Tuesday’s political round-up

August 8, 2006

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Minnesota, the latest Rasmussen poll shows Hennepin County Attorney [tag]Amy Klobuchar[/tag] (D) continuing to lead Rep. [tag]Mark Kennedy[/tag] (R) in the state’s open Senate race, 50% to 38%. The governor’s race, however, is shifting back towards the incumbent, with Gov. [tag]Tim Pawlenty[/tag] (R) regaining the lead over state Attorney General [tag]Mike Hatch[/tag] (D), 46% to 36%.

* Both of New York’s big statewide races are completely one-sided according to the latest Rasmussen numbers. In the gubernatorial race, state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (D) now leads former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso (R), 62% to 21%. In the Senate race, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) enjoys similar support, leading both of her GOP rivals — K.T. McFarland and Yonkers Mayor John Spencer — 61% to 31%.

* In California, a Field Poll released late last week showed Sen. [tag]Dianne Feinstein[/tag] (D) with a comfortable lead over former state Sen. [tag]Dick Mountjoy[/tag] (R), 56% to 34%. The financial advantage at this point is fairly ridiculous: as Roll Call noted, Feinstein closed the second quarter with more than $8 million in the bank, compared to $21,000 for Mountjoy.

* The longest serving Senator in U.S. history, Sen. [tag]Robert Byrd[/tag] (D-W.Va.), appears to be in good shape winning another term. The latest Rasmussen poll shows Byrd leading media magnate [tag]John Raese[/tag] (R), 56% to 31%.

* And in Alaska, Republican Governor [tag]Frank Murkowski[/tag] is trailing his Dem rival badly, and may even lose a GOP primary. According to a new Rasmussen poll, Murkowski now trails former Democratic Governor [tag]Tony Knowles[/tag] 58% to 29%, and is now running third in a three-way GOP primary with businessman John Binkley and former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin.

Republican Governor Frank Murkowski is worse off than that. His state gets far too much revenue directly from the oil drilled there, and not enough from taxes. Now the oil is being cut off by BP, and Alaskins are going to find out just how dependent they are on only one industry segment.

😉

  • Mark Kennedy is officially running away from Bush and Congressional Republicans. His ad shows him stanging in the woods and talking about bi-partisanship and environmentalism. He brags that he is bi-prartitsan because some bill he sponsored has been co-sponsored bt Democrats. I want Klobuchar to answer with an add showing two things 1) Kennedy voted with GOP leaders and Bush “X” % of the time in congress and 2) I want to know all about this bill Kennedy introduced that has such braod support. I’m sure it is vital.

    Net result is the Republicans in Minnesota are running like a cheesehead to a bratwurst stand and they are runnig away from their party.

  • “Crossing Party Lines”

    St. Paul, Minnesota, Jul 27 –

    Mark Kennedy’s U.S. Senate campaign launched its second ad of the campaign season today. The ad, “Crossing Party Lines,” highlights Kennedy’s common sense record in the House. Kennedy released the following statement:

    “I’m happy to share my record of reaching across the aisle to get things done for the people of Minnesota. For the past six years I’ve been guided by the people of Minnesota and how they will be affected by the legislation we pass. I’ll take that same approach in the U.S. Senate.

    “Today, Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) and I introduced the Rewarding Student Achievement Act that allows our best teachers to be paid more for their excellence when students achieve results. As my second ad of the campaign goes live, 20 democrat members, 1/10 of the Democrats in the U.S. House, have joined with me in leading important initiatives.

    “While the Democrats continue their obsession with President Bush, I’ll keep working across the aisle to get good things done for Minnesota.”

    To view “Crossing Party Lines,” visit http://www.MarkKennedy06.com.

    To view the 20 bipartisan initiatives, visit http://www.MarkKennedy06.com/whatsnew.

  • That solid a lead (not to mention how much longer he can reasonably expect to serve) and Byrd still felt obligated to get in bed with three other Democrats and most Republicans in favor of the $1 trillion give-away to multimillionaires (estate tax). Disgusting.

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