NH-SEN

New Hampshire GOPer Lamontagne Enters Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | November 9, 2009, 12:54PM

The Republican primary field is getting more crowded in the New Hampshire Senate race, with long-time conservative activist Ovide Lamontagne officially entering the race.

Lamontagne was chairman of the state Board of Education from 1993-1996, and was the Republican nominee for governor in 1996, losing in an open-seat race to Democrat Jeanne Shaheen (now a Senator) by a 57%-40% margin.

Former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is widely viewed as being the establishment favorite, but in fact it should be a busy primary. In addition to Lamontagne, other candidates include businessmen James Bender and William Binnie, who could both potentially self-finance. Lamontagne has less money coming into the race, but his long-time presence in state politics could make up for it.

Interestingly, Lamontagne explained to the Union-Leader why he won't be self-financing: "The lady of the house won't let it happen. She said that if the market is not there for me to raise the dollars, I ought to reconsider."

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 9:00AM

NYT: Petraeus' Voice Becomes Harder To Hear
The New York Times reports that Gen. David Petraeus has become a less prominent voice in the policies of the Obama administration than he was under George W. Bush: "The change has fueled speculation in Washington about whether General Petraeus might seek the presidency in 2012. His advisers say that it is absurd -- but in immediate policy terms, it means there is one less visible advocate for the military in the administration's debate over whether to send up to 40,000 additional troops to Afghanistan."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver remarks from the Rose Garden at 11:10 a.m. ET, with doctors from across the country on the need for health care reform this year. Obama will meet at 4 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Read more »

NH-SEN

GOP Senate Candidate: When I Said I Wouldn't Run For Office, "No One Could Have Predicted The Political Future"

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 4:13PM

New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who is resigning in order to run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010, gave an interesting explanation to the Union Leader about an attack on her that's come from Dem Gov. John Lynch's office: That when he reappointed her, she promised to serve her full term through 2013, rather than resign to run for elective office.

"I would say that at the time of my reappointment no one could have predicted the political future. The political landscape has changed drastically since then," said Ayotte. "Clearly the intent was to continue serving, but I think in fairness no one could have predicted the changes that have occurred on the political landscape."

That really makes a lot of sense. You see, when Ayotte made the promise that she wouldn't resign as Attorney General in order to run for something else, she didn't realize that she might be a viable Senate candidate in the future.

Late Update: New Hampshire Dem chairman Raymond Buckley has released a statement that, among other things, compares Ayotte to Sarah Palin: "We're seeing a national trend where Republicans have abandoned their responsibilities to their constituents in favor of political gain. From Alaska to New Hampshire, Republicans just can't seem to honor their commitment to the public. Not unlike Sarah Palin, Kelly Ayotte has broken her promise to the people she represents and put politics before public service."

NH-SEN

Republicans Get Senate Candidate In New Hampshire

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 2:00PM

The Republicans now have a candidate in the 2010 New Hampshire Senate race, where three-term GOP incumbent Judd Gregg is retiring in a state that has swung significantly to the Democrats over the last few years.

State Attorney General Kelly Ayotte has announced her resignation, effective July 17, and that she will explore a Senate bid. The presumptive Democratic nominee is Rep. Paul Hodes.

The Dems have already moved to hamstring Ayotte on the issue of credibility, with Democratic Gov. John Lynch's office saying that he'd reappointed her, despite being a Republican who had first been appointed by his much more conservative predecessor, with her promising that she would serve her full-term through 2013. (New Hampshire cabinet officers are appointed to fixed-length terms by the Governor, with confirmation by a separately elected Executive Council.)

NH-SEN

Former GOP Sen. Sununu Won't Seek Comeback In 2010 New Hampshire Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2009, 6:13PM

Former Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) has announced that he will not run for the open Senate seat of retiring GOP incumbent Judd Gregg.

Sununu lost his seat in the 2008 Democratic landslide to Democratic former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, a rematch from his previous victory over her in the Republican year of 2002. New Hampshire has very much realigned to the Democrats in a lot of ways since then, and Sununu was swept out along the way.

The presumptive Democratic nominee for the open seat in 2010 will be Rep. Paul Hodes. The Republicans do not yet have a candidate, though a lot of people were waiting on word from Sununu first. This appears to be leaning towards a Democratic pickup, but the cycle has obviously just begun.

NH-SEN

Paul Hodes Attacks Judd Gregg -- Just In Case -- While Reaffirming 2010 Senate Candidacy

Eric Kleefeld | February 13, 2009, 10:36AM

It looks like Congressman Paul Hodes (D-NH), who declared his 2010 candidacy for the Senate when it looked like Judd Gregg was headed to the Commerce Department, is preparing for a scenario in which he has to run against Gregg after all.

Yesterday evening, Hodes released this scathing statement about Gregg:

"I am surprised and disappointed at this sudden withdrawal. Senator Gregg would take us back to the years of George W. Bush rather than moving forward with the change agenda that the American people clearly want. I will continue to work with President Obama to create jobs and rebuild our economy for the middle class.

I will be a candidate for the United State Senate in 2010. I look forward to working every day to stand up for New Hampshire as we come together to confront the economic crisis facing our nation."

Gregg said yesterday said he won't be running again, but while speaking to reporters he also left himself some wiggle room by saying he was "probably not" running. Considering how a week ago he was definitely going to be Commerce Secretary, a declaration that he's probably retiring isn't exactly a guarantee.

So Hodes at this point is clearly preparing for two contingencies: He either runs for an open seat, or he takes on the incumbent Gregg. In a state that swung drastically from the GOP to the Dems in the last few years, this will be a top-tier pickup opportunity for the Democrats in either case.

Stimulus

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | February 13, 2009, 9:00AM

House To Vote On Stimulus Today
The House of Representatives is set to vote today to pass the stimulus bill, after Congressional negotiators spent last night hammering out the final differences over school-construction spending and tax cuts. The Senate could vote on it either today or over the weekend, which would then send it to the White House for President Obama's signature.

Obama's Day Ahead: Meeting With Business Leaders, Heading To Chicago
President Obama is speaking at 10:30 a.m. ET to members of the Business Council at the White House. At 12:20 p.m. ET he will be having lunch with Vice President Biden in the Oval Office. Then at 4 p.m. ET he will leave the White House to go to Chicago, scheduled to arrive at O'Hare at 6 p.m. ET.

Biden Discussing Nuclear Proliferation With Current And Former Diplomats
Joe Biden is meeting today with former Clinton-era Secretary of Defense William Perry, currently of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. They will be holding a closed-door meeting, at which they will be joined by former foreign ministers from Australia and Japan, as well as the current ambassadors to the U.S. from those countries.

Panetta Confirmed To Head CIA
The Senate last night confirmed Leon Panetta to be CIA Director. Panetta was easily approved on a voice vote.

Gregg: I'm "Probably Not" Running Again; Hodes Still In
Judd Gregg appealers to be giving himself some wiggle room on whether he'll run again for the Senate in 2010, telling reporters yesterday that he is "probably not" going to seek re-election. Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes has reaffirmed that he's still in the race.

Menendez Predicts Good 2010 For Senate Dems, Pins Economy On GOP
DSCC chairman Bob Menendez told reporters he is optimistic about the 2010 campaign, as the Democrats move to get the 60-plus seats that could overcome Republican filibusters. Menendez also said he does not think the voters will blame Obama and the Democrats for lingering economic problems, giving a preview of what Dems will be saying next year: "They understand what President Obama inherited."

Obama Jokes About Judd Gregg
While paying tribute to Abraham Lincoln at a dinner last night in Springfield, Illinois, President Obama fired off this joke: "Possibly in his law office, his feet on a cluttered desk, his sons playing around him, his clothes a bit too small to fit his uncommon frame, maybe wondering if somebody might call him up and ask him to be commerce secretary..."

NH-SEN

Poll: Close Race For Gregg's Senate Seat In New Hampshire

Eric Kleefeld | February 11, 2009, 4:35PM

We now have the first poll of the Senate seat in New Hampshire, which will be an open GOP-held seat in 2010 because of the appointment of Judd Gregg as Commerce Secretary and the selection of a caretaker Republican to hold the seat for now. And it's a close race.

Public Policy Polling (D) has close results in all four trial runs. Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes leads former Congressman Charlie Bass 40%-37%, and edges edges former Senator John Sununu 46%-44%. The Republicans have statistically insignificant leads over Dem Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter: Bass leads 43%-42%, and Sununu is up 46%-45%. The margin of error is ±2.7%.

Hodes is currently the only announced candidate. You might have noticed that the two Republicans above are both ex-officeholders who were defeated. There is a reason for this: New Hampshire has swung drastically from the Republicans to the Democrats in recent years, and there simply isn't a bench of elected Republicans who already have enough statewide recognition to be included in a poll. That fact alone could lead one to believe this race leans slightly Dem.

NH-SEN

New Hampshire's Dem Governor Officially Names Republican For Gregg's Senate Seat

Eric Kleefeld | February 3, 2009, 5:07PM

New Hampshire's Democratic Governor John Lynch has officially announced that he will appoint Republican Bonnie Newman to the Senate seat of Judd Gregg, as soon as Gregg resigns to become Secretary of Commerce.

Gregg made it a clear condition for accepting the cabinet appointment that a Republican would be appointed to his seat, rather than let a Dem come in and potentially give the party a filibuster-proof majority. Thus Newman, Gregg's former chief of staff and an ex-interim president of the University of New Hampshire, is getting the seat.

It is now also official that Newman is serving strictly as a caretaker -- she will not run for the seat in 2010. This means that while Democrats haven't gotten the seat immediately, the chance of picking it up later is actually pretty good. New Hampshire has realigned to the Dems in recent years, and an open-seat race has to be considered as leaning towards a Democratic takeover.

NH-SEN

Report: Dem Paul Hodes Running For Gregg's Senate Seat In New Hampshire

Eric Kleefeld | February 3, 2009, 12:34PM

The Democrats now have a top-tier candidate in the wings for the 2010 New Hampshire Senate race, the Union Leader reports, with sources telling them that second-term Congressman Paul Hodes will announced his campaign for Judd Gregg's seat within the week.

Republican Bonnie Newman is expected to be appointed to the seat, but it's believed that she won't be running for a full term in 2010.

The Republicans were until just recently the long-dominant party in New Hampshire. But in recent years the Dems have taken over pretty much everything: Both House seats, the other Senate seat, both houses of the state legislature, the governorship, and Barack Obama beat John McCain by nine points.

Democrats could have possibly made a real race against Judd Gregg had he been running again, but he probably would have still started out as the favorite. On the other hand, taking Gregg off the political stage entirely leaves the race now subject to the political lay of the land in New Hampshire as it now stands -- meaning that this now has be considered as leaning towards a Dem takeover.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | February 3, 2009, 9:01AM

Obama Announcing Gregg Appointment This Morning
President Obama is holding a series of closed meetings with advisers this morning, and then at 11 a.m. ET he will make an announcement about his appointment for Secretary of Commerce. The president is expected to appoint Republican Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.

Biden Meeting With Hillary, Swearing In Holder At DOJ
Vice President Biden is having breakfast this morning with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then at 10 a.m. he will go to the Justice Department to swear in Eric Holder as Attorney General. Then he is headed to the White House to join the president for the announcement about the Commerce Secretary.

Report: GOPer Bonnie Newman Will Be NH Senate Appointee
CNN reports that former Judd Gregg chief of staff Bonnie Newman will be the appointee to Judd Gregg's Senate seat. Gregg made the appointment of a Republican to his seat a condition for accepting the cabinet appointment, rather than having the Democratic governor pick another Dem who would give the party a filibuster-proof margin.

Senate Taking Up Stimulus Amendments
The Senate will begin voting today on amendments to the stimulus bill, as Senators sort through the changes they would like to make to the version that passed in the House. The range of opinions varies from Democrats who would like to shift the spending priorities around, to Republicans who want to cut back the spending itself.

Strib: Minnesota Senate Contest Affecting Stimulus Margins
The Star Tribune reports that the protracted Minnesota Senate dispute, and the resulting absence of a Democratic Senator, appears to be making the passage of a stimulus bill more difficult. "Our burden would be a little lighter," said Chuck Schumer, while Congressman Keith Ellison was even more blunt: "Sometimes being one or two away is like being 100 members away. We need that Franken vote, and it's critical that we get it fast."

Lawmakers' Portfolios Plummet In Recession
The Hill reports that the stock market's problems might be making a very important impact Capitol Hill -- lawmakers are seeing their own portfolios fall precipitously. The members of Congress who did speak to the paper about this, including Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and Paul Ryan (R-WI) all said they've been too busy dealing with the economy to worry about their own stocks, and they are unaware of any recent transactions.

Palin Backs Perry In Texas Gubernatorial Race
Sarah Palin has now gotten herself involved in the politics of another state, endorsing Texas Governor Rick Perry for re-election. Perry is facing a likely primary challenge by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, so the Perry campaign has sent out a letter from Palin that is specifically addressed to Republican women.

Gregg Was For Abolishing Commerce Dept. Before He Was For Running It
CQ points out that Judd Gregg voted in 1995 for a non-binding budget resolution that called for abolishing the Department of Commerce in the wake of the 1994 Republican victories, and that as a committee chairman he was for cutting the Commerce budget. Now Gregg is poised to head up that very department -- so really, a lot of things can change in 14 years.

NH-SEN

Gregg Confirms It: GOP Senate Appointment Is A Condition For Accepting Cabinet Post

Eric Kleefeld | February 2, 2009, 5:00PM

Senator Judd Gregg and New Hampshire's Democratic Gov. John Lynch have both confirmed what has been much discussed over the last several days: Gregg has made it clear that he would only accept an appointment to the Obama Administration if it would not cause the Democrats to gain his Senate seat.

"Senator Gregg has said he would not resign his seat in the U.S. Senate if it changed the balance in the Senate," the governor said in a statement given to the Union Leader. "Based on my discussions, it is clear the White House and Senate leadership understand this as well."

Gregg issued his own statement, making the point even clearer: "I have made it clear to the Senate Leadership on both sides of the aisle and to the governor that I would not leave the Senate if I felt my departure would cause a change in the makeup of the Senate. The Senate Leadership, both Democratic and Republican, and the Governor understand this concern and I appreciate their consideration of this position."

So there you have it. A Democratic governor will appoint a Republican Senator, as a condition of the Republican leaving the seat and creating the vacancy in the first place.

Tom Daschle

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | February 2, 2009, 9:01AM

Daschle "Deeply Embarrassed" By Tax Problems
Tom Daschle has sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, declaring himself "deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns." Daschle also told the committee reviewing his nomination to be Secretary of Health and Human Services: "I apologize for the errors and profoundly regret that you have had to devote time to them."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama is meeting at 11 a.m. with Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, a Republican who has been advocating for passage of the stimulus bill. At 1:50 p.m. he and Vice President Biden will be meeting with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and at 4:45 p.m. ET Obama and Biden will be meeting with Congressional leaders to work on the stimulus bill.

The Minnesota Election Trial: Week Two
Today begins the second week of the Minnesota election trial, with Al Franken's legal team set to cross-examine Ramsey County (St. Paul) election director Joe Mansky. Norm Coleman's legal team secured an expert opinion from Mansky on Friday that it was highly likely that some absentee ballots were double-counted -- a glitch that would have unfairly favored Franken, because of his edge among absentees overall -- so expect Franken's team to explore both alternative explanations and the difficulty in calculating such a problem.

Obama Predicts GOP Support For Stimulus
In an interview with Matt Lauer aired last night, President Obama predicted that a good number of Republicans will vote for the final stimulus bill when all is said and done. "I am confident that by the time we actually have the final package on the floor that we are going to see substantial support," said Obama.

Gregg Appointment Could Come Soon
President Obama could potentially name Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) as his Secretary of Commerce as early as today. It looks like Gregg's appointment would not affect the Senate balance of power, as Gregg appears to have arranged for his state's Democratic governor to appoint a fellow Republican. Speculation at this point has centered on former Gregg chief of staff Bonnie Newman.

Parties Pick Candidates For Gillibrand's Seat
Democrats have selected venture capitalist Scott Murphy to run for Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat, giving the Dems a candidate capable of spending a lot of money on the race. Republicans have already picked state Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco to run for this Upstate seat, which has historically been a GOP stronghold but has also moved to the Democrats in recent years.

DCCC Targeting House GOP's Opposition To Stimulus
The DCCC has announced a new round of radio ads against 28 House Republicans, targeting them for their votes against the economic stimulus package. "Did you know Congressman Eric Cantor voted to bail out big banks, but opposed tax breaks for 95 percent of American workers?" the announcer says in one example ad.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | January 31, 2009, 1:01PM

Obama: Administration Will Increase Credit Availability
In his newest YouTube address, President Obama announced that his administration will soon be rolling out a new set of policies for the financial system to ensure that credit finds its way to businesses and families, though no specific details have been announced just yet:

"We'll help lower mortgage costs and extend loans to small businesses so they can create jobs," said Obama. "We'll ensure that CEOs are not draining funds that should be advancing our recovery. And we will insist on unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight, and clear accountability -- so taxpayers know how their money is being spent and whether it is achieving results."

No Obama Or Biden Events Today
President Obama and Vice President Biden do not have any public events scheduled for today. (Late Update: It should be noted that President Obama is speaking to the Alfalfa Dinner in Washington tonight, but this event is not public -- it is closed press.)

Steele Speaks to House GOP, Praises Vote Against Stimulus
Michael Steele addressed the House Republican Retreat today, his first interaction with the Congressional GOP since he was election RNC chairman yesterday. Steele praised the caucus for voting against the economic stimulus package: "I thought it was very important to send a signal, and you sent it loudly, very clearly, that this party, the leadership of this caucus, would stand first and foremost with the American people. You made it very clear that in order to grow through this recession that you not redistribute the wealth of the people of this nation."

Daschle Nomination Runs Into Tax Problem
Tom Daschle has now filed an amended tax return in order to pay $128,000 in back taxes, plus $12,000 in penalties, for his failure to properly pay taxes relating mostly to his work for the equity firm InterMedia Partners. Daschle is still expected to be confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, making him the second Obama cabinet officer after Tim Geithner to be tripped up by the tax code.

ABC: Gregg Could Be Picked For Commerce On Monday
ABC News reports that Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) is now the leading candidate for Secretary of Commerce, and could be announced as early as this Monday. If Gregg does end up joining the Obama Administration, this could potentially give the Democrats the 60th Senate seat -- New Hampshire has a Democratic governor who would make an appointment, and in Minnesota it still looks like Al Franken is the most likely winner of their disputed election.

Reid Staffer Detailed To Work For Burris
Harry Reid's office has announced that staffer Darrel Thompson will now be working on detail for Roland Burris, serving temporarily as the appointed Illinois Senator's chief of staff. Thompson served as chief of staff for Barack Obama's Senate campaign in 2004, and will now be helping Burris get his own office up and running while still holding his position as a top Reid adviser.

SEIU Rolls Out Pro-Reid Ad In Nevada
SEIU has announced that they are now running this ad in Nevada on statewide cable TV, praising the work of Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader:

This ad comes after the National Republican Senatorial Committee began their own ad campaign against Reid, targeting the Democratic leader as he goes into his 2010 re-election campaign.