WILL THE GOP PURITY COPS COME AFTER J.C. WATTS?

I see from Steve Benen that onetime Republican star J.C. Watts may try to make a political comeback by running for governor of Oklahoma. In the current environment, I wonder if that's such a wise idea.

I'm not talking about the fact that he has an out-of-wedlock child -- that's old news. I'm talking about the fact that his lobbying firm has a client list that includes the ACLU, and boasts of helping clients obtain government grants. I'm, talking about the fact that he defended Barack Obama last year when he was accused of sharing the more outre beliefs of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and later said, on the eve of Inauguration Day, that "the earth moved" when Obama was elected. I'm also talking about the fact that he has done an infomercial for something called the National Grants Conference, which might hurt him less because it's a get-rich-quick scheme than because the scheme allegedly

reveals how you can cut through red tape to find grants, subsidies, and loans from local, state, and federal government.... The more than $149 billion available from bureaus, departments, and agencies at all levels can help you purchase your first home, invest in real estate, fix up and remodel your house....

I know the national GOP would love to have an African American Republican out there who isn't named Steele, but can a guy like this win the favor of the party (in what would apparently be a contested primary) in the current Taliban-GOP environment? We'll see.