Quotes From Around Yon Blogosphere

Pretty obvious that this guy would be big trouble some day

Two big holiday season cheers to floppy-haired Ilinois governor Rod Blagojevich for giving us faith again.

Just when we thought we couldn't squeeze out one more drop of righteous indignation. Just when continuing big executive financial sector bonuses and automaker private jet rides threatened another one of those stupid "Death Of Irony" moments, along comes Mr. Blagojevich to remind us that there are always new standards to strive towards and records to be broken.

"There's politics, then there's crime," said crusading avenging angel and U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, as though the two are so distinct. But this is clearly an Olympic gold medal moment in the history of political corruption.

-- PHIL BRONSTEIN

I have a hard time pronouncing his name. I just call him the idiot.

-- DAVID GERGEN

I doubt too many people around Barack Obama would have any criticisms for US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald or offer any defenses of Illinois politics now. in 2005, however, Obama's chief political adviser did both in the pages of the Chicago Tribune. While Fitzgerald probed the endemic corruption in the Land of Lincoln, David Axelrod scolded him for criminalizing the normal trading of interests in Chicago-style politics

-- ED MORRISSEY

Soberminded assessments of the whole concept and execution of the war in Iraq stand to offer policymakers and politicians much, if not much new, in the way of wisdom. But — as understandable as it may be — our continued reinforcement of an Iraq-centric way of looking at this troubled world may well lead us to bark up the wrong tree. The most important lesson we can learn about international affairs and our place within them may have nothing at all to do with Iraq — and everything to do with Pakistan. . . .

People worried constantly about rogue states for some practical reasons: they could destabilize uneasy parts of the world, or they could proliferate weapons of mass destruction to nonstate actors who were beyond anyone’s control. But the funny thing about many rogue states was their weakness in the face of US and allied coercion.

-- JAMES POULOS

Afghanistan, the so-called 'good war,' was and remains a dangerous theater. During the closing months of the presidential campaign it was taken as gospel that America needed to send more troops there. Even John McCain, initially skittish on the notion, came to argue that a greater U.S. military buildup was needed.

And yet, over the last few weeks, the progressive community that once pleaded for greater resources and attention to Afghanistan has begun to raise concerns about the idea that additional forces could change that country's increasingly dire situation.

-- SAM STEIN

Without having done the analysis, I'm guessing that spending $200 million each for F-22s is not the most cost-effective form of economic stimulus that the Obama administration can engage in. Robert Gates hostility to the F-22 (and the Air Force more generally) is one of his most appealing characteristics; it would be a pity if Congress critters can use the financial crisis as an excuse to save the over-priced, under-missioned fighter aircraft.

-- ROBERT FARLEY

Cuba lives in a world where things run backwards. The Day of the Revolution began an irreversible entropy when cars started to run down, buildings began to crumble, homes began to decay and meals began to shrink. Inexorably, year by year. It was as if history ended in 1959 and began counting down to the 19th century. Now the 18th century is in view.

-- RICHARD FERNANDEZ

Barack Obama says his presidency is an opportunity for the U.S. to renovate its relations with the Muslim world, starting the day of his inauguration and continuing with a speech he plans to deliver in an Islamic capital.

And when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20, he plans to be sworn in like every other president, using his full name: Barack Hussein Obama.

-- THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

If the world ganged up on China and punished it for its irresponsible behavior, that might just do a lot more good than simply handing them a decisive economic advantage on a silver platter in the cutthroat competition of international trade. China must be given a choice; either join with the rest of the world in reducing emissions or we will force the reductions by refusing to buy your manufactured goods. That will reduce emissions nicely -- and all those idle plants (or the prospect of them) would focus the attention of the Chinese leadership on their responsibilities as a great economic power.

This would be a lot fairer to the US -- which is probably why it will never be tried.

-- RICK MORAN

"Et tu, Joe The Plumber?"

Those might be defeated Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's words in light of conservative talk show host Glenn Beck's interview where the man John McCain would not stop talking about in debates, on commercials and on the stump — the man who became a major political motif during the past few weeks of campaign 2008 — has verbally turned against his biggest rhetorical booster in a way nearly as breathtaking as the way Brutus turned against Julius Caesar.

-- JOE GANDELMAN

Who knew that states that allow the easiest access to guns would have the highest rate of handgun deaths? Or murdered police officers? Or the most guns used in crimes in other states? I'm sure the NRA has a good explanation for this.

-- STEVEN D

For most of the summer and fall, the standard line from Fox News personalities was that the economy wasn't that bad, and major news outlets were exaggerating the severity of the financial crisis to help Barack Obama win the election.

Now, of course, the election is over, presumably denying news outlets a motivation to inflate the severity of the economy. Or so I thought. Amanda Terkel notes that Bill O'Reilly and Karl Rove believe traditional news outlets are still conspiring to make people believe the economy is in dire straits, and are still doing so for Obama's benefit.

-- STEVE BENEN

Hat tip to Deceiver.com for Blago yearbook photo