The DCCC sent out a fundraising e-mail earlier this week in Speaker Pelosi’s name trying to use GOP subpoena power as a rallying cry for Democrats. With the subject line “Endless Investigations,” Pelosi said, “They will bring back the days of Ken Starr and the politics of personal destruction, including endless investigations against President Obama, while continuing to put corporate special interests first.”

I rolled my eyes when I saw this on Wednesday, remembering 2006 when we liked the idea of Congress investigating the White House. Granted, Obama is no Bush and Axelrod is no Rove, but it still struck me as hypocritical to call the very thing we campaigned on in 2006 the end of the world. Until just now when I saw this – Bill Randall, Repub candidate in NC-13, suggested that BP and the government teamed up to cause the oil spill on purpose, and that subpoenas should be issued: "Now, I’m not necessarily a conspiracy person, and I do not think enough investigation has been done on this… Personally I feel there's a possibility that there was some sort of collusion... I'm not saying there necessarily is, but I think that there are enough facts on the table for people that are really need to do so to do some investigative research and find out what went on with that and subpoenaing, getting a subpoena of records and everything else.”

Granted, this happened June 16, an eternity in blog time - my bad for missing it at the time (blame travel). But it's gained new life since then given than Randall won his June 22 runoff and is now the GOP's official nominee.

This is what the Repub Party stands for now? And I thought Rand Paul was crazy. CNN’s Carl Sanchez aptly compares this to the 9/11 “Truthers.” All the more reason to support progressive candidates and avoid a GOP takeover. Randall's oponent, btw, is Rep. Brad Miller. Charlie Cook rates this race as a "solid D", thank God, but Randall's kooky ilk do stand chances to win in places like KY-SEN and NV-SEN.

Rep. Brad Miller will be live-blogging at BlueNC.com on Thursday morning December 28th from 9am-11am (Eastern). Questions and comments are welcome

In anticipation of this event a question thread has been running at BlueNC. Some good questions have already been posted and Rep. Miller has been reading.

Some of you will have seen my previous MyDD posts and those of others about Brad Miller and the absurdly venomous campaign by his unsuccessful opponent Vernon Robinson.

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Yesterday it was gloomy.  Low 50s, and drizzling.  I was doing nothing - blogging, gaming, a little procrastinating - when the phone rang.  It was a volunteer over at the Brad Miller campaign HQ, asking if I could help with a literature drop today.

I said yes, I'd be delighted to.  And a few moments after I hung up, it hit me what I'd just committed to: wandering around a strange neighborhood in the drizzle and cold.

I needn't have worried.  (continued below the fold)

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As we approach the witching hour it's time for a review of the sordid brew that is Vernon Robinson's devious, scary and, hopefully, quixotic campaign including what appears to be another copyright violation.  Interesting take on Vernon Robinson at this post by Michael Fauntroy at the Huffington Post.  Noting how effective Robinson is at raising money with hate he raises the scary thought of how much money Robinson could raise if Republicans actually thought he had a chance at winning. I love MsWings comment that if Miller were everything Robinson says he is

I'd still vote for him before I'd waste a vote on a hate filled loudmouth like Robinson.

Meanwhile Robinson's dirty campaigning tricks have circled the globe via international press in the last few days showing up in London and Australia in stories typical of this Canadian report.  I hope these stories have shown up in Beijing but who knows how the government censors control what Vernon's Chinese donors see.  [more below...]

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The prize for the furthest traveled to this reunion goes to an octogenarian couple in Beijing, China who retired there from Illinois in 1988 and haven't looked back since.  As the husband writes in his website:

China living is easy, a slower-paced living.  It's a lot like turning the clock back a number of years.

 No kidding!  Turning the clock back is what Vernon Robinson wants to do with a number of issues here in NC, on the other side of the globe from Beijing, literally and figuratively.  

They have sent money from China to Robinson before, giving them reunion status in Robinson's fear mongering milking parlor in his run against Democrat Brad Miller.  Why would they want to give money to a Congressional race in  NC?  Well, clue number 1. is this quote:

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