Feinstein 2012; revulsion against Ryan

06 April 2011 |permalink | email article

THE Democratic senator, 77, who faces reelection in 2012, is far more popular than her colleague Barbara Boxer, a new Field Poll shows. But for the first time since her initial California election, fewer than half of California voters surveyed consider themselves leaning toward Feinstein.

Forty-six percent of Californians said they are “inclined” to vote for Feinstein next year, while forty-two are “not inclined,: and 12 percent call themselves undecided.

In March 2005, on the eve of Feinstein’s successful 2006 re-election bid, 53 percent of Californians surveyed said thet were inclined to support her.  The next year, she won easily, reinforced by support from some prominent Republicans. No surprise, by a 6-to-1 ratio, California Republicans are not inclined to support Feinstein next year.

Bill Carrick, Feinstein’s longtime political consultant, attributed the latest poll results in part to the “political climate that’s difficult for an incumbent;” Field pollster Mark DiCamillo said the numbers reflect “the heightened partisanship that now exists in Washington.”

Given the disastrous Republican campaigns waged last fall by billionaire Meg Whitman and multi-millionaire Carly Fiorina for governor and the U.S. Senate, it’s hard to imagine a sinking state GOP can produce a serious challenger to Feinstein. She’s a proven fundraiser and, as of Dec. 31, reported $3.8 million in her campaign treasury.

Ryan, stick it to Medicare patients!

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s initial analysis of the House GOP budget released Tuesday by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) suggests that seniors. disabled and elderly people would be hit with much higher out-of-pocket health care costs….If the current Medicare system were allowed to continue, CBO found that the average 65-year-old beneficiary’s costs would be only 25 percent of what it’d be in the private insurance market. (Talking Points Memo notes that under the GOP plan those costs would jump to 68 percent.) 

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