Should have done it a week ago, frankly.

Sen. John Walsh, D-Mont., announced Thursday that he is dropping out of the Senate race after it became clear that he could not overcome the fallout from a plagiarism scandal.

“The 2007 research paper from my time at the U.S. Army War College has become a distraction from the debate you expect and deserve,” Walsh said in a statement.

“Distraction.” Yes, I imagine that plagiarism and academic fraud probably would qualify as such. As to the plagiarist’s replacement, well… I don’t know what’s more depressing for Democrats: that their best hope to replace Walsh was Gov. Brian “I’m totally straight but I can still detect gay people on sight” Schweitzer; or that Schweitzer doesn’t dare walk into that buzzsaw.

I respectfully decline to seek the Senate nomination. Many thanks to John Walsh & I'll support whoever the next nominee turns out to be.

— Brian Schweitzer (@brianschweitzer) August 7, 2014

Not, of course, that I really care why the Democratic party leadership is gritting its teeth, of course. Just that they’re doing so. :shrug: I am not yet a Buddha.