» Jumping the gun? Harry Reid’s spokesman says that it “sounds like Sen. McConnell is getting a little ahead of himself.” Republicans’ chances of retaking the Senate got worse last month when Olympia Snowe unexpectedly announced her retirement, and worse still when Bob Kerrey decided to run for his old seat in Nebraska several weeks ago. Oh, and Elizabeth Warren is now polling ahead of Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Obviously, a lot can—and will—change between now and November, but McConnell’s comments should be probably be seen more as a PR move to invigorate the Republican base than anything else.
» Hey, wha’ happen? Warren’s rise may be due in part to an “announcement boost;” she was long-rumored as a candidate, and her official entry in the race may have fired up a contingent of Democratic voters. Perhaps more significant of a factor, however, is Brown’s plummeting popularity. Back in December, he was the 16th most popular Senator in the country, out of 87 polled. Now, Brown is in 61st place, and his favorability has dropped by 25 points.
» Well, technically, she’s not in the race yet; she’s just formed an exploratory committee. But if Warren gets in, this will be a nice coup for Democrats, as she’s absolutely adored by progressives and could stand a shot at unseating Scott Brown. If “Downtown Scotty Brown” goes down, and Democrats gain a Senate seat they would have probably otherwise lost, Republicans will probably regret preemptively blocking Warren’s appointment to the CFPB.
Copyright 2009-2013 Ernie Smith • Ask us stuff! • E-mail us • Follow us on Twitter • Follow us on Facebook
