The Friday Political Grab Bag

If it's Friday, it's time to take a look at what's been floating around the political world this week and that might have slipped under your radar…

The Republican National Committee (RNC) sent out an e-mail yesterday from none other than Laura Bush telling people "In less than two weeks, we face a critical election that will set the course of George's last two years in office. It's important to make sure you vote."

We know, Laura, we know. That's why we're trying to make your hubby the lamest of lame ducks a week from Tuesday.

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Nedheads Unite - Unlike some other national Democrats, Barack Obama (D-IL) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) have stepped up to the plate to give Democratic Senatorial Nominee Ned Lamont a boost in Connecticut this week.

"Ned Lamont and I share a commitment to bringing our troops home safely from Iraq, to achieving energy independence, to helping all our citizens realize the American dream, and to empowering the American people to reclaim their government," wrote Obama in an e-mail to Connecticut voters. "Ned Lamont’s campaign is about delivering on these goals in Washington. The November 7th election is right around the corner. Please join me in supporting Ned Lamont with your hard work on-the-ground in these closing weeks of the campaign."

The text of Feingold's e-mail was not available as of this writing but should be on the Ned Lamont blog today.

Also pitching in was Senator John Kerry (D-MA), who campaigned with Ned on Wednesday, appearing at a Veterans event with Lamont and praising his stance on the war in Iraq.

"The war in Iraq is hurting America's security. It is setting us back in the war on terror ... Ned Lamont understands that," said the Massachusetts senator. "He understands that we can fight a more effective war on terror, that we can be smarter in the way we conduct that war."

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Quotes and Quips - Republican Alan Schlesinger got off a good line in the Connecticut Senate Debate this week when Lamont was hammering on Joe Lieberman for going back on his 1988 promise to limit himself to three Senate terms.

“Now, now, Ned,” Schlesinger said. “The senator just simply meant he wanted three terms as a Democrat and three terms as an independent.”

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Kerry Caring - Kudos to both Kerry and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) who each kicked in $500,000 from their campaign war chests to help boost Democratic hopes nationwide. The two Bay State Democrats donated the money equally between the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

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Liar, Liar, Hastert's on Fire - Our friends at Think Progress check in with the shocking news that another day brings another lie from the GOP. This time it’s House Speaker Dennis "The Menace" Hastert (R-IL) going off on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on immigration by saying that she wants to "leave our borders open, grant blanket amnesty and provide Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants" and that "Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi has NEVER visited the border."

Think Progress sets the record straight on Hastert's misrepresentation about Pelosi's immigration position, in addition to posting a nice photo of her, well, at the border in El Paso. They even have a quote from Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), who is a 26-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol, saying he was there with her.

"How do I know?" said Reyes, about his knowledge of Pelosi's concern about immigration issues. "I have been at the border with her. She has taken the time not only to visit but to listen."

Ouch. When will these Republicans learn? They need to come up with new and improved lies that will at least make it through one news cycle without being sidetracked by evidence to the contrary.

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Ads A Plenty - Here's a few good campaign ads that have come out this week.

First up is a sad, powerful and devastatingly-effective ad from VoteVets.org that's to be run against many Republicans who have voted against health-care benefits for Veterans:



Here's Michael J. Fox for Democrat Ben Cardin in Maryland in an ad similar to what he did for Claire McCaskill in Missouri:



And a good ad from the campaign of Jim Webb in Virginia focusing on health care and college costs:



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From right here in Westchester County, NY we have Richard French Live on RNN TV and this outstanding piece, So Right, They're Wrong, in which he talks about the latest foolishness from Rush Limbaugh and the racist GOP ad against Harold Ford Jr. in Tennessee. French describes the Oxycontin King as "a draft-dodging junkie who sent his own housekeeper out to buy his drugs, then take his rap. When he's not inhaling Twinkies, he's a bigot and, above all else, a hypocrite through and through."

Have a look:



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Generals Just Wanna Have a Democracy - Retired Maj. Gens. John Batiste and Paul Eaton, longtime Republicans, who served in Iraq now believe that the only way America can have a true change in direction is to elect a Democratic House and Senate.

"The best thing that can happen right now is for one or both of our houses to go Democratic so we can have some oversight," said Batiste. "It is time for a change."

Eaton, who was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004, said the Democratic control of Congress would provide a way to move the U.S. away from "a gravely flawed strategy in Iraq." Said Eaton: "The way out that I see is to hand the House and the Senate to the Democrats and get this thing turned around. ... Most of us see two more years of the same if the Republicans stay in power."

Hey, I served in the military -- I'm not arguing with two Generals.

* * * * *Check out the new audio endorsement section of the Sherrod Brown web site. It's a very cool use of technology for the guy who will be the next Democratic Senator from Ohio.

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Finally, in New York's 19th Congressional District, Republican incumbent -- and famed, Bush rubber-stamper -- Sue Kelly is becoming downright reclusive with the fear that she is about to lose her House seat to Democrat John Hall . So much so, that our friends at RNN TV quite literally put her on a milk carton and did this segment about her bizarre behavior:



Let's all raise a glass tonight in the hopes that she gets a ton of time to hide after November 7.

Have a good weekend and, if you're in New York's 19th Congressional District, give generously to the fund to find the missing Sue Kelly.