From The Hotline Latest Edition for Wednesday, April 30,2008

THE FIELD

Isn't It Ironic?

Wed. Apr. 30, 2008


While the WH candidates continue to debate a gas tax holiday to reduce prices at the pump, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain all "support some type of corporate cap-and-trade system to curb greenhouse gases," which likely "would increase fuel prices." A cap-and-trade system "would require oil companies to purchase carbon credits," which would result "in higher costs being pasted on to consumers at the pump." Obama, when unveiling his plan in fall of '07, said: "We have to put a price on all pollution" (Timiraos, Wall Street Journal, 4/30).

Same Old Story, All Over Again

"Rising anxiety over the economy" is forcing Dems and GOPers "to scramble for a response." But the ideas being offered -- gas tax holiday, drilling in ANWR, windfall profits tax -- "have been debated for years" and, even if they get approved, "would provide little immediate relief" (Simon/Gerstenzang, Los Angeles Times, 4/30).

Advertised Goods

Partisan groups and the two parties "are pushing their way onto the airwaves, often with negative ads that are adding an even more quarrelsome tone" to the campaign. In LA, MS and IN ads on behalf of GOP congressional candidates label Obama "too liberal" and one ad by the NC GOP "cites Obama's ties" to Rev. Jeremiah Wright. On cable nationally, a DNC ad portrays McCain as a continuation of President Bush's Iraq and economic policies. The ads "reflect the unusual circumstances of this presidential race." Nonpartisan ad analyst Evan Tracey: "Seems like the three dimensional campaign has started -- primary in some places, general in others and a little of both in a few more places" (Kuhnhenn, AP, 4/29).

More Women Giving It Up

Regardless of whether Clinton wins the Dem nod, "she already has turned presidential politics on its high heel." Clinton, and Obama, "have managed to convince women who have only flirted with politics before to commit in a very concrete way -- through their pocketbooks." The number of female campaign contributors giving more than $200 "has skyrocketed, and women make up a much larger percentage of donors than in past election cycles." EMILY's List founder Ellen Malcolm: "As any fundraiser will tell you, the hardest check to get is that first one." More: "The more women who get involved in the political process by making contributions, many of those women are going to stick with it. And that's going to be good news for women candidates running in the future." White House Project founder Marie Wilson: "We don't know how it will turn out, but I sense that it has already shifted things for women." More: "My projection is that you'll never have another presidential campaign without a woman or women candidates, and we'll never have another conversation again about, 'Can a woman be president?' It's over. Of course you can" (Hoppe, MCT, 4/29).

Jumping The Gun

The SCOTUS's recent ruling upholding IN's voter ID law is sending a message to legal advocates: "produce evidence that a law has actually violated someone's rights, and name names if you can. Only then might the court rule that a law is unconstitutional for those in the same situation." Election law experts "were quick to say it was a mistake to have rushed the voter ID case" to the SCOTUS "before there was any evidence of its actual effects." Now, "some advocates are rethinking their legal strategies" (Savage, Los Angeles Times, 4/30).

Climbing The Hill

In today's Roll Call's Norm Ornstein writes, in '09, Congress will make "sustained policy success difficult no matter who gets elected president." That said, "we need to probe the candidates to see how well they understand the challenges they have ahead" in DC, and "how prepared they are to overcome them" (4/30).