Death to Parochialism

One of the things I hate the most about our current system of politics is the parochialism. Sure, a representative is responsible to and should advocate for their constituents' interests, but when they get too good at this, it's bad for America.

Thus, John Dingell. A good man, yes, but chief apologist for General Motors and obstructionist of higher CAFE standards.

Tom Friedman, who probably thinks the next 6 months will be the most crucial for the Obama administration, said it best:

Indeed, if and when they do have to bury Detroit, I hope that all the current and past representatives and senators from Michigan have to serve as pallbearers. And no one has earned the “honor” of chief pallbearer more than the Michigan Representative John Dingell, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who is more responsible for protecting Detroit to death than any single legislator.

Now, Henry Waxman a.k.a "Joe Nostrils" is challenging Dingell for his chairmanship of the House Energy Committee.

I hope he wins.

Maybe ethanol is next. I'm looking at you Tom Harkin and Ben Nelson

Men for Palin (Version 2)

VP Debate Liveblog!!

Experience comes roaring back

Once upon a time, back when nobody knew that you could see Russia from Alaska, I suggested that the Palin pick would make it impossible for the GOP to talk about government experience as the salient factor differentiating John McCain from Barack Obama. Apparently there's an exception to the rule: Sarah Palin can talk about experience, but only to make Joe Biden look better than her.

Hat tip to Christian on this one.

Why I Love Joe Biden:

And why I love the Daily Show:

My observations on the Obama/Biden rally:

1. Joe Biden is perhaps the best attack dog the Democrats could have. Brilliant.

2. Obama and Biden emphasized Biden's Scranton connection like five times. It's a good play to bolster their support in Clinton Country, PA.

3. I didn't realize Biden played a major role in writing the Violence Against Women Act. That and the rest of his record on women's rights need to be emphasized more to win over the understandably disappointed female Clinton voters.

3. I love that Biden's not completely getting rid of his free-wheeling style. The comment about his wife being "drop-dead gorgeous" cracked me up.

4. CNN's online coverage started their post-rally analysis by replaying the clip of Obama calling Biden "the next President of the United States" and saying that that was their favorite moment. REALLY CNN? IS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU GOT OUT OF THAT? MAYBE INSTEAD OF "CNN = POLITICS" YOUR SLOGAN SHOULD BE "CNN = A POORLY EXECUTED VERSION OF 'BEST WEEK EVER'"

Update: I take back my anger at CNN just a smidge because their "make a T-shirt out of an online headline" thingy allows for this.

The best piece on the Biden choice--

--by far, is Al Giordano's.

Yet the words in that 1988 speech were essentially true, if not original. He was the first Biden to go to college. He did descend from coal miner country. This was a man with the class resentment that comes naturally to being born from below. And as the national media vetting process will disclose in the coming days, after 36 years in the US Senate, he's still one of the poorest US Senators: he never availed himself of the back-door personal enrichment techniques that most of his colleagues - Democrat and Republican - have utilized. Beyond class resentment, he retains a sense of class solidarity. His wife since 1977 never went into Washington lobbying: she remained a public schoolteacher.

Biden has also lived personal tragedies that would have splat most people like watermelons tossed from the sixth floor of a Wilmington tenement: between his first US Senate election in 1972 and being sworn in, his first wife and three small children were in a gruesome car accident. Mrs. Biden and his daughter died, his two boys were wounded, and he became a single father. Biden never quite entered the Washington DC culture so seductive to his peers: commuting from Delaware to DC, always coming home at night.

...I think [Obama and McCain] are going to get along splendidly, and have a lot of infectious fun using John McCain as a punching bag. Apollo Creed has now signed on as coach and sparring partner with Rocky Balboa. Multi-racial class warfare - there's a place for us, somewhere a place for us - now becomes the wedge against the millionaire McCain. ...

Yes, I would have preferred the "three point shot" - that Obama pick a running mate from outside of Washington - but as DC insiders go, it's interesting that Biden chose all these years to refuse to live inside it, or meet with its lobbyists. ... The 2008 election now has its very own "Comeback Kid," and his name ain't Clinton. Oh, yes, I can live with that.

Go read.

Joe Biden: American Hero

I neither know nor care whether Joe Biden is going to be Vice President -- but:

As he left his house for the second time today, he had a load of wood in the back of his pickup and told the assembled reporters, "Don't get hit (by the traffic), guys, I'm just going to the dump."

Upon his return from disposing of the logs, Biden pulled up in his pickup, saying he had nothing to report, but "I had a successful dump."

"I had a successful dump. I dropped everything at the dump. It all worked out and by the way I got a second load, guys, coming and if anyone wants to help me unload let me know, those stumps weigh about 150 pounds."

Hats off, people. Hats off.

Veepstakes

I think this Wall Street Journal article hit the nail on the head with their short-list of VPs for both McCain and Obama.

For Obama: Evan Bayh, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Tim Kaine, Jack Reed, Kathleen Sebelius.

For McCain: Charlie Crist, Carly Fiorina, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Rob Portman, Mitt Romney, John Thune.

I don't think Obama will choose Chris Dodd, Tim Kaine, or Kathleen Sebelius. Dodd because of his connections to the insurance and banking industries. Kaine because he just doesn't seem to offer that much to the ticket besides being from VA and another "outsider." He lacks foreign policy experience, national name recognition, etc. If Obama is inexperienced (of course he isn't, but...), Kaine is a baby. Sebelius because some former Clintonites might be offended that he would pick a woman who wasn't Hillary, and also for the same reasons Kaine is unlikely (no foreign policy experience). I think Bayh, Biden, Clinton, and Reed would all be excellent picks for different reasons, but Reed is still by far my favorite.

As for McCain, I think Crist, Fiorina, and Palin are unlikely. I don't have as many reasons for that. Just more of a hunch. My picks remain Portman, Romney, or Thune. Pawlenty has proven himself, at least in my opinion, to be really boring on the talk show circuit. Portman might also be boring, but he brings major economic street cred. Of course Romney Mittens Guy Smiley would be a dream come true. Thune would be a good pick, although being pretty far right wing, would have some major policy disagreements with McCain.

Guy Smiley on the stump.
How can people like this man? Seriously.

I Have Abandoned Official Neutrality, Officially.

(Alternate Title: Dodd Sox Nation)

A Message from Your Campaigns Director:

In anticipation of National Coming Out Day (which Cabot-Open informs me is tomorrow) I have laid rest to a long internal struggle, and have officially claimed my identity as a Chris Dodd supporter. 

Several hours ago, I contributed $20.04 to Senator Dodd's campaign, and let me tell you, it was the best $20.04 I ever spent. 

Some of you might think I'm kidding, but let me ask you this, will it be funny when I'm yelling "Yankees suck!" at Fenway with Chris Dodd or will it just be AWESOME?

PS- If I win the tickets, I get to bring a guest. Know who it's gonna be? Joe Biden, that's who. I'm thinking about even springing for a couple of Fenway Franks for Chris and Joe and me once we're there, since the tickets will only have cost me twenty bucks.