He Gets Knocked Down, But He Gets Up Again

James Traficant doesn't give up, that much you can rely on. He's still running for re-election, despite being convicted of several felonies and losing his district to some very personal redistricting. His former district, Ohio's 17th, is now presided over by fellow Democrat Rep. Tom Sawyer [insert whitewashing joke here]. Voters in Ohio will today decide if Rep. Sawyer gets to move on to the general election and past his five primary opponents. Given that he's an incumbent and spent almost three times as much money as his nearest challenger, it seems likely. He will then face Traficant, running as an independent, and whatever sacrificial creature the Republicans decide to put up, at this point probably Ann Womer Benjamin, an Ohio state representative. I'm looking forward to an exciting three-way race. Both party candidates will no doubt try to ignore Traficant completely, obliging the Congressman from Youngstown to be even more outlandish than usual. And don't forget he's still got some big backers - the Albanian American Public Affairs Committee gave him $1,000.