From the House Race Hotline for Friday, May 9,2008

BATTLE

It's A Big House With Lots Of Bedrooms

Fri. May 9, 2008


"Facing tough re-election fights," more than "three dozen" House GOPers "bucked their leadership and Pres. Bush" 5/8 "by backing a housing rescue package." Some GOPers supporting the package included: Reps. Jon Porter (R-NV 03), Steve Chabot (R-OH 01) and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL 21). Diaz-Balart: I think it's good legislation. It's a serious work product" (Holzer, The Hill, 5/8).

New Talking Points Memo

National Journal's Cook writes, the recent special elections in LA and IL signaled that the GOP's play book is "obsolete." Simply "spouting an undiluted conservative message doesn't consistently work anymore, even in some of the nation's reddest districts." Some GOPers believe that it "might even take more-sweeping election loses this year" for the party"to hit bottom." Only then, they say, can the GOP "abandon its illusions and offer a more attractive vision for the future" (5/10 issue).

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet?!

After losing two previously held GOP seats in special elections this year, House GOP aides "worry their party is on the brink of an election year catastrophe, and as a "key test looms" 5/13 in MS-01, the party's "already pulling out all the stops."

Publicly, GOPers "say momentum is swinging their way." NRCC spokesperson Ken Spain: "Republicans are committed to winning in Mississippi and we bleieve the momentum is on our side." Southaven Mayor Greg Davis mgr Ted Prill "added" that, "thanks" to the NRCC, Freedom's Watch and Davis' financial advantage, GOPers "are outspending" Dems in the CD.

Privately, though, GOPers say another loss "could be devastating" to the party. The key, a leadership aide said, is to "create unity in order to work for the larger good." The aide: "Either the conference pulls together and becomes a united conference, or they break apart and everyone just goes into self-preservation mode" (Wilson, RealClearPolitics.com, 5/9).

Mister Money Bags Is A Bad Man

Using accusations of links to "gambling" and "forced abortions," the DCCC "is striving" to make the conservative group Freedom's Watch, "too toxic" for GOPers "to stomach." DCCC comm. dir. Jennifer Crider: "House Republicans and Republican candidates need to decide whether they can afford to partner with Freedom's Watch, a group that embodies the Republicans' culture of corruption by consistently breaking the law and is bankrolled by money that is inconsistent with their values." Billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson "is the principal financial backer for the group."

To neutralize Freedom's Watch reported budget of "upward" of $200M, the DCCC "fired off mail and broadcast ads" highlighting Adelson's "gambling interests and ties with China," which they argue is "a country notorious for forced abortions."

Freedom's Watch VP Ed Patru "said the effort to sully candidates by association is silly." Patru: "'Vote against candidate X because he has common values with philanthropist Y, who has business interests in China where, by the way, abortion is legal.' What a dynamite argument." More: "Given Nancy Pelosi's relationship with Syria's [President Bashar] Assad, we're not surprised her campaign arm is going after one of Israel's most prolific benefactors" (Dinan, Washington Times, 5/9).