Getting Hot

"Now, the energy and drive that had her up jogging before dawn and a gratifying day of work and family will mainly be spent smiling for the cameras. Just as we watch curvy, healthy-looking singers and actresses like Lindsay Lohan become anorexic too-blonde hoochies before our very eyes, so we're now in danger of having to watch the political version of that process: Any day now, Michelle Obama's handlers will have her glued into one of those Sunday-go-to-meeting Baptist grandma crown hats while smiling vapidly for hours at a time. When, of course, she's not staring moonstruck, à la Nancy Reagan, at her moon doggie god-husband who's not one bit smarter than she is.

"My heart breaks for her just thinking about it. Being president will be hard. So will being first lady for the brilliant Michelle -- imagine, having to begin all your sentences with 'My husband and I . . . ' "

Uh . . . maybe she wants to do this?

Jimmy Carter has backed off his "worst in history" charge against George W. Bush, saying on "Today" that his remarks "were maybe careless or misinterpreted" and that he "certainly was not talking personally about any president."

Come on. Carter was calling the Bush administration the worst since 1789 in terms of America's standing the world, and that's pretty personal. Frank Lockwood of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, who conducted the interview, has the tape on his blog.

Dinesh D'Souza is pretty annoyed:

"We all know what a lousy president Carter was. One indicator: a sitting president could only win six states against Ronald Reagan in 1980. Another indicator: even Democrats won't defend his presidency. But Carter has somehow convinced the pundits that he's one of America's best ex-presidents . . .

"Carter has basically become a national nuisance. Yes, I admire him for his home-building with Habitat for Humanity. But how many homes has he built lately? He is constantly meddling in foreign policy with inane statements that only remind us of why we threw him out on the street."

At Americablog, Joe Sudbay blames 43, not 39:

"Instead of dealing with the underlying Iraq crisis, the Bush staff attack their enemies. If they put as much time and energy into the policy of Iraq as they do the politics, they might make some progress. All Carter said what most Americans are thinking."

Hillary has never been a netroots favorite, but Matt Stoller at MyDD believes that may be changing:

"The most interesting piece of the new Daily Kos straw poll is Hillary's doubling of support, from 3 to 6. She's not at an all-time netroots high, and is the only candidate aside from 'I don't know' and Gravel that is gaining.