Washington: The Original "Town Without Pity"

1) He should have seen it comin': Both the pedestrian in the crosswalk and being used by the McCainiacs to float the veep story. Bob, since when did you become the only guy at the poker game who isn't quite sure why he was invited to play?

2) John Edwards runs from veep short list! Where's the coverage? Where's the lawsuit? Okay, at the very least, where's the chase footage? And where was TMZ?

3) A Yale take on the economy: "Wall Street got drunk...It got drunk, and now it's got a hangover. The question is how long will it sober up, and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments." Glad no one asked him to name one of those "fancy instruments."

4) Paul Weyrich says hello: Iowa GOP wingers boot Chuck Grassley from the state's Convention delegation. Thirty years in the Senate to be treated like this? Next time they need a bridge fixed they should ask Weyrich for the money.

5) Political Journalism Prize of the Week: David D. Kirkpatrick, writing in his NYT [7-21-08] piece on McCain and the Senate: "Both Mr. McCain and Mr. Lott publicly supported Mr. Frist. But both also had an interest in his failure. Mr. McCain because Mr. Frist was a potential presidential rival and Mr. Lott because he had taken his leadership post." "An interest in his failure." That sentence sings.

6) Are you kind? A raised middle finger to the NYT for it's fawning piece on Rep. Anthony Weiner [7-23-08]. How many times a year do political journalists write stories about folks in high office who treat their staff very badly only to excuse away the accounts of atrocious behavior? Just be sure to interview the resident staff (or former staff) sycophants who assure us that he's just a high-strung guy who's really a dedicated public servant. "Hey, it's okay that he beat me with the phone. We got HR369 passed yesterday!" Enough! Time for some common decency. Or heavy sedation.

7) Poppy's in the golf cart again! Just who's running the image department of the McCain campaign? And just what was Poppy's message to Lt. Commander McC? "John, let me tell you what we Eastern Establishment folk do when we lose."

8) Here they come! What's more disturbing? That Bob Barr is now on the ballot in Ohio or the fact that his campaign manager is Russell Verney? The Russell Verney - adviser to Ross Perot in 1992, Perot '96 campaign manager and founder of the Reform Party - who once kicked Jesse Ventura out of said "Party." Doesn't it all give you the willies? Look! There's Admiral Stockdale!

9) Thanks for saying it for us: Ken Khachigian, who knows a thing or two about GOP vice presidential candidates, writing in the WSJ [7-25-08] about McC's pending decision. The title? "Who'll Be McCain's Veep? Who Cares?"

10) At least he's not meeting with Madonna (Right?!): Obama's in the gym again! How many times can one shoot hoops in one day? But wouldn't it be great if he really was using those sessions to meet with veep candidates? Cue the theme music to "Secret Agent Man."