Washington Examiner Political Digest for February 3 2009

Washington Examiner Political Digest

Today's Digest February 3, 2009

Gingrich: Palin could be 'very formidable'
Don't count Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin out of the running for the Republican nomination in 2012, said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich Monday morning at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast. "If Sarah Palin seeks out a group of respectable policy advisers, and spends time staking out a group of policy positions, she will be very formidable."
Read the full story.

Senate confirms Holder by wide margin
The vote was 75-21, with all the opposition coming from Republicans.
Read the full story.

Daschle apologizes for tax lapses, gets backing of top finance Dem
“Senator Daschle made the mistakes on his taxes,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., after a closed-door meeting with Daschle and other committee Democrats. “They were clearly not purposeful mistakes. His tax mistakes are regrettable, but his tax mistakes do not change his qualifications to oversee health care reform.”
Read the full story.

McCain drops objection to appointment of defense lobbyist
Sen. John McCain will no longer hold up the nomination of William Lynn, whose appointment to become deputy defense secretary ran counter to President Barack Obama's own rule against "revolving door" lobbyists.
Read the full story.

Coulter: I helped defeat Hillary
"Soon after I ran into [Obama adviser] David Axelrod and said 'You owe me,'" she said. "And he basically conceded the point."
Read the full story.

Updated news of power and politics in the beltway, from the Washington Examiner. Send an e-mail to dcx-web@googlegroups.com.

20090203 SDOSM Washington Examiner Political Digest

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

20080725 Pro National Infrastructure Platforms urged: Rendell, Bloomberg, Schwarzenegger Urge Parties to Adopt Pro-Infrastructure Platforms

20080725 Pro National Infrastructure Platforms urged: Rendell, Bloomberg, Schwarzenegger Urge Parties to Adopt Pro-Infrastructure Platforms

Rendell, Bloomberg, Schwarzenegger Urge Parties to Adopt Pro-Infrastructure Platforms

PRNewswire

Fri Jul 25, 4:48 PM ET

To: TRANSPORTATION EDITORS

Contact: Chuck Ardo of the Pennsylvania Office of the Governor, +1-717-783-1116

Mayors of Minneapolis, Saint Paul Join Coalition on Second of Two-Day Infrastructure Tour

SAINT PAUL, Minn., July 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, co-chairs of the Building Americas Future coalition, today urged the Republican and Democratic national committees to adopt pro-infrastructure planks in their party platforms when the national party conventions convene in Denver and Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

Americas highways, bridges, tunnels, and mass transit have fallen behind. The same is true for our levees, schools, ports, courthouses and water delivery systems. Our economy and environment are suffering because we cannot move goods and people efficiently - we need a strong federal commitment to tackle this problem, said Governor Schwarzenegger. We have always come together as a nation to solve our biggest problems and I am confident that if both parties make infrastructure a top priority we will rebuild America with the pride and ambition that reflects the unlimited potential of our people.

The principles we are advocating will help our nation be more competitive in the global economy, ensure our environmental sustainability, enhance our citizens quality of life and improve public safety, said Mayor Bloomberg. They are good public policy and make sound business sense. We need to invest more in our infrastructure and those investment decisions need to be based on merit, not politics.

The Association of Civil Engineers estimated the nations total infrastructure shortfall at a staggering $1.6 trillion, Governor Rendell said. If we dont act quickly, that deficit will continue to grow and we will see our infrastructure fall further into disrepair, threatening the lives of our citizens and our ability to move goods to market. With the federal government contributing only 25 percent of infrastructure funding and the rest coming from financially strapped state and local governments, Washington needs to step up its commitment of resources. The time to act is now.

The co-chairs recommended that both parties adopt the coalitions five guiding principles (http://www.investininfrastructure.org/newsroom/BAF%20Statement%20of%20Principles%20-%20Final.pdf) in their platforms. Yesterday in New Orleans, the co-chairs proposed, given the importance of the issue and the growing level of support for federal leadership, a town hall meeting on infrastructure and invited both major parties presidential nominees to participate.

Joining the co-chairs at the press conference today were Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. The mayors are some of the first state and local elected officials to join Building Americas Future.

As mayors, we know how important basic public infrastructure is to our communities, Mayor Rybak said. Whether it is our streets and highways, mass transit, wastewater, or airport, our ability to make our region competitive for business and a great place to live for our residents depends on the quality of our basic infrastructure our common ground.

We also recognize that only the federal government has the resources to partner with state and local governments to fully fund our regional and national infrastructure priorities, Mayor Coleman said.

Todays event in Minneapolis-Saint Paul caps a two-day infrastructure tour that took Rendell and Bloomberg to New Orleans on Thursday. In an address to the National Conference of State Legislatures, or NCSL, Rendell and Bloomberg unveiled Building Americas Futures statement of principles (http://www.investininfrastructure.org/newsroom/BAF%20Statement%20of%20Principles%20-%20Final.pdf), which will guide policy makers as they chart a new course for national infrastructure policy. The co-chairs also held a press conference announcing that 20 more state legislators from across the country joined the coalition.

In recent weeks, the coalitions leaders addressed the National Governors Association summer meeting in Philadelphia, the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Miami, and the National Association of Counties summer meeting in Kansas City as it continues recruiting state and local elected officials to join its ranks.

State and local elected officials who wish to join Building Americas Future can register at http://www.InvestInInfrastructure.org.

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit: http://www.governor.state.pa.us.

EDITORS NOTE: The Building Americas Future statement of principles is available at http://www.InvestInInfrastructure.org.

CONTACT:
Chuck Ardo
717-783-1116
SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20080725/pl_usnw/rendell__bloomberg__schwarzenegger_urge_parties_to_adopt_pro_infrastructure_platforms;_ylt=ApzoU4.PDT0aI_CU.wMGyn4EKekE

US transportation and infrastructure, Politics National, President 2008 election, President 2008 election Republican Natl Convention Sept 1 2008

20080318 New York Governor David Patterson admits to affairs

New York Governor David Patterson admits to affairs

March 18, 2008

Maybe it’s something in the water up in New York. Pretty soon, it will be “breaking news” when it is reported that a governor did NOT have an affair.

And of course, this all happens after I wrote, “No doubt, the governors’ winter meetings were probably overlooked because, even with Democrats holding a 28 to 22 majority, they may be the only sane adults left on the nation’s leadership stage….” (February 27, 2008 Reality takes The Year Off Kevin E. Dayhoff:

“Last weekend the nation’s governors met in Washington for the 100th annual National Governors Association 2008 winter meeting. They had lots to talk about; but it was the faltering economy that eventually stole the show.”)

Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer mercifully resigned on March 12 and ended a sensational 48 hours of salacious melodrama of position, power, greed, and human failings. It has probably ended the career that was considered so bright that his name was being bantered about as a 2012 or 2016 presidential candidate.

His successor, New York Lt. Gov. David Paterson is the state’s first African-American governor, the third in the nation since reconstruction, and the first legally blind governor in the nation.

Just as everyone took a deep breath and sighed in relief; it took only minutes before it was revealed that now-New York governor Patterson admitted that “he and his wife Michelle had affairs during a rough patch in their marriage several years ago,” according to published reports.

Ay caramba.

“(Governor) Paterson told the Daily News that he maintained a relationship with another woman from 1999 until 2001. He and his wife eventually sought counseling and repaired their relationship.”

So much for the hope of safety…

If you have enough nerve – read on:

Report: NY Governor Admits to Affairs Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Gov. David Paterson, who took over the state's top job Monday after Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal, has admitted he and his wife Michelle had affairs during a rough patch in their marriage several years ago, a newspaper reported.

Read the entire article here: Report: NY Governor Admits to Affairs

NBH

20080312 Transcript Of Spitzer Resignation Statement

Transcript Of Spitzer's Resignation Statement

March 12, 2008 -- The following is the statement of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer at his announcement of resignation:

In the past few days, I have begun to atone for my private failings with my wife Silda, my children and my entire family.

The remorse I feel will always be with me. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the love and compassion they have shown me. From those who much has been given, much is expected. I have been given much - the love of my family, the faith and trust of the people of New York, and the chance to leave this state.

I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me.

To every New Yorker, and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for, I sincerely apologize.

I look at my time as governor with a sense of what might have been. But I also know, that as a public servant, I and the remarkable people with whom I work, have accomplished a great deal. There is much more to be done and I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work.

Over the course of my public life, I have insisted I believe correctly, that people, regardless of their position or power, take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason, I am resigning from the office of governor. At Lieutenant Governor Paterson's request, the resignation will be effective Monday, March 17, a date that he believes will permit an orderly transition.

I go forward with the belief, as others have said, that as human beings, our greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

As I leave public life, I will first do what I need to do to help and heal myself and my family. Then I will try once again, outside of politics, to serve the common good and to move toward the ideals and solutions which I believe can build a future of hope and opportunity for us and for our children.

I hope all of New York will join my prayers for my friend David Paterson as he embarks on his new mission and I thank the public once again for the privilege of service. Thank you very much.

20070131 MSNBC Political Calendar

MSNBC Political Calendar

MSNBC.com

Updated: 6:41 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2007, © 2007 MSNBC.com

For the calendar for the rest of the year as of January 31st, 2007 -

click here or go to:

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16910834/

FEBRUARY 2007
1
President Bush speaks to House Democrats at their retreat in Williamsburg, Va.

Mitt Romney travels to New Hampshire

Michael Steele begins chairmanship of GOPAC
1-2
Tom Vilsack campaigns in Nevada
1-3
DNC's winter meeting in D.C.
2
Condoleezza Rice hosts foreign leaders in D.C. to talk about Israel & the Palestinians.

Sam Brownback campaigns in South Carolina
3
President Bush speaks to House Democrats at their retreat in Williamsburg, Va.

Sam Brownback campaigns in Florida

John McCain meets with state GOP party leaders in Columbia, S.C.
4
Dan Quayle’s birthday

Dennis Kucinich holds a town hall in New Hampshire
5
President Bush releases his budget plan
6
Ted Kennedy & John Boehner speak at the Washington Press Club Foundation's dinner in D.C.
8
Hillary Clinton hosts a book party for Terry McAuliffe in D.C.
9-11
Rudy Giuliani keynotes the California GOP's annual convention
10
Barack Obama speaks about his 2008 bid in Illinois
11
Hillary Clinton attends fundraisers in Los Angeles
12
Dave McCurdy becomes president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

Rudy Giuliani attends a fundraiser in Fresno, Calif.
17
Barack Obama headlines a Virginia Democrats' fundraiser in Richmond, Va.
19
Dick Cheney goes this week to Japan, Australia & Guam
20
Steven Spielberg, David Geffen & Jeffrey Katzenberg host a fundraiser for Barack Obama
21
2008 Democratic presidential candidate forum in Carson City, Nev.
22
Bill Frist’s birthday
26
Democratic Governors Association's Taste of America in D.C.
27
Chicago mayoral election(pdf)

Kansas City mayoral election

Janet Napolitano speaks at the National Press Club

20070131 MSNBC Political Calendar

MSNBC Political Calendar

MSNBC.com

Updated: 6:41 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2007, © 2007 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16910834/

FEBRUARY 2007
1
President Bush speaks to House Democrats at their retreat in Williamsburg, Va.

Mitt Romney travels to New Hampshire

Michael Steele begins chairmanship of GOPAC
1-2
Tom Vilsack campaigns in Nevada
1-3
DNC's winter meeting in D.C.
2
Condoleezza Rice hosts foreign leaders in D.C. to talk about Israel & the Palestinians.

Sam Brownback campaigns in South Carolina
3
President Bush speaks to House Democrats at their retreat in Williamsburg, Va.

Sam Brownback campaigns in Florida

John McCain meets with state GOP party leaders in Columbia, S.C.
4
Dan Quayle’s birthday

Dennis Kucinich holds a town hall in New Hampshire
5
President Bush releases his budget plan
6
Ted Kennedy & John Boehner speak at the Washington Press Club Foundation's dinner in D.C.
8
Hillary Clinton hosts a book party for Terry McAuliffe in D.C.
9-11
Rudy Giuliani keynotes the California GOP's annual convention
10
Barack Obama speaks about his 2008 bid in Illinois
11
Hillary Clinton attends fundraisers in Los Angeles
12
Dave McCurdy becomes president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

Rudy Giuliani attends a fundraiser in Fresno, Calif.
17
Barack Obama headlines a Virginia Democrats' fundraiser in Richmond, Va.
19
Dick Cheney goes this week to Japan, Australia & Guam
20
Steven Spielberg, David Geffen & Jeffrey Katzenberg host a fundraiser for Barack Obama
21
2008 Democratic presidential candidate forum in Carson City, Nev.
22
Bill Frist’s birthday
26
Democratic Governors Association's Taste of America in D.C.
27
Chicago mayoral election(pdf)

Kansas City mayoral election

Janet Napolitano speaks at the National Press Club
MARCH 2007
1-3
34th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference in D.C.
2
Russ Feingold‘s birthday
8
George Allen’s birthday
10
Hillary Clinton headlines a New Hampshire Democrats' fundraiser
24
2008 presidential health care forum in Nevada

Hillary Clinton holds a fundraiser in Los Angeles
31
Al Gore’s birthday
APRIL 2007
7
World Health Day
13
Newt Gingrich speaks to the American Medical Association in Tampa, Fla.
14
Iowa GOP's Lincoln Day fundraiser
17
Chicago mayoral election (pdf)
21
Minnesota Democrats' Humphrey Day fundraiser

Rich Little performs at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in D.C.
26
MSNBC's 2008 Democratic primary presidential debate in Orangeburg, S.C.
27-28
South Carolina Democrats' state convention
MAY 2007
1
Denver mayoral election
3-6
Log Cabin Republicans' national conference in Denver
15
South Carolina GOP hosts a presidential debate in Columbia

Philadelphia & Pittsburgh mayoral primaries
19
South Carolina GOP state convention & possible 2008 straw poll

George H.W. Bush & Bill Clinton speak at the University of New Hampshire
22
Kentucky gubernatorial primary
23-25
U.S. Chamber of Commerce's small business summit in D.C.
28
Rudy Giuliani’s birthday.
JUNE 2007
22-26
75th Annual Conference of Mayors in Los Angeles
JULY 2007
7-12
NAACP's annual convention in Detroit
AUGUST 2007
2
Nashville mayoral election
7
Mississippi gubernatorial primary
11
Iowa GOP presidential straw poll in Ames, Iowa
SEPTEMBER 2007
11
Baltimore mayoral primary
OCTOBER 2007
4
Memphis mayoral election
20
Louisiana gubernatorial primary
SEPTEMBER 2007
24
Bill Clinton chairs the Little Rock Nine 50th Anniversary Gala
OCTOBER 2007
2
Salt Lake City mayoral primary
18-21
Possible Florida GOP 2008 straw poll
NOVEMBER 2007
2
2008 Democratic presidential candidate debate in Las Vegas
6
Gubernatorial elections in Kentucky & Mississippi

Mayoral primary in Houston and mayoral elections in Philadelphia & San Francisco
17
Louisiana gubernatorial runoff
JANUARY 2008
5
2008 Republican presidential debate in Johnstown, Iowa
6
2008 Democratic presidential debate in Johnstown, Iowa
14
Iowa caucuses
15
2008 Democratic presidential candidate debate in Las Vegas
19
Nevada Democratic caucuses
29
South Carolina Democratic primary
FEBRUARY 2008
2
South Carolina Republican primary
AUGUST 2008
25-28
Democratic National Convention in Denver
SEPTEMBER 2008
1-4
Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul
NOVEMBER 2008
4
Election Day

20010709 McCain Feingold Poison pill for political parties

McCain Feingold Poison pill for political parties

July 9^th, 2001

-----Original Message-----

From: Ellen Sauerbrey

Sent: Monday, July 09, 2001 9:12 PM

Subject: 20010709 McCain Feingold Poison pill for political parties

To Maryland political activists,

As you know, the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance "Reform" bill recently passed the Senate is now under consideration in the House. What you may not know is how horribly this measure will impact on the Republican party at the state and national level.

We are in a fight for our lives and I am calling on you to join me in contacting our Congressmen quickly, and vociferously urging them to oppose McCain-Feingold and instead to support the Ney bill which is far more acceptable.

I have attached an op-ed that I have submitted to The Sun that gives a full explanation of the issue, but let me briefly say that legislation that bans soft money from being shared with state political parties will decimate state political parties and leave in their place strengthened and unregulated special interest groups and the media.

"Soft money" is NOT inherently bad. In fact it is more accurately called non-federal money because it is not regulated by the Federal Election Commission.

It is used by state parties for overhead, voter registration, generic issue pieces, phone banks and get out the vote efforts.

Contrary to what you have heard, soft money is NOT unregulated. Just because it is not regulated by the Federal Election Commission does not mean that It is not regulated.

Every dollar is regulated by the law of the states in which it is spent. In addition, banning non campaign groups from running issue ads for two months prior to the election is a blatant infringement on the First Amendment.

Ellen Sauerbrey

McCain-Feingold- A Poison Pill for Political Parties

By Ellen Sauerbrey – Maryland Republican National Committeewoman

Our American political system is based on the ability of people with similar beliefs to band together in political parties to promote their political philosophy and support candidates of their choice.

Commenting on the effects of proposed campaign finance reform legislation, House Democrat Caucus Chairman Martin Frost observed “ The political parties would be neutered, and third-party groups would run the show”.

The McCain-Feingold bill, banning “soft money”, that has passed the Senate would indeed cripple political parties and leave special interest groups and the media as the major advocates of issues. If in place during the last election cycle, McCain-Feingold would have deprived the Democrat party of half of its funds and the Republican Party of one-third of the funds raised. However, special interest groups could still collect unlimited soft money from any source.

In campaign finance jargon, “Soft money” is evil money, or so we are told. Yet most people do not have the slightest idea what the term means.

Soft money is money raised and spent by political parties subject to state, not federal, election law. It is the money national parties transfer to state parties for non-federal purposes and share with state and local candidates. It is the money used for redistricting, overhead and issue debate by the state and national parties.

Soft money is voluntarily contributed, but it is disclosed and regulated. It is spent and recorded in accordance with state law.

Banning soft money will make illegal the money contributed by national parties to state party’s traditional voter registration, get out the vote, and absentee ballot programs whenever there is a federal candidate on the ballot. In the last election cycle the Republican National Committee sent $93 million “soft dollars” to state parties that helped fund 110 million get out the vote and generic issue pieces, 25 million absentee ballots, and 65 million generic phone calls.

Those who believe that strong political parties are the best defense against the influence of special interests, media moguls and self financed millionaire candidates, see the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill as a disaster that will cripple the two-party system and federalize most of campaign finance and issue discussion. In usurping the authority of states to regulate campaign expenditures, it essentially nationalizes state election law.

National political parties are not just parties of Congress and Senators but work with states to promote Governors and local candidates. In the 2000 election cycle, the Republican National Committee contributed $11 Million to State Legislative Races and $7 million to Governors; all regulated by state law.

As McCain-Feingold strangles political parties, drying up nearly half of their funds, other interest groups could still collect unlimited funds from any source – unregulated and unreported. Labor union activity estimated by a Rutgers study to have been valued at $300 million in 2000 cycle is unregulated and remains unregulated.

Of the $500 million spent on issue ads during the 2000 election cycle, 68% was spent by third party special interest groups – twice that of both political parties combined. Under a soft money ban, political parties will be muzzled leaving unregulated special interest groups and the media to control political discourse.

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has it right when he says, “In an effort to take money out of politics, we’ve taken parties out of politics.”

The Republican National Committee, made up of each state party chairman and the National Committeeman and Committeewoman from every state, has voted unanimously against the concepts in McCain-Feingold three times. Hopefully House members will join us in support of a true campaign reform measure that strengthens, not weakens, citizen involvement in their government.

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