Senate 2016

Cotton-headed California progressives seem to be so relieved that our neoliberal lieutenant governor, Gavin Newsom, has decided to forego a Senate run-- who cares about the governorship, anyway?-- that they appear to be falling head over heals in love with Attorney General Kamala Harris based on... I'm not sure. She has a liberalism reputation but no one seems to know much about where she stands on the issues that will face the Senate if she's elected.

Very expensive photo shootCalifornia progressives were delighted yesterday when neoliberal corporate whore Gavin Newsom took himself out of consideration for the Senate seat being opened by Barbara Boxer's 2016 retirement plans.

You may have heard that McCain, in preparation for his reelection run in 2016-- if he wins, he'd be 86 when his term expires-- is trying to purge the Arizona GOP of extremists. Aside from "who would be left?" we might wonder what McCain is afraid of. And, of course it's a primary challenge by a teabagger like Dave Schweikert or Matt Salmon.

Very clear choice for 2016- Ayotte vs Shea-PorterNew Hampshire has two congressional districts-- a red-leaning one (NH-01 with a PVI of R+1) and a blue-leaning one (NH-02, with a PVI of D+3). Obama won both districts in 2008 and 2012:

Utah's Mike Lee (R), Jim Matheson (D)-- it doesn't get any worseFar right Utah Republican Mike Lee has been playing Tonto to Ted Cruz's Lone Ranger since the day he managed to get into the Senate. And plenty of Utah Republicans don't appreciate that-- nor the way he did get into the Senate, namely by smearing mainstream conservative 18-year Senate veteran Robert Bennett.

Mark Kirk, who lies about military decorations he never got, wants to teach North Korea a lesson-- with a campaign fundraiserIn theory, Mark Kirk has one of the most vulnerable Republican-held seats coming up in 2016. Illinois has tended to elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate.

With the announcement Monday from Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane that she will run for reelection rather than seek the state's Senate seat currently held by Pat Toomey, the path to the Democratic nomination is wide open for Admiral Joe Sestak.

Will Democrats run on this-- or run away from it again?In theory, 2016 should be a good electoral year for Democrats. Their voters will probably be enthusiastic at the idea of electing Hillary Clinton (a moderate, the first woman president, familiar entitity everyone feels they know...).

I suppose once the likes of right-wing steeped-in-profound-ignorance sociopaths Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cory Gardner (R-CO) and James Lankford (R-OK) show up scores will change, but right now ProgressivePunch rates Wisconsin nut-case Ron Johnson as owner of the worst voting record in the Senate.

by Gaius PubliusWe don't need much comment here. Harry Reid has just said he will surrender to most things the Senate Republicans want to do, if they have the votes to do them. The Hill (my paragraphing):