Meat and Potato Issues
Karl Rove, as quoted in The Hill, gave some advice to GOP presidential candidates. Part of what he said applies to Utah candidates as well. He said the candidates had to first “create a sustaining narrative about themselves.” Then he said the candidate should “immediately engage” on the “kitchen table issues,” like healthcare, education, jobs and the economy.
I believe that this year Utah Republican candidates, especially those in Salt Lake County, need to focus on meat-and-potato issues and not expect that political ideology and family values issues will be enough to get them elected. This year voters want problem-solvers, not ideologues. They want to elect people who will tackle the everyday issues, not preach to them about conservative ideology. Salt Lake County voters have shown they are very willing to vote for moderate, practical Democrats who take progressive positions on issues like education, transportation and health care. This year’s legislative session should be focused on meeting the needs of citizens, not ideological orthodoxy.
-- The Hill: "Karl Rove told a group of state Republican officials Wednesday that while the GOP primaries 'are far from over,' each of the candidates can beat the top two Democrats -- and the former White House aide then outlined a strategy how."
FedSpeak
Utah economist Jeff Thredgold’s Tea Leaf economic update this week focuses on the Federal Reserve and likely actions ahead: "’The outlook for real activity in 2008 has worsened, and the downside risks to growth have become more pronounced. In light of recent changes in the outlook for and the risks to growth, additional policy easing may well be necessary. We stand ready to take substantive additional action as needed to support growth and to provide adequate insurance against downside risks.’ ...thus speaketh the Fed Chairman. The Federal Reserve has come under additional fire in recent days for being too slow to respond to the serious economic and financial risks faced by the American economy. … For the first time, the Fed Chair made it clear that recession avoidance for the U.S. economy is now Job One. The Fed’s traditional and primary focus on inflation containment will just have to wait.”
State of the City Address
The SLC Mayor's Office has posted Ralph Becker's State of the City speech. To read it, click here.
Today in Political History
Jan. 17, 1893: Hawaii's monarchy is overthrown as a group of businessmen and sugar planters force Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate. (New York Times)
Jan. 17, 1934: The administration of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt makes it illegal for private citizens to own gold certificates.
Jan. 17, 1991: The Gulf War, "Operation Desert Storm", starts as U.S. and allied missiles and planes bomb targets in Iraq and Kuwait (Source: Perspicuity)
January 17, 1998: Paula Jones accuses Pres. Bill Clinton of sexual harassment. (Source: NBC5)
Wise Words
“The fundamental source of all your errors, sophisms and false reasonings is a total ignorance of the natural rights of mankind. Were you once to become acquainted with these, you could never entertain a thought, that all men are not, by nature, entitled to a parity of privileges. You would be convinced, that natural liberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator to the whole human race, and that civil liberty is founded in that; and cannot be wrested from any people, without the most manifest violation of justice.”
-- Alexander Hamilton, The Farmer Refuted (Source: Patriot Post)
Utah Political Trivia
Q: When was the last time a Utah Democrat won the governorship, a U.S. Senate seat, and the last time a majority of Utahns voted for a Democratic presidential candidate?
A: Last election of Democratic governor: 1980; last election of Democratic U.S. senator, 1970; last Democratic presidential winner: 1964.
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- New York Times: The Michigan primary results are "proof from the ballot box of what polls have shown: [the GOP] is a party that is adrift, deeply divided and uninspired when it comes to its presidential candidates and unsure of how to counter an energized Democratic Party."
-- National Review: “Romney’s full-fledged outsiderdom will mean changes in his campaign style. For one thing, it will probably force him to become more critical of George W. Bush. In speeches, he sometimes mentions that Bush has kept the country safe from terrorist attack for six years, but he says it in an at-least-let’s-give-him-that kind of way, not as a show of overall support. From the victory podium, Romney sends a clear message that from now on, he’s willing to ignore pretty much everything else when it comes to the president. ‘I take my inspiration from Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush, who took their inspiration from the American people,’ he says. ‘Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush said we are a great and good people, and it’s exactly what we are.’ Romney is all for President Bush, just not the one who’s in the White House.”
-- New York Daily News: In an op-ed, the Rev. Floyd Flake says "the Democratic Party has developed a race and gender problem in recent decades. It's not just about African-Americans or Latinos on the racial side, or about women on the gender side. The race and gender problem facing Democrats is largely about white men."
-- The Politico: "As Congress opens the 2008 session, it's hard to find Iraq anywhere on the official agenda. ... It's a stark contrast to January 2007, when Iraq dominated hearing rooms and floor speeches throughout the Capitol under the new Democratic regime."
Blog Watch
-- At Out of Context, Sheena McFarland reports: "When Rep. John Dougall showed up for a day of legislative meetings in his signature jeans and button down shirt, legislators knew they had to act. At the House Caucus Wednesday, a jar appeared with a sticky note attached 'John Dougall Dress Pants Fund.' After making its way through fellow GOP representatives, it came back with $13 in bills and change. Not enough for a pair of slacks, but the Highland Republican says he can still put it to good use. 'It's enough to buy a pair of used jeans from DI.'"
-- At Salt Blog, Bill Frost notes: "According to WorldNetDaily.com, Utah's own Sen. Bob Bennett is one of the masterminds behind a seven-year plan to create a Transatlantic Common Market between the U.S. and Europe -- and it wouldn't require congressional approval! 'The plan -- currently being implemented by the Bush administration with the formation of the Transatlantic Economic Council in April 2007 -- appears to be following a plan written in 1939 by a world-government advocate who sought to create a Transatlantic Union as an international governing body,' says WND. 'An economist from the World Bank has argued in print that the formation of the Transatlantic Common Market is designed to follow the blueprint of Jean Monnet, a key intellectual architect of the European Union, recognizing that economic integration must inevitably lead to political integration.' In simpler terms, 'One World Guv'ment!' To which Sen. Bennett reportedly replied, 'Exxxcellent.'"
Lighter Side
Best of Late Night Humor
(From Patriot Post)
David Letterman: “Top Ten Signs Your Presidential Campaign is in Trouble”: When asked what you’d do about Iraq, you say, “Do I Rock?”; You’re often described as “John Kerry without Charisma”; Many of your supporters have been hospitalized because you ordered your campaign buttons from China; You’ve been running negative ads about yourself; Only Endorsement you’ve received was from “Burrito Afficionado” magazine; When reporting caucus results, media refers to you as “Other”; “Meet the Press” appearance turns ugly when you put Tim Russert in a headlock; Budget director blew most of your campaign funds betting on the Knicks; You’ve primarily been campaigning in Canada; You often ask, “What would George W. Bush do?”
Jay Leno: Big news: Barack Obama has increased his Secret Service protection. And that’s just from Hillary. ... Some sad news for Barack Obama. Did you hear about this? Apparently, he’s been endorsed by former candidate, John Kerry. Just when things are going so well. ... I read something about terrorists. The scariest weapon is a dirty bomb. It’s a regular bomb that’s coated in radioactive waste. It’s the same thing as a corndog. ... According to a new survey, 11 percent of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could not find the United States on a map of the world. How pathetic is that? President Bush commented on this today, he said, “Why do we need our kids to find the U.S. on a map? They’re already here.” |
