10/30/03
The youth vote lure–ice cream
The youth-focused Rock the Vote group knows how to get kids to pay attention to politics–offer freebies. And we're not talking $5 coupons for McDonald's happy meals. Rock the Vote this week is unveiling a contest to give kids who register to vote on its Internet site a year's worth of ice cream, soda, and even a trip to the next Democratic presidential debate at Boston's famed Faneuil Hall, one of the homes of the American Revolution.
The deal is this: Sign up at rockthevote.com, responsible for registering 3 million youths so far, and win a chance at a trip to the debate, a year's supply of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, a year's supply of 7-Up's new dnL, or a Motorola T720 mobile phone. Says Rock's Executive Director Jehmu Greene, the contest "is a perfect way to reward and encourage civic participation and community involvement by young voters. All you need to win is a deep sense of patriotism and a desire to get your friends involved in making one of the most important decisions of their lives–the decision to cast a vote and take part in our government."
Maybe, but we know the real reason: Free stuff!
Check it out: www.rockthevote.com
10/29/03
What more does Grassley want?
To read the energy press, you'd get the impression that House leaders negotiating with senators on the energy bill aren't giving an inch as the talks push to the brink of failure. But a review of concessions made by both sides shows that House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas has caved in to 26 Senate demands, compared with just 14 that his Senate counterpart, Sen. Chuck Grassley, has offered up.
Among the House concessions won by the Senate: tax credits for residential wind power, energy made from burning cow manure, and the use of hybrid fuel vehicles. The Senate gave in on demands for tax credits for electricity produced from landfills and faster depreciation of some electricity transmission lines. The list was provided to Washington Whispers.
And even though the Senate didn't approve them in their original bill, House negotiators gave into new Senate demands for five other provisions, such as tax credits for investments in nuclear power plants.
Still, Grassley wants more, saying Democrats will kill any compromise that doesn't include additional goodies.
10/23/03
Surprise! College kids like Bush
Forget all the conservative hand-wringing that America's colleges are turning out cookie-cutter liberals. None other than Harvard University, in a new poll, finds that most kids like President Bush and lean Republican. Some 61 percent of those polled approve of Bush, higher than the national average, and would likely vote to reelect the prez if he reached out to them.
Campuses, says Dan Glickman, head of Harvard's Institute of Politics, "have clearly been tracking away from Democratic majorities."
What's more, kids support the troops more than the rest of the population. But don't ask them to join the military. That's not popular, said the poll.
Still, despite all the predictions in the polls that college kids today are active and plan to vote in 2004, don't look for many candidates to spend lots of time wooing the 18-24 demographic. First, only 30 percent of the group actually make good on promises to vote. And they are unpredictable. Worse, it costs candidates lots of money to reach out to untested voting groups. Says Glickman, "It often is a pain in the butt to go after new groups."
Read the survey here.
10/9/03
Geppy's the Washington choice
Don't count Dick Gephardt out of the Democratic presidential race is the message coming from top party officials. Long the favorite of many in Democratic Party HQ for his years in Washington as minority leader and chief congressional fundraiser, senior officials are now pitching him as the alternative to Howard Dean who has shunned Washington in his fast-moving campaign. What's Geppy got? Insiders say he's still labor's choice and the union vote could push him over Dean in the early primary and caucus states. He's also strong in Iowa, home to the first presidential caucus. Of course, fans of Sen. John Kerry say he's the best alternative. Ditto for those of Wes Clark.
Some Washington insiders are doing more than just spinning and bragging. Gephardt adviser Bill Carrick and MSNBC pollster Frank Luntz have put $10,000 on the line. Luntz reports that he bet $10,000 that Howard Dean would win Iowa, and Carrick, of course, bet the same that his guy would win the first contest of 2004.
10/8/03
Wesley Clark's soap opera
The political intrigue plaguing Wesley Clark's Democratic presidential campaign continues to deepen. Insiders tell our Suzi Parker that one day after campaign manager Donnie Fowler quit over concerns that Clark was letting Washington hands, not Clark fans and activists, run the show, he fled Arkansas. Sources say his foes pushed him out by leaking his resignation to the Associated Press Tuesday while negotiations over his role were being discussed and before he quit. The message being sent: Hasta la vista, baby.
Interesting, said the insiders, was who showed up minutes after Fowler left his office: Ex-John Kerry and Al Gore spokesman Chris Lehane. He's the able partner to Clark PR adviser Mark Fabiani. Lehane's just the latest of a wave of Washingtonians and Clintonistas to lend a hand to the Clark effort.
Add to that the turmoil around Clark spokeswoman Kym Spell, who previously worked for both Kerry and John Edwards, two of Clark's foes. Campaign sources say that lawyer and former Clinton aide Mary Streett was called in to help on the press plane, a move that upset a surprised Spell. The result: Streett went home to Chicago.
It's all got Clark allies wishing he'd put his uniform on again, play general, and right his listing ship.
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