Are You Ready For Some Senaaaaate?

If you've read this blog before, you know that I am generally a big fan of celebrity politics, particularly wrestlers or Senate runs. Comedian Al Franken runs for Minnesota senate, I'm happy; wrestler Ric Flair endorses Mike Huckabee, and I'm very happy; Hardball host Chris Matthews eyes a Pennsylvania Senate seat, and I'm a pig in dirty stuff. So just imagine how I feel knowing that country singer Hank Williams, Jr. is planning to run for the Tennessee senate seat that opens up in 2012. The son of country legend Hank Williams, the more-bearded-but-less-classy-and-mellifluous Hank Jr. made himself a household name by introducing Monday Night Football every week with a new customized song to introduce the teams. Senate, baby, Senate.

Which is a perfect introduction to the ongoing effort to raise a Ronald-Reagan-shaped-bird from the McCain-Palin-sized pile of ashes. While some see the GOP as completely dead, I tend to wait until something actually happens to pronounce the death of a major political party. There's lots of ways the Dems can screw up and reinfuse life into the Republicans, and it's not like it hasn't happened before. Still, the first major sign of where the GOP wants to go will be the election of the next Republican National Committee chair. As Chris Cillizza reports, there are several candidates, but here are my favorites:

1. Michael Steele, former Lt. Gov. of Maryland and current holder of the title of "most famous black Republican." He wants the job badly, and has a great organization behind him, so of course the GOP insiders will question his conservative cred.
2. Mike Duncan, current RNC Chair who hasn't decided if he's running again. He's presided over historic losses by his party, so of course he's well respected by the party faithful.
3. Jim Nussle, former Iowa Congressman who can be the voice of independents and Midwesterners, who used to be Republicans. But he's tight with Bush, so who knows?

Very nice, but you want more lists, you say? How about probably replacements for Hillary Clinton as junior senator from New York?

1. Thomas Suozzi, who ran an ill-fated primary campaign against the then-shooting star that was Elliot Spitzer.
2. Kristen Gillebrand, a Congresswoman who was part of the wave takeovers in 2006.
3. Andrew Cuomo, son of the New York Governor Mario Cuomo and current Attorney General.
4. Kennedys, Robert Jr. and Caroline, who are real longshots for different reasons.

Other things to read:

• Deborah Howell, the ombudsman (ombudswoman?) for the Washington Post, says there was pro-Obama (probama?) leanings in her newspaper. I see her point, but her research seems awfully simplistic (700-stories on McCain to 900-some on Obama is fine, but demonstratres very little without context). Her specific comments, whether on suggestions for stories or praise for reporters, or criticisms of serieses, are far more compelling than her oversimplified tabulation of which stories were on who. She also found a lack of substance in the reporting:

  The count was lopsided, with 1,295 horse-race stories and 594 issues stories. The Post was deficient in stories that reported more than the two candidates trading jabs; readers needed articles, going back to the primaries, comparing their positions with outside experts' views. There were no broad stories on energy or science policy, and there were few on religion issues.

• Catholics in America voted for Obama. Catholics in Pennsylvania voted for McCain.
• And my former mayor, Don Cunningham, has a huge fundraiser, officially setting the tone for the 2010 gubernatorial race.