Monday Morning Round-up
A few morning bites:
Alabama: In this morning's most disappointing political news, "U.S. Rep. Artur Davis said he will not run for the Senate in 2008." Back to the candidate recruitment drawing board...
New Jersey: Frank Lautenberg continues to talk like he is definitely going to run for re-election.
Missouri: Republican "Kit" Bond denies the rumors that he is leaving the Senate to head the University of Missouri.
The New York Daily News has a terrific piece on Senator Schumer, and offers this on his role as DSCC Chair:
Schumer has also begun to assemble candidates for the 33 Senate seats that will be contested in 2008. It's seen as a year that favors Democrats, with 12 Democratic incumbents up for reelection compared with 21 Republicans.Senator Harkin must miss serving in the Majority, so I hope that being in the Majority again will ensure that Harkin opts for a (fairly safe) re-election bid. And given that the Iowa Dems had maybe the third best 2006 of any state Democratic party (after New Hampshire and Arkansas), retaining the Gov. seat by 10 points and showing an impressive win in IA-02, the wind would be at Harkin's back. And, I think everybody agrees at this point that CO, NH, and MN are our top three targets.
His first goal is ensuring that no Democrat retires.
"We have now gotten 11 of the 12 Democrats to commit to running again. [Iowa Sen.] Tom Harkin is still making up his mind," Schumer said, going on to lavish praise on the 67-year-old Democrat. "He's a great senator. He does more in a couple of years than many senators have done in a lifetime."
Schumer said the three most vulnerable Republicans are Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard, New Hampshire's John Sununu and Minnesota's Norm Coleman - who went to high school with Schumer in Brooklyn. He said a Democrat, Rep. Mark Udall, had already stepped forward to challenge Allard, but that he hasn't yet recruited challengers for the other two seats.
posted by Senate2008Guru | 10:37 AM
1 Comments:
U.S. Representative Artur Davis (D-Ala.) offered the following statement today concerning his plans for the 2008 election cycle:
For a number of months, I have received encouragement to seek a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2008. I have spent considerable time since the November elections evaluating the prospects of raising the funds and developing an organization to wage a winning campaign. Most important, I have tried to assess whether the candidacy I would offer could be successful in our state.
I have come to two conclusions: first, I can win a statewide race in Alabama. Our state is ready to elect a candidate with common sense values who has a strong set of convictions about the future of our state and our country. Second, the imperatives of a campaign will require an overwhelming focus on the mechanics of campaigning beginning no later than the spring of the year before the election. Anything less would be unfair to my supporters.
Therefore, as much as I look forward to serving the entire state of Alabama, the 2008 campaign cycle is the wrong time for me to seek higher office. A statewide campaign would divert from my new responsibilities as a member of the Ways and Means Committee and from the new opportunities for my district and my state as a member of the majority party. A Senate bid now would also preclude me from actively helping a candidate in the 2008 presidential election cycle, which I believe will be a historic race.
I thank all of those who have offered to help me. I expect that very soon, I will be asking them to join me in a campaign that would change our state for good.
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