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The monitor shows a standing ovation to his conclusion. It wasn’t Thompson’s best speech – some stretches of silence - but I think he did what he needed. I can see why some folks – gah, I’m saying ‘folks,’ this folksiness is contagious – don’t like Fred Thompson’s style on the stump. It’s vague, general, casual and conversational. He meanders to his points, it’s not fiery, charged up. He’s rarely angry, more head-shaking exasperation with the flawed ways of Washington. But I think it works for him, and it works for people who don’t need the wonkish policy brief.

It was a rough week out in Minneapolis. Everyone knew that after a run of extraordinary electoral success from 2000-2006, their favorite Republican icon had crashed under the psychic weight of the '06 defeat, but no one knew how far the pachyderm had truly fallen...

...Until he showed up to the 2008 Republican Convention photo shoot.  According to sources, the face of the GOP was "completely out of it" and made frequent trips to the bathroom during the shoot. His mood, we're told, was extremely erratic. Our on-set spy tells us he ordered fried chicken at one point, later wiping his dirty tusks clean with his custom-made wardrobe, costing the party thousands of dollars, and trampling at least one volunteer underfoot in a postprandial attack.

The troubled mascot's agent  would not comment except to promise a really awesome comeback in 2008, perhaps at the MTV Music Awards.

Due to the incredible number of wasteful earmarks jammed into every spending bill that comes across the floor of the House, it is impossible for me to highlight each one for you. However, I try to bring those that are particularly egregious to your attention so you can see just exactly where your tax dollars are going. I recently came across this one and found it worth highlighting.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) apparently felt the transportation budget was big enough to support an earmark for the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. According to CBS News, the Skirball Cultural Center is managed by wealthy executives making six figures a year and grosses more than $885 million a year! Hardly a needy organization by any standard. 

When asked about the $550,000 price tag for this project, Mr. Waxman indicated that he felt the cost was mere pennies. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to realize that American taxpayers depend on those “pennies” and each one was earned through hard work.

I can’t decide what’s more disturbing: The fact that the earmark is in the transportation bill (which has nothing to do with the Skirball Cultural Center) or the lack of judgment it took to not use those funds for something more critical - like say bridge and infrastructure repair?

Regardless, thanks to your tax dollars, Los Angeles’ newest attraction now brings in over $16,000 in ticket sales a week. Will the average American taxpayer benefit at all from that profit?  I doubt it. 

Update: Romney responds:

“What we have here is a fundamental disagreement over tax policies affecting American families.  Mayor Giuliani crusaded against the line-item veto and fought very hard to keep a commuter tax burden on hardworking taxpayers.  Governor Romney strongly disagrees with Mayor Giuliani on those issues, since the line-item veto helps reduce wasteful spending and families ought to be protected from higher tax burdens, instead of having their mayor file lawsuits in court in an effort to keep them.”

 – Kevin Madden, Romney for President campaign spokesman

Hennepin County District Court Judge Charles Porter on Thursday denied Sen. Larry Craig's (R-Idaho) motion to withdraw his guilty plea to disorderly conduct charges following a June incident in a Minneapolis airport bathroom. Craig has said he would resign from the Senate if he fails to overturn his plea.

Watch video on the judge's ruling here.

Update: 4:05 - This video is worth watching for comedic reasons, at least.  As the Washington Post's Paul Kane reports, he passed four bathrooms on his way from Craig's arrival gate to the scene of the crime ...

Update: 4:32 - Hotline reports:  "Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) said in a statement he's 'extremely disappointed' in the ruling and "innocent" of all charges. Craig: 'When my term has expired, I will retire and not seek reelection" (release).

Update: 5:17 - "Idaho Sen. Larry Craig defiantly vowed to serve out his term in office despite losing a court attempt to rescind his guilty plea in a men's room sting. Craig had earlier announced he would resign his seat by Sept. 30, but had wavered when he went to court in hopes of withdrawing his plea." - Wall Street Journal, 10/4/07

From the AP:

... Giuliani raised more than $11 million for his presidential campaign over the past three months and ended the quarter with more than $16 million on hand, his campaign reported Thursday.

After two hours of deliberation, we voted on a resolution that can be summarized as follows: If neither of the two major political parties nominates an individual who pledges himself or herself to the sanctity of human life, we will join others in voting for a minor-party candidate. Those agreeing with the proposition were invited to stand. The result was almost unanimous.

... The other approach, which I find problematic, is to choose a candidate according to the likelihood of electoral success or failure. Polls don’t measure right and wrong; voting according to the possibility of winning or losing can lead directly to the compromise of one’s principles. In the present political climate, it could result in the abandonment of cherished beliefs that conservative Christians have promoted and defended for decades. Winning the presidential election is vitally important, but not at the expense of what we hold most dear.

Update: 10:49 - This WaTimes story -- Young evangelicals diverge from GOP -- should prove very concerning to the Republican Party ...

Update: 11:27 - Politico's Jonathan Martin reports on Fred Thompson's comments about Dobson last night on Hannity and Colmes:

"A gentleman who has never met me, has never talked to me," Thompson said of Dobson. "I have never talked to him on the phone. I did have one of his aides call me up and kind of apologize the first time he attacked me and said I wasn't a Christian."

Then, when asked helpfully by Hannity -- ever the conservative peacemaker -- if he would be willing to have a sit-down with Dobson to patch things up, Thompson didn't mince words.

"I don't particularly care to have a conversation with him. If he wants to call up and apologize again, you know, it's OK with me. But I'm not going to dance to anybody's tune.”