Wednesday’s political round-up

March 21, 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:

* Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) announced yesterday that she will not seek a second term this fall. The decision upends Louisiana’s political landscape and renews speculation that former Sen. John Breaux (D) will come out of retirement and run to succeed Blanco.

* In a huge surprise that will benefit Dems, former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) has changed his mind and will not run for Colorado’s open U.S. Senate seat next year. McInnis was the only Republican in the race, leaving the GOP without a top-tier challenger to take on Rep. Mark Udall (D), who is expected to cruise to the Democratic nomination. It’s considered a key Dem pick-up opportunity, with incumbent Sen. Wayne Allard (R) retiring.

* Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), currently running a Quixotic presidential campaign, announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election to the House, but will instead encourage his 30-year-old son, Duncan Jr., to replace him. The Hill reports that the son, an Iraq war veteran, expects to kick off his congressional campaign in April.

* Dems have long considered Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) a vulnerable GOP incumbent, but given her role (and alleged ethics violations) in the prosecutor purge scandal, the DCCC is turning up the heat. Specifically, the DCCC is poised to launch the first ad of the 2008 campaign cycle, questioning Wilson’s integrity. “A phone call is made … a scandal begins,” the ad’s narrator says. “Serious questions remain about Heather Wilson and violation of congressional ethics rules. It’s time for Heather Wilson to release her phone records and come clean,” the narrator says in the ad.

* And California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is apparently in a public spat with Rush Limbaugh, who recently questioned Schwarzenegger’s principles and leadership abilities. Asked about the comments on The Today Show, the governor said, “Limbaugh is irrelevant…. I’m not his servant. I am the people’s servant of California.”

So what I want to know is, is Arnold a Republican who thinks he’s a Democrat? Or is he a Democrat, who thinks he’s a Republican?

Just asking cranky questions.

  • Time to update the last bullet, CB. As Think Progress reports, Arnold is going to be on Rush’s show at 1:06 pm to “kiss his ring” (unless this is truly his Sister Souljah moment…but I doubt it)

  • Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), currently running a Quixotic presidential campaign, announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election to the House, but will instead encourage his 30-year-old son, Duncan Jr., to replace him. The Hill reports that the son, an Iraq war veteran, expects to kick off his congressional campaign in April.

    This raises a few interesting questions. How many Iraq war vets are already members of Congress? And what’s their party breakdown? I wonder if the GOP is finally losing the whole “pro-military” image. I suspect that it is.

    Just asking cranky questions.

    You mean shamelessly self-promoting? 😉

  • Actually, Ah-nold said “I am not his SIR-vint. I am the peeple’s SIR-vint of KAL-ee-fornia. Rush must know that I will crush my enemies, see them driven before me and hear the lamentations of the women.”

  • If Limbaugh says you have no principles or leadership abilities, then you must have some.

    I kinda like the Governator, because he drives the “conservatives” nuts.

    That said, I am very glad he wasn’t born here.

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