Twenty Questions, So Many Possible Answers
Roll Call Staff
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18) Will an election-eve verdict in Stevens’ trial have a ripple effect?
Stevens is trying to get his public corruption trial over before he faces voters in November. Polls have shown he is in serious danger. If he is exonerated, that could change. But if he is found guilty before the election, Republicans elsewhere might feel the sting. In Florida, Feeney has already apologized to voters for his ties to convicted ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Having the Senate’s senior Republican found guilty isn’t likely to help Feeney’s efforts to change the subject from corruption in Washington. A guilty verdict could hurt vulnerable Republicans elsewhere, too, as it would remind voters why they hate Congress.
19) Will any Democratic ethical troubles come back to bite the party?
The federal corruption trial of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) is set to begin in December. Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) asked the House ethics committee to investigate his financial disclosure missteps and living arrangements.
Yet in recent years ethics issues have stung Republicans much worse than they have Democrats (think Abramoff, Foley and Duke Cunningham). Republicans are working to link Democratic incumbents and candidates to Rangel’s woes, but at this point it’s hard to see their charges gaining much traction.
20) Who are the most vulnerable Senators up for re-election in 2010?
OK, so this question won’t really be answered when voters go to the polls in November, but this cycle’s results could have a big impact on the 2010 playing field. For instance, if Dole loses in North Carolina, does first-term Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) automatically look like a more inviting target for Democrats?
Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) has always been a more beloved figure in the Buckeye State than former Sen. Mike DeWine (R), who was ousted in 2006. Still, the statewide Democratic wave there in 2006 has to have piqued Democrats’ interest in that Senate seat.
Voinovich could also choose to retire — in fact, any number of Republicans could if the Senate GOP falls too deep into the hole in the next Congress.
Observers expect a competitive race in Kentucky, regardless of whether Sen. Jim Bunning (R) runs for re-election. And in Pennsylvania, Sen. Arlen Specter (R), who will be 80 in 2010, has already said he will seek re-election despite his recent bouts with cancer. He could face a primary challenge from the right and possibly a challenge from “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, who would run as a Democrat.
And 2010 will be the first year Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will face voters while serving as Majority Leader. Democrats are targeting Reid’s GOP counterpart, McConnell, this cycle in Kentucky. We expect Republicans will at least attempt to return the favor.
Schumer Advocates for Many on Panel
Nov. 16, 12 a.m.
As Senate Majority Leader, Lyndon Johnson once said of the Joint Economic Committee, “It’s as useless as tits on a bull.” But as that panel’s chairman during the 110th Congress, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) seized the opportunity to elevate the traditionally low-profile post to the forefront of shaping policy. Read Full Article
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