'08 - Aaand Comin' Up On The Outside...

Mark Warner, governor of Virginia, is certain to announce a candidacy for the 2008 presidential campaign. That he's a southern Democrat in a red state -- that inicidentally just elected Tim Kaine, another Democrat (and thank you for that, Georgie!) -- obliges him to associate with assorted political riffraff, a matter of survival in these parts. It also gives him a little latitude with me, unlike for certain Senators, say, from Connecticut or New York, they who cannot seem to help but snivel well to the right of center, beyond that which should be deemed necessary. Meanwhile, here is this moderately conservative Democrat doing the, uhm, right thing:

Today Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) made it illegal to discriminate against someone for being gay in state employment.

Warner included the protections in his 2006-2008 budget, which carries the force of law, and modified Executive Order One to reflect the change.

Refreshing to see a Democrat act like one, apparently an act of courage these days (remember, both Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson reside in this state). Meanwhile, Hillary strikes one sour note after another while playing to the worst element in the party, the DLC, and most recently by sponsoring legislation to outlaw desecration of the flag. Sure she has to spit-shine her portfolio for the paleos in order to at least appear viable, not that they'll ever buy it for a second. But to play to that level is repellant. Moreover the tactic is just so utterly and familiarly Clintonian, it smells of Dick Morris after a cruise.

Considering what appears to be her bad timing vis a vis "campaigning by the numbers" (or more specifically, win the nomination then run to the center), it could well be a delicious moment when she steps off The Hill to find her more natural constituency not only unimpressed but a little annoyed.