September 9th, 2008

Conservative Pooping Puffins: Now That’s What We Here at VDB Call “Animated”

by Philip Baruth

Just when you think that Karl Rove and his American Conservatives are the lowest of the low, those wacky right-wing Canadians kick it down a notch. You’ll find the story in the Times under the, uh, headline: “Pooping Puffin Paralyzes Canada Conservative Event.” We shit you not.

Apparently the Conservative Party’s website featured an animated puffin defecating on Liberal leader Stephane Dion. No joke: on the screen, the puffin dive-bombs the opposition party leader. This so shamed Conservative leader Stephen Harper that he botched his roll-out of a diesel tax-cut.

Worth noting that here, in the US of A, the Puffin would not only drop the dung, but then fly to the pinstriped sleeve of a fierce yet paternal John McCain, above the single military star and the tag, “Country First.”

But there’s no denying it: Canada has its own electoral mess to deal with now, given that a special election has been called.

We refer you, as always, to Vermont’s most knowledgeable Canadian blogger, Paul Martin, for all the dirty details. His site, “As Canadian As Possible Under the Circumstances,” is always a must-read for those of us within easy puffin-range of Quebec.

September 9th, 2008

Welch Way Out Front on College Costs

by Philip Baruth

Given that I’m helping a parentless nephew through college myself, I can’t tell you how much I love what Peter Welch is doing to make a four-year degree more affordable: having done his part to bring down interest rates on student loans, he and Charles Grassley are now working over college Presidents, face to face, asking them to justify their large endowments in the face of skyrocketing costs. The New York Times has the satisfying story. You go, Peter.

September 9th, 2008

Hillary’s Doing Just Fine, Thank You

by Philip Baruth

Although the Hillary Hates Barack meme is more or less dead post-Denver, one strand is still wriggling: Hillary Won’t Hit Sarah. This new sub-meme is really the old meme in hiding, the idea being that Hillary is still nursing a grudge and doing less than her all. Because she’s bitter and grasping and ambitious and vindictive, don’t you know.