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| July 2007 »
The figures soon will be flying fast and furious in the presidential campaign. Shortly after the second quarter fundraising period ends today, some candidates will proudly post their take and crow about their momentum. Others will more quietly file their paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and let the numbers speak for themselves when the reports are officially released in mid-July.
For those keeping score at home (and for those eager to start), here's a reminder of how the various candidates fared during the first quarter (Jan. 1 - March 31). This is how much they reported raising from others, rounded off. It doesn't include contributions to themselves.
Democrats Republicans
Clinton: $26.1 million Romney: $21 million
Obama: $25.7 million Giuliani: $14.8 million
Edwards: $14 million McCain: $13 million
Richardson: $6.2 million Brownback: $1.3 million
Dodd: $4 million Tancredo: $1.2 million
Read more Money chart »
It's not surprising that Hillary Clinton's schedule for Sunday contains no public events. It's been a busy week: a campaign event in New York Tuesday night (headlined by billionaire Warren Buffett), a candidate forum Thursday night at Howard University in Washington, a similar gathering today in Orlando before Latino leaders, the continuing hunt for money to fuel her presidential bid and lots of action in her day job in the Senate.
Surely, she's earned a rest. But at least part of her Sunday will be devoted to business.
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman and longtime Clinton loyalist Terry McAuliffe will be hosting a barbecue at his home in McLean, Va., that she'll be at, along with husband Bill, that signals the start of the third quarter fundraising period (the second quarter wrapped up today).
-- Don Frederick
Granted, they're in different parties. Still, it's amazing that Republican Sam Brownback apparently didn't learn anything from Democrat John Kerry's travails in the 2004 presidential election. Because if the senator from Kansas had been paying more attention to his colleague from Massachusetts, the flip-flop that occurred on the Senate floor Thursday never would have happened.
 In the big showdown on the much-debated and intensely controversial immigration bill, Brownback initially sided with the measure's beleaguered advocates, voting to keep it to alive. But, a few minutes later --- at a time when it was clear the measure was going down the tubes --- he switched sides.
If Brownback's presidential candidacy wasn't on life support, his reversal might have attracted more attention from the mainstream media. CNN, however, did take the time to track him down for comment today.
His explanation defines "tortured." And it does not dissuade us from giving him our first "I was for it before I was against it" award in this campaign cycle.
Various conservative blogs, by the way, DID notice. Like here, here, and here.
-- Don Frederick
Photo: Sen. Sam Brownback; Credit: Alan Diaz/AP
It seems that 24 years ago Mitt Romney loaded the family, including the dog, into the station wagon for a 12-hour drive from Massachusetts to his parent’s vacation home on the Canadian shore of Lake Huron. The dog got the balcony – Romney strapped the pet-carrier to the roof of the overstuffed car, according to the Boston Globe in its seven-part bio of the former governor.
And boy, does Romney have a lot of explaining to do now.
 A number of blogs and media outlets have picked up the detail about Romney's dog-transportation technique, including Time and Talking Points Memo's TPM Cafe. Surfacing now are a slew of condemnations of Romney's pet trick – including one from the folks at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – and speculation that Romney had violated animal cruelty laws, though the statute of limitations has long since passed.What’s a candidate to say? That he no longer supports animal cruelty, and expose himself to yet another “flip-flop” accusation?
Try attacking the attacker.
“PETA has been after me for having a rodeo at the Olympics and were very, very upset about that,” Romney told reporters in Pittsburgh. “PETA was after me when I went quail hunting in Georgia And PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air.”
Uh-huh. But what about the dog?
Romney reports the dog enjoyed the ride. But according to Globe, the dog sent a different message at the time, forcing Romney to stop along the way and, um, sanitize the outside of the car.
--Scott Martelle
Photo: Mitt Romney; Credit: Carlos Osorio/AP
For a few hours this afternoon, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon) found himself in an unusual minority -- as the only GOP presidential contender to accept an invitation to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) in Orlando, Fla.
 Most of the Democratic contenders will be there for a forum Saturday, but the GOP contenders took a pass, citing schedule conflicts. Some Republican Latinos dismissed the event as more of a Democratic retreat than a forum of independent Latino political figures.
Hunter's decision to go is curious. He makes a show of his role in erecting a border fence to try to stem illegal immigration from Mexico -- not a popular position among Latino political leaders. But his address to the conference this afternoon got him something: a little attention, which his long-shot campaign needs as the Giuliani-McCain-Romney slugfest hogs most of the Republican spotlight.
--Scott Martelle
Picture: Rep. Duncan Hunter; Credit: Stefan Zalinepa/EPA
Hillary Clinton has two reasons to glow today: strong pundit reviews for her performance at Thursday's candidate forum on African-American issues, and new Gallup poll results showing big support for her among Democratic and Democratic-leaning black and Latino voters.
The reviews: "First Place . . . looked like she was in charge,"' wrote Roger Simon on politico.com. Clinton "spoke with greater confidence on race issues'' than did Barack Obama, wrote Mary Mitchell in the Chicago Sun-Times. "Clinton and [John] Edwards were very good, Obama more spotty but better as time went on," blogged Rick Klein of ABC's The Note.
The poll numbers: Clinton "easily has the highest favorable ratings among blacks and Hispanics," said Gallup in releasing its new results Friday. Some 84% of blacks and 63% of Hispanics in the survey had a favorable impression of Clinton.
Obama, by contrast, was viewed favorably by 68% of blacks and 33% of Hispanics (with more than half of all Hispanics saying they did not know enough about him to form an opinion).
There are even more interesting numbers -- and a possible signal to Obama -- in a separate Gallup poll released Wednesday.
With Al Gore in the mix, Obama had the support of 40% of black respondents, compared with 37% for Clinton (the gap lies within the poll's margin of error, which statistically makes them tied), with 9% for Gore and 3% for Edwards.
But, note well: without Gore in the mix, Clinton was tops among the black respondents with 43%, compared to 42% for Obama and 6% for Edwards. Which means that some black voters ranked Obama no higher than their third choice.
The fight for African American voters -- a key part of the Democratic base -- continues.
--Scott Martelle
Remember when it was a big deal that Bill Clinton played the sax on "The Arsenio Hall Show?"
 Well, in the years since that 1992 moment, showing up on the late-night circuit has become practically de rigueur for those seeking the White House. And the thrill has long since gone from such drop-bys. Tonight, though, there's a possibility for some must-see TV when Democrat Dennis Kucinich strolls onto the set of the "Late Show with David Letterman."
As the Cleveland Plain Dealer detailed earlier this week, Kucinich often has served as the butt for some of Letterman's bits, so the vibe between the pair could veer into the bizarre.
We were curious about appearances on the late-night shows by those definitely running for president and those whose names have been in the mix, and discovered that the good folks at the National Journal's Political Hotline are keeping track. We gleefully crib their tally.
"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has played host to Republicans Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson and Democrats John Edwards and Bill Richardson. Letterman has had on Republican Rudy Giuliani and Democrats Barack Obama and Al Gore* (he takes an asterisk, since people keep talking about a possible run that he keeps denying). On the "Daily Show," Jon Stewart has gone giggly with Gore* and Republicans John McCain and Ron Paul. Steve Colbert has traded quips with Paul, Mike Huckabee (another Republican) and Democrat Mike Gravel on the "Colbert Report."
So on the late-night political lean-o-meter, we have Leno down the middle, Letterman leaning left, Stewart leaning right and Colbert kind of twisting like a pretzel.
--Scott Martelle
Photo: Former Pres. Bill Clinton; Credit: Greg Gibson/Jim AP
As Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard stepped out his car on Wednesday and made his way to a GOP caucus meeting inside the Illinois statehouse in Springfield, he admitted he was a bit apprehensive.
Dillard created a kerfuffle this week by appearing as a talking head in a new ad, airing in Iowa, that lauds his old pal, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. At the caucus confab, he told The Times' Dan Morain, he expected his party colleagues to "chew" on his posterior.
Come Thursday, however, Dillard was able to sit without pain. Chatting with Morain again, he said that with the legislature trying to resolve a state budget stand-off, other Republicans didn't so much as mention the ad. And for his part, he remained pleased that he was in the spot, even as he reiterated that his favored choice for the White House remains Republican John McCain.
Read more The Republican in the Democratic ad »
First, it was Ann Coulter who found herself under attack when Elizabeth Edwards called her live during the conservative commentator's appearance on MSNBC to suggest Coulter refrain from the hard-edged, personal ridicule she periodically heaps on John Edwards.
 Now, Elizabeth Edwards is countering questions about her husband's presidential campaign drawing attention to Coulter's comments as a means of raising money. You can read about here.
Coulter, for her part, appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News tonight and insisted that many of her barbs had been taken out of context. "I am the illegal alien of commentary," she said, adding that she remains committed to doing "the jokes that no one else will do."
-- Don Frederick
Photo: Elizabeth Edwards; Credit: Sara Davis/Getty Images
President Bush's stop at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., today marked the 49th state he has visited since moving into the White House in 2001, notes James Gerstenzang, who covers the White House for The Times.
 The previous two presidents --- his father, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton --- made a point of stopping in all 50 (though the latter barely made it, traveling to Nebraska during the last month of his second term). One can only assume the current White House occupant (known by close associates as "43" to distinguish himself from his dad, who was the 41st president) will check out the last outpost on his itinerary before he rides off into the Texas sunset.
If and when Bush does make that trip, it could be an entertaining visit to watch. The state?
Vermont --- home of Howard Dean, Ben & Jerry's ice cream and more Birkenstocks than there are cattle at Bush's Texas ranch. ... OK, so that's not too many, but you get the idea. The embrace Bush could expect from the Green Mountain State would not likely be warm --- 59% of the 2004 vote there went to John Kerry.
Read more Will 43 do all 50? »
Fresh off the first fundraiser for his as-yet-unannounced presidential campaign, Fred Thompson embarked upon a "just lookin' tour" Wednesday in South Carolina and today in New Hampshire.
His schedule in the Live Free Or Die State included a stop at a gun shop and a brief interview with Fox News (he bemonaed Washington's "lack of credibility").
The Politico's Jonathan Martin has a smart look at the potential regional strength the "Alabama-born, Tennessee-bred" Thompson can bring to the table in the South --- and how he's already playing that card.
Our favorite line in the piece comes courtesy of Sid Salter, a political journalist at the Clarion-Ledger newspaper in Jackson, Miss. Assessing Thompson's possible impact in the Republican race, Salter says he "could be everyone's breakup boyfriend in the South once they jilt (John) McCain or (Rudy) Giuliani."
-- Don Frederick
These next couple of days will be dominated by presidential candidates spinning the expectations game --- setting their bars either high or low --- as the latest fundraising period ends on Saturday. Democratic contender Barack Obama, though, is flogging a set of numbers without a dollar sign: individual donors.
 As of this morning, nearly 250,000 individuals had kicked in cash to Obama. (Evening update: the campaign just reported hitting its magic number). In the first six months of the race for cash in the White House derby, that dwarfs the 70,000-donor set by Howard Dean's 2004 run, when his campaign revolutionized fundraising through the Internet. Of course, we all know how that turned out.
Obama has the quarter-million donor mark as a campaign goal through June 30, and his campaign is tracking the tally on its website, telethon-style. It's meant to show Obama as the Democratic candidate of the little guy.
In the first quarter, as Hillary Clinton went after Democrats with big bucks, Obama chased the small fry. The two finished nearly tied in dollars raised, but Obama tapped over 100,000 donors, compared to Clinton's 50,000.
The theory behind the push for so many small donors is that not only does it raise money, but it builds a grassroots network. Someone who usually does not contribute to campaigns but kicks in $25 feels a sense of investment in the candidate, and can often be conscripted into campaign work, from phone-banking to door-knocking.
Read more Barack's body count »
It's intriguing to note that in today's Senate vote derailing the immigration bill, a solid majority of lawmakers whose seats are up for reelection next year favored sending the measure into oblivion.
 There are 34 such senators; among them, fully 24 voted against ending debate on the bill (thus blocking its progress), while nine supported moving toward a final showdown on it. The one who didn't vote, Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) is still recovering from a stroke.
Most, if not all, of these senators would have voted the same position, regardless of their term situation. Still, having to face the voters not too long after confronting an especially contentious issue does have a way of sharpening one's focus.
Aside from Johnson, of the 11 Democrats up for reelection next year, six voted to keep the bill alive --- all seem shoo-ins for another term. The five Democrats who voted to waylay the measure include the two generally viewed as their party's most vulnerable Senate incumbents on the '08 ballot: Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Of the 22 Republicans holding seats coming up for reelection, 19 voted to sidetrack the bill. These included several seen as potentially endangered: Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine, Gordon Smith of Oregon and John Sununu of New Hampshire.
Among the three Republicans voting to keep the measure from twisting in the wind, Larry Craig of Idaho has few political worries as he heads into next year's campaign. But analysts will be closely watching how their position plays out for Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.
Graham was once a hero to many conservative activists, given his active role as a House member in pushing for the 1998 impeachment of President Clinton. He parlayed that into his Senate job. But his vocal advocacy of the immigration bill, and dismissive comments about some of its critics, have enraged many on the right. Movements are underway to try to field a well-funded primary challenger against him.
Hagel, with his vote, simply confirmed the maverick status he has carved out for himself. His increasingly intense opposition to the Iraq war already has sparked the Republican attorney general in Nebraska to launch a primary bid against him.
-- Don Frederick
Photo: Sen. Chuck Hagel; Credit: Karen Cooper/AP
With Fred Thompson now seen as a sure bet to enter the Republican presidential fray, Newt Gingrich looms as the last remaining Hamlet on the GOP side. On the one hand, the former House speaker doesn't seem to be taking direct steps toward a candidacy; there is no evidence, for instance, that he spends his spare time lining up big-money backers.
 But guess who's in Iowa today? Yes, Gingrich will be in Des Moines and Sioux City, helping shepherd local meetings for a nationwide group called "American Solutions for Winning the Future." In case that doesn't ring a bell, Gingrich formed it earlier this year. Its raison d'etre: nothing less than developing "big, real, breakthrough" ideas for grappling with "the most important issues facing the country."
And then there's this: as reported in Iowa earlier this week, the "American Solutions" folks ponied up $17,000 to the state Republican Party to reserve space for a "large presence" at its August presidential straw poll in Ames.
Read more The Newt watch »
A new poll of about 2,000 California residents reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's standing in her homestate is headed in the wrong direction: her approval rating has fallen 13 percentage points since March, to 39% from 52%.
 That finding, in the new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, is of a piece with attitudes toward Congress in general in the state; 33% give the gang on Capitol Hill positive ratings, down 9 percentage points since the Democrats took control in January. And 68% say they don't expect the Democrats and President Bush will be able to work effectively to accomplish much this year.
The public's view of Congress traditionally polls low, even in the best of times. Still, the trend-line isn't one Pelosi and her fellow Democratic leaders in Washington can find comforting.
Closer to home, Californians aren't all that optimistic about the Democratic state Legislature and GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming a juggernaut for progress, either --- 49% think they might be able to work well together, down from 62% in January.
Bush's ratings, in one of the bluest of blue states, remain dismal: 68% of Californians disapprove of the job he is doing, only 28% approve. And the partisan gap in views about him is not as wide as might be expected, pollster Mark Baldassare notes. While a majority of Republicans (56%) approve of his job performance, the share who disapprove --- 40% --- is the highest recorded by the poll. Among Democrats and independents, disapproval is overwhelming --- 88% and 76%, respectively.
Immigration tops the list, easily, of the most pressing issues facing the state. It was picked by 25% of those polled, followed by the economy (11%) and health care (9%).
The survey's findings on aspects of the controversial immigration bill that stalled Thursday morning in a crucial Senate vote is in line with several national polls --- including one recently conducted by The Times and the Bloomberg News Service. And the results continue to indicate that the intensity of opposition to the bill is not matched by sheer numbers.
Fully 74% of the Californians say illegal immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for more than two years should be allowed to keep their jobs and apply for legal status. When the sample was reduced to likely voters (983 interviewed), support for this proposition remained high: 65%.
-- Don Frederick & Scott Martelle
Photo: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Credit: Susan Walsh/AP
Can we get a straw poll here of our media colleagues on the political trail? Please, raise your hand if you have NOT been pulled over by Jay Garrity?
 He's the Mitt Romney aide whose penchant for protecting his boss may have gone a bit overboard. Indeed, the complaints just keep surfacing. There was this, an allegation from a Fortune magazine writer. And today, still another, supposedly occurring in Tallahassee.
The Florida Democratic Party couldn't resist joining the brouhaha, sending out a release Tuesday, coinciding with a stop in the state by the Republican presidential candidate. It warned political reporters "to be on the look out for paid campaign staff impersonating law enforcement officials who may try to inhibit your ability to cover Romney's frequent flip-flops."
The release added earnestly: "This is no joke."
Well, we may beg to differ on that point, at least in terms of what it might say, depending on how matters hash out with Garrity, about Romney's personnel choices.
-- Scott Martelle
Photo: Mitt Romney; Credit:Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Read more Police story »
For years, the voice of candidates has been disappearing from the networks. In 1968, the average sound bite for presidential candidate on the evening newscasts lasted 42 seconds. By the 1992 election, that had been pared down to 7.3 seconds, and it's assuredly less now.
 Now comes XM Radio, the nation’s largest satellite radio company with more than 8 million subscribers, to put a little pol talk in your morning drive. XM says that starting in September, it will offer a chance to hear speeches and other remarks by the candidates --- interspersed with commentary and listener reaction --– 24/7.
To preview the channel, XM plans to rev up Thursday with coverage of the Democratic candidate debate at Washington's Howard University (the forum, which starts at 9 p.m. EDT, is being televised by PBS).
"So much happens on the campaign trail on a daily basis,” Kevin Straley, XM’s senior vice president for news, sports and talk, told The Times’ Johanna Neuman. “We are letting all of this information breathe.”
Straley said XM will offer all the White House contenders free air time to speak to voters, though he added there will be restrictions to avoid having one candidate dominate the programming. Thanks to a partnership with C-SPAN, archival audio of historic moments from past campaigns will also be part of the mix.
The new channel will be at 130 on the XM dial, called POTUS08 (the acromym derives from D.C. lingo for President of the United States).
-- Don Frederick
Photo: XM MyFi; Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times
Want a little something extra for your campaign contribution? Don't want to fork over a couple of thousand for the chance to have your picture taken with Candidate X? Boy, do the campaigns have deals for you.
 In an e-mail sent out today, John McCain offers a navy blue polo shirt with campaign logo for a $100 donation, adding to the other goodies already available at the McCain store.
Rudy Giuliani has his "Rudy Gear," with it's "get 'em young" offering, a $15.95 infant "onesie."
And for you baseball buffs, there's Mitt Romney's foam-rubber, yes, "Mitt."
Jim Gilmore, the former Virginia governor, arguably may be the longest of the long-shot GOP presidential contender, but he might have the best come on. You have to work for it, though. Supporters who sign up through his MyGilmore site can win a Nintendo Wii game by raising the most money before Saturday's reporting period ends.
The Democrats have gone retail, too. Barack Obama offers T-shirts with a silkscreen picture of himself and Hillary Clinton offers a kid-friendly package that includes a piggy bank; can't tell from the picture if it maxes out at $2,300 in pennies (the maximum individual contribution).
John Edwards sells $400 haircuts. ... Not really. But you can get yourself a "union made and printed" duffle bag.
Whatever happened to bumper stickers and buttons?
-- Scott Martelle
Photo: Sen. John McCain; Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Ann Coulter, she of the vicious right roundhouses, was on MSNBC's "Hardball" Tuesday, doing her thing with host Chris Matthews, when Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John, called in by pre-arrangement.
 Coulter, you'll recall, disturbed even some of her conservative allies when she referred to John Edwards as a "faggot" during an appearance in March in Washington. She later tried to explain that she was using the term like a schoolyard taunt, meaning to cast Edwards as a "wuss."
In Tuesday's telephonic exchange, Elizabeth Edwards asked Coulter to start playing more nicely and stop using personal attacks. For the details, check out the video on MSNBC. But be patient. This morning, all the traffic had the server choking.
Elizabeth Edwards has been quite the presence this week, beginning with her stop Sunday at festivities surrounding San Francisco's annual gay pride parade and subsequent appearance the next night, with her husband, on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
To check out coverage of other politicking she did in various Western climes, check out here, (a Seattle visit), here (a Portland drop-by) and here (the view from Vegas).
-- Scott Martelle
Photo: Ann Coulter; Credit: Jim Cooper/AP
The money chase predominates on the campaign trail the next few days, with Saturday marking the end of the second quarter fundraising period. Some candidates will let us know pretty quickly how much they accumulated; others will wait until their reports to the Federal Election Commission are due in mid-July. Here's a taste of the scramble for cash by the major contenders:
Republicans
Rudy Giuliani is in Pittsburgh today, then swings through Sacramento Thursday and Orange County --- one of his favorite ATMS --- on Friday.
John McCain is in the New York City-area today; in D.C. Thursday then Chicago and the Phoenix area Friday, with another Phoenix-area fundraiser Saturday.
Mitt Romney is in New York City today; Hartford, Conn., McLean, Va., and Pittsburgh on Thursday, then D.C. on Friday.
Democrats
 Barack Obama celebrates the opening of his Minneapolis headquarters Friday with a fundraiser, and may have another fundraiser Saturday in Chicago.
Hillary Clinton beats the bushes fo rmoney in D.C. today, in Jacksonville., Fla., on Friday and in Miami Saturday.
John Edwards goes for Texas gold (cash, that is) in Houston on Wednesday; Tampa on Friday and Orlando on Saturday.
The Democrats will put their palms back in their pockets for at least a few moments. They gather in Washington Thursday night for a debate at Howard University moderated by talk-show host Tavis Smiley and in Orlando on Saturday for a forum before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.
--Scott Martelle
Photo: Sen. Barack Obama; Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Paul Newman’s liberalism is nothing new. And he’s more than happy to lend his face to causes he cares about --- he pops up in ads for the Nation magazine, and he has made a cottage industry of selling salad dressing and other items to raise cash for politically and socially progressive organizations.
 As of today, you can also find him in a video on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, bragging about one of his star turns during the Nixon days.
“My wife says that my proudest moment was when I landed on Richard Nixon’s enemies list,” the 82-year-old Academy Award-winning actor says. “I won’t argue. Maybe I was doing something right.”
He goes on to urge support for the DSCC and its financing of the party's U.S. Senate candidates in next year's election.
Who does the National Republican Senatorial Committee offer up on its site? Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, complaining about a Democratic proposal to allow unions to organize with a card-check system instead of a secret ballot.
Pass the salad dressing, please ... .
-- Scott Martelle
Photo: Paul Newman; Credit: Theo Wargo/WireImage.com
Rudy Giuliani came to the school Pat Roberston built Tuesday and, while deftly avoiding a focus on his differences with social conservatives, he took what some saw as a veiled shot at the candidate who has not yet announced but is gaining in the polls, Fred Thompson.
 In a speech at Regent Universityin Virginia Beach, Va., Giuliani began by insisting, "I'm not going to give a political speech." He then paused and flashed a big smile, since he knows --- and his audience knew --- that anything he says in public these days is a political speech.
The Republican presidential candidate declared that he wanted to reflect upon leadership; as in, what makes a good one (subtext: how he might, just might, fit that bill). He quickly made an intriguing comment, asserting that those who are guided by opinion polls are "actors," not leaders.
Read more A Giuliani swipe? »
Fred Thompson today takes more steps toward a presidential candidacy, opening a "testing the waters" office in Nashville and attending a nearby fundraiser for him sponsored by a prominent backer.
 The host is Mike Curb, identified in the Nashville Tennessean article on the event as a "music mogul and philanthropist." But Californians with good memories will recall that Curb was once a major --- and contentious --- player in state politics and that a career path on the national scene seemed within the realm of possibility for him.
Curb, 63, was a boy wonder in the burgeoning music industry of the early 1960s, starting his own record company while he was still a student at what is now Cal State-Northridge. In 1969, he was named head of MGM Records. Culturally conservative at a time --- and in a business --- when that was hardly the prevailing ethos, he gained notoriety for dumping from MGM's roster bands such as the Mothers of Invention.
Politics eventually beckoned; in 1978, barely in his thirites, he was elected lieutenant governor "with the backing of ... powerful Republicans who helped give" Ronald Reagan his start, according to a Times article a few years back recapping his career.
Read more Thompson not curbing his enthusiasm »
The Boston Globe’s Frank Phillips has a fun piece today about the inherent problems of ensuring elections are as accessible as possible to the broad spectrum of U.S. voters.
In Massachusetts, a 2005 agreement with the federal government required state election officials to prepare ballots with Chinese characters in places with large Chinese populations. Unfortunately, something can get lost –-- or added –-- in the translation.
Mitt Romney can be translated as Sticky Rice, for example, and Fred Thompson as Virtue Soup.
 Pointing to such examples, Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin is challenging the accord with the feds, arguing that differences between the languages create problems. English names do not translate directly, but phonetically, and with Chinese characters embracing a wide range of meanings for similar sounds, well, confusion can reign.
Galvin’s critics say if there’s any translation problem, it lies with his understanding of how to resolve such a problem. Just use the same characters that readers find in a Chinese-language newspapers, they say.
We're especially curious about the translation possibilities for Republican presidential longshot Tom Tancredo, who as part of his assault on efforts to revise immigration laws is calling for an end to all multi-lingual ballots.
-- Scott Martelle
Photo: Sec. William F. Galvin; Credit: Neal Hambert/Bloomberg News
The back-and-forth over the immigration bill now in the Senate has been long, torturous and often confusing. It's easy to get lost, trying to follow it. Just ask President Bush.
 Bush met with various aides and staff members this morning, thanking them for their work on the legislation and bucking them up for the arduous effort needed to actually get it passed. As he has often in recent weeks, he sought to counter the argument that, in offering a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants after they pay fines and meet other conditions, the measure represents the dreaded A-word.
"You know, I've heard all the rhetoric --- you've heard it, too --- about how this is amnesty. Amnesty means that you've got to pay a price for having been here illegally, and this bill does that."
At that moment, CNN's Lou Dobbs must have been in seventh heaven, thinking he had FINALLY converted Bush to his view that the bill would reward lawbreakers, and therefore provide amnesty.
About three hours later, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow sent out a "what the president meant to say" message: "Earlier today, in speaking about comprehensive immigration reform, President Bush misspoke," Snow said. "President Bush has noted repeatedly that the comprehensive reform he supports is not an amnesty bill. Amnesty means forgiving wrongdoing without imposing punishment."
The debate continues ...
-- Don Frederick
Photo: President George W. Bush; Credit: Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP
The Democratic losing streak continues ... at least on the diamond.
GOP lawmakers, aided by a string of costly errors by their foes, rolled to a 5-2 win Monday night in the 46th annual congressional baseball game. Republicans no doubt see huge symbolic implications in the miscues by the other side; Democrats no doubt will see favorable trends in their improvement over a 12-1 thumping last year.
The Democratic team had hoped for a boost from freshman Rep. Heath Schuler of North Carolina, who brought sterling athletic credentials into the game. But Schuler went 0-for-3, striking out twice.
Aides to Rep. Linda Sanchez of California proudly noted that she stroked a single to the opposite field in the 7th inning. "Even the Republican side applauded," her office noted in an e-mail to us. "That's a two-year hitting streak for the only Democratic woman on the team."
The GOP now holds a whopping 33-13 advantage in the contests, sponsored by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.
-- Don Frederick
It will be no “Concert in Central Park,” but pop icon Paul Simon plans to join Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd during the Democratic presidential candidate’s July 6-7 campaign swing through Iowa — with stops in Mason City, Fort Dodge, Sioux City, Carroll and Council Bluffs.
 "Paul is a longtime friend," Dodd said last week in announcing the mini-concert tour. "His music and his commitment to bettering our world reflect the leadership and optimism that my campaign is all about."
Also, imagine the campaign song potential. “Fifty Ways to Vote for Dodd.” “Still Crazy (for Dodd) After All These Years.” “Chris Dodd Over Troubled Waters.” But with the low attention Dodd’s been grabbing in the polls, maybe “Slip Slidin’ Away” might be more on point.
Simon, of course, teamed up with singer Art Garfunkel to form one of the most popular and enduring musical acts of the 1960s. And their 1981 reunion drew more than 400,000 fans to a free concert in Manhattan’s Central Park.
Wondering whose campaign bus Garfunkel might hop on? So far, nothing but “The Sound of Silence.”
— Scott Martelle
Photo: Paul Simon; Credit: Warner Music
The debate season for Republican presidential hopefuls began at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley almost two months today. And less than a week before next year's pletora of primaries on Feb. 5 --- headlined by California's contest --- the GOP contenders still in the race will square off at the same venue.
The Jan. 30 debate is jointly sponsored by The Times, Politico.com and CNN (on which it will be broadcast). Politico has the story on the forum.
Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday makes what had been a highly anticipated appearance --- he's speaking at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., the school founded by evangelist Pat Robertson. But the edginess that once surrounded the event may well have dissipated.
 The Republican presidential aspirant initially was scheduled to speak at Regent on April 17. The day before, however, the Virginia Tech massacre occurred and Guiliani, like other candidates, cancelled their politicking for several days.
At the time, the former New York mayor was riding high in the polls while, for the most part, skirting the chasm between his views on social issues --- most obviously abortion --- and those of the Christian Right. As a result, his speech and the reception he received at Regent were going to be closely watched. As Charles Dunn, dean of the college's Robertson School of Government, told a reporter back then, "For Giuliani, this is a golden bridge-building opportunity. ... A lot of people are coming because he's a national hero because of Sept. 11. But a lot are coming to size him up on social-moral issues."
Read more Giuliani courts social conservatives »
Jay Garrity, a longtime top aide to Mitt Romney, has taken a leave of absence from his boss' presidential campaign as officials in two states look into allegations of transgressions, including that he impersonated a Massachusetts state trooper.
 In a story first reported by the Boston Globe, someone using a cell phone linked to the aide identified himself as “Trooper Garrity” in a voicemail left at a plumbing company office on Mother’s Day that complained about the driving of one of the firm’s employees. Garrity’s lawyer denied Garrity made the call.
Pretending to be a cop is illegal in Massachusetts --– no surprise.
Garrity has served as Romney’s director of operations, which means he’s been responsible for getting him from event to event and played a key role in determining who has access to the candidate. The job is similar to the one he had when Romney was governor of Massachusetts.
Romney on Monday described Garrity to reporters as “a good guy” and wished “him the very best, but this is really now in his hands.”
In another incident, New York Times’ reporter Mark Leibovich recently alleged that Garrity went "Five-O" on him, too.
Read more Who was that masked man? »
Support from Democratic women puts Hillary Clinton in a commanding position in California, while in Nevada, Republicans are rallying behind the as-yet-unannounced Fred Thompson candidacy, according to two new polls.
 The California poll, conducted by the Survey and Policy Research Institute at San Jose State University, found that among those who would vote in the Democratic presidential primary, Clinton is running far ahead, with 37%. John Edwards and Barack Obama tied for second, each with 15%.
The key for Clinton: backing by 45% of women polled (compared with 27% of men). "If Clinton keeps her grasp on women, it's not going to be much of a contest here" in the state's Feb. 5 primary, said Phil Trounstine, the research institute's director.
Among the Republicans, Rudy Giuliani led with 25%, followed by Thompson, with 16%, and John McCain, with 14%. Mitt Romney lags, with 5%, but as a Washington Post story spells out today, that won't cost him much sleep. Romeny is focusing on Iowa and New Hampshire, where all signs are that he's doing quite well.
In the Democratic race, the poll's margin of error is plus-or-minus 5.8 percentage points; in the GOP contest, it's plus-or-minus 6.3 percentage points.
The shocker in the Nevada survey is that Thompson is leading in the Republican race.
Read more Good poll news for Clinton, Thompson »
Democrats may be back in control of Congress but if history is any guide, they'll be hard-pressed to establish their dominence in another arena.
Baseball teams comprised of lawmakers from each party square off this evening at Washington's RFK Stadium, and it will be a major upset if the Democrats prevail. Since 1962, Republicans have won 31 of the 45 games played, including a 12-1 rout last year.
 Democrats do boast a new name on the roster --– freshman Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a former star college quarterback who also played (though not too memorably) in the pros. Another Democratic player --- Rep. Linda Sanchez of California, who got a single as a pinch hitter last year.
For Sanchez, the game offers an opportunity to deliver a message. She wears the number IX on her uniform to commemorate the passage 35 years ago of Title IX, which gave equal funding to boys and girls athletic programs. “Title IX is about getting an opportunity and making the most of it,” she said in a statement today to The Times' Johanna Neuman. “I wear ‘IX’ as a reminder that women can play hardball with the big boys, whether on the field or in the boardroom.”
Sanchez blogs about it on the Huffington Post.
-- Don Frederick
Photo: Heath Shuler; Credit:Jane Rudolph/AP
No, it won't be Rosie O'Donnell facing off with Donald Trump. But late-night TV host Jay Leno will get the chance tonight to probe a breach between John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards on the issue of gay marriage.
 While in San Francisco Sunday to help kick off the city's annual gay pride parade, the wife of the Democratic presidential contender told reporters she supports same-sex betrothals. She also noted that her husband does not: he backs civil unions for gays, but not marriages.
The couple link up today in Burbank to appear on the Leno show and, while it isn't his job to emulate Tim Russert, we'll be surprised if Jay doesn't broach the matter. It's actually been a dicey one for Edwards; Bob Shrum, the longtime --- and often controversial --- Democratic political consultant wrote in his recently published memoir that the former North Carolina senator once told him he was uncomfortable with gays.
Elizabeth Edwards took a nod toward that anecdote Sunday, saying, "John has been pretty clear about it, that he is very conflicted (about gay marriage). He has a deeply held belief against any form of discrimination, but that’s up against his being raised in the 1950s in a rural southern town."
-- Don Frederick
Photo: John and Elizabeth Edwards; Credit: Peter Kramer/Getty Images
There must be something in the coffee on the set of "Law & Order."
As Fred Thompson prepares to leave his acting career behind for a presidential run, one of his castmates on NBC's long-running show, Sam Waterson, continues to carve out a public affairs niche of his own.
 Waterson, who for years has played an assistant D.A. --- most recently working under Thompson's character --- on "Law and Order," has emerged as the chief spokesman for "Unity '08." That's the effort begun last year by several veteran politicos to cobble together a centrist alternative to the two major parties. Waterson has appeared on cable news shows to tout the cause and, in April, gave a speech about it at the National Press Building, just a few blocks away from the White House.
Sunday found him on CBS' "Face the Nation," part of a panel fielding questions from moderator Bob Schieffer that focused on the potential impact to the 2008 race if New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg launches an independent White House bid.
Waterson stayed on message, carefully avoiding an embrace of Bloomberg --- or any other possible third-party candidate --- while pressing the Unity '08 case. Its "basic inspiration," he said, "is the fact that the system itself for choosing our leaders is broken, and everybody knows it."
The process, he argued, pushes candidates to the extremes of the two major parties. And that, he said, creates an opportunity for Bloomberg or others who would cater their pitch to the middle.
Read more So what will Mariska Hargitay run for? »
An increasing number of articles are appearing on John McCain's sinking political fortunes, stories that examine just how improbable his bid for the Republican presidential nomination has become. But really, all one needs to do to understand his problems is gaze upon the new cover of the National Review magazine.
 The Arizona senator, looking slightly conspiratorial, is leaning forward, in conversation with a sitting --- and clearly delighted --- Ted Kennedy. And here's the headline (the conceit being that these are McCain's words): "Let's say it's not an amnesty."
The subhead: "And other immigration-bill howlers."
Not so long ago, it seemed the Rudy Giuliani, with his liberal record on abortion and other social issues, would test whether there was any room in the GOP presidential race for a contender whose views clashed from those held dear by the conservative bloc. The National Review, again, cut to the chase with a cover last summer that featured Rudy in drag (he donned women's clothes several years ago for a skit at a roast put on by the New York press corps).
Read more Cover Art »
You see the bits of speeches and lengthy debates on TV. But what's it really like behind the scenes of the presidential campaigns?
We're going to find out. Times correspondents travel the country with the candidates all the time. They turn out insightful stories like this one by Maria LaGanga on Bill Richardson or this one by Mark Barabak on Barack Obama or this one by Michael Finnegan on Mitt Romney or this one by Robin Abcarian on Joe Biden.
In the coming weeks and months, Top of the Ticket will be there too, taking you inside the stories on the website and in the newspaper. We're going to interview our correspondents about what life is like on the political trail today. Regular Q and A's. What's a typical day like? How do candidates decide where to go and what to say? What are the candidates like when they're not onstage and the cameras are turned off?
But we want your help. This blog is a two-way street.
What would you like to know about life on the political road these days? Give us your questions in the Comments section below and we'll add them to the list. Then check back in the coming weeks to get your answers.
Thanks.
--Andrew Malcolm
For many, the beach beckons on the first weekend of official summer. Or a barbecue. Or a ballgame.
 For Chris Dodd, there's this: today, the Democratic presidential hopeful gives a big speech (title: "Rekindling The Flame --- A Call for A New American Patriotism") in Nashua, N.H. Then, as long as he's there, he'll paint some murals in town with community activists, according to his campaign's website.
Tonight, Dodd's got a "meet and greet" at a home in Manchester, N.H., and Sunday he's got two similar events elsewhere in the state. In other words, he'll be shaking a lot of hands and making a lot of small talk.
Say what you will about candidates for the White House, they pay some heavy dues.
It'll be variations on the same theme for most of the other contenders this weekend. Several will be scarfing up donations hither and yon, given the impending end of the second quarter fundraising period (June 30) and the attendant folderol over who totaled how much.
Read more Summer travel »
John Edwards, the former senat | |
