The Fix - Chris Cillizza&#8217s politics blog on washingtonpost.com - March 26, 2006

Focus Grouping the 2008 Dem Field

Frank Luntz, the on-again, off-again Republican pollster, has released the results of two recent focus groups he conducted in Iowa and New Hampshire aimed at gauging voter sentiment toward the potential 2008 Democratic presidential candidates. Luntz said that his firm...

By Chris Cillizza | March 31, 2006; 6:13 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Democratic Party , Eye on 2008
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The Friday Line: Dems Hold Edge in Top 20 House Races

Democrats are growing increasingly confident of their chances of making major gains in the House in this year's elections -- and perhaps even seizing control of the chamber. Republicans privately acknowledge that they are likely to lose seats but believe...

By Chris Cillizza | March 31, 2006; 6:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (96)
Categories: House , The Line
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Crying Foul, Netroots Note Some Big Wins

In a post yesterday, The Fix wrote about Virginia Senate candidate Jim Webb's (D) potential to be the first candidate backed by the Democratic "netroots" to win an election. The word "first" prompted several of the most prominent members of...

By Chris Cillizza | March 30, 2006; 4:04 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Democratic Party
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House: Dems Seize on Abramoff Scandal

Less than 24 hours after disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to 70 months in prison for fraud committed in connection with the purchase of a casino cruise line in Florida, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) offered a privileged...

By Chris Cillizza | March 30, 2006; 12:47 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: House
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Congressional Dems Aim for Security Parity

Faced with the prospect of Republicans turning the midterm elections into a referendum on which party can keep Americans safe, congressional Democrats vowed Wednesday to take the fight to the majority party come November. Democratic Party leaders touted their "Real...

By Chris Cillizza | March 30, 2006; 9:32 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: House , Senate
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Immigration: Readers Help Parse the Polls

It is very gratifying to see the intelligent (and generally) polite discussion going on in the comments section today. I know the issue of immigration (both legal and illegal) is a heated one, and I appreciate the fact that most...

By Chris Cillizza | March 29, 2006; 6:17 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Parsing the Polls
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Va. Senate: Democrat Webb Courts the Netroots

Jim Webb's Senate candidacy got its start on the Internet, and ever since the former Secretary of the Navy formally entered the Virginia Senate race his campaign has assiduously courted the liberal blogosphere. The latest evidence? Webb's endorsement from retired...

By Chris Cillizza | March 29, 2006; 3:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: Senate
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Parsing the Polls: The Immigration Conundrum

The U.S. Senate has begun to debate whether and how to deal with the problem of illegal immigration in America, a debate that has already divided the Republican Party and could have major consequences in the 2006 midterms and the...

By Chris Cillizza | March 29, 2006; 8:19 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (105)
Categories: Parsing the Polls
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The Fix Talks Back: Year of the African American Candidate?

There's never enough time to answer all of the good questions I get during my live online chats, but I can always answer a few more here in the blog. Philadelphia: As a student at Morehouse College (an all African...

By Chris Cillizza | March 28, 2006; 4:56 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Fix Notes
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Campaign Reform: '527' Restrictions Could Hurt Dems

The fight over immigration reform seems sure to dominate Capitol Hill over the next few weeks, but the lower-profile effort by Republicans to curtail the influence of 527 political groups could have a more direct impact on the 2006 midterm...

By Chris Cillizza | March 28, 2006; 3:36 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: PAC Watch
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Illinois: Democrat Rep. Evans to Retire

Twelve-term Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.) will announce his retirement from Congress today, making him the eleventh Democrat to pass on running for reelection in the fall. Evans's decision is not terribly surprising given that he has become increasingly limited by...

By Chris Cillizza | March 28, 2006; 1:29 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: House
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The Fix: March 26, 2006 - April 1, 2006