Backtracking

• George W. Bush touts his "firsthand" virtual reality combat experience. Sometimes it seems like his presidency is conducted in virtual reality.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee isn't as sterling as he likes to paint himself.
  
  
• Trent Lott resigns and we all do a little dance. It's pretty sweet news, even if a Democrat doesn't take the seat.
  
  
• If Hillary steamrolls Obama, what does that say about celebrity against the grass roots? It's still two months until "Tsunami Tuesday" and who knows what's going to happen (especially if Newt is right and Obama springboards ahead in Iowa), but if Hillary takes this nomination, I honestly think it will say more about her ability to make her celebrity and "inevitability" the only topic in media discussion of this primary race than it will about her ability to be a good president. The two may be more closely linked in this day and age, but while I think Hillary is a fantastically capable woman, her ability to spin the press doesn't necessarily speak well of her judgment.
  
  
• This worries me: if Huckabee gets the nomination, I see him becoming a significant candidate, and possibly even a dangerous one in an election year that has consistently been promised as an avalanche of Democratic victories. In a nutshell, he's an evangelical fundamentalist Christian (an ordained one at that) who is thoroughly personable and charming, and loves to talk blue collar issues. His organization thus far hasn't been as good as it should be, but if he gets the nomination, he'll have the entire Republican organization at his disposal. Romney, Giuliani, Thompson and McCain are all cannon fodder: Huck is the one to worry about.
  
  
• Thankfully, Mitt Romney has secured the endorsement that, without a doubt, will secure his place as the Republican front-runner: The Osmonds.
  
  
• George Bush never really got the full scope of that "Commander in Chief" thing, though I do respect his intentions.
  
  
• My contempt for Joe Lieberman knows no bounds.
  
  
• I'm as happy as anyone that Barry Bonds is getting indicted, but doesn't it seem like the federal bodies that conduct investigations have had more important things to look into over the last four years?
  
  
• An interesting note about the nature of crime. Remind me to mention this to my grandmother, who's terrified because I live in the big scary city.

More updates as I can get caught up. November's been a crazy month.