NRSC: According to NRSC Chair John Cornyn, the NRSC and Senate GOP leadership endorsed the less conservative Charlie Crist over the more conservative Marco Rubio not because Crist was more electable but because it would save the NRSC money! In other words, Republican leadership will cash in their conservative convictions for just a few bucks. I'm sure that explanation will thrill movement conservatives. That's not the only political foot in Cornyn's metaphorical mouth lately. Cornyn offered a mild rebuke to Rush Limbaugh for Limbaugh tossing around the word "racist" when describing Judge and Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Limbaugh responded by labeling NRSC Chair John Cornyn a "RINO Republican," RINO standing for "Republican In Name Only." I suppose the NRSC can give up on expecting contributions from Rush listeners anytime soon.
Minnesota: Don't forget, Monday is MN-Sen's Oral Argument Day before the Minnesota Supreme Court. The process is interesting:
The process before the Minnesota Supreme Court will be very different from Coleman's election contest trial. Instead of weeks of witness testimony, the attorneys will take turns standing at a podium and fielding questions from the justices. Coleman's side has a total of 35 minutes but is likely to argue for 25 and reserve 10 minutes of rebuttal time following Franken's 25 minutes.
Coverage will run live on The Uptake. Should make for some great viewing. According to The Uptake, oral arguments begin at 9 AM local time (10 AM Eastern Time, 7 AM Pacific Time). Hopefully, the state Supreme Court Justices have been diligently reviewing the campaigns' briefs so that a decision should quickly follow oral arguments. Estimates I've seen on a timeframe for a decision seem to sit at two to three weeks after oral arguments. The sooner we can excise the "-elect" from Senator-elect Al Franken's title, the better.
Oklahoma: Early reporting says that Republican Tom Coburn will announce that he will run for re-election to the Senate in 2010. I hope this is erroneous. If Coburn does retire, OK-Sen is potentially competitive. If Coburn does run for re-election, it'll be a safe GOP hold. We should know for sure one way or the other by Monday afternoon. The press conference is scheduled for 10 AM local time (11 AM Eastern Time, 8 AM Pacific Time).
Florida: State Senator Dan Gelber is reportedly going to "step back" from his 2010 Senate campaign. He gave a bit of a confusing statement, though, when he said, "I'm not bowing out. I'd simply say I'm taking a step back for the moment." Perhaps that alludes to the rumors that he will switch gears and run, instead, for state Attorney General. Gelber's campaign website is still geared toward a 2010 Senate bid - I'll keep an eye out for further statements. If Gelber does withdraw from the 2010 Senate race, that would leave Congressman Kendrick Meek as the prohibitive favorite for the Democratic nomination, along with underdog North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns in the race. But possibly not for long. In an unexpected move, Congresswoman Corrine Brown is reportedly preparing to form an exploratory committee for a 2010 Senate bid. Congresswoman Brown, who has been in the House since 1993, points to her experience as the compelling reason for her candidacy. With only about $80,000 in the bank, she would have a steep climb with Congressman Meek doing a very effective job fundraising and securing endorsements. We'll soon see how far Congresswoman Brown intends to go with this effort; she says that a decision will come "within a few weeks."
Pennsylvania: I find this verrrrrrry interesting:
Sestak also revealed that a few months ago, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had commissioned a poll testing him running against then-Republican Specter in a general election - and that it showed Sestak winning. Specter, of course, is now the DSCC's candidate.
I've predicted it before, and I'll repeat it: if Congressman Joe Sestak officially enters the 2010 Democratic Senate primary against recently-Republican Arlen Specter, Congressman Sestak will be the Democratic nominee for Senate and Pennsylvania's next U.S. Senator. On a very related note, methinks Ed Rendell doth protest too much.
Illinois: Roland Burris again says that he will announce his 2010 electoral plans in the "very near future." I would be simply floored if he ran. I mean, with all the scandal and embarrassment surrounding him at this point, I don't think he could find the competent bodies necessary to form a campaign staff, much less win an election (and that's even before considering the fact that he has no money to spend on a campaign). Quite frankly, the biggest favor Burris can do himself is lessen the public spotlight on himself by announcing that he will hang it up at the end of this term.
Utah: It looks like Democratic state Liquor Control Commission Chairman Sam Granato will officially announce his entry into the 2010 Senate race tomorrow. With a tough primary on the Republican side between incumbent Robert Bennett and state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, could lightning strike in Utah?
Nevada: Republican state sen. Mark Amodei says that, if Republican Rep. Dean Heller does not run for Senate in 2010, he would consider a challenge to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Amodei is not under indictment like Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, is not working for lobbyists like GOP former Rep. Jon Porter, and actually lives in Nevada unlike Wall Street banker John Chachas, so he may be the GOP's best option for a sacrificial lamb.
New York: Could Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy's endorsement of Republican-turned-independent NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's re-election bid be an indication that she won't challenge Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the 2010 Democratic Senate primary?
Connecticut: Fox News-friendly Democrat Merrick Alpert, who is challenging Senator Christopher Dodd in the 2010 Democratic Senate primary, was sitting there in the room as his local Democratic committee, the Groton Democratic Town Committee, passed a resolution supporting Senator Dodd. This strongly suggests that Alpert may have a difficult time recruiting the Democratic activists necessary to building a grassroots campaign if he can't convince those who ostensibly know him best.
Ohio: Ohio's Democratic Secretary of State and 2010 Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner reiterates (once again) that nothing will drive her out of her primary against Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher. Since it was reported in mid-April that Fisher outraised Brunner in Q1, $1 million to $200,000, it seems that the only times the Brunner campaign has made news has been when she's reiterated that she's not leaving the campaign. Not a good sign. She needs to post a very solid Q2, or this trend may likely continue.
New Hampshire: Republican "investor" Fred Tausch says of a possible 2010 Senate bid, "that's not something I've ruled out." Tausch can reportedly self-fund, meaning that he wouldn't have to rely on the GOP establishment for permission to run, potentially setting up a difficult primary.
Kentucky: Republican former Ambassador Cathy Bailey has reportedly hired campaign consultants. I suppose that would indicate a campaign against Jim Bunning in the 2010 Republican Senate primary is forthcoming. Stay tuned.
Republican Senators are not fiscal conservatives.
It might be impossible for Republican Lindsey Graham to have come up with a more insulting question about Judge and Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
On Monday, June 1, we will see a peaceful transfer of power critical to the well-being of our planet, as Conan O'Brien assumes the hosting duties of The Tonight Show. As someone who thought that Jay Leno was incapable of delivering a joke in a manner that was - what's the word? - funny, I'm looking forward to The Conan Era.
To steal a convention of Bill Maher's, NEW RULE: You can't call yourself "pro-life" and kill people. I know that this particular kind of psychopathy shouldn't shock me, but it still does. Deepest condolences to the family of Dr. George Tiller. |
