Kay Sera Sera
US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, is getting her name thrown around as a possible running mate for presidential nominee John McCain again, largely because she is a woman and the theory is that she could help pick up some ambivalent Hillary voters or independent women-on-the-fence.
But that's not the only reason her name's in the news. Washingtoninan Magazine came out with its "Best and Worst" issue, compiled from surveys of 1,700 Capitol staffers. KBH made it into the "Meanest" category, placing second behind Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, and in front of Sen. Arlen Specter, R-PA.
The Arizona senator is expected to announce his VP choice on Friday.
AP: Chet Edwards was Vetted
The Associated Press reports Texas Democratic Congressman Chet Edwards, still holding down his ultra-Republican district in Waco/Temple/Killeen, was background checked by Obama's VP selection people.
Democratic officials say that Edwards was one of the few Democrats whose background was checked by Obama's campaign, and he was a finalist for the job.
Edwards is among a small circle of people mentioned, including Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and Evan Bayh of Indiana.
Obama was expected to text message his choice later on Friday or Saturday.
DSCC Not Comin' to Texas
Capitol Hill paper Roll Call is reporting the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's field operation, which was surprisingly successful in 2006, will target 17 states this election year. Texas is not one of them.
There is a US Senate race here in the fall, but it appears the campaign arm of the Senate Democrats has decided to invest its millions in competitive races in other states.
The 17 Targeted States
Alaska
Colorado
Kentucky
Maine
Minnesota
Mississippi
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oregon
Virginia
Georgia
Kansas
Nebraska
Oklahoma
New Jersey (playing defense)
South Dakota (playing defense)
From Roll Call:
The DSCC has built its field operation -- which has a presence in 17 states, 11 of which are being heavily targeted -- by transferring funds to state party committees. The DSCC can afford this effort because it has a favorable map -- only 12 Democratic seats up for election, while 23 Republican seats are up -- and because it has maintained an almost 2-1 cash lead over the NRSC for the balance of the 2008 cycle.
Some states on the DSCC's target list have anywhere from 30 to 40 organizers who are on the state party's payroll but are focused solely on the Senate race. Money also is being spent to build and update voter files, advertise in the mail and on television, and on get-out-the-vote activities that are geared toward individual voters' habits, taking into account early and absentee voting schedules.
The DSCC would not say how much it plans to spend on its field operation overall this cycle. But last cycle, the DSCC transferred $29.5 million to state party committees for field operations compared with the NRSC's $294,000. The DSCC credits that investment, which included expenditures on direct mail and will again this cycle, with helping it flip six seats in 2006 and win back the Senate.
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Staubach Quarterbacking Shapiro's Team
State Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, is getting in early for a U.S. Senate run. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is widely expected to make a run for governor in 2010, and if not, her senate term is up in 2012. Shapiro has formed a committee to explore a run in 2012 "or sooner", and it's headed by former Cowboys QB Roger Staubach.
"Florence Shapiro's passion and commitment to public service is unsurpassed. Should the opportunity arise, I am confident Florence's proven leadership on the local and state legislative government levels have prepared her well to be a great United States Senator for Texas," Staubach said in a statement.
Full Disclosure: "Flo-Shap", as many have nicknamed her, was my State Senator growing up. In fact, I dug up this picture from my Student Council class coming to Austin to visit her when I was in 11th grade, and took a grainy photo of the photo.
Congressman McCaul in Pakistan
We got a photo from the trip! And a reeeeally long press release from former Capitol Press Tribe member, Mike Rosen*. So I'll just post the photo:
Texas Congressmen Michael McCaul, Gene Green and Henry Cuellar just got back from their official trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan. McCaul's office says he talked about the need for more military resources in the region. As they left Afghanistan, suicide bombers blasted the Indian Embassy in Kabul.
McCaul met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf (seen above), and toured a hostile region along the Pakistan border in a Blackhawk helicopter. He visited U.S. troops at bases in Khost, Gardez and Ghazni.
*Just playin', Rosen.
Bye Bye, Three Day Weekend
Totally unproductive three-day weekend here at PJ headquarters. Just to get y'all back up to speed:
On the Texas front:
--The Texas Supreme Court reviewed documents over the weekend but so far has not made a decision on whether to overturn a ruling by the Third Court of Appeals that Texas was wrong to seize those 460 children from the FLDS compound.
--The "who loves veterans more" back-and-forth between Senate candidates John Cornyn and Rick Noriega continues. Noriega stoked the flames by penning an op-ed which ran in the Houston Chronicle about the Senator Jim Webb sponsored G.I. bill that the Senate passed last week:
Unfortunately, my opponent, Sen. John Cornyn, failed to stand up for our troops. Cornyn was one of only 22 senators to vote against the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Act, continuing his history of turning his back on veterans. Adding insult to injury, Cornyn went so far as to condone and encourage a presidential veto of the bill. Webb's GI Bill passed with the support of 75 senators, including Texas' senior Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
GOP presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, joined Cornyn in voting against the bill. Both believe the bill will reduce the military's retention rate at a time when the country is trying to expand the size of the military.
For his part, Cornyn criss-crossed the state to spend time with military men and women on Memorial Day. Cornyn issued this statement:
"As terrorism remains a real and serious threat, and our country must continue to stand strong against it, these young men and women have chosen a challenging and honorable course. They will be our nation's future leaders and defenders, and I was honored to congratulate each of them for their accomplishments and wish them the best.
"I hope each of us can give thanks not only on Memorial Day, but every day for our men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we hold so dearly."
On the national front, Hillary Clinton
sparked collective outrage from the mainstream press and the blogosphere late Friday after she said this about RFK. (It was later discovered that it's the second time she's made the statement):
"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it."
She said she regretted the comments if they offended anyone, and especially the Kennedy's.
RFK Jr came out to defend her. MSNBC's Keith "Special Comment" Olbermann unleashed on her with a fury he usually reserves for President Bush:
Obama himself said on Saturday that he didn't take Clinton's comments to mean any harm.
Then on Sunday HRC surrogates blamed Obama's campaign for keeping this controversy in the press. Obama's people circulated a transcript of the Olbermann special comment on Saturday morning. So that's where we are on that.
