Warren Cornwall begins his profiles of the seven candidates in the race to replace retiring Rep. Jennifer Dunn in the 8th Congressional district. Today it's Alex Alben, a former Hollywood lawyer turned Internet prophet, or so says Alben. In early 1999, Cornwall reports, he wrote a memo as VP of RealNetworks that said people would download music for a fee, play them on small portable devices, illegally copy music, and the music industry better adapt. Alben believes he fits the mold of a Democrat who can win in the suburbs: socially liberal, eco-friendly, but also business friendly. (Gore won the 8th in 2000.)
Some hack named Coolican writes up Ralph Nader's visit, reporting that Nader and his old friends on the left are in full scale attack-counterattack mode. Only about 200 showed up for Nader, a small crowd for Seattle, though nationally Nader is running at 6 percent, well ahead of where he was in 2000. Nader started 45 minutes late, which wasn't in the story.
AP: "Anti-tax activist Tim Eyman said he will head to the Secretary of State's office this morning, with about 235,000 signatures for his Initiative 892. The measure, sure to be one of the hardest-fought campaigns this fall, would expand gambling and use the tax revenue to lower property taxes. It takes about 198,000 valid voter signatures to get an initiative on the ballot. Initiative sponsors usually try to get at least 260,000 to be safe, in case there are illegible names or signatures from people who aren't registered voters."
National
The New York Times' David Kirkpatrick, who covers movement conservatives for the gray lady, profiles Timothy Goeglein, the White House's official liaison to the right.
This White House is more attuned to the conservative base, with Geoglein's help, than any in history, Kirkpatrick reports. It remains to be seen whether the obsession with the base will lead to another one-term Bush presidency, which would be highly ironic, since inattention to the base is cited as a prime culprit for Bush 41's 1992 loss.
Also in The New York Times, Adam Nagourney reports that the Republican convention will feature the sunniest, most moderate voices the Republicans offer: Rudy, John McCain, and Ahhhhnold The Governor. Another weird switch from 1992, when the culture warriors dominated the Republican convention, despite Bush 41's moderation. Live and learn, apparently.
And finally, "Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore's indictment of the Bush administration, burned up box office records, becoming the highest grossing non-Imax documentary in history, and earning the most ever for a movie on less than 1,000 screens. More surprising, however, is that it's selling well everywhere.
Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate, joined Moore on a conference call with reporters. "The film played brilliantly this weekend in the 'red states' and the 'blue states,' and the big towns and the small towns," he said. "We played in Peoria. We literally sold out Peoria, Illinois."
Peoria.
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