This is an R+15 district, so it would make it one of the most Republican districts held by a Democrat. Jones would also be one of the most conservative members in the caucus.

Still, National Journal rankings list Jones as the second most “liberal” Republican in the House, and votes the “liberal” position 53.5 percent, or better than Democrats Dan Boren (OK, 49.2), Gene Taylor (MS, 50), Jim Marshall (GA, 50), Henry Cuellar (TX, 51), Collin Peterson (MN, 51), Bud Cramer (AL, 51.7), John Barrow (GA, 51.8), Charlie Melancon (LA, 52.2), Lincoln Davis (TN, 52.8), and Jim Matheson (UT, 53.3).

Yeah, yeah, that’s a real rogue’s gallery, and there’s a good question about whether we want to reinforce the Bush Dog contingent. But given the hard-right bent of the district, the havoc it would wreak on the GOP’s 2008 battle plans, and the reinforcement of the “GOP is collapsing” narrative, I’d happily take his switch.

Daily Kos

Somehow I don’t think this endorsement will help Jones very much in his primary.

For the first months of his candidacy for president, prominent progressives in New York mocked the notion that a pro-choice, immigration-friendly serial husband with a history of opposition to guns would have a shot at the Republican nomination.

But now, with Mr. Giuliani up nearly 10 percentage points in national polls and unexpectedly competitive in the early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina, a mixture of nervousness and disbelief is running through the ranks of his old antagonists.

“People say, ‘Still?’” said Mark Green, a former New York City public advocate and persistent foil to Mr. Giuliani. “If the other 49 [states] knew what we knew, he wouldn’t be in the ballpark, much less winning the game.”

The New York Observer

Geez, if this keeps up and we have to choose between Clinton and Giuliani next November, I might have to go with Stephen Colbert.

Last year, Gov. Perry faced what could have been serious trouble.  First it looked like he might have a tough primary.  Social conservatives rallied to him and deterred Carole Strayhorn from a primary challenge.  Then he faced a multi-candidate general election, and once again social conservatives saved his bacon, helping him beat back three challengers.  How, then, does Perry repay the favor?

Today he stabbed conservatives in the back and endorsed Rudy Giuliani for President.   Suffice it to say that this is a stunning development and sadly an all too common theme.  Perry got what he wanted from conservatives, and then turned on them after his election.  Perry had a solidly pro-life, pro-family record, making this all the more stunning.  If this does not make it impossible for Perry to win another election in Texas, conservatives don’t really run the show down there.  If that is the case, one has to question whether we run the show anywhere.

Calling Huckabee the “Right Wing’s Last Survivor,” is a bit much don’t ya think?!?

Meanwhile, National Republican Congressional Committee head Tom Cole declared Ogonowski’s close call a moral victory, arguing that Ogonowski “sent a message to the Washington establishment and Democratic party that will reverberate throughout next year’s election.

“Democrats have officially forfeited the mantle of change,” Cole said in a statement. “Jim’s hard-fought, grassroots campaign exposed a shift in the political tide, and most impressively, he did it in the bluest of blue states.

“He proved that a Republican challenger, who centers their campaign on the core issues of lower taxes, less government spending, respect for the rule of law, and most importantly, the issue of bringing change to Washington, can effectively garner votes from independents and swing voters.”

Politico

Isn’t that what we have been saying all along?  More importantly, Ogonoswki ran on a message of Washington being broken no matter who is in charge and he wasn’t afraid to place guilt on his own Republican Party when necessary.  He really ran as more of a non-partisan independent candidate with a goal of fixing Washington.  Unless his showing was a fluke, he showed the GOP how to win next year, even in hostile New England territory.

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Ron Paul have little in common politically, except their opposition to the Iraq war.

Both top a new list of presidential candidates receiving campaign contributions from people who work for the four branches of the military and National Guard, according to a study released Thursday by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.

The center tallied money from donors who list the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and National Guard as an employer. Overall, these donations are miniscule: Obama got 44 contributions worth about $27,000 and Paul 23 for about $19,300. Republican John McCain, an Iraq war supporter and Vietnam prisoner of war, was third with about $18,500 from 32 donors.

ABC News

I guess the military doesn’t think he’s a nut either.  Each passing day shows us that the neo-con policy of nation building isn’t as mainstream in the GOP any longer.