Texas Senator John Cornyn sees hope for a GOP comeback in the Senate
Texas Senator John Cornyn sees hope for a GOP comeback in the Senate
Even with Republicans reeling in the Senate, Texas Sen. John Cornyn said Wednesday he sees hope for a rebound - thanks to the scandal-tainted Illinois appointment and Barack Obama’s Cabinet picks.
Besides, Cornyn said, “I think there’s a natural aversion of the American people to putting all their eggs in one political basket.”
As the GOP’s new point man on Senate elections, Cornyn faces a daunting task. His party lost eight seats in November and is currently down to 41 out of 100 - a 28-year low.
But he offered a relatively upbeat assessment in his first roundtable with reporters since colleagues picked him to lead the National Republican Senatorial Committee in November.
Foremost, he said, Democrats badly mishandled the Illinois seat left open by Obama. Roland Burris - chosen by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who has been impeached for allegedly trying to sell the job - will be sworn in today.
Cornyn called the situation “a national embarrassment” that could open a GOP opportunity in a state Republicans would ordinarily have written off next year.
Cornyn also sees prime opportunities in New York and Colorado, where Secretary of State nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton and Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar will leave seats open; he derided Caroline Kennedy as a potential Clinton successor, noting that she’s never run for office.
And by naming former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to his Cabinet, Cornyn said, Obama “eliminated two key strong state officeholders” as Senate contenders next year.
But this is the good news. As recently as 2006, Republicans held 55 out of 100 seats.
“You might say where there’s nowhere to go but up. But I don’t think that’s necessarily true,” Cornyn said.
It takes 40 senators to sustain a legislation-blocking filibuster, and Cornyn made it clear he’ll use his party’s weakness as a talking point with voters, now that Democrats control Congress and the White House.
“That’s why the magic number 41 is so important,” he said.
The GOP’s prospects next year are potentially grim, too.
Of 19 incumbents up for re-election in 2010, four senators have already announced plans to retire. Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida, Kit Bond of Missouri, and George Voinovich of Ohio come from battleground states. The fourth is from Kansas, where the popular Democratic governor is eyeing a Senate run.
Cornyn has urged senators contemplating retirement to decide soon, to make it easier to recruit strong replacements.
But he said he hasn’t pressured fellow Texan Kay Bailey Hutchison. She says she may resign late this year to focus on the 2010 governor’s race, but her Senate term doesn’t expire until 2012.
“That’s sort of a special case,” Cornyn said. “She could run for governor as a sitting senator and even appoint her successor [if she wins].”
“Texas is still a red state,” he said, but “Democrats are going to take advantage just like we are when they see opportunities, and we just need to make sure that we hold onto that seat.”
Nationally, Cornyn sees other reasons for optimism.
Obama won’t be on the ballot, he noted, and George W. Bush “will no longer be in office” -dragging down Republicans as he did the last two elections.
The Democrats’ Senate campaign committee outspent the Republicans’ $154 million to $91 million last year.
“Democrats pretty much handed us our head,” Cornyn said.
Sometimes I wonder if there is something in the water that makes them like this...
Even with Republicans reeling in the Senate, Texas Sen. John Cornyn said Wednesday he sees hope for a rebound - thanks to the scandal-tainted Illinois appointment and Barack Obama’s Cabinet picks.
Besides, Cornyn said, “I think there’s a natural aversion of the American people to putting all their eggs in one political basket.”
As the GOP’s new point man on Senate elections, Cornyn faces a daunting task. His party lost eight seats in November and is currently down to 41 out of 100 - a 28-year low.
But he offered a relatively upbeat assessment in his first roundtable with reporters since colleagues picked him to lead the National Republican Senatorial Committee in November.
Foremost, he said, Democrats badly mishandled the Illinois seat left open by Obama. Roland Burris - chosen by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who has been impeached for allegedly trying to sell the job - will be sworn in today.
Cornyn called the situation “a national embarrassment” that could open a GOP opportunity in a state Republicans would ordinarily have written off next year.
Cornyn also sees prime opportunities in New York and Colorado, where Secretary of State nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton and Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar will leave seats open; he derided Caroline Kennedy as a potential Clinton successor, noting that she’s never run for office.
And by naming former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to his Cabinet, Cornyn said, Obama “eliminated two key strong state officeholders” as Senate contenders next year.
But this is the good news. As recently as 2006, Republicans held 55 out of 100 seats.
“You might say where there’s nowhere to go but up. But I don’t think that’s necessarily true,” Cornyn said.
It takes 40 senators to sustain a legislation-blocking filibuster, and Cornyn made it clear he’ll use his party’s weakness as a talking point with voters, now that Democrats control Congress and the White House.
“That’s why the magic number 41 is so important,” he said.
The GOP’s prospects next year are potentially grim, too.
Of 19 incumbents up for re-election in 2010, four senators have already announced plans to retire. Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida, Kit Bond of Missouri, and George Voinovich of Ohio come from battleground states. The fourth is from Kansas, where the popular Democratic governor is eyeing a Senate run.
Cornyn has urged senators contemplating retirement to decide soon, to make it easier to recruit strong replacements.
But he said he hasn’t pressured fellow Texan Kay Bailey Hutchison. She says she may resign late this year to focus on the 2010 governor’s race, but her Senate term doesn’t expire until 2012.
“That’s sort of a special case,” Cornyn said. “She could run for governor as a sitting senator and even appoint her successor [if she wins].”
“Texas is still a red state,” he said, but “Democrats are going to take advantage just like we are when they see opportunities, and we just need to make sure that we hold onto that seat.”
Nationally, Cornyn sees other reasons for optimism.
Obama won’t be on the ballot, he noted, and George W. Bush “will no longer be in office” -dragging down Republicans as he did the last two elections.
The Democrats’ Senate campaign committee outspent the Republicans’ $154 million to $91 million last year.
“Democrats pretty much handed us our head,” Cornyn said.
Sometimes I wonder if there is something in the water that makes them like this...