With what has to be the most weaselly and mealy-mouthed candidate press release ever, JD Hayworth finally publicly conceded that Harry Mitchell received more votes in the election for the CD5 seat in Congress.
Somebody who likes JD (there *has* to be someone, right??) needs to sit him down and talk to him.
Right now, he makes Sen. Rick "man on dog" Santorum look like the epitome of personal grace and class. (Actually, while I was ecstatic on Election Night when Santorum's race was called with Bob Casey as the winner, I've got to give him credit for a conciliatory, complimentary, and congratulatory concession speech. If he had shown that much humanity during his term in the Senate, he could have won re-election.)
If he (JD) ever plans on running for office again...whatthehell am I thinking?!?
If he ever plans on running for office again, he shouldn't change a thing.
Not one bit.
Showing posts with label Hayworth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hayworth. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
One week on...
A few observations and ruminations after a week of digesting the mid-terms...
...Jim Pederson's candidacy for the U.S. Senate proved two things -
1. Jon Kyl is vulnerable.
2. Money alone isn't going to get the job done.
After a slow start, Jim Pederson developed into a solid campaigner, both on stage and on TV. However, most of that development occurred after the primary in September.
Jim, and the AZDems, would have been better served if he had faced a viable challenger in the primary. That would have forced him to grow as a candidate before he directly faced the seasoned campaigner Kyl. It also would have given him the opportunity to frame the talking points of the campaign (Iraq, Iraq, minimum wage, Iraq!) instead of giving Kyl a headstart.
Note to AZDems: Think about this the next time you run an inexperienced candidate, especially against an experienced one.
...When I was looking back at all of my posts this season, the one that I was proudest of was my post on the Central Arizona Water Conservation District race. Of all of my posts, it received the most positive feedback and thanks.
For a brief moment, I suffered from the delusion that I might of had a bit of influence.
That moment lasted until the results for the race came in.
With one exception (Lisa Atkins), every one of the candidates that I thought was most qualified for the board lost. As for every candidate that I thought was unqualified?
They won.
Ugh.
When that many political apparatchiks go for an office with no pay, no power (from the perspective of the general public, anyway) and no visibility, I have to wonder why.
I'll be keeping an eye on things like contract awards from CAP, as well as the effects of the board's actions on the values of land parcels owned by board members and their friends/families/political associates.
...Even more disappointing was the election of Dean Martin as state treasurer. He was 'creative' in the handling of contributions to his campaigns; I fully expect him to be 'creative' in his handling of Arizona's money and investments.
I'd be cheered by the fact that the State Treasurer doesn't supervise Arizona's Auditor General, except that the legislature does supervise the Auditor, and I would be very surprised if they ever allow the Auditor to investigate a Republican treasurer. Especially one that was one of them for a while.
This is another one to keep an eye on.
...Has anybody noticed the fact that Harry Mitchell is ahead of some guy for the CD5 seat?
Just asking. :)
...Oh, and has anybody noticed the fact that Laura Knaperek is soon to be unemployed? At least until some lobbying firm hires her, anyway.
...I hope that everyone who is pressuring JD Hayworth to concede the race stops doing so. Every vote *should* be counted. Period.
We insist on it; in fact, it's a major campaign plank for many campaigns. It's also something that the Republicans oppose almost reflexively.
Let's enjoy the Republicans' squirming now that the shoe is on the other foot.
...On the other hand, as noted by former Congressman, fellow blogger, and head of Harry Mitchell's transition team (YES!!!) Sam Coppersmith, JD is being something of a hypocrite about this. Apparently, in his 1996 race against challenger Steve Owens, JD was ahead by less than 600 votes after the polls closed, and DEMANDED that Owens immediately concede.
I guess that JD doesn't believe that complete vote counts are for Democrats, just embattled, and desperate, Republican incumbents.
...In 2008 news, Sen. Russ Feingold (D - WI) opted out of the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination.
...In related news, Sen. John McCain (R - AZ) and former mayor of New York City Rudy Guiliani are starting exploratory committees for the Republican nomination. And (courtesy the AZ Rep's Plugged In) Mitt Romney was in town during his unofficial pre-Presidential tour.
Yes, folks, it's already started. :)
Later!
...Jim Pederson's candidacy for the U.S. Senate proved two things -
1. Jon Kyl is vulnerable.
2. Money alone isn't going to get the job done.
After a slow start, Jim Pederson developed into a solid campaigner, both on stage and on TV. However, most of that development occurred after the primary in September.
Jim, and the AZDems, would have been better served if he had faced a viable challenger in the primary. That would have forced him to grow as a candidate before he directly faced the seasoned campaigner Kyl. It also would have given him the opportunity to frame the talking points of the campaign (Iraq, Iraq, minimum wage, Iraq!) instead of giving Kyl a headstart.
Note to AZDems: Think about this the next time you run an inexperienced candidate, especially against an experienced one.
...When I was looking back at all of my posts this season, the one that I was proudest of was my post on the Central Arizona Water Conservation District race. Of all of my posts, it received the most positive feedback and thanks.
For a brief moment, I suffered from the delusion that I might of had a bit of influence.
That moment lasted until the results for the race came in.
With one exception (Lisa Atkins), every one of the candidates that I thought was most qualified for the board lost. As for every candidate that I thought was unqualified?
They won.
Ugh.
When that many political apparatchiks go for an office with no pay, no power (from the perspective of the general public, anyway) and no visibility, I have to wonder why.
I'll be keeping an eye on things like contract awards from CAP, as well as the effects of the board's actions on the values of land parcels owned by board members and their friends/families/political associates.
...Even more disappointing was the election of Dean Martin as state treasurer. He was 'creative' in the handling of contributions to his campaigns; I fully expect him to be 'creative' in his handling of Arizona's money and investments.
I'd be cheered by the fact that the State Treasurer doesn't supervise Arizona's Auditor General, except that the legislature does supervise the Auditor, and I would be very surprised if they ever allow the Auditor to investigate a Republican treasurer. Especially one that was one of them for a while.
This is another one to keep an eye on.
...Has anybody noticed the fact that Harry Mitchell is ahead of some guy for the CD5 seat?
Just asking. :)
...Oh, and has anybody noticed the fact that Laura Knaperek is soon to be unemployed? At least until some lobbying firm hires her, anyway.
...I hope that everyone who is pressuring JD Hayworth to concede the race stops doing so. Every vote *should* be counted. Period.
We insist on it; in fact, it's a major campaign plank for many campaigns. It's also something that the Republicans oppose almost reflexively.
Let's enjoy the Republicans' squirming now that the shoe is on the other foot.
...On the other hand, as noted by former Congressman, fellow blogger, and head of Harry Mitchell's transition team (YES!!!) Sam Coppersmith, JD is being something of a hypocrite about this. Apparently, in his 1996 race against challenger Steve Owens, JD was ahead by less than 600 votes after the polls closed, and DEMANDED that Owens immediately concede.
I guess that JD doesn't believe that complete vote counts are for Democrats, just embattled, and desperate, Republican incumbents.
...In 2008 news, Sen. Russ Feingold (D - WI) opted out of the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination.
...In related news, Sen. John McCain (R - AZ) and former mayor of New York City Rudy Guiliani are starting exploratory committees for the Republican nomination. And (courtesy the AZ Rep's Plugged In) Mitt Romney was in town during his unofficial pre-Presidential tour.
Yes, folks, it's already started. :)
Later!
Quick update time...
First, the change to Blogger Beta is going as swimmingly as ever. Still working on the feed to LeftyBlogs.com.
Arrggghhhh!!!!!
More importantly however, Harry Mitchell's lead increased in today's count of provisional and dropped-off early ballots.
Current totals have Harry leading JD Hayworth, 88,302 votes to 82,485 votes, a margin of 5,817 votes.
AP coverage, via the Tucson Citizen, here.
More later....
Arrggghhhh!!!!!
More importantly however, Harry Mitchell's lead increased in today's count of provisional and dropped-off early ballots.
Current totals have Harry leading JD Hayworth, 88,302 votes to 82,485 votes, a margin of 5,817 votes.
YES!!!
AP coverage, via the Tucson Citizen, here.
More later....
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Making a list, checking it twice,
keeping it for 2008.
Until the Mitchell/Hayworth race is certified, we should ALL be making files and saving quotes, like this one from the Hayworth campaign -
"So, we continue to advocate that each legally cast ballot must be legally counted."
You just know that in two years, when they win a close one, we're going to have to throw these quotes back in their faces when they (especially Jan Brewer) try to undercount the vote.
Later!!
Until the Mitchell/Hayworth race is certified, we should ALL be making files and saving quotes, like this one from the Hayworth campaign -
"So, we continue to advocate that each legally cast ballot must be legally counted."
You just know that in two years, when they win a close one, we're going to have to throw these quotes back in their faces when they (especially Jan Brewer) try to undercount the vote.
Later!!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Newsing and musing, Mitchell/Hayworth edition
(OK, so 'newsing' isn't really a word. It rhymes, so cut me some slack. :)) )
Bloggers movin' on up...
...former Congressman, current columnist, and fellow blogger Sam Coppersmith at Liberal Desert has found gainful, if temporary employment. Of course, an opportunity for the post-transition period could come up, too.
From KVOA.com: Harry Mitchell "appointed former Arizona Congressman Sam Coppersmith to help lead his Congressional transition team."
...As has been covered elsewhere (including here), former JD opponent and another fellow blogger, Elizabeth Rogers won her race for the Kyrene JP job.
Other news of the Mitchell upset of Hayworth...
...Joanie Flatt, via AZ Congress Watch (thanks Stacy!), notes that "while J.D. won’t concede that Harry Mitchell is the Congressman-elect from CD5, apparently the Clerk of the House of Representatives sees it differently. "
Harry has to be in D.C. on Sunday for newbie orientation. Yessss!!!!
...Rush Limbaugh calls Harry a "parrot" on his radio show (it's about 2/3 of the way down the page).
Congrats to Harry for hitting the big-time. He's just been dissed by the one guy in the country who's a bigger blowhard than JD.
And a not-so-random musing...
...Does anybody else wonder if JD, when he goes looking for someone to blame for his electoral fall from grace, is going to blame the advisor who told him to disavow Russell Pearce after the "National Alliance" email? That JD is going to believe in the deepest recesses of his heart that CD5 would have re-elected him if he was just a little more extreme?
When JD finally does an honest evaluation of his campaign (if he ever does), to try to understand where to place the blame, he needs to look into a mirror before he starts pointing fingers.
...More updates as news becomes available.
Later!!
Bloggers movin' on up...
...former Congressman, current columnist, and fellow blogger Sam Coppersmith at Liberal Desert has found gainful, if temporary employment. Of course, an opportunity for the post-transition period could come up, too.
From KVOA.com: Harry Mitchell "appointed former Arizona Congressman Sam Coppersmith to help lead his Congressional transition team."
...As has been covered elsewhere (including here), former JD opponent and another fellow blogger, Elizabeth Rogers won her race for the Kyrene JP job.
Other news of the Mitchell upset of Hayworth...
...Joanie Flatt, via AZ Congress Watch (thanks Stacy!), notes that "while J.D. won’t concede that Harry Mitchell is the Congressman-elect from CD5, apparently the Clerk of the House of Representatives sees it differently. "
Harry has to be in D.C. on Sunday for newbie orientation. Yessss!!!!
...Rush Limbaugh calls Harry a "parrot" on his radio show (it's about 2/3 of the way down the page).
Congrats to Harry for hitting the big-time. He's just been dissed by the one guy in the country who's a bigger blowhard than JD.
And a not-so-random musing...
...Does anybody else wonder if JD, when he goes looking for someone to blame for his electoral fall from grace, is going to blame the advisor who told him to disavow Russell Pearce after the "National Alliance" email? That JD is going to believe in the deepest recesses of his heart that CD5 would have re-elected him if he was just a little more extreme?
When JD finally does an honest evaluation of his campaign (if he ever does), to try to understand where to place the blame, he needs to look into a mirror before he starts pointing fingers.
...More updates as news becomes available.
Later!!
Updated CD5 vote counts (not final yet)
According to what I heard today, the elections folks counted approximately 35,000 ballots today.
The new numbers, from the AZ Secretary of State's website:
Hayworth(R) 67,830 (+2,708)
Mitchell(D) 73,762 (+2,685)
Severin (L) 4,754 (+ 134)
Assuming the number of ballots counted is accurate, over the course of 35,000 ballots, JD gained on Harry by 23 votes.
That means, assuming that the overall number of ballots to be counted that I've heard about, 250,000, is correct, if the rest of the ballots fall out with the same proportions, JD will cut into Harry's lead by a net total of
164 votes.
Just for ha-has, I ran the numbers for a "worst-case scenario" related to the number of ballots counted.
I assumed that the number I have for the ballots counted today, 35,000, is inaccurate; I assumed that the only ballots counted today were the ones that fed into the totals for the CD5 candidates.
That's 5,527 (with JD netting a gain of 23 votes today).
I further assumed, for the sake of this post, that *all* 258,000 of the outstanding ballots in Maricopa County are for CD5 (they're not, but this is a worst-case scenario).
If the proportions of today's ballots hold true for the rest, JD would gain a net of 1074 votes on Harry's lead.
Harry may not be declaring victory yet, but JD should be updating his resume right about now.
The new numbers, from the AZ Secretary of State's website:
Hayworth(R) 67,830 (+2,708)
Mitchell(D) 73,762 (+2,685)
Severin (L) 4,754 (+ 134)
Assuming the number of ballots counted is accurate, over the course of 35,000 ballots, JD gained on Harry by 23 votes.
That means, assuming that the overall number of ballots to be counted that I've heard about, 250,000, is correct, if the rest of the ballots fall out with the same proportions, JD will cut into Harry's lead by a net total of
164 votes.
Just for ha-has, I ran the numbers for a "worst-case scenario" related to the number of ballots counted.
I assumed that the number I have for the ballots counted today, 35,000, is inaccurate; I assumed that the only ballots counted today were the ones that fed into the totals for the CD5 candidates.
That's 5,527 (with JD netting a gain of 23 votes today).
I further assumed, for the sake of this post, that *all* 258,000 of the outstanding ballots in Maricopa County are for CD5 (they're not, but this is a worst-case scenario).
If the proportions of today's ballots hold true for the rest, JD would gain a net of 1074 votes on Harry's lead.
Harry may not be declaring victory yet, but JD should be updating his resume right about now.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Election hangover...
No booze needed. :)
I don't know about you, but I'm thoroughly whipped tonight.
Monday was about the Michael J. Fox rally and phonebanking. Four hours of sleep.
Tuesday was about GOTV in Mesa, checking on a couple of local polling places (all OK - nothing "unseemly" happens in Scottsdale. Just ask the City Council.), and hours spent watching returns in Tempe. Four more hours of sleep.
Today was about getting back to a semblance of normalcy - classes and an interview for a small promotion at work (bombed it - I was as unprepared for the interview as I have ever been for anything in my life, and I'm OK with that) and helping the Mitchell campaign clean out their volunteer office in back of the main campaign office.
Tomorrow is a crash and study day (studying is something I really should do this semester, once or twice anyway. :) )
Random observations, reports, and thoughts on the election and stuff related (my brain is too fried for a coherent post on one subject)...
...Spoke to a few people today. The Mitchell campaign expects to have a clearer idea of what is happening with the vote count by Friday. Will update as information becomes available.
...Got to see Harry today. You can tell he's both excited about the apparent win and nervous about the ballot counting. You can also see that he is handling this in a calm, professional manner.
...Got to see JD on TV tonight. He's a smarmy SOB who still hasn't gotten the message. (Yeah, I know I'm biased, but that doesn't mean that I'm wrong.)
...AZ Rep report on the election and ballot count here.
...JD has an "important campaign update" on his website, but it's just in a box on the main page of the site. If you want to read it, go to his website.
...Assuming the results hold up (and there will be some serious screaming from here to D.C. if they don't), Harry will move from being one of the elder statesmen, even "legend", of Arizona politics, to being a freshman Congressman. One of many in a large incoming class (yes!!) of them.
Hope the Dem leadership in D.C. understands that in Harry's case, "freshman" isn't synonymous with "inexperienced."
...Let me say this, again assuming the results hold up...actually, even if they don't...Harry Mitchell could not have asked for a better opponent to run an uphill campaign against. He didn't need JD to make a mistake; he only needed to run the people- and issues-oriented campaign that he knows how to run and let JD be JD.
And JD cooperated fully by running a fear- and distortion-oriented campaign. Sending belligerent and offensive substitutes to a forum in a Jewish temple and openly trying to bully Harry during their meeting with the AZ Republic's editorial board would have been labeled as mistakes for any other campaign, but they were typical JD.
...Speaking of JD's style, abandoning his supporters at the Rep election-night party with nary a word of thanks when the upset became evident was utterly classless, even by his standards. In contrast, late Tuesday evening when it became apparent to the Mitchell camp that the results wouldn't be finalized that night, Harry graciously thanked his family, volunteers, and supporters.
And he did it both from the podium and in the crowd.
If JD ever wants to run for elected office again, there are some lessons for him to learn here.
...Ed Ableser, David Schapira, and the other downballot Dems in LD17 should thank Harry for their wins on Tuesday. His presence on the ballot against an almost universally disliked demagogue inspired a huge Dem turnout in the district. They worked hard, but so did the Reps. This time around, there were a lot more Democratic and Independent voters listening.
Actually, I expect that they already thanked him (they're all smart people) but it's something that the rest of us should consider. Instead of two years of watching Laura Knaperek work to further the agenda of the extremist wing of the Republican Party at the expense of the citizens of the district (and the state!), we'll have two Reps who'll fight for the district, first and foremost.
Please note that I haven't mentioned our new State Senator, Meg Burton-Cahill, yet. Let's face facts, she was probably going to win even if no Dem ran for CD5. Rose Crutcher seemed to be a decent human being, and was certainly a good candidate, but Meg would have had to do something crazy/stupid like endorse JD, to lose.
...Did this election make Nancy Pelosi golden, or what? She raised money for a lot of candidates, plus, in many races, the Republicans ran against *her* as much as the Democrat who was actually on the ballot.
And got their butts handed to them for their efforts.
I heard a rumor months ago that Steny Hoyer, the current House minority whip, was mulling a run at Speaker if the Dems took control of the House. At this point, I'd be surprised if he wasted his political capital on a fight against the virtually untouchable Pelosi.
I don't know much about either one, but personally, I'd love to see her as Speaker.
If only to watch Reps everywhere rip out their hair in frustration. :))
...The Reps probably aren't too happy with all of the pictures of a smiling Howard Dean that are all over TV and the internet tonight either.
Wonder if Gov. Dean is considering another run at the Presidency after last night?
...Oh, and thanks to fellow hard-working volunteer Peter C. for his comment with the date of this quote by Greg at the right-leaning Espresso Pundit.
On June 29th, he wrote "You will see a UFO before you see a newly elected white Democratic Congressman from Texas or Arizona. "
Ummm...I supposed he could make a case that his statement isn't false yet, because Gabrielle Giffords isn't a CongressMAN, but what about Harry?
Later!!
I don't know about you, but I'm thoroughly whipped tonight.
Monday was about the Michael J. Fox rally and phonebanking. Four hours of sleep.
Tuesday was about GOTV in Mesa, checking on a couple of local polling places (all OK - nothing "unseemly" happens in Scottsdale. Just ask the City Council.), and hours spent watching returns in Tempe. Four more hours of sleep.
Today was about getting back to a semblance of normalcy - classes and an interview for a small promotion at work (bombed it - I was as unprepared for the interview as I have ever been for anything in my life, and I'm OK with that) and helping the Mitchell campaign clean out their volunteer office in back of the main campaign office.
Tomorrow is a crash and study day (studying is something I really should do this semester, once or twice anyway. :) )
Random observations, reports, and thoughts on the election and stuff related (my brain is too fried for a coherent post on one subject)...
...Spoke to a few people today. The Mitchell campaign expects to have a clearer idea of what is happening with the vote count by Friday. Will update as information becomes available.
...Got to see Harry today. You can tell he's both excited about the apparent win and nervous about the ballot counting. You can also see that he is handling this in a calm, professional manner.
...Got to see JD on TV tonight. He's a smarmy SOB who still hasn't gotten the message. (Yeah, I know I'm biased, but that doesn't mean that I'm wrong.)
...AZ Rep report on the election and ballot count here.
...JD has an "important campaign update" on his website, but it's just in a box on the main page of the site. If you want to read it, go to his website.
...Assuming the results hold up (and there will be some serious screaming from here to D.C. if they don't), Harry will move from being one of the elder statesmen, even "legend", of Arizona politics, to being a freshman Congressman. One of many in a large incoming class (yes!!) of them.
Hope the Dem leadership in D.C. understands that in Harry's case, "freshman" isn't synonymous with "inexperienced."
...Let me say this, again assuming the results hold up...actually, even if they don't...Harry Mitchell could not have asked for a better opponent to run an uphill campaign against. He didn't need JD to make a mistake; he only needed to run the people- and issues-oriented campaign that he knows how to run and let JD be JD.
And JD cooperated fully by running a fear- and distortion-oriented campaign. Sending belligerent and offensive substitutes to a forum in a Jewish temple and openly trying to bully Harry during their meeting with the AZ Republic's editorial board would have been labeled as mistakes for any other campaign, but they were typical JD.
...Speaking of JD's style, abandoning his supporters at the Rep election-night party with nary a word of thanks when the upset became evident was utterly classless, even by his standards. In contrast, late Tuesday evening when it became apparent to the Mitchell camp that the results wouldn't be finalized that night, Harry graciously thanked his family, volunteers, and supporters.
And he did it both from the podium and in the crowd.
If JD ever wants to run for elected office again, there are some lessons for him to learn here.
...Ed Ableser, David Schapira, and the other downballot Dems in LD17 should thank Harry for their wins on Tuesday. His presence on the ballot against an almost universally disliked demagogue inspired a huge Dem turnout in the district. They worked hard, but so did the Reps. This time around, there were a lot more Democratic and Independent voters listening.
Actually, I expect that they already thanked him (they're all smart people) but it's something that the rest of us should consider. Instead of two years of watching Laura Knaperek work to further the agenda of the extremist wing of the Republican Party at the expense of the citizens of the district (and the state!), we'll have two Reps who'll fight for the district, first and foremost.
Please note that I haven't mentioned our new State Senator, Meg Burton-Cahill, yet. Let's face facts, she was probably going to win even if no Dem ran for CD5. Rose Crutcher seemed to be a decent human being, and was certainly a good candidate, but Meg would have had to do something crazy/stupid like endorse JD, to lose.
...Did this election make Nancy Pelosi golden, or what? She raised money for a lot of candidates, plus, in many races, the Republicans ran against *her* as much as the Democrat who was actually on the ballot.
And got their butts handed to them for their efforts.
I heard a rumor months ago that Steny Hoyer, the current House minority whip, was mulling a run at Speaker if the Dems took control of the House. At this point, I'd be surprised if he wasted his political capital on a fight against the virtually untouchable Pelosi.
I don't know much about either one, but personally, I'd love to see her as Speaker.
If only to watch Reps everywhere rip out their hair in frustration. :))
...The Reps probably aren't too happy with all of the pictures of a smiling Howard Dean that are all over TV and the internet tonight either.
Wonder if Gov. Dean is considering another run at the Presidency after last night?
...Oh, and thanks to fellow hard-working volunteer Peter C. for his comment with the date of this quote by Greg at the right-leaning Espresso Pundit.
On June 29th, he wrote "You will see a UFO before you see a newly elected white Democratic Congressman from Texas or Arizona. "
Ummm...I supposed he could make a case that his statement isn't false yet, because Gabrielle Giffords isn't a CongressMAN, but what about Harry?
Later!!
It may not be over for JD
but the proverbial fat lady is clearing her throat.
In the most important news in America today, it came out that Britney Spears is divorcing her husband, Kevin Federline.
Federline is demanding a recount. :)
Back to the real news (unfortunately, there are a lot of people in our country that consider the Spears news to be more important. Fortunately, none of them read this blog. :) )
...Just got back from the Mitchell campaign's election return party, an intimate little affair for 2000 of his closest staffers, volunteers, supporters, and friends.
First the good, almost great news -
Courtesy of the AZ Secretary of State's website:
As of 1:28 a.m., with 100% of precincts reporting, Harry Mitchell has 71,077 votes; Hayworth has 65,122.
Nobody is calling this race yet; it's close enough that provisional ballots could make a difference.
Harry isn't proclaiming victory; and we all know JD won't ever admit that he lost.
As I said at the party, JD won't concede until the U.S. Capitol Police padlock his office and drag him kicking and screaming out of the building.
Of course, as Geo of Geo's Precinct 134 observed, "It's better to be in Harry's position instead of JD's."
Ain't that the truth.
It's looking good right now, but things are still happening. More on this tomorrow.
Good things about the day, and the party afterward -
...Had the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers Geo and Tim and Zelph of AZNetRoots. It was great to be able to put faces with the names and the great writing that we all have read this election season.
...State House candidates Ed Ableser and David Schapira, along with State Senate candidate Meg Burton-Cahill, made LD17 A CLEAN SWEEP FOR THE DEMOCRATS!! Whooo Hooooo!!!!!!
They sent Laura Knaperek to retirement!!!!!!! Yesssss!!!!!
...In races from farther down the ballot, Jon Levenson and fellow blogger Elizabeth Rogers won the Constable and Justice of the Peace races for the Kyrene Justice Precinct (formerly Tempe East) respectively.
Credit positive messages and a LOT of hard work by both of them for this.
...Governor Napolitano and Attorney General Goddard both comfortably won reelection. No shocks there, but it was still nice to see.
...In CD8, Gabrielle Giffords posted a solid victory in the race for the U.S. House seat vacated by Republican Jim Kolbe.
...Prop 107 (anti-same sex marriage and unwed couples of any combination) looks like it's on it's way to defeat, and Prop 202 (raise the minimum wage) looks like it's going to pass.
There were some disappointments, too.
...LD8 went totally Republican. Not a huge surprise considering the Republican registration advantage, but North Scottsdale Reps are, generally speaking, moderate (at least by Rep standards). I thought there was a chance that Dan Oseran for State Senate and especially Stephanie Rimmer for State Rep could create an upset, but it wasn't meant to be.
...The down-ballot statewide races also went Republican. Again, nothing surprising, but I sort of hoped that after the ethics issues of incumbent David Petersen that even Republicans would hesitate to vote for another ethically-deficient candidate.
...Russell "National Alliance" Pearce won reelection to the State House. Ugh.
...and in the "Biggest Reason To Be Ashamed That I'm An Arizonan" category - every single ballot measure that attacks illegal immigrants won. Most of the measures were just vicious bigotry.
It's been a long day, and it's time for bed.
More on Harry Mitchell's quest to send JD into the fog of political history later today, as well as analysis of the day in Arizona and national politics.
Good night!!
In the most important news in America today, it came out that Britney Spears is divorcing her husband, Kevin Federline.
Federline is demanding a recount. :)
Back to the real news (unfortunately, there are a lot of people in our country that consider the Spears news to be more important. Fortunately, none of them read this blog. :) )
...Just got back from the Mitchell campaign's election return party, an intimate little affair for 2000 of his closest staffers, volunteers, supporters, and friends.
First the good, almost great news -
Courtesy of the AZ Secretary of State's website:
As of 1:28 a.m., with 100% of precincts reporting, Harry Mitchell has 71,077 votes; Hayworth has 65,122.
Nobody is calling this race yet; it's close enough that provisional ballots could make a difference.
Harry isn't proclaiming victory; and we all know JD won't ever admit that he lost.
As I said at the party, JD won't concede until the U.S. Capitol Police padlock his office and drag him kicking and screaming out of the building.
Of course, as Geo of Geo's Precinct 134 observed, "It's better to be in Harry's position instead of JD's."
Ain't that the truth.
It's looking good right now, but things are still happening. More on this tomorrow.
Good things about the day, and the party afterward -
...Had the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers Geo and Tim and Zelph of AZNetRoots. It was great to be able to put faces with the names and the great writing that we all have read this election season.
...State House candidates Ed Ableser and David Schapira, along with State Senate candidate Meg Burton-Cahill, made LD17 A CLEAN SWEEP FOR THE DEMOCRATS!! Whooo Hooooo!!!!!!
They sent Laura Knaperek to retirement!!!!!!! Yesssss!!!!!
...In races from farther down the ballot, Jon Levenson and fellow blogger Elizabeth Rogers won the Constable and Justice of the Peace races for the Kyrene Justice Precinct (formerly Tempe East) respectively.
Credit positive messages and a LOT of hard work by both of them for this.
...Governor Napolitano and Attorney General Goddard both comfortably won reelection. No shocks there, but it was still nice to see.
...In CD8, Gabrielle Giffords posted a solid victory in the race for the U.S. House seat vacated by Republican Jim Kolbe.
...Prop 107 (anti-same sex marriage and unwed couples of any combination) looks like it's on it's way to defeat, and Prop 202 (raise the minimum wage) looks like it's going to pass.
There were some disappointments, too.
...LD8 went totally Republican. Not a huge surprise considering the Republican registration advantage, but North Scottsdale Reps are, generally speaking, moderate (at least by Rep standards). I thought there was a chance that Dan Oseran for State Senate and especially Stephanie Rimmer for State Rep could create an upset, but it wasn't meant to be.
...The down-ballot statewide races also went Republican. Again, nothing surprising, but I sort of hoped that after the ethics issues of incumbent David Petersen that even Republicans would hesitate to vote for another ethically-deficient candidate.
...Russell "National Alliance" Pearce won reelection to the State House. Ugh.
...and in the "Biggest Reason To Be Ashamed That I'm An Arizonan" category - every single ballot measure that attacks illegal immigrants won. Most of the measures were just vicious bigotry.
It's been a long day, and it's time for bed.
More on Harry Mitchell's quest to send JD into the fog of political history later today, as well as analysis of the day in Arizona and national politics.
Good night!!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
What else is there to say?
The choice is between two years of bullying and bile with Hayworth or two years of coalition- and bridge-building with Mitchell.
Vote.
The choice is between four years of extremist ideology overruling reality from Munsil or four more years of progress and professionalism from Napolitano.
Vote.
The choice is six more years of a quiet betrayal of Arizona's voters and the Constitution from Kyl or six years of a new direction that includes having a Senator that truly represents Arizona, not the White House, in Pederson.
Vote.
Every campaign and the Democratic Party has a Get Out The Vote effort tomorrow. If you have even an hour to spare, volunteer to help.
Vote.
My next post will be my 200th, and I want it to be a celebratory one, so...
Vote.
Vote.
The choice is between four years of extremist ideology overruling reality from Munsil or four more years of progress and professionalism from Napolitano.
Vote.
The choice is six more years of a quiet betrayal of Arizona's voters and the Constitution from Kyl or six years of a new direction that includes having a Senator that truly represents Arizona, not the White House, in Pederson.
Vote.
Every campaign and the Democratic Party has a Get Out The Vote effort tomorrow. If you have even an hour to spare, volunteer to help.
Vote.
My next post will be my 200th, and I want it to be a celebratory one, so...
Vote.
Friday, November 03, 2006
A tale of two campaigns...
closing in on the finish line in CD5.
For the Harry Mitchell campaign:
...Bill Clinton wowed an enthusiastic crowd in Tempe on Thursday. (EV Tribune)
...According to AZCentral.com's Plugged In, Michael J. Fox will be in CD5 to campaign for Harry on Monday. Details to be announced. I'll post them when I have them, or you can contact the campaign at 755-3343.
...On Sunday, there will be a rally sponsored by the ASU Young Democrats with Governor Napolitano, Harry, Meg Burton-Cahill, Ed Ableser, and David Schapira at 3:00 p.m., on the ASU Student Services lawn. Again, contact the campaign for details at 755-3343. (Mitchell campaign website.)
...All weekend and through the election, there will be a huge Get Out The Vote effort. (also from the campaign website)
...Lastly, via email, contact the campaign for info regarding Election Night With Harry. Join Harry, his wife Marianne, his family, his staff and volunteers, and the district's state legislative candidates to watch election returns throughout the evening.
For the Hayworth campaign:
...On Sunday, they're having a fundraiser with Luis Gonzalez at Pinnacle Peak Patio. Expect the steaks to be hot and the air to be hotter. (Hey, I'm partisan. Get over it. :) )
...Friday, in a scathing response to the huge rally with Bill Clinton, JD posted a diatribe on The Hill's Congress Blog against Nancy Pelosi. Something about how the Democrats are going to "take money out of the pockets of hard-working Americans."
Oh, FYI - that "scathing" part is sarcasm, folks. :)
...that's it, at least as far as info available at public sources. I'm sure they have their own GOTV operation, but there's no call for volunteers, or even a general "volunteers" section on the Hayworth campaign's website.
In fact, the Hayworth campaign site features as many pictures of Harry Mitchell (4) as it does JD. Which, by the way, is 4 more pictures than they have of volunteers or even staffers.
Just for comparison, Harry Mitchell's website has a page called "Photo Gallery," a page with more pictures than I care to count and categorize after a long day at work. There's a bunch of them, though.
In the greater scheme of things (i.e. - when people are casting their ballots on Tuesday), it might not mean much, but it's definitely an interesting study in the candidates' different approaches, both to campaigning and to people.
It's a difference that illustrates why Harry Mitchell is the right choice for Arizona's CD5.
For the Harry Mitchell campaign:
...Bill Clinton wowed an enthusiastic crowd in Tempe on Thursday. (EV Tribune)
...According to AZCentral.com's Plugged In, Michael J. Fox will be in CD5 to campaign for Harry on Monday. Details to be announced. I'll post them when I have them, or you can contact the campaign at 755-3343.
...On Sunday, there will be a rally sponsored by the ASU Young Democrats with Governor Napolitano, Harry, Meg Burton-Cahill, Ed Ableser, and David Schapira at 3:00 p.m., on the ASU Student Services lawn. Again, contact the campaign for details at 755-3343. (Mitchell campaign website.)
...All weekend and through the election, there will be a huge Get Out The Vote effort. (also from the campaign website)
...Lastly, via email, contact the campaign for info regarding Election Night With Harry. Join Harry, his wife Marianne, his family, his staff and volunteers, and the district's state legislative candidates to watch election returns throughout the evening.
For the Hayworth campaign:
...On Sunday, they're having a fundraiser with Luis Gonzalez at Pinnacle Peak Patio. Expect the steaks to be hot and the air to be hotter. (Hey, I'm partisan. Get over it. :) )
...Friday, in a scathing response to the huge rally with Bill Clinton, JD posted a diatribe on The Hill's Congress Blog against Nancy Pelosi. Something about how the Democrats are going to "take money out of the pockets of hard-working Americans."
Oh, FYI - that "scathing" part is sarcasm, folks. :)
...that's it, at least as far as info available at public sources. I'm sure they have their own GOTV operation, but there's no call for volunteers, or even a general "volunteers" section on the Hayworth campaign's website.
In fact, the Hayworth campaign site features as many pictures of Harry Mitchell (4) as it does JD. Which, by the way, is 4 more pictures than they have of volunteers or even staffers.
Just for comparison, Harry Mitchell's website has a page called "Photo Gallery," a page with more pictures than I care to count and categorize after a long day at work. There's a bunch of them, though.
In the greater scheme of things (i.e. - when people are casting their ballots on Tuesday), it might not mean much, but it's definitely an interesting study in the candidates' different approaches, both to campaigning and to people.
It's a difference that illustrates why Harry Mitchell is the right choice for Arizona's CD5.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Numbers, numbers, everywhere
Time for some geeky stuff ("geeky" in that I had to do some work compiling and calculating the numbers)...
The Pre-General Election FEC filings are posted, and here are the results for the period of 10/1/2006 to 10/18/2006:
Harry Mitchell:
Individuals - $151,521.24
PACs/Committees - $38,400.00
Total - $189,921.24
That's an 80%/20% individual contributors vs. PACs split for the period.
Cash on hand at the end of the reporting period - $299,493.12
Money raised since the end of the reporting period, based on "48-Hour Notices" filed with the FEC (large donations only, actual numbers will be higher. That applies to all of these candidates) - $74,650.00
JD Hayworth:
Individuals - $109,512.84
PACs/Committees - $75,350.00
Total - $184,862.84
That's a 59%/41% individual vs. PACs split, and yes, it means that Harry is outraising JD both at the grassroots level and overall.
Not only that, he is doing it during crunch time.
YES!!
Cash on hand - $950,889.71
Money raised since the end of the reporting period - $61,700 (outraising him here too!!)
Ellen Simon:
Individuals - $120,205.20
PACs/Committees - $35,200.00
Total - $155,405.20
That's a 77%/23% split.
Cash on hand - $67,274.16
Raised since end of the period - $53,350.00
Rick Renzi:
Individuals - $155,050.00
PACs/Committees - $81,031.00
Total - $236,081.00
That's a 66%/34% split.
Cash on hand - $673,977.45
Raised since end of the period - $27,800.00, and that includes $4,200 from Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Sproul.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
And confirming what the individual contributor/PAC splits listed above already told you, corporate money is propping up the Republican electoral machine. (Phoenix Business Journal)
The Pre-General Election FEC filings are posted, and here are the results for the period of 10/1/2006 to 10/18/2006:
Harry Mitchell:
Individuals - $151,521.24
PACs/Committees - $38,400.00
Total - $189,921.24
That's an 80%/20% individual contributors vs. PACs split for the period.
Cash on hand at the end of the reporting period - $299,493.12
Money raised since the end of the reporting period, based on "48-Hour Notices" filed with the FEC (large donations only, actual numbers will be higher. That applies to all of these candidates) - $74,650.00
JD Hayworth:
Individuals - $109,512.84
PACs/Committees - $75,350.00
Total - $184,862.84
That's a 59%/41% individual vs. PACs split, and yes, it means that Harry is outraising JD both at the grassroots level and overall.
Not only that, he is doing it during crunch time.
YES!!
Cash on hand - $950,889.71
Money raised since the end of the reporting period - $61,700 (outraising him here too!!)
Ellen Simon:
Individuals - $120,205.20
PACs/Committees - $35,200.00
Total - $155,405.20
That's a 77%/23% split.
Cash on hand - $67,274.16
Raised since end of the period - $53,350.00
Rick Renzi:
Individuals - $155,050.00
PACs/Committees - $81,031.00
Total - $236,081.00
That's a 66%/34% split.
Cash on hand - $673,977.45
Raised since end of the period - $27,800.00, and that includes $4,200 from Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Sproul.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
And confirming what the individual contributor/PAC splits listed above already told you, corporate money is propping up the Republican electoral machine. (Phoenix Business Journal)
Monday, October 30, 2006
Quick news hits for the day
...Hayworth ad cited as "one of the worst" immigration ads by the New Republic (via Wall Street Journal...)
...this should have been mentioned in my previous post, but on November 1, Al Gore will be in Scottsdale to host a fundraiser, apparently for Jim Pederson. (AZ Business Journal) I'll post more details as I get them.
...The AZ Republican Party has its claws out...for itself. As reported in many places, including the AZ Republic, the party is going after 3 West Valley Republican mayors (calling on them to resign from office) who endorsed Governor Napolitano. And denying any involvement.
Yeah, I'm having trouble figuring that part out, too. :)
...Bill Montgomery, Republican candidate for Arizona Attorney General, aka - Chief Law Enforcement Officer, was penalized by the Clean Elections Commission for misusing funds intended for use during the primary election. They penalized him $43,000 for filming and paying to air an ad on September 12.
September 12 was primary day.
The Commission determined that the ad could not have been intended for use during the primary. (AZCentral.com's Plugged In)
That decision is something we have come to NOT expect from governmental bodies in AZ.
It's sensible.
BTW - maybe someone should advise Mr. Montgomery that if he wants the voters to choose him to be Arizona's chief law enforcement officer, maybe he should obey those laws first.
Just something to think about...
...John McCain picked up another rival for the 2008 Republican nomination to lose the general election...errr..."the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination" :) when Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) announced his candidacy. A week before the midterms.
Just a guess here, but I'm thinking that timing probably won't endear him to the GOP leadership.
...and in observance of Halloween, Maricopa County's own Sheriff Joe Arpaio was recognized as one of the 13 Scariest Americans by Old Trout Magazine. He's listed in the "Scariest Cop" category. Thanks to Desert Beacon in Nevada for the heads-up on this one.
...this should have been mentioned in my previous post, but on November 1, Al Gore will be in Scottsdale to host a fundraiser, apparently for Jim Pederson. (AZ Business Journal) I'll post more details as I get them.
...The AZ Republican Party has its claws out...for itself. As reported in many places, including the AZ Republic, the party is going after 3 West Valley Republican mayors (calling on them to resign from office) who endorsed Governor Napolitano. And denying any involvement.
Yeah, I'm having trouble figuring that part out, too. :)
...Bill Montgomery, Republican candidate for Arizona Attorney General, aka - Chief Law Enforcement Officer, was penalized by the Clean Elections Commission for misusing funds intended for use during the primary election. They penalized him $43,000 for filming and paying to air an ad on September 12.
September 12 was primary day.
The Commission determined that the ad could not have been intended for use during the primary. (AZCentral.com's Plugged In)
That decision is something we have come to NOT expect from governmental bodies in AZ.
It's sensible.
BTW - maybe someone should advise Mr. Montgomery that if he wants the voters to choose him to be Arizona's chief law enforcement officer, maybe he should obey those laws first.
Just something to think about...
...John McCain picked up another rival for the 2008 Republican nomination to lose the general election...errr..."the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination" :) when Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) announced his candidacy. A week before the midterms.
Just a guess here, but I'm thinking that timing probably won't endear him to the GOP leadership.
...and in observance of Halloween, Maricopa County's own Sheriff Joe Arpaio was recognized as one of the 13 Scariest Americans by Old Trout Magazine. He's listed in the "Scariest Cop" category. Thanks to Desert Beacon in Nevada for the heads-up on this one.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
What is it with the Hayworth campaign?
Let me apologize now for the awkward linking...still learning blogging the hard way....
All sorts of stuff going on over there...first, as noted on Tedski's http://rumromanismrebellion.blogspot.com/, a legislative assistant from the Hayworth office is spotted at Harry Mitchell's campaign kickoff in Tempe (see pic), and then the Republic's "Plugged In" has a story (http://www.azcentral.com/blogs/index.php?blog=85&title=hayworth_aide_plugged_innuendo_is_more_l&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments)about how JD's Chief of Staff (and presumably, the good Congressman himself) is upset over the coverage of JD's connections to the Abramoff scandal (receipt of $60K - $250K, depending on your source and the criteria used). So upset, that he sent a harsh response to "Plugged In" suggesting that it's name get changed to "Plugged Innuendo".
Wonder if they are feeling the pressure of having to mount a real campaign, when they expected something resembling a walkover?
Note: while I would love to post over the weekend, and will try to do so in the future, my work schedule of Sat - Mon, 12 hours each day, sort of makes that tough.
Good night!
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