elizabeth dole

cross-posted at dKos

This month's issue of Politics magazine has a front-page story by Liddy Dole's former campaign manager, Marty Ryall. He admits what most of us in North Carolina have known for some time--the "Godless" ad was an act of desperation.

Many in the media, especially on the liberal side, were quick to point to the ad and claim it backfired, costing Dole the election. Nothing could be further from the truth. When a football team is trailing by 7 points and throws a “Hail Mary” on the last play of the game, they don’t lose because they failed to complete the play, they lose because they were down 7 points and time was running out.

Huh? That doesn't make much sense. It didn't backfire? Doesn't seem that way judging by the well-deserved reaming Liddy took in the local press.

In an article in "Politics magazine" Marty Ryall, campaign manager for Elizabeth Dole's ill-faithed US Senate campaign, explains why they ran the now infamous "godless" ad.

By the end of next week, Senator Kay Hagan will have topped the number of days Elizabeth Dole spent in North Carolina in 2006 and will be closing in on the number of days Dole spent in North Carolina in 2005. But, enough of looking back! Let's look ahead at Senator Hagan's upcoming week in our fair state.On Tuesday, she will be in Raleigh to speak at the 2009 Biotech Conference, sponsored by the Center for Entrepreneurial Development.

Senator Hagan will discuss the importance of the biotech industry to North Carolina’s long term economic growth.

On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Hagan will be in Greensboro to tour the Industries of the Blind. Industries of the Blind employs people who are blind or severely disabled with the goal of helping them achieve economic and personal independence. Among the products manufactured at the site are new hydration systems, apparel for the military and some protective equipment.

A bit late-- the corks have long been popped...

I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of your BlueNCers for your efforts over the past year in making 2008 the most successful election in North Carolina in my lifetime.

Your advocacy propelled the stunning victories of Kay and Larry-- two outsiders who worked incredibly hard to beat entrenched incumbents. Bev-- our first female Governor- was lifted over-the-top in a very competitive Gubernatorial race in which every vote was critical. Then there were the slew of first-time statewide candidates including Walter Dalton, Janet, Beth Wood, Wayne Goodwin and God-knows whom else I forgot. It was a good year for new faces; the vintage 2008 political vine has an impressive body and texture

Chris Cillizza from The Washington Post has chosen his Best Senate Campaign of 2008...I think you see where this is going.

Drumroll please.... And the best Senate campaign of 2008 is:

Kay Hagan of North Carolina -- Hagan, a state senator, got into the race against Sen. Elizabeth Dole after a number of better known candidates including Gov. Mike Easley and Rep. Brad Miller took a pass on the contest.

More after the break.

Public Policy Polling posted poll results last week showing that Elizabeth Dole's popularity continues to dwindle. I'm usually not one to rub salt in wounds, but I have such strong negative feelings for Elizabeth Dole I simply can't resist doing it just this once. Even Republicans are souring on the old carpetbagger.

DAY 57

As usual, Elizabeth Dole has been saying one thing in North Carolina and doing another in DC on mortgage reform. Several months after pledging her support for modernizing the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in North Carolina, Dole was back in Washington working for her special interest friends to make sure that housing reform measures didn’t go anywhere. And during the height of the subprime mortgage crisis, as hardworking North Carolinians faced the cold reality of record foreclosures, Dole was the only member of the Banking Committee to vote against FHA reform that would have helped countless Americans. Then again, she doesn’t have anything to worry about – she and Bob have owned their condo in the Watergate since the 1970s.

Read the entire post to read more on today's reason on why Elizabeth Dole is wrong for North Carolina and check back for updates over the next 57 days.

DAY 58

Just six weeks after tragedy struck in Minnesota when a major bridge over an interstate highway collapsed, Elizabeth Dole had the audacity to vote against a measure that would have allocated sufficient funds for bridge repair. Now, after all of Dole’s votes to cut vital infrastructure funding, the Department of Transportation is reporting that the Highway Trust Fund is almost bankrupt.

Shocking.

Maybe the lack of satisfactory highways is to blame for Dole’s absenteeism from North Carolina?

Read the entire post to read more on today's reason on why Elizabeth Dole is wrong for North Carolina and check back for updates over the next 58 days.

DAY 59

Since entering the Senate six years ago, Elizabeth Dole has been in lock step with President Bush on almost every issue, including his economic policies. Yesterday, the Department of Labor announced a loss of 84,000 jobs just in the month of August, which translates into the highest unemployment rate in five years. As it turns out, Bush and Dole’s economic policies were not doing anything to help hardworking Americans. Instead of making sure good-paying jobs stay in North Carolina, Dole preferred to let her special interest friends ship those jobs overseas and stash their extra cash in her campaign war chest. Maybe Dole will feel the pinch her constituents have felt come November when she is in the unemployment line?

Read the entire post to read more on today's reason on why Elizabeth Dole is wrong for North Carolina and check back for updates over the next 59 days.

DAY 60

Children all across North Carolina are getting back into the swing of things for a new school year. New pencils, fresh notebooks, shiny binders – but where will students come up with the billions of dollars necessary to fully fund No Child Left Behind? Elizabeth Dole certainly won’t help. Dole voted five times against funding the education program that she described in 2004 as “bold and visionary,” and then had the audacity to assert in 2008 that she will only support the program if changes are made. When report cards come out this year, Dole’s record on education just won’t make the grade.

Read the entire post to read more on today's reason on why Elizabeth Dole is wrong for North Carolina and check back for updates over the next 60 days.

DAY 61

Despite her pledge to run a positive campaign, Elizabeth Dole’s been slinging political mud for months. In a post-primary fundraising letter in May, Dole attacked Kay in her typical drive-by fashion – no facts, no backup, just Dole’s desperate attempt to keep her seat. Yesterday Dole outdid herself with the first candidate-approved-attack ad aimed at Kay, likening her to a “yappy dog.” In the commercial, Dole also resorted to name-calling, more drive-by attacks and notably, “I’m Elizabeth Dole and I approved this message.”
Of course she did. With her experience bankrolling negative ads at the NRSC and her campaign six years ago, she’s a pro.

Read the entire post to read more on today's reason on why Elizabeth Dole is wrong for North Carolina and check back for updates over the next 61 days.

DAY 62

Today in Charlotte Kay will unroll her comprehensive education policy that seeks to invest in the right priorities for North Carolina students – expanding access to pre-school, fixing No Child Left Behind, and lowering the cost of college to make it a reality for all students. But Elizabeth Dole must be too busy passing notes with her special interest friends when it comes time to vote for students’ best interests. Dole has consistently received failing grades from education groups across the board, including a 0% from the National Parent Teacher Association. How will she defend that report card to hardworking North Carolinians who count on education for a better tomorrow?

Read the entire post to read more on today's reason on why Elizabeth Dole is wrong for North Carolina and check back for updates over the next 62 days.

DAY 63

A new ad today by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) on behalf of Elizabeth Dole cements her status as the champion of third party attack ads. The NRSC, trying desperately to cling to Dole’s seat, is on the air with a baseless attack ad aimed at Kay, while of course ignoring the fact that Dole has voted with Bush 92% of the time and is number 93 out of all her colleagues in terms of effectiveness. But we shouldn’t really be surprised: in 2006, as chair of the NRSC, Dole was responsible for spending over $19 million on some of the country’s most despicable negative ads, and she defended a spot aimed at appealing to racist sentiments. Members of her own party were even willing to admit that Dole took the negativity too far. But vicious attack ads were nothing new for Dole, who stood by silently in 2002 while the NRSC ran exaggerated negative ads against her opponent, and she was silent again this year when her own state party ran a blatantly racist ad in the primary election.

As chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Dole led the Washington-based third party group in spending large sums of money to launch negative attacks against opponents that were called “vicious,” including some with “racial overtones.”

Read the entire post to read more on today's reason on why Elizabeth Dole is wrong for North Carolina and check back for updates over the next 63 days.