Day: April 5, 2006

Gospel According to Jarding and Mudcat: The Blue State South Will Rise Again

Jon Ponder

“To me, as far as gays are concerned … what’s two queer guys gettin’ married got to do with me losing my job?”
— Dave “Mudcat” Saunders

Steve Jarding and Dave “Mudcat” Saunders are on a mission to bring Southern whites back into the Democratic fold. Or, more accurately, the political consulting team is doing it the other way around. They want the Democratic Party to return to its populist roots, which will make it appealing to working class and rural voters again.

They have had some success, especially in Mudcat’s home state of Virginia where they helped turn rural, normally GOP precincts out in support of telecom magnate Mark Warner, who was elected governor, and is now on the short list of Democratic presidential nominees for 2008. Even when their candidates have lost, Jarding and Mudcat have made some noise: They were behind former Florida Sen. Bob Graham’s sponsorship of a NASCAR truck during the 2004 presidential primaries. (They also consulted briefly on former N.C. Sen. John Edwards’ presidential campaign.)

This year Jarding and Mudcat are working on the campaign of James Webb, a former Republican — and Reagan appointee, no less — to unseat Sen. George Allen of Virginia. Allen is formidable, but he has been thick as thieves with the Bushies, and Webb plans to make the president’s incompetence an issue and tie that rotten record around Sen. Allen’s neck.

Jarding and Mudcat have put their ideas for retaking the South from the Republicans in a book, “Foxes in the Hen House: How the Republicans Stole the South and the Heartland and What the Democrats Must Do to Run ’em Out,” which should be of interest to every liberal politician who yearns to see red turn to blue on the map of the old Confederacy and beyond.

Here are some other elements of the Jarding and Mudcat prescription for the comeback of the Democratic Party in the South:

[…]

If You Think the Solution to the Healthcare Crisis Should Come from the Private Sector, Here Is a Question…

Jon Ponder

What’s stopping them?

Working with their minions in the Republican Congress, the healthcare, insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies killed “Hillary-care” in the early 1990s. They called her program, which would have insured every American, “socialistic.”

“Let the private sector deal with this,” said the Republicans. “We don’t need another government program.”

That was 12 years ago or so. In the interim, not only has the private sector not resolved the healthcare crisis, things have gotten steadily worse.

Most tellingly of all, nobody has a solution in the works. It isn’t even being discussed in a serious way by the people who run the country.

Someone is bankrupted by healthcare costs every day. It happened last month to someone I know.

Really. What is stopping the healthcare or the insurance industries from solving this problem?

The answer is obvious. Those industries are not having a problem. They are making money hand over fist.

Chris Matthews Caught on Tape Sucking Up to Tom DeLay

Jon Ponder

DeLay on Hillary: “Nothing worse than a woman know it all.”

Harry Shearer has a video clip of Chris Matthews talking with Tom DeLay just seconds before they went on the air on “Hardball” earlier this week.

Watch DeLay’s body language. In contrast to his smiling mug shot and high-fivin’ public demeanor, he is clearly a doomed and defeated man.

I typed up a rough transcript:

MATTHEWS: Thank you for calling me.

DELAY: Well…

MATTHEWS: It was a good thing for me.

DELAY: Was it?

MATTHEWS: Oh, of course it was. We got it on the air as fast as we could.

DELAY: Yeah, well…

(Cross talk.)

MATTHEWS: If Shannon had told me there was an embargo, I would have honored it, but I didn’t

DELAY: Well, she’s mad at me now because I told you. I didn’t tell you that.

(Indistinct female voice off-camera.)

MATTHEWS: I didn’t.. I didn’t get an embargo. But ah… You just said to me, if you’re on the morning news tomorrow morning, this is something you can use, which is fine. But she called me and said, “Don’t worry. He’s not calling to complain.” (Laughter.)

[Tape is edited. Continues…]

MATTHEWS: Have you seen this new, ah, new focus group stuff on the {Democratic] candidates?

DELAY: No, I haven’t.

MATTHEWS: (Indistinct.)

DELAY: Really?

MATTHEWS: I’ll send it to ya. It’s great… It’s great stuff.

DELAY: Really?

MATTHEWS: Hillary, John Kerry… all these guys. All Democrats. How they do…

VOICE off camera: Thirty seconds, everybody.

MATTHEWS: It’s [Republican pollster] Frank Luntz who did it. And ah…

DELAY: Ooh, I like Luntz…

MATTHEWS: Hillary did not do well.

DELAY: Really?

MATTHEWS: Kerry did well.

DELAY: You’re kidding?

MATTHEWS: I am not kidding. They didn’t like Edwards. They thought he was a rich lawyer pretending to care about poor people. Hillary was “know it all.”

DELAY: Nothing worse than a woman know it all.

[Tape is edited. Continues…]

MATTHEWS: Thanks. I owe you one. I owe you two!

DELAY: No, you don’t.

MATTHEWS: Today and last night. No, I do.

DELAY: I appreciate it…

Predictions for Upcoming White House Staff Shuffle

Jon Ponder

I’m ready to predict the next round of White House staff shuffling:

  • Andy Card will replace John Snow as Secretary of the Treasury. That’s a no-brainer.
  • Former FEMA head Michael Brown, who has completely rehabilitated his Katrina-tarnished reputation, will replace Scott McClellan as White House spokesperson. I’m sure he’ll do a heckuva job.
  • Scotty, who is used to being the whipping boy of the press, as well as the president’s bitch, is ideally suited to take the FEMA job, which has been turned down by everyone from D.C. to LA.
  • Attorney General Gonzalez will get the next Supreme Court seat.
  • And Tom DeLay will be appointed as Attorney General, pending any indictments.

Is Bush’s New Chief of Staff Gay?

Jon Ponder

Back when Bo Derek, the Republican actress, was single, she was seen on the arm of closeted gay House Republican David Dreier (above, left). Was she similarly a beard for the new White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten (above, right)?

“Live and let live,” you say? “Why does it matter who Bolten sleeps with?” It matters because, if it is true, he is a key player in the Republican smear machine that uses its power and vast fortune to trash the dignity and worthiness of people like himself — that incites fear and loathing among intolerant people in order to trick them into voting Republican even though they are voting against their own financial and security self-interests.

The idea of a gay person working inside the modern GOP is as heinous as the idea of a Jew collaborating with the Nazis, or of an African-American collaborating with the Klan — and it ought to be just as unthinkable and shameful.

That being said, I don’t know whether Josh Bolten is gay or not but as one wag put it:

“Being 45 and unmarried in itself is not evidence of being gay. Being Bo Derek’s date in itself is not evidence of being gay. Being into motorcycles bigtime in itself is not evidence of being gay. Being 45, unmarried, dating Bo Derek and being into motorcycles… bingo! We have a winner.”

Sorry, fellas, Bo is dating the actor John Corbett now, so you’ll have to find some other hot Republican Hollywood chick to squire around now.

Mystery Flu Hits 400 Chinese College Students

Buck Banks

From news reports: The Henan Department of Health has refused to reveal the cause of a flu-like outbreak that has infected 400 students at a university in the province.

Students at Henan University of Science and Technology, in Luoyang city, started to become ill on March 26, 2006, many needing hospital treatment, as many as 400 according to state media.

‘We are sure the students are not victims of an epidemic influenza infection’
— Henan Health Department Spokeswoman

The Henan Department of Health said laboratory tests showed the infection
is not type A or type B influenza. When asked why so many students contracted the disease at the same time, vice director of the disease control and prevention division of the Henan Department of Health, Shan Xinguo, declined to give details. He said, “What I can say is the infection is now under control, and we can’t give any further information.”

Shan Xinguo said the students had contracted upper respiratory tract infections. He said, “It’s normal for students to have upper respiratory tract infections, especially in spring. And at colleges, students are concentrated, so it’s easy for many students to become infected with the disease at the same period of time.”

Another official from the Henan Department of Health, who declined to be named, said the situation is now under control, and the fever — some students having fever as high as 103.2 F — was starting to pass.

“The reason why so many students developed fever continuously still remains unclear,” she said. “We are still investigating the matter, but we are sure the students are not victims of an epidemic influenza infection.” She said the main symptoms of the sick students were fever and joint pains and that most recovered one or two days after medial treatment.

Shan Xinguo said the ill students had been quarantined and treated. Over 2000 dormitories as well as 130 classrooms are now being sanitized twice a day. As of 2 Apr 2006, 10 students were still in hospital for clinical observation.

Polls: Embattled Repugs Rattled by Dems

Buck Banks

Outta here: The latest round of Wall Street Journal/Zogby Interactive statewide polls shows an interesting political terrain for both Democrat and Republican incumbents and challengers.

California: Terminator Terminated
California voters are seriously dissatisfied with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Fewer than one in three (30 percent) approve of his job performance in Sacramento, and just one-third (34 percent) think he deserves re-election. Matched up against potential Democratic opponents, the Gubernator does better than previous poll numbers had suggested, but he still trails both potential opponents. State Treasurer Phil Angelides leads Schwarzenegger by five (46 percent to 41 percent) and state Comptroller Steve Westly holds a nine-point advantage over the incumbent, 47 percent to 38 percent.

Pennsylvania: Santorum Toast
For Sen. Rick Santorum, considered the most vulnerable incumbent in the nation, election night is shaping up to be a big disappointment. But the race is far from over, with a nasty battle brewing within Democratic ranks over Democrat Bob Casey Jr.’s support for the pro-life position on abortion. The state Treasurer, Casey is beating Santorum by eight points, 47 percent to 39 percent. Just 40 percent give Santorum a positive job approval rating, and fewer (38 percent) think he deserves to be re-elected.

The fight for the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion continues to be close. But incumbent Democrat Ed Rendell, former Philadelphia mayor and Democratic National Committee chairman, may be opening up a lead over former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann. However, as an African American Republican with high name recognition, Swann will be able to attract national Republican resources for his race.

Illinois: Democratic Stronghold
In spite of a mere 33 percent job approval, incumbent Gov. Ron Blagojevich still holds a six-point lead (43 percent to 37 percent) over the GOP nominee, Judy Baar Topinka. However, Topinka, the Illinois state treasurer, receives more positive approval ratings (44 percent) than give Blagojevitch positive marks (42 percent).

Illinois voters remain strongly Democratic, the survey shows, reflecting the same political make-up that gave John Kerry a victory there in the 2004 election. Just 37 percent give President Bush positive marks for his work on the job, and Democrats enjoy a 50 percent to 36 percent lead when Illinois voters say which party’s congressional candidate they intend to vote for in November.

Florida: Still Red
The governor’s race is looking very close, with Republicans holding only a slight margin, despite outgoing Gov. Jeb Bush’s job approval rating of 54 percent. Republican Attorney General Charlie Crist currently is the marginal front runner. He tops both Democrats — Congressman Jim Davis by two points (42 percent-40 percent) and State Sen. Rod Smith by five points (43 percent-38 percent). Democrat Davis tops the other Republican candidate, state Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, by three points (41 percent-38 percent), but Gallagher is in a dead heat with Smith at 38 percent each.

Despite President Bush having just 42 percent of voting Floridians approving of his performance, the state remains closely divided. Democrats have a slight edge (44 percent-40 percent) in the generic Congressional ballot, but most Florida voters think Republicans better represent their conservative principles.

Harris’ ‘Total Commitment’ to Campaign Short About $7 Million

Buck Banks

Short change: The “Miami Herald” reports today that Fla. Rep. Katherine Harris did not make good on her promise to place her entire personal fortune of $10 million into her lagging campaign for U.S. Senate. Harris, who is trailing Sen. Bill Nelson by double digits and whose campaign has seen a mass exodus of staffers in the past week, only deposited $3 million into her campaign account.

Harris’ smaller-than-expected investment could further hurt her credibility, already damaged by a staff mutiny, tepid support from leaders of her own party and shifting explanations about her campaign finances. Last month, she said on television that the $10 million would come from an inheritance from her late father. Days later, after persistent questions from reporters, she said the money would come from selling off her own assets.

Harris’ new campaign spokesman, Chris Ingram, said Harris will invest $10 million by Election Day.

”The plan is still the same,” Ingram said. “You start with the foundation, and then you put up the walls and the roof.”

‘If the $3 million is a down payment toward $10 million, she’s like any other good investor’
— Kellyanne Conway

Sounds more like she’s holding out, waiting to see if the Republican Party is going to stop picking on her and start supporting her. After all, why shoot the moon on a horse that might not even finish the race?

Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway said the party needs to stop questioning Harris and rally around their presumptive nominee.

”You’d be hard pressed to find any other Republican candidate — especially one who invests $3 million — who receives such scrutiny,” she said. “If the $3 million is a down payment toward $10 million, she’s like any other good investor.”

Big “if.” That’s the problem with Katherine Harris — it’s not just about investing money, it’s about being 100 percent invested in the campaign and willing to, as we say in Cracker country, “Root, hog, or die.”