Morning Quick Hits

When Congressman J.D. Hayworth began making noises about challenging McCain this year for reelection, I thought he was just raising money for his own reelection to Congress, taking advantage of the teabagging hatred of McCain. And the threat of the primary did move McCain to the right. But Hayworth just confirmed that he is seriously considering running for the Senate. And McCain is up with his earliest campaign ads ever, so obviously McCain thinks Hayworth is serious and that he is a threat. The Republican Civil War continues….

A Bush deputy White House legal counsel has been arrested for attempted murder.

When Dodd dropped out of his race for reelection in Connecticut, and AG Blumenthal stepped in, many thought LIEberman was spared yet again, since Blumenthal was expected to run against him in 2012 (and subsequently clean his clock). But then some new poll numbers have come out showing LIEberman universally loathed at home:

A new poll by Public Policy Polling has the Independent senator losing support in his home state, not just among Democrats but among independents and even Republicans as well. More than 80 percent (81 percent) of Democrats now say they disapprove of the job Lieberman is doing with only 14 percent approving. Among Republicans, 48 percent disapprove of the senator with just 39 approving. And among independents, 61 percent disapprove of Lieberman’s antics with just 32 percent approving. “It all adds up to a 25% approval rating with 67% of his constituents giving him bad marks,” the study concludes. “Barack Obama’s approval rating with Connecticut Republicans is higher than Lieberman’s with the state’s Democrats.”

Like Markos Moulitsas said yesterday, I pray LIEberman does not get to retire on his own accord. I want him kicked out of office. We almost accomplished that in 2006. And now I fear that these poll numbers will convince LIEberman to retire like Dodd.

Steve Benen has distilled the final two talking points / complaints that Republicans are making against the White House as a result of the attempted Christmas bombing:

When you cut through all the awkwardly-worded talking points, Republicans complaining about President Obama’s handling of the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas day have exactly two arguments: 1) the president took too long to respond publicly to the failed attack; and 2) he doesn’t use the word “terrorism.” That’s it; that’s the whole case against the White House.

The complaints are, at face value, superficial. They have nothing to do with national policy, per se, and everything to do with rhetoric and style. Indeed, Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) admitted as much last week when he said of the Obama administration, “Let me make it clear, I think they are doing the right thing as far as their policies.” Of course, “their policies” aren’t as important to King as their rhetoric, as he conceded yesterday.