Left-Handed Schadenfraud

Schadenfraud is taking delight in the misfortune of others. Let’s say Dick Cheney took George Bush hunting and neither of them came back. If we were to giggle or break out into dance and song, that would be schadenfraud. A less extreme example would be gleeful fascination with Britney Spears’ descent into the depths of No Life Stardom Hell.

This morning I heard about Alaska’s Senator Ted (Tubes) Stevens’ conviction on many counts of local thievery (as opposed to the normal variety in which he engages while in DC). I thought it was nice that one of the thieving buggers finally got caught at something other than being a politician (sorry for the bad word).

More surprising, however, was the reaction of Senator Stevens’ homey, Sarah Palin. She veritably leapt up from her perch (atop a very withered John McCain) and glowingly stated that this was a great thing for Alaska politics: it was a grand day because things were getting cleaned up. Fortunately Ms. Palin, having borrowed a few layers from Teflon Ronnie Reagan’s pan, won’t have to worry about her own part in making Alaska’s politics dirty.

Now, before you rabid republicans go frothing at the mouth that I’m liberal swine, there is no bias here whatsoever: I hate every single one of them - R and D. There is no partisanship here - just an observation.