Top GOPer Concedes That Party Has No Safe Senate Seats
Here's yet another sign of just how abysmal the map is for Senate Republicans this year: They are openly saying there are exactly zero safe seats this year -- not even Kansas, a red state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.
"We have no safe seats right now," NRSC spokesman Scott Bensing told the Kansas City Star. "In a normal election year, we would not be concerned at all. But those are the cards we're dealt. We're not taking any states for granted."
Two-term Republican Pat Roberts is facing a challenge from former Rep. Jim Slattery, and might be vulnerable because of his role as a lead apologist for the Bush Administration's Iraq policies when he was chairman of the Intelligence Committee. Even if you think Roberts is favored to win, it still says something that the NRSC has to pay any attention at all to this very red state.
(Via Huffington Post)
Comments (24)
They're working to lower expectations, and you're eating it right up.
July 11, 2008 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
So yeah, the RNC's going to be spending 100% of its boodle on McCain's behalf. Riiiiight.
July 11, 2008 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Expectations doesn't matter on election day. Unless you get into imaginary "mandate" discussions.
July 11, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
The expectations DO matter. The reason 2006 was such a resounding defeat for the GOP was their insistence they were going to do all right. If they talk about getting blown out and then do better than that, they'll say the Democrats didn't win much after all and the media theme will be the Democrats unexpected defeat.
July 11, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
if the Democrats win 67 seats in the senate, the repuglitards can say any fucking thing they want
they could piss up a rope and smear themselves with shit for all I care
ain't gonna stop the impeachment and removal of a few supreme court justices
ain't gonna stop the criminal investigations that the repuglitards are gonna face
elections have consequences, that's why the repuglitards don't like elections
and they aint gonna like 2008 AT ALL
July 11, 2008 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gee I like how you think ... if the Dems get 67 they better cut all their balls off. The lesson has been learned 1000 times ... if you let them, they will fuck you, period. Making nice with the Bushies just lets them rob you blind. I would love to impeach Thomas and replace him with Anita Hill. It would be great to replace Scalia with a liberal atheist. Payback for stealing 2000 and a nice start at the 21st century ..... at last.
July 12, 2008 9:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
This doens't make much sense. The Wyoming seats are clearly safe, for example, no? And the Cochran seats? Sessions?
July 11, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the RNC spends all of its money on McCain then they aren't worried about Pat Roberts and the rest.
When the RNC starts making media buys for Roberts then I will take the RNC seriously.
July 11, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Granted, those figures thrown around by Rick Davis are part of the spin game, raising expectations on what Obama has to do to keep up with Mccain, supposedly....but did that $400 mil figure include all of the RNC resources, or just that portion that they're planning to devote to McCain?
I'd hope it was the former, and Davis is going to be in for a huge shock when RNC starts pulling money they may or may not have promised him to shore up the woeful funding situation of the NRCC and NRSC, before the Dems win a huge landslide in Congress.
And if that's the case, you'd hope that some reporter would ask that question, instead of just dutifully steno'ing Davis words.....or am I just naive for hoping thus?
July 11, 2008 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
How the republicans distroyed this counrty, the voters will distroy the republicans.
Pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.
July 11, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ummm ... those cards weren't dealt. It's not exactly a random thing that the GOP is in deep doo-doo this election cycle.
July 11, 2008 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just one of those unexplainable things that happens in the universe -- like meteor strikes. Hilarious.
I'd just add that Roberts' seat would be an especially delicious addition. If I could magically hand Republican Senate seats to Democratic challengers, his would be in my top five (with the others, in no particular order, those of McConnell, Sessions, Bond, & Cornyn).
July 11, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good comment from DanF!
July 12, 2008 5:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Who needs Republicans if Democrats can the job just as well or worse?Does it really make any difference who occupies the seat in Congress? We will get the same service. After the FISA vote, we realize it makes no difference.
July 11, 2008 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
semionb,
that FISA vote by Democrats disappointed me more than any other vote they took in the last, oh, 30, 50 years. Barack Obama and my Congressman, Patrick Murphy lost 50% of the enthusiasm I had for them.
How the Democrats that voted for FISA can call themselves the "opposition" is beyond me.
July 11, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah yes, FISA, the left's equivilent of a flag pin.
Yep, no difference. Just like there was no difference between President Gore and that yahoo he ran against in 2000. I should have done what the cool kids did and voted for Nader.
July 11, 2008 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, right. There's no difference between judging someone's patriotism by whether they wear a flag pin and judging someone's commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law by their willingness to vote for a bill that is contrary to the 4th Amendment and helps cover up criminal behavior by the president.
If you're willing to sacrifice any principle to win, what's the point?
July 12, 2008 2:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you are not willing to sacrifice anything to win .... YOU WILL LOOSE. FISA managed by liberal Democrats in the administration of President Obama would be fine with me. 67 Democrats in the Senate working with Pelosi and Obama on EVERYTHING I CARE ABOUT would also be fine with me.
July 12, 2008 10:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least Republicans are honest about what they stand for. You can disagree with them. Do you know what Democrats stand for? You vote for them thinking they will do one thing, and as soon as they are elected you they stab you in the back. Corrupt to the core and no principles. Why bother voting? So what is the choice? Corrupt with principles or corrupt without them.
July 11, 2008 6:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
really ???
what does mcsame stand for ???
for or against abortion ???
for or against torture ???
for or against social security ???
for or against the bush tax cuts ???
for or against the Webb GI Bill ???
do you get the idea here doofus ???
I once thought that mcsame was resolute on at least ONE issue; his position toward Cuba
but I was wrong, mcsame filp flopped on Cuba
and he blames Cubans for torturing him in Vietnam
if a man could suck up to a regime that he believes tortured his ass, that man doesn't have ANY beliefs
do your research, doofus, try and prove me wrong
July 11, 2008 10:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
You people are the reason Nader took the vote away from Gore in 2000. You gave us W,
Y-O-U.
If you really gave a flying f about the Constitution, you'd back the guy who will seat Justices that will interpret it rationally instead of nursing your masturbatory grudges. When we have six Scalias on the Court thanks to you, masturbation will be made illegal under the Constitution. What will you do then? I can't believe you fucking dare to pontificate about the Fourth Amendment but you won't support a candidate who will appoint Justices to roll back the horrors that have been visited thanks to your high-principled indolence and pseudo-intellectual apathy.
July 12, 2008 5:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why bother commenting ....... ???
July 12, 2008 10:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am an "old hippie" who lives in Santa Cruz CA as I am as left as you can get. Barack Obama has my total support in every way and I will work hard for his election.
He is the best and most progressive candidate in 40 years. He must be elected in November. Period.
Obama said many times, "I will restore the Constitution when I am President of the United States".
I believe him.
It starts by electing Barack Obama president and in the future the historians will say 2008 was the time when it all started. When WE changed the direction of this country. He always says that we won't always agree with him. That he is a blank slate and people project what they want him to be. And I realized that I did that very thing.
July 12, 2008 4:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Republican are losing seats because they vote en bloc with Bush and not with conservative voters.
So when Glenn Greenwald insist that Barack Obama is "tracking right" on the FISA Bill or when Didgy says that Obama "just got bad advise from his consultants" than it does a disservice to conservative voters that try to fight illegal wiretapping and torture too and don't particularly want to be associated with crime, corruption or illegal behavior.
Saying that Obama "track to right" leads to the wrong conclusion, and thus the wrong solution that Obama's FISA act only one of Republican leaning that causes the act to be dismissed as partisan behavior - FISA was not "track to the right".
Republicans are losing seats - obviously because conservative voters, in conservative neighborhoods don't like illegal behavior - so I think it is time to stop saying that Bush represents conservative behavior and target Bush AND a "rogue" Party with the same illegal colors - as US discourse target's Bush.
July 12, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink