Lott's possible departure gives Dems opening in Solid South

Democrats have been on a losing streak with U.S. Senate races in the South. In the past three elections, only one new Democratic Senator from a Southern state has been elected. The lone winner was Bill Nelson who won a narrow 2000 victory in Florida - a state that many regard as Southern solely in terms of geography. In 2004, five Southern Democrats left the Senate and every seat was lost to a Republican - some of the lost seats were not even seriously contested. The possible departure of Trent Lott of Mississippi from the U.S. Senate offers Democrats hope that this trend in the South can be reversed. Several prominent Mississippi Democrats are viewed as possible candidates for the Senate if Lott steps aside. Former Governor Ronnie Musgrove, ex-Governor Ray Mabus and former Attorney General Mike Moore are all reportedly considering the race. http://tinyurl.com/a2ew3
Ronnie Musgrove is a solidly conservative Democrat (pro-life, pro gun rights and pro-traditional family) who could help to rebuild the mainstream wing of the Democratic Party in Washington. My first choice for the Senate seat would be Congressman Gene Taylor, however, the presence of several Democrats with statewide name recognition makes a Taylor candidacy unlikely. If Republican Governor Haley Barbour's popularity should drop though, I think that Gene Taylor would make a great candidate for Mississippi Governor in 2007. And as Governor, Taylor could probably do even more as a leadership role model for conservative Democrats in America. http://tinyurl.com/94eu4
One interesting statistic pointed out by the Jackson Free-Press just after the 2004 election, is that 63% of voters in Mississippi between the ages of 18 and 29 favored Kerry over Bush. A major reason for this Democratic trend among young voters is the growth of the African American population in Mississippi. If Democrats can make some modest gains among working class white voters in Mississippi, it may be possible to put the state back in the Democratic column. Of course, it make a few years as voters over 50 tend to be most likely to cast ballots. Other Southern states that might trend more Democratic in the future are Arkansas (where 51% of young voters favored Kerry), South Carolina (48%) and Georgia (47%). http://tinyurl.com/af77m

Writing in today's LA Times, Washington columnist Ronald Brownstein asks "Will Hillary Run" for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination ? In recent months, Senator Hillary Clinton appears to be taking a centrist course on many issues. In process of moving toward the mainstream though, Clinton has enraged the Democratic Left which is looking with increasing favor on the Presidential candidacy of Senator Russell Feingold of Wisconsin. Feingold appears to be the favorite of many left-leaning activists who zealously supported the 2004 candidacy of Howard Dean. At the same time, centrists continue to look at Hillary with suspicion and wonder if she can appeal to Middle American swing voters. Brownstein suggests that former Virginia Governor Mark Warner is now the favorite of the Democratic center with his reputation for fiscal responsibility and moderation on social questions. I agree that Feingold is likely to emerge as the favorite of the Moveonner Left and Warner certainly appears to be the most mainstream of the possible 2008 Democratic nominees. Link to LA times column http://tinyurl.com/ey9t8

Democrats for Life of America will be hosting a March for Life breakfast on Monday, January 23, 2006 from 9:30 am to 11:30 amin the Sky Room of Hotel Washington, 15th and Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. in Washington, DC. The guest speaker will be Dr. Alveda King who is a prominent civil rights activist. She is a minister of the Gospel, former college professor and an author. She has served on the boards of numerous community organizations, the Georgia State House of Representatives for four years, and is an accomplished actress and songwriter. Alveda is the mother of six children and she is a grandmother.During the years of the Civil Rights Movement, led by her Uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Alveda's family home was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama. During the heat of the struggle. "Daddy's house was bombed, then in Louisville, Kentucky his church office was bombed. I was also jailed during the open housing movement," she recalls. Alveda's Doctorate of Laws was conferred by Saint Anslem College. She has served as a Senior Fellow of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institute. She has also served on the boards and committees of numerous organizations, including the Sillent No More.
For information about the March for Life breakfast, contact Democrats for Life at http://www.democratsforlife.org. To read about Dr. King's perspective on the abortion issue, go to her site at http://tinyurl.com/9ga2o