Does anyone else think it odd that Barack Obama (a) has pushed for a bailout of the Big Three but (b) decided to hang up the skates on his Senatorial career just before a vote on such a package? 

Do remember that the Senate is still was 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, one independent and one wanker. Presumably, there will be no vote from Ted Kennedy. And God only knows who else would decline to show up. Unless Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Blithering Idiot) appoints Barry’s replacement right quick, we are looking at an operative Republican majority on this here vote. Hell, it may even be down to Bunker Boy to split a tie (voting “Evil” as is his wont).

And so: a bailout may be necessary to stave off disaster, at least a little while, but Barry has calculated that, for whatever benefits may come, voting for a bailout would not be Change We Can Believe In. Sneaky.

Black Eagle takes the Omaha electoral vote. Which is to say that the Inadequate Black Male won an election in freaking Nebraska.  Carry on.

I’m torn, folks.  Really I am.

On the one hand, the Big Three ought to go down in flames. Mismanagement to the hilt. You know this. But if they declare bankruptcy, hundreds of thousands would be put out of work. And not just at the plants, but lots of other suppliers too, as well as mom-and-pop shops around the plants. And not just here, but in Big Three plants worldwide. Meanwhile, there may be honest-to-God bread lines in Michigan this winter. Total meltdown, in other words. The economy has been teetering on the brink of complete and utter disaster, and this may give it the last nudge over the edge.

And now we have an impending bailout bill. If I had to choose right freaking now: put all the regulation and oversight on the Big Three as is humanly possible and eject the current bigwigs, but go ahead and pass the damned bailout. It might buy us some time, and the economy might be stronger next year so that a failure of one of the Big Three might not sting us poor innocent saps as much. Hell: they might even survive, get smart and, longshot of longshots, come back. (Another thought: the Big Three can be bought fairly cheap at this point by some other interested parties — like Japanese auto makers. If they can swing it, they might as well pull the trigger on a takeover.)

So: what’s the endgame here? Is there an option that (oy vey) screws us less than Ford closing its doors?

Oh hey guys: Up in Alaska, Mark Begich is about 800 votes to the good now, per official figures. But also, he’s extended that lead all day as the absentee votes rolled in.

So: the Cheerleader’s dreams of becoming a Senator? Looking slim right about now. That’s just tubes bad.

[pause]

What? What’s wrong?

Well, it’s gonna be a Chicagocentric few months, isn’t it?  Rahm Emanuel’s elevation to Chief of Staff will see to that — for all of the good tidings that the President of the United States, Barack Obama (damn, that sounds soooo good) will bring to D.C., Rahm will bring some Daley-style muscle to the equation. 

But what of the Defense Department? There’s some good news, obviously.  Missile defense contractors?  Thanks for playing, but we have some lovely parting gifts for you.  A handful of obsolete weapons systems (not enough, of course — this is the DoD, after all) will go by the boards too, as would Camp Delta in lovely downtown Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  All to the good. 

But it seems that they are beginning to dial back the whole withdrawal from Iraq thing, bit by bit.  Yes, by God, there will be a timetable — but it will be less than satisfactory to us on the Angry Left, I fear.  And Afghanistan may not go as well as planned. Plus, those favoring a de-Bushification cannot be at all pleased with the whispers about Robert Gates staying on.

All of this commentary comes, of course, from somebody who understands the Defense Department only at the most superficial level. But: it seems that, if the whole national security thing is going to be prioritized, we will have some answers this week — and not all of them good answers. Dream, meet reality.

Yes, 10:00pm (Wisconsinstan Time) on Tuesday was one of those “where were you when” moments.  (Me?  Driving north from Beloit with a friend, returning from poll-watching to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin get-together in downtown Madison.)

It was a nervy day.  Even as the initial returns came in, we were knocking on all forms of wood. (Get yer minds out of the gutter.)  In the final minutes before 10:00, however, when he and I were driving home and realizing that California et al would put Barry over the top, I told him, “you know what this is?  A repudiation of George W. Bush.” 

It turns out that apart from “change” and “hope,” that word was on the tips of other tongues. It crossed the ink-stained lips of the New York Times.  The second paragraph of the Page 1 article in Wednesday’s paper?  Yep, yep:

The election of Mr. Obama amounted to a national catharsis — a repudiation of a historically unpopular Republican president and his economic and foreign policies, and an embrace of Mr. Obama’s call for a change in the direction and the tone of the country.

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Last night, I was at the Blackhawks game. The pre-game festivities are sappy, as they are in any sports arena — music and imagery designed to pump up the crowd seems awfully contrived. But, of course, the National Anthem is different here. Usually, people stand silently until the last few bars. Here, the crowd loudly applauds and cheers, drowning out the song. Last night, I got a little emotional during the Anthem, thinking about what is to come.

Due to spotty internet connections and other responsibilities — working for Barry up in Madison, primarily — I will not be posting again, probably, until it is all over. Hopefully, we will take down the enormous forces that have been built and refined over the last eight years. May I just say, however, that you guys have helped me laugh through these years, and that I am grateful? (I may say that? Gee! Thanks, you guys!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3E3bEH1Ov8

Now then — let’s go win this thing.