Sorry Barack, this pains me to say it, but I have to vote for Paris Hilton instead! :o)

I hate to do this to my presidential intended, especially one so deserving of the office and all that, and after all that campaigning too, but I have to switch my allegiance to Paris Hilton for president, and with her having chosen sweet little Rihanna for Vice President too. What a team they will be, particularly for galvanising the men to join them in governing effectively in the White House. The men would be so busy being goggle eyed at the ladies, they could both get some very tricky policies through without a murmur!

Paris is eminently qualified, according to her latest advertisement. Her brief but dramatic advert shows that:

a. She has an energy plan, which is more than John McCain has.
b. She is pretty articulate and sweet with it too.
c. She tells it like it is and does not mince her words with niceties (calling her rivals "bi*ches").
d. She can look beautiful (which is more than McCain ever can!)
e. She is quite ready to lead (Boy, I can see LOTS of men itching to follow her in her swimsuit all the way to Capitol Hill!)

In fact, I think Paris and Barack would make a wonderful pair in the White House as they are both supposed to be 'celebrities', they both have that and elusive X factor and we are obviously in the celebrity age. i could also campaign for them both at the same time. Saves lots of angst on my part having to choose! (This is getting more exciting by the minute!)

And why did I switch my strong allegiance so quickly, despite the hand wringing?

Because Paris is indeed very hot, as she says, and us hot ladies have to stick together when the chips are down!

Kudos to President Paris, I say!

(PS..Her advert has been seen over 2 million times in a few hours already!)

Nancy Pelosi - Upward and Onward

Thanks to Nancy Pelosi, I now understand much more about the American political system than I ever did before. I used to wonder about all the strange sounding titles given to politicians on Capitol Hill, erroneously thinking that the Speaker of the House there is like the Speaker of our parliament here, yet nothing could be more wrong. Our Speaker has responsibility for the routine mayhem that goes on in the House of Commons when MPs are in the House, not quite part of the Executive power, but very powerful nonetheless, and he/she is appointed to the post in strict party rotation. But they wouldn't become king or prime minister if anything happened to the queen or Tony Blair.

Mrs Pelosi, on the other hand, is like our prime minister in stature. She appoints her 'cabinet' too with their various roles and is a very powerful woman altogether. Most important, she is also third in the American political hierarchy. Should anything really bad happen to the president and vice president she will be set and ready to become the next appointed interim president. That is awesome for a lady of 66. Let me repeat that again for those who missed it first time: Nancy Pelosi is 66 and looks fabulous, like being in her early 50s. She is ready at that age to take on the world.

If she were in the UK, she would never have attained such a high office because she would have been excluded purely because of her age and derided by the pundits. The media would have had a field day about her. Everyone would be moaning that she is too old for the job and bypass her. Fortunately, in America, ability counts a lot. Age is not an issue there because American society still venerates older people, especially older men who are very powerful. That's what endears me to some aspects of that country. It does not matter how old you are (one of the candidates for deputy was 73!), the opportunity is still there to prove your worth. So long as you have the talent and can hack it, you are in. That is why America is so well developed and successful. It does not cut off its population at 50, isolate them from their work and passions, then talk lamely about human value and equality for all. It speaks with action.

Thank you Nancy for motivating and educating a Brit across the Pond; for giving hope and encouragement to millions of women across America today. Here's wishing you the greatest success in your new post. No doubt you will be kicking a lot of asses in the months to come. Go for it Girl!