Archives: August 2008

Fighting the Good Fight

Posted by: Theo Francis on August 31, Categories:

With Hurricane Gustav drawing attention that might otherwise have gone to the Republican National Convention, both candidates are have quickly shifted their organizations from campaign mode to a very...

Convention Pared Back for Gustav

Posted by: Theo Francis on August 31, Categories:

With Gustav a Category 3 hurricane and likely to hit Texas and Louisiana on Monday -- perhaps after intensifying overnight -- GOP convention officials have announced a "serious revisions"...

Business as Unusual

Posted by: Theo Francis on August 31, Categories:

Hosting a convention can be a big boost to a city -- one estimate says the Dems may have brought Denver $200 million in economic activity. But it can...

Less Grand Old Party?

Posted by: Theo Francis on August 30, Categories:

The GOP's reputation as the party of business may be dented next week, at least on one front: the party scene. The Sunlight Foundation's list of parties and receptions...

Palin's Financial Backers: Not the Usual Crowd

Posted by: Dan Beucke on August 29, Categories:

By Keith Epstein Not only is Sarah Palin an unconventional choice for the Grand Old Party – relatively inexperienced and until now virtually unknown outside Alaska – she also has...

With Romney Out of the Picture, McCain Must Hone Michigan Message

Posted by: David Kiley on August 29, Categories:

DETROIT, MI--Now that John McCain has passed up former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney and a favorite son of Michigan where he was born and his father was a popular...

McCain's VP Choice: 'Sarah Barracuda'

Posted by: Dan Beucke on August 29, Categories:

By Keith Epstein To Alaskans – both allies and adversaries – Sarah Palin, 44, is known as “Sarah Barracuda,” a nickname that goes back to her days as an aggressive...

Boeing-Northrop Battle Hits the Conventions

Posted by: Dan Beucke on August 29, Categories:

By Keith Epstein Beneath the seeming unity of a convention and presidential campaign, of course, lurk varying objectives that can split even the most aligned of forces. One example that...

Vivre la difference

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 28, Categories:

So did he do it? In a passionate speech to a hyped-up crowd at Denver's Invesco Field, Senator Barack Obama appeared to accomplish one of his key goals: in language...

Obama's Text Messaging Plan

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 28, Categories:

If Barack Obama has his way, the revolution will be text messaged. The Democratic presidential nominee added another 30,000 phone numbers to his database Thursday night one hour after...

Obama Hits The Stadium

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 28, Categories:

From the 37th floor heights of Denver's exclusive Pinnacle club, where Robert Rubin, Larry Summers and a host of other past and possibly future Democratic economic policy heavyweights munched on...

At The DNC, Clean Energy Is A Top Issue

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 28, Categories:

The clean energy message is everywhere in Denver this week. It's plastered on billboards in the form of clean coal ads and posted on placards highlighting the solar panels atop...

McCain Looking To Needle Obama's Big Day With Veep Leak and Ad

Posted by: David Kiley on August 28, Categories: political ads

So much for the bygone days of politics when convention week was a relatively safe zone for each candidate. It seems to me that in the 70's and 80's, convention...

Digg-ing The Convention

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 28, Categories:

Digg CEO Jay Adelson was at the Big Tent in Denver this week asking big wigs questions from the Internet hoi polloi....

The Joe Biden Gaffe Clock

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 28, Categories:

The Republican National Committee is waiting for Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden to put his foot in his mouth. Today, the RNC launched a countdown clock on its web site...

In Praise of C-Span During a Convention

Posted by: David Kiley on August 28, Categories: media coverage

I was sitting at my house watching the Democratic convention, bowl of popcorn in my lap to watch the prime-time speeches. After Bill Clinton's barn burner, the super on MSNBC...

Obama Gets His Attack Dog

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 27, Categories:

It can't be easy hitting the Democratic convention podium after the pair of Clintons and the attendant drama over whether they would, or wouldn't, be effusive enough in their backing...

Clintonesque

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 27, Categories:

Bill Clinton had several tasks with his speech at Tuesday night at the Democratic convention: Like his wife before him, Job One was putting to rest all the lingering doubts...

Google: Hands Off the Net

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 27, Categories:

When Alan Davidson, Google’s public policy director, began working in Washington 15 years ago there was little threat of Congress regulating the Web. Legislators wanted to watch how the young...

Election 2008: 21st Century CliffsNotes

Posted by: Theo Francis on August 27, Categories:

Tired of trying to keep up with all those campaign news, poll and blog sites? Well, consider ditching them all -- except us! -- and turning to perspctv instead....

MSNBC Blocks Latest Pickens Ad

Posted by: David Kiley on August 27, Categories:

T. Boone Pickens' ads promoting wind and natural gas vehicles in the U.S. have been a fixture on MSNBC, Fox and CNN political shows and this week during convention coverage....

John McCain ReLaunches McCain Space

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 27, Categories:

John McCain is getting serious about social networking. The Republican nominee is relaunching McCainSpace, his MySpace knock-off for McCain supporters. The site, powered by white label social networking site...

T Boone Pickens and Bloggers' Big Tent

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 27, Categories:

Billionaire oil man T. Boone Pickens stopped by The Big Tent this morning to talk to bloggers about his plan to end American dependence on foreign oil. Pickens believes...

Penny Pritzker on the Business of Conventions & Campaigns

Posted by: Theo Francis on August 27, Categories:

Behind every presidential candidate is a national finance chair -- the person in charge of raising the tens of millions of dollars that have become so critical to a...

Congress Needs To Think Like A VC

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 26, Categories:

When it comes to alternative energy, Congress should follow the lead of the folks on Sand Hill Road, says Illinois Congressman Bill Foster. "Congress has to look at it...

Hillary: Mission Accomplished?

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 26, Categories:

So did Hillary Clinton succeed in putting to rest doubts about her willingness to throw herself fully behind Barack Obama's candidacy? It certainly appeared that way. In an energetic,...

My House or Yours?

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 26, Categories:

The Obama campaign has made great hay out of the fact that rival John McCain couldn't remember how many houses he owned -- and even greater hay out of...

The Rush of An Electric Car

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 26, Categories:

When someone said "electric car," I often pictured a golf-cart looking vehicle capable of putt-putting around the neighborhood. Not anymore. Earlier today, I took a ride in Tesla Motors...

Google Wants The Government To Fund Green Tech

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 26, Categories:

Google wants the government to follow it into the “Valley of Death” for clean tech. On Tuesday, Dan Reicher, Google’s director for climate change and energy initiatives, met with...

RNC Ad With Hillary Delegate Backfires

Posted by: David Kiley on August 26, Categories:

It’s hard to say who Debra Bartoshevich hurts more, Hillary Clinton or John McCain. But she might just help Barack Obama. The 41-year-old emergency room nurse from Waterford, WI...

Betting on Obama

Posted by: Alex Cohen on August 26, Categories:

You can bet on just about anything these days, including the details of Barack Obama's Democratic nomination acceptance speech Thursday. Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has listed odds on several aspects...

Mission Accomplished For Michelle

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 26, Categories:

By Jane Sasseen There are no polls out yet showing whether Michelle Obama's speech helped move the needle among voters, but it sure looked like she accomplished her biggest task....

Obama? Clinton? McCain? No...Crystal Pepsi

Posted by: David Kiley on August 26, Categories:

As I was watching the election coverage on MSNBC, signs were waving and waggling behind the shoulders and wind-swept hair of host Chris Matthews. Lots of Obama signs. And...

The Stars Come Out

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 26, Categories:

So did you ever wake up in the morning dying to know what actress Charlize Theron thinks about trade and globalization?? Well, if you were at the Democratic do in...

Job One For Michelle

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 25, Categories:

One of the great ironies of the presidential race so far is that John McCain and his campaign strategists seem to be succeeding in efforts to brand Barack Obama...

No Reason to Worry?

Posted by: Jane Sasseen on August 25, Categories:

There’s nervousness galore among Democrats as party leaders, supporters and delegates flooded the streets of Denver on the first day of their nominating convention. The source of that worry: despite...

Free Trade Is Under Attack says Consumer Electronics Association

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 25, Categories:

Free trade is under attack, says Michael Petricone, SVP of Government Affairs with the Consumer Electronics Association. On Monday, Petricone held a conference with lawmakers to fight back. Untitled from...

Driving a Wedge Between Obama, Hillary?

Posted by: Dan Beucke on August 25, Categories:

By David Kiley The Republican National Committee, following the footsteps of the McCain campaign, is out to see if they can drive a wedge between Hillary Clinton supporters and Obama...

The Republicans at the DNC

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 25, Categories:

The Democrats aren't the only ones in Denver this week. The Republicans have a significant presence--and a fair share of parties--planned to lure swing voters and disgruntled Clinton supporters. This...

The Latest Ads: Keeping it 'Clean'?

Posted by: Dan Beucke on August 25, Categories:

By David Kiley I look back with some degree of wistfulness and nostalgia to a time about five months ago when strategists from both the Democratic and Republican parties said...

What Will Candidates Say on Pay?

Posted by: Theo Francis on August 24, Categories:

After lobbyists, corporate executives may be among this presidential campaign's favorite whipping-boys, and pay issues have been squarely in both candidates' sights, as this June item on BusinessWeek.com attests. Both...

Joe Biden -- He's No Al Gore

Posted by: Dan Beucke on August 24, Categories:

Does Obama have some explaining to do with his online friends? Seems his VP pick not only didn't invent the Internet but may instead have actively opposed some issues near...

Obama announces VP pick via text message

Posted by: Catherine Holahan on August 23, Categories:

Turns out that the New York Times, not the legions of text message addicted Obama supporters, was first to learn that Barack Obama tapped Joe Biden as his Vice President....

AT&T's Party Line

Posted by: Theo Francis on August 22, Categories:

In recent years, national political conventions have been rife with parties feting powerful lawmakers, courtesy of lobbyists, corporations and other interest groups. Last fall's ethics reform bill was supposed...