June 29, 2007
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air."
-- Mitt Romney, on strapping his dog to the top of the car, WTAE-TV online, 6/29
Posted 06.29.07 12:28 PM | Comments (7)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.29.07 10:42 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- The Happiest Day of Lou Dobbs' Life Edition
The defeat of the immigration bill dominated last night's political talk:
CNN's Dobbs: "A crushing defeat for President Bush and the Senate's democratic leadership on amnesty, a glorious victory for the American people" ("Lou Dobbs Tonight," 6/28).
NBC's Russert: "It's dead, finito, mort. It is over" ("Nightly News," 6/28).
NBC's Gregory: "For the president it was a stinging political defeat" ("Nightly News," 6/28).
CBS' Axelrod: "Bush was in no mood for questions about his stunning defeat" ("Evening News," 6/28).
FNC's Garrett: "The president's post-defeat remarks -- terse" ("Special Report," 6/28).
PBS' Holman: "The handful of conservative Republicans who helped kill the immigration bill today credited the American people for bombarding senators' offices with calls opposed to the deal" ("NewsHour," 6/28).
CNN's Johns: "In fact, there were so many calls to the U.S. Capitol complex, that the entire system shut down" ("AC 360," 6/28).
SOMETIMES NOTHING IS BETTER THAN SOMETHING
And Fred Thompson sat down with FNC's Cameron:
On the failed immigration vote: "Sometimes not making the wrong move is better than nothing at all. I think if they had an immigration bill that doesn't secure the border, I think that it shows a disconnect with the American people that they thought that they could convince them."
Cameron: "Senator McCain, your friend and rival, says that it's wrong to do nothing. Is he wrong?"
Thompson: "No, I think we should do something. I think that we should enforce the law. That's a very good place to start and the American are saying don't put on a piece of paper that you are going to secure the border and call it a bill."
On allegations he's not pro-life enough, Thompson: "I got the National Right to Life endorsement in 1994 when I first ran. They were the only ones who came down and sat down and interviewed me at the time. And I had a full discussion with them. And then I proceeded to cast 100 percent votes in the anti-abortion fashion" ("Special Report," 6/28). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.29.07 08:42 AM | Comments (2)
June 28, 2007
White House and Home
As if to prove Thomas Wolfe wrong, three top presidential contenders tried to go home again this week. Each trip spoke volumes about the unique challenges each candidate faces in 2008. It also raised some interesting questions: How do hometowns define candidates? And what happens if they don't have one? Read John Mercurio's PolitiScope to find out.
Posted 06.28.07 02:01 PM | Comments (0)
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"When decent people spoke out and said they didn't want to hear that any more, it changed."
-- Elizabeth Edwards, on how her Coulter response is like the civil rights movement, "Today," NBC, 6/28
Posted 06.28.07 12:34 PM | Comments (6)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.28.07 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- The Day After Edition
There was a hodge podge of topics on TV last night -- from immigration to VP Cheney to Paris Hilton but the big political interview was John Edwards on "Hardball":
On Elizabeth's call to Ann Coulter: "Elizabeth made this decision on her own to call in."
More: "I applaud Elizabeth. I think that when people like Ann Coulter -- and it's not just her, unfortunately, it's her and people just like her, Karl Rove and all those people. I mean, when they engage us in this kind of hate-mongering, you have to stand up to them. You have to stand up to them."
He continues: "I feel the need to point out this woman didn't just use it against me. I mean, the things she said about Senator Obama, the things she said about Senator Clinton, they all fall in the same category. And they're calculated to create an emotional response. They're calculated to make people hate. And if you don't speak out against it, then that means you're tolerating this kind of language and it means you think it's OK. It's not OK."
MSNBC's Matthews: "Can you dismiss this as hate speech and negativity and debasing of the political process and at the same time have your campaign use the comments made by Ann Coulter to raise money? It's clearly part of your Web site e-mail campaign solicitation effort now. Two e-mails have gone out now to raise money off of Ann Coulter's attacks on you and your family. Do you think you can do both, attack her and exploit her?"
Edwards: "Here's what I think. I think that we can say to America that we're not going to tolerate this kind of behavior, we're not going to tolerate this kind of hate language and we're going to stand up and we're going to fight. And if we ask Americans, other good Americans to join us in standing up and being strong, there's nothing wrong with that. And that's exactly what we're asking them to do. And I hope there'll be lots of people who will join us in standing up and doing the right thing."
Asked how much they've raised from it: "I don't know the numbers. I hope they go up. I hope we get more and more people who join us in this cause because this is important" (MSNBC, 6/27). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.28.07 08:31 AM | Comments (5)
June 27, 2007
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"The United States government, then President Clinton, did not respond."
-- Rudy Giuliani, on "the first attack on America," in '93, AP, 6/26
Posted 06.27.07 12:34 PM | Comments (6)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.27.07 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
The Meet the Press Primary
With the second quarter coming to a close 6/30, Joe Biden gathered his high-dollar donors at the Phoenix Park Hotel last night and gave them this assessment: fundraising isn’t everything. During the meeting --- part status report, part pep talk— Biden said he’s expecting to raise between $2-3M. Probably not the big gains they were hoping for, he realizes, but rest assured: the proof is in a different sort of pudding. It’s in the press.
The message here is one of classic Biden assurance: what he lacks in money, he makes up for in money shots. “The press wants me in this thing,” he said confidently. Biden instructed the group of $10K-and-over-donors to take a look at the papers and the recent slew of great coverage he’s getting. And as if announcing endorsements, he proudly noted the winning reviews he’s been receiving from David Yepsen, Adam Nagorney, David Broder, Mark Shields, and Eleanor Clift [NORA McALVANAH].
Posted 06.27.07 10:00 AM | Comments (8)
Hotline After Dark -- Playing Hardball
Ann Coulter got an entire hour of "Hardball" last night and Elizabeth Edwards called in to say this: "I'm calling -- you know, in the South, when someone does something that displeases us, we want to ask them politely to stop doing it. I would like to ask Ann Coulter if she wants to debate on issues, on positions, we certainly disagree with nearly everything she said on your show today. But it is quite another matter for these personal attacks. The things that she has said over the years, not just about John, but about other candidates, lowers our political dialogue precisely at the time that we need to raise it. So, I want to use the opportunity, which I don't get much, because Ann and I don't hang out with the same people, to ask her politely to stop the personal attacks."
Coulter: "The wife of a presidential candidate is calling in, asking me to stop speaking?"
E. Edwards: "You wrote a column a couple years ago which made fun of the moment of Charlie Dean's death, and suggested that my husband had a bumper sticker on the back of his car that said, 'Ask me about my dead son.' ... This is not legitimate political dialogue. It debases political dialogue. It drives people away from the process. We can't have a debate about issues if you're using this kind of language."
More E. Edwards: "I have not talked to John about this call." She continues: "I'm making this call as a mother. I'm the mother of that boy who died."
Coulter: "I think we heard all we need to hear. The wife of a presidential candidate is asking me to stop speaking. No" (MSNBC, 6/26).
THE TIME IS NOW
Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) went on the "NewsHour" to talk about his floor speech.
On why he spoke now: "I think now is the time the president has an opportunity to gain a bipartisan foreign policy in Iraq and in the Middle East. ... Rather than going on with the surge ... we ought to reposition our American forces in other places in Iraq where they have greater safety ... and we ought to bring some of them out of Iraq."
On why not wait until September: "There will be more American causalities by September. There will not be much progress by the Iraqi parliament and government. ... What's also being lost is the potential for a diplomatic initiative."
Asked if other GOPers will follow him: "Well they may not want to follow in my wake -- they may have very independent views -- but I think they are all thinking very hard about this and trying to think how they can work with the president and that is my point -- it is not to get in an adversarial situation" (PBS, 6/26).
READY TO PLAY IN THE BIPARTISAN SANDBOX
And Joe Biden was in the "Situation Room":
On Lugar's floor speech: "Lugar is the most respected Republican in the area of foreign policy. His departure from the president's position is one he's long held in my private discussions with him. But him going public with it is a big, big deal."
More: "I called him to thank him for making the speech. I think it's significant. And I also called to tell him -- which will probably get me in trouble -- but I called to tell him if the president is really willing to make a change in course, I'll jump in the tank. I will be part of an effort to get us out of this mess if he needs some bipartisan help to do it."
Asked about VP Cheney: "He's got all this secret information. He has total access to every single solitary secret in the federal government. Who died and left him boss? No matter what construct you come up with, why is he not responsible for being accountable to how he handles that information? And this ridiculous construct, this constitutional web he's weaving that he is president of the Senate, he's not a -- look, if he's not Rahm Emanuel has a bill. If he's not a member of the executive branch, good. Eliminate his salary. Take away his house" (CNN, 6/26). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.27.07 08:52 AM | Comments (14)
It's Richardson (Almost)
CA Assemb. Laura Richardson (D) topped state Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D) and the rest of the field in yesterday’s CA-37 primary, but since she didn’t garner 50% of the vote, she’ll face a nominal 8/21 runoff before heading to Congress. The results, with 100% of the precincts reporting:
Richardson (D): 38%
Oropeza (D): 31%
McDonald (D): 9%
Kanaley (R): 8%
Mathews (D): 4%
Ramirez (R): 2%
Brezenoff (G): 1%
Leavitt (R): 1%
Guillory (R): 1%
Wilson (D): 1%
Peters (L): 1%
Parmer (D): .8%
Davis (D): .6%
Price (D): .4%
Grisolia (D): .4%
Ford (D): .4%
Evans (D): .1%
Because of California’s special election runoff rules, Richardson will face the top vote getters from each party -- police officer John Kanaley (R), Green party nominee Daniel Abraham Brezenoff and Libertarian Herb Peters -- in the 8/21 election. But in a CD that has a 58% Dem versus 20% GOP registration, this will be a cakewalk for Richardson.
Several weeks before the election, both frontrunners campaign’s released polls showing their candidate with the lead, but the Richardson campaign disagreed with Oropeza’s poll, saying it was a month old and questioned some of the methodology. Many analysts discussed the racial divide in the CD as well, and questioned whether an African American could keep the seat in a district that has gained a Hispanic plurality recently -- the composition of the district is 43% Hispanic and 25% African American. But in an election that saw only an 11% turnout, the African-American Richardson was obviously better organized and was able to defeat Oropeza [TIM SAHD].
Posted 06.27.07 08:02 AM | Comments (1)
June 26, 2007
Waxman Accuses WH of Security Breaches
House Government and Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has shot another flaming arrow at the White House, this time accusing the White House of being careless in its handling of classified material and ignoring flagrant breaches of security. “There is evidence that both the White House and the Office of the Vice President have flaunted multiple requirements for protecting classified information,” wrote Waxman in a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding. The letter is the latest move in Waxman’s escalating investigation of Vice President Cheney’s handling of classified documents.
Waxman said he has been contacted by “current and former White House security personnel” who say they were ignored when they reported breaches, such as “a report that a White House official left classified materials unattended in a hotel room” or reports that “White House officials left classified information on their desks”, says the letter. The security officials were prevented from “conducting unannounced inspections of the West Wing”, such as those allowed by previous administrations, wrote Waxman, who called White House security practices “dangerously inadequate.
A Waxman aide says congressional investigators have been quietly talking to current and former members of a little-known office, the White House Security Office, which oversees security at the White House itself. In his letter, Waxman demanded that he be allowed to depose “White House officials with knowledge of these security matters” or he will issue subpoenas for them on Thursday [LINDA DOUGLASS].
Posted 06.26.07 12:55 PM | Comments (1)
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"I believe that Senator Lugar's words yesterday could be remembered as a turning point. "
-- Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid, NYTimes.com, 6/26
Posted 06.26.07 12:45 PM | Comments (1)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.26.07 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- The Domino Effect?
John and Elizabeth Edwards were on the "Tonight Show" last night:
Jay Leno: "Now, you guys have a 30th wedding anniversary coming up. Now, I know you being a cheapskate, don't you go to Wendy's every year?"
J. Edwards: "Every year."
Leno: "Now that you're successful, do you get the double burger?"
J. Edwards: "Well, see, you can't spend money on food when you're spending money on haircuts."
Leno: "Exactly. Thank you. You provide weeks of monologue. I appreciate that."
J. Edwards: "I did it entirely for your benefit. I want you to know that."
Leno: "You know something? If you can talk your wife into Wendy's on your 30th anniversary, this Middle East thing should be no problem" (NBC, 6/25).
SHOW ME THE MONEY
There was also talk on the SCOTUS ruling on McCain-Feingold:
ABC's Stephanopoulos: "This ruling blows a hole in McCain-Feingold." More: "This is certainly going to increase the pressure, it was already heading that way, for the major party nominees to completely opt out of the public financing and spending limits system" ("World News," 6/25).
HOW MANY MORE TO FOLLOW?
And there was late breaking news on Sen. Dick Lugar's (R-IN) floor statement on Iraq:
CNN's Cooper: "It is a complete 180 for Senator Lugar" ("AC 360," 6/25).
CNN's Bash: "This really ... is a defining moment in the Iraq political debate because Senator Richard Lugar is one of the most respected, most influential Republican voices in Congress when it comes to foreign policy. Until now he has been pretty muted in his public criticism of the president's strategy of Iraq" ("AC 360," 6/25). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.26.07 08:57 AM | Comments (1)
June 25, 2007
Obama's Hitting The Airwaves
As the 2nd fundraising quarter comes to a close, Barack Obama's campaign is opening up the warchest for a new "low-level" media campaign in IA. It features two "documentary-style" ads, one touting Obama's background as a community organizer, the other highlighting his work as a state legislator in neighboring Illinois. The campaign says that the ads will allow Iowans to "better understand that Obama's vision for bringing the country together to solve important problems is not just campaign rhetoric. For him, it's been a way of life."
Each ad leads with selections from the 2004 Convention speech that put Obama on the national map. Also of note are some of the testimonials in each. An SEIU official praises Obama for "organizing at a time when everything was collapsing." And a Republican state senator says that Obama had "negotiation skills and an ability to understand both sides." [MIKE MEMOLI]
Posted 06.25.07 12:54 PM | Comments (0)
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"I don't sit here and say, 'God, being a former senator is a bummer, I want the power back.'"
-- Ex-Sen. Bob Kerrey, on whether he'll run for NE SEN in '08, Omaha World-Herald, 6/25.
Posted 06.25.07 12:52 PM | Comments (0)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.25.07 11:05 AM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2007
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"We are confident that we are conducting the office properly under the law."
-- Cheney spokesperson Lee Anne McBride, on VP claims he isn't fully part of the Bush admin., mult., 6/22.
Posted 06.22.07 12:33 PM | Comments (7)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.22.07 10:45 AM | Comments (0)
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 potential candidates don't want to get into it. And when you see that, you've got to go in and try to clean it up. ... I'll decide in the fall. I haven't decided."
Asked if he is more likely to run if Hillary Clinton gets the Dem nod: "No. ... It's not just her, it's the whole rotten system that, you know, turns off half the population who don't even bother to vote because it doesn't mean anything for them" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 6/21).
Asked if he's getting in race: "It's too early to say. ... The others are getting in the race because they have to raise hundreds of millions of dollars and we have to raise thousands of volunteers."
On if Bloomberg gets in: "That would make things very interesting" ("Situation Room," CNN, 6/21).
TEN FOUR GOOD BUDDY
Tom Tancredo was on "Hannity & Colmes" to talk about the immigration bill. FNC's Hannity told him: "Stop it in the House if it passes." Tancredo replied: "I will do my best, buddy" (FNC, 6/21).
A PICTURE'S WORTH ...
Washington Post's Romano, on the "Hillaryland" story and group photo: "They have a couple pushes they're doing right now. One is to humanize her. This is a very important thing. They're doing it through the Sopranos ad, through the video, through everything. And the other is women. I mean, they have made a serious decision that they need to be the dominating force in the women's vote to win this election. So this group of women sitting for this picture went to both of those. And I've got to tell you, more than almost any piece I've done in my career, I got so much reaction today, I mean, dozens and dozens and dozens of emails from people who said it gave them a sense of her" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 6/21). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.22.07 09:00 AM | Comments (3)
June 21, 2007
Out To Lunch
Joe Biden was the guest at the Christian Science Monitor luncheon this afternoon but was only able to spend 30 minutes with reporters, having to return to the Hill for a vote. Most of the discussion focused on Iraq with Biden reiterating his stance he is the only Dem with a "political solution" for the country.
Since he warned reporters he would have leave early to make a vote, he was asked how he was balancing being a sen with being a WH candidate. "Extremely well" was the reply. He said he expected to miss "lots of votes" but didn't expect to miss any votes where his absence would affect the outcome. He added he didn't plan to miss any votes where his absence would have a "political outcome."
As for the low approval ratings Congress is currently subject to, Biden: "I have been the skunk at the family picnic ... for saying we do not have effective control" in Congress. He noted of the critics: "It's a lot easier to say the Congress should end this war ... Well, join the Congress."
Biden was also asked his opinion of Pres. Bush's proposal to make outgoing British PM Tony Blair the new Middle East envoy. Biden: "He can only be as effective as the president is willing to engage." [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.21.07 02:20 PM | Comments (0)
If Unity'08 Builds It, Will Bloomberg Come?
A few hours after Mike Bloomberg announced he was leaving the GOP, a little-known Website was so overwhelmed with traffic that it crashed. Unity '08, a grassroots campaign to elect a bipartisan presidential ticket next year, is suddenly attracting a lot of attention.
Unity '08 is the brainchild of some long-ago GOP and Dem campaign operatives who bonded over their mutual fury at partisan politics. They are trying to do what most experts think is impossible: ignite an uprising from the political middle.
The group is aiming to stage a virtual convention next June, where delegates will choose a presidential ticket online. But there's a twist: The presidential and vice-presidential candidates must seek the nomination as a team and they must be from different political parties. One of the candidates could even be an independent. An independent such as, say, Bloomberg.
Unity co-founder Doug Bailey, a Republican, says his group did not know Bloomberg was going to jump the GOP ship. (Baily is also founder of National Journal's "The Hotline", with which he is no longer affiliated.) But he and Gerald Rafshoon, a Unity Democratic co-founder and one-time adviser to former President Jimmy Carter, were quick to heap praise on New York's mayor.
Rafshoon called him "the perfect independent leader" and someone "who knows how to work across party lines to get results."
Added Bailey: "He understands the need for common ground."
Last year, another Unity co-founder, former Carter chief of staff Hamilton Jordan, briefed Bloomberg Deputy Mayor Kevin Scheeky about how the Unity '08 nominating process will work. Bailey says the group has briefed other potential candidates as well, all confidentially.
As of last week, Unity '08 had signed up only 64,000 delegates. Bailey says it is too early to know how many new members signed up when news of Bloomberg's moves erupted. Bailey thinks Unity '08 could have a million delegates by this fall. And once the major parties choose their candidates, presumably in February, he insists that his group "will be the only game left in town."
"Many people", he argues, "will be disappointed with their choices." Bailey predicts Unity '08 will have five to eight million delegates by convention time.
As the group tries to sign up delegates, it is also scrambling to raise money to pay for the mind-boggling job of getting its presidential ticket on the ballot in all 50 states. Rafshoon concedes the fundraising is hard. Centrist politics rarely ignite passion. But he and Bailey argue public anger at Washington's inability to solve problems is at an all-time high. They believe this might just be the middle's moment.
If they succeed, says Bailey, "it will be a great victory over the blame game of polarized politics."
But if they build it, will Bloomberg come? [LINDA DOUGLASS].
Posted 06.21.07 01:20 PM | Comments (6)
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"As we reported, I was instructed to veer off, which to me is the same as telling someone to leave."
-- NYT's Mark Leibovich, on allegedly getting pulled over by Romney's private security detail, AP, 6/21.
Posted 06.21.07 12:38 PM | Comments (1)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.21.07 10:44 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- We Wanna Be Like Mike
Michael Bloomberg continued to be the talk of TV.
Note: Bloomberg was on "NewsHour" last night in a joint interview with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. However, this pre-taped interview was conducted before he made the announcement about his party switch and WH '08 was not discussed.
NBC's Gregory: "Would a third New Yorker be one too many for the country to take?" ("Nightly News," 6/20).
FNC's Cameron: "Some say a Bloomberg candidacy could hurt Republicans the way independent candidate Ross Perot did against the first President Bush back in the 1992 campaign. But as a Democrat for most of his life, with decidedly socially liberal views, he could also take votes from Democrats, not unlike the way Ralph Nader did in 2000 from Al Gore" ("Special Report," 6/20).
MSNBC's Shuster: "Bloomberg might be to appeal in a general election to moderate voters who are turned off by the extreme views that candidates are required to put forward to win the Democratic and Republican nominations" ("Hardball," 6/20).
Washington Post's Balz: "I think he is a long way from having made a decision. I think he wants to continue to raise his visibility, move around the country in a way that he hasn't been able to do, begin to explore, to see whether there's a receptivity. We know there's a receptivity to the general message he's talking about, which is that the political system in Washington is broken. I think he wants to find out whether there's real receptivity to Michael Bloomberg as the person to fix that" ("NewsHour," PBS, 6/20).
Ex-Sen. Al D'Amato: "I believe him right now that he's not. But is he looking at it? Absolutely. Is he measuring it? Absolutely. If he sees that both parties come up with candidates who are fractures, and there's resentment and there's not overwhelming support, then Mike Bloomberg, and only then, would he take a shot" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 6/20). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.21.07 08:44 AM | Comments (1)
June 20, 2007
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"I love coming here."
-- Hillary Clinton at the Take Back America conference, "with a smile while the crowd continued to boo," AP, 6/20.
Posted 06.20.07 12:31 PM | Comments (6)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.20.07 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- Always Independent
Leading the political news was Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to switch his voter registration:
NBC's Russert: "This strategy is quite simple. He's positioning himself for a potential, potential, underscore potential independent run for the presidency. He will make a decision in early 2008 depending on who the major parties nominate and the tone of the campaign. ... He's willing to spend $500 million of his own money. ... He would only run if he could win. ... He's very pragmatic" ("Nightly News," 6/19).
CNN's Crowley: "What's interesting is everything Bloomberg has said in the past couple of months would lead you to believe that he is not going to run for president. He practically says, I'm not going to run. But then he does all these things that lead you to believe that he is going to run for president. So take your pick" ("Situation Room," 6/19).
FNC's Vogel: "Whatever his plans, the popular New York mayor could quickly mount a viable campaign if he chose to" ("Special Report," 6/19).
GOING FOR THE GOV?
Outgoing OMB dir. Rob Portman was in the "Situation Room."
Asked about reports he's leaving to run for OH GOV in 2010 and to put distance between himself and Pres. Bush between now and then: "It's an interesting theory, but it's false. ... The reason I'm going home is to spend time with my family. And you understand that, having talked to you about this issue before and seeing your own kids. I mean, it is tough in this job to be able to be a dad and a husband and a good son. And, so for me, it's time to go home for a while, reconnect with my family, and then see what comes."
Asked if he's going to help rebuild the OH GOP: "Well, we will see. We will see. I have got a 12-year- old, a 15-year-old, and a 17-year-old. And that's what's foremost on my mind right now. Again, this job is tough on the family. It's entailed a lot of sacrifice on behalf of my family. They live in Cincinnati. I do the commute every week back and forth. And it's time for me to go home for a while" (CNN, 6/19).
TALK OF THE TUBE
There was also talk of the Clintons' spoof of the "Sopranos" ending:
MSNBC's Matthews: "How many electoral votes does New Jersey have?" ("Today," NBC, 6/20).
National Journal's Douglass: "What struck me, is that whenever she feels that she needs help, she brings in Bill Clinton, the domesticated husband. ... It may work the first time, when you look at it again, I wonder if it doesn't make you just a little bit uncomfortable" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 6/19).
MSNBC's Shuster: "One of the things that I think is so brilliant about what Hillary is doing is there is finally the use of the Internet where you see campaigns trying to engage their supporters in active participation and then it breeds ownership. All the people who voted in the Hillary campaign song, now feel like they have an ownership stake in some small kind of hokey part of the campaign" ("Tucker," 6/19). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.20.07 08:31 AM | Comments (2)
Whitehead-ed To Runoff; Challenger Undecided
Ex-state Sen. Jim Whitehead (R) topped the field in the special election tonight, but will face either physician Paul Broun (R) or businessman James Marlow (D) in a 7/17 runoff. Currently, Broun leads Marlow by 187 votes for the second spot in the runoff. The results, with 96% of the precincts reporting:
Jim Whitehead (R): 43.5%
Paul Broun (R): 20.7%
James Marlow (D): 20.3%
Denise Freeman (D): 4.7%
Bill Greene (R): 3.0%
Nate Pulliam (R): 1.7%
Erik Underwood (R): 0.7%
Mark Myers (R): 0.7%
Evita Paschall (D): 3.3%
Sendelbach (L): 1.3%
Turnout in Marlow's and Broun's home county of Clarke (where Broun took 20%, and Marlow took 55%) totaled 16%, while turnout in Whitehead's home (Columbia Co, where Whitehead took 68%) totaled around 22%.
Collectively, GOPers took 70.3% of the vote, while Dems divided 28.3%. GOPers slightly outperformed Pres. Bush's numbers here in '04.
Posted 06.20.07 07:26 AM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2007
Obama For America's Future?
A hungry, liberal audience at the Campaign for America's Future Take Back America Conference spent their lunch hour today listening to speeches from Barack Obama and John Edwards. Prior to their appearances, progressive activists gathered alongside supporters of the two top tier candidates in the lobby of the Washington Hilton Ballroom. However, a quick glance into the crowd would have led one to believe this was purely an Obama event. A lone Edwards staffer stood in the middle of the lobby handing out campaign signs amidst a sea of "Obama '08" t-shirt clad volunteers at surrounding tables. The trend continued in the ballroom when a faint Edwards chant was quickly overshadowed by a roaring O-BAMA, O-BAMA!
Obama immediately appealed to the progressive crowd in his refined preachy-style. He highlighted his role as a community organizer on Chicago's southside and his decision to "turn down those corporate job offers" after law school to return to Chicago, painting himself as something "we haven't seen in years." Obama: "On paper it is impossible that I'm here as a U.S. candidate for president. ... I know it's possible." It felt as if the crowd was on its feet before Obama even finished each policy point.
Edwards was greeted with a less boisterous welcome (with some of the crowd parting early for the afternoon's Employee Free Choice Act rally on Capitol Hill) but received hearty applause for his harsh criticism of the Iraq war and Congress' "broken promises" of withdrawal. Edwards: "No more pontificating. No more vacillating. No more triangulating. No more broken promises. No more pats on the head. No more we'll-get-around-to-it-next-time. No more taking half a loaf." In addition to his usual policy pitches surrounding poverty and an increased global awareness in the fight against HIV/AIDs and other issues, Edwards called for the creation of "green collar jobs" and a "patriotism" for environmental conservation versus war.
Where were the Edwards supporters today? Probably busy getting ready for the party at MCCXXII tonight! [AMY DUDLEY]
Posted 06.19.07 05:59 PM | Comments (1)
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"Opposition research is part of the game that's played, partly because you guys rely on it for stories."
-- Barack Obama, Des Moines Register, 6/19.
Posted 06.19.07 12:36 PM | Comments (3)
First Off, She's Canadian
Hillary Clinton's campaign just announced the winner of her online song competition.
Posted 06.19.07 11:03 AM | Comments (4)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.19.07 10:58 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- Mormonism 101
NBC's Allen gave a primer on the Mormon religion on last night's "Nightly News": "The Mormon church ... is relatively young -- founded in the 1830s -- a brief history that has been a constant struggle for acceptance. ... Now it's America's fourth largest religion. And politics is nothing new. Fifteen members of Congress are Mormons -- most are Republicans but so is Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid" (6/18).
And then ABC's Harris examined Mitt Romney's religion on "GMA": "Fairly or unfairly, however, Mitt Romney's Mormonism is coming in for increasing scrutiny" (6/19).
ABC's Stephanopoulos: "They have a strategy to deal with it. Number one -- [Romney] is aggressively reaching out to christian and evangelical leaders saying 'I am a Christian.' ... Secondly, that he does deplore some parts of the Mormon past -- polygamy, racial separation. Finally, most importantly, he believes in this bed-rock separation between church and state" ("GMA," 6/19).
ACCORDING TO JIM
And Jim Gilmore was on "Tucker" to talk about his op-ed in the Washington Post:
Gilmore: "The thing that really motivated me to write my letter today, my open letter to the president, is the simple fact that more and more people keep trying to put all the responsibility for this on the people of the United States and of the United States of America. And that's not where it belongs."
Asked if GOPers should back away from Pres. Bush on this: "I don't know the politics of this. All I care about at this point is protecting the interests of the United States of America" (MSNBC, 6/18). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.19.07 08:56 AM | Comments (3)
June 18, 2007
Today On Hotline TV: This Book Changed My Life
We've got the titles the WH '08ers should pick up next time they're in the the
self-help aisle -- take a look!
Visit HotlineTV.net for the latest predictions, to sign up for email alerts or to view our now daily webisodes, plus check in on Fridays for the full weekly show!
Posted 06.18.07 02:30 PM | Comments (0)
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"I am in it whole hog, as they say in Iowa."
-- Mitt Romney, on the Ames straw poll, Des Moines Register, 6/17
Posted 06.18.07 12:40 PM | Comments (2)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.18.07 10:59 AM | Comments (0)
June 15, 2007
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"With an older electorate, do we really want to force our voters out during conditions that could jeopardize their health and safety?"
-- PA GOP Chair Robert Gleason, on not joining the 2/5 primary, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 6/15
Posted 06.15.07 12:42 PM | Comments (1)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.15.07 10:55 AM | Comments (0)
Speculation In Full Bloom
In the last 72 hours, Mike Bloomberg has been on the cover of TIME, the subject of the feature story in Business Week and a special guest on NBC's "Nightly News."
The three media outlets described the NYC mayor as "forthright," "prosaic," "self-confident," "tough," an "Eagle Scout," "an executive," "a CEO," "a cutthroat businessman," "a press mogul," "a Wall Street mogul," a "technocrat," someone who "isn't typical," "a risk-taker," "self-made," "a billionaire," "a self-made billionaire" a "pint-size billionaire" and, of course someone with "no political debts" who is "beholden to no one."
Sounds like the media has found a new sweetheart. Interviewing Bloomberg, Brian Williams even swooned, "Oh, you must have an opinion on whether or not you'd make a good president."
Our question: Couldn’t Bloomberg, forthright Eagle Scout and cutthroat mogul that he apparently is, cool down the courtship if he wasn’t just as interested? [PATRICK OTTENHOFF]
Posted 06.15.07 08:54 AM | Comments (2)
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 to eight weeks will be if Scooter Libby suddenly had his memory refreshed and went to prosecutors and said, Remember all of those conversations that I said I couldn't remember about Vice President Cheney regarding the leak of Valerie Wilson and regarding my testimony to the FBI and grand jury? Well, now I remember those conversations" ("Hardball," 6/14).
Outgoing WH Counselor Dan Bartlett, on Libby: "As long as there is an appeals process, he's still outside of the custody of the criminal justice system. My understanding is there would be some time before that would take place. In the meantime, there's an appeals process, an emergency appeals process, that is being filed. For that reason, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to weigh in, either on the elements of the case or the status of the appeal."
Asked about it again: "I just don't think it would be prudent for me to dive into the details or process that may or may not be going on inside the White House, for something as sensitive as the subject in this case. It is important that the appeals process be able to be exhausted. Scooter and his team is going through that right now. And we'll reserve judgment until those appeals are exhausted" ("AC 360," CNN, 6/14).
FNC's Baier: "Trying to salvage a comprehensive immigration reform bill, President Bush today endorsed a plan to lock in money for border security, in order to win the support of skeptical Republican senators who doubted that real border enforcement would happen under the bill" ("Special Report," 6/14).
CNN's Bash: "Under the deal, opponents will be allowed to offer some 20 amendments to change what they don't like about the bill, a breakthrough, after intense behind-closed-doors investigations, led by senators who vowed not to give up" ("AC 360," 6/14).
ONE KIDNEY: GOOD PRICE
And Mike Huckabee was on "Hannity & Colmes":
Asked why he hasn't been able to break into the top tier: "Money. I mean, it's real simple. You know, the people who have a lot more money tend to be looked at as the ones who have a message to go with it. I don't think that's necessarily the case. I still think, though, that this race is far from over. You know, we've got to raise more money. That's the biggest challenge we have. And you know, we're looking at creative ways to do it. You know, if I have to sell a kidney, I mean, I think we're coming to that maybe at some point" (FNC, 6/14). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.15.07 08:34 AM | Comments (2)
June 14, 2007
DNC/YouTube Debates: Putting Democracy in Democratic?
No more panelists, no more local TV anchors and no more Wolf Blitzer asking the questions. The July 23rd DNC debate in Charleston, SC, and the GOP WH '08 debate September 17th in Florida, is between you, YouTube and the candidates. CNN personality Anderson Cooper will host the new kind of debate, which will allow users to submit questions starting today to Democratic Presidential candidates over the video-sharing Web site. CNN will be in charge of picking which YouTube video questions will be asked of the candidates.
"This is the most democratic of all structures," said CNN VP and DC Bureau Chief David Bohrman on the debate structure. "Everyone in the country has the possibility of asking a question of someone who might be the next president."
Debate organizers said they hope to get about 20 to 30 questions into the debate, which will consist almost entirely of YouTube user-generated questions. However CNN and Google/YouTube will not let users view their selection process for the debates, said organizers on a conference call with reporters today. That's because organizers said they don't want candidates to know which questions will be before the debate.
"It's not going to be the 100 most viewed clips," added Bohrman. "That would be far too simplistic. ... the real questions will be buried in the thousands of questions that will be submitted."
Some other basic tidbits from the call:
-They guessed they'll get about 20 to 30 questions asked at the debate, but CNN will have about 50 to 100 questions ready to go.
-Execs say they're close to picking a site for Republican CNN/YouTube/Google debate September 17 in Florida. Excepting any technological problems in the DNC debate, organizers said they'll follow the same user-generated format.
-Organizers said about 98% of the debate will be reserved for YouTube-generated questions, but they'll leave a little bit of wiggle room if, as they said, "the blogs erupt with a question," or if an issue explodes online during the forum.
So here's the other $64,000 question of the evening: Will viewers do a better job than journos at asking the candidates questions? Candidate and bloggers alike often complain about format and questions poised by the networks. Take for example Chris Dodd's Talk Clock graphic showing how many minutes each candidate had to talk in NH. And who could forget Chris Matthews wasting precious airtime asking the Republicans whether another Clinton in the White House would be good for the country?
But now that users are in charge, how will the questions differ? Or because CNN still has complete editorial control over which questions are asked, will the question differ at all? At least the YouTube videos will include all the regular features, such as how many views each video has received and a five-star rating system. Will YouTube users revolt if CNN doesn't ask what they might think are appropriate questions?
What's more, CNN and Google/YouTube will release the footage from the evening online so users will be able to mash and create their own videos from the debate. Expect users and campaign operatives alike to create, manipulate and interpret the footage for wide distribution across the Internet.
"The length of the debate is much longer than the night of the event," said YouTube News and Politics editor Steve Grove [SHIRA TOEPLITZ].
Posted 06.14.07 01:09 PM | Comments (3)
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"I guess politics can get a little testy if you're having a difficult time yourself."
-- Mitt Romney, asked about John McCain on the "Michael Medved Show," release, 6/13
Posted 06.14.07 12:38 PM | Comments (3)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com
Illinois -- Capitol Fax
Tennessee -- Tennessee Politics Blog
Florida -- SayfieReview.com
Alabama -- Doc's Political Parlor
Colorado -- ColoradoPols.com
Wisconsin -- WisPolitics
Texas -- Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report
Georgia -- Political and Policy Digest
Iowa -- IowaPolitics.com
Arizona -- AZ Political News
Posted 06.14.07 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
Hotline After Dark -- Did You Get Your Subpoena?
The subpoenas of ex-WH pol. dir. Sara Taylor and ex-WH counsel Harriet Miers dominated the political news last night:
ABC's Greenburg: "This is the most significant clash between the White House and Congress since President Bush took office. Congress is using force. This is not a request. This is a demand" ("World News," 6/13).
MSNBC's Shuster: "Democrats are hoping ... that the White House will not take that dramatic step to protect a couple of White House officials that most people outside of Washington have never heard of. And then, if Taylor and Miers do testify, then the Democrats can go back, issue a subpoena for Karl Rove, and say, Well, wait a second, precedent has already been set. You've got these other White House officials who have testified. Why won't the White House allow Karl Rove to testify?" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 6/13).
CNN's Toobin: "They want Karl Rove, under oath, in public. That's what the Democrats really want here, because what the Democrats believe is that this U.S. attorneys firing was orchestrated out of Rove's office. The problem is, they're a long way from there. And the days are winding down in this administration" ("AC 360," 6/13).
RUDY'S BUSINESS
Rudy Giuliani was on "Money & Politics":
Asked if it's a conflict of interest to be run his businesses and run for office: "I'm basically out of both. I spend most of my time now running as we get closer and closer we'll even further out of it." More: "It means I will not be involved in the day-to-day work of those companies."
Asked if it's fair for people to judge him based on his companies' clients: "No, of course not. ... Some of the people you represent in a law firm are people that have troubles and problems -- you gotta straighen them out. It's like judging a doctor necessarily by the patients they have. Doctors are there to cure people. Lawyers are there to handle legal problems. If doctors or the lawyers are doing it unethically that's something you should judge them on. But if the doctor or the lawyer is doing their job in an ethical way fulfilling their professional obligation then it isn't the same standard you would have politically" (Bloomberg, 6/13). [EMILY GOODIN]
Posted 06.14.07 09:06 AM | Comments (2)
June 13, 2007
Quote Of The Day
From today's Hotline:
"I don't ever look in the mirror and think about would I ever be a good president."
-- NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, "Nightly News," 6/12
Posted 06.13.07 12:37 PM | Comments (0)
A More Candidate-Friendly Audience?
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark will now be exclusively on MSNBC as a military analyst, sources have confirmed to the Hotline. Clark has still not ruled out a possible White House bid and MSNBC would be a much more Dem-friendly audience than his old gig -- Fox News Channel [EMILY GOODIN].
Posted 06.13.07 11:25 AM | Comments (8)
HPN: Updates From Our State Affiliates
Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates -- Updated 24/7
New Hampshire -- NHNewslinks.com
New Jersey -- PoliticsNJ
California -- The Roundup
Missouri -- JohnCombest.com