|
Democrats target seven states in 2006
Senate races
USA Today
December 27, 2005
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite being New York's less-famous senator,
Charles Schumer stayed busy in 2005, keeping a hand — or quote — in
almost every major congressional battle.
Now he is out to prove he has the strategy to elect Senate Democrats and
maybe wrest control from the Republicans.
Schumer, the head of Senate Democrats' campaign efforts, said Tuesday he is
focusing on seven states where he believes they can take GOP-held Senate seats
in 2006: Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Montana, Tennessee, and
Arizona.
"If the stars align right we could actually take back the Senate," Schumer
said.
The Senate currently has 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats and one
Democratic-voting independent. In 2006, there are five open Senate seats, as
well as 14 Democratic senators seeking re-election and 14 Republicans seeking
re-election.
Schumer heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which had nearly
$22 million available according to their last fundraising report. That's almost
double the cash available to their counterparts in the National Republican
Senatorial Committee.
NRSC spokesman Brian Nick said Schumer's current fundraising advantage
"means zilch" and his list of target states "is suspect at best."
The NRSC also is looking at replacing some Democratic senators in places
like Maryland, Minnesota and New Jersey.
Missouri GOP strategist Lloyd Smith, who is a senior adviser to Republican
incumbent Jim Talent, added that Democrats will need a lot more than a
financial edge to win next year's race in his state.
"There's gonna be an attempt to nationalize this race by the Chuck Schumers
and the Hillary Clintons, but ultimately the political singing senators from
New York aren't going to play that well here," Smith said.
But one political observer said Schumer's list of seven target states in
2006 may not be as far-fetched as his detractors claim.
Bruce Oppenheimer, a Vanderbilt University politics professor, said the
conditions in Tennessee may be ripe for a Democratic win.
"People think this race would lean Republican, all other things being equal.
But it's in play," said Oppenheimer. "For the Democrats, it's certainly
doable."
In part to counteract charges that Democrats are disconnected from average
Americans, Schumer has for years boosted his political strength by constant
public appearances throughout New York state.
Every year, he has visited each of the 62 counties, talking up local issues
or touting some new piece of federal funding. In 2004, that effort paid off
with Schumer winning all but one county.
It is a strategy he is preaching to 2006 candidates.
Schumer is also trying to pare his party's message down to a few
straightforward ideas.
"Mostly, it's the meat and potato issues: Save Social Security. Fix
prescription drugs. Energy independence," he said.
Democrats are staking a large measure of their future on public
dissatisfaction with President Bush, highlighted by the recent battle over
renewing the Patriot Act.
Senate Democrats forced a temporary extension instead of the permanent
extension Republicans had sought. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid gave
Schumer credit for the win.
"I can say, without any amount of puffing, that no one was more responsible
for our working out the Patriot Act to our satisfaction and to the benefit of
the country than Schumer," Reid said.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|