Matthews Rounds Up Staff for Senate Run

MSNBC host's celebrity isn't all that, and Franken didn't exactly win, either

(NEWSER) - Chris Matthews seems determined to run for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2010, but beating Republican Arlen Specter isn’t his only problem, Steve Kornacki writes in the New York Observer. The MSNBC host is a cipher to 60% of the electorate, and there are other qualified, ambitious Democrats in the state. And Al Franken showed celebrity is no lock even in a winnable race. More»

Perry and KBH face off; Tea Party mounts challenge in Fla.

(NEWSER) - The 2010 primaries will see the GOP repairing its identity and soul-searching among Democrats. The 10 most important races, according to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post :

1. Texas governor, R: Rick Perry is running for an unprecedented third term, and voters seem to approve. But Kay Bailey Hutchison is a popular, crafty, and well-funded opponent.
2. Florida Senate, R: The looming battle between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio is being closely watched as a bellwether of the rift between GOP moderates and the insurgent Tea Party movement.

Former Pa. gov was encouraged to run for Senate by GOP brass

(NEWSER) - Former Pennsylvania governor and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will not seek the Republican nomination for senator from that state, the Hill reports. Party leaders had urged him to run against newly minted Democrat Arlen Specter. Ridge was in a good position to run, polling just 3 points behind Specter. “After careful consideration,” he said, “I have decided not to seek the Republican nomination.” More»

GOP colleagues 'stunned,' angered by senator's party switch

(NEWSER) - Newly minted Democrat Arlen Specter said he will not blindly toe the party line, Politico reports. “I will not be an automatic 60th vote,” the veteran Pennsylvania senator said, pointing out recent opposition to a unionization bill. “If the Democratic Party asks too much, I will not vote with them.” More»

(NEWSER) - Riding a wave of dissatisfaction with Arlen Specter's vote on the federal stimulus, conservative Pat Toomey will again campaign to be the GOP's Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Although Toomey didn't announce until today, the two have been arguing publicly in the last few weeks. Specter, who eked out a narrow victory in 2004, even took out TV ads trying to link Toomey to the financial crisis. More»