JOHN ENSIGN BLAMES LIKELY GOP LOSSES IN NOVEMBER ON REPUBLICAN SEX PERVERTS VITTER, CRAIG &... FOLEY

Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) is widely considered the worst chair in the entire history of the NRSC. Not only did she fail to gain any Republican senate seats, she wound up losing enough to switch majority control from the GOP to Democrats. She was unceremoniously sent packing back to North Carolina. Now her successor, Nevada rubber stamp John Ensign, is well on the way to accomplishing the impossible: doing even worse than Liddy.

Ensign has dropped the pretense of even talking about gaining back the majority, which could be accomplished with just one net gain and an easy flip from the junior senator from Connecticut. Instead, he's trying to frighten Republicans by pointing out that Democrats could win 10 seats and make the GOP minority superfluous. Today's CongressDaily says he's "using the specter of an almost filibuster-proof Democratic majority to motivate potential GOP supporters in November."

I just got back from Washington where the talk everywhere was about what it would take to make sure there is a filibuster-proof majority come January. I've long held that they key-- at least symbolically-- is replacing red state rubber stamp reactionaries Inhofe (OK), McConnell (KY), Dole (NC), and Cornyn (TX) with strong, principled progressive leaders Andrew Rice, Greg Fischer, Jim Neal and Rick Noriega. Those 4 are the key to a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate-- and a progressive legislative agenda. The biggest obstacle to achieving that isn't the pathetic ensign, but, ironically, his Democratic Party counterpart the craven and powermad Chuck Schumer.

According to the CongressDaily piece Ensign's picture has deteriorated rapidly. "Despite having 23 Republican seats to defend this fall against 12 for Democrats, Ensign held out hope this year that it was possible for Republicans to pull off a huge upset and regain a majority. That was before a handful of promising Republican challengers withdrew from races. Ensign conceded in an interview with CongressDaily that it is virtually assured Republicans will not be in the majority in January 'unless something miraculous happens.'"

Ensign seems to be in full delusion mode and concludes that what Americans want from the Senate is obstructionism on everything, from health care to ending the Iraq occupation. He's going to be in for quite the shock in November. "While Republicans may be striving to limit the damage, Ensign is confident their legislative record during the 110th Congress will attract support." McConnell, who himself is highly unpopular in Kentucky uses obstructionist tactics to block one popular initiative after another. The GOP seems to think this is the winning formula.
     
"In the Senate, a strong minority can be very effective," Ensign said. And he's correct. If Americans want endless war in Iraq, no real plan for national security or homeland protection, no health care for vets, no health care for children, no health care for anyone but millionaires, if they want warrantless wiretaps, torture, retroactive immunity, outsourcing of American jobs to third world countries, offshoring to avoid paying taxes, and if they think corporations shouldn't be regulated but should have a free hand to rob banks, cheat families out of their homes, pollute the air and water... well, then Ensign and McConnell have an excellent case. "It's really motivating businesses" to support Republican candidates, Ensign said, "because they understand the consequence of it... It's becoming more of a 'getting our team excited,' and so I see momentum definitely building."

Whatever steam the Republicans can produce heading into the fall, the NRSC will still be hampered by its fundraising woes-- since May 2006, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has raised more every month than the NRSC.

That cash disadvantage means Republicans will have to be careful where they direct their funds, lest they be wasted. Ensign pointed to Republican Sens. John Sununu in New Hampshire and Norm Coleman in Minnesota as races on which the NRSC will keep a close eye when making funding decisions.

Sununu faces a stiff challenge from former Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who continues to lead the GOP incumbent in polls, while Coleman faces comedian and satirist Al Franken, whose national image has enabled him to raise money to make that race competitive.

...Money is not the only thing Republicans need to worry about.

Although they have put a few months between them and scandals involving Republican Sens. Larry Craig of Idaho, who was accused of soliciting sex in a men's bathroom in the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, and David Vitter of Louisiana, who was accused of using a Washington, D.C.-based escort service, Ensign cautioned against underestimating the collateral damage from scandals.

"I dropped 12 points because of [former Rep.] Mark Foley," Ensign said, referring to his own polling in the wake of disclosures in September 2006 that the Florida Republican House member had been sending sexually suggestive text messages to congressional pages.

"What did I have to do with Mark Foley? Nothing," said Ensign, and yet his campaign felt the impact.

UPDATE: HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE NOTHING TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT EITHER

Everything points to another dozen or more losses for them in November and 23 Democratic challengers outraised Republican incumbents in the quarter that just ended! Included in that total are 7 Blue America candidates: Vic Wulsin (D-OH), Joe Garcia (D-FL), Mark Schauer (D-MI), Eric Massa (D-NY), Darcy Burner (D-WA), Tom Perriello (D-VA), Debbie Cook (D-CA) plus two more we are talking about endorsing (Judy Feder in Virginia and Joshua Segall in Alabama).