Archive

Hillary’s Hurdles

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 22, 2006 · 11:16 PM EST

There is no question Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is running for president in 2008. Senators don’t normally raise $33 million to run for reelection against a nominal opponent. But there are a number of large hurdles Clinton must jump before she can be elected. Too often the focus is on just one of…

When Events Matter

by Stuart Rothenberg February 21, 2006 · 11:17 PM EST

While journalists and political junkies watch each day’s news with an eye to see who is winning and who is losing — who is moving up and who is moving down — the reality is that most days come and go without any real movement.

Americans don’t dissect the news the way a compulsive blogger or a…

Rothenberg’s 10 Most Endangered House Incumbents

by Stuart Rothenberg February 21, 2006 · 8:39 AM EST

This is one of the more difficult lists that I have tried to create over the years. Many of the incumbents on this list have proven their political mettle before, and in normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be in all that much trouble. Others find themselves in the sort of hot water that should…

Red-State Reid Sounds Like a Blue-State Leader

by Stuart Rothenberg February 16, 2006 · 9:00 AM EST

When Senate Democrats selected Nevada Sen. Harry Reid to be their leader, journalists and political insiders noted his red-state credentials, opposition to abortion and soft-spoken style as perfect qualities for a party seeking to broaden its appeal.

Almost immediately, a front-page New York…

It Won’t be a Bi-partisan Wave

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 14, 2006 · 9:46 AM EST

With a potential political wave developing, Republicans should face the reality that it likely will only break one way – toward the Democrats.

GOP leaders in Washington are trying to point out the “hypocrisy” of the Democratic attacks on ethics and corruption, but recent history shows that if a…

Indiana’s 8th: For the Democrats, It’s Now or Never

by Stuart Rothenberg February 13, 2006 · 9:13 AM EST

Democrats are poised to defeat Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.) in November. And they better succeed — because if they don’t, they might as well forget about ever defeating him.

Hostettler, a six-term conservative from southwest Indiana, has been a Democratic target since he was first elected in…

Nevada Senate: Don’t Believe the Hype

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 11, 2006 · 12:26 PM EST

A potential challenge to Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman (D) is receiving increased attention in the media. Don’t take it too seriously.

While, DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer (NY), Sen. Barack Obama (IL), and Minority Leader Harry Reid (Ensign’s colleague) reportedly have…

It’s Not DiMaggio for Williams, But It’s Time for a Trade

by Stuart Rothenberg February 9, 2006 · 8:42 AM EST

It’s true that I’m not, and have never been, a general manager of a Major League Baseball team. Those guys make much more money than I do, and these days you have to be under 35 to be hired for one of those jobs.

But I have a trade that is just screaming to be made, and I’d like to put it on…

Candidates Battle for Cash in House Open Seats

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 7, 2006 · 9:24 AM EST

Some of the biggest battles in the fight for the House this year will be in open seats, vacated by members running for higher office or retiring. With the power of incumbency, open seats often provide better opportunities for takeover. And now that year-end Federal Election Commission reports are…

Jindal Aims to Make Blanco Another Katrina Casualty

by Stuart Rothenberg February 6, 2006 · 9:33 AM EST

As political junkies across the country focus on November’s increasingly important midterm elections, friends and political allies of Louisiana 1st district Rep. Bobby Jindal (R) have something else on their mind: the Bayou State’s 2007 race for governor.

Incumbent Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) has…