Thursday, September 25, 2008

Palin's moment of exquisite clarity with Couric

While the world is naturally agape at the incoherence of Sarah Palin in her interview with Katie Couric, there was one moment in which Palin laid bare with bracing clarity McCain's political strategy in the bailout negotiations. Here it is:
Palin: I'm all about the position that America is in and that we have to look at a $700 billion bailout. And as Sen. McCain has said unless this nearly trillion dollar bailout is what it may end up to be, unless there are amendments in Paulson's proposal, really I don't believe that Americans are going to support this and we will not support this. The interesting thing in the last couple of days that I have seen is that Americans are waiting to see what John McCain will do on this proposal. They're not waiting to see what Barack Obama is going to do. Is he going to do this and see what way the political wind's blowing? They're waiting to see if John McCain will be able to see these amendments implemented in Paulson's proposal (my emphasis).
Of course, Congressional Democrats -- and some Republicans -- have won Administration assent to major 'amendments' in Paulson's proposal this week, to the point where the original proposal is almost unrecognizable. Concessions include breaking the fund allotment into installments, installing an oversight board, equity warrants for the government, curbs on executive compensation for firms participating, and possibly even bankruptcy law reform that would give judges the power to change mortgage terms.

But "Americans are waiting" -- breath bated -- "to see what John McCain is going to do." The bailout will be fatally flawed if the new Sheriff of Wall Street does not put his stamp on it!

Sarah Palin, the fantasy candidate, has given exquisitely articulate voice to the fantasy narrative of the McCain campaign.

And Chris Dodd, weary in the wake of this afternoon's failed White House meeting after House and Senate leaders had earlier announced that they had the essentials of a deal, gave the reality-based translation. According to the Times, Dodd complained that late complications were making the episode sound more like “a rescue plan for John McCain."

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