Now the neo-cons are saying what they really mean by "surge".  The AEI, one of the originators of the "surge" in a new Op-Ed redefined it as an 18 month minimum deployment.(Originally in WaPo)

The only "surge" option that makes sense is both long and large.

Rep. Brad Miller will be live-blogging at BlueNC.com on Thursday morning December 28th from 9am-11am (Eastern). Questions and comments are welcome

In anticipation of this event a question thread has been running at BlueNC. Some good questions have already been posted and Rep. Miller has been reading.

Some of you will have seen my previous MyDD posts and those of others about Brad Miller and the absurdly venomous campaign by his unsuccessful opponent Vernon Robinson.

The NY Times today published an article by Philip Shenon called The Hammer Strikes a Comeback Blow about Tom DeLay's new blog but completely omitted the fact that when the blog started up a 11 days ago it was quickly bombarded with unflattering unmoderated comments and just as quickly taken down to be restarted in a moderated format with the offending comments removed.  Tom DeLay blew it and the NY Times blew it by not reporting on his false start in this fluff piece about DeLay that displays very little knowledge about blogging.

Not to worry.  Enterprising blogger James J. Risser saved the original for posterity (or posteriority) at tomdelaydotcom.blogspot.com
 complete with all the comments.

Robin Hayes campaign has been caught doctoring a copyrighted photograph of Larry Kissell and using the distorted image in mailings even after being informed of the copyright violation.  Get the full story by The Southern Dem at BlueNC.com whose photograph was purloined and perverted by the Hayes campaign.

Please see photos below the fold.......

MoveOn.org is moving in on Robin Hayes with another in its series of "Red-Handed" ads: Caught red-handed again: Robin Hayes accepted $40,000 from defense contractors then opposed penalties for over-charging.

Click on the red hand to see the video.........

Obviously MoveOn.org senses an opportunity in NC-08.  Robin Hayes had his opportunity and has his hands dirty.  Time for Larry Kissell to clean House.

No time for celebration yet but according to polling by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

Democrats Hold Double-Digit Lead in Competitive Districts
GOP Troubles Extend into Home Territory

According to the Denver Post

With polls showing likely Democratic gains, Republicans are pinning their hopes on getting out the vote. But studies show eroding GOP support among white evangelicals, a dependably Republican group.

Charles Taylor foresaw the Iraq quagmire yet still sticks by George Bush's failed policy of "stay the course".

To intervene militarily might so weaken Iraq that it would be invaded and partitioned by its neighbors as soon as we left the country.  Such an event could involve the United States in an open ended commitment that would be a genuine quagmire in a part of the world that is rather alien to us.

See for yourself, in a letter he wrote and then call Congressman Taylor to find out why he changed his mind.

Be warned, Taylor will not stick by whatever he says.

That's why we need Heath Shuler for NC-11.

But don't take my word for it.  Heath Shuler was endorsed today by the Asheville Citizen Times:
Shuler offers hope for a new direction

As we approach the witching hour it's time for a review of the sordid brew that is Vernon Robinson's devious, scary and, hopefully, quixotic campaign including what appears to be another copyright violation.  Interesting take on Vernon Robinson at this post by Michael Fauntroy at the Huffington Post.  Noting how effective Robinson is at raising money with hate he raises the scary thought of how much money Robinson could raise if Republicans actually thought he had a chance at winning. I love MsWings comment that if Miller were everything Robinson says he is

I'd still vote for him before I'd waste a vote on a hate filled loudmouth like Robinson.

Meanwhile Robinson's dirty campaigning tricks have circled the globe via international press in the last few days showing up in London and Australia in stories typical of this Canadian report.  I hope these stories have shown up in Beijing but who knows how the government censors control what Vernon's Chinese donors see.  [more below...]