Jonathan D. Blundell

As reported earlier, from Kinky Friedman’s website:

“As our staff is beginning to consolidate and organize all of the petitions that Ms. Strayhorn turned in yesterday, we have consolidated her 101 boxes (of petitions) down to 12,” says Scott Haywood, communications director for the Secretary of State’s office. Haywood is not sure what the agency will do with the leftover cartons (all 101 delivered Tuesday were slapped with Strayhorn bumper stickers). He made it clear that Strayhorn did not fill boxes to the brim. “If she had not been so hungry for media attention, we would not have had to waste time consolidating her petitions into a more usable format. By trying to get a bigger play in the media, she has made the process more time-consuming for our office.”
The retort from Brad McClellan, the comptroller’s son, mentions the outsized burden of paper:
“Try organizing one box full or carrying one full,” McClellan said. “It’s a shame they waste time doing this cheap partisan attack.”

Kinky’s campaign noted that they would (and did) bring their signatures in 11 tightly filled boxes and would bring plenty of muscle to carry the boxes.

Thanks to an observant reader*:
Fox News’ Neil Cavuto has an interview with Murdoch online.
Here’s the clip about Rupert and Clinton:

CAVUTO: There’s a fear that Republicans are going to lose the game in November, that they’re going to lose the House, as a distinct possibility, maybe even the Senate, in a rout. Do you see that?
MURDOCH: I think it’s possible. I think the chances are, they will get their act together.
It’s ridiculous. Consumer confidence is high. There’s no real unemployment. The economy is booming. And, usually, people will vote according to the hip pocket nerve. And, on that basis, they would be increasing. But, somehow…
CAVUTO: Why aren’t they doing that?
MURDOCH: Somehow, the White House is not getting it across to the people that they’re responsible with their economic policies.
And it’s amazing how well we’re absorbing the price of oil, which I think speaks tremendously for the efficiency, increasing efficiency, of American industry.
CAVUTO: I would be remiss if, while you were still here, I didn’t bring up Hillary Clinton. Everyone is talking about this fund-raiser you’re doing for her.
(LAUGHTER)
CAVUTO: What is going on with that?
MURDOCH: It’s going to be a very small fund-raiser, people in this building. I hope you will come.
And I think she’s been a good senator. And you know, we don’t agree on a lot of things, of course. But she’s going to get reelected here. There’s no opposition. There’s no Republican Party in New York state any longer, it would seem.
And I think, you know, she’s doing very well for us and for — I’m talking, parochially, for New York state.
CAVUTO: How about as president? Would she make a good president?
MURDOCH: Well, that’s a different question. I don’t even know that she’s going to run.

*(I wonder what name I should give my readers. Front Burner says, Front Burnians or members of the FB Nation. Strangers might be a little unwelcoming. Any ideas?)

Kinky Friedman turns in 169,574 signatures today to the Texas Secretary of State. That’s more than three times the required 45,400 signatures.
Here’s some other interesting facts on the signatures from Kinky’s website:

Facts About Kinky’s Petition Drive:
More than 169,000 total signatures
At least one signature from every single county (254) in Texas
More than 3,444 individual circulators
More than 4,892 individual petition parts
90% of signatures gathered by volunteers
10% of signatures gathered by paid volunteers who committed to 500+ signatures
Paid signature collectors received $1 per signature
No outside corporations were hired for the petition drive
All signature validation took place in-house, with data entry tabulated on a custom database designed especially for this effort
Up to 6 volunteers entering data up to 14 hours per day since March 9th

Dallas Blog reports that Murdoch, the head of Fox News, NY Post and the Weekly Standard, will be holding a fundraiser for possible Democratic Presidential candidate in 2008, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY.
Murdoch has been a huge backer of the Bush Administration and also endorsed Tony Blair in his campaign for Prime Minister.
Dallas Blog suggests that this may be a sign of Murdoch switching sides as a matter of convenience in anticipation of a Clinton presidency in 2009.

The Murdoch media entities have been closely identified with the neoconservative advocacy of the War in Iraq; and, more recently, his US publications have been pushing for military action in Iran. Mrs. Clinton has been supportive of the Iraqi war and has called for stronger action against Iran to address that country’s development of a nuclear capability.

From the Telegraph in Calcutta:

The decision marks an abrupt change for Murdoch, whose combative New York Post tabloid assailed Hillary during her successful run for the Senate in 2000.
His enormously influential Fox News television channel was once described by Hillary as part of a “vast Right-wing conspiracy”.
But with Hillary moderating many of her positions as she considers a run for the presidency in 2008 and with the Republicans taking a hammering in the polls, the time appears ripe for reconciliation.

Kinky Friedman is expected to bring 11 tightly packed boxes of signatures to the Texas Secretary of State in about 30 minutes (at noon today).
According to Pink Dome, Carole Keeton Strayhorn brought her 223,000 signatures in over 100 boxes and the SOS said Strayhorns campaign could have easily fit them all in 12 boxes.

Anyone else seen page 21A of the DMN today?
Crazy ad on there. Wonder who came up with that.