Catching up: Isakson, congressional mortgages and 2010

Still trying to dig my way out of a two-week vacation:

Late Friday, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s office announced that the Georgia Republican would pair with Democrat Barbara Boxer of California on legislation to force members of Congress to disclose VIP mortage deals.

The bill would require a “full and complete” disclosure of residential mortgages — including the date that the mortgage was entered, the range of the amount, the interest rate, the term, and the name and address of the creditor.

Isakson and Boxer are vice chairman and chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, respectively.

Said Isakson:

“Since my first year in Congress, I have always disclosed my home ownership and the mortgages against my home. It’s the right thing to do and I believe it should be required of all members of Congress.”

Two members of the Senate, Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Chris Dodd of Connecticut, both Democrats, have taken flak for “courtesy” rates on home loans.

News of the bipartisan ethics legislation was smothered by last week’s Senate vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor as the newest justice on the Supreme Court.

Sotomayor was sworn in on Saturday.

At the risk of rehashing the obvious, the National Journal had this analysis of the Republican vote:

Of the GOP senators standing for re-election next year, all 12 voted against Sotomayor.

Sens. Robert Bennett of Utah and John McCain of Arizona are facing primary challenges from conservative rivals. Although they have no declared challengers, Sens. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and David Vitter of Louisiana may wish to preemptively discourage any potential primary opponents.

Of the seven Republicans likely to retire between now and 2010, four voted yes — Sens. Christopher (Kit) Bond of Missouri, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Mel Martínez of Florida and George Voinovich of Ohio. Voting no were retiring Sens. Sam Brownback of Kansas, Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.

Brownback and Hutchison intend to run for governor in their respective states.

On roughly the same topic, Larry Peterson over at the Savannah Morning News spoke with Beth Schapiro, an Atlanta pollster who specializes in Democrats.

In April, Schapiro said she couldn’t conceive of a scenario in which Democrats would challenge Isakson. Peterson went back to her for a Sunday column:

Five months later, Schapiro, whose Atlanta-based firm also does campaign polling, hasn’t changed her mind.

“I still don’t see how he gets knocked off,” she said last week.

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