Blagojeviched Again!

It should go without saying that this year has not been the best for the well-heeled of this world. Do I need to go into the condition of the stock market during the latter part of this year? Of course not. Nope, no need to mention that the New York Stock Exchange has gone from well over the 14,000 mark to just above 8000. I don’t need to tell anyone that that is a sizable downsizing, indeed. Suffice it to say that the estimated loss has been ciphered (a verb that is seldom used when calculating losses in this range) in the trillions of dollars.

Yep, the upheaval in the stock market, the real estate market, and the collapse of quite a few major banks and insurers, and the virtual cut-off of credit to anybody, no matter how rich or poor, has left us all out in the cold. And there, in the free soup line with those of us more used to such fare, are the Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s) of the Big Three automakers.

Yes, at least in my opinion, that number had dwindled done to the Big Two, at least while Chrysler was still married to that harlot from Germany, but since Madame Mercedes has done split the scene, Chrysler has found its way back to its former designation as a member of this triumvirate, and just in time to help its newly re-discovered mates beg for a handout.

All of this may be in vain, at least until the next Congressional session, because there are still enough Republicans in this lame-duck session of the U. S. Senate to filibuster any assistance to the corporate versions of Moe, Larry, and Curly. Of course you can’t blame those Senators, such as Richard Shelby from Alabama, who are leading this effort. After all, their states are now the home of some large foreign car makers, and, in addition to providing jobs in these states, the plants being operated by these companies are all non-union, which is a plus in any GOP Member of Congress’s book

Not that those who were considerably more-well off at one point are in this thing alone. Politicians have had their moments, as well. Even our out-going President has had some mighty low moments, and that is not just his approval ratings, either. It was the Iraqi war that has caused L’ll George to be held in such general disfavor by the public, yet he, along with that 16-18% who still think he is doing a good job, continue to insist that this war was a worth-while effort..

Anyway, over this past week-end, L’ll George did as he has done several times during his presidency, and slipped off to Iraq to visit one of the few humans on the planet who will still publicly acknowledge him, Iraqi leader Nouri al-Maliki. The whole purpose of this trip may well have been to show just how civilized his war had made this country, and to further emphasize this point, the President and his host held a joint news-conference. It was during this conference that a disgruntled Iraqi reporter saw his chance, and he took it. He called Mr. Bush a dog in Arabic, and hurled a couple of what L’ll George described as “size 10 shoes” at the President’s head.

I don’t know how you can miss a target that big, but this fellow did, not once, but twice. Still, it did two things for this reporter. First, it let the world know that not everyone shares the optimistic outlook that the Bush administration has on the situation in Iraq, and secondly, even if this reporter is going to spend some time in a Baghdad lock-up, he has made his name in the Arab world. As for the President, I imagine he is glad that his shoes were the only weapons this fellow had on him.

Over in this country, in the Land of Lincoln, whose one-time Junior Senator is now busily preparing to take the reins of power from President Bush, the Governor of Illinois may find it necessary to begin to make preparations for a move of his own very soon, and like Obama, to living quarters provided by the feds, but not so grand as Obama’s. It seems that Governor Rod Blagojevich, D., may have had the wrong idea of just what the chief executive’s duties are. Yes, when the office of U. S. Senator becomes vacant, the Governor can name the replacement. But he cannot profit personally from it.

But this is just what federal prosecutors say this embattled politician had in mind. According to the lead prosecutor, U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, Blagojevich was looking for someone with deep pockets to name to this position, someone who believed in tit for tat, so to speak. The funniest thing is this, Blagojevich knew he was under investigation for several supposed incidents of malfeasance in office, yet he continued to shop around for the highest bidder for this high public office. Not since Gary Hart, the one-time Democratic Senator from Colorado, has a politician seemed so determined to get caught red-handed.

Well, this bit of indiscretion by Governor Blagojevich has overjoyed at least one segment of our society, the late-night talk show hosts, who were looking forward to Obama’s inauguration as the end of an era of relatively easy laughs. What with L’ll George leaving office, and his Bushism-laden speeches soon to be a thing of the past, Jay Leno, David Letterman, and their cohorts, Conan O’Brien and Craig Ferguson were all probably thinking they’d actually have to hire writers for their shows again. But just when it seemed like all was lost… .

Yes, Jay, Dave, Conan, and Craig, there is a Santa Claus. And just as importantly, there is a politician who is willing to make a difference in the life of the late night comedy routines. And not many of us would be as willing to give of ourselves as Governor Blagojevich. Not only has he made the late hours more entertaining for the late shows’ audiences, he has done something no one has done since that selfless act committed by President Clinton’s one-time favorite intern. Yes, the Illinois Governor has given his name up for common use as a verb. In the words of David Letterman, “Boy, he sure Blagojeviched his career, didn’t he?” Now, you can’t get any more selfless than that.