Month: August 2007

(From the diaries. Please welcome Darcy Burner to the Blue Majority page. – promoted by James L.)

As already seen on places like Atrios and Dailykos, there is a major blogosphere fundraiser taking place now for Darcy Burner. The Republican incumbent in Darcy Burner’s district, Dave Reichert, is hosting a fundraiser with George W. Bush. As such, the blogosphere is countering by raising funds for Darcy Burner, who epitomizes the phrase, “more and better Democrats.” Darcy Burner has also been added to the Blue Majority page.


Darcy Burner is the anti-Bush Dog. Here she is on FISA:

And here is her Bush indebted opponent, Dave Reichert:





So, chip in some cash to Darcy. Already, more than 450 people have done so, to the tune of more than $18,000. Let’s put more and better Democrats in Congress!

(Bumped – promoted by James L.)

And what a week it's been. 

Update (Trent): In adddition to the usual open thread banter, we're gonna throw in a caption contest. Let's see what you guys can come up with for this photo taken today of Alabama Ag Commissioner Ron Sparks:

Don Walton has the story:

Bob Kerrey stepped to the brink of a possible 2008 Senate bid Thursday.

Kerrey placed a conference call to New School University trustees in New York City to inform them he may be returning to Nebraska.

A decision on whether to return to his roots and attempt to once again represent Nebraska in the Senate is likely “within the next couple of weeks,” Kerrey said in a telephone interview.

This pretty much lines up with the timeline of Hagel's decision. By Labor Day, we're going to know what the field looks like.

On every issue outside of Iraq and Social Security, Kerrey's as progressive a Democrat as you will find in the state of Nebraska. He's popular, he's not afraid of a fight, and he knows how to win elections. 

You can talk about his “Liebermanesque” tendencies to bash Democrats, but he doesn't pull punches on the Republicans (I'm sure you've heard his take on the etymology of Rick Santorum's last name, or at least what Rudy Giuliani should have said on 9/11).

He was a huge supporter of Jim Webb in Virginia, and of course Scott Kleeb in Nebraska. And in four years as governor, and twelve years as Senator, he did everything he could for the state of Nebraska. I'd support a Kerrey for Senate campaign without reservation. We'll see in the next couple of weeks if that's a reality. 

One of the most Republican areas of Oklahoma is the north Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond. State Senator Andrew Rice is making waves in a political climate where people, even Republicans, are wanting a change.

see below

The editorial gets the heart of what makes this race so intruiging:

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, a prominent Oklahoma City attorney, Hugh Rice, received a phone call from his oldest son, David Rice, who was an executive for a company in the World Trade Center in New York City. David advised his Dad that a plane had crashed into the side of the World Trade Center, but it was on the other side of the building from where his office was located, and he did not want his parents to be worried about him.

Shortly after the phone conversation was concluded another plane crashed into the other side of the World Trade Center and David Rice died when the building collapsed. The devastated Rice family came together in Oklahoma City to bury David and attempted to deal with the enormity of their loss.

David’s brother Andrew, an alumnus of Colby College in Maine and Harvard Divinity School, was at that time an independent film producer who recently had completed a film about the effects of AIDS in India. But as Andrew wrestled with his grief, he decided he would memorialize his brother by returning to Oklahoma and enter public life in an effort to improve the lives of the citizenry. In accordance with that goal, Andrew Rice was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 2006 from District 46, which is in the mid-city area of Oklahoma City. By all accounts, Rice has proven to be an effective legislator who is willing to work with all of his colleagues to get legislation he believed would benefit his constituents enacted into law.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.edmondsun…

HELP US IN OKLAHOMA KEEP THE SUPPORT COMING FOR SEN. RICE, give what you can on ACTBLUE:
http://www.actblue.c…

And Rice’s campaign site is partially up, and they say it will be done soon
http://www.andrewforoklahoma.com

More waffling from former Ohio Republican AG Jim Petro on his prospective bid to succeed Deborah Pryce in the House:

Former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro is leaning against a run for the 15th Congressional District seat to be vacated at the end of 2008 by the retirement of incumbent Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce, according to Republican sources.

Petro has been considered the leading GOP candidate for the congressional seat, but sources close to him said it appears Petro will forgo the race and keep open the option of running for Ohio chief justice in 2010.

Petro declined to comment on whether he would pull his name from consideration for Congress. “I have not reached a decision, but will soon,” he told The Dispatch this afternoon.

As Bones would say: dammit, Jim!

According to the Columbus Dispatch, another potential candidate, Republican state Rep. Jim Hughes has put his name out of contention.  But there are other names in the field:

The potential field of GOP candidates to replace Pryce quickly is narrowing. Former Franklin County Commissioner Dewey Stokes has expressed interest in running. Former Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka also is gaining traction in some Republican circles. Lashutka, an executive with Nationwide Insurance, has been unavailable for comment on whether he is entertaining a bid for Congress.

Buckeye State Blog has more on Lashutka:

Lashutka’s the former two term mayor of Columbus who didn’t run for re-election in ’99 due to health concerns. He’s also an OSU namesake, having played tight-end for the fabled Woody Hayes in the 60’s. Since he left office, he’s stayed involved in the community, and served a prominent role with nationwide insurance. Republicans know they can still count on Lashutka at fundraising events these days, and he even makes it out to stuff for the Democrats occasionally too. The man has been out of politics through the Bush years, so it’s more difficult to tarnish him with the image of the modern day GOPer.

Lashutka could be a strong nominee, and I don’t expect Republicans to cede this race any time soon.  But with the district’s Democratic trend (Kerry improved upon Gore’s performance by 6% here), the organizational advantages and name recognition built up by Kilroy, and a Presidential race that could tilt Ohio towards the D column, Lashutka or any other Republican candidate would have to show some hustle.

…as a Democrat?  From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Friedman said he is considering running again for governor in 2010, as a Democrat.

“God probably couldn’t have won as an independent,” Friedman said.

“My focus would be on education and getting rid of the death penalty. I don’t think that’s a radical view. What part of ‘Thou shalt not kill’ don’t people understand?”

Now, I’m not from Texas, but as I recall, Kinky’s lackluster 12.6% of the vote that November was attributable to his schtick wearing thin over the course of the campaign.

The response to this idea over at the Burnt Orange Report is, not surprisingly, overwhelming negative.

Charlie Cook has released his latest rankings for the 2008 Senate seats.

 Some things to note:

 -Cook believes that as many as seven Republican senators could retire this cycle and only one Democrat (Johnson). To put this in perspective, there were only four actual retirements in 2005-2006 with only one of them being a Republican, Dayton (D-MN), Sarbanes (D-MD), Jeffords (I-VT), and Frist (R-TN).

 -The only two Democrats who are not considered safe are Landrieu (leans Dem) and Johnson (Likely Dem) (possible retirement)

The hard numbers of the 2005-2006 cycle should have given the Republicans a built-in defense against the Dems taking the Senate (they had a 55-45 advantage at the time) but even then they couldn't prevent it. This time around there are a large number of Republican retirements, quite a few of them in states which are likely to be swing states in 2008 (Virginia and New Mexico come to mind). Even if no one else retires we're still in a very good position to build a filibuster-proof Senate majority by the end of the 2009-2010 cycle.

With the retirements of Reps. Hastert (IL-14), Pryce (OH-15), and Pickering (MS-03) last week, the Republican caucus has been bracing itself for more surprises.  Today brings another retirement: embattled Rep. Rick Renzi (AZ-01).  From Roll Call:

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) said Thursday in a statement obtained by Roll Call that he will not seek re-election in 2008, ending months of speculation regarding the ethically clouded Congressman’s political future.

“I will not be seeking re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. I am honored and thankful to serve Arizona’s first district and appreciate all that we have accomplished together over the past 6 years.” […]

Renzi staved off a spirited challenge from his Democratic challenger last cycle, but saw his political fortunes plummet following an FBI raid of a business connected to his family as part of a federal probe into his dealings as a Congressman.

Renzi has not admitted to any wrongdoing, but it has become increasingly clear that the investigation would imperil any 2008 re-election bid, and possibly result in him facing multiple GOP primary challengers.

This one is not so surprising.  While Republicans will likely to view this as some necessary bloodletting, Arizona’s 1st will likely be a top tier race next year.  With a PVI of R+2.2, it’s had a Republican lean over the past two Presidential cycles, but not an insurmountable one.  The Democratic field includes State Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, Mary Kim Titla and attorney Howard Shanker.  It remains to be seen whether or not Arizona Republicans will field a Randy Graf-type here.  In any event, this race will be a barn-burner.

Two weeks ago, Michigan Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) expressed an interest in joining the field of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination against far-right incumbent Congressman Tim Walberg (R-Tipton). After two weeks of rumors and discussions of his possible candidacy comes this news out of Michigan’s 7th District, from the AP:

  LANSING, Mich. (AP) – State Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer said Thursday he will seek the Democratic nomination to challenge freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg in the 2008 election after declining earlier overtures to enter the race.

  “Tim Walberg is not doing the job,” Schauer told The Associated Press on Thursday. “He is serving a very narrow interest. He’s really been a servant of the Bush-Cheney administration and the extreme special interests in Washington.”

I heard the news early this afternoon. Around 2 PM I received a phone call, and 45 minutes later, Senator Schauer visited Walberg Watch, the blog I started to cover the race. He wanted to discuss his decision with me, my fellow bloggers, and the readers of the blog.

Read what Senator Schauer had to say and more in the extended entry…

I’ve been asked to cross-post this to a few different blogs. Here’s what Senator Schauer had to say:

Today I created a committee to become a candidate for the 7th Congressional district. I did so because Tim Walberg is the wrong person for this district, and he’s not working for us in Washington. And I did so because I believe that my passion for public service can make a real difference in Washington for the people and issues I care about.

As you’ve noted in thorough detail on this site, Walberg continually obeys the extreme Republican agenda in DC, instead of the practical views of the constituents who depend on him. He has voted against a minimum wage increase, but for privatizing social security. He opposed expanding health care to more than 4 million uninsured kids, and he refused to support recommendations from the 9/11 commission that would help keep us safe. He didn’t have a problem putting out a press release claiming credit for critical local funding, but couldn’t bring himself to actually vote for the bill.

The people of the 7th district deserve better.

I’ve always put my community first and done whatever it takes to make sure we get results for south central Michigan, so I won’t stand for anyone who abandons our district time and time again. I will continue serving as state Senate Democratic Leader and fight to the finish the effort to put Michigan on sound financial footing for the future. In fact, the encouragement I’ve received and support I’ve been offered from my constituents, friends and colleagues is what makes this effort possible. I also owe so much to my amazing wife, Christine, and my understanding family for being willing to accept the sacrifices that this kind of undertaking will require.

With that said, I believe I am the strongest candidate to take this seat back from Tim Walberg. No one will work harder than me, and no one will knock more doors than I will. When the national Republican machine kicks in to try to save this seat, I’ll take them on and win because I have a history of building the kind of broad, bipartisan coalitions necessary to win in tough Republican districts. My experience raising the level of funds a race like this demands will make sure we can stay competitive with the deep pockets of the Club for Growth and others.

There are honorable public servants and friends who have also expressed interest in this race. I have a great deal of respect for each one of them, and I’ll work hard to make sure we all come together to achieve our shared goal – replacing this incumbent. I have a proven track record of bringing people together, and that’s what I would do with Democrats, Independents, and Republicans in this district, because one thing the current Congressman doesn’t seem to understand is that this job means you represent everyone. You’re not there just for the folks who think exactly like you do, or the special interests that fund your campaign, or George W. Bush and his cronies in DC. The interests of the district, the state and the nation come first.

Thanks again for all that you do and all you’re going to do throughout this campaign. Your great research and the time you spend raising awareness of the importance of this race and the failures of the incumbent are not going unnoticed. I plan to be a regular visitor to this site and look forward to working together to return this seat to the people of the 7th district.

Here’s more from that AP article:

  Schauer filed paperwork to run in the 7th District, which includes parts of seven counties in south-central Michigan. It has been targeted by Democrats because Walberg, of Tipton, failed to capture 50 percent of the vote in last year’s election.

  Schauer, who had pledged to Senate Democrats to serve out his full four-year term as minority leader through 2010, said he will keep being the Democratic leader while running for Congress. He said he changed his mind about running after being approached by both rank-and-file constituents and party leaders.

  The push by others for him to join the race “almost became deafening,” Schauer said.

Three other Democrats have already either filed or announced their intention to challenge Tim Walberg– former state Senator Jim Berryman, attorney David Nacht, and 2004 and 2006 nominee Sharon Renier. Nacht out-raised Walberg in the second quarter, at $160,000, and Berryman made raised a respectable $55,000.

Schauer becomes the only candidate to announce that is from the western half of the district, which includes Battle Creek, the district’s largest city. Berryman and Walberg are from Lenawee County, Nacht is from Washtenaw County, at the edge of the district, and Renier is from Munith, just east of Jackson. At this point, it’s not clear what role geography might play in the primary or general election.

This was already a top-tier race before Senator Schauer’s announcement. Now, we have four announced candidates, all of whom have a great shot at winning next fall.

Huge news out of Michigan:

State Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer said Thursday he will seek the Democratic nomination to challenge freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg in the 2008 election after declining earlier overtures to enter the race.

“Tim Walberg is not doing the job,” Schauer told The Associated Press on Thursday. “He is serving a very narrow interest. He’s really been a servant of the Bush-Cheney administration and the extreme special interests in Washington.” […]

Schauer, who had pledged to Senate Democrats to serve out his full four-year term as minority leader through 2010, said he will keep being the Democratic leader while running for Congress. He said he changed his mind about running after being approached by both rank-and-file constituents and party leaders.

The push by others for him to join the race “almost became deafening,” Schauer said. […}

Schauer is seen as a strong candidate by Democrats because he is known as a vigorous campaigner and almost all of his state Senate seat is located within the 7th District – giving him a base of support.

Schauer is a big name in Michigan politics, and his state Senate seat is based in Battle Creek, the heart of the 7th district.  Walberg, as you may recall, rode a wave of hard-right support from the Club For Growth to defeat sitting congressman Joe Schwarz in the Republican primary in 2006.  With only token Democratic opposition, Walberg scored a win that November, but snagged just shy of 50% of the vote against Democrat Sharon Renier.

With Schauer, an aggressive campaigner, in the picture, Walberg won’t be nearly so lucky in 2008.  While he faces a primary with former state Senator Jim Berryman, lawyer David Nacht, and Renier, Schauer has to be considered the front-runner.

This race just skyrocketed up the list of potential House Democratic pick-ups in 2008.

You can read Schauer’s full press release over at Michigan Liberal.

UPDATE: In the diaries, Fitzy of  Walberg Watch, has much, much more.