Campaigns & Elections articles from October 2007

Campaigns & Elections archives from October 2007

Editor's note.
October 1, 2007... In a tight race, a campaign's get out the vote efforts mean everything. So you want to make sure you turn out the right voters and send them to the right polling place. As a member of the media, I'm on nearly every e-mail list known to man,...

Pump up the volume.(INSIDE POLITICS)(voting behavior)
October 1, 2007... The youth vote has hung over presidential campaigns like a drug bust at Lollapalooza. It could happen, but no one is sure when and where. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fifteen years ago, Madonna wrapped herself in an American flag for the...

Design democracy: artists turn to posters to turn out the vote.(INSIDE POLITICS)
October 1, 2007... "The U.S. doesn't really embrace poster art the way Europe does," said Sam Shelton, who runs the GOTV poster project for the design association AIGA. "But posters have been used for politics throughout history." Last cycle, more than 230...

Teamsters try to blog their way back.(INSIDE POLITICS)
October 1, 2007... ACDC's rock anthem "Back In Black" blared above a screaming crowd as Teamsters head Jim Hoffa stepped onto the stage, trailed by Daily Kos's Markos Moulitsas. "You are the voice that has come on the horizon out of nowhere, the new voice of...

The Segway to win: more candidates are using scooters to go door-to-door.(INSIDE POLITICS)
October 1, 2007... Skipper Perry, a 67-year-old South Carolina state representative once accused of being just to the right of Attila the Hun, loves his itty-bitty electric scooter. Perry, a Republican, rides his Segway to the market, to the post office and...

Alabama.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Another state has jumped the primary gun, sort of. Alabama's legislature recently moved its primary date up to Feb. 5. However, that's the same day that Mobile and Baldwin counties celebrate Mardi Gras. So the state Justice Department ruled...

Alaska.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Alaska's lieutenant governor has approved a revised "Clean Elections" ballot initiative to bring publicly financed elections to Alaska for state campaigns. But to make the ballot, the initiative still needs the signatures of 23,831 registered...

Arizona.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(congressional elections)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... After months of political pressure and legal problems, U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., has announced that he will not seek a fourth term for his highly competitive northern Arizona district. Look for both national parties to focus their...

Arkansas.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The campaign between U.S. Rep. John Boozman (R) and his challenger John Burnett (D) is heating up in Arkansas. Burnett has been attacking Boozman's stance on terrorism since announcing his candidacy in December 2006. Boozman, meanwhile, has...

California.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... A battle over electoral votes already is brewing in California, 13 months before the presidential election is even held. State Republicans want the 55 electoral votes divvied up proportionally by congressional district. State Democrats want to...

Colorado.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Doug Lamborn defeats in Primaries)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Freshman Rep. Doug Lamborn (R) handily defeated Democrat Jay Fawcett last November in the race to replace retiring Rep. Joel Hefley (R), but the battle was really won when Lamborn won a bitter six-way primary last summer. (Republicans outnumber...

Connecticut.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(congressional election campaign)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... DCCC chair Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., visited Connecticut to campaign for 4th Congressional District candidate Jim Himes. Himes, the chairman of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee, is running against Rep. Chris Shays, the lone New...

Delaware.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Alan Levin ready for Gubernatorial elections)(Joe Biden writes book)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Decision Day is getting close for possible Republican gubernatorial candidate Alan Levin, who has been making the rounds, meeting with GOP officials and rank-and-file members across the state. The former drug store chain owner is regarded as...

District of Columbia.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(gun ownership law)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Mayor Adrian Fenty has asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court's ruling striking down the city's ban on private ownership of handguns, hoping that the court takes its first substantial Second Amendment case in 70 years. A U.S....

Florida.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Florida moving its primary to Jan. 29 produced a ripple effect that still continues to be felt. Both national parties have threatened to strip most, if not all, delegates from the state due to the move, while the executive committees of both...

Georgia.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... A federal judge threw out a lawsuit challenging Georgia's Voter ID law, thus allowing the law to be in effect for the state's Sept. 18 local special elections. The law requires all voters to show a valid photo ID before voting at the polls, but...

Hawaii.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The state Campaign Spending Commission is appealing a court ruling rejecting restrictions on corporate campaign donations. The commission had said that a state law restricted corporate donations to candidates in a general election to $1,000...

Idaho.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Clete Edmunson steps down as state legislators)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... State Rep. Clete Edmunson, R-Council, has stepped down from his post to serve as Gov. Butch Otter's field representative for central Idaho. Edmunson is a former teacher and coach at New Plymouth High School. He was serving his third term in the...

Illinois.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Michael Madigan and Rod Blagojevich )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The political bickering between the state's Democratic leaders is only expected to increase as the legislature takes on several contentious issues in the coming months. Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) took the unusual step of filing a lawsuit against...

Indiana.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Republicans here are already looking to 2012. The party wants the state to vie for the right to host the 2012 Republican National Convention in Indianapolis. Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) has led the bid for his state to host the GOP convention...

Iowa.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(political meetings)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Iowa officials are anxiously awaiting resolution to other states' attempts to move ahead of other early-state caucuses and primaries. Though both major national parties have said they will enforce sanctions on states that try to move ahead, the...

Kansas.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(congressional election nominees)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Kansas state Sen. Nick Jordan, R-Shawnee, has announced that he will run for Congress next year, setting up a likely challenge to Democratic five-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore. Jordon could prove to be a potentially formidable...

Kentucky.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(political fund raising)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... State Attorney General Greg Stumbo (D) has formed an exploratory committee for a possible challenge to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R). Stumbo ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor last spring. Stumbo said he is still undecided,...

Louisiana.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(election law)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The NAACP has filed a civil rights lawsuit here challenging a purge of voters believed to have registered in other states after Hurricane Katrina. The civil rights group alleges the purge violates federal law because it began without consent...

Maine.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The Maine Clean Elections Fund needs $9 million in the next state budget to stay solvent through the 2010 campaign for governor; $5 million of that is needed to replace funds borrowed from the legislature to balance the state budget. The Maine...

Maryland.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(using slot machines )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Maryland lawmakers are considering allowing slot machines to help make up for a projected $1.5 billion budget shortfall next year. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D) both support legalizing the...

Massachusetts.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Deval Patrick )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Aides to Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick break the administration thus far into two phases. The first was the discombobulated, controversy-riddled first three months, when, Beacon Hill veterans say, the governor frittered much of the mandate he...

Michigan.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Michigan voters in November's primary will encounter a much different scenario at the polls now that the state Supreme Court has approved recently passed "voter identification" laws, which require either photo ID or signed affidavit of identity...

Minnesota.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R) may be a pivotal vote on the future of America's war in Iraq, and he has aligned himself with influential U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., in voicing concerns about the war's progress. Just as Coleman may face a tough...

Mississippi.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)
October 1, 2007... U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering Jr. (R) has announced he will not seek a seventh term in Congress next year, causing heavy speculation as to who will run as his replacement. Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District is located in the rural southwestern...

Missouri.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(campaign money)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... When the state Supreme Court tossed out a law in July repealing campaign contribution limits, it was left to the Missouri Ethics Commission to decide whether candidates statewide would have to return money raised while the donation limits were...

Montana.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(labor force changes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Like some other rural Western states, Montana's elected officials face a projected decline in the state's labor force. A recently released Bureau of Labor Statistics report suggest the state's labor force will shrink between 2013 and 2020, and...

Nebraska.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(congressional elections)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Now that Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) has decided to not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate, the race to fill his seat is likely to draw some big names on both sides of the aisle. Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey (D), who is currently head of the New...

Nevada.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who managed the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, recently met with the Reno-Tahoe Winter Games Coalition to offer his advice on how to secure the 2018 Winter Olympics. The Republican candidate said that...

New Hampshire.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(John Stephen's candidacy for congress)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Just weeks after he stepped down from his post as New Hampshire Health and Human Services Commissioner, John Stephen announced his candidacy for the Congress. A Republican who has served over 20 years in public service, Stephen will be running...

New Jersey.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(female legislators )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... New Jersey lags well behind other states in the proportion of female legislators in Trenton, with women only comprising 19.5 percent of the state Senate and Assembly. But there is some room for optimism. This November a record 56 women are...

New Mexico.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Sante Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano's bid for governor )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Sante Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano has announced he is running for lieutenant governor in 2010. This 43-year-old Democrat is well known in and around Sante Fe, where he has also served as a police sergeant and a police union president. Solano...

New York.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(planning of elections for 2008)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... There are no statewide elections in New York in 2007. While the State Board of Elections continues the process of trying to comply with the Help America Vote Act, the state's political leaders must leverage their opportunities to put firm...

North Carolina.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(wigglers for fertilizer production)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The North Carolina legislature has given new meaning to the term "waiting for the worms." The state has purchased 50,000 red wigglers to eat lawmakers' leftover food and discarded paper. The worms' excretions are then used as a fertilizer for...

North Dakota.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Tim Mathern's plans for governatorial bid)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... State Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, has formed an exploratory committee to consider a run for governor. Current Republican Gov. John Hoeven is expected to announce by the end of October whether he will seek an unprecedented third four-year term....

Ohio.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(re-branding of the Republican Party for the 2008 elections)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, is taking the lead in an effort to re-brand the Republican Party before the 2008 elections. Boehner and a group of congressional Republicans will work to emphasize fiscal discipline and small...

Oklahoma.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(coalitions working for recognition)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... A coalition of minor political parties is joining together to try to put a measure before Oklahoma voters to make it easier for them to be recognized. Parties say collecting the tens of thousands of signatures required to form, and the 10...

Oregon.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(amendments to the property laws)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Two controversial measures will be on Oregon's Nov. 6 ballot. Measure 49 would overturn a law stating that long-term property holders be compensated or allowed to develop if state land use regulations decrease their property's value. Measure 50...

Pennsylvania.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(State Democrats vying for House seats)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... State Democrats see an opportunity to pick-up a House seat in Pennsylvania's 18th District. Several Democrats are vying to challenge three-term GOP Congressman Tim Murphy. While Murphy won with nearly 60 percent of the vote in 2006, he did not...

Rhode Island.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... A former Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate has lashed out at his own party in a new book. Steve Laffey challenged Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R) for his seat in the 2006 primary. Chafee ultimately lost his seat to Sheldon Whitehouse, a...

South Carolina.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Families USA and the University of South Carolina are planning a public health care forum that they hope will attract presidential candidates this month. There are a lot of forums that want candidates to come, but this one has the seal of...

South Dakota.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(congressional elections)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Though U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) plans to run for a third term in Congress next year, she's keeping other options open. If Sen. Tim Johnson (D), decides against seeking reelection in 2008, she told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader...

Tennessee.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(David Gatchell)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Independent David "None of the Above" Gatchell is again running for office in Tennessee. Voters in Franklin will get the opportunity to elect him as mayor on Oct. 23. Gatchell, who has run and lost several other elections since 2002, said he...

Texas.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The blogging community is playing a key role in the Democratic race for the right to challenge U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) in 2008. Democratic state Rep. Rick Noriega and Mikal Watts are in a heated primary contest. Watts has the ability to...

Utah.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... By the time voters go to the polls Nov. 6 to decide on a state-funded schools voucher program, they'll have heard from advocates and opponents from around the country. Supporters of the program (which promises to give each private school...

Vermont.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... There are advantages to having your former governor chair the Democratic National Committee. Periodically, Howard Dean schedules DNC meetings in his former hometown of Burlington, to throw a bone to his former constituents. The August...

Virginia.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(driving while intoxicated )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The hot political issue in Virginia recently has been "abusive driver fees," a system devised by Republican legislators to help fund transportation while avoiding tax increases. These fees apply to Virginia drivers who receive tickets for...

Washington.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The state Supreme Court ruled a political committee with ties to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that ran campaign ads critical of a candidate for state attorney general in 2004 was required to reveal the financial sources that paid for the ads....

West Virginia.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., and John Cox are the only two Republican candidates who will not be on the ballot when West Virginia Republicans decide their choice for president on Feb. 5. Every other Republican candidate, including Fred Thompson,...

Wisconsin.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(illegal campaign contributions case)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Kenosha's John Erickson has been charged with funneling more than $250,000 in illegal campaign contributions with the goals of getting an Indian casino to Kenosha and relaxing trucking restrictions. Erickson has connections to convicted...

Wyoming.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Amy Larimer joins The Wyoming Republican Party )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The Wyoming Republican Party has hired Amy Larimer as executive director. This Wyoming native's resume includes work as a statewide political strategist, grass-roots campaign organizer and small business owner. Larimer will help state...

Jano Cabrera has joined public relations firm Burson-Marsteller as its new managing director of issues and advocacy.(NEW JOBS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Jano Cabrera has joined public relations firm Burson-Marsteller as its new managing director of issues and advocacy. He was the communications director for the Democratic National Committee. He had served as a national spokesman for former Vice...

Stuart Stevens and Russ Schriefer have joined Midnight Ride Media.(NEW JOBS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Stuart Stevens and Russ Schriefer have joined Midnight Ride Media, a consulting firm for former Gov. Mitt Romney's, R-Mass., presidential campaign. The two consultants, who had worked for Sen. John McCain's, R-Ariz., campaign, will remain...

Sen. John Warner's deputy chief of staff, John Ullyot, has left to join Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm Hill & Knowlton, where he will serve as senior vice president for media relations and issues management.(NEW JOBS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Sen. John Warner's deputy chief of staff, John Ullyot, has left to join Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm Hill & Knowlton, where he will serve as senior vice president for media relations and issues management. Ullyot also served as...

The National Retail Federation named Elizabeth Oesterle its new vice president for the company's government relations council.(NEW JOBS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The National Retail Federation named Elizabeth Oesterle its new vice president for the company's government relations council. Oesterle had previously been a senior director of the council and a former aide to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Rep....

Erin Graefe, former finance director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has joined Timmons & Co. as its vice president.(NEW JOBS)
October 1, 2007... Erin Graefe, former finance director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has joined Timmons & Co. as its vice president. Graefe will focus on lobbying and government relations for the Washington D.C. firm. Graefe had been a...

Marion C. Blakey will be joining the Aerospace Industries Association in November as its new president and chief executive officer.(NEW JOBS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Marion C. Blakey will be joining the Aerospace Industries Association in November as its new president and chief executive officer. She will be replacing John W. Douglass, who is retiring. She is currently the administrator at the Federal...

Brian Branton has joined USA Funds as its vice president of congressional affairs.(NEW JOBS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Brian Branton has joined USA Funds as its vice president of congressional affairs. He was previously chief of staff to Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Olga Arguello has joined USIS as manager of government affairs and corporate development.(NEW JOBS)(US Investigations Services )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Olga Arguello has joined USIS as manager of government affairs and corporate development. She had been associate director of the office of Cabinet Liaison in the White House. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Republican media firm Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm has named Ben Burger and John Hishta as firm partners.(NEW JOBS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Republican media firm Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm has named Ben Burger and John Hishta as firm partners. Burger was senior vice president at the firm, while Hishta had been an aide to Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va. Burger has been with the firm...

The Republican Governors Association has named Chris Schrimpf as its new communications director.(PARTY LINES)
October 1, 2007... The Republican Governors Association has named Chris Schrimpf as its new communications director. Schrimpf was a deputy press secretary for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and had served as the deputy communications director of Perdue's 2006...

The Delaware Democratic Party has hired Joe Sheeran as communications director.(PARTY LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The Delaware Democratic Party has hired Joe Sheeran as communications director. He had covered Delaware politics as a reporter for WHYY. "I got sort of the bug for it," Sheeran said. "We're down a couple seats in the [state] House, [but]...

Lisa Miller is leaving to become vice president of public affairs for the National Community Pharmacists Association Oct. 1.(PARTY LINES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Lisa Miller, the Republican National Committee's communications director, is leaving to become vice president of public affairs for the National Community Pharmacists Association Oct. 1. "It was a great opportunity," Miller said of her new...

Joe Trippi and other staffers of Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign are starting up a new advertising agency this month.(FIRM CHANGES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Joe Trippi and other staffers of Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign are starting up a new advertising agency this month. GeniusRocket will serve as an "online intermediary linking the experienced talent of its creative community with...

Republican consultants Carlos Rodriguez, Chris Wilson and Lance Tarrance have started their own firm, Rodriguez-Wilson-Tarrance Strategies.(FIRM CHANGES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Republican consultants Carlos Rodriguez, Chris Wilson and Lance Tarrance have started their own firm, Rodriguez-Wilson-Tarrance Strategies. The company will offer public opinion research and political consulting out of offices in Washington,...

10 questions for Karen White: campaigns and elections director, National Education Association.(INSIDE POLITICS: MOVERS AND SHAKERS)(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Karen White has managed campaigns for Louisiana Gov. Mary Landrieu, Colorado Gov. Roy Romer and former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening, all Democrats. In the 2004 presidential election, White helped organize vote turnout efforts in Pennsylvania...

10 questions for Phillip Stutts: vice president for grass-roots development, the herald group.(INSIDE POLITICS: MOVERS AND SHAKERS)(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Phillip Stutts directed President Bush's 2004 get-out-the-vote effort, the famed "72-hour Program" credited for the Republicans' popular vote victory. Before that, he managed two high-profile campaigns that fell just short: John Thune's 2002...

Inside politics: campaign consultant sign-ups.
October 1, 2007... Anzalone Liszt Research/D -- Polling Kyle Foust, PA, H18 '08 Larry Kissell, NC, H08 '08 Paul Rancatore, H15 '08 Linda Stender, NJ, H07 '08 Brien Wall, PA, H18 '08 Walter Boasso, LA, Gov. '07 Jamie Franks, MS, Lt....

Game plan.
October 1, 2007... Campaigns spend months identifying voters and raising money. But as any campaign manager will tell you, none of this matters if you can't get your supporters to the polls. A GOTV plan is key. "Unless you've got a small area and a ton of...

OK, convince us: will the GOP and union members ever kiss and make up?(Grand Old Party )
October 1, 2007... American Viewpoint's client roster reads like a Republican Who's Who: Roy Blunt, Phil Gramm, Bush-Cheney '04. They do some work for moderate GOP groups, like the pro-choice WISH List, but they are decidedly, unabashedly Republican. So when...

Click this way: these local blogs are must-reads for serious political junkies.
October 1, 2007... Chris Cillizza smartly named his popular Washington Post blog "The Fix"--after all, political junkies are always looking for their next hit. For an inside-the-Beltway perspective, most politicos turn to Cillizza's blog, the New York Times'...

Breaking conventional wisdom.(FEATURE)(presidential elections)
October 1, 2007... Even Republicans agree, it's a tough time to wear a pachyderm on your tie lapel. Granted, the election is about 400 days away, but the best hope for Republicans might be (drumroll, please) the Democratic Party. Yes, you read that right. It was...

Does money matter anymore?(real politics)
October 1, 2007... All the presidential candidates are vying to win the "money primary" so they can boast the biggest bank account. Filing one's donation reports, which used to be a good government reform measure and a burden on candidates, now is a forum for...

Who will be the peace party in 2008?(figuratively speaking)
October 1, 2007... As I look at the polls and try to be a little contrarian every now and then, I've given a lot of thought to the question of who will be considered the "Peace Party" in 2008. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Obviously, the war in Iraq is the top...

The electability dilemma.(proving ground)(presidential political campaign)
October 1, 2007... By the time January 2004 rolled around, the Democratic presidential candidates had spent a year vigorously debating policy. Dick Gephardt had an ambitious health care plan. Joe Lieberman wanted to continue the course in Iraq; Howard Dean...

Sent to your iPhone.(TECH BYTES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... As mobile devices like the iPhone provide a better Internet experience, e-mail could eclipse text messages as a tool for getting out the vote in future elections. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On Election Day, for example, a candidate could...

Your views may be recorded.(TECH BYTES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The warning that "this call may be recorded for training purposes" is a common refrain for anyone dialing up customer service. An Atlanta-based company is bringing similar technology to live exchanges and, someday, it could find a use in...

Courting the niches.(TECH BYTES)(social networking site )
October 1, 2007... You've mastered Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. Get ready for a new cadre of Web sites that cater to distinct demographic groups and are demanding attention from candidates. BlogHer.com, home to more than 10,000 blogs by women, is putting...

Trade secrets: 'Big Labor' always gets impressive GOTV wins. Here's how they do it.(CONSULTANTS' CORNER)(get out the vote)
October 1, 2007... In 2004, 89 percent of Ohio members of AFL-CIO unions voted in the presidential election, according to a match against the secretary of state voter file. And the results of matches in other battleground states were similar: 89 percent in Iowa,...