Ken Mehlman (Finally) Comes Out

Was there every any question?

Ken Mehlman, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and the former campaign manager for George W. Bush's 2004 re-election bid, has told his family and colleagues that he is gay, according to The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder.

From Ambinder's report:

"It's taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life," Mehlman said. "Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I've told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they've been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that's made me a happier and better person. It's something I wish I had done years ago."

Mehlman would like to play a greater role as an advocate for same-sex marriage. Well good for him, but his announcement does nothing to negate the years he spent getting anti-gay, anti-women, anti-anything progressive Republicans elected. If Mehlman truly wants to play a "greater role" he needs to work for the defeat of ALL the mean-spirited, hate-filled members of his own party.

------------------------------------------

Extra...Extra...Bush Campaign Chief and Former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman: "I'm gay"
from Pam's House Blend

Republican Smear Campaign?

Is this a new Republican smear tactic? George W. Bush wipes his hand on Bill Clinton's shirt after greeting Haitians.

Republicans in Congress

Senators Restore Abstinence Education Funding

Just how stupid are these Senators? It's been proven that abstinence-only education doesn't work. So would someone tell me why two Democrats and all ten Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee voted to restore funding under the guise of "health care reform?"

A Senate committee voted Tuesday night to restore $50 million a year in federal funding for abstinence-only education that President Barack Obama has pushed to eliminate.

The 12-11 vote by the Senate Finance Committee came over objections from its chairman, Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana.

Two Democrats - Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas - joined all 10 committee Republicans in voting "yes" on the measure by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.

The measure would still have to pass the full House and Senate. Hatch said abstinence education had been shown to work, though Baucus disagreed. Obama had proposed in his 2010 budget to direct money spent on abstinence-only education to broader teen pregnancy-reduction programs.

An alternate measure offered by Baucus also passed. Baucus' measure, which passed 14-9, would make money available for education on contraception and sexually transmitted diseases, among other things, in addition to abstinence. Lawmakers will have to reconcile the two measures, both approved during debate on a sweeping health overhaul bill, as the legislation moves forward.

Geezz ... when will these idiots get it?

Sen. Jon Kyl: Men Who Make Me Crazy

Kyl: I Don't Need Maternity Care In My Health Insurance.
Stabenow: Your Mom Probably Did!

Thank you Sen. Stabenow!

It's Hammer Time

Tom DeLay Contestant On "Dancing With The Stars" Season Nine

Seriously ... Tom "The Hammer" Delay has just signed to appear on "Dancing With the Stars."

Former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay will join 15 celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports in kicking up their heels on the new season of "Dancing With the Stars."

The show's largest cast ever, announced Monday, features singers Mya, Macy Gray and Aaron Carter; actors Ashley Hamilton, Melissa Joan Hart and Debi Mazar; and models Joanna Krupa and Kathy Ireland.

Contestants also include reality stars Mark Dacascos and Kelly Osbourne; entertainer Donny Osmond; mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; professional snowboarder Louie Vito; Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin; former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin and the former congressman from Texas.

The ninth season of the hit ABC show premieres Sept. 21.

Break a leg, Tom ... literally.

Birthers on the Hill

Is Obama Ready to Name a Justice?

It sounds like it! In the Washington Post today President Obama expands on his criteria for a justice.

President Obama said he is seeking a Supreme Court nominee who understands the "practical day-to-day" implications of rulings, as he pushed back in an interview airing yesterday against criticism of his emphasis on judicial "empathy."

It is "important this is somebody who has common sense and somebody who has a sense of how American society works and how the American people live," he told C-SPAN, in his most extensive public comments yet on his deliberations since Justice David H. Souter announced his retirement.

"What I want is not just ivory tower learning," he added. "I want somebody who has the intellectual firepower but also a little bit of a common touch and has a practical sense of how the world works."

Republicans have zeroed in on Obama's comments during the presidential campaign that he would "want people on the bench who have enough empathy, enough feeling, for what ordinary people are going through." They have argued that this is code language for judges who would apply an "activist" agenda not necessarily bound by constitutional constraints.

Liberals really must not let Republicans get away with this "activist justice" bullshit. Their "activist president and vice president" nearly ruined this country. It could take a generation to fix the mess they left behind.

I like that President Obama cited Lilly Ledbetter's story as an example of the kind of judicial temperament he's looking for. Ledbetter was discriminated against at Goodyear Tire. For decades she was paid less than her male counterparts. Any justice with a brain would know that employees rarely know what their co-workers earn. In Ledbetter's case, by the time she did find out it was past the legal deadline to file a discrimination claim.

She lost her Supreme Court case, but Congress has now fixed the problem so other women won't face this same obstacle.

Obama stuck to the same language in the interview while seeking to expand its meaning: He wants a judge who can not only understand the lives of ordinary people, he said, but also grasp the practical consequences of rulings on businesses.

"I said earlier that I thought empathy was an important quality, and I continue to believe that. You have to have not only the intellect to be able to effectively apply the law to cases before you, but you have to be able to stand in somebody's else shoes and see through their eyes and get a sense of how the law might work or not work in practical day-to-day living," he said.

As an example, he cited the Lilly Ledbetter case, in which the court ruled in 2007 that a woman who had suffered pay discrimination, but discovered it after the window for filing suit had passed, could not sue her employer. "I think anybody who has ever worked in a job like that understands that they might not know that they were being discriminated against," Obama said. "It doesn't make sense for their rights to be foreclosed. That's the kind of case where I want a judge not only to be applying the law in front of them but also to understand that as a practical matter."

The nominee will likely be named next week. Let's hope the president makes a good selection, and the Democrats have the spine to stand up to Republicans.

New Optimism on Economy

A question I've asked in the past is how much of our economic problems are fear based and how much is reality. Did panic on Wall Street cause the terrible down turn in our economic situation, or are greedy CEO's in the banking industry responsible?

Replacing fear with confidence could put us on the road to recovery -- at least that's what the latest New York Times/CBS News poll suggests.

Americans have grown more optimistic about the economy and the direction of the country in the 11 weeks since President Obama was inaugurated, suggesting that Mr. Obama is enjoying some success in his critical task of rebuilding the nation’s confidence, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

These sometimes turbulent weeks — marked by new initiatives by Mr. Obama, attacks by Republicans and more than a few missteps by the White House — do not appear to have hurt the president. Americans said they approve of Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy, foreign policy, Iraq and Afghanistan; fully two-thirds said they approve of his overall job performance.

By contrast, Republican fortunes have dropped in the first weeks of the Obama presidency; just 31 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the Republican Party, the lowest in the 25 years the question has been asked in New York Times/CBS News polls.

It is not unusual for new presidents to enjoy a period of public support. Still, the durability of Mr. Obama’s support contrasts with that of some other new presidents, and is striking at a time when anxiety has gripped households across the country and Mr. Obama has alternately sought to rally Americans’ spirits and warn against economic collapse as he seeks Congressional support for his programs. The poll found that 70 percent of respondents are very or somewhat concerned that someone in their household will be out of work and looking for a job over the next 12 months; 40 percent said they had cut back spending on luxuries, and 10 percent on necessities; 31 percent said they had cut both.

For all that, the number of people who think the country is heading in the right direction has jumped from 15 percent in mid-January, just before Mr. Obama took office, to 39 percent today, while the number who think it is heading in the wrong direction has dropped from 79 to 53 percent. That is the highest percentage of Americans who said the country is heading in the right direction since February of 2005, the second month of the second term of former President George W. Bush.

Hopefully the President will be able to keep optimisim up long enough to impliment the programs necessary to turn the economy around.

In the mean time, Republicans have a problem. And the actions of Florida's Republican Governor may be contributing to the problem.

As more and more people are falling on hard times the state decided to crack down on collections.

Valerie Gainous paid her debt to society, but almost went to jail because of a debt to Florida’s courts.

In 1996, she was convicted of writing bad checks; she paid restitution, performed community service and thought she was finished with the criminal justice system. Earlier this year, however, she received a letter from Collections Court telling her that she was once again facing jail time — this time, for failing to pay $240 in leftover court fees and fines, which she says she cannot afford.

Ms. Gainous has been caught up in her state’s exceptionally aggressive system to collect the court fines and fees that keep its judiciary system working. Judges themselves dun citizens who have fallen behind in their payments, but unlike other creditors, they can throw debtors in jail — and they do, by the thousands.

As Florida’s budget has tightened with the economic crisis, efforts to step up the collections process have intensified, and court clerks say the pressure is on them to bring in every dollar. “I would say there is an even more dramatic focus on those funds now,” said Beth Allman, the spokeswoman for the Florida Association of Court Clerks. [...]

Advocates for the poor have urged other states not to follow Florida’s example of squeezing defendants harder to make up for budget cuts. Rebekah Diller, deputy director of the justice program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, said the state’s system wasted resources “to get blood from a stone.” Judges, she said, should not become “debt collectors in robes,” which she called both demeaning to the judges and humiliating for the people who must stand before them.

Rhode Island seems to agree. Faced with statistics showing that arrests for nonpayment cost far more than they bring in, the state passed a law in August granting judges latitude to waive court debts for poor defendants.

Maybe sending poor people to jail isn't the best solution. Maybe helping people find meaningful employment, and becoming full contriutors to society, is a better solution?

What do you think?

Republican Party Stuck on Stupid

One has to wonder just how long the Republican party plans to stay stuck on stupid? Clearly their policies of the last eight years didn't work. For that matter, the principles they have espoused since the Reagan years have proven not to work -- so why do they insist on continuing with the same mantra of tax cuts and deregulation?

They rail about "big government" and "deficit spending" yet over the past 30 years it's been the Republican party who has grown the federal government and left us with record-setting national debts!

If conservative Republicans are as fiscally responsible as they claim to be, then why did the national debt nearly triple under Ronald Reagan, and more than triple under George W. Bush? And talk about big government, Bush added a whole new department!

Republicans just wrapped up their Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, DC, and the Washington Post reports:

Same old hotel on the park, same ballrooms, same long lines down the corridor to hear the big-name speakers, but otherwise the landscape look radically different for this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, which wrapped up yesterday afternoon at the Omni Shoreham. The conservatives are in the dark woods now. The deep brambles.

"I'm still seeing who will lead us out of this wilderness," said Sarah Smith, 27, of Alexandria.

The country's conservative, Republican-dominated strongholds have shrunk to the Deep South, the Plains and talk radio. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the Senate Republican leader, warned that the GOP cannot be satisfied with being a regional party. "We must make a comeback," he thundered in the Regency Ballroom .

This is the first time since the aftermath of Watergate that conservatives have known what it is like to be so completely out of power, out-funded, out-organized and arguably irrelevant to national governance. Even the free market has seemingly betrayed them, what with the Wall Street shenanigans, banking dysfunctions and auto industry incompetence. [...]

The grim election results have exposed the fractures in the movement, threatening to shred the coalition of social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and national security conservatives. More broadly, the Republican Party faces a quandary of whether to retrench to core conservative values or try to reach out to a broader constituency.

There are some basic questions to be answered, such as: Has the right become too conservative or not conservative enough? Is it enough to be a party of "no," or do Republicans need new to reinvent themselves and provide new ideas of their own?

"It's the end of the road for self-denial," said conservative pundit Tucker Carlson. He endorsed the "cleansing" effects of catastrophic failure.

Carlson had a bit of a dust-up with the audience when he spoke Thursday. He argued that conservatives need to put more effort into digging up facts and rely less on opinion and punditry. He noted that the New York Times, a favorite target of conservative wrath, at least cares about spelling people's names right.

"NOOOOOOO," arose a moan from some in the crowd.

"I'm merely saying that at the core of their news-gathering operation is gathering news."

"NOOOOO . . ."

It's clear from their response that Republicans have never let a little thing like "facts" get in the way of moving their agenda.

Republicans who are NOT running in 2012 ...

At least that's what they are saying as they head for Iowa. The truly scary part about all the non-candidates is that they are, well, scary!

Last weekend, 18 days after Barack Obama decisively defeated their candidate for president, a mostly Republican crowd of self-described conservatives received their first introduction to someone many prominent members of the GOP think could be the party's own version of Obama.

Like the president-elect, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is young (37), accomplished (a Rhodes scholar) and, as the son of Indian immigrants, someone familiar with breaking racial and cultural barriers. He came to Iowa to deliver a pair of speeches, and his mere presence ignited talk that the 2012 presidential campaign has begun here, if coyly. Already, a fierce fight is looming between him and other Republicans -- former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who arrived in Iowa a couple of days before him, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is said to be coming at some point -- for the hearts of social conservatives. [...]

"The Republicans really have no choice except to look at some people more youthful if they want to have a better chance of winning," said Betty E. Johnson, an independent and the wife of a Cedar Rapids pastor, who voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 but who went for Obama over 72-year-old John McCain. "I liked Obama's energy and hope. I don't know, but maybe a younger person would give Republicans a feeling of more energy, openness."

Jindal insists he is ignoring all the speculation. In Cedar Rapids, at a breakfast event devoted to addressing this beleaguered city's efforts to rebound from its disastrous flood last summer, he avoided any reference to 2012, staying focused on explaining Louisiana's methods for coping with hurricane floods in emergencies on his watch.

Meanwhile, others around the country were talking him up. No less an aspiring kingmaker than Steve Schmidt, the chief strategist of McCain's failed presidential bid, sees Jindal as the Republican Party's destiny. "The question is not whether he'll be president, but when he'll be president, because he will be elected someday." The anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist believes, too, that Jindal is a certainty to occupy the White House, and conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh has described him as "the next Ronald Reagan."

Is Jindal the Republican Obama?

Jindal is, above all else, a political meteor, sharing Obama's precocious skills for reaching the firmament in a hurry. It was just four years ago, after losing a gubernatorial election, that he won election to Congress, and only this year that he became Louisiana's governor, the first nonwhite to hold the office since Reconstruction. And now, 10 months into his first term, the talk of a presidential bid is getting louder among his boosters.

Youth, Norquist notes, has never been at a greater premium for Republicans in search of a new path. And the generally positive reaction to Jindal's handling of Louisiana's mass evacuation in August before Hurricane Gustav, and his response in the storm's aftermath, bolstered the image of the new governor's vigor.

"If anything, McCain's candidacy suggests that age is not always a positive -- and sometimes is a negative," Norquist says. "As Republicans, you have a real problem now with younger voters and immigrants. If you were going to central casting for a candidate to deal with all that, who do you have? Jindal. He is young, and he looks young. . . . He's a great communicator. And his record is that he's sharp and quick with policy."

Religious Right Republicans like Jindal because of his steadfast opposition to abortion without exceptions; his disapproval of embryonic stem cell research; and his support for teaching intelligent design (creationism) in public school science classes.

Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin share these views.

If these candidates represent the next-wave Republican generation, the country could be in big trouble. Let's hope the corporate wing of the party breaks away to form an alternative party.

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens loses re-election bid

This is GREAT NEWS! Ted Stevens is a truly obnoxious individual, and his arrogance finally caught up with him.

Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in Senate history, narrowly lost his re-election bid Tuesday, marking the downfall of a Washington political power and Alaska icon who couldn't survive a conviction on federal corruption charges. His defeat by Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich moves Senate Democrats within two seats of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority.

Stevens' ouster on his 85th birthday marks an abrupt realignment in Alaska politics and will alter the power structure in the Senate, where he has served since the days of the Johnson administration while holding seats on some of the most influential committees in Congress.

Happy Birthday ... ha!

Stevens' future was murky at a time when newly elected members of both the House and Senate were on Capitol Hill for heady receptions, picture-taking sessions and orientation this week. Stevens, speaking earlier Tuesday in Washington, said he had no idea what his life would be like in January, when the 111th Congress convenes.

"I wouldn't wish what I'm going through on anyone, my worst enemy," he lamented to reporters. "I haven't had a night's sleep for almost four months."

Don't worry, Ted -- hopefully you'll have plenty of time to sleep in prison.

On this date ...

August 9, 1974:





Those were the days.





h/t to Mustang Bobby at Shakesville

Those wacky Republicans ... never a dull moment!

Sen. Stevens indicted, Rep. Broun busts budget, and Sen. Brownback is just acting creepy

How fun is the news that Sen. Ted "the tubes" Stevens has been indicted by a federal grand jury on seven felony counts for concealing more than $250,000 in gifts from an oil company. I hope the new basement was worth tanking a 40+ year political career!

The Hill reports:

The news that the longest-serving Republican senator in history faced charges from an investigation into his relationship with the VECO Corp. roiled Capitol Hill, sent the Senate Republican Conference into damage control, and cast serious doubt that Stevens would be able to win a seventh term this fall.

Though the 28-page indictment alleges that Stevens accepted home improvements, cars and other gifts in return for political action, he is charged only with making false statements on financial disclosure forms between 2001 and 2006.

Stevens, 84, was chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee from 1997 until 2005, except for an 18-month period in 2001 and 2002 when Democrats controlled the chamber.

The VECO investigation has already produced convictions of Alaska lawmakers, oil executives and a lobbyist. The FBI and IRS raided Stevenss home in 2007.

Stevens released a statement saying he never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. senator.

Yeah, right. Sorry Ted ... looks like you've been busted!

Stevens could face up to 35 years in prison if convicted. Darn, and he was just getting the hang of how to use the new gas grill.

Meanwhile, 'fiscal conservative' Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) will be looking for a new chief of staff following the resignation of J. Aloysius Hogan. It seems the representatives office is out of cash.

Broun, who has co-sponsored bills on balancing the budget and has vowed to rein in federal spending, busted his budge on -- of all things -- mail. At 42 cents a pop that's a lot of mail!

The chief of staff for Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) resigned Monday as sources said the congressmans office has busted its budget.

J. Aloysius Hogan, Brouns chief of staff, was in charge of the Members Representational Allowance (MRA), which was depleted because of franked mail, according to sources. The franked mail, which was sent to constituents, may have helped Broun in his recent primary win.

Earlier this month, sources said that Brouns MRA was so low that the lawmaker would have to cut staff. At the time, Brouns office said it was unaware of any possible cuts. [...]

Hogan, who used to work for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), confirmed his resignation with The Hill on Tuesday, but declined to comment further on the situation, referring inquires to Brouns press office.

Brouns office declined to comment. [...]

According to the Committee on House Administrations website, members are permitted to spend as much of their official budget on franked mail as they deem necessary. MRA expenses cannot be spent on personal, campaign and/or political expenses.

Jeff Ventura, a spokesman for the House Chief Administrative Officer, said, Although we have seen MRAs dip this low before, what makes this situation unique is that it went so low so early in the calendar year.

It was unclear at press time what the office planned to do in order to pay staffers, who could be furloughed if the problem is not resolved quickly.

Broun, a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee, was criticized in the local press by his opponent, Georgia state Rep. Barry Fleming, during the primary for wasting taxpayer funds to send out the mailings.

But despite predictions that the race would be close, Broun trounced Fleming in the conservative district. He is heavily favored to defeat Democrat Bobby Saxon, an Iraq war veteran, in November.

Brouns campaign is also in debt. As of June 30, he had $194,00 cash on hand and $328,000 in debt, according to CQMoneyLine. Saxon had $31,000 cash on hand and $12,000 of debt.

Gee, Bobby Saxon seems like the most fiscally responsible of the two. Too bad he doesn't have access to tax dollars to send out his campaign mailings. Geezz ...

And finally, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) is warning anyone planning on attending the Olympics in a couple of weeks that China is preparing a spy attack. Hummm ... I wonder if the Olympics were being held in this country would we be spying on any of the athletes or attendees. The answer is, of course, "YES."

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) on Tuesday alleged that China is preparing a spy attack on visitors of the Olympic Games, which will begin in less than two weeks.

Brownback told reporters that China has carefully plotted to take advantage of the situation of having thousands of foreign visitors on its soil and set up a system to be able to spy and gather information about each and every guest at hotels where Olympic visitors are located.

The senator, who ran for the GOP presidential nomination this year, said those spied on include journalists, athletes families, human rights advocates and other visitors.

Brownback stated that his office had been contacted by lawyers for international hotel chains who informed him that the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) ordered foreign-owned hotels to install Internet monitoring equipment. Brownback provided documents showing that hotels were asked to cooperate with the Chinese government.

The Chinese government has demanded that these hotels allow the PSB to install software programs and hardware devices on the hotel networks, Brownback said. These measures are designed to assist the PSB to spy on the Internet activities of guests and record websites visited, searches entered and even keystrokes. The text alludes to harsh punishment for failure to comply with the order, including loss of license to operate a hotel in China.

I wonder if Brownback has a problem with the Bush administration reading our email, or listening in on our phone conversations?

Hey DCup ... if you're planning on attending the Olympics I hope you spend at least some time surfing your favorite porn sites! And while you're there, be sure to send Rep. Broun a postcard ... ha!

Those wacky Republicans ... never a dull moment!

.

Is the GOP driving out moderates?

When a moderate Republican decides to take a pass on running for an open U.S. Senate seat, I think it's a problem. The WaPo reports:

Rep. Thomas M. Davis III said this morning that he will not make a run for the U.S. Senate next year in part because of what he sees as the Republican Party's increasingly narrow focus on candidates who pass conservative litmus tests.

Davis (R-Va.), who has been preparing for a Senate bid for years, said national and state Republicans have failed to recognize how dramatically the country's electorate is changing. Continuing to close their tent to such groups as social moderates, immigrants and those who look to government to protect public schools or reform health care will result in further electoral losses, he said.

Would I vote for Davis if I lived in Virginia? No. But I still think it's tragic how Republicans seem to be squeezing their more moderate members out.

How do they think this will help them win elections? The president's approval rating is at an all time low for ANY president. So why are party faithfuls still listening to the likes of Karl Rove and James Dobson?

Davis, 58, said his decision to take a pass on the Senate race next year was fueled largely by the Republican State Central Committee's decision this month to choose a convention over a primary to nominate the GOP Senate candidate in the spring. The choice is widely viewed to favor former governor James S. Gilmore III, whose right-leaning positions on taxes and social issues are more likely to appeal to the conservative Republicans who tend to participate in conventions.

Still, Davis, a seven-term congressman and former chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, appeared far from ready to withdraw from politics. He said his decision on whether to seek reelection to the House next year will come later. In addition, his choice of a roomful of Washington journalists as his audience seemed designed to give himself a national platform as GOP critic. It is a role that could keep him relevant if the party's fortunes continue to suffer.

I hope he continues to speak out!

"ValueVoters" - Will they hold their nose and vote?

The Family Research Council (and Focus on the Family) held their big "Value Voters Summit" in Washington, DC over the weekend. The Summit has replace the practically defunct Christian Coalition's "Rode to Victory Conference" that was, for so many years, the cornerstone of the evangelical political movement.

With the Christian Coalition struggling, FRC has jumped in to establish itself as the preeminent "decider" for evangelical voters who believe abortion and same-sex marriage are more important issues than health care, education or the war in Iraq.

Now that the Summit has ended, the big question remains --"Will evangelicals hold their nose and vote?"

The New York Times reports:

After an earnest appeal for acceptance from Rudolph W. Giuliani, Christian conservatives ended their two-day summit here Saturday still divided about which of the Republican presidential candidates to marshal their collective might behind.

Mitt Romney edged out Mike Huckabee in the straw poll at the Values Voter Summit. But questions were raised about the way the voting was conducted — votes were permitted to be cast online as far back as August — and even top leaders said there did not appear to be any consensus.

“I don’t think the question is anywhere close to settled,” said Gary L. Bauer, an influential Christian conservative leader and former Republican candidate himself in 2000. “I think it’s going to play out over the next several months.”

Bauer urged the crowd to reject the idea of a third party, but James Dobson has indicated if the Republicans nominate Giuliani he will urge his supporters to back a third party candidate.

It also never ceases to amaze me how oppressed this group feels. Bush has given them two US Supreme Court Justices, one the Chief Justice. They have enjoyed direct access to Republican leadership in Congress -- yet the faithful still somehow feel their voice is not being heard. Geezz

Mike Huckabee was the clear favorite of those attending the Summit, while he and Mitt were in a virtual tie in the overall straw polling. (click image to enlarge)

When you compare "Value Voters" numbers with other polls, it doesn't look good for them.

And with the last few elections being decided by only a few percentage points, losing the evangelical vote could spell disaster for the Republican party. One can only hope!

Summit organizers certainly gave Giuliani time to make his case.

Mr. Giuliani spoke for about 40 minutes, twice his allotted time. The response was gracious and even warm, despite his own acknowledgment that members of the audience probably had serious differences with him. Nevertheless, he highlighted his willingness to be forthright and cast himself as more principled than his primary opponents, insisting he would not bend and sway to the political winds.

Mr. Giuliani took a thinly veiled shot at his rival, Mr. Romney, whose campaign has been vigorously courting social conservatives but has battled skepticism about his authenticity.

“Isn’t it better that I tell you what I really believe, instead of pretending to change all of my positions to fit the prevailing winds?” Mr. Giuliani asked, drawing murmurs of approval and applause from the audience.

It's going to be a long time until November 2008!

Rudy Prepares to Debate Thompson

As Republicans prepare for Tuesday's debate an untested Fred Thompson faces rivals for the first time. MSNBC offers first thoughts on Fred's debut.

For those keeping track of such things:

Countdown to Iowa: 87days
Countdown to New Hampshire: 92 days
Countdown to Michigan: 99 days
Countdown to SC GOP primary: 103 days
Countdown to Florida: 113 days
Countdown to Tsunami Tuesday: 120 days
Countdown to Election Day 2008: 393 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 470 days

Gay Old Party Convention Logo

Others have posted on this, but thought I would add it as a ’Sunday funnies’ extra. Below is the GOP logo for their 2008 convention that will take place in — you guessed it — Minneapolis/St. Paul. (I wonder if Sen. Craig will attend?)

Notice the wide stance, the twinkle in his eye, and how the elephant appears to be about to mount the “2008.” Also notice that the GOP elephant is, well … blue! Is all this a foreshadowing of things to come?

Karl Rove Moving on Down the Road? NOT

Don't be fooled by the latest "I'm leaving to spend more time with my family" talk from Karl Rove. Who knew this guy even HAD a family? And with his son away in college, what could possibly be the motivation for leaving now?

I'll tell you in six words -- the Republican Party is in trouble. My money is on Karl Rove going behind the scenes to bail them out. Call me an inside the beltway cynic, but I simply don't believe for a minute that Rove is going quietly off into the night.

There is nothing more he can do for Bush, but he can try to protect the Bush legacy by working behind the scenes to help elect another Bush-like candidate -- meaning, someone with a folksy facade, who has the religious right in their pocket.

It might be a little more difficult this time around, however, since Rove's cover was blown by David Kuo in "Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction." But I've often questioned why Religious Right followers seem to be so gullible.

The questions to ask are "has Rove already selected his next candidate?" "Will he surface in the 2008 election (I wouldn't be at all surprised if he does)?" Or, "is he laying the ground work for the NEXT presidential election in 2012?" Whatever the case may be, I don't believe for a minute that Karl Rove is going to sit quietly in his Texas home and write a book.

Bush has lost the heartland

How long will it take for the Democratic leadership to acknowledge that Bush has lost the support he once enjoyed from all those "red" states in America's heartland?

Republican Senator Richard Lugar (pictured), from my home state of Indiana, has now conceded that we must begin to bring the troops home from Iraq. The Washington Post reports:

In an unannounced speech on the Senate floor Monday night, Sen. Richard G. Lugar Ind.), the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. military escalation begun in the spring has "very limited" prospects for success. He called on Bush to begin reducing U.S. forces. "We don't owe the president our unquestioning agreement," Lugar said.

The harsh judgment from one of the Senate's most respected foreign-policy voices was a blow to White House efforts to boost flagging support for its war policy, and opened the door to defections by other Republicans who have supported the administration despite increasing private doubts.

Lugar's comments were follow by another heartland Senator, George V. Voinovich, a Republican from Ohio.

Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Bush yesterday urging the president to develop "a comprehensive plan for our country's gradual military disengagement" from Iraq. "I am also concerned that we are running out of time," he wrote.

And the comments just keep coming.

Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, praised Lugar's statement as "an important and sincere contribution" to the Iraq debate.

As Republican skepticism grows the question remains -- will the Democrats seize the day and use this momentum to finally pass legislation that will begin troop withdrawals any time soon?

Only time will tell.