A great new progressive voice in the United States Senate.

This is a good start, America.

Greg Giroux from Congressional Quarterly wrote up a great primary day primer on Political Wire. I’m running around like a mad-man today, so in the interest of time, I tip my hat to the good people over at Political Wire and encourage everyone to check out their great analysis. DoubleSpeak will have election night coverage later this evening and into tomorrow morning. Stay tuned.

Primary Preview

Most of the remaining November matchups for governor, senator and U.S. House will be set Tuesday, when nine states will hold primary elections: Arizona, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

The marquee matchup is the Republican Senate primary in Rhode Island, where Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who frequently bucks GOP leaders, faces a stiff challenge from Cranston mayor Steve Laffey, who is more conservative. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is backing Chafee on the grounds that he is the only Republican who could possibly prevail this year in Rhode Island, which usually votes Democratic. Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, a former Rhode Island Attorney General, is expected to easily win his party’s primary.

The other major Senate primary Tuesday is in Maryland, where Democrats have a large field of candidates in the race to succeed retiring five-term Democrat Paul S. Sarbanes. Rep. Ben Cardin and former Rep. Kweisi Mfume are the best-known Democrats, while Republicans are behind Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. In the contest for governor, Republican incumbent Bob Ehrlich and Democrat Martin O’Malley, the mayor of Baltimore, are unopposed in the primaries. In Cardin’s Democratic-leaning 3rd District, the crowded Democratic field includes state Sen. Paula Hollinger, former Baltimore health commissioner Peter Beilenson and lawyer John Sarbanes, who is the retiring senator’s son. In the 4th District, which is anchored in inner suburbs of Washington, D.C., Democratic Rep. Albert Wynn faces a primary challenge from lawyer Donna Edwards.

Read the rest here…

There is a political fight a brewin’ in the great state of Vermont. As you may know, Bernie Sanders (D-VT), the uber progressive Congressman from Vermont’s lone Congressional District is running for U.S. Senate to replace outgoing Senator Jim Jeffords (I). Vying for this coveted seat is Peter Welch (D) who currently serves as President Pro Tem of the Vermont State Senate.

A little background: (Peter is on the far right)

Peter returned to the Vermont Senate in 2001, when he was appointed by Governor Dean to fill an open seat in Windsor County. Peter was elected in his own right in 2002, and his colleagues again unanimously elected him President Pro Tem, a position he holds today.

As Senate leader, Peter has worked with colleagues from all political parties and is known for listening to diverse points of view. Peter has worked to balance budgets, to resolve an $80 million Medicaid deficit largely caused by the federal government, and to alleviate the property tax burden on working Vermonters. He has backed proposals to make prescription drugs more affordable, to make health care more accessible, and to control the explosive growth in health-care costs. Peter has also been a persistent advocate for protecting Vermont’s environment, which he considers not only a moral imperative, but a practical necessity in a state with an economy tied so closely to our mountains, farm fields, forests, waterways and wildlife.

Peter Welch has taken strong positions against the war in Iraq, for greater fiscal discipline in Washington, and for access to health care for all Americans. Here are some good quotes on key issues:

Iraq:

For nearly three years, our nation has struggled with the war in Iraq. It is increasingly clear that Congress must do what the Bush Administration has failed to do – advocate a plan for the peace in Iraq that includes the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2006.

Budget and Tax Policy:

We must restore fiscal responsibility to Washington. It is time to balance our budgets, reduce the deficit and create tax policies that help ALL Americans.

Health Care:

I will take to Washington what I have advocated in Vermont – the common sense principle that everyone deserves access to health care and everyone should contribute to its costs.

Environment:

We have a moral responsibility to do our absolute best to leave our environment cleaner than we found it. It is also a pragmatic necessity that we care for the water, air, and land that we rely on.

Energy:

We are long over-due for a national energy policy that reduces our reliance on foreign oil and encourages the development and use of alternative energy. It is time to focus our energy policy on the goal of energy independence.

Peter Welch is being challenged by Martha Rainville, the outgoing adjunct general of the Vermont National Guard. Despite being a political neophyte who lacks experience, especially when paired against Welch, the National Republican machine thinks they have a winner. They are touting Rainville and believe that Republicans could have a surprise pickup in this district.

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