September 2006
What's Cooking
EMILY's List candidates Amy Klobuchar and Claire McCaskill are running in two of the top U.S. Senate races in the nation ... NBC will air nationally televised debates between these pro-choice Democratic women and their opponents on "Meet the Press" ... host Tim Russert will moderate ... mark your calendar for Sunday, Oct. 8 ... that's when the Missouri Senate debate will take place between McCaskill and GOP Sen. Jim Talent ... Talent has twice as much money as McCaskill but can't seem to get ahead of her in public polls ... on Sunday, Oct. 15, Minnesota's Klobuchar will face off against GOP Rep. Mark Kennedy ... Republicans need to hold on in Missouri and take over in Minnesota to have any hope of maintaining their majority.
Former Safeco CEO Mike McGavick's $28 million golden parachute might not stay aloft ... McGavick, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell in Washington state, is being sued by the great-granddaughter of Safeco's founder ... she says the payout he received by working an extra few weeks in 2006 after resigning belongs to Safeco shareholders ... she wants the money returned ... either way, McGavick will have plenty to spend against Cantwell, given national Republicans' determination to unseat Cantwell and pad their majority.
GOP candidates are twisting themselves into pretzels trying to distance themselves from President George W. Bush ... Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Jim Gerlach says he is "simply not a rubber stamp for the administration and the Republican leadership" ... his opponent, attorney Lois Murphy, says otherwise ... Murphy's campaign notes that Gerlach voted for the "no lobbyist left behind" energy bill last year, which included billions in tax credits and breaks for big oil companies ... Gerlach voted with former Majority Leader Tom DeLay more than 90 percent of the time and even reversed his pledge to oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge under pressure from GOP leaders ... maybe he'd prefer "Bush clone" to "rubber stamp"?
Rep. Mark Kennedy has also been a loyal Bush soldier on Capitol Hill ... he once touted his close ties to Bush and skipped out on House votes to appear with Vice President Dick Cheney ... but the tide has turned ... recently Kennedy skipped out on an appearance with Cheney even though no House votes were scheduled ... in trying to distance himself from Bush, Kennedy ended up sounding a lot like the president ... "I don't vote with the president. I independently come up with the same positions," said Kennedy ... it's no surprise that Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar consistently leads Kennedy in the race for Minnesota's Senate seat ... her lead is bound to narrow once he begins to spend his millions.
Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut's fourth district styles himself as an iconoclastic Republican ... hoping to build up his street cred with moderate voters, Shays recently called the House leadership's newly released American Values Agenda "stupid and gross"... the GOP tract promises to relax gun control laws, tighten abortion restrictions, ban human cloning and same-sex marriage, and "protect" the Pledge of Allegiance ... "They are making it more difficult for me to win my race," Shays said ... but if Shays loses to Democrat Diane Farrell, he has no one to blame but himself ... he has been a staunch defender of the war in Iraq ... Shays began to back away from his pro-war position after returning from his 14th trip to Iraq ... Farrell isn't buying it ... "I think it is unfortunate it took him 14 trips and three years to recognize that Iraq has been in a constant state of turmoil since the day that Baghdad fell," she said ... Farrell is building momentum on the heels of Ned Lamont's primary victory over Sen. Joe Lieberman, which confirmed that voters in this district are ready for change.
"To me, the fact that she's getting honored for (supporting abortion rights) ... is no better than the Ku Klux Klan giving an award for racism" ... thus spake Monica Migliorino Miller, executive director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, on Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm‘s support for choice ... Miller lobbed this outrageous statement after a rally featuring EMILY's List President Ellen R. Malcolm ... Granholm's challenger is billionaire Dick DeVos, whose family has given millions to far-right causes ... DeVos's spokesman played coy when asked whether his boss supports exceptions allowing women who have been raped or are victims of incest to obtain abortions ... "Those have not been discussed," John Truscott told the AP ... "end of story" ... yeah, right ... and Clarence Thomas never thought about abortion before his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, either ... if you believe that, EMILY has a bridge in Brooklyn she'd like to sell you.
Clueless in St. Louis ... that would be GOP Sen. Jim Talent ... he says we don't need more troops in Iraq to win ... "From a power standpoint, this war [in Iraq] is well within our capability of winning. It's just a question of making a decision that we are going to do what we need to do to win it" ... further evidence of Talent's cluelessness ... when asked whether he supported a state ballot measure to increase the minimum wage, Talent said, "I don't take positions on ballot issues. If I started taking positions on state and local issues, that's all I'd end up doing" ... yet Talent managed to take a position against a state measure to fund stem cell research ... challenger Claire McCaskill responded with typical Missouri flair ... "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. People deserve to know where you stand. Either he is for it or against it."
And the first female chair of the National Governors Association is ... Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano ... Napolitano is the first woman to hold the post in the group's 98-year history ... Napolitano has been a strong voice for Arizonans during her tenure as governor, and it's been noticed ... last year TIME magazine recognized Napolitano and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as two of the top five governors in America ... both women are known for working across party lines to cut costs, eliminate deficits, and balance budgets.
The August heat wave finally passed ... but a Nor'easter's on the way ... according to the Washington Post, "nowhere is the GOP brand more scuffed than in the Northeast, where this year's circumstances are combining with long-term trends to endanger numerous incumbents" ... in addition to Shays in Connecticut and Gerlach in Pennsylvania, several New York GOPers are "facing the most difficult re-election fights ever" ... in NY 20, challenger Kirsten Gillibrand is giving Rep. John Sweeney the scare of his career ... Sweeney has voted with Bush 80 percent of the time since 2001.
Editorial by Ellen R. Malcolm: Change is in the air
Women's votes are the key to taking control of Congress
The rumblings are getting louder and louder: voters are ready for change. Polls measuring the national mood consistently demonstrate that voters distrust Bush and the Republicans in Congress, that Americans want to change the direction of our country, and that they have growing confidence in Democratic leadership on the economy, energy policy, national security, education, health care, and a host of other concerns.
Having fumbled every major issue facing our nation today -- including dramatically mishandling the war in Iraq -- Republicans know they are on the verge of losing control of Congress.
To hold on to power, they will try to mobilize a dispirited right-wing base and drive conservative voters to the polls. But they won't place much stock in that strategy at a time when everyone, not just Democrats, is weary of Republican failure. With their backs against the wall, Republicans will do their level best to discourage mainstream voters -- those whom polls show have lost trust in the GOP-led government -- from voting. To win in November, the GOP attack machine, with Karl Rove at the helm, will launch outrageous, misleading, relentless, Swift-Boat-esque attacks on our pro-choice Democratic women candidates and every Democrat who threatens to loosen the GOP stranglehold on government.
Their strategy is to go so negative that mainstream voters simply tune out and stay home on election day. It's called voter suppression, and women voters -- one of the most reliably Democratic voting blocs -- are their #1 target.
That is how they took power in 1994, when 16 million women who had voted in the 1992 presidential election stayed home. When these women decided not to vote, they essentially handed Republicans control of the Congress. That's why EMILY's List began our WOMEN VOTE! program in 1995. We knew that when women vote, Democrats win.
Opportunities to win
Today, Democratic leaders depend on EMILY's List to get women to the polls with an aggressive, comprehensive WOMEN VOTE! program. We are working in key states where our women and all Democrats have promising chances of booting Republicans from office and restoring Democratic control to the Congress.
Every day I get updates from EMILY's List staff on our races and the status of our WOMEN VOTE! program. The news is exciting: public and private polling shows that eight of our pro-choice Democratic women House candidates are running in races that are within the margin of error. We could help elect two new women to the U.S. Senate, because Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are leading their GOP opponents. And Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan is standing tall while Dick DeVos, her right-wing billionaire opponent, spends millions on television ads attacking her in what will be the most expensive gubernatorial election in Michigan history.
Throughout these briefings, one thing is clear: Democrats can win big in 2006 if we have enough resources. That's why EMILY's List has set out to raise an additional $3 million to energize women voters in areas where Democrats can win if we succeed in getting them out to vote.
Wouldn't it be great to cut George W. Bush off at the knees by taking away the foot soldiers he counts on to do his bidding in Congress -- the Jim Talents, the Mark Kennedys? We can do this by getting women to the polls to elect Claire McCaskill and Amy Klobuchar. (As an added bonus, women voters will help every Democrat on the ticket in these and other states across the country, boosting Democratic candidates for governor, strengthening Democratic numbers in the state legislatures, and building momentum for the 2008 presidential contest!)
It's up to EMILY's List to block more rubber-stamping clones like Mike McGavick in Washington state and Michael Bouchard in Michigan from getting a foot in the door by re-electing Sens. Maria Cantwell and Debbie Stabenow ... and to keep Michigan blue in 2008 by helping Granholm defeat Dick DeVos and his billions in 2006.
We have such an amazing opportunity within our grasp. We are poised to turn our nation in a new direction. And I know we can do it, if we can counter the vast Republican resources with a lean, mean, targeted, smartly executed WOMEN VOTE! strategy.
Control of Congress in sight
Women voters can make the difference for Democrats
Democratic candidates across the country have momentum as the 2006 campaign enters the final stretch. Winning the 15 seats needed to take control of the U.S. House is within grasp, and EMILY's List candidates, running in some of the most critical contests, are leading the charge.
The notion that Democrats could win enough U.S. Senate seats to take control of that chamber is also taking hold among pundits. But victory there hinges on the success of Democratic women like Claire McCaskill in Missouri and Amy Klobuchar in Minnesota, and the re-elections of Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell.
The nine weeks between Labor Day and Nov. 7, election day, are the most important of the two-year election cycle," says Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY's List. "The airwaves are crowded, new polls are coming out every day, and voters are starting to pay attention.
"The key to Democrats' winning back Congress is getting women voters to the polls," Malcolm continues. "That's why EMILY's List is expanding our WOMEN VOTE! program to include states where polling shows our pro-choice Democratic women candidates can win. This is a nonpresidential election, when voter turnout typically drops. We have to work doubly hard to make sure Democratic women vote and to deliver positive messages to persuade swing women voters to get out and vote for change in 2006."
Voters ready for a new direction
For months, national polling has reflected serious disillusionment with the GOP-led government, whose policies have exacerbated violence in the Middle East and made Iraq a breeding ground for terrorists; handed tax breaks to oil companies while consumers pay record-high prices for gas; and reversed the budget surplus of the Clinton years to mire the nation in record-high deficits. These relentless failures have dramatically eroded voter support for congressional Republicans; poll after poll shows Democrats leading in a generic match-up by double digits.
In individual House races, GOP candidates are on the ropes even in districts once considered safely Republican. Current polling shows that eight EMILY's List House candidates are within the margin of error against their opponents -- meaning the race could go either way.
"Not since 1994 has EMILY's List had so many tight races heading into the final weeks," says Martha McKenna, EMILY's List's director of campaign services. "Getting our women over the finish line is going to be tough in the face of intense GOP spending -- but doing so is critical if Democrats are going to take back the House."
Spending to win
The Republican National Committee has $32 million more to spend on the 2006 election than the Democratic National Committee, while the National Republican Congressional Committee has reserved $40 million to spend on television in close House races in the final weeks. The radical right group Focus on the Family has also pledged to mobilize religious conservatives, a key element of the GOP strategy. Focus on the Family's spending priorities include six states -- Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Maryland, and New Jersey -- where EMILY's List candidates are running.
But Republicans know it won't be enough simply to get their voters to the polls; they have to discourage moderates from voting, which they will do by going on the attack.
"We are girding ourselves for one of the nastiest campaigns in history," says Malcolm. "The only way Republicans can hold on to power is to go into the gutter."
The opponents of several EMILY's List candidates have hired consultants notorious for their willingness to play dirty. Cantwell's challenger, millionaire Mike McGavick, is working with Henry "Eddie" Mahe, Jr., one of the instigators of the "Troopergate" smear campaign against former President Bill Clinton. Mahe was once quoted saying, "I don't know if there was any rational limit on how negative a campaign can be."
So far EMILY's List candidates have remained competitive even in the face of blistering attacks and excessive campaign spending. Challenger McCaskill continues to lead GOP Sen. Jim Talent in Missouri, and Minnesota's Klobuchar is leading Rep. Mark Kennedy for that state's open U.S. Senate seat. In Michigan, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has withstood millions of dollars' worth of attack ads from GOP billionaire Dick DeVos, who has been on television steadily since February.
"The fact that these women continue to hold leads is an incredible testament to their strength, their experience, and the quality of their campaigns," says McKenna. "And to EMILY's List members, whose support helps them compete with their better-funded opponents."
Expanding WOMEN VOTE!
To capitalize on the late-breaking opportunities to elect new women to office and help Democrats regain control of Congress, EMILY's List is expanding the scope of the 2006 WOMEN VOTE! project.
"Seats that were long shots are within our grasp," Malcolm says. "So we are raising an additional $3 million to extend WOMEN VOTE! to more states, including Illinois, New Mexico, and New York. We did not think we would have enough resources for these states, but with strong support from our members, we can help more candidates."
House candidates running in promising races include Lois Murphy in Pennsylvania, Patricia Madrid in New Mexico, Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio, Linda Stender in New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand in New York, Melissa Bean and Tammy Duckworth in Illinois, Patty Wetterling in Minnesota, and Diane Farrell in Connecticut.
"Getting women voters to the polls will help elect these women to Congress and Democrats up and down the ticket, including candidates for key state offices," Malcolm says. "All signs point to 2006 being a very good year for Democrats. But victory depends on women voters."
The field is set after late primaries
Several states have primaries that had not yet taken place at press time. On Sept. 5, Kathy Castor faced a crowded field for the nomination in Florida's 11th district, an open Democratic seat. Castor headed into the primary with the backing of two major newspapers. The St. Petersburg Times called her "a strong voice for common sense" and the Tampa Tribune said she "brings the most drive and passion to the race." Republicans have suggested they can take this seat, but it leans Democratic and, given the political climate, it's unlikely they will succeed.
Three EMILY's List candidates face tougher competition on Sept. 12. Nancy Nusbaum faces two wealthy opponents for the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin's eighth district. Polling indicates that Nusbaum is the strongest Democrat to nominate against GOP Assembly Speaker John Gard, known as "the Tom DeLay of Wisconsin." A recent visit from President Bush raised $500,000 for Gard, a clear sign that the GOP will fight hard to keep this seat from changing hands.
In Maryland's third district, state Sen. Paula Hollinger is the only Democrat who has held elected office in a field of seven. With nearly 30 years of experience in the state legislature, Hollinger has had a tremendous impact on Maryland's health care system; she recently led the charge for legislation to fund stem cell research in Maryland. She faces a tough field, including the son of retiring U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D). Electing Hollinger to Congress depends on getting women voters to the polls.
Former state Sen. Gabrielle Giffords is well-positioned to win the Sept. 12 primary in Arizona's eighth district, an open seat currently held by retiring GOP Rep. Jim Kolbe. This seat has been trending Democratic. Kolbe, the only openly gay Republican in Congress, has thrown his support to an old-guard party operative. But an extreme right-wing candidate is running hard for the GOP nomination. This is another seat Republicans will vigorously defend.
The final primary for EMILY's List is in Hawaii on Sept. 23, when former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono must overcome a crowded field for the Democratic nomination in the second district. Republicans see this open seat as a promising takeover opportunity. Their likely nominee is an wealthy man from a well-known Hawaiian family. Hirono, who grew up in extreme poverty after immigrating to the U.S. from Japan as a child, has a terrific record to run on and a deep reservoir of support in the state. Keeping this seat in Democratic hands is critical to taking back the House.
In Nevada, state Sen. Dina Titus defeated an anti-choice Democrat to win the nomination for governor.
Two EMILY's List candidates lost competitive primaries in August: Nikki Tinker in Tennessee's ninth district and Peggy Lamm in Colorado's seventh. Both women ran outstanding campaigns, but each had tough obstacles to overcome. Tinker, running for a majority-black open seat, lost by only 4,000 votes to the only white candidate in a crowded field.
Also in August, Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow learned that her GOP opponent will be Sheriff Michael Bouchard. Bouchard has received support in the past from Michigan Right to Life and the NRA and will benefit from right-wing billionaire DeVos's massive spending against Jennifer Granholm.
"Michigan has been a top priority for EMILY's List throughout the 2006 election cycle," says Malcolm. "We are determined to help re-elect these strong women leaders."
For final results on EMILY's List primaries, visit www.emilyslist.org.
Democrats stand for a new direction
While congressional Republicans vote against expanding embryonic stem cell research and debate a flag burning amendment, Democratic leaders have come together to offer a new agenda for governing. In July, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid announced "A New Direction for America," which makes security, fiscal responsibility, and compassion top priorities in a new Congress.
Here is an overview of the Democratic plan: a clear, positive message of change after 12 years of failed Republican leadership. EMILY's List will amplify this message for women voters through the WOMEN VOTE! project.
Real security at home and overseas -- restore American leadership abroad by beginning phased troop withdrawal from Iraq; increasing special forces to fight terrorist threats; strengthening port and border security; and implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendations.
Better American jobs and pay -- seek a real increase in the minimum wage and offer targeted tax relief for small businesses, which make up 99.7 percent of all employers.
College access for all -- make tuition tax deductible, cut student loan interest rates, and expand Pell Grants.
Energy independence and lower gas prices -- End big tax giveaways to the oil industry and foster energy independence by promoting energy efficiency and alternative resources.
Affordable health care and life-saving science -- fix the disastrous GOP prescription drug program and promote cutting-edge stem cell research to help cure deadly diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Retirement security -- protect Social Security from GOP privatization, enact pension reform to protect private-sector employees from CEO corruption and mismanagement, and expand personal savings incentives.
Immigration reform -- pass a comprehensive immigration plan with enhanced border security, a path to legalization for the 11 million immigrants already here, and sanctions against employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
You can learn more about the details of each point by visiting the web sites of the House and Senate Democratic leaders (www.democrats.senate.gov and www.democrats.house.gov)