RUDOLPH TO REPLACE PALIN

John McCain re-started the campaign he suspended (sort of) momentarily (to rescue Congresss) and went to Mississippi for the long-planned Presidential debate (part 1).

Of course, that leaves him with another problem. He had suggested deferring last night's 'conversation' (sarcasm seems to be the weapon of choice for McCain/Palin) till next Thursday. Oh, right, thats when the Veeps are scheduled to converse!! That would have meant moving the veep debate (gosh, we wonder if that had entered anyone's mind). Move the veep debate to November 5 perhaps??

Even the evangelical cheerleaders had to have been embarassed by Palin's speed-dating course in foreign affairs ( how many potential veeps have been told they are gorgeous by a head of state??)but at least that produced a photo op or two.

More horrifying was Moose Lady's interview (yes, they let her out of the cocoon but maybe they shouldn't have) with Katie Couric. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK. We were treated to the skin crawlingly horrifying expansion of her 'I can see Alaska so I am qualified in foreign affairs' theory to include the fact that Alaska shares a Maritime border with Russia and so can 'keep an eye on Russia' when Putin pops his head up (into Alaska airspace). A heartbeat away from a 72 year old four time survivor of melanoma? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK.

TT has it on good authority that even Mr.' Did You Know I was a Prisoner of War for Five Years' has decided to shelve Palin and replace her on the ticket with Rudolph. It's that deer in the headlight look that Palin and Rudolph share so maybe no one will notice the 'gamechanger'????

For our money, just the choice of Palin should disqualify McCain for the top job. If he does go ahead and replace her with Rudolph, we would of course have to revise our opinion on that.......In comparison, Rudolph is a pretty credible candidate.

FERRARI AND CAVIAR SALES AT RISK

We admit we are confused by the financial meltdown.

Sure, we can see our incredible shrinking investments evaporating into a fine mist but Hank (we figure we have earned the right to call him Hank) wants everyone (yeah, even those without a green card) to give him a cheque for squillions and squillions to avert Armageddon (or some equivalent). So why do we feel so uneasy? Surely it isn't the fact that the guy has been wrong about the economy for the last 28 months. No one is perfect. Surely it isn't that he has a ton of Goldman Sachs money tied up in his 'blind' trust (we think we are starting to understand what 'blind trust' really means) .

Perhaps its watching a Republican president, who has built a mind numbing national debt (but no health insurance) for Main Street, try and strengthen his legacy by buying the world's largest insurance company.

All of these things are enough to have a turnip spin its top. But what really has us confused is Dubbya (thank goodness he has an MBA ). While Hank and congress huddle to agree on de-meltdownification, Dubbya urges prompt action as 'the whole world is watching'. Just when was it that this President discovered that the whole world was watching or cared what it thought? We must have been asleep when that happened.......

HOW MUCH WEIRDER IS IT GOING TO GET???

While we smash open our piggy bank to replace our AIG shares, we cannot help but wonder just how much weirder is it going to get in the fifty-something days remaining before the election.

In what has been an unrivaled explosion of weirdness (eg. a veep nominee who shoots moose and bases her foreign policy insights on which countries she can see from Alaska), we now have yet another perversity to distract us from the election and financial meltdown.

A key (and mega rich) supporter of Hillary Clinton and member of the DNC, has announced she will be supporting John McPalin. Apart from the fact that Hillary Clinton's philosophy and stand on most of the issues couldn't be farther from McPallin's, how is it that someone called 'Lady' Lynn Forester de Rothschild eschews Obama because she deems him 'elitist'. Huh? Isn't someone who is a 'Lady' (and married to a 'Sir') inherently 'elitist' ?

Is there not some sort of rule that says any name that includes a 'de' is elitist?

If ever there was an elitist surname, would Rothschild not be it???

With just over a month remaining and more companies, investment banks and hedge funds to go belly up - we can only ponder these larger questions and wonder if we have the stamina to listen to Sarah Wasilla's voice for 4 years (we focus on her voice because the substance of what she says depresses us too much)...........

NEED WE SAY MORE???

Need we say more??

We think not.

IS IT OVER???

PLEASE. Tell us the Republican Convention is over. We are totally out of Pepto-Bismol.

That sea of white faces. The Republicans morphing into the agents of change after an 8 year stranglehold on the White House. Saint Sarah, complete with disabled baby and her own little Jamie Lee Spears, storms on to the stage - eclipsing the old white dude. It's a lifetime movie. Please wake us up.

The Republicans are screaming sexism over media questions of Saint Sarah. This is too rich for our blood. Didn't the media grille the recently departed John Edwards about his ability to serve with a wife facing terminal cancer??? Isn't he a guy?? and a Liberal? Give us a break. Saint Sarah was masterful, albeit long on sarcasm and cheap shots, but puleeze. Her views on social issues are nothing short of scary but no one seems to mind - she makes McCain seem liberal. And, at the risk of being a party pooper - we are sick and tired of the Hanoi Hilton/POW story.

All very curious that the very people who have accused Obama of celebrity politics has created their own 'celebrity' in Saint Sarah. No prescription for digging America out of the hole - just personality politics. Whew. And we still have two months to go.

At least we know the answer to one question that had bothered us. Looking at Saint Sarah we wondered where we had seen that hairdo before??? And, of course, Ivana Trump. Now we read that a few years ago, Ivana was at a Costco in Alasks (flogging her wares, not shopping we assume) and Saint Sarah went rushing over to see her saying Alaska needed some glamour. Now we see where the hairdo came from.

Please send any extra Pepto Bismol - we think we are going to need it between now and November4!!!

p.s After 8 years of Dubbya, its just not fair to expect us to endure 4 years of Trig, Track, Piper, Willow and Bristol. At a minimum, those kids have got to change their names.

NEW FOREIGN AFFAIRS EXPERIENCE METRICS SURFACE FOR MCCAIN VEEP

While some have been questioning Sarah Pallin's credentials to be Vice President of the United States (the woman HAS been to Ireland), TT feels comforted to know that Cindy Stepford McCain says Pallin has national security experience because Alaska is near Russia!!

Frankly, we had never really thought of it in that way......

Uber Mother (whose 17 year old daughter is apparently pregnant - perhaps not quite as uber as portrayed!), has said,"I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq" but she does live close to Russia.

Just how much of John McCain got left behind in the Hanoi Hilton?? At least he has the POW stuff as an excuse, what's the rest of the Republican's excuse??

Personally, if 'they' want to pump up Pallin's national security credentials, they would be much better to point out that she is a much better shot than Dick Cheney.

We really don't know whether to laugh or cry!! We do know we kinda like Pallin's mother -in-law who said she isn't sure if she will vote for the McCain ticket and isn't sure what Ms Pallin brings to the ticket - well, she brings a pregnant 17i year old daughter and national security experience! Sigh.