A Fine Italian Hand

I was reading Captain's Quarters, and found some interesting gossip.

Past Democratic Party leaders tell The Hill that John McCain negotiated for two months with them to abandon the Republican Party at around the same time that Jim Jeffords crossed the aisle. Tom Daschle and Tom Downey told Bob Cusack that unlike their efforts with Jeffords and Lincoln Chafee, McCain's top aide came to them

Like me, the Captain is highly suspicious of a certain lady.

People who exercise particularly Machiavellian political skullduggery are sometimes referred to as having a "fine Italian hand". That phrase fits, to a T, the work of Hillary Clinton and her chubby hubby, Bill.

The scenario is:

1. Behind the scenes, build McCain up. Make him believe that he has a prayer of winning, and that you relish the chance to run the Presidential race against him.
   
2. Get your well-heeled cronies to funnel money to him (haven't checked this out, but I'd bet the month's mortgage on that one).
   
3. Direct your media cronies to put out good publicity on him. Kill questionable stories.
   
4. Distance him from the Republican base. If the McCain-Feingold bill couldn't do that, have him lead the charge for the anti-war crowd. Leak stories that he was considering jumping the Republican ship.
   
5. When he's rejected by the base, flatter him into running as an independent. Help him get the cash (not hard for the people who took money from questionable sources, like the well-heeled Buddhist monks & nuns). Later, in the election, hammer down on his questionable integrity.
   
6. Election Day - vote split, Republicans in disarray, Democratic machine marches in the voters - and some who weren't EXACTLY voters, but who REALLY, REALLY wanted to be - and, voila, the Mrs. is in. With her sleazy husband, now free to concentrate on the quail.