Thompson Buys Ad Time — Right Before Debate He's Skipping
Now this is something. Fred Thompson is skipping this Wednesday's Republican debate on Fox News, and will declare his candidacy at 12:01 a.m. that same night. However, Thompson's campaign has bought a 30-second ad to air on Fox News, just as people are tuning in to watch debate. The ad will feature Thompson speaking into the camera about the announcement he will make later that night.

Larry Craig Makes It Official — He's Resigning
Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) announced his resignation this morning, effective September 30, in the wake of the scandal involving his conviction for disorderly conduct in an airport men's room. However, he is still insisting upon his innocence, and vowing to fight it in court, despite his August guilty plea.

Obama And Edwards Pledge To Shun Rogue Primary States
Barack Obama and John Edwards have joined Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson in pledging to not campaign in states that violate the Democratic National Committee's official primary calendar. Assuming the pledge is honored, this would take them out of Florida and probably Michigan, for now. Both have put out statements praising the current system and primary calendar for nominating the presidential candidate, and promising to stand by it despite the current challenges.

Club For Growth Attacking Tom Davis
Senator John Warner (R-VA) only announced his retirement yesterday, but the right-wing Club For Growth is already attacking GOP Congressman Tom Davis, widely believed to be Warner's choice to succeed him. "Tom Davis has one of the most economically liberal records among Republicans in the House," said former Congressman Pat Toomey (R-PA), now president of the group. "Since Republican voters in Virginia are decidedly economic conservatives, it’s hard to see how Davis could win a statewide primary."

Hillary, Obama Both Respond To Iowa Gay Marriage Ruling
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have given their responses, offering cautious support, to a ruling by a judge in Polk County, Iowa, invalidating the state's ban on gay marriage. "The states have always determined age of marriage, other conditions and over time we've gotten rid a lot of discrimination that used to exist in marriage laws. That's now happening," said Clinton. A spokesman for Obama said the candidate "believes these matters should be left to the states, which is why he opposes the Defense of Marriage Act." The ruling in Iowa has been stayed, pending appeal.

Louisiana Dems Hit Back At Tancredo
Louisiana officials have responded to Tom Tancredo's statement that it is "time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station." This may come as a shock, but they don't agree. "Congressman Tancredo’s foolish call to cut out the people of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast is as ignorant as it is shortsighted," said Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who recently hosted a summit in New Orleans, to which all the presidential candidates had been invited. "Had the Congressman accepted my invitation to visit the hurricane-affected area this week, he would have witnessed what many already know: while substantial progress has been made, there is a great deal of work left to be done."

Report: GOP Candidates Looking At Tommy Franks For VP
The Washington Times is reporting that three Republican candidates — though it is has been specified which three — are looking at the idea of having Retired General Tommy Franks run for vice president next year. Franks was one of the men who helped plan out the Iraq War, orchestrating a light campaign that initially conquered Iraq but then failed to win the peace. One can't help but suspect that Democrats would love to run against him.

It's done -- Larry Craig has made his resignation official at a press conference in Idaho.

Surrounded by family members and Republican officials, Craig somberly read the following statement into a microphone just moments ago:

What is best for Idaho has always been the focus of my efforts, and it is no different today. To Idahoans I represent, to my staff, my Senate colleagues, but most importantly to my wife and my family, I apologize for what I have caused. I am deeply sorry. I have little control over what people will choose to believe, but clearly my name is important to me, and my family is so very important also.

Having said that, to pursue my legal options as I continue to serve Idaho would be an unwanted and unfair distraction of my job and for my Senate colleagues. These are serious times of war and of conflict, times that deserve the Senate's and the full nation's attention. There are many challenges facing Idaho that I am currently involved in, and the people of Idaho deserve a senator who can devote 100% of his time and effort to the critical issues of our state and of our nation.

Therefore, it is with sadness and deep regret that I announce that it is my intent to resign from the Senate, effective September 30th.

Craig didn't address the charges against him, though his office will apparently be releasing a more detailed written statement later this afternoon.

His replacement is already waiting in the wings. Governor Butch Otter has reportedly tapped Lt. Governor Jim Risch to be appointed to the seat.

An incredibly rapid downfall for a man who, as recently as last Monday, when the story first broke, was a senior Senator with powerful committee slots who'd managed to keep his apparent double life under wraps for many years. Less than a week later, after an extraordinary pressure campaign from members of his own party intent on dislodging him and putting an end to the story, it all comes to a humiliating end.

Late Update: CNN reports that one of its reporters got the chance to ask Crag as he made his way back to his car if he stood by his claim of innocence.

"Absolutely," he said, adding: "We'll be fighting this like hell."

Denying it until the last.

Craig Will Walk The Plank Tomorrow
Larry Craig will hold a news conference tomorrow in Boise, where he will reportedly announce his resignation from the Senate, effective September 30 — a date that still might not be soon enough for his fellow Republicans. The Associated Press is reporting that Republican Governor Butch Otter has already tapped Lt. Governor Jim Risch to be appointed to the seat. Risch was previously elevated to the governorship in May 2006, but chose to run for Lt. Governor again and avoid a bloody primary for governor against then-Congressman Otter. So expect the GOP to repay that debt and unite around Risch.

The Second-Tier Dems Pledge To Abide By The Official Calendar
Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden have all released statements indicating they will not participate in primaries and caucuses that deviate from the DNC's officially sanctioned calendar. This means they will stay away from Florida, which has scheduled itself for January 29, and probably Michigan, which is on the verge of trying to grab January 15. The pledge is being propagated by Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina — the four states that are officially allowed to hold their contests in January.

Tancredo Calls For End To Katrina Aid
Wow. Tom Tancredo took the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina as an opportunity to blast federal aid to the Gulf Coast today. The presidential candidate said it is "time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station" and also, "The mentality that people can wait around indefinitely for the federal taxpayer to solve all their worldly problems has got to come to an end."

NH Gov. Supports Regional Primary — For Every State But NH
New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch said at a newspaper editorial board meeting Wednesday that he would support a primary system in which regional groups of states rotated each election cycle beginning in 2012. His support, however, came with a major caveat — New Hampshire would retain its first-in-the-nation status as well as "some distance" between its primary and the regional contests. Gov. Lynch added that he would also favor Iowa maintaining its status as the first caucus.

Mike Huckabee Supports Voting Rights For DC
Despite the fact that it would definitely be a new Democratic seat, Mike Huckabee told reporters today that he supported efforts to grant Washington, DC, a full Congressional district. The former Arkansas governor said that it "doesn't seem right" that citizens should pay taxes without representation and that its political impact on the parties' balance in the House "doesn't change whether it is right or wrong."

Duke Of Muck Lewis Running Again
Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who has thus far spent about $45,000 in campaign funds on legal fees associated with his ties to lobbyists and defense contractors, has announced that he is running again in 2008. His district is deeply Republican, so even despite his scandals he can likely get re-elected.

Hillary Clinton Reads Top 10 Campaign Promises On Letterman
Following a long tradition of political figures reading Top 10 lists on Letterman, Hillary Clinton listed her best campaign promises, focusing on the comedic novelty of having a woman as president. Starting off with "Bring stability and long term security to The View," here they are for your enjoyment:

Here's the key quote from a just-released statement on John Warner's retirement, from fellow Virginia Senator Jim Webb:

“While today is a bittersweet announcement for Virginia, the nation and the Senate, it bears emphasis that Senator Warner still has more than a year in office. During that time, he will continue to play a crucial role in formulating a more rational policy in Iraq. Just last week, we saw his leadership and independence on display once more. The President would do well to listen to John Warner during his last year in office.”

It won't happen, but it's a nice thought.

Appearing this afternoon on Fox News' Your World With Neil Cavuto, Mike Huckabee called upon Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) to resign over the airport men's room scandal:

Well, he oughtta resign. I mean, when the people of his own party there [in Idaho] ... are saying that they're gonna find a candidate against him, they're gonna help finance it, they won't support him, this opera is over. The fat lady is singing at the top of her lungs. He needs to hear the tune and step aside.

Huckabee bluntly added that Craig's continued presence is dragging down the GOP:

This is not something the Republican Party needs. It's not the entire party's fault that an individual has done something. But I think that the strong stand you're hearing from Idaho and from his colleagues in the Senate indicate that people in the Republican party know that we can't go through another in a long series of embarrassing scandals, and expect to have any hope not just for the White House but for the House, the Senate, governorships and other races in '08.

Huckabee is the second Republican presidential candidate to call for Craig's resignation, following John McCain.

You may recall that back in June we wrote about top Romney campaign aide Jay Garrity, who'd repeatedly gotten in trouble over the years for impersonating a cop -- complete with flashing lights and fake cop equipment.

Well, at least the Romney folks used real law enforcement types this time:

The motorcade of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney exceeded speed limits and went through stop lights Friday as local law officers escorted him, blue lights flashing, to campaign events in two South Carolina counties.

Traffic pulled over for Romney's caravan as Saluda County Sheriff Jason Booth, a Romney supporter, led the candidate's motor home and staff cars with his blue lights running from the Aiken County line through Saluda County to the Newberry city limits, according to an Associated Press reporter following the candidate.

The caravan traveled between 10 mph and 15 mph over posted speed limits. The posted speed limits were 45 mph and 55 mph.

"We wanted to make sure he stays safe and gets to where he's going," Booth told The Associated Press.

Asked whether it's proper to use flashing police lights to escort a candidate, he said, "I'm not getting into this with you, sir. I have no comment."

Romney spokesman Kevin Madden tells Election Central that neither Romney nor his aides asked their cop escort to flash their lights, speed, or run traffic lights, saying that such a request would only be made if safety concerns dictated it.

Incidentally, the Romney aide who got in trouble for playing cops eventually resigned from the campaign. Looks like the Romney people have found some real live replacements...

Now that long-time Senator John Warner (R-VA) has announced his retirement, both parties will have candidates lining up for the seat in 2008.

It's the first open-seat Senate contest in Virginia since 1988 and potentially the first competitive open-seat race since 1982, when Republican Paul Trible edged out Dem Richard Davis for the seat of retiring independent Senator Harry Byrd Jr., the seat now held by Democrat Jim Webb.

How will it shake out? Our full rundown after the jump.

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At a press conference in Virgina right now, GOP Senator John Warner just announced that he plans to retire. Here's his key quote:

"So, I say that my work and service to Virginia as a senator -- and I repeat, my work and service to Virginia as a senator -- will conclude upon the 6th of January, 2009, when I finish, in the Constitution of the United States on the first Tuesday of the new Congress, my career of 30 years in the United States Senate."

Warner's retirement is huge news -- it dramatically alters the electoral map for 2008, making gains in the Senate even more likely for Democrats. Many analysts think that Warner's retirement means that his seat is an almost-certain Dem pickup, should former Democratic governor Mark Warner decide to run, as many expect.

If Mark Warner does pick up the seat next year, it will mean that not one, but two Senate seats in this southern state flipped from red to blue in a mere two years. Last year, of course, Senator Jim Webb won a surprise victory over GOP incumbent George Allen.

Virginia's Richmond Times-Dispatch has a rundown on Warner's career here. The Virginia blog Raising Kaine games out the far-reaching impact that this will have on Virginia politics here.

More in a bit, including video.

Late Update: Here's a quick rundown on how Warner's retirement will play out among Republicans angling for his seat. John Warner's protegé Congressman Tom Davis is expected to make a run for it — likely opening up his Northern Virginia House seat to a Democratic takeover. There remain a large group of conservative activists who distrust Davis, so he may face a right-wing challenger such as former Governor Jim Gilmore, who recently dropped out of the Republican presidential race.

Can the GOP hold the seat? Probably not, due to Mark Warner's popularity. But the GOP definitely has a fighting chance, given the state's Republican lean in presidential election years. Considering Gilmore's unpopularity when he left office — succeeded by Mark Warner — and his embarrassing campaign for the presidency, he would likely be a much easier opponent for Mark Warner to defeat than Tom Davis, who has a political base in the swing areas of Fairfax County and Northern Virginia as a whole.

Bottom line: Mark Warner is heavily favored to win the seat for the Democrats, but it's not certain just yet. — eric kleefeld

Later Update: A key quote from the statement issued by fellow Virginia Senator Jim Webb:

“While today is a bittersweet announcement for Virginia, the nation and the Senate, it bears emphasis that Senator Warner still has more than a year in office. During that time, he will continue to play a crucial role in formulating a more rational policy in Iraq. Just last week, we saw his leadership and independence on display once more. The President would do well to listen to John Warner during his last year in office.”

Won't happen, but it's a nice sentiment.

As noted below, Harry Reid was quoted in today's Washington Post essentially saying that he was prepared to compromise with Republicans and be flexible on whether to insist on troop withdrawal timelines this fall.

Because this is pretty eye-opening, and in dire need of some clarification -- is Reid really saying that he's open to funding the war again without withdrawal timelines? -- I emailed his spokesman the following question:

Is the Senate Majority Leader saying here that he's flexible on the question of whether to tie funding to a withdrawal timeline? Is he saying he's open to funding the war this fall without a timetable?

Here's the reply from Reid spokesman Jim Manley:

As he said in the piece, it's time for Republican critics of the war in the Senate to belly up to the bar, because it's absolutely evident that the President isn't going to move from his failed stay the course strategy. While Senator Reid remains absolutely committed to bringing our troops home, the question is whether we can find enough Republicans willing to break with the President to give us the 60 votes necessary.

This doesn't appear to be a direct answer. That fact, coupled with this expression of uncertainty about getting enough Republicans for a veto-proof majority, would seem to suggest that Reid was indeed saying that he's open to funding the war this fall without withdrawal timelines if he can't get the 60 votes.

Is there any other way to read this?

And again -- what exactly does saying this now accomplish?

A new Detroit News poll finds Hillary with a strong lead over Obama in Michigan -- a state that could conceivably assume more importance if it succeeds in moving up its primary, as its government is trying to do.

The survey finds that Hillary has 40%, followed by Barack Obama at 21% and John Edwards at 16%.

On the GOP side Mitt Romney's status as a native of Michigan has only given him the slimmest of leads over Rudy. He has 25% to Rudy's 23%, a lead that's within the poll's 4.9 point margin of error. Fred Thompson has 16%, while John McCain trails in fourth place with 15%.

It isn't every day that a Democrat presents health-care reform and state sub-contracting policies as imperatives of his religious faith, but that's exactly what Kentucky Dem gubernatorial nominee Steve Beshear has done in this new ad.

He makes his pitch in terms of old-fashioned moral values, opening the ad outside the church where his father and grandfather were preachers. "My faith teaches responsibility to God and family. I see Kentucky as one big family," Beshear says. "That's why I'll pass a law providing healthcare to every Kentucky child, and prescription drugs for seniors, and invest in Kentucky business instead of out-of-state corporations."

Beshear is currently enjoying a huge lead in the polls over incumbent Republican Ernie Fletcher, whose administration has been hit by a series of scandals. However, Fletcher has hit back at Beshear, using the Democrat's support of legalized casino gambling to question his moral values -- thus making it important for Beshear to respond with an ad emphasizing his Christian beliefs, even on topics like health care or state contracts.

And as a matter of fact, Fletcher's people already have a response to this ad. "I think most Kentuckians would find his positions contrary to the values that they hold," Fletcher campaign manager Marty Ryall told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "He's trying to convince the voters he's something he's not."

This is pretty interesting. Officials with the struggling McCain campaign are developing a new argument: The "success" of the surge, which McCain had long advocated for, will enable him to turn his Presidential effort around. The Associated Press has the details:

Earlier this year, Bush essentially adopted McCain's troop-increase strategy, and the senator's political future became directly linked to the war's outcome.

"Nothing goes to his commander-in-chief credentials more than that four years ago, almost alone among politicians, McCain was calling for this very strategy -- and now it's showing success," said Mark Salter, a senior adviser to the senator.

McCain is also hoping that the media circus that will greet Petraeus's upbeat testimony will buoy his campaign. He is planning a September chock full of Iraq-War-related events, including a mid-September campaign swing called the "No Surrender" tour. He's going to stand with veterans at countless photo ops, the AP says.

Of course, the surge hasn't produced its desired effect -- political reconciliation in Iraq -- and shows no signs of doing so in the future. And solid majorities still want out of Iraq. But these inconvenient facts don't seem to matter to McCain or any other war supporters. To them, the surge is "succeeding" and the American people agree and want to "stay the course," and nothing will ever, ever change that. When 80%-90% want out of Iraq, it will still be true.

Today's Washington Post has an interview with Harry Reid in which he suggests that he's now prepared to compromise with Republicans on Iraq:

LAS VEGAS -- Saying the coming weeks will be "one of the last opportunities" to alter the course of the war, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said he is now willing to compromise with Republicans to find ways to limit troop deployments in Iraq.

Reid acknowledged that his previous firm demand for a spring withdrawal deadline had become an obstacle for a small but growing number of Republicans who have said they want to end the war but have been unwilling to set a timeline.

"I don't think we have to think that our way is the only way," Reid said of specific dates during an interview in his office here. "I'm not saying, 'Republicans, do what we want to do.' Just give me something that you think you would like to do, that accomplishes some or all of what I want to do."

Is Reid really saying that this fall he'll be flexible -- again -- on the question of funding the war without timetables? Seems like it.

Of course, Reid has already "compromised" with Republicans on Iraq by agreeing to fund the war through September with no withdrawal timetables, and look where that has gotten us.

That said, it's really hard to know what to make of this. His apparent openness to future funding without a date-certain for withdrawal, won't exactly buoy Congress' sinking approval ratings.

A charitable way to look at this is that it's a "Devil in the details" kind of situation. Come September, Reid -- aside from peripheral measures such as the troop rest measure -- would appear to have basically only two choices before him on the larger question of war funding: Refuse to fund the war unless the funding is attached to a withdrawal timeline, or agree to fund it without a date-certain. If Reid is only saying he's willing to compromise right now and has no intention of doing the latter, no biggie.

But if he does end up doing the latter, of course, Reid will catch Hell. It really is hard to imagine that the Dem leadership would do that, but after the FISA fiasco, it's anyone's guess what's next.

It won't be clear what this really means until it's translated into legislative details, but either way, it's hard to see what saying this right now accomplishes, aside from signaling weakness. Some clarification on what exactly Reid is saying here would be welcome.

Late Update: Reid's spokesman responds to our request for clarification.

A Reminder: John Warner To Announce Plans Today
Senator John Warner (R-VA) is expected to announce this afternoon whether or not he will seek re-election. The Examiner reports that Warner will announce his retirement, setting up a competitive Senate race between former Governor Mark Warner (D) and either Congressman Tom Davis or former Governor Jim Gilmore on the Republican side. Mark Warner — of no relation to John Warner — would start out as the favorite in the race. Then again, John Warner might just throw us all a curveball and run again.

Poll: Rudy Still Leads Among Conservatives
A Hotline/Diageo poll shows Rudy Giuliani continuing to lead the Republican field nationally. The numbers: Rudy 27%, Thompson 17%, Romney 15%, McCain 12%. Amazingly, Rudy still leads among self-described conservatives, evangelicals, and those who believe abortion should not be permitted at all, beating Thompson by six to ten points on those questions.

Iowa Judge Rules Against Ban On Gay Marriage
Gay marriage is likely to take front and center in the 2008 presidential race in Iowa, as Polk County Judge Robert Hanson ruled the state's law prohibiting same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Mitt Romney has already seized on the opportunity to emphasize his new and improved 2007 position on gay rights, releasing a press release blasting the decision as "another example of an activist court and unelected judges trying to redefine marriage and disregard the will of the people as expressed through Iowa's Defense of Marriage Act," and reiterating his support for a Federal Marriage Amendment.

TNT To Keep Showing Law & Order Reruns
Cable channel TNT does not have any plans to stop showing Law & Order reruns, even though former series star Fred Thompson has confirmed that he will officially declare his candidacy for president next week. FCC rules on TV networks giving equal amounts of time to political candidates outside of news coverage do not apply to cable networks. So how often will episodes from Thompson's tenure be shown, and could this have any effect on the process?

FEC Withstands Court Challenge on 527 Regulations
A district court judge Thursday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Rep. Chris Shays' (R-CT) and former Rep. Marty Meehan's (D-MA) against the FEC to force regulation of 527s. “[The decision] reinforces the fact that we need legislation to force 527s to play by the same campaign finance rules, which apply to all other organizations seeking to influence federal elections," Shays said. 527s, which can receive unlimited soft money donations, include such high profile groups as Swift Boat Veterans For Truth and MoveOn.org.

Report: Romney To Boycott Wyoming GOP Contest
Michael Roston reports that Mitt Romney's campaign will be boycotting the Wyoming GOP's delegate-selection conventions, after the state party scheduled them for January 5 in a deliberate attempt to break the primary calendar and force reforms. "Where folks have come to know Mitt Romney in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and other states, they're growing to like him," said Romney spokesman Stephen Smith. "Those are the early primary states where we are focusing our energy."

NH GOP Chairman Upset Thompson Skipping Debate
Fred Thompson's exploratory committee has announced he will his declare his candidacy right after midnight following the GOP debate in New Hampshire next week, meaning he will not participate in the event. The state's GOP Chair, Fergus Cullen, said he is "disappointed" with Thompson's decision. "They are clearly trying to avoid this specific event," Cullen said.

This is big: Republican sources are telling CNN that the Republican National Committee was all set to release a statement calling on Larry Craig to resign.

But the RNC held back, these sources say, because they'd gotten reliable indications that the Senator was genuinely considering stepping down himself.

By threatening to release such a statement, and more to the point, by leaking word of such a statement and leaking word that the Senator is considering resigning himself, the RNC is actively pushing one of its own senior Senators out of office, basically sealing the deal on Craig's fate.

The RNC, we're guessing, wants this thing done now, on a Friday before Labor Day weekend, so that it'll have a bit less of an impact. It looks like it'll work, too: The same sources are telling CNN that Craig may resign as early as today.

Question: When's the last time one of the national party committees called on one of their own senior senators to resign?

More soon.

Thompson Declaring Next Week
As we reported earlier, Fred Thompson's undeclared campaign will finally declare next week. His itinerary, according to his campaign's conference call today with bloggers: On Wednesday night he will miss a Republican debate in New Hampshire, instead doing one last "testing the waters" tease on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Then at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday, he will declare his candidacy with a video Webcast. Then on Thursday he'll file his official campaign papers and begin touring, and on Thursday night he'll greet supporters nationwide via conference call.

Wyoming GOPer: We're Trying To Break The Primary Calendar
Wyoming Republican Party official Tom Sansonetti gave the Associated Press an amazing insight as to why his state party has moved to hold their delegate-selection conventions on January 5, a whole month ahead of the officially sanctioned date. "Ultimately the goal here is to look beyond 2008 and fix the system, because the system is broken," Sansonetti said. "All this jumping around is because the states feel disenfranchised by letting Iowa and New Hampshire call the shots."

Poll: Romney Leads In Iowa — GOPers Support Humanitarian Positions
A new poll by Republican firm McLaughlin & Associates, conducted on behalf of the anti-poverty ONE campaign, showed Mitt Romney leading the GOP field in Iowa by a huge margin. Mitt has 35%, followed by Rudy Giuliani with 12% and in a three-way statistical tie for second with Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee, who each have 11%. Also, the poll finds overwhelming support, at two thirds or higher, for such humanitarian pursuits as reducing worldwide poverty, hunger and diseases.

Huckabee Pleased With Post-Ames Campaign
Mike Huckabee told IowaPolitics.com that his campaign has been going great since his surprise second-place finish at the Iowa Straw Poll, with larger crowds at his events, money coming in, and millions of hits registering on the campaign Web site. "A lot of this is coming from our effort in Ames," Huckabee said.

Homeless Advocacy Group Challenges Candidates To Spend Night On Streets
An advocacy group called National Coalition for the Homeless has extended an intriguing challenge to the presidential candidates: Learn what it's like for the homeless by spending one night on the streets. “For candidates, their short stints as faceless indigents would help them better understand the impact of public policy decisions on those who live in the streets,” said NCH acting director Michael Stoops. It's hard to imagine the Secret Service, let alone the campaign consultants, ever consenting to something like this.

Rangel Attorney Makes Small Request Over Large Sum
Phu Huynh, attorney for House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel's (D-NY) campaign, has asked the Federal Election Commission for permission to spend $64,500 in campaign funds on the chairman's official portrait. "Portrait artists determine fees based largely upon reputation, but the size of the subject and detail required also factor heavily in the pricing," wrote Huynh, justifying the large price tag. His legal reasoning may well get Rangel the permission. But he's hardly being flattering toward his client, is he?

The Obama campaign -- like just about every other Democrat in our fair galaxy -- is returning contributions it got from Norman Hsu, the big-time fundraiser for Hillary and other Dems who, it turns out, is a fugitive on a fraud rap. Obama spokesperson Bill Burton sends over the following statement:

We have given the $7,000 in contributions from Hsu to charity and sent a letter to the Paws to affirm that the contribution they gave were from their own funds and not those of others.

The question now facing Obama and Hillary and many others is whether to give back money that was bundled by Hsu -- such as the Paws contribution referenced above. Sending this letter to the Paws could end up solving this problem. A source with knowledge of such matters tells me that if the Paws were to falsely affirm that the contribution was theirs they could be held legally liable for aiding in the falsification of an FEC report.

Meanwhile, Hillary, who's also agreed to return Hsu's money, if not the cash bundled by him, has been getting asked about the controversy all day, and Dem candidates who have received his money have scrambled to unload it. We'll share one Hillary quote:

"We have a vetting process," Clinton said in a telephone interview with the Globe. "It didn't work on this one instance apparently for any of us. There were many, many people receiving his contributions, but nobody knew there was an issue."

...and then there's also this absolutely wonderful pushback from New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who defended Hillary at a press conference today as follows:

"Is Sen Clinton's campaign or any campaign supposed to doing a better job than the authorities of California who theoretically had an open warrant for this guy and didn't do anything? Come on, guys. Let's get real."

Get real, indeed. The bottom line is that there's something deeply silly about these controversies, which despite all the heavy breathing about dark criminal conspiracies are all too often at bottom really about clerical errors.

The running disaster that is the 2008 primary calendar continues — the Michigan state House has now voted to move their primary up to January 15. That is a full three weeks ahead of the DNC's officially sanctioned date of February 5, and two weeks ahead of Florida's unauthorized date of January 29.

Considering the way the DNC has threatened to take away every last delegate from Florida's primary if they don't change the date, expect them to really lean on Michigan. However, the primary date has not passed in the legislature by veto-proof margins. As such, there is one avenue left in order to avoid a showdown: Expect the DNC to work hard pressuring Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) to veto the change, though her office has indicated that she supports it.

The battle of the Dems for labor support continues today, with the Edwards campaign now confirming that he has secured the endorsement of the 520,000-strong carpenters union.

This is a big get for Edwards, because it'll quiet all the "Edwards is failing to get the support of labor" talk that has been swirling since Chris Dodd announced that he'd scored the backing of the firefighters union.

That talk increased this morning, when Hillary's campaign announced that it had won the support of another major union, the machinists. The campaigns, obviously, are all duking it out for union support in advance of Labor Day. Question: Where does all this leave Joe Biden, a longtime friend of labor?

Statements from the Edwards and Hillary campaigns on these endorsements after the jump.

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Yesterday we told you about an alleged conflict of interest at a major newspaper in Maine, the Bangor Daily News. The executive editor is one Mark Woodward, who not only used to serve as a press secretary for Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), but his wife Bridget is currently a staffer at Collins' Bangor district office.

Thus, it seemed suspicious to us that the paper had been editorializing against the campaign of Collins' Democratic opponent, Congressman Tom Allen, for sending a tracker to videotape Collins' public appearances. After several days of attempting to contact Mark and Bridget Woodward and hear their side of the story, we ran a post.

Now Senator Collins' office has responded.

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Here's a sign that Republican leaders may view the Wide Stance Scandal as potentially detrimental to their chances in 2008: John Ensign, the head of the GOPs efforts to win Senate seats, has now joined the chorus of GOP voices suggesting that Craig resign:

Ensign stopped short of calling on Craig to resign his seat, but strongly suggested he do so.

"I wouldn't put myself hopefully in that kind of position, but if I was in a position like that, that's what I would do," he said. "He's going to have to answer that for himself."

Ensign added that "pressure will continue to build" for Craig to go. It certainly will if Ensign has his way.

As we reported yesterday, the influential New Hampshire Union Leader, a major voice of Republicanism in the crucial primary state, published an editorial challenging Fred Thompson in no uncertain terms to attend the GOP debate in the state next week: "Republicans are starting to think that his heart is not in it, and they are getting tired of the teasing."

Well, now the paper apparently has its answer from Thompson: Nope.

According to sources who spoke to CNN, Thompson will likely not officially declare his candidacy until some time after September 5, and as a result won't be showing up for the debate.

If and when he does finally declare, something tells us Thompson won't be getting the Union Leader's endorsement for the primary.

Meanwhile, top Thompson officials are reportedly holding a conference call with top supporters today to brief them on plans for the upcoming announcement.

Update: It's now being reported that Thompson will declare on September 6 — one day after the debate. This brings to mind the following from that Union Leader editorial:

If Thompson waits until after the debate to make his announcement, it will appear to some as if he timed the announcement just to avoid the New Hampshire debate. That would give his foes the chance to say he is either not serious about running for the nomination or is too unprepared to be considered a credible candidate.

Jonathan Martin:

Sen. John Warner will announce tomorrow at the University of Virginia whether or not he intends to seek a sixth term, according to two top Virginia sources. Warner is planning a 2 p.m. news conference on the grounds of the Charlottesville, Va., school, where he took his law degree over 50 years ago. The Virginian will give his speech near the statue of Thomas Jefferson on the steps of the school’s famous Rotunda, adding a fitting Warner flourish to the event.

A Warner retirement, obviously, would be huge news, potentially making the 2008 Senate map look even better for the Dems. Many analysts think that such a move would open a clear path to the seat for another Virginian named Warner -- this one a Dem named Mark.

If that were to happen, both of this southern state's Senate seats would have flipped from red to blue -- in the space of two years. Last year, of course, Dem Senator Jim Webb won a surprise victory over GOP incumbent George Allen.

We've got a call into Warner's office for confirmation. More in a bit.

Nancy Pelosi reacts to the today's big news, which is that the nonpartisan General Accounting Office has concluded in a very negative report that only three of 18 benchmarks for progress have been met in Iraq:

“The President is demanding tens of billions more dollars for the war in Iraq despite non-partisan conclusions, such as the draft GAO report and the recent National Intelligence Estimate, that the Iraqi government has failed to achieve required reforms.

“As in the past, President Bush stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the facts on the ground about the sectarian civil war in Iraq or the growing bipartisan opposition to his failed policies. He insists that our soldiers sacrifice even more, and taxpayers spend billions more dollars for an Iraqi government incapable or unwilling to institute reforms required by the President himself.

“With the President continuing to stay the course in Iraq, Republicans will have to decide whether they will continue to vote with him or join Democrats and the vast majority of Americans who are demanding a new direction in Iraq and refocusing America's efforts on fighting the real threats of terrorism around the world.”

TPMmuckraker's analysis of the GAO report is here.

It's happening almost too fast to keep track of, but here are five more GOP members of Congress who have called on Wide Stance Craig to go:

Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN)

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)

Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA)

Rep. Ron Lewis (R-KY)

The number of resignation calls, of course, can only go up.

Meanwhile, Senator Norm Coleman has decided that it isn't enough that he called for Craig to go yesterday; now he's gone and returned Craig's campaign contributions, too.

Late Update: Think Progress has a good rundown on the rather different reaction GOP pols had to the David Vitter scandal.

One interesting subplot in Campaign 2008 worth noting is that the Edwards and Obama camps are now both pushing a similar line against Hillary -- chiefly, that you shouldn't vote for her because lots of Republicans dislike her:

Here is Elizabeth Edwards:

"I want to be perfectly clear: I do not think the hatred against Hillary Clinton is justified. I don't know where it comes from. I don't begin to understand it. But you can't pretend it doesn't exist, and it will energize the Republican base. Their nominee won't energize them, Bush won't, but Hillary as the nominee will. It's hard for John to talk about, but it's the reality."

And here is Obama:

"I think it is fair to say that I believe I can bring the country together more effectively than she can," Obama said. "I will add, by the way, that is not entirely a problem of her making. Some of those battles in the '90s that she went through were the result of some pretty unfair attacks on the Clintons. But that history exists, and so, yes, I believe I can bring the country together in a way she cannot do. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be running."

Readers, we'd like to hear from you on this. Is there something questionable about this -- i.e., that they're both saying that the attacks on Hillary from the right are unfair while simultaneously calling attention to them and using them to their own advantage?

Or is a legit case being made here -- i.e., that Hillary's history with Republicans is something that could damage the Democratic Party's prospects in a larger sense?

A new round of American Research Group polls in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina show Hillary Clinton leading among Democrats in all three of these key swing states, while Mitt Romney is ahead for the Republicans in Iowa and New Hampshire but struggling to break through in South Carolina.

Interesting tidbit: Mike Huckabee now seems to be rising from obscurity after his second-place showing in the Iowa Straw Poll.

Iowa:
Democrats:
Clinton 28%
Obama 23%
Edwards 20%

Republicans:
Romney 27%
Giuliani 17%
Huckabee 14%
Thompson 13%
Gingrich 7%
McCain 5%

New Hampshire:
Democrats:
Clinton 37%
Obama 17%
Edwards 14%

Republicans:
Romney 27%
Giuliani 23%
McCain 12%
Huckabee 9%

South Carolina:
Democrats:
Clinton 32%
Edwards 24%
Obama 21%

Republicans:
Giuliani 26%
Thompson 21%
McCain 12%
Romney 9%
Huckabee 9%

More bad news for GOP Senator Larry Craig: Even one of his most loyal and longtime allies, Idaho Governor Butch Otter, is offering him only tepid support. From this morning's Idaho Statesman:

Craig found support from Gov. Butch Otter, a fellow Republican who has known him for 35 years.

Otter said he and first lady Lori Otter met with Craig and his wife, Suzanne, on Tuesday. "I told him, ‘Larry, I've made a few mistakes in my private life that slopped over into public news, and you're going to find out really quick who your friends are, but I want you to know that Lori and I are your friends,'" Otter said.

Otter is no stranger to public scrutiny, though not on the scale Craig is now experiencing. In 1992, when Otter was lieutenant governor, he was arrested for driving under the influence. Otter was convicted and stayed in office.

Otter declined to say whether Craig should quit. "I'm not going to go there," Otter said. "That's up to him."

Not exactly standing by his man. One more indication that the clock is ticking.

McCain Campaign Uses Vietnam Interrogation Film
A new John McCain campaign Web video, "Courageous," opens with footage of McCain's interrogation when he was a P.O.W. in Vietnam, showing a badly injured 31-year old McCain in a hospital bed. "What is it that defines a great leader?" a narrator then asks. "Is it his courage? Is it his courage to do the difficult, and not just the easy things? Is it the courage to fight — to fight to survive?"

Hillary Camp Divesting Money From Fugitive Donor
Hillary Clinton's campaign announced yesterday that they are donating to charity $23,000 they had received from New York businessman Norman Hsu, and review thousands of dollars more that they have received through him. Hsu is in fact a fugitive from justice in the state of California, having failed to show up for sentencing after his conviction in 1991 for fraud. Other Democratic candidates are also divesting money received through Hsu, including Al Franken in Minnesota. However, a spokesman for Barack Obama's campaign said they have no plans to return or donate their money from Hsu.

Thompson Hires New Communications Director
Fred Thompson's undeclared campaign replaced its recently-resigned communications director, Linda Rozett, with Todd Harris. Harris has previously worked as a spokesman for John McCain in 2000, as communications director for Jeb Bush in 2002, and as a communications strategist for Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003 — an impressive set of GOP credentials.

Poll: Edwards Continues To Lead In Iowa
John Edwards' campaign is betting heavily on a strong Iowa victory in order to catapult the candidate over his opponents. So far, so good, according to a new poll from Time, showing John Edwards with 29% of likely Iowa caucus goers, 24% for Clinton, and 22% for Obama.

Poll: Hillary And Rudy Ahead In New Jersey
A new poll from Republican firm Strategic Vision shows Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani with huge leads in their respective parties in New Jersey. The Democratic numbers: Clinton 49%, Obama 22%, Edwards 8%, Richardson 5%. The Republicans: Giuliani 51%, Thompson 12%, Romney 9%, McCain 7%.

Anti-War Group Plans Protest In Congress
America Stands Watch, an anti-war group, is organizing a protest inside the House and Senate Chambers. When given a signal, the protesters will simply stand up and silently "watch over" Congress. “We will remain standing as long as we can, but we expect that security will not allow this to go on for very long," the group's plan states. They might get attention for this, but they won't be able to do it for long — gallery rules require that people remain seated.

Proposed Spanish GOP Debate Cancelled
A Univisión Republican debate scheduled for September 16 at the University of Miami has been cancelled. Only one GOP candidate, John McCain, had agreed to attend the Spanish-language event. By contrast, the Democratic debate is still scheduled for September 9, and all eight Dem candidates plan to attend.

Union Leader To Thompson: Do A Debate
The conservative New Hampshire Union Leader, the largest newspaper in the crucial primary state, has an editorial today challenging Fred Thompson to come to New Hampshire and participate in a debate scheduled for September 5. "Thompson's main weakness right now is his commitment to the race," the paper says. "Republicans are starting to think that his heart is not in it, and they are getting tired of the teasing."

Wyoming GOP Moves Contest To January 5
The Wyoming Republican Party has voted to move their delegate-selection conventions to January 5, a whole month ahead of the RNC's officially blessed date of February 5. "We're first in the nation," said Tom Sansonetti, the state GOP's county convention coordinator, sounding completely defiant. "At least for the next couple, three weeks until New Hampshire and Iowa move, which I expect they will." Expect the national GOP to come down like a ton of bricks on the Wyoming party, and disqualify most or even all delegates selected in this manner.

Professor Decides Against Minnesota Senate Race
Nobel Prize-winning chemist and Duke University Professor Peter Agre has announced that he will not be seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate from Minnesota, as he had been considering throughout this Summer. "As much as I'd like to run, I've decided it's just not the time to step in," Agre told the Associated Press. "It's late. I just don't think I can make the race." Agre declined to endorse any of the current candidates at this time.

Filner Releases Statement On Alleged Airport Rage Incident
Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), who faces assault and battery charges for allegedly pushing a United Airlines baggage employee ten days ago at Dulles airport when his luggage was delayed, has released a short statement expressing his regret: "I was tired after a delayed flight and frustrated by the subsequent further delay of the entire flight's baggage. But I did not want things to turn out as they did, with offense obviously taken and much misunderstanding. This is an episode that I regret and hope to move beyond."

ACT Agrees To Pay $775,000 Fine
The Federal Election Commission announced today that it has entered into an agreement with America Coming Together, a George Soros-funded 527 group that did extensive get-out-the-vote activities in the 2004 election. ACT has agreed to pay $775,000, the third largest civil penalty in FEC history, for breaking fundraising and spending limits, and using money officially listed as non-federal for federal purposes. (ed.note: I was an ACT canvasser in 2004, and did payroll work for their get-out-the-vote drive on Election Day.)

Huckabee On Thompson: People Think They're Electing Arthur Branch
In an interview with David Brody, Mike Huckabee had some choice words about Fred Thompson. "I frankly don't get it. I mean I'm not being unkind I just don't understand it because there's not a substantial record in the Senate in him having authored the landmark signature bill that changed America. There's not been in essence the kind of thing that says boy I remember when he did and then you fill in the blank. I think a lot of it is that people aren't sure whether they're electing a former senator or Arthur Branch." Arthur Branch is the character Thompson played on Law & Order.

Mitt Romney goes up on the air in Iowa and New Hampshire with this new ad:

The ad shows Romney jogging and huffing and puffing as a narrator ticks off his achievements in not just government, but the private sector, too. Jonathan Martin observes that the jogging shtick is intended to send a message about what another well-known Massachusetts pol called "vigah." Martin sees this as a swipe at Fred Thompson, whose reluctance to declare his candidacy makes him look lackluster in comparison with Romney's sweat and obvious hunger for the job.

Of course, the ad could just be about letting the world know that Romney can jog and talk at the same time.

"I can say without equivocation that no one who is running for president has presented anywhere near as comprehensive and accurate a prediction of what our country ought to do in the field of environmental quality, in the field of health care for those who are not presently insured, for those who struggle with poverty."

-- Former President Jimmy Carter, speaking about John Edwards as the two shared a stage together today in Georgia. The Associated Press says Carter stopped short of endorsing Edwards, but that quote came about as close to an endorsement as you possibly could.

Dealing another blow to Larry Craig over wide-stance-gate, the GOP Senate leadership has now shoved him out of his Senate committee slots. Here's the GOP leadership's statement:

"Senator Larry Craig has agreed to comply with Leadership’s request that he temporarily step down as the top Republican on the Veteran Affairs Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, and Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. This is not a decision we take lightly but we believe this is in the best interest of the Senate until this situation is resolved by the Ethics Committee."

"Temporarily," eh?

That's quite naturally the question now that Senator John McCain and other GOPers are calling for Larry Craig to go. So what would happen?

If a Senator resigns in Idaho, under Idaho law he gets replaced by someone appointed by the Governor. That person then holds the seat until the next regular Congressional election — which in this case, coincided with the seat being up for its normal election in 2008, anyway. In this case, Republican Governor C. L. "Butch" Otter would appoint a Republican replacement for Craig. Current names being floated about include Lt. Governor Jim Risch, Congressman Mike Simpson, and former Governor Dirk Kempthorne.

The appointee will then serve through the 2008 election, entering the race in this deep-red state with the advantages of incumbency, and a GOP likely to want party unity in the wake of the Craig scandal.

Senator Norm Coleman wants Larry Craig and his wide stance to go, too. His office just emailed over the following statement:

"Senator Craig pled guilty to a crime involving conduct unbecoming a senator. He should resign."

Including McCain, that makes two GOP Senators. Not much hope left, we'd say.

John McCain, on CNN just now, becomes the first Presidential candidate to call on GOP Senator Larry Craig to resign over wide-stance-gate:

MCCAIN: I believe that he pled guilty, and he had the opportunity to plead innocent, so I think he should resign.

JOHN KING: And suppose he comes back to Washington and says "I want to serve"?

MCCAIN: Well, that'll be a decision that he will make and most importantly the people of the state of Idaho, but my opinion is that when you plead guilty to a crime then you shouldn't serve and that's not a moral stand, that's not a holier-than-thou, it's just a factual situation. I don't try to judge people but in this case it's clear that it was disgraceful.

We're digging to see what McCain said, if anything, about David Vitter. We can't find anything yet. Any readers recall anything?

Video of McCain soon.

Late Update: Here's the vid:

Later Update: CNN is also reporting that Craig is stepping down from his committee assignments. "Temporarily," the network says.

Still Later Update: The Senate GOP leadership pushed Craig out of his committee slots. Here's the leadership's statement:

"Senator Larry Craig has agreed to comply with Leadership’s request that he temporarily step down as the top Republican on the Veteran Affairs Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, and Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. This is not a decision we take lightly but we believe this is in the best interest of the Senate until this situation is resolved by the Ethics Committee."

Hillary Clinton's campaign will once again be wheeling out their howitzer — Bill Clinton is set to campaign with Hillary this weekend in both Iowa and New Hampshire, according to a Hillary campaign release. The couple previously stumped together in Iowa on Independence Day, and attracted big crowds.

The release doesn't have specific times and locations for campaign events, but the once and perhaps future first couple will be in New Hampshire on Sunday and spend Labor Day in Iowa — both states where the polls show tight races.

Apparently the Hillary campaign still hasn't gotten the memo from all the pundits who keep telling us Bill Clinton and his personal lapses are a liability for Hillary. The reality is that he's been an asset for Hillary's campaign in multiple ways — from fundraising to reminding people of their fond memories of the 1990s. The personal appearances with Bill are also hugely beneficial — the activists who attend can walk away with both the up-front message that a vote for Hillary is a vote for Bill, and conversely an unstated idea that a vote against Hillary is a vote against Bill, too.

Of all the GOP comments on Senator Larry Craig's "wide stance," perhaps the most entertaining thus far was Mitt Romney's comparison of the Craig affair to Bill Clinton's Oval Office tryst.

Now comes Mike Huckabee with a genuinely good one:

PELLA, Iowa (CNN) — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said Wednesday that embattled Idaho Sen. Larry Craig has, as "the old saying goes…"a lot of 'splainin to do."...

"It's certainly not a good thing," Huckabee continued. "And I think the guilty plea is what makes it a little bit dicey for him. If he believed it was an innocent misunderstanding, then I think most Americans would say that you fight it, you don't just roll over and plead guilty."

John McCain is barely ahead among Republicans in his home state of Arizona, according to a poll released yesterday by Arizona State University:

Republicans:
McCain 24%
Romney 19%
Giuliani 18%
Thompson 17%
Gingrich 10%

Democrats:
Clinton 28%
Obama 17%
Gore 17%
Edwards 13%
Richardson 9%

With McCain barely able to capture a plurality, and the top three other candidates closely divided, will we soon be seeing a poll in which McCain is behind in the GOP race back home?

The liberal blogs have been abuzz with accusations against a major Maine newspaper, the Bangor Daily News, charging it with a conflict of interest in its coverage and editorial opinions on the Maine Senate race, which is shaping up as one of the highest-profile races in the nation, with intense interest from the Netroots.

The allegations seem to have a great deal of merit, as it turns out. They turn on the fact that the paper's executive editor, Mark Woodward, is married to Bridget Woodward, a staffer for Collins in the Senator's Bangor district office. In other words, if Collins were to lose the election, the wife of the executive editor of a major newspaper in Collins' home state would be out of a job — which would cause some serious inconvenience for that household.

So what does the paper's executive editor and the Collins staffer have to say about this arrangement? Absolutely nothing. We've repeatedly tried to contact Mark Woodward at the Daily News office, and Bridget Woodward at the Bangor district office, hoping to hear their side of the story. Thus far, not one of our calls has been returned.

Read more »

Today the news broke that Bush will ask for $50 billion in additional funding for the war. According to The Washington Post, the White House is doing this out of a belief that Congress will lack the spine to confront the administration on Iraq after General Petraeus speaks out about all the progress he's making in Iraq.

Now John Edwards has become the first Presidential candidate to weigh in on this, and just as he did earlier in the campaign, he's calling on Congress to stand firm against the President -- this time demanding that they do it in September. Here's his just-released statement:

"Enough is enough. When Congress comes back next week, they should stand firm and make their position clear: No timeline, no funding. No excuses.

"In October, Congress needs to send the president a funding bill that withdraws all combat troops within the next year and lays the groundwork for a comprehensive political solution that will stabilize the country. If the president vetoes that bill, they need to send him another one—and do this as many times as it takes for the president to finally get the message that he cannot defy the will of the American people, of Congress, and even of many members of his own military who believe it’s time to end this war and bring our troops home to the heroes’ welcome they deserve.”

You may recall that some time ago Rudy Giuliani unveiled a group called "Firefighters for Rudy" in response to some heat he was taking from firefighters over the deficiencies they saw in his 9/11 performance. At the time, this blog noted that the group's leader was merely a Rudy campaign aide and wouldn't say how many firefighters were in this new "group." Not much has been heard about the group since.

Now Rudy, who's again under fire from recovery workers over his exaggerations about his Masterfully Churchillian Performance on 9/11, is pulling the same trick from his hat once again. Today his campaign plans to unveil "First Responders for Rudy" at a firehouse in South Carolina.

This move, obviously, is all about keeping his 9/11 magic carpet riding high and -- again -- about deflecting the scorching criticism he's endured from the 9/11 workers.

This offers yet another occasion to ponder one of the enduring mysteries of this campaign: How is it that Rudy can keep campaigning on his 9/11 rep when many of the people who were waist deep in the 9/11 stew and had their lives forever altered by the disaster and its aftermath despise the man? How much longer can this media illusion sustain itself?

A new Gallup poll shows that public opinion is strongly with Barack Obama and John Edwards on the question of whether candidates should take money from lobbyists: It finds that 75% think this is unacceptable, while a meager 23% think it's okay.

Meanwhile, the poll also finds that only a slim minority is with Hillary on the issue. Asked whether Hillary should "refuse to accept campaign contributions from lobbyists," a whopping 72% said she should, while only 26% said she shouldn't.

More numbers on this question here.

Report: White House To Ask For $50 Billion More For Iraq
President Bush is reportedly going to ask Congress for an additional $50 billion in spending for the Iraq War. The announcement will come soon after General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker give their testimony to Congress — based around the idea that Congress won't be able to turn down the request after they've heard good news from those two officials.

Tim Johnson Addresses South Dakota
At a rally yesterday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) thanked the people of his state for their support and patience, having been out of action in Congress since a near-fatal brain hemorrhage last December. "My commitment to you for my second chance at life is to make you and all South Dakotans the beneficiary of that gift," Johnson said.

RNC Planning Sanctions Against Five Primary States
The Republican National Committee is planning to strip at least half the delegates from five states — Florida, Michigan, Wyoming, South Carolina and New Hampshire — because of those states moving their primary dates ahead of the GOP's officially sanctioned calendar. A lingering question, however, is whether this is actually consistent with Republican doctrines. After all, they don't think sanctions work — the answer should be to invade and occupy the offending states.

Edwards Calls On Americans To Give Up SUV's
Ask not what your car can do for you but what your car can do for your country. John Edwards told an audience at a forum held by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Tuesday that he would ask Americans to stop driving sport utility vehicles. "I think Americans are actually willing to sacrifice," Edwards said. "One of the things they should be asked to do is drive more fuel efficient vehicles."

Leading GOP Candidates Skip Lance Armstrong's Cancer Forum
Top-tier GOP candidates Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain, and others declined to attend Tuesday's Livestrong Cancer Forum, leaving only Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownback to discuss their views on combatting the disease. The Democratic forum on Monday drew a somewhat larger crowd — Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich participated.

Huckabee Would Expand Anti-Smoking Laws
GOP candidate Mike Huckabee, participating in the Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum in Iowa, told the audience that he would sign a federal law banning smoking in public places. Many state and local governments have enacted similar laws, including New York and California. Huckabee said that his wife's battle against cancer in the 1970s has influenced his perspective on fighting the disease.

Republicans Ask: Can It Get Worse?
Republican strategists are wondering, in the wake of the Larry Craig scandal, just how bad their party's image can possibly get. "There is an expectation that leaders who espouse family values will live by those values," said Family Research Council president Tony Perkins. "And while the values voters don't demand perfection, I do believe they want leaders with integrity."

This just in: A new poll taken today by SurveyUSA shows that Senator Larry Craig's (R-ID) political standing has apparently taken a massive hit. A majority of Idaho adults, 55%, say the Senator should resign, compared to only 34% who say he should remain in office. And his approval rating is only the same percentage as those who say he should not resign, 34%, compared to 58% disapproval.

By contrast, his fellow Idaho Senator, Mike Crapo (R), enjoys a 61% approval rating, with only 26% disapproval — meaning the Republican brand is not damaged in Idaho, just the Larry Craig brand.

Of course, it's worth keeping in mind that Craig cannot be recalled. A poll cannot make him resign — only he can make that decision. So short of any hypothetical decision by the Senate to expel him, he can stay right where he is for now. But if he was thinking about running for re-election in 2008, this can't be encouraging.

The poll also tested the favorable/unfavorable/neutral ratings of potential Republican appointees to the seat: Lt. Governor Jim Risch, 26%-17%-32%; Congressman Mike Simpson, 40%-19%-25%; and former Governor Dirk Kempthorne, now serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior, 46%-33%-17%. In addition, former Democratic Congressman Larry LaRocco, currently running for Craig's Senate seat in 2008, is at 22%-21%-33%.

Hillary Clinton Gets First Announced Union Endorsement
The United Transportation Union announced that it is endorsing Hillary Clinton, in what the Associated Press has dubbed "the first national union endorsement of the 2008 campaign." One has to wonder if this endorsement was decided long ago and only just officially announced now, in order to claim the mantle of a first endorsement in the wake of reports yesterday that the International Association of Fire Fighters is backing Chris Dodd.

Fidel Castro Ponders Hillary-Obama Ticket
The right-wingers will go gaga for this. In his latest column, Fidel Castro pontificates on "the seemingly invincible ticket that might be created with Hillary for President and Obama for Vice President." Of course, it should be noted that the Cuban dictator ridicules them: "Both of them feel the sacred duty of demanding 'a democratic government in Cuba.' They are not making politics: they are playing a game of cards on a Sunday afternoon." Nevertheless, expect the Fox News types to imply or even state that Castro has endorsed them.

McCain Qualifies For Public Financing — Undecided On Actually Using Them
John McCain officially qualified with the Federal Election Commission today to receive federal matching funds in the Republican primaries. The campaign is not yet settled on actually accepting the funds, though. "We have not made a final decision, but we are doing what's necessary should we decide to opt into the matching fund system," said McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker. If he does accept funds, McCain will also face prohibitive restrictions on campaign spending, such as a limit of only $1.5 million in Iowa.

Obama Wins Support Of Doug Wilder
Barack Obama has been endorsed by former Governor Doug Wilder (D-VA), who in 1989 became the first black person elected governor of any state, and now serves as the Mayor of Richmond. Wilder, who has a history being a moderate Democrat, attacked in no uncertain terms the idea that Obama is not "black enough." "What is blackness?" he asked rhetorically. "Is it the way you talk? Do you got to say, 'Dey this, dey dat.'" Wilder plans to actively campaign on Obama's behalf.

Minnesota DFL Moves Caucus To February 5
In a widely expected move, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party voted today to reschedule their caucus for February 5. The Minnesota Republicans already made the same move in July.

Fletcher Takes On Gambling Addiction In New Ad
Governor Ernie Fletcher (R-KY), who has been trailing badly in the polls against Democratic candidate Steve Beshear, has a new ad attacking Beshear's proposals for legalized casinos. The ad features Norma Brandt of Waterloo, Illinois, a former bank teller who now discusses her gambling problem. "I had no idea what a casino was or a slot machine, and at the end I was going everyday," Brandt says. "I ended up taking $241,000 from the bank, and I ended up going to prison. Had I not been caught, I know I'd be dead."

Today's Wall Street Journal has a long story on a major New York donor to Hillary, a wealthy apparel industry businessman named Norman Hsu. The story, which has been talked about in campaign circles today, insinuates without proving it that Hsu was basically channeling thousands of dollars of contributions to Hillary through another Asian family of more modest means, the Paw family.

It looks as if the story could end up making trouble for Hsu. A source tells me that Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee officials have been calling the offices of Dem House members to talk about contributions they've received from Hsu, who gives to many Dem candidates. The source adds that in at least one case, the DCCC has encouraged the member to return his contributions.

Asked for a response, DCCC spokesperson Jennifer Crider said: "It’'s our policy not to comment about whether we’'ve had a specific private conversation with one of our Member offices."

Meanwhile, it remains unclear how much there really is to The Journal's story, however. The paper had this odd disclaimer in the piece: "There is no public record or indication Mr. Hsu reimbursed the Paw family for their political contributions."

What's more, many other Dems, including Barack Obama's PAC, have received contributions from Hsu. And Hsu's lawyer is pushing back hard on the story, arguing in a statement that the Paws did in fact have the means to give contributions to Hillary. The lawyer even said that he offered to show the Journal reporter the Paws' financial info if they'd agree not to run the story, but the reporter refused.

GOP Senator Larry Craig just gave a press conference in Idaho that was broadcast on CNN just moments ago. His key quote:

"I am not gay. I never have been gay."

Craig also said that he "overreacted" by pleading guilty, said he should have told his wife and friends about his arrest, and said he'd retained counsel to reexamine the situation. He also claimed that he'd been under tremendous stress because of the local Idaho press' ongoing investigation into his sexuality, and that this pressure had led to his mistaken decision to plead to a lesser charge.

Craig sounded awfully defiant. Particularly given that he didn't say a single specific thing about the charges against him or about what had actually happened that day.

More soon, including video. Stay with us.

Late Update: Here's the video...

...and here's Craig's full statement:

"First, please let me apologize to my family, friends, staff, and fellow Idahoans for the cloud placed over Idaho. I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis airport. I regret my decision to plead guilty and the sadness that decision has brought to my wife, family, friends, staff, and fellow Idahoans. For that I apologize.

"In June, I overreacted and made a poor decision. While I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct at the Minneapolis airport or anywhere else, I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in the hope of making it go away. I did not seek any counsel, either from an attorney, staff, friends, or family. That was a mistake, and I deeply regret it. Because of that, I have now retained counsel and I am asking my counsel to review this matter and to advise me on how to proceed.

"For a moment, I want to put my state of mind into context on June 11. For 8 months leading up to June, my family and I had been relentlessly and viciously harassed by the Idaho Statesman. If you’ve seen today’s paper, you know why. Let me be clear: I am not gay and never have been.

"Still, without a shred of truth or evidence to the contrary, the Statesman has engaged in this witch hunt. In pleading guilty, I overreacted in Minneapolis, because of the stress of the Idaho Statesman’s investigation and the rumors it has fueled around Idaho. Again, that overreaction was a mistake, and I apologize for my misjudgment. Furthermore, I should not have kept this arrest to myself, and should have told my family and friends about it. I wasn’t eager to share this failure, but I should have done so anyway.

"I love my wife, family, friends, staff, and Idaho. I love serving Idaho in Congress. Over the years, I have accomplished a lot for Idaho, and I hope Idahoans will allow me to continue to do that. There are still goals I would like to accomplish, and I believe I can still be an effective leader for Idaho. Next month, I will announce, as planned, whether or not I will seek reelection.

"As an elected official, I fully realize that my life is open for public criticism and scrutiny, and I take full responsibility for the mistake in judgment I made in attempting to handle this matter myself.

"It is clear, though, that through my actions I have brought a cloud over Idaho. For that, I ask the people of Idaho for their forgiveness.

"As I mentioned earlier, I have now retained counsel to examine this matter and I will make no further comment."

Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), who has been out of action in the Senate since his near-fatal brain hemorrhage in December, will say in an upcoming interview on ABC News that he is determined "not only to return to the Senate next week, but to seek re-election in 2008," according to an ABC press release. So there you have it: Tim Johnson will run for his seat again next year.

Meanwhile, Johnson is greeting voters back home in South Dakota at an event later this afternoon, the state's local press is reporting. It's his first visit back to his home state since his near-death experience. And interestingly, a lot of Republican elected officials are there to welcome him home — including Governor Mike Rounds, who would be the strongest possible challenger to Johnson if he were to run.

As you've probably heard by now, Rudy Giuliani's 9/11 performance was a Masterful Display of Churchillian Resolve, and as a result, Rudy the candidate should now be seen as a kind of cross between the Terminator and Dwight Eisenhower, who ran for President after his stint as commander of the allied forces in Europe.

Presumably, the people who would best know this are New Yorkers, who got the closest view of Rudy in the disaster's aftermath.

So when New Yorkers are asked who they trust more to handle terrorism, Rudy or Hillary, naturally they pick Rudy, right? Well, take a look at this new Rasmussen poll. It finds:

Which of NEW YORK'S PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS do you trust the most to handle the War on Terror?

36% Giuliani
44% Clinton

Go figure.

If more such numbers come out, I'm sure we'll start hearing a great deal from pundits about Hillary's advantage on terror, at least in New York, as we constantly hear now about Rudy. Right?

Meanwhile, the poll also finds that Hillary is crushing Rudy the Terminator of Terrorists by an astonishing 25-point margin in New York, 58%-33%. Which would seem to make it tougher for Rudy to sustain his argument that he's the one who as GOP nominee would put reliably blue states -- such as his own -- in play.

GOP Senator Larry Craig was a prominent official in Mitt Romney's campaign and one of his leading backers in the Senate, and even sought to publicly make the case that Romney's the candidate of strong family values.

Until yesterday, when news of the wide stance scandal broke and forced Craig to resign from Romney's Presidential effort.

Now Romney himself has commented for the first time on Craig's shenanigans:

"I'm going to have a lot of supporters; if I'm lucky enough to get elected I'll have about 50.1 percent," Romney said. "I'm not going to be able to account for all of their behavior, I don't think it reflects on me, and I don't know the particulars in this case. I wish him well, but I'll worry about my own behavior, and also about making sure we take the appropriate action when people in any way violated any degree of public trust."

In case you missed it, the video that the Romney campaign didn't want you to see of Craig talking up Romney's family values is here.

Rudy Giuliani, the only former U.S. Attorney running for President, still hasn't released any statement on the Gonzo resignation. But it turns out he did say something about it last night, offering some kind words for the disgraced Attorney General at a fundraiser in Detroit:

"I think Judge Gonzales has given service with his contribution both at the White House and as attorney general," the former New York mayor and federal prosecutor said outside the Fox Theatre. "He made his choice. I know he's lived through a lot of fire in many areas."

Giuliani also made sure to name-drop one of Gonzales' prospective replacements, Michael Chertoff, a former Justice Department colleague of Rudy's. "He said he would make any suggestions confidentially, not in public, then pointed out that one of those whose name has come up is Chertoff, now U.S. secretary of Homeland Security," the Associated Press reports.

Needless to say, Rudy didn't mention that Chertoff was widely criticized for presiding over FEMA's disastrous response to Katrina.

Do Dems have a chance of picking up Larry Craig's Senate seat in the wake of his conviction for disorderly conduct in a public men's room?

The short answer: A Dem pickup is not very likely.

True, there's already a Democratic candidate in in the race: Former Congressman Larry LaRocco, who served from 1991-1995. He's already running hard for the seat, doing populist-style campaign "work days" and courting the netroots, moves that have spurred interest among the state's Democratic activists.

Nonetheless, there are reasons for Dems to be pessimistic about their chances. For one thing, Idaho is an overwhelmingly Republican state, practically one-party. The state went 69%-30% for President Bush in 2004, and has not voted for a Democratic candidate for president since the Lyndon Johnson landslide of 1964 — and even then, Johnson only won Idaho 51%-49% even as he defeated Barry Goldwater nationally by a 61%-38% majority. The state legislature is heavily Republican, with a 51-19 GOP majority in the House and an even more lopsided 28-7 margin in the Senate.

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That's what Senator Larry Craig's spokesperson, Dan Whiting, has now confirmed.

We'll have a post for you soon describing the current political state of play around Craig's Idaho Senate seat in the wake of these revelations.

Meanwhile, Glenn Greenwald has an extensive rundown of right wing reaction to the news.

Here's an interesting postscript to l'affair de Larry Craig, the GOP Senator who was arrested for "lewd conduct" in a men's room in June.

Around a month before the arrest, Craig blamed the "gay movement" for longtime rumors about his sexuality.

Today's Idaho Statesman has a very long piece detailing an interview the paper did Craig in May, as part of an investigation into his past that the paper ended up not publishing. In the interview, Craig strenuously denied rumors he was gay.

And in an amusing but also slightly sad moment, it turns out the paper actually played Craig -- and his wife -- a tape recording of an interview the paper had done with a man who'd claimed to have had oral sex with Craig:

In the May 14 interview, Craig and his wife listened to a four-minute excerpt of the Statesman's interview with the 40-year-old man who first spoke to Rogers. At first, Craig objected to the man's anonymity, but agreed to listen. The man's voice was disguised.

Craig said the man is an activist. "The gay movement, we know it for what it is. It's now aggressive and it's liberal and it's naming people to try to put them in compromising, difficult situations."

Suzanne Craig's eyes reddened and filled with tears as she listened. After her husband's denial, she said, "I'm incensed that you would even consider such a piece of trash as a credible source."

To which Craig added, "Jiminy God!"

Look, if Craig didn't have a terrible record on gay issues, we'd probably care a heck of a lot less how wide the man's toilet stance is. But he does -- and he even cast aspersions on the "gay movement" until the very end, as you can see here.

Late Update: Matt Corley over at Think Progress takes a look at the conservatives who are now calling on Craig to resign.

Last week we reported on a new ad that the Louisiana Democratic Party is running against GOP Congressman Bobby Jindal, who is running for governor this Fall. The ad quotes Jindal's writing in a right-wing Catholic journal in the mid-90's, soon after his conversion to Catholicism from Hinduism, alleging that he made disparaging remarks against Protestants.

Now Jindal is hitting back at the ad — by threatening legal action against stations that air it.

Jindal's lawyers have sent a letter to TV stations throughout Louisiana, calling the ad defamatory and saying it takes Jindal's writings out of context in order to slander him. It says:

Accordingly, we hereby request that your station stop airing this advertisement immediately. If you are unwilling to do so, we request an explanation of the basis of that decision in law or station policy.

With this letter, our client reserves all rights, remedies and recourse to which they are surely entitled in connection with the broadcast of the advertisement referenced herein, and no action or inaction by our client shall be deemed to constitute a waiver, relinquishment or other impairment of such rights, remedies or recourse.

The full text of the letter is here. For the Jindal camp's point-by-point refutation of the ad's allegations, click here. You can watch video of the ad after the jump.

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Larry Craig Steps Down From Romney Campaign
Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) has left his position as a Senate liaison for the Romney campaign, a key leadership position he'd had since February, after news broke about his recent conviction for disorderly conduct in a public men's room. "Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision," the Romney campaign said in a statement.

Edwards Proposes "Brownie's Law" — Has Nothing To Do With Girl Scouts
John Edwards announced yesterday that as president he would have a policy dubbed "Brownie's Law," named in "honor" of former FEMA head Michael Brown. "Edwards will enact a new requirement — 'Brownie's Law' — ensuring that senior political appointees actually are qualified to perform the job to which they are appointed," according to a campaign fact sheet. "Brownie's Law will require that heads of executive agencies and other senior officials have demonstrated qualifications in the field related to their job." It sure says something about the current state of governmental affairs that such a pronouncement could be considered newsworthy.

Florida Democrats Not Budging On Primary Date
Florida Democrats have given no indication that they will comply with the Democratic National Committee's orders to change their primary date from the current plan for January 29, as opposed to the nationally sanctioned date of February 5. In fact, they're becoming openly defiant. “The easy solution, which can be reached during the 30-day appeal period," said U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), "is for states that can do so administratively to move their primaries up seven days." In other words: If other states don't like us moving our primary up a week, they should just move theirs up, too.

GOP Takes Aim At 2006 Upset Winner
After securing victory in a deep-red Ohio district following the corruption-related conviction of the previous incumbent, Bob Ney (R), Rep. Zack Space (D-OH) now must prove that his election was more than just the product of good timing. The New York Times today examines GOP efforts to unseat the Congressman, whom they see as a fluke winner and a top-tier pickup opportunity. Political analysts expect both parties to dump large amounts of cash into the race, viewed as a test of how durable and widespread Democrats' 2006 gains are over the long term.

Suspect Arrested In Dodd District Office Burglary
Police have arrested Gilbert Soto, a homeless man with a long criminal record, for allegedly burglarizing Senator Chris Dodd's (D-CT) Hartford district office. Soto reportedly stole a TV set and a computer, which were recovered after he brought police to the locations where he sold them. "It does not appear right now that he knew he was breaking into a presidential candidate's office or that there was any political motivation," said Assistant Police Chief Neil Dryfe.

Jack Carter, Son Of Jimmy Carter, Endorses Biden
Nevada businessman Jack Carter, unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Senate in 2006 and the oldest son of former President Jimmy Carter, has endorsed Joe Biden for president. "With Joe Biden, we don't have to worry about the problems of lack of experience or high negatives affecting our chances in November 2008," Carter said in a Biden campaign statement, an apparent snipe at both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. "I'm very comfortable that he can win."

Man Arrested For Impersonating Edwards Aide
Florida man Michael Duga, a career criminal whose record includes selling drugs and car-jacking, has been arrested for making his way into a John Edwards event. The man was found in possession of documents from the Edwards campaign, including: Three sheets of stick-on Edwards campaign badges, an itinerary of Edwards' campaign stops, ten sheets of Edwards' personal stationery and envelopes, and other documents with the names, contact information and hotel assignments for campaign staffers.

From the Larry Craig files, circa 1991...

Here he is, speaking during floor debate over Clarence Thomas in October of that year, expounding on his concern about sexual harassment as a national problem, while nonetheless supporting Thomas anyway (via Nexis):

Mr. President, like many Americans, I and my colleagues have spent a tremendous number of hours over the course of the last week and through this past weekend monitoring our Judiciary Committee's proceedings, reviewing the evidence, and trying to decide how to vote on the confirmation of Judge Thomas.

But something else fundamentally important has happened in this country -- the beginning of a necessary and important debate about sexual harassment, the protection of employees, policies, and if they exist or not and how this nation should handle them.

Now, I would have to tell you that I did not, until this morning, have a sexual harassment policy in my office here or in my offices in Idaho. That is now being corrected today, and in the course of the last four days, there has been a rising of national consciousness of tremendous significance. We have learned that sexual harassment is real, that it comes in a variety of forms, and that it's happened to thousands of Americans, men and women alike.

I hope we have learned a few other things, Mr. President. I hope the American people have learned that this is, indeed, a serious matter -- serious enough to stop the United States Senate dead in its tracks, to reverse and to begin to hear again charges and to examine those who charged and those who are accused. We did that. And for hours that occurred, Mr. Chairman.

Today we have an accuser who has tried to make a case against Judge Clarence Thomas. I am one of those who believe she failed. I simply do not believe that Anita Hill proved her case against Clarence Thomas, and in this system, although it is not a court of law, our American sense of fairness requires that the accuser has the burden of proving his or her accusations.

This process has not revealed any new reason for me to vote differently than I had said earlier and publicly I would vote. And today I stand saying that I will support the nomination of Clarence Thomas to become an associate justice of the US Supreme Court.

Again, not directly at odds with lewd conduct in a men's room, but...

Big Fire Fighters Union Backs ... Chris Dodd
Ben Smith reports that the International Association of Firefighters has decided to endorse Chris Dodd for president, rather than one of the current frontrunners. Dodd authored the 2000 FIRE Act, channeling federal money to local fire departments. This is definitely a major coup for the Dodd campaign's hopes of moving up into the first tier.

Report: Obama Considered Voting For Roberts — Ultimately Didn't, Over Politics
A new Washington Post feature story on Pete Rouse, a longtime Washington hand who became Barack Obama's chief of staff in 2005, contains this interesting piece of information: Obama was strongly considering voting to confirm John Roberts as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. And then, the paper reports, Rouse reminded him just what the political ramifications of such a decision would be:

And then Rouse, his chief of staff, spoke up. This was no Harvard moot-court exercise, he said. If Obama voted for Roberts, Rouse told him, people would remind him of that every time the Supreme Court issued another conservative ruling, something that could cripple a future presidential run. Obama took it in. And when the roll was called, he voted no.

Edwards Says Cabinet Would Include Republicans
Sounding a conciliatory note, John Edwards told a New Hampshire crowd that the prospective cabinet he has "already made" would include Republicans and that he would work with the other side "in a principled way." Edwards declined to name his hypothetical Republican cabinet members for now in order to prevent hurt feelings, telling an interviewer "I don't want people who are not chosen...I don't think it's fair to them."

Edwards Criticizes Clinton's Lobbyist Ties At Cancer Forum
John Edwards derided Hillary Clinton for accepting contributions from health care groups at the Democratic forum on cancer today in Iowa. Clinton defended her decision by pointing to her record on health care, which includes her famous effort to create a national healthcare system in the early nineties. "I believe in working with everybody and being influenced by nobody," she said of her relationship with lobbyists. Edwards countered that special interests should be left out of the debate: "I think if you give the drug companies, insurance companies and their lobbyists a seat at the table," he warned the audience, "they'll eat all the food."

Bill Clinton Defends 1990's Health Care Drive
In an upcoming book on philanthropy, entitled Giving, defended the failed 1993-94 health care initiative, in which Hillary Clinton was deeply involved, saying the effort was "killed by politics, not the plan's particulars." Furthermore, the former president writes, "Since 2000, all the cost and coverage problems have worsened," meaning the country may be ready now for a major overhaul of the health care system.

Rudy Defends Record On Illegal Immigration
At an Iowa campaign stop, Rudy Giuliani defended his policy of not actively enforcing immigration laws when he was mayor of New York City. "I reduced crime, created more security. I created a much greater increase in quality of life than anybody in America in the 1990s," Giuliani said, before further into just why he felt he had to look the other way on immigration law. "If you don’t allow illegal immigrants to report crimes and the federal government has let 400,000 illegal immigrants in your city, you’re not going to be able to reduce crime for everyone else."

Florida Governor Standing Firm On Primary
Governor Charlie Crist (R-FL) is refusing to back down from his state's January 29 primary date, despite threats by the national parties to strip some or even all delegates from the state. "It's important to keep the primary right where it is. I think Florida being in the forefront is exactly what we need to do." Crist also communicated his thoughts about the national parties' threats: "I think it's silly. It is. What matters is people. The people's vote, the people's will is what these candidates care about."

We've just received a copy of the statement that GOP Senator Larry Craig has been promising in response to the news that he was arrested for lewd conduct in a men's room. Here is Craig's statement, courtesy of his spokesman:

"At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously."

How his actions were misconstrued -- and what the actual intentions of those actions were -- is not explained.

Late Update: CNN reports that Craig and his family are currently on vacation and that he has no intention of speaking publicly at this time.

GOP Senator Larry Craig, who we now know was arrested for lewd conduct in a men's room in June, had this to say about Bill Clinton on Meet the Press on January 24, 1999, at the height of Monicagate:

MR. RUSSERT: Larry Craig, would you want the last word from the Senate be an acquittal of the president and no censure?

SEN. CRAIG: Well, I don't know where the Senate's going to be on that issue of an up or down vote on impeachment, but I will tell you that the Senate certainly can bring about a censure reslution and it's a slap on the wrist. It's a, "Bad boy, Bill Clinton. You're a naughty boy." The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy, a naughty boy.

I'm going to speak out for the citizens of my state, who in the majority think that Bill Clinton is probably even a nasty, bad, naughty boy. The question issue now is simply this: Did he lie under oath? Did he perjure himself and did he obstruct justice? And that's where we're trying to go now in this truth-seeking process.

Which, again, is not directly at odds with lewd conduct in a men's room. Though the sex-out-of-wedlock piece of this just might be somewhat relevant.

More soon.

Late Update: AmericaBlog has a good rundown of Craig's positions on gay issues.

Breaking news from Roll Call:

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom, according to an arrest report obtained by Roll Call Monday afternoon.

Craig’s arrest occurred just after noon on June 11 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. He paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation with the court that began on Aug. 8.

Here's what Craig did that day, according to the incident report filed by plainclothes officer Dave Karsina:

Craig then entered the stall next to Karsnia’s and placed his roller bag against the front of the stall door.

“My experience has shown that individuals engaging in lewd conduct use their bags to block the view from the front of their stall,” Karsnia stated in his report. “From my seated position, I could observe the shoes and ankles of Craig seated to the left of me.”

Craig was wearing dress pants with black dress shoes.

“At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. I moved my foot up and down slowly. While this was occurring, the male in the stall to my right was still present. I could hear several unknown persons in the restroom that appeared to use the restroom for its intended use. The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area,” the report states.

Craig then proceeded to swipe his hand under the stall divider several times, and Karsnia noted in his report that “I could ... see Craig had a gold ring on his ring finger as his hand was on my side of the stall divider.”

Karsnia then held his police identification down by the floor so that Craig could see it.

“With my left hand near the floor, I pointed towards the exit. Craig responded, ‘No!’ I again pointed towards the exit. Craig exited the stall with his roller bags without flushing the toilet. ... Craig said he would not go. I told Craig that he was under arrest, he had to go, and that I didn’t want to make a scene. Craig then left the restroom.”

In a recorded interview after his arrest, Craig “either disagreed with me or ‘didn’t recall’ the events as they happened,” the report states.

Craig stated “that he has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched mine,” the report states. Craig also told the arresting officer that he reached down with his right hand to pick up a piece of paper that was on the floor.

“It should be noted that there was not a piece of paper on the bathroom floor, nor did Craig pick up a piece of paper,” the arresting officer said in the report.

A very quick check of Craig's record on gay issues turns up the fact that he voted in favor of an Idaho Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, and also voted in favor of last year's Federal Marriage Amendment doing the same thing.

Though it should be noted that neither of those votes is directly at odds with engaging in lewd conduct in a public men's rest room.

Late Update: The Roll Call piece is not accessible right now, so let me add that it contains this denial from the Craig camp:

A spokesman for Craig described the incident as a “he said/he said misunderstanding,” and said the office would release a fuller statement later Monday afternoon.

"He said, he said?"

Later Update: In light of today's news, this Larry Craig quote about Bill Clinton during the height of Monicagate seems worth recalling.

Even Later Update: Here's the statement Craig's been promising on this whole affair.

“If you give them a seat at the table, they’ll eat all the food.”

-- John Edwards, speaking about Washington lobbyists at a forum today at which he criticized Hillary for taking money from health care interests.

Does Hillary really have an "electability" problem? The charge is thrown around with a startling degree of recklessness by our pundits, who more or less base this assessment on little more than the fact that someone else said it before they did.

But now Chris Bowers of OpenLeft.com has taken what may be the most comprehensive look yet at the polling data in an effort to answer this question. His methodology was basically to compare Hillary's performance against Rudy with that of Barack Obama and John Edwards. Bowers' conclusion: While Hillary was outperformed against Rudy by the other two Dems this spring, more recent polling demonstrates conclusively that she's erased this disadvantage and now beats Rudy by slightly larger margins than her Dem rivals.

"Clinton’s deficit in general election matchups against Rudy Giuliani, relative to Obama and Edwards, has entirely disappeared in non-Rasmussen polls," Bowers concludes. "In short, across the broad I don’t think that there is any clear evidence pointing to Hillary Clinton as less electable than Barack Obama and John Edwards at this time."

Check out all the numbers here. Meanwhile, Kos seconds Bowers' take, commenting that Hillary's electoral chances "are just as good if not better than any of the other top-tier Democrats."

Though Kos also writes that he'd rather most of her rivals win the Dem nomination, getting this sort of endorsement of her electability from two leading lib bloggers does have some value for Camp Hillary, especially given Hillary's historic tensions with the Netroots.

At first it looked as if you'd need a bloodhound to track down a GOP presidential candidate willing to comment on Gonzo's resignation. But now some statements are beginning to trickle in.

Mitt Romney (sent over by his spokesman):

"Attorney General Gonzales should be recognized for his many years of public service to the State of Texas and to the people of the United States at both the White House and the Department of Justice.

"I believe the Attorney General made the right decision to step aside. The resignation is an opportunity for President Bush to renew the nation's commitment to the law enforcement officers and personnel who are dedicated to enforcing the rule of law and protecting the American people from the threat of terrorism around the globe."

John McCain:

"I have said for a long time that I thought the president would be best served if the attorney general resigned so I think it's the right thing to do."

Sam Brownback:

Said on MSNBC that Gonzales’ resignation is “long overdue.” Easy to say now. Brownback never called for Gonzales’ resignation prior to today.

Still nothing from Rudy, the only U.S. Attorney running for President. We'll let you know if he decides to say anything.

Meanwhile, John Aravosis does a quick lap through the winger blogosphere and discovers that conservatives aren't exactly heartbroken to see Gonzo Gone-o.

John Edwards has just become the first Dem Presidential candidate to explicitly come out against the rumored appointment of Michael Chertoff as a replacement for Gonzo. Edwards told CNN:

"I don't think we should take the person who's responsible for Guantanamo and replace him with the person who's responsible for the aftermath of Katrina. My initial reaction is very negative to that. I think Chertoff -- there are lots of very good qualified lawyers in this country, I don't know why President Bush's circle is quite so small, but we ought to be able to find somebody who's not political, who's highly qualified to head up the Justice Department."

As noted earlier, Hillary seemed to suggest, without quite saying, that she'd oppose a Chertoff appointment, pointing out that the second anniversary of Katrina served as a reminder for the need of a better AG -- a seeming reference to Chertoff's widely criticized Katrina performance as head of the Department of Homeland Security.

Now, however, Edwards -- who's made the plight of Katrina victims central to his antipoverty campaign -- has made his opposition to Chertoff explicit.

Hillary Clinton's statement is now out on Gonzales' resignation:

This resignation is long overdue, and so is the appointment of an Attorney General who will put the rule of law and our Constitution above partisan politics.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales took an oath to uphold our Constitution and respect the rule of law, but time and time again, he demonstrated that his loyalties lie with the President and his political agenda, not the American people or the evenhanded and impartial enforcement of our laws. In his actions and inaction, from warantless wiretaps to the firing of U.S. Attorneys, his loyalty was to the President, not the American people.

The Department’s hardworking lawyers, law enforcement officers, and staff are trusted to defend our Constitution, not one Administration or political party. That trust is central to the sanctity of the rule of law and the vitality of our democracy. Because he betrayed his obligations and the trust of the American people, I welcome today’s announcement that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned his post as Attorney General of the United States.

My hope is that the President will select a new Attorney General who will respect the rule of law and abandon partisanship, who will serve the American people and not the President’s political ideology, and who will answer to the Constitution and not political operatives. It is past time to clean up this mess and restore non-partisan accountability and competence to the Department of Justice.

The second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is one more reminder that the President must appoint someone to lead the Department of Justice with the leadership and competence necessary to defend the Constitution.

Hillary's mention of Katrina is interesting. Is it a shot across the bow of Michael Chertoff, whose name is being floated as Gonzales' replacement? Two years ago, Chertoff was widely criticized for his stewardship at the Department of Homeland Security during the Bush Administration's bungled response to Katrina.

In a move that could throw a shadow over growing Dem optimism about making gains in the Senate in 2008, Louisiana Treasurer John N. Kennedy announced today that he is switching from the Democrats over to the Republican Party — a change widely seen as being a preliminary move towards challenging Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu.

In a statement posted on his Web site this morning, Kennedy said:

"I believe in certain fixed, bedrock principles: that government should be responsive and accountable to the taxpayers who pay for it; that economic growth originates in the private sector; that education is the best safeguard of liberty; that ethics in government is critical to people’s faith in democracy; that the values of faith, work, family, personal responsibility and individual liberty are the building blocks of a prosperous society. I have concluded that the Republican Party is the party that best reflects my values today."

Louisiana is one of the few states in the country currently trending Republican. After the election of Senator David Vitter (R) to succeed retiring conservative Democrat John Breaux in 2004, the state's Democratic base was further damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused many black voters to move elsewhere. If Kennedy follows up on his party switch with a run for Senate — which Karl Rove had been courting him to do — expect it to be a very tough race for the Dems.

Kennedy previously ran for Senate in the 2004 race as a Democrat, coming in third place in the all-party "jungle primary" election with 15%, behind second-place finisher Chris John (D) at 29% and David Vitter, the outright winner, who had 51%.

The full text of Kennedy's statement after the jump.

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Chris Dodd released this statement in reaction to Alberto Gonzales' resignation:

"Mr. Gonzales' Justice Department became a political wing of the Bush Administration and his resignation is long overdue. I will only vote to confirm a nominee for Attorney General who is truly independent and who will guarantee reforms that restore and uphold the Constitution."

“Alberto Gonzales is the first Attorney General who thought the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth were three different things."

-- Rahm Emanuel, in a just-released statement on Gonzo's resignation.

Harry Reid's statement on Gonzo's jump:

"Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove. This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House."

Incidentally, the D.C. conventional wisdom is already congealing: This resignation, along with that of Rove, is good for the Republicans, because it will allow Bush to enter into his September battle with Congress over Iraq unencumbered by his heaviest political baggage and surrounded by "new" leadership. Dems will need to make the case that merely getting rid of Rove and Gonzo doesn't put an end to the story -- something Reid's trying to do here.

Obama statement on Gonzo's resignation:

"I have long believed that Alberto Gonzales subverted justice to promote a political agenda, and so I am pleased that he has finally resigned today. The President needs to nominate an Attorney General who will be the people's lawyer, not the President's lawyer, and in an Obama Administration that person will first and foremost defend and promote the rights and liberties enshrined in our Constitution."

Bill Richardson released this statement regarding the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:

"The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is long overdue. The President must nominate an Attorney General who is a lawyer for the American people not a political arm of the White House."

Edwards Releases Brief Statement
John Edwards released this statement in reaction to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:

"Better late than never."

Maliki Blasts Hillary Clinton And Carl Levin
Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said at a news conference, "There are American officials who consider Iraq as if it were one of their villages, for example Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin. They should come to their senses." Levin and Clinton have both called for a vote of no confidence against the prime minister, while President Bush is publicly standing by him.

Thompson Still Has Red Pickup Truck — But Isn't Using It
It turns out that the red pickup truck bought by Fred Thompson as a prop for his 1994 Senate campaign is still in his possession, currently kept at his mother's house. Thompson, however, has resisted efforts to get him back in the truck, which he used to affect a folksy image — but didn't even drive himself.

Presidential Candidates Funnel PAC Money To Iowa Lawmakers
In order to get on the good side of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina elected officials and other partisans, presidential candidates are donating thousands of dollars to the state parties and to individual officials. The biggest donations have been to state parties — the Democratic Party in Iowa received more than $500,000 in the first half of the year from the presidential candidates, while the Iowa GOP took in $200,000 from the Republican presidential field.

Warner Not Ruling Out Voting For Dem Withdrawal Bill
The President may be in danger of losing another key GOP Senator's Iraq support: John Warner (R-VA). "I'm going to have to evaluate it," Warner said of Democratic legislation mandating a withdrawal. "I don't say that as a threat, but I say that is an option we all have to consider." Warner had indicated previously that his patience with the President was wearing thin, but he has yet to sign on to a withdrawal plan and even said the decision should be left with the president.

McConnell Teases At New Direction In Iraq
Mitch McConnell said on Fox News Sunday that there's a "good chance" of American going in a different direction in Iraq after the White House/Petraeus/Crocker report this September. While he insisted that this would not mean "an arbitrary surrender date," he also said, "But I think it’s entirely possible that the president will lay out a strategy that takes us into a different place, which hopefully, at the end of the day, ends up with some American troops forward deployed in the Middle East at the end of this draw down that many of us are anticipating over a period of time."

Dodd Local Office Burglarized
Chris Dodd's office in Hartford, Connecticut, was burglarized over the weekend. Police have not yet said what evidence what left at the scene, and Dodd's staff has no further comment during the police investigation.

DNC Threatens Florida With Zero Delegates For 2008 Nomination
The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted yesterday to deliver a tough ultimatum to Florida: If they don't move their primary within the next 30 days from its current unauthorized early date of January 29, they will be stripped of all delegates to the national convention. On the other hand, the Florida primary could still be worth something even if it's relegates to being a pure "beauty contest" without delegates. After all, a popular win in the country's largest swing state could still generate momentum for other contests. And an eventual nominee is sure to restore their delegates, out of not wanting to offend them.

Obama Releases Plan For New Orleans
Barack Obama's campaign has posted the candidate's proposals for New Orleans, with elements such as expediting the delivery of federal money to the area, strengthening the levee system, and creating more affordable housing. One interesting proposal is to have the FEMA chief serve for a fixed six-year terms, insulated from political pressures and given a greater amount of independence in decision-making.

Rudy Proposes More Tax Cuts
At a campaign stop in New Hampshire with Steve Forbes and former Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci, Rudy Giuliani proposed making the Bush tax cuts permanent, working towards the goal of a flat tax, reducing corporate taxes, eliminating the inheritance tax, and instituting tax-free retirement savings accounts — seemingly a backdoor method to begin privatizing Social Security. Giuliani attacked the Democrats for wanting to repeal the Bush tax cuts or allow them to expire, and in turn tied this to Iraq. "When it's working, let's change it. Isn't that a brilliant philosophy? It sounds a little bit like Iraq," Giuliani said.

Thompson Says He's In A Good Position To Run
Fred Thompson told reporters in Indianapolis that he's in a good position to run for president, and it's not too late for him to declare his candidacy. "We have done within a few months what other people have spent much longer periods of time doing," he said of his undeclared campaign's organization. Regarding his staff shakeups and disappointing fundraising totals, Thompson said, "We've made some changes along the way and are better for it, and I think we are where we need to be right now."

Huckabee: Expectations For Thompson Too High
Mike Huckabee said this morning on Fox News Sunday that Fred Thompson's campaign may have become a victim of overly high expectations. "People are expecting him to basically come in and be the fifth head on Mount Rushmore," Huckabee said. "Whether he can live up to that — I think there's a real challenge for anybody to live up to that, including if Ronald Reagan were to come back."

Franken, Ciresi And Cohen Meet For Debate
The three Democratic candidates for Senator from Minnesota — comedian Al Franken, trial attorney Mike Ciresi, and environmental activist Jim Cohen — met Friday night for a friendly debate. The candidates did not attack one another, but instead discussed their own qualifications and focused on their opposition to the Bush Administration and incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman. Franken was overall slightly to the left of the others, being the only one to endorse gay marriage while the others favored civil unions.