2010 US Presidential Election

[disputed]

cbsnews.com, Tuesday June 23rd

Blakemore Reacts Angrily To Abortion Questions

Governor Marcus Blakemore, the Republican candidate for President, reacted with anger last night when asked repeatedly by reporters about rumors that his wife had an abortion whilst at college in California.

When asked for the fifth time to comment on the rumors Blakemore snapped calling the reporter a “lowlife” and going on to say “This is absolutely none of your business. I’ve said on a number of occasions that my family is off limits and I have no intention of discussing these claims.”

Cliff Calley, Blakemore’s campaign manager later re-iterated these comments saying “These stories have absolutely no relevance to the Governor’s campaign, it’s dime store journalism and I have no time for it.”

[disputed]

foxnews.com, Wednesday June 24th

Pratt Attacks Blakemore Abortion Stance

Governor Edward Pratt of Tennessee last night attacked his Republican Presidential rival Marcus Blakemore over the former Michigan Governor’s refusal to reveal whether his wife had an abortion during her college years.

Pratt, who was speaking at a house meeting in Iowa, accused Blakemore of hiding the truth from the American people. “Whether Governor Blakemore likes it or not he is running for the highest office in the land, this is of interest to the American people who want to know who they are putting in the Oval Office. If Ms. Blakemore had an abortion I personally think that the circumstances of it are extremely relevant.”

He was later joined by former Alabama Governor Wesley Burke who was speaking on Fox News. Burke responding to a question on the abortion row said “Governor Blakemore runs proudly on his pro-abortion position, so we must be know how his personal history has effected his positions. I understand the Governor’s resistance to talk about his family and normally I would respect it, however, the First Lady of the United States can play a key role in the running of the country and is an inspiration to many women as such this is definitely in the public interest.”

The Blakemore campaign continued to refuse to make any further comment on the situation.

[disputed]

cnn.com, Wednesday June 24th

Haffley Iowa Remarks Attacked By Sullivan

Leading Republican Presidential candidate Ray Sullivan has said he has no intention of giving up on the Iowa Primary amid numerous polls showing Glen Walken with a massive lead.

Sullivan was commenting on remarks made by fellow Presidential hopeful Jeff Haffley who said he felt that the field would likely cede Iowa to Walken and focus on spending their money elsewhere. It is believed that due to fundraising issues Haffley will close his Iowa headquarters within the next few weeks.

West Virginia Governor Sullivan however was defiant. “Glen has a big polling lead in Iowa, he’s well known in the area and has a big organization in the state, however, there are six months until the caucus and I am certainly not giving up. If Congressman Haffley wants to that’s his call, but I value the voters in every state and will be working hard to get as many of them as I can.”

[disputed]

cbsnews.com, Thursday June 25th

Prior Appoints Former Governor To Senate Seat

Texas Governor Philip Prior has announced that his predecessor in the Governor’s mansion Barton Hopkins will fill the Senate seat vacated by the death of Senator Joseph Furman until a special election in November 2010.

Prior made the announcement at the State House in Austin and said Hopkins, who served two terms as Governor, was a wonderful public servant and had proven during his time as a Congressman and as Governor that he had the interests of the people of Texas at heart.

Hopkins, 63, said he was delighted to be returning to public life. “When I decided not to run for a third term it was because I felt I needed a break from the cut and thrust of politics, however, I feel that with the issues facing this country today it’s important that Texas is well represented in Washington. I’d like to thank Governor Prior for the opportunity and I look forward to once again serving the people of Texas.”

Many had expected Prior to announce Congressman Mark Cumberland to the Senate but it is believe that Cumberland wishes to remain in the House where he is tipped for a future leadership position.

The choice of former Governor Hopkins was attacked by Democratic state senator Michelle Malloy was accused Prior of appointing “The most right wing Governor this state has seen in decades. He (Governor Hopkins) was the most pro-big business, pro-death penalty, anti-choice Governor in living memory. I don’t see his appointment as a step forward.”

[disputed]

washingtontimes.com, Thursday June 25th

Is Burke The Savior Of The Right?

Mike Taylor in Washington

The Republican field for President seems to have settled into an interesting pattern, Glen Walken, Marcus Blakemore and Ray Sullivan are trading the leading both nationally and in various states, there is a second tier of candidates in Nicholas Alexander, Jeff Haffley and Matthew Skinner who seem to be struggling to gain traction whilst still being able to hold in there nationally.

Finally there are two candidates that are starting to look dead in the water. Governors Edward Pratt and Mike Reed are not polling well, though they do keep pointing out that the current President had similar numbers at this time in 2005.

The big questions that many have asked is why no major figure has emerged on the right of the party as Reverend Don Butler did in 2006. Butler has already ruled himself out and neither of the candidates with most appeal on the right, Pratt and Haffley, seem to be getting the support or fund raising they need.

So does this signal the death of the right of the GOP? Not in the slightest. Over recent weeks they have definitely found their voice, attacks on the more moderate candidates, particularly Marcus Blakemore have increased. However, most important of all they increasingly appear to be uniting behind a candidate, the as yet unannounced Governor Wes Burke of Alabama.

Burke has been mentioned as a candidate for a long time. He has a fully functioning PAC and has a wide range of donors who could fund any bid for the White House.

He continues to deny that he is running but you can tell a lot by the calendar of top politicians and he has spent as much time in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina as any of the other prospective candidates over the past few months.

The former Governor of Alabama would likely get the support of many of the key figures on the right of the party, Nash Rockford has all but endorsed him on a number of occasions and many believe he would be able to tap the same infrastructure that worked so well for Reverend Butler in the South four years ago. That coupled with his charm and charisma may well set Burke up as the hero the right has been looking for.

[Marky Bunny]

BBC.CO.UK/News Friday June 26th 2009
Good news for Prime-Minister Green, as Labour hold Birmingham-East
Prime-minister John Green will be a happy and very relieved man this morning, as the Labour Party managed to hold onto the Birmingham East seat in the by-election yesterday.
Labours William Turnbull, the son of the former MP Graham Turnbull who died in May, managed to hold onto the seat by just over 1,200 votes from the Liberal Democrat candidate Rachel Nicholson. The Conservatives came third but the surpise of the night was the large vote for the NPP who finished in fourth place.
Result:
Labour - William Turnbull 18,265
Liberal Democrats - Rachel Nicolson 17,048
Conservative - Janet Makepeace 9,873
National People's Party - Nigel Simonson 5,834
National Democrats - William Hale 2,987
Green Party - Michael Rosewater 2,012
Socialist Labour Party - Ben Stanley 723
West Midlands Indpendance Party- Patrick Colby 217

[disputed]

townhall.com, Friday June 26th

Mary Walken Woos New Hampshire Voters

Leading Republican Presidential candidate Glen Walken has unleashed his secret weapon on voters in New Hampshire, his wife Mary.

Mrs. Walken has hit the campaign trail this week for the first time since her husband announced he was overturning his earlier decision not to run. She met crowds in New Hampshire telling anyone who would listen why her husband of thirty-eight years should be President.

The 59 year old was joined by one of her three children Michael who is on leave from the Marine Corp. where he is currently serving in Kazhakstan. They chatted with supporters and the general public during a campaign stop at a café in Kingston.

After meeting with crowds they joined former acting President Walken at a rally in Portsmouth where the former Speaker described his wife as “his truest and strongest friend” adding “I couldn’t do this without her.”

[disputed]

foxnews.com, Friday June 26th

Blakemore Confirms Abortion

Marcus Blakemore, the former Governor of Michigan, and leading contender for the Republican nomination for President today confirmed what many had suspected for some time – his wife Laura had an abortion in college.

Blakemore, who called the press conference at very short notice, read a brief statement in which he confirmed that the abortion had taken place whilst Laura was a student at the University of Southern California. He also confirmed that the decision his wife made was personal but that there were no medical reasons behind the decision.

“I have made this statement at this time to prevent any further prying into Laura’s private life.”

He refused to take any questions after the statement.

[Marky Bunny]

MSNBC.COM Monday June 29th 2009
Laura Blakemore to appear on Diane Mathers this Wednesday
Laura Blakemore who has yet to make a personnal statement over her teenage abortion, is to appear on her own for a live one-to-one interview with Diane Mathers.
Mathers who interviewed Zoe Bartlet after her kidnapping in 2003, and John Hoynes when announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination in November 2005, is a popular show on MSNBC and is bound to be watched to be many of both parties.
Lewis Blakemore who made the announcement of her abortion last Friday, will appear for a seprate interview with Mathers after her interview.

[Marky Bunny]

UKpolictics.com Monday June 29th 2009
A Review of Birmingham-East
The narrow by-election in Birmingham East on Thursday by William Turnbull, looks to have killed off the attempted coup by Martina Gregory, she now looks un-likely to get the required 42 MPS needed to triger a leadership contest.
It is belived she has only 15-20 supporters now, and that the win has forced many sitting on the fence to back away and fall in behind the Prime-Minister.
The Liberal Democrats are in strange mode, after Thursday. To come within 1,200 votes of winning the seat was disapointing, it was described as one member of the Liberal front bench "So close, yet so far".
As for the Conservatives, it is was not a good night, Janet Makepeace failed to make any impression on the race, and as again opened up questions on the Leadership of James Taylor, which are not going to helped by the release of Maurren Gratys autiobiography in August, which is rumoured to be highly critical of the current Conservative Leader, by the women he replaced in December 2007.
The NPP where very happy after their better than expected almost 6,000 votes and a strong fourth place behind the Conservatives. It seems their combined mix of old style Labour Nationalisation policy to appeal to the left, but strong Law and Order, anti-European policy to appeal to the right seems to be working.

[Lord Roem]

From: The Guardian: Tuesday June 30th 2009

TORIES IN CHAOS AS SAMUELS RESIGNS

Westminster was in uproar yesterday when the Shadow Chancellor, Richard Samuels announced his intention to leave the Conservative front-bench following several public disagreements over the future direction of the Party. Supporters of Mr. Samuels point to yesterday's poor showing the Birmingham East by-election as the final straw for the former leader of the “Tory Reform Group” who is widely seen as being on the progressive wing of the Party. Although Mr. Samuels proclaimed that the resignation was motivated by "difficulties in managing a family, a Scottish constituency and my position as Shadow Chancellor" sources close to the Minister understand that the move was prompted more by a desire to unseat James Taylor as Party Leader.

Mr. Taylor has shrugged off the resignation as "a personal matter" however, given the timing of the move; allegations over a front bench coup remain very real for the embattled Leader of the Opposition. While Mr. Samuels, who at 62 is seen as too elderly to mount a campaign for the position of party leader, insiders believe that he may feel minded to back an MP who mounts a leadership challenge from the left of the party. Members of this camp are believed to include Shadow Education Secretary Hugh Galbraith and Shadow Culture Secretary Kenneth Urquhart.

While senior Tory backbenchers were quick to jump to Mr. Taylor’s defence, with the Father of the House Sir Jerome Compton dismissing Mr. Samuels’ move as “naked and disloyal opportunism” many Conservative MPs are believed to be wavering over their support for their leader.

At his weekly press conference yesterday, Prime Minister John Green announced “While Mr. Samuels’s move is an internal matter for the Tory Party, the voters of Great Britain must be asking the question of whether the Conservatives, mired as they are in infighting, really represent a viable alternative for the country”. The Prime Minister has already announced a program of policy moves aimed at restoring his position after a number of complaints regarding his own leadership.

[Peter_Winchester]

JOHN GREEN! The man's name is JOHN GREEN! ARRRRHHHHH!




Also, there's only so much political turmoil one nation can take you know......

[Lord Roem]

Originally Posted by Peter_Winchester

JOHN GREEN! The man's name is JOHN GREEN! ARRRRHHHHH!




Also, there's only so much political turmoil one nation can take you know......

Changed, sorry!



I know, but we've not seen enough Tories in turmoil recently have we? It's all been Labour, Labour, Labour!

[Marky Bunny]

FOX.News Tuesday June 30th 2009
Marsh: "Laura Blakemore is not fit to be First Lady"
Mary Marsh, the ACA Political Director, and Rev. Don Butler's Campaign Manager in 2006 has made an outspoken attack on Laura Blakemore, who announced through her Husband, that she had an abortion when she was 18, back in 1977.
Marsh told reporters outside the ACA headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama
"I think the fact that she had an abortion, in my opinion makes her unfit to be First Lady. With her husband who is pendling his pro-abortion, big spending, liberal policies, I cannnot understand how any Republican could vote for him".
Questioned if she or the ACA would be endorsing a candidate "No, not yet. I have the greatest respect for Glen (Walken), and to his service to our nation, although I do not agree with him on every issue by any means. I also like Ray Sullivan, Jeff Haffley, and Edward Pratt, all of whom I feel would make good Presidents".

[Marky Bunny]

FOXNews.Com Tuesday June 30th 2009
All GOP candidates agree to attend FOXNEWS debate on July 16th
All eight GOP candidates for President, have agreed to take part in the FOX.News /Townhall.conm Presidential debate to be held Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
There had been some moans from the Haffley campaign that it was being held in Lewis Blakemore's home state, who according to most opinion polls is in clear second place, but it was pointed out to them that the last debate was held in Florida, the home state of Former General Nicholas Alexander.

[Peter_Winchester]

Originally Posted by Lord Roem

Changed, sorry!



I know, but we've not seen enough Tories in turmoil recently have we? It's all been Labour, Labour, Labour!

Yes but we've had a by-election, and what looks like two leadership challenges all in a few weeks. It just doesn't happen.

[disputed]

foxnews.com, Tuesday June 30th

Pratt: Blakemore Unfit To Be President

Tennessee Governor Edward Pratt last night launched an amazing attack on his Republican Presidential rival Marcus Blakemore, calling the former Michigan Governor “unfit” to be President.

Pratt was speaking in an interview with Fox News and said that the revelation that his wife had an abortion in college was “final confirmation that Governor Blakemore is not fit to be our commander-in-chief.” He continued saying that “He cannot claim to be the voice of the Republican party with his liberal views and I believe he has surrendered any claim to moral leadership. How can he be President?”

The attacks on Blakemore have been mounting since his confirmation of his wife’s abortion.

[disputed]

townhall.com, June 30th

GOP Candidate Wives Hit The Campaign Trail

All of a sudden the wives of the Republican presidential candidates have been thrust into the spotlight and seem to have dramatically increased their visibility on the campaign trail.

Since rumors began to surface regarding Laura Blakemore we have seem Mary Walken baking in New Hampshire, Kate Sullivan attending numerous events with her husband and Jenny Haffley hitting the stump to talk up her husbands presidential qualifications.

We are yet to see much from Nicholas Alexander’s wife Ruth, though the speculation is that the Alexander camp will want to avoid digging up stories of General Alexander’s failed first marriage if they can. I also suspect we are unlikely to see many appearances by Congressman Skinner’s partner, Iain Thompson.

This has thrown up an entirely new area of discussion, which of the spouses and partners is fit to be first lady. Mrs. Walken is well known in political circles but has always maintain a low public profile, she works extensively with children’s charities and I suspect would not be a high profile first lady in the mold of Abby Bartlett or Helen Santos. Kate Sullivan is a different story, the 47 year old lawyer is believed to be reluctant to give up her own career to become first lady, she is a partner at Felix & Webster the Virginia based law firm. She has played on a limited role in her husband’s political career up to this point but does seem to be taking an increasingly high profile position.

Jenny Haffley has never been the most popular personality with the more liberal elements of the media and that seems unlikely to change should her husband make it to Pennsylvania Avenue. She’s fiercely pro-life and has campaigned against Roe vs. Wade for many years, she is also the President of Heavenly Future, a group that campaigns feverishly for school prayer and the teaching of creationism.

The others are a lesser known quantity. Until this week Laura Blakemore had an extremely low profile. When her husband was Governor of Michigan she was famous only for her lack of a public profile.

Ruth Alexander has found herself thrust into a national campaign but seems to have adopted well, little is known about her outside interests and most reporters investigations seem to have focused on the break up of Alexander’s first marriage over thirty years ago.

Finally, there has been only limited reporting on Ian Thompson, the partner of Congressman Matthew Skinner. The Skinner campaign have repeatedly said that Thompson has no involvement in the campaign and is too busy with his own job to get involved.

It would appear that the next few weeks will see these women (and man) thrust more into the spotlight in the aftermath of the Blakemore revelations.

[disputed]

cnn.com, Tuesday June 30th

Major Questions Over Haffley Fundraising Numbers

With Q2 fundraising numbers due to be published over the next couple of days there is increasing speculation about the status of the Haffley campaign.

Rumors that the campaign has a major shortfall in fundraising have been circulating for weeks, and the official numbers are expected on Thursday.

The campaign has scaled back some of their operations, the Iowa office is all but closed, and they seem to be focusing their attention heavily on Nevada and South Carolina.

It is expected that the campaign will need to make further savage cuts just to keep going, though if things don’t turnaround soon the Haffley campaign may not make it past the Ames Straw poll in August.

[Marky Bunny]

FOX.news.com Tuesday June 30th 2009
Blakemore hits out at Pratt's remarks
Marcus Blakemore has hit back at a press conferance this morning, in Tampa, Florida where he has been campaigning hard at the remarks made by Presidential rivial Edward Pratt that he was "not fit to President, because of his Wifes abortion in 1977".
"If anyone is un-fit to be President, then I think it is Edward. Let me get this straight, I am not fit to be President, because my wife who I did not know at the time, made a personal decision. I did not even meet Laura until 1982, five years after the abortion. How does this make me un-fit to be President. I think we should be looking at the Governors record in Tennessee, and his polices which would be a diaster for our nation".
With a Presidential debate just over two weeks away, that could be worth watching.