Republicans Running From Bush (Part 2, briefly):
While the Rude Pundit continues to research the ways that Republicans in close races deal with the cement shoes that the Bush administration has put on incumbents, another interesting trend is the outright denial of the President by Republicans.

For instance, Rob Simmons of Connecticut, in a tight race with Joe Courtney, proudly displays his anti-Bush street cred in articles like "Even When It Means Crossing Political Lines in Washington," describing Simmons as a Republican who doesn't flinch from "crossing the Bush Administration and the Tom DeLay wing of the House of Representatives on tight, party-line votes." Oooh, he's a badass motherfucker every once in a blue moon when he doesn't follow marching orders from Rove.

Considering that for so many elections back in the 1990s, Democrats ran away from Bill Clinton like giant-craniumed scientists from a group of zombies, it's vaguely satisfying to see this President become, to at least some candidates, an electoral pariah, an albatross that's starting to rot.

More tomorrow.