Week of May 11, 2003
WA-Sen: Who's Afraid of Patty Murray?
Despite months of speculation and intense pressure from the White House, GOP Rep. Jennifer Dunn declined to challenge Sen. Patty Murray for her seat in 2004. Dunn will run for re-election to her House seat instead of risking a race against Murray. Rep. George Nethercutt (R) – a Gingrich Republican who is anti-choice – is now widely expected to challenge Murray. Nethercutt received national attention when he ousted Democratic Speaker of the House Tom Foley in 1994. Furthering speculation that he will run, he recently traveled outside his district to the vote-rich Seattle area (Roll Call, 5/5).
Meanwhile, Sen. Murray is hard at work in the Senate, continuing her fight to preserve reproductive rights. Last month Murray introduced legislation that would provide $10 million to educate women and medical professionals on the availability and effectiveness of emergency contraception. Republicans are holding Murray's bill up in committee (Congressional Quarterly Bill Track, 4/11).
CA-Sen: A Long Road Ahead
While a recent poll of registered California voters shows that Sen. Barbara Boxer would defeat any of her possible Republican challengers, many California operatives caution against too much optimism (Field Poll conducted 4/1-6, 695 registered voters, margin of error +3.8%). Two of Boxer's possible challengers, 2002 Republican candidate for Governor Bill Simon and GOP Rep. Doug Ose, are millionaires. Simon loaned $10 million of his own money to his campaign for governor last year (Sacramento Bee, 11/9). Ose has already formed an exploratory committee and was described by one consultant as "the kind of Republican that has traditionally been very successful in California – a blow-dried, good-looking, well-educated, moderate-sounding middle-of-the-roader" (Marin Independent Journal, 4/27).
National: Republicans Pass Tax Cuts for the Rich
Last week, House Republicans passed a bill that would cut taxes by $550 billion dollars, with most of the benefits going to the richest Americans. "The House Republican plan is not fair -- the majority of its benefits go to the wealthiest five percent of Americans," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle concurred, saying, "They call their tax cut 'robust'; in fact, it's just a bust" (Roll Call, 5/6). Senate and House Democrats joined together in strong opposition to the Republican's tax cut plan, presenting an economic plan of their own. The Democratic job growth plan would offer adults a wage credit, an increased child tax credit and a sped-up reduction of the so-called marriage penalty. The House bill, which was endorsed by President Bush, would lower the top income tax rate on dividends from U.S. companies from 38.6 percent to 15 percent (The Washington Post, 5/9).
IN-Gov: Coming Home to Stimulate the Economy?
White House Budget Director Mitch Daniels, whose name has been floated as a potential candidate for governor of Indiana, will leave the Bush administration on June 7 to return to his home state. It seems likely that Daniels will be the GOP candidate facing either State Senator Vi Simpson or former Democratic National Committee Chairman Joe Andrew, who are vying for the Democratic nod. Under Daniels' watch, the United States has gone from a $5.6 trillion surplus in 2001 to a projected $2.2 trillion deficit. Currently, Indiana is facing an $810 million deficit, which leaves many to wonder if Daniels has what it takes to lead the state (Hotline, 5/7).
Women Governors Making a Difference
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a bill that would have enforced tighter standards on abortion clinics than those for other out-patient clinics. The pro-choice community lauded Sebelius for her strong stance: "We are very happy that the Governor has seen the bill for what it is, which is an anti-health bill," said a Planned Parenthood official (The Wichita Eagle, 4/22).
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano recently vetoed a law that would have allowed religious organizations to deny their employees insurance coverage for contraceptives. "If these women cannot obtain contraceptive coverage from their employer, they may not be able to obtain it at all," said Napolitano (Associated Press, 4/28).
Michigan's first woman governor, Jennifer Granholm, was named a Michiganian of the Year for her focus on bettering the lives of the people in Michigan. Granholm received acclaim for her consensus approach to governing. Michiganian Karen Barta believes Granholm is a good role model and a strong, positive figure for young girls to emulate. (Detroit News, 5/4).