Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana Says He Will Not Run For the U.S. Senate … Helps for a Possible GOP Senate Takeover in 2014

Big surprise in Montana proves to be a gift for the GOP.

In a surprising twist and a blow to the Democrat party, Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana says that he will not run for the US Senate for Montana in 2014. Schweitzer was considered the Democrat front runner and the Democrats best chance to hold the seat from retiring Democrat Sen. Max “Obamacare is a train wreck”  Baucus. Will this shift in the Senate seat in Montana from Democrat to the GOP further help the Republican party. The Politico seems to think so. The GOP needs to capture a net pickup of six Senate seats in 2014. The WAPO is calling it a gift for the GOP.

Already, Republicans are favored to win two seats left vacant by Democratic retirements — in West Virginia and South Dakota — and the Schweitzer move will make it much easier for the GOP to win in Montana.

That means the battle for the majority will likely be fought in a handful of red states with Democratic incumbents, including North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana and Alaska.

So how does this gift turn into Christmas come early for the GOP? With this recent news Schweitzer not running for Senate, Montana becomes the third problematic Democratic open seat for the party. The other is in West Virginia where Rockefeller is retiring. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R) is the clear favorite as Democrats have yet to forth a serious candidate to run. The same can be said to be true in South Dakota with the retirement of Tim Johnson, where the two leading Democratic candidates took a pass while popular former governor Mike Rounds dodged a serious Republican primary challenge.

The GOP now must focus on pickups in the following four seats, all of which are held by Democratic incumbents running for reelection in generally “red” states: Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina.

Full list of Senators up for reelection in 2014: Those in “red” below are considered a highly probably change of party in 2014. Comments in “blue” are editors notes.

DEMOCRATS   
Max Baucus (Montana)*  
Mark Begich (Alaska) 
Chris Coons (Delaware)
Ed Markey (Massachusetts)
Richard Durbin (Illinois)
Al Franken (Minnesota)  – How on earth has  the GOP not been able to recruit a serious candidate against this joke of a US Senator?
Kay Hagan (North Carolina)
Tom Harkin (Iowa)*
Tim Johnson (South Dakota) *
Mary Landrieu (Louisiana) – Landrieu continues to win in the “red” state of Louisiana, but Sabato has the race as a toss up.
Carl Levin (Michigan)*
Jeff Merkley (Oregon)
Mark Pryor (Arkansas) - They claim that Prior is vulnerableand in trouble for reelection, but I will not believe it until I see it.
Jack Reed (Rhode Island)
John Rockefeller (West Virginia)*
Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
Mark Udall (Colorado)
Tom Udall (New Mexico)
Mark Warner (Virginia)

REPUBLICANS
Lamar Alexander (Tennessee) - I can only hope that Alexander is primary challenged and loses in a state that is more conservative than its Senator is. Time to step up Marsha Blackburn and do what is right for the state, note the establishment hierarchy of the GOP. The volunteer state needs representation that compares to its conservatism, not a RINO.
Saxby Chambliss (Georgia)*
Jeff Chiesa (New Jersey) – Appointee retiring, to be succeeded in October, 2013 – Cannot see a Republican winning in the Garden state. Those days are long since gone.
Thad Cochran (Mississippi)
Susan Collins (Maine) – She’s a RINO, but a conservative could never win in the lobster state.
John Cornyn (Texas)
Michael Enzi (Wyoming)
Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) - for the love of God would some Republican please primary challenge Lindsey “Grahamnesty”. What say you Rep. Trey Gowdy?
James Inhofe (Oklahoma)
Mike Johanns (Nebraska)*
Mitch McConnell (Kentucky)
James Risch (Idaho)
Pat Roberts (Kansas)
Jeff Sessions (Alabama)

* represents retiring Senator, open seat.

Check out Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball for 2014 predictions. But there is still a long way to go and anything could happen.

Although No Riots in Sanford, FL after Zimmerman Verdict of ‘Not Guilty’ … About 125 People Riot in Oakland, CA Breaking Windows, Burning Flags & Defacing A Police Car With “Kill Pigs”

Nothing says honoring the memory of Trayvon Martin like vandalizing a police care and wring “Kill Pigs” on it … This is what happens when so-called Civil Rights leaders gin up emotions and holler “no justice, no peace” and a willing liberal media supports the agenda.

The authorities in Sanford, Florida had asked for the people to act responsibly in the wake of the George Zimmerman murder trail verdict. Although the individuals who were pro-Trayvon Martin were very disappointed and irate following the “NOT GUILTY” verdict in the George Zimmerman murder trial, there was really no rioting as the media had hyped and probably some what hoped for ratings. Many people protested the verdict outside the court house in Sanford and were in disbelief; however, they did it peacefully with their voices. That cannot be said as to what happened in Oakland, California. As reported by the AP, in Oakland, pro-Tayvon Martin protesters broke windows at the Oakland Tribune and started small fires in the streets and the Oakland marchers vandalized a police squad car and police formed a line to block the protesters’ path.

Twitchy has much more including many pics of the vandalism in the name of Trayvon Martin’s no justice.

a police car parked outside the 12th Street BART Station had its windows smashed, and protesters spray-painted “F- the police” and “Kill Pigs” on the side of the vehicle.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, there have been no arrests made following the night of rioting.

Protesters marched through the streets of San Francisco and Oakland on Saturday evening, upset at the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida.

In San Francisco, demonstrators marched through the Mission District after gathering at the 24th Street Mission BART Station. Hundreds marched down Valencia Street, chanting “Justice for Trayvon Martin.” [...]

Across the bay in Oakland, however, about 125 protesters gathered at Frank Ogawa Plaza outside City Hall before marching through downtown, starting small fires and smashing windows at the Wells Fargo Bank at 12th Street and Broadway and at several locations, including the Dogwood Bar, the Oakland Tribune, the Foot Locker shoe store and the Sears store. [...]

A BART police car parked outside the 12th Street BART Station had its windows smashed, and protesters spray-painted “F- the police” and “Kill Pigs” on the side of the vehicle.

… the crowd soon moved away from the intersection and headed east on 14th Street, stopping at a McDonald’s restaurant shortly after midnight to burn several flags and to spray-paint “Kill Zimmerman” and “FTP,” an anti-police epithet, on the side of Alameda County’s Rene C. Davidson Courthouse.

For more updates, read comments and tweets, and provide your own comments, go to Scared Monkeys Forum: George Zimmerman trial.

Press Conference With Defense (Mark O’Mara, Don West), Prosecution (Bernie De la Rionda, John Guy) and State Attorney Angela Corey (VIDEO)

Following the jury verdict last night of “NOT GUILTY” in the the murder trial of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin, the lawyers spoke and answered questions from the media. The prosecution tried to save face in the less than stellar case they put on against George Zimmerman. One in which they tried to play on the juries emotions, rather than present evidence and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that George Zimmerman was guilty of second degree murder of Trayvon Martin.

The verdict is read … NOT GUILTY.

The Prosecution speaks to the media and tries to defend their weak case

The prosecution side-steps media questions and actual believes they presented all of the facts in from of the jury and actually defended the 2nd degree murder charges.

The State still cannot accept that the jury did not buy their lack of a case as prosecutors seem to have sour grapes.

The Zimmerman Defense team, Mark O’Mara and Don West answer media questions after the acquittal of their client. Atty West tells the media that he is glad the jury did not make a tragedy a travesty. It would have been a travesty of justice had George Zimmerman been convicted.

More questions answered by the defense … their client George Zimmerman is still fearful for his safety as their is a fringe element that will not respect the jury verdict.

For more updates, read comments and tweets, and provide your own comments, go to Scared Monkeys Forum: George Zimmerman trial.

George Zimmerman NOT GUILTY on All Charges in the Death of Trayvon Martin (VIDEO)

Breaking News … The jury of 6 woman have come back with their verdict ... GEORGE ZIMMERMAN IS NOT GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES!!!

CNN – VIDEO

After deliberating 16 1/2 hours the jury has come back with the verdict of not guilty in the death of Trayvon Martin. However, for those who have followed the case and paid attention to the evidence that the prosecution presented in the case, there really could have been no other verdict but “Not Guilty”.  The defense ran rings around the prosecution and actually presents facts and evidence while the prosecution provided nothing b\ut things that would play to people’s sympathies. In the end the jury decided that George Zimmerman felt that his life was in peril and acted in self defense.  In a case that had no winners, in the end the jury got it right based on the facts, the evidence and the law.

George Zimmerman, the man accused of murdering Trayvon Martin, has been found not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter.

The verdict is the culmination of a case that captured the nation’s attention and will undoubtedly be imprinted in America’s history. The not guilty verdict means the jury of six women found that Zimmerman justifiably used deadly force and reasonably believed that such force was “necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm” to himself— Florida’s definition of self-defense.

Kudos to the folks at Legal Insurrection that did a great job covering the case and providing phenomenal input.

The just verdict was reached.  As I have said repeatedly, this was a case that never should have been brought, and that was handled in a manner unbecoming the judicial system.  It’s not too early to demand an inquiry into the prosecution of this case.  Angela Corey should resign.

From the AP:

Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was cleared of all charges Saturday in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager whose killing unleashed furious debate across the U.S. over racial profiling, self-defense and equal justice.

Zimmerman, 29, blinked and barely smiled when the verdict was announced. He could have been convicted of second-degree murder or manslaughter. But the jury of six women, all but one of them white, reached a verdict of not guilty after deliberating well into the night Saturday.

Washington Post: Zimmerman found not guilty in killing of Trayvon Martin.

Orlando Sentinel: George Zimmerman not guilty in Trayvon Martin’s death.

George Zimmerman is not guilty in Trayvon Martin’s death.

That was the verdict just handed down by six Seminole County jurors, after 15 hours of deliberations, several weeks of testimony and evidence in George Zimmerman’s trial in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, 17.

“You have no further business with this court,” Circuit judge Debra Nelson told Zimmerman moments after the verdict was read.

Zimmerman hugged his family after the verdict was read. George’s wife, Shellie, smiled and cried.

Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, were not present in the courtroom when the verdict was read.

Outside the courthouse, deputies and other law enforcement were dealing with a crowd of about 100 people, many of whom were disappointed with the verdict

Zimmerman, who says he fired in self-defense, had faced up to life in prison if convicted as charged. Instead, he will go free.

CNN: George Zimmerman found not guilty of murder in Trayvon Martin’s death.

George Zimmerman is not guilty of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, a Florida jury decided late Saturday.

The fact that Zimmerman fired the bullet that killed Martin was never in question, but the verdict means the six-person jury had reasonable doubt that the shooting amounted to a criminal act.

The verdict caps a case that has inflamed passions for well over a year, much of it focused on race and gun rights.

The jury — made up of all women — had three choices: to find Zimmerman guilty of second-degree murder; to find him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter; or to find him not guilty.

The jurors deliberated for 16½ hours total, including 13 on Saturday alone, before delivering their verdict.

For more updates, comments, tweets go to Scared Monkeys Forum: George Zimmerman Trial.

NAACP Norfolk, Va. President Tristan Breaux Asked to Step Down Because He Dare Asked Blacks to Think Logically, not Racially

The following is just unreal and speaks volumes of the divide in this country. How dare anyone in the black community think logically, rather than racially. 

NAACP Norfolk, Va. President Tristan Breaux is being asked to step down because he dare ask the question to black America to think logically, not racially. UNREAL. Such requests cause blacks Americans to ask for his resignation. I guess it’s a good thing none of those folks were on the jury.

“My initial reaction was that it wasn’t true, that somebody had gone on his Facebook and had planted this,” Riddick said. “I just couldn’t imagine the president of the Norfolk branch of the NAACP making a statement like that.”

“I wonder why it is that we are always willing to say someone who clearly had a shaky past, was the victim,” Breaux asked in the Facebook post, referring to Trayvon Martin.

“I think this should be tried in the courtroom and not on social media,” said former Norfolk NAACP President Bob Rawls.

Rawls says he is worried how the statement reflects on fellow members.

“If he had been talking to another person or two or three people and voiced his personal opinion that’s different,” Rawls added. “When you put it on social media so somebody in Florida, California, Oregon or New York is reading, this, that is wrong.”

The post went on to ask if people are blinded to why Trayvon was staying with his dad and why he wasn’t at home at at time of the shooting.

Here is the offensive remarks that are so terrible that they want Tristan Breaux to step down. Wow, I mean they are just so mean spirited and vile. How dare he ask black Americans to think logically, not racially. C’mon man, don’t you know that the rest of America is as “creepy ass crackers”?

As Weasel Zippers opines, “He dared to step off the plantation.”