Perhaps Republicans Believe That Only A Blowhard With Multiple Bankruptcies Knows What It Takes To Game The System In Their Favor

Everyone was getting angry with Village Idiot David Gergen last week. I don't understand why. Whenever he's on TV yammering away his hackneyed conservative blather I just picture him running around the woods with Kissinger and Dubya in their birthday suits after all the women are shuttled back to Frisco at 3pm and they can all start urinating in peace.

WEST

Florida freak Allen West was bragging all over Washington last week-- to anyone who bothered to listen to the blowhard freshman-- how he wouldn't vote for Boehner's with Obama on the spending resolution to keep the government afloat. He claimed

$39 billion in cuts is insufficient. Asked whether he was pleased with the agreement on policy riders, West responded, "It's all about the money."

West, a freshman who is popular with the Tea Party, said he is a firm "no" on the measure, which will be voted on next week.

And yet, when last night came, there was West, teabaggers be damned, voting with the 208 Republicans and 140 Democrats in favor of the compromise, having abandoned the 28 Republican radicals he usually likes being seen hanging around-- Bachmann, King, Broun, Gohmert, Amash and fellow Floridians Connie Mack and Steve Southerland-- who all voted NO.

TRUMP

Everyone I know insists Donald Trump is just making noises like he's running for president (of the United States... of America) in order to get some viewers for his tired TV sitcom-- an elaborate Newt or Palin-worthy publicity stunt. But I'm not so sure. Is it beyond the realm of consideration that Trump is just holding the Republican Party and it's credulous, bumpkin base up to ridicule? I mean even Trump couldn't possibly believe the nonsense that's been pouring out of his mouth lately. Yesterday's Brattleboro Reformer summed it up nicely in a feature, Trump in 2012:

In an indication of how lacking the Republican field of presidential nominees for 2012 is, blow-dry, flip-top Donald Trump recently placed second (tied with former Governor Mike Huckabee) behind Mitt Romney in a poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal.

Trump also placed second to Romney in the latest survey of New Hampshire Republican primary voters.
We’d like to say we are astounded by that poll result, but there’s really no way to predict what those whacky Granite State Republicans are going to do from one moment to the next.

On the Today Show, Trump said people connect with him because "I happen to be smart. I happen to have a lot of common sense."

He also said "I built a great company. I would run a great, great country. This country would be great again."

OK, let’s step back for a second and consider something.

In 1991, Trump filed business bankruptcy and almost had to file for personal bankruptcy. A year later he had to once again declare bankruptcy.

We’re not done yet.

In 2004, he filed for bankruptcy protection and restructured his debt and in 2009 he filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Maybe that’s how he plans to fix the nation’s financial woes-- file bankruptcy.

What Trump has proved about his intelligence is he knows how to game the system and walk away unscathed.

Trump is also favored over all Republican contenders by Tea Party supporters, according to a recent NBC/WSJ poll.

When asked if he considers himself a member of the Tea Party, Trump said, "I think so."

He's also looking for any jingoists he can dig up beyond the teabagger set.

"Unless we get the oil, I have no interest in Libya," says Trump.

Here's a candidate who is willing to go on CNN and say-- of COURSE it's about the oil! You don't get involved in a place like Libya to help a bunch of rebels you don't really know:

"We don't know who's being slaughtered," says Trump. "We cannot be the policemen for the world."

Yes we can't be the world's policeman.

He prefers the Genghis Khan model:

"In the old days when you had a war, when you won the war, you won. If they had oil, if they had diamonds, if they had gold - What's going to happen in Iraq is absolutely amazing, two minutes after we leave, Iran is going to take over the great oil fields of Iraq. If I'm president at the time, Iran is not taking over the Iraqi oil fields, we will."

The Trump Doctrine. Don't just occupy Iraq-- colonize it.

I bet he'd also be the first president who instead of pardoning the Thanksgiving turkey, would just chop its head of right there on the South Lawn.

Didn't Palin already stage some kind event like that?

America's Worst Airline

That would be Delta and their timing, as always, was impeccable as they sent out announcements about private jet travel being "within reach" for a mere $43,900... just as the Republicans and Obama slashed up another segment of what was left of the social safety net:

Hello Mr. Klein,

Now is the perfect time to try the flexibility and convenience of private jet travel.

Experience Delta Private Jets with the 10-hour Fleet Membership Card-- starting at $43,900* in the light jet category-- and enjoy guaranteed availability and fully-refundable hours that never expire, along with a heritage of service and safety.

Or better yet, travel with the long term assurance offered by the Air Elite Jet Card, which includes simplified "all-in" hourly pricing that includes taxes and fuel and locked-in rates for up to two years. With the Air Elite Jet Card, you'll have the option to use the funds for both private and commercial travel. And you will also receive SkyMiles® Diamond Medallion® status and 20% savings on full-fare First or BusinessElite® tickets on Delta flights.

Learn how you can start enjoying the many benefits of private jet travel by visiting DeltaPrivateJets.com or calling 1-877-541-3548.

* Does not include taxes of approximately $3,400 if all flights are domestic; taxes are lower for international flights. Membership fee does not include a variable Fuel Component Adjustment ranging from approximately $690 per hour for a Light Jet to $1,170 per hour for a Large Jet as of April 1, 2011.

Don't ask me why they sent this to me. In a former life I was president of a division of Warner Bros. There were 4 private jets at my disposal. I think I was the only divisional president who never ordered one. I thought it was sinful when the cost could go towards promoting our artists' music instead. I always thought it was a decadent excess and I was even embarrassed to ride with other people on their private jets.

Bastard Fairies

Let's elevate the discussion. Our old friends the Bastard Fairies are on hiatus, Yellow Thunder Woman did the very unbarstardly thing of getting pregnant, and is now super happy and settled back on the reservation. In the meantime Robin has been busy launching a new band called Well Hung Heart and he sent along the first video yesterday, "This Is Not Love," which you may like as much as I do: