A little bit more than two years ago, Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson lashed out at U.S. District Court Judge Harold Murphy for his ruling that struck down the state's original voter ID law as unconstitutional. Richardson suggested that we needed to end the entire concept of an independent judiciary when he made this statement:
"I think citizens in general are sick and tired of people they vote for and elect going and making decisions and then a judge, who is not elected by anybody with a lifetime appointment, is able to put his or her will above those elected officials' opinions. Maybe they ought to have a term limit. What about a 10-year term, or something like that?"
At a great blog called "That's My Congress", there is a story about Georgia Republican Paul Broun and his 'Sanctity of Human Life Act' (HR-4157) that is right on the money. Let's find out about the bill itself, shall we?
H.R. 4157, which Representative Broun refers to as the Sanctity of Human Life Act, might more accurately be entitled the Zygote Political Enfranchisement Act or the Anti-Fertility Act. The legislation has been written by Congressman Broun in order to define a human egg created in the United States from the moment of fertilization, through its development into a fetus ready to be born, as a complete person with full legal rights and constitutional protections equal to that of any other American citizen.
Under Broun's proposed law, this award of full legal protections to all fertilized eggs, even one created just one minute ago, would be given regardless of the ability of the fertilized egg to implant in a womb and grow to become a baby. H.R. 4157 states this very directly:
CO-Sen: It's only been one day, but Bob Schaffer's "Mt. Macaca" moment is fast becoming the stuff of Internet legend.
Schaffer released a TV ad yesterday, his first of the cycle, in which he claimed "Colorado is my life". Unfortunately, he said this as the ad depicted a photo of Mt. McKinley, the tallest peak in North America...and located in the State of Alaska.
As MissLaura noted in the midday open thread, the DSCC has put together a nifty little quiz for our man Schaffer, so as to prepare him better for the rigors of campaigning in the State of Alaska Colorado.
Meanwhile, the campaign of Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mark Begich had a dryly hilarious response:
"While Alaskans can understand why Bob Schaffer would promote our beautiful mountain, I hope he doesn't expect Alaska to cede North America's highest peak to the State of Colorado."
Begich leads incumbent Senator Ted Stevens, an Alaska institution currently under investigation by the FBI, by a margin of 48% to 43%. Given Stevens' tenure, and (until recently) his tremendous popularity, it's remarkable to think that he may very well lose his bid for reelection. Alaska has been GOP country, and Stevens country, for my entire lifetime.
Meanwhile, House candidate Ethan Berkowitz leads 34-year Republican incumbent Don Young by an even wider margin, 50% to 40%. Provided Young survives his primary challenge from Lt. Governor Sean Parnell-which is no certainty-Berkowitz could hardly be in better position for the fall.
Even the presidential race is somewhat competitive in Alaska; it's hard to look at these numbers and not sense that we're entering a new era for the state of Alaska and the Democratic Party.
GA-Sen: Republican polling outfit Strategic Vision has polled the Democratic primary in Georgia, as well as general-election matchups. Unfortunately, Vernon Jones is leading the Democratic primary, with Dale Cardwell second and Jim Martin third. Jones is a real piece of work, as Tondee's Tavern notes.
Worse luck, Saxby Chambliss has a 30+ point lead over all Democratic challengers, and while I certainly don't expect that we'll win this seat, I sure would like to come closer than 65%-35%.
House Races
ID-01: Congressman Bill "Absolute Idiot" Sali is getting hammered by the local press for canceling a debate appearance against primary opponent Matt Salisbury.
IL-14: After four failed campaigns-two for U.S. Senate, one for Governor of Illinois, one for the U.S. House-perennial candidate and famed nutter Jim Oberweis has decided it's time for an image overhaul. (Good thinking, Jim).
Dairy magnate Jim Oberweis (R) is trying to soften his image in suburban Chicago, according to local media reports, going so far as to cold-call reporters in search of why he lost ex-Speaker Dennis Hastert’s (R) seat in a March special election.
Dubbed the "What Went Wrong Tour" by The Aurora Beacon News, Oberweis is trying to overcome his smug reputation, earned after four highly negative political campaigns on which he has spent millions of dollars of his own money.
"People like to support people they feel like they know and can identify with," an Oberweis spokesman told the newspaper. "We can do a better job of letting people know who Jim is."
See, there's the problem. After four campaigns, people already know who Jim Oberweis is. It's why they voted for Bill Foster.
GA-10: Republican incumbent "Porno Paul" Broun made the mistake of defeating a favored GOP candidate in last year's special election, and as such, he has been targeted by the Georgia Republican establishment in this year's primary.
Porno Paul faces a remarkably stiff primary challenge (pun intended) from Barry Fleming, one so serious that House Republican leaders are forced to come to his rescue. Given their recent track record, I'm not sure Broun should be seeking their help.
If that primary gets ugly enough, it could create an opening for Democrat Bobby Saxon. This race is a long shot of long shots, but it should be interesting to follow at least. And one never knows...we've been doing some very exciting things in Southern House races lately.
LA-04: Speaking of Southern House races, Roll Call has an article about the Democratic resurgence in the South, marked by the two recent special election victories. Next on the Democratic hit list in the region is likely LA-04, home of the retiring Jim McCrery.
The district is 33% black, and has a PVI similar to Rep. Don Cazayoux's district of LA-06 (it's R+6.5). The Democratic candidate is prosecutor Paul Carmouche, and Roll Call seems surprisingly optimistic about Dem chances:
If Democrats can avoid a divisive primary battle and bring to bear the party’s vast fundraising resources — which will only be bolstered by the party’s performance in the recent special elections — then the 4th district will present another key Southern opportunity in the same mold as Louisiana’s 6th and Mississippi’s 1st.
It's real nice to be taking the fight to Republicans in their regional stronghold, as DemFromCT noted yesterday.
NM-01: Democrat Martin Heinrich has aired his first TV ad:
Georgia Congressman Paul Broun, a Marine veteran and medical doctor, has launched a new crusade on behalf of our fine military men and women. Surveying the dangerous situation abroad, the progress (or lack thereof) in Iraq, and the ever-increasing number of American casualties, Broun has, after careful consideration, decided that the problem is pornography.
"As a Marine, I am deeply concerned for the welfare of our troops and their mission," said Broun. "Allowing the sale of pornography on military bases has harmed military men and women by: escalating the number of violent, sexual crimes; feeding a base addiction; eroding the family as the primary building block of society; and denigrating the moral standing of our troops both here and abroad."
Oh, so THAT'S what's harming our troops. Porn. Of course!
Seriously, it's just one step from there to blaming the Iraq debacle on...our permissive attitude towards sex as a nation! If it wasn't for those stupid liberals and their low moral fiber...
Pretty interesting observation from CQ Politics. Four veterans, three of whom fought in Iraq, are all running as Democrats in four different districts in Georgia. (And actually, First Coast News shows there are five, not four.)
My campaign for Congress begins this Saturday at 10:30AM on the front porch of my home in Nicholson, GA. I'd be honored if you could attend.
Without you I'm one man with a desire to make a difference. With you I could be a Congressman with the ability to make this country a better place.
Please join me Saturday the 25th of August for the launch of our campaign.
Have a great day,
Bobby
Home Address: 5905 Waterworks Road, Nicholson, GA 30565
Paid for by Bobby Saxon for Congress
P.O. Box 6624, Athens GA 30604
706-757-2208
www.BobbySaxon.com
It did not get a lot of mention here on DKos...but there was a massive electoral upset yesterday in a congressional special election. Physician Paul Broun, a decided underdog in his Congressional bid against the GOP establishment pick (state senator Jim Whitehead), appears to have scored a win by less than 400 votes.
I can see why a race between two Republicans would not get a lot of attention in these parts. But it should. Much like the summer 2005 election in Ohio said a lot about how the 2006 election would play out, I think that this election might tell us quite a bit about what faces the GOP in 2008.
So far Broun is over performing and threatening Marlow for the run-off spot. The good and bad news is that the republican frontrunner Jim Whitehead is underperforming. That makes it harder to reach the run-off, but more winnable if Marlow get there. Right now there is just a few hundred votes between Marlow and Broun.
The big day is today, and the Marlow campaign is in full gear with stops around Northeast Georgia. Despite the odds, James has made this a serious race with a real chance for another Democratic gain in the House of Representatives.
By talking about the issues that impact the lives of Georgians, especially the war in Iraq, James has set himself apart from the so-called frontrunner. For those who haven't been paying attention, our main opponent Jim Whitehead (a rubber stamper) has been dodging the voters, or as the AJC put it: acting "like a vampire avoiding sunlight, repeatedly ducking opportunities to put his views before the public"
With 10 candidates in a mid-Summer election, the chances are better than average that this is going to end up in a runoff (July 17) with Whitehead, hopefully, against Marlow. If you live in the district please vote today. If you think you might know someone who does (Athens, Augusta, Evans, Toccoa and Watkinsville are some of the cities), please get them to vote as well, and direct them towards: http://www.connectingwithgeorgia.com our campaign blog.
The first Congressional special election since the November thumpin' is tomorrow in Northeast Georgia in the 10th district. Since that thumpin', the Democratic majority's attempts to end the occupation of the Iraqi civil war has been thwarted by the President and the Republican minority. The best way to convince Republican Members of Congress to abandon the President's endless, objective-less, incredibly expensive military occupation is to beat them in elections.
The James Marlow campaign is today's best opportunity to do that.
Help elect him right now. Go through your address book. If you know anyone in Northeast Georgia, ask them to vote for James Marlow right now. If you know anyone in Georgia, ask them to ask anyone they know in NE Georgia to vote for James Marlow. Try the six degrees of separation theory and tell your whole network about the election. Somebody's got an uncle or a college roommate in the district and each vote will help. Read the campaign blog at www.ConnectingWithGeorgia.com and find out more after the jump.
With two weeks to go, Jim Whitehead hit the airwaves Wednesday. On his own terms.
[...]
It comes on the same day that the Athens Press Club hosts a debate to be broadcast on WGAU (1340 AM). Whitehead intends to skip the gathering, as well as a June 12 televised debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club and Georgia Public Television.
Scott Nichols is the only democrat in the June 19 Special Election for the Georgia 24th state senate seat. The election is to replace Jim "Iraq is not a big thing" Whitehead, that resigned from the state senate to run for US Congress in the GA-10 Special Election on June 19 to replace rep. Charlie Norwood. Who died of lung cancer in February.
Scott Nichols has just launched his campaign web page. Take a look here.
James Marlow is the democratic candidate for the June 19 special election in GA-10.
Marlow posts his views on different issues and news from the campaign. I find it very good, but not that many choose to comment on the blog. Join me in heating up his blog a bit.
A couple of days ago, a CBS reporter on Tweety's show predicted new lobbying rules would create an exodus of congressmen into K Street before the new rules took effect.
Gloria Borger: This new ethics legislation that’s been passed by the House, is going to be passed by the Senate. Watch for mass resignations from House members, who are now saying they can’t afford to live here unless they’re bought and paid for by lobbyists. They’re going to leave.
There would be nothing better than for Borger's prediction to come true. But until then, Larry Sabato looks at more realistic special election opportunities coming up in the next year:
GA-10
Previous Representative: Charlie Norwood (R) (deceased)
Open Primary Date: June 19th, 2007
Runoff Date: July 17th, 2007
Outlook: Likely Republican
Democrats are hoping to take advantage of the battle royal on the Republican side and have mostly united behind former Yahoo! Executive Jim Marlow. If divisions among Republicans can keep Whitehead from reaching the 50 percent he needs to escape a runoff, and enough Democrats from Athens make it out to the polls, then Marlow could well become number two vote getter and advance to the runoff. From there, Democrats' victory recipe calls for Marlow's free spending and Whitehead's self-destruction.
The eventual winner of this race will very likely be a Republican, but Democrats are quick to point out that mid-cycle redistricting made this district much less of a GOP slam dunk than it was pre-2007. The addition of liberal Athens to the district, designed to enhance Republican prospects in adjoining districts, brought down Bush's 2004 percentage from 72 percent to 62 percent in the district's new configuration. Sometimes politics is all about unintended consequences.
CA-37
Previous Representative: Juanita Millender-McDonald (D) (deceased)
Open Primary Date: June 26th, 2007
Runoff Date: August 21st, 2007
Outlook: Safe Democratic
Republicans aren't a factor in this race, which is more about racial divisions than partisan politics.
In the end, the outcome of the race may revolve around the demographics of the district, where 43 percent of residents are Hispanic and 25 percent are African-American, yet black registered voters slightly outnumber Hispanic registered voters, 25 percent to 22 percent.
The top two candidates, of course, are a Latina and an African American.
MA-05
Outgoing Representative: Marty Meehan (D) (resigning to accept chancellorship of UMass-Lowell)
Primary Date: September 4th, 2007
General Date: October 16th, 2007
Outlook: Safe Democratic
My only regret is not being able to see Meehan go down in a Democratic Senate primary. Now, he's off to where Massachusetts politicians go to die -- the public university system.
About the most interesting aspect of this race, which is another rock solid (D) district, is that the all-Democratic Massachusetts delegation may actually send a woman to Congress. The two frontrunners (out of five candidates) are Niki Tsongas (who got the EMILY's list endorsement) and Eileen Donoghue.
MO-09
Potential Outgoing Representative: Kenny Hulshof (R) (would resign to accept presidency of University of Missouri system)
Primary Date: None (nomination by party committee)
General Date: Unknown
Outlook: Likely Republican
Sabato is confident Republicans would hold this seat, but I know Missouri Dems are itching to take this one back.
Democrats held this Northeast Missouri seat for 76 years before Hulshof's first victory in 1996, and given the political climate, they are optimistic about their chances of retaking it. Two Democrats with all-star credentials, former fill-in Gov. Roger Wilson and former Lieutenant Governor Joe Maxwell, live in the district, as do a smattering of Democratic state legislators. Wilson and Maxwell have taken very few steps into the political limelight in recent years, but even without one of their A-Listers, Democrats feel they have a substantial bench from which to field candidates. Although only one Democrat, a county commissioner, has declared an intention to run, the race is still hypothetical at this point, so success in candidate recruitment is not yet a critical focus.
Republicans, however, have every reason to be confident they can hold the seat, given the recent trends in the district--there's little question it has become more conservative since Hulshof defeated Democratic Rep. Harold Volkmer a decade ago. In 1996, the year of Hulshof's first election, Bill Clinton carried the district by two percent, but in 2000 George W. Bush won with a 55 percent to 42 percent margin and improved upon that margin in 2004, carrying it 59 percent to 41 percent.
If this one opens up, expect it to get significant focus. This one is winnable, especially in a special election.
LA-01
Potential Outgoing Representative: Bobby Jindal (R) (would resign to become Governor)
Primary Date: Unknown
General Date: Unknown
Outlook: Safe Republican
This is a 71 percent Bush district in one of the few states still trending Red.
Update: Nevermind MO-09. From the comments:
The Kansas City Star reports this morning that the most important educational position in the state is being given by the Republican governor's university board of curators to the CEO of a plastics and duct tape company, not to Congressman Kenny Hulsahof:
What have I been saying about Republicans? If they get someone who can govern to effectively run a government agency, it invalidates their entire "government can't work" philosophy. So we get horse lawyers and duct tape company CEOs.
Watch this ad against Jim "Iraq is not a big thing" Whitehouse:
"A Child's Mind" is a good title. Did you know that Whiteheads entire campaign is based on immigration? I think that's a little cute. The US Congress has just passed a bill and fixed that now. So the air is kind of out of the balloon. And the Whitehead campaign.
Since that is out of the way, what are you going to do now Whitehead? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW? Especially since Jim "Iraq is not a big thing" Whitehead has based his whole campaign on immigration, he might as well drop out...
Can you imagine paying a tax for every email you send? Should you have to pay sales tax every time you order something online? Do you want your internet bill to start looking as complicated as a phone bill or airline ticket? Apparently Congress does.
This week has seen a flurry of activity in Congress with the ultimate goal of taxing everything we do on the internet. From hearings in the House to a new Senate bill it is clear Congress wants to start taxing the internet, and that’s just wrong.
Having spent many years working for an internet company, I know first hand how many jobs and opportunities have been created and the unprecedented growth that this recent technology boom has allowed. We need to find ways to keep that success going, not to slow it down.
With Democratic leadership exploring funding options for our operations in Iraq, I think it’s important we continue to push for a plan that provides necessary resources for our brave men and women, while also providing a productive end to our involvement in Iraq.
I'm James Marlow and I'm a Democratic candidate running for Congress in Georgia to fill the seat vacated by Charles Norwood on June 19th. I will make it my top priority to bring our involvement in Iraq to an honorable end as quickly as possible.
As I’ve said before, our military has done its job - it won the war against Saddam Hussein’s armed forces four years ago, it removed his government from power, and it brought him to justice. The Bush Administration, however, failed to plan for the day after the war was won, and our brave men and women in uniform are still putting themselves at risk every day because of it.
James Marlow, GA-10 Democratic Congressional Candidate.
Democratic Congressional candidate James Marlow will be live blogging right here on DKos at noon EDT. Marlow, a former Yahoo executive, is running in a special election primary on June 19th for the seat of Republican Rep. Charlie Norwood, who died on February 13th of this year.
Marlow spoke this past Saturday to the Atlanta Kos group at Manuel's Tavern on a wide range of issues. He is absolutely focused upon bringing an honorable and expeditious end to the Iraq debacle. Today he plans to discuss Iraq at length during his liveblogging session, although questions on other topics are encouraged too.
