Bloomberg's Run, Huckabee's Fall, McCain's Secret Ad and 1000 Emails

Laziness and the fact nobody is really looking at blogs right now made this post an easy one -- miscellaneous political news.

• When the press laughs at you and you're not telling one of your trademark jokes, then you know the honeymoon may be over. That's what Mike Huckabee is dealing with after his "I'm pulling this attack ad on Mitt Romney, but not before all you reporters see it first and tell everyone about it" press conference flopped. Even some supporters commenting on his blog are disappointed.
• Maybe Huckabee should have used the tried and true "leak" method, like this secret attack ad John McCain has ready for Romney. Even more interesting is the fact the spot was made by consultants who now are working for Romney. That might make for an awkward morning meeting.
• Michael Bloomberg for president talk is picking up again.
• The onslaught of presidential campaign emails to supporters continues unabated. On the last day of the year, Campaign Emails went over the 1,000 mark. That's 200 a month, since starting on July 28th, all wanting the same thing. Money.

Edwards and His Hypocritical 527 Play

Apparently when John Edwards rails against special interests, lobbyists and big money in campaigns (remember, he decided to take public campaign funds because "the influence of money in politics has gotten out of control"), that only applies to other candidates.

Or maybe it's just "Washington DC" big money that's evil, but a $495,000 check from a Mellon family heiress to a pro-Edwards 527 group (Alliance for a New America) is perfectly fine, especially since she already gave the maximum allowed by law to his campaign ($4,600).

Couple that with $891,121 in contributions (.pdf) from various Service Employees International Union locals ($650,000 from California alone), apparently the SEIU is not a "special interest" in Edwards' world, and you have a nice little $1.66 million slush fund to do your work in Iowa without any campaign finance restrictions.

Making things even more interesting, and possibly illegal too, is an October email (.pdf) where an SEIU local president noted he and another would be visiting with Edwards' staff and the need to explore "a serious 527 legal structure." Coordinating efforts between 527 groups and actual campaigns is forbidden.

Adding to the sleaziness of the whole affair is the fact that the Alliance for a New America is headed by former Edwards campaign manager and advisor Nick Baldick. Yet, we're to believe this is strictly coincidental. Something Barack Obama isn't buying.

"The fact is this is somebody who worked for John Edwards, for the last who knows how many years, who's a good friend and colleague of Edwards, who's now running a 527 that is running ads on behalf of John Edwards," said Obama. "You're telling me he has no influence over him? That's not true."

And for pure irony, Edwards recently told a New Hampshire crowd "the Rockefellers and the Mellons and the Carnegies... used their money and power to dominate what was happening in the government and to dominate what was happening in the economy." Well, maybe he is telling the truth for once.

Recent Iowa Polls Show A Tossup

The presidential candidate spin doctors are going to have their work cut out for them come next Thursday evening as a series of Iowa political polls show both races are knotted at the top.

Strategic Vision released the most recent poll (12/28/07), and with a sample of 600 "likely voters" from each party, has one of the smallest margins of error (+/- 4.5%).

Democrats
Barack Obama - 30%
Hillary Clinton - 29%
John Edwards - 28%

Republicans
Mike Huckabee - 29%
Mitt Romney - 27%
Fred Thompson - 15%
John McCain - 14%
Rudy Giuliani - 4%

The Lee Enterprises poll also show a close race. The 12/26-27 survey included 500 "likely voters" from each party.

Democrats
Edwards - 29%
Obama - 29%
Clinton - 28%

Republicans
Huckabee - 34%
Romney - 27%
Thompson - 11%
Giuliani - 8%
McCain - 8%
Paul - 8%

The Bloomberg/LA Times poll also was released but has much fewer "likely voters" surveyed. For Republicans only 174 were polled as such. Still the GOP numbers are close to the bigger sample polls.

Republicans
Huckabee - 36%
Romney - 28%
Thompson - 10%
Giuliani - 8%
McCain - 8%

Democrats
Clinton - 31%
Edwards - 25%
Obama - 22%

John Kerry Saves America From The NFL Network

Forget the War, spiraling deficits, the shrinking dollar and other trifling stuff Congress just can't seem to get around to addressing. Apparently the real threat to America was the possibility that a big chunk of the country wouldn't be able to see the New England Patriots play on Saturday.

But not to worry, Senator John Kerry has come to the rescue as he threatened the NFL with congressional action over the crushing weight of "premium sports channels" that are harming the very fabric of this country.

"Under the unfortunate circumstance that this matter remains unresolved, leaving 60 percent of households across the country - including thousands in Massachusetts - without access to Saturday's game, I will ask the Senate Commerce Committee to hold hearings on how the emergence of premium sports channels are impacting the consumer, and I will consider what legislative measures may be necessary to ensure that consumers are more than bystanders in this process," wrote Kerry in a letter to the NFL.

So the NFL relented, thereby allowing Americans everywhere the freedom to watch Tom Brady and Company run up the score on the New York Giants' second- and third-stringers.

Wow, just think what Kerry could have accomplished as President.

A Christmas Miracle Of Sorts

Granted in the world of Christmas miracles this one probably falls at or near the bottom, but for sheer serendipity this will be one I'll be boring the family with for years to come.

After spending most of the day cleaning up the office carpet after the little one came down with a sudden case of the stomach flu upon awakening Christmas morning, the 2007 version wasn't shaping up as one for the ages. So as evening came I found myself watching the dreadful post-Tad KOLO-8 for the weather report. It was then when my wife walked in and asked "So did all your Christmas wishes come true?"

Without missing a beat I quipped "Well seeing how Mai Do is still on, no" and launched into my well-known tirade on local news anchors.

You see, in the world of television newscasts there is always that moment when the sports guy finishes or an in-the-field report comes to a close and it goes back to the anchor. And it is here where local anchors fall into three distinct categories.

1. The no-nonsense professional. Think of Los Angeles' Hal Fishman or, for the Reno market, FOX-11's Dennis Richmond (which, of course, is actually the Bay Area's KTVU newscast piped in). They may say a little something about the local pro team on a sports transition, but it is usually a thanks and straight to the next story. They are all business. Thankfully.
2. The friendly banter. This one can be dicey, but KTVN's Wendy Damonte has managed to master this pretty well -- not forced and usually somewhat relative or a little humorous. The time she stumbled across sports anchor J.K. Metzker habit of spelling words phonetically for his bit, was laugh out loud funny.
3. The segue buster. This is the most annoying and Mai Do was quite possibly the worst offender in the history of local news. Nary was the story or transition that didn't prompt some stupid comment that usually made little to no sense and was almost always unfunny. It was as if she was compelled by some strange disorder to talk when she shouldn't. A "Thanks Joe. And in other news..." just wasn't in the cards for her. If she only heeded Thumper's Mom (the newscaster's version) -- "If you can't say something smart, don't say nothing at all."

But as I watched Channel 8 that Christmas Day, something strange was indeed happening. Maybe it was the X-Mas spirit, or maybe it was the fact co-anchor Brent Boynton's new contract gave him holidays off, but there were few Do-isms to drag down the proceedings. And then it happened. The weather guy made an announcement. Tonight's newscast was Do's final one.

Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus.

Thanks For Nothing, Literally, Tancredo

When Tom Tancredo threw in the inevitable towel this past week, we cringed and yelled "Why, Tom, Why?"

However, those cries of anguish weren't related to his one-issue campaign or even his over-the-top TV ad. No, it was much more personal than that. You see, Tancredo never once sent us a campaign email (and we asked for them).

So while our Campaign Emails project has been inundated with 939 presidential candidate emails in less than five months, and entailing a lot more work than originally thought, our buddy Tancredo contributed zero to this inbox pollution.

In fact, adding insult to injury, the only other major candidate to drop out recently, Sam Brownback, also didn't send a single email, despite numerous signups.

Instead, we continue to be buried by Dennis Kucinich updates, John Edwards fundraising schemes and someone new from the neverending Mitt Romney family telling us how great he is. We can't wait for January 4th and the thinning to (hopefully) begin.

Unbanned By Biden

Apparently campaigns do read lowly blogs.

When we realized that we weren't receiving any more campaign emails from Joe Biden, we speculated as to whether his camp was rolling up shop or, the more likely scenario, they just grew tired of sending us contribution requests we were ignoring. So we posted "Banned By Biden."

However, within 24 hours we were contacted by the Senator's Internet Operations asking for some more information and a day later we were back receiving Biden for Prez emails. Thanks Joel.

Kevin Bacon For John Edwards

Kevin Bacon is the latest celebrity to add their name to a list of presidential supporters. The actor endorsed John Edwards in an email today.

Readers were also apprised of a new Edwards video, which was made to look like a movie trailer. Sadly, Bacon doesn't appear in it, thereby ruining a chance to expand Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

The World Of Newspaper Political Bloggers, Including RGJ's INP

We saw this story a few weeks ago on Editor & Publisher, but it quickly retreated behind the wall of subscription only. However it is back, for how long we don't know, and is interesting especially since it includes some tidbits from the Reno Gazette Journal's Anjeanette Damon and her Inside Nevada Politics blog.

Among other things, we learn that INP and the Los Angeles Times' "Top of the Ticket" political blog share something in common. Both are the third most popular blog in their newspaper network. Sadly, Mostly Dogs is the RGJ's most visited.

Duncan Hunter's Big Haul

If you are going to brag about your online fundraising success, and it is all of $25,000 in 24 days, wouldn't it seem wise not to do it on the same day an opponent is raising $6.0+ million in just 24 hours?

On the day Ron Paul broke all online fundraising records, Duncan Hunter's campaign sent out an email titled "November was HUGE!" And that wasn't the only egregious use of an exclamation point.

"In just over 3 weeks time, YOU raised over $25,000 to help take Duncan Hunter to the White House!"

And, our favorite, "Now here's the most amazing number: that was accomplished with only 1% of Hunter's online supporters donating. WOW! 25,000 in a mere 24 days with only 1% . . . Do the math! What if 5% respond in this season of giving?"

Hmmm... that would be $125,000 in about a month, or around 2% of what Paul raised yesterday alone.

Banned By Biden?

Either Joe Biden has quit sending out emails to voters or he has decided to ban Campaign Emails from his mailing list.

After being one of the more prolific campaign emailers this political season, racking up 69 mailings in four months, Biden has gone silent since November 30 (well, in the email sense).

So has he started to wind down his online campaign, or was he just tired of knowing we weren't sending him any money?

Paul Raises Over $6.0 Million Sunday

After starting the day at roughly $11.6 million, just $400K short of Ron Paul's ambitious goal of raising $12.0 million in the fourth quarter, the second online "money bomb" for Paul has boosted his campaign coffers to over $18 million as of this evening.

The six million plus raised today, December 16, breaks the online primary fundraising record of $5.7 by John Kerry in 2004. It also tops Paul's Guy Fawkes Day online fundraiser's $4.3 million haul.

As it stands today, it is looking like the Texas congressman will lead all GOP candidates in fourth quarter fundraising.

Ron Paul Blimp Launches

Yes. An actual blimp urging people to "Google Ron Paul."

Fueled by over $250K in donations in just two weeks the Ron Paul Blimp was launched this morning from Elizabeth City, NC. While weather prevented a Boston trip, the blimp will fly over Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte today, before embarking for South Carolina this weekend.

Launch photos are on flickr.

Paul will also be featured on PBS' NOW tonight in a piece on internet politics.

Thompson Says No To Inane Questions and Moderators

You would hope the final GOP debate of the season would be the best and most informative. But that wasn't the case as the moderator, Des Moines Register editor Carolyn Washburn, managed to drain anything positive out of the event like a petulant schoolmarm.

From avoiding questions on Iraq and immigration, to strict time limits and the inability to engage other candidates, this "debate" was easily the worst. In fact, the only highlight was Fred Thompson standing up to the stupidity of the format.



Apparently most everyone else thought this debate was a joke as well. The Hotline rounds up the general consensus, and it was a consensus. Washburn stunk, Thompson and Mitt Romney did well.

Paying Nevadan Students To Attend Stanford?

In what has to be one of the worst ideas yet when it comes to Nevada's higher education, Chancellor Jim Rogers proposed a plan to pay for top Silver State students to attend grad school in other states. A "suped up" scholarship of sorts.

"We'll give you a free ride at UNLV for the four years you are here and then when you graduate we'll pay for your graduate school at Stanford," said Rogers of his idea. "We'll send you there for two years, but here's the condition: if at the end of the two years you decide that you're going to stay in California or go someplace else you owe us the money."

The idea didn't really impress some of the students KVBC-3 interviewed, with one saying "I think one of the main reasons some people don't want to stay here is because of the many opportunities that are found elsewhere."

The Las Vegas station surveyed all of Clark County's National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists to find out what school they planned to attend. None picked Nevada.

With the state already strapped for cash, one would think the idea of devoting dollars to out of state colleges would be the last thing to be talking about when it comes to Nevada's higher education. But Rogers has apparently already talked to "some wealthy people" and is looking to set up the scholarship with private donations.

Elizabeth Kucinich In Ely, Casino Tax Initiatives and Campaign Offices

Some of the more interesting Nevada political news to come down the pike today.

• Elizabeth Kucinich hit the Silver State campaign trail for Dennis. Besides the usual big population stops, Elizabeth also found some time to visit Alamo, Caliente, Pioche, Baker, Elko, Winnemucca, Fallon and Ely.
• Continuing the rural Nevada theme, Barack Obama opened campaign offices in Boulder City and Winnemucca. Obama's camp also opened one in Henderson, bringing to 10 the number of offices they have in the Silver State.
• Add two more "tax the casino industry" initiatives to the fray. Kermitt Waters filed a pair, including one that would eliminate property taxes for most homeowners. Unlike the teachers union proposal, Waters' would route some of the money to areas besides education, like road construction, alternative energy and desalination plants.

Nevada Number One For Holiday Thefts

Add another first, or fiftieth if you prefer, to Nevada's reputation as State Farm insurance released a study on the likelihood of experiencing a theft this Christmas season.

For what looks like the fourth year in a row the Silver State is expected to have the most holiday crime, on a weighted average, in the United States. Our nemesis in the ongoing "1st in bad things, last in the good" battle, Mississippi, was only 15th.

The Dakotas and Wyoming were the least likely to have a bad Santa.

Richardson To Hold Nevada Conference Call Wednesday Night

The good news? Bill Richardson is holding a conference call Wednesday evening to discuss his Nevada campaign and you are invited to listening in. The bad news? It's a toll call (South Dakota no less!).

For those interested, the Richardson camp urges you to RSVP so they can have enough lines open. You can also ask a question in advance, though it must be vetted by the campaign tonight. If you want Richardson to address a certain topic call their Vegas headquarters at (702) 385-2455 or email jmcneil AT richardsonforpresident.com

The call begins at 7:15 p.m. and the number is 1-605-772-3500. The pass code is 461403688#.

Ron Paul Calling Nevadans About Yucca Mountain

Apparently Ron Paul is spending some of that internet money on Nevada as an automated call from the Republican presidential candidate hit households Wednesday.

Focusing on the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository, Paul let listeners know he has always voted against the plan and considers it a violation of states rights and the Constitution. All of which should go over well with Nevadans.

The Edge vs. Damon

Apparently picking a little fight with the Reno Gazette-Journal's Anjeanette Damon warrants an email from the new kid on the Nevada political blogging block (well, via New York City) and its Wally Edge.

We haven't heard from PolitickerNV.com since, well, they sent us an email saying they had launched. But we received our second today and apparently the Edge is spoiling for some kind of fight.

Well, okay, it's not much of a fight as he does write that Damon is "a tremendously talented reporter with great political instincts." It's just in the case of the Culinary Union's endorsement decision she "could be dead wrong" according to "political insiders" that have confided in the Edge.

So is it a scrap on par with the great Jerz vs. Myrna debates, or just a weak attempt to drum up some interest?

We'll go with the latter.

Disgruntled Edwards Fan, Ron Paul's Silver State Chances and Other Nevada News

Angry supporters, stuff made in Nevada, Ron Paul news and why the Silver State may be invaded by Californians come January. Plus, "How To Caucus" video.

• John Edwards supporter thinks KLVX's Campaign Caucus is biased towards Hillary Clinton and says "this effort needs to be either stopped or somehow neutralized."
• The Hill notes Paul's money success and thinks "Nevada might represent Paul’s best opportunity for a win, as most of the GOP candidates seem to be paying only lip service to the state’s Jan. 19 caucuses."
• Interested in "Made In Nevada" products? A new retail store opened in Reno today. Apparently the Governor and his wife were scheduled to attend.
• Tired of Californians coming to Nevada? Prepare for more as the Barack the Vote Music Festival is recruiting volunteers. The good news? They'll return home January 20th.
• Barack Obama campaign answers Hillary Clinton's Nevada caucus online media blitz with a video of his own.

Huckabee On The Rise In National Polls

While Republican Mike Huckabee has made a recent splash with a strong showing in Iowa, it hasn't exactly translated nationally. But two new polls show the former Arkansas governor running second to Rudy Giuliani and closing the gap quickly.

In a USA Today/Gallup poll, Huckabee's support rose from 6% to 16% in the last month, while Giuliani's dropped from 34% to 25%. Just two weeks ago, Huckabee was fifth.

The news is even better in the latest Rasmussen Reports poll. Huckabee trails Giuliani by just three points.

His support is also translating well in head-to-head matchups with Democrats. Rasmussen Reports is also showing Huckabee within one point of Hillary Clinton and four points of Barack Obama.

Mike Gravel Does The Video Thing Again

This time it's to music, I think.



Some more Gravel on Tape adventures here.