The Washington Post reports GOP Strategists Whisper Fears Of Greater Losses in November. We're hearing some whispers about Brian Davis's chances--and cut backs on media buys--in Minnesota's First, and it doesn't look pretty for the GOP challenger.
Some tidbits from the WaPo's article:
The pessimism in the GOP ranks reflects a striking shift in momentum in the four weeks since the Republican National Convention , when Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made her national debut and rallied conservatives, helping to fuel the perception that longer-shot Democratic targets [in the Senate] were drifting out of reach .. . .
. . .The picture in the House is similar. The generic ballot test -- a traditional measure of broad voter attitudes -- has also moved decisively in Democrats' direction in recent days. The latest NBS-Wall Street Journal and Associated Press polls showed voters favoring a generic Democratic candidate for Congress over a generic Republican by 13 points, while a recent Time magazine poll gave Democrats a 46 percent to 36 percent edge.
GOP operatives said the party's declining fortunes are rooted in a series of events over the past two weeks, including McCain's decision to suspend his campaign in order to help broker a deal on the rescue plan and Republican opposition that doomed the bill in a House vote on Monday. Those incidents helped reinforce voter impressions that Washington is broken and that Republicans bear the brunt of the blame, the party insiders said. . . .
. . .Compounding Republican problems is a continued fundraising deficit that has left the party largely powerless to defend its congressional candidates against a televised Democratic onslaught. At the start of September -- the last time financial figures were available -- the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee held a $40 million cash-on-hand edge over its GOP counterpart and was advertising in 41 House districts, compared with just two districts in which the National Republican Campaign Committee was on the air.
An interesting column about Sarah Palin's fading star in the Fillmore County Journal.John Torgrimson writes:
Well, after the party comes the hangover. . . .
. . .Don't take it from me, take it from conservative columnists and pundits who support McCain's candidacy, but find Palin's nomination an embarrassment to the Republican party and the McCain campaign for president. . . .
Read the rest in the FCJ.
Speaking of embarrassments, we don't think that the NRCC will be wasting any money in MN-01. It's our understanding that Brian Davis's television ads will begin airing next week on Rochester and Mankato stations, but the start-up was pushed back a day. More details about his media buys as we confirm information. Davis has not aired an ad on cable or television since the September 9 primary.
In the comments section of the Star Tribune story, Davis paid taxes late on home in Wisconsin, we paused at this remark:
It's sad that First District Republicans nominated such an irresponsible candidate. State Senator Dick Day was not only a leader in our state and a good citizen, he actually had a chance at beating Walz. Brian Davis has single handedly taken out the Republican hopes in the First District.
While Davis is taking nearly a month to get on air after the primary, Walz has four positive ads running as well as an army of volunteers working on the ground. A Walz phone bank volunteer in Rochester told us that she frequently receives compliments for the positive, "he works for us" message in the congressman's ads. And Walz has done this while facing significant votes in Washington.
One significant vote came this week with the bailout bill. Walz lists drawbacks of bailout to the Post Bulletin, which has published his statement about his second "No" vote. Via the New Ulm Journal, the Associated Press reports in Peterson, Walz, Bachmann stay 'no' on bailout:
Walz said he had been hopeful the Senate would make improvements to the bill that was defeated in the House.
"I'm disappointed that instead the Senate sent this bill back to the House with $100 billion in unpaid for additional spending that will be added directly to the national debt," he said.
Edward Felker reports about the content of Barack Obama's calls to Democratic congressmen in the Times, the Post Bulletin's sister paper in Illinois:
Obama returned to the campaign trail after the vote, but continued to work the phones Thursday. In a call to House Democratic freshmen, he asked them to vote for the bailout bill while also promising to pursue more broad financial restructuring if elected president, according to Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., one of the Democratic freshmen leaders and an opponent of the plan.
We hope Obama will follow through on that if elected; we're betting Congressman Walz will remind him of the pledge. Walz wasn't swayed by promises of future revisions.
Dale at Corner House Comments is happy that the Wellstone Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Is Finally Law, though he's not especially pleased that it was folded into the bailout bill. Such is the nature of all silver linings.
A letter at the Post Bulletin, CRA not responsible for crisis, takes on the new/old urban legend that blames the poor for the failings of the wealthy and powerful. It's enough to make us re-read the Book of Amos.
The Owatonna People's Press reports $400000 earmarked for local flood projects on Owatonna. The city still has to meet certain criteria to secure the money.
KAAL reports Senator Amy Klobuchar Visits Extreme Makeover. Nice hat.
Image: Are Republicans beginning to panic?
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