As the Republican Party collapses into an orgy of sadism, dishonesty, and corruption, we have to start to figure out how to operate effectively in an environment where we are the majority party with very serious problems to solve.  That means our biggest hurdle is, as usual for majority parties, the Senate, where filibusters can stop progressive legislation.  The most skilled Senator on the right at procedural obstacles and politicking is Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader.  Unless we get rid of him, he will stand in the way of progressive legislation for twenty years. 

Fortunately, he's not very popular in his home state and is up for reelection in 2008.  Though he has raised millions, in terms of his political position he's so weak that he's putting out loaded polling to front his numbers.  His Iraq stance is costing him, with antiwar groups going after him with hundreds of thousands in ads.  And he's going to be in the national spotlight representing the GOP, which will put him at odds with the Kentucky public.  In 2006, nearby Indiana saw three districts flip from Republican to Democrat, Kentucky flipped one, and Singer noted that Ohio shifted dramatically in terms of its party allegiance.  This is a realigning region, with economic populism working.  The state isn't as labor-oriented as Ohio, with a more Appalachian and Southern flavor, but as we saw in Virginia in 2006 that kind of messaging works all over.  Moreoever, with Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher unbelievably unpopular, McConnell may have a weight around his neck symbolizing his big business fueled machine which includes his free trade stances and his shady connections with China.

That said, there's a potentially serious problem brewing.  The Kentucky Democratic Party is the worst party in the country, corrupt insular, and possibly favoring Mitch McConnell's reelection.  Currently, there's a gubernatorial primary in the Democratic race between Bruce Lunsford and Steve Beshear.  Beshear is a pretty good candidate, and he's leading in the polls by about 9 points over Lunsford.

Lunsford, though, is a walking disaster, and if he wins the primary, McConnell is going to have the advantage in 2008.  Lunsford will undermine the Senate candidate, as he's done in the past.  It's really odd that Lunsford is supported by party insiders.  He's a big donor to Republicans; from 1995-2000, he gave $52,000 to political candidates, 77% of which went to Republicans.  In 2006, he gave more to Republican Anne Northrup than to her Democratic challenger and current Congressman John Yarmuth.  He's also a strong Republican ally.  In 2003, after he promised to support the eventual gubernatorial nominee, he endorsed Republican Ernie Fletcher anyway.  Elaine Chao, current Secretary of Labor and wife of Mitch McConnell, is on the board of the company he ran.  Lunsford is also corrupt, with his nursing home company Vencor involved in Medicare fraud, bankrupcty, 'patient dumping', and shareholder rip-offs.  It's really really bad, and there's more here.

Lunsford isn't a Democrat, he's a greedy rich guy who has the support of party insiders.  If he gets the nomination, he's going to undermine the campaign against Mitch McConnell.  In addition, the prospect of a corrupt insider running against a corrupt insider is corrosive and cuts against a change message, which is what is necessary to realign the region.  I'll have more soon on the Kentucky Democratic Party leaders, and how they are undermining the party base in this primary.  Because of our Federalist system, local party machines that are corrupt can have huge consequences, keeping in place reactionary thugs like Mitch McConnell who can kill action on global warming for twenty years.  Local machines are basically where power comes from.  Much of the NAFTA legislative process went through Chicago, as did Clinton's campaign (and now Obama's).  Movements must be national and local in scope, because you can't untangle the two in our system.

For now, if there's anything you can do to help Beshear get the nomination, go for it.  The election is next Tuesday.