Election Result 2008

Bill Frist has continued to try to gain support through means that most Democrats and some Republicans find tasteless. The latest is his involvement in the debate on crippling the Senate filibuster. Frist has been a force behind this anti-filibuster movement that seeks to remove one of the last few weapons that Democrats have in rejected court appointees.

Such notable Republicans as Bob Dole and John McCain have openly opposed this idea. Bob Dole was subtle in advising the younger Frist that “this will not always be a Republican Senate” - suggesting that the future GOP may desire the filibuster.

McCain was less subtle. He spoke on Hardball about his views on the appropriate measures to take regarding judicial appointees:

…why is it that after 200 years we cannot settle the issue of judges? Well, it’s a symptom of the problems we have with the bitter partisanship here in Washington.

Bill Frist has been seeking a presidential nomination for 2008 by gathering support from the right side of his party. His efforts seem to be working to the effect that there is a growing Christian Right base that is listening closely to his campaigning.

Frist is in no small way indicative of an early Howard Dean primary run. I remember the first time I heard Dean speak was well, well before the 2004 election and even quite before the primary. I immediately liked him because he reflected my far-left leanings and he did it with diction and poise (yes, poise) that most folks at either edge of the political spectrum lack.

There are two articles written about how Frist is beginning to alienate his party by going for the cheap, the easy, and the extreme right. He’s been siding with those who would claim that the U.S. Supreme Court is ‘out to get’ Christian heritage and values. He’s also (sickeningly) spoke up during the Terri Schaivo matter.

Tom Perkins, president of the Family Research Counsil, has spoken at length about the ‘agenda’ of the judicial branch. From a page on the Counsil’s website:

“For years activist courts, aided by liberal interest groups like the A.C.L.U., have been quietly working under the veil of the judiciary, like thieves in the night, to rob us of our Christian heritage and our religious freedoms.”

This is the Republican equivalent to the Democratic college revolutionary. Frist is marketing himself to the edge of his party’s constituency and it’ll take nothing more than a screen for his fellow republicans to remove him from the picture as an embarrassment to the party.

Jay Cost writes:

There is nothing organic to her politics; it all seems artificial. This is the sign of a bad politician. All politicians do the same things. They all change their views. They all move with the political currents. They are all flexible and pragmatic. What differentiates the good politician from the bad one is that you never notice that the good one is pragmatic.

Hillary has been surprising many of her would-be supporters by sounding like a Republican at times - even in the middle of a far-left fundraiser. She was noted moving to the center on abortion and religion and the movements she’s making are anything but subtle.

Cost would argue that this is a sign that she’s a bad politician. The trick here is that all the members of her party are afraid of her because of the enormous political capital they perceive her to have. Many have referred to her at the “elephant in the room” regarding the 2008 primary for the presidential election.

This is a strange paradox that she would be so disregarded by political scientists and so feared by politicians. I suppose in three years we’ll find out exactly who’s right.

While Tom Delay is getting scourged over ethics violations for actions relating to election finance fraud, Hillary is missing the spotlight entirely. Clinton has just as much or more culpability in connection to election finance fraud on her behalf than Delay has regarding his.

Clinton received $2,000,000 from a 2000 Hollywood fundraising event that was never reported. Her former chief financial advisor David Rosen is under indictment in connection to that event and there’s credible evidence that Hillary was well-informed of the events as they occurred. If this is true she could find herself in a tighter spot than even Delay.

The players:

• Aaron Tonken
  He was in charge of actually paying the money required to fund the fundraiser in 2000. He received the money from Peter Paul.
• Peter Paul
  Mr. Paul spent $2 mil of his own money to produce the 2000 Hollywood fundraiser. He claims he was under the impression that all of his expenses would be reported to the federal elections commission.
• David Rosen
  Former chief financial advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton. He has been indicted based on records kept by Tonken and Paul.
• Hillary Clinton
  Senator benefitting from this massive fundraiser. Tonken claims he personally told her dollar-for-dollar where all the money was going. Paul claims she knew all the facts. She has not thus far reported the expenses for the event as part of her campaign finances though the event was clearly focused on her campaign.

Just as John Kerry was defeated in the 2004 elections largely by the Swift Boat Veterans advertisements and books there is already a book being published that is intended to have the same effect on Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Titled The Truth About Hillary, this book has been getting much media attention and even a dedicated short segment on Fox News. Despite the buzz surrounding it very little is known about the contents of this publication. Considering the squeaky-clean record of Hillary since taking office as Senator of New York it is hard to find any breadcrumbs leading to the contents of this book.

The author, Edward Klein, has been known for books that sold very well but were widely regarded as ‘high-school level reporting’ and ‘psychobabble’ (News book review). It’s probably fitting to expect something on the same level as ‘Swift Boat Veterans.’

Howard Dean, while speaking at a breakfast in West Hollywood for a gay rights group, suggested that the Democratic Party will use the Terri Schiavo incident to define the stances of the two major parties.

Dean has taken some, but far less than the normal Dean level, of criticism over this comment and has made no move to clarify. It sounds as though he meant for this to be an issue useful for taking back the ‘moral values’ that many Democrats are talking about since the 2004 election.

President Bush’s approval rating is now the lowest it’s been for any president in a second term since WWII. His approval both at home and abroad is so dangerously low that he’s been sending the First Lady overseas to do diplomatic work.

This poses a problem for Republicans for the 2008 election. Their nominee must now define him/herself in terms contrary to Bush’s image. With Hillary moving so far to the right on her positions, it’ll be hard to find that narrow space between Bush and Hillary in which to place a new Republican presidential nominee.

Howard Dean, the favorite of many in the last Democratic Primary, was officially removed from the pool of potential presidential candidates when he became the chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Deans position came to him not through politicking himself through the traditions of congress nor by appeasing lobbyists. His grassroots support was so broad and firm that the democratic leaders did not see it possible to find a more profitable man for the job. The accepted him as chairman of the committee because accepting him sends a message to his supporters that they (and their money) is also accepted.

This is what many have been waiting for - a nod from politicians that what they’ve worked so hard for through grassroots campaigning can hold some sway in the capitol.

From Fosters:

“The 2008 election is 1,350 days away, not that I’m paying attention,” Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman told activists at a recent fund-raiser.

“The victory in 2004 was the result of planning in 2001 and 2002 and 2003. It’s all going to start here,” he said.

There are many reasons to go to Iowa, but there seems to be more people finding those reasons now than last winter. John Edwards, Mitt Romney, and Steve Forbes have all made stops through Iowa lately finding excuses anywhere from vacationing to visiting friends - but managing to stop and give a speech at anyplace that will take them.

It would be satisfying to the many Democrats who felt that the nomination of John Kerry gave them a politician with no guts to be given a chance to run behind Russ Feingold.

Having been the only Senator to vote against the Patriot Act, while also the only democrat on his committee to accept John Ashcroft as attorney general, he can easily be sold as a man who does not ‘play politics.’

Known well for the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill he could be a champion of those who wish for a multi-party system or at least the mitigation of partisanship.