Rep. Ike Skelton Endorses Clinton

Clinton picks up another superdelegate today, this one from Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton.

Skelton is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Clinton sits on the Senate counterpart.

According to the Democratic Convention Watch, the superdelegate count stands as:

Hillary Clinton: 259
Barack Obama: 239
Undecided: 296

Congressman Tom Lantos, 1928-2008

Congressman Tom Lantos of California died today after his battle with esophageal cancer. Lantos was a Holocaust survivor and dedicated his life to human rights. He was elected to Congress in 1980 and chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee from 2007-2008.

Daily Rasmussen: Five-Way GOP Race?

New numbers from Rasmussen on the nomination, general election numbers on Kansas, Arizona, and Colorado, plus the Colorado Senate race.

Republicans

Rudy Giuliani: 18%
Mike Huckabee: 18%
John McCain: 14%
Fred Thompson: 13%
Mitt Romney: 12%
Ron Paul: 7%

The Republican race is getting very interesting. Despite being the only polling firm to show such a tight race where five candidates are within six points of each other, these Rasmussen numbers show a very tight race where anyone could win the nomination. Huckabee is surging not only in Iowa and New Hampshire, but nationally. Recent poll numbers in Florida and California shows modest gains for Huckabee as well. All this is at the expense of Giuliani and Romney.

Democrats

Hillary Clinton: 35%
Barack Obama: 23%
John Edwards: 17%
Bill Richardson: 7%

The race on the left is tightening too. Clinton's lead over Obama is down to 35%, the lowest since July for Rasmussen Reports.

General Election



Colorado Senate Race

Mark Udall (D): 41%
Bob Schaffer (R): 42%

Interesting numbers. Other polls show Udall with large leads over the Republican contender.

Democratic Congress Still a go for 2008

Rasmussen released a new generic Congressional ballot, which shows Democrats are still the one to beat.

Democrats: 46%
Republicans: 35%

Democrats 11-point lead is down from a month ago where is was 12 points and way down from September when they had an 18-point lead. Nevertheless the results have been consistent since the November elections: The voters dislike the Democratically-led Congress, but Republicans are the problem.

House Votes to Override Bush Veto

Five vetoes since Bush became President, four of them in the 110th Congress and the first possible override of his Presidency.

In a battle on fiscal responsibility, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to override President Bush's veto on the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.

The House voted 361 to 57 with 138 Republicans joining with Democrats to pass the Appropriations act.

The vote did not silence Democrats who were criticized by Republicans. Some of which even criticized their fellow Republicans essentially calling them hypocrites.

From Speaker Pelosi.

“If the president wants to talk about priorities, let’s talk about what is really important to the American people,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California. “I’d rather have a war on cancer than fritter away many more dollars in Iraq.”

The Senate has yet to vote on the override.

Impeachment Fails

Dennis Kucinich introduced his privileged resolution for the impeachment of Vice President Cheney. In what was initially expected to be a quick death, there was some action today on the House floor.

In an attempt to block the Resolution, Majority Leader Hoyer introduced a Motion to Table the resolution. In a dramatic turn of events, the Republican leadership pushed a Nay on the Motion in an effort to force debate and allow Democrats to take sides on the issue: Defend Cheney, or defend the Resolution. Still, it was not enough. A Motion to send the Resolution to Committee was quickly passed by the Democratic Majority ending Kucinich's hopes of impeaching the Vice President.

Another fun day at the Capitol...

Two Defeats in the Senate

First and foremost, Democrats failed to pass the Webb Amendment, which will give soldiers in Iraq the same amount of leave as time served in Iraq after Senator John Warner rapidly changed his mind once briefed by the Pentagon on the ability to sustain or effectively implement such a policy.

The Amendment failed by four votes, 56 to 44, with Senator Collins, Coleman, Hagel, Smith Snowe, and Sununu voting with the Democrats.

It is a stunning defeat for the Webb Amendment, which was expected to pass until Warner’s stunning revelation. It means the Democrats push to bring the troops home just became harder and it is more likely than ever the next President will be left with the Iraq mess to clean up.

Secondly, the Specter Amendment, which would of reinstate habeas corpus for those detained by the United States, failed to pass the Senate, failing by four votes, 56 to 43.

Hagel, Lugar, Smith, Snower, Specter and Sununu voted with the Democrats. A question to Republicans: What would our forefathers say?

It has become clear, any effort to reinstate habeas corpus will have to wait until the 111th Congress.

Mark Warner to Run for Senate

The speculation is over, Mark Warner will run for the United States Senate.

The following is an e-mail announcement, followed by a video announcement from the former Governor.

Thirteen days ago, my friend, Senator John Warner announced his retirement from the US Senate. He has served Virginia and our country with distinction, and brought an independence and civility to office we need to see more of in public life.

After his announcement, I said that I would make my future plans public in the coming days. After a great deal of reflection, talking with my family and friends, I've reached my decision.

I hope you will watch my announcement video - and join us in this effort.

With best wishes, Mark Warner.

This puts Republicans at a disadvantage. Warner is possibly the most popular local politician in the state and recent polls show him crushing the Republican opposition. This race is the Democrat's to lose.

This now puts him out of the short list of possible VP choices for the Democratic nominee. Damn.

Daily Rasmussen: VA, MN, and MA Presidential and Senate Races

Here are today's numbers from Rasmussen.

Republicans

Fred Thompson: 28%
Rudy Giuliani: 21%
Mitt Romney: 12%
John McCain: 12%
Mike Huckabee: 6%

Thompson continues his rise after his candidacy announcement, while interestingly, Giuliani's numbers fall, which brings up the w question, how strong is his support? More on that another time.

Democrats

Hillary Clinton: 41%
Barack Obama: 20%
John Edwards: 17%
Bill Richardson: 4%

No interesting movement. Edwards is up a few points since a few days ago, but it remains to be seen if it has any sustainability.

Here are the general election numbers for Virginia, Minnesota and Massachusetts.



The most interesting numbers of this set is the Virginia numbers. Democrats have both eyes on this state for both the Senate election and presidential election and right now, it looks like a race to watch. Virginia has steadily grown more Democratic over the last few years and the D.C. area expands into the state. Will it be enough to make this state blue for the first time since 1964? The fact that Clinton leads against Republicans in this state, makes wonder what the numbers look like for Edwards.

And these are the numbers for two Senate seats.



Right now, Mark Warner beats both leading Republicans by wide margins, it's no contest. It remains to be seen, however, whether he runs.

As for Minnesota, the seat is certainly in reach for Democrats.

Chuck Hagel to Retire

Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska will announce his retirement on Monday and close his two terms of service on January 5, 2009. Hagel will also announce he will not seek the Republican nomination for President or run for President as an Independent.

This now opens the way for former Senator Bob Kerry to run for the Senate seat. Kerry has expressed his intentions to run only if his long time friend, Hagel, retired. Kerry served as Senator for Nebraska from 1989 to 2001.

On the Republican field, former Governor and current Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has expressed his interest to run for the Senate seat.

Hagel was first elected in 1996 and has been the most vocal Republican opponent to the Iraq war. There was early speculation Hagel will run for President as a likely Independent, but it does not seem that will occur.

This makes Hagel the third Republican to announce their retirement. John Warner of Virginia and Wayne Allard of Colorado has announced they will retire. Larry Craig is a question mark.

Daily Rasmussen: DEMS Open Wide Lead Over GOP on Congressional Ballot

First up is the presidential nomination.

Republicans

Rudy Giuliani: 24%
Fred Thompson: 22%
Mitt Romney: 14%
John McCain: 14%
Mike Huckabee: 4%

Giuliani is viewed favorably by 70% of Republicans while Thompson is viewed favorably by 60% of Republicans.

Democrats

Hillary Clinton: 43%
Barack Obama: 24%
John Edwards: 12%
Bill Richardson: 4%
Joe Biden: 3%
Dennis Kucinich: 3%

Hillary Clinton is viewed favorably by an impressive 81% of Democrats, while Edwards is viewed favorably by 66% of Democrats.

In the general election matchup for Obama, the race has become too-close-to-call.

Rudy Giuliani: 45%
Barack Obama: 44%

Fred Thompson: 42%
Barack Obama: 46%

Giuliani has improved his favorability ratings and now 54% of all voters have a favorable opinion of the former Mayor, while 42% view him negatively. Obama has improved his ratings as well, but remains unimpressive for a candidate who is relatively new to the national scene. 49% view Obama favorably while 45% has the opposite view. For Thompson 40% view him favorably, while 36% view him negatively.

There is some good news for Democrats. If the Congressional election was held today, 50% of the voters will vote for the generic Democratic candidate while 32% will vote for the generic Republican candidate. Couple this with the abysmal approval ratings for Congress and the outlook for Republicans is not good. Essentially it goes like this: Congress is not working, but Republicans are the problem. I would not want to be on the wrong side of that interpretation. Even if Republicans manage to hold onto the White House, Congress will likely remain in the hands of the Democrats.

Recommended Reading

The Republican Party is not exactly standing on firm ground. After the 9/11 attacks, the 2002 and 2004 election, there was fear among Democrats that Bush, with Boy Genius by his side, would create a long-term Republican majority. Since then, everything has changed. Corruption, incompetence, ethics hypocrisy, and above all, the Iraq war has sank the Republicans to new lows and the outlook does not look pretty.

Here is a piece by the WSJ regarding that outlook.

Republican Forecast: Cloudy

Congressman Found Dead

Representative Paul Gilmore was found dead in his apartment today after he did not show up for work. There is no word on the cause of his death, however, House Minority Leader, John Beohner said he died “suddenly overnight.”

"He was a good friend to all of us," said a somber Boehner. "He's going to be missed by us all."

Gilmore was the Deputy Minority Whip and served Ohio's 5th Congressional District. He was first elected in 1988.

Gilmore was 68.

Larry Craig Reconsiders?

According to the AP, Larry Craig is reconsidering his resignation from the Senate. This comes as Senator Specter voiced his opinion that he had hoped his colleague fought the allegations and stayed in the Senate.

This type of in or out game will not go well with the Republican Party, who essentially threw Craig off their ship, or with Idahoans.

More as it comes.

Larry Craig Will Resign on September 30

After days of media attention on Senator Larry Craig and his alleged attempt to have sexual relations with a man in a airport bathroom, Craig, today, announced he will leave behind almost thirty years of Congressional service when he retires on September 30. The Governor of Idaho will appoint Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch to serve the remained of Craig's third term.

I have to say, this situation should not have been as controversial as it turned out. Craig made the mistake of pleading guilty and not informing the Senate, which in itself shows guilt. It's unfortunate for Craig, but as a Senator, who should know the laws, he is fully responsible. For all we know, Craig never intended to have sexual relations with a man, but is actions after the fact, shows otherwise. Personally, I would have tough it out, serve the remainder of the term and not run for a fourth term. But of course, you have to think of the Party. Plus, it is easy for me to say this behind my laptop.

There is no chance for Democrats to pick up this seat. No Democrat had been elected to the Senate from Idaho since 1974. So don't even think about asking the question.

John Warner Will Retire

Senator John Warner announced today he will retire after thirty years in the Senate, leaving behind a long and well respected record.

Senator Warner served as Secretary of the Navy under the Nixon Administration and first ran for the Senate in 1978. He was Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee from 1995-1999 and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 1999-2001.

What does this mean? It means Virginia will once again be a top battleground state in 2008 not only for the Senate but for its electoral votes in the presidential election. Democrats are actively seeking former Governor Mark Warner (no relation) to run for the seat, who is still very popular with voters. Republicans Tom Davis and former presidential candidate and former Governor Jim Gilmore has expressed interest in running for the seat. Either way, this is going to be a race to watch. Republicans have 22 seats to defend in the 2008 election cycle. With Warner gone, it means a much harder race in Virginia than Republicans had hoped for.

Speculation that Warner will not run arose when he only raised $500 in the first quarter. Now it is official.

Good luck Senator.

Who is the Most Powerful Political Women in the US?

A new list of Forbes most powerful women is out.

Here is a list of every women involved in politics in the United States that appeared on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women.

#4. Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State
#20. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
#25. Hillary Clinton, New York Senator
#26. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
#32. Julie Louise Gerberding, Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
#60. Laura Bush, First Lady

Interestingly, Clinton is more powerful than Pelosi who is second in line to the Presidency.

Who is number one you ask? German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. By far, the most powerful woman in the world.

FBI, IRS Searching Senator Steven’s House

The house of Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska is currently under search by the FBI and the IRS.

"All I can say is that agents from the FBI and IRS are currently conducting a search at that residence," said Dave Heller, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Anchorage office. The search began this afternoon, he said. It's the only such search warrant currently being served, he said.

Federal investigators and a grand jury looking into public corruption in Alaska have been asking questions about a 2000 remodeling project at Stevens' home, particularly the involvment of the oil field services firm Veco.

Three contractors who worked on the project told the Daily News that their records had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury, and others connected with the work and with Stevens had been interviewed.

One of the contractors who worked on the job said he was hired by Veco CEO Bill Allen for the job, and while his bills were paid by Stevens and his wife, Catherine, invoices were reviewed first by Veco.

I don’t know much about this story, so once I’m caught up on it I will post my reaction, but of course it is never a good thing to be searched by the FBI and IRS.

Pelosi vs. Sheehan

Are you freaking kidding me?

That was my reaction when I found out Cindy Sheehan has threatened Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to run against her in the 2008 Congressional election. The avid war protester and the ultra ultra liberal (this coming from a moderate Democrat) gave Nancy Pelosi until July 23 to file articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush or face Sheehan as an Independent challenge.

"I think all politicians should be held accountable," Sheehan told The Associated Press on Sunday. "Democrats and Americans feel betrayed by the Democratic leadership. We hired them to bring an end to the war."

"I would give her a run for her money," Sheehan said.

Pelosi’s reaction:

"Speaker Pelosi has said repeatedly her focus is on ending the war in Iraq. She believes that the best way to support our troops in Iraq is to bring them home safely and soon. July will be a month of action in Congress to end the war, including a vote to redeploy our troops by next spring."

I personally think Cindy Sheehan has very little chance of winning the San Francisco seat. Nancy Pelosi is very popular in the area and running as an Independent only slashes her chances. Either way, it will an interesting race to watch.

And here I thought the lion went back into its den.

Immigration Bill Dead Until Next Administration

After a long and hard fight over the controversial Immigration Bill, the Senate failed to advance the bill after a 46 to 53 vote.

The controversial bill won support and derision from both sides of the political aisle. Those voting in favor included 12 Republicans. Sixteen Democrats voted against it and 18 senators switched their votes from an earlier vote to advance the bill on Tuesday.

Those who voted "no" on Thursday included three Democratic freshman -- Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana and Virginia Sen. Jim Webb -- who won close races last year against conservative Republicans.

It is a crushing defeat for the President and highlights his lame duck status as he serves out the last leg of his term.

With the failing approval ratings of Congress, this will likely enhance the public’s discontent with the legislature.

The bill will likely not come up for debate until after the 2008 election.

Read more about this here.