Archive

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…

Will Mood for Change Benefit Primary Challengers?

by Stuart Rothenberg February 2, 2006 · 9:06 AM EST

Despite of the difficulty of knocking off incumbent Members of Congress in primaries, a handful of potentially serious Congressional primaries are taking shape this cycle. Will the overall political environment, which favors change over the status quo, benefit these insurgents?

The two…

Louisiana Governor ’07: Jindal Readying Another Run

by Stuart Rothenberg January 31, 2006 · 9:22 AM EST

Already looking past the 2006 midterm elections? Well, if you are, you don’t need to look all the way to 2008 to find a race that’s already starting to take shape.

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) announced recently that she will seek reelection in 2007. But Blanco’s prospects are…

Romney’s Abortion Code Needs Updating

by Stuart Rothenberg January 31, 2006 · 9:19 AM EST

When Mitt Romney spoke to a roomful of reporters at a lunch hosted by the Christian Science Monitor on Thursday, he said the right thing about his current position on abortion, but he said it in the wrong way. President George W. Bush, the master of speaking to evangelicals and socially…

Romney’s Bid for the White House Looks Decidedly Uphill

by Stuart Rothenberg January 30, 2006 · 9:47 AM EST

The Republicans begin the marathon toward the 2008 presidential election without a prohibitive favorite for their nomination. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani lead in early polling, but their initial strength comes from their celebrity status, not their…

A Good Democratic Year Is Building

by Stuart Rothenberg January 29, 2006 · 8:21 PM EST

With a little over nine months to go until Election Day, Democrats are headed for gains in the United States House of Representatives. The only question is exactly how big those gains will be.

Democrats need a net gain of fifteen seats to get to the magic number of 218 seats and control of the…

New Print Edition: Illinois 6 & Ohio Senate

January 27, 2006 · 12:04 PM EST

The new January 27, 2006 print edition of the Rothenberg Political Report is on its way to subscribers. (Click here for subscription information.)

Illinois 6: Fighting Chance
By Nathan L. Gonzales

At first glance, you might think Illinois’ 6th Congressional District is the only race in the…

Ohio Senate: Buckeye Battle

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 27, 2006 · 10:00 AM EST

Ohio is as close to a political disaster area for Republicans than any state in the country. Out-going Gov. Bob Taft (R) pleaded no contest to four misdemeanor charges for accepting gifts for political favors, and his job approval ratings crack 20% on a good day.

It is in this environment that…