Wonkette

The McCain campaign has been pressing Barack Obama to accept public financing in the general election (if he wins the nomination! If!) after Barry may or may not have “agreed” to do so a year ago. Now that Barry’s raising $1 million a day, however, this would really be a huge mistake. But will Barry pussy out and agree to this, as per usual? MORE »

Things tend to get confusing (and stupid) when “ex-gays” are involved, and so it is with Barry “Osama” Obama’s gospel singer pal all the kids are talking about. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but if you’re an ex-gay man, and you’ve built up a reputation for enthusiastically bashing the queers, aren’t you supposed to not have a boyfriend at the time? Blogger Clay Cane has an interview with Donnie McClurkin’s ex, a man who claims that the Jesus-lovin’ gospel singer was bashing the gays during the day, and making love to him at night. Awkward! MORE »

All the pansies had an absolute tizzy when Barack “Osama” Obama hired homo-hatin’ singer Donnie McClurkin for his upcoming “Embrace the Change” gospel extravaganza. That puts Barry in an uncomfortable position because he needs the hairdresser vote, but if he fires McClurkin, he’s obviously a fag and will burn in Hell for all eternity. What’s a tightrope-walking panderer to do? Why, hire a gay minister for the show, that’s what! That worries me, though: how much more ideological teeter-tottering can this event handle? I imagine the following contradictory staff additions and revelations are forthcoming:

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John Walnuts! McCain knows that if you really want to impress today’s jaded youth, it’s best to call them names and threaten to send them off to Iraq: MORE »

With all the hoopla this week about campaign ethics, we thought it’d be an interesting feature to talk to an actual candidate about the mechanics of running a congressional campaign. We wanted to interview an experienced, savvy politician about running for office in the 21st century. Unfortunately, the only person who would talk to us was this guy:

Meet Mike Monroe. He ran as a Republican for DC’s Congressional delegate’s seat in 2004, against Eleanor Holmes Norton. He got 9 percent of the vote. Now, older and possibly wiser, he’s running again, as a Republican candidate for Maryland’s General Assembly in District 16 (Bethesda). He was good enough to answer some questions about campaigning, campaigners, and Macaca. Interview after the jump.

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And then there was Lincoln Chafee, The Reluctant Senator. From today’s Wall Street Journal:

In many ways, Mr. Chafee’s struggle is of his own making. Besides opposing the war, he voted against some Bush tax cuts, citing deficit concerns. He opposed Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s appointment because he was convinced the jurist would be hostile to abortion rights. And he let it be known that he didn’t vote to re-elect the president, writing in former President George H. W. Bush instead.

“I knew this was coming from way back,” says Mr. Chafee, at an outdoor festival in Cumberland. “The president’s agenda, for better or worse, motivates the party base. I’ve been hearing from them for the last five years.”

To stem the damage, Mr. Chafee has been a regular at Republican spaghetti dinners and diner breakfasts. Even so, he isn’t “overly optimistic” that he has persuaded many of them, he says.

Chafee is perhaps the senator least suited for Washington life since Eugene McCarthy skipped roll call votes to write poetry in his office. This from the New York Times last week:

Compared with many colleagues in the Senate, Mr. Chafee, 53, keeps a low profile, and campaigning does not seem second nature to him. Stopping to buy lemonade from a truck, he asks the attendant about the book she is reading. Only after tipping her and turning away does he toss over his shoulder, “Vote Chafee!”

Wonkette proudly presents the first installment of The Secret Lives Of Senators: Lincoln Chafee On The Campaign Trail. Read it after the jump:

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Ah, state legislatures! Democracy’s petri dish! Where political parties try out new techniques and positions to see what might win votes on a national level. If events in Pennsylvania are any indication, we may all soon be seeing threatening phone calls, fake accusations of fake terrorism, and egregious abuse of taxpayer-funded photocopiers, followed by arrests and humiliation. And isn’t that something we can all get behind?

Former state Rep. Jeff Habay was handcuffed and taken to the Allegheny County Jail yesterday after a judge revoked his bond. “Mr. Habay continues to avoid what he should be doing, which is serving his sentence,” Judge [Jeffrey A.] Manning said.

Wacky antics in greater Pittsburgh, after the jump.

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• Wolf Blitzer closes his eyes, counts to three, and wishes that when he opens them all the dead Palestinians will be gone. [HuffPo]

• Small Pennsylvania town increases illegality of illegal immigrants, sick birds. [AP]
• Sign Katherine Harris’s online get well card! Then feign shock when her robot voice won’t stop calling you for campaign donations. [Elect Harris]
• Capitol Historical Society to host reception for “departing” members of Congress, most honorees to arrive by paddy wagon. [Copley News Service]
• Young America’s Foundation staffed by assholes really into IM. [Campus Progress]
• Soon to be the most compressive source for photos of politicians eating babies in the world! [Flickr]