Tuesday’s political round-up

June 13, 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:

* Businessman [tag]Ned Lamont[/tag] (D-Conn) took his primary challenge to Sen. [tag]Joe Lieberman[/tag] (D-Conn) to the airwaves yesterday, unveiling a radio ad asking Lieberman to say whether he’ll stick with the party. “I’ll pledge to back you 100 percent if you win,” Lamont says in the ad. “And for the good of the party, you’ll pledge to support me 100 percent if I’m victorious. What do you say, Senator? May the best Democrat win.”

* In Arizona, a new Rasmussen poll suggests Gov. [tag]Janet Napolitano[/tag] (D) is well positioned for her re-election effort. She leads [tag]Don Goldwater[/tag] (R) 55% to 34%, and far-right activist [tag]Len Munsil[/tag] (R) 58% to 29%.

* In one of the most competitive House districts in the country, Colorado’s 7th, former state Rep. [tag]Peggy Lamm[/tag] leads former state Sen. [tag]Ed Perlmutter[/tag] in the race for the Dem nomination, according to a new poll. Perlmutter has been considered the favorite, but Denver NBC’s affiliate shows Lamm slightly ahead. The primary is Aug. 8 and the winner will face former Colorado Department of Higher Education head [tag]Rick O’Donnell[/tag] (R) in the general election.

* In 2008 news, New York City Mayor [tag]Michael Bloomberg[/tag] has been denying for weeks that he has any presidential aspirations, but the billionaire Republican hinted over the weekend that his denials may just be perfunctory. The New York Daily News reported that when Bloomberg was asked at a Sunday fundraiser for Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) whether he was contemplating a campaign for the White House, Bloomberg said, “Absolutely not.” But Bloomberg mischievously added, “And anybody who’s running will say exactly that.”

* And, finally, it’s primary day in four states — Virginia, Maine, South Carolina, and North Dakota. The two biggest races to watch are the Dem Senate primary in Virginia, where James Webb and Harris Miller will face off, and the Republican gubernatorial primary in Maine, featuring a three-way contest between state Sens. Chandler Woodcock and Pete Mills and former Rep. Dave Emery. Results will be available in Virginia here, Maine here, South Carolina here, and North Dakota here.

What Ned Lamont is doing shouldn’t sound as great as it does. But it does. He’s chiding HoJoe. He’s trying to make him take a stand. He’s standing in the middle of the street calling HoJoe out while HoJoe and his posse peer out from inside the swinging doors at the saloon. It’s so simple and so effective. Whether it’s good Dem on useless Dem or Dem on deranged Repub, it’s taking the offensive instead of slouching around playing good ‘ol boy loser politics. I hope he makes HoJoe cry.

  • So it looks like Webb defeated Miller. Interestingly the margin of victory seems to have come almost completely from Arlington and Fairfax Counties, not in Richmond or Southern or Western Virginia, where Miller seems to have beaten Webb in most counties.

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