Happy Hour Roundup
Craig Will Walk The Plank Tomorrow
Larry Craig will hold a news conference tomorrow in Boise, where he will reportedly announce his resignation from the Senate, effective September 30 — a date that still might not be soon enough for his fellow Republicans. The Associated Press is reporting that Republican Governor Butch Otter has already tapped Lt. Governor Jim Risch to be appointed to the seat. Risch was previously elevated to the governorship in May 2006, but chose to run for Lt. Governor again and avoid a bloody primary for governor against then-Congressman Otter. So expect the GOP to repay that debt and unite around Risch.
The Second-Tier Dems Pledge To Abide By The Official Calendar
Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden have all released statements indicating they will not participate in primaries and caucuses that deviate from the DNC's officially sanctioned calendar. This means they will stay away from Florida, which has scheduled itself for January 29, and probably Michigan, which is on the verge of trying to grab January 15. The pledge is being propagated by Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina — the four states that are officially allowed to hold their contests in January.
Tancredo Calls For End To Katrina Aid
Wow. Tom Tancredo took the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina as an opportunity to blast federal aid to the Gulf Coast today. The presidential candidate said it is "time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station" and also, "The mentality that people can wait around indefinitely for the federal taxpayer to solve all their worldly problems has got to come to an end."
NH Gov. Supports Regional Primary — For Every State But NH
New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch said at a newspaper editorial board meeting Wednesday that he would support a primary system in which regional groups of states rotated each election cycle beginning in 2012. His support, however, came with a major caveat — New Hampshire would retain its first-in-the-nation status as well as "some distance" between its primary and the regional contests. Gov. Lynch added that he would also favor Iowa maintaining its status as the first caucus.
Mike Huckabee Supports Voting Rights For DC
Despite the fact that it would definitely be a new Democratic seat, Mike Huckabee told reporters today that he supported efforts to grant Washington, DC, a full Congressional district. The former Arkansas governor said that it "doesn't seem right" that citizens should pay taxes without representation and that its political impact on the parties' balance in the House "doesn't change whether it is right or wrong."
Duke Of Muck Lewis Running Again
Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who has thus far spent about $45,000 in campaign funds on legal fees associated with his ties to lobbyists and defense contractors, has announced that he is running again in 2008. His district is deeply Republican, so even despite his scandals he can likely get re-elected.
Hillary Clinton Reads Top 10 Campaign Promises On Letterman
Following a long tradition of political figures reading Top 10 lists on Letterman, Hillary Clinton listed her best campaign promises, focusing on the comedic novelty of having a woman as president. Starting off with "Bring stability and long term security to The View," here they are for your enjoyment:
Comments (20)
lampwick wrote on August 31, 2007 7:12 PM:Huckabee's expressed a lot more straight talk about things than McCain ever did. Good for him.
gqmartinez wrote on August 31, 2007 8:04 PM:I've been saying this since about March: Huckabee will be one of the toughest candidates the GOP can field. He was a reasonably moderate Governor who told Norquist to talk to the hand. He's the more populist GOPer around with bona fide social conservative credibility. The problem is, I don't think there is another prominent GOPer who would be a viable VP choice (since the GOP seems to hate Hagel).
Huckabee, along with Richardson, are my sleeper candidates who I'd have put money on months ago. Big payoff because of the big odds. Oh well. I'm not a betting man anyway.
Jim wrote on August 31, 2007 8:11 PM:If Huckabee ever gains traction (and its starting to look like he is) then color me scared. He's exactly the kind of Republican I'd run against Hillary. He's a populist in the William Jennings Bryant mold (right down to being a minister and a doubt in evolution), and he can out flank HRC on both sides.
adam wrote on August 31, 2007 8:26 PM:those were funny jokes... was it the show or the campaign that did that writing...?
Mad Dog Rackham wrote on August 31, 2007 8:58 PM:Sounds like, for Tancredo, African-Americans are the new Mexicans.
Iowa won't be Huckabee's because of his limited ground crew but watch out in NH. The more face to face campaigning there is his strong suit; he comes across much more sincere than Rudy and Romney still has to defend Mormonism no matter what anyone else says.
Shii wrote on August 31, 2007 9:37 PM:Hillary in her dopey "people's president" mode. I gotta admit, when she does something she does it well.
Daniel wrote on August 31, 2007 9:40 PM:A huge story this week is how recent developments in Iowa (the gay marriage issue) and Michigan (the primary on 01/15) are improving Romney's prospects dramatically.
Before Michigan changed its primary date, it just was not evident how Romney could possibly build on Iowa and New Hampshire victories with South Carolina and Florida looking soon after. But Michigan's leap to January 15th radically changes the dynamic on the Republican side, damaging Giuiliani's hopes to easely recover from power showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, and offering Romney an obvious path to the nomination.
Read full analysis at Campaign Diaries.
Becky wrote on August 31, 2007 10:22 PM:I am so tired of republicans talking about how pure and holy they are. I am a Christian and a Democrat. This is not an oxymoron. There are lots of us. Good moral people in Congress would probably be a good thing...however when I vote, I prefer an intelligent person, a person who has some sense of history and world affairs and who is smart enough to govern our country. If that person is also honest and decent that would be a good thing. Can't we separate personal lives from public lives? Obviously we are not going to have a Congress made up of good moral people. Can we settle for a Congress made up of members who honestly just want what is best for our country, even if they can't match the high standards of the hypocrits on the far Republican right?
Legalize wrote on August 31, 2007 11:27 PM:At least Tancredo is saying what we all know GOPers truly believe - fuck poor brown people. Let's see how many wingnuts distance themselves from his hate. My bet is zero.
Mike wrote on August 31, 2007 11:29 PM:At least Hillary looks natural doing the Top 10 list. I remember when Nixon showed up on "Laugh-In" and said "Sock it to ME?" Didn't say it right and looked like a doofus. Stiff as a board. Of course, Reagan was comfortable on TV, wasn't he? THAT didn't work out so well...
Susan Kitchens wrote on August 31, 2007 11:56 PM:I'd love to know the larger context of Tancredo's positions on government handouts/bailouts.
What did he say about the post 9-11 bailouts of the airlines?
What did he say about the most recent request for bailout by investment bankers (?) over the sub-prime mortgage problem?
How did he vote in the bankruptcy bill that was a handout to all the credit-card companies?
What kind of Homeland Security pork has he garnered for out-of-the-way places in the state of Colorado?
If he stood against all of those government bailouts, I'll take his New Orleans statements in a different way.
Atma Singh wrote on September 1, 2007 12:26 AM:Hillary has obviously improved in how she presents her personality, but there is just something coming through about her that I just cannot stand, and I am a die hard democrat. She has worked on making her voice less annoying for one. It is all about people liking you. Who would you want to have a beer with? I just don't see chillin' with Hillary.
I guess she is coasting on Bill's appeal to a great extent.
Has anyone written something insightful on why she is so loathed by so many? and not just republicans either.
I am calling all my Republicam friends to night ans telling them, pleading with them to vote Tancredo. He has got to be their nominee! He is the only one articulating the Republican vision perfectly. Screw the Presidency. . . They should elect him as their god!
I, on the other hand, can not wait 'til he meets his maker in hell.
Clavis wrote on September 1, 2007 8:19 AM:When I think of the victims of Hurricane Katrina being on a train, it ain't a gravy train, that's for sure...
Although New Orleans IS apparently the city that makes its own gravy!
Richard L. Adlof wrote on September 1, 2007 3:47 PM:Atma Singh @ September 1, 2007 12:26 AM:
Most DEMs negatively vocal about Clinton are so because like her husband (who was the most popular Republican President in a hundred years), our favorite Goldwater Girl appears poised to inflict eight more years of corporatist rule upon the U.S.
The REPs hate her cuz, like her husband before her, she's going to do it with the wrong letter after her name.
The way between the sane and sober left and the insanity of the the right is paved with the Clinton name . . .
cengiz narinc wrote on September 2, 2007 10:07 AM:WE ARE LOVE HİLLARY
SHE İS OUR PRESİDENT
HİLLARY R. CLİNTON
PRESİDENT OF U.S.
WE ARE LOVE HİLLARY
SHE İS OUR PRESİDENT
HİLLARY R. CLİNTON
PRESİDENT OF U.S.
Mike says, "At least Hillary looks natural doing the Top 10 list." Natural? Were we watching the same video? Sounded very rehearsed and plastic to me. Hillary's "stage voice" sounds like nails on a blackboard to me. But then, music is in the ear of the beholder.
party-of-one wrote on September 3, 2007 8:27 AM:Oops Cengiz. Although Hillary certainly aspires to an imperial presidency, and immediate coronation, what's left of the U.S. Constitution still requires an election, meaningless as it may be. And who knows, maybe mere citizens will assert themselves and challenge the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton presidential revolving door.
