(INSIDE THE HOPPER™)

by Halli Casser-Jayne
   January 5, 2009

Terry McAuliffe makes it official and announces his run for Virginia Governor…It’s good to be an African-American these days. Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell now appears to be the favorite for Republican Nation Committee chairman with support of conservatives including Steve Forbes and Pat Toomey as well as leading social conservatives, including James Dobson and Tony Perkins. The problem with this? If Blackwell wins, the Conservatives maintain their hold on the GOP…We like hearing that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg traveled to Israel this weekend in a show of solidarity for Israel’s efforts in Gaza…Here at ITH we don’t normally agree with Ann Coulter, but she gets it right when she says in her new book ~ whose title we won’t give you because we don’t normally agree with Ann Coulter ~ that Michelle Obama tries too hard to look like Jackie Kennedy. But then Ann Coulter tries too hard to sound like Cruella DaVille…This just in, NBC's Today Show, under pressure from liberals, has cancelled Coulter's Thursday appearance on the venerable morning show...Glad to know that stupidity will continue its reign in Washington, D.C and statehouses around the country. Just as the price of gas comes down (the escalation of the price of gas which no one wants to admit is responsible for some of the world economic crisis and might be considered an Arab economic war, perhaps?) politicos at the state and federal levels are talking up huge gas tax hikes…Well, it’s not VP as everyone thought, but Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine gets paid back for his early and unwavering support of Barack Obama by being named head of the DNC, which he’ll accept as a part-time job until his term as Governor ends and he becomes the full-time Chair of the DNC… President George W. Bush will be the first former prez without latter day secret service cover. On the other hand W leaves office with some perks such as a Dallas office, staffers, a travel budget, medical coverage and a $196,700 annual pension sorta a presidential golden parachute and your personal gift to the outgoing Pres...Future Prez Barack Obama admits to tearing up when leaving Chicago for Washington, D.C. yesterday. See he’s not as cool as people think he is, yeah, wright…Michelle Obama accompanied daughters, Sasha and Malia to their first day at their new school. Daddy was busy being president-not-quite, so he couldn’t go…Law enforcement officials want to talk to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother Robert Blagojevich who chairs his brother’s campaign fund. The word from brother Robert’s legal counsel: “Not a prayer,” he’ll talk…House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who for the last two years has been number one Dem on the Hill, as of today is simply a facilitator for Barack Obama, the best outcome of the 2008 election, imo, of course…All eyes will be on the Senate tomorrow when Gov. Blagojevich’s appointed Illinois Senator Roland Burris shows up. Al Franken, too? And will old Harry Reid back down, as he signaled Sunday that he might and avoid the confrontation with Burris once promised? Stay tuned…If you haven’t seen it, please do see Kevin Costner’s fun, poignant and message-filled film, Swing Vote. It’s deceivingly good and got lost in the 2008 campaign hoopla. Costner gives a wonderful underrated performance…According to a recent Gallup Poll, President-elect Barack Obama’s ratings have improved among conservative Republicans, up from 23% to 29%. Those conservatives are slow, but they get it eventually. Yes? Hmm… Ah Caramba!, Mayor Michael Bloomberg seeking a third term as Chief of New York City is speaking Spanish at pressers. You won’t be surprised that Latinos make up as much as 20% of New York City’s voters…His heart just isn’t in it anymore, heart surgeon and onetime Republican Senator Bill Frist has announced that he will not run for Tennessee Governor in 2010. Heartache…PEBO has picked photographer Pete Souza as the official White House photographer. It’s not Souza’s first time in the job. He was also the official photog under President Ronald Reagan… First lady Laura Bush has sealed a deal worth millions with Scribner to publish a memoir that will encompass her recollections of personal and historical moments, including her eight years in the White House. Yawn…The president-elect will roll out a major speech on the economy Thursday. Can’t wait for more doom and gloom…The Bush Family announced that their 18-year-old cat sometimes known as India, Willie and Kitty, all better names than their owner George W. Bush is called by these days,  succumbed to kidney failure over the weekend at the White House…Embarrassed by their own fumble, the Obama Camp takes revenge on Gov. Bill Richardson with unidentified sources close to the incoming president saying things like, “Richardson wasn’t forthcoming of his problem during his vetting,” and leaking reports that Obama's team did not expect Richardson "to take the Commerce job in the first place; they saw it as a demotion. But Richardson surprised them by saying yes." Wouldn’t it serve the incoming president to keep his staff’s mouth shut so the story can limp away? Lot’s of lessons for PBOE to learn. One is if a guy will screw his best friend, rest assured he’ll screw you…The bi-partisan impeachment panel in Illinois has subpoenaed Roland Burris compelling him to testify on Wednesday, when Burris was expected to be in D.C. to talk with Senators…Meanwhile, overplaying his hand, Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who has suddenly seen the light as his chances for becoming Governor grow is asking for the formation of a panel to clean-up Illinois’ corrupt government, of which he has long been a part… Looks like Sen. Max Baucus and his wife, Wanda, have quietly split. Nothing lasts forever…Senate Majority leader Harry Reid says President Bush is the “worst president we’ve every had.” ITH says Harry Reid is the worst Senate Majority Leader we’ve ever had. Na na na na na…George W. Bush and Dick Cheney’s new monument to themselves opened in the Green Zone in Iraq today, the largest American embassy ever,  a fortress-like compound, situated on 104-acres of prime Iraq land, in fact 10 times the size of any other American Embassy in the world. The cost for this new monument to The Bush Administration and the Neo-Cons? A mere 700 million. But, hey, whose counting…Senate Dems signal they plan to seat Al Franken as the next Senator from Minnesota after Norm Coleman lost his latest battle with the Court, today. What it signals to ITH? Expect a lot of drama out of the Dems over the next four years starting with the seating of Franken from Minnehaha as their next Senator. We’re about to become witness to the greatest comedy show ever, folks…Everyone’s all a twitter that PBOE’s Twitter Site was twittered with by some twittering idiots…Why are there a host of stories being written by reporters that Barack Obama isn’t who the voters hoped that he would be, or he might be, or many thought he would be? Yes, who he is is a guess because those same reporters who are writing all these stories forgot to do what they’re supposed to be doing during an election, reporting on who the candidate is…Charity homes that former President Jimmy Carter helped to build are falling apart. Habitat for humanity?... Diane Feinstein, the California Democrat who’s about to take the reins as chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is none too pleased over Obama’s pick of former Clinton Chief of Staff Leon Panetta for CIA Chief, no siree she is not. “I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA Director, Feinstein told the Washington Independent.  “I know nothing about this, other than what I’ve read. My position has consistently been that I believe the Agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.” No siree, Diane is not happy…And another unhappy Diane ~,Diane Denish (D), New Mexico’s Lt. Gov. who had a very, very bad day yesterday…And there you have, kids, from the inside out.

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