http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/ There is no such thing as an off-year for political campaigns. The parties are busy strategizing which races to target in the 2010 midterm elections; potential challengers are figuring out if they have what it takes to run, and fundraising is a never-ending pursuit. CQ Politics' "The Eye" keeps you current on developments in the key upcoming contests. en Copyright 2010 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:43:49 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Democrats are letting former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-Wis.) know what he can expect if he decides to challenge Sen. Russ Feingold. A Wisconsin Democratic Party Web video that calls attention to Thompson's membership on numerous corporate boards and his association... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/wisconsin-thompson-in-democrat.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/wisconsin-thompson-in-democrat.html Senate Wisconsin Feingold Giroux Thompson Wall Westlake Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:43:49 -0500 After narrowly outraising its GOP counterpart in January, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee lost ground during the month of February, according to reports set to be filed with the Federal Election Commission. The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $4.6 million... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/nrsc-raised-464-million-in-feb.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/nrsc-raised-464-million-in-feb.html Senate DSCC McArdle NRSC Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:40:47 -0500 Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and his four fellow Republicans in the Bluegrass State's House delegation have sent out invitations for a post-primary unity rally. It should be a busy day, because with the way things are shaping up... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/mcconnell-invites-kentucky-sen.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/mcconnell-invites-kentucky-sen.html Kentucky Senate Grayson McArdle McConnell Paul Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:11:02 -0500 Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) has performed an impressive political magic trick: He turned what sounds like a pretty serious adversary into an ally. Check out this Associated Press story about a high-profile partisan who last year called Blunt a "big-spending... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/no-more-badmouthing-blunt.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/no-more-badmouthing-blunt.html Missouri Senate Blunt Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:38:31 -0500 Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) has entered a grim new stage in the aftermath of the secret affair that went so publicly wrong. As Roll Call reported yesterday, subpoenas have been issued to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which Ensign used... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/ensign-affair-enters-subpoena.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/ensign-affair-enters-subpoena.html Nevada Senate Ensign Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:26:49 -0500 Arizona's testy Republican Senate primary is seeping into the GOP contest for a House seat. Nine Republicans have filed to run for retiring Rep. John Shadegg's seat in the Republican-leaning area of northern Phoenix and its suburbs. One, former state... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/arizona-senate-gop-rivalry-ext.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/arizona-senate-gop-rivalry-ext.html Arizona House Senate Arizona Branch Cadei Crump Gorman Hayworth Hulburd McCain Moak Morris Parker Paton Quayle Waring Winkler Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:45:49 -0500 Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) would be hard-pressed for re-election if challenged by former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) but has the edge over two lesser-known Republicans who have announced their candidacies, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey taken March 16. According... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/feingoldthompson-race-would-be.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/feingoldthompson-race-would-be.html Polling Rasmussen Reports Senate Wisconsin Feingold Giroux Thompson Wall Westlake Wisconsin Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:56:21 -0500 The Republican primary for the Senate in Arizona is tightening up, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll released Thursday. The poll found that former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) has closed to within single digits of incumbent Sen. John McCain... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/poll-hayworth-closes-gap-with.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/poll-hayworth-closes-gap-with.html Arizona Senate Cadei Hayworth McCain Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:11:40 -0500 Veteran party strategist Brian Smoot will manage the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's independent expenditure operation for the 2010 cycle, officials confirmed on Thursday. Smoot served as political director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2008 cycle. He has... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/smoot.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/smoot.html DSCC Senate McArdle Poersch Smoot Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:49:07 -0500 Three-term Sen. Barbara Boxer is getting help of the highest level as the Democrat starts what could be a tough re-election campaign. President Obama will travel to California next month to headline a joint fundraising event for Boxer's campaign and... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/boxer-brings-out-the-big-gun.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/boxer-brings-out-the-big-gun.html California Field Poll Polling Senate Boxer Campbell DeVore Fiorina Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:49:33 -0500 Former Colorado Speaker Andrew Romanoff is aggressively portraying his win over Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet in a preliminary caucus vote as an affirmation of his campaign's main theme that the concerns of Main Street should trump those of Wall Street.... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/romanoff-we-beat-bennets-massi.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/romanoff-we-beat-bennets-massi.html Colorado Senate Bennet Buck Colorado Giroux Norton Romanoff Wiens Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:57:03 -0500 Showing once again that there's no substitute for visibility, former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon has caught up and passed her Republican primary opponent, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 9-15. The poll found McMahon ahead of... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/mcmahon-leads-simmons-in-new-p.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/mcmahon-leads-simmons-in-new-p.html Connecticut. Polling Quinnipiac University Senate Blumenthal Dodd McMahon Quinnipiac Senate Simmons Toeplitz Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:44:38 -0500 Lee Whitnum, who is best known for publicizing her early 1990s fling with a then-single Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has filed to run as a Democrat for Senate in Connecticut. Whitnum ran for the Democratic nomination in Connecticut's 4th House... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/former-kerry-flame-joins-senat.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/former-kerry-flame-joins-senat.html Connecticut. Senate Blumenthal Dodd Kerry Toeplitz Whitnum Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:22:27 -0500 Former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff outpolled incumbent Michael Bennet but both claimed momentum from Tuesday night's Democratic precinct caucuses. The caucuses showed the sentiment of the party's most vigorous political activists toward their Senate candidates. Romanoff led Bennet, 51... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/romanoff-wins-firstround-test.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/romanoff-wins-firstround-test.html Colorado Senate Bennet Buck Giroux Norton Romanoff Wiens Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:56:00 -0500 Rep. John Boozman had to expect to be the center of attention if he was the only Senate candidate missing from last night's Republican debate in Little Rock. Sure enough, he was. The Arkansas News describes stand-in Sarah Huckabee on... http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/attacking-the-empty-chair.html http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/attacking-the-empty-chair.html Arkansas Senate Boozman Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:41:03 -0500