Could John McCain face a serious primary challenge from former Congressman (and current talk show host) J.D. Hayworth? It would be an extraordinary turn of events. And quite a predicament for Sarah Palin — would loyalty trump her efforts to woo the base?

“Infrastructure” sounds like such a good way to spend “stimulus” money — until you consider how long it takes to get projects underway, and how complicated it is to even identify the  recipients of federal dollars.

Joe Biden jokes, but he doesn’t sound amused, that “since the race is over, no one pays attention to me at all.”

And further proof — as if any were needed — that Biden’s can’t stick to a script no matter how mundane. It’s always possible he might not make it to the second Obama term, if any. (President Obama can only expected to endure so much.) You know, there’s this very savvy politician with 18 million supporters who might step up to the plate if needed in 2012.

Could it be that the RNC cares more about who belongs to their “club” than who belonged to a club that excluded Blacks and Jews? Nah, after an election in which their lack of appeal to minorities was a major factor in their drubbing, they wouldn’t pick someone who belonged to a whites-only club for more than a decade. Would they?

David Gregory goes to Meet The Press. A straight-shooter, but to paraphrase Norma Desmond, is it the shows or the anchors that are getting small?

Another voice sings Bobby Jindal’s praises: “The reason that they’re comparing Jindal to Obama is that, in person, he comes off a lot like Obama.  He’s extremely positive, he’s personally charming, and he’s kind of skinny and his ears stick out.  . . [H]e is not George W. Bush, or John Kerry, or Al Gore, or any of the other range of uninspired sons of the gentry who have graced our political landscape recently.  He is phenomenally smart, and phenomenally talented, and phenomenally likeable.”

The retirement of Mel Martinez may be one of those rare instances in which the seat is better defended without the incumbent. The GOP, for a change, has a strong field.

Eric Cantor talks common sense on the economy and promises to field candidates and improve the GOP’s technology. Sort of like a viable political party!

Larry Summers doesn’t like health care mandates. (h/t Club for Growth) At least not before he was selected to head Obama’s National Economic Council.

In Minnesota more ballots turn up , Al Franken’s attorney spins  and the Democratic attorney general wants to take a look at those rejected absentee ballots. Still, you get the sense Norm Coleman has the recount won. We’ll see if it lasts. Sen. John Ensign threatens a “heavy political price” if the Democrats try to snatch it away from Coleman in the Senate. Is that “Senate-speak” for “There shouldn’t be any business conducted on any matter unless the final vote in Minnesota is respected?” It may come to that.

Mickey Kaus isn’t buying the “I was duped” defense from Eric Holder on the Marc Rich case: “Unfortunately, the NYT story makes it pretty clear that Holder knew too much about the case to have been unwillingly played. Seems more like the buddy system at work.” And if he was duped, he’s too dense to be attorney general, no? Hey, if Holder isn’t winning over Richard Cohen and Mickey Kaus, is his confirmation really preordained?

Is Bush going to run for Senate? That’s Jeb. If his last name were “Smith” it’d be a slam-dunk.

Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. doesn’t think much of bailout-mania: “Bless them for trying, but our firemen have done an objectively crummy job. They failed to douse the confidence/systemic-risk fire and now have moved on to fighting recession by turning credit allocation into a public utility. Vikram Pandit of Citigroup says: ‘We have gone from arm’s length, free market, just-in-time availability’ of funding to a system where big credit-reliant businesses now have only one place to turn, government.” And we haven’t even begun bailing out the auto and other industries.

Another pundit recognizes that “continuity is the new change.” Michael Gerson points out that George Bush wasn’t much of a free marketeer. Since Barack Obama isn’t turning out to be much of a dove there is less daylight between the two than most anticipated.