Richard Burr Accuses Incumbent Elaine Marshall Of "Gutter Politics"

Burr, Marshall Clash In Final NC Senate Debate

The two major-party candidates for U.S. Senate on Thursday accused each other of lying in competing television ads and on the campaign trail and tackled the touchy issue of whether gays and lesbians are born or choose to be that way.

During their final debate before the election, Incumbent Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall accused Republican Richard Burr of having views on homosexuality that are "wrongheaded and discriminatory" when discussing whether they agreed with the policy barring gays from serving openly in the military. But Burr said she didn't listen to him and was trying to inject race into a discussion of gay rights.

Burr said the "don't ask, don't tell policy" has worked. When asked by moderator Judy Woodruff how he viewed gay behavior, Burr said he wasn't "sure that any of us know whether it's genetic or by choice. And I'm not sure that's even relevant that somebody chooses that lifestyle and how it might then impact our policies."

Marshall, who said earlier that being gay isn't a matter of choice and wants the policy repealed, said "there is ample evidence that it is biological and Sen. Burr obviously believes it's by choice."

"We shouldn't be judging people by the color of their hair, the color of their eyes, the color of their skin or other factors that they have no control over," she added. "That's wrong in America and what he's talking about is governmental discrimination."

Burr shot back: "I made it very clear what my position was, but don't bring race into this."

Although both candidates said Congress, not courts, should decide the policy's future, the sharp exchange capped a testy one-hour debate at the University of North Carolina studios less than two weeks before the Nov. 2 election and one week into the early voting period.


Each candidate harped on what they're saying about the other in television commercials.

Burr accused Marshall, North Carolina's secretary of state since 1997, of telling untruths on the campaign trail by accusing him of voting for bad trade deals and focusing upon his 2008 vote on the bank bailout. Burr, who defended his bailout vote and said he voted later against expanding it to invest in automobile and insurance companies, argued it was Marshall who has changed her mind during the campaign on whether she would have voted for it.

Burr tried to set the tone early by saying his 2004 Senate race with outgoing University of North Carolina System President Erskine Bowles was congenial and "we never made up things." He suggested Marshall was.

"The tactic may be to go in the gutter, secretary, but I'm not going there," Burr said.

Marshall said Burr approved financial deregulation while in Congress that led to the mess in financial industries the nation found itself in two years ago. She also countered that Burr's TV commercial saying she was for a cap-and-trade plan to reduce greenhouse emissions was just not true.

Marshall said after the debate that the "gutter" comment was designed to scare her but it didn't work. Her campaign said later Burr was mischaracterizing his race with Bowles.

Seeking to draw in undecided voters struggling in the sputtering economy, Marshall tried to cement herself as the outsider candidate in the race and that Burr, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1994, listens more to special interests.

Burr "has been there for 16 years as he's just part of that club," Marshall said. "I'm not."

Burr said it's government who has stood in the way of improving the economy. Until Washington brings predictability on taxes and policies to people seeking the American dream, he said, "I'm not sure we can hope that our neighbor will find a job."

The debate, the second hosted by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation at the University of North Carolina Television studios in 10 days, didn't include Libertarian Mike Beitler because surveys failed to show him with at least 10 percent support. About a dozen Beitler supporters holding placards getting debate attendees. Beitler participated in a League of Women Voters debate Oct. 13.


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Sources: WCNC, Google Maps

Richard Burr Is 8 Points Ahead Of Elaine Marshall: Decision 2010

Burr 48, Marshall 40



The North Carolina U.S. Senate race has tightened a bit, according to a new poll.

Democratic Senate candidate Elaine Marshall has begun to close the gap against Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who leads by eight points, according to a new survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm.

She trails 48-40, after a 13-point deficit against Burr three weeks ago.

PPP reports Marshall's standing has improved in her party. She has the support of 73 percent of Democrats, compared to 65 percent in the firm's last poll.

Burr's support remains steady at 48 percent, and he holds a 52-24 advantage with independents. If that continues, PPP suggested, it's difficult to imagine a scenario in which Marshall wins.

PPP surveyed 597 likely North Carolina voters Oct. 15-17. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Public Policy Polling, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Democrats Hope For Big 2010 Election Wins In West: CA, NV, WV

Early Vote A Bad Omen For Harry Reid

Early-voting numbers out of Nevada’s two biggest counties could spell trouble for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in his tough contest against Republican Sharron Angle.

In Reno’s Washoe County and Las Vegas’s Clark County, Republican turnout was disproportionately high over the first three voting days, according to local election officials. The two counties together make up 86 percent of the state’s voter population.

The sparsely populated counties outside Clark and Washoe, which have yet to report complete early-voting results, are strongly Republican.

Some 47 percent of early voters in the bellwether Washoe County so far have been Republicans, while 40 percent have been Democrats, according to the Washoe County Registrar. Nearly 11,000 people had voted in Washoe over the first three days of early voting, which began Saturday.

Voter registration in the county is evenly split, 39 percent to 39 percent. The disproportionate turnout is a concrete indication of the Republican enthusiasm that is expected to portend a nationwide GOP wave.

In Clark County, which is heavily Democratic, more Democrats than Republicans have voted, but Republicans are outperforming their share of the electorate.

Out of the nearly 47,000 votes cast in Clark County, 46 percent were Democrats, 39 percent Republicans, according to the Clark County Election Department. But while Democrats make up 46 percent of the county's registered voters, Republicans constitute just 33 percent.

Washoe County is home to Angle, a former Reno state legislator, whereas Reid's hometown of Searchlight is in Clark County.

Democrats disputed the notion that these numbers represented a boost for the GOP, noting that more Democrats than Republicans had gone to the polls overall in the two counties.

“Republicans have a small lead in terms of raw votes cast in Sharron Angle’s backyard and after a day in which Sarah Palin hosted a GOTV rally,” Reid spokesman Jon Summers said of the Washoe numbers. He added that focusing on Washoe “ignores that this is a statewide election.”

But the Democrats’ overall raw-vote advantage in Clark and Washoe is up against their likely deficit in the yet-uncounted rural counties and among independent voters, whom polls have shown heavily favoring Republicans this year.

"This makes for a pretty significant uphill battle for Democrats," Las Vegas-based Republican consultant Ryan Erwin said. "It's still early, but we're seeing that the enthusiasm gap is certainly real in Washoe County, especially when you factor in that Clark County Republicans are overperforming as well."

In the suburban Las Vegas-based 3rd Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Dina Titus faces a challenge from Republican Joe Heck, the parties are nearly tied in early turnout despite Democrats' registration advantage. Early voters were 43 percent Democrats, 41 percent Republicans, while registration was 42 percent Democrats and 36 percent Republicans.

Reid's campaign sees its extensive get-out-the-vote infrastructure as crucial to the senator's prospects in a contest polls have shown to be deadlocked. Angle hopes the pro-GOP national climate and voters’ dislike for Reid will sweep her to the Senate.

Democrats said they are confident they are hitting their targets.

"The Democratic Party is feeling good about turnout," state party spokeswoman Phoebe Sweet said. "While we're taking no vote for granted, what we're seeing is on par with our expectations thus far."

Statewide, Democrats have an edge of about 60,000 registered voters more than Republicans, but that represents a decline from 2008, when their advantage was over 100,000.

The Democratic turnout machine that powered President Obama to a 12-percentage-point victory in Nevada was kept in place after the 2008 election to work for Reid's reelection this year. But early figures in the first few days of the 2008 voting strongly favored Democrats.

"Harry Reid has spent millions of dollars on the Nevada Democratic Party turnout machine, and it's really, really good," Erwin, the GOP consultant, said. "But with independents breaking heavily for Republicans, Democrats are going to have to overperform their registration advantage to win this year."

Nevada’s two-week early voting period, which tends to account for half or more of total election turnout, ends on Oct. 29.



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Sources: Politico, Zimbio, Youtube, Google Maps

Christine O'Donnell Mocked On Saturday Night Live: "Cold Open"

SNL Returns With Christine O’Donnell Masturbation Parody


Saturday Night Live returned tonight and from the multitude of topics they had to choose from (and really, the news cycle is an embarrassment of riches where SNL is concerned) they opted for Christine O’Donnell.

In the open O’Donnell, played by Kristen Wiig, is asked about her past transgressions by members of the RNC (Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader) who want to make sure there will be no more media surprises before they agree to fund her (it is perhaps a measure of the nation’s political savvy that SNL assumed viewers would know about her troubles with the RNC).

Suffice to say SNL is not afraid to play dirty.

After discussing the “media’s fixation” with silly things like “dabbling in witchcraft” O’Donnell reveals to the pair that back when she started her anti-masturbation campaign back in the day she didn’t even know what masturbation was…now that she does she "Masturbates" multiple times a day!

Later she assures them that there are no other skeletons in her closet…unless you count the dogs. Turns out O’Donnell used to run dog fights and they were “much better than Michael Vick’s.” And come to think of it there was also this time in college…But never fear! The people of Delaware only want to hear about restoring the Constitution and “things like that.” Indeed.


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Sources: ABC, NBC, Huffington Post, Mediaite.com New York Daily News, Politically Incorrect, Saturday Night Live, TPM-TV, Youtube, Google Maps

Charlie Crist's Switch Brilliant! Denies Sour Grapes Was Reason

Crist Reacts To Criticism He Quit GOP Primary Because Of Sour Grapes


The Governor of Florida, now running an Independent bid for senate, says sour grapes didn't lead him to leave the Republican primary.

Gov. Charlie Crist told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley that he is aware of criticism that he withdrew from the primary only after his political fortunes fell against former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, who is expected to win the Republican nomination handily.

"That's what parties do and that's part of the biggest problem … all they're going to do is attack each other all day long. People like this, they go home and watch cable television, watch broadcast television and they see those kinds of arguments and it breaks their hearts," Crist said in an interview to be aired Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. "They see bickering, and they see nobody standing up and saying, 'We're all Americans, we've gotta to work together.,'"

Crist will face off against the party nominees – likely Rubio and Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek - in November. Several other candidates have qualified for the election without party affiliation, but none are expected to seriously contend for the seat.


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Sources: CNN, Google Maps

Cunningham, Lewis & Marshall Oppose Off Shore Drilling

North Carolina U.S. Senate Democratic Candidates Say Off Shore Drilling Is Too Murky


The 3 main N.C. Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Friday morning said the oil spill in the Gulf Coast reinforced their opposition to oil and gas exploration off of North Carolina's coast.

Appearing at a taping of WRAL TV's "On The Record," the Democrats said there were too many risks and too little benefits to off shore exploration, Rob Christensen reports.

In doing so, they broke with the Obama Administration which has taken the first steps to opening up sections of the east coast to exploration.

"I don't think off shore drilling is the right answer for North Carolina," said former state Sen. Cal Cunningham. "Based on all the experts estimates there is not meaningful oil or natural gas off the coast of North Carolina to meet the natural security and economic challenges this country faces."

Ken Lewis, a Chapel Hill attorney, said "there is no compelling evidence" there are large oil or natural gas reserves off the North Carolina coast. Lewis said the country should be focusing on energy alternatives and ways to reduce the carbon foot print.

Secretary of Sate Elaine Marshall said she is also skeptical about the value of drilling off the coast. But she said if the federal government required off shore exploration, that North Carolina would get the best deal in terms of revenue for the state and environmental protections.

"North Carolina needs to drive a hard bargain," Marshall said. The program will air Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.



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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Charlie Crist's Departure Proves Government Is Broken

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Crist Announces Independent Bid For U.S. Senate


Former GOP darling Gov. Charlie Crist defected from the Republican Party on Thursday to run as an independent for U.S. Senate after months of being ripped by Conservatives as too supportive of President Barack Obama.

"I don't have either party helping me. But I need you. I need you more than ever," the governor said, surrounded by cheering supporters carrying signs that included "Democrats for Crist."

Crist was the heavy favorite last year, and was even among the Republican names bandied about in the 2012 presidential race. But the primary campaign quickly became a lost cause as the tea party movement embraced another candidate, Marco Rubio, and held up the governor's literal embrace of Obama last year as evidence that Crist was too Liberal.

Crist said the election is "not one club's decision or another club's decision, or one club within that club. ... We give you the chance to make that decision."

His chances of winning as an independent appear slim. He's burned bridges with Republicans, and Democrats see his announcement as an opportunity for their own likely nominee, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Meek said after Crist's announcement that he is now in a "commanding position" to win the seat.

The Senate has two independents — Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut — but neither had to fend off serious contenders from both parties in a general election.

Crist's outlook in the primary campaign, however, seemed even bleaker. One recent poll showed Crist more than 20 percentage points behind Rubio in the August primary, but Crist had a tiny lead when voters were asked who they would pick in a three-way race with Rubio and Meek.

"The odds are like a million percent better than if he were running as a Republican," said Brett Doster, a Republican political operative who managed Tom Gallagher's gubernatorial campaign against Crist in 2006. "Now he's free without any loyalty to any organization, party or ideology to just come out and be an absolute and total populist."

Crist said after the announcement in his hometown of St. Petersburg that he will change his voter registration from Republican to "no party affiliation." He claimed the middle ground during his short speech, saying politics had become too divisive.

"I haven't supported an idea because it's a Republican idea or a Democratic idea. I support ideas because I think they're good ideas for the people," he said.

Leaving the Republicans means it will be tougher for Crist to raise money, he'll lose nearly all his campaign staff and he won't have the advantage of a party infrastructure for resources like voter lists and volunteers. The party that helped propel him to power will now do anything to defeat him.

The main things Crist will be relying on are his charisma and likable personality. He has long had a reputation of trying to be all things to all people, and now he'll see if that's enough to put him ahead of Rubio and Meek.

Three confidants had said Wednesday that Crist told them he will run an independent campaign, but the governor denied that and did not reveal his plans until Thursday's announcement.

Just a year ago, it seemed Crist was the man to beat for the GOP nomination to run for the Senate seat Republican Mel Martinez was leaving early. But he has seen his poll numbers nose-dive as conservatives switched their support to Rubio, many driven away in part by Crist's support for Obama's $787 billion stimulus package. Rubio has frequently reminded voters that Crist hugged the president at a Florida appearance to support the bill.

Rubio grinned widely at a campaign stop in Coral Gables on Thursday when asked about Crist.

"When I got in this race I knew I was running against people that supported the Obama agenda," he said. "I just didn't realize I would have to run against both of them at the same time."

Other Republicans were making it clear that if Crist abandons the party, they will abandon him — for good.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Thursday that Crist's future political aspirations would be "irreparably damaged" by an independent run. The committee plans to reverse itself Thursday and back Rubio for the general election.

"Once we get by this drama today, it'll be a general election campaign," Cornyn said, predicting: "People will begin focusing on Kendrick Meek."

Cornyn said he expects GOP donors to ask to have their contributions refunded and added: "I will request the money that I've donated to his campaign from my leadership PAC back." Cornyn gave Crist $10,000 when he recruited the governor to run for the Senate in 2009.

Crist has spent the past several years working closely with Democrats and embracing other causes not popular among conservatives.

Just two weeks ago, he alienated many powerful Republican and business interests by vetoing a measure that would have made it easier to fire teachers and linked their pay to student test scores. At the same time, he scored points with the influential teachers union and other traditionally Democratic constituents who won't have a say in the GOP primary.

Even on Thursday Crist was talking about Obama, saying he spoke with him about a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that could threaten Florida coastline.

"He went ahead and volunteered any assistance the federal government can do," Crist said. "He was very sincere in what he had to say without a doubt, but we're all going to have to pitch in, not only government agencies — local, state and federal — but the people too."

Meek predicted Crist's independent candidacy will be good news for him.

"I feel that I'm running against two Republicans," he said. "There's very little difference between Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist. They both agree on a number of issues and people are sick and tired of politicians flipping and flopping and changing with the wind."

Crist had $7 million in his campaign account at the end of last month and doesn't need to spend it introducing himself to voters because he is so well-known. Rubio had about half that amount, but his fundraising has increased tremendously and he can now ask Crist supporters for help.

Steve Schale, a Democratic strategist who ran Obama's Florida campaign, said he wouldn't count Crist out as an independent candidate.

"I think all three of them have a shot. I've been calling it a jump ball," Schale said.

Crist faces the problem of instantly losing his campaign structure in 67 counties, his turnout operation and his volunteers.

"He doesn't have any of that. It's working for somebody else — his opponent — and that's a tremendous obstacle," said David Johnson, a Tallahassee-based Republican strategist.

Still, he said it's uncertain who will benefit from the three-way race: "It's like trying to predict the winner of the World Series right now based on the first month of the season."


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Sources: MSNBC, Google Maps

Richard Burr Ready For May's Primary, Has $5M In Cash (Video)

Sen. Richard Burr Has Plenty Of Campaign Cash To Get Through May’s Primary





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Sources: Facebook, WNCT, Google Maps

Cal Cunningham Launches His N.C. Jobs Tour From Charlotte

Cal Cunningham Kicks Off His N.C. State Tour In Charlotte


With an 18-wheeler as a prop, Democrat Cal Cunningham started a statewide Jobs tour today by criticizing Republican Richard Burr’s voting record on trade.

“Eighteen wheels on this truck behind me, one for every time he’s cast a vote that has hurt North Carolina,” Cunningham said in the parking lot of a now-renovated Charlotte textile mill.

Charlotte was the first stop of a tour that stops this afternoon in Salisbury and moves to eastern North Carolina on Friday and the Triad on Saturday.

Cal Cunningham stood in front of a big rig from a textile plant in his home Davidson County. He was joined by his wife Elizabeth and four supporters including the truck driver.

Besides the Observer, the event attracted just one television camera.

Cunningham criticized Burr’s votes for trade agreements.

“He’s pursued a right-wing agenda at the expense of those he was elected to serve,” Cunningham said.

Richard Burr's spokesman Samantha Smith said the campaign declines to comment.




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Sources: Facebook, McClatchy Newspapers, Youtube, Google Maps

Kenneth Lewis Violates Campaign Finance Laws, Attacks Cunningham

Ken Lewis Is Late On Campaign Finance Reports


The Federal Election Commission has sent a letter to the Senate campaign of Ken Lewis admonishing them for failing to file its latest campaign finance report on time.

The FEC said that Ken Lewis' campaign had not filed a report listing their donations and expenditures for the period of April 1 through April 14th as required by law, Rob Christensen reports.

Sam Swartz, a Lewis campaign spokesman, said the campaign had not seen the letter.

The letter, dated April 23, signed by Debbie Chacona, assistant staff director of the FEC's reports analysis division, is on file online at the FEC site.






Ken Lewis Launches Negative Ad

In the first attack ad of North Carolina’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Ken Lewis knocks rival Cal Cunningham as someone who "says one thing then does another behind closed doors."

The radio ad — which as of Wednesday had yet to air — comes less than a week before the May 4 primary. It also comes a day after a poll showed Lewis, a Chapel Hill lawyer, trailing Cunningham, a former state senator, and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reports.

The ad involves an effort by the N.C. Banking Commission to award of bonuses to bank regulators. Commissioners discussed the bonuses last year in a conference call.

After the issue came up at a debate this month, Cunningham told reporters he’d left the call before the subject came up. But Lewis produced a transcript that shows Cunningham was on the call for at least some of the bonus discussion.

In earlier statements, Lewis has criticized Cunningham for what he calls inconsistencies. Spokesman Sam Swartz said the ad will be put into the rotation of ads running on mostly on black-oriented urban radio stations.

Cunningham spokeswoman Angela Guyadeen calls the ad "a desperate attempt by a candidate lagging in the polls to throw mud and distract voters from the real issues."

"(Cunningham) wasn’t on the conference call when the vote on bonuses took place, and no bonuses were ever awarded," she said Wednesday.


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Sources: Facebook, Federal Election Commission, McClatchy Newspapers, Google Maps

Charlie Crist To Defect GOP, Campaign As Independent (Stimulus Fight)

Crist To Bolt GOP, Run For Senate As Independent


Florida's Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is preparing to bolt the GOP and run for the United States Senate as an Independent, a Republican source tells ABC News.

The source tells ABC News that Crist has started calling his major donors to tell them of his decision to run as an Independent.

The source says that virtually all of his political staff will leave.

"I'm sure they already have their boxes packed," said the source, who was granted anonymity to encourage candor about the still-evolving situation.

The Crist campaign is not confirming his plans to leave the GOP and is encouraging members of the media to stay tuned for a Thursday afternoon press conference the governor is planning to hold in his hometown.

One staffer who is expected to stay on board is Crist's finance director, Dane Eagle. Crist will need him if, as expected, many donors ask for their money back when Crist bolts the GOP.

The source says that a long-time Crist supporter from Tampa named Greg Truax is helping him assemble a new staff.

Republicans in Washington have been bracing for Crist to leave the GOP. They tried -- apparently in vain -- to persuade him to remain with the party.

GOP officials are nervous that an Independent bid by Crist could upset the chances of the former Florida House Speaker, Republican Marco Rubio, a favorite of Tea Party activists who has gone from underdog to prohibitive frontrunner in Florida's GOP Senate primary.

"If Charlie puts his self-preservation ahead of party, it has the potential to create an upset for the Democrats," said a Republican operative who was granted anonymity so he could be more candid in his assessment of the race.

An April 13th Quinnipiac public opinion poll in Florida asked people how they would vote in a three-way race with Crist as an independent. The poll showed a tight contest: Crist with 32 percent, Rubio with 30, and Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek with 24.

A second Florida Republican source, who claimed not to have been notified personally of Crist's plans, tells ABC News that the internal polling Crist got back this week showed that the only possible path for him to win the Senate seat was to run as an independent. This source was told by Crist's campaign manager that he anticipates Crist will announce an Independent bid for the U.S. Senate Thursday.

Democrats quickly moved on Wednesday to make hay out of the expected Crist announcement.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine held a roundtable with reporters this afternoon in Washington and said the Crist move would rebound to the benefit of the likely Democratic nominee.

"If Gov. Crist announces that he's running as an Independent, the individual who is probably going to be happiest is going to be Congressman Meek," said Kaine. "That is going to be a huge plus for his campaign. Already a proven elected office holder and candidate running a good campaign, but that is going to be enormously helpful to him."

Kaine also said the GOP is in the midst of a "Civil War."

"On the Republican side we do see an internecine civil war that is pretty corrosive right now," said Kaine, a former Virginia governor. He pointed to the Florida Senate race and the Texas gubernatorial race as two key contests where a bloody GOP primary has created what he sees as a better opportunity for Democratic candidates than would have existed without the intra-party GOP battles.

The idea that Crist would have to leave the GOP is remarkable turnaround for a Republican who harbors presidential ambitions and who began his Senate race as a heavy favorite. He began to fall in the polls last year when he embraced President Obama's stimulus package.

If Crist leaves the GOP, he will become the second high-profile Republican to leave the party after backing the stimulus. Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, a long-time Republican senator, left the GOP one year ago and became a Democrat after this pro-stimulus vote made it all but impossible for him to win the 2010 GOP Senate primary against former Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Penn.

Under Florida law, Crist needs to make a decision by Friday because that is the state's deadline to file officially as a Republican or to enter the race without a party affiliation. He said on Tuesday, however, that he had set Thursday as a personal deadline to make up his mind.

Crist's decision is fraught with political considerations: Washington Republicans have been warning him that his career in the GOP would be over if he decided to run on a third-party line.

"He would lose all Republican support if he were to run as an independent," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell during a Sunday appearance on CNN's "State of the Union."

Crist is also being urged not to run as an Independent by the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

"I would never support it if he ran as an independent," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the NRSC chair, told Politico earlier this week. Cornyn is ready to get behind Rubio and work against Crist, even though he had originally jumped at the opportunity to endorse Crist's primary bid.

Crist is a well-known figure in Florida politics and he has a sizable campaign war chest.

Republicans are warning, however, that he would suffer in November if he was not able to rely on the get-out-the-vote operation of the state Republican Party. He also would not be able to benefit from the grassroots infrastructure which will be created by the NRSC's investment in the state GOP's "Victory" operation.

Some inside of Crist's own camp became convinced that the Florida governor had given up on winning the Republican primary when he crossed GOP leaders by vetoing a merit-pay bill that had passed the Florida legislature.

Although the GOP establishment has been bracing for Crist to run as an Independent, Republican officials were still holding out hope as recently as Tuesday that the governor would forego a 2010 Senate race and begin laying the groundwork to run in 2012 when Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., will be up for re-election.

Crist's likely Democratic opponent, Rep. Meek, is hoping that a three-person race will help him become more visible.

"The only thing that will change in our race if he does decide to run as an independent is accelerating the surfacing, the public surfacing of my candidacy," Meek recently told ABC News. "Then I will be included in all of the debates and I will be considered if you're going to pull the candidates together."


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Sources: ABC News, Slate, Top Line, Google Maps

Elaine Marshall Uses The Race Card Against Cal Cunningham "White Male"

Elaine Marshall's Aide: "White Male Can't Win"


North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall's Senate campaign is raising questions about her leading Democratic primary opponent's viability, suggesting that former state Sen. Cal Cunningham wouldn't be on solid general election footing "because he's a white male."

"Marshall's going to be the only candidate who's going to be competitive. She's won statewide," Marshall consultant Thomas Mills told POLITICO, continuing sarcastically:

"[Cunningham] can't win because he's a white male. He's going to have a good solid base, right"?

"All those young white male guys? Is that who he's bringing? He doesn't have a base."

Mills predicted Cunningham would strike out with Black voters in the primary fight, calling that a bad omen for the general election.

"If he gets two percent of the vote in the African American community in the Primary, I'd be shocked," said Mills, referring to Cunningham. "And if African Americans don't vote at 20 percent in the general, Democrats can't win in this state anyhow."

Cunningham spokeswoman Angela Guyadeen wouldn't respond directly to the Marshall campaign's charge, but said in a statement: "Cal Cunningham's campaign is focused on the key issue facing North Carolina: creating jobs and restoring our economy."

The two Democrats are competing for their party's nomination with Ken Lewis, an African-American attorney. The three face off in a vote next Tuesday, and if no candidate takes 40 percent of the vote they'll move to a June 22 runoff.

A SurveyUSA poll released this week showed Marshall clinging to a narrow edge over Cunningham, leading 23 percent to 19 percent, with 10 percent of the vote going to Lewis. But Cunningham, the preferred candidate of national Democrats, has been chipping away at Marshall's name identification advantage with a wave of television ads and he's the only candidate in the race to go on the air so far.

That's about to change. Marshall's going on television starting on Thursday with a 30-second spot that describes her as "the only Democrat for Senate with the experience and the guts to clean up the mess in Washington." Marshall campaign manager A.J. Carillo said the ad would run "mostly statewide, except for a few smaller markets."


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Sources: Politico, Wikipedia, Google Maps

Richard Burr's 2010 Win Appears To Be A Done Deal...Democrats Are In Trouble!

GOP gloats over Cal Cunningham decision


The National Republican Senatorial Committee is doing a little victory dance over former state Sen. Cal Cunningham's decision not to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

By the GOP's count (which looks an awful lot like a list compiled by Dome), Cunningham is the 10th Democrat who has looked at the Senate race and decided to take a pass, Rob Christensen reports. Here is the Republican's list: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Rep. Heath Shuler, Rep. Mike McIntyre, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, state Rep. Grier Martin, state Rep. Tricia Cotham, former state Treasurer Richard Moore, and state Sen. Malcolm Graham.

"Once again," said Republican spokesman Colin Reed, "the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and national Democrats have suffered a serious setback in their efforts to land a top-tier candidate in North Carolina."

Likely disagreeing with that sentiment are the two announced Democrats, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis. U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy are looking at the race.

Update: Also disagreeing with Reed was DSCC communications director Eric Schultz.

"Aside from Senator John Ensign, Senator Burr has the lowest approval rating of any Republican in the United States Senate. That’s because he’s beholden to the special interests in Washington. He will face a formidable opponent next November."







Cal Cunningham no longer quacks


Cal Cunningham's poll numbers didn't move much during the period where he was exploring a bid for U.S. Senate.

Cunningham, a Lexington lawyer, was the non-candidate candidate, who appeared at events and quietly looked at a run against Republican Sen. Richard Burr, giving Dome plenty of chances to use duck similes. Now, Dome must put away the quacks because Cunningham is out.

It's likely that his decision had something to do with whatever it is U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge will decide about the race.

It's also helpful to note that Cunningham had the same level of support against Burr in October than he did in February. Public Policy Polling noted in February that Burr was leading Cunningham 46 to 27. In October, the pollster pulled the same percentages. Pollster.com, which averages and analyzes polling data, showed that Cunningham's support over time was only slightly better than a flat line.

And for the record, Pollster.com shows declared candidate Kenneth Lewis with an average of 29.1 percent to Burr's 44.5. It's notable that Lewis and Cunningham, two unknowns, were getting similar numbers suggesting that polling results in their cases are more about Burr's level of support.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, also a declared candidate, has 31.2 percent to Burr's 43.9 percent, according to Pollster.com's analysis. And Etheridge has 34.7 percent to 43.3 percent for Burr.



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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Under The Dome, Senate.gov, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Youtube, Google Maps

Al Franken Officially Wins Minn. Senate Race! Another Victory For The Obama Administration!

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(Introducing New Minnesota Senator, Al Franken!)

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(Minnesota Supreme Court rules Al Franken to be the winner.)

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ST. PAUL, Minn. - Al Franken ascended Tuesday from the hallowed ranks of former "Saturday Night Live" comedians to an even more exclusive club, outlasting Republican Norm Coleman in an eight-month recount and courtroom saga to win a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Franken's victory gives Democrats control of 60 seats in the Senate — the critical number needed to overcome Republican filibusters. When Franken is seated, which could come as early as next week, his party will have a majority not reached on either side of the aisle in some three decades.

"When you win an election this close, you know not one bit of effort went to waste," Franken said. "The way I see it, I'm not going to Washington to be the 60th Democratic senator, I'm going to Washington to be the second senator from Minnesota."

Coleman conceded the election hours after a unanimous state Supreme Court ruled that Franken — who transition into politics with books poking fun at conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh — should be certified the winner. In doing so, he pulled the plug on a bitter election that was ultimately decided by 312 votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast.

"Franni and I are so thrilled that we can finally celebrate this victory," Franken told reporters outside his downtown Minneapolis town house, where he was accompanied by his wife. He added: "I can't wait to get started."

Months of intrigue:

Coleman could have carried his fight into federal court, but it was unlikely to overturn the state Supreme Court's decision. The prospect created months of intrigue over whether Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty would sign an election certificate for Franken if Coleman was still pursing appeals, a possibility that became moot with Coleman's concession.

"The Supreme Court has made its decision and I will abide by the results," Coleman said outside his St. Paul home. Appearing relaxed and upbeat, Coleman said he had congratulated Franken, was at peace with the decision and had no regrets about the fight.

"Sure I wanted to win," said Coleman, who declined to talk about his future and brushed aside a question about whether he would run for governor in 2010. "I thought we had a better case. But the court has spoken."

After Coleman ended election night ahead by several hundred votes, he called on Franken to concede. The Democrat refused, and the thin margin triggered an automatic recount that ultimately put him ahead by 225 votes. Coleman challenged those results in January, but a review by a three-judge panel expanded Franken's lead to 312 votes by the time it ended in April.

Coleman appealed to the state's high court later that month, arguing election officials across Minnesota were inconsistent with rules on absentee ballots, unfairly robbing thousands of people of their votes. But the state's high court soundly rejected that reasoning, voting 5-0 that there was no reason to apply a more lenient standard in judging absentees, as Coleman wanted, than the law required.

"I think what you had was 12 judges look at this through the canvassing process, through the recount and throughout the trial, and all agreeing unanimously that I won more votes than anybody else in the election," Franken said. "I think that is conclusive, and I think that this has been as thorough, as painstaking, as transparent as possible."

Long way from 1980s 'SNL' skits:

Franken has come a long way from the goofy 1980s "SNL" skits where he mocked politicians, portrayed the self-affirming Stuart Smalley and pranced around in little more than a Speedo. His career evolved in the 1990s with books harpooning Limbaugh and he later gained a liberal following as a radio show host on the "Air America" network.

Minnesota has elevated an entertainer to political office before, most notably when it elected ex-pro wrestler Jesse Ventura governor in 1998.

Franken declared his candidacy more than two years ago, and he and Coleman combined to spend $50 million in pursuit of the seat. That's more than double what was spent in 2002, when Coleman won the seat that had been held by the late Paul Wellstone.

For Democrats to exercise their newfound strength with Franken in office, they will need to be as united in support of a bill as Republicans are in opposition, regardless of regional differences, ideology, or political self-interest. .

The situation is further complicated by the illness of two senior Democrats who have been absent from the Capitol for weeks. West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd was recently released from a hospital after undergoing treatment for a staph infection, and Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is battling brain cancer. It is not known when, or whether, either will be able to return to the Capitol.

An early test could come next month, when health care legislation reaches the Senate floor. Democrats have been seeking agreement on a bipartisan plan with a handful of Republicans. But if those talks falter, they and the White House may end up in a situation where 60 votes would be needed to advance one of the administration's highest priorities.

In the months since Election Day, both Franken and Coleman kept low profiles. After Coleman's term expired in January, he took a job as a consultant and strategic adviser to the Republican Jewish Coalition, a group that advocates in Washington on Jewish issues.

Steps to ensure a quick transition:

Franken has taken some steps to ensure a quick transition, appointing a staff in waiting that includes communications staffers, a chief of staff and a state director. He said Tuesday he had been told his assignments would include the Judiciary Committee, a role that would put him immediately in the thick of confirmation hearings over Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Franken told her Tuesday he's "ready to get started immediately." The Democrat said Franken is expected to immediately dive into the health care debate.

"This victory was hard earned for Al Franken and his family," she said. "Franni Franken had a suitcase packed, ready to go to Washington at a moment's notice, like you do when you're waiting to have a baby. She had a toothbrush, clothes, all of that, ready to go."


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Sources: MSNBC, TIME, Political Blogs, Flickr, Google Maps