It Sucks to be to you, Gordon Brown.

According to Bloomberg, former Labour PM, Tony Blair, has declared support for current Tory PM David Cameron's economic reform platform in his newest book, "A Journey." As the white night of the "New Labour" movement back in the day, this is an interesting pivot for Mr. Blair and will likely serve as a catalyst to move some volume of his book off the shelves this month. Personally, the werewolf is a Thatcherite at heart when it comes to British politics, although, I came of age politically in the era of Blair. Despite some misgivings about his feel-good brand of reformed Labour, he is slick, smooth, and well-heeled. That counts for something in this age of lowered expectations. That being said,what's really really amusing in the article is Mr. Blair's attitude toward his former ally, the drab and dull Gordon Brown.. Blair states it bluntly in this passage.

“I had a feeling that my going and being succeeded by Gordon was also terminal for the government,” Blair wrote. “I discovered there was a lacuna -- not the wrong instinct, but no instinct at the human, gut level. Political calculation, yes. Political feelings, no. Analytical intelligence, absolutely. Emotional intelligence, zero. Gordon is a strange guy.”

"Strange guy" seems to be gentle code for prune juice induced flatulence in human form. Using clinical terms like terminal, is evocative of unwanted lumps and heinous medical conditions. Classic move from the team Blair in effectively knee-capping Gordon Brown on one more level. The eternally boring and prickly Brown will likely retort in his forthcoming memoir. His words, or lack of ability to embrace the subtle and smoothness of his rival, will likely vindicate Blair.

There is no doubt that Gordon Brown is the prima dona of failed British politicians and douche bag extraordinaire, but having completely alienated your own party and the left-wing Liberal-Democrats is no small fait accompli. Wow.

Neil Cavuto: Obama's Path to History as a one-termer?

Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto offers some interesting commentary on how the 2012 election may shape out. Ego is an interesting thing, as is the American electorate's willingness to get snookered. Given how slick and disciplined President Obama's 2008 campaign for president was, his preference for time on the golf course, as opposed to managing the nation, his wife's incredibly lavish and out-of-touch sense of vacation entitlement, his administration's indifference to the economic woes crushing large swaths of voters, and his avoidance of seeming pro-active on any issue other than socializing health-care, one must wonder how serious he is about running for a second term.

That being said, perhaps Obama has nailed something about American politics post Eisenhower. No president ever has a good second term. Kennedy got whacked before he could make it, Johnson failed so miserably he bowed-out as to avoid disgrace, Nixon resigned, Carter got trounced because his first term was a botched abortion, Reagan was plagued with shady underlings and memory lapses, Bush the Elder didn't deserve re-election on account of raising taxes, Clinton dragged this nation through tabloid-hell while doing nothing but revealing what a scum-bucket he is, and Bush the Younger couldn't deliver on anything of substance beyond offering successful surge in Iraq and watched the GOP rightfully implode.

Given his monumental vanity and ego, the werewolf is unsure how this comedic-farce will play itself out. However, perhaps Obama will do the nation a favor and push the nation that effective public-service is a better path overall than constantly thinking about the next election. Wishful thinking, methinks.

Mickey Kaus: An honest Democrat

What a great ad. If only all aspiring politicians were this honest. Sadly, this guy doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell.

Tories back in the saddle. Is this a horse they want to ride?

The werewolf is pleased that the eternally frumpy and unimpressive Gordon Brown resigned from the Prime Ministership of the United Kingdom. That simple act was long overdue. Brown was a dud extraordinaire.

Tony Blair, despite his flaws, was a tough act to follow. Every trait that made him such an impressive, likeable and charismatic PM, Brown seemed to lack. Where Blair articulated, Brown stumbled; when Blair charmed, Brown put to sleep; Blair project a moral conviction, whereas Brown seemed to unenthusiastically read retreaded talking points. Was their ever a more stark study in contrasts?

 Although a little left for the werewolf, Blair possessed a combination of personal tact, political deftness, and deep appreciation for the transatlantic “special relationship” that should define Anglo-American relations. Brown is a freakin’ Scottish dial-tone. Brown may be one of the most underwhelming and unimpressive leaders of a great western power since that joke of a U.S. President Jimmy Carter. At least Carter can find marginal redemption via his eccentric killer bunny sightings, naïve county bumpkin act and bad peanut farmer jokes.  Hopefully, with David Cameron as the newly ascendant Prime Minister, a degree of charm, conviction, style, and gravitas will be restored to the venerable office. Let it be noted that Mrs. Brown looked far more stately and elegant than her drab husband, something that took the werewolf  unawares.

This brings a second point to bear. It’s a shitty time to govern, anywhere in the civilized world. That unto itself should be a call to govern in order to try and usher in stability and a restoration of something better than what we currently have in place. However, given the United Kingdom’s bizarre electoral system, and the Tories shortfall of the minimum votes needed to form a government, the werewolf wonders if slipping into bed with the naïve and strangely out-dated Liberal Democrats is the best course of action towards achieving their long-term goals of righting the various deficiencies and hurdles Britain faces both economically and strategically. The last time a hung-parliament was formed in the mid-1970s, it lasted a few months before crumbling. Here are the question the werewolf wonders, will the Liberal Democrats prove to be reliable coalition partners who will deliver the needed votes on recovery centric legislation and fiscal austerity that the U.K. needs? Is there a risk of Labour’s recent reputation of do-nothingism and ineffectual governance being transferred to the Tories by entering into this untraditional coalition? Will voters be sympathetic and forgiving of the obvious hurdles or hold their new government to exacting standards?  Would it have been strategically sound for the Tories to eschew a coalition, and let Labour and the Lib-Dems govern ineffectually for a few months? There is a clear and definite risk to the latter and it is always dangerous to pass up opportunities in politics. However, I am trying to assess to best strategic move from an amateur political analyst perspective.I am well aware of the multitude of additional considerations.

If the werewolf were a Briton - in more than fan-filled honorary spirit - he would likely align himself with the Tories. The werewolf was imbued with a profound admiration and fondness from PM Thatcher from a young-age and holds her and her stewardship of the UK in the highest regard.  He is interested to see how Cameron will measure up given the profound circumstances surrounding his ascension, although he does welcome the fresh face at 10 Downing. Still, as noted, Cameron seems more like a creature of opportunity, and less like man of conviction.  I am ready to be proved wrong.

David Cameron: We can’t just snap our fingers and fix Britain

What takes 18 months of non-stop media broadsides and bombardment in the United States, usually takes about 18 days in the United Kingdom. Although being a political junkie himself, even the constant campaign mentality and disingenuous partisan overdose forced into our veins wears thin on the werewolf at the end of each presidential election cycle. In a perfect world (no such thing), the werewolf would like to think that the long-in-the-tooth American approach, and the short-and-stumpy British approach to elections could meet somewhere in the middle. A cycle where debates are thorough and genuine, convincing and persuasion of the electorate meaningful, and the urgency of the pending deadline is felt driving appropriately calculating decision. Wishful thinking indeed.

Anyhow, David Cameron, the conservative leader, is set to be the likely replacement for the frumpy, stodgy, and uninspired socialist blob that is Gordon Brown, has penned a decent  "why elect me" piece in the Times of London. While the werewolf prefers David Cameron, he finds Cameron's wishy-washyness on issues like global warming, his bizarre social posturing, and lust for media attention at rate that should even make a politician blush, all legitimate points of concern. However, the U.K. is ripe for a course correction.  All politicians are full of shit to some degree. After this country foolishly swooned over a rotten crock of "hope and change," Cameron's article for all of it's pro forma political bull, has a few decent and worthy sections to it that even impressed the werewolf, oh so slightly.

"So the manifesto we are publishing today is a comprehensive and cohesive plan to change Britain for the better. It will change Westminster and Whitehall for ever. It is a blueprint for reform that is rich in policy but rooted in a core idea of replacing state control with social responsibility.

But it is not a traditional manifesto. We are not saying that we will solve all your problems and, with a snap of the fingers, create a better Britain out of thin air. Because I don’t believe it is in the power of politicians to do this. And in truth, all those phoney pledges and simplistic promises have contributed to voters’ cynicism when it comes to politics."

The people of the United Kingdom have a stark choice ahead. Let's hope they don't screw the pooch as badly as we did in the fall of 2008.

Mickey Kaus: A Democrat the werewolf can get behind

Investors Business Daily has an interesting little blog blurb about Mickey Kaus's nascent senate campaign in California. The fact that thoughtful and unorthodox Democrats actually exist is a good omen. Kaus fits that mold beautifully. He is certainly a liberal in several regards and on substantive issues. What makes him unique in the modern political sphere is a respect for fact based metrics, an inherent contrarian streak that questions blind political hackery, and a understanding that the world is governed by several changing dynamics that static political positions can not effectively manage. Here's an inspiring excerpt:

"You don’t have to be a wild-eyed libertarian to realize something is very wrong with that. But, as Kaus points out, “You can’t find a Democrat politician criticizing the teachers unions.” That silence is hurting the liberal cause. “Unions are what make affirmative government unpalatable,” he said."

The werewolf is no Democrat, and finds many elements of modern liberalism intellectually appalling and a righteous cause for severe indigestion. He thinks Barbara Boxer is an ignorant slut at best and a vile, bigoted and condescending brutish genderless left wing wacko who deserves to contract some putrid STD at worst. He despises her as much as one can. She is the worst creature that modern politics breeds.

Still, he thinks it is important for the long term health of the republic to erode strictly partisan assumptions and practices as a norm. Plus, how conservative would a GOP senator from California really be, and wouldn't greater value be added via an honest and renegade oriented Democrat in terms of getting that leeward party to question itself at times?  Also, the werewolf is unsure of how he feels about Carly Fiorina given her topsy-turvey tenure at H-P and finds Tom Campbell more appealing at prima fascia. That means his preferred candidate has a snow-balls chance in hell of making it through the general if he clears the primary. However, that is a fluid observation subject to change. Mickey Kaus offers a promise along those lines. In many ways, he can be the liberal version to the straight-shooting contrarianism of Republican senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. That seems like something this country could use at the moment. Thoughts?

The price of "Hope and Change."

Remember how all of that buzz about hope and change circulated with typhoon like force back in 2008/2009? For a man who pledged to usher in a new era in American governance, publicly bemoans the corrupting influence of money in politics, and publicly attacks the Supreme Court; President Obama seems very invested in pay-for-play politics of yore. The Daily Caller paints an interesting picture of how money has influenced Obama's appointments here. Although it's not illegal and is a previously accepted practice to appoint loyal fundraisers, it is certainly in the stratosphere of lying and hypocrisy given where the president's rhetoric has been on these issues. Even by modern political standards, this is tacky and disingenuous. The werewolf doesn't object to politicians rewarding their loyal bundlers and fundraisers for doing their job. He objects to them branding themselves dishonestly and thinking they can get away with it unnoticed in this day and age. It's very patronizing and disrespectful. This voters and taxpayers of this country owe to themselves to start insisting that politicians put their money where their mouth is!

From the previously cited Daily Caller article, here is the menu of  key positions sold to political hacks in the Obama administration: 

The Big Changers’ Club ($500,000+)
Avant, Nicole (Los Angeles, CA)
Position: Ambassador to the Bahamas
Barzun, Matthew (Louisville, KY)
Position: Ambassador to Sweden
Beyer, Don (Alexandria, VA)
Position: Nominated to Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Bleich, Jeff (Piedmont, CA)
Position: Ambassador to Australia
Danzig, Richard (Washington, DC)
Position: Member, Defense Policy Board
Donahoe, Eileen Chamberlain (Washington, DC)
Position: Nominated to Ambassador to UN Human Rights Council
Eacho, William (Bethesda, MD)
Position: Ambassador to Austria
Forester, Christine (San Diego, CA)
Position: Member, Presidential Committee on the Arts and Humanities
Genachowski, Julius (Washington, DC)
Position: FCC Chairman
Gips, Don (Boulder, CO)
Position: Ambassador to South Africa
Gutman, Howard (Washington, DC)
Position: Ambassador to Belgium
Harris, Scott (Washington, DC)
Position: General Counsel, Department of Energy
Katz, Allan (Tallahassee, FL)
Position: Nominated to Ambassador to Portugal
Kennard, William (Washington, DC)
Position: Ambassador to the European Union
Oreck, Bruce (Boulder, CO)
Position: Nominated to Ambassador to Finland
Overton, Spencer (Chevy Chase, MD)
Position: Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Policy
Perrelli, Tom (Arlington, VA)
Position: Assistant Attorney General
Rivkin, Charlie (Los Angeles, CA)
Position: Ambassador to France and Monaco
Roos, John (Hillsborough, CA)
Position: Ambassador to Japan
Sanchez, Frank (Tampa, FL)
Position: Undersecretary of International Trade
Solomont, Alan (Boston, MA)
Position: Ambassador to Spain
Spinner, Steve (Menlo Park, CA)
Position: Loan Programs Advisor, Department of Energy
Stroum, Cynthia (Seattle, WA)
Position: Ambassador to Luxembourg

West, Tony (Oakland, CA)
Position: Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division

Bye Bayh!

Indiana's junior senator, Democrat Evan Bayh, will not be seeking a third term in the senate. On several levels, this is a startling blow to Democrats. Bayh is a liberal who successfully wears moderate drag. He was a shortlist candidate for Obama's VP, seems to have decent national recognition, and is certainly a household name in his home state. Also, given that Obama carried Indiana in 2008 this exemplifies how drastic the political winds have shifted. Not only was Bayh being challenged in a primary by former Sen. Dan Coates, but he was seen as vulnerable by the GOP and a spectrum of GOP veterans were entering the fray to dislodge him. Several themes seem to be emerging in the 2010 cycle. Incumbency is no longer a strong asset, name recognition may be as much of a vice as a virtue, and while a few GOP top dogs are steeping down, it looks like the head winds are decisively anti-Democratic. Is that the legacy of Obama's first year in office? Becoming Democrat kryptonite?

UPDATE: Over at The Corner, some speculate that Bayh may launch a primary bid against Obama. The werewolf thinks not, but stranger things have happened.

CORRECTION: Dan Coates is a Republican who will be running for the soon to be vacated senate seat. There was no Democrat primary challenger to Bayh.

Glenn Reynolds: What I Saw at the Tea Party Convention

The godfather of the blogosphere, Glenn Reynolds (aka Instapundit), has penned an interesting piece on what he observed at Tea Party convention in Nashville for the Wall Street Journal. The article has been buzzing all throughout the blogosphere. Here are some highlights:

"There were promises of transparency and of a new kind of collaborative politics where establishment figures listened to ordinary Americans. We were going to see net spending cuts, tax cuts for nearly all Americans, an end to earmarks, legislation posted online for the public to review before it is signed into law, and a line-by-line review of the federal budget to remove wasteful programs.

These weren't the tea-party platforms I heard discussed in Nashville last weekend. They were the campaign promises of Barack Obama in 2008.

Mr. Obama made those promises because the ideas they represented were popular with average Americans. So popular, it turns out, that average Americans are organizing themselves in pursuit of the kind of good government Mr. Obama promised, but has not delivered. And that, in a nutshell, was the feel of the National Tea Party Convention. The political elites have failed, and citizens are stepping in to pick up the slack." 

That's just a taste of the rather insightful and candid article. The werewolf has only written briefly about the Tea Party movement as he is still trying to get his paws around what it really means. The roots can be traced back to the nascent days of the Obama administration during Rick Santelli's famous live rant from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange almost a year ago. The ideas driving the Tea Party have played a huge role in the recent GOP victories in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia. However, it seems the criteria for being a Tea Partier have little to do with traditional conservative causes around social issues or foreign policy and there is no official litmus test for membership. The tired template of rabid right-wing populist extremism that certain media outlets are pimping is poor analysis at best or bigoted bias at worse. Skepticism of an ever-expansive government apparatus seems to be the primary driver. Reynolds offers a great road map to a better understanding of the Tea Party phenomena, but the the werewolf is still unsure how to measure to scope and scale of the Tea Party movement as a new dimension on the American political landscape. It'll be a treat to watch and analyze. 

Barone: How Climate-Change Fanatics Corrupted Science.

Michael Barone has a great piece about the self-inflicted and fanatical wounds that gradually eroded the credibility of the climate change movement from within. The article itself is well-researched and meticulously cited, here are some brief excerpts: 

"Recently, there have been even more shocking revelations. The IPCC has claimed that warming will cause the Himalayan glaciers to disappear by 2035. It turns out that that claim was based solely on a pamphlet published by the World Wildlife Federation, based on no science at all. The head of the IPCC was informed that a 1996 report said those glaciers could melt significantly by 2350, not 2035, but he let the claim stand.

As Christopher Booker writes in the Telegraph of London, "A Canadian analyst has identified more than 20 passages in the IPCC's report which cite similarly non-peer-reviews WWF or Greenpeace reports as their authority." Similarly, the Times of London reports that a claim that warming could endanger "up to 40 percent" of the Amazon rainforest came from an anti-smoking activist and had no scientific basis whatever."

Does anyone else catch the irony in that last line?

Anyhow, the moral of the story is that transparency, accountability, and honesty are crucial to successfully pushing an effective issues campaign in this day and age. Information is readily available and easy to access. As the article suggests, the big question will be,  how did large swaths of society, especially governments and corporations become so enthralled with an idea driven by junk science at best and manipulative deceivers on a blind crusade at worst ? The werewolf thinks for governments it was about control and for corporations it was a short term play to try and find revenue opportunities. Not particularly flattering for either. Still, thank goodness for the vigilance of those who questioned the herd mentality on this issue.

"Luv Gov"Mark Sanford dropped 'faithful' from vows from marriage: Preempted honesty in a painful form?

Just when we thought we had collectively forgotten about South Carolina's infamous "luv gov," Andy Barr, from the Politico pens the bizarrely revealing article "Mark Sanford dropped 'faithful' from vows."

The article explicitly states "South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford refused to include a promise to be faithful in his wedding vows, according to his wife, Jenny." Several things snap to werewolf's brain upon reading this weird revelation. Firstly, this is not to blame Jenny Sanford, but it looks like Mark sent a very direct signal to her from an early point that he did not take fidelity seriously. She allowed it to be omitted from the contractual vows that are the foundation of marriage. In a weird twists of fate, was she a victim of her own naivety, and he just an actor operating within the perceived construct of their marriage contract? However, Mark clearly felt guilty about his actions and he tried to hide them, in many ways suggesting he wasn't comfortable enough with that omitted clause to be forthright and honest with his spouse. The werewolf thinks very poorly of Governor on account of his behavior, but can't help but acknowledge that the boundaries of weirdness in this instance make this case of a "cheating politician" somewhat exceptional. 

Cheating politicians are sadly an accepted norm in society and nothing new. 

Giuliani and Gingrich: The same old guys that ditch their wives for their misstresses. Boring and standard.

Clinton: Classic horn dog, who's too cowardly to properly confess when caught, has a taste for fat chicks, and has a wife who puts up with his shit to advance her career politically.

McGreevy: Cheating politicians are gay. Really sucks to be his wife. A national first.

Spitzer: Cheating politicians like sleazy Jersey-shore-esque hookers. Confirmed what everybody knew. 

Edwards: Co-opts wife's fatal cancer to advance phony image of crusading populist douche-bag, all while he is really just another narcissistic tool extraordinaire, who happens to have taken his dalliances to new level of irresponsibility and creepiness. Sadly, the media covered for him and he was exposed by the National Enquirer. He may be the most shameless and disgusting of the bunch.

Sanford: Never promises to be faithful to spouse in first place, spouse accepts that term; lies to everyone about jet-setting to Argentina to see his Latin babe; calls his mistress his soul mate on national television, seems to accept his fate. Weirdly, there is an honesty to this guy's actions. The behavior is disciple, consequences deserved, the pain very real, but the dude did not violate the vow, since it was omitted on the front.   

Corporate free speech is not un-American!

Opinion | Corporate free speech is not un-American | Seattle Times Newspaper

The op-ed piece in hyperlink above, written by Bill Maurer, highlights some very important points about the importance of the recent Citizens United vs. FEC. Here are some highlights from the piece:

"Corporations are each different. Some will see this decision as an opportunity to support pro-free-market politicians. Some will use it use it to support liberal politicians. And some will ignore politics completely and simply try to provide goods and services the public wants. This is because a corporation, like every association — a marriage, a neighborhood association or a nonprofit organization — is made up of people. It is the people who are now free to speak and to choose the form they believe is the most effective for disseminating their message.
 

This is America. We do not ban books. We do not make it a crime to speak because the speech may be too influential. With this decision, Americans will get more information, hear more debate, and learn more about their elections. With all due respect to Sen. Schumer, what could be more American than that?"

There is this weird assumption that in this day and age of diversified interests along with multiple information sources with easy platforms of access, that corporations always have nefarious aims and objectives and that the use of corporate money pollutes politics. Hogwash.

Corporations have budget limitations and fiduciary responsibility to their ownership to work at turning a profit. Even the wealthiest corporations can't write blank checks (although very large ones on occasion can be issued) It's a very honorable an open set of objectives to be chasing  bottom-line in the black. Plus, it is explicit by the very nature of the capitalist beast. More so, than can be said about the motives of certain individuals. As high-lighted in the article, the public has long been suspicious of various corporate marketing initiatives that have failed despite having millions of dollars pumped into them. Money might be able to purchase airtime, but it doesn't guarantee results.

The werewolf wonders if corporations should be treated more like an individual on some levels, but will flush that out in a different post. However, he has also thought that if the government and anti-free speech activists really wanted to curb corporate speech in good faith, why don't they push for an elimination of corporate taxes? A reduction in stakeholder status can certainly be linked to a reduction in assumed rights. Food for thought.

Hawaii deep sixes same-sex civil union bill. Where's the outrage?

Hawaii, one of the bluest of the blue states, and birthplace of our current president, recently refused to vote on a measure that would legalize same-sex civil unions. This successfully aborted the bill. A major problem looms, there are no Mormons in sight for liberal lynch mobs to string up or blame. In fact, Hawaii is virtually a one-party state with Democrats outnumbering Republicans by 45-6 in the state house and 23-2 in the state senate. Given the national liberal outrage over Prop 8 in California and the rejection of marriage equality in Maine, the werewolf finds their collective silence over this development in Hawaii deafening. It looks like marriage equality is nothing more than a vehicle for the liberal elites to shamelessly lambaste faith-driven voters or culturally rural folks. When a progressive island fortress loaded with Kahunas, native peoples, and pot-smoking hippie surfers reject marriage equality there is no outrage. Something is truly amiss.

The political face game: Can you tell the difference?

According to the Scientific American, a "New study shows we can tell Democrats from Republicans in head shots."

The article states: "To investigate the basis of these judgments, subjects were asked to rate photos of faces on a seven-point scale assessing personality traits such as assertiveness, maturity, likeability and trustworthiness. Subjects consistently associated Democrats with warmth (likeable and trustworthy) and Republicans with power (dominant and mature). These findings were independent of the gender of the person in the photo." Interesting.


Let's cut to the chase, which group is better looking?

Quick reaction to the SOTU.

The werewolf is still waiting to be impressed by the President. He thought Obama would pivot more aggressively toward the center in light of three recent electoral wallopings. Obama seemed flat, condescending, self-centered, vague, combative and a little out-of-touch. But then again, would you expect a classically liberal werewolf to see anything less?

Ups: The content about the expansion of the nuclear power grid and more off-shore drilling permits, along with earmark reform was long overdue. The werewolf can raise a paw to those in good conscious.

Neutral: Repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. Interesting. The camera shot of Sec. Defense Gates applauding was very telling. The werewolf is deferential to the military on most personnel decisions and thinks certain things should be left to them internally. He's neutral on this issue, but thinks it is a bold move and wonders if it will go anywhere.

Downs: What was so shocking was what went unmentioned by the President. Where the hell was GITMO and the pending terror trials in NYC? Last year, the werewolf recalls these being cornerstones of the President's agenda. He missed his deadline on GITMO and has been perceived as very weak on security with his administration's propensity to mirandize all foreign Jihadists.

The slavish attachment for archaic climate legislation as the quid-pro-quo to being pro nuke and oil exploration. Climate change science gets shadier and less reputable with each passing day. It needs to be ejected, until a relevant and meaningful rationale for it can be advocated with a straight face.

The doublespeak about lobbyists. The president promised no lobbyists, yet, he hired dozens into his administration at the get-go. He should be called out for that.

Are the only advocates of that heinous healthcare bill the president and the Democratic leadership? The president was given the golden opportunity to recognize how ugly his pet project had become, yet, he doubled down on it. Brave or retarded? His ears must really be tin at this point.

The most bizarre and strangest part was the dressing down of the supreme court over the favorable 1st amendment ruling on campaign-finance reform last week. Has a US president ever directly admonished the supreme court during a SOTU? (The werewolf doesn't know) What's really galling is that Obama is the first serious presidential candidate in recent memory to bypass the public financing of his campaign. The hypocrisy and incongruity of his attack on the pro-1st amendment ruling issued by the supreme court has to be one of the most stark moments in political hypocrisy. Even liberals have to cringe at that moment.

There were still some blame Bush diatribes. At this point, with such massive Democratic majorities and an exacerbation of our collective economic woes, blaming Bush displays a lack of internal confidence and is a rhetorical slight-of-hand aimed at the gullible and partisan audiences. If he were half the man he claimed to be, he'd step up and take ownership of his presidency. That's we expect of our leaders.

The werewolf doesn't have the energy to address to jobs double-speak at this point. It all left something to be desired.

Finally, Gov. McDonnell provided a great contrast to both Obama and last year's disappointing rebuttal by Jindal. His star will be shining brighly for some time.

There is much more the werewolf would like to dissect. However, tomorrow's op-ed's and political coverage will do a much better job than your humble exiled correspondent.

One Biden is enough.

Beau Biden, the Vice President's son, has decided against pursuing his father's old senate in Delaware. This is a good thing for Republicans and for the national political paradigm.

On the political front, Mike Castle, Delaware's lone congressman, and well-liked former governor, has been virtually guaranteed an easy victory without any credible opposition. The RNC can spend its money elsewhere. Plus, the Republican pick-up of a traditionally safe Democrat seat can only help create more desperately needed political gridlock and power balancing in DC.

Joe "The Mouth" Biden may be one of the more amusing politicians on the national scene. His bizarre utterances are never predictable, and the werewolf values that, despite disliking the man's politics. However, the werewolf hates extreme political nepotism and political dynasties from both parties. He thinks it fosters a detachment from the people, erodes the integrity of the office, and smacks of the landed/entitled aristocracies that are best left to fester in Europe. This time last year, it looked like by virtue of his name, Biden was a sure thing for his daddy's senate seat. "Hope" and "change" have manifested themselves in the most beautiful of ways in the state of Delaware.

Who are the real enemies?

Bashing bankers is always fun. Despite being an MBA, and a righteous advocate of free markets, the werewolf harbors a natural skepticism towards both bankers and lawyers. They make profoundly easy targets, mostly on account of their natural arrogance and insular thinking. Still, the werewolf realizes that bankers, more so than lawyers, offer one of the most valuable services to the health and prosperity of this nation and the world. They enable people to take risks and create opportunity by extending lines of credit and providing financing. That is why he is alarmed by the President's aggressive pivot, and new populist assault on this country's larger financial institutions. The Financial Times has solid coverage here.

The werewolf feels that these moves to create bogeymen via the bankers is a cynical attempt to play politics with this nation's crucial drivers of growth. As long as the bankers are beaten down and paralyzed by reckless and punitive legislation, they will be unable to lend or extend credit that is needed to drive growth. It speaks very poorly to the president's intentions about enabling opportunities for growth and reinforces the notion that the policy wonks in his administration have been sidelined by the political hacks.

Don't get the werewolf wrong. He actually doesn't like most bankers on account of their arrogance, master of the universe persona, stunted short term thinking, and militant alpha dog attitude. While pursuing his MBA, the werewolf briefly flirted with the banking profession, like all good unoriginal MBA's, but quickly realized that he and investment banking would be uglier than watching a great dane mount a chihuahua in heat. They screwed up by taking the TARP money and proceeding to pay huge bonuses, despite the macro-challenges facing the nation. That's their arrogance that he resents so much and the subject of a different post. Still, he loves the invaluable service bankers provide and knows that despite being easy targets, they are the farthest things from being the enemy, in fact, they are one of the most important allies to growth and prosperity this county and the economy have.

There is also this desire by the populists and the left to squirt all of the blame on bankers for the macro-crisis. This is a grand and dangerous illusion that if continually pimped, will exacerbate our collective woes. The bankers deserve a solid portion of the blame, and believe me you, the recent slaughtering of banking titans like Bear Sterns, Lehmen Brothers, Washington Mutual, Wachovia, and Merrill Lynch is evidence of that. However, let us not forget that a raft of thoughtless government policies that pushed the banks to issue risky loans or face punitive action, government sponsored entities like Fannie and Freddie Mae that distorted the market place, or the fact that millions of borrowers willfully misrepresented themselves on financial disclosure loan documents, all served to be the catalyst for the perfect storm that struck sixteen months ago. It's time to adjust the incentive structure and perhaps require different capital ratios for banks to make loans, etc, but beating them down even more helps no one at this point.

Assaulting and hating bankers isn't the solution. The president should know better. Shame on him. We have real enemies in the form of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Mullahs in Iran, Hugo Chavez, and the North Koreans. Let's keep that in mind as we move forward.

Mort Zuckerman: He's Done Everything Wrong!

Mort Zuckerman, the impressive media mogul, publisher, entrepreneur, and staunch Obama supporter, lays out an incredibly thoughtful and detailed analysis about the President's massive failures in his latest article for The Daily Beast, "He's Done Everything Wrong." It's a quick and thought provoking read. It's remarkable how tone deaf management in both the White House and Capitol Hill are these days. Here's a quick glimpse of a highlight from the article:

"In the campaign, he said he would change politics as usual. He did change them. It’s now worse than it was. I’ve now seen the kind of buying off of politicians that I’ve never seen before. It’s politically corrupt and it’s starting at the top. It’s revolting.

Five states got deals on health care—one of them was Harry Reid’s. It is disgusting, just disgusting. I’ve never seen anything like it. The unions just got them to drop the tax on Cadillac plans in the health-care bill. It was pure union politics. They just went along with it. It’s a bizarre form of political corruption. It’s bribery. I suppose they could say, that’s the system. He was supposed to change it or try to change it."

Brown Rising? Let's hope so.

The blogosphere has been ablaze with speculation about tomorrow's special election in Massachusetts. For good reason, it's the most remarkable political story this country has seen in some time. A little known Republican state senator, Scott Brown, is challenging the chosen successor to Teddy Kennedy's former senate seat in the bluest of the blue states. In some ways, Brown's spectacular rise is not dissimilar to the origins of the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. But the werewolf doesn't want to get ahead of himself.

There are multiple dynamics that make this race remarkable. Many perceive it as a national referendum on the vile health cae legislation currently under consideration, some see it as a referendum on Obama himself. The democratic candidate, Martha Coakley, has been subjected to heinous attacks from her own party as they preemptively write her obituary to mitigate the fallout from a potential defeat. (If she wins, payback could be a bitch to key national democrats) She has also run a lazy and gaffe prone campaign. Whereas, Brown has run a highly disciplined and impressive campaign that has propelled him to the national spotlight.

As for predictions, this is a toughie. Turnout for special elections is always tough to gauge. Plus, this race is a real barn burner. It's shocking that Brown leads in most polls in a state where Democratic registration outweighs Republicans by more than a 3 to 1 ratio. It's legit, just shocking, and speaks to how poorly Americans view those in power. This may also lend some steam to the notion that Democrats have severely misread their mandate and are futher out of touch than anyone fathomed. Beyond a natural registration advantage, Democrats are also extremely gifted at stealing elections, so if it is close, the Democrat machine may tip the scales for Coakley. Plus, Massachusetts hasn't had a Republican senator since Edward Brooke left the senate in 1979.

The werewolf is pulling for Brown. He thinks he has all the momentum, is amazed by his discipline and prowess, but isn't ready to call it for Brown because it feels premature, and he learned long ago, to hold your hope in reserve. Regardless of tomorrow's outcome, 2010 looks to be a very bad year for Democrats. That unto itself gives the werewolf cause to grin.

The werewolf also wonders, if Brown wins, does it merit consideration for something larger in 2012?

Substance versus Style

Michael Barone, the political virtuoso and author of The Almanac of American Politics, has a interesting article contrasting substance versus style as it pertains to current state of American politics. It begs some interesting questions in light of recent revelations pursuant to Obama's governance style. His rhetorical talent and ability to leverage his lack of a record and experience clearly helped him clear the hurdles to victory in 2008. However, the great gamble on Obama was betting that his style would eventually translate into substance. Given the opaque and shady heath care reform process, the blatant buy-off by the unions, the punitive tax proposals, the abandonment of the gays, and the increasing government encroachment in the private sector, Obama's actions scream to the lack of substance being derive from his style. At his best, he's another empty suit parroting yesterday's failed liberalism, and the longer his style is adrift and doesn't jive with the substance it allegedly pimps, the quicker his brand will erode.

This brings us to a second point, the tea party movement. Barone hits the nail on his head with regard to the fact that the so called intelligentsia has long ceased to generate new ideas. It's as if they grew content with John Maynard Keynes and yesterday's failed notions of high liberalism, like LBJ's "great society." Throwing a new coat of paint on a rusty old jalopy, doesn't change the fact that the car in question is still archaic and out-dated. The werewolf doesn't like it when someone pisses on his leg and tells him that it is raining outside. This is the vibe he gets from the ideas that drive modern liberalism, and it scares him because of the monopoly they hold on political power at the moment. (This observation doesn't bestow automatic regard or credit to the Republicans, they to, have grown lazy and complacent) This is also what is fascinating about the tea parties. They are clearly a third rail that has formed in the modern political scene. They may have common cause with the Republicans in some elections, but they are hardly reflective of mainstream GOP thinking or establishment ideals. In fact, the werewolf's friends in the RNC are very concerned about the tea parties. However, the idea that average Americans, provincial to their very core, are the new leaders when it comes to forward-thinking and idea generation is worthy. The werewolf doesn't identify with the tea-parties that much, but he does identify with an anti-incumbency, anti-status quo, movement that prioritizes substance over style. That is what make the tea parties such an interesting phenomenon.