SIXTEEN--FIVE !! ......Here's the five !!

[Justice Is Comin]

For those of you who don't know, I wrote a post titled Sixteen-Five......http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x477564



Today here comes the great news, WE'RE ON THE WAY!! :applause::bounce: ..... This is the hard part, the House will be much easier.



As Executive Director, it's my responsibility to make sure the DSCC is doing its job - watching every Senate race every day and making sure our Democratic candidates have the resources they need to win. I get more updates from races around the country than anyone and I know that we're in a great position to take back the Senate in November.

The bottom line is that we can win. Let me tell you why:



Pennsylvania

First of all, we're in great shape to beat Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania. The latest polling shows Democratic challenger Bob Casey with a solid double-digit lead over Santorum, 52% - 36%. In my experience, 50% is the magic number. Once a challenger gets there, it becomes very difficult for an incumbent like Santorum to make a comeback.

It's going to be even tougher for Santorum after this week's revelations that he was on the receiving end of a sweetheart half-million dollar mortgage deal that appears to be in violation of Senate ethics. And to think, Santorum was the best guy Senate Republicans could find to sponsor their ethics reforms. Unbelievable.



Ohio

Ohio is yet another state where the Democratic challenger is defeating a longtime Republican incumbent. The newest DSCC poll was released last week and showed Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown leading Republican Senator Mike DeWine by three points.

The polling just confirms what I've known all along. Mike DeWine is vulnerable and Sherrod Brown can beat him. The Republican Party in Ohio is in disarray on the heels of major corruption scandals, so we're making major gains in this battle ground state. I've been in politics for a long time, and I know this is a race we can win.



Missouri

In Missouri, we have a fantastic candidate in Claire McCaskill ready to topple Jim Talent, the Republican incumbent. McCaskill already has a slim lead in the polls, but Talent just keeps giving our side more ammunition.

Talent is quickly becoming entangled in the Jack Abramoff scandal. It turns out that Talent's campaign finance chairman, lobbyist Jack Oliver, has close ties to Abramoff, a top Republican lobbyist who plead guilty to felony conspiracy and corruption charges in January.

Additionally, Talent is coming under fire for his sudden flip-flop on stem cell research. For years, he's been one of the extreme right wing's most reliable forces opposing this important medical research. Yet recently, he suddenly softened his stance on the issue in the midst of a tough reelection fight. You've got to wonder if Talent really believes anything he says.

With his close ties to lobbyists and his flip-flopping on major issues, is it any wonder that just 49% of Missouri voters give Talent a favorable job performance rating? Anytime a Republican incumbent slips under 50%, that gives our Democratic challenger an opening.



Arizona

Jim Talent isn't the only Republican incumbent with lobbyist problems. In Arizona, Jon Kyl is under fire for allowing former senator and current corporate lobbyist Lauch Faircloth to sit in on an official Republican luncheon while his clients had business on the Senate floor. It's just another example of the culture of corruption Republicans have created in Washington.

I'm going to make sure that every voter in Arizona knows that Jon Kyl is just one more Republican with ethics troubles, so we can replace Kyl with Democrat Jim Pederson. We've got to elect a Democratic Senate in November so we can clean up this mess.



New Jersey

And finally, some good news from New Jersey, where the newest Democratic Senator, Bob Menendez, is already leading his likely Republican opponent in early polling. Last week, a new Zogby poll showed Menendez leading Tom Kean, Jr. by 5 points.

Menendez hasn't really even started campaigning yet, but New Jersey voters already like what they see from Democrats. Like I said, the bottom line is that we can win. There's a lot of work to do between now and Election Day, but with your help, I am confident we can take back the Senate in November.

Sincerely,

J.B. Poersch
Executive Director


Sixteen--Five..AND WE BRING HOME THE GOLD FOR AMERICA !!

[aden_nak]

1. This is exceptional news, but I have a question.

Since Menendez replaced Corzine (when he became Governor), would the other NJ Senate seat count towards those 5? And what about the seat that Menendez vacated in Hudson County? Though honestly, I'm not worried about that seat. Hudson County is never going to vote in a Republican congressman in the first place. Mostly, I'm just curious about whether we will need another Senator to reach our five, since Menendez replaced the already-Democratic Corzine.

[Justice Is Comin]

3. No there is still only one Senate seat

It's just a substitution. Menendez is serving out the balance of Corzine's term which would be his last year on his term. And Menendez is running for his full six year Senate term against Kean.

These are the only five we need, others may be in contention too. Menendez should quickly pick up even more political support now with his lead role on the terrorist ports for profit deal.

[aden_nak]

4. Ah, okay, I wasn't clear on that.

And I don't think Menendez will have too much trouble picking up that seat. He's a pretty solid candidate, and of the five states you mentioned there, New Jersey is by far the most left-leaning. 16-5 for the win!

[MrBenchley]

2. Thanks for sharing....

Go Democrats!

[Pab Sungenis]

5. K&R...but...

...we DO still need one more. It's 55-44-1 right now, with Menendez already in. Even if he and the others listed in, it's still 51-48-1.

[Justice Is Comin]

6. This is even more outstanding news

because this doesn't take into account the battering the Abramhoff investigation is going to give Burns.

Chaffee is in trouble in Rhode Island. Lott will have his troubles. And we can really turn up the heat on Frist with his cozy little stock deals. If he gets indicted, WOW. And that''s not unlikely either.

WE WILL TAKE BACK WHAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE LOST.

DU we have a mission. Let's get on it. 16-5. :kick:

[Clark2008]

7. And.... possibly one more (we haven't had our primary yet)

December 20, 2005--The race to replace Bill Frist as U.S. Senator from Tennessee is shaping up to be very competitive. Congressman Harold Ford, the likely nominee of the Democrats, holds a modest lead over one potential Republican candidate while trailing two others by even smaller amounts.

When matched up against Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, Ford leads 42% to 26%.

Former Congressman Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary each earn 41% of the vote against Ford and hold a very slight lead over the Democrat. Ford has support from 38% of voters when matched against Bryant and 39% against Hilleary.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2005/Tennessee%20Senate%20Dec%2012.htm

Keep in mind that this is Rasmussen, so Ford's probably up more than indicated.

:hi:

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Good news. I still think they screwed the pooch in Ohio, though.

Yeah. So, is Sherrod Brown pro-choice, or not? For some funny reason, you can't really tell from any of his websites.