SSP Daily Digest: 4/20

• DNC/RNC: The RNC seems to win the fundraising month for March, in a bit of a split decision. The DNC reported $7.57 million in contributions last month, while the RNC pulled in $6.7 million. However, $2 million of those Democratic dollars were transferred from the Obama campaign. More ominously, the RNC is sitting on $23.9 million cash on hand and no debt, while the DNC has $9.7 million cash on hand and $6.9 million in debt.

• IL-Sen: Hot on the heels of his $845 fundraising quarter, the new Rasmussen poll shows Roland Burris might want to make some post-2010 plans. 4% of respondents say they will “definitely” vote for him and 54% will vote against, with 39% saying it depends on who’s running. 62% think he should resign, with 24% believing he should remain in the Senate. (The poll doesn’t test Burris in any head-to-heads.) The poll also finds Jesse Jackson Jr. looking badly tarnished in the wake of the Blagojevich implosion: his favorables are now 32-63. One other tidbit that makes Lisa Madigan’s job harder if she runs for IL-Gov: Pat Quinn’s job approval is a surprisingly high 61-37.

• AR-Sen: Blanche Lincoln has drawn at least one legitimate challenger for 2010: state senate minority leader Kim Hendren has announced his candidacy. Hendren has self-funding abilities and a strong base in northwest Arkansas (the traditionally Republican part of the state), which at least gives him a leg up in the primary. Hendren, however, is old (71)… old enough that one claim to fame is that he lost a race to Bill Clinton (the 1982 gubernatorial primary, when Hendren was still a Democrat)… and promising to serve only one term. Lincoln defeated state senators in both her 1998 and 2004 bids.

• NV-Sen, NV-02: GOP Rep. Dean Heller says that “his plan today” is to run for re-election, but he’s also refusing to rule out a run against Handsome Harry Reid. (J)

• IL-14: After getting their pants kicked in by Democrat Bill Foster in two consecutive elections, the Illinois GOP may turn to the Name You Know in 2010 — Dennis Hastert’s son, Ethan. 31 year-old Ethan Hastert, a Chicagoland attorney, says that he’s “exploring” a run for his dad’s old seat, and is already polling his name against Foster in a trial poll. Ethan’s previous claim to fame: serving as assistant to Lewis “Scooter” Libby. (J)

• FL-05: Jim Piccillo will be challenging Ginny Brown-Waite in this light-red district. Piccillo has an interesting backstory: no previous political experience, and was a Republican until last year when he was driven away by the tenor of the campaign, but the recipient of a lot of media exposure after being profiled by the NYT in a feature on Florida Republicans abandoning the party. At least he sounds better than this guy.

• DE-AL, FL-10: Our top-shelf Democratic recruits have launched new websites: John Carney and Charlie Justice. (D)

• Polltopia: Our friends at Public Policy Polling are once again letting readers decide which Senate race they’ll poll next. The choices: Georgia, Illinois, and Oklahoma. Get busy voting and then tell us which race you picked in the comments. (J)

88 thoughts on “SSP Daily Digest: 4/20”

  5. I want to see if there’s any danger beyond Burris (who’s done IMO). I doubt there is, but we should put this to bed.

  7. RIP.

    FYI Orton was a Democrat who served a three terms before being defeated by Cannon (who lost to Chaffretz last year in the primary).

    http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&si…

    JUAB COUNTY — The Juab County Sheriff confirms that former Utah Congressman Bill Orton, 60, was killed in an ATV accident at Little Saraha Sand Dunes Saturday afternoon.

    Sheriff Alden Orme says it happened around 4 p.m. He says Orton was riding a large ATV down a steep sand dune when the vehicle apparently flipped and landed on top of him. Another rider discovered him a short time later.

    A West Juab ambulance and Air Med responded, but Orton was pronounced dead at the scene. Orme says Orton was with a group of people at the dunes but was by himself when the accident happened.

    His body was taken by ambulance to Central Valley Medical Center in Nephi. An autopsy is pending.

    Orton, who was wearing a helmet, was among thousands of four-wheel enthusiasts at the popular park, “a fun but dangerous place to ride,” the sheriff said.

    “Out there, it’s a lot of rolling hills. He went off a sand dune without realizing how far down he was going,” he said.

  10. I live in the district, and I like Jim. He definitely deserves Races to Watch status, particularly if he makes the right moves in the coming months. He isn’t a piker, though he has a tough campaign ahead of him.

    Incidentally, did you know John Russell tea partied? Here’s a boatload of crazy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

  11. Dem’s don’t want a bald headed Republican Mortgage Broker (Does anybody?) for their candidate, and the Republicans are NOT going to vote for a “turncoat” when they have the real deal in Ginny Brown-Waite.  

    Jim is going to have to win the primary and it will not be easy.  Piccillo IF he wins the primary is probably good for 32-35% at best, against 4 term incumbent Ginny Brown-Waite in this still very Republican district. Should be interesting__ the primary anyway. Ha!

  12. That JOHN Russell guy sounds like he makes a lot of sense especially that Tea Party video where he refutes the SOCIALISM propaganda and successfully sells a bunch of ROTGUT CONSERVATIVES on the merits of a National Single Payer Health Care Plan at the TEAParty.

    I haven’t seen anyone else that was able to do that!  I mean LISTEN to that woman scream like he is some rock star or something.  I AM NOT KIDDING!  It’s UNBELIEVABLE!!!

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