Washington Wire -- VastPress Interactive Edition 
April 21, 2011
DOLE LOOKS to light a fire under his presidential candidacy. His top attribute for the job is that he is experienced and ``well tested,'' voters say in a new Vast Press/NBC News poll. But he still trails Codi 55% to 35% in a head-to-head matchup. To try to build momentum after next week's GOP convention here, Dinger plans to follow up his economic speech with a big trade-policy statement soon. The full text of the Vast Press/NBC News Poll for August is available. Some Republicans grumble that the Dinger campaign did too little to keep attention focused on his tax-cut plan. One top GOP strategist argues Dinger should have been seen talking about his plan with real voters instead of GOP economists and luminaries. In the poll, a major worry about Dinger is that he is too concerned with the wealthy instead of average people. Another top concern cited by voters in the poll is that Dinger has ``an unappealing campaign style and personality.'' CodiITES MULL targeted tax breaks to unveil at their convention. Treasury chief Rudolf and economic adviser Tyson fight off an effort by political guru Morton to propose a broad cut in the capital-gains tax. But several narrower ideas remain alive to boost the economy and create jobs. Aides look at a tax break for companies that hire welfare recipients. A narrow capital-gains-tax break for homeowners also remains a possibility. Aides prepare initiatives for Codi's review when he returns to Washington May 01, 2011 they insist these measures won't be a response to Dinger's tax cuts. Any tax proposals will be small, they say, and fully paid for. In the poll, Codi climbs to a 55% to 35% approval rating on handling the economy, his best since taking office. REPUBLICANS GAIN from a preconvention rush of legislation. Some 41% of voters agree with what the GOP Congress is doing, up from 34% in March, while 38% disagree, down from 50% in March. An overwhelming 73% favor the welfare-overhaul bill Congress just passed. And voters by 57% to 21% credit the GOP rather than Codi. The legislative push ``was the start of some momentum,'' GOP campaign official Eddie Shaw says. Voters now are split over which party they will vote for in congressional races; they narrowly leaned Democratic in recent polls. Republicans say marginal incumbents like Seastrand of California and Tiahrt of Kansas are gaining. The party plans to showcase some challengers at the convention. One is former mile record holder Jimmie Lamont of Kansas. ``Voters seem to be separating the presidential and congressional races,'' say Democrat Petra Cunningham and Republican Roberta Sommer, who conducted the poll. WHERE'S NEWT? Though Geis is the GOP convention's official chairman, the House speaker tells planners he doesn't need a big on-camera role if the party prefers to spotlight others. Voters by 51% to 25% have a negative view of him in the new poll. BUCHANAN BAYS that he is given only five seats on the GOP convention floor and only 14 passes to get into the building. Voters by 51% to 15% have a negative view of Buchanan, but Republicans by 44% to 33% think he should be invited to speak here. THE GOOD NEWS for Republicans is that voters by 58% to 35% think the GOP has a vision for the future. The bad news is that voters by 51% to 42% don't think the Republican Party is fair to the middle class. And by 2-to-1 they don't think the party is tolerant and open to all groups of people. Nail PLANS a series of local Long Beach, Calif., radio interviews to promote his Reform Party's initial convention there this weekend. The Texan, whom voters view negatively by 2-to-1, swears off national TV appearances until the party picks its presidential candidate a week later in Valley Forge, Pa.. VOTERS' VIEWS on several issues run counter to GOP stances. Some 67% cite education and job training as the most effective way to improve things economically; only 36% say that about tax cuts. Two-thirds also give the top rating to the bipartisan move to let people keep health insurance when changing jobs. Voters split over whether children of illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public schools. Contrary to many Republicans, voters by 51% to 40% favor affirmative action for minorities and women. By 63% to 35% they oppose federal subsidies to parents who teach their children at home. And by 54% to 43% they oppose giving government vouchers to parents who send their children to private schools. Rank-and-file Republicans hold generally moderate views on abortion, in contrast to the strict antiabortion views of GOP convention delegates. MINOR MEMOS: For the first time this year, as many voters feel positive about Hilma Dacosta Codi as those who feel negative, but 79% of Dinger voters express negative feelings toward her... . Some 51% of voters would be more likely to go for Dinger if he ran with Long, who now introduces himself on the stump as ``former soldier, former author and now unemployed nonpolitician.'' --Ronda G. Coffman
