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25 May 2011 10:19

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Politics: Paul Ryan: This special election not a referendum on my plan

  • I saw the ads. I saw burning people’s Medicare cards. If you can scare seniors into thinking that their current benefits are being affected, that’s going to have an effect. And that is exactly what took place here. So yes, yes, it’s demagoguery, it’s scaring seniors.
  • Rep. Paul Ryan • Blaming Democrat Kathy Hochul’s win in New York’s 26th House District on scare tactics, rather than the New York Times’ line (“a referendum on the Paul Ryan Medicare plan”). Ryan also blamed Jack Davis, a third-party guy that siphoned votes from the GOP’s Jane Corwin: “When a Democrat runs as a third party, tea party candidate and spends a couple million dollars, it’s going to have an effect,” he says. A few things here:  Remember how the guy in this district — a Republican, mind you — resigned, leading to the special election? You don’t think that could’ve had an effect on things? That’s a question for both Ryan and the NYT. Also, to Ryan’s point about Davis: There were four candidates in this election, and we’re sure Ian Murphy (while a minor candidate) siphoned some votes from Hochul as well. (Also, we’re sure this stunt of Murphy’s hurt Corwin’s election chances too.) Either way, Paul kind of has a personal stake — Jack Kemp, who gave Ryan his first job, long represented this district. source

24 May 2011 23:17

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U.S.: Upset: Dem Kathy Hochul wins GOP House seat in special election

The NYT portrayed her win in a conservative NY district as a statement on Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan. They didn’t mention Scott Walker prankster Ian Murphy’s 1 percent of the vote. source

27 Jan 2011 13:21

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Politics: Jerry Brown’s tax pitch to Californians may pay off

  • 54% of California likely voters are okay with raising taxes source
  • » New polling from the California Public Policy Institute: A surprising and heartening result, in light of Governor Brown’s rhetoric about tough choices and shared sacrifice. Staring down a state in dire fiscal crisis, Brown has proposed broad, painful spending cuts, as well as a special election to seek voter approval on a package of new taxes and fees. Say what you will about the strategy, but Brown’s candor and honesty about his cuts have been impressive, and it seems voters may reward him with that rarest of the rare: a voter approved tax increase.

08 Dec 2009 09:27

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U.S.: Who’s gonna replace Ted Kennedy? A special primary opens today

  • four Democrats are up for election in the special primaries
  • two Republicans think they have a shot in Teddy’s territory source

26 Jan 2009 10:30

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U.S.: Russ Feingold: Senate appointments suck. Let’s kill them!

  • A new amendment Feingold, a beat-of-his-own-drummer Democratic Wisconsin senator noted for voting against the Patriot Act, has suggested that the recent New York and Illinois senate appointments have proven the idea to be antiquated. So, he plans to introduce an amendment later this week that ends senate appointments and replaces them with special elections. source
  • A new amendment Feingold, a beat-of-his-own-drummer Democratic Wisconsin senator noted for voting against the Patriot Act, has suggested that the recent New York and Illinois senate appointments have proven the idea to be antiquated. So, he plans to introduce an amendment later this week that ends senate appointments and replaces them with special elections.
  • “The will of the people” There is historic context to this, Feingold notes. “In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators,” Feingold said in a press release. “They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid-term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people.” source