JOHN THUNE... RHYMES WITH... LOONY BABOON

Elizabeth Dole has been an unmitigated catastrophe for the NRSC this year. As miserable as Chuck Schumer has been for the DSCC, she makes him look like Albert Einstein. One thing is certain; she won't be coming back in 2008. Among the ambitious, even covetous, Republicans greedily eyeing the potentially powerful position is freshman South Dakota wingnut John Thune. Though he won office in 2004 on a platform of "Bush, Bush and more Bush," defeating the Senate Democratic Leader, Tom Daschle, he seems to be trying to show a little independence now that Bush's job approval ratings are not just in the toilet, but pretty much flushed down the toilet.

Thune, like most of the Republican senators, has been a perfect little rubber stamp for the entire catastrophic Bush agenda of war against the middle class and war against anyone who gets in his way. But now that he wants to head the Republican's Senatorial re-election committee-- like the DSCC, an incumbent protection racket-- he's basically telling Republicans to distance themselves from the increasingly distrusted and disliked Bush.

And, as Ken pointed out earlier today, he's preaching to the choir. Republicans, especially those facing the voters in November are all talking about "mistakes that were made," although no one has owned up to making them (or rubber stamping them). And it has gotten a little hollow-- other than on Rush Limbaugh's or Chris Matthews' shows-- to blame Bill Clinton.

According to Mary Jalonick reporting for the Associated Press, Thune is saying he'd adopt a different strategy from the one he ran in in 2004, when he depended on Bush's coattails. "'If I were running in the state this year, you obviously don't embrace the president and his agenda,' Thune told reporters at the National Press Club. He said the Iraq war is Bush's biggest problem. 'The first thing I'd do is acknowledge that there have been mistakes made,' he said. 'Our candidates have to draw and point out differences in how they would approach and win the war in Iraq and how their opponents would. The biggest thing we have going for us on that issue is that Democrats are very divided.' Thune... offered a blunt assessment of the 2006 outlook. 'Clearly we are facing a headwind if you look at the national political environment,' Thune said. 'The president's numbers in most places aren't good... these are going to be tough races to win.'