This Just In: Zell Miller Loves, Doesn't Eat, Puppies; Used To Like Kerry, Too

Joshua Micah Marshall points to this March 2001 intro of the John Kerry by "Give 'em Zell" Miller at something called "The Jefferson-Jackson Dinner." Time was when Zell loved the Bay State Blowhard. Snippets:

My job tonight is an easy one: to present to you one of this nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders - and a good friend…

[H]e fought for balanced budgets before it was considered politically correct for Democrats to do so.

John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment….

As many of you know, I have great affection - some might say an obsession - for my two Labrador retrievers, Gus and Woodrow. It turns out John is a fellow dog lover, too, and he better be. His German Shepherd, Kim, is about to have puppies. And I just want him to know … Gus and Woodrow had nothing to do with that.

Whole thing here.

For stories on Miller's embrace of the GOP (or more precisely, President Bush), here are two stories, one from the Washington Post and one from Slate. This very brief piece from National Review boils down Miller's conversion to a simple charge: That Bill Clinton didn't govern the way he campaigned.