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Dems Plowing Huge Money Into Tough Maine Senate Race
The DSCC is making a huge investment of over $5 million in the Maine Senate race, Advertising Age reports -- a sign that Senate Dems will use their massive financial advantage over the GOP to expand the map into some very tough races.
The infusion by the the Dems in this race shows that Chuck Schumer and company are throwing their weight around in a big way, as polling has consistently shown incumbent Republican Susan Collins ahead of Dem Congressman Tom Allen by a sizable margin. But $5 million thrown into this small New England state could very well change those numbers around.
It would also force the lesser-funded NRSC to respond, taking attention away from other seats where they're playing defense.
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They're gonna make the case that Obama needs a larger majority to make the changes that the country needs and wants.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/Story?id=5353037&page=3
Allen's national fundraising pitch is that Obama, whom he endorsed three months after Maine's caucuses, will not be able to make good on his promise of change if Democrats cannot break Republican filibusters in the Senate.
"I think you need 57 or 58 or 59" Senate Democrats "in order to drive an agenda that represents real change on the biggest challenges we face in this country," said Allen
July 21, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is just no debating this point.
The same ad age blog reports a similar sized buy in North Carolina, which is great news as well.
We've got to focus hard on our longer shot Senate races now, when we can still define the candidates and the contours of the race. That's Maine, NC, Minnesota, Alaska, Kentucky. (I'm assuming we will hold on in Louisiana and pick up New Mexico and Colorado.)
July 21, 2008 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with this strategy. He does need a large margin and political capital because that is what makes Congress behave.
That's why Congress cooperated with Bush for the first 4 years - he had a huge popular majority and Congress is supposed to act for our benefit and if the majority supports the president, then Congress is much more likely to go along with the Executive.
July 21, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would find great pleasure in seeing Sen. Collins go down in flames. She is a pandering queen and very decptive! besides her boyfriend is mr. LIEberman.
July 21, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Taking over Susan Collins' seat gets you no improvement in voting numbers...the Dems margin "looks" bigger but it would be like us winning Lieberman's seat this year...
July 21, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nonsense. If it wouldn't be a loss for you, she's welcome to switch parties right now, or become an Independent and caucus with Dems. We want her seat and we'll bite our tongues and keep raggedy-assed Lieberman as well.
Why? Because "All your base are belong to us." That's why.
July 21, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm waiting for Schumer and the DSCC to start spending globs of $$$$$$ in OR. Jeff Merkley has $500,000 on hand while Gordon Smith has $4,000,000 on hand, yet the polls show a close race.
July 21, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely right. Jeff Merkley would be an outstanding Senator and he has moved up to near-equality with incumbent Gordon Smith in recent polling.
Right now we are looking at 4 fairly secure pickups (CO, NH, NM, VA). The next 5 most likely would appear to be AK, KY, MN, MS, OR. We actually have a better chance to knock off Mitch McConnell than we do Susan Collins or Elizabeth Dole - and I'd rather have that one anyway.
July 21, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you will see millions spent for Merkeley. He is tied with Sen. Smith now and Obama is leading in Oregon....so the money will be there.
I agree with most of your list. VA, NM, NH and CO are leaning DEM. AK, MS and OR are tossups. I expect tons of money to be spent in those three.
The other targets will be Maine, North Carolina, Minnesota and Kentucky. All of these are tough but doable....Obama will help in Maine and Minnesota, black turnout for DEMS will help in North Carolina.
July 21, 2008 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would rather see $5 million be used to fund bodies on the ground. I think 500 field staffers would be much more effective than a bunch of ad buys. People in Maine tune out political TV ads.
July 21, 2008 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tom Allen is still essentially invisible in the 2nd district (northern ME - Allen rep.'s the 1st dist. in southern ME). Collins is from far northern ME and so gets some automatic votes from the independents and middle-road Dem.'s who are comfortable with her as a "home-town" girl and her "relatively" moderate positions. She does a decent job in "bringing home the bacon" for her constituents. Maine is a terribly xenophobic place, the more so the farther north in the state you travel. And for many up here, southern Maine just might as well be Massachusetts, or California.
What we need desperately are some TV ads showing Tom Allen's name and face and basic issue stances so folks up here will at least know that someone is running against her. It's hard to sell a product if the buyers don't know there's a choice. So spending some Dem. $'s up here on media is overdue and I think will help make this race lots more competitive.
July 21, 2008 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Collins is pretty good when it comes to some issues including the environment.
but she is still a republican voting with them more than half the time.
I think it will be a close race and I think Allen can win it. 2 years ago no one thought we would win several of those senate seats and as we got closer to the election the dems closed in
July 21, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
As a lifelong resident of Maine, it would be such a pleasure to unseat one of the Queens of Maine and put Tom Allen in Collins place.
He can win it, but he's going to have to be much more aggressive, pushing her on her war vote, her failure to investigate KBR and Haliburton.
Allen's congressional replacement Chellie Pingree will be a gread addition to the House too, and she's an expert in health care issues, and a strong supporter of expanding health care to all.
July 21, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
$5 million against Susan Collins? I can't make up my mind if this is a good investment, or not. Schummer better not come up short in cash, for going after some of the bigger fish!
July 21, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Collins talks the talk of reason against controversial Bush initiatives, but when the time comes to put the high heels to the road, she always pulls the lever in support of Bush. It's time to dump her along with the the rest of the Rs
July 21, 2008 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Although I am a lifelong Democrat, I think it's unfortunate that politics in this nation has become so partisan that Democrats take delight in removing moderate Republicans from office. Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Lincoln Chafee - they're the good ones! We should be pushing for an effective legislative branch that takes its oversight responsibilities seriously and stops using the war in Iraq as a way of raising money. I've received countless letters - e-mail and otherwise - from Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and many others all expressing (a) outrage over the Bush administration policies and Republican interference and (b) their earnest interest in my money to advance the cause of the DSCC. The Democrats have long had the power to stop the war in Iraq, insist on accountability in the recent FISA reauthorization and, instead, they rolled over.
We need dedicated and wise leaders - Republican and Democrat - who will mobilize our energy to solve the myriad problems that we face. Partisanship is not debate; it is not creative; it - of itself - supplies no answers to the problems that we face.
July 22, 2008 12:36 AM | Reply | Permalink