Choking down the Sunday Shows

After running through my TiVo backlog of Sunday shows, I am left partially disgusted, somewhat conflicted and slightly amused. A typical span of emotions considering the source. Starting with the disgust - let's talk about Nancy Pelosi on 60 Minutes. Cheers to Leslie Stahl for actually conducting a real interview - she did not throw any softballs. And despite Mrs. Pelosi self-desribed acumen for dignified civility, her deeply-sewn tendencies for vitriol and animous could not be contained. Anyone else see it? Here's a tip: just watch her lips when a hot-button topic comes up - she can barely keep from melting down like the slimy-Nazi dude in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Scary. I admit - as much as I am cheering for a Democratic takeover of the House - simply to return us to the happy era of non-happenings commonly known as mixed-government-grid-lock, the thought of a "Speaker Pelosi" gives me heart burn of the refried bean variety. Talk about a Hobson's choice: a continuation of Bush-Big-Government or the House run by Wicked Witch of Bay. Eewwww.

And moving on to Barak Obama on Meet the Press. Look out. This cat is for real and he's running for President. Can you say, "Hillary's biggest nightmare?" A smart, articulate, seemingly-honest, pragmatic, boot-strapping, energetic, fresh-face - he almost makes me want to puke. To be sure, I'd take him over Hillary 8 days a week and maybe even over a social-conservative of the Bill Frist variety. Of course, I can't say that I agree with him on much - he's a true believer in the utility of government and the modern state. And he is, without a doubt, a real-life liberal, notwithstanding his stance against "ideologues." For those who missed it - Obama lectured 'Big Russ' on the virtues of "common sense," "pragmatic," "fact-based" approaches to policy over "ideological" stances -- in other words, he apparently holds disdain for theory, philosophy, consistency and belief. Yea, who wouldn't... Still, despite his muddiness and love of the mother-state, we need a change and GOP needs a spanking. So, I am holding my nose, pulling for the D's and praying to the big buddha that the GOP engages in some indepth self-analysis over the off-season. As such, if I am going to advocate a regime change in the party-sense, I would certainly prefer an Obama to a Clinton, Kerry or Edwards. In any event, it should be an interesting couple of years.