Raw Story: Kerry already paying NH staffers for possible presidential bid

[whometense]

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Kerry_already_paying_NH_staffers_for_possible_presidentia_0714.html

Two of the Democrats most often mentioned as contenders for the White House in 2008 are currently paying staff to work for local candidates in New Hampshire, home of the nation’s first presidential primary, the paid-restricted Roll Call reports Thursday. Excerpts follow -- Kerry and Edwards spokespersons say it doesn't necessarily indicate a presidential bid, though experts say the move is a "fairly big step."

(snip)

Steve Elmendorf, a longtime Democratic operative who is now a lobbyist with Bryan Cave Strategies, called the moves “a fairly big step in the process.”

“You do not pay staff in New Hampshire unless you are running for president or thinking about running for president,” he added.

Spokeswomen for both Kerry’s Keeping America’s Promise PAC and Edwards’ One America PAC insisted that their efforts were part of broader campaigns bolstering the Democratic Party from the bottom up and not a signal of an early-starting presidential bid.

[Goldeneye]

1. What do you guys make of this?

He's definately thinking about running, and that makes me happy, but I can see people getting bent out of shape about this. I guess Biden's already said he's running, and Bayh is definately thinking about it, so maybe it's not that big of a deal :shrug:

ummm...the comments for the article could use a little help. Some crap about Teresa being arrogant and sloppily dressed. I responded already, but now there's a post about Kerry being a weak candidate...so maybe you guy's would like to get in there.

[TayTay]

2. This is not breaking news

1/24/05 Roll Call
Perhaps the biggest unknown on the Democratic side is whether Massachusetts Sen. JohnKerry intends to make another run for the presidency in 2008.

Kerry was generally credited with running a creditable if imperfect campaign, and it is not clear whether top Democratic operatives would flock to a second bid.

If he did decide to make the race, Kerry would likely draw on the advice of a close-knit group that includes his Senate chief of staff David McKean, consultant Jill Alper and PAC director John Giesser.
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2/10/05 Roll Call


One of the first activities for the new PAC will be to help fund a soon-to-be announced national stumping tour by Kerry to promote his KidsFirst plan, which seeks to extend health insurance to the 11 million children that are not currently covered.

The new organization will maintain offices in Boston and on Capitol Hill.

Giesser, along with Deputy Executive Director Tracey Lewis, will be based in Boston. Lewis served as a field organizer for Kerry in Florida during the 2004 campaign.

The Washington-based operation will include Jackson "Jay" Dunn, who will be the national finance director for the PAC. Dunn was national finance director at the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005.

Amy Dacey will be the new PAC's political director, after serving in a similar position during Kerry's primary and general election campaign.

Jenny Backus, a longtime political operative, will serve as a political and communications consultant to the PAC; Katharine Lister will be KAP's press secretary.

***************

Those nice letters we get are courtesy of the nice folks in the last paragraph. Nice, nice job.

[blm]

11. Smartest move Kerry could make: Hire me...and David Sirota.

.

[TayTay]

12. I like it, good ideer

Sirota is a good man. I think he would bring something to Team Kerry. (As would you. You are a fighter and that is always greatly needed.)

[blm]

13. I see Kerry exactly as he is - The person who investigated and exposed

more government corruption than any lawmaker in modern history.

[whometense]

3. I just posted it because

someone asked the other day when Kerry was going to start making a move in NH. I just wanted to point out that he already is making that move, only in a lower-key, non-speechifying way than others.

Kerry doesn't need to make speeches in NH right now. They know him very very well. He's serving his own purposes by doing this - and, in a delightful confluence of interests, those of the democratic-leaning residents of NH as well. I think it sounds just perfect.

The same old carpers who think Kerry should go away, hang his head, bleah, bleah, bleah are gonna keep right on carping every time he does anything. I don't think they're influencing anyone. They're just reinforcing each others' bitterness. I choose to ignore them and praise Kerry instead.

[WildEyedLiberal]

4. Good choice

At our little mini-meetup in DC, we had some great fun with the Lefty freeper loonies :evilgrin:

[whometense]

5. Stories?? Do tell.

I feel like it should be Friday. I want to have fun.

[WildEyedLiberal]

7. Me, Firespirit, GRLMGC, Kleeb, and a bottle of Smirnoff

Throw in some PFC (you know about THAT lunatic asylum, right?), some DLC-hatin', some blind Dean worship, and shake well.

We had fun :evilgrin:

[TayTay]

6. You should post this stuff

I was just pointing out that it's not new info. (Raw Story sometimes does that. It's a bit annoying.)

[whometense]

8. Oh, I didn't take your comment that way.

I was more responding to Goldeneye's distress at the nasty comments. :-)

My baby came home yesterday from his wanderings with a big grin, a ton of photos, and a mountain of stories. I'm much more relaxed now.

[TayTay]

9. Thank goodness

I completely understand. My baby will be going back to NYC next week for a visit. With friends. In Brooklyn. Just going by herself.
Sigh!

[whometense]

10. It's the biggest leap of faith

that is required of us. Sigh. My wandering boy is off to NYC for a week at the first possible opportunity (i.e. the next time the Sox hit the road). A condition of motherhood seems to be the ability to live with perpetual low-grade worry. I guess the trick is in keeping it low-grade. ;-)