Campaigns & Elections articles from April 2006

Campaigns & Elections archives from April 2006

Editor's note.
April 1, 2006... Jack Abramoff, Dubai, Katrina, hunting accidents and CIA leak investigations are names and phrases that fire up the emotions of political junkies everywhere, especially those inside the Beltway. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Recognizing that,...

Publisher's note.(campaign and elections, United States)
April 1, 2006... When Stanley Foster Reed founded Campaigns & Elections magazine in 1980, he had no idea that the world of politics would change so fast. Two and a half decades after he first assembled his black and white mimeographed journal, the octogenarian...

Readers' thoughts.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... Dear Editor, I was very happy to read the interviews you did with JibJab founders Gregg and Evan Spiridellis. Both of these men have really thought outside the box and stretched the boundaries when it comes to the Internet and politics....

Past lives.(politicians' past careers)
April 1, 2006... When Tom Malin admitted that he'd worked as a prostitute and sold Mary Kay cosmetics in the past, the Democratic candidate for the Texas statehouse brought an atypical background to the usual group of lawyers who run for office. But while he...

No women on the court.(Angie Paccione, former pro-basketball player)
April 1, 2006... Angie Paccione likes coming in first. The former pro-basketball player was the first woman in Colorado to coach for a large high school boys' hoops team. And if she wins the race to represent the state's fourth congressional district in the...

U.S. senators on the ballot in 2006.(INSIDE POLITICS)(Chart)
April 1, 2006... Senator Approve Disapprove Daniel K. Akaka -- (D-HI) 58% 32% Jeff Bingaman -- (D-NM) 60% 28% Roberta Byrd -- (D-WV) 83% 33% Maria Cantwell (D-WA) 50% 37% Thomas...

Political trivia.(presidents of the united states)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... 1. Which president once saved the lives of over seventy-eight people as a lifeguard? 2. Which four presidents were from the Whig Party? 3. Who was the only president never to be elected president or vice president? 4. Which...

The best steakhouses in Washington, D.C.(INSIDE POLITICS)
April 1, 2006... As an extension of op Best Statehouse Eats feature we took a look at various Washington, D.C. institutions. First, we look at steakhouses. Visit anyone of these places and keep your eyes peeled, you just might see a political celebrity. ...

Capitol Hill Consulting Group.(Jack Victory appointed)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Jack Victory, a senior advisor to the former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, has left the Texan's office to work for Capitol Hill Consulting Group. As a new senior vice president for the lobbying firm, Victory is slated to represent...

Winning Strategies.(NEW JOBS)(Nancy Todd Tyner joins Winning Strategies' )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Nancy Todd Tyner has signed on as a senior strategic consultant for Winning Strategies' office in Las Vegas. The direct mail firm also has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston. Tyner owns several firms and is chairman of the...

American Association of Political Consultants.(Anthony Bellotti appointed)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Anthony Bellotti is doing double-duty at the American Association of Political Consultants, where he is project manager for the Pollie Awards and acting membership director. In the latter capacity, he replaced Ben Knight, who left AAPC. ...

Competitive Edge Research & Communication.(Chad Harris appointed)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Competitive Edge Research & Communication hired Chad Harris to be director of operations. In that capacity, he'll oversee scheduling, sampling, the database and client services for the public opinion company in San Diego. He replaced Ken...

Center for Responsive Politics.(Sheila Krumholz appointed)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Sheila Krumholz is the new acting executive director for the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan watchdog group in Washington. She temporarily replaces Larry Noble, who left last month to go work for Skadden Arp as of counsel in the...

NorthTrack Media.(Northwoods Advertising of Minneapolis and Track Entertainment of New York have formed a joint venture)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Northwoods Advertising of Minneapolis and Track Entertainment of New York have formed a joint venture, NorthTrack Media. Heading the new marketing company is Giovanna Gray Torchio, who has worked for Track Entertainment since August. ...

New Media Strategies.(FIRM CHANGES)(Howard Mortman is appointed)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Howard Mortman is running New Media Strategies' public relations division. The Web marketing firm recently launched the division to work with trade associations, political committees and issue advocacy clients. Mortman was the Bush...

Booms Research & Consulting.(Jason Booms)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Pollster Jason Booms has gone out on his own; the former senior vice president of director of research for the polling firm StrategyOne has hung out his shingle for Democratic clients at Booms Research & Consulting in Alexandria, Va. The...

Maryland Democrat Party.(Derek Walker promoted)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... At the Maryland Democrat Party, Derek Walker moves up the position of executive director, replacing Josh White. Walker was the party's communications director. His old job has been filled by David Paulson, who was working on special projects...

Democratic Governors Association.(Jon Summers appointed )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Jon Summers left his job as communications director for the Nevada Democratic Party to do the same thing for the Democratic Governors Association. He replaced Roberta Heine, who left the organization. Summers' old job in Nevada has been tilled...

Washington State's Republican and Democratic parties.(Dwight Pelz appointed leader of the Democratic Party)(Diane Tebelius apppointed chairman of The Republican Party )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Washington State's Republican and Democratic parties elected new leaders. The Republican Party named Diane Tebelius chairman. She replaced Chris Vance, who left to work in the private sector. Tebelius was a member of GOP gubernatorial...

PAC.(political action committees)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A new PAC has formed in New York to help Iraq and Afghan war veterans run for office. Jon Stoltz, who was a tank platoon commander in Iraq, runs the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Political Action Committee. Eric Schmeltzer, formerly...

Campaign consultant sign-ups.(Directory)
April 1, 2006... Bellwether Consulting Group/R -- finance Craig Romero, LA, H03 '06 Benenson Strategy Group/D -- polling Harold Ford Jr., TN, U.S. Sen. '06 Blaemire Communications/D -- data, direct mail Alabama Democratic Party ...

Ten questions for Daniella Landau: the secrets to lobbying.(MOVERS & SHAKERS)(interview)(Interview)
April 1, 2006... Advisor for Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, a law and public policy firm where she is an advisor to Lockheed Martin, L3 Comm, Boeing and the Environmental Law and Policy Center. Prior to Baker Donelson, Landau was the...

Ten questions for David J. Urban: the secrets to lobbying.(MOVERS & SHAKERS)(interview)(Interview)
April 1, 2006... Managing Director of American Continental Group, a government relations firm based in Washington, D.C. Urban started at American Continental Group in 2002. Before he was chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. Urban was also a private...

The art of political campaigning: 23rd annual campaign training seminar.(Calendar)
April 1, 2006... Call Tracy Dietz at 703-778-4020 for reservations and information. Also, check our Web site www.campaignline.com for updates. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you would like to register for the seminar, fill out the form and mail it to Tracy...

The winning strategy: how the Democrats can take back the House.(FEATURE)
April 1, 2006... As the Bush administration's problems spread like wildfire, congressional Republicans are playing defense for the first time in years, and Democrats are looking for a strong showing in the '06 midterm elections. "A lot of factors point to this...

Rating the parties: the sucessful and not-so state parties and their chairs.
April 1, 2006... State parties--and their chairs--are back. It was not all that long ago when the role and strength of political parties--not merely the 'R' or 'D' next to a candidate's name, but the actual party organizations--was a source of debate among...

The politicians we love to hate: a wholly unfair examination of our elected officials.(FEATURE)
April 1, 2006... In a democracy, love and hate travel together. One constituency's enemy is another's champion, which suggests that while love may be patient and kind, it also can be just as divisive as hatred. The following list contains an unscientific...

From C & E to the Senate: former editor Ron Faucheux talks about the roots of the magazine and where it is going.(Campaigns and Elections)(Interview)
April 1, 2006... Ron Faucheux started in Louisiana where at 25 he became the youngest state legislator of his time, from there he ran for various offices and in 1993 gave into his desire to be in publishing and bought Campaigns & Elections magazine. Faucheux...

Alabama.(Luther Strange's run for lieutenant governor)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... First-time Republican candidate Luther Strange is vying for lieutenant governor but his long political ties are benefiting his campaign pocketbook. The 6 foot 9 inch former Tulane basketball player worked for Jeff Sessions 1994 campaign for...

Alaska.(Don Young's senatorial contest)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young faces familiar turf this year in his reelection to the House. Young will have been in the house for 34 years by his next election and hasn't faced stiff competition in a long time; no challenger has been even...

Arizona.(illegal immigration)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... State politicians continue to grapple with a viable solution to help federal authorities confront illegal immigration. Additional National Guard troops will be sent to the border but Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano and her Republican...

Arkansas.(Bill Halter's run for lieutenant governor)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Arkansas Democrat Bill Halter stepped out of the gubernatorial race in March, because of his reluctance to attack fellow Democrat Mike Beebe, the party's frontrunner for the job. Instead, the 44-year-old Little Rock consultant is running for...

California.(Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's domestic policy)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Republicans were first infuriated with Governor Schwarzenegger because he hired former Gov. Davis staffer Susan Kennedy as his Chief of Staff following his devastating losses in November's special election. He then proposed raising fees for...

Colorado.(Bill Ritter's run for the gubernatorial post)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The field for governor finally appears to be set. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper ended months of speculation and recruitment by top Democratic officials when he announced in early February that he would not run for governor. Democrats are now...

Connecticut.(Joe Lieberman's run for senatorial post against Ned Lamont)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, whose support of the Iraq War has drawn fire from many in his own party, may soon be facing the first primary challenge he's had to endure during his 18-year Senate career. Greenwich millionaire Ned Lamont, an antiwar...

Delaware.(inmate mortality rates at state prisons)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Last fall, the Wilmington News Journal blew the lid off of scandalously high inmate mortality rates at state prisons. Poor health care appeared to contribute to many of the deaths, and in March, the U.S. Department of Justice agreed to launch a...

Florida.(presidential candidates)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Potential 2008 presidential candidates crisscrossed each other in South Florida in February. Senator Hillary Clinton visited Miami Beach to decry global warming and gas prices, while John McCain discussed immigration policy at a town hall...

Georgia.(Jere Wood's support for bikepaths)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Roswell Mayor Jere Wood led about 600 cyclists on a 22-mile ride to the Georgia Capitol last month to show support for increasing the number of bike paths and lanes in the state. The legislature passed a bill in 2005 that created "Share the...

Hawaii.(Ed Case's run for senatorial election)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... U.S. Rep. Ed Case announced his plans to challenge U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka for his seat in the 2006 primary election. By doing so, Case broke a long-standing Democrat tradition in Hawaii in which senior elected officials die in office or...

Idaho.(Tom Walsh, offensive coordinator of Oakland Raiders)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Sun Valley Mayor Tom Walsh is returning to the major leagues. The political leader of the hamlet (estimated pop. 226) in eastern Idaho became the offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. He'd worked for the football team between 1982 and...

Illinois.(Barack Obama's run for gubernatorial election)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... After a divisive Republican five-candidate primary, the winner now faces Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He continues to enjoy high poll numbers eclipsed only by the sky-high 65 percent approval ratings of Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama. C & E...

Iowa.(gubernatorial election forecasting)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The ranks of Iowa's gubernatorial candidates have been condensing rapidly in the opening months of 2006. First, Democratic Agriculture Secretary Patty Judge gave up her primary run to become the running mate of Secretary of State Chet Culver,...

Kansas.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Kansas Democrats have reason to look up as Republicans remain deeply divided, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius continues to run with an impressive campaign war chest and solid name identification. Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, the state's...

Kentucky.(Third District Democratic Congressional Primary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The hottest race is the Third District Democratic Congressional Primary between Andrew Home and John Yarmuth, both seeking to defeat incumbent Anne Northup. Home, a lawyer and Iraq War vet, picked up the endorsement of General Wesley Clark but...

Louisiana.(mayoral elections)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... With Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu officially entering the race for New Orleans Mayor on February 22, the field of candidates finally took shape. Among the dozen or so candidates, the three frontrunners are all Democrats: Mayor Ray Nagin, Audubon...

Maine.(Chandler Woodcock's run for governor's office)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... State Sen. Chandler Woodcock is the third Republican to seek his party's nomination for the governor's office this year. The other two are State Sen. Peter Mills and former U.S. Rep. David Emery. Whoever wins the nomination runs against...

Maryland.(Joe Curran run for attorney general)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... One of the biggest questions in Maryland is whether Joe Curran will seek re-election as Maryland attorney general. As state senator, lieutenant governor (under Harry Hughes) and holder of his current post for five consecutive four-year...

Massachusetts.(Samiyah Diaz's senatorial run)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Samiyah Diaz, believed to be the first Muslim to seek elected office in Massachusetts, is mounting a campaign for the state Senate seat held by Democratic incumbent Dianne Wilkerson. She is a second year law student, is the daughter of...

Michigan.(Dick DeVos's run governors office)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The gubernatorial campaign in Michigan got into swing nine months early in mid-February with the first television ads paid for by Republican challenger Dick DeVos, one of the state's richest men. His camp billed the ads, which began with...

Minnesota.(local elections)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... In the U.S. Senate race the field was cleared when child-safety advocate Patty Wetterling (D) dropped out in late January. That left Hennepin county Attorney Amy Klobuchar to face U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy in November. Klobuchar could have a...

Mississippi.(primaries)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... If the Mississippi Democratic Party has its way, closed primaries are coming to Mississippi. State Democrats filed a lawsuit in federal court demanding the right to exclude voters who don't share their "interest or persuasions." Mississippi law...

Missouri.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The Missouri Secretary of State's office has given the go-ahead to nearly a dozen groups seeking to have ballot initiatives placed on the August or November ballots. In January, two groups pushing separate 80-cent-per-pack cigarette tax...

Montana.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns and his staff were quite chummy with Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist said in an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair. Chummy enough to have used a restaurant Abramoff owned as their cafeteria. Burns has tried hard...

Nebraska.(Tom Osborne's gubernatorial run)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... In recent weeks, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and challenger Tom Osborne have clashed over whether a former football coach has what it takes to be governor. The two are squaring off in the Republican primary May 9. Omaha businessman Dave Nabity...

Nevada.(Ed Hamilton's senatorial run)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Ed Hamilton has worn many electoral hats in Michigan: candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor, state senator and various Oakland County-wide positions, in addition to his bid for Oakland Ccounty executive as the Democratic nominee...

New Hampshire.(campaign finance)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A bill making its way through the New Hampshire state House would double the spending amounts for major campaigns that choose to abide by the state's voluntary campaign finance system. H.B. 1509 attempts to revitalize what has recently been a...

New Jersey.(local elections)
April 1, 2006... Despite its reputation as a solidly "blue" state, New Jersey has six Republicans in its 13-member House delegation. As in 2002 and 2004, this year Democrats will try to put incumbent Republican congressmen on the defensive by making House races...

New Mexico.(Tommy Jewell )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... With the sudden exit of newly appointed Children, Youth and Families Department Secretary Tommy Jewell over an undisclosed allegation of domestic violence in his past, how the Governor's Office conducts background checks on nominees is once...

New York.(lever-action voting machines)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The Empire State is in danger of having to repay the Federal Government $49 million it received to replace lever-action voting machines as part of the Help American Vote Act (HAVA). The Justice Dept. filed a lawsuit March 2 against New York for...

North Carolina.(Jim Black's campaign finances)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Embattled House Speaker Jim Black has responded to ongoing investigations into his campaign finances by proposing a list of governmental reforms including a ban on lobbyists' contributions to political candidates and spending restrictions on...

North Dakota.(new computer system )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The North Dakota legislature's research branch needs a new computer system to replace the existing one, made by a company long out of business. John Olsrud, director of the Legislative Council, says the new system should be up by 2009. C &...

Ohio.(gubernatorial primary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... It's advantage Democrats in the statewide arena so far. A hard-fought gubernatorial primary shapes up for Republican candidates Ken Blackwell, the secretary of state, and Jim Petro, the attorney general, who already have spent considerable...

Oklahoma.(gubernatorial candidates)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Sullivan wants to cut the state's largest agencies by 20 percent in four years and eliminate Oklahoma's personal income tax, Sullivan is opposed in the GOP primary by state Sen. James Williamson of Tulsa...

Oregon.(open primaries)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Some legislators are considering an initiative for the November ballot that would allow open primaries in Oregon. The initiative is being promoted by Norma Paulus, a Republican, and Phil Keisling, a Democrat, both former Oregon secretaries of...

Pennsylvania.(primaries' forecasting)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The recent legislative pay raise and its subsequent repeal has encouraged a growing number of state house retirements and challengers in the May primary. At least 10 percent of all state house members have already announced their retirement....

Rhode Island.(Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A port security debate of a different kind continues in and around the Ocean State. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the siting and construction of an onshore liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River, Massachusetts. In...

South Carolina.(political fund raising)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Republican Governor Mark Sanford holds a commanding fundraising lead in his re-election bid. Sanford ended the quarter with $4.5 million in his campaign coffers, while Democratic candidates Tommy Moore and Frank Willis had $600K and $665K in...

South Dakota.(Mike Rounds' ban on abortion)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Gov. Mike Rounds signed a law that would ban almost any type of abortion. By doing so, the Republican governor has enacted the toughest law of this kind anywhere in the country in three decades and set the stage for a major showdown over this...

Tennessee.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Despite the GOP's challenges fielding a candidate for governor, Republicans had no trouble finding U.S. Senate candidates. Former congressmen Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary and the ex-mayor of Chattanooga, Bob Corker, are running. The winner of...

Texas.(Tom Delay's political activity)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Embattled U.S. Rep. Tom Delay faced primary challengers in the March primary. Despite a four way contest, Delay won with more than 60 percent of the vote. C & E Staff

Utah.(2006 legislature elections)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Utah Republicans are gearing up for the 2006 elections in an attempt to gain more control of the legislature. Two influential Democrats (who initially ran as Republicans) are not seeking reelection. C & E Staff

Vermont.(senatorial elections)
April 1, 2006... The big news in Vermont, this month, was that Adjutant General Martha Rainville announced that she would leave the Vermont National Guard and run for the US House of Representatives as a Republican. Describing herself as a moderate Democrat who...

Virginia.(Harris Miller and James Webb's fight over June primary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Democrats in Virginia striving to unseat popular incumbent Sen. George Allen (R) in November will have to choose between two candidates in a June primary: Harris Miller, a Northern Virginia activist and technology association president, and...

Washington.(banning discrimination against gays and lesbians)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a law banning discrimination against gays and lesbians ending a 29-year legislative battle. The saga is not over. Opponents vow to ask voters this fall to repeal the measure. The state's Democratic and...

West Virginia.(election forecasting)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Candidates up for reelection this year are concerned a special legislative session might interfere with campaign efforts and the election. Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin wants to hold the special session to address tax reform but has not...

Wisconsin.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Corn-based ethanol, touted by President Bush during a February Milwaukee visit as a way to wean the United States off its "addiction" to oil, has been a hot topic in the state Capitol. A bill to mandate ethanol content in gasoline is touted by...

Wyoming.(tax collection)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Wyoming is having a gold rush. The least populous state in the union is profiting from the recent energy rush. The state has collected $65 million more in taxes each month than the government can spend. C & E Staff

Advice to '08ers: know thyself.(primaries)
April 1, 2006... MANCHESTER, N.H. -- If you are a candidate for president or thinking about being a candidate for president let me give you a little advice: Don't set foot in early primary voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina unless you know...

The Wikipedia dilemma.
April 1, 2006... Congressional staffers have tried to airbrush and deface it. The Chinese government has tried to block access to it. Old-line journalists resent it, while new-line journalists rely on it. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It" is Wikipedia, the...

Electronic poll books speed process for workers and voters.(VOTING MATTERS)
April 1, 2006... Anyone who has ever spent an Election Day waiting in line A-J or M-S at their local polling place knows the agony of Etorre's Observation: the other line always moves faster. Those days are numbered for millions of voters as Georgia,...

How to throw a good bash: tips from a GOP fund raiser.(Republican Party)
April 1, 2006... Raising money is often viewed as a tedious, enduring process. The idea of asking people for money seems difficult and arduous to many observers. As a result, many campaigns never make it off the ground. Successful fund-raising campaigns are...

Entertain the vote: using Web video effectively in campaigns.
April 1, 2006... Political campaigns are using a new tactic: win with laughs. The weapons of choice are short, animated Flash cartoons designed to capture voters with a few entertaining strokes. The best example of this came last year with JibJab's parody...

Politics and Religion.(Book review)
April 1, 2006... This book is the one I wish I could shove in the faces of all the political hacks who yammer on endlessly about how far Americans have drifted from the faith of the men who founded our country. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's a concise...

Foxes in the Henhouse.(Foxes in the Henhouse: How the Republicans Stole the South and the Heartland and What the Democrats Must Do to Run 'em Out)(Book review)(Brief review)
April 1, 2006... "Foxes in the Henhouse: how the Republicans Stole the South and the Heartland. And What Democrats Must do to Run 'em Out," by Steve Jarding and Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, Simon and Shuster, 2006. Any book written by someone named Mudcat...