Libertarian Leanings

It Took A Bit Longer Than I Thought...

My November, 2008 prediction:

It's all over in Iraq, the war has been won, the Status of Forces Agreement has been accepted.  But for [Washington] Post editors it can't be a victory.  For Post editors it's denial.  Time to postpone the victory.

The Bush administration worked patiently and tirelessly to negotiate the new agreement, which will have the effect of removing Iraq from United Nations supervision on Jan. 1. Having all but destroyed his presidency through mismanagement of the war, Mr. Bush can now fairly argue as he leaves office that his successor will inherit an Iraqi mission that has been stabilized both militarily and politically. That's not the same thing as the "victory" Mr. Bush has often spoken of; Iraq could still unravel if its leaders or the Obama administration act unwisely.

Of course, this is Mr. Bush we're talking about, so it's not victory.  But it's close, so close that Post editors feel obliged to warn that Obama could still throw a wrench in it.  Perhaps a little patience would be in order.

There is now, however, a workable road map for winding down the U.S. troop presence in the country and for consolidating the new political system. Mr. Obama will receive this framework from the president and the Iraqi government he has spent the last two years campaigning against. Though we don't expect him to say so, Mr. Obama is fortunate that he was wrong, both about the surge and about the capacity of Iraq's leaders.

It can be safely admitted now.  Post editors concede that Obama was dead wrong about the surge, and wrong about Iraq's leaders.  But what was abysmally poor judgment during the campaign is good fortune now that the election is over.  The media propped this guy up all through the campaign, and apparently they're not done yet.  I'll boldly predict that among Obama's first presidential accomplishments will be the victory in Iraq that eluded President bush for the last five years.

Well, it's a little bit later than I expected, but as Jake Tapper reports, a couple of nights ago on Larry King Live Joe Biden  took credit for victory in Iraq on Obama's behalf.

On Larry King Live last night, Vice President Joe Biden said Iraq "could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government."

[...]

At the briefing today, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about Biden calling Iraq one of the great potential achievements of the Obama administration given that Biden had previously advocated that the country should be divided into thirds and split among Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis, and then-Sen. Obama opposing the surge of US troops that many experts argue helped bring stability that allowed the reconciliation process to continue.

In fact, in January 2007 then-Sen. Obama said that he was "not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence. In fact, I think it will do the reverse."

Gibbs said the achievement was "putting what was broken back together and getting our troops home, which we intend to do in August of this year."

A reporter pointed out that the Status of Forces Agreement to bring troops home was signed before the president took office.

Gibbs called that agreement "something I think that the political pressure that the president, as a then-candidate, helped to bring about."

My emphasis above.  This comes by way of Ace of Spades, Mudville Gazette, and Instapundit.

Polls

They're all over the place.  Most show Obama with a commanding lead.  But yesterday the Investor's Business Daily poll, which according to Ed Morrissey was the most accurate in 2004, has Obama over McCain at only 46.7% to 44.6%.  Ed believes it is significant that Obama is below 50% since McCain has been closing in.

At the other end of the spectrum the America On Line AOL straw poll for October 31st through November 4th, completely unscientific, has McCain with a 15 point lead as of this morning, 57% to 42%.  The AOL straw poll allows one vote per email address, and though email accounts don't represent voters, whatever demographic group this is, they like McCain.

I have no idea what to expect come Wednesday morning.  McCain may be right.  We could be in for a long Tuesday night.

Libertarian Leanings endorses John McCain and Sarah Palin

It should come as no surprise to readers that Libertarian Leanings endorses John McCain and Sarah Palin for President and Vice President of the United States.  The Democratic strategy of arguing that John McCain is nothing more than a George Bush clone may resonate with some but not with Libertarian Leanings.  For one thing it is a largely inaccurate portrayal.   More importantly there is at least one policy on which we should all hope that John McCain is exactly like George Bush.  After the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the single most important goal of the Bush administration was to protect Americans from future terrorist attacks.  There have been no attacks on American soil since September 11, 2001, proving that Bush was successful on his most important goal.  This is the sort of policy that should be continued.

Libertarian Leanings agrees with John McCain and George Bush.  Eliminating the threat posed by Saddam Hussein was key to waging any war on terror that we had a hope of winning.  Saddam did not pose an imminent threat, but he did pose an inevitable threat -- one that would have to be faced sooner or later, and sooner was better than later.  John McCain believes that national security remains the most important issue facing America.  In contrast the Obama-Biden position on the war on terror is driven foremost by compulsion to oppose whatever Bush proposed.  They have vacillated accordingly.

On a purely philosophical level, there is little besides the war on terror that recommends John McCain to Libertarian Leanings.  His support for free markets has been lukewarm at times.  When he rails against the greed on Wall Street he sounds like your garden variety liberal, and by championing campaign finance reform legislation he did not seem aware of the threat it posed to free speech.  But whether you agree or disagree with his policies, you can be sure that he will do what he believes is in the best interests of our country.

Libertarian Leanings agrees wholeheartedly with the choice of Sarah Palin as running mate.  Though critics insist she is unready, Palin has already demonstrated an ability to rise to the occasion, whatever the challenge.  As the administration expert on energy issues, she will be better equipped than anyone to will lead us to energy independence, not only because of her experience as governor of energy rich Alaska, but more importantly because she will be committed to achieving that national goal.  Obama and Biden have revealed their reluctance to pursue energy independence by their promise only to consider offshore drilling.

In the Libertarian Leanings view, Sarah Palin will provide some balance to the Republican ticket.  She will act as counterweight to McCain's tendency towards big government solutions on the order of campaign finance reform.  Libertarian Leanings has no reservations about Sarah Palin's ability to assume the duties of the presidency should unfortunate events make it necessary for her to do so.  She is far better equipped than her counterpart on the Democratic ticket, Joe Biden.  Biden has been in the U.S. Senate for 36 years, and in that time he has shown that he has risen to his level of incompetence.  His monumental gaffes on the campaign trail have been so revealing that the Obama campaign has had to keep him under wraps, particularly in these last days.  To put Joe Biden a step away from the presidency is a gamble with no upside.

Both Biden and Obama were dead wrong about the troop surge in Iraq, arguing that it would fail.  Only later did Obama admit that it succeeded, but in doing so he would not admit that he was wrong.  He said the surge and the accompanying counterinsurgency strategy "succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated."  John McCain anticipated it.  He lobbied for it.  He expected it to succeed.  Obama's error would be forgivable if he were honestly wrong, but his position was all about political calculation.  Obama and the Democrats saw opportunity in public disatisfaction with a war effort that was not going well.  Their reaction was to do everything they could to even further impede the war effort, maximizing the oportunity that would accrue to them.

Libertarian Leanings believes the strongest argument for supporting John McCain is Barack Obama.  Obama's demonstrated flexibility on positions is troubling to say the least.  He never takes the unpopular stance, but instead always takes the side that offers the greater political advantage.  He once said he could no more disown the Reverend Jeremiah Wright than he could his own grandmother, but then publicly disowned him when the political heat became too much to for him to bear.  He publicly pledged to accept public funding for his presidential campaign, along with the spending limits it would impose.  But when his fund raising broke all records, Obama broke his pledge.  The money advantage he would gain by opting out was more than Obama could resist.  And why was his fund raising so successful? 

The Obama campaign has been allowing online donors to use untraceable prepaid credit cards.  That means it is impossible to verify that legal limits on campaign contributions have not been exceeded, and it is impossible to verify that contributions are not from illegal foreign sources.  In order for such contributions to be accepted, the Obama campaign deliberately disabled routine name and address checks that would flag illegal credit card contributions.

This is not the only flirtation with election illegalities.  The Obama campaign gave an ACORN subsidiary $822,000 during the primaries for "get out the vote" services.  ACORN is the voter registration organization that has been convicted of voter registration fraud a number of times and is currently under investigation for voter registration fraud in 14 states.  Both Biden and Obama continue to claim the campaign is not connected with ACORN.  They argue that the $822,000 was spent during the primary, and this is the election.  Besides, they argue, voter registration fraud is not the same as voting fraud.  It's no big deal.

Obama's bipartisan facade evaporated when his campaign kicked reporters from the Washington Times, the New York Post, and the Dallas Morning News off the campaign bus.  Their papers had endorsed John McCain.  Perhaps this reveals Obama's confidence.  With the election seemingly in the bag the facade is no longer necessary, and he can exact revenge without fear of backlash.

Without exception Barack Obama has taken the position that offers the greatest political advantage.  The "nuance" in his stated positions all comes down to political opportunity, and in that regard he epitomizes the Democratic party.  Should Obama win as expected, and should the Democrats expand their majorities in congress, we can be guaranteed that their prime order of business will be to innoculate themselves against the effects of future elections.  It has been amply demonstrated that political advantage is the only thing that matters.  Obama's questionable but successful tactics will find widespread support among Democrats.

Libertarian Leanings supports John McCain and Sarah Palin.  They have promised to put country first, and they each have the record of doing just that.  I urge readers to get out and vote for the McCain-Palin ticket.  It may be the most important vote you ever cast.

Tightening up in New Hampshire

According to Rasmussen's presidential polling, Barack Obama's 10-point lead in New Hampshire has now been cut to four. 

The presidential race in New Hampshire has grown closer, with Barack Obama now leading John McCain 50% to 46%, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state.

At the beginning of the month, the Democrat held a ten point lead over his opponent, which shifted New Hampshire from “toss-up” to “leans Democratic” in the Rasmussen Balance of Power Calculator. In the eight polls prior to October, Obama has held the lead in five, McCain in three.

Voters in New Hampshire are divided on who they trust more on the top issue of the economy, with Obama holding the edge, 46% to 45%. While 43% agree with Obama’s idea that spreading the wealth around would be good for everybody, 44% disagree.

Voters trust McCain more on national security and the War on Terror by a 53% to 43% margin.

It speaks volumes that the economic meltdown has not worked more to Obama's benefit than it has.  Why is there still a race?  Well, for one thing, reality may finally be sinking in.  Obama is an attractive candidate whose election would send a positive message to the world about the kind of country the U.S. really is.  The fact is, that message has been sent.  Obama is a great symbol, but now people are beginning to recognize that Obama, the man, has next to no resume, and what little there is on it does not resonate with poeple.  Mix in his gaffe prone running mate who warns that a crisis is waiting to pounce within the first six months of an Obama presidency, and voters become understandably worried.  They ought to be.  We have a disaster waiting to happen.

Iraqi reaction

Iraq the Model speaks of a growing concern among Iraqis over the outcome of the U.S. elections.

I mentioned this past summer that pressing priorities in Iraq made Iraqis show little if any interest in the upcoming U.S. election. That was the case when November seemed too far to worry about. We’re almost in October now and things are changing.

Comments made by MP Sami al-Askari are evidence of such a trend. As an adviser to Prime Minister Maliki and member of his Da’wa Party, al-Askari’s comments are definitely indicative of what’s being discussed in that small circle and probably reflect Maliki’s own viewpoints.

As recent as June, al-Askari’s position echoed Maliki’s approval of a 16-month timetable for withdrawal. But three months can indeed make a difference. “Iraqis are better off with Republicans,” al-Askari said in an email to Kathleen Parker at NRO last week.

Iraq Pundit provides some Iraqi reaction to the Palin-Biden debate.

Regarding Iraq, Palin was right when she said Biden was waving the white flag of surrender. But she could have said more. Biden repeated something that Barack Obama has been saying for a while now. Obama has been saying that he will end the war in Iraq, and that Iraq has a deficit and it should pay its own bills.

During this Eid holiday week, Iraqis at social gatherings have expressed their anger at such statements. First, they ask how can Obama end a war? It would be more accurate for him to say he will end U.S. involvement in a war. Because once the U.S. leaves, the terrorists will continue to murder Iraqi civilians, about whom Obama has said he does not care. By saying he will end the war, it sounds like he will leave behind a clean, peaceful place. He really should be honest with the American people and tell them his plan would lead to the opposite of his words.

Iraqis are furious about the Obama idea that Iraq should pay for the damages to the country. Over and over again I heard Iraqis say that it looks like the U.S. came in, damaged a country and now expects Iraq to pay the bills. If Obama wins next month and keeps his promise, U.S.-Iraqi relations will definitely deteriorate.

The press campaigns for Obama

Today the Washington Post campaigns on behalf of the Obama-Biden ticket by offering a strenuous defense of Obama's use of the phrase, "lipstick on a pig."

IT'S HARD to think of a presidential campaign with a wider chasm between the seriousness of the issues confronting the country and the triviality, so far anyway, of the political discourse. On a day when the Congressional Budget Office warned of looming deficits and a grim economic outlook, when the stock market faltered even in the wake of the government's rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, when President Bush discussed the road ahead in Iraq and Afghanistan, on what did the campaign of Sen. John McCain spend its energy? A conference call to denounce Sen. Barack Obama for using the phrase "lipstick on a pig" and a new television ad accusing the Democrat of wanting to teach kindergartners about sex before they learn to read.

Mr. Obama's supposedly offending remark was not only not offensive -- it also was not directed at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

This comes a day after a Rasmussen poll discovered that 7 out of 10 voters believe that reporters try to help the candidate of their choice with their news coverage.  And guess who most think that candidate is?

Seven out of 10 voters (69%) remain convinced that reporters try to help the candidate they want to win, and this year by a nearly five-to-one margin voters believe they are trying to help Barack Obama.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of voters think most reporters are trying to help Obama win versus 11% who believe they are trying to help his Republican opponent John McCain. Twenty-six percent (26%) say reporters offer unbiased coverage.

But the Post is really just doing it's part to save the world.  Listen to Jonathan Freedland of the Guardian, UK.

If Americans choose McCain, they will be turning their back on the rest of the world, choosing to show us four more years of the Bush-Cheney finger. And I predict a deeply unpleasant shift.

Until now, anti-Americanism has been exaggerated and much misunderstood: outside a leftist hardcore, it has mostly been anti-Bushism, opposition to this specific administration. But if McCain wins in November, that might well change. Suddenly Europeans and others will conclude that their dispute is with not only one ruling clique, but Americans themselves. For it will have been the American people, not the politicians, who will have passed up a once-in-a-generation chance for a fresh start - a fresh start the world is yearning for.

We owe it to the world to vote for Obama.  Gee, what an opportunity...

The Red-Blue showdown

Fake right, drive left, slam dunk for an exclamation point.  That was the move that was going to put the game out of reach as the clock ran out.  Instead, it was as if the air ran out of Barry O's basketball.  He started his dribble but when the ball hit the floor, the bounce just wasn't what he expected.  The ball deflected off his fingers, and the next thing anybody knew it was a fast break the other way. Series tied.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday, September 7, shows the race for the White House is tied.

In the first national polling results based entirely on interviews conducted after Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech, Barack Obama gets 46% of the vote and so does John McCain. When "leaners" are included, it’s all even at 48%.

If it turns out that the Red State team pulls off the upset, Sarah "Barracuda" Palin will surely rate strong consideration for tourney MVP.  Palin came off the bench in game two to pour in a couple of crucial three-pointers, but her big play was stripping Obama at the top of the circle and sending McCain down court for the tying layup.

I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your president. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what's right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

The home town crowd looked on in disbelief.  Anticipating a blowout, Blue team fans were stunned that the series was even close.  How could this be happening?  This was their game.  This was their year.  This was their turn to bring home the trophy. 

The yelled.  They screamed.  They tried to pump life into a listless Blue team.  Whenever a Red Stater stepped up to the charity stripe they waved their white hankies and hollered.  The rookie Palin took special abuse as the hostile crowd tried to rattle her with vicious taunts, hoping to throw her off her game. 

Okay, I just have to diary about this, although in many ways this falls into the "none of our business category". 

But it appears that Pallin's last child, a baby with Down's syndrome, may not be hers.  It may be that of her teenage daughter.

But to no avail.  Palin was unflappable, coolly sinking free throws with the game on the line. She was the unexpected star, the game changer, but not everyone was surprised.  Red State fans knew her by reputation as early as July of 2007.

In 2006, she didn't hesitate. She ran against Gov. Murkowski, who was seeking a second term despite sagging poll ratings, in the Republican primary. In a three-way race, Palin captured 51 percent and won in a landslide. She defeated former Democratic governor Tony Knowles in the general election, 49 percent to 41 percent. She was one of the few Republicans anywhere in the country to perform above expectations in 2006, an overwhelmingly Democratic year.

By June of 2008 Red State fans wanted her on the roster and were delighted to hear that the front office was scouting her. 

There is one potential running mate who has virtually no down side. Those conservatives who've heard of her were delighted to learn that McCain advance man Arthur Culvahouse was in Alaska recently, because they surmised he could only be there to discuss the vice presidential nomination with Gov. Sarah Palin.

Word began to get around.

If you're not acquainted with Gov. Palin already, you owe it to yourself to get up to speed.

If you're not up to speed, Sarah Barracuda will undoubtedly bring you up to speed in short order.  With games one and two in the books and the series even, what was once expected to be a Blue State walkover is suddenly in doubt, and it's all because of Sarah Palin.  Three short weeks ago Blue State was the prohibitive favorite on all the cards, but now nervousness of Blue State fans is beginning to show.

SARAH PALIN makes John McCain look even older than he is. And he seemed more than willing to play that part on Thursday night. By the time he slogged through his nearly 50-minute acceptance speech — longer even than Barack Obama’s — you half-expected some brazen younger Republican (Mitt Romney, perhaps?) to dash onstage to give him a gold watch and the bum’s rush.

Unfortunately for Blue Staters, Barack Obama hasn't been able to put away the tenacious John McCain.  As the series heads for game three on September 26th in Mississippi, Red State now has the advantage of momentum, but make no mistake.  This series will go the full seven.  Game four is scheduled for October 2nd in St. Louis and the spotlight will be on Sarah Palin in a matchup against veteran Joe Biden.  Blue State fans will hope that Biden's experience will overwhelm the rookie Palin, but in his 36-year career Biden has never won the big game.  Will he finally get the monkey off his back?

Games five and six are scheduled for October 7th in Nashville, Tennessee, and October 15th in Hempstead, New York respectively, but the deciding game is on November 4, 2008.  As we head for what will undoubtedly be a gripping finish, Red State chances are on the rise.

A shift begins

The Gallup daily tracking poll released just two hours ago has John McCain at his highest level of support since early May.  He leads Barack Obama 48 to 45 among registered voters.

McCain’s 5-point to 6-point bounce so far, like Obama’s, remains at par with historical expectations. In the 22 major-party conventions since 1964, the nominee walked away with, on average in most years, a 5-point to 6-point uptick in Gallup’s polls. The presidential polling will likely remain in flux until the middle of next week.

Today's Gallup report continues to include some polling conducted prior to McCain's acceptance speech. Tomorrow's report will be the first to include interviews solely conducted following the close of the GOP convention.

Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll also reported today that when "leaners” are included, Obama and McCain are now tied at 48 percent. That means that, by Rasmussen’s measure, Obama’s 6-point bounce has been erased. CBS News polling had shown the same outcome midway through the GOP convention.

McCain’s resurgence in the polls comes as Nielsen Media Research reported that the Republican convention earned more television viewers than the Democratic convention. Republicans earned an average audience of 34.5 million, while Democrats earned an average viewership of 30.2 million.

The spread is wider on the USA Today/Gallup Poll where the McCain-Palin ticket leads Obama-Biden 5o to 46 among registered voters, and wider still among likely voters where the McCain-Palin lead is 54 to 44. 

McCain has narrowed Obama's wide advantage on handling the economy, by far the electorate's top issue. Before the GOP convention, Obama was favored by 19 points; now he's favored by 3.

You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that boosting domestic oil production is going to be good for the economy.  McCain and Palin are for it, Obama and Biden won't buck the radical environmentalists.  Is it too much to hope that the public is finally catching on that Obama and Biden are a pair of empty suits?  The liberal press has been working overtime pretending that the drivel coming out of the Obama campaign represents an actual position on something.  Apparently people aren't that gullible.  Dare we hope?

Prudence as principle

In today's complaint at the perceived inexperience of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, the inimitable E.J. Dionne elevates prudence to the level of principle.  Say's Dionne,

This week's convention will be overshadowed not only by a hurricane but also by McCain's choice of Palin. The Republicans once hoped to use their gathering to persuade Americans not to trust Obama. Now, as the speakers here make their case, the media will rightly be doing their job, trying to figure out who Palin is. Palin, not Obama, will be the issue, in a way that Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty or some other well-known figure would not have been.

But that's a matter of politics. There is also the question of principle. In picking Biden as his running mate, Obama made a prudent choice. 

My, my.  How principled of Obama.  Maybe it's just me, but aren't we setting the bar a bit low by calling the selection of known plagiarist and Senate fossil Joe Biden "principled" only because it is somehow the safe choice?  It's an odd column that laments the inexperience of Sarah Palin while it extols the prudence of Obama for admitting his own.  Experience is what Biden is supposed to bring to the Obama ticket.

But Dionne's attack on Palin is intended as an attack on McCain's decision to choose her.  Reckless, thinks Dionne.  Of his fourteen paragraphs Dionne devotes seven of them to a comparison of Sarah Palin to -- are you ready? -- Harriet Miers. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- By all rights, there should be a revolt at this week's (now-delayed) Republican convention against John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate -- for the same reasons so many Republicans opposed President Bush's selection of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court.

It's apparently Dionne's hope and belief that the choice of Sarah Palin by John McCain will be similarly received by the conservative base as was Harriet Miers' selection for the Supreme Court by George Bush.  One flaw in Dionne's thinking is to argue an equivalence between selecting a vice president and appointing a justice to the Supreme Court for life.  And he doesn't seem to notice that Palin's positions and her biography really resonate with the conservative base.  But he goes ahead and compares Miers' and Palin's respective experiences anyway.  Whatever.

Dionne seems to think the presence of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket throws the experience advantage to the Obama-Biden ticket.  For Dionne, Palin is the unknown while Obama, by virtue of having successfully engaged in the longest presidential primary campaign in U.S. history, has established his positions.

Conservatives have complained that we barely know Obama. This is nonsense. Obama has been put through the journalistic wringer since he entered the public spotlight four years ago.

Right.  About that journalistic wringer.  Let's see what Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell thinks of it, the journalistic wringer that forged Obama's foreign policy convictions.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was supposed to give “closing remarks” during this afternoon’s Shorenstein Center-sponsored panel discussion with all three Sunday show moderators — NBC’s Tom Brokaw, ABC’s George Stephanopoulous and CBS’s Bob Schieffer — but instead, he opened up a can of worms about bias in 2008 election coverage

"Ladies and gentleman, the coverage of Barack Obama was embarrassing," said Rendell, in the ballroom at Denver's Brown Palace Hotel. "It was embarrassing."

Rendell, an ardent Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter during the primaries, now backs Obama in the general election. Brokaw and Rendell began debating campaign coverage, including the on-air comments by Lee Cowan, and when MSNBC came up, Rendell went after the cable network.

“MSNBC was the official network of the Obama campaign," Rendell said, who called their coverage "absolutely embarrassing."

As Dionne concludes in his column, "the media will rightly be doing their job, trying to figure out who Palin is."  Yes, the media, so solicitous of Obama, will rectify their lapse by doing their very best to skewer Palin.  For today though, Dionne's target is McCain and his reckless pick.  But by picking Sarah Palin, McCain stepped all over Obama's post-convention bounce and ground it right into the dirt.  That by itself makes it a brilliant choice.  Dionne will have much work to do if he hopes to resuscitate Obama's bounce.  He's not off to a good start.

Biden's poor judgment

From Michael Rubin in the Washington Post:

Bush has been a polarizing figure, but most senators realize that partisanship should never trump national security. In early 2007, evidence mounted that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps was planning terrorist activities in Iraq. An August 2007 National Intelligence Estimate found that "Iran has been intensifying aspects of its lethal support for select groups of Iraqi Shia militants" and that "Explosively formed penetrator (EFP) attacks have risen dramatically." The next month, the Senate considered a bipartisan amendment to designate the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, an important step to aid nonviolent efforts to deny it funds and financing. Biden was one of only 22 senators to vote against it. "I voted against the amendment to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization because I don't trust this administration," he said. Distrust of the U.S. president is the nature of politics, but skepticism about foreign dictators and their Brown Shirts is the backbone of judgment.

Can Biden be such a partisan fool?  All together now, "Yes he can!"