There is an amazing (if not somewhat depressing) article in the new issue of Harper's by Kevin Baker in which he does a great job of pointing out that as much as we want to compare Obama to FDR, as much as we want to say he's the solution to this nightmare our country has plunged into, every decision he's made thus far really matches the other president that tackled the Great Depression: Hoover.
Now, the important thing to note here is that when Hoover wasn't elected, he wasn't known for the homeless veterans that built their shacks on his lawn, but he was a dynamic and energizing leader who looked like he could turn everything around. He attacked the crises he was dealt with aplomb and gritty determination. But in the end, he ended up capitulating most of the ideals that he had believed in. FDR, on the other hand, didn't care what anyone thought and pushed his legislation through. FDR had lofty ideals when he entered office, but in the end just said fuck it, if I gotta make enemies in order to get this done, so be it"*"

Anyway, read the whole article here. and try to read it without being defensive of Obama. We have to look at him the same way we look at every other president: objectively. Bush did some things right, did he not? Why would we assume that Obama might not be doing some things wrong? I enjoy hearing the guy speak more than anyone. I think he's a standup guy and I want him to succeed in a way that we cannot comprehend as a voting public. But as with every president, there are lessons from history just being ignored while we go through this.

*not verbatim

Senator Franken?

It's almost July, and Minnesota might just have two senators now.

Arlen Specter: Democrat?

So, he went and did it. 

Facing what appeared to be defeat in the polls from his new Democratic Challenger, Arlen Specter has decided to run in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary. 

It's still plenty of time off, and Specter's ictory is by no means guaranteed, but at the same time this is going to shift the politics. What I liked the most about Specter is that while I didn't always agree with him, I could usually count on him to make a decision he believed in. I have no reason to think that would change now, but what I do fear is that his sear will open up to someone much further on the right to slide in there. This is Pennsylvania, after all. So while it's unlikely, we could have a Santorum II issue bubbling here. Of course I'd rather have Specter as a Senator than not have him, but if it means opening up that seat in the slightest so someone of that caliber, I'm going to get anxious. 

Most of the press right now is being made about the fact that this, along with a Franken confirmation, will make a filibuster-proof majority, and how the GOP are scrambling to hold up the Franken issue at all costs, or how Kay Bailey Hutchison would be freed up to run for Governor (King? Emperor?) of Texas now since her vote wouldn't be as crucial to the GOP. 

These are all good points and worth considering, but to assume that all of the Democratic senators will toe the party line is just foolish. One of the biggest problems with the Democratic Party is that the beliefs are scattered across such a wide area that it's much harder to get everyone to vote the same. Whether that indicates a narrower mindset on the GOP side of the aisle or just greater discipline in the party leadership I'm not qualified to say, but it's definitely a factor, and to think that Specter (along with Evan Bayh, Mark Begich, Bill Nelson, and the rest of the Bue Dog senate) will just dive headfirst into all of Obama's agendas is lunacy, just as it's lunacy to expect any more of the wandering GOP members to occasionally buck their party. This is going to shore up both sides and make things uglier for the time being. Especially between now and November, when Specter is going to have to consider his votes carefully and Al Franken is going to go through the Salem witch trials for his confirmation. 

So as a whole, this makes m happy. Knowing that Specter has a much better chance of keeping his seat is good news, though I still think I'd rather have him moderating the right than the left. My home state will probably have two very moderate Democratic Senators. There are worse things, to be sure, but I wouldn't complain to see Bob Casey, Jr. replaced with someone just a tad more progressive. 

Joe Sestak, your destiny is calling....

Dems pressuring Arlen Specter to switch sides

Rendell, Specter, and Biden, anyway.

Though I can't really imagine why. He's gonna have a hell of a time getting reelected, as far as I can tell, and no matter what side of the aisle he's running for, he's got a questionable last few years under his belt.

I actually like Specter, for what it's worth. Not on everything (not on all that much, to be honest), but I respect him for sticking to his convictions, especially when it's in the face of party mandate, which it's prone to do quite often. Which probably wouldn't make him the most ideal candidate for the Dems in the senate, right?

In any case, I'm glad he recognizes the desperate need for moderate Republicans at this point, and good for him for doing so.

Anyway, I put the odds at 50 to 1.

Michael Steele has lost his damned mind!

The dumbest thing I have ever read.

Check out this kickass gigapan shot of the inauguration.

Question: Is Clarence Thomas looking humple or asleep? Also, what's up with Bush I's hat?

(and yes, this site will eat up HOURS of your workday. I've been scanning through pictures of Pittsburgh for way too long already.

Suspected U.S. missile strike kills at least 20 in Pakistan.

huh.

Obama bans turture.

I still find it astounding that I'm even typing that. That the U.S. President banned torture. In 2009.

Nonetheless, I take great comfort from that. Thank you, Barack.

It's 3:27 on a Monday morning and I can't sleep. I tried for an hour and just kept staring at the ceiling. Which isn't that new. But I talked to Carrie, then I watched a great movie*, I listened to some speeches, and I'm still up, thinking about the fact that tomorrow there isn't going to be a Bush administration when I go to sleep again.

I never really cared about politics until the 2000 recount. I mean, I guess I cared about politics, but only in a past tense, with history on my side. Which is a fantastic advantage when you think about it. But I guess the politics of history will always be as fought over as the politics of the present, so it's not like they're completely different. Anyway, I never really thought about it in high school. I followed the Lewinsky thing, but I couldn't have found Bosnia on a map if you gave me an atlas. I held a firm belief of disinterest and distrust in all things pertaining to the government, thanks largely due to interest in conspiracy theories and bullshit counterculture movements from previous generations.

But that recount. It was such absurdity from the start. Kathrine Harris and butterfly ballots... I remember the news room at school and everyone laughing about how ridiculous it was. It was almost funny how out of hand things had gotten, and I still think that the main reason the press was so easy on Bush at first because they were just standing there slack-jawed trying to figure out if he was for real or not. Politics was fun again, and not like that cheapass intern scandal or "I didn't inhale", this was like some good old-fashioned craziness. Obviously, they were give several key opportunities to make things worse. and worse. and worse.

Eight years later, and I've tried to keep as up to speed on politics as I can. I read all sorts of useless blathering; will leave C-span on and actually listen to it. I listen to shitty podcasts until I think I've got at least two opinions on the matter at hand. But I've always had something to be completely entertained by. I mean, if you break it down, there was at least one noteworthy scandal for every three months of the Bush White House. I mean, say what you will about the guy, but he's given us plenty to talk about. I'm worried that with the Obama administration I'll be so overwhelmed with uneasy complacency that I'll be reduced to attending town hall meetings and complaining aggressively about the damn music in the kids' cars these days.

So tomorrow we get a new president. I know it's supposed to be the biggest occasion of the decade, that we're electing a black president and he's going to save us all and blah blah blah...
and I can truly appreciate all of that. But what it boils down to for me mostly is that for now, for right now, we're going to have this current administration gone. For me, that's enough of a celebration for me.

And it's not like I don't have hope for Obama. I want to root for this guy with everything I got. But right now he's still got a relatively clean slate with me. I like his prior voting record okay enough, and I think he's got the right approach to a lot of our problems, but until he's sworn in, I can't form any sort of opinion. Just gotta hope for the best and be thankful that this clown isn't representing my country anymore.

To be truthful, I'd be enjoying this repose even if McCain had won and I don't think I'm alone. Of course I'm happy that Obama won. But for the time being at least, let me relish in that. I look forward to being able to raise my standard of governmental expectations in coming weeks, but right now I just want to close the door. Take a deep breath or two. And just be glad that we finally got that out of the way.

Thank the patron saint of second chances, and let's walk into this thing with fresh eyes, everybody.

*Let the Right One In. I've been meaning to get around to it forever, and am now kicking myself for not watching it sooner.

I made a promise to myself that after the election, I'd treat myself to a news embargo for a few weeks. Of course, thanks to the Minnesota Senate recount, I'm still waiting on that. In light of the devastating situation in Gaza*, I sort of wish I was. In any case, the recount has ended (for now) and it looks like Franken won with a margin of 225 votes, which ensures that this shit will not be settled for some time. I wanted to post Franken's comments about the results, though, because they're among the classiest things I've read in politics in awhile:

"It has been a remarkable couple of months. Our recount brought national attention to Minnesota, and what Americans saw is that we take our democracy seriously. Our recount process was long, it was fair, and it was thorough. We should all be proud of our state, and we should all be grateful for the incredible hard work and dedication of all of our elections officials, from the state canvassing board and the Secretary of State's office to the officials in the cities and counties and precincts of Minnesota.

"After 62 days, after the careful and painstaking hand inspection of nearly 3 million ballots, after hours and hours of hard work by elections officials and volunteers across the state, I am proud and humbled to stand before you as the next Senator from Minnesota.

"This victory is incredibly humbling - not just because it was so narrow, but because of the tremendous responsibility it gives me on behalf of the people of Minnesota.

"While the recount process played out, the challenges facing our state and our nation have only grown. With tensions in the Middle East reaching the boiling point, our economy facing its worst crisis since the 1930s, and Minnesota's middle class families being squeezed harder than ever, it's clear that we have a lot of important work to do.

"I want you all to know that I'm ready to go to Washington and get to work just as soon as possible. And I look forward to joining President-Elect Obama and Senator Klobuchar in getting our country moving in the right direction again.

"I know this is not an easy day for Norm Coleman and his family, and I know that because Franni and I and the kids have had plenty of time over the past two months to contemplate the possibility that this election would turn out differently. Norm has worked hard for this state and this country, and I hope to ask for his help to ensure that Minnesotans can continue to count on receiving excellent constituent services from their two Senators without interruption.

"I also know that this was a hard-fought victory, and that I didn't win the support of every Minnesotan. I'm going to have to earn it by being a Senator who fights for every Minnesotan, whether you voted for me or not. And I want every Minnesotan to hear me say: I work for you now. And I will work hard to earn your confidence.

"There may still be additional legal proceedings related to our recount. But I'm now in the business of serving the people of Minnesota. And the best way I can serve the people of Minnesota right now is to focus all my attention and all my energies on getting to work for them on the issues we'll be facing together.

"I would like to close by doing something I wish I'd gotten a chance to do properly on Election Night, and that is to thank some people. My amazing staff and supporters across the state who made this victory possible and stuck with us this whole way. All the volunteers who woke up the morning after Election Day and got right back to work to help our recount effort. Our state's dedicated elections officials, our tremendous congressional delegation, and our fantastic Senator, Amy Klobuchar, who continues to be a mentor and an inspiration. And, of course, my beautiful wife Franni and our amazing family.

"For our state, today marked the end of a long process that will forever be a part of Minnesota history. But today is also a beginning. The history of our country will be forever altered by what we do together to address the challenges we face together. So, with tremendous gratitude for the victory we have won, I'm ready to get to work.

"Thank you."

Al Franken, classy guy.

*I'm too horrified at the moment to even think about what to say about this here. Turning the news only shows me more and more destruction and I just can't let my mind rest on it long enough to write about it without getting very, very depressed. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have plenty of time to voice my opinions on it, but i actually pray that this is resolved in the right way as soon as possible.

Ugh, brought to you by the New York Times

True to its mania for secrecy, the Bush administration is leaving behind vast gaps in the most sensitive White House e-mail records, and with lawyers and public interest groups in hot pursuit of information that deserves to be part of the permanent historical record.

E-mail messages that have gone suspiciously missing are estimated to number in the millions. These could illuminate some of the administration’s darker moments, including the lead-up to the Iraq war, when intelligence was distorted, the destruction of videotapes of C.I.A. torture interrogations, and the vindictive outing of the C.I.A. operative Valerie Plame Wilson.

The deep-sixed history also includes improper business conducted by more than 50 White House appointees via e-mail at the Republican Party headquarters. Historians and archivists are suing the administration. We should be grateful for their efforts. Entire days of e-mail records have turned up conveniently blank at the offices of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Mr. Cheney, of course, retreats from sunshine with the wariness of Alucard; he is fighting to the last the transfer of his records to the National Archives, as required by law. He recently argued in court that he “alone may determine what constitutes vice presidential records or personal records.” As in: L’etat c’est Dick.

Modern administrations from Ronald Reagan’s to Bill Clinton’s typically tried to evade at least some disclosure obligations under the public archives law. But the Bush team, from day one, has flouted the requirement to preserve a truthful record, ignoring repeated warnings from the National Archives. In government agencies, the public’s freedom-of-information rights have been maliciously hobbled.

The National Archives is further burdened by the steady and inevitable growth in digital records — a mass 50 times larger than that left eight years ago by the Clinton administration. It will take years to ingest before historians can truly get a handle on what is missing.

History is truly the poorer for the Bush administration. President-elect Barack Obama must quickly undo the damage by ordering that records be shielded from political interference, by repairing the freedom-of-information process, and by ending the abuse of the classification process to cloak the truths of the presidency.

...and the nominations are rolling in!

Daschle for Secretary of Health (did Tommy Thompson's head just droop a little?), Eric Holder for Atty General... Sure, the big ones don't come until next week at the earliest, but it's fun to watch this administration form. I'm wondering how much Daschle wanted that position, though. You figure it's going to be a key role in the healthcare reformation, and it's a huge amount of work with a potential sword over your head. Well, I wish him the best.

Far more entertaining, the wicked witch of Ted Stevens is dead. Happy Birthday, Ted! I reckon there's probaby a trroupe of singing and dancing dwarves somewhere in Alaska. Probably moreso at the prospect of not seeing a Senator Palin anytime soon. Oh, and Harry Reid still bothers me.

that's all I got for now.

My cups cost more than fifteen cents!

Say hello to "Renegade", "Renaissance", "Radiance", and "Rosebud".

and "Celtic".

So, the secret service's secret code names get leaked before the President takes office?
that's.... huh.

I'm trying to think of what kind of awesome code name I'd get. While sure, I'd love it to be something awesome like "Mr. Big" or "Fly Guy" (pretty much any character from I'm Gonna Git You Sucka works here). Sadly, I'm sure I'd get something a bit less heroic:
"Recliner". "Batroc the Leaper". "Beastmaster II"
Or my personal favorite: "Sourdough"

fluff, fluff, Biden piece.

I see this sign down the street and it makes me laugh every couple of weeks. I like the idea of someone feeling strongly enough about Perot to hold on to the sign for 12 years.

Then again, Perot never emailed me every day for 2 months...

Obamaman

While I wouldn't call myself the world's biggest Alex Ross fan (though he has been the artist on two of my favorite graphic novels ever), I think this shirt is pretty sharp. No, I'm not going to buy one. I don't even own band shirts anymore, I'm sure as shit not going to get a politician shirt, let alone a comic book politician shirt. But yeah, pretty sharp. Sam Jackson seems to think so, anyway.
buy one here.

I'm almost at the point where I don't want to watch the debate anymore. My minds been made up since March. Why do I continue to subject myself to this stuff? Is it worth the inevitability of my yelling at the TV, floundering, and then ultimately being disappointed with whomever wins anyway? Is anyone going to even care anymore come January? Assuming the economic crisis will have at least started to abate by that point, will this all be nothing but a hangover by then, until some other crisis (real or perceived) looms? I feel like the last three elections have just resulted into a year-round political campaign season, and as a result there's no time to get much done because everyone in our legislature is constantly voting as short term as they can in order to maintain electability*. Has it always been this way? Can I blame MTV somehow? Either way, I'm clearly going to watch the debates tonight, if only to watch Obama relentlessly pursue the economy in discussion while McCain tries to tie Reverend Wright to Wall Street. This one might get ugly. Sigh.

now listening: an entire album's worth of Beatles songs played backwards. I'm not sure I could tell you why if you asked.

*I'm sorry. I think I said earlier that I'd never use that term again.

In which I attempt to comment live on the debate

So, I'm trying to juggle the Phillies game, the Pitt game, and the debate on top of downing something eerily similar to a Flaming Homer, but I'll try to get some stuff down while I'm watching this.

Gwen Ifill's upcoming book about black politics has caused many to say she'll be biased in this debate. In other news, many people are idiots. Gwen's a pro, and don't think for a second that she'll throw this either way. I, however, totally will.

Palin just asked "Do you mind if I call you Joe?". Are Governors not afforded the same right as other senators to refer to those in the senate by their first names? Damn, politics is CONFUSING.

9:06 PM Slow down, Joe. Don't read this off a card. Take your time, be at ease. You're not a good rigid person.

(Pitt, Phils are still up).

9:07 PM It took Palin 18 seconds to mention attending a kid's soccer game. Wait...she has kids?

9:09 PM The polarization question. Biden's being cool now. He's falling into a rhythm. "I think it's fair to say I've got as many friends in the credit card industry as I do in the Democratic half of the house, and those guys are practically Republicans. Palin, meanwhile, just cites McCain's work. and if she says the wor- never mind. She just said maverick. Can people stop referring to themselves as mavericks? Can we put some sort of moratorium on that?

Gwen Ifill calls them both on their bullshit. I love it.

9:13 PM I appreciate the attempts at being civil, but stop praising each other's running mates.

9:14 PM Joey Danko of Wilmington, DE. You just made the news!

9:15 PM Joe Six-packs don't say "darn".

meanwhile, it appears someone on Flickr tried to make their own Flaming Moe:


9:16 PM "That charge is not true". THANK YOU JOE BIDEN.

9:17 PM Palin doesn't care what the question is, she's straight talkin'. Are they still on the straight talk express? Didn't they crash that somewhere? I'm not being facetious.

9:17 PM Joe, please stop laughing. It's not going to help. Think really sad stuff if you have to, but don't laugh on camera.

Does anyone think that we can possibly lower taxes anymore while fighting two wars in a recession/depression?

9:20 PM Middle Class Palin. huh.

9:21 PM Do it, Joe. Poinjt out that McCain has had government run healthcare for his entire adult life. PLEASE, JOE.

9:23 PM "Ultimate bridge to nowhere". eh. close enough.

CHAR-AC-TER-IZED

ugh, shit. Is this whole debate gonna be these two idiots correcting each other?

9:27 PM 5 Weeks!!!!!!!

(Pitt is up 10. Nice)

9:29 PM Has Palin just gotten to know McCain just through his campaign ads? Just wondering...
PS I'm getting really tired of the "main street" euphemism.

9:32 PM "We're not giving oil companies tax breaks" - Sarah Palin. Scanning the audiotorium for hellfire, brimstone.

9:33 PM Global warming topic. I can take this time to go to the bathroom. Let me know when she pulls out a polar bear steak to eat at the podium.
"other countries that don't care as much about the environment as we do". So, you pretty much mean China, right? oh, and the tire-burning third world. Eat it, Somalia.

9:35 PM "That's why the polar ice cap is melting". I can't hear this phrase without thinking of Waterworld. Yeah, I think of that movie a lot.

9:36 PM "Drill. Drill. Drill." Dude, you're stealing Sarah's line!!!!!

9:36 PM Sarah corrects him. Who chants this at a rally?
Wait... is she from an energy producing state?

KLEEN KOLE

9:38 PM I like that subtle shift from the environment to gay marriage.

I'm glad she'd like to keep her religious beliefs out of the office. I really hope we never have a chance to see firsthand.

9:42 PM The vote to withhold funding from the war comes up. This is what I've been the most concerned about all day.

9:43 PM Okay, someone better string together a rambling stream of nouns pretty soon, or this debate is going to get BORING.

ooooooh "white flag of surrender" I take that back!


9:46 PM "Obama voted to cut off funding"
9:46 PM "So did John McCain!"
9:46 PM "Barack did not support our troops"
9:46 PM "John McCain voted the exact same way on that bill!"
Clearly, this is gonna get solved tonight.

9:48 PM Pakistan.....

okay, they really should've shotgunned those beers before the debate. I just wanna go back on what I said earlier.

9:49 PM SHE SAYS NUCULAR TOO!!!!!

9:50 PM The Castro Brothers sounds like a comedy troupe. Someone get on that.

"Henry Kissinger's passion for diplomacy" and starving people. and burning them alive.

9:52 PM Biden again states "that's not true". This is long overdue.

(Pitt 17, USF 14)

9:53 PM Take that Spain, hahaha!

Israel.

9:55 PM Biden brings up that Palestine's elections never go the way we want them to. Palin is proud they both love Israel.

It's a damn shame that Olmert had to wait until he was forced to resign to state that Israel should withdraw back to the '67 borders. Thanks for that, man. Next time, try not to be so corrupt.

jeez, this is a lot of typing. I still gotta do my maths tonight.

9:58 PM There it is again, "nucular" it's almost cute.

10:05 PM I swear he just said "Bosniacs"

it would be AWESOME if Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) floated down from the rafters right now...

"It's so obvious that I'm a Washington outsider". See, if Biden said something this smarmy, people would jump down his fucking throat. I think "straight talk" should be taken away from the McCain campaign. Starting, like, a year ago.

10:08 PM this is like watching two people argue with two separate walls.
Biden's brain must be fighting SO hard to keep his eyes from rolling back into his skull.

you know how you can tell these answers are all pre-rehearsed? because they don't answer like ANY of the questions.

10:11 "Team of mavericks"? That's an oxymoron, right? RIGHT? It would've been awesome if Gwen Ifill just asked this question of Palin. "So, McCain don't look so good...."

10:12 PM Main Street, Wasilla
10:13 PM I wish Biden coulda said like Fred's Hardware and not Home Depot, but I guess Fred probably works at Home Depot there.

"Say it ain't so, Joe? Doggonit?" What the hell?
I would respect Palin more for just dropping an F bomb right about now.

"Your wife is a teacher, and god bless her for that, her reward is in heaven"
holy shit.

10:16 PM Wait, she wants MORE authority given to the VP?
10:17 PM Isn't Biden like the poorest member of the Senate? I think I red that somewhere.

10:21 PM oooooh, she just said kitchen table......

"you've been very kind, saying my only Achilles heel is my lack of discpline, others would point out my chronic drinking"
just kidding, Joe. You're all aces.

10:22 PM I'm thinking I have to go see Springsteen in Philly on Saturday, of only to see if he plays "Born in the U.S.A." Sorry, it just sorta came to me.

MAVERICK! How can both sides tout change so much? Is down gonna be up from now on? Are we finally gonna legislate Backwards Day? SWEEEEEEET

10:24 PM I wish the camera had just panned out to show Joe Lieberman out in the crowd, a single tear rolling down his cheek. Then, he'd mouth "I love you" to Sarah Palin.

10:25 PM Biden calls out this maverick bullshit. Is it perhaps that this maverick is perhaps.........................A GOOSE?
sorry, that'll be my only Top Gun-themed joke. ever. Really, that was bad.

LAST QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU GO BACK AND CHANGE?
Will Palin say charging victims for rape kits? Doubtful.

10:30 PM Biden just dropped a Helms Bomb!

10:31 PM Sarah keeps mentioning her wildly diverse family. Duuuude, I hope this might lead to a 2008 Billy Carter. Well, not really. But it'd be kinda fun.



10:33 PM losing statements
Someone run that "we'll fight for the middle class" thing by me again later.

Biden is humble, and sincere. But I don't know about charismatic. "..and selfishly, god bless our troops". The 'selfishly' might have been a little too much, Joe.

AAAAAAND IT'S OVER

so, in the end, it was exactly what I was expecting. Pointed, and with the occasional sharp jab thrown in there, but nobody broke down, nobody got arrogant. No clear winner. The wink was settling, and there were a few solid talking points, but nothing worth staring at this and typing for 2 hours for. or reading this nonsense that I just wrote. God, I hope someone read it as I did it, because otherwise, it's reaaaally stupid. Oh, hell, it's stupid anyway.

I'm watching Joe and Sarah shake hands right now and I'm not going to bother to read lips, but I'm sure it's friendly. and now the families are out. So I'm wondering, did Bristol drop out of school? Because she's been on the campaign trail, along with "her" baby. Of course, the campaign trail is a fantastic place to raise a baby.

Okay, I'm tired, and I am going to have another cough syrup and whiskey and then read some geometry and then watch Always Sunny and then go to bed. Good night, people. Go voting.

and now Pat Buchanan is talking about how attractive she is.

it should be pointed out while I was writing this, I found several wildly conservative blogs and commented RON PAUL '08 BABA BOOEY BABA BOOEY

Written live, during the VP debate, 10/2/08 with no post-editing.

The Drunk Vote

"It's time that normal Joe Six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency," the Republican vice presidential candidate told radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt.

Palin said if she and John McCain win, they will "put government back on the side of the people of Joe Six-pack like me."

Wait a second. Wasn't one of the major draws of the idiot we've had in there for the past 8 years that he's "the kinda guy you'd wanna have a beer with?" I mean, wasn't that considered to be a factor that got him elected over that ol' stuffed shirt, John Kerry? Who the hell is this appealing to? Do voters have that short a memory? or are people actually insistent that our Vice President be a Jo Six-pack? It must be that awful liberal media.
And what's with all the beer references? Are these veiled nods to the liquor lobby? Subtle jabs at those highfalutin', arugula-eating non-drinkers? Or do Americans on average vote with their bloated, barely functioning livers as stupid comments like this would have you believe? I don't know. But if the debate tonight opens with her and Biden shotgunning beers, things won't look good.

Speaking of the debate, I'm not sure what exactly is going to happen. I know that all Palin has to do is not give any of those rambling, incoherent teen beauty pageant answers that escaped her mouth in that Katie Couric interview. And all Biden really needs to do is not appear condescending or outright ask her if she's completely retarded. In either case, I'm willing to bet that it draws more viewers than the Presidential debate. Neither side should be predicting a bloodbath. I mean, they're both gonna say they won, anyway.
and in the end, at least there's gonna be a two-part Always Sunny in Philadelphia on afterwards to wash the awful taste out of your mouth.

oh, and while I'm somewhat afraid of whose vote Roger Ebert influences, he did bring up the whole common-etiquette-of-interpersonal-communications thing here. Weren't you always taught to look people in the eyes? My parents used to always question me on someone's eye color as soon as I shook hands with them to make sure I did. Apparently, McCain still isn't up to courtesy as of yesterday:

The political tension was clear as Senator Barack Obama walked to the Republican side of the aisle to greet Senator John McCain, who offered a chilly look and a brief return handshake.

-In other news, the New York Sun is dead. and while I hardly want to celebrate the demise of another American newspaper, I can't say I'll miss it.

-and lastly, Dusty Foggo, who was the third-highest ranking member of the CIA, was found guilty of fraud. Are you kidding me? When it's someone at the CIA, shouldn't it just be considered treason? Why is this guy getting a mac of 3 years in jail when he compromises one of the most important intelligence positions in our government? Attention future inmates of Kyle "Dusty" Foggo: see if you can rig it up to waterboard the shit out of this guy in prison. My prediction, sadly, is that he'll be out in 20 months and have a high paying job soon after. sigh.

How can she still be doing this? Has nobody called her on this? Really?

Also, who the hell gave Bill Maher a movie? Really? Was Michael Moore so popular that we thought we should smarm him up by 200% and remove whatever semblance of blue-collar roots and location he may have had?