Midterm Election Endorsements

Oh, Jesus Christ and General Jackson, Uncle Albert and Admiral Halsey, do I have to post my election endorsements a week in advance again? It's that time? It is, and I might as well do it now so I can return to important issues like Lindsay Lohan's bumpy road back to sobriety.

Back in August, I endorsed Charlie Melancon for the United States Senate from Louisiana, and although Republican incumbent and noted unindicted sex criminal David Vitter remains the favorite in that race, Melancon is gaining in the polls. The ragin' Cajun might pull an upset. He may be surging too late, though, but we'll see. That said, I now have to make other official endorsements.

I'm just going to make a blanket endorsement of Democrats in this election cycle, except for two elections in particular. (I'll tell you in a few moments.) But I am going to call to attention Democratic candidates in a few specific elections, because while I can live with with, say, Republican Rob Portman winning the Senate seat in Ohio (against Democrat Lee Fisher) or Republican Johnny Isakson of Georgia winning a second term in the U.S. Senate (I can't even name his Democratic opponent!), there are key races I must speak out on. I'm naming names.

So here are the races I am looking at right now:

For U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania: This blog wholeheartedly endorses Joseph Sestak. A former three-star admiral in the U.S .Navy and a congressman from Delaware County outside Philadelphia, Sestak has a progressive agenda meant at helping industry rebuild at home rather than outsource abroad. Republican opponent Pat Toomey sees Pennsylvania's industrial heritage as collateral damage in a global economy that doesn't need to be saved. Sestak, who's loyally served America, needs to move up to the Senate.

For U.S. Senate, Wisconsin: My man is Feingold. This blog endorses Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold, a champion of campaign finance reform whose expertise on the issue is needed more than ever with the Citizens United decision from the Supreme Court now the law of the land. Republican challenger Ron Johnson, I'm sure, stands for something, but he refuses to say what he stands for. When asked for details on specific issues, he changes he subject.

For U.S. Senate, California: This blog endorses Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer. Carly Fiorina has no business going to Washington and talking about jobs when her only expertise on the issue is destroying them while she ran Hewlett Packard into the ground.

For Governor of California: This blog endorses former governor and state attorney General Jerry Brown. Brown ran California in the tumultuous seventies, he's a proven cost cutter (he lived sparingly during his tenure as governor) and, unlike Republican opponent Meg Whitman, he's on the side of the people.

For U.S. Senate, Connecticut: This blog endorses Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. He is a tough, proven prosecutor who has handled tough civil cases involving consumer protection and job outsourcing. The only way Linda McMahon, the noted drug-pushing violence peddler and Republican candidate, can put her World Wrestling Entertainment business acumen to use in the Senate is if she encourages fist fights and duels in that chamber . . . and turns C-SPAN 2 into a Pay-Per-View channel . . . which I suppose could help balance the budget without raising taxes.

For Governor of New York: This blog endorses Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The younger Cuomo has a proven prosecutorial record comparable to Blumenthal's, and Republican opponent Carl Paladino's personal behavior is comparable to Linda McMahon's professional profile, if not worse.

For U.S. Senate, Delaware: This blog endorses New Castle County executive Chris Coons. Christine O'Donnell may not be a witch, she may not be an heiress, she may not be an Ivy Leaguer, and she may not be a constitutional expert, but I don't care what she isn't - so long as she's not a senator.

For U.S. Senate, Colorado: This blog endorses incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet. When it comes to standing up for women's rights, Bennet stands up straight. Republican challenger Ken Buck develops back problems.

For Governor of Florida: This blog endorses Alex Sink. Sink is a financial expert that a state that could use her expertise, not a guy like Republican incumbent Rick Scott, who made his fortune bilking government programs through the hospital chain he ran.

For U.S. Senate, Florida: This blog endorses Kendrick Meek, the only real progressive in that race. This blog might have considered endorsing John Raese, who lives in Florida and is a well-respected businessman and has run an aggressive Senate campaign, but he is in fact running for Robert Byrd's seat in West Virginia.

For U.S. Senate, West Virginia: This blog endorses Governor Joe Manchin. Even if Raese were a real West Virginian, he still opposes the minimum wage.

For U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota, Sixth District: This blog endorses Tarryl Clark. She's progressive, she's smart, and she's not like her opponent, incumbent Republican Michele Bachmann!

For U.S House of Representatives, Ohio, Eighth District: This blog endorses Justin Coussole. Because if we're going to have another Republican Speaker of the House, let it not be John Boehner, the incumbent.

For U.S. Senate, South Carolina: This blog endorses Alvin Greene. Greens is a nut case who makes Christine O'Donnell look like a scholar, and he has a police record, but even though he's not going to win, he'd still make a better senator than incumbent Republican Jim DeMint. Vote for Greene and smile on the way out of the voting booth knowing you've played an important part in shaking up the system. :-D

For Governor of Rhode Island: This blog endorses independent Lincoln Chaffee, the former U.S. senator. He's a reasonable man Democrats and Republicans in Providence can work with. General Treasurer Frank Caprio, the Democratic candidate, was disrespectful to President Obama because he did not get Obama's endorsement. He doesn't deserve to be rewarded with a victory.

For Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska: This blog endorses Levi Johnston. He's sharper than his former future mother-in-law, noted book-banning wolf killer Sarah Palin, and he's more literate.

Those are my endorsements. Now go out and vote next Tuesday.

I know I forgot about the Senate race in Nevada. I'm trying to.