When news is not news *Updated*

Eleanor Clift, Republican shill and talk show guest, thinks that Shelly Moore Capito could defeat incumbent Senator Robert Byrd in 2006. Why is this newsworthy? It's not really, no more so than me stating that I think Byrd will defeat Capito.

Then there's this winner:

Byrd alienated many West Virginians with his outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, Clift said.

Uh, someone should tell Clift that a majority of Americans don't think the Iraq war was worth it anymore. So I'm not sure why she thinks his opposition will hurt him.

Oh yeah. Because she's a Republican shill.

*UPDATE* Okay, she's not really a shill. But I'm still confused as to why this whole article was newsworthy.

Here's what I probably would have written, had I not been tired from work.

Eleanor Clift weighs in on the 2006 West Virginia Senate seat and the possibility of Shelly Moore Capito defeating incumbent Senator Robert Byrd. Obviously this will be one to watch should Capito enter the race, as evidenced by the money already being spent there.

Clift, does, however, ring false with one of her critiques:

Byrd alienated many West Virginians with his outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, Clift said.

Except, of course, a majority of Americans now agree with Byrd's stance on the Iraq war, and that majority continues to grow. So while in its heyday the Iraq war may have been an issue for Byrd to defend against, now it may turn out to be a political windfall. And from my brief time in West Virginia, most seemed to like Byrd because he did not waver, and he brought a huge amount of federal fnding to the state.

While his age will probably be the bigest factor in this race, Democrats can feel slightly safe if Byrd runs, and even safer is Capito doesn't.

My apologies to Clift for calling her a shill.