Lt. Gen. Sanchez poised to run for Senate
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, a former commander in Iraq, appears poised to run as a Democrat for the Senate seat of retiring Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee tells CBS News that Sanchez is expected to enter the race, though Sanchez is neither confirming nor denying his plans.
Though Texas is a traditionally red state, Democrats are seeking to make inroads there due in part to a surge in the state's Latino population. A Sanchez candidacy could make the 2012 Senate race more competitive.
Yet Sanchez has one potential glaring issue to deal with: He served as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq from 2003 to 2004, during the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Sanchez, who retired in 2006, was never implicated of any wrongdoing, but conservative pundits are already pointing to that association and questioning whether Democratic voters would support him.
Matt Canter, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, called Sanchez the kind of "independent" leader who can win in Texas.
"General Sanchez has spent his entire life serving our country, and there's no question he would be a strong candidate if he decides to continue to serve his country in the U.S. Senate," Canter said in a statement to CBS News. "He has a tremendous life story, growing up poor, rising to the rank of General in the Army, and bravely leading more than a hundred thousand troops in both Gulf Wars. He would bring a new perspective to the Senate, as well as a proven commitment to our nation's security and the men and women who fight to protect it."
In an interview with McClatchy Newspapers, Sanchez said, "After the military, I decided that socially, I'm a progressive, a fiscal conservative and a strong supporter, obviously, of national defense."
His beliefs, he said, were shaped by his upbringing in Rio Grande City, Texas. "It's my views and my history, having grown up in South Texas, depending on social programs and assistance, that America has a responsibility to its people," Sanchez said.
Sanchez said it was "pretty fair" to say that the Abu Ghraib scandal ended his military career, though he emphasized that he knew nothing about the events at the prison and was cleared by Army investigators.
Conservatives say that history will Sanchez a tough candidate for Democratic voters to accept.
"Sanchez probably will have a tougher time getting donations and support from the liberal grassroots - and it's not unthinkable that some progressive Democrat might jump in, lest the party's face in Texas be the man they hold responsible in part for a terrible national scandal," writes Jim Geraghty of the National Review.
Ed Morrissey of Hot Air speculates that Democrats want Sanchez to run in 2012, when President Obama is on the ticket, because they would "rather not run a realistic candidate in that slot who might succeed better in an off year."
Republican presidential candidate John McCain beat Mr. Obama in Texas in the 2008 race by more than 11 points. And Republicans currently hold every statewide elected office in the state.
Still, Democrats see an opening in Texas. The state's rapidly growing population is due largely to the rising number of Hispanics, the 2010 Census showed, making Sanchez's Latino heritage an advantage. With the exception of former President George W. Bush, Republicans have struggled to garner significant Hispanic support in nationwide elections.
Sanchez's military career could also help win over moderates in the rapidly changing state. Democrat Jim Webb, a decorated Vietnam veteran, was able to win a Senate seat in 2006 in Virginia, another state with dynamic demographics.
Sanchez could also benefit from a fractured Republican primary. As the Washington Post notes, there are several Republicans seeking to replace Hutchison, who announced her retirement in January.
