(INSIDE THE HOPPER™)

by Halli Casser-Jayne
   February 4, 2009

That adorable Rham Emanuel is living in a basement? That’s right. And his digs are illegal according to code. The COS has parked himself in the cozy subterranean room in the home of Rep. Rosa DeLauro. But a private investigator has discovered that the house is zoned as a single-family dwelling—meaning the basement can't be rented out. Emanuel is currently house-hunting. Hey Rham, come live with me! I have some things I’d like to discuss with you, like POTUS’ stand on Israel...Speaking of ‘stand,’ Sen. John McCain is taking a strong stand against Pres. Obama’s stimulus bill, sending out emails to his vast list collected during his failed bid for the presidency asking his supporters to object to the bill. But guess who won’t be voting one way or the other for the bill. That’s right, John McCain, who along with Sen. Jon Kyl plans to be in Germany for some meeting or another. Come on, John, put your vote where your mouth is…My Joe Scarborough Fair will be publishing a book on the GOP in May. Can’t wait to read this one. Joe is one of the few Republicans willing to tell it like it is. Love my Joe!...Bill O’Reilly needs a strong dose of Prozac. He’s ranting again, this time at The New York Times. I’d tell you what it’s about but why bother. He rants so much his ranting has become meaningless. Calm down, Billy Boy, calm down…No drama Obama! No drama Obama?...The New York Times tried charging for online access and it failed. The New York Times is going to try again charging for online access and it will fail…If you ask me, and you didn’t, but I’m going to tell you anyway, the Republicans, even in defeat are doing a much better job than the Dems in making their case to the public on the Stimulus Bill. I’m just saying…Already there appears to be no love lost between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama. No big surprise that the Blue Dog Dems have no intention of putting up with Nancy Pelosi’s iron fist, and are pressuring the Pres, who has already moved to the center, to control the errant Speaker, as I predicted would happen during the campaign. Oh, those Dems, their own worse enemies. By the way, Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) ~ one of the lead Blue Dogs ~ admitted as much in an interview indicating the White House suggested he not vote for the pork-laden stimulus bill presented in the House…The National Organization for Women  (NOW) is pushing for Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow for the HHS post that Tom Daschle just opted out of. Stabenow was a social worker early in her career…Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe scored a 7-figure book deal and will write about the ’08 race to be published by Viking next fall. Working title, “The Audacity to Win”…The New York Times today published a report that says that New York Gov. David Patterson launched a coordinated effort to discredit Caroline Kennedy after the former first daughter withdrew her bid to replace Hillary Clinton in her senate seat. But since much of the discrediting of Mrs. Kennedy-Schlossberg included the name of Arthur Sulzberger, the owner of the NY Times, and the alleged paramour of Kennedy, it’s no wonder that the NY Times published the blaming piece in today’s NY Times…Looks like Elizabeth Edwards wants to add her two cents to the story of her husband’s affair when she publishes her new book which promises to tell all to be released May 12th, by Broadway Books, a division of Random House. The book is a short memoir called “Resilience,” a follow up to her best selling “Saving Graces…Is RNC Chair Michael Steele itching for a fight with bro’ President Barack Obama?...Ct. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal may challenge Sen. Joe Lieberman in 2012…,Former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie (R) now leads Gov. Jon Corzine (D), 44% to 38% in the New Jersey Governor’s race. What’s that about?…What would a day be without former Vice President Dick Cheney issuing a warning that there is a  "high probability" terrorists will attempt a massive nuclear or biological attack in coming years?” I can’t imagine. Anything else nice to say, Mr. Cheney?…President Obama today will meet with Secretary of State Clinton and George Mitchell in the Oval Office (which is closed to the press). Question: Why didn’t POTUS make George Mitchell his Secretary of State? It appears he’ll have more of a presence in America’s diplomacy than Hillary Clinton, who so far, has the title but little else…Oh God, the White House plans a new faith-based council…Here there and everywhere, former-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a most-entertaining fella…”I’m sorry, so sorry,” sings The President of the United States, Tom Daschle, David Vitter, Tim Geithner, Eliot Spitzer, Jim McGreevey, Tim Stevens, Charlie Rangel, John Edwards, Kwame Kilpatrick,  Larry Craig,  Mark Foley, Chris Dodd blah, blah, blah. The new national anthem, “I’m Sorry,” tra, la, la…In the Minnehaha Senate race debacle, Norm Coleman won a round in court yesterday against leading contender for Coleman’s job as senator, Al Franken. The Court put 4800 ballots in play, although no one knows how the votes on these ballots will shake-out. The drama continues… With the economy tanking Americans can afford to do little else but read. As noted above, there will be plenty to imbibe in the near future, including a new tome scribed by Michael Chertoff, the former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who is writing a book about his experiences at the department and his previous time as the head of the Justice Department's criminal division. Can’t wait! Hmm...If Tom Daschle couldn’t be Secretary of HHS because he tried to cheat the government out of taxes, then tell me why Tim Geithner, who also tried to cheat the government out of taxes, should be allowed to be Secretary of the Treasury, which oversees taxes? Just askin’…The Bushies are watching! The Bushies are watching! From the Washington Times this funny bit from a former Bush White House mid-level staffer who observed: “I'm driving past the ellipse where white house staff park.  At almost 9 am the lot is only half full.  In the previous admin, one would be hard pressed to find a spot after 7:45, the white house being fully-staffed by then.” Oh please, get a life…Interesting ~ More Americans say they disapprove (50 percent) than approve (44 percent) of his decision to order the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year, according to the Jan. 30-Feb. 1 USA Today/Gallup poll…A little birdie told me that Iran won’t issue visas to the U.S. Badminton Team to participate in a tournament in Tehran. Does this warrant sending special envoy George Mitchell back to the Middle East to engage in direct talks with Iran?... What the f**K!? ~Senator Judd Gregg, nominated to head the Commerce Department in the Obama White House, delivered a double blow to the prospects of a stimulus bill passing the Senate when he let it be known on Wednesday that he generally supported the measure but would not vote on its passage. "I have recused myself from voting during the pendency of my nomination," Gregg, a New Hampshire Republican, told CNBC… Did I tell you that Journalist Halli Casser-Jayne, moi, has a sassy new book coming out next week, A YEAR IN MY PAJAMAS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA, the Politics of Strange Bedfellows. I hear it’s smart, funny, thoughtful and according to politico Fraser Seitel “Well worth the read”… And there you have it, kids, from the inside out.

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