] can't beat Hillary Clinton when he's the frontrunner and now outspent her two to one, he can't win Pennsylvania; can he take it away from John McCain?...
Posted on April 22, 2008 09:22 AM
Going Back To Scranton
SCRANTON, PA – After a long weekend of campaigning, marked by a bitter back and forth between the candidates, Hillary Clinton left the negativity behind as she kicked off the last full day of the primary race with a fourth...
Posted on April 21, 2008 10:55 AM
"If You Don't Want To Play, Keep Your Uniform Off"
ST. MARY'S, PA – Bill Clinton has been crowing all day about his wife's performance in last night's debate. At his most recent stop, he pushed back at some of the complaints coming from Barack Obama's campaign, saying his...
Posted on April 17, 2008 05:41 PM
Philly Daily News For Obama
He might've had a rough ride last night during the ABC debate, but Barack Obama is having a fine morning. In addition to scoring a couple Super Ds, he won a glowing endorsement from the Philly Daily News ... Should...
Posted on April 17, 2008 10:52 AM
An Almost Oppo Free Zone
The debate is past the halfway point but the oppo is hardly flying. Two items sent by Team Clinton's Phil Singer. One from Team Obama. All three items available after the jump ......
Posted on April 16, 2008 08:46 PM
Live Blog Philly
Be sure to check Hotline On Call this evening for the latest news and information from Philly as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama face off for the 21st Dem primary debate, 8 p.m. ET. ABC hosts the nationally televised, 90-minute...
Posted on April 16, 2008 02:30 PM
Hotline After Dark -- A Fight To The Bitter End?
Talk of Barack Obama's "bitter" comments continued to dominate TV last night: All three network newscasts led with coverage of Obama's remarks. ABC's Gibson: "Presidential politics is first. Because topic A continues to be what Barack Obama said about rural...
Posted on April 15, 2008 09:03 AM
I'd Like To Get A Few Things Off My Chest
BOONVILLE, IN -- After a series of rallies in Puerto Rico early this week and some down time for fundraisers in recent days, Bill Clinton returned to the campaign trail here today, and, apparently, he had a lot to get...
Posted on April 10, 2008 05:32 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Fanning The Flame
There was a lot of TV talk last night about the protests surrounding the Olympic torch but in political news talk centered on the upcoming NC and PA primaries: NBC's Todd: "North Carolina is going to be Hillary Clinton's 'Achilles...
Posted on April 10, 2008 08:49 AM
GOP Has Liftoff
Even though the 2008 race for the House is fully engaged everywhere else, the GOP can finally begin its drive to unseat Rep. Nick Lampson (D-TX 22). That's because the favored candidate of many in the party, ex-Senate aide/vet Pete...
Posted on April 8, 2008 09:54 PM
Weekend Lineup
Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs: SUNDAY: Meet the Press hosts Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and a roundtable with NBC's Tom Brokaw, author Michael Eric Dyson...
Posted on April 4, 2008 01:16 PM
Hotline After Dark -- It's The Economy ...
Barack Obama made the media rounds last night: Asked if the party is hurt by the long-term battle between him and Hillary Clinton: "I don't think we are hurt long-term. I think short-term, there is gonna be work to do...
Posted on March 28, 2008 08:51 AM
More Mac On Obama Action
John McCain's campaign criticized Barack Obama's economic speech today, while Hillary Clinton is expected to hit McCain during her talk on the economy in NC -- and her campaign teased as much by leaking her related comments. V. interesting that...
Posted on March 27, 2008 11:12 AM
Groundhog Day
The Clinton camp just sent reporters a memo pushing anew the NY Sen's Tuesday remark that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright would never have been her pastor. And, in response, Team Obama blitzed scribes a doc asserting that Clinton is trying...
Posted on March 26, 2008 11:17 AM
The Bad News Continues For The House GOP
GOPers appear to have lost another top-tier recruit in an open seat. Late last night, the Syracuse Post-Standard reported that ex-NY State fair dir. Peter Cappuccilli (R) is dropping out of the NY-25 race to replace Rep. Jim Walsh (R)...
Posted on March 26, 2008 06:32 AM
Greenspan And Volcker And Rubin, Oh My
Hillary Clinton gave a speech about the economy today at the University of Pennsylvania, announcing a four-point plan to address the home foreclosure crisis. She suggested that the Holy Trinity of economists -- Alan Greenspan, Paul Volcker and Bob Rubin...
Posted on March 24, 2008 10:32 AM
Sunday Snapshot
There was a lot of economic and Iraq talk on the Sunday shows this Easter weekend but here are the political highlights: Obama supporter/NM Gov. Bill Richardson (D) was on "Fox News Sunday": Richardson: "I believe the sooner we end...
Posted on March 24, 2008 08:43 AM
Weekend Lineup
The following guests have been announced for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs: SUNDAY: Meet the Press hosts CNBC's Maria Bartiromo and CNBC's Erin Burnett and a roundtable with Newsweek's Jon Meacham, Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan,...
Posted on March 21, 2008 12:09 PM
It's A Matter Of Trust
The Barack Obama campaign is pushing hard on today's call the notion that Hillary Clinton has "a history of misleading voters." A feisty David Plouffe, accompanied by Greg Craig, offer this support for the claim: 1. First Lady scheds indicate...
Posted on March 21, 2008 10:10 AM
Shame On Us
Sure, Hillary Clinton delayed the release of her White House scheds, only agreeing to make them public yesterday, to distract, it seemed, from Barack Obama's brave speech about race in America. But as reporters begin to weed through the more...
Posted on March 19, 2008 03:27 PM
Race In The White House
A new CBS News poll of U.S. RVs out this a.m. shows 64% of whites believe the U.S. is ready for a black POTUS, while just half of blacks believe the same. At the same time, men and women are...
Posted on March 19, 2008 02:41 PM
Fiorina: McCain "Not A Regular Computer User"
High-profile, powerhouse female tech execs for John McCain ... As we've reported, Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman are backing the senator's WH bid. Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard, signed on with the RNC as Victory Chairman, while Whitman, outgoing...
Posted on March 17, 2008 11:16 AM
Sunday Snapshot
It was a Sunday of campaign surrogates but first, what will it take for the Dems have a nominee? Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed the path to the Dem nod on "This Week": Asked if she's worried about the tone in...
Posted on March 17, 2008 08:36 AM
Beating The Drum
SCRANTON, PA -- Hillary Clinton spent Saturday celebrating the luck of the Irish at two massive St. Patrick's Day parades on opposites ends of the Keystone State. As the senator walked, waved and held babies, including her niece Fiona, her...
Posted on March 15, 2008 08:57 PM
Hotline After Dark -- There Was A Primary?
Dems in Mississippi were voting yesterday but the majority of TV coverage focused on Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D-NY) and Geraldine Ferraro's comments on Barack Obama: Ferraro appeared on "GMA" this a.m. where she said: "Let me say to you how...
Posted on March 12, 2008 09:11 AM
Sunday Snapshot
Dem campaign surrogates made the rounds on the Sunday shows this weekend: Hillary Clinton supporter/PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D) squared off against Barack Obama supporter/ex-Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) on "Meet the Press": Rendell, asked how a revote in MI and...
Posted on March 10, 2008 09:47 AM
Double, Double, Toil And Trouble
So Bill Clinton is in Mississippi today touting the possibility of a joint HRC/Obama ticket. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's campaign this morning sent out another memo pushing the notion that Barack Obama is all talk, no action, and that his Iraq...
Posted on March 8, 2008 12:44 PM
Caucusing Is Difficult
CASPER, WY, March 7 -- Remember that "Caucusing is Easy" how-to video Hillary Clinton's campaign rolled out in the days leading up to the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses? It made it look like a breezy process, complete with hamburgers and...
Posted on March 8, 2008 12:22 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Gone South
Talk of MI and FL's Dem delegates and what to do with them dominated the political discussion on TV last night: FNC's Angle summed up the situation: "Everyone seems to be gravitating toward a new vote but can't figure out...
Posted on March 7, 2008 09:06 AM
Ken Starr Alert
In another sign of an increasingly negative Dem campaign, Hillary Clinton's staff criticized Barack Obama today for using "Republican talking points" to attack their candidate. They also challenged Obama to address the issues they've raised about his readiness to handle...
Posted on March 6, 2008 12:21 PM
Worse News For The House GOP?
There appears to be two disappointing developments for the House GOP tonight. First, in TX-23, the cash-strapped NRCC lost a self-funder in atty "Quico" Canseco (R), as he was defeated by Bexar Co. Commis. Lyle Larson (R), according to the...
Posted on March 4, 2008 11:30 PM
Meanwhile, Downballot...
Ron Paul’s (R) House constituents apparently love him a lot more than TX voters do. Tonight, despite doubts about his re-election bid, Paul blew out his primary challenger, Friendswood City Councilor Chris Peden (R), 68-32%. It was such a blowout...
Posted on March 4, 2008 10:52 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Is Today The Day?
What will happen on 3/4 dominated TV last night: "Nightline" aired more of ABC's Moran's interview with Barack Obama: Obama, asked if he feels pressure to keep HRC from winning states: "I think the Clinton team has been very clever...
Posted on March 4, 2008 09:11 AM
Sunday Snapshot
There were a lot of campaign surrogates on the Sunday shows this weekend: Obama adviser David Axelrod and HRC adviser Howard Wolfson were on "This Week" this weekend: Axelrod, on HRC saying she and McCain have experience while Obama has...
Posted on March 3, 2008 08:43 AM
Wooing Bloomberg
NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg's announcement last night that he wouldn't seek the presidency produced this varied react today from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. "I had the opportunity to have breakfast with Mayor Bloomberg a few months ago, had a...
Posted on February 28, 2008 05:19 PM
The Ghost Of Presidential Debates Past
Those watching the debate on local Cleveland TV got treated during the commercial break to a familiar face from debates long ago -- Dennis Kucinich. He's also on the ballot next week, and he's facing a primary challenge. So he...
Posted on February 26, 2008 09:57 PM
Stats For Thought
In the light of day, some analysis of last night's MD and VA exit polls … -- Did they come out just for him? Exit polls show that the less often 2/12 Dem primary voters had gone to the polls...
Posted on February 13, 2008 03:15 PM
Huck: Advantage Obama
WASHINGTON -- Participating this morning in the Christian Science Monitor's breakfast series, Gov. Mike Huckabee weighed in on his Democratic rivals, saying that Hillary Clinton is struggling to connect with voters because the country is looking for a candidate with...
Posted on February 12, 2008 01:50 PM
Sunday Snapshot
The Sunday shows are still focused on WH '08: Mike Huckabee was on "Meet the Press" this weekend: On the delegate count: "I don't know how the math works out, but there's always the chance something stumbles. The thing is...
Posted on February 11, 2008 08:43 AM
Huck: No Quitter
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Mike Huckabee worked to draw a contrast between himself and John McCain today, and suggested the twists and turns of the Republican race for president make him still viable. "Conservatives in the Republican Party ought to...
Posted on February 8, 2008 12:23 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Getting Tighter Than A Tube Sock
With Mitt Romney suspending his campaign, pundits discussed its ripple effects on the '08 race: JUST A MATTER OF TIME? There was discussion of whether or not Mike Huckabee would drop out: CNN's J. King, on Huckabee: "Some believe that...
Posted on February 8, 2008 09:13 AM
John It Is; Mitt Looks Toward 2012
WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney abandoned his flailing campaign for the GOP nom today, telling a supportive audience at the CPAC convention that he and his fellow conservatives must withstand cultural attacks from the left, cut income and corporate taxes, and...
Posted on February 7, 2008 12:46 PM
Hotline After Dark -- A "Political Hangover"
In the aftermath of Super Tuesday, and dealing with "political hangovers" as some pundits put it, the talking heads looked back on country's first so-called national primary: REPORTERS START VYING FOR PUERTO RICO ASSIGNMENT There was a lot of discussion...
Posted on February 7, 2008 09:13 AM
GOP Three-way In GA
In Georgia, NEP exit polls posted by MSNBC show Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney tied at 31%, with John McCain just behind at 30%. Exit polls also show… -- 18-64 year-olds preferred Huckabee 33-31% over Romney, while 65+ voters chose...
Posted on February 5, 2008 07:20 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Ready For The Big Day
The night before Super Tuesday, the nets focused on the big day: Hillary Clinton stopped by the "Late Show" and, when asked what ex-Pres. Clinton's role would be in her WH, debuted a new line: "In my White House we'll...
Posted on February 5, 2008 10:00 AM
Romney's California Dreaming
NASHVILLE -- He's the new sharp-tongued Mitt Romney. With rising poll numbers in California, Romney is acting like a resurgent candidate. "If I win California, that means you’re going to have a conservative in the White House," he said today....
Posted on February 4, 2008 10:21 AM
Sunday Snapshot
Hillary Clinton was on "This Week": Asked about Obama's argument he can get GOP and indie votes in a general election: "I think that my record and the elections that I've been through demonstrate that I'm more likely, at the...
Posted on February 4, 2008 08:47 AM
With JRE Out, Michelman Moves To Obama
With John Edwards out of the Democratic race, supporter Kate Michelman, former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, is backing Barack Obama. Michelman was a visible advocate for JRE on the cable circuit. "Barack Obama, like John Edwards, is redefining what...
Posted on February 3, 2008 03:26 PM
SEN GOPers Need To Kick It Up A Notch
The GOP will have to kick it up a notch to keep some of their open SEN seats in '08. In NM, Tom Udall outraised Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce combined, while cousin Mark Udall doubled Bob Schaffer's haul in...
Posted on February 1, 2008 01:24 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Endorsements, Dropouts, And Debates
With a GOP debate, Rudy Giuliani endorsing John McCain and John Edwards abandoning his WH bid, TV had plenty to talk about last night. We lead off with the debate talk, which focused on the tensions between McCain and Mitt...
Posted on January 31, 2008 09:40 AM
Sunday Snapshot
Lots of '08ers on the Sunday shows this weekend: Barack Obama was on "This Week": On SC: "We actually had more Democrats vote in the Democratic primary, or more individuals vote in the Democratic primary than in the Republican primary....
Posted on January 28, 2008 08:53 AM
Obama: "This will not be easy, make no mistake about what we're up against."
Celebrating a stunning broad-based win in South Carolina after a week of heated exchanges with his leading rival, Barack Obama said tonight that his victory proves that no one should doubt the country’s unified pull toward change. He said it...
Posted on January 26, 2008 08:55 PM
Hotline After Dark -- No Debate About It
There was a Dem debate last night. Here's what the pundits had to say about it: CNN's Cooper: "An unprecedented debate in Myrtle Beach. And, if you thought the last several weeks on the campaign trail have been tough, it's...
Posted on January 22, 2008 09:25 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Two Times The Fun
With the NV caucuses and the SC GOP choosing their candidate tomorrow, the TV networks turned their eye to those two states: Reno Gazette-Journal's Damon: "Romney is the only Republican candidate to build a significant organization here. Ron Paul, on...
Posted on January 18, 2008 09:05 AM
Hotline After Dark -- About Obama ...
As the nets look ahead to NV and SC, they turn to the '08ers for their takes: Hillary Clinton was on "Money & Politics": Asked if she doubts the economy has replaced Iraq as the top issue for voters: "No,...
Posted on January 17, 2008 09:44 AM
McCain Camp Already Moving On
Per Politico At 9:04, a raft of top surrogates for John McCain took the stage here in Charleston and immediately began to shift the race to South Carolina. "It's time for the first-in-the-South primary," bellowed State House Speaker Bobby Harrell....
Posted on January 15, 2008 09:20 PM
Clyburn: Move On
Clyburn: Democrats need to move past Clinton's MLK remarks By BRUCE SMITH Associated Press Writer House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said Tuesday the Democratic Party needs to move past a recent dustup involving Hillary Rodham Clinton's comments about Martin Luther...
Posted on January 15, 2008 08:05 PM
Baker's Out
Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA 06) announced this a.m. on WJBO radio that he's taking a job with the Managed Funds Assoc. The move was not unexpected, as he filed a disclosure with the House on 1/4 that he was going...
Posted on January 15, 2008 10:11 AM
Sunday Snapshot
Once again, '08ers continue to dominate the Sunday shows: Hillary Clinton was on "Meet the Press": Asked about her criticism on Obama about MLK: "I was 14 years old when I heard Dr. King speak in person. He is one...
Posted on January 14, 2008 08:50 AM
Hotline After Dark -- The Debate Continues
After the GOP debate hosted by FNC in SC, the candidates appeared on "Hannity & Colmes": John McCain: "The major concern of conservatives is this nation's security. The war in Iraq, the struggle against radical Islamic extremism -- they respect...
Posted on January 11, 2008 09:12 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Hindsight Is 20/20
There was still talk of how the media called it wrong in New Hampshire: Dem pollster Peter Hart: "What it really comes down, in my estimation, is, they stopped polling too soon" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 1/9). Politico's Simon: "The take away...
Posted on January 10, 2008 09:43 AM
Post NH Catch Up ... Just Breathe
WASHINGTON -- It was indeed a stunner of a race last night in the Granite State. New Hampshire primary voters, who turned out in record numbers, breathed life into John McCain's floundering campaign and, likewise, allowed Hillary Clinton's team to...
Posted on January 9, 2008 07:44 PM
Any "Desperate Housewives" Out There?
With 63% of precincts reporting, CBS News reports that Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama 39-36%, with John Edwards at 17%, Bill Richardson at 5% and Dennis Kucinich at 2%. FNC says John Edwards will "probably" endorse Barack Obama once he...
Posted on January 8, 2008 10:14 PM
McCain Adviser: Heading Into Feb. 5 "Like A Freight Train"
NASHUA -- Steve Schmidt, John McCain's senior adviser, told reporters in the filing room just a few minutes ago that McCain's victory marks a "springtime renewal" for a GOP working against national sentiment to keep the White House. He...
Posted on January 8, 2008 08:55 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Primary Day Madness
As people in NH are voting, the candidates take to the airwaves: Ron Paul was on the "Tonight Show": On not being included in the 1/6 Fox debate: "I realized that they really had some property rights ability there, and...
Posted on January 8, 2008 09:48 AM
Biden Out
In an emotional speech at the Des Moines Science Center, Joe Biden, surrounded by his family, announced he is ending his bid for the White House. He thanked his supporters and his staff and said there were many good Democrats...
Posted on January 3, 2008 10:54 PM
Clive 4
Rick Tyler, former spokesman for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said his family has spent its vacation working for Mike Huckabee in Iowa. Even his 11-yr-old daughter made 400 calls for Huckabee. Tyler said Huck is the true conservative in...
Posted on January 3, 2008 08:20 PM
All In The Family
In the race of family vs. family two clear frontrunners have emerged in Iowa: Joe Biden and Mitt Romney. Yesterday, Biden and some 20 members of his family traveled to Des Moines, Indianola, Knoxville, and Davenport. Speaking to about...
Posted on January 2, 2008 01:49 PM
Odds And Ends ... New Year's Eve Edition
First, a happy and healthy new year to all ... Eat plentifully tonight, drive carefully, and make a daily read of On Call one of your resolutions. Today in campaign madness ... John Edwards was asked to respond to an...
Posted on December 31, 2007 06:27 PM
Washington Blade: HRC For President
This endorsement today from the LGBT newspaper: SO, THEN, WHY Hillary? Her chief rival, Obama, has disappointed in the debates, appearing to lack confidence and talking mostly in generalities. George W. Bush has certainly lowered the bar when it comes...
Posted on December 21, 2007 04:04 PM
Iowa's First Lady Endorsing Edwards
Iowa's first lady to back Edwards for president By TONY LEYS * REGISTER STAFF WRITER * December 16, 2007 Iowa's first lady, who had said she would stay neutral in the presidential race, has changed her mind and plans to...
Posted on December 16, 2007 11:03 PM
Sunday Snapshot
Once again, many '08ers were on your TVs this Sunday: Rudy Giuliani was on "Meet the Press": Asked if being 5th in IA polls is a problem: "I wish you had shown Florida. It would have looked better, where we...
Posted on December 10, 2007 08:45 AM
Ron Paul, Wild Card
Jennifer Skalka (Email this author) © National Journal Group, Inc. COLEBROOK, N.H. -- When Ron Paul walked into the living room of this large house with an American flag out front and the crackle of a warm fire inside, Gloria...
Posted on November 30, 2007 09:37 AM
For $310 A Week, You Can House and Feed a Richardson Campaign Volunteer
This email went out to NH Dems this week from Bill Richardson's campaign manager, Dave Contarino ... Money running out??? Dear XYZ, I just waved goodbye to the third vanload of volunteers leaving Albuquerque for Iowa today. Tomorrow we're sending...
Posted on November 29, 2007 02:00 PM
Hotline After Dark -- A Foreign Affair
WH '08ers made the TV rounds last night. In "Nightline"'s latest installment of "The Contenders," ABC's Moran spent a day with Barack Obama on the campaign trail in IA: Obama: "Senator Clinton is claiming basically the entire eight years of...
Posted on November 27, 2007 09:48 AM
NH Guv Won't Follow Wife's Lead
UPDATE Though his wife threw her support behind Hillary Clinton today, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, who was re-elected last November with a 74 percent of the vote, will remain neutral in the primary race, per NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli. "He...
Posted on November 26, 2007 02:34 PM
Bush Gives Nomination to HRC, Wishful Thinking?
More proof, if anyone needed it, that the GOP is gunning for HRC. In an ABC News interview with Charlie Gibson airing Tuesday, President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush say that Clinton's experience as FLOTUS has prepared her to...
Posted on November 20, 2007 05:15 PM
Sunday Snapshot
The movers and shakers in the '08 race stopped by the Sunday shows this weekend: Mike Huckabee was on "Fox News Sunday": On his Chuck Norris ad: "Oh, it probably doesn't convince anybody. The spots we'll run next week will...
Posted on November 19, 2007 08:38 AM
Dr. Spoiler?
DIXVILLE NOTCH -- During Ron Paul's two-day retail tour this week of New Hampshire's North Country, he stressed several points: a. He is mad for the Constitution. If it's not in there, he doesn't want to legislate it. Think health...
Posted on November 15, 2007 11:16 AM
Finally HRC Says 'No Thanks' to Spitzer Proposal
After weeks of giving a less-than-clear answer on the topic of giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Hillary Clinton said today that she backs Eliot Spitzer's plan to, well, withdraw his plan. This two weeks after her Philly debate gaffe...
Posted on November 14, 2007 05:31 PM
Sunday Snapshot
Lots of '08ers on the Sunday public affairs shows this weekend: Barack Obama was on "Meet the Press": Asked why Dems are skeptical about his knowledge and experience to be POTUS: "I have not been on the national scene as...
Posted on November 12, 2007 08:41 AM
You Wouldn't Want to Miss On Call's Election Night Updates
Though talk of presidential politics is dominating the airwaves, we here at The Hotline recognize that it is, in fact, an Election Day. Voters in Kentucky and Mississippi cast ballots in gubernatorial races. Meanwhile, the battle for Ohio's fifth congressional...
Posted on November 6, 2007 03:47 PM
Dueling Iowa Addresses -- Edwards says HRC is "Voting Like a Hawk in Washington and Talking Like a Dove in Iowa," HRC Sticks to Clean Energy
John Edwards used his Iran strategy speech in Iowa City today to attack Hillary Clinton (again) for her vote declaring the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, Hillary, in Cedar Rapids, avoided talk of her rivals, instead laying out...
Posted on November 5, 2007 01:52 PM
Clinton Files in Concord, Gets Velvet Rope Treatment
Hillary Clinton filed for the New Hampshire primary today, attracting hundreds of supporters to the State House steps in Concord. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner's office was mobbed by reporters, photographers and camera crews, some of whom arrived...
Posted on November 2, 2007 02:22 PM
Sunday Snapshot
There was a lot of discussion about the situation with Iran and the federal response to the CA wildfires on the Sunday shows this past weekend. But here are are the political highlights: THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING Chris Dodd...
Posted on October 29, 2007 08:51 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Fire Coverage Burns Bright
Lots of coverage of the CA wildfires last night: CNN's Henry, on Pres. Bush's trip to CA: "This administration burned so much by Hurricane Katrina, the slow response, they obviously want to show that they have learned lessons, that they...
Posted on October 24, 2007 08:53 AM
Sunday Snapshot
Mitt Romney was on "Face the Nation": Asked about a Newsweek poll that says 28% won't vote for a Mormon: "I think the reason that some 28, 29 percent are not comfortable voting for a Mormon is they think they're...
Posted on October 22, 2007 08:37 AM
Hotline After Dark -- TV Likes Mike
Sam Brownback drops out of the WH race and Mike Huckabee gets a lot of TV interviews: Huckabee was profiled on "World News Tonight" as part of its "Who Is" series: Huckabee: "I still remember my father taking me to...
Posted on October 19, 2007 09:00 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Second Acts
Judith Giuliani proves there are second acts in life with her interview on "Hannity & Colmes" last night: Rudy and Judith Giuliani were on "Hannity & Colmes" last night: J. Giuliani, asked to tell people about herself: "Well, I have...
Posted on October 17, 2007 09:00 AM
Sunday Snapshot
John McCain was on "Face the Nation": Asked if he was accusing Romney of being a con when he said he was the only real GOPer in the race, McCain: "I don't think that it's appropriate to say, as Governor...
Posted on October 15, 2007 08:34 AM
Thompson (Tommy That Is) Endorses Giuliani
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Rudy Giuliani became the first Republican presidential candidate to pick up the support from one of his formal rivals, as former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson gave the former New York City mayor his endorsement. "I want a...
Posted on October 12, 2007 05:18 PM
Sunday Snapshot
John Edwards was on "Meet the Press": On Richardson saying Edwards would "change the mission" while Richardson would "end the war": "What I would do instead is outside of Iraq, probably in Kuwait, maintain a quick reaction force. And that...
Posted on October 9, 2007 07:20 AM
George McGovern Says "Ladies First", Endorses Hillary Clinton
George McGovern, the former South Dakota senator and presidential candidate, endorsed Hillary Clinton in Iowa City on Saturday. "I think that if we can elect her president, she'll be a greater president even than her brilliant husband," McGovern told the...
Posted on October 7, 2007 09:45 AM
Sunday Snapshot
On "This Week," Newt Gingrich confirmed his decision not to run in '08: Asked if he had second thoughts, Gingrich: "No. The McCain-Feingold Act criminalizes politics." Asked what that meant: "Well, we learned yesterday morning -- this was the decisive...
Posted on October 1, 2007 08:45 AM
Obama, On Broadway
Barack Obama campaigns in Hillary Clinton's backyard this week, fundraising with Broadway stars on 9/24 and holding a rally in Washington Square Park on 9/26 p.m. NY is, of course, not in play. But Obama's previous events in NYC have...
Posted on September 24, 2007 08:00 AM
E. Edwards: Imagine This
One day after John Edwards announced his education platform, his wife Elizabeth Edwards told a New Hampshire audience that the plan is the latest example of him leading the Democratic field when it comes to addressing the issues. “Imagine what...
Posted on September 22, 2007 06:21 PM
Sunday Snapshot
Talk of Pres. Bush's 9/13 address to the nation on Iraq led the Sunday shows this weekend: Defense Sec. Robert Gates was on "This Week" and "Fox News Sunday": Gates, on saying he hopes the US can get down to...
Posted on September 17, 2007 09:38 AM
Romney Tailgates in Iowa
Des Moines – Mitt Romney wants Iowans to know why he’s leading the Republican race among statewide caucus-goers: He’s investing time there. At three stops on Saturday, Romney informed supporters that his campaign has held more than 150 events...
Posted on September 16, 2007 11:24 PM
Edwards At Harkin Steak Fry
On the eve of Hillary Clinton's much anticipated health care speech, John Edwards focused on health care in his speech at the Harkin Steak Fry. "Brothers and sisters, when are we finally going to stand up to drug companies and...
Posted on September 16, 2007 11:13 PM
Hotline After Dark -- How Many '08ers Can You Fit On Cable?
Lots of analysis after Pres. Bush's speech: CNN's Cooper: "Mr. Bush said al Qaeda 12 times. General Petraeus got eight mentions. Surge got six, and getting no mention whatsoever, the word victory" ("AC 360," 9/13). CNN's Crowley: "The president's plan...
Posted on September 14, 2007 09:00 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Someone Forgot To Call No Take Backs
The late-breaking news that Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) may change his mind about resigning sent the cable nets into a tail spin: FNC's Garrett: "Craig's Republican colleagues do not want to see this revisited. This is not a welcome development....
Posted on September 5, 2007 09:39 AM
Hotline After Dark -- A Tale Of Two Senators
ABC's Woodruff reported on Sen. Ted Johnson's (D-SD) recovery for "Nightline": Johnson, on the day of his stroke: "I remember that time, and all the way to the emergency room -- ambulance ride, the emergency room. And then I become...
Posted on August 29, 2007 07:24 AM
Do As I Say ...
As of recently, Barack Obama's rhetoric has been hovering dangerously close to that of John Edwards on various issues, including org. labor and lobbyist campaign contributions. In the Aug. issue of Progressive magazine Elizabeth Edwards goes so far as to...
Posted on August 23, 2007 04:01 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Love's Labor Gained
Lots of post-debate analysis to start off your morning: MSNBC's Matthews: "It was not an NFL football game, but it was pretty close" (8/7). NBC's Todd: "Clinton found out she had allies tonight in Dodd and Biden, and I think...
Posted on August 8, 2007 08:41 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Chronic Fatigue
Last night's TV was dominated by DHS Sec. Michael Chertoff's "gut feeling" that there be a terrorist attack this summer. Talk of Iraq also continued: FNC's Garrett: "National Security Advisor Steven Hadley traveled to Capitol Hill today and appealed for...
Posted on July 12, 2007 09:23 AM
Treadwell, Raises Well
On the House fundraising front, ex-NY GOP chair Sandy Treadwell (R) said today that he'd raised $333K in the 2ndQ for his race against freshman Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY 20). Aides say only $6K of that total is a contribution...
Posted on July 11, 2007 03:13 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Ralphing It Up
Ralph Nader made the TV rounds last night: Nader: "I wish someone else would run on the progressive banner. ... But they don't want to do it. And this politics stinks so badly that it drives out good candidates. Good...
Posted on June 22, 2007 09:00 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Scootin' Along
Scooter Libby's jail sentence and the return of the immigration bill were the main political news last night: MSNBC's Shuster: "At this point, the only thing that could essentially keep Scooter Libby from reporting to prison in the next six...
Posted on June 15, 2007 08:34 AM
Hotline After Dark -- The Fred And Jay Edition
Immigration was the main topic of TV last night: PBS' Holman: "The last time President Bush took his motorcade to the Capitol for a Tuesday policy lunch with Senate Republicans was six years ago" ("NewsHour," 6/12). FNC's Baier: "Bush tried...
Posted on June 13, 2007 08:58 AM
VA GOPers Swing For The “Grand Slam”
After failing to close the last two statewide elections, the Republican Party of Virginia is hoping to score big in what Chairman Ed Gillespie calls the upcoming "Grand Slam" of Virginia politics. The Grand Slam, and the chairman's corresponding goals,...
Posted on June 5, 2007 09:07 AM
Rudy and Hillary, All About The Beverly Hills Benjamins
LOS ANGELES – Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani both aggressively sought 90210 dollars 5/30 p.m. at competing Beverly Hills fundraisers, with the ex-New York mayor drum-beating against Clinton’s “old-thinking” call this week for tax hikes, writes David Finnigan....
Posted on May 31, 2007 02:34 PM
Hotline After Dark: Come On In, The Water's Fine
Talk of the TV last night was focused on the Atlanta man under federal quarantine for tuberculosis and Fred Thompson testing the WH '08 waters. FNC's Hume: "The actor and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson will move a step closer...
Posted on May 31, 2007 08:51 AM
Tsongas Picks Up EMILY's List Endorsement
EMILY’s List endorsed Niki Tsongas (D), the widow of the late Sen. Paul Tsongas (D-MA), today in the Special Election race to fill Rep. Marty Meehan’s (D-MA 05) seat. EMILY’s List Founder Ellen Malcolm: “Niki Tsongas has committed her life...
Posted on May 17, 2007 09:55 AM
For Mother's Day, A Spotlight On Michelle Obama
Not a coincidence: all those profiles you're reading this a.m. of Michelle Obama Going into Mother's Day, Mrs. Obama graces the cover of the USA Today -- remember, the nation's most-read newspaper will be in newsboxes all weekend -- and...
Posted on May 11, 2007 09:37 AM
Ex-English CoS Named Giuliani's Coalitions Tomorrow
Tomorrow, watch for the Giuliani presidential campaign to announce that it's filled the position of Nat'l Coalitions Director. Bob Holste, a 20 year vet of politics, will help the campaign organize affinity coalitions. He'll report to political director Mark Campbell....
Posted on May 8, 2007 07:50 PM
Derby Day!
Primary Day is only 18 days away. But Kentuckians are much more focused on Derby Day, and the gubernatorial candidates are doing there best to break through. It’s been one big party all week in Louisville, culminating with the 133rd...
Posted on May 4, 2007 12:51 PM
Fred Thompson's Inner Circle Builds A Larger Circle
LOS ANGELES -- Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson, who attends his first official political event in Orange County, CA tonight, has authorized a cadre of top Republican operatives to prepare a presidential campaign on his behalf. Republicans said that four circles of...
Posted on May 4, 2007 11:40 AM
The Debate Part II -- Full Transcript
More errors we made. Help us correct them!...
Posted on May 3, 2007 09:25 PM
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates AZ Political News-- House OKs bill targeting gangst Capitol Fax-- Contradictory argument? Colorado Pols-- Suthers to launch identity theft education ... Doc's Political Parlor-- Daily News Georgia Political Digest-- Stem cell bill...
Posted on April 18, 2007 11:15 AM
McCain's Royal "We.." On Taxes
Sen. John McCain, in discussing President Bush's tax cuts today, uses a distinctive pronoun. "When we passed those tax cuts, we increased spending as well. That's unacceptable, and the best way to protect the tax cuts and balance the budget...
Posted on April 16, 2007 02:33 PM
Three Candidates, Three Big Foreign Policy Speeches: Chris Dodd
At this point, since we don't have excerpts of Sen. Chris Dodd's foreign policy speech, we'll have to settle for this summary: The speech will be: "a bold engagement with countries beyond Iraq to bolster our standing around the world....
Posted on April 11, 2007 10:10 AM
Fred Thompson's Already Getting Endorsements: What Does This Mean?
Our Missouri affiliate, John Combest Blog.com, passes along two press releases: MO Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder For President of the United States, I will be backing former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson and urging support for him among friends and colleagues....
Posted on April 9, 2007 10:41 AM
Hotline After Dark Special: A Sunday Snapshot
TO FUND OR NOT TO FUND? Sens. Arlen Spector (R-PA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) appeared on "Late Edition" together: Lieberman: "Putting a timeline on is always a mistake in war because it says that a bunch of political people in...
Posted on April 9, 2007 09:23 AM
Iowa Office Politics: Mitt Romney
URBANDALE -- Tomorrow, Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney will open his Iowa office, a cavernous, purple-carpeted converted corporate office a Drew Tate pass away from I-35. Most of the space is empty, save for a row of tables and chairs, white...
Posted on April 3, 2007 12:35 PM
Hotline After Dark: Toeing The Timeline
Besides a lot of well wishes for Tony Snow last night, TV concentrated on the Senate vote on Iraq: John McCain was in the "Situation Room" last night to discuss Iraq (the interview took place before the SEN vote). He...
Posted on March 28, 2007 07:20 AM
Spotlight: Been There vs. Haven't Done That
Today's Hotline Spotlight: They're the biggest '08 Dem storylines: B. Clinton is a double-edged sword for HRC, and Obamamania will subside, a victim of rookie flaws. Both stories drive the race today, and they have more in common than...
Posted on March 27, 2007 02:30 PM
On The Download: Democratic Internet Insiders Poll
Welcome back to On The Download, your dispatch on politechs: Politics, Multimedia and the Internet. If you have tips, comments, or suggestions, email us. On The Download asked 22 of some of the best Democratic Internet strategists what they...
Posted on March 23, 2007 09:04 AM
Al Gore Is In.
Let's stipulate that Al Gore is In. Hold on. I'm not saying that I know Mr. Gore will formally enter the presidential race. Matter of fact, I doubt it. But that's a technicality. If the Democratic primary field moves when...
Posted on March 21, 2007 12:27 PM
White House 2008 Rankings: The Democrats
With so much tumult on the Republican side, Democrats should be pleased that their field is starting to stabilize. The top tier of Clinton, Obama and Edwards seems secure, with Richardson and Dodd solidifying a strong second tier. The "Draft...
Posted on March 16, 2007 11:25 AM
Overlooked: Oh, Gilligan!
From today's Hotline: NPR's Ken Rudin offers an answer to 3/2's Overlooked, which asked when the last time a defeated ex-Rep. was elected GOV. It might be John Gilligan (D-OH), who lost his House re-election bid in '66 and a...
Posted on March 5, 2007 12:45 PM
Why John McCain Had A Pretty Good Month
Why does Sen. John McCain sit atop our '08 race rankings when he's the two-to-one underdog in national polls? -- He continues to lead most polls in NH and all of them in SC. He's running strong in IA, too,...
Posted on March 5, 2007 10:24 AM
Alex Castellanos's Cheap Shot
At the end of the Boston Globe article about an internal Mitt Romney strategy memo written by strategist Alex Castellanos. Like every Republican in the race, Romney faces the delicate task of how to talk about President Bush, whom the...
Posted on February 27, 2007 09:10 AM
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliaites AZ Political News-- Governors Seeking Help From Congress For Children's Health Care Capitol Fax -- Winner Or A Loser? Georgia Political Digest-- House Bill Will Help Establish Accountability Iowa Politics-- Legislature Will...
Posted on February 26, 2007 09:30 AM
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliaites AZ Political News-- Governor Defends Her Border Efforts Capitol Fax -- Local Elections Roundup Georgia Political Digest-- Would Feb. 5 Primary Put Georgia In Race? Iowa Politics-- IowaPolitics.com: Obama Looks To Be...
Posted on February 22, 2007 10:00 AM
Bill Clinton's Fundraising E-Mail For Hillary
(ED -- Is the picture cute or creepy?) Writes Pres. Clinton: "Am I enthusiastic about my wife's campaign for president? You bet I am. I know her better than anybody on earth, and she's got the best combination of...
Posted on February 21, 2007 12:32 PM
Hotline After Dark -- 1 If By Air, 2 If By Iraq
With British PM Tony Blair announcing this a.m. a withdrawal date for British troops, TV speculated what this would mean for the WH: CNN's Malveaux: "The White House is really trying to paint this as a success story. ......
Posted on February 21, 2007 07:11 AM
White House 2008 Rankings: The Democrats
As expected, Barack Obama’s announcement was covered big by the media, about as big as Hillary Clinton’s announcement. The test for Obama, though, is whether he can sustain momentum in the same vein as Hillary. As for the rest of...
Posted on February 15, 2007 10:52 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Bush Discusses WH '08
TV continues to not only talk about Iraq, but Iran is getting more attention. There was also a good chunk of North Korea talk. Meanwhile, there were some good interviews on last night: Pres. Bush sat down with C-SPAN's...
Posted on February 13, 2007 07:15 AM
Overlooked: These Little Town Blues
From today's Hotline: During his FNC interview this week, Rudy Giuliani promoted the number of candidates he's campaigned for around the country. Energizer bunny he may be, but . ... According to our Election Scorecards of GOV, SEN and House...
Posted on February 7, 2007 12:40 PM
Hey! That's MY Home State
The back-and-forth eye-poking between Sen. John McCain and Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney over who can accumulate the most endorsements from the other's home state strikes us as a little pissy. You can blame the apostates on the vagaries of state...
Posted on February 5, 2007 04:43 PM
Rudy Ramps Up, Part VI
What to make of an unsure Rudy Giuliani who hesitates to check the "Republican" box, therefore preserving the option of running as an independent? First, that was two months ago, when Rudy and his tight circle of advisers were trying...
Posted on February 2, 2007 08:14 PM
Academe Is Talking Over... Sort Of
Academia is beginning to look like a beachhead for aspiring Democratic politicians. The 2008 presidential field features Barack Obama, who spent more than a decade as a lecturer at the University of Chicago law school. Hillary Clinton spent a handful...
Posted on January 31, 2007 03:06 PM
On The Trail: Reconsidering Rudy
The hardest candidacy to figure out of either party's presidential front-runners is that of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R). Giuliani has shown simultaneous strength (in the polls) and weakness (slow on the staffing front) in these early...
Posted on January 31, 2007 11:43 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Comeback Kids?
Already three defeated GOP incumbents have announced they're coming back (or close to it) for more in '08. That may be welcome news for the DCCC. -- Jim Ryun (R) announced this weekend he's in. Ryun ran an uninspired...
Posted on January 30, 2007 04:35 PM
Spotlight: Are You Experienced?
Today's Hotline Spotlight: Watch out, Obama. You're about to get squeezed. -- As we noted 1/29, Romney is struggling to survive the big squeeze in the GOP primary. Among Dems, meanwhile, Clinton and Edwards have targeted Obama's biggest shortcoming,...
Posted on January 30, 2007 02:10 PM
Is A Retread The Best Recruit For A Rematch?
From today's Hotline: To date, at least three ousted House GOPers are pondering comebacks (Ryun, Bradley and Pombo). A word of warning to those seeking another try, since The Hotline began tracking House rematches ('98), there are have been nearly...
Posted on January 30, 2007 12:30 PM
Ryun To Run Again
From CongressDailyPM: Former Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Kan., confirmed this afternoon he would run again for Congress next year, and picked up early encouragement for his comeback attempt – but he still faces the possibility of a strong primary challenge. Ryun...
Posted on January 29, 2007 03:35 PM
Obama Versus Fox News
As Mark Mellman would say, there are three ways to interpret a memo distributed to reporters this a.m. from Sen. Barack Obama's staff about the libelous claim that he attended a madrassa as a young man. 1. The story still...
Posted on January 24, 2007 11:05 AM
Spotlight: More In Michigan?
Today's House Race Hotline Spotlight: Which medium-sized state did Dems hold four GOP members of the delegation under 55% without much support from the DCCC? -- It's Michigan, the one untapped resource left for the Dems in their bid...
Posted on January 24, 2007 09:39 AM
Hotline After Dark -- '08ers React
Here are some quick reaxs to Pres. Bush's SOTU. More to come in today's Hotline: FNC's Cameron: "A surprising shortage of reactions from a lot of these presidential candidates in the early stages after the speech, normally we're peppered...
Posted on January 24, 2007 07:32 AM
The Left's Club For Growth?
Left-leaning political heavyweights want to reign in rogue Democrats, launching an effort to police their issue positions, speeches and votes, and a simultaneous federal political action committee to beat them in Democratic primaries. They Work For Us is a 501(c)4...
Posted on January 22, 2007 05:02 PM
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliaites A Daily Shot Of South Carolina Political News-- Biden Ascending As S.C. Choice AZ Political News-- MoveOn Blast May Benefit McCain Capitol Fax -- Madigan On The Hot Seat Georgia Political Digest--...
Posted on January 22, 2007 09:30 AM
HRC: First Two Press Releases
After Hillary Clinton's announcement press release, the following are the first two press releases sent out by the campaign: Release 1: "FYI: NEW WASHINGTON POST-ABC POLL SHOWS CLINTON LEADING DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FIELD" Release 2: "CLINTON CANDIDACY GARNERS HUGE ONLINE RESPONSE"...
Posted on January 20, 2007 06:36 PM
So, There Was Another Announcement Today
Sam Brownback (R) made his bid official today in Topeka. While there were some predictable lines in his announcement speech that will allow folks to pigeon-hole Brownback as the social conservative candidate, it was the other issues he mentioned which...
Posted on January 20, 2007 06:13 PM
"I'm In"
With a simple headline on her web site, Hillary Clinton, announced this morning she's running for president. Click here for what seemed to be text of her speech, though a close look at the text shows it's slightly different from...
Posted on January 20, 2007 09:16 AM
Thompson Beefs Up Iowa Staff
Ex-WI Gov. Tommy Thompson added some muscle to his Iowa political team yesterday, including the chairman of IA College GOPers, Bobby Kaufmann. Kaufmann will become Thompson's event coordinator in IA. Also joining the team: Ex-Forbes '00 pol. dir Chad Olsen,...
Posted on January 18, 2007 08:44 AM
The Daily Troika: News and Names Edition
Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA), the ranking member on the Ways and Means cmte, will be the chief House endorsement whip for Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney. Also endorsing Romney: Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) and Buck McKeon (R-CA). Another prominent social...
Posted on January 17, 2007 09:14 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Bush Disapproves Of Bush
Barack Obama's announcement got plenty of TV time last night so other candidates popped up to get their share of it. Hillary Clinton appeared on all the network morning shows this a.m. Details on that will be in today's...
Posted on January 17, 2007 07:25 AM
Obama Wire: News Not To Lose
From Our IL Affiliate: Wondering why Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) planning to announce on Saturday, rather than Sunday -- a day more typical for presidential announcements? Capitol Fax says an Obama aide offered the “likelihood that US Senate would be...
Posted on January 16, 2007 01:45 PM
Handle With Care: How Hillary Can Use Hillary Care
The logic is that Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) failed health care overhaul can only work against her in a White House run, right? Either that, or it’s part of ancient history—something people are willing to forgive and forget. But could...
Posted on January 12, 2007 02:00 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Going POTUS
After announcing his WH run on "Imus," Chris Dodd made the TV rounds: On Joe Lieberman: "He's not taking a position yet. And, look, we're great friends. We had a bit of a difficulty last summer and fall with...
Posted on January 12, 2007 07:26 AM
Dodd: Not Time For "Training Wheels"
Sen. ChrisDodd (D-CT) announced earlier this morning his intention to run for WH '08 and made himself available for an early morning interview for us as well. First question -- "why him": "People are looking for leadership." He went on...
Posted on January 11, 2007 09:23 AM
Figuring Out Fairfax
2006 Senate race in Fairfax County. District 34 is outlined. Anyone tracking the shifting political landscape in Northern Virginia ought to pay attention to a certain state Senate race this year. The District 34 race in central Fairfax County will...
Posted on January 10, 2007 03:30 PM
It's A Small Universe, After All
Polling a primary is tough business. The universe of likely voters is significantly smaller than a general election, halved by party and further reduced by flagging voter interest. Imagine, then, what it must be like for pollsters to try and...
Posted on January 5, 2007 01:00 PM
2008: Our First Rankings Of 2007
It's a cliché to say that the 2008 battle for the presidency is the most open and competitive in our lifetimes, but a general examination of the race can't begin without pointing it out. It's not only the lack of...
Posted on January 3, 2007 09:42 PM
The Daily Troika: Giuliani's Insecurity
Although no one has confirmed who took ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani's 140-page presidential campaign strategy briefing, "suspicion ran high" 1/2 that Giuliani's documents were "swiped by aides to" FL Gov. Charlie Crist (R) while Giuliani "was helping him win...
Posted on January 3, 2007 02:15 PM
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliaites Capitol Fax -- No Mayoral Debates JohnCombest.com -- Lawsuit Seeks To Block Missouri's New Campaign Finance Law NhNewslinks.com -- McCain's Surge Threatening To Drown Sununu Quorum Report -- Sides Lining Up Support...
Posted on January 3, 2007 08:30 AM
The Year In Politics: News You Can't Lose
FoleyCacaSwingVoter, And The Veep Shoots A Guy In The Face Now, the highlights of your year in politics: 1/2: Carole Keeton Strayhorn, mother of WH press sec. Scott McClellan, decides to run for TX GOV as an independent. Later, Kinky...
Posted on December 21, 2006 01:00 PM
Insider Interview: Nick Ryan
What's happening to GOPers in IA? Why is the state so politically quixotic? Does the Ames straw poll really matter? Before he gets nabbed by an '08 GOP (and he's being recruited by several), The Hotline interviewed Nick Ryan, campaign...
Posted on December 20, 2006 10:56 AM
Ad Spotlight: Draft Obama
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D) may not have decided whether now is the time for him to seek the White House, but Draft Obama sure has. A 60-second ad urging the junior senator to enter the race will debut in...
Posted on December 19, 2006 10:49 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Subtle Digs At Obama Watch
Pres. Bush postponed his speech to the nation on Iraq dominated TV coverage last night. CNN's Dobbs: "The White House today said President Bush will delay the announcement of any changes in his Iraq strategy until the new year....
Posted on December 13, 2006 08:10 AM
TX 23 -- Dems Pull The Upset
It's official... AP has called TX 23. Ex-Dem Rep. Ciro Rodriguez is coming back to Congress. With 94% of precincts reporting, Rodriguez leads GOP Rep. Henry Bonilla 55-45%. The official makeup of the House is now 233D, 202R. Frankly, not...
Posted on December 12, 2006 10:31 PM
December House Cleaning
TX 23: Punctuation Matters Today's runoff between Rep. Henry Bonilla (R) and ex-Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D) either "will be an exclamation point" to the Dem takeover over Congress or a "question mark," suggesting a potential GOP comback down the road....
Posted on December 12, 2006 03:30 PM
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliaites Capitol Fax -- Daley To Announce Today JohnCombest.com -- LSL: Skelton To Lead House Armed Services Committee NhNewslinks.com -- Landrigan: Find Out What The Hype's About Quorum Report -- Bonnilla-Rodriguez Race Is...
Posted on December 11, 2006 11:00 AM
Here's Your 2008 McCain Presidential Team
The Washington Post this morning confirms that Terry Nelson is Sen. John McCain's campaign manager. Brian Jones, currently the RNC's communications director, will serve as communications director. Several of Jones's current colleagues are expected to join McCain's press team in...
Posted on December 7, 2006 09:30 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Baker's Dozen Of Interviews
It was all about the Iraq Study Group report last night. MSNBC's Shuster: "Senate hearings on the recommendations will begin tomorrow, putting even more pressure on the White House. Meanwhile, the violence in Iraq continues. According to U.S. military...
Posted on December 7, 2006 07:14 AM
The Hotline's December House Cleaning
TX-23: HOW TERROR-FYING! Rallying a group of supporters, ex-Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D) "deplored" Rep. Henry Bonilla's (R) attempt to "take this campaign into the gutter" by suggesting a link between Rodriguez and terrorism -- a "dangerous judgment" according to Bonilla....
Posted on December 6, 2006 04:00 PM
Today On Hotline TV: Building The House
Races in Florida, Texas and Louisiana are still undecided. Two runoffs to go, plus a new version of Indiana's "Bloody 8th"? Visit HotlineTV.net for the latest predictions, to sign up for email alerts or to view our now daily webisodes,...
Posted on December 6, 2006 01:30 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Gates Unplugged
Iraq continues to dominate the TV talk: ABC's Moran interviewed Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL), Joe Biden (D-DE) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) about their positions on Iraq. Obama: "I'm not calling for complete withdrawal tomorrow. What I am suggesting is...
Posted on December 6, 2006 07:38 AM
The Hotline's December House Cleaning
READY FOR THE RUNOFF? Ex-Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D) has a formidable financial hurdle to overcome in his runoff against Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX 23). The incumbent has spent nearly 20 times more than Rodriguez over the last month. And Rodriguez...
Posted on December 5, 2006 02:45 PM
The Hotline's December House Cleaning
Updates from LA 02, TX 23 and FL 13. LA 02: THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS: The runoff between ethically-tarred Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA 02) and state Rep. Karen Carter (D) will determine what's more on the mind of New...
Posted on December 4, 2006 03:40 PM
Today on Hotline TV: Feasibility Study, Part 1
Yes, he could shake up any race. Yes, he could raise big bucks very quickly. Yes, he's got plenty of things going for him. But is an Al Gore White House bid actually feasible? Visit HotlineTV.net for the latest predictions,...
Posted on December 4, 2006 03:15 PM
The Daily Troika: Bayh's Cabinet / Miller Time In South Carolina
Get your Bayh sources while they're hot! For reporters and interested junkies, here's a look at the kitchen cabinet of Sen. Evan Bayh, David to Obama/HRC's Goliath. Tom Sugar -- Bayh's Senate chief of staff and gatekeeper. Was former...
Posted on December 4, 2006 10:30 AM
The 2008 Republicans
Live from the The American Democracy Conference at the Reagan Federal Center in DC. A panel on the 2008 Republican race, with Rich Galen, Dave Kensinger (representing Sam Brownback), Mark McKinnon (representing John McCain), Jan van Lohuizen (representing Gov. Mitt...
Posted on November 30, 2006 01:13 PM
6th Year Itch Or War Election?
Live from the The American Democracy Conference at the Reagan Federal Center in DC. A panel with DCCC IE director John Lapp, FEC chairman Michael Toner, Donna Brazile, Fred Barnes and Slate's John Dickerson on the 2006 midterms. Larry J....
Posted on November 30, 2006 09:36 AM
Frist: Why He Said No
To the politically engaged public, Bill Frist was President Bush’s hand-picked majority leader who had to placate 54 other egos. To the press, he was derided, often cast as close to incompetent. To his staff, he was the guy who...
Posted on November 29, 2006 01:10 PM
Dems Pick Up PA State House
It seems good news for Democrats just keeps coming. Going into the election, the party held 94 seats out of 203 in the Pennsylvania State House. The party picked up enough seats to earn a 101-100 lead after most ballots...
Posted on November 28, 2006 03:19 PM
Senate Race Updates: TX, OR and ID
Despite Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R) resounding '06 win, one TX Dem insider says Dems are hopeful that a strong challenger to Sen. John Cornyn (R) will still emerge. The Dem claims Cornyn "has significantly lower approval rating" than Hutchison...
Posted on November 21, 2006 12:34 PM
Consultants' Corner: The Winning GOP Firms
GOP consulting firms took quite a beating this cycle. However, a handful of media firms fared extremely well considering the overall outcome. What did it take to win in this tough political climate -- quality candidates, hard-hitting negative ads or...
Posted on November 17, 2006 01:53 PM
The Carville Claims: A Closer Look
James Carville has been generating a wave of publicity in criticizing DNC Chair Howard Dean for not sufficiently funding competitive House races. He’s claimed the Democrats could have won another dozen seats if the DNC allocated more money in the...
Posted on November 17, 2006 12:43 PM
Minority Report: House Leadership Elections
House GOPers will caucus at 8 a.m. today for their leadership elections. After a week of stating their conservative cases and strategies to their colleagues, candidates will vote by secret ballot until a majority is reached. A quick primer in...
Posted on November 17, 2006 08:54 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Weathering The Murtha Storm
With storms in the southeast, cable TV had a hurricane of coverage on the weather. But there was some political talk, particularly about the Dem House Leadership race: CNN's Bash: "Democrats unanimously elected the first woman to speaker of...
Posted on November 17, 2006 07:17 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Murtha's "Crap" Storm
The election may be over but TV is enjoying cover the leadership races: Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) played "Hardball" last night: MSNBC's Matthews: "[Bush] invites Steny Hoyer down to the White House with Nancy Pelosi. Were they trying to set...
Posted on November 16, 2006 07:25 AM
Barton Drops Out, Backs Boehner
From Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX): "Last week I indicated my interest in election to the House Republican leadership. I said that we have to be real Republicans again, driven by the power of the good ideas that we share with...
Posted on November 15, 2006 08:01 PM
Dem Leadership Update: Ugly And Uglier
With 24 hours to go before House leadership elections, the race is boiling down to two main storylines. The first involves a 26-year-old story that began to emerge once again yesterday: Rep. John Murtha's past. After being a little too...
Posted on November 15, 2006 01:30 PM
Immigration Lessons From The Midterms?
In reviewing the Republicans’ midterm losses, many commentators have criticized GOP’s hawkish, border-enforcement first stand. Some have argued that it cost them seats in Congress. And President Bush has hinted that, with the new Congress, one of his priorities is...
Posted on November 15, 2006 11:25 AM
Hotline After Dark: Lott-A Shakin' Goin On
A lot of focus last night on the situation in Iraq and the kidnappings there. On the politics side there was some leadership talk along with a side of WH '08: Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), on the minority whip's race:...
Posted on November 15, 2006 08:35 AM
Leadership Update: Wide Open Races?
At the top of the ticket, Reps. Mike Pence and Joe Barton are still grabbing at the heels of current Majority Leader John Boehner, who seemed to have largely escape the blame for Republicans losing the majority last week. Even...
Posted on November 14, 2006 04:31 PM
Hotline After Dark -- When Nat'l Reporters Cover The Inside Game
Lots of talk on the House leadership race last night: FNC's Garrett: "Murtha wants to make this a race on Iraq and nothing else. But Hoyer has that based covered, at least partially. California's Maxine Waters backs Hoyer and...
Posted on November 14, 2006 07:12 AM
House Leadership Races: The 800-Lb. Gorilla Weighs In
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced her support for Rep. John Murtha's (D-PA) Maj Leader campaign last p.m. In a letter, Pelosi writes: "I salute your courageous leadership that changed the national debate and helped make Iraq the central issue of...
Posted on November 13, 2006 01:20 PM
The Pence Vision: Confrontational, In Your Face...But Gentle
On Monday, the following vision document will be delivered to House Republicans by staffers for Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN): Pence lays out how he'd draw contrasts with Democrats and work to regain the party's majority. Excerpts: "It is important for...
Posted on November 10, 2006 02:34 PM
Today's Blogometer: Victory Breeds Ambivalence?
The contrast between blogger reaction to their respective parties' cong. leadership races says more about human reaction to winning and losing than it does about contrast in styles between the left and right. DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas and MyDD's contributors...
Posted on November 10, 2006 01:10 PM
Carville Hates Dean
Per the New Republic's Ryan Lizza? Some big name Democrats want to oust DNC Chairman Howard Dean, arguing that his stubborn commitment to the 50-state strategy and his stinginess with funds for House races cost the Democrats several pickup opportunities....
Posted on November 10, 2006 12:27 PM
Daily Troika: Showing Some Leg
Sen. Maj. Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) sent his VolPAC e-mail list an election post-mortem, calling Tuesday a "rough night" for all. Frist is "up off the canvass" and wants conservatives to "get back to work." TN's election of Bob...
Posted on November 10, 2006 12:12 PM
The RNC After Ken Mehlman
The chairmen of the Republican National Committee during the Bush era -- Marc Racicot, Ed Gillespie and Ken Mehlman -- all worked to professionalize the party, turning it into a fearsome campaign machine for Republican candidates and the biggest, most...
Posted on November 10, 2006 10:11 AM
Club For Growth Wants Pence As Leader
From a release: WASHINGTON – The Club for Growth today endorsed Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) in the race to become Minority Leader in the House of Representatives. “The Republican Party has lost its brand, and the only way we can...
Posted on November 10, 2006 09:27 AM
Rahm Seeks Caucus Chair Post; Clyburn Favorite For Whip
House Democrats avoided a potentially combative and divisive leadership race today, as Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) decided to seek the post of caucus chair, rather than run for whip. As of today, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) is the favorite for...
Posted on November 9, 2006 03:56 PM
Cole Seeks NRCC Chairmanship
Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), a former chief of staff at the RNC, today officially announced his candidacy for NRCC chair today. He'll face Rep. Phil English (R-PA) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX). As Chairman, my focus will be to revise...
Posted on November 9, 2006 03:08 PM
More Credit For The Democratic Field Vanquishers
At the DNC, tech. dir. Ben Self oversaw an $8 million renovation of the Democratic Party's national voter file. The party's 50 state strategy directed investments in staff and money to states like NE, WY, ID, IN and KY, where...
Posted on November 9, 2006 11:20 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Rummy, Straight Up
An election, a change of power, and VA SEN and MT SEN called, but most of the TV last night was on Defense Sec. Donald Rumsfeld's resignation: NBC's Ohm: "The surprise announcement about Secretary Rumsfeld's resignation accomplished two things...
Posted on November 9, 2006 07:24 AM
Boehner's Min. Leader Letter
A hand delivered letter from Maj. Leader John Boehner is making the rounds this evening: Why we lost seats. I'll be talking with everyone in our Conference in the coming days about how we can rebound. If I haven't talked...
Posted on November 8, 2006 07:00 PM
Republicans Will Pressure Allen... Soon
Top Republicans in Washington will give Sen. George Allen a few days to take stock of his legal and political options before beginning to pressure him to concede to James Webb. Senior Republican officials and White House aides believe that...
Posted on November 8, 2006 05:23 PM
McCain Allies Launch Effort To Oust MI's Anuzis
Allies of Sen. John McCain in Michigan have launched an effort to oust party chair Saul Anuzis, who they view as biased against McCain and beholden to established financial interests in the state party. Today, in an unusually personal letter...
Posted on November 8, 2006 05:04 PM
Pence's Announcement Letter
Here's the Dear Colleague letter sent today from Rep. Mike Pence announcing his min. leader campaign. An excerpt: "Our mission has now changed. Our mission in the Majority was to pass legislation reflecting Republican principles. The duty of the Republican...
Posted on November 8, 2006 03:16 PM
Blunt Will Seek To Keep Whip Post, With An Assist From Cantor
A source close to Maj Whip Roy Blunt tells The Hotline that the current #3 leader in the House leadership ranks will seek to retain his position in the minority -- and that Chief Dep Min Whip Eric Cantor "will...
Posted on November 8, 2006 11:25 AM
And Let The Spinning Begin!
NRCC is first out of the gate, ignoring two of the chief culprits (Pres Bush and Iraq), but admirably not holding back fire at their own members. Full memo after the jump:...
Posted on November 8, 2006 09:54 AM
The Democratic Field Heroes
Here are a few Democrats who deserve mucho credit for building an impressive ground machine. At the DCCC, they are Sean Sweeney and Adrian Saenz, political and field directors respectively. At the DSCC, pol. dir. Guy Cecil spent months developing...
Posted on November 8, 2006 08:47 AM
RESULTS: NATIONAL **** SENATE **** HOUSE **** GOVERNORS Democrats Win The House, Await MT, VA Canvass For Senate (Webb Leads By 12K) Dems Pick Up OH, PA, RI, MO Dems Pick Up AZ 05, AZ 08, CO 07, CT...
Posted on November 8, 2006 04:19 AM
Live News Wire
At 4:20, Hotline projects that Al Weed (D) got smoked. CANVASS DETAILS IN VIRGINIA: Canvasses begin tomorrow morning. Some as early as 8 am. VA: No credentials are needed to observe a canvass as a representative of the parties...
Posted on November 8, 2006 03:38 AM
Archives
11:10 pm At 11:04, CNN calls the House for Dems. At 11:03, MSNBC calls Kyl (R) in AZ SEN. MSNBC's Matthews: "That's interesting." At 11 pm, FNC calls that Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) has won re-election, Gabrielle Giffords (D)...
Posted on November 7, 2006 11:26 PM
Exit Poll Tidbits
Fox News' poll of 11 key House races shows Democrats leading in six, Republicans leading in three, and ties in two. ABC's preliminary exit poll release: " Preliminary exit poll results indicate that nearly six in 10 voters today...
Posted on November 7, 2006 06:05 PM
What To Watch For...
How quickly is an official request filed in St. Louis to keep polls open? Early voting effect on stopping Burns' momentum and on salvaging Ford? Dems living by the independent sword in just about every race but two: CT...
Posted on November 7, 2006 10:03 AM
Control Of Congress Tea Leaves -- Election Day Both RNC and DNC officials took solace in Democracy Corps' final poll. This final survey of the 50 competitive Republican districts, dialed Thursday night, Saturday morning and Sunday night, shows the Democrats...
Posted on November 7, 2006 07:53 AM
A Republican's Take
Republican pollster Steve Lombardo e-mails the Hotline his final overview. The Republican "surge," he writes, may have come too late. "Tomorrow’s election will take place in what may be the greatest time of voter discontent in the last 30 years....
Posted on November 6, 2006 11:03 AM
Special Sunday Brunch
Here are today's must-read headlines Mason-Dixon/MSNBC/McClatchy Senate Polls: Dems have solid to semi-solid leads in PA and OH (though DeWine's cut it to single digits); Chafee is actually leading in RI (by a point); MT SEN is dead even; McCaskill...
Posted on November 5, 2006 09:53 AM
The Saturday Brunch
A special news digest from the staff of the Hotline. A weekend from .... for the GOP? Dems nervous about MT as poll shows dead heat .... Turnout hints .... Bill Clinton's only TV ad? WHAT'S BREWING This may be...
Posted on November 4, 2006 10:01 AM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. In The Waiting Line: Rep. John Sweeney's (R) camp "failed" to produce documents this a.m., which...
Posted on November 3, 2006 04:00 PM
Today On Hotline TV: The Massive Predictions Episode!
This week on Hotline TV, we're finally putting our money where our mouths are and picking EVERY COMPETITIVE RACE IN THE HOUSE! Play along, and keep score. Can you beat Chuck and John? Join us Monday for a special look...
Posted on November 3, 2006 03:15 PM
Would A House Dem Majority Endure?
The Hotline's Jonathan Martin and Josh Kraushaar examine in this week's National Journal how where Dems pick up seats in '06 could determine if their potential majority lasts more than one term. "Because of the circumstances that have produced these...
Posted on November 3, 2006 03:12 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Keeping Up With The Fords? In TN, ex-Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker (R) lent his camp $2M...
Posted on November 3, 2006 02:00 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Reynolds The Realist?
There was still some John Kerry talk last night but other races dominated the coverage. Plus lots of pundits were on the tube to give their predictions: Brian Williams anchored the "Nightly News" from TN and profiled the SEN...
Posted on November 3, 2006 07:10 AM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Sweeney Says: Rep. John Sweeney (R) and his wife, Gaia, confirmed State Police responded to a...
Posted on November 2, 2006 05:00 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Even More NRSC Help?: The NRSC paid $884,730 to Smart Media Group for ad buys attacking...
Posted on November 2, 2006 01:33 PM
Will Ballots Bite Back?
Before John Kerry stole the spotlight, many social conservatives believed their biggest tool for motivating a dispirited base had come courtesy of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s recent ruling on gay marriage. Two years ago, 11 states passed ballot initiatives...
Posted on November 2, 2006 11:43 AM
Tea Leaf Watch: Five Days Out!
1. Reuters/Zogby has Dems up in six of the seven competitive races; they have Corker (R) leading Ford (D) in TN by ten points. It also has Tester (D) leading Burns (R) by a point. In TN, btw, we're told...
Posted on November 2, 2006 09:18 AM
Hotline After Dark -- All Kerry
If Dems were hoping John Kerry's apology would make the story go away, they may not want to read any further. Cable continued its 24-hour coverage of the issue: MSNBC's Shuster, on Kerry's apology: "Democrats are hoping this will...
Posted on November 2, 2006 07:46 AM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Hitting Hard On The Past: Ex-Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker's (R) up with two new TV ads...
Posted on November 1, 2006 01:30 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors According to two sources familiar with ad placements, the NRSC indie expenditure cmte has bought TV ad time in two Maryland markets, Baltimore and Salisbury, for a cost of approx. $470K....
Posted on October 31, 2006 12:30 PM
Tea Leaf Watch: 7 Days Out
Words of the day: natural tightening. Leaves: 1. Charlie Cook: "With the election just eight days away, there are no signs that this wave is abating. Barring a dramatic event, we are looking at the prospect of GOP losses in...
Posted on October 31, 2006 10:00 AM
Hotline After Dark -- The FNC GOTV Edition
One week out, lots of good interviews: Pres. Bush sat down with FNC's Hannity: On the midterms: "You know, in 2002, a lot of the pundits didn't get the off-year elections right. In 2004, a lot of people thought...
Posted on October 31, 2006 07:20 AM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Friends In Low Places: The NRCC's launching several new TV ads in contested districts, including: CO...
Posted on October 30, 2006 04:00 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. NRSC Back In?: Although the last time the NRSC aired an ad for Sen. Conrad Burns...
Posted on October 30, 2006 01:46 PM
The Daily Troika: Et Tu, Duncan?
The world -- well, Fox News -- is abuzz with the news that the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Duncan Hunter (R-CA) plans to announce at 2:00 pm ET that he might run for president in 2008....
Posted on October 30, 2006 08:48 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Bass Fishing
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors The NRCC just spent $365K on an ad in Rep. Charlie Bass' (R-NH 02) CD. Their last-minute buy suggests GOPers have newfound concerns about holding onto Bass' seat. Bass is running...
Posted on October 30, 2006 08:15 AM
Special Sunday Brunch -- 9 Days To Go
A quick rundown of can't miss Sunday developments This week's Newsweek poll continues to show Dems in a strong position but the poll also found some small movements toward the GOP. Dems led the generic ballot among LVs 53-39% and...
Posted on October 29, 2006 09:30 AM
The Saturday Brunch
A special news digest from the staff of the Hotline. Latest NRCC TV Buys…..Hastert on the “clear” choice….Negron notice back up in FL 16…. Bush’s election week schedule…. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors WHAT'S BREWING Housing market...
Posted on October 28, 2006 10:22 AM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Three's Company: State Rep. Joe Negron (R), venture capitalist Tim Mahoney (D) and insurance agent Emmie...
Posted on October 27, 2006 04:00 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Whitehouse Picking Up Undecideds? A Rhode Island College Bureau of Gov't Research and Services poll; conducted...
Posted on October 27, 2006 02:23 PM
House Race Rankings Updated
There aren't too many shake-ups this week. Focus mainly on races ranked 17 to 36; they are among the closest contests in the country right now. The first 10 are all but gone for the majority party, and districts ranked...
Posted on October 27, 2006 12:20 PM
The Daily Troika: Obama And Independents
Another feather in Sen. Evan Bayh's red state hat: News 8 Indiana found his approval rating is 64% statewide; 57 percent would vote him president. Speaking of polls, Fox News had some interesting head to heads in its national poll...
Posted on October 27, 2006 11:21 AM
Seven Reasons Why Karl Rove Is Optimistic
Ok, well, actually, we can’t break into Rove’s head and we don’t know why he’s personally confident. Many speculate that the veneer of hope masks unalloyed fear. But here are seven reasons cited by people who also read “THE polls”...
Posted on October 26, 2006 04:00 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Back In The Fold?
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors Are rural, culturally conservative voters so dissatisfied with the GOP that they'll vote Dem? There have been some mixed signals from polls and anecdotal evidence. -- The new Bloomberg/LA Times poll...
Posted on October 26, 2006 03:29 PM
On The Trail: The Eight Races To Watch
I dread the last two weeks of every election cycle. Self doubt seeps in with every new poll release. Thoughts from two months ago seem silly now. In trying to stay sane, I'm focusing on eight races (three Senate and...
Posted on October 26, 2006 02:10 PM
Hotline/Diageo Poll: The Final Snapshot
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors It's the last Diageo/Hotline poll before the midterms! Check out some of these key highlights: Pres. Bush's job approval has sunk again, down to 40% among both likely voters and all...
Posted on October 26, 2006 12:43 PM
Hotline After Dark -- A Fox Guarding Rush's House?
As the Election countdown continues, news outlets continue to profile the big races. The "Playboy" ad in TN SEN continues to get a lot of talk, as does the Michael J. Fox/Rush Limbaugh controversy: NBC's Brian Williams anchored "Nightly...
Posted on October 26, 2006 07:10 AM
Schumer And Dole Duel At The Press Club
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors In a joint appearance today at the National Press Club, NRSC Chair Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer (D-NY) predictably sought to raise hopes and lower expectations -- respectively...
Posted on October 25, 2006 04:40 PM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Mo' For Murphy?: A Garin Hart Yang (D) poll; conducted 10/22-23 for atty/'04 nom. Lois Murphy...
Posted on October 25, 2006 04:11 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Confessions Of A Regular Guy: Rep. Harold Ford (D) fessed up 10/24 to attending the '05...
Posted on October 25, 2006 02:00 PM
Hotline After Dark -- The Night Time Tube Wars Has Never Been Better
As Election Day approaches, TV is profiling the competitive races: "NewsHour" looked at RI and CT SEN. "Special Report" looked at RI and TN SEN. "Situation Room" looked at TN and OH SEN. ABC's Charles Gibson anchored "World News"...
Posted on October 25, 2006 07:25 AM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Like Pitching In Montreal: Ex-Phillies pitcher/Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) arrived in PA 07 to "lend his...
Posted on October 24, 2006 04:05 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Wishing And Hoping: If GOPers keep TN and VA, they could control of the Senate. Two...
Posted on October 24, 2006 02:21 PM
From First Read: MSNBC/McClatchy/Mason-Dixon Polls
From our partners at NBC News, check out First Read , and the horse race numbers from their latest Senate polls with McClatchy and Mason-Dixon. Missouri...........TALENT (R) 43%........McCaskill (D) 46% Montana...........BURNS (R) 43%.........Tester (D) 46% New Jersey.....MENENDEZ (D) 45%...Kean (R)...
Posted on October 24, 2006 08:57 AM
Hotline After Dark: Bush And Social Security Redux
Pres. Bush sat down with CNBC's Bartiromo: On the economy: "I really am please with the progress we've made on the economic front, but there's obviously still more work to be done. Just got to make sure we remain competitive...
Posted on October 24, 2006 08:41 AM
House Race Ratings Updated
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors It now looks as if the Democrats are poised to win the 15 seats they need to win control of Congress. The question is: Can the battle-tested incumbents who have run...
Posted on October 23, 2006 05:40 PM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Air America: A "growing number of GOP incumbents in seats once considered 'safe'" -- including Reps....
Posted on October 23, 2006 04:00 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. For Talent, Now It's Personal: In MO, Sen. Jim Talent's (R) no longer playing "Mr. Guy,"...
Posted on October 23, 2006 01:24 PM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Who Cares About Character?: Pres. Bush flew to PA 10 fundraiser for Rep. Don Sherwood (R)...
Posted on October 20, 2006 03:06 PM
The Big Number: 6
The Big Number: 6 NM Gov. Bill Richardson (D) is going to have some crowing to do after 11/7. That's because his organization, the DGA, is poised for big pickups around the country -- a feat potentially accomplished without a...
Posted on October 20, 2006 01:54 PM
Internal Polls Are A-Divergin'
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors In virtually every competitive Senate race in the country, the Democratic and Republican candidates (or the national parties) are paying for regular polls of the state. Sources have shared internal polling...
Posted on October 20, 2006 01:21 PM
DCCC Independent Spending Sticking With Top Targets
From National Journal's CongressDailyPM: Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poured more than $11.8 million into independent expenditures in mostly top-tier targets this week, according to last-minute disclosure reports, which also show it...
Posted on October 19, 2006 04:16 PM
Today's Blogometer: You're All On The Same Team, Guys
Stories from both sides of the blogosphere today demonstrate that neither party is going to harness the capabilities of the 'sphere without a few growing pains. On the right, conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh is talking about an Instapundit post...
Posted on October 19, 2006 03:20 PM
Dems Pressure Kerry, Bayh to Give To DSCC
Top Democrats are trying to convince two potential presidential candidates with flush campaign bank accounts to part with as much as $1 million each to finance the DSCC s late October effort to pull six Senate seats from Republican control....
Posted on October 19, 2006 12:48 PM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Familiar Patterns: In new TV ads, GOPers attack their opponents on nat'l security. To highlight a...
Posted on October 18, 2006 03:45 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Kean Gives Himself A $400K Boost: State Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R), who "had been coy...
Posted on October 18, 2006 02:34 PM
Why The White House Has To Be Optimistic
Perhaps the biggest danger to Republicans in the wake of all these bad polls is that their volunteer base, so critical to victory in 2004, won't put their hearts in their work. If volunteers become convinced that Republicans will lose...
Posted on October 18, 2006 10:00 AM
Minnesota Governor's Race: Must Be The Lake Effect
Welcome to Minnesota: Where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all this week's Minneapolis Star-Tribune polls lean Democrat. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors Polls released this week by the state's largest newspaper showed...
Posted on October 18, 2006 09:02 AM
DNC Takes Out Loan For DSCC
The DSCC's optimism about winning the Senate is apparently contagious as the DNC is going to pony up an extra $5-10M for the Senate committee, according to sources familiar with the previously reported arrangement between the two campaign orgs. While...
Posted on October 17, 2006 07:25 PM
A Good Shot, Says Cheney
VP Cheney told Rush Limbaugh: "I think we'll hold the Senate, and I also think we got a good shot at holding the House." Check the full transcript of the Veep on Rush after the jump....
Posted on October 17, 2006 04:53 PM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Spend To Defend: Where there are open seats, there are big spenders... In IL 06, state...
Posted on October 17, 2006 04:39 PM
The Boehner Message
Maj Leader John Boehner sent a memo to his flock yesterday, acknowledging that L'Affaire Foley "became the story" at the end of the session. But, Boehner told fellow House Republicans, they should not let that obscure their accomplishments. Full memo...
Posted on October 17, 2006 03:26 PM
Today On Hotline TV: Bucked Eye
A weekend New York Times article suggests the GOP is pulling out of the Ohio Senate race. What kind of fallout will that have on Ohio House races? Some Dems can start packing their bags and booking flights to DC...
Posted on October 17, 2006 02:48 PM
The Hotline's Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. FEC REPORTS: Who's The Better Second Half Team -- Red Or Blue? All the candidates, all...
Posted on October 17, 2006 01:43 PM
Romney Bulks Up Front End Of Commonwealth PAC
Gov. Mitt Romney bulked up the front end of his Commonwealth PAC today, adding four veteran Republican straregists to the committee. They include one of Jeb Bush's closest advisers, Sally Bradshaw; a former speechwriter for Pres. Bush, Noam Neusner; former...
Posted on October 17, 2006 12:55 PM
Hotline After Dark -- The No Spin Zone?
FNC's O'Reilly interviewed Pres. Bush. The interview will air over three nights, beginning last night: O'Reilly: "This is my third interview with the president. He does get a fair shake here but he also gets tough questions, as everybody...
Posted on October 17, 2006 07:15 AM
Mehlman Pushes Back; Says GOP Is Committed To Ohio
Yes, RNC chairman Ken Mehlman's conference call with Ohio reprorters this morning was "hastily arranged." Mehlman called Adam Nagourney's Page 1 New York Times article "very inaccurate" but refused to "get more specific" because he didn't Democrats to read from...
Posted on October 16, 2006 04:50 PM
The Hotline's Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. FL 16: Not Unwinnable? A Research 2000 poll; conducted 10/11-13 for the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and...
Posted on October 16, 2006 04:20 PM
Hot Senate Race Updates From The Hotline
A daily update of ads, polls, trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. MONTANA -- So It's Racicot Vs. Abramoff? Sen. Conrad Burns (R) is up with a new...
Posted on October 16, 2006 12:50 PM
Daily 2008 Presidential Race Buzz
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) was apparently the first '08 hopeful of this cycle to swing through that small New Hampshire town. He also said this about Paul Hodes's congressional candidacy: "Vote for Paul, vote for Paul, that's the key....
Posted on October 16, 2006 11:04 AM
Sunday Snapshot: Debates And North Korea
As Election Day approaches, Senate races are getting more attention from the Sunday shows. "Meet the Press" hosted the MN SEN debate with Rep. Mark Kennedy (R) and Hennepin County Atty Amy Klobuchar (D). "This Week" had TN SEN candidates...
Posted on October 16, 2006 09:31 AM
The Saturday Brunch
A special news digest from the editors of the Hotline. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors Bush and Clinton will be active on the trail in the last week ... The nasty knob has been turned up in...
Posted on October 14, 2006 10:13 AM
The Big Four: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors 1. Playing Hardball: Could Chris Matthews be Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick’s (R-PA 08) biggest asset 11/06? Fitzpatrick’s (first TV ad)...
Posted on October 13, 2006 04:33 PM
Frist Defends Hastert; Urges Donations To His Campaign
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors Sen. Maj. Leader Bill Frist sent the following message to his VolPAC e-mail list. It combines a stout defense of Speaker Dennis Hastert, with an appeal to raise money for Hastert's...
Posted on October 13, 2006 04:10 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Hodge Podgein' It
TV was a hodge podge of topics last night: North Korea, the NY plane crash, updates on Mark Foley, Mel Gibson's apology and Robin Williams played "Hardball." Some Williams highlights: "Al Gore, much more articulate now, and a little...
Posted on October 13, 2006 07:26 AM
White House Race Rankings: One Down...
Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner dropped the first bombshell of the '08 race with his Oct. 12 announcement to forego a White House bid. "...[W]hile politically this appears to be the right time for me to take the plunge—at this...
Posted on October 12, 2006 03:42 PM
The Big Four: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Slamming Mahoney: The NRCC hasn't "yet given up on" FL 16, spending $244,300 so far in TV ads targeting venture capitalist Tim Mahoney (D). Yet while...
Posted on October 12, 2006 03:22 PM
Ballot Initiative Watch
Along with 34 Sens, 435 Reps and 36 Gov races this year, Americans will decide the fate of 204 ballot measures come 11/7. Some of those measures are house-keeping efforts -- raising tax lids, dividing electoral jurisdictions, etc. Others, though,...
Posted on October 12, 2006 02:32 PM
Foley: The 10 Races To Watch
Of course, no district is exactly the same, and no race is affected by the Foley scandal in precisely the same way. With that in mind, strategists from both parties are closely watching 10 competitive House races -- all in...
Posted on October 12, 2006 02:11 PM
The Big Three: Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. With A Thousand Million Questions: In their third MO debate, '04 GOV nominee/Aud. Claire McCaskill (D) "immediately went on the offensive" against Sen. Jim Talent,(R) using...
Posted on October 12, 2006 02:00 PM
Today on Hotline TV: Not-Meg
We stump the CW that Connecticut is essential to Democratic efforts to retake the House, and we'll tell you more races you just don't have to pay attention to. Visit HotlineTV.net for the latest predictions, to sign up for email...
Posted on October 11, 2006 05:04 PM
The Big Four: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Off Message?: Rep. Chris Shays (R) "hit back" after Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) visited CT 04 on behalf of Westport Selectwoman Diane Farrell . (D) Shays...
Posted on October 11, 2006 03:55 PM
The Big Three: Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. 1. Even Lamont's Beating Schlesinger Among GOPers: A new independent CT poll, Cable co. exec Ned Lamont's (D) trailing Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) by 7 points but...
Posted on October 11, 2006 12:37 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Hitting The Leader: '04 nominee/businessman Jack Davis (D) is up with a new TV ad in NY 26 attacking NRCC Chair Tom Reynolds (R-NY). The ad...
Posted on October 10, 2006 03:24 PM
Hotline After Dark -- We Be Kim Jong Il'in
North Korea was in the news last night but a few reporters managed to tie it to Mark Foley. MSNBC's Shuster: "The Republican Party usually benefits when foreign policy security issues take center stage. Today, House Speaker Dennis Hastert...
Posted on October 10, 2006 07:10 AM
Married Women And Iraq, Stupid
NYT/CBS/ABC/POST/CNN... Three new polls. Pres. Bush's approval ratings are solid, though improvable, with Republicans -- he gets the support of four out of every five. They're solid with evangelicals, who are as psyched to vote as elements of the Dem...
Posted on October 9, 2006 08:09 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. 1. A new Zogby poll shows Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY 26) trailing self-funding businessman Jack Davis (D) by 15 points. Among House GOPers, "probably no one has...
Posted on October 9, 2006 03:53 PM
The Big Five: Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. Unraveling Debates 1. A Less-Than-Civil Debate : In NJ, Sen. Bob Menendez (D) and state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. "pointed fingers, traded disgusted looks and relentlessly attacked...
Posted on October 9, 2006 03:43 PM
Today on Hotline TV: Expanding The Foley Field
The Foley scandal seems to have widened the playing field a little. We'll take a look at some House races that weren't before, but are now fully in play. Poor, poor Tom Reynolds. Visit HotlineTV.net for the latest predictions, to...
Posted on October 9, 2006 12:34 PM
Pro-Life Group Answers Foes In South Dakota
With two Bush appointees now sitting on the Supreme Court, the effort in South Dakota to enact the strictest abortion law of the land may be just the beginning of a renewed push by activists to further constrict access...
Posted on October 9, 2006 11:23 AM
The Saturday Brunch
Staffer backs up Palmer/Foley meeting....New Foley ads in OH and IN.....WH doesn't know what to do with John Warner......HIllary Clinton gives $2.1M to DSCC...... DSCC plans VA ads...... The Brunch is an exclusive Saturday political news digest and tip sheet...
Posted on October 7, 2006 09:46 AM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Thanks But No Thanks: House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) has cancelled two GOP fundraisers and been rejected from another. He'll no longer fundraise for candidate/state Sen....
Posted on October 6, 2006 02:33 PM
The Big Three: Hot Senate Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest Senate races. 1. Tester Ad Knocks Patriot Act: State Senate Pres. Jon Tester (D) is up with a new TV ad in MT attacking Sen. Conrad Burns (R) and...
Posted on October 6, 2006 12:58 PM
Gay Republicans Fear Calamity, Witch Hunt
From National Journal: Less than 24 hours after Rep. Mark Foley resigned in disgrace, some 50 gay Republicans gathered at a friend's house in Virginia. They were in a brittle mood. Foley -- one of their own, in terms of...
Posted on October 5, 2006 07:41 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Speaker Muted?
Once again, TV was all about Mark Foley. ABC's Ross: "Kirk Fordham, former chief of staff for Foley, told ABC News today that sometime in late 2003, he told the Speaker's chief of staff that Foley was getting too...
Posted on October 5, 2006 07:40 AM
Beyond The Beltway
Dems are not just trying to make hay out of the Foley story in congressional races. It is now popping up in three of the four GOV races that feature GOP House members. WI Gov. Jim Doyle (D) was the...
Posted on October 4, 2006 05:19 PM
The Big Four: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Sure About Sherwood?: In a new TV ad, Rep. Don Sherwood (R) offers an apology for his admitted extramarital affair last Spring with Cynthia Ore, "who...
Posted on October 4, 2006 03:51 PM
Fordham Resigns; Blames Democrats -- Update
Why did Kirk Fordham resign today? Accounts vary. According to a senior Republican official in Washington, Fordham, in the spring of 2006, promised Rep. John Shimkus, the chairman of the page board as well as a staff member in Speaker...
Posted on October 4, 2006 01:52 PM
Is Foley This Cycle's "DUI?"
In the final days of the 2000 WH race, Pres Bush was confronted with an unexpected revelation from his past. It was disclosed that in 1976 Bush had been pulled over and arrested for DUI. The news threw the otherwise...
Posted on October 3, 2006 04:21 PM
The Big Four: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Losing His Base: In a new PA 10 (i) poll, Rep. Don Sherwood's (R) trailing Prof./naval reserve officer Chris Carney (D) by nine points. Only 60%...
Posted on October 3, 2006 04:08 PM
Ad Spotlight: The Ethics Of Lingering
Lingering ethics scandals are clouding a number of Ohio races for Republicans this cycle, and Democrats are jumping at the chance to take advantage of them in their advertising campaigns. In Ohio's 18th District, where Rep. Bob Ney (R) has...
Posted on October 3, 2006 02:08 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Try And Skip Past Foley
The three main topics of TV last night were the Amish school shootings, Mark Foley, and Bob Woodward's book: NBC's Viqueira, on the Foley fallout: "It is unclear what the threshold is here for violations of the law. There may...
Posted on October 3, 2006 08:00 AM
Foley: The Republican Playbook
The Republican playbook is fairly simple. They remember how the Democratic Party suffered from the perception that Dems in Congress defended Bill Clinton's conduct. So the first play is to repudiate the conduct and demand that the entire investigative apparatus...
Posted on October 2, 2006 04:45 PM
Foley: The Democratic Playbook
It may not be as smooth as the Republicans' Stirling engine, but the Democrats' party committees are hitting on all cylinders today. They want candidates in each and every House and Senate race to push the Foley scandal to its...
Posted on October 2, 2006 04:00 PM
Bayh's Indiana Blues (Where Blues Is A Good Thing To Have)
Sen. Evan Bayh's All America PAC plans to donate $100K to the IN Dem party, and Bayh will spend a good part of 10/06 blitzing his state to help elect Dems to Congress and the state legislature. Beginning 10/6, Bayh...
Posted on October 2, 2006 11:52 AM
The Saturday Brunch
Mark Foley's fast fall from grace means the GOP now has three House races with replacement candidates ... How close was James Baker to becoming the Rummy replacement? ... Allen's stumbles lead to a Webb fundraising boom ... The best...
Posted on September 30, 2006 09:37 AM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Battle-Tested?: Democracy Corps released a study of focus groups in battleground districts. Key findings: attempts to depict incumbents as puppets of Pres. Bush have largely failed,...
Posted on September 28, 2006 03:30 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. A Cut-and-Runner?: During a CO 07 debate between ex-state Sen. Ed Perlmutter (D) and Higher Education Commissioner Chair Rick O'Donnell (R) 9/26, O'Donnell used "a startling...
Posted on September 27, 2006 02:39 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Campaigns Matter
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. We're starting to see the old cliché that "campaigns matter" play out in key House races. While polls suggest Rep. Anne Northup (R-KY 03) only has a...
Posted on September 27, 2006 11:45 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Declassifying A Bigger Problem?
Pres. Bush's declassification of the NIE led most of the cable talk last night: CNN's Quijano: "Bush launched a full-throated political defense, attacking what he called the politically motivated leaking of a classified national intelligence estimate dealing partly with...
Posted on September 27, 2006 07:19 AM
Ad Spotlight: The Senate
In some of the nation's most hotly contested Senate battles, Giuliani comes to Santorum's aid while Rendell helps out Casey, and a disillusioned Hudson County resident lashes out at Menendez. New Jersey: In a new radio ad for Republican challenger...
Posted on September 26, 2006 02:07 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. You'd Better Watch Yarmuth!: Rep. Anne Northup (R) "unleashed a multimedia barrage." In a new radio and TV ad, Northup says publisher John Yarmuth (D) said...
Posted on September 26, 2006 09:09 AM
HOTLINE RACE RANKINGS Races are ranked in order of seats most likely to flip, or change from one party to the other. Senate Rankings Governor Rankings House Rankings Full Rankings & Analysis Links below lead to individual tip sheets...
Posted on September 25, 2006 07:30 PM
What Bill Clinton Wanted To Accomplish
Still wondering what Pres. Clinton was trying to accomplish in his fiery, finger-wagging chat with FOX's Chris Wallace? Look no further than Camp Clinton's explanation. "When Wallace questioned his record on terrorism, he responded forcefully, as any Democrat would or...
Posted on September 25, 2006 01:02 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Ethics In Iowa
HoThe ethics issue appears to be hitting OH GOPers hard, and it's most apparent in Rep. Bob Ney's (R-OH 18) district. Dover legal dir. Zack Space (D) is leading Ney's favored candidate, state Sen. Joy Padgett (R) 45-31% in...
Posted on September 25, 2006 11:54 AM
On The Trail: The Bush Blip
Since Hurricane Katrina struck just over a year ago, Bush's job-approval rating has fluctuated between the mid-30s and mid-40s. The most volatile blocs of respondents have been moderate Republicans and GOP-leaning independents. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have not changed their...
Posted on September 25, 2006 08:32 AM
The Saturday Brunch
Bill Clinton v. Fox News.....Everyone's in IA, NH.... Leader Pence? ...Brunch special: On The Download: Do Podcasts Matter? The Brunch is an exclusive Saturday political news digest and tip sheet from the editors of The Hotline. WHAT'S BREWING Polls aren't...
Posted on September 23, 2006 10:25 AM
Valuing The Values Voter (And Tony Perkins)
As a candidate for Senator in Louisiana, a state legislator named Tony Perkins received about ten percent of the statewide vote. As a Washington lobbyist, Tony Perkins is a celebrity. To the 1,000 or so pastors and activists attending...
Posted on September 22, 2006 04:07 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Pelosi Unplugged
The new season may have started on the broadcast nets, but cable seemed to be in repeats. Most of the discussion last night remained the interrogation debate, on Hugo Chavez's remarks about Pres. Bush and on Iranian Pres. Mahmoud...
Posted on September 22, 2006 08:16 AM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Duking It Out: Ex-State Rep. Randy Graf's (R) picture, featured on David Duke's website, provoked a written response from DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel: "Graf's ties...
Posted on September 21, 2006 04:40 PM
What's "It?"
It worked for Richard Nixon in 1972 and Gray Davis in 2002. It seems to be working for Dems this year in a key AZ House race. It didn't work for House GOPers in OH or Senate Democrats in RI...
Posted on September 21, 2006 12:49 PM
Hotline After Dark -- A King Sized Evening
TV went presidential last night: Pres. Bush sat down with CNN's Blitzer: Bush: "Frankly, if anybody thinks there's not an enemy coming to attack us, they just don't see the world the way it is." More: "Osama bin Laden...
Posted on September 21, 2006 07:28 AM
On The Download: We Know Where You Live
Welcome back to On The Download, your almost-daily dispatch on politechs: Politics, Multimedia and the Internet. Hotline subscribers: Check out our archives. If you have tips, comments, or suggestions, email us. *In what marks the beginning of the beginning...
Posted on September 20, 2006 05:35 PM
The Politics Of Torture (cont.)
Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) outspoken opposition to Pres Bush on the torture issue has elevated what was a low hum to an increasingly noisy buzz about the possibility that the freshman senator will draw a primary opponent in '08. The...
Posted on September 20, 2006 04:38 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Not Running Away: In CT 04, Pres. Bush is holding a private $15K/per couple fundraising event for GOPers. Rep. Chris Shays (R) said he will attend...
Posted on September 20, 2006 03:27 PM
Ad Spotlight: South Dakota Abortion Ban
The most contentious battle in South Dakota has nothing to do with elected office. But expect voters to come out in droves on Nov. 7 anyway. The reason: Referred Law 6, a ballot measure that would enact the tightest...
Posted on September 20, 2006 02:22 PM
Film Review: Can Mr. Smith Still Go To Washington?
If you happened to miss the election returns from Missouri's 3rd Congressional district in 2004, you might be surprised by the ending of "Can Mr. Smith Still Go To Washington?" The documentary film follows political newbie Jeff Smith on his...
Posted on September 20, 2006 09:51 AM
NRCC's Reynolds Says To "Count On" GOP Majority
"We will be in the majority," said NRCC chairman Thomas Reynolds (R-NY). "You can count on it." An upbeat Reynolds held court with reporters this afternoon at the NRCC's headquarters. Reynolds said the committee would report more than $36 million...
Posted on September 19, 2006 04:00 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Countdown For Chocola: In IN 02, '04 nom./atty Joe Donnelly's (D) ahead of Rep. Chris Chocola (R) by 8 points in a new independent poll (Hotline...
Posted on September 19, 2006 03:39 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Bruce On The Loose: In IA 01, Atty Bruce Braley is ahead of restaurateur Mike Whalen (R) in an independent, Des Moines Register poll. Will his...
Posted on September 19, 2006 10:08 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Bush Admin Pressing Hard
There was a lot of talk last night about the Pope's comments on Muslims. There was also some discussion on Pres. Bush's U.N. visit and the debate over interrogation techniques: MSNBC's Shuster: "As the president left today for his...
Posted on September 19, 2006 07:38 AM
VA SEN: If It Couldn't Get Stranger
Today's VA SEN debate, hosted by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce at a Tysons Corner hotel, naturally included much discussion of labor issues and rural, Southwest VA. Yeah, we were confused, too, but then this hasn't been a typical VA...
Posted on September 18, 2006 03:05 PM
House Race Hotline Update: The Other T Word
Taxes have become the central issue in the latest batch of NRCC attack ads, overshadowing terrorism, immigration and Nancy Pelosi -- at least for now. The strategy isn't too surprising in the Dem-leaning Philly burbs (PA 06/PA 07), where...
Posted on September 18, 2006 03:03 PM
"A Choice, Not A Referendum" Wins A Round
But there are many more rounds. The national media seems to agree: the Republicans "won" the first week after Labor Day. Item: McClatchy's Steven Thomma, in a piece that appeared in several dozen newspapers across the US: "With the fall...
Posted on September 18, 2006 02:29 PM
Ad Spotlight: Gabrielli's Last Stand
Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Gabrieli plays the victim in a spot his campaign released Friday -- a day after Republican candidate Kerry Healey shot an attack his way before Tuesday's intense Democratic primary. Rather than defend himself against...
Posted on September 18, 2006 01:38 PM
The Saturday Brunch
What will Ney do now? .... Dodd got the silent treatment from Lieberman .... A secret Bloomberg '08 meeting.... The Globe zings Gabrielli on the weekend before the election....Cardin fires staffer over racially insensitive blog posts... The Brunch is an...
Posted on September 16, 2006 10:48 AM
The Big Four: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Changing His Tune...: Rep. Bob Ney (R) may not be feeling as "heartened" as State Sen. Joy Padgett (R) is in OH 18. After starting rehab...
Posted on September 15, 2006 03:48 PM
House Race Hotline Extra: Veterans Affairs
Just four states will determine whether Democrats take back the House this fall. In Indiana and Ohio, unpopular Republican governors are putting solidly conservative districts in play. And in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, high-profile national issues are taking a toll...
Posted on September 15, 2006 03:10 PM
Ad Spotlight: The Kinkster's Back
After hitting the Lone Star State's airwaves in December in the form of an action figure, country star Kinky Friedman is back. Friedman, one of Texas' two viable independent gubernatorial candidates this year, released two introductory spots on TV...
Posted on September 15, 2006 10:13 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Tribunal Politics
Most of the political talk last night focused on the military tribunal debate: MSNBC's Shuster: "The president, ironically, is getting the focus that he wants on Capitol Hill and that is a discussion about terror as opposed to any...
Posted on September 15, 2006 07:10 AM
The Big Four: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. A Bonus Primary: What's on the menu in OH 18? There's a special (primary) of the day... GOPers will choose between State Sen. Joy Padgett (R)...
Posted on September 14, 2006 02:35 PM
Hotline's Daily Troika, IA, SC and NH
NH 01 Dem candidate Carol Porter Shea took telephone calls from Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Russ Feingold and a gaggle of the usual suspects. No HRC, though. More NH officials join Sen. John McCain's Straight Talk America: They are:...
Posted on September 14, 2006 11:02 AM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Not Lifting a Finger: Rep. Jim Kolbe (R) just won't endorse Ex-state Rep. Randy Graf (R) "now".. in AZ 08 but could he later? Kolbe: "There...
Posted on September 14, 2006 10:04 AM
Ad Spotlight: Connecticut Senate
Connecticut Senate nominee Ned Lamont (D) returned to the basics last week by emphasizing the cornerstone of his campaign: his opposition to the war in Iraq. He unveiled a new 60-second ad last Wednesday that ran for several days...
Posted on September 13, 2006 02:34 PM
2008: The Daily Troika: Pataki's Iowa Meeting
In Iowa tomorrow, Gov. George Pataki will convene a major strategy meeting with his top statewide advisers. His national consultants -- Rob Cole and Arthur Finklestein -- will also contribute. Also: Pataki has a new PAC press secretary, Alicia...
Posted on September 13, 2006 01:44 PM
How Chafee Won
Late last Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Dole hurried up to Sen. Lincoln Chafee on the floor of the Senate and put her foot down. You might lose this race, she told him, if you don’t put your best ads back up....
Posted on September 13, 2006 11:11 AM
Upheaveal in Prince George's County?
If returns hold, Rep. Al Wynn (D-MD) may become the third Democratic incumbent to be ousted in a primary this cycle. Wynn's opponent, Donna Edwards, called him Maryland's Joe Lieberman; he voted for the war in Iraq (though now regrets...
Posted on September 13, 2006 09:29 AM
Dean, Emanuel Reach Deal
The DNC's Howard Dean and the DCCC's Rahm Emanuel, at odds for months over election strategy, have struck a deal. The DNC has agreed to spend money in 40 of Emanuel's House races, a Democratic official said this afternoon. Sources...
Posted on September 12, 2006 05:01 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Let It Rain: State Sen. Peter Welch (D) leads VT Nat'l Guard Adj. Gen. Martha Rainville by 10 points in a DCCC-sponsored VT AL poll (Hotline...
Posted on September 12, 2006 03:20 PM
Ad Spotlight: Hawaii Senate: Getting Old
An incumbent's ranking by Time magazine as one of America's worst senators would typically be manna from heaven for any challenger. But if the incumbent has been in the Senate for as many years as Daniel Akaka has, the...
Posted on September 12, 2006 03:01 PM
Preview: Tomorrow's Primaries
Tomorrow, AZ, NH, RI, MD, DE, DC, WI, NY, VT and MN will all hold primaries. A look below at the questions the Hotline hopes will be answered by Wednesday morning. In general: most of these campaigns suspended their...
Posted on September 11, 2006 06:00 PM
The Big Number: 5
It's been five years since terrorist attacks hit New York and Washington, and no matter what GOPers or Dems say, September 11th remains high on Americans' minds. We make no political point about the following numbers, but we felt it...
Posted on September 11, 2006 04:38 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Drake's Break?: In VA 02, Rep. Thelma Drake (R) is having a good day, at least in a 9/8 McLaughlin & Associates (R) poll. She's...
Posted on September 11, 2006 03:45 PM
House Race Hotline Update: The Money
The FEC filings in the 9 states holding primaries this week offer an outline of how some key races -- and potential sleepers -- are shaping up: -- One of the biggest spenders over the last month has been...
Posted on September 11, 2006 02:47 PM
The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates
A daily update of trends trends and analyses from the hottest House races. 1. Maxed Out: Pres. Bush wasn't too burned out to host a luncheon for Max, so what in GA 12 was he hungry for? (Bragg, Statesboro...
Posted on September 8, 2006 05:00 PM
Ad Spotlight: Maryland's Senate Race
Two candidates trailing front-runners have finally taken their messages to the airwaves. In Maryland, the Democrat trailing behind Rep. Ben Cardin in primary polling launched his first TV ad last Friday. Kweisi Mfume, a former congressman and executive director...
Posted on September 8, 2006 04:24 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Huff Over Huffman
An unusual GOP primary is taking place 9/12 in AZ 08, where the NRCC is attacking front-runner Randy Graf while the DCCC is rooting for him. Graf has a loyal base of support because of his hard-line stance on...
Posted on September 8, 2006 02:16 PM
Why Is Primary Turnout So Low?
Are Democratic voters really enthusiastic about '06? Polls show that the Dem base is more highly charged than Republicans about the prospect of voting. And if evidence from one state -- CT -- is to be believed, they're eager to...
Posted on September 8, 2006 09:15 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Post Party Mortem
ABC had a Charlie Gibson interview with Pres. Bush and a Cynthia McFadden interview with Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY). Segments aired on all ABC platforms and the net released transcripts of both: Bush: "This struggle is akin to the...
Posted on September 8, 2006 07:35 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Debating Debates
Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT 04) agreed to debate '04 nominee Diane Farrell (D) 11 times in the next month -- the most in any '06 race. But he's not the only incumbent unusually eager to challenge his opponent. Many...
Posted on September 7, 2006 10:55 AM
Those '08 Michigan Proxy Wars... They Continue
Ex-MI SEN candidate Jerry Zandstra (R), the pres. of the Pro-Life Federation of Michigan (PFL), has a warning for supporters of MA Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign: take another look. Zandstra forwarded us a letter he sent this weekend...
Posted on September 6, 2006 03:22 PM
On The Trail: Could Bush Drop Lower?
It's time to examine when we'll know how things are shaping up in the next 60 days and where we'll find the clues... the real danger for the party in power is that Bush's approval numbers can still go lower,...
Posted on September 6, 2006 12:55 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Poll Position
The latest Siena Research survey done in NY 20 suggests the huge "wave" that could propel entrenched incumbents out of office might not be materializing. If Dems want to win back the House, Rep. John Sweeney's (R) seat is...
Posted on September 5, 2006 12:59 PM
The Saturday Brunch
Today: Ciro's back in ....Another House Republican turns on Rumsfeld.... Allan Litchman's "Letter From A Baltimore Jail"....and much more........ The Brunch is an exclusive Saturday political news digest and tip sheet from the editors of the Hotline. WHAT'S BREWING A...
Posted on September 2, 2006 10:44 AM
The Weekender: Labor: A Perfect Storm On A Perfect Map?
Argument-provoking thoughts from the editors of the Hotline. Organized labor held a full-dress press conference Wednesday to argue that the "combination of economic trends, voters' dissatisfaction with out-of-touch politicians and the AFL-CIO's massive mobilization" adds up to "a perfect storm"...
Posted on September 1, 2006 01:19 PM
White House '08 Rankings
Macaca-gate and its accompanying media swarm sent a ripple through the GOP rankings, dropping George Allen two places and elevating the next two Republicans on the list. John McCain continues his reign at the top. On the Democrats' side, everyone...
Posted on September 1, 2006 08:08 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Moving Targets
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America just purchased $500K in TV and radio ads, targeting five incumbents. But what's interesting about the buy is that two of their targets -- Reps. Chris Chocola (R-IN 02) and Don Sherwood...
Posted on August 31, 2006 05:25 PM
They Say Democrats Are Out Of Touch With This World, So...
According to a legitimate release from his PAC, Ex-Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA) "will enter into his Second Life" today at 3:30 pm ET. He will become 'the first American political leader to engage in the online virtual world, Second...
Posted on August 31, 2006 09:52 AM
Hosue Race Hotline Update: Hefley In A Huff
Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO 05) just announced he wouldn't run a write-in campaign against state Sen. Doug Lamborn (R), but he's still not going to lift a finger to help his party hold the seat. -- Hefley's handpicked candidate,...
Posted on August 30, 2006 03:08 PM
The Fab 15
We Watch These Races, So You Don't Have To There are, to be sure, hundreds of down-ballot races worth watching in '06. For hundreds of reasons. We'll keep tabs on the latest developments in some of these races, which...
Posted on August 29, 2006 04:39 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Criss Crossed
Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT 04), a stalwart supporter of the war in Iraq, said his position on troop withdrawal evolved during his 14th visit to Iraq. He now favors setting a timetable, and will be holding hearings on Iraq...
Posted on August 29, 2006 02:15 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Round Two!
The GOP Sweep in 1994 was mostly built on fresh faces, but a few victors had the pleasure of beating incumbents whom they had lost to in '92, such as Jon Fox (R-PA), Enid Greene Waldholtz (R-UT), and Doc...
Posted on August 28, 2006 02:30 PM
The Saturday Brunch
An exclusive Saturday political news digest and tip sheet from the editors of the Hotline. WHAT'S BREWING No one should be surprised: Republicans starting to feel queasy about the President's direction on Iraq and starting to endorse Democratic-ish plans...
Posted on August 26, 2006 10:24 AM
Diageo/Hotline: Who Will Vote?
This month's Diageo/Hotline poll should serve as a small splash of cold water on "Speaker" Pelosi and "Majority Leader" Reid. But just a splash. The upshot: our snapshot of likely voters suggests that, nationwide, Republicans may be as ginned up...
Posted on August 24, 2006 03:17 PM
On The Trail: The Second Democratic Frontrunner
The calendar changes, writes Chuck Todd, do more to cement Ex-Sen. . John Edwards's status as the alternative frontrunner than anything else. "Organizationally, Edwards is in the best shape of anyone in Iowa. His close ties to the hotel labor...
Posted on August 23, 2006 03:20 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Shelley-ing Out Money?
Houston City Councilor Shelley Sekula Gibbs (R) is now the only GOP-endorsed candidate against ex-Rep. Nick Lampson (D) in TX 22. But she'll face sizable financial and name ID hurdles as a late-entering write-in. -- Lampson, the only major-party...
Posted on August 23, 2006 03:00 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Lieb Still Dominates
When not talking about the JonBenet Ramsey case, TV was still in post-Pres. Bush presser mode, debating the role of Iraq in the '06 election. MSNBC's Shuster: "Credibility problems or not, President Bush is on the offense when he...
Posted on August 23, 2006 07:24 AM
PA Senate Snapshot: Dems Tout Double Digit Casey Lead
We don't as a rule publish results from Zogby Internet or Rasmussen polls. And we are generally wary about putting too much stock into one campaign's internal polls. An exception carves out when those polls are openly released and...
Posted on August 22, 2006 02:11 PM
House Race Hotline Update; Coattails
What kind of coattails will House members running for SEN and GOV provide to their down-ballot ticket-mates? Nine members sought higher office last cycle, but all left behind safe seats. This cycle, 15 are running up-ballot -- and many...
Posted on August 22, 2006 11:50 AM
Monday's Blogometer: CT: What Now?
John Dickerson devoted an entire Slate item to the role anti-Sen. Joe Lieberman As the rest of the nation ponders solutions to Iraq war troubles, progressive bloggers are also mired in their own strategic quagmire in CT. After toppling Sen....
Posted on August 22, 2006 10:31 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Mood Ring Edition
A majority of last night's coverage (that wasn't JonBenet) concentrated on Pres. Bush's first full-fledged news conference since early 7/06. CNN's Henry: "The president started out jovial. He was joking with reporters about our temporary digs across the street...
Posted on August 22, 2006 08:49 AM
House Race Hotline Update: TX 22
Late word this afternoon that David Wallace, the mayor of Sugarland. won't file to run as an independent to succeed Tom DeLay on the TX 22 ballot. His announcement comes a few days after GOP county chairs in the district...
Posted on August 21, 2006 04:09 PM
House Race Hotline Update: On Second Thought...
Quinnipiac's latest poll suggests that the anti-war sentiment in CT isn't as fervent as anticipated, which would be comforting news for the state's GOP incumbents. -- The poll finds that 41% of likely voters agreed with Joe Lieberman on...
Posted on August 21, 2006 02:40 PM
The Hotline's Sunday Snapshot
Talk of the situation in the Middle East dominated the Sunday shows: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), on whether the cease-fire will work: "I think there's a realistic chance that it will work. It depends upon whether the United Nations fulfills...
Posted on August 21, 2006 11:14 AM
The Saturday Brunch
WHAT'S BREWING Later today, the DNC will officially approve the addition of NV as an early caucus state, sticking it between IA and NH. The Union Leader is not happy about the new rule that would punish NH for...
Posted on August 19, 2006 08:15 AM
DNC In Chicago: "We're Gonna Win (Maybe)!"
Caution, you're entering a [Dem] spin zone. Strategists leading the Dems' campaign to retake Capitol Hill gave DNCers a detailed overview of the '06 landscape, in which they agreed with DNC Chair Howard Dean's opening assessment that "if the election...
Posted on August 18, 2006 10:05 PM
Lieberman's New Consultants: 1 R, 1D
Joe Lieberman's indie CT SEN campaign sent out a release to announce the hiring of two new consultants: media/direct mail consultant Josh Isay and pollster Neil Newhouse. Isay mostly works with Dems, with his most prominent former employer being Sen....
Posted on August 18, 2006 02:57 PM
On The Trail: Borrowing From Democrats
It's no secret that the problems for the GOP stem from one issue: Iraq. It's the reason why President Bush's job-approval ratings haven't risen out of the 30s, even in a week when he and his chief global ally, British...
Posted on August 17, 2006 11:00 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Breaking Ranks
Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA 08) is one of the first GOPers to publicly and sharply criticize Pres. Bush's handling of the Iraq war. In a mailer sent to Bucks County voters, Fitzpatrick called the admin's "stay the course" strategy...
Posted on August 15, 2006 02:21 PM
The Saturday Brunch
WHAT'S BREWING Pres. Bush's conversation yesterday with Israeli PM Ehud Olmert to negotiate the coming cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was the two leaders' first conversation in a month. We are shocked, shocked, that the two...
Posted on August 12, 2006 10:14 AM
HRH Extra: All Eyes On Connecticut
Sen. Joe Lieberman's primary loss carries conflicting implications for three CT House races crucial to Dem hopes this fall. On one hand, it indicates the Dem base is motivated, and that's not a good sign for the state's 3 GOP...
Posted on August 11, 2006 08:58 AM
Politiscope: Too Right or Too Left, There A'int No In Betweens
Tuesday's results put faces on voters' anti-incumbent mood, John Mercurio writes, and revealed that Democrats aren't the only ones being pulled to their extremes All of which must concern a moderate incumbent like Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R), who faces a...
Posted on August 10, 2006 01:21 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Clubbing For Votes
The Club for Growth was a big winner in Tuesday’s House primaries, knocking off a first-term incumbent and winning a tightly-contested primary. The two victories raise their record to 7-2, and boost the stature of Club Pres. Pat Toomey. Most...
Posted on August 10, 2006 12:37 PM
Hotline After Dark: Lieberman, The Outsider
The news on the London arrests broke early this a.m. so it didn't make last night's TV. All morning shows led with it however. Most of the TV last night remained focused on the Middle East, but there was a...
Posted on August 10, 2006 08:47 AM
On The Trail: Something About August....
Has any other primary night (in a non-redistricting year) ever produced three incumbent losses before? Chuck Todd looks at Lieberman's defeat. The search for the elusive swing voter has kept the political consulting world in the money for years. And...
Posted on August 9, 2006 05:43 PM
Where The Lattes Reign
If there was a way to obtain the per capita income and racial demographics of each Connecticut town, some politico cartographer wizard out there could have a field day portraying the economics and ethnicity of this race. Ned Lamont, scion...
Posted on August 9, 2006 06:33 AM
DeLay's Statement
Here's a statement from Rep. Tom DeLay, announcing his formal decision to withdraw from the Texas 22 race. The next step: find a write-in candidate to endorse. But DeLay doesn't say that here... or even hint at it. Earlier this...
Posted on August 8, 2006 04:00 PM
SuperTuesday In The Spotlight: SchwarzMentum
An incumbent named Joe is struggling to survive his primary, challenged by an unabashed firebrand who says the lawmaker's too friendly with the opposition party. Bloggers have seized on the race. We're speaking, of course, of Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-MI...
Posted on August 8, 2006 01:49 PM
The Hotline Daily Troika: IA, NH, SC
As we first reported last week. Sen. John McCain has signed ex-AG Charlie Condon and ex-Carroll Campbell CoS Bob McAlister to co-chair his Straight Talk America PAC. Condon was a co-chair of Bush's '00 campaign and McAlister was a...
Posted on August 8, 2006 10:48 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Gas Pains
One of the most creative campaign events this cycle took place last Thursday in Biscoe, NC where teacher Larry Kissell (D) is paying for motorists to receive $1.22/gallon gas -- the same price it was when Rep. Robin Hayes...
Posted on August 7, 2006 12:01 PM
The Saturday Brunch
WHAT'S BREWING The 9/11 Commission's chairmen -- Kean and Hamilton -- considered probing the Pentagon and the FAA for "possible deception." And " ... that their panel was too soft in questioning former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani -...
Posted on August 5, 2006 10:13 AM
The Death Of The Trifecta
The “Trifecta” fusion legislation was drawn up by Republicans and endorsed by Sen. Maj. Leader Bill Frist as a way to supply his vulnerable incumbents with a graceful political out on the minimum wage and to send them home with...
Posted on August 4, 2006 08:15 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Knowing Their Districts
The only two House incumbents facing serious primary threats this year are both on the ballot next week. But their differing styles in Congress may foreshadow how each fares. -- Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-MI 07) is facing a challenge...
Posted on August 3, 2006 12:49 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Down And Dirty
Steve Cohen (D) has compiled a lengthy record during his 24 years in the state Senate. He was one of the leading advocates for a state lottery to fund education. But he's finding that his experience -- and a...
Posted on August 2, 2006 01:57 PM
The Kansas Primary: Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho
Today's Kansas Gubernatorial has oft been compared to the Disney classic tale of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a.k.a. Snow White, is facing a crowd of seven Republicans with very low name ID and...
Posted on August 1, 2006 05:40 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Divide And Conquer
While Dems have gotten the lion's share of attention over their internal discord, there's division among GOPers on key midterm legislation as the House heads to recess. Immigration: In the House, most GOPers are talking tough on the need...
Posted on July 31, 2006 01:40 PM
The Saturday Brunch WHAT'S BREWING The Hastert/Frist Midterm Gamble: At 1:30 in the morning, the House passed a minimum wage hike (to $7.25 by '09), set the the estate/death tax exemption at $5M (by 2015) and extended business tax...
Posted on July 29, 2006 08:29 AM
The Money Chase: Behind The Numbers
Figuring out which party has more resources to throw at the midterm elections is not as easy as adding up a few numbers. Combining the $11.2 million in state party federal cash with the $10.6 million banked between the...
Posted on July 28, 2006 12:15 PM
House Race Hotline Update: TN 01 Up For Grabs
The 13-candidate TN 01 GOP primary pits candidates with executive and legislative experience against a self-funding businessman who has blanketed the local airwaves with ads. If experience matters, state Rep. David Davis is well-positioned, serving in the state House...
Posted on July 28, 2006 10:58 AM
Going Mobile
Mobile Voter, a San Francisco based not-for-profit, has started a voter registration drive program through text messaging called Txtvoter. The program, which is intended to register younger voters, was done with grants from GWU’s Young Voter Strategies and the...
Posted on July 28, 2006 09:50 AM
A New Direction? (BTW: Check Out Kolbe On The GOP Leadership)
Is this cycle really going to be different than the last couple? Can Dems get -- and stay -- on the same page? Will simmering Republican divisions spill over onto the electoral map? A snapshot of the two parties...
Posted on July 27, 2006 05:20 PM
Politiscope: A Rude Homecoming
Amid the deceptive silence of August, as candidates enter the crucial weeks leading up to Labor Day, writes John Mercurio, incumbents on both sides of the aisle will head home armed with talking points on a long list of issues....
Posted on July 27, 2006 03:50 PM
White House '08 Rankings: Summer Stasis?
The top 10 potential candidates are treading water in this round of rankings, with most still in the same spots they held in June. But that doesn't mean the White House 2008 stage is quiet: Prospectives are busy making endorsements...
Posted on July 26, 2006 04:12 PM
On The Trail: '08 Isn't Enough
A handful of 2008 presidential prospects have a lot on the line in the 2006 midterm elections, writes Chuck Todd, and some have a little less to gain or lose, so now is as good a time as any to...
Posted on July 26, 2006 01:40 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Moving On Up?
MoveOn.org's intervention in several races seems to be paying off -- for now. The liberal group aired ads alleging that members were caught "red-handed" taking donations from defense contractors and supporting big oil companies. They targeted second-tier races against...
Posted on July 26, 2006 11:17 AM
Wait For It ...
Yesterday's OK primary yielded these results, according to the State Elections Board: In the GOP primary for GOV, Rep. Ernest Istook won outright against oil tycoon Bob Sullivan and two other candidates. Still, Sullivan captured 30 percent, a respectable vote...
Posted on July 26, 2006 07:22 AM
Sooner Or Later, Someone Might Win A Primary
If we had to guess the results of tonight’s Oklahoma primary, we would predict a big fat “To Be Continued” for all of the contested races. According to state election rules, a candidate must get at least 50 percent of...
Posted on July 25, 2006 06:53 PM
On Values, DLCers Have The Tactics, But Not The Strategy
Here's a final dispatch from the weekend's DLC conversation. After the 2000 election, the DLC’s leaders excoriated Al Gore for running a populist campaign, which they felt was a betrayal of Bill Clinton’s legacy. Had Gore embraced Clinton, he might...
Posted on July 25, 2006 02:08 PM
House Race Hotline Update: A Hard Cell
The DCCC is betting that Pres. Bush's opposition to federally-funded stem cell research will hurt GOPers, especially in suburban CDs. The jury's still out, but many GOP candidates have already been put on the defensive. -- Rep. Dave Reichert's...
Posted on July 25, 2006 12:30 PM
House Race Rankings: Expanding The Field
As we get closer to Election Day, it's time to add a little more analysis to a few more races that are in our sights. Twenty-five more, to be exact. The House rankings are expanding to a full Top 50...
Posted on July 25, 2006 11:00 AM
Names And Faces At The DLC
DENVER, CO -- ** the It Boy of the DLC Conversation is 39-year old speaker of the Colorado House, Andrew Romanoff. Romanoff, who represents about 70,000 Denver residents, is a convention keynoter fresh off a demonstration of his formidable political...
Posted on July 23, 2006 06:53 PM
The Saturday Brunch WHAT'S BREWING We're not just rhetorically with Israel. The "made in the USA" label will be on some of the precision bombs Israel plans to use in the next few weeks. Not every WH '08 spouse...
Posted on July 22, 2006 08:25 AM
Jane Doe For President?
Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, was the featured speaker at an event Thursday night asking "Is America Ready for a Woman President?" at the National Press Club. The event was hosted by the Women Under Forty Political Action Committee...
Posted on July 21, 2006 12:20 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Must Be The Money
In PA 06, Lois Murphy (D) highlighted a fruitful fundraising quarter for Dems, becoming the third Dem challenger to bank more CoH than the incumbent. Among challengers in our "top 25" races, eight Dems outraised their rivals. -- CT...
Posted on July 21, 2006 11:00 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Rockstar, Mideast Edition
Once again, coverage of the Middle East dominated cable news. NBC's Mitchell: "At the White House, I'm beginning to hear some concerns about the domestic American response. And when you see the political meter start moving on that, that's...
Posted on July 20, 2006 07:27 AM
On The Trail: Sleepless In Washington
What about this election cycle keeps Hotline editor-in-chief Chuck Todd up at night? Could it be the fed-up voter, immigration, or the legacy of Terri Schiavo? Here's number one -- The Democratic GOTV machine. This is at the top because...
Posted on July 19, 2006 05:18 PM
Hotline Race Hotline Update: Open Sesame
EMILY's List-endorsed candidates stand out among the 2ndQ fundraising leaders for open seat races. But in the two biggest matchups (IA 01, CO 07), the GOPers are maintaining CoH advantages. The highlights: -- CO 07: Rick O'Donnell (R) is...
Posted on July 19, 2006 10:37 AM
CongressDaily: Reynolds Turns To RNC To Manage Get-Out-The-Vote Effort
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Thomas Reynolds of New York said today his committee is delegating its "get out the vote" effort, which he described as central to the GOP's 2006 electoral success, to the Republican National Committee this...
Posted on July 19, 2006 10:19 AM
Senate Race FEC Reports: The List
What should we read into the GOP's big financial advantage in the top Dem targeted seats? A Printer Friendly Version Of Our FEC Chart I you spent more than your SEN rival over the past 3 months, chances are you're...
Posted on July 19, 2006 10:07 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Winning The Race
State Sen. Steve Cohen (D) picked up the endorsement of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal 7/16, but that will probably have less of an impact on the 8/3 primary than the fact that Cohen's the only major white candidate in a...
Posted on July 19, 2006 09:11 AM
Lieberman Organizes...And Worries
Hartford Courant columnist Kevin F. Rennie 's latest exclusive dispatch from Connecticut. Joseph Lieberman is hoping to use fear where work where persuasion has failed. Life on the ropes has caused the three term incumbent to call in Washington...
Posted on July 18, 2006 10:36 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Vote Of Confidence
It's always something of a red flag when a challenger outraises an incumbent in a given quarter, and by now we know that several Dems have done just that, including those opposing PA Reps. Gerlach (06), Weldon (07), and...
Posted on July 17, 2006 01:20 PM
The Saturday Brunch
Most Saturday mornings between now and the election, we'll bring you a buffet of the latest headlines, tell you what's crossing our transom, and end with a helping of the weekend's tastiest buzz. Thoughts? Comments? Coverage you want to...
Posted on July 15, 2006 11:00 AM
The Weekender: Two Theories Of The Democratic '08 Field
Welcome to the Weekender. Each Friday, we'll end the day with a post that probes an idea or a contested race or a political development that fascinates us. Last week, we looked at two models for left-wing internet donations, and...
Posted on July 14, 2006 04:00 PM
DNC To Nation: Don't Count Us Out
DNC exec. dir. Tom McMahon, sent a sharply worded letter to the editor of The Nation, takes reporter Ari Berman to task for his story about the DNC's GOTV plans. We've obtained the letter, which you read in full after...
Posted on July 14, 2006 11:56 AM
Politicizing Iraq: Spratt Gives Credibility To GOP's "Outrage"
The Republicans have done it. They have gotten at least one House Dem to take the bait regarding their "outrage" over the DCCC fundraising video (see previous On Call post). Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) one of the few remaining Southern...
Posted on July 13, 2006 07:25 PM
Who's Politicizing Iraq?
We've refrained from posting about the DCCC's controversial web video in part because we're fairly sure that by the end of the cycle, Democrats and Republicans will have exhausted themselves by lobbying charges and counter-charges of War Politicking. These symbolic...
Posted on July 13, 2006 02:21 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Keystone Correction?
Although not as fully successful as their FL redistricting plan, GOPers certainly had much to be proud of in PA back in '02. Despite the loss of then-Rep. George Gekas (R), the GOP won 12 of 19 House seats...
Posted on July 13, 2006 01:46 PM
On The Trail: CT SEN: It Ain't About The War
Joe Lieberman's problems aren't about Iraq, argues Chuck Todd. His unwavering support for President Bush on Iraq was simply the tipping point. If this was just about Iraq, then many of the rank-and-file Democratic activists who are supporting Lamont would...
Posted on July 13, 2006 11:15 AM
House Race Hotline Update: In Their Interest...
Reps. Rob Simmons (R-CT 02), Chris Shays (R-CT 04) and Nancy Johnson (R-CT 05) have all won their Dem-leaning seats by chipping off parts of the Dem coalition. But given the poor national environment for GOPers, their Dem challengers...
Posted on July 10, 2006 09:20 AM
The Saturday Brunch Welcome to another On Call experiment. Most Saturday mornings between now and the election, we'll bring you a buffet of the latest headlines, tell you what's crossing our transom, and end with a helping of the weekend's...
Posted on July 8, 2006 06:50 AM
DeLay's Ballot Woes
Courtesy of National Journal's Congress Daily, the latest on the Texas 22 snafu. In a major blow to Republican efforts to replace former Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, a federal judge in Texas this afternoon ruled DeLay must appear on the...
Posted on July 6, 2006 03:48 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Oklahoma!
The field of GOPers vying to replace Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK 05) is filled with big names, but no one has emerged as a front-runner for the 7/25 primary. Each has touted their conservative values, and there's been very...
Posted on July 6, 2006 10:01 AM
House Race Hotline Update: All Bark and No Bite
2006 entered like a lion with Jack Abramoff's plea and predictions of the GOP being hampered by ethics scandals. But with the first half of the year over, we're hearing more about the minimum wage and gas prices than...
Posted on July 5, 2006 11:44 AM
The Weekender: Act Blue Gets It Together
Welcome to the Weekender. It's a new On Call experiment. Each Friday, we'll end the day with a longish post that probes an idea or a contested race or a political development that fascinates us. Last week, tackled the conventional...
Posted on June 30, 2006 05:00 PM
House Race Hotline Extra: The Art Of War
The Iraq war looked, at one point, like a winning issue for Democrats in the 2006 midterm elections. Polling has shown the public deeply pessimistic about the war and these perceptions have helped drive President Bush's approval ratings down....
Posted on June 29, 2006 01:32 PM
Hotline Senate Race Ratings: Senate Wars: A New Hope
Although no new races crack this month's top 10, we did shake things up a bit. From the increased confidence we’re having in Lincoln Chafee’s primary campaign in Rhode Island, to the slightly improved climate benefitting the GOP’s best Senate...
Posted on June 28, 2006 07:16 PM
Webb Blasts Allen For Cutting And Running; Wadhams/Jarding Spar
From a statement released by Steve Jarding, an adviser to Jim Webb's VA Senate campaign. “George Felix Allen Jr. and his bush-league lapdog, Dick Wadhams, have not earned the right to challenge Jim Webb’s position on free speech and flag...
Posted on June 27, 2006 08:40 PM
House Race Hotline Extra: Utah 03
Some quotes to illustrate the importance of this race. "There is a very good chance that he could go down," Jeff Hartley, executive director of the Utah Republican Party, tells First Read. "You wouldn't have the involvement from the White...
Posted on June 27, 2006 11:05 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Still The One?
At first glance, Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY 19) would seem like a vulnerable incumbent -- especially with a tough environment statewide. The Dem candidate with momentum is musician John Hall, best known for his '70s hit "Still The One."...
Posted on June 26, 2006 04:00 PM
How Long Before Dems Pick Up On This?
The Los Angeles Times' Peter Wallsten and Tom Hamburger are on the precipice of publishing their book, One Party Country, about the Republican Party's strategic and technological domination of the American political landscape. The two previewed their wares and scoops...
Posted on June 26, 2006 11:05 AM
The Hotline Futures Market: Wisconsin
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Everyone we talked to in...
Posted on June 26, 2006 10:33 AM
The Hotline's Sunday Snapshot
Foreign policy dominated the Sunday shows this weekend: Sen. Russ Feingold led off "Meet the Press" with a discussion of Iraq. On Gen. George Casey planning to reduce troops, Feingold: "It sort of shows that all this talk about...
Posted on June 26, 2006 09:08 AM
The Weekender: The Clash Of The Century
Welcome to the Weekender. It's a new On Call experiment. Each Friday, we'll end the day with a longish post that probes an idea or a contested race or a political development that fascinates us. Last week, we gave you...
Posted on June 23, 2006 06:21 PM
Hotline After Dark: The King And Darth Vader
As baseball season gets underway, cable plays ball on the Iraq issue. But first, CNN was all about its big get (no, not Angelina Jolie): CNN's John King sat down with VP Cheney. Cheney, on the Dem proposals on...
Posted on June 23, 2006 07:35 AM
The Big Number: 52
That's right, 52% of Americans believe the U.S. ought to set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. This comes on the heels of last week's NBC/WSJ poll showing that 54% of Americans are more likely to vote for a...
Posted on June 22, 2006 10:44 AM
Edwards's "Working Contract"
Ex-Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), evolving his pitch ahead of an anticipated presidential run in 2008, will propose to cut poverty by a third in 10 years, eliminate it in 30, and put in its place a "Working Society "...
Posted on June 22, 2006 07:56 AM
Hotline After Dark: Gooooooooooooooooal!
Cable's in repeats and Iraq was repeatedly the topic on cable last night: FNC's Garrett, on the Iraq debate: "Congressional Republicans have defied expectations and rallied around a beleaguered White House. ... The key to GOP unity, democratic disunity" ("Special...
Posted on June 22, 2006 07:14 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Delay of Game
TX Dems are fast becoming Tom DeLay's biggest advocates. They're trying to prevent -- or at least delay -- the GOP's selection of a replacement candidate on the 11/06 ballot. They won a temporary restraining order in (Dem-heavy) Travis...
Posted on June 21, 2006 04:09 PM
From The Hotline: New Jersey Senate
Sometimes, a Hotline story slips through the ampersam-mad publication system. Fortunately, On Call is here to pick it up. Herewith: New Jersey. By the way, if you'd like to subscribe to the Hotline, please check out our offerings. When In...
Posted on June 21, 2006 02:12 PM
On The Trail: The Marginal Voter Matters
GOP strategists are likely to try to depress the turnout among swing voters by painting the Democratic Party as disorganized. Why? Because, Chuck Todd notes, recent polls indicate they are likely to vote Democrat this fall. Collectively, intraparty disputes paint...
Posted on June 21, 2006 12:26 PM
'08 MI Proxy War Continues: Updated
The Michigan Proxy War continues. Sen. John McCain's Straight Talk America PAC has sent more than $140K to state and local candidates and party committees in Michigan since the beginning of the year, and his generosity has piqued the...
Posted on June 21, 2006 11:10 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Cannon Fodder
Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT 03) may have gotten a late gift in his primary battle against businessman John Jacob. The candidates have been dueling for weeks over immigration, with Cannon drawing the most fire for his past support of...
Posted on June 20, 2006 11:30 AM
House Race Hotline Update: See Emily Play
EMILY's List's new endorsements indicate that the group is taking early steps to ensure the strongest Dems emerge -- even in primaries where two women are running. -- In AZ 08, they endorsed ex-state Sen. Gabrielle Giffords (D), who...
Posted on June 16, 2006 01:14 PM
Politiscope: Game On
Former Republican Jim Webb's victory in the Virginia Senate race puts a new face on the anti-war movement, writes John Mercurio, and, more importantly, its potency in a Democratic primary. Continue reading Politiscope. Webb's focus on Allen's party loyalty reflects...
Posted on June 16, 2006 10:38 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Rocky Mountain Polls
The CO 07 Dem primary is nearly two months away. But already ex-state Sen. Ed Perlmutter and ex-state Rep. Peggy Lamm are in a heated debate over who's on top. Several polls show Lamm leading. But Perlmutter's campaign disputes...
Posted on June 15, 2006 03:10 PM
On The Trail: It's The Maturity, Stupid
Democrats may not be ready to take the reins of leadership this cycle, Chuck Todd writes, but the midterms make for a good practice run ahead of 2008. Collectively, intraparty disputes paint a picture of a party that's not yet...
Posted on June 15, 2006 09:40 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Pundit-izing With The Stars
While people on Fox thought they could dance, pundits danced around the issue of Pres. Bush's press conference: Time's Mike Allen: "This was the least defensive you've seen the president since maybe December first of 2004. Now one of...
Posted on June 15, 2006 07:25 AM
Surrogate Wars, Palmetto Style
In the pre-positioning between WH '08ers, endorsing future party leaders gives us in the media a fun way to play the horse race game. We all saw IA Gov. Tom Vilsack's presumedly preferred candidate go down in IA, while ex-Sen....
Posted on June 14, 2006 03:23 PM
Boehner On The Contrasts GOPers Will Try To Draw With Dems
House Maj. Leader John Boehner (R-OH), in a "confidential" memo to his caucus, previews the distinctions GOPers will draw with Dems as the debate over Iraq gets underway. The House will consider a resolution equating the war in Iraq...
Posted on June 14, 2006 11:46 AM
VA, ME and SC: What To Look For
A mini-guide to today's VA SEN primary, ME GOV primary and SC GOV primary: VA SEN: This is the rare statewide campaign where both sides, speaking for attribution or on background, aren't confident predicting the outcome. The one thing...
Posted on June 13, 2006 01:49 PM
Virginia Is For Fighters?
ARLINGTON, Va -- The Marine Corps says there is no such thing as an ex-Marine. Once a member of The Corps, always a member. Silver Star-winner-turned-VA SEN candidate Jim Webb is such a Marine. And that is his biggest strength....
Posted on June 12, 2006 06:42 PM
The Hotline Futures Market: West Virginia
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Hotline Futures Market Today: West...
Posted on June 12, 2006 09:10 AM
The Futures Market: WASHINGTON: Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Of all 50 states, none...
Posted on June 9, 2006 01:08 PM
Governator vs. Graybeards
From Today's Hotline "Spotlight" What do Phil Angelides, John Garamendi and Jerry Brown have in common? A lot. And that presents some challenges this fall for Dems, in CA and beyond. -- Those 3 Dems are the face of...
Posted on June 8, 2006 02:44 PM
Hotline After Dark -- O'Reilly v. Kerry, Postponed
The Abu Musab al-Zarqawi news broke early this a.m. so there was nothing about it on the shows last night. However, it was all over the cable/broadcast morning shows this morning. Pres. Bush is scheduled to make a statement...
Posted on June 8, 2006 07:15 AM
Ruby Red Tuesday
Much of the Dem post-primary spin has centered on the fact that Francine Busby performed capably given the Republican nature of CA 50. But if Democrats plan on winning back the House, they’re going to have to win races in...
Posted on June 7, 2006 04:13 PM
NRCC's Message On CA 50
From their memo to "GOP friends" (i.e. talking points): Update: With 90.2% of the precincts reporting, Republican Brian Bilbray leads Democrat Francine Busby by 4,814 votes - 49.5% to 45.2%. The Associated Press has called the race for Brian Bilbray....
Posted on June 7, 2006 09:06 AM
Hotline After Dark -- Cable Was Ready...
had Dems pulled the upset... The "Situation Room," "Hardball," and "Special Report" all had election night previews. Most of the coverage focused on CA 50 and the national implications of the race. CNN's King: "It is literally Ground Zero, as...
Posted on June 7, 2006 07:17 AM
NRCC Emphasizes "Local" In Statement
NRCC Tom Reynolds on Bilbray's CA 50 win, notice how many times he says "local"; BTW, what's with the nod to John McCain? Is Reynolds thanking him for AVOIDING Bilbray? (Update: NRCC tells us McCain did a radio ad and...
Posted on June 7, 2006 06:39 AM
Super Midterm Tuesday -- Latest Results
Updated at 6:04 am ET Bilbray Wins It's official, every meaningful Super Midterm Tuesday race has been called. The final one: Bilbray in CA 50, who won with 49%. AP has also called the CA GOV Dem primary for Angelides,...
Posted on June 7, 2006 05:56 AM
Preview Of Tonight's House Races
Outside of the CA 50 runoff and IA 01 primaries, there are many other compelling House primaries tonight. Here’s a quick rundown: -- CA 04: Have allegations of ethical misconduct been damaging to Rep. John Doolittle? We’ll see if he’ll...
Posted on June 6, 2006 03:56 PM
Hotline After Dark -- "Desperation Politics"?
Contestants were seeing if they could make a "Deal or No Deal" but pundits agree, Pres. Bush will get no deal on gay marriage. MSNBC's Shuster: "The question is whether the political strategy will work or whether it will...
Posted on June 6, 2006 07:19 AM
Super Midterm Tuesday -- California Preview
Talk about living up to its unofficial nickname as the country’s “big enchilada,” there’s no state hosting a more important race in the country than California. The special election to replace Duke Cunningham is the premiere election on June 6....
Posted on June 5, 2006 08:23 PM
Mull This
This release from the TN GOP just came across our desk. We found it interesting, right off the bat, on about seven different levels. Give er a look: TN GOP STATEMENT ON CLINTON’S REMARKS REGARDING REPUBLICAN PARTY Harold Ford Should...
Posted on June 5, 2006 04:38 PM
Super Midterm Tuesday -- South Dakota
Not a day too late we take a gander at the 6/6 South Dakota primary. Just a mere few months ago, SD was a sleeper state with no Senate race, Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D) faced little competition for the state's...
Posted on June 5, 2006 04:02 PM
House Race Hotline Extra: Turnout In The CA 50 Runoff
Could Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to schedule the CA 50 runoff on the same day as the party primaries hurt ex-Rep. Brian Bilbray (R)? The GOP's registration advantage could be blunted by higher Dem turnout. Dems are holding competitive primaries for...
Posted on June 2, 2006 03:21 PM
Countdown To Super Midterm Tuesday -- Iowa Preview
Six days and counting until the biggest primary day of the year. Today, we look at Iowa, home to some of the most competitive and interesting races of the cycle. The marquee race is IA GOV where Democrats are...
Posted on May 31, 2006 07:38 PM
House Race Hotline Update: On The Border
Rep. Chris Shays' (R-CT 04) comments on immigration last week could be a warning sign for candidates far from the border. He said that, after hearing from constituents, he's taken a more hard-line stance on border security. What's notable is...
Posted on May 30, 2006 03:46 PM
Blog Server Migration
Darn you, On Call readers. Your supportive traffic forced us to migrate to a new blog server. It'll take a few days for the propagation thingy to propagate, so bear with us. Save your comments for next Tuesday. Meanwhile, check...
Posted on May 26, 2006 03:46 PM
The Hotline Futures Market: Virginia
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. The 800-lb. gorilla in some...
Posted on May 26, 2006 10:08 AM
On The Trail: It's Now Or Never
If Hillary Clinton has such a commanding lead in the "invisible" '08 Democratic primary, why does the field of candidates continue to grow? Could it be, asks Chuck Todd, that it's now or never for most of her potential challengers....
Posted on May 25, 2006 04:46 PM
House Race Hotline Update: CA 50 Is Close
The 6/6 CA 50 runoff between ex-Rep. Brian Bilbray (R) and Francine Busby (D) will test the potency of both immigration and ethics -- two of the main '06 campaign issues. The DCCC has hammered away at Bilbray in...
Posted on May 24, 2006 02:51 PM
Coming later today: The Hotline's Chuck Todd and Marc Ambinder update our White House '08 rankings. Check out our latest Senate Race Rankings Check out our latest Governor's Race Rankings Check out list of the 50 most competitive House Races...
Posted on May 24, 2006 11:56 AM
Dems Ponder 527s To Catch Up With GOP $$
Major Democratic donors, nervous that Republicans' federal fundraising advantages will give GOP candidates an extra bounce before the November election, are pondering strategies to fund several committees that would air television ads designed to give Democrats in tight races...
Posted on May 23, 2006 02:22 PM
Tomorrow's ID 01 Primary
There's a candidate for every GOPer in their 5/23 ID 01 primary. Movement conservative groups, like Club for Growth and the ACU, endorsed state Rep. Bill Sali for his record in the state legislature. Immigration hawks adore Canyon Co....
Posted on May 22, 2006 02:33 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Those Dem Vets...
Tuesday's primaries provided mixed news for Dems' military veteran candidates. Naval Reserve officer Chris Carney got a huge boost from Rep. Don Sherwood's (R-PA 10) feeble primary performance against a no-name challenger. Iraq war vet Patrick Murphy won easily...
Posted on May 19, 2006 11:54 AM
GOP Turmoil In PA To Claim Chair
Bruised by Tuesday's near-historic defeat of more than a dozen top incumbents, we hear that the chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, Eileen Melvin, is set to announce that she won't seek re-election to her post. Melvin took sides with...
Posted on May 18, 2006 02:14 PM
Hotline After Dark -- Bare "Bones" Edition
It was bare "Bones" on cable last night as pundits hit a variety of topics. "Hardball" led with Pres. Bush's poll numbers. And Chris Matthews turned movie critic, asking his guests: "I have to ask you a political question....
Posted on May 18, 2006 07:17 AM
On The Trail: Perilous Primaries
Democrats haven't been this confident about taking back control of the House since the spring of '96, writes the Hotline's Chuck Todd. During that cycle, they seemed to have everything going for them -- recruiting, money, etc.... But thanks to...
Posted on May 17, 2006 03:22 PM
From Wake Up Call: The Morning Buzz
Not surprising: PA Treas Bob Casey (D) "blew by" his 2 SEN Dem foes, winning 84% (Philadelphia Inquirer). More surprising: Rep. Don Sherwood (R) struggled in his PA 10 GOP primary over unknown guidance counselor Kathy Scott, winning by a...
Posted on May 17, 2006 09:31 AM
Updated at 7:00 am ET ANGER IN PA To heck with the pay-raisers! Harrisburg GOP establishment dethroned... BRIGHTBILL (R), the state senate majority leader and JUBELIRER (R), the senate pres. pro tem, both trounced... Does this mean that conservatives are...
Posted on May 17, 2006 07:00 AM
Enter Tony Snow.
The new press secretary managed to keep the lid on his first briefing, one that featured eager reporters, the NSA phone number collection controversy and a politically precarious immigration proposal heating the pot. Snow's main job seemed to be an...
Posted on May 16, 2006 04:02 PM
The Futures Market: Vermont
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. VT Gov. Jim Douglas' (R)...
Posted on May 16, 2006 10:36 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Sherwood's Referendum
Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA 10) hasn't faced a major-party opponent since his '00 re-election. But tomorrow, Sherwood -- amid scandal over an extramarital affair -- faces atty. Kathy Scott (R), who has spent virtually nothing for her primary bid....
Posted on May 15, 2006 03:42 PM
The Hotline Futures Market: Utah
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Dems are pragmatic in UT...
Posted on May 15, 2006 03:01 PM
House Race Hotline Extra: Value-Added Races
Many of the Democrats' top Republican targets this year are in districts where Democratic positions on hot-button social issues are viewed unfavorably. Their ability to connect with anti-abortion rights, churchgoing voters might go a long way toward determining their...
Posted on May 12, 2006 10:06 AM
House Race Hotline Update: The Right Connections
State Sen. Adrian Smith's (R) primary victory in NE 03 Tuesday night was a big win for the Club for Growth. They raised $300K for him, and their IE pumped in $70K worth of TV ads in the campaign's...
Posted on May 11, 2006 11:48 AM
House Race Hotline Update: A First
State Rep. Keith Ellison won the MN 05 Dem caucus last weekend, setting up a potentially historic victory this fall. If elected, he would be the first Muslim in Congress. He also would be MN's first African-American representative and...
Posted on May 10, 2006 03:10 PM
The Hotline Futures Market: Texas
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. In '10, TX is going...
Posted on May 10, 2006 11:14 AM
Exclusive: Teamsters Endorse Republican Roskam In IL 06
State Sen. Peter Roskam (R) will be getting an early boost to his IL 06 congressional campaign tomorrow with endorsements from the local Teamsters and Operating Engineers unions. He will be holding a press conference at 10:45 a.m. CST with...
Posted on May 8, 2006 08:32 PM
The Mood In Colorado Springs
The Broadmoor resort spans 3,300 lush acres at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. It was a beautiful setting for a mood-dampening dollop of pessimism. RNC chairman Ken Mehlman, generally one of the party's premiere strategic optimists, warned GOP...
Posted on May 8, 2006 12:02 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Ney v. Space
Rep. Bob Ney's (R-OH 18) primary victory over financial analyst James Harris can be viewed through two different prisms. The election was a GOP referendum on Ney's performance in office. Harris barely campaigned, didn't file a FEC report and...
Posted on May 5, 2006 10:45 AM
Bayh's Labor (of) Love
The Hotline turns on the h-MRI, launching a series of short scans of WH '08 resumes. Over the next few months, we'll cut to the bone to assess candidates' records when it comes to using them to attract a...
Posted on May 4, 2006 02:54 PM
Inside The RNC's Union Outreach
RNC chair Ken Mehlman and other top GOP officials used recent meetings with organized labor to urge them to give to GOPers in key '06 races, bolster or begin contributions to the nat'l party cmtes and cease donations to 527s,...
Posted on May 4, 2006 12:45 PM
The Hotline Futures Market: Tennessee
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Dems and GOPers each have...
Posted on May 4, 2006 10:34 AM
If Bense Gets In...
National Republicans watching the FL SEN race are increasingly confident that House Speaker Allan Bense (R) will enter the GOP primary at the last moment. The filing deadline is May 12. And the Cook Report's Jennifer Duffy points out that...
Posted on May 3, 2006 04:49 PM
The Senate's The Bellwhether
Is the Senate more vulnerable to a Dem take-over than the House? Chuck Todd notices that in the past five cycles, one party has done convincingly better than the other. And this year, all signs point to D. Check out...
Posted on May 3, 2006 01:35 PM
McCain To Endorse Osborne (Challenger) In NE GOP GOV Primary
Word from Nebraska this afternoon: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will endorse Rep. Tom Osborne's primary challenge to Gov. Dave Heineman (R). The two plan to hold a joint telephonic news conference tomorrow morning. A draft of an Osborne press release...
Posted on May 1, 2006 06:51 PM
The Hotline Futures Market: South Dakota
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. "Our stables are pretty full,"...
Posted on May 1, 2006 11:05 AM
The Party Wasn't Even In His District
As first reported in House Race Hotline, Rep. John Sweeney, already facing a well-funded Democratic challenger for re-election, may soon be finding himself in deeper political trouble. The Union College student newspaper today reported that the congressman arrived at the...
Posted on April 27, 2006 04:03 PM
There Might Be A Roach In That CD....
Businessman Eric Roach (R) is setting the stage for a rematch in CA 50 against ex-Rep. Brian Bilbray (R), who narrowly defeated him in a crowded special election two weeks ago. Roach met 4/26 with conservatives Grover Norquist and...
Posted on April 27, 2006 02:19 PM
The Hotline Futures Market: South Carolina
After presiding over one of the most successful party re-vamps in recent memory, including gaining a Sen seat, the Gov mansion and the State Legislature, the GOP chair has done a lot to turn this red state even more red....
Posted on April 27, 2006 11:04 AM
From Last Call: Brown Drops From RI SEN
RI Sec/State Matt Brown (D) dropped out of the SEN race, "citing money problems" (AP). The Hotline's Last Call! Brown: Today, I am ending my own campaign for United States Senate -- but the goal remains the same. These days,...
Posted on April 26, 2006 04:21 PM
Hotline/Diageo Poll: She Rules, And It Ain't Mysterious
To call Hillary Clinton the 800lb gorilla of WH '08 Dem race massively undersells her standing, even self-described "conservative" Dems. They also think she's the most likely Dem to win WH'08, even if John McCain's the GOP nominee. So...
Posted on April 26, 2006 01:27 PM
Hotline After Dark
If "American Idol" doesn't give you something to sing about, you can always turn to cable. Reporters must have filled their cars up yesterday because none of them seemed too impressed with Pres. Bush's gas plan: MSNBC's Shuster described...
Posted on April 26, 2006 10:20 AM
The Tao Of Snow
According to administration officials, former admin. officials and Republicans who know Snow and Pres. Bush, their mutual respect stems from several sources. One is -- both are evangelicals. That link binds together their worldview and most especially, their view of...
Posted on April 26, 2006 09:46 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Caucus Ruckus
Party activists will play an outsized role in determining the nominees to succeed Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-MN 06). Over the weekend, all four GOP candidates agreed to select a nominee early at the district convention, held in two weeks (5/5-6)....
Posted on April 25, 2006 04:40 PM
Latest IN, NC, OH House Race Numbers
OPEN SEATS COMPETITIVE VETERANS FRESHMEN One of the more surprising figures this quarter comes from OH 13 atty. Betty Sutton (D), who raised over $423K -- the most among all statewide challengers. She's spent 30 times more than her biggest...
Posted on April 21, 2006 03:23 PM
House Race Hotline Update: FEC Spotlight
Today we're spotlighting new 1stQ fundraising numbers for open-seat races. Some highlights: -- Elwyn Tinklenberg (D), who led fundraising last quarter, raised the least ($65K) among major-party contenders in MN 06. '04 nominee Patty Wetterling's (D) entrance is partly to...
Posted on April 18, 2006 11:43 AM
Holy Week Hotline TV
This week, HotlineTV gets religion. We've got the Buzz on Busby and a look at House races you may have overlooked, the four questions posed at HotlineTV's seder, some politicians who could be resurrected (and the Bush admin's path to...
Posted on April 14, 2006 01:06 PM
Bolten Prepares To Take Over
A small sign that incoming WH CoS Josh Bolten is preparing to salt the middle register of White House staffers with loyalists? Alex Conant, a trusted press aide to Bolten at the Office of Management and Budget, started work today...
Posted on April 12, 2006 11:57 AM
CA 50: Looking Ahead
We'll have plenty of macro-analysis throughout the day Wednesday, but for now, here's a look ahead. Francine Busby (D) faces a tough time in getting to 50 in June. In turn, that suggests that Dems will run a negative campaign...
Posted on April 12, 2006 01:41 AM
The NH Phone Jamming Scandal: New News Really New?
Democrats call this news earth-shattering: " ... records show that Republican campaign operative James Tobin, who recently was convicted in the case, made two dozen calls to the White House within a three-day period around Election Day 2002 as the...
Posted on April 11, 2006 02:44 PM
SEN 06: Rhode Island
As we get information about SEN '06 quarterly filings, we'll pass 'em along. RI AG Sheldon Whitehouse's (D) campaign announced today that it will enter the second quarter year with more than $1.8M cash on hand, including $1.37M for the...
Posted on April 10, 2006 02:47 PM
RNC/WH Outreach To ... Labor Unions?
For the first time in years, the WH and RNC have organized high-level briefings for some nation's biggest labor unions, gatherings described by GOPers both as part of traditional midterm election outreach as well as a consequence of widening differences...
Posted on April 7, 2006 01:13 PM
Kerry: Move 'Em On
Occasionally, a story falls out of the Hotline and slips through the cracks. Today, it happened to our summary of John Kerry's whirlwind over the past 24 hours. So we present for you, our general audience. If you want to...
Posted on April 7, 2006 12:49 PM
The Hotline Futures Market: Oregon
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. OR was a tough state...
Posted on April 7, 2006 11:53 AM
The Hotline's Senate Race Rankings
Starting this month and continuing through the cycle, Hotline State Editor Quinn McCord will be pitching in with the Senate rankings. Some of the write-ups (including Virginia and those in the second half of the rankings this month) are his...
Posted on April 6, 2006 05:28 PM
Hotline After Dark
We know you got "Lost" in your own world last night so... "Hardball" focused on fallout from Tom DeLay's resignation, with ex-Rep. Vin Weber (R-MN), Pat Buchanan, and ex-San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. DNC Chair Howard Dean also stopped by:...
Posted on April 6, 2006 07:19 AM
Hotline After Dark: What You Missed Last Night
Tom DeLay continued his TV tour, stopping by the "Situation Room," "Special Report" and "Hardball." Asked if he wants to be a lobbyist, DeLay: "I don't know what the future holds for me. I'm in God's hands and he...
Posted on April 5, 2006 11:26 AM
Hosue Race Hotline Update: The Other Bush
Laura Bush is quickly becoming the most popular GOPer on the fundraising trail, especially in Dem-leaning districts where the president isn't a big draw. Earlier this week, she visited Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM 01), who publicly distanced herself from...
Posted on April 5, 2006 01:50 AM
The Futures Market: Oklahoma
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Rep. Ernest Istook's (R) decision...
Posted on April 4, 2006 12:40 PM
House Race Hotline Extra: Will Labor's Love Be Lost?
Labor's political influence will be tested in May's Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. In the crowded contest, a little-known contender received more than 20 union endorsements while her rival has earned the wrath of labor...
Posted on April 3, 2006 12:01 PM
Ahead Of The Curve
If there is another Member that is taking better advantage of all that the "New Media" has to offer than Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), we'd like to know who it is. Not only does Kingston have his own blog, he...
Posted on March 31, 2006 02:58 PM
Update: The Dem Gang Of Five Agrees...
DNC Chair Howard Dean has a new ally in his fight to convince donors to support his 50-state capacity building project. In late Feb., Dean and DNC exec. dir. Tom McMahon traveled to Harlem and sat down with ex-Pres. Clinton,...
Posted on March 31, 2006 11:39 AM
Bill Clinton's A Convert To Dean's 50-State Project
NOTE: This post is updated above. Will Howard Dean's Democratic National Committee be ready for the November elections? Party leaders and congressional campaign strategists are nervously pressuring Dean to stop spending money to staff organizers in states and instead commit...
Posted on March 31, 2006 09:32 AM
The Futures Market: Ohio
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. After making in-roads into Toledo-based...
Posted on March 30, 2006 10:53 AM
On Call's Buzz And Rankings The Hard Cell: If Missouri is the epicenter of the GOP's internal debate over stem-cell research, then the frontline of that fight is the St. Louis suburbs, where Rep. Todd Akin (R) has...
Posted on March 30, 2006 10:00 AM
The Futures Market: North Dakota
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. No one understands ND. Just...
Posted on March 28, 2006 11:25 AM
The Cautious Conservative Blogosphere Reacts
Powerline's Hinderaker : "I doubt that the change will make any difference, except maybe cosmetically, but it may satisfy some of those who have been demanding "change" in the administration." He titles his post "Yawn." The directors at Red State...
Posted on March 28, 2006 11:21 AM
House Race Hotline Update: Florida
The business of two Dem challengers in FL is business -- literally. The DCCC is hoping their non-political backgrounds provide a compelling narrative against the incumbents' ties to GOP leaders. With high numbers of seniors in both CDs, economic...
Posted on March 27, 2006 01:51 PM
What You Missed On The Sunday Shows: The Is Of March
Immigration and Iraq led the Sunday shows. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) started off the immigration talk with their "This Week" appearance. Tancredo: "We don't actually even need another law on the books. We don't need...
Posted on March 27, 2006 09:53 AM
House Race Hotline Update: War Weary?
The DCCC has gotten much media mileage highlighting Iraq war veterans running for Congress. The Discovery Channel is producing a documentary on the candidates. Many publications (including Glamour) have featured the story of IL 06's Tammy Duckworth. But developments...
Posted on March 24, 2006 09:01 AM
The New Networking
The OR GOV primary is a few months off yet, but 1 group of bloggers cast its vote in the blogosphere nearly 6 months ago. It's called the Atkinson for Governor Blog Network -- in support of state Sen. Jason...
Posted on March 23, 2006 03:55 PM
ON CALL24/7 GET ON CALL E-MAIL ALERTS RACE RANKINGS WHITE HOUSE '08 SENATE RACES TOP 25 HOUSE RACES GOV RACES Hotline editor-in-chief Chuck Todd's exclusive White House '08, Senate, Governor, and House Race rankings and analysis, updated regularly....
Posted on March 22, 2006 06:00 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Staten Island State Of Mind
Brooklyn councilman Bill de Blasio (D), known inside the Beltway for running Hillary Clinton's successful Senate campaign, told supporters he is "taking a serious look" at challenging Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY 13). While he doesn't live in the Staten Island-based...
Posted on March 22, 2006 03:43 PM
Harris's Gambit
GOP consultant Rick Wilson sums up on his blog how the party feels Katherine Harris right now. Oh...dear...GOD What in the name of hell was that? It was so bizarre...so completely loco. That sound you heard? It was the sound...
Posted on March 16, 2006 02:19 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Polling Paradox
Dem pollster Alan Secrest is confident that his poll showing OH 06's Charlie Wilson winning a primary through write-ins is accurate. The poll shows that, among likely voters, Wilson has a 56% name ID, and only a 6% negative rating....
Posted on March 16, 2006 09:15 AM
Censure-bility
The beauty of our 24/7 news wire, Hotline On Call, is that even when we screw something up (like not including a "Censure" story today), we have a chance to right that wrong. Here's today's Censure story as it should...
Posted on March 15, 2006 01:39 PM
House Race Hotline Update: About Schmidt
Ever since she eked out a win in the 6/05 special primary, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH 02) has faced a rocky road. Saturday Night Live parodied her House floor comments criticizing Rep. John Murtha (and the outfit she wore while...
Posted on March 15, 2006 12:15 PM
The Futures Market: New York
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. New York is a big...
Posted on March 14, 2006 03:48 PM
Who Would Tony Soprano Vote For?
As HBO finally rolls out the painfully overdue sixth season of "The Sopranos" and as New Jersey voters begin tuning into a 2006 campaign that will touch two of the show's themes - corruption and leadership -- it's worth asking...
Posted on March 14, 2006 12:46 PM
House Race Hotline Update: The Royal Tenenbaum
Harvard-educated atty. Michael Tenenbaum (R) could be one of the luckiest candidates in recent years. He wouldn't be in the limelight if Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA 24) gave advance notice that he wouldn't seek re-election; instead he announced just hours...
Posted on March 13, 2006 03:53 PM
ON CALL RATINGS AND BUZZ COLUMNS » As vote-targeting improves, will we see more splits between the popular vote and electoral college? Chuck Todd's On The Trail. · » DeLay's win benefits both party, and Ciro's defeat clarifies...
Posted on March 9, 2006 07:37 PM
Hotline Futures Market: New Mexico
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Two up-and-coming young firebrands leap...
Posted on March 9, 2006 11:13 AM
Are Two Lists Better Than One?
When Democrats discuss the mundane subject of voter databases, they can't do it without a public intra-party squabble that's a proxy for a debate about either (a) the party's next presidential race or (b) whether the party chairman is reforming...
Posted on March 8, 2006 03:43 PM
House Race Update: Four Questions
The filing deadlines for OR and PA arrive 3/7. Some questions we have for a few key races: -- Why isn't the NRCC recruiting against Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR 05)? Her district narrowly voted for Bush and Gov. Ted Kulongoski's...
Posted on March 7, 2006 10:18 AM
Today's House Race Hotline: Racial Politics
From House Race Hotline: Black Dems currently hold every majority-black CD in the House. (PA 01's Robert Brady (D), who is white, represents a black plurality CD.) That could change this fall, as two white Dem candidates are well positioned...
Posted on March 6, 2006 04:09 PM
ON CALL I N D E X • 3/3 - 3/5 » Colbert Seeks Rapport With GOPers LINK » Allen Manufactures A Caucus LINK » Why Dole Loves The Duke LINK » House Race Update: Labor Looming Large...
Posted on March 3, 2006 11:50 PM
The Hotline's WH '08 Rankings
Going on the assumption that it's never too early to start handicapping the next presidential race, we unveil yet another new race ranking system -- White House 2008. For now, our rankings measure the candidates who are most likely to...
Posted on March 1, 2006 02:16 PM
IA GOP Says Vilsack's PAC Violated IA Law
Iowa Republicans say a campaign account connected to IA Gov. Tom Vilsack's '04 re-election bid ran afoul of state campaign finance laws by giving $50,000 to Vilsack's political action committee last year. In a complaint filed today with the state's...
Posted on February 28, 2006 05:34 PM
House Race Hotline Update: Ad Surfing In San Diego
From House Race Hotline: In the 16-candidate GOP field for the CA 50 special, it's a tale of rich outsiders versus experienced insiders. But it's the obscure no-names who are quickly getting their names out through extensive and expensive ad...
Posted on February 28, 2006 03:13 PM
Mea Culpa: Unions And Turnout
Appearing at an AFL-CIO press conference to unveil its '06 political gameplan, AFSCME President and longtime Dem political strategist Gerald McEntee admitted yesterday afternoon that "progressives learned a hard lesson" in the '04 cycle: relying on paid turnout efforts is...
Posted on February 28, 2006 10:34 AM
Hotline Futures Market: New Hampshire
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. After winning 7 of 8...
Posted on February 28, 2006 09:23 AM
After Jack
Such a story may have meant nothing B.J. (Before Jack), but in a post-Abramoff era we were struck by this item in yesterday's Birmingham News about how AL Gov. Bob Riley (R) is spending part of his time at this...
Posted on February 27, 2006 05:04 PM
ON CALL I N D E X • 2/23 » Diageo/Hotline poll: Racial Optimism? LINK · » Diageo/Hotline poll: HRC's Rebound LINK · » Diageo/Hotline poll: Dems Gain Traction LINK · » On Consultant Transparency... LINK · »...
Posted on February 23, 2006 06:03 PM
Diageo/Hotline: Racial Optimism?
When asked if America is ready to elect an African-American responses, 60% of GOPers said 'yes' compared to 43% of Dems. A similar trend is apparent with a potential Hispanic POTUS with 35% of GOPers and 21% of Dems saying...
Posted on February 23, 2006 03:12 PM
ON CALL I N D E X • 2/22 » The Charlie Wilson $@#*-Up LINK · » Holding Cuellar's Consultants Accountable LINK · » NY Gay Group Slams HRC LINK · » Santorum's Terror Conversion LINK · »...
Posted on February 22, 2006 07:52 PM
Hotline's House Race Rankings
As promised, we've expanded our race rankings to include the most vulnerable House seats (and, coming next week, the '08 presidential race). For the House rankings, we're picking the 25 seats most likely to change hands. Not surprising, there are...
Posted on February 22, 2006 03:23 PM
The Futures Market: Montana
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Maybe the Mountain West Dem...
Posted on February 21, 2006 12:21 PM
ON CALL WEEKEND I N D E X • 2/17 - 2/20 » The Felons List LINK · » Meet Karyn Frist LINK · » Union Busters LINK · » Dem Convention Cities LINK · POSTS OF THE...
Posted on February 17, 2006 04:01 PM
ON CALL PM I N D E X • 2/16/06 » That $10K Check From The Coushettas LINK · » Second House GOP Retirement This Week LINK · » Allen's Toothless Budget Gambit? LINK · » Frist Campaigns...
Posted on February 16, 2006 05:53 PM
The Futures Market: Missouri
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Now, Missouri. The benches of...
Posted on February 16, 2006 10:24 AM
ON CALL I N D E X • 2/15/06 » Cheney Speaks LINK · LINK · » The RNC's E-Campaign LINK · LINK · » MA Dems Won't Endorse For Sen LINK · » A GOP Retirement in...
Posted on February 15, 2006 06:01 PM
House Race Update: Singing In The Rain...
After much delay, Martha Rainville (R) announced she's running for the at-large House seat in Vermont. The adjutant general of the VT Nat'l Guard critiqued the House GOP leadership, questioned the wisdom of invading Iraq and said she supports abortion...
Posted on February 15, 2006 03:37 PM
Keeping An Eye On '08 And '10?
One of Sen. John Kerry's regular lines on the '04 stump was that "Massachusetts" was an old Indian word for "Land of Many Kennedys." But despite its recent GOV history, the Bay State could also be fairly described as "Land...
Posted on February 15, 2006 03:26 PM
The Futures Market: Mississippi
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Today, Mississippi. A number of...
Posted on February 15, 2006 09:58 AM
The Futures Market: Minnesota
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Two of our stars, both...
Posted on February 13, 2006 01:42 PM
Holt That Thought
Terry Holt's decision to help Wal-Mart Watch do its thang is not surprising to veteran watchers of Wal-Mart politics: it is by no means clear that the divisions among Democrats over Wal-Mart are more pronounced than the divisions among Republicans....
Posted on February 10, 2006 10:20 AM
The Futures Market: Michigan
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. One source, using an expression...
Posted on February 10, 2006 09:16 AM
The Futures Market: Massachusetts
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. With 11 Dems in Congress...
Posted on February 8, 2006 02:58 PM
The Futures Market: MD
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Another of our bottleneck states,...
Posted on February 6, 2006 11:12 AM
Maj Leader: Final Thoughts
Perhaps Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) put it best when we chased him down a back staircase after the vote yesterday to ask how it was that John Boehner pulled the upset. Davis said that Boehner, whom he called "one of...
Posted on February 3, 2006 06:18 PM
Let The Framing Begin
Boehner's camp wasted no time in seeking to frame the forthcoming profile pieces more along the lines of "up-by-his bootstraps Cincinnati boy made good" than "chain-smoking, golf-loving, warehouse party-throwing pol's pol." Or, more practially, more "Gang Of Seven" and "No...
Posted on February 2, 2006 08:17 PM
Boehner, Blunt Rally The Troops
The new leadership of House Republicans, in a joint appearance, pledged to put aside their differences and move aggresively to restore confidence in Congress. New Majority Leader John Boehner called the race "well-fought." Boehner: "I think what you're going to...
Posted on February 2, 2006 03:15 PM
Blunt Congratulates Boehner
From a statement: "John Boehner is a good friend, and this has been a well fought race for Leader. I look forward to working with him at the leadership table to advance an agenda aimed at limited government, personal responsibility,...
Posted on February 2, 2006 02:48 PM
Blunt To Remain Whip
Rep. Zach Wamp, one of four GOPers planning to run for House majority whip, said Rep. Roy Blunt (MO) plans to hold onto that post following his defeat to Rep. John Boehner (OH) in the race for leader....
Posted on February 2, 2006 02:20 PM
Boehner Wins!
Rep. John Boehner (OH) wins the House majority leader's race on a second ballot. Boehner took 122 votes; Rep. Roy Blunt (MO) received 109. Boehner picked up all of Rep. John Shadegg's (AZ) support. Blunt actually lost one vote from...
Posted on February 2, 2006 01:50 PM
The Hotline's Futures Market
What's the Hotline Futures Market? It's our exclusive look at the up-and-comers in every party in every state. You won't a list like this anywhere else. If you've missed a state, check out our archives. Today's state: Maine. Retirement rumors...
Posted on February 2, 2006 09:04 AM
More From The House
Beyond the notable DeLay "no" on the vote to end ex-members' access to the House floor and House gym were two others: Rep's Joel Hefley (R-CO) and Alan Mollohan (D-WV). Until he was relieved of his duties last year, Hefley...
Posted on February 1, 2006 06:19 PM
Lessons Of The Day For House GOPers
1. The number of public committments does not necessarily reflect the strength of private convictions. See below. 2. 85 of y'all want new leaders. Your Conference estimated that only 30 of you would vote as you did this a.m. 3....
Posted on February 1, 2006 04:33 PM
Maj Leader Candidate React
To the surprise of nobody, Shadegg, Blunt and Boehner all quickly issued statements after the speech praising their party's leader and affirming their support for his agenda. Actually, Shadegg issued his before the speech was even over. And he was...
Posted on January 31, 2006 11:03 PM
The Futures Market: Louisiana
LA is a tough state to survey. While most fed officials are GOPers, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) still retains a firm grip on her seat, and state politics are still dominated by Dems. Further, as one can imagine, LA pols...
Posted on January 31, 2006 04:37 PM
The Futures Market: Kentucky
A red state, through and through. Right? Well, not really. After a rocky first term, many politicos in KY don't think Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) will run for re-election. If he does, he's toast -- if not in the primary,...
Posted on January 30, 2006 04:15 PM
The CW
No, not that CW. We're talking about the conventional wisdom in political Washington that Rep's Shadegg and Boehner have accrued enough support between them to force a second ballot in next week's Maj Leader race. Indeed, just about the only...
Posted on January 30, 2006 07:31 AM
The Futures Market: Kansas
As with HI, WY and other states with dominant parties nonetheless shut out of the Gov mansion, KS GOPers have found themselves continually stymied when searching for a challenger to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) this year. However, some say that...
Posted on January 27, 2006 10:54 AM
Bayh: $9M+ In His Campaign Account
Sen. Evan Bayh ended '05 with a whopping $9.5M in his Senate campaign account, according to reports Bayh will file with the FEC. Campaign account money can be directly transferred into a presidential exploratory account; only a fraction of a...
Posted on January 27, 2006 10:01 AM
THe Futures Market: Iowa
Some GOP sources suggest that '06 may be tough for the party. Dems are excited by the prospects afforded to them by the nat'l landscape and seem poised to re-take the state legislature, where they currently face a tied Sen...
Posted on January 25, 2006 01:29 PM
If Elections Are Held, Blackburn Is In
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) -- an ambitious, second-term member from suburban Nashville who rode to victory in '02 after making her name as a conservative state senator in the TN GOP's intra-party battle over creating a state income tax --...
Posted on January 25, 2006 11:22 AM
Kingston's "American Renewal Project"
He's not yet a declared candidate for conference chair -- in part because there's no race yet and there may not be -- but GOP conf. vice-chair Jack Kingston (R-GA) is tending to his reputation as a forward-thinker. A Dear...
Posted on January 24, 2006 04:37 PM
The Futures Market: Indiana
As with CO, IN features a very strong, very popular Dem mayor who's considering a bid for Gov. But unlike CO, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson (D) will have to face an incumbent GOPer, Gov. Mitch Daniels, should he decide to...
Posted on January 24, 2006 10:23 AM
Flake To Endorse Shadegg Tues.
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) will make official his endorsement of Rep. John Shadegg for majority leader tomorrow. A Flake spokesman confirmed that Flake will endorse a candidate -- but wouldn't confirm said candidate's identity. No matter; it's no secret that...
Posted on January 23, 2006 11:50 AM
DSCC Prebuttal to NRSC Briefing
As NRSC chair Elizabeth Dole prepares for a pen-and-pad with reporters later this afternoon, the DSCC's exec. dir., J.B. Poersch, is sending around a pre-buttal. We'll have details of Dole's briefing later; the DSCC memo is after the jump....
Posted on January 23, 2006 11:43 AM
The Futures Market: Illinois
A number of our '03 stars are either on their way up or building bases to move up eventually. Meanwhile, Dems face an embarrasment of riches in IL 04, where Rep. Luis Gutierrez's (D) expected '07 bid for Chicago Mayor...
Posted on January 23, 2006 08:38 AM
Rove Emerges
Seeking to buck up the party faithful, White House DCoS Karl Rove emerged today to defend President Bush's signature initiatives. He told members of the Republican National Committee that Bush's record on tax cuts, on the Patriot Act and on...
Posted on January 20, 2006 11:57 AM
Pelosi Says No To SF Super Race
Rumors abound that Christine Pelosi, the daughter of the minority leader, is considering a run for supervisor in San Francisco? Not so: Here's a statement she sent Last Call! today: "Given my dozen years of work as an attorney and...
Posted on January 18, 2006 04:20 PM
Room For Growth?
From today's House Race Hotline: For the first time in its history, the Club for Growth found a Democratic candidate it likes. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D) was the surprise recipient today of the free-market group's endorsement in the TX 28...
Posted on January 17, 2006 04:50 PM
Maj Leader Update
A few tidbits on the Maj Leader race. First, a clarification. Contrary to our previous reporting -- and that of many others -- the magic number needed to win is 117, not 116. The additional figure owes to the fact...
Posted on January 17, 2006 02:36 PM
Inside The Numbers II: The RSC Primary
For our second look "Inside The Numbers," we had hoped to compare the support that Blunt and Boehner were drawing from, respectively, the House GOP Whip team and the GOP members of the House's Ed and Workforce Cmte. This, we...
Posted on January 14, 2006 06:05 PM
The Blogosphere Jumps Into The Election
Last week On Call speculated about whether the GOP leadership elections could "inflame a Miers-like trigger point in the ligaments connecting GOP bloggers to the party establishment," and as of this afternoon, that might be happening. Late this a.m., as...
Posted on January 13, 2006 03:23 PM
Maj Leader: Mixin' It Up
A source close to Boehner scoffs at Blunt's a.m. release touting 100+ unnamed backers, calling it a "little desperate." The source questions why "an incumbent Whip was not able to lock down 75+ public commitments right out of the box"...
Posted on January 12, 2006 02:22 PM
The Futures Market: Idaho
ID's political landscape is best summed up in our update of House Min. Leader Wendy Jaquet (D). She's just "trying to keep" Dems "in the game," though that's proved a near impossibility. With Dems legitimately vying for just one statewide...
Posted on January 12, 2006 12:52 PM
Meet PolitiScope
Check out PolitiScope, the brand-new must-read column by Hotline senior editor John Mercurio, who weighs in this week on the GOP House leadership race....
Posted on January 12, 2006 09:47 AM
Shaw: All But Over?
We almost missed the prognostication of Rep. Clay Shaw (R-FL), who thinks the ML's race is all but over and done with. FNC's Major Garrett: "Today six Florida Republicans wrote a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert urging him to...
Posted on January 11, 2006 02:26 PM
Boehner Endorses Earmark Reform
Potentially significant news in the Majority Leader's race.:Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) supports a ban on last-minute so-called "earmarks" inserted into spending bills. That's a "long term" project, according to Boehner. In the short term, Boehner wants greater transparency and more...
Posted on January 11, 2006 02:21 PM
Where Are They?
Missing in all the discussion about who is supporting who is this reality: Three days into the race to become the next House Maj Leader, John Boehner and Roy Blunt have, between them, less than 80 public commitments from their...
Posted on January 11, 2006 06:52 AM
A Boehner "Get"
We were impressed by Blunt reeling in the support of a rising House star with his fix set on the NRCC. Now Boehner has nailed down an NRCC wannabe of his own. A source close to Boehner tells The Hotline...
Posted on January 9, 2006 04:35 PM
Bass And Flake Not Pleased
The Hotline has obtained a letter that moderate Rep. Charlie Bass (NH) and conservative Rep. Jeff Flake (AZ) will shortly send to GOP colleagues urging them to -- in the name of extracting reform commitments from the two candidates --...
Posted on January 9, 2006 04:04 PM
WHIP UPDATE
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (KS) has gone public -- he is in. Saying that "our country and our conference are at a crossroad," the Class of '94 Revolutionary has put out a release announcing his bid and laying claim to the...
Posted on January 9, 2006 03:21 PM
Schumer's Opening Statement....
In the statement he'll give later this later this afternoon, Sen. Chuck Schumer says the burden on Judge Sam Alito to prove he is a worthy nominee is "triply high" because of the 'swing' justice he's replacing, the sense that...
Posted on January 9, 2006 11:42 AM
Not So Fast?
Among the first six names that Blunt put out as backing his candidacy was third-term Rep. Mark Kirk (IL). Kirk, a former staffer to his North Shore predecessor and Naval Reservist, is widely viewed as a rising star in the...
Posted on January 8, 2006 03:48 PM
Strength In Numbers
An aide to a prominent House moderate tells The Hotline that his boss would be in contact with fellow members of the House's centrist "Tuesday Group" in the days ahead to urge them to band together "as a voting bloc"...
Posted on January 8, 2006 03:14 PM
No Surprise Here
Speaker Dennis Hastert's spokesman, Ron Bonjean, tells The Hotline that the Speaker "will remain neutral" in the race for Maj Leader. Beyond the obvious reasons why he would not endorse, also keep in mind that Hastert has served in the...
Posted on January 8, 2006 02:46 PM
Boehner Announces
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), who in '98 was squeezed out of leadership by allies of Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), formally announced his campaign for Maj. Leader Sunday. From the release: "We need a Conference with the courage and confidence to...
Posted on January 8, 2006 12:50 PM
The Futures Market: Georgia
Two big fights are brewing between potential heavyweights in each party, and one is already under way. Two GOPers who made our list are fighting it out for Secretary of State, widely seen as a stepping stone to higher office,...
Posted on January 6, 2006 03:45 PM
Frist Stumps For SRLC
Senate Maj. Leader Bill Frist (R) writes to "touch base" with his VOLPAC e-mail list about the upcoming Southern Republican Leadership Conf. in Memphis starting 3/9. He notes that Hotline will conduct a WH straw poll of attendees, and hopes...
Posted on January 6, 2006 09:16 AM
Ed Gillespie Joins Team Allen
Of all the stories in today's Hotline, this one has more '08 ramifications than just about any other: Ed Gillespie, one of the most well-respected, most well-connected Republicans in Washington -- he's the RNC chair once removed -- has signed...
Posted on January 5, 2006 01:19 PM
House GOP Leadership Race: An Update
Many Republicans are waiting for word out of Sugar Land, TX. They hope Rep. Tom DeLay makes known his feelings about permanently relinquishing his post as majority leader. Since news Abramoff plea deal broke, DeLay has said nothing. Privately, DeLay...
Posted on January 5, 2006 12:28 PM
The Ties That Bind
From today's House Race Hotline: In all the coverage of Jack Abramoff's ties to members of Congress, not much has been written on the inevitable end of Tom DeLay's tenure as Majority Leader. With Abramoff's plea agreement all-but-naming DeLay's deputy...
Posted on January 4, 2006 03:57 PM
Lone Star Filings
From today's House Race Hotline: Yesterday's filing deadline in TX begins a year that could prove tumultuous in the state's politics. The Supreme Court's decision to review the redistricting that netted the GOP six seats in '04 could greatly alter...
Posted on January 3, 2006 03:45 PM
WH/TX Gov
We were wondering: So when Carole Keeton Strayhorn announced her gubernatorial intentions in June of '05, the WH said Bush wouldn't get involved 'cause it was a GOP primary. (Also: Bush is friends with both incumbent and challenger._ Now that...
Posted on January 3, 2006 01:33 PM
Blogometer Special: The Year In Political Blogging
If 2004 was the year that blogs broke into the mainstream, 2005 saw an acceleration of this trend -- even without a presidential election to focus on. Unlike 12 months ago, the word "blog" itself is almost a household name....
Posted on December 23, 2005 04:50 PM
Hotline: The Year In Politics
And you thought this would be a quiet year? Relive the memories, the heartbreak, the joys and the laughs. The Hotline's year-in-review: 1/2: Under media and Dem glare, House GOPers put the kibosh on a rule requiring caucus leaders to...
Posted on December 22, 2005 02:27 PM
The Futures Market: Colorado
It's Hickenlooper's World, We're Just Lucky To Live In It A number of the GOP stars we watched in '03 have already ascended to higher office by virtue of appointments. While two of our previous GOP stars flamed out in...
Posted on December 19, 2005 01:33 PM
More '08 Fundraising: The Second Tier
The other dozen or so Republicans who are thinking about a presidential run are aware of the expedited challenge to raise early money. New York Governor George Pataki's political action committee hired Walter Ganzi, Jr., a fundraiser for George H.W....
Posted on December 16, 2005 02:21 PM
The Futures Market: California's Rising Stars
CA's a big state, and they've got some big stars. Of those we looked at back in '03, just one has yet to make a move for higher office. In fact, one of our stars won election to the House...
Posted on December 16, 2005 10:24 AM
The Futures Market: Arkansas's Rising Stars
Once again, the rising stars are in a holding pattern, just waiting for their chance to jump up. Two top Dem stars are running against each other for AG, and the winner will run into one of the GOP's up-and-comers....
Posted on December 15, 2005 03:59 PM
Kerry Links Retaking House To Bush Impeachment
MA. Sen. John Kerry said last night that if Dems retake the House, there's a "solid case" to bring "articles of impeachment" against President Bush for allegedly misleading the country about pre-war intelligence, according to several Dems who attended. Kerry...
Posted on December 15, 2005 12:07 PM
The Futures Market: AL AND AK
During our 2003 series, "The Lost Election," we wanted to know who The Hotline would be writing about two, five, even 10 years down the road. So we took a look at some rising stars in every state from both...
Posted on December 13, 2005 12:49 PM
IA Battle Wounds Pad The Resume For Young Dems
An updated post with lots more names... Jonathan Epstein, who served as John Kerry's IA field director, now manages the MD Gov campaign of Martin O'Malley. Kerry's IA pol. dir. Mike Malaise is helping ex-Rep Nick Lampson run for Tom...
Posted on December 12, 2005 03:31 PM
The Lay of The Lamm
From House Race Hotline: Christmas arrived early for Peggy Lamm (D), who received one of EMILY's List's five House endorsements this week. But what's good for Lamm might not be beneficial for the party in CO 07. She trailed ex-State...
Posted on December 12, 2005 12:16 PM
The Davis Hustle
This is the way the guy won his FL House seat, too. Per a tipster: "Both campaigns are spending a lot of money. But [Rep. Jim] Davis has been more visible, working the halls and parties, and shaking as many...
Posted on December 10, 2005 08:42 PM
2006 Is No Generic Election
The generic ballot and its accuracy have been discussed a great deal, but rarely studied. In the true spirit of Margin For Error, (The Hotline's weekly feature for subscribers that goes inside the numbers) we are looking to spark a...
Posted on December 10, 2005 01:06 PM
Business To '06 Candidates: Wise Up Or Prepare To Lose
The Business and Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC), a potent force in Congressional and state elections, is warning both parties that voters are ready to nationalize the 2006 election and punish incumbents with unusual force next November. But BIPAC is...
Posted on December 7, 2005 11:52 AM
434 And Counting...
The CA 48 House seat left vacant by now-SEC Chair Chris Cox (R) is no longer vacant. State Sen. John Campbell (R) defeated Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist (I) and Democrat Steve Young by a solid margin. Votes Percent Campbell 41,450...
Posted on December 7, 2005 06:49 AM
Hotline Clip-N-Save: The Bush Team In '08...
Republicans in the Bush universe identify about two dozen key political, strategic and fundraising operatives whose '08 intentions will influence where thousands of other operatives, and perhaps tens of thousands of Republican base voters, will go. Bush's staff tends to...
Posted on December 6, 2005 11:11 AM
Duckworth Il-06 Bid Quite Likely....
Two campaign sources tell the Hotline that it looks very likely that Tammy Duckworth (D), a triple amputee who sustained critical injuries as a Black Hawk pilot in the war in Iraq, will be running in the IL-06 race against...
Posted on December 1, 2005 07:22 PM
The 2006 Midterms
Moderator: John Mercurio, The Hotline Panelists: Chris LaCivita, LaCivita Consulting John Lapp, DCCC Ed Patru, NRCC Guy Cecil, DSCC Brian Nick, NRSC...
Posted on December 1, 2005 02:11 PM
Seeing Red: What's Next for the Republicans?
Liveblogging the UVA/Hotline American Democracy conference... Moderator: Chuck Todd, The Hotline Panelists: John Brabender, BrabenderCox Kellyanne Conway, the polling company, inc. Linda DiVall, American Viewpoint Tony Fabrizio, Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates Craig Shirley, Shirley & Banister Public Affairs...
Posted on December 1, 2005 01:50 PM
Giuliani Zigs...
Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani has studiously avoided the traditional pre-pre-presidential race gauntlets. He's not visited IA and NH and has largely stayed off TV, preferring to focus on tending to his law firm, Bracewell Giuliani, and to his consulting partnership....
Posted on November 29, 2005 02:14 PM
DeLay Dealt Setback
Pat Priest, the judge overseeing Rep. Tom DeLay's felony trial in Texas today said he won't decide whether to drop charges until December, and probably wouldn't convene a trial until at least January. When DeLay abdicated his post as majority...
Posted on November 22, 2005 02:36 PM
The Ohio Dispatch Poll Non-Mystery
Our favorite non-mysterious Mystery Pollster has posted a tour de force on his websiter this morning regarding the Columbus Dispatch mail-in poll before the statwide initiative vote two Tuesdays ago. (See Hotline polling editor Aoife McCarthy's Margin for Error for...
Posted on November 19, 2005 01:08 PM
From House Race Hotline: Dem Vets Running
From today's House Race Hotline: "DCCC Exec Dir. John Lapp, in a chat 11/17, lists all the declared Dem candidates who are military veterans. They are: Chris Carney (PA 10): LtComm in the U.S. Naval Reserve; from '03 to 8/04,...
Posted on November 18, 2005 03:57 PM
Did Iowa Win?
When the DNC primary calendar commission was first proposed by MI and endorsed by the DNC leadership, Iowa, with its hard-to-attend caucuses and lack of racial diversity, was seen as the likely loser. But as the commission prepares to vote...
Posted on November 17, 2005 01:30 PM
A Renaissance For Florida Dems?
Yesterday's Quinnipiac poll suggesting that gubernatorial candidate Rep. Jim Davis (D) has gained on Republicans Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher is the latest sign of life for the Florida Democratic Party, which just a year ago was a shell its...
Posted on November 16, 2005 09:02 AM
DemocracyCorps On The Verge
The Greenberg/Carville/Shrum DemocracyCorps poll, which has been among the more pessimistic of Dem partisan polls, now sees an electorate "at the edge of political upheaval." If. "if the Democrats use every controversy to separate themselves from the Washington mess and...
Posted on November 14, 2005 02:40 PM
Another Dem Vet Candidate
Count Army major Tammy Duckworth as one of the most interesting potential DCCC recruits, in IL 06 -- Henry Hyde's old district. (See today's House Race Hotline) Duckworth, a triple amputee, sustained critical injuries as a Black Hawk pilot in...
Posted on November 11, 2005 03:01 PM
Get Yer GOP Talking Points
Below... hot off the presses....
Posted on November 9, 2005 06:00 PM
From Today's Hotline: Lessons Not Learned
The Hotline surveyed several dozen D and R pol. strategists and consultants last night and today to collect a list of lessons learned -- and lessons these folks hope their party didn't learn -- from '06. You'll have to be...
Posted on November 9, 2005 04:00 PM
RESULTS TICKER
Kaine, Corzine Win KAINE KILGORE %IN CORZINE FORRESTER %IN 52% 46% 100% 53% 44% 97% LIVE VA RESULTSLIVE NJ RESULTSLIVE OH RESULTSLIVE CA RESULTS CA prop results as expected. But Prop 75 -- union dues -- is shaving hairs off...
Posted on November 9, 2005 02:52 AM
The Curse Of Kerry And Biden?
Manchester, NH, has a new mayor. Frank Guinta defeated three-term mayor Bob Baines, according to a breaking news email alert from PoliticsNH.com. In the last week, WH '08 hopefuls John Kerry and Joe Biden both campaign for Baines. Not exactly...
Posted on November 8, 2005 07:53 PM
Hotline On Scene: Fairfax Co.
After spending three hours talking to approximately 50 voters at five bellwether precincts in what has traditionally been VA's bellwether county, The Hotline is projecting that by a wide margin.......
Posted on November 8, 2005 07:27 PM
Consultant Scorecard: Who's At Bat Today
From today's Hotline: The following lists consultants working on major statewide races today. E-mail additions to your editor....
Posted on November 8, 2005 03:31 PM
'05 Mayoral Races
Here's a list of the tomorrow's top mayoral races....
Posted on November 7, 2005 11:57 AM
Chafee Looks Out For #1
CongressDailyPM reports that the Senate GOP's attempt to increase domestic oil production through building new refineries was defeated 9-9 in the Environment and Public Works committee as Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) voted with Dems and ranking member James Jeffords (I-VT)....
Posted on October 26, 2005 04:07 PM
Can You Raise $$ On Indictment Island?
That's the subject of today's Hotline spotlight. Here's a brief excerpt: "It speaks volumes when a VA GOPer would rather appear with Rudy Giuliani than Pres. Bush. But that's exactly what Jerry Kilgore is doing this week, welcoming the liberal...
Posted on October 26, 2005 01:29 PM
Dubie Says No to VT Sen Race
Hot off the presses: VT. Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R) says "I plan to continue serving as Vermont's Lt. Governor." More Dubie: "First, I considered my commitment to making Vermont a state where Vermonters can live in safety and security,...
Posted on October 26, 2005 10:43 AM
House Campaign Ctte Filings
The National Republican Campaign Committee maintained the bigger bank account this quarter, ending the fundraising period with $17.7 million. It raised $12.6 million. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took in $9 million, spent some, and ended the quarter with $11.3...
Posted on October 20, 2005 06:03 PM
Diageo/Hotline Poll Of VA
Kaine sports a 2-pt lead over Kilgore among registered voters; Kilgore leads by a point among likelies. Education and transportation are the most important issues. Dems seem to be more enthused about their guy than GOPers are about theirs. Most...
Posted on October 18, 2005 12:43 PM
Key GOPer: 60-70 Seats In Play?
Here is an argument, made by an influential Republican 10/17, suggesting the field of competitive house seats might not be as small as the NRCC spins it. 1. The "model" as the NRCC sees it suggests that only 20-25 seats...
Posted on October 18, 2005 08:50 AM
Not A Bad Weekend For Republicans
Not a bad weekend for Republicans -- Plame uncertainties aside. Consider: 1. A fresh wave of stories suggesting the House GOP caucus is seriously considering spending cuts. The RSC ascends because, in Flake's words, the caucus fears an election and...
Posted on October 17, 2005 11:00 AM
A Roll Of The Dice
Looking for Vegas-like House race entertainment without the Vegas-like prices? Then travel to the biggest little city in the world, Reno, NV, and the rest of NV 03. Dawn Gibbons (R) officially announced yesterday she will seek her husband's congressional...
Posted on October 13, 2005 05:03 PM
New Wisdom...
As promised, I will try to highlight "wisdom before it's conventional" after thoroughly perusing each day's Hotline. Some thoughts after devouring today's issue: -- Change is in the air: The single most overlooked item in today's issue has to be...
Posted on October 5, 2005 05:20 PM
From The Counterintuitive Logic File
While Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is one of the most vulnerable Dems up for re-election this year, she may benefit from an unusually strong GOP field. While that may sound counterintuitive, Washington State's late primary (the third Tuesday in September)...
Posted on October 5, 2005 02:18 PM
Wilder Lays Down Endorsement Marker For VA AG
The Hotline has learned that ex-VA Gov/Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder told a major VA paper today that his endorsement in the AG's race would be determined in large measure by what each of the candidates, state Del. Bob McDonnell (R)...
Posted on October 5, 2005 02:11 PM
New Wisdom
Because I believe The Hotline's job is to deliver "wisdom before it's conventional," I'm going to attempt each day to note what I believe are the 3 or 4 pieces of news in The Hotline that have potentially changed...
Posted on October 3, 2005 07:39 PM
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