Thursday Quick Hits

Oregon: Gordon Smith has the ignorant gall to say "When the president stood on the aircraft carrier (and said) ‘Mission accomplished,’ he was right. He was right as to all we could win. The rest is for them to win and we need to facilitate that happening instead of forcing our vision on them." (HT: Loaded Orygun) Problem is, Gordo, Bush stood on that aircraft carrier and declared "Mission Accomplished" on May 1, 2003 - over four years ago! Why is it that just now you're coming around to seeing the reality of the situation? Could it be an election looming? Unreal. In other news, the Oregon Dems are highlighting Gordon Smith's real record on health care, a record that hurts retirees and, well, anybody that prefers affordable prescription drugs. Also, lesser known Democratic Senate candidate Ty Pettit has withdrawn from the race and endorsed Speaker Jeff Merkley to defeat Gordon Smith.

Oklahoma: Yesterday, State Senator Andrew Rice gave a lively liveblog on Daily Kos discussing his 2008 Senate campaign to unseat Jim "In Denial" Inhofe. Check out the transcript and put a few dollars toward unseating the Republican who called global warming the "greatest hoax perpetrated on the American people."

Colorado: In addition to taking heat for accepting contributions from the financial beneficiary of votes cast by "Backwards" Bob Schaffer on the Colorado state Board of Education and not disclosing it, Schaffer is now apparently also guilty of hypocrisy as, just last December, Schaffer decried such conflicts of interest and was charged with drafting a conflict of interest policy for the Board, a task he has yet to complete.

New Hampshire: Blue Hampshire catches Sprintin' John Sununu favoring the economic health of China over the economic health of New Hampshire.

Maine: Talk about losing your base! A Republican from Susan Collins' own hometown has written an awfully cranky op-ed in the Bangor Daily News calling Collins "feckless," "weak-kneed," and a "quisling" and suggesting that Collins (and Olympia Snowe) "spew defeatist poison." Ouch!

Georgia: Saxby Chambliss will say anything to get elected and is as duplicitous and craven as they come. Please reconsider, Max Cleland! Please!

Massachusetts: Republican Senate candidate Jeffrey Beatty says the time is right to defeat Senator John Kerry. Note to NRSC: It can be... with a few million dollars support from you! Go for it, NRSC! Put a few million into the Bay State.