KANSAS- Pat Roberts introduced the ‘Home Oxygen Patient Protection (HOPP) Act, which will ensure continued access to home oxygen therapy for over one million Medicare patients who rely on this life-sustaining therapy’ and secured $40 million in disaster relief funding for victims of the violent storms that hit Kansas in early May.” So far, no news on a Democratic challenger.
OKLAHOMA- Jim Inhofe pretends to go green by introducing the ‘the Gas Petroleum Refiner Improvement and Community Empowerment Act of 2007, or the Gas PRICE Act.’ The National Association of Manufacturers loves Inhofe’s bill. Are you shocked? There is no new news on a challenger.
ALABAMA- Pete Jeff Sessions is setting surrender dates, which probably means he is feeling a little Sparksaphobia.
GEORGIA- Getting booed at your own state convention is not a good sign. On the other hand, Chambliss recently received the Golden Plow Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation for his ‘distinguished agricultural leadership and support of Farm Bureau’s farm and ranch families.’
ALASKA- Ted Stevens earned a Lancelot Holland Award for thin-skin from Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly, for his…well…his whole history. Meanwhile, Stevens opened the International Whale Commission’s four day conference in Anchorage. His son’s troubles don’t seem to be slowing him down.
WYOMING- Mike Enzi voted against the war spending bill because it was laden with pork (and a minimum wage hike). This makes him even more invulnerable to a challenge from the left. He’s also been cleaning up with bipartisan legislation. Earlier in the month he teamed with Teddy Kennedy on drug safety and now he is teaming up with Max Baucus on anti-medical malpractice pilot programs. And no challenger in sight.
TEXAS- Nick Lampson will not run against John Cornyn. That’s the good news. The bad news, aside from Cornyn’s pitiful poll numbers, was that Cornyn got the old fuck you from St. John McCain.
TENNESSEE- Lamar Alexander is teaming up with Tom Carper to push the The Internet Tax Freedom Extension Act of 2007. I don’t know if it is a good bill or not, but at least it might give Alexander a legislative accomplishment. He’s pretty short on those. Maybe that’s why he is teaming up with Ken Salazar to push Bush to accept the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. Still no signs of a challenger.
NORTH CAROLINA- Rep. Brad Miller says he has been assured that Liddy Dole will be one of the DSCC’s top 10 targets in ’08. Meanwhile, Dole can read the polls and has hired a new chief of staff.
MISSISSIPPI- Thad Cochran isn’t acting like someone considering retirement. He and Sens. Cardin, Hagel, and Salazar are spending their recess in the Middle East.
NEW MEXICO- Pete Domenici’s polls have slipped 12 points in the last three months. Still no serious contender in sight.
What are your senators up to?
It’s Jeff Sessions, not Pete Sessions.
I keep doing that.
Mine are Chuck and Hil. What are they up to? Ha!
These are the Dems who voted for the war spending bill:
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Nay
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Not Voting
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Webb D-VA), Yea
Any idea which ones are up for re-election? And do any have a Democratic challenger?
From the Guru:
Nothing besides giving Bush everything he wants. Levin and Stabenow haven’t done squat for Michigan. If Democrats lose in 08, it will be because they ignored MI and Ohio.
2006
Electoral Votes:
Michigan = from 20 to 17
Ohio = from 23 to 20
Both of them losing electoral votes due to jobless migrations moving out of state. But hey, who cares. The cows pooped on the spinach, and the farmers need another bail out. Meanwhile, lets pass more trade and increase those H-1B visas.
In some ways, this list is more depressing than the capitulation of the Dems last week. “…no challenger yet…no challenger yet…no challenger yet…”
This year we have the greatest chance of booting Neanderthals that we’ll have in a generation. Where are the real stars? The brave progressives with names and reputations to challenge these guys?
I hear more about challenging Dems in the primary than challenging really vulnerable Republicans. Sheep!
I hear more about challenging Dems in the primary than challenging really vulnerable Republicans. Sheep!
There have been multiple discussions here on using the political system and process to move the country in a progressive direction – not just Republicans, but also Democrats. The difficulties in mounting third party candidacies have been discussed. The strategy often suggested is that incumbents get challenged to pressure them to change or be replaced – “the work-within-the-system” model.
I am curious as to whether any senate Democrats are being challenged by more progressive candidates or whether this strategy is one that looks good on paper, but doesn’t get used.
John Kerry is going to be facing a primary from a man named O’Neill. I forget his first name.
There are only 12 Dem Senators up for re-election.
Tim Johnson, who obviously is not going to get a primary, since he is recovering from brain surgery.
Jack Reed, who is the most popular member of Congress in his own state.
Mary Landrieux, who might deserve a primary, but is lucky not to be facing (yet) a Republican challenger.
Mark Pryor, who might merit a primary, but will probably be able to hold the seat, which is not necessarily true of any other possible Dems.
Frank Lautenberg, who is the most unpopular Dem in the Senate and in his mid-80’s. I want Rush Holt to run against him, not because I’m down on Lautenberg, but because it is the right time for Holt to make the leap.
Carl Levin, who is more responsible for caving than any other Dem, but who voted against the war and is very popular.
Tom Harkin, who is faultless.
Dick Durbin, who is one of our most liberal members.
Joe Biden, who is untouchable.
Max Baucus, who is extremely popular, but who is the most deserving of a primary of the bunch.
And Jay Rockefeller, who is untouchable.
In Colorado, we have Mark Udall running. He should win easily and is a progressive. Unfortunately, he voted wrong on the funding.
Tom Allen is running in Maine. He’s a progressive leaning member of the DLC that got this vote right.
In other words, there just are not a lot of opportunities to punish the Senate here. Baucus and Pryor are the best bets, but I don’t see it doing much.
Thanks so very much for gathering this info.
In other words, there just are not a lot of opportunities to punish the Senate here. Baucus and Pryor are the best bets, but I don’t see it doing much. Aaaack!
I can’t say I want to “punish” as much as push, ala Toomey’s challenge to Specter.