Senate race already heating up

[Dickie Flatt]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5199386.html

The GOP Line: "A lot of folks are focusing on him ... because he is vulnerable," said Ron Eibensteiner, chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party. "I believe he is very out of step with Minnesota voters. His closing of the office was silly. That's the best way I can describe it. And it didn't sit very well with people in Minnesota." He said that Dayton's decision amounted to "cutting and running."

The Dayton Line: "This is a takeover of the federal government, and not just by the Republican Party," said Dayton. "This is an extremist social agenda that is far beyond anything that we've seen in this country in my political and public lifetime." ... "I saw what they did to Tom Daschle at the end," Dayton said. "They just buried him in sewage. And I saw what they did to my friend, Max Cleland, in 2002 in the last two weeks, where they put a man who lost three limbs in Vietnam up on a television ad with Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden and said, 'Here are three enemies of the people of Georgia.' And they defeated him. So I have no illusions about how vicious and how politically powerful and how well-funded the whole right-wing extremist movement will be and how it will be used against me."

The DFL Line: "There's absolutely no question that this is going to be a hard-fought race," said Mike Erlandson, chair of the Minnesota DFL Party. He said that Dayton remains as popular in public opinion polls as Pawlenty and that Minnesotans appreciate his independent, straight-shooting style and the fact that "he doesn't talk out of both sides of his mouth."

[David Dunham]

1. I'll pay $20k to anyone who beats the sh-t out of James Dobson

What an as-hole to be threatening Senator Dayton like that.

[CatholicEdHead]

2. Potentials

With the election more than 21 months away, there's plenty of time for other Republican candidates to surface. Among the names most often discussed: Gov. Tim Pawlenty (who says he's not interested), Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, former gubernatorial candidate Brian Sullivan and former Rep. Vin Weber.

Ok, I expect Pawlenty to be moved to higher office in DC sooner than later. Sullivan will make another run for Governor, not Senator. I can see Kiffmeyer and Weber in the GOP Senate primaries.

Kennedy is the frontrunner. He is just playing coy after his long race with Wetterling.

[dflprincess]

3. Pawlenty won't run for senate unless

Bush tells him to. Remember, he backed out of the 2002 race against Wellstone one orders from Bushco.

[CatholicEdHead]

4. Exactly

Actually, NOBODY will run for Senate without DC White House approval.

I think Rove et al have other plans for Pawlenty if he does not get reelected. I would think they want him to idealy serve at least one more term as governor.

Of course, there were rumors about Pawlenty trying to get a 08 Presidential Primary run going at the 04 GOP Convention. Is he a dark horse nationally?

[GAspnes]

5. I just thought of something (probably 'way too late)

The given reason for Pawlenty dropping out was to avoid a damaging primary with Norm-the-Weasel.

What if it was a two-fer, and Rove wanted Pawlenty for Governor? Who better to run the premier Blue state into the ground and demonstrate the 'failure of liberalism'?

Yikes, I'm getting paranoid.

[Deja Q]

6. Dayton's got a point. But he did play into their hands in December too.

Let them take over. Completely. There seems to be little point anymore...