SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:52 P.M. ET:

ACTION, CAMERA, VOTE – There is much buzz in Washington over the extraordinary access apparently being given to SONY Pictures and Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker"), who will be doing a movie about the killing of Osama bin Laden.  The causes of the buzz:  1) Both SONY and Bigelow were big backers of Obama in 2008; 2) the film is scheduled to be released in Octobert of next year, less than a month before the presidential election.  Republican Congressman Peter King of New York is asking for an investigation into the arrangements between Hollywood and the White House.  He is correct.  There is something not right here.  I've seen plenty of great war films, and not one glorified a president or was timed for release right before an election.  It was the troops who got the attention.  You'd think there'd be some common decency.

SARAH'S TRAVELS – Well, what do you know?  Guess where Sarah Palin is taking her national bus tour this week.  Would you believe...Iowa?  Correct.  Although she's not participating in tomorrow night's big GOP debate in Iowa, or in the Iowa straw poll on Saturday, she will be visiting the state, as will Governor Rick Perry of Texas.  It is theorized that Perry is visiting to steal the thunder of whoever wins the straw poll.  Question:  Will Sarah in turn steal Perry's thunder?  Don't underestimate her.  She still hasn't announced her presidential plans, but I doubt if she's visiting Iowa in a sweltering summer just to watch corn grow.

OH, THE SENSE OF REVENGE – Arthur Laffer, one of the architects of supply-side economics, and one of the economists behind the Reagan economic program, reveals that he was contacted by the White House in the spring and was asked to have a conversation with Obama adviser Austen Goolsbee.  Gee, you don't think the White House is having doubts about the Obama economic plan, do you?  Oh, wait.  What Obama economic plan?  I'll try to Google it.  Clearly, this president is in serious trouble, and asking the advice of the Reagan group is one of the smarter things we've seen recently.  I doubt if the advice will be taken, though.

A FINE ROMANCE – When Rick Perry announces his candidacy this Saturday, one interested party will be former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York.  It turns out, as reported in a superbly done piece on NRO, that Perry and Giuliani – an odd couple – have a mutual admiration society that goes way back, and have helped each other politically.  Although Perry is a strict conservative, and Rudy a moderate "New York conservative," the two get along famously.  I'd guess that if Perry gets in, Rudy will stay out.  I can't see a Perry/Rudy ticket because Perry's needs lie elsewhere, but I can see Rudy as head of the FBI, or even attorney general.

August 10, 2011