Thursday, October 12, 2006

Here's one Swift Boat that sank. . . Republican Diana Irey is running a true scumbucket campaign against Jack Murtha, which has included bringing in hitmen from the Swift Boat Mafia to open up on him. When the most right-wing newspaper west of the Washington Times buries you this deep, Ms. Irey, it might be time to get your fucking nose out of the air.  Rep. Jack Murtha       Diana "Snoots" Irey   Poll: Murtha has big lead By Robin Acton TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, October 12, 2006 With nearly four weeks to go before the Nov. 7 election, a poll commissioned by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review shows incumbent U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha holding a strong lead over his GOP challenger, Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey. If the election were held today, the Johnstown Democrat would coast to an 18th term in the 12th Congressional District, according to results of the poll conducted Oct. 7-8 by Susquehanna Polling and Research in Harrisburg. Murtha leads Irey 57 percent to 30 percent, according to the survey of 400 voters. Eleven percent of those polled were undecided, 1 percent said they will not vote and 1 percent did not respond when asked for whom they would vote. In a race defined by the war in Iraq, the results indicate voters agree with Murtha, who has called for withdrawal of troops, rather than Irey, who insists America should stay the course. James Lee, president of Susquehanna Polling and Research, predicted Murtha will win with 60 percent of the vote. He said the survey indicates that Murtha's attitude on the war is "much more in sync with public opinion" in his district. Brad Clemenson, Murtha's district director, was pleased with the poll's findings. "The results are encouraging, but the poll that counts is Nov. 7," Clemenson said. Jason Davidek, Irey's campaign manager, said he places more faith in an internal poll conducted for the Irey camp three weeks ago by Public Opinion Strategies, a national political and public affairs research firm headquartered in Alexandria, Va. That survey of 400 likely voters showed Murtha leading Irey by 10 percentage points, 55 percent to 45 percent, according to information supplied by the campaign. "We knew we'd be the underdog from the beginning. Obviously, she is well-known in Washington County, but the response throughout the district has been amazing," Davidek said. While Irey's staffers have been in "hard campaign mode for a while," Davidek said he believes advertising in the final weeks will help her build momentum. Irey's disappointing numbers did not appear to worry state GOP officials. Scott Migli, executive director of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, said other polls show "a much tighter race." "It depends upon which poll you look at," Migli said, who added that Republican candidates statewide are still finding staunch supporters. Migli conceded it is difficult for a candidate like Irey, who is largely unknown in areas outside Washington County, to overcome an established incumbent. "She's working hard and has been very successful in some areas," he said, adding that the election results ultimately "may shock some people." Of those polled, 50 percent said Murtha has done his job well enough to deserve re-election, while 39 percent said it is time for a change. Name recognition alone will help the veteran lawmaker draw votes from across the nine-county district, the survey found. Ninety-three percent of those polled recognized Murtha by name. In that group, 57 percent said they held a favorable opinion of the congressman, while 26 percent registered an unfavorable opinion. Just 62 percent of the respondents recognized Irey's name. In that group, 20 percent reported a favorable opinion of the commissioner and 20 percent said they viewed her unfavorably. In Washington County, where Irey has served as a commissioner since 1995, the poll showed Murtha leading Irey 66 percent to 27 percent. While 91 percent of the poll respondents in Washington County indicated they recognize Irey's name, only 39 percent said they have a favorable opinion of her as a candidate. Another 38 percent said they have an unfavorable opinion of Irey, while 14 percent said they have no opinion of her at all. "This shows that she hasn't been successful in developing a positive image in the district she serves," Lee said. "You want to do better in your base area. I don't get the sense she is a viable alternative in this campaign." Ninety-two percent of those polled in Washington County said they recognize Murtha by name. From that group, 62 percent reported a favorable opinion of the congressman, versus 19 percent who view him unfavorably. Thirty percent of respondents identified the war as the most important problem facing the country today, while 11 percent listed the economy, jobs and unemployment as more important. Fifty-six percent of those questioned said America is less safe today because of the war in Iraq, compared to 27 percent who feel the country is safer. Ten percent indicated the country's level of safety has not changed, while 6 percent said they are undecided and 1 percent declined to answer the question. "Most people believe the war has made us less safe, something that Murtha has been saying all along," Lee said. Poll results The following are some questions asked in a poll commissioned by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about the race for the 12th Congressional District involving U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha and his GOP challenger, Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey. Who do you favor? • Murtha, 57% • Irey, 30% • Undecided, 11% • Neither, 1% • Refuse, 1% What do you believe is the single most important issue facing the United States today? • War in Iraq, 30% • Politicians/government, 10% • Terrorism/national security, 9% Generally speaking do you think things in the country are going in the right direction, or do you think things have gotten on the wrong track? • Right direction, 26% • Wrong direction, 65% 4:56:25 PM     comment []

Rove Blows A Big One "So that's what it's like to get fucked. . ." Is the American Machiavelli losing his touch? Would the Karl Rove of "John McCain's black baby", among other noble endeavors, have risked so much on a pedophilic Congressman? Is the Goebbels of 1600 nearing consignment to the "dustbin of history"?Only his master, Satan, know for sure.     What is The Plank? 10.12.06 HOW ROVE TWISTED FOLEY'S ARM: It seems increasingly clear that the GOP congressional leadership, eager for every safe incumbent in the House to run for re-election, looked the other way as evidence accumulated that Mark Foley had a thing for pages. Holding onto his seat became more important than confronting him over his extracurricular activities. But there's more to the story of why Foley stood for re-election this year. Yesterday, a source close to Foley explained to THE NEW REPUBLIC that in early 2006 the congressman had all but decided to retire from the House and set up shop on K Street. "Mark's a friend of mine," says this source. "He told me, 'I'm thinking about getting out of it and becoming a lobbyist.'" But when Foley's friend saw the Congressman again this spring, something had changed. To the source's surprise, Foley told him he would indeed be standing for re-election. What happened? Karl Rove intervened. According to the source, Foley said he was being pressured by "the White House and Rove gang," who insisted that Foley run. If he didn't, Foley was told, it might impact his lobbying career. "He said, 'The White House made it very clear I have to run,'" explains Foley's friend, adding that Foley told him that the White House promised that if Foley served for two more years it would "enhance his success" as a lobbyist. "I said, 'I thought you wanted out of this?' And he said, 'I do, but they're scared of losing the House and the thought of two years of Congressional hearings, so I have two more years of duty.'" The White House declined a request for comment on the matter, but obviously the plan hasn't worked out quite as Rove hoped it would. --Ryan Lizza 1:50:31 PM     comment []

Quote of the Day   Has there ever been a president as detached from reality as this one? Buchanan? Nixon, when he was talking to the portraits on the walls? Is it just stubborness on Bush's part? An inability to see a situation for what it really is if that reality happens to diverge from his perceived view? Or, to put it more succinctly: Is the President of the United States fucking nuts, or just a big baby who insists on having his own way? "We're on the move. We're taking action. We're helping this young democracy succeed. Our troops have increased their presence on the streets of Baghdad, and together with Iraqi forces, they're working to ensure that terrorists and death squads cannot intimidate the local population and operate murder rings." --George W. Bush, October 11, 2006   Reality Check of the Day   All-time high' in Baghdad violence Sectarian killings more than triple By Rick Jervis USA TODAY  BAGHDAD — The number of sectarian killings each month in Baghdad has more than tripled since February, and the violence has not slowed despite a major offensive in the capital. Death squads killed 1,450 people in September, up from 450 in February, according to U.S. military statistics. In the first 10 days of October, death squads have killed about 770 Iraqis. The increase in death squad killings reflects the level of religious warfare that is now the largest threat to security in Iraq. Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman, acknowledged violence in Baghdad is at an “all-time high” and said U.S. commanders, in coordination with their Iraqi counterparts, are continuing to adjust the security plan to try to reduce the violence. “We've been working to keep it peaceful, and we've been frustrated that the extremists keep perpetuating the number of attacks,” Garver said. U.S. forces are also caught in the violence. At least 37 American troops have been killed in combat this month, about half of them in or around Baghdad, where Iraqi and U.S. forces are attempting to loosen the grip of armed militias. The weekly average of U.S. deaths since President Bush declared the end of major combat operations in May 2003 has been about 14. Sectarian violence grew after the February bombing of a sacred Shiite mosque in Samarra. Gen. George Casey, the top-ranking U.S. officer in Iraq, said the conflict was changing from an insurgency against U.S. forces to a struggle among Iraqis. The civil unrest has placed U.S. troops in a difficult position. In a seven-day period last week, troops from the Army's 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment in northwest Baghdad investigated 40 sectarian killings and collected 57 bodies, many of them mutilated or bearing signs of torture, said Sgt. Jeff Nelson, an intelligence analyst with the unit. “We're finding bodies everywhere out here,” he said. The troops haven't caught any suspects in the deaths, Nelson said. The U.S. military this summer established an extrajudicial killings task force to share evidence and leads with Iraqi investigators. The violence, which has pitted Sunni and Shiite Muslims against each other and spawned neighborhood gangs, has escalated despite the presence of more than 60,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces in the capital. In the worst months this year, sectarian killings averaged about 47 a day, according to the military statistics. So far this month, sectarian assassinations have claimed an average of 77 lives a day. The monthly numbers were rounded before being released and include assassinations and revenge killings but not victims of car bombs or suicide bomb attacks. In Washington, Bush said, “The violence is being caused by a combination of terrorists, elements of former regime criminals and sectarian militias.” Bush also dismissed a study released this week that indicated that more than 600,000 Iraqi civilians have died in all types of violence since 2003. “I don't consider it a credible report,” he said. 11:33:57 AM     comment []

I suppose you could say they never had a prayer (chortle, chortle). . .      MSNBC.com Exclusive: Book says Bush just using Christians ‘Tempting Faith’ author David Kuo worked for Bush from 2001 to 2003 By Jonathan Larsen "Countdown" producer MSNBC Updated: 8:57 p.m. ET Oct 11, 2006 More than five years after President Bush created the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, the former second-in-command of that office is going public with an insider’s tell-all account that portrays an office used almost exclusively to win political points with both evangelical Christians and traditionally Democratic minorities. The office’s primary mission, providing financial support to charities that serve the poor, never got the presidential support it needed to succeed, according to the book. Entitled “Tempting Faith,” the book is not scheduled for release until Oct. 16, but MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” has obtained a copy. “Tempting Faith’s” author is David Kuo, who served as special assistant to the president from 2001 to 2003. A self-described conservative Christian, Kuo’s previous experience includes work for prominent conservatives including former Education Secretary and federal drug czar Bill Bennett and former Attorney General John Ashcroft. Kuo, who has complained publicly in the past about the funding shortfalls, goes several steps further in his new book. He says some of the nation’s most prominent evangelical leaders were known in the office of presidential political strategist Karl Rove as “the nuts.” “National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as ‘ridiculous,’ ‘out of control,’ and just plain ‘goofy,’” Kuo writes. More seriously, Kuo alleges that then-White House political affairs director Ken Mehlman knowingly participated in a scheme to use the office, and taxpayer funds, to mount ostensibly “nonpartisan” events that were, in reality, designed with the intent of mobilizing religious voters in 20 targeted races. According to Kuo, “Ken loved the idea and gave us our marching orders.” Among those marching orders, Kuo says, was Mehlman’s mandate to conceal the true nature of the events. Kuo quotes Mehlman as saying, “… (I)t can’t come from the campaigns. That would make it look too political. It needs to come from the congressional offices. We’ll take care of that by having our guys call the office [of faith-based initiatives] to request the visit.” Nineteen out of the 20 targeted races were won by Republicans, Kuo reports. The outreach was so extensive and so powerful in motivating not just conservative evangelicals, but also traditionally Democratic minorities, that Kuo attributes Bush’s 2004 Ohio victory “at least partially … to the conferences we had launched two years before.” With the exception of one reporter from the Washington Post, Kuo says the media were oblivious to the political nature and impact of his office’s events, in part because so much of the debate centered on issues of separation of church and state. In fact, the Bush administration often promoted the faith-based agenda by claiming that existing government regulations were too restrictive on religious organizations seeking to serve the public. Substantiating that claim proved difficult, Kuo says. “Finding these examples became a huge priority.… If President Bush was making the world a better place for faith-based groups, we had to show it was really a bad place to begin with. But, in fact, it wasn’t that bad at all.” In fact, when Bush asks Kuo how much money was being spent on “compassion” social programs, Kuo claims he discovered “we were actually spending about $20 million a year less on them than before he had taken office.” The money that was appropriated and disbursed, however, often served a political agenda, Kuo claims. “Many of the grant-winning organizations that rose to the top of the process were politically friendly to the administration,” he says. More pointedly, Kuo quotes an unnamed member of the review panel charged with rating grant applications. “But,” she said with a giggle, ‘When I saw one of those non-Christian groups in the set I was reviewing, I just stopped looking at them and gave them a zero … a lot of us did.’” “Tempting Faith” contains several other controversial claims about Kuo’s office, the Bush White House and even the 1994 Republican revolution in Congress. Many of those revelations and others will be the topic of discussion on Thursday night’s edition of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.” © 2006 MSNBC.com 10:00:40 AM     comment []

© Copyright 2006 Michael D. Zungolo. Last update: 10/27/2006; 3:06:16 PM.