ST. JOHN DRIVES THE SERPENTS OUT OF IDAHO

BUT FIRST A LITTLE JOKE.

A man dies and goes to heaven. He is greeted at the Pearly Gates by the ubiquitous St. Peter.

St. Peter takes the man on a golf cart tour of heaven. Numerous times a jet fighter plane buzzes the golf cart, strafes groups of supplicants and genuflecters, and shoots angels out of the heavenly sky.

The jet plane also crashes frequently. But it is immediately reborn from its exploding fireball, like an extended play in a video game. When the jet plane streaks by the golf cart the man can see the name “The Original Maverick” painted on the side.

“What kind of idiot is flying that plane around? Darn reckless and dangerous, if you ask me,” says the man to St. Peter.

“That’s just God,” replies St. Peter, “He thinks he is John McCain.”

NO MORE MISTER NICE GUY

As most readers know, the Author generally eschews overtly partisan politics unless the issues involve economics or healthcare. The Author has resisted many criticisms of McCain for his mendacity, truculence, petulance, arrogance, narcissism, and fatuous intellect. (Words, by the way, that his Vice Presidential candidate could not define nor pronounce.)

That editorial position in the Desert of the Real Economic Analysis may change, however, at least until Election Day. The stakes are too high. The Nation and the world are at too great a risk from this Republican presidential ticket.

STUNNINGLY STUPID ON ECONOMIC MATTERS. NO WONDER McCAIN WISHES TO WEASEL OUT OF THE FRIDAY NIGHT ECONOMICS DEBATE.

But don’t take the Author’s word for it. Listen to McCain and what the Mitt Romney campaign has to say:



DEUS EX MACHINA INTO THE TEMPLE OF THE MONEYCHANGERS.

McCain entertains either a delusion that his “presence” can cinch a bailout deal between congressional and administration negotiators or is angling that this patently political ploy can salvage his flagging campaign.

Leading congressional negotiator Rep. Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, someone who really understands economics and financial matters had this to say about McCain's machinations:

House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), a chief author of the economic rescue package, doesn't think much of John McCain's late entry into the negotiations.

"McCain is Andy Kaufman in his Mighty Mouse costume - 'Here I Come to Save the Day,'" Frank said as he left a Thursday morning caucus meeting with House Democrats, saying the Republican presidential candidate's decision to enter the mix "is not helpful."

"He hasn't been involved," Frank said. "He doesn't know anything about it."

Frank, who has been working furiously to finalize legislation granting Treasury the authority to buy hundreds of billions in distressed mortgage-related assets, believes McCain's entry "injects an...element of partisanship" into already tenuous negotiations.

"We are making very real progress," the visibly tired chairman said. "This is a stunt. I hope people will be able to ignore it. He doesn't bring anything to it."

Republicans were similarly dismissive, if not as derisive.

When asked by reporters if he wanted McCain sitting in blow-by-blow negotiations Rep. Adam Putnam, the No. 3 House Republican, simply smirked, mute for ten seconds as reporters laughed.

PALIN PRICELESSLY PUERILE

Then there is Sarah Palin, someone whose mere cellular configuration devalues both hockey and motherhood. Some believe that the McCain ploy to delay the Friday night presidential debate is designed more to delay the Palin-Biden debate. If it is the later, it would seem to make more sense.

Below is a video of Palin attempting to talk and read the wrong talking points memo at the same time.




AND SOME THOUGHT THAT LIFE IN THE DESERT OF THE REAL TAKES SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF!