Take Our Chances

The Tea Party movement scored another victory on Tuesday, helping to propel a dissident Republican, Christine O’Donnell, to an upset win over Representative Michael N. Castle in the race for the United States Senate nomination in Delaware.

Mr. Castle, a moderate who served two terms as governor and had been reliably winning elections for the last four decades, became the latest establishment Republican casualty. Republican leaders, who had actively opposed Ms. O’Donnell, said the outcome complicated the party’s chances of winning control of the Senate. (NYT, 9/15/10)

The question for Republicans is whether you would rather take your chances with a real Republican or elect a nominal Republican like Specter/Snowe/Collins who is really a Democrat. As we have noted, the New York Times definition of a moderate Republican is someone who votes with the Democrats.

They’ve Still Got Charlie!
Representative Charles B. Rangel, the battle-scarred Democratic incumbent facing numerous ethics charges, captured his party’s nomination on Tuesday after a nasty six-way primary battle in which his opponents sharply questioned his fitness to serve.

The victory makes it virtually certain that Mr. Rangel, a legendary figure in city and state politics, will win the November general election in his overwhelmingly Democratic Congressional district in Upper Manhattan. (NYT, 9/15/10)

Read that first paragraph….talk about a stunning endorsement!

Is it just us?
Democrats are planning a new step in their attacks on Republican Rep. John Boehner, who would likely become House speaker should the GOP take control of the chamber next year. The Democratic National Committee says it will begin airing a TV ad Tuesday that criticizes Boehner for opposing additional aid to states for teachers and Medicaid.

The ad marks an escalation in the Democratic effort to elevate and to define Boehner, the House minority leader, who is largely unfamiliar to most voters. (WSJ, 9/15/10)

Is it just us or does this attempt to demonize Boehner seem silly? Obama is using the same playbook that Dems used against Newt Gingrich years ago only it doesn’t seem to be getting any traction.