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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: longnshort who wrote (252246)	9/21/2005 10:48:39 AM
From: combjelly	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1583406

"Democrats got Steele's credit report" And notice that they reported it to authorities after they found out about it. Now contrast that to when the Republicans cracked into the Democrats computer system and defended the actions of those staffers...

To: longnshort who wrote (252246)	9/21/2005 4:15:47 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1583406

Dislike of Bush could hit GOP closer to home September 21, 2005 Call it the Bush Effect. As Long Island Democrats began their dizzying rise to power in the 1990s, one of their not-so-secret weapons was Bill Clinton. Several years before moderate Republicans and independents started pulling the lever for Democrats in local races, often for the first time, they embraced the centrist president. Clinton made the suburbs safe for Democrats. Now, as local Republicans struggle to stop the Democratic advances into unheard-of territory, another president may play a role in the outcome. President George W. Bush's approval ratings are so low and the anger at his policies and performance is so high - justifiably, I'd argue - that voters could use a local election as the first chance to punish anyone remotely associated with him. And that would include local members of his party. This has happened before, here and elsewhere. Watergate cost local, state and national Republicans. So did the failed presidential candidacy of Barry Goldwater. But the political damage rarely went deeper than the level of congressional candidates, who run mostly on national issues. I'm not entirely certain voter disgust over Bush's handling of Katrina, Iraq and the economy will cost local Republicans any office this year. So far, there's only anecdotal evidence - and my gut - to tell me the Bush Effect is a-blowing out there. For instance, some Democrats, such as Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver, believe Bush helped bring extra Democrats to the polls last week in Marc Alessi's huge upset in a heavily GOP East End Assembly district. Some candidates going door-to-door elsewhere have encountered people who said that if they support Bush, they won't get their vote. Of course, most Republicans would have been happy a few years ago to mail out photos of themselves with Bush, to capitalize on his post-9/11 popularity surge. But I'm also not convinced it makes sense to whack somebody running for town clerk because Bush has failed at home and abroad. What my reporting tells me is that Democrats are more intrigued about the possibility - and plan to exploit it - than Republicans are concerned about being hurt. "We spent a lot of money getting voters to distinguish between town and county Republicans," a top Nassau GOP leader said. "They're smart enough to know the difference between Hempstead and Washington." But he did say Bush won't make his job any easier. I believe the impact of Bush on local races will play out more in who comes to the polls. Republicans, especially in Brook- haven and throughout Nassau, have the problem of getting their party members to show up. Even party loyalists are disgusted with how local GOP administrations have failed them. No, they might not vote for the Democrat, but they might stay home. Dismay over Bush could further depress GOP turnout. Democrats have a similar problem in some of the Suffolk towns they control and in Nassau, where County Executive Tom Suozzi's re-election seems pretty close to a lock and only a handful of legislative races appear competitive. Some Democrats are worried about supporters taking the race for granted. That's why Suffolk Democratic leader Rich Schaffer is planning anti-Bush mailings, particularly to voters who come out in presidential years but not always in local elections. Nassau Democrats may target minority voters, possibly using images of Katrina's nonwhite victims. The protest pitch would be to "send Bush a message" by voting Democratic on Nov. 8. Of course, Bush won't be on the ballot. But Democrats would be happy to have the votes. newsday.com