The Note: Self-evident Truthiness
— -- WASHINGTON, Oct. 13
Things the Gang of 500 knows with absolute certainty, most of which are true, and/but all of which can be used at cocktail parties and on soccer game sidelines all weekend:
1. The Washington Post's Dan Balz and buff Diamond Jim VandeHei are spot on when they write today about the fight for House control, "Some top Republicans privately talk about losing a minimum of 12 seats, leaving them with a barely workable majority, and as many as 25 or 30 seats. Democratic strategists see the range of potential pickups in almost identical terms." LINK
2. The winners, in order, of Mark Warner's decision not to run for president in 2008 are Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Evan Bayh.
3. The liberal Old Media's breathless reaction to David Kuo's book notwithstanding, the Bush Administration has close ties to religious conservatives -- and the White House Office of Political Affairs is a taxpayer-funded operation that -- under presidents of both parties -- works on political affairs.
4. Very little is going to leak from the ethics committee's page investigation.
5. If Todd Harris has been hired to work to save the Mark Foley seat for the Republicans, Tom Reynolds hasn't given up on it yet.
6. Bill Clinton will raise the roof in Iowa this weekend, with one of the five best political speeches of the year.
7. Harry Reid doesn't give a rip about the Washington Post's ed board's view of his land deal; oddly, Karl Rove does. LINK
8. Mitt Romney and John Edwards have had very good 2006s.
9. Despite rampant e-mail traffic to the contrary, Mark Warner did not drop out of the race because he had just finished reading The Way to Win. LINK
10. "Staying the course" is not an option; neither is "adapt and change."
Notwithstanding #4 above, the stakeout in the basement of the Capitol will be chock full of reporters today. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) -- the top Republican on the House Page Board -- is expected to testify before the House ethics committee today. According to Roll Call, "Shimkus will be accompanied before the panel by his attorney, Barry Pollack with the firm Kelley Drye & Warren in Washington, D.C."
Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times has more. LINK
Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) is expected to plead guilty to corruption charges this morning before U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle at 10:00 am ET in Washington, DC. (In Portland, OR yesterday, Nancy Pelosi -- rhetorically -- joined Ohio GOP Chair Bob Bennett and Republican House candidate Joy Padgett in calling for Ney to resign.)
Also in Washington today, President Bush signs the Safe Port Act at 10:00 am ET, attends a RNC luncheon at 12:05 pm ET and then meets with his Management Council on the President's Management Agenda at 1:30 pm ET. The President's RNC fundraiser is expected to raise $900,000 from the anticipated 85 attendees.
Former governor/former presidential prospect Mark Warner appears with House candidate Bruce Braley (D-IA) at a campaign event at the University of Northern Iowa Regional Business Center at 12:00 pm ET in Waterloo, IA.
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) keynotes the annual New Hampshire Democratic Party "Jefferson-Jackson" dinner in Manchester, NH at 6:30 pm ET.
Bill Clinton expresses his support of Proposition 87, the Clean Alternative Energy Act, at 11:15 am ET in Los Angeles, CA.
RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman attends rallies and fundraisers in one Tennessee today.
Make sure to tune into "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" on Sunday when George goes on the Tennessee campaign trail with Bob Corker and Harold Ford, Jr. and brings you the latest from one of the hottest Senate races in the country. Can't wait until Sunday? You don't have to. Check out the "This Week All Week" web cast here: LINK
See below for more Friday schedule items and a look at the weekend ahead in politics.
2006: landscape:
In a must-read look at how the GOP is redirecting funds from faltering races, the Washington Post's Dan Balz and Jim VandeHei report that Democrats have "ordered up polls" in a dozen or more second-tier districts and "now face a critical choice: whether to place bets on a few of these districts in the hope of expanding the field of competitive seats, or concentrate advertising dollars as planned on the roughly 20 to 25 districts where the odds appear most favorable." LINK
Balz and VandeHei go on to report that Republican and Democratic operatives seem to agree that the GOP is on course to lose a minimum of 12 seats and a maximum of 25 to 30.
And don't miss this: "Among those where spending is heaviest are three races in Indiana, where Republican incumbents are running scared. More than $4 million had been spent there as of the beginning of the week. Other races where money has flowed freely include two districts in Connecticut -- another state where Republicans are on the defensive -- and districts in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York and Virginia."
"'We're seeing relatively safe House districts with candidates up on the air five weeks out,' said Evan Tracey, chief operating officer of TNSMI/CMAG. 'They would have been on two to three weeks out at the earliest in past elections. . . . No one is safe.'"
It truly is your must-read of the day, so stop whatever else you are doing and go read the whole thing. . . TWICE!
Mark Warner bows out: who benefits?:
To the delight of a set of Bayh donors who have grown tired with his glowing George Magazine profile from the 1990s, the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza writes that the "most obvious Democrat to benefit from Warner's surprise announcement, in the view of many party strategists, is Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.)." LINK
Cillizza adds that if Warner's decision shifts the 2008 center of gravity leftward, the candidate "best positioned to capitalize on the change may be" Edwards.
The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire reports that Warner's decision could "lift the profiles of governors Vilsack of Iowa and Richardson of New Mexico, fellow Southerner Edwards of North Carolina, and centrist alternative Sen. Bayh of Indiana."
"The Democratic Party primary electorate . . . is considerably to the left of Warner, says strategist Carter Eskew."
The Wire also has Daily Kos seeing the Warner announcement as good for Edwards and Gov. Richardson, MyDD readers speculating about Sen. Obama, and Confessions of a Hoosier Democrat seeing the decision as good for Sen. Bayh. LINK
The New York Times' Nagourney sees Sen. Clinton, Sen. Bayh, and John Edwards as the big winners. LINK
The New York Daily News on the same: LINK
The New York Post's Ian Bishop sees the path clearing for Sen. Clinton in the wake of Warner's announcement. LINK
Jill Lawrence of USA Today touts winners Bayh and Edwards. LINK
The Washington Times says Sen. Clinton benefits. LINK
Sylvia A. Smith of the Journal Gazette reports on Sen. Bayh's (D-IN) expected gain from former Gov. Mark Warner's announcement. "The smart move for Bayh . . . is to lock up any and all of Warner's supporters." LINK
Bloomberg's Brian Faler and Lee Walczak see Sen. Clinton's footprint. LINK
The Los Angeles Times is all over the lot in picking derivative winners. LINK
Mark Warner bows out: the reason(s):
The Washington Post's Michael Shear has Warner's chief operative in New Jersey sounding a Note of skepticism about the rationale for pulling out so fast: "Everyone's devastated. Why would a person pull out this fast? Is there something we don't know? Maybe he's not ready emotionally. All I ever said to him was, 'You're running, right?' And he said, 'Yes, I am.' " LINK
On ABC News' Political Radar, Teddy Davis and Karuna Seshasai write that Warner first hinted at the skepticism his daughters might feel about a White House run during a 2005 C-SPAN interview. LINK
"In his interview with Brian Lamb for C-SPAN's 'Q&A,' Warner bluntly stated that his daughters, who were 15, 14, and 11 at the time, viewed him as a 'jerk' when he temporarily moved them from northern Virginia to Richmond when he became governor."
Mark Warner bows out: 2008 Dems react:
After announcing his decision to not seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA) is receiving tons of praise from some of the Democrats who are still very much considering making a run for the White House. Here is a sampling:
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY): "I respect his decision. It's such an intensely personal decision . . . he's been a tremendous public servant, and I hope we haven't seen the last of him in Democratic politics and on the national scene."
SEN. EVAN BAYH (D-IN): "Governor Warner is an exceptional public servant, a great leader, and an influential voice in the Democratic Party. I know how tough a decision that this must have been. Mark Warner has much to contribute to the national debate and I look forward to working with him to make our future everything it can be."
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA): "Anyone who has wrestled with this decision knows how hard it is, and Teresa and I admire Mark and Lisa's devotion to their family. I know Governor Warner will find many ways in the time ahead to continue making enormous contributions to our Party and our country. Teresa and I wish Mark and his family the very best in what the future holds for them."
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D-NM): "Because Mark has spent his career fighting to support our children and families, it is not surprising that he is putting his family first at this time. As a devoted father and husband he understands what is best for the Warner family, and we should not question his decision. However, I fully expect Mark will continue to fight on behalf of the Democratic Party, America's families, and for this great nation. I am sure we have not heard the last from Mark Warner."
GOV. TOM VILSACK (D-IA): "Mark Warner has been a tremendous Governor for Virginia, a leader in our party and is a wonderful friend and colleague. I look forward to his continued participation in the national dialogue of how to govern effectively and move our country in the right direction."
Mark Warner bows out: what next?:
Jonathan Martin of the Hotline takes a look at the Virginia political options for Gov. Warner should he want to pursue them. LINK
Salon's Walter Shapiro wonders if the 2006-2008 Mark Warner may be the 1974-1976 Walter Mondale. LINK
Foley: political fallout:
In the wake of the Mark Foley scandal, the Washington Post's Jim VandeHei reports that Democrats are targeting the personal lives of Republicans in numerous key House races. LINK
In New Jersey, Democrat Linda Stender sent voters this week a two-page brochure accusing Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) of "improperly preying on young women in a fashionable D.C. nightclub."
In upstate New York, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand has sent a letter to Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) calling on him to "explain a drunken driving arrest 30 years ago and a more recent car accident."
In California, Democrats are "assailing" Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) for "supporting 'forced abortions and sex slavery' in the Northern Mariana Islands, which were represented by Abramoff." Charlie Brown, Doolittle's Democratic opponent, said the attack is fair because Doolittle has refused to return contributions from supporters of the government there.
And, of course, you've got Democrat Chris Carney's ads attacking Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA) for allegations of abuse towards his former mistress and Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy going after Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) over Foley on Christian radio.
Former RNC chair Ed Gillespie "said Democrats are dangerously close 'to overreaching' in their attacks. . . Democratic operatives said they are aware of this possibility but are calculating that, as long as the attacks are at the local level, they will not backfire."
Credit Vandy with 1 1/2 must reads today.
Foley: Hastert:
Part pick-me-up, part bear hug, somewhat of a fundraiser, the New York Times reports on Bush's trip to Illinois to campaign for David McSweeney and Peter Roskam, and of course, Speaker Hastert. The President's trip was the final step in the solidifying the White House's support of the Speaker and was gladly received by a "beaming" Hastert. LINK
The Washington Times: LINK
Foley: ethics committee:
The New York Times on NOD. LINK
More on Kirk Fordham's testimony from the Los Angeles Times LINK
Palm Beach Post's Larry Lipman covers the House investigation and the "relief" of Kirk Fordham. LINK
The Washington Times: LINK
Foley: FL-16:
Palm Beach Post's George Bennett reports that Florida 16th may use "some form of written notice" to inform voters that Joe Negron is replacing ex-Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) on the ballot. LINK
A company headed by the Democratic candidate for Mark Foley's congressional seat is being sued over what investors say is a fraudulent transaction. LINK
Foley: miscellaneous:
Jake Tapper of ABC News' asks the question whether "being gay or being in the closet was the root of Foley's predatory issues?" LINK
The Way to Win:
487 members of the Gang of 500 have The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008, the new book about presidential politics by John F. Harris of the Washington Post and Mark Halperin of ABC News.
Shouldn't you have your own copy too? Buy it now, here. LINK
The New York Post's fabled Page Six seems to have acquired a copy of The Way to Win. LINK
And conservative activist Paul Weyrich engages in some slick product placement in the Los Angeles Times today: "Weyrich said …., "I don't have any illusions about Rove. I think that he advocates conservatism because he believes it's the way to win." LINK
Paul Krugman's New York Times reference is less oblique: "[B]e prepared to wake up less than four weeks from now and learn that everything you've been told about American politics -- liberalism is dead, whoever controls the South controls Washington, only Republicans know 'the way to win' -- is wrong." LINK
You can see and hear more about The Way to Win this Sunday on CNN at 10 am ET on Howard Kurtz's Reliable Sources. LINK
And Mark Halperin is Al Hunt's guest on Bloomberg Television's Political Capital this weekend. LINK
and LINK
(Airing Saturday at 6:30 am ET on Ebasic channel and on Bloomberg (cable or direct satellite) on Saturday at 9:30 am ET, 10:30 am ET, 12:30 pm ET, 7:30 pm ET, and 10:30 pm ET and then Sunday at 1:30 am ET, 4:30 am ET, 7:30 am ET, 10 am ET, 1:30 pm ET, and 4:30 pm ET.)
Harry Reid's land deal:
In a move of classic Rove politics, the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out press releases in almost every Senate race in the country yesterday, tying the Democratic candidates to Harry Reid and his controversial land deal. Note the customization in the releases; we particularly liked the Robert Byrd version.
The Washington Post's ed board writes that the "best case" for Reid is that he was "sloppy." about financial disclosure rules. The "more unattractive case" is that the Senator's "inaccurate description of the investment was an effort to disguise his partnership with a Las Vegas lawyer who's never been charged with wrongdoing but whose name has surfaced in federal investigations involving organized crime, casinos and political bribery since the 1980s." LINK
John L. Smith of the Las Vegas Review Journal believes "timing is everything" for Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), "a possible ethics violation by a Democrat seems like pretty dry stuff at a time the Republicans in Washington are reeling from the Mark 'Page Boy' Foley scandal." LINK
David Kuo (re)writes history:
Cribbing off of MSNBC and exuding no incredulity, the Los Angeles Times goes all breathless over the David Kuo book. LINK
David Kirkpatrick of the New York Times mails in his own account. LINK
House of Labor:
The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire has an unnamed Teamster official explaining that enthusiasm for backing Republicans has faded because "Republicans went too far. We need a leadership change."
Politics of North Korea:
In a story looking at how both parties are trading blame over failed diplomacy with North Korea, the Wall Street Journal's Yochi Dreazen and Jay Solomon have former Powell chief of staff Larry Wilkerson saying: "It's difficult to say that the Clinton policy failed, but it's crystal clear that the current policy has failed. You need a carrot-and-stick approach -- you can't just use the stick."
Bush Administration agenda:
Mike Allen at time.com on Dick Cheney, rallying the base and naming names (like "Pelosi"). LINK
Bloomberg's Murray also looks at the Vice President's campaign rhetoric. LINK
In a well-placed Wall Street Journal op-ed, former Bush economic adviser Larry Lindsey writes that President Bush should "rest assured that economic historians will credit the tax cuts as having been a model of the successful application of economic theory to the real world."
On cue, Ralph Z. Hallow of the Washington Times looks at the Bush-led Grand Old Party emphasis on tax cuts in speeches, debates and TV spots. LINK
Abramoff affair:
According to a report released yesterday by the Democratic staff of the Senate Finance Committee, five conservative nonprofit organizations, including one run by Grover Norquist, "'appear to have perpetrated a fraud' on taxpayers by selling their clout to lobbyist Jack Abramoff." LINK
"The groups named in the report are Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform; the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, which was co-founded by Norquist and Gale Norton before she became secretary of the interior; Citizens Against Government Waste; the National Center for Public Policy Research, a spinoff of the Heritage Foundation; and Toward Tradition, a Seattle-based religious group founded by Rabbi Daniel Lapin."
"A spokesman for Norquist, John Kartch, called the report 'political nonsense' pushed by Democrats close to the midterm elections."
2006: House:
Ohio Republicans are asserting that Democratic House candidate Mary Jo Kilroy was hypocritical in her criticism of Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) because Kilroy has so far collected $10,000 from Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) who opposed tough punishment in the 1983 page scandal, reports the Columbus Dispatch. LINK
Republican House candidate Joy Padgett -- running to replace Bob Ney -- held a press conference to denounce the DCCC for its ad that says she was investigated by Ohio's Inspector General for abusing her former position as head of Ohio's Office of Appalachia to help her own business, Notes the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Eaton. LINK
The first congressional district in Iowa is the focus of a Business Week article and looks at why this congressional race is so important to the balance of Congress. The race features two never before politicians -- Republican candidate, restaurant owner Mike Whalen and Democratic candidate Bruce Braley, an attorney and a former president of the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association. LINK
2006: Senate:
It's battle of the all-stars in New Jersey, where Sen. Bob Menendez and Republican challenger Tom Kean, Jr. are bringing in their ringers. The New York Times reports that in the coming weeks, Sen. Menendez will be visited by the Clintons and Sen. Kennedy, while Kean will have Sen. McCain, Henry Kissinger and Rudy Giuliani in his corner. LINK
The AP on the dead heat in New Jersey: LINK
Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and senatorial hopeful and Democratic candidate, Bob Casey, faced off in a debate that went light on the issues but heavy on political theater. LINK
The Philadelphia Inquirer described it as a "barroom brawl -- minus the fists." LINK
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Democrat Jon Tester sparred in a debate in Helena, MT last night disagreeing on almost every issue. The one issue they found solace on was the U.S. shouldn't invade Iran. The Billings Gazette provides this summary: LINK
The AP wraps the debate too. LINK
According to the Columbus Dispatch Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) said yesterday that there are two choices on how to proceed in Iraq: "stay the course" or "cut and run." LINK
Sen. DeWine and Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) are using voting and attendance records to attack each other on national security, Notes the Columbus Dispatch. LINK
The army is reviewing the appearance of a uniformed soldier in one of Sen. DeWine's TV ads according to Defense Department instructions that prohibit members of the armed forces from wearing their uniform while participating in partisan activity, writes the AP. LINK
Mark Pazniokas of the Hartford Courant Notes that the increased mudslinging in the race between Ned Lamont (D-CT) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) has reached new highs this week, as Lamont continues to question Lieberman's civil rights record, and Lieberman has taken to attacking Lamont's private business practices. LINK
The Washington Times says Republican Bob Corker has redesigned his campaign in an effort to take on Harold Ford in Tennessee. LINK
David Lerman of the Daily Press believes that the upcoming visit of President Bush to fundraise for Sen. George Allen (R-VA) could be a "double-edged sword." LINK
2006: Governor:
The gloves came off in last night's Faso/Spitzer debate, the New York Times reports. LINK
The New York Post on the same: LINK
The New York Daily News on the same: LINK
Brian Crowley of the Palm Beach Post reports on Democratic concerns about gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis in Florida. LINK
Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA) attacked Gov. Vilsack's (D-IA), instead of his would-be successor Democrat Chet Culver, for his handling of racial discrimination claims in two state agencies, Notes the Des Moines Register. LINK
Radio Iowa news director O. Kay Henderson has the details on the Culver-Nussle face-off. LINK
"Republican challenger Dick DeVos sharpened the tone and content of his case for replacing Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, telling an audience at the Detroit Economic Club the governor has been 'MIA and BSE . . . missing in action and blaming someone else,'" write Dawson Bell and Kathleen Gray of the Detroit Free Press. LINK
After the debate, DeVos told a Catholic radio program he would be "thrilled" if the Supreme Court overturned the landmark "Roe v. Wade" decision and Michigan reverted to its prior law, which permitted abortion only to save a mother's life. The AP's Kathy Barks Hoffman has more. LINK
The Boston Herald reports that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is coming to the aide of Democratic gubernatorial candidate and friend Deval Patrick after fierce ad campaigns against him. LINK
The Schwarzenegger Era:
Martin Kasindorf of USA Today says of the Republican governor of California, "this year, Schwarzenegger has all but become a Democrat. " LINK
The San Francisco Chronicle Notes that the Rev. Amos Brown who leads Third Baptist Church in San Francisco opposed Gov. Schwarzenegger (R-CA) two years ago as part of "the national axis of evil," but now lauds Gov. Schwarzenegger as a leader who has "brought back school counselors, arts, music and physical education to our school." LINK
Gov. Schwarzenegger admits being "absolutely wrong," when it comes to his proposed pension overhaul for state workers earlier this year, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. LINK
2006: ballot measures:
USA Today offers a front page must-read on the 76 ballot initiatives going before voters in November. LINK
2008:
The Associated Press writes up the University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll for WMUR-TV that suggests that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) remain the frontrunners in the Granite State for 2008. LINK
2008: Republicans:
Scott Helman of the Boston Globe follows Gov. Mitt Romney's (R-MA) -- and produces a must-read story, as the governor tries to cultivate relationships within Washington, DC to harness prospective supporters for a possible 2008 run, and the Boston paper has e-mails that suggest supporters "believe he's committed to running." LINK
Meanwhile Beltway titan Dutko Worldwide is assisting in Romney's endeavors. In a confidential memo received by the Boston Globe suggests that Dutko President Ron Kaufman, Romney's brother, Scott Romney and top Romney's aids are hosting a meeting to, " `bring together the senior government, political, and business leaders in Washington,' and a primary goal of the meeting, the memo states, is to `review a plan to identify, recruit, and involve individuals as advocates and donors to the Romney team.'"
And, more meanwhile, Romney has hired Sally Bradshaw, a key strategist for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL), who the Los Angeles Times' Peter Wallsten casts as a bridge to conservatives. Wallsten also engages in one of his parlor tricks, by engaging in some e-mail banter with the Sunshine State governor, who is due to campaign with Romney next week (even though neither man is on the ballot in 2006). LINK
The New York Times has Rudy Giuliani in the Granite State, staying away from social issues and focusing on taxes and terrorism. LINK
The New York Post on Giuliani's visit to New Hampshire, saying if there is any decision to make, he'll make it next year. LINK
John DiStaso of the Union Leader kicks the tires. LINK
Having just wrapped up his inaugural Granite State trip of the cycle, Rudy Giuliani plans a return trip on Friday Nov. 3 for a breakfast event in support of Victory NH's "Friends of the NH Primary" program.
2008: Democrats:
The New York Times has Nevada's glowing Democratic would-be governor and her bevy of recent high profile guests, no doubt a result of the state's (now) high profile presidential primary. Dina Titus' next big visitor will be Sen. Clinton. LINK
James Pindell of the Boston Globe reports on Sen. John Kerry's speech tonight in New Hampshire, "But as he journeys to New Hampshire tonight to give what is arguably his most important political speech so far in preparation for the 2008 campaign, he finds an audience less receptive to the idea of a Kerry for President campaign than four years ago." LINK
The Hartford Courant's David Lightman reports that Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) altered his stance on Iraq while campaigning for regional congressional candidates recently, Noting his hope to have all troops withdrawn from the country in 12-18 month is a switch from his prior opposition to a timeline. LINK
Ted Mann of the Day on virtual candidate Dodd, who is "looking" at a potential 2008 run: "I'm 62 years of age. I'm not going to do this twice. This is not a warm-up." LINK
Casting and counting:
The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that the law to ban exit polling within 100 feet of a polling place is being challenged by ABC, AP, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News. LINK
More Friday schedule items:
Former Sen. John Edwards attends a campaign rally at Concord High School in North Carolina at 5:30 pm ET for congressional candidate Larry Kissel (D-NC) who trying to unseat Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC).
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at a reception for the South Carolina Victory 2006 Fund at 11:00 am ET. Later this evening, Romney speaks at a reception for the Macomb County Republican Party in Macomb, MI at 5:00 pm ET. Both events are closed to the press.
Gov. Mike Huckabee is a special guest speaker at a private event to benefit the Michigan Republican Party at 6:30 pm ET in Grosse Point, MI.
Chris Dodd (D-CT) campaigns for four Democratic allies today in his cherished Nutmeg State. He appears at an event for Deborah Heinrich at 9:15 am ET in Madison, for Diane Farrell at 2:00 pm ET in Westport, for Joe Courtney at 4:00 pm ET in Madison, and for Ned Lamont at 5:45 ET in West Hartford.
Barack Obama campaigns with Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-MI) and attends the Movement for Michigan Victory Rally in Detroit, MI
Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT) addresses a luncheon at the National Press Club on energy policy at 1:00 pm ET.
Ohio senate candidates Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) debate in Dayton, OH.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights holds a panel discussion on voter fraud and intimidation in Washington, DC at 1:00 pm ET, participants include Donna Brazile, chair of Democratic National Committee Voting Rights Institute and the Wall Street Journal's John Fund.
Weekend politics:
On Saturday, Bill Clinton keynotes the annual Iowa Democratic Party "Jefferson-Jackson" Dinner in Des Moines, IA.
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow will campaign for Speaker Dennis Hastert in Illinois.
Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AK) speaks at the National Health Policy Council's Forum in Dearborn, MI.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) attends a lunch reception for gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus in Las Vegas, NV.
John Edwards travels to Iowa this weekend to campaign for Democratic candidates. Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) campaigns in New Hampshire.
On Sunday, Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) addresses the grassroots event "Defend Our First Freedom" in Boston, MA via satellite. Senate candidates Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) debate on national television in Washington, DC.
Senatorial candidates Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Mike Bouchard (R-MI) debate in Grand Rapids, MI and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Democratic opponent Jim Pederson participate in their first televised debate in Phoenix, AZ.