Arizona congressional nominee Ron Barber released a statement Thursday expressing his support for President Obama’s reelection after he refused to say whether he would vote for him in a debate Wednesday night. Barber is running against Jesse Kelly in Arizona’s 8th District in a special election on June 12. The seat was held by Gabrielle Giffords. Republicans pounced on the incident Thursday morning, passing around a video of Barber’s dodge on Twitter. Barber deputy campaign director Jessica Schultz cleared up the matter with the following statement: Ron’s point last night was that the election on June 12 isn’t about president Obama, or any other national figure–it’s about who is going to do the best job fighting for middle class families in southern Arizona. While Ron ... Continue reading →

A new poll released Thursday should serve as an encouraging sign for gay rights advocates in Marryland who are campaigning to keep a state law that legalized same-sex marriage on the books. The statewide poll, conducted by the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP) on behalf of Marylanders for Marriage Equality, shows that 57 percent of likely voters intend to vote for the referendum to uphold the law that was signed by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) in March. Only 37 percent of likely voters are plan to vote against the law. The poll also finds a significant shift in opinion among African-American voters in Maryland, which has played a large role in the measure becoming a favorite to pass. From PPP: The movement over the last ... Continue reading →

Mitt Romney will join Texas Gov. and former presidential candidate Rick Perry on a conference call with Perry’s top donors Thursday morning to try to earn their support, reports the Dallas Morning News. “The purpose of the call – and both Romney and Perry will be on – is to reinforce Gov. Perry’s strong support for Mitt Romney and the Republican ticket this fall,” Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan said, “and to encourage and motivate our supporters, particularly our financial supporters in this case, to help the Republican campaign, the RNC and other Republican efforts.” Perry is known as a strong fundraiser known for having a large network of donors. Sullivan said hundreds of participants could be on the call. Continue reading →

Sara Libby May 24, 2012, 5:10 AM That Democrats became roadkill during the latest round of redistricting, mostly at the hands of Republican state legislatures, has been well documented. But less widely known is that the casualties at the state level often hit women lawmakers the hardest — eating into the slow but steady gains women have made in statehouses across the country. A closer examination shows that it’s not just Democratic women officeholders who have taken it on the chin, being drawn into districts with either more voters from the opposite party or another incumbent — or both. The redistricting process in several states could set women of both parties back, including many women in leadership positions. In North Carolina, where Republicans controlled the ... Continue reading →

Kyle Leighton & Pema Levy May 23, 2012, 1:41 PM No one is sure what impact President Obama’s newfound support for same-sex marriage will have on the election in November. But the Obama campaign isn’t just going to sit back and wait and see. The Obama campaign on Wednesday announced the launch of Obama Pride: LBGT Americans for Obama, an outreach effort targeting the LGBT community. The new initiative, which coincides with Pride Month in June, will prioritize efforts to engage the community and mobilize voters. LGBT-targeted registration efforts were held Tuesday in honor of Harvey Milk Day. On the to-do list for Obama Pride are trainings, planning sessions, phone banks and house parties, particularly in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Colorado, Nevada and Florida. ... Continue reading →

Mitt Romney sat down with TIME magazine’s Mark Halperin Wednesday, where he discussed Bain Capital and why his time there makes him qualified to be president. My whole life has been learning to lead, from my parents, to my education, to the experience I had in the private sector, to helping run the Olympics, and then of course helping guide a state. Those experiences in totality have given me an understanding of how America works and how the economy works. Twenty five years in business, including business with other nations, competing with companies across the world, has given me an understanding of what it is that makes America a good place to grow and add jobs, and why jobs leave America – why businesses decide ... Continue reading →