Tag Archives: Mike Castle

Castle 45- Biden 39

That is the result of the Public Policy Polling poll that they completed this week (as we all voted on last week). From the PPP blog:

Two major trends have shown up in both polls to give Castle the early advantage. The first is an overwhelming 52-23 lead with independents. That mirrors a national trend of strong Republican performance with that group, although Castle’s edge is particularly large. The second is that he wins over far more Democrats than Biden does Republicans. Castle has a 79-10 lead within his own party, while Biden is up just 65-20 in his. Castle is winning more support from people who approve of Obama than any other Republican Senate candidate we’ve polled on nationwide this year.

They still didn’t specifically poll O’Donnell, but:

Castle may get a bit of a challenge from Christine O’Donnell in the Republican primary because 30% of the party’s voters think that he’s too liberal. Compared to other Republican Senate candidates across the country Castle is unusually popular with Democrats, as 48% view him favorably, but also unusually unpopular with Republicans, just 61% of whom view him positively. It’s unusual for the gap in favorability for a politician between the two parties to be so small.

Poll has a MOE of 4.1% . Crosstabs (pdf) here.

Does the GOP Purity Test Abandon Mike Castle?

Adam Nagourney at the NYT brings up this possibility in their political blog today:

Mr. Castle in many ways is a textbook example of why some Republicans think the party should avoid such purity tests. He appears to be, without dispute, the strongest candidate that the party could choose to take back the seat.

But in the course of his career, he has taken positions on abortion, energy and gun control that could, at least in theory, lead Republicans to argue that he has failed the test laid out in the resolution. If that were the case, the Republican National Committee might have to sit out a Castle-Biden race.

This is a way to back into a definition of “moderate” that makes Castle look good and reinforces his own press on the business of “moderation”. And NOT passing the GOP Purity test would likely be an advantage to Castle here — because the teabaggers and the wingnuts are not particularly many here. A purity test would help O’Donnell, though — who could really use the boost of national party support.

Castle could likely get his handwaving on to make the case for passing this test just to make the teabaggers and wingnuts happy — but that doesn’t seem especially smart. So what do you think? Will the GOP implement this purity test and shoot down their best chance at a Senatorial seat pickup?

Conservative Senators Love Mike Castle

Anyone who thinks Mike Castle would be some kind of moderate thorn in the side of the conservative GOP Senate minority leadership is fooling themselves.

Among those senators who reported giving to Castle in October were Thad Cochran (Miss.), whose Senate Victory Fund PAC gave $10,000; Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), whose OrrinPAC donated $5,000; Pat Roberts (Kan.), whose Preserving America’s Traditions PAC gave $5,000; and Mike Johanns (Neb.), whose Prairieland PAC donated $2,000.

Link: CQ

Cochran is what passes for a “moderate” in Mississippi, which means just like Castle, he voted with Bush almost all of the time except on Stem Cells. Cochran and Roberts are two of only nine Senators to vote against prohibiting torture at Guantanamo. Roberts spent his time as Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman busily covering up the Bush Administration’s malfeasance. Orrin hatch recently declared “holy war” over health card reform, but joins Castle and Cochran in the Stem Cell Club (health research is fine as long as no one can afford to benefit from it). Johanns, the newcomer of the group, wrote the unconstitutional Bill of Attainder against ACORN, but voted against the Franken amendment that would withhold funding from defense contractors who try to prevent sexually assaulted employees from going to court (In the case of Jamie Leigh Jones, KBR locked her in a shipping container without food or water).

Just as banking and health insurer money bought Castle’s votes on bankruptcy and health care, so too will these Senators buy Castle votes on civil liberties and the reactionary social agenda (now you know why Castle voted for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, AKA denying coverage for emergency contraception).

Biden Leads Castle In A Just-Released Poll

Whoa, big news! All-but-announced Senate candidate Beau Biden leads Mike Castle in a new poll by 5%. This is bad news for Mike Castle:

In a hypothetical match-up of the candidates, Democrat Beau Biden leads GOP challenger and Delaware Congressman Mike Castle by a margin of 45 to 40 percent; 8% are undecided and 6% say would vote for another candidate. This 5-point lead for Biden, which is statistically significant because it is outside the poll’s 3.36% margin of error, marks the first time in publicly-released surveys that Biden has held the lead. It also represents a significant shift in support for Biden compared to our April survey which showed Castle with a 21-point lead, mainly due to Biden’s increased support with critical independent voters which make up nearly 1 in 4 voters in Delaware. A second explanation for the shift away from Castle in the current poll may be a result of negative publicity he received in the state after casting a “no” vote for President Obama’s health care reform bill in the U.S. Congress. The current poll was conducted 11/10 – 11/15, the week immediately following the weekend when the U.S. House of Representatives voted on this landmark legislation.

As we expected, Democrats are coming home. Castle had some bad publicity with his health care reform vote.

New Commercial Targets Castle on Health Care Vote

This excellent commercial is from the SEIU in conjunction with the Foundation for Patients’ Rights, and started broadcasting in Delaware markets last night:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH4Ja9lAdqs[/youtube]

Nice reminder that Castle is not voting for the interests of people who live here. Hope that one targeting Carper encouraging him to Do The Right Thing for the Senate bill is on the drawing board.

The Castle Amendment – Bend Over!

Here is the amendment Mike Castle added to the GOP “Die Quickly” Health Insurance Bill.

‘‘In applying subparagraph (B), a group health plan
(or a health insurance issuer with respect to health
insurance coverage) may vary premiums and cost
sharing by up to 50 percent of the value of the benefits under the plan (or coverage) based on participation (or lack of participation) in a standards-based
wellness program.’’.
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made
by paragraph (1) shall apply to plan years beginning
more than 1 year after the date of the enactment of
this Act.

So Mike Castle’s contribution to the bill is to allow your health insurance company to raise your premiums 50% because you didn’t adhere to their strict-as-hell wellness program (which probably requires you to report to them your diet and exercise habits).

I’m serious, that’s Mike Castle’s plan – letting your insurance company raise your rates for not exercising enough. The goal is to generate profits for the health insurance monopolies that contribute huge sums of money to his campaign (an industry generating record profits at the expense of bankrupting consumers). This isn’t your typical “weak-tea” Castle spinelessness, this is the real Mike Castle finally showing it’s evil, crooked face and telling you to “bend over” in the name of profit.

The next time you hear someone suggest they might vote for Castle, or that he’s some kind of “moderate”, remind them that Castle wanted to raise our health insurance premiums 50%.

What a sick fucking crook.

Castle to Uninsured: Die Quickly (and forces women to buy abortion insurance separately)

  1. Mike Castle voted to prevent private insurers from covering abortions if they receive public subsidies. Under the Stupid Stupak Amendment, women would have to buy abortion “riders” from their insurers separately. Since many women are insured through their husband’s employer (especially those who choose to be stay-at-home mothers, and let’s not forget college students insured by their parents), this amounts to a stealth “spousal consent/parental consent” law. Mike Castle thinks women deserve the extra stress and scrutiny of buying extra abortion-specific insurance.
  2. Mike Castle voted for the Republican health care plan – the “Die Quickly” plan that does absolutely nothing for the uninsured and weakens regulations on health insurance companies (because gee, they’re so ethical and responsible!). I (and Rep. Grayson) call it the “Die Quickly” plan because if you don’t have insurance and you get a terminal disease/condition, you can’t afford to be kept on life support. You can either die quickly or bankrupt your entire family (it’s bad enough that they’re going to lose you, but now they lose everything they own, too). Oh, and keep in mind that Castle voted to restrict bankruptcy also, so he hopes you choose the “death” option. Mike Castle supports this system and wants to give insurers more freedom to drop people who might actually need expensive health care. (Supposedly, this will cause one of the most profitable industries in the world, which is exempt from anti-monopoly laws, to magnanimously lower their prices for people who are paying for coverages of services that they don’t need, and will be dropped if they ever do need them).
  3. Despite voting for the Stupak Amendment (which passed), Castle voted against the final health care bill. So Castle’s stance on health care is fuck you, nothing, go ahead and die. Unless you haven’t been born yet, then you need to pay extra to die.

What a jerk. How can anyone possibly think of allowing this asshole into the Senate? Isn’t Carper bad enough?

Day 285 of Mike Castle’s Betrayal of Delaware

Last night Mike Castle continued illustrious career of representing the Republican Party and not the State of Delaware by voting against The Affordable Health Care for America Act. You can read his excuses at I ♥ GOP or read the shorter version here: “I was only following orders!”

As a bonus, remember that Mike Castle betrayed women yesterday with his affirmative vote on the Stupak Amendment. I thought about making this Day 2 of Mike Castle’s Betrayal of Women, however Castle’s vote against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would make it Day 298 of Mike Castle’s Betrayal of Women.

The Castle Purging Begins on Saturday

Apparently there is a Tea Party this Saturday in Dover.  I guess that it is being advertised on Stormfront or wherever those people get together online.  Last time they did this, there was a minor bruhaha about Tea Party barfly, Mike Protack and his demand for top billing.  This time, an actual candidate for an actual office is speaking.

This Saturday, November 7, at 1:00 p.m., U.S. Senate Candidate Christine O’Donnell will speak at the Delaware Tea Party Rally to be held at Legislative Mall, in Dover. In her first campaign speech for election 2010, Christine will join participants to stand in opposition to the Obama-Pelosi liberal agenda that seeks to increase government authority and decrease individual freedom and liberty.

I wonder how Christine O’Donnell took the results of NY-23?  Is she emboldened by the ejection of Scozzafava?  I hope so.  Perhaps Mike Castle will be forced to burnish his conservative credentials and run to the right for a couple of months.  If so, his soft fleshy flank will be revealed for its Bush-enabling for 8 years and massive wounds will be opened by the Democratic opponent.

When you consider that Mike Castle may have no support from the NRSC until he wins his primary, this could spell trouble for a guy with anemic fundraising.  Do the money men want to be on the wrong side of the “true conservatives”?

Hey Dick Armey!  Mike Castle hates embryoes!  Come and get him!

High-Risk Energy Grants Awarded To Delaware

Over $150 million in grants were awarded to 37 different “radical” energy research projects reports The New York Times. Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), that received its initial funding of $400 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is distributing the monies in 17 states. ARPA-E breaks down the distribution further:

Of the lead recipients, 43% are small businesses, 35% are educational institutions, and 19% are large corporations. In supporting these teams, ARPA-E seeks to bring together America’s brightest energy innovators to pioneer a low cost, secure, and low carbon energy future for the nation.

The University of Delaware and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company are among those receiving grants. The University of Delaware will be receiving $4,462,162 while DuPont was awarded $9 million. The UD project will focus on vehicle technologies that “would decrease the weight and increase the efficiency of motors for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles and generators for advanced wind turbines.” DuPont’s project will look at biomass fuels, specifically seaweed —  “a potentially sustainable and scalable new source of biomass that doesn’t require arable land or potable water.”

Note that Congressman Mike Castle should not take any credit for these grants coming to Delaware since he voted against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Mike Castle, He’s Talking About You

Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY9) has been a real hero in the fight for health care reform. He has released a study that shows 151 current members of Congress receive Medicare, the dreaded government-run health care system, including 55 Republicans. All of these Republicans are opponents of the public option. Here is the list:

Rep. Ralph M. Hall
Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett
Rep. Sam Johnson
Rep. C.W. Bill Young
Rep. Howard Coble
Sen. Jim Bunning
Sen. Richard G. Lugar
Rep. Don Young
Sen. Charles E. Grassley
Sen. Robert F. Bennett
Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch
Sen. Richard C. Shelby
Rep. Jerry Lewis
Sen. James M. Inhofe
Rep. Ron Paul
Rep. Henry E. Brown
Sen. Pat Roberts
Sen. George V. Voinovich
Sen. John McCain
Rep. Judy Biggert
Sen. Thad Cochran
Rep. Harold Rogers
Rep. Dan Burton
Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon
Rep. Frank R. Wolf
Sen. Christopher S. Bond
Rep. Michael N. Castle
Rep. Joe Pitts
Rep. Tom Petri
Sen. Lamar Alexander
Rep. Doc Hastings
Rep. Cliff Stearns
Rep. Sue Myrick
Rep. John Carter
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Sen. Jon Kyl
Rep. Phil Gingrey
Rep. Nathan Deal
Rep. John Linder
Rep. Kay Granger
Rep. John L. Mica
Rep. Walter B. Jones
Sen. Jim Risch
Rep. Ed Whitfield
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner
Rep. Virginia Foxx
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite
Sen. Saxby Chambliss
Sen. Michael B. Enzi
Rep. Elton Gallegly
Rep. Donald Manzullo
Rep. Peter T. King
Rep. Ander Crenshaw

Mike Castle, are you willing to give up your Medicare?