Blowout

Don't want to jinx this thing, but wethinks Obama is going to win handily. He's peaking just at the right time...

Obama's Cabinet

Politico today listed possibilities for Obama's cabinet... including Rahm Emanuel, who, whenever we've heard him talk, has sounded like a moron. Why is this guy so well-respected?

We say: Daschle as Chief of Staff, Susan Rice as NSA (we've heard good things about her)... We'd like to see Hagel somewhere, though Sec'y of Defense might be out of his league? We say, Colin Powell, both because we trust him and we'd like to piss Rummy off.

The Sofia Coppola of Politics

... that would be Ms. Palin (if you're nasty).

Remember "Godfather III," when Francis Ford got his baby daughter to replace Winona Ryder for the lead? And she stunk the place up? Made you realize that these other schmucks musta had some talent because they sure as hell sounded a lot more natural than her? That's where we're at, people.

In all fairness to Sofia, she came into her own later. But at that point, she simply was not ready...

Cheney Lite

"[T]hey’re in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom."

Sarah Palin's answer to a third grader's question.

Just in case you were wondering, that game show is called "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader."

Intelligent Design

One Thousand Words

In Brugge

And, oh yes, he was in Brugge-- although he did not climb any towers.

Waxing Poetic

Our Man in Brussels is currently culling his notes, desperately seeing to emerge from a Franco-Flemish haze of hops, barley, mussels, and frites and make sense of the reams of notes he penned in a desperate attempt to stay awake during day-long roundtable monologues and discussions. He does recall asking a member of the Human Rights Commission, who had just explained the EU crackdown on torture devices, such as gallows and whips, how this was going to effect the S&M industry.

The response was, it seems, unclear.

Our Waterloo

A transcript of first contact with our Man in Brussels. He has touched down and is currently preparing for an afternoon nap in the Brussels suburb of Waterloo. We are hoping he fares better than Napoleon.

Oy!

[We] have made it to Brussels... despite little sleep on the plane (some probably due to the fact that US Air and not Lufthansa was in charge of the flight and thus was CHARGING for ALCOHOL AND FREAKIN' EARPHONES), had a good morning exploring Brussels streets, chocolatiers, and cheesemongers with the Xxxxxxxxs (Ma and Pa's German buddies) after a nice big breakfast. Yet to have any of the local sprouts.

Got a nap in and am now 99%, which is good because [we are] going to have to represent the USA in the Wine Olympics tonight and stand no chance of winning.

Brussels Bound

Just a heads-up that our lead correspondent will be/ was in Brussels for the next/past week (depending on where you are on the time-space continuum), hob-nobbing with the EU and seeing what they can do to help shore-up his investment account.

Apparently, not much.

(Editor's note-- No, Jim from Arkansas, "hob-nobbing" does not mean what you implied it did)

(Editor's redux- er, um, not as far as we know... he has made several trip to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic as well. Should we be concerned?)

(Editor take three-- not that there's anything wrong with that. Although we are concerned that that may be a side effect of the socialism that will undoubtedly rub off on him)

(Your friendly neighborhood editor again-- No, Bob from Maine, "Rub off" does not imply... can you hold?)

Memo to the Obama Campaign

There is no doubt the current financial crisis is by far the single largest “short-term” factor affecting the election—- and, beyond the partisan bedrock, short-term forces are going to help determine where the topsoil settles. By voicing support for the bill, albeit half-heartedly, however, you have already cast his lot with the bill and the centrists who supported it. Therefore, you have a vested interest in seeing it pass.

While getting more involved in the bailout bill has many inherent risks, it is worth considering for several reasons. One, McCain already shot his wad trying to play the hero the first time. Unlike him, you should not suspend your campaign, both to avoid tying yourself to any failure, and to reinforce your previous point that whoever becomes president will have to be able to multi-task.

Now, since the 228 votes that did in the bailout bill in the House came from all directions, it might seem an impossible task to create a cohesive strategy to resurrect it. However, it is important to remember that the 205 votes, by both Democrats and Republicans, that were in favor of the bill exceeded both of the alternatives: 133 presumably more conservative Republicans who want more individual responsibility and fiscal conservatism, and 95 presumably liberal Democrats who want more protections for “Main Street.”

The key, then, is to continue to play the calm, cerebral role behind the scenes that you have been both praised and criticized for. You need to process what has happened and see what incentives can be included so that both sides can have some political cover if they are convinced to switch their votes.

If you can play in instrumental role in forming a compromise that can peel off enough votes from either side, you will have shown two things that voters are looking for tangible evidence of—leadership and bipartisanship. If you can present these as extensions to the core principles you announced a few months back, well, you might even be able to add visionary to the list.

Memo to the Obama Campaign, II

Increased FDIC protection, which has been added to the Senate bill, sounds like a good start, as it keeps the government as insurer (further helping Main Street) and not owner and operator of financial institutions (or socializing Wall Street).

Pushing for a cap on “golden parachutes” seems like a no-brainer: For the 95 Democratic “nays” and the liberal wing of the party, this would help reinforce that the bill shouldn’t help those who, along with being instrumental in the collapse, are already set for life. Reduce it as far down as $250,000, the delineation below which you are cutting taxes— no one above it has the financial incentive to vote for you anyway. Indeed, those making $100,000+ have significantly favored Republicans over the last several elections, so you don’t stand to lose much here.

For the fiscally-conservative wing of the Republican party, it is about responsibility and, indeed, the core principles of capitalism—thou shalt not get financially rewarded if thou did not run thy company efficiently and profitably (a few puritanical Christians might agree with this too). Indeed, if you can frame this as a cost-cutting measure for the government, you might even get some fiscal and social conservatives on board. If there is anything in there that could be considered an “earmark,” get it out. Indeed, resist the temptation to include vast protections and assistance for those done in by the foreclosure crisis—if there’s anyway you could reduce the sense of this being a bailout, the bill will stand a much higher chance of passing.

That being said, if you can push for some sort of assistance for those who lost their homes— or even agree to make it a priority once the first bill is passed (perhaps in the form of low-interest loans to help them get back on their feet, perhaps from the very banks the US would be “bailing out”), it could help you with a core Democratic base—Latinos, a high percentage of which fell victim to the subprime crisis. Indeed, no Latino lawmakers voted in favor of the bailout bill—if you could get a couple on board, that could have a huge ripple effect throughout the community, and thus provide a boost within the fast-growing ethnic/racial denomination in the United States-- which, you might recall, gravitated toward Hillary, instead of you, in the primaries

You—and your future presidency— are already tied to the success or failure of the bill, so you might as well go the extra mile to try to see it through.

Finally, on the semantic level, it may well be more about the marketing. Along with the “leadership,” “bipartisanship,” and “visionary” labels for yourself, give this thing a snappier name, maybe something including words like “rejuvenation.” And whenever the final scroll is ready for presentation, wrap it up in red and blue ribbon.