Today's Updates: Thursday, August 1, 2013

• Tennessee House:  File under "This one will really make you sick":
  Scott DesJarlais Fundraising Troubles.  You may recognize the name even if you don't live in Tennessee.  Here's his story in a nutshell from the Huffington Post:
      
  "DesJarlais cruised to reelection in November 2012, defeating Democratic challenger Eric Stewart by nearly a dozen percentage points. Voters looked past the anti-abortion congressman's admission that he engaged in four flings during his divorce, while pressuring one mistress to have an abortion. Less than two weeks after re-election, court transcripts also showed that DesJarlais' wife had two abortions -- one for medical reasons and another on an elective basis.
  By early December, DesJarlais appeared convinced that his scandalous past was in the rear-view mirror, telling a conservative radio show that God had "forgiven" him."
  
  The guy was back in the news today, as he has a PAC and apparently found a Tennessee Congressman (Steve Southerland) who accepted a thousand bucks from that PAC.  Details HERE.
• Kentucky Senate:  Hmm... Yesterday the pollsters had the Kentucky Senate race as "Likely Republican" as it seemed that current Senate minority leader had a firm grip on his seat in red Kentucky.  But today, not so.  Reported at Huffington Post:
  
  
  "New poll numbers released on Thursday hold troubling signs for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
  
  
  According to the survey -- conducted by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling on behalf of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy For America -- Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky's Democratic secretary of state who officially entered the race on Tuesday, leads the longtime senator by one point, with 45 percent to McConnell's 44 percent. While her lead is within the margin of error, the poll also underscored some broader issues that McConnell is likely to face as he campaigns for a sixth term."  The article goes on to mention turtleman's general unpopularity even in red Kentucky.  It mentions other recent polls, and highlights the McConnell campaign's response:  Something to do with George Soros and Obama releasing a fictitious poll.. Though PPP, a Democratic polling firm, was pretty much on track in terms of results in 2012.  But you know, that Soros guy....  That rich billionaire who wants to roll back the minimum wage.... Oh, no...  The billionaires who want to get rid of the minimum wage are Republican billionaires!  I really have no idea why the Republicans don't like Soros other than he is a rich guy who funds populist causes.  Could that be it?        
  
  This Senate race continues to be a race of national importance.
  
  
• South Carolina Senate:  I just love the Tea Party some days; oh, yes, indeedy I do.  Now why would I, a nice liberal girl from a nice blue city in a nice blue state, love the Tea Party?  Because they may make it easier for the Democrats to keep the Senate and even win a few seats that were considered in the "Republican" column here and there.  The Tea Party is noisy, active. and extreme.  And, outside of the Republican party, not very well liked.  And it appears that long-time Republican Senators are attracting Tea Party challengers these days faster than garbage attracts flies.  Lindsay Graham of South Carolina is the latest.
  
  
  Again from Huffington Post:  
  
  
  "Republican Nancy Mace will run for Senate in South Carolina next year, Goose Creek Patch reports.
  Mace, the first female graduate of The Citadel and a tea party favorite, told Patch that she plans to challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in the 2014 Republican primary. She is set to announce her candidacy at a Saturday breakfast hosted by the Berkeley County Republican Party.
  Graham, who will seek a third term in the Senate, has been targeted by tea party activists who have taken issue with his willingness to compromise with Democratic colleagues on issues like immigration reform. Conservatives also lashed out at Graham for his opposition to Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) March filibuster on the Obama administration's use of drones.
  "Lindsey Graham could be replaced with someone worthy of that seat," FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe said in May. "The way he lashed out against Rand Paul, he's begging for a primary.""
  
  So we'll let Mace push him as far to the right as he can go... and, if she can't beat him in the primary, maybe he will say or do something that will sound so extreme that there will be room somewhere for a Democrat.  But we're talking South Carolina here, so I wouldn't put any money on this, though I wish the good people of South Carolina can prove me wrong.  
          
• Kentucky Senate:  More on Senator Mitch McConnell's Tea Party challenger.. It seems as though good ol' Mitch is getting hit from both sides today, doesn't it?
  
  
  From last week:  Matt Bevin would be more than a pesky distraction:
  
  
  "Bevin is going to be more than a pesky distraction to Sen. McConnell," Rhodebeck said. She said McConnell is "going to have to spend money and time on the primary, and it's clear he'd much rather be attacking Grimes right now."
  (McConnell's campaign manager Jesse) Benton said McConnell "will keep his focus where it belongs: working hard for Kentucky every day." He said the campaign team will have no problem dealing with both Bevin and Grimes.
  
  
  Well, of course that's what McConnell's campaign manager would say.  
  
  
  Meanwhile, this came out Tuesday:  Matt Bevin challenges McConnell to sign a pledge to defund Obamacare:
  
  "Mitch McConnell's rhetoric on defeating Obamacare is nothing but empty promises," (Challenger Matt) Bevin said. "I challenge Mitch McConnell to join me in signing the pledge to defund Obamacare. Instead of playing political games, it's time to stand up for the people of Kentucky."
  Mighty Mitch's campaign manager Benton is pretty quick with the comebacks, and it seems as though he might earn his money this time around:   "When Senator McConnell became the first lawmaker to launch coordinated opposition to Obamacare back in 2009, political opportunist Matt 'Bailout' Bevin was busy racking up tax liens on his business and million dollar New England vacation home," Benton said. "There isn't a single member of Congress who has fought Obamacare harder or longer than Mitch McConnell and he has repeatedly said if he has the opportunity to defund or repeal the law he will not hesitate."
  
  Sigh.  I have no idea how tax liens has anything to do with Affordable Health Care.  And I still don't understand why all of these guys are so anxious to deny millions of people who are counting the days until they can get health care.  Explain that to me, one of you Republicans out there.