Ensign blames recruiting, public perception for troubles

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) on Tuesday blamed a spate of bad luck in recruiting and an electorate that still sees the GOP as in charge for his party’s troubles this election cycle, setting a three- to five-seat loss as the low bar for Election Day. 

Speaking at the National Press Club alongside Democratic counterpart Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Ensign, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said that if certain recruits had not fallen through for various reasons in states like Iowa and New Jersey, “it could have been a completely different year.”

{mosads}A candidate in New Jersey suffered a stroke, while a candidate in Iowa could not run due to business obligations. In South Dakota, a wealthy former lieutenant governor opted not to run.

Ensign also said that half the American public still thinks Republicans are in charge of Congress. That, he said, means they blame the GOP for the current financial woes.

“I don’t think that anybody realized it was going to be this tough of a cycle,” Ensign said.

Ensign appeared to draw an imaginary line at a six-seat loss, at which point he and Schumer have said Democrats would likely be able to pick off enough Republicans on a given issue.

“It’s not even the 60 number that is going to be the magic number, I think,” Ensign said. “I think if the Democrats get to 57 or 58 seats, on a lot of issues they will be able to override the Senate filibuster.”

Schumer, the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), also suggested he would be happy with a six-seat gain.

With much incredulity, he recounted someone suggesting to him that such an outcome would be a disappointment.

“Fifty-seven seats? We haven’t had that since 1979!” Schumer said.