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Thursday Must-Reads: Odds & Ends
April 9, 2009, 9:52 AM | Boyce Upholt
Breaking news: Use for Twitter finally discovered!
The First 2012 Ad?
April 9, 2009, 4:53 PM | Boyce Upholt
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who earned presidential candidacy buzz a month back when he loudly refused stimulus money for the state, has now hit national airwaves to explain that choice.
Gingrich Rides to the Rescue
April 9, 2009, 12:35 PM | Brad Bannon
Newt Gingrich. God bless his pointed little head. Every time things start to get a little sticky for Democrats, Newt rides to their rescue.
Wednesday Must-Reads: Election Trickle
April 8, 2009, 10:06 AM | Boyce Upholt
A few votes at a time, we're getting closer to having a complete Congress.
The Expendable Child
April 7, 2009, 9:20 AM | Phillip Stutts
Eight years ago, I had a life-changing moment. So great was this moment that it became the foundation of my personal and professional life. I rarely discuss it with others and I am very hesitant to write about it publicly. But I feel that my story may help shed a different light on a terrible situation occurring in Washington, D.C. right now.
Tuesday Must-Reads: To the States
April 7, 2009, 10:04 AM | Boyce Upholt
As the details of the NY-20 race continue to flux, gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey begin to get gritty.
Monday Must-Reads: The Budget Politics
April 6, 2009, 10:17 AM | Boyce Upholt
Organizing For America, the DNC-led effort to convert Obama's campaign grassroots to governing, had little impact in passing the budget.
SCOTUS Tackles Voting Rights
April 30, 2009, 9:38 AM | Shane D'Aprile
Texas-based Republican consultant Allen Blakemore is closely watching the SCOTUS debate over a section of the Voting Rights Act. He thinks dumping Section 5 of the Act is long overdue and he’s rooting for the high court’s conservative voices to prevail on this one.
The RNC Squabble Continues
April 30, 2009, 12:39 PM | Boyce Upholt
After some Republican National Committee insiders tried to wrest away his financial control, Chair Michael Steele is returning fire. The Washington Times has the text of an email he sent, and it's not pretty.
The Ideas Behind GOP Rebranding
April 30, 2009, 12:31 PM | Boyce Upholt
This morning I mentioned the National Council for a New America, a forum hoping to rebrand the GOP. Now, courtesy of Marc Ambinder, here's their "founding letter."
Thursday Must-Reads: Still Specter
April 30, 2009, 10:11 AM | Boyce Upholt
The fallout over Specter's decision continues, but we'll keep you up on the campaign news that was buried, too.
Bad Paintings of Barack Obama
April 3, 2009, 5:17 PM | Boyce Upholt
The title says it all.
Same-Sex Marriage and the Iowa Caucus
April 3, 2009, 4:56 PM | Boyce Upholt
Thanks to legislative timing—a constitutional amendment must be passed by two consecutive sessions—a ban on gay marriage in Iowa may well be a hot issue right in the midst of the next presidential caucus. So the issue could be central to how Republican candidates do in the all-important early state.
Specter's Gamble
April 3, 2009, 3:50 PM | Politics magazine
Sen. Arlen Specter is seeking a sixth term next year, and is enjoying a soaring 71 percent job approval rating from members of one Pennsylvania party. Problem is, it’s the Democrats. Read more in a dispatch from Pennsylvania by Scott Detrow.
Primary Updates
April 3, 2009, 2:00 PM | Boyce Upholt
Two potential candidates, a Democrat in Connecticut and a Republican in Florida, are exploring challenging more famous foes in 2010 primaries.
Taking the Plunge
April 3, 2009, 12:47 PM | Politics magazine
In this month's magazine, Jeffrey Bukowsi has a look at the new breed of "consultant candidates." As more and more consultants venture out to run for office themselves, they're finding—win or lose—that their business is better for it. Read the article online now.
A White House of Pollsters
April 3, 2009, 10:54 AM | Boyce Upholt
Though President Obama has said he'd lead by principles and not polls, like most politicians he's finding their data helpful.
Friday Must-Reads: Overtime
April 3, 2009, 10:08 AM | Boyce Upholt
Another day passes and the race in NY-20 has become even less clear, with different reports suggesting both candidates lead.
Resurgent Republic(ans)
April 29, 2009, 4:28 PM | Boyce Upholt
A new conservative policy group, formed to fight back against liberal counterparts, doesn't dispute President Obama's high approval ratings. But in their first national poll, they think they've discovered a key to a Republican resurgence: right-leaning independents.
Shop Talk: Picking Fights
April 29, 2009, 3:57 PM | Politics magazine
Over a couple bottles of wine, four top fundraisers duked it out over donor limits, Twitter and John Murtha. Who knew fundraisers would get this rowdy?
The Truth About Specter
April 29, 2009, 1:36 PM | Jordan Lieberman
Everything they say about Sen. Arlen Specter is true. I know this because Arlen Specter's 1998 reelection campaign was my first full time job.
Specter's Switch: Trading Toomey for Sestak
April 29, 2009, 12:06 PM | Jim Ellis
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter may now be a Democrat, but that doesn’t guarantee him reelection. Since his party-switching ploy was so obviously done to save his political skin, rank-and-file Democrats may not take kindly to the move.
Specter's Switch: The Price of Obamanoia
April 29, 2009, 12:06 PM | Bennet Kelley
Arlen Specter's defection from the Republican Party is the canary in the coal mine, warning Republicans that they are on a path to electoral disaster. After two consecutive electoral thumpings, caused in part by too-conservative platforms, the GOP had to choose: adopt the big-tent philosophy Specter spoke of and broaden their reach—or continue to cater to their shrinking base.
Wednesday Must-Reads II: 100 Days
April 29, 2009, 10:42 AM | Boyce Upholt
All the Arlen Specter hubbub buried what many news outlets planned to be a big day of coverage: President Obama's hundredth day in office.
Wednesday Must-Reads I: Per-Specter-ives
April 29, 2009, 10:26 AM | Boyce Upholt
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's surprise party switch stole all the headlines. So here's the all-Alren edition of the Must-Reads: the build-up, the implications, the fall-out and more.
Specter Dumped by Pollsters
April 28, 2009, 2:28 PM | Boyce Upholt
Public Opinion Strategies, which has worked with Sen. Arlen Specter in his last three elections, has announced they will resign from his campaign team.
High Road: The Party Switch
April 28, 2009, 1:27 PM | Politics magazine
In May's "The High Road," we consider what a staffer might do if his or her employer suddenly switched parties—a timely question given Sen. Arlen Specter's announcement today that he's joining the Democrats. How would you handle the switch? Weigh in here.
Smerconish on Specter: 'Sad day for GOP'
April 28, 2009, 12:59 PM | Boyce Upholt
Philly's talk-show host and a friend of Specter bemoans the party's loss.
Former Campaign Manager Rips Specter's Party Switch
April 28, 2009, 12:54 PM | Shane D'Aprile
 GOP consultant Kent Gates, who managed Sen. Arlen Specter's 1998 reelection campaign, tells Campaign Insider he is "extremely disappointed" by Specter's decision to switch his party affiliation. 
Tuesday Must-Reads: Swine Flu Hysterics
April 28, 2009, 10:06 AM | Boyce Upholt
With swine-flu hysterics more epidemic than swine flu itself, both parties are trying to lay the blame across the aisle.
The Twitter Crusade
April 27, 2009, 12:21 PM | Boyce Upholt
Sometimes Twitter, with its speed and brevity and din of voices, makes old-media types uncomfortable. The New York times is lambasting political Tweets. But do they have a point?
Monday Must-Reads: Quiet Campaigns
April 27, 2009, 10:45 AM | Boyce Upholt
Two days out from the main event, the 100-day recaps keep pouring in—but with torture and swine flu dominating the headlines, the actual campaign news is fairly quiet.
Murphy Wins
April 24, 2009, 6:00 PM | Boyce Upholt
The special election in NY-20 is finally ove after Republican state Assembleyman called Scott Murphy to concede.
Friday Must-Reads: Finally Over?
April 24, 2009, 10:14 AM | Boyce Upholt
Watch for NY-20 news this afternoon, as sources say Jim Tedisco is likely to concede the special House election.
Take Back the Suburbs
April 23, 2009, 4:54 PM | Politics magazine
Michael Smerconish, Philadelphia's conservative talk-radio star, made waves last fall when he announced who he would be voting for: Barack Obama. But he doesn't just support Obama—he's also calling out the Republican Party.
Politics Online Conference... Online!
April 23, 2009, 12:46 PM | Politics magazine
Did you miss Monday's Politics Online conference, co-hosteted with the George Washington University? Don't worry, you can still watch it online.
527 or PAC?
April 23, 2009, 12:30 PM | Boyce Upholt
A letter posted by the FEC suggests that regulation of 527s might be a little bit looser in coming cycles.
The Power of Left-Wing Blogs
April 23, 2009, 11:07 AM | Nathan Tabor
Say what you will about left-wing bloggers and lefty Internet web sites, they are a power to be reckoned with. And Democrat politicians with dreams of winning elections, changing American society and increasing their power know it.
Thursday Must-Reads: 100 Days, Coming Up
April 23, 2009, 10:41 AM | Boyce Upholt
As Obama’s hundred-day benchmark approaches, his governing style is looking a little different than his campaign.
Wednesday Must-Reads: Earth Day Battles
April 22, 2009, 7:02 PM | Boyce Upholt
Today is Earth Day, and unsurprisingly the battle over climate change was a hot topic today.
Tuesday Must-Reads: Back at It
April 21, 2009, 10:00 AM | Boyce Upholt
Congress returned from a two-week spring break yesterday, and they're back to clashing over money.
Monday Must-Reads: Untying a Tie
April 20, 2009, 9:45 AM | Boyce Upholt
As ballot-counters continue to sort out the NY-20 race (and the Minnesota senate race wears on), writers look back to other close elections.
Whither the Republican Party?
April 20, 2009, 3:46 PM | Politics magazine
Republicans have a choice, and their survival as a party may be at stake. In this month's column, John Zogby looks considers the future direction of the Republican Party.
Tea Parties Taste Fine to America
April 20, 2009, 3:40 PM | Boyce Upholt
A slight majority of Americans say they have a favorable or very favorable opinion of last week's tea party protests, though the "political class" is much less suportative.
The Rise of Fascism
April 20, 2009, 12:41 PM | Boyce Upholt
With socialism scaring the American people a bit less than it used to, Republicans are now labeling Obama—or at least his policies—as fascist. But it's a political strategy that requires care.
The Dog Ate My Homework
April 20, 2009, 11:12 AM | Dr. Steven Billet
I recently won a small wager with a lawyer friend. The proposition was fairly simply: I bet that at least 200 PACs would fail to meet the deadline to amend their registrations with the Federal Election Commission.
Thursday Must-Reads: Why They Tied
April 2, 2009, 9:50 AM | Boyce Upholt
Though the GOP has released its budget, this time with numbers, the campaign writers stay centered on New York, where Democrat Scott Murphy's lead slipped to 13 after ballots were recounted.
Preview the April Issue
April 2, 2009, 3:06 PM | Boyce Upholt
The April issue of Politics will be on news stands and in mailboxes soon. Have a look at what's coming here.
Specter Starts Campaigning
April 2, 2009, 1:34 PM | Boyce Upholt
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is on Pennsylvania cable already as he prepares for a fierce 2010 primary fight.
Friday Must-Reads: Weighing the Arguments
April 17, 2009, 9:42 AM | Boyce Upholt
Ideological foes offer arguments about the importance of the tea parties—and whether or not Texas should secede from the Union.
Tedisco: I Win
April 17, 2009, 11:52 AM | Boyce Upholt
Though Democrat Scott Murphy leads the race, Republican Jim Tedisco asked the New York Supreme Court last night to be declared the victor in NY-20.
Pirates or Terrorists?
April 17, 2009, 11:14 AM | Nathan Tabor
Obama's victory over the pirates was more semantic than tactical, as he managed to distance the pirates from the word that really describes them: terrorists.
More Money
April 16, 2009, 4:29 PM | Boyce Upholt
As the FEC reports trickle in, pundits are weighing in on who won and who lost in the first cycle.
Playbook: Building a Fundaising Database
April 16, 2009, 12:24 PM | Politics magazine
One of the most important tasks in the beginning of a campaign is gathering potential donor lists and building a donor database for fundraising and communications. Learn how to do it right in our Playbook from the April issue.
Thursday Must-Reads: Money on the Mind
April 16, 2009, 10:02 AM | Boyce Upholt
With April 15—the filing date for both taxes and first-quarter FEC reports—now over, the money stories start flooding in.
Wedesday Must-Reads: Tax Day
April 15, 2009, 9:43 AM | Boyce Upholt
Tax Day has arrived (as have the 'Tea Parties')—which means it's also the day quarterly FEC reports must be filed.
Coleman Losing Support
April 15, 2009, 4:23 PM | Boyce Upholt
Former Sen. Norm Coleman—who is still hoping he can drop that adjective and come back to Washington—has been taking a beating in the courts. The latest bad news, though, comes from the people.
Fighting the Boys' Club
April 15, 2009, 10:12 AM | Kathy Groob
Founded in 2003 in response to the loss of Democratic seats in the state legislature due to redistricting, Annie’s List has one core mission: to increase the number of progressive Democratic women in the Texas Legislature.
Tuesday Must-Reads: State of the Dems
April 14, 2009, 9:58 AM | Boyce Upholt
After a few months of questioning the future of the Republican party, pundits now turn their eyes to Democrats.
Ask the Campaign Doc
April 14, 2009, 10:51 AM | Politics magazine
The value of entry-level clerical work, the ethics of donors playing both sides and the consequences of late campaign reports. Craig Varago supplies all the tips you need in this month's edition of Ask the Campaign Doc.
Operation New Media
April 13, 2009, 1:58 PM | Politics magazine
Kobi Haddad didn't do much to hide the fact that his candidate’s website was modeled almost entirely on that of President Barack Obama. From the bright blue backdrop, to the prominence of the social networking tools, to the font—Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign website was practically an exact replica.
King RINO: Arlen Specter
April 13, 2009, 10:35 AM | Nathan Tabor
Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is wasting no time attacking Pat Toomey, his opponent for the GOP senatorial nomination—and Internet journalists and bloggers are all over the story.
Monday Must-Reads: Poll-erized
April 13, 2009, 10:06 AM | Boyce Upholt
While the rest of the news media obsesses over pirates, here at CI we keep it real by examining the implications of Obama's polarized approval ratings.
Wednesday Must-Reads: It's Not Over
April 1, 2009, 9:58 AM | Boyce Upholt
Yesterday's vote in NY-20 provides us with another thriller that's bound to stretch well past Election Day.
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