Saturday Tidbits

Texas: Bush-rubber-stamp John Cornyn brought in $1.7 million in Q4 of 2007, bringing his cash-on-hand to $7.5 million. We'll see if that buys enough TV ads to muddy his terrible record on behalf of Texas families.

Oregon: The Novick campaign paid staffer also serving as coordinator for an organization endorsing in the 2008 Senate primary has, at long last, sought to bring an end to the controversy by ceding her leadership role with the organization, she informed people via e-mail. It's about time - and if that had been done from the start, it would have prevented the entire controversy. But I have to say I'm quite bothered by the first sentence of her e-mail:

I wanted to write you in response to attacks that have been leveled against my involvement in Progressive Democrats of America (PDA).

This indicates to me that she, and the Novick campaign, still don't get it. Kimmerly can be involved in whatever organization she wants; and PDA is a terrific one, as is its mission. But she can't be both the leader of such an organization and a paid staffer on a campaign seeking its endorsement without there being a conflict of interest. That was the entire point the whole time. It's not an attack against her or her "involvement." (I presume she's intentionally missing the point here.) It's not an attack against the Novick campaign. It's a preference against conflicts of interest, plain and simple. The conflict of interest is finally removed; but, unfortunately for PDA-Oregon, their endorsement in this primary campaign will have a taint to it, a taint that could have been avoided.

In other Oregon news, the Democratic Party of Oregon offers another terrific piece outlining a number of issues on which Gordon Smith is completely out of step with Oregon. And, from Speaker Jeff Merkley's campaign, Netroots Outreach Coordinator Carla Axtman personalizes the campaign explaining why she came to work on Speaker Merkley's campaign.

Missouri: Republican former Senator Jim Talent says he won't run for Governor in the wake of Matt Blunt's withdrawal from the race. Just looking ahead, that means he's free for another Senate run in 2010 in case Republican Kit Bond retires.

Here's even more evidence that open, transparent government is anathema to Republicans.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha:



Oh, and to anyone who thinks that John McCain doesn't play politics with our soldiers' lives, think again.