Friday’s political round-up

November 3, 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 the race Republicans consider their best chance to pick up a Senate seat this year, New Jersey remains close, but several new polls this week show Sen. Bob Menendez (D) clinging to his lead over state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R). A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll, for example, shows the incumbent, appointed after Jon Corzine (D) was elected governor last year, ahead 46% to 42%. A new Fairleigh Dickinson poll, meanwhile, shows Menendez up by 10, 48% to 38%.

* In Montana, a new Rasmussen poll shows state Senate President Jon Tester (D) continuing to lead Sen. Conrad Burns (R) in one of the Dems’ key pick-up opportunities, 50% to 46%. The margin is identical to the Rasmussen poll from last week, which showed Tester up 51% to 47%.

* Though Arizona’s Senate race had been written off as over, there’s a new-found belief that Dems have a shot in this one. A new poll published by the Arizona Star shows Sen. Jon Kyl (R) leading challenger Jim Pederson (D) by just four points, 45.8% to 41.3%. The poll comes just as the DSCC announced that it’s investing in some 11th-hour advertising on Pederson’s behalf.

* Idaho continues to look increasingly encouraging for Dems in two major races, according to a new poll from the Idaho Business Review. In the open race in Idaho’s 1st congressional district, state Rep. Bill Sali (R) has seen his lead disappear and now trails businessman Larry Grant (D), 38% to 34%. Just as surprising, newspaper owner Jerry Brady (D) now leads Rep. Butch Otter (R) in Idaho’s gubernatorial race, 41% to 36%.

* And in Pennsylvania, in one of the more unexpected twists in an already wild U.S. Senate race, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) is running a new TV ad in which he touts his work with Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) to help censor video games. After all his Clinton-bashing, Santorum is now this desperate.

The Republicans certainly are desperate. In Georgia, John Ashcroft is doing a robocall, telling voters that Mike Wiggins is the conservative Republican candidate for the Georgia Supreme Court. The problem is that the position is supposed to be non-partisan. The incumbent, Carol Hunstein, is labelled a liberal because she has a jewish sounding name. In no universe outside of the one concocted by the kool aid neo-cons would she be considered anything other than a conservative. But she’s definitely not running as a Republican, she’s running as a non-partisan.

  • Warning to All Male Residents of Pennsylvania: For his next act, Man-dog-O Santorum will try to tongue your tonsils in an attempt to show he isn’t really a toxic homophobic bastard after all. If you see him coming, run like hell.

    Is there any way to convince this sorry sack of crap that if he really wants to win he should take out ShrubCo with an AK-47? He might do it.

    In the meantime, I hope Hilary doesn’t laugh herself to death.

  • Warning to anyone following the link lib4 kindly provided:
    Swallow all food/drink before clicking.

    Coffee>>>>>monitor.

    But we’ll see what happens to that smirk on the 7th.

    tAiO – Pondering the inherent homoeroticism of professional wrasslin’

  • lib4,

    The Santorum TV ad is not only shocking b/c he is now suddenly bi-partisan but the supporting cast in the ad is well….please take a look

    luckily I’d put my coffee down (I hadn’t seen tAiO’s warning). that ad is hysterical. I sooo hope that McCain (or whoever wins the GOP 2008 nomination) hires this ad company/political consultant. His smug smirk at the end is just over the top.

    On a somewhat related note, weren’t the Republican’t Senators recently villifying Senator Boxer as being too liberal and out of touch? Now the 3rd ranking GOP Senator touts working with her? The hypocrisy of the GOP has no limits apparently.

  • LoL to both TAIO’s.

    I’ve already seen the Santorum ad. Does he really expect anyone to believe he actually decked that guy?

    “Santorum, his bipartisanship is as fake as his wrestling.”

    All you need to say 😉

  • I was a little depressed on my drive to work this morning, as my ‘road sign survey’ had Allen ahead of Webb 29 – 23 at the north end of Nelson Co. However, southern Albemarle Co. pushed Webb ahead 31 – 29.

    🙂

  • “Santorum, his bipartisanship is as fake as his wrestling.”

    Now that should be the closer to Casey’s next ad. Brilliant!

  • “Now that should be the closer to Casey’s next ad. Brilliant!” – Edo

    Danka (need to practice my European languages if Diebold strikes again).

  • According to the Rasmussen Report:

    “… Santorum is also viewed “very unfavorably” by 36%. Casey is viewed so unfavorably by 23%.”

    Santorum is such a shmuck.

  • I live in PA now and relish the thought that I get to vote against Dick Santorum.

    If Donald Duck was on the ballot, he’d have my vote!

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