2008 Congressional Election Thread

[Booker Floyd]

In addition to the presidential election, 2008 will feature quite a few highly comptetitive senatorial and congressional races. 

There are 33 Class II Senate seats up for election; some of the most noteworthy are:

Colorado

Republican Wayne Allard is retiring with low approval ratings and Democratic congressman Mark Udall is the current frontrunner to take his seat.  Udall has impressive funds (over $1.5 million), Democrats have done very well in Colorado in the last two cycles, and Republicans have no announced candidate.  The Republican candidates with the most potential have announced theyre not running.  This is looking like the most likely
Democratic pickup. 

Oregon

Gordon Smith is a top target for Democrats, but theres a possibility hell face a Club For Growth-sponsored primary challenger.  Whether Smiths change-of-heart on the Iraq War was genuine or not, he was fortunate enough to have it before his race for re-election, and that might help him.  Democrats lost their top pick (congressman Peter DeFazio), but Representative Earl Blumenauer is considering a run and would certainly be a formidable candidate. 

Minnesota

Norm Coleman is another top target for Democrats.  He holds the seat once held by Paul Wellstone (winning it by 2 points after Wellstone was killed during the campaign).  Coincidentally, he too has had a change-of-heart on Iraq; but it might not be enough, especially considering his positions on issues such as stem-cell research.  Democrats just won a Minnesota Senate seat last year and Al Franken has raised an impressive $1.3 million in the first quarter (just $200,000 less than Coleman).  He will have to face attorney Micheael Ciresi and Bob Olson in a DFL primary, but can make an impact in a state that elected Jesse Ventura as its governer.

New Hampshire

John Kerry won New Hampshire in 2004 (the only 2000 Bush state to not reelect him) and Democrats dominated there in 2006.  If that momentum continues in 2008, theres a good chance Republican John Sununu will lose his seat.  Former governer Jeanne Shaheen lost to Sununu in 2002 by 4 points, but times are different and she is currently polling well as a potential candidate.  The DSCC has indicated it supports her candidacy and a March 29 ARG poll shows her with a 10-point lead, showing competitiveness at the very least.  Like Coleman, Sununu is also a stem-cell research foe which will likely be a major issue in the campaign.  Hes also been supportive of Bushs Iraq.

Maine

Incumbent Republican Susan Collins is popular and generally perceived as a moderate, but a run from Representative Tom Allen could cause her problems. 

North Carolina

Coming off of her disastrous chairmanship of the NRSC, Elizabeth Dole is up for reelection in 2008.  Shes currently considered the favorite, but polls show soon-to-be retiring (due to term limits) governer Mike Easly defeating her.  Its looking as if he wont run, but hes not yet definitively out.  Congressman Brad Miller is considering a run, as are others. 

Louisiana

Mary Landrieu is perhaps the only real vulnerable Democratic incumbent. 

These are the top-tier races; Ill add the second-tier races later. 

Feel free to share any news or opinions pertaining to any of the 2008 Congressional races.

[Booker Floyd]

Heres an interesting fact:

Democratic (DCCC, DSCC, and DNC) fundraising for Q1 2007: $47.7 million
Republican (NRCC, NRSC, and RNC) fundraising for Q1 2007:  $47.4 million).

Q1 2003?

Republican: $54 million
Democratic: $19 million

[Booker Floyd]

Doherty seems ready to challenge Lautenberg

By MAX PIZARRO
PoliticsNJ.com

As Republicans prepare their campaign to unseat Democrat Frank Lautenberg next year, their most likely candidate is Michael Doherty, a three-term Assemblyman from Warren County and one of New Jersey?s most conservative legislators.

Doherty says he?s interested in running, and his supporters regard the 43-year-old West Point graduate as a sharp, but blue collar alternative to the classic Republican mold of Clifford Case, Thomas Kean and Christine Todd Whitman.

Case was the last Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey ? in 1972. Deeply admired by centrists in both major parties, but generally detested by cultural conservatives and hard-right Republicans, he was defeated for renomination in the 1978 Republican primary.

"Clifford Case was not embraced by the National Republican Party," said Ingrid Reed, director of the New Jersey Project at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

He wasn?t the only New Jersey Republican moderate who over time found himself having to plead "It?s my party, too."

"Christie Todd Whitman struggled," said Reed. "The party here is polarized into a moderate wing and a conservative wing, and it?s difficult for Republicans to win in the state if they don?t have party unity."

As a hard-boiled conservative, Doherty makes a case for being the anti-Case.

"I?m going around and talking to folks, meeting with folks," acknowledged Doherty in a telephone interview this week. "Now, I?m a middle class guy. The guys who have won have been indisputably wealthy, multi-millionaires. But I have an excellent message. I?m a small government, traditional conservative."

Alert to Lautenberg?s $2 million war-chest, Doherty hopes to secure GOP support now that the party is in gear-up mode. He wants to let the power brokers in Jersey and in Washington, D.C. know he?d like to be a player.

Although described as "hard-edged" by colleagues and prone to displays of anger, Doherty commands respect as a West Point graduate who isn't in particularly good humor as he assesses the military he loves stretched in Iraq, and government spending offensive to his sense of fiscal conservatism.

Chris Stark, newly elected chairman of the New Jersey College Republicans, says the party can win if it returns to core principles.

"We have to ask the question, 'Why are we Republicans?'," Stark says. "It's not only issues like immigration and securing our borders, it's spending. ...Republicans nationally and Democrats in the State of New Jersey are spending irresponsibly. All of a sudden, we really have to show that we are the party that cares about fiscal conservatism."

On that score, Doherty caught Stark's attention at the organization?s convention in East Brunswick last Friday.

"With Republicans wanting to get back to basics, people really want to give a conservative candidate another shot," says Stark. ""I think there are a lot of good guys out there who would make fine candidates. I think Doherty would be a formidable candidate. He?s got an amazing presence. He?s real, and you can tell he cares."

Some Republicans say that State Sen. Tom Kean, Jr. performed reasonably well last year in a difficult political contest, as he faced a candidate who opposed the Iraq War even as that conflict grew, and as President George W. Bush nose-dived in the polls.

But in the opinion of his harshest critics, Kean attacked U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and made a war against corruption the centerpiece of his campaign, at the expense of taking conservative stands on issues. They also lament Kean?s undeniably aristocratic presence.

"We?ve run one Mayflower descendent, one aristocrat, after another," complains GOP operator Rick Shaftan, who ran Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan?s campaign for governor in 2005.

But the same party stalwarts who talk about unveiling a working class hero are also aware of the hazards of going to the other end of the spectrum.

Another possible U.S. Senate candidate is Assemblyman Bill Baroni. But some insiders wonder if there is a statewide market for a pro-union Republican. Baroni?s labor-friendly views make him immensely popular in his home district, but could pose problems beyond the boundaries of Mercer and Middlesex.

"I think in a general election with Senator Frank Lautenberg, the unions would say, ?We love you, Bill, but Frank?s been our guy,?" says Shaftan.

In any case, Baroni appears focused on his bid for State Senate to represent the 14th district, which is another reason why Doherty, who is expected to easily win re-election in his solidly-GOP district, is talking about making the move.

While some potential candidates are still waiting to see if indeed the 83-year old Lautenberg is going to be the opponent, most Republicans have been facing the Democratic senator for so long now they can hardly envision facing anyone else.

"He?s probably just arrogant enough to believe the world can?t exist without him," GOP Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll says of Lautenberg.

But what hardcore Republicans see in their Pygmalion workshops - and may glimpse in the nascent campaign of Doherty, they can?t summon in terms of recent victorious historical reference, and that disconnect between ideal and real has literally driven some of their numbers out of the state.

Jeffrey Bell, the man who beat Case in the Republican Primary of 1980, ran as a conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan, his onetime boss. Like Doherty, Bell was a tough guy and former military man, and projected little of the affable, avuncular style of Reagan.

In the general election, Bell lost to Bill Bradley, 55 % to 43 %. Four years later, he narrowly lost a GOP U.S. Senate primary to Millicent Fenwick.

Convinced New Jersey was a hopeless cause, Bell moved to Virginia.

"Bell?s attitude was, ?I couldn?t win, so nobody can,?" says Shaftan. "I don?t buy that. Republicans have to run a candidate who has appeal in swing districts."

Though Baroni has consistently done that, Doherty believes he can do it, in part by asserting core principles of fiscal conservatism, tackling tough issues like border security, and leveraging his military background to pursue smarter foreign policy.

Anne Evans Estabrook, a Summit businesswoman and former New Jersey Chamber of Commerce President, is also mulling a bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination next year.

 

[Booker Floyd]

This thread will get moving eventually, but in the meantime, Ill keep it moving...

Allen To Run Against Collins For U.S. Senate



Congressman Tom Allen has made no secret of the fact that he has been "considering" a challenge to Senator Susan Collins. Tuesday, he made it official and filed federal election paperwork.

Allen, who is from Portland, has been in the house since 1996.

Collins has served two terms in the senate, rising to national prominence as the chair of the homeland security committee.

Allen's announcement that he's going to run for the Senate coincided with release of the first independent poll. And it wasn't good news for Allen.

The Critical Insights poll shows Susan Collins leading by 25 percentage points among likely voters. It has Collins leading in both congressional districts, and it shows Allen had the support of only 54 percent of registered Democrats. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points

Allen says that any candidate running against an incumbent expects to start out as an "underdog."

Several democrats are already lining up to run for Allen's seat. Among those who have said they will run: Chellie Pingree, former state senator Michael Brennan and York county district attorney Mark Lawrence. Iraq war vet Adam Cote of Sanford has also said he will run.

Allen is planning a campaign tour across Maine during the Memorial Day weekend.

NEWS CENTER & The Associated Press

[Booker Floyd]

Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas Dies at 74
Jun 4, 2007 10:40 PM (4 hrs ago)
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, AP

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political catfights, died Monday. He was 74.

The senator's family issued a statement saying he died Monday evening at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He had been receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

Just before the 2006 election, Thomas was hospitalized with pneumonia and had to cancel his last campaign stops. He nonetheless won with 70 percent of the vote, monitoring the election from his hospital bed.

Two days after the election, Thomas announced that he had just been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, will appoint a successor from one of three finalists chosen by the state Republican party.

This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political catfights, died Monday. He was 74.

The senator's family issued a statement saying he died Monday evening at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He had been receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

[The Catcher]

it's been a month and a half and every single reply in this thread is from you.
face it, nobody but you gives a fuck about this thread.

[SLCPUNK]

it's been a month and a half and every single reply in this thread is from you.
face it, nobody but you gives a fuck about this thread.

Nobody gives a fuck about you speedstone.

Get the fuck out of here.

[The Dog]

Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas Dies at 74
Jun 4, 2007 10:40 PM (4 hrs ago)
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, AP

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political catfights, died Monday. He was 74.

The senator's family issued a statement saying he died Monday evening at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He had been receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

Just before the 2006 election, Thomas was hospitalized with pneumonia and had to cancel his last campaign stops. He nonetheless won with 70 percent of the vote, monitoring the election from his hospital bed.

Two days after the election, Thomas announced that he had just been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, will appoint a successor from one of three finalists chosen by the state Republican party.

This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political catfights, died Monday. He was 74.

The senator's family issued a statement saying he died Monday evening at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He had been receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

That's extremely sad.  From the little I know of him he sounded like a good man.

[freedom78]

it's been a month and a half and every single reply in this thread is from you.
face it, nobody but you gives a fuck about this thread.

I care, so piss off!

But I'm moving before the election, so I'm not following my local Representative too closely.  I'm more interested in the general trend in the balance of power in the houses of Congress, which it's too early to accurately predict.  I'd predict gains for the Dems, but they seem to have lost their balls, regarding Iraq, so with Bush on his way out, they may get some backlash of their own.  We'll see...

Wyoming Sen.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, will appoint a successor from one of three finalists chosen by the state Republican party.

Sad news. 

But, this brings up an interesting point.  This governor is clearly not playing politics with it, but when things like this happen, you often see that governors will automatically appoint someone of their own party, regardless of whether it differs with the party of the Congressman who is no longer in office.

I've always been of mixed views about this.  While it seems unimportant when you cast your vote, I'm a believer that you should be aware of the impact any vote has.  Electing a Democratic governor, for example, means that in such a situation there's a decent chance that the governor will appoint a Democrat to fill a position, no matter which party previously held the seat.  Some will say "those voters elected a Republican, so a Republican should fill the seat."  But I'm not so sure.  If the governor's responsibility is to fill these vacant seats, as it is in some states, then that is something that should be considered by voters.

Think of it this way.  If you voted for Bush because of his promises to be socially conservative, you don't JUST get those socially conservative positions when he's elected.  You also get his other positions, whether you agree with them or not.  So, if you vote for a governor, you should know that there's a chance he'll end up appointing someone of his own party to fill a vacant seat in Congress. 

OK...those are my incoherent, rambling thoughts on the matter.

[The Dog]

Wow....imagine if this happens....

Introducing Sen. Lynne Cheney

Lynne Cheney, the wife of Vice President Cheney, is ?being floated in Senate GOP leadership circles as a possible replacement for the late Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY), who died Monday night.?

Wyoming law ensures that the Thomas? ?seat will remain in Republican control, and the balance of power in the Senate will remain unchanged.? Should Cheney be nominated, however, her record indicates that Wyoming?s Senate representation would shift to the far-right of the political spectrum:

    ? In December 2006, Cheney argued that putting Scooter Libby on trial ?does not reflect well on our judicial system.?

    ? In October 2006, Cheney called the media?s portrayal of the NSA?s domestic spying program a ?terrible distortion of both the president and the vice president?s position on many issues,? in part because CNN used the phrase ?domestic surveillance? to describe the so-called ?Terrorist Surveillance Program.?

    ? In October 2004, when Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) referred to Cheney?s lesbian daughter, Mary, as an ?an example of a healthy gay person loved by her family.? Cheney said of Kerry, ?This is a bad man.?

    ? In December 2005, Cheney falsely suggested that her husband Vice President Cheney had not attempted to link Saddam Hussein and 9/11. As ThinkProgress noted, her husband had done so on multiple occasions.

    ? Cheney criticized then-Senate candidate Jim Webb for including sexually explicit material in his novels, despite writing a novel that contains multiple scenes describing a lesbian love affair.

Cheney?s role in the country?s political discourse throughout the Bush presidency has been primarily that of an uncritical advocate of failed administration policy. Her nomination to the U.S. Senate would focus on her distracting, inaccurate rhetoric and do little to ensure the people of Wyoming were fairly represented.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/07/sen-lynne-cheney/

[freedom78]

Wow....imagine if this happens....

Introducing Sen. Lynne Cheney

Lynne Cheney, the wife of Vice President Cheney, is ?being floated in Senate GOP leadership circles as a possible replacement for the late Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY), who died Monday night.?

Wyoming law ensures that the Thomas? ?seat will remain in Republican control, and the balance of power in the Senate will remain unchanged.? Should Cheney be nominated, however, her record indicates that Wyoming?s Senate representation would shift to the far-right of the political spectrum:

    ? In December 2006, Cheney argued that putting Scooter Libby on trial ?does not reflect well on our judicial system.?

    ? In October 2006, Cheney called the media?s portrayal of the NSA?s domestic spying program a ?terrible distortion of both the president and the vice president?s position on many issues,? in part because CNN used the phrase ?domestic surveillance? to describe the so-called ?Terrorist Surveillance Program.?

    ? In October 2004, when Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) referred to Cheney?s lesbian daughter, Mary, as an ?an example of a healthy gay person loved by her family.? Cheney said of Kerry, ?This is a bad man.?

    ? In December 2005, Cheney falsely suggested that her husband Vice President Cheney had not attempted to link Saddam Hussein and 9/11. As ThinkProgress noted, her husband had done so on multiple occasions.

    ? Cheney criticized then-Senate candidate Jim Webb for including sexually explicit material in his novels, despite writing a novel that contains multiple scenes describing a lesbian love affair.

Cheney?s role in the country?s political discourse throughout the Bush presidency has been primarily that of an uncritical advocate of failed administration policy. Her nomination to the U.S. Senate would focus on her distracting, inaccurate rhetoric and do little to ensure the people of Wyoming were fairly represented.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/07/sen-lynne-cheney/

Since she'd be replacing a Republican, at least it might be one more vote for gay rights?  That's the only positive I can come up with. 

[freedom78]

Sheehan considering running against Pelosi
Anti-war mother backs Bush?s impeachment

CRAWFORD, Texas - Cindy Sheehan, the soldier?s mother who galvanized the anti-war movement, said Sunday that she plans to run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unless she introduces articles of impeachment against President Bush in the next two weeks.

Sheehan said she will run against the San Francisco Democrat in 2008 as an independent if Pelosi does not seek by July 23 to impeach Bush. That?s when Sheehan and her supporters are to arrive in Washington, D.C., after a 13-day caravan and walking tour starting next week from the group?s war protest site near Bush?s Crawford ranch.

?Democrats and Americans feel betrayed by the Democratic leadership,? Sheehan told The Associated Press. ?We hired them to bring an end to the war. I?m not too far from San Francisco, so it wouldn?t be too big of a move for me. I would give her a run for her money.?

Messages left with Pelosi?s staff were not immediately returned. The White House declined to comment on Sheehan?s plans.

She plans her official candidacy announcement Tuesday. Sunday wrapped up what is expected to be her final weekend at the 5-acre Crawford lot that she sold to California radio talk show host Bree Walker, who plans to keep it open to protesters.

Sheehan announced in late May that she was leaving the anti-war movement. She said that she felt her efforts had been in vain and that she had endured smear tactics and hatred from the left, as well as the right. She said she wanted to change course.

She first came to Crawford in August 2005 during a Bush vacation, demanding to talk to him about the war that killed her son Casey in 2004. She became the face of the anti-war movement during her 26-day roadside vigil, which was joined by thousands. But it also drew counter-protests by Bush supporters, many who said she was hurting troop morale.

Disenchantment with Democrats
Sheehan, who has never held political office, recently said that she was leaving the Democratic Party because it ?caved? in to the president. Last week, she announced her caravan to Washington, an undertaking she calls the ?people?s accountability movement.?

?I didn?t expect to be back so soon, but the focus is different than it was before,? Sheehan said Sunday. ?Instead of talking and making accusations, we?re going into communities and talking to the people who?ve been hurt by the Bush regime. We?re finding out how we can help people.?

Sheehan, who will turn 50 on Tuesday, said Bush should be impeached because she believes he misled the public about the reasons for going to war, violated the Geneva Convention by torturing detainees, and crossed the line by commuting the prison sentence of former vice presidential aide I. Lewis ?Scooter? Libby. She said other grounds for impeachment are the domestic spying program and the ?inadequate and tragic? response to Hurricane Katrina.

Libby was convicted of lying and obstructing justice in an investigation into the leak of a CIA officer?s identity.

Sheehan said she hopes Pelosi files the articles of impeachment so Sheehan can move onto her next projects, including overseas trips for humanitarian work. But if not, Sheehan said she is ready to run for office.

?She let the people down...?
?I?m doing it to encourage other people to run against Congress members who aren?t doing their jobs, who are beholden to special interests,? Sheehan said. ?She (Pelosi) let the people down who worked hard to put Democrats back in power, who we thought were our hope for change.?

Pelosi was elected to the House in 1987 and became the first female speaker in January.

Sheehan said she lives in a Sacramento suburb but declined to disclose which city, citing safety reasons. The area is outside Pelosi?s district, but there are no residency requirements for congressional members, according to the California secretary of state?s office.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19665569/
************************************************************************************

I really don't think she'd have a chance in Hell, but I still totally think she should do it. 

[The Dog]

I really don't think she'd have a chance in Hell, but I still totally think she should do it. 

agreed.  only in America....

I love it.

if she COULD win anywhere on a strong anti-war platform, it would be SF though.

[Booker Floyd]

San Francisco voters are smart enough to know that Nancy Pelosi isnt the one to vote out.

[TAP]

I really don't think she'd have a chance in Hell, but I still totally think she should do it. 

agreed.  only in America....

Not an identical situation, but check out this British reporter who took a very safe conservative seat on essentially a single issue platform in 1997

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bell

[Booker Floyd]

Franken Raises Over $1.9 Million In Second Quarter

SAINT PAUL [7/8/07] - The Al Franken for Senate campaign announced today that it expected to report having raised over $1.9 million in the second quarter of 2007 when it files its quarterly report with the FEC on July 15.

The money was raised from nearly 28,000 donors. So far in 2007, over 36,000 donors have contributed a grand total of over $3.2 million. The campaign is particularly pleased to note that over 95% of contributions in the second quarter were $100 or less.

The $1.9 million figure would mean that Al has likely out-raised incumbent Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) in the second quarter, an unusual feat for a challenger. Sen. Coleman?s campaign reported raising ?over $1.5 million? in the quarter. The Franken campaign will report nearly $2 million cash on hand.

Communications Director Andy Barr:

"We made a conscious decision early on to rely on grassroots support to fund our campaign. Today, we've shown that when people come together, they can be even more powerful than the special interests and corporate PACs backing Norm Coleman. And we've shown that Al is a candidate who can bring people together around the progressive values we share."

Other second quarter fundraising notes:
- The average contribution to the campaign in the second quarter was $65.10.

- Nearly 2,000 people who contributed to the campaign in the first quarter, or nearly 20%, made another contribution in the second quarter.

- The campaign has received contributions from every county in Minnesota and from every state in the nation.

- The campaign received only $5,500 from PACs in the second quarter, including $5,000 from Sen. Dick Durbin?s (D-Ill.) Prairie PAC and $500 from GMP Political Education League, the PAC of the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics, & Allied Workers International Union. In the first quarter, Al received just $15,000 from PACs (including $5,000 from his own Midwest Values PAC), while Sen. Coleman received nearly a third of his total ($450,000) from PACs.

[Booker Floyd]

Senator's number on escort service list

Mon Jul 9, 10:31 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Sen. David Vitter, R-La., apologized Monday night for "a very serious sin in my past" after his telephone number appeared among those associated with an escort service operated by the so-called "D.C. Madam."
ADVERTISEMENT

Vitter's spokesman, Joel Digrado, confirmed the statement in an e-mail sent to The Associated Press.

"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in the statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there ? with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."

[Bill 213]

Senator's number on escort service list

Mon Jul 9, 10:31 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Sen. David Vitter, R-La., apologized Monday night for "a very serious sin in my past" after his telephone number appeared among those associated with an escort service operated by the so-called "D.C. Madam."
ADVERTISEMENT

Vitter's spokesman, Joel Digrado, confirmed the statement in an e-mail sent to The Associated Press.

"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in the statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there ? with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."

Hey what the fuck!........I've never banged a hooker or committed adultery...and I've been asking god for a new car for a year now to NO avail.  DAMN YOU REPUBLICANS, STOP STEALING ALL OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS!!!!

[The Dog]

Senator's number on escort service list

Mon Jul 9, 10:31 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Sen. David Vitter, R-La., apologized Monday night for "a very serious sin in my past" after his telephone number appeared among those associated with an escort service operated by the so-called "D.C. Madam."
ADVERTISEMENT

Vitter's spokesman, Joel Digrado, confirmed the statement in an e-mail sent to The Associated Press.

"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in the statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there ? with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."

I love those Republican family values...sigh.

[freedom78]

The hooker part doesn't bother me.  The married and hypocrisy parts do. 

[GeorgeSteele]

The hooker part doesn't bother me.? 

Yeah, me neither.  I was young and they needed the money.

[Booker Floyd]

David Vitter replaced Representative Bob Livingston after Livingston stepped down during an extramarital affair scandal.  He issued this statement:

?I think Livingston?s stepping down makes a very powerful argument that Clinton should resign as well and move beyond this mess,? he said. [Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 12/20/98]

[Booker Floyd]

The Line: Don't Forget Congress!

We've been receiving some e-mails in The Fix inbox of late chiding us for going all presidential in the last few weeks.

While we make no excuses for covering what is, quite frankly, the most wide open, unpredictable and exciting presidential race in recent American political history, The Fix has been suffering a little congressional race withdrawal of our own.

So, below you'll find updated House and Senate lines. And, you have our word that once the presidential race quiets down (if that ever happens) we'll be back offering Fix readers regular updates on the state of play in the House, Senate and gubernatorial contests.

As always, the number one ranked race on each line is the most likely seat to change party control. Agree or disagree? Your thoughts are welcome in the comments section.

To the line(s)!

SENATE

Last fall it looked as though Democrats could make a legitimate run at 60 seats in November. That dream is gone but the number of GOP retirements and continued lackluster recruiting by Senate Republicans puts Democrats in position to pick up somewhere between two and five seats. (Just one of the ten seats on this month's line is held by a Democrat.) Since our last Line, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has run his typical brutally efficient campaign, scaring away top Democratic challengers and keeping himself off this month's Line. The resignation of Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and the controversy over when the special election will be held to replace him puts his seat on the Line this month.

10. Mississippi (OPEN Republican-held seat; Lott resigned)
9. Alaska (Republican Sen. Ted Stevens running for re-election)
8. Oregon (Republican Sen. Gordon Smith running for re-election)
7. Maine (Republican Sen. Susan Collins running for re-election)
6. Minnesota (Republican Sen. Norm Coleman running for re-election)
5. Colorado (OPEN Republican-held seat; Sen. Wayne Allard retiring)
4. Louisiana (Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu running for re-election)
3. New Hampshire (Republican Sen. John Sununu running for re-election)
2. New Mexico (OPEN Republican-held seat; Sen. Pete Domenici retiring)
1. Virginia (OPEN Republican-held seat; Sen. John Warner retiring)

HOUSE

The last month or so has provided mixed results for House Republicans. On one hand, retirements continue to afflict the party -- Rep. Richard Baker (R-La.) is the latest example. On the other hand some good news is trickling in -- most notably Rep. Bill Young's (R-Fla.) decision to run for re-election and Rep. John Doolittle's (R-Calif.) decision not to run. It still looks like an uphill journey for Republicans to pick up House seats; just one of the ten seats on this month's Line is currently held by a Democrat.

10. Louisiana's 6th district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Baker resigning)
9. California's 11th district (Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney running for re-election)
8. Minnesota's 3rd district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Rep. Jim Ramstad retiring)
7. New Mexico's 1st district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Rep. Heather Wilson running for Senate)
6. Ohio's 15th district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Rep. Deborah Pryce retiring)
5. New Jersey's 7th district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Rep. Mike Ferguson retiring)
4. Illinois' 11th district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Rep. Jerry Weller retiring)
3. Arizona's 1st district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Rep. Rick Renzi retiring)
2. New Jersey's 3rd district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Rep. Jim Saxton retiring)
1. Ohio's 16th district (OPEN Republican-held seat; Rep. Ralph Regula retiring)

By Chris Cillizza |  January 1

[freedom78]

Since a number of Hillary Clinton advocates on the web are claiming that Obama won't be able to accomplish anything because the GOP will block them, I thought this as good a time as any to revisit the Congressional elections...particularly those in the Senate, where a filibuster is possible.  That is to say, assuming the Dems can maintain a majority in both houses, the Senate is where the potential trouble lies for a future Democratic President. 

So...if either Clinton or Obama is elected President, here's where things will stand:

Definite Seats
DEMS: 37
REPS: 28
IND: 2

These numbers assume that a Democrat would be appointed to fill Obama/Clinton's seat.  I don't think Bernie Sanders (I) would filibuster against the Democratic caucus, but I could see Lieberman doing so on foreign policy issues.

So, that means that there are 12 Democratic and 21 Republican seats up for election. 

But, as Booker mentioned, there are a couple of retirements for the GOP, killing any incumbent advantage in New Mexico and Colorado. 

In a year in which Democratic turnout is way up, it looks as though the Dems have a good chance to pick up some seats, perhaps three or more, which could give them a solid majority, with the two independent Senators,  of 54+. 

Of course, that's still not 60, but the closer they get to that most magic of Senate numbers, the better for them. 

[freedom78]

Took me a while to dig these up, but here are some poll numbers for some of the key Senate races:

Virginia (Open GOP seat; Incumbent retiring):

Mark Warner (D): 57%
Jim Gilmore (R): 37%
---How'd you like to be Gilmore and lose two elections in the same season?

Minnesota (Incumbent GOP seat)

Al Franken (D): 49%
Norm Coleman (R): 46%

Colorado (Open GOP seat; Incumbent retiring)

Bob Schaffer (R): 44%
Mark Udall (D): 43%

New Hampshire (Incumbent GOP seat)

Jeane Shaheen (D): 49%
John Sununu (R): 41%

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_senate_elections/

That's four GOP seats in serious risk, and if the Dem vote correlates at all with the primary turnout, they'll pick up all these seats, I'm betting.

If the New Mexico race is anything like these, it could be a +5 senate election for the Dems.  That would put their working majority, with both independents, at 56 seats. 

[TAP]

Looks like the Dems might take Hastert's old district:

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/index.html

U.S. House - District 14 - Special General
Illinois - 423 of 568 Precincts Reporting - 74%
   Name    Party    Votes    Vote %
   Foster , Bill    Dem    40,395    53%
   Oberweis , Jim    GOP    35,895    47%

[freedom78]

Looks like the Dems might take Hastert's old district:

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/index.html

U.S. House - District 14 - Special General
Illinois - 423 of 568 Precincts Reporting - 74%
   Name    Party    Votes    Vote %
   Foster , Bill    Dem    40,395    53%
   Oberweis , Jim    GOP    35,895    47%

Not to get off track, but that's likely another Superdelegate for Obama.  But even if it's not, it's a big win for Dems.

[TAP]

I guess Hastert was my congressman for 5 years and I never knew, I feel so dirty.   

[TAP]

Endorsing a loser 

[The Dog]

Hastert is OUT

Dems are IN

 

[Booker Floyd]

Not to get off track, but that's likely another Superdelegate for Obama.  But even if it's not, it's a big win for Dems.

It is.  Fosters victory is already being used as an example of Obamas ability to help the downticket.

[freedom78]

Hastert is OUT

Dems are IN

 

Not to look too far ahead, but this was a GOP safe district...this win for a Dem suggests good things for November.

[The Dog]

Hastert is OUT

Dems are IN

 

Not to look too far ahead, but this was a GOP safe district...this win for a Dem suggests good things for November.

absolutely.  I don't see how they can lose.  Then again I said that in 00 and 04 too 

[freedom78]

Mark Pryor Uncontested For Second Term In U.S. Senate

U.S. Senator Mark Pryor apparently will run for a second term uncontested by a Republican. Tom Formicola, who lost a bid for a Congressional seat in 2006, decided not to run against Pryor after thinking about it further over the weekend and discussing it with his family. Republican Party Chairman Dennis Milligan says the party does not plan to have a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat.

Filing for an elective office in Arkansas ends Monday. None of Arkansas' Congressional delegates have drawn opponents.

Pryor won in 2002 by beating Republican incumbent Tim Hutchinson. But just in case he had a re-election fight, he has raised more than $4 million for a campaign. The sum rivals the $4.22 million he raised for his 2002 campaign.

***************************************************************************

How the hell can the GOP not contest a blue Senate seat in a red state?  They have so many seats to hold this fall, and this is one that could really suck up DNC resources.