Month: September 2007

There’s nothing I love more than a crazy winger primary. But there’s nothing I love more than that except crazy winger primaries where the Club for Growth starts lavishing the Benjamins they would otherwise be using to light up their fat Montecristos. Via TPM EC:

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.”

The presumptive “true conservative” belle of the ball is former VA Gov. Jim Gilmore. Like James says, if Gilmore wants to tout his record in the state house, we’ll gladly take that Pepsi challenge. No matter what, this primary should be a fun ride.

And meanwhile, in ID-Sen, it looks like the CFG might be getting ready to make a play there, too. Joan points us to an almost identical statement by Toomey attacking “economically liberal” GOP Rep. Mike Simpson, a possible Craig replacement. While all signs still point to Lt. Gov. Jim Risch as getting the nod, Toomey and his band of looneys might still push their golden boy (and SSP favorite) Bill “Brain Fade” Sali into a primary for the seat.

My fingers are crossed!

According to the New York Times, Jerry Lewis will NOT retire, contrary to what Bob Novak had been speculating.

GOP Rep. Jerry Lewis of California announced Friday that he’ll seek a 16th term, putting to rest speculation that he would retire amid a federal lobbying probe.

….

His talent at securing federal dollars for his inland Southern California district brought him unwanted scrutiny last year when federal prosecutors in Los Angeles began probing his ties to lobbyist Bill Lowery, a former member of Congress whose clients included towns and businesses in Lewis’ district.

Lowery’s clients benefited from federal dollars approved by Lewis’ committee, and Lowery and his lobbying associates and clients donated generously to Lewis’ campaigns.

Lewis has denied any wrongdoing, no charges have been filed and there have been no recent public developments in the probe. However, Lewis hired criminal defense attorneys after news of the investigation broke in May 2006. He has paid them hundreds of thousands of dollars, including more than $30,000 in the second quarter of this year.

So… who’s challenging him?

(Bumped – promoted by DavidNYC)

Oh what a week! We had:

• The resignation of the most thuggishly corrupt Attorney General in living memory.
• The revelation that a sitting US Senator had been arrested and convicted for disorderly conduct in an airport men’s room.
• The party-switching of a traitorous state official in Louisiana, who declared that Republican leadership in cooking was a prime reason for this act of supreme disloyalty.
• The retirement announcement of an old senator from the Old Dominion, clearing the way for one of the hottest races of 2008.

Did I miss anything?

UPDATE: Yes, I did! Sen. Larry Craig will announce he is resigning tomorrow (effective Sept. 30), according to “GOP insiders.” Gov. Butch Otter will apparently appoint Lt. Gov. Jim Risch in Craig’s stead, which is too bad (I was hoping he’d tap one of Idaho’s House members). But who knows? There could still be a fascinating Republican primary next year regardless.

UPDATE 2: Now Otter’s people are denying that he’ll tap Risch. But he still strikes me as the favorite.