Oh boy. We've now spotted two more Republicans who have continued to push the idea that China is drilling for oil near Florida, even after Dick Cheney retracted the claim and GOP Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida called it an "urban legend."

One is an incumbent Congressman, Mark Kirk of Illinois, and the other is Kieran Michael Lalor, a candidate running against an incumbent Democratic Congressman from New York. They do have something in common: Both are in extremely tough fights, and this is the kind of nationalist talk that can really rile up the party's base, regardless of the facts.

First up is Kirk.

Read more »

Is this John McCain's idea of bipartisanship?

At a campaign rally in New Hampshire yesterday, the McCain campaign played the classic 1970s song "Still The One" over the loudspeakers. One problem: The principal author of the song, John Hall, is a freshman Democratic Congressman from New York who is supporting Barack Obama.

Hall reacted strongly in an interview with NBC News, saying the GOP should immediately stop using his song: "The only one John McCain is 'Still the One' for is George Bush."

Back in 2004, Hall sent cease-and-desist letters to the Bush campaign after they played the song at a rally of theirs, and his wishes that they stop were quickly honored.

House Republicans have lost one of their top recruits to take on a freshman Democrat, with businessman Andrew Saul dropping out of the race to go up against Congressman John Hall (D-NY). Saul had raised $800,000, but cited "personal reasons" in dropping out.

This district went to President Bush by a 53%-45% margin in 2004, but even one of the prospective new GOP candidates, state Assemblyman Greg Ball, says Bush's newfound unpopularity changes things. "George Bush has not only hurt the Republican Party, he's left the nation without leadership," said Ball. "It’s going to be a tough year to run as a Republican at the national level."

Is former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer going to run for Congress? Human Events reports that "fellow New Yorkers who know him well bet that he will make the House race in ’08" against freshman Dem John Hall, the soft-rock singer who recently ousted GOP Rep. Sue Kelly and now represents Fleischer's home of Westchester County. Fleischer's main political activity since leaving the White House was serving a stint on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition — whose campaign to brings Jews to the GOP over Israel-related issues was an abject disaster.

Sue Kelly has finally given up and conceded defeat to rock-star-turned-Congressman-elect John Hall, says the Poughkeepsie Journal. After a court-mandated tally of all oustanding paper ballots, Hall held a lead of 4,300 votes. Hall was at first seen as a long shot, but he enjoyed high-profile backing from the likes of Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle and Nancy Griffith, helping him to raise the money and earn the media attention that enabled him to win a crowded primary and subsequently oust Kelly.

It just keeps on coming: CQ Politics has now shifted ratings in two more House races. CQ has moved the race in New York's 19th, where GOP Rep Sue Kelly is fending off former rock star John Hall, from "Republican Favored" to "Leans Republican": "Far more tangential and less publicized, but still potentially damaging politically, is the question of whether Kelly herself knew about Foley’s lewd behavior during her tenure as Republican chairwoman of the House Page Board from 1998 to 2001." And CQ has also moved Ohio's 13th, where Dem Betty Sutton is battling GOPer Craig Foltin for the seat of Dem Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, from "Leans Democratic" to "Democrat Favored." Question: When was the last time CQ changed its ratings to favor the GOP?

CQ Politcs has changed the ratings for three more House races tonight, bringing today's total to five -- Every one of them positive for Democrats.

* In Fl-13, the race between GOPer Vern Buchanan and Dem Christine Jennings changed from "Republican Favored" to "Leans Republican":

Buchanan benefits from the Republican leanings of the Gulf Coast district, which Harris left open to run for the Senate. And Buchanan — a wealthy car dealer and longtime GOP fundraiser — has a big edge in campaign money over the Democratic nominee, former banker Christine Jennings.

But with the GOP facing a bad and worsening national political environment, and Buchanan still bruised from attacks by Republican primary opponents about his personal business practices, the times are anything but normal.

* In OH-13, the race between Democrat Betty Sutton and Republican Craig Fultin changed from "Leans Democratic" to "Democrat Favored":

...it has been an uphill climb for the GOP in the race for the 13th District seat that Ohio Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown left open to run for the Senate.

The district, which links suburbs of Cleveland to part of Akron and that city’s suburbs, has a pronounced if not lopsided Democratic lean. The Democrats nominated a solid candidate of their own in former state Rep. Betty Sutton.

And Republicans’ hopes for a late campaign surge by Foltin have been hobbled by the darkening of an already cloudy national political environment for the Republican Party.

* In NY-19, the race between Dem John Hall and GOPer Sue W. Kelly changed from "Republican Favored" to "Leans Republican":

But the difficulties faced this year by the national Republican Party; the emergence of a strong and attention-grabbing Democratic challenger in John Hall, literally a former rock star; and now the acrid scandal involving resigned Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley — to which Hall and fellow Democrats are trying to tie Kelly — have made this year’s race far more treacherous for the incumbent.

Check out today's other changes here and here.

Is GOP Rep. Sue Kelly -- who's reelection isn't a race seen as competitive by national Dem strategists -- actually in a close contest? Today's Times Herald-Record reports that an internal poll by Dem challenger John Hall puts the spread at only five points, with Kelly leading 49%-44%. Notably, those numbers reflect a question in which respondents weren't given a description of the candidates, as often happens in internal polls. The paper, however, treats the poll skeptically, noting that the poll was designed to drum up interest "ahead of meetings with big Beltway donors." The Kelly camp's opinion? "Hogwash," a Kelly rep says.

GOP incumbent Rep. Sue Kelly may be a little-known pol from Westchester, but she's facing some pretty high-profile opposition: Her main foe is Dem singer-songwriter John Hall, who's backed by the likes of Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle and Nancy Griffith.

Sure, first Hall has to get past a trio of contenders who want the Dem nomination, too, but with stars like the above playing at his fundraisers -- as they will be on Aug. 20 -- Hall should have little trouble getting past his challengers.