NRSC Dropped the Ball

We have no endangered senators this cycle.  She's off my "Endangered" list.  

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by: JeremiahTheMessiah @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 15:41:28 PM CDT

Haha...

So much for the GOP "getting the majority back"! Not. Gonna. Happen. Yay! :-)

C4O Democrats: A Place for All Democrats

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by: atdleft @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:48:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I was very worried about this one early on

By I couldn't have scripted a worse run campaign than Kennedy's.

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by: ChadInFL @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 15:53:19 PM CDT

Even more important

is the now widespread rumor that the NRSC is about to pull out of Colorado, leaving Bob Schaffer in the trashheap next to Gilmore and Pearce. (I'm waiting until this is a bit more substantiated before fleshing it out on the front-page, though.)

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by: Crisitunity @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 16:01:33 PM CDT

Colorado Pols says Schaffer is next.

Although it's still at the very credible rumors stage.

I'm bummed by this; I'd much rather the Rs keep throwing money at LA and CO than move it to GA and MN.  On the upside, I think the Rs have become pessimistic in Oregon and North Carolina, which is great.  I hope nothing tilts back towards the Rs in the next three weeks, because about six senate seats hang in the balance right now.

Also notice that it's the challengers and not the incumbents getting cut loose.  There's only two of those; I wonder when or if Sununu gets bailed on.  I'm also curious to see what happens in Alaska.  I'm pretty bummed about that race, what with the total bungling of the prosecution by DOJ.

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by: texas dem @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 16:02:28 PM CDT

Oh please, oh please...

Let Schaffer be next! If the NRSC pulls out of Colorado, then hopefully the millstone around his neck also pulls down McCrazy & Musgrave! I so want a trifecta (Obama, Udall, and Markey) here! :-)

C4O Democrats: A Place for All Democrats

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by: atdleft @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:45:41 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

You'll get it.

Aim higher!

What do I want...    I want GA-Sen.  I want no defeated House incumbents (Mahoney may have blown that one, but otherwise it actually might be back in reach).  I want the entire class of 06 re-elected (again excepting Mahoney, and meaning that only he and Kanjorski lose).

I want Minnesota, Oregon, AND North Carolina... not just two of them but all three.  I want Mississippi-Sen.

I want Obama to carry every state in which he's spent heavily (meaning Missouri, Indiana, and North Carolina, as well as all the usuals).  I can't see Montana or West Virginia going to Obama, but I'd take em!

I want at least five unexpected HouseGOP incumbents to lose.  Tom Latham, Dan Lungren, John Shadegg, Virgil Goode, Scott Garrett would be a nice set.  Ooooo and Michelle Bachmann, dare I dream?!

I want Andy Harris to lose.  I want Judy Baker to win.  I want Paul Carmouche to win.  I want Harry Teague to win.  It would be pretty friggin rad to see Jill Derby win.  And I want Debbie Cook to win.

It would be really handy if Shelley Moore Capito would lose, but I doubt she will.  Probably needed Hillary on the ticket to make that one happen.

I want Jim Esch to win.  I notice that I am favoring red districts with moderate Democrats running.  The rational part of me doesn't actually want that; if forced to choose, I'd rather pick up a bunch of blue districts with progressive challengers (Burner, Stender, Seals, Himes, Dahlkemper, Bennett, Kilroy, Heinrich, Schauer, Peters, Boccieri, Halvorson, Madia, etc) than a bunch of red districts with moderate challengers, because the behavior of the enlarged House caucus is VERY different in those two scenarios, and I prefer the House caucus that is full of lots of electorally-safe progressives.  But my more emotional fantasies favor all these red districts, because it's much more of a bodyslam to the conservative/Republican ego to see Democrats winning there.  And I really do want to see them crushed (in spirit, of course), because after all they've done to the country they really do deserve it.

They could easily choose an issue and pick up all those seats again in 2010 though (immigration?).  The bluer seats would stay with us for a much longer time, leading to more real power in the long run.  

At least, that's the conventional wisdom.  In point of fact, I think rural Democrats have shown an amazing ability to hold on in the face of all but the worst electoral/redistricting storms, and a class of 08 like the one above might actually last for a very long time, including in some higher offices.  

Who knows the future?

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by: texas dem @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:39:09 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

They learned from last time.

They're playing much smarter and not wasting money in places where there is no chance.

Smart move from the NRSC, which is surprising considering who we are talking about.  

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by: wmlawman @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 16:05:08 PM CDT

CO too

Republicans and pulling out right and left. I've got the full list up

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by: Populista @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 16:10:34 PM CDT

It's 100% offense for us now

I think I'll drop the DSCC and Jim Martin another $100.

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by: RandySF @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 16:20:42 PM CDT

Just give it all to Martin

He needs it more and the DSCC still is spending on some other races. Give it all to Martin.

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by: Populista @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 16:31:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

DSCC

is gonna need all the help they can get too...

I'm terrified that NC is gonna slip away from us because we don't have the money to fight off the NRSC, Freedom's Watch, Chamber of Commerce, the pro-life groups, small business group running ads and sending mail, etc....

and NC is a much easier win and much more friendly territory for a Dem to hold for a while than GA -- at least NC is trending our way -- I would hate to miss our chance in NC only to win in GA -- and then for Martin to lose in 6 years

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by: CarnahanDemocrat @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:41:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Obama is in North Carolina, but not in Georgia.

His ground game is gonna be FIERCE.

I don't think Dole claws back in the last three weeks, unless McCain lands a hit on Obama that we're not expecting.

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by: texas dem @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:41:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

FL-16: Mahoney's 2nd mistress received gov't grant?

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/...

A snipet from the story...

Current and former aides for Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL) say he was carrying on an affair with a county official from Florida at the same time he lobbied to help her county receive a $3.4 million federal grant.

This story just keeps getting worse and worse.  I hope this fool loses in a landslide.  Glad I didn't donate to him.

It's especialy funny how many aides are so willing to sell him out.  He must truely be a pain to work for.

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by: ChadInFL @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:12:50 PM CDT

Also ...

At least this one wasn't a good progressive Democrat like John Edwards, or in a district that wasn't a marginal one for us anyway.  Be gone with him.  Hopefully someone will sue him for every penny he has -- I just bet he's the type that more than one person has some sort of legitimate lawsuit against!

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by: IndianaProgressive @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:15:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

probably a bad

example to use John Edwards in this case.  

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by: gomer @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:16:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm hearing that the NRSC is pulling out of Colorado.

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by: RandySF @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:17:43 PM CDT

Hahahahaha

And remember, we have pretty much zero seats up in 2010 unless we get some retirements (HI could be bad news with Lingle) so we could basically have gone through the entire cycle of re-elections and just completely raped their numbers while we lost nothing.  Hahahhahaha.  We'll take like 20-25 of their seats in 6 years and they'll take 0.

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by: Andrew @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:31:26 PM CDT

Don't get overconfident on 2010

You never know what can happen.  Remember early in the 2006 cycle the Senate landscape looked far from great for us.  Going into 2010 we will have had 2 years of complete democratic control of the federal government.  Anything negative that happens such as a prolonged recession, forign affairs/military disasters, etc. will be blamed on us from here on out.

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by: ChadInFL @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:22:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It'll probably be a prolonged recession

so brace for the 2010 backlash.  

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by: sulthernao @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:24:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That is why Obama

needs to push through at least one big stimulus package to give the economy a boost for 2010.  

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by: BillNolan @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:39:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Absolutely

A flat amount rebate check similar to what we had earlier this year is something with broad appeal across party lines.  No reason why we can't get a second round passed.

A massive SCHIP expansion should also be a top priority.  It already passed easily this year with large majorities, but Bush vetoed it.  It will be easy to pass with Obama as President.  This is another bill with broad support.

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by: ChadInFL @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:44:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thats what I think

Our margins are going to be huge if everything stays constant.  Obama will have the political will to make drastic changes and reform.  Stimulus packages, job programs for renewable energy, an absolute transformation.  I think we will be able to hold our own in 2010.  If we dont get enough Senate seats, then we can easily kick the obstructionists out.

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by: Andrew @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:48:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yep

He also needs to pass a healthcare program, which he will be able to easily if we get 60 Senate seats or even 58 or 59, since Snowe and Collins will likely side with us.  

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by: BillNolan @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:59:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

most people I talk to seem

think Landrieu will win fairly easily this time, that being said the NRSCC has been running some slamming and over-the-top negative ads lately, and a lot of them. Some of them are so conservative its hard to believe, and they also tried to make Kennedy the "change" candidate. One ad claimed Landrieu tried to make it to where illegal immigrants got paid more than American Workers and said "Landrieu's on the wrong side of the fence" with a picture of the border fence between the US and Mexico. I think their ads may have made some difference, though that differecne may have been counteracted by the economic problems and Landrieu's own campaign.Still, I think they may have been so over-the top that nobody gave them too much consideration.  

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

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by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:36:09 PM CDT

Use it or Lose it

does anyone know if this program has been started again?

we need to raise about $10m from Dem Senators in like the next week in order to win in NC, OR, MN, and GA!!!

Schumer
Bayh
Baucus
Pryor
Murray
Rockefeller
Bill Nelson
Harkin
Leahy
Kennedy
Reed

ALL have money squirreled away that they don't need -- with the NRSC, RNC, Freedom's Watch, Chamber of Commerce, pro-life groups, etc hitting Franken, Hagan, and Merkley especially --- we need to get to work ASAP

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by: CarnahanDemocrat @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:44:15 PM CDT

others will money to give

Mikulski
Wyden
Feinstein
Bingaman
Tim Johnson
Levin
BAYH BAYH BAYH
SCHUMER SCHUMER SCHUMER
Biden ($1.9m sitting in the bank at the end of June...)
Carper
Kerry (still millions in his presidential legal fund...)

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by: CarnahanDemocrat @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:49:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Ah! What a relief!

So now, we can simply play offense in the Senate!  I'm deciding now who should get my last batch of $$$$. :-)

C4O Democrats: A Place for All Democrats

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by: atdleft @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:51:18 PM CDT

yowzers

Here's one John Kennedy whom I wish happy trails...  ;-)

The bottom is definitely falling out under Republicans this election.  They're having a great time flailing in the quicksand of their own record and, out of sheer greed for power, overstaying in it.  I'm kinda hopeful most of a generation of crap right wing politicians drowns in it this time and in and the next couple elections.  They really left us with nothing worthy of respect, it's really pitiful in a way what a waste they made of it all.

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by: Baystater @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 17:56:31 PM CDT

OT: Colin Powell to endorse Obama?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Lawrence O'Donnell seems to think he will.  Great news if true.  

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by: ChadInFL @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 18:37:34 PM CDT

Credit where it's due:

Landrieu has run a really good campaign this year. She had the money, good TV, and the right message with which to define John "Confused" Kennedy.  

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by: andgarden @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 23:15:46 PM CDT