The Week Ahead
It’s back to work after a long holiday weekend. See UPD’s political calendar for all the week’s events.
Utah Direct Mail Blunders
The May Campaigns & Elections magazine cover story is a piece about terrible direct mail mistakes made in various campaigns. Sure enough, the blunders made by Republicans in Utah’s 2004 2nd Congressional District campaign are prominently highlighted.
If you recall, Republicans trying to defeat Rep. Jim Matheson sent out two mailers criticizing Matheson for congressional votes. Trouble is, the votes in question were supporting legislation sponsored by or supported by Utah’s Republican members of Congress. The mailers ended up hurting John Swallow, who was running against Matheson. How anyone purporting to support Swallow could have produced such idiotic direct mail pieces is almost beyond comprehension.
Media Watch
Singleton Expands Newspaper Empire
The newspaper business faces tough challenges, but Salt Lake Tribune Publisher Dean Singleton continues to expand his newspaper empire. Read this interesting New York Times story published in the Sunday Morning News profiling Singleton. The big challenge, Singleton says, is figuring out how to make money from the Web editions of his 55 daily newspapers.
Another fascinating New York Times story looks at the struggling Philadelphia newspapers, which are now owned by Philadelphia business interests, including a former PR professional.
Blog Watch
At Out of Context, Glen Warchol notes that the Utah Democratic Party "[shook] its cute little fist" last week and "launched a scorching rebuke against ... GOP lawmakers after a special legislative session that will be best remembered for spending $15 million on a Capitol parking garage, but refusing to cough up $2 million in emergency health care for the poor" (see also here, here, here, and here)... The Utah Amicus has a photo essay of Mexican Pres. Vicente Fox's visit to the Utah Legislature (see also here)... Obiter Dicta by Steve says: "As a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I do not know if I support the U.S. Constitutional amendment that will define marriage as a union between man and woman despite my Church’s position and call for members to support it ... While I do not condone anything but heterosexual sexuality within the bonds of marriage, I feel that the issue of marriage is best left up to individual states to decide" (see also here and here)... Wilf Sommerkorn responds to this op-ed by the Trib's George Pyle... Dee Taylor participated in the Stop the Divine Strake Action in Nevada over the weekend, and posts a detailed report.
-- Compiled by Golden Webb
Washington Watch
Matheson: No to ANWR Drilling
Rep. Jim Matheson votes against legislation that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, saying it "is a diversion from actions that are needed if there is going to be any easing of pain at the gas pump" (see press release).
Cannon Gambling Amendment Approved
Congressional committee approves legislative amendment authored by Rep. Chris Cannon that would preserve states' rights in regulating gambling (Casino City Times).
Hatch Iraq Trip Photos
Sen. Orrin Hatch's Senate website has posted a photo gallery of Hatch's recent visit to Iraq. To see the photos, click here.
National Politics
Demos’ Campaign Field Marshal
Rep. Rahm Emanuel is one of the reasons Democrats think they will take control of Congress this year. Read a very good National Journal cover story about “Rahm-Bo”, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, described as having inexhaustible energy and a brash, in-your-face style.
Free Markets Don’t Apply to Agriculture?
With the federal deficit burgeoning, agricultural subsidies make no sense. A Wall Street Journal on-line editorial notes that these bad subsidies even allow big-spending, liberal Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank “to hold forth as a fiscal conservative”: “I have listened to many of my conservative friends talk about the wonders of the free market, of the importance of letting the consumers make their best choices, of keeping government out of economic activity, of the virtues of free trade, but then I look at various agricultural programs like this one,” Mr. Frank said. "It violates every principle of free market economics known to man and two or three not yet discovered."
The editorial says Frank then “delivered this zinger”: "I have been forced to conclude that in all of those great free market texts by Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek and all the others that there is a footnote that says, by the way, none of this applies to agriculture."
Envision Utah Toolbox
Envision Utah will unveil a new toolbox, "Brownfield Redevelopment Solutions: Recovering a Community’s Hidden Assets," at an educational forum at the Wells Fargo Building in downtown Salt Lake on May 31. For more info, click here.
GrassRoots Legislative Luncheon
Utah GrassRoots, an arch-conservative group, will honor seven members of the Utah House and three state senators at a luncheon on June 13 for receiving top honors in GrassRoots' 2006 legislative report. Recognized in the House: Reps. Mike Morley, Aaron Tilton, Margaret Dayton, Glen Donnelson, Greg Hughes, Jim Ferrin, and Merilynn Newbold. Recognized in the Senate: Sens. Howard Stephenson, Mark Madsen, and Scott Jenkins. The luncheon will be held at the Encore Grille Restaurant, 2080 West North Temple, Salt Lake City. Cost is $16. RSVP by Friday, June 9 to Don Guymon at 801-574-9461 (donguymon@yahoo.com) or Bill Barton at 801-978-3363 (bbarton@xmission.com).
Week’s Best Headlines
Compiled by James Taranto at OpinionJournal.com
Thanks, We'll Stick With Timex: "Sex Offender Watch Coming"--headline, Los Angeles Times, May 26
Either Too Much Ketchup or the Thought of Releasing His Military Records: "What Made Kerry Vomit?"--headline, Sky News Web site, May 25
He Was Hoping to Get Time Off for Good Behavior: "Murder Defendant Tries to Strangle Lawyer in Court"--headline, Reuters, May 25
'Beat It!': "Dead Horse Washes Ashore in Woman's Yard"--headline, Associated Press, May 24
Why Don't They Stop Digging and Find Him Faster?: "Digging Slows Search for Jimmy Hoffa"--headline, Reuters, May 25
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