Thursday’s political round-up

February 15, 2007

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:

* Al Franken announced yesterday that he is running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota and unveiled an excellent web video explaining why. Franken will likely face attorney Mike Ciresi in a Dem primary for the right to take on incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.).

* Hillary Clinton took a firm line yesterday on a possible conflict with Iran, giving a strong speech on the Senate floor in which she insisted that Bush had to seek congressional authority before any kind of military confrontation.

* As part of the ongoing GOP suck-up to the party’s religious right base, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will deliver a commencement address at Regent University, a school founded by TV preacher Pat Robertson. According to Regent spokeswoman Sherri Stocks, Robertson made the decision after Romney met with him at the University last December. “The meeting went very well and the decision was made to invite him back and speak to our students,” Stocks told CNN.

* Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine (D) is reportedly prepared to endorse Barack Obama, perhaps as early as this weekend. Obama will headline the Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Day fundraising gala in Richmond on Saturday night, an event Kaine will attend along with Democratic Sen. Jim Webb and former Gov. Mark Warner. Obama frequently campaigned on Kaine’s behalf in 2005.

* And in Connecticut, Ned Lamont fans may be disappointed to learn that the former Democratic Senate candidate has reportedly decided not to challenge Rep. Christopher Shays (R) next year.

On the topic of endorsing Democratic nominees, I like a lot of the candidates so far and I’d vote for any of them, but I’m starting to think that Obama has the ability to bring a lot of people out who wouldn’t normally vote, just so they could vote for him. People who thought their vote wasn’t worth it, didn’t count, or felt like they couldn’t afford to take the time off from work to get to the voting booth. And I’m starting to lean toward thinking he’s the best candidate in that regard. (I reserve the right, of course, to change my mind in the next 20 months.)

Thoughts on that?

  • Too bad about Lamont.

    Shays is like the cockroach that survives a nuclear war.

    If anyone could beat him, it’d be Lamont.

  • Rian,

    To me, Obama is “a media creation” to large degree. Given time there may be something to him. As of now, the froth with the media makes me skeptical; as of now, I view the prospect of Obama being the Democratic nominee as “fool’s gold.” The other candidates have their flaws, but are some are more viable than Obama.

  • Al Franken announced yesterday that he is running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota and unveiled an excellent web video explaining why.

    wow! Excellent is right. That is one truly great video. I wish one of the Dem presidential nominees would be that clear about the role of government in our lives.

  • “Franken talked about his candidacy on the last half-hour of his last show on Air America, a progressive talk-radio network he helped found almost three years ago, and which recently was sold after it went bankrupt.”

    If he can sell a bankrupt talk-radio network, he has promise to be a good candidate! Wake up Minnesota!

  • I agree with #7 J. Michael Neal. Franken and Ciresi are both divisive candidates– and if Franken gets the nomination, just think how easy it will be for the Repubs to dredge up many of his controversial on-air statements on Air America! Franken’s heart is in the right place, and he’s a smart man, but he just has too much baggage to win in Minnesota.

    I’m hoping Rep. Betty McCollum ends up getting into the race. She could definitely beat Nasty Norm.

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