the Dole that keeps on giving.

In Britain, being on "the dole" is equivalent to our welfare. What a fitting state of affairs then, that Elizabeth Dole has put the Republican Party into debt, to the point that they are now begging for alms from the poor, downtrodden, billionaires that finance their party. From MSNBC.

WASHINGTON - It's the season for giving, and this year the National Republican Senatorial Committee is joining those appealing for donations.

The committee's fund-raising has lagged behind those of other national party committees, and it's run up a debt.

So, the committee's chairwoman, Senator Elizabeth Dole, sent an urgent appeal to donors this week. The letter says if the debt lingers, it will "cripple" Republican efforts to recruit strong Senate candidates for the 2008 election.

Blessed be Elizabeth Dole, who goes out begging for alms during the Christmas season to pay off her debt. Why the horrible timing, when people are getting fliers asking them to spare a nickel for a starving child, when people are giving Toys for Tots, when people are giving last minute tax-deductible donations to the homeless shelter so they can look their children in the eyes, why now?

Party committees are required to file post-election financial reports with the Federal Election Commission next week.

Oh. You don't want us to know just how far in debt you are, eh? Well, good luck with that. Because I'm pretty sure the numbers will tell us how much you raised SINCE the election, which will tell the voters how much Elizabeth Dole borrowed against the party's future to lose EVERY COMPETITIVE seat.

Isn't that cozy.

From the Charlotte Observer. Nepotism anyone?

WASHINGTON - At 4:15 p.m., Uzbekistan ambassador to the United States was escorted into a long-tabled room at the U.S. State Department.

He'd come to discuss, ambassador-to-ambassador, the department's decision to add the former Soviet republic to its annual list of countries guilty of "severe violations of religious freedom." It's a designation that can bring economic sanctions.

Sitting across from the Uzbek ambassador as the meeting began: former Charlottean John Hanford III, who compiled the list.

As President Bush's ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, Hanford, 52, is America's chief monitor of religious persecution around the globe. It's also his job to try to work with countries to end the mistreatment of worshippers -- in Uzbekistan's case, the victims tend to be Protestant Christians and observant Muslims.

"The right position for the United States is to encourage other nations to follow what we have worked out here over the years," says Hanford, a Salisbury native and the nephew of Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C. "It's important for me to be humble and say to other governments, `Our record is not perfect. There have been times in our history ...' But almost since the beginning, this (respect for freedom to worship) has been a strength of our government."

An evangelical Christian himself, Hanford likes to quote George Washington and other Founding Fathers about the blessings of religious liberty.

Does anyone find it funny that the Evangelicals are in charge of our out-reach effort for religious freedom? This is the same movement that feels the Pope is a devil, that Catholicism is a pagan religion, that Jews will burn in hell, that Muslims will burn in hell, and that a vote for John Kerry was a vote for immorality.

THESE are the people in charge of religious freedom?

I would love to give you his qualifications, but I can't seem to find any.

Under the Dome - Full of Crap

The 2006 Senate race should have been a no-brainer for the Republicans. In contrast to 2008, when Senate Republicans make up 21 of the 33 seats up for reelection, in 2006 they made up only 15 of 33. Among those were the red state Senate seats of VA and MT and the deeply purple incumbent seats of OH, PA, and MO. Only RI, a truly Blue state, posed a serious opportunity for pick-up. The Republicans held 55 seats and left the 2004 election talking about how to win the veto-proof majority they would need in 2006. It seemed likely with Democrats in danger in FL, WA, NJ and MI; leaving open seats in MD and MN; and Democrats up for reelection in deep red states like ND and NE. This was the future that Democrats were facing in November 2004. Yet, Republicans self-destructed at every turn.

• Rick Santorum published a book telling women to stay at home barefoot and pregant.
• George Allen hurled racial slurs like mini-footballs at homecoming.
• Conrad Burns showed himself to be an idiot and a lout.
• Republicans fielded hopeless candidates in WA, MN, FL, and MI and more or less no candidates in the deep red states.
  

Yet, though they were up against the electoral wall in 2004, Democrats put together a strong strategy that saw the Senate twist from 55-45 to 51-49 in their favor. While it wasn't all Elizabeth Dole's fault, she certainly didn't help the situation. Yet, how does Under the Dome present this schlacking and 180 degree turn and upset and piledriver by the Democrats while Dole was in charge of winning?

U.S. SEN. ELIZABETH DOLE: For the sands of time. The Republicans lost control of the Senate, but at least her two-year reign of "The Election Cycle That Stunk For Republicans" is over. Dole knew the odds were long when she became chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, but few expected the Senate to go Democratic until a few days before the election. Now, Dole can focus on the re-election race that really matters: her own.

Bull. Elizabeth Dole went into this thinking she would be going for a veto-proof majority, instead she saw her party lose the Senate in a blowout. She failed, miserably. Thank God.

Dole can't decide on who to run the NC Republican Party

It seems that the Republican Party can't decide who to make their state chair, and Katherine Harris Elizabeth Dole isn't helping.

The N.C. Republican Party is trying to pick a new chairman, but so far the state's two U.S. senators have held off endorsing anyone.

Three candidates have expressed interest in the top party post: Linda Daves, the acting state chairwoman from Charlotte, state Sen. Andrew Brock of Mocksville and Guilford County Chairman Marcus Kindley.

But Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr, the party's ranking officials, have yet to offer their blessing to any of the candidates. Dole and Burr have been under pressure from party leaders to find someone with strong ties to the state's business community, according to party insiders. And it's not clear that any of the three announced candidates fits the bill.

...

Dole has a particular interest in who will be the next party chairman because she is going to be facing re-election in 2008.

So, in the end it appears that Elizabeth Dole is looking for someone to help her raise money for her reelection bid.

Pro-Birth movement gives up on Dole.

I read this article with interest. It gives a list of all the pro-birth Republican, Freshman Senators up for reelection. All of whom won by 50-55 margins.

In 2008, Republicans will defend 21 Senate seats while Democrats will have just 12 to defend.

On the Republican side, there are quire a few first term senators facing their first-ever re-eletion -- normally the first and only opportunity a party has to knock off an incumbent in the Senate.

Saxby Chambliss of Alabama, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, John Sununu of New Hampshire, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and John Cornyn of Texas are all first term pro-life senators.

The article then goes on to explore the hopes of every single candidate...except Dole. Have they given up on Dole because of how poorly she performed in the midterm elections?

Thank you Katherine HarrisElizabeth Dole.

Compare and Contrast

Liddy Dole's Future:

Ensign Chosen As Republican Leader on Capitol Hill

Nov 15, 2006 03:13 PM

Senate republicans chose their leadership today on Capitol Hill and Nevada senator John Ensign has been elected to head a vital Republican Committee.

Senator Ensign will serve as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a post previously held by senator Elizabeth Dole.

No leadership role for Liddy. It will take some time to find out if she has any committee assignments AT ALL.

Shumer?

Schumer, the victor, wins new leadership position
By Alexander Bolton

Senate Democrats rewarded Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) yesterday for his success as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) by giving him a specially created leadership position.

In return for the new title of vice chairman of the caucus, which ranks third among Democratic leaders, Schumer has agreed to serve another two years as chairman of the Senate Democratic fundraising committee.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) announced after a closed-door meeting of the Democratic caucus yesterday that Democrats had created the new position, which puts Schumer below only Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the incoming majority whip, and Reid, but means he outranks the Democratic conference secretary.

"Liddy Dole Satisfied With Her Failures"

I love this headline. The story is pretty much what you have seen.

Liddy Dole satisfied with her failures
By BARBARA BARRETT
McClatchy Newspapers
Nov 11, 2006, 12:04:43 AM

Sen. Elizabeth Dole's job as chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee had been to keep the Senate in GOP hands. It didn't happen.

Now, after two years in the Senate's GOP leadership, Dole tumbles into the minority -- back to her status as freshman senator from North Carolina and, perhaps, out of favor among Republican activists frustrated at election results.

Dole is satisfied with her performance.

"I can sleep well at night knowing we did everything possible to hold the Senate," Dole said in a telephone interview. "All I know is I worked my head off, and that's all you can do."