Thu, July 31, 2008 - 1:51 PM

WASHINGTON – Sen. Bill Nelson said today he’ll block any efforts by President Bush’s interior secretary from expanding oil drilling in federal waters, including areas off Florida and elsewhere where a congressional ban has prevented oil and gas development.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne on Wednesday announced he has directed the Minerals Management Service to begin the initial steps for developing a new five-year oil and gas leasing program for the Outer Continental Shelf. The first step of that will occur on Friday, when the agency will publish in the Federal Register a request for information from all interested parties on what areas should be included or excluded from drilling in the new program.

Currently, the government’s leasing program runs through 2012.

It does not include areas covered by the congressional ban, that Bush and GOP presidential candidate John McCain say they support lifting.

But in a letter today to Kempthorne, Nelson vowed to “to take whatever action is necessary” to prevent such a questionable step by the administration.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that President Bush is set on putting oil rigs off the state of Florida before he leaves office in January, regardless of the fact it will have no effect on energy prices,” Nelson wrote in the letter. “You and he both know exploiting our coastlines won't bring down gasoline prices.

“The answer lies in the rapid development of alternative fuels and vehicles, like cars that run on hydrogen, not petroleum,” Nelson wrote. “And the oil companies need to drill in the 68 million acres already under lease where there still is no drilling.”

Nelson invited Kempthorne to meet and discuss the issue before deciding what action he would take.

-- Billy House

WASHINGTON – A new poll of like voters in Florida shows the presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain in a dead heat, but that Republican McCain has slightly gained on Obama since June.

The same poll released this morning by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute shows that voters in Florida, by a 60 percent to 33 percent margin, support President Bush’s call for more off-shore drilling and want Congress to go along—which McCain also has urged.

At the same tine, the1,248 likely Florida voters surveyed from July 23 to July 29 viewed Democrat Obama as having the better overall energy policy, favoring his over McCain’s 34 percent to 32 percent. The poll said 34 percent of those surveyed were undecided.

The poll listed a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent for the Florida findings; they were released with the institute’s findings in two other so-called presidential “swing-states,” Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In Florida, Obama is shown as still ahead of McCain, but they are in a statistical tie, 46 percent to 44 percent. That compares to a 47 percent to 43 percent lead he held in the state in the Quinnipiac's June 18 poll.

Obama also leads in Ohio 46 percent to 44 percent, compared to his lead of 48 percent to 42 percent there in the Quinnipiac's June 18 poll.

The Illinois senator leads in Pennsylvania 49 percent to 42 percent, compared to his 52 percent to 40 percent lead in June.

Quinnipiac pollster Peter Brown called McCain's 1 percentage-point gain in Florida; and his 2 percentage-point gains in Ohio and Pennsylvania -- although they are all within the poll's margin of error -- a “surge.”

“The $64,000 question is whether Sen. John McCain’s surge is a result of Sen. Obama’s much publicized Middle Eastern and European trip, or just a coincidence that it occurred while Obama was abroad,” said Brown.

-- Billy House

Fri, July 25, 2008 - 3:37 PM

WASHINGTON – Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow, now the third-ranking Republican in the House, has doled out more than $200,000 across the country since early 2007 to GOP colleagues facing tough election fights.

Like other ambitious lawmakers, Putnam has his own Leadership Political Action Committee – “Red PAC” -- as a way of raising extra cash from lobbyists, special interests and others, and then sending much of that money to colleagues needing help with their election fights.

In doing so, political chits can be collected from colleagues that might be cashed-in later -- such as if a poor showing by the GOP in this fall’s House elections leads to an internal party battle and push for new leadership.

Putnam is now the GOP conference chairman.

It is uncertain whether he’d be viewed more as part of a failed leadership team if the GOP collapses, or a natural successor to either Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio or House Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri.

What is known is that his Red PAC had raised more than $413,500 since January 1997 through June 30, according to its latest filings with the Federal Election Commission that show numbers
And Red PAC has sent out $238,000 to more than 50 campaign committees. Most of that has gone current GOP members of the House or other Republicans across the country who are hoping to win a seat this fall.

Fellow Floridians getting help from Putnam include: Rep Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor ($2,500 in February); Rep. Vern Buchanan of Longboat Key ($5,000 in July 2007 and another $5,000 in May); Rep Tom Feeney of Oviedo ($5,000 in March.)

-- Billy House

Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., confirmed he met with Republican presidential candidate John McCain this week, but declined to provide details about what they discussed.

“I don’t really want to talk about the meeting,” Cantor said in an interview Thursday.

As for continued discussion of a potential Cantor vice presidential nomination, Cantor said McCain is “going to make the right pick, I don’t have anything to do with that.”

Cantor laughed off a question of whether he would accept an offer to join the Republican ticket.

“This whole issue is one my kids think is really cool that my name is even there,” he said.

“We’re doing everything we can to not only gain support for John McCain, but also to help him raise money,” Cantor said.

--Neil Simon

Thu, July 24, 2008 - 1:51 PM

People magazine has a rare interview with Barack and Michelle Obama about their home life and raising their kids. One interesting nuggets: no birthday presents for his girls.

--Sean Mussenden

Wed, July 23, 2008 - 8:40 AM

WASHINGTON – Troubled Oregon venture capitalist Craig Berkman and his involvement in raising political donations for John McCain and other Republicans -- including at a Tampa area Republican fundraiser earlier this year -- is the focus of a front-page Washington Post story today.

Berkman was among those who gathered in January – on primary day in Florida -- at the Tampa Club for a Republican luncheon billed as being hosted by Sen. Mel Martinez and Gov. Charlie Crist to honor McCain, attended by the state’s business and political elite.

Berkman’s name even appears on the invitation, complete with the McCain campaign logo, along with the names of other Martinez and Crist and others.

“Unbeknown to the guests, Berkman's life was crashing around him,” the Post writes.

The Post reports that even as Berkman continued into early this year to help raise money in Tampa and elsewhere for McCain’s presidential campaign and other GOP candidates, he had already admitted to his investment partners that he had lent himself $5 million of their money without telling them.

Berkman’s continued efforts to raise money for McCain and others has angered his former investors, who have not see a penny of the $28 million in civil damages a jury awarded them.

The Post said Berkman and his wife donated as much as $50,000 to Republican candidates and party committees since January 2007. That included a check to the Republican National Committee’s Victory Fund as late as May 29 to supports McCain.

"This week, the McCain campaign said that it has given Berkman's donations to charity and that it will ask the Republican National Committee to do the same."

A Martinez spoksman, asked about Berkman, said the senator "doesn’t recall meeting this individual."

The spokesman, Ken Lundberg, added that while Martinez’ name was listed on the McCain campaign’s invitations to the event, that the senator did not attend it -- he was in Washington until 2 p.m. that day.

He joined McCain in Florida later that night, Lundberg said.

Read the entire story: here.

Tue, July 22, 2008 - 4:17 PM

Q: Do you know what the difference between Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden?

A: One is murderous thug with excellent facial hair who orchestrated the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. The other is a clean-shaven presidential candidate who did not orchestrate the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.

There are other differences, of course. Obama is a Christian. Bin Laden is not. Obama lives in Chicago. Bin Laden lives…well, we don’t know exactly. Somewhere in Central Asia, probably. He’s crafty, that Bin Laden.

Others answer that question differently. Consider this one, from the Web site of South Carolina state legislator Kevin Bryant, that is causing a bit of flap on the Internets today.

A: A little B.S.



Get it? ‘Cause if you swap out the “B” for an “S” then Obama becomes Osama. And vice versa.

The point of this shirt, and others of its ilk, is to suggest, completely falsely, that Obama is a murderous terrorist, or shares their hatred of America and all that it stands for. Let me stress this again: Barack Obama is not a murderous terrorist. Oh, and Bin Laden is not a former community organizer who graduated from Harvard. In case you were wondering.

These sorts of things wouldn’t even be worth debunking if there weren’t actual (stupid) voters who believe that because Obama sounds like Osama, he must be a terrorist.

But they’re out there. I’ve interviewed more than a handful of them. Covering the Democratic primary in North Carolina in early May, I had the following conversation with a voter who interrupted me while I filed a story from a Waffle House in Greensboro.

Him: “Whatcha typin’?”

Me: “A story about the campaign. Who are you planning to vote for?”

Him: “Hillary. Obama’s a terrorist.”

Me: “Well, you can’t really just say things like that without justifying them. Why do you think that?”

Him: “Well, take his name.”

Me: “What, Obama? Or Barack?”

Him: “Obama. Sounds just like Osama.”

Me:

Him: “Think about it. Terrorist name, must be a terrorist.”

Me: “Okay then. I’m going to get back to work now.”


Sometimes, I fear for this country. Mostly when I go to Waffle House.

--Sean Mussenden

John McCain has had his moments as a media darling. But it’s fair to say that he has not exactly been feeling the love from the media this week.

Now the McCain camp is weighing in on what it says is the media’s undying love for Barack Obama.

They are putting out an ad called “The media is in love.” Supporters get to choose between two versions that have different love songs playing in the background. The vote will determine which one will air.







In case you were wondering, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” is already ahead with a major lead.

-- Amy Dominello

WASHINGTON – Tampa’s freshman Rep. Kathy Castor may have gone too far when she declared in a press release last week, “There are 68 million acres of federal land already leased by oil companies for energy production now but sitting idle.”

Castor and other Democrats who make such assertions are not correct, according to an analysis by the non-partisan FactCheck.org, a non-profit monitor of accuracy in major political debates, speeches and interviews that is operated by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are among other Democrats who, like Castor, have been saying that the oil companies already have more land than they know what to do with.

Here’s what FactCheck.org found to be actually the case: here.

In short, there are a lot of steps and procedures involved in setting up a productive oil well on leased land, both onshore and off, and there is a lot of activity occurring on leased lands that does not qualify as "production."

For 2006, the BLM reported there were 77,257 productive holes onshore in the U.S. Beyond that, there were 6,738 applications for drilling permits, 4,708 holes in which companies had begun drilling and 3,693 where drilling had ended among onshore lands. That's a total of more than 15,000 holes that were being proposed, started or finished that do not count as "productive" holes. And that doesn't even include holes that might have been continually drilled throughout the year for exploratory reasons.

Those Democratic claims come as Republicans – including John McCain, have been arguing that a federal ban on drilling for oil in offshore areas, including off the coasts of Florida, should be lifted. And early this month, President Bush repealed such presidential ban.

-- Billy House, Media General News Service

Mon, July 21, 2008 - 2:26 PM

Barack Obama’s foreign tour is a big deal. At least to the media.

The three networks have sent their anchors over and devoting significant coverage to the trip by the Democratic candidate.

But as noted in many places, foreign trips made by Republican candidate John McCain have received significantly less attention.

What do you think? Is media coverage of the campaign slated toward Obama? Are they overdoing the coverage of his trip?

UPDATE: Story from the Associated Press.

-- Amy Dominello

Fri, July 18, 2008 - 3:56 PM

Now, here’s a poll you’ve got to see.

Obama leads McCain three to one in a cola campaign.

Jones Soda Co., known for their grassroots bottle-labeling (you can submit your own photo, and they’ll put it on the bottle), is selling various candidate colas, and the “Yes We Can Cola” bearing Obama’s smiling face is the top seller so far.

Soda fans have only bought about 2,100 bottles of “Pure McCain Cola” (the drink is pure cane cola) compared to Obama’s sales of 6900.

It could be the perfect conversation starter for you to bring to that next summer barbecue – a six pack of political fodder.

For the record, the “Ron Paul Revolution Cola” is still hot on the heals of the “Capitol Hillary Cola” in the contest, though neither has broken sales of 2,000.

--Neil H. Simon

WASHINGTON – Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s image makes a brief appearance in the latest “Jib Jab” video “Time For Some Campaignin’,” co-starring Barack Obama and John McCain.

Jib Jab, a electronic greeting card distributor, drew attention four years ago with its “This Land” video spoofing President Bush and then-Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

This time, their eCard cartoon spoofs Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” poking fun of OBama’s lofty promises and McCain’s age. A Hillary Clinton character also makes an appearance, singing she’ll be back in four years.

Now for Crist.

His is not exactly a prominent appearance. Look closely -- 30 seconds into the 2 1/2 –minute spot when McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” first appears. The governor's mug is among those that can be seen hanging out of the bus, along with others who’ve been mentioned as possible McCain running mates, such as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Mitt Romney and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman.

View Jib Jab's "Time for Some Campaignin' "


-- Billy House

Thu, July 17, 2008 - 3:24 PM

Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., and Republican colleagues unveiled a new anti-Obama documentary Thursday on behalf of Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.

The nearly eight minute video, entitled “The Obama Iraq Documentary: Whatever the Politics Demand,” relies on archived news footage to show how Obama has shifted positions regarding U.S. troop levels in Iraq.

It starts with a 2007 clip showing Obama saying a surge of 20,000 troops in Iraq will not “solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse.” A year later, the video shows, Obama said the surge “reduced violence and provided breathing room.”

Cantor credited McCain with that success in Iraq.

“It was John McCain and his leadership and his vision when he came out and proposed the surge that made that happen,” Cantor said.

Immediately after Cantor’s news conference, Democrats responded by unveiling a video series of their own called “McCain on Iraq: Wrong from the Start.”

“Senator McCain is for a permanent presence,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. “Obama is for a responsible withdrawal to better protect our national security interests.”

--Neil Simon

Wed, July 16, 2008 - 3:51 PM

Working to minimize the growing number of Republicans defecting to support Democrat Mark Warner’s Senate bid, Northern Virginia GOP activists wagged their finger Tuesday night at Republicans who have already strayed from the fold.

The Fairfax County Republican Committee passed a resolution at their monthly meeting stating “its disapproval of Republicans publicly supporting Mark Warner,” and encouraging “those that have already done so to discontinue their active support.”

The resolution passed by voice vote among the roughly 200 members present, committee chairman Jim Hyland said.

Earlier Tuesday Republicans had considered voting on other measures to punish Republicans who support Warner. One idea would have amounted to a censure of recently retired State Delegate Vincent F. Callahan (R-McLean), who has backed Warner. The final resolution did not name any Warner-backing Republicans, but did acknowledge the lack of enthusiasm some Republicans have for their own Senate nominee, Jim Gilmore.

“We know that any one Republican, at any time, may be dissatisfied with the nominee,” the resolution read, “but that dissatisfaction is best reflected in the privacy of the voting booth.”

Fairfax County Republican Committee chairman Jim Hyland said, “People had wanted something stronger. We have a lot of people who are upset about this series of Republicans endorsing Mark Warner.”

“We ended up with more of a consensus resolution,” Hyland said.

Gilmore’s and Warner’s campaigns did not immediately return calls Wednesday.

--Neil Simon

Mon, July 14, 2008 - 10:27 AM

Fresh back from Iraq and Afghanistan, veterans are jumping into the campaign battlefield.

Vets for Freedom went on the air with this $1.5 million ad buy on the Fourth of July.



The group plans to keep it on the air in the swing states of Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, Colorado and New Mexico through Veterans Day November 11. While it backs no candidate specifically, the ad is much more in line with Sen. John McCain’s Iraq war policy than Sen. Barack Obama’s out-in-16-months plan.

The same group hosted a rally with McCain this spring, supporting his alternative GI bill.

--Neil Simon