Saturday Reading List

In "Republicans Run From Partisan Voting", WaPo's Paul Kane profiles Republicans like Gordon Smith, Norm Coleman, and Susan Collins who dive to the left as each session brings them closer to their re-election cycle. More evidence of just how disingenuous these Republicans are.

Kentucky: Draft Forgy captures more bad press for Mitch McConnell, this time on McConnell's mercurial affect toward corrupt Governor Ernie Fletcher. Meanwhile, state Attorney General Greg Stumbo says that he has received encouragement to consider a 2008 Senate bid, but has made no decisions.

Texas: San Antonio attorney and fundraising wunderkind Mikal Watts officially formed his Senate exploratory committee. The Dallas Morning News and San Antonio Express-News offer recaps.

New Mexico: If Pajamas Pete Domenici thinks the pressure on him regarding his role in the U.S. Attorney Purge is going to lighten up, he is very wrong.

New Hampshire: Blue Hampshire sees Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand with a commanding lead in its non-scientific Senate primary straw poll. "Other" makes up about a quarter of last month's votes - perhaps BH should add Jay Buckey and Jeanne Shaheen as options in a broader straw poll.

New Jersey: Potential Republican Senate candidate Anne Evans Estabrook is catching some less-than-stellar reviews from the New Jersey conservative netroots, courtesy of George Ajjan and CWA-NJ. CWA-NJ dubs Estabrook a "RINO" and Ajjan offers:

If you think you can mount a successful statewide campaign in 2008, however, then all I can say is that I hope you own some stock in Jamestown Associates, because absent a Rudy Giuliani landslide (you're welcome to stake your political career on that if you wish...), a previously unknown political quantity like yourself is simply not going to mount a successful statewide campaign in 20 months - I don't care how many of your millions Larry Weitzner tells you he can waste.

I would expect New Jersey's conservative elements to coalesce behind conservative assemblyman Michael Doherty, should he formally enter the race. (HT: Brian from Blue's on Third)

Minnesota: MN Blue has more on Senate candidate Bob Olson.

Colorado: Colorado Pols asks "Tancredo for Senate... in 2010?"

Want another sign that George W. Bush has no soul? Seriously - a commemorative coin for the families of those killed in Iraq? Really, incomprehensibly grotesque. And the "Don't go sell it on eBay" line is just beyond infuriating. Maybe Chris Rock is right:

LIFE: In the first movie you directed, Head of State, you were president of the United States. Is this country ready for an African American president?
ROCK: It's ready for a retarded president, why wouldn't it be ready for an African American president?

Rock is usually spot-on.