Three Things

AIG: I have no problem understanding the outrage. The thought of a company surviving on the lifeline of the American taxpayer paying huge retention bonuses to the very people that got the company into the mess its in is disgraceful. This week, the head of AIG testified in front of a House committee and got lambasted. We're talking filleted. And I can understand it. But Congress, please get off your high horse. The man that you were lecturing -- Edward Liddy -- is not the man who ran AIG into the ground; he is the man put in place to try to get it up off the mat. Use your head, and stop being so self-righteous, acting like you've never dropped the ball on a major level. When was the last time you actually read a piece of legislation before you passed it? And this stunt to tax the bonuses at a 90% rate to get the money back? Please think before you act. Think of the precedent that you would be setting: the ability to tax a specific group of people more simply because you don't like their legitimate business practices is very distressing, and thoroughly un-American.

Special Olympics: Alright, so last night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, President Obama made a quick joke likening his bowling skills to the Special Olympics. Politically correct? No. Funny? Yes, and here's the truth: everything is funny in the right light. Would President Bush receive more outcry saying this than President Obama will? Yes, and there's no denying that. But I say let's celebrate having a president smart enough to think up such a funny quip.

Suckling: This week, Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said to TV cameras and reporters, "From my standpoint, it's irresponsible for corporations to give bonuses at this time when they're sucking the tit of the taxpayer." Hilarious (and much funnier than when he said AIG executives should "commit suicide"). I like that kind of fire, but I really enjoyed the looks on the faces of the two senators standing behind him when he said that. They didn't know what to do. President Obama and Senator Grassley should headline a U.S. Government comedy festival.