News Copy, New York

Michael Barone: Democrats May Have Only 103 Safe Seats

New York Republicans could win back more than half of the state's House seats if candidates run as well as Scott Brown, observed respected political analyst Michael Barone.  Nationwide, Democrats would be whittled down to 103 seats.

Merci'

The numerical analysis by Barone is a treat but it presumes a continued political failure by Democrats that is unrealistic.  Or maybe Democrats won't hunker down and re-group?  Maybe all the incumbents won't be as vain and unfocused as Coakley?  Perhaps the bigger issue is how many of these Congressional seats will be won by third party candidates ... Independents.

Republican vanity and hubris could be the next casualties of Tea Party candidates this November -- though watch the first collateral damage occur September 14th.  Incumbents and established party picks and insider favorites alike might be defeated on primary day. 

Barone's thoughtful analysis notes how Coakley wins in districts where Obama had 65% or better in 2008, running dead even where Obama had 64%.

Scott Brown takes everything else below 64%.

Applying that benchmark to the rest of the country, New York isn't a vast political wasteland for Republicans anymore (contrary to forecasted numbers).

It's nice to dream.

Numbers across the country show where Democrats normally would own House races -- but it comes back to Obama.

Though the blog, "A Certain Enthusiasm" (aptly put), cranks out numbers showing Coakley's demise in Obama-dominated Congressional Districts, someone should check precisely how many liberal Democrats stayed home -- versus non-affiliated voters who were finally roused to show up at the polling places.

Liberal Democrats will show up in November (Conservative Republicans will be there in September).

Republicans might get caught sleeping, both in primaries and the general election.

Democrats are historically better at re-grouping.  Republicans tend to pay the consultants a lot of money and overpower a race with paid media (and a lot of media there will be, with the recent Supreme Court decision affecting corporate donations and free speech).

The "gentry liberal" districts have their own turnout issues among liberal Republicans but Barone is correct that Democrats are trapped by their base.

"...House Democratic leadership has supported a solidly liberal agenda and has concentrated on whipping enough members from marginal districts to produce majorities on the floor—the large majority on the stimulus package in February or the narrow majority on cap-and-trade in June."

Republicans have the opposite problem.  They're a party whose dance with tea parties is provoking a search for something ... anything ... Bueller, Bueller ... anyone, anyone.  Hence, the candidates are lining up outside the door, both known and unknown.

Some of these districts will elect new faces.  The establishment party picks aren't bound to set the world on fire.  That's what both major parties still don't get.  Will the new faces have issues (as in true issues, not issues) and know how to campaign (and go through the exasperating process of fundraising and finding consultants who aren't thieves) -- or will they just expect a free ride to November and be beaten profusely by experienced political machines?

... Bueller, Bueller ...

Obama Healthcare Debacle Not Going Away: Democrats Repeating 1994?

All that's missing is Newt Gingrich holding up a poster entitled, "Contract With America"

The only difference is that Democrats are debating as much among themselves, it seems.

Health care concessions riles left?

It's 1993 all over again and Republicans should be poised to regain lost ground in the 1994 mid-term Congressional elections.

The other difference is that President Barack Obama is starting to come across as a game show host more and more at each public appearance.

Polls: You Really Want To Know?

Real Clear Politics Poll Averages:

Obama.  Obama.  Obama.

Up 6.8 percent, an average of several polls but the range is wicked ... Gallup 2 percent ... 14 percent for CBS/New York Times.  Anyone want to flip a coin?

There are so many polls that you wonder how these pollsters find fresh samples.

It lays out a picture of just how dire sentiments have remained nationwide in recent weeks.

• 8.9 percent believe the country is going in the right direction.
• 15.2 percent approve of the job Congress is doing.
• President Bush has a 24.6 percent job approval rating (which I think is better than his father in 1992).
• Democrats are still up in a Generic Congressional Survey of polls by 8.8 percent, with Republicans staggering in with a range of 34-45 percent in most polls.

It's the Republican Party, stupid.

Congressional Hearing on Franklin Raines: 2004

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were the topic of scrutiny in this 2004 Congressional Hearing.

Republicans were sounding the alarm.

Democrats were overtly praising Franklin Raines, calling the hearing a "lynching" and refusing to acknowledge a problem.

Mad As Hell (and not gonna take it anymore)

Walter Shapiro in Salon, "The voters are angry -- and don't know why."

"While congressional strategies can change faster than a 17-year-old can text message, the shell-shocked House Democratic leaders are currently torn between two gambits as they grope toward a majority. One notion is to depend on "buyer's remorse" among Republicans and some wavering Democrats who belatedly discovered Monday that the pension funds and 401Ks on Main Street tend to evaporate along with Wall Street. The other option is to add inducements to the bills for liberals (extended unemployment insurance, increases in food stamps, maybe middle-class tax cuts) in an effort to add to the 140 Democratic votes for passage."

Actually, Members of Congress are dumb -- and don't know why.

Shapiro noted a recent Pew Research Center poll that basically says Americans are enduring their share of "fear and loathing" over the end of the world (as we know it, this week).

Where is Howard Beale ("Network") when you need him?