Mitch Daniels: the quintessential family man

IF YOU HAPPENED to be gazing at the southern sky for any sign of the Rapture Saturday night, you might have mistaken a faint earthward streak for a falling star. Actually, it was Mitch Daniels. After providing the pundits with endless speculation that vaulted him as the go-to Alternative in the wacko GOP presidential field, the Indiana governor told us that he preferred his life with his family. Obviously, the thought of being No.1 in the Oval Office just isn't as fetching as it used to be.

You might consider this:

The GOP has Newt, Mitt, TPa, Paul and Cain,

But the polls tell us they're all running in vain.

Oh, yes. Sorry that we overlooked Lady Michele.

But outside of the Tea Party she'd be a hard sell.

The week end also brought us a hysterical gasp from Mitt Romney, who accused President Obama of "throwing Israel under the bus." Fortunately calmer minds prevailed that left Mitt, starchy white shirt and casual Levis, appearing to be a lightweight political opportunist in search of an audience.

Speaking of daring lightweights, how about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is openly defying a state law that grants visitation rights for same-sex couples. The man is driven by right-wing religious ardor and his public support c0ntinues to fall as he attempts to rebuild Wisconsin into a second rate theocratic state. Glad the folks up there are paying attention.

Meantime, for all of the clucking about Gingrich's flip-flops, there may be method to his madness. As soon as he begins denying that he didn't say what everybody else thought he said the media rush to his side demanding that he explain his looniness. All of which means that he gets more national air time. He'a now ahead of Sarah Palin in that game. Didn't hear a peep from her over the week end.

Help: Who said:

"When this group of Republican candidates eventually vanish, they will leave behind no intellectual history"

GOP/Tea Party heading for Disney World

AFTER THE RAUCOUS conservative conference in D.C. the past week end, word leaked out quickly that GOP leaders have agreed to shift the site of the 2012 Republican National Convention to Disney World. Some of the delegates, shown at left, have already arrived in Orlando for the rehearsals to take advantage of the party's momentum.

Smart move. There is no finer venue for make-believe than Disney World, so the delegates will hold forth in a perfect comfort zone.

There are so many issues to resolve within the party that it will doubtless take more than year to resolve them. For example, there's no agreement on what Americans should fear the most, although most of the alarms are color-coded. The late polls tell us that 51 pct. of Republicans are shuddering in their conviction that President Obama was not born in the United States. Only 28 pct. say is a true American. The remaining 20 pct. are skittishly unsure. Fearful of alienating the 71 per centers, House Speaker John Boehner says he accepts the validity of Obama's birthplace but insists that he is in no position to tell Americans what to think. Is that the best you've got, John?

There are other worrisome matters. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a potential presidential candidate, alarms us with warnings about a new Red Menace that has the nation in its grips as our debt grows. That is a change of pace from the Brown Menace of Muslims that we've been hearing so much about.

There is precedent for this. We once called the possible Japanese collaboration with Mexicans the Yellow Peril that would distract the U.S. from leaping into WWI against the Germans. The Lone Star State would be the first to suffer from a Mexican-Japanese invasion. Is that threat reinventing itself?

You may remember, too, that President Reagan warned that Texas was within easy striking distance by Nicaragua when he went for the Iran/Contra gambit. That one translated into a Yellow (Banana) Peril. Fortunately Noriega had other ideas.

The Tea Partyers even found a new peril at their conference. A panel moderator shook the room when she accused the unsuspecting Tea Party of being infiltrated already by Jihadists and the Muslem Brotherhood. Indeed without round-the-clock vigilance the Tea Party is ripe for a takeover.

Now you can see why Disney World is the uncontested site for the the GOP presidential convention.