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Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Open Thread

Posted by DavidNYC

School, school, school. Anyone wanna help me with this Markman brief I have to write for my patent trial practice class? Didn't think so. So go chat about campaigns instead.

Posted at 03:39 PM in Open Threads | Technorati

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Comments

Several races:

TX-Gov, TX-22: I'm interested to see what Perry will do regarding a special election in TX-22. While a special election would be bad for Lampson it would probibly give Bell somthing to attack Perry on all in all though i hope there is no special election the pressure is on Perry.
OH-Sen: Sherrod Brown seems to be pulling back up in the polls glad to see it's getting competitve again.
AZ-Sen: I'm curious is Pederson surgeing or was the WSJ poll a fluke.
FL-Gov: Seems like Davis and Smith are closeing in on Christ.
FL-22: Ron Klein still doing well this should be a top-tier race.
MO-Sen: Haven't heard much whats going on here?

Posted by: D in FL. at April 5, 2006 04:08 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Filing deadlines
Tennessee is tomorrow, we got anyone for T-02?
Alabama is Friday, I heard we ahd AL-01, but what about the others?
New Jersey is Monday, do we have NJ-02 and NJ-04 taken care of?
Virginia is Friday of Next week, do we have VA-04, VA-06, and VA-07?

Also, did we get a challenger in SD-AL last night or did the republicans miss a top tier race?

Posted by: trowaman at April 5, 2006 04:21 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

SD-AL: Apparently the Republicans put up a really weak challenger who was the county chair of a really Democratic Sioux area. Should be a breeze for Herseth.

Posted by: HellofaSandwich at April 5, 2006 04:29 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

MoveOn,org has targeted and is running commercials against:
Chocola (IN-2)
Drake (VA-2)
Johnson (CT-5)
Pryce (OH-15)
https://political.moveon.org/donate/redhanded.html

In VA-7 (Cantor) it looks like we could have a candidate, Brad Blanton, who ran as an Indy in 2004, getting 25% of the vote. Hard to tell from the article if he is seeking position as a Dem or Indy/Green:
http://www.raisingkaine.com/category/general-assembly/

No news on VA-4 other than an Indy/green - Albert Burckard.
A possible Dem Write-In in VA-6: Aaron Lyles and an Indy/Green candidate Joe Leblanc.

No more news on NJ-2 other than what I posted on last weeks open thread. Hoping Assemblyman Van Drew will make the race.

I tripped accross an article on a Gary Schiavone floating a bid for NJ-4, http://www.oceancountydemocrat.com/gary_schiavone_for_congress.htm

Posted by: Predictor at April 5, 2006 05:20 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

MoveOn.org has some good choices. I've always contended that OH-15 should be a top-tier target, and the other three have always been on my "maybe in a blowout" list. Glad to see I'm not the only one who sees races like VA-02 and CT-05 as being winnable. Expanding the battleground is always a good thing compared to the two election cycles of shrinking battlegrounds via Donna Brazille and Bob Shrum.

Posted by: Mark at April 5, 2006 05:27 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Check 0ut this diary for an up to date list of candidates, including TN 2.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/5/101728/3821

Posted by: BENAWU at April 5, 2006 05:59 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

PA-7 news: Weldon treats Sestak's ill daughter like a political football. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/5/172752/4685

Posted by: Craig McLaughlin at April 5, 2006 06:37 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

I don't think that Blanton is a Democrat. Which is a shame. But then again, some people just don't have the sense to realize that their certain party really doesn't have a hope of doing much in their area.

Posted by: RBH at April 5, 2006 06:49 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

I never anticipated Weldon would be vulnerable in PA-07. Now I think we might have seen the first penetration of his pachyderm skin. Hopefully it sticks with the voters of the Philly suburbs. Another blunder like this and Weldon could become as vulnerable as Gerlach next door.

Posted by: Mark at April 5, 2006 08:37 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

PA-7 Weldon:
CQ rates the race as Competitive Republican Favored.
Sabato rates it as Competitive Likely Republican (Feb).

Cook Report 3/31/06 lists PA-7 as "Competitive - Likely Republican".

2004 Presidential Vote
Kerry (D) 184,392 (53%)
Bush (R) 163,095 (47%)

2000 Presidential Vote
Gore (D) 150,805 (51%)
Bush (R) 140,862 (47%)

Cook Partisan Index D+4

Hard to beleive it is even held by a Repub.

Posted by: Predictor at April 5, 2006 10:42 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

A little history on Weldon from Wikipedia :

"Weldon first ran for U.S. Congress for the 7th district of Pennsylvania in 1984 on the Republican ticket but lost to incumbent Democrat Rep. Robert W. Edgar. However, Edgar did not seek re-election in 1986 but instead ran for the U.S. Senate against Arlen Specter. Weldon then ran again for Edgar's seat in 1986 and won with a comfortable margin.

Weldon's margin for re-election has grown considerably since then, handily defeating Democratic opponents. It is interesting to note that in 2000, Weldon was re-elected with 65% of the vote even though Democratic Presidential Nominee Al Gore won Delaware County with 54% of the vote. In 2004 Weldon prevailed with 58% against his Democratic opponent, a decrease from previous years.

Weldon is now the third longest serving member of the Pennsylvanian delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives after Reps. John Murtha and Paul Kanjorski.

Weldon has repeatedly accused former president Bill Clinton of intentionally allowing the 9/11 terror attacks to happen, in regards to the controversy surrounding Able Danger."

The guy is a pig.

Posted by: Predictor at April 5, 2006 10:49 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

And I forgot about this Weldon connection, also from Wikipedia:

"Weldon spoke at the coronation of Sun Myung Moon "as humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent", on March 23, 2004. His office originally vehemently denied his attendance, then when he was revealed to be a co-chair organizer of the event[2] claimed that he had intended to attend but could not because of a scheduling conflict; then when a photo surfaced of him speaking at the event while standing next to a lifesize photo of him pinning a Unification Church medal on Moammar Al Qadhafi, stated that he had left immediately after the speech and had no knowledge of what else went on."

Posted by: Predictor at April 5, 2006 11:06 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

The more I read about Weldon the scarier it gets. Link from Wikipedia Site "I Live in Delaware County":
http://www.totallydelco.com/blog/2004/10/curt-weldon-demigod-or-pariah.html

Posted by: Predictor at April 5, 2006 11:12 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment