GOP Faces Obstacles To Reclaim Senate

Sen. Chuck Hagel's Retirement Latest In String Of Setbacks

(AP)  A string of political setbacks has damaged Republicans' hopes of regaining the Senate majority next year and increased the likelihood Democrats might expand their razor-thin margin.

The 2008 campaign appears increasingly unpleasant for Republicans a year after unexpected defeats cost them control. Among the factors are GOP retirements in toss-up states, voters' distress over the Iraq war and a handful of scandals.

The latest blow comes from Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, who announced Monday that he would not seek a third term.

"I said after I was elected in 1996 that 12 years in the Senate would probably be enough, and it is," Hagel said.

He would have been favored heavily to win again. Democrats now hope that Bob Kerrey, a former governor and senator, will run and claim the seat. But Republican Mike Johanns, the U.S. agriculture secretary and another former governor, and State Attorney General Jon Bruning are also strong contenders and could keep the seat in Republican hands.

Just recently, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said he would give up his seat, which Democrats now considerable winnable.

Republicans once had higher hopes of reversing their 2006 setbacks, when they lost virtually every close contest and saw their 55-45 majority disappear. Now it is Democrats who feel energized, hoping to pad their majority that is essentially 51-49, when the voting patterns of two independent senators are considered.

Ethics have hurt the GOP's image -- sex-related scandals involving Sens. Larry Craig of Idaho and David Vitter of Louisiana, a federal raid of Sen. Ted Stevens' Alaska home in a bribery investigation. Also, the Senate ethics committee is looking into claims that Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., tried to pressure a federal prosecutor in an election probe of Democrats.

Of those, only Vitter's seat is not up for re-election. Even if Democratic victories are unlikely in the Republican strongholds of Alaska and Idaho, the scandals are a distraction that could drain money and energy the party would prefer to focus elsewhere.

Meanwhile, anti-war sentiment is giving Democrats serious hopes of denying re-election to Republican senators in competitive states including New Hampshire, Maine, Minnesota and Oregon.

Democrats "have reason to feel good," acknowledged Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who heads the GOP's Senate campaign committee. But, he said in an interview, Republican candidates will perform better than many people expect.

[pwrslm]

The neo conservative movement is nothing more than a Demoncrap in a Republican shirt. The liberal split in the demoncrapy party resulted in neo conservatives, which are not conservatives at all, they are in opposition to liberal experiments that liberals are historically famous for. Real conservatives are being squeezed out of politics, they only rise to recognition after the liberals have decimated the situation with stupidity. Examples of conservative stands are anti abortion, anti smoking, stopping illegal immigration, and drug prohibition reform, we need to down size government and abolish the IRS, and replace it with a flat rate sales tax to save this nation hundreds of millions that the IRS blows every years....and then we need to eliminate all lobby activity funded by any corporation that is held by foreign entities...and eliminate all lobby activity by any business without opposing lobby to protect the interest of the people of the USA.....bottom line, smaller Federal Government means the people win, and the politicians must recognize that there is a line that is drawn that they must not cross, one of them is the elimination of the national debt comes before "earmarks" designating new spending. Its got to stop, the money they get from Tax Payers is not a comodity to bargain with to aquire "deals" to influence legislation, its money taken from the people of this nation to provide and protect our country. .

[meboard]

I think all that Dems need do is print a huge number of signs with "w" pathetic face on it with a banner below reading "Had enoug...now???"

[neobrian-2009]

Unless you are Very rich,..You `d have to be TOTAL MORON,..To be a Republiscum !!If You think for a NY second ,Shrub and his Band of Criminals care about " Joe Average" You Are Beyond help !
ANYBODY who upholds these Treasonistic Oil Sucking ,Insurance Loving Thugs is just as guilty but,without the perks.

[lars008-2009]

THE CONTINUING SAGA OF DEMONIC-RAT CHINAGATE 2

HSU A NO HSU AT HEARING%u2026 LOL

Democratic Donor a No Show at Hearing
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070906/D8RFKG500.html
Dems Dirty Donor Norman Hsu Fails to Show for Bail Reduction Hearing Leading to Speculation He''s On the Run
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295828,00.html
china buys usa elections???
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=chinese+campaign contributions democrat
Big Source of Clinton''s Cash Is an Unlikely Address
Family''s Donations Closely Track Those Of Top Fund-Raiser
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118826947048110677.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news
Report: Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft&btnG=Search
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295031,00.html
Leading Clinton Donor Stays Below the Radar
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118835199704811801.html?mod=blog
''DIRTY CASH'' MAN FLEES
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03042007/news/nationalnews/pro_clinton_dirty_cash_man_flees_nationalnews_christine_field.htm

[socrates392]

Lars008, this story is not about the Clintons. It is about Chuck Hagel.

Go post your ramblings some place else . . . like maybe under the article that is actually about the Clinton''s fund raising woes, you ignorant troll!

[lars008-2009]

CHINESE OWN DEMONIC-RATS AND BUY THEM THE ELECTIONS!!!

The tale of shady Chinese Clinton donors avoiding U.S. justice is a familiar one that dates back to the 1996 Clinton-Gore fundraising scandal known as Chinagate. The Clintons took millions in laundered foreign campaign donations from Chinese Communists in exchange for liberalizing trade policy with China, dropping pending indictments against influential Chinese figures, spots on a U.S. trade mission and overnight stays at the White House.

Many of the Chinagate donors were successfully prosecuted even though Clinton Attorney General Janet Reno blocked investigators%u2019 efforts at the Justice Department. More than 100 people connected to the fundraising scandal fled the country, however. Norman Hsu seems to be following their lead.
http://www.corruptionchronicles.com/2007/09/hillary_donor_flees_like_china.html

and you thought gonzales was bad...

[socrates392]

I have got to say that I am sorry to see Hagel go. I think he had great courage to stand up to the Bushites and the Republicans on this fiasco in Iraq.

Posted by kansas1946 at 10:01 PM : Sep 10, 2007

I agree. I''d almost rather have a courageous Republican like Hagel in office than a Democrat. Hagel''s opposition to the war showed that at least a small portion of Republicans still have a conscience . . . Now that he and Warner are leaving, the Republican party is that much closer to becoming a party entirely composed of ignorant, war mongering fascists.

[kansas1946]

Ioweign,
I have got to say that I am sorry to see Hagel go. I think he had great courage to stand up to the Bushites and the Republicans on this fiasco in Iraq. I think he truly cares about the soldiers that Bush has put in harms way, and he is probably just worn out by these idiot Republicans in his own party. I hope you guys in Iowa give us a senator of equal quality, no matter what party.

[old5hita55]

If I had my way with this here whole thing Id kick out all them democrats and put in nothing but republicans and wed get some things done upo in the WhiteHouse. All they want to do is cut and run away like chickens when all we have to do is do like we should and fight stronger and not quit. We won every war we fought and I dont see no reson why we cant just win win this if we just get serios and fight it right.

[ioweign]

IOWEIGN --is he a good decent republican like Hagel or a bush defender??
Posted by nyckate at 05:47 PM : Sep 10, 2007

I believe so - like Senator Grassley - honorable.

[gkc99]

"he can''''t cut it as a Senator in a time of American military and dipolomatic efforts trying to secure the peace in Iraq."
Posted by One_American


No Repub with any honesty or intelligence can make it as a Repub senator. They are shunned by the Repub power structure and the Bushits.

The public knows that the Repub party is a corrupt little gang of nobodies, led by their pathetic little monkey with the room temperature IQ.

[likeitis5050]

It''s anyone''s game. No one has earned the right to sit back and gloat. Miserable returns from both parties, so any celebrating from anyone is premature and unwarranted.

[xlib]

Oh terrapin, what a fool. YOur guys have the majority and they take a spanking from binLaden. Why, even kerry is answering him and making excuse after excuse.
Let''s see, an approval rating of what, 14%!
What a bunch of idiots.
antoniof123-NAFTA brought to us by clinton, there son.

[xlib]

All these GOP articles. More than I''ve seen on this site in a long time. Why no dem stories?? Where''s the scoop on hill, best friend of norman hsu. Where''s the obama stories?
I hear that the times has taken some new marching orders from the owner of the democrats. Seems that soros is now placing ads in the times panning Gen. Patreous this even before the man spoke in DC today. Nice move there dems, nice move. I''m sure the troops really appreciate all your support.

[mitywhity]

I swares I nevah saw a bunch mo less effective dan dem Dimocrats! Dey''s promised to fix everthang in 100 hours - startin when? Whoo-eee them Dimocrats sho nuff gots demselves in a heap o trouble. I mights jes switch to de REE publican pahty muh own self.

[nyckate]

IOWEIGN --is he a good decent republican like Hagel or a bush defender??

[ioweign]

In Nebraska, Hagel''s departure gives Democrats high hopes. But Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, a popular Republican former governor, would be formidable against even a well-known Democrat such as Kerrey, political insiders say.

Johanns is an ex-Hawkeye !!

[terrapin78]

Once the US Congress is cleared of the Bu$h RUBBERSTAMPERS the Congress will reclaim it prestige.

It''s the Repugs and their roadblocking that is causing the low poll numbers. And the Dems inability to stop the war.

[one_american]

Senator Hagel''s departure from Congress is much more a Democrat defeat than it is a Republican defeat.

It''s simply time for Chuck Hagel to go "sell shoes", as he so eloquently stated previously, since he can''t cut it as a Senator in a time of American military and dipolomatic efforts trying to secure the peace in Iraq.

[antoniof123]

Well, I bet that after a few more months of Viet Iraq they will see their numbers become more removed from the American people and start to wonder if they even have a chace. 20 Republican Senators up for re-election in a year that has most of America thinking where does 12,000,000,000 dollars a month come from and now they want 54,000,000,000 more for the year so that becomes 16,500,000,000 dollars per month. Has anyone checked the value of the US dollar against other currencies lately like today. I mean now the US Dollar is about even with the Canadian Dollar, way to go GOP keep this up and we should be lower then the Pesso oh wait we droped there too. Anyone see those numbers they are a monthly number. More money they you and I can county too in fact Bill Gates can''t even afford this.