George Wenschhof
AP-Knowledge Networks Poll Says 47% of Democrats feel he should be challenged in 2012 Primary - overall, 51% of voters feel he should be defeated in 2012 with 47% saying he should be reelected. The Washington Post has more here.
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Stewart "Sanity" Rally draws huge crowds - but little to no politics was discussed as comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert entertained the crowd. For Democrats, it was a disappointment as there was no appeal for Democrats to get out and vote. TheHill.com has more here.
Democrats would have been better served if the estimated 200,000 attendees had spent the time knocking on doors.
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Politico.com has a preview of the "Sunday Shows" below.
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Maryland early voters turn out in big numbers - 217,000 or 6.3% of the registered voters took advantage of the opportunity to vote early. Democrats were 64% of those voters with Republicans at only 27%. The Baltimore Sun has more here.
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Sunday, October 31, 2010
Daily Political Wire 10-31-2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Obama Weekly Address 10-30-2010
Today, President Obama talks about the need for Republicans and Democrats to work together in Congress to help solve the problems facing Americans today.
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Republican Weekly Response 10-30-2010
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) delivered the Republican Weekly Response today. He spoke of the high unemployment and said President Obama had failed to bring about the change he had promised Americans during the 2008 presidential election.
Boehner also criticized the health care reform bill and the stimulus bill. Boehner is the favorite to replace Nancy Pelosi (R-Calf.) as House Speaker if Republicans win a majority of seats in the House on Tuesday.
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Friday, October 29, 2010
Ron Young Zeros In On Maryland District 3 State Senate
George Wenschhof
Republican Alex Mooney has served for three terms as state senator representing district 3 in Maryland and Democrat Ron Young has his way, there will be no fourth term for Mooney.
Mooney first won election by upsetting incumbent Republican Jack Derr in the 1998 election. Derr was more of a moderate, who was able to work across the aisle during his time in Annapolis. Local Democrats had come to accept Derr would be elected and his moderate positions on issues dissuaded serious attempts by Democratic candidates to unseat him.
Mooney campaigned hard to upset Derr in the 1998 election and his ultra right conservative positions of anti gay, pro-life, and anti-gun control quickly played into and garnered national support, generating a campaign chest rivaled by other candidates.
Yet, throughout his twelve years in office, where it matters the most, Mooney has been ineffective in Annapolis, so much so, he was rated the least effective state senator by the Gazette papers of Maryland.
It was this ineffective representation for the residents of district 3 which caused former four term City of Frederick mayor Ron Young to decide to run for state senate.
When I sat down with Ron Young earlier today, he told me he was fine with deferring and offering his support to Frederick County Commissioner president Jan Gardner or state delegate Galen Clagett if they had decided to challenge Alex Mooney.
When neither one decided to run, Ron was in it to win it, first winning convincingly; the Democratic primary. His primary opponent, Don DeArmon, who Ron referred to as a nice gentleman and good Democrat, has offered his full support to Young.
In addition to earning the support of his former Democratic opponent, Young has received endorsements from Republican and Democratic mayors in towns/cities across district 3, including Brunswick, Burkittsville, City of Frederick, and Rosemont.
Young's sixteen years of experience as mayor and ten plus years serving as Deputy Secretary Maryland Planning Department combined with his ability to bring people together is a huge plus for the voters in district 3.
Ron told me he is continuing to work hard every day, going door to door meeting voters all across the district. He told me "he recognizes Mooney is a hard campaigner, but the sorry fact for the voters, is the only time Mooney shows up in district 3, is when he is campaigning".
Ron said "if Alex worked as hard as a state senator as he does campaigning, Alex might be more effective in Annapolis".
While the Mooney campaign and his, outside of state funds, exceed $500,000, the Young campaign intends to close hard with help from the Maryland Democratic senate campaign committee who is supplementing the $65,000 plus the Young campaign has received in donations.
The Young campaign has experience and enthusiasm leading the effort with co-chairs Karen Young and Kathy Rossen. Joel Young (not related) was added as a full time staffer through the help of the Democratic senate campaign committee.
Over 18,000 live calls have been placed to voters, with mailers, television and radio ads also out. The Young signs are visible throughout the district and Young informed me he had 1000 placed in yards.
On a windy and cool day, I met up with Ron Young in downtown Frederick. While standing on a bridge overlooking the Carroll Creek redevelopment and flood control project he envisioned as mayor over twenty years ago, I asked him a few questions.
Below, he talks about how as state senator, he will work hard to help obtain state funding for the Monocacy Blvd. interchange, which when completed, will bring jobs to Frederick County.
When I asked him about what he would do to help seniors, he said he would work to eliminate taxes they pay on retirement income after they reach the age of 70. He indicated many seniors move from the state due to this taxation. You can hear him talk about this below.
The election is only days away and Frederick County and the residents of district 3 deserve effective representation in Annapolis. Make sure you vote for a change on November 2.
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Daily Political Wire 10-29-2010
George Wenschhof
The last weekend prior to the mid term elections is upon us and many voters will be thankful the media barrage from candidate campaigns is almost over. For candidates involved in close contests, this is it and their last chance to convince those remaining undecided voters.
On Monday, I will post my predictions on the House and Senate composition, as well as, local Frederick County, Maryland races.
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Rumors Swirl Clinton asked Meek to drop out and endorse Crist - I have been posting for the last several weeks the only way republican Marco Rubio gets beat in the Florida Senate race is if Democrat Kendrick Meek dropped out and endorsed Independent Charlie Crist.
Seems former President Bill Clinton agreed and tried recently to convince Meek to drop out. Politico.com has more here.
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Palin gives support to Joe Miller over Lisa Murkowski in Alaska Senate Race - Murkowski stayed in as a write in candidate after being beaten by Republican tea party backed candidate Joe Miller. She is currently leading in polls which is a rare feat for a write in candidate. Palin is trying to prop up Miller and in spite of the infighting among Murkowski and Miller, Democrat Scott McAdams remains a long shot to win. The Washington Post has more here.
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President Obama meets with progressive Bloggers - a group which has been dissatisfied with the accomplishments to date of the Obama administration. Whether it was Health Care Reform or Finance Reform, progressives felt the legislation fell short. FirstRead.com says "The bloggers who met with the president at the White House included AMERICAblog's Joe Sudbay; Eschaton's Duncan Black ("Atrios"); Barbara Morrill of DailyKos; Crooks and Liars editor Jon Amato; and Oliver Willis, who runs his eponymous site." You can read more here.
Doubtful, this meeting will have any effect on the election as viewers of these sites are not voting Republican.
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Schumer and Durbin in line to be next Senate Majority Leader - If Harry Reid loses in the Nevada Senate race and democrats retain the majority, Illinois Senator Richard Durbin and NY Senator Charles Schumer will battle to become the next Senate Majority Leader.
The NY Times has more here.
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Thursday, October 28, 2010
Daily Political Wire 10-28-2010
George Wenschhof
Last night, President Obama appeared on "The Daily Show"
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Initial Unemployment Claims Fall to 3 Month Low - too little and too late for Democrats running in the mid term elections. Claims were down 21,000 to 434,000 for the week ending October 23. Bloomberg.com has more here.
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Have the Mid Term Elections hit a new low in Attack Ads? - voters are now accustomed to the negative ads campaigns use as elections near. But, this year, have they gone too far? TheHill.com has more here.
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Latest CBS News poll has Independents leaning Republican in House races - by 46% to 40% for Democrats. However, the poll also showed 12% were still undecided which highlights the fluidity of the battle for the majority in the House. CBSNews.com has more here.
Independents tilted to Democrats and Obama in the 2008 presidential election. In the upcoming mid term elections, analysts have as many as 100 of the 435 House seats still in play.
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The Cook Political Report presents dire news for Democrats - with less than a week to go to the mid term elections, Democrats are set to lose 48-60 seats in the House. Republicans need a net gain of 39 seats to hold a majority in the House.
In the Senate, The Cook Political Report has Democrats losing 7-9 seats with the majority a toss-up. Democrats currently hold 57 seats and 2 Independents caucus with Democrats and republicans have 41 seats.
As to Governor races, Republicans are positioned to gain 6-8. Democrats currently hold a majority of 26 Governors to 24 Republican Governors.
The Cook Report has more here.
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The Rise of Asian Americans in the Maryland General Assembly
* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
Dave Wang
Cezar Lopez
THE RISE OF ASIAN AMERICANS IN THE MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
*ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 27, 2010)*— The Maryland Democratic Party supports a diverse slate of candidates that reflects the State's growing population. Asian American Democrats in Maryland are running for office in record numbers this election cycle. Candidates are: Delegate Kumar Barve, Delegate Susan Lee, Delegate Kriselda Valderrama, Aruna Miller (District 15), Sam Arora (District 19), and Clarence Lam (Howard County Central Committee).
Often called the "Dean" of Indian-American legislators by the national media, Delegate Kumar Barve has blazed a trail for public officials that followed him. First elected in 1990, Barve has risen to the rank of Majority Leader in the Maryland House of Delegates and is the longest-serving elected official of Indian origin. Two new candidates this year are Aruna Miller and Sam Arora, both Indian-Americans, who won their primaries. They can create history if Maryland will have the only state legislature with three Indian-Americans. Arora and Miller are well positioned in the general election.
"I could not be more proud of both of these candidates — they are highly qualified, extremely diligent, very hardworking, and boy, did they run some great campaigns!" said Barve in an article from India Abroad.
Another trailblazer seeking reelection this year is Delegate Susan Lee, the first Asian American woman to be elected to the Maryland General Assembly. She is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Chair of the Montgomery County Delegation's County Affairs Committee and a member of Women Legislators of Maryland. She was appointed by the Speaker of the House as Deputy Majority Whip of the Maryland House of Delegates. As a member of the House of Delegates since 2002, Lee has introduced and cosponsored legislation protecting consumers, addressing hate crimes, improving health care, and supporting immigrants.
Delegate Kriselda Valderrama has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2007. She serves on the House Judiciary Committee where she is a member of the juvenile law subcommittee. She is also the Chair of the Asian Pacific American Democratic Caucus of Maryland. Valderrama has been an advocate for the residents of the 26th Legislative District in Prince George's County and plans to continue that role in the next session of the Maryland General Assembly.
AAPI Leadership Council
The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Leadership Council is one of several Councils initiated by the Maryland Democratic Party to celebrate the strength of diversity in the State. The Council is dedicated to furthering the interests of the AAPI community in Maryland through political organization. It is a coalition of almost every ethnic group within the AAPI community that lives in Maryland.
The Council's meetings have been attended by over 200 community and political leaders, and is led by a team of dedicated Chairs: Bel Leong-Hong (External), Ngoc Chu (Internal), Jane Nishida (Membership Chair), Ram Mukunda (Communications), Ajay Gupta (Finance), Minh Le (Finance), Helen He (Grassroots), Delegate Kriselda Valderrama (Honorary), Delegate Kumar Barve (Honorary), and Delegate Susan Lee (Honorary).
Yet, Robert Ehrlich, the Republican Party's candidate for governor in Maryland, unapologetically terms multiculturalism as "bunk."[1] Ehrlich also recently said, "I'm going to track down those 'new Americans' — they should not be in polls."[2]
For more information about the Maryland Democratic Party's Diversity Leadership Council, please visit: http://www.mddems.org/your-party/diversity-leadership-council
-END-
Paid for by the Maryland Democratic Party, Ngoc Chu, Treasurer
[1] "Once you get into this multicultural crap, this bunk, that some folks are teaching in our college campuses and other places, you run into a problem," Ehrlich, a Republican, said during an appearance on WBAL radio in 2004. "There is no such thing as a multicultural society that can sustain itself, in my view, and I think history teaches us this lesson." The Baltimore Sun, 5/9/2004. Available online at http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-md.ehrlich09may09,0,3654105.story
[2] The Baltimore Sun, 10/25/2010. Available online at http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-giuliani-ehrlich-visit-20101025,0,4128776.story
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Sincerely,
AAPI Leadership Council
Maryland Democratic Party
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
O'Malley/Brown and Mikulski Fire Up Frederick Democrats
George Wenschhof
On day three of their "On Your Side" tour across Maryland, Governor Martin O'Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony Brown were joined by Maryland U.S. Senator Barbara Milkuski at their stop this afternoon at the Bernard Brown Community Center located in the City of Frederick. Also speaking to the crowd was Maryland Democratic Party chair Susan Turnbull.
They fired up the enthusiastic crowd of supporters before heading off to Frostburg State University and then on to Cumberland for more events today. The statewide tour will conclude in Baltimore next week prior to the election on Tuesday.
Senator Mikulski, as she was introducing the Governor, told the crowd about how she first met Martin O'Malley years ago when he was working for her in her early campaign for Senator of Maryland. It was a humorous story on how O'Malley managed to bag her, a stool for her to stand on, and after an introduction from Mikulski, also bagged his wife Katie Curran - a fortuitous night for O'Malley.
The Governor and other speakers focused on the campaign theme of moving Maryland forward with the Governor highlighting his accomplishments during his first term in office.
From keeping college tuition rates steady, receiving high evaluations/ratings in the areas of public education and public safety, to balancing the budget in difficult economic times, restoring the Chesapeake Bay, and keeping Maryland's unemployment rate among the lowest of any state in the country, the emphasis was on moving Maryland forward.
The Governor took a moment to talk to me after the rally. I asked him about the "dirty tricks" pulled by the Ehrlich campaign on election day in 2006 and what his campaign was doing to inform voters of the potential of this type of shady behavior in this election. I also asked him how he came to name the "On Your Side" Van used for the tour after his wife Katie.
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Daily Political Wire 10-27-2010
George Wenschhof
President Obama to appear on "The Daily Show" tonight - this afternoon, the president will interview with Jon Stewart, marking the first time a sitting president has appeared on the show. Stewart will hold his "Rally to Restore America" this weekend. The Daily Show has more here.
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Campaign Finance Reform, Anyone? - outside spending on the Colorado Senate race between Republican Ken Buck and Democrat Michael Bennet is now at 25 million. The Nevada Senate race between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sharron Angle is expected to top 50 million when candidate spending is included. Outside spending in Pennsylvania is at 17.5 million, Washington State 13.5 million, Illinois 12.4 and Missouri 11.4 million.
Al of these races remain competitive with less than a week to go until the general election. Chris Cillizza has more here.
The NY Times has a good read here on Democrats outspending Republicans by 30% in the top rated 109 House races. In spite of the fundraising advantage, Democrats are likely to lose their majority in the House.
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Rubio solidifies lead in Florida Senate race - the last debate was held last night and Independent Charlie Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek made no headway against Republican Marco Rubio. At this point, the only way Rubio gets beat is if Kendrick Meek dropped out of the race and endorsed Charlie Crist. You can read more on the debate hosted by NBC moderator David Gregory here.
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Reuters/Ipsos poll has Pennsylvania senate race tied - at 46% with less then a week to go to the general election. The seat is currently held by Arlen Specter, the long term Republican turned Democrat. This is a pivotal race for both political parties. Reuters.com has more here.
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Senate Majority Leader Reid falls behind Angle in Nevada Senate race - the latest poll has Republican Sharron Angle with a 4 point lead. Even if Reid wins and Democrats maintain a majority in the senate, look to see his time as Majority Leader come to an end.
Politico.com has a good read here with an update on the top ten Senate races.
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Will Pelosi leave Congress if Democrats lose majority in House? - speculation is she would have no interest in remaining a member of the House after having served in the powerful Speaker of the House role. CQ Politics has more here.
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010
O'Malley in Frederick Tomorrow
George Wenschhof
As part of his "On Your Side" tour of of Maryland, Governor Martin O'Malley will be in the City of Frederick on Wednesday. The governor is traveling across the state during the last week prior to the general election next Tuesday on November 2.
The Maryland Democratic Party website has a list of the stops the Governor will be making here.
On Wednesday, O'Malley will be attending a Democratic rally at 2:00 PM located at 629 North Market Street behind Cafe Moxie. The rally will also be attended by Senator Barbara Mikuski.
Also on hand will be Democratic candidates for local races and Andrew Duck who is running for the 6th district congressional seat.
After a recent Gonzales research and Marketing Services poll showed Republican former Governor Robert Ehrlich closing the gap between the two candidates to 5 points, a Washington Post poll was released with O'Malley having a commanding 14 point lead.
Yesterday, former Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (1st District) endorsed Governor O'Malley. Gilchrest said O'Malley was "on the side"of Maryland's working families.
Gilchrest was defeated two years ago by Andrew Harris in the Republican primary. The seat was won by Democrat Frank Kratovil, who is currently locked in a "pick-em" race with Andrew Harris.
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Monday, October 25, 2010
Democrats Closing Strong in Battle for Congress
George Wenschhof
In spite of a nearly ten per cent unemployment rate and record deficits, Republicans have failed to make a strong argument as to why they should be in charge of Congress. As a result, Democrats are closing hard in races across the country.
The control of the House, almost a given, to go to the Republicans, is now a close battle, to be decided on election day. The Senate now looks like it will remain in Democratic control, but there will be loses for the Democrats.
With only eight days to go until election day, let's take a quick look at the House and Senate races.
The House, where 218 seats are needed for a majority, according to Electoral-vote.com is, as close as it gets; with Republicans at 209 seats, Democrats at 206 seats and 20 seats too close to call. RealClearPolitics.com has the House already won by Republicans with 222 seats, Democrats - 177 seats with 36 seats too close to call.
The Senate looks like Democrats will hold their current majority, but lose 5-7 seats. Electoral-vote.com has it at Democrats at 50 seats, Republicans with 49 seats and one tie. RealClearPolitics.com has it Democrats at 48, Republicans at 44 and 8 too close to call.
Both the House and Senate majorities are likely to be slim, regardless of what political party has the majority of seats. The act of governing will either continue with more ineffective polarization or the art of compromise will be resurrected.
Stay Tuned.... I will update next Monday, the day before the election.
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Saturday, October 23, 2010
Early Voting in Maryland Remains Strong on Second Day
George Wenschhof
Yesterday, the first day totals in Maryland were 32,545 and the breakdown by political party is as follows: Democrats - 20,569, Republicans - 9,317 and "Others" - 2,659.
In Frederick County, the totals were 843 and the breakdown by political party was Democrats - 401, Republicans - 352, and "Others" - 90.
As of 2:00 PM today, the total vote statewide is 15,504 with the breakdown by political party: Democrat - 9,719, Republican - 4,176 and "Others" - 1,609.
An interesting note is Democrats are outvoting Republicans by more than 2-1 across the state. Republicans nationwide have been opined by many to be more energized than Democrats, but that is certainly not the case in Maryland in the first day and a half of early voting.
As additional numbers become available, we will publish.
4:00 PM ET - Total statewide voters - 18,580. Democrats - 11,789, Republicans - 4,900, "Others" - 1,891.
Frederick County total votes - 602. Democrats - 273, Republicans - 243, "Others" - 86
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Editor's note - a thank you to Frederick County Elections Director Stuart Harvey for providing the voting numbers for publication.
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Daily Political Wire 10-23-2010
George Wenschhof
Latest WikiLeaks documents on Iraq war released - with hundreds of thousands of documents released, it will take some time for news organizations to read through and report on them. The NY Times has an early read here on treatment of prisoners, civilian deaths and the involvement of Iran.
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President Obama continues to campaign hard for Democratic candidates. Here, he is speaking at a rally for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) - Reid is locked in a "pick-em" race with Republican Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle.
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Democrats are jumping on the comments made by Stephen Broden; a Republican candidate for a House seat in Texas - a tea party and Glenn Beck favorite, he recently said he would not take violent overthrow of the government off the table as an option for Americans. You can read more here.
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Whitman Trails Brown by 8 points in California Governor Race - in spite of spending 163 million of her own money Republican Meg Whitman remains behind Democrat and former Governor Jerry Brown. Politico.com has more here.
Sestak and Toomey battle in Pennsylvania Senate Debate - another "pick-em" contest between Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey. They both try to label each other as too extreme.
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Obama Weekly Address 10-23-2010
George Wenschhof
Today, President Obama discusses the current foreclosure crisis and the importance of the passage of the Wall Street Reform legislation. The legislation protects the American consumer. It was passed in spite of obstruction by Republicans in Congress and intense lobbying by the finance industry.
The president warns voters, Republicans have promised to repeal the Wall Street Reform legislation, if they win a majority in Congress.
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Republican Weekly Response 10-23-2010
George Wenschhof
Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) criticizes President Obama for hitting the campaign trail on behalf of democratic candidates. Instead, he argues, the president should be focused on creating jobs. Thune is considering a run for president in the 2012 election.
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Sunday morning "Talking Heads" Lineup for 10-24-2010
George Wenschhof
With only nine days left until the mid term elections, the talk continues to be focused on who will control Congress. The "silly season" is in full force and effect with the air waves and print media being used big time by the candidates all across the country. Last minutes efforts to convince voters are underway with Democratic Party leadership continuing to rail against the Supreme Court "Citizens United" decision which has allowed unlimited corporate donations to occur without disclosure.
President Obama and former President Bill Clinton are crisscrossing the country, stumping for Democratic candidates engaged in neck and neck races. While, Republican Party leadership continue to rail against the failed policies of the Obama administration which has led to a record deficit with high unemployment.
Now, it is up to the (GOTV) get-out-the-vote efforts and the so called ground game to see which party emerges as victors on November 2.
Polls have shown a tightening in many of the House seats with at least 40 still in play. In the Senate, 8 seats remain too close to call.
Democrats will lose seats in both, the question remains as to how many.
NBC "Meet The Press" will host RNC chair Michael Steele. This is a gamble for Republicans as his much publicized gaffes have hurt more than helped during his stormy term as chair of the Republican National Committee.
They will also have a roundtable discussion with a panel which includes MSNBC Rachel Maddow.
CNN "State of The Union" hosts the three Florida Senate candidates. However, I see this race as a done deal for Republican Marco Rubio. Newly Independent and Governor Charlie Crist pulls votes from Democrat Kendrick Meek and vice versa, ensuring Rubio the win.
Fox News Sunday hosts one of their favorite candidates; Pennsylvania Senate candidate Republican Pat Toomey who is now trailing Democrat Joe Sestak. Look to see this race be close to the finish.
Also appearing is West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin who is locked in a close battle with Republican John Raese for the Senate seat previously held by Byrd.
CBS "Face The Nation" has Republican spin master Karl Rove and DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen (D- Md.). Van Hollen engineered the Democratic victories which led to their majority in the House. While, Van Hollen will admit loses of seats will transpire, he will not conceded a lose of the majority.
On ABC "This Week", DNC chair Michael Kaine will be a guest along with Republican adviser ed Gillespie. Former White House communications director Anita Dunn will also appear.
Enjoy......
NBC "Meet The Press" - Michael Steele, Roundtable with Rachel Maddow, EJ Dionne, Harold Ford, Rick Santelli, and David Brooks.
Fox News Sunday - Pat Toomey, Joe Manchin.
ABC "This Week" - Michael Kaine, Ed Gillespie, Anita Dunn
CBS "Face The Nation" - Karl Rove, Chris Van Hollen
CNN "State of The Union" - Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist, Kendrick Meek
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Friday, October 22, 2010
Early Voting Begins Today in Maryland
George Wenschhof
Beginning at 10:00 AM ET at designated polling locations across the state of Maryland, you can vote in the General Election. The General Election will be geld on November 2. The early voting polling locations will be open from Friday October 22 through Thursday October 28. They will be closed on Sunday October 24.
In Frederick County, the early voting polling location is 1440 Taney Avenue in Frederick, Maryland.
You can find your early voting location in Maryland by clicking here.
I plan to go cast my vote today - Plan to join me.
11:30 AM Update - as of 11:00 AM, 150 Frederick County, Maryland voters had already cast their ballots, signaling a significant increase in early voting from the primary election. When the polls opened at 10:00 AM this morning the first 60 through the doors were residents of Homewood, who have come to the polls together on a bus.
In the primary election, approximately 1,600 voted in Frederick County which was about 1% according to Stewart Harvey; Elections Director. He says he expects about a 5% voter turnout during the early voting period for the general election.
2:00 PM Update - the total votes in Frederick County is 491. Democrats are outvoting Republicans 233 to 207 and "Others" are 51. Republicans have an edge in voter registration over Democrats in Frederick County.
Statewide, 16,855 have voted in Maryland with the following breakdown: Democrats-10,501, Republicans - 5,030 and "Others" - 1,371.
6:00 Pm Update - total votes in Frederick County - 748. Breakdown is: Democrats - 353, Republicans - 315, and "Others" - 80.
Statewide totals are: 28,482. The breakdown is: Democrats - 17,871, Republicans - 8,274, and "Others" - 2,321.
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
Listen to O'Malley/Ehrlich Radio Debate
George Wenschhof
After two televised debates, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D) and former Governor Robert Ehrlich faced off this morning on Baltimore WOLB Radio.
You can listen to the debate here.
The candidate campaigns immediately began the spin war with their respective releases claiming their candidate had won the debate.
Here is the release from the O'Malley campaign website where they point out the "F" grade Ehrlich has received by the NAACP every year from 1997 to 2002 and that Ehrlich had resorted to shrill and desperate attacks in the debate due to their being behind in the polls.
The release from the Ehrlich campaign can be read here. The release points out failures by O'Malley during his term as mayor of Baltimore in the areas of education and law enforcement.
Only 12 days remain until the General Election on November 2. It is doubtful the two candidates will appear together in another debate prior to the election.
The latest poll by Gonzales Research and Marketing Inc. showed Ehrlich had closed within 5 points of O'Malley.
The Maryland Democratic Party (MDP) is taking nothing for granted, including reminding voters of the shenanigans which took place in the 2002 and 2006 election. They also have started up a voter protection website. In a recent email to supporters, the MDP pointed out the following:
In the 2002 Governor’s race, Bob Ehrlich’s campaign distributed a brochure at African American voting precincts that included a picture of Mr. Ehrlich, Congressman Elijah Cummings and other notable African American leaders - along with the caption:“Democrats for Ehrlich.” That assertion was not true.
In 2006, Bob Ehrlich’s campaign for Governor bused homeless people from Philadelphia on Election Day to distribute fliers designed to trick African American Democratic voters into voting for him by falsely suggesting that Ehrlich was backed by prominent African American Democratic leaders. This year, in a fundraising email, the Ehrlich campaign suggested that it is impossible that African-Americans will turn out in high numbers in 2010.
Also today at 3:00 PM, former President Bill Clinton will headline a rally for Governor O'Malley in Baltimore.
All indications point to a further tightening in this race with voter turnout and specifically, the vote in Baltimore County being pivotal for the winner.
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White House Schedule
From: http://thepage.time.com/
-- Weekly jobs numbers released, 8:30 am ET.
-- Biden attends O'Malley event in Maryland, 12:00 pm ET.
-- Obama meets with Seattle family, holds discussion on women/economy, 1 pm ET.
-- Obama for Murray, 2:40 pm ET.
-- Clinton for O'Malley, 3 pm ET.
-- Obama for Harris in Atherton, California, 8:40 pm ET.
-- New Mexico governor debate, 9 pm ET.
-- Obama delivers remarks at DNC dinner in Palo Alto, California, 10 pm ET.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Daily Political Wire 10-20-2010
George Wenschhof
President Obama to begin Asian Trip following mid term elections - he will travel to India, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia. Interestingly, President Bill Clinton did the same following the 1994 mid term election, won by Republicans. TheHill.com has more here.
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New NBC/WSJ poll shows voters continue to want a Republican Controlled Congress - 50% want Republicans in charge and 43% want Democrats in charge. More important is that among those expressing a high interest in voting, Republican voters registered at 53% and Democrats at 40%. FirstRead.com has more here.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) falls to 29% approval rating - not good news for Democrats as the mid term elections loom. It is the lowest rating for Pelosi since she was voted in as House Speaker. Gallup.com has more here.
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Obama to appear on "The Daily Show" - next week, right before the mid term elections, the president will make his first appearance on "The Daily Show". This will be aired right before Stewart and Stephen Colbert hold their "Rally to Restore Sanity" in Washington on October 30. The Caucus has more here.
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Pentagon tells Recruiters they Must Accept Gays - the day after the Justice Department lost it's appeal of a Judge's ruling banning the D.A.D.T. policy in the military. Reuters.com has more here.
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Ehrlich Closes on O'Malley in Maryland Governor Race
George Wenschhof
The last reported poll on the race for Governor in Maryland was a month ago when the Washington Post showed Democrat incumbent Governor Martin O'Malley with a 11 point lead over former Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich.
Since then, the two have participated in two televised debates and both campaigns have saturated the airwaves with ads critical of the other; especially in the area of taxation and government spending.
A Maryland polling company Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies now has it at a 5 point lead for O'Malley; 47% - 42%. 6% are still undecided and 4% of the voters say they will vote for a third party.
This poll was conducted from October 11-16 which was the week the televised debates were held. The margin of error is 3.5%
You can read more on the poll results here.
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Daily Political Wire 10-19-2010
George Wenschhof
Justice Department loses appeal to reinstate D.A.D.T. - the Obama administration had appealed to the judge to remove the stay on the ban on the D.A.D.T. policy on gays serving in the military to allow time for a political solution. Reuters.com has more here.
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Obama administration focus on Health Care Reform over Job Creation and the Economy turning voters to Republicans - an interesting argument and one that is discussed by Bob Herbert in his column in the NY Times today. You can read it here.
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What can Republicans accomplish if they win the House and/or Senate? - President Obama will still have veto power and Republicans will not control enough seats to overturn a presidential veto. Will Republicans then continue an obstructionist approach to governing or will they risk angering their far right base and work to cooperate with the Obama administration? Eugene Robinson writes about this in his column in the Washington Post today. You can read it here.
I opined yesterday, voters would be looking for more centrists politicians when they go to the polls in the 2012 election.
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Pentagon Prepares for Next WikiLeaks release - the pentagon has assembled a 120 person response team to review and respond to the anticipated release of up to 400,000 military documents pertaining to the Iraq war. CNN.com has more here.
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Monday, October 18, 2010
Democrats in Danger of Losing House and Senate
George Wenschhof
With only two weeks to go until the mid term elections, most political analysts agree the Republicans will win a majority of seats in the House. Republicans need a net gain of 39 seats to gain control of the House and as of today, it looks like they will have a net gain closer to 50 seats.
This would mean the removal of Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) as Speaker of the House with Representative John Boehner (R-Ohio), the favorite to be elected the next House Speaker. Pelosi is the first woman elected as Speaker of the House.
RealClearPolitics.com has the House race currently at 181 Democrats, 212 Republicans with 42 races too close to call. Electoral-vote.com has it more favorable to Democrats with Democrats at 204, Republicans at 203 and 28 races too close to call.
All 435 seats in the House are up for election and 218 are needed for a majority.
In spite of President Obama and the First Lady stumping for candidates, Democratic voters are not as fired up as they were in the 2008 presidential election and younger voters are not expected to turn out in the same numbers.
The Senate, once considered to be safe for the Democrats, is now seriously in play. Twelve of the 37 Senate seats up for election are still in play. Electoral-vote.com has it currently at Democrats - 51, Republicans - 48 with 1 tied. RealClearPolitics.com has it at 49 Democrats, 46 Republicans and 5 too close to call.
Look to see Democrats hand on to a very slim majority in the Senate with a total of 52-53 seats. Illinois is a strong Democratic state and if democrats lose this seat, odds are they will also lose the majority in the Senate. Boxer and Manchin will hang on to win in California and W. Virginia. In Nevada, Reid will manage a win against tea party favorite; Sharron Angle. Russ Feingold, a favorite of liberals is gone in Wisconsin and Benett looks to lose Colorado.
Don't be surprised if Democrats, after winning a majority, replace Harry Reid as Majority Leader.
Below are the twelve Senate races still in play.
New Hampshire - Kelly Ayotte (R) - 49%, Paul Hodes (D) - 40%
Connecticut - Richard Blumenthal (D) - 51%, Linda McMahon (R) - 44%
West Virginia - Joe Manchin (D) - 47%, John Raese (R) - 44%
Kentucky - Rand Paul (R) - 46%, Jack Conway (D) - 39%
Illinois - Alexi Giannoulias - 39%, Mark Kirk (R) - 39%
Wisconsin - Ron Johnson (R) - 50%, Russ Feinberg (D) - 44%
Missouri - Roy Blount (R) - 51%, Robin Carnahan (D) - 42%
Colorado - Ken Buck (R) - 47%, Michael Benett - (D) - 45%
Washington - Patti Murray - 50%, Dino Rossi - (R) - 45%
Nevada - Sharron Angle (R) - 48%, Harry Reid (D) - 47%
California - Barbara Boxer (D) - 48%, Carly Fiorina (R) - 46%
Alaska - Joe Miller (R) - 35%, Lisa Murkowski (I) - 34%, Scott McAdams (D) - 27%
After, the mid term elections, parity will be on display in the House and Senate. Most likely, Republicans will hold a slim majority in the House and Democrats will hold a slim majority in the Senate.
Voters have to hope for cooperation and consensus building for otherwise, look to see two years of gridlock in Washington.
Look to see centrist elected officials gain in clout as voters will tire of the liberal and conservative extremes. The Democratic caucus most likely to gain in influence will be the (DLC) Democratic Leadership Council, which was started during the Clinton administration.
For the next two Mondays, I will update the race for the House and the Senate.
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Sunday, October 17, 2010
Watch Obama Live Tonight
George Wenschhof
Tonight, President Obama joined by the First Lady will address a rally in Columbus, Ohio. The "Moving America Forward" event begins at 8:00 PM ET.
You can watch it live here:
http://barackobama.com/live
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Saturday, October 16, 2010
Obama Weekly Address 10-16-2010
George Wenschhof
Today, the president talks about the need to end the tax advantages to corporations who send jobs overseas. He criticizes Republicans for protecting these tax loopholes for corporations. Instead, of allowing this practice to continue, we need to foster investment here at home.
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Republican Weekly Response 10-16-2010
George Wenschhof
Today, Indiana Representative Jack Pence spoke of the need to end the huge government spending and mandates. He compared the 69 day ordeal of the 33 trapped Chilean miners to Americans who feel trapped by the huge government spending.
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Sunday morning "Talking Heads" Lineup for 10-17-2010
George Wenschhof
It's all about the mid term elections this Sunday and for the political parties, it's now all about how effective their ground game is at getting out the vote. President Obama, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden are all on the campaign trail, doing their best to fire up Democrats across the country. The Republicans have Mama Grizzly Sarah Palin who is joining RNC chair Michael Steele on his 50 state bus tour.
With only a little over two weeks to go until voters weigh in on November 2, it is now too late to change the narratives being driven home by candidates and the political parties.
High unemployment levels will no doubt fuel it is time for a change from many voters, while the question remains will it be enough to propel the Republicans to a majority in the House and Senate.
Democratic leadership has stuck with the theme; it's the Republicans who got us in this economic mess and you don't want to go back to the same failed policies of the past.
In the closing two months prior to the election, Democrats have added attacks on the undisclosed campaign contributions going to Republican candidates, especially from the Chamber of Commerce, alluding to foreign cash being included in campaign contributions. This, of course, is the result of the horrific 5-4 Supreme Court decision; "Citizens United".
Republicans have stuck with their bread and butter slogan of less government and less taxes, while offering little to nothing of any new policy even in their voluminous "Pledge to America". The "Pledge" fell flat compared to the impact Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" had prior to the 1994 mid term elections.
However, what the Republicans have going for them is a high level of voter frustration which the tea party movement has effectively tapped into in this election.
By all accounts, both the majorities in the House and Senate are in play. So, the remaining two weeks will be fun to watch.
NBC "Meet The Press" has a debate between Colorado Senate candidates; Michael Benett (D) and Ken Buck (R). Buck is leading this race 48-44% in the latest polls, which indicates it is a "pick-em" contest. The spin following this debate could have an impact.
White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod continues his weekly appearances on the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" on CNN "State of The Union". White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs appears on NBC "Meet The Press". Both may get asked again if they will be leaving the White House after the mid term elections to begin work on the reelection of President Obama. Rumors are heavy they both will be gone.
On CBS "Face The Nation", former DNC chair Howard Dean will battle Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Liz Cheney; chair of "Keep America Safe" - I should have added earlier "Republicans will keep you and your family safe" as one of their standard operating themes. Dean will be aided by former Clinton White House Domestic adviser; William Galston.
Delaware Senate candidates Chris Coons (D) and Christine O'Donnell (R) get to relive their debate from earlier in the week, on ABC "This Week".
Fox News Sunday has one of their favorite guests with Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex.) who is chair of the Republican Senate Campaign Committee. Also appearing will be Republican California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina who is currently trailing Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer. The only Democrat to appear is Senator Claire McCaskill (Mo.). They will exploit her recent hold on an Obama appointee due to the ban on off-shore drilling having an adverse effect on workers from her state. She is overall a big Obama supporter and will hold her own.
NBC "Meet The Press" - Colorado Senate Debate with Michael Benett and Ken Buck. Robert Gibbs
CNN "State of The Union" - David Axelrod
ABC "This Week" - Chris Coons, Christine O'Donnell, Maria Shriver
CBS "Face The Nation - Howard Dean, William Galston, Liz Cheney, Lindsey Graham
Fox News Sunday - John Cornyn, Claire McCaskill, Carly Fiorina
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Friday, October 15, 2010
*MARYLAND DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S AAPI LEADERSHIP COUNCIL ENGAGES POLITICAL VOICE OF ASIAN AMERICANS*
Dave Wang
Phone: (410) 608-9481
dave.wang.maryland@gmail.com
Cezar Lopez
Phone: (301) 237-9687
cezar.campaign@gmail.com
*ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 12, 2010)*— The Maryland Democratic Party's Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Leadership Council is one of several Leadership Councils initiated by the Party to celebrate the strength of diversity in the State. The AAPI Leadership Council is dedicated to furthering the interests of the AAPI community in Maryland through political organization. It is a coalition of almost every ethnic group within the AAPI community that lives in Maryland.
The Council's meetings have been attended by over 200 community and political leaders, and is led by a team of dedicated Chairs: Bel Leong-Hong (External), Ngoc Chu (Internal), Jane Nishida (Membership Chair), Ram Mukunda (Communications), Ajay Gupta (Finance), Minh Le (Finance), Helen He (Grassroots), Del. Kriselda Valderrama (Honorary), Del. Kumar Barve (Honorary), and Del. Susan Lee (Honorary).
This election cycle, Directors Dave Wang and Cezar Lopez have coordinated outreach to Asian Americans across the state.
- The AAPI Leadership Council has made over 5,500 calls on behalf of Maryland Democratic Party candidates. The AAPI Leadership Council began phone banking in August 2010 as the flagship Council. Through the dedicated work of Council members and volunteers, the AAPI Leadership Council has made over 5,500 calls on behalf of Maryland Democratic Party candidates. A recent phonebanking session, on October 3, yielded 1,028 phone calls from Howard County headquarters and 637 calls from Montgomery County headquarters.
- The AAPI Leadership Council has translated the absentee ballot instructions and application, early voting instructions, and the general election ballot into several Asian languages, including Hindi, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. The AAPI Leadership Council has, to date, 11 translated documents for voter outreach, including absentee ballots instructions, the absentee ballot application, early voting instructions and the general ballot application have been translated in several Asian languages. These include Hindi, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. All translations were made by AAPI Leadership Council members and volunteers.
- The AAPI Leadership Council has convened three campaign trainings. A campaign training on May 8, 2010 featured presentations on the essential parts of a grassroots team, technology, voter contact through canvassing and phonebanking, and Get Out The Vote operations. The campaign training on August 10, 2010, targeted high school students through Project SWAY, the AAPI Leadership Council's leadership development program. The training featured presentations on grassroots organization, voter contact through canvassing and phonebanking, and Get Out The Vote operations. On September 1, 2010, a training was conducted in volunteer recruitment and persuasion.
- The AAPI Leadership Council members hosted house parties in Baltimore City, Howard County, and Montgomery County. The house parties provided Senator Mikulksi, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, Former Governor Parris Glendening, and O'Malley Brown campaign staff the opportunity to meet scores of influential voters who volunteer to help spread the word about the candidates, and the Democratic Party's vision for Maryland.
For more information about the Maryland Democratic Party's Diversity Leadership Council, please visit: http://www.mddems.org/your-party/diversity-leadership-council
