MR. OCTOBER
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is
examining whether or not to enter a “testing the waters” campaign
phase beginning the first week of October. According to Gingrich
associates, he is mulling an announcement tour that would include
appearances on one major Sunday morning show next weekend, along
with several Fox News shows on Monday, as well as an appearance on
Dr. James Dobson’s radio show.
“It’s not a coincidence that you saw Dr. Dobson attacking
Fred Thompson when he did,” says a former
associate of Dobson’s. “There’s a strategy here, and it’s about
clearing the way for Gingrich to get in.”
Shortly after Gingrich appeared on Dobson’s radio show earlier
this year and poured his heart our to Dobson, who forgave him for
past personal indiscretions, Dobson attacked Thompson for not being
— in Dobson’s view — a Christian. That attack was interpreted by
many to be Dobson’s attempt to deflate what was then growing
support for Thompson within the social conservative movement.
Last week, Dobson again attacked Thompson by leaking an email to
the Associated Press slamming the former Tennessee Senator who
currently sits second in most national polls. Across the south, he
generally holds the top position. Most recently, the Mason Dixon
poll in Florida had Thompson within the margin of error of top dog
Rudy Giuliani.
According to other Gingrich associates, their man had held off
any plans for entering the race until seeing how well Thompson’s
launch would proceed. “In Newt’s eyes it’s been mixed. Some good,
some bad. But what he’s been looking for are details and ideas from
Thompson, many of which he’s shared with him, but there’s been
nothing, no specifics,” says another adviser. “Newt still sees an
opening.”
The “testing the waters” process would allow Gingrich to raise
some funds over a short period of time (the FEC generally assumes a
period of no more than four months, and usually not more than five
million or so dollars). Gingrich last week stated that he wouldn’t
run unless there was a certainty of about $30 million.
According to Gingrich insiders, the former Speaker of the House
has kept his fundraising network largely intact and on the
sidelines during the campaign fundraising cycle, and believes he
could easily raise between $10 and $15 million in the month of
October.
ON HIS BEST BEHAVIOR
Some Republicans were scratching their heads over Sen.
Chuck Schumer’s apparent endorsement of Judge
Michael B. Mukasey for Attorney General. But
according to senior Senate Democrat leadership aides, all is not
what it appears to be.
Prior to Mukasey’s nomination by President Bush, Schumer and
several other senior Democrat members of the Judiciary Committee
met with Senate majority leader Harry Reid and his
deputy, Sen. Dick Durbin. Schumer informed them
that Mukasey had a good reputation in New York, and that he didn’t
feel comfortable attacking him. Reid said that leadership would
handle the “dirty work,” according to a Senate leadership aide.
“They aren’t going to put on the full court press on Mukasey,
but they are going to make him sweat a bit,” says the leadership
aide. “We’ll let the ACLU and other civil liberties groups go after
him, and Reid and Durbin will put up a fight, but Schumer isn’t
going to have to do too much. Mukasey’s record is good, there isn’t
much there to push back on yet.”
That said, Schumer has asked his Democrat Senatorial Campaign
Committee to prepare fundraising materials attacking Mukasey should
the opportunity arise to raise some campaign cash against him.
MARGINAL CALL
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s campaign
stages the “unexpected” phone calls from wife Judith during his
speeches, according to a campaign source.
“They think it’s funny and kind of cute,” says the Giuliani
staffer in New York.
The Giuliani’s pulled the stunt during his appearance before the
National Rifle Association on Friday. Attendees were unsure how to
interpret the interruption during the prepared remarks. There was
nervous laughter and little to no applause. Giuliani quickly
returned to his prepared remarks.
Judith Nathan has largely been kept under wraps
after her initial appearances in public and the media created
controversy.
