The Corpuscle

First, some classic Wolcott for a Monday morning chuckle. He's out there in California attending the LA Times Book Festival. At a panel discussion Wolcott was at, "mystery writer and illiterate blogger Roger L. Simon" got fed up with panel-member Arianna Huffington's left-wing politics: 

"Arianna stepped forward in high dudgeon to complain that some in the media were pronouncing the war a success after the Iraqi elections. No one had been saying this war was about democracy before it was fought, she insisted. At that point I walked out."

He probably had to pee.

I've seen this before with men in my age bracket suffering from strong opinions and a full bladder. They rise in a huff, as if registering a protest, then, when safely out of view, race down the stairs for the nearest urinal.

I'd say politics and urine never mix, except they do.

Next, a possible item for the They Finally Get It file, a bit of a cheer-up from Washington Post staff writer, Charles Babington, "Unexpectedly, Capitol Hill Democrats Stand Firm". Reading all the way to the end, we find my very own Senator letting the morning sun break above the horizon:

"When we undertook this, we didn't think public opinion would be on our side," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "But it is."

Yeah. A lot of shlubs out here have been telling you guys this would happen. Do what you think is right, and the support of the public will follow. I suppose the bright-side way to go at things here is to ponder the possibility that leadership is a thing that's best learned when you are in the minority. It's no sweat lording it over people when you are in power, but lording it over people is not the same thing as leadership -- real leadership comes of having to face the kind of adversity the Democrats have had to face since 2000. It's nice to see the Democrats in Washington finally getting something of a clue here.

Okay, of course it would be better if the country were not in the grip of Republicans, but this is Monday morning after all and if a little bright-siding isn't appropriate at the beginning of another work week, when the hell is it?

Have a smashing good week, fellow worklings!