Great first sentences



The Providence Journal flags its corner of the ongoing story that is Sarah Palin. (I broke off the second sentence and stuck in “etc.”)

update, Last I heard, the Senate Finance Committee was not going to allow the death-counseling clause to stay in the bill, reason being the scare about “death panels,” which, as I understand it, was started by Sarah Palin with a Facebook post. Taken all in all, I believe this could be called driving the debate. Not bad for somebody I say is a wash-up.

On the other hand … this health care debate is so off-balance it seems like anyone can land a punch against the Democrats. Which isn’t good news either.

update 2, When the conventional wisdom sucker-punches you.  Joe Klein slips in this by-the-way toward the end of his new column: “it was government action — by both Obama and, yes, George W. Bush — that prevented a reprise of the Great Depression.”

So we’re agreed that the fall ’08 situation really was that bad — that, pre-TARP, the economy was heading for cardiac arrest? Don’t want to challenge Klein, just checking. It’s kind of a scary thing to face up to, even in retrospect. How glad I am to be invested in a mutual fund.

update 3, Arthur Frommer is the nervous type. He sums up the Arizona situation: “According to the Phoenix, Arizona, police, people with guns including assault rifles do not need permits in Arizona, but can simply carry such weapons with them, openly and brazenly, when they gather to protest a speaker at a public event.” It just reels the fucking mind. (Sorry, Uland, but this is a preoccupation I have.) update 4, Talk about wedge issues. Open-carry-for-Obama may be up there with NAMBLA as an “I get off the bus now” moment for the general population. There are some things that no idea can justify.

update 5, My senator is five years younger than me.