DSCC

The Governor Is Focused On...

Arjun Jaikumar

In the interest of politeness, please do try to stifle your laughter as you read the following quote from a hapless Charlie Crist spokesman:

“Over the last five to six months, the governor has been focused on governing.”

Really? Because last we checked, Charlie Crist is seldom governing: his own official schedule indicates he takes 10 full weeks off per year! This from a guy who swore in his 2006 campaign that he would “come to work every day”.

Even when he is working, he’s not actually, you know, working:

Crist's schedule shows he's often on a campaign — whether it's touting low crime rates or seeking a spot last year on Sen. John McCain's presidential ticket. Crist has flown to spots around the state and nation more than 525 times, according to his schedule, which doesn't list everywhere he goes.

Many of his schedules feature the cryptically labeled "Work and Call Time." Crist said he uses it to talk to staff, return calls, read reports or just have a few moments to focus on what's important.

During such time on Sept. 16 this year, he was spotted shopping with his wife at Bloomingdales in South Florida.

And when he is governing, he’s not very good at it:

In good times, the governor's schedule might not draw scrutiny. But these are not good times for Florida. Crist, who is paid $132,932 a year, is presiding over a historic collapse of the state's housing market, banking sector and construction industry, and a slowdown in tourism. Lawmakers in Tallahassee are wrestling with a $6 billion budget gap and possible funding cuts for police, schools, health care and the poor.

So if it’s really true that The Governor Has Been Focused On Governing (and not blowing it off to campaign for the next office, as Crist is wont to do)…then Crist’s idea of “focused” “governing” apparently doesn’t include things like showing up to work or doing a good job.

Who Does David Vitter Represent, Anyway?

Arjun Jaikumar

It sure isn't the people of Louisiana.

He sure isn't representing sexual-assault victims:

Last month, Vitter voted against an amendment to prohibit the government from working with contractors who deny victims of rape or assault the right to bring their cases to court. The amendment was bitterly opposed by contracting corporations like Halliburton, which have poured in thousands of dollars into Vitter’s campaign coffers over the years.

Nor is he looking out for public health:

Vitter has also placed a block on President Obama’s nominee to head the Research and Development Office at the Environmental Protection Agency, due to the fact that the EPA plans on conducting studies looking into the potential negative health effects of formaldehyde use; formaldehydewas used in the FEMA mobile homes that sickened thousands of Katrina evacuees in Louisiana. It turns out that Vitter has been on the receiving end of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the formaldehyde lobby, which includes big oil PACs.

David Vitter, R-Formaldehyde. David Vitter, R-Halliburton.

Will David Vitter ever do his job in putting the people of Louisiana ahead of the special interests which bankroll his campaign?

"Truck"

Arjun Jaikumar

Watch out, it's the Mark Kirk Truck!

Jane Norton, Insider Candidate

Arjun Jaikumar

Oh, the hypocrisy: Jane Norton crusades against Washington politicians…

Norton is running with an anti-Washington message. At a forum for the GOP Senate candidates in Colorado Tuesday night, she said, “The very heart and soul of who we are as Americans is being eroded. We’re seeing Washington’s giant hand grabbing everything in site,” reported the Denver Post.

…even as she is feted at high-dollar Capitol Hill fundraisers by the GOP’s lobbyist elite!

Next Monday in a Capitol Hill townhouse, a long list of GOP insiders are hosting a luncheon fundraiser for Colorado Senate candidate Jane Norton.

They include lobbyist Judy Black, wife of Charles Black (and Norton’s brother in law), who was a top advisor to Sen. John McCain in his presidential bid; member-of- Congress-turned-lobbyist Susan Molinari; and Maria Cino, who helped organize the 2008 Republican convention.

[…]Norton has been collecting a substantial amount of cash–40 percent of her take–from outside the state, with Washington, DC being her second highest source of contributions geographically, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Ah, those mean and nasty Washington insiders, grabbing everything in sight…and giving it all to Jane Norton!

Mark Kirk, Now In Palinite Form

Arjun Jaikumar

Apparently, having witnessed the wild success Sarah Palin enjoyed in steering right-wing tea partier Doug Hoffman to failure on November 3, Illinois’s favorite Republican chameleon Mark Kirk is now begging the conservative icon to back him.

It figures that Mark Kirk would see Palin as a savior, since apparently every Republican candidate for office these days is pandering to the far right. And as we know, pandering is nothing new for Kirk.

With respect to Palin, Kirk himself once called her the “Patrick Fitzgerald of Alaska”, which is hilarious enough by itself, before (as her poll numbers tanked) shrugging off questions about her qualifications for the office and saying he would have picked someone else for the vice-presidential nomination.

Now that it’s politically desirable, Kirk loves her again and wants her on his side. We’re sure that will go over very well in a state where the McCain/Palin ticket lost by 25 points last year.

In fact, the Chicago Sun-Times is already predicting that Kirk's conversion to Palinism may doom his candidacy.

Sorry, Charlie!

Arjun Jaikumar

Hilarious! Further evidence that the Republican Party has been taken over by extremists: erstwhile stimulus supporter Charlie Crist is now denying he ever backed the President’s economic recovery plan (which did not sit well with the tea party set, or Crist's primary opponent Marco Rubio).

Remember, Crist was one of the Recovery Act’s most prominent Republican supporters last winter, announcing his support for it and actively working to ensure its passage:

Crist appeared with President Barack Obama in February to support the bill, asked Florida members of Congress to vote for it and previously told The Associated Press that he would have voted for it if he had been in the Senate.

But now that Rubioooooo! and his right-wing pals have taken over the Republican Party and are rapidly gaining in polling on the hapless Crist, there’s nothing left for the nation’s second-most overrated governor to do but pander to his right flank.

But when the Republican governor talked about the bill Wednesday on CNN, he said he didn't endorse it. Crist told CNN he understood that the bill was going to pass and wanted to use it for the benefit of Florida.

Brilliant! He never endorsed the stimulus…except, you know, when he said he’d vote for it, asked others to vote for it, and appeared with the President as he was garnering support for it.

This kind of revisionist history is, we are afraid, vintage Charlie Crist: he is a man with few discernible goals or principles in public affairs aside from positioning himself for the highest office attainable.

Unfortunately for him, Crist's long history of zig-zag politics appears to have finally caught up with him. When you're Governor, people actually pay attention to your words and actions...and that's no good for Charlie.

NY-23: Democrats Expand Congressional Majority

Arjun Jaikumar

Democrats increased their already robust Congressional majority last night as Democratic attorney and Air Force veteran Bill Owens defeated tea party activist and Glenn Beck acolyte Doug Hoffman in a Northern New York special election.

The inmates have taken over the Republican asylum, and it has led to increased Democratic majorities in Washington. If they keep down this path – and they show no signs of moderating – it will be deadly for Republicans in 2010.

The Paulists Are Coming! The Paulists Are Coming!

Arjun Jaikumar

Holy smokes – this has been a terrible couple of weeks for establishment Republicans. Their party is now being torn asunder not only by the tea party set, but by the anti-government Ron Paul wing as well.

For Kentucky physician Rand “Son of Ron” Paul now leads GOP establishment golden boy Trey Grayson in the Senate primary, 35% to 32%.

Compounding Grayson’s problem is that he also trails badly in the money race – Paul outraised Grayson by over $350,000 last quarter.

Stay tuned, and enjoy the fireworks!

Senator Menendez Appears On The Daily Show

Arjun Jaikumar

DSCC Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez appeared on the Daily Show yesterday to discuss various and sundry topics with host Jon Stewart.

The two touched on New Jersey politics and the current race for Governor, the World Series, and naturally David Vitter’s tough reelection battle in Louisiana.

Video here:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Bob Menendez

www.thedailyshow.com

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Sour Grapes In Carlyfornia

Arjun Jaikumar

Senator Barbara Boxer’s years of dedicated service to California have not gone unnoticed by the Silicon Valley tech community, and the Senator has recently unveiled a slew of endorsements from high-tech CEOs.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer on Wednesday announced endorsements from more than two dozen high-tech executives for her 2010 re-election campaign, including Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt, Symantec Chairman John Thompson and Adobe co-founder and Chairman Charles Geschke.

Boxer challenger Carly Fiorina, a former tech CEO herself, seems nonplussed by all her old friends rushing to support her opponent, reacting bitterly:

Beth Miller, a spokeswoman for Fiorina, said in a statement that it "comes as no surprise that a career politician like Barbara Boxer can line up some endorsements."

It should also come as no surprise that the woman who nearly destroyed HP finds herself persona non grata in the tech community.