Rep. Laura Richardson's (D-Calif.) personal financial problems didn't trouble voters in 2008 when she first won reelection to the House. But in a year when ethical issues are compounded by anti-incumbent sentiment, she may be in trouble. And it doesn't help that the Democrat is embroiled in another ethics controversy.

Richardson's decision earlier this year to take her 19 staff members on a helicopter tour of Long Beach is now being crititicized, according to the Contra Costa Times. Richardson's party took off in two Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helicopters at a cost of over $20,000 to taxpayers. The controversy is giving hope to her three primary challengers -- two of which she faced in 2008.

College professor Peter Mathews and writer Lee Davis are again trying to unseat Richardson, while attorney Terrance Ponchak is making his first go at the congresswoman.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is scouting for local talent after two top campaign staffers left to take other jobs.

A McCain spokesman announced Friday that campaign manager Shiree Verdone and her deputy, Mike Hellon, were "transitioning" to an Arizona-focused GOP fundraising venture. It was a "mutual decision" that had been in the works for "a while," according to the campaign.

"As part of the campaign's plan for this election year, Shiree and Mike are transitioning over to work with party committees to create a ticket-wide Republican Victory operation," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said in a statement. "Sen. McCain is very grateful for all that Shiree and Mike have done to launch the re-election campaign and establish it on a firm footing, and looks forward to working closely with them for Victory in November."

McCain is now looking for Arizona-based talent to replace Verdone and Hellon and expects to announce new hires in the coming weeks, according to a campaign official. McCain's small circle of top advisors, which includes Rick Davis, Charlie Black and Mark Salter, are still overseeing the his reelection effort.

McCain's primary opponent dubbed the departures a "meltdown."
 
"This is the hottest race in the country and the top two people don't just jump ship with three months to go before the primary election unless something is wrong," said a spokesman for former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.). "This looks more like a meltdown than a makeover."
 
Some observers have characterized the departure as a shake-up, which came as a result of the reception of McCain's latest TV commercial wherein he uses the phrase "complete the danged fence" while strolling along the U.S.-Mexico border. It was widely panned but is still airing in Arizona, the campaign confirmed. There were other signs of trouble.

The campaign's office opening in Tucson on Friday was chaotic. McCain was unable to attend because his flight was grounded by weather in Dallas. His staff scrambled to get House candidate Jonathan Paton (R) to fill in, but he had other engagements. That left Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup and car dealer Jim Click to speak to the crowd, who were primed to hear from the senator himself.

Verdone and Hellon were hired at a time when the four-term senator was expected to coast to reelection. Initially tasked with managing petition signature gathering and other routine activities, that changed when Hayworth got into the primary and sought to exploit McCain's perceived weakness on immigration and border issues. The double departure confirms that despite some polls showing him with a double-digit lead, McCain recognizes he faces a stiff primary challenge from Hayworth.

Delaware businesswoman Michele Rollins (R) won her party's endorsement for the nomination for the state's open House seat.

The deep-pocketed Rollins was the favorite going into Saturday's convention at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. She was competing with fellow Republicans Glen Urquhart and Kevin Wade for the party's backing.

The winner needed 60 percent support from some 350 delegates to get the party's endorsement. Rollins received more than 50 percent on the first ballot, then won 68 percent on the second, according to the Wilmington News Journal.

"I am thrilled," said Rollins. "You can love your country, you can want to do good and want to go to Washington -- but to be reaffirmed by the people of your party!"

Urquhart reiterated his plan to continue campaigning through the September 14 primary.

"Now the race begins for those 30,000 [primary] votes," he said. "That's where our strength lies -- with the regular people of Delaware. ... Michele just said competition makes us stronger, and we will be a stronger party."

Rep. Mike Castle (R) got the party's backing in the Senate race.

CBS's Bob Schieffer says the White House is preparing for an Arlen Specter loss in Pennsylvania tomorrow.

"I have been told on background and so forth that the White House is preparing for a Specter loss here, and the White House doesn't want to be associated with that," Schieffer told a local CBS affiliate. (Video on the top right).

Gov. Ed Rendell (D-Pa.), a Specter supporter, acknowledged this morning that the race has tightened and Specter will need a big turnout to prevail.

A Specter loss would be a big blow to the Democratic establishment, who so far enjoyed pointing out Republican infighting.

Democratic and Republican strategists are poised to take their campaign battles to the iPhone and iPad ahead of this year's tough midterm elections.

As smartphone popularity continues to grow exponentially -- with 2009 marking the first time consumers used phones for data more than calls -- strategists seem to agree the newest trench in political warfare is none other than the mobile device.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) was the first party organization out of the gate with an iPhone app, released last Friday. The tool allows users to follow GOP Senate races with the help of a feed aggregates Republican campaign news across the NRSC's Twitter, Facebook and blog pages.

The app also includes Senate race descriptions, video archives and ways for users to receive more campaign information and share it with friends.

"So many more people are using mobile, using iPhones and other smart phones, and now the iPhone will be going to Verizon -- [the audience for the NRSC app is] that sort of market of folks who are dropping their landlines and using their mobile phones for connecting more and more," Katie Harbath, Chief Digital Strategist at NRSC, told TechPresident last week. (It is not clear, however, if and when the iPhone might migrate to Verizon.)

However, the Democratic National Committee soon plans to one-up the NRSC: A spokeswoman told Hillicon Valley on Monday that the DNC is planning its own campaign app, available on both the iPhone and iPad.

That tool, due out this summer, will offer Democratic voters "news updates and access to the latest election information along with a variety of other features," said the DNC's Brandi Hoffine.

“The Obama campaign and its successor Organizing for America has prided itself on being on the cutting edge technologically with respect to engaging and involving Americans in politics and in helping pass the president’s agenda for change across all types of mediums and platforms," she said. 

(Cross-posted from Hillicon Valley)

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said Sen. Arlen Specter needs a good turnout in the southeast to win his Tuesday primary.

Read more...

Former president Bill Clinton tried to assuage angry Pennsylvania voters during a rally for Democrat Mark Critz in Johnstown Sunday.

"A lot of what people are feeling now is just pure frustration because the ground keeps moving on them," Clinton said, according to the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. "Let me ask you something. Forget about politics. Think about decisions you made in your life when you were really mad. There's about an 80 percent chance you made a mistake. Isn’t that right?"

Clinton was joined at the rally by Critz and Joyce Murtha, widow of the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.). Critz faces Republican Tim Burns in the race to fill Murtha's seat.

Joyce Murtha introduced Clinton as her husband's friend and "golfing buddy," noting the former president campaigned for his reelection in 2008. "He's back again for Mark Critz, and to make sure Mark continues Jack’s work," Murtha told the crowd of 1,000 people in the Pasquerilla Conference Center.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has already drawn its conclusions about Tuesday's primaries, Dr. Rand Paul (R) is ready to host a tea party in Kentucky, and Pennsylvania's special election is heading to a "photo finish," according to a new poll.

Heads we win, tails you lose

The NRSC believes the closely fought primaries in Pennsylvania and Arkansas have exposed fissures in the Democratic Party.

"At best the White House political operation will narrowly win two Democratic primaries tomorrow, at worst they lost both after being heavily involved at the outset," Rob Jesmer, NRSC's executive director, wrote in a memo released Monday. "It should raise serious questions in the minds of Democratic Senate candidates whether the President and the Democrats' Washington agenda will be a benefit or a detriment to their campaigns this November."

The committee also happily pointed to Organizing for America's efforts on behalf of Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), who is polling neck-and-neck with Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

"The perception that the president's vaunted grassroots organization and his fundraising ability which led him to victory in 2008 would somehow transfer to Democratic candidates in 2010 has been exposed to be a paper tiger," Jesmer said.

From Utah to Kentucky

Paul told the New York Times this weekend that he plans to ride the "wave" of Tea Party support to victory in Tuesday's primary with Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R).

"There's a Tea Party tidal wave coming. It's already hit Utah and it's coming to Kentucky," Paul told the paper. "The day of reckoning is coming."

What's interesting about Kentucky is that only voters who registered as Republicans before Dec. 31, 2009, can vote in the GOP primary, which means that latecomers to the movement will be shut out. If Paul does win, it may say more about the changing mood of the GOP than the power of the Tea Party movement.

And the winner is …

Republican Tim Burns has a slight edge ahead of Tuesday's special election for the late Rep. John Murtha's (D-Pa.) seat. He leads Democrat Mark Critz 48-47 percent in a new Public Policy Polling survey of the race.

PPP points out in a release: "There's been very little movement in the race since PPP polled it a month ago. The main difference is that negative campaigning has driven up both candidates' negatives by 10-11 points. Where Burns' favorability was a net +19 in April it's now just +8. And where Critz was previously at a net +7 it's now -6."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said Sunday that even though he had endorsed Sen. Robert Bennett, his ousting last weekend at Utah's GOP convention was a "sign of anger of the American people."

"Bennett is a very reasonable person," Gingrich said. "I think they wanted someone to come and fight."

The speaker said on "Fox News Sunday" that he expected the voter anger to carry through into the fall.

"I think voters are very upset and should be," he said, predicting that Republican Meg Whitman would win the governor's seat in California.

Gingrich also commented on the race between Democrats Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania, with an aside to former GOP Specter.

"I did one of his last Republican fundraisers for him and always wished he returned the money," he said.