HEADLINES
Divine Intervention In The Campaign, and Other News Ephemera
EORGE BUSH IS SET TO DELIVER A A PEP TALK TO THE NATION ABOUT THE ECONOMY TODAY. Has he not yet figured out that the best thing he can do is lie low and quietly exit through the back door? Just demanding the national stage reminds us of why we're in this mess, and probably costs his party's candidate McCain points in the election. Mr. President, you did too little, too late. If you want to help the nation, say as little as possible. And save your explanations for your memoir.
Proving that these two men are the best the nation has to offer, Barack Obama and John McCain traded comedic riffs at the 63rd annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a New York charity that benefits deprived children. The candidates poked fun at themselves and each other while helping to raise $4 million dollars.
McCain joked of Joe The Plumber, "What they don't know is that Joe the Plumber recently signed a very lucrative contract with a wealthy couple to handle all the work on all seven of their houses," in a reference to he and Cindy McCain. And Obama mocked himself when he said, "Could somebody tell me what happened to the Greek columns that I requested?"
The competitors praised each other, with McCain complimenting Obama for his "great skill, energy, and determination, and Obama thanking McCain for the "honor and distinction" with which he's served America. Regardless of who wins the race, something tells me that these two will end up being great friends.
And while in New York, McCain delivered his mea culpas to David Letterman for canceling on his show when the Dow took a nosedive two weeks ago. Then Letterman proceeded to grill the Republican like no media figure has done yet during this political season, leading McCain to crack, "I haven't had so much fun since my last interrogation." Dave, Dave, you used to be such a hero of mine, especially when you aimed your zingers at Oprah. Now you cow to the Queen but pick on the weaker, showing once again your streak of the bully.
It's official: Madonna and Guy Ritchie are getting divorced. Seems the only person surprised is Madge. Back in June, in regard to rumors of a break-up, she told Vanity Fair, "You have to get to a point where you care as little about getting smoke blown up your ass as you do when you become a whipping boy in the press. Because, ultimately, they both add up to shit." My advice at that time? "Just get off the shit-spewing merry-go-round when you're selling something so we know who to believe." But Madge can't help herself: she just loves the carnival and going around and around in circles.
And Oliver Stone's "W" opens this weekend. The San Francisco Chronicle's Mick LaSalle says the movie "will put off viewers who approve of the president" and amuse those who consider him a disaster." With those numbers at 17 percent and 78 percent respectively, we predict -- duh -- Stone's flick has a change at appealing to the majority. But, and it's a big but, do we want to be reminded of the last eight years at all?
And so to come full circle, if you started this post from the top, you know my answer.
