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Forum: 2010 Elections Governors
2010 Elections Governors

No New Posts   Cook Political Moves Five Gov. Races Toward GOP, Three Toward Democrats (Cook Political Report, Nat'l Journal, 10/29/10)

October 29, 2010

Cook Political Moves Five Gov. Races Toward GOP, Three Toward Democrats

The Cook Political Report made ratings changes in eight gubernatorial races. Here is a breakdown.

Toward The GOP:

Texas Governor -- Toss Up to Lean R: GOP Gov. Rick Perry has successfully turned back a very competitive challenge from former Houston Mayor Bill White.

Georgia Governor -- Toss Up to Lean R: Despite carrying some heavy ethical baggage, former GOP Rep. Nathan Deal appears well-positioned to defeat former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes. The question is whether Deal can get the 50 percent of the vote needed to avoid a run-off.

Wisconsin Governor -- Toss Up to Lean R: Aided by the political environment and an aggressive campaign, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker (R) has opened up a lead in the high single digits over Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D).

New Mexico Governor -- Toss Up to Lean R: While Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has run a solid campaign against Dona Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez (R), she has had to fight against the political environment and her role as outgoing Gov. Bill Richardson's (D) second in command. Martinez is poised to become the state's first woman governor.

South Dakota Governor -- Likely R to Solid R: Nothing to see here. Republican Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard will win big.

Toward Democrats:

Maryland Governor -- Toss Up to Lean D: Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley has opened up a lead over former GOP Gov. Bob Ehrlich, and seems assured of a second term.

New Hampshire GOvernor -- Toss Up to Lean D: Democratic Gov. John Lynch appears likely to avoid being a casualty of the Republican wave and will win an unprecedented fourth term.

Iowa Governor -- Likely R to Lean R: Polls show this race have closed. Former GOP Gov. Terry Branstad remains a clear favorite to unseat Democratic Gov. Chet Culver, but the outcome may be closer than many expect.



-- Edited by Eminence on Friday 29th of October 2010 06:22:33 PM

No New Posts   YouTube: Jerry Brown - It's All a Lie

October 29, 2010

Be afraid CA voters...be very afraid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIlzYD4tk78

Started By: VotedHillary

Comments: 0

Views: 1893

Last Post: Oct 29, 2010 by VotedHillary

 

No New Posts   "NJ governor stands by decision to kill tunnel" (AP, 10/27/10)

October 27, 2010

Read @ AP.org

Oct 27, 8:02 PM EDT

NJ governor stands by decision to kill tunnel


TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The biggest public works project in the U.S. - a $9 billion-plus train tunnel connecting New Jersey and New York City - is dead in its tracks. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday he is sticking by a decision announced earlier this month to kill the project because of runaway costs. He rejected a variety of financial proposals offered by the federal government to salvage the tunnel under the Hudson River, saying none of them fully relieved New Jersey of responsibility for overruns.

"It's a dollars-and-cents issue. I cannot place upon the citizens of the state of New Jersey an open-ended letter of credit," Christie said.

The decision to abandon construction more than a year after it began burnished the Republican governor's reputation as a cost-cutter but was criticized as foolishly shortsighted by transportation advocates, train riders, union leaders and some Democrats. It also leaves New Jersey with nothing but a $600 million hole in the side of the hill.

Continues @ AP.org

================

This, I believe, is a mistake.   I like a lot of things Gov.Christie has done since getting elected... but this one, a flat no.

The NJ economy is hurting, bad. NJ people are hurting beyond belief, even as its companies are doing gangbusters great with the benefit of outsourcing job. 

Travel to and from work in NJ is horrendous; the smog is growing.

If Gov.Christie thinks this will both save dollars for the NJ budget AND lead to job creation in NJ, he is wrong on that.  He could have raised state level debt from public financing specifically for the project and repaid it with income from the proceeds of the tunnel and trains.

A couple of weeks ago, he had said he was killing the tunnel project; then at the urging of many economists, he said he would reconsider.

Stock market is doing quite good. Companies are making record profits and are doing just fine.  Are there more jobs in the world? You betcha!  They are not being created in the U.S. though.

Is the thought/rationale of Gov.Christie is that not creating the tunnell will lead to people working from home in NJ?  Dream on Governor!  They will be working from home in India (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and many more cities), Philippines, Puerto Rico, Ukraine, Latvia, ....  Jobs are leaving the country by the thousands every day!  I am serious!  This is a fact.

Jobs that cannot be outsourced, that build and/or ease the infrastructure in the U.S. and make people's life a bit more liveable is what we need.

No New Posts   RI Gov Candidate Frank Caprio To Obama: Take Your Endorsement And "Shove It" (WPRO-AM, RCP Audio clip, 10/24/10)

October 25, 2010

RI Gov Candidate To Obama: Take Your Endorsement And "Shove It"

WPRO-AM: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio is livid after the Providence Journal reported Monday morning President Obama would not endorse Caprio during his visit to the state today.

Continues at the link above where there is audio clip of the radio interview.

================

Go Frank Caprio!

No New Posts   White House: ‘Respect’ for Chafee Stops Obama Endorsement (Danny Yadron, WSJ, 10/25/10)

October 25, 2010

President Barack Obama won’t endorse the Democratic nominee for governor in Rhode Island “out of respect” for Lincoln Chafee, the race’s independent candidate and former Republican senator, a White House spokesman said today.

"Out of respect for his friend Lincoln Chafee, the president decided to stay out of the race,” Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said this afternoon, according to a White House pool report. Mr. Chafee broke party lines and endorsed Mr. Obama for president in 2008.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/25/white-house-respect-for-chafee-stops-obama-endorsement/

********

We may remember that Frank Caprio was a strong Hillary supporter, so that may be one reason why Obama is siding with Chafee here, instead of the Democrat.

But as I kept looking at the name Chafee, I realized....that name is familiar to me. Then, it clicked. More about Obama and how he chafes for the Chafees. From FireDogLake, March 2010, regarding Obamacare:

Heritage Foundation plan from the '90s

The new health care law championed by Obama is strikingly similar to the Republican alternative to Clinton’s health care plan put forward by Sen. John Chafee (R-RI), and has basically the same structure as the Heritage Foundation plan from the same time.


http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/03/30/new-health-care-law-a-republican-plan-that-should-make-insurance-companies-proud/

********

So, first Obama sells out Democrats and Democratic values of universal health care….and instead saddles the country with a plan from ~ 20 years ago that was put forward by Republican John Chafee. The plan that Hillary REJECTED.

Then, when it comes time to support the Democrat in the RI gubernatorial race, Obama again sides with the ‘Republicans’, except this time it's John Chafee’s son, Lincoln Chafee.

GMAFB, what a load of crap!!! Get this phØny off the stage.


 



-- Edited by Eminence on Monday 25th of October 2010 08:08:59 PM

-- Edited by Eminence on Monday 25th of October 2010 08:15:45 PM

No New Posts   Greta vs. Gloria (Hot Air/Fox) 10/2/10

October 2, 2010

I know which one I would want representing me.

I especially loved hearing Gloria say this will never go to court about half way through.
But this wasn't an attempt to help her pal Jerry Brown out? 

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/10/02/video-greta-vs-gloria/



-- Edited by VotedHillary on Saturday 2nd of October 2010 02:02:24 PM

Started By: VotedHillary

Comments: 5

Views: 2410

Last Post: Oct 5, 2010 by rachel

 

No New Posts   The Meg Whitman "Housekeeper" situation

September 29, 2010

This is such BS.  The woman presented to the agency she was hired from both a SS card and CA drivers license.  As someone who used to have to ask employees for ID that they were eligible for hire, both these documents the housekeeper provided are considered when provided in tandem proof they can be hired by INS rules.

I have no stake in the dog and pony show in CA as I am not a citizen of that state.  But this is the same kind of crap that was thrown Hillary's way every time there was a surge for her.

Gloria Allred should be disbarred.

http://www.megwhitman.com/userfiles/pdfs/Diaz_Forms.pdf

Started By: VotedHillary

Comments: 3

Views: 2148

Last Post: Oct 1, 2010 by Sanders

 

No New Posts   "As he investigates pension padding, AG Andrew Cuomo requests payroll data from 3 more CNY governments"(Syracuse,7/9/10)

July 10, 2010

Read @ Syracuse.com

As he investigates pension padding, AG Andrew Cuomo requests payroll data from 3 more CNY governments

Published: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 6:20 PM     Updated: Friday, July 09, 2010, 7:40 AM
Michelle Breidenbach / The Post-Standard

Syracuse, NY - Attorney General Andrew Cuomo stopped on the Onondaga Community College campus Thursday to announce that there is enough evidence of pension padding by public employees in New York state that he has expanded his investigation.

Cuomo did not name any specific public employees, but said preliminary research shows that workers across the state are significantly, and possibly fraudulently, inflating their salaries with overtime in order to boost their pension payments after retirement.

Earlier this year, Cuomo collected payroll data from 64 state agencies, local agencies, municipalities and public authorities that participate in the Common Retirement Fund. His staff analyzed data from 50 of those entities and found that more than half showed patterns of pension padding.

He gave some examples without naming names. A highway maintenance employee went from no overtime in earlier years to working 539 hours of overtime in the final years before retirement. A firefighter went from no overtime in early years to working more than 2,000 hours of overtime in his final years.

[SNIP]

Cuomo’s staff said it was a just a coincidence that Cuomo appeared on the OCC campus to talk about pension padding six months after a Post-Standard report about a sheriff’s deputy who boosted his overtime by working at the Central New York Police Academy at OCC.

More at the link above.

------------------------------------------------------------

Fraud like that simply takes more tax money from the taxpayers to pay their pension.

There is a fundamental problem in calculation of pension if it considers overtime in the final years.  It is simply an invitation to defraud. If Overtime is to be considered, it should be the average overtime of their life's work or perhaps the last 15 years.

Meanwhile, I think AG Andrew Cuomo is very likely to win the Gov election in NY.

-- Edited by Sanders on Saturday 10th of July 2010 12:28:54 PM

No New Posts   "N.J. gov. sets tone for US" (The Hill, 5/12/10)

May 14, 2010

Read @ The Hill

N.J. gov. sets tone for US

By A.B. Stoddard - 05/12/10 05:45 PM ET

In a movie version of this important story of our time, the bold, undaunted officeholder would look much like the boyish, handsome David Cameron — Great Britain’s new Conservative prime minister — who called on his countrymen Tuesday to embrace an “age of austerity.”

But this is America. So the fearless leader willing to be honest with voters, to part with what cannot be paid for, is actually not dashing, nor is he eloquent. He is an overweight Bruce Springsteen devotee, a former prosecutor with a remaining trace of a Turnpike accent who is intent on rescuing New Jersey. If he succeeds, Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) could become a major political force in the years to come, whether he likes it or not.

As the United States watches a debt crisis in Greece like a fiscal oil spill, waiting to see where it will spread first and when it will make landfall on our shores, Christie is tackling the nation’s worst state deficit — $10.7 billion of a $29.3 billion budget. In doing so, Christie has become the politician so many Americans crave, one willing to lose his job. Indeed, Christie is doing something unheard of: governing as a Republican in a blue state, just as he campaigned, making good on promises, acting like his last election is behind him.

Upon taking office Christie declared a state of emergency, signing an executive order that froze spending, and then, in eight weeks, cutting $13 billion in spending. In March he presented to the Legislature his first budget, which cuts 9 percent of spending, including more than $800 million in education funding; seeks to privatize numerous government functions; projects 1,300 layoffs; and caps tax increases.

Continues @ The Hill

--------------------------------------

I have spoken in person with a couple of people who said the austerity measures in NJ are brutal. People who never thought their jobs were at risk are being let go. It is cutting straight all the way into the bones of their government structure.  But NJ's state of affairs seems to call for it. If this succeeds, it will set a new standard, for sure... but the going is not going to be pretty.. It is not pretty anywhere already.. so what's cutting down to the stumps may just give it the shock needed to revive it for a longer life.

Started By: Sanders

Comments: 0

Views: 1931

Last Post: May 14, 2010 by Sanders

 

No New Posts   2010 Gov-SC -- Jenny Sanford to campaign for Nikki Haley (R) for Gov, following outgoing Gov. Sanford (5/12/10)

May 12, 2010

MSNBC Story

S.C. governor meets Argentine lover in Fla.

Affair ruined his marriage, wrecked his political career


Excerpt:

On Friday, Jenny Sanford will campaign for state Rep. Nikki Haley in her GOP primary bid to replace Sanford and become the state's first woman chief executive.


---------------
Corrected title.  Note that Gov. Sanford is term-limited and is not running.


-- Edited by Sanders on Thursday 13th of May 2010 11:20:51 PM

No New Posts   2010 CA-Gov "Poizner attacks from right on immigration" (Ben Smith, Politico.cm, 5/10/10)

May 10, 2010


Ben Smith: Poizner attacks from right on immigration

May 10, 2010


link to Ben Smith's comment on Politico.com


Who knows, in CA this may help Meg Whitman due to the high immigrant population there.. but by and large, people do support the AZ law and right to defend its order of illegal activities.


-- Edited by Sanders on Monday 10th of May 2010 04:42:05 PM

No New Posts   NY-Gov, Lt.Gov "New York State’s No. 2 Is Stewing on the Sidelines" (Danny Hakim, NYTimes 5/7/10)

May 8, 2010


"

New York State’s No. 2 Is Stewing on the Sidelines

ALBANY — While Gov. David A. Paterson met inside his office with aides to prepare for a recent news conference, his lieutenant governor, Richard Ravitch, was milling around outside, waiting for the appearance to begin.

“I don’t know what he is going to say,” Mr. Ravitch told a reporter.

A few minutes later, an aide beckoned Mr. Ravitch to join the governor in the office. But the door turned out to be locked, leaving the lieutenant governor of New York fumbling with the knob as cameras rolled. A week later, Mr. Ravitch referred to the episode as “the day that I couldn’t get through the door.”

Ten months after he was brought aboard the administration to bring it new seriousness and depth, Mr. Ravitch, 76, has been relegated to the sidelines, an awkward position for a man accustomed to being at the center of the action.

He has been unable to spur progress on the key assignment Mr. Paterson handed him: a long-term restructuring of how the state spends its money. The fiscal year ended a month ago, and it is unclear whether lawmakers will enact his plan.

Mr. Ravitch played a key role in the rescue of New York City from the brink of bankruptcy in the 1970s and hoped to offer similar assistance in the state’s hour of need. But an interview found him frustrated, impatient and at times almost astonished by how little alarm there was in the Capitol about the state’s grim financial outlook.

“This is like slow strangulation,” Mr. Ravitch said this week.

“Sure, I’m frustrated,” he added, “because, as of today at least, we’re not very close to solving this problem, and the problem compounds itself day to day, week to week, and there’s no way of avoiding pain.

“I don’t like to be the Cassandra all the time. It’s not fun.”

The lieutenant governor spends his days talking to lawmakers, budget staff members, labor leaders — corralling them in his lofty office abutting the Senate chamber or in the halls of the Capitol.

In March, Mr. Ravitch released his five-year financial rescue plan for the state, a broad proposal that called for a number for changes, including requiring the state to balance the budget under tougher accounting rules.

But to Mr. Ravitch’s consternation, much of the attention accorded the plan has focused on one aspect of it — a provision that would allow the state to borrow up to $2 billion this year to deal with its short-term financial distress. He says the plan is not simply a green light to borrow.

Though Mr. Paterson asked him to develop the plan, the governor never fully embraced it, setting off speculation in the Capitol that the relationship between the men was strained.

Mr. Ravitch and Mr. Paterson, who not so long ago was himself the lieutenant governor, say they have maintained a cordial personal relationship and socialize, often having dinner or drinks together at the Executive Mansion.

Continues . . .

"

This fractured leadership team is all too obvious to the NY-ers.  Frankly, it was a bit of a hurried appointment of Lt.Governor last time when Gov.Patterson needed an extra vote for tie-breaker on his budget move. As to whether he is serious taking into consideration what is on the table from the good Lt.Governor for improving our expenditure patterns, we have absolutely no clue.. All I see is that local school budget is slashed so much that it is the equivalent of their ENTIRE physical education/sports department -- now that is county tax contributions being withdraw. Of course they inherit their headaches from the state tightening the screws. So, guess the impact on property taxes.  It is atrocious!

No New Posts   2010 CA-Gov: "Now The News...With Meg Whitman!" (DailyKos 4/14/10)

April 14, 2010

Read @ DailyKos.com

"

CA-Gov: Now The News...With Meg Whitman!

If California's TV news directors are lazy enough, and the Whitman for Governor campaign is industrious enough, expect to see a lot of MegTV on your local newcasts in the Golden State:

One of the richest candidates in California history has found a new way to spend money. Gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman has reached into her deep pockets and pulled out tailored sound bites.

Whitman, who has poured almost $60 million of her own money into the campaign just for the Republican nomination, is offering TV stations video and sound bites of her campaign events. It's a way reporters can cover her from far away.

Whitman's campaign said in a statement, "We are starting something brand new at the Whitman campaign...so you can more easily provide your viewers with breaking news from California's gubernatorial campaign."

My goodness, how charitable of them.

There is precedent, of course, for giving news channels pre-packaged video news releases for consumption as actual news. Corporations (and the Bush administration) have used this practice in the past, leading to some unwanted attention from the FCC, who worried that such video news releases were often undisclosed by the news stations that ran them.

The Whitman campaign is claiming that they are trying to provide the state's media outlets with a service, one that will release them from the burden of sending reporters scrambling across the state.

This is, of course, bull****. And transparent bull****, at that.

The primary concern of Team Whitman is that their candidate is quite clearly deathly afraid of unscripted environments, particularly with the media.

So afraid is she of being confronted, on any topic, by reporters, that she is now offering the production services of her campaign staff as a substitute for having them even show up. It'd be funny if it weren't so sad.

Continues @ DailyKos.com

"

---------------------------------------

I particularly do not like when those with aspiration of rising to political office take on news media channels in guise. If they want, they should spend their money and make it advertisement.  To make them 'news' or stories or talk shows anchored/hosted by a political-hopeful or worse a candidate is just plain wrong.

We have to worry about this whether it is self-funded or sponsored.  It creates lopsided 'news' that other media will be forced to cover simply because they are candidates/hopefuls. In other words, their "show" becomes news and that is not a good thing for the electorate.

 

If they want exposure, let them face the UNSCRIPTED forums where they are interviewed by journalists.



-- Edited by Sanders on Wednesday 14th of April 2010 10:11:37 PM

No New Posts   2010 Gov-MD "Source: Robert Ehrlich to Run for Governor" (ABC News, WJLA.com 3/24/10)

March 24, 2010

ABC News - WJLA.com

"
Source: Robert Ehrlich to Run for Governor

posted 03/24/10 4:22 pm producer: Markham Evans

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich (web | news | bio) has decided to make another run for the governor's office, an informed source tells ABC 7 News.

A spokesman for Ehrlich said he could not confirm or deny our source's information.

The source indicated Ehrlich would formally announce his bid Wednesday, April 7, in Rockville, followed by an event at his childhood home in Arbutus. 

"I think it's a fair choice," said Diane Comfort. "Why not? Why shouldn't he run again?"

Mike Busch, the Democratic Speaker of the state House, says Ehrlich's comeback plan is no surprise.

"I think everybody is expecting the former governor will enter the race,' he said. "Everybody is prepared and everybody looks forward to a debate on the issues."

Ehrlich was elected governor in 2002, becoming the first Republican chief executive in a generation. He lost his 2006 re-election bid to the state's current governor, Martin O'Malley.

"He was OK, but I'm happy with present governor," said Susan Hottle-Schultz.

Continues @ WJLA.com

"

No New Posts   2010 Gov-CA "Meg Whitman Can Run a Company, But Can She Govern?" (Debra Saunders, RCP, 3/11/10)

March 11, 2010


(Emphasis added)

"

Meg Whitman Can Run a Company, But Can She Govern?

By Debra Saunders,

It took me five months to get my first interview with former eBay CEO and California GOP gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman, and when I did, it was after a press event where the news reporters were not allowed to ask questions. Swell.

Her supersize campaign has been rolling her out like an Easter egg. She has been in a shell -- for which she has paid handsomely. She has contributed nearly $40 million to her campaign, yet she told me she and her husband, Griff Harsh IV, fly coach, "because it's cheaper."

The big question is: Can she govern? She has a background that might help. Her book, "The Power of Many," co-written with Joan O'C. Hamilton, presents a methodical troubleshooter whose first job as a newly minted Harvard MBA was to figure out how big the hole should be on a shampoo bottle. She trained to become the kind of management consultant "who can go into virtually any kind of business, analyze the situation and come up with an effective plan to solve problems and achieve goals." When working with a food-service company, her team studied the "physical movements of cooks and waitstaff" and came up with "a method to save hours of food preparation time by washing potatoes in dishwashers."

It's this creative yet methodical approach that is lacking in the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, for whom budgeting has been a matter more of art -- well, of special effects -- than of science.

But can a former CEO who once cut costs by fiat learn how to cut deals with a big-spending liberal Legislature? Whitman and Harsh plan to move to Sacramento, buy a house and put down roots. She wants get to know all the lawmakers by name. Could she name some lawmakers with whom she could work? State Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks, and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego. But she believes she can help Democrats by making them "heroes" if they work with her to keep employers from leaving California.

Whitman acknowledged that she recently told KNBC that she would "veto virtually" all bills that do not advance her three priorities of creating jobs, slashing government and reforming public schools.

Whitman believes the key to balancing the budget is boosting the economy, but she also wants to pare state government by some 40,000 employees -- by the most popular method of all, attrition.

Have you ever negotiated with unions? Whitman answered, "I have not directly negotiated with unions; we had union members when I worked at Hasbro."

There were no eBay unions. What is more, Whitman never has gone toe to toe with the public employee unions who have blocked Schwarzenegger's reforms in the past.

This is where Whitman's "right person, right job, right time" management mantra comes in. When I asked about the public furor likely to follow if she were perceived as a veto-happy obstructionist governor, Whitman replied, "Or not. I actually think the public might be thrilled to death."

"If your ratings go down, it's OK," she said. And: "You will never be popular in a turnaround." Yet her model of an executive-turned-politician is New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- and he is popular. And in her mind, California needs a turnaround. After she had been at eBay a few years, Whitman said, the executive staff began to wonder: If we had to start eBay all over again, would we do it in California?

Which state would you pick? I asked. She answered, "Probably Texas."

"

Full article @ RCP

=====================================

Hmm... I am getting a mixed read. A management consultant who does motion studies and root cause analysis... but has no expertise in labor negotiation.. and believes she can cut CA state employment by 40k heads by attrition.. she wants to increase businesses in CA but would have started in Texas instead?  She donates $40M to campaign and calls travelling economy a cost consideration.... She comes across as pretentious. 

eBay's business model is NOT rocket science. There is NO manufacturing there. No major core competencies... She has really lucked out in moving a garage sale into an online venture and expanding that into an online selling service for all things old as well as "new". eBay is indeed the intermediary.  I am sure she has the same type of issues to handle as any executive in an internet based service provider company - but hers is the lightest of them all as there is no manufacturing, in-house product warehousing.. no inventory management...

We may have an issue of how much she really knows about governing and tough negotiations. Union relations is very hard!

No New Posts   NJ Gov Chris Christie "A leader opts for painful honesty in the Garden State" (Ron Smith, The Baltimore Sun, 3/5/10)

March 5, 2010

"
In these times of economic distress, massive job losses, shrunken businesses, bloated governments and runaway public spending, we've been waiting for some politician (other than Ron Paul) to stand and tell the truth. Politicians excel at "kicking the can down the road" -- that is, postponing the inevitable reckoning for unsustainable spending until they are either safely out of office or dead.

But behold! The newly elected governor of New Jersey, Republican Chris Christie, stood in front of 200 of his state's mayors last week and told them basically that there is no more road down which to kick that proverbial can. In his speech at the New Jersey League of Municipalities, Mr. Christie began by calling the legislature's $29 billion budget something out of "Alice in Wonderland." He told the collected hizzoners that the old game of tax and spend was over. He described unhappy meetings in his treasurer's office, where he was presented with 378 possible freezes and lapses to be used to balance the budget. He accepted 375 of them. (Emphasis added)
"
More @ The Baltimore Sun

I am impressed with Gov.Chris Christie of NJ. It takes guts to do that.  I was impressed with him during his campaign.. This is faster move than even I had expected.  Good on Gov.Christie!

We shall see what all he has cut!  Wow 375 of 378 possible freezes! Yikes!  It's going to be a rough road for NJ, but Gov.Christie sure seems committed to getting NJ's budget back into shape.

No New Posts   2010 Gov-NY "It's time to go, Dave" (NYPost 2/26/10) "Paterson drops his re-elect bid" (Washington Examiner 2/26/10)

February 26, 2010

nyp_logo_230x32.gif

EDITORIAL


"It's time to go, Dave"  (Front page headline this morning)

"Enough, Governor

Editorial, Last Updated: 8:53 AM, February 26, 2010, Posted: February 26, 2010

It's time for David Paterson to close out his role in one of the strangest episodes in New York history -- and turn over the affairs of state to his lieutenant governor, Richard Ravitch.

We don't prescribe this lightly.

But new developments make it painfully clear that the accidental governor lacks the credibility to effectively see New York through its current crises.

And that he has no hope of gaining it.

More . . .

"

"

Gov. Paterson to drop election bid; announcement expected soon

FREDRIC U. DICKER and MAGGIE HABERMAN, Last Updated: 10:51 AM, February 26, 2010, Posted: 9:37 AM, February 26, 2010

Gov. David Paterson has told Democratic leaders that he won't seek election to a full term amid a roiling scandal over whether he and his troopers intimidated a woman who'd reported domestic violence against one of his top aides, The Post has learned.

Paterson communicated his intentions to top advisers and supporters, saying he'll make an announcement today, multiple sources said -- confirming a Post report.

Paterson, who took over the state's top spot when Eliot Spitzer resigned after it was disclosed that he had sex with a prostitute, is expected to say he won't resign.

Just last night Paterson said he intended to continue his campaign, which he launched this past weekend. But he also said he would talk to fellow Democrats about his future.

More . . .

"

dc_logo21.png

"

Paterson drops his re-elect bid


By: David Freddoso
Online Opinion Editor
02/26/10 10:44 AM EST

Democrat Gov. David Paterson of New York is calling it quits, choosing not to run for re-election, the New York Daily News reports.

Paterson has been under fire for having contacted a woman who accused one of his top aides of domestic violence....The decision clears the way for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is the favorite of many Democrats, to seek the nomination unimpeded.

"

Source link

================

Adding: A news conference is expected any moment. (Just heard this Fox News)


-- Edited by Sanders on Friday 26th of February 2010 07:56:21 PM

No New Posts   2010 Gov-TX "Politics in Texas: The survivor" (The Economist 2/18/10)

February 22, 2010

the-economist-logo.gif

"

Politics in Texas

The survivor

Rick Perry is poised to win Texas’s Republican primary for the governorship—for the third time. Where might that take him next?

Feb 18th 2010 | PLANO | From The Economist print edition

Getty Images201008USP001.jpg

ON FEBRUARY 15th several hundred conservative activists gathered in Plano, a suburb of Dallas, for a town-hall meeting. It was the sort of crowd where people discuss how to make their own ammunition because bullets are so expensive. In a side room Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, chatted to The Economist as he got ready to make his speech. He mocked Barack Obama’s expensive stimulus package, and said if he was in charge of federal spending the departments of energy and education would be the first to go. When he went on, the crowd loved him.

Mr Perry faces a gubernatorial primary on March 2nd. A Rasmussen poll on February 1st gave him a 15-point lead over his closest opponent for the Republican nomination, the state’s senior senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison. As Mr Perry puts it, “It has followed the game plan rather closely.”

What was supposed to be a showdown between two Republican heavies has turned into a rout. A year ago Mrs Hutchison was the most popular politician in Texas, a moderate serving her fourth term in the Senate. Mr Perry was in his third term, having ascended from the lieutenant-governor’s seat in 2000 when George Bush won the presidency. But he was re-elected in 2006 with just 39% of the vote, earning only a plurality in a field split between himself, a Democrat, a conservative independent and a singing Jewish cowboy, Kinky Friedman, now angling for agriculture commissioner.

In recent years Mr Perry had angered his conservative base by suggesting that schoolgirls should get mandatory vaccines against the human papilloma virus, which is sexually transmitted, and that toll roads would be the solution to Texas’s transport woes. Early polls showed Mrs Hutchison well ahead. She reeled in big endorsements from most of the leading newspapers and much of the Republican establishment. Republicans and Democrats alike were openly scoffing at Mr Perry’s prospects. No longer. Barring something bizarre, Mr Perry will cruise through the primary in his bid to remain governor of America’s second-largest state.

Blame or thank Washington for that. A year ago, the nation was aflush with Obama fever, the District of Columbia was briefly gilded with glamour and Mr Perry’s insistence that Mrs Hutchison was too tied to the federal capital did not resonate much. Over the months his argument has come to look obvious. Conservatives around the country are howling about federal spending and the growth of the state. In Texas those arguments have a special force: unemployment has been well below the national average since the recession started, and although the state has received some $7 billion of federal stimulus to patch up the budget, there is still $9 billion untouched in its “rainy day” fund.

To be sure, some Texas Republicans are sick of both options. That became clear when Debra Medina entered the race. Mrs Medina is a nurse who worked for the presidential campaign of Ron Paul, a libertarian. She packed an entire political career into just a few months, moving from unknown to underdog to phenomenon to flame-out. At one point there was even speculation that she could force a Perry-Medina run-off. But then, on February 11th, Mrs Medina went on Glenn Beck’s radio show and said that some good questions had been raised about the American government’s role in the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001.

What next? Mrs Hutchison has said that she will resign from the Senate after the primary, no matter what happens, leading to a possibly exciting Senate race. And after the primary Mr Perry will have to tweak his game plan. The vaccines and the toll roads are old news, and they will carry less weight in the general election than in the Republican primary. But Mrs Hutchison has raised some serious arguments against Mr Perry, particularly the idea that 14 years is too long for one person to hold power; Mr Perry is already the longest-serving governor in Texas’s history. (Emphasis added)

More . . .

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==========

Sen.Kay Hutchison's DC home is already on the market. So, there is a TX Senate race to watch.

Do you think Gov.Perry might run for 2012? If so, what are his chances?

-- Edited by Sanders on Monday 22nd of February 2010 10:13:08 PM

No New Posts   2010 Gov-CA "Governator to Governess?" (by Debra Saunders RCP 2/21/10)

February 21, 2010

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Governator to Governess?

By Debra Saunders

Earlier this month, former Gov. Pete Wilson sent out a letter calling on good Republicans to "unite" behind former eBay CEO Meg Whitman's bid for governor. A largely Democratic effort had been formed to raise $40 million to defeat the billionaire candidate, which Wilson argued, forced Team Whitman to launch its general election campaign early.

It was an arrogant move -- calling the GOP primary before a single voter has cast a ballot in the June 8 election. Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is still in the race. No wonder Poizner recently told me, "She wants to be ordained."

After pouring $39 million of her own money into her campaign, Whitman has blanketed the airwaves with commercials and, as a result, has been trouncing Poizner in the polls. Poizner, who is also rich and put about $19 million into his effort, has preferred to campaign using free media, including debates with former rival Tom Campbell (which Whitman skipped). Poizner wants to debate at the GOP convention in March. Whitman says no.

I reached Wilson on his cell phone Wednesday to ask: How can a candidate who never has run for office, and ducked every debate to date, dare to try to elbow out of the primary the one candidate who has won statewide office?

Wilson answered that even though Whitman is skipping a debate at the March GOP convention, she has agreed to a later debate. I should understand, he said, that Whitman is doing what all savvy candidates, including the likely Democratic nominee, Attorney General Jerry Brown, do -- limiting debates and press interviews. "You don't accept every one," Wilson explained, using his why-do-I-even-have-to-say-this voice. "I think this is small potatoes, Debra."

is doing what all savvy candidates, including the likely Democratic nominee, Attorney General Jerry Brown, do -- limiting debates and press interviews. "You don't accept every one," Wilson explained, using his why-do-I-even-have-to-say-this voice. "I think this is small potatoes, Debra."

Indeed, protesters turned out to picket against Whitman on Tuesday night as she addressed the Commonwealth Club in Lafayette. Big Labor and big Democrats have put together an independent expenditure effort called Level the Playing Field 2010 -- an allusion to Whitman's supersize wealth, if an odd title for a group dedicated to outspending any entity that tries to introduce fiscal discipline to Sacramento.

Inside, the Commonwealth Club moderator was a chummy fellow who asked only one tough question about her spotty voting record. (Whitman responded with a mea culpa.)

In the course of some 100 minutes, Whitman proposed a moratorium on new regulations, loosening workplace rules and enacting "targeted tax relief" to keep businesses in California. She pledged to interview her top 300 appointees personally, with one-third coming from the private sector.

Like Poizner, Whitman argues that job creation will have to take care of the state's fiscal woes in the long run. In the end, I was skeptical of her call for tax cuts (in the face of a $20-billion state budget shortfall) and of her proposals for balancing the budget, in part through hiring attrition. But I also thought she understands what employers need to keep them in California, hopefully hiring more workers.

I still don't know why GOP voters are supposed to trust Whitman to take on Jerry Brown, when they don't even know if she can outtalk Poizner.

I wondered afterward if maybe Team Whitman should try to make a virtue out of her strong-arm tactics. After all, the next governor is going to have to cut state spending in ways that will invite the wrath of entrenched political forces that usually get their way. (Hence the growth in state government by about 30 percent under both Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis.)

More . . .

"

No New Posts   2010 Gov-NY "Beleaguered NY Gov. Paterson launches election bid" (AP, Forbes.com 2/20/10)

February 20, 2010

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Beleaguered NY Gov. Paterson launches election bid

By FRANK ELTMAN , 02.20.10, 04:04 PM EST 536b6447453075415848414141353742?adTerms=AP+General+Gubernatorial+536b6447453075415848414141353742?adTerms=AP+General+Gubernatorial+

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- David Paterson launched his campaign for a full four-year term as governor Saturday with a combative campaign speech that mocked recent reports about his job performance and personal life.

"After all you have heard, there's one rumor I will confirm: I am running for governor this year," Paterson said to a crowd of about 400 at Hofstra University. "They haven't knocked us down yet, and they never will."

or two weeks, aides have been wrestling unsubstantiated rumors about the governor's personal life and, in the past week, publicly criticized a lengthy New York Times profile that portrayed Paterson as distracted and disengaged.

Conceding he's had a "difficult past few weeks," Paterson said he intends to press ahead.

"Innuendo and ridicule and false rumors, they leave a long and lasting effect. And it's no surprise that it comes in the middle of a budget process where special interests have a lot to lose, and at the beginning of a campaign," Paterson said to cheers. "This is not about me. This is about the people of the state of New York."

Paterson's announcement makes him the first Democrat in the race, but probably not the last.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is expected to challenge Paterson in a primary. Cuomo is more popular in polls, among Democrats and, perhaps most importantly, with well-heeled campaign donors. He's sitting on a $16 million campaign account and hasn't even said yet whether he'll run; Paterson has about $3 million.

Leaked reports last September said President Barack Obama was among those who have pressured Paterson to step aside in the name of party unity.

Reflecting the possibility of an internal party fight, the lone politician on stage with Paterson on Saturday was the mayor of the village of Hempstead, Wayne Hall. Some Nassau County Democratic legislators and other local officials were in the audience.

More . . .

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No New Posts   2010 Gov-CA "Sen. Feinstein Won't Run" (by Kyle Trygstad, RCP Politics 2/17/10)

February 17, 2010

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CA Gov: Sen. Feinstein Won't Run

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said yesterday she will not run for governor, ending months of speculation and clearing the Democratic primary field for Attorney General Jerry Brown.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Feinstein, the 76-year-old former San Francisco mayor who is one of the state's most popular politicians, called Brown Tuesday morning to tell him she would not be running, her spokesman Gil Duran confirmed.

"She is a trusted friend and close adviser to the attorney general," Brown spokesman Scott Glazer said. "He looks forward to working with her on the huge challenges facing California."

Pressed for months to decide whether she would jump into the race, Feinstein said she wouldn't unless other candidates failed to address California's chronic budget problems.

Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1990 but lost to Republican Pete Wilson.

A Rasmussen poll out yesterday found Feinstein and Brown performing about the same against Republicans Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner.

"

Source link

No New Posts   2010 Gov-CA "Zsa Zsa's husband wants to run for CA governor's race" (AP, StarTribune MN 2/17/10)

February 17, 2010

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Zsa Zsa's husband wants to add a flamboyant touch to Calif. governor's race — himself

By ROBIN HINDERY , Associated Press, Last update: February 17, 2010 - 4:16 AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - What the world already knows of Prince Frederic von Anhalt reads like a tabloid writer's dream: eighth husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor, lover (never confirmed) of Anna Nicole Smith, self-proclaimed member of European royalty.

The flamboyant socialite says he'll add a new title on Wednesday: California gubernatorial candidate.

Von Anhalt and his attorney said they will file his candidate papers in late morning at the secretary of state's office in Sacramento.

If he follows through, von Anhalt would be the only independent in a field that includes Republicans Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner and the presumed Democratic candidate, Attorney General Jerry Brown.

He already has a platform (titled "Return the Good Life to California") that is sure to win favor with a certain segment of California's electorate. He wants to lift the import ban on Cuban cigars, then tax them, and reduce vehicle-registration fees, making up the difference in part by taxing "bad drivers."

He also is offering what he says are realistic proposals that will have an immediate effect on California's $20 billion budget deficit.

One proposal is a "sin tax" on alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, as well as marijuana and prostitution, which, under his platform, would be legalized.

"Marijuana is a big industry already," von Anhalt said in a telephone interview from his home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air, where he cares for his 93-year-old wife. "Let's legalize it, tax it, make some money and put less people in jail."

A statewide initiative to legalize and tax marijuana is likely to appear on the November ballot.

He also favors repealing the ban on gay marriage, which voters wrote into the state constitution in 2008.

More  . . .

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No New Posts   2010 Gov-CT Dem "Ned Lamont announces his candidacy for governor" (AP, The House 2/16/10)

February 16, 2010

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Lamont announces his candidacy for governor

By SUSAN HAIGH, Associated Press, Posted on 02/16/2010


HARTFORD:   Ned Lamont announced Tuesday he is a candidate for Connecticut governor, vowing to build on the excitement of his 2006 Senate bid and rejuvenate the state's flagging economy.

Addressing more than 100 enthusiastic supporters, including many who backed his challenge of Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Greenwich businessman called on the crowd to join his latest political fight.

[snip]

The Connecticut governor's race appears to be wide open since Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, announced she would not run for re-election. Besides Lamont, there are four other Democratic candidates -- former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary Glassman, Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi and health care advocate Juan Figueroa -- seeking the party nomination.

The four still have exploratory committees and have not yet officially committed to running for governor. There are also at least eight Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele, who are running or considering a run for governor.

Some of Lamont's Democratic opponents criticized the wealthy businessman, who spent $16 million of his own money in the Senate race, for announcing Tuesday he is opting out of Connecticut's public campaign financing program.

"I'm a big believer in clean campaigns but I'm not going to go into this battle with one arm tied behind my back," said Lamont, who founded a cable television company that services colleges and universities.

At least one Republican candidate, Greenwich businessman Tom Foley, has opted out of the voluntary system -- which limits how much money candidates can raise and spend -- and committed to spending millions of his own money.

Malloy has called on Lamont to abide by the spending limits contained in the campaign financing law.

[snip]

Glassman said she is proud to participate in the state's public campaign financing system, which is currently in limbo because of a federal court ruling.

"Most people in Connecticut aren't millionaires. They work for a living and so do I," she said. "The Democratic Party has always represented these people and I believe Democrats need to be certain our candidate will continue to represent all of Connecticut and not just a moneyed few."

A Quinnipiac Poll from January showed that 27 percent of registered Democrats would back Lamont in a primary.

"

Full article

No New Posts   2010 Gov-CA Poll "Brown (D) 43%, Whitman (R) 43%" (Rasmussen Reports 2/16/10)

February 16, 2010

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Election 2010: California Governor
California Governor: Brown 43%, Whitman 43%


Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman now runs dead even with likely Democratic nominee Jerry Brown in California’s gubernatorial contest.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely California voters finds Republican hopeful Whitman and Brown tied with 43% each. Six percent (6%) like some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.

A month ago, Brown, a longtime California political figure who now serves as attorney general, posted a four-point lead over Whitman, 43% to 39%. In November, the two were tied at 41% apiece.

Brown continues to maintain a double-digit lead – 46% to 34% - over the other leading Republican in the contest, State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Seven percent (7%) like another candidate, and 13% are undecided. Last month, Brown was ahead 45% to 35%, and in November, he had a 43% to 32% lead over Poznier.

Some Democrats have speculated that Senator Dianne Feinstein would make a stronger Democratic gubernatorial nominee. But Feinstein, who has expressed no public interest in the race, runs comparably against both Republicans.

The senator earns 45% of the vote to Whitman’s 43% and leads Poizner 48% to 36%. This is a marginally stronger showing for Feinstein that a month ago. In both contests, five percent (5%) or less prefer another candidate, and roughly 10% are undecided.

Feinstein’s partner in the Senate, incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer, is in surprisingly tight reelection races with three potential Republican challengers for the second month in a row.

More . . .
"

No New Posts   2010 Gov-PA "GOP’s Corbett Well Head of Three Potential Opponents" (Rasmussen Reports 2/11/10)

February 12, 2010

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Election 2010: Pennsylvania Governor
Pennsylvania Governor: GOP’s Corbett Well Head of Three Potential Opponents


Thursday, February 11, 2010

State Attorney General Tom Corbett continues to hold big leads over three potential Democratic rivals in this year’s race for governor in Pennsylvania.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows Corbett leading former Congressman Joe Hoeffel 51% to 29%. Against Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, he leads 52% to 26%. When State Auditor Jack Wagner is his Democratic opponent, Corbett is ahead 49% to 28%.

However, in all three match-ups, at least 15% of voters remain undecided at this point.

Last month, Corbett, by far the leading GOP gubernatorial contender, held roughly two-to-one leads over four potential Democrats but earned less than 50% support in every match-up.

Incumbent Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter remains barely over 50% but still holds a 15-point lead over his Democratic Primary challenger, Congressman Joe Sestak. Little is changed this month in Pennsylvania’s overall race for the Senate, with Republican hopeful Pat Toomey still ahead of Specter by nine points.

Both parties will choose their Senate and gubernatorial candidates in May 18 primaries.

Male voters favor Corbett by substantial margins over any of the Democrats. Women voters also prefer the Republican by anywhere from seven to 13 points. Voters not affiliated with either major party support Corbett by sizable double-digit margins.

Corbett is viewed very favorably by 17% of Pennsylvania voters, while only five percent (5%) hold a very unfavorable opinion of him. Eighteen percent (18%) have no opinion of him yet.

Ten percent (10%) have a very favorable opinion of Onoroato, while the identical number (10%) view him very unfavorably.

Hoeffel is viewed very favorably by eight percent (8%) and very unfavorably by 14%.

For Wagner, very favorables total five percent (5%) and very unfavorables seven percent (7%).

One-in-three Pennsylvania voters don't know enough about any of the Democratic candidates to give even a soft favorable or unfavorable opinion of him at this point.

More . . .
"

No New Posts   "Dave [Paterson] the Camelot killer" (NY Post 2/13/10)

February 13, 2010

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Dave the Camelot killer

Last Updated: 4:19 AM, February 13, 2010

Posted: February 13, 2010


As if Gov. Paterson needed another headache right now, it looks like he may have killed Camelot.

Not that he did it on purpose, mind you: When Paterson passed over Caroline Kennedy in favor of then-Rep. Kirsten "Tweety Bird" Gillibrand to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat last year, two other members of the famed political clan still held seats in Congress.

Back then, liberal lion Ted Kennedy yet roared as the senior senator from Massachusetts, while his son, Patrick, represented Rhode Island in the House.

But Ted passed away in August -- and, just yesterday, Patrick announced that he would not be seeking re-election to the office he's held since 1995.

Thus, next January will almost certainly mark the first time in 64 years (barring a brief interlude after Ted's brother John was elected president) that the US Congress does not include a descendant of Joseph and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.

[SNIP]

Caroline would have extended the dynasty for who-knows-how-long.

Of course, 64 years is a long time for one family to hold power.

Paterson might ponder his role as the instrument of fate.

More . . .
"
==========================

Dont give all the credit to Dave Paterson, now!  How about Patrick Kennedy's dinging of Scott Brown victory as a "joke"?  It was not the kind of foo-foo you expect from a power center/dynasty's sole rep.  He failed to carry the water for the rest of them... who were already fading out. Hmmm... Perhaps Ted Kennedy knew he needed Caroline Kennedy to rescue the dynasty.  Yeah, Dave may have some thinking to do. Perhaps so does Caroline!! LOL.

-- Edited by Sanders on Saturday 13th of February 2010 01:40:14 PM

Started By: Sanders

Comments: 0

Views: 1761

Last Post: Feb 13, 2010 by Sanders

 

No New Posts   2010 Gov-TX "Debra Medina’s Texas-size momentum" (Politico 2/12/10)

February 12, 2010

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Debra Medina’s Texas-size momentum

By DAVID CATANESE | 2/12/10 4:45 AM EST

Debra Medina talks at the State Sovereignty Symposium at a hotel in Houston in January.
Debra Medina talks at the State Sovereignty Symposium at a hotel in Houston in January. Photo: AP

A pistol-packing nurse and home-schooler with close ties to Ron Paul is emerging as a wild card who is reordering the dynamics of the March 2 Texas Republican primary for governor.

Powered by tea party support, Debra Medina’s rapid climb is raising the prospect that the three-way GOP primary that includes Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will be decided by an April runoff.

Medina, who has crafted her grass-roots campaign around a sweeping plan to repeal property taxes and an expansion of gun rights, gained significant attention and traction after her colorful appearances alongside Perry and Hutchison in two recent televised debates.

The most recent public polling shows Medina drawing an eye-popping 24 percent, trailing the front-running Perry by 15 percentage points but tracking within just 4 percentage points of Hutchison. Among self-identified conservatives, she performs even better, outpolling Hutchison 25 percent to 23 percent.

“It’s been a year of ‘you can’t,’ and we continue to do. It’s a pretty exciting place to be. I think people are really ready for limited government,” Medina told POLITICO.

“The bulk of our support is from people who have not voted before in a primary. If they vote in this primary, we win this race,” she said.

Despite the momentum, many Republicans say that’s an unlikely prospect.(Emphasis added)

For one thing, Perry has held formidable polling leads in his quest for an unprecedented third term while carving out a contingent of the tea party movement for himself.

And while Medina boasts of reeling in more individual donations than Perry or Hutchison during the month of January, she reported having just $68,000 remaining to spend at month’s end. That cash-on-hand deficit will prohibit her from seriously competing in the television advertising wars, which are integral in the homestretch of a competitive campaign in a state as large as Texas.

“The candidates that are well-funded will be able to get their messages out through commercials and large get-out-the-vote activities. This will have a significant impact come Election Day,” said Texas Republican National Committeewoman Borah Van Dormolen.

Further, while few doubt Medina has surged into double digits as Hutchison’s numbers have slumped, some believe her support level in the latest survey is inflated.

“I don’t think that’s a sustainable number for Medina against two pretty well-known brand names,” said Bill Hillsman, a Minneapolis-based political operative who specializes in outsider campaigns and advised Jesse Ventura’s successful third-party run for governor of Minnesota. “I think Medina’s numbers are probably artificially high right now. It’s a protest vote more than anything else. I think she’s probably got low double-digit support.”

"



-- Edited by Sanders on Friday 12th of February 2010 10:08:53 PM

No New Posts   "David Paterson tries to turn rumors to his favor" (Politico 2/10/10)

February 10, 2010

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David Paterson tries to turn rumors to his favor

By BEN SMITH | 2/9/10 7:02 PM EST

A bizarre mix of speculation and innuendo involving sex and drugs has had a surprising effect on New York Gov. David Paterson’s reputation: It has made him a sympathetic figure for perhaps the first time in his troubled 22 months in office.

 

For more than a week, Paterson has been under intense pressure to respond to rumors about him that have played out not in the gossip of political insiders but on the front pages of the New York tabloids. The rumors concern what’s in a supposedly forthcoming story in The New York Times that has taken on almost mythic dimensions before it has even run.

 

Tuesday afternoon, Paterson sought to seize control of a story that hasn’t run, and allegations that no one except the Times knows is in it, reporting on his interview with a Times reporter before the Times could.

 

"I was interviewed for that piece. No such questions related to any of that information was asked of me at any interview," Paterson said in a press conference called immediately after the interview with Times Albany bureau chief Danny Hakim.

 

Paterson said he'd asked Hakim about the rumors. "He said he would leave all that speculation for other news sources," the governor said.

 

Paterson went on to excoriate the Times for failing to clear the air about the rumors and to cast himself — credibly — as the victim of an out-of-control press.

 

"They don't seem to be interested in addressing it or doing anything about it — I think it's appalling," Paterson said of the Times. The press, in floating the rumor, denied him “what I was owed as a human being,” he said.

More . . .

"

No New Posts   "Paterson to talk to Times" (Politico blog by Ben Smith 2/8/10)

February 9, 2010

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Paterson to talk to Times

by Ben Smith, February 08, 2010

Governor David Paterson will sit down for an interview with The New York Times tomorrow, a person familiar with the plan tells me, as his state chatters about an as-yet unpublished retrospective of his difficult year in office.

Paterson's style of running his public and private life have been issues since long before Eliot Spitzer made him lieutenant governor.

But the New York Post's Fred Dicker today summed up the state of play in Albany: complaints from insiders — growing noisier in the wake of the award of a gambling contract to a key state politico — about Paterson's "lack of focus on critical issues, his poor work habits and late-night, booze-fueled 'disappearances' at trendy nightclubs and undisclosed locations — when even his state police bodyguards don't know where he is [and] his penchant for spreading false rumors about aides and a peculiar reliance on two little-known assistants."

I don't have any first-hand reporting on what the Times is working on, and a spokeswoman for the paper, Diane McNulty, declined to comment.

The Times's internal standards, it's worth noting, require the kind of tight sourcing that would make allegations like those in Dicker's piece, particularly anonymous ones, about personal behavior hard to get into print. "

More . . .

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No New Posts   2010 U.S. Gov-TX "Palin backs Perry over Hutchison" (The Hill's Blog Briefing Room 2/8/10)

February 8, 2010

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Palin backs Perry over Hutchison

By Sean J. Miller - 02/08/10 11:13 AM ET

Sarah Palin knocked Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) as a Washington insider during a rally with Gov. Rick Perry (R) in Houston Sunday.

"So on March 2 you have a clear choice," Palin said during her first campaign appearance of 2010. "I want to hear Texas, what's it gonna be: the way they operate in D.C. or the way y'all get things done in Texas?"

Perry, already the state's longest-serving governor, is seeking a third term. He faces Hutchison in next month's GOP primary.

More . . .

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