Other Than Larry Craig

Other Than Larry Craig

There's a lot of stories flying around below the Larry Craig radar (or below the toilet partition, if you will).

The big thing yesterday was the shocker firefighter endorsement of Chris Dodd. Looks like a sign that labor isn't going to limit itself to looking at the top three, and a huge break for a good guy who was getting next to no traction. I'm checking that out firsthand tomorrow morning as Dodd speaks at the southeast Iowa City fire station. (Of local interest: the robo-call on the event came from county supervisor Pat Harney, who was an early Edwards supporter in `03...)

Not to be outdone, Hillary Clinton got a couple endorsements yesterday: the United Transportation Union (technically out of the gate before the firefighters, but less of a Big Deal), and Fidel Castro, who also wants Obama as the running mate. That oughta really help in South Florida.

Aaah, Florida, my obsession. Today's: The GOP is now weighing in with plans to punish the leapfrogging states, in what the NY Times calls a "rare instance of the two parties moving in concert, in this case to regain control over a rapidly evolving primary calendar that has thrust the nominating system into deep uncertainty just months before it is to begin." At MyDD, Jonathan Singer argues, "the RNC's move, at least on its surface, seems to make it easier for the DNC to threaten sanctions, if only for the fact that it would not, then, be alone in doing so." He also throws in some polite but firm IA/NH bashing, but it's less intense than Carl Levin or Kos.

Who does early Florida help? The Washington Post says Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, and has his PowerPoint to prove it ("Florida is the firewall" proclaims the second slide of the presentation...) So, conversely, that would hurt the Mitt who's organized Iowa like he's running for governor here.

Chris Bowers looks at a Hillary vs. Rudy matchup and calls it Clinton 335-203 Giuliani. Against the Mitt, she wins 430-108 in what Bowers calls "a realignment." Maps and everything.

John McCain qualifies for matching funds. That used to be considered a good thing, a benchmark of viability, back before the turn of the century. But in the tens of millions of dollars era, it's seen as a sign of his weakness. The Politico:

Participating in the public financing system would allow him in the coming months to get an infusion of loans by borrowing against the promise of taxpayer dollars.

But the system is a trade-off, since it would also cap at about $50 million the amount of cash his campaign can spend during the primary — a limitation that would go into effect immediately.

Bill Richardson sets the expectation bar: top three in Iowa.

Finally, this is two years old but Reddit dug it up: how Dennis Kucinich hooked up with a hot redhead. Even includes Dharma and Greg references. And pictures.