The Political Whore

The St. Pete Times is reporting that Gov. Crist has asked girlfriend Carole Rome to marry him … and she said yes!

Was the question popped when Crist was visiting John McCain for his weekend barbecue/VP selection retreat in May? No, not the “Charlie asking Carole to be his wife” question. I mean, the “John asking Charlie when the hell he is going to get married and squash all those “The Gov Is Gay” rumors” question.

Call me jaded, but this news has got to mean that Crist has been hovering right at the top of McCain’s Veepstakes list — if only the Gov could be de-gayed a little.

Yes, I’m speculating, and no, I guess I’m not much of a romantic.

Congrats Governor Crist +1. I wish you both nothing but the best.

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Enjoy your Fourth of July festivities everyone. I’m off next week, but PoHo will be back on Monday.

• Independence Day: Three Americans held hostage in Columbia have been freed.
  
• McCain shakes it up.
• Temper temper, John.
• Just when you think Fox News can sink no lower …
• Psilocybin research re-enters the mainstream.
• Dumb question of the week, from CNBC: “Which Is Better — Strong or Weak Dollar?”
• The Rays sweep the Sox! The Rays sweep the Sox!
• Salveggi crushes Hancock.
• Hot trial: the Christie Brinkley v. architect guy divorce proceedings.

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Here’s your first look at the new, unfortunately-titled Bond movie, Quantum of Solace:

• Starbucks to ax 600 stores in the U.S.
• A blogger outs the Supreme Court for basing their no-death-penalty-for-child-rapists decision on an error.
• Obama to defeat McCain — it’s written in the stars.
• Forget music, today’s college kids are file-sharing their textbooks. You want to guess who’s unhappy about that?
• J.P. Morgan Chase broke into and emptied a house that the bank though was in foreclosure. It wasn’t.
• 10 reasons to not be so glum about surging gas prices.
• A lost 1964 Lennon/McCartney interview turns up in a damp London garage.
• Rays win again.

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Check out the following clip of McCain speaking about the recently passed G.I. Bill:

Now realize McCain was against this bill, and even proposed an alternate version that did not contain the provisions he’s bragging on in this video.

• Seymore Hersh’s latest New Yorker piece, on Bush’s increased covert action against Iran, is a doozy.
• Obama takes aim at southern voters.
• Tampa looks at minimum zoning requirements.
• Wall Street feasts on finger nails before the open.
• Some cry over Wal-Mart’s spilled milk.
• Will they or won’t they? Hollywood actors prepare to strike.
• Checking in on Oliver Stone’s W.
• The Bucs re-sign Earnest Graham.

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The McCain camp actually pulls off a decent viral video! I wouldn’t take a word of this at face value, but you have to admit the video is well done. If McCain knew what a computer was we might actually have a race here …

• Obama gives Clinton $2,300. (Side note: The Times should be shot for using that picture.)
• Novak says Colin Powell will endorse Obama at some point, but not because he’s a fan of Barack. No, he’ll do it to spite W.
• Speaking of traitors to their party: Time has a story on Joe Lieberman that made me puke in my mouth a little.
• Don’t blow your top trying to figure out the energy crisis, there’s a mountain of a solution out there.
• North Korea dynamites the cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear power plant.
• One barrel of oil = 28 Subway footlongs.
• This weekend’s viewing: WALL-E is a “Pixar masterpiece.”
• “Six Crazy Hollywood Stories You Probably Haven’t Heard.”

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The Washington Post is reporting that the Supreme Court voted 5-4 along ideological lines to strike down Washington D.C.’s 1976 ban on handgun ownership. This marks the first time since 1791 that the Supreme Court has ruled on the second amendment or tried to sort out if gun ownership was tied to being in a “well regulated militia.”

Though some are sure to fears chaos in the streets, it is important to remember this simple fact: Though you have been unable to own a handgun in D.C. for the last 32 years, shotguns and rifles were still allowed. You read that correctly. Handguns, No way! Shotguns and rifles? A-OK. I take that to mean this decision will not result in immediate mass killings on the National Mall.

Best quote from the WaPo story:

The issue caused a split within the Bush administration. Vice President Dick Cheney supported the appeals court ruling, but others in the administration feared it could lead to the undoing of other gun regulations, including a federal law restricting sales of machine guns. Other laws keep felons from buying guns and provide for an instant background check.

Cheney needs to reconsider. If the people can get their hands on machine guns, ol’ Dick’s ass might be in some trouble.

(Photo Credit: Dubswede)

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Breaking news: John McCain is “aware” of both the Internet and computers. He doesn’t use them, silly. He just knows they exist — and that should be good enough for you.

• In other McCain news: Someone really loves their weekends.
• “Reporter M.E. Sprengelmeyer writes that Nader accused Barack Obama of ‘downplaying poverty issues, trying to ‘talk white’ and appealing to ‘white guilt’ during his run for the White House.’”
• The Supreme Court cuts the damages Exxon has to pay for the Valdez disaster to 1/5th 1/10th their original value. The best part: Alito had to recuse himself, as he owns Exxon stock and stands to gain from this decision.
• The Axis of Evil loses another member as North Korea is removed from the list. That just leaves Iran, right?
• Old school: Tuppeware parties. New school: Taser party.
• Coming soon: The Playstation phone.
• The Rays shelve the waterfront stadium plan … for now. (Does this mean they’ll stop winning?)
• Vinny to stick with the Lightning for life.

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How stupid are we as a nation? CNN interviews author Rick Shenkman, in this clip posted to YouTube on June 15.

• Nick of time: Congress acts to remedy the mortgage crisis.
• Alan Greenspan: “We are on the brink.”
• A new documentary on Lee Atwater has conservatives crying foul.
• The IRS opens an investigation of local firebrand Bill Keller. The preacherman cries “Romney!”
• Oh good, Imus is shooting his mouth off again. I had gone months without hearing moronic, racist drivel.
• Bet you don’t know how much oil there is in the world. Turns out, no one does.
• George Carlin’s final interview, a wide-ranging, bittersweet affair, pops up on the Psychology Today’s website. Plus: HBO plans a Carlin marathon and WBAI looks back at history.
• The Mullet drops his cushy ESPN job to become coach the Lightning.

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Greatest toy ever: The Dude (Unemployed) 8-Inch Action Figure.

• McCain adviser Charlie Black sees more dead Americans as a quality election strategy.
• Outrageous quote of the week: “I think [Obama]’s deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology.” —James Dobson, gay-hating [i.e., probably gay] Christian wackjob and founder of Focus on the Family.
• Really? Really? We’re going to talk about how Obama is on the wrong side of the “emotional” Elian Gonzalez issue? Really?
• If the Florida state budget is in such dire straights, how can we possibly afford what Time Magazine calls “the $1.75 billion deal to essentially purchase U.S. Sugar”?
• Eulogizing George Carlin.
• “Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes.”
• First it was those spoiled writers. Now, the Screen Actors Guild prepares to go on strike.
• R.I.P. Wilbur Hardee.

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R.I.P. George Carlin. The brilliant, subversive, hilarious, precedent-setting comedian was 71. In his honor, here is one of Carlin’s all-time classics: Baseball & Football.

• Obama in bed with Big Ethanol?
• Newsweek has it 51%-36% Obama over McCain.
• Tom Brokaw to host Meet The Press through the election.
• The Mississippi River appears to be cresting.
• Is Bob Barr Nader 2.0?
• So far,