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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (720295)	1/2/2006 2:30:15 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Respond to of 769670

Conservative Action Alert: Alito Supporters Coming to a State Near You! Find Out How You Can Join Their Efforts judgealito.com As we approach Judge Samuel Alito's Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on January 9th, dozens of Judge Alito's friends and former colleagues are headed to states across the country to urge Senators to confirm him to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Alito's supporters will highlight his background, experience and character as well as directly address the unfair attacks and mischaracterizations against him. Go to www.JudgeAlito.com/travel/ to find out more about their activities. Unfortunately, liberal special interest groups are escalating their smear campaign against Judge Alito daily. We need your help to counter these liberal extremists. Please go to judgealito.com and find out how you can call, write or email your Senator to let them know that you support Judge Alito and urge them to reject any attempted filibuster.

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (720295)	1/2/2006 2:34:21 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

House 2006 This week we look at four races that will feature competitive Democratic primaries. Mississippi-2: Rep. Bennie Thompson (D) may receive a serious primary challenge from a 30-year-old moderate black Democrat, Chuck Espy (D). Espy, a two-term state representative and the nephew of Clinton's former agriculture secretary, will assail Thompson for the loss of his seat on the House Agriculture Committee. Thompson gave up the seat in order to become the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, which has already gained him some criticism in this agricultural district on the Mississippi Delta. Thompson has been attacked for being politically ambitious in the House at the expense of his district's interests. Espy begins far behind in the money race, but his challenge is likely to be well-funded. Espy's uncle Mike once represented this district, and when he left to become Secretary of Agriculture, Thompson defeated Espy's father Henry in a multi-candidate special election in 1993. Espy would be a very different congressman than the reflexive liberal Thompson, and he could probably even count on support from the NRA in the primary. Thompson has a history of stoking racial tensions in his district and in his congressional office -- recently, he fired and demoted several old staffers on the Homeland Security Committee to make room for more minority hires. If Espy manages to defeat Thompson, it could further portend a nascent trend of black voters throwing off their old-guard leaders from the civil rights era and opting for more moderate leaders of a younger generation. This began in 2002 with the defeat of Representatives Earl Hilliard and Cynthia McKinney by moderate black primary candidates (McKinney managed to return to Congress last year). This alone makes this race important, on top of the fact that it will be highly competitive. New York-11: The retirement of Rep. Major Owens (D) creates an all-Democrat fight for an open central Brooklyn district that is almost 60 percent black and which gave 86 percent of its vote to John Kerry (D) in last year's presidential election. In 12 terms in office, the lowest percentage this district ever gave Owens was 87 percent. Yet in 2002, Owens won a plurality of only 45 percent in the primary. City Councilman David Yassky (D), a white former college professor, represents a nearby council district. He has entered the race, and he led in fundraising at the end of September with $200,000 raised and $170,000 on hand. State Sen. Carl Andrews (D) is the only other candidate with more than $100,000 on hand. Also in the race are Assemblyman Nick Perry (D), Councilwoman Yvette Clarke (D), and Chris Owens (D), the son of the incumbent. Local black leaders are reportedly alarmed that Yassky is taking advantage of the presence of four black candidates who could potentially split the black vote in the primary. He has a free shot, since municipal elections are held in off-years. But Yassky, who is probably also the most moderate candidate in this race, represents an area north of the district and already faces accusations of carpetbagging. To win, he would need tremendous turnout in the district's Hasidic, Hispanic, and Pakistani neighborhoods. Tennessee-9: As Rep. Harold Ford (D) seeks the Senate seat being vacated by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R), the question of who will take his place rests entirely on the Democratic side. Ford's Memphis-area district, which covers most of southern Shelby County, is almost 60 percent Black and rarely attracts a Republican candidate for office. Nikki Tinker (D), a young Ford aide who managed his last House campaign, begins this race as the frontrunner. The other serious candidate is Ron Redwing (D), CEO of his own business and chairman of the Memphis Center City Development Corporation. If he is willing to put enough of his own resources into the race, Redwing could force a contest, particularly if he gets the blessing of Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton (D), an enemy of Ford. Laura Davis (D), a perennial loser in local Democratic primary elections, has also announced her intention to run. Texas-28: We recently mentioned the vote by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D) in favor of the Republican economic package, including an extension of capital gains and dividend tax-cuts. Cuellar, who along with Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Tex.) forms a two-man bloc of moderate Hispanic congressmen, will face a tough primary challenge from his left this year from former left-wing Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D). Cuellar votes mostly pro-life and pro-gun, and has now supported a handful of economic measures preferred by Republicans. He came to office after narrowly defeating Rodriguez in a primary last March. It remains unclear how much ill-will Rodriguez left behind with his extended court battle to have the election results overturned. This race could also be affected by Democrats' efforts to have the Supreme Court undo the 2003 gerrymander in favor the court-drawn districts of the 2002 election. Rodriguez has a much better chance with the old district lines. Three-time loser Victor Morales (D) will also enter the race, which probably helps Cuellar, but not much. The tax vote could actually hurt Cuellar, although the ethnic voters in his district may prove more committed to the Democratic Party itself than to leftist ideology. Merry Christmas, Robert D. Novak