Charlie Cook of the Cook Report Sees Grim Future for Democrats in Senate in 2012 and 2014

Grim future for Democrats in the US Senate …

Charlie Cook of the famed political Cook Report states that Democrats have a tough row to hoe in 2012 and 2014 in the US Senate. With the large amount of seats that Democrats have to defend in 2012 and 2014, holding power in the Senate is pretty much a lost cause. Presently, Democrats have control of the Senate 53 – 47.    In 2012 Democrats have to defend 23 seats (21 Democrats & 2 Independents who caucus with Dems) while Republicans only have to defend 10. In 2014, Democrats have to defend 20 seats, while the GOP only has to defend 13.

US Senate Democrats seats up for election in 2012. We would say that there is a bulls-eye on some of the following seats, but that would be uncivil.

Akaka, Daniel K. – (D – HI)
Bingaman, Jeff – (D – NM) – RETIRING [seat in trouble]
Brown, Sherrod – (D – OH) [state trending GOP]
Cantwell, Maria – (D – WA)
Cardin, Benjamin L. – (D – MD) 
Carper, Thomas R. – (D – DE)
Casey, Robert P., Jr. – (D – PA) [state trending GOP]
Conrad, Kent – (D – ND)  - RETIRING [seat in trouble]
Feinstein, Dianne – (D – CA)
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. – (D – NY)
Klobuchar, Amy – (D – MN)
Kohl, Herb – (D – WI)
Lieberman, Joseph I. – (ID – CT) – RETIRING
Manchin, Joe, III – (D – WV) [if Manchin does not vote as a Republican, seat in trouble, state trending GOP]
McCaskill, Claire – (D – MO) [seat in trouble, state trending GOP]
Menendez, Robert – (D – NJ)
Nelson, Ben – (D – NE) [seat in trouble]
Nelson, Bill – (D – FL) [state trending GOP]
Sanders, Bernard – (I – VT)
Stabenow, Debbie – (D – MI)
Tester, Jon – (D – MT)
Webb, Jim – (D – VA) – RETIRING  [seat in trouble]
Whitehouse, Sheldon – (D – RI)

Democrat seats up in 2014. Keep in mind, these Senators were elected in the 2008 Obama promise of “Hope & Change” election.

Baucus, Max – (D – MT) – [GOP state, Obamacare could come back to haunt Baucus]
Begich, Mark – (D – AK) [heavy GOP state]
Coons, Christopher A. – (D – DE)
Durbin, Richard J. – (D – IL)
Franken, Al – (D – MN) [MN may want to correct the mistake they made in 2008]
Hagan, Kay R. – (D – NC) [heavy trending GOP state]
Harkin, Tom – (D – IA)
Johnson, Tim – (D – SD)
Kerry, John F. – (D – MA) 
Landrieu, Mary L. – (D – LA)
Lautenberg, Frank R. – (D – NJ) [he will be 90, probaly will retire ... will NJ trend GOP with Chris Christie wave?]
Levin, Carl – (D – MI)
Merkley, Jeff – (D – OR)
Pryor, Mark L. – (D – AR)
Reed, Jack – (D – RI)
Rockefeller, John D., IV – (D – WV)
Shaheen, Jeanne – (D – NH) [state trending GOP]
Udall, Mark – (D – CO)
Udall, Tom – (D – NM)
Warner, Mark R. – (D – VA) [state trending GOP]

PC Kills … Senate Panel Finds Ft. Hood Hasan Shooting massacre Could Have Been Prevented

The case of Muslim terrorist  Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s and the Ft. Hood shooting murders is yet just another example that “PC” kills.

President Barack Obama initially stated,  ”As some of you might have heard there has been a tragic shooting at the Fort Hood Army Base in Texas.” It turns out that the real tragedy is that it could have been prevented. Ultimately, the real tragedy is the PC nonsense continues as we bend over backwards not to offend an obvious Muslim terrorist, while we pat down old ladies, molest children  and humiliate cancer victims at airports.

Remember when we were told by President Barack Obama that the Fort Hood shooting was an “incomprehensible” act? It turns out that it was not all that incomprehensible, as a matter of fact, it could have been prevented. What should we expect from a president who could not even call the shootings an act of terrorism when it was obvious to all, that is exactly what it was.

According to a US Senate panel on the Fort Hood shooting, the killings could have been prevented.  The DOD possessed compelling evidence that Army Major Nidal Malik Hasanembraced radical Islamic views so extreme that it should have disciplined him or discharged him from the military. But, because of political correctness and the fear that how dare we discharge a Muslim from the US military …  the Department of Defense failed to take action against him. UNREAL.

From ABC News:

A new Senate report on the 2009 Fort Hood shooting blames the FBI and Department of Defense for failing to recognize or act on alleged shooter Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s extremist views.

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Democrat US Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota to Retire in 2012, Joe Lieberman Retiring as Well

Holding the US Senate for Democrats and Harry Reid in 2012 just got a little bit harder …

Democrat US Senator Kent Conrad has announced that he will not run for reelection in 2012 and will retire. The retiring of Conrad opens up a huge opportunity for Republicans in the “red” state of North Dakota. As it is Democrats face an uphill battle in 2012 to retain the Senate as Democrats have to defend 23seats, 21 Dems and 2 Indies who caucus with Dems while the GOP only have to defend 10. As stated by Hot Air, Senate Democrat to retire after his party lost six Senate seats in the midterms, but he probably won’t be the last.

North Dakota Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad announced today that he will not seek reelection, creating a potentially prime pickup opportunity for Republicans in a GOP-leaning state.

“After months of consideration, I have decided not to seek reelection in 2012,” Conrad said in a letter to constituents. “There are serious challenges facing our state and nation, like a $14 trillion debt and America’s dependence on foreign oil. It is more important I spend my time and energy trying to solve these problems than to be distracted by a campaign for reelection.”

President Obama said in a statement that he was “saddened” about the news of Conrad’s retirement. I bet he was; however, not as much as Harry Reid who might be moved to a smaller office after the 2012 elections.

Recently, US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R.-Tex.) also announced that she will not run in 2012 as week; however, that GOP hold is a much different story than that of Democrats and Kent Conrad. It is rather unthinkable that a Democrat would win a US Senate race in the “red” state of Texas. Hard to believe indeed.

Recently, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R.-Tex.) announced her retirement. Today, Chris Cillizza reported that Sen. Kent Conrad (D.-N.D.) will be hanging it up.

The reaction to each is interesting and quite different. In Texas, the Democratic polling outfit Public Policy Polling tells us: “A look at 12 different possible head-to-head match ups for next year’s Texas Senate race shows the same outcome in every single one: a double digit lead for the Republican. This is going to be an extremely difficult seat for Democrats to pick up.” 

UPDATE I: US Senator Joe Lieberman (CT-I) is also retiring and won’t seek reelection in 2012. First it was Conrad and nopw it’s Lieberman. The obvious question is, who’s next?

Sen. Joe Lieberman is retiring from the Senate in 2012, closing out a two-decade career that saw him rise to the Democratic presidential ticket only to be dismissed by his own state party a few years later over his support for the war in Iraq.

Lieberman will announce that he will not seek re-election Wednesday in Stamford, Conn., ending months of speculation about whether Lieberman would run as an independent, a Republican, a Democrat, or simply retire.