Stop Me Before I Vote Again

Behold the agony of Blanche Lincoln:

"Caught in a surge of antigovernment sentiment, [Arkansas senator] Lincoln has been blasted by conservatives for allowing health care legislation to proceed, and has already attracted a slate of potential Republican challengers. At the same time, in a state with a more centrist tradition than most others in the South, she has become a target of the left for opposing a government-run public health care option, easier organizing rules for unions and regulation to fight global warming.

Not only do polls show her behind several of the Republicans, she now also faces a challenger in the May 18 Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter... The Sierra Club is running radio advertisements against Mrs. Lincoln and even Emily’s List, which raises money for the election of Democratic women who support abortion rights, joined the pile-on last week, reminding followers that it stopped supporting Mrs. Lincoln, who is generally a supporter of abortion rights, after she voted to ban a form of late-term abortion in 1999."

Bright spots?

"Mrs. Lincoln retains the support of... former President Bill Clinton and Wesley K. Clark, the retired Army general."

Nice to see this limited-liability board-room beeyotch getting the heat these days, but who in the Sam Hell is her pwog-side primary contest tormentor, Bill Halter? Rhodes Scholar, Clinton-appointed federal bureaucrat... and get a load of the chiaroscuro of those Nixonian jowls; what a promising cove, eh?

His endorsers:

"Calling Mr. Halter “a true progressive,” MoveOn.org and other liberal groups quickly raised $1.1 million for him... four unions pledged to spend $1 million each to help him win.The Sierra Club is running radio advertisements against Mrs. Lincoln and even Emily’s List, which raises money for the election of Democratic women who support abortion rights, joined the pile-on."

The Pwog Panzers are really rolling here. Four whole unions?... Wow, this guy must be well to the left of Vermont Maid Bernie Sanders.

Can we at least hope the seat goes red-meat Republican come fall? Not that that would be any improvement; but it would provide a salutary blend of justice and entertainment, something we don't see much of any more, now that public hangings have fallen into disfavor.

While perusing the pwog-e-con-salon, I noticed a familiar name pop up on a piece of WSJ corporate propaganda : Laura D'Andrea Tyson.

As it happens, I had recently stumbled upon a 1994 video of that old villain Sir James Goldsmith debating Tyson. Before viewing, I would recommend moving your monitor back a couple feet and tucking away any delicate objects that may be lying around, as there is a good chance that you will find this twit as infuriating as I do.

For those with high blood pressure, here's a synopsis:

Goldsmith: There is a divorce between the interests of MNCs and the interests of the public. Offshoring is destroying the advanced economies.

Tyson: Offshoring makes American MNCs more competitive and creates better jobs in America.

Sixteen years later, Tyson is shocked -- shocked -- to discover that these same MNCs are now jumping ship and moving their headquarters outside of the US. Rather than contemplating that Goldsmith was right, Tyson argues that the U.S. did not go far enough in catering to the MNCs. They need more corporate tax cuts and they need them now!

I often imagine that shills who completely discredit themselves choose to take the hit for the team, knowing that they will live out the rest of their days in some comfortable position, writing boilerplate for the WSJ or "teaching" at a business school. That's the standard career path. However, when a shill is this glib, this obnoxious, there is only one place for her: Obama's economic team.

Now some might say that this is an indication of the Obama administration's Versailles mentality, or the resurgence of the Clintonian machine, but I have a more economics-oriented explanation: it's about marginal tax rates and work-leisure tradeoffs. You see, the marginal tax rate faced by the most productive of our fainting goats is so high that we cannot entice enough of them to join Obama's economics team, and therefore we have to settle for second-best solutions like Laura D'Andrea Tyson. Instead of taking on that extra consultancy gig for the administration and moving up into the next tax bracket, the little bleaters would rather increase their time spent lazing about, or attending the Goats Music and More Festival.

Something must be done. We need lower marginal tax rates for fainting goats, and we need them now!

That could be the Dembo party line on the evening of the first Tuesday this November, if the party "of the people, all the people, and nothing but the people... so help me God" loses control of my beloved House.

The blues blocked a full-scale stimulus, and a full-scale stimulus, even if delivered in two dosages, would have meant more folks quickly back to counter and cubicle, with the delightful result... another two more years of little-guy-friendly Dembo party House dictatorship.

Here's a fitting outcome, perhaps: crime followed by smart bomb punishment. This election cycle I'd expect them blue dogs will take more of the hit than their Milquetoaste pwog colleagues. Blue dogs are in tippy districts, pwogs ain't.

Let's hope Dennis the Menace has solid grounds for a big schooner of... what's that German word?