April 2003

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Poll: New Yorkers Favor Bush Over Dems 4/24/2003 5:38 PM Heavily Democratic New York is showing growing support for President Bush over all potential Democratic challengers, including the state's own Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a poll showed. Bush's approval rating among New Yorkers rose to 58 percent from 50 percent in February, before the war in Iraq, according to the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll released Thursday. "That a president fresh off a wartime win would poll higher than most wannabes isn't surprising," institute director Maurice Carroll said. "What will surprise many is that President Bush does so well against Senator Clinton." Read the article Republican Says Bush's High Poll Numbers Can't Last 4/24/2003 10:47 AM President Bush's lofty poll numbers are certain to decline, his pollster warned supporters on Wednesday, as the Democratic voter base solidifies ahead of the 2004 presidential election campaign. Bush's approval ratings have risen into the low to mid-70 percent range after the successful conclusion of the war in Iraq, well short of the 90 percent ratings his father earned after the Gulf War in 1991 but still destined for a fall. "Expect the current high approval ratings to drop to a more realistic level," White House pollster Matthew Dowd said in a memo to Republican Party officials and activists. Read the article Is Arnold up to Terminating Democrats in California? 4/24/2003 9:51 AM Opposites attract, but who could have predicted when Arnold Schwarzenegger met Maria Shriver at a 1978 tennis tournament their marriage would mean an end to the all-Democratic Kennedy clan. "He has his own opinions, and I respect that," said Shriver, adding she and her Republican husband never discuss politics. Now there's talk that the muscular movie star is closer than ever to running for office. Possible targets include the seat currently held by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), up for grabs next year, and the California governorship. If enough names are gathered on a petition to recall Gov. Gray Davis (D), there could also be a special election in November. Read the article The Temper and the Tenacity 4/24/2003 9:46 AM Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) usually reserves his fabled temper for environmentalists opposing commercial development of Alaskan resources or critics of the federal projects he stuffs into appropriations bills for his home state. But earlier this month, he was fuming more about fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives. "I'm just sorry they repealed the law on dueling. I'd have shot a couple of the [expletives]," cracked Stevens, who once packed a pistol during federal raids on vice rings in Fairbanks, Alaska, while serving as a young U.S. attorney in the 1950s. Read the article Alabama GOP Seeks to Keep Bush on 2004 Nominating Ballot 4/24/2003 9:37 AM Unless Alabama's election law is changed, President Bush could be left off the state's presidential election ballot in 2004. The problem is that the Republican National Convention is being held later than usual to avoid conflict with the Olympics and the GOP won't choose a candidate until Sept. 2 - two days after Alabama's Aug. 31 deadline to certify presidential candidates. Republicans are asking the Democrat-controlled Legislature to change the law and extend the deadline until Sept. 5. That bill is on the work agenda in the House for Thursday, but some Republicans say they are concerned the bill has been placed behind several controversial issues and may not come up for consideration. "I don't think the people know that if this doesn't pass, they won't get to vote for President Bush," said Rep. Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn. He said if the bill doesn't pass, Bush could be forced to run as a write-in in Alabama. Read the article California Governor's Popularity Plummets 4/15/2003 12:45 PM Gov. Gray Davis' popularity has reached a record low, but most voters still think an election to recall him would be bad for California, according to a poll released Tuesday. Two of every three people - or 67 percent of respondents - in the new Field Poll said they have an unfavorable opinion of Davis, compared with 27 percent who approve of him. In September, the last time the Field Poll surveyed voters on their attitudes toward the Democratic governor, 46 percent gave a negative appraisal. Mark DiCamillo, the poll's director called the results "by far voters' worst assessment of Davis ever." Read the article Illinois GOP Senator Fitzgerald Won't Run in '04 4/15/2003 12:43 PM Republican first-term Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, whose Illinois seat is considered key to the GOP's chances to maintain its majority in the Senate in 2004, will not seek re-election, state Republicans said Tuesday. Fitzgerald called close supporters Monday night to inform them of his decision, said a source close to the lawmaker who spoke only on condition of anonymity. The source, who was among those called by Fitzgerald, said the senator was to announce his decision Tuesday afternoon. Read the article Lawmaker Suggests Moving Tax Deadline Closer to Election Day 4/14/2003 6:37 PM Tax Day can be painful, but Rep. Roscoe Bartlett doesn't think it's painful enough for politicians. That's why the Maryland Republican is introducing a bill to move the tax filing deadline from April 15 to the first Monday in November, the day before Election Day. He thinks that the change would help people realize what their taxes are paying for and encourage more of them to vote -- and to vote differently. "This is just an obvious thing, a very simple thing," Bartlett said last week. It is the second time Bartlett has tried to make the change -- an identical bill died in the last Congress. Right now the filing deadline and Election Day are almost as far apart as possible, Bartlett said, and by the time people vote, they probably do not remember how much they paid in taxes. Read the article Bush Set to Raise Money for Republicans 4/14/2003 6:22 PM After pausing for the U.S.-led war against Iraq, President Bush is jumping back into public fund raising. He will be the guest of honor at a Republican gala next month that will raise millions for GOP congressional candidates, and the business of raising money for his own re-election campaign will follow this summer. Bush's scheduled appearance May 21 at the House and Senate Republicans' presidential dinner would be his first GOP fund-raiser since December when he headlined an event for Louisiana Republican candidate Suzanne Haik Terrell, who failed to oust Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu. The gala comes as Bush's 2004 re-election bid looms, and he faces the task of balancing his own campaign with his role as the party's fund-raiser-in-chief. "The first order of business is to jump-start our numbers by making calls to constituents in your home district over the recess - this is a perfect opportunity for the House to maximize our table sales and raise as much money as possible for this event," Rep. David Camp, R-Mich., House chairman of the Washington dinner, wrote fellow House Republicans. Read the article New Minnesota Senator Sets Frantic Travel Pace 4/14/2003 6:20 PM In his first three months in office, freshman Sen. Norm Coleman has taken 10 trips sponsored by outside groups, raising his national profile and far outpacing other new senators. According to Senate disclosure forms and interviews, the Minnesota Republican has spoken to a host of GOP and advocacy groups. National and state Republican officials said Coleman's dramatic come-from-behind victory over former Vice President Walter Mondale in last year's Senate race puts him in demand. The win helped tip control of the Senate to the GOP. Mondale had replaced Sen. Paul Wellstone, who was killed in a plane crash in October. "He's a real comer," Sen. Arlen Specter, who along with fellow Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum invited Coleman to attend the state party's annual Lincoln Day dinner in February. Read the article To GOP, Daschle Words Are Fuel for Senate Hopes 4/13/2003 9:21 PM Top Republicans say some of Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle's comments about President Bush and the war in Iraq have left him more vulnerable than ever to a possible challenge next year by John Thune, who narrowly lost November's Senate race in South Dakota. The White House and the Republican National Committee energetically publicize Daschle statements that they consider to be gaffes. Meanwhile, GOP pollsters say Daschle (D-S.D.) has lost support at home and nationally. Two days before the first U.S. strike against Iraq, Daschle told a labor audience in Washington that Bush had "failed so miserably at diplomacy that we're now forced to war." House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said the comments "come mighty close" to providing aid and comfort to the enemy. Daschle later said his "prayers and thoughts are with our sons and daughters in uniform." A memo last week from the National Republican Senatorial Committee quoted a McLaughlin & Associates poll that found Thune tied with Daschle. The survey of 400 South Dakota voters, conducted in March, gave Daschle a 56 percent favorability rating; 38 percent of respondents said they view him unfavorably. Read the article Atlanta Mayor Considering Run for Senate 4/13/2003 9:19 PM Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said she's considering running for retiring U.S. Senator Zell Miller's seat next year. Merle Black, a political science professor at Emory University, said Franklin may win a Democratic primary but questioned her chances of winning a statewide contest during an election year with President Bush on top of the ticket. "If things remain the way they are now, Bush would be running very strongly among Republicans and independents in Georgia," Black said. Read the article Don’t Call Him The Hammer, DeLay says he’s a Family Man 4/10/2003 11:26 PM House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) may come across as a hard-nosed dealmaker who does nothing but eat, drink, and sleep politics, but, as he told a group of Christian activists last week, he is first and foremost a family man. While lawmakers, lobbyists, and fundraisers take up much of his time, DeLay makes sure his family always has the personal access others crave. DeLay said early in his career he "put a private line in my office and gave my daughter that number and that's her private line," DeLay said. Read the article Dunn to take pass on Senate 4/10/2003 11:22 PM Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.) is expected to announce this week that she will not challenge Democratic Sen. Patty Murray next year. Dunn's office declined to comment on her plans Tuesday. But Republican sources close to the congresswoman said an announcement is likely this week, and Democrats say Dunn is bowing out. Chris Vance, head of the Washington state Republicans, said he'd heard "that Jennifer will be saying something Thursday." By late Tuesday afternoon, Democratic congressional staffers said, a consensus had emerged about Dunn's Senate plans. "Conventional wisdom has it that she's not running," one staffer said. "But nothing official." Read the article Campbell Trades Bike for a Mini 4/10/2003 11:20 PM Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.), a motorcycle enthusiast and former truck driver, has joined the latest craze and bought himself the smallest car on the American market: a Mini. Campbell, best-known for his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, gave rave reviews to his new blue Mini, which he bought about six weeks ago after a long wait. "That's like a bike with four wheels," he said. He said he bought the Mini for its handling and performance and because it won awards in the North American International Auto Show and in European auto shows. Read the article Schwarzenegger, Rice May Run in California 4/10/2003 11:08 PM The Terminator versus the national security adviser for California governor in 2006? Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, weighing a run for the job, met Thursday with Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser. If he decides to run, Schwarzenegger may face a challenge from national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, who has spoken to senior Republicans about running for California's top job, according to a Bush adviser. Rice's candidacy is a "real possibility," this adviser said, adding that Rice wants to take on an executive role. Read the article GOP Outpaces Democrats in Fund-Raising 4/9/2003 10:13 PM The three national Republican Party committees have collected $57 million so far this year, far outpacing their Democratic rivals in all but the closely divided Senate. And the spring fund-raising galas are still to come. The Republican National Committee raised $29.3 million from January through March and began this month with $16 million on hand and no debt, spokesman Jim Dyke said Wednesday. The Democratic committees raised about $20.6 million, with the Democratic National Committee collecting $8.5 million in the first quarter. It also had no debt. Read the article Thune is Ready for Run Against Daschle in 2004 4/9/2003 10:12 PM After months weighing another Senate bid after his narrow loss to Democrat Tim Johnson of South Dakota last year, former Rep. John Thune apparently has decided to take on Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004. As some key South Dakota GOP figures see it, Daschle's comments last month blaming President Bush for mishandling the war in Iraq, hours before America launched a military strike against Iraq, may have created an opening for Thune. In light of Daschle critical remarks, next year's South Dakota Senate race could emerge as closely watched referendum on Bush's foreign policy, especially in the Middle East. Read the article War Highlights Rifts Among Democrats 4/6/2003 8:02 PM The war in Iraq has divided and largely silenced the Democrats, leaving many of their leaders as bystanders to the conflict and their presidential candidates contending with a resurgent antiwar constituency that could drive the party farther to the left. The war has underscored the absence of consensus among Democrats on foreign policy and national security and highlighted concern among some Democrats that, to date, no one has emerged with the experience, political stature or credibility to pull the party together to challenge President Bush on issues that will be central to the 2004 election. Read the article For Miller's Georgia Senate Seat, Waiting for a Field to Sprout 4/6/2003 8:00 PM Would anyone like to be the next junior senator from Georgia? It has been three months since Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) announced that he would not seek another term in 2004, but, thus far, only one candidate for his seat -- from either party -- has emerged: Rep. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). It is a bit of a surprise, especially given the recent twists and turns in Peach State politics. Republicans scored some of their most impressive gains there last year, winning the governorship for the first time since Reconstruction and ousting Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.). Read the article New Hampshire Politics Still One-on-One 4/6/2003 7:57 PM Magic the dog is dead, but first-person presidential politics lives on. In the last presidential round, Linda Kaiser accidentally backed over her black Shetland sheepdog, Magic, while waiting for Republican presidential hopeful John Kasich to arrive at her Amherst, N.H., home for coffee. After the event, Kasich stayed and helped Kaiser dig the dog's grave, and in the weeks to follow, he called to cheer her up. The former Ohio congressman dropped out of the race before the 2000 New Hampshire primary, but Kasich's good deed reinforced Kaiser's belief in the importance of retail politics - wooing voters one at a time by campaigning in living rooms, along Main Street or at the town dump. Read the article Bush Wins over Democratic Veterans 4/1/2003 5:29 PM For Len Schniper, a retired World War II Air Force mechanic and former New York City police officer, the administration's decision to disarm Iraq by force showed strong statesmanship that could lead the lifelong Democrat to vote for President Bush in 2004. "If he is successful and can get us out of there without a guerrilla war, then he will do fine in 2004," said Mr. Schniper. "And if we are smart, we will listen to the president and use Iraq's oil to help them get their own country rolling." Mr. Schniper and seven of his Democratic friends, all veterans and all proponents of the president's resolve in Iraq, defy the national partisan political divide on the war. They voted for Al Gore in 2000 and Bill Clinton before that, but what they do next year could affect the presidential election in this key state. Read the article Ex-Arizona Governor Turns to Culinary Arts 4/1/2003 4:22 PM A typical workday for former Gov. Fife Symington used to include Cabinet meetings, huddles with lawmakers and a dark suit and tie. Not anymore. The onetime real estate developer, forced from office after being convicted of bank fraud in 1997, has reinvented himself - as a pastry chef. He and Franco Fazzuoli, a chef and restaurateur, opened Franco's Italian Caffe in February. "This is where my heart is," said Symington. "I'd rather be doing this than making money. It's a great experience. ... I get to start all over again, and that's a great thing to do." Read the article Specter Seeks Support From Religious Right 4/1/2003 4:19 PM Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, one of Congress' staunchest moderates, is enlisting allies from the religious right as he faces a conservative challenger in his 2004 re-election campaign. Specter had lunch last week with the Rev. Jerry Falwell, the fundamentalist Baptist minister, in the Senate dining room, his spokesman said. Additionally, the Pennsylvania lawmaker has long relied on political help and support from Tom Bowman, who ran former Christian Coalition leader Pat Robertson's 1998 presidential campaign in Pennsylvania. Specter faces conservative Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., in the April 2004 Republican primary. Read the article