are definitely watching this one, i bet.

is it over?

AP called it. After being hammered for weeks with ads hogtieing him to Obama and Rev. Wright Childers won it in a district Bush took with over 65% of the vote in 2004. Mississippi (that's how it's spelled) now has 3 Dem House reps out of 4.

The rest are in precincts Childers won last time.

The NRCC spent over $1.3 million in this race, and that's not counting what shadow groups like Freedom's Watch put in. It's an R+10 district.

It helped that The DCCC dropped a last minute mailer claiming that Republican Greg Davis had offered up his town of Southaven, where he's mayor, as the new home for a statue of Confederate general and founder of the Klu Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest. The NRCC flipped out and sent out a press release claiming that the claim was a lie -- that it was a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, not Forrest. And their response got picked up in a piece in Roll Call.

Turned out the DCCC was right. Whaddya think hurt Davis worse? That the wingnut got caught in a lie or Repubs tried to dis Nathan Bedford Forrest?

from Obama too?

Translation: We are so fucked. God help us.

NRCC Chairman Tom Cole's Statement on Special Election Results in Mississippi

Washington -- NRCC Chairman Tom Cole released the following statement following the results of the special election runoff in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District:

"We are disappointed in tonight's election results. Though the NRCC, RNC and Mississippi Republicans made a major effort to retain this seat, we came up short.

"Tonight's election highlights two significant challenges Republicans must overcome this November. First, Republicans must be prepared to campaign against Democrat challengers who are running as conservatives, even as they try to join a liberal Democrat majority. Though the Democrats' task will be more difficult in a November election, the fact is they have pulled off two special election victories with this strategy, and it should be a concern to all Republicans.

"Second, the political environment is such that voters remain pessimistic about the direction of the country and the Republican Party in general. Therefore, Republicans must undertake bold efforts to define a forward looking agenda that offers the kind of positive change voters are looking for. This is something we can do in cooperation with our Presidential nominee, but time is short.

"I encourage all Republican candidates, whether incumbents or challengers, to take stock of their campaigns and position themselves for challenging campaigns this fall by building the financial resources and grassroots networks that offer them the opportunity and ability to communicate, energize and turn out voters this election."

And it's too bad we're not electing a progressive to take advantage of the situation. But, c'est la vie.

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.