In Brief - October 4th, 2007

Here is today's quick news digest:

• Weeks after announcing he would resign, Larry Craig has defiantly decided to stay in the U.S. Senate despite losing an attempt to have his guilty plea thrown out. Craig hinted he may even run for reelection next year. Either way, he has already boosted the campaign of Larry LaRocco, his Democratic, people-powered challenger. Idaho Governor Butch Otter had been evaluating potential replacements for Craig but is powerless to anoint a successor unless Craig actually resigns.
• KVI personality Bryan Suits bizarrely called Oprah Winfrey a Nazi on his radio talk show this week. David Neiwert at Orcinus has a must-read takedown.
• With the 2008 U.S. Senate map already a disaster for Republicans, more bad news hit yesterday when New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici announced his retirement. The news means Democrats have yet another opean seat to contend for, and even better, Domenici's likely replacements are either Representatives Heather Wilson or Pearce. If they both run in a primary against each other, Democrats could aggressively target three seats in New Mexico. Even if they agree on who should run, there's still at least two solid pickup opportunities with no incumbent in the way.
• Here's a shocking newsflash: Fred Thompson's campaign is so boring, lackluster, and half-hearted that people don't even feel like clapping for him.
• Enjoy music videos? You'll get a kick out of this YouTube clip about the Bush administration and the occupation of Iraq. (Micah)
• Larry J Sabato has posted a second diary at Daily Kos on the idea of a Second Constitutional Convention. The focus of this entry? Rebalancing war powers between the executive and legislative branches. It's worth a read.
• The New Politics Institute (the other NPI, affiliated with the New Democrat Network, a resource for successful tactics) has released a number of reports on innovative technologies for campaigns and organizations in the progressive movement. They are: Go Mobile, Reimagine Video, Target Your Marketing, and Leverage Social Networks.
• Bill O'Reilly has declared that Media Matters President & CEO David Brock is the "worst villain in the country". Nice of O'Reilly to demonstrate just how effective Media Matters has been as a watchdog of right wing media: they're on his nerves and he can't stop talking about them.
• The American Prospect explains why having the presidential nominating process controlled by New Hampshire and Iowa is utterly ridiculous.
• To send a message about the costs of the Iraq occupation, Democratic representatives David Obey, John Murtha and and Jim McGovern have proposed an income tax increase because "it is unfair to pass the cost of the war onto future generations". We agree Bush's borrow and spend policy is disastrous, but raising more revenue to continue the occupation is not going to bring our troops home. Democrats need to pin Bush against the wall to force a solution on Iraq, and they haven't done that yet. (Micah)

Finally, the Republican Party has somehow managed to come up with the most hilarious logo for its 2008 convention. Take a look:



Now there's a wide stance for you! Markos adds:

In Minneapolis? Check.

Prison stripe-wearing? Check.

Starry eyed? Check.

As for the elephant humping the "2008"...

Are they going for a "Still screwing the country in 2008" theme, or is it a reference to hypocritical adulterers like David Vitter and just about the entire Republican presidential field?

All of the above? Check!

Apparently they ran out of space for a collapsing bridge.

More commentary from DailyKos can be found in this thread.

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