Labor Day Weekend Round-Up

I hope you had a safe and fun Labor Day Weekend. It was odd to have the first days go by in a long time in which I didn't post to the blog. For interested parties, you can read about Labor Day's interesting history on the Department of Labor website.

WaPo nutshells it:

A Senate electoral playing field that was already wide open for 2008 has become considerably more perilous for Republicans with the retirement of Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) and the resignation of scandal-scarred Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho).

Then, WaPo peppers it with:

"It's always darkest right before you get clobbered over the head with a pipe wrench. But then it actually does get darker," said a GOP pollster who insisted on anonymity in order to speak candidly.

And, WaPo closes with:

"About the only safe Republican Senate seats in '08 are the ones that aren't on the ballot," a GOP operative with extensive experience in Senate races said. "I don't see even the rosiest scenario where we don't end up losing more seats."

Sounds right to me.

South Dakota: Every step Senator Tim Johnson takes toward his full recovery is exciting and inspiring.

Idaho: As you know, Senator Larry Craig announced over the weekend that he intends to resign his Senate seat on September 30. It is unclear who Idaho Gov. Butch Otter might pick as a successor (or when he might pick), but the favorite remains Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, who deferred to Otter when both were considering gubernatorial bids, and who was chomping at the bit for Larry Craig to announce a retirement earlier in the year so that he could run for Senate.

The DSCC and Chuck Schumer made it very clear that Democrats will commit the necessary resources toward competing for the Idaho Senate seat in 2008. To that end, considering sending a contribution to Democratic Senate candidate and former Congressman Larry LaRocco. Meanwhile, NRSC Chair John Ensign digs a deeper hole by trying to explain the difference in Republican reactions between David Vitter's scandal and Larry Craig's scandal:

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., the Senate Republican campaign chairman, said Craig "admitted guilt. That is a big difference between being accused of something and actually admitting guilt."

"David Vitter never did that. Larry Craig did," continued Ensign on ABC's "This Week" program.

Whoa! Chairman Ensign is conceding that David Vitter has never admitted guilt for anything? Really? Either Ensign did not see David Vitter's press conference from almost two months ago, or Ensign will try to contend that Vitter never explicitly admitted to soliciting prostitutes, in which case every member of the media covering Washington DC politics should be on the horn to David Vitter's office to get a clarification.

Virginia: WaPo's Cillizza reports:

Sources familiar with Mark Warner's thinking say not to expect any formal announcement from the former governor about his political plans for a week or more. But from all indications, Warner is set to run for the seat. Warner is itching to get back into the fray following his shocking decision to take himself out of the presidential race in late 2006, and an open Senate seat may be too tempting to pass up.

Cillizza notes the obvious Veepstakes consideration and '09 VA-Gov race as possibilities that Mark Warner will have to weigh against a Senate bid. Meanwhile, Tom Davis' candidacy really is about nothing. It is worth noting that the DSCC and Chuck Schumer showed considerable class in respecting retiring statesman John Warner's day and not letting politics enter the picture right away. Tom Davis' confidantes didn't want to extend John Warner the same courtesy.

Idaho & Virginia: DavidNYC at SSP highlights that, when an open seat comes up, the Club for Growth shows up to pull the GOP as far to the right as they can and as far out of the mainstream as they can.

Tennessee: Democrats in the Volunteer State may avoid a Senate primary:

Jackson, Tenn., business owner Mike McWherter, the son of former Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter, is at the forefront of the Democratic field, as Nashville attorneys Bob Tuke and Kevin Doherty have said they likely would step aside if he decides to run.

Mr. McWherter said he plans to announce his plans after Labor Day.

The article also notes that:

Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell also has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate, but his office has said he is focused on finishing up his mayoral term, which ends Sept. 21. He also recently was named a resident fellow for the fall semester at Harvard University's Institute of Politics.

If Purcell followed through with his resident fellowship, he wouldn't be able to commence a campaign until after New Year's Day 2008 - not unheard of, by any means, but potentially prohibitive if people and money have already lined up behind a McWherter candidacy.

Oklahoma: Jim "In Denial" Inhofe says that he was "kind of excited" by the attacks in Iraq on the airplane carrying himself, Senators Mel Martinez and Richard Shelby, and Congressman Bud Cramer. The guy is an absolute lunatic. Please help Democratic State Senator Andrew Rice unseat Inhofe in 2008.

Nebraska: The Lincoln Journal Star notes that "Soon we’ll hear from Chuck Hagel and Bob Kerrey. Mike Johanns sometime later." The LJS also suggests that, if it came down to a battle between former Senator Bob Kerrey and former Governor Mike Johanns, Nebraska would feature "next year’s premier Senate race." (HT: NNN)

Texas: Word is that attorney Emil Reichstadt will be dropping out of the 2008 Democratic Senate primary this coming week, understandable in the face of State Representative Rick Noriega's grassroots and netroots support and attorney Mikal Watts' bankroll.