National Notes

National Notes

Believe it or not it's getting late in the cycle for candidate recruitment. Swing State Project says Dems have candidates in 313 congressional districts. The goal of course is 435; the record is 425 in 2006. Still openings in Iowa 4 and 5...

Kos diarist BENAWU lists 300 districts with GOP candidates. Bruce Braley is as yet unopposed.

Senate Guru looks at a guy Iowa Democrats know well and says that despite poor polls, Chris Dodd will be re-elected.

Not even close: Last week I wondered wither six appointee senators at once was a record. Even geekier than me Ken Rudin has the answer: at one point in late 1946, thirteen appointees were serving (of a then only 96 member Senate). Only four of them managed to get elected, though some didn't run and two self-appointed governors (which is where this tangent started with the Charlie Crist situation) lost primaries.

And Beam Me Up: Jim Traficant is getting out of jail.