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SSP Daily Digest: 3/5

by: Crisitunity

Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 1:48 PM EST

• FL-Sen: Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio has formed an exploratory committee for the Senate seat that Mel Martinez is vacating. However, if Crist runs, Rubio will bail to run for Governor, instead. (J)

• NY-Sen-B: This would be pretty serious. Long Island Democratic Congressman Steve Israel is said to be considering a primary run against Kirsten Gillibrand, according to the NY Times. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Rep. Carolyn Maloney are also openly mulling the race. (J)

• KS-Gov: Looks like Kansas Dems are back to the drawing board not just in terms of the senate seat but also the governor's mansion. Lt. Gov Mark Parkinson, who will be taking over for soon-to-be-ex-Governor Kathleen Sebelius, has reaffirmed his earlier statement that he wouldn't seek the governor's seat in 2010.

• PA-Sen: Glen Meakem, a Pittsburgh-area right-wing internet entrepreneur, was one of the fallback options for a conservative primary challenge to Arlen Specter. He's backed out of the fray, apparently deferring to Pat Toomey's renewed interest in the race. (You may remember Meakem as the guy who personally financed those internal "polls" showing John Murtha neck-and-neck with his defrauder challenger last year.)

• RNC: The RNC is transferring $1 million each to the NRSC and NRCC to help them dig out from under the 2008 debt and get back on the offensive. In other RNC news, one of the RNC's three African-American members, Dr. Ada Fisher of North Carolina, is calling on RNC chair Michael Steele to step down in the face of his increasing, well, ridiculousness.

• Census: Incoming Commerce Sec. Gary Locke says the Census will stay a part of his portfolio at Commerce. It also looks that sampling, which is the real methodological sticking point that's the source of the political squabble over census management, won't be used aggressively; Locke said that sampling will be used "minimally, as an accuracy check."

• NH-St. Sen.: It's all but official: former Rep. Jeb Bradley is downshifting his career, to say the least. Tomorrow he'll announce his candidacy for the New Hampshire state senate in SD-3. This will be an open seat vacated by a Republican, so it's not even a potential GOP pickup. (Trivia time: I can think of at least two other ex-Representatives who are currently state senators. Can anybody name them?)

Crisitunity :: SSP Daily Digest: 3/5

Tags: Jeb Bradley, Gary Locke, census, RNC, Pat Toomey, Arlen Specter, Glen Meakem, PA-Sen, Mark Parkinson, KS-Gov, Kirsten Gillibrand, Carolyn Maloney, Steve Israel, NY-Sen-B, Charlie Crist, Marco Rubio, FL-Sen, Daily Digests, (All Tags)

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SSP Daily Digest: 3/5 | 32 comments

Though he's out of the state legislature now

Mervyn Dymally was another ex-Representative (1981-1993) that served in the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008 when he had to leave due to term limits. Interestingly, Dymally was Lieutenant Governor before serving in Congress.

Check out the 2010 California races (http://2010californiaracetracker.wetpaint.com) and help us take back Red California! (http://www.takebackredcalifornia.org)

by: californianintexas @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:01:46 PM CST

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my guess would be

Roy Dyson (D-MD) and Jim Barcia (D-MI)

by: fatcathobbes @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:05:48 PM CST

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Nice work!

In fact, it turns out there are at least three; Dyson's been out of the spotlight long enough I'd forgotten about his whole saga. So there's still at least one more, if anyone wants to hazard a guess.

by: Crisitunity @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:33:02 PM CST

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Mervyn Dymally?

He was term-limited out of the California Assembly this year.

by: Nathaniel90 @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:13:40 PM CST

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Is it Eric Fingerhut (D-OH)?

I know he was a state senator at the time of his pathetic run at George Voinovich in 2004, but I'm not sure if he's still in the state senate.

by: LennyLiberal @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:30:53 PM CST

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Wow, here's a

regrettable blast from the past. Uh, no, Fingerhut's not in the state senate anymore, but you're getting much warmer... you have the right state.

by: Crisitunity @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:34:08 PM CST

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Tom Sawyer, yes? nt

by: jeffmd @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 15:24:31 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Ding ding ding

by: Crisitunity @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 15:49:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

how about ex-Governors?

I wonder if Julian Carroll (KY) is the only former governor serving in a state legislature?

by: Christopher Walker @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 17:20:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I Can Go One Further....

There was a recent one (Chris Bell) who tried, and ultimately failed.

Also true of Steve Kuykendall (CA-36; 1999-2001), who ran for a state senate seat, and got beat.

"You share your young with the wolves of the nation, there's nothing left til you pray for salvation."

--Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

"American X"

by: Steve Singiser @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 15:50:20 PM CST

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Didn't the supreme court rule that the census had to use enumeration?

So even if Locke fully supported statistical methods, his hands would be tied.

by: Marcus @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:08:24 PM CST

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I think

IIRC, the court held that enumeration had to be used for congressional apportionment between the states purposes. But, the census can be used for lots of other stuff such as allocation of fed resources and there's no constitutional requirement precluding the use of statistical sampling for any of these.

by: sicembears @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:31:37 PM CST

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Isn't the state legislature a part-time low paying job in NH?

I'm almost certain it is considering they have several hundred state house and senate members. Doesn't sound like a good way to stay relevant in that state.

by: ChadInFL @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:10:57 PM CST

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The House is huge, but the Senate is actually quite small.

24 members vs. 400 in the House.

by: James L. @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:17:13 PM CST

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Bradley

Its like he just wants to be on the state dime or something. Even though it probably pays almost nothing.

by: HarrisCountyBrian @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:21:18 PM CST

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Dan Israel

Doesnt Rep. Israel represent The Hamptons? I wonder if he would get the bulk of their campaign contributions in a Dem primary. Though Im sure Obama, the Clintons and Schumer will all be helping Gillibrand tremendously.

by: HarrisCountyBrian @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:23:28 PM CST

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My mistake

Thats Rep. Bishop who does.

by: HarrisCountyBrian @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 13:24:37 PM CST

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I'd disagree on

Two of those 4. Schumer and Big Dog I can see helping Gillibrand out, I don't expect to see the SOS engaging in partisan politics, especially primaries. With Obama, we all expect Obama to remain neutral in the upcoming IL-SEN primary. That's his state, that's his seat and his buddy Alexi Giannoulias is running, if he's not going to help anyone out in that race he's not going to do it for Gillibrand.

by: safi @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 17:19:00 PM CST

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It's about geography

Israel is a Blue Dog...what is he going to challenge Gillibrand on? He's no more liberal than she is, although he is very liberal on the environment.

All these primary threats are means to try to get her to take a stand one way or the other on important issues.

But there's also a geographic aspect to this. Downstate Democrats hate that an Upstate Democrat is in a statewide position...especially Long Islanders.

I don't expect a strong primary challenge unless she makes a wrong move in the Senate. It's Downstate vs. Upstate and Downstate is not happy to have to share.

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens

by: nrafter530 @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 17:25:03 PM CST

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Bill Daley likely to run in Illinois

http://thehill.com/leading-the...

by: conspiracy @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:09:47 PM CST

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Daley had considered running in 2004

as well. It was a good thing he didn't then, and I hope he doesn't now.

by: IHateBush @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:31:19 PM CST

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Shoulda been ex-Rep and now State Senator Chris Bell.

sigh...

by: texas dem @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:14:50 PM CST

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He is the cosmos.

But that won't get him back again.

by: James L. @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:51:02 PM CST

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Dem Congressmen threatening to primary Gillibrand

I don't think are are actually going to primary Gillibrand. I think they are just saying that to force her to move to the left.

by: duffman @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:30:34 PM CST

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Agree

Likely just sabre rattling unless polls show Gillibrand becomes more vulnerable than she is currently. Hard for me to imagine someone like her losing when she has so much establishment support (Schumer, Clinton).

by: sicembears @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 14:34:20 PM CST

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WTF?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyo...

The GOP candidate for IL-05 is a regular free Republic poster with countless outrageous posts.

by: ChadInFL @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 15:37:07 PM CST

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That last one sealed the deal.

After airing that line of dirty laundry shitting on her state, I doubt any sane Illinoisan would vote for her.

(Sane is the key word here.)

Also, what's fudge-packing?

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Fri Mar 06, 2009 at 13:14:13 PM CST

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Gay sex for men.

by: trowaman @ Fri Mar 06, 2009 at 13:36:32 PM CST

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It's a term that extremist hatemongers use to bash gay male sex.

by: ChadInFL @ Fri Mar 06, 2009 at 17:08:24 PM CST

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R2K Poll: Vitter under 50% against Melancon, Cazayoux

Surprisingly good numbers for Cazayoux and Melancon who aren't well-known statewide. Hopefully Caz gets the message and runs. He has nothing to lose.

http://www.dailykos.com/statep...

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 3/2-4. Registered voters. MoE 4%. (No trend lines)
David Vitter (R) 48
Charlie Melancon (D) 41
David Vitter (R) 48
Don Cazayoux (D) 39

Republican Primary (MoE 5%)
David Vitter 43
Jay Dardenne 32
Stormy Daniels 1

by: ChadInFL @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 16:34:03 PM CST

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Until last year

Cleo Fields served in the LA state Senate.

by: andgarden @ Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 16:34:40 PM CST

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Ex-Representatives in State Senates

One more who doesn't appear to have been mentioned here: Pennsylvania State Senator Raphael J. Musto (D-Luzerne). He has served in the State Senate since 1983, having served a partial term in the U. S. House after winning a special election in April 1980, then losing in the November 1980 general election.

by: MarcusCicero @ Sat Mar 14, 2009 at 14:23:56 PM CDT

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SSP Daily Digest: 3/5 | 32 comments