It is, in fact, a blatant power-play, intended to boost metropolitan numbers for congressional redistricting, generate billions more in federal grants to democrat-controlled cities and pander to the Hispanic bloc. 

WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats have blocked a GOP attempt to require next year’s census forms to ask people whether they are a U.S. citizen.

The proposal by Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter was aimed at excluding immigrants from the population totals that are used to figure the number of congressional representatives for each state. Critics said Vitter’s plan would discourage immigrants from responding to the census and would be hugely expensive. They also said that it’s long been settled law that the apportionment of congressional seats is determined by the number of people living in each state, regardless of whether they are citizens. A separate survey already collects the data.

The plan fell after a 60-39 procedural vote made it ineligible for attachment to a bill funding the census.

This is nothing less than a direct, blatant assault on the very meaning and intent of citizenship; a disgrace of monstrous proportions.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091105/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_counting_immigrants_1

2.  Public figures like President Obama and former Governor Sarah Palin have little or no impact on state and local elections.

3.  Local voters resent outside interference by ideologues and power-brokers in local elections.

4.  3rd party candidates almost never win elections, no matter what their political persuasion is.

5.  Conservatives will never succeed as a third-party.

6.  The destiny of conservatism lies within the Republican Party.

7.  Conservative economic principles sell well.

8.  Americans don’t want gay marriage legalized.

9.  The Republican Party is alive and well.

10. The mainstream liberal media and conservative radio have far less influence on state and local elections than we think they do.

11. Whole blocs of the Democratic party - Labor, youth, blacks - can be hard to motivate for state and local races, unless they see something to be gained for themselves.

12. The Republican base will almost always vote as a matter of principle, no matter what.

13. More and more, elections are decided by undeclared, uncommitted voters who frequently lean right.

14. Off-year and special elections tend to benefit the party out of power.

15. The Democrats should be nervous - very nervous - about 2010.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)—Voters in the northeastern state of Maine repealed a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, dealing the gay rights movement a heartbreaking defeat in the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.

Gay marriage has now lost in every single state—31 in all—in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine—known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate—and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.

With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the votes.

“The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation,” declared Frank Schubert, chief organizer for the winning side.

In every state where the people have voted on it, homosexual marriage has been defeated, and Maine becomes the 31st to do so.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/04/maine-voters-reject-gay-marriage/?feat=home_headlines

WATERTOWN, N.Y. - One day after conservative activists succeeded in forcing Republican Dede Scozzafava to quit New York’s special congressional election, many residents in this sleepy town just south of the Canadian border say they are fed up with outsiders influencing the race.

And while the district leans Republican, it is far from clear where the state assemblywoman’s former supporters will direct their votes Tuesday. In an odd twist, Mrs. Scozzafava on Sunday endorsed Democratic nominee Bill Owens, while Republican leaders have thrown their support behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. The two men were locked in a statistical dead heat as of Saturday.

“I think it’s a shame,” electrician William O’Donnell said of Mrs. Scozzafava’s withdrawal. A self-described “ex-Republican,” Mr. O’Donnell blamed her poor showing in the polls on “outsiders coming up and trying to push their agenda down our throats.”

“The only thing they care about is getting one more seat [in Congress]. After that, they’re not going to care about what’s going on up here,” he said.

An Owens victory, resulting from voter resentment over outside conservative influence, would be an ironic and telling result. A Hoffman win would send up a clear signal to the GOP nationwide.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/02/outsiders-influence-irks-voters-in-ny-house-race/

Lieberman Marching Further Right in 2010
Subway Series: Former Dem Veep Candidate Plans to Campaign for GOP
By JONATHAN KARL
Oct. 30, 2009

Sounding more like an independent than a Democrat, Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., tells ABC News he will campaign for some Republican candidates during the 2010 midterm elections and may not seek the Democratic Senate nomination when he runs for re-election in 2012.

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl chats with Sen. Joe Lieberman on the Capitol Hill subway"I probably will support some Republican candidates for Congress or Senate in the election in 2010. I’m going to call them as I see them,” Lieberman said in an ABC News “Subway Series” interview aboard the U.S. Capitol Subway System.

Lieberman infuriated fellow Democrats in 2008 by supporting Republican presidential nominee John McCain as well as congressional candidates Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.

Having said that, I recently published a post titled New York’s 23rd District: Why Scozafazza Must Win  in which I strongly defended the wisdom of supporting the Republican candidate Dierdre Scozzafava over Conservative Doug Hoffman in order to prevent a potential democrat victory.

I studied the responses to my post carefully and found myself having second thoughts. Gene’s comment sticks in my mind…

Putting aside our ethics and convictions in order to maintain an imaginary republican presence is a losing strategy.

... and then there was an impassioned plea from Glenn Beck on this very issue, and while I frequently find him to be a little over-the-top, his observations on the 23rd race rang true.

I would be dishonest if I didn’t admit here and now that I am pursuaded [by many of you] that I was wrong - in part - in my previous post.

Hoffman could  win. Indeed he may  win.  That being the case, he gets my support; not just because he looks  like a winner, but because he speaks  as a conservative, and I am now convinced that that  was and is the more important issue.

That’s just one of the reasons why SAB is a great place to exchange ideas and learn .

Thus would we send another democrat to Washington. Hoffman cannot win; he can only guarantee a democratic victory.

And don’t bother saying that it doesn’t matter. It does! Once in DC, members of congress are more-or-less held in line by their party’s caucus, as Scozafazza would be.

An estimated 8 - 10 million conservatives withheld their vote from John McCain in 2008. Look what it got us. The rigid litmus-test applied by conservatives [principle over pragmatism] has cost us dearly and will continue to do so. Remember that democrats would unite behind a cockroach if they thought it could win.

Here are the voter registration numbers for the 23rd…
Voter Registration As at 4/1/07
Dem - 115,660 (29.50%)
Rep - 173,376 (44.22%)
Other - 103,050 (26.28%)

A shift of only 20,000 votes - among those who ACTUALLY turn out, could easily hand the democrats a victory.

Finally, here is some interesting background information about the 23rd from racetracker.com.

“New York’s 23rd Congressional District primarily covers most of the Northern Adirondacks and the St. Lawerence Seaway regions. The district is ancestral Republican territory and has been represented by Representatitive John M. McHugh (R - Pierrepont Manor) since 1992 when David O’Brien Martin (R - Canton) retired. The 23rd district is now the only remaining Eastern Upstate New York congressional district still being held by a Republican.

Although the 23rd district continues to maintain a fairly large GOP registration advantage, Bush only carried the district with 51% in 2004, and Al Gore narrowly won the district under the previous configuration in 2000. This is largely due to the fact that the northern portion of the district, along the Canadian border, now consistently votes Democratic in presidential elections.”

Nothing would make me happier than a Hoffman upset, but sooner or later we have to learn to play the cards we are dealt, and stop trying to reshuffle the deck to guarantee a conservative purist.

Nothing is more satisfying to the liberal-left than the constant squabbling between ‘republicans’ and ‘conservatives’. They win. We lose.”

Abortion Policy/Pro-Choice
Abortion Policy/Pro-Life
Accountants
Advertising/Public Relations
Aerospace, Defense Contractors
Agribusiness
Agricultural Services & Products
Agriculture
Air Transport
Air Transport Unions
Airlines
Alcoholic Beverages
Alternative Enegy Production & Services
Architectural Services
Attorneys/Law Firms
Auto Dealers
Auto Dealers, Japanese
Auto Manufacturers
Automotive

Banking, Mortgage
Banks, Commercial
Banks, Savings & Loans
Bars & Restaurants
Beer, Wine & Liquor
Books, Magazines & Newspapers
Broadcasters, Radio/TV
Builders/General Contractors
Builders/Residential
Building Materials & Equipment
Building Trade Unions
Business Associations
Business Services

For the complete list… go here…

http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/alphalist_indus.php