Wednesday’s political round-up

March 22, 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:

* Among the big winners in Illinois’ various primaries were Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth in the 6th congressional district and investment banker David McSweeney in Illinois’ 8th. As expected, in the state’s gubernatorial race, Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) and State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka (R) won their respective primaries, though neither walked away from Tuesday’s results with overwhelming support from their party’s faithful.

* Bob Keenan, the top Republican leader in the Montana Senate, made it official yesterday, announcing that he will take on incumbent Sen. Conrad Burns in a GOP primary. Keenan was out of the country, but emailed the AP to say that he had decided to run and that his candidate paperwork was “in the mail.”

* According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, lieutenant governor candidate Ralph Reed (R) is “an 8-point drag” on the state’s Republican ticket, including Gov. Sonny Perdue (R).

* Though most of the attention in Pennsylvania’s Senate race focuses on the Bob Casey-Rick Santorum match-up, Casey still has a Dem primary opponent. In fact, the candidate, Alan Sandals, got a boost yesterday when National Organization for Women and the Feminist Majority Foundation endorsed his candidacy over Casey, in large part because Sandals is pro-choice.

* In Connecticut, all the attention at the statewide level seems to be on whether Ned Lamont can beat Sen. Joe Lieberman in a Dem primary, but yesterday, a Republican finally entered the race. Paul Streitz, best known for running the Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Control, threw his hat into the ring, vowing to focus his campaign on, you guessed it, immigration.

* And in North Dakota, incumbent Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D) finally has a GOP opponent, after several top-tier Republican candidates shied away from the race. State Rep. Duane DeKrey (R) announced that he’s running, despite not having the money usually needed for a statewide race. “Money isn’t everything,” DeKrey told one reporter. DeKrey’s principal argument is that North Dakota suffers because its all-Democratic delegation is locked out of the governing process by the Republican majority. As he put it, “We don’t have a seat at the table in Washington.”

“… lieutenant governor candidate Ralph Reed (R) is “an 8-point drag” on the state’s Republican ticket….”

Looks like Reed’ll have to get more snake handlers out into the hustings.

  • Among the big winners in Illinois’ various primaries were Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth in the 6th congressional district

    Score a Big One for John Kerry’s campaign to build intra-party support, the way Nixon did in 1966. The Kerry campaign did an e-mail 3 weeks ago to the old list of supporters, to get financial support for five Iraq war vets running for office. Duckworth was one of the Big Three and got a $300+K boost to her campaign fortunes over five days as a result. You think she won’t remember who was “there” when needed when she’s in office next year???

    Smart move all the way around.

  • From the AJC:

    “Reed has argued that he represent’s the state GOP’s best chance for turning out the base in November.”

    Doesn’t “Al Qaeda” translate as “the base”????

    Just askin’….

  • With all due respect, Tom, I think that you are missing the bigger picture. Despite the fact that the establishment Democrats went all out to support Duckworth (and I am not personally knocking establishment Democrats such as Kerry-I like him and most of the rest of them), and the fact that she had tons of free publicity, Duckworth barely squeaked by an extremely motivated grassroots campaign by Christine Cegelis. The lesson to take away from this election is that money and the support of the establishment will not be enough to win elections against a motivated Republican base. The establishment Democrats need to motivate their base to vote, not just throw money at elections. This election pitted the grassroots against the establishment, and the establishment almost lost. Against the extremely well-funded and better organized grassroots efforts by the Republicans, I am pessimistic.

  • Re: DeKrey’s principal argument is that North Dakota suffers because its all-Democratic delegation is locked out of the governing process by the Republican majority. As he put it, “We don’t have a seat at the table in Washington.”

    This is quite possibly the best argument for nationwide regime change that anyone could make. The fact that it was a Republican who said it makes it the most stupid political theme that he could have brought up as far as his own party is concerned.

    By their own ignorance will they be brought low.

    Yay!!

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