Another Scared Blue Dog Quits
Rep. Bart Gordon becomes the fourth Democratic member of Congress in a month -- the second Blue Dog from Tennessee -- to announce his retirement in 2010. Like
Rep. Bart Gordon becomes the fourth Democratic member of Congress in a month — the second “Blue Dog” from Tennessee — to announce his retirement in 2010. Like Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.), who announced his retirement last week, Gordon represented an old-line Democratic seat whose voters increasingly went for the GOP’s presidential and Senate candidates; the district went for the McCain-Palin ticket in 2008 by a margin of 62 percent to 37 percent for Obama-Biden. And while, as in Tanner’s district, Democrats are trying to get a credible local office-holder into the race — and sources tell me they knew this was coming — they have traded a safe seat for a toss-up race.
One long-term effect I see here: There are going to be a number of deep red areas where, in 2010, prospective presidential candidates can happily stump for Republican nominees. In 2009, Republicans in New Jersey and Virginia were skittish about bringing Sarah Palin into their blue states. But Palin, a laughable figure among non-Republicans, would be a massive draw in a rural Tennessee district that went nearly two-to-one for her ticket. Come election night 2010, Palin and a lot of other 2012 hopefuls will try and take credit for any red state or red-district GOP gains. It’s what Richard Nixon did in 1966, stumping in districts that briefly turned blue in the LBJ landslide, and basking in gratitude when, unsurprisingly, Republicans won back the seats.
Related
$1.3 trillion in federal spending unaccounted for, report finds
Despite calls for independent bodies to keep government accountable, the Sunlight Foundation’s most recent Clearspending report has found the federal
$1.89 billion given to states to fight HIV
The federal government Monday announced more than $1.89 billion in funding to states to fight the HIV epidemic with access to care and with more cash for the failing AIDS Drug Assistance Program. According to an HHS press release , $813 million of that money will go directly to the ADAP programming. An additional $8,386,340 will be issued as a supplement to 36 states and territories currently facing a litany of unmet needs and access issues.
1 Brigade and 1 Battalion
ISTANBUL – It’s 10 p.m. in the lowest level of the Istanbul airport. In 20 minutes I’ll be allowed to board my plane to Kabul, bringing me to the
1. Brian Schweitzer
As governor of Montana, Schweitzer doesn’t represent one of the most highly populated, high-profile electoral states in the country. But this
#1 in Conspiracy Theories
Andrew Young’s tell-all biography of John Edwards, hitting shelves next week, is surging in one Amazon.com category in particular. #1 in Conspiracy
$1 Million for Toomey
Pat Toomey, the former Club for Growth president and leading Republican candidate in Pennsylvania’s 2010 Senate race, has announced a $1 million haul in the
$1 Trillion for Fannie and Freddie?
That is the worst-case scenario, according to Egan-Jones Ratings Co., quoted in a Bloomberg article making the rounds. The agency says that if home prices
$1.3 Million for Brown
The GOP’s candidate in the Massachusetts special election raised more than one million dollars -- double the goal -- in a 24-hour moneybomb on the Ron Paul
Ten Loopholes That Can’t Make It Into FinReg
Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, wrote a blog post that lists the loopholes lobbyists most want inserted into Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.)
Bachmann uncomfortable over earmarks ban
Republicans appear to have boxed themselves into a corner with their portrayal of earmarks as wasteful spending, as many of them have backed a moratorium on
Troubled mine holds hope for U.S. rare earth industry
China currently controls 97 percent of the world’s rare earth production. The Mountain Pass Mine could change that -- if it can overcome serious environmental concerns.