CT-SEN: Everyone Calm Down

Okay, let’s cool down a bit from that pre-weekend craziness. Rachel Weiner writes that the GOP may have found an appealingly somber replacement for the recently beleaguered Alan Schlesinger (R), but last we checked the gamblin’ man refuses to fold his hand. And lest we forget the reason that any of us were interested in this race to begin with, the NY Times has a feature on the plight of Senator Joe Lieberman (D).

Georgia Primaries Tuesday!
Don’t forget – tight matchups include the Democratic gubernatorial primary between Secretary of State Cathy Cox (D) and Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor (D), the Democratic 4^th district U.S. House primary with Representative Cynthia McKinney (D) fending off two challengers, and of course the only lieutenant gubernatorial primary seemingly anyone has ever cared about, pitting muckraker all-star Ralph Reed (R) against state Senator Casey Cagle (R).

SC-GOV: No Barney Fife
With the help of some disgruntled voters, gubernatorial hopeful Jake Knotts (R) is confident he will have the 10,000 necessary signatures, due today at noon, to get on the November ballot as an independent. The Midterm Roundup has a hunch how incumbent Governor Mark Sanford (R) feels about Knotts’ candidacy: “Nip it in the bud!”

VA-SEN: Less Money, More Problems

Senate challenger Jim Webb’s (D) latest fundraising numbers indicate that he has raised a healthy amount since finishing his successful primary campaign flat broke. But, WaPo writes, he remains a financial midget before incumbent Senator George Allen (R).

TN-SEN: Maniacal Chicken Attacks Corker Campaign!

Last week the Midterm Roundup noted a story about a crazed, possibly dangerous (just see the look in its eyes), giant chicken accosting former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker (R) outside his Nashville campaign headquarters. The Midterm Roundup hoped that incident would be the last it or anyone else would ever see of the depraved beast. But a Saturday Tennessean report confirmed its worst nightmares: the chicken is dangerous, and how. The avian monster somehow learned to operate a motor vehicle and then proceeded to drive into Corker volunteer Bryan Shannon, knocking Shannon off his feet and shattering the car’s windshield.

Oh but the chicken is no senseless killing machine, it is chillingly calculating: according to the campaign manager of Corker rival Ed Bryant (R), the chicken may press charges against Shannon for “physically assaulting his car.” Clearly this creature is a grave threat and it remains loose somewhere in the Chattanooga area. The Midterm Roundup direly urges all Tennessee gun owners to patrol the streets and, if the chicken is encountered, to terminate it with extreme prejudice.

FL-SEN: Katherine Harris Watch

Current threat level: YELLOW, no ORANGE, no A SOFT MADRAS BLUE WITH EGGSHELL WAINSCOTING… OH AND THOSE CURTAINS HAVE GOT TO GO!

NY-SEN: Sibling Rivalry

The Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, The Hill – there’s plenty of places to get quality midterm election coverage (not to mention Election Central, of course). But what about that redoubtable institution, the New York Post? What’s the nature of their coverage, you wonder?

Democrats Pull Coffin Ad

And finally the Midterm Roundup can stop not feeling bad for deliberately ignoring this inane story.

It’s a Bad Hair-off!

Politics1 announces its biennial congressional bad hair contest. Vote now! While the Midterm Roundup was disappointed by the absence of Jerry Lewis’ blinding coif, its vote goes to Representative Steve Chabot (R-OH), though it was nearly convinced by Representative Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT) stirring homage to Andy Warhol. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) is currently in the lead, aided no doubt by this. Of course if this were the biennial congressional red face contest, Bob Ney would win running away.

Licking the 2Q Fundraising Bowl

With the passing of the July 15 deadline for filing campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission, catch a final wrap-up of the numbers here. And you can track all electronic filings here.

IYI (If You’re Interested)

Or IYRAJ (If You’re a Redistricting Arcana Junkie): CQ takes a look at the various possible outcomes of the legal proceedings to amend Texas’ 23^rd district, as ordered by the June 28 Supreme Court ruling. Actually this should interest more than just RAJ’s, as the decision will determine, among other things, whether seven-term Representative Henry Bonilla (R) remains a safe incumbent or faces a potential challenge in November. And for a wide-angle lens shot of the national implications of the Supreme Court’s decision check this out.

CA-11: Pombo lays out case against species act (a SacBee interview)

CA-GOV: Ironically, Schwarzenegger gains by becoming just another pol (the SacBee’s Dan Walters)

FL-GOV: On the GOP side, In GOP governor's race, Gallagher backers keeping the faith (Palm Beach Post), and on the Dems side, Politicians' obscurity is gone when she's Dunn (SP Times, winning the Midterm Roundup’s weekly – or whenever it deigns to grant it – headline pun-stretch award)

PA-SEN: Santorum struggles for support at home (AP), but Santorum's war chest at $20M (AP), and strictly IYI, Quotes from Pa. voters on Senate race (AP)

NATIONWIDE: GOP Fears Fallout Of Immigration Split (WaPo), and A New Alliance Of Democrats Spreads Funding (WaPo), and The Fix takes a look at nationwide gubernatorial races in his latest Friday Line.