Rudy: He's gone. You feel stupid.

Jerry Seinfeld on magicians: "What is the point of the magician? He comes on, he fools you, you feel stupid, show's over ... It's like, 'Here's a quarter. Now it's gone. You're a jerk."

Same thing with Rudy 911liani’s run for President. What was the point of his run for president? He comes on stage, squawking over and over about 911. He fools you, he ignored Iowa, New Hampshire, he tanks in Florida, and now the show’s over. And it is like, “I’m America’s Mayor, and I’m gonna be the president. 911! 911!” Now he’s gone. If you supported him you’re a….well, you get the idea.

Back in the late spring, I had the opportunity of running in to the Chairman of the Hunterdon County Republican Committee, Henry Kuhl. Now, Henry must be a smart fellow, with more than just a scintilla of political smarts, since he has been the chairman in Hunterdon for more years than I can remember.

When I inquired of his choice on his side of the ailse, Henry told me “the next president and vice president of the United States will be Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson”.

[He did not spell Rudy Giuliani for President with "911", by the way.]

“Hmm”, I said. “Do you really think that Giuliani will be able to survive the southern conservative Republicans? Will they really vote for someone who is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, twice divorced, and an Italian Catholic New Yorker?”

Without hesitation, he declared an emphatic “Yes, because they want a winner.”

So, the Southern conservative Republican right-wing Christian fundamentalists will be willing to compromise their core values to support a “winner”. Good trick, I thought.

As it turns out, those folks won’t even get a chance to have their core values tested.

And in NJ, the Repubs must all feel stupid, being fooled that way Rudy ran his campaign and dropped out.

On the Democratic side, Rudy’s magic tricks did not fool anyone. So it goes.

"Congress Commutes Bush Sentence on the American People, Saying 19 More Months ‘Is Excessive’ "

The Republicans running for President are showing what spineless, slimy, 'law & disorder' folks they really are. Here is what some of them had to say about President 28%’s (and falling) commutation of the sentence for Scooter Libby:

TV DA: Fred Thompson:
"I am very happy for Scooter Libby. I know that this is a great relief to him, his wife and children. While for a long time I have urged a pardon for Scooter, I respect the President's decision.”

Former real-life Federal Prosecutor Rudy Giuliani:
“After evaluating the facts, the President came to a reasonable decision and I believe the decision was correct."

Clue to Rudy: This is a president who has no idea what the ‘facts’ are any day of the week. Obviously, neither one these former DAs, real or imagined, have any idea what real “Law & Order” is. They are both equally clueless.

The Democratic candidates were a bit more on target:

"This is exactly the kind of politics we must change so we can begin restoring the American people's faith in a government that puts the country's progress ahead of the bitter partisanship of recent years." - Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

"This commutation sends the clear signal that in this administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice." - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

"The arrogance of this administration's disdain for the law and its belief it operates with impunity are breathtaking. Will the president also commute the sentences of others who obstructed justice and lied to grand juries, or only those who act to protect President Bush and Vice President Cheney?"
- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson

Here is the headline from the NY Times:

"Bush Commutes Libby Sentence, Saying 30 Months ‘Is Excessive’ "

Here is the headline I would like to see:

"Congress Commutes Bush Sentence on the American People, Saying 19 More Months ‘Is Excessive’ "