ConfirmThem

gotta go first. Thanks, Andrew.

Yes, this is a slow weekend. How 'bout this--when I heard the first part of the Craig tape, I thought he might have a case--in a court of law, that is: not the court of public opinion.

The police man is taping the conversation before Craig knows that is happening. Then Craig says, "Is that on?" The policeman answers in the affirmative, then gives the date, does the basic Miranda stuff, asks if he wants a lawyer, and proceeds with the conversation.

This a.m. on Fox News a couple defense attorneys thought Craig just might be able to pull things off in a court of law, based on the tape. Whaddya know.

A question--what's September going to be like for Sen. Craig, as a dead (politically) man walking the hallowed halls and floor of the Senate? I won't make any jokes at this time. Not criquette, you know.

And who might replace Craig? What is the process in Idaho for replacing a resigned Senator?

already been picked by the gov. The governor might be waiting for an appropriate length of time (whatever he deems appropriate) between Craig's Sat. announcement and when he'll announce the replacement. I would think it would be as early as this coming Mon. or Tues.

Thanks, Classic, for the info. Since Rischl comes from Idaho and was picked by Otter, who is a conservative, I expect Rischl must be a conservative.

Here's an article re Craig's replacement:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20550769/

Here's Risch's bio from the Idaho gov. website:

"Lieutenant Governor James Risch is a rancher and attorney from Ada County. He attended the University of Idaho where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1965. He continued his education at the University of Idaho, receiving his Juris Doctor in 1968. From 1970 to 1974 Lieutenant Governor Risch worked as the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney; during this period he also taught law at Boise State University.
official Risch photo

In 1975 he was first elected to the Idaho State Senate, a position he held for 22 of the next 28 years. He spent 12 years as Majority Leader and six years as President Pro Tem. James was elected Lieutenant Governor of Idaho in November 2002. In June of 2006, James Risch became the 31st Governor of Idaho, and served in that position for seven months. During that time, Governor Risch accomplished a significant number of successes for the State of Idaho. Among those were a much needed property tax relief package, opening regional offices for constituent service, proposing an acclaimed plan to manage roadless areas, and a sundry of initiatives to streamline government, fight substance abuse, increase nursing education and improve transportation throughout the state. He was re-elected to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in November

Lieutenant Governor Risch is involved in many community activities. He is a member of the Idaho Cattleman’s Association, American and Idaho Angus Association, American and Idaho Bar Associations, Ducks Unlimited and the National Rifle Association. He has also received many awards and honors including National Conference of State Legislators Leadership Award, Idaho Farm Bureau “Friend of Agriculture” and is a member of the Idaho Republican Hall of Fame. James has been married to his wife Vicki for 38 years. They have three sons James, Jason and Jordan, two daughter-in-laws Jennifer and Jeannette, as well as six grandchildren."

Sounds solid. My only complaint (a mild one) is that at his age how long is he going to stick around in DC? He may want to retire soon and just go duck hunting.

Patrick R. certainly makes a compelling case in this HH site post--

Sunday, September 02, 2007
VA-SEN: Why Not Eric Cantor?
Posted by: Patrick Ruffini at 9:33 AM

Conventional wisdom has Eric Cantor rising through the ranks in the House. But he's also the best hope for Virginia Republicans to hold John Warner's Senate seat.

Here's why the guy I wrote in for Senate in 2002 is still the best choice:

He's the most talented member of the Virginia delegation.

He hails from the Richmond suburbs, maybe the state's pivotal region. Northern Virginia has decisively rejected the last two GOP candidates on cultural grounds -- they were from the stix or acted like it. Cantor is from the suburbs in an increasingly suburban state. At the same time, he doesn't hail from NoVa proper and will find it easier to connect with conservatives throughout the Commonwealth.

Cantor's conservative record would be a marked improvement over John Warner. He scores a solid 82% on the Club for Growth's RePORK Card, the best in the Republican leadership.

Cantor's Congressional seat is solidly Republican and doesn't flip if he runs.

He has one of the most obscenely high cash-on-hand totals in the House. That could scare off opponents. Of all the potential candidates, he has the most potential of scaring off Mark Warner -- who could figure a bruising fight against the tough as nails, well funded Cantor isn't worth it -- and that he'll be better positioned by running for governor against George Allen in 2009. Running in 2008 also rules out Warner as VP on the Hillary ticket.
Why not send Cantor a message of support today at EricCantor.com?

Tom Davis could best serve the Republican Party by staying where he is, something he can well appreciate as a former NRCC Chairman. He's the right fit for where Fairfax County is right now. If he goes, so does his district.

As for Jim Gilmore, we need look no further than his recent 11th place publicity stunt to evaluate his skill as a candidate. Yes, he was always a longshot, but the fact that he ranked well below three sitting U.S. Congressmen who both started with near-zero name ID should tell us something. The guy had less of a chance than Ron Paul for crying out loud. He ended as Governor on a low note and was a terrible RNC chairman. Gilmore is not the conservative Virginia needs.

YES!!!!