Historical toss-up

If Senator Tim Johnson seeks re-election in 2008, his chances are historically a toss-up, according to the Argus Leader's David Kranz. Starting with 1960, South Dakotans have voted eight times for presidential and Senate candidates in the same year.

Republicans were supported all eight times for president. Democrats won the Senate race four times. Republicans won the Senate race four times.

History of the Hold

Carl Hulse of The New York Times delves into the history of the hold -- "allowing senators to block legislation and nominations anonymously" -- whose anonymity is now being threatened.

Donald A. Ritchie, the associate Senate historian, says the modern use of the hold began in the 1950s under the leadership of Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who increased the use of unanimous consent agreements to bring more order to the Senate. Holds were initially allowed as a courtesy to senators who needed more time to get to the chamber to object in person, read the bill or try to negotiate changes with the sponsor.

But their use has proliferated and intensified to the point where lawmakers employ them not only to lodge substantive objections to legislation, but also to stall nominations and bills routinely in retaliation for other actions or to win concessions. Though leaders can break a hold with a 60-vote majority, they have often been reluctant to do so out of respect for the tradition — and the chance they might want to impose a hold of their own some day.

Trippi for Buckey

Out of nowhere at MyDD, Joe Trippi endorses Dartmouth professor and former astronaut Jay Buckey for U.S. Senate.

While I admire the other Democratic candidates, I wonder if Jay may be more adept at helping to solve our problems than those that have spent their years running for political office.

Buckey was not a Howard Dean supporter in the 2004 New Hampshire primary -- he backed Wes Clark instead. Perhaps the endorsement stems from Trippi's fascination with aeronautics, which he wrote about in his 2004 memoir, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

Delay

Graph from McClatchy Newspapers (via CAP's The Progress Report).