Saul Alinsky never did satire

1) The New Yorker cover: The trouble with satire is always that point where it runs into the nebulous crossroads between Access Hollywood, Google and Grand Theft Auto. It's never the same after it goes through the blender.

2) Not saying that all third party people are posers, but... Jesse Ventura on not running for the Senate on "Larry King Live" [CNN 7-14-08]: "Larry, let me say this to you. It was a difficult decision. But it came down to almost there ----surfing versus the Senate. And I found surfing to be much more honorable than the Senate if I---for the next six years, because the ocean doesn't lie to you, the waves don't lie to you. My government does lie to me today."

3) Bush press conference on the economy: "I'm an optimist." Us too. But this just isn't really the time and place to brag about it.

4) "Idaho Is No Longer a Lock for Republicans" That was actually a headline in this week's Wall Street Journal. Ahhh. Okay. Let's not get too carried away now, shall we? It's still the land of the black helicopter.

5) The trouble with Lieberman: Dick Durbin on Senate Democrats getting fed up with Joe Lieberman's McCain thing: "This is a delicate situation." In the real world, when most folks hear those words from their boss they know they're on the way out.

6) The continuing adventures of the GOP and the Fossella seat: Now that Staten Island Republican leaders have endorsed businessman Robert Straniere as their new candidate to take the seat, former Borough President Guy Molinari tells the press: "It's unthinkable. If there's something I can do against him, I will do it." You gotta love it. For Guy, politics is still personal.

7) Rep. Tom Cole on John McCain's candidacy being good for the GOP: "He helps us change our image and recasts us as a maverick party interested in change." "Interested in change?" Sounds like you're making plans to watch the Discovery channel. And no, he does not make you a "maverick party." Why not change your name to "The Wild Stallions?"

8) John McCain on high tech: "I don't e-mail. I've never felt the particular need to e-mail." [NYT 7-13-08] Sounds like someone's in need of some social networking.

9) Repeat after me, first comes the trip, then comes the speech: Whose idea was it to let Obama talk about Iraq before actually going over there? And as good as taking Hagel along looks now, do they really know what they're going to get from him when it's over. He's not exactly "Mr. Predictable."

10) Mike Dukakis has a good idea: On the Jesse Jackson flap: "This moment only reinforces that we have to let the younger guys take the lead in politics, that they know the issues of today, that we live in a far different world than 20 years ago." Well said.