Thursday Morning Quick Hits

WaPo's Cillizza spins his wheels about yesterday's The Hill piece noting the NRSC's recruiting and fundraising weaknesses thus far in the 2008 cycle, but ultimately comes to the same conclusion:

Upon review, Republicans so far don't have a single major success on their recruitment tote board. Democrats, however, can claim solid candidates in Colorado, Maine and Minnesota (although the national party had little hand in landing Udall and Franken/Ciresi).

Obviously, with a year and a half until Election Day 2008, much can change. But, by this point in the 2006 cycle, the NRSC could point to Bob Corker in Tennessee, Mark Kennedy in Minnesota, and Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey. The NRSC doesn't have to have every candidate in place right now to be deemed successful - we know that the DSCC is still working in some key states - but, right now, the NRSC has zero to point to. Meanwhile, the DSCC is expanding its recruiting map to states like Idaho, Texas, and Alabama. I've said it before that all of those states are uphill battles indeed; but just expanding the map is a success in and of itself, success that the NRSC can't claim.

Oregon: Blue Oregon's Jeff Alworth offers a deeper analysis of Gordon Smith's poll numbers.

New Jersey: GOP Rep. Mike Ferguson is getting behind real estate developer Anne Evans Estabrook's Senate bid. The Fergusons and Estabrooks have reportedly long been close. With Estabrook's reported "longtime ties" to the Kean family, could we be seeing a bloc of the NJ-GOP coalescing behind her?

Nebraska: New Nebraska Network offers insight on the frosty relationship between Chuck Hagel and the Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom organization.