The two parties' House campaign arms each raised $9 million in June, impressive sums for both. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee now has nearly $34 million on hand, a two-to-one advantage over the National Republican Congressional Committee's $17 million.

The NRCC announced its June haul at a press briefing this afternoon. NRCC Chairman Jeff Sessions said it was the committee's best June total since June 2006, and the party now has $8.5 million more in the bank than at this time in 2008.

Democrats, who released the numbers in a brief e-mail, were expecting to be outraised last month but turned in a good month of their own. The DCCC notes that at this point in 2006, the party had a nearly $5 million cash-on-hand advantage over the NRCC.

Both committee's June fundraising numbers were an improvement from May, when the NRCC raised $5.4 million to the DCCC's $5.1 million. At the end of May, the DCCC had $28 million to the NRCC's $12 million.

On the line is majority in the House, as Democrats try to hold on to a 39-seat lead. With Democrats down in generic ballot polling and President Obama's approval rating below 50 percent, Republicans are moving forward into the last three months of the election cycle with a majority-or-bust attitude.

"Midterms are always a referendum on the party in power," Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), deputy chairman of the NRCC, told reporters today. "And this is the mother of all referendums."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 04:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

By Kyle Trygstad

Republicans are flying high after what the party is calling a banner fundraising quarter, as financial reports due yesterday showed GOP candidates leading in the most competitive open seat races. The strong second-quarter showing is the latest evidence of what most political observers believe will be a good election year for Republicans.

"With only 110 days until Election Day, Republicans are running strong nationwide," Rob Jesmer, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, wrote yesterday in a memo to reporters, "and we're confident that our candidates will have the resources that they need in order to communicate their message and wage very competitive races this November."

In the open Democrat-held seats of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania, the Republican candidates all outraised their Democratic opponents. In the Keystone State, Pat Toomey took in $3.1 million during the second quarter, which featured a high-profile and expensive Democratic primary between nominee Joe Sestak and Sen. Arlen Specter. Sestak, though, pulled in nearly $2 million and still has about that much on hand.

Delaware Rep. Mike Castle, favored to win Vice President Biden's former seat, outraised Democrat Chris Coons and now has more than twice as much money on hand. In the race for President Obama's Illinois seat, Rep. Mark Kirk brought in $2.3 million despite a brutal run in the press, and raised well more than Democrat Alexi Giannoulias' $900,000 take.

In Indiana, former Sen. Dan Coats ($1.5 million) raised more than twice as much as Rep. Brad Ellsworth ($600,000), though Ellsworth still holds a lead in cash-on-hand. And thanks to another $7.5 million of her own money, Linda McMahon, the leading Republican in Connecticut, begins the third quarter with a $3.2 million to $2.1 million cash advantage over Democrat Richard Blumenthal, who raised $1.6 million.

Republicans also led the fundraising race in most of their own open seat states, including Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire and Ohio. In Kentucky, though, Republican Rand Paul raised just $1.1 million. That was slightly more than Democrat Jack Conway, but Conway loaned his campaign $400,000, giving him an edge in overall receipts.

Marco Rubio had another impressive fundraising quarter, bringing in $4.5 million to set a new state record. However, Gov. Charlie Crist, now running as an independent, had a relatively impressive $1.8 million haul despite leaving the GOP a month into the fundraising quarter, and he now has $8.2 million left in the bank. Rubio has $4.4 million on hand after spending $4 million over the last three months, and Democrat Kendrick Meek has $4 million after raising $1 million in the second quarter.

Democrats, meanwhile, are hanging their hats on the fundraising quarters of their most vulnerable incumbents: Harry Reid (Nev.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Russ Feingold (Wisc.) and Michael Bennet (Colo.).

While polling shows all six Democrats in competitive re-election races, they all pulled off healthy fundraising quarters and all but one led their Republican opponent. Reid's challenger, Sharron Angle, topped Reid by a $200,000 margin, though the Senate majority leader still holds a commanding cash-on-hand advantage ($9 million to $1.8 million).

In Arkansas, Rep. John Boozman had a subpar fundraising quarter despite his sizeable lead in the polls and Lincoln's competitive and expensive primary campaign. The embattled Lincoln now has four times as much money as Boozman.

In California, Boxer keeps stockpiling cash while Fiorina continues to recover financially from the GOP primary. After raising $4.6 million, Boxer has more than $11 million in the bank, while Fiorina, who self-funded a large portion of her primary campaign, has less than $1 million.

Republicans will need to overcome these Democratic cash advantages to win back the Senate, as the party must turn several of these seats red to take the majority.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 12:33 PM | Email Author | Permalink

By Kyle Trygstad

The Democratic Governors Association announced today raising $9.1 million over the last three months and $17 million from January through June, a new record for the campaign committee. The DGA now has $22 million left to spend through November, which is more than it spent in the entire 2006 election cycle, according to a press release.

The DGA's second-quarter fundraising is $10 million less than the Republican Governors Association raised during that time. The RGA announced yesterday that it pulled in $18.9 million from April through June. Since the beginning of the year the RGA has raised $28 million -- $13 million more than its highest-ever midyear fundraising mark.

"To be honest, given the mass donor exodus from the RNC, we never expected to outraise the RGA. But we have marshaled historic resources to compete aggressively across the map," said DGA executive director Nathan Daschle. "With marquee states like California, Florida and Texas up for grabs, more Americans could have a Democratic governor after November than ever before."

With four months left before the gubernatorial elections that will have a lasting effect on next year's redistricting, the RGA has $40 million on hand -- $18 million more than the DGA.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

By Kyle Trygstad

Independents are sticking with Republicans in the 2010 midterms, Gallup's latest monthly tracking poll shows. In June, 46 percent of unaffiliated registered voters said they preferred the Republican in their congressional district's House race, compared with 34 percent who leaned toward the Democrat.

That's largely how the numbers have broken down every month since March, and it's good news for Republicans who are aiming for the majority in Congress. Since 92 percent of Democrats and 94 percent of Republicans favor their own party's candidate, the leaning of independent voters is a "key component in determining overall preferences leading up to Election Day, and the eventual outcome of the election," Gallup's Jeffrey M. Jones writes.

President Obama's standing among registered independent voters could be weighing down the numbers at the congressional level. Since March, an average of 42 percent of independents have approved of the job he's doing as president, while 51 percent have disapproved.

"Independents' preference for the Republican congressional candidate in their district has been consistent this year," writes Jones. "Still, one in five independents remain undecided. The preferences of these voters, as well as which independents turn out on Election Day, will have a major impact on the direction and magnitude of seat change in the midterm elections."

The two parties are currently statistically tied in the generic ballot test, as Democrats hold a 0.4 percentage point lead in the RCP Average. However, because Republicans traditionally have stronger turnout and polls have shown the party is more enthusiastic about voting this year, Democrats need to extend their lead in the generic ballot to feel better going into November.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink

By Kyle Trygstad

The National Republican Congressional Committee raised nearly $5.4 million last month, outdoing its Democratic counterpart for the second straight month. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee brought in $5.1 million.

The NRCC has now outraised the DCCC in three of the first five months of the year and has cumulatively topped it by $1 million in 2010, raising $30.2 million from January through May to the DCCC's $29.1 million.

However, with more than $28 million, the DCCC still has more than twice as much cash-on-hand. The NRCC has $12 million in the bank.

The two party committees will likely be spending their money differently over the next four-and-a-half months, as Democrats look to hold their large majority and Republicans aim to win back the House after four years in the minority.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 10:15 AM | Email Author | Permalink

By Kyle Trygstad

Facing mounting pressure from his own party, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) retracted his apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward, which he offered to the oil executive this morning in his opening statement as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

"I am ashamed of what happened at the White House yesterday," Barton said this morning. "It is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown - in this case a $20 billion shakedown."

Hayward testified today and answered the panel's questions late into the afternoon. As he testified, the White House and Democrats from both chambers of Congress blasted the congressman for apologizing to the oil company.

Republicans joined as well, with Florida Rep. Jeff Miller the first to call on Barton to step down as ranking member of the committee. Miller represents the western-most district in Florida's panhandle. House GOP leaders John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence issued a joint statement calling Barton's initial comments about a White House shakedown "wrong," adding that BP acknowledged repsonsibility and "offered an initial pledge of $20 billion."

Here is Barton's full statement of regret, apologizing for his earlier statement:

"I apologize for using the term 'shakedown' with regard to yesterday's actions at the White House in my opening statement this morning, and I retract my apology to BP. As I told my colleagues yesterday and said again this morning, BP should bear the full financial responsibility for the accident on their lease in the Gulf of Mexico. BP should fully compensate those families and businesses that have been hurt by this accident. BP and the federal government need to stop the leak, clean up the damage, and take whatever steps necessary to prevent a similar accident in the future.

"I regret the impact that my statement this morning implied that BP should not pay for the consequences of their decisions and actions in this incident."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 04:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

By Kyle Trygstad

A new poll of the battleground congressional districts finds reason for deep concern among Democrats. The poll, conducted for NPR by Democratic polling firm GQR and Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, tested the 60 most competitive Democratic districts and shows an increasingly difficult environment for candidates of the majority party.

"The results are a wake-up call for Democrats whose losses in the House could well exceed 30 seats," GQR notes in its findings.

In the Democratic districts, several findings were most disconcerting for the party: just 34% said they would vote to re-elect their representative, whom the questioner named; in a separate question, 56% said they will not vote to re-elect their representative because new people are needed to fix Washington; and when both the Democratic and Republican candidates were named, 47% said they'd vote for the Republican and 42% chose the Democrat.

Also tested were the 10 most competitive Republican districts, where 53% say they'll vote for the GOP candidate and 37% for the Democrat.

Messaging will also be a problem for Democrats. As GQR notes, "We tested Democratic and Republican arguments on the economy, health care, financial reform and the big picture for the 2010 election. The results consistently favored the Republicans and closely resembled the vote breakdown. Democrats are hurt by a combined lack of enthusiasm and an anti-incumbent tone."

Graphs and a full list of the districts included in the survey can be found here. Full results are here. NPR's write-up of the poll is here and quick break-down is here.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

By Kyle Trygstad

Nearly half of Americans now believe the Democratic Party is too liberal, while some see the Republican Party as slightly more moderate than it was just two years ago. Gallup's new survey shows that perceptions of Democrats are now approaching what they looked like just after the 1994 midterm cycle.

"Currently, by 49% to 40%, more Americans perceive the Democratic Party as too liberal than say the Republican Party is too conservative, giving the Republicans an advantage in an important election year," Gallup's Jeffrey M. Jones writes.

Two years ago, during an election year that Democrats increased their congressional majorities and won the White House, 50% said the views of the Democratic Party were "about right," and 39% said they were too liberal. Now, just 38% say they're about right and 49% say they're too liberal.

That's just 1 point below the party's all-time high of 50% in a survey conducted after the Republicans had retaken control of Congress in 1994. The increase in liberal views of the Democrats has largely come from independents and Republicans, with 12% more independents and 8% more Republicans viewing the party as more liberal.

As for Republicans, just about the same number of people say the party's views are too conservative or about right. In 2008, 43% said GOP views were too conservative and 38% said they were about right. Now, 40% say they're too conservative and 41% say they're about right. Still, the number of people who see the GOP as too conservative remains near its highest point since the early 1990s.

"In their efforts to attract widespread voter support in general elections, parties and their candidates generally want to avoid being perceived as too ideologically extreme," Jones writes. "With Election Day more than four months away, however, the Democratic Party has an opportunity in the 2010 campaign to try to alter voters' perceptions of the party's ideology."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:45 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Today's elections feature top-tier Senate and gubernatorial races in California and Nevada, as well as a Senate runoff in Arkansas and competitive GOP primary in the South Carolina governor's race. Those are just the highlights of a full slate of primaries, but there are a handful of intriguing races that will likely fly under the radar as the results pour in tonight.

Here are five races that may not make major newspaper headlines but are certainly ones to keep an eye on:

Iowa's 3rd District GOP Primary

The Iowa Republican Party is preparing to hold a July 10 convention to decide the nominee in the 3rd district, where no one in Tuesday's crowded primary is expected to meet the 35 percent threshold to win the nomination. The GOP sees the district has a potential pick-up opportunity, as Democrat Leonard Boswell runs for an eighth term in office.

One could also be necessary in the 2nd district, where four Republicans are vying to take on second-term Democrat Dave Loebsack.

Conventions are in many ways much different animals than primaries. As state GOP Chairman Matt Strawn said last week on local TV, "It's not the kind of campaign that's waged on the airwaves, but literally hand to hand and house to house." The winner will be decided by 422 previously elected district delegates.

By most accounts, the three leading candidates in the 3rd district are aviation security consultant Dave Funk, financial adviser and former Iowa State wrestling coach Jim Gibbons and state Sen. Brad Zaun.

Continue reading "Super Tuesday's Under-the-Radar Races" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 06:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Steve Pearce wants his job back. After leaving behind the House two years ago for greener pastures on the north end of the Capitol, Pearce got shellacked in the general election by Tom Udall, then a fellow representative and now the junior senator from New Mexico. Republicans, who in the previous session of Congress had two of the state's three House seats and one of its Senate seats, are now unrepresented in the 111th Congress -- and Pearce aims to change that.

His journey back got a little closer Tuesday night when he handily defeated Cliff Pirtle, a Roswell-area farmer, in the GOP primary. The win sets up what's expected to be a competitive general election fight against freshman Democrat Harry Teague for the 2nd district seat. All three of the state's congressmen are freshman Dems, but Teague looks to have the most difficult race ahead of him in the Republican-leaning district on the Mexican border.

Pearce is not the only former member looking to get back to Capitol Hill. Ousted in 2008, Steve Chabot of Ohio and Tim Walberg of Michigan are hoping a stronger year for Republicans nationwide assists their comeback campaigns; as are a couple of 2006 casualties like Mike Fitzpatrick, knocked out of his Philly-area seat, and Richard Pombo, who's actually running in a neighboring Northern California district.

Also hoping for a second shot at Congress are unsuccessful GOP challengers who lost vacant Republican districts in 2008, like Maryland's Andy Harris, Ohio's Steve Stivers and Virginia's Keith Fimian. Same with Doug Hoffman, who, under odd circumstances, lost New York's 23rd district in a November 2009 special election.

Apparently it's the year of do-overs for Republicans across the country -- only time will tell if voters think so too.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 12:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

By Kyle Trygstad and Mike Memoli

While the May 18 primaries in Arkansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania had their fair share of intrigue, the real Super Tuesday of the 2010 midterm cycle's primary season is June 8. Pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg will be making his major league debut for the Nationals just a few blocks down South Capitol Street, but it's a safe bet that many on Capitol Hill will have their eyes glued to the election results in 11 states.

With so many contests to take in, here are 10 highlights and things to watch for as Super Tuesday unfolds:

Harry and the Republicans

While establishment Republicans in Nevada don't agree on Sharron Angle's ability to defeat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, there's little disagreement she's the nominee Reid would prefer to run against. Angle's non-mainstream views on several issues (like shifting Social Security to a free market alternative and calling for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations) worry many of the standard bearers who prefer Sue Lowden, a former state senator and chairwoman of the Nevada GOP.

Angle's endorsement by the Tea Party Express and the Club for Growth gave her a boost in the polls, and she took the lead in two separate polls released Thursday. But no matter who wins Tuesday -- Angle, Lowden or Danny Tarkanian, who are the most likely -- that person will enter the general election race with a significant fundraising disadvantage. As of May 19, Reid had more than $9 million, and none of the three Republicans had as much as $300,000.

But the GOP sees a sitting duck in Reid, who continues to straddle 40 percent support in the polls. Anything under 50 percent should be worrisome to an incumbent, but a party leader near 40 percent is far worse.

Continue reading "10 Things To Watch On Super Tuesday" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Rightly or not, the inability of Republicans to pick up the 12th district seat in Pennsylvania on Tuesday has jarred loose the 2010 storyline that Republicans are destined to win back the House. This oddly shaped, gerrymandered district tucked into southwestern Pennsylvania quickly put the GOP on the defensive for failing to win a swing district in a year the party should be winning just such a seat.

But Tuesday's results also cemented into place the idea that voters in states around the country are simply ready for somebody new, and both parties are now adjusting their game plans to that end. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions said Tuesday night that Republicans "will take the lessons learned from this campaign and move forward in preparation for November." Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen quickly called for a press briefing with reporters, scheduled for this morning, to discuss the lessons Democrats took from Tuesday.

"Bill Halter's a fresh face, Jack Conway in Kentucky . . . Joe Sestak -- these are the ones that are winning," former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Wednesday on MSNBC. "I think there is an enormous mood of anti-incumbency, and it extends to the Republicans, not just the Democrats."

Individual campaigns in states across the country are certainly picking up on this, too. Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Jeff Greene, both running for the Senate in Florida, and North Carolina Senate candidate Cal Cunningham -- all newcomers to statewide and national politics -- used the primary results in Pennsylvania to take shots at their more politically experienced opponents.

While Mr. Cunningham is technically the establishment-backed candidate, he served only one term in the state senate and is using his runoff opponent's 14 years of statewide elected office against her.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

There were no major surprises on what was the busiest voting day to date Tuesday, as voters again signaled that support of the Washington establishment is no virtue this cycle. Nowhere was that more clear than in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, where favored candidates lost their party's nomination.

In the Keystone State, it was 30-year Senate veteran Arlen Specter. The longtime Republican left the GOP last year to avoid losing a primary on Tuesday to conservative former Rep. Pat Toomey. Instead, the 80-year-old Specter lost the Democratic primary to Rep. Joe Sestak.

The convincing margin of defeat came for Specter despite endorsements not just from the White House, but Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Ed Rendell, and the state party. Specter becomes the third incumbent to lose his party's nomination in the past 10 days.

In Kentucky, ophthalmologist Rand Paul made a statement on behalf of the tea party movement he embraced with his 23-point dismissal of Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who had received both behind-the-scenes and ultimately public support from Senate Minority Leader and Kentucky native Mitch McConnell, as well as other establishment party figures.

In both cases, the parties immediately moved publicly to mend fences, as November results remain the most important goal. "We will wholeheartedly support Congressman Sestak as the Democratic nominee," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated.

Continue reading "2010 Continues To Defy Conventional Wisdom" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink

The Republican National Committee's Site Selection Committee is recommending the party hold its presidential nominating convention in Tampa-St.Petersburg in 2012, the RNC announced this afternoon.

Tampa beat out Phoenix and Salt Lake City for the event. Minneapolis-St. Paul hosted the 2008 event.

"We are honored and privileged to accept the bid from Tampa, Florida to host the Republican National Convention in 2012. ...The Tampa area boasts state-of-the-art facilities, exciting and vibrant downtowns, and a clear enthusiasm from the community to host our convention. We look forward to joining our compatriots in the Sunshine State for our convention in 2012," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a released statement.

Mike Allen first reported the news this morning.

Florida is an important swing state in every election, and Republicans hope holding their convention there could provide somewhat of a boost to their nominee. However, Republicans have not carried their convention's host state since 1992, when George H.W. Bush won Texas.

Democrats, who were in Denver in 2008, have won every convention-hosting state since Michael Dukakis lost Georgia in 1988.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall finished short of winning the 40 percent necessary to take the Democratic nomination and the right to challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr. The result was the one aberration in an otherwise good night for the two national parties, which got their favored candidates in the other two states holding contested Senate primaries on Tuesday.

In Ohio, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher defeated Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in the Democratic primary and will face former Rep. Rob Portman in the general election. In Indiana, former Sen. Dan Coats won a competitive Republican primary and will likely take on Rep. Brad Ellsworth, whom Democratic leaders in the state are expected to select as their nominee next month.

The Ohio and Indiana seats are open following the retirements of Sens. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.).

In North Carolina, Marshall received 36 percent, followed by Cal Cunningham with 27 percent and Ken Lewis with 17 percent. As the top two finishers, Marshall and Cunningham will face each other again in a June 22 runoff, a costly addition for Democrats who would rather turn their attention toward Burr.

The Marshall campaign has already requested that Cunningham drop out of the race in deference to Marshall winning a plurality of the votes.

Continue reading "Except For N.C., Both Parties Win On Primary Night" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 06:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Hours before one of the National Republican Senatorial Committee's prized recruits is set to announce his decision to bolt from the GOP, Sen. John Cornyn (R) conceded that the national party may have been better off with a hands-off approach to primary battles.

"I think more than any time I've seen in the recent past, instead of a Contract for America, voters want a Contract from America. In other words, they want to be listened to, not lectured to, and not to have their choices made for them," he told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor today. "In this political environment, it's not necessarily helpful for candidates running in the states to have the national party chairman endorse them."

Cornyn was asked repeatedly about Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) looming decision on his Senate candidacy in Florida and the implications of his anticipated independent run. He defended his decision as NRSC chairman to back Crist despite the fact that Marco Rubio was already in the race.

"When Jeb Bush told me he wasn't going to run I looked around to the most popular Republican in the state, and it was pretty clear who that was," he said. "At the time we made the endorsement Governor Crist was one of the most popular governors in America, and I would say it's been a breathtaking change of circumstance to see him now contemplating this course after seeing his numbers plummet so dramatically."

Continue reading "Cornyn: NRSC Backing "Not Necessarily Helpful" In Primaries" »

Posted by at 01:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Chairman Pete Sessions recently referred to the National Republican Congressional Committee's slew of candidates across the country as a "geographically balanced machine." It will need to be just that for the party to win back House control in the November midterm elections.

While the South has been a natural base for the party and a place many assume the GOP can pick up seats in a favorable year, several Southern Democratic incumbents in competitive districts currently boast overwhelming fundraising advantages over their GOP challengers. After the first fundraising quarter of 2010, at least eight Southern Democrats have more than 10 times as much cash on hand as their closest GOP challengers, and for some of them the margin is far greater.

This includes Reps. Mike Ross (AR-4), Jim Marshall (GA-8), Mike McIntyre (NC-7), Heath Shuler (NC-11), Rick Boucher (VA-9) and Nick Rahall (WV-3) -- whose districts were all won by John McCain in 2008. Others in districts Barack Obama carried with 55 percent or less are John Barrow (GA-12) and Bob Etheridge (NC-2).

They all have more than $800,000 in the bank, while none of their Republican opponents have as much as $100,000. McIntyre was actually outraised by $20,000 in the first quarter but still has an $800,000 cash-on-hand advantage.

Money isn't everything, and the enthusiasm gap is currently a detriment to Democrats nationwide. But even in the most favorable political environments challengers need cash to knock out incumbents. The financial disadvantage disclosed in the latest fundraising reports perhaps takes a few of these districts off the board of competitive races.

Of course, not all Democratic incumbents in the South enjoy such large leads in the money race, and Republicans have solid challengers in other potentially vulnerable districts. Some of the most vulnerable Democratic districts nationwide are open seat races in the South, where Democrats retired for various reasons -- some to run for higher office, some to avoid a difficult re-election bid.

But winning back the majority will require the GOP gaining many of its seats in states like Arizona, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- places Democrats were successful the last two election cycles.

The NRCC is confident it can do that and argues that the environment will overcome some of the fundraising disadvantages it will likely face in races across the country.

"Most Republican challengers are unlikely to outraise incumbent Democrats, but that doesn't mean they won't be in a strong position to compete in this political environment," said NRCC spokesman Paul Lindsay. "For every dollar that Democrats raise, they will be forced to spend hundreds more defending their job-killing agenda that has led voters to abandon their party in droves."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:45 AM | Email Author | Permalink

National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Pete Sessions told reporters this afternoon his goal is to win 40 seats this November and take back the majority in Congress.

"Anything less, I did not fulfill my mission statement," he said.

It's a big hill to climb, and it begins next month with special elections in Hawaii and southwestern Pennsylvania -- two vacant Democratic seats where Sessions likes the GOP's chances.

"Both of these are drawn for and are Democratic districts," Sessions said, lowering the expectation bar in case of a GOP loss. But, he said, "We've fielded a great candidate in both races."

Sessions stressed that the NRCC was challenging Dems in the four quadrants of the country -- Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and West -- saying, "We are a geographically balanced machine." But PA-12 also fits right into the area where a large number of Democratic districts are being targeted.

Sessions calls them the Ohio River Valley districts, which lie in West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and even down to Mississippi. This is where Democrats picked up a large number of seats in the last two elections, and Republicans now feel that the environment is right for the party to win them back.

While he believes the poor political environment for Democrats will ultimately be the deciding factor in November, Sessions and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), the vice chairman in charge of finance, noted that GOP candidate fundraising is in great shape -- 121 challengers and open seat candidates have more than $200,000 cash on hand, and 16 challengers outraised a Democratic incumbent in the first quarter.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee notes that its most challenged incumbents -- mostly new members in what they call the Frontline program -- have an average of more than $1 million cash on hand.

Hensarling also announced that the NRCC itself raised $8 million in March, its highest grossing month since becoming the minority party. The committee now has $10 million on hand, $4 million more than a month ago. That still leaves it well behind the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which raised $9.77 million last month and has $26 million on hand.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Some of the top Republican House candidates in the country have self-funded large portions of their campaign coffers, a plus for a party aiming to win back Congress this year.

One-third of the 39 candidates that have reached the second tier of the National Republican Congressional Committee's three-step campaign organization program have given or loaned their campaigns significant amounts of money, recent Federal Election Commission filings show.

If Democrats hold on to their three remaining vacant seats in special elections this year, the GOP will need to pick up 40 seats to win back the House. Even with the national political landscape favoring them, GOP challengers need cash to keep up with incumbents that have been raising money for more than a year.

The NRCC had just $6 million in the bank at the end of February, so candidates able to raise vast amounts of money -- including from their own personal bank accounts -- are attractive. The committee's Democratic counterpart has more than three times as much on hand.

The candidate who's loaned his campaign the most so far is Tom Ganley, who's challenging second-term Rep. Betty Sutton in Ohio's 13th District. Despite raising just $16,000, Ganley has shelled out $2 million of his own money and has nearly 10 times as much cash on hand as the incumbent.

Another top self-funder is Randy Altschuler, who's loaned his campaign more than half of the $2 million he's brought in. He's running against fourth-term Rep. Tim Bishop in New York's 1st District on Long Island.

The other 11 Republicans who've reached the NRCC's "Contender" status and are partially self-funding their campaigns include (candidate, district, amount loaned and/or contributed to campaign):

Continue reading "GOP Loaded With Self-Funding Candidates" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

NEW ORLEANS -- Mitt Romney won the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll today with 24% of the vote -- garnering 1 more vote than Texas Rep. Ron Paul. Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich tied for third with 18%.

There were a total of 1,806 votes cast. Romney received 439 votes, Paul 438.

The poll, meant to take the pulse of Southern GOP activists, has little meaning, but Romney -- who did not even attend the event -- will surely use it to tout his credentials. He was even able to defeat Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who won the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February and pushed his supporters to attend this event.

Romney, as David Weigel reported, received some help from Nancy French's Evangelicals for Mitt, who offered "around 200 tickets for free, for anyone who wants to come and support Mitt Romney."

Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist won the straw poll at the 2006 SRLC in Memphis, where he bused supporters in to boost his vote total. However, Frist did not end up running for president. John McCain, the frontrunner at the time, threw off the credibility of the results that year by encouraging his supporters to vote for George W. Bush.

This year's straw poll ballot did not offer a line to write-in a candidate not listed. The candidates on the ballot included: Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Gary Johnson, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, Mike Pence, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

Not on the ballot were Haley Barbour, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal and John Thune.

Continue reading "SRLC: Romney Wins Straw Poll" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 05:48 PM | Email Author | Permalink

NEW ORLEANS -- One of the biggest threads of the 2010 midterm elections has been whether Republicans will stay unified enough to win back one or both chambers of Congress. That storyline reared its head today on Day Three of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.

The split between the national party and conservatives around the country blew up a year ago when Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was endorsed minutes after announcing his Senate candidacy, despite the presence of a conservative primary opponent named Marco Rubio.

The recent flurry of criticism for Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and his handling of the committee's spending has not helped matters either. Steele will speak later today, and -- if the questions former Sen. Rick Santorum got during the Q-and-A session he held following his speech are any indication -- Steele is going to have a mixed reception.

Despite the name, some conference-goers said they don't consider themselves Republicans and would be happy to support a candidate of any party -- as long as they have similar principles and beliefs.

A couple of these people spoke up during the Q-and-A session with Santorum. The first audience member to speak asked Santorum why he and former President George W. Bush endorsed Sen. Arlen Specter, then a Republican, over conservative Rep. Pat Toomey in the 2004 Pennsylvania Senate primary.

"So many of us want to give money to the RNC but we won't anymore because we want to pick and choose our candidates -- because the RNC would choose Specter over Toomey," she said.

Well, Toomey's running again, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee endorsed Specter a year ago before he switched parties. It also withheld an endorsement of Toomey until former Gov. Tom Ridge decided not to run.

Santorum defended the decision, saying he based it on the fact that two Supreme Court seats were about to open up and -- with a small majority in the Senate -- he wanted to ensure Bush's nominees were approved. What he didn't say was that as the NRSC decided in 2009, in 2004 Specter's politics appeared to be a better fit for the state.

In the wake of the 2008 elections, that's why the NRSC backed Crist over the more conservative Rubio. It's a decision NRSC Chairman John Cornyn regrets, but the principle is one both parties will continue to follow. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour even emphasized it in his speech today and said the party needs to be open to candidates all along the Republican end of the political spectrum.

Barbour, who now chairs the Republican Governors Association and led the RNC in 1994, also stressed that unity is critical to the party's chances in November.

"This message of unity is so important and we cannot let ourselves be torn apart of the idea of purity," said Barbour. "In a two-party system, both parties are necessary coalitions, and we want our coalition to drive our policies."

"How do we in in 2010?" Barbour added. "We stick together."

Santorum urged Tea Party members to run against Republicans in primaries, and Barbour maintained that whoever wins the primaries "will be our candidate." That's part of the outreach to the Tea Party that has laced most of the major speeches over the last three days.

"The Democrats' fondest hope is to see the Tea Party or other conservatives split off and start a third party," said Barbour. "Barack Obama is...praying for the conservative vote to be split in 2010. We can't let that happen. We've got to stay unified."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 04:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

NEW ORLEANS -- Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Tim Pawlenty all skipped this year's Southern Republican Leadership Conference. They once stood alone as the three frontrunners for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, but two others stepped up this week and solidified their spots at least alongside them at the top of the ladder.

Rick Perry, still relatively unknown nationally for someone who governed Texas for the last 10 years, and Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, delivered presidential candidate-esque speeches on the first two days of the conference. With delegates from 14 southern states on hand, their appearances could help lay a foundation for a national bid -- if they do indeed decide to run.

Before either spoke, one high ranking Republican official brought up both names to RealClearPolitics as two of the three Republicans, along with Mitt Romney, with the best chance of defeating President Obama.

Gingrich, known around the country for nearly two decades, openly addressed the subject, saying he would decide whether to run for president by next February. He offered his usual command of the issues and history, and displayed his ability to be both wonky and energetic.

Words don't do justice for Perry, whose arm movements and speaking style make lines from his speeches far more dramatic than they seem on paper. He's currently running for re-election, but is clearly attempting to build a national following.

Perry interrupted his speech to direct the audience to text "FIRED UP" to his text messaging service, a tactic the Obama campaign successfully utilized in 2008.

He also offered a campaign slogan for those running for Congress this year, but sounds like something he could say in two years as well: "I'm going to go to Washington D.C. and make it as inconsequential in your life as I can."

The third Republican to watch isn't someone likely to run for president in 2012, but she could become a fast-rising player in Congress. With a calm speaking style, Liz Cheney, daughter of the former vice president, delivered a biting, even-tempered speech that received perhaps the biggest ovation of the conference so far.

Cheney said last June that she wouldn't run this year but left the door open to a future bid. As a Northern Virginia resident, Cheney could have a couple options: Virginia Sen. Jim Webb (D) is up for re-election in 2012, and if 10th District Rep. Frank Wolf (R) wins re-election this year, he will be on retirement watch after serving 30 years in Congress.

"2010 and 2012 are going to be critical years in the long history of this great republic," Cheney said Thursday night. "We have to stand up and fight."

Republicans will be pushing her to do just that.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

NEW ORLEANS -- Health care reform is giving GOP leaders a shiny trophy of evidence to prove to its base that party control of Congress must change this year. Speakers here at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference have all criticized the legislation, and if the activist audience's reception is any indication, this will be the No. 1 rallying point in the fall elections.

While the state of the economy could decide many of the congressional elections this year, no issue excites the GOP base like health care.

"One of the most arrogant power plays in American history," Liz Cheney called it.

"The most radical president in American history has now thrown down the gauntlet on the American people," said Newt Gingrich.

"The mother of all unfunded mandates," said Sarah Palin.

"This is no time to be timid," said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. "We must repeal this bill."

"We need to stay focused on what really matters," like national security, said Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Recent polls on the subject are wide-ranging, with more people opposing health care reform by between 3 and 21 points. However, none show a plurality supporting it. The RCP Average now shows 40 percent favor it and 52 percent oppose.

Whether it is good policy or not, Republican candidates will run on it and Republican voters will rally around it.

By winning back Congress in November, Jindal said, "we put our country back on the right track so we make sure that we continue to be the greatest country on Earth."

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NEW ORLEANS -- Sarah Palin is the rock star of the Republican Party, drawing the biggest crowd yet in the three-day conference and signing autographs for adoring fans who rushed the stage.

Palin delivered the first major speech of the day, and her mere presence excited the crowd. Her loudest ovation came before she uttered a word of her speech, which focused on domestic energy production. It wasn't Palin's most rousing speech, but it centered on the issue many Republicans believe is her strength.

"Let's drill baby drill, not stall baby stall," Palin said of President Obama's recent offshore drilling announcement.

She mocked Democrats' concern for the environmental impacts of drilling in Alaska -- where she said the majority of people want it expanded -- as well as the reluctance to put wind farms off the coast of New England. Palin also criticized Democrats' "snake oil science" and "this global warming, Gore-gate stuff."

"We have the resources, we have the ingenuity," she said. "Now all we need is the political will."

That's nothing a "good ol' fashioned election can't fix," she added.

Like the other speakers and the general feeling among conference-goers, Palin intimated that the midterm elections this November are a chance to put the country on a different path: "We're writing the new chapter in this proud history. I say we just stand together and take our country back."

Palin also touched on Obama's foreign policy and "Obamacare," which she called "The mother of all unfunded mandates."

Newt Gingrich stressed last night that he'd like to see the party move away from the tagline super-glued to it by Democrats. Palin, however, has no problem with it as long as Democrats are in power.

"There is no shame in being the Party of No," she said. "What's wrong with being the Party of No?"

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NEW ORLEANS -- Few politicians not in the middle of a campaign enter a room quite like Newt Gingrich. While every other speaker at the SRLC entered from backstage, Gingrich walked in from the back of the ballroom with "Eye of the Tiger" blaring through the speakers.

Gingrich isn't running for office now, but he's leaving the door wide open for a bid. Asked by an audience member after his speech whether he would run for president in 2012, Gingrich said: "In February 2011, Calista and I will probably have to make a decision about whether or not to run."

But, he cautioned the audience to keep their sights on 2010. "If we will work as hard as we can from now until Election Day...when we win control of the House and Senate this year, Stage One of the end of Obamaism will be a new Republican Congress in January that simply refuses to fund any of" Obama's agenda.

Stage Two, Gingrich said, is to be prepared to offer positive alternatives "to ensure that Obama joins Jimmy Carter as a one-term president." That's part of Gingrich's push for the GOP to shed its "Party of No" tag that Democrats have successfully attached to it.

Gingrich warned the 2,500-large audience that "this is the most radical administration in American history." He said Obama has a "fantasy foreign policy" and heads "the worst administration since Herbert Hoover." He even attacked the president's jump shot, saying, "We need a president, not an athlete."

"You watch, this economy is not going to recover," Gingrich predicted.

The former speaker of the House is on a mission "To Save America," which happens to be the title of his book that is being released next month. "And the subtitle of it is Stopping Obama's Secular, Socialist Machine," he said.

That machine, Gingrich said, is made up of labor unions and "liberal tenured faculty," among many other groups he said enabled Obama to become president.

"My prediction is: We will win in '10 and in '12, decisive elections," he said.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 10:15 PM | Email Author | Permalink

NEW ORLEANS -- Any Republican in the hotel ballroom who hadn't heard Liz Cheney speak before likely walked away impressed. In a nearly 30-minute speech, the former vice president's daughter laid into the Obama administration over health care, foreign policy and national security, concluding that the country simply deserves better.

"2010 and 2012 are going to be critical years in the long history of this great republic, and we have to make our voices heard," said Cheney. "We have to stand up and fight."

Cheney called the health care reform bill "one of the most arrogant power plays in American history." On national security, she said "someone needs to keep reminding this president that foreign terrorists do not have constitutional rights."

She called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reception in Washington two weeks ago "disgraceful," and said President Obama doesn't understand that "the world is safer when there is no daylight between the United States and the state of Israel."

The speech received rousing ovations during and after, and opened the three-day Southern Republican Leadership Conference. Next on the docket tonight is Newt Gingrich, whom many Republicans here hope will run for president in 2012.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:40 PM | Email Author | Permalink

NEW ORLEANS -- The Southern Republican Leadership Conference kicks off here tonight and serves as the unofficial launch of the 2012 presidential election season. Republican activists from around the country are descending on the Hilton New Orleans Riverside with newfound energy the party's lacked in the last two election cycles.

One of tonight's featured speakers is Newt Gingrich, who helped usher in the Republican Revolution in 1994. His speech tonight will focus on how Republicans get back to power in 2010.

"To win in 2010 and 2012, it's not enough to say no to the radical agenda of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid," Gingrich said in a released statement. "Tonight's speech will explain why real leadership requires Republicans to offer a compelling vision of safety, prosperity, and freedom that stands in vivid contrast to Obama's secular, socialist, machine now running Washington."

Gingrich is rumored to be considering a run for president. Other featured speakers over the next few days who are considering bids include Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Haley Barbour. However, Tim Pawlenty,Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee will not attend.

Liz Cheney and Mary Matalin are scheduled to speak tonight. Palin, Perry, Bobby Jindal and Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, are speaking Friday. And Saturday features speeches from Barbour, Paul, Santorum, RNC Chair Michael Steele and House GOP Conference Chair Mike Pence.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Staring down the most inviting election cycle the party has seen in six years, the Republican National Committee could be tempting fate as its already controversial leader comes under the hottest criticism he's seen in his 15 months as chairman.

With the party's spending outpacing its relatively good fundraising, Michael Steele critics are on the rise -- and they're going public. A $2,000 expenditure at a West Hollywood, California strip club may have been the breaking point, but issues have been bubbling beneath the surface for months.

Sean Mahoney, one of 168 RNC committeemen, announced his resignation yesterday in a letter to Steele, which was provided to the New Hampshire Union Leader. "The scandal represents a pattern of unaccountable and irresponsible mishaps that ought to unnerve every fiscal conservative," he wrote.

Speaking last night with RealClearPolitics, Mahoney said "the issue at hand is bigger than Chairman Steele," and that he deserves credit for his work last year in helping elect Republican governors in New Jersey and Virginia -- but something needs to change.

"He was all hands on deck for both elections and that's what the RNC is supposed to be all about," Mahoney told RCP. "But there's been a disappointing drumbeat of stories about irresponsible spending at the RNC. A lot of folks are deeply concerned about spending habits at the RNC and are frustrated that a lot of those funds they're sending to Washington are being spent inefficiently."

Mahoney, a party activist who says he'll continue to work to get conservatives elected this year, is reportedly considering a bid for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District, and his publicized resignation will certainly help him receive some attention from the local and national press. But he's far from the only Republican to express concern for what's going on at national party headquarters on First Street Southeast.

Continue reading "Steele, RNC Face Toughest Criticism Yet" »

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The echoes of the Republican National Committee's unchecked spending habits uncovered in recent weeks reverberates again today as a New Hampshire committeeman resigned his seat in protest. In a letter sent to Chairman Michael Steele today, and reported by the Union Leader, RNC Committeeman Sean Mahoney criticized the party's inability to control spending in government and in its own national headquarters.

"The recent scandal involving RNC funds being used to entertain a small crowd at a Los Angeles strip club is the straw that broke the camel's back," Mahoney wrote. "The scandal represents a pattern of unaccountable and irresponsible mishaps that ought to unnerve every fiscal conservative."

While Steele may not have been directly responsible for the $2,000 strip club expenditure, as chairman he's ultimately held responsible for the actions of the committee -- good and bad -- and has also been criticized for his own lavish spending habits. In a letter sent last night to national committeemen and donors, as reported by Politico, Steele attempted to assure them that money would be spent only toward the committee's goal of electing Republicans to office.

The letter sought to explain the departure of RNC chief of staff Ken McKay, who officially resigned yesterday. In turn, Curt Anderson, a party strategist and Steele adviser, announced he would no longer work with the committee, explaining that "McKay's departure is a huge loss for the Republican Party."

Mahoney's resignation today is somewhat of a culmination of events and the clearest sign yet of the mistrust many Republicans have toward the national party.

"I would prefer to stand with the hundreds of concerned taxpayers in Manchester, New Hampshire who have courageously cut back their family budgets to make ends meet rather than with a crowd of self-important politicians who spend other people's money with reckless disregard," Mahoney wrote. "The Committee has clearly lost its way."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

A man has been arrested for threatening the life of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, a Richmond, Va., area representative and the second ranking Republican in the House.

"Over the weekend, Congressman Cantor was notified by law enforcement that a threat was made against his life," Cantor press seceretary Brad Dayspring said in a released statement. "Law enforcement officials informed Congressman Cantor that the threat was determined as credible and they were responding accordingly. The Congressman was later notified that an arrest was made and a suspect was in custody."

Several media outlets have reported that the man is Norman Leboon, 33, of Philadelphia. Leboon is accused "of threatening to kill Cantor and his family in a YouTube video posted online this month, according to U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jan Fedarcyk," the Washington Post reports.

The arrest follows a tense week on Capitol Hill that included health care reform protesters hurling insults and slurs at Democratic members of Congress; pro-life Democrat Bart Stupak announcing he and his wife had received several threatening phone calls at their home; and several more Democrats and Republicans announcing they had received threats in some form.

Cantor, himself, reported that a bullet had been shot through a window of his downtown Richmond campaign office, though police later stated they believed it was a stray bullet.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

President Obama mocked the press and others today for their focus on the politics of health care reform -- how individual votes will impact members and how the passing of the legislation will affect Obama and the Democratic Party as a whole.

"A lot of reporting in Washington, it's just like SportsCenter," Obama said during a rally at George Mason University in the Virginia suburbs of D.C. "It's considered a sport, and who's up and who's down, and everybody's keeping score. And you got the teams going at it. It's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots."

But the politics do play an integral role in how some members vote, especially those sitting in Republican leaning districts and serving just their first term in Congress. Politico looked at individual members in an article just this morning. And Republicans themselves continue to argue this could mean the end to the Democratic majority in Congress.

"I don't know how this plays politically. Nobody really does," said Obama. "I don't know what's going to happen with the politics on this thing. I don't know whether my poll numbers go down, they go up. I don't know what happens in terms of Democrats versus Republicans."

Trying to boost spirits before the House votes on Sunday, Obama focused instead on the bill's impact. "I do know that this bill, this legislation, is going to be enormously important for America's future," he said.

Over the river and up Capitol Hill, House Minority Leader John Boehner railed against the bill in his weekly press briefing, leaving no question how he thinks the 2010 midterm elections will turn out as a result of the bill's passage.

"The American people do not want any part of this," he said. "If anyone thinks the American people are going to forget about this vote -- just watch."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

As House Democrats consider a new legislative option for moving health care reform to President Obama's desk, Rules Committee Ranking Member David Dreier (R-Calif.) said only an up or down vote in the House on both the Senate bill and its reconciliation accompaniment would be appropriate for such a large piece of legislation.

"It's very painful and troubling to see the gymnastics by which they're going to avoid accountability," Dreier told reporters today during an off-camera briefing.

Under the proposed solution by Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), the committee could "deem" the Senate bill passed upon passage of the accompanying reconciliation bill, which would fix some of the issues that House Democrats had with the Senate's bill. The move would theoretically save Democrats in vulnerable districts from technically voting for the Senate bill; they would only be voting to fix it and remove certain undesirable aspects from it, such as the now infamous "Cornhusker kickback."

But their vote, which Dreier said could take place Sunday, would still directly result in the passage of the Senate bill. Because there would be no vote on the Senate bill itself, "There is absolutely no accountability," Dreier said. "To resort to these kinds of tactics to deal with this is just plain wrong."

"While the process of lawmaking should be ugly, I have never seen it as ugly as it seems to be coming before us this week," he said. "The fact is every amount of energy that is being applied today is trying to avoid the accountability of an up or down vote on this process."

Reporters noted to Dreier that Republicans used similar tactics for large pieces of legislation when they were in power from 1995-2006. Dreier and one of his advisers said there was no comparison and that instances of deeming a bill passed without a vote were "pretty rare."

However, Dreier did admit that what the Democrats are doing is well within the rules. "It's something they can clearly do if they have the votes."

"There was nothing of this magnitude that was done" under GOP control, Dreier said. "The notion of having the federal government move to take control of what is one-sixth of the economy is something that deserves a much more open process than we are getting here."

In recent weeks and over the weekend, Democrats have sought to put the focus on what health care reform would mean for Americans and take the spotlight off the process of passing it.

"The one thing I'm sure of is that the American people don't know or care much about the sequencing of parliamentary procedures," White House senior adviser David Axelrod said yesterday on NBC's "Meet the Press." It's "not about procedure. It's about what are we going to do to protect the American people and give them the security they deserve?"

Noting Axelrod's statement, Dreier flatly disagreed, saying: "Process is substance."

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House Democrats this week issued their Red-to-Blue list -- 13 seats they hope to pick up or save in the fall. They might have called it the "Two-Time Republican Survivors" list.

In a year when the tide has turned against Democrats, the list is heavy with GOPers who managed to hold on by their fingernails through two of the toughest cycles for Republican incumbents in memory. On the target list are people like Reps. Dan Lungren and Mary Bono Mack of California, Ohio's Pat Tiberi and Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania.

Also on the list is Joe "You Lie" Wilson of South Carolina -- whose shouted objection during an Obama speech to Congress has stirred national interest in his race. He and two-time challenger Rob Miller have already raised more than $6 million, making theirs the most expensive House race in South Carolina history.

In total, President Obama won nine of the 13 districts on the Red-to-Blue list. Two of 13 are open Democratic districts -- John Tanner in Tennessee and the district of Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania, who is vacating against party wishes in order to challenge newly converted Sen. Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary.

Two of the open Republican seats have also been vacated by strong GOPers pursuing Senate bids -- Mike Castle in Delaware and Mark Kirk in Illinois. Even if Democrats pick up the House seats, it could be a poor trade if they lose Senate seats previously held by Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee promises money and manpower support for challengers to the targeted 13 -- brave talk considering Democrats will have to devote resources to defending plenty of their own vulnerable seats.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The two committees responsible for electing Republicans to the House and Senate indicated yesterday that GOP candidates will be well served by running on health care reform, which Democrats are still attempting to get to President Obama's desk. Yet an interesting question has arisen -- would Republicans be better off if the legislation passes or fails?

Publicly, the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee say passing the plan would be disastrous for Democrats. However, both are also making efforts to stop it.

In a memo to House candidates, NRCC Executive Director Johnny DeStefano wrote that challengers can affect the outcome of health care in Congress right now by warning their Democratic opponent that their vote will not be forgotten.

"Regardless of how your opponent voted in the past, you can make a major impact on his or her political calculations by reminding these Democrats that a 'YES' vote on the Senate-passed bill will guarantee them an all-out, full-throated blitz from your campaign and national Republicans throughout the spring, summer, and fall," wrote DeStefano.

Likewise, NRSC Chairman John Cornyn told reporters yesterday that Democrats would be wise to give up on the party's current reform plan, if they know what's good for them in November.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "are being told that it's better to pass something" than nothing, said Cornyn. "But if they pass this bill, this is going to be the issue in November 2010. If they don't pass it and move on to something else, they at least have a fighting chance."

Pelosi and Reid "seem to have no regard for their members' electoral prospects," Cornyn added.

Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg said today on MSNBC's "Daily Rundown" that the Democrats' best move would be to pass the bill, and explain to Americans exactly what's in it and why they should like it. Republicans won back Congress in 1994 shortly after Democrats ended their health care reform efforts.

"In 1994, it was the end of September -- six weeks before the election -- that they gave up on health care," he said. "So it was late in the process, they failed on it, they didn't explain it, the president did not give a major speech saying what it is."

Asked why Republicans wouldn't just let the Democrats vote on the bill if they're certain it will hurt the party in November, Cornyn dismissed it, saying: "There's politics and then there's policy."

The same dynamic is true in the NRCC memo, which calls for Republican challengers to help defeat health care reform while simultaneously noting that any Democrat who votes for it will pay for that vote in the election.

"We are on the road to victory," DeStefano concludes. "Now we must work together to capitalize on the monumental opportunity to stand with the American people and prevent an historic disaster."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Monday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's cash advantage in his bid for re-election in Nevada is not enough to improve his standing among voters in November.

"I doubt, even spending $10- or $20-million, people are going to change their minds about Harry Reid," Cornyn said at a press briefing on the 2010 midterm elections.

Down 18 seats and looking at a favorable political landscape this year, Cornyn's NRSC faces the fiscal reality of competing in the large number of states it will take to win back the Senate. Yet he dismisses the notion that the party won't have enough cash to do it.

While noting that he'd "always like to have more money than the other guy," GOP challengers in several states will be going up against deep-pocketed Democratic incumbents like Reid.

Despite a strong fundraising month in January, which brought the committee's cash-on-hand total to $10.65 million -- more than $2 million less than its Democratic counterpart -- Cornyn has admitted the NRSC will need financial assistance from the Republican National Committee in order to help under-funded candidates.

Still, Cornyn called the party's financial situation "evolving," as the dynamics of races around the country continue to change. One example is North Dakota, where Gov. John Hoeven now appears to have an open road to victory in November -- a crucial pick-up in the GOP's quest for control of the upper chamber.

When the NRSC was recruiting Hoeven last year -- before Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) announced his retirement in early January -- the committee had to assure him it would spend significant money on the race. With Dorgan gone, Cornyn said, "it looks like we may not have to spend anything."

Continue reading "Cornyn: 'Evolving' 2010 Landscape Lets NRSC Expand Field" »

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The Republican Party's Weekly Address will be delivered tomorrow morning by Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith, who surprised the political world in December by switching to the GOP after being elected to Congress in 2008 as a Democrat. Griffith practiced medicine for 17 years before starting his own business and later entering politics.

So as Democrats push a health care reform package through Congress, Republicans are putting out front a doctor who switched parties partially because of the issue.

"The fact that a doctor who left the Democratic caucus is delivering the address this week is no coincidence," said a senior GOP aide. "This is a shot across the bow of any 'moderate' Democrat in the House who is considering voting for a health care bill loaded with tax hikes, Medicare cuts, and notorious backroom deals."

Griffith's district also happens to be heavily Republican. John McCain won 61 percent of the vote in 2008. Despite switching parties, Griffith will still have a tough time being re-elected this year, as he faces a competitive GOP primary.

UPDATE: CNN reports that a House Minority Leader John Boehner-headlined fundraiser for Griffith in Huntsville on Monday will be protested by both Tea Party groups as well as Democrats -- what some might say is an unusual and rare pairing.

Also, a Democratic source passes along this attack ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which aired during the 2008 campaign. The ad accuses Griffith of "shameful conduct" as a doctor, as well as "warehousing cancer patients, underdosing them so he could make more profits through protracted treatments."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:15 PM | Email Author | Permalink

With the ballroom packed with Ron Paul supporters, who are awaiting the libertarian congressman to speak, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell made a surprise appearance on stage -- entering to a roaring, standing ovation. Virginia Attorney Generla Ken Cuccinelli spoke here earlier in the day.

"Thank you for what you did for me. Thank you for what you're going to do for conservative candidates all across the United States of America," said McDonnell, who boasted his big win in a state President Obama won in 2008.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 05:15 PM | Email Author | Permalink

CPAC's Friday session has been highlighted so far with speeches by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor and Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. There was even a taped video message from Rush Limbaugh, who received a roaring ovation as he introduced the "Blogger of the Year" -- Ed Morrissey of HotAir.com.

The most lively part of the day so far, though, was an intriguing panel discussion on the struggle between security and freedom. Those involved included former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, libertarian Bob Barr, California Rep. Dan Lungren and Viet Dinh, an assistant attorney general in the previous administration. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft appeared briefly and was promptly heckled by a few for his support for the Patriot Act.

While Bachmann called Republicans the "majority-in-waiting," Chocola -- who's group takes aim at Republicans in primaries, as well as Democrats -- said he hasn't yet seen evidence the party is ready to lead again.

"Can Republicans be trusted with a renewed majority?" asked Chocola, a former Indiana congressman. "I have to admit standing here today, I simply don't know. ... I'm not convinced that they have learned the lessons of the 2006 and 2008 elections."

Chocola noted the national party's backing of Dede Scozzafava in New York's 23rd District, Utah Sen. Bob Bennett, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and now-Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter -- all instead of more conservative candidates.

Chocola's speech put a spotlight on the delicate relationship between conservatives and the Republican Party -- a common thread throughout the three-day conference and the 2010 midterm elections, where contentious GOP primaries have popped up around the country.

Pawlenty took the opportunity to introduce himself to conservatives, as he starts down what will be a long road toward November 2012. His likely opponent, Mitt Romney, spoke yesterday, and offered a defense of George W. Bush and scathing criticism of President Obama. Pawlenty didn't mention Bush, but outlined his record as governor and the conservative principles he'll follow. As The Hotline's Reid Wilson notes, the crowd's ovations for Pawlenty were noticeably more subdued than those given Thursday for Romney and Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio.

Pence, who's spoken at the conference nearly every year since coming to Congress in 2001, defended his party against the attack line levied for the past year by Democrats, who call Republicans the "Party of No." Although the GOP usually combats that offensive with evidence of the ideas it has brought to the table since Obama took office, Pence embraced the label.

"I say 'no' is way underrated in Washington, D.C.," he said. "Sometimes 'no' is just what this town needs to hear. When it comes to more borrowing, the answer is no. When it comes to more spending, the answer is no. When it comes to more bailouts, the answer is no. And when it comes to a government takeover of health care, the answer is no."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training this week, and Republicans considering running for president are warming up to the political season right now at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Appearing at the three day event are Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty -- who are all but certain to run -- as well as Mike Pence, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

This week's conference is just the start. Speaking in less than two months at the Southern
Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans are Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Haley Barbour and Bobby Jindal, along with Gingrich, Pawlenty, Pence and Santorum.

The SRLC is billed as "the most prominent GOP gathering prior to the next national convention," and features a presidential straw poll -- Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist won the Hotline-run poll in 2006, with Romney finishing a surprise second.

CPAC witnessed several interesting moments during the 2008 presidential race. Allen won the annual CPAC straw poll in 2006, edging out John McCain. At the time, Allen appeared well on his way to being the frontrunner for the nomination, but he committed a politically fatal mistake several months later while stumping for his re-election.

In February 2008, Romney announced at CPAC that he was dropping out of the presidential race -- a deflating speech for conservatives.

"I entered this race because I love America," said Romney. "And because I love America, in this time of war, I feel I have to now stand aside, for our party and for our country."

Following Romney's speech, McCain made a plea for conservative support, which he would need heading into a competitive race against Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

"I am acutely aware that I cannot succeed in that endeavor, nor can our party prevail over the challenge we will face from either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama, without the support of dedicated conservatives," McCain said.

Potential candidates are making similar pleas this week.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 09:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

A year ago, in the wake of humbling losses in the presidential and congressional races, leaders of the conservative movement were debating its strategy and even its viability at the ballot box. Still, the feeling among many was that Republicans in Congress had simply ignored their conservative values and were now being punished by voters -- and that patience would be required as voters eventually found their way back.

As the annual Conservative Political Action Conference kicks off today, however, what was just a sense of optimism last year has already amplified into renewed confidence. Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said in an interview with RealClearPolitics that the party is back on track and expects there not only to be a Republican majority in Congress next year, but a conservative majority.

Pence has been a harsh critic of his GOP colleagues -- as well as Democrats -- since coming to Congress in 2001. A former chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, Pence railed against increased government spending under Republican leadership in several CPAC speeches over the last few years, and likened the party to a ship that had not only gone off-course -- but "run aground."

"My speech theme this year is what a difference a year makes," said Pence, who will deliver his annual CPAC speech on Friday. "My goal is going to be to bring to the eight-to-10,000 people there that a year ago I thought we were on the verge of a great American awakening -- but I had no idea."

In November 2008, Barack Obama won states Democrats hadn't even contested in decades, including Pence's home state of Indiana, which had voted Democratic just once since 1940. Now, Democrats across the country are worried for their political health, as analysts believe Republicans will pick up a substantial number of seats in the House and Senate.

Regaining the majority in Congress remains a tall order for the GOP, as Democrats hold an 18-seat edge in the Senate and 77-seat hold on the House. However, polling shows that independent voters, who played a big role in Obama's victory, are trending back toward Republicans, and Democrats in swing districts and states are in trouble.

Continue reading "CPAC Opens With Renewed Confidence" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

For a Democrat running in a Republican-leaning state in 2010, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh was in relatively good shape when he announced his retirement Monday afternoon. He had $13 million in the bank and a substantial lead in both public surveys and polling conducted by his campaign. Yet the second-term senator is stepping away from elected office for the first time in 24 years and becomes the fifth sitting Democratic senator not to run this year.

The news surprised both local and national Democrats, most of who only learned hours before -- some even after -- the news leaked out. He had completed the necessary paperwork to get on the ballot, and had recently polled the race. Still, a White House official with ties to Bayh said he had talked about the possibility of retiring "for years" and believed the decision truly had nothing to do with the increasingly perilous political environment.

Bayh said as much at a news conference Monday afternoon in Indianapolis.

"My decision was not motivated by a political concern," he said. "Even in the current challenging political environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election."

Bayh's retirement instantly puts Indiana on a growing list of pick-up opportunities for the GOP this year. President Obama and Vice President Biden could see their former Senate seats in Illinois and Delaware go red, while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) is one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the country.

North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan is retiring and his seat is considered the GOP's for the taking, while Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln are in bad shape as well. Throw in the longer shot chances of scoring two upsets in the blue state trio of California, Wisconsin, and Washington, and Republicans can now visualize a path - albeit still a very difficult one - to recapturing a 51-49 majority in the upper chamber.

"The Indiana Senate seat is one that we will fight to hold onto," said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (N.J.). "We will have a strong Democratic candidate on the ballot there."

Continue reading "Indiana Makes Senate Winnable For GOP" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Could Washington be any less popular? Not really, according to recent polling. Public approval for Congress and the political parties are at historic lows, while President Obama's approval rating has been in decline for the past nine months.

A New York Times-CBS News survey released last night reported a 15 percent approval rating for Congress. "Most Americans are now dissatisfied or even angry with government - and much of that frustration is directed at Congress," the poll's press release stated. "Levels of distrust and cynicism about government are at or near 15-year highs."

In Gallup's polling, congressional approval is down to 18 percent -- a point reached just twice in the past 36 years. The all-time low, 14 percent, came less than two years ago. The demographics most responsible for the decline in approval have been liberals and Democrats -- the party in control of Washington.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll out this week found 26 percent approving of Congress, which -- other than a mid-2008 dip -- was the lowest it's been since 1994, when Democrats lost the majority.

In the last three Post-ABC surveys in which the question was asked, at least 17 percent of voters have said they don't trust either party to cope with the country's problems over the next few years. Until September, party distrust had only climbed as high as 16 percent once -- in February 1994. And in November 1994, just 37 percent said they were inclined to re-elect their representative to Congress -- 36 percent say the same now.

Further evidence of the distrust in Washington came in a Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday. Just 28 percent said they approve of the way either party in Congress is handling its job, and two-thirds blamed both parties equally for the legislative gridlock in Washington. Meanwhile, 18 percent said they trust the federal government to do what is right at least most of the time, including only 2 percent who trust government "almost all the time."

The Post-ABC poll found the GOP leading the congressional generic ballot vote by 3 points, and Republicans lead the RCP Average by the same margin. With unemployment near 10 percent and support for Congress as low as it is, it's not surprising that Republicans -- the party out of power -- are expected to have a good electoral year.

With more than 30 incumbents in the House not running for re-election and several open Senate seats, the public were already going to see many fresh faces in Washington next year. The level of distrust for government, though, portends even more new members will be heading to the nation's capital in 2011.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

It may be a decidedly anti-Washington year in politics, but Republicans are putting their bets on some D.C. veterans to take back the Senate. The latest example is former Indiana Senator Dan Coats, who served in the House and Senate for 18 years and is now challenging Democrat Evan Bayh.

And Mr. Coats is hardly the only Republican Senate candidate running with experience in Washington, which in another year might be seen as a recruiting coup for the GOP. Others include Congressmen Mark Kirk in Illinois, Mike Castle in Delaware, John Boozman in Arkansas and Roy Blunt in Missouri. Also running are former Congressmen Rob Portman in Ohio, Rob Simmons in Connecticut and Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania.

Polls would seem to suggest the 2010 political landscape won't be a good one for Washington insiders in either party, if that's possible. But Democrats have the most incumbents to defend and the mood facing incumbents hasn't been this bad since 1994, when the GOP stormed back to control Congress. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released yesterday found only 36% of voters say they are likely to vote to re-elect their current representative.

Yet there's plenty of evidence that Republicans also haven't won back the public trust they squandered during the GOP corruption and pork barreling of the last decade. With a 44% favorable rating, the GOP is even less popular than it was in 2006 when Democrats won back both chambers of Congress. All things considered, it's probably a year for new faces or outsiders -- though some Republicans obviously hope it's also a good year for Republicans who were somewhere else or kept low profiles during the Bush years.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 01:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced this morning the 10 candidates who have met enough organizational benchmarks to reach the so-called "Young Guns" status. Benchmarks include fundraising, volunteer recruitment and even a certain number of door knocks.

"After already demonstrating their ability to build competitive, effective, and winning campaigns, these 'Young Guns' are ready to win on Election Day," read the NRCC press release.

Here are the first Young Guns of the 2010 cycle: Steve Chabot (OH-01); Tim Griffin (AR-02); Andy Harris (MD-01); Pat Meehan (PA-07); Steve Pearce (NM-02); Martha Roby (AL-02); Dennis Ross (FL-12); Steve Stivers (OH-15); Vaughn Ward (ID-01); Allen West (FL-22).

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 11:15 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Republicans continue to expand their offensive efforts in House races this year, with the National Republican Congressional Committee announcing this week that 29 candidates moved forward in their campaign organization program.

The move coincides with the Cook Political Report now identifying 50 Democratic seats as competitive. As things stand today with two Democratic vacancies (and one soon to come: Rep. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii will resign his seat to run for governor), Democrats hold a 77-seat lead. Should Democrats keep the three seats, Republicans would need to pick up 40 seats to win back the House.

The death of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) Monday leaves open yet another swing district Democrats will need to defend without an incumbent -- and another bull's-eye for the GOP. But Republicans are also setting their sights on Democrats in their first or second terms who helped the party win back Congress. While Michigan Rep. Vern Ehlers will reportedly become today the 17th Republican to retire, most of those districts are considered safe.

With the new additions, the NRCC now has 63 candidates in its Young Guns program, which was designed to help GOP challengers develop well-organized campaigns to defeat Democratic incumbents. Thirty-three have reached "On The Radar" status -- the first of a three-step process toward becoming a Young Gun -- and 30 are now ranked as a "Contender."

"These candidates are putting the pieces of a winning campaign in place by meeting the rigorous goals laid out by the Young Guns program and aggressively paving their way toward victory on Election Day," said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. "The progress of these candidates is not only a testament to the Young Guns program, it is a sign of the hostile political environment that Democrats have created for themselves."

Among the On the Radar candidates is former congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, who was knocked from Congress in 2006 by Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) and is hoping to win his seat back. Moving up to Contender was another former congressman running for his seat, Tim Walberg of Michigan, as well as Keith Fimian, who is taking on Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) for the second year in a row following Republican congressman Tom Davis's retirement.

As Republicans step up their recruitment and organization processes this year, new polls show evidence of a diminishing 2010 political landscape for Democrats. Gallup reported yesterday that the two parties are now tied in generic ballot testing at 45 percent apiece -- which the polling firm deems a lead among likely voters for Republicans.

"The closeness of the two parties over the past several months on this 'generic ballot' measure is similar to that found in most Gallup readings from 1994 through 2005 (spanning the period when Republicans won control of the U.S. House and subsequently maintained it for more than a decade)," reports Gallup's Lydia Saad.

"Because Republicans are generally more likely than Democrats to turn out to vote, particularly in midterm elections," Saad continued, "a tie between Democrats and Republicans among registered voters probably corresponds to a Republican lead among likely voters."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Rep. Paul Ryan, a sixth term Republican from Wisconsin's 1st District, has become the leading figure in the GOP's argument against the sustainability of President Obama's new budget blueprint.

President Obama praised the recently-turned 40-year-old last week at the House GOP's retreat in Baltimore for bringing forth a solid idea to put the country back on track, and this week -- after the president's budget was introduced -- Ryan has hammered two of the administration's financial experts in hearings on Capitol Hill.

Ryan's biggest complaint about the budget is that it fails to bring the deficit below 3 percent of the GDP, a mark previously cited by OMB Director Peter Orszag as the line of credibility. To get there, the White House has called for a fiscal commission made up of Democrats and Republicans in Congress, as well as administration appointees.

In an interview with RealClearPolitics on Wednesday, Ryan, who is ranking member of the House Budget committee and a senior member on Ways & Means, said he has major concerns about the transparency and fairness of the process.

"We do have legitimate concerns because it's stacked from a partisan basis two-to-one against Republicans," said Ryan. "This is something that's going to be written and introduced after the elections, and then voted on before the next session in a lame duck session of Congress. That doesn't strike me as open government."

Ryan is also unclear why the administration can't get the budget below 3 percent on its own, without help.

"If even Orszag says that it's not a credible budget minus the commission, the deficits are not sustainable using the administration's own methodology," said Ryan. "So we have a budget here that's not credible and not sustainable under the administration's own admission. And that to me is a huge dereliction of duty."

"I'm one guy from Wisconsin with a small staff, and if I can put out a plan that solves our fiscal crisis, surely the head of our government can do the same," he said.

Continue reading "Paul Ryan: 'One Guy From Wisconsin'" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

BALTIMORE, Md. -- President Obama and House Republicans had a rather candid, at times combative, but overall a fascinating and rare public exchange on the successes and failures of the administration's first year in office here today. Republicans came in determined to show that they in fact have been more than the "party of no" that Democrats portray them as, while Obama called on the opposition to tone down what he deemed as hyperbolic attacks.

In the end, what emerged from the session was a clear sense of how Republicans could potentially frame this year's midterm elections. Multiple Congressmen rose to hail the president's promises and intentions but argued that he has been ill-served by an obstinate House Democratic leadership, and specifically Speaker Pelosi.

That point was driven home most effectively, perhaps, by Rep. Pete Roskam (R-Ill.), a former colleague of Obama's in the Illinois state Senate. He said he had enjoyed collaborating on tough issues with Obama in Springfield, but wondered what had changed.

"You've gotten the subtext of House Republicans that sincerely want to come and be a part of this national conversation toward solutions, but they've really been stiff-armed by Speaker Pelosi," Roskam said. "The obstacle is, frankly, the politics within the Democratic caucus."

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the GOP conference chairman, was more blunt, waving a compilation of his party's ideas, and saying to the president that the summary "is backed up by precisely the kind of detailed legislation that Speaker Pelosi and your administration have been busy ignoring for 12 months."

Continue reading "GOP To Obama: Pelosi's The Problem" »

Posted by at 03:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) told reporters today that he expects not another "lofty speech," but a honest dialogue between President Obama and House Republicans that will leave him with a clearer sense of the party's vision.

"There has been a perception greatly propagated by the majority in Congress and many in the administration to suggest that we are the party of no ideas," Pence told reporters this morning ahead of Obama's speech. "We will take this opportunity to respectfully but firmly remind the president of our alternatives. ... [He] won't leave here today without having a much clearer idea that Republicans have had will continue to offer our responsible alternatives to the big government policies of the liberal Congress."

He said Republicans stand ready to work with the Democrats and argued that it is the majority party, not the GOP, who has acted as the party of no. Pence said he may remind the president that the last time he met with the Republican conference was the day before the stimulus vote nearly a year ago. It was in good faith that they invited him to speak with them again today.

"The issue of compromise has to begin with the Democrats and the White House abandoning their practice of reflexively saying no to every Republican proposal, which is in fact the history of the last year in Washington," he said.

Continue reading "Pence: Obama To "Get An Earful" From Republicans" »

Posted by at 10:50 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Indiana Rep. Steve Buyer (R) will reportedly announce today that he not seeking re-election this year. WISH-TV in Indianapolis reports Buyer is retiring because his wife is ill.

Buyer's retirement leaves Republicans with 15 open seats to protect next year. That's a few more than Democrats, however more Dem seats are considered competitive.

Buyer has represented Indiana's 4th District since 1992 and won with at least 60 percent of the vote in each re-election since. John McCain carried the district by 13 points in 2008; four years earlier, George W. Bush won it by 39 points.

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Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 10:40 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence (R) turned down this week a chance to challenge Sen. Evan Bayh (D) in what appears to be a good year for GOP challengers. A poll released Monday even found Pence, the third ranking Republican in the House, leading Bayh, a former two-term governor who's running for his third term in the Senate.

"It was easily the hardest political decision of my career," Pence said this morning on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We ultimately came to the decision -- I'll leave it to people like you whether or not we would've been able to succeed in that race -- but for us in my role as chairman of the House Republican Conference, I just believe that my duty was right where I am right now, working with our team to restore a conservative majority to Capitol Hill."

Bayh's father, Birch Bayh, served three terms in the Senate before being defeated for re-election in 1980. Evan Bayh has won five statewide elections -- secretary of state in 1986, governor in 1988 and 1992, and senator in 1998 and 2004.

Meanwhile, Pence has moved up to the upper ranks of the House Republican Conference and would be giving up a chance to move even higher if he challenged Bayh -- especially if the GOP wins back the House this year, something Republicans believe they can do.

"I really believe that Republicans will retake the majority in 2010," Pence said this morning. "So it was really a choice for me of where could I make the most difference for the things that are most important to me this year, and our family believed that was to stay in the House."
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Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 09:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Here are excerpts from Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's offical Republican response, which he will deliver from the Virginia Capitol following President Obama's State of the Union address. The excerpts were distributed by the governor's office.

JOBS

"Good government policy should spur economic growth, and strengthen the private sector's ability to create new jobs. We must enact policies that promote entrepreneurship and innovation, so America can better compete with the world. What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation, and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class."

Continue reading "Gov. McDonnell's GOP Response Excerpts" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Just out of their annual conference, Senate Republican leaders told reporters they hope to hear several things from President Obama tonight during his first official State of the Union address: that he's putting the health care bill "on the shelf" to focus on jobs, not letting the Bush tax cuts expire this year and clearing up confusion about prosecuting terror suspects.

"What we're hearing is the hope of the American people that tonight the president concentrate on jobs, on debt, on terror," said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the Senate Republican Conference chairman. "And if he stopped right there and focused on that until he got all three on a better track, we believe most Americans would be happy with that."

Asked what grade they would give Obama on his first year in office, all seven senators on stage at the press conference remained quiet and none stepped forward to the microphone. After a few moments of silence, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said, "We're pretty tough graders."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) professed his preference that Obama rethink his plans for Guantanamo, saying it was the best place to hold military commissions and house terrorists.

He also referenced an NPR poll out today that found Republicans leading the generic congressional ballot by 5 points. It's a far cry from Election Day 2008, when Democrats led it by 12 points and increased their majorities in both chambers of Congress.

"People are much more open to voting for Republicans -- and we saw that in New Jersey and Virginia and Massachusetts -- certainly than they were in November 2008," said McConnell.

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Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 04:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

As President Obama prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address tonight, few Democrats expected the first year of his presidency to end with the party in such poor shape politically heading into this year's midterm elections. So before we hear about the overall state of the country, here is a quick rundown on the state of its politics:

• House Democrats hold a 256-178 majority in the House, with one vacant seat (Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., resigned this month), while Senate Democrats hold a 59-41 seat advantage following the Massachusetts special Senate election of Scott Brown (R).

• Nearly 20 percent of Democrat-held congressional districts (49) are listed as competitive races by the Cook Political Report; 5 percent of Republican seats (10) are competitive.

• After losses in New Jersey and Virginia last November, Democrats' advantage in governors' offices is down to 26-24. In the 2010 elections, 11 Democrats are retiring or term-limited, as are 11 Republicans. Of 14 races rated as "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report, 10 are Republican-held seats.

• In 2008, John McCain won 49 congressional districts where a Democrat was elected to the House; one such Democrat, Parker Griffith, recently switched to the Republican Party. Barack Obama won 34 districts that elected a Republican.

• Ten Democrat-held congressional districts are competitive open-seat races, where the incumbent is retiring. Republicans so far have two such seats.

• Seven of Democrats' 18 Senate seats up for re-election this year are considered competitive, according to Cook; four of 18 Republican seats are competitive.

• Democrats are in serious danger of losing both President Obama's and Vice President Biden's former Senate seats. In both cases, the appointed senator is not running for re-election (in Illinois, that's a good thing), and the party failed to recruit its top choice candidates -- Attorneys General Lisa Madigan of Illinois and Beau Biden of Delaware.

• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is in deep electoral trouble, trailing two Republicans who may not even end up on the general election ballot. The GOP is reportedly still seeking a top-flight candidate to take on the vulnerable Reid.

• Arkansas is a microcosm of Democrats' troubles. Its congressional delegation currently stands at five Democrats and one Republican. With Reps. Marion Berry and Vic Snyder retiring and Sen. Blanche Lincoln facing a potential GOP knock-out, Republicans could hold four of the six seats in the 112th Congress.

• Democrats' best news this year has been the retirement of five-term Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, who was likely to lose in November. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal currently holds big leads over his potential GOP opponents.

• Pennsylvania is one of the more awkward situations, as the White House and Democratic leadership promised Sen. Arlen Specter significant support if he switched parties. Now, he's up against Rep. Joe Sestak in a bitter Democratic primary and trailing Republican Pat Toomey in early polls. Plus, he no longer represents the 60th vote.

• Democrats are looking at four GOP-held Senate races in particular as potential pick-up opportunities, all of which the Republican incumbent is retiring: Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire and Ohio.

• The national Democratic House and Senate campaign committees had great fundraising years, outpacing both Republican counterparts. This will certainly help in protecting its many incumbents in GOP-leaning districts, while some Republican challengers may not get significant monetary assistance from the national party.

While the landscape looks rough for Democrats, party leaders say they were not caught by surprise as they were in 1994, when Republicans dominated the midterm elections two years after Bill Clinton won the White House. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, maintains that the party was expecting a tough political environment, as history shows the party that wins the White House often loses congressional seats in the following midterms.

"Even as the president was being sworn in -- and we were all still celebrating the election of President Barack Obama and even bigger majorities in the Congress -- we told our members to prepare for a very challenging cycle," Van Hollen told reporters in December, adding, "This is not going to be 1994 all over again."

Some Republicans, however, think it could be, and put the blame squarely on Democratic congressional leaders who "overreached" on their agenda last year. In a memo last month, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the party expects "to make significant, if not historic, gains" in the House this year.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

At the 2009 Republican National Committee winter meeting, it took six ballots for Michael Steele to be elected chairman. Morton Blackwell, a senior committeeman from Virginia, didn't vote for Steele on any of the ballots, but after a string of successful election wins for Republicans and amid continued criticism of the party chairman, Blackwell is coming to Steele's defense.

"I will make you a prediction -- in future years, people will look back and credit Michael Steele with being one of the most successful national chairmen in history," Blackwell said in an interview with RealClearPolitics. "I have to tell you that I and everybody I know in the Republican Party of Virginia are really delighted at the massive support and assistance that the RNC gave in helping us to win our statewide elections here in Virginia last November."

Republicans swept the elections for Virginia's statewide offices, and also won the governor's race in New Jersey and, improbably, a special Senate election in Massachusetts this week. However, the outspoken Steele continues to be criticized for overexposure, speaking gaffes, fundraising and spending, and a self-promotional book tour.

The Washington Times reported last week that senior RNC members were preparing a motion barring Steele from holding any more book promotion events. The 168-member committee would vote on the motion during next week's winter meeting in Honolulu. Blackwell, who's serving his sixth four-year term, says he was unaware of the motion.

On handling the committee's finances, Steele's been criticized for spending more than the committee is taking in. In a press release today, the RNC announced raising $6.6 million last month, leaving it with $8.4 million in the bank to end the year. However, that's far less than the party had just six months ago, when it ended June with $23.7 million on hand.

There has been tension between Steele and congressional Republicans for months now. Among other issues, House Republican leaders bristled at a recent Steele statement that he didn't think the GOP could win back the House in 2010. Also, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Thursday that he was not in favor of the RNC holding its annual meeting in Hawaii.

"Do I want voters to think that Republicans do nothing but go to beach resorts in January? No," Cantor told reporters.

The meeting is being held at the lavish Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa. Although the RNC pays for its staff to attend, the 168 members are required to pay their own way. Due to the cost, the other two committee members from Virginia are not able to attend, and have charged Blackwell with voting for them next week.

Blackwell, who knows and likes Cantor, defended the decision to go to Hawaii, and said it was nothing new for there to be some tension between the party's separate organizations.

"The case was made that we have never met in Hawaii, at least not in living memory," said Blackwell. "Hawaii has a Republican governor and the Hawaii party very much wanted to host it at least once -- because they've traveled many, many times for the meetings here."
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Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 01:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

If there was any question which political party was the winner and loser in the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC, just take a look at the instant reactions by congressmen and senators. Although the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill was technically bipartisan, many Republicans have been against it from the beginning and were overjoyed following the 5-4 decision that overturned key parts of the bill.

"Freedom won today in the Supreme Court," said House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence, who's considering a run for Senate in Indiana. "In 2003, the Supreme Court unwisely supported the oppressive restrictions on free speech that were part of the 2002 campaign finance law. At the time, I was honored to stand with Senator Mitch McConnell and various state and national organizations in challenging this historic error in court."

McConnell, now the Senate minority leader, was similarly approving of the decision. "For too long, some in this country have been deprived of full participation in the political process," he said. "Our democracy depends upon free speech, not just for some but for all."

The "deprived" McConnell mentioned are corporations, whose limitations on political donations were lifted with this ruling. As Michael Waldman, executive director at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU law school, wrote today in an op-ed in the Washington Post, "An immediate question raised by the...decision is whether this will flood elections with suddenly legal corporate money."

Democrats absolutely think it will -- and don't like it. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said the decision "will allow the money of corporate interests to flood the political process, will undermine free and fair elections and further erode voters' confidence in our system of Democracy." He called it "a major victory for oil companies, banks, health insurance companies and other special interests that already use their power over Washington to drown out the voices of regular Americans."

Some political operatives aren't so sure it's a win-lose situation for the parties just yet. Roy Behr, a Democratic consultant in California, says, "Predicting the long-term impact on a decision like this is a lot like trying to predict the weather six months from now -- the truth is we really don't know." However, Behr said, for candidates with a few deep-pocketed donors, "this could be an incredibly liberating decision."

"There could be hundreds of thousands if not millions in spending that candidates wouldn't have seen before," he said.

In his Daily Beast column and in an e-mail to RCP, Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to John McCain and George W. Bush, notes that big donors from both parties are the real winners -- and there's one main loser.

"It's great for labor. It's great for business. It's lousy for voters," McKinnon told RCP.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:15 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Along with holding a Capitol press conference, House Republican leaders hit the TV rounds yesterday in the wake of the GOP's Senate win in Massachusetts on Tuesday. The win, they said, was evidence that Americans don't want the health care reform currently being negotiated by House and Senate Democrats.

"While it was a lot about health care, it's not just health care. It's all the spending and debt that's being accumulated here. It's their national energy tax. It's their -- bringing the terrorists to America to put him on trial," Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) told Greta Van Sustren on FOX News. "The American people are opposed to all of these policies, and they are saying, stop."

Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) appeared on at least three TV shows on CNBC, FOX News and CNN, while Mike Pence spoke with Dylan Ratigan on MSNBC.

"The American people are tired of the borrowing, the spending, the bailouts, the takeovers that have been accelerated under now Democrat and previously under Republican administrations," said Pence. "They want us to put our fiscal house in order in Washington, D.C., and want us to set aside all these big government schemes and focus on the kind of measures that are going to get this economy moving again."

Meanwhile, Democrats indicated that health care reform was moving forward. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said as much yesterday during her speech to the mayor's conference on the Hill. Majority Whip Jim Clyburn concurred during his appearance alongside Cantor on CNBC.

"I do believe that we will have a health care reform bill, and we will have one that the American people can be proud of," said Clyburn.

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Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 08:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Arizona Rep. John Shadegg (R) is retiring from the House after eight terms. Hailing from the Phoenix suburbs, Shadegg was first elected in the Republican Revolution year of 1994.

Shadegg, who had considered a Senate bid in the past and briefly retired in 2008 before reconsiderng, becomes the 14th Republican to announce his retirement this year -- most are running for higher office. Shadegg joins Henry Brown (SC-2) and George Radanovich (CA-19) as the only three not running for higher office.

At the presidential level, the district has given Republican candidates double-digit wins the past two elections, however Democrats spent a considerable sum to defeat Shadegg in 2008. He prevailed with a 12-point victory.

Here is how the national party campaign committees are reacting to the news (at least publicly)...

DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer:

"For all of the Republican spin, the numbers don't lie: There are 14 Republican retirements versus 11 for Democrats. So instead of drinking Eric Cantor and the NRCC's Kool-Aid, House Republicans continue to show a lack of confidence in their ability to take back the House as Republican retirements are mounting and their own members refuse to invest in the NRCC."

NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions:

"John Shadegg has been a strong conservative voice and a dedicated leader for our Republican Conference and the people of Arizona since he was first elected in 1994. Congressman Shadegg is a close personal friend who has worked tirelessly to promote important Republican principles and his efforts will certainly be missed. Third District voters have consistently supported Republican values and we are confident that this seat will continue to be represented by a Republican who shares Congressman Shadegg's beliefs in fiscal responsibility and limited government."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 04:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The calls for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to step down from his leadership post likely will not end with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele's comments Sunday on "Meet the Press."

"Whether he steps down today, or I retire him in November, either way he will not be the majority leader in 2011," said Steele.

Although the RNC chairman is facing grumblings within the GOP about his own leadership position because of some of the things he's said -- as well as his new book and the committee's fundraising numbers -- his sentiments yesterday will likely be echoed by other Republican leaders as Congress swings back into action this week (in the House) and next (in the Senate).

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) criticized Reid on TV this morning, and his committee pushed the argument in press releases throughout Monday morning -- including digging up Reid's reaction in 2002 to then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's infamous comments.

"This is a double standard from Senator Reid, and there's no doubt that voters in Nevada will see through his hypocrisy as he refuses to step down as Majority Leader," said NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh. "Fortunately, Nevadans will finally have an opportunity to retire Harry Reid and his controversial rhetoric for good in November."

Reid's re-election prospects took another hit this weekend as a Mason-Dixon poll revealed he trailed by as much as 10 points to two relatively unknown Republican challengers.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 12:50 PM | Email Author | Permalink

A plurality of Democratic operatives say Mitt Romney would be the GOP's strongest nominee in the 2012 presidential contest, while Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee, barely makes the top 10.

In National Journal's first polling of GOP insiders on the 2012 race, 29 percent say Romney is the strongest candidate. He's followed by South Dakota Sen. John Thune (15%), Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (13%), Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (11%), Newt Gingrich (6%), Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (5%), Jeb Bush (5%).

Mike Huckabee, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Palin round out the top 10 with 3 percent each. Also receiving votes were Dick Cheney, Michael Bloomberg, Eric Cantor, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Colin Powell, Marco Rubio and Rick Santorum.

Romney also holds a wide lead when GOP operatives were asked who they think will win the nomination. Pawlenty finished a distant second, followed by Thune, Barbour, Daniels and Palin.

NJ's Jim Barnes, who runs the poll, notes that "although the Insiders Poll doesn't have a terrific record of quickly sorting out who will actually win a nomination, it helps stake out the playing field -- and identify the serious players."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:45 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer announced today he is stepping down from his post amid complaints about his service -- including the misappropriation of money -- though he maintained he was not asked to resign by the governor or any other GOP leader. Greer admitted the party's internal battle between the conservative and moderate wings weighed on him, and he finally decided over the last couple days he could no longer effectively lead.

"It was obvious to me that some of these people were not going to stop" their attacks on him, Greer said, without ever mentioning the names of those "who have expressed concerns" with his chairmanship. Greer's comments came during a conference call with reporters.

Greer's resignation comes days before the party's annual meeting, when he said plans were in place to "embarrass" him.

"Over last six months there have been a very vocal group in our party that has been very active in seeking to oust me as chairman," he said. "They have distorted facts -- the misspending of money -- and talked about my support of Governor Crist for the U.S. Senate race. ... These distractions and attacks within the party is not what we should be doing."

The conservative-moderate battle is highlighted in the Senate primary, between the more moderate Gov. Charlie Crist and conservative Marco Rubio. Conservatives, unhappy with Crist's moderate stances and support for legislation like the economic stimulus package, have jumped behind Rubio's candidacy and sparked a divide that has proved to exist in other states as well.

Greer said "some forgot that our number one focus and objective is to win elections," highlighting his support for a 'big tent' party rather than holding a conservative purity test for candidates. He also stated his pride in opening up the party to minorities and all candidates on the political spectrum.

"I am not a purist," he said. "I leave here as chairman very proud."

Following Greer's announcement, Crist announced his support for a successor -- State Sen. John Thrasher.

"Sen. Thrasher is a dedicated public servant, and I look forward to working with him to ensure Republican victories this election cycle," Crist said in a statement released by his campaign. "He will do a great job, and I have tremendous respect for him."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 01:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

With Democrats in the House and Senate reportedly opting for the ping-pong method of combining bills rather than the more formalized conference process, Republicans are left with few if any opportunities to halt progress on or even kill comprehensive health care reform. GOP hopes of stopping it now mostly rest on Democrats' intraparty differences, however party leadership is adamant that Republicans are not giving up and that Democrats' day of reckoning will come soon.

"There is much not to like here. I haven't given up on stopping it," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Monday on Dennis Miller's radio show. "I think we've got another month or so to fight this out and we're going to fight it 'til the bitter end."

McConnell and other Republicans argue that despite the potential for no conference, Democrats in the two chambers remain far apart on a number of issues, such as the inclusion of the public option, stricter abortion language and how to pay for it. The GOP will also begin attacking the process, as the lack of a conference removes Republicans from the negotiating table and allows the bill to move forward faster.

The backroom negotiations are a sticking point with the GOP, which last year routinely complained about being left out of the legislative process, despite promises from President Obama that he was open to their ideas.

Despite media reports, House Democratic leaders have yet to confirm that no formal conference committee will be held. One House leadership aide maintains that whatever form the negotiations take, it will not simply be the House considering the Senate bill -- the less progressive of the two and which barely passed last month on a party-line vote.

Discussions among Democratic leaders and committee chairmen on the House side are set to begin today, as well as a full caucus meeting Thursday, as they set their priorities for the negotiations. The Senate won't return for another two weeks.

Republicans, though, are still calling for the health care negotiations to be televised on C-SPAN, as Obama promised during his campaign. The president has instead left negotiations for the most part in the hands of party leaders in Congress, who appear more eager to pass a bill than allow further bipartisan discussions that could continue to slow the process.

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) offered a resolution that would require the health care reform conference to be televised, though action on that bill was blocked by Democrats.

"Something as critical as the Democrats' health care bill, with its Medicare cuts and tax hikes, shouldn't be slapped together in a shady backroom deal," Michael Steel, spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), told RealClearPolitics. "Skipping a real, open conference shuts out the American people and breaks one of President Obama's signature campaign promises. It would be a disgrace -- to the Democratic leaders if they do it, and to every Democratic Member who lets them."

Should the compromised bill pass both chambers, Republicans are expected to attempt to repeal it. However, with Obama in the White House and strong Democratic majorities in Congress, the tact will likely make more waves on the midterm election campaign trails than have any real chance of working.

As for the political ramifications of passing health care, GOP critics point to Nebraska as an example of the dangers to Democrats' electoral health -- a state whose Democratic senator's re-election prospects already look perilous because of his support for the bill, three years before he must face voters.

A poll last week found Sen. Ben Nelson trailing Republican Gov. Dave Heineman by 31 points, with 55 percent holding an unfavorable opinion of him. A day after the poll's release, Nelson aired a TV ad during the Nebraska-Arizona college football bowl game to defend his health care vote.

"This will be one of several, if not the biggest issue in the fall election and you've seen what it's already done to the credibility and career of one senator from Nebraska, and I think there will be others," McConnell said on "The Dennis Miller Show." "He's not up in '10, but this is one of those votes that's going to be remembered for a long time."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.) announced today he will not seek re-election in 2010, citing the health of his wife.

"As many already know, Ethie has been valiantly fighting ovarian cancer for nearly three years. My family needs me, and I intend to be by their side to win this battle," Radanovich said in a statement.

Following a string of retirements by Democrats in swing districts, most had been watching for more on that side of the aisle to step down with a difficult political landsape next year. Although more Republicans in the House have announced their retirements than Democrats, Radanovich becomes the first to do so without seeking higher office -- most of the other 12 are running for governor or Senate.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions remains confident the seat will stay in GOP hands. John McCain won California's 19th District with just 52 percent, down significantly from George W. Bush's 61 percent take in 2004. However, 2008 was a strong year for Democrats with Barack Obama at the top of the ticket, and 2010 looks far more perilous for Dems in GOP-leaning districts.

"I am confident that the Republican nominee will emerge victorious from this race and will follow in Congressman Radanovich's legacy of fiscal responsibility and limited government," Sessions said in a released statement. "As George did for so long, the Republican in this race will also fight for the Central Valley's agricultural and water supply interests."

Radanovich endorsed State Sen. Jeff Denham in his retirement statement this afternoon. The 8-term congressman ran unopposed in 2008 and never won re-election with less than 60 percent of the vote.

The retirement of Radanovich, first elected to Congress in 1994 when the GOP took back Congress, means no more than 14 Republicans from that class will remain in the House in 2011.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

After setbacks this fall, some Democratic strategists argued that the political environment is not anti-Democratic, but anti-incumbent. And for much of the year, Republicans' poll numbers have been worse than that of Democrats. But that appears to be changing.

** In a CNN poll, 40 percent say the country would be better off with Democrats in charge of Congress, while 39 percent say Republicans. In a previous survey conducted mid-summer, Democrats had a 10-point advantage on that question. At the start of the year, the margin was 56-31 in favor of the Democrats.

** In a Quinnipiac survey, voters now give similar grades to Republicans and Democrats in Congress: 30 percent approve of the GOP, while 33 percent approve of Democrats. That is down from a high of 45 percent for Democrats in March, while the GOP number has largely held steady, if not ticked slightly upward.

** In a new McClatchy/Ipsos poll, 51 percent view the Democratic Party favorably, while 46 view it unfavorably. That's down from a 61/34 split in November 2008. The GOP still has a negative net-approval, with a 44/54 split, but that's improved from 36/58 in last November. And in a series of questions on specific issues, Republican numbers are up while Democrats' are down, in some cases rather significantly.

** A new Bloomberg poll shows the GOP's net favorable rating is now -5, while the Democratic party's rating is +3. In a generic ballot test, the GOP leads 42-38.

That's quite a bit of data confirming that Republicans, after hitting bottom, are on the rebound, while Democrats are feeling the heat as the party in power.

Posted by at 03:05 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Republicans are taking every chance they get to paint Democrats' proposed policies -- any of them, but especially health care -- as job-killing measures. And recent polling shows the tactic could be paying off.

With 10 percent unemployment in the country, even President Obama's meeting with a bipartisan, bicameral group of congressional leaders Wednesday at the White House did little to bridge the divide among the parties on how best to create jobs. While the purpose of the meeting was job creation, Republican leadership from both chambers left arguing that passing health care or climate change legislation -- as Democrats are trying to do -- will actually lead to fewer jobs.

"At the same time we're having a jobs summit -- talking about creating jobs -- you're trying to pass a job-killing health care bill, a job-killing cap-and-trade bill, a runaway EPA administrator imposing heavy costs on the economy," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who attended the White House meeting, said at an afternoon press conference at the Capitol. "Health care, cap and trade, all of that imposes heavy cost on job creation."

"You see one job-killing idea after another coming out of the administration and Washington," added John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

At the meeting, House Republican leaders John Boehner (Ohio), Eric Cantor (Va.), Mike Pence (Ind.) and Dave Camp (Mich.) handed Obama a letter of criticisms for his job-creating plans, as well as a list of their own proposals they say will create more jobs. The leaders later vocalized their criticisms of the administration and Democrats in Congress during a post-meeting press conference.

"Look at the national energy tax. You look at their health care proposal. It's going to raise the cost of employment and make it more difficult for employers to bring people back to work," said Boehner.

In emphasizing this point -- tying nearly every major policy initiative of the Democrats to a negative effect on the economy -- the GOP has raised its standing on handling the economy in the voters' eyes. A new survey out Wednesday by Ipsos-McClatchy found that congressional Democrats' 21-point lead over Republicans in November 2008 in the handling of economic issues has now dwindled to a statistical tie.

At the White House meeting, Republicans did say they were open to new legislation that could help create jobs. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Boehner indicated he would like to support a bipartisan job-stimulating bill, and McConnell told reporters that he would like to as well.

However, don't expect GOP attacks on other Democratic policies to let up in the near future.

"We're willing to talk about some kind of job-creating measure," said McConnell, "But the best thing we could do to get the economy rolling again would be to stop these [health care and cap-and-trade] measures from becoming law."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 07:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

CEDAR CREEK, Texas -- When the Republican Governors Association kicked off efforts to take back a majority of governorships in the 2009-10 cycle, it was South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) leading its efforts. When we interviewed him in February, he also was leading Republican opposition to the proposed stimulus package and the subject of 2012 speculation.

As the organization meets here this week, however, Sanford has kept a decidedly low profile, avoiding most of the open press sessions like this morning's health care press conference. The photo below was a rare glimpse by myself and several other reporters as we shuttled between events.

Back home in the Palmetto State, meanwhile, Sanford's woes continue. Today the speaker of the State House "has called on Gov. Mark Sanford to release a disputed investigative report into the governor's possible ethical or criminal violations stemming from his travel and use of campaign funds," The State reports. Yesterday, the state ethics panel ruled that the governor "will face an ethics panel next year to answer charges that he may have violated state law," per AP.

Posted by at 04:37 PM | Email Author | Permalink

CEDAR CREEK, Texas -- Republican governors expressed strong opposition to versions of health care legislation being considered in the House and Senate, saying both would impose heavy burdens on state governments that are already struggling to balance their books.

In making a joint statement at a press conference here today, the 17 Republican governors on stage said that they spoke as well for many of their Democratic colleagues.

"We've not typically intervened on subjects like this, but we didn't know who else would do it," Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said. The non-partisan Nationals Governors Association, he added, "has been paralyzed by partisan reluctance to say what many Democratic governors have said to us privately and a few have said publicly."

Daniels also said many representatives of the business community on hand for this conference have told them that they're make their concerns public as well, for fear that their "business interests would be threatened."

"We just hope that in some way we can contribute to the national dialogue this morning," he said. "There's a far better way forward. Before it's too late let's find it."

Twenty-two of the members of the Democratic Governors Association did release a letter earlier this year in support of the federal policy. The White House has also highlighted the support of former Republican officials.

The major concern that governors outlined was changes to Medicaid that would result in what Gov. Haley Barbour called a $25 billion tax on the states.

"We're concerned about the federal government overreaching and trampling the prerogative of states across this great country," Gov. Tim Pawlenty said. "At a time when state budgets that are tighter than ever, that's not only going to be burdensome. But also from a policy direction, it heads our country in the wrong direction."

Continue reading "GOP Govs Blast Health Care Bills, Claim Dems Also Wary" »

Posted by at 03:01 PM | Email Author | Permalink

AUSTIN, Texas -- As noted yesterday, the RGA kicked off here Wednesday in the shadow of a blockbuster media tour by one of its former members -- former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. As she promotes her own tome and potentially sets up her future political move, the question was posed to victorious candidates in New Jersey and Virginia why the former vice presidential nominee was not on their list of surrogates this fall.

New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie first answered by saying he intentionally avoided bringing any national party leaders into the state in an effort to keep the focus on his own solutions specific to the state. But after it was pointed out that figures like Jeb Bush, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney made stops in the Garden State, Christie offered a new explanation.

"The people I asked to come into campaign for me were either someone like Mayor Giuliani, who I have known for the better part of a decade, or two governors who had faced the same kind of things and could talk about those issues in an intelligent way to show how Republican ideas had fixed those fiscal problems in those states," he said.

Virginia's Bob McDonnell said that he had initially reached out to Palin at an early stage in his run for governor seeking her involvement. But she "was in such incredible demand" and busy with work in Alaska that an early visit was not possible. By the time she resigned her post, McDonnell then claimed, "we had pretty much already arranged all of the folks that we had for the home stretch for fundraisers, including several current and former governors."

Continue reading "RGA Notebook: The Palin Chronicles" »

Posted by at 09:01 AM | Email Author | Permalink

CEDAR CREEK, Texas -- Hosting more than 20 of his colleagues outside the state capital tonight, Gov. Rick Perry said that Republican governors are the ones carrying the torch for the GOP in opposing an overreaching Democratic administration in Washington, as the RGA made a strong case for the philosophical leadership of the party.

Just as Senate Democrats were unveiling legislation to reform the nation's health care system, Texas' governor called for a simpler approach to governance that emphasized tax cuts, lower spending and less obtrusive regulation.

"By and large, it's been those Republican governors who have had the courage and the will and the discipline to push those types of changes through," Perry said at the opening public session of the Republican Governors Association Conference here tonight. "We have a federal government today that is wanting to ... create one-sized fits all policy for all of the states. I happen to think it's time for a substantial number of governors to have the courage to stand up and push back on Washington, DC."

It was the strongest message of the featured speakers tonight, but one that could define the gathering as Republican state leaders celebrate double wins in New Jersey and Virginia. Perry, as well as Govs. Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindal and Mitch Daniels, emphasized the idea of states driving policy and competing with one another, rather than the federal government implementing one universal policy on all 50.

"I get pretty passionate about the Tenth Amendment," Perry told his fellow governors and hundreds of other attendees at a resort outside Austin. "We don't need to back away from in the least bit."

Continue reading "Perry: Time For Governors To Push Back" »

Posted by at 02:08 AM | Email Author | Permalink

I'll be here in Austin covering the RGA Annual Conference, previewed here this morning.

Keep checking back for updates on what the Republican Governors are saying about their 2009 victories and 2010 prospects. You can also get instant updates on what's going on at some of the sessions by following me on Twitter.

Posted by at 05:15 PM | Email Author | Permalink

As Republican governors gather outside Austin today for their annual conference, the atmosphere will be a far cry from their gathering a year ago. Then, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin stole the spotlight in what was her first major public appearance since the GOP ticket lost the presidential election. This year, Palin again is center of attention as she kicks off a book tour in Michigan. While 300 media credentials were issued last year, the RGA expects only a few dozen reporters this year.

But the mood is different for another, more important reason for the Republican leaders gathering here -- they're celebrating big wins in New Jersey and Virginia weeks ago, and expecting that momentum will continue in 2010 when the battlefield grows considerably larger.

"This year there's a lot more smiles," RGA spokesman Mike Schrimpf said. "The focus among the governors last year was how are we going to win back a majority of governorships. This year, that remains the focus. But it's always a lot more joyful when you're actually gaining members this year."

Twenty of 24 Republican governors are attending, in addition to Governors-elect Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell, and several candidates seeking office in 2010. The RGA plans to contrast what's going on in these Republican-lead states with the goings on in Washington, DC, Texas Gov. Rick Perry told reporters Tuesday evening.

"Unlike our Republican friends in DC, governors are able to implement effective, conservative policies that are gonna regain the trust in our party's ability to govern," he said. "We knew that there are Republicans that are concerned all across the country. What they're seeing out of the governors, and particularly what they're seeing out of RGA, is an organization that is being very effective and very efficient with their dollars."

Gov. Haley Barbour, the RGA chairman, said the organization expects to be able to do more to help its incumbents and challengers next year than in any previous cycle. The organization spent $13 million in New Jersey and Virginia, and has $25 million on hand as the next cycle begins, which he credited to an aggressive small donor effort that has allowed the group to be "less reliant on corporate money."

In that vein, Palin is still very much a part of the the RGA's 2010 plans. The group purchased a large supply of "Going Rogue" at a considerable discount, and will reward new donors with a copy signed by Palin herself.

"I suspect we're going to raise a whole lot of money with this," Barbour said. "She's mighty good to do this -- she was a great colleague."

The event is a showcase for all the governors, but particularly those who are building national profiles with an eye toward 2012. In addition to Barbour and Perry, Govs. Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindal and Mitch Daniels will be featured as the group plans to discuss specifically the views of RGA members on the latest developments in Washington.

Posted by at 06:01 AM | Email Author | Permalink

So much for pushing moderateness in this Northeastern swing district.

"Vote conservative," says the announcer in a new 60-second, RNC-sponsored radio ad in New York's 23rd District. Now that GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava has left the race, the national Republican campaign committees are pushing Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman.

Scozzafava was lambasted by the GOP's conservative base for her relatively liberal positions on such issues as abortion, taxes and spending. The new RNC ad mentions the word "conservative" five times in the ad, which is airing today and tomorrow in New York's North Country media markets.

"Let's tell the liberals, enough is enough," the announcer continues. "No more bailouts, taxes and budget busting spending. It's time to create jobs, with proven conservative ideas like lower taxes. Let your voice be heard, join the movement to bring real conservative change."

You can hear the ad here.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 11:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Republican House leaders John Boehner (Ohio) and Eric Cantor (Va.), and NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas), released a statement earlier today reacting to the news that Dede Scozzafava had suspended her campaign in New York's 23rd District special election three days before the election:

"As the House stands on the cusp of the forthcoming vote on a trillion-dollar healthcare reform measure, it is vital that we unify behind a candidate that will support reining in massive government spending and work with Republicans in Congress to restore fiscal sanity and propose thoughtful measures to get our nation's economy on the right track. "With Assemblywoman Scozzafava suspending her campaign, we urge voters to support Doug Hoffman's candidacy in New York's 23rd Congressional District. "He is the only active candidate in the race who supports lower taxes, fiscal responsibility and opposes Nancy Pelosi's agenda of government-run healthcare, more government and less jobs. "We look forward to welcoming Doug Hoffman into the House Republican Conference as we work together for the good of our nation."

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele released a statement as well reinforcing the RNC's support of Hoffman:

Continue reading "National GOP Reacts To Scozzafava Decision" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 12:58 PM | Email Author | Permalink

When it comes to health care reform, Republicans in Congress are trusted less than their colleagues across the aisle and President Obama, according to a new Gallup survey (Oct. 16-19, 1521 A).

Just more than one-third (37%) of American adults have a great deal or fair amount of trust in congressional Republicans on reforming the nation's health care system, while nearly half (48%) trust congressional Dems and more than half (55%) trust the president.

Only counting those who said they have a "great deal of trust," 4% said Republicans, 10% said Democrats and 23% said Obama.

Republicans not only lag in trustworthiness among the nation as a whole, but also among members of their own party. Just 61% of Republicans nationwide trust the Republicans in Congress on health care, while 81% of Democrats trust congressional Dems and 86% of Democrats trust Obama.

As for independents, 36% trust Republicans in Congress, 39% trust Democrats and 51% trust Obama.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced today that 41 candidates currently in its Young Guns recruitment program have reached the level of "Contender" or "On the Radar." The program sets certain benchmarks for Republican challengers in open and Democrat-held districts to reach -- including volunteer recruitment, fundraising, and a set number of door knocks -- which the NRCC believes will help the candidate have success.

"These candidates have become formidable contenders by meeting the rigorous goals laid out by the Young Guns program and putting in place the pieces for a winning campaign," said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas). "The early progress of these candidates is not only a testament to the Young Guns program, it is a sign of the changing political environment that Democrats will have to face next year."

There are 32 candidates currently at the On the Radar level, the first of the three-step Young Guns program. Nine are currently identified as a "Contender." Click through to see the full list.

Continue reading "NRCC Identifies Its Most Potent Recruits" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:35 PM | Email Author | Permalink

RCP got its hands on an invitation to a Republican National Committee fundraiser scheduled for next week in Las Vegas, with embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) listed as one of the "special guests."

The "Sun & Fun In The Desert" event was scheduled for October 16-18 at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino. Also listed as special guests were RNC co-chairman Jan Larimer, and Rep. Dean Heller (R). The invitation, which was received just last week, sought contributions from PACs of $5,000 to $15,000.

When asked about the event, a spokesperson for the RNC first said that Larimer may not attend, then later said the event itself may have been canceled. Sure enough, a Palazzo employee said the event was taken off their schedule just today. An Ensign spokesperson referred calls to the RNC. Further requests for comment from the RNC, as well as requests to the Nevada GOP and Heller's office have not been returned.

The cancellation of this event comes as leading Republicans have sought to distance themselves from Ensign, once rumored as a potential White House candidate but now facing calls to resign over alleged impropriety stemming from an affair with a former staffer.

Posted by at 04:55 PM | Email Author | Permalink

RNC chair Michael Steele's statement on President Obama's Nobel win reflects the sense even among supporters of this White House that this was quite surprise.

"The real question Americans are asking is, 'What has President Obama actually accomplished?' It is unfortunate that the president's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. One thing is certain - President Obama won't be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action."

Posted by at 10:02 AM | Email Author | Permalink

The National Republican Congressional Committee is pushing supporters to sign a petition to "Fire Nancy Pelosi." A petition, of course, cannot actually remove the Speaker of the House from her position, but the NRCC hopes the accompanying request for campaign donations may help the GOP win back control of the House.

"As one of the most polarizing figures in American politics, Pelosi is once again putting party politics ahead of our national security," the e-mail states. "Her actions as Speaker of the House are putting our country's security on the line and it's up to us to stand up in opposition to her disastrous far-left agenda."

The e-mail, distributed today, refers to the Speaker as "General Pelosi," which is what the NRCC called her earlier this week when it stated that General McChrystal should "put her in her place."

Pelosi responded to that remark today, calling it "inappropriate" and language she hadn't heard "in decades."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:50 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The decision facing President Obama will test his leadership as the nation's commander in chief, Sen. John McCain said today after a White House meeting on Afghanistan.

"Of course it is," he told reporters after the meeting. "I'm sure the president is very aware of that, and that's why he's going through the process that he's going through."

The former Republican presidential nominee urged his former rival to act "with deliberate haste" in making a determination on Afghanistan, saying that time "is not on our side." He said that while a number of options should be considered, the White House should give special weight to the recommendations coming from commanders in the field.

"They were correct in employing the strategy that succeeded in Iraq. That strategy, adjusted to the different conditions in Afghanistan, can work in Afghanistan as well," he said.

He also took issue with the notion believed to be coming from the White House that the Taliban should be targeted differently than al Qaida.

"We all know that if the Taliban come back, al Qaida will come back," he said. "I don't think it's a proper reading of both history and the situation to somehow think that al Qaida will not quickly emerge in Afghanistan if it falls to the Taliban."

Continue reading "McCain: Afghanistan Tests Obama As Commander In Chief" »

Posted by at 05:15 PM | Email Author | Permalink

In what has become a monthly routine, Republicans took the opportunity once again to cite new unemployment numbers in criticizing Democrats for the economic stimulus package passed earlier this year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this morning that unemployment had risen a tenth of a point to 9.8 percent, the highest since June 1983.

"Today's troubling report underscores the need for Democrats in Washington to scrap their job-killing agenda and act in a bipartisan way to put Americans back to work," said House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).

The stimulus bill was signed into law by President Obama February 17. Since then Democrats have continued to tout the progress the economy has made since the beginning of the year, and Obama has maintained that things would be even worse had there been no stimulus. The president's Council of Economic Advisers reports that the package has created or retained 1 million jobs.

Just yesterday, Vice President Biden announced new targets for the stimulus package and touted "great progress in the first seven months" of its implementation in 2009.

Republicans, however, disagree and have utilized fresh unemployment data from the BLS to help prove their point.

"Continued job loss does not equal success despite claims to the contrary, and the American people deserve stronger economic leadership," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

Democrats, meanwhile, continue to push ownership of the recession on President Bush in an attempt to deflect the brunt of criticism off Obama. In a briefing with reporters in mid-September, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) noted that 650,000 jobs were lost on average in the last three months of Bush's term -- far less than 263,000 lost in September and 227,000 in August.

Hoyer also conceded that whether the GDP rises or not, "the American public is focused on jobs," which are a "lagging indicator."

"While the recession may be over, it is clear that we have not started to gain back jobs, which is absolutely essential," he said.

Obama and many Democrats in the House and Senate can most likely thank much of their electoral success on a down economy in 2008. Republicans hope to capitalize on it as well in 2010 by pronouncing a government-funded economic stimulus package a waste of taxpayers' money.

"As unemployment continues to climb, we are reminded again that wasteful government spending is not the solution to what ails this economy," said House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.). "The American people know that true economic recovery starts with fiscal discipline in Washington, D.C., and tax relief for working families, small businesses and family farms."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 10:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Democratic party identification is at its lowest mark since the second quarter of 2005, while GOP ID is at its highest point since the first quarter of 2006, according to Gallup's quarterly party identification report.

At 48% Democrat or lean-Democrat and 42% Republican or lean-Republican, the six-point gap is the smallest since 2005. Although the number of people identifying themselves as Republican has remained stable, more independents now lean Republican (15%) than Democrat (13%) for the first time in at least four years.

The report is based on five polls conducted of 5,090 adults between July 1 and Sept. 30.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 04:20 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Citing President Obama's trip to Copenhagen Thursday to sell Chicago's Olympic bid, RNC chairman Michael Steele accused the White House and Democrats in general of losing focus.

"Is the focus health care? Is the focus cap and trade? Is the focus energy? Is the focus job creation?" Steele asked. "I think the president needs to, along with the members in Congress ... tell the American people what their focus is going to be in the fall and into next year. Because I don't see tell-tale signs of economic strength but rather continued weakness in the job market; continued weakness in the Wall Streets and Main Streets of America that create the wealth we need to stimulate the economy."

Steele, speaking on a conference call with reporters this afternoon, said it was "noble" of President Obama to want to help his home town's bid, sending the first lady would have been enough in his eyes.

"I think that at a time of war, I think in a time of recession, at a time where American are expressing rather significantly their concerns and frustrations ... about health care, about the economy, about a host of domestic issues, and even international issues -- while nice, it is not necessary for the president," he said. "This administration has been pushing like hound dogs on getting a health care bill pronto. If it's that important to the president, then stay home and get it done."

Asked about Steele's criticism, White House press secretary Robert Gates jokingly asked who he was rooting for to host the 2016 games. "Is he hoping to hop a plane to Brazil and catch the Olympics in Rio?"

He also noted that Obama wouldn't be staying in Denmark long enough even to find out who the winning city would be so that he could keep working on health care and Afghanistan.

Who's he rooting for?

(LAUGHTER)

Is he hoping to hop a plane to Brazil and catch the Olympics in Rio?

(LAUGHTER)

I don't know. Maybe it's Madrid.

Posted by at 02:28 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The Republican National Committee outraised its Democratic counterpart by $1 million in the month of August, according to reports filed last week with the Federal Election Commission. The RNC pulled in $7.87 million last month, compared with the Demoratic National Committee's $6.89 million.

"The RNC had another very strong fundraising month in August," said RNC Chairman Michael Steele. "We remain committed to broadening the appeal of our party by taking a strong principled message on health care directly to the people."

The RNC has close to $21 million cash on hand, while the DNC ended the month with a little more than $15 million. In July, the DNC far outraised its GOP counterpart, taking in $9.28 million to the RNC's $6.26 million.

In August, the Democrats' House campaign arm outraised the GOP's, while the National Republican Senatorial Committee outraised the Dems for the second month in a row.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 01:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) has swiftly apologized for shouting out during President Obama's speech to Congress tonight (RCP Video has the clip).

"This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President's remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility."

Reaction to the moment came quickly -- John McCain called on him to immediately apologize during an interview on CNN. South Carolina Democrats issued the following statement:

"Once again a South Carolina Republican has embarrassed our state. Never has any member of Congress shown such disrespect for the president during a speech.  One would think that as a member of the military, Joe Wilson would have more respect and patriotism than he displayed tonight. When Congressman Wilson insulted President Obama, he also insulted the American public. Joe Wilson is a poor example of a statesman and an American. He owes an apology to the president and the American people."

Wilson's so-called heckle was noted on many of the network telecasts, and is dominating conversation online. It's interesting to note that the last comment on Wilson's Twitter page reads: "Happy Labor Day! Wonderful parade at Chapin, many people called out to oppose Obamacare which I assured them would be relayed tomorrow to DC."

The question going forward is how much the moment will be seized on by Democrats in branding Republicans as obstructionist. Obama himself had criticized the "partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have towards their own government."

Posted by at 10:35 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Republicans are choosing a rather low-profile member of Congress to deliver the party's response to President Obama's high-profile speech to lawmakers Wednesday night. Rep. Charles Boustany (R), a doctor who is serving his third term in the House, will be the second straight Louisianan to deliver a presidential response speech, following Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.).

"Dr. Boustany has been a tireless advocate for reform that lowers health care costs and expands access for the American people at a price our nation can afford," House Minority Leader John Boehner said in a statement announcing the choice.  "He understands why a Washington bureaucrat - as Democrats have proposed - should never get between a doctor and his patient."

"As a doctor, I know we must lower costs and improve care, which we can accomplish by focusing on strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and working in a bipartisan way," Boustany says in the same statement.

Posted by at 11:54 AM | Email Author | Permalink

After the White House released President Obama's planned remarks to students tomorrow, some conservatives are signaling support for his message.

"Just read President Obamas speech to students. ... It is a good speech and will be good for students to hear," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote on Twitter. "Remember that Presidents Reagan and Bush also talked to students nationwide. As long as it is non political and pro education it is good."

The National Review's Jim Geraghty called the speech, as prepared for delivery, "not only uncontroversial," but "the finest of his presidency so far. Kids need to hear there's no easy route to success."

During his AFL-CIO speech, the president himself drew some knowing laughter as he alluded to the speech he'd be giving tomorrow. Speaking on Air Force One, press secretary Robert Gibbs gave an unprompted assessment of some of the controversy leading up to the remarks, saying: "I think it's a sad, sad day that the political back and forth has intruded on anyone speaking to schoolchildren."

"If one kid in one school hears one message and goes from being a D student to a C student, then the speech is worth it," he said. "If one kid decides not to drop out of school, then the speech is worth it. ...
It's a sad state of affairs that many in this country politically would rather start an 'Animal House' food fight rather than inspire kids to stay in school, to work hard, to engage parents to stay involved, and to ensure that the millions of teachers that are making great sacrifices continue to be the best in the world."

Posted by at 02:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

You knew this was coming. Republican leaders are piling on the increased unemployment numbers released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which announced the rate jumped three-tenths of a point to 9.7 percent.

Yesterday the vice president touted the success of the stimulus, which provided fodder for Republicans today. The White House just announced that Biden will address the latest job numbers at a previously scheduled event on the Recovery Act at noon.

Here is a sampling of the press releases in our inbox:

RNC Chairman Michael Steele: "Yesterday Vice President Biden gave yet another speech to try to convince the American people that President Obama's stimulus bill is creating the jobs he promised ... Today's unemployment report proves that this Administration is ignoring reality ... The president's economic experiment simply isn't working, and Americans shouldn't expect his government-run health care experiment to work, either."

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor: "Since President Obama signed his stimulus bill into law, nearly 2.5 million people have lost their jobs. In the eyes of the American people, that is not success. Families across the country are struggling to cut costs and cope with a tough job market, and they see a massive disconnect between that reality and the President's agenda."

House GOP Study Committee Chairman Tom Price: "Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the White House continues to tout the alleged success of their so-called stimulus bill. The Democrats' unprecedented level of government borrowing and spending will not stimulate job creation, nor has it stopped the job losses being experienced by so many Americans."

Continue reading "Republicans Jump On Latest Job Numbers" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 09:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink

The Republican National Committee is launching a new television ad on health care that targets senior citizens. The ad, airing nationally on cable stations as well as on other channels in Florida, features Chairman Michael Steele advocating for a "Seniors Bill of Rights."

"Join us in supporting a new Seniors' Bill of Rights. Let's agree in both parties that Congress should only consider health reform proposals that protect senior citizens," Steele says in the ad. "Oh and President Obama, it's not too late to change your mind. Stand with us and stand with senior citizens. After all, they've earned it."

The Democratic National Committee responded to the ad this morning. "Michael Steele and the Republicans are unbelievable," said DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse. "After failing to stop the President on the Recovery Act, the budget, equal pay for women and children's health care, Republicans have decided that they have no other choice when it comes to blocking health insurance reform than to lie to the American people and try to scare seniors."

Here is the ad:

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 11:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink

If freshman congressmen Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and Frank Kratovil (D-Md.) turn on their TVs at home this week, they may see their own faces alongside a headshot of Nancy Pelosi in a new ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee. The ad targets the Democrats on the issue of health care.

"Foster already votes with Pelosi 90% of the time, now what do you think he'll do?" the narrator states in the ad. "Call Foster, tell him to oppose Pelosi's cuts to Medicare."

Both Democrats succeeded Republicans in the 2008 elections. Foster took over Illinois's 14th District, formerly represented by Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert, in a March 2008 special election against Jim Oberweis. Foster won a full term in November.

Kratovil won Maryland's 1st District, whose moderate Republican incumbent, Wayne Gilchrest, was defeated by a more conservative challenger in the GOP primary. Kratovil defeated Andy Harris (R) by less than 1 point in the general election.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 12:35 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The National Republican Congressional Committee is launching a 30-second TV ad in the districts of Reps. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.) and Zack Space (D-Ohio) that ties them to Nancy Pelosi and a health care reform plan that includes "higher costs, tax hikes, and, get this, massive cuts to Medicare."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 09:30 AM | Email Author | Permalink

The Republican National Committee announced this morning that it raised $6 million last month, leaving it with nearly $22 million cash on hand and no debt. The take is down from it's $8 million haul in June, but in line with its April and May fundraising totals.

"The RNC continues to mount a very effective fundraising effort and we are extremely thankful to the Americans who have contributed to the financial success of our Party. The Republican Party will be successful in the coming elections this fall and in 2010 thanks to the generosity of our donors," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a released statement.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 09:35 AM | Email Author | Permalink

If Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie win gubernatorial elections this fall, some Republicans will be eager to call it the first sign of a comeback for the party. One person who won't be, apparently, is Gov. Haley Barbour, chair of the Republican Governors Association.

Asked specifically about the contest in New Jersey on a conference call today, Barbour said: "Chris Christie is ahead in the polls in New Jersey because people in New Jersey don't like what Jon Corzine's done." It's the Democrats who are eager to nationalize the race, he added, while Republicans like him "think that race, and I hope that race, is decided very much on local and New Jersey issues."

It's not surprising in New Jersey, where Republicans have not won a statewide election since 1997. Christie is hardly calling attention to his partisan affiliation, something national party leaders praised. And even in a blue state, they don't think President Obama will make a difference.

"Barack Obama didn't get Jon Corzine's job approval down to 35 percent," Barbour said. "Christie's ahead in the polls in New Jersey because people in New Jersey look over the four years that Corzine has been governor, and they don't like the results."

This week, the RGA hosted 29 candidates who will be running in 2010 races around the country, as well as nine incumbents. These governors are being encouraged to, like Christie, shape their message not on any national message but based on what are the top concerns in their states.

"I think the Republicans are going to do surprisingly well in 2010 based on the caliber of the people we've been talking with," said Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, herself a Republican governor in a deep blue state.

UPDATE: Check out DGA Executive Director Nate Daschle's response after the jump.

Continue reading "Would Gubernatorial Wins Signal GOP Comeback?" »

Posted by at 03:55 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Leading Republican governors seemed to downplay the statements from Sarah Palin while embracing to an extent the passion of town hall participants who have been vocal in their opposition to health care reform.

Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Miss.), chair of the Republican Governors Association, told reporters this afternoon that one reason people are reacting so strongly around the country is because they think the White House is moving far too quickly on an issue of tremendous concern.

"The Obamas took six months to pick a dog. How come they [had] to pass a health care bill before the August recess?" he said. "Everything has been, 'We gotta do it right now.' The American people realize this is too much, too far, too fast, too many trillions of dollars."

Gov. Sonny Perdue (R-Ga.) took a swipe at Democratic leaders for diminishing the voice of ordinary Americans, saying the town hall meetings are "democracy in action."

"For some Democratic members of Congress to call that anti-democratic is just ludicrous," he said, no doubt referring to the op-ed today from Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. "They want to blame things on Astroturf, [but] these are citizens that are very concerned, very fearful for their jobs, and their family, and their future health needs."

Continue reading "Barbour Criticizes Obama's Health Care Haste" »

Posted by at 03:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The ongoing debate over the tenor of the town hall meetings continues.

House Minority Leader John Boehner is now reacting to the USA Today op-ed this morning from Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. The Democratic leaders criticized the vocal opposition who are disrupting town hall meetings, saying their effort to drown out "opposing views is simply un-American."

In a statement, Boehner accuses the Democratic leaders themselves of working "to silence any opposing views." "Every poll taken in the last month shows that a majority of Americans are concerned about, if not outright opposed to, the Democrats' plan because of the cost and consequences it would mean for their own health care," the Ohioan says. "Each public forum should give every participant the opportunity to express their views, but to label Americans who are expressing vocal opposition to the Democrats' plan 'un-American' is outrageous and reprehensible."

The statement concludes that when Congress returns from recess, "Democrats should scrap their costly plan and finally work on bipartisan reforms that give Americans what they are seeking: better access to affordable care."

Posted by at 01:13 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The Republican National Committee is launching radio ads in the districts of the four Blue Dog Democrats who helped the House Energy and Commerce Committee approve the health care reform bill.

The four targeted Democrats are Reps. Bart Gordon (TN-06), Zack Space (OH-18), Baron Hill (IN-09) and Mike Ross (AR-04). Click on the districts to hear the ads.

The district-specific ads say the Democrat "folded like a lawn chair" and say about the health care bill: "It's big government. It's big money. And it'll hit you where it hurts." Listeners are asked to call their Member of Congress and "tell him to stop voting with Nancy Pelosi."

Democrats are running ads in GOP districts blaming Republicans for doing just the opposite -- working to halt the health care reform bill. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting more than two dozen House Republicans with radio ads, automated calls and other tactics.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 12:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

In a move that should give the Virginia gubernatorial nominee some more national exposure, Bob McDonnell was chosen to give the weekly Republican national address this Saturday. The speech will air nationally on TV and radio.

According to his campaign, McDonnell will discuss "the need for new jobs and more opportunities in Virginia and nationwide," as well as "proactive policy proposals that will help create the good-paying jobs of tomorrow" and "the importance of preventing the enactment of policies that would endanger the jobs of today and impede American competitiveness in the global economy."

McDonnell is currently up in the polls by more than 10 points against Democrat Creigh Deeds.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 04:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The National Republican Congressional Committee sent out a memo to GOP candidates nationwide with issues and ideas to focus on during Congress's five-week recess.

"Vulnerable Democrats are limping into the August recess in their most-weakened condition since the inception of their majority," the memo reads. "This presents a prime opportunity for Republican candidates to spend the next five weeks on the offensive."

The NRCC wants its candidates to focus on a lack of job creation from the economic stimulus bill, health care as a "massive government takeover," and the climate change bill as "nothing more than a tax that will affect anyone who turns on a light switch."

"Democrats are leaving Washington on the defensive, and as a Republican challenger candidate, you must do everything you can to own the issues and frame the debate," the memo concludes. "Keeping these themes in mind, Republican candidates can effectively communicate and frame the debate. If your opponent wants to stand by their support for failed economic policies, then you might consider asking them: 'Where are the jobs?' "

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced this morning what it's calling a "major advertising and grassroots offensive" on health care in some two dozen GOP districts. The campaign will focus on Republicans siding with health insurance companies "at the expense of affordable health care."

"This August we are going district-by-district to hold Republicans accountable for trying to obstruct health insurance reform through their scare tactics and just-say-no protection of big insurance companies," said DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 12:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Sitting around a conference table in the GOP's Capitol Hill headquarters yesterday with a group of political reporters, Texas Republican Rep. Pete Sessions, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, broke down his organization's strategy for winning back control of Congress. After the loss of more than 50 House seats in two election cycles, the re-energized NRCC is pushing challengers and incumbents to earn its support.

The retooled "Young Guns" program for well-organized GOP challengers in Democratic districts is broken down to a three-part process where goals such as volunteer recruitment, fundraising, and a set number of door knocks must be met to enter the program and then advance.

"We want every single candidate to be in [the program], even when there's a competitive primary," Sessions said. "We believe that if you follow the three steps, you will find yourself maybe the winner of the primary -- though we don't guarantee that."

Thirteen challengers are already in the Young Guns program, including former Reps. Steve Pearce in New Mexico and Steve Chabot in Ohio, and two have already been endorsed -- Adam Kinzinger in Illinois's 11th District and Dennis Ross in Florida's 12th District. Democrats picked up the Illinois seat last year, and GOP Rep. Adam Putnam is retiring from the Florida district, which John McCain barely won in 2008.

Sessions said there would be at least twice as many challengers needed to defeat 40 Democratic incumbents for control of the House, though he refused to predict how many the GOP would pick up this year. The overarching theme will be "the effectiveness of the economy" and the way Democrats have conducted their aggressive agenda.

"We are going to work the angle that it is Democratic members who support Nancy Pelosi and empower her to do business the way she is," he said.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 04:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Here is my piece today on fundraising in districts won by incumbents with 55% or less:

As Democrats gear up for 2010, they face a daunting historical fact: since Abraham Lincoln, only two newly-elected presidents have seen their party gain seats in Congress in their first midterm election.

Aside from the weight of history, there are other ominous signs for Democrats, who now have complete control of the government and are laboring to govern through an ongoing economic recession: Obama's approval ratings are slipping, unemployment remains high, Congress is taking up a string of big-ticket items in health care reform and climate change, and the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia look favorable for the GOP.

A bright spot for Democrats, however, is the strength of their fundraising in congressional swing districts.

A RealClearPolitics analysis of fundraising by some of the most vulnerable incumbents shows Democrats in good shape. And the campaign finance reports released this month offer fresh data for the Democratic and Republican campaign committees as they refine their search for vulnerable incumbents in 2010.

Read the rest here.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:15 PM | Email Author | Permalink

In a demonstration of how the battle over health care is won or lost in the Senate, the RNC launches a new TV ad today that will air in Arkansas, Nevada and North Dakota targeting key senators with the message that America can't afford health care reform of the kind President Obama is proposing.

NARRATOR: "They've loaned Barack Obama their future, without even knowing it. Trillions for rushed government bailouts and takeovers, banks, the auto industry. The biggest spending spree in our nation's history. And they'll have to pay. The next big ticket item? A risky experiment with our health care. Barack Obama's massive spending experiment hasn't healed our economy. His new experiment risks their future and our health. The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising."

The health care fight, then, gives us the peculiar situation of both national committees targeting some of the same senators. Last week, Organizing for America also launched TV ads in Arkansas and North Dakota, as well as Indiana, Ohio and Florida. But while OFA aims to sway both Republicans and Democrats, the RNC ads target only Democrats, namely Arkansas' Lincoln and Pryor, Budget Committee chair Kent Conrad of North Dakota, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid and Lincoln are both targets for Republicans in Senate races in 2010.

The visuals of the RNC ad -- full of children -- are in line with the party's renewed focus on America's fiscal situation. The Washington Post/ABC poll found today that Obama's most vulnerable issues appear to be his handling of the deficit, as well as health care.

Posted by at 11:46 AM | Email Author | Permalink

The Republican National Committee announced today it raised $8 million last month, leaving it with $23.7 million on hand and no debt as of the end of June. Last month's haul is a bump from previous months -- the RNC raised $5.7 million in May and $5.8 million in April.

"The RNC had another month of strong fundraising," said RNC Chairman Michael Steele. "We are thankful to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have contributed to the financial success of our Party. We have important campaigns this year and are able to be fully engaged through the generosity of our donors."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 11:11 AM | Email Author | Permalink

As job numbers continue to worsen, Republicans are debuting a new mascot in their campaign against the Democrats' stimulus plan: Ellie Mae, a job-seeking bloodhound. In a web video released this morning by the office of House Minority Leader John Boehner, Ellie Mae goes on "the money trail" in search of jobs: from AIG headquarters, to Wisconsin and North Carolina.

"I'm John Boehner; this is Ellie Mae," the congressman says in the ad. "She hasn't found any stimulus jobs yet, and neither have the American people. It's time to stop run away spending in Washington and help small businesses get the economy running again. Hang in there, honey, we'll find 'em."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this morning that 467,000 jobs were lost last month -- higher than projected -- and the unemployment rate ticked up some to 9.5 percent.

"This is a lighthearted web video, but the underlying point is no laughing matter," Boehner states in a press release. "At a time when Americans are looking to Washington for leadership, the trillion-dollar 'stimulus' isn't working."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 09:15 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Shortly after the House squeezed in a vote on the Waxman-Markey energy and climate change bill late Friday, Members hit the road for a week-long Fourth of July break. While back in their districts, though, some will be inundated by opposition efforts from the parties' House campaign arms.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting Democrats in Ohio and Virginia that voted for the energy bill. Press releases went out to the formerly Republican districts of Ohio Dems John Boccieri, Steve Driehaus, Mary Jo Kilroy and Zack Space -- all of whom are in their first or second terms.

"Whatever favors Mary Jo Kilroy might have traded for her support for Nancy Pelosi's National Energy Tax, they hardly make up for the higher energy costs and lost jobs that will plague Ohio as a result of their Kilroy's Washington horse trading," NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said in one release. "Mary Jo Kilroy owes her constituents an explanation as to why she continues to back an agenda that is nothing short of destructive to Ohio families."

Releases also went out in the Virginia districts of Tom Perriello and Rick Boucher. John McCain won both of their districts in 2008. In separate statements, Spain said Boucher "sold out Southwest Virginia's middle class" because of the coal jobs some project will be lost, and Perriello showed an "utter lack of concern" for middle class families in his majority rural district.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching 60-second radio ads to run during drive-time in the districts of seven Republicans who voted against the supplemental appropriations bill, which among other things funds the wars through September. The House agreed to the conference report June 16 on a 226-202 roll call vote; the Senate approved it two days later.

Those targeted are: Ken Calvert (CA), Charlie Dent (PA), Jim Gerlach (PA), Dan Lungren (CA), Mike McCaul (TX), Lee Terry (NE) and Joe Wilson (SC).

"Republicans never hesitated to criticize those who voted against the previous supplemental bills that included funding for the troops, but now that they are trying to score political points, Republicans' votes have conveniently changed," DCCC executive director Jon Vogel said in a statement released Friday. "So this Independence Day, we are going district by district to hold these hypocritical Republicans accountable."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 01:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was elected chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee today. He replaces Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), who recently stepped down after revealing an extramarital affair.

Thune, who had been serving as conference vice chair, was elected without opposition, according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at an afternoon press conference.

Thune said he looked forward to helping "shape an agenda that I think will move America forward and will serve as a counter to some of the agenda items...that are currently being proposed by the president and Democrats in Congress."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who had held an unofficial seat at the leadership table, will replace Thune as conference vice chair.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 05:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink

During a gripping press conference carried live on national cable, Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) acknowledged having been unfaithful to his wife for the past year, and also misleading his own staff and through them the state about his whereabouts in the past week.

"I've let down a lot of people, and that's the bottom line," an emotional Sanford told a horde of reporters in Columbia.

As he asked for forgiveness, he announced he would resign as the chairman of the Republican Governors Association. The chairman of his own state party, Katon Dawson, did not rule out that there may be further consequences for Sanford, a polarizing figure even in his own state party, telling Fox News that the "chips fall pretty quickly in South Carolina."

Sanford revealed to reporters that he developed a strong relationship with a woman in Argentina eight years ago, ironically as he counseled her to stay with her husband for the sake of her children. Sanford has four young sons.

"It began very innocently as I suspect many of these things do, in just a casual email back and forth," he said. He sought her out as refuge from the pressure-cooker life of politics, where he said he found it hard to ever let his guard down.

"There was this zone of protectedness. She lived thousands of miles away and I was up here and you could throw an idea out or vice versa," he said.

But in the past year, "it sparked into something more than that," and he said he traveled to see her three times. Five months ago, this relationship was "discovered" as he put it. "And at that point we went into serious overdrive, where do you go from here," he said.

What's significant about Sanford's account is that it means a family crisis was unfolding just as the governor was taking a high-profile role in fighting the Obama administration's efforts to pass, and then implement a stimulus program. The Recovery Act was passed in mid-February, and when Sanford came to Washington weeks later for the National Governors Association meeting, he made opposition to the spending program a rallying point for Republican governors.

"I think the nation's governors are going through ... and doing what should have been done in Congress," he told RCP this February about his efforts.

Continue reading "Sanford Family Learned Of Affair Amid Stimulus Battle" »

Posted by at 03:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

House Minority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) released the following statement in response to President Obama's press conference:

"The West Wing press conference is the latest public relations effort to combat the American people's growing discomfort with the actions of this Administration. The disconnect between the Administration's goals and those of Congressional Democrats only serve to make matters more cloudy at a time when we all should be focused on jobs, economic growth, and financial security.

"Plain and simple, the American people are concerned about the economy, job creation and the incredible debt obligations incurred in the last 6 months. Republicans have offered common-sense ideas and solutions that would have created real jobs, improved our economy and spent less tax dollars.

"The President continues to push for a government healthcare plan that will increase costs, reduce patient choice and flexibility, and lower the quality of care. Now we hear that Speaker Pelosi intends to pass the Cap & Tax plan this week which will impose a hard-hitting tax upon families and small businesses costing our struggling economy thousands of jobs.

"We stand ready to work together with the President to get America back to work, but we refuse to sit by idly as the Democrat majority tries to force this unfocused assortment of tax increases and job-killing policies upon the American people. Democrat-controlled Washington is completely disconnected with the reality faced by millions of Americans who are growing weary with the lack of focus, accountability and results."

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 01:50 PM | Email Author | Permalink

The RNC reports raising $5.7 million in May, leaving the committee with $21.5 million cash-on-hand "and zero debt."

"I am pleased that the Republican National Committee continues to show solid fundraising numbers, and we are grateful to the countless Americans who have contributed to our Party. We have important and competitive elections this fall and next year. With another month of strong fundraising numbers, we are confident and well positioned to win," said RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

The party had raised $5.8 million in April and ended the month with $24.4 million on hand.

Posted by at 09:24 AM | Email Author | Permalink

The announcement yesterday by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) that he had an extramarital affair and today's news that Senate leadership has removed him as head of the Republican Policy Committee (the No. 4 slot on the totem pole) means the Republican Party has lost a leading voice in its efforts to deride Democratic policies and promote its own.

Ensign led a credible, yet unsuccessful, effort as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 2008 election cycle, and in this Congress has been at the forefront of several policy debates. Perhaps his biggest victory of the year was the gun amendment Ensign added on to the D.C. Voting Rights bill, which ultimately led to its demise in the House of Representatives.

Now in his second term representing a state increasingly important to presidential elections, Ensign was twice elected with 55 percent of the vote -- in 2000 and 2006 -- and regularly carries far better approval ratings than his Nevada counterpart, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). A survey released last month found Ensign with a 53 percent approval rating compared to Reid's 38 percent.

Whether Ensign was preparing for a presidential bid or not, his fall from grace seems just as far.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 03:45 PM | Email Author | Permalink

Here's a statement from Sen. John Ensign's office:

Las Vegas, NV -- Senator John Ensign made the following statement today regarding a personal matter:

"I came home to Nevada to come forward and explain to the citizens of our state something that I was involved in about a year ago. Last year I had an affair. I violated the vows of my marriage. It is the worst thing I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything in my life that I could take back, this would be it.

"I take full responsibility for my actions.

"I know that I have deeply hurt and disappointed my wife Darlene, my children, my family, my friends, my staff and others who believed in me. To all of them, especially my wife, I am deeply sorry. I am truly blessed to have a wife who has forgiven me. We sought counseling last year and have built a stronger marriage -- stronger than ever.

"I will not mention any names but the woman who I was involved with and her husband were close friends and both of them worked for me. Our families were close. That closeness put me into situations which led to my inappropriate behavior. We caused deep pain to both families and for that I am sorry.

"I am committed to my service in the United States Senate and my work on behalf of the people of NV.

"Thank you."

Posted by at 06:58 PM | Email Author | Permalink

So much for the Ensign 2012 bandwagon.

Rumors have floated in Washington about a sex scandal breaking today. Now AP is reporting that Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) had an affair with a campaign staffer.

Ensign told The Associated Press in a statement, "I deeply regret and am very sorry for my actions."

An aide in Ensign's office said the affair took place between December 2007 and August 2008, with a campaign staffer who was married to an employee in Ensign's Senate office. Neither have worked for the senator since May 2008. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity.

The aide declined to comment on Ensign's political future.

He'll reportedly speak publicly within the hour, from Las Vegas.

Ensign recently traveled to Iowa in a visit that immediately set off speculation he was considering a presidential bid in 2012.

This comes as Nevada's only other Republican statewide officials are also fending off scandal. Gov. Jim Gibbons is currently going through a divorce, with his estranged wife alleging he was unfaithful as well. In December 2008, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki was indicted on four felony counts based on alleged wrongdoing in his previous role as the Silver State's treasurer.

Developing...

Posted by at 06:03 PM | Email Author | Permalink

House Minority Leader John Boehner and Whip Eric Cantor released the following statements today in response to President Obama's speech at the American Medical Association's annual conference in Chicago. Obama said today "the road to prosperity remains long and difficult" and that "one essential step on our journey is to control the spiraling cost of health care in America."

Boehner:

"House Republicans want to work with President Obama on a plan to make health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans. We're pleased the President has expressed rhetorical support for medical liability reform, but fact is the effect of even the strongest medical liability reforms would be negated by a government takeover of health care that raises taxes, rations care, and drives health care costs even higher.

"Real medical liability reform must establish tough standards to reform the medical liability system, encourage the speedy resolution of claims, and deter junk lawsuits. If President Obama is serious about reducing the skyrocketing cost of health care, he'll press his own party to include real medical liability reform as part of a reform package that puts patients and doctors in charge of their health care rather than putting government in charge. House Republicans are offering such a plan, and we hope to work with the President and our Democratic colleagues to enact it."

Continue reading "House GOP Leaders React to Health Care Speech" »

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 02:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink