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Thursday, October 4, 2007
The Gingrich decision: There’s still meat to be picked off these bones
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This afternoon, political consultant Phil Kent sent an e-mail to us — and the Wall Street Journal, National Review and Fox News — offering up an attorney in Washington to help explain the nuances of Newt Gingrich’s decision to give up his exploration of a White House bid.
In other words, the story is still galloping along — five days later. Not a good sign.
Lawyers are now joining the discussion. Here’s part of a posting from the Campaign Legal Center web site:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has now announced that he has abandoned a possible run for White House. What caused the former Speaker to take this reality check? That his poll numbers are hopelessly negative? That he is a ‘Johnny Come Lately’ into an already crowded political field? That much of the big money has been tapped by other Republican hopefuls?
All of these are likely reasons, of course, but not the one that old Newt conjures up. Instead, he lays blame for his demise on [McCain-Feingold]. The charge is ludicrous on its face.
At another site, Election Law, Stefan Passantino, Gingrich’s general counsel and head of the McKenna, Long, Aldridge political law group — he’s the one pitched by Kent — says this:
No election lawyer I know of would permit a candidate for federal office to in any way raise money for, assist, lead or even, goodness forbid, coordinate with an enterprise like American Solutions. It’s a mutually exclusive option — one can raise money as a federal candidate or one can raise issues in the public square — but never both.
For your Cynthia McKinney files
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve been neglectful in not passing along this Sept. 27 audit by the Federal Election Commission of two years’ worth of campaign disclosures filed by then-congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.
In 2005 and 2006 — the election cycle preceding her defeat — McKinney’s finance committee “accepted 14 contributions from individuals and political committees that exceeded the [$2,100 per individual federal] limit by $21,300,” the audit said.
The congresswoman from DeKalb County was able to explain away or redirect all but $9,700 of that cash, auditors said.
Fines are possible. “The commission may initiate an enforcement action, at a later time, with respect to any of the matters discussed in this report,” the paperwork says.
Chambliss lays claim to another million; Cardwell says it ain’t mirrors, but there’s plenty of smoke
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss this afternoon announced that he’s collected $1 million more in the last few months for his re-election campaign. That gives him $3.9 million in the bank. He wants to hit $5 million by New Years Day.
Other details will have to wait until the Republican incumbent files a proper campaign disclosure form on Oct. 15.
We have yet to hear from the three Democrats in the race, whose accountants are sure to be under much less pressure.
However, Dale Cardwell, the former TV journalist, wants to make sure that Chambliss pays as high a price for his cash as possible.
Republicans from Georgia, in both the U.S. House and the Senate, have defended their votes against the Bush-vetoed SCHIP legislation as opposition to “socialized medicine.”
In a press conference at the state Capitol, Cardwell on Thursday sought to redefine the redefinition. The Democrat accused Chambliss of being in the pocket of Big Tobacco. And Big Health Insurance — if there is such a thing.
Since 1993, when Chambliss was a mere House member, he’s accepted $145,000 from tobacco interests, Cardwell said.
“When he ran against [U.S. Sen.] Max Cleland in 2002, he was big tobacco’s favorite member of the House, collecting more money from tobacco than any other member,” Cardwell said. “Why’s that important? The health care bill that would have provided basic preventative health care for Georgia’s kids would have been partially funded by a tax on tobacco products.”
(The above quote is from his prepared remarks. We weren’t there to actually hear Cardwell deliver them.)
Cardwell also counted up $123,000 that Chambliss has collected — roughly over the same period — from health insurance companies.
“We don’t know how much special interest money Saxby will collect before this election is through, but we do know Washington lobbyists love him,” the Democrat said.
A spokesman for Chambliss said the senator would have no response.
Bill Richardson hits the ATL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic presidential candidate, hits Atlanta Friday in search of Latino voters.
Richardson will address the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus’ annual labor luncheon at CNN Center about “Mi Familia con Richardson,” a campaign outreach program intended to generate votes and cash from the Latino community nationwide.
The program, which is opening Georgia chapters, is backed by Sam Zamarripa, an Atlanta Democrat who in 2002 became the first Hispanic elected to the state Senate; and Virgilio Perez Pascoe, state Democrats’ vice chairman for constituency groups and a fellow at Kennesaw State University in northwest Georgia.
Richardson will trumpet the program again at Georgia Tech’s Student Center around 4 p.m. before heading to The Varsity restaurant on North Avenue to meet with supporters.
There’s been an 11th hour addition to Richardson’s schedule that will make him available to rank-and-file Democrats. Mike Berlon, who heads a group of Democratic county chairmen, said Richardson agreed to make himself available between 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ auditorium at 501 Pulliam St.
Blogwatch: In Georgia, Dem web sites put the screws to Jim Marshall
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you watched PBS last night, you saw U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the alleged mastermind behind the SCHIP fight, say this about the override vote:
“I already know about three or four votes that are going to switch on both sides of the aisle. And so I think the intensity and the pressure — because people know that it’s wrong to ask for $190 billion increase for the war in Iraq and yet deny 10 million children health care and call it excessive spending.”
So the question becomes, which of the eight Democrats who voted against SCHIP is Emanuel talking about?
This morning, three of Georgia’s top Democratic blogs want U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon to be one of them.
Georgia Women Vote, Blog for Democracy and Tondee’s Tavern are all carrying items with contact numbers for Marshall’s office.
We’ve got a call into Marshall’s office ourselves.
But don’t count on the Macon guy to be one of the switchers — though that could be subject to change, if Democrats get enough Republican switchers to make it close.
Here’s the Sept. 25 roll call vote.. You’ll see that the most likely Democrat to be pressured is Dennis Kucinich, the presidential candidate. Kucinich voted against the expansion because he thought it too small, not too large.
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