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Posts published in “Day: September 19, 2007”

Overspending?

September 19, 2007

Some people will never believe it, but we long have thought that spending too heavily - which so often is spending wastefully or worse - can be as politically damaging as spending much too little. (Paging Ron Saxton . . .)

Consider this from the Oregon Measure 50 (tobacco tax/health spending) advocates Healthy Kids Oregon: "Big Tobacco is headed toward setting a spending record in Oregon. R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris have already spent $4.5 million on television and radio, potentially the largest media buy in the history of the state of Oregon for a ballot measure." (Hat tip on this to Blue Oregon)

Two corporations spending - so far, with plenty of time to go - $4.5 million on a single state ballot issue in Oregon? Doesn't that massively break all kinds of records?

Is there much way this won't, to some extent at least, backfire?

Dennis Mansfield endorses Bill Clinton . . .

September 19, 2007

Those who know the veteran Idaho social conservative will recheck their calendars to see if this is April 1. But no: Dennis Mansfield has some more-than-kind things to say on his blog about the former Democratic president.

Those have to do with an article in the current Atlantic magazine, "This is not charity," describing how the Clinton Foundation is working with for-profit businesses to help accomplish larger social purposes (against AIDS and global warming, for two). This actually meshes with Mansfield's ongoing work in rehabilitation of ex-convicts, and related activities.

Mansfield writes: "At New Hope we call it "Social Entrepreneurism". Apparently the concept is starting to take on a following across the nation - GOP and Dems, conservatives and liberals. Gee, should I say it ... Dennis Mansfield and Bill Clinton? Yep. I want to see what works ... and then implement that type of solution."

Both the magazine article (which, we should note, we had suggested to Mansfield's attention) and Mansfield's post are highly recommended reading.