Allen Ahead of Collins in Cash on Hand

A couple tidbits this morning:

Maine: The Bangor Daily News takes a look at the funds of the likely 2008 Senate competitors [emphasis mine]:

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Democratic Rep. Tom Allen left money trails in the last election that point toward a possible face-off in the 2008 race for Senate, campaign analysts said.

Collins plans to run for a third term in the Senate, said Steve Abbott, the senator’s chief of staff. Allen, who is in his sixth term in the House representing the 1st District, has not yet made an official decision to run but is exploring the possibility, said Mark Sullivan, the congressman’s press secretary.

"As [Allen] stated, he is very interested in looking at the opportunity" to run for senator, Sullivan said. "But he’s not on a timetable to make any announcements."

Allen already has more campaign cash on hand than Collins has, according to reports filed by each politician with the Federal Election Commission. As of Dec. 31, 2006, Allen had $501,849, while Collins had $435,657.

"Having cash on hand is the first sign that it’s going to be a serious challenge," said Bradley Smith, a former chairman of the FEC.

Looks like a good start! Especially considering how the DSCC has surpassed the NRSC in fundraising acumen, the cash-on-hand levels really demonstrate that Allen will be able to compete toe-to-toe with the promise-breaking incumbent.

Minnesota: Also, ABC News looks at Al Franken's likely Senate candidacy. Not much new - mostly goes through the motions of the "Will the comedian be taken seriously?" angle. Comments in the article by state and national Republicans suggest that a Franken candidacy could lead to a Republican record for most old quotes by a Democratic candidate for office taken way out of context. (Republican strategists tend to not understand satire - problematic if you're a satirist running for public office.)