Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), one of the half a handful of people who basically runs Delaware politics, is going to run for Joe Biden’s old senate seat in 2010 against Biden’s son Beau Biden.

Castle’s decision instantly makes this a competitive race.

A short time ago, CNN chased down Sen. John Ensign on the Hill to confront him about the New York Times report that Ensign went out of his way to help the clients of his mistress’ husband after their affair was discovered.

In The New Republic, William Galston says that liberals should be wary of criticizing Gen. Stanley McChrystal because he may turn out to be the new Eric Shinseki, the Army Chief of Staff who became the darling of Bush administration critics for telling Congress that the United States would need many, many more troops to secure Iraq than President Bush was making available. (Shinseki now runs the Department of Veterans Affairs.)

Galston has a point; just not much of one. Read More

Our new White House reporter says even close aides to President Obama say they don’t know when he’ll make his decision on Gen. McChrystal’s new troop surge request.

Key economic development official behind the deal to turn over that prison and some of the town of Hardin itself (its policing functions) over to the endlessly sketchy American Police Force now says they need to hear from APF where they’re getting their money or the deal’s off.

Also, American Police Force is now American Private Police Force. Not what I’d call a miracle of rebranding. But there ya go.

And, because the story just wouldn’t be complete without it, now there are questions about whether the deal may have been sweetened for one of the local economic development officials by APF offering a job to his wife.

TPM makes its first appearance in the White House briefing room

Before a crowd of activists and reporters outside the Capitol a short time ago, Speaker Pelosi insisted that the final health care bill will include a public option.

It’s hardly a stampede. But as Zack Roth has reported over recent days, a non-trivial number of major American corporations have now either cancelled their membership in the US Chamber of Commerce (Apple), resigned from the organization’s board (Nike) or explicitly dissociated itself from the Chamber’s position on Global Warming (GE). The names include Nike, GE, several major regional utilities and now Apple. Read More

Sounds like Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) isn’t panning out as a major fundraising draw for the GOP.

Sen. Ben Nelson tells TPMDC that he has had no discussions with the Democratic leadership about toeing the party line on filibusters.