You may recall the earlier piece on Why Lynn Swann Does Not Belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Some people criticized Chris Bowers for attacking Candidate Lynn Swann by going after Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann.

Wherever you fell in that divide, I think you'll find Norman Chad's column this week to be entertaining. Chad writes a sports column called The Couch Slouch, and his topic this week is Lynn Swann, Sideline Reporter Turned Gubernatorial Candidate. A sample:

Do you know what a sideline reporter does? He stands on the sideline. There are three primary responsibilities: Give updates on injuries, interview the coach at halftime and, well, stand on the sideline.

Frankly, if you were to chase runaway mercury out of broken thermometers at a local hospital, you would be making better use of your time than standing on a sideline reporting. And not to trample all over Swannie here, but he is just an average sideline reporter. There is not a single moment I can recall in which Swan did something so extraordinary on the sideline that I said to myself, "Yep, gubernatorial material."

Swann has been standing on the sideline watching football for the past quarter century, and suddenly he's qualified to be governor of Pennsylvania? Heck, I've been sitting on the sofa watching football for the past quarter century -- what am I, the next U.S. attorney general?

You never know where in the MSM these memes can get picked up. I think a little deflation of Swann's image is perfectly in order. This is his resume, after all.

There's more...

The Richard Morrison campaign has produced a TV ad which, if I happen to see it on TV, will be the first such political ad I'll have seen since the primary season (such is life in a non-swing state). It's a pretty straightforward introductory piece, which capitalizes on one of Richard's biggest strengths, his basic likeableness. I love the use of a traffic jam to symbolize the tide he says he's going against, too. Check it out, and if you like what you see, you know what to do.

If you can tear yourself away from all of the great VP stuff for a few minutes, check out Mark Strama, running for Texas State House against first-term incumbent/DeLay clone Jack Stick. Texas Tuesdays has an interview with Mark and a look at his campaign academy, which is training the Democrats of tomorrow how to run a campaign.

Here's a brief excerpt from the interview, in which Mark was asked what he had learned while working for State Sen. Rodney Ellis:

Probably the most important lesson I learned from him is that politicians, to preserve their integrity, must be willing to lose their office. I remember one time when Rodney was confronted with a choice between doing what he thought was right, and doing what was politically expedient. He was genuinely concerned - wrongly, as it later turned out - that voting his conscience on this issue could actually get him defeated in a future election. He thought hard about it, and when he made his decision, he called me on the phone (which I remember vividly, because it was 4 in the morning when he called), and said, "The heck with it, I'm doing the right thing. And if I get defeated, I'll still be a lawyer, I'll still be an investment banker, I'll still be Nicole Ellis' daddy, and I'll still be an interesting guy to talk to at a cocktail party."

Check it out, and if he sounds like your kind of guy, please consider helping him out.

Rep. Max Sandlin, from East Texas' 1st CD, is one of the five incumbents threatened by redistricting. He's sure to be in a tight race, and though his opponent came out of a tough primary and runoff without much money, he was the beneficiary of a visit from Dick Cheney at a high-dollar fundraiser this past Friday.

A group of Texas bloggers has created the Texas Tuesdays web page to highlight and raise funds for our Democratic incumbents and challengers. Today is Max Sandlin's day, and you can read more about him here:

Sandlin intro

Sandlin bio

Sandlin news roundup

Please check it out, and help us to help  Rep. Max Sandlin.

We all know what the Congressional situation is like in Texas, and we all know that holding ground there will be the key to making gains or even getting control in the House. Towards that end, a group of Texas bloggers has started a tradition called "Texas Tuesdays", in which we profile a worthy candidate and try to generate some donations for that candidate's campaign. Last week, we raised $500 for Richard Morrison, and this week we're trying to do the same or better for Morris Meyer. Click on the links below to read the bloggage from these two weeks, and please consider making a donation to help them out.

Announcing Texas Tuesdays

Intro: Morris Meyer

Interview with Morris Meyer

Guest post: Morris Meyer

Intro: Richard Morrison

Interview with Richard Morrison

Guest post: Richard Morrison

Wrapup to Week One