Is Breaking Someone's Thumbs a "Legal Avenue?"

Briefly, on Obama vs. AIG.

AIG was/is broke, and has accepted large sums of bailout cheddar in order to stay afloat, only to turn around and issue about $165 million in executive bonuses under "contractual obligations."

Obama says no dice, fool. He's encouraging his man in the field, Timmy "Asthma" Geithner, to pursue "every legal avenue" to make sure that these people can't pay these bonuses.

It's quite the pickle.

The President is still trying to stimulate the economy but let the businesses play ball. But these businesses — the executives of which by the way, haven't really proven themselves to be, how do you say, good at their jobs — are refusing. Admittedly, their CEO Libby has bitten the sacrificial bullet, taking a tremendous pay cut to one dollar, but that's about $164,999,999 too little of a cut, says most.

The government already took over one bank, Citigroup. I don't think they want to take over another (although they already own a measly 80 percent of AIG). Then we're getting into some pretty serious territories over government control of businesses, more socialist angst, etc. etc. Even with their controlling stake, politicians are put off about just what to do.

This fellow from The Daily Beast has a pretty neat idea: Why doesn't Obama just ask them to forgo their bonuses? Not threaten with pseudo-legalese, or make them criminals in the public eye, but simply ask them because their country needs it. The author points to the need for sacrifice that is apparent during war times, and equates the current climate to economic warfare.

Obama is set to go on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday, the only sitting President to do so, and likely one of the only Presidents who can garner enough public appeal to make a pleasant appearance. Don't expect any shoe tossers. Here's where Obama will be at his best: Outside of politics, drumming up public support for his economic vision.

The point is this — Don't expect AIG to win verses the President. In fact, it'd be best for everyone if the two just found a common ground. But so far, neither have budged. Obama might be able to take a graceful offensive; Use his best weapon (public appeal) to wrap his arm around the shoulders of AIG and give them a hug. Or a squeeze?

High Politickin' in New Hampshire

Anybody who feels inclined to associate themselves with the male persuasion should understand an axiom regarding a certain leisurely activity known to the masses as "board games," namely that the game RISK trumps all in the Domain of Man.

Chutes and Ladders? Child's play. Operation? Gross. Monopoly? Awfully insensitive in these tough economic times, wouldn't you say?

RISK is a game built upon nothing but sheer brass and strategery. It requires a tremendous amount of planning and foresight, all in the hopes of eventual world domination.

Well, the board is set up and the pieces seems to be in play on the battlefield between Washington and New Hampshire. And wouldn't you know that rabble rousing Barack Obama is in the middle of the scrum.

Obama is trying to make good on his call for bipartisanship by nominating a Republican, Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, as his commerce secretary. No mere boondoggle appointment, Gregg would — and all signs point to this being relatively inevitable — be in the ear of Obama, in his "economic brain trust," as the mold of this somewhat vague stimulus package begins to take shape.

Politico says that Gregg is already one of Mitch McConnell's closest economic advisers, and would still be an involved member of the GOP's strategy. Sounds like a win-win, right?

Except for one substantial hiccup. The loss of Gregg would leave a Senate re-assignment to the Governor of New Hampshire, a Democrat named John Lynch. This lesson should already be well understood considering the Blagojevich scandal, in which the ex-Gov. tried to pawn off the Obama's vacant seat, along with a Timez wristwatch, four lawn gnomes, and some old muscle car magazines.

This would leave Republicans in quite the pickle in the Senate. With Al Franken winning in Minney-Soda, and a Democratic governor likely replacing Gregg with a Democratic Senator, this understandably irked Senate Republicans, who are struggling to maintain shreds of dignity in the wake of a two-year long political Armageddon. The addition of a Democrat would allow the Left to be filibuster proof, able to withstand about the only weapon the GOP has in its once healthy arsenal.

So, politickin' is taking place.

Gov. Lynch has assured the now antsy-in-their-pantsy Republicans that he will replace Gregg with another Republican, or at the very least an independent that will likely vote Republican. But Lynch isn't giving up such a valued seat for nothing (not in the monetary sense, Blago). There is a stipulation saying that the replacement will only be a caretaker; someone who will only sit in the seat until 2010, at which point he or she will not be the automatic incumbent, but rather the seat will be an open contest.

Those in the know say that if Gregg rejects The Obama, he would in all likelihood be re-elected. If he goes, formidable Democratic challengers are already lining up, licking their lips and snugly fastening their bibs.

Word on the street is that Gregg will take the cabinet position, but GOP-insiders say he's not "leaving the party in the lurch."

The play has been made. It will be about two years to who will be the primary beneficiaries of this move — the bleeding-heart Democrats who were just so gee golly nice to let the GOP keep their Senate seat and then likely get it back in 2010, or the desperat— I mean, aggressive Republicans who are grabbing hold of Obama's optimistic bipartisan charge to get closer to the executive, with fingers tightly crossed for the new GOP-ish replacement of Gregg and the 2010 horizon.

Either way, each is playing the game of foresight, with can be tricky, especially considering that overly judgmental hindsight and its pesky 20/20 vision.

And let's hope neither get stuck with the Ukraine. We all know in RISK, the Ukraine is weak.