Week of January 11, 2006
McCaskill continues to lead in latest poll
Setting the wheels of political change in motion
All the polls gauging the mood of the Missouri electorate confirm what EMILY's List has known all along: Claire McCaskill is one of the strongest Senate challengers in the nation. A poll by Rasmussen Reports conducted in early January finds McCaskill leading Sen. Jim Talent 46 to 43 percent -- numbers that do not bode well for the incumbent senator. McCaskill also holds a 10-point lead among critical non-affiliated voters.
A November Rasmussen poll found McCaskill two points ahead; a September poll had her tied with Talent at 46.
While the polls show Talent slowly but surely falling in his constituents' esteem, the conservative Republican continues to toe the Bush line. His most recent right-wing endeavor brought him eye-to-eye with another EMILY's List candidate, Sen. Maria Cantwell (Wash.), who has led the fight to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) from oil interests. Talent urged his colleagues to vote for a defense spending bill that would have opened ANWR to drilling. Democrats, under Cantwell's forceful leadership, successfully derailed the move.
Third time's a charm: POP candidate sets stage for a Democratic victory in Minnesota
By all accounts, it was an uphill battle for Tarryl Clark, running for Minnesota state Senate in a socially conservative district where Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, a virulent anti-choice group, held sway. But Clark proved that even conservative voters are ready for change.
Clark had run for the seat twice before, once coming within 500 votes of knocking off the GOP incumbent. His sudden retirement left it open, giving Clark, executive director of the Minnesota Community Action Association, a third chance to win. She is the first pro-choice candidate elected from this district. Further, her victory complicates Republican hopes of taking back the Minnesota Senate in 2006 and provides a boost to Democrats running statewide in Minnesota -- including U.S. Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar, one of the candidates featured in EMILY's List's November mailing.
Clark's Republican opponent was Dan "Ox" Ochsner, a right-wing talk radio host described as the Rush Limbaugh of St. Cloud. One of Ochsner's campaign missteps was doctoring a photo of a 2004 Bush presidential rally to make it look like a rally of his supporters.
Ochsner ultimately earned only 37 percent of the vote. In a low turnout election (fewer than 12,000 votes were cast), swing voters provided Clark's margin of victory. The special election date of Dec. 27 disenfranchised many voters, including many college students, who were away for winter break.
EMILY's List partners with allies to train progressive activists
Working together to steer the course for change
EMILY's List, which is known for having one of the most sophisticated and comprehensive political training programs in the nation, is collaborating with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's Leadership PAC, Hopefund, to launch "Yes We Can" -- a training program for young African American and Hispanic activists who are eager to elect progressive political leaders in 2006. EMILY's List federal campaign Training Director Eureka Gilkey and Campaign Corps Director Susan Markham worked closely with Sen. Obama's political team to recruit outstanding trainees and develop a challenging curriculum that will prepare them to help win campaigns.
Several months ago EMILY's List was approached by a former staff person from MoveOn.org about developing a pilot project with a new nonprofit, the National Organizing Institute, which includes a nonpartisan training seminar on campaign technology. What an unbeatable team: MoveOn practically wrote the book on using the Internet to motivate grassroots action, and EMILY's List offers the nation's best training program for political operatives. The National Organizing Institute is helping finance and organize the training seminar, which will be in Washington, D.C., next month. EMILY's List staff is helping to create a training agenda and materials, recruit participants and trainers, and attend to the myriad logistical details that go into producing a quality training seminar.
Leaders for change honored in New York City
On Feb. 16, EMILY's List President Ellen R. Malcolm will honor three leaders for change at a breakfast at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City. Honorees include New York Senate Minority Leader David Paterson, state Senator Liz Krueger, and Democratic activist Sally Minard. Malcolm will pay homage to their extraordinary contributions and discuss how EMILY's List and our Democratic allies are gearing up to make 2006 a historic year of political change!
The Leaders for Change Breakfast starts at 8 a.m. Tables are filling fast, so reserve your seat now by contacting our events coordinator, at 1-800-68-EMILY (1-800-683-6459), or by sending an e-mail to events@emilyslist.org. Tickets start at $150 and sponsorship options are still available.