Lunsford Crushes McConnell in KY Senate Debate

Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford routed incumbent Republican Senator Mitch McConnell in a debate that was televised statewide this evening. The Senate Minority Leader and twenty-four year veteran of the US Senate was repeatedly left speechless under relentless questioning by the Bluegrass Democrat.

McConnell was unable to answer questions about his refusal to call the current economic crisis anything more than a "slowdown". He could not explain his vote for the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street, nor was the Republican able muster a defense of his votes to spend $600 billion in Iraq while at the same giving tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.

Lunsford hammered McConnell for leading a record number of filibusters in the current Congress. Mitch was unable to justify his obstructionist record in the Senate as America veered towards its worst economic crisis in nearly eighty years.

"Once again, the great and powerful Mitch McConnell loses his voice when it's time to defend the atrocious record he's piled up after 24 years in the Senate and 40 years on the public payroll," Lunsford spokesman Cary Stemle said. "Kentucky voters deserve to know, and yet McConnell has nothing to offer."

Pre-Debate Highlights

from Tale of the Tape by Politico.

Debate Win Should Add to Obama's Momentum

As noted in our latest Electoral Vote projection, Senator Obama was already picking up steam heading into last night's Presidential debate. Three tracking polls out today  - Rasmussen, Gallup and Diageo/Hotline - confirm that assessment. 

Obama leads McCain by five points in the Gallup and Diageo/Hotline surveys and by six points in Rasmussen's tracker. None of these daily tracking surveys reflect the impact of last night's debate. Note that Obama's lead is outside the margin of error in all three tracking polls.

Then comes the debate. According to flash polls by CBS, CNN and others, Obama won last night's encounter handily. Numbers from various real-time focus groups (Luntz, GQR, etc.) show the same results. Assuming these snapshots are accurate, we will almost certainly see Obama's lead increase in the days ahead. Without a doubt, the Democratic Presidential nominee now has what Bush The Elder famously called "Big Mo" (momentum).

There must be a bunch of very worried ex-lobbyists at McCain Headquarters today. Stay tuned for the next gimmick from McCainWorld. Given the trouble they're in, you can bet it's coming.

Quote of the Day

Congressman Barney Frank, on John Sidney McCain III's suspension of his campaign, via MSNBC:

"It's the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either football or Marys."

A Noun, a Verb and a Gimmick

In an act of utter political desperation, driven by naked personal ambition, John McCain has suddenly 'suspended' his campaign, called on Barack Obama to do the same and announced he wants to delay the presidential debate scheduled for this Friday.  The public excuse he offers for these dramatic actions is to allow the two presidential candidates to go to Washington so they can focus on crafting a bailout plan for the financial industry.  

Oh really, Mr. McCain? It has nothing to do with a raft of new polls in recent days showing that your campaign is coming apart at the seams? Nothing to do with how tired, confused and erratic you've looked and sounded on the campaign trail lately? Nothing to do with the burgeoning scandals plaguing your campaign? Nothing to do with the fact that you can't allow your running-mate out of the house without adult supervision? Really?

Or is it, Mr. McCain, that you just can't do more than one thing at a time,? I've got a news flash for you: Presidents often have to juggle multiple problems simultaneously...  and sometimes several very serious problems at that. Lincoln ran a presidential campaign (1864) in the middle of the Civil War. FDR ran for President twice (1932 and 1936) in the midst of the Great Depression and once (1944) in the middle of World War II. What's your problem, Mr. McCain? Are you just not up to the job? 

No, Mr. McCain, this won't do. Your suggestion just won't wash. Be a man and admit the truth. This ploy is just one more gimmick - like the 'drill here, drill now' scheme, the faux concern about Hurricane Ike during the RNC, the selection of a totally unqualified and unexpected VP candidate and the reckless call to fire the head of the SEC as a fix for the Wall Street meltdown. All of them were gimmicks and all were designed with only one goal in mind: to get you elected President. Just raw, cynical political ambition - nothing more.

Barack Obama just held a press conference. He told us the truth while looking and sounding very presidential in the process. He knows this campaign must continue. He's willing to do what it takes to fix the mess on Wall Street while protecting taxpayers' interests, but he is unwilling to suspend the most important election campaign in a generation. Above all, he knows that we deserve presidential candidates who can manage a crisis and present their views to the American people at the same time. It's called leadership.

Enough with the gimmicks, John McCain!

Idaho Debate Tomorrow. Watch it here.

Watch tomorrow's debate on ElectBlue between Democrat Larry LaRocco and Republican Jim Risch.  We will provide a live streaming video of the debate beginning at 5pm PT/6pm MT/7pm CT/8pm ET.

Sept. 9, 2008

BOISE, IDAHO — The second debate in Idaho’s U.S. Senate race happens tomorrow, Sept. 10, in Sandpoint.

Democratic candidate Larry LaRocco and Independent candidate Rex Rammell will hold a traditional, live debate, with a 21st century twist: this debate will be streamed live over the internet at www.laroccoforsenate.com/debate. North Idaho College Political Science Professor Tony Stewart will moderate. Questions will come mostly from internet viewers.

What:                  U.S. Senate Debate in Sandpoint
When:                 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. MT, Sept. 10
Where:                Sandpoint Center Community Room, 414 Church Street, Sandpoint, ID

Republican candidate Jim Risch was invited to the debate, and has yet to respond. He did not respond to an invitation to the first debate either. When Rammell and LaRocco proposed this series of debates to be held in major cities across Idaho, a spokesman for Republican candidate Jim Risch responded by disparaging this public discourse.