Seaborn Senatorial Campaign Wins Internet Acclaim
Friday, March 12, 2010
Sam Seaborn, the Democratic nominee for Senator of California, was the big winner at Wednesday's online Internet Awards. Seaborn himself made an appearance, streaming live from his campaign headquarters in Laguna Beach. The Internet Awards require that all speeches be shortened to just three-words, which must have proved a challenge to a legendary speechwriter such as Seaborn. His three-word response was: "Let's get 'em!"
Seaborn's campaign website, http://www.seaborn4california.org, was registered six years ago, not long after his failed run for the House seat in California's 47th District, by a notorious cybersquatting company. Seaborn was able to repurchase the website in December, and with the help of Bram Howard, the former Personal Aide to President Matt Santos and one of Seaborn's top advisers, turned the site into the top-awarded political site of all time.
seaborn4california.org features interactive features, such as video hosting, a "get out the vote" campaign (which was seen as instrumental in securing a strong victory for Seaborn on Super Tuesday), and highly praised social networking feature and message board system (built within the site) that is seen as revolutionary within the strata of modern websites.
The site's versatility, as well as it's focus on Seaborn's campaign, is to be well-observed by other politicos. Rumors are that President Santos himself might update their web presence to match Seaborn's, although Seaborn can only hope his opponent, Republican nominee Richard Lassiter, doesn't follow suit.
First Female White House Chief of Staff Talks Children, Homeschooling, and Marital Difficulties
Friday, March 12, 2010
Many of you may remember C.J. Cregg from her days as White House Press Secretary, as detailed in the award-winning PBS documentary series, Access. You might also remember when she broke ground, taking over as White House Chief of Staff after the late Leo McGarry suffered a heart attack in 2005. If you're an Ohioan, you may even remember her from her recent Democratic campaign for Senator, which she famously cancelled. We were able to score a recent interview with Ms. Cregg at her home in Dayton, to talk about her personal life.
Redbook (RB): Ms. Cregg, thank you for agreeing to this short interview.
C.J. Cregg (CJ): It is not an issue, please be as thorough as you need to be.
RB: You raise two young children, have a second novel coming out, and a part-time job managing the Franklin Hollis Foundation. How do you find time to do all this and be so involved in the political process?
CJ: Well, my children are my number one priority. I am glad they have such a loving father, my husband Danny, or else I would have absolutely no time to myself. I'm currently on leave of the Franklin Hollis Foundation, and my only "job" at the moment is national chair of the Santos re-election campaign. Since there was no Democratic competition to Santos, my position is mostly organizing for the general election. It's a little time-consuming since Nate [Singer, White House Chief of Staff] and Mitch [Bryce, Santos campaign director] have just launched the general, but I'm not 'down in the trenches' like all my other campaigns. It's more demanding-of-experience, than demanding-of-time.
RB: You mention your husband Danny. It's been reported that you are currently undergoing a trial seperation. Are you undertaking divorce proceedings?
CJ: I certainly hope not. Danny and I had our problems, and they came to a head when I was running for Senate. He issued an ultimatum, and I feel it spun out of control. With the Senate campaign over, I have more time to spend at home, with my children and Danny, despite the 'legal separation,' and we're actually planning on homeschooling our two babies.
RB: With regards to your Senate nomination, what do you think Congressman Justin Willis' chances are against Senator Ford?
CJ: I think Willis is a great politician and Ohioan. Both of his parents are legendary Congressmen, and he will serve my state well in the Senate.
Ziegler's "Life In The White House" continues to top best-seller list
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Ziegler's novel "Life in the White House" continues to top the New York Times Best Seller List, for the second week in a row. The timing and content of the novel has helped maintain it's popularity, as it was released the same day Glen Allen Walken clinched the Republican nomination. His words have been taken seriously by Republican and Democratic critics alike, and he has been ambling on the talk show circuit, with appearances on Meet the Press, The Daily Show, and Taylor Reid.
Ziegler, a prominent Bartlet staffer remembered mostly for his involvement and sentencing in the Space Shuttle leak, is not the first Bartlet staffer to write a novel. Novels have also been written by Commander Kate Harper (who served as Deputy National Security Adviser during Bartlet's second term) and C.J. Cregg (Bartlet's first press secretary and second Chief of Staff). Ziegler's novel, however, is the first to cover the entirety of the Bartlet presidency, as well as the election leading up to, and go into details on the state of politics and the Democratic Party today.
Ziegler, as well as many in the liberal left, see Santos as not fulfilling the expectations given him when he was elected with a Democratic caucus. Many see him as failing to live up to the liberal Democratic legacies of Newman and Bartlet, and some could say we need another conservative presidency to energize the left again.
The Centre Opens New Leo McGarry Wing
Sunday, March 14, 2010
"The Centre," the once-clandestine organization and private museum run chiefly by former Vice Presidents Bob Russell and John Hoynes, opens it's new wing in honor of Leo McGarry and other "Vice Presidents who died while serving the country" on Monday. The Monday opening is also the 243rd birthday of President Andrew Jackson, a hero to McGarry and considered the first Democratic President. Jackson has a role in the history of the Vice Presidency, in that he was the first President to treat his Vice President (Martin Van Buren) as a successor and help elevate Van Buren to the Presidency.
McGarry, who passed away on Election Day 2006, never served as Vice President, but was only Vice President-elect for a few hours. Even though this is disputed, he was certified posthumously and entered unto the ballots of the Electoral College (this has been considered unconstitutional, but the point is moot as Ray Sullivan also graciously declined to serve as VP and Congress certified no Vice President after the 2006 election). Other Vice Presidents honored in McGarry's wing (removed from the main wing and given grander displays) include:
- George Clinton, who served both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and passed away on April 20, 1812
- Elbridge Gerry, Madison's second Vice President who passed away on November 23, 1814
- William Rufus devane King, famed President Franklin Pierce's Vice President who passed away after a month in office on April 18, 1853
- Henry Wilson, the second Vice President to Ulysses Grant who passed on November 22, 1875
- Thomas A. Hendricks, Grover Cleveland's first Vice President who passed away on November 25, 1885, within a few months of entering office
- Garret A. Hobart, William McKinley's first Vice President who passed away on November 21, 1899
- James S. Sherman, William H. Taft's Vice President who also passed away on October 30, 1912, while running for re-election
The wing's opening is scheduled to be attended by Centre chairs Hoynes and Russells, as well as honorary chairs former Vice President Lewis Eisenhower. Although all former Vice Presidents are honorary chairs, the others are often known to be to ill to attend public functions and aren't expected. At press time, former Vice Presidents Roland Pierce and Eric Baker have specifically cited health issues as reasons for not attending. As always, Leo McGarry will be represented at the event by his daughter, educator Mallory O'Brien.
DNC Chairman Holds Strategy Session
Friday, March 12, 2010
In the midst of the turmoil following Sullivan's concession, the DNC has held several strategy sessions, only loosely affiliated with the Santos presidential campaign run by Nate Singer and Mitch Bryce. Former Santos staffer Louise Thornton and First Lady Chief of Staff Donna Moss were amongst the top party officials seen arriving at the top-secret March 10th meeting.
Whether Walken wins the election or not, his nomination points to a growing conservative movement that could spell disaster for the Democratic party in the upcoming congressional and senatorial elections. Although the partys have maintained a close balance these last two years, with only a few seats picked up by the Republicans, the sporadic poll numbers given to Santos and Congressional Democrats suggests such a possibility, and only a few grassroots movements, such as Sam Seaborn's Senatorial campaign, might be able to overcome it.