"Here are five important Democrats who are sitting this one out."

[babylonsister]

A Few Good Dems
Who won’t be running for Congress this year.

*
Seyward Darby


The Democrats’ recent electoral woes have been well-chronicled. Within the last six months, the party has been plagued by high-profile losses (Martha Coakley, Jon Corzine), high-profile retirements (Byron Dorgan, Marion Berry), and, yes, even high-profile deaths (Ted Kennedy, John Murtha). Stack those on top of a faltering economy, a stalled-out Congress, and a pissed-off populace (to name just three bits of bad news), and the first Tuesday in November is looking nasty. It now appears as if the Democrats might lose between four and six seats in the Senate and between 25 and 35 seats in the House, according to the Cook Political Report. But could these numbers have been lower? In several races, the Dems’ best candidates looked at the electoral landscape and, perhaps wisely, opted not to run for a new seat in Congress. Here are five important Democrats who are sitting this one out.

ILLINOIS: Lisa Madigan

The White House wanted Lisa Madigan to run for Obama's Senate seat. It wanted her to so badly that the Illinois attorney general was invited to meet with Obama, Valerie Jarrett, and Rahm Emanuel in Washington last June. She also had the backing of Illinois's senior senator, Dick Durbin. Conventional wisdom said she'd win the nomination and possibly the seat. In fact, there were rumors that Republican Representative Mark Kirk wouldn't run if Madigan did because he didn't like his odds.

But last July, Madigan decided not to run, leaving the Democratic field wide open--and populated by less than stellar politicians. "The Democratic candidates are second-tier. They're not particularly exciting, not particularly experienced," DePaul University political analyst Michael Mezey told Reuters just before the state primaries, in which Kirk clinched the Republican nomination and Alexi Giannoulias, state treasurer, nabbed the Democratic nod. The race is already drawing comparisons to the Martha Coakley-Scott Brown face-off in Massachusetts. Kirk is currently outpolling Giannoulias by 6 points, according to Rasmussen. "If {Madigan} had run, it probably wouldn't be a race," says Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report.

more...

http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/few-good-dems

[WCGreen]

1. Why don't they ever mention that republicans are losing more

incumbents to retirement...

[babylonsister]

2. Hi, WCGreen, and Steve Benen did today...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7720726

[WCGreen]

3. Well, that's certainly a voice...

It just amazes me that nothing will change a narrative for the media even if the truth is starring them right in the eye...

Nice collection of hearts, babylonsister...

You deserve every one of them...

:loveya:

[babylonsister]

4. Hey, thanks.

I have read your previous comments about what I post, and do appreciate them.
Last night, when DU hit 1000, I posted a thread thanking everyone. It was voted down, so I have my detractors, for thanking everyone! :crazy:

Oh, and :hug:

[jaysunb]

5. Re: Illinois

Another reason Tim Kaine-as nice a guy as could be- was and is the wrong person at the DNC. :evilfrown:

[frazzled]

6. Won't blame Kaine for not getting Madigan to run

Hell, if POTUS, Valerie Jarrett, and Rahm Emanuel couldn't get her to do it, I wouldn't expect a phone call from Tim Kaine would matter much.

I do think that we'd have had a better chance against Kirk if we'd elected David Hoffman. He may not have been a firebrand speaker (yet), but he had a whole lot more experience than Giannoulias, and a heck of a lot less baggage.

By the way, the Kirk campaign is already push-polling big time. I got the call, and when I told them I wouldn't participate further because it was a push poll (they took about 20 questions till they got to the "let me read you this statement about Alexi Giannoulias..." routine, they had the gall to call back the next night to say that the poll had been 80% completed, and would I please finish it. Unbelievable.

[babylonsister]

7. Did he even try? I don't even know what he's been thinking. nt