While we have the Wayback Machine warmed up, our inaugural post on September 25, 2008, was “Looks Like We Picked the Wrong Week to Quit Campaigning”. And lo, the inspiration for that post is back in the news:

McCain said Bush called him in off the campaign trail, saying a worldwide economic catastrophe was imminent and that he needed his help. “I don’t know of any American, when the president of the United States calls you and tells you something like that, who wouldn’t respond,” McCain said. “And I came back and tried to sit down and work with Republicans and say, ‘What can we do?’ “

Of course, Hank Paulson doesn’t remember it that way:

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Let’s set the Not-So-Wayback Machine for last Wednesday and drop in on the National Journal…

The first skirmish in the war over the GOP WH nomination takes place this weekend among thousands of conservative activists, and veterans of previous straw polls see a tight battle between ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney and ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin developing at this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference.

In an informal survey of GOP party leaders, strategists, activists and pundits representing backers of virtually every potential candidate in the field, a narrow plurality say Palin will win this weekend’s straw poll. 22 of 48 GOPers surveyed chose Palin, while 20 chose Romney.

Whoops!

Of course, nobody expected Ron Paul to deny Mittens a fourth straight win as Biggest CPAC Loser. Nobody except the Paultards who punked the vote, of course.

And while we’ll agree that past failures are no guarantee of future failure, the only reason we paid attention to the CPAC Straw Poll was because everybody told us to.

So enjoy the disarray, gang. We’d enjoy it more ourselves, if Demrats only had a clue how to take advantage of it.

CPAC Vets See Tight Romney-Palin Race [Hotline On Call]

Ron Paul Runs Away With CPAC Straw Poll [Village Voice]

So the highly-anticipated Canada City v USA-USA-USA hockey game is tonight.  And, for once, I will not have a case of Olympics Overload.

Watching these games has been exhausting.  Compared to the summer version, the Winter Olympics have a wide variety of different types of Sport that I dig.  Skiing, speed skating, and the ever popular curling are chief amongst these.  But ice hockey, certainly, is number one.  And this matchup, as I have been pimping all week, is appointment TV.  (So, for that matter, is the Russia v Czech Republic matchup on right now on the Mothership.  As I write: after two periods, it is Putin’s Madmen 2:1 Fighting Havels.)  So full attention is paid by me, and here.

The depth of Team Canada is positively frightening.  Sidney Crosby, Joe Thornton and pals will be leading the attack, with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook (teamed up here in town for the Blackhawks, to excellent effect) on the blue line, and the incomparable Martin Brodeur between the pipes.  The U.S. Americans are younger, and fast.  Phil Kessel is a stud.  Patrick Kane (another Blackhawk) can be a stud, but is prone to knuckleheadedness (silly stick fouls and such).  Ryan Miller (from the Buffalo Sabres) is your likely starter in net.  Game on MSNBC at 1900 Eastern.

[Speaking of MSNBC: one wonders why Keef is not a part of the proceedings here.  Dan Patrick and Cris Collingsworth have been here with the King of all Sport, Bob Costas.  Keith is stuck in 30 Rock.  Too hot to handle, perhaps.]

Elsewhere, there’s alpine skiing (with New Hampshaah’s own, Bode Miller), ice dancing, and other assorted goodies.  Notable: ski cross (NASCAR on skis, if it weren’t for the random right turns) and bobsled.  You look at the bobsledders, and they actually look like normal people.  In fact, some of them are full-fledged members of the Union.  (Brotherhood of Immense Gentlemen — Gut Union International, or BIG-GUI.)  Good to see.

Last night I had a craving for crabcakes, so after a bit of googling I settled on this recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 LB. LUMP CRABMEAT (DARK LEG MEAT MAY BE USED
• 2 ½ CUPS SOFT BREAD CRUMBS
• 1 EGG, BEATEN
• ¾ CUP MAYONNAISE
• 1/3 CUP EACH: CHOPPED CELERY, GREEN BELL PEPPER, GREEN ONION
• 1 TABLESPOON SEAFOOD SEASONING (OLD BAY PREFERRED)
• 1 TABLESPOON MINCED FRESH PARSLEY
• 1 TABLESPOON LEMON JUICE
• 1 TEASPOON WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
• 2 TEASPOON YELLOW MUSTARD
• ¼ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
• DASH OF HOT PEPPER SAUCE

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Title: “Conservative Victory: Defeating Obama’s Radical Agenda”

Authors: Sean Hannity

Rank: 14

Blurb: “Barack Obama and his radical team of self-professed socialists, fringe activists, and others are trying to remake the American way of life. They have used their new Democratic majority to launch an alarming assault on our capitalist system — while abandoning the war on terror, undermining our national security, and weakening our position in the eyes of our enemies. The ‘candidate of change’ is threatening to change our country irreparably, and for the worse — if we don’t act to stop him now.”

Review: “Either you’re not paying attention or you’re also a liberal statist.”

Customers Also Bought: “How Evil Works: Understanding and Overcoming the Destructive Forces That Are Transforming America,” by David Kupelian (“managing editor of online news giant WorldNetDaily”)

Footnote: Obama seems to be defeating Obama’s Radical Agenda just fine. Get back to us when he does something that reflects why we elected him.

Conservative Victory [Amazon]

Buy or Die [Stinque@Amazon kickback link]

Alexander M. Haig Jr., Commanding White House Aide, Dies at 85 [NYT]

Sorry for no update yesterday.  Real life interfered. 

Well, we have our first party foul of the Games — Scotty Lago forced back to the States, after the publication of racy photos of him with a woman getting an up-close-and-personal look at his snowboarding bronze medal.  As you know: achievement and dedication are American hallmarks, celebrated especially during the Games.  Another grand American tradition: insufferable prudishness.  God bless America! (Sniff.)

So: what else have we learned?  Team USA-USA-USA has done well thus far — the notable exception being the curlers, who have disappointed.  (The men’s skip got benched.  That’s how bad they have been.)  USA Men’s hockey could win their preliminary group by beating the Canadians tomorrow.  Canada, more broadly, has four golds, and eight medals total.  That’d be enough to call it a successful run at the end of the day, and the Games are only half done.  Great Britain has an individual gold (wimmin’s skeleton, yesterday) — their first in 30 years — and thus can go home happy.  Norway and Sweden are doing well in nordic events — this, of course, is a recording.  Figure skating remains impossible to understand.  And Stephen Colbert is in real danger of becoming overexposed.

Today, then.  The wimmin have their Super-G tonight, and there’s more speedskating.  Lotsa cross-country in the afternoon, along with freestyle aerial skiing.  Curling and hockey throughout as normal.