More Sunday Funnies, This Time Politics

Items of Note

-from TPM and Steve Benen, this view at the sorry state of the republicans:

When panic starts to set in

09.02.07 -- 10:20AM

By Steve Benen

Let's see, Sen. John Warner of Virginia is retiring, giving Democrats another key pick-up opportunity next year. Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho is resigning, and the DSCC is talking about making a serious run at that seat, too.

Looking ahead, Dems also appear to be in a good position to pick up seats in Colorado, New Hampshire, and Minnesota, with Maine, Oregon, New Mexico, Nebraska, and even Kentucky very much in play. Dems go into the cycle with a cyclical edge -- the GOP has 22 seats to defend in 2008, the Dems have 12 -- and the rest of the political landscape, at least at this early date, seems tilted in their direction.

And how are Republican insiders responding to this landscape? With dread and panic.

"It's always darkest right before you get clobbered over the head with a pipe wrench. But then it actually does get darker," said a GOP pollster who insisted on anonymity in order to speak candidly. [...]

Republican campaign operatives are privately fretting about a political environment that could remain deadly for their party.

"About the only safe Republican Senate seats in '08 are the ones that aren't on the ballot," a GOP operative with extensive experience in Senate races said. "I don't see even the rosiest scenario where we don't end up losing more seats."

At least they've stopped looking at the political world through rose-colored glasses.

Of course, I am sure there are those on the republican side who see nothing but opportunities out there and are very hopeful that good things will happen, like war with Iran, some good news out of the mess that is Iraq, several scandals that involve Democrats, especially Hillary or Barack or even John (that would be Clinton, Obama, or Edwards). It really is a long time till November, 2008, when the people go to the polls. Anything really could happen. The only problem is that it is likely to be more revelations about the shenanigans and chicanery of the guys who trashed the country, the Constitution, the Halls of Congress. Time will tell; truth will out.

In the meantime, we have kids to raise and educate, roads to build, games to play. Life does go on. Guess I'll head on over to the golf course and take a walk in the sunshine, visit with good people having fun playing a good game of golf. Care to join me?

Oh, btw, Diane and I watched a charmer this morning, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. The movie was actually better than the book. I was very surprised and very pleased. Gets a rating of five from each of us.