DeLay Will Lose

Tom DeLay won with only 55% of the vote in 2004 against an obscure Democratic candidate with little funding.

Now, after all of his legal problems, DeLay faces a former congressman in Nick Lampson (who was put into early retirement after he was successfully gerrymandered out of his district in 2004 by DeLay), who has only slightly less money on hand than the former majority leader.

According to Jon Tyler, a political science professor at St. John's University in Houston, a DeLay loss in the Republican primary would be "a shock of Biblical proportions." However, that doesn't mean that Republican candidates won't do their part in chipping away at DeLay's already tarnished image for the independent voters in the general election.

Ironically, DeLay's last race was so close due to his redistricting plan, in which he generously gave away Republican votes to nearby candidates who needed them more.

61% Against Port Deal

A Cook Political Report poll showed that 61% of Americans believe that Congress should block the Dubai port deal. 27% say we should trust the president and 12% remain unsure.

Despite the strong opposition to the president by congressional Republicans, only 32% of Republicans polled were against the president's position on the ports deal. 67% of independents are against the president, along with 81% of Democrats.

New Jersey Political Legend Dies

William Musto, the legendary mayor of Union City, former state senator, assemblyman, and Union City commissioner, died at the age of 88 on Monday.

Musto, who left public office in 1982 after being sent to prison on federal corruption charges, was remembered as a formidable politician, an effective legislator, and by many of his constituents, as a great friend. (Whole story at PoliticsNJ)

Borher, a Union City resident who came to pay his respects, was much more familiar with and appreciative of Musto's tenure as his mayor of Union City.

"He got me a job," said Borher, who just recently retired from working for the city.

Trent Lott: Shrewd Politician or Moralist?

Most people in this part of the country would go with the former. However, ever since Lott declared himself a candidate for reelection because he said there was too much damage done to hurricane damage in his state to abandon it now, Lott hasn't been the rubber stamp of the Bush administration that many knew him as. He produced this quote, in response to Bush's threat to veto a bill that would outlaw the Dubai deal, which made quote of the day at Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:

"OK, big boy, I'll just vote to override your veto."

That one stings coming from your own party. However, it's unlikely that Lott is truly standing up against a policy he opposes. As former majority leader, he understands the need for the party to separate from the unpopular president on some issues, and this is one of them.

How Much Does A Congressman Cost?

Does he cost less than a senator or governor? Certainly more than a state legislator...

Rasmussen Reports found that 50% of America believes that it takes a contribution of at least $50,000 to influence a congressman. 27% believe it takes at least $100,000. However, 24% are even more skeptical, identifying $1000 to $10,000 as the price for action by a congressman in your favor.

Maybe those 24% are merely optimists, who believe that anyone with a $1000 to spare can buy a United States Representative.

The Liberal Media Bias

Via Lassiter Space.

72% of Troops Favor Withdrawal

The first poll of U.S troops in Iraq shows an overwhelming majority favor withdrawal in the next year, according to a LeMoyne College/Zogby survey.

72% surveyed believe that the U.S should pull out in the next year and 29% of those believe that they should pull out "immediately."

93% said that removing weapons of mass destruction is not a reason for U.S troops being there. 68% believe that the primary reason for being there was to remove Sadam Hussein from power. Only 24% believe that establishing a democracy that will serve as a model for the rest of the Middle East was the main or major reason for the war.

"We're So Unpopular," Say Americans

Via Political Wire:

Only 33% of Americans believe leaders of other nations respect Bush and 63% believe they don't have much respect for him.

The respondents are not merely cynics who assume that the Europeans and such hate America and everything it stands for. 54% of them are dissatisfied with America's standing in the world.

Reap What You Sow

Photo courtesy of Lassiter Space.