Politics: Just another verb masquerading as a noun

1) Political Play of the Week: Luke Russert gets McCain and Obama in the same pew and then preaches his dad's political philosophy to them from the pulpit. Smooth move.

2) Patti Solis Doyle to the Obama ranks: Yes, the whole thing is its own parlor game. But Axelrod roots run deep, no?

3) What does Ron want? Now that he has officially stopped his quest for the GOP nomination Ron Paul can concentrate on just what he's going to do with that room full of folks at his anti-convention. And what to do with all that Internet cash? I say he buys gold. Lots of it.

4) Rudy G. sets new standard in being helpful: Giuliani will go to any length to help elect any Republican this year. For a price. Why not go the whole way and offer to sell "Rudy" ice and bottled water at all campaign events? This answers the question of what Trump would be like as a candidate.

5) Tony Schwartz R.I.P.: Everybody knows the "Daisy" ad inside out and it was great. But nothing was so simple, yet effective, as John Q. Voter siting in his living room easy chair laughing hysterically at the idea of Spiro T. as a heartbeat away from the presidency. From his Washington Post obit: "We can hear four times as fast as we can talk. So the question is, what do you do with the other time?" [WP 6-17-08] And, from his NYT obit: "The best political commercials are Rorschach patterns. They do not tell the viewer anything. They surface his feelings and provide a context for him to express these feelings." [NYT 6-17-08]

6) Just what are you gettin' at fella? Asked if he plans to be a Democrat "forever," Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman says: "You know, forever is a long time." Geez, goin' to the GOP Convention and all, why not JUST SAY IT!!!!!! [USA Today 6-19-08]

7) Bob Barr threatens to take away votes from McCain: Hey, don't the authorities look into schemes where non-existent organizations try to raise money for non-existent causes? I'm just askin'.

8) Dennis Agonistes: Kucinich, in his quest for articles of impeachment, observes that "there are some things that yield to reason, and there are other things that yield to politics. I cannot understand what the political reason would be to not [impeach the President]." Dennis, go back and review the first sentence. [Washington Post's "In The Loop"]

9) Obama opts out: Yeah, he said he wouldn't. Now, what are you going to do about it? And who exactly will spend the time trying to make people understand this? And, even if someone does try, who will remember come September? I say TV ad buyers everywhere are partying hearty this weekend.

10) Michelle O hits "The View": Seems like a homer. Disarms (or at least quiets) Hasselbeck, impresses with simple Republican cloth dress, dispels evils of the fist bump, and tips her hat to Laura Bush. What more could the campaign ask? Oh, and makes Cindy McC look a couple of weeks late.