SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 9:55 P.M. ET:

HOUSE VOTE DELAYED – The House vote on the Boehner debt plan, expected for this evening, has been delayed.  It's pretty clear that the House GOP is divided, with some Tea Partiers refusing to vote for the plan.  Right now Boehner doesn't have the votes to pass it, which is certainly humiliating.  If this persists, the split in the party can become bitter, essentially squandering last November's victory at the polls.

POLL CONFIRMS OBAMA SLIPPAGE AMONG INDIES – A Pew Research poll, which earlier in the year reported that President Obama had an 11-point lead over a generic Republican among registered voters, now reports that lead down to one point.  The change is driven by a sharp drop in support for the president among independents.  Just 31% of independent voters want to see Obama reelected, down from 42% in May.

JACKSON JOINS THE RACE CARD PLAYERS – Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois is the latest black leader to claim that President Obama is being treated differently than past presidents on the debt issue.  Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas made the same change on the floor of the House last week.  I suspect these are previews of coming attractions.  The race card will be played in the 2012 election, first to bring out the minority vote, and, second, to make white voters feel guilty about turning out of office the nation's first black president.  If the playing of the card only affects three or four percent of the vote, that is enough, quite often, to swing a presidential election.

STYLISH ACCIDENT – As we struggle to pay our bills, others struggle to drive with reasonable care.  In Monte Carlo, according to London's Daily Mail, the driver of a Bentley caused a five-car pileup, colliding with a Mercedes, a Ferrari, a Porsche, and an Aston Martin.  Even if she switches to GEICO, I don't think she'll be saving much money on her next premium payment.  But we know she's in good hands.

July 28, 2011