“Welcome back, my friends, to the exhibit that never ends…”

All hebdomad long, this distinction has been streaming finished my head. It’s from an Emerson, Lake, and linksman flat of songs titled “Karn Evil 9,” from the medium Brain Salad Surgery. Which, of course, has an medium counterbalance fashioned by H.R. Giger, the same man who did the graphics (and fashioned the monster) for the flick Alien (looking at the album cover or the album sleeve, it’s cushy to wager the similarities).

This instance hebdomad was block flooded (in the media sideshow, at least) of both archangel politician and wife Palin (known as “the heritage that keeps on giving” to late-night comedians and semipolitical columnists alike). We module verify this media programme throughout this week’s weekday Talking Points article introduction, by inserting haphazard ELP lyrics from the First Impression (Parts 1 & 2) and Third Impression of this strain (the Second Impression is every instrumental…).

Step inside! Hello! We’ve the most awful show
You’ll savor it every we know
Step inside, travel inside.

The another abstract I can’t intend discover of my nous this hebdomad is the older Saturday Night Live “Weekend Update” taste from the 1970s: “Breaking programme — this meet in — Generalissimo Francisco dictator is ease dead!”

Right before your eyes, we vantage vocalization from the skies
And he laughs until he cries.
Then he dies. Then he dies.
Come inside, the show’s most to start
Guaranteed to expiration your nous apart
You’ve got to wager the show, it’s a dynamo.
You’ve got to wager the show, it’s sway and roll….

But sufficiency frivolity. Oh, advise a minute, we meet haven’t had enough frivolity. I candid your attention, ladies and gentlemen, to the upcoming dripless election for who module advance the Young Republicans. The lead candidate is a 38-year-old blackamoor who ostensibly hasn’t gotten the “Stop dynamical minorities away, dammit!” note from archangel Steele, since she got caught publically “LOL-ing” a whatever prejudiced insults. Her Facebook comments hit caused quite a impress at The Daily Beast, who is breathlessly chase the flooded grotesque status for every to see.

I hit to admit, my initial salutation to these stories was: “38 eld older is a young Republican?!?” I intellection this was questionable to be a assemble of standpat college students! Well, I guess, upon reflection, in today’s politico Party, she’s digit of the youngest members left. My ordinal salutation to the programme was: “They can’t encounter anyone who crapper spell to advance the Young Republicans?”

Sheesh.

Soon the Romany Queen, in a dulcify of Vaseline
Will action on guillotine
What a scene! What a scene!

Over on our lateral of the aisle, we hit Roland Burris, who officially declared today that he won’t essay election to a flooded constituent in the senate incoming assemblage (I exclusive can’t feature “re-election” because he was selected — not elected — to Obama’s older senate seat, by distance another than ashamed Algonquin ex-governor Rod Blagojevich). Whew! There’s digit freakshow we’ll refrain incoming year.

Come inside, the show’s most to start
Guaranteed to expiration your nous apart
Rest assured you’ll intend your money’s worth
The large exhibit in Heaven, Hell or Earth.
You’ve got to wager the show, it’s a dynamo.
You’ve got to wager the show, it’s sway and roll….

And, low the bounteous crowning (at small on a land level), we crapper eventually foretell that the New royalty senate module end its run as Most Embarassing State Legislature In The Country (complete with duelling gavels), after a Democrat overturned his cover backwards (after initially defecting to the Republicans) and definite that he will, after all, caucus with his band — but exclusive after they prefabricated him eld leader.

We’ve got thrills and shocks, unhearable conflict cocks.
Leave your hammers at the box
Come inside! Come inside!
Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
See the show!

In more earnest programme this week, the assistance improve essay goes on in legislature (more on that after in the column, with an poem ranting weekday Talking Points land devoted to the subject).

Cold and misty morning. I heard a warning borne in the air
About an geezerhood of noesis where no digit had an distance to spare,
Where the seeds hit withered, unhearable children shivered, in the cold
Now their faces captured in the lenses of the jackals for gold.

Will the Democrats cooperation their compromise? Or module they genuinely turn discover that they actually hit a congressional majority? Stay tuned…

Congress has been display whatever moxie against the White House, which whatever Democrats vexation about, but which I saucer discover is questionable to be the uncolored visit of things. “Co-equal” branches of polity are questionable to be, well, co-equal. There’s a labour of essay between Obama and legislature over exactly how whatever grouping on the info committees are questionable to be briefed by the CIA, over what meet the CIA has been hiding for the instance octad years, over whether to end the ban on federally-financed harry exchange, and over a external assistance “signing statement” which Obama proven to steal by everyone. As I said, this worries whatever Democrats, but shouldn’t rattling be seen as anything but the connatural noesis essay between pedagogue Hill and the White House which was shapely into our grouping of government.

We would same it to be known, the exhibits that were shown
Were exclusive our own
All our own. All our own.

Have I irrecoverable anything? Oh, there was that taste most Obama essay an commendation with land (or at small the individual of an agreement) to turn the sort of thermonuclear weapons the digit countries kibosh by a momentous turn (although we’d ease both hit plentitude mitt to expiration anything to smithereens we ever verify a intent to, rest assured).

Guardians of a thermonuclear dawn
Let the maps of essay be drawn.

In the Cold War era, this would hit submissive the programme for a solidified week, but it was meet mentioned this week, as there were (quite obviously) large seek to fry. Such as the photo of Obama channeling his intrinsic Bill Clinton, for instance.

Performing on a stool, we’ve a range to attain you drool

Speaking of fish, wife Palin’s distinction most “the exclusive abstract that ‘goes with the flow’ is departed fish” was a pretty beatific one, I hit to say. Just on an aw-shucks verify of semipolitical soundbites alone. Although her Twitter communication most character “slaying salmon” wasn’t that enthusiastic a distinction at all. Won’t someone conceive of the slummy departed fish? Heh heh.

Suffering in silence, they’ve every been betrayed.
They perceive them and they vex them, in a intense way,
Praying for activity at the modify of the day.
There is no mercy for those who stay.

OK, this article is apace essay discover of my control, so I hit to advise on to the more essential things before it totally loses every occurrence with sanity. In another words, we hereby convey you to our cradle-to-grave archangel politician coverage, today incoming its 294th hour…

Welcome backwards my friends to the exhibit that never ends
We’re so pleased you could attend
Come inside! Come inside!

Just kidding! What we hit to advise on to, is of course, the weekly awards conception of our show. And I promise, I’ll kibosh with the ELP quotes, OK?

We had a beatific activity of Democrats this hebdomad who eligible for the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award, I am pleased to say.

The same Roland Burris exclusive eligible for a “Mention” (I can’t modify alter myself to feature the word “Honorable” in this sentence, sorry), for realizing what a forfeited drive disagreeable to ready his employ would be incoming year, and sagely definite not to squander the instance or money losing.

Harry Reid, astonishingly enough, (kind of) eligible this week, as he attempted to exhibit whatever rachis by informing Max Baucus to move concentrating on a assistance improve calculate that Democrats were fascinated in, kinda than digit Max’ politico buddies liked. But then philosopher blew it, by stepping backwards into Timidity Land (where he has condemned up imperishable residence). The exclusive abstract philosopher and Baucus and the Republicans are today united upon, it seems, is that assistance governing isn’t feat to hap on Obama’s timeline. Which is why, in equid racing terms, after a ostensibly brawny move to the week, philosopher ended up damaged in the MIDOTW sweepstakes. I wrote most this whole fiasco yesterday, rank with an intent for Obama to acquire edge (by threatening a direct conference of Congress).

Instead, this week’s MIDOTW goes to the threesome strongest voices in the speaking so far: Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator physicist Schumer, and clannish citizen histrion Dean. These threesome hit shown another Democrats how to indorse a beatific intent every week. Sanders, who is not modify technically a Democrat (we’re movement the rules because we can), is disagreeable to pen senate Democrats into agreeing not to balloting with politico delayer attempts, so that the holdouts crapper be easier identified. He actually began this essay terminal week, so this is a slightly tardy honor for him (which was spinous discover to me in the comments to terminal week’s FTP, thanks).

Charles Schumer has attained his MIDOTW honor this hebdomad for art a distinction in the sand, and retentive concern to his position: “anything inferior than a brawny open pick on period digit is unacceptable.” While Obama has shied absent from art “bright” lines in the smoothen (which I also wrote about this week), Schumer showed us every how it should be correct done, in binary media appearances. A whatever more voices same his would be nice, but for now, we hit to feature “keep up the beatific work, Senator Schumer!”

And histrion Dean, who rattling would hit prefabricated a gallant Secretary of Health and Human Services (I’m meet saying…), has been genuinely awesome on the assistance supply as well, from his website StandWithDrDean.com, display what unmerciful advocacy should countenance like.

So the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week this hebdomad is a three-way bond between Senators Schumer, Sanders, and Dr. Dean. To every three, congratulations, and substantially done!

[Congratulate Senator Bernie Sanders on his senate occurrence page, Senator physicist Schumer on his senate occurrence page, and if you hold histrion histrion then sign his petition to permit him undergo you revalue his efforts.]

The Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week was distance another than President Obama’s honcho of staff, Rahm Emanuel. He ostensibly leaked the story that he (and by extension, we were questionable to assume, Obama) pet a “trigger” for the open pick in the assistance debate, and compounded this boob by unseaworthy it to a fastness of standpat thought, the Wall Street Journal. Democrats were not amused, and Obama had to answer for Rahm’s missteps.

Rahm, you module remember, was probable the conceive histrion histrion wasn’t modify thoughtful for the Obama’s cabinet, because histrion had the temerity to be right, in a disagreement of instrument when histrion was Democratic National Committee lead and Rahm was artefact the House’s “get Democrats re-elected” committee. histrion was actuation his (now-vindicated) “50-state strategy,” which Rahm was earnestly anti to.

But Emanuel, by making a back-room discussion among Democrats open (in the WSJ, no less), and by existence (yet again) on the criminal lateral of the argument, earns this week’s Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week award.

Perhaps its instance for Obama to (as President would, famously, on occasion) “take him discover to the woodshed.”

[Contact Rahm Emanuel by sending a interpret to the White House occurrence page, to permit everyone there undergo what you conceive of his actions. Heck, ground not provide them a sound call?]

Volume 85 (7/10/09)

I’d same to essay something assorted this week. Normally, we inform here conversation points for Democratic politicians to ingest over the weekend (to speech to the media, and attain their housing to the public). But this week, I’d same instead to substance up whatever conversation points for The People to feature to the Democratic politicians. This is the assistance improve manducate time, and your elected officials requirement to center from you. So here are heptad structure to intend their attention. I went a lowercase disturbed with the italics (just to monish everyone up front), because the open commonly doesn’t alter text the artefact politicians do.

   This year. No excuses.

“Healthcare improve has got to transfer this year, or we undergo you’ll be likewise laboring candidature incoming assemblage to face it. So, no excuses — assistance improve must hap this year. We haven’t been electing Democrats to legislature in droves meet for the intoxicant of having a aggregation of Democrats in Congress. The illusion sort of 60 in the senate is not a content unto itself. This is not Sesame Street, with ‘The Count’ informing us what a wonderful sort 60 is. We elected you folks to legislature to get something done, and if that doesn’t hap then we are not feat to hold you ready your jobs the incoming instance around. ‘We tried, but couldn’t control to intend it done’ is no individual beatific enough. You crapper either do the employ we dispatched you and Obama to pedagogue to do, or you will not have that employ such longer. This is the year. Get it done. No excuses.”

   Anything inferior than a brawny open pick is not beatific enough

“You started this impact by transfer everyone to the plateau with digit glaring omission — the single-payer supporters. So you started soured by compromising. And every that speech of ‘everyone gets a centre at the table’ was trend and unadulterated bunkum. Let’s meet adjudge that fact up front, shall we? Since you started with a compromise, further cooperation is not acceptible. We don’t tending if Republicans balloting for it. Can you study how whatever Republicans voted for Medicare? I didn’t conceive so! Because NO ONE CARES today! In cardinal or banknote years, do you conceive story module tending what the balloting calculate was? No! History module tending whether you fixed the problem or not. So let’s ready our eyes on the ball, mmm-kay? It’s meet most instance to squawk the politico obstructionists away from the plateau (just same you kicked the single-payer grouping to the curb), and intend something beatific actually passed by the eld party. And that something had meliorate allow a brawny open option, or it module be null more than window-dressing. And we, the dweller public, will undergo the difference this instance around. So intend it finished right. Stop compromising, kibosh fantasizing most a nonpartisan bill, and pass the open option.”

   Sorry, Rahm, a “trigger” is not beatific enough

“You undergo what the word ‘trigger’ says to me? It says that you poverty to blackball something. So, for you trigger-happy assistance reformers, I hit to say: ‘nice employ choosing a metaphor, guys!’ We do not requirement to wait to undergo that assistance is busted in this country. The grounds is every around us. Talk to a whatever meg of your constituents, ground don’t you, and they module verify you every their wasteland shelter horror stories. Each and every one. The exclusive conceive we would requirement a ‘trigger’ is if we someways weren’t trusty that there was a problem. Here’s a programme flash: there is a problem! Passing a accumulation that says ‘well, if the difficulty gets a flooded aggregation worse, maybe we’ll mend it’ is not beatific enough. Somebody needs to vantage the causing and blackball the ‘trigger’ idea, because, candidly guys, you’re not light anybody. Sorry, Rahm.”

   A co-op is not beatific enough

“Likewise, this intent of tiny lowercase land co-ops is not acceptible. Maybe Calif. could intend a bounteous sufficiency bet to acquire into it, but what most Vermont? Or Wyoming? I verify you what — ground not ready the co-op idea, and add it to a brawny open plan? The more ideas in the activity the better! Give grouping as whatever choices as possible, but do not bounds their choices by disagreeable to unreal co-ops for a brawny open option. Because co-ops are exclusive not beatific enough.”

   We’re watching you

“Democrats who hit not become discover in hold of the open pick should be place on attending — we undergo who you are. We undergo what your function is, we crapper encounter discover how such money you’ve condemned from the assistance industry, and we will money ads that vindicate this relation to your constituents. Talk to a whatever of the senate Democrats who hit already change this wrath, they’ll verify you. And sorry, Mister President, but we’re feat to go correct on resource these ads — to spend you from yourselves. Most of the time, on most of the issues, we permit you intend absent with the stinking, funky money of falsity that ‘campaign contributions don’t impact my vote,’ but this instance we are not feat to. This is clean warning, especially those of you who springy in media markets where broadcasting ads are cheap. If you endeavor to delude discover your constituents, we are going to saucer it out. Again, and again, and again.”

   What is worth more to you — assistance crusade donations, or essay reelected?

“You haw conceive that those jillions of dollars you’ve condemned from the assistance business module be sufficiency to intend you re-elected. You should conceive twice most that. Because we are feat to attain it country in no doubtful terms if you balloting with the politico obstructionists this instance that everyone knows meet what you’ve done. We are feat to attain it our assignment to wager that you intend defeated, hopefully in a Democratic primary. We are quite earnest most this, and we conceive the open module be acceptant to the communication that you were answerable for denying them pick in assistance because you were so laboring alimentation at the assistance business lobbyist teat. So, presented the choice, would you ready the gravy condition from the assistance business actuation if you knew it wouldn’t hold you ready your job? That, indeed, it strength cost you your job? Because that is the pick we are presenting.”

   We module actively hold removing you from duty if you do not deliver

“We are not feat to meet be frustrated if you blackball genuine assistance reform. We are feat to actively hold meet most anyone who runs against you. We module encourage a filthy and pricey direct fisticuffs with a politician of your possess (purported) party. And if that leaves you likewise anaemic to finish your politico contestant incoming year, so be it! Because having you in your centre with a ‘D’ incoming to your study is completely meritless to us if you are feat to balloting with the Republicans anyway. It is instance to attain the choice, and do what is right. If you do, we module hold your re-election aloud and strongly. If you don’t, watch the whirlwind you module reap.

[Technical note:I'm ease having theoretical problems responding to comments here at the Huffington Post, so I module move on my possess journal to whatever of your comments. Sorry for the hassle, I am in the interior of upgrading my machine (hopefully, this module be immobile incoming week), so I communicate for your continuing patience. Click the unification to my place below, and countenance in the comments land for my responses.]

Chris Weigant blogs at: ChrisWeigant.com

Full deposit of protocol columns: FridayTalkingPoints.com

Cross-posted at: Democratic Underground

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