The Florida Senate Race Just Got Interesting, and No, This Isn't About Charlie Crist

Charley Krist, who's that? Never heard of him.

Forget it, let's talk about the Florida Senate race. Guess who's announcing his candidacy today: billionaire investor Jeff Greene, who's running as a Democrat. Want to know what's so interesting about Jeff Greene?

No, it's not the fact that he's friends with Heidi Fleiss. It's not the fact that Mike Tyson was best man at his wedding. It's not even the fact that Howard Dean's former campaign manager Joe Trippi is one of his strategists.

It's this:

In early 2006 Greene called hedge fund manager John Paulson of Paulson & Co., to whom he had been introduced in the Hamptons a few years earlier. Greene says J.P., as he calls Paulson, suggested he could short real estate by buying insurance on bonds backed by subprime loans. Greene says he sat down with Paulson for half an hour and looked over a ten-page offering memo for a fund that would make such bets. When he asked whether he could do the trades himself, Paulson told him he was unlikely to gain bank approval, Greene says. [Ed. note: John Paulson never met a subprime loan he wouldn't short, remember?]

In April 2006, just as the housing market was peaking, Greene convinced Wall Street banks to allow him to trade credit default swaps; he is believed to be the first individual to do so. Greene put up $30 million to buy swaps that would pay off from a default from paper backed by subprime mortgages.

I realize it's not my place to tell experts like Joe Trippi how to do their jobs, but if I may suggest a campaign slogan: "Jeff Greene for Senate. Swimmin' Right Through the Crap Pools."

Tags: Democrats, Economy, Florida, Jeff Greene, Joe Trippi, Money, Senate

SNL's Fair and Balanced Fox News Election Night Sketch

I usually don't watch Saturday Night Live, because I already saw that one sketch they do. But, as it turns out, sometimes they do some other sketches. Like this one…

See also:
Jon Stewart's Pitch-Perfect Glenn Beck Impression
The Onion: Victim In Fatal Car Accident Tragically Not Glenn Beck

Tags: Brit Hume, Election Day, Fox, Glenn Beck, Greta Van Susteren, Joe Trippi, Juan Williams, Karl Rove, Saturday Night Live, Shepard Smith

Washinton Governor Christine Gregoire Gets Her News From Indecision 2008…

…or so Gov. Gregoire claims. I have a suspicion, though, that she wasn't being completely honest/serious.

I was just introduced to her in Daily Kos and Digg's Big Tent, and she did seem very intrigued to meet somebody from Comedy Central, even if not somebody particularly intriguing in and of himself.

I asked her what she thought of Hillary Clinton's speech last night, and she said she was expecting Sen. Clinton do well, but that it "exceeded my expectations." That seems to be the general opinion across the board with everyone I've spoken to. (I asked her if she's expecting Bill's speech tonight to be comparable, and she said she'd rather not draw a comparison. Message recieved, loud and clear.)

Wish I had a picture, but it turns out I'm an idiot and left the hotel without a battery in my camera. So, Michael very patiently agreed to go home to get it.

We did however manage to get some pictures of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and campaign guru Joe Trippi, both of whom are currently wandering around The Tent and discussing the best ways to undermine American pride with all the liberal bloggers (or so I assume). I'll try to get those pics up soon.

Tags: Colorado, Democratic National Convention, Denver, Dick Durbin, Hillary Clinton, Illinois, Joe Trippi, Washington