The Politico is the newest source of inside-the-Beltway news and gossip. The young publication is read widely on Capitol Hill, which is why this article is such a shot to the already-damaged credibility of Steve Kagen:
For new members of Congress, one of the golden rules for success is to stay out of the limelight — keep your mouth closed and focus on your constituents. Freshmen are better to be seen and not heard….
But two Midwestern members, one Republican, one Democrat, have gotten in trouble over their big mouths and outsized personalities. Their propensity to talk off the cuff and occasionally exaggerate could add an unwanted wrinkle to their reelection bids.
Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Steve Kagen (D-Wis.) hail from very different backgrounds. Bachmann served in the state Senate, where she quickly gained a reputation as a leading advocate for religious conservatives. Kagen, by contrast, is a political outsider who won fame and fortune by founding a series of allergy clinics throughout Wisconsin.
Despite their different political perspectives, the two share a talent: drawing controversy….
The DCCC recently included Kagen on its Frontline program, a financial aid program aimed at helping to protect potentially vulnerable members.
“He ran a great campaign last time around,” Thornell said. “We’re going to do everything we can to help him out. We feel very good about his chances for election.”
But unlike Bachmann, Kagen doesn’t have much margin for error. His Green Bay-centered district voted for President Bush by double digits in 2004, and traditionally has elected Republicans to the seat.
“I think you would be hard pressed to find a member of Congress who is more out of touch with his district,” said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain. “Within two months, he has quickly earned a reputation for playing loosely with the facts and he has the record to prove it.”
State Republican sources said John Gard will likely run again. Kagen defeated him 51-49 percent in 2006. Gard would be the favorite to win the nomination again, especially because former Rep. Mark Green seems unlikely to make a comeback. Another possible candidate is the former Green Bay mayor, Paul Jadin, who now heads the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce.
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Kagen is a goner… as long as Gard doesn’t run again. People just were turned off by the campaign
I would argue that it was less about who the candidate was and more about the overall negative tone of the race, which in a bad year for Republicans can be the difference. I continue to believe John Gard would be a US Congressman if they had closed with a straight contrast ad rather than the Profits over Patients spot.
I continue to believe that John Gard’s inability to win is that he is John Gard.
I assure you, his negatives haven’t gone down… and he doesn’t get another kick at the money cat like last time.
[...] Steve Kagen. This is the second time in as many weeks that a major Beltway paper (first the Politico) has hit Kagen for his comments at the White [...]