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The Rising
Downtown Rising, a new vision for downtown SLC, launches this morning with a reception and breakfast at 9 a.m. in the Marriott City Center, 220 S. State, followed by a “presentation of the vision”. At 10:30 a news conference will be held at the adjacent Gallivan Center.
Campaigns Moving On-Line
The Internet is moving to the forefront of political campaigns and many Internet companies are trying to cash in. Read the Washington Post coverage of a conference on online politics at George Washington University “that brought together more than 500 political consultants, campaign operatives and start-up Internet company representatives, many of them part of the fledgling ‘Internet political mafia,’ as Andrew Rasiej of the popular blog Personal Democracy Forum described it.”
Washington Watch
Cannon: Accept Offer
Rep. Chris Cannon says of the White House's proposal to make Karl Rove and Harriet Miers available to testify -- but not under oath -- about the firing of eight U.S. attorneys: "The White House made a perfectly appropriate offer [yesterday] to lay all the facts on the table for the Congress. If the Democrats ARE interested in the truth, they will accept this offer and allow the Congress to get to the bottom of this issue as quickly as possible. If the Democrats only want to score political points with their radical base through a steady stream of 'investigative' hearings like we've seen so far in this Congress, then they will refuse this offer and try to drag this thing out forever."
ULCT Committee Application
The Utah League of Cities and Towns is accepting applications to serve on its Legislative Policy Committee. For more info, click here.
Regional Politics
Mountain West Primary
Denver Post editorial urges Colorado to move its delegate selection process up to Feb. 5, which "is shaping up as the closest to [a regional presidential primary] we are likely to see. Utah, New Mexico, Idaho and Arizona have either set their contests for Feb. 5 or are weighing such a step. If Colorado and perhaps Montana join in, that may cause candidates to give more attention to issues important to the West."
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- Washington Post: Columnist E.J. Dionne says the "botched" Iraq War is leading "to what might properly be called the post-Bush Awakening. It is an awakening to the danger of viewing critics as traitors, to the costs of making everything about politics, and to the sad tendency of establishmentarians to seek refuge within the boundaries of prevailing opinion."
-- Boston Globe: Sen. Barack Obama is using "his long-running opposition to the war as a cornerstone of his campaign, telling enthusiastic supporters that he opposed the war from the beginning -- a claim neither [Sen. Hillary] Clinton nor the other top-tier Democratic contenders can make. But a review of Obama's record during his 26 months in Congress reveals that he has taken a more nuanced and cautious position on the war than the full-bore opposition."
-- The Politico: Columnist John Harris, discussing whether Al Gore will run for president in '08, says: "The logic of politics suggests Gore has already given his answer. He is not raising money. He is not urging friends and associates to stay on the sidelines until he makes a decision. He has said repeatedly that he has no plans to run. Shouldn't we take him at his word? Not yet, we shouldn't. The logic of psychology and even history suggests that Gore should run. And if he should run, it is hard to believe that a man who has organized most of his adult life around public service and the pursuit of the presidency won't in the end actually do it."
Korean Ambassador Hosted in Utah
The Ambassador to the United States for the Republic of Korea, His Excellency Lee Tae Sik, was the guest of honor at a luncheon co-hosted by The Governor's Office of Economic Development and the Salt Lake Chamber. Representatives of 20 Utah businesses that are currently doing business in Korea or are interested in doing so were invited to have lunch with the ambassador. During his address, Ambassador Lee Tae Sik spoke about the relationship between the United States and South Korea, which he described as a good one. He said it is vitally important for both countries to finalize and sign the Bi-Lateral Trade Agreement since the U.S. has been replaced by China as his country's largest trading partner. (Item submitted by Ozwald Balfour, President/CEO of OMNI Media, LLC, an SLC-based firm providing Media/Marketing services to U.S. and international clients. Reach Balfour at ozmedia@msn.com.)
Today in Political History
March 21, 1935: Persia officially changes its name to Iran.
March 21, 1556: In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake. [It is not good to be on the wrong side when there is a regime change. Cranmer was Protestant, but the new queen, Mary, happened to be Catholic.] (Source: perspicuity)
Wise Words
"Cowards die many times before their deaths, The valiant never taste of death but once."
-- Shakespeare, from Julius Caesar (II, ii, 32-37) (Source: Shakespeare)
Campaign Tip
Top 10 Campaign Database Mistakes
By Benjamin A. Katz
In a modern political campaign, the campaign database is the single most important tool. The right database system will allow your campaign to run more efficiently and effectively. A good system will save time, increase the amount of funds raised, improve voter contact and may just make the difference between winning and losing.
With these stakes, the decision regarding a campaign database needs to be made carefully and with a full analysis of the risks involved. Consider these top 10 mistakes campaigns make in choosing and operating their database system:
1. Too Many Databases. In many campaigns, each member of the campaign team selects his or her own database system. In these campaigns, different tools are used for fundraising, for accounting, and for volunteer coordination, creating severe structural problems. The same people and contact information are tracked in several different locations, creating massive duplication of effort and significant information gaps. A well-run campaign avoids this data disaster by using a sophisticated database shared appropriately, with different permission levels. (See the entire list at CompleteCampaigns.com. More on this in future tips)
Lighter Side
Check out the Dilbert cartoon in the Washington Post.
Blog Watch
-- At 13th Floor, Melissa Maynard takes a disapproving look at Utah's new weapons-on-campus law, and notes: "Part of the beauty of college campuses is that, even when plopped in the middle of major metropolitan areas, they remain mysteriously insulated from the rest of the world. Yes, this involves living with rules more severe than those governing greater society, but it's a price students are used to paying. Most university dorms ban all sorts of innocuous household items in the name of safety – goods that are, like guns, wholly legal elsewhere. The University of Utah forbids candles, hot plates, toaster ovens, and halogen lights, but now students will be allowed to pack heat along with their iPods and laptops."
-- Utah Taxpayer analyzes "the impact of recent tax changes on a Utah family of four of various incomes."
-- onegoodmove posts video from yesterday's showdown between Bill O'Reilly and SLC Mayor Rocky Anderson. |
