2009/2010
Posted: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 9:22 AM by firstread
NEW JERSEY: The candidates for New Jersey's governorship explain their plans to boost the state's economy and bring jobs to its people, The New Jersey Star-Ledger reports. Democratic nominee Gov. Jon Corzine said, "Right now I think the No. 1 priority—how do you get the economy going—you have to grow our markets and grow our markets by having people work. When you create jobs, you create revenues for individuals, who then go into markets and create revenues for the state. That’s what we have to do, create jobs, jobs, jobs." When asked how he plans to create jobs in New Jersey, Republican candidate Chris Christie said, "Lowering of taxation and the lowering of regulation"; while in response to the same question, Independent candidate Chris Daggett responded, "Greater investment in higher education and developing collaborative relationships between higher education and industry."
A new poll released Tuesday has the top New Jersey gubernatorial nominees neck-and-neck, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Fairleigh Dickinson University-PublicMind Poll gives Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 44 percent and his Republican challenger Chris Christie 43 percent-—the difference within the poll's margin of error.
VIRGINIA: USA Today calls the Virginia gubernatorial race "a referendum" on the Obama presidency: "In winning the White House, Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Virginia since 1964. Now, Republicans here say, the political tide is turning." Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds admitted that his campaign has been affected by Obama being in the White House. "You've got a president who is trying to do things, and he's ruffling feathers," Deeds said. Bob McDonnell, the Republican challenger, furthered, "The overall political atmosphere is certainly much different now than it was in 2008 when the president won. ... We've got a lot more enthusiasm and energy on our side."
One of the top supporters of Bob McDonnell, Republican candidate for Virginia governor, was caught "mocking Democrat R. Creigh Deeds' stammer," the Richmond Times-Dispatch writes. The co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, Sheila C. Johnson, apologized for her imitation of Deeds at an event with McDonnell; however, McDonnell chose to continue to attack Deeds for his inability to "express any vision for Virginia's future."
ILLINOIS: “State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) raised $1.1 million in the third quarter and will report having $2.4 million in cash on hand at the end of September,” Roll Call reports, which gives him a slight lead over likely Republican nominee Mark Kirk, who raised $1.6 million in the third quarter, and will report having $2.3 million in cash on hand at the end of September.”
NEVADA: Yesterday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee tried to use the [John Ensign] scandal to attack Sue Lowden, the top GOP challenger to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in next year’s election, over her ties to Ensign. DSCC Executive Director Eric Schultz called Lowden’s repeated refusals to distance herself from Ensign “disturbing” in an e-mail to Democratic supporters on Monday… Lowden has said she hopes Ensign, who is already the subject of a preliminary Senate Ethics Committee investigation, would help campaign for Republicans.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: The latest poll results from the University of New Hampshire show former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) with a 7-point lead, 40%-33%, over Rep. Paul Hodes (D) “although a quarter of the voters surveyed were undecided a little more than a year before Election Day… The poll also showed Ayotte, who has attracted several primary challengers since her announcement, with more consolidated party support than Hodes had. Ayotte was backed by 76 percent of self-identified Republicans, while Hodes was favored by 61 percent of Democrats.”
NEW YORK: The National Republican Congressional Committee makes its way into the NY-23 special election with "its second TV ad that ties the Democratic candidate, Bill Owens, to Gov. David Paterson and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi," New York Daily News writes. Washington Republicans have "taken the lead" in getting Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R) elected.
A new batch of Republican mailers are attempting to make Gov. Paterson “an albatross on the necks of Senate Democrats going into next year's campaign. The glossy mailers blame Senate Democrats for helping Gov. Paterson institute some $8 billion in new taxes and fees this year's budget, including the elimination of the popular STAR tax rebate program. The fliers are flooding mailboxes in key Senate districts at a time when the rebate checks would have normally arrived.”
Governor Paterson called on “phantom” candidates for New York Governor “to say publicly why they would make better governors,” the New York Post reports. “When all these phantom people who say they're running for governor get into this race, they are going to have to same questions I've been answering for 18 months," Paterson said during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” He continued, "If they wanted to show that they were different and exciting and would make Albany a different place, why don't they answer those questions now." When asked if he was referring to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani or state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Paterson said he wasn’t “talking about anybody in particular.”
NYC MAYOR: The Teamsters Local 237 union is expected to endorse New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for re-election, the New York Daily News reports, “even after a handful of its 20,000 members were laid off in city budget cuts.” This endorsement comes as Bloomberg’s opponent, City Controller William Thompson, received the support of New York U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who “backed their fellow Democrat without undermining Bloomberg.”
IOWA SENATE: So the Democrats can find a credible challenger to Chuck Grassley in 2010 but the GOPers are struggling in places like Indiana, North Dakota and Wisconsin? BTW, the two big names mentioned on the Democratic side in Iowa: trial lawyer/'82 gubernatorial nominee Roxanne Conlin and former first lady Christie Vilsack.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: Bill Clinton formally entered the Democratic primary race by appearing for San Fran Mayor Gavin Newsom. "The endorsement by Clinton, a popular figure among deep-pocketed Democratic donors, comes as Newsom desperately seeks to gain traction on state Attorney General Jerry Brown, who leads handily in early polls and fundraising."
