Rothenberg:Nevada Now a Toss-Up

Tue Oct 13 — 3:06pm

A new Mason-Dixon poll showing Harry Reid trailing two GOP challengers has moved Nevada into the toss-up column according to noted political analyst Stu Rothenberg.

More here.

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Great Fundraising Numbers

Thu Oct 08 — 3:31pm

GOPers across the country announced great fundraising numbers in the past couple of days. Here's a sample:

Charlie Crist’s Senate campaign in Florida announced this morning that he raised a very impressive $2.4 million over the last three months leaving the popular Florida Governor with a whopping $6.2 million cash on hand.  Crist’s fundraising numbers are the highest among any non-incumbent Senate candidate in either party this cycle.

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Memo from ED Rob Jesmer

Wed Oct 07 — 3:33pm

With yesterday's announcement by Congressman and former Governor Mike Castle (DE), the 2010 outlook for Senate Republicans continues to improve.

In response to Castle's announcement, the highly-respected political pundit Stuart Rothenberg immediately shifted the Delaware Senate race from "currently safe" for Democrats to "lean takeover" for the GOP.  A Rasmussen survey released just last week showed Castle leading his potential Democrat opponent, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, 47 to 42 percent.

Meanwhile in Illinois, GOP Congressman Mark Kirk, known for his ability to repeatedly win re-election in his Democrat-leaning district, announced Monday that he has raised more than $1.6 million during the third quarter. Kirk's likely Democrat opponents in this race include Tony Rezko's former banker who has suspected ties to the mob, and a former Chief of Staff to disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

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Castle's Candidacy Gets Buzz

Wed Oct 07 — 2:59pm

· The Hill: GOP Scores Top Senate Recruit In Castle

· Washington Times: Castle Boosts GOP Prospects In Del.

· USA Today: Rep. Castle Boosts GOP Chances In Delaware

· Roll Call: Castle Sets Up Big Battle In Tiny State

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Baker, Kirk show strong fundraising numbers

Tue Oct 06 — 1:40pm

Two Senate candidates announded Wednesday strong fundraising numbers for the third quarter. In Arkansas, The Associated Press reports that Gilbert Baker announced he had raised more than half a million dollars since making his Senate bid official September 1. Meanwhile in Illinois, Josh Kraushaar of Politico writes on Mark Kirk’s "strong quarter of fundraising," which totaled more than $1.6 million.

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Roy Blunt launches new web site

Mon Oct 05 — 2:08pm

Make sure to check out Roy Blunt's new campaign web site for the 2010 election in Missouri. Be one of the first to visit and join the Blunt Brigade!

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Public Option Continues to Divide Senate Democrats

Mon Oct 05 — 1:51pm

Numerous news articles today and over the weekend highlight the division between Senate Democrats on the health care bill. J. Taylor Rushing of The Hill writes on the increasing disagreement between Majority Leader Reid and Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus regarding the inclusion of the public option. Rushing reports the two are approaching a breaking point over the issue and both have staked out opposing positions on the central question of a government role in health reform - Reid has consistently stood in favor, but Baucus has consistently said the idea doesn’t have enough Senate support.

Roll Call’s David Drucker and Emily Pierce report on Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln’s confusing rhetoric on the matter, as she attempts to walk a fine line on the issue that is strongly supported by her liberal Party leadership but deeply unpopular in her conservative-leaning state.

 

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Washington Times: Senate giant killer sees new victim: Reid

Mon Oct 05 — 1:47pm

In Kara Rowland’s Washington Times profile on John Thune, the South Dakota "giant killer" observes the striking similarities between his 2004 defeat of then-Democrat Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Harry Reid’s re-election bid next year. The Republican who ousted the Democratic leader of the Senate in 2004 says Harry Reid finds himself in a similar predicament of representing a conservative-leaning state but leading a liberal party. Sen. John Thune made Senate history when he unseated Sen. Tom Daschle by exploiting the gap between Mr. Daschle's interests in Washington and those of his home state of South Dakota.

 

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VIDEO: Sen. Tom Carper admits he doesn't expect to read health care bill

Mon Oct 05 — 1:43pm

In a moment of stunning candor, Senator Tom Carper admitted to CNS News that he "doesn’t expect" to actually read the health care legislation, calling it one of the "more confusing things I have ever read in my life." Carper described the type of language the actual text of the bill would finally be drafted in as "arcane," "confusing," "hard stuff to understand," and "incomprehensible."

He likened it to the "gibberish" used in credit card disclosure forms. Last week, the Finance Committee considered an amendment offered by Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) that would have required the committee to post the full actual language of the proposed legislation online for at least 72 hours before holding a final committee vote on it. The committee defeated the amendment 13-10.

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Politico: Senators bristle over Reid's deal

Thu Oct 01 — 4:23pm

A must read today is Politico’s Manu Raju's story that explores the dissatisfaction among numerous Senate Democrats who are "bristling" at their Majority Leader "cutting a special deal" regarding the expansion of Medicaid at the expense of their home states:

* "We have to make sure Colorado is treated fairly," Democratic Colorado Sen. Mark Udall said Wednesday. "We’re going to take a look at the details, but if Colorado has a fair claim on being treated the same way Nevada has been, of course we’re going to ask to have that kind of treatment."

* Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, a moderate and a critical swing vote, said he’s "sensitive to the impact that this could have on state budgets and, indirectly, education funding, property taxes and things like that." Asked whether states like Indiana should get special protections that were afforded to Nevada, Bayh said: "If they want our votes ultimately, I suspect that they should take our concerns into account." "I don’t want to push an unfunded mandate onto the states," said Sen. Jon Tester, the junior Democrat from Baucus’s home state of Montana ... But Tester added: "I ain’t going to break the states, you know what I mean?"

* "We’re watching it," added Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor.

SIDENOTE: Even after Udall and Pryor publicly voiced their concerns about Colorado and Arkansas, we are still waiting to hear what Michael Bennet and Blanche Lincoln think about their respective home states shouldering more of the costs under the provisions of Reid’s "special deal."

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