News From the NC-11

I carry no torch for Heath Shuler. That ought to be clear by now. He allied himself very quickly in Mugstomp-on-the-Potomac with the blue dogs, which gave us a good case of dyspepsia, but luckily (we said under our breath), he's somebody else's congressman, and we don't have to deal with that reelection campaign.

Besides, we have our own burden to bear with that Vixen of Vexation Virginia Foxx (who, incidentally, was recently named "meanest" member of Congress in a poll of those who know her best, senior Hill staffers. She also came in third for "Most Clueless" member of Congress, right behind Michele Bachmann and Democrat Hank Johnson of Georgia -- speaking of somebody else's problem for reelection!).

Anyhoo, back to Heath Shuler, for whom we have some difficulty rousing our partisan enthusiasm. Our friend and Asheville blogger (not to mention new member of the Asheville City Council) Gordon Smith writes persuasively that Shuler deserves some love, that he votes with the Dems in Congress slightly over 80% of the time (I take Gordon's word for it), and that he's definitely better than the alternative, one Jeff Miller, a Hendersonville dry cleaner who (by the way) attended Appalachian State University.

As always, my daily essential reading at Scrutiny Hooligans (Gordon's crib) has some pretty good local intel about Jeff Miller's problem with an Asheville Tea Party group, which apparently thinks he's waaay too moderate to suit their tastes. So, apparently in retaliation, some Hendersonville Republicans, who take their tea intravenously straight from Glenn Beck, formed their own PAC to help Miller, and there's just a whole lotta drama swirling in the NC-11 GOP.

Which helps Heath Shuler. And I reckon I'm cool with dat, given Gordon Smith's testimonial.