Huh?

Times are becoming, as the Chinese would slyly put it, "interesting," and the news commentators, their subjects growing stale, have become energized with new subject matter. Currently--if you don't mind a sort of tweet--I'm watching "Countdown" as Matthews and Olbermann are gleefully analyzing the defection of Arlen Specter to the Democrats and its potential impact on the Republican Party, not to mention the Obama legislative agenda as the Dems build up to the magic number 60 that will preclude filibuster. When the Minnesota sentaorial race is resolved that is, and that will be news in itself.

Before this piece of staggering political news popped in I was planning a blog on some of the more stupefying items of recent days, including a headline I read on AOL (a rich source as always) that indicated the Rush Limbaugh had spoken up for the Humane Society. I was staggered and humbled that I actually shared a sympathetic cause with Fat Bastard, until I remembered that old canard that Hitler loved his animals too. As do I. So that wonderful bond between humans and canines seems to transcend all political as well as psychological terrain.

But then there was the extremely weird incident in New York when an Air Force One jet was sent around the Statue of liberty for a photo op. As poorly conceived as this idea was, what was stupefying here is that the officials were notified by the Air Force that this was to be kept secret from the public. As though a p.r. event needed to be classified. Of course New Yorkers either panicked or suffered psychological flashbacks of the most unpleasant kind. It's mind-boggling. It's like a bad sketch they'd air on SNL at 12:55. As a stunt it is on a par with dropping turkeys from a helicopter on Thanksgiving, thanks to that old "WKRP" episode.

What is troubling here is that this was something that you would inevitably attribute to a Bush Administration idiocy, not in the supposedly competent Obama era. Of course the decision to do this never went to Obama's desk, but in an odd way he is responsible for everything perpetrated by the Armed Forces of which he is Commander in Chief. Hey, if he gets credit for the Pirate Rescue, he gets some of the stink here, as I would if my dog rolled around in her shit and deposited it on my carpet. But I digress.

And then there's the Swine Flu. Oy vey.