Saint John

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=226860&f=28

I am not really sure whether Brooks' last graph is meant as a criticism of Palin or a reassurance that sure she would be VP, but not really (whatever that means).

As far as his 'string of virtuous crusades', I think it is interesting Brooks picks out the two crusades - the immigration and global warming bills - that he pissed himself and abandoned in the face of those GOP hordes he supposedly stands up to (or perhaps his moment of virtue was when he was cheating on his sick wife? Peddling influence during the Keating 5? Hiring the Rovian scum that defamed his own family in 2000?).

And like him, his protege that took on the psions of pork is a fraud too. Today we learn that as a small town mayor she hired the lobbying firm Stevens son worked for to bring in$25 million in earmarks, then stepped up to governor and sent her team in washington a wishlist with over $200 million in earmarks! (and for the record I think earmarks aren't that big a deal, but if you are going to make your 'opposition' to them a part of your public credentials then being one of the biggest pigs at the trough does matter).