Vice Senators, Vicious Governors, Virtuous Circles

Time to hatchet the Burris ?

So Roland Burris lied. He did have a chat with Rod Blagojevich's brother regarding Obama's seat in the US Senate.

Big deal.

As if anyone doubted there was anything fishy. Democrats badly needed someone ASAP to vote for the bailout-recovery-stimulus-hail-mary Obama plan, and they couldn't wait for impeachment. So be it.

This plan by no means perfect. Bullet trains make sense in California, but the LA-LV axis doesn't seem an environmental priority... unless you go all the way to Denver, Saint Louis and Chicago, that is (not to say hello to Burris, but to pave the way for a major nationwide network).

But even if it only manages to succeed halfway, this plan will have been worth it. Provided the political will to change remains strong ; I do hope the lack of details was only a trick to pass the bill quickly, and that the Obama Administration will seize the opportunity to set the pace for a new global framework, a more balanced order (see "This is not a financial crisis").

The Burris incident proves that change has not totally come to DC (not to mention Chicago). But when Politico's Arena raises the question : "Should the Constitution require elections to fill Senate vacancies?", I'm not sure that's the kind of changes needed.

French politics are president-driven. "Dissolving" the national assembly is a national pastime, and reducing the Presidential mandate from 7 to 5 years (same as a MP) undermined the balance between the executive and legislative powers. Chirac should have either picked 6 years or reducing national assembly cycles to 4 years.

American politics are calendar-driven. You do elect Vice-Presidents but not Vice Senators, and that's OK, untill you get a Governor with one Vice too many.

US politics have their flaws, but the priority seems to make sure federal elections are fair. One nation, one president, one process. And not one of the 305,833,705 members of the US population (05:16 GMT (EST+5) Feb 17, 2009) left behind*.


* BTW : I don't like the idea of Rahm Emanuel's Executive Office of the President controlling the US Census Bureau, but it didn't certainly belong to the Commerce Department in the first place. I would put it in the OMB (Office of Management and Budget).

White blogule to Barack Obama's run for Presidency

What do we know about Senator Barack Hussein Obama of Illinois ?
Unlike Hillary, he wasn't born in Chicago from a Welsh lineage but in Hawaii, from a Kansas - Kenya combo.
Unlike Hillary, he still needs to gain the favors of the Afro-American minority.
Unlike Hillary, he wasn't raised a Methodist but decided to become a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ.
Unlike Hillary, he seems happily married. Anyway, Michelle Obama would be as great a First Lady as Bill Clinton a First Male First Lady.
Unlike Hillary, he said "no" to the war in Iraq, but so did Joe Biden.
Unlike Hillary, he looks cool, but so does Bill Clinton.
Unlike Hillary, he looks kind and good, but so did John Edwards.
He has already won (some hearts in) New Hampshire, but so did Wesley Clark.
Barack Obama looks too good to be true.
Up to now, he was overprotected. A candidate at the Federal level, he must face the ugliest side of politics and media. If he survives the attacks, a nice spot on the Democratic ticket seems guaranteed. The top spot won't be easy : Hillary Rodham Clinton has been claiming for eight years the role of Commander in Chief for the two terms to come.

Red blogule to the murder of George W Bush

Unlike J.F.K. and J.R.E., G.W.B. won't catch his bullet(s) in Texas. Well, that's according to the British TV series to be aired soon ("Death Of A President" on More4, a Channel4 unit).
I don't quite like the idea of this plot, which not only tarnishes the image of Chicago (a city I love) but makes a martyr out of Dubya (a President I hate).
If something deserves to die, it isn't the Head of State but the State of Headache the Bush Administration instills into the country. The man who misused the sword and misused democracy must be removed not by the sword but by democracy itself. And if he were to die, let it be a natural way (which for him may involve such weapons of mass destruction as pretzels).

PS (to the NSA monitoring this blog) : this is NOT an invitation for Cubans to send exploding pretzels to the POTUS. I remain a peaceful citizen and each time I fly to the states I will tick YES for the question "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been A Frenchman ?"