WASHINGTON, March 21 (UPI) -- Capital Comment -- Daily news notes, political rumors, and important events that shape politics and public policy in Washington and the world from United Press International.
It's a summit, not the Rat Pack -- The Planned Parenthood Federation of America has announced that the nation's abortion rights leadership will be coming to Washington mid-March "to Chart the Future of Reproductive Health and Rights."
Among those coming to event, says Planned Parenthood are actress Wendie Malick of the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me, who once worked in the office of former U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp, R-N.Y.; Saturday Night Live's very pregnant Ana Gastmeyer, and plus size model and E! Entertainment Television network's make over specialist Emme.
Events begin on March 21 with a congressional day of action and also include a gala that evening to honor supporters of the groups and the cause of abortion rights,
According to a Planned Parenthood release, this year's honorees receiving the different awards include: Dana Wilkie, reporter, Copley News Service, who is accepting on behalf of the San Diego Union-Tribune; Ellen Goodman, editorial columnist for the Boston Globe; ABC News' 20/20 correspondent Jami Floyd, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Rep. Jim Greenwood, R-Pa., and retiring U.S. Rep. Steve Horn, R-Calif, who is receiving "The Republicans for Choice Sen. Barry Goldwater Award."
Not backing down --The last time a Democrat was elected governor of Illinois, Richard M. Nixon was the president of the United States. Now, inner party squabbling threatens to break the GOP's hold on one of the nation's most powerful governorships.
In primary balloting, the Democrats chose Rep. Rod Blagojevich, a Chicago-area congressman who represents the district once held by the legendary Dan Rostenkowski, as their standard bearer for the fall. He faces off against state Attorney General Jim Ryan, who was the choice of over 45 percent of Republican primary voters in a campaign that frequently turned nasty, even by Illinois standards.
Unfortunately for Ryan and the GOP, Republican State Sen. Patrick O'Malley, who finished second to Ryan with 28 percent of the vote, is saying that he will do everything in his power to insure that Ryan does not emerge the winner on election. With a strong following among Illinois conservatives, O'Malley's threat cannot be taken lightly.
Out -- Former Rep. Rick Lazio, R-N.Y., who gave up a safe seat in the House to challenge former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., in a race for the Senate, has reportedly spurned the overtures of party leaders who want him to run for his old seat. Lazio is telling people he will not challenge Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., in the fall -- for the moment leaving Republicans without a viable candidate for the seat.
Year of the legacy -- Lots of famous sons and daughters, nieces and nephews are making bids for public office this fall. The latest two scions to take up the banner of the family honor are Mitt Romney, son of former Michigan GOP Gov. George Romney, who has thrown his hat into the ring in the Massachusetts gubernatorial race, and Kentucky State Rep. Steve Nunn, who has formed a gubernatorial exploratory committee. Nunn's father, the Hon. Louie Nunn, was governor of Kentucky from 1967 to 1971 and was the last Republican elected to that office.
There are other legacies seeking office in Kentucky this fall. Lois Coombs Weinberg, the daughter of former Gov. Bert Coombs, is running for the Democrat nomination for U.S. Senate. State Attorney General Ben Chandler, a Democrat, may enter the race for his party's nomination for governor. He is the grandson of the legendary American political figure A.B. (Happy) Chandler, a former governor, Senator and commissioner of Major League Baseball.
Promoting the general welfare -- The effort to preserve welfare reform will likely have to take into account a new report from the Center for Law and Social Policy that argues that welfare caseloads increased between September and December 2001 in 40 states and the District of Columbia.
The authors of the study, Elise Richer, Vani Sankarapandian, and Mark H. Greenberg, says "the caseload increases have been fairly large, rising over 4 percent in one quarter on average among the 40 states showing an increase."
The group says it gathered the welfare caseload information from 49 states and the District of Columbia and says, "It is the most current data available."
The authors of the study, which can be found at the clasp.org Web site, say, "A dozen states have shown continuous caseload growth in recent months. Twelve states show continually increasing caseloads between July and Dec. 2001 (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Texas)" and that "The states with the largest caseload increases in 2001 were Nevada (69 percent), Indiana (27 percent), Montana (20 percent), South Carolina (19 percent), and Arizona (18 percent)."
In memoriam --Export-Import Bank President and Chairman John E. Robson, has lost a six-month long fight against cancer. Appointed to the top stop at the Ex-Im Bank by President Bush, during the administration of the current president's father, Robson was the number 2 man at the Department of the Treasury and a former chief executive of the pharmaceutical powerhouse G.D. Searle & Co. In a statement, President Bush said he was saddened by the death of the 71-year-old Robson, calling him "a man of true character and integrity."
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