Oh Canada...

Happy Birthday to our neighbor to the north...And in case you were wondering; No, I'm neither Canadian nor socialist. I just like those ketchup chips and wunderbars!

Frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", particularly in the popular press,[1][2][3] the occasion marks the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on 1 July 1867. Although Canada is regarded as having become a kingdom in its own right on that date,[4] the British Parliament kept limited rights of political control over the new country that were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were surrendered in 1982 when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.

Rock Stars: Nick and Jason Jonas(?)

Maybe Jason is the long lost 4th Jonas brother?? ;) I'm just saying...they're both rock stars.

A Brand in Trouble

With yesterday's bizarre news about Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford admitting to an affair with a woman from Argentina, coupled with the previous week's admission from Senator Ensign (R-NV) of infidelity, I have to wonder where does that leave the national Republican Party?

I don't think the timing could be worse. As this NYTimes article points out, the President was beginning to show some signs of waining support for his health care initiatives and a reluctance to publicly support the Iranian protesters.

Now this. I'm a bit embarrassed to be part of the national party right now. We don't practice what we preach on issues like family values any more. I understand nobody is perfect, but geesh these two guys were often mentioned as potential Presidential candidates for crying out loud. I think this really opens the door a bit further for someone like Mitt Romney in 2012.

Our own State GOP is in a bit of an image crisis as well. In today's SLTrib Herriman Representative Carl Wimmer was taken to task for his relationship with recently indicted businessman Rick Koerber. While I believe the story makes a pretty weak argument for a conflict of interest, still the public association doesn't help a state party still reeling from a cloudy ethics reputation.

I guess that sometimes life is more fascinating than fiction and we should all be entertained by the gossip, but really is hoping for elected leaders we can truly trust and believe in too much to ask for?

Cedar Hills Mayor & City Council Get Lit Up

I had to shake my head and laugh a bit when I read this article in the Daily Herald.

It's a piece from Caleb Warnock recounting his experience at a recent city council meeting regarding the city's public golf course. I really don't know much about the politics of the golf course, but apparently the Mayor and Council take issue with the way Caleb has portrayed them in a recent series of articles.

The point is, the Mayor and City Councilors of Cedar Hills forgot this ancient Chinese proverb (and I think you can also find it in the D&C): Never get in a fight with anyone who buys ink by the barrel. Actually, I think its attributed to Mark Twain...but still probably in the D&C somewhere.

I've been there before in both a congressional office and congressional campaign. And believe me the temptation to do what the City Council did is so hard to resist. "If only the reporters would be fair, you know see it from our side?" or "Come on now, that's piling on - going too far."

I've seen many elected officials try to combat the press. Some do informal boycotts - I believe Rob Bishop avoided the SLTrib for a while (probably still does if he knows what's good for him) and Rocky Anderson was more formal in his blackout of the Desnews towards the end of his term as Mayor in SLC.

Do these protests ever work? Not really. In the absence of your side of the story the press will fill the vacum. And usually, they'll seek a source to get your side, but it's not your words and therefore not ever going to tell the story as you see it.

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from working campaigns is that when a 'bad' story is being written sometimes its best to make your case and then let the wave crash. Give it a few days to settle, focus on your own message, and get back to work.

The good Mayor and City Councilors of Cedar Hills would have done well to make the issue the issue (It's the Golf Course Stupid!) instead they are getting sidetracked by one version of the story told by the media. My advice to them: get in there, solve the real problem - the truth will find its way out eventually (good or bad).

Hat Tip: @SausageGrinder

Revolutionary Technology

I hope many of you are keeping tabs on what's happening in Iran. The protests there over the elections really are quite remarkable. Very reminiscent of Tiananmen Square 20 years ago with huge numbers of protesters marching in the streets.

One of the most enduring images I have burned into my brain and heart is that of "Tank Man." The lone Chinese citizen who some believe was a man simply on his way home from work. Who had grown tired of the tanks in the streets and all they represented disrupting his life. This one man standing in front of a column of tanks. The tank drivers popped their heads out, yelling at him to move, they tried to go around him and he moved in front of them - finally the tanks turned off their engines and sat there.

One man had literally stopped an entire army.

Now fast forward to today. Iranian students, street vendors, parents, and everyday people are rising up to protest what they believe are rigged elections. And let's face it - they are. But different from Tianamen is that of new technology. A real uprising in the age of the Internet and specifically Twitter.

I just read this article - A Cyberwar Guide for Iran Elections (from a link posted on a Tweet) telling people how to support the protests using Twitter effectively and protecting the identity of Iranians who are posting messages. I wonder if things would have turned out differently for the student protesters in Tiananmen if they had had access to this sort of technology?

Truly revolutionary.

Another Week - Another Candidate - or Two

So it's been what three weeks since AG Mark Shurtleff threw his hat in the ring to challenge Senator Bennett, and four weeks since Tim Bridgewater dropped out of the State GOP race to give our Jr. Senator a run. And now...this week Cherylin Bacon officially announces she's in the race and newcomer James Russell Williams III also announced his intentions to run.

Present at Bacon's announcement was Gayle Ruzicka of the Eagle Forumn. So clearly Cherylin is running as the ultra-conservative in the race. She said as much in her announcement "I'm told this is a four-way race. It's not," she said. "It's a two-way race: a race between three counterfeit conservatives and one authentic conservative. I'm the real deal."

"Counterfeit Conservatives"

The name calling begins. I wish she hadn't said that. I hope she chooses to make the case for her conservative principles without demeaning those who disagree or have a sightly different take on the definition of conservative.

James Russell Williams III is a younger guy - only 36 and is a Ron Paul Republican. It will be interesting to see how some of the more conservative state delegates break between these two candidates. It seems in recent elections there hasn't been much of a difference between an 'Eagle Forum' candidate and a 'Ron Paul Republican' candidate.

My guess is most would break in Cherilyn's direction. James is a newcomer to politics and without significant resources either in dollars or volunteers will have a hard time getting his message out and being taken seriously.

Cherilyn's entry into the race in my mind hurts Tim Bridgewater the most. I think Tim's play is to go after the disenfranchised voter/delegate and with the support of the Eagle Forum I think Cherilyn gets an instant boost from the strength and networking power of a very politically active organization. Tim could find himself the odd man out.

Provo Mayor's Race Get's Uncrowded

So a month ago I blogged about how crowded the Provo Mayor's race was getting. Well, on Monday it surprisingly got uncrowded. Mayor Lewis Billing's announced he is not going to be seeking a fourth term.

Just about all of my political connections were totally shocked. And to read the news reports so were the candidates. In an impressive sign of organization, John Curtis (who I'm strongly supporting in this race Go John!) published a letter to the editor thanking Mayor Billings for his service. John's a class act. It remains to be seen if Billings will continue in politics or retire from the business altogether.

This is a game changer. The race is now for an open seat rather than an incumbent-challenger race. The dynamics will shift from focusing on the Mayor's record to the individual plans for Provo's future put forth by the remaining candidates. And now that Billings is out does that open the door for some other would-be challenger to enter the race?

The filing deadline is about a month away now. Should be an interesting one to watch...

Let Us Never Forget

I've always been interested in WWII history. Especially the events that happened on the beaches of Normandy on June 6th, 1944 - D-Day.

I remember going to see Saving Private Ryan as a college student. It was one of a few films that have ever really left a lasting impression on me. Particularly the opening sequence where the soldiers are landing on the beach. Many of them never made it out of the boats. Others jumped over the sides only to drown or be shot in the water.

I remember wondering how I might react in that sort of situation. Would I be a coward? Would I be a leader? Would I be afraid? Would I have survived?

Scary questions. Ones I'm grateful I've never had to answer thanks to the brave men and women who have worn the uniform and continue to do so today.

To them I say - Thank you!

Take a minute and view this really interesting slide show of D-Day from Life Magazine.

A Party of Primaries

I think Primaries are a good thing. It keeps things fresh and elected officials honest. As an incumbent you hate them. As a news reporter you LOVE them for the drama and conflict (because really that's what sells news right?). As a Party leader you publically support them and stay neutral, but still hate them for the often divisive versus constructive nature of those types of races.

Senator Bennett's got a Primary. Congressman Cannon had a number of Primaries and eventually lost in one. And, there is a lot of speculation as to who may or may not challenge Gary Herbert from within for Governor in 2010.

So I found this exchange at the PolitickerNY interesting. It's an interview with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, about his plans to run against current Democratic Governor David Patterson, who replaced the disgraced former Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Interesting parallels with our own Utah Republican Party. Particularly considering that both New York and Utah have had and soon will have recently replaced state-wide elected officials; NY - Gov. Spitzer & Sen. Clinton, and Utah - Gov. Huntsman.

AC (Andrew Cuomo): My plan is to run for reelection as attorney general.

Q: That has not changed?

AC: Nope.

Q: There was a lot of action in terms of potential challengers to Kirsten Gillibrand sort of being asked to not run. Just in general, is there any benefit to a party that has gone through some appointments on the statewide level, having primaries? Is there any upside?

AC: The Democratic Party is essentially a party of primaries. I mean, there’s always the discussion ‘Maybe it would be good if there were no primaries, and everyone just gets behind and picks a candidate.’ For many years the Democrats said that’s what the Republicans do. They just squelch intraparty discussion. The—we often have primaries. President Obama is the product of primaries. In the presidential, the Senate race, I even think he ran against Bobby Rush for Congress, early on. That must have been a primary, right? So we’re a party of primaries, which I think winds up being good for us, because I think the conversation and the discussion within the party can be very productive. Because we have a broad party, a lot of diverse interests, and those interests need to be discussed and need to be aired. So I think it can be good, as long as the primaries remain constructive, and not destructive.

Q: Will Paterson have a primary next year?

AC: Oh, next year? Who knows what’s going to happen next year? Next year is a long way away.


Next year is indeed a long way away. A long way away indeed...

Oh yeah...me too.

Me and Josh Romney - we're in the same boat. We're both 33, politically-minded, stunningly handsome, and really smart. Had the Deseret News called me for a quote I would have said the same thing. By the way Gary - I am available, and I don't plan to run for Governor in 2010. You know, I'm just saying...I too am "considering all options."

Josh Romney Would Consider Lieutenant Governor Position

"Romney, the son of former Salt Lake Olympic leader Mitt Romney, told the Deseret News on Monday that he won't run for governor himself in 2010.

But he didn't rule out serving as soon-to-be-governor Gary Herbert's No. 2.

"It's definitely not something I'm actively campaigning for," Josh Romney said. "If it were offered to me, I would give it serious consideration."

Romney, 33, said he and Herbert have already talked several times since Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. announced he would step down once the U.S. Senate confirms his appointment as ambassador to China.

The lieutenant governor's spot "didn't come up in conversations," Romney said. "There's nothing official or serious at this point. But I'm considering all options. I find it to be a great thing to give back to the community, to serve in public office."