Bailout

The bailout failed - not enough democrats trust either their leadership or the bush admin enough to vote for this turkey. The house republicans have their crazy on. What would it take to get a democratic plan passed? Everybodies obsessing over technical details or pushing aggressively progressive ideas that aren't getting much traction - but at least 1/2 the problem is that nobody trusts the Bushies anymore, and we can't afford (according to the people pressing for this bailout) to wait until the next election and the months afterwards for transition, etc. So - here's a thougt - why not make the deal contingent on Paulson being replaced by a democrat? There's no reason bush can't appoint one if Paulson resigns, and once the senate approves him/her (Laura D'Andrea Tyson anyone?), it could be done in a matter of hours. Then the house dem's are happy to vote for it, the house republicans can get bent for all we care, and the senate repubs face the unhappy prospect of filibustering their own presidents nominee.

The Big Con

The press is finally showing signs of turning on McCain, and that the Palin pick is really the last straw. I'm not sure if anyone has explicated this turn fully, but here's my theory: The modern GOP is basically a gigantic con game. The press has played along with their nonsense for years and I think a big part of the reason is that they seem themselves as being the 'smarts'. In any good con there are the 'smarts' and the 'marks', the people who are in on the scam, and the targets, the suckers, the marks. The key to a good con is to make the marks think that they're the smarts and the press is exhibit A - they think they're in on the game. The problem with the Palin pick is that McCain is treating them like marks, and they've noticed. Nobody likes being treated like a chump and their reaction is natural. My only question is, what took them so long?

Learned Helplessness

Ok, late to the party as usual - but for what its worth here's my take on the whole 'tire pressure' imbroglio. The reason they do this is to ridicule the whole concept that individual action could make a difference. The right is in the business of centralized, top down, authoritarian solutions - heavy military equipment, nuclear power, heroic posturing by the president. Not collective action, and and involved and motivated electorate. Wait, maybe I'm not late- the new VP is ridiculing Obama for being a community organizer...