According to a series of new polls
from Survey USA (via Roll Call), "Democrats have opened up
significant leads in seven marquee House races that are rematches of 2006
contests":
In
Illinois' 10th district, marketing
consultant
Dan Seals (D) led
Rep.
Mark Kirk (R)52
percent to
44
percent
In Indiana's 9th, Rep. Baron Hill (D) led
ex-Rep. Mike
Sodrel (R)53 percent to 38
percent.
In New Hampshire's 1st, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter
(D) led ex-Rep. Jeb Bradley (R)50
percent to 41
percent.
In New York's 29th, retired Navy officer Eric Massa
(D) led Rep. Randy Kuhl (R) 51 percent to 44
percent.
In North Carolina's 8th district, teacher Larry Kissell
(D) led Rep. Robin Hayes (R)49
percent to 41
percent.
In Pennsylvania's 4th district, Rep. Jason Altmire (D)
led ex-Rep.
Melissa Hart (R)54 percent to 42
percent.
In
Wisconsin's 8th district, Rep. Steve Kagen (D)
topped former state Speaker John Gard (R)54
percent to 43 percent.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today
released a Beneson Strategy Group poll showing that just 29 days before Election
Day Congressman Kuhl is down in the polls to 24 year veteran of the United
States Navy, Eric Massa. A survey of 403 likely voters with a margin of error
of 4.9 percent showed that Eric Massa leads Congressman Kuhl 47 to 42 percent
with 13 percent still undecided. With 84 percent of people saying our country
is headed in the "wrong direction" voters see Eric Massa as the candidate who
will change the direction of our country.
"Congressman Kuhl's insistence on choosing President
Bush's agenda over the needs of the Southern Tier and Western New
York has caught up with him," said Carrie James, regional press
secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "With just 29 days
to go until Election Day, Congressman Kuhl's days of dodging debates and voting
to ship jobs overseas are rapidly coming to a close. As New Yorkers struggle
with job losses, and sky-rocketing gas and home-heating costs, they have clearly come to
view Eric Massa as their independent voice for change in Washington."
Senator Max Cleland sent the following message to DCCC supporters:
Dear Friend,
Torture, cronyism, abuse of
power, flagrant disregard for our Constitution, and now what could be the worst
financial crisis since the Great Depression. These are just some of the reasons
why we need to change course right now.
Our proud Democratic candidates
are out there fighting to help us create that change come November 4th. But, I
know all too well what can happen when Karl Rove smear and fear tactics are used
against Democrats working for change. They did it to me in 2002. Now I'm
fighting to make sure they don't get away with it again in 2008.
In just
24 hours, we face a critical deadline the last chance to effectively purchase
additional ad time for candidates under Republican attack to make sure they can
get on the air, stay on the air and never back down. Rush a generous donation of $15, $25, or
more before midnight tomorrow.
We need immediate change
from the Karl Rove politics and the Bush-Cheney policies. The more Democrats we
have in Congress, the more change we can bring. The DCCC is trying to raise
$2 million for the October Emergency Media Fund online before
midnight Tuesday to help fund another week of ad time for key
candidates. We are just $700,000 away from our goal - your
contribution could help put us over the top.
With less than 30 days to
go, time is limited for candidates to fight these attacks. That's why we
need supporters like you to step up and make the contribution that could be the
difference between winning and losing in a close race. . The good folks
at the DCCC have 60 strong Democratic House candidates who are ready to help
Barack Obama bring that change to Washington. But with John McCain,
Sarah Palin, and the Republicans in Congress now using the same Karl Rove
tactics they used on me to attack our candidates, we can't stay
silent.
In the final days of a campaign, every
single dollar has an impact. More than 75 House races are in play - and most of
them could go either way right now. Our candidates need resources.
A
single TV or radio ad or a few more door knocks that your dollars help to fund
could make all the difference.
The Republicans are attacking Barack
Obama and all these good Democratic House candidates with the same ferocity they
used on me 2002.
Let's show the world that Democrats have had enough.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today
released a Bennett Petts & Normington survey of 400 likely voters in
Minnesota's third Congressional district found
Iraq war veteran Ashwin Madia with a
solid lead over Republican politician Erik Paulsen. The head to head shows
Madia with 44 percent of the vote to Paulsen's 39 percent, while Independence candidate
David Dillon takes 8 percent -- 9 percent remain undecided. The survey was
conducted September 29 - 30 and has a 4.9 percent margin of error.
In the survey, 82 percent of respondents said that the
country is "off on the wrong track" and when asked who would "take us in a new
direction," Ashwin Madia led 40 - 16 percent over Paulsen.
The third Congressional district in Minnesota fits the
profile of affluent suburban districts which have trended toward Democrats over
the past several election cycles. In 2006, Democrats picked up 11 suburban
districts with similar demographics. Given President Bush's low approval rating
(currently 23 percent here) and more and more voters identifying with the
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Democrats are confident that Ashwin Madia enters
the final stretch of the campaign in a very strong
position.
"With just 29 days to go before Election Day, Ash Madia
has captured the momentum," said Carrie James, regional press secretary for the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "This Marine stands for change,
and a career politician such as Paulsen simply cannot compete, especially when
he attacks his opponent for not owning a home. As Paulsen's desperate campaign
continues to erode, voters have noticed that Paulsen is embarrassed to attend
his own campaign events. The results of this failed strategy shine through in
this poll."
Senator Joe Biden sent the following message to DCCC supporters:
Dear Friend,
We have our work cut out for us
over the next 31 days until Election Day.
We've got to make sure the
American people know that John McCain and the Republicans are the same crowd
that got us into this mess and, if we entrust them with power for four more
years, we'll get the same result.
Barack and I will fight for every
vote, but we can't do it alone.
The last few weeks have proven we will
need more Democrats in Congress to make the kind of lasting change America
deserves. My friends at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
need your help for the more than 75 races in play nationwide that will build the
foundation for our victory.
Many of their proud Democratic
candidates are literally under attack by the Republicans and their outside
groups with relentless and misleading ads. The stakes could not be
higher - without your help - we may well lose key opportunities for critical
House gains - in seats we could have won.
The DCCC is
trying to raise $2 million more for their October Emergency Media Fund to purchase additional
ad time to help defend Democratic candidates under siege by Republican smears
and help elect more Democrats to Congress.
George Bush has broken the American
promise that if you work hard and play by the rules, your tomorrows can be
better than your yesterdays. Barack Obama and I are ready to renew the American
promise.
But we'll need more Democrats in Congress who share our
commitment to ending Karl Rove's politics and George Bush's policies.
What you do - or don't do - between now and Election Day will
decide this election. Please act now.
This week is the ultimate test of Democrats'
strength - we will be judged on how we respond to Republican attacks - help my
friends at the DCCC get everything they need for our candidates so they will
never back down.
McCain-Palin and the Republicans in Congress are
promising another four more years of George W. Bush, and we simply cannot afford
that.
Let's pull out all the stops and drive to victory.
All the
best,
Joe
P.S. Right now, it's more important than ever to show
our strength. With less than 72 hours to go, the DCCC is just $1.2 million short
of their ambitious October 7th goal. Contribute $35, $50, or more before midnight Tuesday.
Re: The Impact of McCain's
Michigan
Departure on Key Congressional Races in MI-07,
MI-09
In a major blow to the candidacies of Representatives
Tim Walberg (MI-07) and Joe Knollenberg (MI-09), the presidential campaign of
John McCain has abandoned the state of Michigan.
According to the Washington
Post's Chris Cillizza, "It's clear from looking at the trend lines that polling
was getting worse in the Wolverine State as the focus turned more and more to
the economy. The economic hard times in Michigan are as bad as any in the country; the continued
collapse of the auto industry has ground the Michigan economy to a virtual halt." [The
Washington
Post, 10/02/08]
In this economy, both Congressman Walberg and
Congressman Knollenberg will pay a heavy price at the polls this November for
blindly supporting President Bush's failed economic agenda that got us into our
current crisis that has squeezed families with soaring energy and health care
costs, and skyrocketing unemployment.
In addition to President Bush's policies that have
devastated Michigan's economy, another key factor
in Senator McCain's decision was the Democrats' unprecedented ground game across
the state. The Peters and Schauer campaigns and their supporters have built the
largest congressional field campaigns in Michigan's history.
The same factors that led Senator McCain to abandon
Michigan are
going to cost Congressmen Walberg and Knollenberg their seats in November.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a new Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner poll today conducted September 28-29 that shows Larry Kissell leading Representative Robin Hayes by 11 points in the race for North Carolina's 8th congressional District. The initial head to head between Democrat Larry Kissell and Republican Robin Hayes is 54% to 43%. The poll surveyed 400 likely voters and has a 4.9% margin of error.
The 8th Congressional District shows a strong Democratic lean, with Barack Obama leading John McCain by 12 points (54%-42%) and Democratic Senate Candidate Kay Hagan leading Elizabeth Dole by 14 points (55%-41%). 8th District voters also believe that Larry Kissell will do a better job on the economy than Robin Hayes and that Kissell is more likely to stand up for North Carolina's workers.
"This poll shows that Larry Kissell is continuing to connect with voters in the district and that North Carolinans know he shares their concerns," said Kyra Jennings, Southern Regional Press Secretary at the DCCC. "While Robin Hayes has stood with President Bush to cast the deciding votes on unfair trade deals such as CAFTA and sent jobs overseas, voters know that Larry Kissell will always stand up for them."
A just released poll by the DC based newspaper Roll Call has Democratic challenger Kathy Dahlkemper leading Rep. Phil English 49-45. To quote Roll Call, "English is in serious trouble."
There's a reason the national
committees are putting unprecedented resources into Pennsylvania's 3rd
district.
After holding on to his Rust Belt
seat in northwestern Pennsylvania for more than a decade, it
appears Democrats finally have a good shot at nabbing Rep. Phil English's (R)
seat.
According to a new poll conducted
exclusively for Roll Call, businesswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D) was leading
English 49 percent to 45 percent, with 6 percent undecided. The automated
SurveyUSA poll of 618 likely voters was taken Sept. 26-28 and had a margin of
error of 4 points.
The DCCC today released a new ad on Representative Tom
Feeney's (FL-24) corruption scandal and ongoing FBI investigation. The ad can
be viewed here: http://dccc.org/content/races/fl_24.
Feeney still refuses to come clean about his connection to convicted lobbyist
Jack Abramoff and details about his 2003 golf junket to Scotland. Feeney's trip was no
rookie mistake, given that Feeney has been named as one of the most corrupt
Members of Congress four years running.
"Tom Feeney continues to hide from questions about his
scandalous relationship with a corrupt lobbyist and refuses to answer why he
still remains part of an FBI investigation," said Kyra Jennings, DCCC Southern
Regional Press Secretary. "Feeney has clearly put his own interests and special
interests above the priorities of middle class Floridians and this November he
will be held accountable for his unethical
behavior."
Background:
Feeney Has Not Come Clean on the Cost of His 2003
Scotland
Trip Feeney reimbursed the government
$5,643 to cover the cost of the trip, but court documents released in early 2007
showed that the total cost of the trip was actually around $160,000 or about
$20,000 per person. [Florida Today, 4/26/07]
Feeney Has Not Come Clean on Abramoff Sponsoring the
Trip Feeney falsely claimed that the 2003 Scotland golf junket was sponsored by the
National
Center for Public Policy
Research. But an e-mail sent by Abramoff's assistant to Feeney's executive assistant told Feeney to report the trip
was sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research at a
cost of $5,643 per person. According to court documents, another recipient of
the e-mail said he knew the expense details for the Scotland trip were lies coordinated
by Abramoff. [St.
Petersburg Times, 4/26/07]
Feeney Has Not Come Clean on His 2003 Scotland Trip Being Paid For by
Abramoff's "Slush Fund" In January 2007, Feeney said he was "duped
and lied to" about what he thought was a fact-finding trip with Abramoff.
Documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday from the Senate Indian
Affairs Committee show that Abramoff's personal charity, Capital Athletic Foundation, paid $150,226.32 for a
"Scotland fundraiser" in 2003. [Orlando
Sentinel, 4/27/08]
Feeney Has Not Come Clean on Seeking a Rule Change for
Abramoff's Clients In 2003, Feeney wrote a letter to the
Energy Department to oppose changes to a federal program that was also opposed
by Atofina Chemicals, a client of corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff. [St.
Petersburg Times, 4/29/07]
Feeney Voted to Stop Ethics Committee Investigation
into Abramoff In 2006, Feeney voted in favor of two
motions to kill a proposal that forced the House Ethics committee to immediately
begin an investigation into members of the House embroiled in the Jack Abramoff
lobbying scandal. [HRS762, Vote #87, 4/05/06;
HRS 746, Vote #76, 3/30/06]
Feeney Has Been Named One of the Most Corrupt Members
of Congress for 4 Years The nonpartisan ethics watchdog group,
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has named Tom Feeney
one of the Most Corrupt Members of Congress every year they have issued their
annual list. [http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org]
Rank and file Republicans pushed back against Minority Leader Boehner and other Republican leaders' claims that Republicans lost the 12 votes needed to pass the economic stabilization bill because of the Speaker's speech.
Republican Representative John
Shadegg (AZ) said
that House Minority Leader John Boehner and other Republican leaders made a
"stupid claim" by alleging that Nancy Pelosi's speech changed any minds on the
bailout. [Politico, 09-30-08]
Republican Representative Darrell
Issa (CA) said the
notion that Republicans changed their vote because of a speech was
"nonsense." He also mocked the
possibility that a Republican would be shocked or offended by the partisan
nature of Democratic speech. [MSNBC, CNN, Politico,
09-29-08]
Republican Representative Michelle
Bachmann (MN) says
the Speaker's speech didn't kill the bill. "I want to assure you that was not
the case. We are not babies who suck our
thumbs. We have very principled reasons for voting no." [Roll Call,
09-29-08]
When asked whether he voted ‘no'
because of the partisan nature of the debate, Republican Representative Scott Garrett
(NJ) said, "No, I was a no vote on the basic package from day one. I couldn't tell you who those twelve were on
either side of the aisle." [NPR,
09-30-08]
When
asked whether he voted no because of a speech or knew of any Republicans who
voted no because of a speech, Republican
Representative Mike Conaway (TX) said, "No, it didn't. ...No, we didn't have
any of those kinds of conversations."
[Fox Business News, 9/30/08]
Republican
Representative Marsha Blackburn (TN)
said, "That speech was not the reason I voted against the bill." [MSNBC,
9/30/08]
The conservative National Review said, "Can [Republican
Leaders] be serious? Do they realize how foolish and irresponsible they sound?
On one of the most important votes they will ever cast, insisting ‘the speech
made me do it' is lame and adolescent." [National Review Magazine,
09-30-08]
In truth, few Republicans were
on the floor to hear that speech, and those who were there showed no signs of
discomfort, as they often do. Republican leaders backed away within hours,
conceding they never had the votes they had promised. [Washington Post,
9-30-08]
This morning DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen issued a
challenge to former Republican Representative Joe Scarborough, the host of
MSNBC's Morning Joe, to find a single House Republican who changed his or
her vote because of a speech by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"I challenge you: find one
Republican to come on this show to say they switched their vote because of a
speech by Nancy Pelosi that talked about how Bush's policies contributed to the
situation we are in today. You find me
one Republican, because I can tell you, their constituents would seriously
question their judgment on a vote of national consequence.
A Grove Insight poll conducted August 17-19 of 400
likely voters with a 4.9 percent margin of error shows that Gary Peters leads
Congressman Joe Knollenberg 41-37 percent in an initial head-to-head
matchup. Eight percent voted for Jack Kevorkian and 14 percent were
undecided.After voters are informed with each candidates' message and
bio, Gary Peters comes out ahead 50 percent -35 percent, with six percent going
for Kevorkian and with nine percent undecided.
At the presidential level, Illinois Senator Barack Obama
led in the district 52 percent -35 percent over Senator John McCain with only 3
percent undecided. Only 25 percent of the district approves of Joe Knollenberg's
job performance, while President Bush's approval rating stands at 18
percent.
"As a fifth generation Oakland County native and
accomplished businessman, Gary Peters is a strong, principled leader who will
take action to create good-paying jobs, restore fiscal discipline and get
Michigan's economy back on track," said DCCC Midwest Regional Press Secretary
Ryan Rudominer. "Congressman Knollenberg will pay a heavy price at the polls
this November for blindly following President Bush's failed economic agenda that
got us into our current economic crisis that has squeezed families with soaring
energy and health care costs, and skyrocketing unemployment."
Even John McCain is bashing the Republican Culture of Corruption that landed many of the GOP's lawmakers out of office or worse.
Last night's debate:
"[W]e have former members of Congress now residing in federal prison because of the evils of this earmarking. I hear this all the time. "It's only $18 billion." Do you know that it's tripled in the last five years? Do you know that it's gone completely out of control to the point where it corrupts people?
Hmmm, I wonder who we was talking about?
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska): Under FBI investigation and has spent more than $1.3 million on legal fees. Congress has asked the Justice Department to investigate Young's $10 million Florida earmark that would benefit a contributor to Young's campaign.
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Florida): Under FBI investigation for ties to convicted superlobbyist Jack Abramoff. Feeney was among seven people -- including convicted former Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) who joined Abramoff on a $160,000 golf junket to Scotland in 2003. The scandal has been so poltically disastrous for Feeney that he had to release this TV ad that's long on excuses but short on answers:
Even as the
country wondered whether McCain would even show up to last night's debate,
this ad from their campaign appeared online:
It
turns out the declaration was not only a tad premature -- it was wrong.
Check out the early reviews:
That's too
bad for the Republican congressional candidates hoping to hitch their wagons
to the McCain-Palin ticket. At this point, they might be forced to start
invoking President Bush again.
James Carville sent the following message to DCCC supporters:
Dear Friend,
Look "shameless" up in a dictionary and you'll find a picture of John
McCain and Sarah Palin. McCain and her are running such a ruthless,
reckless campaign, they've even made Karl Rove blush.
Rove
says the McCain-Palin campaign has gone too far with its indefensible
attacks. But you and I both know we haven't seen anything yet. We can't
let McCain and Palin and the Republicans run from George W. Bush, his
failed policies or the financial crisis. We have to hold them
accountable.
There's a big September 30th deadline in just 72 HOURS. It's effectively the last time to purchase ads, and the final FEC filing deadline until the election. And if you contribute today, it will be matched 2-to-1, tripling the impact of your commitment.
It will be supporters like you, taking the next step and making a contribution, that will be the difference 38 days from now.
Look what our candidates are up against - the nastiest Republican
campaigns in history, crazy as a loon right-wing groups gone gaga over
Sarah Pinocchio Palin and John McFibber, and shadowy Republican attack
groups like Freedom's Watch willing to spend whatever it takes to hold
onto power. This has to be an all hands on deck effort, which is why we
need you during this critical time. Gifts from supporters like you may be the difference between winning and losing on Election Day. These
people are going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Barack
Obama, Joe Biden and Democratic House candidates across the country.
You and I can't yield an inch to their desperate tactics.
There are two big reasons you have to act before September 30th. First
of all, our candidates need a dramatic grassroots show of strength at
this last crucial FEC deadline before Election Day. And, even more
important, our candidates are facing fast-approaching deadlines for
buying advertising.
They won't win unless we give them the resources to get on the air, stay on the air, and never back down.
You know when Republicans will stop their shameless style of
campaigning? Thirty-eight days from now when it leads to their bitter
defeat at the hands of the most powerful grassroots movement in the
history of American politics.
The real shame in this election
would be you and me letting our candidates stand alone against the "do
anything, say anything" politics of McCain, Palin and all the rest.
Our Republican counterparts at the NRCC sent a hilarious e-mail last night proclaiming how "very exciting" it is that 30 Republican incumbents jumped ship rather than face re-election. Those 30 Republican retirements are the most EVER.
But don't fret -- Republican "fresh faces" are trying to hold on to these newly open seats. Of course, they're touting the same old failed Bush policies but look at how fresh their faces are!
Darren White
Bush Campaign County Chair
Bush Raised $150,000 for White
The New Mexico State Police Association gave White a vote of no confidence
(Opinions Expressed by these sites are not necessarily those held by us. So don't even try to blame us for things they say. It will just make you look lame. Seriously.)
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