As I commented on Friday, John Warner's announcement that he will be retiring from the U. S. Senate is sending political shock waves and not just in Virginia. Had John Warner stood for re-election, he pis so popular that he probably would not have had a challenger. Now, there is speculation that former Gov. Jim Gilmore may run for the GOP nomination, potentially setting the stage for the far right wing of the Party to have a slug fest with the remaining GOP moderates who would like someone less beholden to the Christianists. Nothing better than having the party self destruct in a civil war. Should former Gov. Mark Warner run for the Democrats, I believe the GOP can kiss John Warner's seat goodbye. Here are a few highlights from the Washington Post:
A Senate electoral playing field that was already wide open for 2008 has become considerably more perilous for Republicans with the retirement of Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) and the resignation of scandal-scarred Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho). Republicans need a net gain of just one seat to take back control of the Senate, but they have 22 seats to defend, and campaign cash is conspicuously lacking. Warner's retirement raised to two the number of open Republican seats, and both of them -- in Virginia and Colorado -- are prime targets for Democrats.
"The state of the playing field looks very good, even in places where we didn't expect it to look good, even in deeply red states," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "Things could change, but if you did a snapshot, we're going to have a good year." "It's always darkest right before you get clobbered over the head with a pipe wrench. But then it actually does get darker," said a GOP pollster who insisted on anonymity in order to speak candidly.
Personally, I love it and hope the situation only gets worse for the GOP which, in my view, needs to be severely punished for (A) enabling Chimperator Bush for the last six years and (B) giving the Party's sole over to Christianists who want to subvert the Constitution.
No comments:
Post a Comment