Friday Afternoon Round-Up

Montana: Disgraced former state House Republican Leader Mike Lange announced today that he will be a candidate for Senate in 2008. Here he lamely tries to push his notoriety behind him:

Lange made national headlines during the legislative session when he launched into an obscenity-laced tirade aimed at Schweitzer.

He said Friday he would continue to defend the values he believed in.

When he is in Congress, he would use “kinder words not the full text” of his attack on the governor.

He noted he apologized to the governor and that the subject was “old news.”

Lange stated that negative campaigning is flawed and unnecessary: “Negative campaigning is wrong,” he said. “I will focus on the issues, as I always have.”

It didn't sound much like he was focusing on "the issues" during his infamous tirade, which, again, took place only two months ago (warning: strong language):


Though I've linked to this before, it bears re-linking: the DSCC has compiled a pretty thorough piece on why Mike Lange is entirely unfit for the Senate. Left in the West offers further insights including wondering why Lange would announce on a Friday, the worst day of the week on which to announce anything important. An upside is that Lange's entry makes it less likely that a credible opponent like Rep. Denny Rehberg or fomer Gov. Mark Racicot would enter the race. Should Lange be the sole Republican in the race, it likely doesn't become more competitive than a third-tier race.

Alabama: Could there still be hope that Commissioner Ron Sparks would enter the 2008 Senate race? Earlier in the week, we heard rumors to that effect. Then, in the last 36 hours or so, we see a tag team of press releases: Commissioner Sparks discussing the importance of legal guest workers to Alabama's agribusiness sector following the Senate's vote on immigration reform, and the FDA following Commissioner Sparks' leadership on an important food safety issue. Commissioner Sparks exhibits true leadership. Don't be surprised if a renewed Draft Sparks effort re-emerges. He has too much to offer the Senate to not reconsider.

Kentucky: DMKY's Gunterman highlights how Mitch McConnell is bringing his political woes upon himself.