In his new book, "The Audacity to Win" (Viking), Obama '08 mgr. David Plouffe "recounts the amazing story of how the Obama for America campaign developed and executed its sweeping, unprecedented plan." According to the book flap, "this is the ultimate insider story of what many consider the most brilliant campaign ever run, by the man who helped design it and made it happen." Plouffe takes readers "every step of the way, listening in on never-before-revealed discussions" on everything from "forging a brilliant strategy to win the Iowa caucuses" to "mitigating the damage of campaign nightmares like Jeremiah Wright."
Hotline relied on the time-honored practice of using the "excerpt lottery," in which page numbers are chosen based upon various states' winning lottery numbers. In this case, lottery numbers are from 11/3-4. The results:
"[Barack Obama] and the road show often wound up crashing at Super 8s or single-floor motels in small towns throughout Iowa when the schedule took him far afield and it was inconvenient to head back to HQ. Interestingly, we later discovered that when Hillary Clinton was in Iowa she preferred to stay at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, a historic Democratic-owned hotel, and would often insist on returning there as opposed to staying out around the state. This gave us a small but important advantage -- we had less travel time than she did, meaning over the course of the Iowa campaign we were probably able to squeeze in at least a dozen more events because we did not have to fly or drive back to Des Moines" -- p. 087 (TX's "Pick 3 Night," 11/3).
(see more excerpts after the jump).
Continue reading "Hotline Book "Review": A Total Plouffe Piece" »
Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:
SUNDAY
Meet the Press hosts MS Gov. Haley Barbour (R) and PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D). The roundtable will feature New York Times' David Brooks, Washington Post's E.J. Dionne, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Ex-RNC Chair/ex-George W. Bush counselor Ed Gillespie and NBC's Tom Brokaw.
Face the Nation hosts Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Rep. Ike Skelton (R-MO), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and GOP strategist Ed Rollins.
This Week hosts VA Gov./DNC Chair Tim Kaine (D) and RNC Chair Michael Steele. The roundtable will feature Dem strategist Donna Brazile, ABC's Sam Donaldson, GOP pollster Frank Luntz, ABC's Cokie Roberts and Washington Post's George Will.
Fox News Sunday hosts VA Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R), DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), ex-New York Times' Jayson Blair, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT). The roundtable will feature FNC's Brit Hume, NPR's Liasson, Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol, New York Post's Kirsten Powers.
State of the Union hosts Army CoS Gen. George Casey Jr., VA Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R) GOP pollster Bill McInturff, Dem pollster Peter Hart, Dem strategist James Carville, GOP strategist Mary Matalin and ex-USSR Pres. Mikhail Gorbachev.
See other weekend shows after the jump.
(ABBY LIVINGSTON)
Continue reading "Weekend Lineup" »
"World News", "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with the Ft. Hood shootings.
Pols and pundits discussed the 11/5 conservative rally at the U.S. Capitol.
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), on the 11/5 rally: "I don't think they scared anybody. ... I got a chill, really. I just think this thing has gone too far" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 11/5).
Rep. Steve King (R-IA): "This absolutely outstanding grouping of people that we had today at the Capitol. This is organic. It was a meet up. It was spontaneous. And it spoke volumes to the members of Congress. And it's continuing those ramifications on Capitol Hill."
More King: "The Cannon building, in particular, there was a security issue inside that shut down people going in the doors. So they surrounded the building and chanted, 'Kill the bill, kill the bill.' The hallways echoed. And I just said to them find somebody that wears a pin like this and won't look them in the eye and tell them not to steal your freedom" ("Hannity," FNC, 11/5).
After the jump, more on the rally and Rev. Al Sharpton weighs in on the Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) ethics investigation.
(ABBY LIVINGSTON)
Continue reading "Hotline After Dark -- We Gotta Fight For Our Right To Tea Party" »
Less than two days after Doug Hoffman's (C) defeat in NY-23, conservatives are rallying to a new race -- FL SEN, where Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is facing a rising challenge from ex-state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) for the GOP primary nod.
The Club for Growth today announced it will begin running its first ads in FL targeting Crist's "embrace of big government spending."
The ad, which comes a day after the gov. told CNN's Blitzer that he "didn't endorse" the $787B stimulus, features footage of Crist telling a crowd at his Feb. appearance with Pres. Obama in Fort Myers, "It's important that we pass this stimulus package." Rubio's camp is also going up with a web ad highlighting the Feb. event.
Club for Growth spokesperson Michael Connolly called the Club spot an "issue ad," noting that his org. did not confer with Rubio's camp about the ad and has not yet made an endorsement in the race. But he added that, in the wake of NY-23, his org. isn't observing a "mourning period," echoing Club for Growth Pres. Chris Chocola's comments this week that the group will make an endorsement "in the very near future."
Asked for comment on the Club ad, Crist CoS Eric Eikenberg said: "The governor shares many of the same goals as the Club for Growth, and he simply looks forward to working with them."
On whether Crist's remarks to Blitzer were a mistake, Eikenberg said, "I don't think it was a mistake."
"He certainly knew that $15 billion was going to be coming from Washington to the state of Florida," Eikenberg said, noting FL's status as a "donor" state and adding that Crist "has made difficult decisions on cutting spending."
Analyst Stu Rothenberg notes that as the '10 landscape comes into sharper focus, there are several other races the Club may jump into, such as Club ex-Pres. Pat Toomey's (R) SEN battle in PA. But Toomey's bid won't take off until after the primary between Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) is settled in May. And another potential target, Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), has so far drawn a wide field of conservative challengers from which a single strong contender such as Rubio has yet to emerge.
In the meantime -- and until the NY-23 rematch gears up -- expect the tea party to head south.
(FELICIA SONMEZ)
"World News" led with election results. "Evening News" led with the discovery of 11 bodies in a Cleveland, OH sex offender's home. "Nightly News" led with election results.
Gov. Charlie Crist (R) appeared via satellite on the "Situation Room" 11/4 p.m.
Crist, on whether he regrets endorsing the economic stimulus package: "I didn't endorse it. I didn't even have a vote on the darned thing. But I understood that it was going to pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians. ... Frankly, I kind of look at it like Florida taxpayers' dollars coming back to the state to benefit them. ... We've go to fight for Florida first. That's all we did here."
Crist, on the picture of himself and Pres. Obama hugging that Ex-state House Speaker Marco Rubio's (R) has on his website: "I think it's important to understand where we were at that time. That was back in February, less than a month after the president was sworn into office, the first time he visits our state. And I was pragmatic, I think, about what we needed to do. Everybody knew the bill was going to pass. I, like all other Republican governors, utilized that money for the benefit of the people in my state. And that's what a pragmatic conservative does. ... And I think it's important to understand that you need to fight for jobs, you need to fight for the economy, do what you think is right for the people."
Crist, on rumors ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will endorse Rubio, and whether she'll make a difference: "I think every person makes a difference. ... It's hard to say. I mean nobody knows for sure. I mean, I hope that the endorsement of Senator Connie Mack, the endorsement of the former Republican Party chairman of our state, Al Cardenas, the endorsement of people that really understand and realize Charlie Crist is a true fiscal conservative."
After the jump, WH press sec. Robert Gibbs, pols and pundits weigh in on the '09 races.
(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX & ABBY LIVINGSTON)
Continue reading "Hotline After Dark -- Qualifying Candidate" »
"World News" led with a Toyota recall. "Evening News" and "Nightly News" led with the NY 23 and NJ and VA GOV races.
Pres. Obama's role in the outcomes of last p.m.'s races was a widely discussed topic on cable 11/3 p.m.
MS Gov. Haley Barbour (R), on VA GOV: "One of Creigh Deeds, the Democrat's, problems was the unpopularity of Obama's policies, not only in Virginia but all over the country. And the fact that McDonnell was talking about the issues that the people in Virginia were worried about. ... There's no doubt that if I'm a Democrat member [of Congress] I look at this and say, 'Okay, Democrats got hurt by these policies, do I want to take that risk?'" ("On The Record," FNC, 11/3).
DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen: "The Obama agenda is not on the ballot in New Jersey. It's a governor's race. It has its own set of state issues. The Obama agenda is not on the ballot in Virginia. So these have local flavor to them. There's a lot going on in each state with the governors and the legislature. So I don't think tonight's results can be seen as somehow a referendum on the Obama agenda. Now, a year from now, when you have midterm Congressional elections, it will be. And that will be a true test" ("Situation Room," CNN, 11/3).
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA): "This is a night that is the first report card on the president" ("Situation Room," CNN, 11/3).
After the jump, more on the Obama-effect, and reactions to the NJ and VA GOV races.
(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX & ABBY LIVINGSTON)
Continue reading "Hotline After Dark -- Obummer? " »
The AP just made it official: Garamendi wins in the race to replace State Dept. appointee/ex-Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D). With 29% of the vote counted, the LG led Harmer by a 56-40% margin.
Fox just called the race for Owens. With 87% of the precincts reporting, the AP -- who has yet to call the race -- leads 49-45% over Hoffman. UPDATE: The AP has called the race, and Hoffman has conceded..
With Owens' win, Dems will picked up a GOP-held seat, and now will have a 257-177 advantage in the House.
(TIM SAHD)
We asked earlier tonight if this race would be a repeat of the extended NY-20 election. Well, it's looking like that's very possible.
With over 86% of the precincts reporting, Owens is holding steady with his 49-45% lead. The Watertown Daily Times notes that there are roughly 6K absentee ballots left to be counted in the race, so this thing might not be over tonight.
(TIM SAHD)
Chatter about a potential close race in the CA-10 contest to fill ex-Rep./State Dept. appointee Ellen Tauscher's (D) seat has been bubbling for days. It's surprising, considering it's a strongly Dem seat (Pres. Obama took it with 65%), and considering a long-time Dem officeholder, LG John Garamendi, is the party's nominee. On the GOP side, atty David Harmer (R) is running an underfunded campaign, but he did receive some late help from the NRCC in the form of four mailers.
The early results, with 22% of the vote reporting, Garamendi holds a 56-40% lead over Harmer.
In CA, most voters voted early, so these numbers probably reflect a good portion of that early vote. We'll see if Harmer can close the gap as same-day voting numbers come in, or if Garamendi wins comfortably.
(TIM SAHD)
Boston Mayor Tom Menino, who has already served for 16 years, won an unprecedented fifth term tonight, beating City Councilor Michael Flaherty in the most competitive race the city has seen in years. With 100% of the precincts reporting, Menino led Flaherty 57%-42%, according to the city's election dept.
Meanwhile, Atlanta appears to be heading towards a runoff, with City Councilor Mary Norwood leading state Sen. Kasim Reed 46%-37% with 76% of the vote in. If ultimately elected, Norwood would be the first white mayor of Atlanta in more than 30 years.
Continue reading "Mayoral Round-Up!" »
Defeated NJ Gov. Jon Corzine (D) emerged moments ago to give a short concession speech. He thanked his supporters and his running mate, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D). "I love you and I thank you all," he said. He told the crowd that he'd called ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie (R) to congratulate him and that the GOPer had been "gracious." His other opponent, ex-EPA regional admin. Chris Daggett (I), Corzine said, had added civility to the campaign.
"The people have chosen tonight," Corzine said. "That doesn't mean that the Democrats in this room, the Democrats across this state or across this country don't have an agenda to carry forward."
"There is more for all of us to do," he added. "We may be retiring from politics but we're not retiring from life."
Moments later at his headquarters in Parsippany, Christie came on stage to chants of "yes we can" and "thank you." He also called the gov. "gracious."
"We need to make New Jersey more affordable and we need to do it now," Christie said, asking supporters to help usher in "a new era of hope and optimism" in the state.
The results aren't looking too good for accountant Doug Hoffman (C), but with a third of the vote remaining to be counted, a comeback isn't out of the question. Still, Watertown Mayor Jeff Graham isn't holding out much hope for his candidate, according to the Washington Independent:
"We lost," said Graham. "The Scozzafava endorsement, the [Watertown Daily Times] endorsement of Owens-I mean, they roughed Hoffman up."
Could Hoffman still pull out a win? Graham grimaced. "It's over."
Despite polls showing Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I) leading Comp. Bill Thompson (D) by as many as 15 points the week before Election Day, Bloomberg eked out only a narrow victory today.
The AP called the race with 95% of the precincts reporting citywide; Bloomberg leads Thompson, 50-46%.
The race had been called earlier tonight by numerous news outlets relying on an outside source of data, but some of them retracted the call when results showed Thompson within only a few thousand votes.
Bloomberg, despite spending upwards of $100M of his vast fortune on the campaign, may have been the victim of an anti-incumbent sentiment -- particularly in the light of his effort to amend the city's term limits law to allow for his bid for a third term.
"We learned tonight that people do not forget easily," Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-09), who lost the Dem nod for mayor in '05 and considered running again this year before giving way to Thompson, told the New York Times. "And a lot of people, whether they said it to pollsters or not, were offended by the term limits fight."
Thompson had received only a tepid endorsement from Pres. Obama and the WH. And other statewide Dems -- Gov. David Paterson and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand -- endorsed Thompson but refused to criticize Bloomberg.
(STEVEN SHEPARD)
GOPers may have swept the three statewide offices in VA, but they also appear to have netted 2-4 seats in the House of Delegates, padding their current majority of 55-45 (including indies who caucus with the GOP.) Will Gov-elect Bob McDonnell (R) look to appoint one or more Dem state senators to other office, hoping to force special elections and reverse the 21-19 Dem majority? Redistricting is right around the corner. Of course, Dems will first have a shot at picking up AG-elect Ken Cuccinelli's (R) state Senate seat, once he resigns. He only won by 92 votes in '07, so expect a competitive special election there. [QUINN MCCORD]
As the results from tonight's races roll in, The Hotline has tallied a stumping scorecard for both Pres. Obama and his potential rivals in '12. Whose chosen candidates won? And whose lost? Who has the best track record thus far? The following is a list of the '09 candidates that Obama and potential WH '12ers have physically stumped for in the candidate's CD/state:
Continue reading "In The Year 2012" »
Owens is still hanging on to his 49-45% lead here, with 63% of the precincts reporting.
Hoffman's problem continues to be Scozzafava's base.
In '08, when John McHugh was re-elected with 65%, he won Jefferson Co. by a 3-1 margin. Tonight, with nearly all the precincts from that county reporting, Owens leads 49-45%. And in St. Lawrence Co., with nearly 40% of the precincts reporting, Owens has opened up a 55-40% lead. In '08, McHugh won it by a nearly 2-1 margin.
In the last Siena poll released on Sun -- which Hoffman led by 5% -- he tied Owens in this area. He's going to need to pick it up with the remaining vote if he's going to pull this out.
(TIM SAHD)
Atty Bill Owens (D) leads in the early count (27% of precincts reporting) by a 51-44% advantage over accountant Doug Hoffman (C). Some keys to Owens' early success: He's taking his home, Clinton Co., with 57%, and also slightly winning Jefferson and St. Lawrence Cos -- places where Hoffman needs to do very well.
Jefferson and St. Lawrence Cos are traditionally GOP strongholds, but they're also Assemb. Dede Scozzafava's (R) base. If Owens continues to do well in these counties, Hoffman will be in trouble. But it's still very early.
(TIM SAHD)
MSNBC's Maddow announced moments ago that the net was retracting their call for Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I). AP and the New York Times had also called the race for Hizzoner.
With 34% of the precincts reporting, Bloomberg leads Comp. Bill Thompson (D) by less than 2K votes, 49-48%.
Maddow reported Thompson had called Bloomberg to concede, but the Thompson camp told WNBC-TV that they were not yet conceding the race.
With 58% of precincts reporting, ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie (R) is leading Gov. Jon Corzine (D) by 6 points, 50%-44%, with ex-EPA regional admin. Chris Daggett (I) getting 5%. In Bergen Co., a must-win for GOPers in a statewide contest, Christie is still up by some 1K votes with 439 of 553 precincts reporting. It's not an insurmountable lead, but Dems in NJ and DC are nervous.
Meanwhile, Daggett is currently delivering a concession speech from his Basking Ridge HQ.
(SEAN J. MILLER)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I) won re-election today, a little over a year after he signed a controversial bill that changed the city's term limits law and allowed him to seek a third term.
With just 6% of the precincts reporting, Bloomberg leads Comp. Bill Thompson (D), 53-44%. WNBC-TV is reporting that their parent network has called the race for Bloomberg.
Bloomberg shattered his own record for personal campaign spending for U.S. political office. Through 10/15, he had contributed more than $85M to his own campaign, and he was well on his way to breaking the $100M mark.
Thompson, meanwhile, had spent just $6.6M as of the latest filing deadline, pocketing a little over $3M in public matching funds.
(STEVEN SHEPARD)
NBC's Todd, on whether these elections are referendums on Pres. Obama: "Nobody ran against Obama this campaign. There's a lot of talk of 'Is this a referendum or not? Did he have enough coat tails?' I think those are real questions. Bob McDonnell did not run against Barack Obama. Chris Christie did not run against Barack Obama" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 11/3).
Ex-WH dep. CoS Karl Rove, on whether Dems are correct that this is not a referendum on Obama: "No, especially since there are prominent Democrats who said just the opposite. President Bill Clinton said this was going to be a referendum on President Obama and his policies, and for once I agree with Bill Clinton, and it is" ("Hannity," FNC, 11/3).
Continue reading "A Referendum?" »
House Min. Whip Eric Cantor weighed in on the VA GOV race on "Hardball" this p.m.
Cantor, on ex-AG Bob McDonnell's (R) victory: "This is a warning shot to the moderate Democrats to say, 'Hey, wait a minute, maybe we ought to try another way. Maybe there is a better way."
Continue reading "YES WE CAN-TOR!" »
If the race is close in NY-23, we may not have a winner tonight. That's because four precincts in St. Lawrence Co. have experienced technical difficulties with their new voting machines, and because Fulton Co. -- with its 24 precincts -- will not make all of its results available to the media until tomorrow.
Anyway, just something to mull as we await the polls to close in five minutes.
AP, nets call ex-AG Bob McDonnell (R) the winner of VA GOV.
According to early exit poll data released by CNN, ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie (R) leads Gov. Jon Corzine among indie voters, 58-33%. Indies make up 27% of the electorate thus far today.
For comparison, the latest Monmouth Univ. poll -- which had an overall two-point lead for Corzine -- showed Christie beating Corzine among indies by a narrower margin, 43-33%. Some of ex-EPA regional admin. Chris Daggett's supporters and undecided voters seem to have drifted to Christie and not to Corzine, according to the exits.
By NJ standards, indies trend slightly to the right. Indies made up 28% of the '08 electorate, and Pres. Obama won them, 51-47%. He won statewide, 57-42%.
One small nugget from the NJ exits that have been released thus far: Among Gov. Jon Corzine's (D) supporters, 77% said their vote was mainly to support Corzine, while 20% said their vote for Corzine was against his opponents.
The nature of ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie's (R) support is much more anti-Corzine: 42% of his voters are voting mainly against Christie's opponents -- Corzine and ex-EPA regional admin. Chris Daggett (I). Just 55% are voting mainly to support Christie.
Continue reading "NJ GOV: Corzine, And Anti-Corzine" »
Exit polls show a more polarized electorate than in '08, but ex-AG Bob McDonnell (R) leads due to a strong showing among indie voters.
This year, according to CNN, state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D) leads McDonnell, 94-6%, among Dems. According to '08 exits, Pres. Obama beat Sen. John McCain among these voters, 92-8%.
McDonnell has a 95-5% lead among GOPers. McCain won GOPers in '08, 92-8%.
Continue reading "VA GOV: Deeds Underperforming Obama" »
The first, early exit poll results from NJ and VA are now trickling in from various media outlets.
NJ voters ranked the economy and jobs as their No. 1 issue, with 31% of voters telling pollsters that issue mattered most to them. The No. 2 issue was property taxes (26%), and corruption (20%) was No. 3. Polling has shown the focus on property taxes and corruption are stronger areas for ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie (R) than for Gov. Jon Corzine (D). Health care was No. 4 with 18%.
In VA, the economy and jobs (46%) far outpaced health care (25%), taxes (14%) and transportation (8%).
A majority of voters in both states said, for the most part, that Pres. Obama wasn't a factor in their vote. In NJ, 60% said Obama's support of Corzine didn't play a role either way, which 55% of VA voters said they didn't consider Obama's embrace of state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D) when deciding how to vote.
Of voters who said Obama's support did play a role, 19% of NJ voters said they were voting to support Obama, while 20% said they were voting to oppose him. In VA, 18% were seeking to support Obama while 24% voted as an expression of opposition to Obama.
Polls close in VA at 7 p.m. EST, while voting continues until 8 p.m. EST in NJ.
(STEVEN SHEPARD)
Besides the usual election day hijincks -- a supporter of accountant Doug Hoffman (C) was apparently seen at a polling place "covered with Hoffman stickers and yelling anti-choice stuff at voters" -- things have been pretty quiet up in New York 23.
Much has been made of the GOP's "Tea Party" wing having a big effect on this race, and to emphasize just how importantly conservatives are taking this race, take a look at who has ventured up to the CD to help GOTV for Hoffman. That's ex-Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), a social conservative stalwart who lost her re-election last year and who now works for the pro-life Susan B. Anthony list.
We'll see soon if the grassroots' support pays off for Hoffman tonight, or if Assemb. Dede Scozzafava's (R) last-minute drop-out-and-endorsement of atty Bill Owens (D) will give Dems a come-from-behind victory. Polls close at 9 p.m., and results will trickle in shortly after that.
(TIM SAHD)
"World News" led with Ford Motor Co. earning a profit this quarter. "Evening News" led with Ford Motor Co. earning a profit this quarter and featured Al Gore. "Nightly News" led with Ford Motor Co. earning a profit this quarter.
Accountant Doug Hoffman (C) appeared on "Hannity" 11/2 p.m.
Hoffman, on why the GOP gave the nod to a liberal GOPer: "I guess we'll never know. The only thing I can say is that it was just party politics behind closed doors, and the bosses just decided to just anoint somebody that was there."
Hoffman, on whether he understood why Assemb. Dede Scozzafava (R) was the GOP nominee: "I did not either, and that is why I decided to run. I thought the voters in the district would not have a good choice if I did not put my hat in the ring, and I felt that I had to do it."
Hoffman, on Scozzafava's Dem endorsement: "Absolutely. It's exactly what I was saying when I got in this race. And it just proved that I was correct. She was more liberal than the Democrat" (FNC, 11/2).
After the jump, more on NY-23 and WH staffers go into the "Situation Room."
(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX & ABBY LIVINGSTON)
Continue reading "Hotline After Dark -- Born To Run" »
With voters going to the polls in a number of competitive races on 11/3, small differences in turnout could prove to be decisive. With that in mind, here's a quick look at the weather that voters can expect in the day's six most important races.
VA GOV: A weak cold front will pass through the commonwealth on 11/3, though it is not expected to bring any precipitation. The forecast: Sun and clouds, highs 55-65.
NJ GOV: The same front could produce a stray shower. The forecast: More clouds than sun, possible shower, highs 51-61.
NYC Mayor: Ditto. The forecast: Cloudy, with showers possible, highs near 60.
NY-23: The front will have passed through the North Country overnight, but some lake-enhanced rain showers are possible in its wake. The forecast: Cloudy with showers possible, highs 45-55.
ME gay marriage initiative: The very same front will move through the state with plenty of cold air behind it. The forecast: Cloudy with a chance of showers, highs 42-55.
CA-10: A ridge of high pressure will provide a "Chamber-of-Commerce" day in the CD. The forecast: Sunny, highs 75-80.
(STEVEN SHEPARD)
ELECTION NIGHT TV PLANS
Several nets have released plans for their Election Night coverage.
-CNN: Wolf Blitzer will provide live cut-ins from DC as soon as polls begin to close. CNN reporters and pundits will appear both in-studio and from the battlegrounds to discuss results, as well as the one-year anniversary of Pres. Obama's election.
-FBN: will provide live coverage beginningat 8pmET with Neil Cavuto anchoring. He will be joined by ex-NJ Gov Christie Todd Whitman (R), ex-NJ Gov. James Florio (D), Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), ex-Gov./ex-Sen. George Allen (R-VA) and PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D) and others.
-FNC: Shepard Smith and Bret Baier will lead coverage beginning at 6pmET and will include reports on the ground and in Washington. They will be joined by FNC's Brit Hume, Dem consultant/FNC commentator Bob Beckel, NPR's Juan Williams, Ex-WH dep. CoS Karl Rove, Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol, Dem strategist Joe Trippi, UVA's Larry Sabato and U.S. News & World Report senior writer/"Almanac of American Politics" principal co-author Michael Barone. At 8pmET, FNC will have regularly scheduled broadcasts with special updates from Smith and Baier. From 10 to 11pmET, Greta Van Susteren will be joined by Smith and Baier for a special edition of "On the Record" (Hotline sources, 11/2).
-MSNBC: NBC's Chuck Todd anchors from Washington at 11amET and 2pmET and MSNBC's Ed Schultz anchors at 4pmET. Additionally, in the evening MSNBC will cover the races within the regular lineup and air an additional special live "Countdown" at 10pmET and "Rachel Maddow Show" at 11pmET with analysis of the election results.
-ABC's "Nightline" will report on the results at 11:35pmET.
-NJN, NJ Public TV and Radio, will stream live video with blanket coverage at 8pmET, and you can find more information here.
(ABBY LIVINGSTON)
NORTH BERGEN, N.J. -- Gov. Jon Corzine (D) spent the weekend touting his progressive agenda and urging Dems to get to the polls 11/3. On 10/30, Corzine talked health care and the environment at a north Jersey rally with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL 20) and activist Bobby Kennedy Jr. The next day, he made a stop in Union City and gave a speech about gun control. "Elections matter because people stand for different things that separate them and voters have a choice," Corzine told a small group of Dem officials gathered at the Firefighter's Memorial Park, adding that his opponent had a "poor stance" on gun control.
Getting guns off the street is what's on the ballot Tuesday, the gov. said, "just like preschool is on the ballot, just like making sure that we have health care for our kids is on the ballot. And so I am pleased that we are making the distinction very clear for the voters."
But it seems few voters now have any confusion about the "distinction" between Corzine and ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie (R). Polls show their support has solidified in recent weeks. So rather than a persuasive closing argument, the outcome of the 11/3 vote could best be determined by turnout levels and the performance of ex-EPA regional admin. Chris Daggett (I).
Continue reading "NJ GOV: An Outpost Of Progress" »
Assemb. Dede Scozzafava (R) may be crossing party lines to support atty Bill Owens (D), but her now ex-mgr Matt Burns isn't going along with that decision. "Dede is entitled to her own opinion, as is everyone, but I obviously disagree with her decision," Burns told us today, a day after leaving the campaign. "I am supporting Doug Hoffman, because denying Nancy Pelosi another foot soldier is vital to restoring fiscal responsibility and common sense in Washington."
Burns, who was raised in the CD but is now based in MN, said he decided to join Scozzafava's team in order to keep the Dem-trending seat in GOP hands. "In her heart of hearts, she's a good person. She's a capable legislator," Burns said. "But I don't think supporting a candidate who would back Nancy Pelosi is the best way to get our nation on the right track."
He said Scozzafava first considered getting out of the race 10/30, but after the 10/31 Siena poll revealed her stock plummeting, and her unfavorable ratings rising, she decided to leave the race. Burns said the decision came down to the candidate's lack of resources. "You need money to respond charges, and we were not in a position to do that," Burns said.
Still, Burns -- a self-described conservative -- said he sides with many GOPers who say the party needs to recruit both moderates and conservatives if it expects to pick up seats in '10. He said he agrees with ex-Speaker/ex-Scozzafava backer Newt Gingrich (R) that the party needs to find candidates that fit their districts. Burns: "Otherwise, it's going to be tough to take back the House."
(TIM SAHD)
