The Perp Walk and the Debutante Ball

What could go wrong with a week that brings us Ken Lay in handcuffs (FINALLY!) and the Eternal Sunshine Boy tapped as Kerry's vice presidential running mate? Democrat operatives working in local campaigns feel that the selection of Edwards can only boost the chances of down-ballot Democrats seeking elective office in North Carolina this year. And Lay's belated indictment can only serve to remind the general public of how cozy El Presidente was with that fine, upstanding, denizen of corporate culture.

We also learn this a.m. that the Two Johns (Kerry & Edwards) will be in Raleigh on Saturday afternoon (July 10th) for a joint appearance and rally on the campus of North Carolina State University. This will be a free event, but you'll need a ticket to get in. The party's website is promising ticket information by this afternoon.

And finally, New York Daily News' astrology columnist, Susan Miller, has charted Kerry/Edwards, with these results: "Edwards was born during one of the luckiest times of the year. And it's no wonder his message has always been optimistic: The moon rules public perception, and because Edwards has lucky Jupiter conjunct his Gemini moon, he'll always be considered 'the happy one.' Kerry's moon is also in Gemini, but in his chart it is influenced by disciplinarian Saturn, so he's fated to be seen as 'the serious one,' which will bring balance to the relationship." (Reprinted in the Raleigh N&O "Under the Dome" -- scroll down.)

We tend to lose consciousness when confronted by either (a) the New York Daily News or (b) astrology-talk (something about Edwards mooning Kerry?), but Nancy Reagan would certainly approve of all this careful scientific research, and who are we to say the Widow Reagan ain't right?