This would be good, via WaPo:
Much of the speculation about Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s political future has focused on whether the Republican who has made a name for himself suing the federal government would run for re-election, or for governor in 2013
But in an interview with The Washington Post, Cuccinelli said he may run for U.S. Senate in 2014 — possibly setting him up to take on one of Virginia’s most popular politicians, Democrat Mark R. Warner.
And Cuccinelli didn’t hold back on his criticism of the former governor, who many assume has grown a bit restless with the great deliberative body that is the U.S. Senate.
“I understand from people he and I both talk to that he’s pretty frustrated with it,’’ Cuccinelli said. “[But] I don’t see him doing anything to change that system. He hasn’t even tried.”
Cuccinelli said Warner should challenge his caucus, including Sens. Harry Reid (Nev.), Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) , instead of voting alongside them.
This would be more than good, it would force Democrats to spend tons of money and effort defending a seat which is not normally considered a threat to flip.
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Comments
Cuccinelli’s a bulldog. But I think Virginia governors are term-limited and Bob McDonnell’s term runs out before Warner’s. The last thing I want to see is McDonnell and Cuccinelli going after each other in a primary. Let McDonnell run for Senate and Cuccinelli for governor in ’13.
Virginia governors may not succeed themselves. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_Virginia).
One of these two men need to run against Warner. Frankly, both Warners have been major disappointments to conservative Virginians.
Potomac Fever is a curse. It makes Republics more liberal and Democrats into Marxists…
You are correct. I watched it first hand in DC for 40 years. An essential solution is strict term limits that apply to all time in congress, both houses combined.
I am an ardent supporter of term limits. But term limits must be implemented carefully. Term limits will cause a major redistribution of power in Washington, DC. If we are not careful, a great deal of that power could end up in the hands of unelected bureaucrats and a class of unelected, unaccountable permanent Congressional staff.
I am not sure either of those options would be an improvement in the long run.
Yes, Minister.
Those are valid concerns. However, I think the ongoing corruption of politicians who are honest conservatives when they arrive is due at least partly to those same forces. If government were to be shrunk substantially, the bureaucrats would be many fewer. With less government, fewer congressional staffers would be needed. Also, strong congressmen would have no difficulty shaping their staffs’ thinking. They would shape up of ship out.
As Democrats go, Warner is better than most. But, he mostly votes the Democrat line, including for Obamacare. The Obamacare vote is unforgivable and will hang around his neck forever. I will vote for his opponent almost regardless of who it is.
I agree with @bob. McDonnell has been an excellent governor, as his state popularity, his reputation and record, and his promotion to RGA president/chair demonstrate. Cuccinelli is popular here, and has quite a following. His next logical step would be governor in the next election. That would be his race to lose, IMHO.
Warner has been a disappointment to most who voted for him and have since been paying attention to his performance in the Senate. He was supposedly a great businessman who would help cut DC spending, since he kept the state of VA out of debt (not necessarily all facts there, but that is the PR he ran on). He was a hands-on campaigner, meeting and greeting with anyone all over the state, shaking hands and getting out there. In other words, people voted for him because they recognized him, liked him, and listened to the campaign rhetoric on his record.
If you examine his record to-date as US Senator, he is obviously a sold-out liberal who has voted down the line with every Dem plan and policy issue. Every single vote in the Senate has been with the party, against the Republicans.
Webb ran as a blue-dog, then decided he couldn’t stand on that since he sold out; he was smart enough to see the writing on the wall for his next election. Warner, a popular governor, claimed to be a liberal Dem who was fiscally conservative; his record has proven that to be a lie.
He is a partisan leftist hack through and through. Will he see the writing on the wall? Maybe after the 2012 election – I hope!
McDonnell would be the best person to pit against Warner, not Cuccinelli, IMHO.
You are probably right on McDonnell vs Cuccinelli, but McDonnell might end up as VP. If he doesn’t he would be a good choice to oppose Warner.
Thanks, DINORightMarie. I think Cuccinelli is laying down a marker that needs to be laid down. I’d still rather see him run to succeed McDonnell, but if McDonnell doesn’t want to go to Washington, Cuccinelli is very viable.
More, please.
Warner has been a guest on Larry Kudlow’s show a few times. He always sounds like a reasonable moderate. Then I look at his voting record and see that his ACU score was 24 in 2009 and a whopping 8 in 2010. So he talks like a moderate but generally votes with the liberals/socialists.
BTW, Stephen Hayes has an article in The Weekly Standard suggesting Paul Ryan is seriously considering getting in the presidential race. That ought to fire up the base.
Good observations on Warner. Voted yes on Obamacare; that says it all.