http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/ en Copyright 2008 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:42:00 -0400 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.36 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss The Fix spent much of the weekend -- yes, I know I am a political dork -- scouring hundreds of financial filings by incumbents and candidates for the House and Senate. Fundraising strength is the best early indicator of candidates' intention and potential. A Senate incumbent who collects next to no money is sure to find himself on retirement watch lists. A challenger candidate who over performs expectation will get more attention from both the national party and the media; one who disappoints financially is in danger of falling off the list of top-tier contests. Below you'll find a sampling of winners and losers from the second quarter reports. Remember, these ratings, like each of the candidates' second quarter filings, are a snapshot in time. A "loser" today could turn into a winner when third quarter reports are filed at the end of September. WINNERS Tom Allen: Allen, who is http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/07/second_quarter_winners_and_los.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/07/second_quarter_winners_and_los.html Odds and Ends Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:42:00 -0400 Lost amid the focus on presidential fundraising in the final week of the second quarter was the release of financial figures for the first five months of the year by the four congressional committees. The numbers are -- frankly -- stunning. Through May, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Committee had raised $48.6 million as compared to the $36 million collected by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee. And, even though the two Republican committees have been outraised by $12 million by their Democratic counterparts, they have actually outspent the DSCC and DCCC $31.3 million to $23.7 million. Those raising and spending figures leave a -- you guessed it! -- massive cash on hand gap between the two sides. The DSCC and DCCC have $25.5 million on hand while the NRSC and NRCC have just $6.1 million in the bank. Compare that http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/06/republicans_falling_behind_in.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/06/republicans_falling_behind_in.html Odds and Ends Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:10:15 -0400 French voters turned out in droves for Sunday's presidential election, but the high number of voters didn't affect the expected results: Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal advanced to a second round of voting. Sarkozy, who hails from the same center-right party as outgoing President Jacques Chirac, led the 12-way field with 30 percent. Royal, a relatively new face on the political scene, took 25 percent. Francois Bayrou, who had called for an end to the right-left ideological division in the country's politics, took 18 percent, while rightist candidate Jean Marie Le-Pen garnered 11 percent. Turnout was estimated as high as 80 percent. Sarkozy and Royal began the contest as the most likely to advance to the second round of voting on May 6, and despite several notable stumbles -- especially on Royal's part -- managed to fulfill their early promise. European newspapers are already painting the Sarkozy-Royal matchup as a http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/04/sarkozy_vs_royal.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/04/sarkozy_vs_royal.html Odds and Ends Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:56:24 -0400 The Fix spends most of his time focused like a laser on American politics, but occasionally the eye wanders across the ocean to presidential elections in other countries. The more worldly of Fix readers know that Sunday marks the first round of the French presidential race, which includes a crowded field with four prominent frontrunners: center-right choice Nicolas Sarkozy, Socialist Segolene Royal, who is seeking to become the first female president of France, centrist Francois Bayrou and far-right controversy-monger Jean-Marie Le Pen. Here are a few facts that make this race compelling and too hard to call: * Royal's life partner and father of her children, who also happens to be the head of Socialist Party, said recently that he was concerned Royal would not finish in the top two. * At one point in the race, Royal and Bayrou were rumored to be joining forces in an attempt to http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/04/french_presidential_election.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/04/french_presidential_election.html Odds and Ends Sat, 21 Apr 2007 22:52:40 -0400 With one month to go before the midterm elections, we've made some changes to the Post's Bellwether Project -- our attempt to define the issues and factors that will decide the election. We've added a few late movers, dropping some non starters and even swapping come contests that seem to better fit a category other than the one in which they were originally placed. The category that underwent the largest overhaul was "The Abramoff Effect", which we've now changed to the broader "Scandal Alert." Ties to Abramoff led -- directly or indirectly -- to the resignations of former Reps. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and the grave electoral danger inn which Montana Sen. Conrad Burns (R) currently finds himself. But, the ongoing scandal surrounding former Florida Rep. Mark Foley (R) is also having a major impact in certain races where members have some kind of tie to Foley http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/10/bellwether_project_1.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/10/bellwether_project_1.html Odds and Ends Thu, 12 Oct 2006 09:35:39 -0400 The past two years have not been the best for the labor movement. In 2004, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (D), who carried the strong backing of the AFL-CIO, came up short in his challenge to President George W. Bush. Then came reports in April 2005 that the AFL-CIO was strapped for cash and was likely to make substantial layoffs in its staff. The final blow came four months later when several large unions (most notably the Service Employees International Union) broke away from AFL-CIO and formed the Change To Win coalition. Once the mightiest of Democratic interest groups, the AFL-CIO's role in politics appeared to be on the wane. Karen Ackerman, political director at the AFL-CIO, sees the coming 2006 election as a chance to prove that despite its struggles, labor still possesses the broadest and most dependable get out the vote apparatus in the Democratic universe and remains a http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/08/aflcio.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/08/aflcio.html Odds and Ends Tue, 22 Aug 2006 10:49:38 -0400 Who was J. Millard Tawes? A Democrat, Tawes served as governor of Maryland from 1959 to 1967. He was born in Crisfield in 1894 and died there in 1979. At the time of his death, The Post's David Maraniss wrote: "Tawes' political career was marked by an extraordinary ability to situate himself in the middle of contending geographic, economic and political interests." Tawes's longest -- and surely most enjoyable -- legacy in Maryland politics is the yearly political gathering held in his honor in his hometown. The 30th annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake happens today in Crisfield from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET; Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R), former Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D), and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley will be among the many pols in attendance. Regular readers know The Fix has a weak spot for political gatherings that feature fish and beer. Expect a full http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/07/j_millard_tawes.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/07/j_millard_tawes.html Governors Wed, 19 Jul 2006 07:25:50 -0400 http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2005/12/a_few_political_nuggets_for_th.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2005/12/a_few_political_nuggets_for_th.html Odds and Ends Fri, 02 Dec 2005 17:22:00 -0400 http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2005/11/cheney_on_the_hunt.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2005/11/cheney_on_the_hunt.html Odds and Ends Tue, 08 Nov 2005 16:38:00 -0400