I'd Be Honoréd

Late last week, rumors surfaced that Gen. Russell Honoré would run in the Louisiana Senate primary as a Republican. Today, Honoré not only dismissed the rumor, but claimed that he's not even a Republican.

Retired Army Gen. Russel Honoré, who has been on a daylong media tour trying to knock down rumors that he was looking at a possible run for Senate in a Republican primary challenge against Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), has given his most specific denial to date, the Louisiana Weekly reports.

Honoré said he did not even know Joe Berry, the Republican consultant who claimed to have met with him to discuss a bid. "I am not running for office," said Honoré. "I don't know who this is. I was not at my home two weeks ago. I have no idea who this gentleman could be."

He also strongly disavowed that he was even a registered Republican, and that an official spokesman named Charles Lamley had said he was not ruling out a run: "I never declared myself as a Republican during the Reagan Administration. I have never lived in Zachary as he claimed. I have never heard of Charles Lamley."

Well, if I was intrigued by Honoré before, I'm REALLY intrigued now. He never denied that he would run for the seat, saying that "as of this time, I'm not running for any political office." That means he's susceptible to a draft effort. Honoré has made no mention of his political ideology other than saying he never declared himself a Republican. But we know he has some sense of honor and a take-no-prisoners style. That puts him at least a notch above self-serving Blue Dogs like Charlie Melancon, the Democrat running for the seat. And Louisiana has an open primary, where Honoré could run statewide instead of having to beat Melancon in a primary.

I'll say this, an Honoré candidacy as a Democrat - or even an independent - would be extremely strong, if he could raise the money. Who'll start the draft effort?

The Strange Death Of Republican America

The campaign arm of Senate Republicans just pulled out of Louisiana to focus on saving their seats in Georgia and Kentucky. Louisiana, where Karl Rove personally recruited a former Democrat to face Mary Landrieu, was the only Democratic-held seat where Senate Democrats were playing in 2008.

This guarantees not only that Democrats will keep the Senate, but that Republicans won't pick up one single solitary seat for the second campaign cycle in a row.

Meanwhile, some of the very Southern states where Republicans picked up their last seats, way back in 2004, are holding competitive races in 2008. The money is pouring into Georgia, where progressive Democrat Jim Martin is trying to unseat Saxby Chambliss. The early voting there has been so huge, with such a high black turnout, that Martin has an excellent chance. In North Carolina, listless Liddy Dole is in big trouble.

As economic turmoil has driven down support for Republican candidates in recent weeks, several polls have suggested that Mrs. Dole’s opponent, Kay R. Hagan, a relatively unknown state senator from Greensboro, has closed Mrs. Dole’s double-digit lead or even pulled ahead, and many analysts are now calling the race a tossup.

Ms. Hagan is a crucial part of the effort by Democrats to gain a 60-seat majority in the Senate, a margin that could limit Republican filibusters. From Nov. 16, 2007, to Oct. 5, the Democratic senatorial committee spent more than $4 million on advertising in North Carolina, more than in any other Senate race, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, a political data firm in Arlington, Va. The Democrats have reserved television time worth millions more.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which has less money, has also spent more in North Carolina than in any other state, $1.7 million. That disparity between parties is reversed when it comes to the candidates’ own treasuries. By the end of September, Mrs. Dole had raised $12.9 million, and Ms. Hagan, $4.8 million.

If Republicans need to pull out all the stops to win in Georgia and North Carolina, they're in worse shape than I thought. And it's not simply the economy, IMO; these are BAD lawmakers. Liddy Dole never spends a second in her home state and has no accomplishments. Saxby Chambliss is arguably worse. They were in the majority for four years and did nothing to distinguish themselves. When you are a robotic rubber stamp, there's no way to show leadership - you're spending all your time following. And I think people understand this.