We’re talking Hillary, Obama, and Barbaro. But which one is not like the others, and how is it different? Discuss.

At Tapped, Tom Schaller speculates that Evan Bayh wants to be Hillary’s running mate, and that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for candidates to run as a ticket all through the primaries. Kevin Drum suggests candidates announce top Cabinet appointees (State, Defense, Treasury) beforehand, too, perhaps at the convention. Honesty compels me to report I argued that Howard Dean should do both of these things during the 2004 primary season. (Honesty similarly compels me to report that it probably wasn’t an original idea of mine, but one of somebody else’s I liked.) If Bush had announced in the summer of 2000 that if elected, John Ashcroft would be his Attorney General, how many votes would that have turned? (OK, so that’s an argument against the idea.) It’ll probably never happen, for the reasons Drum outlines–although given the quality of individual Bush has foisted on the country, it makes more sense now than ever.

Bayh may be ready to hop on board Team Hillary, but I am still not ready to hop on the Obama train. However, I like his attitude toward Fox News, which, at the moment, boils down to “screw you and everyone who looks like you.” The Washington Post reports this morning that Obama, still righteously and rightfully pissed about Fox News’ erroneous madrassah story, is “freezing out” Fox reporters. Some Foxbots are whining it’s unfair to Fox reporters who have to cover Obama and who weren’t involved originally. Back on the farm, we had a saying for that: tough shit. You work for a network that wishes ill on Barack Obama and everyone who supports him. Obama wouldn’t let a crazy with a gun on board his airplane–why should he let you hang around?

I doubt that Obama indulges in creative profanity–he just doesn’t seem the type. Neither did Barbaro, while he was on Earth. But now that he’s in horse heaven, it’s a different story. Beware: If naughty language hurts you, a letter from Barbaro (ghost-written by the Mighty MJD, one of the best sports bloggers there is) will kill you.

(This post has been slightly edited since it first appeared.)