It's a good thing I waited until this week to order that ship full of uranium yellowcake. My lord. Only 985 days!
The Democrat du jour is Governor Tom Vilsack. Thomas James Vilsack was born December 13, 1950 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Vilsack is an orphan. His adoptive parents, Bud and Dolly Vilsack, raised him in their Roman Catholic faith. His adoptive father was a real-estate agent and insurance salesman, and his adoptive mother was a homemaker. Vilsack graduated from a private school in Pittsburgh, and received his bachelor's degree in 1972 from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York (right in my old neighborhood). He married Christine Bell in 1973. He received his J.D. in 1975 from Albany Law School, and after passing the bar exam, he and his wife decided to move to her hometown of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Vilsack then joined his father-in-law in his law practice.
Vilsack entered politics in 1987 after being elected mayor of Mount Pleasant. He was elected to the Iowa State Senate in 1992, and was elected Governor in an upset in 1998, narrowly defeating his Republican challenger Jim Ross Lightfoot to become the first Democratic Governor of Iowa in 30 years. He was re-elected in 2002.
Vilsack is a "Clinton Democrat". He supported the Hyde Park Declaration that advocated for a "third way" in politics, and in 2005 was named chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a post once held by former Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. A major program of his governorship is the Iowa Values Fund, which is designed to help boost the Iowa economy by creating higher-income jobs. This controversial program was created by a line-item veto that was later ruled unconstitutional, which eventually nullified the program until it was partially re-instated by the Iowa state legislature. Most of the potential candidates to replace Vilsack in the 2006 election have openly criticized the program.
Vilsack believes, along with the DLC, that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare, and supports lifting the ban on stem-cell research. Like any Iowa politician, he is a big proponent of ethanol as a renewable energy resource, and he supports the Kyoto agreement on global warming. He is also in favor of preventing unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology.
His campaign finance reports from 2002 have the usual contributions from labor unions and teachers organizations. He started the Heartland PAC to help Midwestern Democratic candidates, which also receives most of its money from Big Labor. His position as Chair of the DLC opens up the full centrist Democratic fundraising cornucopia, which Bill Clinton tapped for his two runs, to his disposal. Of course, Vilsack may have to compete with another member of the Clinton family for that cash.
Tom and Christie Vilsack have two sons
After reading up on Tom, it looks like he would only run if Hillary decides not to, or if Hillary is heavily damaged by her steamer trunk full of baggage. He is clearly the next Clinton in lieu of the real thing. Vilsack often refers, much like his idol, to his difficult childhood and dealing with his alcoholic (adoptive) mother. Not having seen him live, I can't vouch for his charisma, but a brief survey of reporters and bloggers who have seen him say that he's no Slick Willie in terms of personal charm. He has the huge advantage of being a hometown boy in the pivotal Iowa caucuses, but if he wins that narrowly and flops in New Hampshire, he could be sunk early. ABCNews' The Note mentioned today that Vilsack's camp is hoping that the Democrats run a neutral primary between Iowa and New Hampshire where Vilsack could do well enough to soften the blow of a bad showing back east. As head of the DLC, he should have something to say about that.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
DAY 986 - A.B.B.
I did two Republicans in a row, so we'll do two Democrats in a row. Today's Democrat is Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI). Russell Dana Feingold was born on March 2nd, 1953 (send him a birthday card!) in Janesville, Wisconsin. His father was an attorney and his mother worked at a title company. After public high school, Feingold graduated with a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, then went on to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Upon returning to the U.S., Feingold received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1979. He married Sue Levine in 1977, and they had two children. They divorced in 1986. In 1991, he married Mary Erpenbach Speerschneider (whew!), whom he divorced in 2005.
Feingold worked at private law firms after finishing his schooling, and in 1982, he entered politics by winning a seat in the Wisconsin State Legislature. He served there until winning election to the U.S. Senate in 1992. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1998 and 2004.
Feingold could best be described as a maverick populist. His political hero is undoubtedly the late Senator Paul Wellstone of neighboring Minnesota. During his first run for the US Senate, he posted a contract with voters on his garage door which consisted of the following:
1. I will rely on the Wisconsin citizens for most of my contributions.
2. I will live in Middleton, Wisconsin. My children will go to school here and I will spend most of my time here in Wisconsin.
3. I will accept no pay raise during my six-year term in office.
4. I will hold a "Listening Session" in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties each year of my six-year term in office.
5. I will hire the majority of my Senate staff from individuals who are from Wisconsin or have Wisconsin backgrounds.
At this point, he has lived up to each of these promises. His major legislative achievement has been the passing of the campaign finance reform act known as "McCain-Feingold", which we've covered earlier. Feingold has also come out strongly against government waste, even returning appropriations money that his office doesn't use. Feingold voted against the war in Iraq, was the only Senator to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act, which he opposed on civil liberties grounds, and has been leading the fight against the Bush Administration's warrantless surveillance program. He has been named the "most progressive person" in the Senate by the Americans for Democratic Action. He has a 93% rating with NARAL, 91% with the NEA, 80% with the ACLU, and 100% with the AFL-CIO and the League of Conservation Voters. Feingold serves on the Judiciary Committee (Constitution Subcommittee), Committee on Foreign Relations (Africa Subcommittee), Committee on the Budget, U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Special Committee on Aging, and the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Feingold's campaign funding, as his promise #1 suggests, comes primarily from Wisconsin citizens. In his last campaign in 2004, Feingold raised $11 million, 90% of which were from individuals, and a majority of whom were from Wisconsin.
I'd have to say Feingold could either be 2008's amped-up version of Dennis Kucinich, or 2008's George McGovern. Neither of these outcomes would bode well either for him or the Democratic Party. He'll either force the eventual nominee to veer further leftward than he or she might want, or he'll somehow snag the nomination on a wave of populist fervor, leading to a crushing defeat in the general election. "Unelectable" is the word that jumps out from Feingold's record. American voters have not elected anyone like Feingold since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and Carter's election came after the extraordinary circumstances of Watergate. Carter's record was also less well known than Feingold's, which is an open book. In addition, Carter was a born-again Christian from the South and Feingold is most decidely neither of those things. For any conservative or moderate not already thrown off by Feingold's progressivism and his no vote on Iraq, there is the matter of his two divorces. No twice-divorced, not-currently-married person has ever even run for president, let alone been elected. The last non-married man to be elected president was Grover Cleveland in 1884. In his defense, Feingold's integrity in the Senate has been impeccable, and he certainly has the credentials to be president, but that's not nearly enough in the polarized environment in which we find ourselves.
Feingold worked at private law firms after finishing his schooling, and in 1982, he entered politics by winning a seat in the Wisconsin State Legislature. He served there until winning election to the U.S. Senate in 1992. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1998 and 2004.
Feingold could best be described as a maverick populist. His political hero is undoubtedly the late Senator Paul Wellstone of neighboring Minnesota. During his first run for the US Senate, he posted a contract with voters on his garage door which consisted of the following:
1. I will rely on the Wisconsin citizens for most of my contributions.
2. I will live in Middleton, Wisconsin. My children will go to school here and I will spend most of my time here in Wisconsin.
3. I will accept no pay raise during my six-year term in office.
4. I will hold a "Listening Session" in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties each year of my six-year term in office.
5. I will hire the majority of my Senate staff from individuals who are from Wisconsin or have Wisconsin backgrounds.
At this point, he has lived up to each of these promises. His major legislative achievement has been the passing of the campaign finance reform act known as "McCain-Feingold", which we've covered earlier. Feingold has also come out strongly against government waste, even returning appropriations money that his office doesn't use. Feingold voted against the war in Iraq, was the only Senator to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act, which he opposed on civil liberties grounds, and has been leading the fight against the Bush Administration's warrantless surveillance program. He has been named the "most progressive person" in the Senate by the Americans for Democratic Action. He has a 93% rating with NARAL, 91% with the NEA, 80% with the ACLU, and 100% with the AFL-CIO and the League of Conservation Voters. Feingold serves on the Judiciary Committee (Constitution Subcommittee), Committee on Foreign Relations (Africa Subcommittee), Committee on the Budget, U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Special Committee on Aging, and the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Feingold's campaign funding, as his promise #1 suggests, comes primarily from Wisconsin citizens. In his last campaign in 2004, Feingold raised $11 million, 90% of which were from individuals, and a majority of whom were from Wisconsin.
I'd have to say Feingold could either be 2008's amped-up version of Dennis Kucinich, or 2008's George McGovern. Neither of these outcomes would bode well either for him or the Democratic Party. He'll either force the eventual nominee to veer further leftward than he or she might want, or he'll somehow snag the nomination on a wave of populist fervor, leading to a crushing defeat in the general election. "Unelectable" is the word that jumps out from Feingold's record. American voters have not elected anyone like Feingold since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and Carter's election came after the extraordinary circumstances of Watergate. Carter's record was also less well known than Feingold's, which is an open book. In addition, Carter was a born-again Christian from the South and Feingold is most decidely neither of those things. For any conservative or moderate not already thrown off by Feingold's progressivism and his no vote on Iraq, there is the matter of his two divorces. No twice-divorced, not-currently-married person has ever even run for president, let alone been elected. The last non-married man to be elected president was Grover Cleveland in 1884. In his defense, Feingold's integrity in the Senate has been impeccable, and he certainly has the credentials to be president, but that's not nearly enough in the polarized environment in which we find ourselves.
Monday, February 20, 2006
DAY 988 - A.B.B.
I watched a bit of the NBA All-Star game last night. There hasn't been that lack of defense since Poland in 1939. Or last year's NBA All-Star Game.
Today we have a Wiki-peek at Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Willard Mitt Romney was born March 12, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan. He is the son of former Michigan Governor George Romney. He graduated from Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, MI, where he met his wife, Ann Davies, then received a B.A. from Brigham Young University, and MBA from Harvard Business School, and a JD from Harvard Law School. So, basically, he's way over-qualified to run the government. But he still wants to, so we press on.
After his considerable schooling, Romney co-founded Bain & Company, a leading venture capital firm. Among it's investments are Staples, Brookstones, Sealy, and The Sports Authority. Romney was a Vice-President there until 1984, and then later became CEO. Romney ran for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in 1994, losing to Ted Kennedy. He went on to head the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee, helping salvage those games from the throes of a bribery scandal. In 2002, Romney ran for Governor of Massachusetts, and after incumbent interim Governor Jane Swift declined to challenge him in the Republican primary, Romney went on to defeat Democrat Shannon O'Brien to win the statehouse. In that race, there was a great deal of turmoil regarding Romney's residency status. Romney had original filed his federal income taxes as a Utah resident for the years 2000-2002, while he was working on the Salt Lake committee, but later amended those returns to show his Belmont, MA home as his primary residence. Massachusetts requires a seven-year residency before a person can run for Governor. A Republican-led ballot commission ended the debate by declaring him eligible. So there.
Romney is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons to you and me). He holds conservative views on nearly all social issues, and is very strongly pro-life personally, although he has stated that he will protect a woman's right to choose as Governor. During his term as Governor, which he has already stated will be his first and last, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that laws discriminating against same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, and demanded that the state devise a remedy for same-sex couples within 180 days. Massachusetts has yet to agree on a same-sex marriage statute, and Romney has been fighting the court's ruling ever since it was handed down, immediately proposing an amendment to the state constitution to define marriage as "between one man and one woman." Romney has also vetoed a bill to fund stem-cell research, a veto which was overridden by the legislature.
In fiscal matters, Romney appears to have a bit of a magic touch. In addition to his business acumen and his success with the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, Romney has helped turn Massachusetts' 2003 deficit of $500 million into a $700 million surplus for 2005. As always, it's impossible to tell what part of that was Romney, and what part of that was just a booming local economy, but none it was from raising taxes, to which he is adamantly opposed.
On other domestic issues, Romney is no gun nut; he supports the Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban. He's also in favor of the death penalty and three strikes legislation.
Romney has never had to face any foreign policy issues in his political life, but like any good conservative, he is in favor of a strong national defense. Also like many other good conservatives, Romney did not fight in the Vietnam War, instead serving as a missionary for the Mormon Church in that squalid hellhole we call...France. I'd like to see that Swift Boat campaign.
Romney received a great deal of campaign cash for his 2002 gubernatorial run from something called the Commonwealth PAC, which Romney's friends and supporters formed. Some of this cash comes from his Bain investment partners, such as Staples, and Bain employees. Romney also contributed $6 million of his own funds.
Mitt has been married to Ann for 36 years. They have five sons.
Romney, like Bayh, appeals to people who mostly hate what he stands for, which is a neat trick for a politician. "The Mormon thing", as I'm calling it, may be a deal-killer for many people, however. It will certainly get a lot of attention from the mainstream press if he decides to run. Though Mormons are as conservative and Christian as they come, many other conservative Christian evangelicals consider the Mormons to have an odd aura of mysticism and secrecy and will need a lot of convincing to give Romney the nomination. His prospects for the general election seem to not be as bad, given his strong business background and record of turning messes around, which most voters will surely appreciate in 2008.
Today we have a Wiki-peek at Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Willard Mitt Romney was born March 12, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan. He is the son of former Michigan Governor George Romney. He graduated from Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, MI, where he met his wife, Ann Davies, then received a B.A. from Brigham Young University, and MBA from Harvard Business School, and a JD from Harvard Law School. So, basically, he's way over-qualified to run the government. But he still wants to, so we press on.
After his considerable schooling, Romney co-founded Bain & Company, a leading venture capital firm. Among it's investments are Staples, Brookstones, Sealy, and The Sports Authority. Romney was a Vice-President there until 1984, and then later became CEO. Romney ran for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in 1994, losing to Ted Kennedy. He went on to head the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee, helping salvage those games from the throes of a bribery scandal. In 2002, Romney ran for Governor of Massachusetts, and after incumbent interim Governor Jane Swift declined to challenge him in the Republican primary, Romney went on to defeat Democrat Shannon O'Brien to win the statehouse. In that race, there was a great deal of turmoil regarding Romney's residency status. Romney had original filed his federal income taxes as a Utah resident for the years 2000-2002, while he was working on the Salt Lake committee, but later amended those returns to show his Belmont, MA home as his primary residence. Massachusetts requires a seven-year residency before a person can run for Governor. A Republican-led ballot commission ended the debate by declaring him eligible. So there.
Romney is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons to you and me). He holds conservative views on nearly all social issues, and is very strongly pro-life personally, although he has stated that he will protect a woman's right to choose as Governor. During his term as Governor, which he has already stated will be his first and last, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that laws discriminating against same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, and demanded that the state devise a remedy for same-sex couples within 180 days. Massachusetts has yet to agree on a same-sex marriage statute, and Romney has been fighting the court's ruling ever since it was handed down, immediately proposing an amendment to the state constitution to define marriage as "between one man and one woman." Romney has also vetoed a bill to fund stem-cell research, a veto which was overridden by the legislature.
In fiscal matters, Romney appears to have a bit of a magic touch. In addition to his business acumen and his success with the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, Romney has helped turn Massachusetts' 2003 deficit of $500 million into a $700 million surplus for 2005. As always, it's impossible to tell what part of that was Romney, and what part of that was just a booming local economy, but none it was from raising taxes, to which he is adamantly opposed.
On other domestic issues, Romney is no gun nut; he supports the Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban. He's also in favor of the death penalty and three strikes legislation.
Romney has never had to face any foreign policy issues in his political life, but like any good conservative, he is in favor of a strong national defense. Also like many other good conservatives, Romney did not fight in the Vietnam War, instead serving as a missionary for the Mormon Church in that squalid hellhole we call...France. I'd like to see that Swift Boat campaign.
Romney received a great deal of campaign cash for his 2002 gubernatorial run from something called the Commonwealth PAC, which Romney's friends and supporters formed. Some of this cash comes from his Bain investment partners, such as Staples, and Bain employees. Romney also contributed $6 million of his own funds.
Mitt has been married to Ann for 36 years. They have five sons.
Romney, like Bayh, appeals to people who mostly hate what he stands for, which is a neat trick for a politician. "The Mormon thing", as I'm calling it, may be a deal-killer for many people, however. It will certainly get a lot of attention from the mainstream press if he decides to run. Though Mormons are as conservative and Christian as they come, many other conservative Christian evangelicals consider the Mormons to have an odd aura of mysticism and secrecy and will need a lot of convincing to give Romney the nomination. His prospects for the general election seem to not be as bad, given his strong business background and record of turning messes around, which most voters will surely appreciate in 2008.
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