Tue, October 14, 2008 - 3:59 PM

House Republican Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, today criticized Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top House Democrats for an "entirely inadequate" response to reports that freshman Democrat Rep. Tim Mahoney paid more than $120,000 in alleged hush money to a former staffer.

The statement was in reaction to reports that Mahoney, whose predecessor resigned in the wake of a sex scandal, agreed to a $121,000 payment to a former mistress who worked on his staff and was threatening to sue him, according to current and former members of his staff who have been briefed on the settlement, which involved Mahoney and his campaign committee.

Boehner declared in a statement: “The American people, beginning with the people of Florida’s 16th Congressional District, deserve to know the facts immediately about Congressman Mahoney’s conduct."

"They are also entitled to know immediately what House Democratic leaders knew about it, when they knew it, and what they did with the information. Congressman Mahoney and House Democratic leaders must provide these answers to the American people at once. They should not be permitted to hide behind the shield of a nonfunctioning House ethics committee or any convenient loopholes in House rules," he added.

"If this truly is ‘the most honest, open, and ethical Congress in history,’ as Democratic leaders claim, it’s time for them all to open up and be held accountable," he said.

-- Billy House

Mon, October 13, 2008 - 2:49 PM

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was at Richmond International Raceway today to campaign at a rally of what campaign aides say was at least 20,000.

Full coverage of the event can be found on our sister site for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

But we’ll give you a few tidbits here too.

First, Hank Williams Jr. appeared with Palin to sing the national anthem and his country hit “Family Tradition” but with a twist. This one was called “McCain-Palin Tradition.” And if you’ve heard the original, don’t worry. This one was substantially rewritten. No mentions of substance abuse.

Palin stuck largely to her stump speech and largely steered clear of the attacks that have characterized the McCain campaign over the last week.

The Alaska governor focused on the change she said a McCain-Palin ticket would bring to Washington. Americans, she said, are angry about the economy and the direction of the country.

“John McCain will turn that anger into action,” she said.

Palin also focused heavily on energy independence, particularly clean coal. And she spoke of her infant son, Trig, born with Down’s Syndrome. Palin said families and disabled children would be a priority of a McCain-Palin administration.

A funny moment occurred when the overflow crowd in the back started shouting, “Louder!” Palin mistook them for protestors, stopped her speech and told them they should be glad they have the right to protest in this country.

-- Amy Dominello

What is in the water in West Palm Beach? Two years ago, Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., resigned after investigative reporters for ABC News found he had been sending lewd instant messages to underage Congressional pages. The sex scandal was a contributing factor in the Democratic takeover of the House in 2006. It certainly helped Tim Mahoney, a Democrat, win Foley's Republican-leaning seat in South Florida.

And now, as ABC News reports again today, Mahoney is embroiled in a sex scandal of his own. According to ABC:

"West Palm Beach Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL), whose predecessor resigned in the wake of a sex scandal, agreed to a $121,000 payment to a former mistress who worked on his staff and was threatening to sue him, according to current and former members of his staff who have been briefed on the settlement, which involved Mahoney and his campaign committee.

The affair between Congressman Tim Mahoney and Patricia Allen began, according to current and former staffers, in 2006 when Mahoney was campaigning for Congress against Foley, promising "a world that is safer, more moral.

Mahoney, who is married, also promised the woman, Patricia Allen, a $50,000 a year job for two years at the agency that handles his campaign advertising, the staffers said.

A Mahoney spokesperson would not answer questions about the alleged affair or the settlement, but said Allen resigned of her own accord and "has not received any special payment from campaign funds."

Senior Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), the chair of the Democratic Caucus, have been working with Mahoney to keep the matter from hurting his re-election campaign, the Mahoney staffers said.

A spokesperson for Emanuel denies that account, but said Emanuel did confront Mahoney "upon hearing a rumor" about an affair in 2007 and "told him he was in public life and had a responsibility to act accordingly." The spokesperson added that it was a "private conversation" that had nothing to do with Mahoney's re-election prospects.

Emanuel's spokesperson said Emanual had not had any further contacts with Mahoney on the subject and did not know the woman involved worked on Mahoney's Congressional staff until informed by ABC News."

--Sean Mussenden

Former UNC coach Dean Smith endorsed Barack Obama for president today. I've always questioned the value of endorsements in presidential races. But in a state where ACC basketball is king, I'm assuming there's at least one undecided voter who will take into consideration which way The Dean's leaning. Maybe not too many Dukies or NC State fans.

Below is a letter from the legendary coach and his wife, Linnea, that the Obama camp is distributing today. The coach doesn't mention Obama's excellent mid-range jumper in the letter, but one has to assume that played a role in his decision to endorse.

--Sean Mussenden

***

There is a point in every contest when sitting on the sidelines is not an option. That is why Linnea and I are writing to urge you to join Barack Obama's campaign for President.

There are pivotal moments in history when the right decision by a nation can change its course for the better -- opening up new paths before us and providing future generations with opportunities that we had not thought possible. This coming election provides one of those moments. Linnea and I believe Barack Obama is the right leader at this critical juncture. I have written that when coaching a team, you must be prepared to make changes to meet new challenges and obstacles. We must be prepared to do the same as a nation. Now, it is the United States that needs a change in direction... and a change in leadership.

Join Barack Obama today by volunteering in your corner of North Carolina.

Linnea and I respect all that Senator McCain has done for our country. However, we feel strongly that it is Barack Obama who offers the real leadership our nation needs to tap its potential as a land of opportunity -- even as we face difficult times at home and abroad. Senator Obama is a patriotic American, a committed Christian, a good family man, and a man who shares the bedrock values that most North Carolinians have in common: fairness, hard work, respect for others, and personal responsibility. And he has the vision and judgment to help us push through this period of uncertainty to a time of greater economic stability and greater security from threats abroad.

If you believe America needs to set a new course, then the time to join us is now. If you are already an Obama supporter, please step up to help our campaign. There are only about three weeks left before Election Day, and if we are going to move away from the failed policies of the past, then we need your help now.

So we encourage you to get out there and get involved -- talk to your neighbors and sign up to volunteer today.

Get involved now:

http://nc.barackobama.com/jointhesmiths

And pass this email along to those you think might be interested. This election is too important to stand on the sidelines and watch history pass us by.

Thank you,

Coach Dean Smith and Linnea Smith
Chapel Hill, NC

With only three weekends to go until Election Day, Virginia McCain supporters have given us a first hand glimpse of the hate-filled politics some of them espouse.

State Republican Party chairman Jeff Frederick, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, compared Obama to Osama bin Laden Saturday. “It’s scary,” he said. Read Time’s account of how Frederick riled up McCain volunteers here.

McCain campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho gave a half-hearted repudiation of the remarks Sunday. “While Barack Obama is associated with domestic terrorist William Ayers, the McCain campaign disagrees with the comparison that Jeff Frederick made and believes that his comment was not appropriate,” she said.

Obama was eight years old when Ayers was involved in anti-war demonstrations in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. The radical group he cofounded, the Weather Underground, planted explosives at the U.S. Capitol and Pentagon that did not hurt or kill anybody. Ayers, a distinguished professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, worked with the City of Chicago on education curriculum and served on an anti-poverty board with Obama.

“The Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, like so many McCain supporters, would rather lie about Barack Obama than make the case to the American people why Sen. McCain's plans of continuing Bush's policies for another four years would be good for American families,” said Clark Stevens, an Obama campaign spokesman.

The McCain campaign reacted stronger to a racist column written by the campaign’s Buchanan County chairman Bobby May, which said Obama would bring rappers into his administration and paint the White House black. He lost his official role in the campaign, and Gitcho called the writing “offensive.”

--Neil Simon

Fri, October 10, 2008 - 3:08 PM

You may think you’re some sort of big deal in Alaska as mayor of Wasilla.

But if Academy Award-nominated actress and Barack Obama supporter Rosie Pérez can help it, you won’t become vice president.

Pérez, who has appeared in such films Fearless (for which garnered her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations), Pineapple Express, White Men Can't Jump and Yo Soy Boricua! Pa' Que To Lo Sepas!, will be visiting Tampa and Orlando on Saturday to encourage people to vote.

She also wants to alert them to the early voting option that starts in Florida on Oct. 20. Joining her will be Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-NY, who will also be hosting an event for Hispanic small-business owners.

Pérez has previously taken particular exception to Sarah Palin’s not-so-subtle swipe during her vice presidential nomination acceptance speech at the value of Obama’s background as a community organizer.

Here’s some of what Pérez had to say during an event in September, captured on video here.

She (Palin) had the audacity to say something like this: being a small town mayor is kind of like being a community organizer – except you have actual responsibility.

Now, being a community organizer, being a charitable organizer, being an activist, I have to tell you, Ms. Palin are you crazy?

Do you know how hard it is to get up and stand in the rain and fight ….PEOPLE LIKE YOU?

…come and get arrested for something you believe in, and be stuck in a urine-smelled jail with me, and then let’s talk!”

…take off the heels, Miss thang! and walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk.”

-- Billy House, Media General News Service

Politico has a good read about the surge in anger levels at McCain campaign events. The anti-Barack Obama vitriol at these events have intensified in recent days, and have included veiled and not so veiled threats against Obama's life. The anger level has become the dominant narrative surrounding McCain's campaign this week. And while it seems to be helping fire up the base, I have to wonder whether it might end up doing more harm than good for McCain in the long run.

A question worth debating: will independent voters who were considering voting for McCain turn away because they are reluctant to associate themselves with the radical fervor gripping his campaign right now? I expect that, at least for some, the answer is yes.

--Sean Mussenden

Add the Foo Fighters to the list of artists who don’t want Republicans using their songs at campaign events or in ads.

The rock band this week asked the McCain campaign to stop using the song “My Hero” at campaign events.

“To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song,” the band said in a statement. “We hope that the McCain campaign will do the right thing and stop using our song — and start asking artists’ permission in general!”

The group joins a growing list of artists who’ve asked the campaign to stop using their songs.

Van Halen has asked the McCain camp to stop using “Right Now.” Heart has asked that “Barracuda” no longer be played at their events. John Mellencamp quietly asked McCain to stop using “Our Country” and “Pink Houses” at rallies.

Jackson Browne filed a lawsuit against McCain for using “Running on Empty” for a campaign ad.

-- Amy Dominello

Thu, October 09, 2008 - 3:27 PM

It seems Georgians still have Republican John McCain on their minds, despite trends nationally of voters moving to Democrat Barack Obama.

McCain leads Obama 54 percent to 43 percent, according to a Ramussen Reports poll released today.

Much of the vote breaks down along racial lines. Ramussen pollsters said a “stunning 99 percent” of the black vote falls to Obama in their poll. Among white voters, 70 percent would vote for McCain while 28 percent support Obama.

While McCain was at 54 percent during last month’s Ramussen poll, Obama was up from 43 percent in August by two percentage points.

George W. Bush carried the state with double digits in 2004.

In the Peach State’s U.S. Senate race, incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss is still holding a lead over Democratic challenger Jim Martin, according to Ramussen’s Senate poll which was also released today.

Those numbers have held steady in the last three monthly polls.

-- Amy Dominello

A government-watch group today asked the Senate Ethics Committee to review whether John McCain violated federal law and Senate rules by not disclosing gambling winnings on his Senate financial disclosure reports.

The request for an investigation from The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) comes after articles about McCain’s gambling appearing in the New York Times here, Time magazine here, and The New Yorker magazine here.

The group argues that Federal law and Senate rules require all income to be reported on annual financial disclosure reports.

But McCain reported no income derived from gambling on the personal financial disclosure reports he filed with the Senate between 2000 and 2007.

In contrast, other members of Congress, including Sen. Judd Gregg, R-NH, House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Pa., all reported winnings on their financial disclosure reports.

CREW’s executive director Melanie Sloan stated in a news release: “Given Sen. McCain’s long history of gambling, the fact that he never included gambling income on his financial disclosure forms suggests he is either the unluckiest gambler ever or, more likely, he failed to report the income.”

Sloan continued, “The Senate Ethics Committee should investigate whether Sen. McCain deliberately failed to report gambling winnings, and if so, the matter should be turned over to the Department of Justice for a criminal investigation.”

Read CREW’s complaint to the Senate Ethics Committee here.

-- Billy House, Media General News Service

For the first time this presidential election, political analyst Larry Sabato is projecting that Democrat Barack Obama has enough states now solidly in his column, likely to be in his column, or leaning his way, to provide more more-than-enough electoral votes for victory.

“Based on current polling and other state trends, including information gathered during our personal visits to some toss-up states, we reckon that Obama now has 190 solid, 49 likely, and 39 leaning electoral votes, for a total of 278, or 8 more than needed for election. Republican John McCain now has 143 solid, 20 likely, and 11 leaning electoral votes,” writes Sabato in his latest report, released this morning.

Here's what Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, says has changed in recent weeks:

Obama now has the edge in Colorado (9 electoral votes), Michigan (17), Pennsylvania (21), New Hampshire (4), Nevada (5). In addition, he says Iowa has firmed up to be solidly Obama's, and New Mexico is now likely Obama's rather than just leaning.

In addition, three states Sabato previously listed as leaning McCain are now viewed as pure toss-ups: Florida (27), Missouri (11), and North Carolina (15).

“The loss of Florida would be absolutely fatal to McCain's chances. Practically speaking, McCain's defeat in any of the three states would probably guarantee the Republican's loss,” writes Sabato.

“Nothing is necessarily permanent in a fluid presidential campaign,” cautions Sabato.

“We'll watch all four Obama 'leaning' states carefully, and especially New Hampshire, which is quirky and has rescued McCain twice (in both the 2000 and 2008 presidential primaries), he writes. "In addition, we'll keep a close eye on Pennsylvania where Democratic ground reports continue to suggest there is racial resistance to Obama in blue collar areas and where McCain operatives are determined to pull an upset.”

-- Billy House, Media General News Service

The New York Times reports today that tens of thousands of voters in North Carolina and several other swing states have been illegally removed from voter registration rolls. The paper says while voters from both parties have been affected, the move is likely to be a bigger problem for Democrats:

Still, because Democrats have been more aggressive at registering new voters this year, according to state election officials, any heightened screening of new applications may affect their party’s supporters disproportionately. The screening or trimming of voter registration lists in the six states — Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina — could also result in problems at the polls on Election Day: people who have been removed from the rolls are likely to show up only to be challenged by political party officials or election workers, resulting in confusion, long lines and heated tempers.


--Sean Mussenden

Wed, October 08, 2008 - 4:23 PM

We saw the Republicans scorn the news media at their national convention. We saw the crowd at a Sarah Palin rally this week yell at the news media. Peter Nicholas, who covers presidential campaigns for the LA TImes, just filed this interesting post on the Times's Top of the Ticket blog about the traveling press's lack of access to John McCain on Straight Talk Air:

"An opaque brown curtain separates McCain from the traveling press corps. It remained closed through most of the flight this morning from Nashville to Allentown, Pa. A flight attendant opened it during descent.

"At no point was McCain visible. His motorcade dropped him near the front of the plane on the rainy tarmac in Nashville. McCain boarded and spent the rest of the flight in his front cabin.

"By contrast, on Air Obama the Democratic nominee is separated from the press corps by a see-through curtain. Obama doesn’t often come back to the plane's press section, but by craning your neck you can often catch a glimpse of him in the front rows. Such is what passes for access in the 2008 presidential race.

"Is the McCain curtain ever open mid-flight?

“'Never," an aide said.

"If McCain wasn’t in evidence, his daughter, Meghan, pierced the curtain briefly to schmooze with a few reporters. She took up a position between life-sized cardboard cutouts of her father and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

"One member of the news media did get access to McCain en route to the Pennsylvania stop. About 30 minutes into the flight, top McCain aide Steve Schmidt appeared and waved to conservative talk show host Sean Hannity.

"Hannity came up, passed through the curtain and disappeared into McCain-land."

The impact of shuttered manufacturing plants has played a big role in Barack Obama's campaign in much of the Rust Belt. In places like Michigan, Ohio and other hard-hit states, he's attacked McCain for votes on legislation that made it easier for companies to send jobs overseas.

For weeks, I've been expecting Obama to make plant closures an issue in North Carolina, where hundreds of textile, apparel, and furniture plants have shut down over the last two decades. Offshoring of jobs is a huge issue in the state, and debate over international trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA were a big issue in the North Carolina Democratic party.

Today, Obama dumped a new ad attempting to tie McCain to votes that made it easier for companies to maintain tax breaks while sending jobs overseas. This one focuses on Carolina Mills, a company that shut down several plants in 2006. It's unclear where this ad will begin airing. I haven't heard back from the Obama campaign yet.



Hat tip to Marc Ambinder.

--Sean Mussenden

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama outspent John McCain 3-1 in TV advertising in Florida last week – by $1.5 million – with Tampa now climbing to be the Illinois senators’ second-busiest market for ads nationally, behind only Las Vegas, a new study shows.

The study, from the Wisconsin Advertising Project, also shows that the presidential campaign spent $29 million nationally on TV ads from Sept. 28 through Saturday, with Obama spending nearly $6 million more than McCain and the Republican National Committee, which is helping pay for the pro-McCain ads. In Florida, the two combined to spend more than $2.8 million, an amount behind just Pennsylvania and Ohio.