• Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 5th from 19:09 to 19:15

    March 5, 2011 /

    These are my links for March 5th from 19:09 to 19:15:

    • Senate 2012: Republicans in solid shape to take control of Senate next year – An early spate of Democratic Senate retirements has put Republicans in solid shape to retake the majority in the upper chamber next year.

      The first edition of The Hill's 2012 race ratings puts five Democratic-held seats in the toss-up column. Republicans need a net gain of at least three seats to win the Senate.

      Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) are the two incumbents that top of the list of vulnerable Senate Democrats in 2012. And, thanks to retirements, another three Democratic-held seats are toss-ups — the ones held by Sens. Kent Conrad (N.D.), Jeff Bingaman (N.M.) and Jim Webb (Va.).

      +++++++

      I would say that Missouri, Florida and Michigan are also possible.

    • President 2012: Rudy Giuliani Not Close to Decision – Rudy Guiliani insisted on Fox News that he's considering another presidential bid in 2012 but he didn't sound very convincing.

      SEAN HANNITY: Are you running for president?

      GIULIANI: Not right this minute.

      HANNITY: How close are you to making a final decision?

      GIULIANI: I'm not close. I've got a lot of thinking to do, and I'm thinking.

      HANNITY: But you're considering it.

      GIULIANI: Yes.

      +++++++

      Rudy like Sarah Palin is not running for President

  • Jeff Bingaman

    NM-Sen 2012: Senator Jeff Bingaman to Retire from U.S. Senate

    February 18, 2011 /

    Senate Energy Committee Chairman Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., left, asks a question during a hearing on the BP oil spill on Capitol Hill in Washington

    More bad news for the national Democratic Party in retaining the U.S. Senate majority in 2012.

    Senate Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., will announce on Saturday that he will not seek reelection, Democratic sources confirmed. The news was first reported by the Washington Post.

    Bingaman, who was first elected in 1982, will become the fourth Democratic Caucus member and sixth incumbent to announce they will not seek reelection in 2012.  Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), and Jim Webb (D-Va.) have previously announced they will not be running in 2012.

    So, who might run?

    Reps. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan will almost certainly be mentioned on the Democratic side as might that of former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.

    Former Rep. Heather Wilson has been mentioned as a possible Republican candidate and sources close to Rep. Steve Pearce say he is looking seriously at running.

    No matter if the Democrats have a large majority of registered voters in the state, they will need to expend far more resources in New Mexico than if Jeff Bingaman had decided to run for re-election. President Obama remains popular in the state, according to the latest polls, but a mistake by a Democratic nominee for Senate could hurt him.

    The White House and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid cannot be too pleased.