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7/29/04
Republicans get a little Boston love
They've invaded the Democratic National Convention and the heart of one of the nation's most liberal states, but top Republican officials have been treated to a little New England love. Just last night, we saw former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani at Bricco, a North End Italian restaurant, where he was cheered with "Rudy, Rudy" and "Rudy for president." His motorcade was then delayed 15 minutes as Bostonians and Democrats in town for the convention begged for his autograph. Then we heard of how GOP boss Ed Gillespie was treated to some Irish cheer from the friendly Boston Police Department. Gillespie, of Irish descent, was given a security escort by the cops to a radio interview in the Fleet Center as part of his "truth squad" efforts in Boston. One of the Irish cops turned to him and said, "You may be in the middle of the Democratic convention, but you're the safest guy in this building." Said an aide to the Republican chairman, "That just proves that blood is thicker than politics."
7/28/04
Not everybody is nice on Bush
Thank heavens for Ragin' Cajun James Carville, the sharp-tongued Democratic strategist. He may be one of the few politicians at this week's Democratic National Convention here who isn't following the rule to refrain from blasting President Bush. Talking to a Democratic youth group this week, he told it as he sees it: Bush just can't hold a candle to Sen. John Kerry. "I want to just set the record straight right here; I'm going to be very positive here. John Kerry is just a better man than George Bush," he told hundreds of attendees at the Democratic GAIN campaign-training conference. "I mean, I'm talking to these guys with beer guts who throw beer cans out the window of their cars, burp and got fat guts: Our guy is just a better man than your guy. Because man to man, Bush can't even stand up to Kerry. It's like a boy running against a man." And he didn't end there. Calling Kerry a strong leader and decorated war veteran, he added, "To be strong is not cocking your head. It's not saying bring 'em on. Being strong is acting strong. Being strong is having a depth of character. Being strong is not getting into the National Guard and then not showing up for the meetings. Being strong is volunteering and being a leader. Being strong is not relying on your daddy; being strong is going out and making your own way in the world. And that's what we've got here. You've to understand that. We don't have just a good candidate, we've got a damn good man."
7/27/04
New Kerry role model
John Kerry, it turns out, has adopted cycling superstar Lance Armstrong as his new role model, Kerry's friends say. The Democratic candidate followed "every inch" of Armstrong's hard-won victory in the Tour de France over the past two weeks, catching snatches of the race on TV, watching segments in his hotels in the evening, and having aides update him on Armstrong's progress between appointments and appearances. Aides say Kerry was particularly impressed with Lance's success when he shot ahead during the arduous climb through Pyrenees. Kerry feels a special kinship with Armstrong because both are cancer survivors and, friends say, because the candidate sees parallels in Armstrong's come-from-behind win with his own struggle in the presidential campaign. "He sees it as a metaphor," says a Kerry adviser and strategist. –Kenneth T. Walsh
7/22/04
9/11 report card
The 9/11 Commission has finally returned its report on the terrorist attacks, and nobody comes out looking good. One thing is for sure: No government official had an inkling that the terrorists planned to kill the thousands they did.
Read the report: www.9-11commission.gov
7/22/04
Students still all talk when it comes to voting
Here's a poll that should make the Bush-Cheney campaign nervous. The Harvard University Institute of Politics provided us a look at how students plan to vote, and most are leaning toward Sen. John Kerry. Seems the kids of today just don't like the Republican president, his economy, or the war. If the election were held today, according to the new poll, Kerry would win the student vote 55 percent to 35 percent, with independent Ralph Nader getting 5 percent. No surprise there. But when asked if they will definitely or probably be voting, an amazing 91 said yes. That's shocking because students have said it before and not delivered. In fact, that's why neither campaign is really focusing on students much. In the 2000 election, for example, while just over half the voting age population voted, only 28.7 of those ages 18-24 went to the polls. And that's been consistent in recent elections.
See the poll: http://www.iop.harvard.edu
7/20/04
Kerry urged to chase some women
Sen. John Kerry needs to do a little more than brag about his good hair if he's going to win the sizable number of undecided female voters. But if he does, the election is his for the taking. That's according to Karen White, political director for Emily's List, the liberal group that funds women Democratic candidates. She says that about a third of women are swing voters who are looking for a little meat from Kerry, especially on issues like healthcare and economic security. "These women are very accessible to Kerry," she said, "but Kerry will have to work very, very hard." Here's the problem: Like so many groups, women really don't know who Kerry is and are awaiting his convention speech before taking sides. White released a new Emily's List poll today that said women are generally dissatisfied with the country's direction but, oddly, made a candidate's proposals only the fourth-most-important issue they are studying in an election. The top issue: A candidate's ability to quiet the partisan bickering in Washington, an issue neither Bush-Cheney nor Kerry-Edwards has captured.
See the poll: www.emilyslist.org
7/15/04
The thank-you note to Bush
Republicans have had it with the wave of anti-Bush books and movies popular in today's media, so they are penning their own thank you to the president in a book set for release the day before the Republican National Convention opens in New York later next month. Titled Thank You President Bush, the book will include chapters from many well-known Republicans and conservatives explaining why they like the president. "This will be THE must-read book of the season on the pro-Bush side," said editor Rod Martin. "We wanted to counter the deluge of liberal Bush-bash books, and we wanted to do it in a highly readable form by top-drawer, highly credible big-name conservatives who could really make the case that George Bush deserves another term," he told our correspondent Suzi Parker. "We cover every issue, in bite-sized yet very complete chunks that will be accessible–and useful–to every conservative." Among the Bush admirers in the book are brother and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, conservatives Bill Bennett and Phyllis Schlafly, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and tax opponent Grover Norquist. Cheney's chapter is titled "The Bush Doctrine: The War on Terrorism and America's Choice." Jeb Bush pens the introduction and says that his brother has returned dignity to the White House. "Americans are proud of their president again, because he stands for the values that make us a good and decent country."
See the book at: www.thankyoupresidentbush.com
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