In 2005, the Democratic Party wanted to avoid taking a strong stand on Iraq. The Democratic base and the Netroots strongly criticized people like Rahm Emanuel for not standing strongly on Iraq, particularly on ending the Iraq Debacle. In 2006, the Democratic Party got religion, brushed off Karl Rove's summer 2006 "cut and run" nonsense and went on to a smashing victory in the 2006 elections, because of the contrast on Iraq.

Now in 2007, Matt Stoller writes:

As Glenn Greenwald has noted, the Iraq war debate is lost until Bush leaves office.

On Meet the Press this morning, Bob Shrum and James Carville sounded very much like Stoller and Greenwald. If the Democratic Party listens to Shrum, Carville, Stoller and Greenwald on Iraq, and runs on the idea that nothing can be done about Iraq until 2009, Democrats will suffer politically. Shrum, Carville, Glenn and Matt are wrong. Iraq will not go away until 2009. It will be the leading issue from now until November 2008. And Democrats need to fight as hard as they can on Iraq NOW.

This is poor punditry and poor activism and implicit bad advice from Carville, Shrum, Matt and Glenn. If the Democratic Party, the Democratic Presidential candidates and the Democratic base and the Netroots follow the views espoused by Matt and Glenn, the Dmeocratic Party will suffer. Moreover, for folks who do not care about ending the war in Iraq as soo as possible, acting as if nothing can be done about Iraq except as a political issue in 2008 (as Move On seems intent on doing), then the political issue will be blunted. Their approach is self defeating, even when viewed cynically.

Luckily, Atrios, FireDogLake and Daily Kos, three of the leading progressive sites, are not taking the tack Stoller implicitly recommends. And I am thankful for that.

Bump and Update: For those of you hanging out online this weekend, here's a new open thread.

And don't forget we're seeking new diarists this weekend.

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson has had his problems with expressing his views on gays. Today, in commenting on Sen. Larry Craig's resignation, he stepped in it again.

I remember him fondly. But he did the right thing (by resigning). He obviously did a terrible thing.

Wow. I'd expect that comment from a Republican, family values guy, but from a progressive Democrat? If that's how he views gay sex, he's going to have an even bigger problem with the gay community than he did before.

Sen. Larry Craig has retained Washington lawyer Billy Martin to determine his options in his Minnesota disorderly conduct case.

Martin most recently represented NFL player Michael Vick in his dog-fighting case. He also represented Monica Lewinsky's mother in her grand jury appearance.

Martin says:

Martin said, "The arrest of any citizen raises very serious constitutional questions, especially when that citizen says that he is innocent and pled guilty in an attempt to avoid public embarrassment.

Senator Craig, like every other American citizen, deserves the full protection of our laws. He has the right to pursue any and all legal remedies available as he begins the process of trying to clear his good name."

Thanks Duncan [and Jane too]:

[W]hile the Senate Leader is technically Harry Reid, the real leaders of the Democratic party at the moment are Senators Obama and Clinton. They can get press (if not always fair and accurate press) any time they want. They have a prominent platform and a large megaphone which they could use not simply to inspire voters but to browbeat their colleagues, plot a course of action, enlist their supporters into helping push through a legislative agenda, etc. They could, you know, lead instead of campaign. The former might even help the latter.

And they might even see how leading might help campaigning when folks like Move On, Duncan and Markos start pointing out how they are failing to lead on Iraq.

Update: Transcript is here while Crooks and Liars has the video.

Update: 12:30 pm. He's walking to the podium, his wife and family are with him. The Governor is present too.

First and foremost, let me thank my family for being with me (family claps loudly.) For any public official to be standing with Larry Craig at this point in time is a humbling experience.

He's grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Idaho. He's proud of his record and accomplishments. He chose to serve because he loves Idaho.

To Idahoans, his staff and family: I apologize for what I have caused. I'm deeply sorry. I have little control over what people choose to believe.

To pursue my legal options as I continue to serve Idaho would be too distracting. There are many challenges facing Idaho now and the people deserve someone who can devote 100%.

With sadness and deep regret I will resign Sept. 30th. (Big cheers.) He hopes to allow a smooth and orderly transition of his staff.

I apologize for being unable to serve out a term to which I have been elected.

He and his wife are humbled by the tremendous outpouring of support he's received from everyone (lists different groups of people.)

More...

The debate (and the "capitulation?") starts. Bush remains as shameless as ever:

President Bush, appearing confident about sustaining support for his Iraq strategy, met at the Pentagon on Friday with the uniformed leaders of the nation’s armed services and then pointedly accused the war’s opponents of politicizing the debate over what to do next. “The stakes in Iraq are too high and the consequences too grave for our security here at home to allow politics to harm the mission of our men and women in uniform,” Mr. Bush said . . .

Will the Democrats remain as cowardly as ever?

“What we’re hearing is a pretty consistent message of failure on the political front in Iraq,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, a Democrat, who visited Iraq in August. . . . On Friday, Mr. Durbin expressed hope that more Republicans would join in forcing the president to begin withdrawing American forces from Iraq.

Durbin, Obama's man, is sounding very cowardly to me, hoping for Republicans to save the day. It echoes and reflects Barack Obama's entire performance on this issue. Hillary Clinton has been no better.

But September can be a time for redemption for Democrats. If they will demand a date certain for ending the Iraq Debacle; a date certain for NOT funding the Iraq Debacle. Will there be another cowardly capitulation? Let's hope not. And more, let's fight to make sure there is not one. Instead of planning the exploitation of the Iraq issue in the 2008 election, how about we pressure the Democratic Congress today? I am looking at you Move On, Daily Kos, MYDD, Open Left, etc. All you Netroots leaders. Fight to end the Iraq Debacle now.

Perhaps predictably, but news nonetheless, the Bush Administration Friday filed its opposition to the ACLU's request that the FISA court release the rulings it issued since January, 2007 concerning Bush's warrantless NSA electronic surveillance program.

The opposition motion, filed in the secret FISA court, is available here (pdf)at the ACLU's website.

The ACLU responds to the Government's filing here.

A federal judge in California issued a nationwide restraining order yesterday against Bush's plan to send "no match" letters to employers that would require them to fire workers whose social security numbers on their W-2 form didn't match the number in the Social Security database, or face big fines and penalties, within 90 days of receiving the letter.

The suit was brought by the AFL-CIO, in response to an August 10 rule announced by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

The unions argued that past experience with no-match letters shows that they are often sent mistakenly because of clerical errors by employers or the government in recording numbers, or because of name changes after a marriage, divorce or other innocent reasons.

The AFL-CIO also said Social Security was never intended to be a means of tracking down illegal immigrants, and is so cumbersome that legal employees will be unable to clear up discrepancies in 90 days.

More....

Bump and Update: Norman Hsu has made his $2 million bond.

Update: The Justice Dept. will investigate Mr. Hsu's fundraising activity. Guess DOJ isn't that broke after all.

******
Original Post:
Norman Hsu Surrenders, Held on $2 Million Bail

Democratic contributor and bundler Norman Hsu has turned himself in on the California Arrest Warrant. Bond is $2 million (the amount on the outstanding warrant) and a hearing will be held Sept. 5 at which the Judge may reduce it to $1 million.

I won't be surprised if he bonds out today on the $2 million. Then again, maybe he'd rather do a holiday weekend in jail than fork over an extra mil.

He went to court with his California attorney and his publicist. He's got a great lawyer, James Brosnahan. Brosnahan's last high profile client was "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh.

More of Hsu's political donations are being returned:

More...

A North Carolina judge today found ex-DA Mike Nifong in contempt of court for lying to the court about providing DNA tests to defense counsel in the abysmal Duke lacrosse players proseuction.

Superior Court Judge W. Osmond Smith III sentenced Nifong, who has already been stripped of his law license and has resigned from office, to a single day in jail. He had faced as many as 30 days in jail and a fine as high as $500.

Prof. K.C. Johnson live-blogged the contempt trial.

The Idaho Statesman reports that Sen. Larry Craig will make an announcement about his future Saturday.

Idaho's Governor has already decided on his successor:

Gov. Butch Otter already appears to have settled on a successor: Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, according to several Republicans familiar with internal deliberations.

Update: CNN reports he will resign, effective September 30th.