USNews.com: Inside Washington: Paul Bedard: : Another win for techie Republicans

September 13, 2006

Another win for techie Republicans

You could say that the GOP tech machine is two-for-two this year. As in winning the 50th House District race in California earlier and yesterday helping embattled Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a liberal Republican, save his bacon in a primary challenge. GOP Political Director Mike DuHaime tells us that the margin of victory was the Republican program that found friendly voters and got to them to the polls to help Chafee. It's the same "microtargeting" technique that worked in California last summer and, most notably, in President Bush's re-election. And it's the same program Democrats are trying to copy. A Bushie tells me: "This is a huge deal going into November. If anyone doubts the effectiveness of the Republican ground game, look no further than the Ocean State." Read DuHaime's get-out-the-vote victory memo to party boss Ken Mehlman here.

Posted at 12:00 AM by PaulBedard

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WHAT IS THIS?

Have you ever wondered what reporters do with all the stuff they collect but never write about? Well wonder no more. The bosses here pay me a good chunk of change and haven't ever choked on my Amex bill so it seems only proper to dump out my notebook every week. It won't be just news we didn't use. The blog will sometimes write about the process of getting stories-like why we choose Charlie Palmer's (quiet, spacious) for source lunches on Capitol Hill over Bistro Bis (crowded and noisy). Or why it's hard to get reporters at U.S. News to answer their phones on Fridays (it's our deadline, silly.) We'll even include pictures of our travels. Don't hesitate to applaud or criticize. We might just run your comments. Go ahead and email me at pbedard@usnews.com.

HISTORICAL STUFF

In Washington Whispers One Year Ago: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy can be one of the Senate's blustering best, but we found him in a candid moment last week when he sized up his speech this week at the AFL-CIO convention in Chicago. "You're gonna miss a great speech there," he said with a chuckle. "Same one I've given for 40 years. It's going to be breathtaking."

Five years ago: Vice President Dick Cheney knows how to keep reporters happy. Flying home on Air Force Two from an energy policy town hall meeting in Pittsburgh, his press corps asked stewards for beer. Breaking with practice, the jet was dry. Scribes whined to Cheney who found two bottles of vino, red and white, to give the pampered pressies.