Friday Short Cuts

Friday Short Cuts

The long march is over and I'm actually getting a three day weekend. But I can't hit the road without offering a few items.

Carol deProsse writes:

Senator Chafee has stated his opposition to John Bolton's nomination as Ambassador to the UN, which makes Bolton dead in the water.

I'd like to suggest Jim Leach for the position. He's got the education, the background, the diplomatic skills, and the demeanor to be a fine ambassador.

Not a bad idea, though Chafee's opinion is only of relevance a few more weeks. But Bush will NEVER name the only anti-war Republican to anything...

Meanwhile the Press-citizen picks up on the Deeth-fueled rumor:

With defeated U.S. Rep. Jim Leach out of a job, speculation -- or at least curiosity -- about him being in the mix of candidates to become the University of Iowa's next president has surfaced once again.

But two days after he lost his bid for a 16th term in Congress, the Iowa City Republican is mum on the topic.

'I have no idea about that and it would be very, very inappropriate for me to comment,' Leach said Thursday. 'Of all subjects you've asked about, this is one I'll refrain from.'

Now that the Dems have the trifecta, we can no longer excuse a regressive sales tax as "the only way to raise revenue for The Kids."

Looking ahead: Kos examines Senate 2008. "Not likely competitive at this time: Harkin (D) in IA..." Steve King is nuts but not dumb.

Is ANYONE ever going to give Chuck Grassley a serious run? It's still four years off, but by 2010 Chuck Grassley will have served 52 consecutive years in elected office. His freakin' GRANDSON is in the Legislature now. The last time Grassley had to break a sweat was 1980 - if you think about it, literally a political generation ago. This is the kind of guy who maybe, just maybe, has let the political skills atrophy. Maybe, just maybe, the aw-shucks bit won't play in an increasingly urbanized Iowa.

Maybe, just maybe, Tom Vilsack should think about that instead of fantasizing about the White House.

Dianne Bystrom at the Register looks at Women Winning:

Record 16 women in US Senate

At least 70 women in US House, also a record (and of course that House will be gaveled by Speaker Pelosi)

Record 34 women in Iowa Legislature (still below national average, though)

Iowa is still in the club with Mississippi, though: the only two states that have never elected a woman to Congress of the governorship. How about finding a strong progressive female candidate to succeed Leonard Boswell (51.6% in the best Democratic year in decades) in `08? Names, readers; send me names.