Thursday Must-Reads: Recruiting

With 2010 growing ever closer, both parties are trying to sort our their next crop of recruits. Republicans are taking cues from an unlikely source—Rahm Emanuel. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the top House recruiter, wants candidates who look more like their electorate and less like typical Republicans. (Of course, don’t forget that split between conservatives and moderates, some of whom are now worrying about Dick Cheney’s prominence). Democrats are doing recruiting over their own, trying to get Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run for Senate instead of governor, though she doesn’t sound too excited about moving to Washington. Down in Florida, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) makes her gubernatorial run official. Meanwhile, outgoing governor and new Senate candidate Charlie Crist’s chances in the Republican primary are still under scrutiny. Will his primary opponent Marco Rubio be helped by a new film that supports the long-standing rumor that Crist is gay? Obama is working hard to ensure he holds onto the Latino vote. Judy Chu, running for Congress in California’s 32nd District, is meanwhile trying to show that an Asian-American woman can win in a majority-Hispanic district. As we’re waiting for the Minnesota Supreme Court to move forward with their Senate decision, Norm Coleman’s other legal fees are attracting more attention. The DSCC has hired a former DailyKos blogger, showing the increased influence of the blogosphere on mainstream politics. And with the Internet becoming such a presence in so many lives, perhaps there are benefits to announcing your candidacy online.