Team of Rivals? More like the time the Bowery Boys went into business with the Plug Uglies. Or when Lyndon had that talk with Hubert

1) The Queen's Gambit: What an excellent opening move. Don't look into their eyes! Just ride along on the artistry of the thought processes. Like jazz, if you have to have politics explained to you, you'll never understand.

2) Post-Post-Post-Modern Politics: Interviewed 11-10-08 on Fox News, Gov. Sarah Palin says, "I consider myself too a feminist. Whatever that means." Please someone, hurry with that book deal.

3) Rudy Loses Mojo: Speaking in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this week, Rudy Giuliani says he will consider the New York governor's race and won't rule out running for president again. Hey man, thanks for letting us know. But don't you think you should be home in like, let's says, Elmira, talkin' about these things of ours? Did anyone catch you on camera there? With a lot of suits and robes? I'm just sayin', it might make for a good campaign spot for somebody.

4) So, like so much else in this life, you have to have a taste for it: Fomer Carmel, California, Mayor Clint Eastwood, on running for office in the future: "Not a chance. I enjoyed being mayor of Carmel, but you do see that it is very difficult to get things done. You just have to lose your soul. You have to BS people. You have to deal with people you don't care for and will never be friends with, so you kind of sell yourself out to be a politician. You have to kiss it up with the world. That ain't my style."[NYP 11-9-08]

5) Hurry Sundown: Karl Rove's "History Favors Republicans in 2010" [WSJ 11-13-8] had us perk up our ears to listen. Pretty good until you get to the start of the last graph: "In politics, good years follow bad years." Uh, excuse us giant brain, but you haven't been reading your Francis Fukuyama. You see, there was this election in 2006, and, well..........

6) The answer to the question, "Are today's presidential campaigns just too darn long?" Michael Barone, speaking to a post-election crowd at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago [Politico.com 11-11-08]: "The liberal media attacked Sarah Palin because she did not abort her Down syndrome baby. They wanted her to kill that child....I'm talking about my media colleagues with whom I've worked for 35 years." Or as Kevin McCarthy put it in the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers, "They're here! They're here I tell you! They're here!"

7) Honey, do you want the Hungry Man Meat Loaf tonight or this stack of twenties? A tip of the hat to Louisiana's Rep. Wiliam Jefferson, who, although under indictment on bribery charges, won enough votes to avoid a runoff. Hello 10th term! You know, it really is true what they tell you about the importance of constituent service.

8) Hey Ralphie! Ralphie! What've you been up to? Ralph Nader has requested that President-elect Barack Obama allow third-party presidential candidates - himself, Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party, Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party, and Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party - to be included in the inaugural festivities. Hey Raphie! Just who should pay for that? According to Nader, "In other Western European countries, it's a political courtesy to have their competitors. It's a demonstration of unity." Hey Ralphie, nice try, but you know, if he invites you he's gotta invite Alan Keyes and whatnot, and then it just get's silly. I know you understand. [WP 11-14-08]

9) Best shot from the hip explaining why Sarah Palin can't go away: Veteran GOP California operative and now head of the University of Southern California's Institute of Politics, Dan Schnur, to the WP's Howard Kurtz [11-13-08]: "Feed the media beast or it's going to feed on you."

10) Most inspiring line of the week: Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, speaking to his fellow GOP governors in Miami [Politico.com]: "I have looked down at the grave of the Republican Party and this ain't it. I've seen it a lot worse." I'm sorry, but that's the kind of thing you tell Clyde Barrow when he asks, "Tell me Doc, how bad is it?"