Quote :

"I wonder how 2010 would turn out if Obama played to the base of the Democratic party and pushed harder for the public option, winding down Afghanistan, and stood against the antiterror tactics of the Bush administration?"

A fun liberal dream, but in reality Obama, who desperately wants to stay int he White House, is behaving more and more like Bush everyday..much to the chagrin of the loyalists who put him into power.

Conservatives dislike him even more
Moderates feel like they been deceived
and liberals feel betrayed.

A great mix for the re-election campaign.

1/17/2010 11:55:16 PM

Well, it looks like Beau Biden isn't going to run for the Senate after all.

[Edited on January 24, 2010 at 2:35 PM. Reason : wait, maybe not . . . I'm confused.]

1/24/2010 2:31:53 PM

Quote :

"Arkansas Rep. Marion Berry is expected to announce his retirement tomorrow morning, according to three sources briefed on the decision. Berry will become the sixth Democrat in a competitive seat to leave in the last two months but the first to announce his retirement since the party's special election loss in Massachusetts last Tuesday."

bend over democrats.......

1/24/2010 6:24:32 PM

Quote :

"Biden will not run for father's former Senate seat Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden will not run for his father's former Senate seat, he announced via email to supporters this morning. "I have a duty to fulfill as Attorney General - and the immediate need to focus on a case of great consequence," Biden wrote. "And that is what I must do. Therefore I cannot and will not run for the United States Senate in 2010. I will run for reelection as Attorney General." The decision is a huge blow for Senate Democrats who had long insisted Biden was a certain candidate. Republican Rep. Mike Castle is now a strong favorite for the open seat. The certainty of a Biden candidacy had declined significantly in recent weeks due, at least in part to an ongoing investigation into an alleged pedophile pediatrician being conducted by his office."

MASSIVE blow to the dems... there goes Delaware.....

1/25/2010 10:14:08 AM

John Murtha just died, that throws PA - 12 up for grabs.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/08/john.murtha.obit/index.html?hpt=T1

2/8/2010 4:02:52 PM

Speaking to folks from Wayne County at Wilber's BBQ in Goldsboro


Talking to our veterans about foreign policy engagements.



I think this kind of campaigning may just kick bank-run Burr out of office this November. Of course he's hitting the bigger cities and democratic strongholds too & has the biggest facebook/youtube/online presence, but making a point to talk to and listen to people in the more rural areas of NC is what a real campaign looks like.

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 1:14 AM. Reason : .]

2/11/2010 1:14:25 AM

Quote :

"Cunningham, a lawyer and former state senator from Lexington, proposes tax credits for businesses that hire new workers, the temporary elimination of capital gains taxes on small businesses and the creation of a new bonus manufacturing tax credit to reward companies that research and manufacture their products in this country, Rob Christensen reports."

Following the same useless plan as Obama.

Few small business people want to hire in Obama's anti-free market political environment.

Most small business people do not earn their money from capital gains.

But democrats like Cal are hoping voters don't notice.

2/11/2010 1:34:51 AM

Quote :

"18 REPUBLICAN retirements, 12 Democratic retirements."

in the house

2/11/2010 10:50:51 AM

Just going a quick google search for senate retirements came up with this.

http://trueslant.com/justingardner/2010/01/06/senate-repub-retirements-outnumber-dems-3-to-1/

It also says more GOP governors are retiring than Democratic ones.

It looks like we have across the board more GOP retirements.

2/11/2010 11:02:52 AM

Dems will lose Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, Nevada, probably Colorado. Two of those are due to empty benches (Del and ND), one is because of a no-name (Col.), one is because Harry Reid is an easy target to beatup no matter what side you're on, and the other is because there's actually a good GOP challenger to a pretty conservative Dem (Arkansas).

-Burr won't lose in this cycle
-Dems should pick up Missouri, probably not Ohio or New Hampshire
-everything else pretty much falls as it is, which leaves us at...

54 Dems, 44 Republicans, 2 Independents

In the house, there will be a swing of roughly +15 to the GOP, but all will be in districts which went for McCain or were tossups last time.

Shocker of the year for the GOP: Charlie "Ambiguously Orange" Christ gets bounced from politics forever after being a pretty popular gov.

Shocker of the year for the Dems: Bill White beats Rick Perry in Texas because of the Hispanic vote and the fact that 10 years of that asshole is enough for even the dumbest yokel.

I'm willing to wager on these predictions.

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 7:04 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2010 7:00:47 PM

holy shit

this is huge

Quote :

"Evan Bayh to retire Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh will not seek re-election this year, a decision that hands Republicans a prime pickup opportunity in the middle of the country. "After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so by serving in Congress has waned," Bayh will say. Bayh will announce the decision at a press conference later today. He was first elected to the Senate in 1998 and was re-elected easily in 2004. National Republicans had recruited former Sen. Dan Coats to challenge Bayh in 2010 although polling suggested Bayh began the race with a 20-point edge. He also had $13 million in the bank at the end of the year. Prior to being in the Senate, Bayh served two terms as governor of the Hoosier State. He also served briefly as Secretary of State."

2/15/2010 10:40:02 AM

Perhaps comparing Republican v. Democratic retirements is useless without context. Some of the candidates might be retiring to avoid defeat, others may be retiring feeling that their own party has a solid shot at retaining the seat. We all know incumbents possess an inherent advantage but in some districts it simply doesn't matter as long as the candidate has the right party affiliation and runs a solid campaign.

2/15/2010 1:21:33 PM

Buybye Paterson....

Quote :

"New York Gov. David Paterson won't seek re-election Embattled New York Gov. David Paterson (D) will not seek re-election this fall, a bow to the inevitable given his low poll numbers and a recent controversy surrounding one of his top aides. Paterson has begun telling people he won't be on the ballot in the fall, according to one senior Democrat based in New York, and the New York Daily News reporting that the formal retirement announcement will come this afternoon. Paterson's decision will be greeted with a sigh of relief from state and national Democrats who openly fretted that his unpopularity could drag down the entire ticket in the state. The White House -- in the form of political director Patrick Gaspard -- tried to talk Paterson out of the contest last fall without success. But, Paterson's political fortunes continued to decline in the intervening months and a New York Times story that ran earlier this week alleging that the governor had intervened in an assault case involving a top aide appeared to be the final blow. Paterson's retirement clears the way for state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the most popular politician in the Empire State, to be the Democratic nominee for governor this fall. Cuomo ran for governor in 2002 but dropped out of the contest after it became clear he would lose to then state Comptroller Carl McCall."

2/26/2010 10:57:37 AM

2/26/2010 11:07:58 AM

That is good new for the democrats in NY. Baring them pulling a Coakley style campaign, the chances are good that New York will have a democratic governor.

2/26/2010 4:17:48 PM

^x2 - LOL. I will miss Paterson as a Weekend Update contributor.

2/26/2010 4:22:40 PM

Latest e-mail from the Marshall camp:

Quote :

"This week, we've seen the worst of Washington as Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning is single-handedly blocking the extension of important unemployment benefits for thousands of North Carolinians. Our Senator, Richard Burr, remains eerily silent. It's no surprise really, the same failed leadership we've come to expect - but we can't let him get away it. It's time we speak up, and send Richard Burr a message. Click here to DEMAND Richard Burr stand against this callous abuse of power! Do you know what Senator Bunning actually said when he was told his actions would hurt millions of Americans: "Tough s%&!" It is shocking to me that anyone elected by the people would be so insensitive to the millions of Americans hurt by this recession. What's more disappointing, is Senator Burr's silence, which makes him a willing accomplice to this heinous crime. Nearly 400,000 North Carolinians are without work, and will be crippled by the loss of unemployment benefits. All the while, Senator Burr remains deadly silent. That is unacceptable and it's time Richard Burr does right by the people of North Carolina. It's time to say "no more" - DEMAND Richard Burr speak up and get to work: http://elainemarshall.com/unacceptable I'm running for U.S. Senate to make sure things like this don't happen anymore. But North Carolina families cannot wait until next January; they need Senator Burr to start doing something for them now. With your help, we can only pray he does. Thanks for everything, Elaine Marshall"

I think Elaine is running a strong campaign. I'd like to see her branch out to more multimedia stuff. Cunningham has videos of him addressing all the issues spliced in with interviews of North Carolina citizens across the state, which can be found on his website, in his campaign e-mails, all over youtube, and facebook & so forth. Marshall's online campaign is still text based for the most part whether it be her posts on bluenc, on dailykos, or on her own website, and e-mails. They've both held on campus events here at NCSU, which is more than I can say for Lewis. Which maybe he has and I haven't heard about them (but how effective can they be if they aren't reaching lefties like me?).

3/2/2010 5:22:43 PM

Quote :

"It is shocking to me that anyone elected by the people would be so insensitive to the millions of Americans hurt by this recession"

As usual, Marshall and other democrats cry about people not getting their yummies, but won't tell us how we're supposed to pay for this $10 billion in additional spending..on top of the already budget-busting debt we already owe.

You know what else is going to be more than just "insensitive" Elaine? A bankrupt nation.

3/2/2010 11:23:03 PM

For what its worth, a special election held today in VA was won by democrat, for a seat in the VA House of Delegates which was a 2010 election even if its not the big election night. But it is the area of VA that most engulfs Washington, so you know they are all hearing about the democratic election victory.

3/3/2010 12:06:48 AM

Quote :

"It is shocking to me that anyone elected by the people would be so insensitive to the millions of Americans hurt by this recession"

Is it? They're sensitive to your vote come November but the rest of the time their primary concern is #1. I mean, very rarely do you get elected to a national office without a serious dose of ego.

Quote :

"For what its worth, a special election held today in VA was won by democrat"

It was in Fairfax and she won by 42 votes . . . so not much.

3/3/2010 6:09:04 AM

^^

I live in falls church, just outside fairfax, and I had no idea so no, not everyone in politics is talking about it.

3/3/2010 11:41:53 PM

Crist is running as an independent. Certainly not shocking news.

My prediction - Crist will win the Senate seat and National Republicans are going to look rather stupid. Rubio may have the $$ right now, but I think Crist is still going to win it as an independent.

He'll caucus with the Republicans most likely, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a Lieberman type.

4/28/2010 4:24:27 PM

Quote :

"In a major blow to Democrats, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey has told close associates that he will not seek reelection and an announcement of his plans is expected as early as Wednesday, POLITICO has learned."

holee shit

5/5/2010 11:46:19 AM

^^agree

5/5/2010 2:53:34 PM

Any predictions for this evening?

5/18/2010 6:43:52 PM

I predict Rand Paul will win

5/18/2010 8:58:03 PM

Rand Paul Wins!

Hey GOP....wake up and smell the tea.

Connecticut back in play...

Quote :

"WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Trying to defuse a crisis that could give the GOP a powerful opening, Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal said Tuesday that he "misspoke" in claiming more than once that he served in Vietnam, and he dismissed the furor as a matter of "a few misplaced words." At a news conference where he surrounded himself with veterans, the Connecticut attorney general and far-and-away front-runner to replace retiring Democrat Christopher Dodd said he meant to say he served "during" Vietnam instead of "in" Vietnam. He said the statements were "totally unintentional" errors that occurred only a few times out of hundreds of public appearances."

Hey.. he just lied only a few times.. he probably won't lie anymore if he's elected.

5/18/2010 9:32:35 PM

Rand Paul isn't really a Tea Party candidate, he was only labeled as one by lazy journalists

5/18/2010 9:39:40 PM

Down goes Specter, Down goes Specter, Down goes Specter

5/18/2010 10:33:56 PM

^^
What?

Quote :

"With nearly all precincts reporting in Kentucky, Paul was drawing 59 percent of the vote to Grayson's 35 percent – a yawning lead over a candidate once viewed as a sure bet for his party's nomination and openly backed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In his victory speech, Paul applauded the tea party movement and issued a stern warning to the political establishment: "I have a message, a message from the tea party, a message that is loud and clear and does not mince words: We've come to take our government back." "The tea party movement is about saving the country from a mountain of debt that is devouring our country and that I think could lead to chaos," Paul said "

5/18/2010 10:36:13 PM

Quote :

" The tea party movement is about saving the country from a mountain of debt that is devouring our country and that I think could lead to chaos"

So he must certainly support raising taxes then right?

5/18/2010 10:38:43 PM

Just like Senator Brown was.....wait......I think the Tea Party disowned him after they finally discovered (it was obvious) that he was a moderate and not a neo conservative? Looks like the Dems could pick up the Kentucky seat....the CT thing will blow over, no big deal....only a big deal if it was a republican.......

[Edited on May 18, 2010 at 10:41 PM. Reason : w]

5/18/2010 10:40:37 PM

Another incumbent down...

I'm suspecting Lincoln will go down as well.

5/18/2010 10:42:11 PM

one time i went with a fraternity to a football game

i drank their booze and rode their bus... heck i even wore a tie

i had no intention of joining the frat... i just wanted to go to the football game

GO BANANA

5/18/2010 10:43:24 PM

^^^ it's not a bad thing though for moderate republicans to ride the tea party wave to unseat the old guard republicans.

People have been clamoring for a socially more liberal, but fiscally more conservative group of politicians for a while now. If this type of person can trick tea baggers into supporting them, that's better for the country as a whole.

[Edited on May 18, 2010 at 10:44 PM. Reason : ]

5/18/2010 10:44:22 PM

It's getting clearer that this fall's election is going to be America vs. Obama's Washington DC

5/18/2010 11:39:59 PM

America isn't politically united.

There will and should always be discourse.

5/19/2010 8:04:24 AM

as well as intercourse

5/19/2010 8:11:49 AM

Quote :

"America vs. Obama's Washington DC"

dog whistles much?

5/19/2010 8:38:17 AM

Quote :

"as well as intercourse"

agreed... hasn't our birth rate been down for some time?

but there's an argument for increased immigration

we need extra 1ups

5/19/2010 8:45:23 AM

Quote :

"BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Democratic leaders were relishing the Republican primary victory of tea party candidate Rand Paul, suggesting he will be an easy target for them in November for Kentucky's U.S. Senate seat. In a closely watched race across the country as a test of the tea party movement's strength, Paul easily defeated GOP establishment favorite Trey Grayson Tuesday night, garnering about 59 percent of the vote. Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Sen. Robert Menendez, said he believes Paul is better for Democrats to face in the general election. He said there is a stark contrast between Rand and his opponent, state Attorney General Jack Conway. "Rand Paul would abolish the Department of Education, would disband the Federal Reserve, and would end farm subsidies for Kentucky's farmers," Menendez said in a statement. "Rand Paul may love the national media spotlight but he has shown no interest in growing Kentucky's economy or creating new jobs.""

This race looks a lot like the NC-4 race where B.J. Lawson is going up against 20+ year incumbent David Price. Lawson was beaten pretty handily in 2008. Price's successful strategy was similar to the ones Dems want to use against Rand Paul - to attack his libertarian views. But this year, with many of Obama's voters probably staying home, Lawson and Rand might pull it off.

5/19/2010 10:30:32 AM

lol

5/19/2010 10:39:08 AM

^^pretty sure more dems showed up for the KY primary than republicans.

yeah just checked and the dem primary had 50% more voters than the republican primary.

[Edited on May 19, 2010 at 9:50 PM. Reason : .]

5/19/2010 9:47:16 PM

Quote :

"Last Night's Big Loser: National Republicans No one suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune more than Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. His hand-picked candidate was trounced by tea partier Rand Paul in the Kentucky Senate primary. McConnell's pick, Trey Grayson, only got 35% of the vote despite his party's backing. Grayson even lost in his home county. Democrats managed to deny Republicans what would have been a symbolic taking of the 12th district seat once held by the late Rep. John Murtha."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/primary-night-was-a-rough-night-for-the-gop.php

5/19/2010 9:53:10 PM

Of course, the democrat who won the 12th district had to walk, talk, and quack like a republican in order to win...

but sure, that bodes well for democrats. sure!

5/19/2010 9:59:42 PM

because murtha was practically in the green party, right?

5/19/2010 10:05:24 PM

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/19/house-republicans-grumbling-over-loss-in-pa-special-election/?fbid=CeukDESvFZn

Quote :

"Democratic candidate Mark Critz topped Republican Tim Burns by double digits in the battle to succeed the late Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha. “People should be rumbling – members sure were,” said one of the sources. Both sources, one a Republican lawmaker and one a senior GOP staffer, said National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Pete Sessions took responsibility for the loss and promised to study the results and learn the lessons of the Burns’ defeat. Both sources said they did not believe there would be an effort to replace Rep. Sessions as chairman of the NRCC, but said it was made clear there is deep dissatisfaction. The accounts also exposed anew long festering tensions or rivalries among House Minority Leader John Boehner and some of his deputies in the leadership. The two sources, both from the more conservative factions of the House GOP caucus, noted it was the Ohio Republican who tapped Sessions for the NRCC’s top post and said most of the NRCC’s top staff have ties to Boehner. “In baseball, general managers can only fire so many managers before their own neck is on the line – and Boehner knows that,” was the take of one of the sources, the senior GOP staffer who was at the meeting. The source also told CNN that the NRCC “has a lot of explaining to do and frankly, needs a proctology exam."

5/20/2010 5:12:01 AM

Quote :

"This race looks a lot like the NC-4 race where B.J. Lawson is going up against 20+ year incumbent David Price. Lawson was beaten pretty handily in 2008. Price's successful strategy was similar to the ones Dems want to use against Rand Paul - to attack his libertarian views. But this year, with many of Obama's voters probably staying home, Lawson and Rand might pull it off."

I think Lawson has a much better chance this go around. He's got a lot of national support now from the liberty movement. David Price is not going to change anything. He's going to keep bending to the will of the political machine, as long as he benefits personally. He's another career politician, and he needs to go. And, while Lawson does have to make some minor concessions to get mainstream GOP support, he's very much a libertarian that understands that both parties have screwed us over.

I hope that Rand Paul wins. I'm not as big of a fan of him as his father, or even Schiff or Lawson, but having him in the senate would go a long way to making a difference. We need someone that is going to take a stand against this scam of a government that has been created by self-serving politicians, even if it won't get them re-elected.

Blumenthal in Connecticut, as expected, has some skeletons in his closet. He said on many occasions that he served in Vietnam, when in reality, he did not. The convention is coming up in Connecticut. The more people hear Peter Schiff, the people get on board. The tea party groups are on board, and a lot of mainstream GOPers are on board. Dick Blumenthal is a lawyer and a politician. He's going to continue playing the game that got us to where we are. Hopefully, the people of Connecticut are smart enough to recognize what an opportunity they have in electing Schiff.

[Edited on May 20, 2010 at 12:48 PM. Reason : ]

5/20/2010 12:48:19 PM

bttt

9/2/2010 2:55:29 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUPKKbmWMZ8&feature=player_embedded#!

LOL

(thanks for the quick bump)

9/2/2010 2:56:20 PM