IF BRAD MILLER RUNS AGAINST LIDDY DOLE-- AND HE SAYS HE MAY-- NORTH CAROLINA GETS A CLEAR CHOICE

Last August DWT readers got to meet Congressman Brad Miller. He's sharp, progressive and the kind of forward-thinking moderate who wins elections in North Carolina. With the exception of Mel Watt and Miller, the state's congressional delegation is a complete mess-- two rubber stamp wingnut senators-- Dole and Richard Burr-- plus a gaggle of extremist lunatics on the Republican side-- including both the congressman with the most hard right voting record and the congresswoman with the most extreme right voting record. All 7 Republicans in the House delegation from North Carolina are on the outer fringe of the GOP-- and the other 4 Democrats aren't exactly that great either. Miller's voting record stands out as a shining example of enlightened populism.

Today's Charlotte Observer confirmed what North Carolina Democrats have been yearning for: that Brad is seriously considering challenging Dole for the U.S. Senate seat she has used so disgracefully. If he does, there will be a very clear choice for North Carolina voters: a highly intelligent and thoughtful moderate on the one hand and a reactionary tool whose voting record is nothing short of sickening for anyone who isn't a greed-obsessed multimillionaire and shallow bigot.

Brad is 53 and Dole, although only 70, seems far older than her age. Like most political observers, he believes she is vulnerable. "I think she will be judged on her record as a politician in 2008 and not judged as a celebrity, as she was in 2002," he said. "And she has simply been a down-the-line partisan Republican on every issue from Iraq to privatizing Social Security to opposing the minimum wage increase and supporting CAFTA." On the occupation of Iraq, Brad has voted to require Bush to bring the troops home by next year. Dole is a staunch stay the course zombie. Except on one minor inconsequential bill, she has voted with Team Cheney on every single roll call between the October 10, 2001 Authorization of the Use of Force through her thumbs down of the Joint Resolution of March 15, 2007 to revise U.S. policy on Iraq. She had 2 dozen chances to ask Bush to reassess his Iraq policies and instead she has endorsed his policies each time. Now she owns them.