BATTLE FOR CONGRESS: Democrats hope to retake Senate

[Judi Lynn]

BATTLE FOR CONGRESS: Democrats hope to retake Senate

A few key races could decide who gets control
March 19, 2004

BY STEVEN THOMMA
FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF

WASHINGTON -- In a new and surprising shift of fortune, Democrats have a chance to win back control of the U.S. Senate this year.

Victory is still an uphill climb for them. But if they can hold some of five Southern seats where veteran Democrats are retiring and pick up a few more in states where Republicans are stepping down, such as Colorado, and Oklahoma, they could eke out a narrow majority and reclaim the control they lost in 2002.

If Democrats took leadership of the Senate, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin would become chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee.

Though overshadowed by the presidential campaign, the contest for control of the Senate will have major consequences for whoever wins the White House, particularly if it's President George W. Bush. A Democratic Senate would have virtual veto power over his agenda.
(snip/...)

http://www.freep.com/news/politics/sen19_20040319.htm

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Here's something some people might find interesting, on the Florida Senate seat, soon to be vacated by Democratic Senator Bob Graham, and what the _Bush choice, Cuban "exile" Mel Martinez, _Bush's recent HUD head has allowed us, the taxpayers, to do for his campaign:

HUD Files Detail Martinez's Fla. Trips
Secretary Visited State 16 Times in 21 Months Before Resigning to Run for Senate
By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 17, 2004; Page A06


Mel R. Martinez, a former housing secretary, repeatedly traveled to Florida at taxpayer expense before leaving President Bush's Cabinet in December to run for the Senate from that state, according to records released by the administration.

Many of the trips generated newspaper and television coverage that allowed Martinez to elevate his profile before he became a candidate and had to spend campaign funds for his events.

In response to a Washington Post request under the Freedom of Information Act, the Department of Housing and Urban Development provided a partial list of Martinez's destinations that showed he traveled to Florida on government business at least 12 times in his last 21 months in office. He took four additional trips for which costs were split between the government and political organizations.
(snip)

Some of the vouchers noted that Martinez was approved for first-class air travel because of a medical condition, for which a certificate was on file with the government. Martinez is 6 feet 3 inches tall, and sitting in a coach seat aggravates his bad back, his campaign said.
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64872-2004Mar16.html

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Here's the version which the Miami Herald ran, quite a bit shorter than the 21 paragraph, 2 page whatchamacallit which ran in the Washington Post:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/8204236.htm

[BootinUp]

1. just glad to hear we have a chance

*looks to the heavens*

[erpowers]

2. Happy About the Good News

I am extremely happy that the Democrats could win back the Senate. There is another story about this issue on American Prospect online. If Bush gets reelected they will have the ability to back his radical agenda. If Kerry gets elected they can help him changed things for the better.

Hearing the news about Mel Martinez makes me sick. Anytime a Democrats trys to travel at government expense Republicans make a big fuss about it. Does anyone remember what happened to Senator Clinton when she was First Lady and she campaigned on Air Force One. Just last year Brit Hume was complaining about how Representative Jackson-Lee gets driven at taxpayer expense to work when she was supposedly only a block away. Why don't these Republicans complain when Bush or some other Republican goes on a trip at taxpayer expense. Now is the time for Democrats to begin to complain about how the Republicans are wasting the people's tax money.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. this is good news indeed.......

does anyone know if erskine bowles is definitely running for senator edwards' seat in nc? and if so, any info on who his opponent might be?

ba

edited: spelling

[jmaier]

6. Yep

you can go here:

www.wesclarkdemocrats.com/races.asp

or directly to DSCC site:

www.dscc.org/Races/meet/open

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. thanks jmaier.....

great news. i hope we can keep this seat........:hi:

[LividLiberal]

4. WOW! When did this creep up on us! I didn't know Dems even had a

chance to win back the Senate! This would be WONDERFUL, indeed! Especially if Kerry takes the White House!!:bounce:

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Encouraging, and enormously important! Thanks, JudiLyn --

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Not according to NPR

National Propaganda Radio just had a report this AM that the Dems were going to loss all 5 seats in the South and the couldn't even get decent candidates to run in some of the races. It seemed to them that the Dems were very unlikely to win back the Senate.

I just about threw my radio threw the window again.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. Down with NPR! Chris John is going to succeed John Breaux!

He is moderate and has Breaux's backing and the Democrats still have a strong machine down there.

Also, Florida is looking good for Betty Castor.

SUCH BULL!

NPR = "Nazi Propaganda Republicans"

:argh: :argh:

:mad: :mad:


:puke:

[West Coast Democrat]

9. Actually, NPR was reporting on that the gop HOPE to win all 5 seats...

but stated that only in Georgia were Democrats having trouble finding good candidates to run. By the end of the story they were concluding it was crazy and implausible that the GOP would win all of those seats.

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. I guess I didn't have my rose colored glasses

on this morning and I may have tuned out before the end of the story because I can usually only stomach so much of their lap-dogging anymore.