Will We Take Cunningham's Seat?

[BamaLefty]

I want your honest opinion, not a happy go lucky "Yes of course" biased answer. Now, if you honestly believe that Cunningham's seat will turn blue in 2006, then by all means say so. Just be honest.

I think we can. Maybe San Diego will be tired of Repub congressmen and elect a Dem for a fresh start (?)

[don954]

1. well, it will be a great test for Dean and his

idea of the 50 state campaign.

[SHRED]

2. We like Busby

http://www.francinebusby2004.org/

I don't know what will happen.
There are lots of Repuke bucks floating around in my 50th District, yet the coastal communities are much more liberal (yeah Encinitas!!).

[aquart]

3. Why do you like her?

[SHRED]

4. She gave Duke a good run last time

In this part of the world she is 100 times better than the idiot Duke or some other Repuke.

[EMAN51]

5. See that patch around Carlsbad?

That Oceanside/Carlsbad is heavily populated and republican as is the area east of there. I know a little bit about that area as my father once laid claim to being the president of the Oceanside Men's Republican club and my mother volunteered for Bush last year. They're both getting "up there" and I haven't mentioned their congressman's disgusting self-dealing and bribery. I think they may even be embarassed. However, next time they start in on it....

[livetohike]

6. Welcome to DU EMAN51

:hi:

I live in Oceanside. I volunteered on Mike Byron's campaign (he ran against Darrell Issa)in the 49th Cong. district.

It is as "red" as the South here :-(.

[livetohike]

7. It will be very hard to do

Rep. registration outnumbers Dem. registration by 50,000 voters.

Francine Busby ran a strong campaign last time and received 37% of the votes. Now that Duke is retiring (before he does jail time, imo), maybe she will be able to beat the Republican candidate.

What needs to happen? Obviously, we need a huge Dem. turnout at the polls and need to convince many Rep. to vote for Francine.

I volunteered for the Dem. challenger to Darrell Issa during the last election in the 49th CD. Another heavily Rep. registration.....and we got 31% of the vote (I think).

Tough job ahead, but if the Dem. National Party backs Francine, perhaps she will win.

[davidinalameda]

8. no

it's safe Repuke

[mitchtv]

9. No

we could have won if he ran again, but the Pukes will forget he existed.

[rinsd]

10. Not likely....

...not in North County anyway.

[cascadiance]

11. As I noted in the "Rotarian" thread here a bit ago...

I think that there might be an added shot for the Dems to take this seat (at least temporarily) if Cunningham is forced to resign before February and force a special election. If the Dems all unite behind one candidate (whith the Rethugs probably won't do on their side) there's a chance that with a plurality the Dems could take the seat until 2006. We need to put some pressure on the investigations to continue and not get "delayed" now that Cunningham has resigned, which I suspect now might happen that Cunningham is "out of the way" for 2006 from the Rethugs perspective. If we can get a legal situation come up with him that forces him out before February, I think we have an added chance to force this special election. Read here more in this article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=141x12472#12474

[cascadiance]

12. As an added note now, U.S. Attorney Carol Lam now after Cunningham!

She looks like a no-nonsense type of prosecutor, having just taken down two City Councilmen here in San Diego. Now that that's over, she looks to be focusing her energy on investigating and going after Cunningham. Hope she can force him to resign before February to trigger the special no primary election for Cunningham's seat!

From:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/probe/20050720-9999-7m20lam.html

---------------------
Winners and losers evaluate verdicts

U.S. attorney's risky strategy pays off

By Kelly Thornton
and Greg Moran
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS

July 20, 2005

...

"This does not, in my estimation, reset the table," said Pat Hall, a leading white-collar defense lawyer in San Diego. "That office has taken an aggressive posture on white-collar crime, and they will continue to do so."

The results might have a bigger effect on those who are subjects of investigation by federal grand juries, including Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham and city officials involved in the various municipal finance scandals.

"The first thing that hit me in the gut when I heard the verdicts was, I would not want to be Duke Cunningham," said Frank Bardsley, the former chief public defender for San Diego County. "It certainly sends a message about the potential jurors you might face in these kinds of case."

That message will likely resonate across the city, other lawyers said.

"The verdict sends a message to local-level politicians and employees who work with politicians that they should be extremely aboveboard in all their activities," said criminal defense lawyer Marc Carlos.

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