This is ought to concern Obama supporters:
According to a source in the Obama campaign, former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach — a Republican — will be endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama this morning. Leach, as you may recall, lost his bid for re-election in 2006 after three decades representing portions of eastern Iowa in congress. Leach was considered a “moderate” Republican and was a backer of campaign finance reform. Leach did not accept campaign contributions from political action committees.
If it wasn’t enough bad news that Obama only had a 5-7 point lead in national polls instead of a blow-out, this really should set Obama supporters on their heels. I mean, only one former Republican House member from Iowa is endorsing Obama? What about all the other Republican House members from Iowa?
I think this is terrible news for Obama and really am worried about this turn of events.
nightjar
My heart sank when I read that. I should know better.
Original Lee
John, I have GOT to stop reading BJ before I go get my blood pressure checked. You really had me going there.
D. Mason
If the Republicans were smart they would have Bush endorse Obama, that would really knock the wind out of his sails.
maxbaer (not the original)
Well you know, Obama really does represent the continuation of the Bush Regime and McWikipedia is the change candidate.
EdTheRed
On the other hand, this is good news…for Hillary!
Alan Black
Rehashed MSM meme of the month seems to be:
Obama can’t close the deal/Can Obama close the deal?
I guess whenever a month begins with “A” it’s time for that idiotic talking point.
Bedlam UK
You see that, that was Sarcasm.
erm, or was that Irony.
Dammit.
JGabriel
This is truly terrible news for Democrats: even if Obama wins, it will only be because of Republican support, which means he will have to govern as a Republican.
(C.F., Republican rhetoric on moderate Democrats who won House and Senate seats in 2006.)
.
Doug H. (Fausto no more)
Minor correction.
Zifnab
Obama may have a 5-7 point lead in the polls, but McCain still leads in SCOTUS judges. Just a reminder.
libarbarian
I’m worried he might not win the election by enough of a margin to justify making him president. If Obama’s margin of victory is less than 10% then it’s president McCain for 4 more years.
eastriver
Obama’s glass is always half-empty, and McMavvie’s glass is always half-full. But they forget to tell you that McMavvie’s glass is the size of a thimble, and Obama’s is the size of the Grand Canyon.
jake
More bad news for Obama.
I understand there’s a Republican running for office in Oregon who is trying to hitch his wagon to the MUP.
If this culminates in McCain running as the candidate Republicans don’t like I can die a happy man.
evie
Doomed. DOOMED!
Just Some Fuckhead
CNN Reporter calls the BP oil pipeline shutdown in Georgia a “fluid situation” and she didn’t even crack a smile or wink or anything.
How professional is that?
harlana pepper
This is the ‘Edwards Love Child’ of the campaign! We are DOOMED!!
Punchy
I seriously doubt there’s any way Obama survives this. He’d be best to hand over the presumptive nommy to a Clinton/Edwards ticket and go in hiding for 6 months.
Paul Weimer
I see John is taking to being a Democrat in stride. Congratulations, John, I think you’ve got it. :)
harlana pepper
See, this just highlights McCain’s McMaverickness. It shows he is above the fray of partisan politics, a maverick if you will, and, um, er (snapping fingers Mark Sanford-style) . . . Oh what the hell, I’ll just let the corporate-owned media work this one out.
gbear
…and MahCain’s glass is half-full of nitro.
Face
Fixed.
zzyzx
You think you’re joking John, but The Corner goes somewhere similar:
Obama only gets three Republicans to endorse him at a Republicans for Obama meeting. He’s doomed!
harlana pepper
Considering 99% of republican leadership have had their heads stuffed firmly up Bush’s ass for the last 8 years, those are pretty awesome numbers.
Punchy
Just heard things got worse in Georgia. According to the radio, in addition to the Russians, Charlie Daniels is reporting that the Devil went down there, too.
Hope they can play some fiddle.
harlana pepper
Upcoming topic for Sunday morning bobbleheads: But the point is they are ‘faux’ republicans.
Crusty Dem
I once lived in Leach’s district and he was a pretty good guy. I attended a small meeting (~15 yrs ago, 20 people) he had and he really came across as a basically decent guy and a fairly lousy politician. He was critical of the rising religious right, was pro-choice, just generally far from your standard, club-for-growth republican tool; which is why his behavior during the Clinton impeachment was such a shock.
Still, not a surprise that he’s hopped on the Obama-wagon. I’m sure he’s pretty horrified by today’s republican party..
oh really
Don’t tell that to hacktacular Juan Williams, who was on NPR this morning explaining how much the Chinese love George W. Bush and how they’d prefer the continuity of a McCain regime.
Who can blame them? Having an incompetent war criminal running American foreign policy is great cover for their own behavior at home and abroad. McCain should certainly offer more of the same.
Jon H
I hear Leach’s old district in Iowa is kinda ferny, and the major crop produced there is arugula.
OriGuy
More bad news. The Republican mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska has endorsed Obama.
Tom
I had the pleasure of working as an intern in Jim Leach’s DC office in the first 4 months of 1993. I have always been a Democrat and was placed there by mistake. I thought he was great: smart, humble, kind and generous. He had gotten the rap as a RINO a long time ago. I think the problem he had with his party was that he was a decent person who promoted competent governing.
Cris
An endorsement from a Republican in Alaska just makes Obama seem more exotic.
yet another jeff
Well, he’s just looking for a soul to steal. Bet they regret being “one of the world’s first nations to adopt Christianity as an official religion” now. That’ll teach ’em…no xtianity, then no devil, and no cheating in fiddle contests. I agree with Ray Wylie Hubbard, his solo really was the better of the two.
Tzal
I was watching CNN this morning and they were discussing McCain’s Georgia speech. One of the anchors said that McCain’s speech was a means of re-introducing criticisms raised by Clinton’s 3 AM ad. This was an anchor, not a strategist, or consultant, or whatever it is they are calling the myriad talking point spewers they have on as analyst.
It doesn’t really matter what the actual news is any more. The anchor might as well said that McCain’s Georgia speech re-introduced the Reverend Wright or Larry Sinclair scandal. At this point, flipping through cable news is the equivalent of reading Barrens Chat.
croatoan
the Chinese love George W. Bush and how they’d prefer the continuity of a McCain regime.
So we’re supposed to dismiss what democratic Germans think about Obama, but embrace what communist Chinese think about McCain?
Joshua
When Bush wins an election with a 2 point advantage, it is a stunning mandate and gives him enormous political capital.
When Obama is leading the polls by 5 points (3 points more than 2), he is doing terribly. This is what we have to expect. When Obama wins the election with a 2-4 point advantage (because that is what is going to happen – even Reagan’s 1980 blowout win was only 9 points), it is proof the country is divided and Obama needs to hire Dick Cheney as Chief of Staff.
yet another jeff
Well, yeah…of course they do…they’re making money financing our debt.
Jim Pharo
Actually, this is very good news for…Rudy Giuliani. (Of course!)
Zifnab
Mayor of Alaska? Since when do we care what foreigners think?
Delia
This is true. Senator Gordy Smith is running ads that sorta kinda imply that the MUP supports him. For a while he had an ad where he’d dug up a couple of retired state rep biddies who were Dems who said they supported him. And NONE of his ads mention that he’s a repug, even the ones that are really nasty attack ads on the dem, Jeff Merkley, who’s a very good guy.
Kilkee
I love this part of the story on the Alaska endorsement: “The mayor] said his endorsement should not be viewed as one of the Democratic Party, noting that absent criminal convictions of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens or Rep. Don Young, he would be supporting their respective re-election campaigns.”
But for the tiny but telltale bloodstains, well, you know.
KmB
I worked with Jim Leach’s wife, Deba, as (get ready) an antinuke peace activist. They BOTH worked on this. They’re wonderful people – he’s one of three Republicans I voted for during my long voting life.
KmB
I should also let it be known that I voted for his Democratic opponent, Dave Loebsack, in the election of ’06. When I heard the intense sigh of relief Jim gave on losing that election, I knew I’d done the right thing. And I’ve never regretted voting for Dave.
jbarntt
It is interesting that McCain has problems in Iowa, perhaps because he opposes the use of corn to create ethanol ?
Everyone knows this is a stupid thing, and McCain is willing to say that in a swing state.
Obama, not so much. Whatever it takes to win I guess.
Howard
Republicans for Obama??? As far as I’m concerned these people never were Republicans, and obviously aren’t Republicans now. At best, they are simply weak politicians with little conviction. Calling themselves
Republicans for Obama is just a transparent political P.R. ploy to make it look like even Republicans are switching over to Obama. However, as we get closer to November, Obama is sinking in the polls, and McCain is rising. And, we still don’t know how many of the 18 million Clinton supporters are switching over to McCain. And we still don’t know how many people who said they’d vote for Obama, will actually vote for McCain, in the privacy of the voting booth. Obama has a track record with 9 days of foreign policy, and 16 months in government, and with very little to show for it. McCain has 25 years in the military … 20 years in government … tons of foreign policy experience … proven commitment to this country, as a war hero who paid dearly. If you look at the facts, instead of Obama’s smoke and mirrors, it’s obvious that Senator John McCain should be our next President.