The Daily Digest: 7-27-06
I'll get to the news items a little later in the post but I wanted to focus the top of the digest on the troubles within the GOP. It's been widely specuated that Republicans would have trouble this election cycle. There's the six year itch, President Bush's low approval numbers and the discontent over the war in Iraq. I was hesitant to write about it until this week.
Here's why the GOP's canary in the coal mine may be wheezing just a bit.
First, the NYTimes ran a story on Sunday saying the National Republican Senatorial Committee isn't doing so well raising money. That's a signal that lobbyists and their money are sensing that Democrats may wrestle control of one chamber away from the GOP. To the victor goes the spoils.
Secondly, NPR had a story this morning on a poll saying dems are doing better than the GOP. The difference between this poll and the others is that this one focused primarily on the 50 most competive U.S. House races in the nation. Here's some of the report:
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In 2004, the total vote in these 50 districts went republican by about 12 points. In our current survey, voters in these same districts say they would vote for the Democrat over the Republican by about six points.
We asked the question about a generic Democrat or Republican, then we plugged in the names of actual incumbents and challengers. The numbers didn't change much and the voters seemed pretty firm about their choices.
The other interesting part of the story is that the values votes the GOP has been taking may not have the impact the GOP leadership had hoped.
On the question of which party would do a better job on "values issues," like stem-cell research, flag-burning and gay marriage, Democrats prevailed by their biggest margin in the entire poll: 51 percent to 37 percent.
"And when we list values issues like stem-cell research, flag-burning and gay marriage, these are the issues that Republicans took the initiative, used their control in Congress to get on the air to be voting on, to be talking about," Greenberg says. "What this says: By 13 points, voters say they are more likely to vote Democratic because of hearing about these issues. Which suggests that the strategy of using the Congress to get out the base is one that's driving away a lot of voters."
The other issue is that some of the GOP candidates running for the U.S. Senate aren't showcasing President Bush in their tv ads. In fact, some aren't even mentioning their parties. MPR did a story earlier this week on Congressman Mark Kennedy's ad. WCCO-TV's Pat Kessler also reality checked it last night.
Kennedy isn't the only one. Take a look at Jim Talent's ad (he's running for senate in the "Show Me State") and Michael Steele's ad (he's running for the senate in Maryland and was in the headlines for criticizing President Bush earlier this week.)
The Washington Post's David Broder also has a column saying GOP voters are disgruntled. Here's some of what he writes:
I first became aware of the spreading discontent on the right in visiting with people in the church social hall after the funeral this spring for Lyn Nofziger, Ronald Reagan's longtime press spokesman and adviser. The comments about the Bush White House people -- who were notable by their absence at the service -- startled me.
But since then I have heard the refrain over and over: They never reached out to us. They never thought they needed our help. Now they're in trouble. To hell with them.
Whether or not the complaints are justified, they are epidemic. They are often accompanied, as they were in the case of my weekend visitor, by the comment that everything the White House does seems to be aimed at pleasing only one section of the Republican coalition -- the religious right
Before you jump on all of these posts as "liberal bias" take a look at what Powerline is writing about President Bush's veto of a bill to expand funding for embryonic stem cell research:
For President Bush to use the first veto of his administration on a measure that had symbolic importance only was, in my view, a big mistake. It adds another problem for Republicans in November, and for what? The President thinks it is a matter of principle, but if that's true, then why isn't he pushing for a ban on embryonic research?
I'm not saying the GOP is dead in the water this November. The political mood of the electorate can change in an instant and it is only July. The signpost is there, however, for the GOP to be concerned.
On to the digest.
The Star Tribune keeps looking into Mike Hatch but finds nothing new.
The state's largest newspaper and the Pi Press also report on Sen. Norm Coleman's father.
Senator Coleman may bring up the arrest during his weekly conference call with reporters today.
Governor Pawlenty has a news conference today talking about a new proposal to fight the meth scourge.
The Grand Forks Herald has a story on Pawlenty's visit to northwest Minnesota.
Becky Lourey, a DFL candidate for governor, has a news conference today talking about the state's budget.
U.S. Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar had hip surgery at the Mayo Clinic.
Finally, the Republican National Committee released some of its calender when its members are in Minneapolis for its "Defining The Difference" meeting on August 3rd and 4th. Here's the details:
The business of the meeting is set forth by the Rules of the Republican Party. The Standing Committee on Rules Meeting, Welcome Session, General Session, and Member's Luncheon are open to the press. A schedule of the events is included below.
August third is the same time House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will be in Minneapolis to hold a fundraiser for Patty Wetterling. Maybe the GOP and Pelosi can have coffee and settle their differences once and for all.