Election 2008: August 2007 Archives

Think the ratings of President Bush are the worst ever? Take a look at what the public thinks of Congress.

A new Gallup Poll finds Congress' approval rating the lowest it has been since Gallup first tracked public opinion of Congress with this measure in 1974. Just 18% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, while 76% disapprove, according to the August 13-16, 2007, Gallup Poll.

That 18% job approval rating matches the low recorded in March 1992, when a check-bouncing scandal was one of several scandals besetting Congress, leading many states to pass term limits measures for U.S. representatives (which the Supreme Court later declared unconstitutional). Congress had a similarly low 19% approval rating during the energy crisis in the summer of 1979.

With Republicans launching an effort to change how the electoral college works, Democrats are fighting back with their own proposals, as detailed in the California Majority Report:

Take that! Just a few days after Republicans filed an initiative to steal California's electoral votes by splitting them by Congressional districts, key Democrats fired back by filing two new initiatives with the Attorney General aimed at presenting Californians with real electoral college reforms. The initiatives, which would enact a national popular vote system, would represent real and fair reform of the process used to elect the president of the United States, according to their sponsors.

***New York Times weighs in with an editorial.

With Republicans trying to change how the electoral college apportions votes, California's top Democratic leaders, labor, and fundraisers are launchign their own effort to defeat the proposed initiative.

The California Majority Report has the details about Californians for Fair Election Reform, a Democratic-sponsored committee being formed to campaign against the GOP plan.

Among those on the committee are U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Senate President pro Tem Don Perata, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani continues to lead the field of Republicans running to capture Calfiornia's delegates in the Feb. 5 primary election next year, but former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is gaining on his, according to the most recent California Poll

Arizona Senator John McCain, who was in a strong second position earlier this year, has dropped to fourth place as Romney and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson have both made significant gains in GOP voter support.

When state Democratic leaders from around the country meet this weekend in Vermont, the California chairman, Art Torres, expects to be peppered with the sort of questions that have been clogging his in-box for weeks. New York Times.

What is this about Republicans trying to change the way Electoral College votes are allocated in California? Is there a countereffort by Democrats in the works? What does it mean for presidential candidates?

Frustrated by a system that has marginalized many states in the presidential election process, or seeking partisan advantage, state lawmakers, political party leaders and voting rights advocates across the country are stepping up efforts to change the rules of the game, even as the presidential campaign advances.

In California, this has led to a nascent Republican bid to apportion the state’s electoral votes by Congressional district, not by statewide vote, in a move that most everyone agrees would benefit Republican candidates. Democrats in North Carolina are mulling a similar move, because it would help Democrats there.

In pickups, cars and caravans of buses, thousands of Republicans converged on the Iowa State University campus here Saturday for the Iowa Straw Poll, a part-carnival, part-political event. And Mitt Romney walked away with the first prize of the campaign. New York Times.

Romney, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, won with 32 percent of the vote cast, Republican officials said. Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, came in second with 18 percent.

Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who had waged a concerted effort to undercut Romney among conservative voters by challenging his recent shift to oppose abortion, among other issues, drew 15 percent.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, who did not compete in this contest, came in 10th out of 11 candidates on the ballot. He drew 101 of 14,302 votes cast.

The crowd gathered in Hollywood on Thursday for a first-of-its-kind Democratic presidential forum on gay issues could barely contain its excitement at the milestone. They cheered. They gave standing ovations --- even to the longshots. Variety.

But the elephant in the room --- in this case, a hip, comfortable living room set of earth tone carpet and olive green sofa and chairs --- was still gay marriage, and the fact that none of the leading contenders support it.

The occasion was a two-hour forum sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign and Viacom’s Logo, which covered the event live and streamed it on its website. Although it was the third debate in a week for the Democratic field, the event was viewed as ground-breaking for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

South Carolina Republicans on Thursday moved their 2008 presidential primary to Jan. 19, triggering a chain reaction among Iowa, New Hampshire and other early voting states that could push the first balloting into December 2007. Associated Press in the New York Times.

South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson made the announcement with officials from New Hampshire, whom he called allies in protecting the traditional early states' voting order.

''We are here to stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends in New Hampshire to reaffirm the important role that both of our states play in presidential politics,'' Dawson said.

South Carolina had scheduled its Republican primary for Feb. 2, but at a news conference with New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, Dawson said the change to Jan. 19 was needed to protect South Carolina's first-primary-in-the-South tradition.

Six of the eight Democratic presidential candidates are scheduled to participate in a forum tonight on issues affecting the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. Daily News.

The candidates will appear separately in alphabetical order, each answering questions for 15 minutes at a Hollywood television studio.

Topics are expected to include same-sex marriage, the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy barring openly gay and lesbian individuals from serving in the armed forces, hostility and discrimination in the workplace, and partners' health care and inheritance rights.

City Controller Laura Chick is joining the presidential politics game, announcing Tuesday that she is backing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

With her endorsement, Chick is setting herself apart from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and several City Council members who have come out for N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton as California voters prepare to go to the polls on Feb. 5 for the primary election.

In a release announcing the endorsement, Chick said she was backing Obama because of his "strong commitment to changing the way business is done in Washington (and) believes that Obama is the only candidate who can lead this country in a new direction.

“Barack Obama is the candidate who has the vision, intellect, experience and courage needed to lead our country. That is why I am enthusiastically endorsing Senator Obama for the Presidency,” Chick said. “He will fight to protect taxpayer dollars, open our government to greater scrutiny, and push for more transparency. No more politics as usual,” she added.

Obama said the Chick endorsement was important because of her being “committe to changing our politics and transforming our country,” Obama stated. “Never fearful to challenge the status quo, Controller Chick has taken the lead on increasing transparency and accountability, bringing fairness and opportunity to the residents of Los Angeles.”

The secretary of state's 11th-hour decision to clamp down on dozens of voting systems ignited protests Monday from around California, although Los Angeles County officials predicted that their system will be recertified in time for the presidential primary in February. Harrison Sheppard in the Daily News.

Following a top-to-bottom review of most voting systems used in California, Debra Bowen announced just before midnight Friday that she'd decertified electronic systems in 39 counties out of concerns that they are vulnerable to hacking. She then recertified 38 of them, but with new security conditions attached.

Los Angeles County's system was the only one that was not recertified, because the vendor had not submitted materials to Bowen's office in time to be included in her review. Instead, she will begin studying that system now and potentially issue a recertification with new conditions sometime in the future.

The Huffington Post has begun a serious look at who Hollywood supports in the presidential election and is offering a direct link here to allow people to track who is giving how much to whom.

In a posting, it notes:

"Despite some high profile fundraisers for the big three Democratic candidates in recent months, many of Hollywood's biggest names and most political families have yet to give big in the presidential race.

The Sheen/Estevez clan, Martin, Charlie and Emilio, all turn up empty, ditto all four Baldwin brothers and the Gyllenhaals. Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson are also yet to commit."

Candidates for the 2008 presidential election are assembling formidable campaign operations in California, with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani wielding what many call the most aggressive in the state. Lisa Friedman in the Daily News.

While Californians' political donations - and the copious amounts of them - remain the chief draw for candidates, the state's early Feb. 5 primary has added a new clout.

"They're spending a lot more time in California than ever before," said Dan Schnur, a longtime California political observer and Republican media strategist.

Three Los Angeles City Council members _ Wendy Greuel, Jan Perry and Jack Weiss _ came out Friday in support of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton for president.

The three join with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in backing Clinton.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of City Councilmembers Greuel, Perry and Weiss,” said Clinton. “As President, I will work closely with city leaders and ensure a strong partnership between the Federal and municipal governments for the betterment of our cities and residents.”