(Son of) The Man From Plains

Returning to the theme of the 2006 Senate races, another coup for the Democrats, as a viable candidate has stepped forward in Nevada. And he's got a pedigree:

Jack Carter, the son of former President Carter, said Tuesday he plans to run against John Ensign for the U.S. Senate next year.

Carter, 58, and his wife, Elizabeth, have lived in Las Vegas since 2003, operating the investment consulting firm Carter Global.

"I'm very seriously exploring it," Carter said in an interview Tuesday. "I had not planned to run for office. I have no infrastructure and this is new to me."

Carter said he decided to run in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He said he was offended by the federal government's response to the disaster.

"I'm more concerned than ever with the way that the country is headed," Carter said.

He said he is a social liberal with conservative Southern roots and a business background that taught him "you pay for what you spend."

I think this just popped up out of the blue for Chuck Schumer and the DSCC. I don't see how you can go wrong with the son of a former Democratic President who's new to politics: he gets to be both insider and outsider. It will be interesting to see the degree to which Ensign decides to go all the way back to the 70s to bash Carter's presidency in fighting for re-election. I don't think President Carter's image among independents is all that sullied; they know him as the guy that builds houses for the poor and monitors elections abroad.

What will be even more interesting is the degree to which "Give 'Em Hell" Harry will actually give 'em hell:

Sources told the Review-Journal that Carter will meet next week with Sen. Harry Reid's staff to discuss the race. Reid, the Senate minority leader, has had a good working relationship with Ensign, the Republican completing his first term in office. Not only do the two senators' staffs work closely on Nevada issues, the two have forged a solid and collegial relationship.

Although Ensign did technically offer an endorsement of GOP candidate Richard Ziser against Reid last year, he did not aggressively campaign against Reid.

There's been talk of a Reid-Ensign gentlemen's agreement. We'll see.