A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Monday, June 21, 1998

Looking for momentum as Democrats seek to regain control of Congress, Hillary Rodham Clinton, House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt and other party heavyweights campaigned in New Mexico on the final weekend before Tuesday's dead-even race to fill a vacant House seat.

"A religion that doesn't ask sacrifice of its members won't go anywhere. I have asked sacrifice of my supporters." – Ultra-conservative Jeremy Friedbaum, who is challenging Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) in Tuesday's primary. (The Salt Lake Tribune, June 22)

Democrat Phil Maloof faces Republican Heather Wilson in a special election to replace late Rep. Steven Schiff (R). The 1st District race is this year's second special election in a western state that both parties' leaders say could be an indicator of who will control the House after November. In March, California Democrat Lois Capps defeated Republican Tom Bordonaro to retain her late husband's House seat for the party.

First Lady Campaigns for Maloof (The Albuquerque Journal, June 22)
One-of-a-Kind Campaign Nears End (The Albuquerque Journal, June 21)
Campaign Bucks' Origins Draw Fire From Foes (The Albuquerque Journal, June 20)

Tuesday's Big Party Battles in Utah Are Among Republicans
Tuesday's primaries in Utah may determine the ideological tilt of the state's all-Republican congressional delegation. While battles between moderates and conservatives are common in this year's GOP primaries, in Utah the battle is between conservative incumbents and ultra-conservative challengers. And the challengers could win if turnout plunges into the single digits, as some observers expect.
Primary: Fringe May Prevail if Turnout Is Low (The Salt Lake Tribune, June 22)

Doh! Could Mayor Quimby Beat Al Gore?
It might not be terribly surprising that a new poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that 90 percent of kids could name the show starring Homer and Bart while only 60 percent could name the vice president. Their parents were a little more in touch with the real world. Among adults, Gore trailed "The Simpsons" in name recognition by only seven percentage points – 78 percent to 85 percent.
More Recognize 'The Simpsons' Than V.P. Gore (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 2)

Calif. Prop. 227 Success Could Make Proponent Unz-Stoppable
California software entrepreneur Ron Unz, the chief architect of the successful state ballot initiative limiting bilingual education, is taking a break from politics – but maybe not for long. He says his next target could be the state's tax code or campaign finance laws.
Prop. 227 Win Gives Unz Clout for Next Move, but Initiative Author Says he Intends to Go Slowly (The Sacramento Bee, June 22)

Indiana Prosecutors End Probe of Bayh Fund-Raiser
Although their investigation of gambling influences continues, prosecutors in Marion County, Ind., have decided that a former fund-raiser for Democratic Senate candidate Evan Bayh did nothing wrong.
Lobbyist Purucker Key Target in Probe (The Star-News, Indianapolis, June 20)

Iowa Democrat Wants More Gubernatorial Debates
Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Vilsack said this weekend that he would like to have more debates against GOP hopeful Jim Ross Lightfoot. Lightfoot says that Vilsack's current television ads violate an agreement between the two candidates not to run a negative campaign.
Vilsack Calling for More Debates (The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 20)

Vote of Mentally Disabled Woman Calls Conn. Law Into Question
The sisters of a mentally disabled Connecticut woman are questioning the state's election laws after discovering that she voted in the 1996 presidential election. The executive director of Connecticut's Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities pointed out that plenty of people without a mental disability make uniformed votes all the time.
Retarded Woman's Vote Protested (The Hartford Courant, June 22)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com