E Pluribus Unum

If you think politicians are bad, you should see their consituents; forget elections: follow the Nielsen ratings instead; forget approval ratings, follow the Nielsen ... oh, sorry; Mitt Romney's disastrous health care initiative; Nancy's boys come to work; Republicans leave a budget mess behind; Hagel gives up; gimme some bootleg OJ!

• Mean Jean Schmidt escapes defeat to serve another term in Congress. At least she'll be in the minority this time. As much as I dislike her (and that's a lot), I figure she's just a reflection of her constituency.

• Watching 24 means America approves of torture? Wasn't the opposite true a few years ago when watching Murphy Brown meant we were going to hell in a handbasket? Bottom line, people: It's. A. TV. Show.

• Speaking of the Nielsen ratings, run, don't walk, and rent American Dreamz. It's like the Zucker Bros. met Blake Edwards and they decided to make a movie about the time the President of the United States decides to boost his approval ratings by becoming a judge on American Idol. Not quite in the same league as Wag The Dog, but it's close.

• Mitt Romney's health care policy yielded some disastrous results in Massachusetts. His approval rating is 34% (third most unpopular governor in America). And this guy wants to run for president? Bring it on.

• Nancy Pelosi will convene the House on January 4 and actually work -- in session! -- through Bush's SOTU. What a concept! And a great way to control the news cycle.

• Republicans have trashed their hotel room and left the Democrats to clean it up. Class act, those Republicans.

• Sen. Hagel thinks the time for more troops in Iraq has passed. But then, even McCain doesn't really believe it would make a difference, does he?

• How long before a bootleg (translation: "free") copy of O.J. Simpson's book and TV show hits the Internets?