Radio Free Dilettante – Election Day Edition

Sometimes I swear this thing reads my mind:

Last Five:
Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Frank Sinatra
Innuendo, Queen
Wake Me Up on Judgment Day, Steve Winwood
Tell Me Something Good, Rufus and Chaka Khan
Sin City, AC/DC

Next Five:
Shapes of Things, The Yardbirds
We’re Coming Out, The Replacements
Which Way to America, Living Colour
Lovesick Blues, Hank Williams
Refried Funky Chicken, The Dixie Dregs

The Local Scene -- The Empire Strikes Back

It would appear that Mayor Larson and his crew are getting a little nervous. Rather than campaign on the merits, they've chosen to take the low road, especially concerning City Council member Gina Bauman. Bauman has provided a long list of outrages at the Enlighten New Brighton blog, and I'd strongly recommend all interested New Brighton voters to click the link and read the piece in its entirety. I would like to highlight one item in particular, however:

Bauman writes as follows:

The next rumor I need to address made my jaw drop when I first heard it tonight (10/1). Did any of you know that I purportedly, single handedly mind you, drove out the hotel from wanting to build on the Quadrant with my stalling tactics? This is certainly news to me. I didn't realize I had such power.

Bauman has one out of five votes on the City Council. Unless she's capable of Jedi mind tricks, she would have no way to personally stop any negotiations. So why would anyone say that? What if the person spreading the rumor had a financial motive? Let Bauman explain:

This ridiculous and mean-spirited rumor is being spread by none other than Bob Benke, who in the worst way needs Mayor Larson re-elected to retain his membership in the the "good old boys" network behind the scenes. And where is Benke getting this so-called information from? He knows that I no longer want the city taxpayers to pay the $10,500 per year it takes for Mayor Larson to belong to the North Metro Mayors Association. This organization is nothing more than a lobbyist group that is very self-serving to its members. Although there is no real benefit for the city of New Brighton to belong, there is a definite benefit to Mr. Benke as he receives payment as a lobbyist for that association that depends on how many cities belong to it.

If you don't know who Bob Benke is, allow me to explain. Benke was mayor of New Brighton before Mayor Larson took over 10 years ago. A check of the records indicates that, yes indeed, Benke is a registered lobbyist for the North Metro Mayors Association. In fact, Benke is the designated lobbyist for the group at the Capitol. That means he has a financial interest in New Brighton remaining a member of the lobbying group, no matter the merits of the organization or the value it provides the city. I can understand Benke's motivation -- it's certainly helpful to Benke personally that his friend and protege (Larson) maintains membership in an organization that pays Benke. Does it smell a little funny? Well, yes.

When Gina Bauman and outgoing council member Sharon Doffing were elected to the City Council, they challenged the cozy relationships and status quo at City Hall. It's easy to see why Mayor Larson would like to rid himself of this meddlesome priest Bauman. It's much more difficult to see why the citizens of New Brighton should grant him his wish, to say nothing of another term in office. Gina Bauman has done an excellent job of challenging the status quo. If she and Larson's opponent Dave Jacobsen are elected, they will be able to change the status quo. And while that might make Bob Benke a little less financially secure, it will help New Brighton move forward.

The Local Scene -- The Name on the Plaque, the Road to Hell and the Name on the Ballot

I've been writing about Tuesday's elections for the New Brighton city government and now it's time to draw a few conclusions.

The problems that New Brighton face are daunting and largely of the local government's own making. And I think a lot of the problems stem from misguided ambition. Let's be honest about one thing -- if a mayor sticks precisely to the job description in a city like New Brighton, it's not that exciting a job. New Brighton, like many communities, employs a fulltime city manager who handles the day-to-day administrative workings of the city. New Brighton has largely had highly competent administrators during this time and that has meant that, at least in terms of the services a municipality generally provides, there's not a lot for the local politicians to do.

Steve Larson, the incumbent mayor, strikes me as an ambitious guy, as was his predecessor, Bob Benke, who remains a crucial eminence grise in the local political scene. Benke earned the somewhat derisive nickname of "Bob the Builder" because he managed to get a number of municipal buildings erected during his time. If you go into New Brighton City Hall, you'll see his name on the dedication plaque in the entry of the building. It's one of the satisfactions of what would otherwise be a small bore job -- seeing your name on the entrance plaque, knowing that it will still be there for people to read long after you've left the fray. Let's face it -- people, especially politicians, love to leave footprints.

Larson has his name inside a few buildings around town, too, and one of the legacies he and Benke were hoping to have was the Northwest Quadrant project. If the project had come off as intended, it would have been a project that would have transformed New Brighton, with a densely populated residential and commercial mix in the New Urbanist style on the model of Orenco Station, a top-down project in suburban Portland that is one of the Holy Grails of those who enjoy seeing their names on plaques.

As it happens, the project has become a disastrous mistake. Unsightly yet productive businesses have been driven away and replaced with. . . nothing. Millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent for land that will require extensive environmental abatement before it can be reused, with costs in the tens of millions. All the money for other development in the City is now tied to the Northwest Quadrant, meaning that stasis is about the best that can be hoped for in the rest of the city. Meanwhile, you can drive down Old Highway 8, a newly rebuilt and resurfaced thoroughfare with expensive lighting that illuminates a moonscape. It's a beautifully rendered pathway through nothing. For New Brighton taxpayers, who are on the hook for perhaps $100 million with almost nothing to show from Mayor Larson's development efforts, it's a well-paved road to hell.

Maybe Steve Larson could still get his name on a few plaques if he can just get by this election. Maybe he can turn all this around, with the help of a few reliable votes on the City Council. Maybe his real estate development acumen will improve now that he's sunk the city's fisc into this mess. Maybe the potential developers will pretend that the city is not desperate to salvage this project and will be willing to help the mayor out by being maganimous in future negotiations. Maybe this time, after failure upon failure, this good-hearted fellow Larson, who would like to remind you that he has given 32 years -- 32 years! -- of his life to public service, will get it right. All he needs is another chance, right?

Are you skeptical? You should be. We shouldn't reward this sort of performance. There's no reason to believe that Steve Larson will do a better job if only he gets another chance, and if only he can get his friends Graeme Allen and Char Samuelson to help him out. Right Hook at Boots On has explained the case against Allen and Samuelson quite well.

Fortunately for the citizens of our community, there are worthy alternatives. Dave Jacobsen will make a fine mayor. He has approached his campaign with a steady hand and he has a 39-year career in the corporate sector that bespeaks quiet competence and effective leadership. He has seen negotiations, he has dealt with environmental issues and he is coming to the office with no greater ambition than to serve the citizens of his community. Gina Bauman, who has served with great distinction on the City Council for the past 4 years, understands the challenges ahead and has the financial background to understand how to make things work. I cannot overstate the importance of keeping Bauman on the council. And for the second council seat, voters have the choice of either Paul Jacobsen, a man who has an extensive leadership background in the military who would bring a fresh, yet fiscally sound perspective to the council, or Walt Witzke, a longtime New Brighton resident who understands well the financial impact of past decisions and has a proven background in managing to do more with less in the corporate sector. Either man would provide valuable support on the City Council.

If New Brighton is going to get better, it needs better leadership. Tuesday is the day to make that happen.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Week 8

Sorry we're late, folks, but I was watching my uncle in a play last night. But we know you can't really get the weekend started until you hear from the Benster, so we do have picks.

I know I feel that way, Benster. So, what have you selected for today?

Michigan State Spartys (-3 1/2) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers. I wonder how Adam Weber will do, because his top wideout, Eric Decker, is down and out for the season. And that will put more pressure on the ground game and I think Sparty will win. Sparty the Spartan 28, Goldy the Gopher 21.

The Gophers are in trouble, young fella. The new offense is frankly offensive and they've turned a confident Adam Weber into a guy who doesn't know what he's supposed to do. And since he doesn't have a lot of talent around him without Decker, this won't be good. Tim Brewster might be in trouble, and soon. Spartans 27, Gophers 14.

Purdon't Boilermakers (+7) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers. Way to go, Purdon't! I'm down with the upset of The Ohio State University, but you are going to be facing a desperate team, who is playing at home. Good luck winning today. Bucky Badger 31, Purdon't 10.

The Badgers come off a bye and have had a chance to refocus after two tough losses. I don't see a team left on the Badger schedule that they can't beat. And that would include the erratic Boilermakers. Wisconsin 27, Purdue 17.

Florida Tebows (-14 1/2) vs. Georgia Bulldogs at Jacksonville. Are you ready for a party? They call this game the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party and I wouldn't be surprised if College Gameday was there. I've said it before -- Florida is awesome, even though I've hit them more than once with the Benster Curse. The Dawgs are gonna be roadkill. Florida 51, Georgia 2.

Really? Georgia's having a down year, but 51-2? I always enjoy your especially insane picks, Seabiscuit. Florida will win, but they'll have to earn it -- Georgia will see to that. Florida 27, Georgia 20.

Cleveland Burnt Siennas (+13) vs. Bear Down Chicago da Bearz. There's no Cedric Benson on the Browns. They are playing musical chairs with their quarterbacks and they don't have Braylon Edwards. All they have is Joshua Cribbs, a kick returner. Da Bearz can relate to that, because a few years ago all they had was Devin Hester. But now Hester has some help. Look for the Bears to run through the Browns defense like it was Swiss cheese. Bear Down Chicago da Bearz 40, Cleveland Burnt Siennas 7.

Hard to argue with your logic, Grasshopper. The Browns are really pretty awful this year. It's a nice gift for the Bears to have this game at this time. They need to rebound and they will here. Da Bearz 31, Cleveland 3.

St. Louis Sheep (+4) vs. Motor City Kitties. This game might set pro football back 50 years. Which works out well, because the Lions were actually good 50 years ago. I might just keep a tab on this game just to see what the final score is. Or, if anyone scores at all. Motor City Kitties 3, St. Louis Sheep 2.

So you're expecting a pitcher's duel, then? You might be right. The NFL has some really bad teams this year. And these are two of them. I really hope that they Lions aren't charging full price for this game. Favor the home team in this matchup of stink. Lions 14, Rams 9.

Minnesota Vikings (+3) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers. In case you've been living under a rock, Number 4 is coming back to Green Bay tomorrow. And the crowd will be ready. I don't know which way to lean in this game, because even though I think A-Rodg will get knocked around a little bit, the Vikings won't have Antoine Winfield, which will hurt them because Greg Jennings will have some room to operate this time. Green Bay Packers 30, Minnesota Vikings 30.

A tie, huh? That would be interesting. A few thoughts here. Favre will play well enough and the Vikings will move the ball some on the Packers defense, but it won't be so easy. The key is Adrian Peterson. If the Packers can slow him down on the potentially wet turf at Lambeau, the Vikes may have some issues and Favre might start to try to take matters into his own hands. And all Packer fans are painfully aware of what happens in those circumstances. On offense, the Packers will get help from being at home. Jared Allen is a holy terror on artificial turf, but he is much less effective on grass. He'll probably get to Rodgers at least once or twice, but if Rodgers has time to operate, the Vikings will get scorched. Packers 31, Vikings 24.

In closing, welcome home, Brent. Now get off my lawn! Ben out!

The Local Scene -- The Right Skill Set

Another quick thought about the upcoming election in New Brighton.

As voters, we are hiring managers. And a good hiring manager looks for candidates with the proper skill set to do the job.

New Brighton has a difficult task ahead and the Northwest Quadrant is a project that has gone badly awry. There are significant financial and environmental issues on the table that must be addressed if the city is to salvage its investment and minimize the impact previous decisions will have on taxpayers.

Whom would you rather have doing this? A corporate executive with years of project management experience and an exceptionally strong background in the real world considerations of environmental issues? Or a salesman, whose primary concern is closing the deal, often with only passing thought to the long-term ramifications?

Those are your candidates. More soon.

The Local Scene -- Something to Remember

I'll be returning to the upcoming elections for New Brighton anon, but one thing that you should remember about all the candidates:

No one running is talking about cutting essential services, such as police and fire protection. And it's disingenuous for Mayor Larson to take credit for their performance. Our public safety personnel in New Brighton would perform admirably no matter who sits in the mayor's chair.

The question in this election is not about how the city spends the taxpayer's money on essential services. The question is how the current administration spent the taxpayer's money on other things. The mayor would prefer that you not think about that.

Truth to Power

Have you ever had a thought in your mind, but had a difficult time expressing it? Sometimes, if you're lucky, someone else will find the right words. James Taranto, the longtime house blogger/pundit at Opinion Journal, has done that for me today. Let's set this up. Taranto notes this exchange between Obama consigliere (or is that consigliera?) Valerie Jarrett and CNN reporter Campbell Brown:

BROWN: Officials have been very public about their feelings about FOX News and what they believe FOX News is and represents. And they made a point of coming out and saying it.

JARRETT: What we're saying is, is that we want the public to understand what's going on. When we saw the kind of distortions this summer, particularly directed at seniors, over health care reform, it was really outrageous. And I think what the president said in his message before Congress is, we're going to speak directly to the American people and make sure that they understand the truth. And so, certainly, if we see somebody distorting the truth, we're going to call them on the carpet for that. But we don't want to take our focus away from the core issues that are so important to the American people. Now, when there's all that chatter and distortion and false information, we have to disseminate -- we have to distinguish between truth and fiction.

BROWN: So do you think FOX News is biased?

JARRETT: Well, of course they're biased. Of course they are.

BROWN: OK. Then do you also think that MSNBC is biased?

JARRETT: Well, you know what? This is the thing. I don't want to -- actually, I don't want to just generalize all FOX is biased or that another station is biased. I think what we want to do is look at it on a case-by-case basis. And when we see a pattern of distortion, we're going to be honest about that pattern of distortion.

BROWN: But you only see that at FOX News? That's all that -- you have spoken out about FOX News.

JARRETT: That's actually not true.I think that what the administration has said very clearly is that we're going to speak truth to power. When we saw all of the distortions in the course of the summer, when people were coming down to town hall meetings and putting up signs that were scaring seniors to death, when we have seen commercials go up on television that are distorting the truth, we're actually calling everybody out. So, this isn't something that's simply directed at FOX. We really just want the American people to have a clear understanding. There's so much at stake right now. We really don't have a lot of time for nonsense and distortions.

Emphasis mine. Gee, isn't this a target-rich environment? Let's consider what Jarrett is asserting here. She says Fox News is biased. But when the CNN(!) anchor Brown challenges her, she says she doesn't want to generalize about who is biased and who isn't biased, even though she just did it a minute before. And then Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the most powerful man on the planet, says that she needs to speak "truth to power." Think about that for a minute before we turn it over to the maestro. Take it away, Mr. Taranto:

Good for Campbell Brown for sticking up for a competitor (albeit at the expense of a lesser competitor). And it's pretty funny how Jarrett, after smugly asserting, "Of course they're biased," did not make a pretense of standing by her position when Brown asked a question she would have been prepared for if she had spent any time thinking this through.

Even more risible, though, is the claim that the administration "is going to speak truth to power." Hello, Valerie? Your boss is the president of the United States! No one is more powerful. As we suggested Friday, it really seems as if Obama and his men do not understand what it means to be president. Because their power is constrained--thank you, Founding Fathers!--they labor under the delusion that they are powerless.

This is exactly right. It is risible. Jarrett and her boss have substantially more power than any single news network. Fox News cannot control the agenda of this nation; it can only report on it and comment on it. And if the commenters at Fox News are persuasive enough, they might be able to move public opinion some, but they can only seek to influence. Obama can do much more, any time he sees fit. I don't know what Team Obama expected, but separation of powers has always been baked into the design of this nation. Presidents don't necessarily get their way. Nine different men have served as president in my lifetime and every one of them has received a comeuppance at one point or another. And every one of them has deserved it.

But there's another point to be made, and Taranto makes it well:

Yet while this is all hilarious, it is also scary when you think it through. Great power entails great responsibility. There is little to suggest that Obama and his aides appreciate their responsibility, and much, including their incessant complaining that the previous president did a lousy job, to suggest an attitude of total irresponsibility.

The job of those in power is not to "speak truth to power," though it would be nice if they spoke the truth once in a while. It is to exercise power responsibly. The effort to bully Fox News Channel would be an abuse of power were it not so pathetically inept.

Here's the thing, folks. We heard it loud and clear when Obama and his team rode into Washington: the adults are in charge now. It's long since time for these guys to start acting like adults. And whining about your predecessor after nine months is not how adults act.

The blogger has been very busy, so

Posting has been pretty light the past few days. I have a few things I'm working on, though, so please stay tuned. A few quick thoughts in the meantime:

• Must Not See TV -- behold one of the most annoying panels possible (Ed Schultz, Barney Frank and Ralph Nader) discussing the role of government, as the man who gave you a large chunk of the banking crisis helpfully explains that "We Are Trying On Every Front To Increase The Role Of Government." Ya think?


• This is plenty amusing. Money quote: “He is a man of perpetual promise. There used to be a cruel joke that said Brazil is the country of the future, and always will be; Obama is the Brazil of today’s politicians. He has obviously achieved nothing. And in the American context, to be the hero of five Norwegian leftists, is not exactly politically positive.” But he'll be sure to have an excellent table at the best restaurants in Stavanger. That's something.


• Daniel Ortega pulls an end run to get the Nicaraguan Supreme Court to eliminate term limits. So why is this is a good idea? As you might recall, we're supporting Zelaya in Honduras, who wanted to do the same thing before he was deposed.


• Lately I've been rereading Mike Royko's Boss, after nearly 40 years still the essential study on the career of Richard J. Daley and the Chicago Machine. If you want to understand Chicago politics, it's still an excellent place to start. Highly recommended.


• I'm not prepared to talk about Brett Favre yet. Maybe tomorrow.

The Obscene 2% Margin

One of the favorite talking points for those who are trying to foist Obama Care on the world is to point out the "obscene profits" that insurance companies make.

Not really:

In the health care debate, Democrats and their allies have gone after insurance companies as rapacious profiteers making "immoral" and "obscene" returns while "the bodies pile up."

Ledgers tell a different reality. Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones.

Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans.

About the only industry I can think of that operates at similar margins are grocery stores. If you want to argue that the government would do a better job than private insurers, fine. Go right ahead. But let's give this "obscene profit" thing a rest.

Real Czars of Genius

So tell me if you didn't see this one coming down Pennsylvania Avenue:

Even before the Obama administration formally tightened executive compensation at bailed-out companies, the prospect of pay cuts had led some top employees to depart.

And now that Kenneth Feinberg has broke out the terrible swift sword, how does it look?

At Bank of America, for instance, only 14 of the 25 highly paid executives remained by the time Feinberg announced his decision. Under his plan, compensation for the most highly paid employees at the bank would be a maximum of $9.9 million. The bank had sought permission to pay as much as $21 million, according to Treasury Department documents.

At American International Group, only 13 people of the top 25 were still on hand for Feinberg's decision.

So much of the senior leadership of these firms leaves. And the government wants the firms to pay the TARP money back, even though they've made it more difficult by chasing away the people who would be best-positioned to get the money back. Good plan!

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Week 7

Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends.

Are you really going to quote Emerson Lake & Palmer lyrics, Ben?

Apparently, Decrepit. Might I remind you that, even though we tied last week, I would have beaten you if that Ravens field goal kicker hadn't choked. I think that the Benster Curse has struck again!

Well, mostly it's been your picks that have been cursed, Seabiscuit, but every week gives you a chance to redeem yourself. Not that you have, but --

Okay, wise guy. Let's get down to bidness.

Minnesota Golden Rodents (+16 1/2) vs. The Ohio State University Buckeyes. Who writes the odds? If you have been reading this series regularly, and you'd better have been, Ohio State has appeared a couple of times in the past and it seems that when they are in Columbus, the odds are always 15 points or more. This time I'm going to have to agree with Vegas. Minnesota has no offense to speak of, and with the game in Columbus, there's just no hope. Buckeyes 50, Golden Rodents 3.

That seems a bit harsh, Sparky, but I agree -- the Gophers have lost whatever offensive punch they used to have. Adam Weber has been a good quarterback, but he seems confused and tenative now. No surprise -- this is about the 3rd system he's learned since he came to the U. It's too bad, really, because Weber has a lot of talent. But the Buckeyes have more. Ohio State 31, Gophers 10.

Penn State Paternos (-4 1/2) vs. Meeshegan Wolverines. It's intimidating to play in the Big House, but as I've said repeatedly, Penn State is one of the best teams in the nation and will probably win the Big Ten. Fielding Yost has been dead for a long time and this is no "Point a Minute" squad, so unlike the fight song, Meeshegan (which is how Yost pronounced it) will not be the Victors, nor the Champions of the West this time. Penn State 31, Meeshegan 20.

Good history lesson there, grasshopper! And you are right -- there's a lot of history in Ann Arbor. The problem is that recent history hasn't been so good for Go Blue. And I suspect you're correct that Penn State is the better team. But not by much. Penn State 24, Michigan 23.

Texas Longhorns (-13) vs. Missouri Tigers. Decrepit picked this game and he has a reason, which I don't know. I don't know anything about Missouri, because I'm a Big Ten guy, but I do know something about Texas. I know about Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley, who are the Big XII's version of Adam Weber and Eric Decker, but more talented. The eyes of Texas will be all over Missouri and will show the Show-Me State a few things. Horns 50, Mizzou 0.

Since my Badgers are on bye this week, I picked this game as a courtesy to my friend the Night Writer, who is a proud graduate of Mizzou and now is likely cursing (in a very polite and erudite way) my wayward offspring. You know what, Ben? Mizzou is actually pretty good. And I think they'll do much better than you think. How confident am I? This confident. Mizzou 31, Texas 27.

Minnesota Vikings (+ 4 1/2) vs. Pittsburgh Stillers. All good things must come to an end. The Vikings are going to be unmasked, because Pittsburgh has Troy "Impossible Hair" Polamalu. I mean seriously, how much gel does he use to keep that hair going? With hair like that, he ought to be on the Packers! But all beauty products aside, Pittsburgh gets Willie Parker back and they still have Rashard Mendenhall, who has done very well in Parker's absence. The Steelers are going to forge the Vikings. And it ain't gonna be pretty. Stillers 40, Vikings 10.

Really? You're serious, right? The Vikings are doing pretty well this year, although they've been pretty lucky twice so far. The football gods will eventually turn on them and it could be as soon as this week. But it won't be 40-10 -- this much I know. Steelers 27, Vikings 19.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (-9) vs. Cleveland Burnt Siennas. Apparently Cleveland is still in the league, although if you checked the end zone, you'd wonder. With the exception of Joshua Cribbs on special teams, the Browns need a GPS to find the end zone on offense. Their defense is like Swiss Cheese and apparently the Packers got Ahman Green back this week. He could become the leading rusher in franchise history soon. Especially against the Browns. Packers 49, Cleveland 14.

The Browns aren't too good these days. That much is true. The Packers aren't as good as I'd like them to be. That is unfortunately true, too. But they'll have enough to win this game. And maybe, since they're getting all nostalgic and bringing back old players, maybe they can find a place for Tiger Greene or Harlan Huckleby. Or even John Hadl -- bet it wouldn't take 5 draft picks to get that dude these days. Packers 31, Browns 10.

Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz (+1) vs. Cincinnati Bungles (Who No Longer Bungle That Much Any More). Hey Bears fans! It's your worst nightmare! You're going to have to play against Cedric Benson. And Cincy is no longer the home of the Bungles. However, unfortunately Cedric, you're not going to get your revenge. I have to do something nice for Gino and Rich, who have suffered enough abuse from me. This one's for you, guys! Da Bearz 28, Bengals 21.

Actually, I like the Bears in this game too, youngblood. The Bengals have been winning games with their defense, but they lost their best defender to injury last week. It will be tougher to get a pass rush without Antwan Odom and I suspect that Jay Cutler will rebound from yet another lousy Sunday Night performance. Da Bearz 31, Bengals 24.

I think I'm likely being targeted by a bunch of people now, so if I'm on America's Most Wanted, don't be surprised.

I always wanted to have a famous son. Maybe not quite this way, though. But what the heck, it's amusing....

Let's Hear It for the MSM

We talked about ABC correspondent Jake Tapper's challenge to Robert Gibbs about Fox News the other day, engendering a lively response. Well, apparently the White House decided to up the ante today. They offered "Pay Czar" Ken Feinberg for a press availability to the White House press pool.

Well, most of the press pool, anyway. They planned to exclude Fox News. There's video at the link and it's worth watching.

Here's the good part -- the other news organizations in the pool refused the offer to interview Feinberg if Fox was excluded, so the White House backed down.

Allahpundit's typically spot-on and acerbic analysis asks all the right questions, to wit:

Decide for yourself what the most disgraceful aspect of this is. Was it the fact that Gibbs told Jake Tapper explicitly on Monday that the White House wouldn’t try to dictate to the press pool who should and shouldn’t be included — before doing precisely that? Was it Anita Dunn going out of her way to say she respects Major Garrett as a fair reporter — before the administration decided he didn’t deserve a crack here at Feinberg? Or was it the repeated insistence by Dunn and Axelrod that of course the administration will make its officials available to Fox — before pulling the plug today?

Good questions all, and worthy of discussion. But I would be remiss if I didn't say this -- hats off to NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and the rest. They understood what this move meant and resisted it. The cure for speech you dislike is not to curtail it or to cut off access. The cure is more speech.

Traveling

A few years ago, when I was a student at Beloit College, a friend prophesied about his future. John Ed said he would meet a waitress named Trixie at a rest stop and they would travel together in a vehicle he dubbed the Cancer Winnebago. My friend Sue and I thought the whole thing was funny but if you knew John Ed, it seemed possible. Sue and I told the story to our friend Marissa. She also thought it was funny but she got part of the story wrong and called it the Cancer Studebaker.



Sue, Marissa and I met freshman year. Marissa was a science major at Beloit. Sue and I were history majors. Even though we rarely took the same classes, we remained friends through college and beyond.



The three of us traveled a lot together, mainly in cars. While we were still students, we traveled from Beloit to Minnesota during spring break. We borrowed Sue's brother's Camaro. A total of five of us made that trip in Bob's Camaro. One summer, also while we were students, Sue and I drove to the East Coast. We visited Marissa and her family at their home in Connecticut. After we graduated from Beloit, we traveled to Europe. What a trip! One day I will never forget was the day we spent driving around East Berlin in a rental car that we had rented in West Germany. Our gas dwindled to less than a quarter tank. That was a big problem since we needed to either cross over the border into West Berlin or find a gas station in East Berlin that sold unleaded fuel. In those days, unleaded fuel was scarce in East Berlin. To make a long story short, we made it to a West Berlin gas station that sold unleaded fuel before we ran out of gas.



Years passed. Sue told me some bad news. Sue and I could still travel for pleasure. By a cruel twist of fate, years after John Ed's prophesy, part of it came true for Marissa. She was in the Cancer Studebaker with ovarian cancer doing the driving.



Five years ago, the three of us traveled to Beloit for our 15th reunion. Marissa looked good, she was in remission.



A couple of weeks ago, the Dilettante family took our Hyundai Sante Fe to Beloit. Sue's family traveled in their vehicle from the Chicago area to Beloit. Unfortunately, no Studebakers arrived in Beloit.

Stealing a meme from Mitch

You don't really steal a meme, you just reuse it.

The instructions:

Pick an artist or band, and then answer the questions using nothing but song titles from their discography.

Mitch answered the questions using The Who. Over in his comments, I used The Clash. And I reprint my answers here. If you'd like to play, either post your answers in the comments section, or do it on your own blog (if you have one) and send a link back here. Play on, playas!

Pick Your Artist: The Clash

Are you male or female? White Man in Hammersmith Palais (The Clash)

Describe yourself: Lost in the Supermarket (London Calling)

How do you feel about yourself? I’m So Bored With the U.S.A. (The Clash)

Describe where you currently live: Garageland (The Clash)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Safe European Home (Give ‘Em Enough Rope)

Your best friend is: Janie Jones (The Clash)

Your favorite color is: Atom Tan (Combat Rock)

You know that: Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad (Give ‘em Enough Rope)

What’s the weather like: Lightning Strikes Not Once But Twice (Sandinista)

If your life was a tv show, what would it be called?: The Right Profile (London Calling)

What is life to you? Career Opportunities (The Clash)

What is the best advice you have to give? Stay Free (Give ‘em Enough Rope)

If you could change your name, what would it be? Jimmy Jazz (London Calling)

Your favorite food is: Koka Kola (London Calling)

Radio Free Dilettante – 102109

Feel free to supply the narrative:

Last Five:
Get the Funk Out Ma Face, Brothers Johnson
Get Ready, The Temptations
Get Down Tonight, KC and the Sunshine Band
Immigrant Song, Led Zeppelin
Sing a Song, Earth Wind & Fire

Next Five:
I'm So Glad, Cream
Emotional Rescue, Rolling Stones
Cocktails for Two, Spike Jones and His City Slickers
Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover, Paul Simon
Less Than Zero, Elvis Costello

The Local Scene -- Candidate Forum Notes

I will be writing more on the important campaigns for mayor and city council in New Brighton in the coming days, but for now I wanted to share a few impressions of what we saw last night at City Hall at the League of Women Voters forum:

• Officially, the race for mayor is between the incumbent, Steve Larson, and Dave Jacobsen, a retired executive making his initial run at public office. Based on Mayor Larson's behavior last night, you would have thought that he was running against incumbent City Council member Gina Bauman. Bauman is the one person in the campaign who has direct knowledge of Mayor Larson's work in the past few years and has been Mayor Larson's most trenchant critic. There was an incident during the event that revealed some of the tension involved. During the portion of the program devoted to City Council candidates, Bauman made a specific point about health insurance for city government officials which apparently rankled Larson enough that he sent a note up to the moderator, who then "corrected" the information Bauman had offered. Because of the rules of the forum, Bauman was unable to respond. This was a bad show on the mayor's part and certainly a mistake by the moderator, who should have ignored Larson's entreaty.
• For a first-time candidate, I thought Dave Jacobsen did pretty well. He's a very smart man and he has an excellent skill set for the position -- he's been a corporate executive with budgeting experience and he was responsible for a large part of his employer's environmental portfolio. He doesn't speak in soundbites and you have to pay attention to what he is saying, but he was authoritative as he spoke. If the first test of a challenger is credibility, Mr. Jacobsen passed easily.
• There are seven candidates running for two seats on the City Council. The forum was a bit of a cattle call and it was somewhat difficult to sort out the candidates. Based on what I knew before the event, it had seemed like there were 4 credible candidates -- Gina Bauman, former city council member and State Representative Char Samuelson, political lobbyist Graeme Allen and newcomer Paul Jacobsen, who has an extensive military background. I would rank them somewhat differently today. Based on what we know at the moment, here's how I see it:
• Bauman is clearly the best candidate in the field, and it's not even close. She is the only incumbent in the race. Considering that the city's governance has been problematic, one might consider her incumbency to be a problem; however Gina has been a consistent voice of opposition to the policies that have brought the city to the brink. She understands what needs to be done and is well-positioned to do the work. With a different cast of characters at City Hall, she would the one candidate in the field who could immediately bring about needed changes. No matter what else happens, it is imperative that Bauman is returned to the council, either as a reform leader or as a watchdog should Mayor Larson be re-elected.
• At this point, it's pretty much a toss-up for the second seat among Samuelson, Paul Jacobsen and Walt Witzke, a longtime resident with extensive experience on various commissions in the city. Of the three, Witzke gave the best performance on Monday. He is a fairly soft-spoken, analytical man and he has thought long and hard about the issues facing the city and has come to well-reasoned conclusions. Like Dave Jacobsen, Witzke has established that he is a credible candidate. Paul Jacobsen is an outwardly impressive fellow and he clearly has outstanding leadership skills, but at times he didn't seem to understand some of the issues he was asked to discuss. He has a lot of upside potential, but he needs to get up to speed quickly, because the task at hand will not allow the luxury of on-the-job training. Char Samuelson has the most impressive resume in the field and has served the city with great distinction in the past, but she was very much off her game last night and seemed almost a little distracted. She also was the only candidate who explicitly said she would raise taxes. My guess is that won't play well, especially among the large percentage of New Brighton residents who are living on fixed incomes.
• Of the remaining three candidates, Graeme Allen was probably the best, but to me was well behind Witzke, Jacobsen and Samuelson. Allen is clearly a bright guy and since he is very well plugged into the state government as a lobbyist, he does understand some of the issues facing New Brighton. Having said that, he also seemed quick to fall back on pat answers -- he talked about "investing" in the community several times, which generally is a coded way of saying he views your wallet as common property. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I suspect not. Allen would be well-served to spend some time in the private sector; my guess is that he would understand citizen concerns better with a broader overall perspective. W. Christopher Stedman, like Allen, is a bright and articulate young man. He comes to the race from the other end of the spectrum from Allen, as Stedman is an executive at Best Buy and like his employer, he seems like a savvy, effective marketer. Having said that, he didn't really provide any reason that the voters should select him. He spoke several times and I don't have any idea what he'd do on the council. The final candidate, Ron Meyer, is the sort of guy you'd love to have for a neighbor. He's an upbeat, enthusiastic guy who is full of energy and civic pride. He would make a great ambassador for the city; he and his wife are part of the royalty for the St. Paul Winter Carnival and it is easy to see why. Having said that, he didn't offer any reason to be elected other than his own persona. In a different year, in a different time, he'd probably be just fine on the city council, but with the challenges ahead the city needs leaders who have specific ideas for how to solve the imminent problems. From what I could tell, Meyer didn't offer anything beyond his dynamic personality.

We'll revisit the race again in the coming days, talking more about the issues. I also note that Right Hook over at Boots On has offered a detailed synopsis of yesterday's events. As always, his take is well worth your time.

Jake Tapper Asks a Good Question. Here's a Followup.

From today's White House press briefing:

Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –

(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –

Gibbs: ABC -

Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

Gibbs's response? "That's our opinion."

Here's another question that Tapper ought to ask. If the White House feels that Fox News is not a legitimate news organization, why does it continue to give Fox press credentials at the White House? Why is Major Garrett, Tapper's opposite number at Fox, even in the room? Wouldn't you like to hear Robert Gibbs explain that one?

Lighning Round 101909

There are some people who suspect that Barack Obama doesn't like to fight. That's not true, but the people he chooses to fight are sometimes pretty interesting.

• Don't know if anyone really pays much attention to those weekend presidential radio addresses, but it's pretty clear that the insurance companies are now Emanuel Goldstein. And in a particularly noxious move, Medicare has fined Humana for telling its customers the truth.
• Meanwhile, there's the continuing fight with Fox News. Karl Rove is hardly a disinterested observer, but I'm not sure that Rove's comparison of the administration's behavior to that of Nixon's compilation of an Enemies List isn't spot-on. Maybe one of my portside commenters can set me straight on that one.
• Meanwhile, the administration continues to find reasonable people to talk to. Like these folks. And these folks. Again, like Tim Hardin, I look to find a reason to believe.

The Local Scene Part 2.5 -- See For Yourself

While I have more to say about the elections in New Brighton in the coming days, I would prefer that you not just take my word for it when it comes to this election, because the stakes are very high. It's far better that you see the candidates yourself to understand who the candidates are and which candidates deserve your support.

Fortunately, you get two chances to evaluate this year's field.

The first chance is tomorrow, as the League of Women Voters are sponsoring a candidate forum at New Brighton City Hall at 7 p.m. One week later, the Twin Cities North Area Chamber of Commerce will offer a similar forum, also at 7 p.m., also at New Brighton City Hall.

See you there.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Week 6

Howdy, this is Benster and Decrepit.

Pardon me?

I'm sorry. Benster and D. Well Dad, you've been kicking my butt every week lately, but don't forget -- I've got a curse named after me!

Too bad it seems to be affecting your picks, grasshopper.

We'll see who's a grasshopper this week, Dad! Okay, let's begin.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (+17 1/2) vs. Penn State Paternos. Vegas seems to hate the Gophers and the Badgers! Anyway, Tim Brewster said he's going to take the Gopher fans to Pasadena. I'm thinking he might need to charter a bus. Penn State is a leading contender for the Big 10 title, and the game is in Happy Valley. Penn State Paternos 50, Gophers 17.

No love for Coach Brew! Well, I'm not sure. The problem the Gophers have is that they have Eric Decker and that's about it on offense. Penn State is usually smart enough to figure that sort of thing out. I don't think it will be a blowout, but JoePa will win another one this week. Penn State 34, Gophers 23.

Iowa Hawkeyes (+2 1/2) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers. I'm a big believer that a record doesn't tell the entire story. Even though Iowa is nationally ranked and unbeaten, they don't strike my eye as very good. Ricky Stanzi, the Iowa quarterback, is not exactly a Heisman front-runner and the Badgers will pound the ball against the Iowa D. Bucky Badger 31, Iowa 20.

I'm struggling with this one. The Badgers were really odd last week at Ohio State. They were moving the ball at will against a very good Buckeye defense, but they couldn't seem to avoid self-destruction at the key moments. They'd better get that cleaned up against a very smart, disciplined Iowa team. Talent-wise, the Badgers are better. Will that be enough? Maybe this week, but I'm not confident about this pick at all. Wisconsin 21, Iowa 16.

Oklahoma Sooners (+3) vs. Texas Longhorns (in Dallas). Oh, baby what a game! This game could decide the Big XII South, it might have Big XII title game implications and even the national championship game. And with the presence of two big-time quarterbacks in Texas's Colt McCoy and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, it could have Heisman implications. Bradford is a bit off on his timing after coming back last week from being hurt. I believe McCoy will be the better of these two quarterbacks, and with the game in Dallas the Horns should have the crowd behind them. Texas 60, Oklahoma 49.

Ben, did you think they were playing basketball? I don't see it being anywhere near this high-scoring, since these teams do play defense. I'm going to play a hunch here -- Texas hasn't really blown anyone away this year and the Sooners are pretty desperate. So I'm going to guess that the desperate team will win. Oklahoma 31, Texas 27.

Baltimore Ravens (+3) vs. Minnesota Vikings. The two icons of these teams, Ray Lewis and Brett Fav-ray, are old enough to be on Social Security. You can't deny that the Ravens defense is good, but AP is also good. So I believe that the Ravens will knock off the Vikings. Baltimore 35, Minnesota 10.

Wow, that's an interesting score! Can't see that happening. I suspect it will be close. One thing to remember -- the last time the Ravens saw Brett Favre, they beat him very badly, 48-3. It was the worst loss of Favre's career. Favre hasn't forgotten. I can promise you that. Vikings 21, Baltimore 17.

Detroit Motor City Kitties (+13 1/2) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers. If you're a Lions fan, it has to stink. You are going into a place where you haven't won in nearly 20 years. Your starting quarterback is hurt, your star wideout is banged up and you're facing a team that got burned by their old quarterback on national television. Even though the Packers are probably going to be looking for Dad to be on the offensive line -- someone has to do it -- Rodgers shouldn't have to run for his life this week. Glorious Green Bay 49, Motor City Kitties 3.

The Lions aren't very good. But they aren't that bad, either. I suspect the Packers will win and probably will cover the spread, but they need to show me something more than they have so far. The best part of this game is that it gives me a chance to put up a picture of former Lion great Herman "Thunderfoot" Weaver. Green Bay 38, Lions 21.

Bear Down Chicago da Bearz (+3 1/2) vs. Hot-lanta Falcons. Well, Atlanta has come back from the dead and really put a whipping on the 49ers last week. They have my fantasy league stud running back, Michael Turner (the Burner) and Matty "Ice" Ryan. And Roddy White. And Tony Gonzalez. All of these guys are going to have some fun in the Georgia Dome. Hot-lanta 30, Bear Down Chicago da Bearz 27.

This is not a favorable matchup for da Bearz. I suspect that they will have a hard time containing all of Atlanta's weapons that my son so dutifully catalogued. I do think Jay Cutler will have some success, but it won't be enough. Atlanta 27, Chicago 21.

Well, the State of Michigan and the State of Oklahoma will probably be sending an armed mob out to get me! That's all I've got to say. Mom, make sure to gather up all our canned goods! Ben out!