SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:24 P.M. ET:

NEW VIDEO GAME – A new video game makes its entry into the marketplace, heralding a fresh era of political civility.  It's called "Tea Party Zombies Must Die."  The object of the deeply intellectual game is to destroy zombies who look like conservative figures, like Sarah Palin or Fox News analyst Brit Hume.  You can also shoot up the headquarters of Fox News.  We await comment on this from leading Democrats, the White House, and all those who lectured conservatives after the Tucson shootings.

CALIFORNIA, HERE I...NO, I'M NOT COMIN' – A new poll shows California voters increasingly downcast about the direction of the country.  At the same time, Californians of both parties are hardening their positions and urging leaders not to compromise their ideological positions.  Sounds like Student Government to me.  And despite the mess in Washington, Obama has the highest approval rating (50%) of any politician included in the poll.  Wasn't this the state where Ronald Reagan was governor?  Or was that another galaxy?

SHAKEUP – The Michele Bachmann campaign staff is being shaken up.  Ed Rollins, a respected Republican figure, is leaving his position in charge of Bachmann's day-to-day campaigning, but will stay on as an adviser.  His deputy is leaving altogether.  Rollins conceded what everyone already knows, that Bachmann hasn't been able to capitalize on her win in the Iowa straw poll because of Rick Perry's entry into the race.  Rollins also concedes that Bachmann is now the "third candidate" behind the leading pair of Romney and Perry.  Unless Perry self-destructs, I suspect Bachmann will not rise higher.

WHICH COUNTRY WILL BE THE LUCKY WINNER? – London's Telegraph reports that intensive talks are underway to allow Colonel Gaddafi to leave Libya and seek asylum in a sympathetic country.  (Or, of course, he could be made a professor at the Kennedy School of Government.  Can you imagine the party invitations?)  The Telegraph further reports that convoys carrying gold, cash and members of Gaddafi's inner circle traveled across the Libyan border in Niger earlier today, setting off the diplomatic scramble to resolve Gaddafi's housing problems.

September 6, 2011