DCCC eyes Max Miller’s seat in naming Brian Poindexter to ‘Red to Blue’ list

Max Miller had every chance to spare his party this headache and he blew right through the deadline anyway. That's the part Republicans should be furious about, not the DCCC press release. When your own colleagues are publicly begging you to step aside over domestic abuse allegations and you shrug it off, you're not fighting for the seat. You're handing it away.

Brian Poindexter landing on "Red to Blue" isn't some clever Democratic strategy. It's a gift Miller wrapped himself. National Republicans can talk all they want about Ohio's district lean and incumbency advantages, but none of that matters if the candidate at the top of the ticket is radioactive with his own base. Voters in that district didn't sign up to defend an ex-husband's conduct, they signed up to send someone to Congress who'd actually represent them.

This is exactly the kind of self-inflicted wound that costs seats in years Republicans can least afford to lose them. The House majority is thin enough that one stubborn incumbent can tip a race Democrats had no business winning otherwise. If Ohio Republicans wanted this seat protected, the time to act was before Monday's deadline, not after Poindexter's name showed up on a list.

We'd like to say this is about principle, but honestly it's simpler than that. Party loyalty doesn't mean covering for a guy who won't cover for himself.