Proof Russ Feingold Is Not Just Another Democrat

Wisconsin incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold is bucking the trend and running a straight-up pro-health care reform spot. The ad itself is not all that remarkable, but it stands out in a year when Democrats who voted for reform are trying hard to talk about other issues, while Democrats who voted against it are touting their [...]

Tuesday’s Primaries

Tuesday is primary day in seven states and the District of Columbia. This will be the last major primary before the midterm elections (only one state remains after this: Hawaii on Sept. 18). Even this late in the game there are still some fascinating races to watch. Here are five: Mike Castle v. Christine O’Donnell, [...]

Obey Bows Out

House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, 71, today announced he would not seek reelection after more than 20 terms in office. The Wisconsin Democrat’s departure is the latest example of veteran Democrats deciding to withdraw rather than face tough reelections — a troubling sign for House speaker Nancy Pelosi for whom retention of the House [...]

Obey Bows Out

UPDATE: Double posted on Jay, see above.

McCain Curtails Ads in NH and WI

A Democratic source tells TIME that John McCain is stretching his media buys in New Hampshire and Wisconsin, spacing out ads they’ve already bought to last through the rest of the election. The move would mean they would not spend any more ad money in the states, effectively pulling out without taking the hit in [...]

Slinging Cheese Curds

When did Wisconsin get so nasty? In week dominated by tit-for-tat conference calls, mailers and tv spots filled with accusations and counter-punches the Obama campaign said today they expect this is just a preview for the Ohio and Texas contests on March 4. “I would imagine that what your seeing in Wisconsin is just a [...]

Obama Claims the (Thorny) Crown

His blowout victories yesterday in the Potomac Primaries have prompted Barack Obama’s campaign to finally embrace his frontrunner status. After weeks of downplaying expectations, even before contests where he led in the polls by 20+ percentage points, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe today said: “We believe that it’s next to impossible for Senator Clinton to [...]