Song: "(I'm thinkin' 'bout nailin') Sarah Palin"

I'm of the mind that Democrats would do well not to over-react to the application of the Peter Principle to Sarah Palin. With her lack of experience and a litany of positions on most matters of policy that are horrific when they aren't nonsensical, the Veep-in-Waiting is a gift to the Obama team, should it decide to run on the issues. The party will have no difficulty building a convincing case against her. The campaign's advocates ought to leave her personal life, her family, her peck of pickled peccadillos out of the race. As Obama himself said, families should be off limits. So should personal attacks, especially by Democrats. Leave that to Republicans. They're oh, so much better at it.

What makes good sense for politicos, though, in no way applies to comedians. In fact, comics all over the country are energized at the prospect of a GOP win. Take, for example, the latest from Nashville-based songwriter and satirist Steve Goodie:

Click here for more fun with Steve Goodie.

In the same spirit, here are some other thoughts on Sarah Palin:

"John McCain's VP pick is the governor of Alaska, a unknown hockey mom named Sarah Palin that no one ever heard of. The only other job she had in politics was the mayor of a small town known as Wasilla, Alaska, and now she has the opportunity to be on a ticket opposite of Barack Obama, the first black man she's ever seen." – Bill Maher

"When they were vetting her for this job, she said, quote, 'What is it exactly that the VP does every day?' Let me field that for you, Sarah. They start wars, they enrich their friends, they subvert the Constitution, and they shoot people in the face. That's what the vice president does." – Bill Maher

"Not only is she young, they're saying she's the prettiest candidate for vice president since John Edwards." - Jimmy Kimmel

"Palin and McCain are a good pair. She's pro-life and he's clinging to life." – Jay Leno

"Today President Bush called Gov. Palin and congratulated her. Bush told Palin the job of vice president is very important because as vice president, you get to tell the president what to do." – Jay Leno

Action: Move on, MoveOn -- Activist/Troubador James McMurtry has his own video contest

Singer-songwriter and reluctant activist James McMurtry (see, Impractical Proposals, 2007-08-05), and Lightning Rod Records are having a contest so fans can create their own music videos to the protest song, “Cheney’s Toy.” From the entries, McMurtry will choose the best videos and post them on his MySpace page and website. If needed, fans can create videos using slideshow applications at RockYou.com. Creators of each of the top five videos will receive t-shirts and autographed copies of McMurtry’s new album, Just Us Kids, and the best video will also receive an 8 Gb Apple iPod Nano with video capabilities. Here's an entry in the contest:

And another:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKUE0RTuw24
Contest info:
http://jamesmcmurtry.com/4contest.html

Nightlife: Main Street, Santa Monica.

No. Really.

If you say nothing happens on Main Street in Santa Monica, nobody's going to argue with you, but it's not really true. The World Cafe has returned to its roots midweek evenings in the no-cover front lounge, with "Hump Day Comedy" stand-up Wednesdays at 9 and live acoustic music Tuesdays at (I think) 8 (I chanced on a terrific singer-songwriter there a couple of weeks ago). Meanwhile, starting in May, Enterprise Fish Co. introduces "The Lounge," with live DJs, wine and cocktails, and tapas that, if up to the FishCo's usual standards, will be terrific.

In the shorter run, at Powerhouse Theater on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. until May 10, Hal Ackerman takes a frank look at his own mortality in his "poignant and often humorous" play, Testosterone: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me, joined by supporting cast members Dennis Lee Kelly and Lisa Robins. Co-chair of the screenwriting program at the U.C.L.A. School of Theater, Film and Television where he has been on the faculty for 22 years, Ackerman completed treatment for prostrate cancer in 2001.

Powerhouse Theater, 3116 2nd, 310-396-3680.
Enterprise Fish Co., 174 Kinney, 310-392-8366.
The World Cafe, 2820 Main, 310-392-1661; carldegreg@yahoo.com