For One Senate Candidate, the 'R' Is a 'Scarlet Letter'

Dana Milbank's column in the WaPo yesterday has raised a lot of discussion--and guesses as to who this mystery senator is: "The candidate, immersed in one of the most competitive Senate races in the country, sat down to lunch yesterday with reporters at a Capitol Hill steakhouse and shared his views about this year's political currents.

On the Iraq war: 'It didn't work. . . . We didn't prepare for the peace.'

On the response to Hurricane Katrina: 'A monumental failure of government.'

On the national mood: 'There's a palpable frustration right now in the country.'

It's all fairly standard Democratic boilerplate -- except the candidate is a Republican . And he's getting all kinds of cooperation from the White House, the Republican National Committee and GOP congressional leaders.

Not that he necessarily wants it. 'Well, you know, I don't know,' the candidate said when asked if he wanted President Bush to campaign for him. Noting Bush's low standing in his home state, he finally added: 'To be honest with you, probably not.'"

UPDATE Mike Steele fesses up.