Obamacans...

Or Obamacan'ts? Can Jim Leach deliver Iowa?

According to a source in the Obama campaign, former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach -- a Republican -- will be endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama this morning.

Is Jim Whitaker the bump Obama needs in Alaska?

Republican Mayor Jim Whitaker [of Fairbanks, Alaska] has said he is endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

I dunno. Endorsements like these can't hurt, though, as nominal Republicans on the verge of a switch look around for the encouragement from friendly sources. Makes the "Obama's a commie" line a pretty tough sell, too.

I don't really know anything abou Mayor Whitaker's politics, but Leach is often described as a "moderate" Republican. Jim Leach wasn't always wrong about everything, but his record was moderate only by the standards of a dogmatic movement conservative. Jim Leach is a conservative on matters both social and economic, but he strays from the contemporary expression of the faith because one of the things his brand of conservativism seeks to conserve is constitutional governance. That should be common ground for all Americans, and endorsements like these should expand the territory.