Never watched Bret Baier before. Never will again. Worst. Anchor. Ever.

I was on MSNBC yesterday talking health care with Liz Mair. Check out the clip:

Just arrived in the mailbox. Rep. Joe Sestak (PA-7), who you may remember from our 2006 trip when he was first running for congress, has announced that he’s running for PA Senate in 2010.

Dear Friend,

This morning I officially launched my campaign for U.S. Senate.

This campaign is not about me … it’s about all of us, and we are going to need your help to win.

In Pennsylvania, like all around the country, we find ourselves in challenging times.

But this nation has always thrived on the knowledge that with adversity comes opportunity. We have an opportunity – if we act now, with vision and resolve – to root out endemic problems in our financial system, to provide health care and educational opportunities for all, and to recommit ourselves to our core principles of honesty, accountability, and hard work … and to put principle above politics.

We must restore the promise of the American Dream – that our children will have the opportunity, based upon their talents, to do even better than their parents.

For too long, people in powerful positions have failed to remember that the American Dream has never been about getting ahead. It is about having an opportunity to do well and to create a better world for the next generation so they will be inspired to do the same.

It is that great pact between generations – that we will pass down a better world than the one we inherited – that has been lost for the first time in our history. That is why I am running for the U.S. Senate.

Why has that pact been lost? Because the people you sent to Washington to represent you – to look out for you – failed to do so, and must be held accountable. That’s why my District voted for change in 2006, our nation voted for change last year, and Pennsylvania will vote for change next year to remain committed to a new direction.

The challenge we face today is itself an opportunity to remember that America’s strength has never come from force of arms, industrial might, or even innovation. These are simply the fruits of the conviction that everyone deserves a fair shot, that everyone can and should contribute to their full potential, and that honest hard work will be respected and rewarded.

If you believe in that message, I ask you to please show your support at this time by making a contribution. We need every dollar to help restore the American Dream!

Please Contribute Now: Contribute

Thank you and please stay engaged in our campaign to restore the American Dream.

Warmly,

Joe Sestak

Check out the interview and you’ll see why we’re such big fans of Congressman Sestak and the work he’s done here at DoubleSpeak.

The email below was just forwarded to me. It’s poses some very good questions. If you’re so inclined, please copy and paste the text and get this email out to your address book today.

—–Original Message—–
From: SENDER
Sent: Tue 9/17/2008
To: RECIPIENT
Subject: Obama Confusion…

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re
‘exotic, different.’

* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, yours is a quintessential
American story.

* If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow,Trig and Track, you’re a maverick.

* Graduate from Columbia University and Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you’re well
grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the
first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter
registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years
as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator
representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of
the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years
in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people
while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs,
Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you
don’t have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city
council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000
people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people,
then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking
executive and next in line behind a man in his eighth decade.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while
raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re
not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and then left
your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a
true Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including
the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no
other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your
unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you’re very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in
a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city
community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values
don’t represent America ’s.

* If you’re husband is nicknamed ‘First Dude’, with at least one DWI
conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until
age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession
of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

What a moment…

Now this is certainly an interesting development…

Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith is now running ads touting his ability work across the aisle with Barack Obama and the Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski. He recognizes that the GOP brand is not so strong these days, and in order to beat back the challenge from Jeff Merkley, he’s going to have to…well…act like a Democrat. Check out the ad.

UPDATE: Obama spokesman Bill Burton responded:

Barack Obama has a long record of bipartisan accomplishment and we appreciate that it is respected by his Democratic and Republican colleagues in the Senate. But in this race, Oregonians should know that Barack Obama supports Jeff Merkley for Senate. Merkley will help Obama bring about the fundamental change we need in Washington.

Americans United for Change, a group that is working hard to bring the Iraq War to an end has recently released a series of TV ads targeting U.S. Senators who are up for re-election in 2008.

Please take a look at these ads and share them with your friends, family and co-workers. They are well made, effective and should help to keep these Senators up against the ropes as 2008 approaches.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)

Senator John Sununu (R-NH)

World, meet the next great Senator from state of Minnesota…Al Franken…

Al Franken has officially thrown his hat into the 2008 Senate race against sitting Senator Norm Coleman (R) of Minnesota. Check out Al’s new website. Much more on this race to come, including interviews and analysis from the ground in the state of 10,000 lakes!

Today, the House of Representatives began debate on a non-binding resolution on the Iraq War troop escalation. Below is the text of that resolution.

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That —

(1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and

(2) Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.

Each member of the House has been given five minutes to speak on this resolution. The Democrats have made this resolution as straightforward and as easy to grasp as possible. What does a non-binding resolution do, you may ask? It sends a clear message to the White House that Congress (via the American people) reject Bush’s policy of sending more troops to referee a civil war in Iraq.

NPR’s Morning Edition has more on this great debate.