Free Republic

Senator Michael Baumgartner will suspend his campaign for US Senate for two days this week to travel to Georgia to advise an army battalion soon to deploy to Afghanistan. Baumgartner will lecture the 63rd Signals Battalion at Fort Gordon on counterinsurgency and the economy of Afghanistan. He will return to the campaign trail on Friday, June 8. “It’s a tremendous honor to be asked once again to help prepare our nation’s finest for the difficult challenges of fighting the war in Afghanistan,” Baumgartner said. Baumgartner, who holds a Masters degree in International Development from Harvard, served as an economics officer...

The endorsement of U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell by 32nd District Democrats looked like a done deal. Until the day of the endorsement meeting, that is. Cantwell was not endorsed by her home district at the Aug. 12 meeting. The Democrats did, however, endorse a homegrown candidate, one of Cantwell's four challengers in the primary election, political newcomer Hong Tran. "Hong Tran asked for an endorsement and she received it," said district chair Lila Smith. "Maria's campaign asked for an endorsement and she didn't receive one." It was possible to endorse both candidates, said Smith . . . Tran was present...