It is not over until it is over. From politico:
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has canceled its advertising reservations for Sen. Mary Landrieu ahead of the December runoff in Louisiana.
The committee canceled all broadcast buys planned from Monday through Dec. 6 in the state’s five major media markets, three sources tracking the air war told POLITICO. That’s about $1.6 million worth of time. The DSCC is in the process of canceling an additional $275,000 in cable placements, according to buyer sources.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, by contrast, has reserved $2.3 million of broadcast ad time over the next month.
It seems that the DSCC had decided that they will not fight and will give another seat to the Republican Party for six years. At this point, I wonder if we should simply label the Democratic establishment an arm of the Republican Party.
To be specific I call for the immediate resignation of Michael Bennet from the leadership of the DSCC and his replacement with Elizabeth Warren.
To give you some idea who Michael Bennet is, here is what the Denver Post has to say:
At the same time, several top Republicans, including Cory Gardner, said they were willing to look past Bennet's role as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
"Look, that was Michael Bennet's job," Gardner said fewer than 24 hours after ousting Udall. "He did what he believed he had to do to fulfill his duties. I look forward to working with him."
. . .
"I ... wanted to make sure it would not interfere with my ability to work in a bipartisan way in the Senate," Bennet said in 2012.
Yet taking a turn at the helm of the DSCC — or its counterpart, the National Republican Senatorial Committee — often is a prerequisite for politicians looking to rise in the ranks. Another benefit: DSCC and NRSC chairs get to know the big-money donors in their parties. And with Bennet up for re-election in 2016, this kind of network could prove invaluable.
"The contacts you make in that position carry on for many, many years," said Rick Ridder, a veteran Democratic consultant.
Michael Bennet has put his desire to curry favor with Republicans and big donors over the best interest of his party. He deserves a primary challenge so that he can continue his career in the place he evidently wants to be, the Republican Party. He should be relieved of his post immediately.
[Edit] As Geriw points out Mr. Bennet has exericed, at least, questionable judgment if not outright public corruption in his prior position on the Denver school board.
From the New York Times
$400 million hole in its pension fund. Bankers at JPMorgan Chase offered what seemed to be a perfect solution.
The bankers said that the school system could raise $750 million in an exotic transaction that would eliminate the pension gap and save tens of millions of dollars annually in debt costs — money that could be plowed back into Denver’s classrooms, starved in recent years for funds.
To members of the Denver Board of Education, it sounded ideal. It was complex, involving several different financial institutions and transactions. But Michael F. Bennet, now a United States senator from Colorado who was superintendent of the school system at the time, and Thomas Boasberg, then the system’s chief operating officer, persuaded the seven-person board of the deal’s advantages, according to interviews with its members.
So let me get this straight the DSCC sent Mr. Bennet to go around to a bunch of
REPUBLICAN hedge fund types to solicit donations. As a result, we got the campaign that a bunch of
REPUBLICAN donors wanted. Now I might not be an expert in this entire politics thing: but I believe when you let the other side plan your campaigns you have a tendency to lose.
This guy needs to go.