The Red Sox … the Phillies … even Boltgirl’s Cubs … all landed on the losing side of the tally sheet yesterday.

So did Utah’s Senator Bob Bennett who apparently wasn’t a pure enough for the consrvative conservatives of Utah.  The trend could be an encouraging one, as the right-wingers split the Republican vote and splinter the party.  Although it’s a damn scary thought that one of them might actually win.

In Arizona, Sen. John McCain is in a tough primary fight against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a conservative talk-radio host. In Kentucky, Rand Paul, the son of libertarian Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, is gaining momentum in his challenge against the GOP establishment’s pick of Secretary of State Trey Grayson to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning.

In New Hampshire, former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is battling three Republican challengers to fill the seat being vacated by Republican Judd Gregg.

Speaking of New Hampshire, what I’d like to see is a moderate Republican like Liz Hager run for Governor.  Was talking to a friend last night and we agreed that if someone like that were to run as an independent, he or she might just win it in this desperate-for-leadership state of ours!

Would you consider it, Liz?

On the WPS front I note that the Breakers and Freedom ended up in a 0-0 tie, whilst the Philly Independence were pegged with their first loss (by the Athletica), and FC Gold Pride continued to roll (right over the Red Stars).

And apropos of Mother’s Day … and, interestingly, of the movie I saw last night (Please Give), here’s a poem from today’s Writer’s Almanac:

The Stapler

by Ron Padgett

When my mother died

she left very little: old clothes,

modest furniture, dishes, some

change, and that was about it.

Except for the stapler. I found it

in a drawer stuffed with old bills

and bank statements. Right off

I noticed how easily it penetrated

stacks of paper, leaving no bruise

on the heel of my hand.

It worked so well I brought it home,

along with a box of staples, from

which only a few of the original 5000

were missing. The trick is remembering

how to load it—it takes me several minutes

to figure it out each time, but I persist until

Oh yes, that’s it! Somewhere in all this

my mother is spread out and floating

like a mist so fine it can’t be seen,

an idea of wafting, the opposite of stapler.