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***************************************** Still Smilin' I ran into Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steel at a Young Republican meeting last night and, as usual, the man is happy, upbeat, realistic and determined to help Gov. Bob Ehrlich change the way they do things here in the Not-Always-So-Free State. He noted that the Democrats and the liberal Baltimore Sun still can't quite get used to the notion that a black Republican is sitting behind the desk of the second highest state office in the capital. Asked why he always seems to be smiling, Steel said that as long as he's in office, that meant the Democrats weren't. At that's reason enough. Good point. In fact, yep, I just cracked a smile myself. ***************************************** Blame Game There is a decided lack of comity among members of the world's most exclusive club, the United States Senate. A growing nastiness is replacing what in days gone by was pretty much a mutual admiration society. The scorn level is sky-high today for many reasons, not the least of which is the unprecedented filibuster of two presidential judicial nominees by the Democrats and the minority party's abuse of "holds" designed to bottle up legislation. And, of course, the Democrats' over-the-top rhetoric during the war - Daschle's "saddened" speech and Kerry's "regime change" call - sure haven't helped maintain the collegiality of the past. But interviewed by the Washington Times, West Virginia Democrat Sen. John D. Rockefeller points to a different source for all this trouble: Newt Gingrich and the GOP take-over of Congress in the 90s. Of course. Why didn't we see that earlier? EVERYTHING is Newt's fault. What were we thinking? ***************************************** It's All About Me, Me, Me, Me, Me "President Clinton wouldn't view himself being critical of anybody because he's always thinking about himself. It's all about Bill. . . . Bill Clinton is the most self-absorbed person living in America." - Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), Sean Hannity Show, 6/1/03 ***************************************** Will Jayson Blair Be His Running Mate? "Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. said yesterday he may yet join the Democratic field of presidential contenders, asserting a decision this fall won't be too late for him to win the party's nomination. . . . Mr. Biden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has kept a high profile by criticizing Bush administration foreign policy. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 1988." - Greg Pierce's Inside Politics, 6/2/03 ***************************************** The McGovern Syndrome "...the left is better at turning out martyrs than presidents. For the last 35 years, the left has rallied behind a series of liberal insurgents - and not once have they celebrated on Inauguration Day." - New York Times Magazine columnist Matt Bai ***************************************** The High Cost of Homeland Insecurity Every time the feds bump up the nation's terror security alert to "orange" it creates a mountain of problems and costs for the individual states. The costs are so high that Arizona this week said it might take a pass on the alert the next time unless the feds can show a specific threat to the state. Officials also said the frequency of the alerts without a terror attack is diluting the public's sense of urgency when the alerts are issued. ***************************************** FCC Hysterics The FCC eased some restrictions on media ownership yesterday by a 3-2 vote. This is an issue where conservatives of good conscience can disagree; however, it is comical to listen to some of the hysterics that came out of the left over the ruling. I was listening to CSPAN radio immediately after the decision and heard one woman who called in on the "Democrat" line warn that the decision meant women in this country should prepare themselves to be forced into wearing burkas. And liberal goofball Dick Gregory was barely coherent in his race-b ased rambling diatribe at a protest organized by some group called Blacks for Peace or something. Conservatism continues to be the public policy home for thinking people while liberalism is the refuge for folks who are to deep thinking what Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are to racial healing. P.S. For those who wonder if citizen contact to decision-makers really does any good, I heard one of the FCC commissioners note prominently in his remarks yesterday about how many people had emailed the commission on this matter. Now, while you may not get the decision you hope for, or an individual response to your calls, letters and emails - public lobbying by citizens can and DOES have an impact. A number of decision-makers use citizen contacts as a way to buttress their cases in the public discussion. Don't let anyone persuade you otherwise. Keep the heat on. ***************************************** Postcards from the Fringe "I believe you've got to send a message. . . . One death to a thousand deaths and making money off of babies being aborted and gays thinking they have rights - in the Bible, they don't have any rights. They're the wrongs, and we're trying to make it right. I believe Eric Rudolph makes a statement." - North Carolina resident Jeremy Blake Ford on the arrest of Eric Rudolph, suspected of bombing the 1996 Olympics, two abortion clinics and a gay nightclub, Associated Press, 6/2/03 ***************************************** Marital Bliss "I've never met a couple yet who, when they were walking down the aisle, said, 'What we want is three years of happiness, two years of [torment], a messy divorce and 15 years of fighting over custody of the kids.' " - Wade F. Horn, assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services ***************************************** Party Poopers and Pooh-bahs In the course of campaign training seminars I've conducted over the years, I 've advised candidates to reach out and communicate with party leaders about their campaigns because even though they usually can't help you at the level you think they should, they sure have the ability to hurt you more than you can ever imagine. Herman Cain is learning that lesson the hard way in Georgia. Cain is a successful businessman, former head honcho of the Godfather's pizza chain, a self-described Reagan conservative and a black Republican. You'd think a party whose current occupant in the White House didn't even break double digits in the black vote in 2000 would roll out the welcome mat to someone like Mr. Cain who has formed an exploratory committee for a U.S. Senate run next year. And you'd be wrong. "When he announced today, nobody in the loop knew he was going to do it," one "well-placed" Georgia Republican told Washington Times reporter Ralph Hallow. "He didn't contact the party," the source lamented. The party official added that had Cain "started to talk to us early about running for statewide office in 2006 and given us an opportunity to know him, there would have been an opportunity for him to run and run legitimately." There you have. Much like rebuilding Iraq without the United Nations, if you decide to run for office without at least contacting the party officials you run the risk of having your campaign be labeled not "legitimate" in the press by the powers-that-be. Right or wrong, it's a reality that party leaders expect candidates to at least kiss their ring (if not something else) when they run for office in "their" jurisdiction. There are sometimes strategic reasons not to do it, but it IS a campaign decision that should be given serious consideration by EVERY candidate. P.S. I'll be at a Leadership Institute training seminar on Advanced Direct Mail for the next two days, so there's a good chance I won't be able to get a News & Views out tomorrow. Hasta la vista. Hold down the fort 'til I return. *************************************** Campaign Training for the Layman Meet former Reagan Press Secretary Lyn Nofziger and National Review Magazine columnist Joel Mowbray -- and learn how to run a top-notch grassroots campaign. Oh yeah, and that Chuck Muth guy will be there, too. Attend the Leadership Institute's Grassroots Activist School in Arlington, VA, June 7-8 -- and learn to win! For additional information, call Tygh Bailes at 800-827-5323 or go to: www.grassrootstraining.org ****************************************** Affordable Campaign Websites! Now you can get professional-looking campaign web sites for as little as $10 a month. That's right...just ten smackeroos a month. Here's what's included in this fantastic new program from Campaign Secrets, Inc. (available ONLY to Republican candidates): * Free Hosting * Unique Domain Name * Personal Email Accounts * Credit Card Processing * Unlimited Edits * Event Calendar * Volunteer Sign-up Page * Built-in Bulk Emailer Campaign Site Builder can be used for political organizations and non-profits, as well. For more information, just go to: http://www.campaignsecrets.com/websites.asp ************************************ 4.75 cents-per-minute Long Distance * All state-to-state calls in the continental U.S. * Residential or commercial * 6-second billing increments * 24 hours/day * 7 days/week * No access codes * No minimums * No activation fees * Calling Card Rate is 10 cents per minute * No monthly service charge unless your bill is less than $20.00 a month (then a $1.99 service charge will apply) * No need to change your local phone company * No hassles * Easy sign-up. * And a small portion of each bill goes to help continue publishing our FREE Chuck Muth's News & Views e-newsletter. Just go to: <http://www.GOPLongDistance.com> today. *********************************** How to Subscribe If you know someone who might like to receive News & Views, you can sign 'em up at: http://www.chuckmuth.com. Also, occasionally, the automatic listserve we use will "bump" subscribers off the list if your mailbox is full or experiences some other technical glitch. If you suddenly stop receiving News & Views, the first thing you should do is try to re-subscribe using the link above. Published by Citizen Outreach Chuck Muth Editor/Publisher 611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, #439 Washington, DC 20003-4303 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Citizen Outreach is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public policy organization and does not endorse candidates or lobby for specific legislation. The opinions and views expressed in Chuck Muth's News & Views reflect those of the writers, editors and columnists therein and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Citizen Outreach, its officers, directors or employees. 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