SSP Daily Digest: 12/21

A special early morning edition of the digest!

NY-Sen-B: Will he or won’t he? The New York Daily News gets in touch with Rudy Giuliani’s friends and confidants to take the pulse of his ethereal Senatorial aspirations. The totally shocking consensus: Expect Rudy to quietly exit the electoral stage. Meanwhile, ex-NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson refuses to rule out a primary challenge to Kirsten Gillibrand.

IA-Gov: Former GOP Gov. Terry Branstad will formally launch his campaign to topple Democrat Chet Culver in January. Branstad also recently gave Christian Fong, a Cedar Rapids insurance company exec who was briefly in the running for Governor himself earlier in the year, a thorough sniff test. Branstad is rumored to be interested in tapping Fong to be his running mate.

IN-Gov/IN-09: It looks like we can close the book on one of the sillier NRCC-promoted retirement “rumors” of the holiday season, as Dem Rep. Baron Hill said on Saturday that he’s running for another term. However, Hill confirms that he’s giving a gubernatorial bid in 2012 a long look. That might not be a bad idea for him; with redistricting looming around the corner, there’s a very real possibility that state Republicans will skunk up his district beyond recognition.

FL-08: Frosh Dem Rep. Alan Grayson, continuing his quest to bring great ideas back to Congress, has filed a request with the Department of Justice to investigate and jail Republican activist Angie Langley for setting up the Grayson-themed “mycongressmanisnuts.com” website. Apparently, Grayson is upset that Langley is implying that she’s one of his constituents. Somehow, I suspect that all that Grayson is accomplishing here is giving “mycongressmanisnuts.com” more opportunities to be plugged in the media.

NC-05: Local radio host Billy Kennedy, a former member of the NC Democratic Party executive committee, is “seriously considering” challenging Teabagger Queen Virginia Foxx after being urged to look at the race by local activists.

TN-06: While Democrats have yet to find a warm body to replace retiring Rep. Bart Gordon, the GOP primary between state Sens. Diane Black and Jim Tracy is producing some early friction. Black was forced to apologize on Friday for sending out a fundraising email under a government template that included her legislative contact information and an implied list of endorsements from GOP leaders — including Tracy himself. (Former Rutherford County GOP Chair Lou Ann Zelenik is also in the race, proudly reppin’ the lunatic wing of the GOP.)

VA-02: Rep. Glenn Nye the Incumbent Guy, one of the ripest targets of the Democratic class of 2008, has shed a challenger, though it was one of his more inconsequential opponents. Attorney Chuck Smith, a former Marine, has dropped out of the race and endorsed automotive executive Scott Rigell in the GOP primary.

53 thoughts on “SSP Daily Digest: 12/21”

  1. I hear that Abercrombie may retire early to focus on his governor’s campaign, so there will be a special election in May. Under Hawaii’s election rules, there will be an all party primary to fill the seat and the winner only needs a plurality to win. This has unintended benefits for the Republican candidate as there are two strong Democrats running. Anyone want to speculate on the chances of the GOP winning a seat in Obama’s hometown?

  2. Can someone please tell Rep. Grayson that threating to throw your political opponents jail might not be the best way to prove to everyone that you are not actually nuts!

    Sadly I think Anthony Weiner might be right. this guy could be one fry short of a Happy Meal.

    Memo to Rep. Grayson STFU!  

  3. I just finished watching a candidate interview of Martha Roby (R) on CQ.com.

    See here http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmsp

    If this is the candidate the GOP hopes will defeat Bobby Bright in 2010, I’d file him under Lean D. She didn’t talk much but the little she said tells me she’s not going to Congress. Bright has nothing to fear about her candidacy b/c she is clearly out of her league and not very..dare I say it…bright!

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