I've Moved!

Check out the new site at republicansenate.org, where I'll be liveblogging today's hearings.

Apologies

My apologies for the delay. There have been unforeseen complications with the upgrade. Blogging will resume once the upgrade is complete.

Update

Blogging will be suspended until next week, as RS undergoes an upgrade.

Quinn Makes His Mark

Quarterbacking at Notre Dame is not about records. (Brady Quinn set 17 school records this year.) It is not about yardage or touchdown passes. (Quinn's new records include several in both categories.) Quarterbacking at Notre Dame is about winning, and tonight Brady Quinn made his biggest mark yet in the annals of Notre Dame football.

After starting the game with an 80 yard pass to WR Jeff Samardzija, Quinn struggled, throwing two first half interceptions. He was off his game throughout the night, leaving the Irish to rely heavily on Darius Walker's 191 yards on 37 carries. In part due to Quinn's struggles, Stanford stayed in the game and took its first lead, 31-30, with 1:46 to go. Then, Quinn took the ball with his best chance yet to prove his mettle as an Irish quarterback.

The Irish offense started on the 20 with 1:37 to go and two timeouts. On the drive, Quinn went 3/3 for 68 yards, including a 21 yard pass to Maurice Stovall with less than a minute to go, setting up a Darius Walker six yard touchdown run. Walker added two points with a three yard run on a direct snap, walking through a wide hole left by the Irish offensive line.

The win makes the Irish eligible for a BCS bowl for only the second time. The Irish win in the bowl game will be the team's first since Jan. 1, 1994.

Codey Balks

Acting New Jersey Governor Dick Codey has taken himself out of consideration for the Senate seat being vacated by Governor-elect Jon Corzine. The departure leaves Corzine a bunch of options who run close races against the sole Republican (INO) declared candidate Tom Kean. Kean and his potential opponents seem to create a typical New Jersey statewide race minus the GOP Primary fight. While Kean has fared reasonably well in recent polls, New Jersey remains extremely difficult to win for the GOP, even when the candidate is hardly a Republican by national standards. Expect a fairly typical race in which conservatives are turned off, the Republican establishment shows public optimism, and, in the end, the Democrat nominee wins fairly handily.

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's hoping Pitt pulls off the upset in the backyard brawl!

New Frontrunner in Michigan

for the GOP, that is. According to a Strategic Vision poll released today, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard is within 14 points of Sen. Debbie Stabenow. His primary opponents, Keith Butler and Jerry Zandstra, who have been campaigning for the better party of a year, trail Stabenow by 19 and 25 points respectively. Perhaps most encouraging, though, is the fact that Bouchard holds Stabenow to 45 points.

The poll gives additional causes for optimism. Stabenow's net approval rating is just +8 and 51% of Michiganders approve of the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. On the flip side, the President's net approval rating is an abysmal -28%, suggesting that, outside of fundraising, he will be a liability for the eventual nominee.

Michigan is not exactly ripe for the picking, but there is an opportunity. A spirited Republican primary between two conservatives could attract some free media and battle-test the eventual nominee. Unfortunately, though, there are three Republican candidates, and three is a crowd. Republicans would do well to squeeze the weakest candidate, Jerry Zandstra out of the race, without dividing the Party. This could be done fairly easily if the GOP establishment and grassroots back either Butler or Bouchard rather than remaining neutral. Once the field narrows to two, both must fire away at Debbie Stabenow, making the battle for the nomination a fight over who could launch the most effective attacks.

Other states, such as Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Ohio, remain more competitive, but Bouchard's standing after missing out on months of campaigning suggest that Michigan is the sleeper race of the 2006 cycle.

Orange Crushed

Senior Day at Notre Dame Stadium was, for the first time in several years, what it is supposed to be, a celebration of a strong season, including a big win that day. The pre-game hype for the occasion tightened up the Irish offense, which was held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this year. The defense, however, played lights out from kickoff. The anemic Syracuse offense scored just three points before Charlie Weis emptied the bench. After a slow start, the Irish offense came to life, opening up a 14-3 halftime lead. All doubt about the outcome was erased by sophomore nickleback Leo Ferrine's pick-6 on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. During the game, Brady Quinn became the first quarterback in Irish history to throw for more than 3000 yards in a season, adding to the several new marks he has set throughout the year. A win over Stanford next week would all but assure the Irish a spot in a BCS bowl.