Georgia Democrat Jim Martin grew up in a family of six boys. Their mother taught her six sons that we define ourselves by our deeds, not by our words - by living the values that come from our faith. Interrupted only by two years of service in the U.S. Army, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, Martin has spent his entire life in Georgia. He served for 18 years in the state legislature, and Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources under two governors.

In early August, Jim Martin received Georgia Democrats’ nomination for the U.S. Senate, and he has already built up a strong campaign that’s taken the political world by surprise. While many political observers felt that Republican Saxby Chambliss was essentially untouchable, Martin quickly proved them wrong by setting a brisk fundraising pace and coming within six points in a recent poll. Such a strong showing so soon after beginning his general election campaign is a testament to how hard Jim Martin is working to bring real change to the people of Georgia.

For more on the Georgia Senate race, see our race profile page, or visit Jim Martin’s website.

The Washington Post’s Chris Cilizza looked at the Oklahoma Senate race today, and came away impressed with Democrat Andrew Rice’s recent rise in the polls. Campaigning against a very well-known incumbent, Rice had initially started the race trailing by 20 points. Now as he’s travelling the state and introducing himself to voters, Rice is steadily rising. A just-released poll shows that Rice has slashed Inhofe’s early polling advantage in half.

Read the whole column here. Political observers like Cilizza are talking more and more about Rice’s strong campaign, and that’s bad news for Inhofe; the more Oklahomans hear about Andrew Rice, the more they like what he stands for.

For more on the Oklahoma Senate race, see our race profile page, or visit Andrew Rice’s website.

The Jeff Merkley campaign released a memo today about another misleading Gordon Smith ad:

Memorandum

To: Interested Parties
From: Merkley for Oregon
Re: Another misleading ad

Summation:

A faltering economy.  An energy crisis. The war in Iraq. 

What does Gordon Smith want to talk about?   Furniture.

Newspapers across Oregon have criticized his deceptive and misleading ads, calling Gordon Smith “desperate.” [Editorial, The Daily Astorian, 8/11/08; Editorial, Statesman Journal, 8/11/08; Editorial, The Oregonian, 8/8/08; Editorial, East Oregonian, 8/10/08]

Now we learn it’s the same renovation project approved by Gordon Smith’s own staff… calling it “thoughtful” and “innovative”.   In fact, the project is on time and under budget.  [Minutes from the Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature, 11/13/06; The Oregonian, 8/8/08]

Gordon Smith: a typical Washington politician who votes with George Bush nearly 90% of the time but will say anything to hide from the truth.

It’s time for a change.

More information:

Newspapers from Portland to Pendleton slammed Gordon Smith for his campaign’s bogus ads.  The Oregonian, The Statesman Journal, The Daily Astorian, and Smith’s hometown newspaper, The East Oregonian all criticized Smith for talking about furniture when the economy and Iraq need our attention.

But Smith doesn’t listen.  He’s launched another deceptive attack. 

However, documents from the Legislature show that Gordon Smith’s own top aide, State Director Kerry Tymchuk approved the capitol renovation project and called the project “thoughtful” and “innovative.” [A Blueprint for a 21 st Century Legislature, 11/13/06; Minutes of the Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature, 11/13/06]

Tymchuk served on the Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature and recommended a complete renovation of the capitol facility, including renovation of the wings of the capitol.  The recommendation states clearly the need for “ergonomic furnishings.” [PCOL Facilities Committee Recommendation, 7/24/06]

The subcommittee that made that recommendation detailed what kind of new furniture the Legislature should include in the wings.  According to minutes from the subcommittee, both Democrats and Republicans acknowledged that the current furniture was not functional and discussed specific “pragmatic enhancements.”  They recommended that the Legislature use leather, not fabric, since it is far more cost-effective.  The subcommittee called these furniture upgrades “pragmatic” and said the renovation is “not fancy and expensive, but rather functional and timeless.” [Minutes of the PCOL Facilities Committee, 4/14/06]

Following the furniture discussion in the subcommittee, Tymchuk wholeheartedly approved their recommendations.  He never raised one question about the furniture.  In fact, he gave them a ringing endorsement, voting in favor of the subcommittee recommendations and calling the report “thoughtful” and “innovative.” [Minutes of the PCOL, 11/13/06]

Supporting Documents

Full report and recommendations: http://www.leg.state.or.us/pcol/final_report/PCOL_full_report.pdf

Specific recommendation for furnishings: http://www.leg.state.or.us/pcol/documents/facilities_comprehensive_renovation_plan_72406.pdf

Meeting  minutes that describe Tymchuk’s comments: http://www.leg.state.or.us/pcol/full_commission/minutes/pcol_11132006.pdf

Meeting minutes that detail discussion of furniture, including leather: http://www.leg.state.or.us/pcol/comm_facilities/minutes/pcolfa_04142006.pdf

Two new polls released today show Mark Udall with a six point lead over Bob Schaffer in Colorado.  A poll taken for CBS4 Denver and the Rocky Mountain News shows Udall ahead 44% to 38% while one from Rasmussen Reports shows him leading 47% to 41%, the same result found by a PPP poll released on Monday.

Coloradans have a clear choice between a leader with a vision for an energy independent America and a politician whose entire energy policy was written by Big Oil. The big oil companies may be able to finance Schaffer’s campaign and run false attack ads on his behalf, but they’ll never convince Coloradans that he’s the right choice for the Senate.

To view the CBS4, Rocky Mountain News poll, click here:  http://cbs4denver.com/local/udall.schaffer.senate.2.795299.html

To view the Rasmussen Reports poll, click here:  http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_senate_elections/colorado/election_2008_colorado_senate

Following the launch yesterday of a new TV ad on Elizabeth Dole’s ineffectiveness and support for George Bush, the DSCC released a new video of North Carolinians discussing Dole’s career. The video, filmed at the Maple View Ice Cream store in Carrboro, NC this morning, features North Carolinians reacting to Dole being ranked the 93rd most effective member of the Senate and voting with Bush 92% of the time:

And in case you didn't see the first ad, you can watch the original Rocking Chairs TV ad here:

Some updates from Senate races around the country…

Georgia: In Tuesday’s runoff, Georgia Democrats picked longtime public servant Jim Martin to challenge Saxby Chambliss.  Martin is a very strong candidate with a long record of getting things done for Georgia’s working families, and is ready to give a tough challenge to Chambliss. 

Maine: The more Mainers get to know Democrat Tom Allen, the more they come to believe that he’s the right choice for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat.  Now that Allen is rolling out a new ad campaign, more Mainers are going to learn about his common-sense solutions to the problems that have been caused by years of Republican mismanagement under George Bush and Susan Collins.  Click here to check out his new ads.

Minnesota: Democratic Senate nominee Al Franken released a new ad this week, hitting Republican Norm Coleman hard on one of his ethical lapses – an  issue that’s sure to be a theme in many Senate races this year.  The ad challenges Coleman for accepting a sweetheart deal on a Washington DC apartment.  Check out the new ad here.

Minnesota: In related news, the DSCC took to the streets to find out what Minnesotans thought about Coleman’s $600-a-month apartment.  Click here to watch the video.

Nebraska: In his first TV ad of the general election season, rancher and teacher Scott Kleeb talks about the importance of creating a better future for his daughter, Maya.  Like most Nebraskans, Kleeb is worried about the cost of health care, availability of jobs, and the rising national debt, and it’s become all too obvious that Senate Republicans don’t have the solutions to those problems. 

Tennessee: Congratulations to Bob Tuke, who emerged from Thursday’s primary as Tennessee Democrats’ choice to take on Lamar Alexander in the fall.  Tuke has created a lot of energy around his candidacy, and recently announced that he has surpassed the $100,000 mark in online fundraising.  With his strong grassroots and netroots support, Tuke will present a strong challenge to Alexander.

Texas: Democrat Rick Noriega unveiled his immigration plan this week.  Noriega has first-hand experience dealing with border issues, as he was Laredo Border Sector Commander in Operation Jump Start during the summer of 2006.  The plan he laid out is similar to a bipartisan measure that Republican John Cornyn recently helped kill in the U.S. Senate.  “[Cornyn] hasn't done anything in six years to help reform immigration,” said Noriega.

Check out the newest ad from Kentucky Democrat Bruce Lunsford.

Mitch McConnell has been a powerful figure in Washington for decades, and hasn’t managed to make a difference for Kentuckians in all that time. This new ad goes a long way toward explaining how it works in Mitch McConnell’s version of Washington.

For more on the Kentucky Senate race, see our race profile page, or visit Bruce Lunsford’s site.

While Liddy Dole isn’t exactly a powerhouse in the Senate, she still manages to outshine many of her colleagues with her shameful antics. As if testing the ability of North Carolinians to suspend their disbelief, Dole recently performed a spectacular 180 on the latest GOP and Big Oil talking point: offshore drilling.

Dole just can’t seem to decide where she stands on the issue.  She had been a longtime critic of offshore oil drilling, claiming drilling off the North Carolina coast would harm the coastal environment and hurt North Carolina’s tourism industry.  In the “Energy” issues section of her website, her statement on the issue once read:

"I'll be fighting to ensure that no steps are taken toward drilling off of North Carolina's coast. Offshore drilling not only would be harmful to our environment, it would be detrimental to an industry that is extremely important to North Carolina's coastal economy - tourism."   

That’s a statement that leaves little room for doubt: Dole took a strong stance against offshore drilling.

Until now.

The onetime defender of the Carolina coastline switched her position as soon as President Bush lifted his father’s ban on offshore drilling.  Now Dole is clamoring to stand with Bush on this issue, despite her earlier opposition.   And once again, her statement leaves little room for doubt: 

“I support making better use of American energy resources in remote areas of Alaska, offshore on the Outer Continental Shelf and in the Gulf of Mexico and in oil shale in the Western United States.” 

Of course, no explanation was offered for her shameful flip-flop, and the earlier statement has been deleted from her website.  Liddy Dole completely reversed course on one of the hottest issues of the day, and is pretending that nothing has changed.  No wonder she’s the 93rd most-effective member of the Senate.  

Having trouble keeping tabs on Senate Republicans’ shameful behavior?  Check out our Hall of Shame for some of their greatest hits.

Democrat Jim Slattery has always been a strong advocate for Kansas’ working families. During six years in the Kansas House of Representatives, and twelve in the U.S. House, Jim made working families and economic growth a priority. He led efforts to cut wasteful government spending, was a strong advocate for the environment, and promoted education initiatives. Jim also founded the Rural Health Care Coalition and fought to provide health care for low-and-middle income Kansans.

Jim is proud of his Kansas heritage and he believes the people of Kansas deserve a strong, independent voice that is committed to fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, affordable and accessible health care, and sensible energy policy. Slattery has been building a true grassroots campaign in Kansas, and recently announced that he raised over $1 million from 2,000 individuals in just 140 days. With his strong track record, deep Kansas roots, and such impressive early enthusiasm, it’s no wonder Kansas Republicans are worried about Jim Slattery.

For more on the Kansas Senate race, see our race profile page, or visit Jim Slattery’s website.

One of two supervisors who worked at Agriprocessors in Postville will return to U.S. District Court tomorrow to face charges that he conspired to hire illegal immigrants.

Information filed with the court alleges that Juan Carlos Guerrero-Espinoza, 35, conspired with others, and aided and abetted his employer, in hiring more than 10 individuals he knew to be undocumented workers. The documents state that Guerrero-Espinoza told employees he supervised on May 7 — employees that he allegedly knew to be ineligible to work in the U.S. — that they were going to be terminated and immediately rehired by Agriprocessors.

Guerrero-Espinoza, who is currently being held without bail pending a September court date on charges related to encouraging illegal immigration, is now scheduled to appear in federal court in Cedar Rapids tomorrow, Aug. 20.

Guerrero-Espinoza and another supevisor — 43-year-old Martin De La Rosa-Loera — are the only two members of management from the Agriprocessors plant in Postville to face formal criminal charges following a May 12 immigration raid on the kosher meatpacker. During the raid, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained 389 workers, most citizens of Guatemala and Mexico. The vast majority of those workers were charged and convicted of criminal wrongdoing related to identity theft within days of the raid.

The original complaint filed against Guerrero-Espinoza alleges that, a few days before the execution of the search warrant at Agriprocessors, he told a group of employees that they needed new identification and social security numbers in order to continue working at the plant. He then, according to testimony, told the workers that they would need to provide him with a photograph and either $200 or $220.

The complaint against De La Rosa-Loera alleges he told some undocumented workers that they could no longer be employed at Agriprocessors because their identification was bad. He later allegedly told those same employees that they could return to work using the same names that had previously been used for employment.

Both Guerrero-Espinoza and De La Rosa-Loera have pleaded not guilty to the original charges.

Court documents also indicated the raid netted fraudulent permanent alien resident cards from the Agriprocessors human resources offices.

Authorities continue to search for a third supervisor, Hosam Amara. The indictment listing specific charges against Amara remains sealed.

Agriprocessors produces about 60 percent of the kosher meat and 40 percent of the kosher poultry in the U.S. market. The company’s brands include Aaron’s Best, Aaron’s Choice, European Glatt, Nevel, Shor Harbor, Rubashkin’s, Supreme Kosher, David’s and Iowa’s Best. Two-thirds of their products are nonkosher, and are sold through traditional retailers such as Wal-Mart.

Steve Dinnen, Jeff Bash, Mike Malloy and Carl Benskin have joined the list of Des Moines Register employees whose jobs have been eliminated, bringing the total thus far to seven.

Laura Hollingsworth, president and publisher of The Des Moines Register, announced on Friday that the paper would eliminate 12 full-time and three part-time positions by today, and that 11 currently vacant positions would go unfilled.

Dinnen has been a senior business reporter at the Register since 2000. Before that he worked for Meredith Corp. and the Indianapolis Star.

Bash, 31, is the Register’s multimedia graphics editor. He graduated from Grand View College in 2000.

Malloy has been a reporter in the sports department since 2001.

These four join features reporter Ken Fuson and farm editor Jerry Perkins, who took buyouts, and Washington, D.C., bureau reporter Jane Norman, who was laid off with a severance package.

Here is the memo from Register Editor Carolyn Washburn to the newsroom announcing the names of those affected by the layoffs:

I want to announce the results of the layoffs that Laura announced last Friday. This week we have to say goodbye to five colleagues: Jane Norman, Jeff Bash, Steve Dinnen, Mike Malloy and Carl Benskin. In addition, some people will receive new assignments so that we fill positions internally. That will mean a bit of disruption in the near term, but it was important to us to find the best fits possible for the unique requirements of each job. We have talked to most of those folks today and will finalize a couple of remaining changes within a week. Next week we will have an updated organizational chart. Obviously this is very difficult for everyone. I appreciate your support for each other, and your dedication to serving the community that is dealing with tough times of its own.

Carolyn

The Iowa Farm Bureau, one of the most powerful interest groups in the state, has issued its 2008 endorsements.  All five of Iowa’s congressmen made their list, but U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is conspicuously absent:

In U.S. House races, incumbents Bruce Braley (District 1), Dave Loebsack (District 2), Leonard Boswell (District 3), Tom Latham (District 4) and Steve King (District 5) were recognized as Friends of Agriculture. The Farm Bureau PAC also gave the designation to candidates in 16 Iowa Senate and 62 Iowa House districts.

The grassroots effort to designate Friends of Agriculture is guided by members and begins in July when county committees start evaluating candidates.  More than 90 County Farm Bureau Campaign 2008 Committees submitted candidate evaluations this year.  The nine-member PAC committee carefully reviews evaluations and questionnaires, while also considering candidates positions on issues of importance to members, leadership on Farm Bureau priorities and past voting records.

The Iowa Department of Public Health has scheduled a series of public hearings on the implementation of Iowa’s Smokefree Air Act on August 20, 21 and 22 at sites across Iowa (click here for the full listing). 

Iowa’s public smoking ban took effect on July 1, 2008 but was implemented with an expedited rules process.   The formal rules process is now underway and Iowans are encouraged to participate in the public hearings or provide written comments at www.IowaSmokefreeAir.gov.  The public comment period ends on September 30.

Last month, Governor Chet Culver created the Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) to coordinate Iowa’s recovery efforts from the 2008 storms and help the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission compete their work. The RIO has launched a web page for Iowans who need assistance and also want to track Iowa’s recovery efforts. Log on to www.rio.iowa.gov.

A new website has just launched, documenting Republican John Sununu’s network of special-interest attack groups. While Sununu himself has been slow to start campaigning, his shady allies have been doing his dirty work.

SununuDirtyTricks.com keeps tabs on the smears, and has a running tally of special interest money that’s been spent to bolster Sununu’s campaign.

Their "$ununu $pecial Interest Cash Count" already has tracked more than a million dollars in special-interest money that’s been used to distort Jeanne Shaheen’s record.

Check out the website to learn more about the groups behind the attacks, and to get the facts on Jeanne Shaheen’s record.

Jeff Merkley's campaign has released a memo that sets the record straight about Gordon Smith's time in Washington. Looking at the things he's said and done in Washington, it's no wonder Oregonians aren't buying Smith's claims of bipartisanship.

Here's the memo:

To: Interested Parties
From: Jeff Merkley for Oregon
Re: Gordon Smith’s Partisan Nature

Gordon Smith claims to be bipartisan in his job as U.S. Senator.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Gordon Smith voted with George Bush nearly 90% of the time – supporting Bush on the war in Iraq, opposing a woman’s right to choose, and drilling in ANWR. [CQ Member Profiles; Senate vote #237, 10/11/02; Senate vote #336, 10/21/99; Senate vote #48, 3/12/03; Senate vote #262, 10/20/05]

Gordon Smith has praised George Bush saying he “represents economic recovery and American leadership” while calling John Kerry the “chief of chumps,” saying he “represents socialism at home and appeasement abroad.” [University Wire, 5/19/04]

Gordon Smith even opposed Barack Obama’s efforts to clean up Washington, voting against a non-partisan ethics office, voting against a halt to secretive earmarks, and refusing to close lobbyist loopholes that would ban gifts and privately funded travel. [Senate vote #77, 3/28/06; Senate vote #18, 1/18/07; Senate vote #75, 3/13/08; Senate vote #80, 3/29/06; Senate vote #14, 1/7/07; CQ Weekly, 2/26/08]

As state chairman of John McCain’s campaign committee, Gordon Smith is promoting 4 more years of the Bush agenda. Gordon Smith has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Senators promoting the agenda of the right-wing, including scandal-tainted David Vitter, anti-abortion rights leader Rick Santorum, James Inhofe, a denier of global warming, and recently indicted Alaska Senator, Ted Stevens. [FEC Reports; The Oregonian, 7/1/08]

Gordon Smith: Not exactly what Oregonians would call bipartisan… not even close to the change Oregon voters need in Washington.

Barack Obama has a five percent lead over John McCain among registered voters in the University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll released today. The survey of 709 registered voters was conducted Aug. though 13 and has a 3.9 percent margin of error.

“The race in Iowa, while relatively close, appears to be moving in Obama’s direction,” said University of Iowa professor David Redlawsk, the Hawkeye Poll director.

Demographic breakdowns show Obama leading McCain among all groups except senior citizens, though Obama’s lead with men is less than one percent and within the margin of error.

Both major party candidates seem to have solidified their party bases in Iowa, but Democrats have more confidence that their candidate will win. Three-quarters of Obama supporters think he will win, as opposed to only half of McCain’s backers who expect a Republican win. “Confidence in your candidate is another motivator to actually get out and vote,” Redlawsk said. “When you believe you will win, it’s all the more reason to show up at the polls. When you think you will lose, it’s easier to not bother.”

Other key findings in the poll:

• Obama leads among women by nearly 13 percent. That’s been harder for him in some states, where disappointed Hillary Clinton supporters still aren’t on board.
• Obama’s strongest lead is among young voters under 30, where he has a 62-35 percent edge over McCain.
• Over a third of respondents think Obama’s race could make it more difficult for him to win support. “We can’t directly ask voters if they are unwilling to vote for someone because of race,” said Redlawsk, “but we can ask what they think others will do. It seems clear, though, that race is a factor, even if it’s hard to quantify.”
• It’s lower than the national average, but 8 percent of respondents still identified Obama as Muslim.

Despite Obama’s lead, the state is no sure thing for the Democrats this fall. “It’s very clear that voters who continue to support George Bush will vote for John McCain,” Redlawsk said. “Not only is this a simple continuation of partisan support, but McCain is clearly associated with supporting much of the Bush agenda, and voters recognize the connection.”

“The challenge for Obama lies with independents who disapprove of Bush,” said Redlawsk. “While McCain has the support of more than 8 in 10 Bush supporters, Obama is only picking up 6 in 10 of those who disapprove of Bush. This gap is allowing McCain to claim a plurality of all independent voters at this time.”

Sources inside The Des Moines Register have confirmed, and the local business journal has reported, that farm editor Jerry Perkins and features writer Ken Fuson have asked for and received buyouts, becoming the first of what will be 15 jobs to be eliminated today from within the paper’s newsroom.

Sources have also confirmed that Jane Norman, a member of the paper’s Washington, D.C., bureau for 20 years, has been laid off and will receive a severance package.

The Des Moines Business Record is reporting that Editor Carolyn Washburn and Managing Editor Randy Brubaker, in a memo to the newsroom, said Perkins’ last day will be Aug. 29 and Fuson’s last day will be Sept. 5.

Perkins started with the Des Moines Tribune in 1978 and has been the Register’s farm editor since 1993. Fuson has been with the Register for 25 years and has won several awards, including the Register’s top writing award and Gannett Co. Inc.’s 25th anniversary Outstanding Achievement Award for Writing.