December 2007
Right is Wrong
"Over half the families in America are not poor."
White House press release on the SCHIP veto, 10/23/07
"First of all, whenever I hear anything described as a heartless assault on our children, I tend to think it’s a good idea. I’m happy that the president’s willing to do something bad for the kids."
Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard (Fox News Sunday, 9/30/07)
"Our society is such that minorities don’t become elderly the way white people do. They die first."
John Tanner, head of the Justice Department’s voting rights division, on requiring photo IDs at the polls (Oregonlive.com, 10/14/07)
"We have to remember that we are always just one kooky judge away from actually having homosexual marriage forced on all the rest of us."
Tom Tancredo, GOP presidential candidate (GOP Values Voters debate, 9/17/07)
"I’m not sure I even agree with myself 100 percent."
Rudy Giuliani (ABC News, 9/21/07)
"[The ideal nation] would look like New York City during the Republican National Convention. In fact, that’s what I think heaven is going to look like…. People were happy. They are Christian. They are tolerant. They defend America."
Ann Coulter (CNBC’s The Big Idea, 10/11/07)
"It is true that many people die from cold-related deaths every winter. And there are studies that say that climate change in certain areas of the world would help those individuals."
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino on global warming (Salon.com, 10/25/07)
"I couldn’t get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia’s restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it’s run by blacks, [and has a] primarily black patronship."
Bill O’Reilly (mediamatters.com, 9/21/07)
"We do not have the right to move the standards of God to meet cultural norms. We need to move the cultural norms to meet God’s standards."
GOP presidential contender Mike Huckabee (Associated Press Worldstream, 10/20/07)
Political terrain gives Democrats an edge
GOP scandals, retirements, and agenda failures boost Democrats heading into 2008
A wave of Republican retirements is creating historic opportunities to elect more pro-choice Democratic women to the House and Senate, consolidate Democratic control of government in 2008, and begin undoing the damage of eight years of the Bush administration. As of November 2007, 14 House Republicans have announced they will not seek re-election in 2008. Their reasons vary from ethical scandals (Rick Renzi in Arizona, Jerry Weller in Illinois); to apprehension over a tough race (Deborah Pryce in Ohio); to presidential and senatorial ambitions (Tom Tancredo in Colorado, Heather Wilson in New Mexico); to dissatisfaction with being in the minority (Ray LaHood and former House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, and Jim Ramstad of Minnesota, are among those who are jumping ship).
“In the current political environment, more of these open GOP seats are in play than ever before,” says Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY’s List. “And we have strong pro-choice Democratic women candidates running in just about every potential Democratic pick-up seat.”
Given the power of incumbency, EMILY’s List has long known that the best way to elect new women to Congress is by winning open seats. And the current crop of 14 is exceptional, given the glacial pace of congressional retirements.
Adding to the promise of the 2008 election, many of the congressional districts that are currently open have a Democratic performance index of 40 or better. According to EMILY’s List political director Jonathan Parker, this is the threshold that makes a seat competitive.
“The Democratic performance index is the best way we can gauge what percentage of general election voters vote for Democrats, on average,” says Parker. “Anything above 46 is winnable for a Democrat. Between 40 and 46 is more of a challenge, but still competitive — especially if the Republican opponent has ethical problems. So far, there are Democratic women running or considering running in every open seat with an index of 46 and above.”
One example of a potential Democratic takeover is in Arizona’s first congressional district, where former state Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is a leading contender to replace Rep. Rick Renzi — and may find herself in a special election if Renzi, the subject of a federal corruption probe, is indicted.
Another example is Ohio’s 15th district, where Mary Jo Kilroy, who nearly defeated Deborah Pryce in 2006, was all set for a rematch when Pryce decided not to seek another term. Kilroy, chair of the Franklin County Commission, quickly cleared the Democratic field. After some recruiting woes, Republicans have found a strong conservative candidate, state Sen. Steve Stivers, who will fight aggressively to hold this seat.
While Republican members are leaving Congress in droves, as of this writing only three Democratic members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election: Michael McNulty of New York, Mark Udall of Colorado, and Tom Allen of Maine. Udall and Allen are running for the U.S. Senate, and EMILY’s List candidates are leading the pack of Democratic hopefuls seeking their now-open seats. In Colorado, Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald is competing for Udall’s seat. In Maine, former state Sen. Chellie Pingree is a leading contender for Allen’s seat. Maintaining Democratic control of these open swing seats is critical.
“Democratic-held open seats are key targets for EMILY’s List to add more women to office,” says Parker. “Recruiting strong pro-choice Democratic women candidates to run in them is a top priority – and Pingree and Fitz-Gerald fit the bill.”
Finally several pro-choice Democratic women are challenging vulnerable GOP incumbents in seats where voters are ready for change. In Missouri, former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes is giving GOP Rep. Sam Graves the fight of his career. Barnes’s Kansas City base and roots in rural St. Joseph make her a strong challenger in this district, which U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill won in 2006. But Graves has a large war chest and has hired a manager notorious for his below-the-belt tactics. “This race will get ugly,” says Parker.
Two rematches are in the works in Washington and New Jersey. In 2006, Darcy Burner nearly upset Republican Rep. Dave Reichert. She’s raised over $500,000 for a rematch and has Reichert on the defensive in this suburban Seattle district. State Sen. Linda Stender mounted a very strong challenge to another right-wing congressman, Mike Ferguson, in New Jersey’s seventh district, and is coming back to finish the job in 2008.
“These women are running in swing districts and will benefit from a presidential election. Their experience and a strong Democratic presidential nominee will be key advantages,” says Parker.
“With all these opportunities and the challenge of protecting our own vulnerable incumbents, combined with electing the first woman president, we at EMILY’s List have our hands full,” says Malcolm. “We’ve never had so many great candidates and promising races at this early stage. We are counting on our members to step up and provide these women candidates with the support they need to run positive, winning campaigns.”
POP pipeline produces results
Many of the women running for Congress in 2008 have received support for their political careers from EMILY’s List’s Political Opportunity Program, which is dedicated to recruiting, training, and preparing women to run for office.
EMILY’s List has worked closely through POP with Minnesota state Sen. Terri Bonoff, who is a top contender to replace retiring Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad in that state’s third congressional district. Another POP relationship is bearing fruit in Illinois, where Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, at the urging of EMILY’s List and other Democratic leaders, is in the race to replace retiring GOP Rep. Jerry Weller in the 11th district.
“State and local offices are important proving grounds for women,” says Malcolm. “As state officials, they are shaping policy that affects the day-to-day lives of millions of Americans and honing their legislative and political skills, with an eye toward possibly moving up the ladder.
“We’ve always known the value of POP in building relationships with women in the states,” Malcolm says, “but this recent spate of congressional retirements means we are enjoying the fruits of our labor even sooner than anticipated. These women candidates are inspiring examples of the synergy between our political programs.”
Special election victory boosts momentum
EMILY’s List members helped make history October 16, when Niki Tsongas won a tough special election in Massachusetts’s fifth congressional district. Tsongas is the first woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress in 25 years. Tsongas was sworn into Congress two days later and cast her first vote in favor of overriding the president’s veto of SCHIP (the State Children’s Health Insurance Program).
The campaign turned ugly at the end. Tsongas was subject to relentless attacks from her opponent, who exploited voters’ concerns about illegal immigration into sheer demagoguery. When Tsongas criticized her opponent for supporting Bush’s veto, he twisted her support for SCHIP into an immigration-based attack, raising the specter of illegal immigrants draining government resources — even though the SCHIP legislation prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving funds.
“This is a preview of coming attractions,” says Malcolm. “Republicans used this race to test their attacks, and will certainly be adding immigration to their list of favored wedge issues for 2008. So EMILY’s List is conducting research to learn how Democrats can communicate effectively on immigration. We will make sure our candidates understand the role this issue will be playing in their campaigns and help them craft messages that will neutralize GOP attacks and take control of the debate.”
Administration flunkies routinely posted misinformation on government web sites and removed credible information that didn't jibe with right-wing views on stem cells, contraception, abortion, global warming, or endangered species.
The 2008 campaign is going to be very hard,” Malcolm says. “To win, we will need to be strong, smart, and strategic. EMILY’s List is poised to make more history in November 2008. Then we can begin the really hard work of undoing the damage of the last eight years and restoring progressive values — human values — to our government.”
The Iowa Project
EMILY’s List WOMEN VOTE! is launching a comprehensive effort to mobilize Democratic women voters to attend the Iowa caucuses on January 3 and cast their votes for Hillary Clinton for president.
Iowa’s presidential caucuses are open to all registered Democrats, but four out of five women who are eligible to vote in them don’t go. Public information about how to caucus is riddled with legalese, discouraging participation.
“It’s a process that is shrouded in mystery,” says Maren Hesla, director of EMILY’s List’s WOMEN VOTE! project. “But it doesn’t have to be. Using a variety of tools, we’ll provide Iowa women with credible, reliable information about the caucuses that will get them excited about participating.”
Just as EMILY’s List’s Political Opportunity Program encourages women to take their first steps as candidates, the Iowa Project will help Iowa women see how easy it is to caucus and empower them to participate.
The plan
On November 19, 2007, WOMEN VOTE! launched a web site (www.yougogirl.com) designed for Democratic women in Iowa who have never participated in the state’s caucuses. Aiming to demystify the caucusing process, the web site features testimonial videos of women who have caucused in the past describing what it was like and why they are planning to do it again.
With links to social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, and using Twitter instant messaging technology, WOMEN VOTE! will help future Iowa caucus-goers exchange information and meet up with each other, virtually and in person.
“We want to create networks of friends, neighbors, teachers, parents — Democratic women who have never participated in the caucuses — to exchange information and share their experiences on this historic journey to elect the first woman president,” says Hesla.
The web site includes instructions on how to caucus, written in simple, easily understood language, along with downloadable talking points about Hillary to help women speak confidently and persuasively about why they support her candidacy.
In addition to the web site, EMILY’s List is using email, direct mail, peer-to-peer contact, phones, radio and television advertising, and instant messaging to encourage prospective caucus-goers who support Hillary to attend.
The EMILY’s List Iowa Project is placing special emphasis on reaching out to younger women.
“In Iowa, voters who will be 18 years old by November 4, 2008, are eligible to caucus — so EMILY’s List is targeting 17- and 18-year-old women to get them active and get them to the caucuses. We aren’t ceding this critical demographic to any other candidate,” Hesla says. “Young women are enthusiastic about Hillary, and WOMEN VOTE! will tap into their enthusiasm and convert it into votes on January 3. We want this to be their first step in a lifelong commitment to voting.”
The research
The Iowa Project emerged from research EMILY’s List conducted among Democratic primary women voters in three states with February 5 “super primaries”: New Jersey, Georgia, and Arizona. The study was designed to assess the strength of Clinton’s bid for president among women primary voters.
The surveys, conducted by Geoffrey Garin of Garin-Hart-Yang Strategic Research and Diane Feldman of the Feldman Group, confirmed Hillary’s extraordinary support among women voters and provided insight into the nature of that support. EMILY’s List announced the results of the surveys at a press conference November 1.
Garin told reporters that he believes there has never been a candidate in the history of the presidential nominating process with such strong support from such a large portion of the electorate. “There have been candidates with strong support from labor or in a particular region, but there has never been a case where a single candidate has such a deep base with one group that represents, really, the majority of the electorate,” he said. “From an arithmetic perspective, this underscores the incredible advantage Hillary Clinton has in the election — and the challenge every other candidate has in running against her.”
Hesla added, “Women voters don’t just support Hillary because she is a woman — they have evaluated the field according to which candidate has the right combination of experience, ability to change the country, and strength to be commander in chief. These women have set an exacting standard of what they want in their next president and they’ve decided that Hillary Clinton meets or exceeds that standard. Hillary enjoys a wide lead over all her opponents among women primary voters because they believe she has the experience and strength to handle the job, and that she will change the direction of our country.”
EMILY’s List conducted this research to help chart a course for the WOMEN VOTE! project in the presidential primary, with the goal of launching a project targeted at women voters in Feb. 5 “super primary” states. But, she says, “the results made it clear that Hillary is the choice of likely women voters in those states. Meanwhile, public polling in Iowa indicates a very tight race for the Democratic nomination. So we made the decision to go to where the battle is joined. And that’s Iowa.”
What's Cooking
Donna Edwards nearly unseated entrenched incumbent Congressman Albert Wynn in Maryland’s fourth district in 2006 … now she’s back for a rematch … Edwards was the first executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, which she co-founded … she helped lead the fight to pass the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 … she’s an energetic community leader who is looking out for seniors, working families, and the environment … After eight terms in Congress, Wynn’s looking less and less like a Democrat … he’s voted for big tax breaks for Cheney’s oil and gas cronies, to weaken the Endangered Species Act, and to drill for oil in Alaska’s protected areas … all priorities for the Bush administration … Edwards is mobilized for Maryland’s February 12 primary … she would be the first African American woman elected to Congress from Maryland.
Gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson is running strong in Indiana … polls show her leading her Democratic opponent and within reach of unseating GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels … Daniels was Bush’s first budget director and the architect of Bush’s failed economic agenda, including massive tax cuts for the rich … he scoffed at New Yorkers seeking aid after 9/11, accusing them of engaging in “a little money-grubbing game”… he’s been doing some grubbing of his own, raising an estimated $1 million at one recent fundraising event … Long Thompson has the right experience to lead Indiana … a former congresswoman who was undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture during the Clinton administration, she’s a farmer and an expert on rural affairs … Long Thompson needs to win Indiana’s May 6 primary against a wealthy political donor hand-picked by Indianapolis insiders … … this will be one of the marquee governor’s races of 2008.
EMILY’s List Political Opportunity Program is putting more women in the pipeline, with winners from Arizona to Maine … here's a rundown of some of the winners from 2007 … Sandi Love won a seat in the New Jersey state Assembly … Margi Vanderhye won a Virginia House seat that hasn’t been held by a Democrat in over 40 years … Jolanda Jones is headed to a run-off for a seat on the Houston City Council … Jill Duson was re-elected to the Portland, Maine, City Council … Kate Browning was re-elected to the Suffolk County (New York) legislature … Regina Romero is the first Latina elected to the Tucson City Council … Marion Tasco and Maria Quiones Sanchez were re-elected to the Philadelphia City Council ... and Sheila Dixon is Baltimore’s first woman mayor.
Missouri Rep. Sam Graves voted with Bush down the line against SCHIP, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program … Graves rationalized his vote by claiming illegal immigrants would drain the service … even though SCHIP included a provision making non-citizens ineligible … Graves’s challenger, former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, is raising the dough she needs to unseat this incumbent in a tough district for Democrats … Barnes raised over $325,000 in the third quarter of 2007 … a profile of Graves in Roll Call, Capitol Hill’s newspaper of record, described him “[shuttling] around his hometown in his truck, accompanied by a high-powered rifle usually used to hunt large game. Bullet boxes litter his front seat.” … hmm … good thing Barnes doesn’t scare easily.
Candidate Spotlight
Bev Perdue
There was never any doubt that Bev Perdue, North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, would become a leader. Perdue’s mother once told her, “A woman who does not seek to make the most of herself is one whose spirit is dead.” Taking these words to heart, Perdue has blazed trails for women in politics. The first woman lieutenant governor, she is also a 14-year veteran of the state legislature who, as co-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was the first woman in the state Senate to have budget-writing power. Democratic Gov. Mike Easley is limited to two terms; Bev Perdue is running to keep this seat in Democratic hands. She spoke recently with EMILY’s List about her political history and values.
When did you first consider running for office?
I was director of a program for senior citizens in a community hospital, and I got frustrated with government’s reluctance to work with seniors who wanted more options for long-term care. About that time a House seat came open in my area. I was nearly 40, the mother of two young sons, so there were a lot of challenges to managing a family and a political life. There was some reluctance from some folks to support a woman, because back then there had never been a woman in that seat.
If you could control the debate in this campaign, what would you focus on?
The future — education and health care, and how we do everything we have to in this state to make sure that our people have affordable, quality choices and that everyone has a chance to get a great 21st century education and job.
Public polls show you in the lead in this race. How do you assess the campaign?
I have never believed much in polls. The most important poll is the one that takes place on Election Day. Up until then, the numbers will fluctuate for both of us. It’s beholden on me to work hard and smart and stay engaged and raise the money that will make it possible for me to get my message out, particularly on television, where I can reach the largest possible number of voters. That’s a challenge that EMILY’s List is helping me so much with. Early money truly is like yeast! It makes such a difference.
Why is it important to elect women governors?
Leaders of state governments make decisions that affect the lives of people not just in their state but across the country. I can think of nothing more important for women across America than to support the election of a pro-choice Democratic woman to lead a southern state. North Carolina is growing and will soon be the seventh largest state. My election is a great opportunity to define the complexion of one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
How would you advise a young woman seeking office for the first time?
When I talk to young women, I tell them that anyone who wants to be a leader must learn certain skills, like the art of compromise, public speaking, team building, and the importance of innovation and self-confidence and self-control. And I encourage young women to get involved in their communities and churches. When I meet women who want to run for office, I encourage them to learn how to raise money — because that’s a part of the electoral process. I am a big believer in grassroots politicking, but in a modern campaign you have to have money to get your message out.
Why do you support reproductive freedom?
Because I really do believe, and always have, that a woman’s right to choose is a fundamental right. My priority is to emphasize prevention, education, and prenatal care for pregnant women, and to make sure we address problems on the front end — but it’s essential for this country to remain pro-choice. I remember a time when those rights weren’t guaranteed. Going back to those days would be horrible for North Carolina and for America.
Do you have any personal heroes?
My mom really inspired me. She was a tremendous woman. She didn’t have a high school diploma, but she understood that leadership was important. We lived in a very rural area, a coal mining community, and she and my dad — both my parents are my heroes — always believed my brother and I could be somebody if we worked hard and got an education. They would do without to let us have. Their life made me believe that nothing is impossible. I thought about them the day I announced my campaign. I wish they had been alive to see it. It would have been fun; they would have been very pleased and very proud that North Carolina has given me this opportunity.