Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (Harper 2010)

Edwards was still doing his best Monty Hall imitation: Let’s make a deal. Although he maintained publicly that he never desired to be a running mate again, Edwards was, in fact, quite open to the idea. But he was also willing to consider more modest rewards. Having been rebuffed on the notion of teaming up with Obama after Iowa, he once again dispatched Leo Hindery to make a revised offer.

“John will settle for attorney general,” Hindery emailed Tom Daschle.

Daschle shook his head. How desperate is this guy?

“Leo, this isn’t good for John,” Daschle replied. “This is ridiculous. It’s going to be ambassador to Zimbabwe next.”

Daschle warned Hindery that this new offer, like the last one, was sure to be rejected. And it was. When Obama heard about the suggested quid pro quo, he was incredulous.

That’s crazy, he told Axelrod. If I were willing to make a deal like that, I shouldn’t be president!

Edwards wondered if Clinton might be more open to cutting a deal. For all his previous distaste for her, he was beginning to find her more agreeable than Obama—less aloof, more brass-tacks. But Edwards knew his options were rapidly running out. He had no money, the press was ignoring him, and his vote totals were spiraling toward zero; he’d won just 3.8 percent in Nevada.

Then again, Rielle Hunter was only eight months pregnant.

So Edwards still had another month to strike a bargain.

Shots across the world

Via the Boston Globe website, some amazing pictures from around the world documenting the impact of Tuesday's inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

A few of my favourites are reproduced below (click on the images to enlarge) but go to the website to check out all the images. Whatever your politics there's some powerful images on display.

Hat tip to Glynnis M.

"President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts to become the 44th President of the United States on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) "

"Residents of Kibera, one of the poorest quarters in Nairobi gather to watch the inauguration ceremony of US President Barack Obama in Nairobi on January 20, 2009. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)"

"40 years after their silent protest at the 1968 Olympics, Gold Medalist Tommie Smith hugs Bronze Medalist John Carlos, and their wives Delois Smith and Charlene Carlos after Barack Obama is officially sworn in as the President of the United States. Photo taken in the Smith room at the Sheraton Boston in Boston, MA. (Boston Globe/Stan Grossfeld)"

Only in the cartoons. Homer Twelve-Pack votes Obama

Latest YouTube viral smash. Homer Simpson meets with some polling booth difficulties when trying to cast his vote for Barack Obama:

And don't forget The Simpsons Army Recruitment clip.

Palin for President?

Hat tip to On A Raised Beach blog.

Vote SSP in the forthcoming US Presidential election

You must understand that I'm only posting this video made on behalf of the SSP - the Sarah Silverman Party - because Marx and Coca Cola's JM was kind enough to bring it to my attention. Regular readers of the blog know that Sarah Silverman is someone I don't usually care for.

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Clever

Via Zazzle.com

From the WSPUS website: Is Obama a socialist?

That US Presidential Election coverage in full

I promise that I will wake up in time for the debates but, in the meantime:

Via Faithful Progressive blog, Anne Kilkenny's Sarah Palin E-Mail: 'A Wasilla Resident Speaks Out'

A link found via Marx and Coca Cola blog, Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is “Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean”

And for a bit of political balance, from Louis Proyect's blog, Obama disappoints

Hillary's Downfall

*Blog Warning*

Don't click on the YouTube clip if you're easily offended . . . or if you don't have a warped sense of humour.

I thought it was funny. Kara will batter me for posting it.

Hat tip to brtrmnln.cm

Caught between an episode of 30 rock and harry's place

Caught between wondering what my one American reader makes of all the posts about Hibs, Hearts and Parkhead heartaches and what my two British readers make of all the posts about Midwood, Midtown and Lucky Louie marathons.

But that's enough waffle to justify the post title. (Like this blog has three readers.)

Here's a couple of links: One from a Socialist in Chicago about Barack Obama and the continuing Reverend Wright fallout and one from London about a couple of SPGBers taking time out from their Hyde Park armchairs to attend Friday's London Assembly count:

From the WSPUS website: Obama, the Rev. Wright and hesitation

From the SPGB election blog, Vaux Populi: A day at the count

Barack Obama, Race and Class

Good post over at the Marx and Coca-Cola blog on Barck Obama's 'A More Perfect Union' speech from last week in Philadelphia:

'The Visible Man'

Hat tip to Alan J over at Mailstrom blog.

Mixing Pop and Politics (6)

Obscure Factoid of the Day

Ralph Nader's running mate for the forthcoming US Presidential Election, Matt Gonzalez, was the bass player in the rock band, John Heartfield.

John who? Helmut Herzfelde.

Examples of Heartfield's work and further info about this world famous photomontagist and anti-fascist is available at this website.

Unfortunately, it turns out that Matt Gonzalez's band is the first recorded instance of someone who has played music in the past 25 years to not have made a music page for themselves and placed it on MySpace.

A Scots-American in the Big Hoose

Via John over at the Class Warfare blog. It's a weight off my mind.

Hillary Clinton - Old Labour

Wait up, Hillary's doing a nice line in Old Labour rhetoric. It can only mean one thing: the Ohio Democratic Primary is coming up:

"People sometimes ask me, when you are president will labor have a seat at the table? Here's my answer - labor built that table. You better believe labor will have a seat at the table." [From last night's speech.]

Oi, you heckling at the back there: please don't bring up the small matter of Hillary and Wal-Mart. It's impolite.

An American Soap Opera

More cartoon goodies found here.

Mixing Pop and Politics - Scrambling For The Yoof Vote

Damn, I've seen Saturday Night Live sketches that were funnier. Less Death Cab For Cutie, more Death Knell For Hillary's Campaign.

Hat tip to Gene over at Simon's Place.

Obama, Edwards or Clinton?

"Don't mention the class war."

. . . unless you are a Republican Presidential candidate.

Marx and Coca-Cola kicks off on Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson invoking their workerist credentials against Mitt Romney. Christ, it reads like a branch meeting of the old Millies.

Later in the same post, he does a Stacey London on the Government Ministers in Chavez's Government. Christ, it reads like an old profile of Degsy.

It's NK all over again.

Normski links to the bleedin' obvious.

But what about Fred Thompson? He's also haggard looking. Sounds trite and shallow, but the Democrat spinmeisters would make that an election issue if he got the Republican nomination.

Somebody Please Swiftboat Fred Thompson . . .

. . . so I can get back to watching repeats of Law and Order on TNT.

Unfortunately that clip from an old episode of Roseanne won't do the trick, as his campaign team are already onto it by posting this crappy spliced effort from the same episode on YouTube.