A way to make me less scared.

Hillary Clinton for vice president. On the ticket with Barack Obama. Bill Keller, the New York Times columnist, has made such a proposal. And it's a great idea. It might ensure that Obama gets re-elected. And it'd set up Clinton as the heir apparent in 2016. When she'll be 68. Clinton is the most admired woman in America. She's done a very credible job as secretary of state. She's more a politician than Obama, who tries to stay too aloof, too above the fray. And Clinton brings along her husband, Bill. The master politician. He can smooze just about anyone. Maybe Obama would oppose Clinton on the ticket. More for egotistical reasons than anything else. But Obama is capable of setting his ego aside. Especially if he deems that the Republicans have a chance of recapturing the White House if Mitt Romney becomes their candidate. Romney won't be a pushover. He's the only Republican aspirant with a chance to unseat Obama, it seems to me. Especially if the economy doesn't take a significant upturn. The other Republicans are totally looney. Romney is only half looney. Americans elected a looney George Bush twice. If that doesn't scare liberals like me -- well, then nothing will scare us. Frankly, I'm scared. But I'd be far less scared if the Democrats select an Obama-Clinton ticket. That would be enough to convince me to spend at least a half year in America. Instead of all of my time in Italy. --Jim Broede