Will she be missed???

[Tam]

Snowe's retirement, Kerrey's entrance highlight new optimism in Democrats' bid to hold Senate

By Associated Press, Published: March 1

WASHINGTON — Back-to-back surprises — Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe is retiring and former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey is running again — have given Democrats a burst of optimism that they can hold on to control of the Senate, a goal that seemed to be slipping from reach just weeks ago.

The decisions this week by Snowe, a Republican, and Kerrey, a Democrat, put two seats Democrats were prepared to write off in 2012 back into play. Those developments, combined with positive indicators for Democrats like an improving economy and President Barack Obama's higher standing in polls, have some sensing a shift in the environment.

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey speaks in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. Kerrey said Wednesday he will seek the Democratic nomination for the Nebraska seat he once held, reversing course just weeks after publicly rejecting a run he had called a longshot. Kerrey earlier this month opted out of the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, saying that not running was in his and his family's best interest.

"Things have changed so much that Democrats' prospects of keeping the Senate are at least 50-50 now, if not better than that," said Geoff Garin, a Democratic strategist and pollster.

To be sure, Democrats must overcome challenges to compete aggressively in both Maine and Nebraska. Time is running short to recruit a strong Democratic candidate in Maine, and Kerrey will be forced to answer for his years away from Nebraska.

Despite those hurdles, Democrats now see three clear pickup opportunities in 2012, in Maine, Nevada and Massachusetts. Party officials also hope races in Indiana and North Dakota could become competitive. Kerrey, a former governor, two-term senator and presidential candidate, gives Democrats a prominent candidate to put up for a seat they were prepared to concede when Sen. Ben Nelson announced his retirement and Kerrey initially passed on the race.

The overall playing field still favors Republicans, who are defending 10 seats to Democrats' 23 in 2012.The GOP needs a net gain of four seats to take back control of the Senate. Republicans said a week of positive developments for Democrats doesn't change the broader picture.

"Republicans have successfully expanded the map in states across the country and we're well positioned to make gains in November," said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senate Republicans' campaign arm.

Democrats' positive developments also come with plenty of caveats.

Snowe is leaving but who will that hurt? She was known as the most liberal Republican in the Senate and voted as much with the Dems as she did/does with the Republicans. Without her the Dems have one less vote to claim something passed with bipartisan support. Now that she is gone I hope they get someone that will actually back REPUBLICAN policies.

 

[Steve]

even if a democrat takes the seat it would be better then seeing liberals using her one vote as an excuse to say the bill was bipartisan... :?


BTW didn't Kerry move to new York?

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey speaks in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. Kerrey said Wednesday he will seek the Democratic nomination for the Nebraska seat he once held,

He is married to Sarah Paley and lives in New York City

Kerrey has been living in New York for the last ten years.[32] Kerrey responded to the ads with an invitation for Karl Rove to eat at one of Kerrey's restaurants in Nebraska, or to work out at one of his gyms that he owns in that state

unless he lives at one of the businesses he owns is he eligible to run?

He has several hurdles to overcome.

His first will be the residency issue. Kerrey must overcome the GOP charge that he is a political opportunist who is returning to Nebraska to run for U.S. Senate.

He did register to vote Tuesday in Douglas County, and listed his sister's home in west Omaha as his official residence.

Kerrey has said he plans to buy a home in Nebraska, although he doubts he would move his young son, Henry, 10, to Nebraska to attend school. He has said he would not pull Henry out of school in New York City for political reasons. And, if he wins election, his family would live with him in the Washington D.C., area.

 

[Anonymous]

Olympia Snow Announces Her Retirement
2/29/12

In a huge blow to Republicans' hopes at capturing the Senate, moderate Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) announced her retirement yesterday, putting this otherwise safe Republican seat in play. Despite the fact that Gov. Paul LePage is a Republican, Maine is fundamentally a very blue state and in an open race, the Democrats have an excellent chance of picking up this seat. In fact, in the wink of an eye, it suddenly became the Democrats' best shot at a pickup, overriding even Massachusetts, where Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) is locked in a titanic battle with consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren.

Since this news came completely out of the blue (basically, Snowe, who is extremely wealthy, said the Senate is so dysfunctional that she doesn't want to be part of it any more), nobody has announced his or her candidacy yet. Nevertheless, Maine's two representatives, Chellie Pingree and Michael Michaud, both Democrats, are surely thinking hard about it. Pingree is probably the more ambitious of the two and is likely to make the run. She comes from a political family, with her daughter, Hannah, having served as speaker of the Maine house of representatives until forced out by term limits.

Currently, the Democrats hold 53 seats in the Senate, so the Republicans need a net gain of three seats to produce a tie (good enough if they capture the vice presidency) or four seats for outright control. North Dakota is a likely Republican pickup, and unless former senator Bob Kerrey runs in Nebraska, the GOP is likely to pick up the seat of the retiring Democrat Ben Nelson. But the Republicans have vulnerabilities too. Democrats have good chances to pick up Republican seats in Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada. In the Silver State, Dean Heller was appointed to the Senate when former senator John Ensign resigned under pressure after it came out that not only was he having a long affair with the wife of his chief of staff. Then his wealthy parents tried to buy the chief's silence by giving him $96,000 which would be legal if they were genuinely gifts but would be illegal if they were in return for his silence, a tricky point to prove in court either way. Republicans didn't want it to come to a court fight so they put immense pressure on Ensign to quit the Senate outright, which he did.

 

[Soapweed]

Olympia Snow Announces Her Retirement
2/29/12

In a huge blow to Republicans' hopes at capturing the Senate, moderate Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) announced her retirement yesterday, putting this otherwise safe Republican seat in play. Despite the fact that Gov. Paul LePage is a Republican, Maine is fundamentally a very blue state and in an open race, the Democrats have an excellent chance of picking up this seat. In fact, in the wink of an eye, it suddenly became the Democrats' best shot at a pickup, overriding even Massachusetts, where Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) is locked in a titanic battle with consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren.

Since this news came completely out of the blue (basically, Snowe, who is extremely wealthy, said the Senate is so dysfunctional that she doesn't want to be part of it any more), nobody has announced his or her candidacy yet. Nevertheless, Maine's two representatives, Chellie Pingree and Michael Michaud, both Democrats, are surely thinking hard about it. Pingree is probably the more ambitious of the two and is likely to make the run. She comes from a political family, with her daughter, Hannah, having served as speaker of the Maine house of representatives until forced out by term limits.

Currently, the Democrats hold 53 seats in the Senate, so the Republicans need a net gain of three seats to produce a tie (good enough if they capture the vice presidency) or four seats for outright control. North Dakota is a likely Republican pickup, and unless former senator Bob Kerrey runs in Nebraska, the GOP is likely to pick up the seat of the retiring Democrat Ben Nelson. But the Republicans have vulnerabilities too. Democrats have good chances to pick up Republican seats in Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada. In the Silver State, Dean Heller was appointed to the Senate when former senator John Ensign resigned under pressure after it came out that not only was he having a long affair with the wife of his chief of staff. Then his wealthy parents tried to buy the chief's silence by giving him $96,000 which would be legal if they were genuinely gifts but would be illegal if they were in return for his silence, a tricky point to prove in court either way. Republicans didn't want it to come to a court fight so they put immense pressure on Ensign to quit the Senate outright, which he did.

For all the fanfair about "vote for the person, not the party," it still boils down to which party the person belongs. Anything else is just feely goody fooforaw. When the chips are really down, the birds of a feather will flock together; don't fool yourself otherwise.

 

[Tam]

even if a democrat takes the seat it would be better then seeing liberals using her one vote as an excuse to say the bill was bipartisan... :?


BTW didn't Kerry move to new York?

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey speaks in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. Kerrey said Wednesday he will seek the Democratic nomination for the Nebraska seat he once held,

He is married to Sarah Paley and lives in New York City

Kerrey has been living in New York for the last ten years.[32] Kerrey responded to the ads with an invitation for Karl Rove to eat at one of Kerrey's restaurants in Nebraska, or to work out at one of his gyms that he owns in that state

unless he lives at one of the businesses he owns is he eligible to run?

He has several hurdles to overcome.

His first will be the residency issue. Kerrey must overcome the GOP charge that he is a political opportunist who is returning to Nebraska to run for U.S. Senate.

He did register to vote Tuesday in Douglas County, and listed his sister's home in west Omaha as his official residence.

Kerrey has said he plans to buy a home in Nebraska, although he doubts he would move his young son, Henry, 10, to Nebraska to attend school. He has said he would not pull Henry out of school in New York City for political reasons. And, if he wins election, his family would live with him in the Washington D.C., area.

He used his sister's home as his official home :? didn't a Indiana Republican get charged with election fraud for claiming his ex-wifes home as his home? I guess he should have told them he was a DEMOCRAT. :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

Olympia Snow Announces Her Retirement
2/29/12

In a huge blow to Republicans' hopes at capturing the Senate, moderate Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) announced her retirement yesterday, putting this otherwise safe Republican seat in play. Despite the fact that Gov. Paul LePage is a Republican, Maine is fundamentally a very blue state and in an open race, the Democrats have an excellent chance of picking up this seat. In fact, in the wink of an eye, it suddenly became the Democrats' best shot at a pickup, overriding even Massachusetts, where Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) is locked in a titanic battle with consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren.

Since this news came completely out of the blue (basically, Snowe, who is extremely wealthy, said the Senate is so dysfunctional that she doesn't want to be part of it any more), nobody has announced his or her candidacy yet. Nevertheless, Maine's two representatives, Chellie Pingree and Michael Michaud, both Democrats, are surely thinking hard about it. Pingree is probably the more ambitious of the two and is likely to make the run. She comes from a political family, with her daughter, Hannah, having served as speaker of the Maine house of representatives until forced out by term limits.

Currently, the Democrats hold 53 seats in the Senate, so the Republicans need a net gain of three seats to produce a tie (good enough if they capture the vice presidency) or four seats for outright control. North Dakota is a likely Republican pickup, and unless former senator Bob Kerrey runs in Nebraska, the GOP is likely to pick up the seat of the retiring Democrat Ben Nelson. But the Republicans have vulnerabilities too. Democrats have good chances to pick up Republican seats in Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada. In the Silver State, Dean Heller was appointed to the Senate when former senator John Ensign resigned under pressure after it came out that not only was he having a long affair with the wife of his chief of staff. Then his wealthy parents tried to buy the chief's silence by giving him $96,000 which would be legal if they were genuinely gifts but would be illegal if they were in return for his silence, a tricky point to prove in court either way. Republicans didn't want it to come to a court fight so they put immense pressure on Ensign to quit the Senate outright, which he did.

For all the fanfair about "vote for the person, not the party," it still boils down to which party the person belongs. Anything else is just feely goody fooforaw. When the chips are really down, the birds of a feather will flock together; don't fool yourself otherwise.

Comically- and kind of opposite of what you are saying-- the Liberal side of the Dem cult is already coming out opposing Kerry saying they will not give him a dime either in the primary race or the general if he wins the primary...
They claim he is too centrist/moderate- and has not always followed the drumbeat of the party-- same as Ben Nelson-- and they would rather lose the seat....
Be interesting to see if they hold to that if Kerry is the candidate...

 

[Tam]

BTW Snowe was reportedly the one Republican that voted to stop the Blunt Amendment that said organizations could opt out of paying for Birth Control if they find it morally wrong. She is a RINO and her vote can't be counted on so will the Republicans really miss her?