The Iraq Vote, Rumblings, and Other News

The Senate voted on legislation to both fund the troops and set a deadline to dislodge the troops from the Iraqi Civil War and bring them home. The following Senators were among those (only Republicans and Lieberman) who voted against funding the troops and for unchecked and limitless war: Alexander (R-TN), Chambliss (R-GA), Cochran (R-MS), Coleman (R-MN), Collins (R-ME), Cornyn (R-TX), Craig (R-ID), Dole (R-NC), Domenici (R-NM), Inhofe (R-OK), McConnell (R-KY), Sessions (R-AL), Stevens (R-AK), Sununu (R-NH), Warner (R-VA).

Virginia: Not Larry Sabato suggests that George "Macaca" Allen may be preparing for a 2009 Gubernatorial bid and passing on a 2008 Senate bid if/when John Warner hangs it up.

New Jersey: PoliticsNJ and Blue Jersey are both offering speculation centering on three-term state assemblyman Michael Doherty, who PoliticsNJ describes as "one of New Jersey’s most conservative legislators." If that's the case, Doherty will certainly offer voters a clear choice against moderate-left Senator Frank Lautenberg, but it's a choice New Jersey voters have soundly rejected in recent elections. And I really don't see 2008 being a big year for conservative Republicans in blue states.

Texas: Political Insider, via Roll Call, has a round-up of the latest rumblings in Texas. The most notable addition to the rumor mill is San Antonio lawyer Mikal Watts, at whose home the DSCC recently raised over a million dollars.

Idaho: While the ID-GOP picture remains quite unclear, Democrats just got a boost in new state party executive director John Foster, who most recently worked as managing editor of the Idaho Business Review. It should help Democrats with outreach to the Idaho business community and Larry LaRocco with his uphill fight.

Alaska: Personally, I'd love to see Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich step up and challenge Ted Stevens in 2008. If he wins, fantastic. But, worst case scenario, he loses but raises his statewide profile for a 2010 challenge to Lisa Murkowski, who suffers from so-so approvals and will be mounting her first re-election bid, with the Murkowski name not being worth what it used to be. However, should that not happen, DKos diarist NuevoLiberal offers an interesting idea: Mike Gravel for Senator in 2008.

Vulnerable Republicans are unionizing! Maybe they'll come out with t-shirts.