Political Lessons Learned

Barack Obama - Yes, you can.

Bill Clinton - Villifying the other side with a smile doesn't work when the other side is also a Democrat.

Hillary Clinton - Nothing's inevitable.

John McCain - Vet first.

Sarah Palin - Insist your own people help handle you.

Mitt Romney - Play to your strengths (economy) instead of where you perceive there to be a niche (social conservative).

Rudy Giuliani - Never put all your eggs in one basket when that basket is eighth in line for counting.

John Edwards - If you're cheating on your cancer-stricken wife, don't freakin' run for president!

George W. Bush - Don't spend more than you bring in.

Mike Huckabee - Maybe if you announced Chuck Norris would be your VP in February...

Bill Richardson - Endorsing a front-runner can get you a Cabinet seat.

Caroline Kennedy, royal senator

New York sure doesn't think much of itself. First they get Hillary Clinton as their senator, a woman who never lived there, but she's a celebrity. Now Caroline Kennedy wants her seat. Beyond her name, why should it be her? I think New York's missing an opportunity. Maria Shriver should buy a pad in New York and get the seat. It fits the profile of the best of both worlds.

1. She's a Kennedy.
2. She's the First Lady of California.

Now, granted, Clinton turned out to be a decent senator for the state. I guess. New York is still one of the highest taxed states with one of the biggest budget deficits, but that's more of a governor thing. (What hath Patterson and Spitzer wrought?)

It's an example of how America has its own form of aristocracy. Name recognition is king in politics.

Bernie Madoff - Anti-American

$50 billion gone.

One could argue he has done more to damage the economy than the September 11 attacks.
It's certainly bigger than the Enron implosion.

I also think of it this way: that's a lot of tax revenue to vanish in a time when the US government is bailing out this company and that company for $200 billion here, $300 billion there.