Chris Lee
New York Ninth is following the trend to replace a sex scandaled Congressman with the opposite party candidate . I would look at the voter turnout, the monies spent and I wouldn't get too excited about this election as an indication of anything even though the Democrats want the President to consider this a serious blow. The way I see it; the district is soon to be ended with census data, there is already a Republican majority in the House so why spend the money and make the investment?
My understanding is that the Turner ran again Anthony Weiner unsuccessfully many times. "The man should know what he missed all those years at least once in his life and now is as good as time as any."
Perry's Merck Donations Raise Questions About Vaccine Mandate (click title to entry - thank you)
Bloomberg September 14, 2011 04:00 AM
...Perry, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, received at least $23,500 in campaign contributions from drug-maker Merck & Co., including $5,000 in 2006, the year before he ordered girls throughout the state to take a new Merck vaccine. The drug-maker also has donated about $500,000 to the Republican Governors Association, a group which Perry headed twice and has been among his most generous campaign donors....
Bachman invokes the Palin charge of guilty Republicans, crony capitalism.
Interesting. Bachman has to know if Palin was removed from the GOP polls her nuimbers would fall in after Romney, but, not very far below.
Sarah, In all honesty, I have sized her up as an independant candidate from the time she walked onto her campaign bus. She was hoping to finance her own campaign but her books sales and movie revenue has fallen flat, so I am sure at this point she is looking at GOP funding all over again as a potential funding source. She considers herself more important than most of her opponents and she might be right. If it weren't for Sarah her opponents would not have in 'intact' constituency to draw on.
But, as far as Rick Perry; there is one thing that is true about the Republicans and that is they can have their opinions modified by their constituency, so given whom might be voting for him there could be enough naive minds in the independent voter electorate and a percentage of Democratic voters to actually believe he is qualified enough, geeky enough and 'plastic' enough to actually 'give him a try.' Perry appears to be master of the audience. He reads them and panders to them to insure his imaqge is as they see it. Can he continue that on a national stage? Good question.
Regardless of whom the GOP nomination is, they are only running for President. The President in 2012 may be in the Executive Branch alone, regardless of party, if there is a majority of Republicans in the House and Senate. Romney cannot sell himself as someone that can control the outcomes of his Presidency no more than Obama has been able to control his. Romney will not fight the House and Senate as much as President Obama has if he has to face Republican majorities in either or both houses. A veto after 2012 will mean nothing and the country will be on cruise control with legislative mania if there are Republican majorities in both houses. The Executive Branch will fall mute if Republican majorities exist in the House and Senate and Ethics will be minimized to insure they get what they want.
"Gardasil." The idea that Merck and Perry are playing footsie is actually acceptable in Texas politics. Not only acceptable to forward the religous right agenda, but, encouraged. The 'idea' this was the Governor's fault is a good play for the Texas Legislature. It placed the heat where it could be best mitigated. I would be curious whom in the Texas legislature also benefited from Merck monies.
It is wrong to demonize the benefits of Gardasil. Women, the second class citizens in the USA along with minorities have looked for this product since the 1950s whether they realize it or not AND marriage is not a guarantee against the virus that causes cervical cancer.
Now that we know Perry is a sympathetic figure that can absorb criticism I'd like to see him promote stocking the drug in High School and College Health Offices. Now that is a good idea whether or not Perry decides he can take the risk, so why would Merck continue to back Perry with crony money? Maybe so he is willing to take the heat and remove the stigma.
I haven't check out Hurricane Maria yet.
Until later.