From the Pork Barrel: Klain and Sober

* Joe Biden chooses Kevin Spacey as his Chief of Staff.

* Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson head off on romantic cruise with just several hundred of their closest ideologues.

* Mark Foley's long road to redemption hampered by unconvincing desire for redemption.

* Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is even smarter than I thought he was.

* Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is just about as smart as I thought she was.

* Do you live in Georgia? If so, would you consider yourself one of Saxby Chambliss' "folks"?

Tags: Alaska, Bobby Jindal, Fred Thompson, Georgia, Joe Biden, Kevin Spacey, Louisiana, Mark Foley, Mitt Romney, Pork Barrel, Sarah Palin, Saxby Chambliss

John McCain Buries the Hatchet with Saxby Chambliss

In light of news that John McCain and Sarah Palin will be campaigning for Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss, who faces a run-off election agaist Democratic challenger Jim Martin, Political Wire dug up this quote from McCain:

"I'd never seen anything like that ad. Putting pictures of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden next to the picture of a man who left three limbs on the battlefield — it's worse than disgraceful. It's reprehensible."

– Sen. John McCain, quoted by CNN, on the campaign ads used by Saxby Chambliss (R) against Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA) in the 2002 U.S. Senate race.

I'd never seen anything like that Political Wire post. Putting the name of Max Cleland next to the name of a man who left all his integrity on the campaign trail — it's worse than disgraceful. It's reprehensible.

Tags: Georgia, Jim Martin, John McCain, Saxby Chambliss

Georgia On My Mind (Make Up Your Damn)

Come on, Georgia. How Florida-adjacent do you really want to be?

Although John McCain already conceded the presidency to Barack Obama, reliably Republican Georgia had yet to tally some 100,000 votes from heavily populated counties, complicating the process of awarding the state's 15 electoral votes.

The Associated Press held off calling Georgia for McCain because of outstanding absentee and early votes in the metro Atlanta counties of Fulton, Cobb and Gwinnett.

When those votes come in, it's likely that incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss will face a runoff against his Democratic challenger, Jim Martin. For those of you who don't remember the only guy you ever heard of named Saxby who wasn't an extra-canonical Star Wars character, he's the guy who defeated disabled Vietnam veteran Max Cleland in 2002 with an ad juxtaposing Cleland's face with Osama Bin Laden's. Patton said it best last night:

"Please baby Jesus, make Saxby Chambliss lose in Georgia. Also, it'd be nice if he could wander onto some train tracks and get T-boned by a commuter express."

Tags: Barack Obama, Election Day, Georgia, Jim Martin, John McCain, Patton Oswalt, Saxby Chambliss

Sweet Georgia Chambliss!

The Democrats' chances for a 60-vote Senate supermajority likely ride on Georgia, where Senator Saxby Chambliss is struggling to find a message that doesn't involve linking a triple-amputee war hero to Osama bin Laden.

His opponent is Democrat Jim Martin who, despite being a friendly, competent guy, has been damaged by the fact that there aren't any public photos of him wrapped in a Confederate flag.

If neither candidate gets a majority of voters (50%), the race goes to a December run-off.  If, at that point, the Democrats are sitting on 59 Senate votes, you'll see Martin's stock swoon faster Mark Foley at a Jonas Brothers concert.

See while Georgians might be up for the simple concept of replacing Chambliss, there is no way that they'd be the ones to engender the greatest Democratic power assault since Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton.

And even if Martin won, Joe Lieberman would just jump ship to the GOP.

(Provided that he's allowed to caucus from John McCain's lap.)

Tags: Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, Georgia, Jim Martin, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Mark Foley, Saxby Chambliss

Our Representatives Just Get So Much Done

As House Republicans plow through a third week of protesting their body's recess without a resolution on offshore drilling, some in the media are suggesting that maybe they've already accomplished enough for one session.

Namely, the Wall Street Journal has gone as far as to compile a list of the important legislative issues tackled by the 110th Congress.

Here are some highlights…

July is now National Watermelon Month
Authored by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
"As Mark Twain once said, 'When one has tasted watermelon he knows what the angels eat.' I encourage my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the wisdom of Mark Twain by supporting this resolution," Sen. Chambliss said on the Senate floor.

March 11th is now National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day
Authored by Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-OH)
Wilson is a self-described "lifelong funeral director" who is riling up his base.

July 28 is now National Day of the Cowboy
Authored by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Larry Craig (R-ID)
Created to honor the memory of the late Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY), a famous non-cowboy.

Decree acknowledging the 70th anniversary of the Idaho Potato Commission
Authored by Rep. Michael Simpson (R-ID)
Sets straight the terrorists who insisted the Commission was only 69.

$459.33 billion appropriated to the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2008
Authored by Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)
Eh… sounds boring.

Tags: Charlie Wilson, House of Representatives, John Murtha, Larry Craig, Saxby Chambliss, Senate