Voting record

Many candidates for Senate seats have House voting records but many don't.  Take Martha Coakley in MA.  I have no idea what kind of Senator she'd make.  She seems to have a little bit of a law and order streak in her from her AG page (not as liberal sounding as Chris Gregoire or Elliot Spizer in their time).  Bennet was another staffer in similar type positions and Kaufman fits the role, too.  Kaufman and Bennet have turned out pretty much opposites (I think Bennet's key period was corporate).  LeMieux is a crap shoot but a safe one for Crist.

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by: David Kowalski @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 15:51:47 PM UTC

Hmm

I don't know anything about this guy, but somehow I doubt he'll satisfy the Republican right.  

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by: andgarden @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 16:02:10 PM UTC

Who Is This Person?

Besides being Crist's old campaign manager? This smacks of nothing but croynism (I'm sure that's already been said).

Still, it's nothing compared to what my country's Prime Minister did yesterday. He broke a record by naming his party's campaign manager, president, and his former press secretary to the Canadian Senate. Not to mention some defeated candidates and party loyalists to top off the orgy of appointments.  

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by: Don't Tase Me, Bro! @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 16:24:14 PM UTC

Wow. Harper really wants to be Bush, doesn't he?

I especially love how he's actually appointing a completely unqualified hockey coach who admits to being illiterate to a chamber where being able to read and write legislation is, um, kind of important.  

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by: notanothersonofabush @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 16:49:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Actually, The Hockey Coach

Is probably the most appealing appointment of that bunch. The guy is a champion for illiteracy, and who better to understand the issue of illiteracy than an actual illiterate.

As for Harper wanting to be Bush, I look at his appointing his old press secretary and thought, "I smell Harriet Miers all over this."

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by: Don't Tase Me, Bro! @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 17:27:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wow,

why can no incumbent governor so far manage to get the vacant senatorial appointment right despite mulling over it for weeks? I get that this is a bad economy and pretty much every governor except for Beebe and maybe Daniels is in negative/questionable territory, but jeez. He could've at least picked someone people have heard of that isn't so obviously one of his own lackeys.

 

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by: notanothersonofabush @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 16:35:01 PM UTC

Seems to be a major problem for more than just this year.

Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes (D) appointed his popular predecessor Zell Miller to the seat left vacant by the deaht of Sen. Paul Coverdale (R).  Miller easily won the special election to serve out the remainder of the term, but essentially became a Republican.

Sen. turned Gov. Frank Murkowski (R-AK) appointed his daughter Lisa to fill his vacant seat.  The obvious nepotism charges as well as Frank's own scandals almost cost the Republicans the seat.

Similar thing for Jon Corzine in New Jersey.  His appointee had a tough race.

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.

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by: TheUnknown285 @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 16:46:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Is there any more desirable appointment

that a governor can make? I doubt it.  

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by: andgarden @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 16:49:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

True,

(wasn't there a Louisiana governor back in the eighties who tried to appoint his wife?) but it seems to be true of absolutely every appointment made this year:

Kaufman: More progressive than expected, and way better than Biden on most issues - good for us, bad for the people that put him there. D'oh.

Bennet: Unknown business guy from a part of the state with little crossover appeal, who has turned out to have a worse voting record than Salazar, who at least was conservative to win over rural voters instead of just being a transparent lackey to corporate interests in a very libertarian state.

Gillibrand: Unlike too many liberals, I have no issue with what she's become and think she's a decent person, but Paterson's handling of the Carolyn Kennedy situation - then appointing an upstate Blue Dog - was piss-poor.

Dukakis: No further comment necessary.

...and now this guy, who has no electoral experience and could only have gotten the job because he's buddies with Crist.

If any of these people had to actually interview for the appointment as though it were a regular job that normal people have, none of them would've gotten a call back.

All we need now is for Byrd to die and Manchin to screw up and appoint himself to the seat directly rather than appointing a caretaker and running in the special. This really is one of those cycles.  

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by: notanothersonofabush @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 16:57:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Don't forget Wicker in MS and Barrasso in WY

They were decent, uncontroversial appointments.

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by: panhandler @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 18:38:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Having said that

They did lose Wicker's seat.

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by: conspiracy @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 18:39:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

But Wicker had to fight to hang onto it

And, like was just said, his old House seat went Democratic.

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.

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by: TheUnknown285 @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 18:49:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes,

but neither of those was this cycle.  

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by: notanothersonofabush @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 21:21:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Florida Republicans

will be wary of a Crist appointee with a French name.

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by: InRepublican @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 01:46:38 AM UTC

Doubt that means anything

Most Republicans, and conservatives in general, dont seem to have a problem with Arab American politicians. Such as Charles Boustany in Louisiana.

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by: HarrisCountyBrian @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 04:43:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

And meant to add...

If they dont have a problem with Arab American politicians, i doubt they have a problem with French American ones.

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by: HarrisCountyBrian @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 04:44:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's sad.

For so many reasons.

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by: James L. @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 07:20:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]