WASHINGTON – Whether it’s purely a media creation or not, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has found himself in the lead into two of the early states that will play an integral role determining who the nominees are for the next president of the United States.
In August, Huckabee finished second in the much-hyped Iowa straw poll, but spent just a fraction of the money the winner, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney spent. Since then, he’s garnered a lot of public attention.
But, it probably didn’t hurt Huckabee that a Montgomery gastroenterologist advertised the former Arkansas governor’s candidacy by using an e-mail list he compiled to promote Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ” in 2004 that has 71 million addresses.
According to The Washington Post, the list produced 414,000 contacts for the Huckabee campaign in Iowa alone.
It’s probably safe to assume there are few hundred thousand e-mail addresses of Alabamians on Brinson’s list also.
Northrop Grumman stepping up KC-30 ad campaign
This is probably a good sign, but throughout Washington – at the Metro (Washington’s mass-transit system) stations and in the political dailies – Northrop Grumman has ramped up their marketing efforts for the KC-X refueling tanker competition with Boeing.
For every Boeing KC-767 advertisement, there is a Northrop Grumman KC-30 advertisement at the Metro stops near the Pentagon. In the December 12 issue of The Hill, both Boeing and Northrop Grumman had full-page color ads touting the superiority of their prototype.
Conspicuously missing from the Northrop Grumman marketing efforts were Airbus or EADS – Northrop Grumman’s partner with KC-30 bid.
The increase in marketing from both sides is a positive sign for Mobile’s shot. A few months back, things seemed to be leaning toward Boeing, but the ads show Northrop Grumman is still optimistic, or they wouldn’t have spent the resources on the marketing and the reciprocity from Boeing indicates they’re not counting a victory over the EADS/Northrop Grumman partnership yet.
Sessions: We’re involved daily on the bid process
The rhetoric from our politicians has swung to a more hopeful tone also for what that’s worth. We’re hearing less of the “we should be thrilled we’re still in the game,” and more “our chances are still good.”
“We’re involved with it on a daily basis,” Sen. Jeff Sessions said to Lagniappe. “We’re in touch with people that are involved. It is, however, in the mode of an analysis in the Department of Defense. They’re going through this on a fairly open process. We’re just hopeful that Alabama will be the site selected and at least the company Northrop/EADS wins the bid and it will be a tremendous thing to see that happen.”
An EADS plant in Mobile would put Alabama on the map along with Washington state as far as aircraft manufacturing goes.
“It’ll be quite an event to see the old Brookley Air Force Base, that was closed 40 years ago, now become the site of world-class aircraft manufacturing and indeed we could see it go beyond the refueling tankers after that contract is let. So we’re staying on top of it in every way. We care about it deeply and there’s some time before that occurs.”
Sessions claimed that although this is an American/European partnership, both prototypes would use roughly 60 percent of American-made components.
Sessions takes stab at a leadership post
There had been some talk that Alabama’s junior senator was interested in the vice chairman spot of the Senate Republican Conference.
The possibility arose after Sen. Trent Lott (R.-Miss.) announced his resignation from the Senate effective the end of the year and the opening of the minority whip position Lott currently holds would create a shake-up in the GOP Senatorial power structure.
However, the cards didn’t fall right for Sessions when Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R.-Texas) decided not to run for chairman.
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R.-Tenn.) eventually won the chairman’s spot after Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl was elected to replace Lott as the minority whip.
Sessions’ efforts did indicate Mobile’s hometown senator does have ambitions to move up the Senate totem pole.
APB: Signs of life from the Figures senate campaign
Alabama State Sen. Vivian Figures hasn’t made much of a charge since her August announcement that she’d run for Senate against Sen. Jeff Sessions.
Her campaign’s Web site, Figures2008.com, has a page devoted to why you should vote for her and not Sessions.
It listed “Protecting American jobs and securing our borders” as one of the seven reasons to vote for her over the incumbent.
That’s an interesting choice, because she has a lot prove if she wants to top Sessions on the immigration issue.
Contact Jeff Poor at jeffreypoor@yahoo.com.
Archives
Beltway Beat
