Those Who Can...

Speaking of Hitch, he has at last managed to contrive a public debate with the odious George Galloway, a fat frump who has always ran away from Hitchens in the past. I wonder what excuse he'll pull tomorrow?

Galloway, you may recall, came to prominence here in the US earlier this year when he harangued some wilting Senators at one of their investigating committees or other. Sort of left them flabbergasted and silent, left them looking a right bunch of pansies. Being a brit, and more especially a scot, I've been acquainted with Gorgeous George for more years than I care to remember; since before he won a seat to Parliament, even. He used to appear on political TV shows while he headed a charity, "War on Want", if memory serves? His primary contribution as Chief had been to divert a large proportion of the charity's income into its "administration", using the justification that this in turn led to some significant increase in contributions. His was the first charity I knew of that did this: I had previously labored under the naive presumption that all the money one gave went to those who needed it.

A sleazy rogue, sure, but a character too, and therefore excused and indulged by the many: reminiscent of my youngest son who gets away with everything because, well, he's funny. But my kid, though full of Milo Minderbender schemes, would never cheat the poor and downtrodden. Would never suck-up to fascist arab dictators or terrorists till bloated like a tick.

It'll be an interesting match, one way or another. A glimpse of british debating form, I hope, which is much sharper and crueller than the hours-long self-congratulatory circle-jerking of Congress. American knives are wielded very differently, and in an altogether different place.

It'll be interesting, too, to see what Wolcott makes of it? A Galloway fan whose writing style I much enjoy, but whose beliefs and arguments are often nauseating. Still, he makes me laugh - he is forgiven.