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Huntsman Will Need Some Campaign Money
Gov. Jon Huntsman told Tribune reporters that he would like to run for re-election in 2008 without raising any money
(See also today’s Tribune editorial). I believe he probably meant that he would run a low-budget campaign and not have to raise a huge war chest. It’s certainly probable that Huntsman can win re-election without having to spend more than a few hundred thousand dollars. He likely won’t attract tough opposition, although you never know.
If Huntsman tried to run without raising and spending any money, he would be setting himself up for criticism that he was using state resources for political or campaign purposes. Even a politician in a slam-dunk re-election bid has party and political responsibilities and needs some campaign money to conduct those obligations. He would need to travel, for example, to county conventions. He would probably want to have some communications with party delegates and probably hand out cookies and/or have a booth at the state convention. He might want to make some contributions to other GOP candidates, especially legislative candidates, and perhaps campaign for some of them. That requires political money.
Myriad other campaign/political activities are expected of a governor, even one without a hard re-election campaign. Re-election is time to re-connect with voters, to woo and win them one more time. It’s a chance to win a new mandate, to campaign on one’s success and one’s vision for the future. It’s a time to show voters and political activists that you care, that you don’t take them for granted. All of that takes some campaign cash. Not millions of dollars, but enough to get the job done.
Stakes High in 2nd District Race
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi could be a factor in next year’s 2nd Congressional District campaign. With President Bush’s sinking job approval ratings and general trouble for the Administration, Democrats are feeling giddy about their chances of retaking the House in 2006. That means the race in Utah featuring Congressman Jim Matheson and a GOP challenger could be the difference between Democratic and Republican control of the House.
Republicans will argue that while Matheson portrays himself as a moderate, his first vote in the next Congress will be for San Francisco ultra-liberal Democrat Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker. Pelosi as speaker has some Democrats concerned. National Journal published an interesting column by Chuck Todd, noting that some Democrats worry that Pelosi is not the image Democrats want in a top leadership position going into the 2008 presidential election. The country is much more conservative than she is, and she could hurt the chances of Hillary Clinton in her presidential bid. Conservatives will be asking, “Do we really want the values of New York City and San Francisco running the country?”
Utah Republicans will be saying next year, “Jim Matheson is a good guy. But a vote for Jim Matheson is a vote for ultra-liberal San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi to take over the House and usher in a new era of big government, high taxes and attacks on the traditional family.”
Wide Interest in Muni Broadband
Municipal broadband is hot. Provo Mayor Lewis Billings participated in a municipal broadband conference sponsored by Broadband Properties Magazine in Dallas earlier this week that attracted more than 500 participants. Exhibition space sold out. Billings said the interest in municipal broadband deployment is very high all over the country. Utah, with iProvo and UTOPIA, is leading the way with municipal broadband projects. At the conference, Billings delivered a keynote speech, “The Wired City,” and also moderated a panel discussion, “Municipal Fiber-to-the-Premises.”
Next week, a similar broadband conference will be held in Utah, this one with an international flavor. The Broadband Cities 2005 conference is scheduled Sept. 19-21 in the E Center in West Valley City, and will attract participants from several country around the world. See agenda and speakers list. It is sponsored by UTOPIA, among others, and hosted by DynamicCity.
Blog Watch
Rep. John Dougall says the federal courts “continue to struggle with basic common sense these days, with U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruling that ‘the pledge's reference to one nation 'under God' violates school children's right to be 'free from a coercive requirement to affirm God.'" Dougall also writes about a legislative fact-finding tour to Texas to learn about private investment in highway projects. Rep. Steve Urquhart posts Q&A with reporter from The Register.
Water Law Conference
All things related to Utah water law will be featured at the Utah Water Law annual conference Oct. 27-28 in the Marriott Downtown. For registration, agenda, presenters, etc., see this Web site.
Washington Watch
Veterans Agencies Get Grants
The Department of Veterans Affairs will be awarding grants worth $625,000 to two Utah agencies – the Housing Assistance Management Enterprise and Utahns for Veterans, says a press release from Sen. Orrin Hatch’s office.
Senators Like DOE Tailings Decision
Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett announced their support for the Dept. of Energy’s decision to permanently move the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Site to Crescent Junction, Utah, more than 30 miles from the Colorado River where the site is currently located.
Bennett Responds to Delta Bankruptcy
Sen. Bob Bennett used Wednesday’s bankruptcy action by Delta Air Lines as a platform to call for congressional action “to ease requirements of the pension system. Now is the time for interim measures that will protect employees from possible long-term disaster.”
House Passes Child Safety Act
On Wednesday, the House passed H.R. 3132, the Children's Safety Act of 2005 on a vote of 371 to 52. Rep. Chris Cannon hailed the law as an effective way to protect children from sexual predators through coordinated state sex offender registration and notification programs.
Meet Columnist George Will
The Sutherland Institute is sponsoring an evening with George Will, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, ABC News commentator, baseball enthusiast and author, at the Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts, Tuesday, Oct. 11. Call 355-1272 for more information.
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