Short Cuts

Deconstructing Davis: Just as he is about to fade from the national scene, Gray Davis has inadvertently revealed himself. His last-minute empty suit imitation of Clinton's once successful act was amateur night enough but his answer to a reporter's query about playing tonsil hockey with a teenaged Cybill Shepherd on a long ago Hawaiian beach illustrates what is really wrong with the man. "From Cybill Shepherd to Sharon Davis, that's all there is," he said, kissing his wife for the cameras. If it's true it explains why he behaves like a tented fingered vice principal. If it's not...his phony Clinton imitation is complete.

Too Cool for School: Auh-nold's press debut is getting some bad reviews (mostly from the far right) for not being more incendiary about tax cuts. But, for pure political theater, he will be hard to beat. He was endearing, funny, disarmingly shrewd and self-deprecating enough to imply that he is willing to learn. At the moment, the wonkery doesn't matter. The actor is smart enough to know that people get rewarded, helped along, included and elected in life if others like them. The examples are legion. Bill Whalen at the Daily Standard has the clearest take.

Today's Ka-Ching Thing: We love reading about Al Sharpton's money problems because anyone else who bounced a check, charged thousands to dead credit cards and doesn't actually own his own suits would be trading old porn magazines in a cell at Riker's Island. Not Al. He knows he's bullet proof. This makes him all the more fun to watch.

LDotterNote: The fingers behind Short Cuts are going to do some walking next week. After a summer of solid rain, major flooding, unprecedented heat and the biggest black out in history we need to lie down for a bit. The site will, as always, keep pumping away 24/7. And, if you are headed out for a bit of R&R yourself, avoid ugly withdrawal symptoms and take a laptop.

-Your Perpetually Helpful LComStaff