Desperate Democrats sending mailers for Libertarians

In a sign of sure desperation, Democrat parties across the nation are sending out mail pieces that attempt to sway Republicans and Independents to support the Libertarian candidate, thus enabling the Democrat to eke out a victory.

Indiana-9: "The Indiana Democratic Party has sent an unusual mailer to 9th Congressional District voters, calling Libertarian Greg Knott the race’s “real conservative” in an attempt to siphon votes away from Republican Todd Young."

Maryland-1: "In what appears to be a national pattern, the Democratic Party is highlighting a longshot third-party candidate in an effort to undermine a Republican nominee--in this case, Andy Harris, the GOP challenger in Maryland's tightest House race." Also here.

Illinois-Senate: "The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Illinois Democratic Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias admitted yesterday that his campaign had a hand in a mailer sent to conservatives in downstate Illinois touting Libertarian Senate candidate Mike Labno as a "pro-life, pro-gun" alternative to Rep. Mark Kirk, the Republican nominee in the race." [more here]

Arizona-8: "Wow, talk about a desperate move by those whose ideas have been rejected by the populace.  The Arizona Democratic Party is sending out mail advocating for the Libertarian Candidate in CD 8 because he is the 'Real Conservative.'"

Arizona-5: "At least the Stoltz piece has a disclosure.  In District 5, someone sent out this piece on behalf of Libertarian Rick Coons but without the required disclosure." [more also here]


Desperate times require desperate measures. The Democrats must really be in trouble to stoop to sending mailers out for Libertarian candidates who openly oppose large portions of the Democrat platform and agenda (i.e. ObamaCare, gun restrictions, higher taxes, etc).

T Minus Five Days: Voting Problems

With just five days left until E-Day, reports are surfacing of problems with early voting across the nation.

New Bern, North Carolina:

Sam Laughinghouse of New Bern said he pushed the button to vote Republican in all races, but the voting machine screen displayed a ballot with all Democrats checked. He cleared the screen and tried again with the same result, he said. Then he asked for and received help from election staff.

“They pushed it twice and the same thing happened,” Laughinghouse said. “That was four times in a row. The fifth time they pushed it and the Republicans came up and I voted.”

Clark County, Nevada:

Clark County election officials insisted on Tuesday that electronic voting machines were not malfunctioning at polling locations are some voters complained that Sen. Harry Reid's name had been pre-selected.

Controversy arose after Boulder City resident Joyce Ferrara complained to FOX5 that when she went to vote for GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle, Reid's name was already checked.

Bucks County, Pennsylvania:

A trio of Bucks County residents backed by the county Republican committee say they have evidence linking Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy's campaign to a scheme to flood the county voter registration office with fraudulent applications for absentee ballots.

Illinois:

An Illinois county election official says that thousands, and potentially hundreds of thousands, of voters who are expecting a ballot sent to them by mail may be disenfranchised.

With all of the issues nationwide with electronic voting machines, perhaps it's time that states looked to Oklahoma for an example of a ballot that is very easy to understand, and works very well. It just doesn't get much simpler than "connect-the-arrows" (as shown in the 2006 Oklahoma sample ballot below).

2006 Oklahoma sample ballot

Battle for the Governor's Mansions: Poll Updates

Of all of the governors in the nation, 26 are Democrats, 23 are Republicans, and one is Independent (Charlie Crist of Florida, formerly Republican). 37 governorships are up this year (19 seats currently held by Democrats, and 18 by Republicans), and things are looking good for the GOP.

California - tossup (current R)

Outgoing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is a Republican (well...) , but California is a liberal state. Former Democrat Governor (1975-1983) and current Attorney General Jerry Brown is running against Meg Whitman, the GOP nominee. The RCP poll average has Brown leading by 1.4%. Brown has been leading for most of the past year, but Whitman led in the polls during March and August. Currently, Brown has a very slim lead.

Illinois - lean GOP (current D)

In Illinois, you have a match-up between State Sen. Bill Brady (R) and Governor Pat Quinn, who replaced impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) in January of 2009. The RCP average has Brady leading by 9.2%. Brady has led this race since March by an average of 8-10 points.

Iowa - likely GOP (current D)

Democrat Chet Culver is facing Republican Terry Branstad, who was a former Iowa governor (1983-1999). The RCP average has Branstad leading by 13.4%.

Kansas - safe GOP (current D)

U.S. Senator Sam Brownback is running against State Sen. Tom Holland. Brownback is basically a shoo-in, as polls have found him with leads of 25-40%.

Maine - likely GOP (current D)

Mayor Paul LePage (R) is running against State Sen. Libby Mitchell (D), but a fairly strong Independent is in the race (Eliot Cutler). Due to Maine's tendency to have strong Independent candidates, no candidate has received over 50% of the vote since 1998 (and ironically, that was Independent Governor Angus King - the last time a Democrat or Republican gubernatorial candidate got over 50% was 1982). RCP has LePage leading by 15%. Cutler is taking anywhere from 10-15%, Mitchell 25-30%, and LePage has 40-45%.

Maryland - tossup (current D)

Maryland has a rematch of the 2006 gubernatorial race, when Democrat Martin O'Malley unseated incumbent Republican Bob Erhlich. Now, Erhlich hopes to turn the tables on O'Malley. RCP hgas O'Malley by 3.8%, but this race has been tightening.

Michigan - likely GOP (current D)

Rick Snyder (R) is running against Mayor Virg Bernero (D). Snyder has an impressive lead in this economically devastated state; the RCP average has him leading by 21%.

New Mexico - lean GOP (current D)

District Attorney Susanna Martinez (R) is facing  Lt. Gov. Diane Denish in the New Mexico gubernatorial contest. RCP has it Martinez by 4.7% - she has had a slim lead in the polls since June, but polls done in August (the most recent) had her leading by 6% and 7%.

Ohio - lean GOP (current D)

Gov. Ted Strickland (D) is trailing Republican Congressman John Kasich, who is set to spoil his reelection bid. RCP's average has it Kasich by 10.7%. Kasich has held a pretty steady lead for the past few months, with one poll earlier this month putting him up by 17%.

Oklahoma - likely GOP (current D)

Congresswoman Mary Fallin is running against Lt. Gov. Jari Askins in what is only one of two female-only gubernatorial races this year (New Mexico is the other - both will result in their state's first female governor). Polls have Fallin leading by 15-20%, but due to the voter registration in this state, Askins is by no means out of reach.

Oregon - tossup (current D)

Former NBA player Chris Dudley (R) and former Democrat Governor (1994-2002) John Kitzhaber are running to replace Governor Ted Kulongoski (D). RCP has Dudley leading by 3.4%. Dudley has held a very slim but consistent lead since May. The latest polls had him up by 5% and 6%.

Pennsylvania - likely GOP (current D)

Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato are seeking to replace Governor Ed Rendell (D). The RCP poll average has Corbett up by 9.8%.

RCP has this interesting tidbit about the Pennsylvania Governorship:

There are some trends in politics that border on the surreal. Virginia always elects a governor from the opposite party of the one holding the White House (true since the 1970s). The North Carolina Senate seat currently occupied by Richard Burr switches parties every six years (true since the 1970s). And the Pennsylvania governorship switches parties every eight years. The latter has been true since 1954, when Pennsylvania elected only its fourth Democratic governor since the close of the Civil War.

Polls have had Corbett around 50% for the past several months, and Onorato in the upper 30s.

Tennessee - safe GOP (current D)

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam (R) has a big lead over Mike McWherter (D), son of a former governor. The RCP average has it Haslam by 23%. The latest poll had Haslam at 56%, and McWherter at 31%. Easy pickup for the GOP.

Wisconsin - likely GOP (current D)

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker (R) and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett are facing off to replace retiring Governor Jim Doyle. RCP has it Walker by 9.3%. Walker has led the polls since January. Walker also has an interesting "brown bag" theme to his campaign (see here and some of his YouTube videos) that you should check out.

Wyoming - safe GOP (current D)

Call it over already in Wyoming - Republican Matt Mead is leading Democrat Leslie Petersen 58%-24% in the latest poll.

Adam Andrzejewski for IL Governor

There's a solid, grassroots conservative running for governor in Illinois that needs our help. Adam Andrzejewski (and-jee-EFF-ski) is running in a tight 6-way Republican primary, with the vote coming up on February 2nd.

I first heard of Adam Andrzejewski on the Race42012 blog, where Adam Brickley started talking about this sterling candidate in Illinois. Brickley was the first person in the blogosphere to really start pushing Sarah Palin for Vice President; how he finds gems like Palin and Andrzejewski before anyone else does is beyond me.



Andrzejewski is running on a platform of reform, transparency and fiscal responsibility. You can find several posts on him here at R4'12. Adam is a stellar, rock-solid conservative with strong anti-corruption credentials - just what Illinois, and the rest of the nation, needs.

Erick Erickson at RedState has picked up the Andrzejewski banner, and other bloggers are trying to rally the conservative 'troops' for a moneybomb to take place tomorrow for Andrzejewski (Give2424.com).

So, Adam Andrzejewski for Illinois Governor!

Chicago Tea Party and CNN's Extreme Bias

Behind the scenes at the Chicago Tea Party, where CNN reporter Susan Roesgen shows her extreme bias.



I'm just floored. I thought I had seen it all, but this tops pretty much all the bias I've ever seen.

Democratic Corruption: Roland Burris

Was there "pay-to-play" between disgraced (and impeached) former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and new U.S. Senator Rolad Burris, Barack Obama's successor?

The answer is, we don't know. Sen. Burris keeps changing the story. Read here for the latest story of his.

If he is found to have lied to the Illinois House impeachment committee, how will the Senate react, since they agreed to seat him only if there were no such actions. But then again, they weren't going to seat any of Blagojevich's appointees, so perhaps nothing will be done. Count on the latter.

Corrupt birds of a feather flock together.

BREAKING: Blagojevich Removed From Office, Banned from Future Office

The Illinois State Senate concluded impeachment trials, and voted 59-0 to remove sitting Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich from office. Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn, also a Democrat, replaces Blagojevich.

More here.

It's about time.

UPDATE: The State Senate also voted 59-0 to ban Blagojevich from again holding elected office in Illinois.

Obama: Don't Seat Blagojevich Appointee

The saga continues:

Obama backs Senate refusal to seat Blagojevich appointee

President-elect Obama says he supports Senate Democrats' decision not to seat the man that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich picked to replace him.

In a statement, Obama called former state Attorney General Roland Burris a fine man but said he agreed that the Senate cannot accept any appointment from Blagojevich, who is accused of trying to sell Obama's seat. Obama repeated his call for Blagojevich to resign and allow the seat to be filled by other means.

At the same time, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said he would refuse to certify any appointment by Blagojevich.

"I cannot co-sign a document that certifies any appointment by Rod Blagojevich for the vacant United States Senate seat from Illinois," White said in a statement.

Blagojevich said at the news conference that he favored scheduling a special election to fill the seat, but the Illinois General Assembly had taken no steps to schedule one. Without such legislation, Blagojevich has sole authority to fill Obama's seat.

On the Blagojevich topic, check out this post by Kristofer Lorelli at Race 4 2012 (formerly 'Race 4 2008').

Blagojevich Names Burris to Obama's Senate Seat

Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich defied U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, as well as numerous Illinois elected officials, and named former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to President-elect Barack Obama's former Senate seat.

"Please don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man," Blagojevich said.

Personally, the words "good and honest", coming from Rod Blagojevich, aren't very reassuring... but we'll see if the Senate seats Burris or not.

Blagojevich to name Roland Burris at 2pm?

Report: Blagojevich to name Obama successor this afternoon

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Gov. Blagojevich today is expected to name former state Comptroller and Attorney General Roland Burris to Illinois' vacant U.S. Senate seat, a knowledgeable source said this morning.

A news conference is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, 71, had lobbied the governor for the position in recent weeks.

Burris made a previous attempt at the Senate seat in the past -- unsuccessfully. In 1984, he was beat out for the Democratic nomination by Paul Simon.

However, Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid says he will not seat a Blagojevich appointee.

The action comes despite warnings by Democratic Senate leaders that they would not seat anyone appointed by the disgraced governor who faces criminal charges of trying to sell the post, sources familiar with the decision said.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada previously warned Blagojevich, following the governor's Dec. 9 arrest, that Senate Democrats would not seat any appointment the two-term Democratic governor made. Reid's warning was contained in a letter signed by all 50 sitting Democratic senators, including the No. 2 Democrat in Senate leadership, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

This will be interesting to watch unfold. Tune in at 2pm (CST) for the press conference.

84% Say Blagojevich Should Resign

In a Rasmussen poll today, 84% of Illinoisans said that Gov. Rod Blagojevich, now embroiled in a political corruption scandal, should resign. Only 9% disagree.

79% say that Blagojevich should go to jail. Just 7% give the governor a "good" or "excellent" job rating, while 83% gave him a "poor" rating.

The Politics of Change

"Change has come to America," proclaimed President-elect Barack Obama upon defeating John McCain in the recent general election. In a sense, change has come. There will be a new administration; a change from the old.

With Sen. Obama leaving the Senate for the White House, there will be a change in the second Senate seat from Illinois. Governor Rod Blagojevich will appoint a new senator to replace Obama.

Here is what "change" means to Gov. Blagojevich:

Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges alleging that they and others are engaging in ongoing criminal activity: conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a United States Senator; threatening to withhold substantial state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical of Blagojevich; and to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for official actions – both historically and now in a push before a new state ethics law takes effect January 1, 2009.

Change, you see, means cash. Here's more of the details:

A 76-page FBI affidavit alleges that Blagojevich, a Democrat, was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps during the last month conspiring to sell or trade Illinois' U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama for financial and other personal benefits for himself and his wife. At various times, in exchange for the Senate appointment, Blagojevich discussed obtaining:

A substantial salary for himself at a either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions;

Placing his wife on paid corporate boards where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year;

Promises of campaign funds – including cash up front; and

A cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.

Just last week, on December 4, Blagojevich allegedly told an advisor that he might "get some (money) up front, maybe" from Senate Candidate 5, if he named Senate Candidate 5 to the Senate seat, to insure that Senate Candidate 5 kept a promise about raising money for Blagojevich if he ran for re-election. In a recorded conversation on October 31, Blagojevich claimed he was approached by an associate of Senate Candidate 5 as follows: "We were approached 'pay to play.' That, you know, he'd raise 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator."

On November 7, while talking on the phone about the Senate seat with Harris and an advisor, Blagojevich said he needed to consider his family and that he is "financially" hurting, the affidavit states. Harris allegedly said that they were considering what would help the "financial security" of the Blagojevich family and what will keep Blagojevich "politically viable." Blagojevich stated, "I want to make money," adding later that he is interested in making $250,000 to $300,000 a year, the complaint alleges.

On November 10, in a lengthy telephone call with numerous advisors that included discussion about Blagojevich obtaining a lucrative job with a union-affiliated organization in exchange for appointing a particular Senate Candidate whom he believed was favored by the President-elect and which is described in more detail below, Blagojevich and others discussed various ways Blagojevich could "monetize" the relationships he has made as governor to make money after leaving that office.

"The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," Mr. Fitzgerald said. "They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States Senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism. The citizens of Illinois deserve public officials who act solely in the public's interest, without putting a price tag on government appointments, contracts and decisions," he added.

Mr. Grant said: "Many, including myself, thought that the recent conviction of a former governor would usher in a new era of honesty and reform in Illinois politics. Clearly, the charges announced today reveal that the office of the Governor has become nothing more than a vehicle for self-enrichment, unrestricted by party affiliation and taking Illinois politics to a new low."

Click here for the whole article from CBS 2 (Chicago). The charges leveled at Gov. Blagojevich are extremely detailed and I see no way that the Governor can avoid a very long time in prison.