If Obama is the nominee, the electoral map in 2008 may look very different from 2000 and 2004. My guess is that he loses Ohio and Pennsylvania to McCain, as well as Florida and perhaps, New Hampshire. But, on the plus side, Virginia will be in play, as will Colorado, North Carolina, Nevada, and perhaps, an outside chance at Montana. He'll probably pick up an electoral vote in Nebraska. With a smart VP choice, he can probably seal the deal in New Mexico, Iowa, and the Upper Midwest. This newer, broader map could test McCain's stamina. It'll help Democrats in downticket races as well.

If Hillary is the nominee, we're probably back to the same map as 2004, with perhaps the same result. Which state that Kerry lost can Hillary win?

Posted at April 21, 2008 10:57 AM in response to Why Hillary Clinton can't be stopped

Will argues that as a condition of accepting Fed bailouts, the banks' executives should agree to restrict their pay to $124,010, the maximum for federal civil servants. This seems eminently fair.

Small point of clarification:

$124,010 is actually the maximum base rate. Through locality-based pay adjustments, the highest level federal career civil servants (i.e., those at the GS-15, Step 10 level) will make more than $140,000 a year. The salary for such General Schedule (GS) employees is currently capped at $149,000, equal to the salaries for Level IV Federal Executives such as Assistant Secretaries. Some career civil servants and political appointees in the Senior Executive Service (SES) can, but won't necessarily will, make more.

Posted at April 21, 2008 10:08 AM in response to George Will Moves to the Left of the Democrats