Shaken senators start prep for 2012

Shaken senators start prep for 2012 - POLITICO.com Print View
The 2010 campaign has so rattled senators up for Reelection in 2012 that they’re already moving quickly to figure out how to survive. Veteran Democrats such as Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico are weighing Retirement. Establishment Republicans such as Orrin Hatch of Utah and Dick Lugar of Indiana are already moving to fend off potential primaries from the Right. Freshmen like Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Jon Tester of Montana are stepping up Fundraising, and re...

2012's Senate Battle Begins...Today
— Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Ct.). Flickr/NewsHour The 2010 Midterms are barely in the rear-view, the 111th Congress' Lame-duck session just begun, but already the handicapping for the 2012 congressional races is underway. As Politico reports today, senators up for re-election in 2012 are drumming up cash, laying the groundwork for their campaigns, mulling their party affiliations, or weighing whether to even bother running again. For instance, a pair of longtime Senate Democrats, North Dakota'...

2012's Senate Battle Begins...Today
— Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Ct.). Flickr/NewsHour The 2010 Midterms are barely in the rear-view, the 111th Congress' Lame-duck session just begun, but already the handicapping for the 2012 congressional races is underway. As Politico reports today, senators up for re-election in 2012 are drumming up cash, laying the groundwork for their campaigns, mulling their party affiliations, or weighing whether to even bother running again. For instance, a pair of longtime Senate Democrats, North Dakota'...

Reid in 'no rush' to name head of Senate Democrats' 2012 campaign efforts
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he's in "no rush" to name Senate Democrats' new campaign chief. Reid said an announcement of which senator would next head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) would probably not come until the week after Christmas. "We've had a lot of progress," Reid said at a Press Conference on Capitol Hill. "We're in no rush to do that." Democrats have faced a series of setbacks in their efforts to recruit a new DSCC chairman, who will face a...

Lieberman Predicts DADT Repeal in Lame Duck
Senate Homeland Security Chairman Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) said Thursday that at least 60 Members will vote in favor of repealing the Military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy during the Lame-duck session. Lieberman, who has led the effort to Repeal the policy banning Openly Gay service members, said GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Dick Lugar (Ind.) plan to join Democrats to bring up the Defense authorization bill that includes language to Repeal DADT. Collins h...

Lieberman Predicts DADT Repeal in Lame Duck
Senate Homeland Security Chairman Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) said Thursday that at least 60 Members will vote in favor of repealing the Military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy during the Lame-duck session. Lieberman, who has led the effort to Repeal the policy banning Openly Gay service members, said GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Dick Lugar (Ind.) plan to join Democrats to bring up the Defense authorization bill that includes language to Repeal DADT. Collins h...

Lieberman, Hutchison face big risks in 2012 (The Ticket)
Even though it's only been two weeks since Election Day 2010, that doesn't mean people in Washington aren't already fretting about the 2012 Campaign. In the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans are bracing themselves for what could be an epic fight for majority control, given the unusually high number of vulnerable Incumbents up for re-election in two years. Last week, Public Policy Polling released a list of the most vulnerable senators in 2012, ranking them in part by their Approval Rating...

Campaign ad featuring Sen. Stevens may have salvaged Murkowskis campaign
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) may have the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to thank for her successful Reelection bid. Two weeks before Election Day, Murkowski released a game-changing TV ad featuring Stevens. The 60-second spot opened with Stevens’s daughter, Sue Covich, saying her father had endorsed Murkowski before his death in an August plane crash. “My dad and Lisa made a great team for Alaska,” Covich says. As she’s talking, vintage images of Murkowski and Stevens appear o...

Paxton endorsed by newbies Sheets, Simpson
Newly elected Reps. Kenneth Sheets, R-Dallas (right) and David Simpson, R-Longview, today endorsed the speakership candidacy of four-term House lawmaker Ken Paxton, R-McKinney. It brought to four the number of Paxton's GOP colleagues who've publicly pledged to vote for him to replace Incumbent Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, in January. Last week, as colleague Ted Kim posted here, Paxton got the blessing of fellow North Texas Republicans Jodie Laubenberg of Parker and Tan Parker of Flower M...

Senate Democrats Struggle for Tax Cut Consensus
Senate Democrats are continuing to meet behind closed doors to try to find a way forward on Tax Cuts. Some members have left describing the atmosphere as "town hall like." "I would say there is not a consensus. There were a lot of good thoughts," Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-CT, told reporters. "There were a lot of different options discussed." Lieberman said "the votes are not there" to left Tax Cuts for the well-to-do expire. "We've got to try to do as much as we can do....and then try to find common...

Sources: Cornyn Jabs at DeMint’s Interference in Primaries : Roll Call
Sen. John Cornyn said during a closed-door meeting Tuesday that he expects colleagues to bring their concerns to him about Candidates he recruits as National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman — and not to help mount challenges against them, Republicans familiar with the meeting said Thursday. Although not mentioned by name, the Republicans said the Texas lawmaker’s Speech was clearly intended for the ears of Sen. Jim DeMint. The South Carolina Republican backed a number of con...

'Shaken' Democratic Senators Better Worry About DREAM Act And Lame Duck Session
The other day I wrote about how Barack Obama and the Democratically controlled Senate we planning to try to jam the DREAM Act through during the Lame Duck session of Congress (after Elections but before newly elected politicians take their seats). I also listed the 21 Democratic Senators that are up for Reelection in 2012, with contact information to email and/or call them to make sure they understand that we will remember in 2012 if they deliberately try to thwart the will of the people who v...

Cornryn tells Senate Republicans: Instead of primarying the candidates I recruit, come to me with your concerns
Does this qualify as unfair criticism of Jim DeMint? Much depends on the answer, you know. Sen. John Cornyn said during a closed-door meeting Tuesday that he expects colleagues to bring their concerns to him about Candidates he recruits as National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman — and not to help mount challenges against them, Republicans familiar with the meeting said Thursday. Although not mentioned by name, the Republicans said the Texas lawmaker’s Speech was clearly intended ...

Reid Charges Forward With Middle Class Tax Cuts Only
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced Thursday that Democrats will move forward with a vote to extend only the Tax Cuts for those Americans making $250,000 or less, a strategy set after a morning meeting of Congressional Democratic Leaders with President Obama. "We're united in recognizing that we have to protect the Middle Class," Reid told reporters after huddling with his Caucus for hours behind closed doors, but it is clear in talking with Democrats exiting the session that th...

The Fix - Lisa Murkowski takes shots at Sarah Palin, tea party
1. Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski had some harsh criticism for former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) during an interview Monday night with CBS' Katie Couric. "I just do not think that she has those leadership qualities, that intellectual curiosity that allows for building good and great policies," Murkowski said. "You know, she was my Governor for two years, and I don't think that she enjoyed governing." The Murkowski-Palin rivalry has deep roots. In 2006, Palin defeated Murkowski's father...

READ the 20th Amendment: New Republican Senators Violating US Constitution - The Washington Note
A handful of newly elected Republican US Senators have written to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid trying to undo the Constitutional Authority of other elected Incumbent US Senators. That's right. Even the so-called strict constitutionalist Rand Paul is engaged in lobbying that would impose illegal burdens on Incumbent elected representatives violating the word and spirit of the United States Constitution. According to the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution, the respective terms of US Senat...

Senator Harry Reid allowing this vote....
Americans are anxiously awaiting news on their taxes...will the 2001 Tax Cuts again be extended to them or not??  When the Cuts were first created in 2001, everyone knew they would expire on Dec. 31, 2010 -- yet our politicians have refused to confront the issue head on and early so that Americans know what is what with their own finances.  It is not exactly a secret that Dec 31st is coming up.....so they could have done this long before now.. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.,...

Democrats Still Struggle on Extending the Bush Tax Cuts
After a lengthy meeting of Senate Democrats aimed in part at hammering out a unified position on extending the Bush Tax Cuts, Majority Leader Harry Reid emerged without an agreement, but still calling for a vote. "My friend [Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky] has offered some Legislation to extend all them all, costing $4 Trillion," the Nevada Democrat said. "If he wants a vote on that, I'll be happy to help arrange that, but he should also help arrange a vote on $250 thousand. Perio...

Murkowski wins reelection in Alaska Senate campaign
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) became the first senator in more than 50 years to win a write-in victory. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday, almost two whole weeks after voters headed to the polls. Murkowski, a two-term Incumbent, defeated Republican nominee Joe Miller and Democrat Scott McAdams. She was forced to pursue a write-in campaign after Conservatives, including her political rival, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), had backed Miller in his successful Primary challe...

Murkowski wins reelection in Alaska Senate campaign
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — the top Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee — became the first senator in more than 50 years to win a write-in victory. The Associated Press called the race Wednesday, almost two whole weeks after voters headed to the polls. Murkowski, a two-term Incumbent, defeated Republican nominee Joe Miller and Democrat Scott McAdams. She was forced to pursue a write-in campaign after Conservatives, including her political rival, former Alaska Go...

Senate Dems pressure Majority Leader Harry Reid to strike deal with GOP on military-gay debate
WASHINGTON — Some Senate Democrats are pressuring Majority Leader Harry Reid to strike a deal with Republicans to aid passage of a bill that would let Gays serve openly in the Military. A dozen Democrats and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, urged Reid Thursday to allow an extended debate on the wide-ranging defense authorization bill, which includes language repealing the 1993 law known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Lieberman said the Senate's desire to adjourn befo...

Senate Dems Push for Gay Troops Debate
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are pushing for an extended debate with the GOP on a defense bill that includes a Repeal of the Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. A dozen Democrats and independent Sen. Joseph Lieberman joined on Capitol Hill, Thursday, to urge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to allow a debate on the Military's ban on Homosexuals. Republicans have previously blocked such a debate. The senators say the Military is losing vital skills by booting Soldiers out because of th...

Democrats to hold politically charged votes to extend middle class tax cuts
Washington — After meeting with President Barack Obama Thursday, Democratic Leaders in Congress said they plan to hold a series of politically charged votes to extend Middle-class Tax Cuts while letting Tax Cuts for the wealthy expire. Republicans are expected to block the plan, leaving both sides back at square one as they try to negotiate a deal to spare families at every income level from a big Tax Increase in January. Democratic officials said Obama did not embrace a particular appr...