1) Feda Hussein Maliki: According to the New York Times, last August, Feda Hussein Maliki, the Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan, boarded the personal jet of Afghani President Hamid Karzai while it idled on a Tehran runway and sat down next to Karzai's Chief of Staff, Umar Daudzai. Maliki was carrying "a large plastic bag bulging with packets of euro bills" intended for Daudzi. A "plastic bag?" Feda baby, a little discretion, please. Hey, what's Farsi for "good earner?"
2) Bill Clinton: The Bruce Wayne (or is that the Jay-Z) of American politics. Jetting in to save candidates at a moment's notice, now he's in the White House briefing room (with never a hint of gloating), now he's on the phone with the world's coolest call list. A mega-player. Forget having a finger on the pulse. He's in our bloodstream. Where's the clothing line?
3) The Permanent Government: While the Tea Partiers were still nursing hangovers, GOP political strategist David Bass of Raptor Strategies put it all in perspective for the Washington Post: "These new members who ran against Washington will play Mr. Smith for a while, but there is a structure, a way of doing things that has to be respected. New friends will be very important to them." Dave, in the future, please don't draw back the curtain that far.
4) Long Island GOP Rep. Peter King: For being there for Charlie Rangel when it counted. A class act. And for enduring the New York Post's Michael Goodwin inanely yelling "shame on him" for standing on the "wrong side of history." Proof that too few folks who write about politics actually get "this thing of ours."
5) Phil Davison: The failed contender for the GOP nomination for Treasurer of Stark County, Ohio, Davison held us glued to youtube with his stage-stalking plea for party unity behind his candidacy. You know he'll be back. After all, he has a "Masters in Communications!!!!"
6) Washington Post Columnist Ezra Klein: For his September review of the American Political Science Associations's annual convention in D.C. Among the tidbits the scientists had to offer: "Our research indicates that members of Congress don't listen to lobbyists unless they want to," and "The public supports what the president wants to do when they support what the president wants to do." Okay folks, this is art, not science. Oh, and those who can do, and those who can't run regression tables.
7) A Couple of Pols: Lifelong friends Albert Montecalvo and Frank Langlanese, who were on the ballot together for the 15th time this November as the respective Mayor and Council President of Lewis Run, Pennsylvania. That's 56 years in elective office. Or, as Tip O'Neill once observed, "Anybody can get elected once" but it's after the second and third times when you have to start paying attention to them.
8) Nigerian Pol Eme Zuru Ayortor: Busted at the Lagos, Nigeria airport in May with more than 4 pounds of cocaine in his stomach wrapped in 100 individual packets. Ayortor explained to authorities that being a drug mule was the only way he had to raise funds for his 2011 state Assembly race. And you thought the old rule was "follow the money."
9) In Memoriam: Robert Byrd, Dan Rostenkowski, John Murtha, Ted Stevens, Charlie Wilson. That's just too much wisdom and skill gone in one year.
10) Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov: [Okay, this happened in 2006 but thanks to WikiLeaks we learned about it this year.] Setting a new standard for a pol's wedding gift, the Chechen leader attended the debauched festivities celebrating the marriage of the son of the head of the state oil company in Dagestan, and presented the young couple with "a five-kilo lump of gold." When you got it, flaunt it.
What a year! Brother Nucky would be proud!
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