SSP Daily Digest: 3/2

Time for the daily ganja break…

• NY-20: Scott Murphy snagged the Independence Party line for the March 31 special election – a good get, even though it didn’t help Sandy Treadwell much last fall. Meanwhile, both Tedisco and the NRCC are up on the air with negative radio and TV ads. The DCCC also hits back with its first ad, attacking Tedisco for stimulus-related waffling while defending Murhpy against back taxes charges.

• IL-Sen: Oh god – Roland Burris has rolled out a campaign website, complete with “Donate” link. Also, it should come as no surprise, but state treasurer (and Friend of Barack) Alexi Giannoulias made his interest official today, launching his exploratory committee. Meanwhile, Rep. Jan Schakowsky says she’ll jump in if there’s a special election, though she sounds leery about giving up her seat for a 2010 run.

• DC Voting Rights: Steny Hoyer has promised a House vote this week on the DC Voting Rights Act. The bill should pass the House easily, given that a prior version sailed through in 2007. The real issue will be whether the conference committee settles on an at-large or traditional district for Utah. (D)

• UT-Sen: Damn, Ken Jennings won’t run. Says Jennings: “I’ve decided to bow out of the election before even announcing, in order to spend more time with my family. (And when I say “with my family,” I mean, “screwing around on the Internet.”)” At least that’s an excuse we can all understand and accept. (D)

• Polltopia: Public Policy Polling once again is letting readers decide which Senate race they’ll poll next. The choices: Connecticut, Delaware, and Kentucky. (J)

• CA-Gov: Looks like John Garamendi, Gavin Newsom, Jerry Brown, and Antonio Villaraigosa are all dead serious about running for governor in 2010; they all jointly appeared before the San Fernando Valley Democrats this weekend.

• OR-Gov: As DeFazio, Kitzhaber, Bradbury, et al. try to figure out who’s running, a dark horse may be sneaking past them: Portland City Councilor Randy Leonard, who may be able to count on substantial backing from organized labor.

54 thoughts on “SSP Daily Digest: 3/2”

  2. He said he’s not running, then maybe again he isn’t not running. I thought he was initially not going to resign but not run, yet he’s set up a campaign website.

    I’m starting to believe Roland Burris must be high when he got himself involved in this. This could be a good plot for a stoner film like this one I watched last night.  

  3. That is gonna be some primary.

    PPP – definitely Connecticut.

    Have people seen the latest nonsense from Bobby Rush comparing the Burris situation to frickin’ Chappaquiddick? Argh!

  4. Not only do we get two polls for the price of one (House AND Senate), but we’d get valuable encouragement for contenders to run against Castle and finally kill the myth of Castle’s invulnerability.

    PLEASE VOTE FOR DELAWARE!!!

  5. Man, that CA Gov. Democratic primary is packed with big names. I cant even say whod have the edge. Brown, Newsom and Villaraigosa are all dynamic in their own way and all have their respective bases i would think. But even though Garamendi is a Lt. Gov. hes got to be the least favored. I have no idea who will come out on top in this.

  6. Dem for quite sometime in NY-20, so it’s actually a nice boost for Murphy, even if only in terms of news generation.

  7. But thought it was worth noting that Tom Schieffer is in:

    http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/030209dnpolscheiffer.1afca066.html

    (sorry I have no idea how to create the link the right way).

    His apparent dickishness as a legislator may be a problem in working with a GOP statehouse were he to win, but would seem, intuitively, to be less of a problem as a Governor than as a fellow legislator.

    Also, though Ambassador to Australia is rather low-key and not really politically controversial, any ties to the recent Bush administration just seems like a check mark in the bad column so to speak, especially in a Dem primary, but he is a Dem and taking out Perry would be a step in the right direction (KBH would be a bigger hurdle to leap over though).

    Trowaman, californianintexas, any thoughts?  Im not really versed in Texas politics    

  8. and did so again. I just want to either put this race to bed or see if there’s a there there.  

  9. He’s a good guy but really, his base of support is limited to Portland and while that might get you a chance, as we saw with Novick in 2008 it does not get you even a D primary win.

    Bradbury is in, I can pretty much guarantee that.

  11. 2 for 1, and if Carney is within 5%, then I think this is our top pickup opportunity.

    I don’t think we can put Dodd to bed for awhile,  i’d poll it again in 3 or 4 months.

  12. that the CA primary will get rid of that thin-skinned putz Gavin Newsom.

    Of those candidates, I’d probably go for Jerry Brown; he’s an enjoyably quixotic figure.

  13. why these choices are the top options. It seems to me from reading these blogs that so many other states have so many better candidates for their top offices, you’d think CA could do a lot better coming up with inspiring Dem candidates. But nope, this is shaping up to be a disappointing cycle.

    I suppose out of the four mentioned, I’d go with Brown at this moment (though his age is a bit of a concern).

  15. Is getting racked over the coals here in the local media over reports about spending money donated for his re-election run for expensive dinners, self portraits, and other personal perks. And he proudly says he doesnt care, its all techinically legal. The mans really into himself its pathetic.  Almost as shameful as a certain other Portland politican in the news lately…..

    I would love for the man to run!

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