Thursday's campaign round-up

Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:00 PM EDT

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As part of his extremely early ad campaign, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has released his statewide television spot yesterday, presenting himself as some kind of a victim of "far-left special interests."

* Also note, McConnell has been trying to use Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) recent 13-hour filibuster to raise money for himself.

* Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli does not intend to raise taxes if elected governor this year, but the far-right Republican nominee announced yesterday that he will not sign Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge.

* In New Jersey, a new Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey shows Newark Mayor Cory Booker as the clear frontrunner in the Democratic Senate race, enjoying 50% support. Reps. Rush Holt and Frank Pallone are also eyeing the race, but the poll showed them in single digits.

* Former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.), who left Congress in 2003 and ran for president in 2008 as the Libertarian Party candidate, is eyeing a comeback. With Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) likely to run for the Senate, Barr hopes to replace him in the House. He will presumably run as a Republican.

* In Massachusetts's U.S. Senate special election, Rep. Ed Markey continues to pick up endorsements from prominent progressive organizations, including support from Planned Parenthood yesterday and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today. His primary against Rep. Stephen Lynch, a more conservative Democrat, is next month.

* And in Virginia, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Terry McAuliffe picked up endorsements yesterday from three Republican former state lawmakers. It's a reminder that there are some elements of the Virginia GOP who are far from comfortable with Cuccinelli.

PurtyMe

I was wondering Rachel why the main stream media doesn't report things like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NYFFFojVtd8

#1 - Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:28 PM EDT

Rochester12

The "Far Left" is attacking her ethnicity? I find that rather difficult to believe.

Almost as difficult to believe there actually is a Far Left anymore. Pretty sure the "Far Left" is what Conservatives are labeling mainstream America these days. I wonder, did PETA call her a bad name or something? Poor baby.

1 vote

#2 - Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:30 PM EDT

oncearepublican

Yea, that was the first I'd ever heard about anyone attacking her "ethnicity". Is Mitch McConnell trying to create a situation that doesn't exist? Is he going for the "poor pitiful me" vote?

Seems to me attacking someone's ethnicity is a far right normal tactic (think Hussein as an example) and not something the "far left" has ever gotten into.

#2.1 - Thu Mar 14, 2013 1:37 PM EDT

pld1762

There is basis for the charge. From the Campaign Roundup on this blog for Feb 27:

"Progress KY, a largely unknown liberal super PAC, launched a racially-charged attack against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his wife yesterday, leading to condemnations from leading Democrats, including Ashley Judd. The group apologized several hours later."

I wouldn't know about "Far Left" - and the single incident was condemned by Democrats and withdrawn and apologized for by the group that did it - so turning it into a widespread "far left" conspiracy thing was sort of over the top.

#2.2 - Thu Mar 14, 2013 2:07 PM EDT

Rochester12

There is basis for the charge. From the Campaign Roundup on this blog for Feb 27:

A tweet, eh? A far left conspiracy because of a stupid tweet?

Where are my pearls at? I need to do some clutching!

#2.3 - Thu Mar 14, 2013 2:13 PM EDT

Doug Stamate-6371080

Yet another bit of Republican faux outrage. The tweet was about jobs going to China during her stint as Secretary of Labor. There was also a link to a radio talk-show host's web page that referenced Mrs. McConnell having been born in Taiwan.

Apparently that qualifies as "racist", or it does when one's a turtle-wannabe fearful about being re-elected...

#2.4 - Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:09 PM EDT

TCinLA

So Barr has gotten the White Citizens Councils to pony up money for him again? (hint to those too young to remember, this "libertarian" was quite happy to take the support of the "Conservative Citizens Councils" in Georgia, the name-changed WCCs, since he is an unreconstructed Confederate white supremacist).

Why wouldn't three Republicans endorse Terry McAwful? After all, he's really one of them.

#3 - Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:45 PM EDT

Adam_Selene

So if all of the Libertarians run as Republicans ... and all of the Republicans run as Independents ... does that mean the Independents have to run as Democrats?

#3.1 - Thu Mar 14, 2013 2:08 PM EDT

david christopher roach

INDIANA GOP TEA PARTY NRA WING NUT ALERT( CUE UP AIR RAID SIREN...LOL!!)

GUNS GUNS GUNS!! STACKING EM DEEP, SELLING EM CHEEP. ( CARNIVAL BARKER)..

https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanMarlinStutzman?ref=stream

GUNS GUNS GUNS ( NRA Tea Party Wing-nut) see link:https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanMarlinStutzman?ref=stream

Congressman Marlin Stutzman

My wife, Christy, and I have two sons, Payton and Preston. As a fourth-generati...See More

Page: 2,058 like this

2 minutes ago · Like · Remove Preview
David Christopher Roach This morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved S. 150, the “Assault Weapons Ban of 2013."

My family continues to grieve with the victims’ families in Newtown. However, kneejerk reactions rarely solve problems and that is the case with Sen. Feinstein’s Assault Weapons Ban. This country tried Senator Feinstein’s anti-gun crusade in the 1990s and it failed to reduce murder rates then and it will fail to reduce murder rates now. This ban undermines the Constitutional right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms. Senators from both sides of the aisle should oppose this misguided and ineffectual legislation.
about a minute ago · Like