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It’s a fantastic read, as anyone who has read Devilstower here over the years would assume.

Beyond the tactics, a lesson from Pennsylvania and other recent special contests is that when Democrats engage, they can win. The waves in 1994 and 2006 were caused, in part, by the incumbent party’s demoralized base. These Democratic victories indicate that the Democrats’ base is not demoralized — it’s just not engaged yet. If those base voters get engaged, or if the party engages them as it did in these special elections, Democrats are likely to at least hold their majorities.

There is still an intensity gap, but when push came to shove, Democrats turned out last Tuesday in almost equal numbers to Republicans. Republicans need that gap for the big gains they expect. If Democrats turn out, their task becomes a lot harder, because they can’t dominate on ideas.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White said Saturday that if elected in November, he would pick a new chairman for the State Board of Education to “undo some of the damage” from controversial social studies curriculum standards adopted Friday. Critics contend they shortchange minorities and push a rosy view of history [...]

Some Texans have called for a limited review to address some of the more controversial standards that will influence new history, government, geography and economics textbooks for 4.8 million public school children. Only the board chairman sets the agenda, and the governor chooses that leader — currently Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas [...]

“Obviously, I would pick a chair who would try to undo some of the damage that is being done as quickly as we can,” White said. “We should have standards which reflect the views of professional educators and historians and respect the integrity of that process rather than injecting political ideology in the classroom — regardless where that ideology came in the political spectrum.”

This is interesting:

Minority children now make up more than 66 percent of the public school enrollment, and the new curriculum standards were approved by the board’s 10 Republicans — all of whom are white. The board’s five Democrats, all minorities, voted against the document.

Nope. They rationalize their actions to the National Journal, with Reid Wilson transcribing their bullshit spin and passing it off as news analysis.

And yes, I know it’s the DCCC”s spin, because I’ve heard the EXACT same argument from multiple sources.

Melanie Sloan, of the ethics watchdog CREW:

If it is true, such a trade would be an indictment of the system, Sloan of CREW said, but not likely illegal.

“A quid pro quo has to offer something of value in exchange for something,” Sloan said. “If you agree not to run for the Senate and we’ll make you secretary of the Navy — that offers no monetary value. It’s just the unseemly side of politics.”

I don’t even find it that unseemly.

Ambider has more.

And oh, if this is really lawbreaking, then we might finally get to see Karl Rove frogmarched into prison:

More recently, after Rep. Ben Gilman found his congressional district eliminated by redistricting in 2002, the White House tried to persuade him from challenging another Republican congressman in another district by considering him for an administration position. Karl Rove repeatedly intervened in Republican primaries. And Tim Pawlenty is not a senator because Rove urged him to run for governor instead.

Griffith has outspent his biggest foe 10-1. Will that be enough to overcome the simple fact that he voted for Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker in 2009?