Labor Day Morning

Gustav has hit the Louisiana coast. I got up early this morning to watch the news . . . and fell asleep on the couch in the kind of slumber only sickness can impose: an irresistible, dead, deamless sleep. Don't know if I'll be able to accept my invitation for this afternoon because I don't know what shape I'll be in. All I know is: I really want to be rid of this gunk. Oh, and I know this, too: I really want to go this afternoon. Wah!

In other news, it turns out that Bristol Palin couldn't have given birth to baby brother Trig because she's five months pregnant now. Since we all know that Mama can wield a weapon with some accuracy, a shotgun wedding appears to be in the child's future. And McCain apparently already knew when he made his choice. There's them family values for ya. My surreality meter may have just pegged, just for a second. I feel bad for the girl having to go through this in the glare of 21st century media; I do have sympathy. At the same time, I can't help but appreciate the irony of the situation. And how did McCain not see this as a possible liability? How? (Thanks to shadowdaddy for the tip.)

ETA: And now the New York Times has got it.

Last reflections on the GOP VP candidate...for now

Bob Herbert's written a thoughtful op-ed to the Democratic party about how to consider the Palin nomination. Money shot:

Here’s the deal: Palin is the latest G.O.P. distraction. She’s meant to shift attention away from the real issue of this campaign — the awful state of the nation after eight years of Republican rule. The Republicans are brilliant at distractions. Willie Horton was a distraction. The chatter about gays, guns and God has been a long-running distraction. And we all remember the Swift-boat campaign.... Respectful criticism of Sarah Palin is fine. But the great issues of this campaign loom like giant redwoods over the pathetic weeds of politics as usual and the myriad distractions that have turned one presidential election after another into a national embarrassment.

He's right. So far, Palin's been a perfect distraction. We're talking about her ethics violations and her pregnant daughter. We're talking a little bit about Hurricane Gustav. What we're not talking about is the war in Iraq, the economy, health care and all the other important issues that this campaign needs to be about. (There's also the ray gun the Pentagon has developed that was featured on "60 Minutes" -- and be sure to check out the signs the fake protesters are holding; made my head hurt -- but that's another post for another time.)

At the Democratic convention, Obama said:

...if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things.

It put me in mind of President Sheppard's speech in "The American President," about using fear to distract voters from the issues of the day. (I suppose Obama's speech writer could do worse than taking a cue or two from Aaron Sorkin.)

That's the point. We've been distracted. We need to get focused again. Barack Obama did a fantastic job of focusing our attention by the end of the DNC. We need to find that focus again, and fast.