The daily conference call

  • During the Q & A at speeches, I make it clear that I have not been one of those who believes the national press corps participates in a conference all every morning to decide what stories they are going to push to make Republicans look bad.

  • I now think I may have been wrong about that.

  • Any Republican who, in the past two years, has sneezed in public without having first whipped out a clean and pressed hanky has run the risk of blaring headlines declaring them a hypocrite for being able to get free pharmaceuticals from the House Physician's office while having voted against the importation of (potentially counterfeit) drugs from Canada.

  • Democrats who sneeze are held up as brave men and women who are demonstrating their deep understanding of work-a-day Americans because, in spite of having a cold, they continue to go to work THREE FULL DAYS A WEEK.

  • No matter what a Republican does, it is really, really bad. The worst. Ever. In the history of the solar system.

  • No matter what a Democrat does it is ok because Democrats always have some mitigating factor which never seem to apply to Republicans.

  • In Pennsylvania, for instance Governor Ed Rendell's chief of staff used the state plane to ferry a lobbyist to Pittsburgh. The reason for the trip was something short of urgent state business. It appears to have been to be able to get from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh in time to catch a Rolling Stones concert.

  • Gambling is a big deal in the race for Governor between Rendell and Republican challenger Lynn Swann. It turns out that the lobbyist (who ultimately reimbursed the state for using the state plane as his private air taxi) is, according to the Swann campaign the "biggest gambling lobbyist" in PA and has, as one of his clients, Ameriquest Mortgage which is … wait for it … a sponsor of the Stones' tour!

  • You may remember that the chief of staff of a Republican President was forced to resign because he used a government car to drive to a … stamp show.

  • I guarantee you, if the chief of staff of a Republican Governor took the state plane to go to a Stones concert, you would have heard about it. And heard about it. And heard about it.