CT-SEN: Proud to be Back as the Midterm Roundup’s Lead Item of the Day!

1^st Post-Primary Debate Recap!

CT-SEN: Lamont Echoes 1988 Lieberman At Debate (Election Central)

Rivals Take Shots at Lieberman in Debate (AP)

Lieberman Clashes With Lamont and G.O.P. Rival (NYT)

Lieberman and Lamont Turn Deba- Hold up, hold up. What’s all this Lieberman Lamont stuff? If the Midterm Roundup isn’t mistaken – and it’s not – it believes Monday’s debate also featured a certain 3^rd participant. And it sounds like this fellow made more noise than anyone. Ladies and gentlemen the Midterm Roundup could not be more pleased or more proud to announce: Alan Schlesinger…

HAS ARRIVED!

“I'm here to tell you today, I've come up off of that ground! I'm brushing myself off! And look out Ned and Joe, here I come, baby!” – Alan Schlesinger, as quoted by the Hartford Courant

Schlesinger Steals The Show (New Haven Independent)

Wham!

CT-Sen: Schlesinger (R) Hits it Out of the Park (Swing State Project)

Bam!

Schlesinger goes on the attack against Lieberman (Stamford Advocate)

Slam!

GOP contender finally makes his presence known (more Stamford Advocate)

Yes Ma’am!

And the NY Times, with its 16^th piece about the debate, delivers a killer lede: “The spotlight on the United States Senate race here has never fallen on Alan Schlesinger. At the debate on Monday, he stole it.” Swanky.

Political Wire has more still on the cult hero that’s suddenly blown up Broadway-style:

“Alan Schlesinger (R) -- almost forgotten in a race primarily between Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) and Ned Lamont (D) -- came out of nowhere and dominated the entire debate. At least that's what the perception is, and in politics, that's the most important thing. As one Political Wire reader notes, the dynamics of the race ‘shook to their foundations.’ Schlesinger was ‘articulate and passionate’ and contrasted with a ‘mealy-mouthed Lieberman and a Lamont who faded into the background in the face of the GOP candidate's assault.’”

WaPo saw Monday’s debate in the light of Lamont’s recent waning: Giant-Killer Lamont Stumbles. Arianna Huffington, following up on her previous post, uses the help of reader suggestions to craft a wakeup call to Ned Lamont: Ned Lamont's Concession Speech (A Speech I Never Want to Hear). From David Sirota – A Pathological Lying Problem on Display (Guess who he’s talking about? It’s Lieberman.) Plus DebateScoop has a liveblog.

Meanwhile The Fix, obviously a compulsive reader and follower of the Midterm Roundup, takes a cue and offers its take on the race with Conn. Senate: Lamont's Challenge. “Can Lamont win? The answer is yes, but not without a few breaks.”

And a couple more odds and ends from the Hartford Courant: Lamont donated another $2 million to his campaign on Monday, bringing his personal contribution total for the campaign to $11 freaking million (Lieberman still has much more cash on hand).

Plus, good news! “After thinking things over during the weekend, Lieberman has decided that he is rooting for Democrats to regain control of the House of Representatives, his staff said Monday.” Way to go Joe! We knew you could figure that one out if you just worked at it long enough. Next up: taking off your pants. This is a tricky one, and we can’t give you the answer Joe. The only way you’ll learn is by solving it on your own. But here is a hint: Sometimes in order to accomplish something, you have to actually do something else first. Think about the things that seem to be preventing you from taking off your pants… like your shirt, or, just maybe, your shoes… and work on that problem first. It’s hard, but you can do it. Just believe in yourself.

The Courant also reports that the next debate, scheduled for tomorrow at 3:00 pm, will not be open to any media other than WFSB-TV, which is sponsoring the debate. Instead of being aired live the debate will be blacked out and aired on Thursday at 7:00 pm. It’ll be the only debate to feature all five of the race’s candidates.

But CT-SEN wasn’t the only big race with a debate yesterday.

PA-SEN: Final Debate Recap!

*Sniff* The Midterm Roundup stares into the distance as a lone tear slowly rolls down its cheek with the realization that we have seen Senator Rick Santorum’s (R) final debate of the 2006 election year. But he went out with a bang, engaging in not 1 but 2 debates with challenger Bob Casey – a radio debate Monday morning and a televised debate Monday night.

It’s not Santorum’s performances the Roundup will miss. It’s Kathryn Jean Lopez’s priceless reactions… What? K-Lo didn’t watch the debate?!?? The Roundup is reminded vaguely of the final scene from Harry and the Hendersons, when Ernie Henderson has to look away because he is so sad to see Harry go when they release him back into the wild.

So how are we supposed to know what to think without K-Lo to tell us? Luckily, a like-minded reader did catch the debate and Lopez imparts the reaction, which is: Casey sucks.

Oh wait, apparently K-Lo only missed the morning’s radio debate. It’s unclear if she caught the TV debate – no posts on it yet. The Roundup will keeps its eyes dutifully peeled.

Anyway, here’s some other, perhaps slightly more credible, media reaction:

Allentown Morning Call: Santorum, Casey play nice in morning debate: “The political mud-slinging between Sen. Rick Santorum and Bob Casey Jr. continued in a more subdued manner this morning in the first of two Philadelphia debates, with the Senate candidates sparring over everything from same-sex marriage to Santorum's role in the Terri Schiavo case last year.”

AP: Pa. Senate Candidates Hold Final Debate: “Sen. Rick Santorum said Monday night that he comprehends foreign policy and threats abroad, while Democrat Bob Casey accused the Republican administration of being hasty by using military action instead of diplomacy.”

Philadelphia Inquirer: Casey, Santorum debate a last time: “When they last met for a televised debate, Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and Democrat Bob Casey Jr. looked like they were ready to jump from behind their lecterns and scuffle.”

Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Santorum on the attack in final debate with Casey: “Sen. Rick Santorum attempted to seize the offensive against Democrat Bob Casey in their final debate last night, repeatedly accusing the challenger of evading questions, while Mr. Casey renewed his portrayal of the incumbent as a rubber stamp for the Bush administration.”

Or decide for yourself: Check out the morning radio debate here. Check out the TV debate here.

And here’s how the money picture is shaping up in Pennsylvania: “Santorum had $3.6 million in cash to Casey's $3.7 million for the quarter that ended Sept. 30, their campaigns said Monday. That's a much different picture than at the end of June, when Santorum had twice as much cash as Casey.”

The Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire blog remarks that all that cash on hand spells an excessive and assuredly ugly final 3 weeks of TV ads: “Some bad news for the people of Pennsylvania: both Senate candidates have plenty of cash and just 22 more days in which to spend it.”

And on top of the candidates’ expenditures, outside groups are investing in the ad wars as well. K-Lo notes a new Santorum ad being run by that emerging 527 group, Softer Voices.

MO-SEN: Talent-McCaskill 4^th Debate Recap!

The Missouri Senate race between Senator Jim Talent (R) and state Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) is now seen as one of the 3 key Senate races, 2 of which Democrats must win if they hope to win back the upper chamber of congress. If it can be assumed that Democrats will take GOP seats in Montana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Rhode Island (where they are all favored, though by no means a sure thing (and they need to hold on to New Jersey)), then they need 2 more pickups for the magic 6. 3 states appear to offer the opportunity and Missouri is at the top of the list, along with Tennessee and Virginia. So look for a lot of coverage of these 3 leading up to Election Day. Last night Talent and McCaskill got dirty debate-style.

AP: Talent attacks McCaskill on taxes; McCaskill derides `smear': “Republican Sen. Jim Talent used a debate on traditional Republican turf to launch his most aggressive attack yet on Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill, implying she may have skimped on her taxes in what McCaskill derided as an unfounded ‘smear.’”

Springfield News-Leader: Senate candidates take off the gloves: “Republican Sen. Jim Talent quickly began attacking his Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill at a debate in Springfield Monday night with claims that McCaskill did not pay her property taxes.”

Kansas City Star: Talent, McCaskill sharpen barbs: “The rhetoric turned sharply negative — and personal — in the fourth U.S. Senate debate Monday, with Jim Talent and Claire McCaskill repeatedly accusing each other of mischaracterizing their records.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Talent goes on the offensive in fourth debate: “U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., came out swinging Monday night, lobbing his harshest public attacks so far against his Democratic rival, state Auditor Claire McCaskill.”

And as for the Missouri money numbers, McCaskill outraised Talent in the 3^rd quarter, about $2.6 to nearly $2 million. But Talent maintains a big lead in cash on hand, reporting $4.2 million compared to McCaskill’s $246,000.

$246,000? That’s it? Apparently McCaskill has already made a lot of her final stretch ad buys. AP reports, “The massive disparity isn't as wide as it appears, McCaskill spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh said, because McCaskill has already spent about $2 million to buy most of her final television ads for the remainder of the campaign.” Isn’t that thrifty.

NY-20: This Would be a Serious Shame…

One of the several thought-to-be relatively safe Republican House seats in upstate New York that has turned intensely competitive in recent weeks is Representative John Sweeney’s (R) NY-20 seat, which CQ recently shifted from Leans Republican to No Clear Favorite. The thought of an endangered John Sweeney – renowned and beloved in TPM land as the star of myriad muckish misadventures, and a man the very mention of whose name triggers an involuntary neuromuscular reflex that forces the Midterm Roundup to immediately link to this picture – struggling through debates against challenger Kirsten Gillibrand (D) is enough to make one salivate.

But now the Oneonta Daily Star reports, “The race for Congress in New York’s 20th District may go all the way to election day without a debate between incumbent Republican Rep. John Sweeney of Clifton Park and Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand of Hudson.”

Apparently the Sweeney campaign won’t debate unless Gillibrand releases her tax returns from the last 3 years. Gillibrand has countered by requesting that Sweeney release police reports from arrests in 1977 and 1978 and from a crash he had in 2001. The Times Union reported on a feisty postal exchange between the 2 candidates last week.

Gillibrand spokeswoman Allison Price employs a slightly craftier method to get Sweeney into the debate room: “She’s disclosed everything she’s supposed to. If John Sweeney needs more information about Kirsten’s income, why doesn’t he ask her about that himself, in debate?’’ Veeeeerrry clever, Ms. Price. Here’s hoping Sweeney falls for the mind trap.

OH-SEN: (Don’t) Turn Out the Liiiiights, the Party’s (not) Overrrrr…

Josh warned yesterday that just because the RNC appears to have written off or at least downgraded their efforts in the Ohio Senate race doesn’t mean the race is over and done with.

RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman seconds the notion, in a slightly more extended and concerted way. Hotline reports on a conference call Mehlman held yesterday morning, in which he told reporters, “Ohio is and remains an incredibly top priority for us. It’s one I’m very confident Mike DeWine can and will win.” Marc Ambinder breaks down the distinction between Mehlman’s assertions and Monday’s NY Times piece that reported the GOP was shifting funds away from Ohio. While Mehlman refutes some of Times reporter Adam Nagourney’s claims, Political Wire notes that Nagourney is standing by his story.

As a confirmation that DeWine is no dead man walking, CQ’s Battleground Dispatches notes: “DeWine wins endorsement of the Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal, Dayton Daily News and Wheeling Intelligencer, with the Lorain Morning Journal endorsing Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown.” Huh. Is it just the Roundup or is that a surprising number of newspaper endorsements for Mike DeWine? The Roundup could’ve sworn no one liked him.

Anyway, last weekend the AP reported on the sudden paucity of funds in some other Ohio races, including OH-06, OH-13, and the gubernatorial campaign of secretary of state Ken Blackwell (R), whom the AP says has recently, “disappeared from the airwaves.”

And for yet more on the GOP’s standing in Ohio, Sixers notes a Wall Street Journal piece that compares the Ohio GOP with that of Florida in determining why exactly one Republican gubernatorial candidate (Charlie Crist) is poised for victory while the other (Blackwell) is not. The crux: “In Florida, Republicans have spent the past eight years keeping their promises to voters; in Ohio the GOP forgot what ‘promise’ meant somewhere in the '90s. The tale of these two GOPs offers broader lessons for congressional Republicans, who are facing a rout this fall.”

NC-11: Is Charles Taylor Nervous About Reelection?

Let’s let the numbers answer that question: Taylor has outspent challenger Heath Shuler (D) by a 3-to-1 margin in 2006. Taylor’s 3^rd quarter campaign spending disclosures show 3^rd quarter disbursements of $1.9 million bringing his total disbursements for the election cycle to $3 million. The Shuler campaign meanwhile reported total spending of $934,751 for the election cycle and $515,854 for the quarter.

Taylor spent only $2.1 million and $1.8 million on his reelection races in 2004 and 2002, respectively.

So what has all that money gotten him? A big story in the Wall Street Journal last week all about Taylor’s remarkable proclivity for enriching himself through congressional earmarks (for which Taylor has threatened to sue the paper), and about a 10-point deficit in recent polls.

Meanwhile Shuler, a first time candidate, appears to be so comfortable at this point he has even adopted the traditional incumbent’s habit of dodging debates. The Asheville Citizen-Times, a co-sponsor of the debate (tentatively scheduled for Sunday, October 22), was none too happy about the Shuler eschewal, but Hotline notes a Shuler campaign release: “From the beginning we were very clear that I could not and would not debate on Sunday. Prior to entering this race I made a commitment to Nikol, Navy, and Island, that Sundays would remain a day for the family. It is a commitment I have not broken during this race and will not break in the closing weeks.” The Midterm Roundup finds Shuler’s commitment to his family heartwarming, his taste in child names utterly baffling, and his taste in women outstandingly keen (respectfully so, always respectfully so).

PA-07: Weldon Silences his Critics

After federal agents raided 6 locations Monday morning, including his daughter’s home, Representative Curt Weldon (R) lashed out yesterday evening in a mostly incomprehensible screed in which he blamed the probe on a “cabal” of forces and individuals, both fictional and nonfictional, including actor Ben Vereen, Confederate Civil War General Stonewall Jackson, boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho, New York City taxi drivers, the clones of Dr. Funkenstein, former marathon runner Rosie Ruiz, defunct stock brokerage firm E.F. Hutton, Dual Action Cleanse product developer and marketer Klee Irwin, Denver International Airport, E. Honda from Street Fighter II, Tyrone Shoelaces, and famed primatologist Jane Goodall. “I know what I know,” Weldon stated firmly at the conclusion of his speech. WaPo reports that upon hearing Weldon’s statement, the FBI promptly closed their investigation.

Hotline’s John Mercurio brings up a thought-provoking point about Speaker Dennis Hastert: “Much was made of Hastert's unusual decision to side with House Dems in 5/06 and criticize the FBI raid of Rep. Bill Jefferson's (D-LA) Rayburn House offices. Why was Hastert siding with Min. Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and against the GOP-led Bush admin. But has anyone drawn a connection between Hastert's defense of Jefferson and the Mark Foley scandal? In other words, was Hastert defending Jefferson against the FBI in 5/06 because he feared that a legal precedent would be set, allowing the FBI to raid offices like, say, Foley's and perhaps, Weldon's?”

IYI (If You’re Interested)

FL: Fla. Roundup: Scandal May Counteract State’s Rightward Lean (CQ)

NJ-SEN: Senate hopes to hinge on corruption charges in N.J. (Wash Times)

Plus – the Philadelphia Inquirer endorses Senator Bob Menendez (D), and the Newark Star-Ledger reports, “Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr. out-raised U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) during the past three months, but Menendez continues to have more cash in reserve.”

PA: Santorum, Republicans Find Philadelphia Suburbs `Ground Zero' (Bloomberg)

RI-SEN: Chafee Trys to Recover From RI Primary (AP, winning the Midterm Roundup’s award for Most Glaring Grammatical Brainfart in a Headline Setting)

TN-SEN: Tennessee Trip Talk (NY Times takes a closer look at the increasingly heated and critical Tennessee Senate race), and the Nashville Tennessean endorses Harold Ford Jr.

VA-SEN: Allen touts conservative record, ideas (Wash Times), meanwhile WaPo reports on a Warner v. Warner showdown as Webb and Allen campaigned yesterday with former governor Mark R. Warner (D) and Sen. John Warner (R), respectively.

NATIONWIDE: The Hill has its latest Campaign 2006 Tipsheet. One notable item: “Retiring Rep. Martin Sabo (D-Minn.) hasn’t endorsed the Democratic nominee to succeed him, Keith Ellison, and now he’s even posing for photos with Ellison’s third-party candidate opponent.” Just to remind folks, Keith Ellison is the attention-drawing black Muslim, who, after winning the Democratic nomination, is the district’s presumptive future representative, and if so, the first Muslim ever to be elected to congress.

NATIONWIDE: Some Democrats Send a More Conservative Immigration Message (NYT)

NATIONWIDE: As Talk Radio Wavers, Bush Moves to Firm Up Support (NYT with an interesting piece about the surprising fact that George Bush actually felt the need to hold a meeting with conservative talk radio hosts – many of whom have parted ways with Bush in the past year over such issues as immigration – to straighten them out in time to motivate their conservative listeners to get to the polls)

NATIONWIDE: Oh crap, that’s it. The Roundup knew it. Republicans are gonna win again – In Close House Races, GOP Incumbents Hold Advantage in Funds (WaPo). But stop right there. The NY Times notes that while Republicans may have more cash on hand, Democrats showed a stronger financial 3^rd quarter in several key Senate races and some open House races as well.