Idea of the Day: Let's Invade Iraq Because of That Beheading in Oklahoma

Clay Aiken is running for North Carolina's Second Congressional District seat, which is why it's received buckets more ink than any comparable GOP-held seat. The American Idol runner-up, whose fame surpassed that of most winners, is challenging Republican Representative Renee Ellmers and drawing in national reporters every couple of weeks. Aiken's presence is really their only hook – thanks to a 2011 gerrymander, Ellmers would have to work to lose a district that's carved out of the Republican suburbs around the research triangle.

So it was a small surprise when an interesting debate broke out Monday. In the candidates' only scheduled head-to-head, Ellmers and Aiken broke over the issue of sending ground troops to fight the Islamic State. Ellmers was asked point-blank if she'd back a land war. "I would," she said. "We never ended the war on terror. This is just an extension of it. We're talking about radical Islam. We're talking about jihadists. We're talking about people who believe this is a plan for the future."