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Hatch: Give House Seat to DC
Sen. Orrin Hatch joins a prominent group of civil rights advocates at a press conference to push for the passage of the DC Voting Rights Act, which would give the District of Columbia a full House seat and add a fourth congressional seat for Utah (see press release); the Senate passes the Higher Education Access Act of 2007, which Hatch "helped develop and shepherd through the Senate as a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee" and which "will help make college more affordable for Americans struggling to obtain advanced education" (press release).
Regional Politics
Candidates Ignoring West?
Denver Post: "This is supposed to be the presidential election that puts the Rocky Mountain West on the political map. So far, though, the hype has been more talk than walk. Lacking the deep pockets found in California and on the East Coast, the national prominence of the two big primary states, Iowa and New Hampshire, and the electoral heft of Florida, the Interior West has not exactly been a revolving door for candidates in the past few months."
Today in Political History
July 25, 1905: U.S. interests begin construction of the Panama Canal.
July 25, 1949: The North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) is formally ratified by President Harry Truman in a Cabinet Room signing ceremony. (Source: Perspicuity)
Wise Words
“If men of wisdom and knowledge, of moderation and temperance, of patience, fortitude and perseverance, of sobriety and true republican simplicity of manners, of zeal for the honour of the Supreme Being and the welfare of the commonwealth; if men possessed of these other excellent qualities are chosen to fill the seats of government, we may expect that our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation.”
-- Samuel Adams, letter to Elbridge Gerry (Source: Patriot Post)
Communications Tip
Use News Media Strategically
By Mark Montini
Campaigns, organizations, and businesses can avoid most of the so-called “media bias” if they take time to decide why they want media coverage in the first place. In other words, you need to have a clear strategic plan for your media relations BEFORE you start getting coverage.
How can media help you implement that plan? This one, simple, question will do more to change your perspective on “media bias” than just about anything else. Here are a few examples:
Let’s say you’re a conservative candidate who decides that you’re going to use media coverage for fundraising. Does a “biased” article attacking you in the local liberal newspaper really hurt you? I would argue that it doesn’t. After all, the people who are most likely to donate to your campaign would probably question your conservative credentials if the liberal newspaper was saying good things about you. Turn the coverage into a fundraising letter. Use it as an example of how you stand up for your principles and how the establishment is working to stop you. Then, tell the donors how they can join your fight for your principles by helping you fight the establishment.
On that same note, if you “recycle” that “biased” piece to get more coverage from friendly-media outlets that reach your donors, it could actually help your campaign even more. (Source: Campaign Hot Tips)
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- Washington Post: "Democratic presidential candidates shared the spotlight Monday night with ordinary citizens from around the country in a two-hour debate that featured sharp and sometimes witty video questions and often equally sharp exchanges among the candidates on issues ranging from Iraq and health care to whether any of them can fix a broken political system."
-- Los Angeles Times: "With the 2008 presidential campaign generating intense interest, candidates are finding that small donations are anything but chump change. They are raising unprecedented amounts in small sums, employing the Internet and traditional direct-mail and telemarketing techniques, and holding low-budget fundraising rallies."
-- Wall Street Journal: "For friends and foes of Sen. John McCain, a mystery lingers nearly two weeks after his campaign shake-up: Given the budgetary crisis that triggered the upheaval, why did he choose the adviser formerly most responsible for campaign finances to right the ship?"
-- New York Magazine: "Fred Thompson bills himself as a true southern conservative and a plain-ol’-folks regular guy. But is he just playing a part?"
Lighter Side
Favorite Headlines
(Source: James Taranto’s Best of the Web on OpinionJournal.com)
How'd They Know Which Was Which?
"Shark Attacks Lawyer Off Oahu"--headline, Seattle Times, July 22
Almost Certainly Money
"What Do Lamar County Schools Spend?"--headline, Paris (Texas) News, July 23
The Rest of Us Face Eternity
"Driver Faces 7 Years in Death"--headline, Gloucester County (N.J.) Times, July 24
They Were Growing Daisies
"Deceased Farmers Got USDA Payments"--headline, Washington Post, |
