After the last Penn alum with political hopes decided to step out of contention, we were feeling a litlle down. Luckily, Wes Mullen (C’04) stepped up to the plate.
Mullen is “exploring” a run for Congress in Connecticut’s 2nd District, the home of shady-dealings Senator Chris Dodd. Although Mullen’s website is “under construction,” his side-part perfect hair and Harvey Dent-esque cleft chin convince us he’s a winner. But, if you’re itching to hear what he young Republican has to say, his Facebook page tells us about his life saga/longing to bring conservative leadership to the C-T.
As an undergrad at Penn, Mullen won first place in a creative writing competition for his poetry. He seems to be channelling some of that artistic energy into his campaign. According to his Facebook, “A new wind is blowing.” We’re just hoping that wind doesn’t blow near Philly. It’s nothing personal, Wes, we’re just really looking forward to spring. As a tribute to our very own poet-turned-could be politician, we came up with a little limerick for good ol’ Wes:
A new wind was a-blowin’ in the air
Could it be the draft from a certain express?
Nay–just a Penn alum with great hair
Looking to get some coverage in the press
And when the conservatives were lookin’ sullen
They found an answer in their man–Mullen!
Allow us to delve into politics beyond the Penn bubble for a moment, as this one may affect you.
In case you haven’t noticed, Pennsylvania is a little wacky on liquor laws. The BYOB’s, the shady state-run liquor stores, the lack of beer in supermarkets, and so on.
In any event, here’s the story: PA Senator John Rafferty and his peeps have been researching boozy issues, and they’ve found that underage folk are purchasing beer in large quantities (i.e. kegs and cases rather than six-packs) from beer distributors. They believe part of the reason may be that six-packs aren’t sold in supermarkets, so youngins are more likely to call up University City Beverage and the like. We tend to think that young people also just enjoy kegs. Obviously, this reported excessive purchasing of kegs does not please the politicians.
We know that most of you voted on March 28th (talk about an intense and drama-filled evening!) and weren’t planning on getting out to the polls again until this Spring. However, on behalf of Penn freshman Jason Merrin, a finalist in the 2009 Nickelodeon Animation Festival, we ask you to reconsider.
[Merrin's] experimental film, “The History of an Animation,” takes the audience through the process of how an animator learns to animate, from doodles all the way through computer animation. He made the movie by combining live footage with animation done in Adobe Flash. He used music by Eno Freedman Brodmann.
The future is in your hands! Vote online before Nov. 29. Also be sure to check out the film on Nicktoons this Thursday at 4:37 p.m., when we know you’ll be watching Danny Phantom anyway.
Freshman elections are finally here and we realize how confusing, scary and annoying they may be.
So, please, take our hand as we guide you through the campaigns of competing fresh-faced power mad teenagers thirsty for your approval and your votes. Since the candidates have only been here a month, without any real chance to put anything on their resumes, it’s up to us to tell you why you should vote for anyone other than the kid with the funniest name, or “poop” as a write-in. We are up to this challenge.
Today’s Topic: Campaign Posters
Pictures, analysis, and a completely arbitrary numerical rating system after the jump.
Mayor Nutter will be on campus tonight at 7:30 in the Terrace Room of Claudia Cohen Hall, to talk to the Penn community about Philadelphia and the issues that matter to us, not some stuffy old politician with white hair and a jar of dentures beside his Tempurpedic and an absolutely boring personality. His speech will be followed by a Q & A session, so come prepared to ask hard hitting questions. We’ve got “What is your lunch meat of choice?” and, “Is it true that angels cry when I use bad language?” covered, so don’t steal those.
Be sure to send info/photos to underthebutton@gmail.com if you attend the event!
Quick: what station is on channel 7 on the University cable system?
Man, you are too smart and also really good at looking at the picture over there because you’re right, it’s C-SPAN! Now let us tell you about your prize: a visit from the network’s Civics Bus!
C-SPAN has decided to take John Madden and The Muppets as transportation role models and travel our country to talk with students about politics and government. Tomorrow they’ll be stopping at 36th and Walnut from 10 a.m. to noon to chat about public affairs and the media. So if you’re a budding political talking head, tomorrow might be a good day to wear your best bowtie and shine your head because this could be your big break! Or maybe you just want your voice to be heard on issues that are particularly important to you. Either way.
Listen up, Kerry Golds, this could be you in four short years: onetime Street editor and ‘05 alum Grant Ginder can officially update his already-impressive resume to include his new novel, This Is How It Starts, which is out in bookstores this week. Ginder was featured on Daily Intel yesterday, where he plugged his book and sadly made no mention of Penn. Good thing we never forget a Streetie! (We don’t, um, actually call ourselves that though.) The book, per Amazon, is “about how far one postcollegiate idealist will go to be an insider in a town that is unyielding in what it will take from a person in exchange for granting him a margin of knowledge and power.” Sounds juicy — we would expect nothing less from one of our own.
This just in: Governor Rod Blagojevich is a governor no more. Even his gorgeous hair couldn’t save him from being the first governor in Illinois history to be impeached (and we’re not exactly talking about a state with a stellar track record). The senators voted him out 59-0, citing his now infamous abuses of power – you might remember his attempt to sell Obama’s U.S. Senate seat, or that time he “threatened to withhold money from a local children’s hospital, unless its executives contributed money to him.” Not only is Rod getting kicked out today, he is forever barred from holding public office again. Well, that’s what you get for skipping out on Monday’s trial to rock the talk show circuit. Don’t feel so bad, Blago – unemployment is so hot right now!
This is actually the most flattering picture we could find.
Philly native and proud papa to a Penn sophomore, Chris Matthews won’t challenge Arlen Spector for his senate seat next year, the New York Timesreports. (And the story was reported by the NYT’s television biz reporter rather than someone from the politics desk, MediaLOL.) Whether Matthews was ever seriously considering a run is still unclear: though his ego is certainly large enough to give birth to delusions of granduer and a “political calling,” he may just have been playing “hardball” (heh) with NBC execs to get his contract renewed. See ya at Parents’ Weekend ‘09, Mr. Matthews!
The New York Post’s Page 6 is reporting that this week Secretary of State-to-be Hillary Clinton threw a luncheon for our dear mayor (and Penn alum) Michael Nutter at Buddakan. In New York.
Maybe Clinton was angling for a hint of Philly cuisine in the Big Apple? We’re sort of confused by this geographical choice, but we do have to admit the Meatpacking District space is way cooler than the Old City outpost (though we were a little mortified to see it whored out in the SATC movie). Edamame dumplings for everyone!
Add Julia Rubin to the growing list of Rahm fans. Since apparently one post wasn’t enough, here’s our managing editor’s take on why Rahm is the bomb.
You’ve likely been reading a lot about Obama’s star appointees. We’re here to digest the key talking points surrounding our personal favorite, ballet wunderkind Rahm Emanuel.
As soon as Obama picked his new chief of staff, UTB wasted no time (give or take a weekend) in appointing Dennie Zastrow to evaluate the prez-elect’s pick. Zastrow weighs in, below.
Alright, so Obama just got elected and everyone is flipping out and the world is rainbows and butterflies and unicorns. You know what makes it better? I’ll tell you: Rahm. Emanuel. Chief of Staff.
It seriously doesn’t get any better than this. He’s the definition of a political bad ass. He’ll probably kill some congressmen and bury them in the Rose Garden. Not even kidding.
Personally, I think he’s a great choice. He’s an amazing political operative who knows his way around Washington. He gets results. That’s exactly what the White House needs right now. And to all the Republicans who say that this is a partisan move on Obama’s part, this is what I say to you: suck it.
Eight years of Bush the Younger has given a new definition to partisan politics. It’s our turn now. And it’s going to be awesome. Like really awesome. High School Musical 3: Senior Year awesome (in my book that’s huge).
And if you need more to convince you, Rahm Emanuel has nine fingers. And he’s kind of hot for an older guy. And his brother was the inspiration for Ari Gold on Entourage. That’s all you really need to know. Now go watch Obama roast him here.
Apologies for the lack of posts tonight. UTB was busy stalking Henry Kissinger, who was on campus for Impact ‘08. Our previous knowledge of Kissinger is limited to what we learned from watching that Kirsten Dunst movie Dick, but we found the actual Kissinger to be smart and well-informed. Governor Rendell, Amy Gutmann, Mayor Nutter, and former Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin also spoke, and the festivities included a highly entertaining “lighting round” between Kissinger and Rubin, in which the secretaries offered concise opinions on Russia, China, Palin and Obama. Henry K. was the highlight of the evening in our opinion–we even got to bask in his glow up close when we snuck into the Annenberg School’s library to check our e-mail before the event started–the building’s lobby was being used as a reception area for various V.I.P.’s, and as we walked out, Kissinger was being led in! As far as political spottings go, it was even cooler than when we saw Michael Nutter at a hot dog stand last Halloween.
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Quick: what station is on channel 7 on the University cable system?
Listen up, 
Philly native and 
The New York Post’s 
Add Julia Rubin to the growing list of Rahm fans. Since apparently 
As soon as Obama picked his new chief of staff, UTB wasted no time (give or take a weekend) in appointing Dennie Zastrow to evaluate the prez-elect’s pick. Zastrow weighs in, below.
