Only then will we REALLY control the Senate!
Will Romney take on Kennedy in Mass? Probably the only guy in that State that has a chance of knocking old "hic Hic" off.
Dayton is one of the Dayton-Hudson owners of Target, who just banned the Salvation Army from their stores. There's got to be a way to hang that around his neck. That & closing his DC office for fear of terrorism. No other Senator did.
Well, we need to hold all of our own seats as well...
So let's quit seeing people take shots at Santorum. He's been a great Senator despite being in a blue state...
I think Robert Byrd will stay in the Senate until he dies. His entire identity is wrapped up in being a Senator.
I have read that John Corzine of NJ is not having a fun time as Senator in a minority party. He wants the Governorship instead.
You'll like my tagline, then...
They sell out with Specter on judicial nominees and the GOP won't maintain a majority in the Senate.
Assuming of course that RINOS like Chaffee, Specter and Snowe won't spoil the party.
Actually, I have a question for all the posters. I have thought avbout this for awhile. I want to get involved with the local RNC here in NYC (yeah crazy, liberal, NYC). Anyone who has been active in their local Republican party let me know if it's worth my while. The local clubs really don't do much except at election time....would like to see if there is something I can get myself involved in as a volunteer year round. Appreciate any answers I get.
No way. Feinstein is respected in California (in a way that Boxer isn't, for instance). She's easily able to survive a credible challenge. Telling Californians to vote her out because she's obstructing Bush will only make her more popular.
With the exception of a party-switcher, I doubt we'll see more than one or two of these being defeated. Republicans might build a slightly larger lead in the Senate, but the chances of reaching 60 Super majority of Republicans is slim. But, then, we all know that such a number really isn't required ... all we have to do is change the rules on what it takes to bring about cloture. How about ... oh, I don't know ... 55%?
Grand Kleagle Byrd will die in office. The only person that could take on Maria Cant"budget"well is former Senator Slade Gorton, a RINO and Seattlite and millionaire and former incumbent that Cant"budget"well beat out. He's gotta a history of winning, losing, winning, losing that senate seat. Plus, when she ran, her platform was that she wouldn't take any PAC monies. However, when her personal fortune plummeted in 2001 (she made her money in Seattle's high-tech industry), she started taking monies from any and everyone. Even Hitlery & Bubba flew to Seattle to fundraise for the Cant"budget"well and the trashy duo hosted fundraisers in their DC home.
I'm in California and I'm not terribly optimistic about the party's prospects for the next few election cycles. There is currently a war on in the party between the conservatives and the "moderates" in the state. The Dems have been laughing at us here for nearly a decade. Even in 1994 when we actually won control of the Assembly for a few brief weeks we fought so much that Willie Brown was able to retain his control of the legislature.
Having said that, there are rumors that Feinstein could retire in 2006. I'm doubtful but I've heard rumors to that extent and I wouldn't be shocked if it happened. I know of no one other than Arnold who could make a strong run against Feinstein and possibly win the state. This is bad for two reasons. First, it means that we won't be able to unseat her in 2006 if she chooses to run again and second, if a Republican does win, he (or she) will almost certainly be a RINO.
So what does this mean for the future of the Republican party in California? Again, I'm not terribly optimistic. The party is somewhat strong in the center of the state around Fresno and to a lesser degree in the south (except for LA). Unfortunately even in the San Joaquin Valley we're not terribly strong. In certain districts we have trouble knocking off even weak Dems. I worry that the only way that we'll become a statewide power again is if we move to the left and conservatives give in to the "moderates" demands. Arnold has already done a great deal to improve the party's image, but he's no conservative and he's marginalized many conservative voices in the state. As a conservative, this makes my skin crawl!
Of course, there is a third possibility. If in 2006 Feinstein steps down, the GOP will have a historic chance to make some serious inroads in the Once-Golden State. We will only have a chance to retake Feinstein's seat if we're not facing Feinstein. (She's too popular and incumbents are always hard to beat anyway.) If we're able to get a strong conservative candidate nominated, the national party could step in and infuse millions of dollars into the race to help that candidate win election. With the guidance of someone like Carl Rove, we might actually be able to regain a Senate seat in a state which was once a Republican bastion.
It's a long shot, but it's a best case scenario. Again, I'm not optimistic about the GOP's chances here for at least a few more election cycles, but unless we're willing to cede California to the liberals forever, the national party MUST get involved and begin to change the climate within the state party. We can win here, but we desperately need help.
Another 5 in 06 is honestly not very likely... if Libs continue their movement to trying to turn the country into a seculiar socialist democracy.... this will hurt them moving forward nationally, and R's will eventually get 60 in the Senate... however as you can see, the vast majority of Senators that are dems up for re-election are in Blue states, and many of those in the red states are not in any sort of jeapardy of losing.
State elections are a far different thing than national elections. R's could pick up a seat or two in '06, or stay even, or even see a limited retraction in their seats... however long term, if dems keep on their current march, R's will get to 60 or more Senators in the coming years... just a matter of when it will happen.
I thought Carper from Delaware had some stink in his closet, but I could be wrong. And it'd be nice to think Lieberman could be coopted into the administration (in the name of unity, of course), but I don't know if there's a Republican in Connecticut that could win.
Senator Bill "Empty Suit" Nelson can be knocked off in Florida if the Pubbies give us a good candidate to work with. Would love to see Jeb Bush run!!! He would destroy Nelson with one hand tied behind his back!!! Jeb, please give us a top grade candidate. I can't stand this phoney piece of vermin, Bill Nelson, that poses as a moderate and votes lock-step with the liberal, Democrat scum!!!
There are a surprising number of potential pickups from among the Blue-state Democrats.
HI Sen. Daniel Akaka may retire
WA Sen. Maria Cantwell is just a bundle of scandal and ineffectiveness; She outspent her opponent 2:1, and won by only 2,000 votes. Then went nearly bankrupt.
NY Sen. Hillary Clinton could easily lose to Hizzonnah
WI Sen. Dayton is about as popular as athlete's foot in an Italian wine press.
MA Sen. Teddy Kennedy may retire; if so, Mitt Romney could grab that seat.
CT Sen. Joe Lieberman could retire.
NJ Sen. Corzine won only 50-47 against an opponent that he outfunded $63M to $6M.
Things could even get interesting for Jim Jeffords (VT). I am sure the whole "independent" thing is wearing thin. They did elect a Republican governor, again. If a Democrat runs against him, he could have real problems getting re-elected. Or will he retire? He will be 72 years old.
Among Republicans, I don't see many challenges. Snowe, Chafee and Santorum are the only blue-state Senators. Dems won't fund much of a challenge against Snowe or Chafee I expect, and if they do, big deal. Santorum would be a togh loss, but I think in off-years, PA is really a red state. Jim Talent will probably be a target. Potential retirees (Lott, Hatch, and Lugar) are all from uber-red states.
The main thing is, just keep it to no more than 2 or 3, and then in 2008, with a good candidate and more opportunities for pickups, we will get back into the 55 or more range. Long term, the GOP will get to 60, but I don't think that time is yet. We'll see; it's to early to even be talking about this.