No dem incumbent is safe. None of them. Not Russ Feingold, not Pat Leahy

[cali]

not Barbara Boxer.

Time to recognize that. In Wisconsin, Russ is threatened by Tommy Thompson if her runs. In CA, Boxer is threatened by Campbell. In VT, should Jim Douglas change his perfidious little mind, Leahy could be conceivably threatened- though Brian Dubie, the popular Lt. Gov, who's running for Gov, would be a bigger threat.

Any even marginally competitive repuke challenger will see so much corporate money it'll look like a blizzard.

Some dem Congressional reps are, it's true safer than Senators who have to run statewide, but overall, it's a dangerous season for dems.

[Union Yes]

1. Too much truth for some unreccer. KNR to make up for it. nt

[elocs]

11. Congratulations for using the very 1st response to point that out.

I'm sure they love to see their UnRec highlighted.

So, is this OP important enough for some kind of comment about it and not the UnRec?

[golddigger]

2. K&R

[tblue]

3. These will become "the good old days"

I've never been more frightened.

[unhappycamper]

4. What I find interesting is that no republicans are threatened.

It kinda makes one think.

[cali]

5. Some are

but their challenges are more likely to come from the right- like John McCain. It's a matter of an emboldened and energized repub party/teabaggers, a dispirited and fracturing dem party and the floodgates of corporate money being opened.

[FBaggins]

8. Republicans are threatened in MO, NH, OH, KY, LA and maybe FL

There was also reason to hope that Burr (NC) would draw a decent challenge, but that looks unlikely now.

It DOES make it more difficult to spin the "this is an anti-incumbent wave" when there are so few of them... but that doesn't mean that no republicans are in danger.

[cali]

13. Blunt is leading Carnahan in MO. There was already an anti-dem

problem with OH. It's an uphill battle for Melancon against Vitter. And Hodes has consistently been running behind Ayotte.

[FBaggins]

15. All true... but that doesn't mean that they aren't threatened.

Those are all races that we COULD win. The danger is that, although there are perhaps 15 competitive Senate races nationwide, these things tend to go in waves.

[PVnRT]

20. Not sure about KY

Gov. Beshear is not terribly popular, and the state Democrats (many of them, anyway) are pinning their state budget hopes on slot machines at horse tracks that the GOP has defeated twice in the past two years. Both of the frontrunning Democrats are associated with Beshear - Mongiardo is the Lt. Gov. and Conway is the A.G., and, frankly, neither are that exciting.

The best hope in Kentucky is for Batfuck Crazy, Jr. (Rand Paul) to lose the GOP primary and mount a third-party campaign to siphon off the libertarians.

[asdjrocky]

6. Maybe it wouldn't be if only they would start acting like Dems.

[cali]

7. Russ Feingold, Pat Leahy and Barbara Boxer ALL act like dems

doesn't mean that I agree with everything they may say or do, but they are the most progressive members of the Senate. It's utterly ridiculous to claim they don't act like dems.

[asdjrocky]

9. You're right.

I'm just talking about Dems in general. Wrong side of the bed this morning.

[midnight]

10. In Wisconsin Tommy gave away the rainy day slush fund and left us in a economic tight spot.

He did that to gain votes for his third term which he won, and left to become Bushes HHS.... He is well known for wanting everyone to be chipped....


In April 2007, Thompson apologized for publicized remarks he made while speaking to an assembled crowd of Jewish social activists in Washington, D.C.<23> On April 18, 2007, appearing before a conference organized by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Thompson made reference to his lucrative transition from public service to the private sector by stating: "You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that."<24> After the conclusion of his address, Thompson was reportedly pulled aside privately by the RAC’s Rabbi David Saperstein, and then returned to the podium to issue a clarification,<25> adding: "I just want to clarify something because I didn't (by) any means want to infer or imply anything about Jews and finances and things. What I was referring to, ladies and gentlemen, is the accomplishments of the Jewish religion. You've been outstanding business people and I compliment you for that."<24>
Later, Thompson told Politico that his remarks could be blamed on fatigue and a persistent cold.<26>
Thompson made a variety of other lesser comments, including referring to the Anti Defamation League as the fringe Jewish Defense League, and to Israel bonds as "Jewish bonds".<27><28><29> He also discussed his connections to conservative Israeli and Jewish leaders with the mostly left-leaning activist group.<27>
Conference organizers avoided comment on the gaffes, instead praising Thompson's decision to appear before the group.<30>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Thompson


Vs. A Senator who refuses to sign the patriot act.... What can you say after that. You can say he supports the constitution and will fight for you to not have to have your phone tapped, your house secretly broken into. Not many on the Hill who support the right of the people. "A month after 9-11, with half its members shut out of their offices due to anthrax-powdered letters, the Senate passed the PATRIOT Act by a vote of 98-1 — the lone “nay” vote cast by Feingold."http://theparagraph.com/2009/10/feingold-leads-senate-fight-against-sneak-and-peek-other-patriot-


We don't need to be chipped or spyed on-we need to be smarter and vote for people who value our constituion....


Thommy supports the right of the corporation....

[elocs]

12. I'm in WI, been here for over 50 years. I'm not worried about Feingold.

Here I know Republicans who will vote for Feingold because like our Senator Proxmire they trust him and that goes a long way. Feingold is a great campaigner and fighter and I believe he will be reelected as long as he runs.

Could he be beaten? Sure, but I think that is very unlikely.

[cali]

14. I'm in Vermont where Leahy has a far higher approval rating than Feingold

has in Wisconsin. I still don't see him as safe, and I see Feingold as much less safe. Thompson does well matched against Feingold and the corpodollars he'll get if he announces will be mind boggling. Yes, Feingold has the advantage. No, I don't think he's safe.

[elocs]

16. Well, I live here and I've got to say that I see Feingold as safe.

I'm not concerned.

[cali]

17. I think it's far wiser not to be

complacent this year. That's all.

[elocs]

19. Not being concerned does certainly not mean being complacent.

Not at all.

[AlinPA]

22. See my post #21 below. There will be an enormous amout of money spent

for republicans.

[Kahuna]

18. This is true. The reason is, the Dems have failed to lead. As usual..

they are all over the place on the issues and this is very confusing to voters. The voters don't know what the Dems stand for. The Dems make me sick. While I will continue to vote and vote Democratic, I will no longer devote so much of my time worrying about my party being in charge. The Dems never learn. That goes for the elected Dems and the Dem voters. After fifty years of witnessing embarrassing spectacle after embarrassing spectacle, I've had it.

[AlinPA]

21. With unlimited money to be spent by corporations in the 2010 election,

every Democrat will be in trouble. Suppose corporations invest $20 billion just for the 2010 election. Divide that by the number of representatives and senators running (about 470) and it's $42.5 million each. They wouldn't have to spend it in the south where there are a lot of republicans that will be shoo-ins.

[Blue State Blues]

23. ConservaDems aren't safe either.

Why rent a Dem when you can own a Republican?

[PATRICK]

24. What it means for

non corporate donation candidates.

Eric Massa is certainly an independent who has opposed the current HCR legislation and in particular stood up to Time Warner's internet metering scheme so they hit a wall in NY costing them untold millions. Now they have a blank check to throw against him and his woes are only multiplied by the corporate Dem establishment and the chalk white face of Shumer who really will have to depend on people power despite his double digit past victories.

There is one answer and it is grim fair. Boots on the street, people on the phones and more. The loss in Mass. had our local MSM station bringing on an unattributed GOP blowhard to practically trumpet a charge to retake the GOP gerrymandered districts(some who took corporate donations and it shows). The crisis of progressives operates in the greater crisis against democracy itself. Money cannot ever be enough. In my experience especially asking decent people to stalk the environs of vicious GOP know-nothings we will not have what we should- what we REQUIRE- this time around. Money and media and logistics are more than stacked against against one of the few real non-corporate funded people's candidate. His own energies and presence(seemingly everywhere) is the maximum anyone coul;d expect of a person to person candidate(and then some, believe me). There might be future favorable redistricting as well to defend in this uneven battle. This is the trophy head they want to take.

Upstate NY needs local volunteers- to outmatch GOP imports bought by corporations. Caving to corporate money is the intended temporary effect on many already compromised(polite word) Dems. Wiping out the new waves of populist and progressive Dems is almost too easy- because the people will not work in numbers large enough to destroy money induced fantasy elections. Even without that- and an excuse I mentioned that depresses such support- is the extraordinary challenge in beating an acceptable GOP candidate in a large GOP plurality region. That will be a logical excuse I am certain, but how else can we fight for the people's beachhead against the very principle of money corruption?

Too windy. The need always is for real grass roots, real people to people work, volunteers, real organizing. The brief post FDR period when law and reason could protect democracy from above have been fully reversed. Money is not only insufficient but poisonous. I have sincere doubts enough volunteers will emerge and the Big Money believes it with good reason. We will likely lose and most will likely not fight hard enough to preserve even a shred of honor as onetime citizens of a representative democracy.