Articles of Interest 3-7-2008

243 Days until Election Day

MORNING UPDATE:

I attended the Michigan Political Leadership Program  (MPLP) last night in Livonia.  It was a who’s who of “bi-partisan” political leaders from across the state who gathered to hear Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol and former U.S. Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro.  A great evening…congratulations to Michigan State University.

Governor Jennifer Granholm once again is in tax trouble. According to documents at the Ingham County Register of Deeds, the Granholm-Cherry Inauguration Committee owes close to $20,000 to the IRS for a party that was held over 5 years ago. Granholm also had a lien filed against her in 2006 when she owed $800 in unpaid taxes and fees. Granholm seems to have no problems pushing through the largest tax hike in Michigan's history on to Michigan's citizens and employers, but will take a pass on paying her own taxes

http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2008/03/granholm-fails.html

Michigan and Florida delegates deserve to be seated…from both parties.  If that means the Michigan Democrats feel they need a “re-do”, then they should have a caucus that they have used in the past and they should consider doing whatever it takes to make sure Michigan’s voice is heard.  This is not a partisan issue…it’s a non-partisan Michigan approach…we deserve to have our voices be heard…from both parties.

Ronald Reagan “responds” to Obama and/or Clinton with clarity, truth and historical perspective that many seem to have forgotten…simple not easy:

http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2008/03/reagan-responds.html

Governor Granholm and the Democrats tout their “national awards” while they continue to live in a state of denial, wearing rose-colored glasses.

While we hear results matter -- what we get is denial and pretend solutions.

We need to create a greater sense of urgency, within and without our state government, not only to change, but to lead change. In this world, staying even is falling behind.

Lou Gestner, the former CEO of IBM, captured the essence of the issue when he stated, "No institution will go through fundamental change unless it believes it is in deep trouble and needs to do something different to survive."

Someone should tell our elected leaders-- "Houston -- we have got a problem!"

I sent the following link to all our Republican members of the State Legislature:

http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2008/03/reform-state-do.html

Are you ready for “round two”???  See the rest of the story below…

CPAC 2008 speeches delivered to the convention are now on-line…there are some pretty good speeches…including one from yours truly 

http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/2008/080220_CPACspeeches.asp

Save the date…CPAC 2009 set for February 26-28, 2009 in Washington D.C.

THE REST OF THE STORY:

- So let’s talk about “management”:

Governor Granholm’s press release said: “Michigan is a very good example of a state that has been well managed in the toughest of economic circumstances,” said Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Research Center on the States, of which the GPP is a part.  “The governor has not, as she says, ‘wasted the opportunity of a crisis.’  Michigan has used a strategic, statewide plan to ensure that the state’s critical work for the public gets done – in spite of a battered manufacturing sector that has affected state revenue."

Meanwhile MIRS reported: The State of Michigan is facing revenue issues totaling $383.6 million according to Senate Fiscal Agency (SFA) Directory Gary OLSON, who testified today before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"These are pretty significant adjustments that will impact the decisions you have to make," Olson told the Appropriations panel. The SFA chief did specify that the adjustments do not mean that the current budget is in deficit so there is no need to for executive order reductions. The budget was predicated on a $125 million carry forward that would absorb much of the current fiscal year issue.

Olson did state however, that Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM's budget as proposed on Feb. 7 will either have to be trimmed back in its size, or supported by new revenues in order to be properly funded.

TAXES vs. REFORM…so far, the Democrats have continued to tax its citizens…over and over again.

Saul Anuzis

STATE STORIES

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/news-51/1204849163144020.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

Granholm's inaugural committee may owe unpaid taxes

3/6/2008, 7:13 p.m. EST

The Associated Press   

LANSING

,

Mich.

(AP) — The inaugural committee for Governor Jennifer Granholm might owe $19,500 in unpaid federal taxes.  Granholm campaign spokesman Chris De Witt says the campaign found out about an IRS lien Wednesday. Campaign accountants hope to resolve the situation and are trying to determine if there's a debt, how big it is and how it came about.  The debt appears to stem from the 2003 tax year. That would relate to the first inauguration of Granholm and Lieutenant Governor John Cherry, both Democrats.  The Michigan Republican Party put out a press release about the lien late Thursday, saying taxpayers should be outraged.  But De Witt says the committee was set up to limit taxpayer expense for the 2003 inauguration. The committee was dissolved in 2005.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080307/NEWS06/803070423/1008

Granholm committee owes IRS $19,535 MASON

Tax lien causes some confusion

BY

DAWSON

BELL

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

March 7, 2008

A committee set up by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to finance and manage her first inauguration owes the Internal Revenue Service $19,535, according to a tax lien filed in

Ingham

County

.  The lien document doesn't say which tax or taxes were unpaid, but indicates the debt was incurred in 2003.  Representatives of the Granholm-Cherry Inaugural Committee said Thursday that they have no idea what prompted the claim. The committee was dissolved in 2005, said Mark Fox, a

Lansing

attorney who helped set it up.  Chris DeWitt, who acted as a campaign spokesman for Granholm in 2002 and 2006, said, "The first we heard of the lien was yesterday. We don't know where it came from."

Late Thursday, the Michigan Republican Party issued a statement skewering Granholm for "tax evasion," and likening the IRS lien to an $800 lien placed against the

Wayne

County

home of Granholm and her husband in 2006 for failing to file unemployment insurance reports on their nanny.  The 2006 claim was attributed to notices about the reports having been mailed to the wrong address. DeWitt said the same phenomenon might be at work with the IRS lien. Granholm has not used the office address on the lien filed in

Ingham

County

since about 2005, DeWitt said.

http://battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/NEWS01/303060028

Michigan

Senate passes bills aimed at easing foreclosure crisis

The Associated Press

LANSING

— Bills aimed at making state housing loan programs available to more

Michigan

residents have passed the state Senate. Some of the bills overwhelmingly approved today soon should be headed to Governor Jennifer Granholm for her signature. Other bills in the package are headed for the state House. The bills could help lessen the wave of mortgage foreclosures gripping

Michigan

. Some homeowners struggling with rising adjustable rate mortgages would be able to get lower fixed rate loans through the Michigan Housing Development Authority.  At-risk low and moderate-income residents would be eligible depending on their credit scores.

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/NEWS01/803060408/1001/news

Mich.

Senate votes to put more children in safety seats

Evening update

Associated Press

Published March 6, 2008

The Michigan Senate has voted to require all children who are both under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches to be fastened into a booster seat.  Current state law requires children under 4 to ride in a child restraint system, rather than just wear seat belts alone.

Sponsors of legislation approved today say more than 90 percent of children between 4 and 8 years old who are seriously injured in auto accidents aren't restrained in a booster seat.  Similar legislation passed the Michigan House last year. Lawmakers will have to work out differences between the bills if a booster seat measure is to reach Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR2008030604071.html

Michigan

and

Florida

Have Democrats in a State

By Dan Balz

Washington

Post Staff Writer

Friday, March 7, 2008; Page A01

As Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama competed through more than 40 contests over the past two months,

Michigan

and

Florida

remained on the sidelines, barred from participating in the Democratic presidential nomination process because they violated party rules. Now, with neither candidate likely to win enough delegates to capture the nomination, the question is whether the two states will end up deciding the race by holding do-over contests this spring.

Clinton

's victories on Tuesday have put renewed pressure on the Democratic National Committee to resolve a months-long dispute over whether the

Michigan

and

Florida

delegations will be seated at the national convention in

Denver

in August. Political leaders in the two states, whose decisions to schedule primaries in January in violation of the rules led to their disbarment, are under similar pressure to find a way out of the stalemate. Elected officials from

Michigan

and

Florida

have called on the national committee to relent, arguing that to do otherwise means disenfranchising several million voters from two battleground states. DNC Chairman Howard Dean has been equally firm in arguing that changing the rules could split the party and undermine confidence in the entire nominating process.

The stakes are huge.

Florida

and

Michigan

would have had 366 delegates between them. If Clinton or Obama were to score sizable wins in revotes, the states could have a major impact on the delegate margin between the candidates. Obama now has a lead of 140 pledged delegates.

Clinton

won both disputed primaries, and she has called for the delegations to be seated.

Clinton

officials estimate that she would add about 180 pledged delegates to her total if the delegates were awarded on the basis of her vote percentages. Because Obama was not on the

Michigan

ballot, there is no way to estimate how many he would receive.

http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/16357156.html

Who Would Be Allowed To Vote In Redo? Save Email Print 

Posted: 6:12 PM Mar 6, 2008

Last Updated: 8:24 PM Mar 6, 2008

Reporter: John Tramontana

Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer says something will be done about the

Michigan

delegate mess. Brewer is working with both candidates as well as national party leaders to come up with a solution.  "The DNC wants to uphold its rules, the two candidates want the nomination, and we want to make sure that we're participants," he said. "Any compromise that we reach will be necessary to have an agreement with all 3 of them."  Brewer won't go into details about the negotiations but did admit one option is a party-run caucus.  "The idea of a party-run primary, often called a caucus, has been mentioned and pushed by the DNC for months."  When or if that would take place is not yet known, though on thing is...  "If there is some kind of a new vote, anybody who participated in the republican primary would be barred."  That's okay with Michigan Republicans. Party Chairman Saul Anuzis says they have no plans to get Republicans to vote for Hillary Clinton, a candidate some feel would be a lesser threat to John McCain. There aren't any plans to hold a redo of their own either.  "Considering there's no competition, there's no balloting, it makes no sense to do that," Anuzis said.

Anuzis and the party now turn their attention to the party's convention in September where they expect a full delegation.  "We fully expect to be seated now that McCain is the presumptive nominee."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/8889.html

Primary season heading to reruns?

By: Ben Smith

Mar 6, 2008 07:39 PM EST

A climactic showdown over counting the votes of Democrats in

Florida

and

Michigan

is fast descending into a round of haggling over who will pay to re-run those states' primaries.  The prospective new round of voting injects new uncertainty — and suspense — into the primary, adding two more major showdowns that could help Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton narrow the lead Sen. Barack Obama holds in pledged delegates. But the details of re-votes in those two states remain uncertain, as relatively weak political players spent the day calling on one another to take action. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean demanded that the state parties sort it out on their own. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, in turn, called on Dean to take charge.  "I call on you to find a means — immediately — to bring the party and the Clinton and Obama campaigns together immediately in agreement on a plan to seat the Florida delegation," Nelson wrote Dean in an open letter, in which he suggested "a do-over election in early June, paid for by the DNC."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PRIMARY_SCRAMBLE_MIOL-?SITE=MIPON&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-03-06-16-07-17

DNC's Dean urges do-over contests in

Florida

,

Michigan

By JOAN LOWY

Associated Press Writer

Mar 6, 4:07 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The former head of the Democratic National Committee said Thursday it was doubtful DNC Chairman Howard Dean would be able to get approval for a plan for do-over presidential nomination contests in

Florida

and

Michigan

.

"It'll be a hellacious battle," said Don Fowler, a former DNC chairman who sits on the party's rule-making committee.  Before the primaries started, "Howard Dean had enough votes to get most everything he wanted. Now that this thing has gone as far as it has and the lines have formed according to candidates. I'm not sure how that vote would shake out now," said Fowler, who has endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Now, everything is being viewed in terms of how it benefits a particular candidate, not the party or the process, Fowler said.

http://battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/NEWS01/303060037

DETROIT MAYOR SCANDAL

Kilpatrick to challenge recall petition approval

The Associated Press

DETROIT

— A lawyer representing Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick says he will ask a county elections commission to reconsider its approval of language on a recall petition.

Attorney Alan Canady says the man who filed the petition does not live at the west side

Detroit

address listed with the Wayne County Clerk’s office. The elections commission on Wednesday approved one of six recall petitions filed by 42-year-old Douglas Johnson.

Johnson has said a text-messaging sex scandal and $8.4 million whistle-blowers’ lawsuit settlement are part of the reason he wants voters to recall Kilpatrick.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/METRO/803060506

Kilpatrick asks election commission to reconsider recall petition approval

Mike Wilkinson and Christine MacDonald / The

Detroit

News

Thursday, March 6, 2008

DETROIT

-- Attorneys for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick have asked the Wayne County Election Commission to reconsider its decision to allow an effort to recall Kilpatrick.

The request was filed this afternoon with the

Wayne

County

clerk's office.

The city is challenging the residency of Doug Johnson, who has pushed for the recall. The Wayne County Election Commission approved the wording of one of Johnson's six recall petitions on Wednesday. In his filings with the commission, Johnson listed his address as 15108 Evergreen, near

Outer Drive

and Fenkell. However, no one lives in the home and Johnson admits he lives in the neighborhood with friends. He declined on Thursday to say where he lives.   The recall petition calls for Kilpatrick to be removed from public office because of the $8.4 million the city of

Detroit

paid to settle whistle-blowers' lawsuits brought by former

Detroit

police officers.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/NEWS01/80306087/1003/news01

TEXT-MESSAGE SCANDAL

Kilpatrick lawyer asks commission to reverse decision on recall bid

By BEN SCHMITT • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • March 6, 2008

An attorney for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick filed a motion today asking the Wayne County Election Commission to reconsider its decision to allow a recall effort of the mayor to go forward.  Attorney Alan Canady said the city is challenging the residency of Doug Johnson, who is organizing the recall. The Wayne County Election Commission approved the wording of one of Johnson's six recall petitions on Wednesday.

Johnson, 42, listed a home on Evergreen as his residence.  "My understanding is that the house is in his name but there's been no utilities in that house for five years," said Canady of the Detroit-based law firm of Clark Hill PLC. "The house is vacant and it's our belief that he does not live at the address he listed. And that would disqualify him from filing these petitions."  Johnson, a paralegal, even acknowledge that he does not live at the home on Evergreen. He said he is living with friends in

Detroit

but declined to give the address, citing safety reasons.  A check of Johnson's record shows at least six felony convictions from writing bad checks to obtaining money under false pretenses. He said he served two years in prison after various guilty pleas stemming from the charges in 1988-89.

http://battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/NEWS01/303060032

CMU reprimands camera-toting student who targeted professor

The Associated Press

MOUNT PLEASANT — A Central Michigan University student who used a video camera and a Web site to criticize an assistant professor running for Congress was issued a letter of reprimand.  Dennis Lennox, a 23-year-old junior, said Wednesday he would appeal the finding that he violated school code. A conduct proceedings officer ruled that

Lennox

provided false information to a university official, identified himself as Dick Cheney to a professor and improperly posted fliers on hallway benches. 

Lennox

said he wasn’t able to defend himself because a secret disciplinary hearing was held during spring break. There was an initial hearing last week, but

Lennox

and the school clashed over whether he could videotape it.  The hearing officer wrote that

Lennox

refused to participate in the hearing when he wouldn’t stop videotaping it. 

Lennox

has followed Gary Peters around campus with a video camera to pressure Peters to choose between his three-year teaching post and a congressional run.  Peters, a former lottery commissioner, is seeking the Democratic nod to face Republican Congressman Joe Knollenberg in

Oakland

County

in suburban

Detroit

.  Central Michigan spokesman Steve Smith said he could not discuss specifics of

Lennox

’s case because of privacy laws.

Lennox

had warned he could be expelled. But Smith said the purpose of the conduct code is to educate students “with punishment and sanctions as a secondary measure.”

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080307/POLITICS/803070387/1022/POLITICS

Walberg faces stiff re-election battle

Poll shows Republican congressman in a dead heat with Democratic foe Mark Schauer.

Deb Price / The

Detroit

News

Friday, March 7, 2008

WASHINGTON

-- A new survey shows that a first-term Republican congressman from southern

Michigan

may have a re-election fight on his hands.  A survey of 7th Congressional District voters conducted by Detroit News/WXYZ-Action News pollster EPIC-MRA shows Rep. Tim Walberg of Tipton in a statistical dead heat when voters are read biographical information about him and challenger Mark Schauer, who represents the

Battle Creek

area in the state Senate.  Walberg stood at 48 percent and Schauer at 49 percent. The error margin of the survey of 400, Feb. 27 through March 2, was 4.9 percentage points.  "If I were in Tim Walberg's camp, I would have grave concerns at this point that a relatively unknown Democrat in a traditionally Republican district can match up so competitively," said EPIC-MRA political analyst John Cavanagh.  But the poll also shows work ahead for Schauer (pronounced "shower").  When voters had no additional information than the two candidates' names and party affiliations, Walberg was favored by 51 percent to Schauer's 40 percent. That head-to-head question was asked first, then asked again after the biographical information was read to survey respondents.

Walberg captured the seat in 2006 after ousting freshman Joe Schwarz in the Republican primary with the financial aid of the anti-tax Club for Growth donor network.

But Walberg barely won 50 percent of the vote in the November general election against a poorly funded, little known Democrat, prompting the Democrats to target him this year.

The district, which stretches from

Battle Creek

to the western edge of

Ann Arbor

, has in the past trended solidly Republican.  But Cavanagh says migration from

Ingham

County

to

Eaton

County

is watering down the Republican flavor of the district.

http://battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/NEWS01/303060052

ELECTION 2008

Poll: Walberg, Schauer even in

U.S.

House race

The Associated Press

DETROIT — A poll of voters in southern Michigan’s 7th U.S. House District shows Republican incumbent Tim Walberg and Democratic challenger Mark Schauer running about even.  The polling company EPIC-MRA says 49 percent of those it phoned supported Schauer, while 48 percent backed Walberg. The company polls for The Detroit News and WXYZ-TV. Walberg is a first-term congressman from Tipton, while Schauer is a state senator from

Battle Creek

.  Interviewers questioned 400 people February 27 through Sunday, and the results have a margin of sampling error of 4.9 percentage points either way.

NATIONAL STORIES

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/us/politics/07donate.html?ref=politics

Party Donations Show G.O.P. Edge

By LESLIE WAYNE

Published: March 7, 2008

WASHINGTON — For all the success that Democratic presidential candidates have had in raising money — taking in a combined total of over $500 million in the current race — the Republicans are beating them in one crucial area of fund-raising: the money being raised by the parties themselves.  The Democratic National Committee ended 2007 nearly flat broke, with cash of $2.9 million and debts of $2.2 million. Since then it has raised some money, paid down debt and managed to put $3.7 million in its piggy bank. This compares, however, with $25 million that the Republican National Committee has in cash on hand, after having raised $97 million since the beginning of 2007.  And with Senator John McCain now the presumptive Republican nominee, party officials started plotting with his campaign this week on deploying those resources against the well-financed Democratic candidacies of Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.  Already, President Bush, who spoke at 29 Republican fund-raisers and is credited with raising $63.5 million last year, is lined up for more R.N.C. fund-raising in the weeks ahead. This money is likely to provide the financial muscle for Mr. McCain to continue his attacks on both Democratic candidates.  “The Republican National Committee’s strength is an important indicator,” said Alex Conant, the R.N.C. spokesman. “The D.N.C. has had trouble raising money, and the R.N.C. is well-positioned to help our nominee financially. It is our mission to get McCain elected president, and that is our focus. Fund-raising is a priority.”  Such party money can play a vital role in presidential campaigns because candidates are barred from using money they raise for the general election until they are nominated at the conventions. So the party money is often used before then — as well as after — to finance advertisements, direct mail and, ultimately, get-out-the-vote efforts.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120476732666015257.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

OPINION 

Alive!

By KARL ROVE

March 6, 2008; Page A15

Tuesday's exciting presidential primaries were about momentum, delegates and second looks.  In the Republican contest, these factors gave victory to the Lazarus candidate. John McCain's campaign nearly collapsed eight months ago in a mass of debt and missteps. Tuesday, Mr. McCain became the GOP's standard-bearer by passing the 1,191-delegate threshold needed for nomination. It was a remarkable comeback and personal triumph of character, grit and persistence. The Democrats saw Hillary Clinton come back from the abyss for the third time this year. What is it about the

Clintons

living life on the political edge? Mrs. Clinton was on the edge after

Iowa

but recovered in

New Hampshire

. She was falling after losing

South Carolina

but recovered on Super Tuesday. She then endured 11 straight defeats that threatened to end her candidacy but won three of Tuesday's four contests. However, as of Wednesday night, her victories only closed Mr. Obama's delegate lead by nine, from 110 to 101.  As exciting as Tuesday night was, the Democratic contest has not shifted to advantage Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Obama still has a healthy advantage. There are 611 delegates to be elected in 12 future contests, 349 superdelegates have yet to commit, and 12 delegate spots from Tuesday's primaries are still not allocated. To win, Mrs. Clinton must take 58% of these outstanding delegates. That's a tall order.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/824ikqqk.asp

The Education of John McCain

What he can--and can't--do for the public schools.

by

Chester

E. Finn Jr. and Michael J. Petrilli

03/10/2008, Volume 013, Issue 25

As the GOP debates whether John McCain is sufficiently Reaganesque, here's a point in the senator's favor: Like the Gipper, he doesn't consider education a top presidential priority. Indeed, McCain has said very little about the subject on the campaign trail, and his website barely touches it.  That's in vivid contrast to our last three presidents. Bush père campaigned to be the "education president" and swiftly convened the nation's first education summit.

Clinton

demonstrated his "third way" bona fides by pushing charter schools and school uniforms. And the incumbent Bush staked his claim to compassionate conservatism partly on his beloved No Child Left Behind act (NCLB) and its dramatic expansion of the federal role in education.  Such Oval Office advocacy and activism helped give life to some promising ideas--school choice and standards-testing-accountability in particular--but also created a myth and a monster.

The myth: The president can make our schools better. It's a myth that most citizens seem to believe. So do some candidates. Observe Senator Barack Obama stating, during a recent debate, with a straight face and sincere look, that "we should not accept a school in

South Carolina

that was built in the 1800s, where kids are having to learn in trailers, and every time the railroad goes by the tracks, the building shakes and the teacher has to stop teaching." Excuse us, Senator, but what exactly can you do for this school from the White House?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0308/McCain_begins_to_take_charge_at_RNC.html

McCain begins to take charge at RNC

March 06, 2008

The Republican National Committee tomorrow will announce the appointment of three top John McCain loyalists to help coordinate the party's effort with McCain's campaign and to lead the joint voter contact program, according to GOP sources.   Also involved in the effort will be Rudy Giuliani's former campaign manager.  Frank Donatelli will serve as the new deputy chairman of the RNC and will serve as the chief liaison between the committee and the campaign. A veteran Republican strategist, Donatelli has worked on numerous GOP presidential campaigns and in the Reagan White House. He's currently a lobbyist at McGuire Woods but will take a leave to join the committee. His wife, Becki, works for McCain, handling his online presence. Leading the so-called Victory organization will be Carly Fiorina. The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard got behind McCain early on and has been a frequent surrogate. She also traveled with him in

Michigan

and helped carry his economic message there. The Victory effort serves as the party's primary voter contact organization and is aimed at helping Republicans from McCain on down the ballot. Fiorina will serve as chairwoman in a spokeswoman and public advocate capacity. Leading the fundraising effort for the Victory operation will be Lew Eisenberg, a former partner at Goldman Sachs and longtime Republican donor. Like Fiorina, Eisenberg got behind McCain early on. He was named one of McCain's first national finance co-chairmen in 2006. He'll serve as finance chairman for Victory.

And helping the RNC and Victory effort will be former Giuliani campaign manager Mike DuHaime. He may not be rolled out tomorrow, but DuHaime will play a key role in working on the political side, advising on voter contact and GOTV strategy. Before running Giuliani's bid, DuHaime served as political director at the RNC.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=25379

Three Solid Choices for John McCain's Running Mate

by Deroy Murdock

Posted: 03/07/2008

STANFORD,

California

-- Now that he has embarrassed the “experts” and naysayers by clinching the Republican nomination and securing President Bush’s endorsement, Senator John McCain can focus on picking his running mate. Three potential vice presidents merit the Arizona Republican’s immediate consideration.

Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, 63, would add considerable executive experience to a ticket headed by a legislator. Having managed a $40.2 billion government with some 216,000 employees would prove valuable for someone who would advise a president who mainly has written legislation, debated, and voted on Capitol Hill since 1983. Giuliani’s counter-terrorism credentials are sterling and would amplify McCain’s posture as a foreign-policy hawk who would fortify

America

’s national security. Giuliani is popular with fiscal conservatives, given his mayoral tax-cutting record, as well as his maintenance of city spending at 1 percent below inflation -- an achievement that seems almost pious compared to the free-spending bacchanal that Republicans hosted between 2001 and 2007.  Giuliani also could help make

New York

and its 31 electoral votes  competitive for Republicans, along with adjacent

Connecticut

and

New Jersey

.

Giuliani’s shortcomings are two-fold:  After his high-flying campaign plunged to Earth -- as did Icarus after he soared too close to the sun, thus melting his wax wings -- Giuliani no longer resembles the invincible political force he seemed just last November. Badly beaten in the primaries, Giuliani would have to work hard to overcome worries that he could be beaten again next November.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8V8ECU80&show_article=1

Ron Paul Hints He's Quitting Race 

Mar 7 01:50 AM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON (AP) - GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is hinting to supporters that he is ending his long-shot campaign for the presidency.  The Texas Republican congressman addressed supporters in a 7 1/2- minute video on his campaign Web site Thursday night and did not specifically say he was quitting the race. He said that although victory in the conventional political sense is not available in the presidential race, many victories have been achieved due to the hard work and enthusiasm of his supporters. He said that he hoped that one day he and his supporters could look back and say his campaign was a significant first step that signaled a change in direction for the country. Paul said their job now was to plan for the next phase of their effort.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=25351

Watch Out, John Kerry

by Roger D. Carstens

Posted: 03/07/2008

Last week, I had the chance to sit down with Jeff Beatty, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate for the state of

Massachusetts

. Beatty is currently rallying support in order to offer a strong challenge to the current seat holder, Senator John Kerry. Jeff, who was in town to receive the prestigious "Guardian Award" from the International Association of Counter-terrorism and Security Professionals (IACSP), left me confident that we are putting our best foot forward in November's race and that Kerry will be facing a worthy opponent. Jeff's unique background as a counterterror professional and businessman positions him well to unseat Kerry and provide the leadership that this nation needs in an uncertain security environment.  As a counterterrorism professional, Jeff is well suited to set security policy, as he is the only person that I know who has served with all three of our nation's elite counterterror units. As an Army officer, Jeff was wounded in combat while serving as a Delta Force Assault Troop Leader during the invasion of

Grenada

. His story of being shot down during a helicopter assault is both harrowing and inspiring. Jeff -- though wounded during the helicopter crash -- organized the evacuation of his fellow Soldiers and then continued on to complete his assigned mission. For his actions, Jeff received the Purple Heart and medal for valor.  After leaving the Army, Jeff went on to serve in the FBI as an advisor to the Bureau's elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT). I know a little bit about that unit, and I can tell you that they are the best of the best in terms of tactical proficiency and intellectual and physical prowess. Jeff's leadership in preparing the HRT for its role in the 1984 Olympics speaks volumes about his expertise and professionalism. Only the best are selected to train the best.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8V8FKI80&show_article=1&catnum=3

Rookie Congressman to Fill Hastert Seat 

Mar 7 03:15 AM US/Eastern

By DEANNA BELLANDI

Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) - Voters in former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's district will choose a new congressman in a special election Saturday, but there's one thing they won't replace: his clout.  Hastert funneled millions of dollars to the district during his 21 years in Washington, but his retirement means his seat will go to either Democrat Bill Foster or Republican Jim Oberweis—two wealthy businessmen with no seniority on Capitol Hill.

"That's something he (Hastert) had to earn. It will be a learning curve for whoever gets in there," said William Barclay, an alderman in the

Chicago

suburb of

Geneva

. Democrats are eager to grab a seat Republicans have easily held for years, but the GOP is not prepared to give it up anytime soon.  As a result, the tussle over the district that runs west of

Chicago

to almost the Mississippi River has led to a contentious campaign of negative TV ads and clashes between the candidates over issues ranging from the

Iraq

war and health care to immigration. Democrats even filed a complaint with federal election authorities, claiming Oberweis didn't file the proper paperwork after he made loans to his campaign—a charge the Oberweis campaign chalked up to nitpicking.  Both sides are relying on high-profile supporters: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama endorsed Foster in a TV ad, while the likely Republican nominee, John McCain, came to town to raise money for Oberweis, who also received Hastert's backing.  The winner Saturday will fill the remainder of Hastert's term, which ends in January. The 66-year-old Hastert, who lost his powerful post as speaker when Democrats took control of Congress, resigned late last year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/us/politics/07delegates.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin

Democrats Try to End Impasse Over Delegates

By JOHN M. BRODER

Published: March 7, 2008

WASHINGTON

— With the two Democratic presidential candidates in near-deadlock and battling for every delegate, party leaders and the rival campaigns started searching in earnest on Thursday for a way to seat barred delegations from

Florida

and

Michigan

. But they remained deeply divided over how to do so.  After weeks in which the issue hovered in the background, it shot to the forefront of the Democratic race as it became apparent that the delegates at stake could be vital in influencing whether Senator Barack Obama or Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton wins the nomination. Mrs. Clinton won the most votes in primaries in

Florida

and

Michigan

in January. But the states held their contests earlier than allowed by the Democratic National Committee’s rules, leading the party to strip them of their delegates to the nominating convention. Neither candidate campaigned actively in the two states, and Mr. Obama was not on the ballot in

Michigan

.

Mr. Obama has maintained a slim but steady lead over Mrs. Clinton in delegates awarded by voting in the primaries and caucuses of other states. The

Clinton

campaign is hoping she can translate her advantage in the popular vote in

Florida

and

Michigan

into a big share of their combined 367 delegates.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03062008/news/columnists/only_gore_can_stop_a_meltdown_100624.htm

ONLY GORE CAN STOP A MELTDOWN

By Charles Hurt

March 6, 2008 -- IF AL GORE can pull himself away from saving the planet long enough, he might want to consider rescuing the Demo cratic Party from the clutches of utter self-destruction. Campaigning against an unpopular war in

Iraq

, a sputtering economy and a disappearing dollar, Democrats cannot lose in November.

But wait! They're Democrats! "The only reason we ever lose is when we beat ourselves," one nervous Democrat grumbled yesterday as the primary dogfight dragged on.

Hillary Rodham Clinton has made it clear she won't quit and no one expects Barack Obama to exit - and so on to the

Denver

party convention they go, viciously attacking one another all the way. Forget the red phone for a national-security crisis. Where is the red phone for a political party trying to destroy itself? And where is the party leader with the respect, stature, wisdom and influence to answer the crisis phone?

Former President Bill Clinton has a slight conflict of interest, not to mention that his wife's campaign now has him sequestered in a secure, undisclosed location until the election is over. Virtually powerless Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is a screaming castrato still regarded suspiciously by the party establishment.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who won her post promising the end the war in

Iraq

? Still waiting for that to happen. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is in a political pickle. His top two lieutenants - Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin - are not just split on this matter. They are Clinton's and Obama's loyal seat mates in the Senate and top campaign supporters on each side. Schumer's for Hillary, Durbin for Obama.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MzU0NmE2Yjk2NGQ3MjViMDg3ZjVmNThhNTM0Y2FjMmU

Sign of the Times

The GOP should not underestimate the political significance of Mike Huckabee.

By Charmaine Yoest

March 6, 2008 8:26 AM

If you were listening carefully Tuesday night at around 9:16 EST, you heard a collective sigh of relief as the GOP establishment greeted Mike Huckabee’s concession speech with a, “good, that’s over.”  But it is precisely the now-we-can-move-on reaction that is a threat to Senator McCain’s presidential aspirations — far greater than Senator Obama’s rhetorical skills or Senator Clinton’s nine political lives.

The problem the GOP faces right now is that they never have understood the political significance of Mike Huckabee’s extraordinary candidacy and electoral buoyancy. From inside the campaign, I saw an almost inexplicable gap between who Huckabee really is and who he is perceived to be . . . and the same is true of the values voters he is leading. Over the last month, I’ve been asked repeatedly why he wasn’t getting out of the race — no one ever picked up on the simple, and obvious, answer that the Governor himself repeatedly offered: his supporters didn’t want him to get out.

Mike Huckabee offered a voice for a significant portion of the electorate that feels disenfranchised.  Unfortunately for the GOP, the synonym for this group is “their base.”

Take a look at the polling data. During the time between the two Super Tuesdays, the governor was still consistently pulling a remarkable 30 percent of GOP support in Rasmussen’s national polling; McCain was barely breaking 50. The results in

Texas

mirrored this trend: even in the face of nearly a month of the media repeating that a win for his campaign was “mathematically impossible,” Huckabee drew 38 percent of Texas Republicans to cast their protest votes, and McCain pulled only 51 percent.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZTY0NGI2ZDE2ZGI2MmY2OWE5NDA3MjY1MTRmMzNlNzg=

What Huckabee Accomplished

Why his candidacy mattered — not just now, but perhaps for 2012.

By Byron York

I remember following Mike Huckabee around the Iowa State Fair, last August, when he wasn’t exactly attracting big crowds. On a terribly hot day, Huckabee played second fiddle to Kristy Demner, the Iowa Holstein Princess, as she addressed a crowd at the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters on the state fairgrounds. Huckabee got to say a few words after Demner finished, but few were listening.  Later, Huckabee walked — pretty much unnoticed — to the WHO Radio temporary studio, where one of his early boosters, a talk radio host named Steve Deace, gave Huckabee a lot of time on his program. On the show, Huckabee explained that he didn’t have the money to rent buses and give people rides to the Iowa Republican Straw Poll, coming up the next day in

Ames

. So he urged listeners to accept free rides from other candidates and once in

Ames

— on Mitt Romney’s or Sam Brownback’s dime — to vote for Mike Huckabee.  They did. Huckabee came in a surprise second in the poll, knocking Brownback out of the race, diminishing Romney’s victory, and setting up all that was to come in the Huckabee campaign. That evening, as dusk fell on all the tents and bandstands and barbecue stands in

Ames

, Huckabee was ecstatic. “For all practical purposes, we won the Iowa Straw Poll,” he told reporters. “No one was even saying we would come in second. Everybody was saying Huckabee may get fourth, maybe if he’s really lucky he’ll get third. You’ve got to admit, for what we had to work with and the resources we had, for us to surge, coming in second, is the victory, it is the story.”

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTM0OTdkYjAyZjhlM2M5YjIzNDA3MWVmM2ZhOTE0MzA=

Not Just a Presidential-Election Year

Eyes on the Senate.

By John J. Miller

Many Republicans believe that when they picked John McCain as their presidential nominee, they settled on the candidate who has the best chance of winning in November. It may be that he’s a good nominee for GOP Senate candidates as well, if he nudges the electorate a little to the Right of where it would be otherwise. Seeing Hillary Clinton somehow come from behind to swipe the Democratic nomination from Barack Obama wouldn’t hurt, either.  Having said that, GOP Senate prospects aren’t too bright — Republicans are almost certain to give ground. The national environment is poor for them and most of this year’s close contests feature seats they’re defending. They currently hold 49 seats, and in the next session this could easily drop to 44.

Herewith, a round-up of the most compelling Senate races of 2008, updating a New Year’s summary.

ALASKA

: Republican senator Ted Stevens isn’t used to tough reelections. Six years ago, he carried 78 percent of the vote. But now he’s an octogenarian, under a corruption probe, and possibly facing a difficult opponent. Last week, Mark Begich, the Democratic mayor of

Anchorage

, announced the creation of an exploratory committee in what could be the first step toward a formal challenge. National Democrats sense that Begich is their best chance to knock off Stevens, and they’re probably right — though it may take an actual indictment of Stevens to make this race truly competitive. LIKELY REPUBLICAN RETENTION

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/353927_governor06.html

SEATTLE

POST-INTELLIGENCER

Alaska

's governor delivers a surprise: She's pregnant

Last updated March 5, 2008 10:23 p.m. PT

By STEVE QUINN

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JUNEAU

,

Alaska

-- Gov. Sarah Palin dropped a day-ending bombshell Wednesday.  She's pregnant.  The 44-year-old Palin said that she and her husband, Todd, are expecting their fifth child sometime in mid-May.  "I will be delivering an addition to the first family," she told a stunned group of reporters.  Indeed, she hardly looks seven months pregnant. Just two months ago she was modeling for fashion magazine Vogue. She spent that day posing at her home in Wasilla.  "It was surreal for a while," she said. "It really hadn't all sunk in."  The Republican governor, now in her second year as

Alaska

's chief executive, said she does not believe the pregnancy will affect her ability to run the state. Palin has been mentioned as a potential running mate on the Republican presidential ticket.  She said her work as Wasilla mayor had only a brief interruption when she had her youngest daughter, Piper, six years ago.  "I had Piper on a Monday, and I was back to work on a Tuesday," Palin said. "I even brought her to work with me."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/sorry_to_say_race_is_still_a_f.html

Sorry to Say, Race Is Still a Factor in Democratic Contest

By Mort Kondracke

March 06, 2008

A week ago, a major

Ohio

political leader told me: "Obama will never carry

Ohio

. Some people call it the Bradley effect, but how do you think the guys who work at the GM plant in

Youngstown

are going to vote? For a black? I don't think so."

I didn't believe it, but sure enough, race -- nearly a forgotten factor in the Democratic presidential contest during Sen. Barack Obama's (Ill.) long run of primary victories -- evidently came back to help Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) win Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island on Tuesday.  And, unfortunately, it could be a factor again in

Pennsylvania

and -- if Obama survives

Clinton

's renewed onslaught to win the Democratic nomination -- in the general election. The "Bradley effect" -- the tendency of voters to tell pollsters they'll vote for an African-American candidate, then vote against him in the booth -- certainly was evident in

Ohio

and

Texas

.

Clinton

out-performed pre-election polls by three points in

Ohio

, 1.5 in

Texas

and 8.3 in

Rhode Island

.  Moreover, exit polls in

Ohio

showed that fully 20 percent of primary voters acknowledged that "the race of the candidate" was "important" in deciding their vote. And

Clinton

won this group by a big margin -- 59 percent to 39 percent.  Clearly, this represents white prejudice against Obama because he is an African-American and not the racial solidarity that regularly wins him 90 percent of the African-American vote.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=25349

Yes, She Can

by Monica Crowley

Posted: 03/06/2008

Barack Obama's signature campaign line -- "Yes, We Can!" -- was delivered with a little less gusto Tuesday night.  Hillary Clinton -- basking in the glow of her popular vote wins in

Texas

,

Ohio

, and

Rhode Island

-- even co-opted it for her own version: "Yes, we will!"

A few lessons from Tuesday's results:  1.  Never underestimate the Clinton War Machine.

2.  In order to win, she has to club the baby seal to death. And she's willing to do it. Now that she's got a bit of momentum, she must bring him low. She must attack him on every front. She must go negative. Expect more "do you really trust him to answer the red phone at 3am" ads. Expect more "Obama in native dress" photos. Expect to hear more about Tony Rezko -- who just went on trial this week in

Chicago

for corruption and fraud -- and his association with Obama. Expect to hear more of the fact that he's a Syrian immigrant, who made 26 trips between

Damascus

and

Chicago

from 2003 to 2006. Expect to hear additional Arab names associated with Rezko in this web of corruption -- and perhaps in the orbit of Obama.  3.  Voters don't like to be told for whom to vote by the press. Over the past two weeks, "Saturday Night Live" has spoofed the media's fawning coverage of Obama. Even Queen Bee picked it up during last week's final (?) Democratic debate: "Should we get Barack another pillow?" Those "SNL" skits had an effect: the press doesn’t enjoy being made fun of, particularly with regard to how they do their jobs. The “SNL” skits pressured them to question Obama more aggressively, and they did. He did not respond well. He dodged and weaved, ducked and stumbled, then blew them off. 

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/8876.html

Pennsylvania

is should-win state for

Clinton

By: Charles Mahtesian

Mar 6, 2008 06:14 AM EST

Pennsylvania

, where the Democratic campaign heads on April 22 for a dramatic and possibly decisive showdown, is another must-win state for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

But it is also a should-win state.  Like neighboring

Ohio

, where

Clinton

won 54 percent to Barack Obama’s 44 percent,

Pennsylvania

’s population is older and whiter than the rest of the nation. Its residents make less money than the national average, and are less well-educated. The issues that rank high on their list of priorities — like health care and the economy — are the ones on which

Clinton

tends to draw the most support.

And just as in

Ohio

, much of the state’s political establishment is aligned with

Clinton

, led by a popular Democratic governor who’s pulling out all the stops on her behalf.

“The voters in this state are more typical of the kinds of voters she wins in the exit polls,” said Terry Madonna, the director of the Franklin &

Marshall

College Poll. “In

Pennsylvania

, the issue configuration and the demographics are nearly perfect for her.”