Ron Paul Goes Ga-Ga, Ca-Ca

This is a rather crazy week in politics. On CNN, we watched John Murtha turn into a human shambles as he explained to the ever-credulous Wolf Blitzer why the U.S. couldn't win the war and was in fact incapable of losing it. Also, there were several sightings of Ron Paul -- the man with two first names -- usually accompanied by Big Foot.

People accuse me of hating Ron Paul (or is it Paul Ron?). Actually, I worship the quicksand upon which he walks. He's the one who's certain 9/11 was our fault -- with us offending certain perfervid Muslims and all that.

Recently, one staunch Paulite threatened the life of mild-manner blogger, S J Reidhead at The Pink Flamingo. Apparently, in her comments on Paul she failed to show sufficient adoration. What will the Paulites do to the poor soul who described their favorite candidate as "a human bug-light?" One shudders to imagine.

I prefer to imagine Paul as David Duke without the sheet.

I did, however, enjoy immensely the following story about the libetarian Mr. Paul. I found at a truly outstanding blog, Sword At-the-Ready.


RENO, Nev. — Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, an underdog Texas congressman with a libertarian streak, has picked up an endorsement from a Nevada brothel owner.

Dennis Hof, owner of the Moonlite BunnyRanch near Carson City, said he was so impressed after hearing Paul at a campaign stop in Reno last week that he decided to raise money for him.

“I’ll get all the (working girls) together, and we can raise him some money,” Hof told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “I’ll put up a collection box outside the door. They can drop in $1, $5 contributions.”

Hof and two of his prostitutes, Brooke Taylor and a woman who goes by Air Force Amy, attended a Paul news conference.

In the last campaign -- 2004 -- there was a national effort to "Get Dennis Kucinich a Date." I propose that we busy ourselves by getting Ron Paul a life.

Australians and Americans: Brothers and Sisters in Freedom

Thanks to the visitors on my other site from Australia: Gympie, Queensland; Melbourne; Victoria; Sydney; Brisbane; and Bringelly. Oops, there are more! One just showed up from Perth. I've been reading Niall Ferguson's World of War (a stunning book), and he writes a fair amount Australians' superb performance in World War II.

I regularly talk about how some American political campaigns (William Russell, Heather Wilson, Jean Schmidt, Melissa Hart; and James Gilmore) must be national efforts. In fact, they should be international undertakings, as we join with our brothers and sisters around the globe. For several generations, Australia has been one of our noblest allies, and those of us in the U.S. look forward to working with you on critical issues.

If you're looking for SmartPolitics101's version of "Comedy Central," scroll down to the next column.

A lot of us complain about the heavy hand of bureaucracy. In the early 1800s, when the federal bureaucracy might have fit within a single building, someone asked President John Adams what he thought of the group.

Adams reflected for a few seconds, shook his head, and said: "Few die . . . NONE retire." As the French saying goes, "The more things change, the more they remain the same."

HILLARY'S FOLLIES, MURTHA'S JOLLIES: POLITICAL HUMOR

(Above) John Murtha Reacting to Lt. Col. William Russell's run for Congress

I promise today will not be a serious column. I shall instead look at the lighter side. I'm doing a separate light-side column on my other main blog. Please visit and tell all your friends -- well, at least tell both of them.

Why does John Murtha fear William Russell's candidacy? You might as well ask why a vampire isn't enamored with bright sunlight.

What does Murtha have in common with the Johnstown Flood? Both are all wet.
How long exactly has Murtha been in Congress? Since shortly before the Birth of the Republic.

Why did John Murtha cross the road? Because on to the other side he saw a lobbyist.

There's no truth to the rumor that Lt. Col Russell advocates re-naming Johnstown's "The John Murtha Cancer Center" and calling it "The American Taxpayers Cancer Center."

What did John Murtha change into when he stopped being a "hawk?" A chicken-hawk.

What was John Murtha's response when he got condemned for falsely criticizing the Haditha Marines? He asked, "Can't these people take a joke?"

Why does Hillary Clinton favor driver's licenses for illegals? Maybe she thinks one of them will run over Giuliani or Obama?

What will John Murtha's first TV ad look like? Him waving a white flag?Tuesday on NCIS Agent Gibbs said "There's no such thing as an ex-Marine." But has Agent Gibbs ever met John Murtha?

Hillary Clinton says there will be "no co-presidency" with hubby Bill. In that family, we know who wears the pants suits.

What's the difference between Washington lobbyists and Murtha? They write the checks -- and he signs them.

What will happen to Murtha's Johnstown cronies when he leaves the political scene? It will be forever known as "The Night the Lights Went Out."

What did Bill say when Hillary first confronted him with the Lewinsky rumors? "Liar, liar, your pants suit's on fire."

This is the year from "halves" in the Democratic Party -- Obama is half-Black, Richardson is half-Hispanic, Kucinich is half-grown, and Hillary is . . . half-baked.

Endorsement of the Week: "I support Dennis Kucinich because . . . I believe he offers an essential, viable and exciting option to the candidates who are more popular." (Larry Flynt, pornographer)

Why does Hillary really want to be President?

Oneupwomanship?

Votes For Sale: A poll of New York University students revealed that 20% would give up their vote in the next election for an iPod . . . Imagine that, college students with the right priorities.

Hillary's Follies, Murtha's Foolishness: Poltical Humor

John Murtha Reacting to Lt. Col. William Russell's run for Congress

I promise tomorrow (well, today, since I stayed up late) will not be a serious column. I shall instead look at the lighter side. I'm doing a separate (mostly) light-side column on my other main blog.

Why does John Murtha fear William Russell's candidacy? You might as well ask why a vampire isn't enamored with bright sunlight.

What does Murtha have in common with the Johnstown Flood? Both are all wet.

How long exactly has Murtha been in Congress? Since shortly before the Birth of the Republic.

Why did John Murtha cross the road? Because on to the other side he saw a lobbyist.

There's no truth to the rumor that Lt. Col Russell advocates re-naming Johnstown's "The John Murtha Cancer Center" and calling it "The American Taxpayers Cancer Center."

What did John Murtha change into when he stopped being a "hawk?" A chicken-hawk.

What was John Murtha's response when he got condemned for falsely criticizing the Haditha Marines? He asked, "Can't these people take a joke?"

Why does Hillary Clinton favor driver's licenses for illegals? Maybe she thinks one of them will run over Giuliani or Obama?

What will John Murtha's first TV ad look like? Him waving a white flag?

Tuesday on NCIS Agent Gibbs said "There's no such thing as an ex-Marine." But has Agent Gibbs ever met John Murtha?

Hillary Clinton says there will be "no co-presidency" with hubby Bill. In that family, we know who wears the pants suits.

What's the difference between Washington lobbyists and Murtha? They write the checks -- and he signs them.

What will happen to Murtha's Johnstown cronies when he leaves the political scene? It will be forever known as "The Night the Lights Went Out."

What did Bill say when Hillary first confronted him with the Lewinsky rumors? "Liar, liar, your pants suit's on fire."

Endorsement of the Week: "I support Dennis Kucinich because . . . I believe he offers an essential, viable and exciting option to the candidates who are more popular." (Larry Flynt, pornographer)

Why does Hillary really want to be President? Oneupwomanship?

For sale: A poll of New York University students revealed that 20% would give up their vote in the next election for an iPod . . .

CONSERVATIVE CHEAPSKATES? LIBERAL FAT CATS

Let's see, Republicans are the candidates with all the money, and the poor Dems have to run a bare-bones operations, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong. A recent analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) shows that the Dems are way ahead of Republicans might as well be selling pencils.

Here's what the CRP says: "Top industries and interest groups have increased their giving over 2004 by 46 percent, the Center finds. As money shifts to Democrats, giving from Republican strongholds is mostly flat.

"The sharpest increases since 2004 tend to be in the ideological sector. Democratic/liberal interests have increased their giving 396 percent since 2004, fueled particularly by Internet fundraising organizations such as ActBlue."

"Candidates have been donating money to each other at a greater rate, too. Contributions from candidate committees are up 164 percent compared with four years ago, and contributions from leadership PACs—political action committees formed by politicians to support other candidates—are up 88 percent over the '04 [election] cycle."

"The industries with the smallest increases [in political giving], and even decreases in several cases, tend to have Republican-leaning track records. The automotive industry, which has contributed 75 percent of its money to the GOP since the 1990 cycle, has decreased its contributions by 20 percent since 2004."

'Democratic donors seem unusually mobilized for this election," [one expert] said, "but those industries who've traditionally given to Republicans seem to be either nursing their wounds from '06 or sitting this election out."

"As interest groups and industries contribute substantially more money, they are also shifting their giving to Democrats, both to members of Congress now that the party is in control and to Democratic presidential candidates. The typical big-giving industry is now giving 57 percent of its contributions to Democrats, a shift of 14 percentage points from both 2006 and 2004, when the party and its candidates collected only 43 percent of the money."

The CRP article notes that the sectors increasing their political giving include the securities and investment industery, lawyers and law firms, and the entertainment business -- all traditionally big donors to Democrats.

What's the good news for Republicans in the piece? There isn't any.

CRP drives the nail in us by saying, "As interest groups and industries contribute substantially more money, they are also shifting their giving to Democrats, both to members of Congress now that the party is in control and to Democratic presidential candidates.

Overall, CRP says, "The typical big-giving industry is now giving 57 percent of its contributions to Democrats, a shift of 14 percentage points from both 2006 and 2004, when the party and its candidates collected only 43 percent of the money."

Clearly, the CPR story isn't exactly the kind of music that's going to get the GOP elephant dancing in the streets. It makes one think that the pasting we took in 2006 may be nothing compared to the beating we experience in 2008.

A major reason SmartPolitics101 exists is to discuss ways that under-funded Republican campaigns can still be winners. This blog's columns emphasize the need for organization and relatively low-budget communications, mainly those that take place over the Internet. Essentially, it means we have to knock on every door in order to get voters to support our candidates.

I'm also emphasizing the need to get people who have never contributed to a political campaign to turn over a new lead and become at least small donors. My assumption is that somebody who finally unlocks a wallet or purse and gives $25 probably will donate again. They'll be "invested" in a campaign in a way that will make them effective activists.

Specifically, there are hundreds of thousands of people (probably millions) who would really like to see Lt. Col. William Trower Russell defeat John Murtha. If 10% of the people who believe "MurthaMustGo" made even small contributions to Russell, he would have enough money to wage a winning campaign.

Being a conservative doesn't mean just having spouting off regularly on what's wrong with America. It also means doing what is necessary -- including making contributions -- to ensure conservative views get a real hearing in Washington, DC.

Frankly, we do more for terrific candidates than just wish them well. We need, as the saying goes, to start putting our money where our mouths are.

There are 85,000 military veterans in the 12th District of Pennsylvania. If one percent of that number -- 850 people --make a relatively small donation to William, which they should, it could add tens of thousands of dollars dedicated to his effort. He's making a big sacrifice, and all of us should make at least a small one.

The upshot: If you haven't contributed yet to Lt. Col Russell, please do so today. Otherwise, we'll all end up singing the same old sad song the day after the Election.

John McCain, William Russell: How to Combine Efforts

Hillary Clinton: The Candidate We Love to Hate

The Economist magazine recently announced a poll that shows the "Hillary Paradox." They asked voters which candidate they would most like to come to dinner at their house and go on a family vacation with them. The winner (with the highest percentage total) was . . . Hillary Clinton.

Guess which candidate the highest percentage of voters would least like for the dinner/vacation combo? In fact, the loser was . . . Hillary Clinton.

Clearly, she's the woman Americans love . . . and hate.

I sent the following to Brad, an outstanding activist working hard on the John McCain Campaign. You can find Brad's current Internet enterprise here.

I hope at some point you might suggest to people on your extensive mailing lists that they would benefit from visiting William Russell's site and offering him any support they can (hint! hint!).

If they like John McCain, they're also going to like William Russell (and, I believe, the other candidates I'm targeting for support). For example, Heather Wilson of NM is the only female veteran -- Air Force -- ever elected to Congress, and she's in a tough battle in her state for the Senate nomination.

Second, you've contributed $50 to the Russell Campaign, and I told you I'd reciprocate by contributing $50 to your personal fund-raising effort for Senator McCain. I'm ready to donate when you ask.

Third, in 2004, a number of students from Massachusetts (and many other states) came to Pennsylvania, a presidential battleground state, to campaign for GWB and other candidates. The students knew that Massachusetts would not be competitive. I'm hoping some of them (and others) will return in 2008 to go door-to-door for the Republican presidential candidate and other fine candidates such as Russell and (Melissa) Hart.

Fourth, I write on my Camp2008 and SmartPolitics blogs about some old (and some new) campaign methods that will work for many Republican candidates. For example, in the 12th District there are 85,000 military veterans. The vast majority of them will vote for William if we can get to them and point up William's "Warrior" status. If we can get to all of the 85,000 veterans and their families, William will wake up one day next November as Congressman-elect.
The methods I talk about in my blogs also will work for McCain and other Republicans aiming for the presidential nomination. Frankly, for William to win his race, it's essential that the presidential nominee perform strongly in PA. If most voters cast their ballot for a McCain or a Giuliani, they'll be more likely to vote for William.

Fifth, it's important to ask potential supporters to make small contributions. Heather Wilson is asking for as little as $25. The idea is that if someone contributes $25, they'll probably contribute more at a later date. Such a person will also be "invested" in the campaign in an important (financial) way.

At Heather's site people can contribute as little as $10. My belief is that when people hear about all the millions going into presidential campaigns, they get intimidated. Ten bucks or 25 bucks won't scare people away.

OpenSecrets.org says that out of every 100 voters, only about 3 actually contribute to ANY political campaign. If we can -- somehow -- find a way to double that (to 6 out of 100), we will raise a good deal of money.

Six, tonight William Russell will appear at 10 p.m. Eastern on Political Pistachio Blog Talk Radio. I'm a believer in Blog Talk Radio, because it appeals to Republican activists, ones who vote, contribute, and influence others.

I'll do what I can to advance McCain's cause, partly because I'm so impressed by your actions on his behalf. I've said that the race could come down to McCain-Giuliani, which frankly would make me happy. I believe either of them could defeat either Clinton or Obama.

Brad, let's keep working together. As Benjamin Franklin put it, "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."


Steve Maloney

BLOGGER BARES ALL FINANCIAL INFORMATION!

I sent the following message to the Queen of the Blogosphere, Cindy at The Pink Flamingo, which has more visitors than Paris Hilton's boudoir: "SmartPolitics101 moved up 1.5 million spots on Technorati (meaning somebody showed up finally) Soon, I shall control the entire Western world. I'm now putting jokes at the head of each column. Yes, I've become a techno-slut.

If Ron Paul is so smart, how come he has two first-names?

If Ron Paul ran with John Murtha, what would their campaign slogan be? Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dummer.

On my other primary site, I put up the following plea today:

BLOGGERS 4 RUSSELL!

LATER TODAY (TUESDAY), I'LL BE LAUNCHING A RENEWED "BLOGGERS 4 RUSSELL" EFFORT. AS YOU SEE ON MY BLOGROLL SIDEBAR, THERE ARE ALREADY ABOUT 35 BLOGGERS 4 RUSSELL ALREADY LISTED -- PEOPLE WHO STRONGLY SUPPORT AND WRITE ABOUT LT. COL. RUSSELL. MY PERSONAL GOAL BY NEXT SPRING IS TO HAVE 300 BLOGGERS 4 RUSSELL , REPRESENTING JUST ABOUT EVERY STATE IN THE UNION. I ASK EVERY BLOGGER 4 RUSSELL TO CONSIDER AT LEAST A SMALL FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO GIVE THIS CAMPAIGN A FOUNDATION FOR VICTORY. BECOME A BLOGGER 4 RUSSELL BY LEAVING A COMMENT ON THIS SITE, OR BY E-MAILING ME AT: TALKTOP65@AOL.COM. THANKS! IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOG (YET), YOU CAN JOIN THE GROUP BY SENDING YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS

In all candor, why do I want to collect a long list of Bloggers 4 Russell?

One reason is that, at the early stage of a campaign, it's essential to create "buzz" (word-of-mouth) about the candidate. Lt. Col. Russell is running in one district (out of 435) in an area of Pennsylvania few people know much about. Bloggers are people who tell others what's going on, and Russell needs them a great deal at this time, even though it's 11 months prior to the election.

I have another motive: Many bloggers for Russell will contribute money to his campaign, and they'll encourage others to do so. People who go to William Russell's web site will be motivated to offer their support -- even if they live far away from the 12th Congressional District.

In 2006, Diana Lynn Irey ran against Murth and got a remarkable 7,000 contributions. In 2008, William Russell could get as many as 10,000 contributions, partly because so many people dislike John Murtha, but mostly because Russell is such an excellent human being.

In politics, many people feel strongly about issues and candidates. However, very few individuals -- fewer than one-in-50 voters ever contribute money to candidates they favor. In the case of "big donors" ($200 or more), they're a relatively rare breed. You can check the statistics by going to opensecret, which outlines who contributes and who doesn't.

John Murtha, William's opponent, isn't going to have any trouble raising money. If you check out his "contributions" for 2008 on OpenSecret, you'll note that he is approaching a million dollars at this point. In the last election, against Diana Irey, Murtha raised more than $3 million -- much of it from "contributors" he'd paid off with large piles of taxpayers' money.

You can see how it works by looking at this report: http://kxmb.com/News/Nation/178645.asp
or by checking out the Seattle Times extensive report on Murtha trading federal dollars for campaign contributions.

In short, Murtha gives lobbyists and companies your tax money -- and they give him a chunk back as a "contribution." William Russell, an honest man, won't be doing any of that.

Lt. Col. Russell is not some rich guy. He's an Army brat who served his entire adult life as a soldier -- in unfriendly venues like Desert Storm, the Balkans, and Iraqi Freedom.

I'm trying to generate funds for Russell by asking people to contribute a small amount. By that, it mean a sum around $25. My assumption is that people who make one small contribution will make another one or two in the future. Also, they might urge friends and family members to follow their lead in contributing money.

People who live paycheck to paycheck perhaps can't contribute money. However, they can contribute their time and effort, and that's eventually going to count for a lot.

A campaign can't run on thin air. It costs money for heat and light in a small headquarters. There are phone bills and travel costs. A few full-time staffers need to be paid, as they won't have time to work at another job.

What about me? I have never revealed what I contribute to campaigns, but I will now.

In 2007, as of today, I have contributed the following:

• William F. Russell $250 (actually, $249, but what's a buck or two among friends);
• Diana Irey for County Commissioner ($200),
• Melissa Hart for Congress ($100) -- check with me on how to contribute to her;
• Jean Schmidt for Congress ($25),
• Heather Wilson for Senate ($25).

I've told William's campaign that my contributions to him by the end of December will total $400. By Election Day, 2008, I may be up $1000 for William's effort. Yes, I believe in him that much.

I'll also give some modest support to Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina.

At my urging, one staunch McCain supporter (Brad) contributed $50 to William's campaign. I told him I would contribute $50 to Senator McCain's presidential campaign.

I'm not exactly "made of money" (to say the least!). I live in an old mill town in a house that cost an unremarkable $70,000. My wife has been disabled since 1991. We also have a partially disabled child living with us. I'm semi-retired, and I don't live in a mansion (to say the least!)

I'm contributing to William's campaign (and the others) because I want this to be a country my children and grandchildren will love as much as I do. I want William to run a campaign that will make John Murtha sweat -- and possibly reflect for perhaps a minute on the errors of his ways.

The candidates I support (and I'd add Gov. Sarah Palin and former Gov. Jim Gilmore, who is running for the Senate in VA) are truly exceptional people. Yes, they're all conservatives, but what they want to conserve is what's best about America. If we don't financially support good men and women, we'll end up with a Congress overflowing with John Murthas, Nancy Pelosis, Ted Kennedys, Howard Jeffersons (the man with $90,000 in his freezer), and Harry Reids.

So, please consider giving a small contribution (hint: large is also okay) to Lt. Col. William Russell. Trust me, you won't regret it.

REPUBLICANS: THE ANTI-ILLEGALS DISASTER

The person who apparently created the anti-Hispanic fundraising ad for the Nevada candidate is angry at me for supposedly blowing his cover. Since this blog site is new and few people read it, although that will change, he has little to worry about. (Scroll down to see what all the fussing is about.)

In Pennsylvania in 2006, Senator Rick Santorum -- one of the most hapless candidates in recent memory tried everything to get some leverage. Eventually, he started using the anti-illegals rhetoric in hopes it would help. It didn't.

Bob Casey is in favor of immigration reform (basically, the legislation supported by President Bush). Rick Santorum was against it. As far as I can see, that stance might have helped him in illegal-phobic lHazelton, but not anywhere else.

Santorum spent $27 million on his campaign. Casey spent $17 million. Santorum ended up with 41% of the vote, while Casey got 59%.

Why are the Democrats holding their national convention in Denver, Colorado? Because they believe the growing edge they have with Hispanic voters will win them Colorado (where Tom Tancredo is in low single digits).

Oh, they also believe the Hispanic backlash against Republicans will win them California (even against Rudy), Nevada, and New Mexico. And they think they have a great chance in Florida (all those Cuban-Americans, you know).

If the Democrats are anywhere near right, we could face an electoral disaster in 2008. In the state of Texas there are 6.5 million Catholics, most of them Hispanic, and a much larger group than Baptists! If Florida goes, can Texas be far behind?

On one of the Democratic debates, a reporter asked Hillary Clinton if she supported making "English the official language." Hillary was ready. She said, "English should be the national language, but not the official language." I thought, "Wow, she's a real pro, and too many of us are mere amateurs."

When it comes to the Hispanic vote, we Republicans need to wise up -- and grow up. We need to come up with a strategy that won't cost us yet another rapidly growing minority group.

We especially need to reject racism in all its forms. Otherwise, we will be not the hoped-for "emerging majority," but rather the permanent minority party.

William T. Russell: Thinking "Outside of the Box"

The 12th Congressional District's Favorite Sourpuss, John Murtha

William T. Russell is running for Congress in the 12th District, which is south and west of Pittsburgh. So why should William look to the 14th District -- centered in the city of Pittsburgh and represented by Democrat Mike Doyle, who always runs unopposed for support?

A little background: The 14th congressional District is a classically Democrat area. It includes all of Pittsburgh and several mostly working class suburbs to the east, south, and west. There's some green-lawn suburbia here, but much of the district is in the Monongahela Valley, where the steel industry once (but no longer) belched flames and provided jobs.

There aren't many Republicans or moderate Independents in such a place, right? Wrong!

Consider the 2004 presidential election, in which John Kerry won the 14th by 69% to 30% over George W. Bush. Perhaps Kerry's win constitutes a real skunking, but it hides an important truth.

In 2004, GWB's vote total in the 14th was 88,0000-plus votes. In other words, there are a lot of voters mostly unrepresented by Mike Doyle, a predictable tax-and-grab Democrat.

So, where does William Russell fit into this equation? Frankly, he needs to go into what many regard as enemy territory -- the 14th -- and seek contributions and campaign support from those 88,000 people.

If he spent a few days in the 14th in targeted meetings with Republicans, he could raise funds and find people willing to help in the 12th District race against Murtha. The 88,000 voters who cast ballots are not going to be friendly to Murtha. They can't vote for William, but they can help him in many other ways.

Of course, one of the important groups supporting Russell consists of veterans. In the 14th, there are more than 85,000 veterans, most of whom will not be fans of anti-military John Murtha.

I'm suggesting something almost unheard of in congressional races. Candidates just don't do that kind of thing -- going into "someone else's" district. Well, in this case, it's time to break with precedent.

Yes, Mike Doyle will take decent care of the Democrats in the 14th. However, William Russell should assure his supporters there that he'll take care of their interests -- especially keeping their taxes down -- when he's elected to Congress.

In the recent Pittsburgh mayoral election, Republican candidate Mark DeSantis received 35% of the vote. He also raised more than $300,000. Based on DeSantis' success, it should be possible for William to raise over time more than $100,000 in Pittsburgh.

Of course, William will need a significant amount of money to conduct a winning campaign, but his main emphasis will be on using volunteers wisely and generally conducting an effort relying on "outside-of-the-box" thinking.

Because of so many years of Democrat misrule, the 14th District is losing population at a rapid rate. A lot of people have given up hope on living there. William Russell can "keep hope alive" in Pittsburgh, while also benefitting his campaign for Congress.

(See the column below this one regarding declining population in Democratic districts, including Doyle's.)

Go for it, William!


Note: I'll cross-post this at some point on my main blog. If you'd like to contribute to Russell's campaign, you can do so by clicking on the link at the start of this column.

People Fleeing Democratic Congressional Districts

The following piece is a fine one from the Republican Party of Pennsylvania Blog, which you can find here.

People in Pittsburgh, Philly Fleeing Pennsylvania Democratic Districts in Droves

-- Michael Barley

The new Almanac of American Politics has been released, and statistics show a rapidly changing Pennsylvania political landscape. Pennsylvanians, statistics show, are leaving Democratic Congressmen Chaka Fattah and Mike Doyle’s districts at a drastic rate.

Both districts are based around urban areas [Philadelphia for Fattah, Pittsburgh for Doyle], and according to the Almanac, they are suffering from declining populations as more people move into the suburbs. The main reason these two districts are collapsing is because both Congressmen have failed to bring new industry or jobs into their districts.

Pennsylvanians from both Fattah and Doyle’s Congressional Districts’ have suffered under Democrat-control for decades. Democrats have represented their constituents so poorly that Pennsylvanians are moving out of their districts an alarming rate. . . . Fattah and Doyle have relied on delivering government handouts rather than stable jobs to secure re-election.

Handouts don’t provide better lives; they just allow people to stay dependent on the government and their elected officials. Republicans understand the importance of ensuring that businesses move into their districts and provide good jobs. That is what hardworking Pennsylvanians want and that’s why more of them are moving into the suburbs our Republican congressmen represent.

. . . [A]ll ten of the fastest-shrinking districts, with percentage of population lost between 2000 and 2005, are held by Democrats.

One thing is for sure, with the population in these two districts shrinking so fast, one can be sure that Democratic seats will have to be cut during the 2010 redistricting.

To learn more about these results, please click here to read an article from Real Clear Politics.

The new Almanac of American Politics has been released, and statistics show a rapidly changing Pennsylvania political landscape. Pennsylvanians, statistics show, are leaving Democratic Congressmen Chaka Fattah and Mike Doyle’s districts at a drastic rate.

Both districts are based around urban areas, and according to the Almanac, they are suffering from declining populations as more people move into the suburbs. The main reason these two districts are collapsing is because both Congressmen have failed to bring new industry or jobs into their districts.

Pennsylvanians from both Fattah and Doyle’s Congressional Districts’ have suffered under Democrat-control for decades. Democrats have represented their constituents so poorly that Pennsylvanians are moving out of their districts an alarming rate. For too long, Fattah and Doyle have relied on delivering government handouts rather than stable jobs to secure re-election. Handouts don’t provide better lives; they just allow people to stay dependent on the government and their elected officials. Republicans understand the importance of ensuring that businesses move into their districts and provide good jobs. That is what hardworking Pennsylvaninas want and that’s why more of them are moving into the suburbs our Republican congressmen represent.

It is important to note that all ten of the fastest-shrinking districts, with percentage of population lost between 2000 and 2005, are held by Democrats.

One thing is for sure, with the population in these two districts shrinking so fast, one can be sure that Democratic seats will have to be cut during the 2010 redistricting.

To learn more about these results, please click here to read an article from Real Clear Politics.


Steve's comments: As the piece above suggests, Fattah and Doyle are absolutely dreadful congressmen -- predictable Democrats with the creative imaginations of cinch bugs. They both pride themselves on the "earmarks" (handouts) they bring to their districts, but that federal money isn't enough to sustain people seeking a better life in the suburbs.

As urban congressmen, Fattah and Doyle never receive any serious opposition. Doyle's opponent in the last election was a strange character named Titus North -- a member of the "Green Party." He spent no money and, in terms of votes, got his money's worth -- very few. votes. In Doyles district, they don't hold real elections. Instead, they have something resembling a coronation.

Tomorrow, I'm going to suggest ways that Republican congressmen from outside Fattah's and Doyle's districts can gather support from thoroughly frustrated Republicans and Independents. There are tens of thousands of such people in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Republicans like Melissa Hart of the 4th District, Tim Murphy from suburban Pittsburgh, and William Russell of the 12th District should be "cannibalizing" these Democrat-held bastions. They should be getting contributions and volunteers from from uncontested or poorly contested districts held by Democrats.

In Doyles and Fattah's districts, there may be 500 Republicans, or more, who would make at least a small contribution to a Republican from another area. There may be at least that many who would volunteer to assist in real campaigns. Republican congressmen who want to win should be soliciting support in what may appear to be "enemy territory."

Statewide in Pennsylvania, Democrats have a 600,000 voter registration edge. So, we who wave the Elephant's banner should be seeking Republicans wherever we can find them.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: On Republicans NOT Coming Across as Anti-Hispanic

In politics, if you swim against increasingly strong tides, you're not going to get anywhere -- and may end up drowning.

The post beginning in the next paragraph (italicized) appeared in BattleBornPolitics on November 12, 2007 in a column entitled "Fighting for America in Nevada 101." The author is Mark Noonan and the post is in the support of Republican Edward Hamilton in his effort to gain the 1st Congressional seat in Nevada. I’ll be writing about the subject of illegal immigration today (Tuesday and Wednesday). I’m soliciting comments, pro and con, but I don’t want any of them to be “Anonymous” or of the “I-hate-Mexicans” variety.

“Edward Hamilton has decided to take on the long odds and fight to oust Shelley Berkeley from Nevada's first Congressional district."

"Naturally, this is mostly a Nevada issue, but with the House of Representatives up for grabs in 2008, it is worthwhile to ensure that as many Democrats as possible face a strong challenger - and on immigration and border security, Mr. Hamilton has Berkeley cornered:"

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley co-sponsored the illegal friendly “American Dream Act.” She voted against funding a border fence. She voted against border officer training. She voted against border enforcement. She voted against condemning sanctuary city practices four times."


Las Vegas Republican Ed Hamilton strongly opposes any form of amnesty. He favors a border fence, border troops, and he strongly opposes sanctuary cities and their practices. Please support Mr. Hamilton with a donation of $20.50. Support [Democratic] Congresswoman Berkley and by 2050, you may not recognize America."

Make Checks Payable to:
Ed Hamilton for Congress
5751 East Hacienda Avenue
Suite 193
Las Vegas, NV 89122

"I'll be sending a donation, and I hope you will, too.” (Mark Noonan)


Steve’s comments: I spoke to the Republican consultant (RS, from Ohio), who supplied the italicized material above as a fund-raising, support-gathering tool. I told him I thought this approach was a bad one that could end up hurting Republican candidates in upcoming election -- and especially in the future.

The reference to the year “2050” (in regard to the requested donation of $20.50) is rather mystifying without context. What it refers to is the belief that somewhere around 2050 (although 2060 or 2065 appears more likely) a majority of people in America will be of Hispanic descent.

I enquired of the Republican consultant what will happen when candidate Ed Hamilton gets asked what exactly he means about 2050. Is he going to respond, “Well, I mean that by 2050 there’ll be a whole lot of Mexicans running around?” How is he going to avoid being characterized as a racial demagogue?

And there’s the essence of my problem with the piece in Battle Born? Because we Republicans are putting ourselves in a political trap with our strident comments about "illegals". Yes, it’s true that Hispanics – and I’m talking about LEGAL Hispanics -- are the largest minority group in the country.

In 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush could not have won the presidency without strong support from Cuban Americans in Florida. In 2008, the Republican candidate for President must win Florida if he is to prevail.

Frankly, the Democrats are not holding their national convention in Denver, Colorado, for no reason. They want to win the electoral votes in Colorado, and early polling shows that they probably will. Colorado already has one Hispanic-American Senator, Ken Salazar, and he probably won't be the last.

Democrats also want to win the electoral votes in other states with significant numbers of Hispanic voters, including: Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada. Right now, the smart money has the Democrats winning the presidential race in most or all of those states.

What’s more, a strong showing by the Democratic presidential candidate in those states could cost Republicans several seats in the House and the Senate, including the race in New Mexico where Heather Wilson probably will be the Republican candidate to replace Sen. Pete Domenici.

Heather Wilson, the only female veteran ever elected to Congress, has won several times in a district (Albuquerque) that's 43% Hispanic. If she can do that, so can other Republicans, but not with the approach advocated by consultant RS and candidate Hamilton.

Losing the presidency and Western congressional seats is not going to advance the Republican effort to secure our borders. If we come across as strident on immigration issues, Hispanics are going to desert us in large numbers -- just as African-Americans did a generation ago.

In 1960, Richard Nixon won one-third of the BLACK vote in his race against John F. Kennedy. Now, because most Blacks consider Republicans unfriendly to their causes, we’re luck to get 8% of the African-American vote in presidential elections. That means it's unlikely we'll win several large states (such as New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois) that have large Black voting blocs.

Do we want the same to happen with Hispanics? Frankly, there aren’t enough white, male voters to overcome our deficits with a growing number of voting groups. If we come across as anti-Hispanic, we may end up “solidifying” our status as a permanent minority Party.

Steve Maloney
http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com
http://murthamustgo.blogspot.com
E-Mail: TalkTop65@aol.com

Trower Russell Against John Murtha, With a Word About Tomorrow's Column

The following column is re-posted from my two other sites: Campaign2008VictoryA and MurthaMustGo. In the future, most of the columns here will be distinctive, emphasizing practical steps political activists can take to ensure the election of outstanding candidates. Tomorrow, I'll be writing about the uses -- and misuses -- of immigration issues.

Many people are justifiably upset at the stream of illegal immigrants coming across our borders. At the same time, it's critical that the Republican Party refrain from seriously offending LEGAL Hispanics, who make up the largest minority group in the U.S. Frankly, the Hispanic vote is critically important in several important states -- including California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada. To win the presidency, not to mention state offices, Republicans need a significant level of support from Hispanic voters.

______________________________

Here’s a major mystery for you.

In my own Pennsylvania congressional district (the 4th, west and north of Pittsburgh), the number of votes cast in 2006 were just over 230,000. However, in the 12th District (south and west of Pittsburgh) – the one represented by John Murtha – there were only 200,000 votes.

What happened to the other 30,000 votes in the 12th? After all, every congressional district has about the same number of people (just under 700,000). So why are there dramatically fewer votes in the 12th?

There are several related reasons. One is that there more unregistered adults in the 4th. Another is that many people there don’t exercise their right to vote.Why don’t they?

In their heart of hearts, many residents don’t believe their votes really count. Sadly, they’re more right than wrong.In John Murtha’s own Johnstown and surrounding Cambria County. Generally, the only people – with rare exceptions – who get elected to office are Democrats. In most cases, Democrat officeholders run either unopposed or with token opposition.

In Murtha’s case, he’s “served” the people of the 12th District for 35 years. He almost never has anything like serious opposition. A partial exception was in 2006 when Diana Lynn Irey ran an intense campaign against Murtha, getting nearly 80,000 votes. Murtha got roughly 120,000 votes.

In many ways, Diana, my dear friend and political ally, out-campaigned Murtha. For example, she got a total of 7,000 contributions that came from every state in the Union. In contrast, Murtha got 6,500 contributions, although his average donations were much larger than Diana’s.

So, how on earth can William Trower Russell compete with Murtha? One way is to focus on all those unregistered (or registered but non-voting) people in the 12th.In my previous column,

Earlier, I've mentioned “Mel” (Melanie), an unregistered voter who favors Trower Russell. There are tens of thousands of people like her in the 12th. Trower and his supporters need to get them identified, registered, and committed to his campaign.

People like Melanie recognize that much of what Murtha has supposedly “done” for Johnstown and the 12th consists of government handouts. When Murtha is gone, the annual handouts will go with him.

In short, he's done nothing to help ensure that communities get permanent, sustainable jobs. What he’s “accomplished” is to hand out hundreds of millions in taxpayer money to companies that pay him off with lavish campaign donations.

(Read the Seattle Times "favor factory" story on how Murtha trades your tax dollars for campaign contributions.) What he does is legal, but of course it's highly immoral.

Trower Russell differs from Murtha in that he wants to bring REAL jobs to the 12th District – not government-financed, make work jobs. Frankly, most companies – the ones that provide lifetime employment – want nothing to do with a district represented by a corrupt, bullying tax-and-spend liberal like Murtha.

In my chat with Melanie last week at Johnstown's City View Bar & Grill, I said, “You know that eventually all those ‘jobs’ Murtha created are going to dry up?”

"Bingo, You Got That Right"

Melanie, a wise young woman, said: “Bingo. You got that right.”

If William and his supporters – of whom I’m certainly one – establish a strong, continuing voter registration program, it will be possible to eliminate a significant portion of Murtha’s lead.In short, voter registration is a key.

The Russell campaign can get people to register by telling potential voters this: “It’s true that in the past your vote didn’t really count. But there’s a ‘new Sheriff in town,’ and this time your vote is going to make a real difference."

Every weekend between now and the election, Trower and his supporters must be out registering -- and energizing -- potential supporters. There will have to be some handholding that might involve taking people to registration centers through the 12th.

In general, every new voter added with bring along at least one additional voter -- sometimes a spouse, sometimes a friend from work or school, and sometimes a neighbor. Register 10,000 new votes and, almost magically, the voter-getting-another voter "synergy" could result in about 20,000 votes.

A few thousand votes here -- and a few thousand votes there -- and William Trower Russell and all those who believe in safeguarding American security can perform a victory dance next November 5, 2008.

Please consider contributing to Trower Russell's effort. You can do so by visiting his site.

Smart Politics 101 Born: Beating John Murtha

Beginning Monday, SmartPolitics101 will come to fruition. The first column will be a re-post from my other blog, http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com. The main emphasis will be on how moderate and conservative candidates (mostly Republicans, admittedly) can solicit funds, attract volunteers, and win elections.

I now write at several sites on blogspot, including the blog listed above and at: http://murthamustgo.blogspot.com. I hope many people come here frequently -- and tell their friends about the site.

The following column will appear on my other site on Monday. After that, almost all the columns here will be individual posts for this site.

A lot of people in the U.S. believe Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania's 12th District is unbeatable. However, in politics NO ONE IS UNBEATABLE.

Do you remember when Congressman Thomas Foley of Oregon was a national powerhouse? Well, in the 1990s Foley was beaten by George Nethercutt.

Or do you recall Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota? He was for year the Majority Leader of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate. But he was beaten by John Thune.

In New Mexico, Heather Wilson supposedly had no chance of winning. The district she’s in (Albuquerque) is 43% Hispanic, and the Democrats ran extremely well-financed Hispanic-American candidates against her. But Heather Wilson won both those races – and now she’s running for the U.S. Senate and probably will win that race also.

Or think back to the 1990 race of Christine Todd (“Christy”) Whitman against Senator Bill Bradley, often mentioned in those days as sure-thing for the Democratic presidential nomination. In that race, Bill Bradley spent $11 million. Christy Whitman spent $900,000 – about one-twelfth as much as Bradley. She did very few TV ads, relying mostly on radio “chats.”

She didn’t win. In fact, she lost by a scant two points, but she ended Bradley’s visions of a presidential candidacy.

What about William Trower Russell in his battle with Murtha? One key to his winning is to lock up support from people who have a lot of influence in the district.

I’m not really referring to affluent people, although their support can be valuable – and their contributions are necessary. Instead, I’m talking about people who have a lot of contact with others.

Lately, I’ve been talking about woman named “Mel,” who is a hair stylist during the day and a bartender during the evenings at a popular Jamestown, PA night-spot. She’s thinking of going back to college.

Mel is pretty, funny, smart, and a great communicator. She’s an extremely social human being. She also likes what she hears about Lt. Col. William Russell.

Why are the Mels of the world important in political campaigns? Because they're the true "opinion leaders" of our time.

Over the course of a year people like here have contact with thousands of individuals, most of them voters. People who go to nice restaurants and top hair stylists are exactly the kind of individuals who vote. They also talk politics.

William Russell needs to target individuals who have a lot of contacts. They include hair stylists, barbers, bartenders, police personnel, real estate agents, insurance agents, ministers, priests, and rabbis. If they think well of a candidate, they’ll tell their friends, neighbors, and customers.

The key is to ask highly social people for their support – and give them a clear reason to do so. Also, ask them for help. Specifically, request that they talk to people about the importance of spreading the word.

One problem with Mel: she’s not registered to vote. That’s easily rectified. In fact, there are tens of thousands of people who are either not registered or just don’t vote often.

If most such people were inclined to register and vote for Murtha, they’d have done so. But they haven’t. Why? Because they recognize that Murtha symbolizes everything that’s unsavory about modern politics.

Nearly every day between now and the Nov. 5, 2008 election, William and his supporters will run into several people like Mel. The key is to get them registered (if necessary) and to have them serve as advocates for the Russell campaign.

The race won’t ever be easy, but with enough “Mels” behind him William Trower Russell can win. To that end, people like Mel are his secret weapons.

Note: Comments and Questions are always welcome! I'd love to hear from you.