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Go Home Tnr.com's Week In Review (5.30.08)

THE PLANK MAY 30, 2008

Tnr.com's Week In Review (5.30.08)

BY BARRON YOUNGSMITH

Even TNR's offices are not immune to veepstakes fever. It all started when John Judis put the "unity ticket" idea out to pasture. Soon, Jason Zengerle and Josh Patashnik were dishing on how the veep debate misses the mark, and frequent contributor Tucker Carlson was comparing the veepstakes to sex. Michael Crowley quickly dispensed with Nunn and Daschle, plonking himself down on permanent "Webb Watch"--where he noted Webb's conspicuous opposition to the death penalty and his G.I. Bill heroics. Zengerle asked how to make Webb more palatable to women, and Chris Orr brought up questions about his temperament.

The contents of Scott McClellan's blistering biography hit the papers this week, and TNR asked why he didn't speak up earlier. Jonathan Chait had predicted McClellan's discontent long ago, and Zengerle (who thought the McClellan's book was a shrewd business move) asked if McClellan was really a Manchurian memoirist or just responding to incentives.

The week was rough for John McCain. He had to deal with bad news for the GOP, and weasel out of voting for a climate change bill. Seeing McCain flounder, Noam Scheiber wondered if McCain is cynical enough to win, while Zengerle asked if McCain is corrupt enough to keep his operation alive. On top of that, McCain had to spend time with George Bush--Josh Patashnik suggested a workaround--and he came down with a terrible cold, only to later deny it.

--Barron YoungSmith

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11 comments

I like almost all of these pieces, except for the Webb watch posts. I think that Obama will pick a more dynamic campaigner.

- liberal reformer

May 30, 2008 at 7:50pm

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?? Not a word about Ken Salazar for VP? ok, so your TalkBackers don't matter, fine, we get the hint. But Marty Peretz picked up the Salazar banner. What gives?

- teplukhin2you

May 31, 2008 at 12:16am

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McClellan? Wasn't that the name those crazy Scots shouted after Mel slashed that English punk's throat? I'm starting to like this guy the more I see him. Behind that James Thurber exterior is a bit of a wild man. I could see him with Robert Bly out in the woods. If he is ready to move from fart-catcher to the head of the line, we could have some interesting months ahead. McClellan! McClellan! McClellan!

- fougasseu

May 31, 2008 at 1:22am

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Yes, please give tep the attention he so craves! He mentioned Salazar for VP first on these blogs, as far as anyone knows without really checking. Nevermind that Salazar is not a very good choice - he's bet his sheckels on Jindal and Salazar and if it comes to pass he wants recognition!

- WoodyBombay

May 31, 2008 at 1:33am

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Woody, you give me all the recognition I crave. I live for your posts. Really.

- teplukhin2you

May 31, 2008 at 1:42am

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Super-delegate watch:

Assuming that Hillary gets 50% of her victory margin (in delegates that is, i.e., 23) out of the DNC Rules Committee today, Obama inevitably gets the Pelosi Club delegates (7, I believe), and Obama loses 5 net delegates in the three remaining contests, his magic number of additional super-delegates today is:

16

Note that, but for MI and FL, Obama has already clinched with 7 more super-delegates than he needs.

- roidubouloi

May 31, 2008 at 9:17am

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Maybe McClellan wants to be the VP?!?!?

- dylanposer

May 31, 2008 at 1:28pm

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I should have said another 35 total supers will declare for Obama by Tuesday, not 35 net delegates.

- roidubouloi

May 31, 2008 at 4:37pm

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folks,

As I was doing the dishes last night, I thought that no one has suggested Chuck Shumer for VP. Now, think about this: An olive branch to HC supporters (he did support HC I believe), a black-Jewish ticket to honor the past alliance and repair that frayed relationship, and all those bubbes and zaydes who voted for Joe Lieberman just might also vote for Chuck. He is smarter, tougher, and less sanctimonious than Joementum and like Chuck or not, no one can say that he, unlike Joe, is a pathetic lapdog for these so called tough, squared jawed, Big Daddy white conservatives..

I say Obama-Shumer...

- thejauntyboulevardier

June 1, 2008 at 10:10am

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WoodyBombay for Veep.

- teplukhin2you

June 1, 2008 at 11:40am

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Obama-Jaunty

What do you all make of these polls that show Edwards as a major boost to the ticket in a lot of key states?  Does this strike people as plausible, or as something that would be likely to hold up, or is it just a name recognition thing?

- roidubouloi

June 1, 2008 at 12:08pm

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