Thursday Rundown

When it comes to voting over the last decade, Senate Democrats have never been more united and Senate Republicans have never been more fractured.

You know that Iraq status report that General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are supposed to give next month? The White House is writing it for them. Yeah, I know. Oh, and the White House doesn't want General Petraeus or Ambassador Crocker testifying in a public, open hearing either. BarbinMD has a collection of Republican Senators' comments stressing how important it is to wait for the then-much-heralded Petraeus September report, including comments from Mitch McConnell, Jeff Sessions, Norm Coleman, Saxby Chambliss, Larry Craig, and John Cornyn, all up for re-election in 2008.

Kentucky: Speaking of, when it comes to knowledge of the Bush administration's management plans for the Iraq War, Mitch McConnell is either dishonest or ignorant.

Alaska: The corrupt VECO Corporation won $170 million worth of federal contracts to provide a service in which the company has no experience. Under whose authority could the contracts have been steered VECO's way? You guessed it: Uncle Ted Stevens! Also, Taxpayers for Common Sense came up with a list of other bits of high pork courtesy of the Alaska Congressional delegation, all under investigation.

Tennessee: Businessman Mike McWherter, son of the popular former Governor Ned McWherter, and Bob Tuke, an ex-marine and former Chair of the state Democratic Party, both confirmed that they are considering challenges to Lamar Alexander, citing Alexander's rubber stamping of Bush initiatives. (HT: KnoxViews) Back in November, Alexander's approve-disapprove stood at a not bad 53-36; but Bush's approve-disapprove in Tennesee stood at a weak 41-56. If these numbers followed national trends over the last nine months, Bush's approval in Tennessee has sunk even further, so it makes sense for McWherter and Tuke to tie Alexander to Bush as much as possible.

Maine: Susan Collins' web chief is caught lying about the source of hate-posts, as part of the Collins' camp's assault on all-things-internet.

Illinois: A failed Congressional candidate, Republican Jim Nalepa, is considering a 2008 Senate bid against Senator Richard Durbin.