"Take back Congress" meeting in Framingham 11/29

[paineinthearse]

Received by email from the Framingham chapter of DFA

Meeting 11/29 to take back the House and Senate in 2006

We have targeted 15 congressional races and 6 Senate races where the Democrats have a good chance to win in 2006.

If the Dems take these seats and keep their existing seats, we can take back the Congress and start Impeachment Proceedings against Bush.

See below for these races

When: Tuesday November 29 at 7:00 PM

Where: Framingham Library
49 Lexington St.
Library Phone [phone]

For more info call Herb at 508-877-9265
http://www.democracyforamerica-ma.com/

The plan is to volunteer our services of writing and calling voters in the following districts to get them to vote Democratic.

We need volunteers to contact the campaign managers in each of these races. You can get info at http://www.politics1.com/states.htm This web site lists the incumbent and challengers for various races listed below.

Check out the web sites of the people who you want to support.

If you are comfortable with the info. Then call and send the letter at the end of this e mail offering the services of our group.

You may want to check the record of the incumbent at http://www.peacemajority.org/scorecard/

House races for 2006

Bob Beauprez (R-CO-07) – Beauprez was reelected easily in 2004, but his retirement to run for Governor of Colorado makes this seat very competitive. Former State Rep. Peggy Lamm and State Sen. Ed Perlmutter are in a Democratic primary battle.

Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO-04) – Musgrave, a very conservative Republican who was one of the leading proponents of the Federal Marriage Amendment, won a surprisingly close 51-44 reelection in 2004 despite the Republican-leaning nature of her eastern Colorado district. No announced candidates as of 9/1/05

Henry Hyde (R-IL-06) – Hyde is retiring after 16 terms in the House. Christine Cegelis, who mustered 45% of the vote when running against him in 2004, plans to run again as a Democrat, The district contains some of the western suburbs of Chicago in DuPage and Cook counties.

Ray LaHood (R-IL-18) – LaHood is said to be running for governor against incumbent Democrat Rod Blagojevich. His seat is Republican-leaning, but is certainly not as heavily so as several other districts in Illinois. The district is centered on Peoria in central Illinois. Called IL Dems 9/1/05 for a candidate.

Jim Nussle (R-IA-01) – Nussle is running for governor as well. His district is Democratic-leaning, and of the open seats so far is probably the most likely to change hands. It contains most of northeastern Iowa including small cities such as Dubuque.

Mark Kennedy (R-MN-06) – Kennedy is running, practically unopposed in the Republican nomination, for the open Senate seat in Minnesota being vacated by Democrat Mark Dayton. His House seat would be considered by many a toss-up if Patty Wetterling, who mustered 46% against Kennedy in 2004, ran for it. However, she seems interested in the Senate as well, and his district, located in exurban Minneapolis and suburban St. Paul, remains Republican-leaning.

John Kline (R-MN-02) Coleen Rowley former FBI official, 2002 Time Magazine co-Person of the Year, and one of the nation's most recognizable whistleblowers is running as a Dem. John Kline first came to office in 2002 Rowley's name identification is a valuable early asset and she could present a formidable challenge in a favorable cycle for Democrats.

Mark Green (R-WI-08) – Green is running for governor like many of his colleagues, and his seat, in rural northeastern Wisconsin, is Republican-leaning, though not hugely.

Rob Simmons (R-CT-02) – Simmons won reelection with 54% of the vote in 2004, in a Democratic-leaning district encompassing eastern Connecticut.

Christopher Shays (R-CT-04) Shays beat Westport Selectwoman Diane Farrell by a mere 52 percent to 48 percent in 2004. This year Farrell is back for another race. This district is one of the most Democratic seats in the nation still represented by a member of the GOP

Melissa Bean (D-IL-08) – Bean defeated 35-year House veteran Phil Crane 52-48 in 2004, and is being targeted by Republicans who hope to regain control of the seat.

Mike Sodrel (R-IN-09) – Sodrel defeated incumbent Baron Hill by only 1,425 votes. Hill is considering an attempt to reclaim his seat.

John Hostettler (R-IN-08) He has been in office since 1994 but never got over 55 percent. The Dems have a strong candidate in Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth, with law-and-order background. Hostettler has received criticism for his lonely House vote against $51 billion in relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina. It's clear that Hostettler could face his closest race yet in 2006.

Robin Hayes (R-NC-08) – Hayes was elected for a fourth term in 2004 by a 56% to 44% vote. However, this was against an opponent, Beth Troutman, who was a 27-year-old production assistant on the T.V. show The West Wing, with no prior experience in elected office and with only a tiny fraction of the funding that Hayes had. For a three-term Republican incumbent, with substantial funding, in a Republican-leaning state, against such an opponent, 56% to 44% is a remarkably narrow margin.

Heather Wilson (R-NM-01) – Wilson has routinely managed narrow reelections since 1998, but in 2006 she may face Patricia Madrid, the popular Democratic Attorney General of New Mexico. Madrid would undoubtedly be a stronger and more recognized candidate than previous challengers to Wilson. The district, centered in Albuquerque, is very competitive

Jim Gerlach (R-PA-06) – Gerlach won reelection by a 51-49 margin in 2004 and represents a very competitive district in suburban Philadelphia. Lois Murphy, the woman who garnered 49% against him in 2004, is running again.

Curt Weldon (R-PA-07) Two democrats are running: Bryan Lentz (D) - Attorney & Iraq War Veteran http://www.lentzforcongress.com/ and
Paul Scoles (D) - Physician, Democratic Activist & '04 Nominee

Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA-08) – Fitzpatrick won in 2004, but his district is very moderate and even slightly Democratic. His views, especially on abortion, are more conservative than those of most people in the Philadelphia suburbs, and that may be an issue for him in 2006. Patrick Murphy has announced his candidacy and is already getting more support from the national Democratic Party than his 2004 counterpart, Ginny Schrader.

Tom DeLay (R-TX-22) – DeLay has been facing mounting ethical challenges and corruption charges in recent months, and won reelection by a surprisingly small 55-41 margin in 2004, even though George W. Bush carried the suburban Houston district with 64%. DeLay will face a challenge from former Rep. Nick Lampson, a Democrat whose district he dismantled during the 2003 redistricting, and who may be a formidable candidate. Lampson's former district contained much of the area of DeLay's present district.

Dave Reichert (R-WA-08) – Reichert's district, at the eastern edge of the Seattle metropolitan area, is very competitive, and he won it only 52-48 in 2004.

John Kuhl (R-NY-29) - Results from 2004 election John Kuhl (R): 50.7%, Samara Barend (D): 40.8% http://www.samaraforcongress.com/

Tom Reynolds (R-NY-26) Elected in 1998. Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). A member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Going to be very difficult to defeat by Democrat, Jack Davis who received 44.4% of the 2004 vote to Reynolds 55.6% . NY State for Kerry (57.8%) Bush, (40.5%)

Clay Shaw (R-FL-22) He has been in office for 13 terms but has another very competitive race on his hands in 2006, this time against Democratic State Sen. Leader Ron Klein. If Democrats want to take control of the House, this a must-win. Klein has proven to be one of the Democrats' best recruits of the cycle. Klein is a strong fundraiser and plans to take Shaw to task for Shaw's approach to Social Security reform here in one of the most senior-heavy districts in the country.

Charles Boustany (R-LA-7) Should former Democratic Rep. Chris John seek to reclaim this Southwest Louisiana district he gave up last year to run unsuccessfully for Senate, expect a fierce fight in Cajun Country.

Duke Cunningham (R-CA-50) He has recently become the subject of a federal grand jury investigation and announced on 14 July 2005 that he will not seek reelection in 2006. In September, 2005, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Cunningham one of the thirteen most corrupt members of Congress. Francine Busby is running as a Democrat. www.francinebusby2004.org

Richard Pombo (R-CA-11) Named one of 13 most corrupt members of Congress. Close associate of indicted Rep. Tom DeLay. Working vigorously to overturn environmental laws and destroy our natural heritage. A right-wing zealot in charge of the House Resources Committee. See www.votepomboout.org
The Primary is pitting a progressive, grassroots candidate who has a firm line on the quagmire in Iraq. (Jerry McNerney)www.securingamerica.com/ccn/node/1917 against a self-described moderate candidate (Steve Filson) has not come out strong on the issue. [e-mail] Website: www.filsonforcongress.com

Take Back the Senate 2006

Retiring Senators

Jon Corzine (D-NJ) Corzine has been elected governor of NJ. He will likely appoint another Democrat to his Senate seat. The presumed interim Senator may be more vulnerable.

Mark Dayton (D-MN) – On February 9, 2005, Mark Dayton announced that he would not seek a second term in the Senate. As this is now an open-seat race, it will be a highlight of the 2006 election. On the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) side, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar has announced her candidacy . Children's advocate Patty Wetterling, is running. Kelly Doran, an area business man, is running. Minneapolis attorney Michael Ciresi, who narrowly lost to Dayton in the 2000 DFL primary, is also considering another bid.

Bill Frist (R-TN) – Frist has previously promised to leave the Senate when his second term ends in 2006. Frist has hinted at retiring to prepare for a presidential bid, The most notable Democratic candidate is Rep. Harold Ford, Jr..

Jim Jeffords (I-VT) – On April 20, 2005, he declared he would not seek another term, possibly for health reasons. Rep. Bernard Sanders, an independent and self-described socialist, is expected to run with little or no challenge from Democrats for the seat. A Research 2000 poll conducted in May showed Sanders with a 40 percent lead the Republicans.

Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) - Sarbanes announced on March 11, 2005 that he would retire in 2006. Sarbanes' seat was previously considered safe, and even with an open seat, Maryland is a Democratic-leaning state. Former NAACP president Kweisi Mfume and Rep. Ben Cardin have announced their candidacies for the Democratic nomination. Kevin Zeese is running as an independent candidate. http://www.kevinzeese.com/

Notable Democratic incumbent races

Maria Cantwell (D-WA) – Cantwell is drawing fire from liberals in Washington for many of her votes in President Bush's first term, including her vote for the Iraq War Resolution

Kent Conrad (D-ND) – Like Tom Daschle in South Dakota, Conrad faces the problem of being a Democratic senator in an increasingly Republican Great Plains state. Governor John Hoeven, re-elected by a 43-point margin in 2004, is being courted by President Bush to challenge Conrad, and would likely prove a formidable opponent. If Hoeven runs, Conrad will be very vulnerable. Otherwise, he is expected to cruise to reelection as junior Senator Byron Dorgan did in 2004.

Ben Nelson (D-NE) – Nelson, one of the most conservative Democrats in the Senate, is running for re-election in a state that went for George W. Bush by 35 percentage points

Bill Nelson (D-FL) – As the only southern Democrat facing re-election, Nelson will draw major regional attention to this race. Florida also will elect a new governor in 2006, Rep. Katherine Harris, who served as Secretary of State during the 2000 election, is the presumed favorite in a Republican primary. One Republican poll shows Nelson leading her 46-39.

Notable Republican incumbent races

George Allen (R-VA) – Allen is a popular Senator, but if he faces popular Governor Mark Warner, who will leave office in January 2006, this race would be very competitive.

Conrad Burns (R-MT) – Burns faced a strong challenge from current Governor Brian Schweitzer in 2000, being re-elected by a mere 3% in a state that went for Bush twice by margins of over 20%. This, combined with the increasing strength of the state Democratic party, could make this a competitive race. State auditor John Morrison has filed papers to run for the Democratic nomination, and popular state senate president Jon Tester has announced his candidacy.

Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) – Chafee, perhaps the most liberal Republican remaining in the Senate, could face a primary challenge from a more conservative Republican. Currently, the candidates for the Democratic nomination are Secretary of State Matt Brown and former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse.

Rick Santorum (R-PA) - Santorum is a very conservative member of the Senate in a state that went for John Kerry in 2004 by 2.5%. He is also known for his controversial remarks regarding homosexuality. Democrats believe that Santorum's seat is extremely vulnerable, and are making it a priority for a pick-up in 2006. Democrat Bob Casey, Jr., Pennsylvania's state treasurer, announced his candidacy. Polls pitting Casey against Santorum have generally indicated greater support for Casey.

Jim Talent (R-MO) – Talent, who was elected to the four remaining years of this term in a 2002 special election, might face a strong Democratic challenge for his seat. Talent was elected by a very slim margin, which suggests that he might be vulnerable. State auditor and 2004 gubernatorial candidate Claire McCaskill is running as a Democrat.

Mike DeWine (R-OH) . Paul Lewis Hackett III is a trial lawyer and veteran of the Iraq War . On August 2, 2005, he narrowly lost a congressional race providing the best showing in the usually solidly Republican district by any Democrat since the 1974 election. There is some evidence that this election was stolen. Hackett's strong campaign attracted national attention and substantial expenditures by both parties and was viewed by some observers as the first round of the 2006 elections. He is running for DeWine's seat but has a Democrat primary race.

John Kyl (R-AZ) Jim Pederson, a developer, is challenging 2 term Kyl. The state is trending Democratic, electing Janet Napolitano, in 2002. Kyl’s conservative voting record will not play well with his moderate constituents. Jim Pederson, former AZ party chair, is credited for building a strong, grassroots organization. http://www.pederson2006.com/

http://www.democracyforamerica-ma.com/