- During the early stages of the Bush 43 administration, Colin Powell was spinning the concept of "smart sanctions" against Iraq. It was a case of "old wine, new bottle" but it prompted someone to ask if the old sanctions, which had been in place for a decade, were "stupid." I'm picking up the same vibe when I hear Ms. Rodham-Clinton discussing "smart power diplomacy". Were we practicing "stupid power diplomacy" for the past 16 years? I ask since I thought the liberation of 15 million people wasn't, well, a moronic thing to do.
- Tim Geithner's tax dodging has been described as a "hiccup" by the Senate majority leader and as a "distraction" by Candy Crowley on CNN as he faces confirmation hearings. (You'll have to trust me on this but she said it last night. Curiously, as I write this, there is no mention on CNN's home page about this issue. Go figure.) How about this -- a f*ck up? Moreover, he certainly gives the appearance that if he wasn't going to be named as Secretary of the Treasury then the IRS wasn't going to get a check. He may get confirmed, but he's damaged goods.
- In the schoolyards, we all learn at a young age, never to make a threat that you cannot carry out. More importantly, if you have to choose a side, go with the guys likely to win. I say this because Obama came out in support of the Senate Democrats who opposed Rod Blagojevich's selection of Roland Burris to be his successor. Now that Burris will be the new Senator from Illinois, it looks like Team Obama would have been wise to have kept quiet.
- The noted philosopher, Michael Tyson, once noted: Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. So it goes with Obama's plan to spend the remaining $350 billion of TARP money without limited Congressional strings. Moreover, his economic "recovery" plan also faces opposition. I trust that Team Obama has developed a Plan B (and C, for that matter.) Bloody mouths are not pretty.
Well, we're only a week out. Things should get even more exciting!
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