Joe Lieberman gets bombarded on 4 sides, Menendez and Kean keep it unclean, Curt Weldon plays the coquette, and a big legal decision is handed down in Foley town. Gotta Round up to get down!

CT-SEN: 5 Man Smackup Debate Recap!

NY Times: Lieberman’s Iraq Stance Draws Fire in Debate: “Facing criticism from all sides of the political spectrum, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman was forced to defend himself in a five-way debate on Wednesday, at times appearing frustrated and repeatedly invoking his experience to fend off the group of opponents who are trying to unseat him.”

Hartford Courant: Lieberman Takes Heat: “Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman had no friends on a crowded stage Wednesday, assailed from the left and right for asserting he can be a force for change after 18 years in Washington.”

Connecticut Post: War in Iraq dominates Senate debate: “No matter what question the moderator, CBS newsman Bob Schieffer, threw at Connecticut's five candidates for the U.S. Senate at Wednesday's debate in Hartford, the answers always seemed to ricochet to one issue: the war in Iraq.”

Stamford Advocate: War major theme in Connecticut Senate debate: “The Iraq war and other national security issues took center stage as Sen. Joe Lieberman debated four candidates trying to succeed him in the Senate.”

AP: Lieberman Debates Rivals About Iraq War: “The Iraq war touched off a war of words Wednesday as Sen. Joe Lieberman debated four candidates trying to succeed him in the Senate.”

MyDD’s Matt Stoller was at the debate and has an in depth report of the proceedings over at Huffington Post: Debate Train to Crazy Town: “Alan Schlesinger is the first candidate I've seen who is genuinely tapping into the frustration grassroots conservatives feel with their party, because he's very clearly not supported by the establishment or even President Bush. As a result, Lieberman has to now make the electability argument to conservative voters, and that's never an easy place to be since it makes your message more complicated. Lamont can keep on with his progressive message, and he can only grow from here. And Schlesinger is just making this fun again.”

The Washington Times thinks Lieberman seen set to win re-election, but Salon’s Walter Shapiro takes a look at Lieberman's Republican problem.

The moment of the debate? Alan Schlesinger tagged Ned Lamont’s hand and the two teamed up on Lieberman Legion of Doom style (from the Courant):

In his closing remarks, Republican Alan Schlesinger teamed up with Democrat Ned Lamont to question how Lieberman would fare in "the real world" if he told his boss he couldn't fix something in 18 years.

“What do you think your boss is going to tell you?” Schlesinger asked Lieberman. Then Schlesinger turned to Lamont. “Ned, you're a businessman like me, what do we tell this guy?”

“It's time to go,” Lamont replied.

“You're fired,” Schlesinger said.

Alan Schlesinger, baby – he’s a bad man, a bad man…

NJ-SEN: Menendez and Kean Go Out in Blaze of Glory in Final Debate

Senator Bob Menendez (D) and challenger Tom Kean, Jr. (R) held what is most likely their final debate of New Jersey’s outstandingly ugly and dirty 2006 Senate race Tuesday night. The radio debate lived up to its predecessors in gloriously negative fashion.

The Newark Star Ledger reports that “for much of the broadcast, the candidates set aside the bickering that has marked the three previous debates,” as the two went back and forth on everything from Iraq to illegal immigration to the federal minimum wage.

“But in the closing 20 minutes, [moderator Eric] Scott turned the microphone over to the candidates so they could ask each other questions directly. That's when the program slid out of control…

“When Kean asked Menendez about corruption allegations and a campaign appearance last week with Democratic state Sen. Wayne Bryant, who faces a federal inquiry into tax-paid jobs he holds outside the Legislature, Menendez lit into his opponent. ‘You're campaign has been a campaign of smear,’ Menendez said. ‘You smear because you fear. ... You throw out allegations like most people throw out garbage.’ As the 90-minute debate concluded, Scott, sounding frazzled, signed off by saying: ‘Well, you've exasperated our time here.’”

Can you spot it? Can you spot the Midterm Roundup’s new favorite defense catch phrase?

Apartment mate: “Hey, man. You left your dishes out on the counter last night. Are you gonna clean that up or what?”

The Midterm Roundup: “You smear! You smear because you fear!”

Apartment mate, with bewildered look on his face: “…”

The Midterm Roundup: “Sorry. I’ll clean it up.”

For further coverage of the debate: NY Times, Bergen Record, Cherry Hill Courier Post

THE BIG 3

MO-SEN: Wednesday Night Debate Recap!

Kansas City Star: Debates close on softer note in Senate race: “Saying she wanted to raise the tone of a close campaign, Missouri Senate candidate Claire McCaskill apologized Wednesday for calling incumbent Jim Talent a ‘false patriot.’ … After the hourlong debate, Talent accepted the apology but defended his own increasingly personal criticisms of McCaskill and her family’s finances.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Many jabs in Missouri Senate debate, but no KO: “One started throwing punches at the opening bell. The other began by symbolically laying aside her gloves. But by the time the fifth and final debate between Sen. Jim Talent and Missouri Auditor Claire McCaskill had concluded Wednesday, both had taken their share of jabs at each other.”

AP: McCaskill calls for Rumsfeld's firing; Talent does not: “She has declared Iraq a mess, called for a redeployment in two years and chastised Republican Sen. Jim Talent for not questioning Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Now Missouri Senate challenger Claire McCaskill has joined various Democrats nationally in asserting that Rumsfeld should be fired.”

Plus – Robert Novak’s assessment on where the race now stands: “Polls show this race on the razor's edge between Sen. Jim Talent (R) and state Auditor Claire McCaskill (D). Talent, however, has more than 15 times as much cash in his own campaign account for the home stretch -- $4.2 million to $250,000. Despite a poor performance in a debate on NBC's ‘Meet the Press’ with Tim Russert, Talent performed well in two subsequent debates. McCaskill was clearly on the defensive throughout.”

TN-SEN: Not Gonna Cut It?

AP reports, “Tenn. Republican U-S Senate nominee Bob Corker says he is forbidden from talking about a settlement in a lawsuit. The litigation challenged how a city conservation easement became an access road to property his company sold while he was mayor of Chattanooga.”

As Josh reckons, “I really don't think 'I can't talk about it' plays well in a close fought election, does it?”

More on Harold Ford, Jr. below…

VA-SEN: Washington Times: “Suck It, WaPo!”

Yesterday, the Washington Post endorsed challenger Jim Webb (D) for U.S. Senate in Virginia. This morning, the archrival conservative Washington Times responds in kind: “For the past six years and previously as governor from 1994-1998, Sen. George Allen has ably represented the Commonwealth of Virginia. A vigorous conservative, he is a good choice for both moderate and conservative voters this November. The Washington Times endorses him for re-election to the U.S. Senate over Democratic challenger James Webb.” Paper fight!

But that’s not the only rival showdown going down on this contentious morning. WaPo reports, “President Bush and former president Bill Clinton will wade into Virginia's closely contested U.S. Senate race today at separate fundraisers that underscore the growing importance of the state in the fight for control of Congress.”

The Richmond Times-Dispatch adds this wrinkle to today’s campaign appearances: “The Bush trip will be notable because Bush is appearing publicly with Allen. The Clinton trip will be notable because Webb six years ago called the Clinton administration ‘one of the most corrupt’ in modern times.”

FL-16: It’s Official – No Foley/Negron Signs Allowed at the Polls

NY Times reports, “A judge on Wednesday barred election supervisors from posting signs in polling places explaining that votes cast for former Representative Mark Foley would go to the substitute candidate.” That’s big. More coverage:

Signs for Foley replacement can't be posted near polls (Miami Herald)

Poll notices of Foley switch barred (Palm Beach Post)

Candidate-switch notices would be illegal, judge rules (Sun Sentinel)

Fla. 16 GOP Can’t Mention Negron at Polls, Court Rules (CQ)

While that is a major battle won by the Democrats, they lost a small fight earlier in the week. The Miami Herald reports that an advisory e-mail was sent Tuesday to U.S. citizens in Iraq, informing them of Foley’s resignation and explaining how a vote for Foley on an absentee ballot will count toward his replacement, Joe Negron. Democrats were furious about the e-mail, making the same argument they just won over the polling places – that instruction like that is a tacit endorsement for the Republican nominee.

IL-10: Why is this Race Being Featured in the Midterm Roundup?

Because reader ARG in Chicago wanted it to be and gave the Roundup a nice compliment. It’s that simple, people. You give the Roundup a little love and it’ll devote 1,000 words to spontaneous parametric down-conversion if you want it to.

In all seriousness, ARG has a pretty valid case by the Roundup’s totally objective, non-compliment-influenced estimation. A lot of the talk the past couple days has been about money and the debate over whether to focus the limited Democratic funds on the most competitive races or try to expand the playing field to go after 2^nd and 3^rd tier races that may just now be getting competitive. Josh gave his opinion on the matter, and so did Stan Greenberg. The Roundup would reiterate as forcefully as possible the shared opinion that IT IS BETTER TO WIN A LOT OF SEATS THAN A FEW. Not to be simplistic and flip about it, but seriously. Literally every single day CQ is upgrading Democratic chances in districts that were never expected to be remotely in play (the latest: NE-03 and PA-04 (more on which from Josh and The Hill)). The environment is primed for a cataclysm. It seems like it all depends on just how bad voters want it in certain districts.

Illinois’ 10^th is indeed one such district. The GOP incumbent is favored (CQ rates it Republican Favored – downgraded from Safe Republican back in August, Cook Likely Republican) but a little money and exposure could easily make the race a tossup. 3-term incumbent Mark Kirk (R) will be tough to knock off, no question. He is considered a relatively politically independent centrist, holds a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, and won reelection by massive margins in ’02 and ’04 (69% and 65%, respectively). And Kirk also has almost 3 times the cash on hand as his challenger, marketing executive Dan Seals (D).

That said, the district, located in the suburbs north of Chicago, leans Democratic, having gone to both John Kerry and Barack Obama in 2004. And it is surrounded by the 6^th (previously GOP-held open seat tossup where amputee Iraq war vet Tammy Duckworth (D) is making some serious noise against state Senator Peter Roskam (R)), 8^th (competitive but currently held by Democrat Melissa Bean), and 9^th (securely held by Democrat Jan Schakowsky, the House Chief Deputy Whip) districts.

Dan Seals, a first-time candidate, is a very credible challenger. Aside from local grassroots support, Seals is backed strongly by groups like the Illinois Democratic Network and Democracy for America. And the latest Constituent Dynamics poll has Seals trailing Kirk by a mere 2 points.

And as one final point, as ARG notes, Mark Kirk is a member of the Republican House leadership as the Assistant Majority Whip (*COUGHoleygate!*). A Seals win would be an upset, yes. But he’s standing right there on the doorstep.

LA-02: Against the Odds, Jefferson Looking Good for Reelection

TIME reports, “Democrat William Jefferson is a target of a federal corruption investigation and is not welcome in his own party. But with the backing of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, he may just win reelection.”

That’s right Dollar Bill, keep on struttin’…

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around since I was born.
And now it's all right. It's OK. And you may look the other way.
We can try to understand, the New York Times' effect on man…

MN-06: Bachmann Losing (It?), Wetterling Cruising

Election Central noted yesterday that, aside from the possibility that Representative Michele Bachmann's recent campaign appearance at a megachurch and endorsement from the pastor violated IRS regulations, she also revealed herself to be quite the religious “fool” (her word, not the Roundup’s).

Just to clarify now, the Roundup is not criticizing her for conversing with God or taking instruction on life from God. Obviously lots of people in this country do this. But just politically speaking, it seems like it may not have been the wisest plan. A little God talk in a political speech never killed anyone (like say, George W. Bush), and the Roundup would even go so far as to agree with Barack Obama that it can be a good, totally appropriate thing if engaged in with some measure and open-mindedness. But it seems like Bachmann may be laying it on just a tad thick for a politician running in a Republican-leaning but fairly moderate district in a generally blue, non-Bible Belt state.

The Roundup knows what you’re thinking. What hypocrisy! It’s okay for that suave and dashing Democrat Harold Ford Jr. to film a political ad in a church but as soon as a Republican is caught invoking God it’s crazy talk? Well, the Roundup acknowledges the distinction might be a fine one. And it also acknowledges that after learning that Ford once dated Julia Allison it is mind-warpingly impressed by him and can hardly see straight, let alone think straight when talking about him (BTW Julia, still waiting on that phone call… did the Midterm Roundup mention that it reads your column all the time and thinks you’re an amazing writer?).

But there is a distinction. In one case (Ford’s), a politician is making a crafty, calculated, even risky, but apparently very effective move to present himself as strong on religious values. The move was considered and staid, but also, from everything the Roundup has seen and read of Ford’s religiosity, sincere.

Bachmann’s performance on the other hand was more extreme. While her rhetoric undoubtedly appealed to her megachurch’s audience, it’s probably safe to say that it raised more eyebrows than it won hearts. The way she describes her case it’s as if she has no control over her destiny at all, talking about how she herself was unwilling or at least totally uninterested in undergoing the steps in her career that led her to where she is. It’s like her message isn’t “I am using the strength Christ gives me to achieve my dream of being elected to the House of Representatives,” but rather, “I have no idea why the hell I’m running for the House of Representatives. I don’t even like the House of Representatives. But God told me to, and damned if I’m gonna argue with Him, strange as His advice might be at times.”

An especially telling line from Bachmann’s performance, after describing what little sense she saw in her husband’s suggestion that she study tax law: “But the Lord says, be submissive. Wives, you are- be submissive to your husbands.”

Right. There’s a difference between filming an ad in the church you grew up in and preaching evangelical on the campaign trail.

In any case, Bachmann’s opponent, child safety advocate and 2004 nominee Patty Wetterling (D), is surging at just the right time. Hotline explains why: in a word, Foleygate.

NY-20: Sweeney, Abramoff – Don’t Forget

The Roundup linked yesterday to this Albany Times Union piece all about Representative John Sweeney’s (R) 2001 trip to the Northern Marianas, but just to reinforce, Paul Kiel gives the piece the muckraker treatment here, and has this to add: “Abramoff viewed these Congressional trips as prime opportunities to raise the islands' profile. Over the years, he ferried dozens and dozens of lawmakers and staffers to see for himself that the so-called human rights abuses over there weren't so very bad. Somehow they never saw what human rights activitists had seen. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), who's worked for more than a decade to improve conditions there, said that "a blind pig could run into the human rights violations and the exploitation of workers on the islands." Abramoff's travellers, of course, ran anything but a blind course.”

Paul reports further that Representative George Miller (D-CA), in a conference call with reporters today, blasted Sweeney for his visit and his failure to detect or do anything about the nature of the situation in the Marianas. “If you didn't look into the human rights abuses,” Miller said, “what were you doing there?”

Josh Marshall allows TPM Reader RT to hammer home the point about what exactly Sweeney was doing there: “What no one seems to want to report is that Tom DeLay promised the garment industry in the Marianna Islands that the government would stay out of their sweat-shop affairs. … Since the Marianna’s are a US commonwealth, the garment industry can technically put ‘Made in the USA’ labels on their products, but in reality, the garments are made in mediocre-paying sweat shops by captive labor who are also forced into prostitution and also forced to get abortions if they get pregnant. This is what DeLay, Mehlman, Abramhoff and company were getting paid to protect. Let’s get that story out, please.”

Yes, let’s.

PA-07: Weldon Silences Critics Even Harder!

Representative Curt Weldon (R), currently being investigated along with his daughter by federal agents, continued his frantic finger pointing yesterday. No need for a joke here, let’s just let the Delaware County Times report what’s happening: “The 7th District Republican said the agent had information showing that Democrat Joseph Sestak’s campaign may have been involved with the Justice Department in leaking news of a federal investigation involving Weldon, his daughter and the chairman of the Springfield Republican Party. … Weldon’s source, however, later said he never told the congressman that.”

Oh but it gets much funnier folks. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Weldon is now in possession of a letter from the House Ethics Committee that he claims closes the case on whether he used his influence to help his daughter lobby a Russian energy firm. “A source close to the Weldon campaign said the four-page document, dated Sept. 29, discusses the allegations about Weldon's daughter and dismisses them without issuing a warning or reprimand.” At last! Sweet exoneration! All Weldon has to do now is produce the letter and this whole sordid matter can be promptly clea-… “Weldon and his attorney, William J. Winning, said they hadn't decided yet whether to release the committee's letter.”

Come on… of course he can’t release the letter yet. You’ve gotta play the game a little bit. You know… the timeless art of seduction.

Here’s Robert Novak’s assessment of Weldon: “It does not matter whether Weldon is innocent or guilty, he is now dead in the water.” You know, the game… gotta play the game a little bit…

IYI (If You’re Interested)

NC-11: The Midterm Roundup didn’t have time to actually check this out, but apparently Heath Shuler did something good. Here.

NY-26/NATIONWIDE: RNC Goes to Bat for House GOP Campaign Chief (The Fix, noting 2 important things about a new ad being run by the RNC on behalf of suddenly very engendered Rep. Tom Reynolds (R): “First, it marks the first foray of the RNC's independent expenditure arm into a House contest. … Second, it shows the depth of damage done to Reynolds -- head of the National Republican Congressional Committee -- by the Rep. Mark Foley revelations.”

NATIONWIDE: K Street Veering Left (Hotline – can you say bet hedging?)

NATIONWIDE: Conservative voters likely to stay home (Wash Times)

NATIONWIDE MONEY: And in case you’re hungry for more money stats, CQ fills you up with the highlights from its PoliticalMoneyLine site. Man, what a site that PoliticalMoneyLine is. Enough info on there to keep a congressional money hound busy for days. You can actually see who exactly has been contributing to Joe Lieberman recently! (How could you do such a thing, Ron Perlman! The Roundup is going home right now and burning its copy of Ice Pirates. Oh… wait. Ron Perelman? Sorry, never mind.)