More O'Reilly Must Watch TV, but Subtle

So there's Chuck Schumer on Bully Bill's show this evening just before Little George came on to do his New Orleans performance—which, by the way, approached Reaganesque/Clintonesque levels of "feeling" (the guy was running scared, working hard, squeezing the pebble that is his tiny soul). But I couldn't shake off the lingering impression of collaboration between Chuck and Bill. I can't remember much of the content, I was busy at the stove, glancing back over my shoulder, getting glimpses, all the more revealing for that very reason, the tones and flitting expressions, Little George's poll numbers after Katrina figured into the conversation, that I recall, but the thing that hit me was the way Bully Bill was sucking up to Chuck, and Chuck was joining the resistance, as the therapists say, smiling like the cat swallowing the canary, and I started wondering—what the hell is this about?

Some giant worm is turning, I decided. These two total pros were clearly figuring that, somehow, when it finishes turning, they may need each other. That much was clear. Guys like this have their fingers to the wind, that we can rely on. Watching them schmooze each other was like poking around the entrails of some prophetic Roman bird of prey on the eve of a battle not yet defined...