Tough week for Democrats.
First, on Monday in Seoul Barack Obama told outgoing Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, “After my election, I will have more flexibility.” That gives Republicans an amazing talking point. I have more to say about it in my Wednesday Examiner column.
Second, five members of the Supreme Court gave government counsel a hugely difficult time over the constitutionality of Obamacare’s individual mandate to buy health insurance. CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin called it a “train wreck for the Obama administration” and added, “All of the predictions including mine that the justices would not have a problem with this law were wrong.” Liberals have been assuming this is a slam-dunk win; now they suddenly think they have been deluding themselves. That’s what happens when you live in an insulated cocoon.
Third, Republicans are doing a bit better in the generic vote for the House of Representatives, and now lead Democrats by a fraction of a percentage point in the realclearpolitics.com average of recent polls. As Republican pollster Chris Wilson explains, an even vote in the generic ballot tends to indicate a Republican majority in the House.
Fourth, some very encouraging poll results in two Senate races. Scott Rasmussen reports Ohio race between Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown and Republican state Treasurer Josh Mandel is a 43%-43% tie. All but one poll taken in January and February showed Brown ahead by double digits. Brown is an attractive campaigner and a labor/liberal stalwart and a persistent critic of free trade. Mandel is a former Marine who starts off not nearly so well known but he ran well statewide in 2010 and seems to be a real contender now. The other poll is in the race in Nebraska for the seat held for two terms by Democrat Ben Nelson and for two terms before that by Democrat Bob Kerrey. Kerrey is a Medal of Honor recipient, a former governor, a magnetic campaigner and a genuinely nice and decent guy. He’s won three statewide races in heavily Republican Nebraska. He entered this race recently, after first declaring he would not run; he’s spent most of the last ten years as president of the New School in New York City. But the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling finds him running behind by double digits in races against each of the three Republicans seeking the nomination.
