Random Notes Du Noir: NutMeg, Vitter, Alaska, Heath Shuler, Bachmann v Boehner

We tried buying cable TV spots in Alaska but there's nothing available in the whole state, not one 30-second spot, until next Wednesday. We're looking into dirigible and light planes with trailing banners. But with McAdams nosing into a winnable position, we really should try to... hmmmm... maybe we should just leave him alone. Whatever he's doing seems to be working. Unlike Meg Whitman. The more ads she floods the airwaves with, the lower she sinks in the polls. And she's spent over $140 million from her own bloated, under-taxed bank account so far.

She has pummeled California airwaves for months with ads painting Brown’s 40-year career in California politics as a failure. But the ads appear not to have had the desired effect.

When Whitman began her first major advertising blitz in March, 40 percent of state voters had a favorable view of her and 27 percent viewed her negatively. Now, her unfavorable ratings have nearly doubled to 51 percent, the Field poll found.

“Her negatives continued to grow as people were reminded day after day that Whitman was spending more time trashing Jerry Brown than laying out her own plans for the state’s future,” says Ms. O’Connor. “This state is really hurting, and people wanted to know what her specific vision was.... They feel she never told them.”

So what's her solution? She'll be releasing a new TV or radio ad every 6 hours from now until election day. Here's a letter in today's Palm Springs Desert Sun that everyone I know in California would agree with: "Where does one go to get away from Meg Whitman? I turn on the TV and regardless of the channel I'm bombarded by her ads. Then I go online to check e-mail and what pops up but another of her ads! Don't you have better things to do with all your billions than trying to buy votes in a governor's race?"

More of right-wing violence tomorrow, but it's worth noting that the right-wing fanatic who was sentenced to prison last week for repeatedly threatening to kill Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) after she voted in favor of health care reform legislation was afflicted with paranoia "grown and fostered by [Glenn] Beck's persuasive personality."

We knew it was a terrible idea in 2006 when Rahm Emanuel persuaded a religious conservative freak who was getting ready to run for Congress as a Tennessee Republican to move to North Carolina and run as a quasi-Democrat. Heath Shuler has been a hideous disappointment ever since, not just as one of the most reactionary and aggressive Blue Dogs, but also as a key C Street cult member. He's voted against women's Choice, against gay equality, against healthcare reform... against just about everything the GOP has voted against. The Democrats just rewarded him for this pattern of behavior with a $231,112.63 Independent Expenditure in his district this week, over ten times what they've spent on loyal progressive Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy (for example). And buoyed by their approval, he announced today that he's considering running against Nancy Pelosi for the Speakership. He joins 5 other Blue Dog scum in pledging not to vote for Pelosi-- Bobby Bright (AL), Jim Marshall (GA), Gene Taylor (MS), Mike McIntyre (NC) and Jason Altmire (PA). I wonder if Michele Bachmann (R-MN) will vote for Shuler now that she's declared it's beneath her dignity, as self-professed queen of the teabaggers, to vote for Boehner as Speaker.

And today's ad of the day, although just late enough to look positively desperate:



Let's try to keep Russ Feingold in office. Or do you agree with Ron Johnson that the U.S. should be more like China? Please help Russ here at the C&L Fundaiser For Russ Feingold.


UPDATE: Krugman Says There's Something To Fear... A Lot

Yep, Krugman thinks it'll be as bad as I do-- "future historians will probably look back at the 2010 election as a catastrophe for America, one that condemned the nation to years of political chaos and economic weakness." Which, of course, is exactly why China is pouring money into GOP coffers through their pals at the Chamber of Commerce. Economic weakness? Years of political turmoil? Speaker Boehner? Miss McConnell fighting with DeMint over who's in charge? Clowns like Pence, Boehner, Cantor and Ryan looking like the relative adults next to surging sociopaths like Virginia Foxx, Michele Bachmann, Paul Broun, Louie Gohmert, Darrell Issa...? China's dream come true.

The economy, weighed down by the debt that households ran up during the Bush-era bubble, is in dire straits; deflation, not inflation, is the clear and present danger. And it’s not at all clear that the Fed has the tools to head off this danger. Right now we very much need active policies on the part of the federal government to get us out of our economic trap.

But we won’t get those policies if Republicans control the House. In fact, if they get their way, we’ll get the worst of both worlds: They’ll refuse to do anything to boost the economy now, claiming to be worried about the deficit, while simultaneously increasing long-run deficits with irresponsible tax cuts-- cuts they have already announced won’t have to be offset with spending cuts.

So if the elections go as expected next week, here’s my advice: Be afraid. Be very afraid.