Post-Christmas Catch-Up

Idaho: The Idaho Statesman's Dan Popkey likens Democratic Senate candidate Larry LaRocco to Rocky Balboa. If LaRocco is Balboa to Republican Jim Risch's Apollo Creed, I trust the result will be more similar to Rocky II than the original. One fun fact that Popkey mentions in his column: during their Lieutenant Governor campaign against one another last year, when Risch could not get the specific debate format he wanted (which would have resulted in Risch and LaRocco not actually debating but appearing on stage one after the other, never actually interacting), Risch refused to debate, not unlike a coward.

Meanwhile, Risch is getting another Republican primary opponent:

An Iraq veteran from Wilder says he will run to replace U.S. Sen. Larry Craig.

Army Reserve Col. Scott Syme, 53, announced Christmas Day he will challenge Lt. Gov. Jim Risch and elk farmer Rex Rammell in the Republican Primary. Larry LaRocco has announced he will run for Craig's seat as a Democrat. Craig is stepping down at the end of his term in January 2009.

Syme, who grew up in Weiser and is now a real estate broker in Caldwell, will kick off his campaign Thursday morning at the Washington County Courthouse in Weiser.

"I think a lot of people are dissatisfied with career politicians being the only ones with a chance," he said Tuesday.

An Iraq veteran could galvanize a chunk of Republican voters and, at least, give Risch a headache if not a run for his money.

Alaska: Uh oh. The foreman for the construction job that the corrupt VECO Corporation oversaw on the home of Ted Stevens has given an interview on the proceedings, during which he called it "ludicrous" that the cost of the job was in line with what Stevens claims to have paid for it. It continues to look awfully bad for Stevens.

New Mexico: Joe Monahan has heard fundraising amounts on the Republican Senate candidates (note: actual filings are due next month - this is just hearsay): Steve Pearce $450,000; Heather Wilson $350,000. It will be interesting to compare to Democratic Congressman Tom Udall's take once numbers are out.

Maine: The Vice Chair of the local County Democratic Committee smartly responds to a string of astroturf on behalf of Susan Collins that has been clogging the pages of the Kennebec Journal. I hope the Kennebec Journal wises up and pays closer attention to authors of the letters they print as we approach Election Day. (To see the astroturf in question, check here and here for the links.)

Kentucky: The Louisville Courier-Journal has dubbed Mitch McConnell "The Obstructer."

Nebraska: Tony Raimondo has scored a big addition to his team as he inches closer to a 2008 Senate bid, former Kerrey/Nelson/Fahey campaign honcho Paul Johnson. Still no word from (Draft) Scott Kleeb on a possible bid.

Georgia: Spineless Saxby Chambliss is taking heat on tax issues from Allen Buckley, a Libertarian Party candidate for Senate in 2008. Couple that with the loud chorus of boos Chambliss got over immigration reform back in May at his state's Republican convention, and, clearly, a lot of folks who should be populating Chambliss' base aren't too enthused about him. I don't think there is a critical mass of discontent with Chambliss among Georgia conservative circles (yet) for it to make an electoral difference, but it's always nice to hear.