MyDD :: Some Good News

Some Good News

by Chris Bowers, Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 10:44:31 AM EST

Here are three things to help provide some spring in Democratic steps this morning.

1. Committee deals blow to Bush's clean-air plans

President Bush's bid to rewrite the nation's air pollution laws ground to a halt in Congress Wednesday when Republicans were unable to overcome objections in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that the bill would weaken central pillars of environmental protection.

The setback dealt a body blow to the administration's highly promoted plan and handed a victory to environmental groups that viewed the "Clear Skies" bill as rolling back safeguards at the behest of industry interests.

The Environmental Protection Agency will issue new rules today and next week to control the same pollutants targeted by the Bush initiative, but these rules will not change provisions in the 1990 Clean Air Act that would have been revised by "Clear Skies."

Senate Republicans accused Democrats of obstructing effective and common-sense legislation because they did not want to give Bush an important environmental victory.

Democrats, joined by Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt., and Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., said that negotiations had been conducted in bad faith, that the initiative's pollution control targets were set too low, and that certain loopholes in the bill were irresponsible.

Yeah! A legislative victory!

2. Eliot Spitzer will be the next Governor of New York

Siena College Poll. 2/28-3/4. MoE 4%. (2/3 results)

Spitzer-D 53 (51)
Pataki-R 30 (35)

Wow. An incumbent already in the low thirties, and dropping even further. This will be a huge pickup. I wonder what Golisano's plans are.

3. Romney in trouble in Mass.

The numbers are not as good as New York, but Romney is clearly weak against AG Thomas Reilly, who is the overwhelming favorite in the Democratic primary:

KRC/Communications Research, 2/28-3/1. MoE 4.8% (No trend lines)

Romney-R 40
Reilly-D 49

2006 could be a very, very good year for Democrats in Governor's races.

Tags: Governor 2005-6 (all tags)

Permalink :: 22 Comments :: Post a Comment

Enviro Blog (none / 0)

Does anyone know any good enviro blogs. Environmentalists need a good way of communicating and motivating like Kos and MyDD. So far, I can't find anything though.

by mysteve on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 11:29:58 AM EST

I heard... (none / 0)

but its been awhile, that Golisano was being recruited to run as the Republican nominee if Pataki or Guiliani didnt run. It would save them the trouble of raising money for the Gov. race and allow them to focus down ballot.

by novademocrat on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 11:31:02 AM EST

hold on there pardner (none / 0)

reilly (against marriage equality until very recently) has not yet won the nomination quite yet! there are several other democrats lining up. we've got some special elections to win first, then some municipal elections to win this fall, but don't worry, progressives will most certainly be heard in next year's governor's race.

by myddaholic on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 11:39:00 AM EST

Don't Forget California in 2006! (none / 0)

The nurses are doing a great job of bloodying Governor Girlie Man's nose. If his initiatives go down in flames, there are rumors he won't even run in 2006. Even if he does, the bloom is definitely off the rose, and with Villaraigosa likely to become mayor of LA, there will be a high-profile charismatic Democratic Hispanic to blast away at Girlie Man's Hispanic support.

We are very far off from having any idea what 2006 is going to be like in California. But this much is for certain--if we get rid of Girlie Man, we have definitely put a crimp in GOP 2008 plans.

by Paul Rosenberg on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 12:43:35 PM EST

Maybe Romney will pull a John Edwards (none / 0)

Announce for the presidency and forgo suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of his state's voters.

by jcjcjc on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 01:05:28 PM EST

Re: Maybe Romney will pull a John Edwards (none / 0)

In all fairness to Edwards, no one has been able to hold THAT seat in recent memory.

I doubt Richard Burr will be able to hold it either.

by wayward on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 07:11:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Maybe Romney will pull a John Edwards (none / 0)

Still, it is the same political decision. You've got a national party that wants you, and a state electorate that doesn't.

by jcjcjc on Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 12:11:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Maybe Romney will pull a John Edwards (none / 0)

I don't really think that there are that many Republicans who want Romney for president. If they want a wealthy, pro-choice Northeasterner, they already have Giuliani. If Romney can't turn Massachusetts red in '08, I can't see that they would have much use for him.

by craverguy on Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 01:08:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Maybe Romney will pull a John Edwards (none / 0)

Romney is a fluke. His re-elect chances look poor.

The only place he has real crediility is with the national party. While it might not be the greatest support, it's still support.

Given that the 2008 GOP primaries look like a contest full of pugs, Romney might see 2008 as his best chance to sneak through.

by jcjcjc on Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 11:03:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

New Yorker here.. (none / 0)

And Pataki is definitely in trouble. I personally am tired of him as governor. I thought he'd move up to face Hillary but with those numbers, this politician who has national ambitions apparently will have to forego the nomination. If Golisano runs, it could make the race more interesting. But I'd prefer it just be Spitzer and Pataki so Spitzer can blow him out of the water.

As for Arnold in 06, Arnold is polling REALLY well right now. As of now, I don't see a pick up there.

by falcon4e on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 01:27:20 PM EST

Arnold (none / 0)

Last I saw (this was a couple weeks ago) he was at 56%, down nearly 10 points from where he was in November. He isn't that invincible.

Tennesseans for Feingold

by ben114 on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 02:43:53 PM EST

Re: Arnold (none / 0)

Even if he does win, Ahnold is a one-man phenomenon. He alone cannot resuscitate the California GOP.

by wayward on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 07:00:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Don't get cocky- its early 2005 (3.00 / 1)

by bruh21 on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 03:54:31 PM EST

We Can Only Be So Lucky (none / 0)

Clean Skies Bill: Looks the Northeastern Senators up for reelection in '06 are already running away from Dubya. That helps whoever wins the Democratic nomination in PA and VA. It could also help Bill Nelson in Florida, because he can use argue that a Republican replacement might start drilling offshore there, which is hugely unpopular.

Spitzer: Hopefully he throttles Guiliani/Pataki and doesn't stop until he wins the nomination in '12 and starts taking his act to clean up the scum in DC.

Romney: he's more formidable than we might assume, but he already tried running for Senate in Massachusetts, and he has no chance unless Kennedy retires or Kerry becomes President. Neither of those happen until after '06

Schwarzengger: he's raised a ton of money so it will be tougher going than usual for the Democrats. But the Demmys still own most of the state offices in California and the unions want Arnold's head like no prize we've ever seen. My guess is that Treasurer Phil Angelides gets the nomination he can turn the Terminator into the next Jesse Ventura, but it's going to be a bloodbath.

by risenmessiah on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 06:58:44 PM EST

Re: We Can Only Be So Lucky (none / 0)

What about Alabama?

Yes, it's a conservative state, but it may be winnable for the following reasons:

Bob Riley won in a Gregoire sized landslide in 2002 over then Gov. Don Siegelman.
Roy Moore is a wild-card, he may run in the primary or as a Constitution party candidate. Either hurts Riley and helps the Democrats.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley is leading both Riley and Moore in early polls.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/110889473481631.xml

I'd like to see a pickup, but I have a bad feeling that if Riley loses, he will lose for the wrong reasons, specifically his failed tax reform package. Riley took a rather courageous stand against much of his own party to make Alabama's tax code more equitable. (Note: The Alabama Democratic Party supported this measure.)

by wayward on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 07:09:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: We Can Only Be So Lucky (none / 0)

I actually think having Bob Riley as a Republican governor in Alabama is more fun than having a a conservative Democrat one. Bob Riley talking about tax hikes as the work of Jesus is something you can't buy. Besides, there's no prize for Democrats controlling all 50 govenernships. There is a big prize if we get 60 Senate seats though :)

We have to run someone in '06 though because of nutjob Roy Moore daft quest to save Alabama. I mean, I'm just waiting for Tom Coburn to open his mouth and accuse Wellesley and other all female colleges of promoting lesbianism.

by risenmessiah on Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 02:52:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: We Can Only Be So Lucky (none / 0)

I mean, I'm just waiting for Tom Coburn to open his mouth and accuse Wellesley and other all female colleges of promoting lesbianism.

I laughed at this as much because it is actually possible that Coburn would say this as at the silliness of the charge.

by Curt Matlock on Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 11:41:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Ahnuld (none / 0)

is polling about 52% against Rob Reiner/Bill lockyer/ Phil Angelides I believe. Personally, I think, since he hasnt solved any problems and has infuriated so many, it will be a close race. Something like 53-47 52-48, 51-49. It will take a lot of work to make sure we come out on the good side. Romney is just fuckin awful from what I hear. Deval Patrick, in that poll, was polling around 30%. That's amazing considering his name recognition. His social issue views are so ambiguous(and he called Kerry wishy-washy). Speaking of Senator Kerry, that's where Romney really went wrong; in standing with MA hater Bush against beloved John Kerry. If he was smart, he would have just kept his mouth shut during the campaign. I hope he quits and then runs for president, he's such an ass it would be fun beating him.

by jj32 on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 07:02:25 PM EST

Re: Ahnuld (none / 0)

Right now, I would say its Arnold 53, Dem Challenger 47-46. The thing that gives me hope is that, fellow celebrity governor, Jesse Ventura, was in a similar position, a year before the election. He, however, did not even run for reelectoin as his poll numbers tanked when peopel started realizing that celebrities are not the way to go when running the state.

John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for a century.

by jkfp2004 on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 11:55:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Pataki and the death penalty (none / 0)

Pataki won, in part, due to his support of the death penalty, which Mario Cuomo opposed.

The death penalty is gone once again (NY didn't even use it) and it looks like Pataki will be gone as well.

by wayward on Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 09:17:55 PM EST

I'm hearing more words about... (none / 0)

...drilling ANWR again. Not that any oil we find there would even knock gas prices down a half penny.

Gas prices are beginning to piss me off though. I'm sick of cowardly politicians from both parties not doing a damn thing about pursuing a real energy solution...alternative fuels. It needs to be made a priority like the space race in the cold war. If someone, anyone, actually had the political balls to commit such resources I'd vote for them on that issue alone, and I don't care what party they belong to.

http://operationyellowelephant.blogspot.com/

by Vote Hillary 2008 on Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 05:29:04 AM EST

Gas Prices (none / 0)

Gas Prices over $2 a gallon might start enough grumbling to get some politicians actually trying to do something.

Gas Prices over $3 a gallon might actually get real action from politicians and corporations looking to make a profit.

High gas prices are the best hope of bringing alternative energies into the mainstream.

by Curt Matlock on Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 11:46:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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