Everyone's talking about the newest Republican scandal unfolding in Nevada, but in case you haven't had the time to think much about it, I'd like to highlight the following...

First, this NEW scandal will refocus the national spotlight back to the seemingly infinite stream of Republican improprieties giving one final push to the image of the corrupt Republican party - just in case it was slipping anyone's mind.

Second, this will clearly shift momentum from Gibbons to his Democratic challenger for Nevada Governor, Dina Titus.

Already, Titus is fighting the good fight but trailing Gibbons by about 6 points.

The average of the last 5 non-partisan polls looks like this:

Jim Gibbons (R) 47
Dina Titus (D) 41

Expect this latest episode of Republican greed, self-entitlement, and hypocrisy to induce a HUGE swing in favor of Titus -- yet another Governorship in the Democrat's column.

Also to be considered is the battle between Jill Derby (D) and Dean Heller (R) for Nevada's 2nd congressional district -- the one being vacated by Gibbons.

The only two non-partisan polls conducted show a close race.

Mason-Dixon - 9/19-21/06

Jill Derby (D) ~ 42
Dean Heller (R) ~ 45

Research 2000 - 9/5-7/06

Jill Derby (D) ~ 37
Dean Heller (R) ~ 45

With the high-profile Republican incumbent crashing and burning in scandal, there is a high likelihood that there will be some negative energy weighing on his would-be Republican successor. It may only be for a few points but in a race this tight, a few points are all you need.

Also note that it's too late to take Gibbons name off the ballot, so if this continues in the direction that I think it will, that will mean Jim Gibbons' name will be sitting at the top of the ballot reminding the good voters of Nevada of the scandal, corruption, dishonesty, criminality, perversion, and hypocrisy that the GOP has wrought upon this land.

It will be a fine reminder that it's time for a change.

Jim Gibbons is the Republican Representative from Nevada's 2nd District as well as the GOP's candidate for the state's governorship.

His wife, Dawn Gibbons, was running for the congressional seat he's leaving vacant -- that is, until she was soundly defeated in the Republican primary.

Both have long been known as being 'tough on illegal immigration', but now the Gibbons are being taken down by their own former employee -- an illegal immigrant from Peru.

Patricia Pastor Sandoval worked for Jim and his wife Dawn for several years, starting in 1987. During that time, Sandoval claims the Gibbons knew of her illegal status and took pains to cover it up, occasionally requiring her to hide in the basement to conceal her illegal status. To boot, the Gibbons family dismissed US laws by:

• paying Sandoval only $4 per hour, less than the $5.15 per hour federal minimum wage

• knowingly employing an undocumented alien

• paying her 'under the table'

• and failing to pay employer taxes.

[Alternate Title: Bush Weakness Empowers North Korea, Iran, and Russia to Action]

International leaders have begun to notice a widening crevice between the Bush Administration's persistent gunboat diplomacy and their realistic ability to follow through.

They see that President Bush has wedged the U.S. Military -- and thus U.S. national security -- between Iraq and a hard place.

As long as we're strapped to Iraq, they know that Bush's actions have impaled both the quality and quantity of America's diplomatic and military options.

And now they're taking advantage of that weakness.

Eliminating U.S. Options

When the Bush Administration first invaded Iraq, they believed the incursion would largely fit the template for which our current military was designed -- based on the belief that extended combat operations were an anachronism. More precisely they expected:

Rep Tom Reynolds (R-NY): I did what most people would do in a work place. I heard something, I took it to my supervisor.

Jon Stewart: "I took it to my supervisor?" Tom Reynolds...Congressman? or Assistant Manager at Applebees?

 -- The Daily Show as Jon Stewart lambastes Rep Reynolds for his cowardice in the GOP-Pedophile Scandal

Will we soon be saying 'Buh-Bye!' to The head of the NRCC? Let's take a look...

Prior to incumbent Republican Rep Tom Reynolds' forfeiture of integrity - brought upon by his protective stance over disgraced Republican pedophile Mark Foley, Reynolds held a slim lead over his opponent, Democrat Jack Davis.

A poll released back on September 28th, by Survey USA, shows Tom Reynolds leading Jack Davis by a margin of 45% to 43% with the Green party candidate receiving 8% support and 4% undecided. Note: the Green Party has since been stricken from the ballot.

Along comes a spider (Foley)...

And Voila! Now, a Dem poll has come along (conducted October 3-4) that shows Davis leading Reynolds by Eight points, 50% to 42%.

Even better, a new (nonpartisan) Survey USA poll showed Davis leading Reynolds by Five points. That's a 50% to 45%. That's a seven-point pickup for Davis since their last poll only one week ago.

So is it Reynolds' Foley-bumbling that put him in the red?

Could be. But notice that the USA Today polls have Reynolds' totals unchanged from one poll to the next. Davis, on the other hand, has shown a seven-point increase over the course of the week - almost exactly the amount that chose the Green candidate prior to the party's removal from the ballot.

To me, that seems to imply that the effects, if any, of the Reynolds-Pedophile scandal have yet to filter down to the likely voters. That could mean that there are further gains to be had by Davis AND that Reynolds is in DEEP TROUBLE.

First, let's get one thing straight. Gays, media, and Democrats are to blame for Mark Foley's and the GOP leadership's reprehensible behavior.

Well... that's the argument being foisted upon the public by 'personal responsibility' Republicans.

And they're probably right.

Clearly it was the media that forced GOP Congressman Mark Foley to spend all those years repeatedly seeking sexual fulfillment with children.

Clearly it was gays who strong-armed the Republican leadership into ignoring the initial evidence of lurid impropriety in order to preserve their majority status in the House.

Clearly it was the Democrats who used their well-known mind-control techniques to thwart the Republican leadership's efforts to come clean with the GOPedophile scandal at a less politically sensitive time way back when GOP leaders first learned about it.

Clearly it was gays, the media and the Democrats who caused Republicans' to do the wrong thing, embrace power, and protect their favorite pedophile at the expense of their honor, integrity, and dignity.

Dems, gays, and Media should be ashamed.

Via DailyKos, we have the latest on the Foley-Reynolds-Hastert-Boeh ner-Shimkus-Alexander-Page Scandal from the subscription-only email newsletter Evans-Novak Political Report:

1. Will the Foley affair affect individual Republican members of Congress and Republican challengers? The immediate answer is that it already has. The President's aggressive campaign on national security and terrorism was a benefit to Republicans. Its sudden termination because of the Foley affair is a negative. The national conversation has already changed, blunting all the momentum Republicans were supposed to have nationally as Congress adjourned and the October campaign season began. Instead of discussing terrorism, Republican House leaders are defending themselves against charges that they covered up Foley's activities. The more complicated answer follows further below.

2. Blunted momentum is only the beginning of the GOP's problems. As of this writing, there does not appear to be any smoking gun suggesting a cover-up of illegal activity, but things still look bad simply because House Republican leaders did know something, and the public will be unhappy with the fact that they did not cut Foley loose immediately, even though they had no evidence of illegal activity.
The fact is, Foley was reluctant to run for re-election because of pressure over his homosexuality. He was reportedly considering two private-sector jobs already, after the White House had panned him as a Florida Senate candidate, reasoning that he could not win statewide. But National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.) talked a reluctant Foley into staying. Naturally, Reynolds, as the campaign chairman, wants all incumbents to stay in the House and to minimize open seats. Foley filed as a candidate in Florida on May 8 of this year, after Reynolds and other Republican leaders had been made aware of the e-mails by the page's congressional sponsor, Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.), in April. It would have been a good time to ease Foley out, because his district is solidly Republican enough that another candidate could have carried it easily.

As a result of recent ugly revelations reverberating through the offices of NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds (R-NY-26) and the rest of the Republican House leadership, Tom Reynolds' Chief of Staff, Kirk Fordham has been forced to resign.

According to a senior Republican official in Washington, Fordham, in the spring of 2006, promised both Rep. John Shimkus, the chairman of the page board as well as a staff member in Speaker Dennis Hastert's office, that he would make sure Foley kept his nose clean. Fordham had spent ten years as Foley's chief of staff and is one of his closest friends. He was acting here in two capacities: as a representative of Reynolds, the chair of the campaign committee, and as a friend to Foley.

His assurances were enough to prevent Hastert's staff from recommending any further action. Shimkus decided not to inform the full page board in part because of Fordham's intercession, according to these sources.

But as you might suspect, the BUCK DOES NOT STOP THERE... Developing...

"[Tom Reynolds' opponent ]Jack Davis is interested in protecting the jobs, families and values of western New York. Tom Reynolds is interested in protecting his power and position in Washington."

-- Davis spokesman Curtis Ellis

A poll released on September 28th, by Survey USA, shows Tom Reynolds leading Jack Davis by a margin of 45% to 43% with the Green party candidate receiving 8% support and 4% undecided. However, a court has just ruled that the Green party did not submit enough valid signatures, so their candidate will be stricken from the ballot.

I bet you can see where I'm going with this;)

The machinery is failing. The gears are exposed. The rust is gathering.

NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds (NY-26), Speaker Dennis Hastert (IL-14), Majority Leader John Boehner (OH-08), John Shimkus (IL-19), Rodney Alexander (LA-05)  -- the Cover-up Kings -- are fighting for their political lives -- with each other.

These are battles that could mean the effective end to the GOP in NY, IL, and OH -- states where the party already struggles as a shell of an age now passed.

And these won't help...

Tomorrow (Monday 9/25) is the big day everybody!

Come join us in NYC, Los Angeles, and Berkeley (See details below) to support and celebrate the candidacy of Kossack Brian Keeler (NYBri), State Senate Democratic Candidate for the 41st District of NY.

JUMP for the Details -- and a couple surprises!!

They'll be premiering at Brian's Fundraiser Monday night in Manhattan (Details Below). So be sure to show up and bring a friend. We'll have a great time as we give it one FINAL PUSH! We're almost there! So put on your party shoes and...

...leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee et's ROCK!!!

EVENT: "Blograiser II" -- a Fundraiser for Brian Keeler, Democratic Candidate for NY's 41st Senate District.

OVERVIEW: Netroots candidate Brian Keeler is running for New York Senate and he is HOT!!! Spitzer, Clinton, and Schumer have all given him their hearty endorsements and the NY DSCC has moved his race to the 'Top Tier' level. He is a true inspiration and a proud progressive Democrat who has an outstanding opportunity to up-end the mini-Bush incumbent Republican and help hand the Senate back to the Democrats.

Kossacks across America unite! Join us in a national event -- a simultaneous 50-state Kossack meetup to support the candidacy of the one true Netroots candidate, Brian Keeler (aka NYBri).

Here's the deal. As many of you already know, one of our very own, Kossack Brian Keeler, is running to unseat incumbent Republican Steve Saland from the State Senate seat in NY's 41st District (WAIT...okay, so he's a NY candidate and you're not from NY, but please continue reading because we need your help to make this work -- whether you're from Boise, Cheyenne, Tampa, or Houston. This is critical to our movement. So please hear me out. And please see toward the bottom for the reasons why Brian's candidacy is critical to EVERYONE!)

On the evening of Monday September 25th (That's next Monday) we will be holding a transnational 'Blograiser' for the Keeler candidacy.

But we need YOU to help us make it a blazing success -- and what we ask is very simple and VERY FUN:)

This is what will happen and what we need from YOU:

1. First, there is the PRIMARY PHYSICAL FUNDRAISER Monday, September 25, 2006, 7:00 - 10:00 PM EST, @ Prey NYC (Online and beyond) 4 West 22nd Street. If you live near Manhattan, we want you ALL there that night. I guarantee you will have a great time -- just ask those who came to the event back in July!!

2. KOSSACKS ACROSS AMERICA: Second, we need volunteers to organize local Kossack meetups on Monday 9/25! So far opendna has volunteered to spearhead the organization of a Los Angeles satellite. But we're looking to every corner of the nation. Take the reigns! Contact your fellow regional Kossacks and get together on 9/25! Whether it's 5, 25, or 200 supporters -- a house party, a formal gathering or a few beers at a bar, it's all good! Just drop a comment below to let us know you are organizing for your town/area. I'll contact you soon thereafter or you can contact me first at TomBall@Keeler2006.com. Anything you can do will be appreciated!!

Monday, September 25, 2006, 7:00 - 10:00 PM EST, @ Prey NYC (Online and beyond (See below)) 4 West 22nd Street.

Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet's  ROCK!!!!!

Sprint to the finish! Kossack Brian Keeler (NYBri) has been BUSTING HIS ASS over the past months, working tirelessly to take our progressive hopes and dreams into public office as a State Senator from the 41st District of NY.

Now there's just 50 days to the election when NYBri tosses incumbent Republican Steven Saland OUT of the NY State Senate.

ONE LAST PUSH...

The least we can do is give him our fervent support by attending his FINAL Blograiser  (Either online or in person) and coughing up a few bucks for the one Netroots candidate that has been a driver of the Netroots movement BEFORE he became a candidate.

If you were fortunate enough to join us either in the Big Apple or online at the Big Orange (DKos) for the Brian Keeler 2006 campaign 'Blograiser' back in July, then you know what an amazing time it was -- the aura of excitement that surrounded the campaign -- the feeling of camaraderie that pervaded the like-minded and like-hearted community of Kossacks and other progressives that attended.

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE

And to celebrate Brian's candidacy and his unique status as a national 'Netroots Hero' (Markos 5/26/06), this Blograiser is going national -- and not just online. We're working to have local 'satellite' Blograisers in a town near you -- essentially DKos Meetups across the nation getting together to support the original Netroots candidate, Kossack Brian Keeler (NYBri). See below to see exactly how this would work.

Only 54 days till the midterm elections and the Republicans are in deep doo-doo! What could possibly give them a lift? Seems the tired meme that they're somehow 'stronger in the war on terror' is wearing thin on a growingly skeptical populace. Iraq is an ongoing catastrophe. And Republicans across the nation are strapped with scandal.

With all this, we would like to believe that the sorrowful and clearly unnecessary loss of life in Iraq serves as the leading causal factor to the Bush Co. downfall. But we're probably wrong.

Find out why... take the jump!

On the heels of the Netroots victory in Connecticut with Ned Lamont, there is much excitement, confidence, and hope pervading the progressive blogosphere. But where do we go from here?

That's a no-brainer. Now we have to get him and other 'Netroots' candidates elected -- into positions of policy-making power and influence that will help our movement ingrain itself in the political establishment. This is the step necessary to truly shift American policy toward the progressive agenda that was set forth by its forefathers. This is how we'll infiltrate 'establishment' politics creating fundamental, long-lasting change.

And here, at DailyKos (And it's offspring Political Cortex), we Kossacks/Cortexans have something even more special. We have a 'DailyKos/Cortexan Candidate' -- someone born of our community to carry our message to the legislatures even as the rest of us carry our message to the masses.

The AP reports: "Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday ordered a Nov. 7 special election to temporarily replace resigned US Rep. Tom DeLay, a date that coincides with the general election." In the general election, Nick Lampson "is the Democratic candidate. Republicans have thrown their support to Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs as a write-in candidate after the courts refused to remove DeLay name from the ballot."

And according to the New York Times, Sekula-Gibbs "said she would run in the special election. That means she will be on the ballot in the special election, but not in the general. Although some Republican strategists said that could leave voters hopelessly confused, Dr. Sekula-Gibbs, a dermatologist and member of the Houston City Council, said she believed that voters could cope with it."

Yeah, we all know how well voters 'cope' with election confusion. Was she asleep in a cave during Bush v. Gore?

Nevertheless, Sekula-Gibbs' listing on the Special Election ballot, but not the General Election ballot, means she is more likely to find victory in the Special Election since write-in candidates have rarely been successful in federal level general elections (about 4 times in the last 75 years).

The winner of the special election will fill DeLay's seat until his congressional term expires in January 2007. From there, the General Election winner will take over.

How does this help the Republicans in the long-run?

Governor Perry has called a special election for November 7th to fill Tom DeLay's seat from November 7th until the end of the year. Therefore, TX-22 voters will have to vote twice on election day - once in the special election, which will have ALL of the candidates on the ballot and once in the general election, which will not have a Republican on the ballot.

With this special election, the voter will have the name of the Republican candidate right there in front of them. As Democrats had signaled their intention to challenge any misspellings/variations of Republican front-runner Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, the special election is a life saver for the Texas GOP.

That's a 'life saver' alright. Tastes sweet at first but eventually dissolves into nothing.

Nick Lampson retains the edge in TX-22.