Trust-Busting Journalism
The great NAC vs. UPD saga lives on as City Weekly publishes
an
in-depth story.
Reporter Shane Johnson even contacted former U. of U. law
professor John Flynn and also Atty. Gen. Mark Shurtleff
to assess whether NAC had violated anti-trust laws. So will those
nefarious NAC ad execs soon be thrown in the slammer? Not a
chance. They’re actually good guys just trying to do their jobs and
fight off the “competition.” I just feel bad they keep having to say
“no comment.” They really believe in their hearts that if Utah
Policy Daily gets the least bit of publicity everyone will stop
reading their newspapers. They actually have nothing to fear. I, at
least, will magnanimously keep reading.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Napier-Pearce has posted her latest
podcast at InsideUtah.com. It
includes an interview on the NAC caper, plus interviews with Sen.
Scott McCoy, Mayor Rocky Anderson, citizen watchdog
Claire Geddes, and some timely Harry Potter trivia.
Leavitt
Hosts ‘Ask the White House’
"This reminds me of when I used to do talk radio -- a little bit
Oprah and a little bit substance," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt
says in a
Wall Street Journal report about his hosting of an online
chat where administration officials answer real-time questions on any
subject.
Blog Watch
Oxymoron or Demo Party Future?
An age-old question any Utah voter would recognize:
Can the words “Mormon” and “Democrat” be used to describe the same person? Lucy Burningham,
SLC editor for New West online community, has an
insightful post
on Democrats pursuing Mormon voters. She quotes new state Demo chair
Wayne Holland saying the party needs to attract LDS voters. As
Democrats re-evaluate how to gain power on local and national levels
after the 2004 presidential election, it appears a major key is
gaining ground in the West, and the Mormon vote becomes crucial.
Honor Tags For Blogs
With millions of bloggers out there, it’s hard to tell where
they’re coming from or what their motivations are. UPD reader and
public relations professional Jeri Cartwright sent along a link
to an interesting Web site,
honortags.com, that is attempting to help
bloggers categorize themselves so readers can feel some assurance
regarding what the blogger is all about. The honor system is all
voluntary, of course, but could eventually become sort of a Better
Business Bureau stamp of approval.
Reader Response
Ted Hallisey, Executive Director of the Kane County Office of
Tourism: “Thanks for the great resource in the Utah Daily Policy
alerts. It is so nice to have a resource to keep us informed in the
southern part of the state. I moved to Kanab -- from Salt Lake --
nearly two years ago for the job with the county and am happy to stay
informed about issues across the state and nation.”
Campaign Doctor
(Utah Policy Daily will soon begin publishing a
series of weekly campaign how-to articles that will constitute a
municipal election guidebook for those involved in the municipal
election.)
Question: I’m considering running for the city council. What
are the main parts of a campaign I should be organizing?
Answer: Obviously, whole volumes have been written about the
different aspects of a political campaign, so it’s hard to boil it all
down to a few components. But, basically, here are the areas you need
to organize and develop:
1. Issues
research/positions, white papers. What do you stand for? What are
the issues of most concern to you? How will you solve the problems the
city faces? You need to develop your positions and be able to talk and
debate articulately.
2.
Fundraising. Figure out a budget and make a plan to raise
sufficient funds. Be aware of campaign finance laws. Develop a list of
potential donors and go after them.
3. Targeting.
Figure out who the real voters are and spent all your efforts
communicating with them, not with people who never vote.
4.
Scheduling. Schedule all campaign activities, including walking
neighborhoods, mailings, speeches, appearances, etc. Create a timeline
for the entire campaign, with all activities scheduled far in
advance so you can see the campaign unfold.
5. Grassroots
organizing. You need to recruit a campaign captain in every voting
district in your city or district. That captain will run a
mini-campaign in that voting district for you, distributing
literature, defending you against criticism, encouraging neighbors and
friends to support you, etc. Develop a system to communicate with and
receive feedback from these voting district captains.
6.
Endorsements/coalition building. To give your campaign
credibility, develop a list of prominent people who endorse you;
encourage organizations with members or employees to support you and
work for your election effort. Keep track of all supporters identified
through grassroots organization and coalition building.
7.
Communications. (Earned media, paid media) Develop a
communications plan with a campaign Web site, brochures, press
releases, white papers, etc. Look for opportunities to get positive
mentions or stories in the news media. Use paid advertising wisely if
you have the funds.
8. Get out the
vote. Develop a plan to get your supporters out to vote on
election day. Voter turnout is so low in municipal elections that this
can make the difference between winning or losing.
Washington Watch
Hatch Forms Heath Care Working Group
Thursday the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $3 million
for the Citizens’ Health Care Working Group, created by Sens. Orrin
Hatch and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The funding is part of an
effort “…to break years of gridlock in American health care reform,”
said a Hatch press release (not yet posted). “The Working Group’s goal
is to bypass all the parochial interests and take this problem right
to those who deal with these issues day in and day out.” The Citizens’
Working Group on Health Care has a
website.
More Support for Hatch Stem Cell Bill
The
Catholic News Service reported that the head of the U.S. bishops' pro-life committee, Cardinal
William H. Keeler, of Baltimore, has thrown his support behind Sen.
Orrin Hatch’s bill funding research using stem cells from umbilical cord blood.
Matheson Fundraising
The Hill
reports that Rep. Jim Matheson and nine other “Frontline” Democrats considered vulnerable have raised an average of $400,000, a feat to compete with fundraising efforts by the National Republican Congressional Committee and its “$1M Club”.
Bioshield 2
Reuters
reports
that Sens. Orrin Hatch and Joseph Lieberman are planning to introduce Bioshield 2, to fill the gaps left by the BioShield Act of 2004.
Casual Friday
Best of Late Night Humor
David Letterman.... "Top Signs Your Pilot Is Drunk": Introduces
his co-pilots Johnnie Walker and Jack Daniels; Wings on his hat made
of folded cocktail straws; In lieu of P.A. safety instructions, he
sings "Kung Fu Fighting"; Long rambling announcements about what
animal shapes he's seeing in the clouds; At security, passengers
remove shoes --he removes pants; You experience heavy turbulence and
you're only taxiing to the runway; Mid-flight he asks, "Which one of
you losers is the designated driver?"
Jay Leno.... Another 100 degree day here in Los Angeles. In fact, it was so hot
I went down to see the Dodgers play just to be near a cold streak. . . . It was so hot
in New York, Bill got in bed with Hillary just to cool off! . . . It was so hot in D.C.
that Dick Cheney’s pacemaker was replaced with an ice maker. . . . There are now hints
that President Bush may be backing away from Karl Rove. Like today he gave him a new job,
Ambassador to Iraq. . . . Karl Rove was under fire once again today. This time for leaking
the plot of the new Harry Potter book to President Bush. . . . Sylvester Stallone announced
he wants to do "Rocky 6”. He’s getting a little up there in years. In this movie he spends
two hours trying to remember where he parked his car in "Rocky 5”. . . . The space shuttle
launch was cancelled today. That’s when you know the price of gasoline is too high! . . .
Sandra Day O'Connor is retiring from the Supreme Court and now a number of special interest
groups are pressuring President Bush on the selection for Supreme Court nominees. Some want
Bush to nominate a women, some want a man, some want an African American, some want a
Caucasian. You know who the perfect nominee is? Michael Jackson. .... O'Connor is 75 years
old. That's going to be a drastic lifestyle change, you know, from sitting in the Supreme
Court in a black robe all day to sitting in front of the TV in a flowered robe all day,
watching Judge Judy. .... The president of CBS News has commissioned his staff to come
up with an evening news format that favors more of a "storytelling" style over the traditional
news format. Storytelling? So it sounds like they're bringing back Dan Rather, huh?
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