Senate races

The man Tea Party-backed Republican Joe Miller has repeatedly assailed as a pawn of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is firing back at Miller.

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The chairman of the Senate Democrats' campaign committee called a controversial ad run by Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Jack Conway a "killer" for his failed campaign. 

Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, criticized the ad and said his biggest mistake during the midterm election season was not asking for briefings on individual campaigns' television ads. In an interview with NorthJersey.com, he identified Conway's famous "Aqua Buddha" ad against eventual GOP winner Rand Paul.

"The allegations about Rand Paul's previous religious beliefs, I think, was a killer," Menendez said. "While we were dealing with economic issues, we were in the hunt."

Following Paul's win in the GOP primary over establishment pick Trey Grayson, Democrats had viewed the Kentucky seat, which had been vacated by retiring Sen. Jim Bunning (R), as a potential pickup opportunity in a year that otherwise put the party on the defensive against the GOP.

But Paul eventually defeated Conway, the state attorney general, by almost 11 percentage points. 

Conway's spot scrutinized Paul's membership in a group in college that reportedly kidnapped a woman and forced her to pray to a god named "Aqua Buddha" and questioned his belief in Christianity. Some Democrats criticized the spot as too harsh following its release.

Despite the Kentucky loss, Menendez has been widely praised by Democrats because the party kept its majority in the Senate despite losing six seats to Republicans. 

"He made a lasting impression on the Democratic caucus," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said. "I find him to be a confidant. He is somebody I trust, not only his integrity but his judgment."

Sen.-elect Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who won his seat thanks to support from the Tea Party, is writing a book about the grassroots movement.

The book will be called "The Tea Party Goes to Washington" and focus on the Tea Party's plan for stopping spending, balancing the budget and reducing the size of the government, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. 

It will be published by Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Group. Other divisions of Hachette have published books by Paul's father, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

The book is scheduled for release in February 2011.

Democratic activist David Brock is set to officially launch American Bridge, a political action committee intended to directly combat conservative groups, which dumped millions into the 2010 elections.     

Brock told The New York Times that he has already won commitments from donors totaling at least $4 million in just the last few weeks and will officially file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday.  

Heading the group as chairwoman will be Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and the former lieutenant governor of Maryland. Townsend ran an unsuccessful campaign for Maryland governor in 2002. 

The goal of American Bridge is to act as a counterweight to groups like American Crossroads, offshoot group Crossroads GPS and the American Action Network — conservative groups that raised and spent millions on TV ads targeting Democrats in 2010. 

Brock, who heads the liberal group Media Matters, already has a 501(c)(4) nonprofit group at his disposal. He told the Times he also intends to utilize that existing structure in his 2012 efforts. 

More from the NYT:

Certain to set off debate, however, is that Mr. Brock appears to be positioning his new organization so that fund-raising consultants can raise money for Democratic-oriented media efforts not just through American Bridge but also via one of the nonprofit organizations Mr. Brock currently runs, Media Matters Action Network, which does not disclose its donors.

The action network, which tracks conservative politicians and advocacy organizations, is organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit group and is set to take on an expanded role in the 2012 elections, including potentially running television ads, according to an internal draft concept paper about American Bridge’s and Media Matter Action Network’s plans obtained by The New York Times.

Mr. Brock said that “money is money,” and that he would actively solicit donors for both entities and, in the end, the media spending would be apportioned accordingly.  

Brock attempted to lead a similar effort in 2008, but then-Sen. Obama publicly and privately asked Democratic donors not to fund the outside efforts. With a cycle of success under their belt and conservative groups already gearing up to target the president, the White House has indicated it won't object in 2012. 

Tea Party-backed Republican Joe Miller brought his legal battle over the legitimacy of write-in ballots in Alaska's Senate race to state court Monday, asking a judge to throw out ballots he maintains are improperly marked for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). 

Late last week, a federal judge told Miller his lawsuit belonged in state court and said as long as Miller filed there by Monday, he would grant Miller's request to stop certification of the election results. 

That gives Miller at least a temporary victory as the state is now barred from certifying Murkowski the victor while Miller's case makes its way through the courts. 

Murkowski was declared the winner last week and she claimed a "miracle" victory last Wednesday in Anchorage. The incumbent waged a write-in campaign for the seat after Miller defeated her in the Republican primary. 

After state elections officials finished tallying all of the write-in ballots in the contest, Murkowski led by more than 10,000 votes. That's greater than the number of ballots the Miller campaign has challenged, leaving him with no clear mathematical path to victory even if a judge were to throw out all of the ballots in question.  

In addition to his previous claim that state elections officials applied a faulty and arbitrary "voter intent" standard to the counting of write-in ballots, Miller also argued in a 21-page brief filed Monday that numerous voters were permitted to cast ballots without providing identification to poll workers. The lawsuit claimed those voters should have been given "questioned ballots." 

According to a review of election registers in a number of precincts, the complaint alleges many voters "neither presented identification nor were personally known to election officials, yet apparently were permitted to vote anyway, without being given questioned ballots."  

The Republican is also still questioning write-in ballots that appear to be filled out in the same handwriting. 

Miller adviser Floyd Brown first raised that concern at a news conference over a week ago during the counting process, suggesting vote fraud. State elections officials indicated those ballots were likely the result of voters asking for assistance in filling out their ballot, which Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell has asserted is permitted under state law.

In the lawsuit, Miller argues in order for the write-in vote to count, it must be properly filled out by the voter casting the ballot.  

"State law is not a lunch menu where the Lt. Governor can pick and choose which laws he likes and will follow and which ones he doesn’t like. Deliberate indifference to the law cannot be condoned," Miller said in a news release late Monday. 

Miller's action sets the stage for a potential hand recount, which the Republican wants to occur once the lawsuit is resolved. 

For Republican senators worried about the prospect of Tea Party-backed primary challengers in 2012, scuttling the Democrats’ lame-duck agenda is one of the first lines of defense.

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Republican Joe Miller is expected to take his legal battle to state court Monday, as the Tea Party favorite still won't concede defeat to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) in Alaska's Senate race. 

Murkowski was declared the winner this past Wednesday by the AP and she claimed victory at an event with supporters after more than a week-long count of write-in ballots showed her with an insurmountable lead over Miller.    

Late Friday, a federal judge said he would grant Miller's request for an injunction that would prevent state elections officials from certifying the results of the Senate race, but said Miller's lawsuit over voter intent belongs in state court. 

Miller wants more than 8,000 write-in ballots, which his campaign has challenged for misspelling Murkowski's name or other irregularities, thrown out. 

If that effort is successful, Miller has indicated he will press ahead with a request for a full hand recount of ballots. 

Still, the math appears all but insurmountable for Miller, and it remains unclear just how far he intends to take his lawsuit. Even if a judge rules all of the ballots challenged by his legal team invalid — which most observers in the state think is highly unlikely — Murkowski would still lead by more than 2,000 votes. 

State elections officials have also indicated that a full hand recount might not even be an option for Miller. 

Alaska's state Republican Party has already called on Miller to concede, but the National Republican Senatorial Committee is still withholding judgment. 

The NRSC backed Miller in the general election, but according to Murkowski, Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) congratulated her on the Senate floor last week.

Republican Linda McMahon, who spent some $50 million of her own money in a losing bid for the Senate this fall against state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D), is already eyeing 2012. 

During a taping of "Face the State with Dennis House" on Thursday, McMahon wouldn't rule out a run saying, "I'm not taking anything off the table." Her full interview is set to air in Connecticut Sunday. 

McMahon will also be up with a statewide TV spot next week thanking those who supported her in 2010. 

A large part of McMahon's appeal to some GOP insiders in the state in 2010 was her ability to self-fund and it helped her defeat former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.) at the state party convention earlier this year. 

But after spending $50 million in a losing effort during an otherwise favorable political environment for Republicans, McMahon would have a lot of convincing to do ahead of 2012 if she decides to make another run. 

As for Lieberman, many on the left are salivating at the chance to take him out in two years with some eyeing Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) as a challenger.

Speculation has also swirled around Ted Kennedy Jr., who lives in Branford. Earlier this year Kennedy Jr. demanded that McMahon pull a campaign ad that included a clip of his uncle — President John F. Kennedy — talking about tax cuts. 

Tea Party-backed Joe Miller is asking a federal judge to prevent state officials from certifying Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) the winner.

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Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) is favored by Republicans in his state as their 2012 Senate nominee.

A Public Policy poll released Thursday shows Allen leading among Republican primary voters with 46 percent of support. Republicans next choice for their nominee was incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who captured 18 percent. And 16 percent was taken by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

Among conservatives, Allen leads Cantor by a 47 percent to 18 percent margin.  He leads Cantor by 23 points among moderates, 43 percent to 20 percent.

If he runs and wins, Allen would be retaking the seat he lost to Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) in 2006. Webb won with 53.5 percent of the vote to Miller's 46.5 percent.

There has been speculation Webb may not run for reelection. The state has trended red, despite President Obama carrying it in 2008. And three House Democrats lost their seats this year. Democrats also lost the gubernatorial mansion in 2009.

The senator hasn't made an announcement about his 2012 plans.  He told Real Clear Politics earlier this month: "Still sorting that out. I'm not saying I'm not."

A Wednesday poll from PPP showed Webb leading Allen 49-45 in a hypothetical matchup. The poll also found that Tim Kaine, the former governor who now heads the Democratic National Committee, did better in a head-to-head matchup with Allen: leading Allen 50-44.

Many remember Allen for the “macaca moment,” in which he used what is considered to be a racial slur against a volunteer of Webb’s campaign. Allen was criticized by many for his poor judgment and later apologized. He claimed he did not know the true meaning of the word and did not intend to offend anyone.

Allen has been making the GOP rounds in Virginia, fueling speculation he'll run again, but he has not made a formal announcement.